People Notes | North Central College

College to host national math contest

[caption id="attachment_844" align="alignright" width="76" caption="Rich Wilders"][/caption] For the first time, North Central College will be a host testing site for the American Mathematics Contest 8, or AMC 8, on Nov. 17 for students in grades 8 and below. Some 17 junior high school-aged students will participate—“an outstanding showing,” says event coordinator and recruiter Richard Wilders, Marie and Bernice Gantzert Professor in the Liberal Arts and Sciences, professor of mathematics and chair for the Division of Science.

Barry Skurkis showcases artwork

Barry Skurkis, associate professor of art and chair of art and theatre, will showcase three artworks in the Chicago Society of Artist exhibition “Reality and Beyond,” which runs Nov. 7 through Dec. 18 and is sponsored by the Bloomingdale Park District Museum at 108 S. Bloomingdale Road in Bloomingdale. Inspired by his trip to Alaska last summer, his works include “Humpback Salmon,” a pastel; “Halibut,” a pastel; and “Arctic Grayling,” a hand-colored artist proof. An artist’s reception will take place from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, Nov.

Campus Safety officer Joshua Mooi honored for Navy Cross

Campus Safety officer Joshua Mooi was honored Nov. 9 during a Veteran’s Assembly program at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora. Mooi was recognized by Naperville Mayor George Pradel for earning a Navy Cross, the highest honor awarded by the Navy and the second-highest military honor after the Congressional Medal of Honor. Lance Corporal Mooi is credited with saving the lives of 10 fellow Marines during Operation Steel Curtain in Iraq. On Nov.

Celebration of the International Year of Discovery: View new Milky Way images, hear presentations

The campus community is invited to Oesterle Library from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, to celebrate the International Year of Discovery with the unveiling of NASA’s mural-sized images of the core of the Milky Way galaxy and to hear various presentations. This community-wide event is co-sponsored by the College’s mathematics department and Oesterle Library. Following is a schedule of activities: • 12 to 2 p.m.—Viewing of Galileo’s Dialogo.

Gregory Wolf gives paper at international conference

Gregory Wolf, associate professor of German, delivered a paper titled “Notes from the Underground: Teaching Language and Culture at a Small Institution” at the annual international conference of the German Studies Association in Washington, D.C., Oct 8-11.

Ben Wahlund's composition performed in concert

Ben Wahlund, adjunct instructor of music, had his composition titled “Forward, Together, Forward” performed in a premier concert Nov. 2 by the Northern Illinois University Percussion Ensemble. The composition is a short, five-minute fanfare written for the ensemble’s performance at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis. The performance was also broadcast live.

Greg Stolze M '03 wins first place in Tribune contest

Greg Stolze M ’03 won first place in the Chicago Tribune’s Great Chicago Ghost Story Contest. His entry “2122 North Clark” beat some 800 entries. Cultural critic Julia Keller said Stolze’s story is “beautifully written, and the story is told primarily through dialogue. Moreover, it's truly a Chicago ghost story. It simply couldn't be set anywhere else.

Welcome: New North Central employees in October

Gerald Gems publishes article and review

Judy Walters and Leah Kind co-present at symposium

[caption id="attachment_661" align="alignright" width="76" caption="Judy Walters"][/caption] Judy Walters, associate professor of computer science, and Leah Kind, adjunct instructor of English, gave a presentation at the 2009 Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA) Scholarship of Pedagogy Symposium held at Lewis University on Oct.