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My SCCC

Hope M. Sasway, Ph.D.

Headshot of Hope M. Sasway, Dean of the School of Math, Science, Technology and HealthDean

518-381-1268
hope.sasway@sunysccc.edu
Elston Hall, Room 310

Ph.D., Stony Brook University
M.S., West Virginia University
B.S., University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

After graduating valedictorian in 1993, she went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, graduating magna cum laude in 1997; defended her thesis and earned a Master of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology from West Virginia University in 2000, and defended her dissertation and earned a Ph.D. in Science Education from Stony Brook University in 2017 while working her previous full-time job of 17 years as a Professor at Suffolk County Community College.

As a career educator, Dr. Sasway began teaching professionally in 2000. After teaching at several institutions, she took a leap to the Caribbean to teach at a nursing school in St. Kitts. This was a very unique experience and valuable experience, not only teaching students from many different countries, some of them not able to speak or understand English, but also moving to a different country and not knowing anyone there or much about that country was quite an exciting adventure! It was during that experience that Dr. Sasway became dedicated to being the best professor as she could be, and to always advocate for what is in the best interests of the students. Prior to this position she was community college professor and lab instructor at several institutions in southeastern Pennsylvania including Swarthmore College and West Chester University and some of the surrounding community colleges. After her experience in St. Kitts, she received 3 different tenure track job offers at community colleges and decided move to Long Island, NY. 

Dr. Sasway is an avid traveler always desiring to explore different cultures and cuisines having been to 5 continents and 27 countries, as well as the furthest away U.S. states and territories: Hawaii and Alaska.

Dr. Sasway enjoys hiking with her faithful companions, Elsa, a hound/lab/shepherd mix and Dexter an Australian Shepherd, practicing yoga, cooking new and exotic foods, baking and gardening. She loves watching football, hockey and baseball and always supports her hometown pro sports teams from Pittsburgh, as she is originally from western Pennsylvania.

Master’s thesis: Endothelin-1 gene expression in the porcine ovary: Follicular Development 

Her Master’s research focused on gene expression of a certain protein and its relationship to oocyte development and her favorite portion of research was doing surgery (ovariectomies) on pre-pubertal pigs. Her doctoral and current research interests are in studying science education, particularly sources of student motivation to study science and the factors that affect them. She has presented her research data at the following places:

Doctoral dissertation: Dissertation title: Factors that Influence Community College Students' Interest in Science Coursework

 

Publications

Hope M. Sasway & Angela M. Kelly (2020). Instructional Behaviors Affecting Student Attitudes Towards Science. Community College Journal of Research and Practice. DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2020.1719937

Gene Expression of Endothelin-1 in the Porcine Ovary:  Follicular Development, Biology of Reproduction, 2000, 63:1377-1382.

(Correction printed- Biology of Reproduction 2000; 64:408, January 1, 2001.)

 

Professional Presentations

1/5/18 - Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE) 
International Conference, Baltimore, MD
*Roundtable discussion: Community College Students’ Interest and Motivation to Study Science.

11/9/17 - Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE)
International Conference, Houston, TX
*Poster: Community College Students’ Interest and Motivation to Study Science.

4/23/17 - National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST)
International Conference, San Antonio, TX
*Paper: Factors that Influence Community College Students’ Interest in Science Coursework.

10/14/16 - Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE)
Northeastern Regional Conference, New York, NY
*Poster: Student Interest in Community College Biology Courses.

10/25/12 - Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE)
Northeastern Regional Conference, Cornwall, NY
*Paper: New York Community Colleges: Their History and Our Future?  

10/25/12 - Association for Science Teacher Education (ASTE)
Northeastern Regional Conference, Cornwall, NY
*Poster: Community College Students’ Views of Science.