All posts by blenon

New Employee, NOVA IET

New IET Employee Spotlight

Chris Russell: IET Project Manager

Chris was first drawn to STEM outreach in high school, where he worked as a robotics camp instructor and a peer tutor. Chris earned his BS in Chemistry Education from the University of Virginia, an MA in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and will defend his PhD in Screen Cultures at Northwestern in December 2021. His dissertation, “Nerds, Hackers, and Gamers: Performing Masculinity in Computing Cultures,” examines the historical relationship between masculinity and computers as it developed during the 80s and 90s. In addition to his historical work, Chris has worked to broaden participation in the STEM disciplines through developing inclusive and research-centered outreach programs.

Prior to coming to NOVA, Chris was a research fellow at the Game Changer Design Lab at the University of Chicago, where he worked to design and implement game-based STEM enrichment camps for at-risk youth. After his tenure at Game Changer, Chris went on found his own educational game company, working with Ashburn non-profit JASON Learning to publish a suite of analog games for middle school science classrooms. At NOVA, he hopes to help grow the IET division’s capacity to produce innovative STEM programs and integrate empirically-proven strategies into practice.

Chris recently moved to Fairfax, VA and can be found surveying regional playgrounds with his two kids, Kieran and Maya.

Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Publicity, SkillsUSA

NOVA Computer Science Students are SkillsUSA Winners!

Two of our NOVA Computer Science Students – Sesol Han (not pictured) and Arienbelle Aguila (with Skills USA Executive Director Chelle Travis) – finished 1st and 2nd in the SkillsUSA VA Leadership Conference in the post-secondary computer science competition!

(See Twitter and Facebook posts about the event).

Sesol Han was named State Champion and will compete virtually in the computer science division at SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference at the end of June.

In addition, NOVA student Da Nguyen Ngo participated in the SkillsUSA “Connect to My Future” Conference. These conferences allow NOVA students to showcase their skills in computer science, meet other students, and develop further skills that will help them succeed in the job market.

During the 2020-21 school year NOVA started a chapter of SkillsUSA thanks to the InNOVAtion Grant provided by the NOVA Foundation.  During this pilot year, three faculty members: Ryan Ammons (computer science), Kwabena “KK” Konadu (cybersecurity), and Babur Kohy (cybersecurity) were recruited as advisors.  These faculty members recruited 30 students (seven in computer science and 23 in cybersecurity) for the club.

NOVA SySTEMic plans to expand the SkillsUSA club at NOVA for the 2021-22 school year, including adding additive manufacturing program.

#CompSci #WeDoSTEM #BoldlyNOVA

 

CLRI, Community Partnerships, STEM Careers

NOVA Students Recognized for CLRI Success

The Career & Leadership Readiness Institute (CLRI) at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) celebrated the completion of its inaugural year with a virtual celebration for 35 NOVA students and alumni who received certificates of completion and an address from NOVA President, Dr. Anne Kress!

Requirements to obtain the certificate included completing a variety of workshops including topics such as Resume Preparation, Interviewing, Networking, Diversity & Equity Inclusion in the workplace, communication and conflict resolution and other sessions highlighting how to professionally stand out from the crowd. Students delivered a final project to complete their CLRI certification.

Over 500 individuals attended activities throughout the semester and late last-year.  Orientation sessions were offered from November-January and 21 workshops, panels and information sessions led by 29 various community partners were offered during 8 weeks of the Spring 2021 semester.   Captioning services were provided for every session and as well as an opportunity for NOVA ASL interpreting students to practice their interpreting skills.

CLRI’s first goal is to provide opportunities for students to engage in career and leadership readiness training and networking activities with the NOVA community and employers to increase career connections.  The second goal is to prepare NOVA students with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to navigate a diverse workplace. It is an optional program for NOVA students and does not have any academic credits or grades tied to it.

Participants at the Virtual Recognition Celebration received a NOVA Polo, an embossed padfolio, and an engraved NOVA pen along with their certificate of completion. Community partners received a special NOVA engraved pen.

The CLRI is a 2020-21 InNOVAtion Grant sponsored by the NOVA Foundation. This grant sponsored initiative was submitted and implemented by Brittany Hollis, IET Career Coach and Tiffanie Rosier, SySTEMic STEM Education Coordinator.

A couple of responses from students who completed the course:

“I appreciate very much all the enthusiasm and dedication you have transmitted to us through your excellent work. The knowledge and skills acquired are and will be very valuable for our professional development. Thank you for your time and continuous monitoring so that we can complete each required step. I would absolutely recommend you for future activities!”
Kelly S.

“Thank you to all the Employers/Partners that came to the CLRI workshops. You were wonderful, helpful, kind and insightful. You were an amazing group of men and women who work in the fields of interest and were able to answer our questions and give us amazing feedback and connections for the future.”
Marijane D.

 

CTE Fellowships, Employee Spotlight

Congrats to our ACTE PLSP Fellows!

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) has selected two members of our team, Tiffanie Rosier and Aleksander Marthinussen for the distinct honor of being named as 2021 Fellows for the Post-Secondary Leadership Success Program (PLSP). Only 20 Fellows were selected NATIONWIDE, so to have two from the same program at the same college is quite an achievement!
The vision for the PLSP-ECMC Foundation Fellowship is to help develop the leadership skills of current and emerging postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) professionals with an emphasis on addressing the needs of under-served populations.
The Fellows will be exposed to such topics as the future of CTE; building stronger alliances with secondary CTE and dual credit; building strong business-education partnerships and creating high quality work-based learning opportunities for students as well as interaction with leaders from governmental education agencies across the US.
Tiffanie Rosier:
Tiffanie serves as a STEM Education Coordinator for NOVA SySTEMic. Her role is to facilitate and coordinate STEM integration and Career Exploration activities at all grade levels from K-12 to Community College in various in person and now virtual formats. Tiffanie also works to develop relationships with higher education and business partners to coordinate activities for student’s academic, career and professional development. Tiffanie coordinates regularly scheduled STEM/CTE Workshops for students and potential students on topics related to career and professional development activities, along with information about academic programs at NOVA.
Aleksander Marthinussen:
Aleksander holds a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Narvik University College in Norway, where he was born and raised. Before relocating to the U.S. in 2008, he worked for the European Space Agency, Norwegian Space Center and Andoya Space with student outreach and teacher professional development in STEM. Aleksander is the Program Manager for NOVA SySTEMic, the College’s STEM Outreach Program. He provides leadership and coordination of STEM activities in the community such as STEM summer camps, STEM expos, STEM workshops and other outreach activities.
Check out all the 2021 Fellows who are changing the face of CTE
STEM Careers, STEM Education, STEM Grants

Grant Award for NOVA Engineering Tech/DCO

NSF Funds DCO Tech: Expanding Regional Capacity for Engineering Technology and Data Center Operations Education.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded NOVA a three-year grant, set to begin in July 2021, to advance NOVA’s educational pathways to engineering technology careers.

Principle Investigator (PI) Josh Labrie, Director of NOVA SySTEMic, the college’s STEM outreach program, is excited to build community awareness for NOVA’s engineering technology programs: “This is an excellent moment to raise awareness at the secondary level for these high-paying and in-demand career opportunities in the region by reaching students, educators and career counselors through the grant.”

Co-PI’s Amir Mehmood and TJ Ciccone, NOVA IET faculty members for the engineering technology and data center operations (DCO) specialization, will lead several pieces of the project including a 2-week summer bridge program and additional data center industry engagement. Ciccone, who is Vice-President of Operations at STACK Infrastructure alongside his NOVA IET Faculty role, said “I couldn’t be prouder to participate in this program and provide students the access they need to build the lives they want. I believe in the power of education to transform lives, and this grant is just one of the many initiatives to support that mission.”

Virginia has the largest data center market in the United States – almost as much as the second-through-fifth largest markets combined. Due to favorable regulations adopted by the Virginia legislature, data center capacity is forecast to continue growing. As advanced computing techniques, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, increasingly require access to cloud-based infrastructure, the need for data center technicians, engineers, and technicians will grow quickly alongside data center capacity.

Correspondingly, Micron Technology has announced a $3 billion expansion in northern Virginia to address the need for trained technicians and engineers.

DCO Tech: Expanding Regional Capacity for Engineering Technology and Data Center Operations Education is primarily focused on studying and expanding the educational pathway of students preparing for careers in engineering technology. The grant will expand NOVA’s newly revised engineering technology programs through improved recruitment, employment training, and by fostering a community of practice between industry, secondary educators, and NOVA faculty. It will also expand the workforce pipeline for engineering technology in the northern Virginia region and partner with industry to ensure that students are prepared for careers in the data center industry.

DCO Tech will increase the regional supply of engineering technology technicians through the following components: (1) a two week summer bridge program  focused on career exploration and hands-on learning; (2) an internship preparatory programdesigned to support students in developing career readiness; (3) an externship for high school educators and industry professionals to develop first-hand knowledge of regional career pathways for engineering technology; and, (4) a veterans outreach program to inform military-connected students of NOVA’s engineering technology programs.

If interested in learning more about NOVA’s engineering technology or data center programs go to www.nvcc.edu/iet or contact IET@nvcc.edu

 

 

Cybersecurity, IET Events

NOVA Cybersecurity Team Finalists at Mid-Atlantic CCDC

Congratulations to the NOVA Cybersecurity team that placed 7th in qualifying for the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MACCDC). Under the leadership of NOVA Cyber Faculty Kwabena Konadu and William McLaughlin, NOVA students Marijane Dicello (captain), Ardian Peach (co-captain), Ho Lee, Kiran Sameem (pictured above) and Tharwat Ghet, Jonathan Kim, and Obaid Rahman Sabori (not pictured) will advance to the MACCDC regional championship on April 2nd and 3rd.

Click Here for our Cybersecurity promo video featuring NOVA students.

Click Here for more info on NOVA’s Cybersecurity Program

The MACCDC is presented by Raytheon Intelligence & Space and run by the National CyberWatch Center.  It provides a unique experience for higher education students to test their knowledge and skills in a competitive environment.  The competition focuses on the operational aspects of managing and protecting an existing network infrastructure. The NOVA team prepared for the competition the entire semester by working through challenging problems in the areas of computer and network design, forensics, system configuration, and infrastructure protection.

The competition focuses more on operational task of assuming administrative and protective duties for an existing commercial infrastructure.  Groups of students from different universities and colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region were assessed based on their ability to detect and respond to outside threats, maintain availability of existing services such as mail servers, database servers, web server, respond to business requests such as the addition or removal of additional services, and balance security needs against business operational requirements.

This year (2021), NOVA is among the 8 Qualifying MACCDC Round Finalists which includes the following 4 year colleges and universities: George Mason University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Liberty University, University of Pittsburgh, Old Dominion University, Millersville University, and Capitol Technology University.

NOVA placed 7th out of the 23 colleges and universities below.

Qualifying Round Teams 

  1. Bowie State University, MD
  2. Capitol Technology University, MD
  3. Christopher Newport University, VA
  4. Community College of Baltimore County, MD
  5. East Carolina University, NC
  6. George Mason University, VA
  7. James Madison University, VA
  8. Liberty University, VA
  9. Marshall University, WV
  10. Millersville University, PA
  11. Northern Virginia Community College, VA
  12. Old Dominion University, VA
  13. Rutgers University, NJ
  14. Saint Vincent College, PA
  15. The Penn State University, PA
  16. The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, VA
  17. Towson University, MD
  18. University of Maryland Baltimore County, MD (2 teams)
  19. University of Maryland College Park, MD
  20. University of Maryland Global Campus, MD
  21. University of Pittsburgh, PA
  22. University of Virginia, VA (2 teams)
  23. West Virginia University, WV

NVCC Students/Team Members

Marijane Dicello: Captain
Ardian Peach: Co-Captain
Romaric Agondohoui
Tharwat Ghet
Jonathan Kim
Ho Lee
Obaid Rahman Sabori
Kiran Sameem

Team Judge, Coaches, and Management

Evelyn Adu-Gyamfi: CCDC Judge (Volunteer)
Michael Hancock:  Coach/Executive Director, AllCyber.org/Professor (Volunteer)
Tyrone Guiden:  Coach/Deputy Executive Director, AllCyber.org (Volunteer)
Kwabena Konadu (KK):   Coach/Management/NOVA Professor
William McLaughlin (Mac):  Coach/Management/NOVA Professor

Team Trainers

Bishnu Karki:  Director of Training, AllCyber.org (Volunteer)
Tyler Quigley:  Red Team Captain/Director of Engineering, AllCyber.org (Volunteer)
Jessica Lee:  Blue Team Trainer (Volunteer)

Sources/Links: https://maccdc.org/competition/

 

Fab Lab

Fab Lab Events March – April 2021

NOVA Fab Lab Design Challenge 

The NOVA Fab Lab Design Challenge is due April 15! The Challenge is to invent and design a product which transforms typical household items or materials into a toy or game.  

Open to middle school, high school, and college students.  Grand prize winner will receive a 3D Printer, design software, and fabrication of their product!  For more details visit www.nvcc.edu/systemic/fablab.html

Virtual Fab Lab Tours 

Would you like to learn more about the NOVA Fab Lab? Then attend a virtual tour and live information session. You will have an opportunity to ask questions, see images and videos of lab activities, and receive an overview of Fab Lab programs.  Free and open to the public. April 29 and May 21.

Register at http://steminar.novastem.us/Register 

NOVA Fab Lab Presents at the ACCT National Legislative Summit

On February 8 the NOVA Fab Lab had the opportunity of presenting a live virtual Design Challenge at the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) National Legislative Summit.  Participants were given time to collaborate on an interactive whiteboard to brainstorm ideas for a SWAG (promotional item) alternative that illustrates the awesomeness of Community College education.  One solution was chosen: a business card like multi-tool, with QR code linking to the college website, and the catchphrase – Instant degree…just add time.  As participants finalized the design, the multi-tool was quickly prototyped and created on a laser cutter via live video!  

 

Community Partnerships, NOVA Fab Lab, STEM Courses, STEM Education, STEM Events, STEM Resources Online, Virtual STEMinars

Virtual STEMinars and Fab Lab Tours this Fall

Virtual STEMinars are back! We are running virtual FAB LAB tours and info sessions and virtual workshops that include a Maker Club, a Laser Fabrication Workshop, Video Game Development and more, starting in October. Many STEMinars are HANDS-ON, as we will send you materials that you work on with an instructor virtually leading the course on Zoom.

Events and courses listed below:

LLI Fab Lab Virtual Tour & Industry 4.0
These special sessions will include images and videos of the facility, an overview of Fab Lab activities, and a presentation on Industry 4.0 (IoT).  Session options are being offered to members of the Manassas Lifelong Learning Institute on October 16th and November 13th at 10:00 am.

Register at https://reg138.imperisoft.com/LLI-Manassas/Search/Registration.aspx
(must be a LLI member to register for this event).

Virtual Tour & Info Session:  NOVA Fab Lab
Would you like to learn more about the NOVA Fab Lab? Then attend this virtual tour and live information session.  You will have an opportunity to ask questions, see images and videos of lab activities, and receive an overview of Fab Lab programs. Open to the public and registration is required. Free.  November 6th from 2:00-2:45 pm.

Register here:  http://steminar.novastem.us/Register

Virtual Maker Club
Have your kids take a break from the screen and tinker with some hands-on STEM activities.  Over the course of four weeks a weekly project will be provided that will include activities such as:  building a tiny robot, creating circuits, using a DIY conductive probe to design experiments, building a wind turbine to move objects, and completing a design challenge using items from around the house.  Directions and printed extension activities will be provided so that participants can explore at their own pace.  An optional live virtual session will be provided once a week to provide an overview, support, sharing, and assistance with extension activities.  A materials kit will be mailed, but participants will need: a Phillips screwdriver, a fan, 100 pennies, tape, scissors, liquid glue, and recycling bin materials.  Recommended for children in grades 4 – 8.  Cost $72 ($60 for NOVA staff/faculty/students). Two session options beginning October 26th andNovember 24th.

Register here:  http://steminar.novastem.us/Register

Laser Workshop:  Design Thanksgiving Pie Toppers
Design personalized pie toppers that will then be fabricated and mailed to you.  You will learn how to design in Inkscape, a free graphics and drawing software, while learning how lasers can be used to cut and engrave. Ages 16 and older. Cost $20 ($16 for NOVA staff/faculty/students). Live virtual session on November 2nd from 7:00-9:00 pm.

Register here: http://steminar.novastem.us/Register

Makers by Design Challenge Series
The goal of a Maker is to produce better products – but what defines a “better product?” What is a better product in the age of Digital Fabrication? Machines might have assimilated hard skills, but the soft skills necessary for innovation have yet to be adopted.  This 4-part STEMinar and optional lab(s) addresses these concerns by identifying the soft skills required in Digital Fabrication. Topics will include: Design Thinking, brainstorming, user-empathy, rapid ideation, prototyping, and making as an iterative non-sequential process. The series will conclude with the presentation of a design challenge and competition, with the winning members’ product being fabricated in our own Fab-Lab. Open to current 9-12th graders and college students.  Sessions run from 7:00 – 8:00 pm on Tuesday, November 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th .

Registration is for all 4 sessions, while the Optional Labs have a separate registration.  FREE.

Register here:  http://steminar.novastem.us/Register

Video Game Development using Scratch
Enhance your Scratch coding skills while developing a video game!  Participants must have prior and intermediate level experience using Scratch.  A four-session series with each session building on the previous.  For grades 6 – 9th on Wednesdays Oct. 28th, Nov. 4th, 11th, & 18th at 7:00 pm.  FREE.

Register here:  http://steminar.novastem.us/Register

 

 

 

Community STEM Teams, Robotics, Virtual Events

Sign Up for Virtual Community Robotics Teams!

 

VEX Community Teams

We now have open registration for our virtual VEX Community Robotics Teams Fall session, which will run from October 5 until December 9. The Fall session is for continuing students as well as new students, who will learn teamwork, problem solving, and creative technical skills while using the VEX Robotics platform. Students will build a standard robot that could be used to compete during the 2020-21 VEX Robotics Season. They will learn more about the modifications and design of the robot. Discussion on this year’s game strategy and preparations for possible competitions will be presented as well.

This virtual session will be a hybrid session in which each student will check out and borrow a robotics kit to work with, but all the instruction will be offered virtually in 90 minute blocks twice a week. Kits will need to be picked up at our NOVA Manassas campus (Manassas Battleview Technology Center – MBV) using proper social distancing measurements. Kits will be returned at the end of the session.

Registration here: vexcommunityteam.novastem.us/register

VRC will run from Oct 5 to Dec 9
VEX IQ from Oct 6 to Dec 10. Cost is $249 per student.

Community Partnerships, Employee Spotlight, Publicity, STEM Awards

NOVA SySTEMic Coordinator Nominated for Gov Award

Tiffanie Rosier, our Woodbridge STEM Coordinator, has been nominated for a 2020 Governor’s Honor Award for Personal and Professional Excellence. Tiffanie specializes in STEM Career Exploration, and has been particularly adept at transitioning STEM Career events into a virtual platform, connecting with both students and the corporate world. Tiffanie has also taken on the role of Remote Student Support (RS3) for NOVA IET.

Summary of Nomination
Ms. Rosier is admired by her NOVA SySTEMic team for her positive outlook, willingness to help, and her commitment to the students at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Ms. Rosier is currently associated with the Perkins Grant Committee and in collaboration with team members to further CTE efforts. Ms. Rosier constantly seeks out and shares opportunities to encourage career development or participate in events to anyone she encounters within the NOVA community.

Significance
The recent restrictions to in-person events due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant there was a need to quickly adapt to a “new normal”. Ms. Rosier put her resilience and resourcefulness to good use to make sure this would be accomplished.

Initiative and Creativity
Without the ability to host in-person events, the career focused, Ms. Rosier, focused her energy into seamlessly transitioning into a virtual platform; allowing accessibility to a broader, diverse
audience. Ms. Rosier’s numerous connections in the corporate world has allowed her to provide greater exposure to all NOVA students. Most recently, she partnered with NOVA’s Career Connection team and organizations like Leidos and LinkedIn to make engaging and educational virtual events accessible during a critical time when employment was a concern for many students.

Ms. Rosier also recently stepped in to fill the need within the Information and Engineering Technologies Division as a Remote Student Support (RS3) advisor. Within four months, Ms. Rosier has taken ownership of this new role and is actively involved in guiding new and current students.

Benefit
She continues to coordinate with NOVA faculty and staff to offer professional and personal growth opportunities and has reached over 800 students in the past year. As an RS3 Advisor, Ms.
Rosier, successfully connected with upwards of 300 students and 25 military veterans to provide them advising, guidance in course sections, and completing financial aid requirements. Every individual Ms. Rosier reaches will be more prepared for their educational and career path because of her efforts.

Mission
In line with the mission of Northern Virginia Community College, Ms. Rosier delivers exceptional service to the college as well as the community. Her dedication to career development has proven to inspire students to set goals, challenge themselves, and explore opportunities in Northern Virginia’s competitive workforce.

Quote from Nominee
“I am honored to receive the nomination for the Personal & Professional Excellence Award! I consider myself a lifelong learner and people have always shared information with me about the importance of personal and professional development as early as my college years.  I try to seize any opportunity that I can to learn something new or enhance myself by strengthening myself in other areas.  I am a firm believer in giving and giving back and leave no one behind.  I try to share all that I can with others, in order to support them in thinking about their own personal or professional development needs.”