School notes for July 30, 2013

Local student named to dean’s list

Sarah Yedlick, of Camas, was named to the dean’s list at the University of Dayton for spring semester 2013.

To be named to the dean’s list, a student must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher.

The University of Dayton is a private, coeducational school founded and sponsored by the Society of Mary (Marianists), a Roman Catholic teaching order. UD is the largest independent university in Ohio and one of the 10 largest Catholic universities in the nation.

Rakoski named to Notre Dame dean’s list

Alexa Rakoski, of Camas, has been named to the dean’s list at the University of Notre Dame’s College of Science for outstanding scholarship during the spring 2013 semester.

Students who achieve dean’s honors at Notre Dame represent the top 30 percent of students at their college.

WSU names new vice-chancellor for academic affairs

Renny Christopher has accepted the position of vice chancellor for academic affairs at Washington State University Vancouver. She will take her post on Aug. 5. Christopher most recently served as associate provost at California State University, Channel Islands.

The vice chancellor for academic affairs is WSU Vancouver’s chief academic officer. Christopher will be responsible for academic development, coordination of academic programs, advancing campus diversity efforts, and development of infrastructure to support the growth of quality research and teaching.

“Renny is an excellent choice to lead us forward,” said Suzanne Smith, chair of the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Search Committee. “Her experience as a part of a branch campus system will serve us well, she is collaborative and faculty oriented, and we are thrilled she has decided to share her administrative experience with WSU Vancouver.”

Christopher intends to spend her first year guiding the campus through the academic planning process in cooperation with faculty and administration.

“I’m looking forward to working with faculty,” she said. “I had very positive interactions with many faculty while interviewing. I’m excited about the mission of the university and the cool research that’s going on. I’m eager to see the campus take the next step in its evolution and to be a part of it.”

Like many WSU Vancouver students, Christopher is a first-generation college student. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Mills College, a master’s degree in linguistics from San Jose State University and a doctorate in literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Christopher will take over for Carolyn Long, who served as interim vice chancellor for the 2012-13 academic year. Long will return to the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall as associate professor in the School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs.

She plans to live in Vancouver when she relocates from California, and is looking forward to kayaking in the region.

“I think the Pacific Northwest is a great place to live,” she said. “There is a good deal of consciousness about environment and the need for forward thinking in that area.”

Local families needed for exchange students

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is seeking local host families for international high school boys and girls.

The students are 15 to 18 years old, and are coming to the area for the upcoming high school year or semester.

According to a press release, the students are conversant in English, bright, curious and anxious to learn about the United States through living as part of a family, attending high school and sharing their own culture and language with their newly adopted host family.

The exchange students arrive from their home country shortly before school begins and return at the end of the school year or semester.

Each ASSE student is fully insured, brings his or her own personal spending money and expects to contribute to his or her share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles.

The students are screened and qualified by ASSE. Families can choose their students from a wide variety of backgrounds, nationalities and personal interests.

For more information, call 1-800-733-2773 or go to www.host.asse.com.

Callison named to UMW Dean’s List

Washougal resident Carissa Callison made the spring 2013 Dean’s List at the University of Montana Western.

The Dean’s List includes students achieving a 3.33 grade point average or better.

The University of Montana Western is an innovative institution located in Dillon, Mont.

Montana Western is the only public four-year university in the nation to use block scheduling in which students take a single class at a time, three hours per day for 18 days.

Under this system, students earn the same amount of credits over a semester as in traditional scheduling models.