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You are here: Home / Archives for Education

Education

ERAU Economic Impact Approaching $400 Million

August 30, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott (ERAU) has grown in 42 years from a small campus with 264 students to what now is rated the world’s No. 1 aerospace and aeronautical university.

In addition, the ERAU-Prescott campus is now estimated to have had an economic impact of $392 million across Arizona last year, a 41% increase in the past four years. The university provides about 3,000 permanent jobs, up 38% from four years ago.

These data were supplied by Washington Economic Group (WEG) experts who conducted a comprehensive study of the entire ERAU organization – the Arizona campus, the Daytona Beach, Florida, campus and the approximately 125 worldwide campus locations for the university. Overall, ERAU collectively educates more than 33,500 students in degree programs that range from baccalaureate and master’s to doctoral degrees.

The WEG consulting firm that specializes in analyzing emerging and global economies said in its report the university is a leading creator of high-wage employment in both Arizona and Florida economies.

In Yavapai County, ERAU is rated a major and essential economic driver. Immediate support in the Quad Cities community totals more than 2,853 jobs, which result in $318 million in total economic impact, according to the report. WEG estimates that ERAU’s activities added $173 million to the county’s gross domestic product (GDP), the total value of goods and services produced.

WEG also projects that future ERAU cumulative capital spending plans during FY21 to FY25 in Arizona will have a total economic impact of $161 million and create 181 jobs.

It’s estimated that ERAU alumni generated about $86 million in total economic activity in Arizona this year.

ERAU President Barry Butler, whose main office is in Florida, praised Board of Trustees Chairman Mori Hosseini for leadership that is “paving the way for future high-paying jobs and economic prosperity.”

Butler noted that between the Arizona and the Florida campuses, coupled with the influence of worldwide campuses and online courses, the combined overall impact of ERAU now surpasses $2.3 billion.

“For more than 40 years, ERAU has made a substantial impact on Prescott,” said Prescott Mayor Greg Mengarelli. “Now, more than ever, we are grateful for not only the economic impact but also the university’s continued partnership with the city.”

Chancellor Anette Karlsson of the ERAU-Prescott campus told Quad Cities Business News, “We’re so proud to call Arizona, especially Prescott, home. Not only is it important to us to provide quality employment for hundreds of Yavapai County residents, it’s also important for us to educate and graduate a very high-caliber student.”

Karlsson says ERAU and Prescott enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship and that it is important for the university to give back to the community through activities such as planetarium shows, athletic events, the Wings Out West Airshow and Homecoming.

Many Fall Events Canceled
Karlsson expressed regret that several traditional fall activities have been canceled because of concerns for the health and safety of the university community and thousands of parents, fans and supporters. “We simply cannot risk holding large gatherings and events amid this ongoing pandemic,” she said.

Among those are the OctoberWest Homecoming and the Wings Out West Airshow ordinarily scheduled for October.

Also canceled – for the second time – is the Spring 2020 Commencement, which was postponed because of the COVID-19 shutdown mandated in May. The ceremony had been rescheduled for Oct. 2, but now has been rescheduled for some time in Spring 2021.

Eagle varsity athletes and sports fans of soccer, volleyball and cross-country are disappointed that the California Pacific Conference (Cal-Pac), of which they are members, has announced that all fall sports competitions will be moved to Spring 2021. Though coaches and athletes may undergo some training, competition schedules will be realigned in cooperation with the Cal-Pac and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

Current projections indicate that fall enrollment will be equal to, if not slightly higher than, last year with approximately 3,000 students. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: ERAU

Printing Out a House

August 29, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Imagine standing with your architect and building contractor on a building lot on a Monday morning as they begin construction of your 1,500-square-foot, single-story home. You leave just as the three-man crew goes to work turning on a machine.

Three days later, when you return, you’re staring at several walls of your home in the exterior you chose, built with a 3D printing process.

Plumbing, electrical work and other infrastructure have yet to be installed, along with windows, doors and cabinets. The roof and interior features such as the hot water heater, furnace, bathroom and some appliances will come later.

With 3D printing, what used to take two months – forming, framing, stucco, exterior siding finish work – only takes about 72 hours and the cost is about a third of a typical framed house of similar size. The entire house can be completed in about 60 days.

Yavapai College (YC) is making this possible through the innovative construction technology program offered through its School of Career and Technical Education and two massive 3D printers.

“We think this is a really forward-looking college program,” said YC President Lisa Rhine, Ph.D.  “At this time, we’ll be the only community college in the nation to offer it.”

The two 3D printers were purchased from MudBots, an innovative construction industry firm in Midvale, Utah. The combined cost for the two technological wonders was about $400,000. Those dollars came from special state funding intended to support technical training programs.

The smaller printer will be able to print houses of up to 900 square feet and will be used primarily for training purposes, whereas the larger printer is capable of printing homes of up to 2,000 square feet.

Few Limitations
John Morgan, dean of the academic division where the program is based, said the 3D printers are restricted in their construction capability only by software and mechanical engineering limitations. Construction plans are programmed and loaded into sophisticated computers that instruct the MudBots printers what to do to create the shape, size and dimensions of the project.

MudBots CEO James Lyman uses specialized mortar to construct a range of projects, from small storerooms and warehouses to full-size houses and duplexes, from monuments and statues to fountains and fences.

“We have learned a lot from having visited in depth with MudBots,” said Morgan.

The printers operate from a portable gantry system – an overhead frame structure on which the 3D printers are supported. They move along a track and print the predetermined product. The operation takes only three people to run.

The YC training program will begin with a small shed. Morgan plans to construct the first 3D printer home on the YC Chino Valley campus. He expects the cost to be 40% less than a conventionally-built house.

“We are not building houses for the general public,” said Morgan. “That’s a conflict of interest. We will train employees for companies that are going to partner with us. We’re in discussions with several now.”

To take a look at the 3D cement printing process, visit mudbots.com/concrete-printing-videos.php. QCBN

 

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: 3D printer, Yavapai College

Schools Struggling with Fall Semester

August 1, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

As COVID-19 concerns continue around the globe, local educators and administrators struggle to determine what the fall semester will look like.

Yavapai County Superintendent of Schools Tim Carter said, “Most Yavapai County District leaders believe the face-to-face start date will be moved back into at least September. No one can start face-to-face prior to Aug. 17. Under current provisions, each school district or charter will do what it thinks is best within existing statutes and guidance.”

Officials are considering at least three options: face-to-face instruction; online classes with take-home packets; or a blend of the two.”

Yavapai County has more than 8,100 square miles, 25 public school districts and more than 20 charter schools. Many schools are in rural areas. Private schools are not subject to the same regulations as public and charter schools, Carter said.

The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is expected to develop public health benchmarks by Aug. 7, for school officials and others to consider.

“Our team has been working tirelessly with administrators and with ADHS to plan for a safe and successful reentry into the school year,” said Yavapai County Community Health Services Director Leslie Horton. “Most schools are planning for a combination of in-person and online education for students of all ages, depending on the level of COVID-19 community risk we are experiencing. I feel schools can provide a safe and effective learning environment for students that places the emphasis on education while at the same time looking out for the health and well-being of children.”

Varying Plans

The biggest district in the Quad Cities, Humboldt Unified School District in Prescott Valley, has delayed the return of students to classrooms until Oct. 19. Prior to that, students will have remote online instruction starting Aug. 3.

Prescott Unified School District Superintendent Joe Howard has a three-part reentry roadmap. It involves options for in-person learning, online distance learning, and a hybrid of in-person coordinated with online experiences. The tentative opening date for school is Aug. 6.

Chino Valley Unified School District Superintendent John Scholl said his four-school district will likely open for a four-day school week on Aug. 10. Instruction will be with teachers in classrooms without students. Students will be connected remotely to classes. Scholl said that model will probably last at least two weeks.

Local charter school Tri City Prep Academy will begin remote instruction on Aug. 5, for its 250 students in fifth to 12th grades.

Yavapai College and ERAU Will Open

Yavapai College President Lisa Rhine says most credit classes and lectures will be conducted in a virtual environment. More information is available at yc.edu/reentry.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) officials plan to welcome students to campus beginning Aug. 15. Chancellor Anette Karlsson says ERAU has prepared a variety of content-delivery modes, all using contemporary technologies. Details are available at prescott.erau.edu/campuslife. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Filed Under: Education, Local News Tagged With: ERAU, schools

Advocating for Women in Aviation

June 29, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Grit, determination and a passion for aviation fuel the soaring careers of two area women who have achieved top industry jobs and professional accolades. Training, job searching, advancing and prospering in the aviation industry are skills they eagerly share with others.

Angela Mintzmyer, general manager at flight training school North-Aire Aviation LLC, and Robin Sobotta, airport director for Prescott Regional Airport–Ernest A. Love Field, pay their personal mentorship rewards forward by encouraging today’s aspiring career-seekers.

“A career in aviation doesn’t just mean ‘pilot,’” Mintzmyer said. “It is a multi-dimensional,   continually expanding industry. No matter what your background is, if you have a passion for aviation, now is the time to pursue your career goals. People entering into the aviation field should look for jobs with growth potential and work hard at achieving their goals.”

Women in aviation could receive a boost from the new Women in Aviation Advisory Board (WIAAB) under the Federal Aviation Administration. Thirty women were selected to the board in 2019 from nearly 200 applicants representing universities, airlines, airports and aviation groups. The board has been given a two-year window to develop an action plan.

Sobotta described WIAAB as “aviation industry leaders who must achieve some important goals: 1) Identify industry trends that might discourage women from pursuing aviation careers; 2) Coordinate industry efforts to support women pursuing aviation careers; 3) Create and expand scholarship opportunities; and 4) Enhance aviation training, mentorship, education and outreach programs for women.

“As women constitute roughly one-half of the nation’s workforce, removing barriers and supporting equal opportunity for all is an important endeavor,” she said.

Mintzmyer was equally enthusiastic. “Having a board to support and encourage women with   aviation interests is wonderful. Recruiting, supporting and inspiring people [remains] a vital component in keeping our aviation community thriving. Industry leaders need to encourage women to advance within their career fields, attend additional training, provide appropriate resources, be positive and be a productive role model.”

Current general training includes internships and “pathway” programs created by large aerospace firms to transition promising students into permanent employment, especially in the high demand specializations of pilot and aircraft mechanic.

“Mentoring is an important part of the success of future generations,” Sobotta said. “It can be initiated by both men and women. Employers can truly benefit from supporting outreach and mentoring through their employees, including manager participation in university networking roundtables and establishing job shadowing and internship programs.”

Sobotta, an Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) with 17 years of experience at four commercial service airports and two general aviation airports, also has logged extensive academic expertise, co-authored a book, and been lauded nationally for her work. Before overseeing the expansion of the Prescott airport, she was the School of Business Founding Chair at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). Sobotta has worked with NASA as a business/technical consultant, served on the Arizona Aerospace and Defense Commission, and contributed to four Airport Research Project panels on airport terminal design, common use passenger processing systems, and airport social media use.

Named both Prescott Area Leadership (PAL) Woman of the Year and AAE Airport Executive of the Year in 2019, Sobotta earned her Ph.D. in public administration from Arizona State University and an MBA in Aviation from ERAU.

Mintzmyer, whose hometown is Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has been general manager at North-Aire Aviation since 2018. She started as an operations controller and moved her way up. The 36-year-old specializes in student services with flight partners Yavapai College, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). She promotes aviation opportunities for youth, along with directing North-Aire Aviation’s marketing and operations.

Mintzmyer plans to earn a master’s degree, following her advice to future pilots: “Never give up on your goals; there is always a stone left unturned somewhere. Being a military wife and a mother to four children has played a huge role in how I approach obstacles. It doesn’t get easier. You just get stronger.”

Her main obstacle, Mintzmyer said, has been “to embrace and encompass all of the (federal) and Yavapai College knowledge through the years. Every government department affiliated with aviation is always updating and changing. Once you think you have mastered the craft, you are met with a program change. The aviation business is a wonderful field if you are up for an exciting challenge.”

Sobotta entered aviation in the 1980s, “when there were many challenges for women. While being in an airport career at age 23 was exciting, it was also discouraging at times. Back then, workers were unaccustomed to sharing their workspace with non-traditional employees, including women. Experiencing occasional discrimination was hurtful, but I persevered, and now have a wonderful career. It is rewarding to help Prescott Regional Airport grow and see passengers enjoying our improved airline service. I truly appreciate all those who have helped me to grow in this career throughout the years.”

Sobotta acquired an early fascination with aviation, nurtured by her parents, from observing planes through a perimeter fence. Mintzmyer was completing a sociology degree in her mid-20s, while her husband earned flight certifications from North-Aire. A front office position opened up, and she chose a change of pace.

Mintzmyer credits her husband, co-workers and government personnel with encouraging, mentoring and motivating her through the learning curves and advancement.

Sobotta said she appreciated assistance from fellow airport employees while earning her Accredited Airport Executive (AAE) in 1992, when only 22 women in the country had achieved that status. She cited “truly transformational” internship opportunities and mentioned her most important early mentor, Laurence Gesell.

Gesell had selected her from more than 70 candidates to serve at Oceano County Airport in California. “He helped me launch my career and we have been friends ever since. We eventually co-authored a book, ‘The Administration of Public Airports.’”

Sobotta has seen many former university students find their own rewarding careers with airlines, airports, aerospace and defense, and related fields. She has helped men and women gain internships and entry-level positions within the industry. Many have reached out for advice or to share stories.

Mintzmyer said that she mentors and encourages all of her students and employees the same. However, she says, “If I can make a difference or positively impact the women we have been working and training within our company, then hopefully they will reciprocate to others.” QCBN

By Sue Marceau, QCBN

Filed Under: Education

Franke College of Business Approved for Extension of Accreditation

May 5, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) approved the W. A. Franke College of Business for extension of accreditation after an extensive review process.

After a 2019 review highlighted a few areas for improvement, Interim Dean Eileen Hogan led the college in addressing those points and setting the FCB on a path toward future growth, while continuing to support research and being good stewards of the state, local and private funding the college receives.

“This recognition demonstrates that the Franke College of Business is committed to fulfilling its mission and continuing to improve the educational quality of all degree programs,” NAU President Rita Cheng said. “It affirms the character of this exceptional college and its focus on preparing graduates to join the global business community with strong skills and standards that underpin their success.”

In order to fulfill AACSB expectations, Hogan created a college committee to revise the college’s strategic plan to better align with the mission and address the college’s priorities. Faculty members from each area within the college sat on the committee, which also included a faculty member who served on the prior two strategic planning committees. Franke faculty and the Office of the Provost approved the revised mission and goals.

Hogan and her team also focused on raising the level of qualified faculty in several of the college’s programs; most notably, to alleviate a decrease in tenure-track positions over the years. To improve faculty qualifications, NAU allocated eight tenure-track lines to the business division of the college: four in finance, three in management and one in economics. Through the hard work of faculty search committees, all of those positions, plus an additional position in accounting, have been filled with highly qualified faculty. The college also hired a renowned scholar for the Bilby endowed chair position, which is funded to help raise the research reputation of FCB, mentor and assist other faculty in their research endeavors and organize the annual Bilby Speaker Series that brings well-known speakers to campus.

Looking ahead, the college recently created two task forces comprised of faculty members, both tenure-track and non-tenure-track, to review and revise the college’s definitions of professional and academic qualifications, in line with AACSB standards and NAU’s peer institutions, to ensure future hires and continuing faculty are properly qualified and classified.  The college is committed to initiating and growing programs in the areas of certified financial planning, risk management and insurance and business analytics to better align students with market needs.

“The faculty and staff of the W. A. Franke College of Business are to be commended on their hard work and diligence in their achievements during the past year,” Hogan said. “The college continues to be an extremely high-quality institution with great faculty members who care about both their students and their commitment to research excellence. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with the individuals who make up the Franke experience, including faculty, staff and students, who made this year both exciting and meaningful.”

Ashok Subramanian, a professor with extensive experience in teaching, research and industry consulting, will join the Franke College of Business as dean on July 13. QCBN

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Franke College of Business

Aircraft Crash Investigators Training at Specialized Lab in Prescott

March 8, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Almost immediately after the deadly crash of the helicopter carrying retired NBA star Kobe Bryant and eight others, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) began receiving calls. ERAU has the only teaching crash site laboratory of any university in the world. ERAU, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and FBI, were among those trying to understand what caused the Sikorsky S-76 to crash at almost 170 miles per hour on Jan. 26, about 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

ERAU crash investigation experts at the Aircraft Crash Investigation Laboratory not only respond to requests from organizations and agencies around the world, they also train students in aviation safety. “In fact,” said Ed Coleman, director of the Robertson Safety Institute (RSI) and department chair of the safety science program at ERAU, “it’s the most popular minor at the university.”

Teaching students about aircraft safety and accidents goes far beyond textbook assignments, Coleman said.  Much of what the students learn is through “hands-on, boots in the dirt,” tedious analysis of actual aircraft wreckage.

To do that, the crash lab has 14 actual aircraft carefully placed in a secured area behind the Robertson Safety Institute. Coleman has 22 years of experience as an Air Force pilot and safety officer. He explained the wreckages are scrupulously arranged on the site, based upon actual photographs, diagrams and other documentation of the original crash site.

For example, the wreckage of a Robinson helicopter is scrambled over several hundred yards, just as it was when the wreck was recovered. Aircraft fragments – from the tail rotor and chopper blades to the cockpit-cabin compartment and all the rest – are meticulously arranged to mimic the scene where the crash occurred. “We even recreate the gouges in the earth that the wreckage makes when it hits the ground,” said Coleman.

The same is true of a California-based twin-engine Cessna Caravan that crashed in 1997 into remote tree-covered terrain. That crash killed all nine people on board and scattered debris extensively.

Coleman explained that students spend intense hours studying crash sites. They first try to find the flight recorder, often called the “black box,” even though it is orange in color. They examine everything from burn patterns on the skin of the plane to the angle of impact when the aircraft hit the ground. “It can take weeks of investigation before final conclusions are reached.”

Responding to the question of how ERAU acquired all the aircraft included at the site, Coleman said they were donated through the years. The most recent acquisition is a Beechcraft donated by Honeywell Corp.

No military or jet aircraft wreckage are yet included at the crash site lab.

Other wrecks are arranged so students can have a comprehensive view of what an actual plane crash does to an aircraft and to people. In what might seem a macabre but necessary component of teaching crash site investigation, artificial body parts are placed where they were found at crash sites. “We do this to give students the intensity of what happens,” Coleman explained. “Our four faculty members – all experienced – are serious about giving students realistic training in what to look for.”

It’s not just students who receive training. In a few weeks, a group of professionals from England will be arriving at the ERAU campus for crash site training, as England has no similar facilities. Visitors have come from many other nations, too.

Visitors from the general public also may tour the secured site, but must first check in through personnel at the RSI. Crash lab manager Adolfo Ibarra says the value of the laboratory is inestimable and must be protected. “What we have here is unique in the world. It is a practical learning laboratory without equal.”

Lessons to be learned from formal training at the RSI are intense, says Coleman. “In aviation, safety is first, always.” QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

For more information, visit precott.erau.edu/robertson-safety-institute.

 

 

Filed Under: Education, Local News Tagged With: ERAU

ERAU Winter Graduates Urged to Soar 

January 6, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Capitalizing upon the meaning of “eagle” in his personal and academic life, Arlando S. Teller, who in 1995 was the first Navajo ever to receive a degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s (ERAU) Prescott campus, exhorted 244 graduating students to take the symbolic meaning of the school mascot to heart and to soar as high as they could in their careers and lives.

Teller, a Chinle native and grandson of a Navajo Code Talker, explained with dignified passion why the majestic bird has such special meaning to him.

Displaying a sacred eagle feather, he explained, “In our Navajo culture, the eagle and eagle feathers represent the greatest, strongest, most powerful, most visionary, most harmonious with nature, and closest to the Great Spirit that is possible. We Navajos place our prayers on eagle feathers – for blessing, for healing, for family and for good fortune. If we trust the truth of our prayers and strength, power and beauty of the eagle as it carries our dreams skyward, we can be confident of success.”

Teller, elected in November 2018 as a District 7 representative to the Arizona Legislature, said he placed the same kind of faith in the ERAU eagle and its symbolic importance in the university educational process.

Teller represents seven counties, eight Native American Tribes and more than 50 communities in the largest legislative district in the U.S. He earned an aviation business administration degree at ERAU. He praised degree recipients, calling them “graduates of the world’s most prestigious aeronautical and aerospace institution.”

“Trust in the strength, truth, wisdom and power of the education you receive at this great university. I urge you, my fellow eagles, to journey with the spirit of the eagle and all it symbolizes, and you will soar.”

Graduating students and hundreds in the audience gave Teller an enthusiastic ovation.

Largest Winter Commencement in 41-year History

Fall semester 2019 commencement ceremonies concluded the term Dec. 14, at the Prescott Valley Findlay Event Center.

Students from 15 nations were among the graduates.

ERAU President Barry Butler, Daytona Beach, Florida, and Chancellor Anette Karlsson, ERAU Prescott, guided other commencement activities, including commissioning of ROTC officers.  Seventeen were sworn as second lieutenants into the U.S. Air Force and four into the U.S. Army.

In addition, Karlsson honored an outstanding graduating senior scholar and an outstanding community service award contributor. “I have no problem in saying these graduating students are among the brightest people who have ever attended any university,” she said.

This past fall saw a record-breaking enrollment at the Prescott campus with almost 3,000 students. ERAU is the world’s largest, oldest and most comprehensive higher education institution specializing in aviation, aerospace, engineering and related programs. The university offers more than 100 associate, baccalaureate and master’s and doctorate programs in Colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation, Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence.

The university is on holiday break until Jan 7, when registration and orientation occur.  Spring semester classes begin Jan 8, and the semester ends May 2. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: ERAU

Innovations at Prescott High Attract Statewide Attention

January 6, 2020 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Creative and visionary innovations at Prescott High School (PHS) during the past three months have attracted attention from the greater education community of Arizona, according to Prescott Unified School District Superintendent Joe Howard.

“We admit we’re delighted to introduce two projects at PHS that are unique,” said Howard, commenting that personnel from schools throughout the state are asking if they can visit PHS to see if they can imitate what has occurred.

One is the creative media lab, more commonly called “The Lab.” The sophisticated, highly technology-oriented classroom outfitted with space-age equipment opened in November.

The other is the newly renovated athletic track and field with its artificial turf and Olympic quality composition track, surrounded by renovated bleachers with new railings and lighted by a power-saving, electricity-conserving LED stadium lighting system. It was completed in October.

Principal Mark Goligoski said administrators and school officials from around the state are visiting campus to check out the trend-setting changes.

Lab Features ‘Star Wars’ Technology

Impetus for The Lab came from faculty member Robyn Bryce, who had attended a summer workshop at the University of Nebraska. Intrigued by what she learned there, especially the appeal the lab had for students, Bryce returned to Prescott and worked with Jewish Community Foundation (JCF) Executive Director Christine Resnick to create a grant that would finance a sophisticated technology lab.

Bryce’s creative grant proposal was approved for $43,420.31 by the JCF. In a matter of weeks, a former unused woodshop lab behind the school cafeteria was transformed into a media lab. Bryce and her colleagues installed new equipment, including:

A green screen with videotape and digital enhancement capability to provide special effects.

Virtual reality equipment linked to Good Earth.

A sound booth with computer print-out capability.

Three dimensional programmable printers, which can fabricate robotic parts, miniatures, small sculptures and similar items.

Vinyl printers and cutters.

Bryce says students are limited only by imagination in what they can create in the media lab.

Further, a new course, Advanced Modern Manufacturing and Automation, was approved by the PUSD school board in mid-December so students can enroll in an elective class related to computer software, robotics and other high tech topics.

“Because the future does belong to these youngsters, we with the JCF are committed to supporting as many opportunities as we can to expand their educational futures,” said JCF President David Hess. This coupling of STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – to existing curricula is taking students to a new level.”

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Dean of Engineering Ron Madler is equally supportive. After touring the lab, he said, “We’re fortunate to have Paul Bunnel, a PHS faculty member who is teaching physical and beginning engineering, as an adjunct faculty member at ERAU. Involving faculty and students at the high school level in such programs has dramatic impact on science education.”

Athletic Field is State Model

The need to renovate and modernize a decades-old PHS athletic field, coupled with the desire to introduce cost-saving measures, resulted in an enviable track and field complex.

In fact, school administrator Clark Tenney said that shortly after the new field was completed in early October, he and other administrators were contacted by counterparts from throughout Arizona. “We’re told what we have is literally the most contemporary athletic field of any public school in Arizona.”

The $2.5 million renovation of the track and field involved replacement of the former grass playing field with artificial turf at a cost of $1,220,853. Those dollars came entirely from sale of PUSD land sales such as Dexter School, Miller Valley school and the old administration building. A new LED overhead lighting system and bleacher railing came from the same funding source. The composition track around the perimeter of the football field coast $982,582, money that came from the 2015 school district bond election. An additional $400,000 was donated by the McIntyre family, for which the track is named. Those dollars will replace some of the bond money and be used to maintain the track in the future, said Brian Moore, PUSD chief financial officer.

Officials say the school will save more than $30,000 a year in water savings by not having to irrigate the artificial turf.

Moore said the field can now be viewed as a revenue generator as groups and organizations are approaching the school district about renting it. A complete set of guidelines about public use of the field is available online at PrescottBadgers.com.

“We’re making our taxpayer and bond dollars go further,” he said. QCBN

By Ray Newton, QCBN

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott High School, Stem

What Mummies Can Tell Us About Borrowing Tools

September 26, 2019 By quadcities Leave a Comment

English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton was right. The pen is mightier than the sword, especially when you grab it like a dagger when someone tries to borrow yours.

If you are in business, a pen is an important and necessary tool that helps you do your work. Yet, I’m always amazed at how many times people show up to meetings, or anywhere really, without one. Think about how often you are asked to sign something…a contract, a letter, a birthday card for a co-worker you barely know or an autograph when you’re mistaken for someone famous.

Pens are responsible for closing deals, getting loans or marrying someone. Consider this: former U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson used more than 75 pens to sign the Civil Rights Act in 1964. These pens carried so much historic value that he gave them away as gifts to supporters of the bill. People like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. got a pen. What do you think they did when someone tried to borrow theirs?

A few months ago, I was in the middle of a news interview in the field, deeply focused, engaged in the conversation and taking notes on a notepad. A person with a doctorate degree and no pen swooped in, grabbed the Bic out of my hand and ran off saying, “I just need to borrow it for a second.”

Imagine saying to an auto mechanic while he is under a car, “Hey buddy, I just need to borrow your jack for a second,” and then proceeding to take it.

This is not cool, and not just because somebody else is unprepared, which causes you to be unprepared. People do weird things with pens. They chew on them, suck on them, scratch their scalps with them, draw diagrams in the dirt with them and pick gravel out of the soles of their shoes with them.

Nicole Richie, Lionel’s daughter, was recently in the news for her pre-flight ritual on board an airplane. Nicole puts on her rubber gloves and then sanitizes her space with Clorox wipes. It makes me wonder if she just saw the Mummies of the World exhibit at the Arizona Science Museum, too!

At the museum, there is a whole room dedicated to a mummified family whose members all had tuberculosis. A mural of the small Hungarian church where their well-preserved bodies had been found was on the wall near their skeletal remains. And they weren’t the only ones expected to spend eternity in the secret room of the dead. A bunch of their neighbors were in there, too. More than 260 of them! In fact, an astounding 60 percent of the town was wiped out by tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis is an often-fatal disease caused by some nasty bacteria that usually go after the lungs and then just about every other organ. Medics say you cannot get it by sharing other people’s drinks or pens because it is spread through the air when someone sings, coughs or speaks. But what about when somebody breathes his deadly breath into your personal space while going after your pen? You can be sure, if I were living in Hungary when everyone was dying, I would not be lending out my pen. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. probably wouldn’t either.

Construction workers complain that their tools –pliers, utility knives, levelers – disappear when somebody “borrows” them. Years ago, I was admiring a pink-handled hammer at Home Depot. The burly sales associate in the hardware department said, “You know what we call that? Theft-proof!”

That made good sense to me, so I bought it – and he was right. No one has ever walked off with my hammer.

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a pen that nobody wants. When I do, it will be stored in a very safe place, next to the pink hammer, the flowered screwdriver and away from mummies with tuberculosis. I suggest you do the same. QCBN

 

By Bonnie Stevens

 

 

 

 

 

Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.

Filed Under: Education

Reusable Grocery Bag System Comes to PV

July 26, 2019 By quadcities Leave a Comment

It was about more than just de-cluttering.

Their frustration with drawers, closets and shelves crammed with single-use plastic bags led a Southern California couple, Farzan Dehmoubed and Jennifer Duvall, to create a start-up business in April 2017: the Lotus Trolley Bag.

An innovative system of four color-coded bags that fold out like an accordion on the shopping cart allows consumers to easily sort and pack groceries in half the time.

And they have also added another item to production, the Lotus Produce Bags, to replace plastic in the produce section.

“Our business was born out of pure frustration, with reports that there will soon be more plastic than fish in our world’s oceans,” Duvall recalled. “I could go on with all the disheartening facts I’ve learned while entering this space. I knew plastic pollution was bad, but I really had no idea the extent, magnitude and damage until I entered into this business.”

Their business plan emerged after California became the first state to ban single-use plastic bags in 2016 and retailers started selling reusable plastic bags for 10 cents at the checkout counters, but still stocked plastic bags in produce sections.

“We were both happy when the plastic bag ban came into effect, but what we found was that with a lot of families, it didn’t reduce waste,” she said. “We were just accumulating thicker, more cumbersome plastic bags or cheap reusable bags that quickly grow mold and bacteria.”

Duvall, a former high school math teacher, and Dehmoubed, who had run a marketing company, began to research the scourge of plastic bags.

Their research revealed that the average American family uses 1,500 plastic bags per year for about 12 minutes each.

Working as a team, they experimented with hundreds of bags from all over the world before coming up with a design that met their needs.

Duvall and Dehmoubed, both 40, live and work in Carlsbad, a beach community near San Diego.

“We want to be an agent of positive change,” Dehmoubed said. “Showing consumers that one small change can result in massive impacts on plastic pollution. We also hope our story motivates others to take the plunge and start their own business. All you need is an idea or a problem to solve. If you have passion and drive, anything is possible. It’s the best decision you will ever make.”

Since launching in April 2017, Lotus Trolley Bag has eliminated 116 million single-use plastic bags from distribution, Dehmoubed noted.

The success of their startup has come as a pleasant surprise for the couple.

“We weren’t expecting the Lotus Trolley Bag endeavor to become a full-time job,” Duvall said. “We started the company as a small, part-time project. We expected our first shipment in 2017 to sell out in three months; we ran out of 5,000 sets in just two weeks!”

At the beginning of July in Prescott Valley, Lotus Trolley Bag products became available at the Safeway store on East Highway 69, just in time for national Plastic Free July, a growing movement as consumers become more aware of the impact that plastic is having on land and sea.

Since a merger in January 2015, Albertsons Companies LLC has owned Safeway.

“Our launch into Albertsons and Safeway will offer customers an easier and more organized solution to wasteful plastics,” Dehmoubed said. “Produce bags are usually ignored, but more retailers are seeing the value to the environment and their bottom line by investing in reusable, washable and eco-friendly produce bags.”

Each Lotus Trolley bag is made from 120gsm non-woven fabric, with reinforced handles and mesh bottoms.

The set of four bags, including the insulated bag, typically retail for $34.99, discounted to $29.99 in stores.

Lotus Trolley products are being sold on racks next to the checkout line, which show how the bags spread out in the cart and how they help pack and organize a shopper’s groceries.

Each bag also has a specific purpose – one is a cooler bag for frozen items and meats, another has wine and egg pockets to go along with canned goods, and the other two are for fruits and vegetables.

The Lotus Trolley Bag system weighs 2 pounds and can be carried in an over-the-shoulder bag reminiscent of a yoga mat bag, a concept thought up by Duvall, who is a yoga enthusiast.

“Neither of us has a design background, but we worked as a team to design both the bags and system,” said Dehmoubed, who was born in Iran, grew up in Canada and moved to California 10 years ago. “Jen definitely has an eye for style and fashion, which is an important component because we also want our customers to feel and look good with our bags. She created the color schemes and logo, which are critical to our branding.”

Duvall also came up with the “Lotus” part of the company name, because the bags unfold like a lotus blossom.

Products are manufactured in a family-operated factory in China.

“In our Carlsbad office, we have a staff of 12 employees and are growing rapidly,” Dehmoubed said. “We look to bring on investors soon to help us scale and expand rapidly to make the biggest impact.”

In a bit of happy synchronicity, both Dehmoubed and Duvall came to Southern California in search of sun and surf.

“Coincidentally, we both moved to San Diego separately within just months of each other,” he said. “We met and fell in love playing beach volleyball. We’ve been married for four years and are so grateful for being so close to our beautiful ocean.”

Dehmoubed, who is a surfer, said they are “both passionate about helping our oceans and eliminating plastic waste.”

They decided to donate to the non-profit 1% For the Planet, which they selected because of the organization’s global reach and partnerships with other causes that are in line with the couple’s mission and values. Through the non-profit’s umbrella, 1% of all Lotus Trolley Bag sales are currently distributed to Plastic Pollution Coalition and the Surfrider Foundation.

Response to Plastic Free July has been excellent, Dehmoubed observed in mid-July. “It’s a great time to bring awareness to this very important issue that affects every person on the planet. We’ve had several local TV stations (Denver and Boise) feature us as part of Plastic Free July story packages. It’s been very exciting, and we love being part of a movement for change.”

To come up with the Lotus Trolley Bag concept, the couple studied their own habits and those of other shoppers going through checkout lines.

Currently, Lotus Trolley and Produce Bags are in more than 2,500 stores across the county,

“We are in all 50 states,” Dehmoubed noted. “We are being distributed nationally by Albertsons, and Kroger will be distributing nationally in the coming months, along with several dozen smaller retail grocers. We are also expanding our reusable Lotus Produce Bags rapidly, and it’s been exciting to see the amazing response from our customers in store and online.”

Both products have become bestsellers on Amazon and an Amazon Choice product. The company is also expanding beyond the U.S., and has already launched in Canada, Mexico and Australia. QCBN

 

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

Filed Under: Education

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