Faculty recognition — Professor of psychology Pam Steinke walked away with top faculty honors for the 2002-03 academic year April 28, winning the David Crichton Award.

The award, memorializing the long-time chemistry professor David Crichton, recognizes a member of the faculty whose exemplary teaching and scholarship shaped the intellectual development of Central College students. Criteria for winning the award is based on the professor’s ability to challenge students to reach their highest potential by offering extraordinary curricular experiences and an emphasis on an interdisciplinary curriculum which exposes students to new ideas, develops students’ curiosity for independent research and study, and underscores strong writing and speaking skills.

Psychology department chair Peggy Fitch said the award recognizes Steinke’s collegiality and involvement with students as well as her vision and ability to integrate her expertise and research in cognition and service-learning into her teaching.

“Since Pam joined the psychology department in 1993, she has invited students to collaborate in her research,” said Fitch. “Noteworthy, too, is her use of service-learning in psychological investigations where students learn how to conduct research by serving real clients such as the Pella Day Care, Pella police department and the Central College diversity task force.”

Other winners at the annual event included: Walter Cannon (English), outstanding performance for effective teaching award for his work in interweaving his knowledge of Shakespeare into his teaching; Treva Reimer (theatre), outstanding performance for institutional service for her work with the Teagle Grant for Arts Across the Curriculum and two related summer workshops; and Chia Ning (history), the Huffman Award for outstanding support of international education in part for her work with student research projects for the ASIANetwork.

And the staff, too — Staff were rewarded for upholding Central’s service standards by President Roe at his college update April 30. Winners included: respect, Jana Sietstra (controller); integrity, Mike Lubberden (physical plant) and Tom De Young (physical plant); responsiveness, Steve Sanchez (registrar) and Anna Boat (computer services); safety, Mark Howard (dining services) and Deb Randol (physical plant); and energy, Terri Crumley (admission) and Marty Feeney (communication studies).

Graduation information — The Central College community is invited to the commencement exercise on Sunday afternoon, May 11, in P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. The festivities begin at 1:30 p.m. with a concert by the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, followed by the commencement at 2 p.m. President Emeritus Dr. Kenneth J. Weller will provide this year’s commencement address. Because of limited space in the gym, each Central staff member is allowed one admission ticket. Faculty members may reserve one ticket for a guest. Please contact Lynne Petty in the alumni office at ext. 5154 or e-mail pettyl@central.edu to reserve your ticket or to get any graduation questions answered. Tickets are available for pickup in the alumni office in Central Hall.

Geisler Library Summer Hours — New hours begin Saturday, May 10. The library will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and closed weekends, Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, and Friday, July 4.

Central Employees Honor National Volunteer Month All Year Long — To celebrate April as National Volunteer Month, the college relations office surveyed Central employees on their volunteer activities. With 15.6 percent reporting, 75 employees out of 480 volunteer a minimum of 402 hours per week in the Pella area and an additional 41.5 hours per week in surrounding communities, averaging more than 5.9 hours each per week. Time spent varies from a half hour to 25 hours per week in a wide range of activities in churches, schools, the arts and human service agencies. Thanks to those who responded and for your involvement and dedication.

Tenure achievements/promotions — At the board of trustees meeting April 25 and 26, the board approved the following promotions: Mark Babcock (music) was promoted to assistant professor; Darrell Druvenga (education) was promoted to professor; Dawn Reece (sociology) earned tenure and was promoted to associate professor; Jaclyn Rundle (economics) earned tenure; John Roslien (exercise science) earned tenure and was promoted to assistant professor; Paul Weihe (biology) earned tenure and was promoted to associate professor; Ron Byers (physics) was named emeritus professor of physics; Bob Schanke (theatre) was named emeritus professor of theatre.

Mark Johnson (math) attended the 36th annual Midwest Instruction and Computing Symposium April 11-12 at the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn.

Esther Streed (education) and eight Central College education majors attended the annual Council for Exceptional Children International Convention and Expo in Seattle, Wash., April 8-12. Students attending were: seniors Brian Pabich, Beth Manne, Stacey Edwards, Brandi Glosser, Alexis Seibert, Tammie Seaholm; and juniors Jill Young and Krystle Bosch. More than 700 sessions were held following the opening plenary with Ted Kennedy, Jr. as the keynote speaker. CEC offer the world's largest convention devoted to special and gifted education. Streed attended a day-long preconvention workshop, “Supporting Achievement for Children with Disabilities: A Clinic for Higher Education Faculty and Professional Development Leaders.”

Pat Joachim Kitzman (Career Center) attended the third Global International Internship Congress in Stuttgart, Germany, April 8-12, funded in part through professional development funds. Innovative international internship programs were presented by colleagues from Australia, Spain and Ghana, to name a few. Company visits were to Robert Bosch, IBM, Daimler-Chrysler and Mercedes Benz. Kitzman noted, “Internship coordinators from other institutions without study abroad programs have much more difficulty placing interns than does Central.”

Jann Freed (business management) had a piece in the Des Moines Business Record on April 21, titled “What Should I Do with the Rest of My Life?”

Lowell Olivier (conference services) attended the 23rd annual conference for the Association of Collegiate Conference and Event Directors-International April 12-16 in Orlando, Fla. The featured keynote speaker was Tom Peters, nationally known author and business consultant. During the conference Olivier was inducted as the regional leader for region six (Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Kansas) of ACCED-I. ACCED-I represents 1,400 collegiate and event planners at approximately 600 different colleges and universities. They are committed solely to the professional development of college and university professionals who design, coordinate and market conferences and special events on their campuses.

Walter Cannon (English) was one of 16 scholars from around the country invited to participate in a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) summer institute, “Cultural Stress from Reformation to Revolution,” at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. Participants in the six-week institute will trace the effects of cultural crisis in the early modern period in four crucial sites of cultural contact: the court, the church, the theatre and the parliament. One result of this collaborative investigation will be the creation of a Web site, accessible by students nationwide, that integrates such elements as texts, images, maps, blueprints, biographies, portraits and timelines. Cannon also has new poems appearing in forthcoming issues of The North Stone Review and Water~Stone Literary Review, Hamline University.

Ann Wilkinson (theatre) serving as the Iowa casting director for a film to be shot in Centerville this summer starring actors Rosanna Arquette and John Savage. She has had several casting sessions at Central with students having the opportunity to audition for the movie, as well as serving as casting assistants.

Robert Franks (computer science) has been selected to attend a faculty workshop sponsored by the National Science Foundation titled, “Incorporating Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Into the Undergraduate CS Curriculum: A Community-building Initiative.” The workshop will be held at the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C., May 27-31.

Facilities team technician Cary Bandstra and energy center supervisor Bob Klucas (physical plant) recently passed the examination to achieve a universal certification from Ferris State University. This is necessary for working with CFC refrigerant transition and recovery procedures as required by the EPA’s 40 CFR, Part 82, Subpart F.

Lyn Isaacson (Center for Academic Excellence) attended a training institute in Des Moines for NADE (National Association for Developmental Education) Program Certification. After careful review, NADE certifies program components in three areas: tutoring, course-based adjunct instruction such as supplemental instruction and developmental coursework programs.

Jean Vander Wert (financial planning) received the 2003 presidential award for significant contributions to Iowa Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators at the spring conference held in Newton on April 10. Vander Wert served as chair of the IASFAA program committee during the 2002-03 year and will be vice president of the association for 2003-2004.

Marjorie Giles — The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) has renamed the All-Sports Women's Trophy the Marjorie Giles Women's Sports Championship Trophy.

Marjorie Giles, longtime dean of students, is a former Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) from Central serving from 1981-98. During her tenure as an FAR, she participated in writing of the conference constitution to include women's athletics and to establish women's championships. She was the first female to serve as president of the Iowa Conference and was actively involved with the NCAA serving on several committees and on the management council.

"Marjorie Giles has had a tremendous impact on the philosophical development and direction of the intercollegiate athletic programs in the Iowa Conference," IIAC Commissioner John Cochrane said. "She played an integral role in the introduction and establishment of women's championships in the conference and was greatly respected nationwide as an advocate for student-athletes and the NCAA Division III philosophy. The Iowa Conference is proud to name the Women's Sports Championship Trophy in Marjorie's honor as a lasting tribute to her contributions."

Our condolences go out to Jan (Center for Academic Excellence) and Phil Webber (modern languages) on the death of Jan’s mother, Eloise Glatt.

Thank You from the Webber’s — Dear Friends, thank you one and all for the flowers and your many expressions of kindness and love on the passing Jan’s mother, Eloise Glatt. Gratefully, Jan Webber and family.

Gene Anthony has joined the physical plant as maintenance worker.

Phil Carton has accepted the position of Central stores warehouse manager in the physical plant.

Dan Rouw of computing services has been hired as Web programmer/analyst/administrator. For the current year Rouw has been serving in the same position, but as a temporary employee. He graduated from Central in May 2002 with majors in computer science and mathematics and has already made valuable contributions to Central’s technology capabilities. We look forward to having that continue.

Graduation spotlight — Helena Karasova

By Elizabeth Van Winkle ’03, college relations intern

As a six-year-old growing up under an oppressive communist regime in the Czech Republic, Helena Karasova '03 received distinct advice from her father.

“Even if you have to be a cleaning lady, be proud of it,” she recalls, remembering that her dreams of success seemed like an unavailable luxury at the time.

Never willing to settle, Karasova fought hard to attain a quality education. When she walks across the stage Saturday, May 11, to receive her Central College diploma, she will prove to herself and everyone that knows her that ambition can conquer daunting obstacles.

“My dad always told me I need to try to achieve my goals because one can never give up. He always said, if you do not strive to go up, you go down,” Karasova said.

Karasova grew up in an anti-communist family in the former country of Czechoslovakia during its communist regime. Because of their firm beliefs, Karasova’s grandparents spent eight years in jail. The oppression of communism was heavy. Even though her father was a lawyer, he was assigned to work in a cow shed for several years.

As a first grader, Karasova was an ambitious student who dreamed of being a doctor someday. However, it seemed as though the odds were stacked against such a miracle happening.

Three years later, communism toppled and Karasova now lived in a democratic nation, which she knew would give her a greater chance of accomplishing her goals.

In high school, Karasova wanted to learn English well. She soon met Duane Ausherman, an American from California, who had come to her hometown to teach English. Ausherman was so impressed with Karasova’s character and enthusiasm that he offered to have her stay with his family in California and become an exchange student.

Karasova blossomed in the new surrounding. The once seemingly unattainable goal of attending a college or university was suddenly a reality. Her neighbor, Central alum Sharon Spaans ’72 thought Central would be the perfect fit and encouraged her to apply. Karasova was accepted, but money was an issue until Ausherman gave a full year’s income to her college fund.

Karasova came to Central in 1999 to major in political science and German. As usual, she proved to be a hard worker and accomplished student, and was accepted for an internship in the summer of 2002 at Community Breast Health Project, a non-profit organization in Stanford that helps anyone who has been touched by breast cancer.

Her work there was so well received, Karasova will return to Stanford in May to continue the public health work. She was offered a job at the Stanford Hospital in the community and patient relations department. After a year at Stanford, Karasova wants to go to graduate school of public health to do global public health.

“I see myself as a bridge between developing and developed countries,” she said, noting that living in many different countries has enabled her to bridge different cultures and deal with diplomacy from the Eastern and Western aspects.

Karasova said she has greatly benefited from her experience at Central. She remembers a time when her mother was dying from breast cancer and Central students raised money to buy her a plane ticket to go visit her family.

“(People at Central) care for you as a human being,” said Karasova. “They always made sure I had a family to stay with on the holidays and have become my family and best friends.”

Professors are currently raising money for Karasova’s grad school fund. As a non-citizen, her fee is many times greater than other students. Also, many graduate schools are not allowed to grant scholarships to international students. She is confident that she will overcome this obstacle the same way she has many others, with the help of people who believe in her.

Central political science professor Jim Zaffiro said there was no doubt in his mind Karasova will meet her goals.

“Helena is that rare kind of student who ends up giving more to the teacher than you could ever hope to give her,” said Zaffiro. “For me, she is an inspiring role model for Central students because during her time here, she has lived out our mission, goals and values.”

If you would like to find out more about Karasova’s fund-raising mission, you can visit her Web site at http://karasova.com.

Summer assignments have been given to the computer science, mathematics and natural science education AQIP team members. The majority of these assignments consist of data gathering from our institution and from identified benchmark institutions. We will analyze these data in the fall and formulate/modify our plan of action in response to what the data tells us.

International education has already seen some concrete progress being made among the sub-committees. The International Student sub-committee, led by David Purnell and Anya Butt, has established an international student club on campus. The group’s leadership is organizing its first meeting this spring. The Yucatan sub-committee, led by Keith Yanner, Jim Zaffiro and Jim Schulze, met with George Ann Huck to discuss priorities to help re-invigorate the Yucatan program. International education team leaders will work closely with sub-committee leaders to help facilitate and develop specific focus areas.

The First-year Experience team has been working on both developing new initiatives and coordinating existing initiatives aimed at the fulfillment of our primary goals. Specifically, the team has begun efforts to 1) bridge the oft-perceived and oft-experienced gap between the “academic” and “student life” areas of the college, with the intention of illuminating and demonstrating for students, faculty and staff the intrinsic interrelatedness of all components comprising the residential college educational experience; 2) inventory and improve the coordination of campus events — convocations, fine arts performances, etc. — for the purpose of improving student participation and, consequently, to enable faculty to more closely tie such events to course work; 3) create programs designed to engage students, along with faculty, staff and student peer mentors, in regular and meaningful self-reflection and analysis in the context of students’ academic, emotional, social, professional and spiritual development throughout their years at Central.

2003 Summer Attire for ALL Office Personnel (administrative, support staff and students) — Office casual attire that presents a favorable and professional image will be permitted this summer, starting Monday, May 12, through Friday, August 15, for all administrative, support and student staff. Unacceptable summer attire for office personnel will include: T-shirts, halter tops, jeans, skorts (skirts/shorts combo), or shorts of any kind (no athletic, denim or walking shorts), athletic shoes or beach sandals (ie: flip-flops/thongs made of rubber or hard plastic material). Acceptable clothing includes: Central logo shirts with collars, Capri pants and dress sandals. Remember through the professional image we present that “We create dynamic growth adventures which promote opportunities to improve lives.”

Summer Office Hours — The summer office hours will take effect Monday, May 12, and end Friday, August 15. All offices, with a few exceptions, will be covered from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In the judgment of the supervisor, hourly personnel may elect either a one-half hour or one-hour lunch period. Those individual offices that have been advised to be open over the lunch hour will need to make the necessary adjustments.

Memorial Day — is Monday, May 26. All general offices will be closed. There may be exceptions based on the need to cover ongoing services. Therefore, select personnel may be required to work, which will be arranged by immediate supervisors.

July 4th Holiday — is Friday, July 4, only this year. All general offices will be closed. There may be exceptions based on the need to cover ongoing services. Therefore, select personnel may be required to work, which will be arranged by immediate supervisors.

Can’t wait for summer? — Start making your summer plans now. Human resources has discount coupons for Worlds of Fun, Oceans of Fun and hotel packages in Kansas City. Stop in and pick one up.

Central College Graduation Weekend May 9-11, 2003

Friday, May 9

9 a.m.– 4 p.m. Cap and gown pickup, Central College Bookstore

5 – 7 p.m. Senior banquet, hosted by President and Mrs. Roe in the Graham Conference Center

1 – 2 p.m. A Cappella Choir rehearsal, First Reformed Church
Saturday, May 10

8:30 – 9 a.m. Late cap and gown pickup, Central College Bookstore

10 a.m. Junior marshal meeting, First Reformed Church

10:30 a.m. Senior class meeting (required), Kuyper Fieldhouse

11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Lunch, Central Market

1:30 p.m. Senior procession and faculty lineup, sidewalk on south side of campus pond (rain site: basement of First Reformed Church)

2 p.m. Baccalaureate, First Reformed Church – 603 Broadway

Sunday, May 11

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. President’s Brunch, join President and Mrs. Roe for brunch at Peace Mall (no cost)

1:15 p.m. Senior and faculty lineup, west end of Kuyper Fieldhouse

1:30 p.m. Symphonic Wind Ensemble concert, Kuyper Gymnasium

2 p.m. Commencement, Kuyper Gymnasium – tickets required for all spectators

3 p.m. Post-Commencement reception, on lawn next to Schipper Fitness Center