Durham Tech Speakers Bureau

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Need a Speaker? Simply Give Your Community College a Call

Need an enlightening or entertaining program? Interested in an informative speaker for your next gathering? The Durham Technical Community College Speakers Bureau may be able to provide just the program you have in mind for your organization, club, school, church, business, or civic group.

Presenters (see the following list) are Durham Tech faculty and staff who would like to visit with your group and share their areas of expertise or interest. There are no charges for any of these speakers. However, please contact speakers as early as possible to request their services. This enables our faculty and staff to schedule engagements around their teaching and work schedules as well as other community service activities and personal responsibilities.

To schedule a program, simply call the person prepared to share information about the topic of your choice. Feel free to leave a voice mail message on the desired speaker's telephone if he or she is not available to take the call. Your call will be returned as quickly as possible.

Please read on for answers to often-asked questions about the Speakers Bureau:

Is there a charge for calling upon participants in the college's Speakers Bureau?

Durham Technical Community College offers the Speakers Bureau as a service to the community and welcomes the opportunity to speak with groups in the service area of Durham and Orange counties free of charge. Because a number of our students are residents of surrounding counties, some of our Speakers Bureau participants are also willing to travel to adjoining counties to provide a program. Also, the participants in Durham Tech's Speakers Bureau are volunteers in this information-sharing effort. They have offered their services to the community because they care about sharing knowledge with area residents.

How early should I call to schedule a program?

The earlier the better. Most of our faculty and staff are very busy people. In addition to their jobs teaching or supporting education at Durham Tech, many of our faculty and staff are active in their community, have families, and have a variety of demands on their time. Please call the person you would like to provide a program for your group at the earliest possible notice. This will give our Speakers Bureau participants plenty of time to schedule and plan your program – and help you rest easier about scheduling the speaker for your event.

What information do I need to tell the speaker when I call?

Tell your desired speaker about your group and provide your contact information so the speaker can be better prepared to respond to your request and also contact you if necessary with any questions that they may arise before the program.

What if I get voice mail when I call the speaker I would like to schedule for a program?

Please speak clearly and leave your name and telephone number. Also, remember to say you are calling to request a program through the college's Speakers Bureau. Our faculty and staff try hard to respond quickly to their voice mail messages.

What if I cannot contact the person I would like to schedule as a speaker?

Feel free to call the Marketing and Communications Department at 919-536-7246, ext. 5205. We will do whatever we can to help you make contact or respond to your need for a speaker.

What types of programs are available?

The Speakers Bureau Participants List follows. Programs may be scheduled for information about the college, available career programs, and services that help students succeed. Special interest areas for faculty and staff are also the subjects of some programs, such as nature photography, missions trips, and collaborative writing tips.

Requesting a Speaker? Please Help Us Target the Message to Meet Your Need
When requesting a speaker through the Speakers Bureau, please be ready to share the information we need to target our message to your audience. Let us know the following:

Topic desired;
Name of your organization or group;
Date, time, and location of meeting;
Approximate number of persons expected to be attending the meeting or in the audience;
Composition of audience (men, women, teenagers, senior citizens, etc.) and their special interests; and
Name and phone number of the contact person in the organization.

For Additional Assistance . . .
If you have a problem contacting the speaker of your choice or if you need any other assistance in scheduling a program through the college's Speakers Bureau, contact the Carver Weaver, Director, Marketing and Communications at 919-536-7246, ext. 5205.

SPEAKERS BUREAU Participants
Read below for program topics now available through Durham Tech's Speakers Bureau. Simply call the participant of your choice to schedule a program.

Nan Dernar, director, Counseling, Student Development, and Activities, 919-536-7200, ext. 1405 – Understanding the demands of the life of a college student: health and wellness, time management, differences between high school and college

Randy Egsegian, assistant dean and department Head, Applied and Public Service Technologies; coordinator/instructor, Fire Protection Technology Program and coordinator/Instructor, Emergency Preparedness Technology, 919-536-7230, ext. 8062 – Fire Protection Technology opportunities, fire service emergency response training

Julie Hoover, instructor, Geology/Physical Science, Arts, Sciences, and University Transfer, 919-536-7223, ext. 8021 – Geology, Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing, conservation, the environment

C. Suzi Jaikaran, transcript evaluation specialist, Student Information and Records, 919-536-7214, ext. 1807 – College credit transfers and accreditation meanings, renting your first apartment

Tom Jaynes, vice president for Institutional Advancement and Support, 919-536-7200, ext. 6005 – Disabilities services topics, accommodating lesson plans for students with disabilities

Teri Kaasa, director, Research, Evaluation, Assessment and Planning, 919-536-7249, ext. 2801 – institutional research, how to find colleges that suit your preferences, data and statistics about Durham Tech, assessment of student learning

Lance Lee, instructor of Spanish; Arts, Sciences, and University Transfer, 919-536-7223, ext. 8187 – Importance of world languages education, Spanish language, hispanic culture

Micara Lewis, program director/instructor, Teacher Associate Program, 919-536-7230, ext. 4406 – Education, public schools, youth and community service motivational speaker

Melissa Lennon, departmental secretary, Public Services Technologies Department, 919-536-7230, ext. 8068 – Drug awareness

Dr. David Long, discipline chair/instructor of History, Arts, Sciences, and University Transfer, 919-536-7223, ext. 8025 – The American Homefront during World War II, early US conduct of the Cold War

Laurin Mancour, program director/instructor, Clinical Trials Research Associate Program, 919-536-7233, ext. 8131 – Careers in research, clinical research studies, medical/research ethics, informed consent, regulatory affairs

Gabby McCutchen, director, Center for Teaching and Learning; 919-536-7231 ext. 8083 – The Durham Tech Teaching-Learning Center, faculty professional development

Jairo McMican, academic advisor/instructor, Student Advising, Registration, and Student Placement; 919-536-7214, ext. 1808 – College admission procedures for freshman or transfer students, college transfer credit procedures, African-American male development, leadership development, female professional development from a male point of view

Dr. Jason Moldoff, instructor, Communications, 919-536-7223, ext. 8162 – Youth voting, political humor, media bias

Doug Scott, program director/Instructor, Criminal Justice, 919-536-7230, ext. 8069 – Forensics, judicial systems, police photography, police procedures, substance abuse, juvenile law

Gayle Sims, executive director, DTCC Foundation, 919-536-7200, ext. 6001 – How to support Durham, the impact that DTCC has on the community

Dr. Peter W. Wooldridge, interim vice-president, Corporate and Continuing Education, 919-536-7200, ext. 8046 – National trends in enrollment, accountability, funding, and leadership development; the need to transform education for the 21st century

Durham Technical Community College
1637 Lawson Street
Durham, NC 27703
919-536-7200