Dr. Kathleen Kirby to Serve as Project Director for Four-Year TAACCCT Grant.

January 16, 2015 – Dr. Charles Wall, President of Massasoit Community College, recently announced that Kathleen Kirby, Ph.D., has been appointed Project Director for Massasoit’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant. The project, entitled Guided Pathways to Success in STEM (GPSTEM), will assist eligible students in obtaining degrees and certificates in STEM fields.

Previously, Dr. Kirby managed a multi-state TAACCCT grant focused on advanced manufacturing and also served nearly five years as the Executive Director of CONNECT, a public higher education partnership in southeastern Massachusetts that focuses on improving college access and affordability. Additionally, she spent three years as the Director of Bridgewater State University’s Office of Grants and Sponsored Projects.

“Kathleen brings stellar credentials to Massasoit,” said Dr. Wall. “She is uniquely qualified to lead this important project, and I look forward to working with her over the next several years.”

GPSTEM is a consortium of the 15 Massachusetts community colleges, and focuses on assisting eligible students in earning degrees and certificates in STEM fields as well as increasing college completion across the consortia.

Dr. Kirby will be responsible for the administration and management of the project. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and earned her doctorate in Modern Studies from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

For more information about the GPSTEM project, contact Dr. Kirby at 508-588-9100 x2012 or at kkirby3@massasoit.mass.edu.