Aug. 21, 2025 On August 20, 2025 GRCC kicked off the fall semester with its Opening Day Celebration — an energizing gathering of faculty and staff to welcome the new academic year. A highlight of the event was the recognition of three remarkable employees with the college’s most prestigious honor: the Excellence in Education Award. Established in 1989, the Excellence in Education Awards recognize GRCC employees who demonstrate outstanding dedication to student success, professional excellence and service to the college and broader community. This year’s honorees are: Faculty Award: Julie Lackscheide, Program Director of Imaging Sciences   A trailblazer in the School of Health Science, Julie Lacksheide has been instrumental in expanding access to in-demand healthcare careers. Through her leadership, GRCC has launched several new Allied Health programs, including MRI, Surgical Tech, CVT and EEG, helping to meet workforce needs while opening new doors for students. Julie’s impact in the classroom is equally profound. She fosters engaging, real-world learning experiences and ensures her students feel supported from their first day through graduation. During the pandemic, she developed virtual lab content to keep students on track and later transitioned her program to a hybrid model to improve balance and accessibility. All while maintaining accreditation standards and high board pass rates. Colleagues praise her as a mentor, collaborator and steady source of encouragement and solutions. Her commitment to service, inclusion and innovation reflects the very best of GRCC’s mission and values. Adjunct Faculty Award: Chad Sytsma, Adjunct Professor and Distance Education Faculty Liaison, Business and CIS   For 20 years, Chad Sytsma has helped students and colleagues thrive across learning formats — face-to-face, hybrid and fully online. As both an instructor and distance education faculty liaison, Chad brings technical skill, pedagogical expertise and a student-centered approach to everything he does. His courses reflect best practices in design and accessibility, with clear objectives, active learning and prompt feedback. In his liaison role, he mentors fellow faculty on inclusive online teaching, supports Quality Matters course reviews and contributes to collegewide training and instructional design efforts. Chad’s influence extends beyond the classroom. He’s a trusted resource to peers, a role model in the use of technology and a dedicated youth sports coach who invests in the next generation both inside and outside of GRCC. Staff Award: Marisol Blanco, Interim Associate Dean of Strategic Outreach   Marisol Blanco has shaped GRCC’s approach to holistic student support. Under her leadership, the College Success Center expanded its reach, helped students navigate college systems, overcome barriers and build the confidence to succeed. Marisol is a driving force behind key initiatives like College Success Bootcamp and New Student Onboarding, which prepare students academically and socially for college life. She is a fierce advocate for first-generation, low-income and Latine students, building partnerships across GRCC and the Grand Rapids community to promote equity and access. Known for her generosity, vision and deep commitment to student success, Marisol is a leader who inspires others to rise with her — cultivating trust, belonging and impact at every level of the institution. Congratulations to Julie, Chad and Marisol on this well-earned recognition and for their incredible contributions to GRCC and our students!  

Aug. 18, 2025 Grand Rapids Community College is expanding its artificial intelligence offerings with a new Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences degree and a hands-on capstone course developed in collaboration with West Michigan businesses. Thanks to a grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), GRCC will launch a three-year initiative focused on helping students apply AI to real-world business challenges. The capstone course — beginning in winter 2026 — will be open to both students enrolled in the new  Associate of Applied Science (A.A.A.S.) degree in artificial intelligence and those pursuing GRCC’s  AI certificate . “GRCC has a longstanding relationship with the business community,” said Dr. Kristi Haik, dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and co-investigator of the grant. “We want to help our local business partners understand and apply the technology. We also want to create real experiences for our students so they enter the workforce with demonstrated competence in AI applications.”  GRCC was one of only 45 institutions nationwide selected to receive the competitive grant, which required detailed plans and measurable outcomes for the duration of the three-year program. Twenty local businesses wrote letters of support as part of the grant application process. Those same organizations also committed to work with GRCC students on the development of an AI project and create relevant, real-time learning opportunities. “We are very grateful to the 20 West Michigan businesses that wrote letters of support for our application,” said Jonnathan Resendiz, assistant professor in the Computer Information Systems Department and faculty director of GRCC’s AI Incubator. “Each one of them also committed to work with our students on the development of an AI project. They see the tremendous value of learning about the technology while investing in an educated workforce.” The capstone course will span seven weeks and serve as the culmination of students’ AI education at GRCC. While not an internship, the course will provide valuable experience working end-to-end on a live AI model — from problem scoping and data gathering to deployment of an AI solution. “The capstone course is seven weeks long, so the projects will be scaled appropriately,” Resendiz said. “Typical projects might include development of a chatbot, automating social media posts, summarizing customer data or similar work. Students will work in small teams to create the AI application using data the business partner provides. Once the project is complete, students will hand it over for deployment.” Over the course of the grant, GRCC expects to educate 60 students through the capstone course. “We plan to have students meet with our local business partners to help define the AI project,” Resendiz said. “Students will learn to ask questions, identify project parameters and create an implementation plan. Then they will use real business data to model the AI solution that has been identified.”   “By connecting with our West Michigan business community, we can structure education that meets their workforce readiness needs,” he added. “Our students will have experience creating a live application, and the company benefits from the result. There is no commitment to internship or employment through this project. It is a collaboration designed to be a win-win.” Jennifer Wangler, vice president of technology at The Right Place, has partnered with GRCC to help align the program with regional workforce needs. “As we continue to see tremendous growth in our regional tech sector, this funding will be instrumental in ensuring we have the skilled technicians and professionals needed to support that expansion,” Wangler said. “Through my work at The Right Place and with the Technology Council of West Michigan, I've seen firsthand how critical it is to align educational programs with industry needs. This grant will strengthen that connection, providing students with cutting-edge training while giving our local employers access to job-ready talent. It's exactly the kind of strategic investment that will keep West Michigan competitive in the rapidly evolving technology landscape.” The program is designed not only to provide GRCC students with resume-ready experience in AI, but also to help businesses explore how artificial intelligence could improve their operations. Throughout the process, GRCC will contribute to the growing body of educational tools and industry collaborations shaping the future of AI workforce development. “We are honored to play a significant role in fueling West Michigan’s tech hub status,” Haik said. “All the data points to AI as an important technology for businesses, and that means an upward trend in employability for people who know how to deploy it.” Grand Rapids was recently named the No. 1 city to grow a career on LinkedIn’s inaugural “Cities on the Rise” list, with strong momentum in industries like technology, healthcare, manufacturing and insurance creating a wealth of career opportunities for both new and experienced professionals. West Michigan businesses that are interested in partnering with GRCC to create an AI application through this capstone course are invited to contact Jonnathan Resendiz at jonnathanresendiz@grcc.edu . Learn more about the  Associate of Applied Science (A.A.A.S.) degree and  Artificial Intelligence Certificate at GRCC.