The Learning Center will be offering a free, ten-week workshop entitled, “NETS: Focusing on Success for ‘New’ Students,” from 1-3:30 p.m. beginning today, Sept. 21 through Nov. 23 in room 191 in the KRC Brockel building.

This NETS (Necessary Education, Technology and Skills) course will focus on community service, learning about resources and career and college awareness. Instructor Terri Cowart will be leading the class.

There is no registration fee and everyone (ages 18 and up) is invited to attend. Learn more and/or register by calling 262-0327 or email Diane Taylor at dttaylor@kpc.alaska.edu or Terri Cowart at tcowart@kpc.alaska.edu.

UAA School of Nursing RRANN program recruiter visit planned

The UAA School of Nursing’s Recruitment and Retention of Alaska Natives into Nursing program’s recruiter will be visiting the Kenai River Campus at 2 p.m. on Sept. 29. The program’s mission is to recruit and mentor Alaska Native/American Indian students who are interested in pursuing nursing degrees. The program offers tutoring services, group meetings to connect students and a support staff of facilitators to assist students.

Learn more about the program by visiting their website at http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/schoolofnursing/RRANN/. To learn more about the upcoming visit to KPC, please contact Rebecca Dreier, RRANN student support specialist, at (907) 786-4714.

Kenai River Campus new faculty spotlight

Jacob Keisling has been hired as KRC’s new assistant professor of welding and has replaced Fritz Miller who recently retired after holding the position since 1983. Keisling has many different certifications including a variety of endorsements welding stainless and carbon steel of various sizes. He is certified by the American Welding Society as both a welding instructor and associate welding inspector. Keisling also earned certified welding educator status from the NCCER/AZ Builders Alliance in Page, Arizona.

Keisling’s previous employment experience includes high school career and technical education instructor at Page Unified School District where he taught welding, construction, industrial and automotive collision technologies. He also taught at Arizona Welding Institute, Inc. and Coconino Community College.

Keisling’s industry experience includes working at various refineries and power plants, and a variety of welding positions in Haines, Alaska where he resides during the summer months.

This semester Keisling teaches three sections of welding, including gas and arc, wire and arc welding with low hydrogen electrodes classes. 2016 Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference planning underway

Since 2002, the Kachemak Bay Writers’ Conference, coordinated by KPC’s Kachemak Bay Campus is Homer, has served to empower and inspire writers from Alaska and beyond.

The nationally acclaimed conference will be held June 10-14, 2016 at Land’s End resort. To date, eighteen presenters are confirmed for the conference along with keynote speaker, Natasha Tretheway, former two-term U.S. Poet Laureate and 2007 Pulitzer Prize winner.

For more information on the upcoming conference, visit writersconf.kpc.alaska.edu/.

New exhibit in Freeburg Gallery

Cam Choy, KRC associate professor of art, invites the public to visit artist Maria Shell’s quilt exhibition in the gallery located in KRC’s Brockel Building.

The show, entitled “Hot Crossed Squares,” is a colorful collection of fabrics with various textures and contrasting patterns and it will run through Oct. 16. “Her work is incredibly vibrant and expressive,” Choy said. According to the artist’s statement, the exhibition is part of a larger body of work called Color Grids, “a very satisfying exploration of patchwork as art.”

This column is provided by Suzie Kendrick, Advancement Programs Manager at Kenai Peninsula College.