Mechanical Engineering Technology professor recalls days as a determined STCC student

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – When she enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Springfield Technical Community College, Lineisha Dominicci-Rosario had no background or experience in manufacturing.

She admitted feeling intimidated when she stepped into the machining lab in Springfield Technology Park and looked around at the state-of-the-art equipment that she would need to master to graduate.

“I had never worked with CNC machines at all,” she said, referring to Computer Numerical Control machines which make the lathes and mills work so they can create different parts and prototypes in the machining lab.

Having recently moved from Puerto Rico to Western Massachusetts, she also was still learning English while absorbing new engineering concepts as a student in the program.

But Dominicci-Rosario was determined to persist and get her degree. It helped that she found a strong support system at STCC. Her professors reached out to help her succeed whenever she was struggling. She befriended another student, also a young woman, who became a study partner.

Today, in 2023, Dominicci-Rosario not only has her degree from STCC in Mechanical Engineering Technology but she is an assistant professor in the program. She teaches students engineering concepts and how to operate the CNC machines. As a faculty member at STCC, Dominicci-Rosario has come full circle.

“It’s fulfilling,” said Dominicci-Rosario, a 2018 graduate. “It’s nice to come back and see the impact I’m making on students. It’s the same impact that the professors had on me.”

Vice President of Academic Affairs Geraldine de Berly said, “We are gratified that STCC has not only provided opportunities for female students to enter the manufacturing fields but that faculty such as Lineisha Dominicci-Rosario have become educators leading students into excellent career paths.”

In recent years, STCC has received funding to support efforts to recruit and retain more students of color in fields such as manufacturing. In 2021, the college received a federal HSI-STEM grant award, which supports efforts to recruit and retain more students of color in fields like manufacturing.

Through the grant, STCC has created STEM-focused first-year experience courses, among other support services for students of color and low-income students. Proactive STEM advisors will bring services to students first.

STCC, the only technical community college in Massachusetts, is federally designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), with 30 percent of the students identifying as Hispanic.

It’s nice to come back and see the impact I’m making on students. It’s the same impact that the professors had on me. Lineisha Dominicci-Rosario, Assistant Prof., Mechanical Engineering Technology

When she was a student, Dominicci-Rosario was recognized for her academic work at STCC. In 2018, she was named one of the state Department of Higher Education’s “29 Who Shine,” a program that recognizes one outstanding graduating student from each public college and university in Massachusetts.

Her mentor was physics professor Beth McGinnis-Cavanaugh, who serves as faculty advisor to the Society of Women Engineers Chapter at STCC.

Dominicci-Rosario said she’s proud to serve alongside McGinnis-Cavanaugh and the other STCC faculty. McGinnis-Cavanaugh and Dominicci-Rosario are two of five female engineering faculty at STCC.

The School of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) is led by Dean Lara Sharp, a woman who is an engineer. All seven math professors at STCC are women.

“It’s important to be inclusive because men and women both bring important skills and ideas to the table,” Sharp said. “Our faculty serve as mentors and role models for students. When our female students see a faculty member who is a woman, they might be particularly inspired to pursue that engineering or math degree.”

As a native Puerto Rican, Dominicci-Rosario also brings a perspective as a Hispanic woman.

Dominicci-Rosario recalls always being one of only a few women in an engineering class, both at STCC and at Northeastern University, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in advanced manufacturing systems. Her interest in mechanical engineering and manufacturing began when she was a girl watching her father work on cars in Puerto Rico. She was curious how cars were made and what type of process was needed to fix them.

She encourages more women to get into the field and offers the following advice: “As long as you keep believing in yourself, stay humble and know that if you power through you’re going to make it through regardless of what’s happening around you, success will happen. I think that was the one thing that kept me strong and kept me going.”

While a student at STCC, Dominicci-Rosario completed an internship with a software company. In 2020, she was hired as associate post-processor engineer at the company.

While working as an engineer, she stayed in touch with her professors at STCC, who told her they were looking for a faculty member to teach in the Mechanical Engineering Technology department. She started as an adjunct professor before being offered a full time position at STCC, which is the only technical community college in Massachusetts.

Now a colleague, Thomas Minor was one of Dominicci-Rosario’s professors. He also came to the MET program as a student before he was hired to teach. Today, he is an associate professor in the MET program.

“We’re excited to have Lineisha as a colleague,” Minor said. “I remember having her in classes a few years ago. She was a hard-working student, and is bringing that same work ethic to her role as a professor.”

Added Dominicci-Rosario: “I’m happy to be back at STCC, which is the best option for so many people.”

“I came here because it was affordable after moving from Puerto Rico,” she said. “They have great funding for people who just moved here.  They have a great Hispanic community. It’s a great place to start and get your certificate or degree, which prepares you for the workforce or to transfer to continue with your education.”

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

About Springfield Technical Community College

STCC, the Commonwealth's only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC's highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequaled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu

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