BUILDING A THRIVING FUTURE
DR. DOBKINS RETIREMENT
Presidential Investiture
David L. Barnett, Ph.D.
Brenau University celebrated the investiture of President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, on Brenau’s historic campus in Gainesville, Georgia. Brenau’s Board of Trustees named Barnett as the university’s eleventh president in February.
An investiture is a ceremony in which the president of a college or university is conferred with the articles and symbols of office of the institution. Involving traditions and symbols that date back to the Middle Ages, an investiture is typically held within the new president’s first year of office. The event is an opportunity to celebrate the history of the university and its future.
"I am confident that A Thriving Future is attainable for Brenau, for our students, for our faculty and staff, and for our community because I believe in the good work we are capable of achieving. I believe with every fiber of my being that if we collectively dare to dream big, with a focus on meeting our communities’ needs through the investment of our time, talents, and treasures, A Thriving Future is on our horizon."
DAVID
L. BARNETT, PH.D. Brenau President
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
It hardly seems possible that I have already concluded my first year as president of Brenau.
The year has gone by quickly.
The highlight of these 12 months has been seeing so many of you at Alumni Reunion Weekend, the Investiture Ceremony, speaking engagements, and various presidential gatherings and alumni events. I have cherished hearing stories of your connections to Brenau as well as the thoughts, hopes, fears and ideas about Brenau from across the broad spectrum of our community. I hope to see more of you in the coming year at alumni, cultural and community events on our campuses and elsewhere.
The year has been filled with the hard work and activity of settling into a new position with new responsibilities. It has been a time of change for me, our Brenau community and the world. Change may help us grow, or change may challenge us - sometimes both. During times of change, it is essential to adhere to our touchstones; in Brenau’s case, these are our mission, vision and the Brenau Ideal.
In 1917, then-President Haywood J. Pearce Sr. published the slim tome “Philosophical Meditations: Talks to College Girls,” which ruminates upon each line of the poem he had written - the Brenau Ideal.
I often recenter myself by re-reading Pearce’s deep philosophical and psychological exploration of the human condition and how it can be improved through the values we hold dear at Brenau: being, doing, serving, loving, thinking, seeking the truth and realizing our limitless potential. I’m reminded that these are much more than words recited by rote; they are values that we live every day - values that I held before coming to Brenau and ones that now guide my every action and decision as president of this university. Pearce penned these values from a view I share, that education builds upon the timeless value of doing for others as you would have them do for you.
Over the years, the Brenau Ideal also has informed the university’s guiding documents, which was reaffirmed by Brenau’s Board of Trustees at their November meeting. As a community dedicated to knowledge, Brenau’s core function is fostering research, teaching and learning that leads to meaningful work. Our central mission of challenging
students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment underpins everything we do. We have a responsibility to defend this core function and communicate the value of our central activities.
Throughout the past year, I have often spoken about two questions of utmost importance to the future of Brenau: “What are we good at?” and “What are we good for?” It is by finding an equilibrium between these questions that Brenau can move toward A Thriving Future. More broadly, as expressed in our vision statement, we want our students’ extraordinary lives to meet the changing needs of our community.
Allison Brack of Senoia, Georgia, exemplifies this vision. A recipient of the Linda Stephens Scholarship that supports students in occupational therapy programs who are committed to serving the profession, Brack is in her second year of Brenau’s entry-level doctoral program. Amanda M. Buono, OTD, calls her student a “true servant leader” who has a passion for OT and a strong desire to help her community. Brack volunteers for Shriners Hospitals and the Special Olympics and organizes numerous initiatives that benefit community organizations.
As I stated in my investiture address, A Thriving Future is a call to action. It is the outcome desired by those striving for fulfilling working and learning communities and ensuring a sustainable Brenau. However, it is an outcome that can only be achieved if we all commit to actively engaging with our time, talent and treasure in the practices that move us from being known for being good at things to modeling being good for things.
From the conversations I have had with many of you and others across our community, we share some common beliefs that propel us toward that end, and I look forward to another year of working together to achieve Brenau’s thriving future by being good for our communities.
David L. Barnett, Ph.D. President
Presidential Gatherings
Presidential meet-ups including food, fun and fellowship were held in Orlando, Florida, Denver, Colorado, San Antonio, Texas, and on the Georgia Coast.
Brenau master plan
IN THIS ISSUE
8 MASTER PLAN
The blueprint for the next decade-plus of development on Brenau's campuses.
12 DR. DEBRA DOBKINS
Reflecting on 27 years in The Women's College.
16 LEITALIFT
One woman's legacy still supporting future female leaders.
20 MICHELLE GRAY HAYWOOD
Inspiring others to persevere through life's challenges.
30 ALUMNI UPDATE
Alumni events, class notes, and how to get involved and engaged with your fellow Golden Tigers.
36
SKLEDER HALL
Brenau held a dedication ceremony for a residence hall renamed in honor of former President Anne Skleder, who passed away in 2023.
Brenau University’s Mission: Brenau University challenges students to live extraordinary lives of personal and professional fulfillment. As students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees or non-degree programs at Brenau campuses and online, each prepares for a lifetime of intellectual accomplishment and appreciation of artistic expression through a curriculum enriched by the liberal arts, scientific inquiry and global awareness.
Matt Thomas Vice President of University Advancement
Emily K. Reid, MBA Director of Alumni Engagement
28 26 27 33
SPRING 2025 | 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.
Edie Rogers Director of Communications
Joe Chaffee
Graphic Designer
Alyson Boyko, WC ’13
Writer/Editor
Jayla Johnson, Class of 2025 Intern
AJ Reynolds, BU ’20
Kelsey Podo
Sidney Chansamone
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.
Amelia “Mimi” Collins
TRUSTEES EMERITI 22
Pierpont “Pepper” F. Brown III, MD
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
Rebecca Greer Nix, WC ’86
Frank K. Norton Jr.
Hart Wilheit Payne
Michelle R. Prater, BU ’02
Gail A. Smith, WC ’83
Michael D. Stubblefield, MD
Melissa Wendt Tymchuk, BU ’21
Mary Kathryn Wells-Winsett, WC ’00
Amy Whitley
Rear Admiral Patricia E. Wolfe, BU ‘87, retired
C.V. Nalley III
Betty Verson Norton Gary Riley
Philip A. Wilheit Sr.
BUILDING A THRIVING FUTURE
Brenau begins planning for the next decade-plus of construction, renovation
Written by EDIE ROGERS
In November, Brenau University’s Board of Trustees affirmed plans for a series of projects that will change its campuses over the next decade or more. From constructing new spaces to renovating historic buildings that date back to the university’s earliest days, the plan covers a broad array of areas dedicated to academics, student life, athletics, performance and events.
A
segment of the proposal for East Campus
Discussions on the university’s Campus Master Plan started in July 2023, overseen by David L. Barnett, Ph.D., even before he became Brenau’s 11th president. Throughout the past year, the Board of Trustees’ Facilities Committee and consultants have honed the plans based on feasibility studies and the priority identified by the university — students.
“Brenau’s Campus Master Plan is an integral part of my goal to create a thriving future for the university, our students and the communities we serve,” Barnett says. “The projects included in the plan will ensure Brenau can continue to provide excellent, high-quality programs that produce highly qualified, purposefully driven graduates who enhance the northeast Georgia region.”
The student-focused Campus Master Plan is closely tied to the six goals of the Brenau University Strategic Plan: Approaching 2030, but especially three: student success, a thriving future,
and inspirational learning and living environments.
A new facility and greenspace on Brenau’s historic campus form the centerpiece of the plan and are likely the first projects that would be considered, pending funding. An 8,000-square-foot “learning commons” expansion at the front of the Trustee Library would house student support services, connected by a greenspace or “quad,” to a 12,000-square-foot building as a centralized location for dining and student services.
New spaces for students
The plan consolidates student-serving areas into the center of the historic campus to make them easily accessible and provides room to expand proven methods of support that translate into student success.
“Our students are central to our university's mission. This new student center, with its enhanced dining, services, green spaces, and library expansion, will become the vibrant heart of our historic campus,” Whitney McDowellRobinson, Ph.D., vice president of student development and engagement, says. “This new concept will be dedicated to their development and well-being and will foster community, collaboration, and flexibility, enriching the student experience."
Renovating East Campus
Another significant project in the Campus Master Plan includes the renovation of East Campus, located about
a mile from the historic campus at the Featherbone Communiversity complex. The site is a former clothing manufacturing business and currently houses the Mary Inez Grindle School of Nursing and the School of Occupational Therapy. The proposal in the Campus Master Plan calls for renovating the space to allow for a 20% expansion of the nursing program, including a state-of-the-art simulation lab, and expanded space for other programs.
Brenau’s nursing program needs to expand to keep up with the region’s demand for more healthcare professionals.
“East Campus fosters a dynamic, interdisciplinary learning community, where graduate and undergraduate students in nursing, occupational therapy and dance collaborate to enhance outcomes,” Jim Eck, Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs, says. “These renovations will drive program growth, reinforce academic excellence, and advance our strategic vision for inspirational learning environments.”
Expanded space for athletics
A proposal for renovations at the Schrader Athletic Center also would benefit both Brenau students and the community members that use the center’s workout and pool facilities. Additional locker rooms and practice spaces would be reserved for student-athletes, but expanded weight rooms and training spaces would be used by students and the community. The renovations also would move all coaches’ offices into the center.
“To take our athletics and fitness programs to the next level, this expansion will provide vital training spaces for student-athletes and recreational spaces for the student body," Mike Lochstampfor, vice president of athletics and head soccer coach, says. "It's essential for attracting talent, developing athletes, and enhancing the overall student experience.”
Due to its complexity and expense, one of the final major projects on the proposed timeline for the Campus Master Plan is the modernization of the Science Building. The building was constructed in 1962 on the historic campus and houses the laboratories, classrooms, and offices of the biology, chemistry, mathematics, environmental science, and physical science faculty. According to an architect’s assessment of the building, the structure
is in good condition, but the labs and lecture spaces require significant physical and technological updates; major building systems need to be replaced as well.
Updating public venues
While the plan is focused on facilities for Brenau students, many of the planned projects entail public and performance spaces that also will benefit the community. For instance, smaller projects include renovations to Pearce Auditorium and the John S. Burd Center for the Performing Arts. Both are heavily used venues that host multiple cultural events and guest speakers each year that are open to the public.
“The Brenau learning experience is infused with the tenets of its mission of offering a ‘curriculum enriched by the liberal arts’ to add that additional value to our experiences,” Barnett says. “Our university is proud to welcome thousands of members of the community to attend a variety of cultural events and performances each year, and most of these events are held in Pearce or Burd. Renovations are needed so we can continue to provide these highquality experiences for our students and the community in two of the best venues in town.”
The 700-plus-seat Pearce Auditorium, located in the Pearce-Bailey Complex on the historic campus, dates back to 1890 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The auditorium was last renovated in the 1980s. The Burd Center, dedicated in 2002 to honor former Brenau President John S. Burd, houses the 340-seat Hosch Theatre, Banks Recital Hall, the Leo Castelli Art Gallery, and various lecture halls, rehearsal spaces and creative labs used by students. Both Pearce and Burd need cosmetic upgrades such as paint, carpeting and seating.
Similarly, the Downtown Center, originally built in 1980 by the City of Gainesville, also needs new paint and carpeting throughout the facility that houses graduate degree programs in physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and other health sciences. The building also features spaces used by the public, including the Manhattan Gallery and the 300-seat Charles D. Walters Theatre on the Square.
“As Brenau works with consultants and architects to create more detailed project plans for the next decade, we also are mindful of other ways we can satisfy the facility needs of our students and community,” Barnett says. “For instance, two previous entrepreneurial projects have been game-changers for Brenau and Gainesville’s downtown: the Gainesville Renaissance and the former Georgia Mountains Center. We always are open to opportunities that serve the best interests of the university, our students, and the communities where we live and work.”
“Brenau’s Campus Master Plan is an integral part of my goal to create a thriving future for the university, our students and the communities we serve.”
DAVID L. BARNETT, PH.D. Brenau University President
ONE FOR THE BOOKS
Debra Dobkins leaves a legacy of learning
By Alyson Boyko, WC ’13, Jayla Johnson, Class of 2025
In her office in Virginia Hall, Debra Dobkins, Ph.D., is surrounded by pink walls - her signature color - and built-in bookshelves stacked with various books. Each one has a purpose in her classes throughout the past 27 years, complete with her own notes and annotations.
CONTINUED
“As a scholar and writer, as a woman, as a leader, and as a mentor, she showed me how to wrestle with hard and complex ideas, to remain committed to what you believe in such as the rights and value of all women, and to live with a gigantic heart and an infectious joy of learning.”
CHANDRA OWENBY HOPKINS, PH.D., WC ’05, Dean of Converse College for Women
“Of all the lessons she taught me, the greatest has been to not seek out truth to judge, but rather, to understand.”
AMBER MARKMAN SIMMONS, PH.D., WC ’03
“People like Dr. Dobkins are rare; they are diamonds in disguise, full of warmth and wisdom. Meeting someone like her is like discovering a guiding light that illuminates paths you never knew existed.”
ANTONINA GRIB LERCH, WC ’03, Trustee
“The very best part of my 27-year experience here has been reading and talking about fascinating poems, plays, novels, any kind of literature, with smart students,” Dobkins says. “Those classroom moments have been the best.”
Dobkins most recently has served as Assistant Vice President and Dean of The Women’s College, but as a professor of English, Dobkins says she is drawn to literature because it asks the big questions.
“The point is how we enrich ourselves as human beings, grappling with the understanding of other humans and our place in the community.”
Dobkins undoubtedly found her place in the Brenau community, where she has taught since 1998. She was named Dean of The Women’s College in 2012, and Assistant Vice President and Dean of The Women’s College in 2022.
But first, she opened the Writing Center.
“I contacted Jim Southerland, who was the head of the Humanities Department for more than 40 years and asked for an informational interview,” Dobkins says. “It kind of makes me laugh now. I was specifically interested in the women’s college up the road, and while they had no jobs posted, he agreed to see me. I told him about my background, and he said, ‘You know what? We really need to start a writing center.’”
The serendipitous nature of the story glosses over the grit and determination Dobkins had to get where she is today.
She enrolled as a non-traditional half-time student at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. She had an associate’s degree and extensive experience in public library leadership, but she wanted to do something different with her career.
Dobkins worked her way through her bachelor’s degree, graduating first in her class, and was a Woodruff Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Then, she was offered an opportunity to get her Master of Arts in Teaching.
Armed with her degrees and background in library administration, she opened and sustained Brenau’s Writing Center while teaching. From there, she helped reestablish academic and writing standards for all Brenau students. She founded a study abroad program in 2001, taking students to prestigious Cambridge University in England.
“Our students got to live there for a month, taught by Cambridge professors and lived in historic colleges,” Dobkins says. “For many of them, it was their first time traveling internationally, or at all. I think it opened their horizons in ways they couldn’t have imagined.”
The Women’s Leadership Colloquium and GOLD Program are also ideas of Dobkins that came to fruition. The GOLD Program was established in 2019 and is a four-year curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular program for Women’s College students. Students take specific courses related to the year's theme, learn
from accomplished speakers, participate in service efforts like GOLDen Grams, and volunteer in the community. The GOLD Speaker Series has welcomed several prominent names, including most recently Michelle Gray Haywood (see pg. 20) and author Tracey Enerson Wood.
Dobkins started the Women’s Leadership Colloquium in 2014. The annual event features three empowering female speakers who share their stories, experiences and advice as women in leadership roles with students and community members. It is supported by sponsorships from Onward Reserve, the Grace-Gaskins Women’s Studies Endowment Fund, and the Alumni Association.
“Debra and I have worked together for the good of The Women’s College throughout our shared tenure at Brenau, and I have personally appreciated her tireless efforts to serve the university and our students,” President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., said. “I am grateful for her service to Brenau and the legacy that she leaves in our Women’s College. It is meaningful and fitting to have her featured at this year’s colloquium.”
Dobkins spoke after keynote speaker Nicole Love Hendrickson, chair of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, and Alumni Association endowed speaker Nairika Cornett, executive director of the Quinlan Visual Arts Center and Brenau alumna.
“Usually, I’m just the planner and host. I say a few words and then keep everything going,” Dobkins says. “But this year was my last one. So I felt that it seemed appropriate to share some lessons learned with our audience.”
Each colloquium also includes a tea
party reception, allowing students to talk to the speakers, network with the community and bond with each other.
“I am proud that if I helped any student along the way to think about themselves and their potential differently, as more, then I feel really good about that,” Dobkins says. “We all fall into that ‘I can’t do this, I don’t know how, this is too hard for me,’ but you can.”
Dobkins also was the keynote speaker at the annual Brenau Innovation, Inquiry and Creativity Symposium, was celebrated with a special toast at Alumni Reunion Weekend, and will offer words at commencement.
In 2008, Professor Dobkins became Dr. Dobkins, earning her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
“It didn’t matter to me at that point that I was probably the oldest person in the classroom because I knew what I was there for,” Dobkins says. “I loved that I had a grant and was nominated for a Graduate Writing prize and a qualitative research prize. But you have to love it. For me, it was worth it, even the semesters I spent nearly 20 hours a week commuting, because I cared passionately about my subject.”
Dobkins leaves a lasting legacy on The Women’s College, but this is only a temporary parting, as she has been named a Professor Emerita.
When her office is packed up, her book collection is distributed, and regalia is tucked away, Dobkins says she will spend her time with family, gardening, and traveling.
“And, though I don’t really think I’m capable of this, I’m hoping to read without a pen in my hand,” Dobkins says. “I’m not sure about that goal. I tried the other day and had to go fetch a pen.”
“Dr. Dobkins put me in spaces I never imagined I’d be in, introduced me to people who helped shape my path and gave me opportunities that changed my trajectory. She saw potential in me before I fully saw it in myself. She poured so much into Brenau, especially The Women’s College, and her impact will never fade.”
INDIA WILLIAMS, CLASS OF 2025
“Dr. Dobkins has invested like no one else... and gold refined by fire has been the outcome for all of us that she has graced with her kindness, knowledge and care. She epitomizes the mission of Brenau and has made the world a better place through her leadership.”
EMMIE HENDERSON HOWARD, WC ’01, Trustee
“She has a way of making every student feel seen, heard, and valued, no matter how busy she is. Dean Dobkins is the embodiment of what it means to lead with kindness, wisdom, and a deep love for Brenau and its community.”
MERCEDES MORGAN, CLASS OF 2026
LEITALIFT FOUNDATION AND THE WOMEN’S COLLEGE AT BRENAU
Building up successful women
By Edie Rogers
The Leitalift Foundation and The Women’s College at Brenau University have much in common. Each has a history stretching back more than 140 years.
Both entities exist to provide women a foundation for success in both their personal and professional lives.
The Leitalift Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in metro Atlanta, was established in 1956 by Leita Thompson. Because of her struggles as a single working woman, Thompson created the foundation to help other working women “lead a fuller life.” She remained its president until her death in 1978 at age 84.
Since then, the foundation has sought to continue Thompson’s dream by offering financial assistance to women who are striving to achieve professional goals and
got the right to vote at age 26; she remained dedicated to equal rights for women her entire life. She taught for a couple of years after earning her degree, but she spent 40 years in banking and became one of the first women in an executive banking position.
In 1946, Thompson purchased more than 100 acres of land on Woodstock Road in Roswell, Georgia, where she built a home and lived until her death. Thompson had promised the land to the city of Roswell to be used for recreational space upon
contribute to their communities, including scholarships, grants and endowments to a number of colleges and universities.
“The Leitalift Foundation is pleased to support deserving Brenau students,” Foundation President Kimberly Gauger says. “It is an honor to continue the mission of Leita Thompson in a meaningful way by helping women reach their fullest potential.”
Leita Thompson was born in 1894, only a year after Dr. Haywood Jefferson “H.J.” Pearce Sr., one of Brenau’s most influential presidents, began his 50-year tenure leading the school that had been established in Gainesville, Georgia, in 1878.
As a college student, Thompson joined the women’s suffrage movement and finally
her death, and the foundation deeded her 107-acre estate, a gift worth $20 million, to the city of Roswell to establish the Leita Thompson Memorial Park.
In 2001, the foundation shifted its focus to providing scholarships and grants to deserving young women via a number of programs and institutions, Gauger says.
“We have also provided grants to local charities that assist women coming out of the prison system and homeless mothers to restore and rehabilitate their lives,” she says.
“In summary, we have provided scholarships and grants to 425 students and interns since 2001. We are proud of that record and like to call Leitalift the “‘small Foundation with a big heart.’”
“The Leitalift Foundation is pleased to support deserving Brenau students. It is an honor to continue the mission of Leita Thompson in a meaningful way by helping women reach their fullest potential.”
KIMBERLY GAUGER
President
In 2024, the foundation established an endowed scholarship at Brenau for undergraduate students in The Women’s College and has provided scholarships and other support over time.
“On behalf of the university, I appreciate this extraordinary gift from the Leitalift Foundation to create a scholarship that will provide ongoing financial assistance for undergraduate women at Brenau,” Brenau President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., says.
“The foundation’s mission to support women striving to achieve professional goals and contribute to their communities aligns well with our university mission to challenge students to lead extraordinary lives of professional and personal fulfillment.”
The initial $250,000 gift is being invested, and once the fund is fully endowed, scholarships will be awarded to qualified students who demonstrate financial need, are in good academic standing, and are from Georgia.
New scholarships endowed at Brenau
A number of endowed scholarships were created at Brenau University during the past year. Establishing an endowed scholarship at Brenau requires a gift of at least $50,000 to the university to support its students. The initial gifts are invested by Brenau, and once the fund is fully endowed and the investment return provides enough funding, scholarships are awarded annually to students according to criteria established by the donor and the university.
• Brenau’s Board of Trustees authorized changing the name of a scholarship created in 2019 by President Anne Skleder, who passed away in October 2023, to the Anne A. Skleder First Generation Endowed Scholarship Fund, establishing it as a perpetual fund to receive gifts in memory of Brenau’s 10th president. The Board also honored Skleder by renaming a residence hall on the historic campus (see back cover), and commissioned a portrait that is installed in the building’s second-floor lounge.
• The Melvin Douglas and Victoria Kay Ivester Foundation, Inc. donated funds totalling nearly $250,000 to four endowed scholarship funds during the past year, including $100,000 to establish The David L. Barnett Scholarship. The scholarship honors Barnett, who became Brenau’s 11th president in February 2024, and his 19-plus years of service at the university. The Ivester Foundation established two additional scholarships, the Mary Louise Roddy Scholarship and the Virginia Dale Rochester Scholarship, to honor the mothers of long-time friends and colleagues of the Ivesters. The Foundation also contributed $40,000 to the new Skleder Scholarship Fund.
• An endowed scholarship was established for students pursuing the arts thanks to longtime supporter, former trustee and Women’s College alumna Dotty Eleazar Alexander, WC ’60. The Alexander Family Scholarship will provide funding to Women’s College students studying the arts. Alexander’s creation of the fund was supported by her daughters, both Women’s College alumnae: Anna Alexander Jacobs, WC ’86, a current Brenau trustee, and Christine Fitzgerald, WC ’84. A first-generation college student, Alexander came to Brenau from her hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, at the age of 14 on a spur of the moment trip with a high school friend and fell in love with The Women’s College. Three years later, she returned to Brenau as a freshman with a small music scholarship.
From left: Christine Fitzgerald, Dotty Alexander, and Anna Jacobs.
Golden Trailblazer
Michelle Gray Haywood recognized at GOLD Speaker Series
Michelle Gray Haywood, WC ’75, was honored with the Golden Trailblazer award following her speech in September at the annual GOLD Speaker Series, hosted by The Women’s College at Brenau University. The program brings an empowering speaker to campus to highlight an element of that year’s theme. The theme for 2024-25 was the “O” year, focusing on ownership of personal responsibility and civic engagement.
Gray Haywood is the last living member of the “First Four” - the first four Black
students to enroll at The Women’s College. She, alongside her roommate Lois Green Harris, WC ’75, and suitemates Belinda Harrison Sims, WC ’75, and Natalie Roberts, broke Brenau’s color barrier as freshmen in 1972. The four stayed in touch throughout their lives.
“We were then just suitemates in Yonah Hall, but I stand here to tell you just as you will see - if you haven’t already - you’re forming and making relationships with the people who will help you when need to rise to the surface for air, and assist in navigating the depths of life’s many
mysteries,” Gray Haywood said. “They became my sisters.”
Assistant Vice President and Dean of The Women’s College Debra Dobkins, Ph.D., presented Gray Haywood with the Golden Trailblazer award at the end of her speech. The award recognizes an alumni speaker who has transcended barriers in their career.
Learning to ‘swim’
After earning a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and broadcasting, Gray Haywood went on to work in radio broadcasting. She was a founding member of Augusta Mini Theatre, and remains on the board. She earned her Master of Science in management, and worked for the federal government as one of the first Black women in a male-dominated field.
During her speech, Gray Haywood impressed upon students to keep their faith, hope and courage no matter what they face in life, relating the challenges they will experience to an ocean and the importance of learning how to “swim.”
“For me, my resilience has come in the form of my strength but more times than
Brenau University Photo
not, it has come through in my lightness, stillness and patience,” Gray Haywood said. “When you are out there, in the waters of life… you must tread, but even this will tire the strongest of us, so then what? What is one thing we can do, while out there in the seas of life… well, when we calm ourselves, and hold still, we float.”
Dive deep and resurface
Brenau was not Gray Haywood’s first choice, but it was her mother’s. Gray Haywood earned a scholarship and completed her degree in three years, but opted not to walk at her graduation ceremony in 1975. She hadn’t returned to campus until Alumni Reunion Weekend in 2024.
“For the last 49 years, I have done a combination of deep diving, swimming, treading and floating,” she said. “Brenau wasn’t my first choice, nor my second, but at that time in my life, I was still being guided out to sea, not yet fully aware that in these moments I just needed to float, as the journey I was embarking on would help smooth the seas for countless others.”
During her speech, Gray Haywood described Brenau as a port in the storm. She decided to return to Brenau in April 2024 along with her daughter, Amira Gray, for the first time since she graduated.
“It was time,” Gray Haywood said. “It was time for healing.”
The two described Brenau’s student body as authentic. She spoke directly to the students who “don’t and never will check a box” - deep divers - during her speech.
“Don’t try to hold your breath forever, don’t always fight against the tide,” Gray Haywood said. ”In this port, the sacred walls of Brenau, hope and light shines through in ways it might not once you leave and that is okay. In those moments, in those places where the sunlight can’t reach, hold still, let go, and allow yourself to float… back to the surface, back to your source of air.”
Fighting the current
As a student, Gray Haywood and her friends-turned-sisters went to college administration to request things they wanted and needed on campus. The list wasn’t composed of physical things, though it was interpreted as such at the time.
“Really, we just wanted to be heard, seen
and respected,” she said.
In hindsight, the stressors the First Four faced are obvious. The First Four navigated uncharted waters. Living that experience required bravery, courage and resilience.
“After the first year, I just wanted to survive. I kept my head up and worked to get out in three years,” Gray Haywood said.
Floating forward
As the First Four worked through their studies, more Black students enrolled, including Marilyn Bell Dixon, WC ’76, Jacqueline Moorehead Drake, WC ’75, and Phyllis Hawks-Brewer, WC ’78.
During the Q&A portion, Margie Gill, BU ’10, associate professor of psychology, said Gray Haywood and the First Four’s resilience directly impacted her.
“As a Brenau alumna and a Black woman, I am grateful to these pioneers,
trailblazers and modern-day influencers,” Gill said. “These women courageously fought racial segregation and I would not be standing here today if they didn’t set the foundation.”
Gray Haywood and her daughter also visited with students during a tea hosted by the Black Student Association and during a brunch with communications students.
“As a Black woman stepping into a male-dominated industry, I sometimes doubt whether I have what it takes to reach my goals,” Jayla Johnson, a mass communication student, said. “However, meeting and speaking with Ms. Gray Haywood was a powerful reminder not to let those doubts or challenges hold me back. Despite the difficulties she faced, seeing her impact at Brenau reassures me that making a difference in the world is possible, no matter what someone else may think.”
Photo courtesy of Michelle Gray Haywood
'Pawsitive' Reinforcement
Adjunctive therapies with a furry, golden twist
Lucinda Grapenthin, Ph.D., begins her Monday afternoon class on adjunctive therapies with a rapt audience as her facility dog, CURRIER, models many of his more than 100 commands. The students are learning about adding supplemental tools to technique, and the fluffy golden retriever is easily a favorite tool.
Grapenthin and CURRIER became a working team in 2020 through paws4people®, a North Carolina-based non-profit that specializes in psychiatric service animal training and distribution. CURRIER underwent extensive training until he was 2 years old, and was then matched with Grapenthin. She also underwent rigorous training to become his handler and is required to recertify her training each year.
Grapenthin, an associate professor in the Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling at Brenau University, specializes in play therapy. The technique is used for children and older clients with mental health issues and provides structure and boundaries without being daunting or creating further anxiety.
Grapenthin is director at both the Brenau University Play Therapy Training Institute, and at the Brenau Center for Counseling & Psychological Services at the Norcross campus. She also has her own practice, The Family & Child Development Center in Alpharetta, and has written an awardwinning children’s book, “Toby, Toby,
Worry Free.”
“Much like play therapy, having a facility dog in the session helps the patient redirect their focus, and for a lot of people, just having him in the session or classroom helps them relax and feel less stressed,” Grapenthin says. “CURRIER loves to be brushed and play with bubbles, so I encourage them to play or groom him as a way to build trust with the dog, but also to relax and center themselves.”
Connection over correction
“If you have a positive relationship, your clients - children especially - are more apt to follow directions and suggestions. They’re more open to being taught things,” Grapenthin says. “Clients come with diverse needs such as feelings of anxiety, rejection and low self-esteem. Having CURRIER's calm presence assists with mediating those feelings.”
Grapenthin’s tried-and-true method for working with children on their mental health is connection over correction.
“He’s an incredible tool for talking about emotions, or co-regulation. Sometimes the child will speak with CURRIER instead of me, or I will ask them what CURRIER might be feeling in certain situations to help them identify emotions,” Grapenthin says. “Or we can speak through CURRIER to help talk through the tougher stuff.”
For Grapenthin’s students, CURRIER is just one model of adjunctive therapies. Other adjunctive therapies include dance and movement - another certification
paws4people
The non-profit organization, paws4people, provides highly trained, customized, and insured assistance dogs to people with disabilities. Based in Wilmington, North Carolina, paws4people specializes in psychiatric service dogs for both civilians and veterans.
CURRIER is an Honor Litter puppy, named after Pfc. Eric Currier, a Marine who was killed in action while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.
To differentiate between the two, the Honor Litter puppies’ names are written in all-caps. PFC.
ERIC D. CURRIER
Photos by Sidney Chansamone/Brenau University
Brenau offers - or art therapy.
CURRIER can help students reduce stress and learn to manage their emotions before going into the psychology field.
Eli Coker, a master's degree student who has had several classes that feature CURRIER, says having a dog in class helps her and her fellow students while they learn how to handle tough topics.
“He offers comfort to us when we discuss the heavier stuff, like sexual abuse, and how to navigate it with our future clients,” Coker says.
Coker, who is getting certifications in both play therapy and dance movement
the power of connection.
“For a child, it may be hard to connect with an adult, so CURRIER can be that connection point,” Coker says. “It also expands our understanding on the purpose of therapy as students. You go in thinking about the intricate skills and technique needed, but the connection of having another being with you shows how your presence can help a client.”
Using your tools
As an adjunctive therapeutic tool, Grapenthin says she can use CURRIER to model the effectiveness of positive
“Research shows positive reinforcement is far more powerful than negative reinforcement for both children and their parents,” Grapenthin says. “It’s so important to build a relationship and trust before modifying behaviors.”
Another tool, physical touch, can be limited to necessity in healthcare; some mental health practices do not allow it. But research shows that touch can be also a powerful tool, as it triggers the release of oxytocin, a natural hormone useful for trust-building, including parent-infant
“Some clients, especially children, who have negative experiences with touch may even be afraid to be touched,” Grapenthin says. “So having a facility dog creates a way to allow touch and increase the oxytocin production with patients without the counselor touching them
CURRIER can support kids who are violent or aggressive in their mannerisms, too. Grapenthin says she can use CURRIER to more easily explain gentle touch and how touch impacts others.
CURRIER is also a useful tool for modeling calmness. One of his many tricks is knowing how to walk on his hind legs while kids hold his paws, something Grapenthin says helps them regulate and learn self-control.
In the process, he also models positive behaviors for parents, including tone of voice.
Service animals are dogs or miniature horses trained for specific tasks to assist their handlers. This includes mobility assistance, sensory and tactile pressure, and medical alerts. When in public, they are always working and should not be pet, fed or distracted.
Facility dogs, like CURRIER, specialize in therapeutic tasks and work in a medical setting. They operate more like employees, are highly trained, and some live at their work locations. When they retire, they become pets.
Therapy animals are pets trained in emotional or therapeutic care and can be a variety of species, including cats, rabbits and reptiles.
Service animals, therapy animals and facility dogs are all legally protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. That means they are freely allowed in public spaces. More
Nurturing body and mind
Healthcare students learn about the connection between art and self-care
Healthcare is a rapidly growing field, fueled by an incredible need. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many healthcare workers were burned out, and many hung up their scrubs. Five years after the initial onset of the pandemic, it’s clear that the helping profession could also use a little help.
“Healthcare workers carry a tremendous weight of the healing process as they care for patients,” Barbara Steinhaus, DMA, says. “I want my students to know that they must have a way to take care of themselves while they take care of others.”
Steinhaus, chair of the Department of Music, has a speciality in arts in health, including a graduate certificate in arts in medicine. She teaches the Arts in Healthcare course, a semester-long class designed to expose healthcare students to how the various arts are used in the healthcare setting.
In Hall County, healthcare and those employed in the field are vital to the local economy, but a steady pipeline of employees trained in various specialized fields is required. The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce reports more than 11,000 people work at the local offices of Northeast Georgia Health Systems in
2025, making it the largest employer in the county.
Brenau University has multiple programs in the Ivester College of Health Sciences, including nursing, psychology, physician assistant studies, and the physical and occupational therapy programs, which all offer terminal degrees in their fields.
A collaborative approach
Steinhaus incorporates poetry, art, dance, and music with traditional wellness concepts, like nutrition and fitness. She begins each class with a poem, and includes a variety of information and activities for students to experience.
“I have colleagues do units on self-care, including nutrition, emotional regulation, and artistic practices,” Steinhaus says.
“Throughout the course, I encourage all of my students to explore and develop an artistic practice, whether it’s singing, playing an instrument, painting, drawing, anything that allows them to express themselves.”
Collaborators include fellow educators James Lewis, DPT, and Amy Jacques,LPC,
“Therapeutic music for a patient really focuses on providing a sense of calm, and the music doesn’t need a lot of intellectual context to go along with it.”
BARBARA STEINHAUS Chair of Music and Professor
BC-DMT, BU ’17 as well as University Counselor Gay Baldwin. Lewis is a professor of physical therapy who specializes in preventative wellness.
Jacques, assistant professor of psychology and coordinator of the dance/movement therapy program, says adjunctive therapies can help students see the bigger picture when treating patients or when practicing self-care.
“A healthcare professional will encounter conditions with patients who have physical and psychological components,” Jacques says. “For example, anxiety is also experienced through the body in physical sensations, such as sweaty palms and a racing heartbeat. Allowing our healthcare students to explore the dance/ movement therapy treatment approach helps them incorporate understanding for their patients, and for the human body.”
Practical application
Steinhaus earned her graduate certificate in arts in medicine from the University of Florida in 2015. Shortly after, she began a bedside music practice at the
Northeast Georgia Medical Center that she continues today as a clinical therapeutic musician in the Live Therapeutic Music program. She was inspired by her late parents, who both worked in healthcare, and her doctoral dissertation on the Black spiritual.
In her bedside music program, Steinhaus uses a variety of music, including spirituals and hymns, as well as secular music, to connect with patients.
“Therapeutic music for a patient really focuses on providing a sense of calm, and the music doesn’t need a lot of intellectual context to go along with it,” Steinhaus says. “We can use melodies, or sing in a non-direct rhythm. In this process, it doesn't demand something from the patient, and it can allow them to breathe more deeply, or reduce their blood pressure.”
In addition to practical experience, Steinhaus is also a founding member of the National Organization for Arts in Health and has authored research papers on the subject.
Brenau partners with High Museum for arts and health research
Brenau University is partnering with the High Museum of Art in Atlanta in a two-year study focused on the impact of art museums and the well-being of diverse adult populations.
The study is funded by an $80,000 research grant the High Museum was awarded from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Barbara Steinhaus, chair of Brenau’s Music Department, and Claudia Wilburn, chair of the Art & Design Department and director of Brenau’s Center for the Arts & Design, are coprincipal investigators, alongside the High’s Julia Forbes, associate director of institutional research, and Andrew Westover. Ph.D., the Eleanor M. Storza deputy director of learning and civic engagement.
The study begins this year and will examine the social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual effects of art museum visitation on diverse adult populations. It will conclude in 2027. Atlanta-based arts and health research firm Performance Hypothesis will support protocol and data collection.
The grant is one of only 18 awarded by the NEA this year to support a broad range of research studies that investigate the value or impact of the arts.
All About the Bling
Golden Tiger athletes go for gold
Brenau University’s competitive cheerleading team claimed its first-ever national title – the National Cheerleading Association title in the Advanced All-Girl NAIA division held April 11-13, 2024, in Daytona, Florida.
“This team has been so determined from day one to be the absolute best that they could be and to make history for Brenau’s cheerleading program,” Head Coach Bralee Housworth said.
“I’m beyond proud of them and I can’t
wait to continue to celebrate this huge accomplishment.”
The Golden Tigers rode their strong preliminary round performance into the finals and the squad delivered with a final round score of 84.25, and an overall event score of 85.3 to be crowned national champs.
“The team’s finals performance was fantastic, but we had deductions from a mistake in the pyramid,” Housworth said.
“However, I believed that the rest of the performance was strong enough to lead us to a National Championship.”
The squad, which is one of 12 varsity sports in the Ernest Ledford Grindle Athletics Department at Brenau, returned 13 letter winners to the 2024-25 program.
Additionally, two Brenau athletes qualified for the final field at the 45th annual National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women’s Cross Country National Championship in November. Senior Kamille Dixon and sophomore Averie Akin represented the AAC. Only three athletes qualified as individuals, with Rylee Fisher of Reinhardt being the third.
Photos by AJ Reynolds/Brenau University
Athletics hires new coaches, promotes cross country coach
The Ernest Ledford Grindle Athletics Department has named multiple new coaches for the golf, cross country, track and field, and tennis programs.
Mark Elam was named as the new head coach of the golf team. Katie Dant was promoted to head cross country coach. OB Bridges was named as head coach of the track and field program. Kathryn Barker was hired as the new head tennis coach.
Elam comes to Brenau from Columbia, South Carolina. He worked as a tournament director for the South Carolina Junior Golf Association and held jobs with golfing associations in Michigan and Ohio and at The Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.
Dant has served as Brenau’s assistant track and cross country coach for two
years and is responsible for nearly doubling the cross country roster for the 2024 season.
Bridges comes to Brenau by way of Asbury University, where he was an integral part of relaunching the track program after a decades-long hiatus. Bridges coached on the high school and college levels, and has earned several coaching awards. Bridges said he plans to elevate Brenau’s track and field program to a national level.
Barker comes to Brenau from Dalton Golf and Country Club, where she provided support to the director of tennis and pickleball. She holds multiple certifications from the Racquet Sports Professionals Association.
Ivester House collaboration will support mental health needs of Hall students
Hall County Schools and the Howard E. Ivester Early College have partnered to establish the Ivester House to support the social and emotional needs of students and families in the community.
The entities will partner with Brenau University’s Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling to provide counseling services.
The Ivester House opened in February and occupies an office in Chicopee Village. It will provide the opportunity for free or sliding-scale mental and emotional health counseling for students and their families in the Hall County School System, Brenau, and the Chicopee Village community.
“The Ivester House will provide psychoeducational, therapy, and assessment services while increasing accessibility of these services for students, families, staff and teachers,” said Gale Starich, dean of Brenau’s Sidney O. Smith Jr. Graduate School and Ivester College of Health Sciences. “Services will be provided by our doctoral and master’s students in the Darby School who are training under the supervision of licensed clinicians.”
OB Bridges - Track & Field
Mark Elam - Golf
Kathryn Barker - Tennis
Katie Dant - Cross Country
Two students honored with occupational therapy awards
The Georgia Occupational Therapy Association recognized two students in Brenau University’s School of Occupational Therapy in the Ivester College of Health Sciences at the association’s annual conference in October.
Allison Brack of Senoia, Georgia, received the Linda Stephens Scholarship, established to support students in occupational therapy programs who are committed to serving the profession. Brack, a student on Brenau’s Norcross campus, is in her second year of the entrylevel doctoral program.
Julamy Serrano Arocho was recognized as the 2024 Outstanding Occupational Therapy Student of the Year, honoring exceptional leadership and service in occupational therapy. Serrano Arocho is in her second year of the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program and attends weekend classes on the Norcross campus.
Faculty & Staff Spotlight
Two earn statewide recognition from their peers
Madia Cooper-Ashirifi, Ed.D., MFA, was named to the Georgia Council for the Arts in July by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
“I am elated to be working with a great council under the leadership of Tina Lilly and to further GCA’s impact and initiatives to all of Georgia,” CooperAshirifi said.
& Engagement Whitney McDowellRobinson, Ph.D., was named one of the Top 50 Women Leaders for Atlanta in 2024 by Women We Admire.
The Georgia Council for the Arts is under the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Brenau Dance was a recipient of a GCA grant to host “Under the Baobab Tree: A Celebration of Dance Culture" with community members and cultural groups. Cooper-Ashirifi previously served as a GCA grant panelist.
Also, Brenau University’s Vice President of Student Development
“I am honored to be recognized by Women We Admire and to be included among this 2024 class of stellar women,” McDowellRobinson said. “The leaders highlighted are leaving indelible marks, personally and professionally, while serving as models for others to follow.”
McDowell-Robinson joined Brenau in 2023. She oversees student life and leadership, career services, undergraduate engagement, residence life, and the Center for Health and Well-being, which includes counseling services. She is also an adjunct in the College of Education.
Whitney McDowell-Robinson, Ph.D.
Allison Brack Julamy Serrano Arocho
Brenau University Photos
Submitted Photo
Board of Trustees welcomes two alumnae as new members
Two Brenau University alumnae have become the newest members of the school’s Board of Trustees.
Rebecca “Becky” Greer Nix worked 15 years in the Gwinnett Hospital System, and Michelle R. Prater is the president and CEO of the North Georgia Community Foundation. The pair began their three-year terms in March.
“Brenau continues to attract trustees of distinction,” Brenau President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., said. “The experiences and insights of Becky Nix and Michelle Prater, especially as alumnae of Brenau, will be beneficial to the university. I look forward to working with both of them and the entire Board of Trustees for the betterment of the university, our students and the communities in which we live and work.”
Nix earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations at Brenau. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta Sorority at Brenau and served as the chapter alumnae advisor for more than a decade. She has volunteered with Gainesville Hall County Junior Service League, Friends of the Park Board, and many church and community volunteer committees.
Prater earned an MBA in leadership development from Brenau and was the recipient of the 2021 Brenau University Community Service Award. Prater serves on the Georgia Forward Board of Directors, the Philanthropy Southeast Community Foundation Council, the University of North Georgia Mike Cottrell College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier Board of Directors’ Finance Committee.
Serving those who served
Brenau University was named a Military Friendly institution for the 2024-25 school year by Military Friendly Schools. Brenau has earned the distinction consistently during the last 11 years, and was awarded silver status.
“Whether a student is an active duty service member, veteran, spouse or dependent, we understand that a call to service affects the entire family. Brenau’s mission is to honor
their service and support our military student population on all of our campuses and online around the world,” Lisa Christopher, military liaison and coordinator of Academic Success Services, said.
Brenau’s offerings for veterans include a military support team, Student Veterans Association, tuition discounts, veteran student lounges both on campus and online, and the Empowering Veterans speaker series.
Goss is new VP of enrollment
Brenau University has named Nathan R. Goss as vice president of marketing and enrollment management.
Goss has served in various enrollment roles at Brenau since March 2005 and has more than 24 years of experience in enrollment management. Goss previously had been appointed to the role on an interim basis by Brenau President David L. Barnett, Ph.D.
“Nathan served as interim at a crucial time during the enrollment process, when a school seeks to turn prospective students who have applied for admissions into enrolled and registered students. He performed well as interim and his hard work during this time shows that he is the person best suited for this role,” Barnett said.
As vice president, Goss oversees undergraduate and graduate admissions for all campuses and online programs. Before serving as interim vice president, Goss was executive director for enrollment partnerships and assistant vice president of enrollment management.
Cucurullo named gallery director
Lybi Cucurullo, a conceptual artist and Brenau professor, has been appointed as Brenau’s new Director of Galleries. Cucurullo is responsible for overseeing Brenau’s five exhibition spaces and the university’s extensive collection of more than 3,500 works from internationally and nationally renowned artists, as well as local talent. Her dedication to community outreach, with a focus on the arts and education, plays a vital role in supporting the ongoing growth of Gainesville’s vibrant artistic community.
Rebecca Greer Nix
Michelle R. Prater
Nathan R. Goss
Lybi Cucurullo
Brenau Alumni
Better Together
The Office of Alumni Engagement has traveled throughout the country this year to connect with alumni near and far, and to celebrate the presidential investiture of David L. Barnett.
We cheered on the Atlanta Braves with more than 100 alums, embarked on
a remarkable journey to Scotland with one of our largest groups yet, and hosted several themed gatherings. This year, Brenau truly celebrated togetherness.
To learn about upcoming events, trips and training opportunities, or to get involved, visit brenau.edu/alumni.
ALUMNI UPDATE
Dear Brenau Community
What an exciting year it's been! I've truly enjoyed connecting with so many of you – at our presidential events across the country and through personal messages. It's always a joy to hear from Brenau alums.
Stay up-to-date on all things Brenau by visiting our Alumni webpage at brenau.edu/alumni. You'll find information on upcoming events and training opportunities, details about our exciting Travel Program, alumni awards, exclusive benefits and deals (including our Alumni Discount Card!) and ways to get involved as a volunteer.
A special thank you to all the alums serving as Class Agents and on the Alumni Association Board. Your contributions and support are invaluable as we work together to make Brenau an even more incredible place for our students. The Board is proud to support three student scholarships annually, but we were especially thrilled to recently partner with our alums to match their generous donations to the Anne A.
Skleder First Generation Endowed Scholarship Fund. We raised more than $5,000 for our first-generation students!
You may have already noticed the beautiful new flower pots across our historic campus – a recent upgrade made possible by your generous support. We're also looking forward to future projects, including refreshing our dorm spaces to create more welcoming and relaxing environments for our students. Many of these important initiatives are funded through the silent auctions held in person and virtually during our Alumni Reunion Weekend.
Thank you for being such an integral part of the Brenau community. I am honored to serve you. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need anything.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD
Jessi Barker Shrout, WC ’04, BU ’22 President
Dawn Marie Bernhard, WC ’98 President-Elect, Awards Committee Chair
Brooke Bargeron Statham, WC ’00
Immediate Past President, Philanthropy Chair
Devon Adams Sheffield, WC ’18 Secretary
Melissa Erin Dunlap, WC ’08 Nominating Committee Chair
Diane E. Boudreau, WC ’81, BU ’85
Sophia Casey, WC ’21
Yvonne M. Daniely, Ed.D, BU ’18
Dawn Donnelly, WC ’99
Rhonda Patjens Francis, WC ’04
Angie Harrell, A ’84
Jessica Lauren Johnson, BU ’21
Autumn Jordan McBride, WC ’20
Kylie Ellington McClellan, WC ’20, BU ’22
Brooke Thigpen Ogles, WC ’21
Sommer Stockton, WC ’19, BU ’20
Cheyenne Wells, WC ’18, BU ’21
Alexis Oliver Williams, WC ’00
Diamond Wood, WC ’19
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.
ALUMNI EVENTS
Alumni Reunion Weekend & Commencement
Brenau University Photos
IN LOVING MEMORY
Remembering Kayanne and Abit Massey
Longtime
supporters of Brenau, lifetime friends
Two longtime supporters of Brenau University, Kayanne Shoffner Massey, WC ’63, and her husband, Abit Massey, an icon of the poultry industry and former member of Brenau’s Board of Trustees, died in 2024.
“We were saddened to learn of the passing of Kayanne Massey,” Brenau President David L. Barnett, Ph.D., said shortly after her death in December. “Kayanne kept the name of her alma mater raised up in the community and always spoke highly of Brenau and our students. We express our deepest condolences to the entire Massey family for the loss of both parents, as Abit Massey passed away in June. Our local community has lost a
wonderfully warm and kind spirit with the passing of Kayanne.”
Kayanne Massey passed away in December at age 84, just a few months after she and her family attended an August dedication ceremony for the Kayanne Shoffner Massey Tiger’s Den student lounge. In addition to the lounge, the conference room in the historic Simmons Visual Arts Center was named for Kayanne and features a quote of hers: “Follow your dream.” A large portrait of her during her time as Miss Georgia 1959, beaming with her signature full smile, has been hung in the building.
Both gifts were made in Massey’s honor by her late husband, Abit, only months
before his passing in June at age 96.
Kayanne transferred to Brenau as a sophomore, joining Chi Omega sorority and graduating summa cum laude with her degree in education in 1963. Abit and Kayanne married following her reign as Miss Georgia in 1959 and moved to Gainesville in 1961. They were married for 64 years.
Abit Massey served as president of the Georgia Poultry Foundation for 48 years. Massey was recognized for his business and civic contributions by the Gainesville Rotary Club in May. At the event, former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal called Massey “The best governor the state of Georgia never had.”
The couple enjoyed many years of volunteer service and supported several causes in Gainesville and Hall County together as a couple and as individuals. Kayanne devoted many years to being a full-time mother and wife while also serving as a substitute teacher and community volunteer.
The Masseys had two children, Camille and Lewis. Both spoke about their mother during the dedication. Camille Massey said her mother loved her time at Brenau.
“My parents really lived their life with the community… I know that is really important to Brenau’s mission and it’s so critically important to the values that my mom holds and my dad held,” Camille Massey said at the dedication.
Lewis was born during Kayanne’s time as a Brenau student. During the August dedication, he referenced a placard in the lounge that features a quote from Massey.
“I think ‘Kindness is magic’ really sums it up as it relates to mom. I thought my mom was a magician growing up, I thought she could do anything,” Lewis Massey, who was Georgia’s secretary of state 1996-1999, said. “Since she did have me while she was a student here, Brenau always has a special place in my heart… The Massey family is proud to be associated with Brenau.”
Several years ago, the pair also donated a statue of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the university, which overlooks Roosevelt Square at the Downtown Center. They also nominated Brenau for the Governor’s Award for the Arts and Humanities that the university won in 2014.
Brenau University photos
SORORITY SISTERS MEMORIALIZE
DALE MCELVEEN JAEGER
Former classmates and Alpha Delta Pi sorority sisters remembered Dale Garland “D.G.” McElveen Jaeger, who passed away in October, by planting a tree in her memory to honor her talent and passion for landscape architecture.
A 12-foot oak tree was planted in front of Wilkes Hall, with a boulder and a plaque that reads: “In loving memory. Dale McEleveen Jaeger. ADPi Lambda Chapter. President and Friend. Class of 1973.”
Jaeger graduated from Brenau in 1973 with a degree in English. She was president of her sorority, Alpha Delta Pi. She earned a master’s degree in landscape architecture from the University of Georgia, where she met her husband, Rob, a fellow MLA student.
She worked for the Georgia Mountain Regional Planning Commission in Gainesville, where she established the first historic preservation program for the Northeast Georgia region. In 1984, she opened The Jaeger Co., which over the next 30 years completed projects focused on cultural, ecological, and civic landscapes. The company received numerous awards in design and historic preservation.
She was a Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects and a Fellows and Professional Awards juror for the society. She was a member of the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board and had accepted the position as chair of the board shortly before her death. She and her husband were also involved in the community, including serving as a host family for exchange students and as foster parents.
Jaeger was a longtime donor to Brenau and member of the President’s Club. She also designed the landscaping around the statue of Lucile, the golden tiger statue just off Green Street.
Submitted photo
BRENAU ALUMNI SUPPORT THAT MAKES AN IMPACT
“Attending Brenau Academy in the ’70s was a game-changer! One of my teachers, Mary Ellen Murray, noticed my writing skills and asked me to join the yearbook club. That small gesture started my path to journalism school and, eventually, a lifelong career in marketing communications. I will be forever grateful for all that was given to me. What better way to pay it forward than to be a member of the Red Rose Society so a deserving student can be given a bright future and aspire to fulfill her potential?”
Mitzi is a member of the Red Rose Society, whose mission is to continue the legacy of Brenau Academy on campus. The society supports the Red Rose Scholarship for dual enrollment students at The Women’s College, as well as organizes reunions and memory books. Learn more about the Red Rose Society at BRENAU.EDU/RED-ROSE
“I give to Brenau because I hope my contribution will help a student have an incredible experience in college, like I had. I believe in Brenau and am excited to see it evolve as an institution and serve the changing needs of students. My support is an investment in scholars, leaders and people who are going to make the world a better place.”
Dawn is a member of the FIRE Program, an impactful way to give back consistently to Brenau in a way that works best for you. Join your fellow alumni in making a combined impact for the next generation of Brenau Alumni! Learn more at BRENAU.EDU/FIRE
Mitzi Saul, A '76
Dawn Donnelly, WC '99
MEMORIALS
Louise Crutchfield Turner, A ’43, WC ’46, of Searcy, Arkansas, died July 22, 2024
Linda Lee Christenberry, A ’59, died April 23, 2024
Bobbette Helmich, A ’62, of Scottsdale, Arizona, died Aug. 14, 2024
Stacy Diane Wright, A ’87, WC ’92, of Peachtree Corners, Georgia, died Feb. 2, 2024
Norma K. “Wyna” Brown, WC ’48, of Forsyth, Georgia, died Sept. 22, 2024
Eloise P. Waters, WC ’51, of Shalimar, Florida, died Feb. 20, 2024
Susan P. Richardson, WC ’55, of Shelby, Alabama, died Nov. 15, 2024
Nancy Wofford Moore, WC ’60, of Saint Simons, Georgia, died on July 2, 2024
Carolyn Louise Daniel, WC ’61, of Matthews, North Carolina, died May 16, 2024
Sue Anne Arthur, WC ’62, of Frisco, Texas, died Sept. 27, 2024
Betty “Jean” Hawkins, WC ’62, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Sept. 29, 2024
Carlotta S. Ray, WC ’62, of Jacksonville, Florida, died Jan. 12, 2025
Frances H. Weber, WC ’62, of North Augusta, South Carolina, died Sept. 28, 2024
Carolyn C. Avery, WC ’63, of Atlanta, died July 11, 2024
Kayanne Shoeffner Massey, WC ’63, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Dec. 22, 2024
Sally Trapnell, WC ’64, of Clemson, South Carolina, died April 28, 2024
Joanne Bagwell, WC ’65, of Gainesville, Georgia, died June 1, 2024
Carolyn Hancock Mundy, WC ’65, of Gallatin, Tennessee, died Sept. 16, 2024
Jane Whiteman, WC ’65, of South Bend, Indiana, died March 9, 2024
Inez Horger Ehrgott, WC ’66, of Vicksburg, Mississippi, died April 17, 2024
Nina Stuckey, WC ’67, of Florence, South Carolina, died Jan. 29, 2025
Mary Ann Barnwell, WC ’68, of Jefferson, Georgia, died Feb. 6, 2024
Faye Marie Chitty, WC ’69, of Bluffton, South Carolina, died May 20, 2024
Martha Ann Smith, WC ’72, of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, died May 10, 2024
Dale Garland “DG” Jaeger, WC ’73, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Oct. 9, 2024
Melda H. Bassett, WC ’74, of Fern Park, Florida, died Feb. 25, 2024
Elizabeth Cornell Yountz, WC ’75, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, died March 12, 2024
Cheryl Ann Horton-Habit, WC ’76, of Atlanta, Georgia, died Feb. 1, 2024
Martha Louise “Weesie” Poole, WC ’76, of Greenville, South Carolina, died Nov. 8, 2024
Laura “Laurie” Woods Tatum, WC ’77, of Greenville, South Carolina, died Dec. 29, 2024
Susan Bolles Smith, WC ’81, died May 17, 2024
Teresa Temples Holland, WC ’82, of Hartwell, Georgia, died on June 13, 2024
Wilma Jean Irvin, BU ’70, of Cornelia, Georgia, died Sept. 4, 2024
Diane Katharine O'Kelley, BU ’78, of Gainesville, Georgia, died Jan. 25, 2025
Theresa K. “Tea” Bryant, BU ’81, of Carnesville, Georgia, died Oct. 4, 2024
Nancy Marie Wiseman, BU ’81, of Marietta, Georgia, died Aug. 2, 2024
Geneva W. Sutton, BU ’82, of Canon, Georgia, died Oct. 23, 2024
Leon E. McKay, BU ’84, ’89, of Augusta, Georgia, died April 9, 2024
Randall Lee Barnes, BU ’86, of Dahlonega, Georgia, died Jan. 22, 2024
Mattie Belle Sampson, BU ’87, of Blairsville, Georgia, died March 11, 2024
Emily W. Thompson, BU ’88, of Gainesville, Georgia, died June 30, 2024
Joe R. Smith, BU ’90, of Augusta, Georgia, died May 16, 2024
Robert W. “Bob” Fullbright, BU ’91, of Alpharetta, Georgia, died Nov. 24, 2024
Cheryl J. Shead, BU ’96, of Canton, Georgia, died Aug. 21, 2024
William “Al” Rawlings, III, BU ’97, of Valdosta, Georgia, died July 9, 2024
Dana Leanne O'Pry, BU ’98, of Barnesville, Georgia, died Sept. 20, 2024
Michael Gregory Davis, BU ’10, of Dacula, Georgia, died Sept. 14, 2024
Tracy Michelle Caldwell, BU ’18, of North Augusta, South Carolina, died Aug. 5, 2024
