March 2024

From President & CEO Aisha Francis, PhD

Hello Development,

This issue of The Spark focuses on renewal and promises fulfilled, which is a breath of fresh air as we are coming out of the long winter season. Our newest milestone on the new campus construction was celebrating our groundbreaking on March 12th, which has left us all feeling invigorated, energized, and inspired. Now, we will transition to the construction phase, which brings its own special excitement.

You can keep track of our progress on our new purpose-built campus in Nubian Square via this link.

The groundbreaking ceremony—attended by more than 200 public and private sector partners, board members, faculty, staff, alumni, and our new neighbors in Nubian Square--was a joyous affair and a momentous occasion. Thank you for your continued interest in our relocation journey, as we make good on our plans to bring high-demand technical college education into Nubian Square, the heart of Boston and home to many of our students.

Please enjoy this photo gallery of the big event via this link.

Liberty Mutual Insurance Provides $2M in Support of New Campus in Nubian Square

In recognition of Liberty Mutual’s generous support of our new campus project, the rooftop deck of the Nubian Square building will be named the Liberty Level. The sustainably designed Liberty Level features two distinct spaces: the Liberty CleanTech Lab, designed to support project-based learning in clean technology and building energy management; and the Liberty Lookout, a rooftop social gathering space and student reception area. Learn more

Introducing the Faculty Innovation Fellows at FC Tech

In February, thanks to generous funding from the National Science Foundation, Axim Collaborative, and the Department of Labor, the college launched an exciting two-year pilot program to provide training, stipends, and professional development to Faculty Innovation Fellows who are creating cutting-edge, industry-informed curricula. Each Faculty Fellow has a concentration in one of the three areas below:

Project-based learning: Working with peer faculty coaches from Olin College, this will work to increase the number of our courses that use project-based learning as their primary pedagogy, with an emphasis on projects developed with industry partners.
Online and Hybrid Curriculum: This cohort is focused on converting current in-person courses to an interactive hybrid format, using proven practices and innovative tools for student engagement.
General education math courses: Working with The Calculus Project, this cohort will wholly redesign our math courses for the first time in more than a decade with the intent to improve student success rates and address achievement gaps among Black, Latinx, and multi-ethnic students.

Our goal with this professional programming is to dramatically improve student learning and engagement, while investing in the continuing education for our faculty, who are already committed to the career success of our graduates. We congratulate these faculty for their selection for these special fellowships:

Online/Hybrid Curriculum Fellows:

George Bourque

Zoe Clayton

Dr. Heather Duffy

Margaret Goodwyn

Dr. Fathima James

Kevin Silva

Blair Wong

Project-Based Learning Fellows:

Mozhgan Hosseinpour

Ryan Robinson

Dr. Parivash Hajiyani

Rachid Elaafer

Leslie Tuplin

Math Redesign Fellows:

Dr. Semiray Girgis

James Johanson

Peter Kang

Deja Monroe

Over the course of the next year, the Faculty Innovation Fellow's projects will be featured in future issues of The Spark.

Clotilde Varela Is Ready to Enter the Male-Dominated Software Development Field

Student Clotilde Varela relays in this video interview that the education and support she has received at Franklin Cummings Tech has prepared her to succeed in her chosen field. Scheduled to graduate this May with an associate degree in Computer Information Technology (Software Development concentration), Varela has prepped for industry certifications she will soon pursue, completed several internships, and been selected for a special program with National Grid that matched her with a mentor who is also a woman and an immigrant succeeding in a male-dominant field, like Clotilde. Click here or on the image below to watch the video

Clotilde Varela is ready for the male-dominated world of computer information technology.

Black Excellence Business Exchange

The College's Student Success office partnered with Roxbury Main Streets to host this fun and informative on-campus event in celebration of Black History Month. The lunch time program included a panel of Black entrepreneurs offering advice about how to balance professional success with good mental and physical health, great food, and the chance to check out products and services from local Black-owned small businesses located in Nubian Square where the new campus will be located. Learn more

Upcoming Panels/Speaking Engagements

Franklin Cummings Tech's leadership, faculty, and staff often serve as expert panelists and speakers. Here are a few upcoming appearances you should check out:

March 19: President and CEO Aisha Francis, PhD is a panelist for The Environmental League of Massachusetts Advisory Council's "The Opportunity Is Now" event Learn more
March 19: Dean of Academics Marvin Loiseau, PhD is a panelist at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's BuildingEnergy Boston conference session "Building as Teacher: Education, Resilience, and Sustainability from the Inside Out" Learn more
March 26: Computer Information Tech Lecturer Ritesh Mukherjee speaks at the International Wireless Communications Expo. Learn more

Franklin Cummings Tech is especially grateful for the support from the following supporters, without whom our work would not be possible. Thank you!

To learn more about how your company can support our educational mission and be highlighted in future issues of The Spark, please email Eliza Wilson, Executive Director of Development Operations.

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