Dana Spiotta. Photo: Jessica Marx

The Clark College Columbia Writers Series is proud to present its fall quarter installment, featuring author Dana Spiotta. This event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in Anna Pechanec Hall (APH) room 201 on Clark College’s main campus.

Dana Spiotta is the author of the novels Lightning Field, Eat the Document, Stone Arabia, and Innocents and Others. She has been a Guggenheim Fellow, a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellow, and a Rome Prize winner, and her novels have been selected as finalists for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. A recent profile of Spiotta in the New York Times Magazine stated that she has “created a new kind of great American novel.”

Spiotta will read from some of her work and discuss her writing process from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Thursday, November 3. Directions and maps are available online. Individuals who need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services (DSS) Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP). The DSS office is located in room 013 in Clark’s Penguin Union Building.

The Columbia Writers Series was launched at Clark College in 1988, bringing local, national and international authors to the college and the region. Information about the Columbia Writers Series is available at www.clark.edu/cc/cws.

President Robert K. Knight

Clark College President Robert K. Knight has been named Clark County’s 2016 First Citizen, an award recognizing a Clark County resident who has modeled exemplary citizenship through their actions and service to the community. The award, which was announced in July, will be presented to Knight at a reception on November 2.

“I am honored by this prestigious recognition from the people I feel lucky to have called friends and neighbors for nearly two decades,” said Knight upon learning of the award. “Knowing that I am now counted among such amazing contributors to our community inspires me to continue serving that community in any way I can.”

The nomination focused heavily on Knight’s career at Clark College, where he is said to have “brought stability to a position he did not seek.” Knight, who originally joined the college as vice president of Administrative Services in 2004 and was named acting president in 2006, has overseen several major achievements at the college, including: construction of both Clark College at Columbia Tech Center and a new state-of-the-art, 70,000 square-foot building devoted to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; the opening of the college’s Veterans Resource Center; and one of the largest enrollment spurts of any community college in Washington State. Last year, Clark was listed among the nation’s 150 best community colleges by the Aspen Institute. Much of this success is the result of Knight’s leadership, which is defined by his ability to listen intently, build relationships, support others and foster collaboration.

Letters of support also noted Knight’s giving of time and resources, off campus and outside of work. For years, Knight volunteered 30-to-40 hours each month in addition to overseeing the college. He was a leadership force behind the City of Vancouver’s 150th anniversary celebration and was important in bringing the Vietnam Traveling Wall to Vancouver. His involvement was instrumental in bringing prominent speakers to the region for the George C. Marshall Lecture Series, which included news anchor Tom Brokaw and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. In 2000, he helped Vancouver become one of only six cities in the nation selected to host a regional commemoration for the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, which drew a crowd of 3,000 to the Vancouver National Historic Reserve.

Described as “one of the most active community volunteers in our region” by former Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, Knight has given his time and talents to organizations including the local chapter of the American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington, the Columbia River Economic Development Council, Fort Vancouver National Trust, Greater Portland, Washington State University Vancouver and Workforce Southwest Washington.

In truth, though, Knight’s service began long before he landed in Clark County and reaches far beyond this region. For 21 years, he served with the U.S. Army in various ranks and across two continents. Numerous letters of support cited his military career as an example of his leadership, especially during his role as commander of the Vancouver Barracks when the base was targeted for closure. Knight convened community members in a thoughtful, open process that Vesta Hospitality CEO Rick Takach characterizes as being “critical to the jewel that is the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.”

In all, each of the 29 letters of support—seven of which came from former First Citizens—demonstrate how Knight has shown effectiveness in leadership roles, raised standards and expectations, strengthened community identity and civic pride.

“In everything he does and every role he performs, Bob always puts service over self, mission over personal interest,” wrote former U.S. Representative Brian Baird. “Without question, Vancouver, Clark County, Southwest Washington and indeed our nation are better places because of Bob Knight.”

About the First Citizen Award

Recipients of the First Citizen Award, presented since 1939, are selected by a volunteer committee of community leaders and past award recipients. Recipients are chosen for their accomplishments and contributions to the community in a number of areas, including effectiveness in leadership roles, raising community standards and expectations, strengthening community identity and civic pride, and exemplary giving of time, self and resources. For a full listing of criteria and past recipients, please visit www.cfsww.org/our-community/first-citizen.

About the First Citizen Awards Event

Knight will receive the First Citizen Award during a community event scheduled for Wednesday, November 2 at Warehouse ‘23. The event will begin at 4 p.m., with the formal awards program at 5 p.m. Regents Bank is the presenting sponsor of the First Citizen Award reception. Biggs Insurance and PeaceHealth are supporting sponsors, and the event is organized in partnership with The Columbian and the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington. Tickets for the event are $35 and can be purchased at the door or in advance by visiting www.columbian.com/firstcitizen.

Clark College’s Economic and Community Development program recently welcomed two talented leaders to its team. Francois Wevers joined ECD as the Director of Economic & Community Partnerships and Kelli Gizzi is the incoming Director of Professional and Personal Development.

About Francois Wevers

Francois Wevers

Francois Wevers has a long, rich and successful track record in sales and business management. He has most recently been the National Sales Manager for Lightspeed Aviation in Lake Oswego. Prior to Lightspeed, Wevers held a number of key sales management positions with Hewlett-Packard, based out of the United States, France and Germany. He has helped to build large new businesses, created new retail and commercial sales channels, and managed sales organizations in both Europe and the U.S.

Wevers has a Bachelor in Business Administration from Pacific Lutheran University, in Tacoma, and a DSCAF in Business Administration from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce, Le Havre, France. Wevers was born and raised in the Normandy Region of France and relocated to the Pacific Northwest in 1996. He and his wife, Bracy, have three daughters; they all live in the area.

About Kelli Gizzi

Kelli Gizzi

Kelli Gizzi is a veteran of both Intel Corporation and Motorola, Inc., where she held a number of key roles including marketing in emerging markets, online learning, enterprise channels, enterprise software, information technology, mobile apps, and social media.

Gizzi lives in Battle Ground with her husband, Jim, and daughter, Jenna—all avid soccer fans. Gizzi has a strong community focus and has served on the board of directors of the Women’s Center for Leadership, a greater Portland nonprofit, for four years—the past two years as the board president. Gizzi is also a parent volunteer for Battle Ground Citizens for Better Schools.

Gizzi has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri – Columbia. While Gizzi is a longtime resident of the area, she has also lived and worked in other countries, including Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan.

About Clark College Economic and Community Development

Clark College Economic & Community Development (ECD) is Southwest Washington’s premier provider of workforce training and non-credit learning, serving more than 10,000 people annually. These elements are part of ECD’s vision to maintain and continually develop its status as the region’s premier provider of classes, seminars, certificate programs and training opportunities that serve the residents and businesses of the Southwest Washington region.

“Educating for the Seventh Generation” is a night of sharing music, dance, and traditions.

On Friday, Nov. 4, Clark College welcomes the community as it hosts “Educating for the Seventh Generation,” a celebration of indigenous cultures.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. with free food and refreshments. The Native American Culture Club will provide an Opening Prayer and a presentation to stand in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux, who are protesting the Dakota Access oil pipeline. A performance by the Kaleinani o Ke Kukui dance troupe will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by a welcome address and presentation of the Dreamcatcher Scholarship, benefiting a Clark student of indigenous ancestry. Vendors and informational booths will be present.

Grand Entry for a powwow will begin at 6 p.m, with the colors retiring at 10 p.m.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Gaiser Student Center on Clark College’s main campus. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP), prior to the event.

This is the eighth year that Clark College has coordinated and hosted an event in honor of Native American Heritage Month. It is one of four signature events hosted by the college annually to celebrate diverse cultures. According to organizers, “Educating for the Seventh Generation” references “our responsibility to teach the future Seventh Generation to maintain our resources, traditions and customs. It is the way of caring and preserving for the Seventh Generation, which is a true sustainable practice.”

Images from the 2014 celebration are available on Clark’s Flickr account.

On Friday, October 7, Clark College will be largely closed to the public for a faculty/staff workday. No classes are scheduled. Additionally, student services and college offices will be closed.

Child & Family Studies (child care), the Clark College Bookstore, and some computer labs will remain open. Food carts on the main campus will be open during lunch hours only.

Computer labs that will remain open are: SHL 135, CCW 129, CTC 203, and AA4 116.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

On Thursday, October 6, Clark College will host a panel discussion about the rise in income inequality and the widening opportunity gap.

Income Inequality: Is the American Dream at Risk? takes place at 6 p.m. in Foster Auditorium on Clark’s main campus. An opening reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Four Clark College faculty from diverse disciplines will offer their expertise on the topic in a discussion that stems from the ideas set forth in a New York Times bestseller, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert D. Putnam. Discussion topics will include increasing disparity in income, the shrinking middle class, and the lack of opportunity for many Americans.

“The idea of attaining success through merit and achieving the so-called American Dream is more difficult than ever,” said economics instructor Patricia Atkinson, who will be one of the panelists. “Statistics show that the middle class is shrinking at an alarming rate and there are fewer and fewer opportunities to get ahead in our current economy.”

Panelists are economics instructor Patricia Atkinson, political science professor Michael Ceriello, women’s studies professor Kushlani de Soyza, and sociology professor Dr. Don Ludwig. The discussion will be moderated by Dave Kosloski, professor of Communications Studies and former Speech and Debate coach for Clark’s award-winning debate team. Biographies of each panelist are listed below.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Anyone needing accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event should contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at (360) 992-2314 or (360) 991-0901 (VP) prior to the event.

About the Panelists

Patricia Atkinson has been an Economics professor at Clark College since 2008. She holds degrees from Marist College and Portland State University and is currently studying for her doctorate in education at Washington State University-Vancouver. Professor Atkinson’s research focuses on macroeconomics, economic growth and income inequality in the U.S.

Dr. Don Ludwig has been a professor of Sociology at Clark College since 2007. He holds degrees from Rutgers University, Princeton Theological Seminary and Whitworth University and earned his doctoral degree from Portland State University and the International University for Graduate Studies. Professor Ludwig’s research has focused on social change and transformational leadership as well as the equitable support systems for disadvantaged youth.

Kushlani de Soyza has been a professor of Women’s Studies at Clark College since 2008. A former newspaper editor, reporter, and radio producer, she holds degrees from the University of Cincinnati, Portland State University and Oregon State University. Her areas of interest in feminist theory include media and representation as well as exploring theories of race and racialization. Most recently she has been involved with Clark College’s growing Learning Community Program.

Michael Ceriello has been a professor of Political Science at Clark College since 2007. In addition to providing political commentary for newspaper, radio, and television outlets in Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, he also served as the director of Clark College’s award-winning Model United Nations program from 2008-2011. Professor Ceriello holds degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara and Western Washington University. His areas of interest include American national government and public policy.

Dave Kosloski has been a professor of Communication Studies at Clark College for the past 19 years. He served as Clark College’s Director of Speech and Debate from 1998 until 2015; the program earned top honors among all Northwest community colleges for 14 of those years. He is currently serving his fifth term as chair of the Curriculum Committee.

Clark College’s new STEM Building has a LEED Silver certification. Here are a few environmentally friendly aspects of the building and its construction:

• The building is cooled by water pumped from the local wellfield through a campuswide hydronics (water-based heating and cooling) system. This same water is used to heat the building with help from high-efficiency gas boilers, then is circulated back to irrigate the campus landscaping. This creates a “closed circuit,” where the water is continually pumped from, and then returned to, the land—a system that eliminates waste and reduces energy costs.
• Bike lockers on the lower level and a shower on the first floor encourage bike commuting.
• Bottle-filling stations on each floor allow students and visitors to eschew single-use bottled beverages in favor of reusable drink containers.
• The windows of south wall are made of double-paned glass filled with Argon gas and coated with a low-E value film to reduce the light and heat load. Additionally, metal sunshades block the higher sun during the hotter days of summer, but allow the lowered sun in winter to strike the glass directly and increase available natural lighting and heat. The sunshades also reflect light up into the corridors to reduce the need for artificial lighting during the day.
• Almost 99 percent of the construction waste was recycled.

Photo: Clark College/Hannah Erickson

The STEM Building opened for classes at the beginning of the 2016 fall quarter. Photo: Clark College/Wei Zhuang

Shortly before Clark College’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Building opened for classes at the beginning of the 2016 fall quarter, Clark College Construction Project Manager Jim Watkins stood on its north plaza and pointed out a few hidden features to a group of visitors.

Watkins pointed to the lines marking the poured concrete that make up the plaza floor. “The smaller squares around the perimeter are in 1-meter increments, while the large squares are 3-by-4 meter and 4-by-4 meter blocks,” he said. “That way, if a physics class is doing experiments where they need to measure the flight of a projectile or something, it’s easy for them to gauge how far it’s traveled.”

Structural elements like heating pipes were deliberately left exposed to serve as teaching tools for engineering students. Photo: Clark College/Wei Zhuang

Throughout the building’s 70,000 square feet, details abound that reflect and strengthen its purpose. Structural elements—including heating equipment, water pipes, and earthquake-proof concrete—have been left visible deliberately to serve as teaching tools for engineering students. Decorative touches, like the “STEM” laser-carved into the metal stair railings and the ceramic-tile periodic table inlaid into the second-story floor, remind visitors what’s studied here. And that column of glass that rises from above the front entry doors to the top of the building’s airy lobby? It’s actually a 44-foot high, 4-foot square drop tower, where dropped objects can be filmed with a high-speed digital camera in experiments by engineering or physics students.

While the building opened to students on September 19 for fall classes, an official ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for October 3.

“I am so excited to see students enthusiastically learning in the new STEM Building on the first day of the new academic year,” said Dean of STEM Peter Williams regarding the opening. “The STEM Building is a beautiful, technologically advanced educational facility that perfectly supports academic excellence, one of the core themes of Clark College’s strategic plan. It is ideal for students who may not know how exciting and interesting science can be, and hopefully provides a starting point for a career in a STEM field, one of the fastest growing job fields in the country.”

The new, LEED Silver-certified building—the largest ever built on Clark’s main campus—holds nine classrooms, twelve labs (including some spaces that serve as both), two conference rooms, 16 student areas of various sizes,  and 41 offices. It will house much of Clark’s engineering, chemistry, biology, and physics departments. The first new instructional building to be built on the main campus since 1994, it was paid for primarily through Washington State capital funding, supplemented with generous donations to the Clark College Foundation to make up for a budget gap in the project’s $40 million cost created when the state reduced its contribution due to the economic recession.

Learning extends outside the STEM Building, with multiple outdoor classroom/study areas set along the south wall. Photo: Clark College/Hannah Erickson

The building offers many new opportunities for Clark students. A six-table cadaver lab includes operating-room LED lighting and a high-definition camera that allows even those students who aren’t at the dissection table to see anatomy and procedures clearly on two large plasma screens. Clark College is one of only four community colleges in Washington to have a cadaver lab, and this new lab greatly expands the number of students able to take the perpetually waitlisted Anatomy and Physiology classes that are required for a number of health-related degrees.

Additionally, a Collaboratorium sits at the heart of the building’s main floor. This high-tech “makerspace” is filled with tools and machinery to allow students—and possibly community members, in the future—to create their own designs. Watkins showed visitors the large double doors facing out to the north plaza. “We designed this so you could bring a truck-size project through here if you wanted to,” he said. “We didn’t want our engineering students to feel limited as to the projects they could take on.”

According to the Washington Student Achievement Council, Washington State has the third-highest concentration of STEM-related jobs in the United States—but up to 40,000 of those jobs may go unfilled by 2017, in large part due to a lack of qualified applicants with the appropriate training.

“I am so impressed and excited by the possibilities this new building brings to the college,” said Clark College President Bob Knight. “Clearly, STEM is going to be very important to this region’s economy, and we are proud to be able to offer state-of-the-art training and education in this field, continuing a legacy of excellence that stretches more than 80 years.”

Monday, September 19 marked the start of the 2016 fall quarter at Clark College. A highlight of opening day was seeing progress on the college’s initiative to encourage more students to attend full-time (12 credits or more). Forty-eight percent of non-Running Start, and 74% of Running Start students, attended Clark full-time. These statistics are important because studies show that students who are enrolled full-time are more likely to graduate and to do so in a shorter amount of time.

While official numbers are not available until after the 10th day of class, the day began with 12,099 students enrolled, statistically even with last year’s enrollment numbers.

While enrollment was flat overall, some specific segments saw increases. Running Start, which allows high school students to earn college credits tuition-free, saw its enrollment rise by 11 percent from its fall 2015 numbers to 2,445 students. Clark College’s Office of Planning & Effectiveness estimates that families of Clark Running Start students saved a combined $7.1 million in college tuition during the previous academic year. Elearning (or online) courses grew this year by 15 percent, with more than 4,400 students taking advantage of those courses.

Other highlights for the quarter:

• This is the first quarter that classes are offered in Clark’s new, state-of-the-art STEM Building, which will have its ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 3.
• This quarter sees a 67% increase from fall 2015 in students enrolled in apprentice programs. Additionally, Clark’s Transitional Studies is offering a new pre-apprenticeship program designed to help adults enter the trades. The one-quarter class costs just $25, making it an accessible entry point for people seeking a new career.
• Students have begun enrolling for prerequisites to prepare for entry into Clark’s new Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management This will be the second bachelor’s degree offered by Clark.

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving up to 12,500 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington State’s second-largest single-campus, for-credit community college. The college currently offers classes at two satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Economic & Community Development program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

President Knight congratulates Linda Healy, left, and Vanessa Meyer on receiving the 2016 Exceptional Classified Staff Award.

Opening Day on Sept. 12 marked several celebrations of employee contributions to the college. Employees were recognized for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years of service to the college. Four employees–Facilities Services Maintenance Mechanic Michael Conder, ITS Specialist David Sims, Business Professor Patti Serrano, and eLearning ITS Specialist Scott Coffie–earned recognition for 35 years of service to the college.

Additionally, the recipients of the annual Exceptional Faculty Awards and quarterly Classified Staff Excellence Awards were recognized. The faculty awards are announced at Commencement and the quarterly Classified staff awards are announced each quarter. Additionally, two Classified Excellence Award recipients were announced to be recipients of the annual Exceptional Classified Staff Awards: Linda Healy and Vanessa Meyer.

Six Clark College employees received Presidential Coins during Opening Day. Introduced in 2007 by President Bob Knight, the coin is given to faculty and staff members who provide exemplary service to Clark students, the college and the community. The honorees are decided by the president and are kept secret until the names are announced–generally on Opening Day in the fall or during the annual State of the College address. The newest coin recipients are:

Prof. Adnan Hamideh at Opening Day.

Adnan Hamideh

Originally joining Clark College in 2001 as a temporary business instructor, Dr. Hamideh received tenure in 2005 and now serves as the division chair of the Business Department. He holds a Doctorate of Education from Portland State University. President Knight called Dr. Hamideh a “tireless proponent” of the new Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Management degree that Clark will begin offering this academic year. In addition, Dr. Hamideh has led the development of the Business Core classes that help students prepare for business majors.

Rebecca Kleiva receives a Presidential Coin.

Rebecca Kleiva

After graduating from Clark College in 2010, Kleiva was hired as a program coordinator in Eligibility Programs (now Workforce Education). She was promoted to her current position of program specialist in 2011. In this position, she has managed the Worker Retraining Financial Aid program, which helps support students as they transition into new career paths, and developed partnerships and strategies that have helped the program exceed its target enrollment every year.

“She has consistently performed her job duties with the highest degree of integrity and professionalism,” said President Knight. “She is an innovative thinker who continues to evaluate how she can improve processes and procedures to better serve her students. … Her knowledge and eagerness to learn things that are outside of her normal job responsibilities help to ensure that the customer service that she provides to the public, community partners, co-workers and students is exemplary.”

Felisciana Peralta receives a Presidential Coin.

Felisciana Peralta

Felisciana “Felis” Peralta joined Clark College in 2008 as a Multicultural Retention Manager and was recently promoted to Director of the Office of Diversity and Equity.

“In her eight years at the college, she has been a strong advocate and partner on issues related to diversity and social justice, helping to create and support a supportive learning environment for our students,” said President Knight. “She is a champion of equity and inclusion and has played a vital role in the development of the college’s Diversity Plan, Social Equity Plan, and Diversity Center.”

Peralta sits on the Cultural Pluralism Committee, Academic Early Warning Committee, and the Incident Response Team at Clark. On the state level, she has been a leader of the Multicultural Student Services Directors’ Council and its annual Students of Color Conference. In June, she received the 2016 Val Joshua Award, recognizing her leadership in working towards eliminating racism and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people.

Brenda Shular receives a Presidential Coin.

Brenda Shular

Brenda Shular graduated from Clark College in 1996 and was hired the following year as a purchasing assistant. She currently serves as a procurement and supply specialist in the college’s Office of Purchasing and Central Services.

“She is a rock-solid employee who manages an enormous amount of orders in Purchasing in a timely way and with great customer service,” said President Knight. “She’s played a key role in getting the STEM Building orders processed in time to ensure furniture and equipment is ready for the building’s opening.”

Mike Silva receives a Presidential Coin.

Mike Silva

Mike Silva graduated from Clark College in 2001 and was hired as a computer maintenance technician later that same year. He was promoted to an Information Technology Systems Specialist in 2002 and now serves as the supervisor of the Multimedia Department.

Last year, Silva led a collegewide effort to redesign the college’s standard classroom technology configuration. Working with faculty and staff, he developed a new design that not only provides additional teaching tools for faculty, but saves nearly $10,000 per classroom in equipment costs. He has also been part of the effort to make the college’s new STEM Building ready for students and faculty.

“Over the past 14 years, he has been in a variety of technical roles providing outstanding customer service and a calm, reassuring voice able to solve the thorniest technical problems,” President Knight said. “As the labs supervisor, he hired and mentored hundreds of student workers, preparing many for jobs and life after their graduation from Clark College. In mentoring these students, he clearly demonstrates that we all have a role to play in student success. … He is an outstanding supervisor, technician, and friend to many on campus.”

Prof. Caleb White receives a Presidential Coin.

Caleb White

Caleb White joined Clark College as a tenure-track welding instructor in 2013 and received tenure in 2016. He holds an associate degree in automotive and diesel technology from Universal Technical Institute and previously worked at Christensen Yachts, where he helped build some of the biggest luxury yachts in the world.

“He has not been at the college for a long time, but he has already made an impact,” said President Knight.

White has worked to redesign the welding curriculum to include more hands-on learning that can be translated directly into the workplace. Each quarter, his students use their skills to create a project. Projects have included aluminum stools for students to use in the welding lab, a large pressure vessel that can be used on job sites, and an aluminum fishing boat that was a star attraction of the college’s display at the 2016 Clark County Fair.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley