Headlines
- A-B Tech Students Receive National and Statewide Honors
- President Bailey Named BioNetwork Person of the Year
- Emergency Services Academy Opens At A-B Tech
- Bailey Named Peak Performer
- Bailey Addresses SGA
- Administrative Staff Tours Modular Home
- Earth Day At A-B Tech
- Foundation Scholarship Recipient Profiles
- Service-Learning Project Assists Helpmate
- A-B Tech Hosts HRD Workshop
- Vaughn Named Part-Time Coordinator For Invitational Education
- Welcome New Employees
- Professional Development Opportunities for May
- Good Samaritan Returns Ring To Math Instructor
- Small Business Jump Start Day
- Tech Notes
A-B Tech Students Receive National and Statewide Honors
Wendy Gade
A-B Tech students Wendy Gade and Sharon Smith were honored as members of the prestigious All-USA Academic Team April 16 and as high achieving community college students during the Academic Excellence Awards luncheon April 24 in Raleigh.
Sixty outstanding two-year college students are named to the All-USA Academic team each year. First, second, and third teams, each consisting of 20 members, are selected from nearly 1,600 nominations. Smith and Gade are members of the second team.
All 60 members were featured in USA Today's April 16 edition. The students also were honored at the American Association of Community Colleges 2007 Annual Convention in Tampa, FL.
Phi Theta Kappa, USA TODAY, and the American Association of Community Colleges sponsor the All-USA Academic Team program annually. To be eligible, a student must post a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA and be eligible to graduate with an associate degree. Selection is based on nominations submitted by community college presidents or CEOs.
Sharon Smith
The program seeks to honor outstanding students who represent the range of students found on American community college campuses.
Judging criteria include academic excellence and intellectual rigor; leadership and service; and how students have extended their education beyond the classroom to benefit society. It is a merit award based on what students have done while attending community college, rather than a need-based scholarship.
Smith has also been named the New Century Scholar for North Carolina by the American Association of Community Colleges, the Coca-Cola Foundation, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, and Phi Theta Kappa.
The $2,000 scholarship is only available to students nominated to the All-USA Academic Team and is awarded to the student receiving the highest application score in each state.
The North Carolina Community College System's Academic Excellence Award also recognized Smith and Gade. The award is given to two students from each of the 58 community colleges. The 116 students, selected by the individual colleges for their academic accomplishments and leadership ability, received the Academic Excellence medal from System President H. Martin Lancaster and Dr. Linwood W. Powell, vice chair of the State Board of Community Colleges.
Smith is an associate in science student with plans to obtain a master's degree and to teach at the college level. She currently serves as president of the A-B Tech chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. She has also been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Carolina's Regional Hall of Honor.
Smith teaches 24 hours a week in the Academic Learning Center. She has volunteered with Helpmate and the Asheville Humane Society, in addition to service projects such as the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. Under her direction, the College's chapter of Phi Theta Kappa began a scholarship fund for students and involved itself in the World Books project, which distributes books to the Third World. She holds an associate's degree in Electrical Engineering from A-B Tech.
Gade is an Emergency Medical Science student. She is currently a N.C. State certified Emergency Medical Technician-Intermediate, and a CNA. Her goal is to become a paramedic. She serves as secretary of the Student Paramedic Association. Through the organization, she has organized fundraisers for students to attend the Trauma Clinical Internship in Atlanta and to sponsor 25-35 children each year for the College's Children's Holiday Party.
Gade recently wrote a paper titled "The Avian Flu and the EMS Healthcare Provider," which serves as a guidebook for the emergency healthcare provider who wants to learn more about avian influenza and what precautions to take. She hopes to publish her paper for distribution to emergency services personnel in the region.
President Bailey Named BioNetwork Person of the Year
President K. Ray Bailey
President K. Ray Bailey has been named the North Carolina Community College System BioNetwork Person of the Year for 2007 for playing a key role in supporting the statewide life sciences initiative.
Bailey was presented the award April 4 at the annual BioNetwork BioForum, where BioNetwork community colleges statewide network, share ideas and offer best practices.
His leadership has seen the western part of the state play an increasingly important role within the biotechnology sector, according to Norman Smit, BioNetwork marketing and recruitment director. "In the past few years of his tenure alone, A-B Tech is now host to the BioNetwork BioBusiness Center and a small business incubator with wet labs that stemmed from a large donation by BASF," Smit said.
Additionally, the College offers an associate degree in Biotechnology. Bailey has assisted the BioBusiness Center in prototyping the concept of bioniches for small business development that has led to increased support for natural products in the western part of the state. A similar model is being rolled out in the east for aquaculture, support is being provided for entrepreneurs pursuing biofuels ventures, and life sciences hubs are being created statewide. Bailey also serves on the BioNetwork Industry Advisory Board.
Emergency Services Academy Opens At A-B Tech
Members of the Emergency Services Academy at a team-building exercise April 24. From left, front row are Elizabeth Scarbrough, Criminal Justice Technology instructor; Dianne Davis, Basic Law Enforcement Training interim director; Ryan Cole, Fire Service coordinator; Skye Myrick, Emergency Services Academy associate dean; Sharon Morrissey, Instructional Services vice president; John Norejko, Continuing Education fire services coordinator, Phyllis Gill, secretary; Glenna Gunter, secretary. Back row, Nick Prestwood, EMS coordinator; Chris Fay, Criminal Justice Technology chair; Carrie Underwood, Occupational Training EMS coordinator; Eric Sitton, Emergency Medical Science instructor; John Witherspoon, Fire Protection Technology chair; Dara Narsiff, secretary; Keith Owens, Emergency Medical Science chair.
Effective April 2, A-B Tech launched a new instructional division, the Emergency Services Academy. Skye Myrick, former Occupational and Public Service Training executive director, has been named to head the Academy.
The Academy creates an organizational structure that will administer and deliver curriculum programs and continuing education in-service training for our community’s fire, law, and rescue professionals.
The Academy combines four existing departments within the Allied Health and Public Services Division: Emergency Medical Science, Fire Protection Technology, Basic Law Enforcement Training, and Criminal Justice Technology.
Within these departments, curriculum instructors and continuing education coordinators are now joined, both physically and organizationally.
“It is the College’s response to more expediently handling the emergency services needs of our community and parts of Western North Carolina,” Myrick said. “We are streamlining operations and working more closely with city, county, and local municipalities to meet the needs of emergency service professionals. It’s a move that allows us to focus on the improvement of future return on investment for our degree and in-service training."
Myrick will become the associate dean of the Emergency Services Academy under Ned Fowler, dean of Allied Health and Public Service. She will oversee Emergency Medical Services, Fire Services, Criminal Justice and Basic Law Enforcement Training.
The Academy was created to establish a single point of contact for students, college personnel, and the community. For example, a phone call from someone who wants information on fire training will go to one office, where the caller can get curriculum or in-service training information from one person.
The Academy will also maximize the use of college resources. Facilities and equipment will be shared, and curriculum faculty will have more opportunities to teach non-credit courses.
“I am enthusiastic about the direction the college has chosen to go with regard to the academy concept,” Myrick said. “But more importantly, I feel that I am working with the best team of department chairs, coordinators and instructors that this college has to offer.”
Shelly White, former Human Resources Development coordinator, will fill Myrick’s previous position.
Tech Talk is published by the Communications Office for employees and friends of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
Editor: Mona Cornwell, Writer: Martha Ball, Designer: April Sides
Send submissions to: Mona Cornwell, Director of Communications, at mcornwell@abtech.edu