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Twenty-seven STEM teachers were on campus recently for the sixth annual Materials and Manufacturers Summer Teachers’ Institute, a school-to-career initiative that targets STEM skills instruction in the New Haven and Bridgeport Public Schools, grades 7-12. The teachers’ professional development is the institute’s strategy for engaging 7th – 12th grade students in the practical uses of STEM skills in manufacturing and materials science.

This outreach effort — a strategic partnership among Southern, CRISP, the Southern Connecticut Chapter of the American Society for Materials International,  CT Technical High School System and the New Haven Manufacturers Association — focuses on teacher education. It immerses teachers in the needs, rigors, skill sets, applications, and training that the manufacturing community need and employ.

To date the program has impacted over 150 teachers from across the State. Christine Broadbridge, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Research, & Innovation (GSRI) and co-director of the institute, is pleased with the program’s success. “We are looking into expanding and also offering specialized programs for school administrators and school guidance counselors,” she said. Broadbridge also acknowledged the many contributions to the institute made by Robert Klancko, partner, Klancko & Klancko, LLC, and co-director of the institute, who is moving out of state later this year. “Bob has worked tirelessly to champion industry-academic partnerships, and the impact of his efforts are significant and far reaching. This program would not have happened without his hard work and dedication.” Mr. Klancko is the recipient of the 2018 Leadership Award from the American Manufacturing Hall of Fame.

This year’s Institute’s theme was “Gearing Up For The Future,” and the teachers learned about gears — how they are designed and how they are made. On the first day of the institute, a morning session was held at Southern, and an afternoon session was held at Leed Himmel, where teachers toured the manufacturing plant and saw aluminum extrusion and fabrication, and heard from hiring professionals. The second and third days were held at Platt Technical High School in Milford. On these two days, the teachers not only learned about the manufacturing process and materials, but also gained hands-on experience on various machine shop equipment.

An optional fourth half day took place at Assa Abloy, where teachers toured the facilities and spoke to industry professionals. They saw how lock hardware was fabricated and how the extrusions from Leed Himmel were employed.

Overall, science faculty attending the institute learned from industry operations and technical professionals about the following:

  • Their firms and what they produce
  • STEM skill sets that are required
  • The raw materials used, how the product is made and what it is required to perform
  • Why certain materials are utilized and the critical properties of those materials
  • What goes into creating a product
  • Obstacles and limitations associated with creating a product

The American Council on Education (ACE) has selected Stephen Hegedus, dean of the School of Education at Southern Connecticut State University, as one of 45 emerging college and university leaders for the 2018-19 class of the ACE Fellows Program, the longest-running leadership development program in the United States.

Established in 1965, the ACE Fellows Program is designed to strengthen institutions and leadership in American higher education by identifying and preparing faculty and staff for senior administration positions through an intensive nominator-driven, cohort-based mentorship model.

Stephen Hegedus

“Southern was proud to nominate Dean Hegedus for this prestigious fellowship,” said SCSU President Joe Bertolino. “During nearly four years leading our School of Education, Stephen has demonstrated leadership and vision and a true commitment to providing expanded educational opportunities to historically disadvantaged populations.”

Among recent initiatives, Hegedus has led a scholarship-based collaborative effort with the region’s school districts to increase the number of minority teachers in elementary and secondary education. He has also been one of the prime movers in the construction of the new Strong Communications Magnet and K-4 Lab School on Southern’s campus – a signature academic partnership with the city of New Haven and its school system.

More than 2,000 higher education leaders have participated in the ACE Fellows Program over the past five decades, with more than 80 percent of Fellows having gone on to serve as senior leaders of colleges and universities.

“For more than a half-century, the ACE Fellows Program has been a powerful engine fueling the expansion of a talented and diverse higher education leadership pipeline,” said ACE President Ted Mitchell. “We are excited to welcome this new class of Fellows and look forward to each enjoying a transformative experience that will help advance individual leadership readiness while also enriching the capacity of institutions to innovate and thrive.”

Celebrating its centennial in 2018, ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions, representing nearly 1,800 college and university presidents and related associations. It provides leadership on key higher education issues and influences public policy through advocacy.

Hegedus’ ACE fellowship will begin in August and he will be on leave from Southern during the fall semester, returning mid-January. During the placement, he will observe and work with the president and other senior officers at his host institution, attend decision-making meetings, and focus on issues of interest.

“When he returns, Dean Hegedus will bring back valuable experiences in innovative programming and institutional advancement that will help further our mission both in the School of Education and campus-wide,” President Bertolino said.

Before joining Southern, Hegedus was a professor of mathematics and mathematics education at the University of Massachusetts (UMass), Dartmouth, where he was the founding director of the Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Named the UMass Dartmouth Scholar of the Year in 2009, he previously held appointments as a research fellow, educational consultant, and lecturer at the University of Oxford in England.

Southern has been training teachers since its origins in 1893, and it consistently produces the largest numbers of teachers, principals, and school administrators in Connecticut through its School of Education.

Latino high school students at SCSU

The university hosted about 300 Latino high school students on campus recently for The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) Quest Education Summit 2015, a one-day event for Latino and other minority students run by a consortium of Hispanic professional and educational associations. The goal of Quest is to promote higher education and career development. The Connecticut chapter of NSHMBA organized and ran the summit, which included informational workshops, motivational speakers, a college fair, various networking opportunities, and a campus tour.

The Quest program provides students with a real-world connection between high school and college. Students engage with role models in the community who have overcome similar barriers to success and learn best practices for applying to and financing college; understand how to better market themselves to prospective colleges; build relationships with regional college recruiting representatives; discover the many resources available for educational and professional pursuits; and build confidence and self-sufficiency. This event is free to all attendees and includes a continental breakfast, lunch and transportation.

Latino high school students at SCSU

This year’s Quest at Southern included breakout sessions such as “Snapshot of Life on Campus,” “The Essay and the Recommendation,” “Living Healthy,” and “Balancing Life Skills,” among others. A keynote address, “Education Matters,” was delivered by Carlos Perez, principal and founder of Perez Technology Group, a Hartford-based solution provider delivering cloud and IT infrastructure services to small and midsize businesses, primarily marketing firms and law offices.

Perez, who was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and now lives in Wethersfield, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business information technology at the University of Connecticut. He has worked in many different industries, including finance, health insurance, airlines, Microsoft OME Partners, and nonprofits, among others.

Southern is one of the sponsoring partners of the Quest summit. Members of the university staff who serve on the Quest Committee include Anna Rivera-Alfaro, Academic and Career Advising, and James Barber, director of community engagement.

© 2016 Southern Connecticut State University.