Elizabethtown Community and Technical College student Rafael Villanueva Jr., fourth from left, has been awarded the Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky Scholarship for the 2014-2015 academic year. Recipients of the award must be enrolled in a degree-seeking program in the automotive field, have a 3.0 grade point average, and demonstrate financial need.

Villanueva is a sophomore from Marion County majoring in Auto/Diesel Technology. ECTC’s automotive/diesel program is consistently ranked among the nation’s best programs, and graduates are highly-sought by the automotive and diesel service industry.

From left are: Steve Gabehart, instructor; Joe Valora, instructor; Doug Poteet, associate professor; Villanueva; Jerry Clemons, professor/program coordinator; and John Chism, associate professor.

Privately-funded scholarships help ECTC students meet the costs of a quality postsecondary education. More information is available by calling 270-706-8580.

By Jaime Thomas

Three-Dimensional printing is a game changer.
So says Jack Johnson, assistant professor of computer aided design (CAD) at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.
“It’s a technology that impacts almost everything,” Johnson said.
ECTC recognized how influential 3-D printing would become, and sought ways to incorporate it into the CAD curriculum. The college purchased multiple 3-D printers with a 2014-2015 Student Success Mini-Grant funded by private gifts, and began offering 3-D printing technology as an elective in its CAD program in fall 2014. “We have an advisory board that lets us know what is going in in the industry and we change our curriculum accordingly,” Johnson said. “Any time we can give students an attribute that they normally wouldn’t have, we try to do it.”
The technology of 3-D printing can be used for anything from creating prosthetic limbs to making a model of a patient’s defective heart to better prepare doctors for surgery. In addition to healthcare, it has revolutionized the manufacturing arena, Johnson said. “Industries are now realizing that instead of outsourcing prototypes it is much more cost- and time-effective to create them in house.”
Since the early 1990s, 3-D printing has changed from requiring large, bulky machines to now calling for smaller, desktop models. “The last five years have redefined the whole technology,” Johnson said. “It’s much more accessible.”
The process begins with a person creating a virtual design of what is to be printed. This file is sent to the 3-D printer, which forms or ‘prints’ the piece, layer by layer. There are multiple options of how the object is produced. One such option is fused deposition modeling (FDM), which involves extruding a stream of melted material to build the object tiny layer by tiny layer, Johnson said.
There are two main choices for types of materials used in 3-D printers. The most popular and least expensive is acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. “It has good mechanical properties but isn’t environmentally friendly,” Johnson said. The other option is polylactic acid (PLA) which is a biodegradable polymer produced from corn.
The process of 3-D printing relies heavily on CAD. “Everything has to be designed,” Johnson said, and ECTC has a competitive program which teaches students fundamental knowledge, skills and understanding of mechanical and architectural drawings and design.
“Our college is one of only two in the state that provide American Design and Drafting Association (ADDA) certification,” Johnson said. “We’re a certified testing center, which makes us very competitive.”
Local employers contact the school looking for students to hire, and having experience with 3-D printing only increases their hireability, Johnson said.
“The graduates that we have hired from ECTC’s CAD program come in with the technical background and skills to be able to perform the tasks required of our CAD Designers,” said Austin Hawkins, from Altec Industries Inc. “We have had an excellent track record with ECTC graduates being detail oriented, understanding manufacturing processes and adapting well to our team environment.”
Having the option to study 3-D printing at ECTC can only help CAD students once they graduate as employers look for employees with training on the latest technology, Johnson said.
“CAD continues to grow and there are more jobs than students to fill them.”


Jack Johnson, assistant professor of computer aided design and drafting at ECTC, and Rick Bullard, ECTC Solid Works Program student from Radcliff, print a T-Rex showerhead using one of the college’s 3-D printers.

Vesna Alac, a translator and a specialist in modern languages, will give a presentation at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, in Room 112 of the James S. Owen Building. Her presentation, entitled “The Odyssey of the Foreigner between Memory and Writing,” considers how language provides a sense of identity and serves as a bridge in understanding other cultures. It is sponsored by the Division of Arts & Humanities and funded by the college’s Multicultural Committee and the Office of Diversity. Her presentation is free and open to the community.

A native of Croatia, Alac is fluent in Croatian, English and Italian; she is the owner manager of MediTerra Translation and has been a University of Louisville lecturer in Italian Culture and Languages and an instructor of English as a Second Language at Jefferson Community of Technical College. More recently, she taught in the 2015 Winter Italy Program of the Kentucky Institute of International Studies.
Alac is excited to visit ECTC because she began her postsecondary education in community college; she graduated with an Associate Degree from Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, Massachusetts. She then pursued her bachelor degree as Commonwealth Scholar at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she graduated Cum Laude in Italian and Literature. While earning a Master of Arts in Italian Language and Literature at Smith College, Northampton Massachusetts, Alac studied for a year at the University of Florence in Italy. Her translation expertise is in scientific and medical literature.
Among the topics Alac will discuss are migrant/border writers and migrant writing and the role of the foreigner, in particular that of migrant writer in today's world. She will explore monoculture myth/hostility culture, the concept of the border today, and the social, cultural and political condition of the foreigner in the host country.

Alac will also offer her presentation at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday April 8 at ECTC’s Springfield Campus. For further information, contact Dr. John Dryden, Arts & Humanities Division, at jdryden0003@kctcs.edu.

People in Hardin and surrounding counties will have the opportunity to learn how they can help to care for the Earth at two events in Elizabethtown in April. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and Hardin County Earthcare Collaborative will together present EarthFest 2015,"Sustaining Our Earth, Our Home,” on Thursday, April 16 and Saturday, April 18, 2015.

AT ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE ON APRIL 16 & 18
The mission of the EarthFest 2015, which is a relationship between the college and community-based Earthcare Collaborative, is to create a community and college event to present "earth-friendly" products, services, technologies, and practices. The event emphasis is on practical adaptations with the community and the college. A variety of booths/exhibits staffed from noon until 4:00 p.m. on April 16, will be open to the public on the ECTC campus. From noon until 4:30 p.m. “Bag-it- Is your life too plastic?” will be shown in Room 212 of the Regional Postsecondary Center. It will be aired at the following times: Noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The exhibits and activities will center around the Regional Postsecondary Center on the Elizabethtown Campus.

At 2:30 p.m. ECTC employees will plant a new tree on the Elizabethtown Campus in honor of Earth Day. And at 6:30 p.m. the campus will host a panel discussion about Kentucky Sustainability Initiatives featuring Mike Hensley, The Nature Conservancy and Green River Project Director; Tim Darst, Louisville Sustainability Council Board of Directors; and Greg Lee, Fort Knox Award-Winning Energy Star Program. The panelists will discuss their areas of expertise with specific emphasis on how implementation of sustainable practices can impact Kentucky.

On Saturday, April 18, ECTC will host an Earth Day 5K Walk/Run starting on campus at 9 a.m. It will be a benefit for three student groups, including the Running Club, the Biology Club, and the Kentucky Association of Nursing Students (KANS), as well as for Rachel’s Playground Fun for All, a project started by a Vine Grove 10-year-old to build a playground that will accommodate children of all abilities.

AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN ELIZABETHTOWN ON APRIL 18
In addition, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. the Hardin County Earthcare Collaboration will host a family-friendly event at First Presbyterian Church on Pear Orchard Road in Elizabethtown. The event will feature live music and booths all day, and activities such as: Saving the Rhinos, Nature Story Time, and Dr. Paul Gerard’s Kentucky Critters will be a fun way to learn about the facts of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!” All events are free and open to the public.

 
The agenda for Saturday is as follows:

Children’s Activities
11 a.m. -One More Generation “Saving the Rhinos”
11:30 - Helmwood Elementary Recycles Instrument Orchestra
Noon - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
12:30 pm. - One More Generation - “That Plastic Bag!”
1 p.m. - Nature Story Time, Nan Campbell & Hardin County Public Library
1:30 - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
2 p.m. -One More Generation “Saving the Rhinos”
2:30 - Helmwood Elementary Recycled Instrument Orchestra
3 p.m. - Nature Story Time, Nan Campbell & Hardin County Public Library
3:30 - One More Generation - “That Plastic Bag!”
4 p.m. - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
Green Space “Wonderful Wildflowers” - Hikes at 1:30 & 3:30 p.m.
Led by Doug Gebler


Organizations participating in the events include:
• Audubon Society/Birds
• Baron Booster Club
• Boy Scouts—The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations.
• Bulk Foods and More – The distributor of health, organic foods will do a demonstration making beeswax candles from local bees, and a display of local honey.
• Bullmoose Brothers—This organization offers quality and affordable bicycles and services in Elizabethtown, KY.
• Earthship Self-sustaining homes
• ECTC’s Automotive Program – The program will exhibit and demonstrate the highlights of alternative fuel technology, like hybrids.
• ECTC’s Campus Beautification Committee – Committed to maintaining an attractive campus through sustainable activities and products.
• ECTC Bio Classes—The program of students specializes in demonstrating highlights about the aspects of biology.
• ECTC College & University Physics Students—The program of student participants will showcase the aspects of physics.
• ECTC Construction Program
• ECTC Earth Day 5K
• ECTC’s “Green” house –- Built on campus using sustainable products and practices by ECTC technical programs including electrical, plumbing, carpentry and HVAC.
• EHS Earth Club
• First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown
• Garden Club of Elizabethtown—The local organization focuses on serving the Elizabethtown area with the emphasis in nature and its benefits.
• Greenspace, Inc. – This local volunteer organization monitors the Elizabethtown Greenbelt to keep the nature trails and streams clean and accessible to the public.
• Habitat for Humanity – This organization that partners to build homes for needy families will share information about energy efficient home construction and repair, as well as the environmentally sustainable aspects of Habitat ReStore.
• Heartland Whole Life – Local sustainably raised organic foods and meats.
• KY Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources—The group’s focus is responsible for the conservation and wildlife in Kentucky.
• KY Division of Forestry—Information regarding forestry and its beautification will be presented.
• Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light—The group is committed to mobilizing religious response to climate change through conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy.
• KY Nature Conservancy—Preserving the approach in protecting Kentucky’s landscape and unique natural diversity.
• Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition – A statewide network of young people on campuses throughout Kentucky who are concerned with the environment and taking action to make positive changes in communities.
• Lincoln Trail Area Master Gardeners
• Mad Potter
• Memorial UMC Creation Care Team – The value of composting
• Skills USA
• Vine Grove handmade Soaps—Healthy, Homemade soaps will be shown.
• Western Kentucky University
• Woman’s Club of Elizabethtown – Provide information about recycling and programs that promote earth-friendly products.

The EarthFest is made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors: Swope Family of Dealerships, Thrivent Financial, Metro Auto Spa and Lube Center, First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown, and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.


For more information, contact Martha Wolfe at ECTC at 270-706-8554 or Martha.wolfe@kctcs.edu. Or Jackie Gerard at jackiecgerard@gmail.com

Vesna Alac, a translator and a specialist in modern languages, will give a presentation at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 9, in Room 112 of the James S. Owen Building. Her presentation, entitled “The Odyssey of the Foreigner between Memory and Writing,” considers how language provides a sense of identity and serves as a bridge in understanding other cultures. It is sponsored by the Division of Arts & Humanities and funded by the college’s Multicultural Committee and the Office of Diversity. Her presentation is free and open to the community.

A native of Croatia, Alac is fluent in Croatian, English and Italian; she is the owner manager of MediTerra Translation and has been a University of Louisville lecturer in Italian Culture and Languages and an instructor of English as a Second Language at Jefferson Community of Technical College. More recently, she taught in the 2015 Winter Italy Program of the Kentucky Institute of International Studies.
Alac is excited to visit ECTC because she began her postsecondary education in community college; she graduated with an Associate Degree from Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, Massachusetts. She then pursued her bachelor degree as Commonwealth Scholar at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she graduated Cum Laude in Italian and Literature. While earning a Master of Arts in Italian Language and Literature at Smith College, Northampton Massachusetts, Alac studied for a year at the University of Florence in Italy. Her translation expertise is in scientific and medical literature.
Among the topics Alac will discuss are migrant/border writers and migrant writing and the role of the foreigner, in particular that of migrant writer in today's world. She will explore monoculture myth/hostility culture, the concept of the border today, and the social, cultural and political condition of the foreigner in the host country.

Alac will also offer her presentation at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday April 8 at ECTC’s Springfield Campus. For further information, contact Dr. John Dryden, Arts & Humanities Division, at jdryden0003@kctcs.edu.

People in Hardin and surrounding counties will have the opportunity to learn how they can help to care for the Earth at two events in Elizabethtown in April. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and Hardin County Earthcare Collaborative will together present EarthFest 2015,"Sustaining Our Earth, Our Home,” on Thursday, April 16 and Saturday, April 18, 2015.

AT ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE ON APRIL 16 & 18
The mission of the EarthFest 2015, which is a relationship between the college and community-based Earthcare Collaborative, is to create a community and college event to present "earth-friendly" products, services, technologies, and practices. The event emphasis is on practical adaptations with the community and the college. A variety of booths/exhibits staffed from noon until 4:00 p.m. on April 16, will be open to the public on the ECTC campus. From noon until 4:30 p.m. “Bag-it- Is your life too plastic?” will be shown in Room 212 of the Regional Postsecondary Center. It will be aired at the following times: Noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The exhibits and activities will center around the Regional Postsecondary Center on the Elizabethtown Campus.

At 2:30 p.m. ECTC employees will plant a new tree on the Elizabethtown Campus in honor of Earth Day. And at 6:30 p.m. the campus will host a panel discussion about Kentucky Sustainability Initiatives featuring Mike Hensley, The Nature Conservancy and Green River Project Director; Tim Darst, Louisville Sustainability Council Board of Directors; and Greg Lee, Fort Knox Award-Winning Energy Star Program. The panelists will discuss their areas of expertise with specific emphasis on how implementation of sustainable practices can impact Kentucky.

On Saturday, April 18, ECTC will host an Earth Day 5K Walk/Run starting on campus at 9 a.m. It will be a benefit for three student groups, including the Running Club, the Biology Club, and the Kentucky Association of Nursing Students (KANS), as well as for Rachel’s Playground Fun for All, a project started by a Vine Grove 10-year-old to build a playground that will accommodate children of all abilities.

AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN ELIZABETHTOWN ON APRIL 18
In addition, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. the Hardin County Earthcare Collaboration will host a family-friendly event at First Presbyterian Church on Pear Orchard Road in Elizabethtown. The event will feature live music and booths all day, and activities such as: Saving the Rhinos, Nature Story Time, and Dr. Paul Gerard’s Kentucky Critters will be a fun way to learn about the facts of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!” All events are free and open to the public.

 
The agenda for Saturday is as follows:

Children’s Activities
11 a.m. -One More Generation “Saving the Rhinos”
11:30 - Helmwood Elementary Recycles Instrument Orchestra
Noon - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
12:30 pm. - One More Generation - “That Plastic Bag!”
1 p.m. - Nature Story Time, Nan Campbell & Hardin County Public Library
1:30 - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
2 p.m. -One More Generation “Saving the Rhinos”
2:30 - Helmwood Elementary Recycled Instrument Orchestra
3 p.m. - Nature Story Time, Nan Campbell & Hardin County Public Library
3:30 - One More Generation - “That Plastic Bag!”
4 p.m. - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
Green Space “Wonderful Wildflowers” - Hikes at 1:30 & 3:30 p.m.
Led by Doug Gebler


Organizations participating in the events include:
• Audubon Society/Birds
• Baron Booster Club
• Boy Scouts—The Boy Scouts of America is one of the nation's largest and most prominent values-based youth development organizations.
• Bulk Foods and More – The distributor of health, organic foods will do a demonstration making beeswax candles from local bees, and a display of local honey.
• Bullmoose Brothers—This organization offers quality and affordable bicycles and services in Elizabethtown, KY.
• Earthship Self-sustaining homes
• ECTC’s Automotive Program – The program will exhibit and demonstrate the highlights of alternative fuel technology, like hybrids.
• ECTC’s Campus Beautification Committee – Committed to maintaining an attractive campus through sustainable activities and products.
• ECTC Bio Classes—The program of students specializes in demonstrating highlights about the aspects of biology.
• ECTC College & University Physics Students—The program of student participants will showcase the aspects of physics.
• ECTC Construction Program
• ECTC Earth Day 5K
• ECTC’s “Green” house –- Built on campus using sustainable products and practices by ECTC technical programs including electrical, plumbing, carpentry and HVAC.
• EHS Earth Club
• First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown
• Garden Club of Elizabethtown—The local organization focuses on serving the Elizabethtown area with the emphasis in nature and its benefits.
• Greenspace, Inc. – This local volunteer organization monitors the Elizabethtown Greenbelt to keep the nature trails and streams clean and accessible to the public.
• Habitat for Humanity – This organization that partners to build homes for needy families will share information about energy efficient home construction and repair, as well as the environmentally sustainable aspects of Habitat ReStore.
• Heartland Whole Life – Local sustainably raised organic foods and meats.
• KY Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources—The group’s focus is responsible for the conservation and wildlife in Kentucky.
• KY Division of Forestry—Information regarding forestry and its beautification will be presented.
• Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light—The group is committed to mobilizing religious response to climate change through conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy.
• KY Nature Conservancy—Preserving the approach in protecting Kentucky’s landscape and unique natural diversity.
• Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition – A statewide network of young people on campuses throughout Kentucky who are concerned with the environment and taking action to make positive changes in communities.
• Lincoln Trail Area Master Gardeners
• Mad Potter
• Memorial UMC Creation Care Team – The value of composting
• Skills USA
• Vine Grove handmade Soaps—Healthy, Homemade soaps will be shown.
• Western Kentucky University
• Woman’s Club of Elizabethtown – Provide information about recycling and programs that promote earth-friendly products.

The EarthFest is made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors: Swope Family of Dealerships, Thrivent Financial, Metro Auto Spa and Lube Center, First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown, and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.


For more information, contact Martha Wolfe at ECTC at 270-706-8554 or Martha.wolfe@kctcs.edu. Or Jackie Gerard at jackiecgerard@gmail.com

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College and Hardin County Earthcare Collaborative will together present Earthfest,"Sustaining Our Earth, Our Home,” on Thursday, April 16 and Saturday, April 18, 2015.

The mission of the Earthfest 2015, which is a relationship between the college and community-based Earthcare Collaborative, is to create a community and college event to present "earth-friendly" products, services, technologies, and practices. The event emphasis is on practical adaptations with the community and the college. A variety of booths/exhibits staffed from noon until 4:00 p.m. on April 16, will be open to the public on the ECTC campus. From noon until 4:30 p.m. “Bag-it- Is your life too plastic?” will be shown in Room 212 of the Regional Postsecondary Center. It will be aired at the following times: Noon, 1:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. The exhibits and activities will center around the Regional Postsecondary Center on the Elizabethtown Campus.

At 2:30 p.m. the Campus Beautification Committee will plant a new tree on the Elizabethtown Campus in honor of Earth Day. And at 6:30 p.m. the campus will host a panel discussion about Kentucky Sustainability Initiatives featuring Mike Hensley, The Nature Conservancy and Green River Project Director; Tim Darst, Louisville Sustainability Council Board of Directors; and Greg Lee, Fort Knox Award-Winning Energy Star Program. The panelists will discuss their areas of expertise with specific emphasis on how implementation of sustainable practices can impact Kentucky.

On Saturday, April 18, ECTC will host an Earth Day 5K starting on campus at 9 a.m. It will be a benefit for three student groups, including the Running Club, the Biology Club, and the Kentucky Association of Nursing Students (KANS), as well as for Rachel’s Playground Fun for All, a project started by a Vine Grove 10-year-old to build a playground that will accommodate children of all abilities.

In addition, from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. the Hardin County Earthcare Collaboration will conduct a family-friendly event at First Presbyterian Church in Elizabethtown. The event will feature live music and booths all day, and activities such as: Saving the Rhinos, Nature Story Time, and Dr. Paul Gerard’s Kentucky Critters will be a fun way to learn about the facts of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!” All events (except 5K) are free and open to the public.
The agenda for Saturday is as follows:

Children’s Activities
11 a.m. -One More Generation “Saving the Rhinos”
11:30 - Helmwood Elementary Recycles Instrument Orchestra
Noon - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
12:30 pm. - One More Generation - “That Plastic Bag!”
1 p.m. - Nature Story Time, Nan Campbell & Hardin County Public Library
1:30 - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
2 p.m. -One More Generation “Saving the Rhinos”
2:30 - Helmwood Elementary Recycled Instrument Orchestra
3 p.m. - Nature Story Time, Nan Campbell & Hardin County Public Library
3:30 - One More Generation - “That Plastic Bag!”
4 p.m. - Dr. Paul Gerard & his Kentucky Critters
Green Space “Wonderful Wildflowers” - Hikes at 1:30 & 3:30 p.m.
Led by Doug Gebler


Organizations participating in the events include:
• Audubon Society/Birds
• Baron Booster Club
• Boy Scouts
• Bulk Foods and More 
• Bullmoose Brothers

 ECTC’s Automotive Program 
• ECTC’s Campus Beautification Committee –
• ECTC Bio Classes
• ECTC College & University Physics Students
• ECTC Construction Program…
• ECTC Earth Day 5K
• ECTC’s “Green” house –- Built on campus using sustainable products and practices by ECTC technical programs including electrical, plumbing, carpentry and HVAC.
• First Presbyterian Church
• Garden Club of Elizabethtown
• Greenspace, Inc. 
• Habitat for Humanity 
• Heartland Whole Life 
• KY Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources
• KY Division of Forestry
• Kentucky Interfaith Power and Light
• KY Nature Conservancy
• Kentucky Student Environmental Coalition 
• Lincoln Trail Area Master Gardeners
• Mad Potter
• Memorial UMC Creation Care Team
• Skills US

• Vine Grove handmade Soaps
• WKU
• Woman’s Club of Elizabethtown
The EarthFest is made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors: Swope Family of Dealerships, Thrivent Financial, Metro Auto Spa and Lube Center, First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethtown, and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College.


For more information, contact Martha Wolfe at ECTC at 270-706-8554 or Martha.wolfe@kctcs.edu. Or Jackie Gerard at jackiecgerard@gmail.com