Dr. William L "Hank" Mancini STEM Athletic Scholarship
Dr. William L. “Hank” Mancini, PhD
Paradise Valley Community College STEM Athletic Scholarship Fund
With his 18-year career as a full-time faculty member at Paradise Valley Community College, Dr. Hank Mancini left an indelible mark on students, on PVCC, on MCCCD, and on the community. He lived the MCCCD Mission Statement. He was instrumental in establishing partnership programs with various universities for seamless university transfer; he was involved in general education and its effectiveness via assessment methods; he worked on building the Science Division’s programs from developmental through advanced courses; and he was involved in many outreach activities that included student development services, continuing education, community education, civic responsibility, and global engagement.
Prior to his tenure at PVCC, Dr. Mancini worked for 17 years in the industrial world developing soft contact lenses. He co-authored 4 patents during his 17-year tenure. He then spent 6 years as an independent consultant in the areas of Environmental issues and FDA compliance. These years of experience provided him the ability to bring real world examples into the classroom for his Chemistry students.
Dr. Mancini began his teaching career as an adjunct faculty member at Glendale Community College. In 1994, he was offered a full-time teaching assignment at PVCC, and one of his tasks was to develop an Organic Chemistry program. In the spring of 1995, he established the Annual Science Symposium, which was later renamed the Annual Mancini Science Symposium in his honor when he retired.
In 1999, Dr. Mancini was instrumental in collaborating with Midwestern University in Glendale to offer PVCC students a pre-pharmacy track, leading to a doctoral degree in pharmacy. After completing the two-year prerequisite program at PVCC, pre-pharmacy students attend Midwestern University for an additional three years to obtain the doctoral degree.
Dr. Mancini conceived and developed a transfer program for pre-medical students. He developed the curriculum, and MCCCD and the Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara Medical School in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, approved it. Within this program, students follow a curriculum of Science, Math, and General Education courses adding to 93 credits. If they achieve a GPA of 3.0 or better and score a 25 or better on the MCAT, these students will be granted an interview for admission to this medical school. The transfer program was signed and implemented in 2002.
Dr. Mancini was elected Science Division Chair in 2004. He would remain Chair of the Science Division until his retirement in June 2012. One of the first things he accomplished as Chair was to lobby the Administration to fund a microbiology program. PVCC’s Nursing students, as well as pre-pharmacy, pre-dental, and pre-medical students are required to take microbiology. At the time, it was not offered at PVCC. He put forth an argument that the lure of a vibrant Microbiology program would attract more full-time students to our campus. The Administration approved this, and the program was developed in 2004-2005 and classes offered Fall 2005 for the first time.
As Science Division Chair, Dr. Mancini served on the committee for the development and construction of the Life Sciences building. He was instrumental in guiding the Biology faculty in their efforts to design this building. He also acquired cadavers for the Anatomy & Physiology program. Other activities that he achieved during his tenure as Science Division Chair included the development and implementation of the Scale Model Solar System (SMSS). The SMSS was implemented Spring 2008.
After his retirement, Dr. Mancini continued to make contributions to PVCC. He co-developed and co-coordinated STEM Summer Boot Camps. Summer camps were offered to high school Sophomores and Juniors. Each camp ran for two weeks and occurred during the month of June. These camps attracted students from 7 different high schools. There were lectures and hands-on activities related to the STEM field. Each camp was designed to attract students to PVCC, to the STEM field, and to immerse them in PVCC’s state-of-the-art facilities.
Dr. Mancini was named a Who’s Who Professor 3 times and in 2012 received the MCCCD Employee Recognition Award. He was awarded Faculty Emeritus distinction in December 2015.
Dr. Mancini was a man of exceptional talents. When he was not working his day job, he spent 34 years as an avid football official who worked hard to keep the game for the players. He was inducted into the Western States Football League (WSFL) and the Arizona Football Officials Association (AZFOA) Halls of Fame. He was truly passionate about the game and instilling a sense of duty and passion in the players.
Dr. Mancini passed away on Wednesday, 24 April, 2024, but his spirit lives on, especially through the thousands of students he influenced and mentored. Whether in the classroom or as a collegiate football referee, Dr. Mancini was all about helping and empowering students.
Dr. Hank Mancini was a man who epitomized the teaching profession, who epitomized life! This endowed fund is a fitting tribute to him – to honor his legacy and his memory. It will be used for Paradise Valley Community College student athletes who are majoring in the STEM fields.