An interview with Dr. Nina Ghiselli, system-wide director of disability services, was featured in the “Up Close and Personal” section of The Diversity Factor, newsletter of APA Division 17, Section 5, Society for Ethnic and Racial Diversity (SERD).

Grants and Contracts Assistant Michelle Campbell has been selected for a competitive mentoring program sponsored by the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA). The goal of the program is, "To more quickly provide leadership development knowledge and skills to increase and accelerate the growth of a cadre of new and emerging leaders to contribute to the research administration profession and NCURA at the regional and national levels." As part of this program she and other mentees will be paired with mentors from grants and contracts offices in universities around the U.S. Campbell will work with her mentor throughout the year, and will participate in various mentorship activities organized by NCURA. Her participation will contribute to both her own development in grants and contracts and bring some new perspectives to Alliant based on her exposure to creative ideas and best practices at other universities.

The I-MERIT campus committees recognized the following individuals for their outstanding service during the 2011-2012 academic year with I-MERIT awards. Congratulations!

• Lisa Delmar-Edmonds, credential analyst in San Francisco
• Marlene Romero, academic and administrative support in Fresno
• Stephanie Wilson, center administrative coordinator in Los Angeles
• Mary Kennedy, former librarian in San Diego
• Lesly Gutierrez, director of student services in Mexico City

The Community Academy program, founded and led by Dr. Dawn Griffin, was this year’s proud winner of the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s “Inspiration Award for Employment.” Provost Russ Newman and Dr. Griffin, director of the Department of Undergraduate Psychology, received the award at an awards ceremony held this month. Other winners this year included Police Chief William Lansdowne of the San Diego Police Department and Kenny Goldberg reporter for KPBS. The Community Academy program assists individuals with “lived experience” as they move into higher education and the workforce in the field of public mental health. Dr. Griffin and her staff began taking individuals into this program in May 2011. In partnership with Recovery Innovations of California, the Family and Youth Roundtable and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the aim is to provide program participants training, support, vocational assistance, and field practice experience.