Top Of PageHelp Your PC Keep Pace With Demands
Are you starting to feel the effects of old age? Memory not as good as
it once was? Working a little slower that you remember? Not able to
handle the latest generation? These are issues common to
two-year-olds, two-year-old computers that is. With the constantly
increasing speed of today’s PCs and ever increasing demands of the
latest software, computers as new as one or two years old may start
acting like they are ready for the scrap pile. Upgrading is always an
option, but it’s a daunting task, better left to those with an
affection for pocket protectors.
Right? No, not necessarily. Upgrading can be done by the average
computer owner, and the Princeton PC Users Group provides detailed
instruction on “Upgrading Your PC” on Monday, September 11, at 7 p.m.
at a free meeting at the Mercer County Library in Lawrence. Visit
www.ppcug-nj.org for more information.
Leading the presentation is John W. Goodwin Jr. who has been building
computers for 25 years – longer than most people have been using them.
Born and mostly raised in the Philadelphia area, Goodwin moved to
Virginia for a couple of years before being drafted into the Marine
Corps, where he showed a proclivity for electronics and was sent to
the Navy Electronics School in San Francisco.
Upon his release from the military, Goodwin used the GI bill to obtain
an associate’s degree from the National Radio Institute in Washington,
D.C. After graduation he caught the eye of Lewis C. Eggebrecht, an
electronics engineer who helped design the first IBM PC. Eggebrecht
gave him the chance to do some design work on what was supposed to be
a 12-month project, but it was successful enough to employ Goodwin for
the next 17 years.
In the late 1970s Goodwin started opening computer service centers for
Tandy, the computer manufacturer that had just introduced its TRS 80
model. But by 1983 he was back in research and development, spending a
little more than a year with Franklin Computers, which at the time had
an Apple compatible product. He then worked in the telecom sector for
20 years.
Goodwin now owns J.A.M. Computers in Hamilton (609-586-4468), where he
provides custom-built computers and upgrades to both business and
individuals. His wife, Ann Marie, teaches third grade in the East
Windsor school system.
With all of this experience it would be logical to expect that
Goodwin’s talk would be full of historical facts. No so, he says, “I’m
not a lecturer, I’m a hardware engineer.” He says that the first order
of business at the Princeton PCUG meeting will be figuring out how to
get the demonstration computers open so he can point out the locations
of all of the internal parts. Everyone will walk away from the seminar
with a “familiarity of the parts inside the machine and an
understanding of what it takes to upgrade.”
Before starting the upgrade process, users have to consider the value
of their investment. There is not much point in spending $400 to get a
computer running just like a brand new machine that can be purchased
for $350.
“You can expect to buy a new machine every four years,” Says Goodwin,
“assuming you bought a machine with a lot of horsepower to begin
with.” The purchase of an inexpensive system will almost guarantee a
shorter life if you plan on keeping up with the latest software.
Goodwin says that very little has changed in the basics of how a
computer works in the last 40 years. “They have just gotten faster and
smaller.” The real changes are on the software side, and on the
demands that software places on computers. A five-year-old system
running five-year-old software will function as well today as it did
in 2001. But load in the latest video game, and the machine might as
well be referred to as sculpture.
The latest software requires a lot of memory and processing power, and
with Vista, the new Microsoft Windows operating system, set to deploy
around the holidays, the basic requirement bar is being raised once
again. Here is how to equip every part of a PC to keep up:
CPU. The CPU, or central processing unit, is the computer’s brain. It
sits on the motherboard, which functions as the nervous system. The
motherboard collects signals from around the computer, carries them to
the CPU for processing, and then returns the CPU’s response to the
appropriate section of the machine. The CPU and motherboard can be
upgraded, but doing so is closer to building a computer than upgrading
one. The average user may be better off by providing the existing
processor with a memory boost.
Memory. Increasing memory is the number one upgrade and is the best
and least expensive way to increase performance. “There are lots of
different types of memory,” says Goodwin. “There is SDRAM (synchronous
dynamic random access memory), DDR memory (double data rate memory),
DDR2, and RDRAM (random access memory made by Rambus), among others.”
While the choices make the project seem complicated, it really isn’t.
Only the correct type of memory will fit into a particular computer,
and the memory sticks are “keyed” so that they can not be inserted
incorrectly. To make sure the correct memory is purchased, the old
card can be removed and brought to the store.
Online shoppers will find that companies like Crucial Technology
(www.crucial.com) offer memory selectors that allow customers to enter
their computer information and receive a list of compatible memory.
Even better, Crucial can scan the machine being upgraded over the
Internet and can tell what upgrades are available.
Hard drive. With the growing popularity of digital photography, music,
movies and the like, a lot of machines are running out of storage
space. All of this data is stored on the PC’s hard drive, and many
hard drives are groaning under the load.
If deleting old MP3s isn’t an option, it may be time for a new hard
drive. The common unit of measurement for computer files is bytes and
modern hard drives are sold by the gigabyte, or billion. A few years
ago 20 to 30 GB was more than enough. Today, downloading a single
episode of the television show “Lost” will consume at least one-half a
GB of space.
Luckily a new drive in the 250GB range can be had for under $100 from
online retailers such as Tiger Direct (www.tigerdirect.com) or New Egg
(www.newegg.com), but it is possible to spend more. The faster a drive
moves, the better it will perform, and the more expensive it will be.
Goodwin says that an old hard drive need not be replaced when a new
one is added. Often a new drive can be installed in addition to the
existing drive. This means that storage can be added without
disrupting existing software.
CD and DVD burners. When a new hard drive still won’t provide enough
space, it is time to consider moving some files out of the computer
and onto CDs or DVDs. Older computers may not have a CD or DVD burner,
but a new DVD burner can be found for under $50. The price for a CD
burner is about $30.
DVD burners are able to write much more data than a CD burner can, up
to 8.5GB on a single disk. The catch is that a DVD cannot be read on a
CD drive, so some thought has to be put into who will be reading the
disks later. If the goal is additional storage and backup capacity, go
for the DVD. But if a disk is full of pictures to be sent to grandma,
make sure that she has a compatible drive. As a rule newer generation
drives are able to read all of the older media, but an older drive may
have problems with a disc made on a new burner.
Video and sound cards. Anyone who wants to play sophisticated video
games, make movies, or design complex graphics will need frequent
video and sound card upgrades. “You’ve got mail!” will largely sound
the same regardless of the quality of a sound card, but the sound
effects from the newest games and movies will be lost on a cheap card.
At over $200 for a top-of-the-line sound or video card, this is an
upgrade that needs to be seriously evaluated, with a decision based on
usage. Programs like home video editors and high end photo software
will benefit from the increased power.
Video cards contain their own memory, and this is an important factor
to look at when deciding which one to buy. Just like with the
motherboard, the more memory, the better the performance. Newer
software, and even the new Windows Vista operating system, have
minimum video requirements. Software to be used should be the
determining factor with this upgrade, with a little extra added as
finances permit to allow for the next generation of programs.
Modem and network card. Upgrades in connection options are almost a
requirement in today’s wired world. While a 56K data/fax/voice modem
is still standard in most machines, it is used largely as a backup for
high speed cable and DSL Internet connections. In homes with more than
one computer network, network cards, which allow every family member
to be online at once, will cut down on fights for Internet time.
Wireless cards are available for most computer configurations and
easily allow for new equipment to be added or existing equipment
relocated. The WiFi wireless standard is common enough that even
devices like the popular TiVo (www.tivo.com) television recording
device have WiFi capabilities and can easily be included in a home
network.
The recurring theme in any type of upgrade plan is need. Money should
not be wasted on parts that will never be called upon to improve the
computer experience, but installing items that will substantially
improve the current task and allow for future expansion will be well
worth what they cost, especially if they can be installed without
professional help.
But even those who quake at the thought of messing with their PC’s
innards may still be able to wring another year or two out of their
computers. Computer service companies like Geek Squad
(www.geeksquad.com) will install upgrades for around $89, plus the
cost of the hardware.
But before making the investment, consider spending a couple of hours
with Goodwin, who promises to instill the confidence needed to
successfully upgrade a PC and save cost of a new one, all without the
use of a pocket protector. – Patrick Spring
Top Of PageConquering Your Fear of Writing
Roman Griffen didn’t plan to be a writer – he was just looking for a
way to express himself. His friends had him pegged as a guy who liked
to kid around and goof off, so when he raised serious thoughts and
ideas – about love versus being in love, God versus science – “they
would laugh,” he says. “No one took me seriously.”
His solution was to commit his thoughts to paper. He started writing
essays, and then six or seven years ago started an interactive forum
where he could post his work and invite people to comment on it. When
his audience reached 50,000, he decided to send out his work by E-mail
instead.
Griffen teaches “Overcoming the Fear of Writing,” a Mercer County
Community College course, beginning on Tuesday, September 12, at 6:30
p.m. at the school’s West Windsor campus. Cost: $72. To register, call
609-570-3311.
Although Griffen has written short stories, he hit his stride with the
essay, in particular the ones he wrote on the seven deadly sins, which
he has now compiled into a book: “Proven Innocent: The Defense of the
Seven Deadly Sins.” Using the format of a courtroom drama, he defends
the sins, which include lust, pride, sloth, and envy. He claims that
these “sins” are an integral part of human development: “Without them,
we wouldn’t evolve.”
Two publishers liked his book – for the most part. But both wanted to
take out the testimony of certain witnesses in the wrath chapter,
that’s where he puts a priest on the witness stand and makes a case in
favor of anger. He uses the “clean hands” doctrine of law, in which
you cannot accuse someone of a crime if you are guilty of the same
crime yourself. “God killed people freely in the Old Testament,” says
the prosecutor, “so how could wrath be a sin when the God of this
institution has unclean hands?”
Griffen took the refusal to publish the book as an infringement of his
freedom of speech: “In my eyes, it was a form of censorship,” he says.
But free speech will out in this case thanks to some of his friends.
They raised money for him to form his own publishing company, and get
his book into print.
Just as others had helped him out when he needed it, Griffen realized
that he could help out others by freeing them to write.
He got the idea from a study he read about the top 100 corporate
employers. The study reported that more than one third of them felt
that their employees needed help with their writing. He knew someone
who taught floral design for MCCC, so he contacted the school about
teaching writing, and has been doing so for three years.
It really bothers Griffin that people are afraid to write, but when he
audited writing classes at different colleges to see how it is taught,
he began to understand where the fear comes from.
“For their whole lives people have been telling them what they were
doing wrong,” says Griffen of the writing students he observed, “and
everybody fears failure.” So Griffen never uses a red pen, and he
tries to suggest alternative approaches rather than criticizing.
“There are always 10 different ways to write something,” he says.
Not only were many of the teachers he has observed quick to correct
errors, but they also promoted a “right way” to do things. They like
to tout rules, stating, for example, that the passive voice should
never be used. But, says Griffen, in legal documents where an attorney
is trying to shift blame away, the passive voice is necessary and
effective.
Griffen teaches his students and basics of grammar, and urges them to
read as much as possible. He also shares tips he has gleaned in the
course of his own writing experience.
Don’t sweat the first draft. A first draft is just that – a draft.
People who expect to write something cold are putting too much
pressure on themselves. “Worry about esthetics and punctuation later,”
advises Griffen.
Be true to your voice. If you fiddle with your own voice too much,
it’s not yours anymore. Griffen has been to lectures where the speaker
urges writers to finish the first draft, then have a thesaurus handy
to choose the proper words. People like to call this approach
“polishing your writing,” but Griffen doesn’t see it that way.
“What I agree with is total feeling and your own voice,” he says. “If
your voice is not going to use the word `licentious,’ then don’t use
it.”
If you borrow other people’s tools, your own voice and originality is
lost. Griffen is in favor of improving vocabulary – he always has a
dictionary handy while he reads and writes down definitions at the end
of each chapter – but he doesn’t use a word in his own writing until
it comes out naturally.
Root out redundancy. Redundant phrases and unnecessary words make
writing clunky. Get rid of phrases like “I’ll be there at 12 noon,”
and you’ll be surprised how much clearer your writing gets.
Cultivate brevity. Shorter, stronger sentences capture your reader.
Don’t make them so short and choppy that your writing reads like
shopping list, but remember that both of the following are viable
sentences: “Rocks explode.” and “I am.”
Calm down, make sure you have a subject and a verb. “Don’t write big
long sentences to impress people,” says Griffen. Don’t aim your
writing over anyone’s head. “Once you develop a good vocabulary, if
don’t want to insult the reader, don’t use all 10-cent words.”
Griffen, a native of Trenton, supports himself primarily by working as
a security consultant for night clubs, working in a different club
each night of the week. He hires new security, gets things running
properly, and then moves on to the next club. He also teaches writing
at Bucks County Community College.
Griffen says that one of his acquaintances, a professor at Princeton
calls him “the minister of thought provocation.” He plays this role
both in his writing and his teaching, and he observes, “As long as I
can evoke some passion in you, my job is done.”
– Michele Alperin
Top Of PagePlanning for the New Retirement
Forget the myth of the Greatest Generation retirement, a carefree,
pension-fueled three decades of golf in the Florida sun. As a
financial planner, Nunzio Cernero has seen both his parents’
generation’s retirement and that of his own generation, the Baby
Boomers. He declares that, as a whole, the Baby Boomers are far ahead
– at least financially.
“We have something unique, something new,” he says. “We have 401 (k)s,
and, second, we have the house.” For the first time in history, he
declares, average workers have been able to build sizable estates
through their workplace savings plans. “I see ordinary workers, not
CEOs, who have several hundred thousand dollars – and more – in their
401 (k)s,” he says. Add that to the value of a paid-off house, and the
Boomers he sees in his practice and among his friends and neighbors
are well positioned for retirement.
Cernero, whose consulting firm, Nunzio E. Cernero LLC (609-896-1158),
is located in Brick, leads a two-session course in “Retiring with
Attitude: Getting Started,” beginning on Tuesday, September 12, at 6
p.m. at Mercer County Community College. Cost: $50. Call 609-570-3311.
This course is the kick-off segment of a whole new MCCC curriculum on
retirement. It includes classes in financial strategies, retirement
possibilities and mind maps, life planning for a creative retirement,
retirement jobs and starting a business, and volunteering. Start dates
are consecutive, and run through December 7. Fees range from $28 to
$50.
Cernero was in early on self-funded retirement. Nearly two years ago
he retired from a 30-year career at MCCC, where he now works as an
independent contractor. When he began at the community college, while
still giving substantial attention to his own financial consulting
business, he was given a choice of a state pension or an
employer-matched 401 (k). “I was in the pension program for about one
week,” he says.
Does he have any regrets over choosing the self-funded option? Please!
“With a 401 (k) you have the money,” he says. “It’s yours. You can
draw down the principal, you can live off the interest, you can leave
the money to your children. With a pension, when you die, it’s gone.”
This early choice, made back when a company-funded pension was a
cherished entitlement enjoyed by a large majority of the workforce,
makes Cernero the face of retirement, Baby Boomer style. But it is far
from the only thing that makes him a candidate for poster boy of
retirement circa 2006.
“When people become 60 or 65,” he says, “they start to think about how
they want to live their lives.” One nearly universal conclusion: “They
do not want to work full time.”
But, increasingly, they do want to work. His clients, admittedly
people who have planned for their retirement, do not need income from
work, but they continue to work anyway. Many, like him, own small
businesses. Others, like his wife, Deanna, who is also retired from
MCCC, work part time. “She’s a proofreader for a local publisher,”
says Cernero. “She also an artist, and right now is involved in a
project.” Still others apply their expertise to temp assignments.
“I have one client who takes on projects,” he says. “Sometimes it’s
one week, sometimes it’s one year. The assignments are in different
parts of the country.” This high-level temp takes his wife along and
the pair enjoy the opportunity to see what it is like to live in
constantly changing environments.
Cernero isn’t quite sure why so many Boomers are continuing to work.
But he does so because he enjoys it, and because he has long-standing
relationships with so many of his clients. There is a good chance that
this is the reason that others continue to work, too. It is also
possible that they do so because post-official-retirement work does
not carry with it so many of the stresses and constraints of full-time
work.
“Now my wife and I fit our work into our lives,” says Cernero. “The
two are much more integrated. I don’t have to worry about how many
vacation days I have. We look at the calendar, decide what we want to
do, and fit our work around it.”
Demonstrating a work ethic that is associated with the Boomer
generation, Cernero quickly adds: “But I am very serious about my
responsibilities to my clients, about meeting deadlines.”
He works about four days a week, and somehow, although he lives only
15 minutes away from the beach, he rarely finds time to get there.
Still, he knows that the option is always open, and that makes all the
difference.
“It’s the only time in life when you are able to plan,” Cernero says
of retirement. Sure, people plan which college to attend, what career
to prepare for, and what jobs to take, but, he points out,
“opportunities come up, circumstances tend to take over.” This is
generally not the case for older adults, though, and particularly not
for those who have planned for retirement. They are free to live how
and where they want to, and to work on their own terms. They no longer
have to worry about finding good school districts, plotting a route to
the corner office, or saving for their children’s college education.
The ability to make retirement plans a reality, relies, logically
enough, on prior planning. Building up a nest egg is an important part
of this process. “But it’s not the most important part,” says Cernero.
Thinking about how one would like to live must come first.
He currently has three clients who have just bought $1 million houses
on the beach. If this is the lifestyle to which a worker aspires, all
of the attendant costs must be figured in. Can they be covered through
savings? through the sale of the family home? through continued
participation in the family business?
Someone looking forward to living in a modest home in rural
Mississippi and turning a passion for photography into a business
would take a different approach to retirement planning. How can he
find a town with neighbors he will enjoy? Does he need to make the
shift to digital photography? And, if so, where can find help in
learning the new technology? Figuring it out is what the next
generation of retirement is all about.
“My goal is to get people thinking about the possibilities,” says
Cernero. – Kathy Spring
Top Of PagePresent Perfect
Michelle Morici worked hard to become the global programming manager
and training specialist at Goldman, Sachs & Co. A 1996 graduate of
Montclair State University, with majors in psychology and sociology,
she observes that “I didn’t go to a school that Goldman, Sachs or J.P.
Morgan automatically hire from. I worked my way up.”
A native of Camden County, Morici landed her first job at J.P. Morgan
by leaving her resume at a career fair. “It was a big deal,” she
remembers, “coming from a small town and winding up in New York City
on Wall Street.”
Proud of the success she had attained, at J.P Morgan, and more
recently at Goldman Sachs, and enjoying her work, Morici, who holds a
master’s degree in organizational development from Fordham, made the
“painful decision” at the end of last year to leave her job. Her
husband, who works for a financial services company, was promoted and
relocated and she decided to stay closer to home with her two small
children. But she wanted to remain in the workforce to some extent.
Thinking about sharing some of the things she had learned, she looked
into teaching possibilities at community colleges. Her Internet
searches took her to Mercer County Community College’s noncredit adult
education program, where she noticed lots of business courses but,
oddly, none on presentation skills. “The one thing people struggle
with most in business is speaking in front of people,” she says. “Over
the years, I’ve found in research that public speaking is the number
one fear – over death and spiders.”
She pitched a course on presentation skills to the community college,
and landed a part-time job teaching it.
Morici provides public speakers with the tools to remain cool at the
podium when she teaches “Effective Presentation Skills and Public
Speaking,” beginning on Wednesday, September 13, at 7 p.m. at MCCC.
Cost: $95. To register, call 609-570-3311.
Trepidation in the face of challenges makes some people avoid things
they are not good at, but Morici suggests that although the fear is
natural, the more you do something, the easier it gets. “You have to
try to scare yourself once in a while to get better at things,” she
says. With this advice in mind, she suggests several ways to mitigate
the anxiety inherent in making presentations:
Be prepared. Do your homework about both your topic and your audience.
Think about the topic, limiting it to at most three to five ideas or
points. Figure out what your audience already knows and what they need
to know, and anticipate their questions.
If you will need support from other staff members, make sure they are
present. As a human resources professional, Morici sometimes had to
deliver difficult messages to employees. She has had to announce
corporate restructurings and the potential elimination of jobs. Before
she delivered the news, she rounded up senior people to stand by her
side, and to talk about the dot.com industry, profits, revenue, and
difficult – but essential – steps to keep the company functioning
profitably.
Then Morici presented the facts: what was likely to happen, how the
people in the room would be affected, and by what date final decisions
would be made.
Structure the presentation. Make sure that your talk has a beginning,
middle, and end. Open by engaging the audience. Ways to do this
include quoting unexpected statistics, telling a story of personal
triumph (or, better yet, tragedy), making a shocking statement,
drawing a compelling analogy, quoting a wise person, telling a good
joke, and asking a rhetorical question to get people thinking.
All of these ice breakers can work well, but Morici does urge caution
about using humor. “Practice first,” she says. A joke may not be
funny, or may even be offensive.”
Next lay out your ideas. At the end, recap the key concepts and leave
the audience with something to think about.
Develop visuals. Photos, slides, and handouts all have their place.
“Any visual doesn’t need to tell the whole story, but should help keep
the flow for you and allow people to follow easily,” says Morici. In
all cases, proof the visuals, or your audience may amuse themselves by
circling typos and passing them around to get giggles from their
friends.
Look the part. Fine tune your physical and verbal cues. You want to
toe a fine line between engaging members of the audience and
distracting them.
One big mistake speakers make, says Morici, is having their appearance
speak more loudly than their words. Dress in sequins layered with
multi-colored scarves and large pieces or jewelry and it’s a good bet
that you will already have provided enough entertainment. Revealingly
short skirts, too-tight pants, and ill-fitting plaid suits will have
the same effect.
And watch the hand gestures. All speakers use hand gestures to some
extent, but waving wildly is not consistent with most of the messages
corporate speakers need to impart.
Be aware of your tone. Modulate your voice, speaking at an appropriate
volume, says Morici. Don’t be afraid to pause, but if you do, be
careful not to use filler words like um, uh, or so. And, finally, make
sure that the language you use suits your audience: avoid jargon and
acronyms with people who won’t understand them, and avoid local idioms
with international audiences.
Make eye contact “People know where you’re looking,” says Morici.
Don’t look at the back wall, but don’t scan the audience either. “Make
it a point to look at different people and really focus on each one.
It shows calmness.”
Morici says that it all comes down to practice, practice, practice.
“First do a dry run in a safe environment,” says Morici. “Get together
people – whether it be family members, friends, or colleagues – who
can give you really good feedback.” Then use that feedback. Practice
all over again incorporating the suggestions.
The effort will pay off, not only in promotions and in happy
audiences, but also in fewer nightmares and a marked decrease in
pre-presentation butterflies.
– Michele Alperin
Top Of PageHealth Watch
The Capital Health System Emergency Services Training Center recently
held international trauma life support classes along the Delaware
River. Holding classes along the river was the idea of clinical
education assistants James Ogle Jr. and Scott McConnell. The pair
thought that using an outdoor “classroom” would be a way to provide
instruction in a new, thought-provoking way.
Their idea was based on the same team-building model that companies
use for softball games or paintball expeditions. It morphed into a fun
way to provide education without the sometimes mundane classroom
setting.
“When they passed the idea to me, I thought it was ingenious,” Bill
Rosen, clinical coordinator, said in a prepared statement. “This was a
great way to attract students and provide something fun while they
learn and refine their skills.”
Day one of the two-day course was held in a classroom, but on day two
the students and instructors took buses to a Delaware tubing and
rafting company in Frenchtown. The practical stations were performed
on the islands and banks of the Delaware over a six-mile stretch. The
student groups paddled rafts between stations while their instructors
paddled their own kayaks and used a boat provided by the
Lambertville-New Hope Rescue Squad. “There were some logistical
issues,” said Ogle in a prepared statement, “but all in all, the class
went very well.”
Princeton HealthCare System’s HomeCare Services Hospice Program is
offering an eight-week volunteer training course in Monroe Township in
October. The program is seeking compassionate and caring people to
visit hospice patients who have chosen to die at home and are being
cared for by their families and the Hospice Program team.
The course is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 16, 2006 at 1:30
p.m. Subsequent training sessions take place on October 23 and 30,
November 13, 20 and 27, and December 4 and 11. Sessions are held at 11
Centre Drive in Monroe.
The hospice program serves patients in Mercer and parts of Middlesex,
Somerset and Hunterdon counties. Volunteers can choose the areas they
prefer. Volunteers are currently needed for the Monroe, Cranbury,
Hightstown, Hamilton Township, East Windsor, West Windsor and
Plainsboro.
To learn more about supporting Hospice patients, their families or to
register for the eight-week training course, call Helaine Isaacs at
609-497-4959
Dr. Linda Sieglen, a board certified anesthesiologist at University
Medical Center at Princeton and chair of anesthesiology, was named
interim vice president for medical affairs on July 14. In this role,
Dr. Sieglen serves as a liaison between medical staff and
administration, and the Princeton HealthCare System board of trustees.
Dr. Sieglen was the first female president of the medical and dental
staff, from 1997-99. She became a trustee in 2001, and serves as the
chair of the ethics committee and a member of the human resources
committee.
Dr. Sieglen received a bachelor of science degree from Boston College
and her medical degree from UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
She interned in the department of anesthesiology at UMDNJ-University
Hospital in Newark, and was a resident in the department of
anesthesiology at St. Barnabas Medical Center.
Dr. Sieglen and her family reside in Princeton.
Karla Stein has been named vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson
University Hospital Hamilton Foundation.
Stein comes to the foundation from the American Heart Association,
where she was senior vice president, major gifts for New York City,
Long Island, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Stein has also served as
executive director of the American Cancer Society, Mercer County
Chapter, and has worked as an international sales director for Lenox
China and Crystal.
Stein is a graduate from the University of Evansville in Indiana. She
is involved in several community initiatives, including serving as
vice president of the Lawrence Township Community Foundation and
president of Dollars for Scholars. Stein has two sons and lives in
Lawrenceville, New Jersey.
Top Of PageETS and MCCC Sign Collaboration Accord
ETS and Mercer County Community College have signed a three-year
agreement to collaborate in the development and piloting of assessment
and instructional solutions for community colleges. It is the first
such agreement between ETS and a community college.
“Community colleges are playing an ever-increasing role in higher
education today, with more students choosing to get a high quality and
affordable start to their education at community colleges,” Mari
Pearlman, ETS’s , said in a prepared statement. “ETS recognizes that
this educational sector has unique challenges and needs, and we are
listening to and learning from community college leaders across the
nation so that we can research and develop assessment and
instructional tools to respond to those needs.”
During the collaboration with Mercer County Community College ETS will
create new outcomes assessments, student learning, and student
engagement tools specifically designed to serve community colleges.
MCCC will serve as a site at which students and faculty can pilot
tests and provide feedback about new and existing products, and ETS
will conduct formal research to ensure their validity, reliability and
effectiveness.
“Mercer County Community College is delighted that ETS, the world’s
pre-eminent educational testing organization, is expanding its focus
on community colleges,” Thomas N. Wilfred, acting president of Mercer
County Community College, said in a prepared statement. “As
learner-centered, publicly-supported institutions, community colleges
need valid, high-quality, and affordable means of helping students
gauge their motivation and readiness for college, and for assessing
student learning in particular courses and programs.
“This partnership between ETS and its local community college makes
perfect sense for both organizations, and we hope it will be the first
of many such agreements between ETS and community colleges. We
recognize that our respective staffs have much to learn from each
other, and we look forward to a long and mutually productive
partnership.”
