PRESIDENTIAL
SKLEDER'S
BARNETT'S VISION
ASCENDED
Rising seniors make it to the top! Class Day '23
Photo by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
BOARD CHAIR'S MESSAGE
Building a foundation for the next 145 years
Board chairs and presidents understand that we are much less permanent than the university. It is our job to make sure the mission of the university – Brenau’s students and their success – continues beyond us.
U.S. President John Quincy Adams once wrote in his diary: “I plant trees for the benefit of the next age.” This idea became so important to Adams that he designed a personal seal with an acorn and two oak leaves that he used to seal his letters.
As you will read in this issue of the Window, Brenau’s 11 presidents will always be part of its legacy. For 145 years, the leaders of Brenau have planted their own trees, while simultaneously ensuring those planted before them continue to flourish.
Dr. David Barnett, Brenau’s 11th president, understands this, and is working with the Board of Trustees to build on that legacy. The board has full confidence in President Barnett’s ability to lead the university, its mission and its strategic plan. His indepth understanding of higher education has been shaped by executive-level experience at multiple institutions and ongoing scholarship.
Having served in various roles at Brenau for 18 years, no one knows this institution better –including the best ways to keep us moving forward – than President Barnett.
The board appreciates President Barnett’s dedication to the university and the collaborative leadership he provides as we continue the shared vision – one echoed by many former presidents and trustees of this university – for a Brenau that makes a difference in the world and our community.
Brenau’s 10th president, the late Dr. Anne Skleder, also shared this vision. When she became president in July 2019, Dr. Skleder embraced her new community in virtually every way, becoming involved with local organizations, attending charitable events, and creating a close circle of friends.
However, if you knew her, you knew where her heart was: anything for Brenau, anything for the students. She was tireless in that endeavor. When you love what you do, it never seems like work; she enjoyed working collaboratively with me and her leadership team on behalf of the students. Brenau and the Gainesville community are better for having known her - as was evident in the many tributes after her passing last October.
Dr. Skleder and I believed that any one of Brenau’s students could change the world for the better - a belief that is shared by President Barnett.
Leading an institution works best as a collaborative endeavor, and President Barnett and I are working in partnership to lead this university forward - planting trees whose cooling shade we will never experience. As an institution, we honor the legacy of Dr. Skleder while embracing the new chapter that lies ahead under the guidance of President Barnett.
MIKE SMITH Board of Trustees, Chair
Brenau cheerleaders bring some spirit to the surprise 145th birthday party following Grrrl Power Hour in October 2023.
8
18
IN THIS ISSUE
PRESIDENTIAL LEGACY
Eleven presidents have expanded Brenau’s impact beyond what its founder could have imagined.
DR. ANNE A. SKLEDER
A tribute to the university's 10th and first female president, who passed away in October 2023.
24
Brenau celebrates 145 years
30
DR. DAVID L. BARNETT
Former executive vice president and chief financial officer becomes 11th president.
ATHLETICS NAMED
Brenau athletics has been named the Ernest Ledford Grindle Athletics Department.
31 NEWS
Find out the latest about a new degree, scholar athletes, study abroad and more.
38 ALUMNI UPDATE
Alumni events, class notes, and how to get involved and engaged with your fellow Golden Tigers.
SPRING 2024 | Brenau Window is published by the Brenau University Office of Communications, 500 Washington St. SE, Gainesville, GA 30501. For a change of address, email cwilliams7@brenau.edu or call 770.534.6163 or 800.252.5119, ext. 6163. Brenau University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees. Brenau believes in equal opportunity for all.
Matt Thomas Vice President of University Advancement
Emily K. Reid, MBA Director of Alumni Engagement
Edie Rogers Director of Communications
Joe Chaffee Graphic Designer
Alyson Boyko, WC ’13 Writer/Editor
AJ Reynolds, BU ’20
Kelsey Podo
Mandi Bell
Benjamin Barton Contributors
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Michael H. Smith, Chair
Emilie “Emmie” Henderson Howard, WC ’01, Vice Chair
Peter D. Miller, Secretary
John A. Addison, Jr.
Pierpont “Pepper” F. Brown III, MD
Amelia “Mimi” Collins
Carole Ann Carter Daniel, WC ’68
Robin Smith Dudley, WC ’78
Maria Ebrahimji, WC ’98
Robert “Rob” L. Fowler Jr.
Melissa Currin Heard, WC ’92
Melissa Cannady Howard, WC ’97
M. Douglas Ivester
Anna Alexander Jacobs, WC ’86
Timothy C. Knight
Emily “Sissy” Dunlap Lawson
Jill R. Mansfield, BU ’15
Frank K. Norton Jr.
Hart Wilheit Payne
Gail A. Smith, WC ’83
TRUSTEES EMERITI 24 35 30 34 38
Shay English Stafford, WC ’69
Michael D. Stubblefield, MD
Melissa Wendt Tymchuk, BU ’21
Amy Whitley
Mary Kathryn Wells-Winsett, WC ’00
Rear Admiral Patricia E. Wolfe, BU ‘87, retired
C.V. Nalley III
Betty Verson Norton Gary Riley Philip A. Wilheit Sr.
PRESIDENTIAL LEGACY
By Edie Rogers
Since Brenau University came into existence in 1878 with the mission to educate women, 11 presidents have guided the institution in attainment of that mission and expanded its impact far beyond what the founder W.C. Wilkes could have envisioned.
GEORGIA BAPTIST FEMALE SEMINARY
FOUNDED 1878
They have constructed buildings, added academic programs, widened the campus’s physical footprints, broadened the arts and humanities and crafted the very identity of today’s Brenau. Each president has built upon the foundation of those who came before, adding their own mortar and bricks - both physical and metaphorical - to establish an institution that stands ready for the next 14 decades.
The leadership of Brenau has been supported in these endeavors by the Gainesville community, the growth and development of which has paralleled that of the university.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” As they have for generations, Brenau’s graduates are prepared to do just that.
Rev. William Clay "W.C." Wilkes (1878-1886)
The school that would become known as Brenau opened in 1878 through the efforts of founder Rev. William Clay Wilkes and the financial support of the Gainesville community.
It was one of two schools for women that Wilkes helped start at a time when college studies were not widely offered for women. In 1850, Wilkes was hired as the first president of a female college in Forsyth, Georgia, that became Tift College and later merged with Mercer University, Wilkes’ alma mater.
Wilkes had taught or led schools across the state for three decades before he came to Gainesville, Georgia, in 1875 to serve as pastor of the Baptist Church. Two years later, he expressed interest in founding a school for young women.
“When we appear before an intelligent people and satisfy them that our object is to afford the greatest possible facilities for the education of their daughters, we will touch a chord which will vibrate to the heart of
Historic photos and presidential resources courtesy of Benjamin Barton with the Brenau University Archives.
funds raised with the help of local businesses facilitated construction on the building that today is known as Wilkes Hall. By August 1878, Wilkes published in the Eagle an announcement for fall term that noted a two-story brick building with 13 rooms and space for 200 pupils would be opening in September to educate girls from primary school to college. The school was called Georgia Baptist Female Seminary, though it was not affiliated with or governed by any religious organization.
“The enterprise is a triumph,” Wilkes wrote. “Its friends are numbered by thousands, all over Georgia.”
Wilkes served as president of the institution until his death in 1886, at which time the school closed and was put up for sale.
Dr. Azor W. Van Hoose (1886-1909)
Dr. Azor Warner Van Hoose was only 26, having spent several years as a college professor, when he purchased Georgia Baptist Female Seminary and became its second president. Under his leadership the school attendance increased and it gained a reputation as a conservatory of music.
Like his predecessor, Van Hoose was an alumnus of Mercer; in total, four of Brenau’s 11 presidents have earned degrees
from Mercer and a fifth was a professor there.
Van Hoose reopened the school in September 1886. About two years later, Van Hoose added a second building to the school; Bailey Hall was named for the town physician and close friend Dr. J.W. Bailey.
The school’s original building, Wilkes Hall, began being used as a dormitory in the following years.
While Van Hoose steadily grew enrollment of the school, he sought a partner in the school in the 1890s. He sold half of his shares to Dr. Haywood Jefferson “H.J.” Pearce Sr. in 1893 and the two led the school as co-presidents for 16 years until Van Hoose left to become president of Shorter College in Rome, Georgia.
Dr. Haywood Jefferson "H.J." Pearce Sr. (1893-1943)
From governance to its name and very essence, no other president has left such an indelible mark on Brenau as Pearce. He served as president for 50 years - more than one-third of the school’s history - and presided over the school as it entered the
Brenau College, as it was renamed, was created by using a syllable from "brennen," a German word meaning to burn, and another from "aurum," the Latin word for gold - gold refined by fire.
20th century. Under Pearce’s leadership, Brenau grew in academic offerings, enrollment and prestige.
In 1900, it was determined that a new name was needed for the school. Brenau College, as it was renamed, was created by using a syllable from “brennen,” a German word meaning to burn, and another from “aurum,” the Latin word for gold - gold refined by fire.
Pearce, who had earned degrees from Emory at Oxford, the University of Chicago and the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, also wrote the Brenau Ideal in 1917. More than 100 years after it was written, the Ideal remains the university’s guiding light - especially for students of The Women’s College. From the opening days of their first year at Brenau, students are introduced to the Ideal and it is referenced frequently during university events such as convocation and commencement and is inscribed in various locations around the historic campus.
While he shared the presidency with
Van Hoose, the pair also solicited funds from the Gainesville community to build an auditorium, which was dedicated in 1897. Today it bears Pearce’s name and stands as an iconic landmark of the university. Several other buildings were added during his presidency, many of which are still in use today.
Shortly after Van Hoose’s departure, Pearce reached out to Dr. Thomas Jackson "T.J." Simmons – who had been president of Shorter from 1898 to 1910 – to become a co-owner and co-president of Brenau. After the death of Simmons’ wife, Pearce bought out his interest in the college to become the sole president until his own death in 1943. Lucile Townsend Pearce, his wife, oversaw the school’s operations committee until 1945.
Simmons and Pearce would be the last presidents to also have ownership of the school.
During their tenure, a governing board that would come to be known as the Board of Trustees was established with Simmons and Pearce included as members. This significant change
for Brenau meant ownership of the college transferred to a presiding board that provided oversight and started the university’s endowment - at Pearce’s urging.
Today, the Pearces are remembered through Brenau’s mascot “H.J.'' and the bronze statue of “Lucile,” the Golden Tiger, near Green Street in Gainesville.
In addition to his impact on Brenau, Pearce served as the first president of the Southern Association of Women’s Colleges and authored several books. He also established all-male Riverside Military Academy, now known as Riverside Preparatory Academy, and the former allfemale Brenau Academy boarding school.
Dr. Thomas Jackson "T.J." Simmons (1910-13)
As the fourth president of Brenau, Simmons began building a foundation for teaching and appreciation of the arts that continues as a vital part of Brenau’s mission today.
Simmons, who had a law degree from Wake Forest University, had served as the conservator of music and president at Shorter before joining Pearce at Brenau. He also was inspired by his wife, Celestia “Lessie” Muse Southgate Simmons, who was an internationally accomplished musician and taught music at Brenau. He and his wife also collected art from their various travels around the world.
Though his presidency was brief, Simmons’ impact included building Yonah Hall and the building that later would be named Simmons Visual Arts Center. Upon his wife’s death, Simmons commissioned the Lessie Southgate Simmons Memorial Hall in her honor.
Dr. Josiah Crudup (1945-68)
After Pearce’s death, Brenau’s Board of Trustees hired Dr. Josiah Crudup as the fifth president. He spent more than two decades in the role. He helped expand and beautify the campus by adding a larger dormitory that later was named after him, the Mary Tallulah Jewel Home Economics Building, the Science Building and the Student Union. With degrees from Mercer, Peabody College and the University of Chicago, Crudup focused on creating a unified campus development plan for the 40-acre campus and its 48 buildings that helped the area easily become identified as Brenau College.
Under his leadership, the school acquired more land and relinquished 20 years of debt. In addition to his accomplishments at Brenau, Crudup was an active member of the Gainesville
community. In 1960 he was chairman of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee to the city of Gainesville. Crudup was also a member of the Hall County Chamber of Commerce. He was recognized for his dedication to the Gainesville community with the Rotary Club “Man of the Year” Award.
Dr. William K. Clark (1968-70)
Crudup retired from Brenau in 1967. Dr. William Kenley Clark, who previously had been a vice president at Brenau, was named the university’s sixth president. However, Clark resigned after a nearly twoyear tenure as president due to personal reasons.
Crudup returned to lead the institution as acting president until the Board of Trustees hired Dr. James T. “Jim” Rogers as the university’s seventh president in 1970.
Lessie Southgate Simmons Memorial Hall served as the library until 1986.
Dr. James T. "Jim" Rogers (1970-85)
Rogers presided over some of the most significant social and academic transformations at Brenau - most striking of which was the introduction of co-educational studies.
Rogers, who had a doctorate in physics from Florida State University, was head of Mercer’s physics department and president of the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges before coming to Brenau. He was a respected and influential figure in the field of education. Soon after beginning his presidency, Rogers created the Professional College to offer degrees to adult male students as well as master’s degree programs in professional fields for all students. It marked the move from an all-female school to the beginnings of co-educational education.
Another significant change came in 1978 when Rogers led the merger with the Hall School of Nursing. Soon after, the first bachelor’s degree in nursing was offered; today, nursing is one of the biggest programs at Brenau.
Rogers also built a new natatorium, gym and amphitheater, all of which are still in use today, and celebrated the reopening of the newly renovated Pearce Auditorium in 1984. During his presidency, the Gainesville Theatre Alliance was created through one of the first-ever collaborations in higher education between a private institution, Brenau, and a public institution, then called Gainesville College but now known as University of North Georgia.
Following his tenure as president of Brenau, Rogers served more than two decades as executive director of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The group annually presents the James T. Rogers Distinguished Leadership Award, which is designed to recognize outstanding involvement in and support of the organization.
Trustees hired Dr. John S. Burd in 1985 as the eighth president to succeed Rogers.
Dr. John S. "Jack" Burd (1985-2004)
Burd, a current president emeritus, was instrumental in Brenau achieving university status and expanding the arts. In 2004, thenCongressman Nathan Deal, who would go on to become Georgia’s governor, recognized Burd in a speech before the U.S. House of Representatives.
“Since he first assumed office, his vision of private liberal arts higher education, his dedication, hard work, personal sacrifice, and love of the arts have transformed the college into a nationally
"Thank you, Dr. John S. Burd, for all you have given the citizens of northeast Georgia."
NATHAN DEAL
Former Governor of Georgia
recognized university and enhanced the lives of thousands of children and adults of all ages. This multifaceted institution has flourished academically, by student enrollment, by improved facilities, and economically,” Deal said. “How can one exaggerate the importance of what this man has given to northeast Georgia? … Thank you, Dr. John S. Burd, for all you have given the citizens of northeast Georgia.”
Burd’s initial efforts to contact famed artist Jasper Johns, whose aunts attended Brenau, were unsuccessful - until he connected with Johns’ agent, Leo Castelli. Thus began a friendship that brought hundreds of renowned artists and their work to Brenau. Today, the Permanent Art Collection numbers more than 4,500 pieces from regionally and internationally recognized artists. Brenau features five gallery spaces.
He also established the Weekend College - the state’s firstand the Online College at Brenau. He also built and renovated a number of campus buildings including the library and other academic and residential facilities.
The John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts, a Brenau landmark with its distinctive stained glass facade, was dedicated in 2002 to recognize his contributions to Brenau and the arts. It houses the Hosch Theatre, Leo Castelli Gallery, Disque Lecture Hall and Banks Recital Hall.
When Burd retired in 2004, trustees hired Dr. Edward L. “Ed” Schrader - like Van Hoose and Simmons before him, president of Shorter - as Brenau’s ninth president.
The John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts
Former Gov. Nathan Deal, with Burd (center) and President David L. Barnett, Ph.D.
"I feel that my legacy is the diplomas that were granted during the time I spent here at Brenau, because I know those women and men are living lives they wouldn’t have lived had they not been with us.”
ED SCHRADER President Emeritus
Dr. Edward L. "Ed" Schrader (2005-19)
Schrader, current president emeritus, put the university on an aggressive growth trajectory during his 14-year tenure. Brenau nearly doubled its endowment, increased enrollment and continued to grow the Permanent Art Collection.
He preserved the historic Women’s College while adding job-producing coeducational programs. Under Schrader’s leadership, the university launched its first four doctoral programs: the Doctor of Nursing Practice, the Occupational Therapy Doctorate, the Doctor of Physical Therapy and the Doctor of Education. Under his tenure, the Ivester College of Health Sciences was established and became Brenau’s largest college.
Schrader also led the expansion of Brenau’s footprint from the historic 55-acre campus in Gainesville, including the Brenau East facility located in the Featherbone Communiversity about a mile from the main campus and the Brenau Downtown Center, formerly the Georgia Mountains Center, on the city square. The university also opened a new 70-bed dormitory, four new sorority houses, and the Ernest Ledford Grindle Athletics Park.
Among other accomplishments during his tenure, Schrader expanded Brenau’s athletics by increasing the number of teams and student-athletes. In 2023, Brenau dedicated the Schrader Athletic Center to honor Schrader; additionally, the basketball court inside the center is the Ed L. Schrader Court.
“I feel that my legacy is the diplomas that were granted during the
time I spent here at Brenau, because I know those women and men are living lives they wouldn’t have lived had they not been with us,” Schrader said at the dedication ceremony. “I do believe that Brenau provides a special experience and a special opportunity for our graduates. That really is the reason to be here.”
In addition to his academic roles, Schrader’s career in geology included chief geologist for J. M. Huber Corp., vice president of United Catalysts Inc., president of Diversified Minerals Corp. and CEO of Consolidated Ecosystems Inc.
Upon Schrader’s retirement, trustees hired Dr. Anne A. Skleder as the 10th president of Brenau.
Dr. Anne A. Skleder (2019-23)
Skleder, Brenau University's first female president, prioritized students, establishing a scholarship for first-generation students and expanding academic opportunities. Under her leadership, Brenau expanded Brenau’s Downtown Campus, elevated the Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling and established the Miller Institute for Global Education. She also successfully prepared the university for the decennial review by its accrediting body.
For more about Skleder, read the full story that begins on page 18.
Dr. David L. Barnett (2024-)
Barnett, 11th president of Brenau, previously served as executive vice president and chief financial officer at Brenau, overseeing the university’s day-to-day operations and its strategic financial planning. He also has served in executive leadership roles at six universities in Georgia and Kentucky, including appointments that spanned the spectrum of executive administrative and academic leadership.
For more about Barnett, read the full story that begins on page 24.
ANNE A. SKLEDER, PH.D. Doing the good work of Brenau
By Edie Rogers
“Greetings, Brenau Community!”
Dr. Anne Skleder’s heartfelt words opened videos shared weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then monthly as operations returned to normal.
More than just providing information, she maintained a sense of connection and togetherness even when the university’s students, faculty and staff were kept apart.
The sentiment and energy she infused in those three words became symbolic of her four-year presidency.
Photos by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
Skleder, the university’s 10th and first female president, died Oct. 19, 2023, at age 58 from myelofibrosis.
One of Skleder’s first tasks as president was to launch the university’s next round of strategic planning – and many goals of the resulting plan were achieved during her tenure. Under her leadership, Brenau expanded Brenau’s Downtown Campus, elevated the Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling and established the Miller Institute for Global Education. She also successfully prepared the university for the decennial review by its accrediting body.
Leading during COVID-19
However, even as the work on these accomplishments got underway, one of the defining elements of Skleder’s presidencythe COVID-19 pandemic - began less than six months after she arrived at Brenau.
“She got started in her presidency and fate gave her COVID to deal with,” Mike Smith, chair of the Board of Trustees, said at a Celebration of Life to honor her. “What did Anne do? She used it to create outreach to an entire community. Who in the Brenau community has not gotten a lift from her videos reminding us how much she missed us and to stay safe? She created a way to connect when it was almost impossible.”
A year after the first COVID cases were discovered in Georgia, Skleder was interviewed by Rose Scott on National Public Radio’s Atlanta affiliate WABE to discuss how Brenau had adapted during the pandemic.
“It has been a year like no other,” Skleder said in the interview. “I think what this year did for us at Brenau is showed that we are, in fact, forged in fire and able to continue to be tested by challenges from the external environment. So this isn’t the first challenge, and it won’t be the last. But I’m super proud of how our community is continuing to come through.”
In emails, videos and Zoom calls throughout the pandemic, Skleder always focused on community and dedication to students.
“It’s important for you to know that while many of our day-to-day activities and functions will be different, our warm and caring Brenau community will remain vibrant and our education will remain challenging, engaging and relevant,” she wrote in a June 2020 email to faculty and staff outlining plans for fall. “I am excited about the opportunity to engage in another semester of educating and supporting our students.”
During the pandemic, Jim Eck, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs, described “her decisive, informed and steadfast leadership” in a letter to the Board of Trustees commending Skleder.
“Dr. Skleder did not become our 10th president by chance. Rather she was the right leader at the right time, and we had no idea when she joined the university just how much we would need her,” Eck said at the memorial.
TRIBUTES TO PRESIDENT
SKLEDER
Linda Kern
We have lost a powerhouse for educating the next generation. My thanks to her family for sharing her with us for four years. She will be sadly missed.
Lainie Ewers
She was such an incredible woman who was so inspiring and was always kind to everyone she met. I will miss her dearly and the times that we shared and the conversations that we had. I will miss you dearly President Skleder.
Xavier Bosso
We will always remember that smile and those hugs that gave us strength to move forward.
Gina Zanolini Morrison
Anne’s passing is a great loss to all of us. She worked very hard to overcome obstacles for women and minorities at my institution, and we were very happy for her when she stepped up to Brenau. She’s gone much too soon.
in higher education. It was a pleasure to have gotten to collaborate with her on several initiatives that brought our respective institutions closer together. She was most definitely student-centered. Condolences go out to her family and the entire Brenau family.
It was such an honor to know her during my MBA program at Brenau. May she rest in peace. Sending heartfelt prayers to her family during this time of mourning.
Expanding the Downtown Campus
Even during the pandemic, Skleder ensured the university continued strategically in achieving its mission of educating students. One of the biggest accomplishments was the creation of a Downtown Campus. Ten years after Brenau first began teaching classes downtown in the former Georgia Mountains Center, Brenau Trustee Doug Ivester’s addition of the Gainesville Renaissance building in 2022 was instrumental in creating a campus focused on health sciences.
“The creation of a health science-centric Brenau Downtown Campus has a positive impact for both Brenau and the downtown area,” Smith said when the campus was announced. “The Brenau Downtown Campus is an important step in support of our strategic vision for expanding our efforts and programs.”
The Downtown Campus also illustrates the fusion of science and the arts that makes Brenau unique. The three academic programs housed there – the Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling, Department of Physical Therapy and Department of Physician Assistant Studies – fill regional gaps in health care. The campus also celebrates the arts via spaces often used by the public like the Charles D. Walters Theatre on the Square, the Renaissance Gallery and the Manhattan Gallery.
“Brenau long has echoed many of the themes of the Renaissance period:
intellectual accomplishment; appreciation of artistic expression; and a curriculum of liberal arts, scientific inquiry and global awareness,” Skleder said at a September 2022 event celebrating the Downtown Campus. “It is through these avenues that we challenge students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment. … Feeding the mind, body and spirit through the arts and sciences – that is our history, our mission, and our promise to our students and the community.”
Growing the psychology program
Expanding Brenau’s psychology department was an early goal for Skleder, and the pandemic only exacerbated the local and national gaps in access to quality mental health care. From the department’s elevation to a school in 2020 to welcoming its first doctoral students in 2023, Brenau’s psychology program has grown rapidly through Skleder’s leadership and support from the Ivesters and their foundation.
“Overall, our goal is to continue improving and expanding the services that we offer to community members as well as the experiences that we offer to students. This increases our visibility in the community and our ability to attract the best and most qualified applicants to our programs,” Dr. Julie Battle, Fuller E. Callaway Professorial Chair of the Darby School, said. “This, in turn, contributes to our long-term goal of increasing access to mental health care in our community.”
"Feeding the mind, body and spirit through the arts and sciences – that is our history, our mission, and our promise to our students and the community.”
ANNE A. SKLEDER Brenau University President
The Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation also funded the Darby Scholars program. The scholarship program, in partnership with the Gainesville Police Department, provides field training for future mental health clinicians responding to calls with law enforcement. Brenau soon will launch a certificate program to provide mental health training for law enforcement officers - another program Skleder worked to make happen.
“The Darby Scholars Program is exactly the kind of innovation that can come from the partnership with Brenau, the city and the Ivester Foundation,” Gainesville Mayor Sam Couvillon said when the program was announced. “That innovation is leading the way for mental health solutions and demonstrating the cooperation that our communities need. I could not be more proud of this program.”
Brenau University celebrated the opening of the new home of the Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling in the Gainesville Renaissance
"As we move into the future, Brenau University will continue to meet the changing needs of our community and the world."
ANNE
A. SKLEDER Brenau University President
Establishing the Miller Institute
Skleder’s vision to expand Brenau’s international reach, which is key to various aspects of the strategic plan, is facilitated by the Miller Institute for Global Education. The institute, funded by longtime Brenau Trustee Pete Miller and his wife, Cathy, represents an expansion of the Pete and Cathy Miller Family Endowment focused on study abroad.
“As we move into the future, Brenau will continue to meet the changing needs of our community and the world,” Skleder said in February 2022 when the institute was announced. “Thanks to the generosity of Pete and Cathy Miller, one of the key ways that we will accomplish this strategic goal is through the Miller Institute for Global Education. I’m excited about the possibilities the institute will provide to send Brenau students around the globe and for the university to bring the world to the Gainesville and Hall County area.”
Dozens of students and faculty have studied abroad since the institute’s creation, including Annabeth Vandiver, WC ’22. She said the experience working with children at a rural public school in Panama was life-changing.
“Working with the children in Loma Bonita was incredible and eye-opening,” Vandiver said. “I constantly found myself comparing the school, teaching styles, students and staff to my experiences in the American schools.”
Brenau also has hosted international students from around the world, including more than three dozen through a partnership with Panama’s federal aid agency started in 2021 by Skleder.
Alberto Ortega, a finance major in his junior year at Brenau, in 2021 talked about his excitement upon learning he had been selected for the program’s first cohort.
“When IFARHU’s Director Bernardo Meneses told me that I had been chosen for this scholarship, I was so excited that I couldn’t breathe,” Ortega said. “Nothing that is worthwhile is easy, and I know that this will be the biggest challenge I have ever faced. With determination and faith, I will persevere.”
Brenau University established the Miller Institute for Global Education to guide its internationalization plans that aim to increase students’ global awareness.
‘Continue the good works of Brenau’
“She loved this campus, and the diversity and the uniqueness of the students, faculty and staff. She loved Brenau’s students, and the students loved her back.”
MIKE SMITH
Chair of the Board of Trustees
The accomplishment of several aspects of her strategic vision will be part of Skleder’s legacy, as well as how she guided the university through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her studentfirst philosophy will be remembered as well. Skleder kept Brenau students – who she called “our reason for being” – at the forefront throughout her four-year tenure, which included establishing a scholarship for first-generation students shortly after arriving here.
Debra Dobkins, Ph.D., dean and assistant vice president of The Women’s College at Brenau, talked about Skleder’s legacy during a Celebration of Life event held in November to honor her.
“She leaves an indelible legacy here, not only for breaking gender barriers and for being an outstanding president, but for leading with love and joy, great hope and unshakable faith, and limitless potential of Brenau students,” Dobkins said.
At the memorial, Smith also talked about Skleder’s dedication to Brenau and her tireless work ethic.
“As board chair, I often would ask: ‘Are you getting enough ‘me’ time?’ … Her normal answer was: “I love what I do. I don't really want to not be doing Brenau,’” Smith said. “She loved this campus, and the diversity and the uniqueness of the students, faculty and staff. She loved Brenau’s students, and the students loved her back.”
As a collaborative leader, Skleder shied away from taking accolades for herself, instead crediting the leadership team, faculty, staff, students, alumni and donors who supported Brenau. As she bravely fought cancer, she urged the university community to “continue the good works of Brenau” during her absence. Now, the university prepares to do so under David L. Barnett, Ph.D., named Brenau’s 11th president by the Board of Trustees in February.
As executive vice president and chief financial officer, Barnett served closely with Skleder throughout her tenure and, at her direction, led the institution during her illness.
“The tragic passing of our president came on the heels of the university beginning its recovery from the effects of a global pandemic. Both were unchosen circumstances, yet both accentuated Dr. Skleder's concern for the university and its community,” Barnett said. “Her personal guidance of the university during the pandemic ensured students' progress and faculty engagement continued under some of the most trying circumstances imaginable. By planning for the future of the institution regardless of the uncertain outcome from her illness, she likewise ensured the university was continuing, without suspension, to focus on its mission of challenging students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment.”
Photos by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
DAVID L. BARNETT, PH.D. Focused on community
By Edie Rogers
Brenau University could not have opened in 1878 without the support of the Gainesville community. Without the school, the former Mule Camp Springs may have developed quite differently from its origins as a trading post more than 200 years ago. In many ways, the two have grown and flourished together throughout the past 145 years.
For David L. Barnett, Ph.D., the 11th president of Brenau, the northeast Georgia community and the university remain strong partners in his vision for a prosperous future for both.
CONTINUED
Photos by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
“The importance of community was deeply embedded in me from my earliest years. Community meant spending time together with a group larger than immediate family when working or relaxing,” Barnett says. “These interactions formed me and have anchored my conviction that it is through community engagements across a wide spectrum of groups with varying perspectives that we grow into the best versions of ourselves.”
Community is the foundation of Barnett’s vision for the future of Brenau, ranging from growing degree programs that fulfill the region’s workforce development needs to a campus master plan that prioritizes projects to improve the quality of life for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the region.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity as Brenau’s president to contribute to the university’s legacy of high-quality education and service to our students and the community,” he says. “Through our pioneering programs in healthcare, education, business, and fine arts and humanities, we empower individuals to thrive and help shape the region’s future
by tackling its critical economic and professional development needs.”
Over the next several months, Barnett will complete a series of conversations he started earlier this year with students, faculty, staff, trustees and the community; information will be forthcoming as more events are finalized. Barnett will use the input to bring into sharper focus his vision for moving Brenau forward within the structure of the existing strategic plan.
Barnett’s vision for the future of Brenau also pushes students to become leaders in their own communities.
“Brenau ignites the minds of future innovators and cultivates transformative leaders in northeast Georgia,” Barnett says. “Our commitment to personalized learning and community engagement fuels a vibrant hub of intellectual exploration and social impact, fostering a generation of changemakers who rise to meet the challenges of tomorrow.”
Changing the world may seem like a lofty goal to assign to college students, but Brenau has been challenging its students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment for more than a
century.
“Written more than 100 years ago, the Brenau Ideal espouses being, doing and service for others,” Barnett says. “It proposes a framework for initiating and establishing community. Working in service to others requires continually investing time and energy in doing – active engagement –rather than seeming.”
Preparing for the future
According to the Georgia Department of Labor, healthcare and business dominate the state’s most in-demand career fields – all of which are projected to have hundreds of openings annually through 2030 –requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher. Brenau’s Ivester College of Health Sciences offers degrees through the doctoral level in four listed careers requiring a graduate degree: health specialities teachers; physical therapists; nurse practitioners; and occupational therapists. The college offers a master’s degree in a fifth, physician assistants. The GDOL predicts more than 3,200 job openings each year in those five careers combined.
Brenau also offers degrees that prepare
graduates for careers in more than a dozen other high-demand areas such as accounting, art direction, commercial and industrial design, finance, management, human resources, logistics, marketing, nursing, social and community service managers and writing. Those fields will need a combined 32,270 employees each year throughout the next decade. The highest level of projected growth is in general and operations managers, with 8,060 annual openings, followed closely by registered nurses with 5,470 openings projected each year.
workforce needs while also serving student needs.
“Even before they enter high school, students are encouraged to consider highdemand careers, and we want to help them understand the wide number of degrees Brenau offers in those fields,” Barnett says. “I’ve asked our faculty to think strategically about the degrees they would add to their programs to meet future employment needs, and to remain current on the real-world application of their fields of expertise by practicing their disciplines in and out of the classroom.”
Barnett also understands the unique needs of adult college students, who, according to a study from the Lumina Foundation and the American Institutes for
Brenau’s degree programs in healthcare and business as well as education, humanities and the arts provide a holistic education through the university’s liberal arts model.
“Brenau uses liberal arts to ground intellectual pursuits within a context of wholeness,” Barnett says. “The liberal arts context challenges students to develop the qualities necessary for creative inquiry and enlightened thought, which seeks meaning through artistic expression, truth through scientific inquiry, and understanding from global conversations. This perspective elevates merely the transmission of information from faculty to students by encouraging the additional exploration of attitudes, values and passion.”
He is working alongside Jim Eck, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs to ensure Brenau’s faculty develop courses and degree programs that fulfill
Research, often return to college for career advancement. He came to Brenau in 2005 to serve as director of the North Atlanta Campus, a role that involved overseeing daily operations for a campus primarily serving students older than 21. In his first seven years, he helped expand online programs across all four Brenau colleges. Brenau maintains industry and governmental partnerships across the region to determine workforce needs and collaborates with educators from elementary to post-secondary levels to fulfill those needs. Examples of these partnerships include an internship program with the Gainesville Police Department for firstresponder mental health counselors and credit transfer agreements with technical
“I’m grateful for the opportunity as Brenau’s president to contribute to the university’s legacy of high-quality education and service to our students and the community.”
DAVID L. BARNETT Brenau University President
schools.
Lanier Technical College President Tim McDonald, also a Brenau alumnus, lauded the partnerships after he and Barnett signed an agreement in October related to healthcare administration.
“What we want is the same thing that Brenau University wants: We want better opportunities for the citizens that we serve,” McDonald said.
Building the future
Brenau also has partnered with city leaders and private developers to introduce higher education on Gainesville’s downtown square – to the benefit of all involved in the projects.
“As Gainesville’s premiere institution of higher learning, Brenau worked with the city in the early 2000s to turn a former event venue into a hub for healthcare programs,” Barnett says. “The addition of the Gainesville Renaissance, which houses Brenau’s Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling and its new Doctor of Psychology, kicked off a revitalization of the Gainesville square into a vibrant place to learn, live, shop, dine and enjoy cultural events."
The downtown expansion was a transformative project that was years in the making. In 2023, Barnett began working
on a new Campus Master Plan with CPL Architecture, Engineering and Planning; the plan outlines Brenau’s facilities needs for the next decade.
He started the planning in his former role as Brenau’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, and continued to facilitate the process after he was selected to oversee the university during the late President Anne A. Skleder’s illness.
Brenau’s planning committee met with county and city officials to determine the needs of the local community, and how Brenau can continue to be a force in the ongoing economic development of the community it serves.
The plan is still being finalized and more details will be forthcoming when the plan is unveiled.
One thing is certain, it will include transformative projects for Brenau’s campuses that improve the quality of life for students, faculty, staff and the community.
Leaning into Brenau’s legacy
Infused across the entirety of Barnett’s vision is a focus on the university’s historic foundation as a women’s college. Brenau marks its 145th year of educating women as one of fewer than three dozen schools listed on the Women’s College Coalition website. Like Brenau, many of those institutions
Brenau University Photos
have broad university programs that are co-educational while retaining a single-gender college exclusive to women.
Studies demonstrate that women tend to do better academically in single-gender schools, develop more egalitarian attitudes about the role of women in society, and increase their leadership qualities at higher rates. Not only are women’s college graduates more likely to continue their education, the Women’s College Coalition notes they are almost twice as likely to complete a graduate degree as a public university alumna.
Barnett says these factors make retaining single-gender education as part of a co-educational institution an essential investment.
“The importance of women’s college education and voice in Southern culture cannot be overstated. Creating and maintaining a learning environment where women’s voices inform intellectual and ethical dialogue is essential
for the modern world. Maintaining that opportunity within the context of a larger university is worth the investments necessary to ensure it thrives,” Barnett says. “Equally important is the larger university serving undergraduate and graduate students, providing the opportunity to be participants in the university mission.”
Barnett’s deep belief in Brenau's mission was lauded by Mike Smith, chair of Brenau’s Board of Trustees, when he announced Barnett’s presidency in February.
“The Board of Trustees has full confidence in President Barnett’s ability to lead the university, its mission and its strategic plan. Having served in various roles at Brenau for 18 years, no one knows this institution better – including the best ways to keep us moving forward – than David Barnett,” Board Chair Mike Smith said in an email to the university community.
“As Brenau celebrates its 145th year, we appreciate President Barnett’s dedication to the university and the leadership he provides as we continue our shared vision for the future.”
Being a university president is a goal Barnett says he has aspired to throughout his professional career, but Brenau is the institution that fits best with his personal values and beliefs. There was a time in graduate school when he doubted his plans, but the words of a mentor set a path that Barnett hasn’t wavered from since.
“My personal mental wrestling match resolved with an assurance that a meaningful and fulfilling life with purpose existed in the university setting,” Barnett says. “In a letter penned to close family members soon after finding resolution, I wrote that I became aware I wanted to do something that would make this world a better place. … Being an educator, leading young people to understand the meaning of being created equal and living in community became my ultimate concern in life.”
Barnett earned both a Ph.D. in educational leadership and organizational development and a Specialist in Education from the University of Louisville. He also earned a Master of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts from Mercer University.
He teaches doctoral courses at Brenau and serves as chair for doctoral students’ dissertations. He has presented at numerous national and regional professional conferences. Barnett is on the boards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, Lake Lanier Olympic Park Foundation, Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Georgia Independent Colleges Association and the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education.
Barnett and his wife, Kimberly, have a daughter, son-in-law, son and grandson; his wife and son both are Brenau alumni. He is an active member in a local church and participates in civic activities. He is an avid sports fan, a voracious reader, and enjoys various outdoor activities.
FORWARD PROGRESS
Ivesters support Golden Tigers with naming of athletics department
With support from the Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation, the athletics department at Brenau University in 2023 was named the Ernest Ledford Grindle Athletics Department. It was named after Kay Ivester’s father, Ernest Ledford Grindle.
“We are grateful to the Ivester Foundation for another extraordinary gift,” Board of Trustees Chair Mike Smith said. “Brenau has featured competitive athletics since the early 1900s, and the support of Doug and Kay Ivester ensures this signature component of The Women’s College at Brenau continues for generations and provides a world-class experience for student-athletes and those who visit the facilities.”
Grindle was born and raised in the New Holland community in Gainesville. He attended New Holland School, which was located where Brenau’s athletics park - also named for Grindle - now stands. The 16.75 acre facility houses Pacolet Milliken Field, Brenau’s softball field. The land for
the park was donated by Pacolet Milliken Enterprises Inc. in 2014 and is at the site of the historic New Holland textile mill village. Doug and Kay Ivester, who grew up in New Holland, funded the park’s development.
Grindle served in the U.S. Navy, returned to Hall County after the war and married his childhood sweetheart, Mary Inez Wilson, also of New Holland. After working for Pacolet Manufacturing Co. and General Motors, Grindle founded and operated the Gainesville Vending Co. to provide food services for industrial plants in Georgia and North Carolina.
“My dad always believed that people and organizations either were advancing or going backward. There was no standing still,” Kay Ivester said. “He would be delighted with the continuous forward progress Brenau University demonstrates day in and day out. He would be proud of the expanded use of his name to advance Brenau and Brenau athletics.”
Brenau is a member of the National
Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Brenau supports 11 varsity sports and 14 teams with roughly 150 student-athletes who boast an overall GPA of 3.3.
“Thanks to the generosity of Doug and Kay Ivester, we are able to continue to grow a quality program for our studentathletes that supports the success of the whole individual,” Michael Lochstampfor, vice president of athletics and head soccer coach, said. “Our student-athletes have been successful in the classroom and in competition, and this generous commitment will elevate the level of excellence that is expected from our Golden Tigers.”
The Golden Tigers have distinguished themselves nationally in tennis, swimming, softball, basketball, competitive cheer, golf and other sports. The university has won two national championships in tennis in 1999 and 2002. One or more Golden Tiger teams have made national tournament appearances every year since 2000, except in 2020 when the pandemic canceled competition.
Photo by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
Consulate General Francisco Javier Díaz de León and President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., shake hands after signing the IME Becas renewal.
Brenau, Mexican Consulate renew grant agreement for fifth year GLOBAL INITIATIVE
The Mexican government has renewed a grant agreement for Mexican American students to pursue higher education at Brenau University.
Brenau hosted Consulate General Francisco Javier Díaz de León and Karina Regalo from the Mexican Consulate for a signing ceremony formalizing the
grant agreement in July on the historic Gainesville campus.
The $5,000 grant is funded via the Institute for Mexicans Abroad scholarship program, or IME Becas, with “becas” meaning “scholarship” in Spanish.
Brenau supports this global initiative through the university’s Miller Institute
for Global Education by matching the funds to create the scholarships for this year’s five recipients.
Brenau is one of five colleges and universities in the state to receive IME Becas grants in 2023. It is Brenau’s fifth consecutive year earning the grant.
IVESTER FOUNDATION ESTABLISHES ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
The Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation has established the Mary Louise Roddy Scholarship to benefit Brenau University students.
The scholarship honors the mother of Fred Roddy, CEO of Roddy Properties Inc. Roddy oversaw development of the Gainesville Renaissance, which is owned by Brenau Trustee and former Coca-Cola Co. executive Doug Ivester and houses Brenau’s Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling.
“Fred was involved in every phase of the Gainesville Renaissance, including the acquisition of the land, architectural design, construction and finally leasing the space,” Ivester said. “During construction, Fred was balancing the development with care of his mother, who passed away in July 2023. The Ivester Foundation wanted to recognize Fred’s significant contribution to Brenau, as the Gainesville Renaissance building was integral to the founding of the Darby School.”
Mary Roddy grew up on a farm near Alamo, Georgia. Her father died when she was 13, and she helped her mother farm the land and raise five children.
“Gainesville and Brenau remind me of so many of the things I loved about my mom – the shared qualities of humility, hard work, honesty, and deep love of family,” Roddy said. “It is our family’s great hope that this scholarship finds its way to those students who also share these admirable qualities.”
Photo by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
"Risk management and insurance is the study of how to protect people and organizations from financial losses caused by unexpected events."
MONICA HEIDESCH, PH.D.
DEGREE OF RISK
Brenau offers new degree program in risk management
Brenau’s College of Business & Communication began offering classes this spring in a new undergraduate major in risk management and insurance. Only a handful of other schools in Georgia offer this major, including the University of Georgia, Mercer University and Georgia State University.
Shatrela Washington-Hubbard, Ph.D., Swinton A. Griffith III Dean of the College of Business & Communication, said the new major provides a number of opportunities for students, something she experienced firsthand while getting her undergraduate degree in RMI.
“What is unique about the program at Brenau is that students will have the opportunity to major in RMI while also completing a pathway in finance,
healthcare administration, human resource management, or marketing, which are all fields aligned with RMI,” WashingtonHubbard said.
The creation of this program was funded through a $50,000 course development grant from the Spencer Educational Foundation. The grant also supports students’ professional development by providing resources for them to attend the annual meeting of risk professionals, and the eventual establishment of a Brenau chapter of the collegiate professional fraternity Gamma Iota Sigma.
The grant was issued to Monica Heidesch, Ph.D., an assistant professor of management in the College of Business & Communication, and was made possible by
a contribution from the Risk & Insurance Management Society.
“Risk management and insurance is the study of how to protect people and organizations from financial losses caused by unexpected events,” Heidesch said.
This new major will open up career opportunities for students planning to major in risk management and insurance. The specific job opportunities will vary depending on the individual’s skills, experience, and interests, but could include underwriters, insurance agents and brokers, and loss control consultants.
Courses in the risk management and insurance major include: Principles of RMI, Insurer Operations, Commercial Property and Liability Insurance, and Enterprise Risk Management.
Photo by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Brenau enters enrollment agreements with Riverside Prep, Lanier Tech
Brenau University has entered two separate enrollment agreements with Riverside Preparatory Academy and Lanier Technical College.
The agreement with Riverside Prep will grant admission to five qualified Riverside graduates in each first year class every year for the next five years. The agreement begins in fall 2024.
“There are different ways this agreement could launch multiple relationships between our two institutions, both curricular and cocurricular,” Brenau President David Barnett, Ph.D., said. “Students from Riverside could participate in our fine arts programs as well as our academic programs.”
Barnett and Riverside President
Stanley C. “Staš” Preczewcki, Ph.D., COL (R), inked the agreement at a February ceremony on Brenau’s campus.
“Riverside Prep is pleased to enter into this agreement with Brenau University. The benefits it offers will significantly enhance the range of quality opportunities available to our cadets. We appreciate this partnership with the university and all that it does in our local community and beyond,” Preczewcki said.
Riverside is a private, boarding preparatory school for young men in grades six through 12.
In October, Brenau and Lanier Tech signed an articulation agreement allowing students to seamlessly transfer credits
from Lanier Tech’s Health Information Management Technology degree to earn their bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration from Brenau.
Healthcare workers make up a large portion of the Hall County population, which is the county both Brenau and Lanier Tech call home. The Georgia Department of Labor reports more than 14,000 people worked a healthcare-related job in the first quarter of 2023; in the 10-county Hall area, more than 72,000 people are employed in healthcare.
“What we want is the same thing that Brenau University wants: We want better opportunities for the citizens that we serve,” Lanier Tech President Tim McDonald said. It is the third agreement in two years between the two institutions that facilitates transfer of credits between associate degree programs at Lanier Tech and related bachelor’s degree programs at Brenau. Brenau also has articulation agreements with Gwinnett Technical College and Athens Technical College.
Photo by Kelsey Podo/Brenau University
Brenau and Riverside Prep officials following the enrollment agreement signing. Riverside President Stanley C. “Staš” Preczewcki, Ph.D., COL (R) and President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., stand center.
HIGH ON ART
Permanent collection, solo exhibits, ceramic show highlight 2023-24 galleries season
With a variety of shows in the campus galleries in 2023, Brenau Galleries has kicked off 2024 with two solo exhibitions and more to come.
In February, Galleries Director Gena Brodie Robbins was featured on City Lights with Lois Reitzes on WABE, Atlanta’s National Public Radio station. The show focuses on Atlanta arts and culture and has been on air since 2015.
Robbins discussed Brenau’s permanent collection on the show, which includes works by artists such as Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol and Salvador Dali, as well as the connection between the university and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta and Free Art Fridays.
A partnership between the museum and Brenau began nearly a dozen years ago, and Brenau is the only college or university with an academic affiliation with the museum. Through the partnership, the High has hosted a similar show featuring Brenau student artwork annually since 2013, except during 2021 and 2022. The Brenau partnership with the High began in 2010 and was renewed in mid-2022, with the special exhibition returning for 2023.
Free Art Fridays is a new program Robbins started in which art created by students or donated by local artists is placed around campus and in Downtown Gainesville to encourage passersby to visit the galleries. The art comes with an invitation to tour the galleries during business hours, and to share the found art on social media.
The radio segment also discussed Melissa Huang’s Body Cloud and Paul Paiement’s Nexus 2.0, which went on display in January and remained until mid-March. Huang explores self expression and authenticity through oil paints and video installations.
Paiement creates a perspective of synthetic cultural elements overlapping the natural world with wood, paint and plexiglass.
“These works take a look at humanity and wrestle with emotion,” Robbins said. “I am confident that everyone will find a piece to connect with in this season’s exhibits.”
Fall exhibitions included Seize the Clay, showcasing ceramics educators from across the Southeast; Chris Boyko’s surreal oil paintings in Assembling the Masses; Maggie Evans Parallel Narratives; and highlights from the permanent collection featuring works donated by the Leggett family.
This spring, Jenny Heaton will present Lavish Delights, a solo exhibit featuring multilayered screen prints in Leo Castelli Gallery.
Photo by Kelsey Podo/Brenau University
Swimmers named to Scholar All-America Team
The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America named Brenau University’s swim team to the Scholar All-America Team for the fall 2023 semester. The team’s 3.85 GPA puts it at the top of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics schools on the list.
CSCAA announced the selection of 783 teams from 461 institutions to the team on Feb. 5. These teams, representing 18,716 student-athletes, were chosen based on their
outstanding academic performance during the specified semester, according to the CSCAA website.
To qualify for the recognition, teams had to exhibit exceptional grade point averages during the fall 2023 semester. Of the selected teams, 595 achieved a GPA of 3.30 or above, earning eligibility for the Intercollegiate Coach Association Coalition All-Sport Academic Standings.
Photo by Mandi Bell/Brenau University
CAMPUS NEWS
GTA secures decade-long partnership with Ivester Foundation
The Gainesville Theatre Alliance announced the beginning of a 10-year partnership with the Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation that will bolster GTA’s mission of delivering exceptional theatrical performances to enrich the cultural landscape of Gainesville and Hall County.
GTA, a collaborative ensemble uniting the theater departments of Brenau University and the University of North Georgia, has consistently set the standard for theatrical excellence in the north Georgia region.
“The Foundation directors believe that theater is an important contributor to the well-being of any community. The Foundation is delighted with this new partnership with GTA,” Doug Ivester, Brenau trustee and former CEO of Coca-Cola Co., said. “The goals of the Foundation are long term. The desire of the Foundation is to be a perpetual contributor to Gainesville and Hall County, sponsoring organizations, programs, and people who simply make life in Gainesville special and better.”
Owens Student Center welcomes students to new Tiger’s Den lounge
A new space to make students feel at home in the Louise Hancock Owens Student Center opened in 2023.
The Tiger’s Den is on the terrace level of Owens, down the hall from the campus post office and the commuter lounge. It was designed and renovated specifically for students, with new carpet, paint, light fixtures, and furniture.
The furniture was made possible by donations raised for the 2023 Senior Class Gift. Brenau’s Alumni Board matched that donation.
The space boasts an open floor plan for campus events, a television with video game hookups, a private study room, a kitchenette and a multi-device charging station.
Kim Boyd selected as new dean of Library Services
Kim Boyd, an associate professor, is Brenau University’s new dean of Library Services. She replaces Linda Kern, who retired in June.
As dean, Boyd leads Brenau’s Trustee Library, which includes classrooms and specially designed spaces in addition to extensive holdings of books, art, media, and many rare and historic materials.
In addition to leading the library, Boyd will collaborate with the director of assessment and the Office of Academic Affairs to coordinate Brenau’s general education curriculum. This includes shepherding the modification process
currently underway and also ensuring the success of ongoing implementation and assessment tasks required for regular review and improvement.
Photo by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
Photo by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
Photo by Alyson Boyko/Brenau University
Vice President of Student Development and Engagement Whitney McDowell-Robinson, Ph.D., cuts the ribbon on the Tiger’s Den with President David L. Barnett, Ph.D.
Submitted
Brenau students, faculty explore educational opportunities abroad
The Miller Institute for Global Education at Brenau University supported some 20 students, faculty and staff members this summer as they ventured on educational opportunities abroad in 2023.
Two of the trips were to Panama, including the return to a school that student ambassadors visited last year, and the
other as part of the IFARHU Mobility Arts Exchange Program.
In June, three undergraduate biology students took a science-focused trip to Costa Rica to study biodiversity in the country. It was the first trip of its kind for Brenau students in Costa Rica.
Throughout the year, 17 students have
been sponsored by the Miller Institute for study abroad programs. Some of those students include Laila Glover, a senior dance major who traveled to France through FS International, and Jessa Driscoll, a musical theater senior who visited Italy as part of the Trentino Festival Program.
photos
UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES
Throughout the past year, Brenau’s Office of Alumni Engagement held more than 20 events to bring the Brenau community together for unforgettable experiences. From the enchanting landscapes of Spain to the thrill of the Braves game, from the elegant
holiday party at Chateau Elan to the creativity of a candle-making class, and with regional gatherings in Jacksonville, Florida, and Orlando, Florida, memories were made and cherished. To learn about upcoming events, trips, and training opportunities, visit brenau.edu/alumni.
Submitted photos
Fuel the Flame: Engaging with our alumni
Dear Brenau community, It has been a joy meeting and talking with so many of you over the past year!
Please check out the new brenau.edu/ alumni page, where you can easily find upcoming events and training opportunities, Travel Program information, alumni awards, benefits and deals like our Brenau Alumni discount card, and opportunities to volunteer.
We accept nominations for alumni awards year-round, so please nominate yourself or a fellow alum for an award today. Additionally, we've developed an alumni interest form where you can express your desire to become more involved through roles such as Alumni Association Board member, Class Agent, mentor, speaker and more. We aim to connect you with Brenau in the capacities that align with your interests.
We are making plans for upcoming regional visits, so please update your contact information to find out when we will be in your town. You may have received a text message or two from our office about events in your area or open to all alumni. We hope this helps keep Brenau at your fingertips.
I continue to be beyond grateful for the opportunity to serve the alumni community. Please reach out if you need anything!
Emily K. Reid, MBA Director of Alumni
Engagement ereid@brenau.edu | 770.534.6164
Update your contact information, submit a class note or request a discount card using this QR code or at brenau.edu/alum/stay-in-touch.
In honor of the 145th Anniversary of Brenau, we invite you to join the 1878 Club. Show your continued support of Brenau with a donation of $18.78 or more to the college, department, organization or initiative of your choice.
• Mail a check to: Brenau University University Advancement 500 Washington St. SE Gainesville, GA 30501 • Online: brenau.edu/give1878
• Call: 770.534.6163 brenau.edu/give1878 Join the @brenaualumni
goldentigersconnect.com
Donors will receive the exclusive 1878 Club decal and certificate to denote their support and will be recognized at Alumni Reunion Weekend 2024. Questions? Reach out any time at giving@brenau.edu.
Your 1878 Club donation can also start you on your journey through the FIRE Consistent Giving program. You will receive an email invitation to join FIRE after your first donation. For more information, visit brenau.edu/FIRE.
CLASS NOTES
1 Devony (Hemingway) Hines, WC ’15, BU ’17, and her husband, Matthew, welcomed their beautiful baby girl, Harper, on Oct. 19 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
2 Pamela (Tillman) Harris, WC ’83, and Sims Harris, BU ’82, live on Jekyll Island. Pamela Harris retired as a county nurse at Gwinnett County Public Schools in 2021. They have three granddaughters, Afton, Molly and Marlo. The Harrises will celebrate 40 years of marriage this August with a trip to Hawaii with family and friends.
3 Sommer Stockton, WC ’19 and BU ’20, graduated in December 2022 with her Master of Archival Studies from Clayton State University. She purchased her first home in January 2023.
4 Amanda (Kelley) White, WC ’05, married Jason White on June 30, 2023.
5 Paula Hunter, WC ’65, sold everything and moved to the south of France with her dog.
6 Savannah Botts, WC ’15, and Oliver Botts welcomed their second daughter, Autumn Marie, on Oct. 13, 2023.
7 Alyson (Shields) Boyko, WC ’13, married Chris Boyko on Sept. 30, 2023.
8 Candace (Cain) Williams, WC ’97, announces her new office space in Downtown Gainesville at 200 W. Academy St. NW. A Gainesville, Georgia, native, Williams has been practicing family law for 25 years. Some of her accolades include being named a Super Lawyer by SuperLawyers. com each year from 2019-24, and awarded Best of Georgia for Family Lawyers in 2023.
9 Ken Blair, BU ’16, was selected as one of Georgia Trend Magazine’s 2023 40 under 40.
10 Brittany (Martin) Church, WC ’04, married Jason Church in downtown Atlanta on Nov. 19, 2021. Allyson Reynolds, WC ’04, served as one of her maids of honor.
11 Marion Gay Robinson, WC ’65, is retired from the Department of Interior National Parks Service (1986-92), elementary and middle grades teacher (1966-84) and volunteer for the National Parks Service at the Cumberland Island National Seashore (2016-17).
MEMORIALS
Mary Moorman Ryan Caldwell, A ’44, WC ’46, of Nashville, Tennessee, died June 8, 2023
Barbara Dukes Grant, WC ’44, of Charleston, South Carolina, died Sept. 5, 2023
Barbara Boyd Sauer, WC ’46, of Richmond, Virginia, died Aug. 27, 2023
Jeannette Belcher Law, WC ’55, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Feb. 16, 2023
Elizabeth “Jane” Ewing, WC ’58, of Gainesville, Georgia, died May 16, 2023
Martha Winn Leonard, WC ’59, of Atlanta, died Dec. 28, 2023
Rachel McEver Farmer, WC ’60, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Nov. 7, 2023
Sally Roberts Little, WC ’60, of Savannah, Georgia, died Oct. 19, 2023
Ellen Nauman Hayden, attended ’62, of Atlanta, died Oct. 17, 2023
Barbara Boone Holderfield, WC ’65, of Willmington, North Carolina, died Aug. 18, 2023
Connie Baldwin Barnett, WC ’67, of Homewood, Alabama, died Jan. 6, 2024
Patricia Vaughan “Patsy” Carpenter, WC ’69, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Feb. 2, 2023
Janice Follachio Bloom, WC ’70, and former trustee, of Atlanta, died April 13, 2023
Mary Scott Price, WC ’72, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, died Nov. 17, 2023
Rebecca “Becky” Tumlin, A ’72, of Rainbow City, Alabama, died May 12, 2023
Stephanie “Stevie” Eure Doss, WC ’78, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Oct. 28, 2023
Maj. Harry Chapman, BU ’82, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Jan. 2, 2024
Elizabeth Law Hein, WC ’91, of Gainesville, Georgia, died July 17, 2023
Una Winters Fortson, WC ’95, of Fayetteville, Georgia, died Sept. 3, 2023
Jennifer Anglin, WC ’99, of Dawsonville, Georgia, died May 26, 2023
Bonnie Meads Bishop, BU ’01, of Atlanta, died Dec. 1, 2023
Stephanie Criblez, BU ’03, of Columbia, Missouri, died Oct. 31, 2023
Carolyn Deering, BU ’03, of Marietta, Georgia, died May 22, 2023
Dana Pask, BU ’08, of Bedford, Texas, died May 23, 2023
Mandy Marie Ulseth, WC ’09, of Suwanee, Georgia, died Jan. 8, 2024
Byronica Banks, WC ’15, of Louisville, Mississippi, died Feb. 17, 2023
Breanna Gibboney, BU ’16, of Flowery Branch, Georgia, died May 21, 2023
Ashley Boyd, BU ’19, of Atlanta, died June 10, 2023
John Andrew Carter, former faculty, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Feb. 22, 2023
Anne A. Skleder, president, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Oct. 19, 2023
Janis Miller Wilson, former faculty, of Gainesville, Georgia, died April 11, 2023
THE BIG DAY
Brenau University awarded more than 350 degrees to conclude the 2023 spring semester
Photo by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
www.brenau.edu
GOLDEN DECADES GIVING CHALLENGE
READY FOR SOME FRIENDLY COMPETITION FOR ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND?
Show your school spirit and prove that your decade is the best ever by participating in the Golden Decades Giving Challenge!
Make a gift to Brenau before Friday, April 12, 2024, to contribute to your decade's goal.
Every contribution, regardless of size, makes a meaningful impact on our students' lives.
Trophy recognition at Walters House will be awarded to:
• The decade with the most participation.
• The decade with the most raised.
WAYS TO GIVE:
• Mail a check to: Brenau
• Call: 770.534.6163
• Online: brenau.edu/goldendecades
All of your contributions count toward the FIRE Program. Learn more at brenau.edu/FIRE.