Fall 2019 Honor Garden Scholarship and Commonwealth Honors Program

Four Massasoit honors students, Maya Burgess, Yvonne Gorski, Alison Haidul, and Alexander Whitehead, were recently awarded with a $500 Honor Garden Scholarship for their exceptional grades and winning application essays. The Scholarship was established in 2013 to recognize outstanding academic achievement in the Commonwealth Honors Program at Massasoit, and in the years since, more than 30 students have been recipients.

From left to right: Professor David LaFontaine, Maya Burgess, Provost Provost/Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs Deanna Yameen, Alison Haidul, President Dr. Gena Glickman, and Alex Whitehead.

Maya Burgess is a Liberal Arts Transfer major. She moved to the Boston area in summer 2016 when her job relocated her and her two daughters from Edinburgh, Scotland. Maya is a nontraditional student who decided to return to school to get her bachelor’s degree in political science. She decided to enroll in her first honors class in her second semester. Upon graduating in the spring, Maya intends to transfer to a four year university to study politics, and she plans to continue on to law school to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer.

Yvonne Gorski graduated from Marshfield High School in 2015 and utilized her gap years between high school and college to travel and work. At 22, she decided to begin her college career at Massasoit. During her first semester, Yvonne discovered her love for writing and planned to join the Commonwealth Honors Program. Currently, Yvonne is a full-time student, works full-time, and is a writing tutor in the Academic Resource Center. Yvonne is working towards a Business Administration Transfer associate degree, and upon her transfer to Bridgewater State University, she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in management.

Alison Haidul is a second-year student at Massasoit and is in her second semester as a member of the Commonwealth Honors Program. Alison has always had a passion for learning and researching, focusing on historical topics in particular. Upon graduation from Massasoit, she will attend a four-year university to earn a bachelor’s degree in history. From there, she plans to enter graduate school and complete her PhD in the subject of history. Her career goal is to continue her study of the past and someday become a scholar and professor at a university in the field.

Alex Whitehead graduated from King Philip High School in 2015. After high school Alex joined the Navy, but due to an injury, he was not able to finish his service. After he was discharged Alex worked in the restaurant industry, but he left his management position and was convinced to try and enroll in college. In the fall of 2018, Alex enrolled at Massasoit and took to it greatly. This semester Alex is taking Professor Sanati’s Honors Seminar and wrote his paper on the use of the military in foreign affairs. Alex will attend Bridgewater State University next fall and plans to get a degree in education.

In addition to the scholarship winners, dozens of Massasoit Commonwealth Honors students presented their project abstracts and trifolds during the honors seminars.

Brockton Students’ Abstracts

Callie Adams
Overconsumption in America: Fast Fashion

Damila Assuncao
Reusable Design: From Waste to New Value Products

Geaonny Calderon-Hampton
Maternal Mortality

Kevin DeNicola
The Ethics of Openness in Computer Information Security

Hannah Gernhardt
Aquaculture: When Does it Help and When Does it Hurt?

Yvonne Gorski
Heteronormativity: An Invisible Toxin in Society

Cindy N. Mack
Transgender College Students Impacted by Mental Illness

Victoria Mansfield
The Ethics of Using Puberty Blockers and Cross-Sex Hormones as Treatment for Minors with Gender Dysphoria

Shannon Weir
Social Media and the Affect it has on Society

Alexander Whitehead
The Ethics of Modern U.S. Militarized Interventions

Kevin DeNicola
Self-inflicted Damnation: Depictions of Free Will in Renaissance Tragedies

Canton Students’ Abstracts

Adedapo Azeez
The United States Foreign Aid Policy to Africa: Should the U.S.A Stop Giving Aid?

Maya Burgess
Reinstating Voting Rights for Ex-Felons

Jonathan DeNoyer
Morality of the Second Amendment and Gun Control

Jackie Gay
The Ethics of Learning Styles in the U.S. Education System

Alison Haidul
Revisiting History and Memories of Native Americans in the United States

Christopher Knight
Student Loans and Debt: A Major Financial Concern Across the United States

Hannah MacDonald
Moral Ethics of Comedy

Christina Pierre Toussaint
Disparities in Healthcare for Black Women

Nayfa Sarhan
Effects of Electronic Devices on Children

Chloe Tavernier
Poaching: An Aged Practice

Read the scholarship recipients’ winning essays and the honors students’ abstracts in the programs below.

Canton Commonwealth Honors Fall 2019Download

Brockton Commonwealth Honors Fall 2019Download

Massasoit and Rockland Trust’s Book Donation Lends Knowledge of Civil Rights Movement

Nov. 25, 2019 – Brockton – As part of its annual One Book, One Community programming, the Massasoit Community College library is donating 140 sets of the March trilogy to partners including Brockton High School, Blue Hills Regional Technical School, New Heights Charter School, Brockton Public Library, and the Abington Public Library. A $2,500 grant from Rockland Trust to the One Book, One Community program spurred the donation, and the Massasoit library matched the gift with its own funds to ensure that the message of March could extend far beyond Massasoit’s campuses.

“Our One Book, One Community events have always been open to the public, but this year we really wanted to leave something permanent behind that students and people of all ages can continue to learn from,” said Rachel Zyirek, reference & information literacy librarian at Massasoit. “We’re extremely pleased that Rockland Trust shares our views on spreading knowledge by providing new resources like the March series.” 

March is a graphic novel about the Civil Rights Movement, told through the perspective of civil rights leader and U.S. Congressman John Lewis. The series is written by Lewis and Andrew Aydin, and illustrated and lettered by Nate Powell; it brings the lessons of history to vivid life for a new generation, urgently relevant for today’s world. March is also a #1 New York Times Bestseller.

The donated March books on display.

“Brockton Public Library is excited to join Massasoit Community College library’s One Book, One Community program this year, and we thank Rockland Trust and Massasoit for the generous book donation,” said Paula Jones, head adult services librarian at Brockton Public Library. “The selection of March was an excellent choice that will encourage civil engagement.”

Some of Massasoit’s One Book, One Community events this year have focused on discussing March, while one featured a presentation by MassVote, which stressed the importance of voting and gave an overview of the U.S. Electoral College. Powell, the illustrator of March, will be visiting Massasoit on April 15 and 16, 2020 to give keynote lectures and sign copies of the book; these will be open to the entire community. Visit the Massasoit Library’s website for a an up-to-date list of One Book, One Community events.   

Massasoit library staff, representatives from Rockland Trust, and members of the schools and libraries that are receiving the donated books gathered at the Massasoit Library last week to celebrate and distribute the copies of March.

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Mayor Walsh Announces Expansion Of Boston’s Tuition-Free Community College Program To Include Massasoit

BOSTON – Nov. 4, 2019 – Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced Massasoit Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the state, is the fifth college to join the City of Boston’s Tuition-Free Community College Plan. The Tuition-Free Community College program (TFCC) was launched by Mayor Walsh in 2016, and pays for up to three years of college for Boston’s income-eligible students who have earned their high school credential. Massasoit joins Bunker Hill Community College, Roxbury Community College, MassBay Community College and Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology as participants in the program.   

“I launched our Tuition-Free Community College Plan as a tool to help Boston residents afford and complete college,” said Mayor Walsh. “Since then, we have kept pushing toward that goal by growing the program-expanding student choice, academic opportunities and access to institutions committed to student success. Massasoit Community College will be a valuable partner in our work to build career pathways for Boston residents.”  

Through the TFCC program, Massasoit will provide participants with more options in both locations and programs of study. Massasoit operates campuses in Middleborough, Brockton and Canton, which is within 10 miles of Hyde Park and Mattapan. The addition of Massasoit also makes new associate degree programs available to TFCC program students in Diesel Technology, Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning (HVAC), Veterinary Technology and Architectural Technology.  

These fields lead to careers that pay well above Boston’s living wage. For example, diesel mechanics and HVAC technicians in the Greater Boston area earn salaries of approximately $60,000 on average, at an average wage of $29/hour, compared to the current living wage of approximately $15/hour. The HVAC degree program at Massasoit creates a post-secondary pathway for students from Roxbury’s Madison Park Technical Vocational High School who are enrolled in the school’s new HVAC program.  

Massasoit’s Canton campus

“Dozens of students from the Boston area choose to study at Massasoit each year, and with the help of Mayor Walsh, his Office of Workforce Development, and the Tuition-Free Community College Plan, we’re delighted to give even more students the opportunity to earn a degree from our institution,” said Massasoit President Dr. Gena Glickman. “Our College is a tight-knit community of learners, faculty, and staff. Students who choose to study here have the opportunity to enroll in unique degree programs, challenge themselves academically through the Commonwealth Honors Program, and get involved through a number of student organizations and activities.”       

The number of students who apply and are accepted to the TFCC program has increased every year since 2016. Among the 489 students who have been accepted to the program, the mean household income is less than $25,000 per year. Despite these economic challenges, participating students have achieved a higher college retention rate (78%) from their first year to their second than that of community college students nationwide (63%).

“Thanks to the TFCC program, I didn’t have to stress about paying for school,” said Naweed Hassan, a TFCC participant who graduated from Bunker Hill Community College and has gone on to study at UMass Boston. “As a result, this helped me to stay more focused on my academics and make sure I got the most out of my education.”  

Run by the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD), TFCC is funded by the Neighborhood Jobs Trust which ensures Boston residents directly benefit from development by collecting linkage fees from large-scale commercial projects in the City. Students enrolling in TFCC must be Boston residents who have graduated from a high school in Boston, graduated from high school as a METCO student or earned their HiSET or GED. The students must also be eligible for a Pell Grant as determined by the U.S. Department of Education and meet U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development guidelines for having a low to moderate household income.  

TFCC participants can extend their education to a four-year college through Boston Bridge, a collaboration of the TFCC program and the state’s Commonwealth Commitment program. Boston Bridge enables the program’s community college students to transfer to a Massachusetts state university or UMass campus to complete their bachelor’s degree free of tuition or mandatory fees.  

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About the Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development
The Mayor’s Office of Workforce Development (OWD) is an innovative agency within the Boston Redevelopment Authority that seeks to ensure the full participation of all Boston residents in the City’s economic vitality and future. OWD funds and oversees programs that promote workforce development through education, jobs training, apprenticeships, financial coaching, career pathways, literacy initiatives, and the like. Please visit OWD.Boston.Gov to learn more about OWD’s work.  

About Massasoit Community College
Founded in 1966, Massasoit Community College is one of the largest community colleges in Massachusetts. Massasoit offers more than 60 associate degree and certificate programs across arts, sciences, and applied sciences. With three locations in Brockton, Canton, and Middleborough, Massasoit serves students from all across the metro south region. More than 900 students graduate with an associate degree or certificate each year from Massasoit, and 2,600 students annually enroll in non-credit community education or workforce development courses. Massasoit offers a wide variety of support services to help students develop academic, emotional, and social skills.

Massasoit Announces New Branding, Logo

“Massasoit Community College offers personalized invitations for potential and existing students to discover their own opportunities for greatness. This educational journey will be taken alongside experienced faculty, staff and coaches who understand that each student is unique from where they start to where they want to go.”
Massasoit Community College Brand Rationale

After several months of work, which included interviews in the community and on campus with faculty, staff, and students, Massasoit Community College is excited to announce our new college brand. The new look and feel of our materials reflect what that research revealed: our students are creative, genuine, and authentic, and our College is student-centered, focused on helping students reach their full potential. At Massasoit, we are in the business of providing guidance, knowledge and opportunities to those who seek something greater.

In the coming weeks, the community can expect to see the new Massasoit logo and colors – navy and goldenrod – and our new open book logo across all our new materials. Our brand refresh comes alongside a new website, which will soon be ready for launch.

New Department Names, Same Great Services at Massasoit

As we welcomed students back to campus this fall, the following changes and updates were made within the Massasoit community. It was a very busy summer, and while some names have changed, Massasoit’s comprehensive services for student success and growth have not.

The Ida da Cerezo O’Donnell Unity Center
As you may have already heard, this fall Massasoit unveiled the Unity Center, a central location for students to examine and embrace the intersections of their identities, think critically about diversity and social justice, and utilize their unique and collective voices and talents to enact positive change. The Unity Center will house the Ubuntu Scholars mentoring program; a similar mentoring program designed for those identifying as female; the new Board of Trustees Student Mentorship Program; a larger mentoring program within the context of a student leadership institute; and a Peer Leadership program. The Women’s Resource Center has been merged into the Center to streamline services and programming offered to students.

The Unity Center is an exciting move forward for Massasoit’s diversity and inclusion efforts, and we look forward to sharing more about the specifics of the programs and activities that will be offered in the coming weeks. Email Jeff Joseph, director of the unity center, with any questions at jjoseph40@massasoit.mass.edu.

Advising, Career & Transfer Center
The offices of Advisement & Counseling and Career Services have merged to become the Advising, Career & Transfer Center (ACT). The ACT Center continues to offer students academic and transfer guidance while also developing a stronger focus on career exploration. Any student seeking academic advising, career information or resume review, or transfer counseling may be referred to the ACT Center.

Please note that while the ACT Center can provide referrals to outside organizations, the Center does not provide personal counseling services. Students in crisis should be referred to the Dean of Students Office. Email Alessandra Monteiro, director of the ACT Center, with any questions at amontei24@massasoit.mass.edu.

Student Central & Student Center
Student Central at Massasoit provides comprehensive enrollment services to prospective, current, and former students, in a convenient one-stop location. Services offered include: admissions; financial aid; registering for and adding/dropping classes; and student accounts. More information can be found on the Student Central website.

Additionally, the new Dining Hall in Brockton is complete and open for use. The space provides students, faculty, and staff with a beautiful space to gather. Student Life is now located on the lower level of the Student Center, and, as a reminder, Testing & Assessment is located on the lower level of the Student Center as well, in room 139.

Access and Disability Resources
Access and Disability Resources is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and supporting them in their pursuit of reaching their academic goals, while still meeting the academic and technical standards set for all students. This departmental name change reflects a more progressive philosophy which, while recognizing disability as one of the many components of diversity, focuses on the department’s core mission of removing barriers to ensure accessibility for all students, staff, faculty, and visitors to the college. Email Marie McDonnell with any questions at mmcdonne2@massasoit.mass.edu.

Launch Fundraising Celebration Toasts President Gena Glickman

Join Massasoit on Saturday, Oct. 5 as we toast President Dr. Gena Glickman’s inauguration at our Launch Celebration, a reception to benefit the college’s Educational Enrichment Fund. The event begins at 6 p.m. at our Canton Campus, and tickets can be purchased here.

Inspired by the colorful designs of 1950s and 1960s Rand McNally road atlases, the evening is centered around our students’ educational journeys.

Rather than a sit-down meal, guests can expect a fun cocktail party with lots of good food & drink. In addition to hors d’oeuvres and food stations, several local microbreweries – including Black Hat Beer Works, Brockton Beer Company and Article XV, and Castle Island Brewing – will be serving special beer tastings. Bradford Distillery and MBJ wine will also be on hand with samples. To close out the evening, guests will be invited to bring home some vintage candies and ice cream treats.

By purchasing tickets and enjoying this exciting evening, you will boost Massasoit’s new Educational Enrichment Fund, which supports students as they explore internships; participate in research projects, study trips, and independent studies; or when they want to attend conferences, workshops, or academic competitions. The Fund is designed to make sure Massasoit students have a rich and full academic experience while they study with experiential learning opportunities.

Launch will celebrate Dr. Glickman’s formal inauguration, which will be held on Oct. 3. All are welcome at the ceremony on the Brockton campus. Seats may be reserved at this link. Email us at communications@massasoit.mass.edu with any questions.

Massasoit’s One Book, One Community to Explore Civic Engagement & Art-as-Protest

This year, Massasoit’s One Book, One Community program will feature the graphic novel trilogy March by U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell and culminate in an April 2020 visit by Powell, the illustrator of the series. The One Book, One Community season spans the duration of the 2019-20 academic year with monthly events to explore civil rights, civic engagement, and art-as-protest.

In addition, the Massasoit Library will host two Herb Block exhibits, Herblock on Democracy this fall and The Long March in Spring 2020. The campus will welcome the Haitian Artist Assembly of America (formerly Massachusetts) as they bring their protest art to campus in conjunction with a Black History Month celebration. More activities will be announced as the year continues.

Massasoit One Book, One Community 2019-20 Events:

September 20 – Fall Kickoff
Why Vote? Lecture and Mock Voting Event presented by Massvote’s J. Cottle
An exploration of the root causes of voter apathy including disenfranchisement, literacy, and the electoral college.
11:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Massasoit Student Lounge

October 9
Civic Engagement Initiative Professional Panel presented by MassVote
Interactive professional panel discusses personal commitment to creating a culture of civic participation among historically disenfranchised groups in under-served communities in Massachusetts.
11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Location to be announced

November 22
Native American Cultural Awareness Day
Join Massasoit Professor Rita Jones Hyde and Webmaster Lloyd King in this exploration of Native American protest history. The sessions will include a live protest demonstration by local Native Americans. A cultural fair will be held in the theater foyer following the lecture/demonstration.
10:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Buckley Performing Arts Center

April 15-16
Nate Powell, illustrator of March, discusses his work
Brockton Campus 4/15:
Keynote & Book Signing:  2:00-4:00 p.m.
Buckley Performing Arts Center

Canton Campus 4/16:
9:30 – 10:45 Artists’ Workshop

About Nate Powell
Nate Powell is the first cartoonist ever to win the National Book Award. He began self-publishing at age 14, and graduated from School of Visual Arts in 2000. His work includes new Eisner-nominated Ozark horror tale Come Again, civil rights icon John Lewis; legendary March trilogy, comics essay About Face, You Don’t Say, Any Empire, Swallow Me Whole, The Silence Of Our Friends, The Year Of The Beasts, and Rick Riordan’s The Lost Hero.

Powell’s work has also received a Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, three Eisner Awards, two Ignatz Awards, the Michael L. Printz Award, a Coretta Scott King Author Award, four YALSA Great Graphic Novels For Teens selections, the Walter Dean Myers Award, and is a two-time finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

Powell has discussed his work at the United Nations, as well as on MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Show, CNN, and Free Speech TV. His books have been placed on school curriculum in over 40 states, and his animated artwork in the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Selma: The Bridge To The Ballot has reached over a million students in 50,000 schools across the nation.

From 1999 to 2009, Powell worked full-time providing support for adults with developmental disabilities alongside his cartooning efforts. He managed underground record label Harlan Records for 16 years, and performed in punk bands Soophie Nun Squad and Universe. He lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

Massasoit and Curry College Partner to Offer Bachelor’s Degree Program in Nursing in Brockton

The RN-BS program is the first offering as part of a University Center model on Massasoit’s Brockton campus

August 15, 2019 – Brockton – Beginning this fall, area students who have completed their associate degree in nursing will have the opportunity to earn their bachelor of science in nursing from Curry College right at Massasoit’s Brockton campus. Students in the RN-BS program will benefit from the instruction of expert, full-time faculty and a competitive tuition rate.

“The demand for well-trained and educated nurses in Brockton and surrounding communities is at an all-time high, and this educational option with Curry College gives both current students and professionals expanded opportunities for career advancement,” said Massasoit President Dr. Gena Glickman. “We’re extremely proud of our Nurse Education program and the close relationships we’ve forged with our neighbor healthcare providers; this partnership helps cement our commitment to the industry.”

Massasoit President Dr. Gena Glickman joined Curry College President Kenneth Quigley, Jr. today to make the partnership official.

Students will be able to complete the RN-BS program in only 19 months by taking just one course during each eight-week session. With a mix of on-campus and online hybrid courses, Curry College’s general education requirements are waived for students who have an associate degree. At $375 per credit with no additional course fees, the program is an affordable alternative to other RN-BS programs. Students may transfer up to 90 credits; 30 must be completed with Curry College. Financial aid is available for students who qualify. Curry’s RN-BS baccalaureate degree is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

“Curry College is very proud of our world-class Nursing programs, which prepare graduates to provide the highest quality of nursing care and to be leaders in their field,” added Curry College President Kenneth K. Quigley, Jr. “We are deeply committed to our mission of educating students to engage in meaningful careers and active citizenship, and we are pleased and proud to provide Massasoit students this opportunity to advance their nursing careers with us.”

Massasoit’s partnership with Curry is the College’s first baccalaureate completion collaboration in its University Center – a regional resource for convenient access to select higher educational opportunities for associate degree graduates to complete relevant baccalaureate degrees.

“Massasoit is working with Curry College, and we will be collaborating with other four-year institutions, to help meet the distinct needs of the region and support workforce and economic vitality for our graduates,” said Dr. Glickman. “Our University Center will significantly increase the number of baccalaureate degrees earned by our graduates and members of our service area.”

Students do not need to be Massasoit alumni to enroll in University Center programs, but the RN-BS degree does offer fast-track admission for Massasoit alumni.

Individuals interested in the RN-BS at Massasoit, scheduled to begin August 27, can visit Curry.edu/RNBS to apply. Students must complete Curry College’s continuing education application for admission and provide a copy of a current, non-restricted Massachusetts RN License, official sealed transcripts from all colleges previously attended, and official high school transcript or GED certificate. Students may start the RN-BS program before passing the NCLEX-RN exam.

Massasoit Receives $30K Grant to Support Peer Tutoring and Mentoring

A program at Massasoit Community College that assists first-year students as they transition into college was granted $30,000 from the Harold Brooks Foundation to help strengthen and sustain it for the next two years. The Latch Academic Support Program offers a mix of academic advising and counseling, peer tutoring, and mentoring to create a tight-knit learning community in which Massasoit students learn together and from one another.

Latch Program welcome in 2017

“Thanks to the Harold Brooks Foundation, we will be able to continue peer tutoring and mentoring for at-risk students,” said Latch Program Coordinator Heather Baccchiocchi. “We are delighted to receive funding for the next two years, ensuring that participating students will receive the resources they need to succeed as they begin their journeys at Massasoit and in higher education.”

For nearly 50 years, Latch has provided students with intensive, proactive academic advising while developing their reading, writing, mathematics, and study skills. Latch welcomes students who have tested into one or more developmental courses, those who have not been satisfied with their academic experiences in the past, and students who may have been away from school for a long period of time.

Academic counselors work with Latch students to set academic and career goals and ensure that students’ areas of study align with those goals and maintain close contact with professors, providing a way for the team to address academic issues if they arise during the school year. Students enrolled in Latch consistently earn some of the highest success and graduation rates at Massasoit, and many of the tutors and mentors are former students from the program.

The Harold Brooks Foundation provides assistance to causes and organizations that help residents of Massachusetts’ South Shore communities and focuses on five key areas: education; food, agriculture & nutrition; health; housing & shelter; and mental health. Harold Brooks, of Braintree, Massachusetts, was a successful business executive and entrepreneur who manufactured and sold prefabricated structures and underground bomb shelters during the Cold War. Brooks died in 1963, and the Foundation that bears his name was established in 1984.

“The Harold Brooks Foundation recognizes that Latch provides a great, effective service to Massasoit students who may need additional help to succeed,” said Associate Dean for Student Success Joe Harris. “We’re grateful for their support of education and Massasoit.”

For more information, visit the Latch Academic Support Program’s webpage or call 508-588-9100 extension 1070.

New Deans at Massasoit: Dr. Michael Roggow and Dr. Harriette Scott

Massasoit Community College welcomes two new deans this summer as Dr. Michael Roggow has been appointed to dean of Massasoit’s Business & Technology Department, and Dr. Harriette Scott joins the college as dean of Humanities and Communication Arts. Dr. Roggow was most recently the dean of the division of Business, Criminal Justice and Law at Schenectady County Community College in upstate New York. Dr. Scott comes from Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma where she was the dean of Student Affairs – Student Judicial Affairs and Wellness.

Dr. Michael Roggow and Dr. Harriette Scott

“Our search committees and open faculty and staff forums met with several exceptional candidates for each position, and Dr. Roggow and Dr. Scott both stood out for their dedication to students’ learning and ability to lead others,” said Massasoit Provost and Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Barbara McCarthy. “Dr. Roggow has done incredible work in New York, and success has followed Dr. Scott’s career throughout the southeast.”

Dr. Roggow has more than 20 years of experience building academic programs in community colleges within the State University of New York and the City University of New York. He has a record of securing grant funding to support students in their first year of college, with an eye on strengthening retention and graduation rates. Dr. Roggow taught psychology at City University and research methodology at New York University, and he has been published in and guest editor of the Community College Journal of Research and Practice and the New Directions for Community Colleges. Dr. Roggow served on the board of the American Association of Community College’s Council for the Study of Community Colleges.

Dr. Scott is native of St. Louis, Missouri and began her career in public education there. She taught in the public-school system in Norfolk, Virginia and has received “Teacher of the Year” and/or “Service Excellence” recognitions in four states. Dr. Scott has held full time faculty and administrative positions in both academic and student affairs at multi-campus community colleges in Oklahoma, Missouri, South Carolina, and North Carolina. She is a mentor, has volunteered with the United Way, served on the Greater Tulsa African American Affairs Commission, and is an active member of the alumnae chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Dr. Scott studies, writes, and presents on student success, women in leadership, civility, equity, and diversity and inclusion. 

Dr. Roggow holds M.A. and Ed.D. degrees in Higher Education Administration from New York University, a B.A. in Psychology from Ohio State University, and an A.S. in Business Administration from Corning Community College. Dr. Scott earned her B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia, her M.A.T. degree from Norfolk State University, and her Ed.D. in Higher Education in the Community College Leadership Doctoral Program at Morgan State University.