al umNEWS [ SCCC Board of Trustees ] Ann Fleming Brown, Chair Dr. William Levering, Vice Chair Renee Bradley, Secretary Dr. Alton Brisport Raymond R. Gillen Gary E. Hughes Michael W. Karl Christine Mallozzi Tina Chericoni Versaci Christopher Suzanne, Student Trustee [ SCCC Acting President ] Dr. Martha J. Asselin [ SCCC Foundation Board of Directors ] Jeanne Maloy, Chair Richard Kotlow, Chair-Elect Martha J. Asselin, Secretary Margaret K. de Koning, Treasurer Michael Wollman, Immediate Past Chair Susan Baker Betty Carol Barlyn Valerie Bleser Vera Dordick Evan Euripidou Diane Smith Faubion Jamison R. Flora Margaret King Raymond Legere Lynn Manning, SPHR Victor Mazzotti Terry Phillips Widjiono (Yono) Purnomo, CEC, CFBE Lois G. Smith-Law, PHR Tina Chericoni Versaci David Wallingford Christian Wessell ’00 Robin Wiley [ SCCC Communications Staff ] Darren Johnson Assistant Dean, Institutional Planning, Accountability and Advancement Lynn Harkness Information Processing Specialist II Jessica McHugh-Green Graphic Designer Heather Meaney Public Relations/Publications Specialist II [ SCCC Development Staff ] Sue Ferris Interim Executive Director of Development Nichele M. Darby Executive Secretary I Michelle Mora Coordinator of Development Lindsay Peck Coordinator of Development AlumNews is published by the SCCC Development Office. The Editor welcomes your comments. Please contact the Development Office at (518) 381-1324. Family: If this issue is addressed to your relative who no longer maintains an address at your home, please send a current address to the Schenectady County Community College Development Office, 78 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, N.Y. 12305 or call us at (518) 381-1324. Thank you.
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Dear Alumni and Friends, I am honored to be serving the College as its Acting President and to update you on the recent developments on campus. In May, the Class of 2014, over 500 strong, received their degrees and certificates during an uplifting ceremony at Proctors. Featured speaker, SUNY Chairman H. Carl McCall, reminded the graduates of their responsibility to use their education to lift up others as they pursue their own dreams. Back on campus, a First Year Seminar has been designed for incoming students. The seminar is designed to provide for greater student success by providing opportunities to enhance problem-solving skills and create a supportive cohort of fellow learners. Our new Nanotech Lab in the Center for Science and Technology is up and running and ready for use by students this September. A large landscaping project is underway which has greatly enhanced the appearance of the Washington Avenue approach to campus. The College’s plan for Start-Up NY has been approved. This will allow us to create incubator space on the campus for start-up businesses by providing tax free incentives to these companies. We hope to be accepting our first tenants shortly. In September, we will launch a celebration of the College’s 45th anniversary. Plans are underway for a variety of events held throughout the year to celebrate this event. Look for a comprehensive calendar of events coming to your mailbox soon. I invite you to join us for these and the many other events happening on campus in the coming year. Schenectady County Community College is your college and we welcome you to visit at anytime. Take part in our events, join in our course offerings and experience the dynamic environment that is SCCC. I look forward to seeing you soon.
Martha J. Asselin, Ph.D. Acting President
The Magic Number Foundation donor Dr. Walter Grattidge created the GrattidgeOhnstad Science Competition in 2010 to recognize the academic talent of students and encourage the development of future scientists. The 2014 prize was awarded to Rebekah Bolton ’14 (left), Science major, whose experimental measurement was closest to the accepted value for Avogadro’s number using the Electrochemical Method. Avogadro’s number is the fundamental experimental value in both chemistry and physics and scientists use it to predict the outcome of chemical reactions and to communicate extremely large values.