For many Southwest Washington families, the beginning of this school year was particularly challenging, featuring teacher strikes and last-minute scrambles for child care. But one thing remained unchanged: Dozens of Clark College students could depend on Clark employees to purchase and fill backpacks so that their children could start the school year off prepared.

The Clark College Backpack Project is a long-standing tradition at the college. Names of the children are gathered and referred by Workforce Education Services, Financial Aid, Veterans Affairs, Transitional Studies, Child & Family Services, and the Penguin Pantry. Volunteers gather information about each child–grade level, supply list, color preferences, etc.–and send a shopping list to an employee who has agreed to sponsor a backpack. Children receive their backpacks about two weeks before school starts in the fall.

This year, donors provided backpacks to 65 children. All told, the Backpack Project has delivered almost 900 backpacks to children of Clark students over the last 15 years.

“This year has been rough, and without this help my children wouldn’t feel as secure with their schooling,” wrote one student whose children received backpacks. “I appreciate my Clark Family.”

Other parents expressed their appreciation for what the college community has done:

• “Your kindness and generosity will never be forgotten.”
• “Thank you so much for thinking of our family and providing such a meaningful thing for my kids to have. It makes my heart fill with love knowing they are starting the school year off right.”

The children were also very excited about their backpacks, sending messages like:

• “Thank you for my backpack, you did good job.”
• “Thank you I really like the backpack, when I saw it I said it was sooooooooooooooo cool!”

The annual backpack project is coordinated by Cindy Heck, Susan Maxwell, and the Office of Planning & Effectiveness. Thank you to all of the employees who sponsored a backpack this year! These backpacks make a positive start to the school year for our students and their children. Thank you!

This article and photos were contributed by the Office of Planning & Effectiveness.

Clark College welcomes the community to its third annual Healthy Penguin Walkabout on Saturday, June 2, on its main campus. This free, family-friendly event offers a wide range of opportunities for personal health assessments, wellness-related education, and healthy activities.

Activities run 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and will take place both indoors and outside. Guests will begin their visit in Gaiser Hall, where they can register and receive an event passport as early as 9:30 a.m. Gaiser is most easily accessed from the Green 1 and Red 3 parking lots. Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps.

This year’s event is organized and volunteer-staffed by Clark College faculty and students from the Business and Health Sciences Unit,Clark College Athletics, and Child and Family Studies.

Free health assessments and learning activities include:

• Blood glucose levels
• Oral Health and Wellness
• Body mass index (BMI) and body fat percent
• Grip strength and balance
• Diabetes risk level
• Blood pressure and pulse
• Stress reduction strategies
• Sports skills challenge with Clark College athletes
• Children and families connecting with nature
• Medication safety
• See inside an ambulance

Stations on the walkabout will include children’s activities, fun souvenirs, healthy snacks, a raffle for both adults and children, as well as additional prizes that include an annual membership to the college’s Thompson Fitness Center. Children’s activities include a “ninja warrior” obstacle course in the O’Connell Sports Center gymnasium. Guests are also invited to walk a half-mile “Penguin Pathway” through the college’s beautiful, 90-acre campus and arboretum. Organizers are also collecting donations of non-perishable food and personal-hygiene items for the college’s Penguin Pantry. Guests will receive one extra raffle ticket for every four pantry items they donate.

To learn more about the details of this event, visit www.clark.edu/cc/walkabout.

This event is a part of the college’s focus on inter-professional learning for Clark Business and Health Sciences students. “When healthcare disciplines work together, including business, healthcare is more efficient in terms of cost, resources, and time,” said Dean of Business and Health Sciences Brenda Walstead. “The event also increases engagement and learning among Clark College’s students, and provides the community with access to a wealth of information that can lead to healthier outcomes for all individuals.”

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.

Photo: Clark College/Jenny Shadley

Members of the Clark community help plant a Yoshino cherry tree at the 2018 Arbor Day celebration. Left to right: US Forest Service officer Dave Olson; International Programs director Jane Walster; Clark College president Bob Knight; and Clark College trustee Royce Pollard.

On April 11, Clark College celebrated tree planting and care at the annual Arbor Day celebration. Led by Clark College International Programs director Jane Walster, the ceremony took place on the northeast corner of Fort Vancouver Way and McLoughlin Boulevard.

The theme of this year’s event was “The Gift of Friendship.” At the ceremony, Clark trustee and former mayor of Vancouver Royce Pollard announced the gift of 200 new Somei Yoshino flowering cherry trees donated by Tatsuo Ito of SEH America, a Japanese manufacturing company in Vancouver. The new cherry trees—along with the 100 Shirofugen cherry trees donated more than 25 years ago—act as symbols of the college’s enduring friendship with Japan.

President Bob Knight accepts the Tree Campus USA award from U.S. Forest Service officer Dave Olson.

According to Tim Carper, a member of the Campus Tree Advisory Committee, 100 of the donated trees were planted prior to the ceremony, including 20 trees at Clark’s Columbia Tech Center location, and the college is determining where the remaining 100 trees will be planted.

At the ceremony Clark College was also awarded with the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree Campus USA designation for the eighth consecutive year. Dave Olson of the U.S. Forest Service presented the award to Clark College president Bob Knight.

The Arbor Day celebration concluded with a ceremonial planting of one of the Yoshino cherry trees donated by Ito.

Photos: Clark College/Tim Carper

On Thursday, April 19, Clark College’s 2018 Sakura Festival will honor the historic ties of friendship between the sister-cities of Vancouver, Washington, and Joyo, Japan.

The festival will begin at 1:00 p.m. with opening remarks near the Royce E. Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden, which is located next to the Beacock Music Hall on Clark’s main campus. Dignitaries who are scheduled to speak include Mayor Anne McEnerny Ogle, John Kageyama, and Clark College Japanese Scholarship recipient Suzuka Hitomi.

The opening ceremony will include a koto performance by Yukiko Vossen and a performance by the Clark College Women’s Choral Ensemble. The koto, a stringed musical instrument, is the national instrument of Japan.

From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., the Sakura celebration will continue in the Gaiser Student Center, where guests will enjoy family-friendly cultural activities including performances by the Clark College Japanese Cultural Club, traditional dancing by Takako Hara, a greeting from the college’s Child & Family Studies program, and drumming by members of Portland Taiko. Cookies and tea will be served. Information about the Sakura Ceremony is available at www.clark.edu/cc/sakura.

All events are free and open to the public. The Sakura Festival is sponsored by Clark College, the City of Vancouver, and the Vancouver Rotary.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. Individuals who need 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) or visit the Penguin Union Building room 013.

Nan Henriksen at the 2018 Iris Awards.

On March 8, while people around the world celebrated International Women’s Day, members of the local community gathered in Gaiser Student Center to honor four women’s contributions to Southwest Washington at the 2018 Iris Awards.

Guests enjoyed refreshments and light fare provided by Beaches Restaurant as they celebrated the honorees. Ceremonies began with a greeting from Clark College President Bob Knight, after which the evening was turned over to emcee Kelly Love, public and community affairs representative at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center. Love introduced speeches by both the honorees and their nominators.

This year’s Iris Award recipients were:

• Julie Bocanegra of Columbia Credit Union
• Juliana Marler of the Port of Vancouver
• Nancy Retsinas of the Retsinas Collaborative Law Center
• Nan Henriksen, former Mayor of Camas and chair of the Clark County Board of Freeholders

This annual ceremony has a long tradition in this community. The event began in 1985 as a photography exhibit during Women’s History Week, which later developed into a larger awards program and ceremony known as the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards with the same core mission: honoring the women of Southwest Washington for their outstanding contributions in the categories of public, private, philanthropic, and civic service.

The 2018 Iris Award Recipients

Julie Bocanegra

Julie Bocanegra accepts her 2018 Iris Award from John Deeder.

The first honoree to take the stage was Julie Bocanegra, Vice President and Branch Manager for Columbia Credit Union, where she began her career as a teller in 1994. Since 2012, she has also served on the Evergreen School District Board of Directors, where she has been instrumental in leading the district’s student equity and technology learning initiatives. She is also the former Board Chair of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce and is the former Board President for Evergreen Little League, along with many other volunteer commitments.

“She will volunteer till the cows come home because she wants this to be the best community in the world,” said recently retired Evergreen superintendent John Deeder, who nominated Bocanegra for the award and introduced her during the ceremony. “And because of people like Julie, I believe that it is.”

Bocanegra smiled as she took the podium, noting that this night reminded her of her first job as a teenager, sorting and packing flower bulbs and tubers, including those of irises. As a teenager, she said, she would never have imagined that one day she would be receiving an award named after that flower for her contributions to the community.

Bocanegra went on to describe her life’s unexpected trajectory, from a recent high school graduate trying to find her purpose to a bank teller to her current leadership position. Similarly, she recounted how a decision to coach her son’s Little League team led to greater and greater volunteer roles within her community, often focused around youth and education.

“What we want for our own children, we have to want for every child in our community,” she said.

Julianna Marler

Julianna Marler, right accepts her 2018 Iris Award from Lisa Lowe.

Next, an award was presented to Julianna Marler, the CEO of the Port of Vancouver USA. Marler is the first female CEO in the port’s 105-year history and one of just a handful of female port CEOs in the United States. In addition to her leadership role at the port, Marler serves on the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Great Portland Inc. Board of Directors, American Association of Port Authorities Board of Directors, and the Washington State University Vancouver Advisory Council.

“She has given women at the port a sense of pride and let them know that they can rise into position of leadership there,” said Lisa Lowe of the law firm Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt in introducing Marler. (Lowe was herself a 2013 Iris Award honoree.) “She applies a sense of humor to things that is intelligent and not always respectful—which is probably why I like her.”

Marler began her remarks by traveling back in time even farther than Bocanegra did. “Fifty years ago today, on March 8, 1968, my parents—who are here with me tonight—immigrated to the United States,” she noted. “They left Hungary because they wanted a better life and education for their children.”

Marler noted that the port is an important source of jobs and commerce in the region, and expressed pride in its vital place in Southwest Washington’s economy. “Fifty year ago today, my parents came to this country to provide a better future for their children, and today I get to be part of creating a better future for others,” she said.

Nancy Retsinas

Nancy Retsinas at the 2018 Iris Awards.

Nancy Retsinas was also introduced by a former Iris Award recipient, Lisa Schauer of PointNorth Consulting.

“Nancy has transformed the legal profession, aligning her practice to her values,” said Schauer.

Retsinas is a collaborative lawyer and family law mediator in Washington and Oregon, in private practice since 1991. She is co-founder and executive director of the Two River Institute for Dispute Resolution, a nonprofit educational organization. Retsinas currently serves as Northwest regional chair of the Global Collaborative Law Council, board treasurer of the Collaborative Professionals of Washington, board president for Cappella Romana Choral Ensemble, and board director for the Children’s Center.

Retsinas began her remarks by noting that she, like both Bocanegra and Marler, had attended Clark herself, and so “this place has always felt like home to me, so it’s really special to be receiving this award here.”

She went on to describe the arc of her career, which began in courtrooms doing traditional, adversarial law. “To swoop into court to defend the innocent or maligned—that felt pretty good,” Retsinas said, but added that eventually she became uncomfortable with this model of legal practice and “set out to find my superpower, so to speak.”

Through working with nonprofits, Retsinas said, she began to realize her purpose: to change the culture of conflict resolution in Southwest Washington. And, she added, she discovered that “true power lies in finding your purpose and expressing it to the world.”

Retsinas said that her current work at the Retsinas Collaborative Law Center, which she founded in 2015, allows her to do just that. And she offered this advice to young women in the audience: “Trust your gut, discover your own superpowers, harness them for good, and achieve your purpose.”

Nan Henriksen

Nan Henriksen accepts the 2018 Iris Legacy Award from Judie Stanton.

The final honoree of the evening, Nan Henriksen, was no stranger to awards ceremonies. Indeed, she had received a Women of Achievement Award (the original name of the Iris Awards) in 1995, and tonight was receiving the Legacy Award, bestowed on a previous awardee who has continued to make significant contributions to her community. Henriksen certainly qualifies: The former Camas mayor recently came out of retirement to lead the Clark County Freeholder Board formed to create the county’s first home-rule charter.

“She hasn’t slowed down a bit, probably because she gets up every day at 5:15,” said her friend Judie Stanton, herself the 2017 Legacy Award recipient. “She gets a lot done.”

Henriksen received the award with grace and humor, noting that she’d tried to force herself to start writing an inspirational speech for the evening, but instead became intimidated by the task and “ate my weight in popcorn and played solitaire on my phone for two hours.” Henriksen then pointed out the larger moral of that story: “Those of us working out in the community, we do the things we do in spite of these fears of inadequacy, not because we don’t have them.”

Henriksen also noted that people can contribute to the community in many different ways. While Henriksen is probably most known for her work in leading Camas through a difficult economic transition as one of its major employers began to shut down, she said that one of the accomplishments she is most proud of is becoming a foster grandmother to a girl who went on to successfully enter college.

“You can do it on a bigger scale or on a smaller scale,” she said. “What’s important is that you decide, ‘If I care enough and I’m brave enough, I can make a difference.’”

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley. To see more photos from this event, visit our Flickr album. 

This article was updated March 29, 2018, to correct Lisa Schauer’s current position and to include a link for more photos.

King Elementary students enjoy their new books in 2015, donated through the Clark College Bookstore’s annual book drive.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know,” wrote Theodor Geisel (aka “Dr. Seuss”). “The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” It is with this idea in mind that Clark College has chosen Vancouver’s King Elementary School as the beneficiary of its tenth annual book drive, which runs Feb. 12-28.

Over the past nine years, the Clark College Bookstore has helped provide more than 1,100 books to local kindergartners. This year’s book selection is Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, a favorite among children for six decades. Geisel wrote the book in 1960 after a publisher dared him to write a children’s story using no more than 50 words.

The community is invited to help purchase 85 copies of the Dr. Seuss classic to be given to kindergartners at King Elementary on Read Across America Day (March 2), a celebration to commemorate Geisel’s birthday. Books will be read aloud to students by volunteers from the Clark College Bookstore.

Research has shown that having age-appropriate books in the home promotes literacy in children. But according to the National Center for Children in Poverty, two-thirds of children from low-income families lack access to books. Clark College Bookstore Manager Monica Knowles, who has helped organize the book drive for many years, says that she often hears from her volunteers that this gift was the only book a kindergartner owned.

Copies of the selected Dr. Seuss books are available for purchase and donation Feb. 12-28 for $6.85 each (plus tax). Each book will include a nameplate with the donor’s name. Donors will be able to purchase books at the Bookstore or online via the Bookstore’s website at www.clarkbookstore.com, making it quick and convenient to participate in the book drive.

The Clark College Bookstore is located in Gaiser Hall on the northern end of Clark’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. Information about the bookstore is available at www.clarkbookstore.com. For additional information, contact Monica Knowles at the Clark College Bookstore at 360-992-2904.

Four women representing exceptional leadership, philanthropy and community service are the winners of the 2018 Iris Awards, honoring women of achievement in Southwest Washington. They will be honored at an awards reception on Thursday, March 8.

Awards will be presented to Julie Bocanegra, Vice President for Columbia Credit Union, and Julianna Marler, CEO of the Port of Vancouver. H-ROC, a non-partisan political action committee dedicated to the advancement of elected and appointed female leaders in Southwest Washington, has chosen Nancy Retsinas of the Retsinas Collaborative Law Center for the Iris Award they sponsor. Last year, the Iris Awards added a new category, the Legacy Award, for previous winners who have continued to be leaders in Southwest Washington. This year’s winner is Nan Henriksen, the former mayor of Camas who also served as the chair of the Board of Freeholders in Clark County that helped write the county’s home-rule charter.

The award ceremony takes place in Gaiser Student Center on Clark College’s main campus. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the ceremony begins at 6:00 p.m. The event is open to the public and tickets are on sale through the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce at http://www.vancouverusa.com/events/details/2018-iris-awards-reception-15961. The cost is $35 per person. A table sponsorship, which includes eight tickets, can be purchased for $310. Seating is limited.

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), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, by February 26.

About the Iris Awards

The Iris Awards follow in the tradition of the Southwest Washington Women of Achievement Awards, which began in 1985 at Clark College. In 2012, the event was reintroduced as the Iris Awards, still celebrated on or around International Women’s Day (March 8) and with the same core mission: honoring the lasting and far-reaching contributions of women in Southwest Washington and beyond.

This year’s awards are sponsored by Clark College, the Clark College Foundation, the Vancouver Business Journal, the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, and H-RoC. The Iris Award winners will be featured in the Vancouver Business Journal’s 2018 “Women in Business” directory, the only Portland/Vancouver metro area directory of businesses that are owned, directed or managed by women.

2017 Iris Award Recipients

Julie Bocanegra

Julie Bocanegra

Beyond her full-time work as a Vice President/Branch Manager for Columbia Credit Union, Bocanegra serves on the Evergreen School District Board of Directors. Professionally, Bocanegra’s passion for teamwork and approachable leadership style have grown in influence since joining Columbia CU as a teller in 1994. Most recently, in addition to managing one of the credit union’s busiest branches, she was tapped to create and teach curriculum for key organization-wide training initiatives for Columbia CU, Washington State’s ninth-largest credit union and Clark County’s largest holder of deposits.

Appointed in 2012, elected the following year, and then re-elected again in 2017, Bocanegra has served as Vice Chair and then Chair of the Evergreen School District Board of Directors, the fifth-largest school district in Washington State. Bocanegra has been instrumental in leading the district’s student equity and technology learning initiatives. Under her leadership, the district eliminated student user fees for athletics, opened elementary school Community Resource Centers, and moved to a 1:1 technology curriculum.

Bocanegra is a former Board Chair of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce, and has served in a variety of leadership capacities, including Board President, for the Evergreen Little League.

Julianna Marler

Julianna Marler

Julianna Marler is the CEO of the Port of Vancouver USA. She has provided steady leadership during a time of tremendous growth and change at the port. Prior to becoming CEO in January 2017, she was the port’s Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. She is the first female CEO in the port’s history and one of just a handful of female port CEOs in the United States.

The Port of Vancouver USA and its tenants provide 3,200 jobs in the community and generate $2.9 billion in annual economic benefit. Marler has been a key leader at the port as it has partnered with the City of Vancouver and private developers to transform the city’s downtown and waterfront into a destination. She has also partnered with sister ports in Clark County and beyond to spur additional economic development and job growth across the region.

Marler currently serves on the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Greater Portland Inc. Board of Directors, American Association of Port Authorities Board of Directors, and the Washington State University Vancouver Advisory Council.

Nancy Retsinas

Nancy Retsinas

Nancy Retsinas is a collaborative lawyer and family law mediator in Washington and Oregon, in private practice since 1991. In 2015, she established Retsinas Collaborative Law Center to align her values to her legal work. She now commits her practice to non-court dispute resolution, and finds her collaborative approach to problem-solving results in better long-term outcomes for her clients and their families.

Co-founder and executive director of the Two Rivers Institute for Dispute Resolution, Retsinas leads and trains in a non-profit educational organization formed to deliver innovative collaborative law and legal team-building training for family law professionals across disciplines (legal, mental health, financial). The Institute also provides a valuable resource for families looking for well-trained collaborative professionals in the Vancouver/Portland Metropolitan area so the public can find professionals who are committed to peaceful problem-solving. Retsinas has been training legal professionals in client-centered dispute resolution methods since 2008. She is a contributing author to Washington Practice Manual – Family Law, a West Publication (2016), and Building a Successful Collaborative Law Practice, an American Bar Association publication (2018).

Retsinas has always been an active champion and a hands-on volunteer for the Southwest Washington community. When Retsinas joins an organization, her commitment to empowerment, her natural ability to facilitate a dialogue, and her consensus-building approach make her an essential leader.

Her current nonprofit leadership roles include: Regional Chair, Northwest Region, Global Collaborative Law Council; Board Treasurer, Collaborative Professionals of Washington; Board President for Cappella Romana Choral Ensemble; and Board Director for the Children’s Center.

Nan Henriksen

Nan Henriksen

Nan Henriksen has had a profound effect on Southwest Washington. Not only has she improved the community, she has helped shape it—most significantly as the first woman elected mayor of Camas from 1983 to 1992, and later as the chair of the Board of Freeholders, which drafted the county home-rule charter. Henriksen is widely praised in the community for her ability to be calm and thoughtful in her approach to difficult problems.

Recently, National Public Radio interviewed Henriksen about her role in helping Camas prepare for the day when the Georgia Pacific paper mill would no longer be the primary economic driver in the city. Her work is largely credited with Camas becoming a model for other cities as they had to transition away from traditional industries. She had a vision for diversifying the economy and paved the way for high-tech companies like WaferTech, Underwriter Laboratories, and Linear Technology to locate in Camas.

Henriksen came out of retirement to run for and then lead the 15-member Freeholder Board that was charged with writing Clark County’s first home-rule charter. Despite diverse opinions and needs, Henriksen helped the group find common ground and presented a final plan that was approved by voters in 2014.

Along the way, Henriksen has been awarded the Clark County First Citizen Award (2015), Statesman of the Year by Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce (2014), and Camas Political Leader of the Century in 2006. She was first named a Woman of Achievement, which was the original name of the Iris Awards, in 1995.

Smiles abounded at the 2017 Children’s Free Dental Health Day. This year’s clinic will be held on February 3, 2018.

The Clark College Dental Hygiene Program will hold a free children’s dental clinic on Saturday, February 3, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the main campus of Clark College. The event will take place in the Firstenburg Dental Hygiene Education and Care Center in the Health Sciences Building on Clark’s main campus.

Dental hygiene students from Clark College will provide care under the direct supervision of licensed dental hygienist and dentists. Services will include cleanings, sealants, x-rays, sealants, doctor’s exams, fluoride, and select emergency treatments for children ages 18 and under. Appointments can be scheduled by calling the Dental Hygiene Business Office at (360) 992-2158.

This is the eleventh year that Clark’s Dental Hygiene has offered a free children’s dental health day. In addition to this event, the college’s Dental Hygiene students provide low-cost dental hygiene care to the community as part of their clinic practice.

Clark College is located at 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver, WA 98663. Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/maps. If you need accommodation due to a disability in order to fully participate in this event, contact Clark College’s Disability Support Services Office at 360-992-2314 or 360-991-0901 (VP), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013 as soon as possible.

Photo: Clark College/Nick Bremer

Efforts to create ecotourism and protect two monkey species in West Africa are the subject of Dr. Robert Schubert’s STEM Seminar Series lecture.

Clark College is inviting the public to come back to school for a series of free lunchtime seminars that explore the lighter side of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Begun in 2015, the Clark College STEM Seminar Series launches its 2018 Winter season with yet more fun, informative presentations geared toward anyone with an interest in science—no Ph.D. required!

The winter quarter events in this series include:

• January 19: The Aka and Bofi Foragers of the Central African Republic with Dr. Jay Fancher, Clark College anthropology faculty. Join Dr. Fancher as he recounts tales of his doctoral field research with the Aka and Bofi foragers of the Central African Republic. Learn how studying—and sharing—their meals helps researchers better understand archaeological findings from the area.
• February 16: Human Culture and Primate Conservation with Dr. Robert Schubert, Clark College anthropology faculty. When balancing modernization with protecting wild species, creating local control of conservation efforts is crucial to their success. Dr. Schubert shares stories of how local beliefs help preserve two West African primate species and of the challenges posed in developing successful ecotourism initiatives.
• March 9: It’s All About Mud! with David Kluesner, geologist and Florida Gulf Coast University faculty. When oil and other pollutants spill into water, how can scientists predict where they’ll wind up? With more than three decades of experience in the field, this geologist shares his study of pollutants in the mud of a Florida estuary—and what that mud can tell us about how to track and contain future spills.

All events are held on Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. in the STEM Building room 151 on Clark’s main campus. All are open to the public. Light snacks will be available and guests are welcome to bring their own lunches with them.

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), or visit Penguin Union Building room 013, as soon as possible.

This article was contributed by STEM Outreach Program Coordinator Nadia Kluesner.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Robert Schubert.

Ever since the popular art movement Vancouver Rocks! began motivating residents to paint and hide rocks all around their community, Clark College’s main campus has been a popular spot for stashing the hand-painted treasures. Now the college is becoming an active participant by hiding about 100 Clark College rocks in Southwest Washington.

Started about a year ago, Vancouver Rocks! is based on a simple idea: People paint rocks and then hide them in public spaces; other people find the rocks, and then re-hide them for others to find. Often, people post their finds, as well as hints on where to find rocks, on a public Facebook group with more than 35,000 followers. The goal is to build community, encourage creativity, and provide individuals and families with a fun, free activity–all ideas that made it a natural fit for Clark College.

Faculty, staff, students, and alumni were invited to paint a collection of rocks that will be hidden around downtown businesses and local parks. To inspire their rock designs, participants were asked, “What comes to mind when you think of Clark College?”

Beginning on August 4, Vancouver area residents will have the chance to find Clark-themed rocks hidden in parks and other public spaces. In addition to adding a rock to their collection, each community member who finds a Clark rock can redeem it at the Welcome Center for a free cookie from the McClaskey Culinary Institute. One special rock, painted by Clark’s culinary faculty, will earn its finder lunch for two at the institute.

The rocks are hidden throughout the college’s service district–meaning not just Vancouver, but also all of Clark and Skamania counties as well as part of Klickitat County. Each rock has a label on the back that explains how the rocks can be redeemed. Rocks may be redeemed between September 25 and December 31, 2017.