Shown left to right are NECC Employee Recognition Award winners Kyle White, Shawn Donnelly, NECC President Lane Glenn, and Lizzie Casanave.

Three Northern Essex Community College employees, Kyle White of Groveland, Elizabeth “ Lizzie” Casanave of Arlington, and Shawn Donnelly of Manchester, NH, recently received the NECC Employee Recognition Award for the second quarter of 2019.

The Employee Recognition Award recognizes the many and varied contributions of the college’s nearly 700 employees.  Employees are selected each quarter based on recommendations from supervisors and co-workers.  Recipients receive a $150 certificate to the restaurant or mall of his or her choice.

A graduate of Pentucket High School, White has been a carpenter in the college’s facilities department for four years.

He was nominated for the award By Dan Blair, NECC’s athletic director, who praised him for his work in helping to redevelop and enhance the Sport and Fitness Center on the Haverhill campus.

“Kyle’s efforts helped the athletic program save roughly $5,000 in the conversion of the former fitness center into a multi-purpose room,” Blair wrote. “Kyle’s work doesn’t go unnoticed and we are grateful for his support and assistance.”

Donnelly, a graduate of Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH, has worked as a maintainer in facilities for three years. He was nominated by Gretchyn Gallagher, a tutor in student support services, who noted that when the Writing and English Skills Center moved from Franklin Street to Amesbury Street it was quite chaotic and Donnelly helped minimize the chaos.

“There were constant changes due to scheduling, construction, and juggling of many different departments relocating at the same time. Shawn has a service-oriented approach to his job, and continuously checked in with us to ensure that we had everything we needed for the center to run smoothly,” she wrote. “Shawn has a consistent high work standard, and he is always friendly, cooperative, and courteous to every individual on campus.”

For 13 years, Casanave has been a part-time faculty member teaching philosophy at Northern Essex. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy/Religion and World Perspectives from Principia College and a Master of Arts in Critical and Creative Thinking from UMass Boston. She attended a variety of graduate classes at Harvard Extension School, University of Texas at Dallas, and University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Casanave was nominated by Sharon McManus, director of professional development, who praised adjunct faculty fellows Casanave and Kathleen Bartolini for their work in the Center for Professional Development.

“This role was created to provide support to adjuncts, who often feel disconnected from the college community. Kathleen and Lizzie grew the program from scratch, based on their own ideas as well as the research they did regarding what other colleges do to support adjunct faculty,” McManus wrote.

The nomination was supported by Bartolini as well as Kim Burns, dean of academic innovations and professional development.

NECC Chemistry Professor Michael Cross

As the hot days of summer return, so do the ominous headlines about the risks of sun exposure. But did you know that increased levels of sunshine can actually improve our physical and mental health?

On Thursday, June 27, NECC chemistry professor Mike Cross will teach you all about our main source of light and life through “The Science of Sunshine,” a lively lecture that will explore “healthy” doses of sun and the positive effects of mild to moderate sun exposure. Known for incorporating demonstrations and magic tricks, Cross will provide audience members with a fun and interactive presentation appropriate for all ages. The lecture is free and open to the public and will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Flint Public Library, 1 South Main Street, Middleton.

Cross holds a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Utah, where he specialized in oxidative lesions in DNA and RNA. He teaches courses in chemistry and forensic science at NECC. Prior to joining the NECC faculty, Cross was an instructor of chemistry at the College of Eastern Utah.

“The Science of Sunshine” is offered as part of the NECC Speakers Bureau, which has professional faculty and staff speakers available to present to public and private school systems, libraries, service clubs, and more.

For additional information on this program, please visit the Speakers Bureau website or contact the group at speakersbureau@necc.mass.edu or at 978-556-3862.

With campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence, Northern Essex Community College offers over 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, close to 8,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campus; and another 2,600 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley. For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu.

Front row left to right: Jim Peyser, MA secretary of education; Marcy Yeager, NECC; Noemi Custodia-Lora, NECC; Noelia Mason, HHS student who will begin Early College Program in September; Tony Curet, HHS; back row left to right: Victor Sanchez, HHS student who will begin Early College Program in September; and Governor Baker .

The Haverhill High School Early College Program with Northern Essex Community College received the seal of approval from Governor Charlie Baker and his administration, during a ceremony held Thursday, June 13 in Boston.

The HHS/NECC Partnership was one of 13 across the state awarded designation by the Governor after a rigorous selection process.

With the new awards, there are now 35 high schools in Massachusetts with designated Early College programs, including Northern Essex’s partnership with Lawrence High School, which received designation last year.

“Exposing students to early college is a way to create opportunities for students to earn college credits in high school and encourage them to continue pursuing a degree,” Governor Charlie Baker said. “We believe early college has such an impact on student success that our administration proposed making it part of a school district’s state aid calculations so that more districts can provide students with these opportunities.” Early College programs combine traditional high school classes with college courses through a local public college or university to give high school students knowledge and exposure to an area of study.

The HHS/NECC Early College Program began five years ago, and the first graduates—a group of 18— were recognized in January of 2015.

Up until now, families have been asked to help cover the costs, but with this new designation, all courses within the program will be free to HHS families, beginning this fall.

This fall, 88 Haverhill High School juniors and seniors are enrolled in the Early College program.  They will take two courses each semester and a January intercession course, and by the time they graduate from high school, they will each have 28 to 30 college credits, close to a full year of college studies.  All courses are taught on Northern Essex’s Haverhill Campus and students will travel by bus to campus from the high school in the afternoon.  Students can choose from different pathways: liberal arts, business, healthcare, education, social services, criminal justice and STEM.

The college hopes to grow the program to 100 students by 2021.

Kaleigh Credit, a 2019 HHS grad, will be transferring to UMass Boston in the fall with 30 college credits.  As the featured speaker at the Early College Recognition Ceremony in May, she called Early College one of “the most underrated opportunities that we as high schools students have the opportunity of taking advantage of.”

Kaleigh Credit, a 2019 HHS grad, will be transferring to UMass Boston in the fall with 30 college credits.  She was the featured speaker at the Early College Recognition Ceremony in May.

She credited Early College will allowing her to save a year’s worth of time and money as she pursues her bachelor’s degree in psychology.

Northern Essex currently has Early College Programs with Lawrence, Haverhill, Whittier and Amesbury high schools. Last fall, there were 300 high school students receiving college credit from Northern Essex by enrolling in Early College Programs or other high school partnerships.

Lane Glenn, president of Northern Essex Community College, is pleased that the Governor and his administration has made Early College a priority.  “These students learn how to be successful in college and they also save a considerable amount on the cost of their college education.  Early College programs address student success and college affordability.”

There are still spaces available for the fall.

To learn more, visit the website or contact NECC at 978 659-1235 or pk12@necc.mass.edu

With campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence, Northern Essex Community College offers over 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth.  Each year, close to 8,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,600 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley.  For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu.