Naze selected as vice president

April 16, 2019

David Naze, Ph.D., an experienced teacher and administrator, has been selected as the next vice president for academic affairs at Kankakee Community College.

Naze is currently dean of academic excellence and support at Joliet Junior College. He will be KCC’s chief academic officer, responsible for administering the college’s credit and non-credit instruction and workforce development programs. Naze will start at KCC effective July 1.

“I am honored to be joining Kankakee Community College, and am dedicated to supporting the educational needs of the entire community we serve,” Naze said. “I look forward to working hard to ensure educational excellence for incoming and existing students.”

Naze began his career at Prairie State College, where he was a faculty member and speech team coach for 10 years. He then became Prairie State’s associate dean of academic affairs. In 2016, he accepted his current position at Joliet Junior College, where he oversees a range of academic programs including dual credit, curriculum development, online education, and academic scheduling procedures. He is also a member of the Illinois Community College Board Program Review Advisory Committee and is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission.

“As a community college graduate himself, Dr. Dave Naze fully understands the community college mission,” said Dr. Michael Boyd, KCC’s vice president for instructional and student success. “He comes to KCC with impressive leadership experience at community colleges in Illinois. His energy and enthusiasm for student learning are contagious. I have complete confidence that Dr. Naze will not only help KCC achieve our strategic goals, but that he will help the college’s academic programs reach new levels of excellence and innovation.”

Naze started his collegiate career at Rock Valley College in Rockford, where he earned an Associate of Arts degree. Following Rock Valley College, Naze earned two degrees from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb—a bachelor’s degree with upper-division honors in communication; and a master’s degree in communication with an emphasis on rhetorical studies. In May 2012, Naze earned a doctorate from the department of communication and culture, with an emphasis in rhetorical studies, from Indiana University in Bloomington. He also has earned a certification as a master online teacher from the University of Illinois Springfield and the Illinois Online Network.

Naze will fill the position currently held by Boyd, who will become KCC’s next president, effective July 1.

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week

April 12, 2019

Medical Laboratory Professionals Week will be observed nationally April 21-27, 2019. 

This week recognizes the contributions of the laboratory professionals whose work in medical laboratories help give our nation the best possible health care. 

"These medical laboratory personnel play an increasingly vital role in the diagnosis and prevention of disease; and often their dedicated efforts are unseen as they work behind the scenes," said Glenda Forneris, director of KCC's Medical Laboratory Technology program.

"Every day physicians and other healthcare workers depend on laboratory professionals to perform tests on blood and other body fluids, interpret the results, and help provide a complete picture of a patient's health," Forneris said. 

Using modern biomedical equipment and complicated analysis, these professionals can detect the presence of cancer, identify infectious viruses and bacteria, and measure glucose, cholesterol, or drug levels in blood.

"Without this precise and valuable information, medicine would simply become guesswork," Forneris said.

KCC Medical Laboratory Technology students will have a display table Tuesday, April 16 from 10 a.m. - noon to share information about the profession and the program. There will also be an opportunity to try your hand at performing a few "lab tests."

KCC offers a two-year Medical Laboratory Technology associate degree as well as an advanced placement degree for qualified students who have already completed general education requirements. The advanced placement program can be completed in three semesters. The program is accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

KCC also offers a Medical Laboratory Assistant certificate and Phlebotomy certificate.

For more information on a career in medical laboratory technology, contact Forneris at 815-802-8835 or email gforneris@kcc.edu.

TRIO hands out annual awards

April 10, 2019

On Tuesday, April 9, the TRIO Student Support Services program honored students, staff and faculty with S.T.A.R. (Spectacular TRIO Award of Recognition) awards.

To earn a S.T.A.R. award, students must have achieved a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25.  

The 2019 S.T.A.R. recipients are:

Luis Alvarez, Elan Benge, Alexxis Birch, Nathan Bowers, Noah Bramer, Brittney Burbridge, Raeven Carroll, Hailey Charter (pictured), Lauren Chouinard, Berenice Cintora-Villagomez, Olivia Dexter, Sarah Doris, Cruz Duran, Kole El-Talabani, Piaget Felix, Jeffery Gifford, Felicia Goodrich, Antonia Guajardo, Elyse Gustafson, Hayley Hirano, Larissa Johnson, Oscar Jones, Samantha Krauchunas, Brittany Lafond, James Langer, Candace Martell, Nicole Martinez, Joel Orozco-Gaytan, Courtnee Riley, Aurora Rivera, Ralph Sansone, Jorge Santana, Samantha Smothers, Daisy Solorzano, Melany Villagomez, and Katelyn Windebank.

S.T.A.R. students are encouraged to share the award with faculty and staff who have contributed to their success at KCC. Faculty and staff who were named by students as contributing to their success are:

Gregg Beglau, Bridget Bertrand-Essington, Dr. Francesca Catalano, Trisha Dandurand, Donnie Denson, Steve DePasquale, Jessica Friedericks, Laura Gardner, Dr. Vicki Gardner, Dr. Jessica Greminger, Jennifer Huggins, Delithia Love, Rexann McKinley, Dr. Dawn Muhammad, Bruce Myers, Alison Nakaerts, Jessica Oladapo, Jennifer Pecora Kettley, Mark Schnoor, Chelise Slowik, Keisha Smith, Mary Steichen, Dr. Cari Stevenson, and Linh Williams.

Congratulations to all recipients!

Law Week 2019

April 8, 2019

Kankakee Community College will host a series of activities related to American Bar Association Law Day.

The American Bar Association's National Law Day is Wednesday, May 1. This year’s theme is "Free Speech, Free Press, Free Society." Most activities are free, and the public is invited.

Monday, April 29 to Thursday, May 2, KCC Cavalier Room & Miner Memorial Library
Courthouse replica competition and third annual Law Week poster competition for high school and junior high students will be on display. Gold, silver, and bronze medals will be awarded for the best posters, and a classroom pizza party will be awarded to the best courthouse replica.

Monday, April 29, 6:30 p.m., KCC Arts and Sciences Foyer
KCC’s Paralegal/Legal Assistant Studies Program will host a reception with Justice Thomas Kilbride, and debut the Illinois Bicentennial Exhibit of Illinois Law. The traveling exhibit covers 200 years of Illinois law.

Tuesday, April 30, 6:30 p.m., KCC auditorium
Michael Beschloss’ “Presidents of War” book discussion in KCC’s auditorium. Panelists include Pat Brady, political analyst, former Illinois Republican Party chair and former federal prosecutor; Clifton Truman Daniel, author, activist, and eldest grandson of former President Harry S. Truman; Mike Frey, KCC alumnus and managing editor of the Daily Journal; and Professor Scott Kistler. Professor Steve DePasquale is the moderator.

Wednesday, May 1, 6:30 p.m., KCC College Center
Trivia Night benefiting Prairie State Legal Services. Members of the community are invited to form a trivia team and compete! Cost is $10 per person, or $50 for a team of six. All proceeds go to Prairie State Legal Services, a provider of free or low-cost civil legal aid services to the poor and the elderly in Kankakee and Iroquois counties.  The event is sponsored by KCC’s chapter of Lambda Epsilon Chi National Honor Society in Paralegal/Legal Assistant Studies.

Thursday, May 2, 6:30 p.m., KCC Cavalier Room
KCC’s second annual Civics Fair, a family-friendly event featuring voter registration, plus information about election judges, various government and civics agencies, Kankakee County Teen Court, and KCC’s Paralegal/Legal Assistant Studies program. Poster contest winners will be announced and prizes awarded. Participants are given a passport to be stamped at each vendor table and can enter the passport into a drawing for a free tablet computer. Participants who donate a nonperishable food item to KCC’s Food Pantry will receive an additional entry in the tablet drawing.

Friday, May 3, 10 a.m. - noon, Courtroom 300 at the Kankakee County Courthouse
Illinois Appellate Court, Third District, oral arguments on two pending appeals. Seating is limited, and appropriate business attire is required. The Appellate Court visit is sponsored by the Kankakee County Bar Association and the Kankakee chapter of the Society of Women in Law. Justices will not comment on matters pending before the court or provide legal advice to courtroom spectators.

Law Week events are being planned in collaboration with KCC’s chapter of Lambda Epsilon Chi, the national honor society for Paralegal/Legal Assistant Studies; KCC Humanities and Social Sciences Division; Kankakee County Teen Court; Kankakee County Bar Association; the Kankakee Society of Women in Law; and Prairie State Legal Services.

For more information, phone Condon, professor and program coordinator of the Paralegal/Legal Assistant Studies Program, at 815-802-8216 or email kcondon@kcc.edu.

KCC is located south of downtown Kankakee near River Road, off U.S. 45-52, or take Interstate 57 to Exit 308 and follow the signs. Directions are at www.kcc.edu/directions.

KCC’s Paralegal/Legal Assistant Studies program is approved by the American Bar Association. Two degrees are offered, a two-year associate degree program for those who plan to immediately enter the workforce or to transfer into a four-year bachelor’s degree program; and an advanced certificate for those already holding a bachelor’s degree.

The college also has established partnership agreements for paralegal graduates with a number of area colleges, including Governors State University in University Park.