Visual arts representative exhibit covers almost 40 years worth of PEL students, instructors

Jim Crane
A New Day
September, 1999
Symbolizing the Program for Experienced Learners

 article and photographs 

by Anne W. Anderson

Over the almost 40-year history of the Program for Experienced Learners, or PEL, many students have discovered or rediscovered the importance of creating and understanding art. By Professor Arthur Skinner's "unofficial count," PEL has produced at least eighty-four students who majored in the visual arts. More students minored in the subject, and even more students took an art course or two during their journey. More than thirty instructors have helped shape PEL students and, thereby, the Tampa Bay arts scene and beyond.

Attending the reception were (above, l-r) PEL visual arts
instructors Rebecca Skelton and Rose Marie Prins with
Betsy Orbe Lester '93, who also became an instructor,
and Cal Brown '16 and (below, l-r) Lisa Sibley '12,
Karen Mitchell Tremmel '12, Annie Culbertson '09,
and Betsy Orbe Lester '93

As a tribute to the PEL visual arts program, Skinner recently curated a representative collection of work produced by PEL alumni and instructors. Some of the pieces are part of the College's permanent collection, some are from Skinner's own collection, and others were loaned by the artists for this showing. The exhibit was mounted in Cobb Gallery and ran from May 14 through graduation day, May 21. Artists and their families were honored at a reception on the 14th, and many of the people who attended the PEL Celebration on Saturday, May 20, took time to view the exhibit.

Scroll down to the end of the article to view a slide show of the exhibit. 

 Look familiar?

Two of the works were very familiar to students, faculty, and staff members who saw them in the PEL offices but may not have realized the connections. 

Jim Crane's A New Day, seen above, was presented to Dr. J. Thomas West in 1999 in recognition of West's forty years of service to the College. West had begun as the College's first admissions director and assistant professor of psychology  in 1959 at what was then Florida Presbyterian College. West's obituary, linked above, notes he "hit the road in 1959, barnstorming across the state, knocking on doors, persuading students to come to a school that had no tradition, no accreditation, no campus" (Jamal Thalji, Tampa Bay Times, March 18, 2010). West also began the Program for Experienced Learners in the late 1970s and was its longest serving professor.

In 1999, the College wanted to recognize West's service and suggested Jim Crane, one of the founding professors in the Art Department, create a piece of artwork for West. Crane, a cartoonist, painter, and collage artist who joined the faculty in 1963, asked West what he should paint. According to Crane's note (below), mounted on the back of the acrylic-and-plaster-on-wood painting, West had asked him to "paint something that would symbolize PEL." West, in turn, gave the painting to the Program for Experienced Learners.

For the last several year's, Crane's work hung in the back area, visible across the length of the offices. Pamela Jones' 92 untitled work (below) hung in the reception area.

PEL visual artists impacting their worlds

What does one do with a degree in art? As the brief biographies of the PEL graduates whose work was included in the show indicates, many alumni continue working as artists, have become teachers -- including here at Eckerd --and work in related fields:

1980s

Pamela Jones '92
Untitled
Mixed Media
Until it was removed for the exhibit,
this work hung in the reception area of the PEL offices.

Margaret Brommelsiek ‘80 (Art History and Design) subsequently earned an M.S. in Communication and a Ph.D. in Arts Education/Arts Administration. She is an Instructor in the School of Nursing and Director of Interprofessional Education charged with developing a humanities-based IPE program for the health sciences schools at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC). Brommelsiek has more than twenty years of experience developing interdisciplinary and interprofessional programs and curriculum connecting the fine arts with the life and health sciences. The image included in this exhibit is part of Brommelsiek’s 2014 one-person show, Books of Common Prayer, presented in Elliott Gallery at Eckerd College and was given to the College at the conclusion of the exhibition. (http://sonhs.umkc.edu/directory/margaret-brommelsiek/)

1990s

Pamela Jones ’92 (Visual Arts) subsequently earned her MFA through the University of South Florida and teaches Visual Problem Solving in the residential program at Eckerd College. Jones also works as an admissions and outreach counselor at the College and is the site coordinator for the Florida campus of the National University of Health Sciences. The untitled work included in this slide show hung in the PEL office reception area for many years. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamela-jones-137a8a20)

Betsy Orbe Lester ’93 (Visual Arts) subsequently earned her MFA through the University of South Florida, and she also teaches Visual Problem Solving in the residential program at Eckerd College. Her work has become part of a number of permanent collections and was included in the 2015 issue of the Eckerd Review. (http://theartlofts.com/betsyorbelester/) 2000s

Laura Irmis ’06 (Visual Arts) currently teaches 3-D studio art at Boca Ciega High School in Pinellas County, is a freelance graphic designer and fine artist, and is a certified childbirth trainer and postpartum doula. (http://laurairmis.com/#about)

Pamela Callender ’07 (Visual Arts, minor in Human Development) subsequently earned her MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont. Until recently, Callender was the house curator for the Fogartyville Community Media & Arts Center in Sarasota. Her art-making practice is shaped from years of experience as a dance educator in the Florida public school system, as a regional sports director (and Frisbee competitor and adjudicator) for Wham-O, California, and as cargegiver to her mother and home. In the fall of 2016, Callender taught a course in Environmental Art at Eckerd College. (http://www.pamelacallender.com/index.html and www.becomingagardenho.com)

Lori Loveberry George ’08 (Visual Arts) studied printmaking at Ringling College of Art and Design (1983), owns and operates a decorative painting business in Sarasota, is a teaching artist with the Sarasota County Schools and Sarasota County Libraries, and is a member of the Association of Florida Teaching Artists (AFTA) . (https://artiststelltheirstories.blogspot.com/2015/10/lori-loveberry-george-mixed-media.html and http://loveberryart.weebly.com/)

Annie Culbertson ’09 (Visual Arts). No information available.

Debra Mixon Holiday ’09 (Visual Arts), who also holds a B.A. in English from the University of South Florida, is a printmaker and mixed media artist currently living in St. Augustine. She exhibits her work across the Southeastern United States. (http://www.debramixonholliday.com/)

2010s

Kirk Daniel Palmer ‘10 (Visual Arts) served more than twenty years in the USMC, including a tour as a Middle East Foreign Area Officer and Arabic linguist at the American Embassy in Caro, Egypt, before deciding to pursue the creative life more fully. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Eckerd College, recently earned his MFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art, and lives and works in St. Petersburg. (https://www.kirkdanielpalmer.com/)

Jim Rolston ’12 (Visual Arts) transitioned from working as an executive for public utilities to working as an artist and as an advocate for the arts. Rolston works from his studio in St. Petersburg and serves on the boards of the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance and the Dunedin Fine Arts Center. (http://redzenart.com/about-the-artist.html and https://vimeo.com/144921454)

Angela “Angie” Marshall ’12 (Visual Arts) worked as a web designer for corporations and is currently a Technology and Digital Multimedia teacher at Braden River Middle School in Bradenton. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/angie-marshall-81b22477/)

Lisa Sibley ’12 (Visual Arts) subsequently earned her MFA in Visual Art Photography from the Lesley University College of Art and Design (formerly The Art Institute of Boston) in Cambridge, Mass. She is a photography artist, educator, and juror, teaches photography at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center), and her work appeared in the 2015 and 2017 issues of the Eckerd Review. (http://lisasibley.zenfolio.com/about.html)

Karen Mitchell Tremmel ’12 (Visual Arts, Sculpture) works in many media from her studio in St. Petersburg and has, for many years, written a newspaper column, “Back to Nature,” which appears locally in the Tampa Bay Newspapers (Seminole Beacon, et al.). (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karentremmel/ and http://www.mymuddypawsstudio.com/)

Michael della Penna ’13 (Visual Arts, Art History) is working toward an M.A. in Luxury and Fashion Management from Savannah College of Art and Design. He owns Della Penna Fashion in St. Petersburg. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/dellapennafashion/)

Ralph Samples ’14 (Visual Arts). No information available.

Cal Brown ’16 (Visual Arts) worked as an advertising agency art director and creative director and attended St. Petersburg (Junior) College and the University of Florida before graduating from Eckerd College.

 Anne W. Anderson was director of blended and online learning in PEL 

and was co-editor of The PEL Connector.

Reunion Weekend 2017: PEL alumna honored by Women's Resource Center; Event photos, and more!

(L-r) Eckerd College President Dr. Donald R. Eastman III,
Maureen Donovan-Dobiesz '02, and Professor Catherine Griggs at the
Awards Breakfast during Alumni Weekend in March 2017.
Photo courtesy of Eckerd College

Reunion Weekend 2017 was filled with activities, and PEL people participated in many of them. To view photos from each of the events, click on the link above, choose an event album, and scroll through the images. Click here for PEL Alumni Reception photos.

PEL Alumna Honored

Maureen Donovan-Dobiesz '02 was presented with a Women's Resource Center Professional Achievement Award at the Awards Breakfast during Alumni Weekend last month.  Donovan-Dobiesz graduated with a B.A. in American Studies from Eckerd College’s Program for Experienced Learners.  After graduation, she began working at Healthcare IQ, a data analytics company empowering hospitals across the country by providing advanced analytics to create efficiencies and innovative solutions. As the EVP of administration, her critical thinking, management skills and leadership have guided the company through a period of exponential growth.

Donovan-Dobiesz also is the director of Phoenix Venture Philanthropy Foundation, which invests in and supports nonprofit organizations that deliver significant social impact, environmental awareness and education. Phoenix provides business mentoring and leadership insights.

In awarding Maureen Donovan-Dobiesz the Women’s Resource Center Professional Achievement Award, the College recognizes her commitment to women’s professional advancement by hiring qualified women. She is an early supporter of Emily’s List, which works to elect women to positions in local and federal government. Donovan-Dobiesz also supports Eckerd’s Environmental Film Festival, an annual week-long program that has greatly enhanced environmental awareness within the community.

PEL Alumni Reception  

 

(l-r) Donna Littell '75 and Dana Cozad '69

PEL people filled the Lewis House atrium and porch on Saturday, March 10, at the PEL Alumni Reception. Organizers Angie Jones '12 and Donna Littell '75 greeted guests as the sounds of live piano and guitar background music drifted through the area and a slide show played pictures culled from recent and not-so-recent PEL events.

After a time of catching up with friends and colleagues -- and of enjoying the plentiful hors d'oeuvres -- PEL Executive Director Amanda Hagood welcomed the group and thanked the alumni gathered for the many ways they enrich the campus community, the local Tampa Bay area, and the world at large. Hagood recognized a number of PEL people people present for their years of service to the program: Dana Cozad '69, who worked in PEL in many administrative and teaching positions from PEL's beginning in 1978 and continuing to teach until just recently; Margret Skaftadottir, PEL's associate dean of faculty, who has been with PEL since 1992; Patti Cooksey '97, who has worked in various positions in PEL since 1997; Alaina Tackitt '08; and long-time faculty members Professors Catherine Griggs, Naveen Malhotra, and Tom Krzesinski.

Connie Murphy '08 shared how PEL reshaped her life.

"Everyone has a PEL story to share," Hagood noted before inviting Margret Skaftadottir to introduce the evening's speaker, Connie Murphy '08, who currently works as a program manager for the Veterans Health Administration.

Murphy shared how her PEL experience radically reshaped her life, causing her to consider a career in government rather than the private sector where she had been working. Murphy went on to earn a Master of Public Health degree from Emory University in Atlanta and worked for the Center for Disease Control for a time until returning to the St. Petersburg area.

PEL people filled the tables in the atrium at Lewis House
and in the porch area.

 Following a short time of remembering, many in the gathering moved over to the James Center for dinner.

To see images from the 2017 PEL Alumni Reception, click HERE:

To see the slide show of archive images, click HERE.

Other Events

Jake Halterman '09 attended the Dean's Luncheon on the Arts
on Saturday afternoon . . .

. . . and the PEL reception and evening dinner, with his wife, Paula.

Donna and Clint Day '07 enjoyed both the PEL reception
and the dinner . . .

. . . as did Diahan and Bernard "Roc" LiLavois '10.

Professors Naveen Malhotra and Patti Cooksey '97
with Bernard "Roc" LiLavois '10

Alumni Weekend photos are courtesy of the College and were taken by local freelance photographer Lisa Presnail.

Cheers -- and see you all next year!

Internship and Career Fair coming Wednesday, April 19

Representatives from the City of St. Petersburg attended a previous
Internship and Career Fair.

Looking for your next career move? Want to make a personal connection before you fill out yet another online application? Come to the Internship and Career Fair on Wednesday, April 19, from noon to 3 p.m. in Fox Hall!

Director of Internships and Employer Relations Melena Postolowski, who works in the College's Center for Career Planning and Applied Learning, said in an email that the internship and employment opportunities cover a wide range of industries and functions. Businesses, government agencies, and non-profit organizations represented on this year's list of attendees include ones in the fields of finance, law, sports, marine science, education, and more.

Postolowski used gentle humor in her email to encourage attendees to dress for success at this business professional event.

"As much as we love the barefoot culture here at Eckerd, we do want students to put their best foot forward... covered... in a professional shoe," she wrote.

Representatives from many businesses and organizations
filled Fox Hall in 2015.

Postolowski also urged students to bring copies of their resumes ready to hand out, and suggested students visit the Career Services office on campus if they need help preparing or updating their information.

"Career Services offers a variety of resources, including resume reviews and professional appearance consultation," Postolowski wrote.

Career Services Event Coordinator Krystle Fogarty wrote in an email that students can have their pictures taken every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon in the Career Services office for use on LinkedIn and other professional social media and, through April 17, can get help with minor alterations and repairs to interview attire (email fogartkm@eckerd.edu to make arrangements).

"In addition to this, students can come in and print their resume on business-weight paper for free," Fogarty noted.

Triton Track

Another resource available to students and alumni is Triton Track, an online searchable job listing data base. Employers, both local and from out of the area, post job openings throughout the year.  Look for the Triton Track link on the Career Services page. Please note that if you are an alumnus who has not used his/her Eckerd email in some time, you may need to update your user information and/or reset your password to access Triton Track.

Hire a Triton!

If you are an employer with a position to fill and you value people with broad contextual knowledge, creative problem-solving skills, and strong communicative skills, contact Melena Postolowski in Career Services at 727-864-8148 or by email at postolmn@eckerd.edu to find out how Eckerd College can help you find just the right person.

Summer course schedules, writing exhibit, & testing; Summer scholarship applications due May 19

PEL Associate Dean of Faculty Dr. Margret Skaftadottir has announced the summer plans for PEL, including course offerings, writing exhibit information, and CLEP/DSST testing services. Summer scholarship applications are due May 19 (see below).

 

Course Schedules for Summer

Online registration is now open for the Summer 2017 term. To view the course schedules, click on the links below. To register for a course, got to www.eckerd.edu/my, click on ECWeb, and log in with your Eckerd College user name and password. Call the PEL office or stop by if you need help.

Summer On-Ground (Face-to-Face) Courses: A number of on-ground courses are being offered on the St. Petersburg main campus this summer at various hours and in a variety of formats, including traditional eight-week format, blended eight-week format, two-meeting blended format (which, for VA purposes counts as a directed study), and four-week residential daytime classes. No courses are being offered in Tampa. 

Summer Online Directed Study Courses: All online directed study courses are taught as 8-week courses during the summer.

Writing Exhibit

Workshop date: Tuesday, May 30, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the St. Petersburg campus.

Submission date: Monday, June 26, by 5 p.m. All submissions must be turned in to the PEL office on the St. Petersburg campus.

CLEP/DSST Testing Services 

Testing is still available Monday through Friday through the Spring term by calling the PEL office at 727-864-8226. Testing begins at 9:45 a.m. and the last testing time begins at 4:30 p.m. (except on Tuesdays when the last testing time begins at 6:00 p.m.). You must have an appointment; no walk-ins.

No testing will be scheduled for the week of May 22-26, as this will be a transitional week in the PEL office.To schedule exams after May 29, please contact Amanda Hagood at hagoodca@eckerd.edu.

CLEP and DSST testing services will be offered in the PEL offices through the Summer term. However, days/times may be limited and testing may be administered by a different department. More information will be coming soon about Summer testing.

Note: [4/25/17] This section was edited to include the second paragraph information.

 

Summer Scholarships and Federal Financial Aid

Federal Financial Aid: Students who used federal financial aid during both Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 are not eligible for federal aid during Summer 2017. Students who used aid only for Fall 2016 or for Spring 2017 may be eligible for summer aid. Contact Eckerd’s Office of Financial Aid (at (727)-864-8334) if you have questions about your eligibility.

For those who cannot use federal aid to cover summer classes, consider these other resources:

Save Your Disbursements: Students receiving financial aid this spring, should receive disbursements around April 11th. If possible, consider conserving some of these funds to pay for any summer courses you need.

Apply for an Internal Scholarship: PEL will be offering another round of scholarships this summer. Applications are due Friday, May 19th, with decisions announced the following week, and the application form can be found here. Please supply all of the information requested on the scholarship form, as it helps the Scholarship Committee determine the awards for which you may be eligible. Finally, to be considered for an award, be sure you have a 2016-2017 FAFSA on file in the office of Financial Aid.

Apply for an External Scholarship: There are many scholarships opportunities available to you outside of Eckerd, and some programs that are specifically designed for adult learners. Fastweb.com is a popular website that can help match you with scholarships for which you might qualify (it’s free, but you have to create a sign-in account). The PEL website lists additional opportunities that may be helpful. Some local organizations, such as Rotary Clubs or houses of worship, may also offer scholarship opportunities for students in their communities, so it may pay to do some research on what is available in your community.

Career Source: Career Source Pinellas and Career Source Tampa Bay offer tuition support for low-income students or for students experiencing financial emergencies (such as the loss of a job). To learn more, or to find out if you are eligible, call the location nearest you and arrange to speak with a career counselor.

Please contact the PEL office (727)-864-8226 with any questions you might have regarding summer scholarships and funding.

PEL Students win Enactus USA award; Alumni News; Faculty/Staff news

A team of PEL students is moving on from a regional competition to the national level; we share how two PEL alumnae have impacted their communities since they graduated more than 30 years ago; and we congratulate a PEL staff member -- who also is a PEL alumna -- on a major accomplishment!

(l-r) Tonya Zalick, Yolanda Carter, Stephanie Krebs, and Stacy Sansoucie
work on their Enactus project earlier this Spring.

PEL students Yolanda Carter, Stephanie Krebs, Stacy Sansoucie, and Tonya Zalick, this year's Eckerd Enactus chapter president, teamed up to enter the 2017 Enactus USA competition and are now eligible to enter the national competition being held in Kansas City in late May. PEL teams under the guidance of Professor Naveen Malhotra have represented Eckerd College in regional competitions and at some national conferences since 1995.

Students begin the projects in Malhotra's Students in a Free Enterprise (SIFE) course, then take on the Enactus challenge as an extra-curricular project after the course has ended.

The outside (back on the left, front on the right) of the portfolio created by the 2017 Eckerd PEL Enactus team

Enactus--Entrepreneurial Action Us--is an international organization involving more than 48,000 undergraduate and graduate students; the Enactus USA group "connects student, academic and business leaders through entrepreneurial-based projects that empower people to transform opportunities into real, sustainable progress for themselves and their communities" according to the organization's website.

Last year, Enactus USA offered a virtual competition where teams submitted video presentations, along with the portfolio. This year,the virtual competition included a live Q&A session after the video presentation. Teams are judged on their effectiveness in conducting a needs assessment and in seeing opportunity, in taking entrepreneurial action, and in enabling progress by measuring direct and indirect outcomes that empower people and improve livelihoods in a sustainable way. Teams also receive feedback on their ability to communicate their projects and the results.

This year, the Eckerd PEL team's projects included teaching preschoolers about recycling and taking them on a visit to the local recycling center, helping Boys & Girls Club members and Girl Scouts create marketable hydroponic gardening kits to improve people's access to fresh vegetables, helping college students and recent graduates connect with employers offering paid internships in the IT field, and helping senior citizens market their artwork within the local community.

The inside of the 2017 Eckerd PEL Enactus team's portfolio

Alumni News

Kathie Tanner Erwin '82

Kathie Tanner Erwin '82 (Concentration in Society, the Media, and Politics), who subsequently earned an M.A. in Counseling from Liberty University, and an Ed.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Sarasota (now Argosy University), is an Associate Professor and Associate Coordinator of MA Counseling Programs for Regent University. Erwin also is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, National Certified Counselor and National Certified Gerontological Counselor. Recently she was awarded a Diplomate in Clinical Mental Health for Geriatric Counseling.

She has contributed to a number of journals and has written seven books, including Group Techniques for Aging Adults: Putting Geriatric Skills Enhancement into Practice, 2nd Edition (Routledge, 2013) and an ethical thriller, Taylor Kendall: Evil Inc.( Par Press, 2010).

Erwin has volunteered as a Field Traumatologist with Green Cross Academy of Traumatology serving in India, Trinidad and Ukraine. She returns this fall for third season as guest lecturer in the Nord Mag Gerontology Institute at University of Iceland.

Recently, Erwin was named to the Fulbright Specialist Roster for a three year tenure. As a Fulbright Specialist, Erwin will serve with an international university on the project she designed for training geriatric group therapists, developing community based group programs and education in trauma related issues for older adults.

 Erwin is the mother of twin daughters (one currently an Eckerd College student) and four grandchildren. She has previously served as President of the Eckerd Alumni Association and as Alumni Trustee.

Note: [04/25/17] This section was edited to include the information just released about Erwin's being named to the Fulbright Specialist Roster.

Virginia J. Scott '85 at the PEL Alumni
Reception in March

Virginia J. Scott ’85 (Human Resources) is retired after a long and fruitful career in the social services fields. Scott began teaching in the early 1960s, earned an A.A. in 1964 in Early Childhood Development from Gibbs Jr. College, which later became part of St. Petersburg Jr. College, taught in the 1965 pilot program for Head Start in St. Petersburg, and became a program manager for Pinellas County Head Start. By 1974 she was training others in her work with the Pinellas County License Board for Children's Centers and Family Day Care Homes.

Eventually she became a program consultant responsible for staff development and training with the Juvenile Welfare Board -- JWB minutes from the mid-1980s show the Board recognizing Scott several times for her work -- all while she was serving on various boards and committees, while she and her husband were raising two children, and while she was taking courses at the University of South Florida. Scott transferred those credits to Eckerd College and finished her degree in the PEL program.

"I had taken courses at USF in psychology, criminology, and education. PEL allowed me to combine those interests and earn a degree in Human Resources," Scott explained when she visited the office recently. "That degree opened doors I never expected, and I ended up working in all three fields."

In 1994, the Florida Bar recognized Scott's service
on the Grievance Committee of the Sixth Judicial Circuit.

Scott worked for several years as a training specialist at the USF/Florida Mental Health Institute's Professional Development Center in the Department of Mental Law and Policy. In 1990, Scott was invited to testify before the Racial and Ethnic Bias Commission of the Florida Supreme Court as to the importance of sensitivity training for state workers. From 1991-1994, Scott was appointed to the Florida Bar's Sixth Judicial Circuit "D" Grievance Committee, which investigated complaints against lawyers and reported findings to the Florida Supreme Court. Scott also served as a lay member on Bayfront Medical Center's Institution Review Board.

Over the years, Scott also has been actively involved in various community and national organizations including Hospice, Congregations United for Community Action, the National Black Child Development Institute , and the National Council of Negro Women. In 1991, Scott was invited by the director/manager of Tyrone Square Mall to lead mall managers and security officers in cultural sensitivity training sessions to help serve mall patrons more effectively and to prevent confrontations from escalating. Eventually, Scott traveled throughout the state, training employees at other malls owned by the DeBartolo Corporation.

Scott became a family life and community educator with Family Service Centers, Inc., and, later, a guidance counselor at Academy Prep Education Center before retiring in 2011.

Scott quoted former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice's statement (2013):

"The essence of America ... is an idea: That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things. That it doesn't matter where you came from but where you are going."

Note: 04/24/17 This section was edited to correct the name of the college from which Scott received her A.A., to clarify Scott's work at Tyrone Square Mall, and to add an image of the award Scott received from the Florida Bar.

 

Faculty/Staff News

Congratulations to Alaina Tackitt '08 (Humanities), who successfully defended her dissertation titled "(Age)ncy in Composition Studies" this past month. Tackitt has earned her Ph.D. in English, Rhetoric and Composition at the University of South Florida, Tampa, and will graduate in May. Tackitt had previously earned an MLA (Master of Liberal Arts). Tackitt is the academic advisor at the Tampa campus and is PEL director of writing services.

CPS Event: Literacy Lessons from Ireland on Tuesday, April 4

Left: Dr. Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, associate professor at the University of South Florida, Tampa, studied Irish children's literature and adult education as a Fulbright scholar.

Family and Community: 

Literacy Lessons from Ireland

  

Tuesday, April 4, at 7 p.m. 

in Fox Hall

A CPS event co-sponsored by PEL and ASPEC

Imagining Justice, this year’s College Program Series theme, challenges the Eckerd community to explore the underlying causes of injustice, one of which is the inability to read and write at a functional level. Barely literate adults are limited in how they support their children’s schooling, further contributing to generational poverty, are less able to access and understand healthcare information, and are more likely to become incarcerated.

Dr. Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, associate professor of Literacy Studies in the College of Education at the University of South Florida, Tampa, will speak what it means to be literate in today's technology-mediated world. As a Fulbright scholar, Dr. Schneider worked for several months at the Waterford Institute of Technology in Waterford City, Ireland. Her project, “Creating Life-Long Readers through Children's Literature: A Collaboration Between Adult Further Education and Literacy Studies,” took her across Ireland to observe adult education programs and to visit sites important in the field of children’s literature.

We tend to think of illiteracy as a problem only in developing countries. But Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development statistics indicate that 18% of Irish adults are at Level 1 literacy or below. Ireland ranks 17th of 24 European countries in terms of literacy, 19th in terms of numeracy. We in the Tampa Bay area share similar troubling statistics, and St. Petersburg is home to five of the worst-rated elementary schools in Florida.

Nor is literacy only about traditional constructions of reading and writing. In today’s highly visual, multimodal, and technologically mediated world, much of what people encounter is not formatted as standard written text. The ability to “read” websites, for example, with their very different structure, icons, terminology, and layers of information is as much a part of what it means to be functionally literate as is the ability to read a traditionally-printed instruction manual. OECD statistics also indicate that 42% of Irish adults lack basic problem-solving skills in these kinds of technology-rich environments – and, again, our numbers are not much better.

In bringing Dr. Schneider to Eckerd College, we seek to help students, faculty, and community leaders working in or planning careers in education, or who are addressing literacy and education concerns in other ways, to re-conceptualize literacy and to reimagine a literacy and education framework that thinks outside current practices.

Dr. Schneider is the author of USF’s first open-access, e-textbook The Inside, Outside, and Upside Downs of Children's Literature: From Poets and Pop-Ups to Princesses and Porridge (USF Scholar Commons), was editor for Casework in K-6 Writing Instruction: Connecting Composing Strategies, Digital Literacies, and Disciplinary Content to the Common Core (2014, Peter Lang), was co-editor for Process Drama and Multiple Literacies: Addressing Social, Cultural, Ethical Issues (2006, Heinemann), and her articles appear in many peer-refereed journals.

Dr. Schneider's lecture is co-sponsored by the Program for Experienced Learners (PEL) and by the Academy of Senior Professionals at Eckerd College (ASPEC). Refreshments will be served.

Food, Music, and Fun Coming to the PEL Alumni Reception

Waterfront, patio, and inside gatherings with friends / Cal Brown 2015

Join us for the 2017 PEL Alumni Reception!

Saturday, March 11
6:00 - 7:30 p.m.  

in Lewis House

Reconnect, reminisce, and network with PEL classmates and professors at the PEL Alumni Reception on Saturday, March 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Lewis House on the main campus (see map ).

Organizers have planned an evening of food, music, and conversation. PEL Alumni Coordinator Donna Littell '75 and Angie Jones '12 (P '14), a PEL alumna and Eckerd College's associate director of communications and the College editor, have worked with Megan McCoy '16, assistant director of alumni engagement, and Tish Burke, assistant director of major gifts, to prepare this PEL event. 

"Lewis House, with its waterfront patio and balmy setting, is the perfect place to reminisce about PEL and share stories about where you are now," Jones said. 

Classmates, colleagues, and professors reconnect / Anne Anderson, 2016

Littell noted that other PEL alumni have been working to get the word out about the PEL Alumni Reception.

"We are very grateful to PEL alumni Bob Albury '09, Patricia Brown '94, Deb Piner '03, and Steve Powell '16 who have helped us promote the event," Littell said.

Following the PEL gathering, PEL people are welcome to join other Eckerd alumni and guests at the James Center for Molecular and Life Sciences from 7:30 to 11 p.m. for dinner, dancing, lawn games, a photo booth, and more.

Register here for the PEL Alumni Reception (cost is $10 per person) and for other Reunion Weekend events.

Art shows, receptions, free waterfront picnic, boat rides, and more!

The PEL reception is only one of many exciting events planned as part of  Eckerd's Reunion Weekend 2017 (March 10th-11th).

The Alumni Art Show Reception on Friday evening (7-8 p.m.) in Cobb Gallery features work from alumni as well as from Eckerd professor Brian Ransom.  Saturday events include the Alumni Awards Breakfast, the Women's Resources Center Alumnae Awards Reception, various talks, and the culminating event, Saturday night's Reunion Celebration Dinner and Party. Sunday events include a snorkeling/sampling study trip on the Rainbow River, a worship service in Wireman Chapel, and farewell brunch.

Live music adds ambience / Anne Anderson, 2016

Free events include guided campus walking tours throughout the day on Saturday and a picnic/cookout and free waterfront boat tours from 12 to 3 p.m. Family members are welcome.

Special note to members of the Classes of 1987, 1992, and 1997

If you are a member of the Class of 1987, celebrating the 30th anniversary of your graduation (yes, really!), or of the Classes of 1992 (25th anniversary) or 1997 (20th anniversary), you might also be interested in attending one of these off-campus, cash-bar gatherings for both PEL and residential alumni on Saturday FRIDAY [corrected 03/10/17] evening:

• Class of 1987 Reunion Group Party / 6 to 7:30 p.m., private cabana on the beach at Caddy’s On The Beach, 9000 W Gulf Blvd, Treasure Island, FL 33706.   
• Class of 1992 Reunion Group Party / 6 to 7:30 p.m., reserved area on third floor at The Hurricane, 809 Gulf Way, St Pete Beach, FL 33706. 
• Class of 1997 Reunion Group Party / 6 to 7:30 p.m., reserved table and area at Queens Head Bar and Restaurant, 2501 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, FL 33713.

To read more about the weekend’s events or to register / RSVP for the PEL Alumni Reception and other events, visit Eckerd's Reunion Weekend website. Never been to Lewis House? Use this handy campus map for reference, or just ask at the front gate. Please call (727)-864-8222 or email alumni@eckerd.edu for more information or assistance.

Good food, good friends, good times -- what could be better?! / Cal Brown, 2015