alumnecc Fall 2015 Volume 9

Message from the President

Dear Friends of the College,

An advantage of Northern Essex and other community colleges is how closely connected we are to the community. If we see an educational need we can fill, we’re quick to respond.

A perfect example of this is the new police academy, which opened on our Haverhill Campus in February.

We’ve been teaching criminal justice for years—with 400 students, it’s one of our most popular programs—but, until this year, we hadn’t been involved with municipal police training.

When we heard that local police chiefs were having a difficult time finding spots for their recruits in the state’s academies, we thought it might be a problem we could help solve.

Working with chiefs from Amesbury, Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover, we successfully welcomed our first class of police recruits with just four months of planning.

In this issue of alumnecc, you’ll learn more about our police academy as well as hear about the new career-based events that many of our alumni and business partners are participating in to help our students reach their career goals. You’ll also read about Helen Ubiñas, an NECC alumna, who, as an award winning columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, is one of the most well-known voices in the city of brotherly love.

And, none of this would be possible without your support. On behalf of our faculty and staff, and, especially our students, I appreciate all that you do for the college.

Many thanks,

Lane A. Glenn President

Editor: Maureen O’Leary

Contributing Editors: Sarah Comiskey, Ellen Small Davis, Ernie Greenslade, Wendy Shaffer

Art Director: Marty Lapham

Writers: Sarah Comiskey, Ellen Small Davis, Ernie Greenslade, Lindsey Mayo, Maureen O’Leary

NECC is Now Training Local Police Recruits

Being a police officer has never been an easy job.

In addition to enforcing the law, municipal police officers must play a multitude of roles from mental health counselor to coach and mentor.

To be successful, police officers need to be well versed in the law as well as have the maturity, discipline, and emotional intelligence to make critical decisions in a split second. And—as recent news stories have demonstrated—there’s little room for error.

In Massachusetts, police recruits attend a 21-week police academy before they begin their community policing. In February, Northern Essex Community College, in partnership with the Methuen Police Department, became the first community college in the state to run one of those academies.

Located on the college’s Haverhill Campus, the NECC/Methuen Police Academy graduated its first class of 45 recruits in late June. The graduates will join one of 16 local police departments.

Michael J. Havey, Jr. of Methuen, who has worked as a security guard at Northern Essex and a part-time police officer has been hired by the Methuen Police Department. He is following in the footsteps of his father Michael J. Havey, Sr., who graduated from Northern Essex with an associate degree in criminal justice in 1982 and is celebrating 30 years with the Methuen Police Department.

NECC/Methuen Police

Academy Snapshot of the First Graduating Class:

R one out of three is a veteran

R one out of 10 is female

R one out of two has an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree

R The average age is 25

Both had broad smiles as the father pinned the Methuen Police Department badge on his son at the recent graduation held in the Sport & Fitness Center on the Haverhill Campus. “I loved this program,” said Michael J Havey, Jr. “It was very challenging and I learned a ton.”

Recruits in the program carry an academic course load that’s far more demanding than that of a full-time college student, according to Thomas Fleming, who is program coordinator for the academy. “It’s like going to college, playing a varsity sport, and being in the military at the same time.”

The academy covers constitutional law, prevention and intervention, community policing, domestic violence, elder abuse, victims’ rights, and more. Classes and physical training are offered on NECC’s Haverhill Campus, while firearms training and driving technique are offered at off-campus locations.

Northern Essex partnered with the Municipal Police Training Committee, which oversees the police academies located throughout the state, and local police chiefs to open the academy, after learning there was a shortage of academy spots for local recruits.

“Nationally, 85 percent of first responders are getting their training at community colleges,” says Lane Glenn, NECC president. “Responding to the community is part of our mission, and we’re very proud of this partnership.”

Bridging the Gap: College Expands Student Alumni Networking Opportunities

On a clear evening in May, just as crews finished raising the commencement tent on the quad on the Haverhill Campus, the Hartleb Technology Center became a hub of activity. Graduation was just two days away and the occasion was a special one—NECC’s first-ever Student Alumni Networking Night for soon-to-be graduates and local employers.

“It’s a way to give back,” says Emmanuel Hernandez, an NECC graduate and current employee at Children’s Friend, Inc. “I did everything I could to find success as a student and I can’t thank the college enough for helping to make that possible. This is a way to show it.”

Hernandez was one of over 60 business representatives and students who attended the networking event, which was designed and organized by college faculty and staff.

“We found that an informal spring networking night would serve as an exciting and beneficial culminating exercise.” Dawna Perez, dean of student success, explains. “We realize the important role that networking can play in helping our students land careers.”

The event featured a number of fun activities—including a round of “networking bingo” and a LinkedIin portrait photo opportunity—and remarks by NECC staff members and business representatives. Participating employers came from a diverse range of professions, catering to students of all majors.

The networking night marked the final of four new student alumni programs offered during the 2014-2015 school year. All were developed in response to an increased demand for opportunities that would ease the transition from student to alumnus/a and help current NECC students develop crucial professional relationships.

Other programs included two major-specific career panels (one for liberal arts and another for communications and business) led by alumni volunteers, as well as an informal networking discussion for college interns. Heavily involved in the planning of such programs were the Alumni Office, Career Connections, the Student Success Center, PACE, and the Department of Liberal Arts.

Networking event organizers plan to expand their offerings even more in the coming academic year, with the hope of making many of the new events annual.

“Alumni and community members have been very responsive to these career-based programming and networking activities,” says Lindsey Mayo, director of alumni and donor relations. “It has been a great way for people to either connect or re-connect with the college. We’re excited to expand our offerings next year by collaborating with more faculty members and academic areas.”

Photos, next page, clockwise from upper left: Jouel Gomez, 2015 grad, left and Annette Barnaby, Lowell General Hospital HIM/privacy director; Daniel Griffiths, field services director, Northeast Regional Society for Human Resource Management and Lane Glenn, NECC president; Tim Burke of the Burke Group, left, Elizabeth Waterman, 2015 grad, and Justine St. Croix, Tallman Eye Associates; Elise Gebeili, Staffing Now

Journalist Found Her Voice at NECC She Returns to Deliver 2015 Commencement Speech

As an award winning columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, Northern Essex alumna Helen Ubiñas covers hard-hitting news stories, such as the Baltimore riots and the fatal Amtrak train crash outside of Philadelphia.

When news happens, she’s on the scene, frequently putting herself in the center of chaos and often in the way of danger to interview sources and get the story.

Her job is both exhilarating and rewarding, and she is clearly not one who is easily intimidated or flustered, whether she’s interviewing a reticent politician or a grieving parent.

As comfortable as she is covering a breaking news story, public speaking is one thing that is definitely outside Ubiñas’ comfort zone, which is why she was more surprised than anyone when she accepted NECC President Lane Glenn’s invitation to be this year’s featured commencement speaker.

“I realized that NECC was giving me an opportunity to thank them for the role they played in my life. And to remind the students who are graduating what a gift that school is,” she explains about her decision to accept.

In her inspiring speech, Ubiñas shared how Northern Essex changed her life, saying “I found myself and my future here.” (She also met her future husband Michael Dunne, formerly of Newburyport.)

Ubiñas says she arrived at Northern Essex in the fall of 1990 feeling “lost” after a less than stellar semester at a four-year university. She had always loved to write which is why she was drawn to the journalism program while at Northern Essex, eventually serving as editor of the NECC Observer, the college’s student newspaper.

After Northern Essex, she transferred to Boston University and landed a job out of college with the Hartford Courant, where she was awarded a number of honors including a team Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News coverage of a 1999 murder-suicide at the Connecticut Lottery headquarters that took the lives of five people. In 2000, she became the Hartford Courant’s first Latina news columnist.

In 2011, she left the Hartford Courant, and in 2012 joined the Philadelphia Daily News, where she continues her great work. In 2007, she was one of 12 journalists in the United States to be awarded the prestigious John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University.

Ubiñas says that as a journalist, she’s motivated “to try to keep the powerful honest and give those without power a voice.” Her insightful coverage has provided a voice for many who have been underrepresented, and Northern Essex is proud that she discovered her voice here.

“I realized that NECC was giving me an opportunity to thank them for the role they played in my life. And to remind the students who are graduating what a gift that school is.”

NECC PROFILE

Paul Chanley

Professor Paul Chanley is the heartbeat of the NECC Engineering Program, which, with close to 300 students, is one of the college’s largest and fastest growing programs. In addition to preparing students for transfer to four-year schools and high-demand engineering careers, he builds community connections, teaching onsite courses at Raytheon, securing student scholarships from local employers such as RM Technologies of Lawrence and Leewood Manufacturing of Haverhill, and creating internship opportunities for students at UMass Lowell, Northeastern University, and with area employers.

Profession: Program Coordinator of Engineering Science and Electronic Technology

Hobbies: Gardening, swimming, listening to jazz and rock & roll, studying American history, analyzing stock market/investments, watching baseball

Last book read: FallingShort-TheComingRetirementCrisis, by Ellis, Munnell & Eschtruth

Favorite quote: “Do or do not. There is no try.”— Yoda

Profile: Raised near Boston in a large Italian family, I excelled in athletics, math, and science. I lettered in high school sports and received engineering degrees at Northeastern University, (Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering) and UMass Lowell, (Master of Science in Electrical Engineering).

Engineering in the business world was my first career. I took on responsibilities as a program manager of engineering projects and product lines before becoming a professor.

I’m raising two teenagers with my loving wife. I enjoy spending time at home especially in our yard, travelling on family vacations, watching the activities my children are involved in, and attending shows or visiting museums.

Why I do what I do: Engineers create things that never were…that’s an exciting vocation. Engineering integrates areas of academics including mathematics and science while requiring creativity and communications. It’s a dynamic profession in which engineering students are part of technology advancement, how it’s used today and tomorrow. They interact with people from varied disciplines of industry and academia.

I believe in life-long learning and bringing fresh ideas and innovation to others. Teaching is a wonderful experience, especially when the class is engaged and focused on solving the problem at hand. More important, it’s exhilarating to work with students being part of helping them pursue their dreams.

ArtSpace Gallery Named in Honor of Former NECC Librarian

When Linda Hummel-Shea began her career at the NECC library as a part-time evening services librarian 35 years ago, it was during the era of the card catalog and quiet study. When she retired last June as assistant dean of libraries, libraries had evolved to include computer labs, study centers, and art galleries. Hummel-Shea was instrumental in providing direction for the expanding mission of the NECC libraries, including the creation of an art gallery in the Bentley Library on the Haverhill Campus.

Opened in 2009, the ArtSpace Gallery has featured student and faculty art as well as work of new and established artists from across the region. On Friday, May 15, the gallery was renamed the Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace at a ceremony and reception attended by the Northern Essex community as well as Hummel-Shea’s family and friends.

The Linda Hummel-Shea ArtSpace continues NECC’s long-standing tradition of bringing art to the community. “Linda had a vision to provide a space for faculty, staff, and students to showcase their work, and it was through her tenacity that the ArtSpace was created,” says Mike Hearn, the college’s director of libraries.

NECC Celebrates 53rd Annual Commencement

Over 1,300 associate degrees and certificates were awarded at Northern Essex Community College’s 53rd Annual Commencement Exercises on Saturday, May 16th in the quadrangle on the college’s Haverhill Campus. Since it was also Armed Forces Day, NECC President Lane Glenn recognized the veterans and military personnel in the audience, both graduates and guests. “Our veterans keep us safe so we have the freedom to pursue our dreams,” he said.

Fittingly, the student address was given by veteran Justin Merced, who graduated from the college’s Honors Experience with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts: Writing Option. He served as a medic in the Iraq War and, as a result of his experiences, plans to be a doctor. He will transfer to Rutgers University in New Jersey in the fall where he will major in pre-med.

The commencement address was given by Helen Ubiñas, an award-winning columnist with the Philadelphia Daily News, who had the additional honor of receiving the 2015 Outstanding Alumni Award. In presenting the award to Ubiñas, Chairperson of the NECC Alumni Association Susan Bonenfant said, “She is the type of person who inspires us every day through her work. As a long-time journalist, she has demonstrated an unwavering devotion to uncovering the truth, publishing the facts, and promoting positive social change.” (See related story, page 8.)

Linda Hummel-Shea (second from left) and her family (from left) son Ian Shea, husband Brian Shea, and son Brendan Shea; photos from recent shows at the Linda-Hummel-Shea ArtSpace

Why I Give

first nursing class and

career

Ways to Give

> Gifts of Cash

gifts of cash enable funds to be made available for immediate use by nECC and are fully tax deductible. Please make your check payable to the nECC Foundation, inc. and forward it to the institutional Advancement o ffice. masterCard and Visa are accepted by phone or mail.

> Securities gifts of appreciated securities offer significant tax advantages to the donor. Please call institutional Advancement for further information and instructions for their transfer.

> Matching Gifts

many companies match contributions made by a current or retired employee or spouse. Contact your Human resources department if your employer has such a program and, if so, obtain the proper forms and forward them to institutional Advancement.

> Life Income Gifts

You may make a charitable contribution to nECC and also receive income for life while obtaining significant tax advantages.

> Bequests

Any asset may be transferred to nECC by bequest. The gift may be made under your will, through a trust, or by designating nECC as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan.

> Gifts of Real Estate

You may make gifts of real estate and gifts of future interests in real estate and obtain tax savings.

nECC’s institutional Advancement o ffice can provide you with additional information about the many ways of giving to nECC. Call or email Jean Poth, vice president of institutional advancement, at 978-556-3624 or jpoth@necc.mass.edu.

“nECC gave me a foundation to build upon. i was accepted into the college’s

began a nursing

that spanned 43 years as a result of my studies. i am very proud of nECC and its students. i give because i want to help others achieve personal goals and economic success.”

Jeannine T. Press Class of 1970

Retired NECC Professor of Nursing

NECC Annual Fund Program Grant Helps Students Find

Creative Edge

Sometimes the right resources make all the difference. Such was certainly the case for English Professor Ellen Yarborough who, thanks to a recent NECC Annual Fund Program Grant, was able to re-mold her popular Art of Movies course into a creative workshop experience. The funding she received made way for a number of new filmmaking materials and allowed students to expand their understanding of visual communication through hands-on film activities.

As part of the new curriculum, students had the opportunity to create visual essays, film poems, film memoirs, and more using the classroom-provided equipment.

Yarborough is overwhelmed with the positive result she has seen just in the past semester. “It was, without a doubt, the most successful course I have ever taught,” she says. Yarborough will give a 75-minute presentation on her teaching experience at the Council of Teachers of English Conference in the fall, where she will discuss the theories behind the new lessons she created for her course.

In addition to funding much-needed scholarships, the NECC Annual Fund provides program grants for faculty and staff to enrich the educational experience for students through the creation of new academic initiatives and experiential learning opportunities.

CoLin MoChrie & Br A d SherW ood: T W o M A n group

Armed with nothing but their sharp wit, comedians Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood take to the live stage to create hilarious and original scenes in their two-man show. Known by TV audiences for their work on WhoSe Line iS iT AnyWAy?, Colin and Brad improvise new material every night from audience suggestions and participation.

For more information or to request communication access, visit www.necc.mass.edu/signature-event.

In Memoriam

Mr. James J. Accursio ‘64

Ms. Billie Ferrick ‘75

Ms. Lee P. Privitera ‘77

Mr. Louis R. Ambrosino, Sr. ‘79

Ms. Marion G. Clay ‘85

Ms. Sylvie T. Rivera ‘90

Ms. Edith Ross ‘92

Ms. Laura J. Krikau ‘92

Ms. Muriel D. Knight ‘93

Ms. Noelle J. Learned-Jemiolo ‘10

Mr. Michael Cipoletta ‘13

Alumni News

Ju STIN Qu INN was featured in the Newburyport Daily News for his involvement in a woolly mammoth revival project. Quinn works as a senior research associate in the molecular biology and genetic engineering department at Warp Drive Bio, LLC.

R ICHARD PADOVA ‘80 has obtained a master’s degree in history from Salem State university. He also holds a master’s degree in school counseling from Northeastern university. Padova is a professor at NECC.

D ENISE P ERRA u LT ‘92 received a bachelor’s degree in legal education from the College of Public and Community Service at uMass Boston this past spring.

C HRIS O BERT ‘03 is the owner of Pear Tree Publishing in Haverhill and will once again host the annual New England Authors Expo, the largest grassroots literary event in New England, on July 29.

D AVID W ILLIS ‘04 was awarded this year’s Lowell Spinners Peter Gammons Media Award for sports writing. Willis is a current staff writer and videographer for the Eagle Tribune.

F RANCISCO uRENA ‘09 has been appointed to the position of Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans’ Services by Governor Charlie Baker. A former Commissioner of Veterans’ Services for the City of Boston, urena will now oversee the services for approximately 385,000 veterans living in Massachusetts.

Lu CAS L OMBARDO ‘14 is a current student at Boston university and was part of the winning team of Bu ’s Second Annual Capital Management & Trading Competition for area business students.

N ICOLE C ATAN z ARO ‘15 was featured in a segment of Harding’s Heroes on WCVB 5 Boston this past June, in which she spoke about her experience in the army and how it inspired her to become an engineer.

NECC Alumni Board Welcomes New Members

During the past year, the NECC Alumni Advisory Board welcomed four new members, bringing its total number to 15. New members include Darlene Beal ’89, executive director at Haverhill Community Media; Pamela Carr ’84, retired director of technology, City of Haverhill and Haverhill Public Schools; Patricia Lyon ’13, assistant to the deputy director of athletics at UMass Lowell; and Alex Pecci ’02, a freelance lifestyle writer for magazines and newspapers and a staff writer for HealthLeaders Media.

We extend a warm welcome to our new members, and invite you to get involved, too!

The NECC Alumni Advisory Board helps organize fundraisers – such as the NECC Annual Golf Tournament – and social events, including reunions and networking opportunities.

The board also provides the alumni perspective to college initiatives and fosters relationships with current NECC students.

Would you like to get involved or learn more? Contact Lindsey Mayo, director of alumni and donor relations, at lmayo@necc.mass.edu.

Left to right: Pamela Carr, Darlene Beal, Alex Pecci, and Patricia Lyon

NECC Campus C lassic and Golf Tournament a Success

Come rain or come shine, we know we can count on nECC supporters to have fun and help raise money for nECC students at our events.

may 2nd welcomed beautiful weather and a great turnout for the Third Annual nECC Campus Classic 5K and Fun run. nearly 200 runners, representing a wide variety of organizations and communities, participated in this year’s race.

rain-filled skies didn’t dampen the spirits of some 70 golfers who participated in nECC’s second Annual golf Tournament at the renaissance golf Club in Haverhill on monday, June 15.

Together, both events raised more than $20,000 for the nECC Annual Fund, which provides scholarships and academic enrichment programs for nECC students. Thanks to all participants and sponsors, including Covanta Energy Corporation, platinum sponsor for the Campus Classic, and lupoli Companies, platinum sponsor for the nECC golf Tournament.

Your Gift to the NECC Annual Fund Makes a Difference

Each year, Northern Essex Community College makes a difference in thousands of students’ lives by providing opportunities through education. Your gift to the NECC Annual Fund supports these opportunities by offering much-needed scholarships to students and by providing program grants for faculty that enhance classroom learning.

Please help us continue to make a difference in students’ lives by donating to the NECC Fund.

For more information about the NECC Annual Fund contact Jean C. Poth, vice president, institutional advancement at 978-556-3624, jpoth@necc.mass.edu, or visit our website at www.necc.mass.edu/giving.