BCC Announces Faculty, Staff Members, Title Changes

07:45AM / Saturday, February 14, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the addition of five new staff members and two title changes.

New faculty/staff

Dr. Thomas Burton-Steele joins Berkshire Community College as Assistant Professor of Engineering in the Division of Science and Business. He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science from The University of Alabama and a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Virginia Tech. His teaching and research interests span applied physics, electronics and materials engineering, with a focus on hands-on, student-centered learning. Outside the classroom, he enjoys biking, traveling, cooking, caring for his cats and playing video games.

Steven Carvalho, Ed.D. joins Berkshire Community College as Coordinator of Disability Services. He earned his Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership and Supervision from American International College. Carvalho has held numerous roles in the Connecticut public school system, including school psychologist, Director of Pupil and Special Education Services, and Supervisor of Special Education. Additionally, he served as an adjunct instructor at Southern Connecticut State University’s Counseling and School Psychology Department, where he taught courses on assessments and behavioral intervention techniques. Originally from Connecticut, he and his husband reside in Becket, MA. They have two sons and a daughter-in-law. He is also a grandfather of three-month-old twin boys. In his spare time, Carvalho likes to go on hikes with his family, take Max (his English bulldog) on walks or enjoy a quiet evening at home.

Stacie Klinowski joins Berkshire Community College as the Coordinator of Writing Across the Curriculum in the Division of Teaching and Learning Innovation. Klinowski’s background is in Writing Studies, and she has worked recently as the Assistant Director and Writing Across the Curriculum Coordinator of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Writing Center. Her hobbies include watercolor painting, hiking and hanging out with her cats.

Kennedy Piper joins Berkshire Community College as Administrative Assistant I, One Stop. She brings six years of extensive administrative and clerical expertise to the department. Originally from upstate New York, she is now a resident of Lee, Massachusetts and is currently pursuing her degree in community and human services. Piper says she is eager to apply her organizational skills and passion for service to help students navigate and be successful in their academic journeys.

Outside of the office, she stays busy spending quality time with her pup, Bentley, and beloved family and friends. She enjoys crafting, shopping, catching the latest movies, planning her next vacation and looking for new adventures.

Esra ?ahin joins Berkshire Community College as Assistant Professor of Psychology. Originally from Türkiye, she received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology in her home country and doctorate in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Illinois. In addition to gaining 10 years of teaching experience at various institutions, she recently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Utah State University. Coming from a background combining teaching and research, ?ahin has extensive experience in areas related to adolescent wellbeing, cross-cultural psychology and interpersonal relationships. In her free time, she enjoys traveling the world with her husband, playing videogames, hiking and camping.

Title Changes

Kolumbia Granger is now the Manager, One Stop Enrollment Operations. She had been the Associate Director of Admissions since she joined BCC in October 2023.

Georgina Riley is now Assistant Professor of Nursing. She had been adjunct faculty for the Nursing, Health and Wellness Division. She joined BCC in August 2023.

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Companion Corner: Princess at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:17PM / Wednesday, August 05, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There is an energetic girl waiting to find her new home at the Berkshire Humane Society.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Princess is a six year old shepherd mix that has been at the shelter for just over a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Princess.

"She's very social, very friendly. When you're out walking her, she just wants to go say hi to every single new person. Loves to make new friends. She's a lot of fun. She's very active. She's very spunky. She's very playful, and she's going to need a very very active family who's going to do a lot with her."

But Princess is no stranger to the shelter. She was a puppy five years ago and got adopted quickly, but now she needs a new family to take care of her.

"She was adopted out fairly quickly as a young puppy. She's been in the same home for the past five years. Unfortunately, they were moving out of state somewhere," Olivieri said. "They could not take her with them, so she ended up coming as a return to shelter, and she came back to stay with us."

Princess needs to go to a home as the only animal or with other male dogs that are her size or bigger.

"Her perfect home would be kids eight and up. No cats. No small animals. She has quite a prey drive. She could go to a home with another dog around her size or larger, preferably a male dog. She does a little bit better with male dogs, and she's looking for a home where people are home quite a bit, so that she's not left alone for too long. She has some separation anxiety," Olivieri said.

She also needs a very active home that can let her use her energy every day, as she is very rambunctious. Especially with playing with her favorite toy, the flirt pole.

"She could use a home where people are going to give her a lot of attention and more than just a few walks a day; she's going to need lots of exercise, lots of playtime, lots of mental stimulation," Olivieri said. "She likes to learn, so someone who would be willing to take her to training classes or work on some training with her, as well as hikes, getting out and about, doing new things, different things. She is very athletic. She'd excel at things like agility, some dog sports. Just someone who is really going to want to engage and do a lot of different kinds of activities with her."

Once you let her get her energy out, she is a cuddler who wouldn't mind being held like a baby from time to time.

"She's very sweet. She's very cuddly. She's very affectionate, but she is not a couch potato. She will stay on that couch with you for a little bit, and then she's ready to go off and do something else. So she's very busy. She's very active," Olivieri said. "Once all of her exercise needs are met during the day, she will settle down nicely, and she will want to be right by your side, cuddle with you at night on the couch, sleep with you."

Princess is very healthy but does experience some anxiety and is not fully potty trained and might have the occasional accident.

"She does have a little bit of anxiety, so she is on some medication for it right now," Olivieri said. "So a lot of structure, a lot of outlets, and familiarity, getting used to a new routine and everything is gonna be really good for her. I mean, she's just lovely. Like I said, she's very social. She likes to play with other dogs. She likes to meet new people."

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