WSU Vancouver will graduate
732 in Saturday ceremonies

Washington State University Vancouver will celebrate the accomplishments of 732 graduates when diplomas are handed out in the Amphitheater at Clark county beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 12.

Commencement speaker is retiring WSU president V. Lane Rawlins, during whose term the Vancouver branch of the university became the first off-campus Washington State University four-year research university.

The ceremony will honor 590 students earning undergraduate degrees and 142 students earning masters and doctoral degrees.

               Richard O'Brien

Graduating English major Richard O’Brien will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Student Achievement.

Hedrick Smith headlines
CREDC investor luncheon

Pulitzer Prize- and Emmy Award-winning journalist Hedrick Smith, former New York Times reporter and editor and PBS FRONTLINE producer and correspondent, will discuss the challenge of maintaining an educated, skilled workforce for international competition at the 11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 17, Columbia River Economic Development Council investment luncheon in the Hilton Vancouver Washington.

His topic is “Washington, the World, and Our Workforce,” reports CREDC executive director Bart Phillips.

Phillips says that by 2010, if current trends continue, the majority of the world’s engineers and scientists will be living in Asia.

Phillips adds: “Despite the national trade-deficit, Washington state leads the nation with a strong trade surplus with China, its largest trading partner. Exports helped create almost half of Washington’s new jobs during the past 30 years.

“However, Washington state ranks 35th in the nation for the percentage of young adults attending college. About 30 percent of ninth graders fail to graduate on time or don’t graduate at all.”

The luncheon is co-cosponsored by Southwest Washington Workforce Development Council, I.B.E.W. Local 46, and Educational Service District 112. For $30 tickets to the luncheon, call 694-5006.

Interstate Bridge and southwest Washington
transportation getting airing by WSU brass

Washington State University Vancouver chancellor Hal Dengerink and WSU professor of economic sciences Ken Casavant  present “Transportation: Economic Incentives and Infrastructure in Southwest Washington,” in a free program at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, in room 110 in the Administration Building on the WSU Vancouver Salmon Creek campus.

Dengerink is the co-chair of the Columbia River Crossing Task Force, now about mid-way in studies to recommend a new Vancouver Columbia River crossing that will unjam nearly perpetual commuter-time traffic snarls.

Casavant will discuss transportation capacity from a regional perspective. His focus is on the big picture, regional solutions to moving goods and services on rails, rivers and roads.

The program is co-sponsored by The Vancouver Business Journal.

Bravo! Vancouver presenting concert
version of The Pirates of Penzance

Bravo! Vancouver is presenting a concert version of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera The Pirates of Penzance at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 20, in St. Joseph Catholic Church, 400 S Andresen Road.

Backing up the Bravo! Vancouver Chorale and the Washington Chamber Orchestra are principal soloists are Mary Jo DuGaw, Sydney Johnson, Beth Madsen and David Meier.

Reserved tickets are $20 and may be obtained from Safeway TicketsWest outlets or from the Bravo! Ticket office, 904-0441.

News brief

Forums soliciting comment on the prospect of elevating Clark College interim president Bob Knight to president are continuing. With two down and three to go, the next forum is at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, in room 103 in Clark College at Town Plaza, 5411 E Mill Plain Boulevard. The final two forums are Wednesday, May

16, at 8:30 a.m. in the Gaiser Student Center on the Clark College main campus and at 6 p.m. in the same location. Knight, who has been leading the college since the resignation last year of Wayne Branch, is under scrutiny by the college board of trustees, who believe Knight may be the best fit for the permanent position.

Calendar

The Vancouver Design Review Committee meets at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 10, in conference room 3-A, 440 NE 77th Avenue.  

Wednesday, May 9 Headlines