Montgomery College

https://insidemc.montgomerycollege.edu 07-19-2026 07-19-2026

07-19-2026

Sunday, July 19, 2026

1 81e206b4-43f5-9284-1dd6-ada9eef75e3b1260632026-07-06 00:00:01.000Elizabeth FeldmanPart-time Faculty July SpotlightBy Liz Feldman on Behalf of the Part-Time Faculty Institute Ever since she was young, part-time faculty member Olivia Dickens has always had an interest in science, specifically biology. "Most people's gateway into science was outer space or dinosaurs. Mine was rainforests and plants. I have no clue how that happened. I had never seen a rainforest, but that is what I was interested in," Dickens said. She credits her parents for exposing her to different activities that sparked her interest. She visited a lot of museums. Dickens also went on trips to the zoo, where she could see people feed and handle animals. Her parents also would take her to science festivals. "I was more interested in events where I could move around, see a lot of different things, do hands on demonstrations, and listen to people speak about their fields," Dickens explained. The Prince George's County native attended Howard University as an undergraduate. She majored in physics. She later obtained her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics. Dickens joined the College in 2023. She teaches Principles of Biology on the Rockville campus. It is a blended course, taught part remote and part in person. "My goal is to make virtual interactions for my course as dynamic as the in-person interactions," she said. Dickens became interested in teaching through some of her volunteer work at science expos and festivals. People attending those events would often ask her about demonstrations that were set up. "I realized I enjoyed explaining the demonstrations just as much as I enjoyed creating them. This is what first got me thinking about teaching," Dickens said. She has enjoyed her time at the College and interacting with the students. Some of her best experiences have come when students feel confident and comfortable enough to ask questions in class and challenge assumptions. "My favorite moments are all focused around engagement, both academic and non-academic. I like when students walk in the classroom excited to share updates on that job they applied for, or that video game level they were trying so hard to beat, or the adorable thing their child said to them that morning," Dickens explained. She hopes students will walk away from her class confident enough to ask questions and challenge assumptions. She also wants her students to be confident about collecting data, analyzing it, and drawing their own conclusions from it. Dickens said she has evolved as a teacher. She said she has had many mentors over the years. "I took the methods I most admired from each of them and repackaged it into the teaching style I use today," Dickens said. She knows working as a part-time faculty member can be challenging, and she has adopted a teaching philosophy that she believes pays off in the classroom. "Even though your time is limited, use it to be engaged. Make time to meet with students and find out what their interests are, and try to incorporate those interests into the class," Dickens explained. When Dickens is not teaching, she works full time in the biotechnology field. "Biotechnology is an interdisciplinary field that combines technology and biology to create and modify products. Advances in medicine, agriculture, scientific instrumentation can all be traced back to biotechnological innovation," Dickens said. Her specialty is molecular biology. Dickens work focuses on nucleic acid detection and quantitation which means detecting the precise measurement or estimate of the quantity, amount, or concentration of a particular substance. "My work detects specific sequences of DNA or RNA and I try to determine how much of it is in a sample of interest," Dickens said. While her interest in biology began decades ago, she is now working in a career she loves, and the icing on the cake is she also is able to share her vast knowledge with her students. Dickens does have some interests outside of her chosen field. She loves to garden, listen to music, read, fish, and go on bike rides.1OliviaDickens.pngattach/81e206b4-43f5-9284-1dd6-ada9eef75e3b/OliviaDickens.pngtn_0.pngattach/81e206b4-43f5-9284-1dd6-ada9eef75e3b/tn_0.pngdi_0.pngattach/81e206b4-43f5-9284-1dd6-ada9eef75e3b/di_0.pngEmployee Newselizabeth.feldman@montgomerycollege.edu301-646-8551 126063

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Montgomery Collegehttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/Montgomery CollegeFree Paying for Education & Training WorkshopThe TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) offers in-person Paying for Education & Training workshops at WorkSource Montgomery (Wheaton) on the third Tuesday of every month. All workshops are free and open to the public.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/free-paying-for-education--training-workshop-4/c3fa076b-5b66-4915-83fa-54dd9901808eTue, 21 Jul 2026 19:30:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-6/b5079ecb-d3ef-4b97-9573-decba407aee2Thu, 23 Jul 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-7/85661f23-4578-4f64-8a0b-ceab61283e28Thu, 23 Jul 2026 21:00:00 GMTNSO - Raptor Connect: Find Your PeopleNew Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---raptor-connect-find-your-people/9c410d84-7d7b-4647-84b7-3660a2e67c38Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMTNSO - Raptor Connect: Find Your PeopleNew Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/nso---raptor-connect-find-your-people/f0dc08ec-d766-47db-ab13-a7ebd761b7bdWed, 29 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMTNSO - Raptor Connect: Find Your PeopleNew Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/rockville/event/nso---raptor-connect-find-your-people/5da8f7ed-a97a-4c5c-b982-d2d2e437f279Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:30:00 GMTPlant Sale - Environmental Horticulture ProgramPlant Sale: Location: Germantown Greenhouse Time: 2:30-5:30 p.m.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/plant-sale---environmental-horticulture-program-2/31853b77-f5a2-4058-aa61-c84a7e203987Wed, 29 Jul 2026 18:30:00 GMTRaptor Ready Scholarship DeadlineMontgomery College is providing a $1,000 tuition scholarship to Montgomery County residents who are spring 2026 graduates from a Montgomery County high school, and who register for and attend six credit hours in the fall 2026 semester at MC or fall courses in one of the selected WDCE programs.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/academic/event/raptor-ready-scholarship-deadline/879f589d-a24f-488a-8c5b-2ffca765a7a3Mon, 03 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (Spanish)TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) organiza sesiones informativas virtuales mensuales gratuitas en inglés, español y amárico. Las sesiones informativas virtuales de TRIO EOC son gratuitas y abiertas al público. Las sesiones en español se celebran el primer lunes de cada mes.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-spanish-5/6996df7e-4259-4dd0-aae4-a8c4d6fdf5feMon, 03 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMTNSO - Open House/Game DayRegistration link: https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/admissions-registration/future-students.html.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---open-housegame-day/8350698c-f5f3-47ff-95ba-aa3e7e393f06Thu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTSummer Open House- Takoma Park/Silver Spring Ready to begin your journey at Montgomery College? Join our Open House Series, where each event is designed to guide you step-by-step through the enrollment process—from placement to registration and beyond. Attend one or all to get the support you need to start strong this fall!https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/summer-open-house--takoma-parksilver-spring/d5e77b19-c328-4985-89c0-ed6100c82d3aThu, 06 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-8/59349937-4a53-4f52-ad02-692a297e88caThu, 06 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-9/5c16a560-3c52-4451-922f-fcc5023ac59cThu, 06 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMTNSO - Welcome Day New Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---welcome-day/f311374d-cfa3-4db5-b3e6-bdf64daccaacMon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMTNSO - Welcome Day New Student Orientation Eventhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/nso---welcome-day/1303972d-bbd0-486b-b69c-268dffd09603Tue, 11 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMTSummer Open House-Virtual Ready to begin your journey at Montgomery College? Join our Open House Series, where each event is designed to guide you step-by-step through the enrollment process—from placement to registration and beyond. Attend one or all to get the support you need to start strong this fall!https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/summer-open-house-virtual/bd49d297-9c70-4a44-8c26-547135c485a5Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTNSO - Welcome Day New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/rockville/event/nso---welcome-day/9e764a9e-44ee-48f8-9fa1-1ba94f557f03Thu, 13 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-6/5f9a8b9a-a564-48b2-91a6-48220cffa8dbThu, 13 Aug 2026 16:00:00 GMTFree Paying for Education & Training WorkshopThe TRIO Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) offers in-person Paying for Education & Training workshops at WorkSource Montgomery (Wheaton) on the third Tuesday of every month. All workshops are free and open to the public.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/free-paying-for-education--training-workshop-5/e1136d8c-7e3e-4f07-affe-1e08ee442e40Tue, 18 Aug 2026 19:30:00 GMTNSO - International Student Welcome (Virtual) New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/nso---international-student-welcome-virtual/eacd8556-d413-431b-8623-524ac56b3be3Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTNSO - International Student Welcome (Virtual) New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/rockville/event/nso---international-student-welcome-virtual/ce32b4b9-6ffc-423d-85dc-72d3c4a23b24Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTNSO - International Student Welcome (Virtual) New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---international-student-welcome-virtual/4237c9d9-6508-4074-a3f9-c00d906bb286Wed, 19 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (Amharic)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in Amharic are held on the 3rd Wednesday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-sessionhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-amharic-5/cd2503a9-a74d-4c18-8064-ce8e9e8c7038Wed, 19 Aug 2026 22:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-10/73ec92eb-c1e8-4fb2-87b9-8500ddcf74e9Thu, 20 Aug 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-11/6605d181-c89a-4ddd-bed4-ab57bbdb86a8Thu, 20 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMTNSO - Virtual Welcome Day New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---virtual-welcome-day/45a59262-788b-4ee9-b5c4-8d9cd2ee3e4cThu, 20 Aug 2026 21:00:00 GMTNSO - Get ready for class: Your Textbook and Material (Virtual) New Student Orientationhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/takoma-silver/event/nso---get-ready-for-class-your-textbook-and-material-virtual/022d2780-1dde-469f-b0f1-ccfb903c2a50Wed, 26 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMTPlant Sale - Environmental Horticulture ProgramPlant Sale: Location: Germantown Greenhouse Time: 2:30-5:30 p.m.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/plant-sale---environmental-horticulture-program-3/bd7aa1c6-df0b-46b5-bc28-9a9b0f2f5fe8Wed, 26 Aug 2026 18:30:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-12/8e6579a6-8f11-4808-b642-e96d5d99bfcaThu, 03 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-13/1fb7d5ec-0859-4188-b12e-4a1e49c2a4e9Thu, 03 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-7/f478eafb-efa2-4279-a798-ac69a3484d28Thu, 10 Sep 2026 16:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-14/62eb46d1-127e-4a6d-a9d2-8cced73eff41Thu, 17 Sep 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-15/3768bb9c-4aea-44ee-a340-893cf0b200d5Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-16/738b550d-3af1-4412-918c-03bc3e188885Thu, 01 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-17/d464dbb8-6041-4f03-92c1-2d92029ed4fbThu, 01 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-8/159e1567-8644-413f-83a0-e100c91a3b86Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-18/3a773e7c-b466-408e-bf94-477af67b364fThu, 15 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-19/803351b8-1085-48f3-86a9-7820c7fff9d4Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-20/7789d5c7-5cbc-4eab-b92f-a0f4f1e220ccThu, 29 Oct 2026 20:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-21/dad1ac50-64d5-4fc8-b1c1-f2cb5928b03aThu, 29 Oct 2026 21:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-9/00e8874c-2c04-44e9-87ae-7876f80cd3acThu, 12 Nov 2026 17:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-22/f46098e3-4683-4c08-805a-3e8c60b3c944Thu, 12 Nov 2026 21:00:00 GMTMobile Farmer's MarketFresh, affordable, locally grown produce is coming to the Pinkney Innovation Complex! Beginning Thursday, June 4, 2026, the Mobile Farmers Market will be onsite every other Thursday, offering a variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, and other farm-fresh products at low cost.https://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/germantown/event/mobile-farmers-market-23/40b5cc1f-4f9c-48b7-9f9e-e10ac652ff62Thu, 12 Nov 2026 22:00:00 GMTTRIO EOC Virtual Information Session (English)TRIO EOC virtual information sessions are free and open to the public. Sessions in English are held on the 2nd Thursday of every month. Register for a session here: https://bit.ly/eoc-information-session-englishhttps://go.activecalendar.com/montgomerycollege/site/other/event/trio-eoc-virtual-information-session-english-10/e2764842-ebec-49c1-9378-ec124d435c72Thu, 10 Dec 2026 17:00:00 GMT