by Mark Shelley, Campus Dean It’s exhilarating to start the academic year off with new faces! Not only do we have a great number of high-caliber students starting with us this Fall, but I am also thrilled to announce that several of the new faces that will be gracing the NAU-Yavapai campus are exciting and accomplished faculty members! I’d like to briefly introduce them to you in this blog. The 2011-12 school year will see our first full-time professors here on campus: Kristen Taubman, who will lead our Applied Human Behavior program, and Ian Derk, who will lead our all-important Communications and English courses. Professor Taubman is transitioning to us after having just served as the Interim Chief Clinical Officer for West Yavapai Guidance Clinic. She earned her Master of Social Work from San Diego State University, and has worked as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for about a decade. Bringing valuable “real world” experience to our classrooms, Kristen has worked in the fields of domestic violence, crisis evaluation, senior programs and home share. She also seems to have endless energy, and is “fearless.” Her connections with behavioral health and not-for-profit organizations in the County will be invaluable, and her passion for helping people is contagious, so be careful! Mr. Derk brings a varied and fascinating set of experiences to us, coming most recently from Front Range Community College in his hometown of Greeley, Colorado. His bachelor’s degree is in English and Communication from Colorado State University, and he completed Read more »
Monthly Archives: July 2011
Fourth of July in the Prescott Area…
This gallery contains 2 photos.
by Nancy Jensen The sights, sounds, and smells of Fourth of July come happily to mind: street dances, parades, bull riding, and heart touching – rodeo romping – country songs. Flag waving Americans enthusiastically embrace the celebration of America. Patriotism permeates the air. Liberty is a little more appreciated. There is something special about a western Fourth of July. In the Prescott area, the Fourth of July unfolds with color, passion, and fun in a vibrant manner that spreads contagiously. The holiday begins slowly as stores hang their signs – “Welcome Rodeo Fans”. Neighbors and businesses drape patriotic buntings and raise their flags. The momentum grows with radio ads, billboards, and daily rodeo ground preparations. In the quad-city area, Rodeo has become synonymous with the Fourth of July. It is a time to put on your cowboy hat and boots; gather with friends, family, community members and visitors, and re-live western times. Interestingly, Rodeo and Fourth of July share common themes of independence, courage, bloodshed, and a deep love for America. These two celebrations tie past and future together in way that glamorizes the unglamorous and also preserves eras unique to America. Rodeo reaches back in time to embrace the disappearing American frontier. While watching from the comfort of the grandstand, take a glimpse into the past – imagine hard working ranch folks lassoing stock, breaking broncs, and filling their days with long, dusty rides: mending fences, fighting scrubby brush and unfriendly ground to bring cattle successfully to market. Read more »
