Day: November 14, 2019

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Rachel Rubinstein as its first vice president of Academic and Student Affairs.

Prior to her arrival, Rubinstein spent 16 years at Hampshire College in Amherst, where she was a professor of American Literature and Jewish Studies and from 2010 to 2018 served as dean of Academic Support and Advising.

At HCC, Rubinstein will oversee the divisions of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs in what is a newly unified role at the college.

“As dean of Academic Support and Advising at Hampshire, I was working with the entire school, across the curriculum, on student success and support,” Rubinstein said. “I worked with struggling students, and I worked with transfer students from community colleges, so the idea of a struggling student who is having academic issues not necessarily because they are underprepared but because of the challenges in their lives impinging on their ability to learn is familiar to me.”

The combined position is one of the features that attracted her to HCC. 

“I think most of the community colleges in Massachusetts have this model, and I think the alignment is so necessary,” she said. “What faculty are asked to do these days is very taxing because it’s not just about teaching anymore. It’s about advising. It’s about mentoring. It’s about student support. The issues that students are dealing with are tremendous, and faculty need help. These issues can’t be solved by just Academic Affairs. They also can’t be solved by Student Affairs. It has to be a coordinated effort.”

Rubinstein holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University and a Ph.D. from the Department of English and American Literature and Language at Harvard University.

A child of Mexican-born, Jewish immigrants, she grew up in a Spanish-speaking household and also studied Yiddish. Her academic studies, professional scholarship, and teaching have largely focused on immigration, migration, and multi-lingualism.

“The other thing that attracted me to HCC was Holyoke,” she said. “The prospect of being at an HSI [Hispanic-serving institution] was really appealing to me. Holyoke has a really deep history as a city of immigrants, and literature of immigration is what I do.”

Rubinstein was the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship and a Whiting Foundation Travel Fellowship. She has taught at Smith College and Mount Holyoke College and also taught adult learners and high-school students through community organizations including the Jones Library and the National Yiddish Book Center in Amherst. 

Her scholarly work includes two co-edited volumes, Arguing the Modern Jewish Canon: Essays on Literature and Culture in Honor of Ruth R. Wisse and the forthcoming Teaching Jewish-American Literature. She is the author of Members of the Tribe: Native America in the Jewish Imagination, which earned a Jordan Schnitzer Book Award honorable mention.

SPRINGFIELD — Smith & Wesson plans to separate from the outdoor products and accessories businesses of American Outdoor Brands Corp. (AOBC). Smith & Wesson changed its name to American Outdoor Brands in 2016.

Instead, the organization will include two separate companies: Smith & Wesson Brands Inc., which will encompass the firearms business, and American Outdoor Brands Inc., which will include the outdoor products and accessories businesses.

“There have been significant changes in the political climate as well as the economic, investing, and insurance markets since we embarked upon what we believe have been our very successful diversification efforts,” said Barry Monheit, chairman of the board, in a press release. “We believe that separating into two independent public companies will allow each company to better align its strategic objectives with its capital allocation priorities.

“We also believe that this action will give the investment community clearer insight into the value-creation potential in each of these independent companies, ultimately driving enhanced stockholder value,” he added. “From the standpoint of our stockholders, at the time of the spinoff, the AOBC stockholders will own 100% of each company, thereby maintaining their pre-spin interest in both companies, and will thereafter have the ability to make distinct investment decisions tailored to their particular investment profile.”

James Debney, currently president and CEO of American Outdoor Brands Corp., will lead American Outdoor Brands Inc., while Mark Smith, currently head of firearms manufacturing operations, will be CEO of Smith & Wesson Brands Inc.

SPRINGFIELD — At the launch of the college’s first major-gifts campaign in more than a decade, Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) President John Cook announced the naming of the Tuohey Family Welcome Center at the Student Learning Commons.

Brian Tuohey, a generous supporter of STCC, beamed with delight after hearing the news. His family, including his five children and 12 grandchildren, made a surprise appearance at the kickoff event on Oct. 22.

“It was absolutely a total surprise,” said Tuohey, president of the Collins Companies in East Windsor, Conn. and a longtime member of the STCC Foundation board of directors and its past president.

“I have been on for 25 years, and it has been a labor of love,” Tuohey told alumni, staff, retirees, and others at STCC’s Campaign for Student Success launch event. “We’re serving a community that needs our help. That’s been my motivation.”

About 60% of the students at STCC are the first in their families to go to college. While STCC is among the most affordable higher-education institutions in the state, 70% of the students rely on financial aid.

STCC Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs Denise Hurst said the STCC Foundation’s Campaign for Student Success helps to keep STCC affordable. The foundation is seeking corporate and private-sector support as well as contributions from individuals.

“To remain an accessible option, we need support from the community to raise money for scholarships and to pay for critical student services,” Hurst said. “Our major-gifts campaign supports our mission to help students transform their lives. We provide a pathway to higher education for the Springfield community, including first-generation college students, students of color, and low-income families. Despite being the most affordable option in Springfield, many of our students struggle to pay for their education and support their families. Your help can make a meaningful difference.”

Tuohey praised STCC for the quality of education it provides the community. “Three daughters came to STCC. They pursued undergraduate and graduate degrees from other universities and colleges. They would tell you the school that cared for them and the school that taught them was STCC.”

Tuohey highlighted STCC’s focus on workforce development as another reason why he supports the college. “STCC has 98 degrees and certificate programs, and 85 of these programs prepare our students to directly enter our workforce. We need STCC.”

President Cook thanked Tuohey. “For decades now, Brian has been a quiet leader in supporting this college,” Cook said. “His generosity has been significant and a blessing to this college.”

Also speaking at the kickoff of the major gifts campaign was Elizabeth Ryan, a graduate of the mechanical engineering technology program, who said working toward her degree was not easy, but the payoff was huge.

“During those two years, I learned skills necessary to start my career as a manufacturing engineer,” she said. “I had no idea of the opportunities that I would benefit from once I started at STCC. I wasn’t thinking about attending a four-year college. In fact, I didn’t even try to apply to any despite my guidance counselor’s advice. All I knew is, I didn’t want to have tens of thousands of dollars of student debt, and I wanted to start working in an industry that I had a passion for as quickly as possible. STCC made that happen for me.”

Ryan added, “I found a career I’m passionate for and juggled working full-time and going to school. I’ve bought a two-family house at 22 years old, and started volunteering for a few different educational boards.”

Each year, STCC and its foundation give more than $1 million in scholarships to students. The foundation relies on donations to help meet the college’s mission to support students. For more information about the foundation and to make a contribution, visit www.stcc.edu/give/foundation or contact Hurst at (413) 755-4197 or [email protected].

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Gas & Electric (HG&E) has earned a Smart Energy Provider (SEP) designation from the American Public Power Assoc. for demonstrating commitment to and proficiency in energy efficiency, distributed generation, and environmental initiatives that support a goal of providing low-cost, quality, safe, and reliable electric service.

Chris Van Dokkumburg, planning analyst at ‎Holland Board of Public Works and chair of the Energy Services Committee in Michigan presented the designations on Oct. 29 during the association’s annual Customer Connections Conference held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The SEP designation, which lasts for two years, recognizes public power utilities for demonstrating leading practices in four key disciplines: smart energy-program structure, energy-efficiency and distributed-energy programs, environmental and sustainability initiatives, and the customer experience. This is the first year the association has offered the SEP designation. HG&E joins a pioneering group of 60 public power utilities nationwide that received the inaugural SEP designation.

“This designation highlights utilities that are really stepping up to deliver their customers top-notch programs and services,” Van Dokkumburg said. “These utilities are going beyond keeping the lights on, and their communities should be proud.”

Added James Lavelle, manager of HG&E, “we’re honored to be recognized for our efforts to support our community’s responsible energy use. We take a lot of pride in the programs we offer that help our customers save money and reduce our collective footprint on the environment. It’s an honor to be recognized as a leader in smart energy from the American Public Power Association.”