Lake Superior College News Releases

(Duluth, Minn.) – Lake Superior College (LSC) faculty members Kent Voelkner and Dorothy Rico have been honored as recipients of the college’s Teaching Excellence Awards.

They were also nominated for the Minnesota State and Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Board of Trustees Excellence in Teaching Awards by LSC President Kathy Nelson and Vice President of Academic Affairs Candace Barnack. This statewide award recognizes outstanding faculty for their dedication to student learning throughout the 33 state colleges and universities in the MnSCU system. The awards are granted by the MnSCU Board of Trustees.

Voelkner teaches math and chemistry. He has been a faculty member at LSC for 20 years. “Kent creates a classroom climate where students are at ease and know they can ask questions because of his respect for the students,” noted Candace Barnack. “As a teacher, he believes that making mistakes is okay; it lets the student know you are human and they can concentrate on course content.” Voelkner has a B.S. and a M.S. in chemistry. He also completed 16 graduate credits in math to obtain an assigned field in math. Voelkner has been the Student Senate Advisor since 1990. He believes that advising students is a crucial role as an instructor. He has also served on the Student Life Committee for 13 years.

Rico teaches in the nursing program. She has been a teacher for more than 15 years. “Dorothy is an instructor who is always growing, always changing to ensure she is providing the highest quality of teaching and learning for her students,” said Barnack. “She continuously updates her computer skills and incorporates the latest technologies into the classroom.” Rico has been a leader within the LSC AD Nursing program, serving as a liaison to the Math and Science Departments as well as to local health organizations. She completed both undergraduate and graduate work in nursing; she received a M.S. in nursing 37 years ago. She has more than 20 years of experience working in an Intensive Care Unit and has maintained her Critical Care Nursing certification for more than 20 years.

Both nominees are considered campus leaders by their peers in providing student-centered, active learning environments and are considered invaluable resources for colleagues and co-workers.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also a leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) — For the second year in a row, the Lake Superior College (LSC) Surgical Technology program has earned a “Top 20″ designation from the Accreditation Review Committee on Surgical Technology. The honor is bestowed on programs with the highest student scores in the annual Program Assessment Examination (PAE). The results of the class of 2007 indicate that the LSC students are among the nation’s best-trained new surgical technologists.

The PAE is a 150-question test that is given to all program students as close as possible to graduation. It is intended to determine how well the program met the curriculum guidelines set by the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) and its Accreditation Review Committee on Surgical Technology.

The LSC Surgical Technology program was also on the “Top 20″ list in 2004. There are more than 400 AST member programs that participate in the PAE.

“It’s rewarding to know that LSC students compete favorably with other students from across the country,” said Candace Barnack, LSC’s vice president of academic affairs. “It validates our quality curriculum and instruction and is evidence that our students are ready to contribute to the health care system.”

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,300 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

Kathy Griffin, Director of the Lake Superior College Dental Hygiene program, has been named to serve on the Commission on Dental Accreditation. She was appointed by the American Dental Hygienists Association to serve in the post, and is the only dental hygienist on the 30-member commission. Her term will run until October of 2011.

As part of this appointment, Griffin will chair the Review Committee on Dental Hygiene Education and the Ad Hoc Committee to Update Documents Related to Revised Standards for Dental Hygiene Education Programs. She will also serve as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Alternative Site Visit Methods, a member of the Task Force on Communication, and an ex-officio member to the American Dental Hygienists’ Association Council on Education.

The mission of the Commission on Dental Accreditation is to serve the public by establishing, maintaining, and applying standards that ensure the quality and continuous improvement of dental and dental-related education and reflect the evolving practice of dentistry. The scope of the Commission on Dental Accreditation encompasses dental, advanced dental, and allied dental education programs. It is a commission of the American Dental Association, the world’s oldest and largest national dental association. More information is available online at http://www.ada.org/prof/ed/accred/commission/.

(Duluth, Minn.) — Lake Superior College has named Hanna Erpestad Interim Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She will administer and lead the college’s Liberal Arts and Science Division, supervising more than 100 full and part-time faculty members. She will serve in that role as LSC conducts a national search to fill the position.

Erpestad, an English instructor at Lake Superior College, also served as Faculty Chair of the Liberal Arts and Science Division prior to her appointment. She has been a member of the LSC faculty since 1999 and has received several awards for teaching, including Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Faculty Award of Excellence (2006), and the Teaching Excellence Award (Runner-up) for Lake Superior College Online (2007).

Erpestad holds an associate in arts degree from Lake Superior College and bachelor and master degrees in English from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. She has also completed graduate courses in humanities and educational leadership at Hamline and Bemidji State University respectively, and is a 2006 graduate of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Luoma Leadership Academy.

Erpestad will be on a leave of absence from her teaching duties while serving in the interim position.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,000 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota

by Janet Blixt

Originally published in the Duluth News Tribune

Strong personal relationships are everything when it comes to international exchanges. Lake Superior College’s program with visiting Chinese art faculty and students is a thriving example of how the common language of art crosses many boundaries.

“Our collaborations with Chinese artists have evolved without formal structure. They are based on mutually supportive relationships,” says Dorian Beaulieu, LSC’s art department faculty member and ceramicist. “In the arts, ceramics is the most personable common language system with earth and clay. We have a great bond with other potters around the world. We are used to surprises and disappointments in the creative process.”

LSC’s connection to Chinese artists began six years ago when Beaulieu met Ji Ye at a conference and invited him to do painting demonstrations at LSC. Ji Ye is an accomplished watercolor and oil painter whose style joins Asian brush stroke technique with Western-style realism. He graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art with his master’s degree in art education with an emphasis in watercolor. He served as an associate professor for nine years at Guangzhou University and later taught at the Academy of Art in San Francisco. His paintings have been exhibited in the National Art Gallery in China, Taiwan, and Poland and are held in many private European and American collections. He has had several exhibits in the Midwest. His work was recently exhibited in St. Paul at the Office of the Chancellor for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and at St. Cloud State University for a symposium on China where he also presented.

Ji Ye has taught painting, watercolor and Chinese calligraphy at LSC for several years. “I enjoy teaching American students who are taking art classes as general courses and not necessarily as art majors,” explains Ji. “It is difficult in the beginning for students who have never painted or drawn before. The students relax and gain confidence as we learn fundamentals in a step-by-step approach. I want to encourage students to have a lifelong interest in art.” Ji Ye has been intrigued by the natural beauty and history of Duluth and Lake Superior since he and his family moved here. He has painted many landscapes and portraits reflecting that interest. “I am devoted to expressing the beauty I see between people and nature,” he says.

In the fall of 2002, Dorian Beaulieu attended a World Ceramics Conference in Foshan, China by invitation of Wenzhi Zhang. That was the beginning of an exchange of ideas, support, and faculty between the Lake Superior College Art Department and the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts.

Zhang first came to LSC in 2003 and returned in 2004 to demonstrate ceramic sculpture as a professional artist. She is internationally known for her large-scale ceramic sculpture and is considered one of the top contemporary ceramic artists in China. She earned her master’s degree in fine arts at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. “It was a very competitive degree program,” she explains. Two thousand people applied for the master’s program; seventy-six qualified and Wenzhi was awarded the opportunity. “The government paid for everything so you could concentrate on your art. There were no teaching duties.”

It wasn’t until Zhang returned to LSC in the spring of 2005 that she first taught art. “American students are very different from Chinese students. American students have their own ideas – they come to me in class and say, ‘I would like to do a teapot or I would like to add flowers – please show me how to do this.’ Chinese students are used to all working on the same idea. Chinese students get very stressed. They do as they are told, even though things are loosening up in the classroom,” explains Zhang.

After teaching at LSC, Zhang returned to the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts to build a ceramics department modeled after LSC’s ceramics studio. “I had shelving and carts built like the ones at LSC. It made me feel at home, “says Zhang. Her American-influenced approach to teaching created a word-of-mouth reputation for her classes at Guangzhou Academy as a relaxed environment to study. “Students were crying because they couldn’t get into my class,” said Zhang. “It’s become very popular which is unusual for Chinese ceramics.”

Beaulieu was invited as a guest artist to the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art in the spring of 2006. “When Dorian came and demonstrated pottery making, it made the classes even more popular,” says Zhang. He taught raku and worked with students and craftspeople to build a raku kiln. Glazes were developed with the help of a chemistry company in time for a school-wide demonstration in the courtyard at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art where hundreds of students and faculty attended Dorian’s demonstration. “I was treated like a rock star,” jokes Beaulieu. “The Chinese take their artists very seriously.”

Zhang will participate as one of the guest artists in the upcoming International Wood Fire Conference at LSC July 16-26. Her students from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art will attend. Professor Lu Pinchang, a high-profile Chinese ceramics instructor, will also participate. Lu Pinchang is the head of the sculpture department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. He will bring his students with him to participate in the conference. The official Chinese television network will come to Duluth to document Pinchang’s journey to LSC with his students. WDSE-Channel 8, the local public television station, has been working on a documentary on the exchange between LSC and China.

LSC student Ryan Horton has taken oil painting, watercolor, drawing with Ji Ye and ceramics with Zhang. “My style in painting and ceramics has been influenced by Wenzhi and Ji Ye’s approach. I worry less about being perfect but work on pleasing myself. I would watch Wenzhi start a sculpture and not be sure of what she was doing. It seemed like a mistake to me but it was not a mistake. I am much more open-minded to new ideas as a result of watching Ji Ye paint. It seems the Chinese are much freer in their painting style.”

Zhang and Ji Ye have been teaching a free Mandarin Chinese class open to the public this spring. They are motivated by their enthusiasm for Chinese culture and a desire to expand the exchange program to include Chinese students at LSC. “We now have an agreement with Guangzhou Academy of Fine Art to bring a group of LSC students over to China in 2008, “says Beaulieu. “We hope to see Chinese students coming here on a regular basis to attend courses, too.”

(Duluth, Minn.) — The first annual Lake Superior College “Thrill on the Hill” Scholarship Fund Run for runners and walkers will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 5. Prepare to be challenged by this fun-filled event and its never-ending supply of hills. It is guaranteed to take your breath away!

The “Thrill on the Hill” walk/run traverses a beautiful course through the neighborhoods surrounding Lake Superior College and showcases vistas of the Duluth Harbor and St. Louis Bay. The race course will include parts of the LSC campus, Trinity and Hutchinson Roads, and the Piedmont Ski Trails.

The event includes a 5K run/walk and a 10K course which features a hybrid half road/half trail run. A Husky Dash Kid’s Race is free for kids ages ten and under and starts at 11:30 a.m.

The registration fee is $25. All race proceeds will benefit the Lake Superior College Foundation’s general scholarship fund. Participants are welcome to register online at www.lsc.edu/thrillonthehill. Chip timing will be used. All entrants will receive a “Thrill on the Hill” T-shirt and be eligible for door prizes. The “Thrill on the Hill” also has an official blog site at blog.lsc.edu/fundrun Packet pick-up and race expo is Friday, May 4, 5-7 p.m. in the Lake Superior College main concourse.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) – Lake Superior College faculty members Penny Fudally and Marlise Riffel have been nominated by LSC President Kathy Nelson and Vice President of Academic Affairs Candace Barnack for the Minnesota State and Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Award for Excellence in Teaching. This newly established statewide award recognizes outstanding faculty at the 33 state colleges and universities in the MnSCU system. The awards will be granted by the MnSCU Board of Trustees.

Fudally and Riffel are two of thirty faculty nominated from the MnSCU system.

Fudally teaches in the dental hygiene program. She has been a faculty member at LSC for 15 years. Riffel teaches sociology. She has been a teacher for more than 25 years. Both nominees are considered campus leaders by their peers in providing student-centered, active learning environments and are considered invaluable resources for colleagues and co-workers.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

(Duluth, Minn.) — Lake Superior College is again offering the chance to train for and run Grandma’s Marathon or the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon for college credit while working with a world-class athlete.

The option to take class as a non-credit course is also available. The course provides race training and nutritional information in addition to history, etiquette and basic skills.

Native Duluthian Katie Koski will teach the online physical education course. Koski is a champion runner who hopes to qualify for the Beijing Olympics team trials. She was asked to teach the online course for Lake Superior College because of her experience competing in Grandma’s Marathon. “I have run Grandma’s eight times finishing 6th, 7th and 10th respectively with a 2:42 best,” said Koski. “I feel very connected to the Duluth running community and Grandma’s Marathon.”

Koski was named to the 2006 World Cup 100k Team based on her performance at the Edmund Fitzgerald Race in 2005. Although she is only thirty-three years old, this is her twentieth year of competitive running.

“The beauty of running for me is its simplicity,” explained Koski. “One only needs a decent pair of shoes, a path and a vision even if the vision is simply to get from here to there. She continued, “I like to compete and do well in races, but more importantly I find beauty in the movement itself and the people running has brought into my life. Running is a great teacher, and I have learned much about myself by lacing up shoes each day and heading down some path.”

Koski’s goal is to achieve the Olympic Trails Standard at Grandma’s this June. This will enable her to compete in the Women’s Olympic Trials in Boston April of 2008. If she runs the standard, sub 2:47, she will begin to prepare for her third U.S. Women’s Olympic Trials.

More than 17,000 runners and 50,000 race fans from around the world are expected to participate in June 15-17, 2007 Grandma’s Marathon weekend. The registration deadline to sign up for the Grandma’s Marathon course is March 20, 2007. For more information visit www.lakesuperioronline.info or contact Christine Torma, (218) 733-2030, c.torma@lsc.edu

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 3,800 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota

(Duluth, Minn.) – Lake Superior College faculty member Susan Brashaw has been recognized with the first annual FY07 Faculty Excellence Award for LSC Online. This award is tied to the annual Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning & Technology given at the annual International Conference on College Teaching and Learning hosted by Florida Community College at Jacksonville.

Brashaw will make a presentation in April at the conference and receive her award. Her presentation will discuss how to encourage and improve quality in online learning through a faculty-driven peer review process.

LSC is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. With more than 3,800 students enrolled this fall semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college. LSC provides a wide range of programs and services, including liberal arts and science courses for transfer, technical programs intended to provide occupational skills, continuing education, and customized training for business and industry. LSC is also the leader in Internet-delivered courses and programs in Minnesota.

Media contact: Gary Kruchowski, (218) 733-7649, g.kruchowski@lsc.edu or Janet Blixt, (218) 723-4743 or j.blixt@lsc.edu