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President Mary K. Grant

President Grant at a Trailblazer\\\'s GamePresident Grant is an extraordinary leader with an eye toward the future of the College, its students, Berkshire County and the Commonwealth. She returned to us in 2002 as the first alumna to serve as president. Since then, she has led MCLA into many innovative partnerships.

Community Collaboration

Heading the regional effort of the Berkshire Compact for Higher Education, President Grant has improved the civic and social well-being of Berkshire County by preparing area youth to fill the region's technology and knowledge-based jobs.

Other efforts started under President Grant's direction include the Berkshire Cultural Resource Center (BCRC), which actively supports, inspires, and connects the local arts, academic, and business communities through programs such as MCLA Gallery 51 and the Berkshire Hills Internship Program (B-HIP). President Grant also was instrumental in establishing the Berkshire Environmental Resource Center (BERC), which promotes environmental awareness and preservation.

Our Campus and Beyond

Thanks to a monumental effort by President Grant, MCLA has made great strides to make the case for a Center for Science & Innovation, which was approved by Governor Deval Patrick in August 2008 when he appropriated $54.5 million for the facility in the Higher Education Bond Bill. In October 2009 Governor Patrick announced a five-year capital plan that commits $500,000 to initiate the study phase of the project in Fiscal Year 2010. When the Center for Science & Innovation comes to pass, it will represent the single-largest investment in higher education in Berkshire County.

The vision for this Center is that it will be a resource for the Berkshire STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Pipeline Network by making labs, classrooms and other resources available to the teachers and students of all ages. In this Center, MCLA students will prepare to enter the research pipeline and the life sciences workforce, as Massachusetts continues to be a world leader in biotechnology and the life sciences.