Summer 2016 Brown Bulletin

SUMMER 2016

BrownBulletin

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WOMEN OF INFLUENCE Celebrating the service and impact of JBU’s past, present and future leaders PA G E 1 4

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$3M Mayfield Renovation Gift

Climbing Kilimanjaro

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PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Created In His Image JBU Blessed by Many Faithful Women

JBU has been deeply blessed by the leadership, intellect, creativity, perseverance and faith of women who have committed their lives in service to God through their work at JBU.

CHIP AND CAREY POLLARD HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO THE PEOPLE AND MISSION OF JBU SINCE 2004. THEY ENJOY HOSTING GROUPS OF FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS IN THEIR HOME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

Dear Friends of JBU, Scripture teaches that “God created human beings in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” In other words, scripture suggests that the image of God is reflected most fully through the fundamental difference and the essential equality of men and women. We have not always recognized how these differences reflect God’s goodness; moreover, we have not acknowledged often enough how the accomplishments of women reflect God’s image.

This Brown Bulletin offers an opportunity to celebrate those accomplishments.

As you will read in the pages that follow, JBU has been deeply blessed by the leadership, intellect, creativity, perseverance and faith of women who have committed their lives in service to God through their work at JBU — women such as Dr. Dorothy Woodland, a chemist who was instrumental in helping JBU receive accreditation in 1962, or her friend, Dr. Mabel Oiesen, who founded the music department and the Cathedral Choir, or Dr. Glenna Belle Davis who started and coached the first women’s intercollegiate athletic teams, or Dr. Ida Adolphson who served as dean of women, directed our student counseling program, taught in our psychology department, and directed enrollment for the graduate counseling program, or Dr. Shirley Thomas who helped to found the Honor Scholars Program, or Ms. Pat Gustavson who served as vice president of finance and administration for over 25 years, or Dr. Gloria Gale, our first dean of education and mentor to many women faculty and staff at JBU. We are deeply grateful to these women, and so many others, for giving us their gifts in ways that reflect the glory of God. I am especially grateful to one woman, Carey, who has used her gifts to serve with me at JBU for the last 12 years. She hosts, on average, over 1,000 guests at our house every year and enjoys making people feel at home in our home. She winsomely engages students on campus, or friends of the university over dinner, or alumni during Homecoming or parents during Orientation. She delights in attending and celebrating students’ performances, whether it is an art opening in Windgate, a basketball game at the Bill George Arena or a musical in the Berry Performing Arts Center. She is almost always up for a trip to visit a donor in Dallas or prospective students in Kansas City.

In short, she loves the people and mission of JBU, so she relishes our work together for JBU. Watching her exercise her gifts at JBU encourages me on even the most difficult of days. It is a privilege to serve JBU together, and we are grateful for that privilege.

Godspeed,

Dr. Charles W. Pollard President, John Brown University S UM M ER 2016

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Welcome to the Redesign 06

For 21 years the Brown Bulletin has appeared in my mailbox each spring

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and fall, keeping me connected to

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campus and the powerful work that God is doing at John Brown University.

Since joining the University Communications staff I’ve been anxious to give the Bulletin a fresh, new look.

(It’s been seven years since the last redesign, so it’s time.)

I’m inspired daily by the stories of JBU faculty, staff, students and alumni — the challenges they conquer, the lives they impact and the legacy they leave.

It is our hope that this redesign, composed by our Creative Director

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COVER FEATURES: Women of Influence

Matt Snyder ’97, serves as a catalyst to engage you more deeply in these amazing stories and that they, in turn, would encourage you as you seek to honor God and serve others.

Julie Gumm ’95 Managing Editor, Brown Bulletin Director of Marketing Communications

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Often behind the scenes and unrecognized, the first ladies of JBU play a vital role in university relations with students, alumni, donors and the community.

For five decades Ida Adolphson influenced thousands of JBU students through her time as dean of women, director of counseling, psychology faculty and graduate admissions counselor.

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Delia Haak began her career at JBU as assistant to President John E. Brown III. Her heart for students led her to join the business faculty, build JBU’s SIFE/Enactus program, design JBU’s first master’s program and direct the new Soderquist Center.

Meet some of JBU’s top female students selected by their academic departments as the leaders of tomorrow.

First Ladies

Business Visionary

Wise Counsel

Women to Watch

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In Her Words Fourteen of the most influential women of JBU talk about their impact on the university.

CONTENTS

SUMMER 2016 The Brown Bulletin is published by University Communications for alumni and friends of JBU. jbu.edu/bulletin PRESIDENT

Dr. Chip Pollard

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VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT

Dr. Jim Krall EDITOR AND CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER

Lucas Roebuck ’97 MANAGING EDITOR

Julie Gumm ’95 CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Matt Snyder ’96 CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Tracy Balzer, Steve Beers, Shelby Lawson ’17, Johanna Musgrave ’12, Megan Perkins ’18, Nicholas Robinson, Tarah Thomas ’16, Allyssa Westerfield ’16 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Chelsea Hudson ’04, Justin Mertes ’13, Lorie Simpson ’17

FEATURES 14

Mayfield Renovation Mayfield alumnae reflects on a 25-year relationship born in Mayfield Hall in celebration of the $3 million Mayfield renovation lead gift.

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Dedicated Servant Alumnus Roger Cross spent his life in Christian service including 38 years with Youth for Christ and 16 years as a member of the JBU Board of Trustees.

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Freedom Climber Alumna Chelsea Hudson summited Africa’s highest peak, Mount Kilimanjaro, on behalf of an organization fighting sexual and gender-based violence against women.

SUPPORT

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Marikit Fain Schwartz ’05, Sherry Miller ’75, Kelly Saunders ’12, Sonya Price

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JBU News

COPY EDITING

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Faculty Spotlight: Ted Song

Paul T. Semones ’99, Andy Klungland ’97

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Athletic News

10 Campaign for the Next Century Update 42 Alumni News 44 Retirements 46 In Memoriam

Submissions of news items, story ideas, letters and corrections can be made via email to: lroebuck@jbu.edu or via U.S. Postal Service to:

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Brown Bulletin 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761

CONNECT

©2016 John Brown University

Brown Bulletin Online: jbu.edu/bulletin

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JBU NOW

Campus News

JBU Hosts Disaster Shelter Design Competition

JBU’s Enactus team placed second out of 120 teams at the Enactus United States National Exposition in St. Louis on May 19. The team’s finish is the highest in university history.

This year Enactus JBU, comprised of 52 students, worked to distribute clean water and provide hygiene education in Guatemala. The team additionally partnered with Chilean inventor Carlos Fuentealba, who designed a pellet-burning furnace to heat homes and reduce emissions in Chile. Faculty Adviser Clayton Anderson also was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellows, the highest honor for an Enactus adviser. 03

The 5th Annual Disaster Shelter Design Competition, sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, was hosted at JBU on April 21-23. Judges evaluated the shelter designs for possible implementation in relief efforts worldwide. The shelter designs were based on the needs of displaced people and refugees currently fleeing to Albania and Macedonia from Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

New to this year’s competition was an emergency shelter construction test. All nine teams were given a kit of boards, plastic sheeting, tools, nails, wire and corrugated galvanized iron. Teams were evaluated on their ability to quickly design and construct emergency shelters from the given materials.

The shelters were scored separately from the long-term shelters and were tested against wind and water. JBU’s team took first place in the test. 02

Windgate Foundation Gives $3M Lead Gift for Mayfield Renovation Project

Governor Hutchinson Gives Inaugural Barnett Civic Leadership Lecture

A $3 million lead challenge grant from the Windgate Foundation was announced in April for a new $6 million renovation project on Mayfield Residence Hall, the university’s historic women’s dormitory. See story on page 12. 04

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson was the inaugural speaker for the new Barnett Civic Leadership Speaker Series on April 7 at JBU. The series, focusing on Christian civic leadership, is funded by an endowment with a

Enactus Team Places Second in National Competition

lead gift from the Barnett family. The series will bring prominent lecturers to address topics related to the intersection of faith and public service. 05

Students Win Arkansas Mathematics Competition Seniors Daniel Cho and Emily Hackett and junior Perry Tully and sophomore Nathaniel Ritzman earned first place by a 43-point margin at the Arkansas Undergraduate Mathematics Competition in March. Students competed in teams of 2-4 with no calculators, computers, books or notes available to them on a three-hour, 10-question test. JBU had two teams compete in the competition: the first team won the competition with 74 points and the second team tied with Harding University for third place at 20 points. 06

JBU Receives $1M Gift for Archaeological Project in Jordan JBU announced in March an anonymous $1 million gift to JBU’s Abila Archaeological Project. The gift will help fund the excavation, conservation and restoration of the archaeological site of Abila of the Decapolis in Northern Jordan as well as JBU’s Jordan Summer Studies Program, the Holy Lands Study Trip, and the biannual Abila Lecture in Biblical Archaeology.

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Five-Mile Mountain Bike Trail to be Built on JBU Campus

American Institute of Contractors Ethics Competition. JBU won the inaugural competition in 2015 and returned to defend its title in 2016.

In April construction management students received first place in two of three categories at the Associated Schools of Construction Region 5 Annual Competition. University teams were asked to develop a construction project proposal based on previously completed or on-going projects and make a formal presentation in Dallas to a panel of construction professionals who worked on those projects. 07

The Walton Family Foundation and Simmons Foods are partnering to build a five-mile mountain bike trail on the university’s Siloam Springs campus. The trail is expected to cost around $170,000 and open summer 2016. The trail will be soft-surface, utilizing terrain along Sager Creek and land with varying elevations around JBU’s main campus. It will be a “gateway” trail, designed to be enjoyed by riders of various skill levels. 01

WLHC Renovation Receives Lead Gift from Simmons Family JBU announced a lead gift in March from the Simmons family of Siloam Springs to help fund the $5 million renovation of the Walton Lifetime Health Complex. With the addition of this gift, more than $4 million of the $5 million needed to complete the project has been given or pledged. Renovation plans include a new community entrance, expanded fitness areas, an expansion of the HVAC system, new pool mechanical systems and decking and new locker rooms.

Construction Management Students Win At Two Competitions In March construction management students took first place at the second annual

South Korea’s Handong Global University Begins Partnership with JBU Handong Global University, a private Christian four-year university located in Pohang, North Gyeongsang province, signed a memorandum of understanding with JBU in February, marking the beginning of a partnership to open study abroad programs, research collaboration and faculty and staff exchanges.

The institutions hope to have a student exchange program outlined for possible student participation as early as fall 2016. Faculty and staff research and exchanges will be discussed over the next 12 months along with curriculum collaboration, dual academic programs, joint student projects and specialized training programs. 08

JBU Offers Alumni Free Access to Online Christian Video Service JBU alumni are eligible for a year of free access to RightNow Media, an online Christian streaming video library with more than 10,000 faith-based videos, Bible studies, conference sessions and children’s programs.

To request your complimentary account, email rightnowmedia@jbu.edu from the email address you would like associated with your account.

JBU Achieves New Carnegie Classification JBU was evaluated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning framework and was moved in April to the Master’s Colleges & Universities with Medium Programs category. JBU was previously in the Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields category, a classification the institution held since 2010.

“We’re proud of the progress and growth that this new classification represents for JBU,” said Dr. Ed Ericson, vice president of academic affairs. “Our increase in enrollment, retention and graduation rates reflect the hard work the university has done to provide an academically rigorous yet affordable education to our students.”

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FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

A former Air Defense Artillery Officer in the Republic of Korea Army, Dr. Ted Junseok Song has a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering. Song, who joined the JBU faculty in 2012, leads a Bible study for students and makes time to personally get to know his students over lunch in the “caf.” Song has also been instrumental in JBU’s recent partnership with South Korea’s Handong Global University.

TED

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FA C U LT Y S P O T L I G H T WHERE ARE THREE PLACES YOU WORKED BEFORE JBU?

1. UNIDO-ICHET (Istanbul, Turkey) 2. Samsung Electronics (Tangjeong, Korea) 3. NEC Laboratories (Cupertino, CA) WHAT ARE THE LAST THREE BOOKS YOU READ?

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“Kingdom Calling: Vocational Stewardship for the Common Good” by Amy Sherman “The Live Dead Journal: 30 Days of Prayer for Unreached Peoples, 30 Days of Challenge” by Dick Brogden “Backyard Problem Solver” by Jerry Baker

WHAT ARE THREE PIECES OF ADVICE YOU HAVE FOR JBU STUDENTS?

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Earnestly seek God’s guidance for finding a spouse if you plan to have a family.

Remember that our lives on Earth are limited; so do not waste your time on things that are not relevant to His eternal glory.

Evaluate your intentions and actions daily so that you always have a chance to come back to the cross and live only for Him.

WHAT ARE THREE THINGS YOU WANT STUDENTS TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR CLASSES?

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2.

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A professional attitude toward work Ability to find ways to represent Christ at work To be available to help others and to seek help when needed

WHAT ARE THREE THINGS JBU STUDENTS HAVE TAUGHT YOU?

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There are an unlimited number of events on campus every week.

“Spy vs. Spy” is a big deal for the JBU community.

We can be gracious to each other as Jesus is to us; thank you, students, for being so gracious to me!

WHAT THREE THINGS BRING YOU JOY?

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God’s compassion and grace When my daughter says “thank you” with a smile When my students tell me that they are “actually” learning something from my class

NAME THREE PEOPLE YOU ADMIRE OR THAT INSPIRE YOU?

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My wife — who always supports me in every way that she can.

Tim Gilmour — a next-door professor who makes me a better person every day.

Shohreh Noorbakhsh — a retired JBU staff member who taught me how to pray more for everything.

NAME THREE ADVANCEMENTS IN THE PAST 20 YEARS OF ENGINEERING THAT YOU ARE MOST THANKFUL FOR.

1. Internet phone — I can call anyone anywhere in the world without a charge.

2. E-books — I have access to more resources than anyone had 20 years ago.

3. Fitbit — It motivates me to exercise more!

WHAT ARE THREE THINGS YOU DO TO STAY ON TOP OF THE ADVANCES IN YOUR FIELD?

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Read newspapers daily Attend annual conferences Listen to students who are learning what’s happening in the field

WHAT ARE THREE RESEARCH PROJECTS YOU’VE WORKED ON AT JBU?

1. Development of a photovoltaic-powered aquaponics system 2. Development of an affordable solar thermal pasteurizer for waterborne diseases in rural Guatemala 3. An experimental study on the PV systems’ contribution on lowering the demand charge

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ATHLETICS

Golden Eagle Athletic News Student-Athletes Set Standard Spanning 10 Semesters For the ninth time in the past 10 semesters, JBU student-athletes produced a cumulative GPA above a 3.0 by making a 3.16 for the spring semester. In conjunction with the 3.14 set in the fall, the 2015-16 academic year proved to have the highest GPA of the past five years.

“Academics are rigorous and our student-athletes work hard to balance practice and competition with classes,” said Robyn Daugherty, athletic director.

Volleyball turned in the highest GPA with a 3.43 and men’s cross country had the top men’s GPA with a 3.28. Nearly 100 Golden Eagles earned a spot on the SAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll after earning a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

Thirteen Named Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes Over the course of the 2015-16 school year, 15 Golden Eagle student-athletes were named to the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete list, including: cross country’s Kenny Crane, Aaron Stafford and Annie Brown; soccer’s Cory Cole, Zeke Zumbro, Sarah Hill, Sara Lachance and Julie Whitlow; volleyball’s Libby Blasingame and Audrey Dearien; golf’s Trevor Barton; and tennis’ Taylor Russell and Krizana Saucedo. To be considered for scholar-athlete honors, a student-athlete must be at least a junior and have at least a 3.5 GPA.

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Dearien Captures NAIA All-America Honors and More Senior Audrey Dearien was featured as a volleyball All-America honoree and also captured American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region first team honors for the second time in her career. Dearien was also named the Female Most Outstanding Student-Athlete at the 2016 JBU Athletics Convocation.

The Frisco, Texas native led the Golden Eagles to a 22-15 record and a berth in the SAC tournament semifinals. Dearien earned team-bests in kills (430), attack attempts (1,123) and led the nation in service aces (86) as well as aces per set (.690). 04

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Kuykendall Finishes Year with Winning Record Despite the men’s tennis team finishing the 2015-16 season with a 2-9 overall record, freshman Nathan Kuykendall proved to be a bright spot for the program.

Kuykendall ended the season with a 7-4 singles record and, teamed with fellow freshman Fernando Hurley, posted a 7-4 mark in doubles play. He was the only player to finish the season above .500 for the Golden Eagles. 01

Pair of Female Freshman Phenoms Win SAC Honors Women’s soccer freshman Jastin Redman was awarded the Sooner Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year. Redman’s impact came from 14 goals and eight assists, including four game-winning goals. Her 36 points finished thirdmost in single-season program history and the most points since 2010.

Freshman Baily Cameron was also awarded the SAC honor in women’s basketball and joined just two other players in program history to have won the award. In conference play, Cameron scored 238 points, averaging 13.2 points per game, and grabbed 142 rebounds. She finished second in the league in field goal percentage (51.6 percent). 02 (Redman) 03 (Cameron)

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HOMECOMING OCTOBER 07-08

Featuring the CLASS OF ‘66 fifty-year reunion.

Additional class reunions for ‘71, ‘76, ‘81, ‘86, ‘91, ‘96, ‘01, ‘06, and ‘11, as well as intercollegiate volleyball and soccer matches, rugby and ultimate Frisbee matches, alumni soccer and basketball games, recognition of outstanding alumni and Kidzone.

For more information and to register visit www.jbu.edu/homecoming.

TRAIL RIDERS: JBU students Josh Campbell, Grant Willbanks and Justin Riffel take a short test ride on a portion of the new five-mile mountain bike trail on the JBU campus. Scheduled to be complete later this summer, the trail utilizes terrain along Sager Creek and is designed as a “gateway� trail to be enjoyed by riders of various skill levels. The Walton Family Foundation and Simmons Foods funded the new trail.

Attainable Dreams

PROGRESS UPDATE

SCHOLARSHIPS, HARD WORK HELP STUDENT PAY FOR COLLEGE ON HIS OWN

$125 MILLION GOAL FOR 2019 $44.5M

$80.5M

REMAINING

GIVEN/PLEDGED

NURSING & HEALTH EDUCATION BUILDING $1.6M

$10.4M

REMAINING

GIVEN/PLEDGED

Finishing touches are being made on the 20,000 square foot building, which will open to our first class of nursing students in August.

WALTON LIFETIME HEALTH COMPLEX $0.8M

$4.2M

REMAINING

GIVEN/PLEDGED

The AC has been expanded throughout the facility and work is now focused on expanding the fitness area and updating the locker rooms.

MAYFIELD HALL RENOVATION $3M

$3M

REMAINING

GIVEN/PLEDGED

Slated to begin spring 2017, this $6 million renovation will replace HVAC and plumbing systems, and update rooms and common areas.

ESTATE GIFTS FOR THE FUTURE $23.8M

$2.2M

REMAINING

GIVEN/PLEDGED

Estate gifts help grow and sustain the university as a lasting legacy of the donors.

PROGRAM AND OPERATING SUPPORT $7.7M

$17.3M

REMAINING

GIVEN/PLEDGED

The $25 million raised for program and operating expenses helps shape the JBU culture and our ability to impact our local community and the world.

ENDOWMENT FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE $4.1M $5.9M

REMAINING

GIVEN/PLEDGED

Gov. Asa Hutchinson gave the inaugural Barnett Civic Leadership Speaker lecture and a $1 million Abila Archaeological Project gift was received.

ENDOWMENT FOR SCHOLARSHIPS $0.5M

$9.5M

REMAINING

GIVEN/PLEDGED

Endowed scholarships provide sustainable financial help for JBU students.

JBU’s 262 endowed scholarships award over $2 million yearly.

JBU SCHOLARSHIP FUND $3.0M

GIVEN/PLEDGED

$2.8M

REMAINING

Gifts to the JBUSF provide annual need-based scholarships.

More than 550 students benefit from the JBUSF yearly.

By Shelby Lawson, ’17 Michael Bennett, a double major in management and business administration, graduates this December, finishing in 3.5 years.

Bennett’s affinity for JBU began during high school when he watched his sister Victoria ’13 excel in her classes and thrive on campus.

But, attending JBU seemed like an unattainable dream because of the financial obligations of a college education.

“I am one of five children,” Bennett said. “My parents said we were responsible for paying for our own college education if we wanted to go.”

The challenge of paying for college on his own felt daunting and added a significant amount of stress to Bennett’s final years in high school.

“I began studying earnestly and took the ACT several times to raise my score,” he said.

Bennett also worked at Harps grocery store to save for college and committed to avoiding student loans so he could graduate debt-free.

“I wanted to work hard and trust God to provide for me,” he said.

However, in the spring of his senior year of high school, Bennett realized his savings would not cover the price of JBU. But his academic perseverance paid off.

Bennett’s grades and test scores earned him a Trustee Scholarship. He also received aid from the JBU Scholarship Fund.

Bennett’s financial aid award letter allowed him to take a deep breath. “I finally knew that I could actually go to JBU,” he said.

Each semester since, Bennett has been reminded of the incredible gifts his financial awards have been, including additional endowed scholarships awarded his sophomore year.

“Without the scholarships from JBU, which make up the majority of my financial aid, I wouldn’t be able to go to college,” Bennett said.

Bennett commutes from his home in Fayetteville, Arkansas to save money on room and board and continues to work part-time at two jobs.

Bennett, now a closing manager at Harps, hopes to open his own store after graduation.

With one semester left, he is on track to graduate JBU debt-free.

C A M PA I G N

Summer Construction $14M in Projects Advance During Break

This summer the emptiness is being filled with the sounds of construction as nearly $14 million worth of projects are underway.

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sually, the summer months find the JBU campus relatively quiet. And though a variety of organizations use our facilities for summer camps, conferences and activities, we all feel the difference when our 1,500 students are missing.

This summer, however, the emptiness is being filled with the motivating sounds of construction as nearly $14 million worth of projects are under way.

The new $6 million Health Education Building is in its final stages of construction, and we’re excited to open its doors in August to our first class of nursing students who will return to campus as juniors. Included in the building is space for a future medical clinic to be managed by the local Community Physicians Group to serve both the JBU and greater Siloam Springs communities.

The Walton Lifetime Health Complex is now completely air-conditioned and this summer’s construction will focus on expanding the fitness area and updating the rest of the facility. The building remains open for use during the $5 million renovation project, scheduled to be complete

by JBU’s Homecoming celebration in October.

While those two projects account for a majority of the $14 million, there are no less than 19 other projects under way all over campus. These include: n n n n n n n n n n n

THE INDOOR TRACK AND RECREATION GYMS IN THE WALTON LIFETIME HEALTH COMPLEX ARE NOW FULLY AIR-CONDITIONED. THE $5 MILLION RENOVATION IS ALSO ADDING WINDOWS IN BOTH PLACES TO ALLOW FOR MORE OUTSIDE LIGHT AND TO GIVE A MORE OPEN FEEL BETWEEN THE VARIOUS AREAS OF THE WLHC.

A new roof for the Learning Resource Center Two new parking lots adding 160 spaces Expansion of the Graduate Counseling Care Clinic Remodel of the JBU Fort Smith Center Refinishing the 100 steps Renovation of two townhomes A new campus road behind the engineering and nursing buildings A new five-mile mountain bike trail A new cross-country running trail Renovation of the old Care Clinic house to be used as a community day care facility Repairs on the Missionary in Residence home

To date, JBU has raised $79 million of the $125 million goal for the Campaign for the Next Century. This includes a $3 million lead gift for the estimated $6 million renovation of Mayfield Hall slated to begin in spring 2017. I am grateful for God’s continued financial blessings on JBU through the generous gifts from alumni, parents and the JBU community. Not only do these gifts allow us to continue to provide high-quality facilities for student use, but they also strengthen our academic and co-curricular programs and provide much-needed scholarship funds to help students attend JBU. If you’d like to get involved in any of these projects financially, we would be happy to facilitate a gift or estate plan designation with you. This is such an exciting time to be involved in the JBU community and we invite you to join with us in equipping JBU for the next century of educating the head, the heart and the hand of the coming generations. Please feel free to contact me at jkrall@jbu.edu or by calling (479) 524-7145.

Jim Krall is the vice president for university advancement.

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C A M PA I G N

Mayfield Memories Freshman Friendship Stands Fast 25 Years Later

BY JULIE GUMM ’95 In the fall of 1991, I wheeled my heavy suitcase into room 204 of Mayfield Hall expectantly.

I took it all in — stained white linoleum floor, metal twin bed frames with uncovered worn mattresses, weirdly peach-colored walls and remnants of a country blue wallpaper border that featured geese in bonnets.

Despite my best efforts, a few tears welled up in my eyes, when the realization that I was now 1,200 miles from home settled in.

But packed away in my suitcase and a few boxes was a fresh start — new bedding, pictures of my friends and family, enough of me to make this dreary room a haven from busy college life. I quickly settled into classes, hall activities, movie nights in the lounge, pajama parties in the basement and Bible studies in our room.

With all the fun and crazy antics, Mayfield is most dear to me because it’s where I found my best friend.

In mid-October I followed the sounds of laughter to the room across the hall where several girls were hanging out. I was introduced to Kristen and within the next hour we discovered we shared the work study duties of washing pots and pans in the cafeteria. We bonded over our mutual loathing for the dirty, never-ending task.

God knew that a friendship forged between two 18-year-old girls

in the halls of Mayfield would be

the anchor both

of us needed these past 25 years.

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Throughout the rest of freshman year, our friendship grew. We double-dated for banquets, got caught sneaking out of Dr. Ruble’s class in Bynum Theater, commiserated over the difficulties of long distance dating relationships, and shared tips on how to get maximum height on our bangs.

Kristen would only be at JBU that one year. Neither one of us realized how deep the bond of friendship was Continued on Page 16

Mayfield Renovation Project Announced

STUDENTS CELEBRATE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RENOVATION WITH BALLOONS AND CUPCAKES OUTSIDE THE CATHEDRAL.

WINDGATE FOUNDATION GIVES $3M CHALLENGE GRANT TO PROJECT

JULIE AND KRISTEN CREATED A SCRAPBOOK THEY PASSED BACK AND FORTH OVER THE YEARS. THE PAGES ARE FILLED WITH PICTURES AND MEMENTOS FROM THEIR MANY VISITS WITH EACH OTHER IN PHOENIX, CONNECTICUT, TEXAS, PITTSBURGH AND FLORIDA.

In May JBU announced a $3 million lead challenge grant from the Windgate Foundation for a new $6 million renovation project on Mayfield Residence Hall, the university’s historic women’s dormitory.

The announcement, made by President Chip Pollard following a chapel service, was met with loud cheers from the students.

The gift will match dollar-for-dollar donations to the project up to $3 million. The Mayfield Renovation Project is the newest initiative of JBU’s $125 Million Campaign for the Next Century.

“This gift will enable us to restore and update Mayfield so that JBU can continue to provide an excellent residential experience for women on campus, an experience that encourages them to develop intellectually, emotionally and spiritually,” said President Chip Pollard.

Originally opened in 1964, the hall had one major addition in 1978 — the construction of a new wing increasing bed capacity by 100. The next renovation to the 247-bed facility is expected to begin in spring 2017 and be completed by summer 2018.

JBU will entirely rebuild each of the resident rooms with high-efficiency LED lighting, sound-resistant construction, sinks and new modular furniture. The renovation will also include new bathrooms and plumbing, individually controlled HVAC units, modern fire suppression and new furniture, equipment and décor for all of the common areas.

“Mayfield has always been a place where young women starting out their adult life have found a powerful community of love and support,” said Erin Christner, resident director of Mayfield. “This renovation project will help make sure that this facility, where women will make lifelong friendships and learn God’s potential for their lives, will continue to serve students for decades and decades.”

ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS SHOW PROPOSED DESIGNS OF THE RENOVATED LOBBY, ROOMS AND BATHROOMS.

C A M PA I G N

until her parents’ car pulled away that last day of school.

We’ve not lived closer than 1,000 miles from each other since 1992 but that has never really mattered. We’ve spent thousands of dollars on airline tickets and long distance phone bills (before email and texting).

We’ve seen each other through the hardest and most rewarding times of our lives – the births of five children, tough seasons in marriage, depression, kids with special needs and an adoption.

Now we’re navigating the tumultuous years of parenting teenagers together.

Several years ago Kristen told me she was never sure why she chose to come to JBU. She’d never visited, her boyfriend was going to school somewhere else and she knew no one at JBU. But God knew. He knew that a friendship forged between two 18-yearold girls in the halls of Mayfield would be the anchor both of us needed these past 25 years.

Our story is not unique. It’s duplicated hundreds, if not thousands of times over by the women who have called Mayfield Hall their home since 1964.

Now, thanks to a $3 million lead challenge gift from the Windgate Foundation, the renovation of historic Mayfield Hall will ensure that thousands more women will experience the community and sisterhood of Mayfield.

Each of the resident rooms will be rebuilt with high-efficiency LED lighting, sound-resistant construction, sinks, and new, modular furniture, which will allow the residents to maximize and personalize their room.

That ancient plumbing system that requires residents to yell “Hot Water!” before every toilet flush lest they scald anyone in the shower? Fixed — along with remodeled bathrooms with private changing areas with the showers.

The renovation also includes a new HVAC system that allows residents to control the temperature in their room. They won’t freeze during that early October cold snap and boil during the random warm week that seems to hit each February.

For 52 years Mayfield has been a mile marker in the lives of thousands of JBU women. In the span of an entire lifetime those few years spent in Mayfield are quick. But they are formational.

This renovation will ensure that thousands more women will experience the same sisterhood, the same community, the same legacy.

Friendships forged. Careers decided. Marriages proposed.

Faith transformed. Purpose found.

All within the halls of Mayfield. n

Mayfield is most dear to me because it’s where I found my best friend. We’ve not lived closer than 1,000 miles from each other since 1992 but that has never really mattered.

HAVE A MAYFIELD MEMORY YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE? E-MAIL JGUMM@JBU.EDU. JBU WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR STORIES, SEE YOUR PHOTOS AND RELIVE IT WITH YOU. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE MAYFIELD HALL RENOVATION, VISIT WWW.JBU.EDU/MAYFIELD.

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Rog lived a life of impact, working primarily with young people in the ministry of Youth for Christ for 38 years.

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT THE 2014 DEDICATION OF THE LIVING WATER FOUNTAIN, A GIFT FROM THE BOARD TO THE UNIVERSITY. ROGER CROSS, FAR RIGHT, SERVED ON THE JBU BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR 16 YEARS.

Dedicated Servant Remembering the Life of Roger Cross

R

oger Cross ’66 had a smile that was warm and inviting. Anyone who knew him was drawn with ease into a robust and hope-filled relationship.

Rog, as many called him, graduated from JBU with a music degree with an emphasis in the trumpet. He married his JBU sweetheart, Jan (Unruh) ’66, and together they had three children, Shawna ’92, Amber and Gary and enjoyed their grandkids.

Rog lived a life of impact, working primarily with young people in the ministry of Youth for Chris, USA for 38 years. Serving as president of the organization for almost half of those years, Roger became one of the nation’s preeminent experts on youth culture.

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Roger on the JBU Board of Trustees, particularly the last few years while he served as the chair of the Student Development subcommittee. In these times, I witnessed Roger’s passion for discipleship and his compassion for those students who had somehow lost their way.

More than once I received a phone call from Roger informing me of a potential student that he was “working with” to come to JBU because he knew they would be challenged and supported in ways that would allow them to flourish.

In 2006, Roger and Jan were selected as JBU’s Alumni of the Year for their faithful service to YFC, JBU and their new ministry, Children’s Music Academy.

Since 2013 Roger was diagnosed with melanoma three times and each time surgery was successful. But this spring, doctors told him there were innumerable tumors in his earthly body and nothing further could be done.

Roger contacted me to say he would not make it to the spring board meeting—apologetically. This was so Roger—while engaged in his battle with cancer, he was contemplating his commitments and desperately wanting to be in the center of what God was doing in the lives of others.

“That is why we never give up,” says one of Roger’s favorite verses, “though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day.”

2 Corinthians 4:16.

Roger was surrounded by his family when he passed away at home on April 11.

I’m grateful for how Roger and Jan daily lived out what you can do in the strength of the Lord.

Steve Beers is vice president of student development.

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Women of Inf luence CELEBRATING JBU’S PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE LEADERS Although under-represented historically, many women have had an oversized influence on the trajectory of John Brown University, some indirectly and others directly. This section celebrates the accomplishments of those women, often unsung, in guiding JBU to success in its mission of training students to honor God and serve others.

CAREY POLLARD, STEPHANIA BROWN, ALICE BALZER, MARY EVA GEORGE

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FEATURE

First Ladies Wives Shape and Serve the JBU Community

BY TA R A H T H O M A S ’ 1 6 | P H O T O BY M AT T S N Y D E R ’ 9 6

T

he “first lady” of John Brown University is not a formal

office with a management guidebook. Yet, since 1919, JBU’s first

ladies have worked to create lasting fellowship and community for the university. Each JBU first lady utilized her gifts in the roles of wife, mother, advocate, hostess, fundraiser and traveler to represent the university and further the mission of educating students to honor God and serve others. Even through the challenges that so often muddled the boundaries between public and private life, these women imprinted a legacy on the JBU community that students and alumni will benefit from forever.

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FEATURE

be away from Juanita and miss so much of his children’s lives. … He signed the letter, ‘How I miss you all, and how dearly I DO LOVE YOU ALL. Kisses, and prayers for every one of you, Daddy—devotedly,’” wrote Rick Ostrander in the JBU history book “Head, Heart, and Hand: JBU and Modern Evangelical Higher Education.”

Juanita served on the original board of trustees and championed the Cathedral of the Ozarks project from its conception in 1945 to its completion in 1957.

Grandson John E. Brown III recalls that toward the end of Juanita’s life, she peered out of the window of their house to see her husband’s vision brought to life.

“My grandfather was an itinerant evangelist, traveling around the country, and then here’s his dream, the university, taking shape in the very Cathedral of the Ozarks,” said Brown III.

Caroline Brown Served 1948 – 1979

FROM TOP LEFT: JOHN BROWN JR. AND WIFE CAROLINE; FOUNDER JOHN BROWN SR. AND WIFE JUANITA; THE FOUNDER, JUANITA AND THEIR FIVE CHILDREN

Juanita Brown Served 1919 – 1948

Juanita Arrington Brown was the love of John E. Brown Sr.’s life and he described her as his “greatest of all earthly blessings.” They met at a church meeting in Oklahoma, later marrying in 1900.

Brown Sr. was a pioneer radio broadcaster, evangelist, educator and leader.

But it was Juanita who supported him through the pursuit of his dream to establish a university on their 300-acre farm.

Juanita cared for their six children and created a stable home while Brown Sr. traveled often. In his absence, he wrote Juanita many letters updating her on all university matters, failures and successes.

“Brown’s letters to his family revealed something of the anguish it caused him to

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Caroline Brown was JBU’s first lady for 31 years when John Brown Jr. succeeded his father in 1948.

Caroline married Brown Jr. in 1941 and received her English degree from JBU in 1947. Together, they had five children. As first lady, she hosted many campus guests from a variety of backgrounds.

“She was your best friend even if you’d just met. She made you feel comfortable no matter who you were,” Brown III said.

Caroline served the community as a member of the Hospital Auxiliary, the Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital Foundation and the Siloam Springs Adult Development Center. She helped organize the local chapter of the Salvation Army and served as president of the local Philanthropic Educational Organization.

She was a nurse for 26 years at Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital until her retirement in 2000 and earned the Dr. Frist Humanitarian Award in 1986. The Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce awarded her the Pioneer Citizen Award in 2000.

Caroline died in January 2005 and her family and friends created an endowed scholarship fund in her honor.

Stephania Brown Served 1979 - 1993 Brown III and Stephania became president and first lady of JBU in 1979.

The couple met in high school and married three and a half years later in December 1968. They had five children, with the youngest two being born during Stephania’s time as First Lady.

While Stephania’s priority was to stay at home to care for their young children, she also hosted many guests, from faculty to trustees to donors.

Her award-winning roses that lined the outside of the president’s house were the first thing to greet university guests.

“Stephania is lovely, congenial, friendly, beautiful, gracious and very poised.

Everything a first lady would be,” said Alice McQuay, longtime family friend and former staff member.

As president and first lady, the couple served a community much larger than their immediate family.

“It’s like being in a ministry,” John Brown III said. “You have direct interaction with young people from all over the world and dedicated faculty and staff.

Every day, you feel like you’re serving the Lord by serving JBU.” Stephania served on the board for the Northwest Arkansas Children’s Shelter from 1995 to 2008.

“What everyone loves about Stephania is just how genuine she is,” said Delia Haak, Brown III’s assistant from 19851988. “As a mom of young children it was difficult for her to attend activities of the university, and yet she was very gracious …

They were a team in that. They still are.”

Mary Eva George

Served April to August 1994 Mary Eva was receiving treatment in South Carolina for lupus during the time her husband Bill George was interim JBU president in the summer of 1994. When President George Ford stepped down the board asked Bill, who served on the board under all six presidents, to fill the role.

When he called Mary Eva from Arkansas after the meeting, she told Bill he had

a responsibility to the institution, even though it meant living in different cities.

It was a sacrifice she was willing to make for the university they loved so much.

Before the presidency, Mary Eva and Bill lived in California where Bill was in charge of JBU endowment operations — two military academies, a girl’s school, a day school, the nation’s top listener Christian radio station and a senior housing complex — whose operations provided funding for JBU. The Georges spoke with donors that had never been to Siloam Springs but gave millions to support the university.

“What we did, we did as a team,” Mary Eva said.

John E. Brown III recounted the many years of service that Mary Eva gave. “They served wherever my grandfather, my father or I asked them to serve,” he said.

Mary Eva and Bill were married for 56 years before his passing in 2008.

In 2010, JBU named the new arena Bill George Arena and asked Mary Eva to speak at the first commencement held in the facility, a day she calls a true honor.

“JBU has been good to us,” Mary Eva said. “One of the biggest things it gave us was a purpose because we both felt that what the university had to offer was so important, and we wanted the students that came to JBU to have the opportunity to make a difference in the world.”

Alice Balzer

Served 1994 – 2004 Alice and Lee Balzer came to JBU in 1994 from Tabor College in Kansas.

“When we first came, I didn’t realize what a special place JBU is; what special faculty and staff we have and the fantastic students that come,” Alice said.

Alice grew up on a small farm in western Kansas, the fifth of six children.

She met Lee her sophomore year of high school, and they married in college.

As first lady, Alice created an atmosphere of fellowship for the faculty and staff and their spouses. Women’s organizations, board members, chapel speakers, parents and students were just a few of the many people Alice hosted to encourage

the familiar feeling of family at JBU. “One of my passions is having fellowship with my fellow human beings,” Alice said. “I think it makes such a big difference if people live a life with Christ as an example and model.”

Alice also enjoyed travelling with Lee to alumni meetings and often collaborated with his secretary in his scheduling.

“They were always willing to go anywhere and meet anybody,” McQuay, who worked in the presidential suite during Lee’s presidency, said. “Alice was 100 percent willing to help any way she could.”

Alice’s passion for family and the church has guided her to spread the love of Christ in all aspects of her life, particularly in her marriage.

“Somewhere down the line someone taught us to respect people — not just our parents and teachers but each other,” said Alice. “A marriage does not work if there is not respect for each other.”

Investing in the lives of people is something that Alice still does today, in part through the Balzer Family Endowed Scholarship.

the world: from Cambridge, Massachusetts to Oxford, England to Grand Rapids, Michigan, before making their home in Siloam Springs at JBU in 2004.

“We’ve done it together. It’s been more of an adventure for me,” Carey said. “At some point, one spouse’s career has to take priority. For us, I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, and I was blessed to be able to do that for most of our marriage. It made me flexible to encourage his professional pursuits, even if it meant moving to go to grad school or to take a job.”

As first lady of JBU, Carey often attends university events. She opens her home to host over 50 events per year for groups ranging from 10 to 400, including a BBQ for the entire freshman class.

Senior Shelby Lawson, a resident assistant (RA) in Hutcheson Hall, said students are appreciative of how active Carey is in the every day lives of students.

“Every spring we host an event for Hutch residents where the RA’s make and serve pancakes. This year Mrs. Pollard was there getting to know the students.

Even through the challenges that so often muddled the boundaries between public and private life, these women imprinted a legacy on the JBU community.

Balzer Technology Center, a 40,000 square-foot facility housing the engineering and construction management programs, was named in honor of the Balzers.

Carey Pollard 2004 - present

Carey Pollard is said to be everything a first lady should be according to Alice Balzer and Mary Eva George.

Raised in Wheaton, Illinois, Carey met Chip Pollard in junior high. They started dating their sophomore year of high school, and married Christmas of their junior year at Wheaton College in 1983.

Together the Pollards have lived around

The residents were delighted to hang out and eat pancakes with the First Lady.”

Each day is unique, requiring the first lady to be flexible.

“Coming into this role, I felt like I needed to do everything and be somebody else,” Carey said. “I finally learned that God’s gifted me in a way to do this that works with my skills and not to try to use somebody else’s skills.”

Carey also serves in the community as a board member for the Manna Center and on the Christian education committee at First Presbyterian Church.

“JBU is full of wonderful people. To get to know the faculty and staff families is a blessing and a great thing,” Carey said. n S UM M ER 2016

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ss Visionary FEATURE

Haak Transforms Business Programs, Develops First JBU Master’s Program

the bonfire provided a community long before JBU had a formal international friendship program or MK Club.

It was August 1979 when Delia Haak “She was always cheerful, always hosand her husband Bill, age 22, arrived in pitable and cared about everyone,” said Gentry, Arkansas with 54 heifer cows.

Alice McQuay who worked alongside Land prices were cheap and it Delia in the development office. seemed like the perfect place to estabMcQuay also describes Haak as lish a dairy farm and build a future. “highly organized and totally intelliThey bought 47 acres with a 1,000 gent,” — skills that undoubtedly helped square foot house surrounded by grass her balance multiple responsibilities as high as Delia’s knees. and complete her degree in 1990.

They fixed up the farmhouse and As she was finishing her coursework Haak spent six years raising their two Dr. Doyle Butts, then chairman of the sons, Luke and Jake, and supporting business division, asked Haak what she her husband as he built up the dairy. thought about teaching.

Despite humble beginnings Delia “She had such people skills,” Butts soon became a major driving force said. “She was passionate about helping behind JBU’s business department and others, which is a fundamental for being the development of the university’s a good teacher.” first master’s program.

It wasn’t something Delia had conIn 1985, with her boys in school, she sidered, but there was an “aha” moment accepted a position at JBU as the assisand she realized she would love it. tant to President John E. Brown III. “Then he said ‘You just need to do Haak also enrolled as a student to finone thing’ and I thought, ‘okay whatevish her business degree, taking classes er!’” said Haak. before work and during her lunch hour.

That one thing was getting her MBA. Delia took a personal interest in the “I looked at him and said ‘Do you new Walton Scholars Program. know how hard it was for me to get my “I got involved from a mom standundergraduate degree?’” she said. point — thinking about how these stuHaak’s heart sank as she wondered dents feel so far from home,” Haak said. how she could possibly juggle an MBA The Haak dairy farm soon became program with work and her family. “home away from home” for many stuBut when she went home and told her dents, especially missionary kids and husband, Bill simply said, “You have to international students. Meals around do that.”

BY JULIE GUMM ’95 PHOTOS BY MATT SNYDER ’96

So she did, while continuing to work full time for the JBU development office.

In the fall of 1991, while finishing her MBA, she transitioned to a part-time associate professor role teaching Introduction to Business and leading the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE – now Enactus) program.

Originally just a club, Haak helped develop SIFE into a three-credit hour program.

That year JBU’s SIFE team won Rookie of the Year at both the regional and international competitions.

Over the next six years, Haak guided the SIFE students to four regional championships and in 1996 was named a Sam Walton Free Enterprise Fellow.

Delia’s work with SIFE built the foundation for JBU’s strong Enactus program which placed second in the nation this spring.

“The first to bring true drive and vision to JBU SIFE was Delia. She laid the foundation for the successes that SIFE/Enactus have worked so hard to achieve to this day,” said Joe Walenciak, dean of the Soderquist College of Business. “Had it not been for her belief in our students and SIFE, I doubt we would have an Enactus team today.”

Gradually Haak’s teaching load expanded to include marketing classes, and she wanted to take some additional graduate classes.

When she told her husband, he said, “You might as well check into a doctoral program.”

“But I didn’t want to quit my job,” Haak said. “A lot of doctoral programs were full time programs. There was no way I was going to do that when I had the job I wanted.”

But the University of Arkansas’ program

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let her pursue a degree in higher education, take the marketing classes she wanted and continue working. So she enrolled in 1995.

Two years later the JBU Board of Trustees began discussing a graduate degree program.

“The university was saying ‘What can we do to develop ethical leaders in all fields — business, education, the church, medical, journalism?’,” said Haak.

President Lee Balzer approached Haak about developing a master of science in leadership and ethics (MSLE) as her doctoral dissertation.

“It was exciting to me to look at leadership as an academic field of study,” said Haak.

While working on her dissertation, Haak helped establish the Donald G. Soderquist Center for Business Leadership and Ethics at JBU, which opened in August 1998. Haak was named the executive director of the center, a part-time position that allowed her to continue teaching and developing the MSLE that enrolled its first students in the fall of 1999.

She successfully defended her dissertation that December and earned the prestigious Dissertation of the Year Award from the College of Education at U of A. Rob Bethke ’99 and ’01 worked for Delia as a graduate assistant at the center and was a member of the first cohort of MSLE students.

“I learned much from Delia about servant leadership, integrity and meaningful academic discipline,” Bethke said.

In 2000 the university hired a full time director for the center and Delia returned her attention to her first love — the classroom.

“There were students that I didn’t want

to leave. I wanted to be part of their lives,” Haak said.

One such student was Mandy (Campbell) Moore ’04, a member of the first team of JBU students to ever compete in the Governor’s Cup Business Plan Competition.

The team, who did all of the work outside of their normal classes, placed fourth in the competition under Haak’s guidance.

Within a couple of years, participating in the Governor’s Cup became part of the curriculum, and today JBU teams consistently place in the top three and have won over half a million dollars in prize money.

“Dr. Haak is the reason I became a professor,” said Moore. “It was powerful to have a female role model in the business division.”

In 2001, the students chose Delia to receive the Faculty of the Year Award.

“She was the biggest reason that JBU was such a transformational place for me,” said Moore. “My confidence blossomed under her leadership, rigor and care.”

In 2002, Delia was appointed as the coordinator of JBU’s graduate business program and remained in that position until she retired in 2006. Even in retirement Haak continues to adjunct teach.

But after a year, Delia re-entered the full time work force.

“I thought my children and grandchildren would need me more,” she joked.

In 2007, Haak was appointed the executive director of the Illinois River Watershed Partnership, an organization dedicated to improving and protecting the water quality in the Illinois River.

Her work earned the recognition of President Barack Obama who appointed Haak as the United States Commissioner of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Commission in 2015.

She shows no signs of retiring (again) soon.

The Haaks still host gatherings around the bonfire out at the Haak Dairy – sometimes Delia’s students, often their seven grandchildren or her nephews’ families, and no matter what is it, you will find Delia in the center of it all, doing what she does best — connecting and encouraging.

“Delia Haak is a woman of great integrity.

When she speaks, people listen. People continue to seek her out because of her leadership and character,” said Moore. n

FEATURE

Wise Counsel ADOLPHSON’S PASSION FOR PEOPLE FUELS DECADES OF JBU SERVICE

By Tracy Balzer and Shelby Lawson ’17 Photo by Matt Snyder ’96

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Ida Adolphson knew there was something special about John Brown University even as a prospective student, but she had no idea how intertwined her life would become with JBU. In 1951 Adolphson graduated with degrees in both English and broadcasting, a passion for Christ and a commitment to JBU’s mission.

After graduation, Adolphson left for Manila, Philippines, where she served at Far East Broadcasting Company, a Christian radio network that airs throughout the world.

After four years in Manila, she returned to the States and worked as a youth director and cashier at an insurance company in Topeka, Kansas. But four years later, she found herself back at JBU. In 1959, Ida was hired as the Head Resident (now known as Resident Director) of California Dorm, then the women’s residence hall. Adolphson soon realized the transformative effect living on campus had on students. She loved her residents and developed a true desire to help them grow in Christ.

Ida describes the job as both challenging and delightful. On one hand there was no heat in the winter, the showers were decidedly “immodest” and to get to the swimming pool and the gym—two popular destinations on campus — residents had to trudge up and down the infamous 100 Steps.

Yet, the dorm parties, the formative conversations with residents and the storied pranks (including the appearance of a Volkswagen in the lobby) made it all worth it. One memory Ida recounted, that will always stand out, is the time President John E. Brown, Jr. and his wife, Caroline, pitched in to help residents clean up the California lobby after a remodel in the 1970s. It was this type of camaraderie that she found so special in dorm life at JBU. In 1961 Adolphson was promoted to the position of Dean of Women, and in this role Ida learned the significance of respect between staff and students. Inevitably there were times students would push the boundaries and Adolphson would need to intervene, but after it was done “we would just laugh and go on,” she recalled. Even in the serious moments, Adolphson’s disciplinary process was full of grace and love.

Dr. Sandra Van Thiel, a long-time friend of Adolphson’s and former chair of JBU’s education department, believes the effectiveness of Adolphson’s leadership came from her ability to be lovingly and genuinely empathetic.

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“She is very understanding with people. She doesn’t have to talk — she can really listen — but she is not afraid to speak up when it’s time,” Van Thiel said.

Judi White ’67 was a dorm assistant under Adolphson’s direction for three years in Mayfield Hall. “All of the responsibilities Ida had seemed difficult, but I was always amazed at how she maintained all of those girls and still had their respect. It takes a special person to do both,” White said.

White remembers that Adolphson would stay up all night counseling and talking to students in distress.

“She was always so patient with the students; as long as we wanted to talk she would listen,” White said.

Adolphson influenced the lives of many students, but never by her own strength or for her own agenda.

“She was doing what she knew the Lord wanted her to do,” White said, adding that Adolphson knew the Lord went before her and this propelled her to give each responsibility her full attention.

After seven years at JBU, Adolphson took a job as the assistant dean of students at Moody Bible Institute. It was there that Adolphson met Van Thiel, who was hired to work under her as the head resident of the women’s residence hall.

Managing the 500-resident women’s dorm was a challenging job, and Van Thiel said she could not have fulfilled her role without Adolphson’s selfless wisdom, care and mentorship.

“The success of my time there I really give to Ida ... to have somebody who gives you advice but you don’t feel like they’re pushing it on you — it’s hard to explain the significance of that,” Van Thiel said.

Adolphson poured her heart into her work at Moody for five years before returning to her alma mater in 1973 as director of counseling.

There was never an ambitious, power-seeking motive in Adolphson’s career moves, Van Thiel recalls. “Ida brought it all before the Lord for direction. It was … a passion for wanting to help people that folded out into counseling and so forth.”

Seven years later, in 1980, that “so forth” took Adolphson somewhere she never expected to go — into the classroom as an assistant professor of psychology. She realized that teaching would provide a greater way for her to impact students.

She completed her doctorate in higher education,

with an emphasis in student development, from the University of Arkansas in 1985.

“I prayed to be … able to draw students to … think about what I [was] saying in a way that would result in changes in their lives,” Adolphson said.

In 1990 Adolphson was elected Teacher of the Year — a witness to her clear impact on students’ lives and answered prayer for her time in the classroom.

Adolphson also paved the way for women to serve in spiritual leadership positions at JBU, something that was absent at the beginning of her career, and Ida was the first woman to be asked to teach a Bible course at JBU. Vice President for Finance and Administration, Dr. Kim Hadley, remarked that Ida was “like an astronaut, charting new territory for us all.” Even when she became a professor in the psychology department, she was the only woman. Van Thiel remarked that though Ida was the first woman to do several things on campus, it was always “in a quiet way,” a mark of Adolphson’s humility, grace and desire to give God the glory for everything.

Adolphson was also instrumental in getting JBU’s graduate counseling program started before her retirement. Van Thiel spoke of the way Ida almost effortlessly recruited graduate counseling students with her kind and helpful nature.

John Carmack, program director for graduate counseling, served alongside Ida for eight years. Carmack remembers Ida as a consistent source of joyfulness and encouragement in the department. She was so cherished that even after her retirement in 2005, at the age of 80, Carmack asked Adolphson to work part-time and strategically positioned her desk in the office so she would be the first face new students and their parents encountered.

“While we are all called to be encouragers, she might have been an original design for the mold God had in mind for all of us,” Carmack said. “She valued conversations with you. You were important to her no matter how different you might be or what generation you lived in.”

Carmack marveled at Ida’s consistent humility despite all of her influence and accomplishments.

“She never claimed the glory, and as a result God continues to use her as an instrument of blessing to others.”

Van Thiel noted that what she ultimately sees in Adolphson is a woman who has given herself to the Lord. “Like she always says, ‘If it’s great, it’s because God made it great.’”

On April 28, when President Chip Pollard announced the $6 million Mayfield renovation project in chapel, he invited Ida to give the dedicatory prayer.

Umprompted, but inspired by Pollard’s brief words on Ida’s impact on JBU, the students responded by giving Adolphson a well-deserved standing ovation. n

The effectiveness of Adolphson’s leadership came from her ability to be lovingly and genuinely empathetic.

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Women to Watch ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS RECOGNIZE LEADERS OF TOMORROW

By Allyssa Westerfield ’16 | Photos by Lorie Simpson ’17 ALYSSA ARNOLD ’18 (nursing) led a team that performed blood glucose screenings and taught about diabetes at a Salvation Army shelter. Arnold has maintained a 4.0 GPA while playing outside hitter on the JBU volleyball team and plans to pursue a doctorate of nursing degree and work as a nurse practitioner in labor and delivery.

Gay founded Students Against Sex Slavery to raise awareness of human trafficking and sexual violence in Arkansas. She served as an advocate at the Northwest Arkansas Rape Crisis Center and Child Safety Center and founded JBU’s Political Science Honors Society.

MARGARITA BAEZ ’16 (graduate counseling) interned for the Early Connections program for Bentonville Public Schools using play therapy to support students having difficulty adjusting to school. She has also served at several other resource centers supporting children and families in the community.

SHARON INGRAM ’17 (organizational management) accepted a promotion with greater leadership responsibilities, including hiring an audit team and establishing an audit facility in Arkansas. Ingram serves on the Advisory Board for AR Kids Read and was appointed

by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to serve on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission.

AUDREY DEARIEN ’16 (electrical engineering) is a founding officer of JBU’s Society of Women Engineers chapter. Also on the women’s volleyball team, she was named to the 2015 NAIA All-American third team. Dearien earned a full research assistantship at the University of Arkansas to pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering.

KRISTA GAY ’16 (political science, history, child & family studies and family & human services) will attend Brooklyn Law School this fall.

LINDY MARTIN ’16 (graphic design and photography) displayed her work in a six-state juried AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) exhibition. She led the graphic design section of the Visual Art Foundry and was co-president of the volleyball club.

ARLINE MEJIA PEREZ ’17 (public relations) served as editor of the “Nesher” yearbook in 2015-16 and will be editor–in-chief of the

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student newspaper “The Threefold Advocate” this fall. Mejia is serving as an international field staff member and intern in Bolivia for Samaritan’s Purse this summer.

Council. Simmons led a JBU Enactus team that aided local entrepreneur Heather Lanker with her children’s clothing company. She also coached a girls’ basketball team for the Boys & Girls Club.

ANGELIQUE O’BRYAN ’17 (organizational management), is the director of HR and operations for Collective Bias, a shopper and social media company in Northwest Arkansas, and is the co-owner of two local businesses. She also serves on the board for the NWA Women’s Shelter.

BETHANY SMITH ’16 ( family and human services) conducted an extensive research project on childhood trauma and its effects on children’s psychosocial development for her capstone course and plans to attend Queen’s University in Northern Ireland to gain her master’s in conflict transformation and social justice.

ALEXANDRA RICHTER ’17 (intercultural studies) is spending the summer teaching English at a Christian international school in South Asia, as well as learning about educational development in rural areas. She served as a Mayfield resident assistant and is a member of the Cathedral Choir. Next fall she will co-teach an honors intercultural communication class with Dr. Aminta Arrington.

SARAH WHITE ’16 (early childhood education) participated in an educational summer camp in inner-city Memphis last summer. Since then, she has been accepted into the Memphis Teacher Residency, a one-year graduate program in Urban Education (Union University) followed by three years of service as an elementary classroom teacher in Memphis.

DANIELA RIVAS ’17 (business administration), is on the founding leadership team for the Enactus Yellow Crate project; a team which created a mobile app to connect food pantry administrators with grocery shoppers in their community. She will be the assistant resident director next year in Mayfield Hall.

SARA WHITLOCK ’16 (biochemistry) has done summer research at both Harvard University and the University of Arkansas, as well as six semesters of research with JBU faculty. She has given presentations of her work at regional and national conferences. This fall, Whitlock will start a doctoral program in molecular biophysics and structural biology, jointly hosted by the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.

JANA SCHAMMEL ’18 (kinesiology) plays a significant role as a member of the JBU women’s basketball team, averaging 10.2 points per game while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. She plans to pursue a doctoral degree in physical therapy after graduation.

ANN SIMMONS ’16 (graduate business) managed several critical strategic planning projects as a Soderquist Leadership fellow and served as the graduate student representative on JBU’s Graduate

ARIANA J. ZALDIVAR ’16 (worship arts) showcased her skills in musicianship, production and maturity of theme for her senior worship presentation “On Shame.” She placed 3rd at the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition. She completed her internship at a church in Indiana, and was offered a full-time position after graduation.

In Her Words

Q&A with JBU’s most influential women

BY LUCAS ROEBUCK ’97 | PHOTOS BY LORIE SIMPSON ’17

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We asked 14 of the most influential women of JBU, past and present, about their impact on the university and had them respond in their own words. The women were selected by an anonymous panel of JBU administrators from a list of nominees generated by the Brown Bulletin editorial staff. Surprising, insightful and hopeful, these short exchanges offer hints of wisdom and inspiration for all genders and generations.

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Susan Barrett Susan Barrett is a former CEO of Mercy of Northwest Arkansas and is the incoming chair of JBU’s Board of Trustees.

BB: As you’ve served in many leadership roles, what do you see as the most important characteristics of the next generation of leaders?

Barrett: The next generation of leaders need faith, honor, trust and ethics. Also needed in this rapidly changing world is attentive communication, truth-seeking insight, orchestration of peace-filled relationships and authenticity.

BB: What female role models would you encourage JBU women to emulate?

Barrett: I encourage young women to look for strong women to encourage them, while finding role models in both genders to help shape their lives. It doesn’t take long to discover if any potential role model is minimizing your potential or stretching you to maximize your possibilities.

BB: Healthcare is an industry that crosses economic, scientific, political, moral and spiritual lines. What should JBU’s role in the healthcare landscape be?

Barrett: I was not a Sunday School teacher, a preacher, a Biblical study author or any of the roles we traditionally think of as ministry. Healthcare was a place I was able to live out my understanding of ministry to others during the most vulnerable moments of the human experience — life, death, moral complexity, ethical decisions impacting real lives in critical times. JBU’s role in educating and preparing students for this ministry has far reaching importance.

Robbie Castleman Dr. Robbie Castleman is a retired member of the Biblical Studies faculty at JBU. BB: The evangelical faith traditions of JBU students espouse diverse positions on the Biblical role of women. How have you navigated sometimes-conflicting theological views?

Castleman: On rare occasions I’ve had students ask me “Is it okay for a woman to be teaching Scripture?” I first listen carefully for the root of their concern and then ask questions concerning their experiences and particular passages or teaching they find troublesome. Then, as they are willing, I help them engage those texts with care and fidelity

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to the biblical texts, intentions and patterns of Jesus, Paul, Peter and other New Testament writers in how they treated women. The issue isn’t about me. The issue is the biblical witness.

BB: You’re the most published JBU faculty in university history. Is there a secret to your prolific nature?

Castleman: Living a long time. Twelve books and Bible study guides in about twenty-five years isn’t really “prolific.” I have to dig deep to be obedient to the call to write — I’d much rather just teach. But writing is a way of extending my teaching beyond my own reach.

And God seems to have used this for His purposes. I am definitely not a slave to hours behind a computer.

BB: You’ve been a crucial voice in helping JBU articulate its position on marriage. What role do you see JBU having in the future in the broader national discussion on marriage?

Castleman: My academic background is in the intersection of biblical studies and theology. It’s where I do my best thinking. So, I was happy to participate on the committee. I believe JBU’s greatest strength for engaging this discussion is our commitment to the unique authority of Scripture and the Lordship of Jesus Christ holding the fullness of both grace and truth seen in Jesus, the incarnate Son of God, as the hallmark of our own ethic and the way we treat others in His name.

Robyn Daugherty Robyn Daugherty ’85 and ’03 is the JBU athletic director.

BB: Under your leadership, what are the most important goals for JBU athletics?

Daugherty: My overarching goal is to impact lives.

Student-athletes learn to follow, lead and encourage one another through JBU athletics. They also learn how to manage competing priorities in life, balancing rigorous academics with practice and competitions while also saving some time for fun. Ultimately, I want JBU student-athletes to develop leadership skills by engaging with others on campus as RA’s, SMLT leaders, Passion leaders, etc.

BB: Considering your entire career as a Golden Eagle, what is your most shining moment?

Daugherty: There are many shining moments — from seeing student-athletes begin a relationship with the Lord, to championships won on the court and field!

What brings me the most joy is seeing former student-athletes come back for reunions and celebrations and seeing that the relationships they developed with teammates and coaches have remained intact.

BB: What are the positive impacts that participating in athletics have on women attending JBU?

It doesn’t take long to discover if any potential role model is stretching you to maximize your possibilities.

SUSAN BARRETT

Daugherty: It provides an avenue for relationships that build women of character and influence. Student-athletes spend a significant amount of time together through their sport, and they develop very deep bonds. The support, encouragement and accountability that these relationships provide are critical to a student’s overall development and readiness for life as a woman after college.

Glenna Belle Davis Dr. Glenna Belle Davis, retired professor of health promotion and human performance, served JBU from 1964-1994 and pioneered the women’s athletic program.

BB: What are you most proud of during your tenure at JBU? Davis: When I was hired at JBU, they didn’t have any physical education classes for women. So, I started five classes of P.E. for women as well as the women’s sports program — volleyball first, then basketball and softball.

It was important to the girls to have a program and a time for activity. JBU leadership was very supportive of the different programs I started.

BB: In 30 years of teaching, what motivated you most in your career?

Davis: I was motivated by the obligation to get going. I liked teaching physical education better than health education, but I still meet students now who compliment me on my health education classes. I always started my classes with prayer and taught with the perspective that everything that is associated with our body is associated with the Lord, which inspired good discussion with the students.

BB: What would you tell women today was the key to your success?

Davis: Intestinal fortitude — that’s all I know — the willingness to put forth. When I got my undergraduate degree, I worked from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and then went to school until about three or four in the afternoon. You have to sacrifice and work hard for your success.

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Writing is a way of extending my teaching beyond my own reach. And God seems to have used this for His purposes.

ROBBIE CASTLEMAN

Pat Gustavson Pat Gustavson, retired vice president for finance and administration, worked at JBU from 1980-2009.

BB: Did you feel a burden to blaze a trail for others as the highest-ranking female at JBU for decades?

Gustavson: Despite becoming the first woman to serve on the JBU Cabinet in 1985, I never felt that I was “blazing a trail.” Instead, I was standing on the shoulders and alongside some wonderful women leaders. I arrived too late to know scientist Dorothy Woodland or choir director Mabel Oisen, but they were JBU legends. Alice McQuay, Adriane Hall Carr, Ida Adolphson, Martha Henderson and Shirley Thomas, among others, were in various leadership roles during my early years.

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BB: Did attitudes change toward women in senior leadership during your tenure?

Gustavson: The JBU culture was collaborative, entrepreneurial and mission-oriented. I felt the same motivation to do my job well that all of my colleagues felt. Gender never felt like an issue — positive or negative.

BB: What accomplishment during your time at JBU are you most proud of ?

Gustavson: There were so many changes! I served as business officer for Presidents John E. Brown III, George Ford, Bill George, Lee Balzer and Chip Pollard. The endowment grew significantly, a whole lot of square footage was built, degree completion and graduate programs were initiated, two major centers were established and JBU grew and received a lot of positive recognition in the process. But I was even more blessed by the few crises we experienced. JBU emerged stronger from each one because of the talented, dedicated employees and the way God’s hand seems to have stayed on this special place. (Isaiah 40:31)

Kim Hadley Dr. Kim Hadley is vice president for finance and administration for JBU. BB: You are the only female member on the president’s cabinet. Does this fact present any special challenges or opportunities for you or JBU? Hadley: Within organizations, a variety of viewpoints generally makes for richer discussions and more effective decisions. My experience as a professional woman adds value and perspective to cabinet meetings that I believe is important; but more importantly, I enjoy and embrace my role in encouraging JBU’s emerging leaders, many of whom are women.

BB: Compared to many peer schools, JBU is in solid fiscal shape. What initiative or accomplishment are you most proud of that has helped JBU stay financially strong?

Hadley: I am grateful, rather than proud, because our financial strength is primarily due to God’s blessing and decades of good stewardship of that blessing. I have endeavored to follow that same path of financial stewardship, while being grateful for God’s continued blessings on JBU. BB: What advice would you give to women students who are grappling with the unique social pressure of balancing family and career?

Hadley: Over the course of my life and career, God has called me to work both within the home and outside

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of the home as my family circumstances changed.

I encourage each woman to ask God for wisdom on what is best for her and her family in each season. God does not waste any experience we walk in our lives. I always encourage women to pursue as much education as possible when given the opportunity and to work with excellence as a way of bringing glory to God. Most importantly, though, I tell women to have a sense of humor, to be intentional with their use of time, and to extend a little grace to themselves. There is a lot of freedom in knowing that apart from God there is no perfection.

At every opportunity involve students in conversations about themselves and their aspirations. Listen, listen, listen.

ALICE MCQUAY

Alice McQuay

Carolyn Pollan

Alice McQuay ’58 served JBU from 1969-2002, working in alumni relations and university development.

Dr. Carolyn Pollen served on the JBU board of trustees for more than 25 years, including as vice chair, and is the longest serving woman in the Arkansas House of Representatives (1975-99).

BB: You served JBU through several presidential administrations. Which initiative or project that you worked on had the most significant impact on the university?

McQuay: One continuous goal of all the JBU administrations was to provide a campus community of fellowship and collegiality. The Walker Student Center (the last project I was involved with before retirement) and the Walton Lifetime Health Complex both accomplish camaraderie in all the different facets of community living and fellowship. The current $5 million renovation of the Walton Lifetime Health Complex is a big plus for both the JBU community and the residents of Siloam Springs.

BB: Fundraising has a significant impact on JBU. Why do you think JBU has done so well, compared to its peers?

McQuay: JBU does well in fundraising because the advancement people sincerely believe the mission statement of honoring God and serving others, and JBU’s mottos: “Christ Over All” and “Head, Heart and Hand.” Their lives reflect what they believe. They are well prepared in fund-raising skills and understanding their donors. They believe the Founder’s motto: “Trust God and go to work!”

BB: What advice would you give the non-teaching JBU staff on how they can influence and mentor JBU students outside of the classroom?

McQuay: At every opportunity involve students in conversations about themselves and their aspirations.

Listen, listen, listen. Be a constant friend and mentor, without telling them what to do, except in supervisory situations, e.g., work-study students. Always be a role model in gracious Christian conduct, work ethics and proper attire.

BB: You were often one of a few or the only female voice in groups dominated by men. What has changed now that more women are finding a seat at these tables?

Pollan: I have often been asked why I think there are not more women in elected office. It’s simple. Not many women run for office. You can’t win if you don’t run.

And the same has been true for other leadership positions. Slowly that is changing as women are pursuing education and awakening to their individual God-given gifts of leadership — though women are still the most underrated and untapped resource in the world. More women are preparing for their turn to sit at the table and have gained a sense of achievement and joy in using their abilities. I have found the “mother-ness” in us can be a potent and powerful “essence of leavening” at a decision making table.

BB: As JBU looks into its next century, what advice would you give the current board in their work to further JBU’s mission?

Pollan: I think it would be helpful if JBU’s board members, with their varied and extensive leadership backgrounds, forecasted changes they believe will be necessary to prepare students for the rapidly-evolving future.

BB: As you think about the progress JBU made during your tenure on the board, what accomplishment, initiative or event was the most impactful or significant?

Pollan: My 25-year tenure from the ’80s to the millennium spanned five university presidents. These were trying, but exciting years. It was important to me that we retained the spiritual core of JBU even while there were changes in students, programs, facilities and leadership. JBU is still a one-of-a-kind place!

Trisha Posey Dr. Trisha Posey is director of the honors scholars program and associate professor of history.

BB: How does the Honors Program contribute to JBU’s culture of academic excellence?

Posey: One of the stated missions of the Honors Scholars Program is to “enrich JBU.” We enhance the good work that the academic divisions and colleges are already doing by providing high-achieving students with opportunities to take academic risks — through challenging and creative courses, student research, study abroad and conference participation (among other things).

BB: What has been the most challenging or memorable lesson you’ve learned through your experience at JBU? Posey: My students have much to teach me. Each has a unique story, and one of the most valuable things I can do as a teacher is provide students the opportunity to share their experiences and insights with their classmates. This is challenging because it means giving up some control of my classroom, but it makes the learning experience that much more rewarding for everyone.

BB: What have you done to help balance the pressures of a full-time job and a family?

Posey: I work hard to keep my home space free from work. I live in the country, where we keep goats and chickens, tend a garden, and enjoy good rest (as much as possible with three little children). We do not have internet access at home and I make it a general rule not to check email on my cell phone when I’m home. Keeping the Sabbath is also important to me—it keeps me grounded.

Marquita Smith Dr. Marquita Smith is the chair of the communication department and diversity coordinator.

BB: You have brought an important voice to the discussion about ethnic and cultural diversity at JBU.

One of the most valuable things I can do as a teacher is provide students the opportunity to share their experiences.

TRISHA POSEY

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What do you see as important next steps in JBU’s efforts to attract a diverse student body and faculty?

Smith: We must attempt to realize the goals outlined in our strategic plan. In order to achieve the goal of reflecting our local and regional diversity, in terms of diversity among students, staff and faculty, JBU must become more intentional and deliberate in recruiting diverse faculty and students. A diverse faculty bodes well for attracting a diverse student body, and vice versa.

BB: What would you tell the next generation of women about the importance of mentorship in their personal and professional lives?

Smith: Mentors are HUGE! Get one or two. The relationship between a mentor and student is the most influential relationship in a young woman’s career. One of my mentors, Professor Michael Mercer, has engaged with me for 27 years. Throughout my lifetime, I have had effective mentors who went far beyond being a teacher or adviser. They have served as Christian role models, consultants, problem solvers, supporters and encouragers.

BB: The world of journalism is rapidly changing.

As a journalism educator, how to you respond to this dynamic industry?

Smith: My philosophy for students interested in pursuing journalism-related careers is to treat their time in the industry as if they were Peace Corps volunteers.

Graduates should work at a media organization with the expectation of improving lives of community residents, informing the perspectives of a diverse population, speaking truth and helping create life-defining opportunities. Their critical thinking and verbal and written communication skills are transferrable and will serve them well in any career.

Carla Swearingen Dr. Carla Swearingen is the dean of faculty development and associate professor of chemistry.

BB: Many groups have made a concerted effort to get girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields at an early age. How do you see that playing out now and in the future?

Swearingen: Pablo Picasso said, “All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once [she] grows up.” The same can be said for STEM fields, built on “why” and “how” questions that come so naturally to children. While many young people express early interest in STEM careers, girls drop out at higher rate than boys. If we want to encourage more girls in STEM, we need to 1) allow for inquiry into personally meaningful topics, 2) pair girls with passionate female STEM

FEATURE mentors and 3) build young girls’ confidence so they believe they are just as capable as boys.

BB: JBU’s female student population has been the majority for years, at times approaching 60 percent.

How important is it for female students to have female faculty to engage with?

Swearingen: When considering a field of study or career, we naturally look to those who are similar to us. Our thinking is, “If they’ve made it, I can too!” It is critical that female students have realistic role models who can share with them both the joys and the stresses of their chosen path. The true value of education is not prescribing a certain career path, but rather letting young women know that they have choices in life, and that in the end what is most important is being obedient to what God calls you to do.

BB: In your role as dean of faculty development, what do you see as the biggest challenge impeding faculty success today, and how is JBU addressing it?

Swearingen: Faculty have so many demands on their time, functioning as teachers, scholars, committee members, spiritual mentors, advisers, etc. I see my role as being a support for faculty to help them do their jobs more effectively and efficiently by offering opportunities for grants, workshops and mentoring. (Aside from that, I am working in the lab on imparting to faculty the quantum mechanical effect of being in two places at the same time, but I can’t talk about that publicly yet.)

Shirley Thomas Dr. Shirley Thomas, retired dean of undergraduate studies and professor of English and honors, served JBU from 1969-2001.

BB: You were instrumental in the founding of the Honors Program. Has that program fulfilled its promise?

Thomas: My vision for the honors program was to provide special classes for highly-motivated students, and it has done that. However, that vision rapidly changed to 1) using honors as a laboratory for best practices (for use in any class); and 2) giving top JBU students and faculty opportunities to enter broader conversations by participating in prestigious off-campus programs and research conferences. Today, the broader non-honors curriculum at JBU reflects practices that faculty first tried in honors classes. The apex of my career occurred when I heard a faculty member from a large, highly-regarded university say right before the winner was announced at a national scholarly writing competition: “Oh, JBU will win it! They always do.” Then a JBU student won. I bowed my head and said fervently, “Thank you, Lord.”

The relationship between a mentor and student is the most influential relationship in a young woman’s career.

MARQUITA SMITH

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BB: You were a powerful faculty voice during your time at JBU. Did your gender enhance or detract from your influence in the proverbial faculty lounge?

Thomas: I never thought of myself as “a powerful faculty voice,” or even a female voice, although the majority of my dear colleagues were men; so I really don’t know how to answer this question. In early years, I myself was strongly influenced (intimidated!) by a powerful JBU woman —Dr. Dorothy Woodland.

BB: Much effort has been made to encourage women to study in a STEM major. Does that take away from the women who choose to study in the humanities?

Thomas: No. It just gives more women more options.

Dr. Dorothy Woodland was a STEM faculty member.

Sandra Van Thiel Dr. Sandra Van Thiel, former chair of JBU’s division of teacher education, served JBU for 34 years, retiring in 2013.

BB: Women have historically dominated K-12 teaching majors. How has that impacted JBU? Van Thiel: JBU has always worked to have a gender balance on campus. But, typically education has been considered a female profession — viewed as low paying and something that anyone can do even without training.

However, teaching is an excellent career for both genders.

The pay and benefits are excellent for starting careers.

swearingen

BB: The role of a teacher in society is significant.

What is the most important teaching principle for new JBU teacher education graduates to keep in mind?

Van Thiel: Be sure you know the school district and state laws for sharing or demonstrating your faith. The younger your students are, typically the stricter the laws are. As Christians, we are responsible to follow laws. Anytime you have a question, best to ask your administrator and keep them informed. Remember, if you work in a public school, you are a public servant.

May Christian teachers continue to bring the Light into our public schools.

BB: As you think about both K-12 and the college student, what do you see as the biggest pedagogical challenge and how should it be addressed?

Van Thiel: To me it’s making teaching relevant. It takes extra work but can be so influential on students.

First, students need to realize how the learning helps them understand the world around them. Many students have misunderstandings that are never challenged. Teachers must know what those are or they may actually reinforce the misconceptions. Second, one of the biggest challenges to teaching is making concepts concrete to the student level. The number 2 is abstract to a young child. Keep making it concrete (things they can touch) until the child understands.

Evaporation is an abstract concept for children, so make it concrete by applying it to puddles, drying

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The mission of JBU was the same as it is today ... The mission drew me to JBU, and I’m still committed and passionate about it.

TERRI WUBBENA

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clothes and more. Third, children need to see the importance of basics. Basics in every field need to be understood (and maybe memorized) so they automatically know and can think at higher level. If a student has not memorized the four operations (adding, subtracting, dividing and multiplying) and does not understand fractions, algebra will be Greek to him.

Telling children they need to learn a concept so they can pass their tests has no relevance for them. When students see that being able to write out the number 254.34 in words is necessary to write a check, it makes learning relevant.

Terri Wubbena Dr. Terri Wubbena, chair of the division of communication and fine arts, is the longest serving member of the JBU faculty.

BB: You joined the faculty of JBU four decades ago.

What was the environment like for female faculty in the 70s?

Wubbena: When I came to JBU in 1976, there were only a few other female faculty members — Dodie Brookhart, Ida Adolphson, Ruth Smith, Helen Wilmoth, Glenna Belle Davis and Lavonna Dodd, and surely there was at least one woman in teacher education.

I joined Anne Ashe — and four men — in the music department. I had just completed my master’s program and was 23 years old (and was initially mistaken for a student). I felt I had quite a bit to prove if I were to sense that I belonged.

BB: What have been the most consistent strengths of JBU during your long tenure at JBU? Wubbena: The mission of JBU was the same as it is today, captured in just three words — head, heart, hand — and in that order. The mission drew me to JBU, and I’m still committed and passionate about it.

BB: As you look back on your career, what personal accomplishment or success surprises you most?

Wubbena: When I look back over my career, I don’t think in terms of personal achievements. It’s what “we” have accomplished, how “we” have succeeded because of what “we” have done or received. That “we” is the faculty and staff of the two divisions that I’ve had the privilege to chair. I take great delight in collaborating with others to empower students to be successful.

Though, the 1992 renovation of the lower-level Cathedral — Jones Recital Hall — and the 2009 opening of the Berry Performing Arts Center are two highlights I’ll never forget, and were made possible through the prayers, support and efforts of many. n

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FREEDOM CLIMBER Photographer Summits Kilimanjaro on Behalf of Female Violence Victims

By Megan Perkins ’18 | Photography by Chelsea Hudson ’04

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ne year ago, photographer and activist Chelsea Hudson ’04 could barely walk up her street without wheezing. But on March 8, Hudson and 13 fellow climbers successfully reached the 19,341-foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest mountain located in Tanzania, to bring awareness and raise funds for One Million Thumbprints, an organization fighting sexual and gender-based violence against women.

Hudson and the other participants in the “Climb for Peace” collected contributions to be used, with the help of World Relief, in grassroots programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Syria and Iraq.

As motivational fuel for the rigorous trek, the women spent three days in Tanzania’s neighboring country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, prior to the climb. They listened to the stories of rape victims and widows who found community and healing through the World Relief Congo trauma care groups that the team’s climb helped fund.

“Having these women’s faces, stories and even hugs, so fresh on our hearts and minds helped keep the ‘why’ of the climb front and center when the going got tough on the mountain,” said Hudson.

Carrying flags painted with thumbprints to represent silenced gender violence victims, the group hiked for four days to get to the basecamp at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. On the fifth day, also International Women’s Day, the group began climbing at midnight and arrived at the first summit, Gilman’s Point (at 18,650 feet), at 8:30 that morning. The final 691 feet of elevation to reach the highest summit, Uhuru Peak, took another two hours.

Hudson said that altitude related physical struggles — headaches, nausea, lack of sleep, and gastrointestinal issues — made the trek very challenging.

When Hudson and the team reached Uhuru, they cried, prayed and proclaimed freedom over the women for whom they had climbed.

“Pursuing getting healthier and stronger was actually a way to honor God and be ready and able to do the things that He has for me,” said Hudson.

Hudson said the euphoria and sense of accomplishment she felt at the peak momentarily overpowered the pain of the ascent.

The day after summiting, Hudson learned that the name of the highest peak, “Uhuru,” means “freedom” in Swahili. Hudson was awestruck at

IT WAS A VERY MOVING AND PROFOUND MOMENT AT THE TOP… A REALIZATION THAT WE DID IT. WE DID WHAT WE HAD ALL TRAINED FOR, PREPARED FOR, PRAYED FOR. “It was a very moving and profound moment at the top … a realization that we did it. We did what we had all trained for, prepared for, prayed for,” said Hudson.

The descent to the base of the mountain took three hours, followed by another five-hour hike to their camp for the night. The next morning they walked 12 more miles to catch their ride back to their hotel.

As a result of the team’s two-anda-half week trip, the women raised $180,000 to fund anti-gender violence grassroots programs through World Relief and their partner organizations — Pastors Networking Committees, Savings for Life and Village Peace Communities.

For Hudson, the climb was the culmination of more than just her activist ambitions; it also represented the realization of her personal fitness goals. In preparation for the climb, Hudson began a 5K running program and made a conscious decision to improve her health. Hudson said one of the greatest impacts of summiting Kilimanjaro was discovering that fitness could be an act of worship.

the coincidence as this single word embodied the purpose behind the climb and her personal anti-trafficking and anti-slavery advocacy work.

Hudson’s website, www.doalittlegood.com, encourages busy women and mothers to become involved in the fight against extreme poverty, child trafficking and modern slavery by transforming their frustration, passion and empathy into action.

Do a Little Good provides a range of resources including moving stories of the work women are doing on the front lines of these issues.

“I want it to be a place where people can figure out how to weave activism into their daily lives,” says Hudson.

Hudson admits that juggling a family and trying to make an impact in the world is a constant struggle, but her message to mothers is that “it is never either/or.”

“We all have a responsibility as human beings on this planet to care for our fellow human beings. And we all have a role to play. We don’t get a pass on this,” said Hudson. “Do something.”

ALUMNI

Alumni News Below are excerpts from recent alumni stories featured on our website. Read the full stories at jbu.edu/features.

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Edwards Named JBU Director of Alumni & Parent Relations Brad Edwards ’02 has been named Director of Alumni & Parent Relations. In this role he will build relationships with alumni and parents through programs and events including Homecoming and Family Weekend. Edwards previously worked in youth ministry for First Presbyterian Church of Siloam Springs. He and his wife Jen, head of JBU’s department of music and theatre, have two boys. 07

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Walton Alumni Association to Honor Waltons with Sculpture To honor Sam and Helen Walton, the Walton Alumni Association is installing a sculpture titled “Angel of Vision” at JBU (conceptual model pictured). It will be located between the WLHC and the Walker Student Center. 01

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Dennison Creates Board Game Version of ‘Capture the Flag’ Healthcare analyst Kirk Dennison ’10 is branching out into the creative sphere with his recently-designed board game, Flag Dash, a take off on the popular outdoor field game Capture the Flag. Development took nearly a year and several phases of testing. 02

Alumnus Transforms Senior Capstone Project Into Published Book Greg McKinney ’14, student pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, recently published “More Than Clay: Living Life Unashamed.”

The book seeks to encourage doubtful Christians to confidently accept their identity in Christ. 06

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Jackson Wins ‘Top Shelf Award’ for Book Cover Design Greg Jackson ’94 was awarded the 2015 Evangelical Christian Publishers Association “Top Shelf Award” for his book cover design for “Simply Tuesday.” For 12 years Jackson has specialized in cover-to-cover book design at his design studio, Thinkpen Design. 04

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Cancer Survivor Pays it Forward in Work at Free Clinic Arne Walker ’95 is using the business skills and compassion for others he developed at JBU, as well as his personal experience battling cancer, to provide quality healthcare to the underprivileged in Twin Falls, Idaho. 08

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Alumni Updates Nick Carson ’15 and his wife Zarria welcomed Raelynn Bray on Oct. 6, 2015 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. 10 Drew Cleaver ’08 successfully launched Higher Hangers with a successful Kickstarter campaign.

The hangers, invented in Cleaver’s freshman dorm room at JBU, create four inches of additional closet space by raising garments vertically with their unique design.

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Jeff Crowe ’97, was selected as director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and assumes the role July 1.

Roy Englebrecht ’67, fight promoter, welcomed Oscar-nominated actor and former pro-boxer Mickey Rourke to his February Fight Club OC show at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. 11 Barbara (Sothman) Kompik ’81 founded Healing from Abuse Ministries and is the author of “12 Healing Steps Out of the Pain of Abuse.” She mentors thousands around the world through her online work. She lives with her husband and family in Pentwater, Michigan.

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Rod Learned ’77 edited “Good Profit,” a New York Times bestseller

by Charles Koch, chairman of Koch Industries. Learned also edited Koch’s “The Science of Success.” Learned has worked at Koch since 1998 when he was hired as its first-ever director of internal communication. 05

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Kimberly (Nelson) Moore ’94, author and vintage costume jewelry expert, published a women’s faith-based study, “Beauty in a Life Repurposed:

Reflecting Christ Through a Life that Sparkles.” Her book uses the history of vintage costume jewelry and the craft of repurposing to connect the many ways God repurposes us with renewed sparkle. 13 Julie (Seward) Nagel ’95, was appointed the associate vice chancellor for innovation and entrepreneurship and president of KU Innovation and Collaboration at the University of Kansas.

Joseph Pelegreen ’15 and Matt Lang ’15, recently completed filming in Southern Ghana for the documentary “Mamakrom.” The film, done in partnership with ESI (Every Soul’s Important) Foundation and Lake Pointe Church, focuses on the changes Mamakrom has seen with access to quality education and clean water. Graphic design alumna Morgan Ankrom ’15 is also working on the project. 03 Danielle (Schindler) Rogers ’13 and Troy Rogers ’12 would like to announce the birth of their first child, Aiden Paul Rogers, born Feb. 22 in San Diego, California. 14 Alyssa Schoewnwald ’15 serves as the marketing director for Omni Business Center and Omni EMS Billing. She was recently featured in the Wichita Business Journal’s “People on the Move.”

Andrea Woodworth ’05 has accepted a position as a bookkeeper at the Children’s Bible Ministries (CBM) national office in Townsend, Tennessee. CBM is a non-denominational, non-profit mission agency focused on reaching children with the gospel. 12 Kristin (Wood) Woolley ’06 and Tyler Woolley welcomed their daughter, Harper Joy, born July 30, 2014. The family lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Kristin works at Woodmen Valley Chapel and keeps running into fellow JBU graduates. 09

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Retirements R AY WE ST – 2 9 .5 Y E ARS Ray West began working at JBU in January 1987. He taught computer science until 2000 when he became the director of network services of the new information technology department. In 2008, he became director of application services.

West said of his time here, “I like the people I work with. I think that JBU people really live out the idea that we are all God’s children, and we are all a part of his family.” West went on to say, “I have [also] enjoyed the presence of so many international students on our campus. It gave my two sons a chance to make friends who are not from here and to experience and appreciate other cultures.”

West is looking forward to spending more time with his wife, children and young grandson after he retires. He enjoys bicycling and the many things he has to do around the house. He will continue to be involved in the music and worship ministries at his church.

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J A NE CL AY B E R G – 2 3 YEARS Jane Clayberg started working at JBU in January 1992 when JBU hired her for the mid-day broadcasts of teaching programs on KLRC. Between broadcasts she would read the weather and public service announcements. When the morning programs were replaced with music, Clayberg stayed on doing various office tasks until she became the day sponsor coordinator and prayer outreach person.

Clayberg says that her favorite things about working at JBU have been “getting to know so many students over the years and working with wonderful co-workers at KLRC.” Clayberg said she looks forward to morning walks, gardening, landscaping and tending chickens during her retirement. She also hopes to transcribe the 400 letters that her father wrote to her mother during World War II and looks forward to spending time with her family and investing more in church ministries during her upcoming season of life.

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T E RR I E L DR I DG E – 21 YEARS In 1995 Terri Eldridge began working in the financial aid office and two years later became the administrative assistant to the vice president of enrollment.

Eldridge’s favorite thing about working at JBU was greeting students and their families, many of whom were visiting JBU for the first time. “I want them to feel welcomed and to help them in any way I can,” Eldridge said. She added that the JBU faculty and staff have been a great blessing and support to her.

Eldridge and her husband, Kim, enjoy having students and their families stay with them — hosting graduation parties, wedding proposals and weddings at their house over the years — and will continue doing so.

Eldridge is looking forward to spending more time with her seven grandchildren and getting better acquainted with the many new families in their neighborhood.

She is also looking forward to biking, walking and being able to work on the 11 acres that she and her husband own.

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terri eldridge

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ROBBIE C ASTLEM AN – 15 YEARS

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Robbie Castleman has served as a professor of biblical studies at JBU since 2001. She is a published writer and often serves as faculty for the summer German studies program. She founded and was the faculty sponsor for “The Dead Theologians Society,” a program where students met once a month to study and discuss a dearly departed saint.

Castleman is now turning her attention to editing an anthology for the Institute for Biblical Research this summer and in the fall she plans to finish her book “The God-Breathed Word.” Castleman said the book is the print version of the “canonical, Trinitarian, speech-act hermeneutics that I developed for my New Testament Book Study class over the last 15 years.” She will add this book to the list of her published works that includes nearly 20 books and Bible study guides with over 500,000 copies in print.

Castleman said she has delighted in watching, first-hand, JBU gain in national recognition during her time here. Castleman said she enjoyed seeing God at work in students through the classroom experience and “working with a great group of colleagues on a team of scholars who take the challenge and sacred calling of teaching as joyfully as [they] take it seriously.”

J ERRY ROLLEN E – 13 YEARS Jerry Rollene graduated from JBU in 1975 with a degree in business administration and returned to JBU in 2003 as a regional director of development, during which time he met with alumni and friends of the university living in the northeastern U.S. A year after he began, Rollene was asked to apply for the position of director of alumni and parent relations and he has been in that position ever since.

“I had the opportunity to work with so many really wonderful people,” Rollene said. “I only regret that I didn’t have more contact with the students. The ones I have had as workstudies and those I met during homecoming showcase or Family Weekend Talent and Variety Show were so much fun!”

Rollene’s plans for retirement are still forming, but he would like to pursue activities that involve being outside. Both he and his wife enjoy biking, hiking and any activity that involves water. jerry rollene

LYN N EL LEIN – 12 YEARS Lynnel Lein started working in the music department in August 2004. She became the part-time administrative assistant in the English department in 2006.

In 2014 Lein became the full-time administrative assistant for the humanities and social sciences department.

Lein noted that her favorite thing about working at JBU was “working with intelligent and interesting people with a sense of humor.”

Lein anticipates that her retirement will consist of what she has always done: gardening and spending time with her family and friends. She enjoys teaching her church’s third and fourth grade Sunday school class, and she is excited about teaming up with her husband as he starts his own business.

Lein is looking forward to celebrating 40 years of marriage in July by traveling around the country.

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In Memoriam Edward Abbott ’60, died Nov. 22, 2015. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture. While earning his graduate degree at Faith Theological Seminary, he married Flossie Hamilton. He pastored for four years in New Jersey before he and his wife became missionaries in Mexico at Ebenezer Bible Institute.

Mary Anne Schwartz Andrews, age 77, died May 3. She received her bachelor’s in music from Southern Missouri State University; her master’s from Kansas State Teacher’s College; and her doctorate of music from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She taught elementary and middle school music before coming to JBU as an assistant professor of music from 19671973. She then served 25 years as an elementary school teacher in Sarcoxie, Missouri. 01 Bill Allison ’57, age 86, died Jan. 19. Allison studied business administration at JBU and served in the Army. He worked for Allen Canning Co. for 46 years. Throughout his career, he served on the Siloam Springs Hospital Board, the Siloam Springs School Board and two terms on the Board of Trustees at Ouachita Baptist University.

Albina “Bea” Badalich, age 87, died Dec. 31, 2015. She supported JBU for 23 years, having established the Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Badalich Endowed Scholarship. She worked for Boeing for many years, served as a presidential delegate of the Republican Party and was an activist for the Independent Party.

Marilyn (Schroeder) Buller ’53, age 84, died Dec. 29, 2015. She graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in commerce. While attending she met her husband Norman Buller ’51. Living in Lombard, Illinois, she was a wife, mother and homemaker. She later worked at a bank and as a secretary for her church.

Gwendolyn “Fran” (Parker) Burcham ’53, age 83, died March 9. She studied home economics at JBU before finishing her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the same field at the University of Arkansas. She taught home economics at Mabelvale High School and then

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worked at Pulaski County Cooperative Extension Service. She also worked as the home economist for the Arkansas Dairy Association and was responsible for implementing Arkansas’ first Dairy Council.

Roger Cross ’66, age 73, died April 11. He graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in music performance and married Jan (Unruh) ’66. He served with Youth for Christ for 38 years including 14 years as president. He was an ordained minister and served on the JBU Board of Trustees for 16 years. He and his wife founded Children’s Music Academy and received the JBU Alumni of the Year award in 2006. 02 John Philip Cummer, age 91, died April 18.

He worked as the dean of student life at JBU in the 1980s and was a World War II veteran.

In 2014, Cummer attended the D-Day Ceremony in France with French President Francois Hollande and President Barack Obama. He earned his doctorate from Florida State University and was also the dean of student life at Covenant College in Georgia.

William F. Daughaday ’64, age 73, died Oct. 16, 2015. He received a degree in mechanical engineering from JBU. He married Ruth Ann Mellow ’67 in 1964 and worked in the engineering field until he retired in 2013.

Herbert English ’46, age 95, died Dec. 17, 2015. He obtained his high school diploma from JBU and then served in the Navy, surviving the attack on Pearl Harbor. After leaving the Navy, he enlisted in the Air Force and retired in 1960.

William “Bill” Farley ’78, age 59, died Dec. 25, 2015. He received his bachelor’s in music from JBU and taught junior and senior high music in Idaho Falls, Idaho for 20 years. He also played in the Idaho Falls Symphony Orchestra. He earned his master’s degree in education and reading from Concordia University and a doctorate in theology from Covington Theological Seminary. He authored the book “When Facing the Storms of Life,” and was a pastor at Idaho Detention Center for nearly 20 years.

Robert “Bob” Foster ’51, age 87, died Feb. 11. He majored in music at JBU and then

served in the Air Force during the Korean War. He was a professor of college early childhood education and also served as a minister.

Eddie Dean Foster ’47, age 94, died Jan. 3. He studied mechanical engineering at JBU for two years before leaving to work for Lockheed Aircraft Co. to design and draft aircrafts. He was a Navy pilot during WWII and later returned to JBU to finish his degree. He taught math and coached sports in Huntsville, Arkansas and was inducted into the Huntsville High School Hall of Fame. Later, he worked for Phillips Pipeline for 31 years.

Donald Frey ’79, age 58, died March 26. He earned his bachelor’s in construction management from JBU and later built homes in Kingman, Arizona. He held positions with architecture firms, learned computer support and later worked in IT, including for Frontiers Mission Organization doing IT, audio/video and facilities management. 03 Nelle Suzanne (Plummer) Ganze ’43, age 93, died Oct. 18, 2015. She majored in English at JBU. 04 Roger G. Iddings, age 85, died June 8, 2015.

He was a retired director of teacher education and was instrumental in establishing the JBU graduate program. He was a Army veteran who served during the Korean War and received his bachelor’s degree from Hanover College, his master’s from Wayne State University and his doctorate from Ohio State University. 05 Charles John Jensen ’72, age 65, died Nov. 2, 2015. He majored in electrical engineering at JBU, later finishing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Michigan State University.

He worked at the Board of Water and Light in Michigan for 12 years; Jacksonville Electric Authority in Jacksonville, Florida for 20 years; and Seminole Electric Cooperative in Florida for five years.

Nancy (Chinn) Lock ’53, age 84, died Jan. 15. She received her bachelor’s in music from JBU and taught music for a year in Eureka Springs. She was a teller at Guaranty Bank & Trust for 10 years and was a founding member of the First Church of the Truck Stop on I-40 where she served for 13 years. 06

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Janice Macmahon ’83, died March 27, 2015.

She studied business administration at JBU. Carmen (Velasquez) Moore ’99, age 61, died Feb. 12. She received her bachelor’s in organizational management from JBU. She worked as a Load Coordinator for USA Truck.

Michael “Mike” Nachbar ’80, age 54, died Dec. 17, 2015. He studied music at JBU and was a member of the Grand Rapids & District Pipe Band.

Samantha Kay Paul ’12, age 42, died Dec. 28, 2015. She earned her bachelor’s in organizational management at JBU, having previously studied criminal justice at the University of Arkansas. She retired as a captain from Central EMS in Fayetteville, Arkansas where she was in charge of the 911 Communication Center. She was instrumental in writing 911 policy and procedure.

Duane Paulsen ’49, age 94, died Feb. 5. He received his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Before attending JBU, he served in the Army where he was awarded three Battle Stars. He held several governmental positions in Colorado.

John Perry ’48, age 92, died Nov. 18, 2015.

He graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. He served in the Army during WWII and earned his master’s degree from Oklahoma A&M University. He also worked in various areas around the country as a civil engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers. 07

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Mary “Orlena” (Shipley) Pickens ’50, age 87, died Jan. 28. She majored in Biblical studies at JBU, later attending Bob Jones University, Northern Illinois University and then nearly finishing her doctorate in education at the University of Arkansas. She began teaching at age 18 in a single-roomed schoolhouse, and later taught aboard a Mercy Ship traveling to Lithuania. She retired from the classroom in 1995.

Patricia “Pat” (Davis) Pike ’71, age 90, died Dec. 17, 2015. She graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in elementary education. She taught in single-room schools in the Rennick and Martin communities in Arkansas in her early career and was a third grade teacher in Gentry, Arkansas for 17 years. 08 Max Plunkett ’72, age 65, died Dec. 13, 2015. He graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in physical education and health. He taught and coached in the Eldorado, Arkansas school system for 33 years. 09 Clifton “Earl” Spaugh ’52, age 96, died June 16, 2015. He graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in construction management and served in the Army during WWII. He retired as construction superintendent from the University of Texas in El Paso.

Charles Stoll ’56, age 81, died April 16, 2015.

He graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in electrical/radio engineering and he worked in the aerospace industry for 38 years—36 of those years at Raytheon where he was involved in design development, test and manufacturing of electronics for the military.

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Louis “Louie” Thomas ’64, age 73, died Dec. 24, 2015. He graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s degree in social studies and received his master’s in education from Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Thomas taught in the Siloam Springs School District for 31 years and served as a school board member for 14 years. In 2014, he received the Pioneer Citizen Award from the Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce. 10 Adeene (Draper) Tippins ’60, age 94, died Nov. 9, 2015. She worked for Gentry Public Schools in Gentry, Arkansas and taught Sunday school at Gentry First Baptist Church before moving to Tulsa, Oklahoma and then finally to Texas.

Jeanet (Wimberly) Trammell ’49, age 88, died Feb. 1. She graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in social studies education and was a missionary in Africa for six years. She earned a master’s in education from Louisiana State University and a doctorate in education from Auburn University. She taught in numerous high schools and colleges, including Auburn University, during her career.

Cecelia “CeCe” (Nemecek) Trowbridge ’56, age 80, died July 1, 2015.

William Zeeh ’77, age 60, died Aug. 20, 2015. He graduated from JBU with a bachelor’s in construction management. He also attended the University of Montana to study civil engineering, the field in which he spent his career.

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FROM THE EDITOR

The Original Diversity God Made Us to Complement Each Other

God knew what he was doing when he created us man and woman, the original diversity, made to complement each other.

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rom glass ceilings to third wave feminism, from egalitarianism to complementarianism, the battle to define the role of women has been messy, controversial and often deeply personal. So when Julie Gumm, JBU’s director of marketing communication, and I thought about creating an issue of the Brown Bulletin to celebrate the most influential women of JBU, my next thought was, what sort of political correctness minefield are we stepping into?

But it struck me that perhaps the best way to help understand womanhood in the context of the JBU community would be to learn from some of the exemplary women in our ranks. Activists and preachers alike speak into this discussion, but instructively we also have the experience of women of God modeling diverse gender role paradigms as they do Kingdom work. To that end, we’ve dedicated this issue to recognizing our esteemed female colleagues.

That we as a community should reflect on the role of women is imperative. If today’s demographics define tomorrow’s reality, a true age of women is upon us, especially in higher education and the industries our graduates feed into.

The U.S. Department of Education estimates that this year women will lead men in earned degrees, 58 percent to 42 percent. The DOE estimates this trend will continue with women earning 60 percent of higher education degrees in 2025. In fact, you’d have to go back to the early 1980s to find a time when men earned more degrees than women in the United States.

John Brown University has seen similar gender trends for decades. In 2015 the male to female student ratio was 2 to 3, the largest recorded gap in history. I remember in 1994 when we had a J. Alvin t-shirt printed rejoicing in the high female to male ratio, increasing the odds that my low EQ male comrades would find a date.

Some look at the growing higher ed gender gap as a flashpoint in a struggle between the sexes. While the causes and consequences of these trends are worth studying, to believe the rise of women must mean the downfall of men is wrong.

God knew what he was doing when he created us man and woman, the original diversity, made to complement each other in ways more than just biological, and more importantly, to reflect his image (Gen. 1:27).

Indeed, in many types of relationships, by design, men and women are partners and colleagues: in families, in academia, in the workplace and even in the Church. We are on the same team, women and men. The impact gender plays as we find our place can and should be debated, but when women and men complement each other through our diversity, we all benefit from the divine design.

Lucas Roebuck ’97 is chief communications officer and editor of the Brown Bulletin.

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