Colleen Stevens never saw it coming. At this summer's APACS Conference & Annual Meeting, she was the most surprised person in the room when presented with the prestigious Dr. John Staley Award for Outstanding Service. "We go to this conference every year and they give out awards, usually to people who have been in roles for a while. When my name was announced, it took me a minute to understand it all. I was really surprised and really honored."
Stevens is Director of Onondaga Community College's Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, commonly referred to as C-STEP. APACS stands for Association for Program Administrators of C-STEP and STEP, Inc. STEP stands for Science and Technology Entry Program. There are more than 120 C-STEP and STEP programs at colleges and universities across New York State. Each year, one person is awarded the Dr. John Staley Award for Outstanding Service. Dr. Staley was an Assistant Vice Provost at the University of Buffalo (UB) where he co-chaired a task force on the Status of UB Women which helped establish the Institute for Research and Education on Women and Gender, and a North Campus site for the UB Child Care Center. He was a tireless advocate for policy that addresses the inequalities of underrepresented students in higher education, as well as improving women's salary disparities through career advancement.
Stevens is a graduate of Liverpool High School who started teaching at OCC in 2017 as a Mathematics Professor. Three-and-a-half years later, she left the classroom and began running C-STEP which provides academic advising, career counseling, financial support, and paid internship opportunities to ethnically underrepresented or economically disadvantaged college students pursuing a career in science, technology, math, engineering, or a licensed profession. "What I love most about C-STEP is getting to know students and connecting them with opportunities. I enjoy being the bridge to their opportunities."
In recent years Stevens has also been a constant presence in Micron Technology-related efforts, teaching young students in Micron-sponsored Chip Camp and Girls Going Tech events. "I liked working with kids and lighting their spark toward the STEM path. They're young enough that they haven't made any decisions yet. Getting them turned on to STEM paths really energizes me."
During the spring semester, Stevens had the opportunity to teach a class in the Micron-related Electromechanical Technology (ELM) program. Being back in the classroom rekindled her love of teaching. This fall, she will leave her position running C-STEP and teach ELM students full-time. "It's exciting! We're right in the thick of it. We're going to be the ones educating these future technicians. It's energized the school and community. Who doesn't want to be a part of it?"
