April 5, 2015. Bernice Welbeck has recently obtained a part-time lecturer position to teach Negotiations and Conflict Management (HRM) at the EMBA Level, at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). It is one of the renowned public universities which offers undergraduate, graduate and professional training for students in Ghana and the sub-region. The Dean of the School, described her as excellent, outstanding, an achiever and a goal getter. She will start her new job position in June 2015 on a part time basis. Bernice completed both a Bachelors and Masters program in Human Resources Management as well as a Doctorate in Business Administration program at AIU.
Lecturer Position
With Honors
April 14, 2014. These graduate
students completed the
majority of the requirements to
obtain honors.
Februar y 2015
• Itamar Rogovsky
Doctor of Philosophy,
PhD in
Organizational
Development.
SUMMA CUM LAUDE
Apri l 2015
• Holly Fourchalk
Doctor of Philosophy,
PhD in
Nutrition.
CUM LAUDE
• Itamar Rogovsky
Doctor of Business Administration
in Organizational
Management,. CUM LAUDE
Congratu lati ons!
10TH International Conference on Design Principles and Practices
Call For Papers. This
Conference will be held 25-27
February 2016 at the Pontifical
Catholic University of Rio de
Janeiro in Brazil. We welcome
submissions from a variety of
disciplines and perspectives
and encourage faculty and
research students to jointly submit
proposals, discussing design
principles and practices through
one of the following themes:
Design Education
• Design in Society
• Designed Objects
• Visual Design
• Design Management and
Professional Practice
• Architectonic, Spatial, and
Environmental Design
Proposal Submissions
and Deadlines
The current review period closing date for the latest
round of submissions to the
Call for Papers (a title and
short abstract) is 25 April
2015*. Please visit our website
for more information on submitting
your proposal, future
deadlines, and registering for
the conference.
If you are unable to attend
the conference, you may
still join the community and
submit your article for peer review
and possible publication,
upload an online presentation,
and enjoy subscriber access
to The Design Collection of
Journals.
*Proposals are reviewed in rounds adhering
to monthly deadlines. Check the website
often to see the current review round.
Visit the website:
www.designprinciplesandpractices.com
International Conference Smart on Learning Environments
September 23-25, 2015. Sinaia,
Romania. The International
Conference on Smart Learning
Environments (ICSLE
2015) aims to bring together
researchers, practitioners,
and policy makers to discuss
issues related to the optimization
of learning environments
to enhance learning.
The focus is on the interplay
of pedagogy, technology and
their fusion towards the advancement
of smart learning
environments.
Confirmed Keynote:
Prof. Dr. Rob Koper of the
Open University of the
Netherlands. He is the
founder of Educational Modelling Language (EML),
currently known as the IMS
Learning Design specification
(www.imsglobal.org).
Dr. Koper is leading the
development and implementation
of a new educational
model for the Open University.
His interests are researching
and developing new media
and learning technologies that
make learning more attractive,
efficient and accessible
in all life phases.
He works
with a combination of new
development and research
methodologies, and uses these
systematically to develop new
technologies as well as new
knowledge. All products are
open source and open content. In the past, Prof. Koper was
responsible for the development
of serious games and the
OU’s digital learning environment
Studienet, the research
into learning networks and the
development of the international
open standard IMS
Learning Design.
Conference Outcomes:
• Proceedings in Springer’s
Lecture Notes in Educational
Technology series.
• Extended versions of selected
papers will be invited
for Springer’s Smart Learning
Environments journal (Open
access journal).
• Authors of cutting-edge
research will also be invited
to highlight their innovations
under “Inspiring Stories” section
of the International Association
of Smart Learning
Environments website.
Important dates:
Main conference paper submission:
04·27·15
Acceptance/Rejection notification:
06·01·15
Camera ready papers: 07·01·15
Author registration: 07·01·15
More information
www.ask4research.info/
icsle/2015/
Graduation Ceremony
May 2015
José Manuel Lucombo Doctor of Science Environmental Science Angola |
Hamid Ali Kareem Bachelor of Science Civil Engineering Iraq |
Itamar Rogovsky Doctor of Business Administration Organizational Management Israel |
Kety Yane Barrantes Reyes Doctor of Philosophy Economics Perú |
Maria Belvânia Fatela Bachelor of Economics Economics Angola |
Carlos Alberto Velásquez Arévalo Bachelor of Environmental Engineering Management and Environmental Study Honduras |
Danielle Elias El Osta Doctor of Science Dietetics and Nutrition Lebanon |
Liliana del C. Calderon Soriano de Acosta Doctor of Finance Finance Perú |
Victorino Tchipilica Ferramenta Bachelor of Philosophy Philosophy Angola |
Abdoulaye Keita Doctor of Economics Economics Guinea |
Saleh Abdulrab Ahmed Alhayashi Master of Business Administration Business Administration Malaysia |
Omar Francisco Castro Zeballos Master of Science Civil Engineering Perú |
Walter Augusto Zamba Alexandre Bachelor of Education Adult Education and Comm unity Development Angola |
Gloria Marina Cospin De Hernandez Doctor of Philosophy Anthropology Guatemala |
Alice K. Phiri Bachelor of Science Project Management Mauritius |
Kanamugire Emmanuel Master of Science Computer Networking Rwanda |
Antonio Maria Nunes Rondon Filho Doctor of Finance Corporate Finance Brazil |
Claudia Roxana Colindres Bran Bachelor of Science Business Administration Guatemala |
Claudia Dörfer Doctor of Education Education México |
Luís Cassandra Pires dos Santos Master of Science Civil Engineering Sao Tome and Principe |
Holly Fourchalk Doctor of Philosophy Nutrition Canada |
Phanuel Amankwa Doctor of Philosophy Business Management Ghana |
Ivonne Adriana Valerio Contreras Doctor of Education Educational Psychology México |
Hassan Said Mohamed Master of Science Banking and Finance Somalia |
Juan Rogelio Grisolle Gómez Doctor of Education Pedagogy and Languages Colombia |
Renato Alonso Alvarado Medina Bachelor of Industrial Engineering Strategic Management El Salvador |
Judite Pedro Maurício Master of Clinical Psychology Clinical Psychology Mozambique |
Samwel M. Medukenya Bachelor of Science Civil Engineering Tanzania |
Adolfo Panduro Guevara Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering Perú |
Maria Tjandra Resele Master of Science Nutrition Oman |
Kammelu Cherry Bachelor of Engineering Chemical Engineering Nigeria |
Servet Demir Master of Science Industrial Engineering Turkey |
Luke Makinishi Bachelor of Social Science Labor Studies Zambia |
Matthew J. Bruhin Doctor of Philosophy Addiction Psychology USA |
Lucian P Hodge Master of Science Electrical Engineering |
Saad Majed Al Hariri Bachelor of Science Information Technology UAE |
Romance Chanda Sampa, Jr. Doctor of Energy Economics Economics Zambia |
Maria Jackeline Triviño Barrezueta Bachelor of Science Health Science Ecuador |
Ángel Luis Marrero García Doctor of Philosophy Health Science USA |
Akinyosotu Clementina Wumi Bachelor of Education Educational Management |
Special group: Guatemala Bachelor of Business Administration Management |
Amelia Mariana Rodríguez del Águila
Carlos Ernesto Ortiz Reyes
Carmen Lizet Barrios Conde
Consuelo Edith Súchite Campos
Elsa Verónica Leal García
Emerson Isai García Ibarra
Freddy Omar Figueroa García
Gladys Anabella Cordón Oliva
Héctor Fernando Aguilar Guerra
Julio Estuardo Reyes Espino
Loida Eunice Zamora Citalán
Luis Alfonso Anleu Ruíz
Luis Fernando Carrera Osorio
Luis Fernando Turcios Albizurez
Magdiel Ovidio Rueda Morales
María Sofía Arriaza Castañeda
Mauricio Fernando Román Hernández
Miriam D. Trejo Alvarez de Barrientos
Mónica Janeth López Contreras
Oscar José Gil Ibáñez
Pedrojosé García Negreros
José Curruchiche Rodríguez
Roberto Paniagua Gutiérrez
Roberto Stuardo Morales Donis
Sergio Anibal Boror Aroche
Sucél Marcela Ayala Peralta
Thelma Leticia Araujo Paz de Chacón
Vilma Leticia Reyes Durán
Testimonial
Joyce Hilda Banda
Bachelor of Social Science
September 16, 2011
“Whatever you do...
strive to do it to the
best of your abilities...” These
words of wisdom from the
former President of Malawi,
Hasting Banda, PhD, are of
great inspiration to me. Going
by the demands, intricacies, requirements
and the dynamics
that go with the modern world
as it goes towards placement of
gender at the core of development
agenda in the context of
many leadership portfolios that
I find myself in and prospectively
those coming in my way
no course remained much
more relevant and necessary
for me to pursue than Gender
and Development. However
as somebody who is holding a
very senior position in government,
it was quite impossible for me to attend full time
classes owing to the very demanding
nature of my job. This
however, as already pointed
out, had to be viewed against a
background of the prominence
that gender discourse has
acquired in the modern world.
As a leader, I strongly believe
that having greater technical
know-how of the field of the
gender and development is not
only important but also quite
imperative and pre-requisite to
provision of modern and progressive
leadership. Faced with
this dilemma, what I needed
was to find a system of education
that would be sensitive to
my situation and address it:
the kind of education system
that would fit into my demanding
and tasking schedule with
minimum inconveniences
possible while at the same time
providing me with an opportunity
to develop my knowledge
of the field of gender and
development. Thank God AIU was my answer.
AIU provided me with that
opportunity to study Gender
and Development as a must
do course for any modern and
dynamic leadership while
I continue attending to the
many demands of my work
with minimal disturbances.
What is even more captivating
to me is both the nature
of areas that the programme
tackles which are not only
modern but also every relevant
to my own expectations and
philosophy; and the manner in
which the course is structured
and offered .i.e. its interactive
nature. These aspects of the
programme as offered by the
AIU coupled with the ever open
and efficient help lines/services
and forum that the University
put in place, simply made
my pursuit of the programme
more interesting and enriching.
Another interesting aspect
of the AIU Programmes is the
interactive nature in which
it is administered. As already
pointed out, the programme
is structured and administered
in such way that it goes
beyond meeting the academic
needs of its students. The online
setup is made in such way
that it also creates an interface
for digital social interaction
not only among students and
advisors but also the entire
University community and
other stakeholders.
Testimonial
Rita Shililifa
Masters in Public Health
April 5, 2015
“The knowledge I assimilated
through AIU cannot
be overemphasized. I could
not believe that I am rounding
up my Master program. The day
I started was just like yesterday.
I had listened to many people
saying Education is a passport
to progress in life but I did not
really understand this phenomenon
until I enrolled for the
program in this Institution.
The knowledge I acquired is
of such a nature that I cannot
compare it to other trainings
I have received in the past.
The quality of mentorship
and learning
skills I obtained
quantifies AIU to be
ranked among the
highest institutions
that I have had an
honor to be part of. ...
This type of teaching enables
one to be independent and
self-reliant. I have learned the
importance and developed
skills of researching through
books, journals, webpages, online
libraries to mention a few.
Having passed through
this kind of learning has exposed
and equipped me with
knowledge and skills that will enable me to
face any challenges
that may
come my way
in future. The
most interesting
part of it is my ability
to source for information
without being guided and the
knowledge and skill obtained
are helping to improve in my
daily activities. The institution
has passed through me
in various ways; I have been
made to know that Education
is not only in learning but to
develop ones potential. I have
developed myself rationally,
rational thinking has added
value to me both in communication
with the patients
and interpersonal relationship
with my colleagues at work.
My dream has been to become
a researcher but, I could
not fulfill it because of lack of
knowledge in researching. Having
undergone this course will
enable me to accomplish that
dream. I feel confident in the
knowledge and skill imparted
upon me and I am assertive
that is all that was lacking for
me to reach greater heights.
I would like to extend my
gratitude to my tutor, advisor
and admission counselor for
guiding all the way. Without
their mentoring I could not
have realized my dream.
Retrospective
By Holly Fourchalk | PhD in Nutrition, graduated with honors CUM LAUDE | Part 1/3
I was born early in the morning,
on the brink of a brand
new day, emerging as the yin
became yang.
I was on time, yet underdeveloped
due to a chromosomal
disorder. In addition,
my mother had lost my
elder brother during the third
month of pregnancy which
doubled the impact of the
chromosomal disorder.
Despite being underweight
and my mother having no
milk due to the trauma she
was still involved in; there
were no incubators available
and the hospital had run out
of formula.
So I was put on cow’s milk
instead. Everyone thought I
was doing wonderfully well,
not realizing that the cow’s milk
was creating a cow’s metabolism
in this underdeveloped
metabolism (which doesn’t
fully mature until between the
ages of two–three). This would
cause lots of issues later on.
I slept well from day one;
I put on weight right away; I
was quiet and non-intrusive.
Everyone thought I was a wonderful
anecdote to my mother’s
loss. She would come in, in the
middle of the night; pick me up;
and use me to soothe her pain.
It set up my life purpose. I
was always told I was a psychologist
long before I became
a psychologist.
At the age of about 4, I would
spend a huge amount of time
sitting on the foot of my bed,
knowing that I should be able
to move through the wall –not
understanding why; but trying
to figure out. Today, I understand
why, but have no idea
how to achieve it.
At the age of 4 my “shining
knight in white armor” fell off
his horse –my dad got lost in
the fog on the way out to what
would be our new summer
house, we were renting it for
the Thanksgiving weekend. I
told he was making the wrong
turn –I was in effect told to
shut up, the problem was, I
was right. My Dad was wrong.
Lesson: My words didn’t
count. My Dad could be wrong
–which was worse.
At the age of 5, my father
wondered if I needed a psychologist
because I would sit
in front of the hall mirror and
practice different emotions. I
would act them out to see how
they felt in my body.
Lesson: As opposed to the
emotional repression my parents
engaged in, I learned to
develop a healthy connection
with my emotions.
My uncle, who lived across
the street got lung cancer from
smoking. But he spent his last
few weeks at home. I would walk
across daily and hold his cigarette
for him to take a few puffs
before he coughed and went
back to sleep –didn’t realize at
the time that it was the cigarettes
that caused the cancer.
Lesson: Was it the first or
second lesson in dying?
Alas, came school, it was wonderful…
so much to learn… but
I came out as the class idiot. I
thought because Cs were higher
than As and Bs, that must make
me smarter –it turned out it
made me even “dummer” just
for thinking that. After much
harassment, I vowed I would
never be called stupid again.
Lesson: Friends can be very
hurtful.
My first B came in grade three
with arithmetic –I loved it.
Numbers made sense… they
were fascinating. Throughout
school, however, my top marks
were always in English. It took
me to grade seven to get straight
As –finally!!!
Lesson: Determination could
change your marks. You don’t
always get the top marks in the
courses you like –which means
that passion doesn’t equate to
marks
During grade one and two I
learned another important lesson. In grade one at Janet’s
birthday party –all the girls
were identified for one characteristic
and the rest of the
girls sang “For she’s a jolly
good fellow” about each gal
for the chosen characteristic.
I was thrilled –I was the
pretty one and I knew how
important that would be to my
mother. But when I rushed
home to tell her, her response
was that it was Janet’s party
and I should have let that be
about Janet! I was horribly
disappointed.
The next year, at MY
birthday party, the girls did
the same thing. And again I
was chosen as the pretty one.
I couldn’t wait till after the
party to tell my mom. Her response
was: It was your party,
you should have made it about
everyone else.
Lesson: I didn’t count –ever.
As we progressed through the
grades, there was an interesting
side step… one of my mother’s
favorite phrases was “God
gave you a brain, try using it”.
It used to hurt so much when
she made that comment. The
message to me was that I was
dumb. But in grade five, I got
angry and I wanted to know
the answer. So I went to my
teacher. She claimed that the
question was easy and that she
knew that I knew the answer.
But that she also knew that wasn’t what I was meaning to
ask… she started working with
me helping me to learn how
to ask what I really wanted to
know… a great teacher.
Lesson: Mom was so smart.
The following year, I couldn’t
go to the teacher as I had a
crush on him… oooh was he
good looking… but the church
pastor on the way home from
school was a “god send”. Pardon
the pun. He took me even
further. He talked me how to
figure out the peripheral questions
I wanted to know the answers
to… that was great fun.
But the finale came with
my grade seven teacher… she
taught me how to put it all
together… she was inspiring.
But she also got frustrated
with me one time, when I
didn’t take the “new girl”
under my “wings” as she had
expected I would… her disappointment
in me would stay
with me forever and I would
never forget to take care of the
underdog again!
Lesson: Cognitive learning
had gone far beyond the
academics that the school
curriculum provided.
Psychological learning:
always take care of the
underdog.
With the car accident that
happened in the summer prior
to grade five, there was a huge upheaval in the family. My
parents were in the hospital
for ages; my brother in a
coma –and he died just after
my birthday in November. We
had gone up to visit him every
night; held his hands; sang his
favorite songs; he died.
Lesson: Again, how different
people deal with death:
acceptance, anger, hurt or
depression. My grandmother
also taught me very clearly
that I didn’t matter, I was just
a kid; so stay out of the way. I
spent my initial grieving with
one my second moms –she
lived next door.
But there was an intersecting
story amidst my family
story. There was another boy
in my brother’s ward who
was wrapped up in bandages
–from head to foot. We got to
be good friends. I helped him
with his math and his English
even though he was a year
ahead of me. Then I found
out –his father had set him
on fire.
Lesson: People went beyond
being cruel.
Just after turning 10 my period
started –horribly frustrating
nuisance that was… but I had
already learned how to get
“second moms” who provided
the nurturing that my “caretaker”
mom didn’t provide. My
mom responded as if getting my period was a big nothing…
it was horrible. As much as I
didn’t want it; I wanted to be
acknowledged for growing up.
I couldn’t get the tampax to
work and she was no help. But
I got the recognition of being a
grown up from a second mom.
Lessons: Recognition comes
from others. The same occurred
for wearing a bra. As it turned
out, throughout most of my
childhood, the real recognition
and nurturing that I wanted,
always came from others.
My great aunt died of cancer
–I learned more about my
uncle’s cancer when I was
younger.
Lesson: How people handle
dying so differently.
Having grown up in the
Baptist church… although I
was the only one that went
to church… my parents came
only if I was performing in the
choir or in a play… but I was
studious with my bible. I had
read the New Testament four
times and the Old Testament
by the time I was 12 years
old… and bombarded the
pastor with all the contradictions
and inconsistencies. He
was terrific, but didn’t know
what to do with me… but then
neither did my mother.
So when I read the biography
of Edgar Cayce, at the
age of 14, I was in awe. He provided all kinds of answers
that the church and the Bible
could not give me. But then
I was in massive conflict… I
can remember how my whole
system would change walking
down the road to the Church.
My beliefs at home, supported
by my mother, were entirely
different than my beliefs at
church. And my whole body
energy system had to repeatedly
change to accommodate
both systems. It was always a
weird feeling.
Lesson: There are more
options out there than the
Church provide.
But then my life went into
upheaval again at the age of 18
when I read Autobiography of
a Yogi. New answers, outside
my prior range of understanding…
I had to change again.
Lesson: Keep exploring; who
knows what else you will find.
I had completed the school
requirements for high school
graduation early, so I asked
the principal if we could have
a course in world religions. He
said if I could get a teacher to
teach it; 12 students to attend
it; and I wrote the curriculum,
I could have it. I did, they did
and I did –so I got the course.
It was great… although the
teacher was a Christian… so he
didn’t really play as an objective
role as he might have…but
I loved the course.
During this time, I had lost
several other people: my favorite
second mom; both my grandfathers;
and a pseudo uncle.
Lesson: The different ways I
handled death and dying.
To be continued...
To Study and to Know
By Dr. Rosa Hilda Lora M. / Advisor at AIU / [email protected]
To study in the society in
which we live, means to
enroll ourselves in an institution
that is dedicated to teaching
and learning of science or
technique to achieve a degree,
allowing us to grow as human
beings, and earn an activity
which we will receive financial
resources “to be and to have”.
When we say “being”, we
are referring to goods we buy
but the results are reaching
values. For example, I buy a
book and they sell it as a good
but my purpose to buy it is to
read what is there to be a better
person. The seller does not
care what he sells to me for;
what he matters is the sale
itself, and for the company is
the revenues.
When we speak of “having”
we mean everything material
we buy in the society in
which we live.
We go to what study is:
to study involves knowing
what theories, principles and
formulas of the activity we
call science are. Science is
the system that explains with
methods, procedures, laws and
theories what we call reality.
In the study centers and
universities we learn what
these systems are, to pass
upon graduation to enterprises,
to resolve situations
or create means to enrich
the lives of human beings by
offering greater welfare and
quality of life.
So far everything is wonderful;
we know that the world
situation talking about the
economy is not very good, but
as students we hope that for us
everything will be better than
what we hear and read.
We’re at university, we are
passing courses of the program
of science area that we
have chosen and we think
with the wonderful grades
that we are obtaining, we
will reach a good paying job
and a good company. But,
oh surprise! Companies in
addition to the good evaluations
want results.
Here comes something
that is not sold, and that is
achieved through the development
of life through
adulthood and it is called
“knowledge”.
Companies in quieter times than in the globalized society,
could afford, or perhaps
would say others waste, that
recent graduates of universities
may learn to apply what
science says to create quality
of life or for troubleshooting.
Today, the form of globalized
trade and digital communication
make the commercial
movement, in any aspect,
quick and also resources
cannot be spend for College
students to learn to work
because if something does not
produce, it means loss. Today
we must have studies and
also “know”. What “know” is?
It is something that seems
like Illuminated people or
grandparents.
“Because wise is not the
one who knows many general
principles, nor can explain
everything through safe
theories but who can distinguish
in every circumstance
substantially behind appearances,
who can integrate into
a particular unit the apparent
manifestations of an object;
wise is also one that in each
individual situation, can better
distinguish what is truly
important, and he has a more
sagacious sight than the others
“. Villoro (2009, p. 226).
According to Villoro, college
gives us science but
little knowledge because it is
specific to social services in
some countries, in a practice
with the theory in others and
at the end we have a lot of
theory and a little knowledge;
a few knowing sight.
At Atlantic International
University (AIU), students
have the privilege that their
works that they submit for
their academic degree have as
normativity that in addition
to theory they are required
to have the practical application
of it for solving situations
classifiable as local, national
or international.
Students have the
wonderful benefit to go
developing know! They have
the opportunity to learn to
distinguish what is truly
important, in addition to have
the best graphs, to have the
latest theories and if someone
asks, they know everything as
if they were Einstein or Russell
themselves; they learn to
see what the essential is, they
learn to realize what is the
object of study and they learn
to solve or give quality of life
in the business world where
you have to have the wisdom
to give quality service at the
lowest possible cost.
The application of works
as a local can be done by research
in government circles
about social programs, which
are in different science areas,
and from there to structure
the solution as if they were
to execute: to analyze what
is the problem, what is the
applicable theory, what is the
process of the project, how
many would be the human
resources, what would be the
cost. And also what Non-
Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) can help them.
They can do this exercise,
as AIU tells them: locally at
first, and when you have
more practice, at national
and international level.
If we say about the (NGOs),
we open a window to “Study
and Know” because in them
and through them, we can
learn to study using science
in the real world and reaching
wisdom seeing what is truly
important from the activity
we do as work.
NGOs have been developed
because of the inability
of States to generate rapid
changes from the digitization
of trade and to the higher
quality of life of the population;
this makes that more
resources and more services
are demanded.
To learn how to study and
to achieve the knowledge can
be done by belonging or creating
an NGO.
NGOs are nonprofit organizations
whose aim is to give
a service which the State has
failed. These organizations
need a business infrastructure
as any other; the
difference is that the others
sell goods and NGOs provide
a service. NGOs need to “sell”
that societies need a service,
to “sell” that they need
contributors and sponsors, to
“sell” that they need donors,
organize the financial and
human resources to sustain
themselves and have people
to whom is necessary to pay
them their services.
As companies have a legal
relationship with the State;
the difference is that NGOs
are non-profit associations
but there is a legal regime for
your organization.
AIU supports you “to Study
and to Learn” because if
you’re creating your own NGO
during your program you will
receive scientific support to
make it and instead when you
finish your studies and you
get a job creating your own
business and helping you to
have a better world.
By studying in this way at
the end of their program, students
have a knowledge that
might be capitalized when
they are seeking or creating
work because they know what
happens in profit or not-forprofit
organizations, and they
are not full of theories and
lack of knowledge.
Humanity’s Heritage
As a child, I was raised by native Hawaiian elders ... The year is 1963. We’re at the ocean. It’s twilight. We’re watching the rising of the stars and the shifting of the tides. It’s a stretch of beach we know so well.
The smooth stones on the sand are familiar
to us. If you saw these women on the street in their
faded clothes, you might dismiss them as poor and
simple. That would be a mistake. These women are
descendants of Polynesian navigators, trained in the
old ways by their elders, and now they’re passing it
on to me. They teach me the names of the winds and
the rains, of astronomy according to a genealogy of
stars. There’s a new moon on the horizon. Hawaiians
say it’s a good night for fishing. They begin to chant.
When they finish, they sit in a circle and ask me to
come to join them. They want to teach me about my
destiny. I thought every seven-year-old went through
this. (Laughter) “Baby girl, someday the world will
be in trouble. People will forget their wisdom. It will
take elders’ voices from the far corners of the world to call the world into balance. You will
go far away. It will sometimes be a
lonely road. We will not be there. But
you will look into the eyes of seeming
strangers, and you will recognize your
ohana, your family. And it will take all
of you. It will take all of you.” These
words, I hold onto all my life. Because
the idea of doing it alone terrifies me.
The year is 2007. I’m on a remote
island in Micronesia. Satawal is one
half-mile long by one mile wide. It’s
the home of my mentor. His name
is Pius Mau Piailug. Mau is a palu, a
navigator priest. He’s also considered
the greatest wave finder in the world. ...
Their tradition is so extraordinary that these mariners
sailed three million square miles across the Pacific
without the use of instruments. They could synthesize
patterns in nature using the rising and setting of stars,
the sequence and direction of waves, the flight patterns
of certain birds. Even the slightest hint of color
on the underbelly of a cloud would inform them and
help them navigate with the keenest accuracy.
When Western scientists would join Mau on the
canoe and watch him go into the hull, it appeared that
an old man was going to rest. In fact, the hull of the
canoe is the womb of the vessel. It is the most accurate
place to feel the rhythm and sequence and direction of
waves. Mau was, in fact, gathering explicit data using
his entire body. It’s what he had been trained to do
since he was five years old. Now science may dismiss
this methodology, but Polynesian navigators use it
today because it provides them an accurate determination
of the angle and direction of their vessel.
The palu also had an uncanny ability to forecast weather conditions days in advance. Sometimes
I’d be with Mau on a cloud-covered night and we’d
sit at the easternmost coast of the island, and he
would look out, and then he would say, “Okay, we
go.” He saw that first glint of light –he knew what the
weather was going to be three days from now.
Their achievements, intellectually and scientifically,
are extraordinary, and they are so relevant for
these times that we are in when we are riding out
storms. We are in such a critical moment of our collective
history. They have been compared to astronauts
–these elder navigators who sail vast open
oceans in double-hulled canoes thousands of miles
from a small island. Their canoes, our rockets; their
sea, our space. The wisdom of these elders is not a
mere collection of stories about old people in some
remote spot. This is part of our collective narrative.
It’s humanity’s DNA. We cannot afford to lose it.
The year is 2010. Just as the women in Hawaii
that raised me predicted, the world is in trouble. We
live in a society bloated with data, yet starved for
wisdom. We’re connected 24/7, yet anxiety, fear,
depression and loneliness is at an all-time high. We
must course-correct. An African shaman said, “Your
society worships the jester while the king stands in
plain clothes.” The link between the past and the future
is fragile. This I know intimately, because even
as I travel throughout the world to listen to these
stories and record them, I struggle. I am haunted by
the fact that I no longer remember the names of the
winds and the rains.
Mau passed away five months ago, but his
legacy and lessons live on. And I am reminded that
throughout the world there are cultures with vast
sums of knowledge in them, as potent as the Micronesian
navigators, that are going dismissed, that
this is a testament to brilliant, brilliant technology
and science and wisdom that is vanishing rapidly.
Because when an elder dies a library is burned, and
throughout the world, libraries are ablaze.
Watch the complete TED Talk here: www.ted.com/talks/
elizabeth_lindsey_curating_humanity_s_heritage?language=en
The Giant Lobster
An international team of archaeologists has discovered
a giant inhabitant of Earth’s primeval
oceans that would have dwarfed all others.
Aegirocassis benmoulae was a two-metre-long
lobster-like sea creature, which had a long segmented
body and flaps on its belt that it used to get around.
Other than its enormous bulk, relative to other creatures
at the time, its most recognisable feature was
probably a net-like appendage that it dragged through
the water to collect the plankton it consumed.
For a long time, fossils of the creature were thought
to have been several different animals. Their appendages
were thought to be shrimp, their mouths jellyfish
and their bodies sea cucumbers.
But between 1985 and 2011, researchers figured
out that it was actually one creature. Initially it was
thought to be a predatory animal, like many of its evolutionary
relatives. But that changed when Moroccan
fossil collector Ben Moula, who the creature is now
named after, discovered a very well-preserved filterfeeding
system.
What all this means, in additional to being an interesting
glimpse at a monster of the ancient seas, is
that we now have the oldest evidence yet of predatory species undergoing an evolutionary shift to filtering
plankton. Sharks and whales did the same thing
much later on, and it’s thought that crocodiles may
have done so too –reaching massive sizes.
The fin-like swimming appendages on the belly of
Aegirocassis benmoulae have now also been spotted
on its evolutionary relatives, which were previously
thought to lack limbs entirely. If it weren’t for this
discovery archaeologists might not have spotted
them.
“When I discovered these flaps, with the implications
for the evolution of limbs, I thought ‘jeez, is this
really true?,’” said Peter Van Roy, who co-authored
the study, in an interview with The Verge. “And so
for weeks, I went back to the fossils every day just to
make sure that ‘yes the flaps are there, I’m not being
crazy, I’m not seeing things.’”
Van Roy says that he’s planning to move on to
other types of arthropods next, but believes there is
much still to be learnt from the group of anomalocaridids
that contains Aegirocassis benmoulae. He
and his team published their findings in www.nature.
com Source: Meet the giant ‘lobster’ that roamed Earth’s primeval
oceans, by Duncan Geere. www.wired.co.uk
Maglev Train
A maglev train in Japan reached a record-breaking
speed of 603Kph (374Mph) last month, according
to the Central Japan Railway Company –smashing
a record that’s been held for 12 years.
The seven-car train completed a test run on an
experimental course in central Japan’s Yamanashi
prefecture. The train beat the previous record of
581Kph (361Mph), which has been held since 2003.
The magnetic levitation bullet train was carrying
29 technicians during the test run, but passengers
who travel on the line when it opens in 2027 won’t
experience quite the same speeds. When it officially
opens for business, the train is expected to operate at
a maximum speed of 505Kph.
Once completed, it will connect Tokyo and Nagoya
in around 40 minutes; less than half the time it takes
current shinkansen bullet trains. By comparison, the
UK’s proposed “high speed” HS2 train line will travel at
a maximum of 362Kph, and there are ongoing calls to
make the controversial train travel even slower.
Maglev trains use a magnetic charge to lift and
move the train cars above a guideway. JR Central
has been looking to export the speedy technology to
the US for a new line that would connect New York
to Washington, DC. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe has said that his country will help to fund the
project. Source: Text by Daniel Culpan. www.wired.co.uk
Painting the Sound
As a synesthete, the music Melissa McCracken hears is translated into a flow
of texture and colors. Synethesia, although not disorientating, can sometimes leave her at odds trying to
describe what she can see
to others.
Painting in oils and
acrylics is a way to express
and exhibit the beautiful
colors that she sees on a
day to day basis, whether
it’s hearing someone’s
name, or that song on the
radio.
She paints a variety
of artists from Led Zeppelin
to Stevie Wonder.
Source: www.melissasmccracken.com
Work Platform
The Level by FluidStance is a work platform that
elicits subtle, constant movement below your
feet to increase your range of motion and heart rate.
Developed primarily as a tool for your immediate
workspace, it can be used in common areas of both
the home and office, or as a complement to a standup
desk. The design allows you to change the overall
aesthetics via interchangeable top decks, floating
bumpers, and base plates.
This company is founded upon a strong passion to
get people moving in the most uniform environment
of our lives: the workplace. The American Journal
of Epidemiology reports that 86% of the American
force sits for over 7.7 hours a day, and 80% of us truly
hate sitting. Our screen-driven lives are leading to
increases in cancer, heart disease, and depression.
Everyone deserves a better working position
(beyond merely sitting or standing) that helps them
approach their daily routine with renewed interest and energy levels. FluidStance
aims to manufacture
products and
develop content that
helps people around the
globe keep their bodies
and minds active and
healthy.
FluidStance has made
solid progress in the
last 18 months –their
design, engineering,
and tooling is complete.
Now they need your
help to bring these
decks to the rest of the
world. $40,000 covers
their initial manufacturing
run, allowing them
to bring the Level to
life and deliver on their
mission of setting the
world in motion. By
contributing to their
campaign, you’ll be
casting your vote to
evolve the workplace
beyond the common
desk and chair. Visit
www.indiegogo.com
www.fluidstance.com
Good Fatty Food
You’ve heard that eating saturated fat is bad. But the fact is, this forbidden fat actually increases your HDL (good) cholesterol, which helps remove plaque from your artery walls, decreasing your risk of heart disease. Beef. Almost half of the fat in beef is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. Most of the saturated fat in beef actually decreases your heart-disease risk. Poultry. Both the meat and the skin are composed of fat that is very similar to that of beef. Neither raises your risk for heart disease. Pork. Pork tenderloin has less fat than a chicken breast. One caveat: Bacon and other cured meats often contain sodium and other preservatives, such as nitrates, that may raise blood pressure or increase your risk for cancer. Eggs. Whole eggs contain more essential vitamins and minerals per calorie than virtually any other food. They’re also one of the best sources of choline, a substance your body requires to break down fat for energy. Cheese. It’s packed with protein and fat, which keep you full. Butter. Fat, like that in butter, is necessary in order to help your body absorb many of the healthy nutrients found in vegetables. Coconut. More than 50 percent of its saturated-fat content is lauric acid, which decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease. Sour Cream. It’s a close relative of butter, which means you’re eating natural animal fat, not dangerous trans fat. Source: Article by Jeff Volek, PH.D., R.D, and Adam Campbell. www.menshealth.com
Two Things About Learning
Here are two things you should know about the
brain’s learning systems.
1. We take in information better when it’s
visual.
The brain uses 50% of its resources on vision.
Half of your brain power goes to your eyes and
the processes in your brain that turn what you see
into information. The other half has to be split up
among all the other functions your body has.
A perfect example of this is an experiment where
54 wine aficionados were asked to taste wine
samples. The experimenters dropped odorless, tasteless
red dye into white wines to see whether the wine
tasters would still know they were white based on
the taste and smell. They didn’t. Vision is such a big
part of how we interpret the world that it can overwhelm
our other senses.
More than just static visuals, we pay special attention
to anything we see that’s moving. So pictures
and animations are your best friends when it comes
to learning.
Action: Find or make flash cards with images on
them. Add doodles, photos, or pictures from magazines
and newspapers to your notes. Use colors and
diagrams to illustrate new concepts you learn.
3. Sleep largely affects learning and
memory.
Studies have shown that a night of sleep
in-between learning something new and being tested
on it can significantly improve performance. In a
study of motor skills, participants who were tested 12
hours after learning a new skill with a night of sleep
in-between improved by 20.5%, compared to just
3.9% improvement for participants who were tested
at 4-hour intervals during waking hours.
Naps can improve learning just like a full night of
sleep can. A study from the University of California
found that participants who napped after completing
a challenging task performed better when completing
the task again later, compared to participants
who stayed awake in-between tests.
Sleeping before you learn can also be beneficial.
Dr Matthew Walker, the lead researcher of the
University of California study, said “Sleep prepares
the brain like a dry sponge, ready to soak up new
information”.
Action: Try practicing your new skill —or reading
about it— before going to bed or taking a nap. When
you wake up, write some notes on what you remember
from your last study session. Source: Text by Belle Beth
Cooper. blog.pickcrew.com Images: Amit Kapoor, www.huffingtonpost.com
Undo the Damage of a Desk Job
The Problem: After frequent texting and typing,
your wrists feel stiff and sore.
Yoga Hack: Come to your hands and knees.
Then, flip one wrist at a time, palms face down,
with fingers pointing towards your knees. Start
by making small circles over your wrists, shifting
weight forwards and backwards. If this feels painful,
keep working here and try adding a little more
pressure each day. When you’re ready to move on,
you can extend one leg back at a time, so that you’re
in a plank pose (top of a push-up) with your wrists
flipped. This will stretch out your wrist joints, while
bringing new blood to the area, giving you more
flexibility and range overtime, and helping to fight
off arthritis.
The Problem: As your day draws to a close
you find yourself slumping closer and closer to your
screen, and by the time you log off you look more like
Mr. Burns (The Simpsons) than your tall self.
Yoga Hack: Stand with feet hips width distance
apart (if you’re not sure how wide this is, you can
measure by placing two fists between your feet).
Bend your knees as you fold forward, with the crown
of your head dropping towards the ground. Clasp
your palms behind your back and let them fall overhead.
This is an intense shoulder stretch that will
open up the front side of your body, counteracting
any residual rounding from poor posture.
The Problem: You work at a standing desk, but
put all your weight on one hip at a time, or worse –
you still find ways to slouch!
Yoga Hack: There’s a big difference between
standing casually and standing up in yoga (also
known as Mountain Pose). Start with your feet
hips width distance apart, shift weight back into
your heels, then into the balls of your feet, and rest
somewhere in the middle so that you’re pressing all
four corners of each foot into the ground (your feet
should be so planted that you could withstand a
gentle push without having to readjust).
Bend your knees and slowly straighten, mindfully
stacking bone on top of bone. Roll your shoulders up
to your ears and down the back. Puff up your chest,
while tucking your chin slightly and gazing straight
ahead (this will help stack your cervical spine on
top of your thoracic spine, helping to eliminate back
pain). Lastly, and most importantly, engage your
thighs! You can do this by energetically drawing your
legs upward, and flexing your adductor muscles. This
will distribute your body weight evenly, so that the
biggest muscles in your body (the muscles in your
legs) can take weight off your joints, which will leave
you feeling more energized, alert and symmetrical
after standing for long periods at a time.
The French Solution
When your toaster breaks, or even your laptop,
it’s often cheaper to buy a replacement than
attempt a repair. That’s one reason the world throws
out more than 50 million tons of gadgets each year.
But a new French law is trying to push manufacturers
to start designing products that are easier to fix.
Under the new directive, manufacturers will have
to label products with information about how long
spare parts will be available. Next year, manufacturers
will also be required to offer free repair or
replacement for the first two years after purchase.
“These sorts of labeling and product longevity
requirements are a huge win for consumers,” says
Kyle Wiens, founder of iFixit, a wiki-based site that
aims to teach people how to fix any type of product.
He argues that they’re also a win for manufacturers
—even if it means it might cost slightly more to make
something that lasts.
The French senate also recently voted to outlaw
planned obsolescence, the practice of intentionally
designing products that won’t last, in order to
sell more. If the law is finalized, violators will face a
potential fine of 300,000 Euro or two years in prison.
The biggest challenge, of course, is that it would be
hard to prove that something was deliberately designed
to break. Source: Text by Adele Peters. www.fastcoexist.com
Rooftop Garden vs. White Solar-reflecting Paint
ON THE ONE HAND
Rooftop gardens –sometimes called green roofs–
are a trendy topping for buildings, with close to
1,000 installed each year in the United States and
Canada. Their benefits are manifold: They absorb
and filter rainwater, provide habitat for birds and
bugs, and offer verdant sanctuaries to stressed-out
urbanites. Most important, they keep buildings –and
cities– cool, reducing the need for energy-sucking
air conditioners. While the dark tar or rock ballast
of conventional roofs absorbs sunlight, heating up
the buildings below, green roofs diffuse it through
evapotranspiration. A study in New York City found
that green roofs were 600F cooler than their tarry
neighbors.
ON THE OTHER
A roof treated with white, solar-reflecting paint
benefits the climate three times more than a green
roof, scientists at California’s Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory have found. Rather than simply
cooling the air, white roofs reflect sunlight back into
the atmosphere. The price is right too: When LBNL
researchers compared the costs of white, green, and
black roofs over 50 years, they found that white roofs
are easily the cheapest of the three, costing $9 per
square foot less than green roofs and more than $2
per square foot less than black roofs. A 2008 study
found that if white roofs were installed worldwide,
they would offset 24 gigatons of CO2 –two-thirds of
our annual output. Source: Article by Dashka Slater.
www.sierraclub.org Illustration: Peter and Maria Hoey.
Real Labels
The Canadian Fair Trade Network and ReThink
Communications have teamed up and launched
the “The Label Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story” campaign.
This campaign is aimed at bringing awareness
to and getting people thinking, talking and taking
action on ongoing issues within garment and textile
production and manufacturing. This series of thoughtprovoking
clothing labels have been photographed in
a bid to raise awareness of the horrific plight of those
toiling in sweatshops around the world.
We’re hoping that these images will make people
think about the garments they are wearing and just where they have come
from. Teaming up
with the advertising
agency Rethink, the
photographs feature
clothing labels telling
the tragic stories of
factory workers from
Bangladesh, Cambodia
and Sierra Leone.
Each label says that
the product is 100 per
cent cotton –but adds
that is not the whole story and follows on with a
snap shot of just who could have made the item.
A red hooded top focuses on the life of Tejan, a
father-of-two, and bears the label: ‘Made in Sierra
Leone by Tejan. The first few times he coughed up
blood he hid it from his family. They couldn’t afford
medical treatment and he couldn’t risk losing his
long-time job at the cotton plantation. When he fell
into a seizure one day it could no longer be ignored.
The diagnosis was pesticide poisoning. The lack of
proper protective clothing has left him with leukemia
at the age of 34. He has two daughters. One of them
starts work at the factory next year. The label doesn’t
tell the whole story.’
Other image, of a smart jacket, highlights a working
day for 12-year-old Joya. The label says: ‘Made in
Bangladesh by Joya who left school at the age of 12 to
help support her two brothers and newly widowed
mother. Her father was killed when a fire ripped
through the cotton factory where he works. She
now works in the building across the street from the
burned down factory. A constant reminder of the risk
she takes everyday.’
‘It’s time for change,’ said the Canadian Fair
Trade Network. ‘Buying fairtrade ensures workers
are being compensated fairly and not exposed to
unsafe working conditions.’ Source: cftn.ca/campaigns/
label-doesnt-tell-whole-story
Stop the Slaughter of Baby Seals
Human Society International / hsi.org. Updated
April 22, 2015: Tragically, the Canadian government
has again authorized the killing
of 400,000 baby harp seals –and
the slaughter has begun.
They claim the slaughter is
humane, but we have the proof
it’s absolutely not. Our video
footage shows baby seals being
clubbed and shot –left to suffer
in agony– and conscious seal pups impaled on
hooks, dragged across the ice and cut open.
Our Protect Seals team works year-round to shut
down the commercial sealing industry —we are
successfully helping to close global markets for seal
pelts, and we are working to ensure that the European
Union’s ban on trade in products of commercial
seal hunts stays strong. We need your support –
please make your donation exclusively to our Protect
Seals campaign using the link below right now– and
help us reach our goal of $350,000!
donate.hsi.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.
id=104&ea.campaign.id=19536&ea.tracking.
id=email&ea.url.id=391599
Custom Built From The Ground Up
Did you know that our student platform is build in-house? This means we own the codes and have the right people to address and resolve any issue that may arise so you can focus on your studies and move forward with your life. We are very proud to say that our student platform is as unique as your program with Atlantic International University. After all, we not only believe that education is a human right, but should also be easily accessible and our student platform does just that. From your student platform you can easily:
• Submit assignments online or download for later.
• Check your student inbox or sent
messages to your advisor and tutor. • Access all your documents and student resources...
• ...including transcript and our library of over 250 million publications.
• Make payments or set up auto-payments. Experience it for yourself by logging into your student account today.
Tip #1. Make sure you download the updates to Adobe Flash and Java.
• These programs are highly important and control how you view and interact with our webpages.
• Java and Adobe are constantly making improvements to these programs, and they are available to you in the form of updates.
• Remember you should ONLY download Java or Adobe from their official websites: www.adobe.com www.java.com
Tip #2. If you experience errors or functionality issues when working on your computer:
1. Locate the error you want us to check.
2. Click PRTSC (or PRTSCN, IMP PNT, Function+Insert, cmd+shift+3) to take a snapshot of the screen.
3. Open the program Paint (or similar image viewer).
4. Paste the image and Save as a PNG, JPG, JPEG, TIFF or GIFF format.
6. Send us an email explaining your problem and attach the image of the error that you’ve just saved.
Bachelor of Architecture
School of science and engineering
The Bachelor of Architecture program is offered online via distance learning. After evaluating both academic record and life experience, AIU staff working in conjunction with Faculty and Academic Advisors will assist students in setting up a custom-made program, designed on an individual basis. This flexibility to meet student needs is seldom found in other distance learning programs. Our online program does not require all students to take the same subjects/courses, use the same books, or learning materials. Instead, the online Bachelor of Architecture curriculum is designed individually by the student and academic advisor. It specifically addresses strengths and weaknesses with respect to market opportunities in the student’s major and intended field of work. People need places in which to live, work, play, learn, worship, meet, govern, shop, and eat. These places may be private or public; indoors or out; rooms, buildings, or complexes, and architects design them. Architects are licensed professionals trained in the art and science of building design who develop the concepts for structures and turn those concepts into images and plans. Architects create the overall aesthetic and look of buildings and other structures, but the design of a building involves far more than its appearance. Buildings also must be functional, safe, and economical and must suit the needs of the people who use them. Architects consider all these factors when they design buildings and other structures.
Important:
Communication & Investigation
(Comprehensive Resume)
Submit your Online Application, paste
your resume and any additional comments/
questions in the area provided.
www.aiu.edu/requestinfo.html?Request
+Information=Request+Information
Each Bachelor of Architecture graduate
is encouraged to publish their research
papers either online in the public domain
or through professional journals
and periodicals worldwide.
• Architectural Drafter
• Enjoy design
Mathematics for Engineers
Important : Below is an example of
the topics or areas you may develop
and work on during your studies. By
no means is it a complete or required
list as AIU programs do not follow a
standardized curriculum. It is meant
solely as a reference point and example.
Want to learn more about the curriculum
design at AIU? Go ahead and visit
our website, especially the Course and
Curriculum section:
www.aiu.edu/course-curriculum.html
Orientation Courses
Organization Theory (Portfolio)
Experiential Learning (Autobiography)
Academic Evaluation (Questionnaire)
Fundament of Knowledge
(Integration Chart)
Fundamental Principles I
(Philosophy of Education)
Professional Evaluation
(Self Evaluation Matrix)
Development of Graduate Study
(Guarantee of an Academic Degree)
Contact us to get started
Pioneer Plaza/900 Fort Street Mall 40
Honolulu, HI 96813
800-993-0066 (Toll Free in US)
808-924-9567 (Internationally) Publication
Employment Opportunities
• Building Contractor
• Building Surveyor
• Interior Designer
• Landscape Architect
• Quantity Surveyor
• Surveyor
• Urban
and Regional Planner
Research Project
Bachelor Thesis Project
MBM300 Thesis Proposal
MBM302 Bachelor Thesis
(5,000 words)
Skills for success
• Creative flair
• Able to analyze problems logically
• Good communication skills.
Core Courses and Topics
Modern Architecture
World History of Architecture
Architecture, Engineering, and
Environment
AutoCAD for Architecture
Basic Drawing
Modeling and Visual Displays
Introduction to Architecture
Strength of Materials
Mechanical Engineering Design
Project Management
Architecture Design
Engineering Economic Analysis
Environmental Design: Green
Buildings
Building Systems
Concrete Structures
Construction
Introduction to Civil Engineering