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| Dr. Debra Woodall |
Dr. Debra Woodall, assistant chairperson of Daytona State’s Institute for Marine and Environmental Studies (IMES), recently returned from a trip to Washington state, where she assisted with debris cleanup from Fukushima tsunami and nuclear power plant failure. No tax dollars are dedicated to cleanup of Washington’s beaches. It is left entirely up to volunteers. Woodall found much of the tsunami debris entangled in seaweed and kelp, including rope, fishing nets, kitchen storage-type items and plastic bottles. Although much has already been collected along Washington state beaches, data indicate that the largest amount of tsunami debris continues to move within the Pacific Ocean's current and is due in October. Find out more about her trip on the IMES Facebook page. Learn about how you can help with the debris cleanup at oceanconservancy.org.
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| Vida Renaud |
Vida Renaud, staff assistant for Global Education and Affairs, has been named Spring 2012 Employee of the Semester by the Career Employees Association (CEA). The award recognizes the efforts of college Career Employees who go above and beyond in carrying out their work responsibilities. As an administrative assistant for Global Education and Affairs, Renaud helps guide and manage scores of international students who enroll at Daytona State each year. Awarded during spring and fall semesters, recipients are nominated and selected by their peers and receive a certificate, a free lunch at Café 101, and their picture and nameplate in the CEA display case located in the Wetherell Building.
Dr. Les Potter, chairperson of Daytona State’s School of Education, was recently elected to the board of Burns Science and Technology Charter School located in Oak Hill. The k-8 tuition-free public charter school first opened its doors a year ago under the leadership of Dr. Jan McGee, retired middle school principal and former faculty member of the University of Central Florida. Burns is a STEM- focused (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) school that enrolls students from throughout Volusia County. “They are cultivating STEM teaching and learning, as educators believe it is a top priority in American education,” Potter noted. “In order to prepare students for success in the 21st century, today’s students must be able to think critically, work collaboratively and master an ever-growing area of skills.”
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| John Connor |
College of Education Professor John Connor was recently appointed to the advisory board of the Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER). The primary mission of the organization is to create awareness and help colleges identify, create and/or repurpose existing open educational resources, such as textbooks, as well as to improve teaching and learning and make education more accessible for all learners. Being an advisory board member affords Connor an excellent opportunity to help shape the support this national organization provides to the college open textbook community.
Pinnacle Award – The college’s Phi Theta Kappa Chapter has won a national Pinnacle Award. Chapter advisor Ted Wygant, professor of art appreciation/art history, received notice Aug. 15 of the award honoring Daytona State’s PTK chapter for increasing membership by 25 percent over last year. The accomplishment earned the chapter five Membership Scholarships, worth $55 each for International Membership fees for new inductees.
PTK’s national Center for Excellence praised the achievement: “By spreading the word about the Phi Theta Kappa Experience, you are impacting lives and helping students succeed. Congratulations on your Pinnacle Award.” Wygant thanks everyone involved at the college, making special note of Lori Lemoine’s work to generate a mass electronic email to new PTK candidates.
