Vol. 3, Issue No.3                                                                                                                                                
February 24, 2015   
From the Hawk's Nest is distributed on the first and third Friday of each month. We need your input!  Please send your ideas for stories on upcoming events, reports on attendance at conferences, awards and honors received, photos or information on outstanding employees or students to Elizabeth Belcher, [email protected] or Kelly Taber, [email protected]. The deadline for the next issue is 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4. 

    

Mark Your Calendar for Black History Month Events

 

The first two events listed were re-scheduled due to winter weather conditions.

 

"12 Years a Slave" movie screening will be held 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 2 followed by a panel discussion at 7:45 p.m. led by President L. Marshall Washington.  

"12 Years a Slave" is an adaptation of the narrative written in 1853 by a free African-American who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film won three Academy Awards in 2013 for Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama.

 

The panel discussion will include Kristi Dumas, Instructor of Psychology; Marianne Layer, Dean of Transfer and Pre-professional Programs; Nancy Wemm, Professor of Speech and Theater; and Rev. Debra Smoot, of St. Matthew A.M.E Church in Beckley.

 

New River CTC's Mercer County Campus is hosting a musical celebration for Black History Month with local musicians, James Hart and Melissa McKinney, performing acoustic blues music from 12:15 - 1 p.m. on Thursday, March 5.

 

James Hart is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist from Princeton, W.Va. He is manager and lead teacher at Stages Music School. His band, The Gin Mills, have been playing locally and regionally for about two years. They play a combination of blues, rock, and folk original and cover music.

 

Melissa McKinney is owner of Stages Music School. She also is the director of West Virginia's Tunes for Tots and director of The One Voice Project. Melissa is a blues and jazz singer, and she performs with her daughter, Kayla Lynn, at festivals and charity events.

 

New River CTC's Greenbrier Valley Campus is hosting a photographic display, "Invisible Roots and Legends: A Photographic View of African-Americans in the Greenbrier Valley, West Virginia".

 

The exhibit consists of a collection of photographs and artifacts, from post-civil war to today, of African-Americans who have contributed to the growth and development of this area in business, religion, education, sports, politics, and entertainment, as well as general family life. It highlights a few individuals who were born and raised in Greenbrier County, left the area, and are now making a significant impact in various areas, such as U.S. government and the arts.

 

Janice Cooley, a board member of Greenbrier Historical Society, has been the driving force and curator for the project. She spent hours contacting individuals and families, locally and nationally, to provide items for the display. Students from New River CTC, guided by Dr. Chris Linsin, instructor of history, assisted with the curation of the display, which first appeared at Cooper Gallery in Lewisburg.

 

"This is an excellent opportunity to bring attention to the significant contributions made to the Greenbrier Valley and beyond by its African-American citizens," said Roger Griffith, Regional Director of Operations for Greenbrier Valley Campus.

 

The display is free and open to the public and will be on display on the second and third floors of Greenbrier Hall until March 13.  

 

The display is self-guided, and visitors are requested to check in at the reception desk located on second floor of Greenbrier Hall. Visitor parking is available in the main parking areas of the Lewisburg campus.

 
Day of Giving Was a Success!

 

The Day of Giving goal was surpassed with 223 donors, 26 of whom gave online. You can still make a gift to support scholarships for students: http://donate.newriver.edu. Also, you still can purchase a brick engraved with your name, the name of a loved one, or an inspirational quote. The bricks will be placed on the walkway and patio of the Raleigh County Campus.

 

Special congratulations to the winners of the cake decorating contest!

Advanced Technology Campus: Joey Hazelwood

Greenbrier Valley Campus: Heather Honaker, Christina Crookshanks, Savanna Gill, Crystal Clayborn, Matthew Shott, Allison Farren

Mercer County Campus: Seven-year-old Clay Allen, son of Katrina Allen

Raleigh County Campus: Carolyn Browning Social Services Club

 

Carolyn Browning Social Services Club decorating a cake for Day of Giving.
New Member of New River CTC Board of Governors

Thomas F. Lemke of Daniels, W.Va. is the newest member of New River CTC's Board of Directors. Dr. Lemke retired from Huntington Alloys in 2003 as Director of International Marketing.  

 

A native of Tremont, Pa., he graduated from Wake Forest University with a bachelor's degree in Chemistry, received his master's degree in Chemistry from Marshall University, and his doctorate in Chemistry from Lehigh University. He served as U.S. Army Captain Biochemist from 1968-1970 and as Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Marshall University.

 

He is married to Sally McNeill Lemke and is an active volunteer for New River Gorge National Park, Beckley Mill Preservation Committee, Piney Creek Watershed Association, and Raleigh County Historical Society. Lemke's position continues through June 30, 2016.

 

"New River CTC is honored to have a board member of Dr. Lemke's knowledge and experience," said President Dr. L. Marshall Washington.

New Hire at New River CTC

David Bligh, Visiting Instructor of Physical Sciences, started work at the Raleigh County Campus on Jan. 20.

He previously worked as chemist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Appalachian Farming Systems Research Center in Beaver, W.Va. Dr. Bligh received his bachelor's degree in Biology from Georgia State University, his master's degree in Food Science from Louisiana State University, and his doctoral degree in Agronomy from Louisiana State University.

 

He is teaching Biology 105 and 106 (Lab), Chemistry 100, 101, and 103 (Lab), and web-based Physical Science 102 and 104. Welcome Dr. Bligh!

 

Please Note: We have a list of recent new hires at the College and will work to include a short description of each one in upcoming Hawk's Nest Newsletters.
ATC Instructor Mike King Speaking About
Hydro Power Project

 

Mike King, Instructor for the Electric Distribution Engineering Technology (EDET) program at the Advanced Technology Center in Ghent, W.Va., will be speaking at two conferences about his hydro generator project.

Completed hydro generator  

 

King's project was funded through a $7,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and Appalachian Regional Commission. King works with the Morris Creek Watershed stream monitoring group based in Fayette County.

 

Working with more than 60 volunteers, they built a hydro generator capturing water from open coal mine portals; the water through the hydro generator produces 1300 watts of power used to charge all of the water monitoring and testing equipment for Morris Creek, which is a tributary to the upper Kanawha River.

 

King will be speaking about the project on Feb. 26 at the WV Small Farms Conference in Charleston, W.Va. and on March 9 at Ohio State University.

Morris Creek Watershed volunteers building the hydro generator.  

  

Special Recognition to ... 
  • Brad Veneri, who successfully completed his Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) certification through the American Welding Society (AWS). CWI is widely-recognized, both nationally and internationally, and successful companies have come to rely on AWS certification to ensure the highest level of workmanship. Brad trained for the certification as part of the U.S. Department of Labor's Bridging the Gap grant professional development opportunity. New River CTC now has two AWS CWI's, Walt Johnson and Brad Veneri.
    A recent snowy day at the Raleigh County Campus
  • Everyone at the Greenbrier Valley Campus, who faced an emergency water outage due to the accident in the last week of January that contaminated Anthony Creek and the Greenbrier River.
  • New River CTC's maintenance workers, who have made parking lots and walkways passable in snow and ice.