Dr. Maria Isaza Is Making a Difference at MCOHA
Dr. Maria Isaza, of Dover, chair of the Biology and Chemistry department and associate professor of Biology at County College of Morris (CCM), has been elected to the board of the Morris County Organization for Hispanic Affairs (MCOHA).
MCOHA is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of Hispanic and low-income residents by offering social services, education and client advocacy.
“I have been tied to MCOHA for many years,” Isaza says.
She was first introduced to the organization when they offered free transportation services at her daughter’s child-care center.
After attending MCOHA’s annual gala fundraiser as a CCM representative last November, Isaza decided she would “love to give back to the community” by serving as a committee board member. The MCOHA Board of Trustees was seeking a new board member with a background in education, and Isaza was the perfect fit. “As a member of the CCM community, I can serve as a good connection,” Isaza says.
Voted in as a board member in February, she will participate in the governance committee which oversees recruitment, budget approval, fundraising and more.
Isaza looks forward to seeing the new Center for Citizenship and Legal Immigration at MCOHA “flourish” and is interested in networking her resources at CCM to better help the organization. She has already contacted Career Services at CCM about the possibility of creating internship opportunities at MCOHA.
“Our vision is a community promoting cultural heritage where everyone is respected, self-sufficient and engaged in making a difference,” Isaza says.
Along with serving as chair of the Biology and Chemistry department, Isaza teaches genetics and microbiology at CCM. She is a CCM alumna and earned both her A.S. in Biology and AAS in Medical Laboratory Technology at the college. She earned her B.S. in Biology at the College of Saint Elizabeth and her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. Isaza joined the CCM faculty in 2007.
Photo Credit: Life in MoPhoto