FORGE, 2019

The Magazine of the Ellis College of Arts and Sciences

Henderson Henderson State State University University Vol. 21, Summer Vol. 21, Summer 2019 2019 Cov1

From the Dean

Welcome to the 21st edition of Forge, the magazine of the Ellis College of Arts and Science. Due to current financial challenges of the university, we decided to make this edition of Forge available online only and forgo the cost of printing and mailing. I am confident that our setbacks are temporary as we have seen a wave of alumni, faculty, staff, and students banding together to move the institution forward. We trust that you will still enjoy this quality magazine.

Dr. Angela Boswell Dean of The Ellis College of Arts and Sciences

Many of you will be new to this magazine containing feature stories written and illustrated by our students and faculty. This year, we realized that due to a coding error thousands of our alumni who received education degrees in Ellis College disciplines have not been receiving their copies of this alumni magazine. Whether you are receiving your first or twenty-first invitation to view Forge, we hope that you will enjoy the stories and artwork in this edition. We look forward to sending all the printed 22nd edition next year. Both new and longtime readers can also savor some of the best stories from Forge’s first two decades in our new Kindle book, Forged from the Embers.

Ellis College is proud of our many accomplishments and excited about our future.

To better prepare for that future, over the past year we have embarked upon a strategic planning process in which each department identified five-year goals and plans to achieve them. From those department plans arose the areas of focus for the college as a whole, and faculty gathered to develop a strategic plan to guide us in the coming years.

Dr. Debra Coventry Associate Dean

Ellis College’s primary goals are to build and manage engaging, innovative, relevant, and thriving academic programs; enhance relationships with outside communities; engage students in discovering what meaningful work they want to pursue and provide them the ability to pursue that work; increase the number of majors and graduates through coordinated recruitment and advising; and ascertain the financial, physical, and academic needs of the college and develop a plan to meet those needs.

One thing that emerged from our planning discussions is that in nearly every category we want to engage more with our alumni, who have such valuable expertise and advice for our current students and programs. At some point faculty from your former departments may reach out to you to serve on advisory boards, offer internships to current students, come back to campus to talk about your professional and personal successes, or offer advice to our students about their aspirations after graduation. But please don’t wait: if you have opportunities for our students or ideas about how we can help alumni, reach out to us. We need your help, and we hope that you will join in continuing to help our students, current and former, gain the confidence, experience, and knowledge to pursue their dreams and make a difference in our shared world.

Angela Boswell

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Content Volume 21 2019

The Magazine of Ellis College Acting President Elaine Kneebone Provost Steve Adkison

Dean of Ellis College Angela Boswell

Forge Editorial Board Angela Boswell David Stoddard Michael Ray Taylor Designers Corey Howell Samuel McWhorter David Stoddard Zac Walthall Editors Angela Boswell Scott McKinnon Michael Taylor Contributors Emilia Adams Steve Fellers Brenda Hardee Haley Johnson Kris Keys Rylee Maxwell Scott McKinnon Kasten Searles Forrest Talley Zac Walthall Jacob Wyatt

Cover Illustration Design by David Stoddard based on photos by Jacob Wyatt

The art of travel Page 2

Music festival Page 4

Italian home run Page 6

The art of science: Dr. Shannon Clardy Page 8

Advisory boards – strategic goals Page 10

What ails the bats?

Page 12

FORGE: The book Page 16

Distinguished alum Pam Vaughn Page 20

Remembering Mary Jo Mann Page 22

FORGE is published yearly by the Henderson State University Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences. Through profiles and current news, the magazine serves as a personal link connecting the college to its alumni and other related communities. The FORGE staff, composed of students and faculty, strives for excellence in magazine journalism through fair reporting and high quality photography and design.

To suggest topics for future FORGE articles or to comment on the magazine, please email boswela@hsu.edu.

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Voyage en

France

The art of travel Page 2

A journey through the country of art “ I could spend weeks in here and still not be finished looking at everything.�

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By Haley Johnson

Students explore the City of Lights Members of the art department dove into the rich art, culture, and history of France in March.

Thirteen photo and design students participated as part of either a Photo-focused class, or an Illustration-focused class, and were expected to produce creative, high quality work while in France. Guided by Kasten Searles and Margo Duvall of the art faculty, they explored the city’s art and culture as each student endeavored to produce works of photography and illustration.

Close-packed white brick buildings with slate-colored roofs offered historic inspiration above and the underground metro transport system offered urban scenes below. The Louvre gave students and faculty a chance to ponder the artistic decisions of the old masters: the direction of their brushstrokes, the depth of their carvings,

Photos by Kasten Searles, Kris Keys, and Brenda Hardee

La Fille des Remparts by Max Cabanes can be found on The Painted Wall Trail in Angoulême, France.

This mural is one of only 26. the synergy of their color palettes, and the precision of their engravings.

It was hard for many to be coaxed into leaving the great museum.

“I could spend weeks in here and still not be finished looking at everything,” one student said.

A sense of quickness pumps through the city, as does a sense of style and aesthetic awareness. The group toured Paris by foot and metro, analyzing new discoveries all around.

Through gardens, alleys, city squares and museums, students were inspired by anything and everything.

“It’s so beautiful,” was a commonplace comment. Around every corner and within every experience there was something gorgeously moving: The majesty of the stained glass in Saint Chapelle, like thin precious gems set in iron. The contortions and precision of the human body in dance at the Lido Cabaret. The latticed geometry of the Eiffel tower’s masterful structure.

The Henderson travelers soaked in the sights while taking pictures, sketching, and writing about their experiences. To regain vitality after lengthy treks through the concrete jungle, the group enjoyed new and delicious foods, taking the opportunity to seek out specialty cuisine. Many remarked that the good food in France would turn them away from the mediocrity of Arkansas.

After Paris, the group took a long but comfortable bus ride south to Albi—birthplace and home of the famous impressionist Toulouse Lautrec—to browse the museum dedicated to his work. The paintings and drawings were engrossing, and several students spent a long time examining Lautrec’s stark brushstrokes and lines. This little town is situated on the banks of the Tarn, with each building constructed of red-orange bricks. The air of the town is medieval, its large cathedral being the tallest building and focal point. Students enjoyed the slower pace of Albi more as contrast to constantly rushed Paris. After Albi, it was on to Angoulême, a city made famous for its extensive murals.

The pace in Angoulême was casual, and many students delighted in having time to pursue their own goals: illustration/photography work, shopping, sight-seeing, and searching for murals. The museum of comics offered a visual history of the art form, from Victorian reportage to modern day superheroes. The travelers returned to Paris via bullet train for one more day before leaving for Arkansas. Some were ready to get back to their families, and others were on the verge of staying forever. They bid farewell to the city at their convenience, groups splitting off to pack in a few last tours: The Catacombs, the Gallery of Paleontology, and the Eiffel Tower at night.

All in all, the experience was a once- in-alifetime opportunity for art students. Everyone found something to take from Paris, and not just souvenirs. They returned to campus with new musings on the artistic process, memories of breathtaking views, and appreciation for cultures varying from their own. These experiences will inform their artwork, writing, and lives for years to come. Not bad for only 10 days in France.

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China Reddie

Music festival Page 4

“There was a formality to it, and yet there was still something that was very warm and gracious and very concerned with being good hosts at all times�

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Story by Zac Walthall Design by Corey Howell Photos by Emelia Adams and Jacob Wyatt

Dr. Bill Higgins, chair of the Department of Music, let out a sigh of relief: After a 16hour international flight from Detroit, he was finally stepping into the Beijing airport, followed by 17 music students and three fellow faculty members, each equally thankful to be out of the plane. Navigating the bustling airport with a large group and jet lag seemed a Herculean task, but luckily he and his contemporaries were up to the challenge.

As they boarded shuttles that would take them to their lodgings, Higgins thought back to the start of this adventure months before. In August 2018, a group of music students from Hebei Academy of Fine Art, located southwest of Beijing, China, came to Henderson for a two-week music festival. They gave a concert of Chinese music on campus, another in Hot Springs Village at the Wildwood Center, and a third at the Clinton Library Cultural Center.

The visiting students and faculty also gave talks on traditional Chinese instruments and music.

The trip was more than a cultural exchange, however: It was Henderson’s first chance to discuss a two-plus-two memorandum of understanding, which would let Chinese undergraduates earn two of their four years of music education at Henderson.

As those talks progressed, Henderson music faculty and students began planning their own exchange visit to Hebei, with a date set for May 2019. The process of gaining entry to China for an educational series of performances was not easy, requiring a great deal of paperwork.

Only a third of the 17 students slated to attend the trip had passports, an absolutely necessary form of identification for each American abroad.

Obtaining the proper papers took a month but, thanks to Tim Jones, director of purchasing, and the rest of the business office at Henderson State University, the remaining members of the group completed this first step.

After months of work, the group’s trip was approved by the Chinese government. Before their performances in China, the group had time for tourism. They first explored Beijing.

They toured the Great Wall of China, walking along the top of the massive structure. They explored the Forbidden City, which had housed the country’s emperor from 1420 to 1644. They also made a trip to Tiananmen Square, where the June Fourth Incident of student-led demonstrations occurred in 1989.

At last the group arrived at Hebei, a school known for its music program in which students

study traditional Chinese instruments and songs. “When they were over here, they brought a few indigenous instruments, which was really interesting,” Higgins recalled. “When we went there we got to hear a lot more of that.”

In addition to the unusual instruments, Henderson students saw part of a Chinese opera.

After the demonstration, Henderson students tried on traditional opera costumes: ornately-designed silk robes and elaborate headdresses. Then, students were further introduced to the culture, playing some traditional instruments and dining on traditional Peking Duck.

“Most of the cultural exchange and one-onone time happened between students and students and faculty and faculty,” Higgins recalled.

At the three formal dinners during the trip, the group was fortunate to have Dr. May Tsao-Lim, Professor of Music, to serve as an interpreter.

Dr. Lim grew up in Malaysia, where Mandarin is spoken, and her husband is Chinese, so she is adept at the language. “Some things we kind of pantomimed to communicate,” Higgins said, “but most often we went through her.”

From Hebei, the group took a train to Shijiazhuang University, a state-run institution.

Shijiazhuang introduced Henderson students to traditional art and hosted a class allowing students to create their own Chinese-inspired pieces.

They attended a performance of fan dancing, a folk-style dance celebrating Chinese culture.

After the show, they were given a lesson in this type of dance. The visit culminated in several solo and group performances by Henderson and Shijiazhuang students.

After Shijiazhuang, the Henderson group boarded a flight to Guiyang, the last destination on their journey. Here, they visited Guizhou University, which housed the largest program of the institutions they visited. Before arriving at Guizhou, they toured QinYan village, a traditional Chinese tourist destination located near the Huangguoshu waterfall, one of the largest natural waterfalls in China. They then traveled to the university, where the trip ended with a large series of concerts that showcased both the Chinese and American students.

As they traveled with the Chinese group, Higgins found that his hosts were “were very warm people, very inviting, very curious about us. They had a lot of questions.”

But he was even more impressed by them in the formal settings--the various dinners, performances, and information exchanges.

“There was a formality to it, and yet there was still something that was very warm and gracious and very concerned with being good hosts at all times,” He said. That was really wonderful to see.

More so than anywhere else I’ve visited, really, in the world. More so than Europe, more so than, the Middle East.”

Since the group’s return from China, Henderson has had a change in administration, and the future of the shared enrollment program is uncertain. One Chinese student will attend Henderson in the spring to audit music courses.

For his part, Higgins welcomes future interactions with his counterparts in Hebei: “They’re just very gracious people, welcoming people.”

Top to bottom: Hebei Fine Art College Traditional String Ensemble in opening concert. Morgan Lee and De’Courtneyous Miller presenting a scene from Bernstein’s Candide, May Tsao-Lim and Bill Higgins with their ink paintings! Laura Storm and Morgan Lee trying on traditional Chinese opera costumes. Henderson and Hebei faculty and students on “T-shirt Day.”

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GRANDE ATLETA

Italian home run Page 6

Cervignano del Friuli

Nadia Ballarin, a 2019 Henderson graduate with a major in statistics, grew up Cervignano del Friuli, a small Italian town in the northeast region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. She rode bikes down the streets with her friends, her long dark hair flowing in the wind. Her family would gather every Sunday for lunches. These are fond memories for an international student athlete living over 5,000 miles from her family. Ballarin sees her family only on holidays, but she talks to them every day and video calls them as often as she can. The seven-hour time difference between Arkadelphia and her hometown can make communication difficult, but she believes the long path that led her to Henderson’s math department was worth the difficulties.

As a child, anytime that she and her siblings had a break from school, her family would load everyone into a camper and head for the great outdoors. In this way, she saw Spain, France, Germany, Croatia, and Slovenia, developing a love of travel.

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Like Nadia, much of her family is now spread out across the world: Her older sister, Claudia, is currently studying in Norway to become an architect. Her younger brother, Carlos, is studying to become a chef. Ballarin’s father, Enrico, worked in Chile for four years and has just relocated to Trento, closer, but still three hours away from their hometown. He now works at a Volkswagen and Audi dealership as a post sales manager.

“He always worked to make sure my siblings and I could have anything we every need,” Ballarin said. “He sacrificed a lot to make my dreams, and he always supported me in my decision to move to the U.S.” Her mother works right outside of their hometown, at Ca’ Bolani in Torviscosa, a wine company.

Like her mother, Ballarin shares a general curiosity and love for books.“She helped shape my way to see the world,” Ballarin said. “She always pushed me to work on my personal growth and to dream big.”

When she was five, a baseball team visited her town and held a camp for the youth of her community. That day she fell in love with baseball. When she turned 14, the program forced her to move over to softball, but she soon learned she loved this game even more. In Italy her EMEA team (an acronym for Europe, the Middle East and Africa) won the good sportsmanship award in the Junior World Series of 2010. She also loved playing and watching soccer as a girl.

Ballarin decided she would like to come to the United States after her sister’s friend entered high school exchange two years before her. She thought it would be an amazing experience and help her learn to speak English better. The family enlisted an English teacher, Heinemann Mary, to help her with her English skills about one year before she came to the United States. Mary had taught Ballarin’s aunt before her, and she became a friend of the family.

“It was an incredibly huge decision for Nadia to leave her family and friends in Italy to follow her dreams,” Mary said. “I believe she showed such courage and tenaciousness in doing so.”

Ballarin came to the United States in 2013 to live with Jodi and Bubba Merrell in Foreman, in the extreme southwest corner of Arkansas. At first she feared the transition. “I was about to live with strangers for 10 months,” she said. “I didn’t know anyone.” The language barrier, along with a fair amount of culture shock, made the first few weeks difficult. The difference in American cuisine compared to Italian was the largest shock, but she also had to get used to her host family owning guns and taking part in activities like hunting and fishing.

She had never touched a gun before staying with the Merrells.

The opportunity began when friend of Jodi Merrell’s asked if she would like to host an exchange student. At first, Jodi declined the offer, worried about becoming close to someone she would never see again, but eventually she warmed to the idea. Now she has no regrets.

Story by E’Lyse Thaxton Design by Corey Howell

“Statistics give you a different perspective on the cause and effect of the phenomena of the world.”

Over their time together, Ballarin and her host family have become very close. In Jodi’s eyes she is a third daughter.

“Nadia has changed a lot,” Jodi Merrell said of her exposure to American culture, animals, and life in a busy household. At Foreman High School, Ballarin played softball and helped lead their team to victory at the 2014 Class AA Arkansas State Softball Championship in Fayetteville. The team only lost four games during their entire season. She also received Class 7-2A All-Conference honors as well as All-State Honorable Mention and was selected to All-State Tournament Team.

“At the beginning it was pretty hard because I could not understand English very well,” Ballarin said. “Everything got easier when I started practices with the softball team of my high school.”

In Italy, the high-school students don’t have lockers. When Foreman assigned her a locker on her first day of school, she felt like she had entered an American television show. Ballarin became close with her teammates, who helped her with her homework and studying problems.

By her second semester at Foreman she started enjoying school more, had more friends and began earning higher grades. She finished her year at Foreman with all As in her classes.

After the exchange year, she decided she wanted to stay in the United States and seek a college softball scholarship. Problems with her visa status led her to attend Trinity Christian in Texarkana. The Merrells lived close enough to the new school she was able to extend her exchange stay with them. Through playing softball at Trinity, she found Northeast Texas Community College. She attended a camp at the college where Jessica Keith, Northeast softball coach, offered her a scholarship.

“I loved the campus and felt HSU was the best fit for me,” Ballarin said.

Her time as an exchange student prepared her for Henderson. While most students leave home for college, she was already used to making giant leaps and learning to be independent. She was no longer scared of new people or new experiences. Like every new student, she had her share of difficulties. The day before classes started Ballarin became lost on campus.

She couldn’t find where she parked her car and walked all around searching for it.

At first Ballarin wanted to major in mathematics, but she gradually moved to statistics.

Math was always her favorite subject throughout school, and she loved working with numbers. After enjoying a few courses on statistics, she decided this would be her specialty.

“I like to know the truth about the world around me,” Ballarin said. “Statistics give you a different perspective on the cause and effect of the phenomena of the world.”

After spending hours looking at facts and numbers, she found it comforting to focus on her minor in philosophy. To her, the two fields are complementary.

The softball program at Henderson is much different than Northeastern’s. Ballarin found the expectations of Beth Jackson, head softball coach, to be much higher, but she liked it.

“I understood that Coach Jackson is a coach that will push you hard to make you the best player you can possibly be,” Ballarin said. She felt very welcomed by her teammates.

During her first year at Henderson she played in 34 games, starting in 25 of them.

She was second of the team with 177 putouts and went 2-4 with a double, a home run and two runs all in one winning game of 12-11 against Pittsburg State University.

“She is a stud on the field and off,” Jackson said. “She has already done so much in her young adult life. There are no limits to what she is capable of.” Upon graduation, Ballarin plans to head to Texas A&M Commerce in Commerce, Texas. There she plans to work to a master’s degree in business analytics. The fall semesters are the toughest for her as they workout almost every day, early in the mornings.

It was such an honor to represent your university,” she said as her final game with the team approached.

Photos: Nadia Ballarin in action on the field.

Her first college practice was hot and miserable, but as the sun beat down she held a smile. The practice went on for over four hours, but when she finally collapsed in her bed that evening, she found herself emotional. She had finally achieved her dream of playing softball at a college.

Ballarin earned all-conference honors at Northeast. Her two years there prepared her for life at Henderson. With the guidance of her coach at Northeast, she became more confident with her abilities on the field and in the classroom. As she finished there, she visited many universities but upon arriving at Henderson, she felt at home.

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Renaissance

The art of science: Dr. Clardy Page 8

Maybe things are a little more interconnected

By Zac Walthall

Shannon Clardy was stuck.

After pursuing a degree in oboe performance at Southern Methodist University and acquiring the hard-earned respect of her instructor, Eric Barr, life had not panned out quite as she had imagined.

Hot on the heels of graduation, she wed another oboe player, who was now competing with her for the same positions within a dwindling orchestra sphere. She and her husband, who had bristled at auditioning against one another, had reached an impasse. They decided that something had to change: They would each pursue other interests in order to protect their relationship.

This was an issue for Clardy, who had spent her life until that point in service to music. She began oboe lessons at 11, then band soon took over all other interests. In her adolescence, she had been a member of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, performing in the Meyerson Symphony Center.

The experience filled the young player’s head with visions of the posh lives of orchestral musicians, cementing her decision to become one.

Now that dream seemed further away than ever. What else could she do? What other things did she even like?

Clardy with student musicians Caden Bateman and Vallera Ashlynn Kegley.

Background photo – Performing in the planetarium.

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She thought back to moments spent with her father, an electrical engineer who had always encouraged Clardy to pursue scientific interests. She recalled the cool sensation of smooth copper plates they sanded to make circuit boards when she was in the fourth grade. She could still hear the hum of the ultraviolet radio they constructed in high school.

Despite all the experiments the two completed, she never considered the activity “scientific”—she was just spending time with her father. Though she flatly dismissed her father’s suggestion to study science, she realized that he may have influenced Clardy through their experiments.

Growing up in a time where STEM fields were mostly male-dominated, Clardy’s early leanings toward science had met a major roadblock with her high school physics teacher.

After she inquired about an equation written on the board, the teacher responded with a life-changing line: “Girls don’t need to know that.”

This encounter with blatant misogyny would be enough to deter most, but Clardy dug in and stood her ground. When tasked with choosing classes other than music to fill out her college schedule, Clardy gravitated towards the physics offerings. After receiving a sub-par high school education on the subject, she was determined to understand it, no matter what.

She went on to take the few remaining classes needed to graduate from UALR with a double major in oboe performance and physics. After making the “outside interests” agreement with her husband, she determined that this would be the route she took. Clardy decided to forego a master’s degree in favor of a Ph.D. when she

HSU woodwind quintet - Steve Becraft, Jamie Liptom, Jennifer Amox, Shannon Clardy, and Heather Thayer.

Woman learned that doctoral students received stipends from the university to help supplement the cost of living. It wasn’t much, but it helped pay the bills and put her on track toward an unexpected career.

Clardy immersed herself in the astronomy community, focusing her graduate research on black holes. Her dissertation project involved analyzing the x-ray patterns of distant two-star systems and using that data to infer the existence of either a black hole or neutron star. She received help from a number of sources along the way, most notably the chair of astronomy at Princeton University and the director of the European Space Agency. Her fellow researchers were open and inviting, freely sharing data under the condition that she not delve into their specific topics of interest.

“What I learned in the process is that you can do the same thing for optical data that you can do with acoustics data, electrics data, all kinds of data,” Clardy recalls. “Just taking that signal and turning it into something meaningful—you can do that for anything. For me, it was the lightbulb, learning that maybe things were a little more interconnected.”

She made the acquaintance of Henderson’s Dr. Charles Leming while judging the junior academy science fair at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, the Sciences and the Arts. Leming, chair of the physics department at the time, invited her to work as an adjunct professor while she completed the doctorate. She accepted and began teaching labs at the university.

It wasn’t long before she was introduced to Dr. Maralyn Sommer, who was then the double reed professor in the music department. Through her, Clardy was set up to give lessons to

two oboe majors. Though she could have never conceived that she would end up teaching at Henderson, she found a place where she could sate both her passions: music and physics. In short, she had found a place where she fit perfectly. Clardy continues to explore both facets of her life as she takes part in a variety of projects.

She can be seen in Russell Fine Arts building practicing with her trio, Triple Dame, composed of herself, flute professor Dr. Jennifer Amox, and piano professor Dr. May TsaoLim. She periodically performs with the Henderson Wind Ensemble and the Little Rock Wind Symphony. She continues to instruct a number of oboe students.

But she can also be found in Reynolds Hall working on a variety of physics projects and experiments. Most notable is her laminar wind flow tunnel, a student-led project that has spanned multiple stages of planning and development. After jumping the final, costly hurdles in development, the tunnel has finally come together. She says it will be used to test aerodynamics “very soon.”

She continues to make science accessible to the community at large, planning a “Family Science Night” each fall semester. This event aims to entice local students with experiments, educating them without the realization that they’re learning. It is easy to see her father’s influence. She created and advises Reddie Rockets, Henderson’s rocketry club. Clardy also helps host the Science Olympics, a free competition for high school students in the region. She hopes that by waiving a registration fee, more students will be able to take part in the annual contest.

Clardy and engineering students

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Advisory boards – strategic goals

Reaching Out and Reaching In

Page 10

Advisory Boards help to reach both future students and potential investors

By Zac Walthall

Alumni and seasoned professionals make a positive difference in Ellis College programs The university recently named three external advisory boards to work with the nursing, art, and engineering programs. These collectives are made up of professionals in the pertaining field, former Reddies, and others who care about the program. They come from both the local area and more distant cities, drawn by the request of each board’s chair with one purpose: improving the program to which they are tied.

Members bring an outside perspective to the university and deliberate over the program’s objectives, standards for current students, and state of the facilities. Dr. Shannon Clardy, head of the engineering board, says these measures will stimulate success. The goal of the board is to create more opportunities for Ellis College students during their undergraduate studies, which will in turn make it easier to find internships and an edge in the competitive job market.

Collaboration with advisers will also open the door to work with businesses, allowing students to experience a professional setting in their field before graduation. The Nursing advisory board

A recent meeting organized by Katherine Strause brought retired and current faculty together along with other events for the Department of Art’s advisory board that day. Strause, Gary Simmons, David Stoddard and Nancy Dunaway, photographed by Bevery Buys, enjoy a reunion on the porch of Captain Henderson House.

The advisory board meeting was attended by a host of faculty, alums and dignitaries.

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deals heavily with the standards in place for students, discussing how to best prepare future healthcare providers and equip students with the knowledge and experience that they need in order to flourish in the industry.

These boards will also help spread the word about projects within departments, so the inclusion of both local and distant members is encouraged. As they spread the word about their respective programs, Katherine Strause, chair of the Department of Art who heads the Art Advisory Board, explains they may reach both future students and potential investors in their areas. Board members also participate in other relevant organizations and communities, which will help students make connections that transcend southwest Arkansas.

Requirements for service on each board vary. The Arts board welcomes anyone who is interested in the department and encourages membership from all who promote art in the state. It is comprised of artists, art administrators, museum professionals, and enthusiasts.

The Engineering committee, however, is made up of alumni now employed in the engineering field, along with other engineers from local industries. These members are asked to make a two-year service commitment to the board for continuity. After this term, associates may decide to continue membership or not.

The Nursing committee is comprised of healthcare providers from around the state, with

each professional giving input on the department’s methodology in order to better align the curriculum with current practices in the medical field.

The one thing all these boards have in common is people who care deeply about the future of their industry and the quality of education that Henderson gives its students. The primary objective of the External Advisory Boards is to create more knowledgeable, better-equipped students that are prepared to make the leap from being undergraduates to successful professionals in their given fields.

A common thread all advisory boards share is people who care deeply about the future of their industry and the quality of education that Henderson offers students.

Students Jarvis Warren and Becca Voss accompa- Top nied Dr. Norman and Dr. Clardy and partner Brian Students Kayla Jones, Jeremy Brents, Missa Terry to Johnson Space Center to meet with EAB Brown, Jackson Baber, member and alum Dan Garrison.

Bottom Students Andrew Diehl, Thomas Hodges, and Joe Dees accompanied Dr. Clardy to Hydrostation 9 for a tour given by EAB member and alum Robert McClannahan.

Support Humanities and Social Sciences Programs Would you like to help support humanities and social sciences programs?

This year, Ellis College will be forming a Liberal Arts Advisory Board to give advice to and support our humanities and social sciences programs, such as Communication, English, Foreign Languages, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

If you are a graduate in one of these fields, an employer that hires majors in these fields, someone who can offer internships to these students, or otherwise have advice for success in these fields, please consider reaching out to us. Even if you cannot serve on the advisory board but have expertise or support to offer, please let us know at EllisCollegeSecretary@hsu.edu.

Serving on an advisory board is one of the many ways that alumni can assist our students. Please consider this and other ways to lend a hand.

• Are you interested in coming back to talk to a class?

• Are you willing to help a student network in your field?

Contact the Alumni Association to volunteer.

Call: 870-230-5401, or Email: alumni@hsu.edu Or, can you make a contribution to an academic program or student scholarships? Visit www.hsu.edu/EllisCollegeGiving.html and contribute to the Ellis College Endowment, or specify your gift for a scholarship for a student in a specific department by choosing other. Even small amounts can make a big difference!

Thank You. Dr. Angela Boswell Dean of Ellis College of Arts and Sciences

Carrigan History Scholarship

By Rylee Maxwell

It is easier to name the things that Jo Ann Carrigan hasn’t done than the things she has.

In her lifetime she earned several degrees and enjoyed a wide variety of career experiences, but that’s not why Henderson State University is praising her.

The Carrigan History Scholarship endowment gave Henderson close to $500,000 to help history majors. The scholarship will provide $19,000 per year to support junior and senior students. It was established from a bequest left by Jo Ann Carrigan, earned as she worked several different jobs throughout her career.

Carrigan, who passed away last September, had spent the latter part of her career at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, most recently as a volunteer adjunct professor of medical mistory in the medical humanities program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

After receiving her Henderson bachelor’s degree, Carrigan earned a PhD from Louisiana State University. Her 1994 book The Saffron Scourge, grew from her graduate interest in yellow fever outbreaks in New Orleans from 1796 through 1906. The city and port was frequently the center of outbreaks, caused by routine shipping from Latin American that helped spread the disease throughout the region. The New England Journal of Medicine praised her work as the “definitive” account of the disease in Louisiana. Not long after a new, expanded edition of the book was published in 2015, her thoughts returned to Henderson.

“Dr. Carrigan reached out a couple of years ago to begin establishing a scholarship endowment – she wanted to leave a legacy at her alma mater,” said Jennifer Boyett, vice president for university advancement. “We were delighted to assist her.”

“Dr. Carrigan became a well-renowned scholar and a true leader in her field, serving at times as managing editor of Louisiana history, on the advisory board of Southern Studies, and as president of the Southern Association for Women Historians,” said Dr. Angela Boswell, dean of Ellis College of Arts and Sciences.

“She never forgot, however, that Henderson State made all this possible for her by giving her the opportunity to earn her degree and go on to graduate. She wanted to give back and make it possible for future history students to finish their degrees at her alma mater.”

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Subterranean Homesick Blues

What ails the bats?

Page 12

Story by Forrest Talley Design by Corey Howell 12

It’s Spring Break.

I’m hip deep in water in a cave in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas. There are bats on the walls and a camera in my hand.

All I can think is, ‘why am I not drinking on a beach somewhere?’

This is my senior year and I am taking an Independent Study class. I had no idea what I was going to do for the class, but once the semester started I found out very quickly. I got invited to go along with some of my professors on some trips to film a documentary about bats. If I’m being honest I had no knowledge on bats at all, but I decided, why not? Getting to travel all over the South was good enough for me.

After I joined the crew as a camera and sound guy, I learned why we were actually doing this. The whole purpose of these trips was to get footage of scientists studying a fungal disease called White Nose Syndrome, or WNS for short. We would then use the footage that we got to create short educational documentaries for middle-school classrooms. I was interested in this but mainly interested in what we had to do to get to the bats: caving.

I had never been inside of a cave before. I have always been the type to adventure off into the woods and go camping away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The idea of being underground away from everything was right

up my alley. Cold, dark, no noise but the water dripping from the ceiling and the people around me—it sounded great. So I hit the road for what soon became one of the most exciting things I had ever done.

With an 18-hour ride ahead in a rental that I would call barely an SUV, my professor, Mike Taylor; a quiet student named Corey Howell; and I headed from Arkadelphia to Tallahassee, Florida. It was mainly a straightforward trip with a stop here or there for food and some cave gear, but we pushed through in one big stretch. From hours of conversation I got to learn much more than I ever thought I would about bats, caving, and my professor.

Along the way the biggest thing I learned about was the disease and what it was doing to the bats. WNS only affects bats in the cave environment.

Since it is a fungus, it needs the moist humid environment of the cave to thrive.

This makes bats the main target. From the name you know that it is a white fungus that grows on the bat’s nose.

After bats get infected they kind of turn into zombies. It affects their hibernation

Facing Page A researcher examines a tri-colored bat showing signs of White Nose Syndrome in a Tennessee cave.

Photo by Dustin Thames.

This page: Shawn Thomas, a researcher with Bat Conservation International and Henderson Innovative Media students samples the walls of a mine that is home to tri-colored bats to test the effectiveness of an anti-fungal agent applied to test areas.

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patterns so that they will not go into a deep sleep. When specific species of bats don’t go into the deep sleep, it will make them die during the winter, and that’s what this fungus is doing. That’s why we were able to film this documentary: so students would be more informed on this information that not many people know about. I knew nothing about it until I was in a car for 18 hours talking about it.

After actually learning the purpose of the trip we finally made it to Tallahassee, where we stayed the night. The next morning we woke up and drove to a large, flat, farm in Georgia that looked like every farm in Arkansas.

We made a short drive through the farm on a dirt road damp from recent rains, then suddenly came to what I can only describe as what looked like a meteor hole the size of a football field: a large natural sinkhole. That’s when it hit me that with no climbing experience other than trees when I was a kid, with not the slightest idea what a cable ladder even was, I was shortly going to be climbing into this pit with a camera strapped to my back.

We geared up with local cavers and researchers we met at the sinkhole. I stepped down onto the ladder, looked down and realized I got this. After that the rest of the trip was a breeze. I went into two caves, saw hundreds if not thousands of bats for the first time in my life, and got to see many new places I had never been. I thought that this was going to be the most exciting thing I got to do for this project, but I had one more trip to go.

The last trip was more meaningful because it was to take place in my own backyard. After deciding I was going to go, I learned that our destination was an old manganese mine in Mena, Arkansas. My family is from Horatio, just an hour south of Mena. I had been to Mena with my dad, so it was going to be interesting to make memories as an

14

adult now. As before, I didn’t know the details but I said I’m going as soon as I could.

I later found out the date the researchers had scheduled was the Tuesday of Spring Break. Being a senior, I definitely didn’t want to be spending my last spring break in a cave, but I decided to put my college career first and go ahead.

This would be one of the best decisions I have ever made.

After getting to class the day before, Taylor handed me my hip-waders and said, “Try them on.”

It hit me: I was going on another adventure.

Of course they fit perfect, so I was not getting out of it now. After going home to visit with my mom the night before, I woke up at 6 a.m. to drive the hour to Mena. The drive is one I’ve made a million times before so it wasn’t anything special. Once I arrived and met up with the others, we hit the backroads to get to the mine.

We drove up a mountain on a narrow dirt road until we reached a gate that the experts we were with opened. After about 30 minutes on a dirt track we finally made it to the parking spot. We got our bags and hiked a little until we reached a creek we had to cross to get to the mine.

Crossing a creek was nothing for me, since I used to play in them as a kid.

The mine was the part I did not know was going to be so deep. With my waders on and a camera in my hand, I stepped down into the cave. It started with just a little water, but by the second step I was waist deep in cave water in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, bats on the walls and a camera in my hand.

After all of this, after the long car rides, crazy adventures, new people, and trips into caves, I realized that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. Not caving or doing things with bats, but filming and being in the outdoors. I realized I loved the outdoors and want to work for a company that allows me to travel and experience wilderness.

I have spent too much of my time cooped up in editing rooms or sitting in my house studying for tests.

This trip rekindled my love for the outdoors while giving me experience that I might be able to take into my career. Being able to go caving with bats on Spring Break has changed my goals after college. I hope that other students in Ellis College find experiences like mine and can be as inspired by the things they get to do in college as I have been.

I didn’t want to be spending my last spring break in a cave, but I decided to put my college career first.

Top facing page (illustration) Michael Taylor, chair of the Communication and Theatre Arts department, drove with two students to film bat research in multiple locations in Georgia and Tennessee during spring break 2019.

The film project is funded by a communication grant from the Wildlife Management Institute.

Facing page Taylor stores swabs taken at sample sites within an Arkansas mine where researchers are experimenting with methods to combat WNS. Below Researchers swabs bats in a Tennessee cave for the white nose syndrome fungus.

Photos by Forrest Talley, Corey Howell, Rebecca Fellers and David Stoddard

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New Course, New Kindle Book FORGE: The book Page 16

A collection of the best stories from two decades of the magazine

In the spring of 2019, students in an Innovative Media course titled Digital Publishing set out to create, edit, design and market a quality eBook.

Creating a book in one semester might seem a daunting task, but luckily the students already had a wealth of quality material in hand: 20 years of stories from Forge, the magazine of the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences.

In recent years a digital tsunami has forever altered the shape of traditional publishing in America and the world. Although fewer and fewer people read traditional printed books, eBooks, audio books, and new devices to enjoy them have seen unprecedented growth. For authors, organizations and companies looking to enter the publishing arena, the playing field has been leveled: Anyone with a computer can now compete head-to-head with Simon and Schuster, Random House, and other big presses.

But not anyone can succeed. Most self-published digital books go unnoticed, selling only a few copies. Students in Digital Publishing sought to defy the odds—and in the process serve Ellis College alumni and friends—by studying proven methods of editing, marketing and design. The result is Forged from the Embers: 20 years, 40 stories, an eBook collecting some of the best work published in the first 20 annual issues of Forge, from 1999 through 2018. The title was selected by class vote from about 15 ideas suggested.

Amazon’s Kindle is by far the most popular format for eBooks worldwide, so the class chose to learn Kindle formatting for the project. After selecting 40 stories that focus

on Ellis College students, alumni, faculty and programs, they began editing them into a book, led by Michael Taylor, professor of communication and also an experienced digital publisher and author.

Several students with previous experience in digital art competed to design the book’s cover. The winning design, by graduate MLA student Kris Keys, includes a photograph of the fire that destroyed the main Henderson building in 1914, echoing the theme of the title, Forge Magazine has consistently celebrated examples of the Reddie spirit and achievement within Ellis College.

The book’s introductory material tells the story of the magazine’s creation and its long commitment to publishing articles, photography, and artwork by students, in order to give them professional experience and to tell the story of Ellis College in creative ways. Among features chosen for the book are exciting stories of students and alumni caught up in war, revolution, and earthquake; moving stories of students overcoming adversity to reach their dreams; and entertaining stories of graduates finding their way to Hollywood, radio stardom, and scientific discovery.

Michael Taylor stands with his students from the Digital Publishing course.

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Forge Book on sale!

Forged From the Embers

goes on sale at Amazon.

Get a copy for $4.49 Monday, Oct. 21, 2019 Proceeds are donated to the Ellis College Fund.

Purchasing a copy will not only entertain you with stories of familiar Reddies; it will help insure the publication of Forge Magazine for years to come.

It has already helped a class learn how to assemble a Kindle book.

FRIENDS OF

FORGE THANK YOU TO OUR FIRST FRIENDS OF FORGE! Charles Gibbs Tina Hall

We hope you enjoyed this issue of FORGE magazine. For over 20 years, FORGE has highlighted many of the accomplishments and activities of our students, faculty, and alumni. We hope it has been helpful in keeping you in contact with Ellis College.

If you find FORGE valuable, if you want to support the efforts of the students who write the articles and produce the artwork, or if you just want to show your support of Ellis College, please consider becoming a “Friend of FORGE.” All who make a $25 donation or more will be listed in our next issue as a Friend.

Go to www.hsu.edu/EllisCollegeGiving.html and designate “Friends of Forge” to make an immediate impact, or mail your check made payable to HSU Foundation with “Friends of Forge” in the memo line to:

HSU Foundation HSU Box 7550 Arkadelphia, AR 71999

Thank you!

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Distinguished alumn Pam Vaughn Page 20

Pam Vaughan’s passion for space began at an early age, sitting on her father’s shoulders watching meteor showers, gazing at the stars and dreaming of scientific possibilities.

Pam Vaughan, a 1980 Henderson graduate with a bachelor of science in education degree in biology, was nominated by Vice President Mike Pence to serve along with Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin and others on the National Space Council’s User Advisory Group in 2018.

18

She is the only teacher appointed to this 29 member team, charged with advising and informing the Council on a broad range of important aerospace topics. The appointment was based on her classroom and district success in STEM. The User Advisory Group fulfills a presidential mandate to “foster close coordination, cooperation, and technol-

ogy and information exchange across our nation’s space enterprise.” NASA Television provided live coverage of the fifth meeting of the National Space Council in March of 2019.

“It does not take a rocket scientist to transform a classroom,” Vaughan said. “When students and teachers catch NASA’s energy and pass it on, dreams become reality.”

By Brenda Driggers Design by Corey Howell

Vaughan currently serves as the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Integrated Specialist for the Arkansas Department of Education and has been a member since 2004. She teaches STEM subjects in Camden Fairview School District and has served as a district math and science specialist since 2012 after serving as a Camden science teacher since 2006. Before that she had taught in the Fordyce and Mountain Pine school districts since 1981. Vaughan was a contributing author of Today I Made a Difference, a Collection of Inspirational Stories from America’s Top Educators, in 2009.

Throughout her career, Vaughan has used the inspiration of space exploration to teach subject areas with the potential for great student interest and engagement. She

provides a unique venue for students by exposing them to national programs such as NASA STEM Engagement. Her district implementation plan was selected by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education to be the first in Arkansas to conduct a student experiment design competition, with the winning student team’s experiment launched in 2017 to the International Space Station.

As director of this project, her duties included working closely with teachers and students to prepare science entries, conduct the science competition, direct the district-wide mission patch art competition, and coordinate public relations and fundraising. Because of the opportunity and exposure to the areas of STEM addressed in these space education opportunities, Vaughan saw many former students pursue college majors in STEM areas.

“I am most proud that the students involved in these experiments range from straight-A students to students who are barely passing,” Vaughan said. Some of those success stories included students with English as a second language or learning disability.

One former student served as a NASA intern at Marshall Space Flight Center. He is now using his STEM knowledge as a meteorologist at the Weather Channel.

Vaughan is community director for the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program, spearheaded by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, a nonprofit organization that inspires the next generation of scientists and engineers by engaging their natural human impulse to be curious and explore.

Vaughan has led her various districts

since 1984, receiving numerous awards along the way. In 2002 she was recognized as the National Space Educator of the Year, and as Cornell Contour Comet Challenge National Student-Teacher Team Winner. In 2003, the Arkansas Education Association recognized her as the Human Relations Award Winner based on her efforts in promoting STEM education. Her student successes earned recognition through a Disney Teacher Award in 2004 and selection as a member of the USA Today All Star Teaching Team in 2005, the only Arkansas educator recognized by both of these groups.

“Space

exploration is a great

motivator for learning.

After all, it is the

‘final

frontier.’”

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Remembering Mary Jo “Pine Trees…”

Page 22

Mary Jo Mann began her delivery of the Pine Tree speech as she had many times, evoking images of stalwart trunks dotting Henderson’s campus. The newly-recruited freshman class listened to her words intently, following her through the institution’s history and longlasting traditions upon which it was built.

Behind her, images of past Reddies and Arkadelphia flashed, supplementing her words. Mann led this seminar 31 times, from 1988 through 2018.

This duty earned her the nickname “Pine Tree Lady,” which was a badge of honor for the lifelong Reddie.

When she passed away on May 3, 2019, the entire campus and countless alumni mourned.

Born to Alvin and Eloise Stone on May 26, 1940, Mann grew up across the street from Henderson in what would eventually become the Captain Henderson House bed and breakfast. A third generation Reddie, the university was deeply ingrained in her life. She graduated from Henderson in 1962 with a double major in speech and English. From there, she went on to teach in the public school system in Fayetteville, Little Rock, and North Little Rock for 11 years.

She moved around with her husband, who was in the Navy. Eventually, she found her way back to Arkadelphia, where she worked as editor of the Southern Standard newspaper from 1978 to 1984, which prepared her for future involvement with the university.

She served as Henderson’s director of public affairs until 1988, when the Alumni Relations office had an opening. Because of her knowledge of the university’s traditions, love for the campus, and status

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Story by Zac Walthall Photography by Steve Fellers

as a lifelong Reddie, Mann was an obvious choice for the job. She held the position for ten years, serving the university that was so tightly woven into the fabric of her life. In 1998, she stepped down. Within the next year, she was presented the prestigious “H” award, earning her the title of “Distinguished Alum” from the university and placing her alongside other successful Henderson graduates.

However, Mann remained not only a prominent member of the Henderson community but Arkadelphia as a whole. She was active in several groups in the town, including Group Living, the Philanthropic Educational Organization, the Arkadelphia Arts and Humanities Council, and served as the first female president of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. She attended the First United Methodist Church of Arkadelphia, where she taught the Upper Room Sunday school class, volunteered in the kitchen during Vacation Bible School, and presided over the United Methodist Women, Worship Committee, Education Committee, and Igniting Ministries.

One of the many freshmen privileged to hear Mann deliver the Pine Tree Speech over the years was Elaine Kneebone, class of 1997 with a B.A. in history—and now acting president of Henderson.

“This school has meant a lot to people throughout

the years,” she said in an interview published in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in September.

“One of the things I got to do this year was deliver the Pine Tree speech, which has been given to our freshmen since 1916,” President Kneebone enthused. “It is the most traditional and old-school thing that we do, and it still resonates today.”

Like the great Mary Jo Mann, the Pine Tree speech has become a campus institution. As the acting president aptly put it, “This place has spirit and soul that I think make it unique.”

Top: Mary Jo Mann gives the Pine Tree Speech Above: Elaine Kneebone gives the Pine Tree Speech Below: Memorial for Mary Jo on the South Lawn.

GRADUATE SCHOOL Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.) u Advanced Instructional Studies Dyslexia Therapy Early Childhood (P-4) English English as a Second Language Instructional Facilitator Interdisciplinary Studies Mathematics Middle School (4-8) Physical Education u Educational Leadership Building Level Leader (licensure) Curriculum Program Administrator Program of Study (licensure) Educational Technology Leadership

Instructional Facilitator Program of Study u School Counseling u Special Education K-12

Developmental Therapist (certificate) Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Master of Liberal Arts (M.L.A.) Master of Science in Nursing Master of Science (M.S.) u Clinical Mental Health Counseling u Developmental Therapy u Sports Administration Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) u Curriculum Leadership u District Level Leader 21

Find more great stories in the eBook The Ellis College of Arts and Sciences 1100 Henderson Street Arkadelphia, AR 71999-0001

Forged from the Embers: 20 Years, 40 Stories The Best of Forge Magazine

Reportage In the Spring of 2018 Professors Margo Duvall and Kasten Searles led art students on an immersive trip to study and create work in France. The eleven day trip began in Paris and then traveled the southern cities of Albi and Angoulême. Professor Duvall’s students studied influential french photographers and captured a portfolio of photographs while abroad. Professor Searles’ students examined the history of french reportage illustration and created illustrated journals and final works. Participants toured the Louvre, the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, the Bresson Foundation, the Comic Strip

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Museum, and were able to experience the interior of the Notre Dame Cathedral before the tragic fire.

Students enjoyed not only the art of France, but also the outstanding entertainment and cuisine that the country is famous for. The group returned with a deeper awareness of French art traditions and figures as well as a better understanding of the history-rich European culture.