Dr. Jolie Stepaniak named HFC 2026 STEM Woman of the Year

HFC biology instructor Dr. Jolie Stepaniak was honored as the HFC 2026 STEM Woman of the Year at the annual Women in STEM Day on February 13.

Fellow HFC biology instructor Dr. Jessica Mahoney presented Stepaniak this award to an audience of her colleagues, students, and a panel of women in STEM fields. The latter included one of Stepaniak’s former students, Jessica Sykes, who is a forensic technician for the Michigan State Police.

Stepaniak, who has been teaching at HFC for more than 20 years, was touched by the gesture and graciously thanked everyone who made it possible. The STEM Woman of the Year Award recognizes outstanding female HFC faculty and retirees who have made significant contributions in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. This award honors individuals who inspire others through their leadership, innovation, mentorship, and commitment to advancing women in STEM.

“I was delighted to see Dr. Stepaniak receive this award,” said Sykes. “She is an extraordinary professor whose influence extends far beyond the classroom. For example, she offered to drive me to a site visit for my internship when she found out I would have to take the bus. I was truly grateful or that, because it alleviated some of my stress. The STEM Woman of the Year Award award was a well-deserved recognition of Dr. Stepaniak’s dedication, integrity, and lasting impact she’s had on so many students and colleagues. Anyone fortunate enough to learn from her would not be able to deny her passion for teaching. She was extremely influential when I attended the College.”

Contribution to science is helping people learn science

Initially, Stepaniak wanted to be a veterinarian.

“I didn’t know anything about careers in science outside of medical fields,” she said. “I had never met a scientist. Once I got to Michigan State University, my eyes were opened. The array of scientific disciplines and the careers associated with them dazzled me. When I took my first microbiology class, I was hooked.”

Jolie earned her bachelor’s degree in microbiology from MSU and her Master of Public Health degree in hospital and molecular epidemiology from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She later earned her doctoral degree in immunology and microbiology from Wayne State University. Her dissertation project focused on the role of analogs of myelin basic protein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in the rat. EAE is an animal model to assist with research on multiple sclerosis in humans.

Stepaniak completed a post-doctoral fellowship in what is now Wayne State’s Department of Biochemistry, Immunology, and Microbiology. She also earned a secondary education certificate with a major in biology and a minor in unified science from Wayne State.

As part of her post-doctoral work, Stepaniak completed a 1-month project at the Basel Institute for Immunology (BII) in Switzerland. Her project at BII was a collaboration between her lab at Wayne State and an avian immunology lab at BII. Stepaniak earned a fellowship from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development to support her post-doctoral work at BII.

“When I worked in research, one of my favorite things was training new people in the lab,” said Stepaniak. “I also had opportunities to work as a teaching assistant, starting when I was an undergrad at MSU. While I really liked research, I loved teaching. Eventually, I concluded that the best way for me to contribute to science was to help other people learn science.”

“She truly embodies excellence in teaching”

Jolie’s teaching career at HFC (then Henry Ford Community College) began in 2005. She became a full-time faculty member in 2007. She reports to Nahla Haidar, Associate Dean of the HFC School of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

“Jolie is always ready to lend a hand, yet she holds fast to her principles – helping others without ever compromising the standards she believes in,” said Haidar.

Stepaniak is the program lead for the Associate in Science Degree Program. Throughout her career at HFC, she has been a member of:

• The Committee for the Assessment of Student Learning (CASL)
• The Senate Elections Committee
• The Honors Council
• The Professional Issues Conference Planning Committee

“When I first started at the College, two things really impressed me: The amount of support I received from other biology faculty members and then-Associate Dean of Science Dr. Charlie Jacobs, and the seriousness with which they took the mission of the College. I wanted to be part of this dedicated, supportive, and effective group of educators.”

Fellow HFC biology instructor Dr. Sarah Plecha has also learned from Stepaniak.

“Jolie is an incredible colleague and friend,” said Plecha. “From the time I started as an adjunct at HFC, she has been a mentor and a constant source of encouragement. She inspires me to always strive for excellence in the classroom and to put students first. I am grateful for her guidance, support, and the positive influence she has had on my career. She truly embodies excellence in teaching.”

For Stepaniak, the best part of her job is empowering students to become lifelong learners.

“I get an opportunity to contribute to the mission of the College in providing quality education for our community,” she said. “What could be better than that?”