Campbell Magazine | Spring 2024

TAKING ON THE RURAL TEACHER CRISIS

STORM THE MAT

Senior wrestler Taye Ghadiali is carried off the mat by Campbell students and teammates after his win in the day’s final heavyweight match cemented an overall win against Southern Conference rival Appalachian State in a packed Gore Arena on Feb. 2. Assistant Coach Chris Kober said of the record crowd: “It’s awesome to see the growth of the fanbase and how many people were here. More kids are coming out to watch us wrestle, and it just shows the hard work our guys are putting in. It shows they have entertaining wrestling.” Photo by Brooke Brown

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THE COVER

Jamecia Hardy, a 2015 Campbell graduate who teaches kindergarten at North Harnett Primary, is one of three teachers featured in our cover story on the challenges rural teachers face. Photo by Ben Brown

COVER STORY

26 HELP FOR RURAL TEACHERS

A study currently under way by a team of professors and students in the School of Education & Human Sciences seeks to find causes of and solutions to North Carolina’s troubling teacher attrition rates, particularly in rural school districts. Our cover story details their research and follows the lives of Campbell University alumni currently teaching in Harnett County’s public schools.

FEATURES

14 IN THE BIG CHAIR

Dr. Jeff Mercer came to Campbell’s College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences because he believed in the school’s mission and its programs. He didn’t expect to be leading the College as dean only two years into his tenure.

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D.O. AT 150

Osteopathic medicine has been around for 150 years. The practice first began with Civil War veteran Dr. Andrew Still in 1874 and has been the guiding force of Campbell’s medical school.

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MARCHING IN

The Sound of the Sandhills Marching Band got a taste of the Big Easy with its six-mile trek in one of Louisiana’s largest Mardi Gras parades.

44 THE MATRIARCH

Former players and coaches share their lessons learned from Wanda Watkins — Campbell’s first scholarship female athlete and longtime Hall of Fame coach — who announced her retirement.

PRESIDENT J. Bradley Creed

VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT

Britt Davis

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Vincent Benbenek

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING

Haven Hottel

DIRECTOR OF NEWS & PUBLICATIONS & MAGAZINE EDITOR

Billy Liggett

WRITER, DIGITAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Evan Budrovich

CONTRIBUTORS

Ben Brown, Robin Gordon, Dan Hunt, Natalie Hunter, Catrina Moretz, Bennett Scarborough, John F. Trump

ACCOLADES

Finalist: CASE International Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year (2020)

CASE International Circle of Excellence Awards

Magazine: 2020 (Grand Gold)

Feature Writing: 2021 (Gold), 2022 (Silver), 2017 (Bronze)

Photography Series: 2021 (Gold)

Photography Portraits: 2022 (Silver)

Illustrations: 2020 (Gold)

Cover Design: 2018 (Silver)

Founded in 1887, Campbell University is a private, coeducational institution where faith, learning and service excel. Campbell offers programs in the liberal arts, sciences and professions with undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees. The University is comprised of nine colleges and schools and was ranked among the Best National Universities by U.S. News & World Report in its America’s Best Colleges 2023 edition.

Campbell University publishes Campbell Magazine three times a year.

The University affirms its standing policy of nondiscrimination in employment and in all of its programs and activities, with respect to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, ethnicity or national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, military status and any other characteristic protected by law, except where exemption is appropriate and authorized by law.

OUR RURAL ROOTS

As Campbell and our community grow, we still have an obligation to our rural history, culture

Campbell has a multifaceted geodemographic identity. We are a thriving university village in a rural setting located in one of the most rapidly growing regions in the United States with connections around the world.

The area around Buies Creek is changing so quickly it seems that the fastest growing crop in our agricultural county is new homes. The Research Triangle Region, in which our campus and community are located, rivals Boston and other cities as a leader in biotechnology. People are moving to North Carolina from across the country and around the world.

Harnett County, once classified as “rural” by census data, is now a “micropolitan” area having experienced an 18.6 percent growth in population in the last ten years.

Even with these changes and the inexorable process of urbanization, North Carolina is still a rural state as measured by demographic data, an agricultural economy that remains vibrant, and its history. Our roots at Campbell are rural, and so is our story.

J. A. Campbell launched the Buies Creek Academy in 1887 to provide opportunities for hard scrabble farmers who wanted an education for their children and who understood how a school can make a difference in the development of a community and the impact it can have for generations on the families that live there.

This edition of Campbell Magazine shows that even with the changes happening around us, rural lives on in our university. Our feature story highlights the work faculty are doing through our School of Education & Human Sciences to train teachers in rural settings and to strengthen rural education programs. The spirit of rural schoolmaster J. A. Campbell still lives through these efforts. There are other university initiatives underway to underserved areas.

Campbell offers a series of courses for undergraduate students focusing on rural communities and small towns. In these classes, students gain perspectives and skills to understand the unique challenges facing micropolitan communities and develop as leaders who can engage those challenges and promote change.

There are other programs concentrating on underserved communities. The Public Health program is leading out in promoting health and well-being in rural places often ignored by others. The medical school conducts weekly free clinics in rural areas and has established rural family medicine residencies to address the shortage of physicians in underserved areas. A grant-funded project for supporting churches and pastors in small towns is our Rural Clergy Fellows Program, and the School of Business is studying rural entrepreneurs and training students to start new businesses in underserved areas.

As our state and local area increases in population changing the dynamics of our economy and culture, the rural roots and identity of Campbell still impact our mission and shape our vision. Colleges and universities have a moral obligation to the people and places of their regions. Their presence and impact promote the common good and generate social capital in places often overlooked and left behind.

What Campbell University has received from our rural surroundings in the way of students and identity, we return through service and leadership.

Dr.

President, Campbell

J. Bradley Creed

University

Harnett County is home to roughly 643 farms, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture, the most recent report by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. The county ranked fifth in the state (and fifth in the nation) in 2017 in overall tobacco production and 18th in the state in overall agricultural output. Photo: World History Encyclopedia | Creative Commons

IMPACT FELT

From Director of Athletics Hannah Bazemore: “In the two years Coach Harris was here in Buies Creek, he not only made an impact in the program by bringing in back-to-back No. 1 FCS recruiting classes, but he made an even bigger impact in the community. Coach Harris and his family are everywhere, heavily involved and invested in their church, the community and here at Campbell. We are so excited in bringing them back home.”

Photo by Bennett Scarborough

‘A dream come true’

Former assistant returns to lead Campbell football after instant success at Houston Christian

CAMPBELL UNIVERSITY made quite an impression on Braxton Harris during his tenure as Mike Minter’s associate head coach and linebackers coach during the 2021-2022 seasons. So much so that when Minter stepped down following the 2023 season, Harris left his home state of Texas — where he had just led Houston Christian University to its first winning season in program history — to become just the third head coach in Campbell Football’s 15-year history.

Harris was formally introduced as coach during a press conference in the packed lobby of the Pope Convocation Center on Jan. 11.

“The moment [my family and I] stepped foot on this campus, we knew this was a special place, and we felt blessed to be here,” he said. “It’s a dream come true for us to be able to be back as your head football coach, and to be able to lead this football program. Today is truly a great day to be a Camel.”

The Mexia, Texas native and former head coach at Howard Payne University (also in Texas) helped Minter attract the top signing classes in FCS football in back-to-back seasons. In his first season at Houston Christian, he led the Huskies to a 6-5 record after inheriting a program that had won more than two games in a season only once in the previous six years.

But the draw of returning to Campbell and lead the program he helped build was too much as the Camels enter just their second season in the competitive Coastal Athletic Association next fall.

“The cupboard is not bare, fellas. We’ve got a talented football team; we just have to come together and unite in our vision and our goals,” Harris said. “We need everyone on the same team, fighting as one as we continue to push this program forward ... to build a program that will make everyone proud to be a Campbell Camel.”

Alma mater

On the same day her daughter earned her degree, Amy Fisher was among Campbell’s first Doctor of Health Sciences graduates

KATELYN FISHER NEVER CROSSED PATHS on campus with her mother, Amy Fisher, despite the fact that both have been enrolled at Campbell University the past few years. Katelyn was in Buies Creek to study exercise medicine and occupational therapy while Amy’s classroom was her home in Lillington, taking online courses as a student in the charter class of Campbell’s new Doctor of Health Sciences program.

On Dec. 16, mother and daughter finally shared a moment together on campus as each donned a cap and gown for Campbell’s Winter Commencement ceremony. They were among the roughly 470 to receive a degree on a big day made even more special by the happenchance of their shared graduation.

“It was very emotional for me to be right in the middle of all of it and watch her walk the stage,” Amy said following the ceremony. “I’m extremely proud of her. She’s worked so hard being part of the band, working two other jobs and still graduating early.”

Katelyn, whose next stop is grad school, called the day surreal: “We never thought we’d end at the same time, but I’m glad we did,” she said. “I’m proud of her, too.”

Amy was one of 19 members of the charter class of the Doctor of Health Sciences program, which launched in 2020 as the state’s first such program, 100-percent online. The interdisciplinary doctorate equips students with skills and expertise “to positively shape the future of health care and health-related organizations” through three concentrations — health administration, rural health and interprofessional education.

BILLY LIGGETT

Amy Fisher and her daughter Katelyn Fisher walked the stage on the same day at Campbell’s Winter Commencement in December. Amy was part of the charter class of Doctor of Health Sciences graduates, while Katelyn earned her exercise science degree. Photo by Evan Budrovich

SPIRITUAL LIFE

A prayer book for the community

Worship grant to fund a book of prayers written by and for students, faculty and staff

Asingle, solitary room is found at the bottom of the Dinah E. Gore Bell Tower where one can find a private area for quiet reflection, meditation and prayer. And for the past six years, that room has also included a journal where prayers or thoughts can be written down and read by anybody looking to help or seeking inspiration.

Dean for Spiritual Life and Campus Minister Rev. Louisa Ward has made it a regular habit

to visit the prayer room and thumb through the book to “keep tabs” on the health of her Campbell community and pray for those who ask for it. “Their prayers are surely addressed by God,” she says, “but if there are things I can be praying for, I feel like that’s why I’m here.”

Ward noticed on a recent visit that the book was on its last few pages, and a replacement was needed. But rather than toss the old pages aside to make way for the new, she saw value, historical importance and even inspiration in the old log. The pages provided a snapshot of the past six years — natural disasters, world events, presidential elections and a global pandemic were all represented in the written prayers. Others sought guidance in their academic pursuits, personal relationships and mental health.

The book was full of powerful messages and deeply personal pleas and testimonies.

“I think what the prayers in this book say about the last six years is that there’s nothing happening in this world that does not affect the members of our community and our campus. If it’s happening in this world, it’s

“We hope this book will address the needs of our community. We hope it’s a book that is true to our identity as a place of Christian higher education and the commitments we hold.”

— Rev. Zachary Parks —

happening here,” Ward says. “There is great love and joy, celebration and happiness. There’s profound grief, pain and hurt. It takes great courage to pray. And it certainly takes great courage to write your prayers down, knowing that anybody can read them.”

The end of the current iteration of the prayer book coincided with a need for the Office of Spiritual Life — Ward was working on submitting a grant proposal to the Calvin Institute for Christian Worship, and the book inspired the idea to create a new liturgy book written by the Campbell community for the Campbell community. In January, the Office announced it had

The Dinah E. Gore Bell Tower, located next to Butler Chapel, is home to a prayer room where, for the past six years, students and members of the Campbell University community have written their prayers. Photo by Bill Parish

received a Worshiping Communities Vital Worship Grant curated by The Calvin Institute, made possible through the support of the Lilly Endowment Inc.

The $25,000 grant will go toward a yearlong project that will culminate with the book, says Rev. Zachary Parks, associate campus minister. It will fund a series of writing retreats and allow for workshops and other educational opportunities for anyone interested in learning and contributing to this project. The final, “living document” will speak to the “needs, confessions, rhythms and celebrations of the community,” Parks says.

“Our hope is to facilitate educational and formational opportunities that will bring together diverse voices and expressions of prayer,” he says. “We hope this book will address the needs of our community. We hope it’s a book that is true to our identity as a place of Christian higher education and the commitments we hold.”

Ward calls the future book “a resource” that she hopes will meet the needs of the

Campbell community. The book will be written and produced by students, faculty and staff who will meet over the coming months to brainstorm and put words to paper. Ward says they have a good idea of some of the things they’d like to see, but their first task this spring is to talk to students and discuss their wants and needs.

“We want it to speak to the needs of our community in real time. What are the community’s most urgent needs; things that will always be present on a college campus? What prayers will be relevant to the college student? Relevant to our faculty?”

The end-of-year deadline is tied to the guidelines of the grant, so Ward, Parks and their team are moving quickly. When the book is complete, it will be available at Butler Chapel and in other areas on campus (the grant stipulates it cannot be sold in retail).

The final product, Ward hopes, will not only be a reflection of the strong faith of the Campbell community, but of the power and importance of prayer for everybody.

SIX YEARS OF PRAYER

Campus Minister Rev. Louisa Ward and Associate Campus Minister Rev. Zachary Parks shared some of the prayers written over the past six years in the prayer book inside Butler Chapel. The invocations covered topics ranging from the pandemic to academics, mental health to physical health and family to personal relationships.

“Lord, please guide me as I embark on my college journey. Help me to grow closer to you and become who you are calling me to be. Help me to be a light to others. Bless me in a way that brings peace and love.”

“I’ve been sad for a really long time. I don’t understand it. I don’t know how to fix it. You know the specific people in my life. Let me feel your presence again.”

“In a few days time it will be Easter and your Son will rise. Amidst this virus, he will rise and protect us. God grant protection to those who are sick and those who work in health care. That they may find peace in difficult days.”

“Thank you for this campus and all those who attend it. Bless all who enter this place and grant us wisdom.”

“I am not a Christian, but do believe in the power of prayer.”

“I pray my life turns out the way it is destined to be.”

WRESTLER MAKES HISTORY FOR BAHAMAS WITH PAN AM BRONZE

SHANNON HANNA II, a 2023 Campbell graduate, former first-team All Southern Conference wrestler and NCAA qualifier, donned the colors of The Bahamas and became the country’s firstever international medalist by securing a bronze at the 2024 Pan Am Wrestling Championships in Acapulco, Mexico.

His win, according to one media report, “reverberated across the islands and across the wrestling world.”

“Representing my country and bringing home a medal is a dream come true,” Hanna said after receiving his medal. Clarence Rolle, president of the Bahamas Amateur Wrestling Federation, called Hanna’s performance “significant.”

“Shannon’s performance is a clear signal to our young athletes that with hard work and dedication, international success is within reach,” he said.

Hanna fell just short of making history again the following week when he finished fifth in the Pan Am Olympic Games. He was one win short of qualifying for the Olympics in Paris this summer.

But the 22-year-old former Florida high school state champion is only beginning. His performance in Mexico has him as the 26th-ranked freestyle wrestler in the world in his weight class.

DR. PAMELA EDWARDS was named director and chair of the Catherine W. Wood School of Nursing. Edwards joined Campbell University from the Duke University Health System, where she served as assistant vice president for Nursing Education and associate consulting professor at the School of Nursing.

She previously served as associate chief nursing officer for education at Duke University Health System, deputy director of the Duke Area Health Education Program (AHEC), director of Educational Services at Duke University Health System and associate director of Continuing Medical Education at Duke University School of Medicine.

Founding dean of Campbell’s School of Engineering

DR. JENNA CARPENTER was named as a member of the American Society for Engineering Education’s 2023 Hall of Fame class in October.

She was named presidentelect of the Mathematical Association of America, all of this coming off her yearlong tenure as president of the American Society for Engineering Education. Continuing the good news for the program, Engineering also received received ABET approval for a new Electro-Mechanical Systems Engineering concentration for undergraduates.

70 years of support

Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, which has provided aid to women at Campbell for 70 years, meets just some of those who have benefited

OVER THE LAST 70 YEARS, the college education of thousands of young women at Campbell University has been made possible by the Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship, which has granted more than $54 million in tuition assistance in that time. Campbell is one of 200 schools in the Southeast that has benefited from the Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation and was one of the group of 29 colleges and universities to partner with it when it launched in 1954.

On March 1, two dozen of the more than 150 female students who currently receive the scholarship had the chance to meet representatives of the Foundation and thank them in person. Speaking with Carrie Conway, senior program officer, and Trustees Chair Lyons Gray in the Oscar N. Harris Student Union, the group talked about the career opportunities they’re seeking and why they chose Campbell University to help get them there.

“I chose Campbell because of the community,” said Amy Beltran, a criminal justice major. “My parents prayed so much for me being here; they suggested it was a good school not only for my spiritual guidance, but my education and the support of the community as well.”

The foundation is named in honor of renowned businesswoman and philanthropist Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans (1874-1953), the wife of Joseph B. Whitehead, who found great wealth as one of the original bottlers of Coca-Cola. She took over her husband’s bottling business and became one of the first female directors of any major American corporation when she was appointed to Coca-Cola’s board in 1934.

“This is a very inspiring thing to be a part of,” said Conway. “It’s amazing to know that seven decades of women who’ve come through Campbell who have been part of this legacy. And you’re carrying that legacy on today.”

If you’re one of the record 123.4 million people who watched the Super Bowl in February, there’s a very good chance you saw the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup ad featuring a screaming tennis player who just learned “big change” is coming to the all-American treat. The man with the racket was former Fighting Camels tennis standout Frankie (Del Conte) Dell, Class of 1984. Dell is currently an actor and model in Los Angeles who’s been in the industry since 1995.

Photo by Evan Budrovich

Jaidyn Ramsey (left) and Chastity Pickett broke CAA records in the 60- and 200-meter runs respectively at the CAA Indoor Championships held in February.

Go beyond the expected.

campbell.edu

Campbell University invests in each student. We prepare each one to make a life, to make a living and to make a difference. Our students are welcomed into an inclusive community of family, and mentored to become leaders who will impact the world. Inspired by our faith and belief in the power of education, we encourage each student to grow academically, spiritually and socially through the world of opportunities that surround them. Our students, faculty and alumni are energized with the charge to lead with purpose.

SPRING IS IN THE AIR

February in Buies Creek means the sound of baseballs “pinging” off aluminum bats at Jim Perry Stadium, and excitement is brewing once again for the Fighting Camels baseball team, which began its 2024 season with a series win over No. 17 UC Santa Barbara and a win over No. 11 East Carolina. The Camels cracked the Top 25 (yet again) on Feb. 26, coming in at No. 21 in the country. Hopes are high as the team enters its first season of CAA play.

Photo by Brooke Brown

In the big chair

Dr. Jeff Mercer is only the third dean of the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences in its nearly 40-year history. Like his predecessors, he sees big things in the program’s future.

BY JOHN F. TRUMP

Jeff Mercer pointed to a chair in his office and nodded. A visitor was sitting in the — or that — chair, but Dr. Mercer was thinking about another time, remembering a moment that happened some years ago. A conversation that changed his career, his life. The moment when his journey to Campbell University — to becoming dean of the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences — began.

“I sat in the chair you’re in today,” he said, addressing his guest. “Yeah, I sat there, and Dr. Adams sat over there.”

Mercer is talking about Dr. Michael Adams, now provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Campbell who was then dean of the College. Mercer, at the time, was dean of the College of Pharmacy at Harding University in

Arkansas, where he worked in various roles for 16 years.

Back when he sat in that chair, Mercer was visiting Campbell in an official capacity, for an onsite accreditation visit.

“I was really impressed with the structure that Dr. Adams had put together for the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences,” he said. “I learn something on each site visit, but I don’t necessarily enjoy everywhere I go. But here I really enjoyed the visit. And it stood out to me.”

As fellow deans, Mercer and Adams would occasionally exchange ideas and strategies common to organizational leadership. The COVID-19 pandemic provided many such opportunities.

“As a dean,” Mercer said, “life can be quite challenging because you’re trying to do the right thing, but there’s often no precedent set for it. Michael and I had a number of constructive conversations during the pandemic, and I truly valued his willingness to act as a sounding board.”

Campbell, in early 2022, was searching for a new associate dean of administration for the College. Mercer mentioned the job to Adams. Adams had no idea that he’d be interested in it.

“My curiosity won over,” Mercer said. “And then the next thing I knew we were talking about the potential of me coming and being a part of this place.”

Prior to coming to Campbell, Dr. Jeff Mercer was dean of the College of Pharmacy at Harding University in Arkansas. Photo by Ben Brown

WELCOME TO CAMPBELL

The third dean of the College since its founding in 1985 by Dr. Ron Maddox, Mercer became interim dean in June 2023 and was named dean the following January.

As interim dean, Mercer helped guide the College and key program leaders through the final steps of three on-site accreditations, including the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the Accreditation and Review Commission on Physician Assistant Education and the Council on Education for Public Health.

“I chose to leave a deanship to come here and not to be a dean,” Mercer said. “A lot of people asked me why I would do that. But I just really wanted to be part of the larger entity, the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences.

“I admired this place from a distance for a long time. So, coming and actually being a part of it has been interesting, and thankfully as rewarding as I hoped it would. It’s been wonderful.”

Adams said Mercer has been a great addition to the Campbell family, praising him for an innovative mindset that leads to an inquisitive approach and an uncanny ability to see new opportunities, new ways of doing things. His character is genuine, Adams said. His leadership style relational and transparent.

“He’s good for Campbell because he understands who we are — a faith-based institution that focuses on students and student success and outcomes,” Adams said. “You can have a great person, but if they don’t understand the context, they’re not effective. He’s a great person and he gets the context. He gets exactly who we are. It didn’t take him much to figure that out. He knew that, maybe before he got here.”

That respect travels both ways.

“Michael is as genuine as they come,” Mercer said. “If you want to know what matters to Michael, it’s his family and Campbell. It’s as simple as that. He loves it. He breathes it. And it makes you want to love your family and Campbell.”

Dr. Mercer and his wife, Emmie —also “Dr. Mercer” after recently earning her Doctor of Business Administration in Data Analytics

— have three children — Jeffrey, who is 21; Levi, 19; and Anderson, 15.

The Mercers have been married for 28 years; they met as chemistry lab partners at Faulkner University in Alabama. Emmie has more than 20 years’ experience in higher education teaching information systems and data visualization courses and is now the department head for Computer Programming and Information Sciences at Wake Tech in Raleigh. She also still teaches for Harding University College of Business Administration and is an adjunct professor for Campbell’s Lundy-Fetterman School of Business.

A STRONG PROGRAM

“I am excited about where we’re going. But I don’t want to lose the enthusiasm for where we are,” Mercer said of the College. “I think our programs are fantastic as they are. Yes, we can get better. Yes, we should focus on quality. But we also need to appreciate what we have. And if there’s anything that I want to double down on or focus on most intently, it’s the culture of Campbell, the community that is Campbell.

“Building relationships comes naturally to me.”

When asked, ‘Why are you choosing to leave a deanship to come to Campbell?’ Mercer said he would say, “I’m more drawn to people and opportunities, less so to positions and personal advancement. To me, it’s not about the position, it’s more about the opportunity to have relationships with people. I love to get into the communities.”

The Campbell College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, like many of the University’s colleges and programs, has a stellar national reputation. Mercer talked about refocusing efforts on enhancing student pipelines, staying in touch with alumni and the larger Campbell family.

“If I could choose to do one thing every day professionally, it would be to go out and talk up Campbell, because it’s just a great place. We still need to tell our story more effectively, and that’s an opportunity I look forward to sharing with others.

“We have strong programs. We have great people, and that really drew me here… the team that had been assembled for all the health sciences. The future is so bright, and we’re really poised, I think, to go to the next level.

o Read our full story and learn more about Dr. Jeff Mercer’s journey through the pharmacy profession to his role as dean at campbell.edu/magazine.

A mutual respect and a friendship formed between Dr. Michael Adams and Dr. Jeff Mercer when Mercer became his associate dean in 2022. When Adams moved on to the role of provost and vice president for academic affairs, Mercer was his choice as successor. Photo by Ben Brown

THREE NEW TRAILS

Our Fall 2023 edition of Campbell Magazine highlighted biology professor Dr. John Bartlett and the work he’s doing to preserve natural land along the Cape Fear River in Buies Creek. Bartlett led the creation of the Campbell Pollinator Meadows and River Park, housed on roughly 370 acres (much of which was the former Back Nine of Keith Hills Golf Course). Since our feature, the park has opened three new trails — Hidden Pecan Path, Lightning Strike Path and Buies Creek Trail — for public and educational use.

Photo by Catrina Moretz

Education equity

Richardson family provides Campbell School of Law support for clinic focusing on the protection of rights of children with disabilities

CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL formally launched the Richardson Family Education Equity Clinic with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the law school in downtown Raleigh in January. Billy Richardson (’80 Law), a Fayetteville attorney who served in the North Carolina Legislature for more than a decade, and Barbara Richardson, who holds a master’s degree in special education, gave a substantial gift to support the addition of a sixth pro bono clinic focusing on protection of the educational rights of children with disabilities.

“It is a real honor to be a part of this clinic,” Billy Richardson told the group of some 60 invitees gathered in the law school’s Pope Foyer. “Special education has meant so much to our family. This clinic enables us to be part of something bigger than ourselves.”

The Richardsons’ daughter, Caroline McGann, is an occupational therapist, and their sons,

Matt (’09) and Zack (’17), are also Campbell Law alumni, making support of the clinic a true family affair.

School of Law Dean J. Rich Leonard said, “When I took this job almost 11 years ago, my job was to embed the law in the legal culture of Raleigh in every way possible. One of the ways we have done that is the dramatic expansion of our clinical programs. As we stand here today to open our sixth legal clinic, I could not be prouder of where we have come.”

Third-year law student Madelyn Fogelman said in a perfect world, children requiring accommodations in public schools would have access without having to fight for it.

“Access to education can be limited for special education students of all ages. With the help of the Richardson Clinic, families can breathe a little easier by providing that legal help to families who might not otherwise be able to afford it.”

The Ramsey family from La Grange, North Carolina, was named the 2024 Family of the Year during Family Weekend in February. Freshman Emma Ramsey is a criminal justice major, and she and the other Ramseys were honored at the Feb. 11 men’s basketball game. “There is never a dull moment with this family,” said Emma. “I’d say we’re just the right combination of loving and hilarious.”

Campbell University and CENTRAL CAROLINA

COMMUNITY COLLEGE partnered in February to “provide a seamless transfer process” for students who attend the community college with campuses in Chatham, Harnett and Lee counties

The Memorandum of Understanding signed by both schools creates and administers the Campbell Assured Admission Program, which allows currently enrolled Central Carolina Community College students an “assured entry” pathway to Campbell upon graduation.

The Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation awarded a five-year initial accreditation status to the School of Education & Human Science’s MASTER OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION program. The initial accreditation status is good through Dec. 31, 2028.

The initial accreditation status acknowledges that Campbell’s new master’s program “prepares effective educators who continue to grow as professionals and has demonstrated the commitment and capacity to maintain quality.”

Angelica Ragazzoni became the first Camel to medal at the CAA Swimming and Diving Championships, winning silver with a school record in the 100-meter backstroke.

STUDENT VOICES

Support for ASD needs

Success coaches, small tutoring groups and a safe, nurturing environment ways schools can assist students with autism

More and more prospective college students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (or “ASD”) and their families are searching for schools that will meet not just their academic needs but their social and emotional needs as well.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act require

“reasonable academic accommodations” for students with ASD, but there is a disconnect with meeting their social and emotional support needs. Colleges can support these needs through success coaches and small group tutoring and by offering a safe, nurturing environment for students to selfdisclose their diagnosis to get help.

Entering college is tough enough for a neurotypical student, but it’s even more so for students on the spectrum who often have a hard time with a variety of social interactions and executive functioning skills, along with academic challenges. Examples include difficulty understanding nonverbal communication such as eye contact and gestures, trying to express their own emotions and using time management skills in order to complete tasks.

I can admit that I wasn’t always the greatest at expressing myself at the right time — you could say that I often had a monochrome personality. While I would be feeling emotions during my day — whether it was

Chase Neumann is a freshman pharmaceutical sciences major whose essay below was written for English Professor Dr. Eric Dunnum’s Academic Writing 101 course.

happiness, sadness or even frustration — my tone and body language may not have reflected those emotions. My ASD often led to moments where a positive event was occurring — my friends or family expressing excitement — and I would sound down even though I was just as excited.

I have also constantly faced challenges with my executive functioning skills, which has often led to procrastination on assignments. Understanding my needs, self-advocating, and utilizing the disability services and peer coaches are helping me work toward becoming more organized and responsible.

As most ASD students would agree, the difficulty of class assignments, testing and study skills grows substantially during your first year of college. This made my decision to seek assistance through a success coach and small group tutoring sessions a simple and clear choice.

Going into these sessions, I not only was able to improve in the subjects that I struggled in, but it also provided an invaluable social component where I was able to apply social concepts in casual talks between myself and other peers. Being able to converse with peers who have already taken these classes establishes a connection and common subject to share and compare experiences with. My success coach is an upperclassman at Campbell and has been able to not only assist me with executive functioning support, but also be a peer role model for me to help me navigate my first semester in college.

Some ASD college students fear the stigma of self disclosing their diagnosis and choose not to, which leads to poor academic and social standing. Studies have shown a favorable outcome for students who do disclose their disability and receive individualized social support services.

At the end of the day, self advocating and disclosing your disability is the first step to facing the challenges ASD students may face in college. From here, support services can be determined and put in place to help facilitate a successful college experience and prepare students for life in school and beyond.

AT

DO 150

Osteopathic medicine is in its sesquicentennial year in the U.S., but the practice wasn’t recognized in North Carolina until the mid-90s, paving the way for Campbell’s med school

BY JOHN F. TRUMP

Dr. Barbara Walker is a retired Army colonel who has served in the U.S. and overseas during wartime. She was there in Operation Desert Storm. In Operation Desert Shield.

Professional, efficient, committed to the mission. A visionary and, said one colleague, an unwavering pioneer.

To some, however, Walker DO, FACOFP, is an indefatigable firebrand.

“Stubborn and crotchety.”

Her words.

Traits shared, probably, by Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, the founder in 1874 of osteopathic medicine, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. That’s especially significant for Campbell University’s Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine, the first and (still) the only osteopathic medical school in North Carolina.

Walker played no small role in helping to establish and shape Campbell’s medical school, which celebrated an anniversary of its own — 10 years — in 2023.

Walker came to North Carolina in the late 1980s when she was assigned to Fort Bragg — now Fort Liberty — where she completed her residency. She was a licensed DO in California and assumed — wrongly, as it turned out — that she could simply apply to the state Medical Board and receive her license in North Carolina by reciprocity.

It didn’t work out that way.

“I figured I would get a North Carolina license and found out that I wasn’t eligible because the boards weren’t accepted,” Walker said.

“I was told I could either take FLEX, which was the Federal licensing exam that was required for foreign medical graduates at the time, or I could take the MD boards, because the osteopathic boards weren’t accepted.

“And I said, ‘That’s not acceptable.’”

Medical licensure in North Carolina has a complicated history — convoluted and oftentimes nonsensical, not much unlike the arcane rules surrounding the way the state governs distilled spirits.

The history of osteopathic medicine in North Carolina dates to 1904, when a handful of DOs from around the state met in Greensboro. The population of North Carolina at the time was 1.9 million, according to the N.C. Osteopathic Medical Association, and just 17 DOs were licensed in the state.

Ten colleges nationwide taught osteopathic medicine. Now, the U.S. has 41 accredited colleges of osteopathic medicine, accredited to deliver instruction at 66 teaching locations in 35 states, according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

“In the current academic year, these colleges are educating more than 35,000 future physicians— 25 percent of all U.S. medical students,” the AACOM states. “Seven of the colleges are public, while 34 are private institutions,” including Campbell University.

But, most probably because of a lack of knowledge and understanding, North Carolina didn’t license its first DO until 1971. Before that, DOs practicing in the state fell under the auspices of the N.C. Osteopathic Society and were limited in how they could practice medicine.

They couldn’t prescribe medications, for example.

Walker got her DO license in 1992, but not until she completed a deployment to the Saudi desert and, upon her return, an

exhausting journey through a phalanx of appeals and proverbial hoops.

An editorial correction to the state’s Medical Practice Act, in 1995, cleared a path for DOs licensed in other states to practice in North Carolina. The ACT, as defined by the NCOMA, describes the rights and responsibilities of a physician.

“My license was basically setting a precedent at that time,” said Walker, who retired from the Army in 2006. “Within about six months, they said if you were board certified or recertified within the last five years by an (American Board of Medical Specialties) that you could get a license by reciprocity.

“We now have … close to 4,000 DOs licensed in the state, and Campbell has made a huge difference in that.”

The Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2023. Photo by Ben Brown

STILL AND THE HISTORY OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

Still learned about medicine — as it was then — from his father, a physician and Methodist preacher who moved his family to Kansas in 1853, when Andrew was 25. The younger Still, who was married with two young children, joined the 9th Kansas Cavalry and would become a captain and major in the Kansas Militia during the Civil War.

As a medic, he saw war’s awful brutality. The leeches and the bloodletting. The amputations and the morphine.

His return home was no less traumatic.

Spinal meningitis killed three of his children. His first wife had died during childbirth, and a daughter from his second wife died of pneumonia.

Dr. Andrew Still is the father of osteopathic medicine. A Civil War veteran, Still witnessed the horrors of war and the limitations of medicine, which led to his more holistic approach.

Heartbroken and distraught, Still felt abandoned by many of the medical techniques he grew up learning, remembering and practicing.

The string of tragedies, suffering and loss left him searching for another path. Another way to treat people, to care for them and, at best, cure them.

In 1870, Still completed a short course in medicine at the new College of Physicians and Surgeons in Kansas City, and he would begin investigating treatments such as hydropathy — using water in therapeutic treatments — improved diet, bone setting and magnetic healing. He imagined a day when rational therapy would include manipulation of the musculoskeletal system, surgery and less use of drugs.

He named the approach “osteopathic medicine,” because of his focus on the musculoskeletal system.

At 64 years old in 1892, Still founded the first school of osteopathic medicine — the American School of Osteopathy (now A.T. Still University) — in Kirksville, Missouri.

Still later said, “An osteopath is only a human engineer, who should understand all the laws governing his engine and thereby master disease.”

Body, mind and spirit. Structure and function.

The Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine graduated its 1,000th medical doctor in May of 2023. The first two years of their education is spent in the confines of the Leon Levin Hall of Medical Sciences, while the final two years include rotations in hospitals across the state. Photos by Ben Brown

Still, says Dr. Robin King-Thiele — the associate dean of postgraduate affairs for Campbell’s School of Osteopathic Medicine, was a sort of pioneer, too. Yes, she says, Still would probably tell people a medical education is paramount. Medication, too, is important and even critical to the health of a patient.

“In addition to that,” King-Thiele says, “you shouldn’t be afraid to examine your patient, touch your patient. You shouldn’t have a hand on the doorknob as you’re trying to exit the room.”

The tenets of osteopathic medicine, as defined by the American Osteopathic Association, say: The body is a unit; the person is a unit of body, mind, and spirit; the body is capable of self-regulation, self-healing and health maintenance; structure and function are reciprocally interrelated; and rational treatment is based upon an understanding of the basic principles of body unity, selfregulation and the interrelationship of structure and function.

BODY, MIND, SPIRIT

The phrase, “If it doesn’t kill you, It’ll cure you,” came from Still’s era of medicine, said Dr. Eric Gish, associate dean of Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine Integration at Campbell.

“A lot of people recognized it,” Gish says. “Still was trained as an MD first, so he had the medical training at the time and recognized that this [type of treatment] wasn’t as helpful as people had hoped it would be.”

Still, Gish says, believed the body was created to maintain health, though melding that viewpoint with the practice of medicine was a novel concept at the time, and not always well-received.

“So, he started looking at structure,” Gish says. “He started looking at function, and he recognized that the body structure helps to govern its function, and vice versa. The body has a natural desire to work toward healing, or health, and the human being is comprised of a tribunal of body, mind and spirit that’s intertwined and cannot be separated.

“That was considered a very novel concept back in the 1800s, when people were still bleeding people to kind of balance out the ill humors, and they were prescribing mercury and arsenic and cyanide and opiates. Addiction was widespread, because people were just prescribing whatever they had at their disposal, thinking it might help.”

Gish, who is also a pharmacist, says pharmacology is still a vital tool in the medical arsenal.

“It has to be, needs to be, and it has advanced far beyond whatever could have been envisioned back in the day,” he says.

What then, Gish asks, makes osteopathic training unique?

“That’s where I think we offer something a bit different, in that we still provide hands-on manipulation training. So, we do something different, or we have the potential to do something different, and I think we have the potential to be the most comprehensive form of medical care out there because of that.”

DOs have the same training as allopathic doctors — a conventional MD, for instance — and comprise 11 percent of physicians in the U.S. who are practicing in all medical specialities, including primary care, pediatrics, OBGYN, emergency medicine, psychiatry and surgery, the American Osteopathic Association says.

Even though some are still learning about osteopathic medicine. Even despite its long and colorful history.

A PIONEER’S JOURNEY

Walker knew she wanted to be a doctor, and she began applying to medical schools in California. First, she needed from her undergraduate school a letter from a premedical advisory committee.

“When I finished speaking with the committee,” Walker says, “I had a woman come up to me, and she said, You have a very osteopathic philosophy. Have you applied to the new osteopathic school?’”

That school is now the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific at Western University in Pomona.

“I looked at her and touched her arm. I looked her in the eye and I said, ‘Yes, but I really want to be a doctor.’

“She looked at me, touched my arm and said, ‘But you would be.’ At which point I thought, well, I guess I’d better find out what this It was all about.”

An Army recruiter was partially responsible for persuading Walker to become a DO. She called military doctors, both DOs and MDs, who were working side by side.

“Without exception, I was told if I wanted to do anything at all in primary care that I should not go MD, but that I should go DO, because I would be able to do more for my patients,” Walker says.

JERRY M. WALLACE SCHOOL OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE

The roots of Campbell’s medical school date to 2009, when Dr. Jerry Wallace, the school’s fourth president, visited William Carey University — a small Baptist school half the size of Campbell in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Wallace was part of a team taske d by the Southern Association of College and Schools to review William Carey’s application for a school of osteopathic medicine, a way to treat patients Wallace was still learning about.

Campbell’s residency placement rate has hovered between 99 and 100 percent for all seven graduating classes since the first cohort of graduates in 2017. Campbell has 184 practicing physicians in 44 of 100 North Carolina counties, as of 2023. Photos by Ben Brown

Wallace thought there was no way the little the Mississippi school could afford to launch a medical school. Especially in 2009, when the country was still trying to crawl out of the Great Recession.

Yet it did. After their visit, Wallace and his team were impressed enough with the possibility to push forward.

As talk of a medical school got louder, Wallace laid the groundwork for feasibility study and, as part of that, asked for meeting with a number of DOs, including Walker, who decades before established herself as a leader in osteopathic medicine in the state.

Walker had been involved with the N.C. Osteopathic Association since 1989 and would later became a member of Campbell’s Board of Trustees, as well as president of the N.C. Medical Board.

She brought words of encouragement.

“[Dr. Wallace] said he was impressed with the profession, but he said his was a faith-based institution, and that was very important. I said that osteopathic medicine was a faith-based profession, and I thought that they would do very well together, and they certainly have,” says Walker, who would become Campbell’s first osteopathic CAMEL — Community Advocate and Medical Education Liaison.

The inaugural class, in 2013, at Campbell was interviewed and accepted before the building was completed. The residency placement rate, after graduation, was 100 percent when the first cohort of doctors graduated.

“For me, joining the Campbell team and being a part of that inaugural faculty was more of a Don Quixote story,” KingThiele says. “We weren’t even allowed to have an unrestricted license in ‘95 and here we are in 2013 starting in our first 162-person class.

“Are you kidding me? That’s like charging windmills kind of stuff, and who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”

‘Serving the underserved’ mission reaches farmworkers

A GENEROUS GRANT from The Leon Levine Foundation is helping the Campbell University Community Care Clinic deliver crucial health care services to migrant farmworkers in Harnett, Duplin, Johnston and Sampson counties.

The volunteer-based clinic, established in 2014 within School of Osteopathic Medicine, is composed of physicians and physician assistants who oversee teams of medical, PA and pharmacy students. The clinic partners with NC Field, the NC Farmworker Program and local health departments to identify and establish relationships with farms employing migrant workers.

The focus of the mobile units underscores the medical school’s primary mission of training physicians to serve underserved populations in North Carolina. In addition to seeing local patients in Buies Creek, home to Campbell University, the student-run free health clinic uses two mobile health units to provide on-site care. The clinic sees only uninsured patients at or below the U.S. poverty line.

Some 150,000 migrant workers and their families reside in North Carolina each year. Their work is often dangerous and physically demanding, and yet they face myriad obstacles in accessing adequate health care.

Dr. Joseph D. Cacioppo, chair of the clinic’s Department of Community and Global Health, estimates of 6,000 to 7,000 undocumented workers in Harnett County alone. In neighboring Duplin County, he estimates that between 11,000 and 12,000 migrant and seasonal workers, as well as their families, have limited or no access to quality healthcare. “There are no facilities that stay open late at night, and that’s the only time they can go,” Dr. Cacioppo says.

The clinic provides medically certified interpreters for Spanish-speaking patients and has a team that works to ensure follow-up and continuous care, as well as establishing a medical record that stays with the patients, wherever they may go. DHHS and other rural health agencies cover about just 40 percent of workers in south Wake, Harnett, Johnston and Sampson counties.

Campbell’s mobile health care units, purchased in 2020 with state COVID-relief funding, serve the workers in their camps, and a centralized site in Duplin County allows the clinic’s partners to offer transportation, giving the workers an opportunity to benefit from a variety of health services. Free services include medical exams and treatments, laboratory evaluations, imaging referral to an in-kind provider, medications, behavioral health counseling and treatment and more.

TAKING ON THE RURAL TEACHER CRISIS

RESEARCH SEEKS ANSWERS TO TROUBLING ATTRITION RATES IN RURAL SCHOOLS

Hayley Redding teaches ELA and social studies at Western Harnett Middle School in Lillington. The 2014 Campbell University graduate said she chose to teach in a rural school district close to home because it’s where she feels she can make the biggest difference.

On the 40th day of the 2022-2023 school year in North Carolina, nearly one in every 18 classrooms lacked an appropriately licensed teacher.

Source: The North Carolina Justice Center

Story by Billy Liggett

Photography by Ben Brown

“No one goes to college to teach middle school,” Hayley Redding says in a quiet, empty classroom, minutes before 30 eighth graders will march in and turn the silence upside down. “They usually just kind of end up here.”

She’s joking, of course. Eighth graders aren’t so bad. But there is an unintentional truth to her words. Fewer people are going to college to teach, and not just middle school. Across the country, the number of college students interested in a career in the teacher profession has fallen 50 percent since the 1990s and has reached its lowest level in the last 50 years, according to a recent study reported by the New York Times.

And job satisfaction among current teachers is also at a low point, especially in North Carolina. The state opened the 2023-24 academic year with more than 3,500 teaching vacancies in K-12 public schools, and while that was actually an improvement over the previous year, a striking number of new hires in 2023 were considered less qualified. Over the last decade, North Carolina has seen a 51 percent drop in enrollment in traditional teacher preparation programs.

The New York Times referred to it as “The Great American Teacher Crisis.” Their opinion piece published in September proclaimed: “People Don’t Want to Be Teachers Anymore. Can You Blame Them?”

Yes, the numbers are dire, and the overall perception of the profession is at an all-time low. That’s what makes Hayley Redding such a breath of fresh air.

A Harnett County native who stayed close to home to earn her Middle Grades English Education degree from Campbell University in 2014, Redding returned to Harnett County Schools to teach English language arts and social studies after graduation. Her passion for teaching was sparked, not coincidentally, in the eighth grade when a veteran teacher chose her to tutor classmates who were struggling or those who had missed too many classes.

Redding chose to concentrate on middle school education in college, and she chose to start her career at Western Harnett Middle School not just for its proximity, but because it was a rural district with a diverse population of students with similar backgrounds as hers. Now in her fourth year, Redding calls it her dream job.

“Eighth graders are a very special breed, and I mean that in the best way possible,” she says. “You see so much growth and transition from a sixth grader to an eighth grader. And every single day is completely different. Every class period is completely different. I get joy in knowing that I’m not only teaching them skills, but I’m helping them grow as learners and grow as people.

“These children are my heart and soul. They bring me so much joy,” she adds. “That’s why I’m here.”

The number of college students interested in a teaching career has fallen 50% since the 1990s.

Source: The New York Times

Dr. Laura Lunsford, assistant dean of psychology and social work for the School of Education & Human Sciences at Campbell University, is leading a team of professors and students in research to determine the factors behind troubling attrition rates in North Carolina’s rural schools.

A study led by professors from Campbell University’s School of Education & Human Sciences seeks to learn more about teachers like Redding and the many on the opposite end of the spectrum who are fleeing the profession in record numbers.

Led by Dr. Laura Lunsford, the former assistant dean of psychology and social work and current adjunct professor of psychology (who just joined the National Science Foundation as an evaluator), “Leading Workforce Effectiveness: Teacher Retention Study” looks at the many factors leading to higher-than-normal teacher attrition during and since the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in rural school districts in North Carolina.

Campbell was one of two independent universities to receive a grant from the North Carolina Collaboratory as part of the N.C. Recovery Research Network. The organization joined the N.C. Department of Instruction to award $6.73 million to 20 academic research teams to understand the effectiveness of existing state and local programs supported through federal emergency relief legislation.

Lunsford and her colleagues Dr. Kathleen Castillo-Clark, Dr. Terrie Hampton-Jones and Dr. Justin Nelson

have worked with undergraduate research students Rebecca Roope, Jeannie Biggs, Anya Campbell, Randi Agnew, Anna Barnak, Sarah Elizabeth Hall and Allison Cortes Rojas over the last year interviewing teachers, focus groups, school leaders and principals from rural public schools. Their goal is to learn more about the factors that influence a teacher’s decision to leave (or stay) and the challenges that arose or were revealed during the pandemic.

Their research is currently ongoing, and a final report isn’t expected until at least later this year. But already, Lunsford and her team have published two briefs on their findings, with a third expected soon.

What they’ve found so far is that the pandemic had a profound impact on the teaching profession, exacerbating existing issues regarding staffing

shortages, lack of support and mental stresses while exposing deficiencies in available technology that allow teachers to do their jobs effectively.

“Simply put, we’re looking at the supporting and inhibiting factors — beyond just salary — for teacher retention,” Lunsford says. “What is it that makes teachers want to stay, and what are the barriers or factors that make them want to leave? Which of these factors can be influenced by school leaders? We’re looking at how districts handled a crisis like the pandemic and the lessons we can learn to help our rural school districts be more resilient in the future.

“And it’s hard to learn any of this without going to the districts and talking to the teachers themselves.”

STRENGTH FROM SUPPORT

It’s barely 8 a.m. on Day 2 of the new Hawks Opportunity Coffee Pot service at Triton High School, and Susan Dunn has already been hard at work gathering 30 coffee and tea orders for morning delivery. For the next hour, Dunn’s students in Triton’s Exceptional Children program will make lattes, cold brews and teas using an assortment of coffee makers (made possible by a parent-funded grant) and deliver them to teachers who can use an early morning pick-me-up.

Dunn’s EC program is designed to prepare students with special needs or learning disabilities for life beyond high school, whether that means a career, college or an independent life. The Coffee Pot definitely classifies as job training, but social skills are being taught as the students knock on doors, greet the teachers, make small talk and deliver their orders.

Dunn, who is joined on this day by two assistants to lead the nearly two dozen students through the large maze that is Triton High School, seems to enjoy the controlled chaos of the morning. She beams as her students step out of their comfort zones, and by the time 9 a.m. rolls around and her rolling coffee cart is empty, she’s pleased with their progress on only their second day of deliveries.

“I think it went really well today,” Dunn says during a rare break as her students head to the library. “One thing we really work toward from the start of their ninth grade year is independence. We want them to be able to function by the time they reach adulthood, and by the time they reach their final two years here, they’re taking part in occupational rehabilitation. The growth we see is noticeable.”

Dunn earned her bachelor of science degree in special education from Campbell in 2012 and went on to earn a master’s degree three years later. She’s a second-generation teacher; her mother taught special education in nearby Benson throughout Dunn’s childhood. She grew up with a cousin who suffered from hydrocephalus brought on by spina bifida, and her cousin required specialized education.

Dunn says a lot has changed in the field in the last 20 years. She says children with special needs didn’t always get the support they needed back then, and if she wanted to make a difference in the teaching field, special education was an area that needed her.

“It’s a population that really needs more support and really needs someone to really care for them and guide them so they can show the world what they can do,” Dunn says. “They all have great talents and abilities. It’s just not always easy to see.”

“Support” isn’t just important for student success. It’s a key factor in job satisfaction for teachers, according

to early findings from the research performed by Lunsford and her team. In their first research brief published in October, titled “Factors Influencing Teacher Turnover in N.C. Rural Schools,” they listed ways principals and other school leaders can influence factors to reduce teacher turnover, aside from pay raises, bonuses and incentives (which are decided by local and state governments).

Among their insights: District leaders and principals can make an immediate impact on teacher satisfaction by increasing resources and reducing job demands. The study also suggests policymakers can make investments in resources that minimize disruptive behaviors from students. One elementary teacher they spoke to lauded moves by her school to hire an instructional coach and an “interventionist” for students with behavior issues. Another teacher said her school saw “more and more … severe behavioral and emotional problems” when students returned to classrooms after the pandemic.

Susan Dunn, a 2012 Campbell graduate, heads the Exceptional Children program at Triton High School in Erwin. In January, the program launched Hawks Opportunity Coffee Pot, a coffee delivery service to teachers that provides job skills to her students.

“One thing that became very clear to us about the pandemic was that teacher retention actually increased in the first year,” Lunsford says. “We asked a lot of teachers about this, and it looks like this happened because [when they were teaching remotely], they didn’t have to perform all the extra duties required of them in a normal school setting. Certainly, they had to prepare more [to teach remotely], but they actually had time to prepare.

“Many of them were happy to just have a job, too, because they saw their friends and family members losing jobs when businesses were closing in that first year. So, many stuck it out.”

Support is vital in Dunn’s position at Triton High School. Her students need extra eyes at all times. If there

is one area where she says her school could improve to support teachers, it’s staffing.

“Our department is short-staffed, and I’d say it’s a problem everywhere,” she says. “I’m head of our Exceptional Children department, and we’re currently short on teachers. I don’t think it’s a lack of trying though. We just can’t find anybody willing to take these positions.”

The stats support Dunn’s claim. According to the National Council on Teacher Quality, North Carolina is one of 12 states that saw a decline in enrollment in teacher preparation programs at colleges and universities in 2021. Not helping is the fact that the National Education Association ranks North Carolina 46th in the nation in

beginning teacher pay and 34th overall in average teacher pay.

Harnett County Schools had a teacher attrition rate of 14.9 percent in 2022, losing 185 of its 1,313 teachers that year. Harnett’s rate is nearly double the state average of 7.78 percent, but lower than some of the hardest hit districts like Northampton County Schools (18.92), Hertford County Schools (16.67) and others in the highly rural northeastern part of the state.

Dunn has a twin sister who recently left Harnett County Schools to teach in the more urban Wake County Schools, though she declined to say why her sister left. Personally, despite the staffing concerns, she says Harnett has supported her and her department well during her time there, and she points

Susan Dunn followed in her mother’s footsteps by becoming a special education teacher. The Campbell alumna says her field has changed considerably in the last 20 years, as teachers are better trained to meet the needs of students with learning or physical disabilities.

to the support of parents — like the ones who helped provide the supplies needed to launch her students’ coffee delivery program — as a key reason for her job satisfaction.

“I think it’s really important that teachers have good support from their administrative team,” Dunn says. “I know we are short staffed, but as long as everyone works together and we have supportive staff members at this school, we’ll remain a well-oiled machine.”

THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

The WiFi’s a little iffy this morning at North Harnett Primary School, but it doesn’t stop Jamecia Hardy’s class from taking part in one of their favorite early morning routines — the Affirmation Song from the animated series “Doggyland,” created and voiced by Snoop Dogg himself.

Dancing on the carpet at the front of the class and watching on a large digital white board, the nearly 20 students repeat positive messages like “Today is going to be an amazing day,” “I get better every single day,” “My family loves me so much” and “I care about others.”

“My goal every day is to make sure they know their teacher loves them and is one of their biggest supporters,” says Hardy, a 2015 Campbell elementary education graduate who originally wanted to be a dentist before discovering her passion to teach. “Academics, of course, is always the big goal, but I want these children to know they can come to me for anything. I had teachers growing up who were always there for me, who let me know how smart I was and how amazing I was. The fact that I get to do that for others is what I love most about teaching.”

The word “love” and other positive messages can be found throughout her rose gold and blue classroom, as well as various dream catchers and images of flowers. But make no mistake, Hardy’s is

a 21st Century classroom, and much of this morning’s lesson on letters, sounds, phonics and math is reliant on a solid internet connection (which becomes more reliable after the school announces a network switch over the intercom).

Of all the challenges for teachers the pandemic exposed in 2020, perhaps the most glaring was the digital divide when schools transitioned to emergency remote teaching. According to the second research brief published by Lunsford and her team in January, rural school districts were unprepared for the transition (as were many families), and many suffered as schools worked through those issues. As one superintendent in their study put it, “We were forced into the digital age.”

More than 1 million K-12 students were forced into fully remote or hybrid learning in the early months of the

pandemic through 2021. At home, remote learning requires access to a computer (many districts provided laptops) and access to reliable highspeed internet for video streaming. According to Public Schools First NC — a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on public education issues in the state — 30 percent of K-12 students in North Carolina don’t have a reliable internet connection at home, and 24 percent don’t have the equipment necessary for remote learning (though the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction says every student had access to a laptop by 2021-22).

Not surprisingly, the digital divide is greater in counties that also experience the highest rate of teacher attrition. In Northampton County, which leads the state in attrition rate, roughly 57 percent of homes don’t have highspeed internet.

88% of Americans say they had a teacher who had a ‘significant positive impact’ on their lives.

Jamecia Hardy, a 2015 Campbell University graduate, teaches kindergarten at North Harnett Primary School in Angier.

“I had teachers growing up who were always there for me, who let me know how smart I was and how amazing I was. The fact that I get to do that for others is what I love most about teaching.”

JAMECIA HARDY

89 N.C. school districts (of 115) lack sufficient resources to sustain student computers beyond the initial pandemic relief funding.

Source: N.C. Newsline (2024)

Dr. Kathleen Castillo-Clark — assistant professor of professional education, program coordinator for Campbell’s elementary education program and lead author for the research brief published in January — says a big part of their study is to reveal the big lessons learned from going remote.

“Which districts had good infrastructure for technology and support, and how did they transition when everything went online?” she says. “We’re finding that in schools that had a solid infrastructure and in-house tech support in place, teachers had an easier time transitioning to emergency remote teaching and reported greater job satisfaction compared to schools with less support.”

Other insights from their research: Districts should invest in developing teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge — or TPACK skills — to make them better equipped and to lower the chances of job burnout and emotional drain. State leaders should also accelerate broadband access and uniform tech support across all counties. Said one superintendent: “Hotspots [in rural areas] have provided some measure of mitigation for lack of internet at home. It’s not going to solve everything, but it does help to kind of level the playing field for those families who do not have serviceable internet.”

The big takeaway from the research is that leaders should pay attention to the increased job demands in rural schools that come with emergency remote teaching or hybrid learning. The pandemic led to higher levels of burnout, particularly among older teachers with less tech savvy, because their schools placed little to no emphasis on TRACK prior to the shutdown.

An anonymous superintendent in the study said the pandemic was a lot of weight to bear for teachers and students.

“I think there were a lot of people who got discouraged because they weren’t cut out to work in a virtual environment,” they said. “Our kids weren’t cut out to work in a virtual environment. Our parents weren’t cut out for that. I don’t think [teachers] enjoyed delivering instruction the way they were delivering instruction. It was like a tidal wave. It just swept a lot of people up.”

The pandemic in spring 2020 was especially hard on Hardy’s kindergarteners that year, a group that would end up spending the first two-plus years of their educational journey either learning remotely or going back and forth between remote and in-class instruction. Those early years are vital both socially and academically. The children she has today were still infants when COVID first hit, and they’re already better equipped to learn in a post-pandemic environment.

“The first thing I have to do is make sure these children feel safe here,” Hardy says, “because many of them have never been away from their parents before this, especially during COVID. Routines are important at this age. Once they’re comfortable in this environment, it makes teaching them much easier.”

The affirmation song, the vocabulary words, the phonics lesson — they’re all done using a monitor or whiteboard instead of a chalkboard. They’re all reliant on good WiFi and good equipment. Hardy says she’s well equipped at North Harnett Primary, a rural school by definition but one that is seeing an influx of new students as nearby Angier continues to grow in population.

“I’m from Raleigh, and I think the schools in Raleigh are great,” she says. “But there are amazing schools beyond Wake County, where teachers feel the love and get the support they need to do their jobs.”

14.7% of N.C.’s public school teachers are ‘underqualified,’ ranking bottom 5 in the U.S.

Source: Kansas State University study (2021)

Hayley Redding, who teaches eighth-grade English Language Arts and social studies at Western Harnett Middle School, said she promotes creativity and critical thinking in her classrooms.

“When you’re a teacher, you can make a difference. It’s so rewarding to see them grow right in front of your very eyes.”

PREPPED FOR SUCCESS

The wall behind Hayley Redding’s desk in her classroom at Western Harnett Middle School is adorned with anywhere between 75 and 100 photos of her and her students from the past two years. Selfies, group shots and photos from school events. Smiles and hugs are everywhere.

Above the photos are four big letters, “LYSM.” Asked what they stand for, Redding laughs.

“It’s my ‘Love You So Much’ wall,” she says. “I only get these children for a year, but a great thing about working here is most of my babies are right up the hill at [Western Harnett High School] and I get to keep seeing them.” Babies?, she’s asked.

“Well, I don’t have children of my own yet, so yes, these are my children,” she says. “And they just … they impress me every single day. I love watching them learn, and I love giving them a platform to experiment, be creative and become a leader. They’re just so impressive.”

Redding loves her job, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy. Staffing shortages — everything from teachers to bus drivers — have a domino effect and weigh down current teachers with extra burdens. Redding has had to take

on planning lessons for classes other than hers in the past because those positions weren’t filled or were taken over by long-term substitutes with little to no training.

And training is a key to job satisfaction (at least to hers). Being in a class is a much different experience than any new teacher can anticipate, she says, even for college graduates.

“I feel like many feel overwhelmed with all of the responsibilities,” Redding says. “My degree at Campbell prepared me for this — especially the writing — but I’ve seen other new teachers come in and quickly realize teaching is not for them. It’s not what they envisioned, or it’s not what they prepared for.”

The third research brief from Lunsford’s team at Campbell (expected to go public in March) deals with lessons gleaned from teachers and the effectiveness of Educator Preparation Provider programs (EPPs) like Campbell’s School of

Education & Human Sciences. The big question they ask is, “What can these programs do to better prepare teachers for the challenges they’re currently facing in the post-COVID era of American public school education?”

“The end goal, of course, is to address our state’s teacher retention crisis, because that affects so much when it comes to educating our children,” says Castillo-Clark.

The shortage of qualified teachers with bachelor’s or master’s degrees in education has led to a spike in one-year emergency (and “residency”) licenses in North Carolina that allow teachers to apply as long as their degree includes 18 hours in a content area they desire to teach. Residency licenses can be renewed twice while the other types are limited and renewed on a case-by-case basis by the school district.

According to a 2023 article on edsurge. com and data collected by Kansas State University, North Carolina ranks

in the Top 5 for states with the most “underqualified teachers” — in 2021, 14.7 percent of the state’s teachers were considered underqualified.

“The lack of quality-trained teachers is impacting our students,” CastilloClark says. “Many teachers are coming in without a teaching license and have never taught in a classroom before. We’ve spoken to HR directors who used to never hire teachers without a license, and now they’re bringing in just about anyone who turns in a resume. They arrive unprepared for the workplace conditions and added demands of the job, and that pressure trickles down to their classroom instruction and interactions with students in the classroom.”

She adds, “At Campbell, we’re developing professional skills outside of teaching. We’re setting our graduates up to meet the workplace demands of the profession by offering resiliency workshops and embedding trauma-informed practices into our curriculum. Additionally, we have redesigned our teacher preparation coursework and prioritized social emotional learning.

“Social emotional learning is no longer considered a ‘soft skill’ in this profession. You need to learn it so you are better prepared.”

COURSE CHANGERS

It doesn’t take months of in-depth research to conclude that teachers impact lives. But that research does exist. The ING Foundation — a grantmaking charitable foundation that promotes education and basic human rights — found 88 percent of Americans say they had a teacher who had a “significant, positive impact” on their lives.

Rachel Roope found her “coursechanging” mentor later than most. The senior psychology major from rural Hays, North Carolina, says she found several impactful mentors when she arrived at Campbell University in 2020, but Dr. Laura Lunsford stood out the most. Lunsford opened her eyes to the career opportunities afforded by a degree in the field, and when she asked Roope to consider volunteering for her research project on teacher attrition in rural communities, she jumped at the chance.

“For four years now, Dr. Lunsford has encouraged me to do things out of my comfort zone,” says Roope, who’s set to graduate from Campbell in May. “She knew this research went well with my interest in school psychology, because I know I’ll be working with these teachers one day, helping them acclimate and handle behavioral issues that maybe they’re not trained for. They want to focus on teaching and lean on people like me in this profession to come in and help.”

Roope, Jeannie Biggs and five others are listed as undergraduate student researchers in the study, doing everything from website work to data

analysis and, in Roope and Biggs’ case, interviewing teachers and administrators in the chosen rural districts.

In addition to being a great educational experience for the students, the work has also given them a deeper respect for the teaching profession as a whole.

“One of the things that shocked me throughout the process is the way we all view teachers now … teacher appreciation,” says Biggs, a junior psychology major from Benson. “They just aren’t as appreciated as we might think they are or as they used to be. I think you see in other countries that teachers are more widely celebrated and respected.”

The ING Foundation — in the same study that found 88 percent of Americans credit a teacher for having a “significant positive impact” on their lives — also found the same percentage wish they had told their teachers how much they were appreciated for their efforts. Roughly 94 percent agree states could be doing more to recognize good teachers, and overall, the study found teachers receive less gratitude than social workers, nurses, clergy and doctors.

Dr. Kathleen Castillo-Clark, assistant professor of professional education and program coordinator for Campbell’s elementary education program, says their teacher retention research will go a long way toward improving the school’s curriculum. |

“It’s interesting, because we talked to a lot of principals, and they agreed that teachers were underappreciated, but they also felt like that was out of their hands,” Roope says. “For things teachers are looking for [better pay, better support], they’d say that needs to come from someone higher up. But when we asked the next person up, they’d say the same thing. So where does it all start? Who is responsible for supporting our teachers?”

When Lunsford, Castillo-Clark and their team of professors and students set out to conduct their research, the goal was simple: Address North Carolina’s teacher attrition problem — particularly in rural districts — and get to the heart of why teachers are leaving for other schools or leaving the profession altogether. “We saw trends, but we didn’t know enough,” Lunsford says, “so we thought it would

be interesting to get out and actually talk to the teachers.”

“Campbell University is a teaching institution,” she adds, “but we [as professors] are also scholarly active. This study is a nice example of applied scholarship with an interdisciplinary team, which is something I think Campbell truly values.”

Dr. Chris Godwin, assistant dean and chair of Professional Education, adds that the program at Campbell places “value add” on faculty “teaching future teachers applicable skills and researchbased pedagogies in ways which move these skill sets from theoretical research to actual classroom practice as students teach real “humans.”

Their work will really begin when the study is complete. Lunsford says her team is working with the state’s Department of Public Instruction

to not only gather data, but share their findings. They plan to attend the North Carolina Association of School Administrators’ Conference on Educational Leadership in Wilmington in March to strengthen their partnership with that group and advocate for teacher support.

An immediate effect from the study is already visible in classrooms at Campbell’s School of Education & Human Sciences. According to Godwin, the biggest hurdle in teaching right now is “erasing” the learning loss which occurred across the board among students during the pandemic.

“Educator preparation programs have had to strengthen training in literacy and mathematics to address these learning losses and prepare preservice teachers in understanding how to scaffold instruction based

From left: Associate Professor and Director of the Teaching Scholars Academy Dr. Terrie Hampton-Jones, student research assistants Jeannie Biggs and Rebecca Roope and Dr. Laura Lunsford have spent the last five months researching rural school districts throughout North Carolina to address high teacher attrition rates in those areas.

upon the learner’s readiness,” Godwin says. “School districts across the state are creating more pathways and support programs to address teacher recruitment and retention efforts. Based on recent data, North Carolina is making gains in addressing our students’ learning losses due to the pandemic.”

Castillo-Clark says courses at Campbell are preparing teachers for a post-COVID career in the field by focusing on social emotional learning and other areas — outside of just “teaching” — so the surprises of the profession are kept to a minimum. But the study, she says, could also mean modifying current courses based on their findings.

“Teachers are saying they could be better prepared, so we have to look at how this impacts what we’re doing at the teacher preparation level and how we can modify what we do to meet those demands,” she says. “Because these post-pandemic trends, they’re not going away.”

The numbers currently aren’t telling a positive story, and they — combined with the divided political climate and clashing views on public education in the state — were bad enough for North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to declare a “state of emergency” for public education in 2023.

But for the professors and students involved in the research at Campbell University, there is a unanimous optimistic outlook. Castillo-Clark learned a new phrase at a recent conference she attended that she’s kept with her throughout the study — “COVID keeps.”

“They’re not always easy to see, but there were silver linings to the pandemic when it comes to education,” she says. “It’s helped shine a spotlight on the workplace demands of our teachers. Now, we are talking about it. It’s important to have these conversations so we can change how we prepare teachers to meet those demands and impart real change.”

FROM TEACHER TO TEACHER

We asked three Campbell University alumni currently teaching in Harnett County Schools to offer ‘words of wisdom’ to those considering entering the profession or an education preparation program:

“ It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. The the impact that you have, the things you learn from your kids and the relationships you build are amazing. There are so many teachers out there who are happy and who love what they do. My goal is for my students to know that their teacher loves them and is one of their biggest supporters.”

Jamecia Hardy North Harnett Primary

“ You’re going to be a teacher because you want to be a teacher and because you want to make an impact on students. There may be hold ups about pay, but I’m not here because of the money. I’m here because it’s what I want to do, and if your heart isn’t 100 percent into it, it might not be the career for you.

Susan Dunn Triton High School

“ You can make a difference, and you can see that difference right in front of your eyes. It can happen in a class, in the hallway or even after school. You’re really making a difference in these children’s lives, and they are going to remember you for the experiences that you created for them.”

Hayley Redding

Western Harnett Middle School

Marching

Campbell’s Sound of the Sandhills Marching Band knew they were coming to a party when they left Buies Creek on Jan. 26 for New Orleans. But the hugely popular Krewe of Poseidon Parade in Slidell (just outside of the Big Easy) was even more than they expected.

The entire six-mile parade route was packed with people — organizers say anywhere between 30,000 and 40,000 people attended one of the state’s largest Mardi Gras parades outside of New Orleans’ city limits. And the marching Camels were up for it — they played, danced, sang and interacted with the crowd for the entire three hours.

They left New Orleans exhausted, but with memories that will last a lifetime.

“These students lifted their bar higher than I ever expected,” said Dr. Michael Phillips, director of Athletic Bands. “I told them about the culture and the expectations of the bands performing in these parades, and they just fed off the energy around them. It was beautiful.”

The Krewe of Poseidon Parade in Slidell first became a night-time event in 2018. The parade has since grown to become one of the largest in the state outside of New Orleans (Slidell is roughly a half hour north of the city). The 2024 parade — with the theme of “A Child’s Imagination” — consisted of roughly 825 riders on 28 floats and about a dozen marching bands.

Band Students experience true Louisiana Mardi Gras

The Sound of the Sandhills Marching Band danced its way through the City of Slidell, Louisiana’s nighttime Mardi Gras parade in February. Slidell, located 30 miles north of New Orleans, hosts the state’s largest parade outside of the Crescent City each year, attracting anywhere between 30,000 and 40,000 people along the raucous six-mile stretch.

“They lifted their bar higher than I expected. I told them about the culture and the expectations of performing. I told them it’s a party, and it’s all about fun. Campbell University has embraced the idea of giving our students experiences they might not otherwise have. And I think this is something these students will remember for the rest of their lives.” — Dr. Michael Phillips

“We’re used to playing and marching precisely, but at this parade, we were allowed to loosen up,” said freshman drummer Zoe Sheakley. “We still wanted to sound good, but there was a lot of dancing and talking to the crowd. It was really fun.”

The Sound of the Sandhills has participated in the past two Raleigh Christmas Parades, and their appearance in Slidell is part of an effort to build a resume toward bigger parades (the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rose Bowl Parade are considered the crown jewels for any marching band).

Dr. Dwayne Wilson, director of bands and instrumental studies, said building the resume is important, and the experience the students had in Louisiana is even bigger.

“It’s all about the student experience,” he said. “They’d never seen anything like this before, and they loved it. You could tell from their body language and the way they interacted with the crowd.”

“I got blisters, and there were a few moments I thought I might pass out,” said Bryson Elliott, a freshman who carried his heavy bass drum the entire six miles. “But seeing all those people lined up, I fed off the energy. Every time I started to get tired, they fired me right back up.”

The Slidell Mardi Gras parade marked the largest crowd the Sound of the Sandhills has ever performed for (the previous largest was the Raleigh Christmas Parade in 2023). The band is building its “resume” with these performances in hopes of landing a spot in large-scale events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

just weeks after

Campbell University honored legendary former player and head coach Wanda Watkins as part of the first Wanda Watkins Day on Nov. 18,

she announced her retirement from Campbell Athletics effective in May. To recognize her nearly half century of service, the University dedicated the playing surface at the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center/ Gilbert Craig Gore Arena in her honor.

Photo by Bennett Scarborough

HONORING

THE MATRIARCH

STORIES ABOUT THE LEGENDARY WANDA WATKINS FROM THOSE WHO KNEW HER BEST

BY EVAN BUDROVICH

Fighting back tears and surrounded by former players and coaches, Wanda Watkins addresses the crowd on Wanda Watkins Day on Nov. 18. Watkins announced her retirement, effective in May, back in October.

WANDA WATKINS TIME

Every person who walked through her program knew the cardinal rule: You better be on the bus 10 minutes before departure time.

“On time” is late, at least when it comes to Wanda Watkins Time.

Denise (Ford) Shipman finished her career with 1,243 points and won 73 percent of her games at Campbell — a career that earned her a 2011 induction into the Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame.

She was a star. But on Feb. 10, 1988, Shipman was treated like everyone else.

The Camels loaded up, and the legendary coach checked her watch, noticed her best player was missing and instructed the bus driver to head 90 miles east for Wilmington. Distraught and feeling sorry for herself, Shipman called Wendell Carr, director of athletics at the time.

Carr suggested Shipman find a way to Wilmington, by whatever means available. Luckily for her, longtime director of Campbell University Service Enterprises Todd Scarborough had extra room in the back of his photography van, which was also heading to the coast that day.

To her surprise, Watkins welcomed Shipman when she arrived by van, just not as a starter. Instead, Shipman was shown the bench, where she sat the entire first half. It was an important lesson not just for her, but for her teammates as well — no one person is larger than the team.

“I look back and totally understand the message,” Shipman said. “Wanda taught us perseverance. We care for you, but you must learn the hard way.”

EVERLASTING BONDS

Tonya Colwell walked the walk as a player for the Camels and talked the talk sitting alongside Watkins for over a decade as an assistant coach.

“Wanda has been with me from Day 1, and I’m not sure what my life would be without her,” said Colwell, who saw the program amass 299 wins, six 20-win seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance during her time with Watkins. “As a school principal now, I want to be like Wanda Watkins to my community.”

Colwell recalled yearly coaching conventions tied around the Final Four where Watkins was considered a big name — not just for Campbell, but a big name in college basketball.

“Big-time coaches like Pat Summit [Tennessee] and Kay Yow [NC State] would walk up and pick Coach Watkins’ brain, which made us feel amazing,” she said. Watkins was quick to deflect, share in the love and give others credit along the way.

The deep bonds formed under Watkins were evident every time former players reunited. Especially when they honored “the Momma of Lady Camels Basketball,” Colwell said.

From the minute Colwell stepped foot on campus as a student-athlete, she said Watkins made her feel cared for, and she invested in her growth as both a player and a person. Every year, Colwell receives a hand-written note from her coach about an update on her teaching career, a word of encouragement or a connection over a fond memory from their Buies Creek days.

That caring, supportive relationship has endured.

“I’m blessed, honored, humbled, you name it — to be involved in Wanda Watkins’ legacy.”

THERE FOR HER

Taya Bolden was the final player recruited by Wanda Watkins. She never played a single minute for the coach, yet Bolden felt connected to Watkins every moment of her six years on campus.

Before every game, she walked by Watkins — who has since transitioned into a career of broadcasting Campbell women’s basketball games for ESPN and FloSports — for a quick word.

“Wanda always wanted me to know how proud she was of me, win or lose,” Bolden said. “She kept me level headed and always knew what to say during every game.”

Forever a legend

Wanda Watkins became Campbell’s first scholarship female athlete in the late 1970s and was team captain of not only the basketball team, but the softball team as well. She was named Campbell’s Outstanding Female Athlete after the 1978-79 season. She became a graduate assistant after graduation, and in 1981 when Coach Betty Jo Clary stepped down, Watkins had a crazy idea.

She asked Athletic Director Wendell Carr if he would consider a recent grad in her early 20s with no coaching experience to take over the team. Even crazier, Carr said yes.

Over the next 35 years, Watkins would become the one constant of Fighting Camels athletics. As a coach, she posted 549 wins, 10 appearances in conference championship games and the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Watkins was inducted into the Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Big South Hall of Fame in 2019.

Her coaching philosophy: “I found that once people know how much you care, they will do anything for you. That goes back to my parents. They were great teachers of the game of life. And they stood by me. Even when I made mistakes, I still knew they loved me and supported me. I want the same thing for the kids. I’ll never replace their mothers, but they are like daughters to me.”

Bolden, the all-time leading rebounder in program history, does credit Watkins for improving her game. Just maybe not the way you’d expect.

Midway through her career, Bolden suffered chronic tooth pain, mitigating her ability to produce at the highest level. Without her knowledge, Watkins collected enough funds to help pay for the dental procedure and found her local dentist to make it all happen.

“Wanda’s hands were on everything,” said Bolden. “She was so good at so many different thing s; it was amazing to watch her be so involved with everything on campus.”

Bolden played the most games in Campbell history (152) spanning a six-year career from 2016-2022. Watkins, who won 549 games in her illustrious tenure, was there for nearly every second of Bolden’s career — and there for her through Big South championships, season-ending injuries and even a chronic toothache.

BE LIKE COACH

Megan Hall is currently in her 19th season on the coaching staff for the Fighting Camels, first hired by Watkins back in 2005. Holding back tears while talking about her friend and mentor, Hall talked about her desire to “one day be like Coach Watkins in everything I do.”

Watkins spent countless hours teaching Hall the nuances of basketball and talking to her about God’s path and her future. When Watkins stepped aside from coaching to slide into the

role of senior women’s administrator for Campbell Athletics, Hall marveled at her seamless transition.

“It’s just a wow factor for me,” she said. “How she handles, adapts and molds … she always does the right thing the best way possible.”

Watkins was not just an amazing mentor to Hall; her loyalty and sense of humor left a lasting impression.

One rainy afternoon, Hall and staff were hosting an official visit for a potential recruit. Dressed in her Sunday best, Watkins sported heels around cobblestone roads in Academic Circle heading back to the arena.

As Watkins took a shortcut through grass, her shoe instantly stuck in the mud.

Left helpless in the mud with no escape route, Watkins screamed for help. Without pause, Hall and fellow her assistant coaches broke into hysterical laughter.

Thankfully, the recruit noticed and sprinted back to help Watkins escape the mud. That human element of Coach Watkins, Hall said, brought levity throughout her illustrious career. Even legends can laugh at their missteps, however rare.

Wanda Watkins holds up one of the T-shirts handed out on the day honoring her outside of the Pope Convocation Center on Nov. 18.

The Campbell Alumni Association welcomed APRIL GANONG as director of alumni engagement. Though she has only been with Campbell since Sept. 6, Ganong has already made an enormous impact and spearheaded alumni events such as Homecoming, the Distinguished Alumni Awards ceremony, and much more.

Ganong is an experienced marketing communications strategist and accomplished association executive who has helped organizations in the U.S. and abroad flourish.

A native North Carolinian, she recently returned to the state after living in Ontario, Canada for many years. She is thrilled to be back in the area and to have the opportunity to contribute her expertise to further the university’s mission of providing top-tier education and fostering strong community ties.

Ganong “found her niche” professionally working with nonprofit organizations with a focus on people and industry.

“Whether working with a nonprofit dedicated to developing online resources to help chronically ill youth connect with one another, or working with a trade association providing education, I enjoy the collaborative process that helps facilitate meaningful outcomes,” she said. “My experience working with international associations has given me an appreciation and unique understanding of cultural and regional nuances ... and has enabled me to appreciate alternative viewpoints and perspectives.”

‘Ideal field experience’

Alumnus’ anonymous gift helps School of Education & Human Sciences launch program to help train future teachers, support struggling students

THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION and Teaching Scholars Academy officially launched the Community Collaborative Support Center last fall. The project is a collaboration between the School of Education & Human Sciences and the Harnett County School District — positively impacting third- through fifth-grade students at nearby Dunn Elementary School. A generous $50,000 gift was awarded from an anonymous trust, focused on continual support for education in rural districts throughout the state.

“This a tremendous undertaking and an ideal field experience opportunity for teacher education candidates,” said Education & Human Sciences Dean Dr. Alfred Bryant.

The primary goal of the Collaborative Tutoring Center is to provide struggling students within a rural community access to an equitable and research based tutoring program to support academic achievement and wellbeing.

The initiative focuses on service, supporting the social and emotional well-being of elementary school students while bringing communities together. The after-school program bolstered by Campbell education students, “Reading with Relevance,” inspires students to read deeply, think critically, talk openly and write reflectively about topics that matter.

Thirty-one Dunn Elementary students are enrolled in the center, which holds sessions three days per week. With 41 Campbell students currently participating, the program offers a oneon-one tutoring experience between the Campbell student-educator and elementary schooler.

Said education major Meg Miller: “My favorite aspect of working with the kids at Dunn Elementary is without a doubt watching their growth in both reading and writing. Being able to watch the process of them writing their own books was so inspiring.”

DAN HUNT

Seventeen men incarcerated at SAMPSON CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION received degrees through Campbell University via its Second Chance Initiative at Scotland Correctional in Laurinburg in November.

The graduates conquered the rigors of a strenuous curriculum while living in a challenging environment.

“I’m incredibly proud of what these men have accomplished over the past few years,” said Kelly Morin, assistant dean for the Second Chance Initiative. “They’ve faced many challenges, but have remained steadfast in their pursuit of a degree.”

Seven graduates were the first in the program to earn four-year bachelor’s degrees.

Photo by Dan Hunt

Alumni House opens Philanthropy Lab

THE PHILANTHROPY LAB, a space for Campbell students to gain real-world experience in nonprofit fundraising, is now functioning at the Cornelia Campbell Alumni House thanks to a generous donation from alumna Tara Wilson (’89).

Located on the second floor of the historic Buies Creek building, the Philanthropy Lab officially opened ahead of the fall semester. The Student Alumni Ambassadors now call it home and use it almost daily in the work they do for the Office of Annual Giving and Office of Alumni Engagement. That work includes outreach to alumni and friends of the University.

The comfortable office space was made possible by Wilson, a business administration graduate and longtime supporter.

“The lab serves as a philanthropic educational opportunity where students actively contribute to supporting our donor phonathon program,” said Robin Gordon, director of annual giving.

“By participating in these interactions with donors, students gain valuable insights into the generosity of our alumni and friends who play a pivotal role in making our initiatives possible. This firsthand experience not only enhances their understanding of philanthropy but also fosters a sense of connection and gratitude within our Campbell community.”

Wilson dedicated the space with a naming plaque in memory of her mother, Faye Wilson, a pioneering businesswoman and philanthropist who passed away in July 2023. Faye made her mark in many industries, notably as an executive with The Home Depot during its formative years as well as a venerable figure in international banking during 21 years with Bank of America. In 1992, she became the first woman to serve on The Home Depot’s Board of Directors, a position she held for 10 years.

1960s-70s

DR. BUDDY BLACK (’65) earned his second doctorate at the age of 75. Black started teaching in December 1964 and still teaches online at Thomas Edison State University in New Jersey. He is also in his 58th year of coaching high school and college basketball.

LEWIS E. GREEN (’72) retired as master sergeant in the U.S. Army after serving over 27 years. Green served as a translator/interpreter in Vietnamese and German while on active duty. He is also the author of four books and approximately 24 magazines and newspaper articles.

MICHAEL RAYNOR (’79) published a book titled “Shakers & Movers, FaithBusinesPreneures.” His book is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Raynor is also the founder and CEO of the ministry MAW4W.

1980s

JIMMY WITHERSPOON (’80) was named a Distinguished Alumnus by the Campbell University Alumni Association in October. Witherspoon is the chairman of the Department of Trust and Wealth Management at Campbell University and director of the trust program. He has been a professor at Campbell since 1983.

KRISTIN COOPER (’82 LAW) was named a Distinguished Alumna by the Campbell University Alumni Association in October. Cooper is currently the First Lady of North Carolina and the wife of current Governor Roy Cooper.

J. KEITH SELLERS (’82) retired from teaching music in the Lancaster County School District after 15 years. Now he is the pastor of Good Samaritan United Methodist Church in Lake Wylie, S.C.

Clinton Mayor LEW STARLING (’87) was the recipient of the Tuscarora Council Boy Scouts of America 2023 Distinguished Citizen Award in October. He was the first Sampson County recipient since 2006.

THE HON. REGINA M. JOE (’88 LAW) was appointed to Superior Court District 19D, serving Hoke and Moore Counties, by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper in December. Joe has served as a district court judge since 2007.

BRIAN HENRY (’89), a former basketball player at Campbell University, was named to the East Carteret Athletics Hall of Fame in December. Henry was a member of his high school’s 1985 basketball team that won the Coastal Plains Conference Tournament title that season.

1990s

JEFF CRUDEN (’93 LAW) was sworn in on Jan. 2, 2023, in Manteo as district attorney for the 1st Judicial District. Cruden had previously served as an assistant district attorney in the 10th District and the 1st District for 29 years. He and his wife Taby (’93 LAW) live in Kill Devil Hills.

KAREN WOOD (’93) was selected to serve as a southeast region early education consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Early Learning.

Story, photo by Dan Hunt

ALUMNI NOTES

LEANNE KENNEDY (’93) was installed as the 20th president of the Hematology Oncology Pharmacy Association.

MELODY BRUNSON (’94, ’96 MED) was honored as the North Carolina PTA Principal of the Year for 2023. Brunson is in her 29th year of education, all of which have been in year-round schools. She is currently the principal of Sycamore Creek Elementary School in Raleigh, where she has served since 2018.

J. LENNIE MCMILLAN (’98) was the honorary speaker for Wilkes Heritage Museum’s annual Veterans’ Brick Dedication Ceremony in November. McMillan served in the Marines for over 30 years before retiring in 2009 at the rank of master gunnery sergeant.

2000s

SUE WEAVER (’00) was promoted to full professor, awarded Marquis’ Who’s Who in American Teachers and selected as Faculty of the Year for the Firebaugh Award and Honorarium for Excellence in Teaching at Emmanuel University. Sue and her husband, Dr. Bruce Gay, recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary.

TIMOTHY YOUNG (’00) is the director of development for the Institute for Emerging Issues and Shelton Leadership Center at NC State University. He serves as chief development officer for these two units by providing leadership and strategic direction for all IEI and SLC fundraising activities.

CATRINA MORETZ (’14)

TAKING HER BEST SHOT

Business alumna, former advancement assistant director shares the rewards of starting her photography business

Catrina Moretz has always had a love for photography. She just didn’t have the confidence to take her passion — and her talent — to the next level.

A 2014 business administration graduate from the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business, Moretz stayed with Campbell after earning her degree to work for the University’s Office of Institutional

Advancement as assistant director of donor relations and stewardship until 2018. Her journey toward becoming a professional photographer began with an overseas trip with her husband, Sean, when she decided to bring her camera to document their travels.

Her experiences on that trip lit the fire, but Moretz points to her time as a student at Campbell for shaping her into somebody not afraid to take risks and confident in their abilities. Today, she is owner of Raleigh-based Catrina Moretz Photography, part of Campbell University’s growing Orange Owned network of alumni-owned businesses.

“Campbell prepared me to have confidence in myself,” she said. “I attribute a lot of the success to who I am personally and what I’ve been able to achieve through my career and now starting my business to my time at Campbell.”

Photo courtesy of Catrina Moretz

Mortetz returned to her alma mater twice in 2023 as a photographer, shooting the cover feature for the Fall 2023 edition of Campbell Magazine and again that semester to photograph Homecoming festivities for the Office of Alumni Engagement. Moretz’s previous professional photography experience dealt mostly with wedding and engagement shoots, family photos or senior portraits. The idea of taking on an editorial assignment — shooting on location along the Cape Fear River for a story on nature trails and Campbell’s history with the river — was intriguing, as she was a recipient and regular reader of the magazine.

“I love a challenge and it was something new and exciting and fresh for me,” she said.

“When I got the magazine and I saw the [cover] … that was my photo. I wanted to cry; it was amazing,” she said.

Given her successful debut with Campbell Magazine, welcomed Moretz back as its Homecoming photographer that October. It was her first Homecoming since her student days.

Orange Owned seeks to recognize the entrepreneurial spirit of Campbell alumni and support their efforts while offering another benefit to our alumni body. Once a business owner has registered their business (alumni.campbell.edu), the Office of Alumni Engagement will list the business name, location and a brief description. Alumni will then be able to find an alumni-owned business within their community to support.

While working with biology professor Dr. John Bartlett on the shoot, Moretz said she learned a lot about her school’s history and its ties to the Cape Fear and surrounding areas. Trying to shoot in the woods and tall grass — all while making sure the sun created good lighting and that Bartlett was in the frame — wasn’t as easy as she made it look.

“You can’t control every element to get the perfect photo, especially when you are out in nature. You have to work with what you have,” Moretz said. After turning in her photos, she said she was curious about how her work would be used in the feature.

“It felt like a family reunion,” she recalled. “I love Campbell, and any time I can come down and combine my businesses and my passion with a place that I love and miss a lot is always a good thing.”

Moretz said she plans on using her affiliation with Orange Owned to connect with other photographers in the industry. She also hopes alumni will think of her when they think of their future photography needs. Her goal for 2024 is to continue with family, portrait and event photography, but also “incorporate more weddings into my calendar and continue to establish Catrina Moretz Photography in the wedding space as well.”

Her advice to someone wanting to start their own business is: “Don’t hesitate. Just do it and start small. Be confident in your skill[s]; be confident in your ability. Don’t doubt yourself. When starting a business, you will find out that you have a lot of support from the friends and family around you.”

NATALIE HUNTER

ALUMNI NOTES

KEITH FAULKNER (’01 MBA, LAW) was welcomed in October as the fourth president of Charleston Southern University, where he earned his undergraduate degree. Faulkner was the vice dean for administration and external relations for Campbell Law School and held several other roles before serving as interim dean for the school in 2012.

LARRY FAISON (’01 MBA) was named regional planning director for the Eastern Carolina Council of Governments in October. The ECC is a multicounty local government planning and development organization that serves local governments in nine counties in the eastern part of the state.

DAVID RICHARDSON (’02, ’06 MBA, ’06 LAW) was selected to serve as vice chair of the Forum in the North Carolina Association of Regional Council of Governments. The Forum is an advocacy organization for the council of governments across the state.

STEPHANIE MOODY SHAFFER (’03 MACE) accepted a position as church relations manager with the Baptist Retirement Homes of North Carolina Foundation.

MATTHEW

PURKEY (’04) was named president and CEO of Josiah White’s, one of Indiana’s oldest and largest nonprofit social services agencies serving children, teens and families.

REV. DR. SARAH BOBERG (’04, ’07 MDIV) was appointed assistant professor of Christian education at Campbell University Divinity School in January. Boberg served as the project coordinator for Boundary Spanning Theological Education at the Divinity School, where she oversaw the Pathways Initiative Grant.

Catrina Moretz followed Campbell biology professor Dr. John Bartlett through thick forests and overgrown trails to shoot the cover feature for the Fall 2023 edition of Campbell Magazine, which highlighted Bartlett’s efforts to preserve the natural beauty of the Cape Fear River near main campus. The shoot was Moretz’s first editorial assignment since taking up professional photography.

SELENA MATTHEWS YOUNG (’04) became a published author in 2021. Her first book was titled “I Bear the Marks,” and it is available through Amazon and digital downloads. Her second book, “Grieving God,” was released in 2023.

DR. MICHEAL PRIEST (’06) was inducted into the Halifax County/South Boston Sports Hall of Fame in May. Priest was a two-time ESPN Academic AllAmerican and team MVP on the Campbell baseball team. He died tragically in an automobile accident in 2020 while working as a family physician in central Virginia.

DR. MATTHEW MCINTYRE (’06) recorded his seventh holein-one while golfing at Pine Hollow Golf Club in Clayton in November. McIntyre is a veterinarian with Crepe Myrtle Animal Hospital in Angier.

CHRISTOPHER GREENWOOD (’08 MDIV) is on a dual track of exploring the launch of a micro-church network in the Virginia Beach area and is growing his practice as a holistic financial planner in partnership with Northwestern Mutual.

LORA T. BAKER (’08 LAW) was appointed by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper to serve as district court judge in Judicial District 29B, serving Henderson, Polk and Transylvania counties.

DR. CASEY LANGDON (’08) was named a Distinguished Alumnus by the Campbell University Alumni Association in October. Langdon recently began his own laboratory in the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston in 2022.

JAKE SCHLIEMAN (’12) and MADISON DUNN SCHLIEMAN (’18) were married on March 25 at Butler Chapel in Buies Creek. Madison and Jake met at Campbell while members of the Buies Creek Fire Department.

Jose Martinez and KAYLA MCALISTER MARTINEZ (D’21) were married on May 2, 2021. They are celebrating three years of marriage soon and bought their first home together in May.

ALUMNI NOTES

MIKE PRENDERGAST (’09), the sheriff of Citrus County in Florida and a retired U.S. Army veteran, was appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to the state’s Criminal and Juvenile Justice Information Systems Council in October.

AMY NAVEJAS (’09 LAW) was named the executive director of the North Carolina Down Syndrome Alliance Board of Directors in November. Navejas was previously the chief executive officer of the United Way of Cumberland County.

2010s

MITCH HAYES (’10) was named a head coach at two Wilson County high schools in the fall. He was named head coach of the boys basketball team at Wilson Christian Academy and head softball coach at Beddingfield High School.

CHARLES GAYLOR (’10 MBA) was elected mayor of Goldsboro in November. Gaylor previously served on the Goldsboro City Council and is the senior staff attorney serving Community Care of North Carolina Inc.

BEN EISNER (’10 LAW) was named interim county manager for Martin County in November. Eisner is an attorney at Oliver and Cheek, with offices in New Bern, Greenville and Wilson.

REBECCA HURST (’13) launched Break Wellness LLC, which operates workbreakwellness. com and studybreakwellness. com. Hurst is senior manager of technology consulting at Wipfli LLP and is a registered yoga teacher.

JADE SCHNOOR (’20, ’23 MC) and AARON SCHNOOR (’21) celebrated the birth of their son, Elias Jude Schnoor, on July 22, 2023.

MEGAN SABATINO MOEBS (’19) married Jonathan Moebs in Selma, North Carolina, on Aug. 18, 2023.

HAYDEN DUNCAN (’16, ’19 LAW) and EMILY DRAKE (’17) were married on Dec. 2, 2023 in Lincolnton. The two met at Campbell’s Street Fair in 2013 during Hayden’s sophomore year and Emily’s freshman year. Hayden proposed nine years later in front of the Ocracoke Island Lighthouse in the Outer Banks.

ROBERT BRITT (1924)

Gratitude, a century later

Campbell grad dedicates business scholarship to honor father, a 1924 graduate of Buies Creek Academy

The year 1924 was a big one for Buies Creek Academy. While electricity had been available in some buildings since 1918, it wasn’t until six years later when the campus was finally connected to a power line from nearby Erwin (then known as the town of “Duke”).

It was the year a young teacher named Mabel Powell arrived to teach English and Latin,

starting a 43-year career that would see her become one of the most influential women in Campbell University’s history. .

An influential donor named D. Rich died in 1924, leaving the school $160,000 from his estate to construct the building that would bear his name. Born that year was the man who would go on to become the school’s third president, Norman Adrian Wiggins.

Robert Lee Britt was a member of one of the Academy’s final graduating classes before it became Campbell Junior College in 1926. Britt came from a family of modest farmers in Lumberton — his grandfather was a Civil War veteran — and he arrived in Buies Creek with little means to pay his tuition. He earned money by picking cotton and working other jobs at nearby farms, and upon earning his twoyear degree, he went on to earn his bachelor’s from Bowling Green School of Business (now Western Kentucky University).

LEGACY GIVING

Learn more about developing a giving plan at Campbell University by contacting Planned Giving Director Peter Donlon at pdonlon@campbell.edu or (910) 893-1847.

His education would lead to a long career in the business industry, first as a bank clerk then a business manager and administrator for hospitals in the southeastern part of the state. Throughout his life, Britt credited his success to his education and advocated for higher education to his family and friends. When his son Preston Britt graduated from high school in 1964, he encouraged him to follow in his footsteps and attend Campbell College.

Preston admits his grades weren’t the best and it might have taken a few favors from his fathers’ friends in Lumberton to get him enrolled. But Preston made the most of his opportunity and enjoyed a career first in public education then in trust management before spending the last 20 years owning and running a nursery and garden center.

He’s giving back to Campbell University and honoring his father by creating the Robert Lee Britt School of Business Endowed Scholarship Fund. On the 100th anniversary of his father’s graduation from Buies Creek Academy, Preston Britt gifted $25,000 to establish an endowed fund to provide scholarships to fulltime undergraduate business majors who demonstrate a financial need and come from unincorporated parts of rural Robeson, Bladen, Columbus, Hoke or Scotland counties.

“We’re looking for students with similar backgrounds to my father,” he says. “He realized that education opened a lot of doors for him and can open doors to students 100 years later. That’s what this scholarship is all about.”

Photos courtesy of Preston Britt

Robert Britt was a 1924 graduate of Buies Creek Academy. In the above photo, Britt is pictured with his son, Preston Britt (also a Campbell graduate) in 1957.

ALUMNI NOTES

KAYLA BRITT (’13 LAW) received the N.C. Bar Association “Young Lawyer of the Year” Award, and she was inducted into the N.C. Pro Bono Honor Society. She also created #FairyLawMother on LinkedIn, where she shares resources for law students and young lawyers.

PAXTON CLABAUGH (’16) was named the PGA Teacher and Coach of the Year for the PGA Gulf States Section.

JAMES HOLLOMAN (’17) and Stephanie Lancaster Holloman welcomed their second child, Ruby Grace Holloman, on Dec. 21, 2021. The couple’s oldest son, Cooper James Holloman, was born on Feb. 19, 2019. James has worked with the Edgecombe County Sheriff’s Office since 2017.

MICHAEL FORDE (’17 MPH) was named director of public health innovation at Parker Health Inc., a prominent biotech company headquartered in Washington, D.C.

JORDAN SPANNER (’18 LAW) and her husband Brian welcomed a baby boy named McCoy on Nov. 15, 2022.

MADISON DUNN SCHLIEMANN (’18) graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with her Doctorate of Nursing Practice degree. She also received her Family Nurse Practitioner certification from the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She now works as a nurse practitioner in Fayetteville in gastroenterology.

Send your announcements to Campbell’s Office of Alumni Engagement by emailing Dan Hunt at dhunt@campbell.edu.

JENNIFER SMITH COLLINS (’18 PHARMD), her husband JUSTIN COLLINS (’18) and their first child Rhett welcomed sweet Raelynn Brooke on April 19, 2023.

LINDSAY RUSCHE CREECH (’13) and Matthew Creech welcomed their first child, Emersyn Jane Creech, on May 11, 2023.

RACHEL DAVIS (‘19) and EVAN CHURCHILL (‘18) announced their engagement on Dec. 31, 2023. The couple has set their wedding date for Sept. 28, 2024.

Jerry Smith (1942-2024)

Jerry Smith, former head basketball and golf coach at Campbell University, passed away Jan. 30 at the age of 81. Smith, who served as head basketball coach in Campbell’s final two seasons as an NCAA Division I independent (198385) and two seasons (1981-83) as head men’s golf coach, devoted his entire career to educating youth in Eastern North Carolina on the high school and collegiate level.

A native of Walstonburg and 1964 Campbell graduate, Smith coached nine seasons at Bertie County High School and led his basketball teams to a 167-42 overall record and the 1970 state 3-A title. He moved to Chowan College from 197780 where he guided his teams to a 65-21 record and two conference titles.

Smith returned to his alma mater in 1980 to become the school’s assistant basketball coach and head golf coach. He also served two years as Assistant Athletics Director. In addition, Smith served as director of the Campbell Basketball School, which was the nation’s oldest and largest summer basketball camp in continual operation through the early 1990s.

From 1983-85 his staff included assistant coaches Press Maravich and Ron Curtis. He coached two future NBA draft selections in Tony Britto and Big South Player of the Year Clarence Grier.

DOROTHEA GILBERT (‘46)

Campbell’s history keeper

Dorothea Stewart Gilbert gave her all to Campbell as a student during WWII, an instructor and a curator

Some of Dorothea Stewart Gilbert’s earliest memories were of her grandfather driving a buggy down present-day Main Street back when Campbell University was still Buies Creek Academy. A Buies Creek native, she was born about a mile from main campus and was one of just a handful of people who had met all five Campbell presidents.

Gilbert died on Dec. 23 at UNC Rex Hospital in Raleigh. She was 96 years old.

Born on April 10, 1927, in the house built by her grandfather 20 years earlier, Gilbert was the daughter of Latta and Florrie Stewart. She attended elementary school (grades second through seventh) in the 1930s in the Kivett Building at Campbell,

and then high school in the D. Rich Building, which stands just a few feet away. She graduated from Campbell Junior College in 1946 before earning a bachelor’s degree in English at the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina (now the University of North Carolina Greensboro).

Her teaching career began two months later at Buies Creek High School, where she made $150 a month teaching English, French, world history and first aid; coaching basketball and softball; directing two theatrical plays a year and planning all graduating activities.

She became an instructor at Campbell Junior College in 1960 and went on to teach for 32 years before serving as curator of the Lundy-Fetterman Museum & Exhibit Hall. On one memorable occasion, she agreed to allow a group of local students up-close contact with the animals — strictly forbidden for guests — if they agreed to bring gloves. Under her direction, the museum dropped its ropes and allowed students from the School for the Blind in Raleigh to touch and “see” the pronghorn antelope, goitered gazelle, Persian ibex and blue marlin on display.

As a Campbell student before World War II, Gilbert observed regulations unheard of on campus today,

although as a student who lived at home she was exempt from many of them. Church attendance was required, and boarding students had to sign out before they could leave the dorm, making sure that they were properly attired in hats, gloves and high heels. Her memories of Cornelia Campbell and other figureheads of early University history were vital to historical projects at Campbell, and her recollections of life at Campbell were invaluable in recording Campbell’s story and preserving its traditions.

When she was in her late 60s, Gilbert wrote “The Run of the Branch,” a weekly column for the Harnett Leader, a short-lived county newspaper published in Lillington.

Throughout her adult life, she was active in her church, having served as pianist, Sunday school teacher, Sunday school director, BYPU leader and deacon. A dedicated Christian, she participated in many churchrelated activities — visiting the sick, cooking her famous banana pudding for church gatherings, being on the phone tree and supporting various pastors and leaders. She felt strongly that she needed to serve not only in her career and her church life, but also in civic needs. She enjoyed travel and from 1957 until a few years before her death she traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, 13 countries in Europe, the Caribbean, England and Scotland.

Dorothea Gilbert was one of 14 “Women of Campbell” chosen for a 2019 Campbell Magazine feature on the women who had an enormous impact on Campbell’s history.

CAPT. ROGER DONLON (‘83)

Alumnus was first to earn Medal of Honor in Vietnam

Ohe On July 6, 1964, U.S. Army Capt. Roger Hugh Charles Donlon and his Special Forces Team A-726 — along with 60 Chinese Nungs — defended Camp Nam Dong in Vietnam when they were attacked by a force of 900 enemy troops. The attack became the first battle of the Vietnam War where the Regular North Vietnamese Army joined forces with the Viet Cong from the south to try to overrun an American Outpost.

During the violent battle, lasting five hours and resulting in heavy casualties on both sides, Donlon directed the defense operations in the midst of an enemy barrage of mortar shells, falling grenades and extremely heavy gunfire.

The Viet Cong battalion nearly overran his base, as Donlon ran from position to position around the camp, shooting and killing enemies trying to breach the gate of their base. Then, despite being severely wounded in the stomach, Donlon reached his team’s mortar pit where he found most of the crew wounded and his team sergeant killed. He directed the survivors to withdrawal while he laid down cover fire. Despite being wounded a second time in the shoulder, he displaced the mortar rocket where it could be put back into operation.

Donlon continued to fight and lead his men, even as he was wounded a third time until reinforcements arrived in the morning to relieve his team. For his heroic actions that night in 1964, President Lyndon Johnson presented him with the Medal of Honor. He was the first Special Forces soldier to receive the medal.

His story was the subject of several books and even a comic book commissioned by the Army. Born in Saugerties, New York, in 1934, Donlon enlisted in the Air Force at the age of 19. He joined the Army in 1958 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant before his deployment to Vietnam in 1964. After the war, he served various roles in the Army while also earning a degree from the University of Nebraska. He received an assignment to complete his graduate studies while at then-Fort Bragg and earned a Master of Science in Government from Campbell University in 1983.

Donlon died in January after a 12-year battle with Agent Orange Parkinson’s Disease. His obituary reads: “Roger Donlon will be remembered as a devoted family man, faithful to God and his church, a patriot to the core and always a friend and mentor to those with whom he came in contact.”

Photo: U.S. Army | Photographer: Sean Hall

Finding AI’s middle ground

I HAVE TALKED ABOUT GENERATIVE AI at three higher education conferences in the past year, and I’m scheduled to speak at another one in June. Dedicating a 14-page spread on the subject in our Spring 2023 magazine is apparently enough to make me an “expert” in the field.

Trust me. I’m no expert.

What I am , however, is curious. And I’m realistic. The statistics are ever-changing, but one recent report from the World Economic Forum predicts AI will create 12 million more jobs than it will replace by the year 2030.

In other words, it’s something we should — in the very least — familiarize ourselves with.

In my presentations — all geared toward an audience of fellow communications and marketing professionals in higher education — I introduce text-generating and image-generating programs like ChatGPT and Midjourney and learning programs like Otter, a transcription and AI app that has made my life so much easier and has saved me a lot of time over the past three years. It’s more than an “introduction” actually. I do my best to show how these programs can make their jobs easier. I show that it doesn’t take an “expert” to benefit today from this technology.

I preface all of this by telling my audience that I’m a writer. Writing is what I’ve done for a living for the past 27 years, and writing is what I enjoy most about my role at Campbell University. At no point in my presentation do I suggest using generative AI to replace creative writing.

Now, will AI knock out a quick job posting or mundane report on survey analytics? Absolutely. Can it take the transcription of a three-hour meeting and instantly spit out a one-page summary of all that was said? You bet.

Would I ever use it to breeze through a column like this or the 12-page spread in this magazine on teacher attrition in rural school districts?

Of course not.

I was absolutely thrilled (no sarcasm ... I was actually very happy) to receive a lengthy rebuttal to our Spring 2023 magazine feature (“Generational AI”), from Campbell University English professors Dr. Eric Dunnum, Dr. Elizabeth Rambo and Dr. Sherry Truffin about the dangers of AI when it comes to the future of creative writing.

Their counterpoint, titled “AI is Dumb and Useless” stated that writing is creation, and it’s too important to leave to our robot overlords. When we write ... we don’t just turn our thoughts into printed words, we discover and create new ideas, the professors wrote.

And they are absolutely right.

The idea for the magazine piece was born from a conversation I overheard two other professors having during Campbell’s faculty/ staff orientation that fall. The two talked about essays and other assignments they’d received from students that were obviously written by ChatGPT (and this was before the program was widely known). The original idea was to do a piece about their cheating concerns and the impact this would have on higher ed as a whole.

But the more I learned about generative AI, the more the story grew (and changed). Those same professors also expressed evolving attitudes toward it. Sure, the concerns were still important, but they saw the writing on the wall, too. They understood that if we’re not introducing AI into our curriculum — in just about all programs — then we’re doing a disservice to our students. We’re not properly preparing them for the future.

There is a middle ground here. I consider myself an “old school” journalist who entered the profession during the newspaper industry’s Cheyne-Stokes phase. I know there are those out there who’d rather let a computer do all the writing work, and I’m not here to defend them (though, I do contend that writing is not everybody’s cup of tea, and if it makes their life easier, who am I to argue?).

But I am saying we can teach this technology — and we can learn to use it ourselves — without chipping away at what makes us human. Many believed the internet would kill printed books. That obviously didn’t happen.

If we as a university dismiss it as a “killer of creativity,” we’re doing a disservice to ourselves and our students. It makes us all a little dumber and a little less useful.

Billy Liggett Editor | Campbell Magazine

From the Vault

The crowds (and the stands) have come a long way at the home of Campbell University baseball, now known as Jim Perry Stadium. The 1991 baseball team went 11-40-1 that season (they tied The Citadel when darkness halted the game after 10 innings), and the big highlight was a win over Wake Forest in Buies Creek. Today, Campbell baseball is a consistent Top 25 program and a regular in the NCAA Regionals.

Campbell University photo archives

The Sound of the Sandhills flag corps gets ready for a Mardi Gras parade in Slidell, Louisiana. Photo by Billy Liggett