President Huftalin Selected for 2017 ATHENA Leadership Award

The Salt Lake Chamber, Utah’s largest and longest-standing statewide business association, has announced Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin as the 2017 ATHENA Leadership Award recipient. The ATHENA Leadership Award is a prestigious national award presented annually to an active member of the Salt Lake Chamber who demonstrates excellence, creativity and initiative in business. Each recipient must also provide valuable service by devoting time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community and assist women in reaching their full leadership potential.

“Deneece is a collaborator, a leader, and she inspires everyone around her. She is one of those rare individuals who go beyond the call of duty,” said Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “She is bright, articulate, caring, and helps not only her students, but her community at every opportunity. What she has done with Salt Lake Community College has been phenomenal. She’s not only helping create the workforce of today, but she’s helping shape the workforce of tomorrow.” 

Dr. Deneece Huftalin was named the eighth president of Salt Lake Community College in September 2014. Prior to her current role, Huftalin served as Salt Lake Community College’s Interim President, Vice President of Student Services, Dean of Students, and Director of Academic and Career Advising. In her tenure as president, Huftalin has launched a College-wide strategic planning cycle that has produced a new vision, mission, values, and strategic goals for the College. She is also leading efforts to strengthen completion rates, transfer pathways, workforce responsiveness, and equity in student access and completion. 

Huftalin also has taught in the Education, Leadership, and Policy program at the University of Utah and serves on a number of community boards and committees including the Salt Lake Chamber, Governor’s Education Excellence Commission, EDCUtah, Envision Utah, and Utah Campus Compact. Nationally, Dr. Huftalin serves as a Commissioner and Executive Committee member for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), a trustee for LeaderShape, and a member CEO for RC-2020, Inc.

“What an honor it is to be recognized by the Salt Lake Chamber as an ATHENA Leadership Award recipient,” said Huftalin. “I'm proud to be associated with such a remarkable group of women who have been honored before me!”

In addition to recognition as the ATHENA Leadership Award recipient, Huftalin has been awarded the 2017 Leadership in Education Award from the Utah Women’s Leadership Celebration, the 2016 Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Utah, and the Distinguished Woman of the Year Award from the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Salt Lake City branch in 2015.

The ATHENA Leadership Award will be officially presented to Huftalin at the 41^st Annual Salt Lake Chamber Women & Business Conference and ATHENA Awards Luncheon on November 15, 2017 at the Little America.

*Reprinted courtesy of Salt Lake Chamber

College Wins NEH Grant to Host Institute

Salt Lake Community College received $189,000 from the National Endowment of the Humanities (NEH) to host a Summer Institute in 2018 for College and University Faculty. The four-week Institute will explore how transformations in the book can change interactions between bodies of knowledge and individual human bodies, providing hands-on instruction for participants with digital and print text production in SLCC’s Publication Center.

“This grant is significant because it is only the second award SLCC has ever received from NEH, and not many community colleges receive these awards,” said Nicole Omer, director of SLCC’s Office of Sponsored Projects.

Approximately 25 participants will hear from renowned scholars from across the country, led by SLCC project leaders Melissa Helquist, Lisa Bickmore and Charlotte Howe. Participants will explore book history and explore new modes of publication, including techniques to more effectively address the needs of people with disabilities. The Institute will provide undergraduate Humanities faculty methods for incorporating book making and publishing into their curriculum. Part of the selection criteria for which faculty members from around the country will be evaluated in order to participate will be how well they can expect to it integrate what they learn into their teaching.

“While the grant includes universities, it will also provide enhanced development opportunities for community college faculty nationally and improve SLCC’s national visibility, “said Melissa Helquist, associate professor and director of the SLCC Community Writing Center. “The impact to students, albeit indirect, will be powerful.”

This award supports SLCC’s efforts to be more inclusive toward and improve access to higher education for underrepresented populations.  It also supports SLCC’s mission to create educational pathways leading to meaningful employment.  Participants will learn how to engage students using the Publication Center’s high-impact practices, which include hands-on opportunities for learning and development of workplace skills.   

  

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this release, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Grand Theatre Welcomes Back “Always… Patsy Cline”

Salt Lake Community College’s Grand Theatre is for the seventh time hosting singer Erica Hansen as Patsy Cline in “Always… Patsy Cline.” The popular show runs Aug. 24 to Sept. 22 at the Grand, 1575 S. State Street, Salt Lake City.

Written by Ted Swindley, “Always… Patsy Cline” is a two-woman show based on the true story of Patsy Cline’s friendship with devoted fan and Houston housewife, Louise Seger, played this year by Dawn Veree. Packed with 27 of Cline’s greatest hits, including “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” and “Sweet Dreams,” fans will rediscover forgotten tunes and walk away humming new ones. Cline, who died in a 1963 plane crash at age 30, has been called one of the most influential, successful and acclaimed female vocalists of the 20^th Century.

Hansen’s portrayal of the country legend has garnered both critical acclaim as well as captured the hearts of Grand theatergoers time and again. The Deseret News’ Ivan Lincoln said of the show, “The music is performed to absolute perfection by Hansen and has the crowd literally dancing in the aisles. Hansen really nails it.” Jay Wamsley wrote in The Utah Statesman, “Hansen so enjoys her role, that the emotion of the songs simply rolls over and saturates the audience.”

This is the theatre’s most requested show and Grand’s staff is thrilled to be hoppin’ back on the “honky tonk merry-go-round.” Tickets range in price from $14 to $23 and are available by calling 801-957-3322 or visiting grandtheatrecompany.com. Evening performances are held Thursdays through Saturdays, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturdays.

Students Help School Prepare for First Day

A small army of Salt Lake Community College students volunteered their time to help staff and teachers at Esperanza Elementary School in West Valley City get ready for the first day of school. The annual service project was organized by SLCC's Student Life & Leadership. Below are a few highlights.

Volleyball Team Is Ready To Strike

The Salt Lake Community College volleyball team scrimmaged with the University of Montana Western in preparation for the upcoming season, which starts with the Crystal Classic on home court Aug. 24-26, with games against Lee College, Casper College, Northeastern Junior College and Western Wyoming Community College. The team is led by coach Sue Dulaney, named the 2016 American Volleyball Coaches Association West Region Coach of the Year. For a full schedule, click here. The photos and GIFs below are of action against Montana. Good luck, Bruins!

Three More Twilight Concerts Left

If you haven't yet experienced the 2017 Twilight Concert Series, for which Salt Lake Community College is the title sponsor, there are three more Thursday evening shows left. Those concert dates are: Aug. 17, with Cat Power and Phoebe Bridgers; Aug. 24, with Andrew Bird and The Handsome Family; and Aug 31, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires and The Roots. Below are a few highlights from the Aug. 10 show, which featured openers CHOiCE and Kaytranada. For information about purchasing tickets, click here.

CHOiCE opens the evening with her DJ skills.

CHOiCE

Kaytranada gets the Twilight crowd pumped.

Kaytrandada

Twilight crowd gets into it.

Double exposure of crowd and sign.

Newest International Students Arrive at College

Salt Lake Community College welcomes the newest group of international students to its campuses in the Salt Lake Valley. The photos below are from their orientation held at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. The first day of the fall 2017 semester is August 23! See you all soon!