State of the State / State of Our Children

Dr. Wood reading to students from the Campus Fun and Learn Center

One of my favorite activities each year is when I am invited by one of Rockland County’s public schools for the annual “Rockland County Read-In.” On Friday, February 13, I had the opportunity to read to a first grade class at Summit Park Elementary School in East Ramapo. The school is clean, bright and cheerful, and when I entered at 8:30 AM, there was clearly a high level of energy and enthusiasm for the day’s activities. I was immediately met by the school’s librarian who led me to a display of books, where I selected one appropriate for first graders. A poised and well-mannered third grader then escorted me to Cynthia Norman’s classroom. What I found there were 28 lively first graders, all having breakfast provided by the school district. I also learned that for 12 of the 28 children, English was not their first language. It was clear, after a few minutes, that Ms. Norman is a skilled and seasoned teacher who moves about the classroom, actively engaging all the students in the day’s activities.

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A Special Holiday Gift from the Riversville Foundation

On Tuesday, December 6, RCC and BOCES administrators gathered for a luncheon with this year's student recipients of the Riversville Foundation scholarship awards. The Riversville Foundation was founded in 2006 by Barton Biggs, a former partner at Morgan Stanley and founder of Traxis Partners, a hedge-fund based in Greenwich, CT. Biggs, who died in 2012, believed in the power of education, and particularly the importance of a college degree. While Riversville has primarily worked with four-year institutions, beginning in 2014, the Riversville Foundation began a collaboration with Rockland Community College. This year, full one-year scholarships were awarded to 21 RCC students, a commitment of more than $95,000. Under the direction of the Riversville Foundation's Executive Director, Bruno Casolari, a former Director of Resource Development at RCC , the Foundation has awarded more than $135,000 in need-based scholarships to more than 25 Rockland Community College ...

In Celebration of Scholarship

While I have always believed that community colleges are primarily teaching institutions and teaching is at the center of all we do, I also believe after almost fifty years in community college education that our best teachers are also actively involved in some kind of scholarship/professional activities. This engagement can be traditional research, creativity in the visual, performing or textual arts or active involvement in social, community or business activities. It is because of this belief that one of the first projects I initiated when I came to RCC was the establishment of The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) . I will forever be grateful to the extraordinary Libby Bay, former English Professor and Humanities Division Chair, who chaired the committee that developed the guidelines for CETL. The amazing work Professor Bay began continues today under the leadership of CETL Co-Directors, Professor Lynn Aaron and Dr. Elaine Padilla. These committed f...

Honoring Distinguished Faculty

Retired Science Professors Phyllis Krasnow and George Krasilovsky with Dr. Cliff L. Wood at the Beta, Beta, Beta Induction Ceremonies Professors of Science Phyllis Krasnow and George Krasilovsky , PhD, were honored at the recent Beta Beta Beta induction for decades of dedicated service to the RCC Biology community. Both professors served as mentors to science students in the Sam Draper M/TS Honors Program . Professor Krasnow began teaching at RCC in 1969, and served as a mentor in the Honors Program from 1980-2000. She was known for her student-centered approach. Beyond her work in the classroom and with advisement, she founded the Biology Club, and created a Biology Scholarship offered through the RCC Foundation . She was instrumental in helping many students transfer to Cornell. Even after she retired and move to south New Jersey in 1998, she drove more than two hours each way to continue to teach and mentor part-time. She received the Chancellor’s Award for Exc...

This Month from Cliff

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