WNC emeritus appointee Mark Ghan served as president, vice president and legal counsel during his time at the college.
By Western Nevada College
Sunday, July 25, 2021
Western Nevada College has appointed eight dedicated and long-serving employees with faculty emeritus appointments this summer.
Receiving emeritus status, followed by their role(s) at WNC, are Richard Arrigotti, mathematics professor; Dr. Steve Carman, professor of biophysical sciences; Dr. Judith Cordia, Nursing and Allied Health director; Mark Ghan, president, vice president and general counsel; Kevin Gaffney, facilities director; Fred Kille, English professor; Jamie McNinch, marketing director; and Dr. Hal Starratt, anthropology professor.
To receive consideration for an emeritus status appointment, the candidate must have served as an academic and administrative faculty member for at least 10 years and have a distinguished history of service to Western Nevada College. An emeritus committee presents recommendations, and the college president, the Academic Faculty Senate and the Administrative Faculty Senate make appointments based on those recommendations.
Emeritus appointees are considered to have lifetime status as WNC employees. Emeritus recipients, their spouses and financially dependent children are eligible for grant-in-aid privileges equivalent to those provided pursuant to Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 11 and 12. They are also eligible to participate in certain departmental and college events, including WNC commencement, as well as receive WNC business cards, listing in the WNC directory, a WNC email account, a WNC identification card, event tickets and fitness center membership at employee rates, library privileges, and other rights and privileges.
Cheer on WNC Grad Krysta Palmer in summer games
One of Western Nevada College’s most famous graduates to date will be competing in the Summer Olympics in late July in Tokyo.
Krysta Palmer, a 2014 graduate of WNC, will be competing in 3-meter springboard diving and synchronized diving.
“We wish Krysta the very best on the biggest stage in sports!” said WNC President Dr. Vincent Solis. “We are very proud that she attended Western Nevada College, graduated and continued on to earn her bachelor's degree. Her story is one of perseverance and the importance of higher education in shaping one's life."
Even though Palmer won’t have any fans to cheer her on at the diving venue because of the ban on spectators at these Games, she’ll have plenty of support from Northern Nevada. Palmer also is a graduate of Douglas High School and the University of Nevada, Reno.
“I could not have become a champion without all of you and the support of all of my family, friends and teammates,” Palmer told the Nevada Appeal at her sendoff celebration earlier this month at Lawlor Events Center in Reno. “My community has always been so supportive of me. The community that surrounds me and has given to this dream of mine … it’s just unbelievable to me and I want to thank my community for that.”
Palmer attended WNC from spring 2011 through fall 2012 and graduated in May 2014 with an Associate of Arts degree. She made the Dean’s List in fall 2012. She then transferred to UNR to continue her higher education goals.
Remarkably, Palmer didn’t take up diving seriously until completing her education at WNC. She grew up competing in gymnastics and trampoline.
Follow her first appearance in the Summer Games when Palmers competes the day after opening ceremonies. First off, she’ll battle for gold in synchronized diving event at 11 p.m. on July 24, followed by her quest for gold in individual springboard diving at 11 p.m. July 29-31.
Grant to assist CDC in providing high-quality childcare
Carson City area parents and their children will benefit from a recent grant that has been received by Western Nevada College’s Child Development Center.
The CDC has been awarded $123,450 grant from Nevada's Child Care and Development Program and the Children's Cabinet.
“This grant will allow us to continue to provide high-quality childcare to our children in our community,” said CDC Director Anna Lisa Acosta-Rogers. “This allows our families to get back to work, our families to connect with one another and find resources available to them, and ensures one of our most vulnerable populations are cared for in an appropriate setting. We are very fortunate to have received this grant and look forward to continuing to serve our children and families.”
Specifically, the grant will be used to meet operating costs, which will include developmentally appropriate toys that show diversity and inclusion, new bikes for the outdoor play area, new sand, and more.
Acosta-Rogers emphasized that the childcare employees at CDC are essential workers and are appreciated as are medical personnel, law enforcement and teachers.
“During this last year as COVID-19 has affected so many of us, we have the opportunity to give thanks to all of our essential workers,” she said. “We are thankful for all of our medical personnel, law enforcement, teachers and our childcare workers. Quality childcare is essential for our children, for our families and for our economy, as parents return to work.”
Student services will get you ready for fall semester
Fall semester at Western Nevada College is only a little more than a month away. Continuing and returning students can peruse in-person and online classes listed at wnc.edu/class-schedule/.
New students can apply for admission at wnc.edu/starthere/. For information, phone 775-445-3277.
To learn about the multiple options for receiving financial aid, contact Financial Assistance at 775-445-3264 or finaid1@wnc.edu.
To speak with a counselor or learn more about degree paths and recommended classes, phone 775-445-3267.
American Dream questioned in ‘#SuenoAmericano’ Exhibit
If visitors to the Bristlecone Gallery at Western Nevada College look closely at the current art exhibit, they will notice prints on top of slices of cheese.
That’s right. Latinx studio artist Lauren Cardenas created the images in “#SueñoAmericano” to question the validity of the American Dream. Cardenas took photos through the tiny windows from her airplane seat and printed them on slices of Kraft Singles, drawing attention to the many people who were provided with a cheese sandwich when they were deported from the U.S.
Cardenas’ artwork aims to question the meaning of everyday mundane objects and her divided Mexican American identity.
Cardenas earned a Bachelor of Arts in Painting, Printmaking and Drawing from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, and a Master of Fine Arts in Visual Art degree with a focus in Print Media from Washington University in St. Louis. She was awarded the University of Nevada, Reno Black Rock Press Redfield Fellowship from 2016-18. In collaboration with poet Daniel Enrique Perez, Cardenas published an artist book “Things You See in the Dark.”
When she isn’t working as an artist, Cardenas serves as assistant professor and assistant director of Gallery 130 at the University of Mississippi.
“#SuenoAmericano,” presented by the Capital City Arts Initiative, will be shown through Sept. 30 in the Bristlecone Main Gallery, 2201 W. College Parkway in Carson City. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
