MCLA's 2021-2022 Presidents Report

MOVE MOUNTAINS

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2022

OUR TRAILBLAZERS ARE RESILIENT, DEDICATED, AND DETERMINED, AND HERE AT MCLA, THEY RECEIVE AN EDUCATION THAT WILL SERVE THEM FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.” —JAMES F. BIRGE, Ph.D.

This past May, I presided over MCLA’s 123rd Commencement— in person, with our Class of 2022, their families and friends cheering them on.

Like always, it was an emotional moment for all of us, but this year was special.

The excitement was palpable, and the cheers somehow seemed louder this year.

After two years of virtual Commencement activities, I think all of us were feeling true, unbridled joy in finally being able to gather again.

For our students, Commencement is a moment of transition. As they walk through the gates toward their ceremony, they are walking toward their future, toward the life they have dreamed of building for years.

For many of our students, walking through those gates represents even more. Around half of MCLA students are federal Pell Grant recipients, which means they come from families earning $50,000 or less. A college degree is a step toward social mobility, for themselves and, often, for their families. With a degree and everything it represents—internships, travel opportunities, leadership positions, balancing school, work, and family—our students are statistically more likely to earn significantly more over the course of their lifetimes. Those earnings create a foundation for success and fulfillment that will impact those graduates’ children, and perhaps their grandchildren as well.

That hope for the future is one major reason we strive to keep MCLA

accessible and affordable. This year, we were again recognized for our efforts, listed as a Top Ten Public Liberal Arts College by U.S. News and World Report, as well as the #21 National Liberal Arts College for Social Mobility.

There is not enough room in this report to tell you how much it means to me to see MCLA recognized for our commitment to social mobility. Together, our campus community is working to move mountains.

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are infused into everything we do, from our core curriculum to the arts (page 2). Our Counseling Services staff are taking an empathetic, informed approach to student wellness (page 8). Our three new Vice Presidents are helping lead the charge on changes that will help with student retention (page 6). Our faculty members are helping students get involved in crucial research internships that open up new opportunities for grad school and STEM careers (page 10).

This report could never recognize the depth and breadth of the work that’s happening here on our campus—there’s so much more, and so much more to come. There are also many mountains to move. The years ahead are sure to be challenging in more ways than I can count. However, I know I can count on the MCLA community, near and far, to keep trailblazing. I’m thrilled to tell you all about some of the amazing work we’re doing here so our students and alumni can move their own mountains, too.

James F. Birge, Ph.D. President

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DEI in everything we do: A WINDOW INTO MCLA’S APPROACH TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

If an institution is going to commit to change, everyone must be part of the process.

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hen Dr. Christopher MacDonald-Dennis joined the MCLA community as Chief Diversity Officer in 2018, he worked to convey that message right away, getting to know the campus, convening stakeholders, and taking the reins of the annual Day of Dialogue, which brings the community together to discuss tough issues, hold space for one another, and foster a deeper understanding among students, faculty, and staff.

Since then, MCLA’s community has worked to hone its DEI skills. It’s not an overnight change, and there’s more to be done, but “there is more

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awareness around the things that are happening around and through DEI,” MacDonald-Dennis said. “I think it has become a shared value. My role was to provide leadership, but the goal is for all of us to own it.”

MacDonald-Dennis often works proactively, following up with offices and departments who have made commitments to DEI work to see what progress they’ve made and where they might need feedback or assistance.

He also leads the College’s Committee on DEI, an interdisciplinary group that works to implement strategic, highlevel changes that make a significant impact on retention and students’ social mobility.

“Now that it’s in our culture to take ownership of this work, we’re taking the Committee on DEI to the next level,” MacDonald-Dennis said.

“Now the Committee gets to act as an institutional body for DEI, not just focus on groundwork. We are at a place where we can ask, ‘now that we have made changes, what should this group look like?’ DEI is starting to feel like it is part of the fabric of our institution.

We are examining where we are, seeing where our structures and positions need updating to support our increased sophistication around DEI.”

Here are just a few examples of the way Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are infused into MCLA’s academics, student life, and student support services:

In the past academic year, a new DEI-centered core curriculum rolled out after years of hard work and preparation. The curriculum follows the principles of Integrative learning, which prepares students to make connections across their academic work and lived experiences. By integrating DEI into the curriculum, these concepts become a natural part of learning about everything from the distribution of internet access to how different cultures communicate.

For students who need additional help and support, MCLA’s federally funded TRIO program is designed to empower students who are the first in their families to attend college, come from families with income eligible backgrounds, and/ or have a documented disability. MCLA secured $1.3 million in federal funding for the program in 2020, and it offers qualifying students enhanced academic and personal support, degree program planning, career guidance, leadership opportunities, and bread-and-butter essentials like a laptop and textbook lending program.

In the Amsler Campus Center, Arlene Theodore, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Initiatives, works to help students advocate for what they feel is lacking in their college experience. She also conducts DEI trainings with other offices, helping student-facing staff rethink and understand their internal biases and building skills that help staff members approach their work with a DEI lens. “DEI work is not a quick fix,” Theodore said. “It’s not departmental work.

It’s not office work. It requires institutional effort. We cannot do this work alone. We need help, and we need everyone to be on board with helping us,” she said.

The MCLA Institute for Arts and Humanities continues to provide student and faculty mini-grants for their work to address and investigate issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion and increasing students’ access to area arts and humanities resources. Interns, who are often also working in other campus leadership positions, help drive that work through lecture series, media libraries, virtual events, and even graphic design and branding. “Students who find themselves working with IAH, whether as interns or minigrant recipients, find innovative ways to introduce the arts and humanities to the MCLA and North Adams community through new initiatives like writing couplets in the quad or the Silent Disco event,” said Brianna Christie ’22, IAH’s public relations and social media assistant.

Congratulations to the winners of MCLA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards!

MCLA held its annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Awards on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, honoring students, faculty, and staff who have helped further the College’s DEI efforts. These members of our campus community have created new opportunities for everyone here to advocate, learn, and get involved with DEI. STUDENT AWARDS

Brianna Christie ’22 Ian Crombie ‘23

STUDENT ORGANIZATION AWARDS

Queer Student Union Women of Color Initiative

DEPARTMENT AWARDS

Center for Academic Technology Fine and Performing Arts Department FACULTY AWARDS

Dr. Nicole Porther, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Ruby Vega, Associate Professor and Department Chair, Psychology STAFF AWARDS

Alishia Alther, Freel Library Acquisitions & Technical Services Assistant Erica Barreto, Coordinator, MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities DISTINGUISHED CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Theresa O’Bryant, Dean of Student Success and Engagement (pictured below with Chief Diversity Officer Chris MacDonald-Dennis)

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Trailblazing to the Top 10 MCLA CONTINUES TO CLIMB U.S. NEWS COLLEGE RANKINGS

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ur campus community had reason to celebrate this year, as MCLA’s continued commitment to an excellent, affordable education that elevates lives was again reflected in the 2022 U.S. News and World Report rankings.

In 2022, MCLA rose to #7 on the list of Top Ten Public Liberal Arts Colleges, and to #21 as a Top Performer on Social Mobility. MCLA also continues to appear on the list of Top National Liberal Arts Colleges. That makes nine of the past 11 years that MCLA has been a Top Ten Public Liberal Arts College; it has appeared on the list of National Liberal Arts Colleges for Social Mobility since the organization adopted this ranking in 2019.

The Top Performers on Social Mobility list measures how well schools graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants, typically awarded to students whose families make less than $50,000, though most Pell Grant money goes to families with income below $20,000. More than 45 percent of MCLA undergraduate students receive Pell Grants, and more than 40 percent are the first in their families to go to college. Nearly 85 percent of students receive some kind of financial aid.

PROGRAMS THAT ENHANCE SOCIAL MOBILITY AT MCLA

MCLA’s TRIO Program, supported by a $1.3 million federal

grant and founded in 2020, works toward increasing the retention, good academic standing, and graduation rates of low-income and first-generation students, and students with disabilities. This program serves up to 160 students a year.

MCLA’s Office of Admission adopted a test-blind policy in

2020 and waived SAT requirements for students applying for the fall 2021 and 2022 semesters.

In 2020, in response to economic uncertainties brought

on by the COVID-19 pandemic, MCLA established the Resiliency Fund, which has to date distributed nearly $300,000 to 296 students in need.

The MCLA Food Pantry, supported with student volunteer

work and donations, combats student food insecurity.

MCLA boasts over 100 of its own private scholarships,

including new additions this year. See more on page 17.

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NO.

PUBLIC LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE

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NO.

NATIONAL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE FOR SOCIAL MOBILITY

DESPITE A PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC UPHEAVAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL TURMOIL, SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, AND ALL THE REST, MCLA CONTINUES TO BE A WAY FOR THESE STUDENTS TO OPEN NEW DOORS, HAVE NEW EXPERIENCES, AND LIVE FULFILLING LIVES, PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY.

I’M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF ALL OUR STUDENTS, AS WELL AS OUR INCREDIBLE FACULTY AND DEDICATED STAFF, WHO ARE CHANGING INDIVIDUAL LIVES AND WORKING TOWARD A MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE.” — MCLA PRESIDENT JAMES F. BIRGE, COMMONWEALTH MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022

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A year of change, commitment, and community It’s been a year of community, adjustment, and excitement for MCLA’s three new vice presidents.

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ver the summer, Joseph DaSilva joined MCLA’s community as Vice President for Administration and Finance; Dr. Richard Glejzer as Vice President for Academic Affairs; and Dr. Jeannette Smith as Vice President of Student Affairs. As they’ve settled in, they’ve gotten to know more about the campus, the students, their teams, and the work to come.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU If you made a trip to campus over the winter, you may have seen Glejzer and Smith walking together, talking animatedly about how their work intersects. “As new people coming to an institution, it’s good to share,” Glejzer said. “It’s good to ask, what are you experiencing with this?”

This has been complementary to the advice and information Glejzer has received while working with Ely Janis, Interim Dean of Academic Affairs.

“We’re joined at the hip,” Glejzer said.

“And Gina Puc, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, is a phenomenal partner. She provides a long history and we have similar experiences, and similar beliefs, in education.”

DaSilva has also looked to Puc for her institutional knowledge, as well as Robert Ziomek, Vice President for Advancement. “There’s nothing better than having historical knowledge of the campus,” DaSilva said. “They have helped me a lot when it comes to getting the bigger picture about why we’ve been doing something a certain way.”

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Smith said she feels the same—she’s glad to be part of an administrative team that’s looking forward while working together on the same goal: Helping students access an affordable college education that will prepare them for life. “Thinking about systemic, long term change—that stuff is fun!” she said. “I know there will be a lot of great collaboration to come.”

have visions of who our students should be. That is a distraction from who our students are, who we’re trying to serve right now.”

Retention is at the top of the list for MCLA’s executive team. As a school focused on social mobility, nearly half of MCLA’s student population are federal Pell Grant recipients, meaning they come from families earning $50,000 or less per year. Many are first-generation students who could benefit from additional support.

An interdisciplinary Strategic Enrollment Management Council started weekly meetings this past spring, all focused on retention efforts—and Glejzer has collaborated with Puc on new developments meant to help increase the visibility of student support services while making those offices more nimble in responding to student needs. Kayla Hollins, formerly Director of Admissions, has moved to Executive Director of Student Persistence, and will oversee academic advising. “She is a systems thinker in a role that really requires that,” Glejzer said.

“There are students we should be keeping that we are not,” said Glejzer.

“We can do a better job talking about these issues across areas of the college.

The opportunity here is huge. There are so many good things we do, and so many good things we could do. We all

Theresa O’Bryant, formerly Dean of Student Success and Engagement, will head MCLA’s Division of Graduate and Continuing Education, helping that office develop new programs to meet the needs of students in MCLA’s graduate programs, MCLA Leadership

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

IT’S ABOUT THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, HOW TO LEVERAGE INTERNAL RESOURCES SO WE CAN CONTINUE THESE IMPORTANT INITIATIVES.” —JOSEPH DaSILVA

Academy, and the Degree Completion Program. Career Services, led by Internship Coordinator Tony Napolitano, will move to Bowman Hall, increasing the visibility of those services for students (and campus tours).

Over in Student Affairs, Smith is also joining the SEM Council. “Retention is everybody’s job, but the work of Student Affairs—retention is our bread and butter,” she said. “Everything from housing, to athletics, to student involvement…those are all important and crucial to retention, to helping with students’ sense of belonging. I’m excited we’re returning to this model and re-energizing it.”

In Administration and Finance, DaSilva is opening the lines of communication between his office and other departments, working to find new efficiencies, meeting with staff members who have budget questions, and innovating in a time of declining enrollment for the higher ed industry. “It’s about thinking outside the box, how to leverage internal resources so we can continue these important

initiatives,” he said. “I think we three new VPs all gelled together with the existing leadership team. We’ve been working together as a group to resolve issues and figure out how to move forward and get the job done.”

THE WORK TO COME DaSilva is overseeing several years of major infrastructure improvements on campus—in the past year, roof issues have been fixed on several buildings. In late spring, the staircase and guardrails students use to access the parking lot across from Murdock Hall were fixed; over the summer, accessibility improvements are being made to Venable Theatre.

Freel Library will see some new windows, and the College will replace campus water lines before a summer 2023 project to replace all the steam lines and underground piping for the buildings, funded by the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance.

“That’s between $10 million and $11 million total,” DaSilva said.

Smith is working directly with students to make changes that impact their campus experiences— she’s working with the student trustee, discussing new ideas like a summer academy and an intern who works on retention efforts, and recently helped Queer Student Union President Jack Vezeris find space for the Affirmation Closet, a welcoming place full of clothing and accessories students can take for free. (Vezeris heard Smith speak about a similar project during her campus interview, and found a way to make it happen at MCLA.) “I’m really proud of my staff’s ability to go along with my unconventional ideas and out-of-the-box thinking,” Smith said. “We have a team of people who are creative and open to trying new things. Our students are asking questions, involved in governance, showing up. They’re often in my office. They keep showing up, and the door is open.

They want their voice to influence decisions. I’m so proud of them.”

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Helping Students Heal When in-person classes resumed in 2021, MCLA Counseling Services was ready.

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he Counseling Services team was anticipating an uptick in students seeking appointments once remote learning concluded—and, indeed, they did.

In fall 2021, the number of students seeking counseling rose by 67 percent, with students making an average of five appointments each, a 30 percent increase over fall 2020.

“We saw a major decline during COVID, which is not unusual—it corresponds with trends across the country,” said Heidi Riello, director of Counseling Services. “While we’re back to in-person operations, we’re seeing more students presenting with severe problems.”

“We have a large percentage of really vulnerable students, whether it’s because they are first-generation students, students of color, or from lowincome families…all these things put students at increased risk for mental health issues,” Riello said. “Many of our students have histories of trauma. Layer COVID on top of that—with everything everyone’s endured these last couple of years—it’s a perfect storm.”

Though access to counseling has been a major issue in the news recently, on campus, the Counseling Services team have been able to accommodate students in a timely manner, without the need to institute a waiting list, Riello said.

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When a student suicide occurred on campus during the spring 2022 semester, MCLA had already developed a lot of wellness-related infrastructure, and was able to mobilize quickly.

Dean for Title IX, Equal Opportunity, and Student Wellness Patrick Connolly led the charge to identify students who were impacted, responded to community needs, and worked with other offices and departments to make sure the campus response to this tragedy was compassionate, intentional, and inclusive.

Counseling Services staff were able to meet with students at community forums, reach out directly to students who were current clients, and help advise faculty on how to support students through this time, sharing plenty of information about existing resources.

In the past few years, Riello and her team have taken student feedback seriously, implementing new resources like a peer support network available for students who need it. “Six MCLA students are trained in communications, listening, and response skills for students who might want to talk to someone at a time when counseling services isn’t open,” she said.

Riello is working on other initiatives like a new “Wellness Zone” where students can relax and take a breather from the stress in their day-to-day lives, and helping develop logistics around a wellness coordinator role, someone who can engage in front-end preventative work with students who don’t already attend counseling.

MCLA’s Office of Institutional Advancement has helped fund new mental health initiatives through the 2022 MCLA Gives event in April.

And an emotional support dog from Berkshire Comfort Dogs will be on campus soon, accessible via the MCLA Volunteer Center and the dog’s handler, Chris Hantman, who works in civic and community engagement and as advisor to the MCLA Student Government Association.

Meanwhile, the five staff members at Counseling Services are supporting students, and supporting each other.

“I’m so proud of them,” Riello said.

“I appreciate them so much. I have a really strong team, and I’m grateful for all of them.”

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Building the foundation for a career in STEM HOW MCLA’S SCIENCE FACULTY ARE HELPING STUDENTS GAIN EXPERIENCES THAT HELP THEM LAUNCH A PATH TO GRAD SCHOOL

Can you get the right training, connections, and research experiences as a STEM major at a liberal arts school?

Absolutely—and with a personal touch that’s often missing in larger programs.

MCLA’s Chemistry and Physics professors consider it part of their mission to connect students with research opportunities that can make or break graduate applications, particularly REUs (Research Experiences for Undergraduates), in which small cohorts of students from different colleges spend their summer at a Research 1 (R1) university or similar institution, working on major research projects.

The REU program is sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and it gives students a chance to see how scientific research is carried out in the U.S. “A crucial part of a science major’s education is learning not just content and knowledge, but how we discover and build that knowledge,” said Carolyn Dehner, associate professor of chemistry at MCLA. “Researchers at the institutions that host REU programs have grants to do cutting-edge research; the students accepted into the REU program are paid to work with them and really experience what a scientist does— they get to contribute to answering a scientific question in their discipline that was previously unknown, which often leads to a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Students then have a much better understanding of what a career in science is really like. At MCLA, we value smaller class size and community; REUs complement this by allowing schools like us to give our students these more highimpact experiences.”

Many chemistry and physics majors at MCLA are the first in their families to

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attend college, from populations that are underrepresented in the sciences, or from families who lack the resources to pay for travel internships and other kinds of experiential learning. The REU program creates some equity in student research experiences, and grad schools look for this kind of research work as they consider applications.

“First-generation college students often aren’t aware of REU and similar programs that are available to them,” said Emily Maher, professor of physics.

“And I think students who belong to underrepresented groups more often suffer from impostor syndrome. They don’t envision themselves participating in these types of programs. We know our majors well enough here to say, ‘hey—we know your capabilities, and we are telling you, you can do this.”

Aside from the supportive aspect of attending a small school where professors pick up on your strengths, Maher pointed out that MCLA is sending a significant number of students of color toward successful careers in STEM. For example, in 2021, the graduating physics class included three Black women— nationwide, fewer than 300 Black students graduate with physics degrees.

“In 2021, MCLA graduates accounted for more than one percent of those students,” she said.

Kiah Daviega ’21 found out about the REU program in her physics seminar course, in which students learn about research opportunities and prepare aspects of graduate school applications, including resumes and personal statements. She wanted to connect her research opportunities to her passion for astrophysics and spent a summer at the University of Wisconsin-River

Falls, doing work that supports the University’s IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica.

“Growing up as an inner-city kid in Boston, I kind of became desensitized from the hustle and bustle of corporate America.

Money and politics were a major turn off for me in regard to picking my major,” she said. “Physics seemed so pure to me and actually made me happy—it allowed me to see the world in a different way.”

After a virtual bootcamp to learn the software IceCube uses, she worked on building a simulation called GEANT4, a toolkit made by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

She and the other students in her cohort presented their work at UWRF’s Undergraduate Research Conference in fall 2021.

Daviega said the experience was positive— the other students were welcoming and all came from very different backgrounds, and they were led by UWRF Professor Suruj Seunarine, who was open about his journey through academia, sharing that he took breaks between high school and college, and before going for his doctorate.

“If it wasn’t for the fact that students in my cohort were so friendly and that two of them actually attended UWRF, I would have felt ostracized since I was literally the only Black girl I’ve seen there,” she said.

“We all complemented each other with our differences; I honestly felt comfortable being different.”

Roman Robledo ’22, a chemistry major and biology minor who is passionate about ecology and the environment, found out about his REU at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies after talking with Environmental Studies Professor Elena Traister, who told him biology research

I WANTED TO APPLY BECAUSE TO ME, IT SEEMED LIKE EVERYTHING I NEEDED FOR MY CAREER: RESEARCH EXPERIENCE, A NETWORK OF STUDENTS AND FACULTY, MENTORS, AND FINANCIAL COMPENSATION.” —ROMAN ROBLEDO ’22

experience would be valuable for a chem major with his interests.

“I wanted to apply because to me, it seemed like everything I needed for my career: research experience, a network of students and faculty, mentors, and financial compensation,” he said. “I enjoy chemistry because I think the dynamic nature of matter is fascinating. I am someone who wants to protect, preserve and defend nature and I see ecology as the flow of material and energy between different biological systems.”

Cary is a full-time research organization, not a university, so Robledo got to work with a group of full-time scientists who study all aspects of the natural world.

“The REU is one of the only times when they focus on education of students,” he said. “The program did have workshops about grad school and the next steps.

I really appreciated the support that I received, and my mentors did a great job of supporting me and educating me on what my next steps could look like.”

Almost every MCLA student who has completed an REU has been accepted

to graduate school, and some have gone on to Ph.D. programs and even tenure-track faculty positions at other colleges, including students who didn’t know about the opportunity before it was introduced to them by a professor.

“The number of students from our departments that attend graduate school is very impressive,” said Maher. “I love watching our students grow and achieve things they didn’t even know were possible before attending MCLA.”

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Commencement 2022 We celebrated our 123rd Commencement with commencement speaker and honorary degree recipient Massachusetts Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Carlos E. Santiago. In addition, former North Adams Mayor and current Berkshire United Way President and CEO Thomas W. Bernard, and outgoing MCLA Trustee Susan Gold, a longtime MCLA trustee and community member who has worked tirelessly to advance the mission of the College and the quality of life in Berkshire County, received honorary degrees.

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LEAVING HERE TODAY, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE AND SPREAD THIS MAGIC WE’VE ACQUIRED FROM MCLA INTO EVERY ROOM WE WALK INTO. I FEEL CONFIDENT WHEN I SAY WE ALL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THIS.” —KENNEDY SOBON, SCHUYLERVILLE, N.Y. CLASS PRESIDENT

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Thank you, Donors!

On behalf of the students, and the entire MCLA community, we sincerely thank the 1,020 donors who contributed philanthropically between July 1, 2021 and June 15, 2022. Your generosity and the generosity of so many others allow MCLA to elevate the lives of students and make a positive impact in the Berkshire community. To show our appreciation, members of the MCLA community wanted to share, in their own words, what your support means to them.

“With this scholarship, I am able to continue to pay for school and work towards my dream of becoming an elementary school teacher right here in Berkshire County! Because of [donors like you], I am able to make this dream a reality. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity, it is immensely appreciated.”

—MACKENZIE ’22, EVELYN HAMPEL JORGE 1944 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

“I would like to thank you for your donation and dedication to helping students succeed. The funds provided by your Foundation will enable me to continue pursuing my aspirations of becoming a doctor. Thank you and I hope students like me can continue to receive scholarships like this one.”

—ONASIS ’22, MOHAN BOODRAM AND ROBERT MORRIS ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

“Financial assistance helps me and my family pay for tuition and other expenses; affording college is difficult, and it becomes even more challenging as an international student. Therefore, this scholarship is exactly what I needed to keep thriving in my academic career without excessively worrying about finances.

However, your help is way more than a financial matter to me.

It is very motivating to know that somebody is investing in my future without even knowing me in person. Thank you so much for believing in me. I will always work hard to honor your generosity and kindness. Once again, thank you.”

—MARIANA ’22, MARGARET A. HART SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

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“It is only through the generosity of [donors like you] that I am able to pay for my education and pursue my dream of becoming a teacher, so that I can share my passions with future generations.”

—CORIN ’24, RUTH P. AND NICHOLAS BORASKI SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

“You have helped alleviate much of the stress that comes with worrying about how to pay for my final year of college so that I can focus on my studies. Thank you, genuinely, for helping me to continue my education at MCLA!” —ABBY ’22, ELLEN J. BERNSTEIN/GADSBY FUND FOR JOURNALISM AND BLUE CHIP FUND SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT PHOTO BY QURAY CLARKE

“Our students have immense capacity to conduct thought-provoking and innovative inquiry — traits the Feigenbaum brothers admired. Their legacy allows MCLA students the opportunity to pursue research and creative work and defray the cost so they focus fully on their project.”

—ANNA JAYSANE-DARR, PH.D., ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIAL WORK AND CHAIR OF UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

“Thanks to the Hardman Family Endowment, the Freel Library Archives were able to restore eight panoramic North Adams Normal School photos dating back to the late 19th century. Because of donor support, an important part of our history has now been preserved for future generations of Trailblazers.”

—ELY JANIS, PH.D., 21-22 DEAN OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

“We always achieve more when working together as one team. I am so grateful to our donors who rallied with us to support the athletics department during MCLA Gives. This support allows the coaching staff to provide our students an excellent student-athlete experience. Thank you.”

—LAURA MOONEY, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

“The impact of student loan debt can be prohibitive to students leaving college to start their next chapter. I’m grateful to the Make a Difference Fund for helping to alleviate that burden for our students carrying substantial loans.”

—CARRIE L. ALIBOZEK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES

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Support that moves mountains Thanks to all who support our students— because of you, MCLA is able to provide an affordable education that elevates lives.

The MCLA Community showed its generosity again in the 2021-22 academic year, with new scholarships, more than 1,000 alumni attending programs hosted by the President’s Office and Alumni Office, thousands of hours of volunteer time, and dozens of individual programs and scholarships supported through MCLA Gives, the College’s annual Day of Giving.

PROGRAM PARTICIPATION

1,216

409

PARTICIPANTS in Advancement Office programming during the 2021-2022 academic year

ALUMNI VOLUNTEERED their time to MCLA in the 2021-2022 academic year, logging 2,358 hours in programs that support current students and recent grads—plus 1,250 additional hours volunteered in alumni leadership roles on MCLA boards and committees

MCLA GIVES

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$112,796

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TOTAL RAISED in 30 hours for College programming, scholarships, and other initiatives which consisted of $75,208 in gifts and $37,588 in additional matching gifts.

Top programs supported: Men’s Soccer The Fund for MCLA History Legacy Fund Student Scholarship Fund

TOTAL FUNDS SUPPORTED

New Scholarships Awarded in addition to the 120+ Foundation Scholarships already available to MCLA Students:

THE BETTY KENDALL SCHOLARSHIP was endowed in 2022. Betty Kendall began her affiliation with the College in the early 1970s as the Business Administration/Economics program was first introduced. After three years, she left the College to pursue several other opportunities, then rejoined as a full-time member of the faculty in 1979 and taught at the College until her retirement in May 2002. Beloved by her students for 30 years, Betty was committed to establishing resources to support students in a way she was not able to be supported during her own undergraduate years at University of Massachusetts, Amherst. While an undergraduate student, she worked full-time while maintaining honors, but was unable to participate in a single extra-curricular activity. Her goal in the establishment of the scholarship was to provide students who demonstrate some financial need the ability to focus on both academics as well as extracurricular activities to allow a student the full breadth of a liberal arts education.

THE TOM OLSEN SCHOLARSHIP FUND was established by Tom’s wife and daughter, Dianne and Francesca, in 2022 as a memorial tribute in honor of Tom’s life and accomplishments. Tom graduated from Iowa State University in 1950, with a BS in Technical Journalism; he studied Communications Theory at the graduate level at Temple University, in Philadelphia. Tom earned the rank of Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, serving 1951-52, during the Korean Conflict. His career included copywriting through senior management roles in advertising and marketing, for Business Week and Aviation Week magazines, N.W Ayer & Sons, and others. He retired at 86, an adjunct instructor of English and News Writing at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for 17 years. The scholarship was established for undergraduate students studying English and Communications, Mathematics, or Education, with preference given to those who are U.S. Veterans.

DON QUINN KELLEY LIFT EV’RY VOICE SCHOLARSHIP was established in memory of Dr. Don Quinn Kelley (1945–2016) to honor his contributions to the Berkshires. Don was a historian and filmmaker, a trustee of the Samuel Harrison House Museum, and was instrumental in organizing the Lift Ev’ry Voice Festival in the Berkshires. Don was recognized by Berkshire Magazine as one of 25 Berkshire residents who helped shape a better community, and was awarded Berkshire Museum’s Berkshire Award, honoring people who have made significant contributions to creating, keeping, or promoting artistic, historical, and natural heritage in the Berkshires. Although schooling came easily for Don, he recognized that others may need extra support and/or mentorships in order to succeed. The purpose of the Fund is to honor and memorialize Dr. Kelley by endowing scholarships for MCLA undergraduate students of color. Scholarship recipients may be incoming or existing full-time students, and will be selected based upon the student’s potential for success in studies, creativity, and community leadership. Preference is given to students who have financial need and/or are first-generation college students.

THE DEBORAH FOSS PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT RESEARCH AWARD FUND was established in 2022 in honor of the many years that Dr. Foss taught and mentored students at MCLA. The award will benefit a Junior or Senior in good academic standing who is majoring in Psychology at MCLA. Award recipients will be full-time students who are pursuing a bachelor’s degree, and who have conducted empirical research or a comparable project that makes a substantive contribution to the discipline or to the betterment of the College. Preference will be given to first-generation college students. In furtherance of that purpose, Award recipients will be selected by a committee organized by the Chair of the Psychology Department that will consist of two to three psychology faculty members, as well as a student who is not applying for the Award. For the time that this Award is given where faculty who worked with Dr. Foss are available, at least one faculty member will have been a colleague of hers. Students applying for the Award will submit an essay about their research or project, including what they learned from the experience and how it benefits them, others, and/or the field of psychology. Read more on page 25.

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STUDENT

AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS We’re reflecting back on the impressions all our MCLA students made this year. The following students were recognized at the end of the Spring 2022 semester for going above and beyond in their studies, as club and organization leaders, and as community citizens. MCLA also offers more than 100 scholarships for qualifying students. We’re proud of each and every MCLA student and are proud to share this list with the world.

Student Affairs Leadership Awards SCHOLARSHIPS Diane Collins SGA Scholarship Ian Crombie Emma Marino Heather Fischlein Memorial Award Annemarie Boyle Outstanding Resident Student Scholarship Jack Vezeris LEADERSHIP AWARDS Behind the Scenes Award Hannah Mehr Mardo Bouanga Club Executive Board Member of the Year Award Jack Vezeris (Political Science Club) Club/Organization Excellence Award Political Science Community Service Program Coordinator(s) Award VITA Program-Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Distinguished Service Award DeAnna Wardwell James T. Amsler Service Award Ian Ford-Hunt

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Leadership Achievement Award Deanna Morrow Lorraine B. Maloney Spirit of Service Award Melanie Davis Multicultural Advancement Award Brianna Christie Outstanding Club Advisor Award (SGA) Arlene Theodore Program of the Year Award Political Science Randall Warren “Unsung” Hero Award Jose Perez Rising Star Award Ryan Taylor Lydia Beeler Student Engagement Change Agent Award Odiase Williamson Student Award for Leadership In Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Brianna Christie Student Organization Award for Leadership in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Women of Color Initiative QSU Student Government Association Resiliency Award Dance Company

SENIOR LEADERSHIP AWARDS MCLA’s Senior Who’s Who Ravy Gomes Paula Kingsbury-Evans Justin Daniels Emma Marino Kayla Ruff Reagan Scattergood Kelsey LaFreniere Natasha Stewart DeAnna Wardwell Mel Davis AJ Burton Brianna Christie Haley Rode Outstanding Senior Leader Award Ravy Gomes Brianna Christie Reagan Scattergood Mel Davis Vice President’s Award for Distinguished Leadership, Scholarship, and Service AJ Burton

Academic Department Awards Specific awards given by MCLA’s academic departments BIOLOGY Biology Achievement Award Onasis Soto Health Achievement Award Micah Tassone COMPUTER SCIENCE Computer Science Award/Ada Lovelace Computer Science Outstanding Student Award Zayden Narel Darrien Smith EDUCATION Raymond C. Sullivan Award Yohannes Lantz ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES Environmental Science Award Cassandra Wright FINE AND PERFORMING ARTS Andrew S. Flagg Art Award Ian Mosher Andrew Thomas Francis H. Bissaillon Memorial Drama Award Kaley Norsworthy Harlequin Drama Award Jessica Muniz Vivian Dix Redman Award Elizabeth Rodio

Wilfred J. and Marion Quintin Music Award Abigail Daggett

Thomas & Jean Price Award Ian Crombie Sophie Elser

HISTORY/POLITICAL SCIENCE/GEOGRAPHY Edmund K. Luddy Memorial Award Reece Racette

ENGLISH/COMMUNICATIONS AWARDS Joseph G. Mansfield Memorial Award Audrey Perdue

Bob Bence International Studies Scholarship Lauren Combs

P. Randolph Trabold Photo-Journalism Award None for 21-22

Ames Samuel Pierce History/ PolSci Award Katelyn Young Maryhope Coffield Miranda Maciejowski Cameron Wagoner Roberto Castillo Molly Moynihan

Donald A. Thurston Communications Scholarship Michael O’Brien Audrey Perdue

Political Science Research and Methods Award Brevan Bove Historical Methods and Theory Award Emily Kelleher Outstanding Student Achievement Award David Pérez-Pacheco Alyssa Eden LANGUAGES, INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, AND PHILOSOPHY Anthony Nicastro Spanish/ Italian Language Award Tarah Valin MATHEMATICS Iris Cavazza Lilly Award Jake Harte

Ruth P. and Nicholas Boraski Scholarship Anangely Oquendo-Perez Corin Carpenter Ellen J. Bernstein/Gadsby Fund for Journalism Katherine Napier Abby Abrahamson Ellen J. Bernstein/Gadsby Fund for Journalism Summer 2021 Internship Mei Craig Kyle Milligan Isabel Costa

Additional Awards and Scholarships MCLA offers more than 100 awards and scholarships for students who qualify.

Academic Achievement Scholarship Haelie Paquette Academic Achievement Transfer Scholarship Joan McAneny Anna Ruth Chase Spurr 1930 Memorial Scholarship Melanie Davis Alumni Scholarship Khyahjah Alexander Ravy Gomes Domenica Gomez Emma Marino Jane P. Avis Memorial Scholarship Nalisha De Castro Melvin Band Scholarship in Mathematics Tyler-Earl George Blue Chip Scholarship Abby Abrahamson Board of Trustees Scholarship Fiona Halloran Frederick K. Bressette 1946 Performing Arts Scholarship Caitlyn Falzone

Henry J. Bruton Scholarship for Women Olivia Arsenault Hope Blake Ashley DelRatez Jennifer Donovan Sophie Elser Denise Foss Nicole Haas Brittany Hunter Kathryn Kopetchny Emma Marino Abigail Morrison Shirley Napravnick-Valer Sarah Nargi Hayley Simard Chloe Smith Amanda Terzigni Molly Wojnicki Gailanne M. Cariddi Memorial Scholarship Sienna Paulsen Charles Jackson Craig Foundation Scholarship Wesley Call Ty Mazzeo Michael and Elaine Christopher Scholarship Mailee Daignault Leilani Claire Scholarship AJ Burton Comfort Acheampong Brett Murphy Class of 1954 Scholarship Sophie Rice Class of 1963 Scholarship Alyna Cubilete-Carbonell

PSYCHOLOGY Samuel H. Clarke Memorial Award Jack Vezeris Psychology Department Award Jake Daigneault SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, AND SOCIAL WORK Soc/Anth/Social Work Department Award Julia Boger-Hawkins

Fiona Halloran ’22

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Class of 1965 Scholarship Kyle Moak

Foster Family Scholarship Corey Jakacky

Class of 1966 Scholarship Thomas Wiggins

Jenny Rosenberg Fyler 1913 Scholarship Cindy Martinez Adam Zieba

Class of 1986 Scholarship Emma Convery Community Service Scholarship Dylynn Hardee

Gary F. Kelley Computer Science and Math Scholarship Aaron Brooks

Linda and Stephen Crowe Endowed Scholarship Fund Ashley Pixley

Walter Grant Memorial Scholarship Deanna Morrow

Denise C. Richardello ’77 M.ED. ’81, HON. D.P.S. ’18 HONORS Scholarship Fund Rachel Houghtaling Nicole Lemire

Barbra Jayne Haddad Memorial Scholarship Dinah Jean Iris Navom

Pamela P. Dennis Scholarship Bobita Atkins Philomena J. Dolan Memorial Scholarship Brittany Ellis Edgar Perez Donald R. Dion Jr. Scholarship Joshua Carter Dr. John Moresi Memorial Scholarship Shirley Napravnick-Valer Ducharme Family Scholarship Emily Kelleher Educator’s Scholarship Destine Lawrence-Foley Fairbank Family Scholarship Rachel Houghtaling Jose Quizhpi Isanne and Sanford Fisher Scholarship Zurielene Adams Haley Rode Jack and Jane Fitzpatrick Scholarship Brianna Christie Alexander Holcomb Payten Pearsall Deborah Foss Psychology Department Research Award Derek McGuire

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Avaz Hajizadeh Scholarship Fund for Overall Excellence Jeremiah Figueroa Mary Ellen Harding Memorial Scholarship Alison Blakeslee Pablo Calderon Brianna Christie Alexander Holcomb James A. Hardman Scholarship Natalia Giacomozzi Margaret A. Hart Scholarship Arianna Evans Mariana Melo John M. C. Hess Scholarship Roman Robledo Honors Program Scholarship Fund Audrey Perdue Liza Marsala Molly Wojnicki Lola and Edwin Jaffe Arts Management Scholarship Ian Crombie Tiffany Ferreira Odiase Williamson Lydia Eckman Timothy Jay Psychology Ambassador Fund Emma Marino

Evelyn Hampel Jorge 1944 Scholarship Tessa Langsdale Corin Carpenter Sophie Elser Justina Pardi Hailey Perkins Alyssa Porter Mackenzie Viola Jane Kerr Kahlert 1922 Scholarship Maia Rice Casey Young Jaela Horton Margaret, Frances, Nellie Karrey Scholarship Apollo Gillette Betty Kendall Scholarship Did not exist for 21-22 Yvonne Leonesio Memorial Scholarship Paul Roeder Lift Ev’ry Voice Scholarship Robison Guerrero Baez James L. May, PH.D. Memorial Endowment Fund Timothy Duncan MCLA Scholarship Anissa Baptiste Annalyse Lewis Payten Pearsall Chelmose Senat Aaliyah Weinheimer Nancy Wright Scalise Cozzaglio Scholarship Riana Gittens NASC Scholarship Fund Samuel Larabee Thomas Olsen Scholarship Did not exist in 21-22 Paula Nickerson Plock Scholarship Caitlin Briell Alexander Lytle Lee Hamilton Ransford Memorial Scholarship Alison Blakeslee Bernard (Bud) E. Riley Accounting Scholarship Paolo Kareh

Bernard (Bud) E. Riley Business Major Scholarship Karen Horton Reece Racette Bernard (Bud) E. Riley MBA Scholarship Julia Marko Kathleen M. Shea Memorial Scholarship Jacob Sawyer Michael Silsby 1976 Scholarship Kara Paquin Norma Lorell Starr Memorial Scholarship Paige Gassaway Ida Maino Trabold 1936 Scholarship Fund Mackenzie Viola Visual Arts Scholarship Eloise Baker Delano Mills Mitchell L. West Opportunity Scholarship Brianna Christie Don Westall 1969 Memorial Scholarship Samuel Berthel Georgia Dedolph Sajaira Hudson Jane Ruth White Scholarship Kathryn Kopetchny Stacie Morris Carrie Brassard Jennifer Donovan Sarah Nargi John Morrison White Scholarship Catherine Cangelosi Aleasia Yeaton Kevin Chen Florence Wineberg Residence Scholarship Liliana Chairez Sharron Zavatarro Scholarship Savanna Amaral Helen Hogge

Odiase Williamson ’22 Selected as MCLA’s “29 Who Shine” Awardee Odiase Williamson ’22 has been chosen at MCLA’s “29 Who Shine” Award recipient, given annually by the Massachusetts Department of Education to outstanding students from colleges across the Commonwealth. An artist and arts management major, Williamson has made the most of his time at MCLA both on and off campus.

In addition to being an excellent student, Williamson has completed several internships and special assignments in arts, arts management, and community engagement, including: • An artist assistantship supporting one of MCLA’s Artist Lab residents at MCLA Gallery 51 • An internship at MASS MoCA, where he was invited to present his research to the staff of the museum • Serving as management assistant for the Urban Bushwomen Dance Company during a recent Berkshire arts residency • Working with the Sterling and Francine Clark Institute of Art, reviewing and writing labels with an equity lens Williamson is also a community-builder in addition to his accomplishments in the arts and arts management world. Working with MCLA’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities, he served as liaison between IAH and a community engagement class, guiding explorations on how to deepen community at MCLA, including IAH’s Inscapes Poetry Project, which documented student perspectives about sense of place at MCLA and in the Berkshires. He helped support a wide range of other IAH programming, including a Silent Disco event on campus, and launched his own project, Memories Through Matter, which engaged students in storytelling around meaningful objects.

“As an intern with the MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities, his quiet leadership and gentle style has guided our work and engaged his peers,” said MCLA Professor of Arts Management and MCLA-IAH Director

Lisa Donovan. “Odiase is a natural connector and has taken advantage of every opportunity to connect across communities. In all of his work, Odiase embodies a sense of curiosity, discipline and excellence.”

In the future, Williamson is interested in working in the nonprofit arts and culture sector to promote ideas of inclusion, diversity, access, and equity.

In May 2011, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education launched “29 Who Shine,” a commencement season awards program to recognize 29 outstanding student graduates from the Commonwealth’s public higher education system. Each honoree from a community college, state university or University of Massachusetts campus is nominated by a faculty or staff member, or by a university awards committee.

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FACULTY

ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2021–22

Biology

Chemistry

Dr. Andrew Best, assistant professor of biology Dr. Best was invited to present his symposium talk, “The slippery relationship between eccrine gland density, sweat production and heat dissipation in humans,” at the American Association of Biological Anthropologists’ annual meeting in March.

Dr. Anne Goodwin, professor of biology In June, Dr. Goodwin received a Course of Distinction Award for her class Nutrition for Healthy Living, at the 17th annual MCO Conference on eLearning.

Dr. Yavuz Selim Ceylan, visiting assistant professor Dr. Ceylan received a computer power grant from Texas Advanced Computing Center, XSEDE resource allocations, and faculty professional development funds from MCLA to complete his theoretical research on styrene synthesis via platinum metal. Dr. Ceylan advised two undergraduate students throughout the study and helped them gain insight into the prospective Ph.D. research environment.

The study was presented at URC by the students. He was also invited to University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to virtually present his previous publication showing usage of the multiconfiguration selfconsistent field in theoretical organometallic studies.

Business

Education

Dr. Thomas Whalen, professor of business Dr. Whalen’s book review of Dr. Jenna Scuito’s “Policing Intimacy” will appear in the summer 2022 edition of Mississippi Quarterly.

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Dr. Margaret Clark, assistant professor of education Dr. Clark co-wrote a book chapter with Dr. Rebecca Buchanan in Leah Shagrir and Smadar Bar-Tal’s edited volume titled “Exploring Professional Development Opportunities for Teacher Educators.” Dr. Clark

and Dr. Buchanan also co-wrote an article, “Collectivism and Care: Humanizing Ethics in Our Course Assignments,” that was accepted into the international Castle Conference proceedings and which will be published this summer. Dr. Clark has presented her research on critical reflection in multiple conferences, including the 2021 Curriculum and Pedagogy Conference and the 2022 New England Educational Research Organization Conference.

Dr. Lisa Arrastia, assistant professor of education Dr. Arrastia was elected a member of the Coordinating Council for Women in History’s annual Rachel Fuchs Memorial Award Committee; served as chair of the “Black Revolt: Recovery, Reuse, Rehearsal and Records” panel at the 2021 annual American Studies Conference; interviewed for the oral history Summer School’s Education Narratives Project chronicling and honoring educators’ voices in the era of COVID-19; and delivered a keynote at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 2022 Committee on the Status of Women titled “Love Pedagogy: Oral History Remix and Disrupting Notions of Difference.” In addition, she was the winner of MCLA’s spring 2022 Institute for the Arts and Humanities Award; presented at MCLA’s Mind’s Eye; and continued leading Palo Alto’s Keys School, a K-8 independent school, in

developing equity policies and practices and building a private school with a public purpose.

Dr. Clio Stearns, assistant professor of education In academic year 2021-22, Dr. Stearns published “Consent in the Childhood Classroom: Centering Student Voices Across Elementary and Early Years Education.” The book draws on empirical research from two different first grade classrooms, alongside the philosophy of Paul Ricoeur, to make statements about the significance of children’s agency in constructing ethical classroom management. She also contributed a book chapter, “The Uses of Shame in American Education,” to the book “Pedagogies of Punishment,” forthcoming in 2022. Dr. Stearns and a colleague coauthored the paper “Pre-service Teachers and the Traumas of Covid Era Education,” which is currently under review.

English and Communications Dr. Caren Beilin, assistant

professor of English and communications Dr. Beilin published her second novel and fourth book, “Revenge

of the Scapegoat,” in April. It has received rave reviews and has been, or will be, featured in the Paris Review, Bookforum, Between the Covers, Los Angeles Review of Books, and other national venues.

Dr. Beilin also moderated a panel and presented work at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference in March. In the past year, she has been invited as a visiting writer at Mary Washington University and Denver University.

University of Copenhagen, and Florida Atlantic University, and organized two roundtables for the annual Society for the Study of Southern Literature Conference.

She published an article contextualizing state-sponsored violence in contemporary Haitian American and Dominican American literatures in the peerreviewed journal The Global South, as well as a chapter on William Faulkner and world literature in “The Cambridge Companion to New Faulkner Studies.”

Environmental Studies

Dr. Zack Finch, associate professor of English and communications Dr. Finch’s creative writing publications this year included six nonfiction essays in the literary journals The Georgia Review, Colorado Review, Tupelo Quarterly, The Adroit Journal, Socrates on the Beach, and New England Review, where his essay “The Village Beautiful” was named “notable” in the journal’s “Best American Essays” anthology. Dr. Finch also published a scholarly article in “The New Wallace Stevens Studies” by Cambridge University Press.

Dr. Jenna Grace Sciuto, professor of English and communications Dr. Sciuto received an advance contract from the University Press of Mississippi for her second book, “Peripheralized Norths and Souths: Representations of Belonging and Colonial Liminality in U.S. Southern and Icelandic Literatures.” Dr. Sciuto gave three invited lectures at the University of Iceland, the

Dr. Dan Shustack, professor of environmental studies Dr. Shustack’s avian research group had a busy year continuing ecological field data collection on migratory and breeding birds of western Massachusetts, including with MCLA Feigenbaum Scholars Sienna Paulsen ’21 and Hannah Wait ’22.

Dr. Shustack and lead author Paulsen presented at the April 2021 Northeast Natural History Conference on their research “Veery Nest Composition and Structure.” At the same conference, Dr. Shustack and lead author Shannon Welch ’22 presented their research on “Feather Coloration in Junco hyemalis (Dark-eyed Junco).”

Fine & Performing Arts

Dr. Christine Condaris, professor of music Dr. Condaris reported being extremely busy in her role

as president of the board of trustees for the Berkshire Music School, located on Wendell Avenue in Pittsfield. Thanks to fundraising efforts, the school is now offering community group classes on a pay-whatyou-can basis. Dr. Condaris is also an active member of Mount Wachusett Community College’s Liberal Arts and Sciences Advisory Board, a reviewer for the Journal of Athens Institute for Education and Research, and a regular contributor to the Greek Village History Project and the Mesotopos Nea.

Dr. Lisa Donovan, professor, arts management; director, MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities; co-director, Berkshire Regional Arts Integration Network; director, C4 Initiative Dr. Donovan is the 2021 recipient of the Massachusetts Arts and Learning Irene Buck Service to Arts Education Award for her work in arts integration in Berkshire County and contributions to the field of arts education. She released the second edition of her five-book series on arts integration in January. Dr. Donovan’s work with co-author Sarah Anderberg, “Curating a Promising Future through Artistic Literacy,” was featured in ArtsEd Amplified, the national Arts Education Partnership blog. Dr. Donovan’s international presentations included virtual workshops on her book “Teacher as Curator,” in which she and Anderberg cover assessment of learning in arts integration, with the Latvia Ministry of Education; a conference keynote on network development in rural areas at Leipzig University in Germany; and an arts integration workshop for educators in Tokyo. Dr. Donovan and arts management colleagues collaborated with the Department of English and

Communications to launch a local podcast studio in the MASS MoCA complex, with plans to premiere the first season of “Thinking Like a Region,” featuring interviews with a cross-sector of voices in Berkshire County whose lives have been impacted by arts and cultural experiences. Developed and hosted by students from both MCLA and regional high schools, the show’s interviews illustrate the links between creativity and contemporary workforce skills. Dr. Donovan and her team completed a fouryear grant from the National Department of Education and Innovation releasing research on rigor in the creative process through the Berkshire Regional Arts Integration Network. She directed a three-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation which created the MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities, which focuses on equity-centered change on campus and in the community through summer symposia, faculty fellowships, student minigrants, and paid internships.

Photo courtesy of The Beacon

Dr. Tony Gengarelly, professor emeritus of fine arts; director, The Jessica Park Project at MCLA During the past academic year, Dr. Gengarelly has been working under the auspices of two faculty fellowships from the MCLA Institute for the Arts and Humanities and with colleagues on the advisory committee for The Jessica Park Project.

In this time, he has published two books: one with College Internship Program founder Michael McManmon titled “Art on the Spectrum: A Guide for Mentoring and Marketing Artists with ASD,” and a second called “Another World: Poetry and Art by Young People from The Poetry Studio.”

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Melanie Mowinski, professor of art Mowinski’s book, “Collage Your Life: Techniques, Prompts, and Inspiration for Creative Self-Expression and Visual Storytelling,” was published in June.

Dr. Sally Shafto, visiting assistant professor Dr. Shafto’s translation of JeanMichel Frodon’s “The World of Jia Zhangke” was named the third best film book of 2021 by Sight & Sound. She was awarded an MCLA-IAH faculty fellowship in spring 2022, and her article “‘Slightly Out of Focus’: The Early Work of Jean-Luc Godard and Gerhard Richter” was published in January in Senses of Cinema’s 100th issue.

History and Political Science

Dr. David Cupery, associate professor of political science Dr. Cupery presented his research article, “Animosity, Amnesia, or Admiration: Mass Opinion Around the World toward the Former Colonizer,” at the annual conference of the International Political Economy Society in October 2021. After receiving a favorable peer review from a respected political science journal, Dr. Cupery is currently in the process of revising the article for resubmission.

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Dr. Samantha Pettey, associate professor of political science Dr. Pettey presented at the 79th annual Midwest Political Science Association conference in Chicago. She discussed running candidate forums in local communities on an experiential learning roundtable, and also chaired and presented at a roundtable on using simulations and games.

Mathematics

Dr. Elizabeth Hartung, professor of mathematics Dr. Hartung had three papers accepted for publication this year: “The Clar Numbers of Capped Carbon Nanotubes” in MATCH Communications in Mathematical and Computer Chemistry; “Clar and Fries Structures for Fullerenes” in The Art of Discrete and Applied Mathematics; and “Rolling Polyhedra on Tessellations” in the 11th International Conference on Fun with Algorithms.

Physics

Psychology

Dr. Emily Maher, professor of physics; chair, Department of Physics Dr. Maher continues her work on the MINERvA experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. She and her colleagues published five papers over the last year on topics ranging from further study of neutrino cross-sections to using machine learning to aid in analysis. While on sabbatical, Dr. Maher designed a new course combining the mathematical and computational tools required to do physics, which she is currently teaching.

She is participating in the NSF ADVANCE program, which works to increase representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, thereby contributing to the development of a more diverse science and engineering workforce. Dr. Maher also served as an external reviewer for a promotions committee at the NYU Liberal Studies program and for a review of the physics program at Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Dr. Sharon Claffey, professor of psychology Dr. Claffey presented a talk titled “Improving Student Engagement in Asynchronous Online Courses with Required Meetings” at the 2022 ITLC Lilly Online Conference, which is presented with the goal of enhancing online, on-site, and hybrid teaching and learning. Dr. Claffey’s research findings indicated that students required to schedule video meetings with a professor at the beginning of the semester tended to have better course grades and scheduled significantly more meetings throughout the semester than students who were not required to schedule initial meetings.

Philosophy

Dr. Paul Nnodim, professor of philosophy Dr. Nnodim’s book, “Beyond Justice as Fairness,” won the American Library Association’s CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2021.

Dr. Kebra Ward, associate professor of physics Dr. Ward was awarded a 2022 Fulbright scholarship to study small group discussions in the physics classroom at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. She and her colleague Dr. Lindsay Westraadt will present their findings at the 2022 annual conference of the South African Institute of Physics.

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work

Dr. Travis Beaver, assistant professor of sociology Dr. Beaver has had two papers accepted for publication: “Trapped in the Glass Closet: Feminine Straight Men and the Politics of Coming Out” in Male Femininities, and “‘Baby, You Weren’t Born that Way’: Teaching Sociological Perspectives on Identities” in the Handbook of Teaching and Learning in Sociology.

Robert Hardman Fund grant.

Based on this experience, she led two workshops on op-ed writing with her global health students.

Dr. Ingrid E. Castro, professor of sociology Dr. Castro was elected to a three-year position as chairelect, chair, and outgoing chair of the American Sociological Association’s (ASA) children and youth section, where she has also served as the chair of the nominations and Distinguished Early Career Award committees.

She also was the presider and discussant of the session “Transitions into Adulthood” for the ASA’s annual conference. Dr. Castro continued in her position as an elected member of the Eastern Sociological Society’s executive committee, where she served as chair of the Charles V. Willie Minority Graduate Student Award.

Dr. Anna Jaysane-Darr, associate professor of anthropology; chair, undergraduate research; faculty development fellow With faculty emerita Sumi Colligan, Dr. JaysaneDarr organized two virtual roundtables for the American Anthropological Association’s annual meeting in November 2021: “How Do We Show Up for One Another?: Learning from Disability Justice and Anthropology in Conversation” and “‘Disabled Truths’ in the Field: Challenges, Emerging Connections, and Innovations in Ethnography.” Dr. JaysaneDarr participated in the OpEd Project, a workshop aimed at bringing more voices to the nation’s opinion pages, with support from a James and

Dr. Kerri Leyda Nicoll, associate professor of social work; chair, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work During her spring 2021 sabbatical, Dr. Nicoll worked with the Town of Williamstown to design the Williamstown CARES Community Safety and Needs Assessment. The aim of this 18-month project is to learn more about what Williamstown does to provide for public safety, how community members feel about their own safety, and what can be changed in order to create a greater sense of well-being and belonging for all community members. In June, Dr. Nicoll was awarded the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Peacemaker Award for her ongoing work on this project.

Upon her retirement, Dr. Deborah Foss honors future psychology students When MCLA Psychology Professor Dr. Deborah Foss decided to retire in 2021, she looked back on her threedecade-long career with the College and decided she’d like to leave behind a legacy. The award that bears her name, given for the first time this year to Derek McGuire ’22, gifts $500 to a junior or senior Psychology major who has made a significant contribution to the College or the Psychology Department through research, independent study, or some other scholarly activity.

Foss said she was inspired to create the award by two of her mentors, former MCLA Psychology professors Dr. Timothy Jay and Dr. James L. May. “When they retired, they both set up scholarships in their name, as a way of giving back and perpetuating the ethos of working with students,” Foss said. “Students down the road will have no idea who I am, but I wanted to provide them with a financial ‘thank you’ for doing good work.’

After all, students are the reason behind everything Foss does. “I love what I do, and I have worked with so many amazing students,” she said. “It was never just a teaching position; it was working with young people, celebrating their accomplishments and sharing in their sorrows.”

The feeling is mutual, as Professor Foss was recognized three separate times during her MCLA tenure with the Senior Class Faculty Award. It’s something that gives her great pride. “It’s one thing to be recognized by your peers,” Foss said, “but a whole different thing to be recognized by students.”

Through the creation of the Deborah Foss Psychology Department Research Award, Professor Foss is now able to recognize students in perpetuity.

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STAFF

ACCOMPLISHMENTS | 2021–22

Academic Affairs

Erin Milne, director of assessment Milne is completing her second year of a five-year term on the Board of Directors of the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education (AALHE), the national membership organization for assessment professionals.

Milne was elected by her peers in the organization as a leader in the field and currently serves as the AALHE board liaison to the President’s Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

She also co-hosts AALHE’s podcast “Assessment Works,” in which she interviews experts on the latest trends and issues in the assessment world.

Campus Safety

Division of Graduate and Continuing Education

Barbara Emanuel, director, DGCE programs Emanuel earned a Master of Business Administration degree in May 2022.

Freel Library

Danie Christensen, library commons supervisor Christensen graduated from Florida State University with a Master of Science in Information in December 2021.

Granito was promoted to assistant director of the organization’s Family Support Department. “UCP is an incredible organization, and I am happy to be a part of their family that continues to grow and support the people around us,” said Granito.

Chris Hantman, coordinator of civic engagement Hantman earned a Master of Science in higher education administration with a concentration in administration and leadership from Bay Path University. His thesis focused on exploring the different motivations for students to partake in volunteerism and how this may differ depending on the student’s identity.

Student Affairs

Sgt. Justin Biasin Sgt. Biasin is graduating from MCLA this spring with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, with a focus on leadership and business.

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Kimberly Granito, assistant women’s lacrosse coach After one year of being employed with local Berkshire nonprofit UCP of Western Massachusetts as a direct care staff member for individuals with disabilities,

Deb Raber, head women’s soccer coach and fitness center coordinator For the 11th year running, Raber presented at the United Soccer Coaches Convention.

She ran information sessions for first-time attendees and an on-field coaching demonstration session, assisted with the Advanced National Diploma course, attended the annual meeting of the ethics committee (on which she has served for over 14 years), and attended scholar

all-American committee meetings where she is the women’s senior college national chair. At the awards banquet, Raber was honored as the 2021 recipient of the Mike Berticelli Excellence in Coaching Education Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the game of soccer and coach teaching.

Amanda Schuler, Student Government Association office manager Schuler completed a Master of Business Administration degree from MCLA.

Dr. Jeannette Smith, vice president of student affairs, and April Wright, director of division operations and student engagement Dr. Smith and Wright were accepted to present “Staff Recognition Through Mission Alignment,” a general session at the annual NASPA Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. With an annual conference that sees more than 5,000 in-person attendees, NASPA is the largest professional home for the field of student affairs.

Economic Impact CAPITAL PROJECTS FY21 Campus Center/Centennial Room Renovations

$ 1,552,249

Freel Roof Replacement

$

Mark Hopkins Steamline

$

113,947

Church Street Elevator

$

49,750

Berkshire Towers Parking Lot Retaining Wall

$

41,944

Venable Theater Renovations

$

271,171

Athletics Office Furniture

$

88,891

Shapiro House Parking Lot Paving

$

42,750

Freel Electric Generator

$

143,834

TOTAL

$ 2,703,209

398,673

Source: MCLA 2021 Audit

CAPITAL PROJECTS FY22 Mark Hopkins Roof Replacement

$375,742

Bowman Hall Roof Repair

$23,650

Berkshire Towers Parking Lot Stairs

$124,521

Freel Roof Flashing

$19,826

Campus Center Waste Line Repair

$39,258

Campus Center Main Roof Replacement

$683,617

Campus Center Patio Roof Replacement

$500,188

TOTAL

$1,766,802

Source: MCLA 2022 Audit

27

28

2021-2022 Alumni Association Board of Directors

2021-2022 MCLA Foundation Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

OFFICERS

OFFICERS

Bernadette Alden

Kaite Bonneville Rosa ’10, PRESIDENT

Julie Arnold ’94, CHAIR

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

Michelle Hansen ’08, VICE PRESIDENT

Jason Dohaney ’04, VICE CHAIR

Barbara T. Chaput

Jonathan Monroy ’13, FOUNDATION

Mike Barbieri ’95, TREASURER

EXECUTIVE DRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES/ PAYROLL OFFICE

BOARD REPRESENTATIVE

Amy Smith ’96, CLERK

MCLA Executive Leadership James F. Birge, Ph.D.

Joseph DaSilva VICE PRESIDENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE

Robert Ziomek ’89, PRESIDENT DIRECTORS

Erin Fielding Baffuto ’05

DIRECTORS

Jacob Boillat ’18

Michael Avis ’91

Josie Burlingame ’20

Anthony Barbosa ’15

Dennis Ducharme ’82

Tara Barboza, MBA ’12

Todd Foy ’12

Kimberly Boyden- Briones ’89

Lizz Furtado ’91

Timothy Cherubini

Carla Holness ’95

Gina Puc ’07

Jean Clarke-Mitchell ’00

Glenn Lawson ’77

VICE PRESIDENT FOR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Anthony Dolan ’84

Kevin McGrath ’93

Frances Jones-Sneed

Jeannette Smith, Ph.D.

Vincent Melito ’71

JamieEllen Moncecchi

VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT AFFAIRS

Devan Monroe ’13

Mary Nash

Robert P. Ziomek ’89

Alex Mukendi ‘’13

Charles O’Brien

Kimberly Roberts-Morandi ’91, ’01, M.Ed. ’00

Chrystina Geagan Parks

Michael Obasohan ’11

Denise Richardello ’77, M.Ed. ’81, Hon. D.P.S. ’18

Theresa O’Bryant ’86

Jonathan Monroy ’13, ALUMNI REP

Krista Roche ’08

Denise Marshall ’81, TRUSTEE REP

Richard Glejzer, Ph.D. VICE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Lisa Lescarbeau EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT

Christopher MacDonald-Dennis, Ph.D. CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

2021-2022 MCLA Board of Trustees Mohan Boodram, CHAIR Brenda Burdick, VICE CHAIR John Barrett III ’69 Jondavid (JD) Chesloff Frederick J. Keator Karen Kowalczyk Denise Marshall ’81 Robert Reilly, Ed.D. Franklyn Reynolds Kathleen Therrien ’97 STUDENT TRUSTEE: Edgar Perez ’22

Carol K. Spector ’82 Hannah Sterrs ’14

REACH

NEW HEIGHTS

MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT 375 CHURCH STREET NORTH ADAMS, MA 01247 (413) 662-5000

MCLA.EDU