MSU to host INC and JCEMP graduation celebration
In a unique graduation celebration, Minot State University will honor 23 graduates in two programs in Anne Nicole Nelson Hall on July 22, 2-4 p.m. Ten students are from the Intercultural Cohort Program and 13 students are from the Job Corps Executive Management. A reception will immediately follow the event.
The JCEMP is the only program of its kind in the country. The '09 graduating class is the eighth time students from across the country have gathered at MSU. The fellows are junior to midlevel managers from Job Corps who aspire to be center directors. The JCEMP is funded by a U.S. Department of Labor earmark sponsored by North Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan. Minot State is very proud of our connection to the Job Corps Centers.
"This has been an excellent summer. The fellows have formed a bond that will follow them their entire careers in Job Corps and throughout their lives," said Lorraine Willoughby, director of JCEMP and professor of business information technology. "I have also enjoyed learning more about Job Corps from each one of the fellows. It is a pleasure to have worked with each fellow and I will be proud to call each of them a friend."
In its second year, Minot State's on-campus version of the Master of Science in management program has both foreign and domestic graduates. The Intercultural Cohort Program combines six Chinese students, as outlined in MSU's partnership with SIAS International University, with four domestic students. Students completed a 12-month program of study, taking two eight-week courses at a time. The 10 students were required to complete applied research projects in intercultural teams. This gave them an opportunity to learn more about each other's culture and business practices.
"The International Cohort Program has been a wonderful opportunity for the American students, especially those from North Dakota, to interact with the Chinese students. Both groups have grown from the experience and learned about each other's culture." said Gary Ross, chair of the Department of Business Administration, director of the InC Program and professor of management.
2009 JCEMP fellows in the Master of Science in management include:
- Dawn Anderson, from McKinney, TX, at the North Texas Job Corps Center.
- Keri Brown, from Vergennes, Vt., at the Northlands Job Corps Center.
- Laura Foust, from Spokane, Wash., at the Dynamic Educational Systems, Inc.
- Richard Harriford, from Paducah, Ky., at the Golconda Civilian Conservation Center.
- Noree Hart, from St. Augustine, Fla., at the Jacksonville Job Corps Center.
- Eric Jones, from Miami Gardens, at the Miami Job Corps Center.
- Melanie Radford, from Phoenix, Ariz., at the Phoenix Job Corps Center.
- Cherese Reynolds Ferguson, from Louisville, Ky., at the Whitney M. Young Job Corps Center.
- Sally Rieger, from Tucson, Ariz., at the Fred Acosta Job Corps Center.
2009 JCEMP fellows in the Master of Science in information systems are:
- Robert Barth; from Poplar Bluff, Mo., at the Mingo Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center.
- Kurt Blanock; from Pittsburgh, Pa., at the Pittsburgh Job Corps Center.
- Bryan H. King; from McKinney, TX, at the North Texas Job Corps Center.
- Ranada Reid; from Detroit, Mich., at the Odle Management Group Michigan.
Graduates of the Intercultural Cohort Program in the Master of Science in management include:
- Dongsheng Chen, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China.
- Bingjie Cui, Kaifeng, Henan Province, China.
- Susan Greenheck, Minot.
- Jia Xiaoxiao, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China.
- Yi Li, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China.
- Ricky Martinez, Carlsbad, Calif.
- Amber O'Brien, Charleston, S.C.
- Jerusha Olthoff, Minot.
- Yinhe Zhang, Guilin City Guangxi Province, China.
- Zheng Xu, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, China.
For additional information about the programs, contact Ross, at 858-858-3291 or gary.ross@minotstateu.edu, or Willoughby, at 858-3314 or lori.willoughby@minotstateu.edu.
07/10/09