Brianne Beatrice received the 2016 BroadwayWorld Boston Award for Best Actress in a Play.

If students need any evidence that Northern Essex Community College professor Brianne Beatrice knows what she’s talking about when it comes to theater and communication, they need only look to her award shelf. For her performance as Bonnie in a Gloucester Stage Company production of “The Last Schwartz,” the Marblehead-based actor was given the 2016 BroadwayWorld Boston Award for Best Actress in a Play. Voted on by readers of BroadwayWorld.com’s Boston section, the awards shed light on the great work done by people in local theater (a contrast to the larger industry’s focus on New York).

As an adjunct professor, Beatrice teaches a variety of classes at Northern Essex, including public speaking, interpersonal communication and introduction to theater. One could say the character of Bonnie required her to pull a little bit from each of these areas and then some — the difficult role requires the actor to inspire both hysterical laughter and deep empathy from the audience.

“Bonnie converted to Judaism after meeting a man and falling in love, and her sole purpose in life has been to have a family. So at the start of the play, we see this sort of deranged character who’s giving this wacky monologue,” says Beatrice. “But then, in act two, we find out that Bonnie can’t have children and has actually suffered five miscarriages — so she very quickly switches gears from this comedic figure to a more tragic one.”

It’s a challenging dichotomy, but one she handled with aplomb. In a Boston Globe review of the play, theater critic Don Aucoin called her vacillating, high-energy performance “superb.” The toughest part of pulling the performance off, she says, was putting the contrasting characteristics of her true self away in order to fully embody the character’s neurotic tendencies.

“I did all this foundational work about women who suffer miscarriage and what that means to them,” she said, “but the biggest challenge was finding Bonnie all the way through. You know, I kickbox six days a week, I’m a pretty active, aggressive, headstrong woman — and so for me, the bulk of the work was character development.”

While she admits she was pleased and excited about the award, Beatrice says the greatest benefit for receiving it actually goes to her students. Theater can be a difficult field to break into, and seeing the success of someone close to them — particularly someone who’s responsible for teaching them the ropes — can offer a real boost to their morale, she says.

“As an educator, it’s really exciting for my students, because this award serves as a means for them to get excited about their work; for them to say, ‘Hey, my professor’s out there, still doing this, still pursuing a career in acting.’ It helps fuel a drive for them.”

The award also serves as a reminder that, while education is critical, it’s also important to pay attention to what’s actually going on in the industry. Beatrice’s approach to teaching has just as much to do with practical details — such as who to network with and how to audition — as it does with method and theory.

“I’m always trying to bridge the gap between educational theater and professional theater,” says Beatrice. “In my syllabus, my students have to see professional theater, they have to know who’s working in Boston … and I often bring in theater artists working professionally to do talkbacks. So not only do my students learn the mathematics of what theater means, but they also know the application when they leave.”

Despite wearing many hats — including actor, educator and director — Beatrice says, at the end of the day, she doesn’t think of herself as favoring any one more than the other. Instead, she sees her life as a constant collaboration between these positions, all revolving around her dedication to theater.

“It’s my life’s work, my life’s passion,” she says. “If I can do all of it, that’s happiness.”

NECC offers an associate degree in liberal arts: theatre option which gives students the opportunity to sample various aspects of theater. Individuals can take courses in acting, directing, improvisation, children’s theater and may earn credits for working on college productions in stage management and technical theater.

The college also offers an associate degree in liberal arts: journalism/communication option, which prepares students for careers in the fields of print and broadcast journalism, corporate communications, public relations and more.

These four graduates of NECC’s Sleep Technology Program are now working in the Neurocare Sleep Lab at Lawrence General Hospital. Front left to right Mariuxi Cabrera of Lawrence, Adlin Siri of Haverhill, and Viveno Moreno of Haverhill. Back row, Jesus Chico of Lawrence.

Because of a shortage of sleep technologists, students in Northern Essex Community College’s Sleep Technology Certificate Program are getting jobs before they graduate.

Eager to hire more sleep technologists, Neurocare, Inc., the largest employer of sleep technologists in Massachusetts, recently expanded its relationship with the college.

A clinical site for Northern Essex students for the past seven years, starting this year, Neurocare is hiring students for paid, entry-level positions.

“This was a terrific opportunity for our students,” said John Murray, program coordinator.  “They get hands-on experience, earn money, and have first dibs at full-time jobs when they graduate.”

Neurocare is in the process of interviewing and hiring members of the class of 2017, said Murray, and, not surprisingly, the students “are loving it.”  Last spring, half of the graduating class of 18 was hired by Neurocare.

The shortage of sleep technologists is being driven in part by the closure of at least two sleep technology programs in recent years.   Northern Essex is currently the only college in New England graduating sleep technologists.

Murray said the new partnership benefits Neurocare as well as the students, who get hands-on experience and begin earning while still in college.

“If we didn’t have Northern Essex, we wouldn’t be able to service our clients’ needs,” said Pam Hurlburt of Neurocare, who said she has confidence in the quality of the Northern Essex program and the preparedness of its graduates.

Adlin Siri of Haverhill, a 2016 graduate of the program, started working for Neurocare’s sleep clinic at Lawrence General Hospital three weeks after her graduation. The 2004 Lawrence High School graduate says the field is “interesting” and “rewarding”.  “It feels so good to help someone with a sleep issue like apnea.   You really feel like you’ve accomplished something.”

Adlin Siri of Haverhill scores a sleep study in the sleep lab at Lawrence General Hospital.

The field of sleep technology requires excellent communication and critical thinking skills. Technologists score studies, evaluate EKG’s, take vital signs, and work closely with patients to explain sleep disorders and therapies.  Starting salaries for sleep technologists are $19 an hour.

There are over 80 sleep disorders with sleep apnea being the most common.

Neurocare, Inc. is a provider of hospital-based sleep disorders management programs and free-standing sleep diagnostic centers accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in New England.  They are currently hiring Northern Essex students in Lawrence, Boston, Newton, Needham, Brockton, and Concord, MA, and Derry, NH.

Northern Essex is recruiting now for the 10-month Sleep Technologist Certificate program starting in September.  For more information, contact Murray at 978 655-5892 or jmurray@necc.mass.edu or visit the website www.necc.mass.edu.

For a full list of health programs available at Northern Essex visit the website.

While enrolled in Northern Essex Community College’s Computer Aided Drafting II class, students Jeffrey Cuesta of Haverhill, CAD certificate, and Andrew Sheehan of Methuen, engineering science, designed and built a solar powered DeLorean using NECC’s 3D printer.

Northeastern University (NU) recently received a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that could benefit Northern Essex Community College engineering science students.

Northern Essex is one of five colleges selected to partner with Northeastern on the grant, which is designed to support college transfer students from under-represented backgrounds who are studying and doing research in energy.

Each year, three NECC engineering science students, who are interested in the energy industry, could receive a $2,500 a year scholarship to support their engineering education at NECC, beginning this fall. This opportunity is for the next five years with a potential opportunity to enroll at Northeastern University’s (NU) prestigious School of Engineering.

The five-year program titled Student Pathways Opening World Energy Resources or S-POWER, ties in with a national initiative to increase diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields as well as the energy sector.

Paul Chanley, NECC Engineering Science Program coordinator, will coordinate the S-POWER Scholarship Program in partnership with Northeastern University.

“Northern Essex Community College’s engineering science program has collaborated with Northeastern University on many projects over the past 15 years,” said Paul Chanley, coordinator of NECC’s Engineering Science Program. ‘The S-POWER grant is another example of our solid partnership and dedication to engineering education in Massachusetts.”

The intent of S-POWER is to successfully educate transfer students, particularly those with financial need, minorities, females, and first-generation students.

The program provides scholarships for up to 160 undergraduate and graduate students. Participating students will each be eligible for up to $30,000 direct financial aid once they transfer to Northeastern.

NU is partnering with two historically black southern colleges – Clark Atlanta University and Hampton University – as well as Massachusetts Bay, Middlesex, and Northern Essex community colleges.

Here is how it works. Northern Essex faculty and staff from admissions and financial aid will work together to identify students enrolling in the NECC Engineering Science program who have an interest in “green” technology or energy and are interested in transferring to NU.

These students, if they have earn a 3.0 GPA their first semester at NECC, will be eligible to apply for the S-POWER Scholarship when NECC’s general scholarship application process opens in late February. If they receive the $2,500 a year scholarship they will be encouraged to attend Northeastern’s annual transfer conference in Boston.

NECC Engineering Science majors accepted into NU’s S-Power program, will attend a summer bridge program to help them acclimate to Northeastern, before officially enrolling. While completing the last three years of the five-year bachelor’s degree at NU students will participate in two, six-month work co-ops in the energy field.

One of the program’s objectives is for S-Power graduates to be fully employed in an engineering or science field within six months of graduation.

Northern Essex offers an associate degrees in Engineering Science: Technology Option; Engineering Science; Electronic Technology: Computer Systems; and Electronic Technology. NECC also offers several technology and engineering certificates.

For additional information visit the Engineering & Technology website or contact Chanley at pchanley@necc.mass.edu.

Haverhill and Lawrence, MA (May 23, 2022)-If you are a new human resource professional, small business owner, or office manager, you may benefit from Northern Essex Community College’s noncredit “Managing Human Resources Certificate Program”, which will be offered once again through the Center for Corporate & Community Education beginning in September of 2022.

Taught by Andrea Gropper, president of Merik Associates, a regional human resources and consulting firm, topics will include human resource management, employment law, sourcing and selection, effective policies and procedures,workplace communications, performance management/employee training and development, compensation benefits, and managing change.

Participants may enroll in individual modules or complete all modules and earn the certificate.

For additional information, including cost and materials fees, visit Managing Human Resources Certificate Program.  For information on NECC’s other noncredit courses and programs visit the noncredit website.

For more information contact Community Education, communityeducation@necc.mass.edu or 978 556-3060, or Suzzette Turnbull, sturnbull@necc.mass.edu, 978 556-3334.

“Zylinder” created by Markus Haala from concrete, cement, gravel, and rebar is just one of the many sculptures included in his “Urban Jazz” exhibit opening on Wednesday, January 18, in the Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace.

Some people look at industrial materials and see industrial materials. Lowell artist Markus Haala, looks at industrial materials and sees inspiration for his art.

Prints and sculptures inspired by and created with industrial materials like rebar, wood, concrete and gravel, are the centerpiece of Haala’s exhibit “Urban Jazz” which opens Wednesday, January 18, at Northern Essex Community College’s Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace in the Bentley Library on the Haverhill campus, 100 Elliot St.

The show will run through March 4. The exhibit is free and open to the public during library hours which are Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The library is closed Monday, January 16, Martin Luther King Day.
An artist’s reception will be held Thursday, January 26, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

“Many of my methods of creating artwork are rather unusual,” said Haala, the owner of the Lowell print shop “Western Avenue Press”. “I see my work as ‘urban inspired’… My inspiration and enthusiasm is rooted in childhood memories, observations of man-made interventions into nature, the ongoing metamorphosis of the environment we are living in, the infrastructure that surrounds us and architecture in its purest form…”

Lowell artist Markus Haala, owner of the Lowell print shop “Western Avenue Press,” will exhibit his work at NECC’s ArtSpace beginning January 18. He will speak at an artist’s reception on Thursday, January 26.

Haala is both an artist and educator. Currently a Master of Fine Arts candidate in visual arts at the New Hampshire Institute of Art, Manchester, NH, he studied at the University of Bonn, Germany; Willem de Kooning Academy Rotterdam, The Netherlands; and Lesley University College of Art and Design.
He is presently an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University College of Art & Design and Salem State University in Salem. He is also the education and programs director at ConcordArt – Concord Center for the Visual Arts. In addition to being founder and director of Western Avenue Press – Lowell’s first project space for contemporary printmaking, Haala operates Studio Markus Haala where he works as both artist and curator of exhibitions and events within the field of fine art printmaking.

His work has been nationally and internationally exhibited and published. His exhibits have appeared in Pakistan, Estonia, Spain, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Australia.

Additional information on Haala can be found at his website.

This exhibit is sponsored by the art department and the NECC Foundation. The exhibits featured in the Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace Gallery express the views of the artists. They do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Northern Essex Community College.

NECC offers an associate degree in general studies: art which provides a two-year degree with a focus on specific area of the arts, such as fine arts, multi-media, photography, or visual communications.

For further information contact Patricia Kidney at pkidney@necc.mass.edu or Marc Mannheimer at mmannheimer@necc.mass.edu