News from the Front: Dr. Mary Kay Kickels weekly newletter to PVCC employees
 
Campus News  |  Faculty & Staff News  |  Student News
 
In This Issue … August 18, 2006
Convocation lights a sparkOpen House a successKids College enrollment up 37 percentNew faculty and staff welcomedAdministration of Justice students pursue Weed and Seed grant
 
Campus News
 
Convocation inspires us to light spark with Power of Learning
Welcome back everyone to our new year at PVCC. We had a wonderful turnout for the All-Employee Breakfast and Convocation August 14 featuring guest speaker Dr. Kay McClenney. It was splendid to see so many of you with strong purpose, boundless energy and unbridled enthusiasm as we begin this year of “Possibilities in Paradise”!

As I mentioned at the convocation, I was struck this summer by readings from The Art of Possibility by Boston Philharmonic conductor and teacher Benjamin Zander, and his wife Rosamund Stone Zander. In their book, the Zanders advocate passion and action. Be audacious with your goals. Stand ready to participate. Be positive and willing. This year, I ask you to light a spark of possibility upon which others can draw, or capture someone else’s spark and run with it.

Dr. McClenney, director of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, said that to engage students is to challenge the odds. “Engagement must happen by design; it does not happen by accident,” noted Dr. McClenney. “PVCC students are engaged students ... and engaged students are active learners.”

First PVCC Open House a success with more than 100 attendees
We were pleased with the turnout for our first college Open House, held August 10 in conjunction with Maricopa Week. Staff and faculty welcomed more than 100 guests to our school, offering guidance, tours, refreshments, door prizes and our special brand of PVCC warmth.

President’s Leadership Team benefits from strategic session
The President’s Leadership Team met August 10 for a strategic workshop to discuss factors that give life to excellent leadership and communication. Dr. Idahlynn Karre, professional speaker and consultant, facilitated the session.

Kids College enrollment up 37 percent
Congratulations to Continuing Education on a successful Kids College this summer. Now in its 11th year, Kids College enrolled 248 children ages 6 to 14 in more than 30 classes, an increase of 37 percent from the previous summer. Programs included reading, math, science, game design, Spanish and art. The most popular courses for gifted youth enrolled in the Center for Advanced Academic Programs were Computer Game Design, Math Logic and Robotics. Thanks to the entire campus for supporting the young people, many of whom are likely to be PVCC’s future college students!

Faculty & Staff News
 
Welcome faculty, staff
We welcome the following faculty and staff members who are new to our campus since last fall:

Faculty: Debra Adair, biology/microbiology; Anita Chilton, clinical nursing; Kelly Fitzsimmons; philosophy/religious studies; Dr. Vaswati Ghosh, history; Cinthya Ippoliti, librarian; Dr. Wade Lueck, psychology; Doss Powell, anthropology; Felicia Ramirez, communication; Paul Sunder, fire science/EMT; and Debbie Voll, education.

Staff: Harriet Betts, coordinator, Teacher Development Center; Ronald Boling, network technician, Computer Commons; Roy Corley, college safety officer; Dr. Julia Devous, director, Institutional Advancement; David Dixon, IKON technician; Christina Emmons, administrative assistant to Bob Bendotti; Dunia Fernandez, student services specialist, ACE/SUCCEED coordinator; Scott Fisher, building maintenance technician; Connie Heitt, administrative secretary, Facilities Department; Lan Hoang, administrative secretary, Science Division; Carl Kidwell, computer maintenance technician, IRTS; Shoshanna Landis, administrative secretary, Health & Exercise Science Division; Rosa Mancha, IKON technician; Nancy Epps McNeill, early childhood teacher, Children’s Center; Betsy Raymond, information services computer technician, Computer Commons; Judith Schoenfeld, early childhood teacher, Children’s Center; and Michael Swann, IKON technician.

Faculty, staff travel abroad to deepen cultural appreciation
Welcome back to faculty and staff members who traveled far and wide this summer to deepen their cultural appreciation and education. Just a sampling of world travelers: Michele Marion, director of International Education, visited Southeast Asia; Terry Adriance, Counseling & Personal Development office coordinator, went to Guadalajara, Mexico; Art faculty member David Bradley led a group of ceramics students to China; joining him were College Employee Services Manager Laurel Smith and Director of Financial Aid Joann Caufield; Business/IT Division Chair Patti Marsh and Sue VanBoven, Accounting/CIS faculty, ventured to Prague, Czech Republic; Psychology faculty member Donna Rebadow, Technology Services Manager Loretta Mondragon and Computer Technician Joel Miranda went to Chiapas, Mexico; and Vice President, Learning Bob Bendotti attended a conference in Austria.

FYE Program highlighted in Peer Review magazine
Compliments to Dean of Learning Dr. Mary Lou Mosley and Renee Cornell, Division of English faculty and First-Year Experience (FYE) program coordinator, whose article entitled “Intertwining College With Real Life: The Community College First-Year Experience,” was published in the summer 2006 issue of Peer Review, a publication of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. The authors, who discussed the FYE program piloted at PVCC in fall 2000, noted, “FYE increases student learning, as evidenced by retention and persistence data, student survey results, and student comments.”

Sabbatical research featured at annual anatomy conference

Biology faculty member Jane Marks completed a poster presentation of research work for the 20th Annual Conference of the Human Anatomy and Physiology Society in Austin, Tex. The presentation was entitled “A Survey of Human Cadaver Labs and Equipment.” The poster was comprised of photographs and information about community college, university and medical school human cadaver labs visited by Jane during her 2005 sabbatical.

Best wishes to the Barney family

Continued recovery and good health to Cross-Country and Track & Field Head Coach Dave Barney, who, earlier this month, donated a kidney to his daughter Meghan. Both Dave and Meghan are doing very well, and Dave already is back on campus.

Student News
 
AJS Students prepare Weed and Seed grant
Shawn Bogal, Dianne Cerkvenik, Jana Juruz, Alyssa Karas and Heather McLaughlin are a source of Puma pride. The Administration of Justice students are working with Palomino Elementary School and the city of Phoenix to prepare data for a major U.S. Department of Justice grant, the Weed and Seed program. Weed and Seed is a multi-agency approach to law enforcement that aims to prevent, control and reduce violent crime, drug abuse and gang activity in designated high-crime neighborhoods across the country. The strategy involves a two-pronged approach: law enforcement agencies and prosecutors cooperate in “weeding out” violent criminals and drug abusers; and public agencies and community-based private organizations collaborate to “seed” human services. Also involved in the Weed and Seed program are AJS faculty member Tom Powell; Service Learning Director Dr. Paula Vaughn; Vice President, Learning Support Services Paul Dale; and Psychology Research Methods adjunct Dr. Steve Lewis.

_______________________________

Welcome back to a world of possibilities. District Vice Chancellor Dr. Maria Harper-Marinick put it well when she quoted theologian and educator Dr. Ronald E. Osborn in her convocation remarks: “The most unsuccessful action is the one not taken.” I encourage you to be bold this year. As Dr. Osborn said, “Undertake something that is difficult; it will do you good. Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”


Wishing you a successful fall semester at PVCC!

Dr. Mary Kay Kickels
President

Do you have an interesting program, or outstanding accomplishment or student to highlight?
If so, e-mail the News Desk at news@pvmail.maricopa.edu.

A publication of the Paradise Valley Community College Office of the President
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