Academic Advocacy in Action

Volume 39 Number 4 | August 2025

Summary

Mercer County Community College fosters medical laboratory science advocacy by creating career entry pathways, forming strategic partnerships, promoting student leadership, and engaging in community outreach. Through events, social media, and professional society involvement, the college cultivates student advocates—“Labvocates”—who champion the profession and drive positive change at local and national levels.

Cultivating the Next Generation of Labvocates

Lisa M. Shave, MS, MLS(ASCP)^CMSBB^CM,PBT^CM, ASCLS Today Volunteer Contributor

In today’s evolving healthcare landscape, laboratory professionals continue to play a crucial role in diagnosis, treatment, and patient care. Yet, despite their importance, the profession still faces visibility challenges and workforce shortages. To meet these demands, advocacy must happen at all levels—not only through legislation and professional societies, but also at the grassroots academic level.

At Mercer County Community College (MCCC), our faculty and students work actively to promote the profession, shape public perception, and develop future laboratorians. Our approach to advocacy blends hands-on academic engagement with strategic partnerships, community outreach, and student empowerment. In short, we believe academic institutions have the unique opportunity—and responsibility—to serve as engines for advocacy and positive change in the profession.

Creating Pathways into the Profession

One of the most impactful ways we support the future of medical laboratory science is by creating entry points into the field for students at all stages. Through collaborative efforts with local charter high schools and technical schools, we offer exposure to phlebotomy and medical laboratory assistant roles, positions that serve as accessible gateways into the profession. These outreach programs not only spark early interest in laboratory careers but also help diversify the pipeline with students from a variety of backgrounds.

We’ve also collaborated with other colleges to expand access to the profession, including a unique 1+1 associate degree program established with Atlantic Cape Community College. This initiative allows students from other regions of the state to pursue MLT training closer to home.

Additionally, we have partnered with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJ DOH) as well as Laboratory Corp of America, based in Raritan, New Jersey, to provide lab tours for our college students. These tours offer an invaluable behind-the-scenes look at how public health laboratories operate, and they give students a tangible understanding of the profession’s impact on community health.

Student Leadership as a Form of Advocacy

Within MCCC, our Student Government Association (SGA-approved) Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) Club plays a central role in fostering leadership, visibility, and service. The club is involved in a range of advocacy-based activities, including coordinating blood drives, fundraising for student scholarships, hosting spotlight speakers from across the laboratory profession, and organizing social events that help students build camaraderie and professional identity.

These experiences nurture advocacy from within. Students become more confident, informed, and engaged—ready not just to join the workforce, but to contribute to shaping it.

Community Engagement and Outreach

Advocacy also extends well beyond campus walls. Each year, our students and faculty participate in the Boys and Girls Club STEM Conference, where we introduce school-aged children to laboratory careers and reinforce the value of STEM education. Events like these are critical to shifting public perceptions and helping young learners, their families, and their communities see laboratory science as a dynamic and essential career path.

We also collaborate regularly with other colleges, health system partners, and clinical affiliates to host information sessions and participate in career fairs. These events serve as important bridges between academia and industry, while highlighting the vital role laboratorians play in patient care.

Recognizing Excellence and Telling Our Story

Highlighting student success is another important way we advocate for our programs and profession. We attend Board of Trustees meetings to recognize MLT students who have earned scholarships and honors from national professional organizations. These moments of recognition not only celebrate individual achievement, but they also demonstrate the real impact of our work to institutional stakeholders and the wider community.

We also maintain an active digital presence, using our Instagram account (@mltmccc) and Facebook page (“MedicalLabTech at Mercer” and “New Jersey MLS & MLT Programs”) to share program updates, student spotlights, and national advocacy news. Social media platforms are powerful advocacy tools, giving us the ability to tell our story and amplify the voices of our students and alumni.

Academic Participation in State and National Advocacy

MCCC’s advocacy efforts also intersect with professional policy and licensure conversations at the state and national levels. We actively participate in the New Jersey Education Assembly (ESA) and collaborate with other MLT and MLS programs across the state to promote professional society membership and leadership, particularly through ASCLS-New Jersey.

Encouraging students to join professional societies, attend conferences, and consider leadership positions is a key part of our academic strategy. By connecting students with these organizations, we ensure that their voices are represented—and that they understand the power of collective advocacy for stronger certification requirements, licensure standards, and public respect for the profession.

Providing the Face of the Profession

My college professor and mentor at the University of Delaware (my alma mater), Dr. Mary Ann McLane famously said, one of the most important responsibilities we have is to “provide the face” of the laboratory profession. At MCCC, we strive to do just that—by showing up, speaking out, and demonstrating through our actions what the laboratory profession stands for: accuracy, integrity, and care.

We bring that face to events like the MCCC Summer XL Workshop, where we offer hands-on lab sessions for middle and high school students exploring healthcare careers on our campus and in our student laboratory room. We also show it through our presence at local and regional meetings, including the ASCLS Labvocate Symposium, where we share best practices, build partnerships, and advocate for policy changes that impact our profession. We’ve utilized college/state grant funding to support these mission trips for our students and faculty.

A Shared Mission

Ultimately, our work is driven by a shared mission to improve the environment for laboratory professionals and to support positive patient outcomes. Every tour, event, and classroom moment is part of a larger movement to increase recognition, raise standards, and ensure our profession remains strong and respected.

Advocacy isn’t just something we talk about, it’s something we do, every day, through our academic programs, partnerships, and outreach. At MCCC, we are proud to be growing the next generation of Labvocates—future professionals who understand that advocacy is not just a career responsibility, but a professional calling.

Lisa Shave is Assistant Professor and MLT Program Coordinator at Mercer County Community College in West Windsor, New Jersey.