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Inside Eckerd: The Latest News
March 15, 2013


Greetings!
  
On the heels of Alumni Reunion, this issue celebrates current and future Eckerd College alumni. Sprinkle in a variety of lectures and exhibits and it's hard to tell that March also ushers in spring break.

Missed an issue? Visit the Inside Eckerd archives page to read past issues or invite a friend to join the mailing list. Help us build our Inside Eckerd network by sharing this email with your friends and family 'outside Eckerd'. Enjoy!

    

FDOT Approves Traffic Signal Device for Eckerd College Entrance

 

On Wednesday, February 13, a formal statement announcing Florida Department of Transportation's approval of a new traffic control device at the entrance to Eckerd College was made in Tallahassee. There, they unveiled a rendering of the redesign of the intersection with a traffic signal.

 


 
"Our efforts have paid off," said Eckerd College President Dr. Donald R. Eastman III. "It was, of course, the death of ASPEC member Bob Shepherd, who died in a car accident on the Pinellas Bayway after exiting campus November 7, that galvanized the ongoing efforts to secure this signal. We continue to keep Al and Blackie Sparzani, injured in that accident, in our hearts and prayers. In the wake of that tragedy, the Eckerd community pulled together to advocate through letters, petitions, phone calls and in-person visits with elected officials and administrators to realize Bob's long-time goal of making the entrance to Eckerd safer."

The College is very grateful for the support and thoughtful response from Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Ananth Prasad and our elected officials, including Senator Jeff Brandes, Senator Jack Latvala and Representative Kathleen Peters '99, as well as Governor Rick Scott, the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners, the Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization, St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster, the St.Petersburg City Council and countless others, who worked tirelessly to make this possible. 
 

 

Cultivating Service: People, Politics, Planet

An impressive 99% of Eckerd students participate in service and donated 83,000 hours last year alone. The 2012-2013 Presidential Events Series, Cultivating Service: People, Politics, Planet, highlights Eckerd's longstanding culture of service through speaker presentations and campus initiatives.  

 



The service-learning student interns running the Servant Leaders blog are increasing service involvement at Eckerd, becoming successful service leaders and helping students create a community around the values and challenges of servant-leadership.  

 

A series of profiles of Eckerd alumni, faculty and staff who embody Eckerd's longstanding culture of service through their livelihoods and/or their volunteer activities appear periodically in Eckerd's News Center. Click on these names to read the individual stories of Darden Rice '00, Francine Haig-Jones '00, Steve Kornell '95, Associate Professor of Management Frank Hamilton, Ph.D., and Watson Haynes '84.
 
Lecture presentations anchor the Presidential Events Series. All are free and open to the public. Six remain; two are highlighted below:

 

 

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy and the estimated $60 billion in damage, two of the world's leading climate change scientists will offer their insights through a lecture presentation moderated by David Hastings, Ph.D., Eckerd Professor of Marine Science and Chemistry.

Dr. Pier Vellinga is a Netherlands expert who was among the first scientists to
publish on climate change and its implications regarding water and energy in the 80's. 

Dr. Henry Pollack
Dr. Henry Pollack is a retired geophysics professor from the University of Michigan who has conducted scientific research on all seven continents.Dr. Vellinga was lead author of several chapters and Dr. Pollack a contributing author in the assessment reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.

This event is co-sponsored by ASPEC and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Eckerd College (OLLI).

    

  

Fix the Debt: Why It Matters
Tuesday, April 2, 7 p.m., Fox Hall

 

Fix the Debt, a headline-making debt-reduction group, describes themselves as a nonpartisan movement whose mission is "to put the country on a better fiscal and economic path." Rob Lorei, a veteran news director for WMNF 88.5 FM community radio and host of the WEDU-PBS public affairs program, "Florida This Week," will moderate a panel discussion featuring members from the statewide and national campaigns.

 

Panelists will include Robert L. Bixby, executive director of The Concord Coalition; James "Jim" Davis, former U.S. Representative (D-Fla.) and Partner at Holland & Knight; Paul B. Hern�ndez, Councilman for the City of Hialeah, Fla.; and Paul Stebbins, Executive Chairman and CEO of World Fuel Services. This event is co-sponsored by the EC Pi Sigma Alpha chapter and EC Young Democrats.  

 

 

Thank You, Faculty and Staff!

 

Members of Eckerd's faculty and staff were celebrated at the annual Staff and Faculty Appreciation Luncheon on February 14. Starting at 5 years, employees were recognized for their 5-year milestones of service to the College. More than twenty faculty and staff members clocked in with more than 20 years of service, including UNICCO's Raymond Mann who has been with Eckerd for 40 years. Jennifer Gilkey, Biology Lab and Stockroom Supervisor, was presented with the annual Staff Member of the Year award. Thank you to all faculty and staff for their dedication and service to Eckerd College!

 

Click here for a list of employees and their years of service.

2013-14 QEP Faculty Fellows Selected

 

The Reflective Service-Learning Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) aims for a transformational impact on student learning outcomes in the areas of critical thinking and problem-solving, civic engagement and leadership, and openness to diversity. The following faculty and courses have been selected by the QEP Advisory Committee for academic year 2013-2014:

 

Kelly Debure, Ph.D., Professor of Computer Science, Web Development, Spring 2014

Beth Forys, Ph.D., Professor of Environmental Science and Biology, Field Ornithology, Winter Term 2014

David Hastings, Ph.D., Professor of Marine Science & Chemistry, Global Environmental Change, Fall 2013

Davina Lopez, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Bible, Gender and Sexual Politics, Fall 2014

Laura Singleton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Management, Organizational Behavior and Leadership, Fall 2013

Erika Spohrer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Writing Processes, Fall 2013

Amanda Stiff, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of International Business, Principles of Marketing, Fall 2013

 

 

 
Eckerd's LSP Graduates Shine  (Part I) 
 

Leadership St. Petersburg (LSP), one of the oldest leadership programs in the nation offered through the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce, is a six-week experience designed to promote and enhance community leadership through an in-depth introduction to social, economic, business and political issues in the St. Petersburg area.   

 

Since its inception, more than a dozen employees have graduated from LSP, including current faculty and staff  who continue their affiliation as leaders within the program. These individuals also serve as some of the "faces of Eckerd" in our local community.   

 

Megan Watson Kramer '98 (LSP Class of 2002), Director of Client Relations and Marketing for the Leadership Development Institute (LDI) at Eckerd College, is the recipient of the 2012 Leadership St. Pete Alumni Association President's Award. As chair of the 2006 LSP Planning Committee, Megan was noted for her "positive energy and tireless service" focused on helping to increase the organization's number of social and leadership programs and events as well as cultivating individuals and businesses for sponsorship opportunities."       

 

Jennifer Hall, Ph.D. (LSP Class of 2004), Director of Coaching for LDI, was recognized at the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner for her dedication and service as the 2011-2012 chair of Leadership St. Pete. She and John Sullivan (LSP Class of 2012), Dean of Admission and Financial Aid, are members of the 2013 LSP Planning Committee.

 

Valerie Gliem, VP of Marketing and Communications, is a member of LSP's Class of 2013. She, along with Megan Watson Kramer, co-chaired St. Paul Catholic School's November auction, Celebrating the Spirit of St. Petersburg. Valerie was recently named to the District III Board of the Council for Advancement and Support for Education. 

   


Matt Bisset
(LSP Class of 2006), VP for Advancement, and Alizza Punzalan-Randle (LSP Class of 2003), Director of Community and Media Relations, made sponsor remarks at the Pinellas County Schools All-County Music Fest held at the Mahaffey Theater in January. Matt, who serves on the boards of the Saint Anselm College Alumni Association and Tampa Bay Watch, is completing his term as President of the Suncoasters of St. Petersburg, which produced the All-County Music Fest.  Alizza, who delivered remarks on behalf of Eckerd, will be wrapping up two terms as President of The Studio@620, beginning a term as Secretary for Community Tampa Bay, and continuing as a member of the executive committee for Business and Professional Women (BPW)/St. Petersburg-Pinellas.
        

 
Campus News

 

Visions of Nature, Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival Announces 2013 Awards   


Eckerd Alumni Tracy Crow '02 Picks Up Bronze, Dennis Lehane '88 Garners Gold in Florida Book Awards
   


Servant Leadership Weaves Through Military, Classroom, Animal Clinic for Eckerd Management Professor Frank Hamilton
   


Black History Month Exhibit Remembers Local Legacy Louise Graham
   


FDOT Approves Traffic Signal Device for Eckerd College Entrance
   


Eckerd College Tests Emergency Notification Siren on February 11
   


2013 Visions of Nature, Voices of Nature Environmental Film Festival: Feb. 15-23
   

   

Eckerd in the News
(click on a link to be redirected to the article)

TBO.com 
March 11, 2013

- Comments by Director of Service-Learning Brian MacHarg '92

 

The Island Reporter
March 2013 issue

- Feature story about Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI); comments by OLLI Director Tom Santee and Volunteer and Logistics Coordinator Ann Jones

  The Island Reporter
March 2013 issue

- Feature about FDOT approval of traffic signal at front entrance; comments by Eckerd President Dr. Donald R. Eastman III

 

Florida Today
March 2, 2013

- Coverage of tragic death of Rachel Price '13

  WESH-TV Orlando
March 1, 2013

- Comments by Dean of Students James Annarelli, Athletic Director Bob Fortosis

 

Tampa Bay Times
March 1, 2013

- Comments by Dean of Students James Annarelli, Athletic Director Bob Fortosis

 

The Huffington Post
February 27, 2013
 

- Comments by Michael Jerryson, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies

 

Planetsave.com
February 21, 2013

- Written by PEL student Cynthia Shahan

 

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
February 20, 2013

- Comments by students Laurie Horning '14, Celine Currier '13, Eden Shlomi '14 and David Trujillo '13

 

Tampa Bay Times
February 17, 2013

- Feature about author Hedrick Smith, the narrator of Poisoned Waters, one of the films screened during the 2013 Environmental Film Festival

 

New Hampshire Union Leader
February 16, 2013
 

- Feature about softball pitcher Whitney Bernier '14

 

Northeast Neighborhood News
February 15, 2013

 

- Feature about calligrapher Ruth Pettis '78

 

Tampa Bay Times
February 13, 2013
 

- Feature about FDOT approval of traffic signal at front entrance; comments by President Eastman and ASPEC member Nena Shepherd

 

WFLA Ch. 8
February 13, 2013

- Feature about FDOT approval of traffic signal at front entrance; comments by President Eastman and ASPEC member Jack Reed 

 

Tampa Bay Times
February 12, 2013

- EC alumni Tracy Crow '02 wins bronze medal, Dennis Lehane '88 wins gold medal in 2012 Florida Book Awards contest

 

Credit.com
February 12, 2013

- Comments by Director of Financial Aid Pat Watkins

 

Panama Beach News Herald
February 11, 2013

- Feature about basketball standout Darrien Mack '13

 

WTSP Channel 10
February 8, 2013

- Feature about alumna Joyce Russell '71

 

The Nature Conservancy 
February 4, 2013

- Feature about alumna Heather (Macrellis) Tallis '98

 

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Only at Eckerd

Where is it?
Where is it?
To encourage students who had not yet applied before the March 1 deadline, the Admission office came up with the clever little video above. Hopefully, they've found what they're looking for!


 

EC-SAR Marine Yard Sale: March 16 


The 27th Annual Marine Yard Sale benefiting Eckerd College Search and Rescue (EC-SAR) is set for Saturday, March 16, from 9 a.m. to 12 Noon at the Waterfront. Used boats, including a large selection of power and sailboats and motors, electronics and all types of accessories will be sold at a discounted rate. Other highlights include a raffle for a variety of items and refreshments for sale. All sales are final with no previews. For more information, call Scott Ferrara at 727-864-8555.

 

EC-SAR, a highly trained group of volunteer students and alumni who provide maritime search and rescue to Eckerd College and the Tampa Bay boating community, provides a no-fee service to the entire bay area boating community. More than 500 assists are performed by EC-SAR every year.    

 
On display in Cobb Gallery from March 18 to April 5, "Herb Snitzer - A Life in Photography" will feature documentary images by the renowned photographer and St. Petersburg resident whose career began in 1955. Snitzer's work has graced the pages of LOOK, LIFE, The Saturday Evening Post, The London Sunday Times and The New York Times, as well as dozens of album covers. In 2009, Snitzer, a longtime civil rights activist, received a lifetime achievement award from the St. Petersburg branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and a Social Justice Pioneer Award from The Studio@620.

 

Meet the artist at a gallery talk on Monday, April 1, at 2 p.m. or at the closing reception on Friday, April 5, from 6-8 p.m. College Program Series (CPS) credit will be given on Tuesday, March 26 from 1-3 p.m. Cobb Gallery hours are Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.




Discovering Languages by the Sea

  

Congratulations to students Hailey Escobar '15, Marka Maberry-Gaulke '16, Juan Monsalve Wagner '14, Colleen Owen '16, Hannah Sisk '16 and Patricia Smithwick '15 for placing in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages video contest. The group received 3rd place in the Judges category and 2nd place in the Popular category for their video titled "Discovering Languages by the Sea." The video contest was part of the national public awareness campaign, Discover Languages...Discover the World!, an effort to build public support for language learning in U.S. schools. 


 
"Making Justice: Now and Then"
An Eckerd-Chautauqua Partnership 
  
What does a slate of legal experts that includes Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have in common with
Chaplain Doug McMahon, Associate Professor of Religious Studies
Davina Lopez, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Classics Heather Vincent, Ph.D.? All of them will be appearing at the historic Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York during the same week this summer.

From July 27 to August 3, the three Eckerd faculty will be co-teaching "Making Justice: Now and Then" to only fourteen Eckerd students interested in the opportunity to register for an additional Spring course while fulfilling the requirements of the course mainly during the summer months. Eckerd and Chautauqua both share a commitment to lifelong learning and to the nurturing of the arts, intellectual pursuits, recreation and the spiritual life. This course is the first step in what is hoped will be a long standing partnership between the Chautauqua Institution and Eckerd College. 
 

 


ASPEC Debuts Eckerd Dragon Boat    

   

Every Friday for the past several months, members of ASPEC's Applied Technology interest group have been building a dragon boat for use by Eckerd College students. The official launch of the 45-foot canoe took place on February 8 in honor of the Chinese New Year. Professor of East Asian Studies Andrew Chittick, Ph.D., will be putting together a team of 20 Eckerd students to paddle the dragon boat - perhaps in preparation for an upcoming competition?



Events@Eckerd 

All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise stated.

Senior Thesis Exhibition: Bristol Best '13, Video, drawing and painting 

Mar. 10 - 15, Elliott Gallery

Mon-Fri, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

 

Art Exhibit: 154 Sonnets of Shakespeare, 10 Years of Calligraphy by Ruth Pettis '78 

Through Mar. 15, Cobb Gallery

Mon-Fri, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.      

  

Spring Recess  

Mar. 16 - 24

 

27th Annual EC-SAR Marine Yard Sale 

Mar. 16, 9 a.m. - 12 Noon, Waterfront 

  

Art Exhibit: Herb Snitzer, "A Life in Photography" 

Mar. 18 - Apr. 5, Cobb Gallery  

10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

 
ASPEC 10th Annual Science Day, "Scientific Advances in the 21st Century"

Mar. 23, 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Lewis House

 

Senior Thesis Exhibition: Matt Walker '13, Video and poetry installation 

Mar. 24 - 29, Elliott Gallery    

Mon-Fri, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.  

 

CPS: Herb Snitzer, "A Life in Photography" 

Mar. 26, 1-3 p.m., Cobb Gallery

 

CPS: Russ Luther, "Reducing World Hunger through Sustainable Agricultural Solutions" 

Mar. 27, 7:30 p.m., Fox Hall

 

CPS: Drs. Pier Vellinga and Henry Pollack, "Sea Level Rise in Florida: Mitigation, Adaptation or Retreat?" 

Mar. 28, 7 p.m., Fox Hall   

 

Senior Thesis Exhibition: Catherine Curtis '13, Mixed media; Ashley Allen, Dream illustration
Mar. 31 - Apr. 5, Elliott Gallery   

Mon-Fri, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 

 

CPS: "Fix the Debt: Why It Matters" Panel Discussion

Apr. 2, 7 p.m., Fox Hall     

Go Tritons! 
EC Tritons
Calling all fans, come cheer on your Tritons at these upcoming HOME games and matches! Visit the Athletics website for more info.        

 

Friday, Mar. 15

7 p.m., Baseball vs. Nova Southeastern University

 

Saturday, Mar. 16

1 p.m., Baseball vs. Nova Southeastern University (DH)

5 p.m., Baseball vs. Nova Southeastern University (DH)

 

Monday, Mar. 18

7 p.m., Baseball vs. Ave Maria University

 

Tuesday, Mar. 19

7 p.m., Baseball vs. Mansfield (Pa.) University

 

Wednesday, Mar. 20

11 a.m., Men's Tennis vs. NY Institute of Technology

11 a.m., Women's Tennis vs. NY Institute of Technology

 

Friday, Mar. 22

7 p.m., Softball vs. Rollins College

 

Saturday, Mar. 23

1 p.m., Softball vs. Rollins College (DH)

3 p.m., Softball vs. Rollins College (DH)

 

Sunday, Mar. 24

10 a.m., Men's Tennis vs. Merrimack (Mass.) College

10 a.m., Women's Tennis vs. Merrimack (Mass.) College

 

Tuesday, Mar. 26

5 p.m., Softball vs. Taylor (Ind.) University (DH)

7 p.m., Softball vs. Taylor (Ind.) University (DH)

 

Thursday, Mar. 28

2 p.m., Men's Tennis vs. University of West Alabama

2 p.m., Women's Tennis vs. University of West Alabama

7 p.m., Softball vs. Lynn University

 

Friday, Mar. 29

1 p.m., Softball vs. Lynn University (DH)

3 p.m., Softball vs. Lynn University (DH)

     

Where Are They Now?
Jimmy Chang '97
Michelle McEachern '10
Heather Macrellis Tallis '98
   
As the recently named Dean of Mathematics for St. Petersburg College (SPC), Eckerd alumnus
Jimmy Chang '97 oversees all mathematics instruction for all SPC programs and campuses. Following his appointment, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the Mathematical Association of America and the Florida Two-Year College Mathematics Association. While at Eckerd, Jimmy double majored in Mathematics and Theatre.

  

 


Last November, 83 Degrees Media
profiled Michelle McEachern '10, a member of a U.S. Geological Survey team of scientists tracking giant tegu lizards and Burmese pythons in South Florida. As Michelle was going about her day job to capture these invasive species, she encountered a 13.5-ft, 90-pound female Burmese python. "I call her Claire Bell. ... She was found in an area that is heavily searched year-round, was heavily searched during the recent Python Challenge, and she was found after the event ended." While at Eckerd, Michelle double majored in Marine Science and Environmental Studies, made the Dean's List, and was named a Hollings Scholar.




 

On March 18, Eckerd alumna Heather (Macrellis) Tallis '98 will become the first woman to serve as The Nature Conservancy's lead scientist.

Described as "one of the world's foremost analysts of the connections between nature and human well-being," she transitions to the Conservancy from the Stanford University-based Natural Capital Project, where she has been working on water funds in Colombia and Ecuador.

 

A Ford Scholar while at Eckerd, Heather received a B.S. degree with high honors in Marine Science. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington and has won awards from Rotary International, the Ford Foundation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, among others. Heather's academic research has focused on the biological consequences of nutrient and carbon flows in the open ocean, coastal zone, rivers and forests.

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