We are getting back into the swing of things and it feels great to have such energy in the air.  The summer season is still upon us, and I'm looking forward to experiencing some of Dayton's fun festival culture this weekend.  I've heard the Greek Festival and the Italian Fall Fiesta are not to be missed.  And I have promised my family that we are heading to the Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville in a few weeks.  I hope to see some of you there!

 

LEAP, UCIE, & WSIG

Congratulations are in order for two of our great collaborative teams who each received the 2014 President's Awards for Excellence: LEAP and Theatre Design and Technology. CoLA's Learning English for Academic and Professional Purposes (LEAP), along with UCIE (University Center for International Education) and Wright State International Gateway (WSIG), have helped globalize our campus while providing high quality educational opportunities for a growing

Tim Judge, John Lavarnway, and James Dunlap

cadre of international students. Congratulations to our fantastic LEAP faculty and Director Jeannette Horwitz, Assistant Director Catherine Crowley, and Admin Marie Donohue!  Theatre Design and Technology staff is responsible for the creation of the sets, lighting, sound, costumes, and props that have helped put WSU Theatre on the map and brought the university national acclaim.  Great Job Tim Judge, James Dunlap, John Lavarnway, Janet Denman, and Carly Kimmins!

Students in the Communication Department are benefiting tremendously from an innovative course on Social Media and Personal Branding, led by instructors and social media experts Ike Brunner and Russ Shirley.  Whether a student is interested in personal or business branding, this class offers insights into an array of social media information including blogging, public relations, marketing, and customer service industries.  The expertise students acquire in this class put them in high demand for jobs and internships.  Upon completion of this course, senior Kacie Klarer landed an internship with the Better Business Bureau of Dayton & Miami Valley, Shelby Eversole's broad skillset led to a successful internship at The Greentree Group, and our own Bridget Fantaci is doing a fantastic job managing CoLA's social media. 

Finally, I am excited to introduce you to the new CoLA Dean's Student Advisory Board (DSAB). Left to right: Emily Simpson, Integrated Language Arts; Emily Bingham, English; Abigail Sorensen, Humanities; Dennis Wilson, Communication Studies; Khadija Kirksey, International Studies and Women's Studies; Cedric Ntwali, French; Dean Kristin Sobolik; Brandon DeFoe, Political Science; Diamond Williams, Social Work; Lukas Wenrick, Social Science Education & History; President Julia Stidham, Political Science; Johnathon Klugh, Philosophy & Religion.  Missing from the photo are: Brandon Whitehorn, Political Science; Ryan Rushing, Political Science; and Stephen Monath, Music.

These impressive students will be great ambassadors for CoLA, representing the college at important events, providing insight into the student perspective, and planning their own outreach opportunities. We will be highlighting one DSAB student each week in the CoLA Weekly, so stay tuned!