The Native Plant Center at Westchester Community College has been recognized for its dedication of over 20 years to the native plants and natural landscapes of Westchester County, and their creation and promotion of the County’s executive order calling for native plants to be used exclusively in county parks and properties.

“This year’s honorees truly exemplify commitment to the parks and opens spaces that our county needs in order to thrive,” said Joanne Fernandez, board chairperson of the Westchester Parks Foundation. “Their unwavering passion helps us to achieve our mission of advocating and investing in the preservation, conservation and enjoyment of the 18,000 acres of parks, trails and open spaces within the Westchester County Parks system. We’re grateful for these ‘parksters.”

“The Power of Parks” gala will be held on September 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 914-231-4600 or visit https://www.thewpf.org/event/gala2019/.

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The Children’s Center received a 5 out of 5 star rating from QUALITYstarsNY. The infant, toddler, and two preschool classrooms were observed and given high ratings. Thanks to the Director and Assistant Director, and staff for their hard work, the five star rating will apply for the next few years.

Learn More About the Virginia Marx Children Center here.

The Westchester Community College Foundation won a 2019 Outstanding Fundraising Award from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). CASE judges review data blindly from community colleges nationally to determine these awards. Judges noted in particular an increase in diversity of funding streams, and progress in corporate funding support.

Foundation

Seventeen Westchester Community College  students participated in the Summer Research Academy sessions focused on Biology, Cybersecurity, and Psychology. Faculty members, Margaret Eiden PhD (biology) and John Watkins (cybersecurity) participated in the event.

The Summer Research Academy is part of the WCC/MERCY STEM Scholars program. The program provides mentorship and research experiences to help WCC students succeed in STEM studies and prepare them for transition to a four-year college.

The following academic plans are included in the program – biology, computer information, compute science, cybersecurity, mathematics and psychology.

As part of the program, The Summer Research Academy is a 4 week session where WCC and MERCY students join together to share research experiences.  This year, 17 WCC students participated. They had 8 research options to choose from. They include the following –

2019 Summer Research Academy Projects

Biology (3 Options)
Brain Protection: Nrf2-Dependent Regulation of the Volume Regulated Anion Channel Neurodevelopment: Analysis of Cytoskeletal Proteins in Cell Migration Mapping the plants, soil structure, mineral content, pH and markers of biological activity within distinct soil samples from the Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park

Computer Science (1 Option)
Who Snitched and Who Got Caught? An analysis of NYPD Complaint and Arrest Records

Cybersecurity (2 Option)
Securing Modern Environments: Cybersecurity Actions and Mitigations Against Technological Vulnerabilities Enhance Cybersecurity Awareness and Counter-attack Skills Against Malware: Learn What Hackers Have Been Doing and Develop Computer Viruses

Math (1 Option)
Incentive-based Demand Response for Engaging Commercial Building Occupants via Game Theory

Psychology (1 Option)
The Role of Epistemic Perspectives and Social Media Use on Academic Performance

For more information on the WCC/MERCY STEM Scholars Program and the 2020 Summer Research Academy please contact:

Diane Krusko
STEM Programs
WCCMercySTEM@sunywcc.edu

Confronting Climate Change

Members of our college community were in attendance at “Confronting Climate Change: Its Impacts on New York’s Agriculture, Forests, and Neighborhood Landscapes” on June 6th . The NYS Forester and 3 professors from Cornell gave lectures on Soil Health. It was a wonderful opportunity for students to interact with leaders from the political sector and academia in the field.

The program was organized by the Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District. Also in attendance were Carol Capobianco (Director, Native Plant Center) and Judith Bukofser (Adjunct Professor, Biology). This conference was well-positioned for the class as their summer research project focuses on analyzing the soil biome in disturbed and undisturbed ecosystems in Westchester County.  The Summer Research Academy is part of the WCC/MERCY STEM Scholars program which helps students prepare for future careers in various STEM fields.

Westchester Community College students are connecting what they learned from this conference with the research we are doing in the lab on the structure, chemistry and biological activity and function within the soil. We have looked at biological indicators such as total DNA content within the soil (isolate and quantitated DNA), Active Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium level and hope to do soil respiration rate this week to characterize the health of the soil food web in distinct environments along the Old Croton Aqueduct State trail way, a corridor ecosystem.

Volunteers help all over the campus. Some work directly with students throughout the semester, one-on-one and in small groups. Conversation Partners, hold weekly chats with ESL students to help them gain confidence in speaking English. Tutors help students develop reading, writing, math, science and computer skills at tutorial centers throughout the campus. Other volunteers work on special projects over the course of the year, helping to restore the beauty of our historic landscaping, or assisting with cultural arts programs.

Learn more about our volunteers

Summer 2019 Volunteer Luncheon

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June 13, 2019 6:00 p.m. Davis Auditorium, Gateway Center Westchester Community College 75 Grasslands Road Valhalla, NY 10595

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The Money Smart Forum program provides students with personal finance tools, information, and one-on-one coaching to help them manage their money and plan for future success.

Learn more about the Money Smart Forum.

Presented by the Center for Financial and Economic Education.
The Center seeks to promote economic advancement for our students, and particularly our immigrant population, through programs that build important skills around money management and financial decision making.

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Student Monica Victoria became the college’s tenth winner of the highly competitive Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The $40,000 per year award is the largest community college student scholarship in the nation. In addition to this funding for tuition, living expenses, books, fees, etc., recipients are eligible to apply for graduate school funding of up to $75,000.

“I came to the college in 2015, uncertain of who I was. I was a meek person at that time, and doubtful of my scholarly capabilities. Now I have graduated with the knowledge that I am strong, qualified, efficient, accomplished, and intelligent–qualities that have carried over into my personal life and that have had a positive effect on my position at work and even on my parenting,” says the Accounting major.

61 scholars were selected this year to receive the award nationwide.

See Monica’s reaction to receiving this prestigious award:

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Visit the Scholarship Center