VOL. 1 ISS. 1
Tabloid Edition
News for Columbus State University’s Alumni & Friends
MIRACLE RIDERS’ MILLION-DOLLAR MISSION BEGINS The riders have committed to raising $1 million over time to benefit Columbus State University’s pediatric nursing program. See Page 2
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE UPCOMING EVENTS Join us at one of our upcoming events to connect with fellow alumni. Page 2
NEW DEANS APPOINTED New deans appointed to lead Turner College, Research & Graduate Studies Page 3
ALUMNI NAMED AS UP-AND-COMERS Columbus-area magazine cites seven from CSU as up-and-comers Page 3
INTRODUCING ‘CLOCK TOWER’
CSU REIMAGINES ALUMNI NEWS WITH NEW ‘CLOCK TOWER’ PUBLICATIONS If you want to find out what is going on at Columbus State, you head to the Clock Tower. The same now holds true for a year-round series of printed and electronic publications rolling out from the Office of Alumni Engagement and beginning with this tabloid edition of the “Clock Tower.” This new approach to alumni communication is aided by the Office of Strategic Communication + Marketing. The office formed in July 2020 to better support student recruitment marketing and enhance outreach to CSU’s many other audiences, including alumni and friends. “We know our alumni and friends remain interested in news of student success, university achievement and philanthropic investment occurring at Columbus State. We hope these publications will keep them in the know and inspire them to engage with and support CSU,” said Jennifer Joyner, assistant vice president for alumni engagement and special events, as well as executive director of the CSU Alumni Association. Pacing with the academic year, the “Clock Tower” series begins with a newly introduced tabloid to be published at regular intervals. E-newsletters published in between will supplement those and lead to a year-end, rebranded magazine in the summer months. Each publication will include original reporting as well as highlight existing news and information resources on the university’s website and social media accounts.
Update your contact info at alumni.columbusstate.edu to ensure you receive all Clock Tower publications today!
Office of Alumni Engagement | 136 Richards Hall | 4225 University Avenue, Columbus, GA 31907 | 706.507.8946 | alumni@columbusstate.edu
MOTORCYCLING MIRACLE RIDERS TREK CROSSCOUNTRY ON BEHALF OF CSU
Dear Cougars: We began the fall semester with a theme of “ROARing Back Better” by taking the best of our pandemic experiences and integrating the traditions that make the Columbus State experience creative to the core. You will see ROARing Back Better expressed deliberately in this year’s homecoming activities. Our all-virtual homecoming last fall saw record numbers of alumni outside the Columbus area engaging remotely with us. So, as our team planned this year’s events, we observed what worked. We applied what we knew. And, even though we are returning to the campus spaces that have been the traditional setting for many of our homecoming events, we are recognizing how our virtual events allow us to engage with CSU Cougars wherever they are. This tabloid represents another innovation by our alumni engagement and communication teams. I hope you enjoy this new publication and the many ways we are applying new methods and technologies to connecting with you and keeping you engaged—no matter where you are!
Sincerely,
Chris Markwood President
by Marion Scott
They come from different backgrounds, generations and life experiences. But they share a love of motorcycles, a commitment to helping children, and a dedication to the brotherhood that is the Miracle Riders. The motorcycle charity set out on its 21-day cross-country bike ride on Sept. 3 to raise $1 million over time for the CSU School of Nursing’s pediatric nursing program. Departing from the Clock Tower on Main Campus and passing Frank Brown Hall on the RiverPark Campus, 16 Riders set foot in all 50 states—and even briefly in Canada—while two participated in shorter rides. They returned on Sept. 24 to a celebration in Uptown Columbus. “We’ve been told our $1 million goal is crazy,” said Scott Ressmeyer, who founded the Miracle Riders. “But with such a great cause and the crazy men who are Riders, how can we miss?” Initial funds will support enhancements to the pediatric simulation lab in the CSU School of Nursing. This includes purchasing three new interactive pediatric HAL® simulators and all components to enable lifelike movements, facial expressions and responses. It also includes renovations to the simulation lab to accommodate the new equipment. All nursing students will gain practical lab experience in diagnostics and treatment using the lifelike simulators, which resemble actual pediatric patients. “We are excited to see the next step in this community partnership with the Miracle Riders,” CSU President Chris Markwood said. “The Miracle Riders’ passion for kids and our donors’ generosity will have tremendous benefits for children who find themselves being cared for by Columbus State nurses.” The ride began in 2009 when Ressmeyer rode across the country alone to celebrate his 50th birthday and to raise funds for the Children’s Hospital at Midtown Medical Center in Columbus. Additional motorcyclists joined the ride over the next six years, raising $1.2 million for the hospital. In 2015, they established Scott’s Ride Fund with the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley and have since raised more than $840,000 for local children’s services. Each rider pays his own expenses for the cross-country trips.
Support the Miracle Riders’ goal with a gift to CSU’s School of Nursing. Visit columbusstate.edu/Ride.
President Chris Markwood, Ph.D. Vice President of University Advancement Rocky Kettering, Ed.D., CFRE Office of Alumni Engagement Jennifer Joyner ’13, Assistant Vice President Office of Strategic Communication + Marketing Editor: Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director Contributors: Grace Reynolds Designer: Kaylyn Carlisle ’18 Clock Tower: Tabloid Edition is published by the Office of Strategic Communication + Marketing on behalf of the Office of Alumni Engagement. For more information: 706.507.8946, alumni@columbusstate.edu.
UPCOMING EVENTS NOVEMBER
4 NOVEMBER
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First Thursday 5:00-6:30 p.m. | Rankin Livery Mix and mingle with fellow graduates and CSU leadership over a complimentary drink and appetizers. $5 reservation fee.
WinterFest
NOVEMBER
12 MARCH
Main Campus WinterFest celebrates all religions, cultures and holiday traditions. All activities are FREE and open to the community.
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Broadway Ball Bibb Mill Event Center An evening of dinner and dancing to benefit CSU’s Dance Minor Program.
Evening at the Bo Bo Bartlett Center Immerse yourself in an atmosphere of celebration, extraordinary tastings and beverages, live music, exciting fireworks + MORE!
Check out the Events tab at alumni.columbusstate.edu for other future events. Alumni Day at the Braves, Aug. 29 Alumni Association Vice President Twilya Toombs ‘05 (right) and her mother Betty Barnes enjoying the Hank Aaron Terrace.
Immediate past president of the Alumni Association Ben Thames ‘97 with a homerun ball he caught.
CAMPUS NEWS
NEW DEANS APPOINTED TO LEAD TURNER COLLEGE, RESEARCH & GRADUATE STUDIES
MORE CAMPUS HEADLINES ‘U.S. News’ names Columbus State a ‘Best College’ in its 2022 rankings
The school year begins this fall with two new academic leaders appointed as deans. Dr. Deborah Kidder began her tenure as dean of the D. Abbott Turner College of Business in August. She succeeds Dr. Linda Hadley, who in March 2021 announced her retirement.
Dr. Deborah Kidder
Kidder comes to CSU by way of the University of Hartford (Connecticut) Barney School of Business, where she had been on the faculty since 2012. In addition to her academic focus in leadership management, human resource management, organizational behavior and business analytics, she has served as a program director, accreditation coordinator, department chair, and associate dean.
The Forum awards annual Blanchard Award, Helton Scholarship
A CSU faculty member and administrator since 2012, Yates most recently served as interim associate provost and director of the Graduate School. Throughout her career, she has administered academic programs as an accreditation coordinator, program coordinator, director of graduate studies, and department chair. Her teaching and research areas include mental health, professional development, and achievement gaps. CSU is currently conducting a search to fill the College of the Arts deanship, now held on an interim basis by Dr. Patrick McHenry.
CSU Foundation Properties gifts Brown Hall to the University System of Georgia More than $22.6 million in donor support makes the transfer of this RiverPark cornerstone possible.
In September, CSU announced Dr. Margie Yates as its inaugural dean of Research and Graduate Studies. The new deanship underscores the university’s growing focus on graduate education and scholarly research.
Dr. Margie Yates
CSU ranks No. 35 as a top regional public university in the South.
Retired Georgia Power CEO W. Paul Bowers, current SGA President Curtis Walker honored for industry, campus service.
Library’s Owings appointed to Society of American Archivists’ leadership role Head archivist David Owings is leading efforts to establish international for archives and libraries guidelines.
Get all your CSU news at news.columubusstate.edu.
ALUMNI IN THE NEWS
COLUMBUS-AREA MAGAZINE CITES SEVEN FROM CSU AS UP-AND-COMERS “Columbus and the Valley” magazine recently honored seven CSU alumni and employees among its list of local up-and-comers who are making a difference in the areas of family, business and community service. Jessica Ferriter ‘16
This year’s “5 Under 40” list, which happened to be an all-female lineup, included two alumni: Jessica Ferriter, who earned a master’s degree in 2016, and two-time CSU alumna Cortney Laughlin Wilson ’11, ’12, who also leads CSU’s William B. Turner Center for Servant Leadership. Dr. Michelle Folta, an associate professor of choral and general music and coordinator of music education in the Schwob School of Music, joined Ferriter and Wilson on the list. Four CSU graduates were singled out as “Rising Stars” in the Chattahoochee Valley: Tacara Hemingway ’11, Troy Jackson ’11, Joel Lewis ’07, and Scott Sullivan ’11. Many of this year’s honorees serve or have served the CSU Alumni Association in volunteer leadership capacities.
Read more at news.columbusstate.edu. Cortney Laughlin Wilson ‘11, ‘12
CLASS NOTES Dr. Kemba Chambers ‘96 was named president of Trenholm State Community College in Montgomery, Alabama. She earned a bachelor’s of science in education. Janet Moon ‘03, Peachtree City police chief, was sworn in as the president of the Georgia Association of Police Chiefs in July 2021. She earned a master’s in public administration degree. Melissa Hammer ‘05, a nationally recognized financial compliance expert, was named senior vice president, fair lending product management for RiskExec Inc., an Asurity subsidiary, in July 2021. She earned a bachelor’s in business administration. Gerald ‘13 and Shella Chichester ‘13, ‘16 got married on June 5, 2021. Gerald works as a attorney in Atlanta, and Shella is a school counselor in Newnan, Georgia. He holds a bachelor’s of art and she holds a bachelor’s of art and master’s of education.
Michelle Pokopac ‘14, producer, film and theatre actor, and activist cofounder, was recently named to “Atlanta” magazine’s list of six Atlanta artists to watch in 2021 for her professional achievements and her to efforts to diversify the industry. She earned a bachelor’s of fine art in theatre performance. Dr. Kendall Isaac ‘18 was named Clark University’s (Worcester, Massachusetts) first-ever general counsel. As a part of his appointment, Isaac will also serve as vice president, secretary of the university, and assistant secretary of the board of trustees. He earned a doctor of education.
Just got a promotion? Won an award? Had a baby? Got married? Let us know! Share your story with us at alumni.columbusstate.edu/classnotes. Look for your submission in future editions of our Clock Tower publications.
4225 University Avenue Columbus, Georgia 31907-5645
MARK YOUR CALENDAR! CSU’S ANNUAL DAY OF GIVING IS OCT. 19. Support student success and areas of the university that mean the most to you with your online gift! Give during Homecoming Week to show your spirit and to receive some special CSU swag.
Make your gift at giving.columbusstate.edu/CSUGIVES
JOIN US AT HOMECOMING
OCT. 18-23
Our annual homecoming celebration is back! We hope to see you at our signature alumni events: *Dress to Impress: Nature’s Homecoming King & Queen, hosted by Oxbow Meadows Monday, Oct. 18 | 12:00 p.m. *Great Minds Do Not Think Alike, hosted by the Leadership Institute Tuesday, Oct. 19 | 12:00 p.m. *The Power of LinkedIn, hosted by the Center for Career Design Wednesday, Oct. 20 | 1:00 p.m. *Connecting with CSU Students, hosted by the Center for Career Design Thursday, Oct. 21 | 1:00 p.m. *2021 Alumni Recognition Awards Program and Lunch Friday, Oct. 22 | 12:00 p.m. | Cunningham Center, Main Campus Downtown Domination: CSU Homecoming Parade Friday, Oct. 22 | 6:30 p.m. | Broadway, RiverPark Campus CougarFest Saturday, Oct. 23 | 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. | Walden Soccer Complex Parking Lot, Main Campus Roaring on the River Saturday, Oct. 23 | 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. | Hotel Indigo Find more events and register online at
homecoming.columbusstate.edu *Livestream available