Welcome Back!

Welcome to all returning faculty and staff! With the hard work and enthusiasm you are famous for, I know this will be another successful semester at GCC. Also, please help me welcome the new employees that were approved at the July 27 and August 10 Governing Board Meetings: Rosemary Acosta, counseling faculty; James Brinegar, biology faculty; Amy Dodd, administrative secretary for the Child Care Center; Sharon Forsmo, art faculty; and Angela Mick, biology faculty.

Convocation Sessions Well Attended

Our morning and afternoon convocation sessions on Aug. 16 were well attended with over 400 employees (total) at the two sessions. I am very grateful to the many folks who worked with Senior Associate Dean Chuck Jeffery in producing such a successful event. My appreciation also to Mr. Brian Johnson, Vice President for Marketing and Member Development at Arizona State Savings and Credit Union, for sponsoring the morning breakfast buffet and the afternoon refreshments.

40th Year Celebration

As many of you know, GCC is entering its 40th year and approaching its 40th Commencement in May, 2005. Judy Blake and Trish Vogel will co-chair the GCC 40th-Year Celebration Committee. Events for this important milestone will occur throughout this academic year and are yet to be determined. Any alumni, faculty or staff who are interested in serving on this committee are encouraged to contact Judy Blake at 53481 or Trish Vogel at 53014.

Bond/Planning Update

On June 8, the Governing Board voted to place a bond request (Proposition 401) on the November ballot. A Citizen's Committee is actively dispersing information about the Maricopa Colleges and details of the bond package. George Martinez and I have made nine Master Planning Speaker's Bureau presentations to the community with eight more scheduled. This community outreach is part of a community awareness program that will continue beyond the bond election. It is important to have a diverse group of speakers, so if you would like to be a part of the community outreach Speaker's Bureau, please contact George at 53605.

Temporary Assignments

As mentioned in a Special Master Planning edition of the President's Newsletter of May 12, Senior Associate Dean Chuck Jeffery is assuming new responsibilities in Planning to start after Labor Day. He will report to Dean Connie Sherman for special assignments and will retain some of his current duties as well. You may still reach him in A-107 at 53698. Dr. Ernesto Escobedo of the Math Department applied and was chosen for a short term appointment as Senior Associate Dean of Instruction, reporting to Dean Jean Ann Abel. He has moved his office to A-127 in College Research Services, but has retained his prior phone extension, 53255.

Outstanding Scholarship Donations

For those who may have been unable to attend either Convocation session, I would like to reiterate my excitement about the dramatic increase in giving to GCC. Largely due to the efforts of Judy Blake, assisted by Frances Mateo, alumni and other giving to GCC has increased by more than 800% in the last two years--from $78,000 in 2002 to this year's current total of $626,993. This marks a stunning increase in our ability to change students' lives.

Summer Construction and Campus Projects

During the summer, numerous campus improvements took place. Two classrooms in the Life Science building were converted into a biotechnology laboratory; several old, failing trees along the north-south central campus mall were replaced with new trees better suited for that spot; and most of the parking lots were resurfaced. The new digital marquee on the southeast corner of the campus was installed and has been operational for about two months. Attractive landscaping around the marquee will be completed this semester.

Summer Trips

In my last newsletter, I encouraged summer travelers to share their experiences with me. Tom Foley wrote me about his three-week trip to Iceland, northern Norway and southern England. He said it was particularly interesting being in the Arctic Circle in northern Norway, where he experienced unending summer days without sunsets. Thanks for the note, Tom.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

Tech Camp Planners

My congratulations to Randy Kimmens, Manny Griego, Carlos Nuņez, Ui Luu, Paula Cheslik and others who labored long and hard to make Tech Camp 2004 a great success. Filled to capacity more than two months before it was held in late July, Tech Camp carried 1.5 credits for high school juniors and seniors for the first time. The robots they built and programmed were amazing; they also launched rockets and did many hands-on lab exercises and experiments. TV Channel 3's Good Morning Arizona show did a live remote shot of Tech Camp students demonstrating their robots and rockets. Kudos to all involved!

College Advancement Services

College Advancement Services has produced the first-ever GCC Experts List. Several months ago, employees were invited to be available to the media for quotes or information on topics of their choice--academic and avocational. The manual containing their names, specialties, phones and email addresses was designed in College Advancement Services. George Martinez and Suzanne Higgins delivered many copies to reporters and assignment desk editors at all Phoenix TV stations, the Arizona Republic, and several West Valley newspapers. Additional copies will be mailed to radio stations and to 20-30 smaller publications. The list will be updated and re-printed once a year.

CSEMS Scholarship Team

I am grateful to Principal Investigator Frank Rivera and others for their pursuit of a National Science Foundation Grant that provides generous scholarships for GCC students studying Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics (CSEMS). The funding will allow the college to award $1,500 apiece to 30 students every semester from fall 2004 through spring 2008, for a total of $360,000. Additional monies for administrative costs and supplies bring the grant's grand total to $396,000. Congratulations to Frank and to the students whose GCC futures have been assured by this generous grant.

Jeff Pommerville

After a year's sabbatical to revise and significantly update his textbook, Alcamo's Fundamentals of Microbiology, Dr. Jeffrey Pommerville has published the seventh edition of this widely acclaimed text. Aimed at allied health and pre-nursing students at the community college and university levels, it is also suitable for other non-major microbiology courses. According to his publishers, Jones and Bartlett (Boston, Massachusetts), "...it will be the number one or number two selling text in its market."

Belva Barrick

The cover story of the July 2004 issue of SEWnews magazine was written by Fashion and Sewing instructor Belva Barrick. Her in-depth article on the esoteric strategies of sewing with knit fabrics, was titled "Knit-ty Gritty."

Dr. Phillip Randolph
President
Glendale Community College