Alumni Connections: May 2005

At the request of our alumni, here is some information on career opportunities.

www.Ecampusrecruiter.com/uccs is UCCS' online job database/resume website, available for current students and alumni. Via this website, you can access internship opportunities and full-time jobs that require at least a Bachelor's degree. As an employer on www.ecampusrecruiter.com/uccs you can also post job and internship opportunities and view resumes that students and alumni have posted.

To register on ecampusrecruiter go to www.ecampusrecruiter.com/uccs and click on the appropriate link.

Check out the newly redesigned Career Center website: http://www.uccs.edu/career. You can see when the next Career Fair will be and what employers have already signed up to interview on campus in the Fall, amongst other resources! Please feel free to email jobhelp@uccs.edu with your career-related questions--Career Counselors will be available in the summer.

Community members honored.  Two individuals with outstanding ties to Colorado were honored as part of UCCS 31st Commencement Ceremonies May 20. William J. Hybl, Colorado Springs, received the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters and Sharon Berthrong, Colorado Springs, received the University Medal. For more about the award winners and their honors, visit http://www.uccs.edu/~ur/media/pressreleases/view_article.php?article_id=top_story

Scott honored. In recognition of his role in supporting public higher education in Colorado Springs, Rocky Scott, the outgoing president of the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation, will be honored from 4:30 to 6 p.m. May 25 in University Center 303. For more information and to RSVP, call 255-3436.

Graduates move forward. The largest graduating class in UCCS history, 1,674, were honored May 20 and encouraged to build on skills honed at the university to improve their communities and their lives. “Remember,” Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak told the graduates, “a Harley-Davidson doesn’t have a reverse gear – neither should you.”  For more about commencement and to see the commencement address, visit http://www.uccs.edu/~chancellor/speeches.html.

Faculty at work. Several UCCS faculty members were recently honored for their scholarly contributions. Fred Coolidge, professor, Psychology, received a Fulbright Fellowship and will study in India in 2005-2006. Alan Davis, professor, Information Systems, received a Fulbright Senior Specialist Grant and will study in Nigeria at the University of Jos. Virginia Lynch, assistant professor, Beth-El College of Nursing and Health Sciences, was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to India and will teach forensic nursing and work with issues related to violence prevention. Joan Ray, professor, English, lectured at the Library of Congress April 12 about author Jane Austen and her popularity throughout the world. She was also featured on National Public Radio. Gary Klein, Couger Professor of Information Systems, Business, was named the most prolific publisher in the world in the area of information systems for the past five years. Klein led authors representing Clemson University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of British Columbia and the University of Minnesota according to the journal “Communications of the Association for Information Systems.”

Deans tapped. Deans for the College of Business and Administration and the College of Education were recently selected. La Vonne I. Neal, associate professor, Department of Education, Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas, was selected to lead the College of Education following a national search. She will begin July 1, pending approval by the University of Colorado Board of Regents. Venkateshwar “Venkat” K. Reddy, interim dean of the College of Business and Administration at UCCS assumed the permanent dean’s position May 1 after serving as interim dean since August 2004.

For more about the newest UCCS deans, visit http://www.uccs.edu/%7Eur/media/pressreleases/view_article.php?article_id=198 and http://www.uccs.edu/~ur/media/pressreleases/view_article.php?article_id=193

Professorship created. Sara Qualls, professor, Psychology, will soon hold the second endowed professorship in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. On May 18, Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak announced Qualls would be the first person to hold the Kraemer Family Professor of Aging Studies endowed professorship. The endowed professorship was made possible by Sandy and Dorothy Kraemer, Colorado Springs, best known for their previous gift to the Kraemer Family Library and Sandy Kraemer’s tenure as a member of the CU Board of Regents. For more about the professorship, visit http://www.uccs.edu/%7Eur/media/communique/view_article.php?issue_id=35&news_id=198.

Sweat required. In an April student election, students voted to increase fees by $30 to $80 per semester to pay for a $12 million 56,000-square-foot recreation center complete with swimming areas, a gymnasium, fitness center and track. For more about the recreation center, visit http://www.uccs.edu/~campusrec/.

Heller Ranch.  A retired Colorado Springs elementary school teacher’s love for open spaces will benefit the Heller Ranch Center for Arts and Humanities at UCCS. Elizabeth O. “Betty” Taylor died March 6, a few days before her 86th birthday. Before her death, she bequeathed her family’s ranch near Columbia Falls, Mont., to the CU Foundation with the understanding that the land would be sold and 80 percent of the proceeds used to renovate the Heller property on the UCCS campus. The land has an appraised value of $645,000 and is currently on the market. To read more about the Heller Ranch, visit http://www.uccs.edu/~heller/.

Undergrads show research prowess.  Exploring text as pattern, understanding the role of Mormons in American West history, and analyzing the contents of dietary supplements, were some of the topics discussed at the Second Annual Colorado Springs Undergraduate Research Forum April 30. Held at the United States Air Force Academy, the forum provided more than 200 UCCS, Colorado College and Air Force Academy undergraduates the opportunity to shine in 20-minute oral presentations and poster sessions. The event also featured a keynote address by James Gallogly, UCCS alumnus and CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. Gallogly discussed the importance of critical thinking in achieving top performance both academically and professionally. For more about the undergraduate research forum, visit http://www.uccs.edu/lasdean/forum.htm.

Who is responsible for college student success? When it comes to increasing student retention and success, the first year of college is critical. Parents, high school teachers, counselors, faculty and students themselves all play a part in this important stage of a student’s academic career, according to John Gardner, executive director, The Policy Center on the First Year of College. UCCS hosted a keynote presentation by Gardner May 24 and will use the counsel provided to assist in improving the number of students who continue past the freshman year toward graduation.

Alumni Connections is published monthly as an update on the activities at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Please share this e-mail with others who you believe would be interested. To unsubscribe, send an e-mail to: alumni@uccs.edu