Meet Your Instructor: Kimberly Phillips, BA, MOT, CCRP
Kimberly Phillips is an instructor in the Foundations of Clinical Research program.  She teaches courses on protocol overview, sample protocols, project management, data analysis/publication, and safety monitoring. 

by Jennifer Anderson

Over the course of a 40-year career, you are likely to spend 100,000 hours of your life working.

The hours of your life that you spend working will largely dictate whether or not you find it easy to be a happy person. They’ll have an impact on your health, your relationships and your finances. Those 100,000 hours will also have an impact on the world.

Considering becoming a dental assistant? You’re not alone. The industry is continuously growing, with an estimated 65,000 more dental assistants needed by 2026. Dental assistants play a significant role as a member of the dental health care team, increasing the efficiency of the dentist in a number of ways. They provide patient care, take x-rays, assist with dental procedures, and handle other routine tasks.

Regardless of what field you are in, whether you hold a professional license, or continuing education is required for your profession, everyone benefits from professional development on a regular basis. Proactively completing formal learning and development demonstrates initiative to your manager, and if you are the manager, it sets a great example for your staff.

Orientations from PCC’s Small Business Development Center are a great, no-cost way to learn about the opportunities we offer to help turn  business ideas into action. A typical orientation includes a small group of future entrepreneurs – but may also include sole-proprietors and small business owners seeking to find efficient, practical and effective solutions to common business-related challenges. You’ll leave our 2-hour orientation having identified new resources, and with an action plan to guide your next steps.

During the next few months PCC's Institute for Health Professionals will host orientations for several of our entry-level healthcare programs in advance of our winter and spring terms. These orientations are a great opportunity to learn about the requirements for each program. You can learn about the related job markets, expected starting wages, and can ask important questions about application requirements for each. The good news - healthcare jobs are in high demand and you can't go wrong with one of these programs. Below we'll offer a summary of each orientations with a link enabling you to RSVP, plus our internal contact if you have additional questions.

Dr. Sean Harry is a Senior Advisor and Instructor who has worked with the PCC Small Business Development Center since 2011. Each year he helps more than 150 small business owners turn their dreams into reality. Sean works with businesses at every stage of the small business growth curve, from start-up to mature businesses with more than $20m in sales. 

How can we better inform Federal policy makers about the needs of Oregon's small businesses? 

Mediation Instructor Tsipora Dimant is a former program manager with PCC’s Community Education program – but her connection to Portland Community College runs even deeper. She arrived in the United States from Israel in 1974 and earned a GED, then an Associate’s Degree from PCC. Tsipora began studying mediation in 1992 and became an instructor for the subject in 2005. Inspired by the conflict in her native Israel, Tsipora strives to find resolutions to complex communication challenges. Her experience in mediation training spans decades and encapsulates diverse fields including small claims court, business, nonprofits and higher education.

Small business owners have avoided making real strides into developing a digital marketing strategy for their retail business because of uncertainty about how to design their website or use social media in a meaningful way.

But, you can't afford to think that way—especially during these challenging times!