Pasco-Hernando State College Volume XV, Issue I SPRING 2021 | Page 4

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear PHSC Friends :
PHSC welcomed 2021 with enthusiasm , encouraged by news that COVID-19 is expected to be controlled in the new year . At Perspective ’ s press time , vaccines were more widely available and the College maintains stringent and effective safety protocols .
Yet recovery takes time and the challenges presented by the pandemic will likely persist through the coming months . Families within our district lost jobs , homes and income during the course of the pandemic . Some became ill and others , tragically , lost their lives to the disease . College enrollment slipped nationally and here at PHSC students hesitated to commit to academic plans . Interestingly , even PHSC students reluctant to transition to virtual learning platforms performed well academically , demonstrating their persistence and resolve to achieve academic goals . However , the feature story “ Campus Life Key to Student Happiness and Success ” details students ’ desire to return to campusbased classes and activities .
PHSC redoubled efforts to offer much needed resources to support students . The PHSC Foundation and concerned benefactors established innovative ways to help students reach academic goals , including offering support for basic needs in the highly successful Support Our Students ( SOS ) Emergency Relief Fund .
Many other exciting initiatives are on the horizon at PHSC . The College received a grant of nearly a half million dollars to support rapid credentialing programs — accelerated training that provides specific skills and pathways to high demand careers . PHSC also partnered with Workforce Entrepreneurship Research and Community ( WERC ) to help bridge the unemployment gap and Innovation Collective to boost area job growth .
We hope you enjoy this edition of Perspective , which contains College and Foundation news and details about our fascinating programs , generous donors , impressive scholarships , and many exciting initiatives and activities . This is What Gold Looks Like !
Best wishes for a safe and wonderful 2021 !
Timothy L . Beard , Ph . D . | PHSC President
PASCO-HERNANDO STATE COLLEGE
President Timothy L . Beard , Ph . D .
PHSC District Board of Trustees Chair Marilyn Pearson-Adams Vice Chair Rao Musunuru , M . D . Members Robin Schneider Jeffrey Harrington , Ph . D . Alvaro Hernandez John Mitten Raymond Gadd Jr . David Garcia , Th . D . Lee Maggard
Student Trustee Zachary Kleisley
PHSC Foundation Board of Directors
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair Ronald J . May Vice Chair R . Seth Mann Secretary Brian Horn Treasurer Skip Miller Past Chair Greg Lenners
Marilyn Pearson-Adams Barbara-Jo Bell
BOARD MEMBERS James “ Jimmy ” Adcock Ken Burdzinski Rogerick Green Steven D . Hickman Monica Mills Ashley Policastri Morris Porton George Psetas Seth Weightman Shonda Wilson
HONORARY MEMBERS Robert A . Barnett Andrew Barnes Edward C . Blommel Marc W . Bowman The Honorable Wayne Cobb Wayne R . Coulter Joel H . Goldberg , D . M . D . James H . Kimbrough Sr . Niles H . Kinnunen Jr ., D . D . S . Ronald G . Thornton Donald K . Vierling , M . D . Richard C . Williams Jr .
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Lisa Richardson , Ed . D .
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