Geek Squad Training

As I mentioned awhile back, I scheduled myself to attend a session of Nikon School this month…and yesterday was the day. It was the epitome of Geekdom (spending the entire day in a darkened hotel conference room with 200+ other photo-nerd types), as we really didn’t talk photography, per se, but rather, all those detailed technical tasks that must be accomplished in the world of digital photography after you snap the shutter. So: we covered the process of downloading the images to the computer; browsing and culling them; organizing them coherently; editing; and, finally, outputting the final product to the web, slideshow, or printer. In case you’re interested, the full set of notes from the day is available here.

Today, I’m feeling like a fully-credentialed Geek. (And I have a Nikon School Certificate to prove it!)

Soundtrack Suggestion

Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don’t take my Kodachrome away

(“Kodachrome” – Paul Simon)

In Memoriam

Martha Anne Dow

One of my best friends in the Oregon University System (OUS) has passed on. I knew Martha Anne Dow from the time I joined the OUS Chancellor’s Office staff in 1995. At that point she was the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) in Klamath Falls. When the incumbent president retired in 1998, Martha Anne was the natural and logical choice to take over the OIT reigns.

I was a huge fan and supporter of hers, as I found her to be one of the most decent individuals I had ever encountered in a higher education leadership role. Similarly, I knew her to be a true-blue fan and supporter of mine. I don’t have an actual count of how many times she was contacted during the last three and half years of my job-search process, but it was several. At one point a prospective employer disclosed, after doing reference-check phone calls on me, “whatever you do, don’t take Martha Anne off your reference list!”

Martha Anne, I’ll miss you. You left us way too soon.

PORTLAND, September 29, 2007 – Oregon University System chancellor, George Pernsteiner, announced with sadness this evening the passing of Dr. Martha Anne Dow, president of the Oregon Institute of Technology, who died today after a six-month battle with breast cancer. President of OIT since 1998, Dow is widely recognized for her leadership in advancing the mission of Oregon Tech and her passion for expanding access to higher education for Oregonians.

Governor Ted Kulongoski said, “Dr. Dow’s dedication to raising the aspirations of Oregon students to attend college reflected her unwavering belief in every person’s ability to grow, learn, and give back to their communities. She will remain for us always a heroine of educational advancement and a true Oregon treasure.”

Henry Lorenzen, president of the State Board of Higher Education, said, “Martha Anne was not only a highly talented and innovative educator, she was also an incredibly kind, thoughtful and genuine friend and colleague for all of us who had the honor of working with her. Our hearts are breaking for her family, friends, and for ourselves. Martha Anne has left an indelible mark on OIT, Klamath Falls, the state, and on the thousands of students she has taught, mentored and guided to a college degree in Oregon.”

Martha Anne Dow became the fifth president of OIT in May 1998, after serving there for six years as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Enrollment at Oregon Tech grew by almost 1,000 students during her tenure, and programs in engineering, computer science, applied health fields and geothermal power grew to meet regional and state needs. Dr. Dow worked tirelessly during the 2007 legislative session and previous sessions to gain new programs and support services for students, and to expand programs to meet current and anticipated workforce needs. Earlier this month, OIT’s new Center for Health Professions was named after Dr. Dow at the request of the major donors to the Center, Dick and Nancy Wendt.

Off The Beaten Path

Yesterday I took a little road trip. No, I didn’t have another enzyme bath. (The next one is currently being planned, but it’s not on the calendar yet.) This time I visited the western part of Marin County. I needed to travel to Bolinas for a short meeting at the College of Marin Marine Biology Lab…a rather ancient facility owned by my current employer.

Yes, this time Saturday was a workday. At least I got to see the ocean for the first time in a long time, though.

I had been told that Bolinas is quite the little community. One of the elements of the town’s culture is its isolationist tendencies. Residents mostly just want to be left alone, and they like being off the beaten path. Everyone I talked to, when I mentioned that I was going to Bolinas, informed me that people from the town regularly tear down the road sign on Highway 1 that points would-be visitors to their little burg. Indeed, yesterday when I took the turn-off, I noticed there was a post but no sign. (Luckily, I had a co-pilot, as well as a navigation system, that knew the way there.)

I also learned that the San Andreas Fault runs the length of the Bolinas Lagoon, just a thousand feet from where I stood on Wharf Road. It’s prime earthquake territory, as is just about everywhere I am these days. (I just try to not think about that too much!)

The photo at the top of this entry shows an informal, mid-Saturday-morning gathering of Bolinas residents on the dock owned by the College.

COM Welcomes New Dean

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Cathy Summa-Wolfe, College of Marin, 415-485-9528, cathy.summawolfe@marin.edu

COM Welcomes Jim Arnold, New Dean of Math & Sciences

KENTFIELD, CA-July 31, 2007-College of Marin announced today the appointment of James “Jim” Arnold, Ph.D., to the position of Dean of Math & Sciences, a post that includes the responsibility of five academic departments and Physical Education and Athletics.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Arnold join our team,” said Frances L. White, Ph.D., COM Superintendent/President. “He brings with him the necessary talent, enthusiasm, and experience to take our Math & Sciences Program, which is already excellent, to the next level.”

“From the minute I read the position description and saw the wide range of academic disciplines involved, I felt College of Marin would be a wonderful fit,” Arnold said. “I have a long history of being able to bring groups of individuals together and to communicate effectively with many different interests.”

As head of Math and Sciences, Arnold is responsible for the Departments of Mathematics, Life and Earth Sciences, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Behavioral Sciences and Physical Education and Athletics. Erik Dunmire, a chemistry professor who served as the interim dean, will return to his teaching post after a sabbatical.

Arnold comes to the campus with 12 years of administrative experience in the community college environment, primarily at the Oregon University System Chancellor’s Office where he worked in the Academic Affairs Division as the primary liaison between universities and community colleges in that state. Most recently, he held appointments at Mt. Hood Community College as Dean of Science & Technology and at Umpqua Community College as Dean of Math, Science & Liberal Arts.

Prior to his life in the community college world, however, he enjoyed several other careers including chemist, photographer, counselor, teacher and consultant. Arnold earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Master of Science degree in chemistry from Oregon State University. He worked as a chemist before switching to a career in photography and then returning to school to earn a second master’s degree in counseling from Oregon State University. He was a counselor and trainer in a job-training/social-service agency and directed a student support services program in the student affairs division at a small regional university campus in Oregon. After a couple of years back in higher education, he pursued a doctorate in higher education administration at Indiana University.

In addition to overseeing academics, Arnold will be involved with the construction of the new science/math/central plant complex at the Kentfield campus.

Remembering Virginia Tech