AWC faculty share expertise across the USA and around the world
September 26, 2019Some employees had written works published, others were recognized with awards
Yuma, AZ (September 26, 2019) – Several Arizona Western College faculty and staff members attended and presented at a variety of conferences over the spring and summer semesters this year. Employees were also recognized for their written published works and were honored with awards as well.
- Victoria Holas, Radiologic Technology Program Director at Arizona Western College, presented as a lecturer at the 2019 Annual Conference of the Society of Radiographers of Trinidad and Tobago in June on “Program Lab Upgrade to Digital Radiography” and “Discrimination in Medicine: Ethical Practices with LGBTQ patients.”
- Monica Ketchum, Professor of History and Division Chair of Social Sciences at Arizona Western College, presented at the World History Association 28th Annual Conference in Puerto Rico in June on “Shifting Capitols and Constructing the Future: Kazakhstan’s Global Aspirations in Astana.” She also presented at the International Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Conference in Mexico City in July on “Constructing National Identity in Post-Soviet Central Asia” and at the 112th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in August on “Forging National Identities Within the Global Context.”
- Dr. Sarah Snyder, Writing Program Administrator and Professor of English at Arizona Western College, published an article in the upcoming Fall Issue of the journal WPA: Writing Program Administration titled, “Assessing the Field of WPA with Edward M. White: An Interview with an Influential Scholar.” She was also invited to speak as a panelist at the 2019 Council of Writing Program Administrators Conference in Baltimore in July on “Sustainable Becoming: Women's Career Trajectories in Writing Program Administration” and she gave a second, peer-reviewed presentation during the same conference on “Sustaining Regional Affiliates at Home and Abroad.” Dr. Snyder additionally presented on “Performing Music, Performing Writing: How Music Can Inform Writing Pedagogy” at the National Conference on College Composition and Communication in Pittsburgh in March and was a preconvention workshop facilitator on “Establishing a Community of Inquiry in Online Writing Courses through Student and Instructor Presence.”
- Reetika Dhawan, Arizona Western College Dean of Career and Technical Education, was one of 18 faculty members selected from Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) to participate in the 2019 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program this summer. The program offered first-hand experiences in policymaking and research at USDA and other federal agencies. The two-week fellowship was held in Washington, D.C. in June. Dhawan was also a presenter at the Arizona Correctional Educators (ACE) annual symposium that was held in Phoenix in June. The three-day event provides professional development opportunities for educators and related professionals from federal, state, county communities, and tribal jurisdictions. Dhawan was selected to present on the importance of earning certificates and how it indicates that someone is knowledgeable in a respective technology. Additionally, Dhawan was awarded a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition by U.S. Senator Martha McSally for her commitment to Career and Technical Education at AWC.
- David Kern, Professor of English at the Arizona Western College Parker Learning Center, had a poem titled, “These Clouds Suggest Animals,” published in the Sierra Nevada Review and will also have a short story titled, “An East-Facing Window,” published in the upcoming edition of the Owen Wister Review.
- Jules Floss, Professor of Art at Arizona Western College, had work featured in the Ambos Lados International Print Exchange Exhibition which was part of Southern Graphics Council International (SGCI) 2019 Conference at the University of Texas at Arlington. The SGCI conference features exhibitions, demonstrations, and panel discussions.
- Dr. Marc Lafond, Professor of Business at Arizona Western College presented at the recent National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in Austin, Texas in May. His session was on “The Critical Importance of Saving Early for Retirement: Choosing the Right Financial Investments.” Other AWC faculty that attended NISOD’s annual conference included Stephanie Francis, Professor of Nursing; Dr. Brooke Ayars, Professor of Sociology; Edward Schubert, Professor of English; Dr. Laura Alexander, Professor of Environmental Science; Cindy Marchant, Professor of Speech; and Denice Fregozo, Professor of English.
- Leigh Loughead, Agriculture Science Manager at Arizona Western College, represented the college at the 90th Annual State FFA Leadership Conference where she spoke to high school FFA students, agriculture science teachers, and FFA advisors from around Arizona about the degrees and certificates offered at the AWC. While there she had an opportunity to inform them of the advantages of attending AWC with the availability of 2 + 2 programs offered with the University of Arizona – Yuma and the main campus in Tucson. Loughead also served as a judge for finalists in the National Chapter Career Development Event to help determine which FFA Chapter would represent Arizona at the national competition. Additionally, she was elected to serve a three-year term as an At Large Representative for the Arizona Agriculture Education/FFA Foundation.
- Dr. Eric Lee, Professor of English and Division Chair of Communications at Arizona Western College, attended an Advanced Leadership Development in Higher Education conference in Beaver Creek, Colorado in June. The three-day intensive event focused on leadership development in the higher education industry. Working alongside leadership experts and industry peers, attendees received one-on-one coaching and participated in interactive sessions to assess their leadership styles and master key leadership skills.
- Jane Peabody, Professor and Coordinator of the Physical and Wellness Education Division at Arizona Western College, and Desiree Gunderman, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President for Learning Services, attended the Healthy Arizona Worksites Program annual awards event in Phoenix in May. Peabody and Gunderman accepted a Gold Award for AWC being a healthy workplace. Attendees also had the opportunity to learn more about building a resilient workforce from Dr. Nancy Spangler, who has developed workplace health and organizational change strategies for 30 years, with an emphasis on mental health, well-being, resilience, and thriving.
- Dr. Dahwei Chang, Arizona Western College Professor of Physics, was selected to participate in a U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Summer Research Team at the Arctic Domain Awareness Center in Anchorage, Alaska. There he studied with the Mechanical Engineering Department of University of Alaska, Anchorage on the safety of traveling through sea ice in the Arctic region. The 10-week program took place from May 24 until August 2. At the end of the program, Chang traveled to Arlington, Virginia to participate in a three-day DHS Center of Excellence Summit. The purpose of this program is to increase and enhance the scientific leadership at minority serving institutions.
Contact:
Linda Elliott-Nelson
Vice President for Learning Services
Arizona Western College
Linda.Elliott-Nelson@azwestern.edu
(928) 344-7516