Natalia Chekhovskaya-Kearney is the June 2022 Team Member of the Month
Natalia Chekhovskaya-Kearney is the June 2022 Team Member of the Month
June 29, 2022 Robert Lane
Port St. Lucie resident Natalia Chekhovskaya-Kearney is the Indian River State College June 2022 Team Member of the Month. Natalia joined the IRSC family in May of 2011 as an Adjunct for Physical Sciences and a part-time, temporary Administrative Assistant–Advanced Technology before her promotion to full-time Program Manager for National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education Program (ATE) Center in September 2012. She was named Associate Director—NSF Laser Optics and ATE in September 2013. Natalia has also served as a part-time STEM Camp Instructor.
Natalia was instrumental in creating and implementing laser-photonics and STEM summer camps for K-12 students—writing the grants, securing the funding, and directing these camps for many years. Natalia also developed a career preparation seminar for IRSC students that she presents annually to help them develop an effective job search with resume writing, correspondence with employers, interview preparation, and more. She invites companies to come and talk to students and interview them right here on our campus. In March 2022, IRSC welcomed the Superintendent of Laser Systems Engineering and Operations Division of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, who presented about their company and and made a job offer to one of our graduates on the spot!
Serving the 45 colleges that are part of the LASER-TEC network to increase their student diversity and increase the number of women in the field, Natalia created the “Women in Photonics Technology” (WPT) program with members from community colleges and the industry. The WPT program aims to assist women in overcoming the obstacles encountered when starting college programs and how to succeed in the industry after graduation.
One of Natalia’s colleagues discusses how she impacts IRSC students she works with, “Natalia is a compassionate, kind powerhouse that works very hard, goes above and beyond the job requirements, and is very effective at producing results!” They continue saying, “We are fortunate to have her in the IRSC College family.”
CONGRATULATIONS, Natalia
June 2022 Team Member of the Month
The Team Member of the Month Award recognizes a non-instructional employee. Nominations are evaluated by the Employee Recognition Committee, which is comprised of IRSC staff members, faculty, and administrators. For more information, contact Committee Chair Sera Phillips at 772-462-7258.
