DOWER CENTER RIBBON-CUTTING HIGHLIGHTS CELEBRATE WESTFIELD
Hundreds of alumni and parents visited the campus in September 2017 for a three-day “Celebrate Westfield State” event, which combined Family Weekend, Homecoming, and the ribbon-cutting and dedication for the Catherine Dower Center for the Performing and Fine Arts. Events included the Alumni and Golden Owls Brunch, the “Rugged Owl” walk/run to benefit the Emilee Dawn Gagnon Scholarship Fund, athletic events, a carnival with midway games, food trucks, student club performances, and a concert in and tours of the Dower Center.
An anonymous $1.1 million gift enabled 20 Steinway & Sons pianos to be installed in the Dower Center, and elsewhere on campus, as Westfield State became the only public university in New England and one of just 140 colleges nationwide to earn the All-Steinway School designation.
Visit westfield.ma.edu/music for more information.
CENTER FOR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY UPDATE
Each year, the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (CURCA) hosts celebrations to highlight some of its projects. Last year, 134 abstracts were submitted for inclusion, representing 22 of the University’s 24 academic programs. In December 2017, CURCA hosted its first fall semester celebration. One of the projects highlighted was a collaboration of Kimberly Pouliot, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and Samantha Dominique ’18, a biology major from Ludlow. Together, they are looking at the effects of vitamin C and its ability to enhance or destroy phagocytosis and macrophasions. “Vitamin C is something that people ingest, and there’s another compound that we are investigating. The question is, if you get an infection and you are potentially ingesting these vitamins or supplements, does that enhance your ability to fight the infection?” Dr. Pouliot says. “Dominique is excited to gain hands-on lab research experience as an undergraduate. She plans to pursue either a master’s or Ph.D. in microbiology.” The Spring CURCA event will be held on May 4.
JOINT COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION MEETS ON CAMPUS
At a hearing of the Joint Committee on Higher Education at Westfield State in October 2017, testimony regarding 11 proposed bills and petitions related to lowering the cost of public education in Massachusetts was heard. According to Committee Chairman Rep. John Scibak, D-South Hadley, the hearings are in the exploratory phase and aim to find feasible options moving forward, which could be a combination of the best parts of many different bills. The committee is also watching other states to see how lowering the cost of higher education progresses in states where legislation is already in motion.
MORE THAN 160, INCLUDING ALUMNI, WEIGH-IN ON DRAFT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES
The Advisory Committee on Strategic Planning established draft Strategic Planning priorities and revisions to the mission, vision and values which were vetted with the campus community through a series of dialogue sessions held February 26 through March 2. The sessions were attended by more than 160 faculty, staff and students with broad representation from the divisions across campus. A similar session was held with the 17-member Alumni Association Executive Council on March 10. The valued feedback from those sessions and an open survey issued in early March are being assessed. The next level of engagement will include the development of division-specific or cross-divisional strategies to support each of the named priorities to further shape Westfield State’s Strategic Plan. Also, the priorities will be presented at the “Touchpoint Two” event on June 12 at the Board of Higher Education in Boston. For more information, visit westfield.ma.edu/about/strategic-plan.
GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS ADDICTION RECOVERY COACHES
Funded by a $550,000 grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program, the College of Graduate and Continuing Education has added an Addiction Recovery Coach Certificate Program to its expanding non-credit options. Based in part on several highly respected programs, the Recovery Coach Program educates and trains each individual to become an effective recovery coach. The 66-hour training program is offered Saturdays over the course of 11 weeks. Its content has been accredited by the state. The paraprofessional grant spans over four years and also allows for the expansion of the Addiction Counselor Education non-credit certificate program into Berkshire County and will provide scholarships to participating students.
JALISA D. WILLIAMS, L.P.D., ASSISTANT VP OF HR
Jalisa Williams, L.P.D., joined the University in November 2017 as assistant vice president of Human Resources. Reporting to the Vice President for Administration and Finance Stephen Taksar, Dr. Williams oversees the University’s human resources policies and procedures, employee relations, recruitment, development, and performance management. An experienced and actively involved human resources professional, she most recently served as executive director of human resources at Schenectady County Community College. She holds a doctorate from Northeastern University’s School of Law and Policy, a certification in management development studies from Cornell University, and both a master’s and bachelor’s degree from The Sage Colleges in Albany, New York.
