April 2012 - Highlights at a Glance

• General Motors Proving Ground Donates Hybrid Truck to AWC
• Student Pieces Displayed in Phoenix at All AZ Clay  
• Day of Silence on Campus 
• Donnelly to Lead CTE 
• Steven P. Lund Scholarship
• Math League Honors Recognized 
• Sustainability fair
• Toomer Signed by Seahawks 

GM Proving Ground Donates Hybrid to AWC

AWC & General Motors Proving Ground Personnel including AWC graduates

Student Pieces on Display at All AZ Clay

Two Arizona Western College ceramic artists exhibited their work at the annual All AZ CLAY Juried Exhibition, which ran from March 29 through April 25, 2012 at the Shemer Art Center in Phoenix, and one of the students has received an award.

Maia Cassidy, Art Major/ceramic student, has received a merit award for one of her three vases in the show, and Kyrsten Pilger, President of the AWC League of Artists, has a sculpture of a coyote on exhibit.

The exhibition is a statewide show that was juried by Agnese Udinotti, renowned Scottsdale artist, who selected the work of ceramic artists from around the state, as well as the awards. Of the 31 artists selected, one received the First Place Award; three, including Cassidy, received merit awards; and one received the Emerging Artist Award.

Shemer Art Center is located at 5005 E. Camelback Road in Phoenix. Hours of Exhibit are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 to 3 p.m. with additional hours on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The center is closed Sunday and Monday.

[ Top ]

Day of Silence on Campus

The Behunins participate in the Day of Silence

The day of silence ended in a circle of reclaiming the voice and a brief demonstration taking place from 4 to 4:15 p.m. between the 3C and AS buildings.

The actual National Day of Silence was observed on April 20, 2012. Hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools. For more information visit www.DayofSilence.org

[ Top ]

Donnelley to Lead CTE

Scott Donnelly, Professor of Chemistry, has accepted the position of Director of the Center for Teaching Effectiveness, and his stewardship of the CTE commences in August, 2012.

In addition to teaching, he is working alongside current CTE Director Nancy Blitz this semester as she ends her final year in the position.

The CTE Director is a three-year rotating position held by an AWC Faculty member who continues to teach three credits in his/her discipline while coordinating professional development for Faculty. The Director also sits as a voting member on several AWC committees, such as LEAP and Faculty Appraisal, and acts as chair of the Professional Development/FLEX Committee.

Donnelly has demonstrated active leadership while teaching the full spectrum of chemistry classes full time for nearly 17 years at AWC. He has served as Lead Science Faculty and Vice President of the Faculty Association, chaired the FLEX committee and written Chemistry program reviews. He has also organized symposia on campus and participated in the academic chemical education community at the regional and national levels.

Blitz, who has taught English as a Second Language full time since 1999, was asked to serve as Interim CTE Director in 2008 and offered to serve a fourth year when the person selected for the position wound up being unable to take over the position.

Throughout her term, she has continued to teach at AWC as well as NAU. She says she is very excited to return to full-time teaching although she has loved serving AWC Faculty in the position of CTE Director.

“It has enabled me to develop managerial and administrative skills that will continue to benefit me throughout my career -- and the best part of all has been getting to know the entire Faculty at AWC. We have a truly gifted Faculty at this institution…. (but) my heart belongs in the classroom.”
 

[ Top ]

2012 Steven P. Lund Scholarship

Arizona Western College student Yesenia Melendez has been named recipient of the Steven P. Lund Presidential Teacher of the Year Scholarship by Lund, who was her English as a Second Language professor during the Fall 2011 semester.

Although it was her first semester at AWC, “It was evident from the beginning that she had clear academic and professional goals,” Lund says. “Her dedication to her studies and success to date at AWC provide inspiration to all our students whose second language is English. These are the reasons why I selected her for this scholarship.”

Melendez, from Parker, is majoring in business and has a GPA of 4.0. though she admits it is somewhat difficult for an ESL student to succeed in a college where English is the primary language. “But it’s not impossible,” she adds. “I think that if someone wants to succeed in life, one has to struggle in order to achieve it. As any student should do, I do my homework, I go to class, and I study for my tests.”

Dr. Glenn Mayle, president at AWC, notified Melendez of her scholarship.

“When I received the e-mail from President Mayle saying that I got this scholarship, I was so happy and excited … because it's going to be very helpful,” says Melendez.

Her scholarship will be announced at the Teacher of the Year banquet at the Yuma Civic Center on April 24. The Scholarship is presented each year in the name of the faculty member selected as the AWC Teacher of the Year either to an outstanding high school student from within the college district who intends to enter AWC the next year, or to a continuing AWC student.

[ Top ]

Math League Honors

The top overall AWC scorers were Cuong Do, Anthony Clayton, and Melissa Garcia and Manuel Lopez

AWC faculty, staff, administration and students attended an awards ceremony to recognize the winners of this year’s American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) Student Mathematics League competition. The celebration was held on Monday, April 16, in the AS Building Lobby.

This year, approximately 60 AWC students competed in the two-semester event. The top overall AWC scorers were Cuong Do, who took first place, Anthony Clayton, who placed second, and Melissa Garcia and Manuel Lopez, who tied for third place.

“It was a very successful year both individually and as a team,” says Daniel Russow, Professor of Mathematics. Cuong Do placed third in the state of Arizona and tenth in the southwest region, while the AWC team placed third in the state of Arizona and fifth in the southwest region. This year’s team was coached by Luis Martinez, Associate Faculty member at AWC.

There are two parts to the national competition, which is administered locally. The fall exam was administered on October 28, 2011, and the spring exam was administered on March 9, 2012, at AWC. Math faculty graded the exams upon instructions from AMATYC and then entered scores into a national database. Last year, over 8,000 students participated nationally in this competition.

This year's competition was sponsored by Chicago Title Insurance Company and Dan Fauth, President/County Manager of Chicago Title Insurance, President of the AWC Foundation and Board of Directors member.

“Please come and join us as we celebrate the achievements of all of the students who participated in this event,” Russow says. Cookies and lemonade will be served.

[ Top ]

Sustainability Fair

Students from area schools participate in the Sustainability Fair

Arizona Western College proudly celebrated Earth Day with their Fifth Annual Sustainability Fair. The “Green Dream” event celebrated Earth Day on Thursday, April 12th on the Main Campus around the College Community Center (3C) and the Ag/Science Building. Every year this free event is open to the community.

This year the organizers invited new and innovative groups to participate. These new events included a hug a tree (students dressed as trees offering hugs and photos), giant walk-in inflatable whale, Humane Society, Bands (Elephants on the Roof, Silver Age), recycling booth, a Lorax booth. There will also be art, educational booths, kid’s crafts, contests, games, prizes, give-a-ways, educational exhibits, demonstrations, learning activities and much more.

This year’s fair featured events and activities to promote the use of sustainable products and encourage those attending to participate in a sustainable life. Some activities included; Green dorm room, Earth Trivia, Recycled fashion show, Flash mob performance, Recycled art from local schools, Recycling booth and Seed planting.

Other entertainment and activities included the appearance of the APS Solar Man, local bands-Elephants on the Roof and Silver Age. The popular Solar Derby was back. It’s the amusing races that local schools build solar powered vehicles and race.

For the fifth year, the AWC Science and Honors classes organize this event to educate the community about the opportunities available to create a sustainable life. AWC students, faculty and staff invite local and regional experts in natural resources such as solar power and recycling. Those attending will also learn about green products, the importance of recycling and how to make a difference. The Sustainability Fair is presented by AWC students, faculty and staff.

“Over the past four years this event has seen thousands attend and learn more about a sustainable life. The annual event continues to bring people, young and old, to experience various ways to create a sustainable life,” commented Ted Martinez, AWC Professor of Biology. “Every year the students and faculty bring in new ideas and opportunities to those in attendance. “

[ Top ]

Matador Football Alum Toomer Drafted in 2012 NFL Draft

2009 Toomer Signs his Letter of Intent to University of Idaho

Toomer has been a star member of the defense of the University of Idaho ever since he graduated from AWC back in the spring of 2009. Since then, he’s done a little bit of everything for the Vandals-including even play a little offense. Toomer was originally recruited to play for the Matadors by then-head coach James Pryor in the spring of 2007 out of Shadow Ridge High School in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

Once Toomer got to training camp that summer, he won the starting middle linebacker job and never looked back, starting all of the Matadors’ 20 games during his two-year career. Toomer had 108 tackles overall in his two years wearing the cardinal & gold of AWC with 3 interceptions and a pair of forced fumbles-playing his sophomore campaign under current Matadors’ Head Football Coach Tom Minnick. Toomer signed with Idaho in February of 2009, and had to earn every ounce of playing time he got with the Vandals.

[ Top ]