2022 - Page 10 of 11

College Receives Maximum 10-Year Re-Accreditation

February 1, 2022/in Featured, Press Releases/by mbouse

Haverhill and Lawrence, MA (February 1, 2022) Northern Essex Community recently received good news from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE): the college’s accreditation will be continued for the next 10 years.

The intensive re-accreditation process included a comprehensive self-study, involving nearly everyone at the college. A team from NECHE conducted a virtual site visit at NECC in April. They spent four days speaking with faculty, students and staff, and reviewing data to compile their final evaluation report. The commission reviewed the findings and chose to accept the report, issued a full ten-year accreditation, and requested a standard five-year interim report in 2025.

In a recent email to the NECC community, President Lane Glenn wrote “This is the best outcome possible for a ten-year accreditation process, and it is due to the outstanding work of our NECHE Self-Study Leadership Team and everyone else who contributed to this important process since we began our preparations in 2018.” You can read more about the accreditation process here.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 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 necc.edu or call 978-556-3700.

NECC Leads to Career in Music Publicity

January 31, 2022/in Alumni, Stories/by scomiskey

NECC Alumna Genesis Garcia

Genesis Garcia was one semester into her freshman year at a private college when she realized something: there were more affordable avenues to a great education. While she wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree, she also worried about the negative impact that a standard four-year experience could have on her financial health.

“After being there, I realized that it wasn’t the best decision financially,” she says.

It was in that moment that Garcia, then a Methuen resident, remembered Northern Essex Community College, which, at just a short drive away, offered a great avenue through which to complete all her general education requirements for a fraction of the cost.

By the spring of 2011, she enrolled in the college’s LA: Journalism/Communication Option program, with the hope of refining the skills needed to achieve her ultimate dream: a promising media career.

NECC was the better choice, she says, but it was not always easy. A first-generation college student, Garcia walked into her first semester with five courses and two part-time jobs, and often struggled to maintain a healthy balance between her personal life, work, and studies.

“I remember my first semester being challenging,” she says. “I worked my retail job on Tuesdays, Thursday, and weekends, and I worked as a janitor with my mom, cleaning offices, every evening Monday through Friday. Finding the time to do homework was hard, but I always had a goal in mind and that’s what kept me laser-focused on my studies.”

And that laser focus paid off. By 2012, Garcia had successfully completed all general requirements for her major and transferred to Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where she went on to earn a bachelor of arts degree in communication.

Since then, Garcia, who now lives in Brooklyn, NY, has enjoyed a rewarding career in music publicity, first at Def Jam Recordings, and later at RCA Records, where she serves in her current role as associate director of publicity, helping the flagship music label to promote artists.

“I work hand in hand with artists and their teams to develop a space in media that highlights the artist’s narrative and grows their audience,” she says of her work.

Garcia points to one campaign in particular that solidified her passion for the field. During her time at Def Jam Recordings, she had the opportunity to work closely with emerging hip hop artist 070 Shake, who was lauded as the “secret weapon” to Kanye West’s five-album run in 2018. It was Garcia’s job to find stories that would highlight her as an artist in her own right and pitch those stories to major magazines, including Clash Magazine, Billboard, Pitchfork, Vogue, and more. The articles that resulted gave 070 Shake a substantial boost in visibility.

“She received a four-star review from Rolling Stone, where they compared her to Pink Floyd and Frank Ocean,” Garcia notes. “To this day, it is still one of my favorite campaigns that I have ever worked on because, as a team, we built it brick by brick.”

Looking back on time at NECC, Garcia expresses gratitude for the many support services, including PACE, that helped her reach her long-time dream.

“The PACE program was great and helped me so much. I remember having a meeting with [PACE Program and TRIO Student Support Services Director] Kristin Arnold, who helped me plan out my classes semester by semester.”

It was the PACE program, she says, that also opened up the doors to the many scholarship award opportunities available at NECC each year. These went a long way in ensuring she could have the best and most affordable education possible.

“These scholarships that were worth $200, $500, etc. eventually added up and it helped me to buy books, school supplies, and a laptop,” she says.

Her advice to those who are just starting on their college journeys is to accept the inevitable road blocks and challenges that will come along the way.

“It’s okay to fail,” she says. “…Continue to put in the work and believe that all the energy you’re investing towards your goals will one day be reciprocated in abundance.”

NECC Faculty/Staff Receive National Recognition

January 27, 2022/in Faculty and Staff, Featured, Press Releases/by Ernie Greenslade

Haverhill and Lawrence, MA (January 27, 2022)-Eight members of the Northern Essex Community College faculty and staff were recently named recipients of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Awards for Excellence, a national honor that recognizes outstanding faculty and staff working at the country’s community colleges.

This year’s recipients include Michelle Carter of Cambridge, associate professor and department chair, Art & Design; Jennifer Fielding of Methuen, coordinator, Library Services-Lawrence Campus; Edward Flanagan of West Boylston, MA, associate professor and clinical coordinator, Emergency Medical Services, Tammy Foster of Amesbury, administrative assistant, Liberal Arts; Jaime McLennan of Woburn, associate professor of Nursing, Level 1 coordinator; Brian MacKenna-Rice of Middleton, professor and coordinator, Human Services; Donna Tanner of Pelham, NH, assistant professor and coordinator for Educational Studies; and Jason Termini of Manchester, NH, assistant professor and department chair, Computer Information Systems.

Since 1978, NISOD has been dedicated to the professional development of faculty, administrators and staff; and to the continued improvement of teaching and learning, with the ultimate goal of student success. NISOD’s Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues. Excellence Award recipients are recognized during NISOD’s annual international conference, which will be held in Austin, Texas, May 28-31.

Here is additional information on each of the recipients:

Michelle Carter, full-time professor and chair of the Art & Design Department

Michelle Carter is in her eighth year as a full-time professor and chair of the Art & Design Department. She was nominated by Dean of Liberal Arts Amy Callahan, who praised her for increasing art student enrollment during the pandemic by 10% to 85 students. “Professor Carter has developed a successful program that stands as a model for student engagement, academic excellence, experiential learning, faculty collaboration, and community outreach…her students engage in gallery events and complete internships.” Callahan also credited Carter with building relationships with four-year transfer schools and generating participation in the annual Portfolio Day.

Tammy Foster, administrative assistant, Liberal Arts

Tammy Foster, who has been at the college for 22 years, serving as administrative assistant, Liberal Arts, was also nominated by Dean Callahan. “Foster is renowned and respected for her dedication in serving students and faculty. “Behind the scenes, she has helped ensure the success of many Liberal Arts departmental events and programs, including the student newspaper, theater productions, and faculty meetings. She applies her intricate knowledge of NECC systems for the good of students and faculty, helping everyone do their work more effectively and efficiently,” wrote Callahan in the nomination.

In nominating Jennifer Fielding for this award, Mike Hearn, assistant dean of libraries, praised her recognized expertise and scholarly work in information literacy.

“Jenny has published and presented nationally on information literacy engagement in higher education, and has spoken locally on the topic. Jenny’s areas of scholarly interest include information literacy as a critical thinking skill, and the societal effects of the use and misuse of information,” he wrote. “She has dedicated her academic career to teaching students how to engage with information sources – both print and digital – and advancing the pedagogy related to information literacy.”

For the past seven years, Edward (Ted) Flanagan has been on the college’s paramedic faculty and clinical coordinator for the program.

Ted Flanagan, associate professor and clinical coordinator, Emergency Medical System

“In his time here, he has worked to revamp the clinical experiences for students, including new standards and increasing availability of diverse clinical experiences. This has been extremely challenging during COVID especially, as clinical sites rapidly and abruptly shut down causing the need for rapid action,” wrote Scott Lancaster, dean of health professions, in his nomination.

Graduates of the Paramedic Program have a current pass rate for licensure ranging from 90% to 100% which exceeds the national average of 73%, and Lancaster credits Flanagan with that success.

Brian MacKenna-Rice has served as coordinator of the Human Service Program for the past seven years and he started teaching in the program part-time five years before that. According to Kelly Sullivan, former dean of professional studies, who nominated MacKenna-Rice, he is very responsive to the needs of the local community and has created two certificate programs—Peer Recovery Specialist and Children’s Behavioral Health Specialist—to address community need.

Brian MacKenna-Rice, professor and coordinator of Human Services

Sullivan also wrote “Brian has an excellent rapport with his students, he personally meets with most of his students to advise and register them, lately through Zoom. He also has contact with all incoming students over the summer, advising them and welcoming them to the program. This work is mostly voluntary.”

Jaime McLennan of the Nursing faculty was nominated by Kelly Fisher, assistant dean of nursing and health professions, who praised her success in helping nursing students complete their first year. Fisher wrote “In her role as the course coordinator for the first year courses her colleagues see her as a strong and knowledgeable leader. Jaime has demonstrated a passion to work as a team of nursing faculty to educate and support our nursing students. She participates in our Nursing Committee’s meetings by offering creative suggestions to improve our nursing program curriculum to assist students to achieve our program outcomes.” McLennan also serves as faculty advisor for the Nursing Club.

A former elementary school principal, Donna Tanner has served as coordinator of the college’s Educational Studies Program for the past eight years. Since joining the college, she has evaluated the curriculum and added courses that would align the curriculum to the Massachusetts frameworks.

Donna Tanner, assistant professor and coordinator for Educational Studies

For the past four years, Tanner has worked with the Lawrence Working Family Initiative, a partnership of the Lawrence Public Schools, Lawrence Community Works, Northern Essex, and the City of Lawrence, training Lawrence Public School parents to become paraprofessionals. “Donna has worked tirelessly to ensure students, many of whom speak English as a second language, succeed.” wrote Kelly Sullivan in her nomination. Approximately 80% of these students are hired as paraprofessionals at the conclusion of the program.

In nominating Jay Termini for the NISOD Award, Carolyn Knoepfler, dean of STEM Programs, cited his focus on connecting his students with employers. “He has been able to support scholarship/internship opportunities for students that lead to full-time employment in many cases.”

Termini has been teaching at Northern Essex for the close to seven years and has recently served as department chair of Computer Science.

Project SEARCH Interns Enhance NECC Community

January 26, 2022/in Featured, Spotlight, Students/by Ernie Greenslade

Project SEARCH interns, shown front row left to right David Santos, Daniela Zorrilla, and Alexandra Talbot. Back row left to right Ross Barton, Greer Candage, and James Keith.

Haverhill, MA (January 26, 2022)-Since becoming neighbors in Haverhill eight years ago, the relationship between Northern Essex Community College and Opportunity Works, an organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of people with disabilities, has continued to grow.
One of the most successful partnerships has been Project SEARCH, a business-led internship program that prepares people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and on the Autism spectrum with secure integrated, competitive employment.

In the past eight years, over 30 college departments have taken on a Project SEARCH intern.

Over the course of nine months (a school year), participants intern for three, 10-week periods with three different departments on campus. In addition to the work experience, they begin and end each day with work readiness classes covering topics like job interviews, resume writing, teamwork, professionalism, self-advocacy and technology in the workplace.

This year’s interns include Ross Barton of Andover, Brianna Caissie of Lynn, Greer Candage of Bradford, James Keith of North Andover, David Santos of Lawrence, Alexandra Talbot of North Andover, and Daniela Zorrilla of Lawrence.

Interns have been working on the COVID Team and in the mailroom, the health & wellness center, the café, the library, the YMCA child care center, and more.

“Working with Project SEARCH is extremely rewarding both professionally and personally,” said Michael McCarthy, vice president of administration for Northern Essex. “Northern Essex and Opportunity Works share a common goal of preparing individuals to advance in their careers and lives, so this is a natural fit. Seeing the interns’ pride as they graduate at the end of the program is inspiring.”

After they complete the program, the interns are prepared to seek out paid positions in the community. Since the program was started, graduates have been hired by Market Basket, Aubuchon Hardware, Target, Marshalls, and more.

“Our Project Search interns gain new employability skills, make new friends, develop professional contacts, find career interest and earn real job experience. Just like everyone else, these interns want to contribute to society. They have their own hopes, dreams and goals in life and NECC helps them experience just that,” said Jessica DelRosso, Project SEARCH manager.

The interns are enthusiastic about the experience and shared this feedback:

David Santos: “Project SEARCH is an opportunity to learn things about college, it gives me the opportunity to help find a job and also find new friends that I didn’t have before.”

Daniela Zorrilla: Project SEARCH is a place that you could learn new things about the work places and learn about the school. You also get to meet new people.”

James Keith: “Project SEARCH is a great resume builder and helps you obtain different skills in different internships. It would help you find a new job that best suits your skills. Plus, you can make new friends. My experience is amazing and incredible”

For more information, contact Allison Gagne, NECC’s director of auxiliary services, agagne@necc.mass.edu.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 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 necc.edu or call 978-556-3700.

NECC’s 60 Years: A Brief History

January 18, 2022/in Community, Events, Headlines, Press Releases, Spotlight/by Ernie Greenslade

In April of 2012, as part of the college’s 50th anniversary, NECC dedicated a plaque at the Greenleaf School, marking where the college got its start.

This year Northern Essex is celebrating three important milestones: the 60th anniversary of the founding of the college, the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Haverhill Campus, and the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Dimitry Building, the college’s first permanent building in Lawrence. Here’s a brief overview of how the college started and how it grew from a temporary space in a former elementary school to a multi-campus college with campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence and a culinary institute in downtown Haverhill.

60: The College’s Early Years

When Maurice Viscuso graduated from Lawrence’s Central Catholic High School in 1961, he considered enrolling at Merrimack College, but decided to take a chance with Northern Essex, which was opening its doors that fall at the former Greenleaf Elementary School.

Viscuso wanted to stay close to home and at $100 a semester the new community college—the fourth to be established in Massachusetts—seemed like a great bet.

The Greenleaf School as it looked in the 1960’s when it was the NECC Campus.

One of 181 students in the first class, Viscuso said he met students from all over the Merrimack Valley and the North Shore. “It’s the people I remember. We always had a lot of fun. Lots of get-togethers…it was always wonderful.”

Now living in Arizona, after retiring from a career that included 20 years as the head of corporate training for the Marriott Corporation, Viscuso couldn’t be happier with his decision.

He enjoys reminiscing about the lifelong friends he made, including his best friend Arnold Kaplan, now deceased, who was president of the class of 1963, and went on to teach at Brookline (MA) High School.

Viscuso credits Northern Essex with the beginning of everything he achieved in life. “Northern Essex gave me the opportunity to start my education, and from there it was up and up. A bachelor’s, a master’s, advanced graduate studies, and a rewarding career that I loved.”

50: Haverhill Campus Opens

After its humble start, the college grew rapidly. Courses continued to be offered at the former Greenleaf Elementary School, as other temporary sites were added: the Grange, the People’s Methodist Church, the Hellenic Orthodox Church, and the former Haverhill High School (now home to city hall).

When the state was looking for a permanent campus for the college in Haverhill, three sites were considered one in the Mount Washington area, a second near Salem Street in the Bradford section, and the third, which was selected, Hunkin’s Hill, described by John Spurk in his history of the college as “adjacent to Kenoza Lake, a parcel of exquisite natural beauty just off Interstate 495.”

In 1965, to commemorate its 325th anniversary, the City of Haverhill donated the 110-acre parcel of land to the state to build the Haverhill Campus.

Construction of the campus started in 1967 and it was scheduled to be completed in October of 1971, but, with 2300 students enrolled for the fall semester, the college had outgrown its temporary space and needed to open the campus that fall, ready or not.

On the first day of classes, September 15, 1971, a traffic jam formed on rt. 110. There were four buildings open that day: the Sport and Fitness Center, the Applied Science Building, the Science Building, and the Classroom Building (Now Spurk). Over the years, other buildings were added: the library was completed that November, followed by the maintenance building (1972), the college center (now the Behrakis Student Center, 1973) and the Hartleb Technology Center (2005). In 2020, Northern Essex opened the NECC Lupoli Institute of Culinary Arts on Merrimack Street in downtown Haverhill.

30: First Permanent Building in Lawrence

Governor William Weld; Ronald Barbaro president, the Prudential Insurance Company of America; and NECC President John Dimitry at the May 16, 1991 opening of the college’s first permanent building in Lawrence, now the Dimitry Building.

At the same time the Haverhill Campus was opening, the college was also expanding into Lawrence, offering its first courses in the city. Over the next 20 years, the college served thousands of students in over a dozen sites in the city including the Lawrence Public Library, Central Catholic High School, Grace Episcopal Church, the Lawrence Vocational School, Lawrence High School, and a number of elementary and secondary school sites. Classes were also taught just over the city line at the Greater Lawrence Technical School in Andover.

Recognizing the need for a permanent campus in the city, the state legislature passed a capital outlay bill in 1988 which included $18 million for purchase or construction of a Lawrence Campus.

That’s when Ignatius Cataldo, a Lawrence native and Prudential Insurance executive, approached the college about donating a 68,000 square foot building located at 45 Franklin Street to the state for a Lawrence Campus.

Using state funds, the former insurance building was fully renovated, creating space for classrooms, a computer center, and science laboratories. Some of the college’s most popular programs, health professions and criminal justice, were re-located to Lawrence.

That building opened to great fanfare on May 16, 1991, in a ceremony attended by Ronald Barbaro, who was then president of The Prudential Insurance Company of America and William F. Weld, then Governor of Massachusetts.

To learn more about the college’s Anniversary Celebration, visit necc.edu/anniversary

NECC Announces Fall 2021 Dean’s List

January 18, 2022/in Featured, Students/by Ernie Greenslade

Haverhill and Lawrence, MA (January 18, 2022)-Dr. Paul Beaudin, vice president of academic affairs, is pleased to announce the Fall 2021 Dean’s List.

To be included, students must attain a grade point average of 3.3 or higher within the term, carry six or more credits within the term, and be matriculated in a degree program.

“We are very proud of these students who during a challenging semester due to COVID not only persevered but truly excelled,” said Beaudin. “My heartfelt congratulations to all students who achieved this.”

Here is the Dean’s List.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 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 necc.edu or call 978-556-3700.

NECC Partners with French Universities

January 18, 2022/in Featured, Press Releases/by Ernie Greenslade

Melba Acevedo, director of instructional technology and online education

In the midst of a pandemic, five Northern Essex Community College professors spent the fall 2021 semester creating partnerships with two French universities, that will provide a global experience for students without the need for travel.

The professors have been collaborating with French professors, developing joint projects that will be conducted virtually between students and professors in the Merrimack Valley and France, using the latest web technologies. The four to 12-week projects will take place this semester, the spring of 2022.

Northern Essex began to explore these partnerships—called international virtual exchange (IVE) programs—shortly before COVID became a reality.

While they aren’t designed to replace study abroad, they do offer a global experience for students who can’t study abroad because of a global pandemic or work or family commitments, says Melba Acevedo, the college’s director of instructional technology and online education, who is focusing her doctoral thesis on this topic.

“This program is not a substitute for study abroad. It’s designed to expose students who may not have that opportunity, to the benefits of collaborating with students and faculty in other countries.”

Benefits of IVE

IVE programs help students build their technology skills as well as their global competency, qualities that are in high demand in the 21st-century workplace.

After participating in a global interdisciplinary project, students will have developed their intercultural competence and acquired specific technological tools needed to collaborate in an international workforce.

For faculty, who commit to working with their international peers to develop the curriculum, the benefits are similar. In addition to building cultural competency and learning new technologies, they hone their teaching practices and learn new pedagogical methods.

Sheila Muller, Business Professor

Northern Essex Business Professor Sheila Muller has been collaborating with an English Professor in France to develop a project for her marketing course that compares the shopping experience in France to that of the United States, using mystery shoppers.

“The experience has energized my own teaching. We come from different backgrounds but have the same challenges,” she says.

How It Started at NECC

With almost three decades of experience in instructional technology at a community college, Acevedo became interested in IVE while working on her doctorate. In 2019, she was attending a conference on the topic and invited Northern Essex Science Professor Emily Gonzalez to join her. As a former exchange student and having grown up with a parent who collaborated with scientists across the globe, Gonzalez had an interest in creating international collaborative experiences for her Northern Essex students.

“Communicating with folks living in geographically and culturally different areas opens up educational and career possibilities and helps make the world smaller,” she says.

Emily Gonzalez, Science Professor

At the conference, Gonzalez and Acevedo connected with a professor from Champlain College in Quebec, who eventually directed them to Gazelle International, a nonprofit organization which helps colleges develop international virtual exchange programs. Thanks to Gazelle International, Northern Essex was able to partner with the two French Universities, the Université Paris-Saclay and the Université de Lorraine.

What’s Planned at NECC

Acevedo invited Northern Essex faculty who had an interest in a virtual international exchange to participate. Five professors were selected, including Emily Gonzalez, Anatomy & Physiology; Sheila Muller, Principles of Marketing; Liliana Brand, Calculus II; Habib Maagoul, Differential Equations; and Lis Espinoza, American Literature II.

For the past few months, faculty have been meeting virtually to develop the curriculum. As Acevedo explains, it’s complicated joining students across geographic and cultural areas. In addition to determining learning outcomes and deciding what technologies to use, faculty need to figure out how they are going to collaborate in real time while in different international time zones.

Professor Gonzalez is partnering with Christelle Boulanger, an English professor and Franck Wilmot, an electronics professor. After discussion, they decided on a project that will culminate with the creation of a video explaining how heart sensors and skeletal muscular sensors collect and ultimately display data.

Students will be required to communicate concepts of chemistry/anatomy and physiology/electronics and the Northern Essex students will also mentor the French students on the English language.

“Our project will require students to not only demonstrate an understanding of concepts, but also to become proficient in the use of technology,” says Gonzalez. “We wanted to select a project that would allow our students to apply knowledge from their coursework to their potential career goals.”

Bringing the International Experience to Students of Color

According to the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, only 5.3% of undergraduate students in the United States go overseas as part of their degree program, and the students who do go abroad are likely to be White (70%) with only 10.6% Latino and 5.5% Black or African American.

At Northern Essex, the student population is 44% Hispanic and 72% of students are studying part time, while working full or part time to support themselves and their families.

“We hope this is the beginning of something we can grow at Northern Essex and provide more opportunities for students and faculty,” says Acevedo. “It will complement the short term and semester-long study abroad programs that we will offer again when the world opens back up.”

To learn more about international virtual education opportunities at Northern Essex, contact Acevedo, at macevedo@necc.mass.edu.

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 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 necc.edu or call 978-556-3700.

Class of 2022 Hall of Fame Inductees Announced

January 12, 2022/in Featured, Headlines, Students/by mbouse

Haverhill, MA (January 10, 2022) – The Northern Essex Community College Department of Athletics is pleased to announce its Hall of Fame class of 2022. Former baseball standout Ryan McAuliffe and national qualifying golf student-athlete Sean Chipman will be formally inducted in a ceremony on March 1st.

Ryan in necc knights uniform having just thrown a pitch

Ryan McAuliffe ’15

McAuliffe, a North Reading native and 2015 graduate of NECC, continued his baseball career at NCAA Division I St. John’s University where he graduated in 2017. Following his graduation from St. John’s, he signed a free agent contract with the New York Mets organization.

During his two seasons at NECC, he was a two-time first team All-Region selection and a 2015 First Team All-American. McAuliffe also earned a National Pitcher of the Week award during the 2014 season and was the regional player of the year in 2015. He recorded 12 wins on the mound over two seasons and struck out 63 batters in 59 innings of work during the 2015 season.

Chipman, an Amesbury native, was an All-Region member of the golf team during the 2000 season and qualified as an individual to represent the Knights golf program at the national championship.

Sean stands leaning against a gold club with hand on hip

Sean Chipman ’00

After leading Amesbury High School to a state championship, Chipman had several scholarship opportunities to programs in the southern states. But a major auto accident just prior to graduation changed his college plans. Following his time at NECC, Chipman has made golf his career. He currently serves as Head Professional at Atkinson Country Club and Resort. He has received numerous recognitions during his professional career including being selected to the Titleist Performance Institute in Oceanside, CA.

The ceremony will also honor the Hall of Fame class of 2020, which had their ceremony cancelled at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those honorees are the 2000-01 national semi-finalist women’s basketball team and former men’s basketball coach Mike Rowinski. The event is set for Tuesday March 1st at 6:00pm in the Technology Center on the Haverhill campus. Tickets are available online until February 17th. Click here to purchase.

McAuliffe and Chipman make up the third class inducted into the NECC Hall of Fame. The Northern Essex Community College Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2019 which included the 1970-71 men’s basketball team and two-time track and field national champion Noelia Figuereo.

For more information on the Hall of Fame and induction ceremony, please contact NECC Director of Athletics Dan Blair at dblair@necc.mass.edu or 978-556-3829.

NECC Announces Noncredit Cooking Courses Starting in January

January 4, 2022/in Press Releases, Programs/by Ernie Greenslade

Chef Colby Bergeron will be teaching a series of noncredit date night culinary courses in the NECC Lupoli Institute of Culinary Arts, beginning in February.

Haverhill, MA (January 4, 2022)-Northern Essex Community College is offering a series of noncredit culinary courses in the new NECC Lupoli Family Institute of Culinary Arts, beginning in January, that will offer something for everyone, from the beginning cook to the more experienced chef.

The series will begin January 24 and run through June 21, and each course will be one evening.

Most of the courses have an ethnic theme, exploring food from countries around the world, including India, Mexico (Date Night), Lebanon (Date Night), Greece (Date Night), Italy (Date Night), and Thailand. Also offered are Seafood 101, Pestos and Quick Sauces, Latin Street Fare, and more.

All courses will be taught safely with masks required and limited numbers for social distancing.

Led by the instructors, all of whom are industry professionals, each class will help create a dish or dishes. Participants will leave with new skills and recipes.

Local chefs who will be teaching include Colby Bergeron, Phuong Lai-Matzker, Shilpi Ranjan, and Alison Hartung.

“These courses are for people who enjoy cooking and want to learn more about the culinary arts,” said Suzzette Turnbull, program manager, NECC Corporate & Community Education. “The focus is on having fun while learning.”

Shilpi Ranjan (white chef coat) will be teaching Indian cuisine at NECC this spring.

Courses are $80 each and there’s a discount for students who sign up for three or more courses: Chef de Cuisine, 5 courses for $260; Executive Chef, four courses for $224; and Sous Chef, 3 courses for $192.

Located in The Heights, a newly built 10-story luxury building on Merrimack Street with views of the Merrimack River, the institute includes classrooms, laboratories, and state-of-the art kitchens and offers noncredit community courses as well as credit programs in culinary arts and hospitality management.

To learn more about fall noncredit courses, visit the website or contact Communityeducation@necc.mass.edu or 978-556-3060.

NECC’s Center for Corporate & Community Education offers noncredit business, professional, career, and personal development courses as well as professional certificates and computer training for individuals and companies looking for cutting-edge skills, by providing the training that is most needed in today’s workforce. For more information, email noncredit@necc.mass.edu or call 978-659-1200 or visit us online

Northern Essex Community College has campuses in both Haverhill and Lawrence. It offers approximately 60 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth. Each year, 6,000 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 2,000 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 necc.edu or call 978-556-3700.

Board of Trustees Update: December, 2021

January 4, 2022/in Community/by Ernie Greenslade

The educational report at the December meeting of the Board of Trustees focused on a virtual exchange program between NECC and two colleges in France, the Université Paris-Saclay and the Université de Lorraine.

Five Northern Essex faculty have been partnering with French faculty on interdisciplinary group projects, according to Melba Acevedo, director, instructional technology & online education, that they will launch with their classes in the spring semester.

“We are globally connecting teaching and learning,” said Acevedo. “The goal of these projects is to help students develop workforce skills while increasing their intercultural competence.”

Only one in ten undergraduate students in the United States participates in study abroad, Acevedo told trustees. “This program is not a substitute for study abroad. It’s designed to expose students, who may not have that opportunity, to the benefits of collaborating with students and faculty in other countries.”

Faculty who are participating include Emily Gonzalez, Anatomy & Physiology; Sheila Muller, Principles of Marketing; Liliana Brand, Calculus II; Habib Maagoul, Differential Equations; and Lis Espinosa, American Literature II.

Professor Sheila Muller’s marketing class, for example, will partner with an English class in France on a project that compares the shopping experience in France and the United States, using mystery shoppers.

“The experience is energizing my own teaching,” shared Muller in a video. “We come from different backgrounds but have the same challenges.”

Northern Essex is partnering with Gazelle International, a higher ed nonprofit focused on producing globally capable graduates, which provides training support and assessment guidance for faculty.

Reports of Board Committees

Audit and Finance

Trustees voted unanimously to approve the FY21 audited financial statement.

“The school is in amazing shape and our balance sheet is very healthy,” reported Bill Cox, chair of the sub-committee.

Alumni and Advancement

Allison Dolan-Wilson, vice president of institutional advancement, shared that the college has received five new planned gifts this year since the launch of the NECC William ’63 and Rosemary ’70 Planned Giving Society. Those interested in creating a planned gift or bequest, can contact Dolan-Wilson at adolanwilson@necc.mass.edu.

Equity Imperative

Chair Marianne Paley-Nadel reported that a decision has been made to re-open the search for a Chief Officer of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The position was posted this fall and, after “a robust search process”, three finalists were selected and interviewed.

Report of Administration

President Lane Glenn began his presentation by sharing a video titled “How the COVID 19 Pandemic Affected NECC Students”, created by student Kyra McLean for Professor Isabelle Gagne’s Psychology 101 course.

In the video, McLean describes how the pandemic impacted her own mental health as well as highlighting resources at NECC available to students who are struggling with COVID-19.

The video was shared in a story on community colleges by Boston Globe reporter Laura Krantz on November 29 of this year.

Glenn also shared the following:

FY22 Budget Status Report

With enrollment on track, the college is “financially on solid footing.”

2021 Strategic Plan

The college community is reviewing the draft strategic plan, which will be finalized later in January. The plan will be connected with the budget process, so that initiatives identified in the plan will have resources allocated toward them, according to Glenn.

NECHE Re-accreditation

Board Chair Jennifer Borislow received communication from NECHE indicating that NECC’s accreditation has been continued for 10 years. The process included a comprehensive self-study, which involved nearly everyone at the college, and a virtual site visit in which a team spent four days speaking with faculty, students and staff and reviewing data. Areas that the college will be focusing on include financial and enrollment planning; diversifying the board of trustees and college faculty and staff; and assessment.

College Receives Maximum 10-Year Re-Accreditation

NECC Leads to Career in Music Publicity

NECC Faculty/Staff Receive National Recognition

Project SEARCH Interns Enhance NECC Community