The Massachusetts Women in Public Higher Education had a wonderful turnout for the Annual Conference held at Tucker’s Restaurant in Southwick on April 8, 2011. More than 150 women from higher education institutions across the state came out to Western Mass to learn all about the latest trends in Social Media and how they impact us in the higher education world.
We welcomed a panel of experts from our own schools – Andrea Milligan, Director of Distance Learning and Instructional Technology at North Shore Community College; Cindy Kane, Director of Student Involvement and Leadership at Bridgewater State University, and Teri Shiel, Reference and Information Instruction Librarian at Westfield State University. I was honored to moderate this panel of innovators as we discussed how Social Media has changed the way we do business, and how we must adapt and change to meet the needs of this generation of students.
After a delicious lunch from the staff at Tucker’s, we were excited to learn of the winners of our Student Achievement Scholarship Awards, presented by chair Tina Bones. Students earning these awards have had an exceptional academic career often while faced with adversity and difficult setbacks to their lives. The winners for this year are:
Taneisha Burton, Westfield State University
Monica Diaz, UMass Dartmouth
Laura Hurler, Holyoke Community College
Our Professional Development Awards were presented by chair Patricia Hanrahan. These awards are presented to women in public higher education to use towards furthering themselves professionally through conferences, classes, certifications, and the like. This year’s winners included:
Gloria Lopez, North Shore Community College
Katie Munroe, Bridgewater State University
Donna Carpenter, UMass Amherst
Following the conference, the panelists hosted a Social Media 101 workshop for any conference attendees who wished to hone their skills further. This interactive demonstration got participants familiar with how to use big social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn both on their computer and through smart technology like iPhones, Blackberries, and iPads.
On behalf of the Executive Board of MWPHE, we thank you all for attending our Annual Conference. Please mark your calendars for our next Annual Conference, Friday, April 13, 2012 at Spinelli’s in Lynnfield where our theme will focus on how to handle a toxic environment. I hope you will join us!
Fondly,
Kelly A. Galanis
Past-President
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