2008 Archived Faculty & Staff Achievements
December 2008
Angie Macri, Instructor of English, published the poem "Right Kind of Nights" in the first online issue of Gulf Stream Magazine (http://w3.fiu.edu/gulfstream/online.html). Gulf Stream Magazine is produced by the Creative Writing Program at Florida International University in Miami. In addition, Macri's poem "The Blood that I Inherit" was published in the Fall 2008 volume of Connecticut Review. Connecticut Review is published by the Connecticut State University System.
November 2008
Ms. Alisa Brown, a CIS instructor and a full-time student in the Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School, has been awarded a scholarship from the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation.
Quenton Burge, was recently honored by the state of Alaska for his service to the United States and to Alaska during World War II as a veteran of the Aleutian Campaign, 1942-43. Burge received a certificate and a letter from Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, honoring him as one of "the brave soldiers, sailors, and airmen who battled the enemy and harsh weather conditions" after Japanese forces bombed Dutch Harbor and invaded Attu and Kiska.
October 2008
Cynthia East, Kevin Sikes and Ricky Allen passed the American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef practical examinations on Oct. 11.
Danny Martin has been appointed co-leader of the Arkansas Blackboard User's Group for the next year. The Arkansas Blackboard User's Group is a statewide organization of instructors and support staff who are using Blackboard or are planning to develop a course on Blackboard.
Vondra Armstrong defended her dissertation at UALR on Oct. 7. Her topic was "The Effect of Locus of Control, Motivation and Learning Style on Retention in Online Community College Courses."
Jayne Pyle passed her qualifying exams for her doctorate in higher education in the faculty development track at UALR.
Melissa Hendricks, grants and major gifts officer, was elected chair of the Development Officers and Marketing Division during the 20th Annual AATYC Convention. Jamie Higgins, special events officer, was elected vice chair.
Cathy Underwood was a guest-lecturer on Oct. 20 during the NALS Legal Training Course sponsored by the Greater Little Rock Legal Support Professionals. She lectured on the topic of legal research and writing.
The Division of Fine Arts and Humanities participated in the 103.7 the Buzz Turkey Bowl. With the support of his division, team captain Joey Cole led The Turkey Heads - Sarah Clements, Brian Hight, Matt Chase, alternate Caroline Lewis and celebrity team member Tommy Smith - in bowling on Nov. 20. Turkey Bowl benefited the Arkansas Foodbank Network. Photos will be available online at http://www.1037thebuzz.com/news/10/turkey-bowl-vi.
September 2008
Cynthia East, Kevin Sikes and Ricky Allen have all passed their practical exam for Certified Executive Chef.
Danny Martin has been appointed co-leader of the Arkansas Blackboard User’s Group (ARBUG), for the next year. The Arkansas Blackboard User's Group consists of instructors and support staff who are currently using Blackboard or are planning to develop a course on Blackboard. This local group meets several times during the year to review topics concerning distance learning.
Sonya Appleby passed her qualifying exams for her doctorate degree in higher education and is working on her dissertation.
Rhonda Carroll was elected as president of the Arkansas Association for Developmental Education.
Faye Hanson, adjunct instructor in reading (Academic Success), received a Javits-Frasier Teaching Scholarship. The award is given to 12 teachers in Title I schools across the country who are working to include minority, economically disadvantaged, ESL, and twice exceptional students in gifted programs. Hanson is the only recipient from Arkansas.
Jimmy Davis received the first-ever Educator of the Year Award given by the Arkansas Society for Respiratory Care on Sept. 24, 2008.
Lennon Parker, Web communication specialist, is currently being featured at 10 Fitness. His before-and-after weight loss images can be seen on 10 Fitness ads at the club’s two locations in Little Rock and North Little Rock.
Sandy Longhorn has had poems accepted for publication in two national literary journals. Hunger Mountain, The Vermont College Journal of Arts & Letters will publish “The Women of His House” and “Seventh Crow Wing Lake” in the Fall 2008 issue. New South: Georgia State University’s Journal of Art & Literature will publish “Requiem” in the Winter/Fall 2008 issue.
August 2008
Rhonda Carroll, Ellen Sullivan and Lily Kersh wrote a paper that was selected for publication and presentation in the "Fourth Annual National Symposium on Student Retention" that will be held in Little Rock this September.
Lorri Hambuchen, was honored recently at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone in Napa Valley. It was an invitation-only event for wine educators around the world.
LaShundra N. Watson, adjunct instructor in the Biology Department, started med school at UAMS on August 8, and plans to be an Ob-Gyn.
July 2008
Carol Langston, vice president for college advancement, has received the Moccasin Award for Community Service from City Year Little Rock/North Little Rock. The Moccasin Award is presented to individuals whose talents, idealism and commitment are a source of leadership and inspiration for City Year corps members and others in the community.
Cathy Underwood, Paralegal Instructor, was published in The Arkansas Lawyer magazine. The article is entitled "Arkansas VersusLaw - Taking it to the next level."
Jason Bass, Instructor of Mathematics, completed the course work and satisfied the required field work experience requirements to qualify as a licensed pyrotechnician for 5 years. His first experience to be a 'lead man' on a class B fireworks shoot was on July 4th at Greystone Golf Course at Cabot.
Jennifer Boccarossa, Choir Director/Adjunct Professor of Music, has just finished two very successful (consistently sold-out) shows at The Weekend Theater in Little Rock, Sweeney Todd & Godspell. The Arkansas Times reviewed her as a "stand-out soloist" for her role in Godspell.
June 2008
Donnie Ferneau, owner of Ferneau restaurant in Little Rock and an adjunct instructor at the Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School, claimed the title of Diamond Chef Arkansas in a heated competition against Andre Poirot, executive chef at the Peabody Hotel Little Rock, where the culinary competition took place.
Carol Langston, vice president for college advancement, graduated June 27 from Class II of Leadership Arkansas, sponsored by the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce. Gov. Mike Beebe was honorary chair of this year’s class. Carol has also been recognized for outstanding service as a member of the Riverfest Arkansas Board of Directors. She has served on the board for the past six festivals and has been a Riverfest volunteer since 1988.
Terri Lothery received her bachelor’s degree from John Brown University.
Anna Pagan, an instructor of music, has begun working on the Doctor of Musical Arts in music education at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Va.
Cathy Underwood made Arkansas VersusLaw presentations to the Arkansas Bar Association annual meeting in Hot Springs, the Arkansas Judicial Council meeting in Hot Springs, Best of CLE in Springdale, and Best of CLE in Little Rock.
Angie Macri and Wade Derden recently attended the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in Austin, Texas, where they received Excellence Awards for their work at Pulaski Technical College. They were nominated for the awards by PTC president Dr. Dan Bakke and were recognized in a ceremony on May 28 along with teachers and other professionals from community colleges across the nation. Angie and Wade also presented “Nothing New Under the Sun: Lyrics Together for Success,” which discussed techniques for community colleges to engage students, faculty, and the community through creativity and collaboration.
May 2008
Jimmy Davis, director of the college's Respiratory Therapy program, received the Susan K. Reid Award for Teaching Excellence, named in honor of the award's first recipient in 1996. Davis has taught at Pulaski Tech for more than 20 years.
Lilly Dixon, secretary at the college's Little Rock-West site, received the Quenton C. Burge Award for Service Excellence, which recognizes an employee who has made significant contributions to the college. The award is named in honor of Pulaski Tech's oldest and longest-serving employee, Quenton Burge, who joined Dr. Dan F. Bakke, college president, in presenting the award.
The Barbara Peters Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence was awarded to Paula Long, who has taught business classes at Pulaski Tech since 1998. She also serves as the Career and Technical Department chair and internship coordinator at Benton High School. The adjunct award was renamed this year in honor of the late Barbara Peters, a longtime composition teacher.
April 2008
Gina Hall has been promoted to the position of Director of Community Education for Pulaski Technical College Business and Industry Center.
March 2008
Deborah Kirby, dean of Libraries, and Wendy Davis, assistant librarian, have been selected to serve as judges for the annual Letters about Literature contest sponsored by the Arkansas State Library. State winners attend the Library of Congress national contest in Washington, D.C. This is the third year that Wendy and Debbie have been chosen as judges.
Angie Macri, Chair of the English Department, conducted a poetry workshop with students at Hendrix College on Feb. 28. This workshop was sponsored by the Hendrix-Murphy Programs in Literature and Language.
On Saturday, March 26th the "PTC Baby Marchers" team gathered for the March of Dimes walk. The team of faculty, staff and students included Pamela Cicirello, Dean of Allied Health and Human Services; Rhonda Carroll, Learning Support Services Coordinator; Lennon Parker, Web Communication Specialist; Jennifer Crumpton, Academic All-Star Student; and Nita Daniel, SGA Senator. The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. The "PTC Baby Marchers" team raised a total of $210 dollars which will support lifesaving research, services, education and advocacy to help babies get a healthy start.
February 2008
Todd Gold, director of Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School, has been accepted into the American Academy of Chefs, the honor society of the American Culinary Federation. He will formally be inducted into the academy on July 13.
Angie Macri, chair of the English Department, published two poems, "Heartland" and "The Bell at Kaskaskia," in the Winter 2008 volume of New Delta Review. New Delta Review is published by the Creative Writing Program of the Louisiana State University English Department. In addition, Macri's poem "Iron Furnace" was published in the Winter 2008 volume of Folio. Folio is published by American University in Washington, D.C.
Carol Langston, Pulaski Technical College's vice president for college advancement, gave the keynote talk on "Networking in Central Arkansas" to members of Next Generation Young Professionals. Next Generation Young Professionals is sponsored by the North Little Rock Chamber of Commerce and was formed to help young professionals get involved in civic and networking opportunities that stimulate economic, community and workforce development in North Little Rock.
January 2008
Mary Jane Dove, director of the Saline County Career Center who recently completed her Ed.D. from UALR in Educational Administration and Supervision. Her graduation was Dec 13, 2007.
Lennon Parker, Web Communication Specialist in the Office of Public Relations and Marketing, was the keynote speaker for the spring 2008 Southern Arkansas University Tech Convocation in Camden on Jan. 9. Parker presented a lecture entitled "Your Footprints Are Always Left Online," sharing with SAU Tech's faculty and staff the importance of safeguarding personal information when using e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, online journals, blogging, MySpace and online shopping. He also demonstrated ways to improve security by creating appropriate usernames and profiles, as well as methods to detect Internet fraud.
The poetry of Angie Macri, chair of Pulaski Technical College's English Department, is featured in the latest issue of Spoon River Poetry Review.
Leslie Johnston, instructor of developmental writing, and Austin Lovenstein, instructor of math. The two became engaged Dec. 19 over Christmas break while visiting Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs. They plan to have a destination wedding in summer 2009.
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