Kathleen O’Brien, M.A. Environment and Community, 2002

An AUS distinguished alum a few years ago, Kathleen will be the featured speaker for the Cascadia Green Building Council in September. Here’s the link: http://cascadiagbc.org/events/2011/september/transformational-lecture-series-newleaf-featuring-Kathleen-OBrien/view.

Cari Simson, M.A. Whole Systems Design, 2005

Cari Simson had her baby! It’s a girl! Rosie Simson Wiktorski came into the world at 9:21 am, July 16, 2011, everyone is doing great!! Cari is a WSD alum and was part of the very first Center for Creative Change cohort.

Sean Megy, M.S. Management ‘01

Teacher and cyclist Sean Megy, M.S. Management ‘01, is mentioned in an article that recently appeared in the Kitsap Sun newspaper. Here is the link to story: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2011/may/20/hundreds-pedal-in-for-bainbridges-bike-to-school/

Karin Landsberg, M.A. Whole Systems Design 2003

From Karin Landsberg, M.A. Whole Systems Design ‘03, to Betsy Geist, core faculty member and interim director of the Center for Creative Change:

“Hi Betsy, I’m headed to Anchorage, AK!!! I start my new job with the AK Department of Environmental Conservation on 5/16. I’ll be in their Air Quality Program.

To start with I’ll be focusing on cumulative air quality effects of multiple operations on the outer continental shelf. Should be very interesting - both technically and how it plays in to politics and policy around energy and drilling. They’ll likely also pull me into some transportation related work because I have experience with that. And should AK get interested in mitigating climate change, I hope to be able to work on that, too. At this point, they are mostly focused on adaptation issues, however.

Besides letting you know what I’m to, I was prompted to send you this note because I am going through my notebooks from Antioch, attempting to let some of the paper go - so hard!!! I’ve reread a few things and am impressed with the work I did. Most of all, however, I want to thank you again for your guidance and encouragement throughout grad school.

I see that I have been effective in my current position and was offered my new job because of my ability to cross lines between areas, especially between the technical and policy, and explaining the technical to the non-technical. While these were never specific topics of a class, nor a focus of my work, I know the freedom to explore and the discipline (provided by instructors) to do something with those explorations helped me develop my intellectual abilities.

So, Betsy, thank you!!!!!!”

Wendy Maguire, B.A. 1996

I need to reduce my work hours as I am returning to Antioch University Seattle as a Whole Systems Design student who is focused on sustainable business models. As a result, I have left the position as Controller for a local coffee roaster and am touting my bookkeeping services. The goal is to build a client base with 20-30 hours of scheduled work per week.

As a Certified Public Bookkeeper, QuickBooks Pro-Adviser (Enterprise Certified), you can count on me for help with strategizing and setting up a seamless accounting system.
As a consultant, it has become evident that many times resources are not designated for bookkeeping systems up front. This can lead to a clean-up that is more costly and time consuming. That said, I have helped many companies to organize their accounting systems and taken chaos to order. Simply stated, I can help you put together a top rate accounting system whether you are a start-up or have a major clean-up.

In many cases, small business owners and non-profit organizations will spend accountant rates on simple bookkeeping services, or the inverse, pay an entry level person to do bookkeeping service which are outside of their range of experience. One cost saving measure is to create a system where the basic data entry is done by an entry level person, overseen by a part time bookkeeper who reviews entries, files monthly and quarterly taxes, processes payroll and prepares financial statements. In turn the financial statements are passed on to an accountant at year end who completes income taxes and year- end adjustments. It is good to have a working relationship between accountant and bookkeeper so that high level questions on process can be sorted out.

If you are in need of bookkeeping services or you know someone who can use my help don’t hesitate to call me. Eric Warn has my resume upon request and references are available as well.

Warmest regards,
Wendy L. Maguire, B.A. ’96
wenmagui@yahoo.com
206-293-5570

Kathleen O’Brien, M.A. Environment and Community, 2002

Kathleen O’Brien was recently recognized as a longtime champion of energy efficiency with her win of the Better Bricks Award in the category of Advocate.

The BetterBricks Awards celebrate the champions of energy efficiency whose forward-thinking business practices set the industry standard for sustainability in commercial real estate. The Awards recognize architects, engineers, developers, building owners, property managers, building operators, facility managers and other building professionals for their leadership in reducing the use of energy and other resources in buildings.

Better Bricks defines Advocates as champions who work both within their professions and throughout the commercial building market to preach for and support the design and operation of high performance buildings.

The award recognized many of Kathleen’s milestone achievements:

•Technical Manual and Field Guide for Washington State Energy Code (WSEC) 1991 Residential Energy Code
•Building With Value Conference
•Creating Sustainable Building Advisors
•Merrill Hall at the Center for Urban Horticulture, University of Washington, LEED Silver
•Washington Sustainable Schools Protocol (WSSP)
•Ellensburg Energy Conservation & Efficiency Strategy

BetterBricks is the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA), which is supported by Northwest electric utilities. Through BetterBricks, NEEA advances ideas to accelerate energy savings in new and existing commercial buildings. BetterBricks education & training, online resources and recognition of industry leaders guide and inspire building professionals to embrace best practices, improve energy performance and achieve their sustainability goals.

These Awards honor the best and brightest in the commercial building industry - those steadfast leaders who challenge the status quo and redefine the standards for energy efficiency and sustainability in our region. It’s time to recognize these standout individuals for their contributions to high performance buildings.

Job Opening - Chair in Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution

Organization: Ohio State University, Mershon Center for International Security Studies
Website: http://mershoncenter.osu.edu
Primary Category: Social Sciences

Applicants should submit a letter of interest, current curriculum vitae, and the names of three references to mershon.peace@osu.edu. Questions should be directed to Courtney Sanders, Peace Chair Search, Mershon Center for International Security Studies, 1501 Neil Ave. Columbus, Ohio 43201-2602.

The holder of the chair will be expected to lead an active multidisciplinary program in conflict resolution involving research, teaching, and public service. The center is open to candidates in numerous fields including Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy, History, Economics and Law. A distinguished record of publication, teaching, and service is expected. The successful candidate will be appointed as a tenured professor at The Ohio State University, salary and rank will be commensurate with the level of distinction.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. The Ohio State University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Qwo-Li Driskill, M.A. Whole Systems Design 1998

Qwo-Li wants to share that his co-edited collection, Queer Indigenous Studies: Critical Interventions in Theory, Politics, and Literature, was just published from University of Arizona Press. http://www.uapress.arizona.edu/BOOKS/bid2283.htm

Weight Loss Success Story - Carol Hawkins, M.A. Environment & Community 2010

The following is one of a series of weight loss success stories featured on Mother Nature Network.

Carol Hawkins never actually decided to lose weight, per se.

Instead, this 40-year-old Seattle resident said the weight loss she experienced last year was a natural byproduct of her decision to focus on eating locally and seasonally.

“The weight just drops off because you have a purpose.” she said. “It was a more holistic approach.”

Indeed, the holistic approach appears to be working wonderfully: Hawkins dropped 60 pounds over the course of 2010.

She credits her ongoing food education as a prime motivator:
Hawkins recently received a degree in social justice with a focus on food security from Antioch University in Seattle. She’s taken what she’s learned about food, the food industry, and government policy and turned that information into action.

She’s eliminated processed, packaged foods and instead bulks up on organic fruits and vegetables that are delivered to her home each week.

And, because she’s only eating what’s in season, she said she experiments with food a lot more.

While she’s certainly sympathetic towards vegetarian ideals, Hawkins said she incorporates fish into her diet due to low levels of vitamin B12.

She will eat grain breads and pasta but shuns many other sources of carbs, most notably sugary soft drinks. Don’t even ask about high fructose corn syrup.

For snacks, Hawkins said she has switched from potato chips to nuts and seeds.

As for exercise, Hawkins easily gets more than the average American on a daily basis: She commutes to work on her bike 12 miles — each way.

That ride takes about an hour going to work and a little more than an hour coming home because she’s riding uphill. And, even though she’s on the bike so much during the week, she still enjoys going for longer rides on the weekends.

“I guess what I found is that I love my bike,” she said with a laugh.

When asked about her advice to others, Hawkins said she hears a lot of people say it’s too expensive to eat “real food.”

“It’s not,” she said. “You have to think about it and focus.”

Hawkins said she spends about $75 a week for food for herself and two teens.

When you buy seasonal and local, she concedes that it’s expensive to start because you need to stock up on certain staples.

But afterward, Hawkins said, you learn to plan your meals ahead of time and subsequently the food budget goes down.

Apparently, so does your waistline.

Natalie Hanson, M.A. Whole Systems Design, 1993

An expert in research and innovation Natalie Hanson, M.A. Whole Systems Design ‘93, global senior director at SAP (business management software solutions applications and services), recently participated in Philadelphia University’s fall Design, Engineering and Commerce lecture series.

Discussing research methods in the business context, Hanson shared some of the opportunities and challenges that arise in bringing social sciences research methods to the business setting. She described how she secured approval for the cross-disciplinary User Experience (UX) function she now manages, as well as the ongoing effort that is required to justify the value of User-Centered Design (UCD) methods in an engineering-driven corporate culture.

Hanson also shared some of the messaging that her team has developed over time, as well as their ongoing efforts to bring user-centered methods into the organization’s project management toolkit. In addition, she discussed some case studies from the work her team has conducted internally since 2005. In general, the scenarios demonstrated the ways in which research and design methods need to be thoughtfully selected in response to changing business direction and emergent stakeholder requirements – and how collaborative interdisciplinary teams work together to make that happen.

Hanson has been researching the intersection of business strategy, technology, social science and design for more than 10 years. In her role at SAP, Hanson is responsible for identifying emerging trends from market data, executive messaging and user-experience research, and using those insights to create and execute innovative and pragmatic programs aligned with corporate strategy.

In 2002, she founded a listserv called anthrodesign (http://www.anthrodesign.com/anthrodesign/Welcome.html ). This active online community is composed of over 2000 members worldwide who are interested in engaging in dialogue about cross-disciplinary collaboration, with a particular focus on the use of field research (ethnographic) methods in the business context.

Hanson’s research explores the ways in which institutions respond to macro-economic, industry, and regional trends, and how those organizational changes affect the lives of employees. Besides her master’s degree from AUS, Hanson also has an M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Temple University.

She can be reached through her website (http://www.nataliehanson.com), which has more information about her research interests, etc.

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