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President's Letter |
Kendall Students Exhibit at Dubai Trade Show
Kendall students Alexis Brannan, Eric Britton, Dustin Farmsworth, Timothy Maddox, Kara Rodriguez and Suzanne Smalligan were accompanied by four faculty members who chair each of the programs represented by the students and their products: Phillip Carrizzi (Metals/Jewelry Design); Tom Edwards (Industrial Design); Max Shangle (Furniture Design); and Brent Skidmore (Sculpture and Functional Art). “The opportunity to provide a quality international business experience to our students was very rare, and we are grateful for the invitation from the Exhibition Director, Paula Al Chami,” said KCAD President Oliver Evans, who also accompanied the students. “The exposure to a global perspective of the business of design in a location that is undergoing the development of a dynamically high growth economy was beyond our expectations.” This exhibition was a unique opportunity for Kendall to create visibility on a global level. Visitors to the KCAD exhibit included a Dubai lighting designer interested in working on a project with Kendall’s Industrial Design students, and representatives of an international company interested in recruiting graduates to work on design projects for the built environment. Other companies were interested in the work of students enrolled in the furniture as functional art program, and discussed the possibility of acquiring corporate art. A majority of the nearly 12,000 registered trade visitors were from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region, although the event drew visitors from Europe, India, Pakistan, Iran and North Africa. Exhibitors included representatives from Italy, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Turkey, Cypress and China among others. MCO Provides State, National Leadership
Alexander’s leadership of the AOA puts him at the head of an organization with 35,000 members in 6,500 communities across the country whose mission is to improve the quality and availability of eye and vision care. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the Ohio State University in 1976 and his Ph.D. from OSU in 1979. He has written numerous articles and lectured internationally on the topic of ocular disease, and is principal author of the AOA’s Clinical Practice Guideline for Care of the Patient with Anterior Uveitis in addition to editing the influential textbook, The Lippincott Manual of Primary Eyecare. Prior to leading the AOA, Alexander was Ohio’s Optometrist of the Year in 1989 and president of the Ohio Optometric Association from 1995-96. Swan is chief of pediatrics and binocular vision services at MCO as well as chief of optometry at St. Mary’s Mercy Medical Center in Grand Rapids. As leader of the Michigan Optometric Association, Swan helps the MOA advance the quality and accessibility of optometric services throughout the state. At Ferris, Swan combines his optometry training with a master’s degree in reading disabilities and is heading up a new collaborative service with the College of Education and Human Services to provide care for children with visually related reading disabilities. As vice president of the American Optometric Student Association, Phillips is gaining experience at the national level in an organization that helps promote optometric professions, and enhance the education and welfare of optometry students. The AOSA represents more than 6,000 students attending the 19 schools and colleges of optometry throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information on these organizations, visit www.aoa.org, www.themoa.org and www.theaosa.org. Ferris and Industry Leaders Team Up to Promote Green Energy
“The GMC was founded to educate, promote and establish standards to help reduce energy consumption while improving the quality of life and the environment,” explained Mike Feutz, chair of Ferris’ HVACR department. “As a founding member, Ferris is positioned to positively influence construction and building operation practices for a more sustainable, or ‘green’ building environment.” Mechanical systems such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration that heat and cool 125 million houses and five million commercial buildings are becoming obsolete and are among the largest energy cost factors for consumers and businesses alike. The council has agreed to help educate the public about the benefits and value of green mechanical systems; promote sustainable and environmentally responsible mechanical systems; develop and implement green mechanical system concepts and technologies; establish standards that reduce energy consumption; and provide resources and feedback to developers and manufacturers. In 2004, Ferris dedicated the Granger Center for Construction and HVACR, a learning facility uniquely designed to promote research into exactly the kinds of technologies the GMC hopes to advance. The Granger Center features a number of mechanical systems—including geothermal heating and cooling—that are open and accessible, making the entire building a 3-D learning facility. The GMC’s board of directors, elected to serve a one-year term, includes Tom Crandell, Ferris’ director of the Corporate and Professional Development Center, who will serve as the board’s treasurer. In addition to Ferris, GMC’s founding members include ABCO Refrigeration, Air Doctors, Bacharach, Inc., the Carbon Monoxide Safety Association, Carrier Corporation, Common Ground, ESCO Institute, Floor Heat Company, HVAC Excellence, Legend Hydronics, Legend Valve, the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation, the Mechanical Contractors Association of America, the Mechanical Services Contractors of America, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices and Watts-Radiant. Learn more about the Green Mechanical Council at www.greenmech.org. Ferris Attracts 13,000+ Students
“These are overwhelmingly positive results for the University,” said Ferris Vice President for Student Affairs Daniel Burcham. “We are very pleased with our gains in both new and continuing students.” In addition to enrolling at Ferris in record numbers, freshmen have the highest ACT scores and incoming GPAs in University history. The campus is also becoming more diverse, with increasing numbers of African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American students enrolling. Increasingly, students are continuing their education at Ferris after their first year, accounting for a record 70 percent retention rate. “We’re very pleased with the continued growth of enrollment and retention levels at Ferris,” said University President David Eisler. “This reflects strong demand on the part of students for the high-quality education we provide.” Ferris’ Honors Program also has benefited from the more rigorous academic environment. The University has nearly 600 students enrolled in the program, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. “All of this is the result of everyone at the University striving to make Ferris a welcoming and supportive place,” Eisler added. Enrollment at each University location experienced growth, with 9,680 students enrolled at the University’s Big Rapids campus, or 194 more students than last fall. There are 2,227 students enrolled at Ferris-Grand Rapids and other sites throughout the state, an increase of 220 students. Kendall College of Art and Design set its own record enrollment with 1,180 students enrolled. |
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