Alumni & Faculty News for January 2025
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Alumni News
Edie Dillon ’07
Edie Dillon has been in two recent exhibits. The latest exhibit that Edie was in is a four-person show at Coconino Center for the Arts in Flagstaff. This exhibit was curated by Julie Comnick, a former fine arts faculty member at Prescott College, who is now the Program Director at Coconino Center for the Arts. The other exhibit was this previous fall at the Whatcom Museum. Edie states, “…it was such an honor to be in this national biennial at the Whatcom Museum in Bellingham, Washington, and because I so much loved the theme, Acts of Healing and Repair.”
Suzanne Olson ’94
Suzanne and some of her neighbors started a band during COVID-19 and released their first album, now streaming on Spotify and Apple Music. Listen to it here.
Karen Hindhede ’24
Dr. Karen Hindhede’s dissertation article on Diversity, the Environment, and Social and Environmental Justice Picturebook Themes and Portrayals was just turned into a short video on SciTube. Give it a watch here.
Cheli Chimaine ’13
Cheli has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who for her 25 years of experience in therapy and life coaching. Read more here.Eric Glomski ’92
Eric, owner and founder of Page Springs Cellars, is hosting a 5-course wine paring at Park Plaza on January 11 at 6 pm. Purchase your ticket here.
(Image from Kalie Dutra for the Descendants Project)
Faculty & Staff News
Former Prescott College Faculty Member Alan Weisman’s Book release
Alan’s book “Hope Dies Last: Visionary People Across the World Fighting to Find Us a Future” will be released on Earth Day, April 22. Alan writes, “I was faculty from 1975-1987 in the Humanities and Southwest Studies programs, teaching writing and U.S. Mexico studies, and I was one of the founders of what today is the Kino Bay Center. In my latest book, Hope Dies Last, Prescott College alums figure prominently in two chapters with ample description of their academic provenance, and there’s a scene set at the Center in Kino.” More information will be coming soon.
Prescott College Faculty Members Meitamei Olo Dapash and Mary Poole Book Signing Tour
Meitamei and Mary’s recent publican, “Decolonizing Maasai History: A Path to Indigenous African Futures,” is set to launch this month. In honor of its release, Prescott College and President Barbara Morris are hosting a book launch and celebration on January 20. Following the book launch, they will go on a book signing tour in New Jersey and New York (more information below).
In this book, they discuss a groundbreaking approach to writing the history of an Indigenous East African community by prioritizing their own historical knowledge and cultural insights. It explores the detrimental effects of a colonized historical narrative on Maasailand and highlights how a decolonized perspective can fuel land justice movements. By adopting a Maasai viewpoint, the book challenges prevailing narratives in African history and reveals the untold stories of colonial violence, the myths surrounding Kenyan independence, and the ongoing neocolonial exploitation of Maasailand. It argues that Maasai pastoralism, which respects the rights of nature and wildlife, opposes capitalist land and resource exploitation, shaping current conflicts over Maasai identity and self-representation. You can purchase and read a copy here.
Kino Bay Marine Conservation Classes
Prescott College students had the unique opportunity the previous semester to dive deep into the complexities of marine conservation in the Gulf of California at the Kino Bay Center. After studying marine conservation theory in Arizona, the class, led by alumnus Greg Smart, delved into community-based case studies. They engaged with local fishers, learned different fishing techniques, and discussed their observations with resource users, researchers, and managers. They visited a shrimp farm, took a trip aboard a shrimp trawler, visited the island of San Pedro Martir and participated in a mangrove reforestation project, among other immersive experiences, all while exploring the delicate balance between marine conservation and community livelihoods. In the next phase of the class they worked with Lorayne and Kino Bay Center program staff to do applied conservation projects that contribute to the Kino Bay Center’s work. Read more about their final projects here.