Category: All News

The Joule Fellows Program at the University of Connecticut (UCONN) gives middle school, high school, and community college instructors a chance to participate in current research and develop lessons and activities to bring engineering principles into their classroom. As part of the program, Joule Fellows attend various enrichment activities around the state in interesting and relevant locations.

In early August, Joule Fellows from UCONN attended a tour of QVCC’s manufacturing and engineering programs and completed a related workshop on 3D scanning, Computer-Aided Design (CAD), 3D printing, and Laser Cutting. They measured parts, made simple sketches on paper with relevant dimensions, then created those parts using a 3D CAD program, SolidWorks. They took a 3D-printed box, and cut and etched a matching lid from mirrored cast acrylic with their own custom text on it using our laser cutter. There was also a brief live 3D scanning demo.

Two students, Cassandra Miller from QVCC, and Amit Thakkar from Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), helped Prof. Jakob Spjut run the workshop and assisted the Joule Fellows with their workshop tasks. They also shared some details of their summer project, as they worked on a NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium (CTSGC) Undergraduate Student-Faculty Research project to redesign the statewide Community College Quadcopter Challenge under Prof. Jakob Spjut (QVCC) and Prof. Ravindra Thamma (CCSU). As QVCC campus director for the space grant, Prof. Spjut also shared additional statewide opportunities for high school teachers to get involved with the Space Grant, which is NASA’s educational outreach arm inside of Connecticut, administered out of University of Hartford.

QVCC is offering a vaccine clinic in September and October for faculty, staff, and students at the Danielson campus.

Griffin Health is providing all three vaccines, free of charge. No appointment is needed:

DAYS & TIME

September: SPIROL Art Gallery, located off the main entrance to the campus.

Tuesdays: 9 -1 p.m.
Wednesdays: 3-7 p.m.

October: The Fireside Lounge, enter through the main entrance or Fireside Lounge entrance

Tuesdays: 9 -1 p.m.
Wednesdays: 3-7 p.m.

Released: August 31, 2021

Republished from The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.

Michelle Warren, The Chronicle, Willimantic, Conn.
Sat, August 21, 2021, 11:59 PM·3 min read

WILLIMANTIC — In an era when community college enrollments are dropping nationwide, it can be difficult for schools like Quinebaug Valley Community College to recruit new students. For more than 30 years, the college has served the region with a satellite campus in Willimantic, acting as a resource for those who wish to obtain an affordable college education. While there has been an uptick in non- traditional students attending the Willimantic center, the goal is to increase the total enrollment at that campus, according to QVCC Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Services Joseph Cullen.

” We absolutely adore the Willimantic community,” he said. ” We want our program to grow but in order to grow, we need people to come.” QVCC has had a satellite campus in Willimantic since 1986. The main campus is at 742 Upper Maple St. in Danielson. Cullen said the school didn’t always have a ” center” in Willimantic, per say, but at times, it just had space in buildings. In 2017, the center moved from Main Street to Windham Technical High School. Starting this past fall, QVCC has been on Main Street once again and it currently shares space with EASTCONN’s Learners Empowered to Achieve their Potential ( LEAP) program, an alternative high school, at 729 Main St. QVCC has four classrooms in that building, as well as a break room and office space.

” This is just the start,” Cullen said. ” We just really hope and anticipate the community will partner with us and then we’ll build something special.” He said there was a drop in enrollment after the move to Windham Tech, but enrollment has bounced back somewhat since the return to Main Street. ” It feels like a more adult environment than a high school environment,” Cullen said, comparing the current site to the Windham Tech site. Cullen said there was an increase in enrollment during the past spring semester at the Willimantic site. “It was modest,” he said. ” I want to say, maybe, 5 percent.” Cullen said, last semester, 137 students were enrolled at QVCC’s Willimantic center.

The registration period for the fall semester is currently underway. QVCC offers both credit and non-credit courses. The registration deadline for the fall semester is Sept. 16. The regular term courses start Aug. 26 and the late term classes, which are shorter and more compact, start Sept. 27. The institution is attractive to students who just graduated high school, referred to as traditional students, as well as non- traditional students. Some non- traditional students are attending college for the first time while others are continuing their college education. “I have a lot of non-traditional ( students) who have families and want to finish in two years, but it’s not always that easy,” QVCC Community Outreach and Evening Coordinator Maria Garcia- Alvarez said.

There are currently 20 courses offered in a variety of subjects at the Willimantic campus, including courses in English as a Second Language, English composition, math, environmental science, and general psychology. Currently, the plan is to offer hybrid classes in the fall at the Willimantic center, with both in- person and online components, but that could change as the pandemic evolves. Cullen said the decision to have hybrid classes was based on a survey students took. He said if conditions of the pandemic change, the school can easily move to entirely virtual classes. Students who don’t have a car can either walk to campus, if they live nearby, or ride a Windham Region Transit District bus, which runs between the Danielson and Willimantic campuses twice a day.

Cullen said tuition rates are ” very reasonable” and there is financial aid available for those who qualify. Students from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island taking 12 or more credits, but no more than 17 credits, would be charged $2,253, including tuition and fees. After 17 credits, there is an additional flat tuition charge of $100 per semester. Students may qualify for free tuition through the free community college program offered by the state.

A limited number of hotspots and laptops are also available to students.

Follow Michelle Warren on Twitter — @mwarrentc.

The fall semester begins on Thursday, August 26 and if you need assistance, we are here to help. Schedule an appointment today with admissions, advising, financial aid, Willimantic staff, and Veteran Services.

ADMISSIONS
Schedule your appointment
Mon – Thurs, 8:30 am – 4pm
Email Admissions

ADVISING
Schedule your In-Person Appointment
Schedule your  Phone or Video Appointment
Danielson: Mon – Fri, 9am – 4pm
Willimantic: Mon – Thurs, 3 – 8pm

Drop-In:
Danielson: Mon and Tues, 9am – 11:30am, Wed and Thurs, 1 – 3:30pm
Willimantic: Wed, 3 – 8pm

FINANCIAL AID
Schedule your In-Person Appointment
Schedule your Phone or Video Appointment
Mon – Thurs, 8:30am – 4pm

Bookstore
Mon – Thurs, 9am – 3pm (closed from 1 – 2pm) and Fri 9am – 12pm

Library
Mon – Thurs, 9am – 4pm and Fri 9am – 2pm
Evening hours by appointment: (860) 932-4007 or library@qvcc.edu

Records
Mon – Thurs, 8:30am – 4pm (until August 16)
Mon – Fri, 8:30am – 4pm (after August 16)

RELEASED: August 10, 2021

Quinebaug Valley Community College is pleased to welcome Dr. Karen Hynick as QVCC’s Chief Executive Officer. Appointed July 1, Dr. Hynick succeeds QVCC’s fifth CEO (formerly referred to as President), Dr. Rose R. Ellis, who served in the interim following Dr. Carlee Drummer.

As campus CEO, Dr. Hynick assumes the role as President, overseeing the day-to-day operations at the College. Prior to coming to QVCC, Dr. Hynick served as North Shore Community College’s Vice President of Academic Affairs since 2014. During her tenure at NSCC, she led the college’s development of its Master Academic Plan, Two Year Schedule Process, Guided Pathways Implementation, Early College with Lynn Public Schools, advanced the college’s role as the statewide consortium lead for prior learning assessment, focused the college’s efforts on student learning outcomes, and redesigned the academic program review process.

Prior to her role at NSCC, she served as the Chancellor’s Fellow at the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in St. Paul assisting in “Charting the Future”, a system-wide strategic framework. She also simultaneously served as the System Director for P-20 for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities reforming developmental education and expanding early college and dual enrollment programs throughout Minnesota. Additionally, Dr. Hynick also spent six years as Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Support at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Early in her career, Dr. Hynick taught at Leominster High School, Quinsigamond Community College, and at several Department of Youth Services sites.

Dr. Hynick is a native of New England and earned her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, her Master of Education at Worcester State University, and her Ed.D. in Educational Administration at Bethel University, St. Paul, MN.

“I am deeply honored and excited to begin my role as the new campus CEO of Quinebaug Valley Community College. I look forward to working with the exceptional QVCC students, faculty, staff, and community members to continue our work supporting access, student success, rigorous academic programs aligned to workforce and transfer needs, and improving equity and student outcomes,” shared Dr. Hynick. “This is a transformational time for our college and the state as we navigate the COVID pandemic and its aftermath and as we move towards the one college concept of Connecticut State Community College to better leverage resources to support our students’ needs. I am confident in the vision of our collective future and the ability to work together to fulfill our mission to our students and our community and am excited to be part of the team.”

Quinebaug Valley Community College has announced the names of 187 students named to the Spring 2021 Dean’s List:

Ashford
Diana Cone, Adam Gruszczynski, Daniel Xavier

Baltic
Erin Spitale

Bozrah
Hannah Goodwin

Bridgeport
Dwight Davis Jr.

Brooklyn
Aya Ashour, Stephanie Bellows, Hannah Bessette, Andrew Blanchard, Eric Borkiewicz, Angelique Caouette, Adam Cates, Hannah Cloutier, Connor Downing, Jacob Field, Kathia Gonzalez, Diana Gonzalez Caraballo, Madeline Guari, Caroline Hamill, Zada Hamill, Hayley Kuhn, Moriah Marquis, Dana Normandie, Jesse Paprota, Michelle Parmeter, Madison Rattray, Natalia Reali, Ethan Sheldon, Megan Shippee, Sarah Travers, Emma Turner

Canterbury
Bernardo Barron, Elenore Jolley, Colette Marchand, Matthew Moffitt

Central Village
Shania Scharlack, Sean Sweeney

Clinton
Andrew Emack

Columbia
Summer Polanco

Coventry
Maria Galarza-Ortiz

Danielson
Thomas Bernier, Crystal Brown, Kaya Cooper, Amber Daher, Emily Ernest, Jennifer Farquharson, Renee Gates, Jordan Mahon, Ethan Miller, Sheana Pimentel, Sisanmofe Rone, Kaileigh Somers, Ian Torrey, Brendan Trajanowski, Emily Watling, Chelsea Williams

Dayville
Liliana Baraybar, Philip Davis, Brandon Gervais, Gabriela Irving, Emily Keeling, Hannah Kipp, Olha Lacasse, Jarrica Rainville, Brandon Steen, Brandon Tucciarone

Eastford
Caleb Budd, Jonathan Latham, Zoe Marshall, Tyler Singleton

Enfield
Michele Girard

Griswold
Kayly Burelle, Mary Hayden, Kayla Martin

Hampton
Mackenzie Silk

Jewett City
Sarah Armstrong, Heather Emerich

Lebanon
Jenelle Abel

Lisbon
Rohankumar Patel, Mackenzie Smith

Manchester
Devon Long

Mansfield Center
Braden Lemire, Marisol Prather, Saman Pathma Kumara Vithanage

Moosup
Taylor Denning, Kyla Kampf, Tavy Lim, Nicole Mahon, Tara Tetreault, Hunter Turner

North Grosvenordale
Lacey Allard, Adrienne Guerin, Justin Phelps, Stephen Scrapchansky, Salvatore Simone, Lukas Skaradowski, Gianna Stoico, Gabriel Waldron, Sara Watson

Norwich
Michel Hernandez Quintero, Jeshly Morales

Pawcatuck
William Pisani

Plainfield
Tyler Ahearn, Alyssa Aubin, Jesse Fultz, Emily Goyette, Kevin Murphy, Nicholas Perreault, Alexis Rice

Pomfret Center
Drew Beaudry, Remi Benton, Emily Duhamel, Noah McNamara, Angela Short, Oda Sirimongkhoune

Putnam
Jordan Alexander, Hannah Bergeron, Kevin Champagne, Kelly Chausse, Taylor Copeland, Victoria Dias, Jaden Garcia, Sarah Hernandez, Natalie Ionkin, Brittany Kallio, Ismail Kiani, Xander Leins, Jerusha Morrissette, Jordyn Poole, Jeffrey Reed Jr., Katrina Suibielski, Andrea Thomas, Aislin Tracey

Quaker Hill
Heather Stetner

Quinebaug
Jacob Majorowski

Sterling
Colby Bodo, Kimberly DeMelo, Rebecca Gervais, Jason Leclair, Douglas McCormack, Zachary Moore, Angela Stone, Vincent Valenti

Storrs Mansfield
Steven Gagne

Thompson
Paige Audet, Francesca Cicarelli, Caroline Gagnon, Daniel O’Brien, Julia Paquette, Justine Petrella, Mary Walsh

Voluntown
Adam Eaton

Waterbury
Jonathan Fullbright

Wauregan
Angelica Imbacuan, Kathryne Vegiard

Willimantic
Melanie Alicea, Miata Arroyo, Rut Castro, Ryan Dowdell, Giselle Galarza, Kate Hemingway, Doralis Lozano-Santiago, Maximiliano Navarro Romero, Megan Trueblood, Cyd Marie Valentin Padua, Milagro Velasquez

Willington
Jenna Bernard

Windham
Katarzyna Shamshad

Woodstock
Abigail Brousseau, Olivia Burrell, Samantha Eddy, Haley Farley, Melissa Fish, Marshal Gohn, Karissa Herlihy, Caleb Leboeuf, Zachary Mowry, Eric Tellier

Woodstock Valley
Erin Carlson, Tarryn Desrosiers, Abigail Kilburn

Out of State

Dudley, MA
Bartlomiej Jakobkiewicz

New Bedford, MA
Britney Cabral

Chepachet, RI
Rowan Coleman

Cranston, RI
Kaytlyn Betters

North Providence, RI
Jacob Kaufman

Visit to the Quiet Corner Included stop by Commissioner Lehman and Local Officials

A visit to The Quinebaug Valley Community College Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center (AMTC) was part of the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), David Lehman’s tour through Killingly. Hosted by Killingly Town Manager, Mary Calorio, a QVCC alum, and the Killingly Economic Development Director, Jill St. Clair, Lehman had the opportunity to hear, first-hand, the impact the AMTC has in the community and region.

QVCC Director of Advanced Manufacturing, Steve LaPointe, and Assistant Director, of Advanced Manufacturing, Jodi Clark, provided a tour of the 10,000 square foot center and expounded upon the success of the program and continued demand for graduates by local and regional business partners. While visiting Putnam Plastics and United Natural Foods Inc., in the Killingly Industrial Park, Lehman had the opportunity to meet graduates of the program who offered high praise for the program. LaPointe stated, “Our students and graduates not only have fun learning while learning skills in our programs, they continue to succeed in their real-world experiences. They have careers that have a foundation with what they learned at QVCC. We keep in touch with our graduates and it’s a great feeling to see them succeed and add to the growth of Northeast Connecticut.” LaPointe added, “We have opportunity for additional growth by expanding our programs to Willimantic and hope to see this become a reality sooner than later.”

Calorio stated, “We are an innovative area and are here to help retain our local businesses and help them with expansion and unlocking space for new growth.” St. Clair added, “Growth and expansion stems from education. We have the pieces here and just need to make the connections. This is a special program.”

Also joining in on the visit were Connecticut State Senator Mae Flexer, Northeast Connecticut Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Betti Kuszaj, and Shawn Johnston, a QVCC alum.

LEARN MORE:

Advanced Manufacturing Certificate
Mechatronics Automation Technician Certificate

Release: June 23, 2021

DANIELSON — The following events at Quinebaug Valley Community College are free and open to the public:

INFORMATION SESSIONS: MEET WITH ADMISSIONS
Tuesdays, June 15, 22, or 29 at 5:30 pm | Virtual
Learn about our 50+ degree and certificate programs, get your questions answered about the admissions process, and hear how you might qualifty for FREE tuition. It’s always FREE to apply to QVCC. Register now at QVCC.edu/virtual-information-sessions.

ACCEPTED STUDENT DAYS
June 23 or 24, 2—6 pm | Virtual or *On Campus
You’ve been accepted to QVCC! Not sure what your next steps are? Attend one of our Accepted Student Days and receive personal, one-on-one assistance, virtually or by appointment on campus. The Admissions Team can help you complete your Accepted Student Checklist, create your schedule for the fall, and more!

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING & MECHATRONICS TOUR AND INFORMATION SESSION
June 23, 4 OR 6 pm | *On Campus 
There is a huge demand for our graduates by local and regional businesses. Meet our team, tour our facilities, and learn about internships and job placement for graduates. No RSVP needed!

^{*On the Danielson campus}

The Jobs for New England Recovery Grant Program, offered by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston to member financial institutions, is intended to assist small businesses and non-profit organizations that have experienced significant losses due to the pandemic. As a member, Jewett City Savings Bank was able to reserve grant funds for eligible organizations in the Bank’s service area. Jewett City Savings Bank focused its support to those organizations that had limited opportunities to participate in other funding sources that became available through the CARES Act and other government programs. One of those organizations was the QVCC Foundation.

“On behalf of the students who will benefit from this generous grant, I want to extend my appreciation to Jewett City Savings Bank. The bank demonstrates time and again their dedication to the communities they serve. QVCC is fortunate to be part of the JCSB community!” Peter Deary, President of the QVCC Foundation.

Photo Caption (L to R)
_{Jewett City Savings Bank President and CEO Kevin Merchant and Diana Rose, Senior Vice President, Corporate Secretary and Chief Operations Officer present check to Monique Wolanin, Director of Institutional Advancement and Peter Deary, President of the Quinebaug Valley Community College Foundation.} 

PRESIDENT’S AWARD
Award given to the degree graduate with the highest academic average with at least 45 credits earned at QVCC.

Taylor Copeland (Liberal Arts and Sciences, 74 credits)

GRADUATES WITH A 4.0 GPA
Taylor Copeland, Samantha Delp, Kristina Dyba, Jacob Kaufman, Mark LaMountain, Douglas McCormack, Lacey Wood

FULL LIST OF GRADUATES

Andover
Estela Hernandez

Ashford
Nikki Burnett, Ashlyn Chebro, Diana Cone, Jared Green, Erin Lannon, Daniel Xavier

Baltic
Kasandra Fox, Matthew Thomas

Bozrah
Katherine Bennett, Thomas Kane

Brooklyn
Nicole Abbott, Aidan Anderson, Stephanie Bellows, Erin Berube, Angelique Caouette, Hannah Cloutier, Shane Dort, Ariel Flounders, Brett Graveline, Delaney Guimont, Zachariah Lehoux, Taylor Nicholson, Michelle Parmeter, Natalia Reali, Joseph Schley, Megan Shippee, Sarah Travers, Bethaney Tucker, Geoffrey Vallone, Rebecca Vincent, James Walters

Burrillville
Melissa Parent

Canterbury
Timothy Ferrigno, Amanda LaFromboise, Alexander O’Flaherty

Canton
Christian Rivera

Central Village
Madison Tatro

Chaplin
Brendan Cloutier, Maxwell Landeck, Amelia Nelson, Anthony Ricci

Clinton
Andrew Emack

Colchester
Rebecca Holinka

Columbia:
Michael Kivlin, Summer Polanco

Coventry
Melissa Morton

Danielson
Tyra Bergstrom, Emily Cioe, Kaya Cooper, Dylan Everson, Chelsey Fisher, Michael Flaherty IV, Kerri Fulton, Courtney Greene, Tamarin Kelley, Jennifer Kent, Candice Koolhaas, James Morowski, Kayla Picciarelli, Carlos Poch, Kevin Polaina, Megan Reynolds, Miranda Snell, Kaileigh Somers, Brandon Wallace, Emily Watling, Mya Windrow, Brianna Worden, Katie Zannini

Dayville
Carolyn Anderson, Brendon Auger, Liliana Baraybar, Richard Demars, Reid Dumas, Nicole Durand, Daniel Espeseth, Alexander Grenon, Lauren Hyatt, Gabriela Irving, Emily Keeling, Jordyn Malarkey, Angela Maynard, Isabella Notarantonio, Jarrica Rainville, Heather Souza, Brandon Steen, Tayler Tracy

Dudley
Gage Cobb

East Killingly
Bryan Highley

Eastford
Caleb Budd, Tyler Singleton

Griswold
Corey Longhurst

Grosvenordale
Michael Carminati

Groton
Kacelynn Banks, Jennylyn Duyan

Hampton
India McDermott Arriola, Phoebe Miller

Jewett City
Sarah Armstrong, Jacob Haugland

Killingly
Elizabeth Downey, Bethany Oliver

Lebanon
Jenelle Abel

Lisbon
Derek Butts, Mackenzie Smith

Manchester
Devon Long

Mansfield Center
Braden Lemire, Sarah Moore, Ruth Soderberg, Saman Pathma Kumara Vithanage

Mansfield Depot
Anita Sanchez

Meriden
Quyen Di Sabino

Moosup
Gabrielle Cimino, Taylor Denning, Michael Guilmette, Nathan Johnson, Erik Laats, Raymond LaRose, Nicole Mahon, Zachary Matteau, Anjuli Pickett, Ethan Rain, Ashley Salvas, Angel Stewart, Jason Sweet, Tara Tetreault

New London
Julian Botero Castro

Niantic
Shawn Dobo

North Grosvenordale
Tyler Baker, Laura Durand, Matthew Durand, Adrienne Guerin, Sylwia Helwig, Ashley Klein, Stephanie Medine, Jakob Skaradowski

North Windham
Skye Budney, Tatiana Oliveras

Plainfield
Tyler Ahearn, Kathryn Ballou, Jessica Bedard-Plummer, Andrea Filbert, Taylor Gageby, Makayla Kneeland, Cassandra Miller, Kevin Murphy, Christensen Nguyen, Nicholas Perreault, Alexis Price, Joshua Sandage, Alexis Sangillo, Jennifer Spinney, Cameron Verrette, Renee Vezina, Nicole Wilcox, Patricia Wilson, Rijon Zekiri

Pomfret
Dawn Libby

Pomfret Center
Daniel Harrington, Angela Short, Lacey Wood, Eric Yost

Preston
Jordan Lawrence

Putnam
Jason Barber, Ashley Bonnette, Kevin Champagne, Kelly Chausse, Taylor Copeland, Zachary Davis, Samantha Delp, Michael DiColella, Trenten Haddock Gould, Sarah Hernandez, Natalie Ionkin, Mark LaMountain, Heather Montie, Abigail Poirier, Jeffrey Reed Jr., Katrina Suibielski, Aislin Tracey, Breana Weidele

Quaker Hill
Hannah Arevalo, Heather Stetner

Stafford Springs
Sean Mitchell

Sterling
Colby Bodo, Anna Carpenter, Carmen Colon Berrios, Lauryn Hart, Jason Leclair, Douglas McCormack, Courtney Robicheau

Thomaston
Alexis Thompson

Thompson
Megan Bates, Roxanne Booth, Francesca Cicarelli, Kaitlyn Morton, Julia Paquette, Michael Salisbury, Michael Southwell III

Wauregan
Alex Maddox, Gina Maddox, Jay Patel

Westfield
Kristina Dyba

Willimantic
Shani Acevedo, Victoria DeJesus, Karen DeLos Santos Dominguez, Ryan Dowdell, Lynn Drouin, Carolina Feliz, Arely Garcia, Deana Gonzalez, Jordy Gonzalez, Shane Goodrich, Maximiliano Navarro Romero, Gabriel Perez, Yarixa Rodriguez

Windham
Elijah Nicholson, Deborah Phillips, Charles Steiner, Logan Vertefeuille

Woodstock
Seth Benoit, Kayleigh Bradrick, Willard Brin, Abigail Brosseau, Danette Busby, Hunter Campbell, Antonia Carminati, Devin Foisy, Julia Fox, Marshal Gohn, Joseph Gottlieb, Christopher Harris, Seth Kelly, Cameron Lotter, Lillian Mandeville, Dylan Martin, Margaret Noe, Jolisa Peabody, Tristan Raszka, Eric Tellier, Christian Wolfe

OUT OF STATE

Chepachet, RI
Rowan Coleman

East Providence, RI
Christopher Salce

Foster, RI
Felicia Galipeau

North Providence, RI
Jacob Kaufman

Pawcatuck, RI
William Pisani

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jordan Keith

Three Rivers, MA
Maria Miranda

Waco, GA
James Murphy