Wine business professors from around the world will present the latest research on wine marketing, wine tourism and wine economies at the Second International Wine Marketing Symposium at Sonoma State University on July 8 and 9.
The upcoming symposium will add to the growing body of academic business research relevant to the wine industry, says SSU professor Liz Thach, one of the organizers. At least 80 professors from more than 10 different countries are expected to participate.
Featured speakers include Nick Frey, Sonoma County Grape Growers Association who will discuss "Exploring the Appellations of Sonoma County," Larry Lockshin, Director of the Wine Marketing Research group at the University of South Australia on a proposed wine society, and Wine Market Council President John Gillespie.
Wine marketing professionals are invited to attend the symposium and participate in the discussions. There will also be a celebratory wine dinner at Korbel Winery on Friday evening, July 8.
The first symposium was held last July 2003 in Adelaide at the University of South Australia and provided an opportunity for participants to discuss and share research with each other.
The Wine Business Program located in Sonoma State's School of Business and Economics is the first University program in the United States to focus exclusively on the business aspects of the wine industry.
Cost to attend the 2-day symposium is $300 per person, which includes the formal dinner at Korbel winery on Friday evening as well as continental breakfast and lunch.
Complete details on the program and registration can be found at www.sonoma.edu/winebiz/.
For further information, contact SSU wine professors Dr. Liz Thach, (707) 664-4212 or Dr. Janeen Olsen, (707) 664-3194.
NOTE: No registration fee will be charged to wine media representatives who are interested in covering this event.
Dr. Mary Gendernalik Cooper has accepted the position of Dean of the School of Education at Sonoma State University effective July 15. She replaces Dr. Martha Rudell who is retiring from the position as interim dean.
Cooper comes to Sonoma State University from Georgia Southwestern State University, where she has been professor and dean of the School of Education since 2003. Cooper brings 30 years of experience to her new post, spanning K-12 and higher education. Her philosophy of education emphasizes collaboration and the professional development of teachers.
"Fostering collaboration among school systems, parents, teachers, the university and the community at large is critical to the field of education, and the highest quality preparation of educators," Cooper says.
"Teacher leadership is probably closest to my heart," she notes. "We must do more to 'professionalize' teaching. Teachers must assume more leadership positions in schools in order to make better use of their experience and knowledge, and further improve the educational process for students."
From 1996 to 2002, Cooper served as a tenured professor of Educational Administration and chair of the Department of Teacher Development at Augusta State University. She was also coordinator of the Central Savannah River Area P-16 Council and director of their nationally recognized Professional Development School Network. From 1993 to 1996, she directed the Master of Arts in Teaching Program at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Va.
Cooper holds a B.A. from Michigan State University and a M.A.T. and Ph.D. from Wayne State University.
SSU's new Dean has been an active researcher supported by numerous grants. Most recently, she was awarded a three-year $400,000 grant by the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education program to develop a web-based data collection system documenting the effectiveness of Professional Development Schools in improving teaching and learning in K-12.
She also has an extensive scholarly record of publication and presentations, and a demonstrated ability to lead organizations in collaborative endeavors.
"With Dr. Gendernalik Cooper as dean, Sonoma State University's School of Education is poised to build on the accomplishments of CTC certification and NCATE accreditation to reach even higher levels of excellence," says Dr. Eduardo Ochoa, provost of SSU.
Cooper's husband, Wade, is a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel who also holds a doctorate from the University of Virginia.
Unusual bike designs help children with developmental disabilities master the art of riding a two-wheeler at the special bike and swim camp called Sidekicks Cycle from June 13-17 at Sonoma State University.
Children who have previously faced multiple barriers in learning to ride conventional bicycles typically experience success using these unique bike trainers.
"For some children - children with balance or coordination problems or disabilities - learning to ride a bike is like climbing Mt. Everest. They can now participate alongside siblings and peers in this pastime that is a childhood rite-of-passage," says SSU kinesiology professor Elaine McHugh. She directs the camp from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. in the main gymnasium next week.
A bike rodeo tops off the fifth annual bike and swim camp from 1-3 p.m. on Friday, June 17. Current and former campers, and other area children with and without disabilities, will participate in activities that challenge their skills and test their knowledge of bike safety.
Stations will include such tasks as a "slow race," a station in which riders try to keep their wheels between two narrow lines, and opportunities to show knowledge of traffic signs. Participants use two- wheelers, three-wheelers, or wheelchairs to complete the course. Local bike shops and police officers are expected to take part.
Adapted Physical Education teachers from Sonoma and other Bay Area counties staff the camp, along with students from SSU, San Francisco State University and St. Vincent de Paul High School. As the children learn to ride, students gain valuable experience teaching children with special needs.
For further information, contact Elaine McHugh, Adapted PE Coordinator, (707) 664-2660.
Dan Condron has accepted the position of Vice President for University Affairs at Sonoma State University, effective July 11. He joins SSU after a distinguished career with Hewlett-Packard/Agilent Technologies in the fields of research and development, marketing, manufacturing, personnel and public affairs.
Condron replaces Lynn McIntyre who is retiring after ten years with the University.
Condron served as Public Affairs Manager in Sonoma County with Hewlett Packard/Agilent Technologies from 1984-2002. In the past two years, he was the Community Relations Director for CommunitySmart, a subsidiary of Nietech Corporation.
A resident of Sonoma County for more than thirty years, Condron is a highly respected community leader. He has served as the President of the Board of Education of the Santa Rosa City School District; Chair of the Board of Directors of the Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce; Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Sonoma County; and President of the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Business/Education Roundtable.
He also has been active in numerous professional organizations at both the state and national level, including the American Electronics Association and California Business for Education Excellence.
A loyal supporter of Sonoma State University, Condron serves on the President's Advisory Board and the Advisory Council for the School of Business and Economics. His commitment to promoting the quality of public education is evident in his work as a member of the California Master Plan Committee for K-University Education and the California Commission for the Establishment of Academic Content and Performance Standards.
Condron is a graduate of Stanford University, where he received B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical engineering. He lives in Santa Rosa with his wife, Janet, who is a member of the Santa Rosa City Council and former mayor of the city.
"Dan Condron brings a wealth of experience in public and government relations to this position," said SSU president Ruben Arminana in making the announcement. "I am confident he will continue to build upon the many strong partnerships between the university and the community."
Artistic Director Jeffrey Kahane has once again gathered together a roster of extraordinary artists for the sixth season of the Green Music Festival at Sonoma State University. The program this season celebrates the patriotic glories of the Fourth of July, the electric virtuosity of chamber music, and the infectious rhythms of jazz piano.
Cuban jazz keyboard virtuoso Gonzalo Rubalcaba and renowned jazz pianist Fred Hersch are featured this season in a series of dazzling piano performances. A group of chamber musicians unmatched in expertise and quality also offer four concerts in a week of inspired programs of expressive artistry and an electrically charged intimacy.
Staged during July in a beautiful wine country setting by the lakes on the Rohnert Park campus, the program will allow Festival goers to witness the groundbreaking activity of the new Donald and Maureen Green Music Center. The Center is expected to open by 2008 with a world class concert hall, conference and educational facility.
INDEPENDENCE DAY ON THE GREEN: STARS AND STRIPES AND SPLENDOR, 4 to 10 p.m., Monday, July 4, Campus Lawn --The Green Music Festival is delighted to welcome back conductor Jeff Tyzik to lead the Santa Rosa Symphony in a rousing Fourth of July celebration. Patriotic favorites, familiar tunes, and light classics are the theme for the day. Along with the concert by the Santa Rosa Symphony, enjoy fine art and wine, wonderful food, roving musicians, a children's play area and the region's most sensational fireworks. It all makes the Green Music Festival's Fourth of July event the ultimate Sonoma County patriotic experience. Tickets, $10-$55.
CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES, July 8-14, Evert B. Person Theatre -- Holding to his stellar reputation for imaginative programming and inspired musical "casting" that lifts the rooftop with the brilliant intensity of the performances, Jeffrey Kahane has assembled an illustrious line-up of the best musicians on the chamber music scene. Musicians in this year's festival include the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Lindsay Deutsch, Chee-Yun, Aloysia Friedmann, Nokuthula Ngwenyama, Alisa Weilerstein, Peter Wyrick, Stephen Tramontozzi, and Jon Kimura Parker. Kahane and Parker will perform a piano duo on July 12 featuring works by Gershwin, Rachmaninoff and Schubert. Tickets, $12-$35.
PIANO SERIES, July 17, 23, 30, Evert B. Person Theatre -- Pianos are a poppin' for two weeks in July as three gifted musicians take audiences on an exhilarating musical journey. From Jeffrey Kahane's inspired playing of Bach's "Goldberg" Variations to Fred Hersch's stylish jazz to the virtuosic brilliance of Gonzalo Rubalcaba, audiences will be thrilled by what unfolds before them on the eighty-eights. Tickets, $12-$35.
THE MARRIAGE OF ART & MUSIC: An Exhibit of Visual Arts Masterpieces --Masterworks Fine Art Institute presents The Marriage of Art & Music, a fine art exhibition running throughout the Festival, consists of works spanning 450 years of art history, from Rembrandt to contemporary art. Free.
GREENFARMFEST: Youth Performance Weekend, July 23, 24 -- Two days of performances cap the Greenfarm summer season of arts + education programs for youth. Don't miss the region's most promising young artists as they experience the joy of creative expression. Free.
All events take place at the Sonoma State University campus at 1801 E. Cotati Ave. in Rohnert Park, approximately 40 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
HOW TO ORDER TICKETS
To order by phone, call toll free (877) SSU-FEST. The box office is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To order via the Internet, visit www.cityboxoffice.com or www.tickets.com.
Tickets may also be purchased in person Mondays through Fridays, 9:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., at City Box Office, 180 Redwood St., Suite 100, San Francisco. All ticket orders received less than seven days prior to the performance will be held at Will Call for pick up on the day of the event.
For group sales, contact Linda Graham at (415) 346-7805.
Gustavo Flores has been named Director of Admissions at Sonoma State University after having served as associate director of enrollment services and interim director of admissions.
Flores is bilingual and came to SSU in 1994 as a recruiter with special responsibility for developing the first-time freshman outreach and recruitment program.
During his service as interim director of admissions he led a major reorganization of the admissions, outreach and recruitment offices, and has demonstrated a deep commitment to customer service for both prospective students and the programs and departments in which they wish to enroll.
In addition, he led ESAS in the adoption of new technologies and software applications as they apply to admission and outreach.
In addition to his work in admissions, Flores taught in the Mexican American Studies department at SSU and has conducted numerous professional presentations and workshops promoting college attendance throughout California in both Spanish and English.
He is well known in the North Bay for his involvement in youth soccer and for his support and mentoring of students from historically underrepresented populations. He is a member of Nu Alpha Kappa, the Hispanic fraternity, and earlier served as the advisor to NAK.
Flores, his wife Paula, a graduate of SSU in nursing, and their two children, Jovany and Mia, live in Santa Rosa. Flores is a graduate of CSU Stanislaus.
The Sonoma State University Recreation Center has been awarded a 2005 Outstanding Sports Facilities Award by the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association. NIRSA is the premier association for recreation professionals at college campuses.
SSU's $15 million recreation center was recognized for a state-of-the-art design that maximizes functional space and demonstrates numerous efforts incorporating sustainable building techniques while using a selection of materials which beautifully reflect the surrounding rural county. It was completed in August, 2004.
The 59,000 square-foot center includes a two-court gymnasium, one-court gymnasium/soccer arena, fitness center, climbing wall, outdoor adventure resource and equipment rental area, game room, exercise studios, locker rooms, and spa.
Sustainable design features which increase energy efficiency and strive to lessen impact on the environment include the extensive use of energy-saving day lighting, clerestories, and skylights; HVAC zones using a high efficiency indirect-direct evaporative cooling system, supplemented by natural ventilation and night-time natural cooling, and radiant hydronic floor heating; high-efficiency fluorescent lighting tied to photo-sensors and occupancy sensors; Energy Star and other energy-efficient appliances; reclaimed water in toilets, urinals, and for irrigation, low flow faucets; the use of sustainable woods for flooring; and many other techniques.
Pamela Su, Director of Campus Recreation, accepted the award on behalf of Sonoma State University. The award also acknowledged contributions made to the project by architecture firm, LPA, Inc., sports facility consultant, Bill Manning, and construction firm, Wright Contracting, Inc.
More information about the building's sustainability can be found at www.sonoma.edu/campusrec/sustainability.html.
A rooftop photovoltaic solar array is planned for future installation. The University received a $27,000 grant from the California Integrated Waste Management Board to support the use of recycled waste tire rubber in the climbing wall's safety flooring and to support the purchase of furniture using recycled materials.
Throughout the facility, numerous pieces of furniture display educational tags boasting of recycled materials such as plastic, steel, paper, glass, sunflower seed husks, and even seatbelts.
"I think one of the reasons this building turned out so successfully is the input and attention given by our students during the design stage," says Su.
"They were faced with helping to make difficult decisions of what would be best for many generations of building users to come and they hit it right on the nose. Trying to maintain a healthy mind and body in a healthy building supports our mission."
The building is a project of the Sonoma Student Union Corporation, an auxiliary organization at Sonoma State University. Students passed a campus-wide vote in fall of 2000 to raise the fees that support the project. The construction and operation of the Recreation Center uses no general fund or state dollars.
Su sees this as a plus, "Because student fees support this project, there was a greater ability to say how the space should be used and incorporating sustainable features. Students also have a much greater say in how the facility is run today."
The Rec Center welcomes visitors who want to tour the facility. For further information, contact Pamela Su, (707) 664-4FUN.
