ABOUT FACULTY

Michaela Grobbel, German, received the 2008 Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education Award at an awards ceremony in August. Grobbel is currently the only full-time professor of German at Sonoma State and teaches all levels of the German language. She recently remodeled the entire program, modeling the courses from those at Georgetown University. She is responsible for organizing and directing the SSU Language Festival, and bringing university students to high schools in Vallejo, Livermore, Pleasanton and Palo Alto to teach a German lesson to students. The Language Festival presentations were designed not only to test and practice the SSU students’ knowledge of the language, but to excite more interest in it from high school students as well. Grobbel also arranged a visit from the German National Youth Orchestra, accompanied by the Consul General of Germany which was a visit that was part of an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Berlin Airlift.

Carole Heath, Nursing, and Elena Feldman, RN-BSN student, and a group of dedicated medical volunteers and two coordinators reached out and touched more than 1100 underserved people in rural Honduras over the summer. Glenda Johnson, president of Medical Wings International and director Anne Ludec orchestrated the successful Brigida Medica team, sponsored by American Airlines. Two pediatricians, three nurses, three dentists, a pharmacist, a dental hygienist, and four doctors of optometry selflessly volunteered their time to meet the medical, dental and vision needs of the less fortunate. The planning and coordination of such a medical mission was monumental. The packing of 23 suitcases and containers with medicines, dressing supplies, donated eyeglasses, chart forms, dental instruments, a portable dentist chair, and vision screening machines proved to be a small fraction of the supplies needed for this endeavor.  It also incorporated loading and unloading the supplies, as well as wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches. Over the three days spent there, all of the wheelchairs were given to those with amputations and to children with severe cerebral palsy.  The many donated pairs of glasses transported there were dispensed to needy children and adults. 

The clinic was set up in a rural school in the village of La Flecha in Northwest Honduras where each medical specialty took up residence in different classrooms. Each day, throngs of women, men and children waited patiently to be seen. The volunteers examined a variety of illnesses and injuries, including a 40-day-old infant in acute respiratory distress. With the coordinated efforts of Glenda Johnson, an ambulance was on standby and the infant was transported to a medical hospital for admission. Without this swift assessment and ready transport, the infant would have died.  Many times the patients would end the session with a smile and handshake, oftentimes having a parting statement of, “God bless you.” 

"The townspeople were clearly appreciative for the assistance we could deliver as we were paired up with American Airlines employees who reside in Honduras as well as the Honduran Red Cross, and a host of others," said Heath. "Many community members who did not have medical needs expressed their appreciation for the assistance we were giving their community.  As nurse volunteers, we felt honored in making a difference in the lives of so many impoverished people.  It was also a privilege to be in the company of a cadre of caring, benevolent volunteers who gave up their time to deliver health care to members of our global community."