STCC faculty honored for excellence in teaching
Professors Sharon Sheng and Sondra Peron, seated left to right, are the two Endowed Chair recipients for 2026. Standing, left to right, are Dr. Miah Dreger, Dean of STEM; Dr. Jennifer Cournoyer, President of STCC; Dr. Mary Lou Vredenburg, Dean of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies; and Dr. Christopher Thuot, Vice President of Academic Affairs.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. – Two Springfield Technical Community College professors were recognized for their dedication to students, innovative teaching and contributions to campus life through the STCC Foundation’s Anthony M. Scibelli and Joseph J. Deliso, Sr. Endowed Chairs.
The STCC Foundation Board created the Endowed Chairs to recognize and foster faculty excellence with a cash award. This year’s recipients, professors Sondra Peron and Sharon Sheng, were honored at an STCC faculty and staff event on Sept. 3 for the ways they inspire students and create opportunities that extend beyond the classroom.
Mary Lou Vredenburg, Dean of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, introduced Peron as the recipient of the 2026 Joseph J. Deliso, Sr. Endowed Chair.
Peron joined STCC in 2011 as an adjunct professor before becoming director of the Amy H. Carberry Fine Arts Gallery. In 2018, she was appointed a full-time art professor and gallery director.
“At the core of Sondra’s work is a deep commitment to teaching,” Vredenburg said.
Peron’s courses include photography, art history, philosophy, and honors seminars. Vredenburg praised her ability to combine technical art instruction with historical and philosophical foundations, helping students develop both creative skills and a deeper understanding of the world around them.
“Her goal isn't just teaching students how to make an image or appreciate artwork,” Vredenburg said. “It's helping them discover their own voices and giving them the confidence to engage with the world around them.”
“Her goal isn't just teaching students how to make an image or appreciate artwork,” Vredenburg said. “It's helping them discover their own voices and giving them the confidence to engage with the world around them.”
Under Peron’s leadership, the Carberry Gallery has become an extension of the classroom. Vredenburg noted that Peron has created more than 60 exhibitions and built a space where students, staff, and community members can engage with art through artist roundtables and hands-on workshops.
Peron said after struggling during her first attempt at a four-year college, she enrolled at a community college in Connecticut, where she found the support and environment she needed to succeed.
“I really do believe in the community college system,” Peron said. “I think it can be so transformative to people's lives.”
She understands that students often balance college with work, family responsibilities, and other demands, and that there is no single path to a degree. “I have a unique position in that perspective because I understand those challenges intimately,” she said. “I lived them.”
For Peron, the Deliso Endowed Chair is meaningful not simply because it recognizes her individual work, but because it represents appreciation from the college community.
“This is a very public display of appreciation,” she said. “I don't feel like I've done any of this alone.”
Miah Dreger, Dean of the School of STEM, introduced Sheng as the recipient of the Anthony M. Scibelli Endowed Chair.
A longtime member of the STCC family and a professor in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Department, Sheng was recognized for her dedication to students, her passion for teaching and her willingness to turn ideas into meaningful opportunities for student engagement.
Sheng’s commitment to students extends beyond her courses in classical physics, engineering thermodynamics, mechanics, and computer applications in engineering. She supports the STCC Math Club, serves as an adviser to the STCC Society for Women Engineers affiliate, known as SWE, and is co-adviser of the newly formed Engineering Rocket Team.
“Through these activities, Professor Sheng creates meaningful opportunities for students to connect, get involved, and feel a true sense of belonging here on campus,” Dreger said. “Her passion for teaching, her generosity with her time and her unwavering dedication to her students are a few of her qualities that make her so deserving of this award.”
Sheng said she was honored to receive the recognition.
“It’s a great honor, and more importantly, it reminds me why I chose this career and encourages me to keep doing what I love,” Sheng said. “What continues to inspire me at STCC is our students. They come from different backgrounds and face different challenges, and it’s very rewarding to see them grow, gain confidence, and succeed.”
Each year, faculty are nominated by their colleagues and invited to apply. Honorees are ultimately selected by the STCC Foundation Executive Committee. The honor comes with a $1,500 award for professional development and an additional $1,500 for the recipient’s department to carry out a project that benefits students. In addition, recipients receive wooden chairs with plaques inscribed with their names.
The college established the Anthony M. Scibelli, Sr. Endowed Chair in 1992 to recognize and foster faculty excellence. As a member of the state House of Representatives, Scibelli sponsored and pushed through legislation approving funding and authorizing the transfer of 35 acres of Springfield Armory to the state, as a location for STCC.
In 1993, the Deliso family established the Joseph J. Deliso Sr. Endowed Chair at STCC in recognition of excellence in teaching. Appointed as the first chairman of the STCC Advisory Board, Deliso, an industrialist, served from 1967 to 1981. He then became first chairman of the STCC Board of Trustees, serving through 1985.
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
About Springfield Technical Community College
STCC, the Commonwealth’s only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC’s highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts. Founded in 1967, the College—a designated Hispanic-Serving Institution—seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed, and socially responsible graduates.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jim Danko, (413) 755-4812, jdanko@stcc.edu