Film series showcase features individuals with disabilities

As a part of the University of Alaska Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula College provides equal opportunities for students who experience disabilities.

Disability Support Services at KPC is headed up by Diane Taylor, coordinator of the Learning Center. Taylor is available to provide students details about the services and accommodations that are available to them if requested.

One of the missions of disability support services is to build awareness in the general population about disability related issues. In that spirit, DSS, with the support of the Diversity Action council, is presenting the film series “Reel Eyes: Disability, Identity, and Society: The Disability Rights Movement and Representations in Popular Culture.”

The films “Murderball” and “Disabling Imagery” will be shown at 7:20 p.m. today in Room 132. It is open to the public. There is no fee for the movies. For more information or to request American Sign Language interpreters for the films, call 262-0328 or e-mail ifdtt@uaa.alaska.edu.

ndustry comes courting

Educating and training Alaskans for the workforce is one of the missions of KPC. The college offers two-year, associate of applied science degrees in process technology and industrial process instrumentation. Students also can earn one-year certificates in petroleum technology and instrumentation technology.

The process technology degree prepares students for employment in process industries such as oil and gas production, petroleum refining, power generation and utilities, water and wastewater treatment, and seafood and other food processing. The petroleum technology certificate provides specific training in petro/chemical plant operations.

The industrial instrumentation degree is a specialized program that prepares students for employment as instrument technicians who are responsible for the repair, maintenance, adjustment, and calibration of automatic controls used in refineries, chemical plants, pipelines, oil and gas production facilities, food processing plants and other industries where automatic controls are used. The instrumentation technology certificate, a new program, provides entry level skills in industrial instrumentation.

According to associate professor Scott Kraxberger, chairman of the Business and Industry division at KPC, oil industry corporations including British Petroleum, ConocoPhillips, and Shell maintain contact with him and routinely come on campus to conduct interviews with students for full-time positions and internships. Kraxberger sees growing interest from the oil and gas sector in recruiting KPC students.

“Schlumberger, one of the largest technical oilfield service companies in the world, will visit the KPC on Monday to present organizational job opportunities and to gather information about our students for possible jobs or internships. Kirk Trujillo, human resources manager for the company in Anchorage, will lead the visit. They are investigating the possibility of creating new intern positions for KPC in the areas of computer electronic technology and process operations,” Kraxberger said.

BP will be on campus March 29 to present career opportunities to students and to conduct interviews for jobs and internships.

ConocoPhillips invited process technicians and instrumentation students, along with faculty guides, were transported to the Slope for a tour and an overnight stay at the facility.

Industry interest in KPC graduates isn’t limited to oil companies. According to Kraxberger, Enstar Natural Gas Company interviewed 17 students last week for potential employment. For more information about the degrees and certificates, call Scott Kraxberger at 262-0354 or e-mail him at ifslk@uaa.alaska.edu.

This column is provided by Suzie Kendrick, community relations coordinator at Kenai Peninsula College.