Framingham State biology professor appears in TV ad pushing passage of CHERISH Act

Tom Benoit, The MetroWest Daily News
·3 min read
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FRAMINGHAM — Local college students might recognize at least one of the faces behind a series of new television advertisements urging state lawmakers to pass a bill that calls for greater state investment in public higher education.

Cara Pina, a biology professor at Framingham State University, is one of three educators featured in the ads, which ask lawmakers to pass the CHERISH (Committing to Higher Education the Resources to Insure a Strong and Healthy public higher education system) Act.

"One of the great things about higher education is the diversity of the people who educate you," Pina said in an interview. "Another is living in the community or you grew up in."

Framingham State University Professor Cara Pina. Pina, a biology professor, will appear in ads asking lawmakers to pass the CHERISH Act.
Framingham State University Professor Cara Pina. Pina, a biology professor, will appear in ads asking lawmakers to pass the CHERISH Act.

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A particular interest of Pina's in higher education is diversity in the STEM field, due to the high number of jobs available in STEM-related fields, such as biotechnology.

"Good-paying careers in STEM are essential to our economy and expanding opportunities for students and families across Massachusetts," said Pina, a 2006 UMass Amherst graduate, in a press release. "We need to keep the new and up-and-coming STEM and technology jobs that are in Massachusetts."

"Massachusetts is a great place for education, and we should be investing in that educational system to ensure all of our students are able to succeed," she added.

Mass. teachers appear in CHERISH Act campaign

Several educators employed by the state's community colleges, universities and the UMass system are making their voices heard in the new campaign, targeting lawmakers and urging them to pass the CHERISH Act.

The ad campaign was launched by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, which represents 115,000 teachers, faculty, professional staff and education support professionals throughout the state.

Letter to the editor: The future of STEM in Massachusetts depends on the CHERISH Act

There are both Senate and House versions of the CHERISH Act: S.816, introduced by state Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton; and H.1260, introduced by state Reps. Sean Garballey, D-Arlington, and Patricia Duffy, D-Holyoke.

Other petitioners include state Rep. Brian Murray, D-Milford, and Rep. Jack Lewis, D-Framingham.

According to Comerford's website, the CHERISH Act seeks to:

  • Invest $2,000 per high-need student in expanded student support services, expanding the proven SUCCESS program to all of public higher education.

  • Ensure eligibility for state health care and retirement benefits for adjunct faculty and part-time staff.

  • Establish a Commission on Wage Equity and Working Conditions to recommend changes aimed at eliminating inequities based on gender, race, job category and other conditions and ensure that Massachusetts is competitive with peer states.

  • Institute fair and adequate minimum funding levels for public higher education that would be phased in over five years, and prohibit tuition and fee increases during this implementation as long as the state’s funding commitment is met.

  • Create a commission to assess public college and university buildings relative to health, safety and energy efficiency, and to recommend a plan to bring all buildings into compliance with this standard by 2035.

  • Require the state to assume the full cost of state salaries and fringe benefits, future capital construction and renovations to campus facilities, and to pay for campuses’ existing capital debt service obligations.

Max Page, president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, said in a statement: "Educators are speaking out on the need to reinvest in public higher education in Massachusetts, and their message is clear: It’s time for the legislature to pass the CHERISH Act, which will give everyone in the Commonwealth the chance to go to college without the burden of debt. This bill forges a path for Massachusetts to build a stronger economy, give marginalized communities new opportunities, create good jobs for educators, and build stronger civil life.”

The ad campaign is airing on TV and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham State Professor Pina appears in ad pushing CHERISH Act