NYS Department of Health approves SUNY WCC as an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program provider

Valhalla, NY (September 12, 2023) — SUNY Westchester Community College has been approved to offer an Opioid Overdose Prevention Program by the New York State Department of Health. The program consists of brief in-person training and all attendees receive a free Narcan response kit. The training is provided free of charge to all faculty, staff, students and community members.

This initiative will be spearheaded by George W. Contreras, Dean of the School of Health Careers, Technology and Applied Learning. Dean Contreras is a 30-year veteran paramedic in the New York City Emergency Medical Service (NYC EMS).

“As a paramedic, I have witnessed how Narcan saves lives,” said Dean Contreras. “It is extremely important to raise awareness of this life-saving training, and I am delighted that SUNY Westchester is now part of the educational solution to an on-going public health crisis.”

To obtain more information, reserve a spot at the next upcoming session or schedule a small group session, email Dee Mabra at Delzora.mabra@sunywcc.edu or call 914-606-6910.

SUNY Westchester Community College participated in and collaborated with an emergency tactical course and drill conducted at the New York Medical College campus in Valhalla.

In a historic moment for SUNY WCC, faculty and students played a critical role in a weeklong federal training course for law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services from across the nation who convened at Westchester County last week.

Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Operational Medical Support (CONTOMS) is a federal course which prepares participants to become tactical emergency medical technicians (EMT-T). It is offered only four times per year in the United States. At the end of the training, the participants engage in a 16-hour mass casualty incident drill to put their knowledge and newly acquired skills to the test. On June 15, 2023, this drill was in effect from 7AM until 11PM at the New York Medical College campus in Valhalla. The SUNY Westchester faculty and students of the summer emergency medical technician (EMT) course were able to observe and participate as patients in this course and drill.

“Being prepared for mass casualty incidents is becoming even more important for EMTs so this level of participation is important. It is a wonderful and unique experience for our students,” said George W. Contreras, Dean of the School of Health Careers, Technology and Applied Learning. “As a practicing paramedic for over thirty years, I deeply value the importance of hands-on practical training as much as possible. The students played patients with various injuries including gunshot wounds, stabbing, shrapnel and overdose. They were prepped with make-up and special effects to add realism to the drill. Today’s event was a great display of collaboration among higher education institutions, federal, private, and county agencies practicing during the drill as they would in a real-world event.”

This year’s collaboration and participation was coordinated by Dean Contreras who took this course many years ago and is now a guest instructor for the same. Over 25 students from EMT Professors Rob Del Greco and Joyce Wilson courses participated as well as local volunteers such as Chappaqua and Eastchester Volunteer Ambulance Corps. As per the course instructors, the drill was a huge success due to SUNY Westchester’s participation. The collaboration was such a success that the course instructors invited SUNY Westchester to participate next year, providing a valuable and unique experience for a new cohort of students.

Valhalla, NY – February 23, 2023. SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC) and Manhattan College have signed a transfer articulation agreement to promote degree completion and facilitate the transfer process, enabling participating SUNY WCC students to matriculate into Manhattan College with junior standing.

SUNY WCC students who graduate with a minimum GPA of 2.5 will be guaranteed admission into Manhattan College and will transfer in with junior standing. A maximum of 60 credits will be applied toward completion of the articulated bachelor’s degree program. SUNY WCC students who earn their Associate’s Degree in any of 21 selected Liberal Arts and Sciences programs in business, communications, environmental studies, humanities or social sciences will have program to program articulation pathways available into related Bachelor’s Degree programs at Manhattan College. A complete list of transfer pathways is available at www.sunywcc.edu/manhattan-transfer.

Manhattan College offers robust institutional merit-based scholarships to provide affordable pathways for eligible SUNY WCC graduates to complete their bachelor’s studies. Scholarships are renewable, as long as students maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, maintain full-time matriculated status and satisfactory academic progress towards a degree.

“SUNY WCC is dedicated to the continued success of our students,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President of SUNY Westchester Community College. “This agreement with Manhattan College provides our graduates with the opportunity to seamlessly transfer to an excellent institution where they can continue their studies in a number of social science, humanities or business fields. Agreements such as this allow students to maximize their investment in themselves, develop the skills and knowledge that will help them enter the local job market well-prepared, and to become well-informed members of our community.”

“We are proud to partner with SUNY Westchester Community College and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” said Brother Daniel Gardner, FSC, president of Manhattan College. ‘We are happy to welcome these capable and academically prepared students into the learning community of Manhattan College. I’m certain that they will make distinctive and meaningful contributions to our campus.”

Students interested in learning more about this transfer opportunity should visit www.sunywcc.edu/manhattan-transfer.

Valhalla, NY – April 12, 2023. SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC) student Joseph Goldstein has been awarded the prestigious Vanguard Award recognizing outstanding students pursuing career and technical educational (CTE) programs that are nontraditional for their gender. Joseph is one of eight SUNY community college students to receive this year’s honor.

Mr. Goldstein received this award based on his excellent 4.0 GPA, his work ethic, his passion for working with children, and his exemplary performance working as a teacher aide in a program with 3-year-olds who have special needs. He was nominated for this award by his mentor at SUNY WCC, Professor Mary Lou Sgro. He graduated SUNY WCC in December 2022 and is now a full-time teacher’s aide working with pre-schoolers who have special needs.

“I feel honored to receive the Vanguard Award and I thank Professor Sgro for nominating me,” said Mr. Goldstein, who lives in Dobbs Ferry, NY. “Society often views a field like Early Childhood Education as one that is traditionally for women, but I disagree. I want to be a role model for young children. Men bring a different perspective and a different energy to a learning environment. Men play an important role in early childhood education as a foundation to a child’s development. I encourage more men to pursue this field.”

“Joseph is an inspiration to me as well as to his peers,” said Professor Sgro. “I was impressed immediately when he was in my Early Childhood Development class. He transitioned easily to remote teaching in March 2020 and remained with me for three additional courses. Joseph is a model of excellence in scholarship and a steadfast commitment to teaching young children. He joins our profession where men are a minority and much needed. Joseph exemplifies the success of a Westchester Community College student. He truly deserves the Vanguard Award.”

The Vanguard Award is administered by the New York State Nontraditional Employment & Training (NET) Program, Center for Women in Government & Civil Society, and is sponsored by the NYS Education Department through a Carl D. Perkins grant.

SUNY Westchester Community College celebrated commencement on campus May 11, further affirming its re-emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic that had closed campuses across the country.

This year’s commencement was divided by school into three different ceremonies: the School of Math, Science and Engineering & the School of Health Careers, Technology and Applied Learning shared the 10AM ceremony, followed at 2PM by the School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and at 6PM by the School of Business and Professional Careers. Family and friends of the graduates filled the venue for each of the three ceremonies in the Physical Education Building.

SUNY Westchester Community College President Belinda S. Miles and members of the Board of Trustees spoke at each of the three ceremonies. They were joined at each ceremony by a featured speaker:

• 10:00 – Mr. Brandon Fernandez Sedano, Clinical Research Coordinator, Columbia University Irving Medical Center & SUNY WCC alum
• 2:00 – Ms. Tiffany Hamilton, CEO, YWCA of White Plains and Central Westchester
• 6:00 – Ms. Maria Trusa, CEO, Formé Medical Center & SUNY WCC alum

Winners of the SUNY Chancellors Award for Excellence, 2023 winner of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, Zefferino Carriero, and other honorees were among the graduates at the ceremony. Of the more than 1,200 graduates, many will transfer to four-year institutions including Columbia, Temple University, and Morehouse College as well as SUNY campuses and local colleges, while many others will enter the workforce in such fields as cybersecurity, nursing, fashion design, and digital filmmaking.

“This year’s commencement celebrated the tremendous achievements of our graduates who began their college studies during the worst days of the pandemic, as well as the dedicated efforts of our faculty and other employees to provide the support our students needed to reach this milestone,” said Dr. Miles. “This dedication, combined with innovative programs, has been a critical factor in the doubling of our graduation rate over the course of the past seven years.”

Have you Completed your Course Evaluation(s)?

The Course Evaluation Period is April 4th through April 25, 2023

Please take a few minutes to complete your course survey(s). Your feedback is important to your professors!

TO LOG ON, CLICK HERE http://www.sunywcc.edu/courseval

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Thank you for participating!

Providing Seamless Pathway to Bachelor’s Degrees for Area Residents

Valhalla, NY – February 23, 2023. SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC) and Manhattan College have signed a transfer articulation agreement to promote degree completion and facilitate the transfer process, enabling participating SUNY WCC students to matriculate into Manhattan College with junior standing.

SUNY WCC students who graduate with a minimum GPA of 2.5 will be guaranteed admission into Manhattan College and will transfer in with junior standing. A maximum of 60 credits will be applied toward completion of the articulated bachelor’s degree program. SUNY WCC students who earn their Associate’s Degree in any of 21 selected Liberal Arts and Sciences programs in business, communications, environmental studies, humanities or social sciences will have program to program articulation pathways available into related Bachelor’s Degree programs at Manhattan College. A complete list of transfer pathways is available at www.sunywcc.edu/manhattan-transfer.

Manhattan College offers robust institutional merit-based scholarships to provide affordable pathways for eligible SUNY WCC graduates to complete their bachelor’s studies. Scholarships are renewable, as long as students maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, maintain full-time matriculated status and satisfactory academic progress towards a degree.

“SUNY WCC is dedicated to the continued success of our students,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President of SUNY Westchester Community College. “This agreement with Manhattan College provides our graduates with the opportunity to seamlessly transfer to an excellent institution where they can continue their studies in a number of social science, humanities or business fields. Agreements such as this allow students to maximize their investment in themselves, develop the skills and knowledge that will help them enter the local job market well-prepared, and to become well-informed members of our community.”

“We are proud to partner with SUNY Westchester Community College and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” said Brother Daniel Gardner, FSC, president of Manhattan College. ‘We are happy to welcome these capable and academically prepared students into the learning community of Manhattan College. I’m certain that they will make distinctive and meaningful contributions to our campus.”

Students interested in learning more about this transfer opportunity should visit www.sunywcc.edu/manhattan-transfer..

WHAT:

SUNY Westchester Community College (SUNY WCC) and Manhattan College have signed a transfer articulation agreement to promote degree completion and facilitate the transfer process, enabling participating SUNY WCC students to matriculate into Manhattan College with junior standing.

WHEN:

Thursday, February 23, 2023, 2:00pm

WHERE:

SUNY Westchester Community College Valhalla Campus, Davis Auditorium Gateway Center Building

WHO:

• Dr. Belinda Miles, President, SUNY Westchester Community College
• Brother Daniel Gardner, President, Manhattan College
• Dr. Vanessa Morest, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, SUNY WCC
• William Clyde, Executive Vice President and Provost, Manhattan College

BACKGROUND:

SUNY WCC students who graduate with a minimum GPA of 2.5 will be guaranteed admission into Manhattan College and will transfer in with junior standing. A maximum of 60 credits will be applied toward completion of the articulated bachelor’s degree program. SUNY WCC students who earn their Associate’s Degree in any of 21 selected Liberal Arts and Sciences programs in business, communications, environmental studies, humanities or social sciences will have program to program articulation pathways available into related Bachelor’s Degree programs at Manhattan College.

Contact:

Mark Stollar
Director, Strategic Marketing and Communications
SUNY Westchester Community College
914-606-6638
Mark.stollar@sunywcc.edu

SUNY WCC reaffirms commitment to student outcomes through hire of Dante Cantú, an equity-minded higher ed leader specializing in student success innovation.

Valhalla, NY – February 9, 2023. After an extensive search process, SUNY Westchester Community College has named Dante Cantú as its new Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs. In this role, Mr. Cantú will provide leadership and vision for a comprehensive student experience agenda designed to promote belonging, well-being, and achievement for the diverse student body at SUNY WCC, SUNY’s first Hispanic Serving Institution, the most diverse of SUNY’s 64 campuses, and an Achieving the Dream and Guided Pathways college.

Mr. Cantú has nearly 20 years in higher education, as well as years of organizational leadership in the private, not-for-profit and social sectors. Most recently, Mr. Cantú served as the executive director of academic advising and student success at SUNY New Paltz. In this role, Mr. Cantú provided administrative leadership for the University’s integrated advising and student support services while providing collaborative leadership for student success initiatives that are university-wide in scope.

At New Paltz, he worked closely with administrators, faculty, staff, and students to develop a coherent student advising system that is consistent with the institution’s educational mission, vision, and values, with the goal of enhancing the overall student experience for all students.

Mr. Cantú’s contributions in the areas of student learning, development and success have received national recognition. He has presented at regional and national conferences on a range of topics related to student success and retention, strategies for supporting non-traditional populations, and leadership development. He is actively involved with leading national and statewide organizations such as NACADA, the Gardner Institute, the National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, NASPA’s Advising Success Network, and the NYS Student Success Center’s Coaching Academy.

“SUNY WCC is excited and fortunate to gain the services of such an accomplished college administrator,” said Dr. Belinda S. Miles, President of SUNY Westchester Community College. “Mr. Cantú’s extensive experience in enhancing a culture of success will be invaluable as SUNY WCC continues increasing student graduation rates and serving an increasingly diverse community.”

“I am truly honored and thrilled to join the SUNY Westchester Community College community as a member of Dr. Miles’s senior leadership team,” said Mr. Cantú. “SUNY WCC’s mission to provide a high quality education that is accessible and affordable resonates deeply with me, and I look forward to getting to know the many talented and dedicated members of the college community so that I can better understand the mission-driven work currently being done. I also look forward to cultivating partnerships across the institution that seek to build upon the institution’s traditions, its recent successes, and its unwavering commitment to an exceptional student experience to ensure the most prosperous future for WCC and the students we collectively serve.”

Mr. Cantú received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his M.A. from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

Arc of the Viral and Moral Universe Notebook Project, 2022 New York, November 29, 2022.

The Center for the Digital Arts Gallery of SUNY Westchester Peekskill is presenting Arc of the Moral and Viral Universe Notebooks on view from February 1 through April 26, 2023. The opening reception will be on Thursday, February 16, 2023 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the public is welcome. 

I do not pretend to understand the moral universe, the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways.  I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience.  But from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice. –Theodore Parker, 1853

“Deeply concerned about the trajectory of justice in our country in 2018, I found Theodore Parker’s (1853) words recurring in my mind.  Does it indeed bend towards justice?” — Carla Rae Johnson (2022)

Johnson put out a call for participants in a notebook project to address the “Arc of the Moral Universe.”  That yielded more than 60 volumes filled with drawings, sketches, writing, lyrics, photos, montages, cut-outs, fold-outs, and abstractions documenting one year in each of their lives.

In 2020, Johnson confronted the reality of a world-wide viral pandemic and the “Arc of the Viral Universe” was the result.  She invited participants from another notebook project, plus 100 more creative individuals from all walks of life.  This resulted in over 30 bound volumes documenting daily lives, unease about the future, concerns for the planet, outrage at the effects of systemic racism, apprehensions about threats to democracy, and glimmerings of hope in the midst of the most challenging of times.  They confirmed her belief that “creative people are among the ones to register these events and respond in hopeful, compassionate, and positive ways.”

Carla Rae Johnson’s art includes drawing, sculpture, conceptual, performance, and installation art. Her work is connected to ideas and often addresses issues of social, political, and cultural import.  She is a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Drawing, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow in Sculpture, and the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant.  Her work has been exhibited nationally and in New York City.

Ms. Johnson has an MFA and has been an arts educator for over 38 years.  She recently retired from her position as a Professor of Art at SUNY Westchester Valhalla where she taught from 2003 to 2016.  She is now delighted to devote her energies to art, full-time.

For more information about Carla Rae Johnson, please visit www.carlaraejohnson.org.  For more information on the Arc of the Moral Universe: A Notebook Project @thefirstnotebookproject and Arc of the Viral Universe @anotebookproject. You may also contact peekskill@sunywcc.edu or 914-606-7300 for opening reception information and viewing hours. For more information about The Center for the Digital Arts Gallery, please visit www.sunywcc.edu/peekskill