Staff members push frontiers, take teaching roles

When Jack DeLaney arrived on campus in 1965, a well-wired Whitman lay far in the future. A sciences shop technician, he first worked in the physics department. He built experimental lab and demo equipment for physics and psychology classes and also manufactured telescopes that are still in use today on the roof of the Hall of Science. With guidance from professor emeritus Richard Thomassen, DeLaney installed the College's first mainframe computer in 1977.

In the mid-1980s, when grant monies funded the purchase of equipment that DeLaney once built, he moved to the maintenance department. Then, as the campus phone system changed from standard phones to the Centrex system, he became the on-campus technician. Since that time, he has maintained the fiber optics and computer cabling that link the College's communications systems.

Throughout all these years of service, DeLaney has found that the best part of the job is helping students because "they keep you young." Noting that the campus has become more "student-friendly" during the past few years, he states that the most important function of the physical plant is what this department does for students.

With retirement effective December 3, DeLaney has looked forward to spending more time with his family. Creating custom wood furniture and fishing throughout the Pacific Northwest top his list of recreational pursuits.

"Jack . . . is the ultimate practitioner of ‘every moment is a teaching moment,' of finding ways to help students and other staff navigate the everyday challenges of life," said Janice Abraham, notified of DeLaney's selection for the Abraham staff award. "This is the Whitman we treasure — that believes in its past and values its sense of community. Yet Jack represents the other Whitman that pushes the frontier, learning new technologies and finding new solutions to both old and new challenges."

In 1976, Clare Carson began her Whitman career as head resident of Douglas Hall, then called "new dorm." A year later she was named director of the Study Resource Center (now known as the Academic Resource Center), established to aid student retention by providing assistance with study skills. Carson also serves as disabled student services coordinator, reviewing accommodation requests.

Through the center's programs, Carson helps students set goals and succeed in Whitman's rigorous academic environment. In group or in individual sessions, she provides training in topics that range from note-taking techniques to exam preparation. Planning charts enable the students to better organize their time both on a daily basis and throughout the semester or year. Carson stresses the importance of combining time management with each study skill for the most effective results.

Under her guidance, student academic advisers (SAs) act as counselors to fellow students in residence halls. The most rewarding part of her job, notes Carson, is working with the SAs and the students she comes to know. Many SAs, upon returning to campus, look her up for a visit.

According to Abraham, "Clare demonstrates in innumerable ways the unconditional support we offer our students, but in return she sets high standards and holds students accountable for their actions. There is no free lunch with Clare. . . . She gives her all and expects others to do the same. Who could ask for anything more?

"How lucky we are to have Clare and Jack and the many more staff, like them, who make Whitman a special place."