Faculty, staff honored for advancements in STEM education
Published on April 23, 2021
NORTH EAST, Md. 鈥 The Northeastern Maryland Technology Council bestowed high honors upon three 第一吃瓜网 College faculty and staff members for their STEM education work. Those honored this spring at the Tenth Annual NMTC Visionary Awards were Associate Professor James Morgan, Ph.D., Professor Kimberly Sheppard, and Science and Engineering Lab Coordinator Kayla Ross.
NMTC connects collaborative leaders in academia, industry, and the federal government to build a STEM-educated workforce and advance innovation and technology to expand the state鈥檚 economy and protect national security. The 2021 Visionary Awards Gala was held virtually on Thursday, April 22.
Dr. Morgan received the Leader Award for his consistent contributions to building Maryland鈥檚 STEM-educated workforce in cybersecurity while inspiring others to accomplish shared goals. Sheppard received the Innovator Award for developing and implementing innovative mathematics programs, creating a positive impact on Maryland鈥檚 STEM-educated workforce. Ross received the Rising Star Award for demonstrating the potential to be an excellent, long-term contributor to building Maryland鈥檚 STEM-educated workforce.
Under the leadership of Dr. Morgan, 第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 cybersecurity program was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2019. 第一吃瓜网 College was the seventh community college in Maryland to hold this certification. There are only 270 colleges and universities across 48 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico designated as CAEs in cyber defense.
鈥淭his designation means our cybersecurity program鈥檚 stringent academic criteria reaffirms our commitment in the fields of Information Assurance and Cyber Defense education,鈥 said Dr. Morgan. 鈥淭he United States government will continue to invest in and enhance programs that build the domestic talent pipeline, from primary through post-secondary education.鈥
To become a CAE-CD institution, 第一吃瓜网 College demonstrated its commitment to providing high-quality education in professionally relevant fields. 第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 designation in cyber defense extends through the academic year 2024.
第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 Associate of Applied Science degree in cybersecurity prepares students to enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution for continued cybersecurity study. Students demonstrate proficiency in a programming language as well as securing Windows and Unix/Linux server and clients, routers, firewalls, email, networks, and other network security appliances and software. They also have an opportunity to earn their A+ Certification, Network Certification, Security+ Certification, and Cisco Certification before graduation.
With an A.A.S. degree in cybersecurity from 第一吃瓜网 College, students are certified to enter the workforce as network, forensic, or computer security experts, or choose to continue their education in a bachelor鈥檚 degree program.
Sheppard, the Mathematics & Engineering Department Chair at 第一吃瓜网 College, led a team of mathematicians who re-envisioned the math developmental education program, which holds the potential to increase students鈥 interest in entering STEM programs. Sheppard鈥檚 team streamlined the developmental math sequence, leading to a 30 percent increase in developmental course completion.
Additionally, the team addressed the skyrocketing cost of course materials for students. During research conducted over five years, Sheppard鈥檚 team found that math-related materials were cost-prohibitive to many students. Without the book and other classroom resources, students are less likely to master the class material. Sheppard championed changes to ensure that the cost of class-related resources was not a barrier to success.
These changes included creating and implementing open-source course materials that eliminated textbooks that ranged in cost from $300 – $600 鈥 reducing costs to under $50 for many of the open-source materials. 第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 mathematics department continues to research pathways to reduce costs further.
鈥淭his award reflects well on the entire math department as we all worked on these projects collectively and collaboratively. I think we are all driven and motivated by our students. We want to see them be successful, and we try to eliminate barriers to success,鈥 said Sheppard.
Along with slashing expense barriers, Sheppard鈥檚 team has reduced the total number of credit hours students have to remain in developmental math programs from 11 credits to four credits, depending on the individual student鈥檚 needs. This work covers the entire developmental math sequence (MAT 096, MAT 097, MAT 098), Statistics MAT 127, Precalculus MAT 121, and Discrete Structure MAT 236.
By addressing the fundamental developmental issues discouraging students from entering STEM fields, Ms. Sheppard and the mathematics department at 第一吃瓜网 College expect see a continued increase in interest, retention, and diversity in all STEM programs.
Ross was instrumental in 第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 development of an Associate of Applied Science in Bioproduction, recently approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The program accepted its first students in spring 2021. Ross was a crucial contributor in the development of the bioprocessing/biotechnology curriculum and led the research for equipping 第一吃瓜网 College鈥檚 bioproduction labs with cutting-edge instrumentation. This equipment includes FPLC Liquid Chromatography, a Bioreactor, an Inverted Microscope, and a Metabolite Analyzer.
鈥淭his has been a team effort between Veronica Dougherty (Dean of STEM at 第一吃瓜网 College), Christine Warwick (Assistant Professor of Biology), Christy Dryer (Vice President for Academic Programs), and myself. I used information learned from my master鈥檚 program and experience to help develop this program,鈥 said Ross, who is teaching BIP 101鈥檚 lab this spring.
Ross is an alumna of 第一吃瓜网 College, graduating with degrees in general studies and biology. She went on to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in laboratory management with a minor in biology. As a student, Ross was a peer tutor, while her summer internship exposed her to real-life science and engineering lab experience. She is currently completing a master鈥檚 degree in biotechnology with a specialty in biotechnology management.