Friday, September 7, 2007

SENATORS KERRY, KENNEDY ANNOUNCE $250,000 UPWARD BOUND MATH AND SCIENCE GRANT TO MWCC

Senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy announced that Mount Wachusett Community College will receive a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Upward Bound Math and Science Program. The goal of the Upward Bound Math and Science Program is to help students develop their potential in math and science and encourage them to pursue postsecondary degrees in these subject areas.

“American workers are facing fierce competition from countries around the world,” Senator Kerry said. “It is critical that all American students have a solid grounding in math and science and we need to do everything we can to nurture those students that show exceptional ability. The Upward Bound Program will allow Mount Wachusett Community College to open avenues, academic and professional, for talented math and science students that may have otherwise been unable to take full advantage of their natural ability. I commend the DOE for investing in the young men and women of Massachusetts.”

Senator Kennedy said, “The Upward Bound Math-Science program at Mount Wachusett Community College will give students the critical skills they need to achieve and thrive in college. I congratulate Mount Wachusett Community College on receiving this grant, and look forward to seeing them help hundreds of students from our Commonwealth.”

The program will serve 50 high school students in three target areas: Gardner (Gardner High School) Athol (Athol High School) and Winchendon (Murdock Middle/High School). Two thirds of the students served will be from low-income and first generation college families and the remaining one-third will be either from low-income or first generation college families. Students will have an identified need for services and an interest and capacity to pursue a career in math, science or engineering.

"The intensive experience in math and science will provide great opportunity for these students,” said MWCC President Daniel M. Asquino.“This will benefit not only these students, but all of us as we prepare them for careers in math and science that will bolster our economy.”

The students will meet throughout the year on the Gardner campus for two Saturdays a month for academic advising, counseling and mentoring, MCAS and SAT preparation, math and science research projects, financial aid and scholarship workshops, educational and cultural field trips. A six-week summer residential academic program will take place at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H., which can provide the housing to simulate a college experience. In addition to Franklin Pierce, other partners providing academic opportunities will include Heywood Hospital, NYPRO Industries and University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

The program is a four-year initiative, with additional grants of $250,000 to be awarded each year. Patricia Gregson, Vice President of Access and Transition, and Kristin Sweeney Moore, executive director of the CAPP program, will administer the program.

RENOVATIONS, NEW INITIATIVES, MARK START OF ACADEMIC YEAR

Faculty convened for the annual Professional Development day on Sept. 5 at the four Points by Sheraton in Leominster and the Leominster campus. Nancy Duphily, left, a member of the nursing faculty since 1985, has been appointed director of the Nursing Program. MWCC alumna Michelle Smith, right, joined the nursing faculty as a medical surgical instructor.

Renovations and new initiatives marked the start of the academic year this week. Over the summer, the college invested $1.35 million in construction projects at the Gardner campus, including library renovations, masonry to restore the façade of the main building and front and back patios, and resurfacing of the walking track. Renovations are ongoing, and approximately $350,000 more will be invested this year. An open house to unveil the new library renovations will take place Sept. 21 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with MWCC alumnus Brian M. Gelinas, author of the novel “American Odyssey,” as the featured speaker.

In the wake of the Virginia Tech campus tragedy this past spring, Mount Wachusett joined colleges throughout Massachusetts and the country in increasing security measures on campus. MWCC has put in place an early warning alert system. The new system will allow the college to develop a database of student and faculty email addresses, home and cell phone numbers and other contact information to notify the campus community if an emergency occurs. Faculty and staff also will receive additional training in crisis intervention and response. Massachusetts has allocated $250,000 to create the notification program at colleges throughout the Commonwealth.

Two new academic programs were added to the college's offerings this year. Students may now choose majors in Clinical Laboratory Science, offered in partnership with Heywood Hospital, and Biotechnology/Biomanufacturing. The new programs were developed to address the need for trained employees in these fields.

More MWCC News:

• MWCC’s Student Life Office and CATS are sponsoring the annual Welcome Back Fall Fest BBQ on Wednesday, Sept. 12 on the north courtyard. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, the music of Grupo Fantasia will be featured from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The barbecue begins at 11:15 a.m. Additional activities include gel scapes, puzzle pics, PK soccer, giant checkers, cotton candy, wax hands, caricatures and more, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
  
• In observance of Constitution Day, a panel discussion on the Freedom of the Press will take place Monday, Sept. 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the North Cafeteria. Panelists include Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. John Fielding and Paralegal Program Associate Professor Jim Korman. the event is free and open to students, faculty, staff and the public.
  
• Representatives from more than 160 colleges and universities will be at the annual New England Association of College Admissions Counseling College Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 19. The fair, hosted by the Admissions Office, will run from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Fitness and Wellness Center and is open to the public. It is geared toward high school juniors and seniors from the college's service area as well as MWCC students interested in pursuing a bachelor's degree afgter completing their associate's degree. For more information, contact the MWCC admissions office at (978) 630-9110.
  
• The first phase of the library renovation is near completion and the library staff is eager to share what’s been going on behind the plastic drapes. All are invited to the Leo and Theresa LaChance Library Open House Friday, Sept. 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ask for a tour of the library – you might be surprised at what the Library has to offer. Library staff will be happy to demonstrate the “new” catalog and the many databases available to patrons. Enter a raffle for a free flash drive. The featured speaker, alumnus Brian M. Gelinas, will discuss his novel “American Odyssey” from noon to 1 p.m. Refreshments will be served. This event is cosponsored by the LaChance Library and the MWCC Alumni Association.
  
• The American Red Cross will hold a Blood Drive at the Gardner campus on Wednesday, Sept. 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Commons area. Sign up in Health Services, room 133, or call Marianne Stoy or Diane King at (978) 630-9136 to register. Walk-ins also are welcome.
  
• The exhibit, “To See Through a Beautiful World,” a collection of oil paintings by Fitchburg Artist Lionel Reinford, will be on display through Oct. 6 at the East Wing Gallery, located in the Raymond M. LaFontaine Fine Arts Center. Sponsored by the Art Department, the exhibit commemorates Hispanic Heritage Month. Reinford, an award-winning artist whose works have been displayed at the Fitchburg Art Museum, the ArtsWorcester Gallery and the World Trade Center, among other venues, learned to paint in his native Honduras, using brushes fashioned from razor grass. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (978) 632-6600.
  
• The Fall Film Series 2007: Documenting Society begins on Wednesday, Sept. 26 with the inspiring documentary, Paper Clips. The film runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the North Cafeteria. Paper Clips captures the story of how students from a small town in Tennessee responded to lessons about the Holocaust with a promise to honor every lost soul by collecting one paper clip for each individual exterminated by the Nazis. The amazing result, a memorial railcar filled with 11 million paper clips representing all victims of the Holocaust, stands permanently in their schoolyard and is an unforgettable lesson of how a committed group of children and educators can change the world one classroom at a time. Other films this semester include An Inconvenient Truth on Oct. 24 and the Ground Truth on Nov. 7.
  
• MWCC will host the 2007 Northern Worcester County Memory Walk to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association on Saturday, Sept. 29. More than 5 million Americans and 16,000 Central Massachusetts residents have Alzheimer’s. Volunteers, sponsors and walking teams are needed to help move closer to a cure for Alzheimer’s. The event features a one, two or three mile walk, followed by musical entertainment, food, children’s activities and an exhibitors’ fair. Registration begins at 8 a.m. and the walk begins at 10 a.m. Proceeds are used to fund programs such as support groups, caregiver training, research and a 24-hour helpline. For more information, contact Kristi Mendoza at (978) 365-4537 or Kristi.Mendoza@kindredhealthcare.com.
  
• The Clinical Laboratory Science program offers an associate’s degree curriculum and integrates general education courses with science and hospital rotations. Students enrolled in this program will learn how to use sophisticated biomedical instrumentation and computers to analyze blood and other body specimens. The generation of accurate results of laboratory tests allows physicians to detect, diagnose and treat disease. Information sessions will be offered on Wednesdays on Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 14 and Dec. 12 at 3 p.m. in the Volney Howe Conference Room or the OBS Conference Room at Heywood Hospital. The sessions will include a tour of the clinical laboratory. Prospective students interested in attending an information session are asked to call the admissions office at (978) 630-9110 (TTY (978) 632-4916), or send an email to admissions@mwcc.mass.edu.
  
• Do you have an idea for a new business or nonprofit organization? Do you want to start it in North Central Massachusetts? If you answered yes to these questions, now is your chance to turn that idea into a business plan for cash and other prizes. It’s all part of MWCC’s 2007 Business Plan Competition. You’ll be among the group of innovators seeking to win up to $14,000 in cash prizes, as well as over $14,000 of in-kind services, to help you start or expand a business or nonprofit in the region. Applications and final business plans are due Tuesday, Sept. 18. Semi-finalists, finalists and the grand-prize winner will be announced in November. Learn all the competition details and get an application at http://erc.mwcc.edu or call Lisa Derby Oden at (978) 840-3221 ext. 163.
  
• Register now for the second annual Bob Wilson Memorial Scholarship 5k Run/Walk at Fitchburg State College’s Elliot Field Track. Organized by his wife, Tina Wilson, Associate Professor of Computer Information Systems at MWCC, the 5K will take place Sunday, Oct. 28. The Walk will begin at 12:15 p.m.; the Run at 1 p.m. Race Day Registration will start at 10:30 a.m. Proceeds benefit scholarships, through Fitchburg State College and Fitchburg Access Television, to communications and broadcasting students attending MWCC and Fitchburg State. Last year, 180 people registered to walk or run and raised $4,800 for scholarships. Registration forms are available at www.bobwilsonfund.com. For more information, contact Tina Wilson at t_wilson@verizon.net or (978) 630-9225.
  
• Now entering its ninth year of service to senior learners age 50 and over, the LIFE Program at Mount Wachusett Community College is accepting registrations for a variety of courses being offered throughout the fall semester. Upcoming courses are being offered in computers, writing and poetry workshops, current events, exploring the sacred writings of four major religions, and other topics. Submissions of prose, poetry, short stories or historical memoirs are also being accepted for Tapestries, An Anthology, an annual publication of writings published, distributed and sponsored by the LIFE Program. In addition, the program directs three intergenerational projects that match senior citizens with elementary, high school and college students on a writing project, an arts project and a poetry/arts project. The Mount Walkers meet weekly on Thursday mornings at 10:30 to walk the bike path. To be placed on the LIFE Program mailing list or to receive a course description booklet, contact Lorraine Wickman at l_wickman@mwcc.mass.edu or call (978) 630-9176.