It is with deep sadness that Provost McDonough and I share with you the sad news that we lost our colleague and friend Carmen Powers early Wednesday morning, December 12. While I’ve known Carmen for a relatively short time, I know how difficult this news will be for the college community.
Carmen was one of those larger than life personalities, a valiant and courageous woman. She filled classrooms and conference rooms with her spirit and her straightforward, hold-nothing-back style. More than anything else, however, we will remember her for her deep commitment to students, to teaching, to her colleagues and to MCC.
Carmen joined the MCC faculty in 1990, after an illustrious career in advertising. She was a trailblazer for women at Procter and Gamble, Leo Burnett advertising agency and Mobil Chemical. She often talked about her choice to leave the high-powered, fast-paced world of advertising for the more personally rewarding world of college teaching. We are so fortunate that her career path came through MCC.
It is nearly impossible to summarize her contributions to teaching and learning at MCC. She made student success a priority, always striving to be an even better teacher. Her commitment and skill is reflected in the frequent student praise she received. She enjoyed taking her very best students to lunch at Oak Hill Country Club each term.
She cared deeply about her colleagues, serving in the college-wide mentoring program and the Dr. Alice Holloway Young Faculty Internship program.
An associate professor in the Business Administration/Economics Department, she cared about high quality teaching, enthusiastically integrating service learning, sustainability and technology into her courses. Carmen was often out front, leading, but she was also a generous follower, quietly supporting and contributing to the success of her colleague-leaders. Carmen’s formal leadership roles included chair of the Faculty Senate Professional Development Committee, and leader of MCC student teams in the community-based “Retain the Brains” marketing competition. She also served on dozens of college committees and initiatives.
Carmen proudly attended Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester fundraisers with MCC colleagues and through those events developed a friendship with my husband, Ned, that we both value.
Carmen proudly earned her MBA in marketing at Northwestern University and her bachelor’s degree in sociology/economics at the University of Illinois.
Her department and her College supported and loved her through her health challenges, which weakened her body but never her commitment and connection to MCC.
Carmen is survived by her husband, Jack, and sons John and Chris. Arrangements are pending; we will share them with you as soon as they are available.
Anne M. Kress and Michael McDonough
President and Provost
12/13/2012 |