WINTER 2000

Faculty and Staff News

Everett Staff Addition

Susan Burke was recently hired as the new program coordinator for the Everett teacher education program. Burke brings many years of experience in higher education and public schools, most recently with Edmonds Community College and as substitute teacher coordinator for the Edmonds School District.

New Extension Services Staff

Dave Crook has joined the extension services team in the Chestnut Building as program coordinator for Woodring's approximately 200 extension courses. Crook was in the Air Force for eight years, six years of which he spent in Okinawa, Japan. Most recently, he was an administrative assistant with the Ferndale School District.

Johnson Presents Keynote

Jerry Johnson, education liaison faculty in mathematics, was the keynote speaker for OSPI's January 18th, 2000, Conference in Spokane for K-12 Teachers and Administrators. The title of his presentation was "Teaching, Learning and Doing Mathematics: Traveling Down a Yellow Brick Road Looking for a Wizard of Oz." It was in conjunction with a book Johnson just completed for OSPI, Teaching, Learning and Doing Mathematics: Using Research to Shift from the 'Yesterday' Mind to the 'Tomorrow' Mind.

Kim Publishes Twentieth Book

Robert Kim, a faculty member of Woodring's Educational Foundation's Program Area for nearly thirty years, recently returned from a working sabbatical in Korea. While visiting his native land, he worked with Korean educators, served on a doctoral committee at Seoul National University, and served as a consultant to the Institute for North Korean Studies at Korea University.

One of Western's most prolific authors, Kim published two books and a journal article during his sabbatical. Naui Sarang Hyeryon Ege (To Helen, My Beloved) is a collection of letters written by the esteemed Korean patriot, Ahn Ch'ang-ho to his wife. The book is intended as a companion piece to the biography of Ahn Ch'ang-ho that Kim authored in 1996.

Distinguished Asian Americans: A Biographical Dictionary features biographical sketches of 166 famous Asian Americans who made significant contributions to Asian American culture between 1860 and the present.

Kim returned to campus at the beginning of winter quarter, and is presently teaching classes in educational foundations as well as in cultural studies. He will briefly visit his beloved Seoul again in March to present an invited paper to his colleagues at the Institute for North Korean Studies at Korea University.

New Silverdale Support

Leina McGregor was hired last fall to assist with the support of the Silverdale teacher education program. She has worked in office administration for 10 years in a variety of settings and is currently completing her B.S. in Health Care Administration. McGregor is the mother of two children and moved to Washington last summer when her husband was transferred here by the Navy.

Emeritus Professor Turns 95

Professor emeritus of education Bernice Skeen recently celebrated her 95th birthday in Bellingham. She was born January 18, 1905, in Nebraska. Skeen received her B.S. and M.S. from the University of Oregon, and her Ed.D. from Washington State University. She taught at Western from 1947 to 1972.

Towner Retires

After nearly 28 years with Western, John Towner retired at the end of Fall Quarter 1999. A member of the Elementary Education faculty, he also served as co-director of the Applied Research and Development Center during the past two years. He continues to teach Education 501, Educational Research, and is working on a few committees and projects for the Dean's Office.

Towner recently purchased a 1975 35' Fuji ketch that he plans to sail to Hawaii in the summer of 2001. Currently, he is working on quite a few projects to update the boat. This summer he is planning to help train a two-year old Haflinger draft horse to pull a cart, and keep up with other farm chores.

Utendale Honored

The Northwest Association of Student Affairs Professionals honored John Utendale with the Otis McCreery Outstanding Service Award for contributing in an outstanding way to the profession. This recognizes Utendale for maintaining a graduate Student Personnel Administration program of high standards which annually places outstanding new professionals into the field.

Vander Velde Exhibits Photos

Phil VanderVelde, whose career as faculty and chair in both the Human Services and Educational Foundations programs at Woodring has spanned thirty years, formally retired in 1998. Phil teasingly comments that since retiring his blood pressure has dropped at least fifteen or twenty points! Although he maintains contact with WCE students by teaching at least one class each quarter, Phil now devotes most of his attention to the art of photography. This issue of the Woodring Educator features a photo he took of the North Head lighthouse. It is an example of a larger series thematically focused on west coast lighthouses. Phil's photographs have been exhibited at Hamann's Gallery in Bellingham, and can be viewed on the Internet at http://www.perceptualarts.com.

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