STEM Faculty Mentors

I am Professor of Mathematics at Holyoke Community College and Principal Investigator on the NSF STEM Scholars 2.0 (#2030890) grant. Its mission (and really my mission) is to advance and support equitable educational practices by promoting culturally responsive and inclusive practices. I serve as a trainer and curriculum designer for CRP in various capacities on campus. I work within my spheres of influence to increase the visibility and recognition of those whose voices have been historically excluded in STEM and to help broader participation in STEM fields in general. My goal as a mentor is to support, applaud, inspire, connect with and advance the work and the talents our students already bring with them. I learn from my students as much, if not more than they learn from me. Their life experiences, knowledge and resilience are often humbling. Not to mention that mentoring has allowed me to become a better professor, too! I like veggies, kindness, the outdoors, all forms of creative expression, and coffee.

I am a Co-PI on the STEM Scholars grant, team teach STEMinar, mentor STEM students train STEM and other faculty on how to build culturally responsive pedagogy and equity into how they teach and what they teach. I mentor STEM students because I want to support the next generation of scholars and provide the support I did not receive when I started my college years in Biomedical engineering. This lack of support made me move from the hard sciences to the social sciences in a discipline that merges social science with hard sciences and more - medical anthropology. I am a Star Wars fan, I love cheesy Christmas movies, and I am a mom of an amazing 5-year-old human. I think to be your best self, you need to give yourself grace every day.

My work in STEM is Environmental Science Department Chair and Professor. I love working with students to achieve their dreams! I also love the outdoors, hiking and dog training! I even have two Labradors Chaya and Lina!

I am a professor of Astronomy at HCC and I am also the chair of the Department of Physical Sciences (Astronomy, Chemistry, Physics). I enjoy sharing my excitement for the subject matter, and I enjoy the energy and curiosity that students bring. Mentoring is a chance to help students grow in the ways I was helped, and I will always remember the mentors I had in my own journey. I also play nylon string guitar in a latin jazz band. I have two small kids. I spent part of my childhood in Chile and later in life got to work at a microwave telescope at 19,000 feet in the Andes in Chile.

My name is Beth Breton and I am currently the Dean of STEM here at HCC. My fields of interest in STEM are entomology and forensic science. The intersection of these two fields is to die for. The STEM students at HCC are an amazing resource. They bring a wealth and diversity of knowledge. They have inspiring ideas and lots of energy. They want to make a difference in their communities, and I want to help them achieve those goals. What is something you would like to share with others about you? (Likes/ Dislikes, Interests, Nuggets of Wisdom, etc.) I dislike: 1) Grasshoppers. I know, I know. It''s silly. Feel free to ask me for details next time you see me. 2) Neil Diamond and Meatloaf. You will never convince me otherwise. 3) Cold water. It takes me many minutes to move into the ocean or a cold pool. If you splash me, I will say very mean things to you. I like: 1) Popcorn. I eat it every day. 2) Archery. I am an USAA certified coach. 3) My family. I have two teenage daughters and a very patient husband. 4) Pets. We have two dogs, a snake, a frog, chickens, a pot-bellied pig, and three Nigerian dwarf goats. Thus, the patient husband. 5) Funny memes and GIFs. Feel free to hit me up. 6) Insects. Not being biased or anything, but they are the most interesting organisms on the planet.'

Hi! I'm Emily Rabinsky and I'm one of the faculty mentors. I'm a faculty member of the Biology Department at HCC but I love all areas of science and mathematics. My true passion is in biotechnology and the design of therapeutics—such as by making medicine more effective. I coordinate the biotechnology program at HCC and teach students about concepts such as genetic engineering and DNA analysis. I also love to teach Microbiology here at HCC. Outside of work, I love hiking, biking, gardening, and playing with my two boys.

I work at Holyoke Community College as a physics professor. I teach introductory physics, which is a two semester, two course sequence. I have taught astronomy in the past. I view mentoring in a variety of ways. It is a relationship that is unique for every situation. We work together. I try to provide whatever assistance or presence is needed to encourage and forward learning and making our lives more engaging and fulfilling. I think it is important that we see ourselves connected and in relationship with those we live and work with. I think building good connections and community is a high priority and the context in which learning and living thrive. The process should be positive and the result beneficial. I like nature and all forms of art. I like doing more than observing. Improving our ability to feel and empathize is as important as improving our ability to think and reason. ;-)

I am an associate professor in the Biology department, and I teach Intro to Cell Functions and Botany. I enjoy working with students inside and outside of the classroom. Mentoring is a way for me to connect with students and get a better sense of the challenges and struggles that many of them face. I truly enjoy seeing these same students overcome their obstacles and succeed. Helping students reach their goals is the biggest thrill. I have had some wonderful mentors, and I feel honored to be one now. Outside of school, I love running long distances in the woods, gardening, and knitting.

My name is Carolyn Wetzel and I am a full time faculty member in the Biology Department at HCC. I mostly teach Intro Bio for majors and some non-majors courses, but recently started teaching Genetics and have a 200-level Cell Biology course in the works. My professional passion is the cell and molecular biology of plants. My non-professional passions are traditional textile arts and gardening.

I am a professor of Mathematics at Holyoke Community College. To me mathematics is a language of the universe, the way the universe can be touched and felt. I am passionate about helping my students to be closer to nature using this universal and beautiful language of mathematics. Participating in this mentoring program I hope to help students to shape their interests in science by sharing my experiences. Born and raised in a different environment and education system, in Azerbaijan, I feel that I have some interesting and instructive experiences to share. At the same time, I consider mentoring as a “two way road” where mentees share their thoughts and interests with mentors./n Outside of the school, I like geopolitics, and looking at events happening in the world at large. I also like anything related to technology and science.

I am an adjunct in the Biology department currently teaching Microbiology and Intro to Cell Functions Lab. I got my Associates here at HCC in Biology in 2019, and then went to University of New Hampshire and received my BS in Genetics. I recently graduated from Bay Path with my MS in Lab Science, and completed a thesis project trying to find the genetic contributors linked to celiac disease. I worked for two years in a Cytology lab at Mercy, and have since followed my passion for teaching here at HCC. I mentor STEM students to help navigate the ever changing world of science, and to continue to get the understanding of learning from a students perspective. I have an English bulldog sister named Mabel. I love to travel and discover new places (my goal is to go to all 50 states). I also LOVE to bake in my spare time and cook when I have the motivation to!

I am a roboticist and research lead at the AI Institute in Cambridge, MA. I research techniques for making robots more easily adapt to changing environments and tasks. I currently work with the Boston Dynamics Spot robot and my focus is on software and AI. I mentor because I love working in STEM and I want to help and learn from others with similar interests. I like reading, running, and hanging out with my husband and five year old. I always wear mismatched socks and I drink hot chocolate instead of coffee :D

I am the STEM Starter Program Coordinator here at HCC! I began working at HCC January 2024 and I am excited to better learn my role as it pertains to assisting students reach their academic and career goals in STEM. My background is in African American Studies as well as Writing. While I do not have a STEM background, I have extensive knowledge on the inner working of how to be successful in college as I am pursuing my Phd in African American Studies at UMass. I enjoy reading books, crafting, watching tv, and attending comic conventions. I have a corgi named Boba who is my best friend.

I find mentoring students is a good way to learn more about a student and form a more in-depth connection. I hope that I am able to provide assistance and be a sounding board as students move through HCC and beyond. I love to travel and see new places. I especially enjoy the diversity of wildlife that I can find, but I am especially interested in birds (and sometimes they are interested in me!).

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