Class Notes
SUBMIT @ ALUMNI.JMU.EDU
most fortunate to give the keynote address at JMU’s Spring Research Symposium, May 16, 1982, and that honor, to be recognized by my university, was one I never expected and meant more to me than my other achievements. So, many thanks to all my instructors at JMU for what you did for me. Go Dukes.”
Ronald E. Ney Jr. (’59) with his dog, Princess.
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“At 80 years young I put on my bucket list that I wanted to give thanks to all those professors and instructors that mentored me, and especially professor Wilbert Chappell, who always treated me as if I were a chemist,” says Ronald E. Ney Jr. of Leesburg, Florida. “I also recall professor Benjamin Partlow, who on the first day in chemistry said, ‘I heard about you, and we expect great things of you!’ The chemistry taught at James Madison trained me to think and with that I was a supervisor chemist in charge of chemistry residues on food crops at the Department of Agriculture and instructed at universities all over the U.S. … I was
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Carolyn Larkins Abitbol was honored by the American Medical Women’s Association with the 2017 Exceptional Membership Award at its 102nd annual awards luncheon.
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Ronald Glen Watkins retired after a career of serving as director of global marketing communications for ETS-Lindgren, in Austin, Texas. He now resides with his wife, Linda, in Georgetown, Texas.
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Theresa Early was chosen as the Veterans of Foreign Wars Elementary Teacher of the Year for 2017. Early, a fourth-grade special education teacher at Laurel Ridge Elementary School in Fairfax, Virginia, was recognized for her
“Back in 1976 and 1977, seven young ladies wound up sharing a suite (or two) in Frederikson Hall at Madison College. I even had the same room all four years. Why change a great situation?” says Lina Stalcup Cahan (’80). “We graduated in 1980 and 1981, and after a few years when we no longer had the standard reunions due to weddings, we decided to set aside a weekend every February to meet and relive our JMU days. Here is a photo from 1980 and one from 2017. Still going strong after all these years! Thanks, JMU!” (L-R): Cahan, Susan LaMotte Bohaker (’80), Cathy Brittingham Hastie (’80), Lynn Davis Hellmuth (’80), Jane Dornbusch Davis (’80), Kim Smith Moore (’81), Betsy Brinkley Gillick (’81).
SEA on campus: Volunteering and connecting Spring 2017 was a busy season for the Staff Emeriti Association. Members volunteered to welcome prospective students during CHOICES in April, provided education about the emeriti designation to JMU employees during May’s Employee Appreciation Day and reacquainted themselves with campus with a luncheon and tour of the new Health and Behavioral Studies Building with Paula Maxwell, associate dean of the College of Health and Behavioral Studies. For more information on upcoming events, please visit jmu.edu/staffemeriti. Staff Emeriti Association members greet prospective students at CHOICES and enjoy lunch after touring the new Health and Behavioral Studies Building.
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M A D I S O N
M AG A Z I N E
M A D I S O N S I N G E R S P H O T O G R A P H O N PA G E 5 7 B Y D A N G O R I N ( ’ 11) ; S TA F F E M E R I T I A S S O C I AT I O N P H O T O G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y O F S E A