Nathan Hamilton of GRCC’s IT Dept Presents at National Conference

Nathan Hamilton (IT Enterprise Applications) presented at the Inspire 2012 Conference in Miami Beach, FL on Monday, April 15th. His session was titled “ImageNow in Financial Aid”. The presentation focused on how ImageNow can automatically update student checklists in PeopleSoft and notify staff when a student file is ready to be reviewed for verification. He also shared ways to streamline financial aid processes and improve workflow efficiencies within departments.

Inspire is the place for Perceptive Software customers to come together with their peers and product experts for the resources, contacts, motivation and fresh perspective they need to uncover fresh opportunities for improving and expanding their organization’s ECM solution.

Dr Greg Forbes on Charles Darwin’s Life of Discovery 2/8/12

GRCC Professor Dr. Greg Forbes will be presenting a public lecture this coming February 8, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at the GR Women’ City Club for the Center for Inquiry of Michigan titled “Dogma, Doctrine & Deduction; Darwin’s Life of Discovery.”

From the program description: “Nature or nurture? What accounted for the transformation of a young boy “with limited potential and imagination” into one of the most influential individuals in human history? Discover how a young man with a Cambridge Theology education and no formal science education changed the way we view our world.”

More information available here.

Professor Keith St Clair on The Arab Spring and Prospects for Democracy Lecture

The World Affairs Council of West Michigan presents “The Arab Spring and Prospects for Democracy” with GRCC faculty member Keith St. Clair as part of its Fall Lecture Series on Tuesday, November 8 from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM with Q&A to follow.  The event takes place in Upper Donnelly Hall at Aquinas College.

The lecture addresses: “What is the probability for democracy in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring? How would democracy impact the Arab world and beyond? These important questions can be explored by first considering the strengths and weaknesses of democracy. Is democracy a double-edged sword presenting as many problems as it solves?”

The cost to attend is $10 for Council Members, $15 for non-members, and free to Senator, Ed Partners and Corporate members.

Free, convenient parking. Click here for map.  Click here for the brochure.

GRCC IT Staff Nathan Hamilton to Present at EDUCAUSE 2011

Nathan Hamilton (IT Enterprise Applications) will be presenting at EDUCAUSE 2011 in Philadelpia, PA on Thursday October 20th. His session is entitled “Solving the Complexities of Record Management with ECM.” The presentation will focus on efficient management of documents and streamlining processes using ECM (Enterprise Content Management) software. Nate has been instrumental in the implementation of ImageNow the college’s document management system.

EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association whose mission is to advance higher education by promoting the intelligent use of information technology.

GRCC Faculty Members With ArtPrize Works on Display

The following faculty members from the School of Arts and Sciences have their work displayed in ArtPrize 2011. Please be sure to make their displays part of your ArtPrize itinerary:

• Frank Conner (Psychology Dept.) – sculpture – Cathedral Square
• Scott Garrard (Visual Arts Dept.) – 3D – GVSU Exhibition Center
• Filippo Tagliati (Visual Arts Dept.) – film/video – Mercantile Bank
• Nick Antonakis (Visual Arts Dept.) – painting – CODA (gallery operated by Kendall College of Art and Design, 44 Division St.)
• Mursalata Muhammad (English Dept.) and Carol VanRandwyk (Music Dept.) – Haiku Middle Passage Exhibit – Fountain Street Church
• Tamara Fox (Visual Arts Dept.) – 3D – Women’s City Club
• Dianne Carroll Burdick (Visual Arts Dept.) – photography – Cathedral Square
• Robert Burdick (Visual Arts Dept.) – 2D – Westminster Presbyterian Church
• Carol Jurgens (Language and Thought Dept.) – painting – Cathedral Square

Haiku Middle Passage ArtPrize Exhibit at Fountain St Church

On Wednesday, September, 21, 2011 Fountain Street Church opens its ArtPrize exhibition which includes GRCC connection – Professor Murslata Muhammad is part of the HMP Collaborative art entry hosted at Fountain Street Church.

This collaboration uses poetry, visual art & music to remind us that human literacy is a process that must be learned, practiced & lived. Even though it’s been over 200 years since Great Britain abolished the TransAtlantic Slave Trade – human trafficking continues today. During the creation of these works, each haiku (a Japanese poetic form that uses 17 syllables) was interpreted with little to no explanation between the poet and other artists.

Each artist had the poem and their understanding of past and present issues of slavery to influence their interpretation. This process ensured our
determination to show that human experiences are universal when dealing with large and seemingly complex issues of social justice. Haiku Middle Passage is an ongoing artistic collaboration.

GRCC Faculty David Cope to Appear on Professors Poetry Panel

GRCC English Professor (and current Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids) David Cope will be part of a panel involving professors and poetry at Literary Life Bookstore on Thursday from 7:00-8:30 p.m.  I will be joined by Keith Taylor (UM) and Patricia Clark (GVSU).  Faculty and students are invited to attend.  More information here.

From their description:

“We’re very interested and passionate about poetry here at LitLife. What could be better than chatting with three professional poets, who also have “day jobs,” to pick their prodigious brains about the process of writing, balancing job duties with creative impulses, and what inspires them? With that in mind, we invite three poets, who are also educators, to share their thoughts with us! This time, we’re very proud to present Grand Rapids’ poet laureate, David Cope; Keith Taylor, the coordinator of the University of Michigan’s creative writing program; and Grand Rapids’ own Patricia Clark, Poet-in-Residence and Professor of Writing at Grand Valley State University.Please join our discussion, add your thoughts, ask your questions, this Thursday, from 7 -8:30 p.m.!”

Kudos to Don Steeby on Publication of Book on Alternative Energy

Don Steeby, Associate Professor of Air Conditioning, Heating & Refrigeration has authored a new book on Alternative Energy.

Alternative Energy: Sources & Systems is a comprehensive guide to alternative energy that can be used by homeowners, builders, and anyone wanting to learn more about alternatives to conventional energy forms. The book bridges the gap between simplistic information and high level material that is more suited toward engineering. It is clear and easy-to read, yet detailed enough to effectively prepare readers for properly applying, installing, and maintaining alternative energy systems.

Alternative Energy: Sources & Systems is now available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Cengage.com.

Congratulations to Chefs Campbell and Garlough on 2nd Edition of Textbook

Congratulations to GRCC culinary arts faculty Chef Bob Garlough and Chef Angus Campbell on the publication of the second edition of their award-winning textbook “Modern Garde Manger: A Global Perspective.”  Produced by Cengage Delmar Learning, the text was the recipient of the International Association of Culinary Professionals Gold Medal Award when the first edition came out.

From the description provided by the publisher, the book is “written for both the working chef and the serious student engaged in the practice and study of culinary arts, [and contains] carefully researched information and fully tested recipes span the broad international spectrum of the modern garde manger station.”

Read the full press release below the fold.

GRCC’s Dr. Gregory Forbes Asked to Speak on Politics of Stem Cell Research

Dr. Gregory Forbes, Biological Sciences, was an invited speaker for the Michigan Center for Inquiry where he presented a lecture entitled “Stem Cells & Cloning Research; Possibilities, Sensibilities & Politics”. Wednesday’s lecture is now available on Youtube:

GRCC Highlighted in Webinar

Grand Rapids Community College was highlighted in a recent Blackboard Collaborate Webinar entitled: “Pronto: Connecting Your Entire Campus in an Instant” GRCC faculty, staff, and students can use Wimba Pronto for online office hours, interactive whiteboarding, web conferencing, application sharing, and improving collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. GRCC is also using Wimba Pronto for online tutoring for the Biology Learning Center, Business and Accounting Tutorial Lab, and Language Arts Lab.

An archive of this Webinar is located here.

GRCC Staff Present at Professional and Organizational Development (POD) in Higher Education Conference

Last week, Associate Professor of Business and Coordinator of Adjunct Faculty Professional Development Ann M. Alexander and Associate Dean Ric Underhile attended the 35th Annual Professional and Organizational Development (POD) in Higher Education Conference in St. Louis, MO. Ann presented, Floodgates to Gateways: Supporting a Growing Population of Adjuncts.

Paula Naujalis Published in “Michigana,” Receives Commendation as MARS State Director

Patriotism runs in Health Admissions Coordinator (ESP) Paula Naujalis’ family. From Stephen Hart in the Pequot War (1634-1638) to her father, Clarence Worden, in World War II. Paula recently submitted an article to Michigana, the Western MI Genealogical Society publication, about her father serving in the Michigan State Troops (a group of men deemed ineligible for the draft who served as a home guard when the Michigan National Guard went over seas). The article was printed in the a latest edition of Michigana – ask Paula to see it the next time you are in the Nursing Department. Paula currently serves her country as Navy-Marine Corps Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS) State Director, for which she received this commendation letter from the Department of Defense for her work over the last year.   [Click Here to Read the Article (.pdf)]

Dr. Greg Forbes Gave Keynote at Ohio Educators Conference

GRCC Biological Sciences professor Dr. Greg Forbes (Biological Sciences) was the keynote speaker last week at a state-wide science teachers conference in Cleveland. Dr. Forbes’s address to the science teachers was entitled “Science, Pseudoscience and Just Plain Non-sense; Helping our Students Tell the Difference”. This is the fourth time that Dr. Forbes has been an invited keynote speaker at an Ohio science teacher’s conference.

GRCC Shows Strong Presence at Region’s Largest Geography Conference: 2 Alumni Honored with Awards

The Midwest’s largest regional gathering of academic geographers took place on Saturday, 23 October, as the East Lakes Division of the Association of American Geographers annual meeting was held on the campus of Grand Valley State University. Eight members of the GRCC faculty, student, and alumni community made up one of the largest contingents drawn from a single institution: Amanda Colegrove, Mike DeVivo, Ben Gerlofs, Brandi Glaske, Megan Hornyak, Marina Islas, Nathan Krings, and Stephanie Krings.

Ms. Islas (GRCC 2006), who two years ago was awarded a highly competitive assistantship to pursue graduate studies at Ohio University, completed the M.A. in Geography this past June and took first-place in the conference graduate student paper competition for her presentation, “Se Hace Camino al Andar/ The Road is Made by Walking: Women’s Participation in Community-Driven Development in Ciudad Sandino, Nicaragua.” Mr. Gerlofs (GRCC 2008), who recently accepted a prestigious assistantship award for graduate work at Syracuse University, took second-place honors for his presentation, “Space, Place, and Power in T.C. Boyle’s The Tortilla Curtain.”

Ms. Colegrove, Ms. Glaske, Ms. Horyak, and Mr. Krings presented a collaborative effort as undergraduates with their presentation, “The Educational and Career Benefits of Joining the International Geographical Honor Society,” in which they discussed careers in geography and their production of an excellent short promotional film, which is now available for viewing on youtube. Mr. Krings, currently at GVSU completing his baccalaureate, also presented a paper in a session on economic and urban development in Asia titled, “Chai-Street Level Realities of Modern Shanghai.”

In a session on Africa, Professor DeVivo, sponsor of the GRCC chapter of Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU), The International Geographical Honor Society, presented “Integrating Foreign Area Field Studies in the Geography Curriculum: Study Abroad in Africa.” With 280 chapters worldwide, GTU exacts rigorous standards for institutional membership. The Grand Rapids Community College chapter was chartered in 2007, and it remains the only community college chapter in existence across the globe.