Words by Dean of Curriculum & Instruction Dr. Beth Sullivan
With the end of spring semester, I send word of transitions for some of our faculty. I am sad to say that we will be losing three faculty members, who will be departing at the end of this academic year. From Counseling Psychology, Professors Kim Kjaersgaard and Ray Pastorino will be retiring. From Business Administration, Professor Ky Holland will be moving on to work on a long list of projects.
Kim started teaching at APU 28 years ago. She has been instrumental and inspirational in the development of our Counseling Psychology programs. She has served the institution in ways that are almost impossible to enumerate, from IRB and Faculty Review to Curriculum and Enrollment Management. She led efforts across campus to develop assessment plans, particularly in the build-up to our 2006 accreditation review. And, she has provided masterful leadership as a department chairperson and graduate program director. For the many years of excellence in teaching, dedication to APU, and unending amounts of chocolate (!), I extend our deepest appreciation to Kim.
Ky started teaching at APU in 2000 as adjunct instructor and was appointed in 2013 as a full-time faculty member in Business Administration. He has taught everything from Personal Finance and Organization Communication to Risk Analysis and Spreadsheet Modeling. Ky has led initiatives at APU, in Anchorage, and across the state to develop new approaches to entrepreneurship and business start-ups. He has served this past year as the Hickel Scholar, participating in over 40 events, with APU student winners in significant competitions, and developing a reputation for APU as an institution focused on innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Ky is off to work on new initiatives in the private sector – and hopefully return to academia at some point in the future. For his leadership and commitment to education at all levels, we extend our appreciation to Ky.
Ray joined our faculty 3 years ago, particularly to help in the development of our PsyD program. Counseling Psychology has been extremely fortunate to have his expertise, graciousness, and professionalism as we have grown the doctoral program. Ray has been particularly important in providing guidance to PsyD students through internship and dissertations. Ray has provided crucial networking for these students, and in so doing, has helped the program in developing a solid reputation statewide. This will be Ray’s second ‘retirement,’ and we extend many thanks for his contributions to APU and his willingness to put off the first retirement to work with us.
