Per Montgomery College:
Montgomery College (MC) hosted an Inauguration Ceremony today (Wednesday, October 19), officially welcoming the College’s 11th president, Dr. Jermaine F. Williams. Over 500 MC students, faculty, staff, community members, family and friends attended the celebration, held at the Music Center at Strathmore. The theme of the inauguration was “Our College, Our Community, Our Future.” Montgomery College’s Board of Trustees selected Williams in December 2021. Williams, formerly president at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York, succeeded Dr. DeRionne P. Pollard who left in August 2021 after 11 years as MC’s president.
“Together we can change society in the ways that matter most: reducing poverty, increasing economic and social mobility, and producing students who are ambitious and deeply engaged in society,” President Williams said, delivering his inaugural address. “As we prepare students for post completion success, we need mentors and local business leaders to meet us there—to amplify the impact we already have. As we bring more innovation and technology into our classrooms, we need direction from small business owners, industry leaders, and economists about what kinds of job skills are needed.”
Greetings were provided by elected officials Christopher Van Hollen Jr. U.S. Senator, Maryland, Jamin B. “Jamie” Raskin U.S. Representative, Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, Benjamin F. Kramer Maryland State Senator, District 19, Marc B. Elrich Montgomery County Executive, Gabriel I. Albornoz President, Montgomery County Council.
“Dr. Williams has already hit the ground running but today we gather to officially mark the start of this new chapter in the story of Montgomery College,” Senator Van Hollen said “It’s a story that is over 70 years old and while much has changed as the college has grown, one thing has remained the same: This college is defined by a tradition of excellence and service, with more students achieving success, more families seeing their loved ones earn a degree and more dreams coming to life. This college has rightfully earned their reputation as one of the very best community colleges in the entire country and that prestige has continued to unlock new opportunities for students.”
Also providing remarks were Dr. James S. Klauber President, Hagerstown Community College, Mr. Jon W. Pointer ’89 President, Montgomery College Alumni Association, J. Stephen McAuliffe III, Esq. Chair, Montgomery College Foundation Board of Directors, Dr. Gail Folena-Wasserman Vice Chair, PIC MC, Ms. Dana L. Baker Co-Chair, Montgomery College Faculty Council, Ms. Beth E. Reilly Chair, Montgomery College Staff Council, Dr. Jamin K. Bartolomeo Chair, Montgomery College Administrator Council, and Ms. Deepica Premaratne Student Trustee, Montgomery College Board of Trustees.
“I have a unique appreciation for this level of commitment and impact in my current role and I know that I stand on the shoulders the leaders who came before me,” President Williams said. “I recognize several individuals who have had extraordinary impacts at the College, and for whom we will always be grateful. Our work now is to build on the successes we have inherited, and identify new ones. I know I can rely on the College’s faculty and staff to bring their talents and creativity to this venture. Montgomery College needs each of you to extend our impact even further.”
The Academic processional was led by Honorary Grand Marshal Mr. Edward S. Riggs ’69 Professor, Montgomery College Media Arts and Technologies Department. The processional also included Montgomery College’s faculty, staff and delegates from learned societies and institutions of higher education, members of the MC Board of Trustees, president of the MC Foundation, student delegates, principal administrative officers and the president himself. The program celebrated higher education and the difference that MC makes in the community.
“Dr. Williams, you are a proven leader, a proven educator and a proven teacher. You’ve made it to Montgomery County and we greet you at the dawn of the most promising career in Montgomery County, the best educated county in the US, a place where truth and science still live,” Congressman Raskin said. “It’s a county which runs on brains and hearts, and boundless dreams of the future… and we welcome you to one of the finest community colleges in all the world and we entrust you with the sacred task of empowering students for success in their futures and for creating a workforce that is dynamic, inclusive, ready to go to work, and second to none.”
His work in higher education has focused on improving access for students, as well as retention, graduation, and post-completion success. He has paid special attention to mitigating institutional societal and racial inequities, strategically creating programs and policies that support historically underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. He has years of experience designing, managing, and enhancing institutional and statewide programs and initiatives that have yielded positive student outcomes.
“On behalf of the 1.1 million residents of Montgomery County, I want to congratulate Dr. Williams. This institution has been on an amazing journey and Dr. Williams will continue to make Montgomery College a national model for education excellence, opportunity and student success,” said County Executive Elrich. “Equity leads to economic opportunity, wealth generation and wellbeing, and there is no better way than to provide educational opportunities for all. If Montgomery College succeeds, the whole county succeeds. We will continue to partner with Dr. Williams and Montgomery College. There is nothing more worth doing than educating our kids and adults.”
Dr. Williams has been widely lauded for his inclusive leadership style and for building teams that create strategic programming and policies to improve student outcomes. His professional approach to student success is deeply rooted in equity-minded systems and data-informed analysis. Dr. Williams’ view of higher education as a public good informs his personal passion about enhancing access, completion, and post-completion success, goals that are shared across Montgomery College.
In closing his inaugural address, President Williams harkened back to the ceremony’s theme:
“I ask that we hold each other accountable. And I challenge you—from whatever role you are in—to be the change you want to see. I will bring my exhilaration for this role. And I will meet you there with a personal passion for social justice and an ambitious vision of achievement — as, together, we build, Our College, Our Community, Our Future.”
To watch the inauguration in its entirety, visit the College’s inauguration webpage
Per Montgomery College:
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has announced the approval of a $1,452,964 grant to launch the Montgomery College (MC) Early Childhood Alternative Certification Program (ECACP) to increase access to high-quality early childhood education by supporting a mixed delivery system. The initiative will result in community-based approved nonpublic nursery schools meeting the required state qualification of staffing PreK Expansion classrooms with certified educators.
Recently approved Blueprint for Maryland’s Future legislation expands full-day pre-K access so that all children are ready to learn and excel in kindergarten. As a result, MSDE has created a mixed-delivery system of public and private early childhood programs to support families and their young children. A mixed delivery system requires that approved PreK Expansion programs in child care-based centers be staffed with a state-certified teacher compensated with an entry salary that matches the local school system. While many community-based programs employ child care teachers with bachelor’s degrees and several years of preschool teaching experience, these child care teachers are not state teacher certified. MC’s new certification program will address the certification requirement for MSDE’s expanded mixed delivery system for early childhood education programs.
MSDE grant funding will allow the alternative certification program to be provided at no cost to qualifying program participants pursuing certification. The target audience for the MC Early Childhood Alternative Certification Program is early childhood educators with bachelor’s degrees working in approved nonpublic nursery schools or selected candidates that meet qualifications from the local school system. Completers of the MC ECACP will be certified as pre-K to third grade teachers in the state of Maryland.
“The Early Childhood Alternative Certification Program provides an innovative model for preparing a diverse, high-quality workforce,” said Montgomery College President Jermaine F. Williams. “As we rebuild from the pandemic, this program will address teacher shortages and provide families and children with access to high quality early childhood education. We are grateful for MSDE’s support in preparing highly qualified early childhood educators for certification.”
The MC Early Childhood Alternative Certification Program is an intensive, rigorous program, which will provide students with required classes for certification, an eight-week internship, and required residency at their worksite with ongoing support and mentoring from Montgomery College faculty. Assessment of teacher knowledge and skills during the internship and course work will be performance-based and evidence of critical thinking skills, notably in problem solving and self-reflection as teachers, will undergird all candidate assessments. The College’s ECACP is tailored to support the mixed delivery system to increase in state-certified early childhood teachers and will benefit children and families across Maryland. Additionally, the MC ECACP will allow participants to remain working in their current approved nonpublic nursery school throughout their internship and residency. Collaboration and partnerships between the local school system and community-based approved nonpublic nursery schools will be essential to support young children and families with high quality Pre-K programs in a mixed delivery system.
For more information related to the MC Early Childhood Alternative Certification Program, please contact Dr. Sonia Pruneda‐Hernandez, acting dean of Education and Social Sciences at [email protected].
The Maryland alternative educator preparation program directory will be updated to reflect the addition of the new Montgomery College Early Childhood Alternative Certification Program and will be posted on the MSDE website: https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/DEE/Program-Approval/MAAPP.aspx and https://teach.in.maryland.gov.
Per Montgomery College:
The event will be held at the Music Center at Strathmore and will begin at 1 p.m.; Pre-inauguration events are scheduled at all three Montgomery College Campuses beginning this week
Montgomery College will hold the Inauguration of Dr. Jermaine F. Williams on Wednesday, October 19 at 1 p.m. at the Music Center at Strathmore, located in Bethesda. Dr. Williams became the 11th president of Montgomery College on February 28 of this year. The theme of the celebration, “Our College, Our Community, Our Future,” speaks deeply to transformation and the College’s shared roles in being the change we seek in our communities.
Dr. Williams’ work in higher education has focused his energies on improving access for students, as well as retention, graduation, and post-completion success. He has paid special attention to mitigating institutional, societal, and racial inequities, strategically creating programs and policies that support historically underrepresented and/or marginalized groups. He has years of experience designing, managing, and enhancing institutional and statewide programs and initiatives that have yielded positive student outcomes.
The inaugural ceremony on October 19 will include:
- The national anthem sung by Ms. Paulette Mathis, a Montgomery College student in the Performing Arts Department, and additional performances by other students;
- Welcome and introductions by Inauguration Planning Committee Honorary Co-Chairs: the Honorable Michael J. Knapp, immediate past Chair of the Montgomery College Board of Trustees; Ms. Dana Pauley, president and CEO of Leadership Montgomery; and Ms. Richa D’Mello, student at Montgomery College;
- Land acknowledgement and video by Sharon R. Wilder, Esq. Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer at Montgomery College, and Mr. Rico Newman Elder of Choptico Band of Piscataway-Conoy Indians;
- A video presentation, “What MC Means to Me”;
- Greetings from the U.S. Senator for Maryland Christopher Van Hollen Jr., and U.S. Representative, Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, Jamin B. “Jamie” Raskin. Other speakers will be Maryland State Senator Benjamin F. Kramer, Montgomery County Executive Marc B. Elrich, and Montgomery County Council President Gabriel L. Albornoz.
- Presentation of honorary degrees to Dr. Charlene Dukes, interim president emerita, Montgomery College and president emerita, Prince George’s Community College; J. Stephen McAuliffe III, Esq., principal at Miles & Stockbridge and chair of the Montgomery College Foundation board of directors; Ms. Mirna “Lupi” Quinteros-Grady, president and CEO of Latin American Youth Center; and Mr. Clifford White and Mrs. Deborah White, philanthropists.
Dr. Williams has been widely lauded for his inclusive leadership style and for building teams that create strategic programming and policies to improve student outcomes. His professional approach to student success is deeply rooted in equity-minded systems and data-informed analysis. Dr. Williams’ view of higher education as a public good informs his personal passion about enhancing access, completion, and post-completion success, goals that are shared across Montgomery College.
Online viewing of the inauguration can be found at the College’s inauguration webpage.
The College is also hosting pre-inaugural celebrations at all three Montgomery College campuses beginning today, October 11 at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus. See below for the schedule and activities.
Tuesday, October 11: Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus
11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Event flyer (PDF, 
) (PDF, )
Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus (map); Courtyard between Cafritz Foundation Arts Center and Health Sciences
7600 Takoma Avenue, Takoma Park, Maryland 20912
Wednesday, October 12: Germantown Campus
10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Event flyer (PDF, ) (PDF, )
Germantown Campus (map)
20200 Observation Drive, Germantown, Maryland 20876
10:30–11:30 a.m. – Signature Program: Biotechnology – BE Atrium. Biotechnology Faculty/CBS Dean. Students will get a chance to “gown up” and try their hand at pipetting.
11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. – Food, Fun, & Games – BE 151/152
1:30–2:30 p.m. – Signature Program: Cybersecurity – Cyberlab – HT 230; Eduardo Noboa and Alla Webb; Guests can participate in a scavenger hunt to learn about cybersecurity. Those who finish, will get a prize.
Thursday, October 13: Rockville Campus
10 a.m.–1 p.m. Event flyer (PDF, ) (PDF, )
Rockville Campus (campus map) (events map (PDF, ) (PDF, )
51 Mannakee Street, Rockville, Maryland 20850
10 a.m. – Mobile Market begins. There will also be numerous tables to visit in the SV atrium. You can even get a blood pressure screening while you are there.
Noon – Lunch from the Rolling Raptor food truck. Hospitality Management and Macklin Business Institute students will prepare and serve a delicious lunch from our new Rolling Raptor food truck, and will also serve cookies and coffee from the MBI Café located in the SV atrium.
1 p.m. – Anti-Racism training, SV 104A (access room through the Student Life office). This is a required training for MC employees to promote social justice, radical inclusion, and racial equity within the College and community. Please register through Workday to attend this training session. Register
Montgomery College President Dr. Jermaine F. Williams sent a memo to the Montgomery College community informing them of updated graduation plans for May of this year.
Included in the memo is an announcement that students will be able to invite guests to attend their graduation ceremony, which will take place in-person on May 19th and May 20th. The two commencement events will split graduates by last name (A-L and M-Z).
This will be the first time Montgomery College will hold an in-person commencement event since May of 2019.
Dr. Jermaine F. Williams’ full memo can be seen below:
“As you prepare to start your Spring Break, I have exciting news to share about the College’s commencement plans. Graduates can now invite guests to attend their graduation ceremony with limited available seating. We recognize how important it is for our graduates to have loved ones attend the commencement in person. We are pleased that the improving COVID-19 conditions in Montgomery County allow us to expand our commencement plans and to celebrate our students’ academic achievements.
Under this new plan, we will hold two commencement events. Graduates with last names ending in A-L will attend on Thursday, May 19; graduates with last names ending in M-Z will attend Friday, May 20. Each event will start at 10 a.m. and will be staged outside on the parking lot (#11) in front of the Performing Arts Center (PAC) at the Rockville Campus. The events will take place rain or shine: Free rain ponchos will be available just in case.
This space in front of the PAC allows us to provide seating for two guests per graduating student, with a standing area for additional guests to view the ceremony. Of course, the College will livestream the commencement and we will provide a viewing area in an adjacent building where guests can watch the livestream program.
It will be my honor to welcome the graduating students, confer the degrees, and deliver the commencement address. Mr. Michael Knapp, chair of the College’s Board of Trustees, will award the degrees. Students will walk the stage to receive their diplomas and have an opportunity to pose for pictures.
We will be updating the MC commencement webpage as more details become available. As is our tradition, MC has several end-of-year events planned for our graduates, so graduating students should watch their MC email for those details as well as important deadlines for ordering graduation gear, photos, and more.
I extend my sincere appreciation to the many MC students who demonstrated leadership in providing valuable input to the College as we formulated our commencement plans. I also thank the College faculty and staff who have contributed their time and expertise to ensure we have a successful and memorable ceremony.
As your new president, this will be my first Montgomery College commencement, as I expect is the case for most of our graduates. Together, we will celebrate your academic achievements (and all of your hard work) with anticipation for the next chapters in your academic and professional lives.
Congratulations!”
Featured photo courtesy of Montgomery College from the 2019 commencement ceremony.
Per Montgomery College:
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced $10 million in FY2021 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program awards to 40 public and private non-profit organizations across the country that prepare lawful permanent residents (LPRs) for naturalization. Montgomery College, one of only two recipients in Maryland, was awarded a $250,000 grant.
The College is receiving a grant under Citizenship Instruction and Naturalization Application Services. The College will provide at least 320 lawful permanent residents with citizenship preparation classes, activities to support integration into American civic life, and naturalization application services. Learners will have beginning to intermediate levels of English proficiency and will come from 80 different countries including, but not limited to, El Salvador, Honduras, Peru, Iran, India, and Ethiopia.
The College’s Citizenship Preparation Program uses the Enhanced Integration Tasks (EIT) model to help learners integrate into the receiving community. The program also works with local libraries and community-based organizations to enhance LPRs knowledge of available naturalization services.
Montgomery College will continue to partner with Immigration Legal Services (ILS) of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. ILS will provide naturalization application assistance to approximately 320 LPRs and will help at least 240 LPRs apply for naturalization over the next two years.
“We are grateful that USCIS continues to support the Montgomery College Citizenship Preparation Program,” said Dr. Charlene Dukes, interim president of Montgomery College. “Since 2010, Montgomery College has served more than 3,000 learners through this grant-funded opportunity, helping students increase their knowledge of English, as well as U.S. history and civics in preparation to becoming new Americans. The College is proud to support these LPRs, who enrich the culture and communities of Montgomery County.”
The Washington, D.C. area is fourth in the nation of immigration destinations for LPRs, ranked only behind New York, Miami, and Los Angeles. Maryland’s foreign-born population of 931,035 represents 15.4% of the total population of Maryland. Montgomery County is home to 337,060 of these residents.
Since 2009, the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has awarded more than $112 million to help more than 290,500 LPRs prepare for citizenship. USCIS anticipates that an additional 25,000 LPRs will receive citizenship preparation services by Sept. 30, 2023, as a result of the awards issued through the grant program.
The Citizenship Preparation Program is part of Montgomery College’s Workforce Development & Continuing Education unit. For more information, please contact Dean of Instruction Dr. Donna Kinerney at [email protected].
Former Prince George’s Community College President Named Interim President of Montgomery College
Dr. Charlene Mickens Dukes, former president of Prince George’s Community College, has been named interim president of Montgomery College by the college’s board of trustees.
Former Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard stepped down last month to become the next president of Nevada State College, a four year institution in Henderson, Nevada.
Press Release:
The Montgomery College Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Charlene Mickens Dukes as interim president of Montgomery College, effective August 7, 2021. This follows Board Chair Michael Knapp’s April 29 announcement that current Montgomery College President Dr. DeRionne Pollard will step down this summer and assume the same position at Nevada State College. Led by Mr. Knapp, the board will conduct a search for a new president while Dr. Dukes serves in the interim.
“The Board is confident that Dr. Dukes’ leadership will complement the array of strengths of our senior leaders, whose diligence and skill have contributed to the success of the College during Dr. Pollard’s tenure,” Mr. Knapp said. “Her extensive local and regional background position her optimally to step into this role seamlessly and support the College’s mission during this transition.”
Dr. Dukes is a higher education leader with 42 years of experience in administration, policy development, and national service. Most recently, she served as the president of Prince George’s Community College for 13 years until her retirement in June 2020. During that period, Dr. Dukes was a champion of student access and success, leading countless initiatives that improved student completion. She has extensive experience in the community college sector nationally, having served on the boards of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, Campus Compact, the Community College Advisory Panel, and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, among others.
She continues to serve actively as the chair of the Board of the Meyer Foundation, secretary of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, and vice chair of the Board of CareFirst, Inc. Dr. Dukes is the immediate past convener of the Presidents Round Table, and a past chair of the Board of the American Association of Community Colleges. She serves as a mentor for the Aspen Institute’s Fellows Program. Dr. Dukes was appointed in July 2020 by the Prince George’s county executive to serve as co-chair of Prince George’s Forward, a task force charged with the post-COVID transformation of Prince George’s County. More details on Dr. Dukes’ experience are available on the College’s website.
Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard to Become President of Nevada State College
Current Montgomery College President DeRionne Pollard is slated to become the next president of Nevada State College, a four year institution in Henderson, Nevada.
Current NSC President Bart Patterson is stepping down from his position on June 30th.
Pollard also serves on the board of Montgomery County Business Development Corporation, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, Universities at Shady Grove, and Generation Hope.
She became president of MC back in 2010.
Montgomery College Board Chair Michael J. Knapp released the following statement today:
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees of Montgomery College, I want to congratulate Dr. DeRionne Pollard on her selection as the next president of Nevada State College (NSC) in Henderson, Nevada. We are still waiting for action by the Board of Regents for the Nevada System of Higher Education this afternoon, but expect her to be their choice. It is with mixed emotion that I share this news, as Dr. Pollard’s 11 years leading the College have driven the institution to accomplish a myriad of goals. Dr. Pollard’s leadership capacities have not gone unnoticed by NSC, a public, four-year institution. Plans for an interim president of Montgomery College and the process for selecting a new president will be announced in the coming days.
The Board is grateful to have partnered with Dr. Pollard on numerous initiatives over the years, helping to situate the College optimally to fulfill its mission. Dr. Pollard’s leadership has produced some extraordinary changes in our shared notions of inclusion, access, and quality. In many ways her unique vision has fundamentally shaped the way we think about serving our community as fiscal stewards, business partners, and architects of student success. Her practicality combined with a tireless mission-drive has brought out the best in many of us, allowing us to contribute our own skills and leadership to the College’s work. The Board is aware that Dr. Pollard’s impact on many at the institution has been similarly inspirational and empowering. She embodies many of the most highly respected qualities of leadership. While she will be greatly missed, the Board is certain that this move will allow her to contribute in new ways to higher education and that Nevada State College will benefit from her vision.
Dr. Pollard’s work has indelibly marked the forward progress of Montgomery College, and the Board remains deeply committed to that trajectory. On behalf of the Board, I wish Dr. Pollard success in the next chapter of her professional life.”
Brief History of “Earthoid” at MC Germantown
Back in 2019 we asked 100 MC-Germantown students if they knew what the giant globe on their campus was. Only 16 of them were aware that it is actually a water tank!
Earthoid, as it was named by students who designed the tank, is owned and maintained by the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. It holds two million gallons of water!
Per Atlas Obscura:
“In 1980, the students of Montgomery College’s Germantown campus were tasked with designing the water tank that stood on the edge of their university. After a vote, the students designed that the spherical tank would emulate the Blue Marble. It was dubbed “Earthoid.”
The school commissioned artist Peter Freudenberg, who had worked on similar spherical projects in the past, to paint the scale model globe. He used a National Geographic globe image and satellite photos from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for reference.
Two months later, the gigantic Mother Earth mural was complete. The Earthoid has gotten a new paint job since then, but still stands today and acts as a powerful symbol for environmental protection every year on Earth Day.”
The Montgomery College- Germantown newspaper is aptly named… The Globe.
Photo courtesy of The MoCoShow’s eye in the sky, @DronifyDMV
