Students Study Abroad In China

Eighteen SRJC and CRC students left for China in early June, spending three weeks in Beijing and two in Shanghai. Students attended classes Monday- Thursday from 8:30 AM to 1:30 PM, studying American Business in its Global Context, Cultural Anthropology, Chinese, and Chinese culture.

In Beijing, accompanied by SRJC's Business Administration Instructor Richard Cheek, the group visited remarkable sites, including the Great Wall, the Ming Tombs, Tian An Men Square, Beijing Zoo, and the Forbidden City (see photos). Students toured the Summer Palace, tomb of the First Emperor Qui Huang, City Wall, Big Goose Pagoda, Calligraphy Tomb Forrest, Shaanxi Museum, and Xian, the home of the Terra Cotta Warriors. Mid month the students attended a lecture by SRJC graduate Burt Pinoli who is General Manager of Delta Air Lines, Greater China, Korea, South East Asia & Pacific. Flying to Hangzhou on June 23, the Capital of Zhjiang Province that is known as “Heaven on Earth” and the center of China’s silk industry, the group also visited a tea plantation, Linying Temple, Silk Market, and West Lake.

During the last two weeks of their journey the students visited Shanghai, China’s financial center, and attended classes at the General Motors plant where they heard guest lecturer John Wilson, Vice President Law and Public Policy, General Counsel, GM Asia Pacific. They also visited a Volkswagon plant and toured the Pudong area. In the last week of their adventure, the students had a rare opportunity to stay in the homes of Chinese families in Shanghai.

Volunteer Award Presented To Healthcare Workforce Development Roundtable

On April 5, the Steering Committee of the Healthcare Workforce Development Roundtable was named the Sonoma County Business Volunteer Group of the Year. Honored roundtable award recipients included SRJC’s Stephanie Thompson, Director, Workforce and Economic Development, Vocational Projects and Services. After several years of dedicated volunteer research and grant writing, SRJC and the Healthcare Workforce Development Roundtable received a $349,000 from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office to create the Healthcare Workforce Development Program to promote more interest in the health professions among Sonoma County’s diverse population, and to create more opportunities for traditionally underrepresented populations to pursue health careers.

The successful program attracted many more students to health training opportunities offered by local health-care training providers who may not have considered a career in the health-care field without the program.

Students Assist Hurricane Victims

Eight SRJC students spent an Alternative Spring Break in New Orleans in April, volunteering with Common Group Relief in the Ninth Ward to assist with hurricane clean up. Funded by SRJC’s Associated Students, the SRJC group, accompanied by Social Sciences instructor Jack Wegmen and English instructor Abby Bogomolny, assisted with the challenging effort to gut houses and make helpful calls to Ninth Ward property owners to provide vital information and assistance. Abby, shown in the photo in purple pants, says “our students typically dressed in protective gear as they worked because of the dangerous mold and floodwater residue at the work sites.”

5th Career Expo Triples Participation

This year’s free Career Expo & Job Fair tripled its attendance, with 640 registered participants and many hundreds of other participants enjoying the April 26 event on the Santa Rosa Campus. Half the registrants were SRJC students, the other half included high school students and their parents, community members, Job Link clients, alumni, and staff. The Career Expo has become so popular in five years that the 100 participating employers included many from distant locales, including Norwegian Cruise Line from Hawaii and the San Diego Solar Turbines.

Held in the Tauzer Gym, employers set up in occupational clusters that included a strong representation from the engineering and building trades, Public Safety, nonprofits, government, and other groups. The Career Expo creates an opportunity for students to network one-on-one with employers to explore future career opportunities and to meet with members of SRJC’s many occupational programs to identified educational and job training options. Many SRJC students scheduled interviews with employers, and Solar Turbines was so interested in SRJC’s Machine Tool Program that representatives visited the department and instructors. “The crowds kept flowing through the doors, a good blend of SRJC students, high school students, employers, and community members. It was an amazing event,” emphasizes SRJC’s Career Developer Suzanne Papa and key organizer of this year’s fair.

Petaluma Campus Holds 1st Career Fair

With many faculty and staff in attendance, the Petaluma Campus held its first Career Fair on April 27 for SRJC and high school students and employers, creating a perfect networking opportunity for students and employers alike. Students met with company representatives to gather information about volunteer, internship, and part-time or full-time employment opportunities. Dozens of employer groups seeking skilled job candidates participated in the Career Fair, including North Coast Builders Exchange, Portola Systems, Exchange Bank, Clover Stornetta, the Marin Independent Journal, UPS, and others. The event offered students an outstanding opportunity to explore their career aims and skill development options, and to identify job opportunities that are available at employers that are seeking trained and educated candidates.

Forensic Team Scores Again!

SRJC’s Forensics Team attended the California Community College Forensics Championship Tournament in Concord on March 18-19. Miranda Olzman and Barrick Arnold won gold medals in Team Parliamentary Debate. In the Lincoln-Douglas debate, Miranda, Barrick and Mark Smith won bronze medals. Barrick also won silver medals in impromptu and extemporaneous speaking and Mark won bronze medals in the same competitions. The teams of Mark Smith and Nick Freymuth and Kris Spellman and Pei-Pei Chu also made noteworthy showings.

JC In Top 10 — 2005-06 Pepsi/NATYCAA Cup

SRJC finished an impressive 1st among Northern California community colleges and 3rd in the state in the 2005-06 Pepsi/NATYCAA Cup, State Associations Division. Conference competition. Long Beach City College topped the final standings with a score of 174.5. Mt. San Antonio College finished second with 154 points, and SRJC ranked third with 143.5 points. It is the third year that Bear Cubs have ranked among the top 10 colleges statewide. Colleges are awarded points based on their teams’ final positions in post-conference competition. Each college’s top-five men’s and top-five women’s team results count toward the overall point total.

The 2005-06 winners were recognized at the Pepsi/NATYCAA Awards Luncheon held at the 2006 NATYCAA Convention on June 20 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NATYCAA is the professional organization of two-year college athletic administrators, and membership is open to all two-year institutions from throughout the country. For details about the criteria and point system used, access www.coasports.org

Diesel Students Scholarship Recipients

On May 18, mechanics apprentice tool sets worth $3,200 each were awarded to two Diesel students, Anthony Asaro and Alan Roskam. The recipients of the tool scholarships were selected by a panel of SRJC faculty and classified staff based on GPA, a written essay, and future career goals. The top notch tool sets were donated by the Robert J. Whiting Fund and Peterson Tractor.

Student Anthony Asaro started the Diesel/Equipment Technology Program last August and completed all core Diesel classes in his first year of study. He will continue classes at SRJC in fall 06 to earn an Associate in Science in Diesel/ Equipment Technology. Following graduation Anthony intends to find employment in heavy equipment. Student Alan Roskam also started his studies at SRJC last August, completing Diesel/Equipment Technology core classes and other required career certificate courses. His career goal is to work on heavy equipment and to own his own shop.

NEWS ARCHIVES FEBRUARY - MARCH 2006
Cindy Molina Proves It’s Never Too Late! JC Holds Two High School Counselors Conferences. Welcome Dean Robert Chudnofsky. Sawyer Center Supports Inventor’s Success. Soccer Powerhouse Wofford Awarded Full Scholarship. Joy Cabin Connecting Education & Life In Paris. Health and Education Days Held. Welcome SRT Artistic Director Newman. Small Schools Event Draws 200 High School Seniors. Ning Susilo Beating All Odds. SRJC Selected Wine Competition Beneficiary. Call Children’s Center Receives Exemplary Evaluation Scores. Diesel Schedule Restructured To Benefit Working Students. Charlotte Granderson Award Recipient. Forensic Teams Advance In Tournaments. JC Awarded State Nursing Expansion Grants Over $600,000. Students Selected For Intercollegiate Honor Band. Wrestling Coach Fitzpatrick Honored. Health Services Director Susan Quinn Publishes In Spectrum. Baseball Alumni Join Professional Teams. BOT Instructor Carole Bennett Publishes Article. Judo Athletes Place In National Competition, and more…

NEWS ARCHIVES JANUARY 2006
SRJC Forms Partnership With Pepperwood Preserve. Study Abroad Program Doubles Student Participation. SRJC Initiates China Study Abroad Program. Students Can Now Spend A Semester In Spain. Puente Project Continues To Expand. Frank P. Doyle Library Construction Moving Forward. English Learner High School Outreach Pilot. Grant Awarded For Correctional Officer Training Demonstration Project. Petaluma Campus Holds First Latino Awareness Day. Parking Structure Under Construction, Swedish Students Visit SRJC, and more…

NEWS ARCHIVES DECEMBER 2005
SRJC Ranked In Top 100 In Nation. Nursing Students Top Exam Pass Rate. Dental Hygiene Students Rank 4th In Nation. College Welcomes New Vice Presidents. Summer Health Career Institute A Success. Agricultural Pavilion Under Construction. SRJC Addresses California Teacher Shortage. EMS Academy A Huge Success. Dr. Ofelia Arellano Appointed Dean, Petaluma Campus. Customer Service Skills Certificate Introduced. Student Competes In National Robotics Tournament. Culinary Arts Offers Dining Room Service Certificate, and more…

Women’s Tennis Ranks 1st in NorCal & 2nd In State Championships

SRJC’s Women's Tennis Team ranked 1st in the NorCal Championships, and placed 2nd to Orange Coast College at the State Finals in spring. As the 2nd ranked team in the state, SRJC's Bear Cubs gained the respect of competitors. “Santa Rosa is one competitive team. I give a lot of credit to their coach and their players because they worked hard for every shot,” said Orange Coast head coach Janice Maran. SRJC sophomore Susan Souksavath placed 1st by winning the finals in the State Championship in Singles for Women's Tennis, and also doubled with her sister Laurie Souksavath to reach the state semi-finals. Access more details about our champions at www.coasports.org/.

Detective Sally Miller Honored

SRJC Detective Sally Miller was selected as the college’s first recipient of the new “Above & Beyond Award,” an honor that was recently developed by SRJC’s Management Team. Sally was spotlighted at SRJC’s Classified Staff Dinner April 6. “Thank you doesn't express how honored I am by your nomination for this award. I look forward to opportunities to individually thank those who nominated me, the committee members who selected me, and so many others that mentored and supported me in my personal and professional growth over the years,” Sally said. “I look forward to many more years working together with all of you to keep our college the safest and one of the premier community college districts in the nation.”

Alum Ranks Top In LSAT Scores

Alumni Brian Collins graduated from SRJC in 2001 with honors, enrolled at UC Davis in spring 2002, and was later accepted by several top law schools in the nation after scoring 96 percent in the LSAT. Brian’s excellent academic achievements earned him a scholarship to New York University Law School, one of the top four law schools in the nation. He will graduate in the spring of 2007. “Brian has faced many challenges over the years, and has demonstrated what a successful student and winner he is,” says EOPS Counselor Norberto Quiroz.

Instructor Ray Johnson Publishes Book

SRJC Wine Studies Instructor Ray Johnson recently published The Good Life Guide to Enjoying Wine, a primer about the wines everyone can use that teach people to have confidence in their own taste. Ray also teaches at the UC Berkeley Extension in San Francisco, and serves as the Assistant Director of the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Copies of Ray’s book are sold at Traverso’s, Bottle Barn, or Copperfield’s or copies may be ordered on Amazon.com. Contact Ray at rayjohnsonwine@att.net or (707) 824-8100 for more information.

Dean Omrcen Places In U.S. Fencing Competition

SRJC Dean of Science and Applied Technology Dr. Tatjana Omrcen competed at the North American Cup, a United States Fencing Association competition, in Reno, Nevada and placed 8th in the field of 36 fencers in the Veteran Open Women’s Foil event. As a result of the competition, Tatjana is now ranked 11th in the nation in the 40-49 age group in women’s foil.

Students Win Jamm Dance Competition

Students Michael Harris and Margaret Ueligitone are the recipients of scholarships they each won at the 2006 Urban Jamm Dance Convention, an honor that also allows them to return free to next year’s competition. SRJC was represented by 12 students at the Dance Convention, which included approximately 300 dancers. According to our students, “It was a blast! ”

Nutrition Instructor Katie Clark Honored

Katie Clark, MPH, RD, Nutrition Instructor in the Consumer and Family Studies Department, received the 2006 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award by the California Dietetic Association (CDA). The award was presented the first week in May at CDA’s Annual Meeting in San Diego.

Child Dev Instructor Joel Gordon Publishes

Director of SRJC’s Early Childhood Education Department Joel Gordon published an article in the May/June 2006 issue of Exchange, the national early childhood teachers’ magazine, titled “Eight Interview Questions To help You Know Who You’re Hiring.” Exchange is considered the lead periodical for ECE administrators and has a circulation of 30,000 nationally. The article provides a full outline of operating a high quality child development program, giving guidelines to administrators in the process of selecting the right people to implement the program through eight key interview questions that give administrators insight to who they are hiring. Access a copy at www.ccie.com.

Reentry Student Lisa Perkins Joins SRJC Staff

Lisa Perkins, a reentry student who started classes at SRJC last summer, was selected as an Administrative Assistant III in Assessment/Articulation. Lisa moved to Santa Rosa with her husband and four children over two years ago. Friends encouraged her to pursue education and employment at SRJC, so she took online classes. A real cheerleader for alternative instructional venues, Linda wants to “encourage other adults to enroll at SRJC for new career skills to earn A.A. degree. The high caliber of instructors, great mix of class formats for students, and extremely affordable fees helped ensure my success,” she says.

CIS Instructor Michael McKeever Honored

Computer and Information Sciences (CIS) Instructor and Technology Academy administrator Michael McKeever is the recipient of a “CREATE CCNA CATC Best Practices Award,” presented March 10 at the annual Cisco Authorized Training Center (CATC) in San Jose. Selected for his innovative use of CCCConfer to provide live synchronous access to his class lectures across the Internet as a method of increasing student enrollment, Michael received a plaque and a $500 stipend to support his CCNA work. SRJC is one of several Regional Academies from California and Nevada that meet annually at the Cisco Headquarters. As SRJC’s Academy Administrator, Michael participates year round in online and in-person conferences, seminars, and meetings geared to improve SRJC’s offerings to students and academies. Explore more at www.cisco.com/.

For free copies of SRJC’s new publications, contact: mstoner@santarosa.edu or call (707) 527-1504.