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Presidential Report: February 20, 2012KudosPlease join me in congratulating Seminole State’s newest doctor: Dr. Joe Sarnovsky! This past Thursday, Joe was notified by the University of Phoenix that he has officially completed his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership. Joe’s dissertation title was “The Relationship between Tuition Rates and Financial Indicators in the Florida College System." Joe, any conclusions that you would like to draw? Maxine Oliver, director of campus safety and security, is leaving us to head security for UCF’s Medical College. Many thanks to Maxine for all she has accomplished on our behalf. Many thanks to UCF and Dr. David Mealor for assisting us in finalizing the agreement last week for a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. This has been a long time coming. Thanks to Nana Robertson for spearheading Seminole State’s efforts. Nursing professor Maureen Tremel recently presented at the 12th annual International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) in San Diego. Maureen is a noted expert in the use of simulation to improve student learning in healthcare programs. Congratulations, Maureen! The Society for Science and the Public has announced 40 finalists in the Science Talent Search. These students might be considered the Nobel Laureates of U.S. high schools. The only finalist from Florida is Seminole State’s own dual-enrollment student Neel Patel. Neel has completed five semesters of science research while a dual-enrollment student. Neel will now compete for more than $630,000 in awards with the first place winner receiving $100,000. Neel, we are very proud of you and the faculty who have been working with you! Congratulations to John Gyllin, who has been appointed to the Board of the Florida Council of Resource Development (FCRD). Congratulations to Professor Martha Goshaw, who has been elected to serve on the American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) Teaching Excellence (TE) Award Committee for the Southwest Region. Congratulations to students Neal Combs and Kevin Lucas for their fourth-place finish in the National Guard FLW College Fishing Bass Tournament on Lake Okeechobee. Thanks to Neal and Kevin, Seminole State's Reel Raiders bass fishing club received a check for $1,000 to be put toward the club’s activities. They will now represent us in the Regional Championship, which will be televised nationwide on NBC Sports. If they win, the College will receive a Ranger 177TR bass boat! Congratulations, Neal and Kevin, and best of luck! Wilma Hodges, manager of distance learning services, has been selected by the Association of Florida Colleges and Nova Southeastern University to receive a full scholarship to complete her Doctor of Education degree at Nova. This is our first recipient of the Abraham Fischler School of Education Scholars Award, and this represents a sizeable sum for Wilma. Congratulations, Wilma! Each year, a Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) All-Florida Academic Team is named to recognize outstanding students in the Florida College System (FCS). This distinction honors academic achievement, leadership and service to the community. We are very proud to announce that five Seminole State College students were selected this year: Mary Anderson, Dennis Hogan, Medge Parcily, Christopher Posey and Mary Wolff. Congratulations to the students, Dr. Debbie Socci, Dr. Susan Bell and the faculty who have encouraged these students on a daily basis. The results of the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) are in, and 97 percent of our Registered Nursing students passed! The State average was 88 percent, and the National Average was 87 percent. The Practical Nursing students had a pass rate of 94 percent compared to a State average of 79 percent and the national average of 84 percent. We are very proud of our graduates and the Nursing faculty and staff! NJCAA Review, the official publication of the National Junior College Athletic Association, has named Seminole State College as the NJCAA College of the Month! What an honor! Congratulations to Athletics Director John Scarpino and the entire Athletics Department, and also to Loraine O’Connell for submitting the information that led to this recognition. Kevin Brewer, a print shop technician, made the Orlando Sentinel this past December when they featured his work as a Cub Scouts Scoutmaster. Kevin has spent more than half his life involved with the Scouts. Kevin, thanks for all you do for the community! Great news from a Seminole State alum and Jack Kent Cooke winner Tatiana Viecco: Tatiana received UCF's Order of the Pegasus. This award is UCF's highest honor, and it recognizes exemplary performance in the areas of academic achievement, outstanding university involvement, leadership and community service. Congratulations, Tatiana! Congratulations to Professor Jeri Rogers and the Seminole State Brain Bowl team! The team won the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) Regional Brain Bowl Tournament! Additionally, they won every single one of their games. Dustin Lore finished first individually in the tournament. The team has been invited to the FCSAA State Tournament, held March 22-24 at the College of Central Florida. The following week, they are headed to Panama City to compete in the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) Community College Championship Tournament. Way to go, Brain Bowlers! Also, this past week, Seminole State hosted the annual Battle of the Brains tournament for Seminole County High Schools. EventsOur Theater Department had a very special director when it performed "The Piano Lesson" in early February. Woodie King Jr., an icon in the black theater world, was the founder and producing director of the New Federal Theatre in New York in 1970. King has worked with some of the world’s best African-American actors, including Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington. Seminole State student Rosney Mauger was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with King. Although Rosney was “pretty intimidated during the audition,” he now says King “has brought out talents I didn’t even know I had.” What a wonderful opportunity for our students! Thank you to our Trustees and everyone who worked so hard to make the 28th annual Dream Gala such a success. Thanks to everyone's good work, we brought in approximately $286,000 to help support scholarships for deserving students. Special thanks to our Foundation staff, the Events Department staff, and all the volunteers throughout the College. A particular thank you goes to SeminoleSound, Dianna Campbell, Robin Parker and the nearly 100 students who sang "For Good" from the musical "Wicked" to our 321 guests. And, as you know, the 2012 Camaro was won by an adjunct instructor with 6 children who was driving a Ford Focus with 170,000 miles. Many thanks to the Central Florida Auto Dealers Association for giving us the car! High school seniors from all of Seminole County’s public schools converged on our Sanford/Lake Mary Campus last Friday for Decision Day, an event for local students who have expressed an interest in attending Seminole State. Many thanks to Pamela Mennechey, Associate Vice President of Student Recruitment and Enrollment, her staff and all who made Decision Day such a success! Let's hope we see those students back here next year! SportsOur baseball team began its season on January 27. Head Coach Chris Hayes says this year will be a year of change and transition as 15 student-athletes from the 2011 squad went on to four-year universities or to professional baseball teams. Good luck, Raiders! The Legislative SessionMany thanks to our Trustees who took time from their busy schedules and spent several days in Tallahassee in early February. Would you like to comment? As you know, we are entering the last three weeks of the Legislative Session. While things are looking fairly good for the Florida College System, anything could happen as the House and Senate begin conferencing this week. Russian DelegationToward the end of the Board meeting, we should be joined by a delegation of educators from the southern part of Russia. They are here under the sponsorship of the World Affairs Council of Central Florida and will be visiting some of our technical programs. In the last few days, they have also visited Miami Dade College and Valencia College. Interestingly, two of them are individuals I will be meeting with while on the Fulbright in Russia. Small world! Spring BreakJust a reminder that the College will be closed from March 5-9 for Spring Break. |
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