STCC faculty recognized as 2017 Deliso and Scibelli Endowed chairs
Left to right: Eric Brown, professor and coordinator of the Liberal Arts/General Studies program; Zahi Haddad, professor and chair of the Engineering Science and Transfer program; Lisa Rapp, professor and chair of the Biotechnology program; and Andy Maynard, professor of Computer Information Technologies.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2017 Joseph J. Deliso, Sr. and Anthony M. Scibelli, Sr. Endowed Chair awards.
Receiving the Joseph J. Deliso, Sr. Endowed Chair award:
- Eric Brown, professor and coordinator of the Liberal Arts Transfer program;
- Zahi Haddad, chair of the Engineering Science and Transfer program; and
- Andy Maynard, professor of Computer Information Technologies.
Receiving the Anthony M. Scibelli, Sr. Endowed Chair award:
- Lisa Rapp, chair of the Biotechnology program.
STCC faculty are nominated for an endowed chair by their colleagues and then invited to apply. An award selection committee, made up of faculty and staff, review applications. The STCC Foundation Executive Committee then selects winners.
Funded through the STCC Foundation, the awards are named for two of the college’s founders. Each faculty awardee receives a monetary award. This year, winners received $4,600 each, half of which is applied to professional development for the recipient and half of which is given to the recipient’s academic department.
The college established the Anthony M. Scibelli, Sr. Endowed Chair in 1992 to recognize and foster faculty excellence. As a member of the state House of Representatives, Scibelli sponsored and pushed through legislation approving funding and authorizing the transfer of 35 acres of Springfield Armory to the state, as a location for STCC.
In 1993, the Deliso family established the Joseph J. Deliso Sr. Endowed Chair at STCC in recognition of excellence in teaching. Appointed as the first chairman of the STCC Advisory Board, Deliso, an industrialist, served from 1967 to 1981. He then became first chairman of the STCC Board of Trustees, serving through 1985.
Dr. John B. Cook, STCC president, congratulated the award recipients during a ceremony at the Scibelli Hall Theater on Sept. 22.
Brown, of Guilford, Vt., has been a full-time psychology professor at STCC since 2006. "I feel honored to have been selected for such a prestigious award. To have this kind of recognition makes the hard work and effort worthwhile,” Brown said.
Brown said he plans to use the award money to start a Psychology Library at STCC that would include not only literature but various psychological testing materials.
Haddad, of Wilbraham, has been an engineering professor at STCC since 1984. “Having worked with so many talented and deserving teachers, it is quite a rewarding feeling when someone else acknowledges your hard work. I was very humbled and honored to be one of this year's recipients,” Haddad said.
Haddad said he plans to buy micro-controllers, which the students can learn to program and complete useful tasks and compete against each other in teams.
"I plan to give a portion of my funding as a scholarship to the winning team. Hopefully this will get the students to think big about their project," Haddad said.
Maynard, of Falmouth, Mass., has been professor of Computer Information Technologies since 1997. Maynard said he has not yet decided how he will spend the award money.
Maynard has developed programs and courses for the School of Business and Information Technologies. Leona Ittleman, dean of the division, said Maynard’s development of the Computer and IT Security program has been one of his greatest contributions. “He works hard on behalf of students,” Ittleman said.
Rapp, of Wilbraham, has been a biology professor at STCC since 1999.
"I am honored to be awarded the Anthony M. Scibelli, Sr. Endowed Chair, and very grateful to my colleagues for the nomination and to the STCC Foundation for offering these awards,” Rapp said. “It has been a very rewarding experience working with STCC students during my tenure here as they work toward their varied educational goals. My proudest accomplishments at STCC are my successful graduates.”
Rapp said she plans to use the award money to purchase new student benches for the Biology department which will provide a comfortable and welcoming place for students to congregate and make connections between classes.
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, a designated Hispanic Serving Institution and 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, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu
Caption for second photo:
Standing, left to right: John B. Cook, STCC president; Anne Bonemery, dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Leona Ittleman, dean of the School of Business and Information Technologies; and Robert Dickerman, dean of the School of Science and Engineering Transfer.
Seated, left to right: Zahi Haddad, professor and chair of the Engineering Science and Transfer program; Eric Brown, professor and coordinator of the Liberal Arts/General Studies program; Andy Maynard, professor of Computer Information Technologies; and Lisa Rapp, professor and chair of the Biotechnology program.