The Bergen Community College Newsletter | Fall 2019 • Volume 7, Issue 1
Science-Minded Students Succeed
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he pipeline for the state’s future scientists, engineers and medical professionals runs through Bergen. Students Manuel Ackattupathil, Jean Pierre Alvarez and Adelajda Turku earned entry into the Governor’s 2020 STEM Scholars Program, an initiative to cultivate, attract and keep top STEM talent in New Jersey, while student Danbee (Sarah) Chae completed a six-week internship program in clinical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Montvale facility – making her the first community college student to ever participate in the Clinical Oncology Open Learning Scholars Program. The STEM students, selected from approximately 500 applicants with bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from across the
state, represent the only three community college students chosen for the program’s 15 spots. The students will now lead a research project while mentoring high school students; they will present their projects in May 2020, where the top entry will receive an award. Participants will also attend conferences led by STEM professionals to highlight possible careers in academia and industry for STEM majors throughout the year. Meanwhile, Chae, who participated in the Sloan Kettering program, shadowed physicians, providing hands-on exposure to the clinical management of cancer, including surgical, medical and radiation oncology consultations. The program educates students about the different types and presentations
of cancer and teaches basic principles of cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment. Students participate in clinical observation, multidisciplinary conferences and one-on-one teaching with Sloan Kettering physicians. n
President Redmond Retires
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hen students file their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they become eligible for programs such as the Community College Opportunity Grant that can help make college more affordable. And for the first time this semester, the grant provides a tuition-free education for students living in households with an adjusted gross income of $65,000 or less — up from $45,000 in the pilot! To receive help filing a FAFSA, visit A-129 at the main campus. n
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resident Dr. Michael D. Redmond, who has led the College through a period of renewal and stabilization, will retire December 31. With Dr. Redmond’s announcement, the College has initiated a national search for its next chief executive, targeting the installation of its eighth president by July 1, 2020. Under Dr. Redmond, the institution experienced significant reform, including a reorganization of the executive team and academic and administrative units. Dr. Redmond worked tirelessly to stabilize the College’s finances, human resources and the Bergen Community College Foundation, while rebuilding relationships with government officials, donors and community members. Additionally, and with Ellucian as a partner, Bergen has reimagined its approach to technology, creating a more user-focused, stable environment for students, faculty and staff. In total, this institutional transformation has positioned the College for future pros“Bergen has given me a great life. perity in the face of numerous internal and I'm honored to retire as president external challenges. Dr. Redmond, a former NISOD Excellence and proud of what we have Award honoree, has served the institution in numerous roles since 1981. During his 38-year accomplished together.” career, which began as a philosophy and reli- Dr. Michael D. Redmond gion professor, he provided leadership as President executive vice president, chief information officer and dean of arts and humanities. n
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N C M P R
M E D A L L I O N
W I N N E R !
Campus Calendar “Picnic” Nov. 1 & Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m. Ender Hall Theatre “Much Ado About Nothing” Dec. 6, 12 & 13, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 & 14, 2/7:30 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre Bergen Sinfonia - Annual Holiday Concert Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre Sherma Andrews - Legendary Lady Singers Jan. 11, 2020, 7:30 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre “Docks of New York” Cinema Ciccone Silent Film Series Feb. 11, 2020, 7 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre “A Santa Notte” Cinema Ciccone Silent Film Series Feb. 13, 2020, 7 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre The Infernos - America’s No. 1 Show Band Feb. 15, 2020, 7:30 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre “The Adventurer,” Starring Charlie Chaplin Uncle Floyd Opening Comedy Act Cinema Ciccone Silent Film Series Feb. 20, 2020, 7 p.m. Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre “Fahrenheit 451” Feb. 28 & 29, March 5 & 6, 2020, 7:30 p.m. March 7, 2020, 2/7:30 p.m. Ender Hall Theatre Tickets available at tickets.bergen.edu
REGISTRATION Winter and Spring 2020 Sessions Winter:............................Jan. 2-10 Spring 1: ..............Jan. 13 - May 5 Spring 2: ...............Feb. 4 - May 5 Flex 1:...................Jan. 13 - Mar. 5 Flex 2: ..................Mar. 16 - May 5
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FACULTY FOCUS Elin Schikler/Dr. Andy Krikun
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n her last day of teaching before retirement, Professor Elin Schikler met colleague and fellow professor Dr. Andy Krikun for breakfast at a local diner. They didn’t plan on television cameras capturing it. What began as breakfast among friends turned into a televised lesson on kindness from Professor Schikler, who intervened on behalf of a hearing-impaired customer facing discrimination and verbal abuse from a waiter. As it turned out, Schikler became the star of ABC’s hidden-camera reality television show “What Would You Do?” by lecturing the waiter on tolerance. The show, which springs ethical dilemmas on unknowing guests, seeks to capture moments of humanity unvarnished by the glow of attention or visibility. In Schikler’s case, without realizing the hidden cameras, she spoke to a restaurant manager about the waiter’s behavior. When the waiter came back to Schikler’s table to ask her
why she involved a manager, she said, “it is not in my nature to let something like that go … never has been and never will be. I encourage people to choose the right thing when you can or you see someone being mistreated.” Schikler served as a professor of communication at Bergen for 29 years and chair of the communication department for eight years. “What a way to go,” she said. n
$12 Million Healthcare Grant Secured
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oined by government officials, healthcare industry partners, college leaders and students who recently began apprenticeship training, Bergen announced the acquisition of a $12 million U.S. Department of Labor grant this fall. The Bergen-led application represented one of only 23 projects awarded a total of $183.8 million by the federal government during this cycle. “Thousands of new apprentices will be mentored in careers that are rewarding, family sustaining, and vital to our country’s future healthcare needs because of the commitment to apprenticeship by Bergen Community College and its healthcare partners,” New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo said at the kickoff event. As part of the Scaling Apprenticeship Through Sector-Based Strategies grant, Bergen will lead a consortium of partners to expand and enhance apprenticeship programs for more than 5,000 New Jersey residents. The four-year NJ HealthWorks initiative includes 14 community colleges and healthcare partners such as CVS Health, the Health Care Asso-
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
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ciation of New Jersey and the RWJ Barnabas Health System. The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development also supported the consortium’s application. The grant will specifically target assisting residents in the state’s underserved populations including displaced, unemployed, underemployed and veteran workers. Healthcare added 220,700 new jobs in New Jersey during the last 27 years, nearly outpacing the entire private sector’s employment growth over the same period. With six hospitals and more than 70,000 jobs, healthcare represents Bergen County’s top workforce cluster. n
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1. With fellow honoree Arlene Perez, Esq., and President Dr. Michael D. Redmond, Executive Vice President Dr. Brian D. Agnew earned an NJBIZ “Forty Under 40 Award” recognizing him as one of the state’s top emerging leaders. 2. Study abroad student Alicia Moran finds herself in Spain this semester. 3. During the professors emeriti annual fall event, culinary students provided lunch and College officials discussed goings-on. 4. The newest graduates of the paramedic science program celebrated at Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands this fall.
5. Members of the Sidney Silverman Library visited the Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center for “library awareness day.” 6. Latino Heritage Month featured numerous events, including an opening music performance by alumna Enki Bello (’13) and flag parade. 7. Coming soon: campus quad/outdoor classroom! 8. Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco III and Bergen County Freeholder Tracy Zur visited for the second annual “LGBTQ Youth Summit” that featured students from dozens of local high schools.
Inside Bergen • The Bergen Community College Newsletter |
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Helff Hall Dedicated
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Bergen County government officials honored Professor Dr. Mina Ahn with the “Outstanding Educator Award” for her work in the Korean community. … Alumna, author and disability advocate Mariagrazia Buttitta (’13) returned to campus for a book signing and discussion in October. … Professor Brian Cordell has published his first chapbook, “In Their Final Performance,” with Finishing Line Press. … Student Jade Tollis earned the $5,000 Pearson Scholarship for Higher Education. … A crew from NBC Universal's “Lincoln” shot scenes for the program on the main campus in October. … Responding to the statewide shortage of certified nursing assistants, Bergen New Bridge Medical Center has entered into a collaborative agreement with the College to host a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program onsite at the hospital.
hen Suzanne M. Helff returned to Bergen in 1997 after taking time away to raise her daughter, she decided to pursue a degree related to a lifelong passion: the care of animals. Tragically, Helff never completed her studies in the institution’s veterinary technology program, passing away shortly after her return to the College that same year. Twenty-two years and $100,000 in donations from friends and family later, the facility housing the veterinary technology program will bear her name after the College officially rededicated its veterinary technology building “Suzanne M. Helff Hall” during an Oct. 3 morning ceremony. The rededication marks the completion of a fundraising effort led by retired Bergen professor Peter Helff, Suzanne’s father, to secure $100,000 in donations toward veterinary technology student scholarships through the Bergen Community College Foundation. Two decades ago, Helff worked with foundation officials to establish the naming opportunity and fundraising goal in his daughter’s memory. n
They Deserve a Coke!
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tudents Elijah (Eli) Master, Kristine (Kris) Amels and Natalija LaPorta represent three of the 207 Phi Theta Kappa members nationwide to earn the $1,000 2019 Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise scholarship. Selected from nearly 900 applications, the scholarship will help the honor students cover their educational expenses and provide them with the opportunity to develop leadership skills as part of the international honor society for two-year institutions. n
Leading Bergen Forward
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s part of the College’s strategic planning efforts to “reimagine” the institution and develop the next generation of leadership, Executive Vice President Dr. Brian Agnew launched the inaugural Bergen Leadership Academy this fall. The first class of academy fellows will now participate in a yearlong program to develop leadership competencies such as the ability to manage change and build departmental teams and cross-campus partnerships. Each month, the fellows engage in a half-day workshop to explore critical leadership topics facing the landscape of higher education and their impact on the College.
“Fellows look at the challenges facing higher education and Bergen, giving them the tools to help them think strategically about how to solve these issues.” - Dr. Brian Agnew Executive Vice President
The fellows are Adam Goodell, Chris Talmo, Cinzia D’Iorio, Greg Fenkart, John Findura, Kim Meekins, Nishika Gupta, Stephanie Weise, Timothy Blunk and Tyler Beebe. n
InsideBergen is a publication of the Office of Public Relations. Send feedback to lhlavenka@bergen.edu.