Salina Billins was appointed to the grant-funded position of GEAR UP coordinator and will manage programming and support services for the GEAR UP program. She also will oversee the effective delivery of a wide range of instructional support and intervention services to support program retention and completion. Billins has been with the College since 2012 in several capacities, including GEAR UP academic specialist, adjunct instructor, and completion coach. Prior to joining MVCC, she worked at Mohawk Valley Community Action Agency as a family advocate, child development site supervisor, ARRA job training program manager, education manager, and older youth vocational specialist. Billins holds a bachelor’s degree in education from SUNY Buffalo and a master’s degree in science, leadership, and instruction for inclusive classrooms from Utica College.
Norma Chrisman was promoted to the position of manager of Educational Technologies. In this position, she will be responsible for the operations of the College’s Educational Technologies Department, serving faculty, staff, and students; the software administration for all Educational Technologies initiatives; and actively engaging in technical training for all members of the College community. Chrisman previously held the title of educational technology specialist at MVCC since 2002. Prior to joining the College, she worked for Herkimer County Trust as a PC software specialist, computer room supervisor, and IT operations administrator. Chrisman holds an associate degree in accounting from Herkimer County Community College and a bachelor’s degree in business from Bellevue University.
In recognition of his many years of outstanding service to MVCC, William Hysell was named Professor Emeritus.
Jessica Kaczor joined the College as a recruitment and employment specialist, a position in which she’ll be responsible for the coordination and implementation of human resource processes and procedures, including recruitment, employment, civil service processing, and payroll. She also will prepare, maintain, and distribute confidential reports including those used for College and human resources budget, labor matters, and negotiations. Prior to joining the College, Kaczor worked at Family Dollar Distribution as an HR generalist and human resources support coordinator. She also worked at Upstate Cerebral Palsy as a payroll/operations specialist, benefits specialist, and administrative assistant of recruitment. She also served as human resources specialist at Premier Aviation. Kaczor holds bachelor’s degrees in English and theatre from SUNY Oneonta.
Kate Polivka was transitioned to the position of technical assistant in the Physical Sciences, Engineering, and Applied Technologies Department. As such, she will provide technical assistance to professional or administrative staff and students in the chemistry laboratory. Polivka has been with MVCC in several capacities since 2015. She was a work study student from 2015-2017 and then became an assistant chemistry lab technician in 2017. Most recently, she served as a technical assistant in the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Department. She also worked as a science tutor at Southern New Hampshire University and served in the National Guard as a motor transport specialist and ammo specialist. Polivka holds a bachelor’s degree in geosciences from Southern New Hampshire University and an associate degree in criminal justice from MVCC.
Lorin Williams was appointed to the position of instructor in the Social Sciences and Public Services Department and will teach psychology courses. Williams completed her residency at Riverview Psychological Services in 2014 and then served as a clinical neuropsychology fellow for several organizations including University of Texas Medical School, Mischner Neuroscience Institute, and the Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, all in Houston, Texas. Following her fellowship, Williams began working as a clinical neuropsychologist for children’s Neuropsychological Services in Slingerlands, N.Y., and an assistant clinical professor of neuropsychology for SUNY Polytechnic Institute at the Charles T. Sitrin Healthcare Facility. She holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and biology from Binghamton University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in clinical psychology, both from William James College in Boston.
Jeffrey Zalewski was appointed to the grant-funded position of completion coach in the Mandia Family Learning Commons. In this position, he will be responsible for guiding, counseling, mentoring, and advocating for student success completion. Zalewski has worked at MVCC in several capacities since 2016, including TASC/GED exam instructor, adjunct instructor, and writing and history tutor. Prior to joining the College, he was an exchange traded funds administrator for Bank of New York Mellon and an instructor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.