WNC News & Notes

College welcomes new faculty members

Five new instructors, boasting strong academic credentials and many years of experience, are filling key vacancies on the WNC academic faculty.

Thomas Herring, Ph.D. will teach physics and engineering. Prior to WNC he worked as a physics lecturer at the Rochester Institute of Technology, New York. He holds a Ph.D., M.S. and B.S. in physics from the University of Utah. Herring specializes in the study of amorphous semiconductors, those lacking shape or form, such as the silicon that is used in solar cell applications.

Russell Fiddyment brings more than 25 years of experience to the college's Construction Management program. He has a B.S. in biological services and an M.S. in plant pathology from the University of California, Davis, as well as a master's in counseling psychology from Rosebridge Graduate School of Integrative Psychology. Fiddyment is director of operations for Metcalf Builders, Inc. in Carson City.

Sara Maul has taught part-time for WNC and now joins the nursing faculty full-time. She has a bachelor's degree in nursing from California State University, Chico and a master's degree in nursing from San Jose State University. Maul has more than 35 years of experience in medical-oncology, surgical, orthopedic, geriatric, pediatric, intensive care, neurologic, rehabilitative and emergency room care.

Ryan Stryffeler joins WNC as a full-time English instructor and will teach composition. He has a bachelor's degree in political science and English from Hillsdale College in Michigan and a master's degree in English literature from Northern Arizona University. Stryffeler was assistant professor of English and the chair of the Department of English, Communications and Languages at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana.

Gary Schwartz, Ph.D, joins WNC to teach mathematics. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and earned a doctorate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Schwartz taught at the University of Oklahoma and Northern Illinois University before going on to study music theory and composition at NIU.

Student enrollment continues to climb

More than 5,300 students are already enrolled for classes at Western Nevada College for the fall semester, which begins Monday.

The college expects to serve more full-time students than last fall, with more students who are seeking a degree.

After a large enrollment increase last year, WNC continues to see students who are looking to develop new skills and become more competitive in the job market.

Late registration continues online through Friday at www.wnc.edu.

Research opportunity available

Scholarship applications are being accepted for an undergraduate research project opportunity through the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Full-time undergraduate students attending any school within the Nevada System of Higher Education may apply. All majors are eligible, but at least 50 percent of the awards will be funded for fields of study in science, technology, engineering, math, or where climate change research is of special interest like education or journalism.

The goal of the research project should be to build capacity in climate change research to measure environmental changes, develop climate models, translate climate-change science for decision makers, create computer systems to make climate data more accessible and develop new ways to teach about climate change.

Recipients will receive $3,900 to complete their research project and will work under the mentorship of a supervising faculty member. Contact WNC Chemistry Professor Mike Sady, 445-4400 or visit www.nevada.edu/epscor/current-solicitations.html. Submission deadline is Friday, Oct. 1.