Carroll County Community College: Carroll STEM Students Continue To Excel

Press release from Carroll County Community College :

2021-06-10

Several
alumni from Carroll Community College’s STEM program have demonstrated they truly
have success down to a science.

Carroll’s
STEM—an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math—program has long had
an exceptional track record for producing high-achieving students in these challenging
yet essential fields. Here are just a few recent graduates who have used their
Carroll education to launch impressive futures in STEM-related endeavors.

Zach Sweep

As one
of the first five students to graduate from Carroll’s Engineering program, Zach
went on to earn his Master of Science degree in Electrical and Computer
Engineering from Johns Hopkins University’s nationally recognized and highly
competitive Whiting School of Engineering. He accomplished this while raising a
family and working full-time at Applied Physics Laboratory, a research center
that develops technologies in air and missile defense, computer security, spacecraft
construction and more. Boasting such a strong foundation in engineering
from both Carroll and Johns Hopkins, Zach is now looking to pursue a doctorate
in Engineering.

Elyzabeth Tompas

Elyzabeth
had been part of the SMART Scholars cohort at Carroll (which later led to the
formation of STEM Scholars), as well as served as the president of the American
Chemical Society chapter at the College. While at Carroll, she also managed to
juggle her Chemistry studies, caring for her family and undergoing treatment
for cancer. Elyzabeth now works at Abbott Laboratories in Scarborough, Maine as
a Lead Molecular Chemist, focusing on the manufacture of COVID-19 tests, as
well as those for Influenza A/B, RSV and Strep. She credits all the wonderful
opportunities she’d had at Carroll as a reason for her continued success.

Chad Tibbs

After
graduating from Carroll’s STEM program, Chad transferred to the University of
Maryland (on a full scholarship) where he earned his Bachelor of Science
degree, and has since been accepted into the prestigious Whiting School of
Engineering Master’s program. Recently, he was cleared to work as a Mechanical
Engineer at the U.S. Army’s Aviation and Missile Center, who will also cover
the cost of his Master’s education. Carroll helped lay the groundwork for all
of this by supporting Chad’s commitment to both his family and his future.

Jason Sumpter

Jason
is a Carroll graduate who has followed his longtime passion to teach
college-level Biology and mold the next generation of young scientists. After
graduating from Carroll, he went on to earn his Bachelor’s and Master’s
degrees, then taught as an adjunct professor on Carroll’s Science faculty. This
experience enabled him to eventually secure a full-time position as Assistant
Professor of Biological Sciences at Broward College in Davie, Florida. To this
day, Jason calls Carroll Community College his “second home.”\

"Faculty members and indeed the entire College community thrive on our
students’ success, not just during their journey at Carroll but after it as
well,” said Dr. Raza Khan, Chairperson of the Sciences Division and Program
Director of STEM Scholars at Carroll. “As faculty, there is no greater joy than
to see our students’ succeed despite the challenging STEM coursework and the
personal challenges they face in their own lives.”

“Dr. Khan
and all the faculty and staff at Carroll believe deeply in our students,” said
Dr. Rose Mince, College Provost. “Our dedication to student success is a
major reason why our students achieve their goals here at Carroll and beyond.” 

This press release was produced by Carroll County Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.