Four gifted teachers trace the paths that led them to this year’s Exceptional Faculty Awards An interesting pattern emerged while interviewing the recipients of the 2014 -2015 Clark College Exceptional Faculty Awards: In each case, when the faculty member was asked how they came to teach at Clark, he or she would grin,…
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Exceptional Faculty Award spotlight: The cultural ambassador
by herickson •
Professor Michiyo Okuhara is well aware that students who enroll in her Japanese courses probably have a limited understanding of her home country’s culture. “They see it in pop culture—anime, manga, Hello Kitty—or sometimes traditional things like samurai,” she says. “In class we don’t focus on animation or comic books. We try to inspire them…
Exceptional Faculty Award spotlight: The tough-but-caring technician
by herickson •
Alison Dolder has got to have, hands-down, the best-smelling classroom at Clark College. The Bakery instructor and interim department head spends much of her time guiding students as they work in the program’s lab, which is also a fully functional bakery. Racks of pie shells and biscuits stand by the doorway, and the air is…
Exceptional Faculty Award spotlight: The voice of encouragement
by herickson •
Matthew Gallaher’s English Composition is winding down for the day. “If you have any last-minute questions, I’ll stick around,” the instructor tells his students, who are broken up into groups to “workshop” their papers with their classmates. Gallaher sits down near one slump-shouldered student. “How are you doing?” he asks the student. “Do you have…
Exceptional Faculty Award spotlight: The naturalist
by herickson •
Steven Clark’s office is full of animals. There’s the “Cats Against the Bomb” calendar; the poster of the grizzly bear; the woodblock print of a turtle; the vintage Audubon Society birdwatching chart; photos of bees, rodents, spiders, his dogs. The effect is something like walking into a natural history museum that’s been shoved into a…
A springboard to opportunity
by herickson •
Clark College adopts new program to help adults earn their high school diplomas Starting this summer quarter, adults in Southwest Washington who lack a high school diploma have a new, streamlined way to earn this valuable educational achievement. Clark College has adopted High School 21+, a new program in Washington State that is…
Sharing their voices
by herickson •
Clark College Concert Choir makes music and memories in Los Angeles Traditionally, the week after spring quarter ends is a time for students to rest and recover from the academic year. But not for the members of the Clark College Concert Choir, who spent four days performing and learning during an end-of-the-year trip…
Emergency Drill on Main Campus
by herickson •
Clark College partners with Vancouver Police Department to test emergency response On Wednesday, August 26, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., individuals on or near the Clark College main campus will notice a high level of police activity as Clark College partners with the Vancouver Police Department on a joint exercise. During the…
Clark Adopts the Gold Standard
by herickson •
In times of drought, being green can mean going brown This summer, visitors to the main campus may have noticed a change in its normally lush landscape. The grass, which usually blankets the campus in emerald green, has been looking a little, well, thirsty of late. Dry. Brown. Dead, possibly? Far from it,…
Take a Bow, Maestro!
by Contributor •
Music chair Donald Appert celebrates 25 years of teaching at Clark The award-winning Clark College Orchestra concluded its 2014-2015 season with its annual spring concert on June 14—an event that also served to celebrate Clark Orchestra Director and Conductor Donald Appert’s 25th anniversary at the college. The concert was held at the Royal…