The Daily Bruin

The College of Engineering invites you to join us for a research seminar, “Robust Parafoil Terminal Guidance Using Massively Parallel Processing,” presented by engineering faculty candidate Dr. Nathan Slegers. The presentation is scheduled from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 20, in EHS 125.

Here is an abstract of the presentation:

Terminal guidance of autonomous parafoils is a difficult problem in which wind uncertainty and system underactuation are major challenges. Existing strategies almost exclusively use impact error as the criterion for optimality. Practical airdrop systems, however, must also include other criteria that may be even more important than impact error for some missions, such as ground speed at impact or constraints imposed by drop zones with restrictions on flight patterns. Furthermore, existing guidance schemes determine terminal trajectories using deterministic wind information and may result in a solution that works in ideal wind but may be sensitive to variations.

This seminar develops a guidance strategy that uses massively parallel Monte Carlo simulation performed on a graphics processing unit to rank candidate trajectories in terms of robustness to wind uncertainty. The result is robust guidance, as opposed to optimal guidance. Through simulation and experimental results, the proposed scheme proves more robust in realistic dynamic wind environments compared with previous optimal trajectory planners that assume perfect knowledge of a constant wind.

With the end of our fiscal year quickly approaching, and to ensure a clean cut-off between FY14 and FY15 spending, the last day to use your Visa card for fiscal year 2014 purchases is Friday, June 20. Please refrain from using your card for any purchases after this date.

If you will be traveling for business during this time, please contact Kathi Becker to discuss arrangements on how to handle purchases after June 20. Credit card purchases for the 2014-15 fiscal year can begin on or after July 1.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Kathi by email (kbecker@georgefox.edu) or at ext. 2166.

This is a reminder that the last day to place orders using the purchase order system is May 31, 2014, for the current fiscal year. This includes all requisitions which must be budget checked, approved and converted to purchase orders and products or services ordered. Please be sure orders are placed by May 31 to ensure items are received by June 30, 2014.

Fiscal year 2015 purchase orders will need to wait until June 15, when we expect the new chart of accounts to be available for use in the purchase order system. Please work directly with Kathi Becker before creating any FY15 purchase orders to ensure that this transition to the new system goes smoothly.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Kathi by email (kbecker@georgefox.edu) or at ext. 2166.

Jamie Noling-Auth has been hired to be George Fox University’s next university pastor/dean of spiritual life, inclusion and leadership!

She is currently associate campus pastor/director for discipleship ministries at Azusa Pacific University and has been in that role since 2005. Prior to that, she served as director of student ministries at Gordon College, coordinator of the institute for leadership studies at Vanguard University, and senior admissions counselor at Westmont College.

Jamie has a doctor of ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a master of arts in theology (MDiv equivalency) from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a bachelor of arts in communication from Pepperdine University.

We are very excited for Jamie to bring her many gifts to George Fox!

Blessings,
Brad Lau, vice president for student life

Both the men’s and women’s locker rooms in the Wheeler Sports Center are closed for the summer months (May through August). The women’s locker room is not under construction but is being used to store the lockers from the men’s locker room. The women’s coaches locker room will be left unlocked for temporary use during this time.

Questions? Contact Patty Findley at pfindley@georgefox.edu.

“What One Sees When One Looks,” an exhibition featuring artwork created by the faculty from the art and design department, will open Thursday, May 15, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Minthorne Gallery.

This exhibition will be up for the summer. Drop in and see what the faculty have been up to. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

New students and families will be on campus this Thursday, Friday and Saturday for Genesis. Please help welcome them by leaving the Stevens and Hoover parking lots open for them to use. If you park along Meridian, or in other lots, that would be appreciated.

Thank you!

George Fox Evangelical Seminary invites you to consider a continuing education opportunity! All faculty, staff, administrators and student leaders are invited to an Emotional Intelligence (EI) seminar, led by Rich Handley, DBA, on Wednesday, May 28. The event is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Portland Center. Registration will close this Friday, May 16, at 5 p.m.

Rich’s presentation will offer a compelling accompaniment to the information shared by Jared Roth, who was hosted by the university’s College of Business on Friday, April 25, as part of its spring events series. Rich is the founder of EQ University.

The May 28 event includes morning snacks and lunch, EI printed interpretations and a Leadership Presence Handbook.

Benefits:

• Consider your development as a leader through the EI framework
• Receive an interpretation of your own emotional intelligence inventory
• Apply the result of your EI inventory to the “leadership presence” framework
• Create a plan for developing EI leadership qualities and boosting your work performance
• Share a time of informal conversation and questions with Dr. Handley following his presentation
• Pursue two private coaching sessions via phone or Skype with Dr. Handley

The seminar is limited to 25 participants, and the cost is just $200 per person. RSVP to Mindy Holland at mholland@georgefox.edu.

For your further consideration, here is a link to a description of EI, as well as an example of some of the reports that participants will have.

Come join us today (Tuesday) for lunch! Bon Appetit is serving delicious authentic tacos with all the fixings out of our food cart outside the Student Union Building between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Just go to the counter in the Bruin Den and order the daily special, then pick it up outside!

The men’s locker room in the Wheeler Sports Center will be closed all summer due to construction. All items left in lockers after Tuesday, May 13, will be bagged and tagged by locker number and put into secure storage. Showers may or may not be available.

Questions? Contact Patty Findley at pfindley@georgefox.edu.

All faculty and staff are invited to celebrate the end of another successful academic year by enjoying ice cream and all the toppings at our annual ice cream social. We’ll gather beginning at 3 p.m. today (Tuesday) in the Bruin Den. This event is being sponsored by the Staff Development Committee.

Be sure to bring your summer student workers – they will be most welcome! Gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free options will be available.

As a complement to the Staff Development Committee mission this year to serve our students well, a number of bowls from our “Empty Bowls” fundraiser will be for sale for $5 each. All proceeds will go to the Student Emergency Fund.

Hope to see you all there for a time of refreshment and social time!

Time is running out to submit nominations for Support Staff and Administrator of the Year awards for the 2013-14 year. Nominations will be accepted through May 31.

Since this program was established in 1994 to recognize George Fox administrative and support staff members for their contributions, 48 employees have received this honor. There are two separate awards: Support Staff Member of the Year and Administrative Staff Member of the Year. Each recipient will be honored with a plaque and a check in the amount of $500 at our first community meeting for 2014-15 in August.

The executive team will make the selections from nominations received and recommendations of an ad hoc committee that includes last year’s awardees.

To be eligible, employees must meet the following criteria:

• .56FTE (usually 30 hours per week, nine months) or above
• Completion of at least three years of service by March 31
• Continuing in employment next year unless retiring, and
• Not a previous recipient of this award

A list of all support staff and administrators who meet the eligibility criteria was included in an April 21 email from Peggy Kilburg.

Employees can submit nominations by sending an email to Peggy Kilburg. You can nominate more than one person in each category; however, a separate email should be sent for each nomination. Questions you may want to consider as you make your nomination:

• How has this person encouraged or helped you, other employees, and/or students?
• What is it about this person’s job performance that impresses you?
• What have been this person’s unique contributions above and beyond assigned duties?
• How does this person demonstrate Christian commitment, loyalty to George Fox, and leadership skills at the university and in the broader community?

I hope you will take some time to consider your colleagues’ contributions this past year and nominate any you believe are deserving of this award.

Thank you!
Peggy Kilburg

Please remember your help is needed to plant hanging baskets for the campus quad. Join us tomorrow (Wednesday) anytime between 9 a.m. and noon in the Plant Services building. If you have questions, contact Debby O’Kelley at dokelley@georgefox.edu.

Thank you!

Six staff and administrator positions are currently open. Listed in order of recency, they are:

• Administrative Assistant II – Department of Professional Studies (internal only)
• Systems Engineer
• Executive Assistant to Vice President and Dean of Seminary
• Assistant Director of Sports Marketing
• Benefits and Compensation Manager
• Director of Purchasing and Administrative Services

The link to each of these position announcements can be found at jobs.georgefox.edu. If you know of someone you believe might provide a good fit for any of these jobs, please refer the person to the website for information about the job and instructions about applying.

All faculty and staff are invited to celebrate the end of another successful academic year by enjoying ice cream and all the toppings at our annual ice cream social. We’ll gather beginning at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, in the Bruin Den.

Be sure to bring your summer student workers – they will be most welcome! Gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free options will be available.

As a complement to the Staff Development Committee mission this year to serve our students well, a number of bowls from our “Empty Bowls” fundraiser will be for sale for $5 each. All proceeds will go to the Student Emergency Fund.

Hope to see you all there for a time of refreshment and social time!

Just a reminder to complete the Serve Day participation survey as soon as possible, if you haven’t already done so.

Please take a few minutes to click the link below and fill out this form. It is very important to do so for our planning over the summer. Serve Day will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2014.

Make sure you plan accordingly for another great day of service to our community.

Thank you,
Brad Lau

Employee Serve Day Survey

The Department of Professional Studies (adult degree programs) is accepting internal applications only, for the position of administrative assistant II. This position provides administrative support for the DPS department chair, DPS operations manager, DPS faculty and adjuncts. The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational skills, the ability to multitask, and be proficient in MS Office Suite. A college degree is preferred.

Want to know more? To receive a full job description, please email hr@georgefox.edu. Please submit your transfer request (available on this web page) to Human Resources by email at the above address or by hand delivery to our office in Newberg by Wednesday, May 14, at 5 p.m.

JELD-WEN Field is the place to be on the evening of Saturday, May 17, as the Portland Timbers take on the Columbus Crew at 7:30 p.m. You are invited to join George Fox alumni, parents and friends on the Widmer Brothers Southern Front (#5).

Game tickets include snacks of popcorn, roasted peanuts, potato chips with onion dip, gourmet macaroni and cheese, barbecue meatballs and fresh-baked cookies. Soda and water also will be provided.

Tickets are $50 each and can be purchased at this link. Questions? Call 503-544-2134.

Be sure to join us for the all-employee meeting this afternoon (Thursday) from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in Hoover 105.

Our theme this month is “Graduation,” and we’ll be serving trail mix and punch. At the Portland Center, we will have a live video feed and also serve treats in Room 160.

For those of you who use Enterprise for 12-passenger vans when George Fox vans are unavailable, please take note. Due to a recall of some Chevrolet vans, Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s inventory of vans is very low right now.

While it used to take a few days to reserve a van, it may now take much longer. Just how long has yet to be determined, but just know that as soon as you become aware of the need for a rental van you should contact the Newberg branch at Rylan.L.Ramsey@ehi.com or 503-538-4010, or your local Enterprise office.