GREENFIELD — Greenfield Community College student Michael Hannigan, known for his food security and affordable education advocacy, has been tapped to serve on the state’s 13-member Board of Higher Education.
The 44-year-old student and Amherst resident enrolled at GCC in the summer of 2023 under MassReconnect, a state-funded program ensuring access to free community college education for students ages 25 and older who do not have bachelor’s degrees. Hannigan, who majors in farm and food systems and human services at GCC, is slated to receive his associate degree this spring.
With plans of farming his family’s lot of land, Hannigan initially enrolled in the college’s agriculture classes. Getting involved in GCC’s Permaculture Club, Hannigan said, grew his interest in food security and advocacy.
“The first thing that really got me invested in the community around the campus was the Permaculture Club. I was in a permaculture design class and there were a bunch of students who were interested in doing something outside of the classroom, and we restarted the dormant Permaculture Club,” he said. “I got an internship at Stone Soup Cafe in Greenfield and saw all the good that they were doing for other people. Through the Permaculture Club, we started hosting these free farmers markets and I got involved in gleaning, which is like going and rescuing vegetables from the field after the main harvest has taken place [before] those vegetables can be distributed to nonprofits.”
In addition to serving as president of the revived Permaculture Club, Hannigan was elected to the position of student trustee, which he used to rally for funding to build a greenhouse on campus — a move that sparked Hannigan’s involvement in politics.
While he formerly worked at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for 20 years, unloading supply trucks for the school’s kitchen in his most recent role, Hannigan said he dreamed of the day when he could serve on the other end of the food supply chain.
“I was working with farmers, but on the other end of the loading dock, unloading the trucks when they’re bringing in the produce. When I went back to school, I imagined myself being on the other end of the loading dock, growing the food and dropping it off,” he recalled. “It’s really been a lot of the stories I’ve heard from farmers about how difficult it is to make a living around farming that got me more interested in agriculture policy and why farms are struggling so much.”
Hannigan later testified at a Joint Ways and Means Committee meeting, speaking to the importance and positive impact of the MassReconnect program, and went on to travel to Washington D.C. to meet with members of Congress and discuss agriculture and food insecurity in Franklin County.
Last fall, Campus Compact, a national coalition of colleges and universities that works toward advancing civic engagement, selected Hannigan as a 2025 Newman Civic Fellow. The program recognizes students who engage in collaborative action to create long-term social change, address issues of inequality and political polarization, and demonstrate motivation and potential for effective long-term civic engagement.
“Michael brings a wealth of life experience and a deep commitment to social justice to his work on campus and beyond,” GCC President Michelle Schutt said in a statement announcing Hannigan’s fellowship. “Since starting in fall 2023 through the MassReconnect program, he has become a campus and community leader who is passionate about combating food insecurity.”
Hannigan described his fellowship, in which he collaborated with like-minded students on food security, as being an enlightening and inspiring precursor to joining the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. He replaces Thalles DeSouza, the previous representative of the community college segment, and will serve in the position through the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.
“Re-engaging with higher education has truly changed the trajectory of my life, and I’m excited to bring the student voice to the board,” Hannigan said. “I look forward to supporting work that has already expanded access to a college degree across Massachusetts and helping ensure we continue to lead in higher education.”
The Board of Higher Education is responsible for defining the mission of and coordinating the state’s system of public higher education. The board’s priorities include student success and financial aid, economic mobility, public good and innovation.
In his new role, Hannigan said he hopes to advocate for increased state funding to be allocated toward educational resources, such as free online reading materials and textbooks, at the state’s public colleges and universities. He joined the board alongside Lisa Battaglino, who is dean emeritus of the College of Education & Health Sciences at Bridgewater State University.
“Our board thrives on the input, experiences and knowledge of leaders from throughout our public higher education system,” Board of Higher Education Chair Chris Gabrieli said in a statement, adding that the new members “have already had a valuable impact on the board’s work” and that he looks forward “to their continued engagement in the new year.”
Hannigan added that he also plans to use his new position to rally for the Hunger-Free Campus Initiative (S.939/ H.1466), which advocates for funding to public higher education institutions to address student food insecurity.
“Funding [for the Hunger-Free Campus Initiative] has gone down since COVID, so we’re always advocating for that money to increase,” Hannigan said. “There’s a direct correlation between how much money is invested in those services and student retention and success, so that’s something we’ve been doing a lot of work on.”