Author Archives: Keenan Cobb
Sustainable Community Building–Dr. Kay Eggleston, Richland College president, and a team of faculty and administrators attended the U.S.-India Chamber of Commerce-Dallas/Fort Worth 16th Annual Awards Banquet on December 10 to network with local Indian leaders and hear workforce and community-building addresses by the Honorable Arun Singh, Indian ambassador to the U.S. embassy of India and the Honorable Greg Abbott, Texas governor. The chamber encourages and facilitates trade between the U.S. and India and promotes commerce in local markets, helping member companies network and grow their businesses and do business with local, state, and federal government agencies.
7th Annual Dance Jam/Photo by Paul Knudsen
Student Success–On December 3, Richland College’s dance program hosted its 7th Annual Dance Jam for Dallas area dance educators, students, and parents that featured master dance classes, a Dance Jam Festival performance, and campus tours. Dance teams from Bryan Adams, J.J. Pearce, Lake Highlands, Pinkston, Richardson, and Terrell high schools, the Center for Ballet Arts, Melva Smith School of Dance, Talent ‘n More Dance Studio, and Brookhaven College participated in this outreach event. The event is staged to celebrate and appreciate dance as an art form of human expression and to introduce potential students to Richland College’s dance program.
Richland Entrepreneurship Club/Photo courtesy of Facebook
Student Success–Four competing teams of Richland College business students presented their business ideas during the final round of the Duck Pond Business Plan Challenge on December 10 in hopes of earning a competition spot in the Alley Scholars Shark Tank Challenge to be held at Tarrant County College on March 5, 2016. Last year the Richland College team won 3rd place in the competition and earned $2,000. Taking top spot this year would net a winning team $10,000. Kevin Wortley, business faculty visiting scholar, organized the Richland College competition.
Employee Success–LiAnne Brown, Richland College pharmacy technician, medication aide, and medical insurance program administrator, was recently appointed to the Journal of Pharmacy Technology (PMT) Editorial Board, a peer-reviewed journal that advances the pharmacy practice field. This journal provides valuable career information for current and future pharmacists and technicians through research articles on education, certification, and professional practice. Her service on the editorial board will help advance opportunities for students in pharmacy technician career programs.
Student Success/Sustainable Community Building–Chancellor Dr. Joe May and the presidents of Richland, Eastfield, and Mountain View colleges participated in a media release event at Texas Instruments (TI) headquarters on December 4, announcing a $500,000 donation to the DCCCD Foundation from TI in support of the new electrical engineering technology programs at the three colleges. This example of industry collaboration is helping to support an associate degree program that provides pathways from classroom to semiconductor manufacturing knowledge and skills to well-paying jobs. Through this collaboration, Richland, Eastfield, and Mountain View colleges will provide common degree plans, course syllabi, course objectives, lab experiences, learning outcomes, and competencies.
Student Success–Mohammed Ayachi, a Richland College dual-credit student, has won the 2015 Visionary Wildlife Warrior International Award. Mohammed has long been active in the area of wildlife conservation and animal rescue, and in 2014-2015 he started a Zoology Club at Richland College, coordinating a number of activities on and off campus which earned him this international award. The competition is organized by the family of the late Steve Irwin of Australia, well known as the crocodile hunter. Contestants submitted 60-second videos explaining their work in conservation, including what they have done and how they are currently involved to protect wildlife and promote animal rescue.
Photo by Paul Knudsen
Sustainable Community Building–Richland College and the City of Dallas Sanitation Services partnered again to host the city’s annual Fall Recycling Round-up at Richland College on November 14. The successful results just released indicate that the Richland College site assisted 512 participants in collecting 40,782 pounds of recycled materials, including electronic items, small appliances, auto and alkaline batteries, cardboard, cooking oil, Styrofoam, plastic bags, packaging, tires, and paper for recycling. In its continuing commitment to sustainable practices and community outreach, Richland College and its volunteers collaborate with the city of Dallas to host this recycle activity each fall and spring to spare unnecessary waste from landfills.
Community Connections/Photo by Paul Knudsen
Student Success/Sustainable Community Building–On December 3, Richland College Garland Campus hosted Community Connections, a community event to provide local non-profit agencies and organizations the opportunity to share information about services they offer for students and local community members. The goal of the event was to provide easy access to services and assistance needed for stability leading to greater opportunities for educational, career, and life success. An opening networking session allowed each of the 21 participating organizations to introduce what they do and what they offer. This session was followed by a fair to educate participants about childcare assistance, counseling, food pantries, healthcare, transitional living programs, domestic violence prevention, understanding employment benefits, and what to do in emergency situations.
Sustainable Community Building–Richland College was the 2015 site for the 7th annual Sisters Network-Dallas Breast Cancer Walk and Expo: 6,000 Sisters, 6,000 Steps For Hope—It’s Not Just Pink, It’s Personal. Cancer survivors and their families, community teams, and individual supporters came by the hundreds to focus attention on this important cause to help raise funds to find a cure for breast cancer, and the $30,000 goal was exceeded by thousands of dollars. Joined by corporate sponsors, Richland College African American Connection members and a number of Richland College volunteers welcomed the walk participants to campus and provided information about Richland College programs and services. Richland College’s host participation was organized by Ebony Nickerson, senior career planning specialist, and Briaina Webster, senior rehabilitation specialist.
Richland College Library/Photo by Paul Knudsen
Employee Success–Kevin Beard, Richland College foreign languages lead faculty, and Susan Barkley, executive dean, School of World Languages, Cultures and Communications, co-presented during the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Conference in San Diego, November 20 -22. Their presentation, College and Community Connections through Languages and Culture, highlighted the nine foreign languages taught on campus and online at Richland College and explored Richland College initiatives that connect international students and the Dallas bilingual community.