October 2009 - Posts
Nov. 14-15 event to feature distinguished speakers and discuss the latest in MRI pathology & potential
Like all aspects of the medical field, the world of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) technology is constantly evolving as technologies and current practices improve. For MRI and radiologic technologists looking to broaden their professional horizons by learning more about the latest advances in the field, the Medical Radiography Program at GateWay Community College presents a weekend seminar titled “MRI Seminar: Protons, Protocols, Pathology & Potential of MRI.”
The two-day event takes place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15 in the Center for Health Careers Education building auditorium on the GateWay campus, located at 108 N. 40th Street in Phoenix. The seminar covers a variety of topics, including: MRI safety, pediatric MRI, MRI practices for lower and upper extremities, issues related to breast MRI, MRI as a screening tool in a high risk patient, spectroscopy, carotid MRI, MRI in a stroke patient, and more. These topics are presented by distinguished field experts and participants have the option to attend one or both days.
In addition to the topics covered, lunch is included in the Saturday session and participants can earn ASRT-approved college credit for both days. The MRI Seminar costs $100 for one day and $175 for both days.
Sunday’s workshop includes mammography presentations in the morning for interested mammographers and Sunday participants have the option of attending just the morning session (for mammography) or the afternoon session (general topics) for just $50.
Registration for the event begins at 7:30 a.m. both days, but participants can register and pay early by contacting Janey Buri at 602-286-8546 or buri@gatewaycc.edu. For more information about the MRI Seminar, contact Buri or Mary Carrillo in the Medical Radiography Program at carrillo@gatewaycc.edu.
For media inquiries, contact Michelle Everson at everson@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8232.
Nov. 5 event brings together over 40 expert services to help those in need of caregiving information
With a 69 percent increase projected in the need for caregivers in Arizona, you are not alone if you find yourself caring for aging parents, someone with a disability, or even yourself in your home. For those looking for more information about available caregiving resources, the upcoming Caregiver Resource Fair, taking place on Thursday, November 5, is the perfect opportunity to receive free information and help for a multitude of caregiving situations.
The Caregiver Resource Fair takes place between 9-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m., Thursday, November 5 at North Phoenix Baptist Church, located at 5757 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix. More than 40 expert services will be available to assist caregivers and their families and the event is free of charge. At the fair, caregivers and participants can meet with experts on affordable home care, caregiving equipment and supplies, caregiver home provider services, caregiver travel companions, caregiver legal and insurance issues, government and community programs, caregiver employment opportunities and more.
The Caregiver Resource Fair is part of the first annual Arizona Conference on Caregiving sponsored by GateWay Community College’s Caregiver Training and Development Program. For caregivers interested in learning even more about caregiving, registration for the conference is still open. The event consists of an entire day of speakers, seminars and other helpful presentations for at-home caregivers and those in the healthcare caregiving profession. For volunteer and family caregivers who register before Oct. 31, admission to the conference is only $5. For caregiving professionals, the early registration savings rate is $25. Call 602-286-8158 for more information on conference registration.
For media inquiries, contact Michelle Everson at everson@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8232.
The GateWay Center for Health Careers Education is proud to announce that the college's Medical Radiography Program and its Student Association of Radiologic Technologists (StART) Club were both recently featured in the latest edition of the ASRT Scanner.
Click here to download and read the article.
Prestigious WRD Retirees Scholarship awarded to GateWay student
The GateWay Hydrologic Studies program is proud to announce that sophomore Lisa Ashmore was recently awarded a $1,500 scholarship from the WRD Retirees organization, a national group of retirees from the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS), Water Resources Division. Since 2006, the WRD Retirees organization has recognized outstanding students training to become hydrologic technicians through annual scholarships. In addition to Ashmore, students from GateWay’s Hydrologic Studies program won the nationally recognized scholarship in 2006 and 2008 as well.
“Hydrologic Technicians enjoy a well-deserved reputation of delivering high-quality data products that meet local, state, and national needs. Praise for these employees comes from groups both internal and external to the USGS,” cites the WRD Retirees’ official Web site, www.wrdretirees.org. “These folks are often referred to as the ‘backbone’ of the water program. To honor these fine folks, WRD Retirees created a scholarship program for Hydrologic Technicians.”
To earn the scholarship, Ashmore wrote an essay about her experience in GateWay’s hydrologic studies program and why she wanted to work for the USGS after graduation. She found out about the scholarship opportunity during an internship this past summer at the Montana Water Science Center.
“During my internship, my supervisor gave me real work experience so that I could make sure that being a hydrologic technician was something I really wanted to do,” she said. “It was a big learning experience and, thanks to my internship and the help from this scholarship, I am ready to finish my education here at GateWay and truly know that I want to enter the field.”
After graduation, Ashmore hopes to work for the USGS and continue her education by earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. She added that she chose the hydrologic studies program at GateWay because she was looking for a job where she could help the environment and believes that being a hydrologic technician is a great start to an environmental career.
“The fact that GateWay students have earned this scholarship three times serves as a recognition to our students for the hard work they do and is an acknowledgment to the quality of our program,” said Mario Castaneda, Hydrologic Studies program director.
To learn more about GateWay’s Hydrologic Studies program, visit http://www.gatewaycc.edu/Programs/HydrologicStudies/.
To learn more about the WRD Retirees Scholarship program, visit http://www.wrdretirees.org/scholarships.htm.
For media inquiries, contact Michelle Everson at everson@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8232.
Phoenix area high schools & their students encouraged to learn about career options at GateWay CC
With all of the career and educational options available to today’s high school students, deciding what to do after graduation can often be a daunting task. To help Phoenix area high school students learn more about possible career choices, GateWay Community College is hosting its semi-annual Career Exploration Day, a chance for high school students and educators to learn more about the college’s career-driven educational opportunities. Career Exploration Day takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, November 5, at the GateWay campus, located at 108 N. 40th Street in Phoenix.
Career Exploration Day is free of charge and open to groups of students from local high schools or individual students if their schools cannot attend. The event features in-depth tours of the GateWay campus, detailed explanations of GateWay’s educational programs, and information about important campus services. Free snacks, refreshments and lunch will also be available to participating schools.
High school career counselors are encouraged to register their students for Career Exploration Day by Monday, October 23. Schools can sign up for specific time slots depending on their scheduling needs. To register for the event, visit http://www.gatewaycc.edu/info/careerday/. For more information about Career Exploration Day, contact Lina Scott at scott@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8211.
GateWay to the Arts series celebrates a decade of arts & culture at GateWay CC during Oct. 27 event
To celebrate the beauty of the performing arts, local arts enthusiasts are invited to attend a free dance performance at the upcoming GateWay to the Arts X Presents: Desert Dance Theatre event. The complimentary performance is open to the general public and takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tuesday, October 27, in room MA1100N/S in the main building on the GateWay campus, located at 108 N. 40th Street in Phoenix.
This performance is one of many events in the GateWay to the Arts series, an ongoing effort of GateWay Community College’s Liberal Arts program to bring cultural events to its students, staff and community members. Desert Dance Theatre, a popular dance company with more than 30 years of experience in Phoenix, will perform selections from their current repertory of dances.
For more information about GateWay to the Arts X Presents: Desert Dance Theatre event or other upcoming GateWay to the Arts X series events, contact Susan Mills at 602-286-8487.
For more information about Desert Dance Theatre, visit www.desertdancetheatre.org.
For media inquiries, contact Michelle Everson at everson@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8232.
Learn about local jobs & get résumé help at free public job fair at GateWay Community College
GateWay Community College, in partnership with Valley area businesses from a variety of industries, invites students and the public to its annual Fall Job Fair; a great chance to meet potential employers and learn more about local job and education opportunities. The Fall Job Fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, October 28, in the lower cafeteria of the main building on the GateWay campus, located at 108 N. 40th Street in Phoenix. Anyone can attend and the event is free.
The Fall Job Fair is perfect for those interested in learning more about local job opportunities in an array of industries. At the fair, a range of Phoenix-area employers will be present, including companies in the healthcare, finance, government, non-profit, information technology, marketing, retail, education, and manufacturing fields. GateWay’s Career Center personnel will also be on site and available to help with résumés and to answer job-related questions. Participants can also learn more about GateWay’s many career-driven educational programs.
For more information about the Fall Career Fair, sponsored by the GateWay Career Center, call 602-286-8500 or e-mail careercenter@gatewaycc.edu.
For more information about GateWay’s Career Center services, visit http://www.gatewaycc.edu/Support/CareerServices.
For media inquiries, contact Michelle Everson at everson@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8232.
Since last December, the METRO Light Rail has helped thousands of riders travel easily across the Valley, including the students and staff here at GateWay. As the only Maricopa Community College to have its own light rail stop, Geckos can now easily travel to campus from across the Valley.
The METRO Light Rail is a 20-mile system that connects the cities of Phoenix, Tempe and Mesa. The in-road system has 28 stations, eight park-and-ride facilities, and 50 trains. Trains operate about 20 hours a day and stop at stations every 10 minutes during daytime hours. Sharing the same fare structure as the Valley’s bus service, fares are very reasonable beginning at $1.75 for a single ride.
In addition to benefiting current GateWay students, the college’s light rail stop has helped to bring future students to our outreach events, such as the popular semi-annual Career Exploration Day for local high schools.
“Having a light rail stop right here on campus has really helped bring potential GateWay students to our high school outreach events,” said Lina Scott, acting coordinator of GateWay’s recruitment programs. “High schools that in the past may not have been able to afford to transport their students to our campus can now bring them over for events on the light rail.”
The college’s many community events, such as its job fairs and the annual GeckoLand Festival, have also seen an increase in community participation thanks to the convenient light rail stop.
For more information on GateWay’s METRO Light Rail stop, visit www.gatewaycc.edu/Campus/LightRail.
Visit the official Metro Light Rail website for regular updates and additional information such as Promotions, Maps, Safety Tips and more.
Nov. 5 event to serve as networking & informational opportunity for aspiring & professional caregivers
On Thursday, November 5, GateWay Community College will be hosting the first annual “Together We Care” Arizona Conference on Caregiving event to provide an opportunity for current and aspiring caregivers to network with industry professionals and organizations from across the state. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at North Phoenix Baptist Church, located at 5757 N. Central Avenue in Phoenix. Registration fees for the conference vary from $7-30 per person based on the track they participate in during the conference and attendees are encouraged to register early.
The conference will include three tracks: a Professional Track for industry professionals, a Volunteer & Family Caregiver track for volunteers or those who provide care for family members, and a Kinship Caregiver University Track that covers children being raised by relatives or close adults. Each track features roundtables with industry experts, a variety of topic seminars, a town hall meeting, and a chance to learn more about multicultural caregiving. The event will also feature a Caregiver Resource Fair and industry expert Dr. David W. Coon will be featured as the conference’s keynote speaker.
For those looking for more information on caregiving, the Caregiver Resource Fair will be open to the public at no charge between 9-11 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. during the day of the conference.
To find out more about the first annual “Together We Care” Arizona Conference on Caregiving, visit www.azcaregiver.org, www.twitter.com/togetherwecare or www.facebook.com and search for “Arizona Caregiving Conference.” For more information on how to register as a conference attendee or possible vendor for the resource fair, contact Nanette Jones at 602-286-8146 or e-mail jonesn@gatewaycc.edu.
About the Caregivers Program: The Caregivers Program of GateWay Community College exists to train professional home caregivers and develop community caregiving awareness, education, partnerships, networks and volunteers in support of family caregivers and care receivers. Visit http://www.gatewaycc.edu/Workforce/Caregivers/ or call 602-286-8158 for more information.
Register for the AZ Conference on Caregiving event.
For media inquiries, contact Michelle Everson at 602-286-8232 or everson@gatewaycc.edu.
Late start Microsoft Server 2008 class prepares students for Microsoft Certification Exam
If you are interested in preparing for the Microsoft Certification Exam or are in need of some extra class credits this semester, the late start Microsoft Server 2008 class at GateWay Community College may be the perfect opportunity for you.
The 4-credit Microsoft Server 2008 (MST152DB) class teaches the skills necessary to install, configure, customize, optimize, network, integrate and troubleshoot the 2008 Microsoft Windows Server. This class also serves as a great preparation tool for the Microsoft Certification Exam. To register, students should have taken any MST150 course or have instructor permission. When enrolling, the class description is “Microsoft Server 2003” but students will be learning about Microsoft Server 2008.
The Microsoft Server 2008 class begins Tuesday, October 20 and runs through Tuesday, December 15. Classes are from 5:30-9 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday and meet in room MA2134 on the GateWay campus, located at 108 N. 40th Street in Phoenix. For more information about the Microsoft Server 2008 class, contact John Zanazzi at 602-286-8594 or zanazzi@gatewaycc.edu.
Future students can enroll in this class (MST152DB, class number 74060) online at www.gatewaycc.edu, by calling 602-286-8048, or in-person at the GateWay campus. In-state tuition is $71 per credit hour and financial aid is available to those who qualify.
The October issue of the Gecko Gazette is now available online. Check out all of the latest GateWay happenings and upcoming events!
October Gecko Gazette
GateWay Community College’s radiography program earns recognition for student involvement too
Like many healthcare occupations, the field of radiography, also known as x-ray technology, is constantly evolving, requiring radiologic technologists to keep up with fast-paced changes in technology and patient care. To make sure that students entering the radiography field are fully prepared for the technology they will encounter, the GateWay Community College Medical Radiography Program recently upgraded their facilities with more than $300,000 worth of state-of-the-art equipment, tools and software. In addition, students will also benefit from a recently revised curriculum, making GateWay one of the area’s leading educational institutions in medical radiography.
“The majority of our clinical education settings have gone completely digital, so we needed to make sure that our students were keeping up with the industry,” said Bradley Johnson, medical radiography program faculty member at GateWay. “The technology students are exposed to here is similar to the technology they’ll encounter at hospitals and clinics, which better prepares them with the knowledge they’ll need once they graduate.”
The new equipment GateWay recently purchased, with the help of taxpayer support, includes: two new high-resolution clinical review displays; an IMIX (Immediate Method of Imaging X-rays) insight “URS-DDR” Universal Radiographic System; a Del Medical – IN50 Digital Radiographic System; PIXY, whole-body phantom complete with simulated internal organs; and the latest version of Carestream PACS (Picture Archive & Communication System) to better simulate the digital imaging clinical experience.
Besides benefiting their future careers, Johnson added that the new technology makes students’ current studies more efficient and practical as they now do not have to carry around film and can review their images at home thanks to the new PACS software.
“Thanks to community and administrative support, GateWay is on the cutting edge of medical imaging education,” Johnson said. “Through the purchase of our two new digital rooms, and by revising our curriculum to include a greater emphasis on digital imaging, our students are getting the preparation they need to be successful.”
GateWay medical radiography students interested in furthering their education also benefit from a partnership with Northern Arizona University where students can pursue their bachelor’s degree. NAU has also made this degree available in an “upside down” format, which allows students to start earning credits toward their bachelor’s degree while waiting to begin the Medical Radiography Program at GateWay.
Beyond the technical side, the radiography program will be recognized in the October/November edition of the ASRT Scanner, a leading radiologic technology publication, for its students’ outstanding community service efforts. Students in the GateWay Medical Radiography Program are part of the StART Club, an organization that volunteers their time at local food banks, clothing drives, adopt-a-family holiday programs, and other community-service efforts.
Johnson added that one of the club’s outstanding community service projects was the “X-Rays Don’t Hurt” program where they took children from GateWay’s on-campus Children’s Learning Center and gave them a tour of the x-ray labs and explained how the process worked. The overall goal of the program was to help take away the “fear factor” for children needing to get x-rays.
For more information on the Medical Radiography Program at GateWay Community College, visit http://www.gatewaycc.edu/Programs/MedicalRadiography/ or contact Bradley Johnson at johnsonb@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8502.
For media inquiries, contact Michelle Everson at everson@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8232.
GateWay’s automotive program enhances its curriculum with lessons on hybrid technology
The GateWay Community College Automotive Technology program, known for its up-to-date equipment and hands-on curriculum, is taking steps to prepare its students for the growth of hybrid technology in today’s automotive industry. Hybrid vehicles run on two or more sources of energy (one is usually electric), making them less dependent on traditional energy sources and easier on the environment. Because of this unique design, today’s automotive technicians benefit from learning how to repair traditional engines as well as hybrid ones. To keep up with evolving hybrid technology, the GateWay automotive program is beginning the process of including hybrid curriculum in its traditional program offerings.
This past summer, GateWay offered its first hybrid technology course titled “Hybrid Vehicle Overview.” The course was taught by George McWilliams, an official Toyota service training specialist, and students learned about the basic operation of hybrid vehicles, safety practices when servicing hybrid vehicles, and an overview of hybrid vehicle design and operation. Raymond Rocha, program specialist for the Industrial Technology Department at GateWay, said that the class maxed out and received positive feedback from students and local media.
“As far as I know, GateWay is one of the first automotive training programs to include hybrid technology in our curriculum,” Rocha said. “Our students learn how to work on a variety of cars, including regular, luxury, and now hybrid models.”
Thanks to the popularity of the first hybrid technology class, the automotive program is aiming to offer more hybrid class options for its current students beginning in the spring. And, although a student cannot earn a degree or certificate exclusive in hybrid technology, Rocha said that instructors are now integrating aspects of hybrid technology in current automotive classes.
Because of GateWay’s partnerships with carmakers Toyota, Honda and Nissan, automotive students spend 50 percent of their time doing hands-on work on cars with industry-standard tools. Rocha said that the program is beginning to incorporate tools designed specifically for hybrid vehicle maintenance. In addition, the GateWay campus is often home to hybrid and electric vehicle workshops.
“Since the industry is always changing, the automotive technology curriculum is updated yearly, which is why we began including hybrid technology into our programs,” Rocha said. “It gives our students the edge once they’re out in the field.”
One benefit of continuously updated curriculum, especially on the hybrid technology end, is that a more diverse body of students is now being attracted to the GateWay automotive program, Rocha adds. He said he has noticed an increase in both recent high school graduates and women participating in the program.
As GateWay continues to update its hybrid curriculum, Tom Goetz, automotive program director, said that the college will offer future hybrid courses in introductory and advanced topics like hybrid safety, engine overview, and hybrid engine diagnostics.
For more information about GateWay’s Automotive Technology programs, visit http://www.gatewaycc.edu/Automotive/ or contact Raymond Rocha at rocha@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-6174.
For media inquiries, contact Michelle Everson at everson@gatewaycc.edu or 602-286-8232.