University of Utah Student Newspapers--The Chronicle | 2014-12-09 | Page 3

EDUCATING ME INCARCERATED BY SPENCER EASTWOOD /STAFF WRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF BEN DRUMMOND N early 7,000 people living in Utah have almost no access to a university-level education. The men and women serving prison sentences in the Utah State Prison make up a small percentage of the more than 2.3 million inmates across the United States, many of whom have not had the opportunity to be educated at a university. A new program at the U will be providing lectures to inmates beginningTuesday, Dec. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Utah State Prison in Draper. The U has already begun a science program at the Salt Lake County Jail and will now partner with the Utah Department of Corrections to support the monthly lecture series. Craig Burr, director for the Division of Programming, said in the program's press release, "The Utah Department of Corrections is excited about this new partnership because we've always been supportive of educational opportunities for our offenders': The opening lecture Tuesday night will feature Nalini Nadkarni, a professor of biology at the U, who said she is excited to participate. "These programs both benefit inmates and provide an opportunity for U scientists to connect with the community, creating a synergistic interaction between our institutions': Nadkarni said. Nadkarni said she will discuss the relationships between humans and trees both in Utah and around the world. Nadkarni said she has done research on rainforest canopies and will be speaking about her research and providing information about professions in forest science. The Initiative to Bring Science Programs to the Incarcerated, or INSPIRE, is funded by the National Science Foundation. The project's mission, according to the press release, is to inspire interest in and provide content about science for incarcerated men and women in Utah. Nadkarni said this will contribute to a more educated society with people who can make better decisions and live more productive lives. The program is modeled after a project Nadkarni cofounded in 2005 called the Sustainability in Prisons Project, which brought education about science and sustainability into prisons in Washington. It has since expanded to eight additional sites across the U.S. "This [will be] a monthly event' Nadkarni said, "Each month, a faculty member or graduate student from one of the four departments in the College of Science will give a lecture at Draper State Prison. Our focus at this point is on science, but we also foresee opening the topics to sustainability, engineering and DIVERSITY OFFICE LANDS ON ITS FEET technology in the future:' Gaining an education is an important goal, Nadkarni said. "What matters is cultivating a respect for the scientific way of knowing and thinking — in addition to other pathways of understanding the world': she said. "Our science lecture series for inmates is one way of helping those who might not have any other pathway to science to begin or continue on it. It might lead to a desire for more education, a means to enter the workforce after release, or just more understanding about the world': [e-mail] @spenceast BY CHRISTINE KANNAPEL /STAFF WRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY fter the resignation of Octavio Villalpando last Spring Semester, the U's Office for Equity and Diversity is landing ack on its feet under the leadership of Kathryn Stockton. Last spring there was a series of student sit-ins with U President David Pershing concerning comments made on diversity at the U, including rumors about the resignation of chief diversity officer Octavio Villalpando and professor Enrique Aleman. Stockton, a professor of English at the U, was chosen and supported by Villalpando to temporarily take his position. Since she took the position, she said major conflicts inside the Office for Equity and Diversity have been addressed. Due to the number of resignations and the reaction of students, Stockton and Tricia Sugiyama, who replaced Aleman as associate vice president, say the office is working to show trust and collaboration. "Education, growth and expanding skills are encouraged for all members of campus, not just students': Sugiyama said. Sugiyama said the success of the office came about by working with other offices and educating the staff, but most of the collaboration is because of Stockton. "We want our colleagues to see how we're working side by side and to see how strongly we value each others dedication and labor:' Stockton said. Stockton's passion is to hear the voices of students around her. Having directed the U's gender studies program for 11 years and worked as an English professor, Stockton said she brought a sense of stability to the position. Stockton's job includes working with the university president's cabinet to advance initiatives and reach out to underrepresented 4 THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2014 } faculty and students. She said a challenge in the past has been fully supporting and representing diverse communities. She solved this by working with different groups at the U, including the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Admissions. Since she replaced Villalpando in June, the office has completed 14 new initiatives, with 16 in the works and six more that will begin next semester. One initiative focuses on creating equality between students and faculty. Stockton and Ruth Watkins, the senior vice president for academic affairs, are about to launch a hiring initiative to foster a more diverse staff in all departments at the U. "We have plenty of new ideas and changes to enact' Stockton said. "They've been met with remarkable energy by my staff, advisors and directors:' Brooke Jensen, a freshman in urban ecology, knew about last spring's rumors and sit-ins and said Stockton's and her colleague's efforts have been worthwhile. "It sounds like what she and the others are doing are things that will benefit everyone:' Jensen said. "Diversity is something that should be promoted at the U no matter what' Stockton's stay will not be permanent, but the process to find someone to replace her has not yet begun. Stockton will return to teaching within this next year.Though she will be leaving, she said she took the position because of her dedication to the university "What I've found:' Stockton said, "is more vitality and human connection than I could have possibly foreseen:' [e-mail] @chriswritine FURRY FRIENDS FOR FINALS BY EMILIE TREPANIER /STAFF WRITER PHOTOS COURTESY OF JENNIFER NOZAWA T he College of Social Work and the Marriott Library will be parading dogs around study areas Tuesday through Thursday this week for stressed-out students to pet. Jennifer Nozawa, spokesperson for the College of Social Work, said this finals week event has been around for two years to help students relax.The dogs belong to Therapy Animals of Utah, an affiliate program of the national organization Pet Partners. In past years, therapeutic cats have been part of the project — this year dogs will be the only animals provided. "It's such a fun event:' Nozawa said. "Students enjoy it.This is something we are very happy to provide:' She said she sees students physically calm down when they visit with the animals, even if it's for just a few minutes. Nozawa said it also attracts students from all majors. The Marriott Library, which also provides therapy animals, partnered with ASUU and Intermountain Therapy Dogs this year.T.J. Ferrill, a U graduate who now works at the library, said he can attest to the importance of this event. "It attracts a crowd of students, and people soften up right away' Ferrill said. "It's a good thing:" Matt Bourne, a junior in entertainment arts & engineering, said when people play with puppies it helps them forget about their worries. "It's a nice break from thinking about finals:' he said. emor Carson May, a freshman in exercise and sport science, said, "I'd be down for some puppies': Beau Christensen, a junior in entertainment arts and engineering, said he doesn't know if playing with dogs would help him because he is not stressed about his finals. Studies have shown, however, that therapeutic animals do help lower stress levels and feelings of anxiety or depression. According to a study done by Animal Smart, simply petting a dog can increase levels of oxytocin, a stress-reducing hormone, and lower blood pressure. The Marriott Library will be hosting the dogs on Tuesday and Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.The College of Social Work's event will take place on Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the building's main atrium. [e-mail] @emiliedeeann 5