Bert's Alerts—March 16, 2018
News Highlights
Student Makes History at LSAMP Conference
College of Western Idaho (CWI) student, Jacob Tenorio, won recognition for his poster presentation at Boise State University during the Pacific Northwest Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) conference on March 2, 2018. His poster, about water quality research at Lake Lowell, was named in the top four out of more than 30 posters.
Competing against undergraduate students from schools around the Pacific Northwest – including Washington State, University of Washington, Oregon State University, Boise State University and more – Tenorio was the first community college student to win in the history of the conference.
He completed an internship with Rebecca Flock, Assistant Professor of Chemistry, last fall through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiatives (MURI) Program, part of Idaho EPSCoR. Tenorio and Flock built a low-cost device that measured the thermocline (temperature variability with depth) in Lake Lowell, part of Deer Flat National Wildlife Refuge. Thermoclines have been a part of the research surrounding harmful algal blooms affecting lakes and reservoir around the globe.
Congratulations to the rest of CWI students and alumni who presented their research during the conference!
Annual Class Schedule Launch
College of Western Idaho (CWI) Instruction and the Registrar’s Office are excited to announce the launch of the Annual Class Schedule, available April 2, 2018.
Currently, CWI students, faculty, and staff can only view one semester’s class schedule (two during a short period when summer and fall registration overlap) in Student Planning. With the new annual schedule, a tentative class schedule for the upcoming academic year will be available to view; fall, spring, and summer class offerings will be available at the same time.
This new schedule will assist students and advisors develop a long-term strategy to optimize schedules well in advance of registration.
Students Invited to Saint Alphonsus Networking Event
More than 100 College of Western Idaho (CWI) students in the College’s medical programs had an opportunity, during CWI and Saint Alphonsus's Student Engagement Night, to talk with hiring managers and learn more about working for the organization.
The event featured a panel, with medical professionals from the hospital, who shared their personal journey into the medical field. In addition, presentations were given by Saint Alphonsus CEO, Rodney Reiner, CWI President, Bert Glandon, and CWI Dean of Health, Cathleen Currie.
“I am so grateful to Saint Al’s for providing CWI health students with such a unique opportunity to attend an evening like this - the CWI students got to learn more about Saint Alphonsus and their culture, as well as network with the actual hiring managers,” said Currie. “I feel CWI is fortunate to have such a great relationship with our community partner.”
While speaking, President Glandon shared a story about a medical team at Saint Alphonsus who saved the life of his wife, Jane, more than 30 years ago. He said St. Al’s is like a family, the way they treat patients and employees, and he highlighted how appreciative he was of the organization.
Political Science Welcomes Dr. Ross Burkhart
College of Western Idaho’s Political Science Program is proud to welcome Dr. Ross Burkhart, Professor of Political Science at Boise State University, to the Nampa Campus Academic Building (NCAB) Monday, March 19, 2018.
Burkhart is a prominent scholar on the subject of international relations and has numerous publications on the topic. His lecture will focus on how foreign policy decisions are ultimately made. Burkhart will demonstrate how international relations theories actually contribute to making a variety of current foreign policy decisions.
To learn more, contact Rob Harbaugh at 208.562.3406 or robharbaugh@cwi.edu.
“Making Foreign Policy Decisions”
Date: Monday, March 19, 2018
Time: 6 – 7 p.m.
Location: NCAB, second-floor atrium
Psychology Club and Honor Society Students Prepare for Connections Project
Psychology students, Christine Lee, Lisa Corn, and Charity Watson are eagerly preparing for this year’s Connections Project. As members of College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Psychology Club and Psi Beta Honor Society, they are actively participating in a national research project examining the relationship between mindset, academic self-entitlement, and grit in community college students. Lee, Corn, Watson, and fellow members of CWI’s Psi Beta Honor Society have dedicated themselves to creating and testing hypotheses with the intent of disseminating their results at this year’s Connections Project.
Watson is in the midst of her first year at CWI and has seized every opportunity to grow as an active member of the student body. Watson shared that the opportunities CWI has provided – including her involvement in Psychology Club, Psi Beta, and as a work study – are helping her to connect with her goals and develop a greater feel for what she wants and what she is capable of.
Corn will wrap up her associate degree in Psychology this spring and is excited to cap things off with the presentation at Connections Project. Her participation in Psychology Club and Psi Beta Honor Society have helped her make connections with like-minded peers who provide support and encourage her to continue persevering. Corn is looking forward to the next chapter in her academic career and will be transferring to Boise State University (BSU) in the fall.
Lee has already made the transition to BSU while remaining a vital member of CWI’s Psychology Program. Utilizing the opportunity of a consortium agreement, she is simultaneously taking courses at BSU and CWI. In addition to her coursework, Lee has continued to serve as the president of CWI’s Psychology Club. She is looking forward to the showcasing her latest efforts at this year’s Connections Project.
To explore the work of students like Watson, Corn, Lee, and many others, mark your calendars for this year’s Connections Project, April 26, 2018, from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Nampa Campus Academic Building. The event is free and open to the public.
Submissions for this year's event are due March 23, 2018.
Nominate an Emerging Scholar
Nominations for Emerging Scholars are due March 23, 2018.
Emerging Scholars recognizes outstanding students for their commitment to learning, excelling in their discipline or program, creative approaches to assignments, and other qualities. Selection is based on perseverance, innovative thinking, and professionalism both in and outside the classroom—not primarily on academic status. Students are nominated by faculty.
During fall and spring semesters faculty identify and nominate students in their courses who exemplify these four main criteria: academic commitment, innovation, professional practice, and the demonstration of exceptional promise. Nominations are then reviewed and finalists selected by the Emerging Scholars Committee. Two Emerging Scholars are awarded in each of the schools of instruction with one Emerging Scholar being chosen at-large.
Thirteen students will receive one $600 scholarship to be applied towards their tuition at College of Western Idaho for the 2018-2019 academic year. Awards will be presented during the annual CWI Connections Project event held on campus in April.
Students receive their awards from the faculty who nominated them at a special awards ceremony in the spring, and apply the award to the following academic year including fall and spring semesters.
Nominations are open now and will be accepted through March 23, 2018. Recipients will be announced by April 16, 2018.
Nominate an Emerging Scholar today!
2017-2018 Emerging Scholars:
Ana Karen Arizmendi – nominated by Joy Palmer, Assistant Professor and English Department Chair
Aaron Connolly – nominated by Molly Wolk, Education Instructor
Cat Frazier – nominated by Liza Long, English Instructor
Francoises Garcia – nominated by Kim Johanek, Sociology and CWID Instructor
Taycia Grasmick – nominated by Suzanne Oppenheimer, Assistant Professor of Biology and Rick Coonrod, Supervisor of Tutoring Services
Dakota Keiser – nominated by Michelle Mahoney, Assistant Professor of Communication
Tony Trammel – nominated by Cathy Carson, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Azalia Perez – nominated by Michelle Fellows, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Niki Swanson – nominated by Christian Purvis-Aldrich, Associate Professor of English
Kadalyn Smith – nominated by Carol Billing, Assistant Professor of Education
Christina Hoefler – nominated by Liza Long, English instructor
University of Phoenix and College of Western Idaho Form Partnership
College of Western Idaho (CWI) is pleased to announce that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with University of Phoenix (UOPX). This agreement affords CWI graduates an additional, guaranteed, seamless transfer pathway at the junior level into any online bachelor’s degree at the University of Phoenix.
“This agreement with University of Phoenix will provide our students and employees with a multitude of educational options and convenience,” said David Shellberg, CWI’s Executive Vice President of Instruction and Student Services. “Our students now have access to programs and resources that will better position them to succeed in their academic endeavors.”
University of Phoenix accepts up to 60 community college transfer credits toward its bachelor’s degree programs. Students currently enrolled in CWI programs have an opportunity to transfer their credits to an applicable University of Phoenix degree program.
Through this agreement, UOPX will establish additional program-specific transfer guides with CWI. These guides provide a clear transfer pathway for students who have career and education aspirations beyond a completed Associate of Arts (AA), Associate of Science (AS), or Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree.
“We are proud to partner with CWI in their endeavors to help students continue pursuing their educational goals,” said Doris Savron, Executive Dean for the College of Health Professions, Education and Humanities and Sciences. “University of Phoenix provides career-relevant education to help students realize their dreams of higher education, and the opportunity to continue this mission is at the heart of all that we do.”
Staff of the Month—February 2018
Bryson Caldwell has been named College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Staff of the Month for February 2018. Caldwell is the Web Services Manager in the Communications and Marketing Department and has been with the College for five years. Caldwell’s role is focused on CWI’s public facing digital communications and marketing.
Caldwell began his education at the Chubb Institute where he completed two technical programs – Computer Technical Support and Network Engineering and Data Communications. He turned one of the diplomas into a degree with some online classes and received an Associate of Art and Science in Computer Networking and Security. Before he started working at CWI, he was able to take some CWI courses in Web Development and Business. Future education paths point to continued growth in web and software development patterns focused on enhancing user experiences.
When Caldwell first started web development, he worked with a sports marketing agency out of New Jersey. While there, he had an opportunity to work with personalities including Smokin' Joe Frazier, Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, Yogi Berra, and Hulk Hogan. Caldwell says none of them beat the personalities he gets to work with every day here at CWI.
Caldwell and his wife, Carmen, have three children. Carmen has spent the last 20 years serving the communities banking needs. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and spends much of her time volunteering in the community. The couple’s oldest daughter, Alycia (15), is a sophomore in high school and loves participating in the Nampa High School Music program. She recently laughed at Caldwell when he told her she could drive the family’s 1970 Volkswagen Beetle to school – probably because it was not communicated through the proper channels first (Snapchat). Olivia (10) is focused on the arts. While practicing drama receives most of her attention, she also finds time at home to work on her computer programming skills. Grayson (4) has recently been putting a lot of Legos together. He enjoys dancing with his sisters and deciding what superhero he is for the day.
SCORE Big at the Next CWI Night
Enjoy a night out while supporting students! College of Western Idaho (CWI) is proud to partner with the Idaho Steelheads for a night of hockey and fundraising on Friday, March 30. Students, alumni, employees, family, and friends of the CWI community are invited to attend as the Idaho Steelheads take on the Utah Grizzlies. Funded through Employee Giving and group ticket sales, one lucky, future CWI student will be selected as the next $1,000 SCORE Big Scholarship recipient during the game!
Date: Friday, March 30
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Century Link Arena
233 S. Capital Blvd., Boise
Each $15 ticket to the game includes dinner and for each CWI group ticket sold, $5 goes directly back to the SCORE Big Scholarship fund! Purchase tickets and learn more by visiting the CWI website.
CWI Employee Appreciation Family Event
You and your family are invited to join the fun as the CWI community comes together for food, games, and entertainment. Willie and the Single Wides will be performing live during the event on Friday, April 27, 2018, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Nampa Campus Micron Education Center.
Check your email for a calendar invite that was sent which includes RSVP information. Employees must RSVP by 5 p.m. Friday, April 20.
Email the Culture and Employee Engagement Committee at ceec@cwi.edu with questions.
