UTICA, N.Y. — Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) in the week following Labor Day welcomed three faculty members from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) in the Dominican Republic.

The instructors traveled to Utica to explore MVCC’s approach to strengthening education in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Gladys Nunez, Rosa Almonte, and Reina Raveras — all mathematicians and part of UASD’s STEAM education project — visited MVCC in Utica on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5. It was part of a UASD training program aimed at strengthening professors’ skills in implementing active, innovative, and contextualized methodologies from a STEM perspective.

While on campus, they were involved in a series of activities to highlight MVCC’s approach to STEM education and initiatives to enhance faculty skills.

The visit included tours of MVCC’s science laboratories and discussions about future facility developments.

It also included a tour of the Learning Commons with discussion on teaching methodologies and integrated learning supports in mathematics; a tour of the College-Community-Connection office, which helps students deal with non-academic challenges (like food insecurity and homelessness) so they can focus on completing their educational goals; and tours of technology and fabrication labs paired with conversations on pedagogy and applied learning.

The visit also included discussion on non-credit to credit pathways, including MVCC’s free FastTrack career program, and a discussion of STEM pedagogy, engagement strategies, and the strengths of MVCC’s Engineering and Engineering Technology programs.

The visit also included training approaches in advanced-manufacturing education.

MVCC faculty and staff also shared best practices, teaching resources, and innovative pedagogical models that have been developed to support student success and faculty excellence.

“This exchange underscores the importance of collaboration across borders to advance STEM education,” Randall VanWagoner, president of MVCC, said. “We are proud to showcase the work being done at MVCC to strengthen teaching and learning, and to learn from our colleagues at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo.”