University of Alaska Southeast Faculty and Staff NewsletterMay 7, 1999

John Carnegie

Carnegie named interim Sitka director

Chancellor Marshall Lind has appointed Dr. John Carnegie interim director of the Sitka campus beginning in July. Dr. Kathie Etulain, who has served since the retirement of director Elaine Sunde, will return to her position as assistant to the director.

Carnegie has a Ph. D. from Oregon State University and served as department chair for Engineering Technology at Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon from 1975 to 1995. "John's administrative skills will compliment Kathy's program development and grant writing skills," Lind said. "Together they will form a good team for the Sitka campus and for UAS."A national search for a permanent director will begin in the fall. An earlier search closed without a hire. "After consulting with many people in Sitka and Juneau," Lind said, "I became convinced the best approach for the Sitka campus, and for UAS, was to call on the known strengths of John and Kathy during this interim while we conduct another national search." A full-time faculty member will be hired to continue Carnegie's work in the environmental technology program.

Mary Lou Madden

Madden appointed interim dean

Dr. Mary Lou Madden of Juneau has been appointed UAS interim dean of faculty. She replaces John Pugh who has been appointed UAS chancellor. Madden begins her new position on August 15. A national search for a permanent dean will begin in August.

"Mary Lou has an excellent management background and a broad range of experiences," Pugh said. "She has already demonstrated strong leadership skills in Ketchikan, and I am pleased to have her assume the position of interim dean of faculty at UAS."

The dean is responsible for the day-to-day operations of UAS's academic, vocational, and community services programs including coordination of the class offerings on the three UAS campuses.

UAS Commencement

  • Sitka: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 6, Centennial Hall
  • Juneau: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 7, at Centennial Hall. Faculty should arrive at 7 p.m.
  • Ketchikan: 2 p.m., Saturday, May 8, Civic Center.

    Student union plans proceed

    The Board of Regents approved creation of a student union on the Juneau campus at their last meeting, and Juneau student government approved implementation of a student fee up to $100 for those who take six or more credits to support the leasing, renovation and programming of the student union. Student government will be involved in the planning, programming, and implementation of the project. The administration is working to establish the student union at the Horton store site across the street from DeHarts.

    Ketchikan enrollment up

    Students on the Ketchikan campus took about 20 percent more credit hours this spring than last year, according to a report in the Ketchikan Daily News. Enrollment is at a five year high. "We had about 555 people taking credit courses last year and 673 right now," interim Director Mary Lou Madden said.

    Madden said enrollment was increasing because people want to be retrained during Ketchikan's economic transition and because the campus has advertised more and been more visible in the community.

    Bruce Wright and Marshall Lind receive national award

    UAS wins national award

    The Alaska Wildlife Series and instructor Bruce Wright have won the Conservation Education Outstanding Achievement Award for 1998. The award was presented by Jim Caplan, acting regional forester for the Alaska Region.

    The Alaska Wildlife Series was designed for distance delivery and has been taught to people around the world. Wright is the instructor. The presentation ceremony was conducted in Juneau.

    John Pugh "hangs out"

    John Pugh was taped to an Egan Library post during the annual end-of-the-semester picnic last Saturday as part of a fund-raising effort by student government. Also to help raise money, Bruce Gifford "took it in the face" during a pie throwing contest. The events were part of the end-of-the-semester picnic on the Juneau campus.

    First graduates

    Melanie Stoltzfus will be the first Kenai Peninsula College graduate of UAS's distance BBA program and Vivi Tran and Barbara Gray will be the first Northwest Campus (Nome) graduates of the program. David Ackerman will attend both graduation ceremonies.

    Faculty/alumni news

    Jan Straley, Sitka, will work in Barrow May 12-19 with the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife on a pilot study to assess the feasibility of individual photo identification of bowhead whales from the ice edge. She also made a humpback whale presentation in during the Kodiak WhaleFest.

    Beth Mathews, Juneau, reported on her research on the effects of vessel traffic on harbor seals to the Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission April 30 in Yakutat.

    Robert Sewell, Juneau, and Linda Griffths of SERRC co-authored a $2 million grant proposal to the U.S. Dept. of Education that provides follow-along services for low income high school students preparing for college.

    Jan Parmelee, Juneau, attended the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual meeting in San Francisco in April and made a presentation with two Fairbanks faculty members about math modules for elementary education.

    Mike Dunning, Ketchikan, will present a paper, "Mining on the Periphery, June 5 at the Mining History Association Annual Conference in Colorado.

    Bob Baker, Ketchikan, has a paper, "Cards in the Classroom: Mathematics and Methods" to be published through the ERIC National Clearinghouse for Educational Materials. He will also spend two weeks in China in June meeting with Chinese mathematics educators.

    Robin Walz, Juneau, will lecture on French history and popular culture at UC Davis on May 19.David Ackerman, Juneau, spoke to the Alaska Municipal League about the distance BBA and MPA programs on April 27.

    Theresa Schermerhor, who earned her AA degree from the Sitka campus, has been named director of Human Resources at Dyersberg State Community College in Tennessee.

    Glacier research

    For the fourth year, Cathy Connor and Roman Motyka will take students to study LeConte Glacier near Petersburg. The cooperative program involves research with Petersburg High School students. UAS students taking part are Matthew Hansen, Kathy Heflin, Bryan Hitchcock, Autumn Lowrey, Shannon Seifert, Rebecca Viray, and Ben White in addition to UAF graduate student Shad O'Neel. The class is part of GEOL 315, Glacier Surveying.

    Sitka campus news

    The annual Spring Fling picnic, held March 25 at Halibut Point Park, included volleyball, horseshoes, flip toss, frisbee, badminton and hamburgers prepared by Luda Konshin.

    Student Activities sponsored a Stress Fair in late April to help students prepare for finals. Events included free massages, toys and coloring books, snacks, and information on stress and financial management.

    Art students of Linda Southwell have sculptures, drawings and paintings exhibited on campus. More than 70 students in three different communities took part in the fifth Alaska Naturalist Program offered through the Office of Continuing Education.

    Juneau campus

    Elections: Rosie Gilbert was elected student president. Kean Nuttal is the vice president and the new student senators are Roger Jacobsen and Levi Russell.

    The new officers assume their positions on July 1.

    Food service: Will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday in May and closed weekends.

    Bookstore: Still waiting on additional fall book orders. Some graduation announcements are still available. An End of Semester sale continues during finals week. Two new books are in: Clive Thomas' "Alaska Public Policy Issues" and Terry Quinn's "Quantitative Fish Dynamics."

    House trade: A visiting summer instructor from Berkeley is interested in renting, house sitting, or house trading between June 18-27. Contact Mary-Claire, 465-6435.

    Learning Center: On-line writing tutoring will be offered and faculty giving writing assignments may mention this in their syllabi. Access is at www.uas.alaska.edu/uas/tlc/tlc.html or call 465-6348.

    Book: Art Petersen's "The Letters and Photographs of Leroy S. Townsend" is available at Hearthside Books or from him for a 20% discount.

    Road repair: Glacier Highway will be resurfaced this summer between Fritz Cove Road and the ferry terminal. UAS will "piggy back" on the project to repair the Auke Way south access road. Navy: The campus will host some of the crew of the USS Juneau on June 11 at 5 p.m. The crew has challenged the campus in volleyball. There will also be a BBQ, and music.

    Summer jobs: Students having trouble finding summer jobs should contact Karen Waldrip at the Career Center.

    Meal plan reduced

    The cost of the Juneau campus meal plan has been reduced from $1150 to $985 next year. Food service will be closed on weekends because of low use by plan holders. Tish Griffin said, "We will be offering one evening meal on Saturday and Sunday to housing meal plan users who can buy Chinese, Subway, Taco Bell, etc. and have it delivered to the Housing Lodge for dinner.

    Computer work

    The UAS Web page, Caucus and POLIS will be unavailable on Wednesday, May 12 from 8 a.m.Šnoon for system maintenance. For information, call 465-6452.

    Avalanche victim is former student

    Matt Brakel, 32, was one of the two victims on a Mt. McGinnis avalanche on April 27. He was a UAS student from 1983-88 and a member of the UAS ski team. He later coached ski racing for youth at Eaglecrest. A children's ski racing scholarship has been established in his honor. Contributions, marked Matt Brakel Scholarship Fund, may be sent to Juneau Ski Club, POB 32358, Juneau 99803.

    Students to study overseas

    UAS students continue to expand their experiences through the study abroad programs. For 1999-2000 the following students have been placed: Becky Cook to Spain; Patrick Ripp to France; Wonder Russell to England; Henry Webb to The Netherlands; Kelleigh O'Brien to Finland; Liza Mack from UAS, Sitka, to Malta; with several other applications in process. Students will come to UAS on the ISEP program from Finland, Australia, France, Wales, and Sweden.

    Food handler's class

    UAS will host a public, Sysco Serve Safe Food Handler's Class all day May 25 in the Lake Room. Participants must pre-register by May 20 by calling Tish Griffin at 465-6529. Registration is $80.

    UA information

    UA in Review, the statistical review, is available at http://info.alaska.edu/ua/oir/uair99/The revised Dispute and Grievance Resolution is available at http://info.alaska.edu/ua/bor/.

    JUNEAU CALENDAR

    Friday, May 7
  • Commencement, 7:30 p.m., Centennial Hall.

    Tuesday, May 11

  • Academic Programs Potluck, 11:30 a.m., Sobeloff Conference Room.

    Wednesday, May 12

  • JDHS student recognition, evening Egan Library.

    Thursday, May 13

  • Continental Math League, 6:30 p.m. Egan Library.