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AIIAS President to be Honored by the Charles E. Weniger Society for Excellence

AIIAS is very pleased to announce that AIIAS president Dr. Ginger Ketting-Weller has been chosen as one of five individuals to receive an award for excellence from the Charles E. Weniger Society, to be presented at their 49th Annual Awards Presentation at Loma Linda University Church on February 17, 2024. 

 

The prestigious Charles E. Weniger award and accompanying medallion presented by the Society honor the qualities of excellence and kindness that were paramount in Weniger’s life as an educator and educational administrator. The Society states that “through its award program, the Society seeks to identify and recognize the contributions made to the world by people with similar significant traits of character.”

 

Charles Weniger was an English teacher, a seminary professor, and a vice president for graduate studies. He was known for integrating academics with real life as he taught, and for his personal relationship with God as evident in his humble and intimate prayers. Weniger died sixty years ago, in 1964, but his deeply spiritual influence and emphasis on excellence live on through the society set up by his students, and through its annual awards and scholarships.

 

“I like to call these awards the equivalent of the Oscars,” commented Dr. Richard Osborn, president of the Weniger Society and host of the 2023 awards program. Past awardees include well-known Seventh-day Adventist individuals from all walks of life, including denominational leaders, academics, physicians, artists, musicians, authors, evangelists, TV personalities and philanthropists. The award comes with no monetary component, but the stories of those who are honored serve to inspire. The list of previous awardees may be seen below.

 

In the upcoming 2024 program, in addition to AIIAS president Dr. Ketting-Weller, the Charles E. Weniger Society will be honoring Walla Walla University president, Dr. John McVay, Loma Linda University Church organist Dr. Kimo Smith, retired General Conference vice president Elder Lowell Cooper, and award-winning author Sunny Lockwood (Merikay McLeod), whose legal action in the 1970s resulted in equal pay for equal work for women employed by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination.

 

Dr. Richard Nelson, AIIAS vice president for academic administration, has attended previous Weniger Awards programs. He comments, “The group Dr. Ketting-Weller is joining includes some of the most influential characters of our lifetime in the SDA church.  She is joining the founders of the Loma Linda Overseas Heart Team, the author of the 5-day plan, the world’s greatest infant heart surgeon, some of the brightest theologians and institutional leaders…the list goes on. She has served the church with great distinction and her life reflects the character values of excellence that the Weniger Society recognizes.”

 

In addition to in-person attendance at the annual awards presentation, the program can be watched via streaming video on February 17 at 4:30 p.m. (California time) at the Loma Linda University Church YouTube channel.

Weniger Medallion Recipients

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In Loving Memory of Dr. William Green

AIIAS announces with sadness that former Graduate School Dean Dr. William “Bill” Green passed away peacefully on December 29, 2023 at his residence near Collegedale, Tennessee, U.S.A

 

Dr. Green, a lifelong Seventh-day Adventist educator, earned his MA in Reading Education from California State University and his PhD in School Leadership from the University of Oregon. He served as a faculty member in a number of Adventist higher education institutions, including La Sierra University, Northern Caribbean University, Southern Adventist University and Andrews University. At Andrews University he was instrumental, along with two other faculty members, in setting up the PhD in Leadership program, a low-residence program that has accomplished much in preparing leaders for a variety of fields of service to the world church.

Coming to AIIAS in 2014, Dr. Green served as a professor of Education as the Dean of the Graduate School. From AIIAS he continued to make a difference in Adventist education not only on campus, but with educators from around the world. Over the years in the institutions in which he served, Dr. Green adeptly guided hundreds of doctoral dissertations and masters theses, leaving an indelible mark on academia and helping to train in new faculty members to the craft of teaching in graduate education. His intellectual contributions are reflected in numerous academic publications and books, reflecting his dedication to advancing educational theory and practice.


Beyond his academic achievements, Dr. Green was a cherished mentor and administrator. Alongside his wife Dr. Rita Henriquez-Green, a fine educator in her own right, Dr. Green pioneered a transformative teacher training program at AIIAS for master’s and doctoral candidates. Their goal was always to enhance the skills of in-service teachers as they further honed their expertise in excellent teaching. To their students and colleagues, the Greens have been a beacon of inspiration and wisdom. Many fondly remember and frequently quote his insightful and gracious words, often beginning with, “Dr. Bill Green would say this…”


Dr. Green departed AIIAS in 2018. Even after their departure, the Greens provided professional development and encouragement for the AIIAS Academy teachers from afar, meeting with them via video from their home in the United States. Dr. Green’s loss leaves a void in the world of Adventist education, as well as with those he mentored at AIIAS.


AIIAS extends our deepest condolences to Dr. Rita Henriquez-Green and the entire family during this challenging time. As we mourn the passing of a remarkable educator and missionary, we also celebrate the legacy of Dr. William Green—an excellent leader and an inspiration in Adventist education.

— Ginger Ketting-Weller, AIIAS President

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AIIAS Invites Area K-12 Teachers to STEM Workshop

On August 29 the Function Hall of the AIIAS Auditorium filled with K-12 teachers from Cavite Mission, AIIAS Academy, AUP Academy and the AIIAS Education department for a hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) workshop with STEM consultant Ophelia Barizo.

 

Mrs. Barizo, a Nationally Certified STEM Educator in the United States and Albert Einstein Education Fellow with the National Science Foundation, has won a number of awards for her work in STEM education. Her long-time classroom was at Highland View Academy in Maryland. For the workshop at AIIAS, she focused on easy first steps that classroom teachers can take in interesting their students in science, even when they don’t have many resources available to them. Beginning with a devotional focusing on the many evidences of God’s design in nature, Barizo provided sessions on STEM in Discipleship, Project Based Learning, Engineering, and STEM on a Shoestring. A number of hands-on cooperative projects kept the action moving all morning for the approximately 60 individuals attending.

 

“We can’t express enough, how much we appreciate Mrs. Barizo’s volunteer contributions to AIIAS Academy for several weeks, and to all the Adventist teachers in our region through this energetic STEM workshop format,” said Dr. Ginger Ketting-Weller, AIIAS president and former K-12 teacher herself, who organized the event. “Sharing her expertise, insights and ideas with a number of schools in our area was our pleasure. We look forward to Mrs. Barizo’s return next year as she enlivens teachers and students for inquiry and development in the STEM areas of study.”

— Sharnie Love Zamora, AIIAS Assistant for Institutional Writing

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AIIAS Transitions to On-Campus Face-to-Face Classes for the Intersemester

Beginning May 30, 2022, AIIAS will begin to offer on-campus classes face-to-face (F2F). The intersemester will be a time of transition with some classes taking place F2F, and some in virtual F2F modality. Currently, AIIAS plans to return fully to F2F modality with the start of the 2022-2023 school year on August 8, 2022.  

 

AIIAS is pleased to announce that beginning April 1, 2022, the Philippines opened to fully vaccinated travelers from all countries. Therefore, for students who need to make arrangements to move to the Philippines for the on-campus program, we encourage you to begin preparations for transition as soon as possible. Remember to coordinate your arrival and visa information with the Admissions Office via admissions@aiias.edu.  

 

As a reminder, the Seventh-day Adventist church considers the on-campus program to be the “gold standard” experience, where students can focus on their studies while accessing the full support services, in-person interactions with faculty, and access to physical library resources. Living and worshiping among students and faculty from up to 60 different countries round out the experience to produce a remarkable education. For those who are place-bound or need to remain in work assignments in other parts of the world, we are pleased to also offer the sponsored cohort programs, and the online programs at the masters level. Additionally, our new PhD in Education program is delivered fully in online modality.

 

Thank you for taking note that F2F classes for on-campus students will resume starting May 30, 2022. If pandemic effects and circumstances force AIIAS to change this plan, the VPAA office will immediately inform the AIIAS community.

 

Ricardo A. Gonzalez, PhD

Interim VP for Academic Administration

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Term B Classes for On-campus Students Will Continue Remotely

AIIAS classes for on-campus students will continue to be offered remotely through synchronous learning over the internet for the entire 1st Semester 2020-2021. This restriction is due to COVID-19 as determined by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for all colleges and universities in Region IV of the Philippines where AIIAS is located.

 

The course schedule for the 1st Semester remains unchanged. Courses will continue to be taught remotely (i.e., through distributed learning) using faced-based synchronous learning over the internet.  This modality does not require the physical presence of students on the AIIAS campus and will be used until December 2020. From January 2021 it is expected that CHED will permit face-to-face classes to physically meet again.

 

On-campus students, who are not currently residing at AIIAS, are encouraged to come to the AIIAS campus at least a week before registration for 2nd Semester which takes place on Jan. 5, 2021 since face-to-face classes are projected to resume 2nd Semester. However, it is strongly recommended that you come to the AIIAS campus as soon as practically possible since it provides a conducive study environment where students can focus on their studies, and where the best support and resources are available. Remember to coordinate your arrival with the Admissions Office.

 

Thank you for taking note that remote classes for on-campus students will be extended until December 2020.

 

Dolf Oberholster, PhD
VP for Academic Administration
September 9, 2020

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Classes for On-campus Students will Continue Virtually until March 2021

AIIAS classes for on-campus students will continue to be offered through Virtual F2F classes (i.e., predominantly synchronous learning) over the internet until at least March 2021. This modality does not require the physical presence of students on the AIIAS campus.

 

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has strictly imposed No Face-to-Face classes for all colleges and universities, in Region IV of the Philippines where AIIAS is located, until further notice. No change is expected in this approach until March 2021 or later.

 

On-campus students, who are not currently residing at AIIAS, are encouraged to come to the AIIAS campus as soon as practically possible. The campus provides a conducive study environment where students can focus on their studies, and where the best support and physical library resources are available. Remember to coordinate your arrival and visa information with the Admissions Office at admissions@aiias.edu.

 

Thank you for taking note that Virtual F2F classes for on-campus students will be extended until March 2021. AIIAS commits to providing notices on the teaching modality for each Term giving 2 months lead time. Expect the next announcement by early January 2021.

 

Dolf Oberholster, PhD

VP for Academic Administration

October 30, 2020