Sarmad Saman brings international credentials and a deep belief in collaboration to his new role as president of White Mountains Community College.
A native of Iraq and a U.S. citizen since 2019, he has studied and worked in four countries—Iraq, the United Kingdom, Jordan and the United States—and has a background in microbiology, as well as college administration.
Saman has taught biological sciences at the high school and college levels and most recently served as chief of staff and deputy academic officer at Bristol Community College in Massachusetts. A 2014 graduate of the Community College Leadership Academy, he also served at Bristol as dean of science, technology, engineering and mathematics; acting dean for online learning; and interim dean for behavioral, social science and education.
He also has broad experience in grant writing and management. Saman says one of his first priorities is to pursue more grants to assist students at White Mountains, which has campuses in Berlin and Littleton.
A second is to “look at programs and curricula and make sure they meet the needs of the economy and businesses and what the students are looking for,” he says. “We’ve got to make sure we align our degrees and offerings with what industry and the area needs because these things change over time.”
Adding courses in fields like sustainability and alternative sources of energy is another aim. So is maintaining high enrollment and retention figures at the school. Dealing with budget concerns and filling open faculty positions are among the challenges he anticipates. “Whenever I get a challenge or issue, I like to look at it thoroughly and talk to everybody involved,” he says. “I like to collaborate in making a decision. It’s not going to be ‘I’m the president and what I say goes.’”
Saman says he hopes to teach one course a semester to stay engaged with students and he looks forward to working with the “wonderful group of professionals” on the staff.
Current Issue - September 2024