HCC Welcomes Adrienne Smith as Interim STEM Dean

HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) recently welcomed Adrienne Smith as interim dean of its division of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM).

Smith brings 13 years of community-college experience to HCC, most recently as the dean of the School of Engineering, Technologies, and Mathematics at Springfield Technical Community College. Prior to that, she served as associate professor and coordinator of Electronics Technology at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. Her professional accomplishments span many areas of academic program development and enhancement, enrollment management and retention, diversity responsiveness, and regional and community partnership coordination.

Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in science, engineering, and math from Western New England University, where she was the first African-American woman to graduate with a degree in engineering, and she earned a doctorate in education from UMass Amherst with competencies in community-college leadership, educational polices, and administration.

“I love being in STEM,” she said. “I’m very passionate about STEM, but I’m more passionate about increasing the numbers of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM. That was the subject of my dissertation.”

A graduate of Springfield Technical High School, Smith started her professional life as an electrical engineer (and the first female engineer) at Digital Equipment Corp. in Springfield.

“I am quite confident that Adrienne’s depth of experience and knowledge as an engineer, as a full-time faculty member at a community college, and her administrative and management skills in the STEM disciplines will make her an asset to the HCC community,” said Monica Perez, HCC vice president of Academic Affairs.