2014 - Page 2 of 25

He Offers an Interesting Philosophy on Philosophy

December 15, 2014/in Archive/by Ellen Small-Davis

Dustin Rollins

Adjunct faculty member Dustin Rollins believes curiosity is the foundation of philosophy and philosophy is the foundation to a successful life.

Rollins, who begins his seventh year teaching philosophy at NECC, himself came to philosophy by way of Socrates or rather Plato’s version of him. He adheres to Plato’s conviction that “philosophy begins in wonder”.

“All philosophy begins in curiosity,” says Rollins, who holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from St. John’s College and a master’s in philosophy from Boston College. “What excites me the most about teaching is sparking curiosity in others and helping them to develop an active sense of wonder.”

Rollins brings his philosophy on philosophy to the classroom whether he is teaching “Philosophy”, “Practical Logic”, and “College Success”. In fact, the “College Success” course is a personal favorite.

“I enjoy teaching all of my classes, but teaching “College Success” is special to me because it is a real opportunity to engage students and develop in them a set of transferable skills that will ultimately help them succeed both personally and professionally.”

He credits his high school humanities teacher with introducing him to philosophy.

“My teacher thought it was a good fit for me and recommended I attend an undergrad program that was philosophy intensive,” he says. “The rest is history.”

Or in his case – philosophy.

“I think philosophy is important for students to study because of its emphasis on critical thinking. It has been my experience that critical thinking is a skill that can be developed in the classroom and then transferred to other arenas,” he says.

Northern Essex offers an associate degree in liberal arts, philosophy option, which is designed for students who want to transfer to a four-year college or university.

Twenty-six years and Counting of Teaching CIS

December 10, 2014/in Archive/by Ellen Small-Davis

Dr. Ethel Schuster

Twenty-six years after teaching her first basic computer course, Dr. Ethel Schuster of Andover, is still teaching classes in the ever-evolving field of computer and information science (CIS), from applications to programming to security and web design.

“I love teaching all the CIS classes,” says Schuster. “I especially enjoy classes that are hands-on, where I can watch the students get that ‘Aha!’ moment or say, ‘I got it to work!’”

Schuster worked as a computer programmer for two years after graduating from Brandeis University with a bachelor’s in computer science. After that, she went on to earn both a master’s and PhD in computer and information science from the University of Pennsylvania.

A lover of math, logic, and languages, Schuster comes to CIS via computational linguistics, which was the focus of her graduate work. She examined how humans process language and then reproduce those processes with computers.

“This interdisciplinary field was perfectly suited for me because it combined philosophy, linguistics, computer science, and psychology,” she says.

The Colombian native brings her diverse skillset to the CIS classroom to train tomorrow’s CIS leaders, in particular women and underrepresented populations.

“I love teaching people to think…I feel accomplished when I watch my students succeed at getting problems solved…when suddenly their programs do what they wanted and expected them to do,” she says.

Currently, there is a high demand for science, technology, engineering, and math majors, she notes, in particular computer science and information technology. Although the technology sector in Massachusetts has grown at a rate of 5.6 percent since 2009, there remains a shortage of workers with adequate skills for the tech fields, according to a February 2014 Boston Globe article.

Schuster uses a variety of techniques including hands-on activities, collaborative work, and discussion on current and relevant topics to keep CIS students engaged and informed.

She also likes to take her CIS skills off campus and frequently leads workshops on technology, gizmos and gadgets, and information security at local schools and after-school centers, like the Boys and Girls Club.

Northern Essex offers three associate degrees in computer information systems and seven certificate programs. To learn more visit the Computer and Information Sciences Programs on the web

Marine Biology has this Professor’s Heart

December 9, 2014/in Archive/by Ellen Small-Davis

Dr. Ken Thomas

If he isn’t on the water or in the water, then marine biologist and natural science professor Dr. Ken Thomas is teaching about the water and its countless inhabitants.

While he also teaches introduction to biology and human biology, marine biology has had his heart since he was a boy on family trips to the beach.

“I was the one poking around the rocks, digging in the sand, and sieving the water just to see what was living in there,” he says.

What he found, in addition to marine life, was a lifelong interest. A young follower of “The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,” he was inspired by Cousteau to pursue a field of study that would satisfy his intellect.

When he earned his associate degree at Northern Essex Thomas never imagined he would return years later to teach. After NECC, he went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from UMass Lowell and a Master of Science in Zoological Sciences and PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Rhode Island.

An expert canoer, sailor, and swimmer, bodies of water are his playground as well as his office.

“Marine biology is exciting because we are always finding out new things about old, familiar organisms, as well as discovering organisms we didn’t know existed,” he says.

These new discoveries keep old material fresh in the classroom and keep the students engaged.

“I like to challenge my students to think for themselves…to question and investigate what we think we know, and to make their own decisions based upon their interpretation of evidence,” he says.

He is a satisfied professor, he says, when his students have an epiphany regarding the class material.

Northern Essex offers associate degrees in liberal arts with a biology or physical science focus. These degrees are designed for students who are interested intransferring to a four-year college after earning an associate degree. The college also offers an associate degree in lab science for students who would like a job as an entry level lab technician and/or are interested in transfer.

NECC’s Lab Science Program Receives Platinum Endorsement

December 9, 2014/in Archive/by review

Lance Hartford, executive director of MassBioEd Foundation; Marguerite White-Jeanneau, professor of natural sciences; Bill Heineman, vice president of academic and student affairs; and Carolyn Cohen-Knoepfler,PhD, Acting Assistant Dean of Math and Science.

The Laboratory Sciences Associate Degree Program at Northern Essex Community College has received a Platinum Endorsement for 2014, the highest endorsement award given by the Massachusetts Life Sciences Education Consortium (MLSEC).

This marks the second time that the college’s Laboratory Sciences Program has been recognized by the consortium. In 2011, the program received a Gold Endorsement which, at that time, was the highest level given. NECC is one of just five Massachusetts community colleges to have been granted the Platinum Endorsement.

NECC’s lab science degree successfully prepares graduating students for transfer and/or careers in the life sciences field. The degree program was designed in response to a widespread need locally for skilled lab technicians and offers three areas of concentration: biotechnology, environmental sciences, and chemical analysis.

Each year MLSEC, a partnership initiative of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Education Foundation (MassBioEd), assesses and recognizes community college programs that successfully collaborate with the life industry through their offering of externships, career advising, and rigorous training in their fields. The assessment process was updated this year to reflect the new and impressive ways that colleges like NECC are working to meet industry demands.

Lance Hartford, executive director of MassBioEd, suggests that the revitalized endorsement process will boost success rates among life sciences students in the community college system. “We believe the [2014 endorsement] process encourages program excellence and offers employers an accessible tool for assessing program utility in preparing people for the industry” he says.

Since its introduction in 2009, NECC’s laboratory sciences program has taken great strides to ensure that its students graduate with all the necessary skills and training to excel in the life and lab sciences industry. The past five years have welcomed a variety of positive changes to the program, including an increased focus on first-year foundational knowledge, externship opportunities, guided career support, and independent research.

The prospects for success continue to grow as the program expands its offerings. Many NECC laboratory science graduates have gone on to pursue higher degrees and gain desirable industry positions thanks to the externships and career training opportunities that were made available to them as students.

“Our graduates have worked very hard to get where they are and I’m proud to have been able to help them get there,” says Marguerite White-Jeanneau, professor of natural sciences, of the program’s success. She adds that recent program endorsements have attracted the attention of area employers interested in knowing more about NECC’s laboratory science graduates. “We hope the new endorsement will help increase these opportunities,” she says.

NECC’s laboratory sciences faculty was recognized at the MLSEC annual awards ceremony on December 2nd. David Cedrone, associate commissioner for economic and workforce development and STEM, and Matt Digelman, CEO of Burning Glass Technologies, served as guest speakers.

For more information on Northern Essex’s Associate of Science Degree in Lab Science, visit the website.

NECC Provides Foundation for Successful Transfer

December 8, 2014/in Archive/by review

NECC Political Science graduate Nairoby Sanchez

Nairoby Sanchez knew when she enrolled at Northern Essex that it would be the first step on her journey to earning a four-year degree.

The Haverhill resident was looking for a fresh start when she came to Northern Essex. After tumultuous junior and senior years in high school that included caring for a critically ill sibling and the death of her dad, Nairoby was ready for stability and direction.

“By the time I graduated from high school I was broken and didn’t know how to put myself back together,” she says.

She received valuable advice from her sister who was a 2012 graduate of NECC. “She told me to not let my personal life interfere with my academic life,” she says, “and I didn’t.”

Nairoby graduated in May with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts: Political Science Option. She was accepted as a transfer student to George Washington University, UMass Boston, and Umass Amherst. She will attend UMass Boston where she received a full scholarship.

NECC was the right choice for Nairoby. “For the first time since third grade, I understood math,” she says.

These last two years, she says, have been transition years for her.

“I took my time there as the opportunity that it was … to make something of myself. I did that by getting involved,” she says.

She joined the NECC Student Senate, Amnesty International, and the Student Leadership Development Program. She was a work-study student in the student engagement center. But now, she is ready to transfer.

“I feel Northern Essex has more than prepared me to transfer,” she says. “Incoming students should take a good look at what NECC offers. It has so many resources available to its students. You just have to look around and ask.”

NECC Announces Accelerated Classes During Winter Break

December 5, 2014/in Archive/by review

For the first time in decades, maybe ever, Northern Essex Community College is offering accelerated courses during the January break for students who want to get ahead.

These courses are open to current Northern Essex students as well as students from other colleges and universities who are interested in earning credits that can be transferred.

The classes will run Monday through Friday for two weeks, Jan.5 through 16, from 9 a.m. to mid-afternoon, and they will be taught on the Haverhill Campus. Options include Basic Algebra II, Basic Writing, English Composition I, Human Biology, Introduction to Accounting I and II, and Public Speaking.

Northern Essex decided to offer classes during the break after hearing students were interested. “Our students are very motivated and many are seeking innovative options that can accelerate their education and move them into the work force or help them transfer to a four-year program sooner,” said Tina Favara, interim dean of enrollment services. “This gives students the opportunity to earn an additional three-credit course this year.”

Northern Essex offers 70 certificate and associate degree programs in fields such as art and design, business, communications arts, computer and information sciences, criminal justice, liberal arts, health, performing arts, and much more. Twenty of those programs are offered completely online or 80* online and classes are offered days, evenings, and weekends.

To learn more about winter intersession courses offered at NECC, visit the website or contact Enrollment Services at admissions@necc.mass.edu or (978) 556-3700.

Information Literacy Lab Opens on Lawrence Campus

December 4, 2014/in Archive/by review

Mike Hearn, director of library services, Jenny Fielding, coordinator of library services, Lawrence, and NECC education major Jaritza Hildalgo of Lawrence in the college’s new information literacy lab.

Bill Heineman, NECC’s vice president of academic and student affairs, has a tip for students with papers to write.

After touring the college’s new information literacy lab in Lawrence at a November 24 Open House, he said “this is where you come to write your research paper.”

The lab is part of a three-part suite located on the first floor of the Dimitry Building on Franklin Street, and it includes computer lab/teaching space, a media viewing room, and a group study room.

The computer lab/teaching space features 24 desk top computers, and when it is not being used to teach classes in information literacy, individual students can stop by and do research with a dedicated librarian to assist them.

Jenny Fielding, coordinator of library services at the Lawrence Campus library, describes information literacy as “learning to think critically about getting information,” a skill which she says is important in today’s digitally saturated information environment.

“Evaluating the sources of information is as important as finding the information,” she says. “Our librarians and technology assistants will be available to help students find the best sources of information for their assignment.”

Up until last month, information literacy courses were taught on computers located in the main library, which is one floor below the new information literacy lab, a set-up which could be disruptive to students studying in the library, according to Mike Hearn, the college’s director of library services.

Other features of the new information literacy lab include a media viewing room in which students can view videos and other Internet content and a group study room which can accommodate groups of up to eight students.

Hearn explains that college libraries are changing, becoming more technology focused. The Haverhill Campus library currently offers everything that’s offered in Lawrence except for video viewing.

To learn when the college’s new information literacy lab is open, visit the website https://www.necc.mass.edu/library/hours/

Tutoring Center Helps Lawrence Man Succeed

December 2, 2014/in Archive/by review

NECC Business Transfer student Carlos Vasquez

Carlos Vasquez says he received academic support from many areas of Northern Essex not the least of which was the tutoring center.

The 30-year-old Lawrence resident has been a steady visitor to the tutoring center since he began taking classes three years ago and credits it with helping him succeed. He is
targeted to graduate with a business transfer degree in December.

A native of the Dominican Republic, Carlos immigrated to the United States when he was just 9 years old and unable to speak English. He was a fast learner and attended Lawrence Public Schools where he says he was a good student. After graduating from Greater Lawrence Technical School with a focus on electronics, he entered the workforce working in a number of machine shops as a mechanical assembler.

He enrolled in college, but wasn’t ready to get serious about school.After working for several years, his attitude changed when Carlos realized more education meant more money in his paycheck.

At 27, he took a noncredit bartending course through NECC. While he never used his bartending skills, the course gave him the confidence to enroll in a credit course. Wiser
and more mature, one class led to two which led to three.

Carlos credits the tutoring center with contributing to his academic success. “The tutoring center was so important to me especially as a nontraditional learner,” he says. “The tutors were a tremendous help. There is no shame in using the tutoring center. Not everyone can be expected to make it on their own. I received tremendous support.” Carlos became so comfortable at NECC that he joined the Student Senate, the Student Leadership Development Program, and Community Outreach Group.

After earning a bachelor’s degree, he hopes to work for a nonprofit.

Graphic Novel Art on Display at NECC

December 2, 2014/in Archive/by review

Art work by Northern Essex Community College students from the 2014 “Art and Literature of the Graphic Novel” class will be on display through Saturday, December 6, in the ArtSpace located in the Bentley Library on the Haverhill campus, 100 Elliot St.

The exhibit, titled “Tales from the Valley,” is free and open to the public. An opening reception will be held Thursday, December 4, from 3 to 5 p.m.

Professors and students from NECC will show their techniques for creating original graphic novels.

Artwork in the exhibit grew out of the “Art and Literature of the Graphic Novel” learning community class taught by professors Marc Mannheimer and Ginger Hurajt in the spring 2014 semester. In this class students read and analyzed a variety of graphic novels as well as created their own over the semester.

Works that will be on display will be from the culminating project, “Tales from the Valley,” containing stories about the Merrimack Valley, ranging from historical, to autobiographical, to fiction/science fiction.

Gallery hours are For more information contact Ginger Hurajt at ghurajt@necc.mass.edu or Marc Mannheimer atmmannheimer@necc.mass.edu.

The “Art and Literature of the Graphic Novel” learning community will be offered in the spring 2015 semester. To learn more about learning communities at Northern Essex, visithttps://www.necc.mass.edu/academics/enrichment/learning-communities/

NECC Choir Celebrates Season

November 26, 2014/in Archive/by review

The Northern Essex Community College Chorus, under the direction of Alisa Bucchiere, will perform its holiday performance on Sunday, December 7.

The 1904 carol “Carol of the Bells” as well as music from the 1996 musical “Ragtime” and the 1951 opera “Amahl and the Night Visitors” will be included in the Northern Essex Community College’s holiday chorus concert on Sunday, December 7 at 2 p.m. in the David Hartleb Technology Center, on the Haverhill campus, 100 Elliott St.

The NECC chorus will perform under the direction of NECC music professor Alisa Bucchiere.

NECC student Caitlin Clark of Haverhill, will sing a solo of “My Daddy’s Son” from the musical “Ragtime”.

Excerpts from Gian Carlo Menotti’s “Amahl and the Night Visitors” will also be performed.

This event is open to the public. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at the door. For more information, contact Bucchiere at abucchiere@necc.mass.edu.