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Welcome new faculty for 2012-13
Brian Wergin will be teaching evening classes in our Welding Technology program. He has worked for us since 2008 as a welding and carpentry shop aid and has taught many welding classes for our Outreach department. He has over 30 years of welding experience for local businesses including Keaster Construction, Specialty Iron Works, and his own welding shop.
 Vanja Velickovska was born and raised in Macedonia. She moved to Sweden and earned her Master's Degree in Molecular Biology. She then moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, and graduated with a doctoral degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Her dissertation was on protein degradation in hibernating squirrels. She was working as an adjunct instructor at Nevada State College before accepting the position here as a member of the Biology faculty.
 Cody Strunk will be teaching classes in our Sustainable Energy Technician program. He is a recent graduate of our SET program where he was the two time student of the year. He spent this summer completing an internship with NaturEner at the Glacier Wind Farm and climb safety training with Impact Access. His most recent job was with Ferguson Enterprises. You might have seen Cody with the local band, Wurlitzer, where he is the lead vocalist and lead guitar.
 Valerie Smith grew up in the mountains of Montana and naturally headed to Montana State University Bozeman to obtain her Bachelors of Science in Mathematics. Afterwards, she moved to the Seattle area to work for defense contractors as a computer programmer and computer systems engineer, but later returned to Bozeman for a Masters of Science in Mathematics Education. She has enjoyed teaching as an adjunct instructor at this college for eight years and now as a full- time mathematics faculty.
 Christiana Rennie-Varner is a new English faculty. Varner earned her Bachelors of Arts in English and in Liberal Studies/Education from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., her Masters of Arts in English with an emphasis in TESOL from CSU Sacramento, and is working on her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from MSU Bozeman. She has K-12 teaching credentials in California and Montana and is a Language Development Specialist.
Elfie Neber earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the City College of the City University of New York and a Masters of Science in Counseling degree from California State University, Fullerton. She will be teaching psychology courses for the college.
Lori Ann Heinen is the new Surgical Technology Program Clinical Coordinator. Lori comes to us from Benefis Health Systems operating rooms, and is a graduate from our program.
 Clairice Flood completed her Masters of Arts degree for Math and Statistics at California State University, Sacramento and relocated to the Great Falls area in August along with her husband, daughter and pot-bellied pig, Colonel Mustard. Clairice is a new member of the Mathematics faculty.
 Dan Casmier will be teaching chemistry. He graduated with a doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Washington in 2004. His research focused on the study of new organic materials for use in electro-optic technologies. He then took a senior process engineering position with Intel Corporation in Hillsboro, Ore., helping to ready the next generation of microprocessors that are used today.
 Nancy Traiser earned her Ph.D. in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the University of North Dakota. She is a classically trained human anatomist and is beginning her 11th year of teaching. She is originally from North Dakota and has lived in Ohio and Iowa before joining GFC as a Biology faculty member. She has an avid interest in forensics, especially osteology. She enjoys movies, board/card games, and trivia. She loves nature, animals and history.
Great Falls College Day at the Ballpark
Tickets are available for students and staff for the Voyager game at 1 pm on Sunday, August 26. Plan to sit in the roped-off Great Falls College cheering section in the Grandstand behind home plate. Student President Charlie Brown will throw the first pitch. Julie Myers, Program Director for Interior Design, will sing the national anthem.
Celebrate! Meet new students at Fall Fiesta
Welcome new students! Ease your fears, meet new people, and get your student ID on Friday August 24 from 9am - 11am.
Open House
You're Invited! Thursday August 23, 4 - 6:30pm.
GFC Outreach Open-House at Paris Gibson Education Center (2400 Central Ave). Register for fall Outreach classes, meet instructors, and tour Paris Gibson Education Center! Join exciting demonstrations and sample classes that will be taught by our talented instructors!
Wright attends Kellogg Institute
Mandy Wright, Assistant Director of Developmental Education and Transfer, recently returned from a month-long trip to Boone, North Carolina, where she attended the Kellogg Institute at Appalachian State University.
The Kellogg Institute is an advanced professional program for the training and certification of developmental educators.
Participants spent time with leaders in the field focusing on topics including assessment and placement, effective learner-centered instruction, integrating student support services into developmental education programming, and program evaluation.In order to become certified, participants are required to complete both the intensive, four-week summer residence and a year-long practicum on their home campus.
Mandy will focus on determining campus needs and expectations related to Learning Center programming. She will also institute a hybrid tutor training model leading to CRLA tutor training certification. "My experience at Kellogg was valuable both personally and professionally," said Mandy. "It provided an opportunity for me to interact with like-minded colleagues, make new friends, and reinvigorate my commitment to developmental education. I am looking forward to sharing my newfound knowledge with the rest of the Great Falls College campus."
Residential Solar Electricity Workshop
Want to learn what a solar electricity system would look like and cost for your home? Solar electric systems - also called PV systems - can produce all or a portion of your home's electricity needs. Attend this free workshop to learn the role of energy efficiency, system options, how to size a system for your home, costs, current financial incentives, and what to ask an installer. Bring your electricity bills and a picture of your home's south-side to take a closer look at whether a system is right for you!
When: Saturday, August 25, 2012; Workshop: 9 am - 2 pm;
Optional 1-Hour Tour after the workshop to see an installed system.
Where: Great Falls Ace Hardware
Lunch: Bring your own or cash for on-site ordering.
Pre-Registration: is required for this FREE workshop (for handout planning). For more information call (406) 994-2225.
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