Fitchburg State University President Donna Hodge and Fitchburg Mayor Samantha Squailia signed a new memorandum of understanding this week geared toward reciprocal support in times of emergency.

The agreement outlines expectations for collaboration and mutual aid between agencies, including critical incident training, drills, and exercises, and providing space on campus or in the city for emergency needs including family reunification.

University President Donna Hodge expressed her admiration for the collaboration between the campus and city leaders that led to the agreement.

Our Center for Italian Culture  hosted a screening of "It Ain't Over", a documentary that  chronicles the journey of Lorenzo Pietro “Yogi” Berra, the son of Italian immigrants who grew up in St. Louis. This film was introduced by long-time Center for Italian Culture Board member, Italianista, and baseball lover Economics, History and Political Science Professor Teresa Fava Thomas (wearing her Red Sox gear).  An autographed copy of Yogi Berra’s autobiography, Yogi: It Ain’t Over (1989) by Yogi Berra was raffled off after the screening.

With the summer program right around the corner, the Upward Bound Math & Science (UBMS) program at Fitchburg State University held a Skate to Success Event this afternoon  at the Wallace Civic Center. The event provided the opportunity to meet our UBMS students and thank you for helping to make this program successful.

The Fitchburg State University  Counseling Services team and other offices on campus throughout Hammond Hall held a Wellness Fair to celebrate the opening of their new wellness space on the second floor. Students got to visit therapy animals, do some wellness activities, get wellness related supplies, grab a snack, and more.

This morning, President Donna Hodge and Dean of Education, Mojdeh Bayat welcomed local School Superintendents and Legislators to a panel discussion, and Q & A session in the Hammond Hall Main Lounge. The panel consisted of; State Representative Natalie M. Higgins, representing the 4th Worcester District, State Senator James B. Eldridge, representing the Middlesex and Worcester District,  State Senator John J. Cronin, representing the Worcester and Middlesex District, from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, welcome Senior Associate Commissioner Darcy Fernandes & Associate Commissioner Elizabeth Bennett, and from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, Deputy Commissioner for Academic Affairs and Student Success Richard Riccardi. The panel answered questions on a wide range of topics facing education in Massachusetts.

English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy welcomed  Fitchburg Historical Society Director  Susan Navarre to her Storytelling and Oral Tradition class this morning. Navarre gave a brief history of Fitchburg and offered topics of interest students may be able to use for a class project. 

Staff, faculty, and students gathered in G-Lobby of Hammond Hall to commemorate the 50th anniversary of it's opening. The Hammond Hall Campus Center, named for President James J. Hammond (1963-1975), is the hub of the university housing many offices, gathering places, student services, and so much more. It's the living room of the entire campus, a place where there's always something happening.

The event also served as a welcoming celebration for our Upward Bound Math & Science program that recently relocated to the second floor of  Hammond Hall.

As part of our yearlong Community Read of Sonia Purnell's A Woman of No Importance:  The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II, faculty, students, staff and community members gathered in the  Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library for a discussion of the book and a presentation on prosthetics. The subject of the book, Virginia Hall, whom in 1942 the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission regarding: “She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her.” had a prosthetic leg. Prior to English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy leading the discussion, Clinical Manager Max Nigrosh MSOP, CP of Hanger Clinic discussed the history of, and demonstrated various types of prosthetics. 

A panel of Emily Stark (Director of Disability Services), Dr. Danette Day (Education), Dr. Kat McLellan (Director of Academic Coaching and Tutoring Center), Shannah Sallah (Student Affairs, Veteran Services), Tanya Crowley (Director of Alumni and Family Relations), Nicole Salerno (Assistant Director of Study Abroad), Sandy Yu (International Student Coordinator), Dr. Elizabeth Swartz (Director of TRIO Student Support Services) visited English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy's Storytelling and Oral Tradition class to take part in an interview project for the course.

The Crocker Center for Civic Engagement hosted a roundtable discussion for faculty and administrators with Dr. John Reiff, Director of Civic Learning and Engagement for the state Department of Higher Education.