EMPOWERING THE FUTURE
Delight Gavor, a member of Clark University’s Class of 2016, has received $10,000 from Davis Projects for Peace to implement her “Butterfly Effect Program” in a year-long curriculum for 200 eighth-graders at the Anyaa Community School in Ghana. “Imagine if these youth who find they bear the brunt of underdevelopment do not see education as pivotal to their success, so most do not even show up for school regularly and instead get involved in truant activities. This is a reality for about a thousand students who attend under-resourced government schools in Ghana,” Gavor wrote in her proposal. She said her program last year helped 36 students explore their interests and discover what they were good at (apart from academics), and encouraged them to use their interests to become socially responsible and solve community problems they identified themselves. This summer, Gavor is partnering with INTED (Institute of Teacher Education and Development) Africa and the Ghana Education Service to train the instructors who will be teaching the curriculum in the fall. Training will continue through Aug. 14. If the experience proves successful, Gavor will be allowed to share the curriculum with at least three other schools in the district in 2016, and possibly with the entire school district in the future. Gavor, who majors in psychology with a double minor in management and entrepreneurship, is a 2012 graduate of the SOS Hermann Gmeneir International College in Tema-Ghana.
MAKING MUSIC
Talented young musicians from around the world are busy attending the Chamber Music Institute at Holy Cross this week. It is the second year the school has run the program, which helps develop chamber music skills and nurture the individual talent of violinists, violists, cellists and pianists. The program culminates with two concerts in Brooks Concert Hall. The first of the free shows is Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m., featuring music by Brahms, Schumann, Mozart, Dvorak, Beethoven and Ravel. A performance on Saturday, June 27 at 2 p.m. will feature music by Shostakovich, Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, Dvorak and Brahms. There are 16 participants this year, ranging in age from 14-25 and hailing from the U.S., Korea, Colombia and Costa Rica.
FELLOWSHIP OF THE CREATIVE
Nine Clark University students were recently awarded Steinbrecher Fellowships to further their pursuits of original ideas, creative research and community projects this summer and during the 2015-16 academic year. They are Oyut Amarjargal, Class of 2017; Moises Duron, Class of 2016; Alicja Gancarz, Class of 2017; Devra Goldstein, Class of 2016; Brittany Klug, Class of 2016; Kayla Landis, Class of 2016; Julianne Murphy, Class of 2017; Sanika Shah, Class of 2016; and Yitao Shen, Class of 2016. “The newly-selected Steinbrecher Fellows all submitted excellent proposals that described very well the what, how, and why of their projects and also conveyed their excitement and passion about pursuing them,” said Professor Sharon Krefetz, director of the Steinbrecher Fellowship Program, adding, “the support the fellowships provide makes it possible for these students to pursue diverse projects in Europe, Asia, and South Africa, as well as in the United States, and then return to campus to share highlights of what they learned with each other and with the larger Clark community.”
SIMPLY FAB
Quinsigamond Community College recently became the state’s first community college to earn acceptance into the Fab Lab network. According to the Fab Foundation website, “Fab Labs are a global network of local labs enabling invention by providing access to tools for digital fabrication… creating opportunities to improve lives and livelihoods around the world.” There are 500 Fab Labs in 30 countries. Of the seven Fab Labs in Massachusetts, QCC’s is the only one outside Greater Boston. “Fab Labs provide access and tools to experiment – to take an idea and do something with it,” said Kathy Rentsch, Dean of Business, Engineering and Technology at QCC. “The idea behind Fab Labs is that you don’t have to have an advanced degree to operate the equipment. It’s a community-based resource, and all tools and software are free to use.” QCC will open its Fab Lab when the QuEST Center, the school’s new Engineering, Science and Technology building, opens in January 2016. It will be equipped with a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, 3D printers, a 3D scanner, a precision milling machine, molding and casting equipment, and Soldering equipment. Similar equipment will be available at the Innovative Technology Acceleration Center (ITAC) at QCC Southbridge, located at 5 Optical Drive.
VP A VIP AT CLARK
Clark University has appointed Jeff Gillooly as vice president for university advancement. In that position he will lead fundraising efforts and help broaden areas of engagement for alumni, families and friends as well as boost philanthropic efforts. “I am very pleased to have Jeff on board in this critical role,” Clark University President David Angel said. “Jeff brings a wealth of experience to the position, and will be a valuable member of our team as we enhance the Clark mission.” Gillooly was most recently assistant vice president for presidential advancement and university volunteer management for the University of Rochester, where he served since 2006. Before that, he was chief of staff for the president of Roger Williams University, and was associated dean of students at Newbury College and assistant director of student activities at Middlebury College. “Through family connections to Worcester, I have long admired Clark University, and in particular, President Angel’s outstanding leadership,” Gillooly said. “I appreciate the Clark mission and am very impressed by the amplification of liberal education through the University’s LEEP model. I look forward to being a part of Clark’s exciting future, and working to secure the resources needed to grow and strengthen this tradition of academic excellence.”
A (FUL)BRIGHT SUMMER
Hannah Kogut, a student at Clark University, will spend four weeks at Durham University in the U.K. as a Fulbright Summer Institute program participant. She will study British history and Hadrian’s Wall. Kogut will be a junior this fall at Clark, where she double-majors in history and screen studies. She is a 2013 graduate of Ellington High School in Connecticut.
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