SCC NEWS
Salem Community College wins Glass Olympics
Salem Community College earned first place at the Intercollegiate Glass Olympics held at Alfred University last month. Pictured, from left, are the SCC student participants. Front: Grace DePaul, Kohana Akita-Ayres and Kieran Betz. Back: Steve, SCC friend; Amanda Callendar; Will Orton; Ben Snow; and Greg Walter. They were joined by SCC Assistant Dean of Glass Education Kristin Deady (far right, back row).
Facing stiff competition from 11 colleges and universities from across the nation, “Team SCC Glass” earned first place at the Intercollegiate Glass Olympics held at Alfred University last month.
Salem Community College joined the following schools: Alfred University (New York), Anoka-Ramsey Community College (Minnesota), Ball State University (Indiana), Bowling Green State University (Ohio), College for Creative Studies (Michigan), Kent State University (Ohio), Old Dominion University (Virginia), Rochester Institute of Technology, The Ohio State University (Ohio), University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
“I am so proud that the SCC team exhibited the creative problem solving and teamwork required to come out on top,” said Assistant Dean of Glass Education Kristin Deady, who joined the team at Alfred. “Students Amanda Callendar, Kieran Betz, Benjamin Snow, Grace DePaul, Will Orton, Kohana Akita-Ayres and Greg Walter were extraordinary representatives for SCC and the College’s glass programs.”
Over 200 students competed in several challenges testing their glassmaking skills, creativity, teamwork and their knowledge of the material in events including The Tube (glassblowing), House of Shards (hot casting), Banana-Rama (flameworking), Chubes (neon), Wax Menagerie (wax and plaster), First Ion/Last Ion (material science) and GEEX Geopardy (glass trivia).
“We were thrilled to see some of our former students as well who are currently in the midst of doing great work with their continued education,” said Deady. “Current SCC students had the opportunity to meet alumna Bronagh Dempsey, who has gone on from SCC to earn a BFA from Alfred University, completed a three-month glass residency at the Taozichuan Art Center in China, and is now pursing her MFA at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Team SCC was also led through the glass material science challenge, Fast Ion/Last Ion, by Lenorah Stott who, after SCC, is now pursuing a Master’s in Glass Science at Alfred University.
Salem Community College looks forward to hosting glass programs from throughout the United States at the Glass Olympics at the Samuel and Jean Jones Glass Education Center in October 2026.