50th Anniversary of Springfield Technical Community College: A Shared History for the Advancement of Women

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. –  Springfield Armory and Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) share a history of improving the lives of women. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of STCC, Springfield Armory NHS presents a woman of distinction, Dr. Gail E. Carberry, and the sixth President of STCC, Dr. John B. Cook, in an inspiring and thought-provoking talk.

Carberry will touch on the historic role of the Armory as a site for non-traditional training and employment of women and the evolution of STCC from a gender-biased training institute to a transformational college that supported the career development of financially struggling women. Cook will speak on the role STCC plays in advancing education for women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through state-of-the-art programs that ensure well-paying jobs in the STEM economy. Program begins at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2017, at the Springfield Armory NHS theater. Admission is free.

Through her own early experiences as a young unemployed mother entering STCC in the mid 1970s, Carberry earned a Certificate in Small Business Management. She dedicated her 29-year career at STCC and currently her position as President of Quinsigamond Community College to the advancement of women. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Worcester State University and Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst specializing in organizational development, strategic planning and staff development.

Carberry said, “STCC’s expanded role in the 1970s and ’80s was that of a transformational college supporting the career development of thousands of displaced homemakers and single parents who moved successfully from welfare to work.”

She went on to explain how STCC followed the model of the Springfield Armory during the war years. “The childcare challenges and support service bridges provided by the Armory during the war years to families and comparable supports that emerged through STCC from the ’70s to the present will demonstrate the place for the training and advancement of workforce ready women.”

A native of Oneonta, N.Y., Cook was Vice President of Academic Affairs at Manchester Community College (MCC) in New Hampshire and worked for 12 years at Granite State College, one of four institutions that constitute the public University System of New Hampshire. Granite State is known particularly as the leading provider of public online education in the state.

He earned a Bachelor of Science from St. Lawrence University in Psychology and Anthropology, a Master's degree in Community/Social Psychology from UMass Lowell and a Ph.D. in Education (Curriculum/Instruction) from the University of New Hampshire.

Cook said, “I am a big fan of the term ‘STEMinist.’ As STCC celebrates 50 years of supporting students as they transform their lives, we are focused more than ever on encouraging and nurturing women to excel in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.”

He added that STCC will play a key role in Springfield’s economic renaissance.

“My experience at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where I earned my master's degree in community and social psychology, taught me that institutions of higher learning evolve along with the communities where they are located. STCC will provide the workforce training as new industries such as the $95 million CRRC MA USA rail car factory and the $950 million MGM Springfield resort casino become part of the region's economic diversity.”

About the Springfield Armory National Historic Site

The Springfield Armory National Historic Site, the location of the nation’s first armory (1794 – 1968), was established by George Washington. The Museum is open Wednesday- Sunday until Memorial Day, and then will be open seven days a week 9 a.m.-5p.m.  For further information call (413) 734-8551;  check the website at www.nps.gov/spar  or www.facebook.com/sparnhs.                                                        

About Springfield Technical Community College

Founded in 1967 and located on 35 acres of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, STCC is a major resource for the economic vitality of Western Massachusetts. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC, an Achieving the Dream Leader College, offers a variety of career programs unequalled in the state. STCC’s highly regarded transfer programs in business, engineering, liberal arts, science and technology continue to provide the most economical options for students pursuing a four-year degree. With an annual enrollment of more than 8,500 day, evening, weekend and online students, STCC is a vibrant campus rich in diversity.

For more information about STCC, visit www.stcc.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter (@S_T_C_C).

Media Contact:

Jim Danko, Coordinator of Media Relations, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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