Paducah native and bass fishing expert Mark Menendez will share his bass fishing secrets in a three-week class at West Kentucky Community and Technical College beginning Tuesday, February 12.

Menendez, 48, is a three-time BassMaster champion with career earnings of more than one million dollars and has spent 20 years earning a reputation as a warrior on the bass fishing tour and is devoted to educating interested anglers.

Menendez will teach the basics of bass fishing for three consecutive Tuesday evenings, February 12, 19 and March 26. The classes will be held from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Emerging Technology Center. The cost is $65 per person.

During the three-week course, participants will learn tips about various topics including:

• proper bass fishing techniques;
• the important roles water temperature and seasonal patterns play in catching more fish;
• structure fishing.

To register, call 270-534-3335 or register online.

Patricia Pierce of Paducah has been named a state officer of Phi Beta Lambda in Kentucky. Phi Beta Lambda is an international organization for business students.

Pierce, a West Kentucky Community and Technical College student, will serve the reminder of the semester in the position known as Kentucky Community and Technical College System  Board Representative to PBL.

Pierce, a 2010 Lone Oak High School graduate, has worked as a certified pharmacy technician in Paducah and expects to graduate from WKCTC in May with two associate degrees.

Paducah native and bass fishing expert Mark Menendez will share his bass fishing secrets in a three-week class beginning February 12.  View flyer.

Menendez, 48, is a three-time BassMaster champion with career earnings of more than one million dollars and has spent 20 years earning a reputation as a warrior on the bass fishing tour; he is devoted to educating interested anglers.

Menendez will teach the basics of bass fishing for three consecutive Tuesday evenings, February 12, 19 and March 26. The classes will be held from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the Emerging Technology Center. The cost is $65 per person.

During the three-week course, participants will learn tips about various topics including:

• Proper bass fishing techniques;
• Important roles water temperature and seasonal patterns play in catching more fish;
• Structure fishing.
  
  To register, call 270-534-3335 or register online.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship at West Kentucky Community and Technical College is Friday, March 1, by 4:00 p.m.

Scholarship applications are only accepted online. Application and supporting documentation must be received by the stated deadline.

WKCTC recognizes and rewards outstanding scholastic achievements by awarding merit-based scholarships and special awards to deserving students.

For more information about scholarships, contact the WKCTC scholarship office at 270-534-3065 or visit the scholarship information pages on WKCTC's website.

Warmer weather is right around the corner and so are some exciting programs at the Challenger Learning Center! During spring break students in 3rd-6th grade can attend Gizmos and Gadgets.  Choose one day or both! We also have summer camps in all different interest areas for students in K-8th grades. Check out our new Designs in Space camp being taught in partnership with the Paducah School of Art.  Registration is on a first come, first served basis. Registration forms can be found at http://www.clcpaducah.org.

• Gizmos and Gadgets flyer
• View flyer for camp details.

Three-dimensional models showing groundwater cleanup progress at the Department of Energy’s Paducah site are on display at West Kentucky Community & Technical College’s Emerging Technology Center. Viewing the models, which are located in the ETC lobby, is free and open to the public from 6:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, until the end of the year.

The models and informational posters are designed to help people understand the difficulty and complexity of groundwater cleanup, said Steve Hampson, associate director of the Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and Environment at the University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research. His group has done extensive work to support expeditious, cost-efficient, technically effective cleanup of the Paducah site in west McCracken County.

“The groundwater accomplishment display is a start,” Hampson said.
Cleaning up about 2,100 acres of contaminated groundwater is important to future use of the site, where the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant operates. DOE owns the land, oversees cleanup, and leases the plant site to USEC Inc., which said it may cease uranium enrichment operations this year.

The models grew from a grant secured by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell which included funding to allow the UK College of Design to explore reuses of the plant after closure, said Ken Wheeler, a member of the Paducah Junior College Board of Trustees and the DOE Paducah Citizens Advisory Board.

“The project was undertaken in 2011 and has proved to be an excellent learning environment for UK students in developing a real world reuse concept for the site,” Wheeler said.
WKCTC Continuing Education Coordinator Kevin O’Neill credited UK, DOE, and DOE cleanup contractor LATA Environmental Services of Kentucky for making the exhibit possible.

“To have the opportunity to house this display for the public to see is exciting,” O’Neill said. “It will be a valuable educational tool for our area school children as well as the public at large to see what has been done at a facility that has meant so much to so many people for many years.”

In developing the models, UK College of Design students envisioned the Paducah site as a future thriving area with multiple uses such as research and development, education, energy production, manufacturing, and recycling/reclamation, said Gary Rohrbacher, assistant professor in the College of Design. One of the models and plans developed for the Paducah site were displayed in 2012 at the Fifth International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The event is a world architectural showcase of problems seen as opportunities.

“The students did a wonderful job depicting not only the cleanup challenges but the potential for site redevelopment,” said Dave Dollins, groundwater project manager for the Paducah DOE Site Office. “We greatly appreciate their vision and work.”

During the first design lab, students looked at the nature and extent of groundwater contamination worldwide, Hampson said. “We found that the plumes at Paducah are by far the two largest single-source plumes that are documented in the world.”

Groundwater at the Paducah site is contaminated with trichloroethene (TCE), a common industrial degreaser. DOE has made significant strides in reducing the concentration of TCE by pumping and treating nearly 3 billion gallons of groundwater since the 1990s. DOE also provides municipal water to about 100 homes and businesses near the plant whose wells are capped.

Electrical resistance heating (ERH) was used in 2003 and 2010, and will be repeated in 2013-2014, to remove TCE from as deep as 60 feet below the ground near a cleaning building in the center of the plant that is the leading source of groundwater contamination. DOE and regulators are working to determine the type of treatment system needed for the aquifer 60-100 feet deep.

Subsequent models were built in layers, each of which can be updated as progress is made at the Paducah site. The models in the ETC are built in the layer format with interactive kits that include markers, measuring tools, and erasable markers to support communication and meaningful exchange among stakeholders ranging from scientists to contractors to students and community residents.

“We’re excited about what the future holds as the public visits the ETC to see the displays,” said O’Neill. “The way these models open the door to a better understanding of the groundwater issues and the history of the plant is truly extraordinary.”

More information about the creation of the Paducah groundwater models

Employment for dental assistants and dental hygienists is expected to grow by 31-38% by 2020 according to the Department of Labor and Statistics. West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC) offers these programs to prepare students for the expanding dental workforce. Anyone interested in these programs must apply for the fall semester by March 1, 2013.

The Dental Assisting program at WKCTC prepares the student to function as a dental assistant under the supervision of a dentist. As a member of the dental health team, the dental assistant is responsible for providing such services as assisting the dentist with operative and surgical procedures, manipulation of dental materials, taking radiographs, providing oral health instructions and performing office management tasks.

WKCTC students who earn a diploma in dental assisting will be certified in radiation health and safety, coronal polishing and expanded duties (lab competency) and be eligible to take the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The dental assisting program includes over 900 hours of instruction and 300 hours of experience in a dental office. The one-year program provides comprehensive educational experiences through lectures, clinical externship rotations, laboratory and related study, all taught by experienced Certified Dental Assistants.

The Dental Hygiene program is offered through Henderson Community College via interactive television on the WKCTC campus. The program prepares the student to function as dental hygienists on a dental auxiliary team under the supervision of a dentist. Students can earn an Associate in Applied Science degree from HCC and will be eligible to take the National Dental Hygiene Board Examination and state/regional board examinations leading to licensure as a Registered Dental Hygienist. The two-year program provides comprehensive educational experiences through lectures, clinical, and related study in order that students may apply scientific knowledge in the performance of dental hygiene procedures.

Anyone interested in a career in dental assisting or dental hygiene, please contact WKCTC Dental Assisting Program Coordinator Jennifer Miller at 270-534-3393 or email her at jennifer.miller@kctcs.edu.

Registration for summer classes is going on NOW for currently enrolled WKCTC students only. Students should make an appointment with their assigned academic advisor and a secure their classes.

Welding Technology student, Tony Seaton, has been named as February Student of the Month!!  His instructors praise Tony's enthusiasm, ability to work well with others, willingness to help fellow students, and dedication and determination to succeed. Tony has recently accepted the position of the welding program advisory student.

Welding Program Coordinator, Paul Housholder, says Tony contributes to the committee by helping the program stay on the path of the KCTCS goals and assessments. "I've seen a lot of students come and go in 25 years, and this one has future leader labeled on him," said Housholder. Congratulations Tony!

The finale to the One Book, One Campus, One Community Read of Half Broke Horses will be the visit by the author, New York Times best-selling author, Jeannette Walls.

Walls will be on campus on Thursday and Friday, March 14-15, to discuss her book and her life. Another special treat will be your chance to meet & get your photo with Farley, the foul of the Triple Crown winner, Secretariat! Bring your camera! 

Schedule of Events

• Thursday, March 14, 2:00 p.m., Outside - Front of Student Center
  Meet/Photo with Farley
• Thursday, March 14, 2:30 p.m., Crounse 101
  Discussion with WKCTC students
• Thursday, March 14, 7:00 p.m., Clemens Fine Arts Theatre
  Public presentation, book signing to follow
• Friday, March 15, 9:30 a.m., Clemens Fine Arts Theatre
  Commonwealth Middle College students & 9-12 graders

Paducah Junior College, Inc., the foundation of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, has been named the beneficiary of a trust funded by the late Garline Clark, who passed away at the age of 102 in September 2012.

The trust, valued at more than $230,000, will fund the Noble and Garline Clark Endowment at WKCTC and is in memory of Garline Clark and her late husband Noble Clark. Representatives of Independence Bank recently present a check to Dr. Barbara Veazey, president of WKCTC, to fund the endowment.

“We are always grateful when a donor has included the foundation in their estate planning,” said Dr. Veazey. “As the college continues to grow, so does the need for scholarship funding to assist our students. I am thankful for our benefactors who support this need.”

The endowment will provide scholarships to WKCTC business and accounting students from McCracken and Graves counties who plan to transfer to a four-year university. Scholarships will be awarded from the Noble and Garline Clark Endowment beginning the 2013 - 2014 academic year.

The Clarks were members of First Christian Church, where Noble served as a deacon emeritus. Noble Clark, a former vice president of Citizens Bank and Trust Company, began work for the bank in 1924 and continued to the office of vice president over his 46-year tenure. He died in 1993 at the age of 87.
An avid bridge player, Garline Clark lived independently in her home until shortly after her 100th birthday.
By all accounts, the Clarks were active in Paducah and were involved in the development and growth the city experienced during the mid-century. Noble Clark was an original member of the Paducah Urban Renewal Board serving as its first chairman in 1959. He was active in chamber activities, economic development efforts and the downtown merchants group. In 1961, he was named the Kiwanian of the Year by the Downtown Kiwanis Club.

PJC, Inc. manages the scholarship program for WKCTC and awards more than $350,000 annually to deserving students.

*******

West Kentucky Community and Technical College (WKCTC), a member of the Kentucky Community & Technical College System, has been recognized for two consecutive years by The Aspen Institute as one of the top 10 community colleges in the nation for providing students with strong job training and continuing higher education opportunity, for achieving high completion and transfer rates, and for realizing strong employment results for its graduates.

Highlighting the need to improve student learning and graduation rates in the nation’s community colleges — leading to good jobs — the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program officially recognized Paducah’s West Kentucky Community and Technical College as one of the 10 top community colleges in the nation - chosen from an original pool of nearly 1,200.

Faculty, staff, student and college supporters listened to a live Web broadcast from Washington D.C. Tuesday as officials named Santa Barbara City College in California and Walla Walla Community College in Washington state as co-winners in the 2013 Aspen Prize; each receiving $400,000.

Two other top colleges – Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown, S.D. will each receive $100,000 as finalists with distinction. WKCTC and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College in Cumberland, KY were among the 10 finalists. Last year, WKCTC was in the top five.

While some might be disappointed that WKCTC was not in the top five again, WKCTC President Barbara Veazey said she was extremely honored to be in the top 10 for a second consecutive year. “To be in the company of the best community colleges in the nation for two years is a validation that we are a preeminent community college, not only in our region but also in the nation. Who would not be happy and proud of that?”

In a pre-recorded message to those watching the live broadcast in Crounse Hall Tuesday, Dr. Veazey encouraged the audience to be proud of the accomplishments the college has made in the 10 years it has been a consolidated college. “To be in the top 10 is an incredible feat for our faculty, our staff, our students, and certainly a source of pride for our community,” she said.


Today’s announcement followed a rigorous, yearlong effort by The Aspen Institute to assemble and review an unprecedented collection of data on community colleges and the critical elements of student success: student learning, degree completion and transfer, equity and employment/earnings after college.

“I congratulate WKCTC and Dr. Veazey on this extraordinary accomplishment; it is well deserved,” said Dr. Michael B. McCall, president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. “The fact that WKCTC has been recognized by the Aspen Institute two years in a row as a top 10 community college; all within the college’s first10 years as a consolidated, comprehensive community and technical college; is a testament to the outstanding work of WKCTC’s faculty, staff and leadership.” 

The Aspen College Excellence Program aims to identify and replicate campus-wide practices that significantly improve college student outcomes. Through the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, the New College Leadership Project, and other initiatives, the College Excellence Program works to improve colleges’ capacity to achieve high levels of student learning, graduation, and post-graduation success in the labor markets, especially the growing population of low-income and minority students on American campuses.

Each year more than 10,000 students come to WKCTC seeking traditional two-year transfer associate degrees in arts and science, applied science degrees, diplomas or certificates.

“West Kentucky Community and Technical College offers a shining example of how strong leadership and college-wide attention to student success can achieve strong results in learning and degree completion,” said Joshua Wyner, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program. “The college’s strong student results flow from a consistent focus on identifying gaps in student learning and completion, improving instructor effectiveness and program design, and measuring the effectiveness of – and continuously improving – all of its programs.”

Among the reasons WKCTC stands out as one of the nation’s top community colleges:

• 48% of first-time full-time students graduate or transfer within three years compared with the national average of 40%.
• Strong initiatives to recruit and prepare high school students for college – in western Kentucky, 38% of young adults either do not enroll or fail to complete postsecondary education.
• Awards approximately 43.8 credentials for every 100 full-time equivalent students, well above the national average of 29.

“With little-to-no job growth in the region, the college also works extremely hard to align its programs to existing opportunities and play a central role in regional economic development,” Wyner said.

View more information

About The Aspen Institute:

West Kentucky Community and Technical College student Maximillian Curry placed seventh in broadcast journalism at the recent Pi Kappa Delta National Tournament in St. Louis, Missouri.  Curry and Brittany Myers, both of Paducah and members of the WKCTC Forensics team attended the tournament with WKCTC communication instructor Dr. Karen Hill Johnson. WKCTC’s team competed against 90 schools including Purdue University, University of Kentucky, Ohio University, Western Kentucky University, Murray State University, and Webster University. More than 800 students participated in the competition. Myers was in the poetry event, while Curry competed in the broadcast journalism and dramatic interpretation categories. Curry also received a “Superior” award, which was given to those who received the highest rankings at the tournament.  Pi Kappa Delta is a public speaking and debate honor society for undergraduate and graduate students. 

Paducah School of Art will host its annual open house Friday, April 26 - Saturday, April 27 at both its 409 Broadway and Madison Hall facilities.

For the first time, the open house is being hosted in collaboration with the Lower Town Home Tour, adding to the art galleries and studios that help make the tour unique. Open house activities are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on Friday, April 26, at Madison Hall in Lower Town, and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, April 27, at both Madison Hall and 409 Broadway in downtown Paducah.

Open to the public, the open house will feature demonstrations by faculty and students in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, and digital photography; a chance to tour the school and its studios; an opportunity for portfolio reviews with faculty members; and a chance to meet the faculty, as well as artists and students within the community. The Paducah School of Art, a division of West Kentucky Community and Technical College, offers an Associate in Fine Arts degree, as well as studio art classes for students of all levels and disciplines.

Classes are offered on WKCTC’s campus; at 409 Broadway, in downtown Paducah; and at Madison Hall in Lower Town. For more information, call 270-408-4278.

West Kentucky Community and Technical College student Danielle Dukes and former WKCTC student Dylan Green were recently recognized as WKCTC nominees for the 2013 All-USA Academic Team.

The All-USA Academic Team, sponsored by Phi Theta Kappa, USA Today and the American Association of Community Colleges, recognizes exceptional students at the nation’s community colleges. Each year, outstanding students are selected by the presidents of community and technical colleges to participate in the team. The selected students represent the highest level of achievement in the areas of scholarship, service, and leadership.

Green, of Ballard County, graduated from WKCTC last fall with an Associate in Applied Science degree. While at WKCTC, Green was a member of Phi Theta Kappa and served as a student ambassador representing the college both on campus and the community. He also helped many of his fellow classmates as a member of the TRIO Student Support Services and as a student worker in various campus areas including the college bookstore, human resources office, financial aid, advising and the Wellness Center.
“Being selected for the All USA-Academic Team makes me feel as if I can do anything with my life,” said Green. “And to actually be recognized and awarded for my accomplishments is a big honor that will help me reach my future goals.”

Green is now attending Murray State University (MSU) majoring in athletic training and pre-physical therapy. He plans to graduate with an athletic training certification and continue to study physical therapy while working in the athletic training field. “Afterwards, I would like to help strengthen awareness in area high schools about the importance of sports medicine and how it impacts students and communities. “From being accepted into the athletic training program to getting a job on campus, a summer internship with MSU varsity cheerleading and being elected as secretary for the MSU Athletic Trainers Association, this recognition has already helped me so much.”

Lyon County resident Danielle Dukes also believes the All-USA Academic Team selection is a stepping-stone to her future. “I’m so honored have been selected for the All-USA Academic Team; to be recognized for my achievements means so much to me.”

After leaving the United States Air Force in 2003 where she served as a police officer, Dukes moved back to her parent’s home in St. Louis to raise her son and go to school. She earned a medical assistant and EMT-B certificate and was able to move out of her parent’s home. She worked for four and a half years as a medical assistant. However, Dukes said she needed a higher income for her family. So she took the opportunity to move back in with her parents, now residing in Kentucky, to apply for the radiography program at WKCTC. She will graduate in May with an Associate in Applied Science degree.

“I didn't consider further education right after completing my associate’s degree. I had planned on waiting around five years to start a four year radiation therapy program,” Dukes said. “But with this wonderful nomination, my college plans may have changed. I am applying for Saint Louis University radiation therapy program, and if scholarships come my way from this nomination, I hope to start St. Louis University this fall.”

Jim Pape has joined West Kentucky Community and Technical College as vice president of Workforce and Economic Development, having served as a manufacturing specialist for nearly seven years at the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

For the past six and a half years, Pape has worked with manufacturers in Illinois and other partner states to improve their businesses by managing projects in production, engineering, production inventory control, safety, finance, quality, research & development, and the general business office. Throughout his career, Pape has specialized in building high performance teams to achieve business success. He has also been a member of the adjunct faculty at WKCTC, John A. Logan College and Rend Lake College.

A resident of Southern Illinois, Pape earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in chemistry from SIU-Carbondale. Pape has extensive work experience in the automotive, defense, chemical, energy and food sectors. He has held positions as plant manager, operations manager, and vice president and general manager for international companies.

A Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, Pape is also a Certified Behavioral Analyst, a Certified Lead Auditor for ISO/TS, a Certified Family Business Advisor, and has advanced sales training from the Xerox Professional Sales School and Solution Selling.

“We feel very fortunate to have Jim Pape join WKCTC,” said WKCTC President Barbara Veazey. “Jim will work with economic development leaders throughout the region to assure that WKCTC can provide customized training for both existing and future industry. Jim brings valuable work experience, industry recognized certifications and a proven track record of providing quality instruction and consultation.”

Nine Paducah School of Art students received recognition for their artwork at the 2013 Student Exhibition held at WKCTC on Thursday, April 11. The artwork included 2-D and 3-D design, ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, and for the first time, jewelry and metals.

Paducah School of Art is particularly pleased to include award recognition for students working in our new jewelry and metals program said Paul Aho, PSA dean. “Despite the distinct learning curve in this discipline, both I and the exhibition judge are impressed by the quality of works on display.”

During the opening reception in the WKCTC Clemens Fine Arts Center Gallery, over $800 in merit and purchase awards were presented to the winners, including Benton resident Andy Eller who won the highly coveted WKCTC President’s Choice Award.

“I am so overwhelmed,” said Eller, who will graduate in May with an Associate in Fine Arts degree. “I put so many of the art elements I’ve learned at PSA into this photograph – elements like contour, color, contrast, lines, patterns, and light. “I am so proud of it.” Eller received $300 for his winning piece.

Eller’s “LCVA 7998” photograph, which also won Best in Show in the digital photography category, will join the permanent President’s Choice collection for the WKCTC campus. “This award continues to represent Dr. Veazey’s (WKCTC president) commitment to PSA and its students,” said Aho. Eller also claimed a $50 prize for his piece, “Untitled,” which won Best in Show in the 3-D design category.

Seven students also received awards for Best in Show and a $50 prize in the following categories: Grand Rivers resident Karen Dodson won for “Nude Study” (painting). Paducah residents Don'Tavien Johnson, “Where's the Peace and Quiet” (2-D design); Carolyn Mackay, “Weathered Bronze Jar” (ceramics); Shanden Simmons, “Make Yourself” (drawing); Evita Lynne, “Self-Portrait; Spirit” (sculpture) and “The Center of the Universe” (jewelry/metals).

The following students won a Merit Award and a $50 prize for the following categories:

• Paducah residents Juanita Gilliam, “The Emperor and His Pet” (ceramics)
• Gayle Frye, “After the Chase” (sculpture)
• Elliot Schiff, “Kites” (digital photography).

The judge for this year's exhibition was Carrie Gibbs, director of the Shrode Art Center at Cedarhurst Center for the Arts in Mount Vernon, IL.

PSA student artwork can be seen in the Clemens Gallery until May 6. Gallery hours are:

• Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
• Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

For more information about Paducah School of Art, contact Paul Aho at 270-408-4281 or paul.aho@kctcs.edu.  Paducah School of Art is a division of West Kentucky Community and Technical College and is located at 409 Broadway Street and at Madison Hall at 919 Madison Street.