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on the cover: Dr. Sam Gandy ’76 in his lab at Mount Sinai Hospital in new York City. Photo by Rick Esposito

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Charleston southern university

Fall 2015, vol.25 no.3

features 7 16 22 39

Cross country team member Jessie Dotson will be running a different race after graduation – the World race.

Premier alzheimer’s researcher, Dr. sam gandy ’76, continues searching for a cure. matt alexander heads up Palmetto medical initiative, an organization providing sustainable health care in 3rd world countries. the 2015 honor roll of Donors highlights

Photo by: Rick Esposito

The Class of 2019 gathers outside the Science Building for a group photo on orientation weekend.

Photo by Tam odom ’03, ’08

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from the president

dear friends, the university is bursting at the seams this fall, and we couldn’t be happier. a record number of students, 3,596, is making Charleston Southern their home. to accommodate a growing student body, the dining hall is currently undergoing an expansion which is scheduled to be complete in the spring. other developments on campus include an upgrade to the football stadium and track. Buccaneer Plaza at the front of the stadium is making attending a ballgame easier for our fans; the football field is sporting synthetic turf, and the track and tennis courts are being resurfaced. two graduate programs started this fall, both available online, a master of science in computer science and a master of arts in Christian studies. the university currently offers eight graduate programs and 48 undergraduate majors. in this issue of the magazine, you will read about students and alumni who are achieving success. our cover story about dr. Sam gandy explores the work he is doing as a nationally recognized alzheimer’s researcher at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. a more recent graduate, dr. Edwin Squirewell, is doing postdoctoral research at the Mayo Clinic.

Jessie dotson, a senior on the cross country team, has been accepted to participate in the World race. after graduation she will serve in 11 countries in 11 months on a mission trip. You will also read about a surprise the New York Yankees sprang on sophomore Chris Singleton when he was in New York to appear on the today Show to talk about the shooting at Emanuel aME this summer. We are grateful to you for your support of Chris. Chris is a world-class Christian role model. He will always be known for his statement, “love is stronger than hate.” in an effort to be good stewards of the gifts we receive, we have moved the majority of the annual Honor roll of donors online for the first time. Your continued support means the world to all of us at CSu. for highlights from the list, turn to page 39. to access the complete list, visit charlestonsouthern.edu/advancement.

We appreciate your prayers and support as we continue the important work of educating students to be leaders and servants.

Sincerely,

Jairy C. Hunter, Jr. President

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Charleston Southern University

CSU

magazine

a publication of charleston southern university

Editorial Staff: Jan Joslin ’82, Editor, Director of Publications John Strubel ’11, ’14, Director of Integrated Marketing Jon Merkling, Graphic Designer Rick Esposito, Multimedia Coordinator

INTERNs: Danielle Hensley ’18

volume 25 number 3 Fall 2015

contents Learning 4 Record Start 4 AFROTC Moves to 4 year 5 Thinking like a Christian 5 The Prouse Family’s Shared College Journey 9 Named to Colleges of Distinction 10 World Comes to CSU

Brandi Oliver ’15

Leading Contributing Writers: Helen Mitternight Kevin O’Rourke

Contributing Photographers: Danielle Hensley ’18 Tam Odom ’03, ’08 Brandi Oliver ’15

CSU Magazine is published three times a year by the university relations office for alumni and friends of Charleston Southern University.

Address changes should be sent to advancement@csuniv.edu.

CSU Magazine on the web: csumagazine.com Email: magazine@csuniv.edu charlestonsouthern.edu

Design and layout by:

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Nelson Shines at AFROTC Camp Ashby & Embler Named Dean Q&A with Squirewell

Serving 30 Res Life Partners with LPC 31 Andre Dukes is CEO for Day 32 The Movement School Ties 34 Class Notes 36 Memorials 37 Baby Bucs 38 Meet Alumni Board President 39 Honor Roll of Donors 47 Yankees Surprise Singleton 48 Transform Campaign: Why I Give

843.324.2004 • www.facebook.com/bobduranddesign

Printed by:

© 2015 Charleston Southern University

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New semester, record numbers

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harleston Southern welcomed a record 3,596 students this fall.

Programs and facilities are expanding to meet the needs of the student body, including a new entrance plaza at the football stadium. The football field is sporting artificial turf, and a new track surface is next on the list.

The dining hall is undergoing renovations with an expanded dining area scheduled for completion in January.

On the academic side, CSU has teamed with ITology to provide three Applied Computing Tracks. Students in any major may opt to minor in Applied Computing in one of three tracks: computer programming, information systems or Web development.

The Graduate School launched new degree programs: master of arts in Christian studies and master of science in computer science.

Photo by Rick Esposito

aFrOTC returning to four-year program

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hanges by the U.S. Air Force are enabling Detachment 772, Charleston Southern’s Air Force ROTC program, to return to a fouryear program.

Detachment 772 is considered the smallest Detachment in the nation. Despite the small size, the CSU Detachment produces more officers than some of the biggest name schools in the nation. Detachment 772 has been acknowledged as the Best Small Detachment in the South-

east Region four of the past 10 years.

“Our staff is excited about the change and the opportunities it brings to grow the program,” said Colonel Eric J. Wydra, commander of the Reserve Officer Training Corps. “We look forward to continuing the positive partnership necessary to commission high quality Air Force officers.”

In 1971, Detachment 772 was established as a four-year program. In 1978, the program was switched to a two-year training program, commissioning nearly 12 officers per year.

Photo by Rick Esposito

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Charleston Southern University

Learning to

Think Like a Christian

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tudents in Freshman Seminar are working through the book Thinking Like a Christian: Understanding and Living a Biblical Worldview by David Noebel.

Noebel says understanding our worldview, or belief system, is important because our actions are dictated by our beliefs.

Noebel breaks down 10 disciplines that college students encounter and seeks to answer a question for each discipline: • “Theology, Is there a God, and what is God like?

• Philosophy, What is real, and what is true?

• Biology, What is the origin of life?

• Psychology, What is the basic nature of mankind?

• Ethics, What is right?

• Sociology, How should society be structured?

• Law, What is the basis for law?

• Politics, What is the purpose of government?

• Economics, What produces a sound economy?

• History, How should we interpret human events?”

By learning to understand other worldviews, students will be equipped to identify beliefs that are opposed to a biblical worldview.

The Prouse Family’s Shared College Journey

by Jan Joslin

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Prouse family members currently enrolled at CSU: Rebecca, freshman; Kathryn, MSN; Savannah, senior.

Photo by Rick Esposito

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athryn, Savannah and Rebecca Prouse laugh as they say work, Jesus and coffee are getting them through college.

Mom Kathryn and daughters Savannah and Rebecca are all currently enrolled at CSU. Kathryn is working on her master of science in nursing degree online while holding down a full-time job at Roper Hospital. Savannah is a senior earning a bachelor of science in nursing, and Rebecca is a freshman working toward a bachelor of science in math education; both young women work as well.

And dad is earning his master of business administration from his alma mater. The household of students runs on a well-oiled chore chart devised by mom, who is the extremely analytical, organized one according to the daughters. Savannah said she and Rebecca tend to be more spontaneous and carefree. Kathryn said, “God wires everybody differently.”

The daughters embrace their mom and dad’s organizational habits and are thankful for the calm home they grew up in. Savannah admits to being the boundary pusher, but said, “Growing up we never got our ideas squashed.”

The spirit of faith, camaraderie and support in the Prouse home is seen in their belief that when talent and integrity are combined,

and you are led by God, you can change the world. “The girls have been very supportive of us,” said Kathryn. “We are blessed that they have seen the need for my husband and me to continue our education.”

The support extends to helping each other when needed, which includes reading each other’s papers, going to Savannah for grammar help or to Rebecca for math help.

Kathryn eventually wants to obtain a leadership position in a hospital setting, capitalizing on her leadership and nursing knowledge.

Rebecca, a natural with children according to mom and sister, wants to teach math. She was a math tutor in high school and enjoyed getting challenging concepts across to others.

Savannah is in the Army reserves and has been a combat medic and nurse in the military.

She said her experience at the San Antonio joint base Level 1 trauma center was an amazing experience. She knew she wanted to finish her nursing degree and is looking toward completing a master’s degree and a career as a midwife.

The only thing about their shared experience they might change would be taking out stock in paper and ink cartridges before starting the college journey. Kathryn said, “I buy paper 750 sheets at a time and ink, lots of ink.”

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Charleston Southern University

Dotson Looking Toward World Race

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harleston Southern senior Jessie Dotson will run in plenty of races this year. Dotson, the senior leader of the Bucs’ cross country team, will embark on a different kind of race come August of 2016.

“I’m going on the World Race, which is an 11-month mission trip,” said Dotson. “I’m going to 11 different countries in 11 months.

The organization that I’m going through is actually only like 20 minutes from my house. I

also know a bunch of people that have been on it, so I applied for it this summer just to see if I would get in. God opened up that door for me, and I got accepted to it. I wanna go and see the world and help out people, and just share the love of Jesus.”

Dotson, who set the Charleston Southern record in the 5K as a sophomore in 2013, will spend a month each in Swaziland, Lesotho, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nicaragua,

Puerto Rico, Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. It will be Dotson’s first trip out of the country.

“That’s a big reason I want to do it,” said Dotson, a native of Helen, Ga. “I’ve always had a heart to just go and see the world, but I never knew exactly where God wanted it to be. That’s why I want to do it – to be able to see different parts of the world and know if I want to go to Asia or Africa to do work.”

By Kevin O’Rourke Photos by CSU sports info

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Q: Was there a year where you made your greatest improvement as a runner? a: “Probably my sophomore year at Charleston Southern. i broke the school record in the 5k during cross country season, and then in track i set a few more records. i got sixth place in the 1500 at conference. that was Q: What do you most enjoy about running? a: “i just liked it when i first started because really big. it was not only a confidence boost as it was something that i was good at. But then far as my ability goes, but i grew a lot more in i really grew to just love running, in general. how fast i could be.” it’s a good stress reliever. You can think about it. it just makes you grow a lot. it’s made me Q: What are your plans after graduation? a: “i’m actually going on the World race; i’m really disciplined. i’ve learned how to not quit so easily on things in life. i love what running going to 11 different countries in 11 months. then when i come back, i’m doing that to see teaches me.” if i want to do overseas missions. if i really love it, i’m going to get into another program to try Q: Other than running a lot, what else do to become an overseas missionary.” distance runners do to prepare/improve? a: “We do a lot of abs. We swim once a week, just to give our legs a rest but still Q: What was the application process like for Q: What drew you to Charleston Southern? work on our shape. i swam a lot during the the World Race? a: “i fell in love with the team and the school summer. We do yoga as well because flexibility a: “it was an online application, where you when i came on my recruiting visit. they is really important. then, you have to eat right. talk about your past, struggles, testimony, showed me downtown and the beach so i just running’s a sport where everything you do can faith. they just want to make sure you’re loved the area, and the school and the team affect how you’ll perform, so you have to eat strong in your faith, and open to the growth and wanted to be part of it.” right, have to get good sleep and just make and change that’s gonna happen through the trip. i’m going with a team of 15 people that sure you’re taking care of yourself.”

Q: You finished fourth in the season-opening are around my age. Not only are we doing Palmetto State Cross Country Festival on a missions and reaching out to people, but their Q: What are you studying? difficult course. Just how difficult was it? a: “i’m a double major in communication main purpose throughout the trip is for us to a: “it was one of the worst courses i’ve ever and English, so it’s a lot of reading, and a lot grow and really focus on god. We’ll be away run in my life (laughing). it was terrible. it of writing.” from social media, away from everything that was just hills. Hill after hill after hill. Coach we have at our hands in america.

(Sirena Williams) said the second and thirdplace girls actually walked up the hill so it was miserable. and it was hot and humid, so that added to it. We don’t have any hills to train on in Charleston, so that’s what makes it really tough.”

Q: What was your training regimen over the summer? a: “Six days a week – running at least seven miles a day. i did 42 miles a week so about 400 miles over the summer.”

Q: Have you always been an avid runner? a: “i’ve been running since i was eight years old. My mom coached track. She ran track for appalachian State university and has coached track since i was born. i always went to practice with her, and i got into it that way.”

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I WAnnA Go AnD SEE THE WoRlD AnD HElP oUT PEoPlE, AnD JUST SHARE THE lovE oF JESUS.

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Charleston southern university

Csu earns national reCognition as College of DistinCtion

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nnovative learning opportunities at Charleston Southern have earned the school recognition among the nation’s Colleges of Distinction.

“Colleges of Distinction is delighted to honor Charleston Southern University for its success in expanding programming by developing competencies relevant to graduates’ lives,” said Tyson Schritter, executive editor for Colleges of Distinction. “Active engagement is well recognized as a key to ensuring that undergraduates get the most out of their educations, and it has proven correlation with on-time graduation as well. Students increasingly demand access to hands-on learning, and Colleges of Distinction congratulates Charleston Southern for leading the way in the development of new methodologies that prepare students for the future.”

Schools must demonstrate results across the Four Distinctions—Engaged Students, Great Teaching, Vibrant Community and Successful Outcomes. Each school is evaluated on key indicators including student engagement, student empowerment and curricular innovation. Colleges that have distinguished themselves in each of the Four Distinctions and that have demonstrated dedication to enriching student outcomes through innovative learning opportunities are then invited to join Colleges of Distinction.

The annual process to select the nation’s Colleges of Distinction also includes a review of each institution’s freshman experience, as well as its general education program, strategic plan, and alumni success and satisfaction measures. “Colleges of Distinction provides more than just a ranking or a tally of test scores.

We identify colleges that offer every student an educationally rewarding experience,” said Schritter.

“The Colleges of Distinction have earned solid reputations for nurturing and serving their students across every measure. Like Charleston Southern University, our member schools provide the affirming undergraduate experience every student deserves.”

To view Charleston Southern’s profile or to find more information about the innovative learning experiences it offers, visit CollegesofDistinction.com.

aBout Colleges of DistinCtion Since 1999, the Colleges of Distinction website and e-guidebook have recognized and honored schools throughout the U.S. for excellence in undergraduate-focused higher education. For more information, visit CollegesofDistinction.com

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the WorlD Came to Csu this fall

By Jan Joslin • Photos by Rick Esposito

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harleston Southern hosted the 28th meeting of the Consortium for Global Education this fall. CGE consists of 42 accredited American colleges and universities and 241 overseas partnerships in more than 80 countries.

An underlying theme through the conference echoed a comment made by an educator working in the Middle East: We need to think, how can I be a part of what God is doing in other parts of the world?

CGE not only provides study abroad opportunities but also provides professors with overseas teaching opportunities through Educational Experts Exchange.

While the needs and opportunities are unique to each country, speakers reinforced that the basic needs of children in schools are the same everywhere, and educators just need to know how children learn and how to teach them.

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in Japan. Yamamori was interested in learning English, so he volunteered to babysit and clean house at the chaplain’s home. He observed firsthand how a man of God behaved around his home. He fi rst attended a Japanese church on Dec. 24, 1955. The family invited Yamamori home for dinner, and he laughingly said, “I remember being grossed out by the naked turkey on the table. I kept thinking about the wrinkled face of the turkey.” The family gave Yamamori Three encounters a Bible in Japanese, and he began to read it. “I Dr. Ted Yamamori, president emeritus of reflected on the home of the chaplain, and the Food for the Hungry, International, shared words of the Bible began to flood my mind. It three encounters that brought him to his work was truly a charis (grace) moment, and I acwith Northeast Asia Foundation for Education cepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.” and Culture.

2. Yamamori told of a time of famine in Japan Yamamori, the author of more than 20 books, said life is full of joys and sorrows, good at the tail end of WW2. He remembered feeling memories and bad, and in the midst of it all we hunger at first and then numbness as a young boy. Later as he worked with refugees from should recall the goodness of our Lord.

1. Yamamori’s encounter with the Lord came Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, he said he saw his own face on the faces of dying children, and through a U.S. Air Force chaplain stationed Some of the educators work in a country where it is not safe to be a Christian. Some of what was talked about at the conference cannot be shared with a larger audience, but all were passionate about education and reaching the world for Christ.

Below is a snapshot of some of the stories told at the conference.

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Charleston Southern University

Left to Right:

CGE speakers included: Dr. Jackie Fish, CSU vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Joshua Walker, vice president for global affairs at APCO Worldwide; CSU President Dr. Jairy C. Hunter Jr.; Dr. Wendy Bignold, associate dean for internationals at Liverpool Hope University; and Dr. Carolyn Bishop, president, Consortium for Global Education.

he became president of Food for the Hungry, International.

3. In 2001 Yamamori retired from Food for the Hungry and expected to lead a leisurely life.

“There is no retirement for a Great Commission Christian.” he said, “Our orders remain until Christ calls them off.” He quoted Bonhoeffer as saying Christians must allow themselves to be interrupted by the Lord. “Until I draw my last breath, it will be ministry, ministry, ministry,” said Yamamori.

Building a Global Bridge Dr. Joshua Walker is vice president for global affairs of APCO Worldwide and was a transatlantic fellow at German Marshall Fund of USA. He has worked for the U.S. Department of State and been an advisor to U.S. federal departments and agencies.

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President of LCC International University in Lithuania, Dr. Marlene Wall, talked about refugees and education.

Walker grew up in Japan, the son of missionaries with the International Mission Board.

Walker experienced being a minority many times in his childhood, and looking back now sees how this helped him understand both sides of a culture. He told students their generation will be the most global yet. “Open your eyes and see beyond yourself,” he said, adding, if the only people you know are Americans and Christians, you need to take advantage of opportunities to know others. “Be the professional bridge builders we are all called to be.”

The Refugee Crisis Dr. Nabil Costa, CEO and president of the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development in Beirut, Lebanon, outlined the Syrian refugee crisis and how it is affecting Europe.

Dr. Ted Yamamori, president emeritus of Food for the Hungry International, was the keynote speaker at CGE.

He said, now is the time to love your neighbor. He shared some facts: 12.2 million Syrians are in need of humanitarian assistance; 7.6 million have been displaced by the conflict. One out of four people in Lebanon right now is a Syrian refugee; Lebanon hosts the highest concentration of refugees per capita in the world.

All of this is important because it is setting up a crisis for a potentially lost generation. Consider the numbers: the population of schoolage children in Syria exceeds the number of Lebanese public school children; 50 percent of Syrian refugees in Lebanon are children; 80 percent of Syrian refugee children are currently not in school.

Costa said no one can care for the refugees without the love of Jesus Christ. “We need to advocate for the refugees and help in educating the public. We must help the Syrians and Lebanese obtain an education.”

And obtaining an education is what the Consortium for Global Education is all about.

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nelson earns fielD training DistinguisheD graDuate aWarD

By Jan Joslin

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adet Ross Nelson earned the Field Training Distinguished Graduate Award this summer at field training at Maxwell Air Force Base, putting him in the top 10 percent of cadets attending field training.

Nelson, a senior majoring in business administration, management emphasis, with a minor in aerospace studies, earned the award based on his solid academic scores, consistent physical fitness, effective leadership, followership and team building skills.

Lt. Col. Alexandria R. Watson, commander of CSU’s AFROTC Detachment 772, said, “We are proud of Cadet Nelson and wish him much success as he pursues a career as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.”

Nelson said he was surprised by the award.

“It was encouraging that the type of leadership style I brought to the table was in fact, effective.

This award has motivated me to continue performing at the Detachment as I lead cadets but also as I finish up my traditional studies toward my degree,” he said.

He is quick to credit God with his success.

“I said many a prayer throughout those long, hot, smelly, tiring and rewarding days at field training,” he said.

Nelson is currently the Cadet Wing Commander at Det. 772 where his duties include preparing new cadets for field training and teaching them about officership. Nelson and other cadets who have accomplished field training teach cadets everything from basic marching movements to commanding their own flight of cadets and necessary mission directives prior to attending field training.

“These different directives consist of military skills, proper customs and courtesies and professional development,” said Nelson. “I coordinate and plan wing activities that pertain to the purpose and goals of the Air Force ROTC mission. I also carry out any orders and ideas from my cadre leadership.”

His favorite part of being Cadet Wing Commander is coming up with new effective ways to train cadets. “My fellow wing staff and I like brainstorming new ideas with incorporating their ideas to create a learning environment that is exciting, result-producing, and most importantly, mission focused.”

Nelson said last year’s seniors, who are now Air Force Lieutenants, paved the way for the cadets who attended field training this past summer. “Our leadership set us up for success by having us march in the less than desirable South Carolina heat in preparation of Alabama July heat. Also, cadets were pushed out of their comfort zone with leadership opportunities to grow as leaders and people. The most effective way for me, was giving briefs, lots of briefs. This helped me with presentations for my business courses too,” he said.

Nelson aspires to be a contracting officer once on active duty. He and his wife and two children live in Moncks Corner. He is originally from Sisseton, South Dakota.

Photo by Rick Esposito

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Charleston Southern University

Embler Named Dean of New Center for Academic Excellence

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r. Marc Embler has been appointed dean of the new Center for Academic Excellence.

Embler, a 1979 graduate of Charleston Southern, was chair of the criminal justice department and graduate program director for three years. He served as a federal law enforcement officer for 23 years before returning to CSU as a faculty member.

The Center for Academic Excellence is designed to bring various components of academic affairs under a single umbrella organization as a response to the need for a technologically trained workforce. The center houses the College of Adult and Professional Studies, the Graduate School and the Innovation Center.

Dr. Jacqueline Fish, vice president for academic affairs, is excited about the new Center for Academic Excellence and enthusiastically supports the appointment of Dr. Embler to head this new organization. “We are continuously seeking ways to offer our students a well-rounded education in a Christian environment. The new Center for Academic Excellence demonstrates our decision to work with regional employers and nontraditional students to deploy new technology in the classrooms and online to fully engage our students and enhance their academic experiences.”

Embler earned a master of social work from the University of South Carolina, a master of science in criminal justice from Anderson University and a doctorate of education from Nova Southeastern University. While an undergraduate at CSU, he was a member of the men’s track and cross country teams. He was named to the CSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and holds the distinction of being the only Charlestonian ever to win the Cooper River Bridge Run.

Photo by Rick Esposito

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Ashby Promoted to Dean, College of Science and Math

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r. Todd Ashby has been named dean of the College of Science and Mathematics.

In his new role as dean, Ashby oversees programs in science, mathematics, computer science and the military ROTC units at CSU. Ashby has been chair of the mathematics department at CSU since 2008 and was promoted to associate dean of the College of Science and Mathematics in 2013.

Dr. Jackie Fish, vice president for academic affairs, said, “Dr. Ashby is invested in the promotion of STEM education at Charleston Southern. He and the faculty of the College of Science and Mathematics are working diligently

to increase the number of students selecting to pursue their degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. CSU is very fortunate to have Dr. Ashby leading the charge as we continue to create opportunities for college graduates to succeed in the technology-based workforce of the Lowcountry.”

Ashby joined the faculty at CSU in 1998 as a mathematics professor. He earned a bachelor of arts and a master of science in mathematics at Western Kentucky University and completed his PhD in mathematics at the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Rachel, reside in Goose Creek.

Photo by Rick Esposito

5 Questions with Todd Ashby Q. An Inside Higher Ed article earlier this year says that the largest female gaps in the science/math fields are in computer science and engineering. What do you think accounts for the male/female gap and how is the CSU College of Science and Mathematics addressing the gap?

Q. What is the College of Science and Mathematics plan to train CSU students for the increase in technology-based jobs in the Lowcountry?

We already have rigorous undergraduate programs in computer science, mathematics, applied mathematics/engineering, chemistry, Historically, there have been far fewer women biochemistry and biology. Whether they choose to attain a graduate/professional degree or a job pursuing careers in the STEM disciplines (parin industry, our graduates are very competitive. ticularly computer science and engineering).

We are also in the process of creating The reasons for this are many and varied. Howgraduate programs within the College to help ever, this disparity has created the mistaken increase the number of highly skilled workers perception that only men can do this type of needed for the Charleston tech industry. Our work and that these fields are not as accepting (online) Master of Science in Computer Science of women. In turn, fewer women are pursuing present day careers in the STEM disciplines. began this fall, and we hope to have a Master of Science in Biology in place within a year or so.

The faculty of the College of Science and Mathematics are working to end this cycle Q. What intrigues you most about your new by motivating and encouraging our female students to study in the STEM disciplines. The position as dean of the College of Science and Mathematics? fact that 45 percent of the College’s faculty are women sends a strong message to our female As dean, I have the pleasure of working students that the STEM disciplines are not just alongside dedicated, knowledgeable Christian for men, and they too can successfully attain a STEM degree and perhaps continue their study educators who are passionate about their students and their discipline. The students at the graduate level. also bring an enthusiasm and energy which is contagious.

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Q. What are some of the challenges you and the professors face in training students in STEM-related fields?

The STEM fields are dynamic and changing every day. Staying abreast of new innovations and breakthroughs is a challenge. Our faculty maintain their edge by staying professionally active and doing top tier research within their chosen field.

Q. What interested you about the field of mathematics when you were preparing for a career?

I have always had an affinity for math. I delighted in the logic, precision and problem solving needed to arrive at a particular solution.

I was also blessed to have been taught by outstanding math educators that generously shared their knowledge and love of the discipline.

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Charleston southern university

Where are they now?

by Jan Joslin

Dr. Edwin Squirewell is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., studying drug discovery and metabolism. He completed a PhD at the University of Iowa and graduated from CSU with a degree in biochemistry in 2009.

What sparked your interest in pharmaceutical research?

I attended Charleston Southern University with the initial interest of becoming a licensed pharmacist. However, these interests changed over time as I became exposed to the various career options for those like me who share a passion for science and thrive in a laboratory research environment. During my sophomore year I was enrolled in Dr. Christian Grattan’s organic chemistry course and absolutely loved the subject! The course was challenging, yet learning the material seemed natural. I enjoyed my time as an organic chemistry laboratory assistant and utilized that time to explore literature from the field of pharmaceutical sciences. During this time I became aware of drug discovery and design, and I knew that a career in pharmaceutical research would be very rewarding for me.

How did your undergrad research experience affect your career choice?

My appointment as an undergraduate research assistant was an opportunity that I will always cherish. It was my first opportunity to work in the laboratory research setting and my first exposure to the field of biochemistry.

During this time I worked in the lab of Dr. Erin Burke, investigating the function of a particular enzyme. Here, I learned that

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most pharmaceutical agents require enzyme metabolism in order to achieve their therapeutic role(s). Moreover, I learned about the consequences that enzyme inhibition may have on an individual’s response to medication. This experience gave me a strong appreciation for enzyme kinetics and allowed me to continue exploring drug-enzyme interactions in my PhD work. Having completed graduate school I am now beginning my career as a drug metabolism research scientist.

What’s next after you complete the Postdoctoral Research Fellow?

I plan to work in pharmaceutical industry (e.g., drug discovery, analysis and design) following completion of my Mayo Clinic Postdoctoral Research Fellowship. However, I sometimes wish I had the opportunity to enroll in theatre performance courses while at CSU. My dream, as wild as it may be, was always to join the Broadway casts of “Rent” and “Wicked.”

You have said you are dedicated to research designed to improve the quality of medication, Your profile lists that you are a jazz pianist. and by extension, the quality of human life. In How do you think science and the arts your opinion, how does medication affect the connect? quality of human life?

I never quite understood the connection The benefits of medication minimize the between science and the arts, although poor quality of life associated with chronic there is clinical evidence that suggests music diseases, pain, as well as physical and mental intervention is beneficial to accomplishing dysfunction. While many medications have some goals. Personally, having a moderate been successfully utilized in the treatment and level of music in lab gets my creative juices prevention of various diseases, some are limited to flow. I listened to nearly every track of in their use by drug toxicity and differential Journey & Henry Mancini while writing my responses to treatment. Thus, there is a need proposal in preparation of my predoctoral for the design and development of novel comprehensive exam, and I find that playing pharmaceutical agents that possess a specific jazz piano is a great way to end stressful therapeutic role with maximum efficacy and workday. Music certainly has an effect on my minimal side-effects. Individualizing dosages imagination, which is useful (and sometimes may also be a useful strategy to overcome needed) when performing in lab and aiming for pharmacogenetic differences in patient high-quality publications. I also weave baskets, populations that do not respond to standard knit, crochet, and paint in order to spark my treatment. creativity and relax.

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gandyw Dr. Sam Gandy in the atrium at Mount Sinai Hospital.

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GANDYworks defeat ALZHEIMER’S

to

S

am Gandy’s first brush with Alzheimer’s came as a young boy; being awakened by his parents in the middle of the night and being told to get up and get dressed. The sleepy-eyed kid vividly remembers sitting in the backseat of his parents’ car as they followed the police cruiser to the local station to pick up his grandmother who was found wandering along the roadside.

“That was very jarring and made a great impact on me,” said Gandy. “I can still summon up those images as if they happened last night.”

Gandy also remembers visiting his grandmother every Sunday in a nursing home, where she spent the final years of her life. He said he would sometimes pass the time walking the halls, curiously looking in the rooms and seeing patients who were “… just lying there, clearly unresponsive,” he said. “I was struck by that.”

As a young boy, the experience confused him, but the memory changed his life.

Today, he understands exactly what he was seeing; his grandmother was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Gandy, a 1976 graduate of the Baptist College at Charleston (now Charleston Southern University), has made the disease his life’s work. He is a professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, the chair for Alzheimer’s research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Director of the Center for Cognitive Health and N.F.L. neurological care.

by John Strubel • Photos by Rick Esposito • Graphics by Jon Merkling

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DEFINING A DISEASE “alzheimer’s is the most common specific disease that causes a clinical syndrome that doctors refer to as dementia,” said gandy. “dementia literally means loss of the ability to think; ‘mentation’ is another word for ‘thought’, so ‘de-mentia’ is sort of a general category, and alzheimer’s is a specific disease that’s responsible for about two-thirds of all of the dementia.”

Beyond the disease’s physical effects, alzheimer’s also has a track record of emptying families’ bank accounts and turning their loved ones’ lives upside down. gandy said that by 2050 alzheimer’s alone will consume the entire Medicare budget. “the cost is enormous,” said gandy. “from diagnosis to death, the cost of caring for each alzheimer’s patient will cost the family or insurers about one million dollars.

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“that doesn’t take into account the toll on the family,” he added. “there is often a caregiver from the family who has to step down from his or her normal role or profession to be the primary caregiver.” gandy said patients living with advanced stages of the disease require around-the-clock supervision. as the “long goodbye,” as former first lady Nancy reagan once described it, begins, families often struggle to grasp what is happening to their loved one. Patients and families are sometimes frustrated and confused by the experience. “really, all i have to offer them is advice on how to get through this,” he said. “i describe myself as the world’s best social worker. i don’t really do a whole lot that’s truly medical or scientific, unfortunately.”

‘THE LIGHT BULB WENT ON’ after completing an internship and residency training in neurology at Columbia and Cornell, gandy began working in the laboratory of renowned neuroscientist Paul greenguard at rockefeller university. “i had originally been hired to work on a different project,” remembers gandy. “But Paul (greenguard) recognized the importance of understanding the genetic basis of alzheimer’s disease and allowed me to devote some time and effort to that project, doing some pilot experiments to see if there was something that we had to offer a new angle to bring to the table.” in 1987, gandy founded the research team that identified the first model drugs for reducing buildup of the amyloid protein. in 1986, i was in the audience at a scientific meeting when it was announced that the gene that codes for amyloid precursor protein (aPP), the parent molecule from which beta-amyloid is formed, was localized to chromosome 21.

Chromosome 21 is also the chromosome of which those with down Syndrome have three copies rather than two. “that’s when the light bulb went on,” said gandy. “the implication of the localization of aPP on chromosome 21 was that alzheimer’s could be caused by a genetic overdose of amyloid. that’s what turned my sights toward alzheimer’s.” gandy believed the identification of the first gene may open the door to understanding the molecular basis of alzheimer’s disease that would enable scientists to develop a way of treating, or better yet, preventing the disease. according to research by the alzheimer’s association, the world’s leading voluntary health organization for care and research of the disease, six million people have been diagnosed with alzheimer’s in the united States; about half of all people over 85 years old are living with the disease.

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map for us to get there is now visible.” gandy said there is no definitive answer on whether typical alzheimer’s is genetic or not.

He explained that half the time it is a gene that doctors can identify; the other half they can’t pinpoint a specific gene, saying it’s most likely a combination of multiple genes.

— Sam Gandy “We know now that there are genes that initiate the process,” he said. “they began the changes in pathology, the changes in THE FUTURE OF ALZHEIMER’S the structure of the brain, perhaps as long there is no cure for alzheimer’s disease. But as 30 years before the first symptom. that’s gandy believes research and time will reveal something we’ve only learned in the past opportunities to manage the disease. His long- three or four years. We didn’t realize that the term hope is prevention. lead time was so long, and that means that “there’s compelling evidence that we can treatment trials we’ve been doing for all these defeat the disease – eventually,” said gandy. years that begin when patients have symptoms “We’re on the right track. the question is really have begun 20 or 30 years late. how early do we need to begin prevention “What i really would like to see is something strategies, and what prevention strategy will be happening that has a meaningful impact on the most effective and safe? We need to find the disease in my lifetime, but i’m not sure people who are at risk and intervene before that will happen. i think that eventually i, or their brains are damaged. So, i think the road some descendant of the current generation

THIS DISEASE ISn’T GoInG To Go AWAY on ITS oWn. IT WIll TAKE THE EFFoRT oF MUlTIPlE GEnERATIonS To MAKE IT Go AWAY.

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of alzheimer’s researchers, will eventually get there.” in the meantime, gandy persists. “the only way to get from here to there is to be working every day,” he said. “this disease isn’t going to go away on its own. it will take the effort of multiple generations to make it go away. “i really want to get to the place where people like me have nothing to do,” he said.

GROWING UP SMALL gandy was born and raised in Chesterfield, South Carolina, a rural town built by tobacco and soybean farmers. after school every day, with his mother still working as a seamstress in a garment factory, gandy would go to the local drugstore, where his father worked as a clerk. “i would be exposed to the operation of that pharmacy for several hours every afternoon for years,” remembers gandy. “i left home with the intent of becoming a board certified pharmacist. i planned to use my attraction to the sciences and what i’ve learned about running a drug store to become a pharmacist.” gandy graduated valedictorian of his high school class, an honor he planned to parlay into a college degree. Charleston Southern recognized gandy’s gifts and offered him a place in the Presidential Scholarship program. that’s where Sam gandy first met dr. Kenny Bonnette. “only now, looking back and seeing where the turning points were in my career, and having gone to Charleston Southern and met dr.

Bonnette, was really the first thing that got me to where i am now,” said gandy. “otherwise, i would be the pharmacist in Chesterfield, which is not the end of the world, but it’s not as stimulating and fulfilling as what i am doing now.”

Bonnette realized early on that he had a shy, but gifted, student in the science program.

“We had weekly freshman chemistry exams followed by oral exams for extra credit,” remembers gandy. “i was getting perfect scores on the written exam, but dr. Bonnette never heard my voice because i was very shy. He took it as a challenge to try and get me to speak. i

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haven’t shut up since. I became a laboratory assistant and published my first paper with Kenny, who dubbed me “Dean Gandy.”

ROCK STAR SCIENTIST Today, Gandy serves as a spokesperson for Alzheimer’s. Yes, the shy, quiet young man from a small rural town on the edge of South Carolina, has been featured in awareness campaigns in GQ and Vanity Fair as a “rock star” scientist.

“I’ve always thought it was my duty to educate the world about Alzheimer’s disease,” he said. “To defeat the disease you have to have the resources to do the research, so I’ve spent a decade as a chair for the National Council of the Alzheimer’s Association. Explaining every new discovery to the media is my job.”

The Rock Stars of Science awareness campaign is the brainchild of Meryl Comer, the president and CEO of the Geoffrey Beene Foundation. Comer, a former journalist, abandoned her career after her husband developed Alzheimer’s and she began serving as his primary caretaker. Subsequently, her mother was also diagnosed with the disease.

Comer employed her media contacts and newfound passion for Alzheimer’s disease to develop an awareness campaign featuring celebrities, artists, rock musicians and scientists, to raise funds for research and patient treatment. Gandy was handpicked for the first campaign which also featured celebrities and musicians Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Sheryl Crow, Seal, Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Will. I. Am. (Black Eyed Peas).

The splashy ad now hangs on the wall inside Gandy’s modest office at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Gandy points in the direction of the photo, smirks and says, “The skeleton wearing the ridiculous fedora – that’s me,” said Gandy.

He’s come a long way from being the shy, introverted boy.

STAYING CONNECTED As a member of Charleston Southern University’s Board of Visitors program, which

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provides scholarships for students in need, Gandy encourages today’s college students to find the right mentor.

“Find someone who’s interested in you and whom you trust; someone who will be candid with you; someone who can help guide you,” he said. “Kenny (Bonnette) recognized that I might want to set my career goals higher than those of a pharmacist, and he encouraged me to aspire to something more challenging as a career.”

Gandy said the small class sizes and engaged campus atmosphere at CSU were a big benefit to a shy young man from the country who was experiencing a new world filled with unfamiliar faces and places.

“Making the transition from a life in a town of 1,500 to undergraduate college -- that’s a manageable size -- was important,” he said. “It was clear from the first day there were people who knew my name. For a young man who never opened his mouth, that sort of support, having faculty and staff that reach out to students, rather than waiting for students … I would never have reached out … that relationship would have never developed if it were waiting for me to do something. I was just way too shy. The CSU atmosphere helped me build confidence.”

Charleston Southern is focused on preparing students for success spiritually, intellectually and socially. Gandy said the experience still serves him well today.

“The strong basic science and biology and chemistry and organic chemistry are things

I really want to get to the place where people like me have nothing to do.

— Sam Gandy

that I got at Charleston Southern that I continue to use now,” he said. “Those are the things that today’s students will need to get from undergraduate into medical and graduate school. I built on that and moved on to the formal postgraduate training.”

For more information on Alzheimer’s disease, visit ALZ.org.

• www.alz.org/facts/ • http://icahn.mssm.edu/research/centers/ alzheimers-disease-research-center • http://merylcomer.com/ • www.geoffreybeene.com/rockstars/

Visit: CharlestonSouthern.edu/gandy

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TRA TR RAN ANS NS FOR FO ORM RM ATI TION TO ON matt alexander of Palmetto health initiative is transforming PuBlic health care in faraway countries

By Helen Mitternight

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Clinic workers at a PMI project.

i

t was almost 11 years ago, but Matt alexander remembers it clearly. He was at Charleston Southern university when his parents decided to adopt six children from liberia. Well, actually, they decided to adopt two children, but after six months, they found out that there were still four siblings stuck in liberia. “this was right after the cease-fire in liberia,” alexander recalls. “My dad and i flew out to push the paperwork through the embassy to get the other four kids. What i saw was transformative to me. it was transformative about how i thought of the world, about poverty, about the needs and the solutions to those needs.” today, as cofounder and executive director of Charleston’s Palmetto Medical initiative (PMi), he logs countless flight miles to continue that transformation.

in fact, as he stops at a Starbucks for a conversation, he’s on his way home to pack for an early-morning flight to Nicaragua. He’ll combine several days of business – including visiting the country’s first and soon-to-open second PMi-built medical centers, as well as look into acquiring land for a third – with an early 10th anniversary celebration with his wife, surfing and fly fishing.

PMi builds medical centers in countries whose public health care “is where people go to die,” as alexander says his colleague, Michael o’Neal, puts it.

PMi’s low-cost medical centers are locally operated, and designed to become selfsustaining. their first center was in uganda, soon followed by Nicaragua.

alexander’s liberia experience combined with another transformation when he worked for the Prison fellowship, a national Christian ministry for inmates and their families, based in leesburg, Va. alexander and Prison fellowship founder Chuck Colson (of Watergate fame) were visiting inmates on death row in South Carolina. “it had an enormous impact on me, in the same way as seeing people living in terrible conditions in liberia,” alexander said.

But the other impact was the realization that the kind of change alexander wanted, happened only slowly within large, unwieldy nonprofits. alexander found himself impatient, and it taught him that he wasn’t cut out for the world of large nonprofits.

Photos provided by Palmetto Medical Initiative

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as alexander was starting to talk about this grand plan, the businessmen approached him, saying they were looking for a pilot project for St. andrew’s Church in Mt. Pleasant. they would put up the seed money and offer contacts if PMi did its inaugural clinic in uganda. although PMi now has eight u.S. employees and 80 who work in their own countries, at first it was a shoestring operation. “it was literally just me, o’Bryan and WE GET TonS oF close friend and photographer Josh Blake,” alexander says.

REPEAT volUnTEERS. IT’S the three spent a week in uganda. Seven THE QUAlITY oF THE ovERAll weeks later, they returned with a team of 25 ExPERIEnCE, THAT PEoPlE students and medical professionals, mostly from MuSC. ARE ABlE To InvEST In uganda proved to be an ideal start: the SoMETHInG THAT’S GoInG perfect mix of stability, diversity of partners and a cycle of preventable suffering and disease.

To BE THERE WHEn THEY GET Shortly after, a member of the Seacoast BACK. THEY CAn BUIlD Church in Mt. Pleasant, which had worked RElATIonSHIPS. with Nicaragua for years, approached PMi with the funding and contacts to build in that – Matt Alexander country.

PMi also has been approached by St. Michael’s of Charleston and plans to launch a clinic in Burundi with the help of that in october 2008, alexander and his friend, congregation. alexander says PMi is stopping with these dr. Edward o’Bryan, were surfing on folly Beach and had stopped for lunch. o’Bryan three countries and will focus on expanding mentioned that he had done short-term within the countries rather than moving to medical missions before, but what he really new countries. last year, they launched a 20 by 20 campaign to have 20 medical centers, wanted to do was something longer term.

“He was saying he had done the parachute mostly in uganda and Nicaragua, by 2020. the model in each of the three countries approach, when you fly in and fly out,” alexander says. “But what would it be like is the same: PMi funds a full-service medical to take all of these resources, all the funding clinic and hires and trains locals to run the and expertise that goes into these short-term clinic. PMi provides that basic infrastructure, missions, and what if you could focus that on including setting up a board of directors making a lasting impact, getting a better return and bylaws for each country, and each clinic charges affordable fees that get plowed back on your investment?”

Here was the action-based change alexander into the operating expenses of the clinic. PMi was searching for. the two threw together a also provides “support with accountability” in business plan and, three months later, they the long-term, including keeping track of the were on the ground in uganda, thanks to a clinics’ financials, marketing strategies and lucky connection with two local businessmen. patient feedback.

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the model is designed to make each clinic break even within 18 months. uganda exceeded the model. Within six months, the first clinic there was covering 90 percent of its costs and seeing 900 patients; by the 13th month, it was making a 10-15 percent profit and seeing more than 1,000 patients. to date, more than 90,500 patients have been seen in uganda, and Nicaragua, which opened its first clinic in January 2014, has seen 12,500 patients.

“We see real results, and it is a great experience for our patients,” alexander says. alexander says the patients can afford the nominal fees charged by PMi’s clinics.

“When people see we have trained professionals, we have the supplies they need, when they leave they will get better, then they prioritize the money for the fees,” he says.

Navigating and negotiating with partners in these countries relies on introductions from partners, a refusal to consider bribes no matter the local culture and getting good legal counsel in each country. “it can be a large challenge to navigate government,” alexander admits. “Michael o’Neal, director of international projects, is exceptionally gifted at knowing how to navigate. i live in black and white, and Michael’s blood pressure doesn’t rise in the gray areas.” although delivering health care is PMi’s core business, of necessity, it has developed a specialty in creating trips for the volunteers who want to help. So far, about 1,300 volunteers have traveled to PMi’s clinics. about 30 volunteers make up a team. once on location – which is within an hour or two radius of the actual clinic – the volunteers do outreach and refer back to the clinic. PMi is mindful that it is the locals who should deliver the actual care to their countrymen, and the volunteers are there to build capacity. “a lot of times, some people will stay behind and work in the clinic, but not to deliver care, to train. our local staff love having access to american-trained, board-certified staff,” alexander says.

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Many of the volunteers sign up for more than one stint with PMI, and several Peace Corps volunteers have stayed for two-year stints.

“We get tons of repeat volunteers. It’s the quality of the overall experience, that people are able to invest in something that’s going to be there when they get back,” Alexander says.

“They can build relationships.”

In addition to the help of volunteers who pay their own way, PMI relies on individual donations and corporate or church gifts.

It is “donor cultivation” that keeps Alexander on the road, including travel with the Charleston-based band, NEEDTOBREATHE, which has adopted PMI as its cause to support.

Band members even went on a mission trip to Uganda in December.

On March 23, the Grammy Award-nominated band hosted its annual NEEDTOBREATHE Classic featuring musicians, professional athletes and other celebrities at the Daniel Island Club. The band, along with cohost Commonwealth Cares Foundation, donated proceeds of the event to PMI. Last year’s event raised $140,000 and helped fund about half the cost of a planned second clinic in Uganda.

This year’s Classic will benefit PMI’s 20 by 20 Campaign.

“There’s something I learned about myself,” Alexander says. “I’m inspired and rewarded just by an organization that does something well. It’s what I love about PMI. We follow through and do what we do in a way that honors our donors.

To me, it’s been quite a process to watch us grow, to hear stories from patients all the time.

Possibly because I’ve seen so many nonprofits not doing anything really transformative to people’s lives. We’re really changing people’s lives every day in a way that is thorough and meaningful. I’m hanging my hat on feeling really proud of this organization.”

Reprinted with permission of Charleston Living Magazine http://charlestonlivingmag.com/the-transformation

A PMI doctor explains treatment.

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matt alexander ‘04 Executive Director, Palmetto Medical Initiative

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When you were at CSU, what were your plans for after college?

Why do you think the clinic model Palmetto Medical Initiative designed is so successful?

I envisioned myself doing something in ministry but in a more nonconformist context.

I knew I wanted to do something that would serve people in challenging circumstances who were overlooked by the majority of our society.

I think that is what ultimately led me to a role with Prison Fellowship directly out of college.

People who have been written off and forgotten about, people on the fringes are the ones that I have always felt the desire to come alongside and serve.

First and foremost, God’s grace. I have been privileged to work alongside some of the most talented and wonderful people on earth, but at the end of the day we were all just 20-somethings with a vision when this started.

Since then we’ve learned a tremendous amount and are constantly trying to refine, simplify and improve the model, so that we can serve more and more people.

The things that have made us successful are all relatively simple. The empowerment and community buy-in that are woven into the project design are absolutely essential.

The projects will fail without the community’s involvement, so we do everything we can to appropriately assess their needs and respond to them through our health centers.

I also think it’s crucial to be diligent about measuring impact so that you can constantly improve your model and strategy for creating change. We have always focused on the performance of our clinics and tried to push ourselves on what is possible. We focus on the business side of each of our projects because we want them to be 100 percent operationally sustainable. The concept of sustainability can mean a lot of different things in the nonprofit world, but to us it is comprehensive...all local staff, a fee-based model for care that supports operating costs, long-term planning and building infrastructure that empowers rather than creating dependence.

What did you learn at CSU that has helped you with Palmetto Medical Initiative?

I don’t know that I could pinpoint one specific thing, but I do know that my time at CSU was spent learning how to put my faith into practice. I made some amazing friends during my time at CSU who encouraged and challenged me to think about how we’re using our God-given talent in the workplace, regardless of industry or sector.

Why did Palmetto Medical Initiative want each clinic to become self-sustaining?

The short answer is so that ultimately the work being done would last, regardless of what happened to our organization in the United States. Our hope was to move beyond relief to accomplish long-term and sustainable improvements in people’s health and quality of life. There is so much amazing relief-based work being done globally, but there is also a huge need for organizations that empower the people they serve and create local ownership.

We’ve learned that this is not the easiest path to take, but the results are amazing.

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You’ve mentioned the company plans to stop with 3 countries. Why are you limiting to 3 countries? Do you plan to make the clinic model available to other groups/countries?

us to move faster and require less resources for new projects. In countries like Uganda and Nicaragua, we see the opportunity to develop dozens of clinics and eventually influence how healthcare is approached at the national level in those countries. That’s not to say that we won’t explore other countries along the way, but we’re also not in a rush to move on from the great work and opportunity currently in front of us.

How do volunteers benefit the projects?

From the beginning we wanted to utilize volunteers in a strategic way that would support our long-term objectives in the communities we serve. In addition to providing care to patients, our volunteers go beyond relief through training and surprisingly, marketing.

PMI volunteers are given the opportunity to train our local staff on the ground who actually operate our health centers year-round. Both the medical professionals from the U.S. and from our project countries benefit from learning and training together.

When our volunteers travel with us, they aren’t working out of our permanent clinics but instead providing care in remote areas within a set radius of one of our projects. We provide care to these rural populations while also letting them know that they can find quality, affordable care and be treated with compassion at the nearest PMI health center I think one of the coolest things about volunteering for PMI is that when you get on the plane to come home you realize that you’ve invested in something lasting. The patients in the communities you serve won’t have to wait for more volunteers but they’ll have care available today, year-round and hopefully for decades to come.

We recognize that healthcare is a global need, and we’re not blind to those needs, particularly in the developing world. However, we’ve also seen the benefits to leveraging existing infrastructure and social capital in the countries where we work, which allows

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How did you become partnered with NEEDTOBREATHE? i can’t say enough good things about our friends at NEEdtoBrEatHE. in fact, as i write this i’m on a plane home from a PMi benefit concert in Stillwater, oklahoma, where the guys played to an invitation-only crowd to raise funds for a new PMi health center.

We met the guys in 2009 shortly after PMi was started. over the years they had been approached by countless nonprofits looking for the band’s endorsement, but the guys just never felt like they saw the right fit. as our friendship with the guys and their families grew, so did their interest in our work, and eventually they decided to start marketing our work on tour.

Since our partnership began they have volunteered with us in uganda, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, and graciously used their platform to tell fans around the world about what we’re doing in East africa and Central america. i couldn’t be more thankful for their friendship and support.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

• Here is a link to a blog I wrote for PMI recently on why sustainability is a personal priority for me. http://www.palmettomedical. org/pmi-roots-why-sustainability-isimportant-to-me/.

• Readers may also find it interesting that another CSu grad, Shawn Jenkins, just funded a PMi project in Nicaragua. His company, Benefitfocus, posted a video on the partnership. https://www.benefitfocus. com/blogs/shawn-jenkins/spark-builtmedical-clinic-nicaragua • I live in Charleston with my lovely wife, Hannah, and our kids, Henry, 4, and rhodes, 2.

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folloW Csu on soCial meDia itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/charleston-southern-university/id638881796 facebook.com/charlestonsouthernuniversity google.com/+CharlestonSouthern Instagram.com/charlestonsouthern youtube.com/CharlestonSouthern pinterest.com/csuniversity twitter.com/csuniv

resiDenCe life Partnering With the loWCountry PregnanCy Center

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esidence Life staff have been volunteering at the Lowcountry Pregnancy Center. Chelsea Hoover, a senior resident assistant majoring in math education, has volunteered at the center.

Hoover said, “Honestly, serving at the Crisis Pregnancy Center was God teaching me there is no small job when serving for Him. A lot of the times I was cleaning something. Whether it was cleaning the kitchen, windows, or sweeping, it gave the staff more time with the patients. The staff would thank us a billion times, and I’ve never felt so welcomed somewhere for sweeping. The biggest reward was seeing the patients leave with hope.”

Photo by Danielle Hensley

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Principal Becomes the Pupil as CEO for a Day

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ndre Dukes, principal of St. John’s High School in Charleston County School District, recently served as CEO for a Day at Charleston Southern University.

In a slight twist to this year’s program, Dr. Valerie Sessions, chair of the CSU computer science department and the Principal for a Day with Dukes in March, suggested that Dukes spend the day with Charleston Southern president, Dr. Jairy C. Hunter Jr., instead of with her.

Dukes said he enjoyed shadowing Hunter for a day and learning about the tough decisions Hunter makes. He was surprised to learn how much of Hunter’s day is allotted to fundraising. He appreciated the collaborative effort he viewed while on campus and said everything he observed tied back into accomplishing CSU’s mission and vision.

One aspect of Dukes job as a school principal he finds challenging is the mindset of people that the principal should know everything. “Spending the day with Dr. Hunter gave me a new perspective – he has his hands in everything but allows people to give him ideas.

Going forward I’m going to ask for ideas more and be more vulnerable.”

Dukes became interested in education during the latter part of his college experience.

He said his passion for education developed in his second year of teaching when he had an aha moment and started thinking, maybe I can do more, and he set his sights on being an administrator.

Although St. John’s High School is a small school in the county, Dukes said the complexity of his job comes with what’s behind the numbers. He works to remove barriers to student success. He was able to see the flip side of that during his CEO for a Day time at CSU. Dukes spent time with Debbie Williamson, vice president for enrollment, and realized that as a high school principal, he and college admissions personnel are working toward the same goal – getting students into college without needing remediation.

Dukes is a Charleston Southern graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2002 and a master of education in secondary administration and supervision in 2006.

CEO for a Day is a program of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and is a follow up to a business professional being Principal for a Day in a public school.

Top: Executive Director of External Relations Cady Nell West, President Jairy Hunter, Andre Dukes.

Right: Vice President for Enrollment Management Debbie Williamson and Andre Dukes.

Photos by Rick Esposito

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lEARnInG

lEADInG

SErvIng

THE MOVEMENT The Movement, a worship festival during new student Orientation, is sponsored by campus ministries.

Jon Davis, campus minister, reports that thus far this semester, there have been 33 salvations and 39 baptisms on campus.

Photo by Brandi Oliver

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SCHOOL TIES

Class notes

Compiled by Jan Joslin ’82

1970

1978

1985

1998

The Rev. Ron Jackson and his wife, Karen, started Parson’s Pantry, Inc. in 2005. Parson’s Pantry provides financial assistance to needy pastors, retired pastors, widows of pastors and married ministerial students.

To date more than 640 families have been helped by the more than $570,000 donated to the nonprofit. Jackson is the retired pastor of East Gaffney Baptist Church in Gaffney.

Carl King Jr. earned his doctor of medicine from the University of Science Arts and Technology in 2011 and currently works as a midlevel provider in Nashville, Tenn. Carl and his wife, Wanda Fulbright King, ’77 served as Southern Baptist missionaries for 16 years and have served in the pastorate of several Baptist churches. They continue mission work through Global Encouragers Ministries, Inc., of which Carl is the president and CEO. They take multiministry teams to the Pantanal region of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. Wanda completed a master of counseling with Trevecca University and runs King Coaching/Counseling Services. For more information, visit globalencouragersministries. org, facebook.com/GEMINC and facebook.com/ KingCoachingServices.

Robert W.W. Biederman, MD, and Kimberly Shultz Biederman ’86 live in Pittsburgh, Pa. Kimberly is an early childhood teacher and has been working with children with special needs for many years since graduation. Robert is a cardiologist having trained at UAB/NIH and is director of the Cardiovascular MRI Lab and professor of medicine at Temple University as well as Carnegie Mellon University in bioengineering. He has published two textbooks on advanced cardiac imaging and over 100 manuscripts through his research.

Kimberly and Robert, married right after her graduation, have now been married 29 years. The Biedermans have two daughters living in Charleston, and one son in Denver, a former Marine.

B. Keith Faulkner has been selected as the new dean of Liberty University’s School of Law. He served most recently as dean of the Lundy-Fetterman School of Business at Campbell University.

He holds a JD and MBA from Campbell and previously served as interim dean, associate dean for external relations, executive associate dean for academic and administrative affairs and vice dean of the Campbell law school.

Prior to his work at Campbell he was a lawyer in Wilmington, N.C., and served eight years in the U.S. Navy.

1971

The Rev. Frank Shivers, a vocational evangelist, has recently released two books, The Evangelism Apologetic Study Bible (KJV) and The Wounded Spirit: Unpacking and Unpeeling Life’s Hurt for Healing. Visit frankshivers.com to learn more.

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1997 Jodi Peterson Monroe earned a master of arts in teaching from Clemson University Aug. 7 and started a new career teaching mathematics at Wade Hampton High School in Greenville.

2000 Phillip McCart and Anita McCart ’01 celebrated the birth of their fourth child, Declan Bishop McCart, July 10. Phillip writes, “His brother and sisters are excited to have a new baby brother.” Phillip is lead pastor of Grace Collective Church in Rock Hill. The church plant celebrated its first anniversary as a church Aug. 9.

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2003 Brandy Sutherland ’14 MBA announces the birth of her newest baby Buc, Brayden Mason Sutherland, born Jan. 17.

2005 Robert S. “Trey” Ingram III was selected by his peers as part of Greenville Business Magazine’s 2015 legal Elite. trey was honored for his work in the real estate practice area. the legal Elite awards are divided into 20 legal-andbusiness-related categories and are voted on by attorneys across South Carolina.

Nathan Nelson is the interim principal of Simmons Pinckney Middle School, the new arts infused middle school in downtown Charleston. He is also director of lowcountry Voices, which served as one of the primary choirs at Clementa Pinckney’s memorial service at Emanuel aME.

2009 Jessica Turner and greg Harms were married June 6 in Charleston. She is a caseworker with the S.C. department of Corrections, and he works for the post office.

Stephen H. Hendrix is an independent insurance agent for uSa Benefits group (health and life). He and his wife celebrated 10 years of marriage in october and have two children, alex, 4, and Maddie, 3, and live in North Charleston.

Christin Donnelly Rogers and her husband, trey, announce the birth of their first daughter, dorothy Sutton rogers, born aug. 16 at 11:23 p.m. Christin is a kindergarten teacher at Sterling School in greenville County. they live in taylors.

2006

2011

Colin Snider and his wife, Meredith, serve as united Methodist pastors in Cary, N.C. they have two sons, llewellyn Wells and abram Eiselen.

Jim Coman MBA is vice president of finance, accounting and quality management at linden Construction in Charleston.

2008 Dannie Hardaway is the director of community outreach for lowcountry orphan relief.

Lauren Lethco and Jared Lethco ’09 announce the birth of a son, Jason donald lethco, born March 29.

Marlin Brown received a master of science in sports management with a concentration in sports administration from liberty university May 9. He was a graduate assistant athletic trainer for liberty athletics while earning his master’s degree.

2012 Ashlyn Alkema and Carson Leshin ’13 were married May 23 in aiken. She is employed by therapy Solutions llC, and he is employed by drivetime Car Sales. they live in aiken.

Rachael Howe Franks and her husband, david, announce the birth of a son. rachael writes: July 28 i gave birth to a little miracle, my son loren James franks, whom my husband and i have been waiting for eight years.” She works in the field of accounts payable.

stay ConneCteD! Class Notes: Email your news to magazine@csuniv.edu.

Send news about family additions, job changes and memories of your time at CSu. to include a photo, email a high resolution jpg. (if you send a professional photograph, please include permission to print from the photographer.)

Address Change: Email advancement@csuniv.edu Name Change: Email register@csuniv.edu follow the alumni association on Social Media: alumni_csu alumni_csu

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Demian Stillings and tyler Karges were married July 25 at Summerall Chapel at the Citadel by dr. Peter Beck. demian will graduate in december from CSu with a master of science in criminal justice, and tyler graduated from the Citadel in 2014.

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SCHOOL TIES

Memorials 2013 Elizabeth Michele Horne and Shad Evin Welch were married May 9 in Turbeville. She is working toward a master’s degree in occupational therapy at MUSC. They live in Turbeville.

Sean Waliszewski has been officially selected for employment by the Secret Service and is in their training program.

2015

Ashlynn Meyers Cates is a third grade teacher with Aiken County Schools.

Phillip Shutt is an officer with the North Charleston Police Department. Dr. Gary Metts, Professor Alan Fix and Professor Robert Peterson attended his swearing in ceremony.

Chelsea Paige Eargle and Martin Edward Connelly were married Aug. 8 in Holly Hill. She is a customer service representative with First National Bank of South Carolina, and he is an outside sales coordinator with 84 Lumber. Daniel Neikirk MEd has been named music department chair at They live in Branchville.

Allegro Charter School of Music, a new public middle and high school in downtown Charleston.

He leads the charter school’s instructional music program as well as the infusion of music education into the academic curriculum. He previously taught music and was a band director in Dorchester District 2 schools.

Rachelle Rea has signed a three-book deal with WhiteFire Publishing. Her second novel, The Sound of Silver, released Oct. 15 and is available at Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million and Amazon.com.

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Leroy Friar Humphries Jr. ’73, age 71, died Aug. 28 in Florence.

He was a U.S. Army veteran and a retired U.S. Postal Service mail carrier.

Brenda Guthrie Marques, age 63, died Sept. 13 in Daniel Island. She was an adjunct professor in the CSU School of Education.

Linoshca Alomar Stokes and Timothy Stokes ’10 announce the birth of a son, Caden Scott Stokes, born Nov. 7, 2014.

2014

June Coker Allen, age 84, died May 27 in Lake City. She was retired from food services and catering at CSU. She received the Distinguished Service Award from CSU in 1996.

James Alton “Jimbo” Mims Jr. ’86, age 55, died July 19 in Mt. Pleasant. He had been a member of the baseball team and played in the minors for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a former teacher, coach and athletic director at Mims Academy and worked for Giant Resource Recovery.

Deanna Johnson Mitchell ’91, age 49, died Sept. 12 in Summerville.

Berlin George Myers, age 98, died July 8 in Summerville. He was the retired Mayor of Summerville, serving 10 terms, and the owner of Berlin Myers Lumber Company.

He was a cofounder of Charleston Southern University and a member of the Legacy Society.

Edward Lonnie “Ed” Parler, ’78, age 62, died June 16 in Greenville.

He was a self-employed family therapist.

Carolyn Denise Moore Shockness, ’01, age 49, died June 25 in Duluth, Ga. She was a U.S. Army veteran and was retired from the U.S. Postal Service.

Hewlett Kelly Sullivan Jr., age 85, died Aug. 5 in Greenville. He was the owner of Hale’s Jewelers.

He was a former chairman of the CSU Board of Trustees and received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the university in 1976. He was also a life member of the President’s Club and had established an endowed scholarship at the university.

Rebekah Helen Rush and Jeremy Hunter Simmons were married Aug. 1 in Lexington. She is a nurse with University of North Carolina Hospital System, and he is enrolled at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. They live in Wake Forest, N.C.

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Charleston Southern University

Baby Bucs

to submit your baby bucs photo: Email a picture of your Baby Buc wearing the shirt to alumni@csuniv.edu. Pictures should be 1 MB in size or larger, in jpg format.

1

2

3

5

6

7

1. L.J. Franks, son of Rachael Franks ’12 and David Franks 2. Declan Bishop McCart, son of Anita McCart ’01 and Phillip McCart ’00 3. Dorothy Sutton Rogers, daughter of Christin Donnelly Rogers ’09 and Trey Rogers 4. Caden Scott Stokes, son of Linoshca Alomar Stokes ’13 and Timothy Stokes ’10 5. Brayden Mason Sutherland, son of Brandy Sutherland ’03, ’14 MBA 6. Ethan Casson, son of Carrie Evans Casson ’03

4

8

to order a shirt CSU graduates – if you have a child under the age of 2, let us know at alumni@csuniv.edu, and we will send a CSU creeper for your Baby Buc. The shirt is free – all we ask in return is a photo of your Baby Buc for the magazine.

7. Jason Donald Lethco, son of Lauren Lethco ’08 and Jared Lethco ’09 8. Abram Eiselen Snider, son of Meredith Snider and Colin Snider ’06

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SCHOOL TIES

Meet your Alumni Association President

LECIUS L. MOORER ’00 TRX Real Estate, Property Manager in Charge TRX Commercial Lending, Broker, The Moorer Insurance Agency, SC Licensed Agent INVOLVED: In fall 2009, I had a desire to become more active and involved in community work.

My daughter had just gotten married, and I knew I would have more time to serve in the community. When I graduated from CSU, I promised my heart that I would at some point return to help the students.

HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH: I hope to increase the alumni board presence on campus and throughout South Carolina.

I also hope to increase the number of active alumni in the association.

FAVORITE PLACE ON CAMPUS: Lightsey Chapel prayer room, which many times served as my nap room in between the time I got off from my full-time job and my evening classes.

LASTING IMPACT: Dr. Amy Nolan in Human Anatomy Jennifer Brown, coordinator of student success programs ONE WORD DESCRIBING CSU: Peaceful

Photo by Brandi oliver

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Charleston Southern University

Honor Roll of Donors

June 1, 2014 – May 31, 2015

We are grateful for the many alumni, friends, businesses, churches and more who donated so generously during the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

Your gifts truly made a difference in the lives of CSU students and the campus community.

Your generosity is the seed that transforms lives. Our students are the grateful recipients of your gifts, large and small.

In an effort to be faithful stewards of the money you so generously give, we are moving the majority of our donor list online for the first time.

We are highlighting some of the individuals and groups who have contributed this year in the printed list. To read the entire list, visit charlestonsouthern.edu/advancement.

If you have any questions, please contact the Advancement team at advancement@csuniv.edu or call 843-863-7513.

Thank You!

Board of Trustees Each member of the Board of Trustees is elected by the South Carolina Baptist Convention for a term of five years. The board oversees the formulation of policy necessary and appropriate to accomplish the university’s mission and vision.

Dr. Jerry M. Williams, Chair Mr. Charles W. Carpenter ’84, Vice Chair Rev. Robert E. Pierce III ’85, Secretary Mr. J. Franklin Bullard III Rev. Johnny Caruso Mr. Kevin Roscoe Chafin Mr. Randy E. Eller Dr. Wendell Estep Mrs. Judith C. Kneece Hetz Dr. Chester H. Holmes, Jr. Dr. Frankie J. Melton Jr. ’95 Mr. W. Dean Murphy III

Mr. Christopher T. Niebuhr Mr. Matt G. Provost Mr. Michael G. Roberts Mr. Thomas L. Rhodes Jr. ’75 Dr. Gloria J. Thiem Mr. Harold H. Wall Mrs. Jane Warren Mrs. Kathy W. Weiss Mr. Earl F. Wheeler Mr. Michael G. Williams Dr. Joe R. Wren Mr. Fred A. Yohe

Women’s Council The Women’s Council serves through numerous service and fundraising projects to beautify the campus and provide scholarships to worthy students.

Patti Childress Jean Crosby Phyllis Evans Linda Fick Chris Grund Nancy Gunter Sissy Hunter ’88 Susan Johnson ’70 Joanne Kassis Elaine Ling ’73 Lisa Main Jan Martin

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Claudette McCall ’73 Janice Messex ’87 Linda Mock Mimi Miller Amy Niebuhr Anne Russell ’71 Martha Tallon Leigh Ann Taylor Willie Dell Taylor Diane Walker Joan Wheeler Shirley Whitfield Susan Yohe

Alumni Association Board Established in 1982, the Alumni Board assists alumni in staying in touch with the university and investing in the future of their alma mater.

Officers Rex Divine ’85 Lecius Moorer ’00 David Weiss ’03 Ron Jaicks ’93 Anne Turner ’86 ’89

Members Andre Dukes ’01 ’06 Cynthia Tillman ’89 Carl Beckman ’71 Kris Head ’05 Mahaliah H.Campbell ’82 Daniel Cross ’90 Amanda Davis ’97 Gary Swanger ’70

Giving Levels Society of 1964, $1,000,000 + The university was chartered in 1964.

Jairy C. Hunter Jr. Club, $25,000 + Second president, 1984-current

The Elms Society, $250,000 + Charleston Southern is located on the former Izard plantation, known as The Elms.

Clif S. Jones Club, $10,000 + Chair, Board of Trustees, 1964-1968

John A. Hamrick Club, $100,000 + First president, 1964-1983

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Honor Roll of Donors Board of visitors The Board of Visitors support group enables donors to participate personally with the university and its students. It is a channel for the involvement and networking of distinguished citizens and leaders who are interested in furthering the university mission and providing assistance in the areas of scholarships for students, planning, promoting and resource development. Four levels of giving opportunities are available. Companies funding membership are listed in italics.

BOV - Presidential Council

BOV - Executive Council

Each member serves a two-year team and contributes a minimum of $10,000 annually. Member benefits: title sponsorship for BOV scheduled activities, meet and discuss key issues with members of the Board of Trustees, the president and senior cabinet members and private social gatherings. Members of the Presidential Council are featured in the Honor Roll of Donors.

Each member serves a three-year term and contributes a minimum of $5,000 annually. Member benefits: advise and support a particular college or school; have the opportunity to interact with faculty in member’s areas of interest, and if appropriate, speak to students or serve on discussion panels, and an invitation to attend selected social gatherings with dean and faculty.

Baptist Foundation of SC John Beahm, Jenzabar Foundation Jesse Franklin Bullard III, BB&T Todd Bulwinkle, Trident Construction Stephen Lawrence Gritzuk ’04, GCA Mike Harmon ’70 Wilbur E. Johnson Esq., YCR Law Ernest Lawrence and Cynthia Masters Jr. ’72 Bill Medich, South State Bank SC Independent Colleges & Universities Timothy J. Spurling Brian Stark, Barnes and Noble Jay Henry Strack ’75, Student Leadership University R. Scott Woods, South Carolina Federal Credit Union

Guy Artigues, Pleasant Places George Walton, Knight Printing and Graphics John E. and Linda Black Jr. ’72 Kevin Brooks Welch W. Russell Drake Jeff C. Whittington Randy E. Eller S. Craig Young, Truss Link Kenneth M. and Phyllis Evans Johney L. Haralson Jr. ’69 Carolyn D Hunter Lee Luxmore, C.H. Robinson Worldwide Wendy Rolader, Pepsi Bottling Group Thomas Lee Rhodes Jr. ’75 V. Lynn Singleton, Summerville Medical Center Boyce L. Smith III

BOV - Lea dership Council Each member serves a four-year term and contributes a minimum of $2,500 annually. Member benefits: access to selected outstanding seniors who possess potential as future employees.

Harold H. Adams Jr. ’69 Michael Kevin Alford ’95, Beyond Wealth Donald P. Balderson, Bank of America Jason H. Brittain Roddy Broadnax, Spirit Communications Dave Bruner, East Cooper Baptist Cary Chastain, Moes SW Grill George C. Conoly ’72 Jeff Cook Brett A. Corder, Enterprise

Chip Crane, Hill Construction F. Rudy Cullum III, Cullum Services Inc. Richard B. Daniel Sr. ’92 William B. Daniel ’71 Beau and Lindsey Ganas Denise Brown Harmon ’98 Kristopher Paul-Leigh Head ’05 Keith Allen Hewitt ’71 John A. Hodges, Low Country Painting Bryan A. Miller ’10

David L. Morrow, CresCom Bank Robert F. Motley, IOA William H. Neely, M.B. Kahn Construction Co., Inc. Christopher Niebuhr Richard Louve, Palmetto Primary Care Physicians, LLC Bert Pooser, IMIC Hotels Neil C. Robinson Jr. Susan Marie Stevens Robert C. Whitten, Showa Denko Carbon Inc. Robert J. Williams

Board of Visitors Each member serves a four-year term and contributes a minimum of $1,000 annually. Board meetings are scheduled in March and October with spouse trips available in conjunction with the meetings. Member benefits: Invitation to the President’s Club Dinner, the spring Scholarship Luncheon, additional university events and a quarterly networking breakfast.

David Abel Michael L. Able Sr. Bonar Bishop Anderson Jr. ’70 Mac Anderson Barry Sullivan Armstrong ’68 William Todd Ashby Lawrence T. Atchison David Baggs Charles R. Bailey Jr. Pamela Carlton Banas Paul B. and Diane Barton John Woodrow Beasley ’71

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Thaddeus J. Bell Kenneth M. Betsch Robert Lewis Blackmon Franklin C. Blanton William A. Blanton John G. P. Boatwright Jr. Paul S. Bolen Thomas Rick Bolt A. Kennerley Bonnette Jr. Jo B. Bonnette Richard Joseph Bonnette ’72 Gary D. Brantley

Ronald E. Brantley Diana Braunbeck Timothy James Breckenridge ’10 Richard B. Brewer ’96 Mike Brewerton David Brinson Robert J. Brinson David C. Britt ’07 Pam Brock David Brown David G. and Lynda Brown Fritz Brown

Henry E. Brown Jr. Patrick M. and Caroline Brown ’96 Jesse Franklin Bullard III Dexter X. O. Bunch James Garnett Burgess Jr. ’72 Chad C. Burn ’02 Douglas C. Burnette Edwin Carl and Nancy Burrell Jr. ’68 Philip L. Byrd Sr. ’76 Joseph N. Byron Jr. ’73 Barbara Horton Caldwell Robert A. Caldwell

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Charleston Southern University

Daniel M. Campbell Paul G. Campbell Jr. Lalla Lee Campsen Kenneth Canty Timothy Cardwell Richard K. Carlisle Eric Carlson Charles W. Carpenter ’84 R. Jason Caskey Wade T. Caughman Kay C. Cauthen Tommy B. Cauthen Kevin Roscoe Chafin Converse A. and Tara Chellis IV Reginald Chesson Tim Chesson Patti A. Childress Caleb Keith Clark ’10 Paul Stewart Coker Sr. ’92 Larry Collett William C. Collins Henry G. Condon Jack M. Condrey Jr. Brian Cook Peter J. Copeland ’04 W. Ed Corbin Jr. Gene Michael Corvino ’04 Scott Joseph Corvino ’90 Mary E. Cosby J. Kevin Crain Richard Crites Daniel Webster Cross IV ’90 Thomas Franklin Crumpton ’05 Frank John Cuda ’74 Kevin and Susan Danko Henry D’Antonio Todd Kay Daniel W. Davis James A. Davis Jonathan David Davis John E. Day Jr. Rick Day Ronald Edgar DeWitt Sr. ’70 Rex M. Divine ’85 Dennis E. Drew Roseann W. Drew Brian Driver Andre Maurice Dukes ’06 Ralph Aaron Dunn ’82 Kent McBride Eddy ’99 Harriett Parsons Edwards ’72 R. Malcolm Edwards Robert H. Edwards Thomas W. Edwards Jr. ’75 Carl William Ehmann Scott Elferdink Aaron M. Eller Rebecca J. Engelman Terry Hugh and Belinda Ezell ’81 Francis Faile Jr. Omer Fannin George Scott Fennell Jason Timothy Fick ’14

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Gerald M. Finkel Jacqueline T. Fish Fleetwood Leon Fleming Jr. ’81 Joseph P. Fontanetta William Theodore Ford ’75 Daniel C. Forsberg Kenneth Foster Anthony Gerald Fountain ’85 Frank Fredericks Marion Edward Freeman Jr. ’78 Bill Frehse Peter Freissle Michael J. Frost ’69 Thomas Michael Fulmer ’71 Daniel D. Fultz Faythe R. Furman James C. Furman Richard W. Furman Samuel E. Gandy ’76 John Gannon Patrick M. Garner Preston Eugene Garrett ’75 Steven A. Garrison Scott L. Garvin Robert Gerber David Gerhardt Ronnie M. Givens Walter Allen Glenn ’82 Lee and Charleigh Glover Diane Godwin Bill Goodwin Jr. Dennis Lamar Gore ’78 ’14 Bernard Arthur Grant ’68 Bob Gray ’70 Natalie Gregg ’10 Richard L. Gritzuk Larry K. Grooms David Allan Grubbs Terry J. Gunn John B. Gurley Daniel Warren Guy ’69 Billy Hall John L. Hall Joseph Michael Hall ’81 Tony E. Hall Patricia Hambrick Edwin L. Hamilton ’82 Robert E. Hammel F. William Hargrove Randolph H. Harley Flynn T. Harrell William C. Haselden Sr. Dowm M. Hawley Samuel W. Hayes David G. Hearne Paul J. Heinauer Troy Wayne Herndon ’69 Joseph Albert Hinske ’92 Van D. Hipp Jr. Michael and Tiffany Hladczuk Dale Hoelz James E. Hoisington Patricia L. Hollon ’81

Paul K. Hooker Kathleen Hoppmann Jackie and Earlene Horton Francis R. Howard Charles Hudgens Christine L. Hunter Douglas Lee Hunter Jairy C. Hunter III Matthew Tyler Hurd ’08 Randall Allen Hurt ’11 Oswaldo Hurtado Mike Hutchins Daniel J. Inabinet ’84 Wilson Virgil Inabinet Jr. ’72 Ronald Steven Jaicks ’93 James K. Jarrett Russell Jewell Manuel Jimenez IV C. Kenneth Johnson Harold & Frances Johnson Jeryl W. Johnson Kirby Lee Johnson ’09 Neil Harvey Johnson ’71 Ronald F. Johnson Tony Johnson Dan Earl Jones ’93 Keith Jones Sr. ’03 C. David and Paula Jones Mary Joseph Jason Scott Jurkowski ’99 Jessie B. Kapaldo ’07 Lane S. Kelley Judith C. Kneece Hetz Luther Carl Knight ’73 John Krebser Linda Celestina Lang ’98 Marian M. Larisey David L. and Joyce Latham Tom Leonard Michael Eugene Leverette ’78 Phil Lewis ’07 Elaine L. Ling ’73 Dinos Liollio C. Dale and Fran Lusk Lenna MacDonald Rob Roy MacGregor ’08 W. Thomas Magee Jr. Gunnar Magnusson Emory S. Main Al Malizia James Vincent Mangini Herbert B. Mann Jr. Robert L Marchant Steven Sean Marshall ’98 James T. Martin Jr. Franklin G. Mason Paula Jones Matthews ’82 Vanessa Turner Maybank Claudette Lee McCall ’73 William Drayton McCall ’09 Robert McCants Jack N. McCathern Sr. James H. McDaniel

Douglas G. McElveen Douglas W. McFarland Sharon L. McGhee Michael N. McGinty Troy A. McLeod Susan McWatters Louise Romans Meade ’94 Andreea Toader Meier Cheryl A. Merschen James R. Metts George William Metz Karen Miller Kip D. Miller Samuel Judson and Mimi Miller ’73 Cecil Mills Richard Wayne Mills ’71 Carolyn D. Mims ’73 Janet M. Mims ’82 Bryan Mise John Mitchell Joyce P. Mixson Frank Mobley Richard L. Mock Randy Molony Michael Moody Brooks P. Moore ’70 Polly L. Moore Travis Michael Moore ’13 Hazel A. Moorer Lecius Laverne Moorer ’00 Colleen M. Moring Lester Lee Moulder ’03 Kelly Muxworthy James B. Myers Lynn Myers ’87 Mary Elizabeth Myers ’08 Thomas W. Myers Robert J. Nagy Erica Lynn Nanke ’08 Rodney Reese Neal ’76 Kathy Lynn Nelson ’06 William Daniel Nicholson II ’84 Christopher W. Nickels Amy Jane Nolan ’94 J. Edward Nolan Denetria Norman J. Edward Norris III Gregory A. Norton Michelle Annick Norton ’09 Jose’ Angel Noy Robert H. Nuttall Jr. Sheree D. Nwanegwo Joel Wright Odom ’85 Tamara Michelle Odom ’03, ’08 Robin Sterling Olds ’12 Commander John S. Olson Robert “Lujack” Wilson Orr ’70 John Douglas Osborne ’02 Bobby F. Ott Freda T. Ott Robert Eugene Ott ’00 Dana Angel Painter ’84

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Honor Roll of Donors Board of Visitors James L. Parker Jr. Bennett Parks Jim Pascutti James Lawrence and Stephanie Pasley ’75 Margaret L. M. Payne David K. Perry Shannon Phillips ’95 David M. Piccolo Bobby Pilch Kathleen Hope Plummer ’08 Jean-Pierré Gilbert Poisson ’10 Richard W. Porter ’76 James P. Posda John H. Pratt Jr. ’70 Robert L. and Candace Pratt Hugh W. Preacher Mary V. Propes-Jackson Matt Gordon Provost Eric E. Radabaugh Albertine Radding David W. Ramey John Colt Ramsey ’73 Robert S. Randall Larry Allen Rast ’71 Sheryl L. Rector ’09 Charles Reed Burton Neil Reese ’02 Douglas A. Reeves Byron Anthony Reid ’72 Thomas R. Revels Charles F. Rhodes Sr. Jeanine G. Rhodes Allison Rhyne N. Kelley Richardson Russell Wilson Richardson ’08 Mark W. Rieman Rev. Annette Riley ’85 Robert D. Robbins

Kimberly Roberts Michael G. Roberts Karl J. Robinson Malcolm N. Robinson Ryan Rodkey Arthur James Rooney Jr. ’74 James P. Rooney Sr. ’72 Rotary Club of Goose Creek Rotary Club of Summerville-Evening Rotary Club Summerville-Lunch Margaret H. Rush Anne Marie Russell ’71 Claudia W. Sanders Linda Ann Sartori-McCallister ’00 Vito A. Scarafile Michael Schmidt Carl T. Schultz Ellen Thurmond Senter ’68 David Severt Elizabeth T. Shealy Christina Sineath David Sineath Peggy G. Sineath Barry Slayden David VanGeem Smith ’96 J. Larry Smith Mark M. Smith Raymond C. Smith Jr. Ron G. Smith Walter W. Smith ’82 Euclides and La Paula Solivan Jr. McKenzie Solomons Karan Sorensen ’86 James D. Southern Deborah Janette Spencer ’02 Tessa Spencer Adams ’90 Mark W. Stanton Walter Clemet Stanton III ’82

Michael E. Stavrinakis ’86 Elona C. Stevens Gregg Stewart Philip Allen Stiles Jr. ’94 Jeremy M. and Codey Stipkala John Gerald Strubel Jr. ’11, ’14 Randall K. Sturkey Jonathan Sullivan Lori Williams Swan ’06 Gary ’70 and Stephanie Swanger Joseph F. Tallon ’69 John Pinckney Tankersley III ’88 Ann S. Taylor Henry L. Taylor Elizabeth Marguerite Tezza ’98 David E. Thiem ’05 W. Edward Thomas Denny Vincent Thompson ’91 Oscar Lee Thompson III ’71 W. Rosser and Betsy Thrash David Tice Chuck Troiani John D. Trout George L. and Jane Tupper Jr. Geneva Anne Turner ’89 J. Floyd Tyler Charles H. Van Rysselberge Chad Van Slooten Gary Alan Vance James D. Varn James W. and Diane Walker Jr. Harold H. Wall Johnny E. Ward J. Frank and Kay Ward Steve E. Ward J. Emory Ware Reen and Linda Waterman Josh Watts

Roderick Lane Weader ’71 William A. Weathersbee Sandy Weaver Mike Weeks David Robert Weiss ’03 Hubert H. and Kathy Welch Jr. Frank Wells Stephen Wenger Cady Nell West Brunson M. Westbury Barry Whalen William A. Whatley James Rick White William G. White Sr. Stuart Whiteside Walter R. Whitman Michael A. Whitsitt ’08 Liticia Whitten John Lewis Wiggins III ’75 Stacy Edgar Wiggins ’98 James M. Wilkerson Charles A. Williams Henry Williams Jerry M. Williams Michael G. Williams Michael E. and Mevelyn Williams Van E. Williams Jr. R. Greg Willis Darren Wilson John Eric Wilson ’90 W. Stovall Witte Jr. Steve Wray Joe R. Wren C. Ray Wrenn Mela Wyeth John W. Wyndham Fred A. Yohe Joe Young

Buc Club Board of Directors The BOD assists in supporting university athletics through planning, promoting and securing resources for the athletic program. Members serve a four-year term and may serve additional terms without interruption. Members contribute a minimum of $1,000 per year during their term. presidential Chip Parrott Sam Kelly executive Mike Giunta Bill Markwat championship Bob Feldbauer ’95, ’97 John Kammeyer ’74 Brooks P. Moore ’70 Barnette Heating & Air, Greg Barnette Bill Garlow Joe & Lisa Hickey Vincent E. Hoover, Jr. John Paglia

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directors Mitchell Deter ’14 Jada Ross ’11 Alex Bragg ’09 David Misher ’08 Mike McCann ’07, ’11 Charles Hirschman ’07 Anthony Moore ’07 Reggie Robertson ’07 Trent Drafts ’05, ’10 Chris Lanoue ’05 David E. Thiem ’05 Ryan McElheny ’04 RJ Swindle ’04 Ron Jaicks ’93 Kevin Futrell ’89 Levoy McCray ’89

Steve Essig ’86 Jan Mims ’82 Marc Embler ’79 Frank Williamson ’71 Robert Tisdale ’70 Jim Wyrosdick ’70 Doug Cargill ’69 Mike Frost ’69 Troy Herndon ’69 Kevin Alford ’95 DeAndre Arnold Thad Bell William A. Blanton Cathryn Broderhausen-Roys Joe Calandra Matt Campbell Bud Childers

Danny Croghan Joe Dettrey Jackie Fish East Coast AP Marketing LLC, Ms. Kristin Fleming Buddy Gray Judy Hetz Sissy Hunter ’88 Jairy C. Hunter, Jr. Dan Jaicks Wilbur E. Johnson John Keener Preduo Mathis Bob Ott Jerry Owens Hank Small Todd Tononi

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Charleston Southern University Bob Trenor William A. Weathersbee Brandon Wilson Seth P. Kupferman Don Middlebrook

Scott Patrick Mullen George Brian Mullinax Douglas A. Reeves John Eric & Lindsey ’10 Walke Antoine Thomas

Nate Ball Kevin Justice J.W. Myers McTier Anderson Daniel Cross

John Duncan John Hulvey Brian Ruff

endowed scholarships The following endowed scholarships were created in the 2014-2015 fiscal year to assist students in achieving their dream of a top-quality education.

Kermit Trevor Hudson Memorial Endowed Scholarship Patricia A. Haile Nursing Endowed Scholarship Lloyd E. and Peggy G. Sineath Nursing Endowed Scholarship Trojan Labor Endowed Scholarship

Donors $10,000 + The Elms Society $250,000 + Estate of Harry L. Schickling ’75 BlueCross BlueShield of SC Foundation John A. Hamrick Club $100,000 + Ruth M. Jones Trust Jairy C. Hunter Jr. Club $25,000 + Mr. & Mrs. W. Ed Corbin Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Coastal Community Foundation Community Foundation of Greenville Sam Kelly Medical University of South Carolina Baptist Foundation of SC

Peggy G. Sineath James R. Metts Gloria J. Thiem Harold H. Adams ’69 Paul N. Gordon Estate of Fred K. Norris W. Floyd and Shirley Whitfield Whitfield Family Charitable Trust Clif S. Jones Club $10,000 + Young Clement & Rivers LLP Jairy C. Hunter III Dorchester School District Two Timothy J. & Susan Spurling CSU Women’s Council

Ayco Charitable Foundation Earl F. and Joan Wheeler SC Christian Foundation Barnes & Noble College Booksellers Peter Freissle Polydeck Screen Corp.

Colleton County Schools GCA Services Group Mary V. Propes-Jackson Jairy C. and Sissy Hunter SC Independent Colleges & Universities John H. Hollingsworth South State Bank Chip Parrott National Christian Foundation Alabama

BB&T Manuel L. Cohen Janet Elshazly Kenneth & Phyllis Evans Hermann Family Foundation Hood Construction Co. Carolyn D. Hunter Jenzabar Foundation Franklin G. Mason Ernest Lawrence Masters ’72 Anthony Richard Sacco ’75 South Carolina Federal Credit Union Student Leadership University Trident Construction Co.

Legacy Society Each member of The Legacy Society has remembered the university through a bequest intention, charitable trust, life income plan, life insurance, endowed scholarship or other estate planning technique. Membership is activated when the donor notifies the university that he or she has made the commitment.

Anonymous* Pete & Beth ’88 (Worthy) Adamczyk Harold H. Adams Jr. ’69 Robert W. Ashby* Florence S. Atkinson* Durwood J. Barton* John E. ’72 Black & Linda Alford Black Dr. Tony ’69* & Mrs. Susan Blanton Dr. & Mrs. Ken Bonnette David G. & Lynda M. Brown George C. Conoly ’72 Mary “Mayna” Cosby Dr. Daniel W. Cross IV ’90 W. Russell & Vicki Drake Roseann Drew R. Aaron Dunn ’82 Dr. Terry H. ’71 & Mrs. Belinda Ezell Robert C. ’69 & Marian G. ’69 Gallager Wayne D. Goodwin ’70* Bernie Grant ’68

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Patricia A. Haile Mr. Troy B. ’11 & Mrs. Vickie Hall Dr. Greg ’00 & Mrs. Lili Gresham ’02 Hiser Dr.* & Mrs. John A. Hamrick Jackie & Earlene Horton Dr. & Mrs. Jairy C. Hunter Jr. Jairy C. Hunter III, MD & Christine L. Hunter, MD Daniel J. Inabinet ’84 Mr. & Mrs. Harold Johnson Ruth M. Jones* Ronald Edward Klepper ’81* L. Celestina Lang ’98 Elaine L. Ling ’73 Dr. & Mrs. James T. Martin Jr. Dr. Franklin G. Mason Mr. & Mrs. Kip Miller Brooks P. Moore ’70 Mr. Julian C. Moore*

Berlin G. Myers* William D. ’84 & Debra K. ’86 Nicholson Fred K. Norris Jr. * Steve & Micki Ogburn Gene* & Freda Ott Mr.* & Mrs. C. Ronald Payne Marjorie E. Peale* John ’73 & Jane Ramsey Byron A. Reid ’72 John B. Rhodes* Dr. Johnny G. Rumbough ’81 & Mrs. Valerie English Rumbough L.H. Rowell* Robert H.* & Nina* Ritter Harry ’75* & Nan* Schickling Dr. Lloyd E.* & Peggy G. Sineath Bill* & Alice* Southern Jim & Pat Southern David Spell ’71

Elona C. Stevens Jeremy M. & Codey Stipkala Mr. & Mrs. James H. Stovall Dr.* & Mrs.* Otto M. Strock Lt. Col. Joseph F. ’69 & Mrs. Martha Tallon Mr. David Thiem & Dr. Gloria Thiem Johnny E. & Sandra B. Ward Ann H. Way Dr. & Mrs. Bert Welch Mrs. Debra Williamson William G. White Sr. Floyd & Shirley Whitfield Fred L. & Susan R. Worthy Ernestene P. Youmans* Mr. & Mrs. Edward T. Zeigler Sr. As of 9-30-15 *Deceased

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Honor Roll of Donors SCHOOL TIES Presiden tial council member profiles

Baptist Foundation of South Carolina For more than six decades, the Baptist Foundation of South Carolina has been serving as a ministry partner with individuals, churches, associations and institutions of the South Carolina Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Convention. Over the years, our services have grown and expanded.

Our passion is to see individuals and churches become faithful stewards of God’s resources.

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Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC Founded in 1873, Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, is part of the nation’s largest bookselling enterprise.

Over the years, the company has established a reputation for operating the finest, most service-operated campus and community bookstores in the nation. Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC, serves 800 colleges and universities of all sizes from coast to coast, including many of the nation’s top academic institutions. All bookstores are customized to meet the specific needs of their community and feature superior retail standards, highly professional management, quality merchandise, state-of-the-art technology and innovative store design that are environmentally focused for the future.

BB&T

GCA Services Group, Inc.

BB&T is one of the largest financial services holding companies in the U.S. with $210 billion in assets and market capitalization of $31.3 billion, as of August 17, 2015. Based in WinstonSalem, N.C., the company operates 2,149 financial centers in 15 states and Washington, D.C. and offers a full range of consumer and commercial banking, securities brokerage, asset management, mortgage and insurance products and services. A Fortune 500 company, BB&T is consistently recognized for outstanding client satisfaction by J.D. Power and Associates, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Greenwich Associates and others. BB&T has also been named one of the world’s strongest banks by Bloomberg Markets Magazine, one of the top three in the U.S. and in the top 15 globally.

BB&T has been a proud contributor and supporter of Charleston Southern University for many years. Our University branch, which is very close to the Charleston Southern University campus, services the needs of many students and faculty.

GCA Services Group, Inc. is a leading national provider of quality facility services, including janitorial/custodial services, contamination control for cleanroom manufacturing, facilities operations and maintenance, grounds management, in-sourced production staffing and labor management, diversified staffing, and more.

With over 37,000 employees in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, GCA serves a variety of sectors, including K-12 schools, higher education, manufacturing, corporate office buildings, high-tech, bio-pharmaceutical, nuclear power, defense, the rental car market, and others. Our clients include numerous Fortune 100 companies.

GCA’s management team is recognized as one of the strongest and most experienced in the industry.

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Charleston Southern University

The Jenzabar Foundation

South Carolina Federal Credit Union

Jenzabar, Inc., headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is a leading provider of enterprise software, strategies, and services developed exclusively for higher education. The company offers integrated, innovative solutions to advance the goals of academic and administrative offices throughout the student lifecycle. Serving more than 1,000 campuses worldwide, Jenzabar has over four decades of experience supporting the higher education community.

The Jenzabar Foundation is a public charity that fosters a culture of service and educates and inspires future generations to create a better world. The Foundation issues grants to institutions of higher education and other charitable organizations that recognize and support the good works and humanitarian efforts of student leaders domestically and across the globe.

Robert A. Maginn Jr., chairman of the Jenzabar Foundation and CEO of Jenzabar, Inc., founded the Foundation to extend his commitment to colleges and universities beyond a vendor relationship. Over the last five years, The Jenzabar Foundation has issued more than 700 grants totaling over $2 million. www.jenzabar.com.

South Carolina Federal Credit Union has operated in Charleston since 1936.

Scott Woods has been President and CEO since 2004. Woods received his bachelor’s degree from the College of Charleston and his MBA in finance from Auburn and is also a graduate of the Southeast Regional Credit Union Management School, the Credit Union National Association Financial Management School and holds CPA and CIA certificates.

Woods currently serves as chairman of the board of Palmetto Cooperative Services, on the Executive Committee of the board of the Charleston Metro Chamber and the boards of PaymentsFirst, Inc., South Carolina Financial Solutions and First Carolina Corporate Credit Union, on the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Credit Union National Association and the Region 3 Advisory Committee of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions and on the church council of Fort Johnson Baptist Church. He is a past chairman of the CSU board of trustees.

South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities SCICU supports and promotes the values of independent higher education in South Carolina. SCICU seeks to advance higher education through fundraising, scholarships, and research, as well as by facilitating collaborative activities among the member institutions.

SCICU also enhances a positive public image and encourages government policies that support independent higher education.

South State Bank South State Bank has been serving the financial needs of individuals and businesses in the South since 1934. By staying true to our values of relationship banking and commitment to our customers, we’re proud to be one of the fastest growing banks in the Southeast.

Great banking starts with great bankers. And, thanks to our dedicated team of bankers, we have faithfully executed our mission to build a high-performing bank based on a balance of soundness, profitability and growth. And as we continue to build on this success, I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve as your financial partner now and in the future.

Photo by Rick Esposito

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Honor Roll of Donors Presiden tial council member profiles

Tim and Susan Spurling

Student Leadership University

Trident Construction

Young Clement Rivers, LLP

Forty years ago when learning to share my faith in Christ, with Evangelism Explosion founder James Kennedy, it was told to me that only those who had not forgotten being lost and remembered what it was like to feel guilty had the burning desire to share the message of forgiveness. Max Lucado said it as well in Six Hours One Friday, “A man is never the same after he simultaneously sees his utter despair and Christ’s unbending grace.”

Student Leadership University is a faith-based, experiential leadershiptraining program that empowers, enables and equips students to rise to the call of leadership and awaken their potential. SLU offers unforgettable experiences that equip students to change the way they think, dream and lead, both today and for the rest of their lives.

SLU offers four progressive, cumulative experiences designed to grow students’ faith, teach them to lead and gain a vision for the future through A Christian worldview. Whether they go behind-the-scenes at Sea World, explore our Nation’s Capital, immerse themselves in history in Europe or walk where Jesus walked in Israel, at SLU, young people learn to think bigger, ignite their calling, impact their world and lead like Jesus.

Dr. Jay Strack, a 1975 CSU alumnus, founded Student Leadership University.

Founded in 1981 by Robert D. Fairey, Trident Construction has grown to become the region’s most recognized leader for providing value-added construction services to team-oriented clients, known throughout our market as Trident Construction’s TEAM BUILD process. Today, we complete over $100,000,000 annually using the TEAM BUILD process for projects ranging from small tenant up-fits to fast-track $40,000,000 facilities.

Our staff of more than 70 construction professionals works closely with our clients and design team members to provide a wide array of services including project planning; site selection; pre-construction coordination and budgeting; and construction management. With a 92% repeat client base, our collaborative TEAM BUILD services continue to provide exceptional value and project success.

As an unlimited licensed general contractor, Trident Construction actively completes projects in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, and Florida.

YCRLAW is built on a proud heritage of Charleston legal professionals dating back to the 1960s. The law firm’s high standards for quality client service include providing efficient case management, a depth of legal experience, and state-of-the-art technology to meet clients’ needs for solid legal counsel at a reasonable cost.

The firm celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015. In Charleston we enjoy a strong and vital community where our citizens can reach their highest potential.

YCRLAW is proud to be a charter member of ALFA International, which is an exclusive, global association of law firms dedicated to improving the quality and depth of legal services provided to its clients. ALFA firms represent domestic and foreign clients in service, manufacturing, financial, and professional enterprises throughout the world.

YCRLAW is pleased to offer a wide variety of services, with practice groups in many areas of civil litigation, administrative law, and real estate transactions. www.ycrlaw.com.

Thank you Lord for a wife that has shared that message in Romania these last two decades.

2 Timothy 2: 8 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel…

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Charleston Southern University SCHOOL TIES

Yankees surprise Singleton

C

hris Singleton, sophomore baseball player, appeared on the NBC Today Show on August 17 to talk about life after the Emanuel AME shooting, where his mother, Sharonda ColemanSingleton, was killed.

During the show, the New York Yankees surprised Chris when Holly Hill native, Brett Gardner, Alex Rodriguez and Delin Betances walked on the set and invited him to throw out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Chris participated in batting practice with the team, and then he and his brother and sister threw out the first pitch.

The Yankees donated $5,000 to the Singleton Memorial Fund.

Photos provided

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transform Campaign The $40 million Transform Campaign is designed to provide for new facilities, scholarships and resources devoted to academic program expansion, improvement and enrichment. Thus far, $31 million has been committed.

Meet several alumni who shared why they give to CSU: Wayne ’71 and Mary ’72 Mills support the university through the Board of visitors, scholarships and the Buy a Brick program “We give to CSU because it has given so much to us. It is where The Lord introduced us to each other 47 years ago and changed our lives forever -- it is where we became engaged and committed to each other a lifelong relationship in Christian marriage, and this past August 12th, we celebrated our 43rd wedding anniversary! It is where we obtained a good education based upon Christian principles, and it gave to us a sound basis upon which to pursue our career goals -- Mary in nursing, and Wayne in banking / finance. We give to CSU as a way to honor and remember special people in our lives and as a way to help and encourage existing and future students. We give to CSU because we are stewards of resources that The Lord has entrusted to us, and we believe that our giving is His desire since He looks upon CSU and its students with great favor. When we boil it all down, we give to CSU as a way to honor and thank The Lord--for saving us and for blessing us with: Loving and Christian parents, loving and caring siblings, a good education and memorable college days, successful careers, the means to help and encourage CSU and its students, and a wonderful marriage. And, the icing on the cake is that our giving is a blessing to us!”

Rhiannon Loebs ’09, ’15 MBA, member of the women’s golf team, supports the university through the Buy a Brick Campaign “After earning an undergraduate and master’s degree, I purchased a senior brick to create another lasting memory of my experiences at CSU that will last a lifetime. I look forward to the day I will be able to walk around the Reflection Pond and share my stories from CSU with family and friends. It is a simple, easy way for anyone to help support student scholarships at CSU!”

Keith Jones ’03 supports the university through the Board of visitors “I give back to the Board of Visitors because growing up I knew the difficulty my mother had keeping up with finances and trying to keep me and my sister in school. I ended up going into the Army for funds to finish school and once at CSU, I also received scholarship money, so I am happy to give back to others to help them accomplish their goals.”

Q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t h e Tr a n s f o r m a t i o n C a m p a i g n – c a l l A d v a n c e m e n t a t 8 4 3 . 8 6 3 . 7 5 1 3

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Charleston southern university

a gift for CSu aluMNi! C

SU Alumni now have access to RightNow Media – a video library of faith-based videos you can access whenever and wherever you want – on your phone, iPad, computer or your home TV. It’s been called the Netflix of video Bible studies.

rightNow Media has videos for everyone—kids, youth, parents, married couples, college students, single adults, working professionals—all aimed at helping you grow. You’ll find resources from 150 leading Christian publishers and ministries such as:

•

Francis Chan

•

David Platt

•

Bill Hybels

•

Jen Hatmaker

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Dave Ramsey

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Max Lucado

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Veggie Tales

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Adventures in Odyssey

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The Last Chance Detectives

You should have already received an official invitation email from the CSu alumni office to give you frEE access to rightNow Media. if you haven’t received the email or if you need to let the alumni office know your email address, contact alumni@csuniv.edu. once you have the email, simply click the link, sign up for an account, and you’re all set to explore more than 12,000 videos. We pray that rightNow Media will be a blessing for you and your family!

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Nonprofit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

Charleston SC Permit #1202

Charleston Southern University 9200 University Blvd.

P.O. Box 118087 Charleston, SC 29423-8087

Integrating Faith in Learning, Leading and Serving

There are those who paved a way for your future – pay it forward by paving someone else’s way.

I spent a lot of time at CSU and gained knowledge and experiences that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, so I wanted to leave my mark at the school to represent the special time in my life that took place here.

Thanks!

Katy Van Nice ’15 Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The cost of $100 per brick includes engraving as well as a donation to our Charleston Southern University Fund to provide scholarships for students. charlestonsouthern.edu/buyabrick

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