COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Belfy, Parkinson, Henderson Honored
Professors
Jeanne Belfy (left), Del Parkinson (right) and Heike Henderson (below
right) were recently honored by the College of Arts and Sciences with
the college’s annual awards for distinguished community engagement,
creative activity/research and teaching.
Belfy, music, received the college’s inaugural award for Distinguished Community Engagement. Belfy was recognized for her 24 years of enhancing musical arts programs within the community. Her commitment to the Boise Chamber Music Society continues to be an excellent endeavor providing diverse and prestigious musical concerts and master classes on an annual basis.
Parkinson, also with the Department of Music, was recognized for Distinguished Creative Activity. He has developed a reputation regionally, nationally and internationally as a respected pianist defined by his skill and artistry. Parkinson has performed as far abroad as Europe and Japan and has seven CD recordings to his credit.
Henderson,
modern languages and literatures, was recognized for her Distinguished
Teaching. Her passion and dedication to teaching are equaled only
by her enthusiasm for developing what is now a strong and healthy German curriculum
with an emphasis on a cultural studies approach. In 2007, the Educational Policy
Improvement Center identified her German 303 course as one of the top 10 German
courses in the nation.
The instructors were awarded plaques recognizing their efforts on behalf of Boise State, and each received a stipend of $1,000.
ALBERTSONS LIBRARY
Survey Scheduled for April
In April, the Albertsons Library will once again be participating in the LibQUAL survey. LibQUAL is a rigorously tested, Web-based survey sponsored by the national Association of Research Libraries that helps libraries assess and strengthen their services. The Albertsons Library previously participated in 2006, which will allow its staff to compare the results from two years ago.
The LibQUAL survey is key to helping the library staff improve its services and will also be helpful as it develops its self-study report for the NWCCU accreditation. The library will be sending out an e-mail message to all staff and faculty, as well as a sample of 3,000 students, inviting them to participate in the survey.
International Connections Schedules Presentation on Vietnam Program
This month’s International Connections brown bag luncheon seminar will feature professor Nancy Napier of the international business program with her presentation titled “Bending Bamboo: Boise State’s Nine-Year Project in Vietnam.” The event will be from 12:30-1:30 p.m. March 12 in the Lookout Room of the Student Union.
In 1994, when diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam were still unstable, Boise State was invited to become the first American university to work in Vietnam. Beginning with a one-year project to deliver Boise State’s MBA degree to instructors at the National Economics University in Hanoi, BSU’s involvement grew to a nine-year, $8.5 million Swedish and U.S. government-funded project to help establish Vietnam’s first international business school.
Over the course of the nine-year project, 25 percent of the faculty members in Boise State’s College of Business and Economics were involved in the program, and 84 individuals from Vietnam came to Boise for internships with organizations ranging from the YMCA to the Idaho Statesman, Boise Cascade, Hewlett-Packard, and JC Penney’s. In the process, Boise State gained attention and positive reviews in the Asian Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the Idaho Statesman and National Public Radio. Some of the graduates of Vietnam’s international business school have started their own companies: one brought ATMs to Vietnam, another stands at the head of Vietnam’s software association, and a third is the financial investment adviser to some of the country’s largest and most successful firms.
Plan to attend March 12 to learn more about Boise State’s historic Vietnamese partnership. Light refreshments will be provided or feel free to bring your own lunch. The event is sponsored by the Albertsons Library and BSU’s Office of International Programs. For more information, call ext. 6-3652.
BOOKSTORE
‘Orange Out’ Garb For Sale
Get geared up at the Bookstore and Bronco Shops for the game of the year — tonight’s Utah State at BSU men’s basketball contest in Taco Bell Arena. Boise State T-shirts will be on sale for $5 at all Bronco Shop locations and at Taco Bell Arena on game day. Orange is the color of choice for tonight’s regular-season finale as the Boise State men’s team looks to capture the outright 2008 Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship. Bronco fans are asked to wear as much orange as possible and welcome visiting Utah State to Taco Bell Arena with an “Orange Out.”
Black MacBook Special at BroncoTEC
Now available at BroncoTEC — the black MacBook with 2.16 GHz, 1GB memory, 160GB hard drive, SuperDrive plus AppleCare for MacBook (extends phone and technical service to three years) as well as a HP D2430 color printer. The entire package is on sale for $1,236 while supplies last.
WOMEN’S CENTER
Center to Honor Rainford, Student at Annual Breakfast
Social work professor Will Rainford and Boise State student Bakhrom Mirkasimov will receive the faculty and student award, respectively, at the annual Larry Selland Humanitarian Award breakfast at 8 a.m. March 12 in the Lookout Room of the Student Union. The event, sponsored by the Boise State Women’s Center, honors the humanitarian efforts of members of the university community and is named in honor of the late Larry Selland, who served as vice president for academic affairs and interim president at BSU. For more information, call the Women’s Center at ext. 6-5249.
Center Marks Women’s History Month With Variety of Events
The Women's Center will present Movie Night at 5:30 p.m. March 10 in the Student Union Barnwell Room. The film, “Woman On Fire: Menopause Stories,” is produced and directed by Kathleen Laughlin and features soul-searching interviews with women around 50. Amusing animated sequences and enchanting re-enactments of early memories are intertwined to create this one-of-a-kind exploration of the transforming experience of menopause. Some of the women have an expert’s overview; others talk from the heart as they tackle the emotional shifts of mid-life. Admission is free.
The Women’s History Month keynote event is “The Heather Gold Talk Show” at 6 p.m. March 14 in the Student Union Jordan D Ballroom. This funny and provocative talk show will look at women through the life cycle as Heather Gold interviews local women about their lives.
More information about Women’s History Month is available online or by calling the Women’s Center at ext. 6-4259.
Engineering
Women Engineers Remake “Green” Room at Shelter
The Boise State student section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) recently teamed with a variety of community partners to make over a room in the Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA) shelter by applying green, environmentally friendly design principles.
The WCA in Boise provides safe shelter, education, opportunity, and hope to those escaping the trauma of domestic and sexual violence. Society of Women Engineers is a nonprofit organization that provides education support, professional development and outreach activities.
"We wanted to create an environmentally safe room that supports the WCA’s mission of providing a safe haven,” said Patricia Pyke, engineering education research director and the SWE project leader for the room makeover. “People might think that SWE professional women, students and scientists are immune from domestic violence, but we know that domestic and sexual violence affects women of all backgrounds and professions.”
In Our Community
Teacher Education Association Gives Money for Students' Books
The Boise State Teacher Education Association has received $4,000 in grants from First Book, a national literacy organization, which were distributed to six high-need schools and programs in the area. This morning, 52 students from Mountain View Elementary are heading over to Borders book store to spend gift cards for books. Many of these children have never had the joy of choosing a new book of their very own, let alone one from a book shelf.
The event with the Mountain View students is the BSUTEA's first outreach event during the National Education Association Read Across America Week, an annual event that focuses on literacy.
HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES
SkillSoft Online Learning Demonstrations Offered
Jerri Mizrahi, employee learning and development manager, will host three free sessions in Room 209 of the Simplot/Micron Building to demonstrate the functionality of SkillSoft online learning. They are scheduled from 1-1:30 p.m. March 12, 9-9:30 a.m. March 20, and 9-9:30 a.m. April 1.
Mizrahi will cover how to navigate through SkillSoft and how it can be used as a tool for creating personal development opportunities and developing learning plans. Books 24/7 will also be explored and how you can make use of this valuable resource.
SkillSoft is an online comprehensive catalog of more than 800 online courses that also includes access to Books 24/7. The courses, developed by Skillsoft, offer employees a wide variety of training opportunities designed to enhance critical business and software skills.
If you are interested in how to begin using SkillSoft, register for a demonstration at cedar.boisestate.edu/hrs/workshops /login.asp or e-mail HRTrainingDevelopment @boisestate.edu. Additional information can also be found on the Employee Learning and Development Web site at hrs.boisestate.edu/td/skillsoft.shtml For more information, contact Mizrahi at ext. 6-4418.
Student Activities
‘The Door’s Open’ at University Housing
University Housing invites the campus community to “The Door’s Open,” an open house to learn more about the Residential College Program and the Living-Learning Center in Keiser Hall. The event is from noon-2 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, at all of the following locations. Maps will be provided at each location to help guide visitors.
- University Suites Building C — Arts & Humanities
- Keiser Hall — Civic Leadership
- Taylor Hall — College of Business and Economics
- Morrison Hall — Engineering and Health Professions
- Chaffee Hall
- Towers Hall
Second Annual Majors Fair Scheduled March 12
Faculty and staff members are invited to attend the second annual
Majors Fair from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. March 12 in the Jordan Ballroom of
the Student Union. The event is co-sponsored by Advising and Academic
Enhancement and the Career Center. The Majors Fair gives students
the opportunity to investigate major options in a fun atmosphere and to visit
with representatives from the university’s various academic and student services
departments. Visit the Career Center Web site at career.boisestate.edu/ to sign
up to participate. Prizes will be given to the most interactive and the most creative
booths. For more information, call Jennifer Ross at ext. 6-1747 or Deb Teater
at ext. 6-4049.
'Rail Jam' Presented by Student Programs Board March 8
Student Programs Board is bringing together snowboarders from all around the valley and professional riders on a tour. The event will take place on the intramural field, from 1-6 p.m. Saturday.
Eight Boise State students and a few snowboarding teams from the valley will compete against professional riders for prizes and glory. A panel of judges will select the winning riders. Students in the audience who get their student ID scanned will have a chance to win snowboard gear and a weekend stay in Sun Valley with free ski passes. Booths from sponsors like Cricket Wireless, SPB, Giro, Spider, Snowboard magazine, Fuel T.V., and Bogus Basin are just a few of the sponsors that will be giving away free stuff. 1033 Kiss FM will D.J. the event.
Submissions for 2008 President's Writing Awards Sought
Boise State is seeking submissions for the annual President’s Writing Awards, a contest open to undergraduate students at Boise State. Two prizes will be awarded in each category; first prize will receive $150, and second prize will receive $75.
The contest is open to all currently enrolled Boise State undergraduate students. Essays prepared for coursework are eligible, but previously published essays are not. A student may enter only one category and may submit no more than one entry to that category.
Intertribal Native Council Hosts Annual Seven Arrows Pow Wow
The Intertribal Native Council will present the 15th annual Seven Arrows Pow Wow March 22-23 in the Student Union Jordan Ballroom. Admission is $5 general, $3 seniors, and free for children younger than 10; tickets are available at the door. Grand entries will be at noon and 7 p.m. March 22 and noon March 23.
The Intertribal Native Council is raffling off a print by acclaimed photographer and Boise State professor Larry McNeil. The print is worth $2,500, and tickets are $20 each. McNeil has been recognized by the National Geographic Society for his work, which is also part of the State Department’s Art in Embassies program. To purchase a ticket, call INC president Hailey Wilson at 791-5686. Proceeds will go to the INC.
Delta Epsilon Chi Announces State Competition Winners
Three Selland College students won awards at the Idaho Delta Epsilon Chi State Career Development Conference Feb. 21-23 in Lewiston and will compete at the International DEC Career Conference in Atlanta April 12-15.
The students are studying marketing management technology and are members of the Delta Epsilon Chi chapter at Boise State.
Boise State Finishes Second at College Bowl Regionals
Boise State finished second out of nine in the Region 14 College Bowl Competition in Seattle Feb 22 -23. Colin McNamara, Heather Harrington, Matt Mayer, Dane Johns and Kris Wolf represented Boise State at this question-and-answer competition held at the University of Washington.
College Bowl is a yearlong, campus-wide Q & A game that combines academic material, popular culture, current events and sports in a format emphasizing quick recall. Boise State’s team was selected in November from the top five individual scorers at the Boise State campus College Bowl tournament.
McNamara also made the regional All Star team by having the fifth highest individual point total in the competition.
With its strong finish the Boise State team is eligible for a wild card spot at the national competition held in Minneapolis in April.
Taco Bell Arena
Get a Discount Ticket to Cirque de Soleil's “Saltimbanco”
State employees can receive a discounted ticket to Cirque de Soleil's "Saltimbanco," running May 21-25. Use the code word "ringmaster" to receive 10 percent off ticket prices, which are $38-$83. To receive the discount, visit the Taco Bell Arena box office between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; call ext. 6-1766 and mention the code word; or visit www.idahotickets.com/presale.
HEALTH, WELLNESS AND COUNSELING
The Parenting Challenge Scheduled March 15
The Parenting Challenge is a free seminar about parenting strong-willed children of any age with an emphasis on pre-teens and teens. It will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. March 15 in the Ah Fong Room of the Student Union.
Parents will explore why traditional parenting techniques don’t work with strong-willed children and will begin to develop a parenting and communication plan that fits the needs of parents and teens and reduces power struggles and chaos in the home. To register, contact Wellness Services at ext. 6-5686 or wellness@boisestate.edu.
University Dining Services
Dining Survey Offers Opportunity to Win a Bose SoundDock
University Dining Services is conducting a survey to better understand campus lifestyle and preferences. By sharing your thoughts, UDS will gain valuable insight to help improve your overall campus dining experience.
The online survey will take 10 to 12 minutes and responses are confidential. Click on this link to begin the survey: www.college-survey.com/boisestate.
If you cannot click on the link, copy and paste http://www.college-survey.com/boisestate into your Web browser address bar and hit enter.
