ECC Students Recognized Nationally as Top Scholars

Sophomore Jose Medina is the first ECC student to receive the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, an award that provides up to $30,000 a year for three years. Medina, an engineering student with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A, is one of only 38 two-year college students to receive the scholarship out of 676 applicants from 438 schools.

In addition, Medina and fellow sophomore Kerry McCann were selected by USA Today from nearly 1,500 two-year college candidates nationwide for the First Team of the All-USA Community College Academic Team. They are two of only 20 students recognized by the newspaper and Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college national honor society. The award carries a $2,500 scholarship for each student. Medina has also received the $2,000 New Century Scholarship. Their accomplishments were published in the April 24 edition of the newspaper at allstars.usatoday.com McCann and Medina are set to graduate from ECC on June 4.

The double recognition for one college on the first team is a first for New Jersey and speaks to the quality of education at ECC. In previous years, Claudia Ordonez, 2005 Valedictorian and current student at Pace University Honors College, and 2001 Valedictorian Susan Stepney were also so honored.

McCann, a liberal arts major (3.8 G.P.A.), came to Essex after years of rehabilitation from a horrifying gunshot wound to her head in 1992. This mother of a 14-year old, who is considering law school, is the current president of the college’s PTK chapter and has been involved in many social projects such as Brides’ March Against Domestic Violence in New York where she recently delivered a keynote address. Medina plans to work his way toward a doctorate in mechanical engineering. He serves as vice president of the Latino Student Union and, two years ago, received the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials Scholarship. For further information, click here.

Registration for Summer Terms and Fall 2006

Web registration continues through May 5 for Summer I classes, to July 11 for Summer II classes, and to September 8 for Fall 2006 classes.

Summer I term runs from May 3 to June 21, Summer II is from July 10 to August 17, and the Fall 2006 Semester runs from September 5 to December 18. Click here for further details.

GIS Workshops

Two workshops introducing the new Certificate program in Geographic Information System (GIS), starting Fall 2006, will be offered this month at the Newark Campus. The first will be a General Introduction to GIS on Thursday, May 4, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the 4th Level Multipurpose Room. The second will be GIS Hands-on Computer Training on Saturday, May 20, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Center for Technology Room 105. ECC faculty and staff can attend the sessions without paying the registration fee. Attendees are limited to 25. To register or for further information, email infoanjec.org or call (973) 539-7547. Alternatively, you may call Keith Hollman, GIS Coordinator at (973) 877-3498. The program is made possible by generous grants from the Fund for New Jersey and the Schumann Fund for New Jersey.

Job Fair

The College is hosting a Job Fair on Wednesday, May 17 from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. in the 4th Floor Multipurpose Room. The program is sponsored by the Prudential Foundation and the Victoria Foundation in partnership with ECC’s Training, Inc. and Regional Business Partnership, The Career Resource Center, WISE Women’s Center, Cooperative Education, the One-Stop Career Center, and the NJ Department of Labor

In conjunction with the job fair, there will be an Employer Panel designed to prepare students for a successful job search experience. Three guest employers from PSEG, Bank of New York, and Central Parking, Inc. will facilitate this career seminar to be held on Tuesday, May 9 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 pm in the Training, Inc. Multi-Purpose Room. Students will have an opportunity to ask questions and gather vital information about what companies expect from an ideal applicant. There will also be a Resume Clinic on May 10 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Learning Center Computer Lab to assist students in preparing dynamic resumes and cover letters that best reflect their experience and skills. For more information, contact the One-Stop Career Center at (973) 877-3467 or the Career Resource Center at (973) 877-3350.

PET/CT Technologist Training for Radiography Students

ECC Radiography students learned about PET/CT (Positron Emission Tomography/Computer Tomography), the newest and the fastest growing modality in diagnostic imaging, at a recent presentation by Wendy Rowan, Vice President of Clinical Operation for Integral PET, Inc. There is a growing demand for PET/CT technologists, according to Rowan. The Radiography program at ECC is the first step students can take to become PET/CT technologist. Upon graduation from ECC and certification by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT), graduates can opt to continue their education, become CT certified by the ARRT, and complete a 15-month Nuclear Medicine Program at UNDMJ to become a PET/CT Technologist.

PET scan is a nuclear medicine test that oncologists use to determine if cancer has spread throughout the body. Rowan explained that employment as a PET/CT technologist is very lucrative.

Nursing Preparation Course Registration Underway

Pre-nursing students are encouraged to take advantage of a free course, May 3 to June 17, that will prepare them to take the college’s Nurse Entrance Test. The test is a prerequisite to gain admittance into ECC’s highly competitive A.A.S. degree program. The entrance test will be administered in the fall and students will begin the regular RN program in the Spring 2007 semester.

The prep course, which will focus on English and math skills, will be offered weekdays, evenings, and Saturdays, as needed. Pre-nursing students must have completed English 101, Biology 121, and Chemistry 101 or 103 to be eligible to take both the entrance test and register for the prep classes. Students may register in-person in the Department of Nursing or by calling the department at 973-877-1868 or Professor Gale Gage at 973-877-3485.

Future Architects Exhibition

Kudos to the students of our Architectural Technology Program whose outstanding exhibits were on display at the ECC Gallery in April. The projects were from the Architectural Graphics and Design Studio courses taught by adjunct instructor Andrew Repoli (an architect with the firm Hillier Architecture) and Professor Judy Glina. First year students who participated in the exhibition were: Patricia Patzi, Alejandro Rodriguez, Sophia Rodriguez, Louis Toledo and Jose Veras. Second year student participants were: Mohammed Ahmed, Djony Defendre, Miguel Diaz, Quacy Gilkes, Pablo Lopez, Yoon Ho Nam, Hector Perez, Samira Perez, and Carine Sow. The projects varied from artistic interpretations of abstract art to actual architectural design projects.

Junior Police Academy

The Essex County College Police Academy will hold its 2nd annual Junior Police Academy from June 26-30 for children ages 13 through 16. Tuition is $100 for the one-week session.

Students will be introduced to general education and other requirements to become a law enforcement officer. They will learn about the criminal justice system, court system, the juvenile justice system, fingerprinting, and identification. They will also witness demonstrations with dogs and the bomb robot and take part in sessions on gang awareness and identification, drug awareness, internet safety, arson and fire safety, first aid, traffic enforcement and patrol, crime scenes, and unarmed self defense. They will be given the opportunity to try out the driving simulator, and FATS (Firearms Training Simulator).

The schedule includes lectures, an essay contest, relay races, games, and physical training. For registration and further information, contact Lt. Lori Apicelli at 973-877-4354 or visit the Academy’s Web site at: www.essex.edu/pacademy Registration deadline is May 15.

West Essex Summer Youth Program

ECC’s West Essex Campus will hold its annual Summer Program for Kids, ages 10-15, July 5 – August 11, from 9 a. m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Kids may be dropped off earlier and remain later each day since child care services are available 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 am and from 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Young people can choose from a variety of programs designed to be educational as well as recreational. Offerings include: Acting Improvisation, Creating Your Own Web Page, Wall Street Wizards, Legal Eagles, Spanish, Lights! Camera! Action!, Chess, Dance Aerobics, Design It, Build It; an architectural program, and Debating and Public Speaking. Field trips on Fridays will include visits to museums, science fairs, and/or amusement parks.

The faculty is comprised of experienced professionals trained in working with children. The air conditioned campus is conveniently located and provides ample parking. For detailed information, attend the Parent Orientation Open House on one of the following dates: May 9, May 23, June 6, or June 13 at 6:30 p.m. and/or call (973) 877-1920. The deadline for registering is June 13.

Alumni Update

Yessica Pena (Class of 2001 – engineering major) completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Construction Management and Structural Engineering at NJIT and is currently employed by the firm Schoor DePalma Engineers and Consultants in Parsippany. Her projects include roadway improvements for many towns in Hudson, Essex, and Bergen counties. She also helps review land development plans for the planning boards in those towns. At ECC, Penna, a native of Peru, was an honors student and had won two Construction Roundtable Scholarships.

Andy Alleyne (Class of 2004 – Civil Engineering Technology major) is currently completing his major at the Honors College of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia as a scholarship student ($8,000 per year). He is nearly finished with his undergraduate degree and plans to pursue his master’s at the university.

 

From left, Berry, Semple, Romero, Parvin, and Gan

Our First Cohort of Phi Theta Kappans

ECC’s Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society chapter, Alpha Theta Theta, was founded in 1982 and the three students pictured here, are the chapter’s first officers. Conrad Parvin was the chapter’s first president, and the other two Kappans are Dawn Semple who went on to work for the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia, and Giagini Gan who earned his Ph.D. in mathematics at Carnegie Mellon. Their faculty advisors were David Berry and Soraida Romero who have remained all these years as co-advisors of our PTK honors students.

Faculty News

Dr. Akil Kokayi Khalfani, Professor of Sociology, has been promoted to Director of the college’s Africana Institute.

Dr. Jianping Yue, Professor of Engineering, has been promoted to Chairperson, Division of Engineering Technologies and Computer Science.

Professor Patrice Davis, Social Sciences division, has been asked by the Essex County courts and the County of Essex to co-chair the “Power of One” Empowerment Conference on May 19 at the college. The conference will address racial and ethnic disparities in the Essex County juvenile justice system. Davis was asked to lead the effort because of a report that she co-authored on the treatment of minorities in the juvenile justice system. The conference will bring the stakeholders from the system together to address the issue. Scheduled speakers include state Attorney General Zulima V. Farber or a representative, Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow, state Juvenile Justice Commission Executive Director Howard Beyer, and Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. Scheduled participants include ECC Trustee Al Bundy, Presiding Judge of Family Court, Director of Citizen Services, juvenile judges, court personnel, prosecutors, defense counsels, probation officers, law enforcement officers in the juvenile system, and more. For further details, contact Davis (973) 877-3253 and or click here.

Professor Harry Bernstein was once again one of the team leaders for the New York City Multiple Sclerosis Walk on April 23. Harry led a team that raised $3,000. Over the past ten years, he and his family have raised over $30,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Harry and his wife Lizabeth were profiled in both the NY Daily News and the publication MS Connection put out by the New York City Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Professor Richard Alston will be the piano soloist performing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Livingston Symphony Orchestra on Saturday May 20, 8:00 p.m. at Livingston High School. For information, call (973) 635-8656.

40th Anniversary of ECC's Founding

ECC’s Alumni Association is holding a special event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the college and to honor also President Yamba’s 25 years of leadership. There will be plenty of food, music, and dance at the celebration on Friday, May 26 at 7:00 p.m. at the Main Dining Hall, Newark campus. Tickets for the event are $20 per person.

Upcoming ECC Events

For more information, call (973) 877-3208 or (973) 877-6637 for main campus events and (973) 403-2538 for West Essex Campus events.

Contact Information

This newsletter is prepared by the Office of Publications and Production in cooperation with the Office of Public Relations. Comments and suggestions are most welcome. Please address them to Dr. Lekha Keister at lkeister@essex.edu.