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Philanthropists Gene and Marlene Epstein Expand BCCC Scholarship Program

An additional 100 scholarships will help Lower Bucks high school graduates attend Bucks County Community College, with $1 million promised in the future Today, while unveiling a new gateway sign at the Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in Bristol, philanthropist Gene Epstein announced the expansion of a scholarship program to help Lower Bucks high school graduates attend Bucks County Community College. Last March, the Gene and Marlene Epstein Humanitarian Fund donated $100,000 to allow 100 students to attend their first year of college free of student debt during the 2025-2026 academic year. On Monday, August 18, Epstein announced an additional 100 scholarships will be available in the 2026-2027 academic year. What’s more, Epstein revealed a $1 million commitment towards future scholarships in the years ahead. The campus, which opened in 2006 in Bristol Township as the Bucks County Community College Lower Bucks Campus, was renamed the Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks in 2016 to commemorate a generous donation from the Epstein Humanitarian Fund. In 2022, the campus expanded with a new building, the Center for Advanced Technologies.

black and white image 1977 silver gelatin photo

See Decades of Legacy at 'The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition'

Bucks County Community College is putting six decades of artistic legacy on display with “The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition” August 27 to October 25 on the Newtown Campus. Various works by 27 retired professors and administrators from 1965 to 2025 will be shown and heard throughout the Hicks Art Center, including recent and historic works that have never been exhibited or played in public before. “The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition highlights the teaching coterie of artists, historians, and musicians who have profoundly impacted modern and contemporary culture locally and around the world,” said Clifford Eberly, exhibitions associate and the show’s curator. “The School of Arts and Communication wanted to recognize their achievements and contributions to Bucks County and beyond.” Those achievements include six Guggenheim fellows, the founding director of the Michener Art Museum, two professors who went on to teach at Ivy League universities, and some whose works are in the Smithsonian American Art Museum and other prestigious collections, Eberly noted. Indeed, Bucks was one of the first community colleges in the nation to become an accredited institutional member of both the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) and the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM). It has also been designated as an All-Steinway School by the legendary piano maker. “Bucks’ reputation as a creative wellspring in the community is in large part due to the exceptional artists who have populated our faculty and nurtured our students,” said Carolina Blatt, Ph.D., dean of the School of Arts and Communication. “This show is a testament to the caliber of artists who have worked and trained here. Seeing decades of faculty work gathered in one place is sure to inspire.” Although the College would periodically hold exhibitions to honor faculty as they retired, this is the first to encompass emeriti across all 60 years, according to Fran Orlando, former Director of Exhibitions and Artmobile. “I was drawn to Bucks because of its status as an outstanding college for the arts, and it did not disappoint,” said Orlando, who worked at Bucks for nearly 35 years. “It was a privilege to work with extraordinary colleagues, some of whom were founding faculty members.” Professor Emerita Caren Friedman, who recently retired, had a similar experience. "Having taught at Bucks for 34 years, I've had the pleasure of working closely with a group of talented and dedicated artists and colleagues,” said Friedman.” Our studio classes create an interactive learning environment that fosters lasting connections among faculty and students from many diverse backgrounds." The public is invited to attend an opening reception from 4 – 7 p.m. Thursday, August 28 in room H-100 of the Hicks Art Center. The event will allow attendees to meet some of the artists and discuss their creative journeys prior, during, and after their teaching careers at Bucks. In addition, the talented Bucks music faculty will provide live entertainment. What’s more, the reception gives the artistic community and general public the opportunity to meet Blatt, who became the new dean of the School of Arts and Communication in June. Blatt is an arts administrator, educator, and scholar who seeks to catalyze the arts within and beyond the classroom. She recently worked at Rowan University, Drexel University, and the University of the Arts. Admission to the August 28 reception is free, but a response is requested by emailing foundation@bucks.edu. “The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition” features sculpture, woodturning, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, glass, musical compositions, and art history research by the following retired professors and administrators. Jon Alley Selma Bortner Steven M. Bresnen Karl Carter Robert Dodge Frank Dominguez Edward Ferdinand Caren Friedman Alan Goldstein Emmet Gowin Susan Hagen David Hunter Catherine Jansen Bruce Katsiff Paul F. Keene Jr. Gwendolyn Kerber Stephen S. Levine Emily Brett Lukens John Mathews Roberta Mayer Marlene E. Miller Fran Orlando Charlotte Schatz Sandra Scicchitani Milton Sigel Mark Sfirri Dan Wilkinson The exhibition is dedicated to Professor Emerita Marlene E. Miller, who taught at Bucks from 1966 to 1998 and recently passed away on July 30. Referring to her own art practice, Miller wrote: "I'm always observing the world around me and painting the image of the underdog. I'm compelled to put before people things that attack their feelings and consciousness about social issues." Admission to all events is free. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., and Saturday noon - 4 p.m. To learn more, visit Hicks Art Gallery Center and follow on Instagram at @bcccartscomm. The Hicks Art Center is located on the east end of the campus at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940, where there is ample free parking. For directions and a campus map, visit the Newtown Campus page. “The Faculty Emeriti Arts Exhibition” is presented by the College’s School of Arts and Communication, which offers eight associate degree majors and two certificate programs. Through coursework, exhibitions, and community engagement, the school prepares students for careers in the arts and inspires appreciation for creative expression. To learn more, visit School of Arts and Communication, email arts.comm@bucks.edu, or call 215-968-8425.

Bucks County Community College Graduates 32 Firefighters

BCCC Graduates 32 Practical Nursing Students to Ease Healthcare Shortage

Bucks County Community College, whose practical nursing program is among the highest ranked in the state, honored the class of 2025 with a graduation ceremony on Wednesday, July 2, at the Newtown Campus. The 32 graduate practical nurses (GPNs) hailed from eight countries including the United States, representing the diversity in the healthcare industry. Other countries of origin included the Central African Republic, China, England, Haiti, Liberia, Russia, and Ukraine. After completing the rigorous, year-long, full-time program, the GPNs and are poised to become licensed practical nurses (LPNs) upon completion of licensing exams to meet the high demand for nurses in our community. Meanwhile, the next Practical Nursing class is ready to start in mid-July, while pre-admission testing for the 2026 cohort begins in September. Learn more about the practical nursing program on the website or contact pnursing@bucks.edu. (Credit: Eric Parker, BCCC)

College Launches Search for the Next Bard of Bucks County

The search is on for the 49th Bucks County Poet Laureate, according to Bucks County Community College Professor Ethel Rackin, director of the longest-running poet laureate program in Pennsylvania. Entrants must be Bucks County residents over age 18 who have never previously served as poet laureate, explained Dr. Rackin, a language and literature professor at BCCC, which administers the program. Each entrant must submit an entry form with 10 original poems of any style, form, or length to the College’s School of Language and Literature. Entries must be submitted online by Friday, September 19. The winner receives a $500 honorarium, a proclamation from the Bucks County Commissioners, and a reading and reception at Bucks County Community College with 2024 Poet Laureate Lake Angela, contest judges, and contest runners-up. Two judges will blindly select the winner. The preliminary judge will narrow the entries down to a few dozen for the final judge, who will choose the winner and three runners-up from the pool of finalists. The 2025 final judge will be Jennifer Tseng, whose latest book, “Thanks for Letting Us Know You Are Alive,” poems made with her late father’s letters, won the Juniper Prize for Poetry. Her first book, “The Man with My Face,” won the AAWW’s National Manuscript Competition and a PEN American Open Book Award, while other books have won numerous awards and accolades. Her memoir-in-essays “Mixed Feelings” is forthcoming in 2026. Tseng is currently an associate professor of literature and creative writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Nicole Greaves, whose poetry has appeared in numerous literary journals, including Cleaver magazine, Matter Poetry, American Poetry Review: Philly Edition, and Radar Poetry, will serve as preliminary judge. Her work has received recognition from the Academy of American Poets and the Leeway Foundation of Philadelphia. Greaves has been a finalist for several national prizes, and her work has also been nominated for Best of the Net and the Pushcart Prize. She was selected by Gregory Orr as the Poet Laureate of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. There is no charge for entry. All work must be original and can be published or unpublished. All entries must be submitted online by September 19. For more information, contact Dr. Ethel Rackin at Ethel.Rackin@bucks.edu.

Craig Stover discussing artwork in group

Artists Share Their Stories at Closing Reception of ‘The ArtShow’

Bucks County Community College invites the public to a closing reception and artist panel discussion for the acclaimed exhibition “The ArtShow” from 5 – 8 p.m. Thursday, July 17. Curated by artist and podcast host Craig Stover, “The ArtShow” brings together a dynamic collection of multimedia works by 37 Philadelphia area artists who have been featured on his podcast of the same name. Each piece of art in the exhibition includes a QR code that takes you to the podcast episode with that artist. Most of the artworks are for sale with a percentage of any sales going towards student scholarships. “This culminating event offers art lovers a final opportunity to experience this diverse and compelling exhibition,” said Clifford Eberly, exhibitions associate at the public, two-year college. “What’s more, the special artist panel discussion gives attendees a rare, behind-the-scenes look into the creative processes and inspirations of the exhibiting artists.” Kicking off the reception at 5 p.m., Eberly will moderate the panel discussion that includes Francis Beaty, Jill Bonovitz, Diane Burko, Jon Eckel, Rachel Romano, Stuart Rome, Rebecca Rutstein, Gerri Spilka, and Craig Stover. The exhibition runs through Saturday, July 19, at the Newtown Campus located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940. The ArtShow podcast series is available on YouTube at “ArtShow with Craig Stover.” Presented by the College’s School of Arts and Communication, “The ArtShow” highlights the vibrancy and innovation of Philadelphia’s contemporary art scene. Bucks offers eight associate degree majors and two certificate programs, and is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and the National Association of Schools of Music. All events are free and open to the public. Free parking is available on campus. For directions, a campus map, or more information about the exhibition, visit the Newtown Campus page or the Hicks Art Center Gallery site. Follow along on Instagram at @bcccartscomm.