Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
music:
on this edition around BCC
BCC in the forefront of educating students interested in science
technology engineering and math BCC offers some
out of the box courses this spring our alum used to education to help students
register for college
and our students take a light-hearted look at the new year
happy New Year and welcome to around BCC I"m Keith Thibault we hope you all had
a great holiday season
and would like to wish you a very prosperous 2014
class here Bristol Community College you're on break they actually start
later on
this month one on the topics that is of note among educators
across the country
is the teaching of what's called the stem fields
stem stands for science technology engineering and math
and Bristol Community College has been in the forefront
teaching stem to its students here in Bristol County
well then talk a little bit about stand fields here at BCC
I'm joined by three guests in our first segment
out the program joined by Meghan Abella-Bowen and she is the coordinator of the
the sage program which is sustainability
and green energy is that correct also doctor beth donaven been an instructor
math we've had beth
before talk about Math developmental math probably but a year ago
just 8-9 month's ago and also joining as is doctor Katie granel now
she's in a system professional of biology
and charge of biotechnology here at BCC ladies thank you for joining me
and happy new year company let me ask you first of all and Megan I'll start with you
with you in in general
I'll there's been a growing importance about science technology engineering
getting students involved in the future if you will
on in your time your BCC have you seen
that take shape and it's always been up important your BCC but how do you seen it
take shape here
I think you're seeing it grow you're seeing a desire for a lot
to get that down into the middle school level and into the elementary
school level
that we know we're missing a lot of young people coming into the fields
because they haven't learned to love it and enjoy it I know beth will talk a lot
about that
that they think it's hard and they don't know how exciting it can be in so many
times
a lot of the jobs in a lot of the growth in our region and certainly across the
nation are in these jobs that are
what we call the innovation economy and those are gonna be
science engineering technology math kinda jobs and we're not drawing enough
kids into those fields
who then wont to go to work in to those field so I think creating awareness
around it
showing how fun interesting it can be is the first step so I think you have seen
a growing we do a lot of things through career vocational technical ed
right on in through college and continuing them on to four-year
institutions
how difficult is it to keep up with the times if you will things change
and with technology and especially things like computer technology changes
daily I mean never mind over a period of time I
how how important is it for the the college or any educational institution
meghan did to keep up with what's changing in
and while also serving the needs that a community college does have its
workforce here locally
sure I i think one thing to keep in mind
is the technology changes but the basic theory behind the math in the science
does not and so as long as we have a strong background in the thery in the math
the science
then the technology in the engineering process pieces of it
will play out in that so we still have to have a strong base for that science that
engineering a technology that math and even they talk about that steam
which is the arts so the whole design peace there but
the basis is it still strong math and a strong science background that gets us
going and so
we don't have to be chasing the newest technology what we need to do is make
sure we have a strong base to begin with
and then though students have the skills that they have the problem solving
they have the inquiry to be able to take it to the next level your involved with a lot of
green initiative sustainability talk about
some pf your initiatives that you work on here and how students are
involved in that
certainly we spent the last three years
really updating engineering programming here at BCC we
added a lot of green technology into our program so again
even if you're thinking about the wind energy field here in Massachusetts
there's a big push for you still need good strong mechanical engineers
mechanical technicians right but they need to have an understanding for wind
energy and wind technology so we've integrated that into our program
the same thing with our electrical mechanical and electrical we've added
solar in there so our student still come out as a strong technician or strong
engineering science background
but now they have a smattering up solar a smattering a win
a smattering a green building technologies that they're going on the
civil side
so that idea of creating awareness integrating things into it but keeping
the strong basis in the program started
and then we certainly going we go into the high schools we go into the middle
schools
we do a lot a professional development at the high school level for teachers
to get them on board so again we're trying to draw those students and early
and so that they're looking down the road and say what do I do after I finish
high school what are some options
Beth as he said we talked last year about developmental math and getting
students prepare to
just with their college life here at BCC what are you seeing in terms of
the the different kinds have math for students who want to get into
engineering
and other tech technological field that's
the whole different level isn't it it really is but on
here BCC one of the great things is the student can come in at a
developmental level
and it still achieve an engineering degree in a reasonable amount of time
this is a little more math so it's a little more year-round application I'm
going to school
but on the really does allow a student to start at any level with their math and
really achieve that dream a going into an engineering degree
they will have to precede through you know I'm although typically if you're
going for it like an engineering transfer degree
up through on 3 level the calculus and differential equations
class before you actually get outta here on then go to a four-year institution
but um I teach a lot of the upper level courses right now and so what we've
really started to do is
down we have a lab component and in that we kinda
try to inspire our students with hands-on labs in labs that our
engineering based in things like that I usually for example
ask my students what there majors are and kind of work
in that respect whether their mechanical or electrical
or green energy and we kinda try to hit on
how they would use this in their job because as much as I love math
and I could just just do math all day long not their primary
focused here so we kinda try to
poll the math and in and as Megan said give them that really good fundamental
basis
and my students often and come back and say all we did it in physics or we have is
the chemistry like
oh now I understand they're doing in circuits
so really giving them that basis really starts to draw together
you even just that one word problem here there starts to pull together all their
courses and give them my understanding of
why math is so important to them as an engineer
or just in science I know Katie definitely has a
you definitely need a good background and math and the sciences and
you know any the technology now you really have to have
a good fundamental mathematics understanding to really understand
how to solve a problem and get that problem solving approach right
as much as we focused on a the needs
of getting students ready to take math here BCC again we talked about that last
with developmental courses
are you seeing maybe an equal number of students who are excelling
that go into these fields you know you think Oh
of Math schools BCC doesn't come to mind but but in terms of these fields they have
to be up to snuff to take that next level you seeing those high achievers as
well
I do I definitely see this high achievers some I've had before in class
some
are totally you know new students I haven't seen
depending on what courses are taught in the past on but we do have sisters their
really do Excel and I would
love to be able to pull them aside and say get a math degree with this but
one step at a time I always try
but yeah I we do have a significant number of students that are
are very very bright here and do Excel in the courses and want to be challenged more
more and more I wanna see
what's the next step why does this not work I find my students a lot of why
which is not something you usually expect in a math class but they start to
understand the material and they start to question why was allowed to that are
why can we are perceived this way or
why do I have to do this or what is
my limitation on the question so and that comes from
you know on a lot of problem solving a and
students really having that fundamental basis in and wanting to know more
right let's move to the science side Katie you
teach biology
there's a lot of technology now in the sciences
and what is in the things that you teach same biology in biotech
that will transfer into so many students becoming successful
in technology leaving here I think the two
completely intertwined right now and even my introductory courses
where the skills for example than to have in genetics and molecular biology
is the ability to use
computer programs to search for gene sequences and mutations
look at the how the protein that's produced from the gene changes if
there's a mutation
so they they can't go without you know education in math and computer science
in some aspects of engineering especially for biomedical engineering
which is a huge aspect and biotechnology
so it's it's not you know science can no longer be its own island unto itself is
learning well photosynthesis and
and you know *** reproduction and things like that that are the sort of
old school we're moving forward into the melding of multiple disciplines now
that leads to my next point specially to biology the first thing that popped in
my mind is health
right now sciences and if the technology changes that are within those fields
again it must be a little bit daunting some time to try to keep up can it be
well you have to make a concerted effort to address that in your classes because
the text books
if it even if it's a car in addition our you know still 2-3 years old when I been
edited
so we want to keep them up and I think that's part of our responsibility is to
it
to keep them like Beth mention well-versed not just in the
the core curriculum of standard biology courses are staying in math courses but
to incorporate in real life
I'm examples of what they're gonna see because the last thing we want is to
send them all into nursing
or into a biotech company and have them be completely lost with
pieces of equipment which are brand new or technologies than just been
introduced right
one of the thing's that I want to bring up is the three of you buck a trend if you
will
people think a technology and and Sciences they think of
male-dominated industries you're all
anathema to that talk about how you trying to get more females into these
programs may be
meghan you can talk a little bit about that sure engineering I think always had that
sense I think
Computer Information Sciences is probably has the hardest one because you
don't see a lot of women in that
but the way that you try to express that and get it out to
women today and take young girls is that engineering takes a science takes a Math
uses that technology to solve problems and when you
when you package it as problem solving and making the place that we live in
better
solving health issues taking care that person who may now near Prospect
prosthetic how do we create a prosthetic for that person that really changes the
dynamic
but we still have to get them through the theory of the basic sciences and so
the key is to say
how do we try to incorporate that in and there is a big push at the K through 12
level
to start integrating engineering design processes into sciences
so that you're not just teaching theory but once the student has a theory
then integrate that theory into solving a problem so it in beds
that idea into it in making it stronger and I think that you're gonna see more
girls coming in
the more they see that right meghan beth and Katy I appreciate you joining me
we're going to be taking a short break we'll talk to some students
that are currently in the BCC stem field we'll come back with that right after
this
welcome back to our discussion here and around BCC
on how BCC handles the stem field to the education science technology
engineering and math and please be joined now by two students who have
undergone
technology and engineering training here at Bristol Community College on my far
left is farbeona Piva he is a student that
engineering transfer actually gonna be I transferring to UMass dartmouth
coming up but
this semester this spring and also joining us is Sandy DeSilva
she is a current student in the CIS Computer Information Systems
program thank you for joining me appreciate it Sandy let me start with
you
I ended the last segment about the stigment in terms of females
joining had no the Stem field let me ask you what interests you about
computer information systems well
I mean I think just the in general were
you in any type of computer information
you kind of come into it you don't have
any idea of how something works see you can go in
I open up a computer and kinda try to figure out
why why does it does or a program
why does a program when you press a button what does it do
why does it do that and then knowing how to program something to make it do what
you want to do
so a lot of that stuff urged him just really into some
pretty much how things work right how have your classes been has it been
what you thought they would be when you get into this field i mean that they all
sound like it is cuz you're asking yourself a lot of questions
yeah and that's usually how classes work you ask questions and you get answers on
in this case how computers work and have some forward I'll
well when I first came in I'm first class was
might CS 120 with professor grocer and
I was very intimidated in the beginning yeah
am I going to be able to do this but literally
I mean looking back now from today from that first day that started
I almost say why they say that to myself because
I i'm amazed of everything that I know now
and what I've learned from either her or any other classes
eather networking class I've take time or you know
anything like that just you can learn a lot you just have to
put your mind to it you also work at
the where the computer labs help desks here at the fall River campus
does that help you at all and not only dissenting people's questions but
does it help you learn more above about the technologies that you hope to work
in
or the more Just I'm helping people I enjoyed help people
yea it gives you look a little bit a both I mean yeah
absolutely I enjoy to help people if they're like
trying to figure something that it's not working or just
the writing a paper or something like that but
like I think more so the stuff they've done
not just with helping people behind-the-scenes
right I worked in the summer I learned so much
about networking and that really was wasent even my major
but I learned so much during the summer time it's unbelievable like I
feel so comfortable and you know you could probably put me in any type of
technology or facet in the computer industry and
I'm I know I probably picking up yes I feel that comfortable about it
farbeona first graduations you've completed your education here
as a December here at BCC what interest you about engineering and you
have any specific
discipline within engineering that you'd like to pursue yes
what interest me about engineering was that
I like working with my hands
I like figure stuff out I like fixing things them selfs
that's why when I originally came to BCC I went for electrical engineering
I went to a tech school I'd electricity there and I we wanted to go to college so
I figured
electrical engineering I know some electrical work I could work with the control panel
other stuff arm circuitry and all that stuff and then I found out
BCC offered the biomedical engineering
right program and what really interested me about that was
all throughout high school I took honors biology I took AP Biology
and I just love biology and Sciences and I did some more research on it and
the just really caught my eye and I took a couple classes
factor to Katie's class on intro to Biotech and
I just loved it I been doing it ever since
after my first semester just transferred into the bioengineering
and I love well to great success stories
of students here who are in science technology engineering and math
what a math lot of Sciences and apparently it's something you really
you really like any profession you really have to love to get into it
so sandy in fabiani we wish you all the best in your future educational pursuits
and thanks for joining us
thank thank you well have more around BCC right after this
they are a flag ship a stable thing they probably
have to eat when you come here as you know the American dream burger which is
bacon cheeseburger melasda buns or a Portuguese steak burrito or the
Mozambique burrito
cause it's a classic to this area my name is Alexander Tavares
and I'm the head chef at Viva Comida were at 1345 Pleasant Street Fall River
mass the heart of the flint Viva Comida is a restaurant me and my friend
Lily Silva came up with
coming from this area things aren't always easy things are handed to
you know you know
I worked for everything that I've accomplished my life
graduate from durfee high school in 03 i want to bcc around 03-04
I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with my life just yet I got into culinary arts
it was always my true passion I just wasn't sure about
the possibility once you graduate and stuff like that to be in the
culinary arts department at BCC was awesome Because you get to experiment
with pretty much anything and everything every week we would do a different
nationalities cuisine so
I'm pretty well versed in not just American Portuguese and Spanish
cause I was trained French German Asian
and every other aspect of cooking you impossible learn and
Chef Caressimo was a great impact on my life he was probably one of the greatest
chefs today I've ever worked for
you know he really pushed me not only to
be able to do things but he always stressed that
that's it's not enough to be able to do something you need to be able to know
what you doing
and what's going on who what and why where
to be able have intelligent conversation with somebody about what you're
producing
you know not to just be able to do it I probably wouldn't be half a chef I am now
without his influence in my life it was a real positive influence in my life and
he really push me to get as much as he could get out of me here at Viva Comida we just try and
rethink your food
we spin a little twist on some of Fall River's favorite dishes such as chicken mozambique
chicken mozambique
Portuguese stake plates we just throw them in burrito's
so it's everything people love about burritos and portuguese stake plates rolled
into one basically
I wanna give back to the neighborhood that basing raise me so I wanted to do something
positive future of viva comida is
sky's the limit right now where in week 1 of be an open
eventually if things go as well as we hope we would like to open a second and third
third and maybe just keep going maybe even be international some point and maybe go to
azores or portugal or something
welcome back as we mentioned at the outset at the Showl the spring 2014
spring semester at Bristol Community College kicks off later this month
one of the unique aspects of spring semester every year
is that faculty have the opportunity to offer courses that provide students with
experiences outside
of there major each semester the college hold a course fair to introduce
students to academic opportunities
which they may not have been aware one such course for the 2014 spring semester
is a special topics course on the environment and sustainability
course coordinator Nancy Lee wood says what makes this course unique
is that it will be talk by 12 members of the BCC faculty
the way we're doing is that each week each instructor is responsible for
putting together a quiz based on material that he or she has presented
we're going to have a blog that each person
each faculty member creates a question and students respond to that
to that blog and then respond to each other's blogs about that whatever the
question maybe
but it related to each person discipline those interested in multimedia may want
to take a course in sound design in multimedia
taught by instructor Mery Edwards for people who are interested in learning
not only the practical aspects over how to developer capture sound
but also people who are interested in learning on learning about how sound
issues in everyday life whether it be
sound installations film multimedia
gaming all those really interesting thing and exciting thing's that are out there
that incorporates sound things that we
often take for granted that really emphasis on the visual
audio sometimes disregard but you know it's a it's a wonderful
field to be involved in and for those who are interested in going further
and just moving past learning the basics a
now the multimedia to people who also are looking at
career options there's still time to register for those
and other courses for the spring 2014 semester
for more information contact the College or visit the BCC website
BCC has a new chief academic officer
president doctor John Sprague a has announced that acting vice president
academic affairs Greg Sethares
has been hired to the position permanently
mister Sethares has been in the role of acting vice president
since July of 2012 one update from the store we cover during last month show
in early December the BCC Board of Trustees
by a 7 to 2 to vote gave final approval to allow campus police officers to carry
firearms
offices will now begin the training needed to meet the college's new policy
it's expected that it will be late spring before the police officers
will be carrying firearms on campus
time to profile another BCC alum
this month we talk to our recent grad who used to BCC education
in succeeding at her current role of introducing students to
another state higher educational institution
hi I'm Jill Farrira BCC class in 2010
I group up in New Bedford and I went to Bishop Stang high school I really wasn't
sure
at all what I want to do I'm and I decided
to to stay local into to go to Bristol Community College which
I went on a tour and I really liked the feel the campus in
it just felt in felt very right I appreciated the atmosphere very much
so I started in My my first set of classes they
I was doing really well a faculty member had reached out to me recommended the
Honors Program and
I hadn't I wasn't really aware of the Honors Program and
it ended up im an incredible experience
some of the first thing they notice that I really liked about BCC atmosphere
atmosphere
is this small class sizes 25
20 students 10 student you into some classes
which is really really nice when you're trying to have
a meaningful discussion about a particular topic or
you know helping others work to a particular idea I really appreciate in
the smaller I'm the small class sizes
the the ability for faculty members to reach out to students
and develop you know
really great networking opportunities for them on
in individual basis was something that really stood out to me as well
after I graduated my associates degree from from BCC I decided to transfer over
here
U-mass Boston and work toward a bachelor's degree
I've as a student worker I i've seen I worked in multiple
offices on campus which has
lead to really great opportunities even a staff position after I graduated here
academically I have
I declared various majors and subtracted majors than added miners and switch
majors and minors thought
which I think it's pretty common sometimes with didn't I'm
who aren't sure what their what they want but
I declared anthropology as is my is no major
and I double majored in psychology as well
I was loving it I I remember
thought back to BCC when I was interested in culture through the
Deaf Studies program
and and that really sparked my interest
in I'm difference in language indifference
in community in and that's something that I
I can see myself doing in the future working as possibly
I'm ESL teacher or apply linguistics or something like that
it a direction I feel confident that I could
I feel very well founded through BCC and UMass Boston now
academically in through personal relationship
me so I graduated from UMass Boston in 2013
I'm working now is their representatives in the admissions office
I love it I'm meeting with people every day in talking about
what with their options are for for applying here in
academic program offerings that might be best for them to declare
working through the application process with people
if something I really enjoy my education at BCC
is incredibly helpful to where I am now through the people that I
was able to me the connections that I was able to make
in the education it was incredibly education
the BCC men's and women's basketball teams have completed their fall schedule
at the break the man have a record of six and five while the women said at 4&7
both squads return to the court later this month check out the BCC website
for more information I like to take time now to thank our Fall 2013 interns for
lending a hand on the show
Adam kitchen Denise Pumagyay and Alec Johnson Cabral produce our student to
student segment
they had one final installment to present and it's a light-hearted
even comical look at new year's resolutions
hello I'm Alec Nicolice Johnson Cabral the 4th and today I'll be working with FRC
media
to interview people on their new year's resolutions lets see what we can find
hi I'm here Gerry and I was wondering what your new year's resolution would be this year
well I'm turning 65 today so my plan for the new years to get younger
how would that be working out for you as probably not gonna work no
I'm here with melanie Johnson otherwise known as Mom
who seem to be too busy typing on a keyboard so I would like to ask you what would
be a new year's resolution
next were here with mason Jakes and what I was wondering
what is your New Years resolutions
well I don't really talk to girl's so my new years resolution would be
just start talking to females as well can be mean
you smell bad too and were here with alexander proceco and
and what I was wondering what's your
new year's resolution it's Pacheco by the way
no one cares Dave not to the question
but my names not Dave you have to understand you just have to answer the questions it's not a hard thing
thing are you sure
are you sure I'm sure camera
can we do this you know you the one that kind of messes it up
you know what times up I don't even like you hello today were here with
Anthony Saveno what is your New Years resolution
that's a pretty noble resolution I have to say I'm prettier
I can't say anything funny about you it's pretty original
can't change anything at all it was nice meeting you sir you got a nice beard
well that's about it for the students side of the show and sadly
this internship is coming to an end but I would like to thank
everyone from SRC media you guys and gals have taught me so much in just such a
short amount of time
and I just want to thank you this is
you know this was a wonder to have the privilege to work with you guys
learn
have experience on the field and be able to do
this little comedy routine was just a wonder for me
so I just wanna thank you guys again and this is Alec Nicolice Johnson Cabral the 4th
that's all for around BCC this month I'm keith Tthibault
thanks for watching