This conference was initiated as a sabbatical project granted to Dr. Ileana Vasu by Holyoke Community College. Find out more about DR. ILEANA VASU.

Special thanks to the the HCC Community, NSF STEM Scholars and all HCC students, the ARISE conference planning committee (Jane Lerner, Harry Hill, Gordon Snyder, Beth Breton, Jeff Hayden, Irma Medina, Sage Franetovich, Emily Rabinsky, Chaitali Brahmbhatt, Adina Gianelli, Olivia Kynard, Camille Close, Carlos Garcia, Michelle Vigneault), Kevin Vincent and Aramark, Arvard Lingham, Narayan Sampath, the National Science Foundation, the HCC leadership and Board of Trustees, and former HCC student and STEM Scholar, Christian Dela Cruz.

Keynote Speaker Abstracts

Keynote Morning Speaker:  Dr. Nathaniel Whitaker, University of Massachusetts

      Unscripted: A Mathematical Journey through Segregation and Hidden Figures

In this talk, I will describe my journey from segregation to becoming a research Mathematician of African descent, a rarity in mathematics. This journey is in the backdrop of Virginia’s massive resistance to integration and happened in the same community with the characters in the movie and book "Hidden Figures." My journey continued in becoming the Department Head of a major research mathematics and statistics department and the Dean of a major research university. My story will emphasize the importance of community in my success.

Closing Speaker - Dr. Vanessa Hill, Springfield Technical Community College

      It’s Well Worth the Effort: Be an Agent of Change!

We know that not all our students have the same educational background.  We must be clear that this has no bearing on their innate ability to learn and succeed.  Inclusive teaching and learning connected to STEM intervention programs are critical for the success of all students. It often comes down to opportunities that can make a considerable difference.  Dr. Hill will give a glimpse of her personal educational journey and highlight impactful interventions that can engage and support our most vulnerable and disenfranchised scholars.  

All Other Abstracts - student presenters are in blue

A Statewide Approach to Increase STEM Teacher Diversity at Scale

Erold Bailey (Westfield State), Arne Christensen (Westfield State), Matthew Salomone (Bridgewater State), Ileana Vasu (Holyoke CC), Allison Little (DHE)

The Massachusetts Department of Higher Education received a National Science Foundation Robert Noyce Scholarship award in 2018 to fund a a new teacher recruitment program called MassTeach. The purpose of MassTeach is to intentionally diverse the STEM teacher pipeline by exclusively recruiting community college STEM majors to pursue STEM teaching and earn their baccalaureate degree in a STEM field. This session will provide an overview on how Massachusetts has been able to create a state-wide Noyce program across many institutions. Critical to the program’s success is the seamless transferring of STEM community college

credits in order for students to complete a STEM baccalaureate degree and earn their license to teach secondary science or mathematics through the

vertical alignment of Associate-to-Bachelor’s degree programs. 

CRP from Administrators’ Lens

Beth Breton and Kim Straceski, Holyoke Community College

This 20-minute presentation at the ARISE conference will focus on culturally responsive pedagogy outside of the classroom at the managerial level. We will share what we learned by participating in CREED, an equity-centered professional development program funded by Title III, how we've slowly put that knowledge into practice, what has worked, and where we can still grow. Our target audience are administrators and managers.

Supplemental Instruction

Brian Candido, Springfield Technical Community College

Authentic STEM Identities

Sharon Edwards and Keyona Jones, Holyoke Community College

This discussion will focus on creating equity-centered classrooms and practices in STEM education through the development of authentic STEM identities among historically excluded students by reframing how STEM and its origins are perceived. By examining how colonialism, imperialism, and chattel slavery played a significant role in deciding who “owned” knowledge and who benefited from it, students deepen their connection to STEM, and question false ideas about their ability and belonging in STEM. As a result, historically excluded students no longer view themselves as outsiders looking in on a “white man’s” field hoping to gain access. Rather, they see that diverse voices have always been at the center of STEM and that continued contributions made by diverse voices are necessary in building a more just and equitable world.

Sage Franetovich and Ileana Vasu, Holyoke Community College

Humanize Your Educational Practices through Strength-based Frameworks

Underrepresented college students (including women, first generation students, low-income students, and students of color) may still be perceived  as lacking the preparation, learning abilities, and capital necessary to be successful in their educational journeys.  This is a deficit perspective, and one still largely prevalent in STEM.

In this workshop participants explore two equity-centered and asset-based frameworks, Culturally Responsive Practices (CRP) and Yosso’s model of Community Cultural Wealth (CCW).  (2006). Frameworks like CRP and CCW are known to be effective in retaining more diverse students and empowering them to be successful. Asset-based frameworks and practices such as CRP can foster the development of equity-centered high-impact practices and catalyze institutional change. These practices also  have been helpful  in both our research and our practices with the NSF STEM Scholars (NSF, 2030890) and in the Culturally Responsive and Equitable Education (CREED) Fellows Program at Holyoke Community College.

The overarching goal of the session is to offer participants the opportunity to brainstorm how they may apply these frameworks to their institutional contexts and programs. 

STEM Students Learning while Supporting their Community 

Johnny Garcia, Holyoke Community College

This community based learning panel consists of three NSF STEM scholars students working on campus and community projects that make real world social change.  The STEM scholars program is a NSF grant funded program that provides a variety of support for students to create a sense of belonging in STEM. Our panelists -- Karlie Moriarty, Micheal Navarro, and Johnny Garcia will highlight the role of community based learning (CBL) as a strategy for building a sense of belonging in STEM through contributing to our community.   Karlie’s work focuses on the revitalization of the sustainability garden at Holyoke Community College. Micheal is working on updating the HCC trail system for greater usage by classes and community members. Finally, Johnny  is working with OneHolyoke, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the HCC Community Based Learning Program Coordinator  in organizing an Earth Day cleanup event for the city of Holyoke.  By providing opportunities for education, engagement, and hands-on participation, we aim to empower individuals to take ownership of their environment and contribute to a more sustainable future for Holyoke and beyond. That is how we contribute to the community. 

Samar Ghrear and Christian DeJesus, Springfield Technical Community College

EmpowerED: Crafting Excellence with BIPOC Students through Collaborative Innovation

This conference session will highlight the collaborative approach taken by Springfield Technical Community College's (STCC) Male Initiative for Leadership and Education (MILE) and the STEM Starter Academy (SSA) in increasing success rates among BIPOC students. The session aims to provide valuable insights into the challenges that contribute to low success rates and ways to foster increased access to education, promoting holistic success for BIPOC students. The presenters will showcase the impactful collaborative efforts at STCC, emphasizing the tangible effects on retention and belongingness.

This workshop is designed for educators, administrators, and program coordinators who are interested in crafting new initiatives or refining existing programs that specifically address the success rates of BIPOC students in the community college setting. Join us for an insightful session that moves beyond identifying challenges to providing actionable strategies for collaborative success in promoting equity and achievement for BIPOC students.

Voices of Inclusion:  A Student-Faculty Panel on Culturally Affirming Mentorship, Diversity, Equity and Belonging

Ben Keil and Gordon Snyder, Holyoke Community College

Join us for an engaging and insightful STEM student-faculty panel discussion focused on culturally responsible mentoring and diversity, equity and belonging.  This panel aims to foster meaningful dialogue, raise awareness, and inspire action towards creating a more inclusive and equitable environment for all. Our student panelists represent a range of backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences, offering unique insights into the challenges and opportunities. Through personal anecdotes, reflections, and practical strategies, they will address key topics such as navigating cultural differences, advocating for marginalized communities, and promoting allyship and solidarity and how their mentors have worked with them.  In particular, in this panel, you will hear from students and faculty from the NSF STEM scholars program (2030890) and others and learn about their mentee and mentor experiences. The facilitators will showcase the many approaches that students and faculty use to have enriching experiences that support personal, academic, and interpersonal growth. 

Whether you're a student, faculty member, staff member, or community member, this panel discussion provides a valuable opportunity to listen, learn, and engage in meaningful conversations in higher education. Together, let's explore how we can work collaboratively to build a more inclusive and equitable future for our campus and beyond.

The Psychology Speaker Series: Increasing community college students’ exposure to research and role models

Terri KInstle and Michelle Williams, Holyoke Community College

Abstract: In Fall 2022, the HCC Psychology Department began a speaker series with two primary goals: (1) to address the equity gap between our community college students and their peers at 4-year institutions with respect to research opportunities, and (2) to provide our students, particularly our students of color, with the opportunity to hear from graduate student researchers from diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. Graduate students from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst were invited to submit proposals to present to our students and the broader campus community. We encouraged proposals particularly from students of color and students who had begun their educational careers at community colleges. Those selected were asked to describe both their “paths” to graduate school and their current research. To date, we have hosted six graduate student presenters. Surveys completed following each presentation suggest that students enjoyed hearing about both the speakers’ backgrounds and research, felt more prepared for transfer, and were more interested in both psychological research and graduate school. The Speaker Series is a low-cost practice that enhances students’ understanding of the role of research in our field and promotes success following transfer. 

Community College Student Narratives

James Leclerc, Holyoke Community College

In this session several community college STEM students will participate in a panel discussion about community college students.  Panelists will share their narratives around their academic successes and challenges, as well as discuss why they chose to attend a community college. In this student panel, panelists will be going into detail to talk about where their institution supported them and fell short. Students will be using the Tara Yosso’s community cultural wealth model, which is embedded in NSF STEM Scholars 2.0 program to illustrate their rich narratives, cultural strengths and the wealth they bring to the college community.  Panelists include 

Let's Talk Community Based Learning (CBL)

Vanessa Martinez, Holyoke Community College

As a college instructor, do you ever wonder how you can make a difference in your community while enhancing your students' learning experience? You can do just that by adding a community-based learning project to your course. Join me for a hands-on equity-based workshop where we will explore the logistics of implementing Community Based Learning projects and provide a sneak peek at the new CBL fellow's application. Worried about balancing your workload? Don't be! We will discuss how to make this doable for you without sacrificing your work-life balance. And if you're considering applying to the Holyoke Community College Community Based Learning Program Fellows program, we'll cover that, too. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for our workshop, and let's talk CBL!

From Expensive Books to Engaged Students: A Student-Led Approach to Creating a Better Microbiology Laboratory Manual

Jan Ashlley Massey (Lunch Presentation), Holyoke Community College

College textbooks, particularly in the STEM field, have become increasingly expensive, deterring students from pursuing desired courses. Laboratory manuals, in particular, may also lack sufficient detail and clarity to meet student needs. To address this issue, this project aims to create an in-house laboratory manual for microbiology. This manual will be open to contributions from students, filling gaps in content delivery and reducing the financial burden on students. Additionally, students will have a sense of ownership over the manual as they will have contributed to its creation.

This project creates a framework for a laboratory manual that will include entries and contributions from the students. Student input will drive the content of the manual to maximize its usefulness. The aim was to produce a manual that was easy to use and cost-effective for students.

Students are surveyed to measure the effect of their involvement in this project on their engagement and self-identification within STEM. The feedback received will drive ongoing refinement, and foster increased engagement and connection with the course materials. The manual will also be a dynamic document, allowing modifications and adaptations to accommodate evolving experiments and protocols. The project was developed as a project for the NSF STEM Scholars’ program (NSF 2030890)

SCoRE through STEM Cohorts for Research and Engagement

Karlie Moriarty, Bindiya Patel, Ileana Vasu and Laurel Carpenter, Holyoke Community College

The STEM Scholars 2.0 Program at Holyoke Community College (NSF 2030890) is a 1 million dollar NSF S-STEM grant which provides scholarships to academically talented but financially needy STEM students.  Our program intentionally  integrates culturally responsive practices (CRP) in all non-monetary program interventions, which include mentoring, independent projects, and faculty professional development. 

In this presentation, scholars and PI faculty will describe the program interventions and the equity-based frameworks driving the underlying research.  They will also showcase how culturally responsive program activities are related to student success (persistence, retention, graduation, transfer) and to students’ affective attributes (STEM identity, self-efficacy and sense of belonging).  In addition, STEM Scholars in this program will discuss their experiences with the overall program. 

Come and join them to hear from the students' perspective on how this program has helped them navigate through college life in STEM and exposed them to resources, connections, and experiences both on and off campus! This presentation is well suited for anyone interested in learning about how to develop equitable STEM programs and what the impacts of such programs on STEM students who are academically talented but financially needy may be.

Renewing Sustainable Practices at Holyoke Community College: Drafting a Preliminary Layout for a Self-Sufficient Permaculture Garden

Karlie Moriarty  (Lunch Presentation), HCC

This  is a comprehensive project which focuses on revitalizing the Holyoke Community College sustainability garden that once stood as a beacon of sustainability and community engagement. Through meticulous planning and community involvement, it aims to serve as a balanced and regenerative food production system, all-the-while enhancing biodiversity, fostering community development, and providing aesthetic appeal. The initiative embodies permaculture principles, education, and unity, reimagining the garden as a thriving hub that reconnects individuals with nature, promotes mental well-being, and establishes a legacy of ecological stewardship at HCC. Upon completion, it will be used as an open-source garden, aiming to combat food insecurity, tackle prominent issues such as the connection between classism and agriculture, and enable conversation around fresh produce accessibility.

Using Motivational Interviewing Techniques to Guide Your Understanding of Students’ Assets 

Amy Woody, Holyoke Community College

How can we meet students where they are if we don’t know where “there” is? Often the information we need to best advise/coach/mentor/teach students is the information that students are least likely to volunteer. This session will begin by acknowledging the barriers to understanding a student’s assets. Techniques for cultivating a space where students feel safe to assess their own cultural capital will be discussed, with a particular emphasis on motivational interviewing skills. Attendees of this session will walk away with a list of questions to use during advising/coaching/mentoring sessions. Additionally, we will think about actions we can take as the privileged receivers of a student’s story: how do we validate students in a way that builds their confidence? How do we assist them in reframing their thinking so they recognize their own assets? How do we advocate for students on a larger scale once we know what their needs are?