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Dixie Today
| Spots Still Available for the Silver Anniversary Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show Opening Gala Feb. 17 |
| 02/08/2012 - Tickets are still available for the Silver Anniversary Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show and Sale Opening Gala, which will be held on Friday, Feb. 17, beginning at 6 p.m., in the DSC Eccles Fine Arts Center Grand Foyer.
Tickets for the gala may be purchased by calling Susan Taysom in the DSC Institutional Advancement Office at 435-652-7905. The program for the evening will include dinner and musical entertainment provided by world-renowned ragtime pianist and comedian Mimi Blais. In addition, an art preview for dinner guests will precede the gala at 4 p.m.
Known as "The New Queen of Ragtime," Ms. Blais is a musical performer, composer, arranger, writer, comedian and singer whose imagination knows no bounds. A native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, her passion for ragtime music has led her to travel across the United States and Canada, where she has received one standing ovation after another.
Prior to the Opening Gala at 3 p.m., a free art symposium for all aspiring artists will be conducted by 2011 Purchase Prize and Best of Show winner Jerry Read Hancock. Hancock will also serve as this year's Sears Art Show adjudicator.
A native of Ogden, Utah, Hancock worked in the education field as a teacher and guidance counselor for 32 years. Since retiring, he has devoted his time to producing art, particularly pieces devoted to farm life. It should come as no surprise that much of his subject matter reflects the surrounding he grew up in. Horses and cattle are a favorite subject.
Now entering its 25th-year on the Dixie State College campus, The Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show and Sale will feature nearly 300 pieces of artwork from nearly 170 renowned artists from Utah and around the country. Award categories for the show include oils, watercolor, pastels and other media. In addition, the show regularly features several bronze works.
Since the inaugural Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show in 1988, a portion of each painting purchased has been allocated to help fund a permanent art gallery on the DSC campus. In 2005, the Invitational made its debut in the Sears Art Museum Gallery, appropriately named in honor of the show's founders, the late Robert N. and Peggy Sears.
The exhibit will open to the public Saturday, Feb. 18, and will be on display through Sunday, March 25. Exhibit hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. Call (435) 652-7909 for more information.
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| Dixie Forum Series Founder Terre Burton to Present at Tuesday's Convocation |
| 02/08/2012 - Dixie State College's weekly noontime "Dixie Forum: A Window on the World" forum series will feature the return of its founder at DSC Faculty Emeritus Terre Burton will speak on Tuesday, February 14th, at 12 noon, in the Dunford Auditorium of the Browning Resource Center on the DSC campus. Admission is free for all community members, DSC students, and faculty and staff.
Burton's will share her findings in studying the voices of the oppressed through poetry in her presentation entitled "Balm in Gilead: Beauty Out of Oppression in Story & Song." In the presentation, she will introduce the voices of the oppressed beginning with the yearning expressed in poetry of the Hebrews during the Babylonian captivity, the anguish felt by slaves in the South who expressed their grief through the oral tradition of song in spirituals, and the power of expression through the written word in the recent novel and 2012 Academy Award-nominated film, "The Help."
"These works are declarations of freedom, at least of the longing for freedom, that can move and inspire us all, helping us to overcome grief and fear," Burton says.
Burton served as associate professor on humanities for nearly 20 years before retiring last May. She arrived on the Dixie campus in 1991 from Laramie Community College in Cheyenne. Following a brief one-year stint at a college in Missouri in 1992, she returned to Dixie to teach English, humanities and literature courses. One of Burton's lasting legacies on the Dixie campus is the weekly "Dixie Forum – A Window on the World" series, which she began during the 2001-02 academic year as an avenue to introduce students and the community to diverse ideas and personalities.
The Dixie Forum will continue each Tuesday through the rest of the spring semester, with the exception of a special Forum held in conjunction with DSC's Second-Annual Research Day on Monday, April 9th. Upcoming guest speakers include DSC biology professor Jennifer Ciacio on February 21st.
For further information on DSC's Dixie Forum series, please contact DSC Forum advisor Professor Marius van der Merwe at 435-652-7924 or at marius@dixie.edu.
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The remainder of the spring Dixie Forum schedule will be as follows. All forums will be Tuesdays (unless noted) at noon in the Dunford Auditorium:
Feb. 21 DSC Biology Professor Jennifer Ciacio
Feb. 28 Neonatal Developmental Specialist Jean Powlesland – "One Brain for Life: Developmental Care in the Newborn ICU"
March 6 DSC Associate Professor of English Dr. Stephen Armstrong – "For the Love of Movies"
March 13 No Forum – DSC Spring Break
March 20 Miriam Brown – "PMS: The Facts Behind the Acronym"
March 27 DSC Associate Professor of Theatre Michael Harding – "The Odyssey"
April 3 Retired U.S. Navy Captain Ron Lewis – "Keeping the Promise (POW/MIA Soldiers)"
Monday, April 9 DSC Research Day Presentation by Utah State University Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean of Science Lisa Berreau
April 17 Insect Eating Expert Dave Gracer |
| DOCUTAH Cracks the PBS List of 12 Small Town Documentary Film Festivals of 2012 |
| 02/07/2012 - The DOCUTAH Southern Utah International Documentary Film Festival was recently listed as one of the nation's best "Small-Town Documentary Film Festivals for 2012," by the Public Broadcasting System's (PBS) online POV Blog.
In all, the PBS list features 12 of the best small town documentary film festivals "for escaping the crowds, paparazzi and hype," with the criteria of the festival being located in a city with less than 100,000 residents. DOCUTAH is one of five festivals on the list located in the Western United States, including two in Colorado, one in Montana and another in California.
"Being selected as one of the nation's top small-town documentary film festivals for 2012 is a big honor for us," says Christina Schultz, Dixie State College Vice President of Institutional Advancement and DOCUTAH Executive Director. "In only our third year, we feel privileged to be in the company of the other distinguished and established festivals on the list.
"We strive to engage our community and visitors in the festival, but this demonstrates to us that DOCUTAH brings value to the documentary film industry as a whole," Schultz added.
The Third-Annual DOCUTAH Southern Utah International Film Festival, presented by Dixie State College of Utah, will take place September 5-9, 2012, in St. George and Kanab, Utah. Festival goers come for the films, stay for the scenery and depart having experienced inspiration.
The 2011 DOCUTAH Festival attracted 325 total film submissions from professional and student filmmakers from 42 different countries. With Dixie State College as the presenter allows for the opportunity to offer an academic component of DOCUTAH. DOCUTAH welcomes student submissions and provide master class seminars and filmmaker panels whereby students and amateur documentarians can learn the art of filmmaking.
For more information on DOCUTAH, visit www.docutah.com.
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| Wells Fargo VP Suzanne Moore to Address the Next DSC Business Ethics Forum |
| 02/06/2012 - Dixie State College of Utah's Udvar-Hazy School of Business continues its bi-monthly noontime Business and Ethics Forum series this Thursday, Feb. 9, featuring a presentation on banking ethics by Wells Fargo Bank Vice President Suzanne Moore.
The Business and Ethics Forum, presented every other Thursday throughout DSC's spring semester, will be held in the Boeing Auditorium (Room 121) of the DSC Udvar-Hazy Business Building. DSC students, faculty and staff, the entire Washington County business community, and the general public are all invited to attend. Admission is free.
Moore has more than 18 years of experience in financial services and has held numerous positions with Wells Fargo Bank, including senior business banking industry specialist and vice president, working with utility companies, municipalities, and college and universities. She is a graduate of the University of Utah and holds several diplomas and certificates from the American Banking Association (ABA). Moore has also served on a number of civic organizations, including Business and Professional Women (BPW), the Utah State Extension (Washington County Services) and the Washington County Public School Foundation. She was a past president of BPW and was named the organization's Woman of the Year in 2007, and is a member of the Dixie Sunshiners, which is a group of St. George area business and profession people who serve as the goodwill ambassadors for the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce.
The series will continue Feb. 23, with a presentation by St. George Area Chamber of Commerce President Gregg McArthur. In addition, Kevin Kuzia, compliance officer for Pratt and Whitney, will speak March 8; Kenny Miller, manager of The Village Bank, will address the forum March 29; and DSC Vice President for Administrative Services Stan Plewe will wrap up the semester schedule with a presentation April 12.
The Business and Ethics Forum is every other Thursday throughout the fall and spring semesters, with each guest lecturer speaking on business matters in their respective professions and how to integrate ethics into the discussion. The Forums will return to its regular bi-monthly schedule for the 2012 spring semester beginning in January.
Each speaker throughout the semester will speak on business matters in their respective professions and have been asked to integrate ethics into the discussion.
The bi-monthly forum, along with campus' Institute for Business Integrity, was created by former DSC president Dr. Robert Huddleston in 2006, as a way to integrate ethics into the curriculum, and have it serve as a blueprint to ensure that students graduate with a set of ethical tools to help them get along in the professional world.
In 2006-07, Dixie State's business program sought initial accreditation with the high profile Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). In order to become accredited with the AACSB, ethics were required to be integrated into the college's business curriculum. As a result, each business class on the DSC campus now includes an ethical component.
Dr. Huddleston noted that the business forums will give students – and current and prospective local business owners – an added dose of ethics training that is so sorely needed into today's business world. His hope is that by the time students leave Dixie State, they have been exposed to enough ethical cases that, when they get out in the workforce, they will have the wherewithal and the intestinal fortitude to do the right thing, even when their job might be on the line.
"The Institute for Business Integrity has brought an important opportunity for the business community, as well as DSC faculty and students, to emphasize the significance of social responsibility for business and industry in Washington County," said Huddleston. "As research indicates, ethics contribute to employee commitment, investor loyalty, customer satisfaction and to profits."
The Dixie State College Institute for Business Integrity is a partnership between the Udvar-Hazy School of Business at Dixie State College, the Small Business Development Center, the Washington County Economic Development Council, and the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce.
For questions regarding the DSC Institute for Business Integrity forums, contact Dr. Huddleston at huddleston@dixie.edu or 435-652-7740.
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| Dixie State College to Host Reception for DSC Senior/Miss Nevada Alana Lee This Monday |
| 02/02/2012 - Dixie State College will host a special reception to honor DSC senior and reigning Miss Nevada 2011 Alana Lee as she returns to campus for the first time since competing at the 2012 Miss America Pageant last month in Las Vegas. The reception will be held this Monday, February 6th, beginning at 6 p.m., at the DSC Gardner Center Conference Room B. The event is free to attend.
Lee will display photos and videos chronicling her time as Miss Nevada and preparation for the Miss America Pageant. She will also provide a backstage glimpse into what she experienced competing against 52 other women from across the country for the coveted Miss America crown.
"I was so proud to carry the ‘Dixie Spirit' with me on to the Miss America stage," Lee said. "I can't wait to come back to Dixie to share my experiences and to thank those who helped me prepare for the [Miss America] Pageant."
A 22-year-old mass communication major from Las Vegas, Lee became the first student in Dixie State College's 100-year history to represent the institution at the Miss America Pageant after being crowned Miss Nevada 2011 this past July. Since then she has spent the last several month traveling the state and the country promoting her platform of "Patriotism: Rock the Vote," which included leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the Republican Presidential Debate held in Las Vegas last October, among other appearances and activities.
Despite not making into the "Final 15" of the competition, Lee just about stole the show when she announced her "candidacy" for the 2012 Presidential race on the nationally-televised broadcast on the ABC Network.
"We are very excited to welcome Alana back home to Dixie and let her know that we are extremely proud of what she accomplished," said Del Beatty, DSC Dean of Students. "She did an incredible job in not only representing her home state of Nevada, but was a great ambassador for Dixie State College during this experience. She is a wonderful representation of the caliber of students we have here at Dixie."
A 2007 graduate of Mojave HS, Lee is the sixth member of her family to attend Dixie State College, where she is involved in campus activities and has served as a news anchor and reporter for SUN News, a nightly news broadcast produced by the DSC's communication department's Center for Media Innovation. Additionally, Lee served as production coordinator for the Wayne Newton documentary, which debuted at the 2011 DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival in St. George last September. In addition to her academic achievements at DSC, Lee was crowned as Dixie State's Homecoming Queen in 2009 and represented DSC at the 2010 Miss Utah Pageant.
Lee plans to return to Dixie this fall to complete her degree in mass communication and she aspires to one day become a news journalist at a major network, with hopes of eventually hosting her own television show. She credited the incredible support she has received from Dixie State and the St. George community as she prepared for the Miss America Pageant.
"I honestly feel that the education I received at Dixie State College prepared me for this opportunity," Lee says. "I don't think I would be where I am right now without the assistance and support I have received from Dixie's administration and faculty."
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| Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show Celebrates Silver Anniversary at Dixie State College in February |
| 02/01/2012 - The annual Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show and Sale, recognized as one of the biggest art events in the state of Utah, celebrates its Silver Anniversary beginning on Saturday, February 18th, at the Dolores Dore´ Eccles Fine Arts Center on the campus of Dixie State College of Utah.
The Sears Dixie Invitational, which has been a mainstay at DSC, will feature nearly 300 works from 170 renowned artists from Utah and the United States. Award categories for the show include oils, watercolor, pastels and other media. In addition, the show regularly features several bronze works.
"The 25th Anniversary edition of the Sears Dixie Invitational promises to be the most exciting art show and sale ever," says Kathy Cieslewicz, curator of the Sears Art Museum Gallery. "Over the years, the reputation of the show has lead to profound growth of the show. As always it's an opportunity for artists to reach a new professional level, and for patrons to become art collectors. The quality of the show continues to attract the finest artists and art collectors from around the country."
This year's Invitational events will begin on Friday, Feb. 17th, at 3:00 p.m., in the Eccles Fine Arts Center Concert Hall with a free art symposium for all interested artists, conducted by 2011 Purchase Prize and Best of Show winner Jerry Read Hancock. Hancock's dual award-winning effort marked the first time in the Invitational's history that an artist swept both honors.
For Hancock, it was his first Sears Dixie Purchase Prize award victory, which earned him the honor of serving as the adjucator for this year's 25th-Anniversary Sears Dixie Invitational. "Burst of Light" also claimed the blue ribbon in the Oil Other category.
A native of Ogden, Utah, Hancock worked in the education field as a teacher and guidance counselor for 32 years. Since retiring, he has devoted his time to producing art, particularly pieces devoted to farm life. It should come as no surprise that much of his subject matter reflects the surrounding he grew up in. Horses and cattle are a favorite subject.
"I enjoy the beauty of country life," Hancock said. "There is a ‘spirit' and sense of peacefulness that is seen in the nature of domestic life. I try to convey to the viewer my reaction and feelings about the subject."
The Invitational's opening gala dinner and pre-sale will follow the symposium at 6:00 p.m., in the Eccles Fine Arts Center Grand Foyer. Tickets for the gala may be purchased by calling Susan Taysom in the DSC Institutional Advancement Office at 435-652-7905. The program for the evening will include dinner and musical entertainment provided by world-renowned ragtime pianist and comedian Mimi Blais.
Known as "The New Queen of Ragtime," Ms. Blais is a musical performer, composer, arranger, writer, comedian and singer whose imagination knows no bounds. A native of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, her passion for ragtime music has led her to travel across the United States and Canada, where she has received one standing ovation after another.
"For 25 years people have looked forward to enjoying this outstanding show beginning every Presidents' weekend," Cieslewicz noted. "The enthusiasm felt at the Gala continues to be contagious as buyers race to obtain their favorite artwork. Many have very prestigious collections as a result of this Invitational."
Since the inaugural Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show in 1988, a portion of each painting purchased has been allocated to help fund the art gallery in the Eccles Fine Arts Center. The Sears Dixie Invitational Art Show made its debut in that new gallery in 2005, and appropriately enough, the gallery bears the name of the show's founders, the late Robert N. and Peggy Sears.
Cieslewicz echoed the desires and goals for the Invitational set forth by the Sears family, which are to display and sell quality art to the college and the community, to raise funds to support the Sears Gallery, and for winning paintings to become part of the DSC Permanent Art Collection. Cieslecwicz went on to say that the show would not be a success without the wonderful talents and enthusiasm of the many artists who have shared their best works with the thousands of patrons who have enjoyed the show over the past two-plus decades.
"First time visitors and loyal patrons will be surprised by the quality and range of artwork styles and prices. There will be something for everyone," Cieslewicz added. "The Sears Art Museum Gallery continues to feature fine art exhibits throughout the year and we look forward to experiencing the Dixie Sears Invitational for the next 25 years and beyond. It's a legacy the Sears family and DSC can be proud of."
The exhibit will open to the public Saturday, February 18th, and will be on display through Sunday, March 25th. Exhibit hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays, and 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. Call (435) 652-7905 for more information.
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| Historical Overview of JFK Assassination the Focus of Tuesday's Dixie Forum |
| 01/31/2012 - Dixie State College's weekly noontime "Dixie Forum: A Window on the World" forum will feature a historical overview of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, as presented by retired history teacher Steve Armstrong on Tuesday, February 7th, at 12 noon, in the Dunford Auditorium of the Browning Resource Center on the DSC campus. Admission is free for all community members, DSC students, and faculty and staff.
Armstrong's presentation is a description of the facts surrounding the assassination and the subsequent investigation leading to the Warren Commission report released in 1964, along with the House Select Committee on Assassinations report of 1978. Armstrong delivered his first presentation on this subject in the early 1970s, and he continues to update and revise his knowledge and materials. He has spoken at national conventions in Chicago, Phoenix, Orlando and Los Angeles, along with several state and local teacher conventions, workshops, and high school classrooms.
"As our nation approaches the 50th anniversary of JFK's death, I believe that it's important to examine the facts and the controversies surrounding this tragic American event," Armstrong says. "Whether you were alive at the time or are now seeking knowledge of the JFK assassination, you are sure to find this a stimulating, interesting presentation."
Armstrong taught AP American History and AP American Government during his 35-year teaching career. He was also an AP reader and continues to do consulting work for The College Board.
The Dixie Forum will continue each Tuesday through the rest of the spring semester, with the exception of a special Forum held in conjunction with DSC's Second-Annual Research Day on Monday, April 9th. Upcoming guest speakers include DSC Faculty Emeritus and founder of the Dixie Forum series Terre Burton, who will share her findings in studying the voices of the oppressed through poetry in her presentation entitled "Balm in Gilead: Beauty Out of Oppression in Story & Song" on February 14th.
For further information on DSC's Dixie Forum series, please contact DSC Forum advisor Professor Marius van der Merwe at 435-652-7924 or at marius@dixie.edu.
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The remainder of the spring Dixie Forum schedule will be as follows. All forums will be Tuesdays (unless noted) at noon in the Dunford Auditorium:
Feb. 14 DSC Faculty Emeritus Terre Burton – "Balm in Gilead: Beauty Out of Oppression in Story & Song"
Feb. 21 DSC Biology Professor Jennifer Ciacio
Feb. 28 Neonatal Developmental Specialist Jean Powlesland – "One Brain for Life: Developmental Care in the Newborn ICU"
March 6 DSC Associate Professor of English Dr. Stephen Armstrong – "For the Love of Movies"
March 13 No Forum – DSC Spring Break
March 20 Miriam Brown – "PMS: The Facts Behind the Acronym"
March 27 DSC Associate Professor of Theatre Michael Harding – "The Odyssey"
April 3 Retired U.S. Navy Captain Ron Lewis – "Keeping the Promise (POW/MIA Soldiers)"
Monday, April 9 DSC Research Day Presentation by Utah State University Professor of Chemistry and Associate Dean of Science Lisa Berreau
April 17 Insect Eating Expert Dave Gracer |
| Dixie State to Host 2012 MathCounts Competition Feb. 3 |
| 01/31/2012 - Dixie State College of Utah will host its annual MathCounts competition, featuring middle and junior high schools students from throughout southwestern Utah, this Friday, Feb. 3, in room 127 of DSC's North Instructional Building (NIB), located on the corner of 900 East 100 South. The competition will begin at 8:30 a.m., and will wrap up around 1 p.m.
According to DSC Mathematics Department Chair Scott Mortensen, more than 100 students from St. George, Enterprise, Kanab and Beaver will participate in this year's competition. The competition features individual and team testing events, which will be corrected and judged by DSC upper division math students.
For more information on the 2011 MathCounts competition, contact Sylvia Bradshaw in the DSC Mathematics Department at 435-652-7984.
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| Dixie State Symphony Band to Take Part in Two Band Events This Week |
| 01/31/2012 - The Dixie State College Symphony Band, under the direction of longtime conductor Gary Caldwell, will represent the College at a pair of music education conference related events later this week. The two performances kick off a busy February for the ensemble, which culminates with the annual DSC Symphony Band Winter Concert slated for later this month.
The DSC Symphony Band has been invited by the Utah chapter of the National Bandmasters Association (NBA) to perform newly published music at a "Reading Session" for middle school, high school and college band directors from around Utah at the Eccles Fine Arts Center Concert Hall on Thursday, Feb. 2nd, from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. In all, DSC's ensemble will perform 14 new compositions for those in attendance.
The band will take the stage again on Friday, Feb. 3rd, at the Dixie Center to perform a number of acoustic arrangements to music educators in attendance for the annual Music Educators National Convention (MENC). DSC's session runs from 3:30-4:45 p.m., and will also serve as an instructional performance as the ensemble will be placed in three-to-four different seating arrangements with discussion on set-up and acoustics to produce the best overall performance sound.
The Dixie State Symphony Band will kick off the College's slate of mid-winter concerts with a special engagement on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m., in the Dolores Dore' Eccles Fine Arts Center Concert Hall on the DSC campus.
General admission tickets for each concert will be available at the door for $5 for adults and $1 for DSC students and faculty and staff with current ID.
For tickets and further information, please call 435-652-7800 or visit the central campus ticket office at the DSC Avenna Center. Patrons may also purchase tickets prior to each evening's performance at the Eccles Fine Arts Center Box Office or online at "tickets.dixie.edu."
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| Solar Energy the Topic of the next DSC President's Colleagues Meeting February 6th |
| 01/31/2012 - Dixie State College of Utah will host its fifth President's Colleagues of DSC meeting of the 2011-12 academic year on Monday, February 6th, 2012, featuring a presentation on solar energy by Dr. David Vaught. The meeting will begin at 12 noon, in Room 156 of the DSC Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center, located on the Dixie Regional Medical Center's River Road campus at 1526 Medical Center Drive. The meeting is free and open to the public.
A regular attendee of the monthly Colleagues meetings, Vaught is a chemist, mathematician and computer expert. He completed his bachelor's studies in Chemistry at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., and earned a Ph.D. at the University of Utah, including post-doctoral research at Purdue University. Vaught served in the military and worked as a chemist at the Dugway Proving Grounds. In addition, Vaught worked as an instructor and director of computer services at the University of Memphis beginning in 1969, and was a professor of computer science at UM from 1980-95.
Vaught will be joined in his presentation by Rene' Fleming, who serves as Conservation Coordinator for the City of St. George. Fleming will discuss current solar energy projects in St. George, as well as share personal experiences with living on solar energy at her home with her husband in Apple Valley, Utah.
The President's Colleagues of Dixie State College, founded nearly 20 years ago by former DSC President Dr. Douglas Alder, is a group of retired professors and other professionals who live mostly in the St. George and Washington County area. Dr. Alder, who also started an Honors Program at DSC, organized the Colleagues as a way to increase academic activities on campus.
The Colleagues meet together once a month during the academic year to hear presentations from each other and/or invited guests. The next Colleagues meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 5th, 2012.
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