Lake Superior College News Releases

(Duluth, Minn.) — They have names like “Extinguisher,” “Last Minute,” and “Team Ewok.” They’re combat robots designed to fight each other in competition, and they’ll be doing battle at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth on May 15, starting at noon. The event will feature 15-pound combat robots competing in a 12-foot by 12-foot plexiglas arena. Student teams from across the region have been invited to compete.

This year’s event will take place in the indoor mall courtyard in front of Barnes and Noble at the Miller Hill Mall in Duluth, Minnesota. Competition starts at noon and continues until a champion is crowned. The competition is free and open to the public.

According to LSC Integrated Manufacturing instructor Mike Koppy, robot competitions have proven to be an excellent way to interest students in manufacturing and engineering programs. “Last year, this event attracted middle school students and high school students as well as college teams,” Koppy reports. “We expect the event to continue to grow.”

The tournament is sponsored by the Midwest Robotics League and the LSC Integrated Manufacturing program.

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.

Photo caption: LSC students Cheng Vang and Kenny Heehn make adjustments to “Extinguisher,” their entry in the “Battle of the Bots.”

(Duluth, Minn.) — Lake Superior College will recognize this year’s graduating class at commencement exercises at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) on May 16. The event is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. in the DECC Auditorium. A reception for students, friends, and families will be held at 5 p.m. in the Harbor Side Ballroom.

More than 1,000 degrees, diplomas, and certificates will be awarded to members of the class of 2008. Approximately 450 students are scheduled to participate in the LSC commencement exercises.

“Commencement is a momentous day for our students,” said Dr. Kathleen Nelson, LSC’s president. “It recognizes their educational accomplishments and signals the beginning of life’s next adventure. Whether the next step is the start of a career or the pursuit of more education, we know that the time and effort students spent at Lake Superior College will be remembered and valued. We wish the class of 2008 well.”

Dr. Steven D. Crow will serve as guest speaker at commencement. Crow is president of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. He provides leadership to assure the effectiveness of regional institutional accreditation. Before joining the commission in 1982, he served as an administrator and taught at Bowdoin College, Vanderbilt University, Bates College, and Kalamazoo College. Crow has spearheaded collaborative efforts with other organizations to address distance education, student learning assessments, quality assurance for trans-regional organizations, and the on-going relationship with the federal government created through the Higher Education Act. Crow earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in U.S. history at the University of Wisconsin.

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.

Lake Superior College will recognize this year’s graduating class at commencement exercises at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center (DECC) on Monday, May 21, at 3 p.m. A reception for students, friends, and families will be held at 5 p.m. in the Harbor Side Ballroom.

More than 900 degrees, diplomas, and certificates will be awarded to members of the class of 2007. Approximately 300 students are scheduled to participate in the LSC commencement exercises.

“Commencement is a wonderful day for our students,” said LSC President Dr. Kathleen Nelson (right). “It recognizes the completion of an educational goal and signals the beginning of life’s next adventure. Whether the next step is the start of a career or the pursuit of more education, we know that the time and effort students spent at Lake Superior College will be remembered and valued. We wish the class of 2007 well.”

Dr. Patty Petite will be the featured speaker at commencement. Petite has more than 20 years of experience in program management and development with a focus on advocacy work to improve education resources and services for children and families. She is committed to serving community and to life-long learning.

Petite has recently accepted a new position as the president of the Fond du Lac Tribal College in Cloquet, Minnesota. She will be working on separating the accreditation for the tribal college now held jointly in partnership with the Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. She is an enrolled member of the Fond du Lac Reservation where she lives with her family.

Petite was the former director of Fond du Lac Head Start Program for more than 12 years. Under her leadership, the Fond du Lac Head Start program added services for children pre-natal to kindergarten age and their families, including Early Head Start, Even Start, and Early Childhood/Family Education (ECFE). Petite also developed childcare services in partnership with the Fond du Lac Tribal & Community College.

Petite completed both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota Duluth and her Ed.D. in policy and administration in higher education from the University of Minnesota. In 2004-2005 Petite was awarded a Bush Foundation Fellowship where she worked collaboratively with other institutions of higher education in the areas of teaching and administration. She is the past chair of the Northland Foundation and is currently a member of the Cloquet Education Foundation.

With more than 4,800 students enrolled this spring semester, LSC is Northeastern Minnesota’s largest two-year college and a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system. 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.