Tri-C Famous

Tri-C Famous: Jacqueline Zkiab

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Exploring the Ethics of AI in Higher Education Tri-C instructor leads course at SUNY Jacqueline Zkiab is asking the tough questions about the relationship between artificial intelligence and higher education. In fact, the instructional technologist at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C®) recently led a course on the... Read More

Tri-C Famous: HerBrina Shepherd

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.  HerBrina Shepherd joined Tri-C in 2017 as a Student Life advisor and now serves as a transfer specialist at the College’s Metropolitan Campus. She helps students explore transfer pathways and partnerships and connect with four-year colleges and universities. “HerBrina is amazing,” said the... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Katie Ponsart

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Katie Ponsart has been a Student Life advisor at Tri-C’s Westshore Campus since November 2021. She graduated from Mount Vernon Nazarene University in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before joining the College, she was an assistant manager at Torrid and sold plants at an independent nursery, where she also cared... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Teresa Taggart

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Teresa Taggart has served as director of Tri-C’s nationally accredited Nuclear Medicine program since 2017. Based at the Western Campus, she and her team prepare students to provide diagnostic patient care as registered and certified nuclear medicine technologists. Her decades-long career includes 12 years as a program director... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Clarence Johnson

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.  Clarence Johnson, Ph.D., has taught mathematics at Tri-C for nearly 25 years. His passion for the subject began early — at 11, he helped his school’s mental math team win third place in a state tournament. He races calculators to keep his mind sharp and was recently recognized as a Black History... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Karen Goulandris

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Karen Goulandris has been an assistant professor in Tri-C’s Early Childhood Education program — from which she herself graduated — for more than a decade. She recently applied for advancement of rank to associate professor and is hopeful it will be granted. Her favorite part of the job is helping... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Meegan McKenna

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Front-desk concierge Meegan McKenna has been the first point of contact for staff, vendors and visitors to Tri-C’s District Administrative Offices on Carnegie Avenue since November 2021. Part of the Campus Services and Retail Operations team, she helps coordinate programs like RTA U-Pass, My Tri-C Card and event parking. Learn... Read More

Tri-C Famous: John Rasel

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.   John Rasel is an assistant professor/librarian at Tri-C’s Eastern Campus, where he has helped students identify, select and cite sources for their research papers since 2013. He also plans events at the library, helps curate its collection and co-chairs the Common Reading program. Learn more about John... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Summer Paris

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Summer Paris joined Tri-C in January 2022 as community liaison for the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center. The role combines her love for the humanities (she’s a former writing teacher with a literature degree) with her years of experience in community relations. One of her main duties is designing and... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Beth Furraitti

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Beth Furraitti joined Tri-C in 2005 as a systems operations supervisor at Corporate College® West. She took over as facilities manager at Corporate College East the following year and has been there ever since. She oversees everything from heating and cooling to painting and general maintenance, as well as setting up for the many... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Jennifer Kubala

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Jennifer Kubala has served as Western Campus Student Life advisor since November 2021. Her extensive experience in the event planning industry helps her create, promote and execute fun campus events and programs — from a Cutest Pet at West contest to the upcoming More Than a MELTdown event, where local chef Matt Fish will... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Maureen Leonard

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Maureen Leonard has taught pastry and baking at Tri-C’s Hospitality Management Center on Public Square since 2013. In her years of industry experience as an executive pastry chef, she has cooked for celebrities like Robin Williams, Oprah Winfrey and President Barack Obama. She also appeared on Season 3 of Food... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Katie Evans

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Tri-C alumna Katie Evans (Class of 1986) joined the College 23 years ago as a Campus Police dispatcher. Today, she answers incoming calls, emails and chat messages as a customer service representative with the College’s Information and Enrollment Support Center and helps new students acclimate to Tri-C as a First-Year Success... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Cory Molner

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Cory Molner joined Tri-C's Eastern Campus in 2014. As Learning Commons supervisor, he oversees media services and academic technology support for the campus. Recently elected president of Tri-C's Sexual Orientation and Gender Equality (SOGE) Council, he begins his two-year term July 1. Learn more about Cory — including his side... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Alexandria Romanovich

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Alexandria Romanovich joined Tri-C in 2011 as an intern in the Western Campus Counseling office. Aside from a couple of years at the University of South Florida, she’s been here ever since. These days she serves as program manager for the Cleveland Humanities Collaborative, managing the transfer pathway between Tri-C... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Yvette Wilson

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Yvette Wilson joined Tri-C's Information Technology Services team in 2015. As administrative assistant to the VP/CIO, she provides Level II Help Desk support, manages the department budget and facilitates the College's Technology Governance Committee. Learn more about Yvette — including what she does when no one's... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Maureen Leff

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Maureen Leff joined Tri-C 11 years ago as part of the inaugural team at Brunswick University Center. As academic and student services administrator, she supports the center's overall operations (counseling, enrollment, outreach and more), handles staff and course schedules and serves as a liaison between faculty and administration. Learn... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Bill Tomson

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Bill Tomson joined the Westshore Campus as an academic support technician just this month, but this isn’t his first Tri-C experience. He attended classes in the 1990s before leaving to work as a sports complex manager and delivery driver. An automobile accident a few years ago necessitated a career change, so he returned to Tri-C... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Meagan Fowler

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Meagan Fowler was a Tri-C student before joining the College in 2010 as a part-time customer service assistant in the Eastern Campus Library. She later became a part-time librarian, and in 2019 she accepted an assistant professor/librarian position at the Metropolitan Campus. Meagan was nominated by a student, who called her "a smart... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Antwain Tyus

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Antwain Tyus joined Tri-C as a desktop support technician in June 2013, working his way up to network technician and user services manager before being promoted to user services director during the pandemic. He’s known throughout the College for his affable personality and impressive stature. Learn more about Antwain... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Diana Kovacic

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Diana Kovacic joined Tri-C in 2013 as an associate professor of nursing at the Metro Campus, where she teaches obstetrics and pediatrics. She also serves as chair of the nursing faculty development committee. A registered nurse since 2005, she holds a doctorate in nursing from Case Western Reserve University. Learn more about Diana... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Dwayne Keeney

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Dwayne Keeney is the associate dean of liberal arts at Tri-C's Eastern Campus. Hired in 2002, he served as senior research and planning analyst in the College's institutional research department for more than a decade before assuming the first in a string of academic leadership roles. Learn more about Dwayne (though not enough to be able... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Sandra Fleming

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Sandra Fleming has been an environmental services contractor at Tri-C for nearly two decades. She moved to the Jerry Sue Thornton Center (JSTC) in 2018 after 15 years at the Unified Technologies Center (now the Manufacturing Technology Center). She's known throughout the building for her humor and upbeat personality. Learn more about... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Debbie Benz

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Debbie Benz has been a full-time visual design specialist at Tri-C for the past 8 years. She recently added “project manager” to her title, taking responsibility for assigning projects to a team of four graphic designers and two copy editors. She is also a Fall 2021 graduate, having earned an Associate of Arts in... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Anthony Moujaes

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Anthony Moujaes joined Tri-C in November 2021 as public relations manager in the Integrated Communications department. He previously oversaw communications and marketing for several local organizations including Menlo Park Academy, Adoption Network Cleveland and the United Church of Christ. Anthony began his career as a reporter with the... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Johnie Reed

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Johnie Reed joined the Tri-C family as a student and part-time gym assistant, eventually becoming a tenured faculty member in business administration at the Westshore Campus. In 2020, he created Let’s Talk About It, a virtual, student-focused conversation series that explores racial justice and equity topics. Learn more about... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Maria Mitchell

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Maria Mitchell joined Tri-C in 2007 as an administrative assistant for Academic Affairs. She currently supports Lindsay English, the College’s assistant provost, as administrative assistant for Learning and Engagement at the College’s District Administrative Services office. Learn more about Maria — including... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Jenneffer Lopez

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Jenneffer Lopez, Ed.D., started her Tri-C career in 2014 as manager of donor relations and events with the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation. Today, she serves as director of Brunswick University Center in Medina County. In addition to leading the center’s day-to-day operations, she  oversees enrollment initiatives... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Tomeka Ewing

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Tri-C alumna Tomeka Ewing is a counselor and lecturer at the College’s Metropolitan Campus. She enjoys helping students strategize and maximize their potential for success — just like her boss, Terry Webb, once did for her. She was nominated by hospitality student Alex Richardson, who had this to say: “Ms.... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Kim Johnson

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus. Kim Johnson started her first part-time job at Tri-C in 1998. Since then, she’s worked at three of College’s four campuses in roles ranging from assessment technician to student success specialist. These days, she supports faculty and instructional designers as assistant dean of Learning and Engagement at the Eastern... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Joe Koch

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Joe Koch joined the Tri-C family nine years ago as an assistant professor of biology. He teaches labs and lectures at the Western Campus, where he also serves as faculty counterparts chair. Learn more about Joe ─ including how he builds mental and physical endurance ─ in this week’s Tri-C Famous.1. Tell us... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Jillian DeLong

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Jillian DeLong manages college assets and mailroom operations from her office at Tri-C’s District Administrative Services building in downtown Cleveland. As part of the College’s Capital and Construction team, she tracks all equipment, furniture and other assets and oversees the mailroom crew. In 2019, she won a... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Tim Davis

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Tim Davis joined Tri-C as an internal auditor in July 2015 before becoming an ERP solutions specialist in the IT Services department. He and his three teammates work on projects related to Banner, the system that houses all financial, student and employee information at the College. Learn more about Tim — including the daring way... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Karah Vance

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Karah Vance joined Tri-C in 2013 as an office assistant in the Creative Arts Center of Excellence. With an initial focus on recruitment, her role soon expanded to include supporting the College’s Creative Arts Academy. Today, as coordinator for the academy, she assists with music, dance and media arts programming for youth ages 3... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Ky-wai Wong

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Ky-wai Wong joined Tri-C in 2011 as an adjunct faculty member in the Hospitality Management program. Now a tenured assistant professor, he mainly teaches hands-on kitchen laboratory classes. His background in fine dining includes stints at Blake’s Seafood Grille, fire food and drink, LockKeepers and Park City Diner. Learn more... Read More

Tri-C Famous: James Gardner Jr.

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.James Gardner Jr. is interim director of Student Life, Athletics and Recreation at the Metropolitan Campus. A member of the Tri-C family since November 2008, he’s also served as a financial aid adviser, recruiter and student success specialist. One of his most recent projects has been launching the new Metro Food Pantry. Learn... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Sara Fuller

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Sara Fuller joined Tri-C in spring 2014 as an adjunct instructor and later became an assistant professor of English at the College’s Westshore Campus. She also serves as faculty development coordinator for the campus. Learn more about Sara — including why you might occasionally hear her scream during a virtual meeting... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Kate Vodicka

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Kate Vodicka’s Tri-C story started in high school as a summer jazz camp participant. Her talents as a bass guitarist were even recognized at Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland. Now she’s the assistant dean of counseling, psychological and student accessibility services at Tri-C’s Eastern Campus. Her passion is helping... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Jacques Smith

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Jacques Smith joined Tri-C nearly 22 years ago as a community outreach liaison. He now serves as program manager for the College’s Black American Council, overseeing the mentoring program and other initiatives that increase opportunities for success and retention, particularly among Black students. Learn more about Jacques,... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Catherine Rokicky

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.Catherine Rokicky has taught history at Tri-C’s Western Campus since 1992. Now a full-time tenured professor, she teaches courses in national, state and city history in addition to Latin American, Native American, African American and women’s history courses. When she’s not in the classroom, she loves to spend... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Stephanie Metzger

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.  Stephanie Metzger joined Tri-C’s Integrated Communications department in 2020 as social media manager, responsible for generating and posting content to the College’s social media pages. She previously spent four years as a digital and social producer at WKYC-TV, where she was part of a mobile team that... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Brigitte Matchett

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.  Brigitte Matchett is administrative assistant to the Tri-C Western Campus president. She joined the College’s Health Careers department in 2018 before assuming her current role where, among other duties, she has the important task of managing the campus budget. But Brigitte is not only good with numbers —... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Eric Kuentz

 #TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.  Eric Kuentz is an integration technician in the Eastern Campus Learning Commons. He joined Tri-C’s Media Services department in 2003, bringing several years of award-winning video production experience from his alma mater, the University of Mount Union. Today he designs, installs and maintains AV systems on... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Marquita Rockamore

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.  Marquita Rockamore is the director of Health Industry Solutions at Tri-C’s Corporate College®. She has been involved in workforce development for 20 years — nine of them with the College’s Workforce, Community and Economic Development division. She loves helping businesses develop... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Judy Karpowicz

#TriCFamous is a bimonthly feature that introduces readers to the people who make the College work while providing a sneak peek into their lives off campus.  Judy Karpowicz has served Tri-C’s Human Resources department in various capacities since 1997. As the College’s Talent and Organizational Development specialist, she helps plan employee events, oversees the Mandel Leadership Development program, participates in employee onboarding and delivers training for... Read More

Tri-C Famous: Emma Tidball

Emma Tidball works in the office of Karen Miller, Tri-C’s provost and executive vice president of Access, Learning and Success. She’s spent more than a decade supporting College leadership at the District office in downtown Cleveland. With a juris doctorate and more than one master’s degree to her name, there’s much more to this administrative powerhouse than meets the eye. Learn about Emma — aka “Human Google” —... Read More