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Through their work at the Kino Bay Center, Prescott College alumni Abram Fleishman ‘08, Naomi Blinick ‘09 and Emma Hurley ‘09 published their recent discovery of the nesting locations of the Craveri’s Murrelet (pictured here)in Kino Bay, Mexico
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Transitions Magazine Prescott College 220 Grove Ave. Prescott, AZ 86301
Cover photo: Cosme Damian Becerra, Jacy Brunkow ’06, Abram Fleishman ’08, Wyatt Smith ’11, Marine Conservation, 2010 Jacy Brunkow is currently studying for his masters at UC Santa Barbara and was awarded the Latin American Fisheries Fellowship there. Abram Fleishman is working as a field biologist on Tern Island, and Wyatt Smith is working as a fisheries observer for NOAA. Cosme Damian Becerra is the College’s boatman at the field station and also a sea turtle researcher.
TransitionS Publisher Marjory J. Sente Editor Ashley Mains Designer Miriam Glade Contributing Writers Victoria Abel • Joel Barnes • Jen Chandler • Julie Comnick Suzanne Dhruv • Anita Fernandez • Lisa Floyd-Hanna Ashley Mains • Helen Manion • Lorayne Meltzer • Jessica Roth • Cheryl Schwartz • Marj Sente • Kistie Simmons Kristin Woolever Staff Photographers Robert Carnahan • Denise Elfenbein • Miriam Glade Daniel Roca Photo Contributors Victoria Abel • Joel Barnes • Melanie Bishop • Naomi Blinick • Casamar Suites • Jen Chandler • Julie Comnick Anna Cook • the friends of Velvet Cunningham • Suzanne Dhruv • Ecosa Institute at Prescott College • Anita Fernandez • Lisa Floyd-Hanna • Harris Connect • Allison Jack • Kino Bay Photo Archive • Zoe Mason • Lorayne Meltzer • Delisa Myles • the family of Regina Niccum Mary Poole • Prescott College Archive • Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse • Kurt Refsnider • Jessica Roth • Treene Roth • Brian Sajko • Kelsey Shaw • Priscilla Stuckey • Bill Timmerman • Weddle Gilmore Architects Christine Weller • Emily Wittman • Wiki Commons Vice President for Institutional Advancement Marjory J. Sente (928) 350-4509 • msente@prescott.edu
Contents 3 6 8 9 10 12 15 16 18 26
College News Strategic Plan 2020 Grand Canyon Semester Arcosanti: A Writer’s Inspiration Addiction Nutrition Kino Bay: Collaborative Conservation College Among Best and Green Research and the Classroom Growing by Degrees: Bachelor of Science 2011-2012 Annual Report
Departments 21 23 24 28 29
Class Notes Alumni Briefs Faculty & Staff Notes In Memoriam The Last Word
Geomorphology, 2012 Students making measurements to calculate stream power in the Verde River
For Class Notes and address changes, contact Marie Smith • msmith@prescott.edu Send correspondence, reprint requests and submissions to: Ashley Mains Prescott College 220 Grove Ave., Prescott, AZ 86301 (928) 350-4506 • amains@prescott.edu Transitions, a publication for the Prescott College community, is published two times a year by the Office of Institutional Advancement for alumni, parents, friends, students, faculty, and staff of the College. Its purpose is to keep readers informed with news about Prescott College faculty, staff, students and fellow alumni. Transitions is available online at www.prescott.edu. ©2012 Prescott College Prescott College reserves the right to reprint materials from Transitions in other publications and online at its discretion. Prescott College is committed to equal opportunity for its employees and applicants for employment, without discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex or sexual orientation, age, disability, marital or parental status, status with respect to public assistance, or veteran’s status. This policy applies to the administration of its employment policies or any other programs generally accorded or made available to employees.
Contact Admissions at (877) 350-2100 • admissions@prescott.edu For the Liberal Arts, the Environment, and Social Justice
WWW.PRESCOTT.EDU
Changing Degree Names You may have noticed changes here in the pages of Transitions over the past few years. At the request of the Board of Trustees and with the endorsement of President’s Circle, Admissions and the Marketing and PR Department abandoned use of ambiguous degree titles and acronyms traditionally used to identify Prescott College programs in favor of more descriptive terms that would make sense to outside audiences. Here is a quick translation guide: Resident Degree Program (RDP) = On-Campus Undergraduate Programs Adult Degree Program (ADP) = Limited-Residency Undergraduate Programs Adult Degree and Graduate Programs (ADGP) = Limited-Residency Programs Master of Arts Program (MAP) = Limited-Residency Master of Arts Program Ph.D. Program (PHD) = Limited-Residency Ph.D. Program
President’s Corner As I write, the 2012–13 academic year is just underway. Our newest students arrived to move in to The Village, our recently finished townhouses, and the construction clamor is constant background noise as workers lay pavers for new walkways and pour cement for outdoor benches. “Transitions,” the name of this magazine, is an apt term for the whole campus at present: energy is high as we welcome the new year with new faces, new dorms, and even new degree programs. This positive energy comes after a hard year of necessary cutbacks and restructuring to put the College on the path to stronger financial stability. The recession has been especially difficult for small liberal arts colleges, and Prescott College is no exception. But with aggressive financial management and the cooperation of faculty, staff, and students, we are weathering this economic storm. With creativity and forward thinking, we stand poised at one of the most exciting times in our history. This issue of Transitions emphasizes our long tradition of connecting to the natural world and points to new initiatives underway: • We began offering our first Bachelor of Science degree this year. • We’re continuing to expand our research-rich curriculum as we look to hire faculty who are leaders in their fields and whose energy is infectious to the students they teach and take with them on research missions. Lisa Floyd-Hanna is one such example (see page 16) as is Allison Jack, a new faculty member in Agroecology. • Our students have always had an advantage of hands-on learning where real-world research is done, most notably at our Kino Bay field station in Mexico (see page 12). • Our new Natural History Center and accompanying laboratory will be ready for classes soon and will be featured in the next issue of Transitions. • Many of our alumni go on to become leaders and researchers not just in the hard sciences, but also in fields such as mental health and addiction recovery (see story by alumna Victoria Abel on page 10). • Our new student housing is on track to earn LEED certification for its green building design, and Prescott College was recently included in Sierra Magazine’s Cool Schools list. • We’re building new science labs and have just completed a state-of-the art ITV classroom. These and other exciting initiatives mark Prescott College’s continuing commitment as an educational leader for our students, our society, and our global future. Even in these challenging economic times, the College has the resilience and creativity not only to remain true to its mission, but to thrive. Best wishes for a productive year ahead!
President Woolever at Ribbon Cutting Event for the new Prescott College Campus Village Apartments, 2012
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Dr. Kristin R. Woolever
College News Sound Installation at Sam Hill This past February Prescott College Art Gallery a Sam Hill Warehouse made local news with Bricks and Bones: Sound Installations of Tamara Albaitis. San Francisco artist Tamara Albaitis’ interactive sound installations reflect her interest in the natural, constructed, and simulated environments that exist in a technology-saturated world. About her work, Tamara states, “I’m curious about how people interpret the basic building blocks of their lives, sorting relevance through systems both public and personal, tangible and virtual. I use 100 percent pure technology to mimic nature, much like what most of modern society does. I enjoy creating this work with a sense of playful poetry, interpreting complex and intricate (and often ironic) relationships within the ongoing interplay between the ‘artificial’ and the ‘organic’.”
Garchen Rinpoche Speaks at Crossroads The Crossroads Community room was packed in March with people who came to hear Tibetan Buddhist monk, Garchen Rinpoche, speak about learning to love. Each person was given a copy of The Thirty-seven Bodhavista Practices and treated to an hour and a half address. “Whatever the experience,” Garchen spoke in his native tongue, translated through his interpreter, “[it] is the embodiment of our actions.” Attendees were each given a printed mantra with the assertion that “if the crown of one’s head passes once beneath this mantra, the misdeeds of a thousand eons will be purified.” Garchen addressed the capacity crowd as “my friends,” indicating that he loves and views everyone as part of his family.
Life in Letters Literary Conference The Arts & Letters Program, supported by the Southwest Writers Series and Community Literature Practicum course, hosted a one-day literary conference on March 30, 2012 on campus. More than fifteen Prescott College faculty authors and other Prescott-area artists participated in this public event that included dynamic panels, readings, and a celebration of the 2012 issue of Alligator Juniper.
Spirit Week The Student Union Board was pleased to declare the first-ever Prescott College Spirit Week coinciding with Earth Week activities April 16 through 21, 2012. Activities included: Pajama Day, Stone Soup Dinner, the annual Student Awards Ceremony & Student Employee Celebration, a movie night, and a Granite Creek clean-up party, among many others.
Sommer Fellow 2012-13 The Frederick & Frances Sommer Foundation and Prescott College announced Zoe Mason ’13 as the 2012-13 fellow. According to the Foundation Trustees, her application showed a concise understanding of the Sommer Cabin environment. In addition she comprehends the challenges her Senior Project may face, representing considered thought. Last, her poetry is illustrative and cleverly arranged with “My Brothers Birth” particularly catching the attention of all three trustees. Congratulations Zoe!
Jim Stuckey and Dan Garvey Named Presidents Emeritus During its June meeting, the Prescott College Board of Trustees named Jim Stuckey and Dan Garvey Presidents Emeritus. The formal motion stated: “Prescott College has been fortunate to have received the capable services of certain Presidents of the College who have rendered meritorious service to the institution. It is anticipated and hoped that those individuals may be able to assist in furthering the mission and goals of the College … The Board of Trustees wishes to recognize and celebrate the meritorious service of James Stuckey and Daniel Garvey, who have met the criteria established by the Board of Trustees to be named President Emeritus.”
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College News
Continued
Interactive Television Classroom With the support of student technology fees, Prescott College completed construction of an ITV (interactive television) classroom. While this room has ITV equipment which enables synchronous send and receive, the room also serves as a multiuse computer classroom. The intention behind this investment is to provide both the resident and distance students access to current scholarship, and to create learning communities between Prescott College students and faculty, as well as other scholars and passionate learners and practitioners throughout the world. Imagine how far we can advance learning and affect change through these efforts!
True Prescott College Photo Contest Congratulations to the True Prescott College Photo Contest winners! Current on-campus undergraduate Kelsey Shaw ’13 won a first place prize for her photo I Know You Had the Postage (left), and a second place prize for History of the Earth. Staff member Jill Pyatt won a first place prize for Dreaming. On-campus student RoyDan Segura ’13 won a second place prize for Fossil Oriented. Faculty member Ellen Greenblum won a third place prize for Opening the Creative Mind, and current EAMH student Nina Fuller also won a third place prize for her photo Eckholm Technique. A total of $450 in cash prizes was awarded. Stay tuned for the True Prescott College T-shirt Design Contest this fall.
Alligator Juniper Student Winners Thanks to the continued generosity of former trustee and alumni parent Suzanne Tito, the Suzanne Tito Student Prizes in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry annually recognize student artists at Prescott College. Fiction: 1st Place: Molly Kiff ’11, “Howls in the Desert”; 2nd Place: Ty Kipling ’13, “Listening”; and 3rd Place: Seráh Blain ’12, “Pragmatic Wingtips.” Creative Nonfiction: 1st Place: Laura Hitt ’12, “Grown-Ups”; 2nd Place: Molly Kiff, “Going to Hell”; and 3rd Place: Jacqi Alyanakian ’12, “Chasing Zebras.” Poetry: 1st Place, Laura Hitt, “Huldra Eyes”; 2nd Place, Danielle Iamarino ’12, “The Photos are White and Gray”; and 3rd Place: Seráh Blain, “A Piece of Cake.” To purchase a copy of Alligator Juniper write a check for $10 to Prescott Collge/Alligator Juniper, and mail to 220 Grove Ave., Prescott, AZ 86301. Include a note with shipping address.
2nd Place National Contest Winner Margin of Error, Weller
The Ecosa Institute at Prescott College Over the past decade, through more than 20 semesters of collaboration, many Prescott College students have been able to include sustainable design in their studies through the Prescott-based Ecosa Institute. The two organizations made the relationship “official” in August when an agreement was signed to take in Ecosa as a sponsored program of the College. Ecosa provides strong sustainable design brand recognition, and a unique “immersion semester” curriculum. Prescott College provides cost-effective administrative services, professional marketing and fundraising support, a stable financial structure, academic accreditation, and financial assistance for degreeseeking students. The Ecosa Regenerative Ecological Design program will be available to Prescott College students as a part of the regular curricula overseen by the faculty of the College. For more information on Ecosa at Prescott College, visit ecosainstitute.org.
Prescott College Opens Sustainable Student Housing Prescott College unveiled its sustainable Campus Village student housing project August 15, 2012, with Prescott Mayor Marlin Kuykendall, College President Kristin R. Woolever, and other local dignitaries at a formal ribbon cutting, followed by refreshments and tours of the complex. In close consult with architect Phil Weddle of Weddle Gilmore Architects, Haley Construction Co. of Prescott built the 104-bed facility, situated on the western end of the campus, to US Green Building Council LEED Gold certification requirements. “With practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations, and maintenance solutions, we’re walking our talk about the environment and sustainability,” says Prescott College President Dr. Kristin R. Woolever.
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Staff Service Award Ceremony The Human Resources Department organized the first-ever Service Award Ceremony to honor all employees for their service to the College. Five honorees were given special recognition for more than 25 years of service each: Sam Henrie (pictured left), Doug Hulmes ’73, Leslie Laird, David Lovejoy ’73, and Carl Tomoff. This special event was deeply touching and inspiring. David Lovejoy stated, “I find the greatest satisfaction in working with students in settings, where the often lost art of flexibility, adaptability, and cooperation are critical to safety, sanity and success.”
Prescott College, Tucson Updates Several social justice projects will be based out of Tucson this year including faculty member Anita Fernández’s oncampus undergraduate Fall Block course which will join the Campaign for an American DREAM, a group of undocumented youth walking across the country in support of the DREAM Act. This course will also participate in the fight for Ethnic Studies in Tucson and continuing the work of Tucson Freedom Summer, a coalition of activists, organizers, educators and artists joining forces to reinstate Ethnic Studies in Tucson. During the Fall Semester, the new resident Master of Arts program in Social Justice will also be partially based in Tucson, studying organizing and activism in Arizona. Prescott College Tucson Center is re-imagining its future to align with the College’s 2020 Strategic Plan (see page 6). Since January 2012, a taskforce of staff, faculty, and alumni have worked to “Develop a model and strategic plan that appropriately supports existing and new regional hubs and field stations.” This taskforce completed a final draft of the Prescott College – Tucson Strategic Plan for 2012-2015. To celebrate this re-imagining, Prescott College staff, faculty, alumni, and mentors gathered at the Tucson location for an event we called Reconnect, Rekindle, and Recapture. “Prescott College is vital to Tucson in allowing so many creative, out-ofthe-box, and passionate individuals to pursue education in a structure that respects their knowledge and experience,” said one Reconnect attendee. “I’ve seen this first hand with many of the students who I have mentored, students who have gone on to make our community a better place to live.”
Campus-Community Celebration Friday, September 21, 2012, staff as well as students and faculty returning from Fall Block courses gathered for food, music, tours of campus, and a special natural history exhibit to celebrate recent campus-wide improvements, including the near completion of the central Campus Commons project. Local neighbors and Prescott-area community members were invited to join in the fun. The event was sponsored by Student Life, Advancement Office, Auxiliary Services, Wells Fargo, and Weddle Gilmore Architects.
A selection of 24 natural history and botanical prints from the Josephine Michell Arader Collection—historically significant natural history prints from the age of exploration—will be on display in the Crossroads Center through November 2012. Featured artists from the 16th through the 19th century include Elizabeth Blackwell, Frederic Cuvier, Leonhart Fuchs, Francoise Nicolas Martinet, and Albertus Seba. This collection is co-curated by the Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse and the Prescott College Natural History Institute. Additions to the Collection and further exhibits are planned for the coming year.
Arrangement for a Silent Orchestra Arrangement for a Silent Orchestra, featuring new work from faculty member Julie Comnick, is a painting and video project which explores the gradual dissolution of culture in contemporary society through the symbolic ruin of a personal and cultural icon, the violin. Using the violin as a metaphor, Julie raises questions about the relationship between increasing technology and diminishing cultural heritage, and invites the audience to consider what makes the instrument precious in his or her own experience, and the impact of its loss. The exhibit runs at the Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse through October 27, 2012.
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Allegro, Oil on Canvas, Julie Comnick
Arader Collection Debuts
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Strategic
lmost two years in the making, the 2020 Strategic Plan was formally approved by the Board of Trustees at their June meeting. What follows is the executive summary. A detailed final version of the Plan is available at prescott.edu/intranet/assets/strategic-planning/strategic-plan-2020.pdf.
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All proceedings, programs, and initiatives of the College as outlined in this document are grounded in a commitment to the mission and vision of Prescott College.
Our Mission
Field Methods for Plant Ecology, 2008
It is the mission of Prescott College to educate students of diverse ages and backgrounds to understand, thrive in, and enhance our world community and environment. We regard learning as a continuing process and strive to provide an education that will enable students to live productive lives while achieving a balance between self�fulfillment and service to others. Students are encouraged to think critically and act ethically with sensitivity to both the human community and the biosphere. Our philosophy stresses experiential learning and self�direction within an interdisciplinary curriculum.
Our Vision Prescott College sets the standard for academic excellence through experiential, collaborative education that transforms diverse learners into leaders who make a difference while making a living. Committed to social justice and environmental sustainability, we serve local and global communities through innovative and intellectually adventurous liberal arts and professional programs.
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The Prescott College Village 2012
Plan
Executive Summary I. Develop and deliver curricula, programs, and services to ensure student success for diverse learners. A. Strengthen, review, and align academic programs. B. Develop new, and review and renew existing curricula, academic initiatives, and delivery models. C. Broaden and strengthen student services and integrate academic and co-curricular supports to maximize student learning and engagement. II. Improve decision‐making processes to fully reflect our mission and values. A. Improve College governance by implementing a representative model that has clearly defined lines of decision‐making authority. B. Build and maintain a sustainable economic model by prioritizing financial capacity in decision‐making and implementing financial modeling and a strategic budgeting process.
Community Activism, 2007
III. Increase and improve financial capacity, human resources, and infrastructure. A. Strategically increase net tuition and non‐tuition revenues. B. Develop and support the diversity and quality of our human resources with professional development; a healthy work environment; a culture of appreciation and celebration; and equitable and competitive compensation. C. Use institutional research data to guide improvements in infrastructure. 1. Improve information technology services and business processes. 2. Develop and enhance the physical environments. 3. Improve and expand campus services. IV. Tell the world. A. Increase our market presence by creating an integrated marketing work group from cross‐College areas including representative academic leadership with authority and accountability to manage outreach, marketing, and identity system.
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Grand Canyon Semester Wilderness Explorations and Landscape Studies ast fall Prescott College, in partnership with Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP), offered a semester-long, interdisciplinary program that embraced the liberal arts and experiential, place-based learning; the Greater Grand Canyon Ecoregion became both classroom and laboratory. This was the first time that Prescott College and GCNP has come together to design and deliver this unique program, and it was a resounding success. The program enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, and weaved together a rich cross-section of topics in environmental studies, adventure education, resource stewardship, and expeditionary learning. In addition to classroom-based academics, the curriculum included three extended field expeditions; a complete circumnavigation of the Grand Canyon’s North and South Rims, a 21-day wilderness river trip through the heart of the park, and a week-long backpacking trip along the Canyon’s Tonto Plateau and Inner Gorge. Indeed, wilderness leadership skills and expeditionary learning were an explicit part of the curriculum. Prescott College professor Dr. Joel Barnes explains, “Above all, we emphasized a studentcentered approach to experiential learning, so whenever we were traveling in the park, whether it was rafting the river or hiking the trails, our students were engaged with all the preparations and technical skills of a backcountry expedition, as well as the academics, service projects, and field research.” “In addition to learning about the current management issues we are dealing with at the park, a central piece of the Grand Canyon Semester involved students actively engaged in science-based resource stewardship projects focused on some aspect of the Colorado River corridor,” says Grand Canyon National Park education specialist Jacob Fillion. “This enabled our students to make important contributions to real management issues in the park.” These projects included tamarisk beetle counts, campsite assessment and monitoring, beach photographic monitoring, invasive nonnative vegetation removal, aquatic macroinvertebrate surveys in the Colorado River mainstem and its tributaries, and surveys of desert bighorn sheep populations. Prescott College, in collaboration with the Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning (CIEL) and the Eco League, Inner Granite Gorge, Grand Canyon Semester, 2011
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delivered this innovative college curriculum to a diverse group of student scholars from schools across the country, including Evergreen State College, Alverno College, and New College at the University of Alabama. Students received 12 semester credits from Prescott College that were transferred back to their home institution. The Grand Canyon Semester consisted of three distinct fourcredit courses taught concurrently; in one course, students acquired the fundamental skills of wilderness expeditioning, leadership, backpacking, and whitewater rafting; the second course included an introduction to landscape ecology with a primary focus on exploring the interconnected landscapes of the Grand Canyon Ecoregion (geophysical, biocultural, aesthetic, literary, and sociopolitical); the third course engaged students in teaching and leadership, examined public lands issues and management challenges in the Grand Canyon Ecoregion with a focus on Grand Canyon National Park, and included student-directed research projects focused on resource stewardship in the park. The students presented the results of their research projects at a well-attended public symposium in December 2011 on the Prescott College campus, and covered topics such as wolf reintroduction, wildlife and wildfires, the tamarisk leaf beetle, aquatic macroinvertebrates, backcountry search and rescue, and cultural astronomy. For more information about CIEL or the Eco League, visit www.cielearn.org or www.ecoleague.org. The next Grand Canyon Semester offered through Prescott College is scheduled for the fall 2013, with student registration occurring in the spring 2013.
Nankoweap Granaries,Grand Canyon Semester, 2011
“Mesquite”: One Story’s Journey from an Arizona Mesa to a London Pub By Jessica Roth ’10
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my writer’s block begin to crumble. “Mesquite” started as a stream of consciousness free-write. The story seemed to bubble up out of the ground, out of that place. Perhaps it is no surprise, then, that “Mesquite” is rooted firmly in the landscape I encountered at Arcosanti. It is a character, in my mind, just as much as the narrator. I am transported back to that mesa every time I reread “Mesquite.” Had I not been exactly there, exactly then; had I not wandered the grounds and let the landscape sink in past my skin; had I not been falling for one of my classmates—a man whose demeanor rather resembled that of Tyler, the object of my narrator’s affection—I’d have never written that particular story. “Mesquite” evolved differently from other pieces I had written up until that point. It developed slowly. It made me wait. Four years took place between first draft and published draft, with countless other drafts in between. It has had three separate titles and at least that many beginnings and endings. “Mesquite” was the first piece to sell me on the process of long revision, of laying my hands on something over and over again. It demanded that I meet my work on its own time and commit to a larger process. I resisted this at first, because I am nothing if not stubborn and, at times, a little impatient. But I have since found tremendous value in this way of working. It has encouraged me to explore longer forms (including a novel-in-progress that, at the rate it’s going, I might finish before I retire from this earth), and it has allowed me to go deeper into the stories and essays that I write. These have been important lessons, and I hope that they translate into a more meaningful experience for the folks who read my work. Arcosanti
arlier this [year], the Liar’s League of London performed a short story of mine, “Mesquite.” It is always an honor to share to my work and a thrill to know that somebody enjoyed a piece well enough to publish it. But there is something bittersweet about seeing my words fixed on a page, too. Publication marks a new phase in the life of a piece of writing, where dynamism and evolution are replaced by a certain inertia, or maybe an equilibrium. The feeling this brings is what I imagine a mild case of empty nest syndrome might be like. Because that is what I have been feeling lately, I have been thinking a lot about “Mesquite,” where it came from, and how it made its way across the pond. I wrote the first sloppy pages that would someday become “Mesquite” during an especially mild January on the Mogollon Rim. I was a student at Prescott College, enrolled in a monthlong creative writing workshop, and panicked because, already a third of the way into the course, I could not write. I told the professor about the long, futile hours spent at my desk and Advanced Workshop in Fiction the crumpled pages that had begun to and Nonfiction, 2009 crowd my wastebasket. She suggested that I take a day off. Get outside. Clear my head. Try again. One aim of the workshop was to mimic the experience of a writer’s retreat, so for the duration of the course my classmates and I lived at Arcosanti. In the high desert of central Arizona, Arcosanti is architect Paolo Soleri’s “urban laboratory,” where his goal is to achieve an intersection of architecture and ecology that offers a sustainable alternative to the sprawling model of modern cities. Situated on a mesa beside the Agua Fria River, silt-cast concrete buildings are set against a dynamic, light-and-shadow landscape. It is beautiful, and sometimes eerie. I took my professor’s advice and went walking. Down to the river lined with mesquite trees, whose winter-bare branches overhung a lush carpet of the greenest grass I had ever seen. Up the face of a basalt cliff to a cave where the histories of long-extinguished fires were written in soot across the walls. Towards the end of the day, I found myself on top of a mesa rising on the far side of the scrub-choked flat that spread out below the studios. I sat on a ledge where I could watch the last light color the sky above Arcosanti. It was there that I pulled pen and paper from my backpack and felt
This story was reprinted with permission of the author and ALifesWork.com/blog/. Watch the performance of Mesquite at liarsleague.typepad.com/liars_league/2012/07/mesquite-by-jessicaroth.html. Jessica Roth graduated from Prescott College with a dual competence in Interdisciplinary Arts & Letters and Environmental Studies. After graduation, she worked two seasons as the Trails and Wilderness Support Specialist for the Prescott National Forest. She recently moved to Boise, Idaho, where she will begin an M.F.A. program in Fiction Writing at Boise State University, work on the Idaho Review (BSU's literary journal), and teach undergraduate level English courses. Read her blog at highdesertmornings.wordpress.com.
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Addiction Nutrition: The Healing Power of Food By Victoria Abel ’93, M.A., M.N.T.
s soon as I graduated from Prescott College in 1993, I went right into the counseling field, becoming a therapist at a world renowned treatment center at the age of 23. I got my training on my feet and wouldn’t have had it any other way. From there, I specialized in working in eating disorders and dual diagnosis (clients with both a chemical addiction and another diagnosis such as an anxiety disorder or PTSD). In 2003, my daughter became critically sick with respiratory illnesses. Rejecting the chemical cocktails with terrifying side effects the hospitals wanted her on, we turned to nutrition and naturopathic medicine. At our first appointment, the new doctor took her off all gluten and dairy products. Almost overnight, she was breathing better and could even run a little. I was hooked on the healing power of food. I decided to get second master’s degree, this time in Nutrition Therapy. It seemed natural to combine my two areas of interest, so I created The Center for Addiction Nutrition in Prescott, Ariz. Addiction nutrition is the science of diet and health directly related to helping those with chemical and process addictions. Though relatively new to the addiction treatment field, addiction nutrition is a fast-growing and dynamic addition to present treatment modalities. Recognizing the role of the body in recovery through nutrition, exercise, wilderness experiences, yoga, and acupuncture solidifies and validates the changes clients are making psychologically. As an instructor at Prescott College in the Human Development department, I can share the knowledge I have in both fields, psychology and human health. In the classes I teach, such as Addiction and Recovery, I can integrate holistic health components such as supplementation and whole foods healing. My students are able to come to the treatment centers where I work as an Addiction Nutritionist and tour facilities, meet with staff, and even get in on the cooking class that I teach. They get cutting-edge information on how clients can be helped through nutritional therapy, which results in: faster drug and alcohol
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detoxification; increased healing time of the brain and GI damage from drugs and alcohol; and decrease in relapse rates. They learn techniques for treating depression and anxiety with food and gather general nutrition information everyone should know in order to stay healthier, longer. Substance abuse and poor nutrition often go hand in hand, with one issue exacerbating the other. These nutrient imbalances can often make cravings for alcohol and drugs intensify, and can worsen depression and anxiety. In the five years that I have been a Nutrition Therapist, I have seen the incredible power of food almost daily. One 19-year-old client, Andrew, came to me emaciated from his five years of IV heroin and prescription opiate use. He was severely depressed and was having trouble staying awake. He didn’t eat regularly, and when he did, it was mostly candy, fast food, and soda. His bowels were working on average two times a week. His blood work came back with severe anemia and very high blood sugar. Andrew was leery of “the food lady,” but he gave me a chance—and he was able to change his life. We first shifted him from $1 pizzas and soda to eating protein (eggs, beans, chicken, fish) three times a day, drinking three-quarters of a gallon of water slowly, and introducing vegetables five times a day as well as whole grains such as quinoa. I put him on four different supplements. The most important supplement for Andrew was vitamin C. The prescription opiates that he was taking caused internal damage from gastrointestinal lesions. He was bleeding internally, and we had to give him a high daily dose of liquid vitamin C to counteract this injury. He also took Omega 3 fatty acids, L-glutamine, and a B-complex. The first thing that Andrew noticed was his energy. Instead of falling asleep in his counseling groups, he could stay awake and alert. He also started to gain weight and could go to the gym. His bowels came back to daily functioning in about six days, and he rated his anxiety as a two out of 10 (10 being most severe), which was a first for Andrew in six years. His blood sugar came down to almost a normal range by the next month, and he is 18 months sober as I write this. Many of my clients can find strength in their new and long term recovery by using their “daily medicine” of food intake. In fact, three of my former clients have even gone on to get their master’s degree in Nutrition Therapy, and two have come to work with me as interns. In the addiction treatment field, even the most widely accepted methods of treatment can result in a relapse rate of over 85 per-
Victoria Abel , Decision Point Center, 2012
cent when used alone, with no adjunctive services. Treating the body as a whole, rather than just treating the disease, can increase an addict’s chances at not only recovery, but also a healthy life. It is inspiring to see how many treatment centers and medical centers are integrating nutrition therapy now. Approximately 25 percent of addiction treatment centers in the United States have a nutrition program or a nutritionist on staff. Through The Center for Addiction Nutrition, I have presented at six national conferences and put on a successful daylong workshop on the Prescott College campus, attended by 75 therapists, clients, and students. Looking into the future for Addiction Nutrition, it is my hope to continue spreading the word – to talk to more students, therapists, and treatment centers, and increase clients’ chances at staying sober. I hope that this information can help people elevate their mood and reduce anxiety and depression. I am also excited to be writing a workbook in collaboration with a Prescott College on-campus undergraduate student, Natalie Boggs ’12, for her Senior Project. We are using important books like Seven Weeks to Sobriety by Joan Matthews Larson, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky, and The Water Cure by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, as well as our own research. This workbook will be written specifically for recovering people on the power of food in their healing. Check for availability at www.centerforaddictionnutrition.com in early spring 2013.
Nutrition for Recovery Though it is impossible and irresponsible to recommend any nutritional supplementation to all people or any group of people, some supplements have properties specific to helping alcoholics and drug addicts heal. A whole foods diet is crucial for addicts in early and long-term recovery. A whole foods diet is defined as unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Michael Pollan in his book Food Rules states that we should never eat anything our grandmothers wouldn’t recognize as food. Hence, protein shakes and power bars are out. Our food should look as close as possible to the way it did in its original form. This includes raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, grains, and minimally processed meat. Supplementation for recovery from addiction and/or depression and anxiety can be important as well. A high-quality multivitamin is always a good place to start. I often recommend a liquid food-based multivitamin to those in early recovery. Their body may not be able to break down a capsule because of their damaged GI tract and limited enzymatic activity. Digestive enzymes are also helpful, especially for those who have experienced long-term constipation from opiate use. This will regulate the bowels and speed detoxification. One specific supplement I often recommend is L-glutamine. Taken with a medical professional’s supervision, L-glutamine can help a recovering addict reduce cravings for alcohol and sugar by up to 35 percent. Omega-3 fatty acids are also recommended to many clients to help repair some of the damage done to tissues in the GI tract and the brain from repeated exposure to toxins. High doses of vitamin C (up to 5,000 mg) as well as vitamin D daily can also help heal damage done from addiction. If you or someone you love is struggling with recovery and is interested in addiction nutrition, I recommend working with an addiction nutritionist to create a customized meal and supplement plan to support long-term recovery.
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Getting Everyone into the Boat The Kino Bay Center serves as model for collaborative problem-solving in conservation By Ashley Mains M.A. ’11
Marine Conservation Class with bottlenose dolphins in Kino Bay, 2010
Kino Bay Center
he Prescott College Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies (the Center) is a field station on the shores of the Gulf of California in Sonora, Mexico. Each year the Center hosts more than 550 researchers, students, resident fellows, and commuThe mission of the nity visitors from dozens of Kino Bay Center is to institutions and community protect priority species groups from Mexico, the and habitats through the United States, and other parts integrated application of of the world. Most people science, education, inforwho visit the field station do mation exchange, and so because of the biologically community participation. and culturally diverse desert, marine, and island environments in this Midriff Island region of the Gulf of California. The initial purpose of the Center was to provide experiential and field-based classes for Prescott College students, many of whom have discovered a deep passion for marine conservation and eventually careers in the field. Over the past 21 years, four interrelated programs beyond College classes have been developed to contribute to community-based conservation through research, community leadership, environmental education, and information exchange. As the Center celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, the staff began anew the process of reflecting on their achievements and conceptualizing the future. This group and a newly formed Advisory Board first focused on the mission: to protect priority species and habitats through the integrated application of science, education, information exchange, and community participation. “We realized that many conservation organizations and field stations have a similar mission,” explains Lorayne Meltzer, Co-
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director and Research Coordinator for the Kino Bay Center. “What’s really unique is how we go about fulfilling our mission— it’s not the traditional individual project approach. The Center promotes and models collaborations between people from different cultures and institutions to co-create solutions to complex conservation challenges.” The Center brings people and institutions together to focus on conservation issues that are important to the human and ecological communities in the region. “It’s hard to overstate the importance of ‘being there’ and forming long-term personal and professional relationships with stakeholders,” Lorayne says. “We literally get everyone The Center promotes together in one boat.” and models collaborations Imagine there’s a local between people from diffisherman captaining the ferent cultures and instituboat, three local high tions to co-create solutions school women from the to complex conservation Environmental Education challenges. and Community Leadership Program, several Prescott College students studying marine mammals or participating in Ed Boyer’s Marine Biology course, a Seri elder from the local indigenous community, at least two grant-supported research fellows who could be anyone from a former Prescott College student to a highly educated Mexican master’s degree student, to a first-rate bird biologist from Massachusetts, and a professional researcher from Duke University (a former research-fellow at the Center) with graduate students in tow. Now imagine the group happens upon a sea turtle—everyone in that boat is looking at that turtle through a different cultural lens. The fisherman: “I used to make so much money fishing
those.” The high school students: “I had no idea this was in my backyard.” The Prescott College students: “Oh my god, how awesome is this!” The Seri Elder begins to sing a song that ties the turtle to their religion. The researchers and fellows: “Can we get closer so it can be measured?” “We all have different views of each other and the turtle in front of us, and we also all care about the sea turtle. Having that shared experience and then talking about it; struggling to find solutions to protect that creature or its habitat or ability to sustainably reproduce becomes the most important thing on all our minds,” Lorayne says. Each person in the boat also has different skill sets and knowledge bases for working to protect the sea turtle. For example, some might be able to provide scientific data, some—cultural knowledge, and—some connections with government officials, funding, or resources for report writing. But it takes much more than a boat ride to address complex conservation issues like overfishing, by-catch, or coastal development for aquaculture. These issues have elements that stretch from the biological to societal laws; poverty—immigration—indigenous rights—education—global economics. The solutions have to take many forms and range from something small, like taking a class of local fourth graders to Alcatraz Island to teach them about the birds, to major actions like petitioning the United Nations to protect Santa Cruz Estuary as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention (an intergovernmental treaty, the Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971).
Tom Fleischner and Kino Bay 6th grader, 2006
Reddish Egret The Center’s Waterbird Monitoring Program focuses on protecting priority species like the reddish egret
Santa Rosa Estuary, 2008 The Kino Bay Center works with communities toward conservation of local estuaries
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Santa Cruz Estuary The Santa Cruz Estuary project is a prime example of the collaborative, multi-pronged approach that makes the Kino Bay Center a treasure at Prescott College. The Center is located in the Midriff Island region of the Gulf of California. Strong tidal currents and seasonal wind patterns create year-round upwelling that makes this part of the Gulf of California one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world. The Santa Cruz Estuary provides important environmental services supporting nearshore marine environments. It acts as a nursery for economically important species of fish and invertebrates and provides critical habitat for nesting, feeding, and roosting of millions of waterbirds that pass through the region seasonally, using the region’s abundant food resources to prepare for long migrations or, in some cases, to spend the winter or breed. Estuarine habitats in the region are imminently threatened by land conversion and water exchange for shrimp aquaculture operations and by fisheries overexploitation. Information about land tenure, concessions, and resource use in the estuary is disjointed and not easily accessible or commonly understood. There is also insufficient information available or accessible to adequately describe, document, and mitigate the impacts of aquaculture, coastal development, fishing,
exists today. We also utilize grant-funded fellows, faculty members, and visiting researchers to gather data that has been integral to the understanding and preservation of local estuaries.” The Waterbird Monitoring Program at the Center has documented 84 different waterbird species in Santa Cruz Estuary, 19 of which nest there, including nine that are listed in the Mexican list of endangered, threatened, and protected species. The estuary is an important feeding area for the 14 species of waterbirds that nest on Alcatraz Island, which is located less than one mile from the estuary. More than one percent of the estimated total population of 12 waterbird species in Mexico is found in the Santa Cruz Estuary. Meanwhile, the Center’s Environmental Education and Community Leadership Program (EEP) has been teaching local kids about the importance of the estuary in a program that spans
Kino Center Fellows facilitating local Ecology Club activities, 2008
Marine Conservation, 2002 Students collecting data alongside shrimp fishermen
and tourism on estuarine species and habitats. Luckily, there is a high level of community and institutional support for protecting and restoring estuarine health. Hundreds of Prescott College students have participated in data collection throughout the years: in Field Methods for Plant Biology and GIS classes lead by Lisa Floyd-Hanna and David Hanna, generating vegetation community maps for Santa Cruz Estuary used in the Ramsar application; with Tom Fleischner, who has done decades of research on shorebirds with his students in the Coastal Ecology course, culminating in a publication and data that contributed to the Ramsar application; and myriad Independent Studies and Senior Projects, advised by faculty members in Environmental Studies—notably Doug Hulmes ’74, who completed his own Senior Project on Alcatraz Island back in the 70s. “The students are key,” Lorayne says. “They contribute valuable perspective, work on projects, and are the reason the Center even 14
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all the local schools in grades 4 through 12. The EEP also facilitates community dialogues that reveal and contribute a great depth of local knowledge about the estuary. “In 2012 we realized that we had sufficient data and passionate community support to justify and compel protecting Santa Cruz Estuary at a higher level, but we did not have the legal knowledge or connections to do so,” Lorayne says. “So in February of 2012 we facilitated a workshop and invited people from the Mexican government and from legal and community organizations who do have this knowledge.” The result was a community-based action plan for the protection of the estuary based in science, legal protection, and community initiatives. The first step of this plan was completion of a Ramsar application, submitted to the UN this past summer.* Research at the Center has also indicated that two other estuaries of the Hermosillo coast, Cardonal and Tastoita, qualify for protection as Ramsar sites, as Important Bird Areas, and under the Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserves Network. There is currently no institution actively governing or protecting estuarine habitats in the region. “The process of writing the 80-page application brought together the knowledge and work of all the types of people ‘in the boat,’” Lorayne says. “If the Santa Cruz Estuary becomes a Ramsar site, Prescott College will play an active role in co-management of this ecologically and culturally rich place.” *A petition for designating the Santa Cruz Estuary as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar convention has been submitted and is pending approval. Check out the next issue of Transitions for an update on this project.
Prescott College Makes the Grade National Media, ratings, and rankings list Prescott College among the best and greenest
The Princeton Review: Best 377 Colleges Prescott College is one of the country’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. The well-known education services company features the school in the 2013 edition of its annual college guide, The Best 377 Colleges. Prescott College consistently makes several of the publication’s “top 20” lists, most notably for its top-ten rankings in a liberal student body, encouragement of classroom discussions, and acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
Sierra Magazine’s Cool Schools The annual Sierra Magazine Cool Schools ranking pegged Prescott College at number 86. This is a good ranking relative to higher education as a whole industry, and next year we will certainly improve this and other rankings with all the current investments in sustainability through our campus housing, land and resource management, energy and water conservation measures, and activities of sustainability advocates across campus.
U.S. News and World Report The Princeton Review: Best in the West The College is one of 121 institutions The Princeton Review recommends for the Western region. Schools on the list were evaluated based on institutional data sets, campus visits, Princeton Review staff input, college counselor recommendations, and students’ responses to an 80-qestion survey.
The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges The Princeton Review and U.S. Green Building Council partnered to recognize the most environmentally responsible colleges and universities in the US and Canada. The well-known education services company selected Prescott College for inclusion in the third annual edition of its free downloadable book, The Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges: 2012 Edition. The guide is, according to Princeton Review sources, the only free, comprehensive guidebook profiling institutions of higher education that demonstrate a notable commitment to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation.
Colleges of Distinction Prescott College was selected as a 2011–12 College of Distinction, and the only college in the state of Arizona! Started ten years ago by concerned parents and education professionals, CollegesofDistinction.com helps young people, their families, and their counselors find colleges that demonstrate commitment to four principles: engagement, teaching, community, and outcomes.
Prescott College is featured in the 2013 U.S. News and World Report guide to the best colleges in the nation.
Top 200 for Native American and Alaska Native
For a second consecutive year Prescott College has been included in the Top 200 Schools for Native American and Alaska Native Students list published in Winds of Change, the magazine of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society.
Military Friendly College GI Jobs Magazine deemed Prescott College a military friendly school for the second consecutive year, fit to be listed in its 2013 Guide to Military Friendly Schools, ranking in the top 20 percent of all colleges, universities, and trade schools nationwide.
Fiske Guide to Colleges: Best and Most Interesting The selective Fiske Guide to Colleges included Prescott College in its updated 2013 guide to the 300+ “best and most interesting” schools in the US, Canada, and Great Britain.
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Research and the Classroom By Ashley Mains M.A. ’11 “The length and type of document each class produces o research or teach? This is a dichotomy familiar to most depends on the progress of a given project and the interest of stufaculty members at institutions of higher education. Many dents,” she explains. “But they all learn field methods hands-on have a natural preference for one or the other, but what if and how to analyze the data they collect.” you are equally passionate about both? Many of Lisa’s students continue field work on her grants for Environmental Studies faculty member Lisa Floyd-Hanna didtheir Senior Projects. Recent grad Carla Roybal ’12 finished up n’t like having to choose between working in the classroom and work on a nitrogen deposition study at Mesa Verde and Arches working in the field. She’d been teaching botany and statistics at traditional institutions like Wheaton and Fort Lewis while trying to further her own research with Piñon Juniper Woodlands. Eighteen years ago, after a year of full-time research, she saw the ad for an open position at Prescott College. She’d had student field workers from Prescott on a couple projects and was impressed with their knowledge level and skills. What she discovered in Prescott College was a place where she wasn’t forced to choose research or teaching, where she had the freedom to integrate post-graduate level research into undergraduate curriculum. It was the “win-win” where she could continue to produce meaningful contributions to the study of woodland pines and fire ecology, and undergraduate students could get hands-on field experience and contribute to professional-level publications. “Fundamentally I still teach the same kinds of classes, but I’ve been able to develop this whole practice of bringing students into research here, and I don’t think I could have done that elsewhere.” Lisa Floyd-Hanna and Carla Roybal ‘12 Every summer Lisa, with her husband, David Hanna (the College’s Geographic Information Systems instructor), and students hired as field workers, conduct ecological research in southwestern Colorado. They spend their time sampling tree rings to establish fire history, measuring canopy loss due to beetle infestation, and determining such infestation’s effect on future fire behavior and atmospheric levels of carbon. They inventory types and number of plants present to gauge biodiversity, and measure the amount of nitrogen present in the atmosphere and deposited in soil to monitor increases and effects caused by the many power plants in the Four Corners region. National Park this spring, will be lead author on the resulting Come each alternating Fall Block, students in Lisa’s Field journal publication, and was offered a position immediately after Biology Studies—Colorado Plateau course have a chance to finish graduation with the US Geologic Survey in Moab Utah based on up a season of data collection, contributing to the reports she preher work. Another student of Lisa’s, Becky McLemore ’11, studied pares for different granting agencies. For the Fall Block 2012, stuthe relationship between weeds and fire at Mesa Verde and has dents studied nitrogen deposition and its impacts on fire cycles in already found a job as a botanist in Prescott with a private comMesa Verde National Park, conducted studies of biotic crusts in pany. Canyonlands National Park, and contributed to a fire history at Some of the more surprising results of recent research? Despite Dinosaur National Monument. Field Biology Studies, Arches National Park, 2012
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the fact that beetles have killed many trees, opening up Piñon Juniper canopies by 50 to 60 percent all over the Southwest, the fire models are not showing a decrease of fire behavior. “My idea is that a lot of the shrubs are filling in and providing vertical continuity,” Lisa explains. Another unexpected finding is that the beetle infestation has actually boosted biodiversity. Becky’s research at Mesa Verde was able to demonstrate that the variety of native plant life has increased in the open patches left by felled trees. Lisa always finds her field methods courses filled to capacity, as
Field Biology Careers Many former students have kept in touch with Lisa over the years, and she shared information on just a few of the alumni who have gone on to careers in research and conservation: James Johnson ’96 Wildlife Biology, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Migratory Birds Anna Schrenk ’97 Program Coordinator, Verde Watershed Restoration Coalition Carrieanne (Funicelli) Campbell ’98 Restoration Planning, RECON Environmental, Inc Clint Cabanero ’01 Geographic Information Systems Development, Spatial Development International Eugene Reininger ’01 Forest Inventory Analysis, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Max Wahlberg ’04 Forest and Fire Ecology, Prescott National Forest Abram Fleischman ’08 Seabird Technician, Point Reyes Bird Observatory, Vandenberg Field Station
Field Biology Studies, Canyonlands, 2012
does Walt Anderson, who has incorporated a multi-year grant for documenting beaver populations and habitat along the Verde River into his Wetland Ecology and Management course. Students can also engage in exciting research in Marine Biology with Ed Boyer and Marine Conservation with Lorayne Meltzer, as well as ongoing shorebird census taking with Tom Fleischner and Mark Riegner, all at the College’s field station in Kino Bay, Mexico. “My classes certainly are not the only opportunity for handson contribution to current research, but Field Biology Studies is explicitly designed to do that. What we’re trying to do in the Environmental Studies program is hire faculty members who have a research orientation in other areas as well. We want students to be able to have that kind of experience in many fields.” Grants and research, she insists, are a fundamental piece of a Prescott College education. “At least in my area of study in the agencies I work with, Prescott College has a claim to fame. We’re known for producing well-trained field people who can either be excellent interpreters or excellent researchers even at the bachelor’s level. That’s huge.”
Erik Hinkley ’09 Geographic Information Systems Analysis, Boulder County Colorado Parks and Open Space Dan Hastings ’10 and Becky McLemore ’11 Botany, National Park Service, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Adam Shapiro ’11 Plant and Wildlife Impact, National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, Assateague Island Carla Roybal ’12 (pictured left) Botany and Soil Science, US Geologic Survey, Moab Utah Kieran Sullivan ’12 Avian Research, Hawks Aloft, Inc. Alumni, if you have a great job or success you’d like to share with the Prescott College community, fill out the “Highlights” form on our website at www.prescott.edu/connect/highlights/highlightsnomination.html. Transitions Fall 2012
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Watershed Restoration, 2010
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Growing by Degrees Prescott College launches fully accredited Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies he Prescott College campus has seen plenty of growth over the past few years; so too has the curriculum adapted and expanded to meet the needs of an ever-changing student body and higher education market. Last year the OnCampus Undergraduate program began awarding a Bachelor of Fine Arts. This fall the Master of Arts Program is piloting the first on-campus delivery of graduate studies with a concentration in Social Justice and Human Rights. And in 2012, the On-Campus Undergraduate Program was authorized to offer a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies (ES). “The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies has been offered since the College’s inception, and the Master of Arts in Environmental Studies has been available since 1991,” says Jack Herring, Dean for On-Campus Delivery, Research, and Planning. “The number of full-time faculty members in this subject area is greater than in any other area of study at the College.” Expertise represented among the faculty includes botany, ecology, natural history, agroecology, soils, wildlife biology, conservation policy, marine biology, anthropology, atmospheric science, sustainability studies, and geology. As one would expect, much of the science instruction at Prescott College happens in the context of field-based courses, and the College’s campus already boasts a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer lab, Earth Sciences and Biology Wet labs, an experimental farm west of Prescott, and a marine science research facility at the Kino Bay Center in Sonora, Mexico (see page 12).
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response to student demand; to continue to do what we’ve always done so well—integrating natural sciences within an interdisciplinary context—but to gird up the physical science and mathematical foundations, thereby opening some new doors of potential for our graduates,” says Environmental Studies faculty member and Director of the Natural History Institute Tom Fleischner. In the past, Admissions had many prospective students who were interested in the College’s emphasis on the environment and sustainability, but dropped out of the process when they realized there was no science degree available. According to Herring, subsequent market research has confirmed adequate demand. The B.S. makes use of the existing interdisciplinary curricula for the Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with additional requirements in calculus, chemistry, physics, biological sciences, and analytical methods. A strong focus on research and analytics— the quantitative aspects of science—adheres to true Prescott-style experiential learning and gives students a high quality, hands-on education not found in many other undergraduate programs. “Students are going out into the world and contributing to ongoing, real-world research in areas like fire ecology, fishery bycatch, watershed management, natural systems agriculture, and much more,” explains Herring. “I can’t emphasize strongly enough how distinctive our field offerings are at the undergraduate level,” says Environmental Studies faculty member Lisa Floyd-Hanna. “We are a wonderful outdoor school, yes; students get to be in beautiful settings. But that’s not all we do. Research is a fundamental piece of our edu-
Geomorphology, 2012 Discussion of the formation of the Colorado Plateau
In order to gain accreditation for the B.S., additional changes to the campus needed to be made: renovating existing space to create a new Natural History Center with room for scientific collections and two new classroom/lab spaces; renovating existing space to create a virtual learning lab for use with virtual science lab software (ITV Classroom, see page 4); and converting the current Earth Sciences lab into a more specialized General Chemistry lab. All campus improvements should be completed by summer 2013. “The creation of the B.S. program fulfills a long-time vision in
cation. We do incredible writing and we do incredible research and we try help students find balance in their writing and their speaking skills and in their research skills so that they can go out and better the world through science.” The B.A. has always been focused on the qualitative aspects of science; interpretation, natural history, stressing the importance of comprehending basic social, cultural, and scientific theories, and understanding the role of humans who both depend on and influence natural systems and processes. It’s inclusive and interdisciplinary – great for educating people who want to go into planning
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Field Methods for Plant Ecology, 2008
or law; not as great for students interested in research and other applied technical opportunities. “In the past many of our best Environmental Studies students have gone on to grad school and they were at a competitive disadvantage for many research-based masters or Ph.D. programs without a deeper background in physical sciences,” says Walt Anderson, faculty member in ES. “Students coming out of Prescott College with a true B.S. are more likely to get the fellowships and other offers that can allow them to really excel in grad school or in research-related fields.” And it’s not just any B.S. Faculty member Lisa Floyd-Hanna notes that while the inclusion of “hard sciences” will prepare students for graduate study in the field and for employment with both public agencies and private businesses working toward a more sustainable future, what really makes the Prescott College degree special is how the curriculum is “framed in a rich study of ecological context—natural history, ecological theory, research methods, and ethics.” With a strong foundation in the natural sciences and a broad understanding of the policy implications of environmental science, students in the Bachelor of Science program will be getting the best of the B.A. with the added professional advantages of applied research and a deeper understanding of physical sciences. “It’s nice to see students showing a greater interest in science education,” says Steve Munsell, faculty member in Adventure Education. “The world needs a generation of scientifically literate adults to evaluate our problems and create solutions for issues facing the future of humanity.”
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Employment Opportunities in ES Choosing between a B.A. and a B.S. in Environmental Studies has as much to do with as student’s plans for after graduation as it does with their personal interest in a given field. Below are some example career fields or graduate study one might pursue based on the ES degree chosen:
B.A. Degree • • • • • • • • • • • •
Urban/Regional Planning Green Business Environmental Law Non-government Organizing Energy Consultant Environmental Justice Environmental Media, Communication Specialist Sustainability Management Environmental Economist Parks/Recreation Management Waste Management Environmental Historian
Both • • • • • • • • • •
Environmental Education Environmental Policy Sustainable Agriculture Environmental Consulting Environmental Health and Safety Management Local/State/National Government Computing and Information Technologies Environmental Activism Landscape Designer/Architect Interpretive Naturalist
B.S. Degree • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
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Pollution Monitoring, Control and Prevention Waste Management Specialist Environmental Toxicology/Health Field Scientist/Technician Conservation/Restoration Biology Renewable Energy Designer/Professional Natural Resource Management Environmental Engineering Soil Scientist Wildlife Biologist/Management Environmental Risk Assessment Conservation Biology Earth Sciences Marine Conservation Agroecology Pollution Monitoring, Control and Prevention Waste Management Specialist Environmental Toxicology/Health Field Scientist/Technician Renewable Energy Designer/Professional Natural Resource Management Soil Scientist Wildlife Biologist/Management Environmental Risk Assessment
Class Notes Ken Kingsley ’72 Ken is serving as a fifth year volunteer at Zion National Park, where he works from April to May conducting workshops, acting as a guide, and working in the visitor center. He conducts two ranger workshops about reptiles, amphibians and arthropods. Each week, he hikes up to Scout’s Lookout and talks with visitors about California Condors, as well as answering questions, and picking up trash. In addition to working at Zion National Park, Ken also works one week each month at Great Basin National Park as an entomologist, collecting insects and managing the park collection. He continues to do an annual stint leading wildflower walks during Cedar Breaks National Monument’s Wildflower Festival. In 2012, Ken and his wife Amy bought a house in Tucson, where they will be wintering and working as volunteers for various local causes. Ken is collaborating with Dr. R. Roy Johnson on a paper about Amadeo M. Rea and his years at Prescott College. Diane Schmidt ’74 Diane recently won Second Place at the Public Safety Reporting Awards (non-metro division), for her article “Branded and Scarred,” which was her second assignment for the Navajo Times, published last August 22, 2011. The article was about a boy branded with a swastika—the first hate crime prosecuted under new law. She also won first place in the Society for Professional Journalists Regional Award’s Radio Feature Reporting category for her commentary MLK Jr.’s message important in corporate age. Listen at http://kunm.org/post/commentary-mlk-jrsmessage-important-corporate-age. “This is a much-needed bit of encouragement, especially considering other entries were (mostly) staff from the big newspapers in the region,” Diane says. Nevada Wier ’74 Nevada taught two workshops in Santa Fe, N.M, this fall: Creativity and Travel Photography in September, and Intensive: Digital Infrared in October. John Wright ’74 John’s new book, Blazing Ice: Pioneering the 21st Century’s Road to the South Pole, is scheduled for release in September 2012. The book is published by Potomac Books. Blazing Ice is the story of the team of Americans who forged a 1,000 mile transcontinental “haul route” across Antarctica. The book examines how Antarctic supply and logistics were revolutionized by replacing a good deal of fixed-wing turbo prop delivery systems with more environmentally benign tractor-sled caravans, operating with modern tier-3 engines. Read more at www.potomacbooksinc.com/Books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=297032.
1980s Melanie Bishop ’86 Melanie shared a picture of her great niece, Clara Diana Berndt. She writes, “Possible incoming freshman, 2030? This is my niece Katie’s baby, whose arrival to this world I attended in February. One of my gifts to them was this “onesie” with the Prescott College logo on it. Too cute. Just makes me wanna go to a Prescott College pep rally or something. I love how she’s sporting a natural Mohawk, fitting right in with the style of our students.”
1990s Andy Sudbrock ’91 Andy Sudbrock, owner of Nashville Natives Nursery and Southeast Green Roofs, grows and sells an innovative rooftop module system made of native plants. To read about Andy’s work as featured in FarmFlavor.com, go to farmflavor.com/us-ag/tennessee/environment-tn/nashville-companygrows-green-roofs/.
Tracy Puett ’92 Tracy has recently returned to live in Prescott with his wife, Lucia, and their two dogs, Gracie and Guffman. Having left Prescott in 2003 for a five year journey through Portland, Ore., and Nashville, Tenn., they yearned for the land and people of Northern Arizona. Tracy is, among many roles, now Director of Leadership Programs at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. He travels back monthly, working from home primarily. Feel free to reach out to Tracy at tracypuett@gmail.com or on Facebook. Cindy ’94 and Stephen Scott ’95 Stephen and Cindy Scott, co-owners of Terroir Seeds LLC in Chino Valley, Ariz., were selected as delegates to the 2012 Slow Food International Congress, which will happen concurrently this year for the first time with Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto in Turin, Italy, Oct. 25-29. Every four years, Slow Food leaders from 130 countries come together at the International Congress to share their stories and shape the future of Slow Food’s global network. Terra Madre and Salone del Gusto is a biennial international food and farming conference that celebrates innovative solutions and time-honored traditions for feeding the planet in a good, clean and fair way. Stephen and Cindy are two of five delegates chosen to represent the Arizona and New Mexico region at the Slow Food International Congress this year. They are members of the Prescott-area chapter of Slow Food which meets at Prescott College. Cody Boyce ’95 Cody Boyce wants to say hello from the Greenland Ranch in Colorado. Cody’s recent work has been installing PV systems on residential rooftops in the Denver area. He is working for a temporary service contracting with Solar City in the Parker, Colo., office. Solar City is growing and looking for more solar installers and auditors. Cody writes, “It is great to become a producer of energy rather than a consumer. There seems to be potential growth and possible future independent studies in working with small utilities to encourage alternative energy producers instead of consumers.” Elise Lockton ’96, Julie Brown ’01, Emily Sherman ’01 Prescott College alumni met serendipitously in Washington, D.C., at National Geographic headquarters to participate in the Grosvenor Teacher Fellow (GTF) workshop. Fourteen fellows from 14 different states were awarded this one-of-a-kind professional development opportunity. The object of the program is to enhance teachers’ geographic knowledge through direct experience and to bring that knowledge back to their classrooms. This summer, fellows will travel on an indepth exploration of Arctic Svalbard, aboard the Lindblad Expeditions ship, National Geographic Explorer. Julie Brown, who runs the GTF program, planned the workshop and was representing National Geographic Education Programs, where she is a Project Manager and Ocean Education Specialist. Elise Lockton was representing Lindblad Expeditions as a member of their expedition staff; Elise has worked as a naturalist around the world since graduating from Prescott College. Emily Sherman was awarded one of the fellowships; Emily is a life science and environmental science teacher at Scarborough High School in Scarborough, Maine, and works with the Schoodic Education and Research Center of Acadia National Park. All attendees were fascinated by the stories shared about the unique educational journeys of these Prescott College grads, leading these women on such diverse and successful career paths in environmental education and outreach. Mizu Desierto ’97 Prescott College Dance Alumni gathered for their first reunion at Mizu Desierto’s urban farm in Portland, Ore., in August. They recon-
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Class Notes
1970s
Class Notes
nected through dances in the forest, garden, and at the ocean, celebrating the family-like bond that spans eighteen years and enjoying playful freedom. The impulse to co-create and vision lives on. Attending alumni included: Mizu Desierto ’97, Melisande Echanique ’99, Ernest Courant ’99, Kestrel Gates ’01, Scott Belleri ’06, Ivy Katz ’08, Kevin Cochran ’10, Christopher Mankowski ’10, Trina Massengil ’11. Faculty present: Delisa Myles and Liz Faller M.A. ’99.
of It” program, assisting participants in preparing healthy recipes, providing information on plate size and portion control, and teaching participants how to prepare healthy foods at home. “Cooking for the Health of It” is part of the Tribe’s Centered Spirit Program, which takes an integrated behavioral health approach to help people at risk for diabetes, obesity, and other preventable health problems. Phoebe Robinson ’04 Phoebe is going to Haiti to volunteer as a nurse through Project Medishare. She’s fundraising for the trip right now through the Medishare website: ProjectMedishare.org.
Shana Maziarz ’97 Shana is loving life in Nevada City, Calif., on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She is working as the creative director of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, an adventure and environmental film festival, which is a production of the South Yuba River Citizens League (www.yubariver.org). Since graduating from Prescott College, Shana went back to school for her master’s degree from Harvard University in education; spent a number of years as the principal of a high school semester program focused on peace, justice and sustainability studies; worked as a farmer and goat milker; taught at Prescott College; spent many years in outdoor education; and now is working toward opening a bakery, brewery, and wood-fired pizza restaurant, called Three Forks, in Nevada City. She writes, “If any of my Prescott College compatriots find themselves in this neck of the woods, come in for a beer!” Emily (Beckwith) Janson ’99 Since graduating from Prescott College in 1999, Emily has guided and traveled in many parts of the world. On July 14, 2011, Emily married Leif Janson, and they started their own company, Lagunas Adventures. Emily and Leif live in Volcan, Panama.
Erica Ann Flood ’05 Since leaving Prescott College, Erica cared for her dear uncle, who passed away from pancreatic cancer at the age of 86, and welcomed daughter Amelia, who is now four years old. Erica has spent the last year working on her first book in conjunction with a post-baccalaureate workshop she is attending in Berlin, Germany, at the Ostkreutzschule fur Fotografie. The book deals with ideas of faith, freedom, and motherhood and is a multigenerational photographic experience. Erica has fallen in love with Berlin and exclaims “Berlin is amazing in so many ways, I just can’t get enough of it! This past May, I brought Amelia with me, and she too was quick to ask if we could stay forever!” Two years ago, Erica purchased a two-family home that has been in her family for 100 years. She is currently working at a fantastic job managing an international limited-residency M.F.A. in photography program at the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford. Her position keeps her traveling, meeting new people, and most of all keeps her involved in her two favorite things: photography and education! Feel free to keep in touch with Erica Ann via Facebook, or email at erica_flood1@yahoo.com or her website at http://www.eafloodphotography.com/. Jason Goodman ’06 and Martina Brimmer ’06 Jason and Martina, members of the founding collective of Helping Understand Bicycles, left Prescott College to start a handcraft pannier company in Seattle, Wash. – Swift Industries. Informed by their studies of agrarian philosophy and environmental stewardship, their company is growing steadily and helping spearhead resurgence in bicycle travel and commuting. Swift Industries was involved in a popup shop travel agency in San Francisco, from August 17 to the 26. For more information visit http://builtbyswift.com/pages/1.
Jay Bost ’01 Jay Bost won the ethicist contest for the New York Times Magazine with his essay, “Give Thanks for Meat.” Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/magazine/the-ethicist-contestwinner-give-thanks-for-meat.html.
Alicia Day ’06 Alicia recently left an outdoor recreation lecturer position at Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina to accept a youth programming management job with the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Youth Opportunities Program in Boston. She is coordinating with youth workers to get inner city kids outdoors. Their goal is to get 200,000 kids outdoors by 2020.
Anson Smith ’02 Anson is moving into the third year of a three-year M.F.A. program in Ensemble Physical Theater at Dell'Arte International, in Blue Lake, Calif.
Lili DeBarbieri ’09 Lili DeBarbieri's book A Guide to Southern Arizona’s Historic Farms & Ranches: Rustic Southwest Retreats is now available for preorder through the History Press website and Amazon.
Miriam Glade ’03 Miriam came to Precott College in 2001 to break away from a career in graphic design. She graduated from PC with a degree in Human Development and worked as therapeutic wilderness guide throughout the US and as a children’s coordinator in a woman’s shelter in Valdez, Ala. Miriam and her family: Chris Glade ’97, son Jonas (7) and daughter Johanna (4) returned to Prescott in 2008. She has been working as an in house designer for the College for over a year. Another circle has closed.
2010s
Barry Infuso M.A. ’04 Chef Barry Infuso is the newest Canyon Ranch Institute (CRI) Prevention Pioneer. The award recognizes and honors individuals, organizations, and initiatives that are advancing health literacy, improving prevention, and eliminating health disparities. Barry began working with members of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe more than 10 years ago when he was asked to work with seniors and children in the Head Start Program to help them learn about heart healthy food choices. Most recently he has been a teacher in the Tribe’s “Cooking for the Health
Michaela Precourt ’11 Michaela graduated from Prescott College with a degree in Snow Science and Adventure Education. Her Senior Project was developing a backcountry snowboarding program for Prescott College and for a company in Alaska. Michaela raised close to $10,000 dollars for the program, produced an award winning documentary on her project called Think Between the Lines, and was hired to teach the course she designed, Snowboard Mountaineering, after graduation. Since then, she has worked as an intern at the Crested Butte Avalanche Center and as an instructor continued on page 25
2000s
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Tina Evans Ph.D. ’11 Tina’s book Occupy Education: Living and Learning Sustainability (2012, Peter Lang International Academic Publishers) was released on Sept. 10, 2012. Derived directly from her dissertation work, Occupy Education is motivated by the sustainability crisis and energized by the drive for social justice that inspired the Occupy movement. It opens a whole realm of integrated theory to educators and sustainability activists—and demonstrates how that theory can be moved into practice. Find it on Amazon.
Alumni Briefs Alumni and Parent Gatherings Join us in Boulder, Colo., Saturday, October 20, 2012, from 1 to 3 p.m. for a fun-filled afternoon of entertainment and education at the Chautauqua Grand Assembly Hall with scholar and actor Doug Hulmes, who has portrayed John Muir at hundreds of venues since 1993. Hulmes transforms into Muir in a grand style, which will leave you feeling like you met the great naturalist himself. After the presentation, please join us for refreshments. Space is limited. Please RSVP at http://muir2.kintera.org/ or call Marie Smith in the Alumni Office at (928) 350-4502. A $10 per person donation requested at time of registration.
Reminder: PC Email for Life We hope all alumni will register for the newly available Prescott College email for life. Stay connected to your alma mater through our recently upgraded Google Apps for Education email service. This service is similar to regular Gmail and can easily be forwarded to your current email address, so you’ll never miss out on Prescott College news again! Once registered, you can keep in touch with former classmates by searching for their names in the system. As a bonus, retail discounts are associated with having an “.edu” email address. For more information or to register for your Prescott College email for life, visit http://www.prescott.edu/alumni/pcmail-for-life.html today!
Introducing the Student Alumni Association The Student Alumni Association (SAA)/Student Initiative Counsel (SIC) is a student-run organization that exists within the Prescott College Alumni Association. The mission of SAA is to create and foster positive relationships between all students, past, present, and future. Our goal is to raise funds to implement a program that will connect Prescott College Alumni and current students and encourage school pride. Please join us and learn about upcoming events at www.prescott.edu/alumni/ student-initiative-council.
Make Sure We Have Your Updated Info Are you receiving the monthly enewsletter Ecos? We can’t stay in touch with you unless we have your current information such as mailing address, email, and phone number.You can update your info online at http://pcalumupdate.kintera.org/ or by calling the Alumni Office at (928) 350-4502.
New Alumni Directory We are updating Prescott College Alumni Today, a publication featuring listings and photos and essays submitted by alumni. Harris Connect, a trusted partner of Prescott College, has been chosen to produce the book, and you might be receiving a postcard and/or phone call from them soon. Please provide them your updated information for inclusion in the 2013 alumni directory.
Alumni Today 2013
The new directory will include: Prescott College Editorial Section Through the Years Photo Gallery Class Year/Biographical Information Geographical Section Alphabetical Index CD ROM Editions will be available
Harris Connect’s commitment to protecting the privacy and ensuring the integrity of the information collected for the project is reflected in their privacy policy online at www.harrisconnect.com/privacy.html.
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Faculty & Staff Notes
Faculty & Staff Notes
Victoria Abel ’93, M.A., M.N.T. Prescott College Human Development Instructor Victoria Abel presented at Sierra Tucson Healing with Foods on May 9, 2012. She also recently presented at the Freedom and Recovery Conference in San Diego on April 24. Victoria created the Center for Addiction Nutrition, which you can find at www.centerforaddictionnutrition.com. Jared Dahl Aldern M.A. ’02, Ph.D. ’10 Sponsored associate faculty member Jared Aldern participated in the international Comparative Wests Conference at Stanford University in January 2012. His paper, “Making Space for North Fork Mono (Nium) Narrative: Land, Learning, Parataxis, Policy, and Water in Central California,” will appear in the peer-reviewed e-journal Occasion: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities. Randall Amster, Ph.D. Dr. Randall Amster, Graduate Chair of Humanities, published an article on anarchism and science in the July issue of New Scientist. His co-edited volume, Professional Lives, Personal Struggles: Ethics and Advocacy in Research on Homelessness, was released by Lexington Books. He recently gave keynote addresses in Saskatoon and Stockholm, among other locales. Joel Barnes ’81, Ph.D. Dr. Joel Barnes, on-campus faculty member and Director of the Graduate Teaching Assistant Program spent his sabbatical focused on the integration of adventure-based experiential education and riparian landscape geography. He offered workshops at the University of Alabama, the AEE Conference in Durango, and to groups of regional canyon guides. Joel published articles with the RMS Journal, the Arizona Wilderness Society, and Boatman's Quarterly Journal, and worked with student August York ’12 on the Butte Creek Restoration Master Plan. Melanie Bishop ’86, M.F.A. Melanie Bishop was invited to a two-week interdisciplinary residency at Playa near Summer Lake, Ore. She also served on Playa’s review panel for awarding Fall 2012 residencies to artists, writers and naturalists. Melanie’s fiction was selected for inclusion in the 2012 Southern Women Writers Conference, sponsored by Berry College in Georgia. K. L. (Kenny) Cook, M.F.A. K. L. Cook, Arts & Letters faculty member, is on sabbatical this year. In September/October, he will be the Distinguished Writer-in-Residence in Fiction at Wichita State University in Kansas. In November he’ll give a reading with Natalie Diaz for the Literary Southwest series at Yavapai College. Cook’s short story, “Filament,” is included in Best American Mystery Stories 2012, available in October. Jordana DeZeeuw Spencer, Ph.D ’11 Faculty member in undergraduate and graduate programs, Dr. Jordana DeZeeuw Spencer will deliver a plenary address, “Partnering Social Justice with Sustainability: A Challenge to Expand Our Understanding of Inclusivity” at the AASHE national conference in Los Angeles in October. Jay Dusard Former faculty member Jay Dusard was presented the Order of the Javelina Award by the Prescott College Alumni Association on May 11, 2012. His exhibition, Jay Dusard Photographs: A Retrospective Exhibition 1966-Present, ran at the Prescott College Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse this past summer. Liz Faller M.A. ’99 Instructor Liz Faller visited Estudio Los Almendros in Montezuma, Costa Rica, for two weeks in January 2012. The movement arts studio is directed by Somatic Movement educator, Ninoska Gomez, Ph.D. Liz and Ninoska enjoyed an inspiring exchange of philosophy and practice. www.estudiolosalmendros.com
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Anita Fenández, Ph.D. Dr. Anita Fernández, faculty member in Education, was invited to participate in the distinguished speaker series at Middlebury College’s Center for the Comparative Study of Race and Ethnicity. Her presentation focused on forbidden curricula and the national implications of Arizona’s ban on Ethnic Studies. Tom Fleischner, Ph.D. Tom Fleischner’s anthology, The Way of Natural History, received Honorable Mention in the ForeWord Book of the Year Awards. His presentation, Why Natural History Matters, was featured in Yosemite National Park’s Parsons Memorial Lodge Summer Series and Natural History Network’s High Sierra Natural History Celebration. Tom was also featured in Cascadia Weekly: “Falling in Love with the World.” Doug Hulmes ’74, M.S. Environmental Studies and Education faculty member Doug Hulmes received the SNAP Sustainability Now and Powerful Award from the Journal of Sustainability Education. On April 21, Doug performed his Chautauqua of John Muir for Earth Day at the College. Twenty Norwegians from Sogn Folkehøgskule attended and sang Happy Birthday in Norwegian for John’s 174th Birthday. Allison Jack, Ph.D. Allison completed a Ph.D. in Plant Pathology at Cornell where she investigated vermicomposted dairy manure. Her research focused on uncovering the microbial mechanisms responsible for vermicompost’s ability to protect crops from disease. She has a background in sustainability education, both as the service learning coordinator at the Environmental Middle School in Portland through AmeriCorps, and as a member of the Sustainable Agriculture Education Association and NWAEG at Cornell. Allison will teach in the agroecology program and assume the directorship of Jenner Farm upon Tim Crews’ departure. Layne Longfellow The Veteran Speakers Retreat chose former faculty member Layne Longfellow to receive a Legends of the Speaking Profession award. Each year, only four are chosen. The selection criteria for this award include a minimum of 20 years as a professional speaker and unique contributions to the speaking profession. Stan Malizewski, Ph.D. Dr. Stan Maliszewski, mentor in the School Counseling, Equine Assisted Learning, and Equine Assisted Mental Health Master of Arts Programs, was presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award from the College of Education at The University of Nebraska. The award is given to alumni who have received national recognition for their work. Steve Munsell Faculty member Steve Munsell spent a month in West Greenland observing the glacial melt season and doing reconnaissance for a potential exploratory river trip from the foot of the Ice Sheet to the sea. This project was complicated by high melt water for five days in July—97 percent melted when usually only half does. Jill Pyatt Associate Director of Admissions Jill Pyatt attended the Climate Reality Project training in San Francisco as a representative of Arizona. Climate Leaders will each give a minimum of 10 climate change presentations in the next year. Jill was sponsored, in part, by the Prescott College Sustainability Council. Three of the eight Arizonans in attendance were Vincent Pawlowski ’08, Ken Sweat, and Jill. Kurt Refsnider, Ph.D. Kurt joined the Faculty in January and has been settling into life in Prescott and enjoying exploring the regional geology with enthusiastic
students. Also a mountain biker, he recently won the Arizona Trail 300 and took 9th place in the 2,745-mile Tour Divide on a tandem with his partner Caroline. Brian Sajko, Ph.D. Brian is the new Dean of Enrollment Management at Prescott College. He joins us from Eureka, Ill., where he served as Senior Vice President for Admissions, Communications and Integrated Marketing. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education, Brian can claim the titles of professor, artist, administrator, and Fulbright Scholar. Marjory Sente Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Marjory Sente, was selected to judge the 2012 Federal Duck Stamp Contest. The winner will grace the 80th Federal Duck Stamp. The contest is the oldest wildlife art contest in the nation, and the stamp is the cornerstone of one of the world’s most successful conservation programs. Terril L. Shorb, Ph.D. ’09 Limited-Residency faculty member Terril Shorb published an article in the summer 2012 Green Teacher Magazine, “Exploring the Twin Landscapes of Biophilic Learning.” He and his wife Yvette released a book, What’s Nature Got to Do with Me?—Staying Wildly Sane in a Mad World. And Terril presented to the Verde Watershed Association this summer, Del Rio Springs: Oasis of History and Possibility. Kerry Skarbakka, M.F.A. A body of Kerry’s work from “The Struggle to Right Oneself ” was selected for the 2012 Singapore International Photography Festival. He received the 2011 Teaching Excellence Award from Center in Santa Fe. As a result PDNedu Magazine published an article this September. Kerry also had a solo exhibition in Tulsa, Okla., at Corvid Gallery. Priscilla Stuckey, Ph.D. Priscilla Stuckey went to Rio de Janeiro in June to blog from the Rio+20 Earth Summit and the People’s Summit on Social & Environmental Justice. In early September, Priscilla’s first book, Kissed by a Fox: And Other Stories of Friendship in Nature (see page 37), will be published by Counterpoint Press (Berkeley). Vicky Young ’95, Ph.D. Chair of Human Development Studies in the Limited-Residency Undergraduate Program, Dr. Vicky Young, a kidney donor, was interviewed for “Organ Donation Has Consequences Some Donors Aren’t Prepared For” on NPR in July. In addition, she published in the spring 2012 edition of the Narrative Inquiry in Bioethics: A Journal of Qualitative Research. In June Vicky wrapped three years of service on the national UNOS Living Donor Committee.
Class Notes
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How did you find out about Prescott College ? There are two ways you can help recruit the next generation of global and local change leaders: • Refer a student. If you know someone who would be a great fit for Prescott College please pass along contact information and we’ll take care of the rest. • Become an Alumni Recruiter. Sign up to attend a college fair or other outreach event in your area and get paid for it!
New students are our future Call (877) 350-2100 or email admissions@prescott.edu
for Outward Bound in Alaska and Colorado. Michaela has been going on climbing, mountaineering, and sea kayaking expeditions all over the country; she recently returned from Alaska on a glacier snowboard mountaineering trip. Michaela is back at home for a brief stay before heading to Australia for a year to instruct at the International Outward Bound branch in Sydney. Laura Oliver ’12 B.A. Program Laura just finished up an urban chicken farming project here in Prescott. To document all her amazing experiences, she created this blog: Here a Chick, There a Chick at oliveroblong.wordpress.com/category/chick-journal/.The chicks, art, gardening, etc., make a wonderful agro-ecology and therapeutic “nest” almost in the heart of downtown.
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American Avocet, Santa Cruz Estuary, 2012, by Emily Wittman
Annual Report
2011–2012 Annual Report
PRESCOTT COLLEGE 26
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Prescott College Board of Trustees
I
Richard Ach ’73, Chair Retired Senior Vice President, AG Edwards
joined Prescott College in 2009 and two years later was named Vice President for Institutional Advancement. During the past three years, I’ve had a reoccurring thought about my work here that comes from an essay in The Columbian Orator published in 1797: “Large streams from little fountains flow, Tall oaks from little acorns grow.” Today, Prescott College is sowing the seeds—the acorns—that will mature into oaks; providers of sustainable financial resources for the College into the future. It has been a year of constant adjustment to market forces to ensure expenditures and available resources stay in balance. These decisions haven’t been easy— and the economic forecasts would indicate they aren’t over yet. But I and my fellow members of the President’s advisory group are confident in the direction we are headed as an institution. The past three years have been transformational for Prescott College. We have embraced a very aggressive building project, making student housing available for 104 students. This helps build a stronger community among the students and aids admissions and retention initiatives, both of which are critical to the success of the College. The campus has been more defined and beautified, and parking lots upgraded. People now have a keener sense of Prescott College’s location and its contributions in the local community, not the least of which are nationally renowned exhibits at the Art Gallery at Sam Hill Warehouse. We have added two degrees to the On-Campus Undergraduate Program (a B.F.A. and B.S.), on-campus delivery for a Master of Arts in Humanities with a concentration in Social Justice and Human Rights, with a proposed M.Ed. in the works—all of which broaden our appeal in an education market experts project will continue to shrink. Also, our fundraising efforts are engaging more of our constituents than ever. This year we saw a 36 percent increase in the number of donors to the Annual Fund for Academic Excellence. We had 262 first-time donors; and another 73 increased the amount of their gift to the College. Yes, these are acorns from which mighty oaks do grow. Thank you to each and every one, nearly 700, who supported Prescott College last year. If you have never given a gift to the College, consider making your first one this year. Looking forward,
Annual Report
Message from the Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Betsy Bolding Director of Consumer Affairs, Tucson Electric Power Dan Boyce, Past Chair Senior Partner, The Center for Financial Planning Dan Campbell Retired Verde Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy Peter Evans Independent Consultant Barbara Hammer, Student Trustee Limited-Residency Ph.D. Program, Prescott College James Hughes Retired Attorney, Hughes & Whitaker David Meeks ’73 President, Sonoma Rentals Steve Pace, Secretary and Faculty Trustee On-Campus Undergraduate Program, Prescott College Don Reifer President, Reifer Consultants Carla Rellinger ’05, Employee Trustee Director of Auxiliary Services, Prescott College Michael Rooney Attorney, Sacks-Tierney Jerry Secundy President/CEO, California Council for Environmental & Economic Balance John Van Domelen, Vice Chair Retired President, Wentworth Institute of Technology Jim Walsh Attorney, Pinal County Arizona Ken Ziesenheim, Treasurer Financial Advisor, Raymond James Financial Services
Marjory J. Sente
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Prescott College Endowments Annual Report
• Arts & Letters Writing & Literature Scholarship • Boyce Endowed Scholarship Fund • Clowes Scholarship Endowment • Dorothy Ruth Ellis Endowed Scholarship • Dugald Bremner Scholarship Fund • Ebarb Group Scholarship Fund • Gemma Bryce Kemp-Garcia Scholarship Fund • General Endowment Fund • Haide Koskinen Endowed Scholarship Fund • Hearst Scholarship Endowment • Helen R. Wright Memorial Scholarship • Hulmes Legacy Endowed Scholarship • James Merit Stuckey Scholarship Endowment
• Kelly Megan Stack Endowed Scholarship • Knaup Family Scholarship Fund • Latin American Studies Endowment • Maas/Morris Scholarship Endowment • Mark and Gwen Goodman Endowed Scholarship Fund • Meeks Endowed Scholarship • Merrill Windsor Scholarship Endowment • Prescott College Alumni Fund for Faculty Endowment • Quitobaquito Endowed Scholarship Fund • Randy Tufts Memorial Scholarship • Rosanne Cartledge Scholarship Endowment Fund • Scholarship Endowment Fund • Susan N. Coleman Trust • Thomas H. Simpson Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund • Wells Fargo Endowed Lecture Series
REVENUES 2011-2012 Net Tuition and Fees $16,340,000 Contributions and Gifts $196,667 Auxiliary and other Income $2,687,910 Investment and Interest Income $25,352 Grant and Restricted Account Activity $1,396,722 Endowment Donation and Income $128,750 .7% .1% 7.2%
ENROLLMENT BY PROGRAM
12.5% 1%
On-Campus Undergrad Limited-Residency Undergrad Limited-Residency M.A.
78.5%
Ph.D. Program Total Enrollment
2500
2000
1500
EXPENSES 2011-2012 Instruction/Academic Support $9,458,898 Student Services $2,274,189 Institutional Support $3,544,071 Auxiliary and Other $2,838,043 Grant and Restricted Accounts $1,466,163
1000
500
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
7% 14.5% 48% 18% 11.5% 28
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Tricolored Heron, Santa Cruz Estuary, 2012
WHO IS GIVING TO THE ANNUAL FUND ?
Annual Report
Contributions 2011--2012 Alumni $56,845 Parents $50,811 Organizations and Foundations $46,250 Board of Trustees $21,500 Friends $9,382 Faculty and Staff $6,873
TRUE ENDOWMENT
ALL GIVING BY SOURCE Restricted/Other Grants Endowments
Bequests Annual Fund
$1,200,000 $2,000,000.00 $1,000,000 $1,500,000.00
$800,000 $600,000
$1,000,000.00 $400,000 $500,000.00
$200,000
2003 2004
2005
2006 2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2010
2011
2012
2012–2013 Endowed Scholarship Recipients Arts & Letters Writing and Literature ………......................................................Daniel Roca ’12 Boyce Endowed Fund ........................................................................................ Anthony Gamboa ’13 Hearst Endowment ..............................................................................................Rosely Osife ’16 Helen R. Wright Memorial .................................................................................Stephanie Wacha ’13 Hulmes Legacy ....................................................................................................Janet Horth ’12 Hulmes Legacy ....................................................................................................Oakley Jackson ’13 Hulmes Legacy ....................................................................................................Kara Kukovich ’13 Hulmes Legacy ....................................................................................................Kiley Palin ’12 James Merrit Stuckey ...........................................................................................Julie Mae Simonsen ’13 James Merrit Stuckey ...........................................................................................Jill Wagner ’13 KAKATU Foundation .........................................................................................Kiley Palin ’12 KAKATU Foundation .........................................................................................Roy Segura ’13 Kelly Megan Stack Memorial ..............................................................................Greenbriar Bragg ’12 Kelly Megan Stack Memorial ..............................................................................Hannah Barnes ’12 Knaup Family. .....................................................................................................Angelei Star ’14 Knaup Family .....................................................................................................Galen Taylor ’13 Quitobaquito ......................................................................................................Jonathan Morell M.A. ’13 Ruth Morris/Jean Maas Memorial ......................................................................Katherine Mareck ’12 Ruth Morris/Jean Maas Memorial ......................................................................Vianneya Robinson Transitions’12 Fall 2012
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Honor Roll of Donors Fiscal year July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012 Annual Report
We are building upon a substantial legacy of the experiential education that Prescott College has long provided. The upward trajectory to which we aspire benefits all who have walked along our paths, while encouraging prospective students to join us. Our graduates and students, parents, faculty and staff, and our friends count on us to continue these aspirations. The donors listed in the Honor Roll of Donors are responsible for many of the College’s accomplishments, and their generosity keeps us competitive. As a result of the thoughtfulness of our donors, we will continue to be the leading institution for the liberal arts, the environment, and social justice. Thank you for your support.
Gold and Turquoise Circle
Charles Franklin Parker Legacy Society Anonymous (5) Richard Ach ’73 Jim Antonius Betsy Bolding Dan and Sue Boyce Brad and Ruth Bradburn Susan N. Coleman Trust James Decker ’99 Jess Dods ’70 Mark Dorsten ’99 Henry A. Ebarb ’84, ’09, Decedent’s Trust Kristi ’96 and Dale Edwards Albert Engleman Dan and Barbara Garvey Mark ’73 and Gwen Goodman The Hulmes Family Legacy Dean and Verne C. Lanier David Meeks ’73 Kathryn “Kate” Hughes Rinzler Ericha H. Scott The Secundy Family Marjory and Frank Sente James Stuckey and Beverly Santo ’84 Andrew Sudbrock ’91 and Elizabeth Clayton ’91 Mary Trevor ’95 and Toni Kaus Merrill Windsor Nora Woods Fulton Wright, Jr. Sharon Yarborough ’73 Ken and Diane Ziesenheim Members as of September 2012
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Richard Ach ’73 and Carey Behel Arizona Board of Regents Max and Bessie Bakal Foundation BHP Billiton * Daniel and Suzanne Boyce Lee Caldwell ’73 and Marcus Randolph Leo and Rhea Fay Fruhman Foundation The Hemera Foundation The Hulmes Family Kids International Neighborhood Kino Border Initiative McMiles Foundation David ’73 and Grace Meeks Willis and Roberta Peterson Wallace Research Foundation The Walton Family Foundation
President’s Circle Cleo A. Bluth Charitable Foundation Betsy Bolding Paul Burkhardt and Zoe Hammer Peter and Melissa Evans Equality Alliance of San Diego County Finley Family Foundation Gray Family Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation KAKATU Foundation Jesse King ’75 and Lisa Capper ’75 Stephan Meyer and Sharon Salveter Raytheon Company * Donald and Carole Reifer Michael and Ruth Rooney
Investing in Prescott College’s Future ecently a new donor board honoring members of the Charles Franklin Parker Legacy Society and donors who have established endowments with the College was unveiled, located just inside the front doors of the former Sisters of Mercy Convent that now houses administrative and faculty offices, including those of the President and Vice Presidents. At an informal celebration, we saluted these individuals, couples, and families for their investment in Prescott College’s future. The Charles Franklin Parker Legacy Society was named in memory of our founding president, the late Dr. Charles
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Humphrey’s Peak Society JoAnn Copperud and Robert Gils Joseph and Sally Dorsten Dyson Foundation Neville and Patricia Henry Jack Herring and Roxane Ronca Prescott Area Arts and Humanities Council Marjory and Frank Sente Richard and Candace Smith John and Naomi Van Domelen James and Linda Wilson Warren and Barbara Winiarski Winiarski Family Foundation
Thumb Butte Society Jack and Nancy Allen Apple Matching Gifts Program * Clifford and Jeanette Arnquist Paul and Ann Brenner Michael and Susan Burskey Lee and Mike Cohn Jane A.S. Cook Anne Dorman ’74 Theresa Ebarb-Makela ’04 and Tod Makela Jan ’75 and Teren Ellison Edouard James Fernandez Frontera de Cristo Catherine Galley ’77 The Good Shepherd UCC Melanie Guldman ’74 Lydia Stevens Gustin Joan Hiller Sam and Wendy Hitt James Hughes and Jacqueline Merrill Douglas Hulmes ’74 Robert and Margaret Huskins Marianne Knaup Laird Norton Family Foundation David Linkletter and Beth Watkins Ellen Maxson Margaret T. Morris Foundation Paul and Ronda Osborne
Dr. Chris Overby ’73 Prescott Noon Lions Foundation Roberto Reveles Tom Robinson ’73 and Joan Wellman Janis Rutschman ’76 and Vickie Sewing Andy Small ’91 Peter Stern The Sugahara Foundation Suzanne Tito Tom and Ellen Tripp Wells Fargo Foundation Educational Matching Gift Program *
Tish Morris ’79 Carolyn Morton Ron and Debra Nudel ONEOK Inc. Gerald Reed ’75 and Yvonne Joosten ’75 Jonathan Sachs and Susan Bakewell-Sachs Starr Sanders and Andrew Silverman Frank and Cheryl Schenhoffer Anne ’70 and Stuart Scofield Susan Thomas ’72 Brinley Thomas United Educators Management Company Shawna Yaussi ’10
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Gerald and Donna Secundy Kristin Woolever and Lynn Walterick George ’70 and Jorie Yen Ken and Diane Ziesenheim Michael ’78 and Julie Zimber
Founder’s Club Rick Alexander ’82 Gret Antilla Paul Barby Catherine and Lon Boland Borderlinks William Brett and Linda Mueller Blain and Peggy Butner Dan Campbell Frank Cardamone ’07 and Joan Clingan ’11 Caryn Carpenter and Deborah Becher Cathy Church Judy Clapp ’74 and David Shapiro ’73 Sara ’74 and Dan Connor David Dinerman Sterling Dorman Raymond and Lois Drever Toby and Nancy Ebarb Dr. Tony Ebarb ’84, ’09, and Liisa Raikkonen ’84 Robert and Edith Edson Cameron Fischer ’00 Glen and Donna Gallo Dan and Barbara Garvey Harrison Gougis and Gloria Panama-Gougis Haley Construction Company Henry V. and Barbara J. Hayden Trust Mark and Sarah Hayden William and Judy Hinkle Irving and Varda Foundation of The Jewish Community Foundation Lucy Khoury J.W. Kieckhefer Foundation Alan Lessik ’76 Bert and Janice Mackie Richard and Marjorie Marks
Franklin Parker. It recognizes those who have remembered Prescott College in their estate plans through a bequest intention, a life income arrangement, and a gift of real estate, or as beneficiary of an IRA, insurance policy, or trust. The Society now has 34 individual members, couples, or families who have named Prescott College in their wills. Since July 1, 2011, ten people joined the Legacy Society by making their estate intentions known to the Advancement Office. Prescott College also has 28 endowments, with 24 solely designated as scholarships for students (see pages 28 and 29). This year the Hulmes Legacy Endowed Scholarship was added, benefitting Environmental Education undergraduates. To date, the College has benefitted from more than $1.6 million in realized bequests. If you think that legacy gifts and endowments are beyond your ability to give to the College, remember
Bradshaw Mountains Club Anonymous (3) Jordan Amerman Susan and Greg Arriola Alexander Barron ’98 Will ’69 and Jill ’70 Beckett Harrison Blythe ’10 and Llyzz Green Cathy Brett Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation * Jay Cowles and Page Knudsen John and Lucy Douglas Joan Dukes Herbert and Joan Friedmann Norman and Jane Gagne Angela Garner ’72 and Steve Huemmer ’73 Lynn Garney ’73 Leslie Gerwin and Bruce Leslie Thomas Harburg ’08 and Alida Rol Joel and Debra Hiller Jim and Deb Hills Catherine Huskins ’10 T. Barnabas Kane and Associates Landscape Architecture Daniel and Marilyn Kirkey L. Bell Ranch Aaron Lake ’96 Gregory Lazzell John Leslie and Barbara Clarke Matthew Levine ’74 Eunice Lovejoy Lisa Lundberg Miriel Manning Rick Medrick
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that most estate gifts require no outlay of current funds. For more information, contact Marj Sente, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, at msente@prescott.edu or (928) 350-4509.
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Annual Report
Laurence and Karen Meltzer Elizabeth Jean Meyer ’76 Deborah Morrison Jeffrey Napp and Sheryl Shapiro Thomas Nehil ’71 and Gail Walter China and Pierre Neury Margot ’72 and Rick Pantarotto Dale and Marian Penny Derek and Lee Peterson Ralph and Darcy Phillips Conan Quick Timothy Robison John Saalfield Martha Sauter Marilyn Saxerud Schwab Charitable Fund Ismat Shah and Cynthia Morgan Phillip Smart and Claudia Bach Stanley and Marilyn Stobierski Christine Teleisha Thai House Cafe Ferris ’84 and Tanni Thompson Josh ’97 and Kate Traeger Mary Trevor ’95 and Toni Kaus Tucson Electric Power Company Abigail Vorce ’09 and Nick Johnson Kate Wheeler John and Connie Whitcraft Zoë (Shark) Whyman ’95
Ponderosa Pine Club David and Ketta Abeshouse Allan Affeldt Apache Lodge, LLC ArcelorMittal Matching Gifts Program * Peter Athens Marianne Balfe ’01 Laurence Barker ’73 Tom Barry ’92 Chris Bashor Judy Baum Jamie Bjune David and Donna Bohegian Barbara Bollinger Ray and Amelia Bozicnik Doug Brew Robert and Gail Breyer Janit Brockway
Howard Bronson Dennis Brown ’73 Lyle Brown Melvin and Janet Brownold Fund of the Foundation for Enhancing Communities Melvin Brownold Lee and Cheryl Brueckel Julie Burquiere Monica ’87 and William Buzbee Hazel Chandler William Christian ’02 and Sandra Barker James Christopher Dr. Marylyn Clark Kathie and Billy Clyde Richard and Claire Comnick Monty and Carol Cook Kenneth Cook and Charissa Menefee Steven and Traci Corey Dave Corkett ’86 Steve and Linda Corson Kenneth and Nancy Costello Marcus and Cynthia Crahan Richard and Susan Crenshaw Diane Curtis Gregory Daniels Rebecca Davis and Roger Assay Aimee Lynn DeChambeau Jens Deichmann Andrew Dewart ’03 Frederick and Paula Dick Hans Drake and Ellen Cussler Suzanne Dulle Melissa Einfrank Christopher Estes ’74 David ’82 and Susan ’82 Fago Steve Finucane ’75 and Marjorie Bernardi Laurie Fish Dan Fleishman and Claudia Berman Petty Floyd Lisa Garrison ’75 and Jorge Phillips Mark ’70 and Marlene Gebhardt Edward Gilbert Robert and Kathleen Glosser Patricia Goffena-Beyer ’05 Mark ’73 and Gwen Goodman Google Matching Gifts Program * Dianne Greenley Misty Groves-Benedict ’95 and Peter Groves ’87
Pablo and Judy Guerrero Kent ’91 and Mollie Gugler Dale and Sue Guzlas Tom and Leigh Haley Mary ’05 and Bruce Hampton William and Ann Hannig Brett Hartl ’04 Linda Havins ’71 Madeline Helbraun ’72 and Robbie Trischer Allan and Mary Herring Deborah and Jim Hilbert Susan and Tom Hopkins Lauren ’01 and Daniel ’00 Hunt Carmine and Tina Iosue Lee James Caryl Jones Amy Joseph ’77 and Richard Boswell Jack Kaplan and Marion Macsai Bill and Lisa Kelly Lucy and Mike Kemper Michael and Carol Kiefer Steven and Barbara Kiel Stevie King ’73 and Jim Zedaker Richard Kipling Jon Kitchell Kim Krasne Robin Kropp and Russell Scott Aryn LaBrake ’09 and Nikk Stevers Belinda ’74 and Bradford Lambert Erin LeFevre ’98 and Kara Brunham Marion and Steve Lefkowitz Mary McWilliams Leslie ’74 and David Leslie Suena Lew Lo ’93 Richard Lewis Robin Lieske Erin Lingo ’07 Layne Longfellow John Packet and Debra Lowrey Ami Magisos Ashley Mains ’11 Gretchen ’10 and Joseph Mais Dave Mankowski Judith Marblestone Debra Martin ’10 Steven ’72 and Jeanne Matthews Vicki and Dick McGaw Dom McGrath and Lisa Dollinger Joseph McShane ’93 and Jan Marshall ’89 Elizabeth and Graeme Means
Memorial Scholarship rescott College student Kelly Megan Stack passed away in 2007, just a year shy of receiving her degree in Environmental Studies. A world traveler and highly active outdoorswoman, Kelly liked her expeditionary courses best. “Kelly had a sense of assurance and presence about her and a smile that lit up a room. She touched many lives,” says her mother, Anna Cook. In 2009, Kelly’s family established the Kelly Megan Stack Memorial Scholarship Fund to assist financially needy Prescott College undergraduate students interested in environmental sciences, natural history, and environmental education. A Kelly Megan Stack Scholar, Dillon Metcalfe ’13 finished high school in
Kelly Megan Stack
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Joseph Tabor and Holly McCarter Robert and Linda Teittinen John ’72 and Elizabeth Thrift Michelle Tissot ’09 Jessica Truscott Wayne Van Voorhies ’78 and Laurie Abbott Robin Varnum ’70 and Juris Zagarins Laura Ware ’70 Daniel Wasserman and Carol Russell Alan Weisman Ruth Wharton ’99 Terry Whatley Mark White ’99 and Sherry Barnes ’99 Mary Hume Whitney Grace Wicks Schlosser ’02 Robert ’96 and Mary Widen Karen Williams McCreary ’75 and Kent Alderman Connie Woodhouse ’79 Fulton Jr. and Nancy Wright Mary Yelenick ’74 and Elizabeth Broad Vicky Young ’95 Jeff Zucker
Granite Club Eric Adolphi ’96 Hisham and Margalit Aharon Terrence and Lee Alyanakian Susan and Allan Anderson Doug and Missy Anderson Arthur and Elizabeth Auer Ronald August Gay Austin Charles Awalt and Laurel Herrmann Mark ’73 and Kathie Bach Laurie Back Gunnar and Heather Baldwin Andrew Barber ’69 and Amanda Malachesky ’05 Joel Barnes ’81 Bill and Elaine Barney Len Barron Michael Belef ’99 and Denise Howard Darcy Berger Alan Berman ’08 and Estela Ruiz Barbara and Douglas Berson Rae Michele Bevis and Steve Wordell John Bloom and Joan Caldarera Cameron ’04 and Cherilyn ’04 Boswell Ted Bouras and Melanie Bishop ’86
2004 and decided to take a break to examine his interests in and motivations for continuing his education. For five years he repeatedly sought employment opportunities where he had a chance to share his passion for the outdoors with other people. “Along with my love of simply being outside, I enjoy learning about the environment I’m moving through,” Dillon says. “I believe that it’s possible to move toward a more sustainable relationship with our planet. I view my time in college as an opportunity to prepare myself for a life of constructively managing public lands for today and the future.” Dillon comes from a self-described “financially insecure” background, and credits his ability to continue a post-secondary education to the scholarships he’s received.
Karrol Braddock ’74 David Braun ’02 Sue Bray and Mel Magson Kate Brennan Charles ’74 and Nancy Brooks Daniel Brown Cheryl Brown-Kovacic The Bryan Family Leslie Burkhardt ’97 Sigrun Bynum ’93 Timothy and Patricia Callard Jerry and Carol Cantor Gustav and Charlene Carlson Lara Carlson Suzy Henney Doug ’86 and Genevieve Chabot Jen Chandler ’00 Debra Chase Jane Lee Childs Liz Claiborne Foundation * Craig and Susan Cloyed Collins Family Limited Partnership Donald Comstock and Clair Enlow Kathleen ’74 and Geoffrey Condit Leslie Cook ’09 Victoria ’91 and James Cook Noël Cox Caniglia ’92 and Thomas Caniglia Ryan ’99 and Colby Crehan Clayton and Teresa Crumpton Jennifer Curtis ’06 Aaron ’02 and Elaine Daly Laurie Dameshek ’08 and Philip Frank Mark ’76 and Windy Dankoff Janis Davies ’75 Micky and Lori Davis Paul and Alana Davis James Decker ’99 Daniel ’93 and Candace Denman Lorilee ’04 and Roger Deutsch Alan Dewart Mark and Krista Dhruv Dov Lionel Diamond ’97 Morton and Arline Doblin Jess ’70 and Pam Dods Jimmy Downum Jennifer Duberstein Marty Eberhardt ’74 and Philip Hastings Dagmar Eisele Kelly Eitzen Smith and Scott Smith
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Victor Medina Charles Metz Melissa Millage Greg Miller ’95 and Lisa Fisher Richard and Linda Miller North Moench ’05 Everett and Catherine Munsell First Mexican Development S DE RL DE CV The Bill Muster Foundation Holly ’81 and Kevin Nagie Joshua Newman ’07 Jennifer Niehaus ’84 Ann and John Nutt Pramod Parajuli Percilla and Manuel Patino Donna ’74 and Bill Patterson Brian and JoAnn Peterson Marianne Pyott ’92 Carla Rellinger ’05 and Suzanne Beeche ’07 Sue Rennels ’75 and Mike Grisez Gary and Liz Renninger Richard and Kathleen Riedman Margaret Rodriguez ’93 Shannon and Paul Rosenblatt Alan and Elisabeth Rubin Jeff Salz ’74 Cynthia ’72 and Ted ’72 Schleicher Jim and Jean Schmidt Margriet Schnabel Erik Schultz ’07 Cheryl and Melita Schwartz Jan Schwartz ’09 and Judith McDaniel Peter and Holly Scott Carl and Maria Scotti Butch Senz ’75 Floyd and Marlene Siegel Sarah Silver ’06 Laurie Silver and Grace Burford Kistina Simmons ’08 Mr. and Mrs. Andy Soleman Joyce Sorensen Steve Sourmerai and Wendy Drobnyk S. Dhruva Stephenson ’75 Bill Stillwell and Anne Gero-Stillwell Gary Stogsdill ’86 Richard Stoller ’72 and Cathryn Andrews Dr. Lee Stuart ’75 Jim Stuckey and Beverly Santo ’84 Eileen Sweeny and Golden Beckner
“I want to make sure you understand how grateful I am for this gift,” he says. “I work very hard to make sure I get the most out of my education. I’m learning a great deal about environmental science and adventure education – and having a lot of fun while doing it.” A fitting legacy for the young Renaissance woman who, according to her family, lived each day with passion and love.
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Annual Report
Dr. Susan Elliott ’73 William Emerson Jeanne Ernst ’71 Tina Evans ’11 and Dennis Lum Elizabeth Faller ’99 Elaine Farrar and Susan Cassinat Ray and Joanne Faucher John Favour Bruce Fayman ’96 Anita Fernandez John Flax ’74 Thomas Fleischner and Edie Dillon ’07 Deborah ’73 and Robert Foehring John ’93 and Andrea Foster Paul Freske and Nancy Nesyto-Freske Judith and Abraham Friedman Robert and Linda Frith Sonia Fry ’08 Theresa Furtak Donna Gaddie ’74 and Mark Chonko Maria Gail ’76 Mimi Gates ’10 Diane Gilbert Harpreet Girn and Prateek Khokhar Paul and Jo Glaves Andrea Gold ’74 and Gary Yamamoto Nelson and Marcia Goldberg Philip and Eileen Goldberg Shana Golden-Barnes ’06 Gail Gorud ’74 Garry Greenberg Tracey ’99 and Gabriel Grossman Ellen Groves Frank and Beverly Groves Fern Grumbine Kurt and Jeanette Gulder Maurine Haeberlin Jean and Hugh Halsell David Hanna Kelly Harkness ’10 Debbie Harkrader ’80 Joan Hart James Hartline Hanley ’98 and Michael ’98 Harvey Andrew ’97 and Krassi Harwell Richard and Mary Hatch Marna Hauk Chris Haydock ’73 and Laurel Wanek
Mary Herman Christopher ’91 and Roxanne Hill Dava and Louis Hoffman Eliza Homer ’10 Jane Horth Nathan Houchin ’01 Emma Howland-Bolton ’09 Chris and Leslie Hoy Eric Husted and Kate Hoversten Rob ’96 and Jenna ’97 Israel Hal and Rosemary Janssen Mary Jenkins Cary and Rob Johnson Melissa Johnson ’84 Michelle Johnson Rebecca Johnson Jean Jones Charles and Nadine Karlan Margaret Kessell Dr. Ken Kingsley ’72 and Amy Gaiennie Ellen Klaver ’75 Trude Kleess ’74 and Tom Corrigan Christopher Kopek ’05 Stephen and Michal Kramer Otis Kriegel ’94 and Carlin Greenstein Erin ’95 and Tony Krier Anne LaBruzzo Armene Lamson ’98 Jim ’68 and Carol Landis Sigurd and Amy ’01 Lavold Aurora Lee ’04 Melanie Lefever ’01 Dylan Levy-Boyd ’10 Terrence Lewis ’03 Ivette Liht Alice Long ’73 Theresa Long Peggy Lott David Lovejoy ’73 and Amparo Rifá ’89 Vance Luke Amanda Marie Maas Charles Maciejewski ’07 Moleen Madziwa Lisa ’71 and James Maher Peg and Chuck Malloy Peter and Patricia Martin Karen Mason Corinne Masur ’74 and Theodore Fallon
And the Winner Is …
Santa Cruz Estuary, shorebirds foraging on mudflats, 2012
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Patricia and Robert Mayer Norma Mazur ’93 Linda McBride Lorayne Meltzer Frank ’08 and Elizabeth Meyer Paul and Susan Mitchell Denise Mitten Kelly Morton ’11 Anne and Lloyd Moss Elsa Munoz Peter Neblett ’10 Nancy Neiley ’73 Nikki Newcombe ’71 Lisa Nezwazky Lindsay Nohl Matt and Julie Nolan David Nugent Karen Nulton Mab Nulty ’03 and Larry Sutin Claire Oberst and Dave Irvine Chas Offutt ’97 and Meghan Stewart Irene Ogata Justin Olenik ’00 Gracia O'Neill ’03 Norman Oslik ’07 and Madeleine Golde Philippe Ouellette Christina Ouellette Steve Pace and Barbara Wood Sandy Paris Anna Parker ’80 and William Pennell Jon ’73 and Vicki ’72 Patton Lark Paulson ’04 Peace Supplies Lynn Pedigo Scott Pelton ’09 Rachel Peters ’04 Curt Pfeffer Beatrice Preciado Marguerite Price Patricia Quinn-Kane and Marshall Kane Peggy Rambikur ’73 Ari ’98 and Tracy ’99 Rapport Carol and Donn Rawlings Michael and Susan Reardon Mark ’97 and Diane Reddy Bridget Reynolds Brenda ’00 and Robert Richardson Angela Ridlen
sking for charitable donations during an economic downswing presents its challenges. Many loyal donors will give because they believe in the mission of the College and understand the operational needs we face on a day-to-day basis. To entice new donors or to encourage donors to increase the level of their gifts, we like to sweeten the deal, so to speak, by offering a chance to win a prize with a minimum donation to the Annual Fund for Academic Excellence. Far from the token giveaways of a calendar, address labels, or a t-shirt, we have offered a Kindle or Kindle Fire in the summer and a trip to Mexico in the winter for the past two years, and will do so again this year. “It’s the veritable win-win-win situation,” says Marjory Sente, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “We get a good number of people making donations, small
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In Memory Elizabeth White ’69 Suzanne ’99 and Jamie Whitney Sue Ellen Wilson ’73 and John Gaumer Mark and Angelina Woolley Benjamin Wurzel ’05
In-Kind Gifts A Good Yarn Action Graphics Allegra Print and Imaging Jordan Amerman Antelope Bowling Lanes Peggy Bair and James McInroe Tom Barry ’92 Jen Chandler ’00 Steven and Traci Corey Maggie Cox Edelweiss Fiber Creek Framers Market & Gallery The Hike Shack Douglas Hulmes ’74 Stevie King ’73 and Jim Zedaker Wayne Kohn Kurstin Lee The Liquor Barn Mary Findysz Manzanita Outdoors Marriott Springhill Suites Barry McCormick Paul N. McKee Denise Mitten Residence Inn Marriott Willits, Marie, and Edward Sawyer Melita Schwartz Peter Sherman and Mariana Altrichter Michael and Rhoda Spencer Nikk Stevers Thai House Cafe Brinley Thomas Mary Trevor ’95 and Toni Kaus
* Matching Gift Donor For corrections, contact Aryn LaBrake at (928) 350-4505 or development@prescott.edu.
and large, our generous trip donors get their business’s name out there, and each year two lucky donors receive a vacation or a Kindle product.” Give $25 or more to the Annual Fund for Academic Excellence now through December 31, and your name will be entered into a drawing for a weeklong vacation in Puerto Escondido, Mexico, at Casamar Suites (see ad page 36). The Kindle Fire promotion ended in June with the mother of alumna Jennifer Sauter ’00, Martha Sauter, walking away with the prize. “I fell in love with Prescott and the College while my daughter was there. The whole premise of learning is so special. I would have loved it as a college student,” Martha says. “Of course I will continue my support, and I wish everyone at the College well.”
Few tributes are so lasting or honor individuals as well as a memorial gift made in memory of family or friends. Prescott College is privileged to carry on its work in their name.
Annual Report
Phyllis Jean Robinson Kelly Rockentine Peter and Cook Rodgers Charles and Evelyn Rose Errol Rose’11 Janet Ross ’74 Stephanie Russo ’07 Jennifer ’00 and Andrew Sauter-Sargent Mark Schiewetz Amanda Schlimgen Ernie ’03 and Marianne ’01 Schloss Diane Schmidt ’74 and Frank Morgan John Schmit ’97 and Laurie Dix ’01 Christopher Scholl Chris Schreiner Craig and Jeannette Schuessler Gus and Sandra Scott Maria Scott ’94 Jessica Shaver ’04 Vicki ’80 and Geoffrey Shepard Peter Sherman and Mariana Altrichter Lisa Shipek Terril Shorb ’09 Daniel ’02 and Michal Shuldman Marie Smith Craig ’89 and Sandy ’89 Spillman Stamats Communications, Inc. Peggy Staples Heather Stoken ’05 and Guy Paden Jean ’94 and Bobby Stover Andrew Sudbrock ’91 and Elizabeth Clayton ’91 Jeffrey Summit and Gail Kaufman Donald and Barbara Sweeney Dorothy Teer Cynthia Thelen Debra Thompson ’88 Joseph Trudeau and Amber Fields Lynn Stanton and Judy Tuttle Dr. Marilyn Vache ’72 and Graylin Grissett Dr. Mary Veit Rubie Walker ’97 Valerie Walsh ’76 and Rick Schwolsky John Walsh Douglas ’70 and Priscilla Weibel Oscar Wells ’79 Gale Welter Coleman Anne ’75 and Denis White Brenda White ’93
In memory of Jack Dougherty Mark ’76 and Wendy Dankoff In memory of Sean Hennelly Mathew and Julie Nolan In memory of Marilyn McCarthy ’96 Alan and Elisabeth Rubin In memory of Bridget Reynolds Ralph and Darcy Phillips Doug Hulmes ’74 Marjory and Frank Sente
In Honor Prescott College is pleased to be the recipient of generous gifts in honor of anniversaries, birthdays, accomplishments, and special events in the lives of our donors and the people who are important to them. In honor of Thomas Brownold ’76 The Foundation for Enhancing Communities In honor of Maria Careccio Clauss ’81 Geoffrey and Vicki Shepard ’80 In honor of ISSC Dan and Sue Boyce In honor of PC Women, 1993–1997 Zoë Whyman ’95 In honor of Marjory Sente Jane Childs In honor of Carl Tomoff Norm and Jean Gagne
Giving Levels Gold and Turquoise Circle - $10,000 and Above President’s Circle - $5,000–$9,999 Humphrey’s Peak Society - $2,500–$4,999 Thumb Butte Society - $1,000–$2,499 Founder’s Club - $500–$999 Bradshaw Mountains Club - $250–$499 Ponderosa Pine Club - $100–$249 Granite Club - Up to $99
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In Memoriam
In Memoriam Velvet Cunningham ’93 Velvet Cunningham passed on August 26, 2011. She was diagnosed with lung cancer in March 2011. Velvet was creating a sustainable farm in Flag Pond, Tenn., and lived with her two dogs, two cats, and five chickens. Friend Leah Vartanian writes, “She is missed by all who knew her.”
Regina (Gina) Niccum ’93 Regina Niccum passed on Friday, June 1, 2012, after a battle with breast cancer. Gina was born in Phoenix on April 25, 1951. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Prescott College in 1993. Most recently, she was employed by the State of Arizona as a case worker for developmentally disabled children and was a Sunday school volunteer at Horizons Church in Peoria, Ariz.
What’s Your Communication Preference? The Advancement Office is always looking for ways to streamline its processes, save money, reduce paper waste, and improve communications with you – the friends and alumni of Prescott College. So tell us. Do you like getting printed communications through the mail, or would you prefer electronic correspondence? Even Transitions is available for online viewing and in PDF format. If you want to stay on our mailing list, there’s no need to do anything, except let us know when you move. If you’d prefer e-communications only, make sure we have your email address on file by sending your updated contact information and a note indicating you’d prefer to go electronic to development@prescott.edu.
Give a Gift & Win a Vacation in Mexico! For your gift of $25 or more to the Prescott College Annual Fund for Academic Excellence, made from now through December 31, 2012, your name will be entered into a drawing for a weeklong vacation in Puerto Escondido, Mexico.* “Casamar is a little piece of heaven, so beautiful and peaceful, away from all the noise from the touristy places, but close enough to be a part of it if you want to.” – Chris Duval, 2011 prize winner. Vacation provided by the Sawyer family: Ted Sawyer, former student, and Willits Sawyer and Rosalie Hornblower. More information about Casamar Suites at CasamarMexico.com. *Non-transferable. Good for two years from the date of issuance. Not valid during January, February, or major holidays.
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Priscilla Stuckey’s Kissed by a Fox By Helen Manion, Prescott College Interlibrary Loan Specialist/Circulation Assistant Limited-residency graduate faculty member Priscilla Stuckey published her first book in September with Counterpoint Press (Berkeley). Kissed by a Fox: And Other Stories of Friendship in Nature is creative nonfiction, using stories from her life as a lens for reflecting on larger cultural trends relating to nature. Kissed by a Fox is an eloquently written and thought-provoking book, which provides an alternative to limited and limiting ways of looking at nature and the world. Stuckey is skilled at seeing with new eyes, and at putting that vision into words. There is an intensely personal feel to this book. Interwoven throughout the narrative are the author’s own story, her relationships and losses, and her struggles with Chronic Fatigue Immune Syndrome and writing a dissertation. It reads like a novel, with an overall storyline, becoming more than a series of separate essays. Underlying the realities she touches on, such as clearcutting, dumping toxic waste, development, and so on, there is the feeling of optimism that humans can “save” the world by being in it, looking and listening, and having kinship with it. “Instead of regarding the particular as a burden we must shed to find a truth imagined as independent of place and time,” she writes, “we will look to the anomalies of nesting orioles or beetlechewed pines to help us navigate a world pushed to the brink of destruction by our disregard for place. We will learn to nurture relationships.” Enriching what might have been a more traditional narrative about nature, Stuckey weaves in the historical background for thinking about humans and animals, plants, and rocks. She offers a critical look at the thinking of Plato and Descartes, for example, when talking about the soul/body dichotomy, and whether
all things have souls. She then offers alternative narratives to the Western paradigm that most of us have grown up with, alternative ways of partnering with, rather than dominating, nature. She asks, “What will it take to become a society that praises those who care? That honors kindness more than success? That teaches children to love the Earth more than accumulate its products? I suspect we will need to listen to different elders—not the ones who promised wealth but the ones who taught compassion.” The range of writers and thinkers providing a context for her reflections is wide—Plato, Hobbes, Augustine, Darwin, Newton, Malthus, Jesus, Marx, as well as Aldo Leopold, Annie Dillard, and John Muir all make appearances. The connections she makes are fascinating and convincing, and her range of knowledge impressive. Stuckey has the skill to make complex subjects understandable, and to make dry areas of history come to life. Throughout the book, Stuckey eloquently and artfully moves from the specific to the universal, consistently providing the reader with a larger, historical context in which to view and better understand specific experience. The book includes various encounters and interactions with nature. Moving from bald eagles to a weeping birch, a red fox to her local creek; her experiences are compelling evidence that all things have souls, or a life force, and what is important is developing a partnership with them. In place of the control over nature that humans have historically felt to be their right, she asks, “What if we truly listened to the world? …The moment of noticing can be the act of an isolated human mind. Or, it can be a moment of relationship, a meeting of two.” She outlines the history of Western Civilization’s dissatisfaction with nature and the attempts to tame it and “civilize” it, making it into something better. We may have inherited this from our ancestors, but might it be possible to leave behind those ancestors and overcome our cultural inertia? Listening to different ancestors, different voices, is one way; truly connecting and living in community with nature is the essential piece that will bring about change and healing.
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The Last Word
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Certificate Programs at Prescott College Certificate in Coaching Become a trained and certified professional, practicing coach in a variety of areas including: Executive Coaching, Leadership Coaching, Life Coaching, and many more. This certification is perfect for anyone who desires to expand into the coaching profession, or add coaching credentials to an already existing career. Coaching is a transformational process where a coach and a client partner together to support clients in attaining goals, facilitating breakthroughs, and reaching their potential.
Certificate in Experiential Education This certificate is designed for new experiential practitioners wishing to integrate experiential pedagogy into their adventure or classroom practices, and for “seasoned� practitioners to hone and advance their work. Certificate participants learn the skills, knowledge, and dispositions central to experiential education and are provided with in class and out of class opportunities to design lesson plans, prepare presentations, and engage in activities that have direct, transferrable relevance.
Certificate in Sustainability Design, Management, and Entrepreneurship This certificate is structured to educate participants of diverse backgrounds and develop leadership skills for creating a more sustainable future, whether it is in a business, city, nation, or our entire global community. The coursework provides a solid foundation of theoretical knowledge and practical skills for application in a range of professional contexts, preparing participants to advance in a current profession or engage in a career transition. Participants may choose to use the knowledge and skills gained in the context of work in management of physical assets and the built environment; in preservation, conservation, and restoration of the natural environment and managed ecosystems; and in the cultivation of individual and collaborative success in the development of organizations.
Certificate in Civic Leadership and Service This certificate assists in developing the knowledge, skills, and perspective to be effective community leaders. Through this program, participants gain the expertise to work toward addressing a wide variety of community and societal challenges through civic participation.
Certificate in Digital Storytelling and Digital Media This certificate is designed to educate the diverse, creative communicators of tomorrow. The certificate provides a solid foundation of applied skills and theoretical knowledge, and enables participants to use new methods of storytelling to advance personal, professional, and/or academic work.
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