Article Published: 11/01/10

Deptford Twp. –In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Zenaida Otero Gephardt, PhD, PE (second from left) made a special visit to Gloucester County College on Oct. 12 to present “A Latina’s Story” to students, faculty and staff. Gephardt, an associate professor of chemical engineering at Rowan University and president of the board of the Girls Inc. of Delaware, shared her experiences as a young Latina from a well-to-do family leaving Cuba under Fidel Castro’s regime and starting a new life in the United States. In Miami, the family lived in poverty but with her mother’s guidance and educational influence and the support of the Hispanic community, Gephardt was able to successfully pursue her academic goals. At Rowan, she currently teaches Fluid Mechanics, Process Dynamics and Control and Unit Operations and received the 2009 Lindback Excellence in Teaching Award. Pictured with Gephardt (left to right) are GCC students Alisha Rounds of Williamstown, Alicia Pallero of Sewell, GCC Communications Instructor Marcela Stein-Savelski and Rachel Kovlak of Bellmawr.