Hudson Valley Community College’s Director of Global Initiatives Dr. Jay Deitchman, who was recently appointed to represent the college on the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP) Board of Directors, traveled to Jamaica, along with Associate Professor (Computer Science & Mathematics) Joel Glickman, to both represent the college and serve as presenters, at the WFCP World Congress in September. Dr. Deitchman presented on the Global Citizenship Affinity Group, of which he is a member of the Leadership Team. Joel Glickman offered a presentation entitled “Improving Learning Outcomes in Mathematics Education through Directed Use of Generative AI Socratic Tutor.”
Hudson Valley Community College was the recipient of six prestigious WFCP Awards of Excellence at this year’s World Congress, for the following projects:
- Bronze – Applied Research and Innovation Award: Students in the Undergraduate Research Program conducted a three-year advanced study on water quality in the Hudson River, analyzing enteric bacterial load and testing for antibiotic resistance.
- Gold – Construction Award: Students in the Construction Technology A.A.S. and Construction Certificate programs conducted studies on energy efficiency and making modular housing green, and partnered with students visiting from Herningsholm Vocational College in Denmark to complete a nature trail bridge project.
- Silver – Cyber and Data Security Award: The college partnered with Cisco, the industry leader in computer networks, to offer networking courses that prepare students for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Levels 1, 2, and 3 certification exams, an industry-standard credential.
- Gold – Strategic Leadership Award: The college collaborated with the Ministry of Public Education in Costa Rica to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to promote educational, technical, and linguistic cooperation between the two institutions. The partnership led to the creation of non-credit English language acquisition courses delivered remotely to public school teachers in Costa Rice to help improve English language proficiency.
- Silver – Tourism and Hospitality Award: At the Capital District EOC’s Cuisine & Community: Support for Refugees and Asylum Seekers event, EOC chefs/instructors Taffy Elrod-Ljikovic and Chris Heath supervised Culinary Arts students to provide a meal for more than 200 refugees and asylum seekers, and the EOC collaborated with other organizations to provide vital goods and services.
- Bronze – Outstanding Student Achievement Award (Ledina Banushllari, ‘23): Before graduating from Hudson Valley in 2023, international student Ledina Banushllari made many contributions to the college, serving as the student trustee on the college’s board; secretary of HVCC’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society; and president of the Engineering Science Club. She was also involved with the college’s newspaper; served as a peer tutor; and worked as a tour guide for the Admissions Office. Her willingness to serve the community and act as a role model secured her nomination.
The WFCP awards program recognizes outstanding contributions from member institutions and associations in advancing professional and technical education and training for the global economy. The college received two Awards of Excellence at the World Congress in Montreal on April 25, 2023: a bronze award for Global Citizenship and a silver award for Strategic Leadership.
Formally established in 2002, the WFCP offers members “a forum to exchange best practices and promote professional and technical education and training across the globe,” with a vision of becoming “the principal international network for colleges, institutes and polytechnics.” Hudson Valley Community College joined the organization in 2022.