Dear Paul Smith’s community,
Welcome to Fall Semester 2018! As I write this, new students are arriving on campus under blue skies and a perfect move-in temperature. Next week we will welcome back the remainder of the student body. It will be great to see everyone.
For those of you who are new to the college, Day 1 is a monthly email intended to let you know about some of the many things happening at the college. Typically, we send this out of the first of every month during the academic year. You are getting it a little early this time given that September 1 is over a weekend.
Cathy
Though we were not all here during the summer, a lot of things were happening. Here are some of the activities that took place on campus or that your colleagues were in engaged in over the summer that you may have missed:
- Our focus on strengthening and expanding our athletics programs is going really well. In addition to hiring some great new coaches and recruiting some terrific players for our teams, we are focusing on attracting global athletes interested in winter sports. A few weeks ago we held the inaugural meeting of the college’s Advisory Committee for Olympic Sports, a select group of men and women with world-class athletic resumes whose experiences as Olympians will help guide the college’s Olympic sports initiative. Joining the committee are:
- Tim Burke, a Paul Smiths native and four-time Olympic biathlete.
- Billy Demong from Vermontville, a Nordic combined gold and silver medalist.
- Andrea Kilbourne-Hill of Saranac Lake, a 2002 women’s hockey silver medalist and current director of hockey for PSC.
- Chris Mazdzer, also of Saranac Lake, a silver medal-winning luger who took the podium earlier this year in Pyeongchang.
- Andrew Weibrecht of Lake Placid, a two-time Olympic medalist in alpine skiing.
- Fall enrollment is on target to meet budget projections. We have seen increased registrations for returning students and have significantly reduced the summer melt of newly deposited students (5.2% for fall 2018 compared with 12.0% for fall 2017).
- Returning students, faculty and staff will see great new options in the dining program, including make-it-yourself options! Check them out…
- Eric Holmlund and the AWI Stewardship Program were awarded a $9.3 million 5-year contract with the New York State DEC to implement the Adirondack Park AIS spread prevention program at boat launches all over the park. This provides jobs for our students and over $2.5 million in overhead.
- We are excited to offer Sports Management as part of the revamped management program. Students may now focus on Management, Entrepreneurship, or Sports & Event Management.
- PSC’s leadership with issues around rural resiliency is moving forward. Currently the college is searching for a director to lead the PSC Alliance for International Rural Resiliency Solutions (AIRRS). The college is well-positioned to convene global partners who are also committed to solving economic, social, environmental issues that rural areas face.
- Kelly Cerialo presented at the International Leadership Association Conference in Pretoria, South Africa on Mentoring the Next Generation of Youth Leaders to Support Sustainable Communities. While there, Kelly met with the Director of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program in South Africa and with the Director of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve to discuss international biosphere collaboration and student exchanges. Kelly will return to South Africa in September/October to work on a sustainable tourism initiative called the Berg River Camino Trail to spread the economic impact of tourism to rural communities in South Africa. This research will be used to develop sustainable tourism curriculum at PSC, as part of Kelly’s PhD research at Antioch University, and to establish an international partnership between the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve and Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve. She was also appointed the co-chair of the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve and attended the High Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Headquarters in NYC with UNESCO.
- The PSC board of trustees met for their annual retreat and board meeting in August where they focused on long-term planning.
- PSC received a clean audit from the Forest Sustainability Council; as a result, wood from our lands will continue to be listed as 100% sustainable. We will also be looking at marketing our timber to specialty producers who pay a higher price premium for FSC wood.
- Janet Mihuc’s article “Nepytia pellucidaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in New York State” on a rare moth that she found on the PSC campus was published in News of the Lepidopterists’ Society. In addition, Janet produced a poster with photos of 335 moth species documented on Paul Smith’s lands. The poster is on display at the VIC.
- Joseph Henderson co-authored the article “Broadening epistemologies and methodologies in climate change education research” to be published in Environmental Education Research. Joe has also presented to NYS Department of Environmental Education Summer Camps in Saranac Lake & Warrensburg, New York on the topic of Climate Change in the Adirondacks.
- PSC student Adaiah Bauer traveled to Kazan, Russia as the one American selected for the Volunteer Leaders Academy, an eight-day forum hosted by the International University Sports Federation (FISU).
- Kelly Cerialo and Eric Holmlund developed and co-taught a 4-credit student consultancy course in Italy. This is the most recent of 5 annual trips that have taken students to various parts of Italy to focus on sustainable tourism. This year the class partnered with the University of Parma and a rosé wine consortium in Puglia to develop a new regional program. Eric and Kelly have also cultivated a relationship with UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere international network of biosphere reserves. This program is open to all students.
- Deb Naybor and Kendra Ormerod led 18 PSC students on a trip to Uganda.
- Rebecca Sutter drafted a new program proposal for Disaster Management and Recovery which includes a shared endeavor with NCCC. She has developed a Hybrid Statistics model to be run this Fall and restructured the Adirondack Experience component of Adirondack Studies course to provide for a more experiential course that includes nearly 50 hours in the field.
- Glenn McClure has received a NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) grant designed to explore commercial applications of his sonification algorithm developed during his NSF fellowship in Antarctica. The first round of MLPBS stories of the creation of “Promised Land: An Adirondack Folk Opera” are scheduled for broadcast late this Fall. This project is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, Cloudsplitter and regional philanthropists.
- The facilities team has been busy with many improvements on campus this summer. Among them, we have a new updated look in LMS with interior walls all being freshly painted and Lakeside students will start the year with all new carpet. The Forestry Cabin has new paint, light fixtures, bathroom fixtures and fans. The team continued making on-going improvements to the Dining Hall and also installed a hockey equipment storage room in the Saranac Lake Civic Center to support our new PSC hockey team.
- Kelly Cerialo presented at the International Leadership Association Conference in Pretoria, South Africa on Mentoring the Next Generation of Youth Leaders to Support Sustainable Communities. While there, Kelly met with the Director of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Program in South Africa and with the Director of the Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve to discuss international biosphere collaboration and student exchanges. Kelly will return to South Africa in September/October to work on a sustainable tourism initiative called the Berg River Camino Trail to spread the economic impact of tourism to rural communities in South Africa. This research will be used to develop sustainable tourism curriculum at PSC, as part of Kelly’s PhD research at Antioch University, and to establish an international partnership between the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve and Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve.
- Kelly Cerialo was appointed the co-chair of the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve with Brian Houseal from SUNY ESF. Kelly and Brian hosted the 2nd Annual Champlain-Adirondack
- Biosphere Reserve meeting at The VIC on August 23rd. Kelly also recently attended the High Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Headquarters in NYC with UNESCO.
Eric Holmlund presented at the APA Local Government Day conference, the NYS Invasive Species Advisory Council, and the Adirondack Lakes Alliance Symposium. - Kelly Cerialo traveled to Spain to oversee an event production for NARS cosmetics. Material from the event will be used in her Festivals and Major Events Management course this fall.
- The Admissions team hosted Ms. Miyuki Eguchi from The Japan Hotel School at PSC on August 9th and 10th. In the past we have enrolled several excellent students from their school.
- Joe Conto arranged for Ms. Eguchi to tour the High Peaks Resort (current student Ruddy Suero was her guide) and the Lake Placid Lodge (current student Caitlyn Verderber was her guide). PSC alum David Pittman provided a tour at Hotel Saranac.
- The Recreation Department hosted the following activities:
- Adventure Guide program finished its first season with a very busy summer working with school groups, corporate groups, on the ropes course, rock climbing and canoeing and already have several large groups planning for next year’s programs.
- US Ski Team U 16 Camp with 60 of the nation’s best young skiers spent a week on campus training for their future endeavors. The staff worked with them to provide team building, training and recreational opportunities during their visit.
- Residence Life organized 5 days of extensive training for 21 resident assistants.
- For Reunion 2018 we welcomed 300+ alumni, retirees, current faculty, staff and students.
- Over 75 people attended the Annual Alumni Clam Bake at Bob’s Trees hosted by Linda & Dave Eaton ’61.
- Admissions Events are confirmed through August of 2019 in order to promote visits and market them in a timely manner. Please feel free to visit our website to check out dates!
- 902 students visited campus since May 1 (including personal and group visits). Groups on campus this summer included the Boys and Girls club of Rochester, Pace University Upward Bound, C5/NOLS, Boys and Girls Club of Akwesasne, and the FFA Intense Tour.
- This summer the Admissions team has traveled to various events throughout New York State to represent the college, including:
- Northeastern Forest Products Expo
- NYS FFA Convention
- Pack Forest College Education Night
- Catskill Forest Festival
- Tupper Lake Woodsmen Days
- New York State Woodsmen Field Days
- Terry Lindsay has joined the Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce Board.
- Jorie Favreau attended the annual meeting of the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers in Cheyenne WY over the summer.
- Janet Mihuc attended the Lepidopterists’ Society annual conference held in Ottawa, Ontario.
- Mary Gallagher attended the first regional meeting of CICU, The Commission on Independent Colleges & Universities in Albany, NY. CICU’s new Proof in the Positive campaign will be rolled out over the next year to help institutions like ourselves reach students and schools in a positive light.
- Deb Naybor took a 2-week Tiny House class at Yestermorrow Design Build School in VT and learned furniture making. She was able to design and build a view of the Glenview Preserve Vista near Donnelly’s ice cream, the site of our SUS Capstone land management project.
- Shakirra Jones, Holly Parker, Ricky Williams and Terry Lindsay attended the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education (NASPA) Regional Conference in Manhattan.
- Holly Parker became a certified ALICE instructor to train employees and students on how to increase chances of survival during violent critical incidents, such as an active shooter event.
- Campus Safety Officers Kyle Martens and Bill Barton received training to become certified in Mental Health First Aid.
- Campus Safety Officers attended the following conferences:
- Security Officer Academy at St. Lawrence University in Canton, NY.
- SPECTRUM Conference in Albany, NY. SPECTRUM is the nation’s largest education conference devoted to preventing and responding to sexual and interpersonal violence against members of the LGBTQI+ community.
- Campus Safety Supervisors Academy at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY.
- 8 Hour In-Service Training Course for NYS Security Guards.
- Women’s soccer coach Bailey Waterbury attended the following events:
- Maddog Mania College Showcase. 116 college soccer coaches, and over 130 high school student athletes competed.
- NY-ID Soccer Clinic. 21 college soccer coaches & over 100 female soccer players participated at SUNY Cortland.
- 16 hours of training and testing in order to receive her certification in Pool Operation from the National Swimming Pool Foundation
- 26 hours of training to become certified as a Lifeguard by the American Red Cross.
- In her new role as PSC’s Compliance Coordinator, Administrative Assistant, and IX Coordinator Teresa Gay completed a week of Clery Compliance Training at Brown University sponsored by the Clery Center.
Upcoming Events of Note
- Sept. 4: 2nd Annual Fall Fest featuring the Conor Clemmons Band and Blind Owl Band, Eurobungy and Zip Line
- Sept. 7: Movie on the Great Lawn “Jurassic Park 2”
- Sept. 8 – Oct. 8: Art @ the VIC exhibit “4th Annual Plein Air Paint Out”
- Sept. 12: American Red Cross Blood Drive
- Sept. 18: After the Fire Presentation
- Sept. 21-23: Family Homecoming Weekend
- Sept. 22-23: 7th Annual Adirondack Rural Skills and Homesteading Festival
- Sept. 22: Brian Smith ’95 Memorial Basketball Game and retiring of Brian’s number
