Issue No.24         August 2018
Trident University International provides an exceptional online educational experience for its students – diverse adult learners including current and former members of the military family.
Adhering to the highest standards of academic excellence, faculty and staff foster a learning community where students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills to enhance their lives and advance their careers.


Message From The President

by Travis Allen
 
Trident Community, we hope you had the opportunity to attend (in person or online via streaming) our annual commencement ceremony on Saturday, July 15th. It is particularly special at Trident because it’s the first time that faculty and staff meet face-to-face with the students with whom they have developed such meaningful relationships.
 
316 graduates attended with the loving support of over 2,000 friends and family! Another 4,300 watched online as Dr. Elston Steele became the first graduate to both sing the national anthem and deliver the student keynote address. He holds the distinct honor of being a rare Trident Triple™, having completed his bachelors, masters, and Ph.D. with our university!
 
Trident also celebrated its 20th anniversary during the ceremony. There have been countless achievements during our first two decades, the most important being the impact of over 30,000 alumni on their respective communities. We are incredibly proud of our Trident alumni and the contributions they continue to make to protect, serve, and strengthen our nation.
 
While we’ve included a link to the full ceremony above, in the next month we will share a commencement highlights video. For now, check out three short videos that we showed during the ceremony that will make you even more proud to be Trident Strong!
 

Trident University - Graduation Day 2018 from Trident University International on Vimeo.
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Trident in the Community

Join Trident at any of the following events in your local community:
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Military Experience

Meet the Trident Military Outreach Team – Jovanka Franco
by Esmeralda Silva
 
Jovanka Jaime Franco is Trident’s Regional Manager of Strategic Military and Community Relations in the North East Region. Jovanka served 9 years active duty with the United States Marine Corps and is currently serving as a reservist with the U.S. Marine Corps in Columbia Maryland. She served in roles such as Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in charge for the Senate Liaison Office in Capitol Hill, as the Non-Commissioned Officer in charge for Combat Logistics Regiment in Camp Pendleton, California and travel administrator in MCB Hawaii.
 
Jovanka received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Arizona and an Associate degree Chaminade University all while serving on active duty status. Jovanka believes that every service member should take advantage of their education benefits to achieve their goals.
 
Jovanka is committed to serving our nation and paying it forward to those that serve. She is a mother of a beautiful one-year-old. She also loves the outdoors, spending time with family, and traveling.
 
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Student Experience

Path to Graduation
by Julian Galindo 
 
Hey there! I am Julian Galindo, one of the dedicated Student Success Advisors here at Trident, and I wanted to let you know about the new Path to Graduation course schedule platform. Key to a student’s success is the development of an academic plan that fits within their profession and personal obligations. The recent development and launch of the new Path to Graduation course scheduler, or “PTG” as we call it, allows students and their Student Success Advisors to develop an academic timeline that leads straight to graduation.
 
The process of building, reviewing, and confirming your Path to Graduation is simple and straightforward. You and your Student Success Advisor will review your academic progress and develop a course schedule that will guide you to graduation. The best part of PTG is the ability to be flexible with student schedules. Did a last-minute vacation or work responsibility arise? Just reach out to your SSA to adjust your future scheduled sessions and discuss your planned graduation date!
 
Confirming your course schedule is completely at your control and confirming your future courses are simple too! Students confirm their enrollment for scheduled sessions by clicking the “Confirm” button next to their future session. Please note that future session enrollment typically begins 45 days from the start of the session. The new Path to Graduation platform places control of your sessions in at your fingertips. This new course schedule allows you and your Student Success Advisor to work together and plan you current and immediate enrollments, review future course schedules, and develop a plan to get you to the graduation stage!

Academic Spotlight

by Debra J. Louis, Ph.D., Dean, Glenn R. Jones College of Business
 
It is with great pleasure that we announce Dr. Michael Brizek (Michael.brizek@trident.edu) has joined the Trident University community as a full-time Professor of Doctoral Studies in the Glenn R. Jones College of Business. He will work with faculty and students in the DBA program.
 
Dr. Michael Brizek has more than 10 years of management experience in industry and over 19 years of service in higher education in faculty and administrative positions.
 
Dr. Brizek has extensive experience working with doctoral students and conducting research. He has published over 30 academic articles in his field along with a book on Corporate Entrepreneurship. Dr. Brizek has presented at multiple academic conferences and sits on several editorial boards for well-respected academic journals. He has appeared in interviews by national media outlets including NPR Radio and Black Enterprise Magazine.
 
Dr. Brizek earned his Ph.D. in Business with an emphasis in Management from Virginia Tech, a Master of Hotel Restaurant and Tourism Administration and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Carolina.
 
We are very excited to welcome Dr. Brizek and look forward to his contributions to the College of Business and the Trident University community.
 

Trident in the News

 
Trident University and Knott’s Berry Farm to Host Military Families for a Day of Building Happy Memories
July 11, 2018 – Cypress, CA – Trident University International (Trident) today announced details of its third annual Snowball Express event. The event, co-sponsored by partner Knott’s Berry Farm, will be held on Thursday, August 2nd, at Knott’s in Buena Park, CA. Since 2006, Snowball Express has provided hope and new happy memories to the children [...]
 
Alex Gorlovsky Receives Trident University’s Teaching Excellence Award
June 25, 2018 – Cypress, CA – Trident University International (Trident) is proud to announce that Alex Gorlovsky has been awarded the Teaching Excellence Award for Winter 2018. He was selected from among 40 Trident faculty members by both students and the University’s academic leadership team. Prof. Gorlovsky, who joined Trident in 2012, is a member [...]
 
Dean’s List April Fastrac 2018 Session
June 24, 2018 – Cypress, CA – Simply completing a bachelors degree as a working adult can be a challenge, but there are those select Trident University students who have risen to that challenge, and then some, meeting the highest of standards. As a way to recognize bachelors degree students who display a high level of academic [...]
 
 

Faces of Trident

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A military veteran, Dr. Elston Steele is currently Chief, IT Programs and Operations Branch, for the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office of the Department of Homeland Security. He has extensive experience in the information technology field, including project management, and strategic.
Dr. Elston Steele, Trident Triple™ 
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Dr. Stephen Fitzgerald serves as the Director of Faculty Development at Trident University International. As an award-winning organizational psychologist, his research and practice is focused on complex collaboration and strengths-based change.
Dr. Stephen P. Fitzgerald, Director of Faculty Development
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Dr. Jim Koerlin has worked in the information technology industry for over thirty years. He has served as a corporate level manager of a $9 billion enterprise, dean of a large school of technology, and a consultant to industry and government.
Dr. James Koerlin, Part-time Faculty - Glenn R. Jones College of Business
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Career Center Corner

The Office of Science / US Department of Energy is pleased to announce paid research internship opportunities for undergraduate students majoring in areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) for the Spring of 2019. The application system for the 2019 Spring Term Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program is currently open, with all applications due by 05:00 PM Eastern Time on October 09, 2018.
 
The Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program places students from 2 and 4-year undergraduate institutions as paid interns in science and engineering research activities at DOE national laboratories and facilities, working with laboratory staff scientists and engineers on projects related to ongoing research programs. Appointments are for 16 weeks during the Spring term, are open to US Citizens and US Lawful Permanent Residents, include a weekly stipend, reimbursement for one round trip domestic travel to the participant’s host DOE laboratory, and possibilities for a housing allowance. More than 850 internships are sponsored annually.
 
The application is made online. Full program information and descriptions, including links to the online application system, are available at http://science.energy.gov/wdts/suli/ 
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Alumni Community

2018 Graduate Open House
by Kendra Temple
 
For the third year in a row, Trident University’s Alumni Association hosted an Open House the day before Graduation at Trident’s Campus in Cypress, CA. Trident welcomed nearly 400 guests at this year’s event, as Graduates and their families came together in celebration of their accomplishments.
 
Graduation day often goes by too quickly, and our Open House allows Graduates who traveled far and wide to attend Commencement, the opportunity to celebrate with their Trident family one additional day. With smiles on everyone’s faces, Graduates migrated between department informational booths; enjoyed visiting with faculty in the meet and greet area, played games face painting in the Kid Zone, took photos in the photo booth, entered raffles, ate at the food truck, enjoyed desserts and refreshments and even took campus tours.
 
Graduates most importantly enjoyed meeting with the individuals who supported them throughout their academic journey. After years of speaking to one another via email, phone and webcam; they finally had the opportunity to meet face to face and revel in their accomplishment. There really is nothing better.
 
The University looks forward to next year, when we can meet, celebrate, and entertain the 2019 Graduating class. If you attended this year’s Open House and have feedback or recommendations, please email alumni@trident.edu.
 
In case you didn’t know: Trident hosts one annual Open House & Commencement Ceremony in California every summer. Graduates who have completed their degree requirements and are approved by the Registrar’s office, may participate. This means graduates from ANY year can walk at ANY of our annual ceremonies. The date has not yet been confirmed for 2019 but will be posted here once confirmed. Don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate your hard work!
 
Until next year…
Kendra Temple, Alumni Services
 
Have you Joined AlumniFire? AlumniFire is a powerful networking platform that helps the Trident community open doors, network, and mentor one another from anywhere in the world. It’s free to use and 100% powered by students and alumni like yourself. Sign up today using your email address, LinkedIn or Facebook account.
   
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