PROFILE
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The Magazine of Lenoir-Rhyne University
75 Years of Song Rising Up in Philadelphia A Rising University LRU Coming to Asheville
Winter 2012
Winter 2012 Volume 62 Number 1
PROFILE
75 Years of A Cappella
Contributing Writers Maggie Greene, Julie Day Jones Contributing Photographers Mike Langford, Maggie Greene, Erin Sweet, Phil Robinson/SportsFotos Layout and Design Mindpower Inc. Printing Hickory Printing Group
Our Mission In pursuit of the development of the whole person, Lenoir-Rhyne University seeks to liberate mind and spirit, clarify personal faith, foster physical wholeness, build a sense of community, and promote responsible leadership for service in the world. As an institution of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the university holds the conviction that wholeness of personality, true vocation, and the most useful service to God and the world are best discerned from the perspective of Christian faith. As a community of learning, the university provides programs of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing study committed to the liberal arts and sciences as a foundation for a wide variety of careers and as guidance for a meaningful life.
Website www.lr.edu President Dr. Wayne Powell 828-328-7334, powellw@lr.edu Provost Dr. Larry Hall 828-328-7112, larry.hall@lr.edu Vice President for Institutional Advancement Scott Shrode 828-328-7360, scott.shrode@lr.edu Vice President for Administration and Finance Peter Kendall 828-328-7100, kendallp@lr.edu Vice President for Enrollment Management Rachel Nichols ’90 828-328-7306, allenr@lr.edu Class Notes or Change of Address Suzanne Jackson 828-328-7080, lru.director@alumni.lr.edu To suggest a story idea, contact Maggie Greene at 828-328-7109, Maggie.Greene@lr.edu.
University Rising
6 8 11 14 Go Global
The Magazine of Lenoir-Rhyne University
Editors Mike Langford, Maggie Greene
Play On, Philly!
6 8 10 15
Celebrating 75 years of music A Cappella Singers from Near and Far Gather
Play On, Philly! LRU Alum “Looks for Opportunities to Make Things Happen”
Realizing Our Full Potential University Rising: The Campaign for Lenoir-Rhyne
Asheville Graduate Center A New University is Rising in Asheville, NC
16 – Honorary Degrees 18 – Bear Tracks 28 – Alumni and Class Notes 36 – Homecoming 37 – Graduation 38 – Calendar
©Copyright 2011 by Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, NC. Lenoir-Rhyne, founded in 1891, is a private liberal arts institution affiliated with the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Profile is a publication of Lenoir-Rhyne University Postage paid at 7th Avenue NE and 8th Street NE Hickory, North Carolina 28603
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From the President
Wayne B. Powell, Ph. D. President of the University
It is an exciting time to study and learn at Lenoir-Rhyne. In the middle of our 121st year at Lenoir-Rhyne, we celebrate the accomplishments of our students and faculty who jointly grow as scholars through the process of inquiry. Our new core curriculum provides today’s generation of students with more opportunities for discovery of the fundamental concepts that brought our society to its current state. The emphasis on developing communication skills, both written
and oral, helps our students prepare for their future roles as leaders in this changing world.
Asheville, and will be preparing the facility for a general open house this coming spring.
Our reputation continues to grow, and we see the effects in the significant increase in applications for admission to the university. For the second year in a row, we set a new enrollment record, with 1861 students studying at LenoirRhyne this fall.
One of the most exciting initiatives in which we have engaged in many years is our growing partnership with Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS) in Columbia, SC. As the only ELCA seminary in the south, LTSS has long had a special relationship with LRU; we are the nation’s leader in the percentage of Lutheran students who matriculate to seminary. This fall, the governing boards of LTSS and LRU adopted resolutions to commit to merging the two institutions. The resulting action, planned for the summer 2012, will allow LTSS to become part of the School of Theology of the Lenoir-Rhyne University system. The plans call for LTSS to remain in Columbia and to maintain its own name and identity. However, by administratively joining the seminary with the university structure, we believe we can create numerous efficiencies that will allow for us to further build this excellent school into the premier seminary of the Lutheran
Our unprecedented financial strength is allowing us to explore options for expansion of programs both in Hickory and off-site. Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Asheville Center for Graduate Studies will open in the fall of 2012. Its goal is to offer a series of programs that have special relevance to the people of the Appalachian region. Throughout this year, we are working closely with the Asheville community to match their needs with our interests. Currently, we are anticipating opening next fall with six master’s level programs and then to expand these offerings each subsequent year. We have identified a location for our campus on Montford Drive, on the north side of downtown
church. The merging of the seminary into LR’s School of Theology will also give us the opportunity to strengthen our own intellectual reputation and provide more opportunities for students who seek to explore postgraduate education in religion and theology. Many have inquired about the events that led to this pending merger. Several years ago, the leadership of LTSS began exploring new avenues for strengthening their operating system so that they could more effectively accomplish their mission. Through the guidance of a professional consultant, they began to seek out other academic institutions for possible collaboration. Simultaneously, but independently, Lenoir-Rhyne had been engaging in conversations to expand the breadth and depth of its programs. Included in the options reviewed was the possibility of developing a seminary affiliated with LRU. As the leadership of LRU and LTSS began to compare respective missions and agendas for growth, we found many commonalities, and we realized that we could enhance all of our services to our various
constituencies by joining together in a formal way. LRU and LTSS have taken a series of very deliberate steps to gradually bring our operations together. Beginning in January of this year, LRU assumed oversight of the financial services of LTSS through a management contract. This summer, a similar contract has allowed LRU to begin managing the admissions and financial aid services of the seminary. In-depth conversations have occurred around how we can efficiently merge the advancement operations by next summer. Each of these steps helps our two institutions to gradually understand the special characteristics of the other so that we can work effectively together. In the coming months, LTSS and LRU will be addressing issues related to other functions, administration, and accreditation. At all times, we keep as our overarching principle the commitment to preserving the missions and special characters of both LTSS and LRU while developing strategies to enhance our respective services.
LRU App for iPhone and iPad Now Available.
Have you seen these odd-looking black and white squares?
The L-R app puts everything you need to know on the go right into your hands. Whether you are a prospective student wanting to take the selfguided tour or learn more about campus, a current student wanting to check out the discounts available from local businesses or the dining hall menu, or a member of the Hickory community wanting to see when the next concert, theater production, or sporting event is, you can find it all here. Text, photos, and videos give you the sense of being right in the heart of campus. Download the free Lenoir-Rhyne University app today!
Like the one displayed at right in magazines, on signs, and online? They’re called QR codes and in this issue of Profile, you will see several that are companions to a written story. Scan the QR code with your smartphone to see a related video or be
The proposed merger of LRU and LTSS is the first such partnership among the colleges, universities, and seminaries of the ELCA, and we are receiving advice and assistance from our colleagues around the country. We expect that others will follow in our path in the years to come. As this is a pioneering agenda, we are especially interested in receiving your input on the services you would like to see from both LTSS and LRU and how our merged operations might better fulfill your expectations. We want to know what you think so we can mold the combined institutions in the best possible way. Thank you for being part of the LenoirRhyne family at this exciting time in our history. Sincerely,
Wayne B. Powell, Ph.D., President of the University
directed to a website for additional information.
How can I read a QR code? If you have a smartphone, go to your app store and search for a QR code reader. You’ll find many free apps. After you download the app, hold your phone’s camera over a QR code to read it.
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The event highlighted an L-R student activity that today is recognized far beyond the Hickory campus. Noted for its unaccompanied eight-part memorized music, the Choir has visited Lutheran congregations throughout the Eastern U.S., sharing its hymn festivals and concerts of sacred music. It has sung for installations of national church officers in New York City and Chicago and given concerts in cathedrals in Washington, New York City, and Paris. The Choir has appeared in 26 states and 13 foreign countries and plans another overseas concert tour this spring. The Choir enjoys a reputation that has grown since the fall of 1935, when a young graduate of the St. Olaf Choir in Minnesota, Kenneth B. Lee, appeared on the Lenoir-Rhyne campus at the invitation of President P. E. Monroe to build a student choir with the famed St. Olaf sound. The first year produced the new sound, if not the reputation. Popular selections in the concerts, limited to in-state Sunday appearances, included the harmonious strains of “Beautiful Savior” and “Lamb of God,” written by St. Olaf’s director, F. Melius Christiansen. But, after eight years, World War II halted the growth of the young choir when, in 1943, the director, along with many male students, left the campus to enter military service.
Rising Voices
A Cappella Singers from Near and Far Come Together to Celebrate 75 Years of Music. More than 100 Lenoir-Rhyne A Cappella Choir singers, a mix of current student members and former members, celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Choir in April with a two-day reunion that included rehearsals, a concert, a banquet, and a newly-published history of the organization, “With a Voice of Singing.”
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Lee’s return in 1947 began a second tenure that continued for 24 years. Although the post-war repertoire offered a broader range of composers, one of Christiansen’s newest compositions, “O Day, Full of Grace,” was introduced and would later become the Choir’s most frequently sung number. In addition to Sunday concerts within the state, the Choir added out-of-state tours during the annual spring breaks from classes. Throughout the period, the Choir made 14 extended spring tours, singing in 13 states and the District of Columbia. With the aid of his assistant director, Ray McNeely, Lee also led the choir on its first overseas concert tour in 1970, directing concerts in Germany, Sweden, Holland, Austria, and Denmark.
When Lee resigned the following year, McNeely assumed the podium and led the choir through 28 years of increased instrumental accompaniment, expanded tours, and notable appearances. The occasional out-of-state tour gave way to annual tours – 28 in number – taking the singers to 21 states. Through six tours abroad, the Choir sang in eight foreign countries, each of the last four tours culminating with concerts in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. McNeely’s first tour as director in 1972 was a trip highlighted by two appearances at the newly opened Walt Disney World near Orlando. On successive afternoons in front of the giant Cinderella’s Castle, the singers set aside their robes and sacred music and entertained the resort visitors with popular selections. The current director, Dr. Paul D. Weber, assumed the position The Rev. Dr. Paul D. Weber in 1999, bringing to the podium the talents of an ordained Lutheran minister with a doctorate in music. He is a prolific composer, and some of his compositions the Choir has sung in concert. A major pilgrimage site in Lithuania where thousands of crosses have been placed in memory of war victims inspired one, titled “Hill of Crosses.” The composition appeared in the Choir’s 2008 concert program that was sung in Blacksburg, Va., in observance of the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre. Under Weber’s direction, the Choir has expanded its repertoire and recordings and has traveled on 10 domestic tours, visiting 16 states and the District of Columbia. On the 2007 tour, the Choir sang for Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. The 2009 tour included appearances at the National Cathedral and the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. The group has also sung on two overseas tours, to Germany and to the Baltic States, and departs this spring on a third trip abroad, this time to Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany.
LRU Alum “Looks for Opportunities to Make Things Happen” for Area Philadelphia Children instruction, five days a week throughout the school year and summer. The kids are taught instrumental technique, music theory, and ensemble playing, but most important, they’re taught crucial skills to pay back society through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship. Play On, Philly! is based on the El Sistema philosophy that when kids are given an opportunity to feel competent and to be a part of something great, they are then able to see – and to choose – alternatives to the harsh realities surrounding much of the rest of their lives. The first concert was last December, only two months after the children received their instruments. The performance lasted two hours. Carole says, “These kids are incredible...they sit up tall, proud of what they’re doing. They know they’re doing something special.” In its first year, the program was overwhelmed with applicants, and it soon became clear that the need was greater than any one person could manage. This particular challenge seems to be Carole’s gift; she is known throughout Philadelphia as an early investor in programs that later garner widespread community and foundation support.
Last year, Philadelphia philanthropist Carole Haas Gravagno (‘64) attended a conference that ended up launching an orchestra. The conference was about El Sistema, a nonprofit foundation that oversees a wide network of youth orchestras in Venezuela’s most impoverished communities. The program, founded in 1975 by economist and musician Dr. José Antonio Abreu, reaches over 300,000 children in Venezuela, transforming not only the children’s lives but the communities as a whole. Carole was excited about the program and soon discovered a fellow Philadelphian in the crowd – Stanford Thompson, a recent graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. The two soon cooked up an ambitious mission: to bring the principles of El Sistema to the heart of Philadelphia’s inner city. It seemed to be a perfect match: Stanford had access to the resources and talent of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, while Carole was in a unique position to offer not only initial funding, but a perfect school for launching the program. For the past seven years, she has worked to build a music program at St. Frances de Sales, a Catholic school serving kids from all walks of life, including international refugees. Out of that new partnership, in September 2010, an after-school music program at St. Francis was born, currently with 17 teaching artists and 110 students. Play On, Philly! is no ordinary music program – it’s three hours of formal orchestral
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For Carole, philanthropy isn’t just about giving money. It’s about giving her time and energy to something she’s passionate about, then working to bring others to the table to make it flourish. As she puts it, “I look for opportunities to make things happen,” then sets about finding talented people to take the fledgling program to new levels. She is an active participator, gifted at galvanizing leadership and connecting personally with the staff, students, and their families. She’s also a master motivator and matchmaker, involving both the participants and the community in the success of every endeavor. “You don’t just give something to somebody – they have to want it and do something to make it work.” Over the years, Carole has become known in Philadelphia and surrounding cities as an ardent advocate not only for the arts, but for efforts to improve the quality of life for families and children. She views the arts as an avenue for social change, nearly always through the lens of education. She has been an ardent supporter of countless programs, including the Arden Theatre Company, Children’s Literacy Initiative, Philadelphia Young Playwrights, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, the National Liberty Museum, the Pennsylvania Children’s Trust Fund, Please Touch Museum, Stoneleigh Foundation, and Musicopia. Another of her current projects, Intercultural Journeys, uses music, poetry, and visual arts as a bridge between cultures.
“ These kids are incredible...they sit up tall, proud of what they’re doing. They know they’re doing something special.” – Carole Haas Gravagno (’64)
At heart, Carole is first and foremost an educator. After graduating from LenoirRhyne with a major in Sociology and minor in Biology, she spent a summer working for the welfare department and soon discovered that in order to make a difference, she was going to have to get directly involved in children’s lives. She came back to L-R to complete her education degree and spent the early years of
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University Rising:
her career teaching high school biology. While at L-R, she was active in student government and Kappa Delta sorority and participated on the student committee that built the Student Union.
The Campaign for Lenoir-Rhyne
Life took her to Philadelphia, where she taught fourth grade and earned a master’s degree in education from Temple University. While teaching, she was astounded by the number of kids who seemed to be left behind, unable to read or to interact with what they were studying. She went on to complete coursework at the doctoral level, focusing her research on innovative approaches to literacy, including peer instruction and use of computer technology. Her work was received eagerly by the young adults in Temple’s Elect Program, who asked, “Why didn’t somebody teach us this before?” This basic question – and its subsequent answers – soon sent her career in new directions, as she shifted her focus toward philanthropy and the building of innovative educational and artistic programs within her community. But why music? For Carole, it’s simple – she uses music to fill and to enrich her own life, and she wants to share that love with others. She has played the piano since she was a child and, while growing up between Philadelphia and Kings Mountain, NC, recalls with gratitude a life filled with music. During visits to the North Carolina Symphony as a child, Carole was amazed that if the audience clapped hard and loud enough, the musicians would play an encore. This simple interaction continues to stand out as an example of how, in order to bring music to life, both musicians and audiences must be invited to participate. As an L-R student, Carole remembers practicing piano in the Mauney Music Building and hearing the echoes of so many talented musicians filling the halls. “I was exposed to incredible music at L-R,” she recalls with awe, adding that when she began working with impoverished children, her lifelong exposure to exquisite music stood out in stark contrast to the kids’ realities. It was inevitable that her love and passion for music would spill over into her present-day endeavors, as she works to bring music to the hearts and lives of children and adults alike. Carole continues to fill her life with music, more recently through voice lessons. After the death of her husband, Otto Haas, she sought creative ways to deal with the grieving
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Stanford Thompson process, including a workshop on healing that involved chanting and voice work. The experience was life-changing. “I couldn’t believe the sounds that came out of my body. This was a deeply emotional experience.” When she got home, she immediately called to set up voice lessons, determined to learn to use her voice. She continues with her vocal training, more recently finding time to perform in groups. Her husband, Emilio Gravagno, played double bass with the Philadelphia Orchestra for forty seasons until 2010, and they have enjoyed performing and even recording a few pieces together. Carole was recently awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Lenoir-Rhyne at the spring 2011 graduation ceremony. Those commenting on Carole’s nomination for this honor praised her tireless efforts in education and artistic endeavors. “She has exemplified the highest qualities of Christian servanthood and generosity in many philanthropic programs, many of which she initiated and developed.” Through a lifetime dedicated to giving, to serving, and to bringing the arts to life, Carole Haas Gravagno has made a name for herself as one of the key civic and community leaders in Philadelphia. Programs such as Play On, Philly! serve as a reminder that, with the proper resources and support, there’s nothing children and communities can’t do. And Carole herself serves as a reminder that there is no end to the possibilities when an L-R grad decides to make a difference.
Lenoir-Rhyne University is truly a university rising. With prudent optimism and the firm commitment to seize opportunity where we find it, our University leadership has chosen to expand our mission and to achieve our vision by becoming a university, increasing enrollment, adding new academic degree and certification programs, adopting common learning goals, and revamping the core curriculum. We are also establishing a center for graduate studies in Asheville, exploring a merger with the only Lutheran seminary in the South, adding sports to attract students from the Northeast, Midwest, and the Rocky Mountain states, and increasing academic and student life support services. Lenoir-Rhyne University, while achieving record results, is only beginning to realize its full potential.
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Chapel Lineberger
Rhyne
Science Center
To garner the resources needed to achieve this higher quality of education and service for our students, city, region, and state, in August, the Trustees announced University Rising: the Campaign for Lenoir-Rhyne. This comprehensive campaign is a $65 million effort to build new facilities, grow the endowment, and increase alumni, parent, and friend support to the Fund for Lenoir-Rhyne. The major campaign projects and the goals for each are: 1) An expanded and renovated Science Complex – $25 million; 2) A campus Chapel to promote spiritual development – $4 million; 3) The Moretz Sports Athletic Complex, including a new track and field complex, new soccer fields, and improved baseball facilities – $5 million; 4) Additional endowment to support student scholarships, new academic programs, and faculty development – $19 million; 5) Increased and new gifts to the Fund for Lenoir-Rhyne to provide student financial aid – $9 million, and 6) Investment in the future to provide the resources needed to conduct the University Rising Campaign – $3 million. It is with gratitude and excitement that we can now announce that approximately $47 million, or over 70 percent, of the goal has been raised, and University Rising has exceeded the combined total of the three largest previous campaigns in Lenoir-Rhyne history. While the goals for the endowment, the Moretz Sports Athletic Complex, and the budget have been met, significant fundraising is continuing for the Science Complex, the Chapel, and the Fund for Lenoir-Rhyne.
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Transforming Academic Spaces
Building Faith and Focusing on the Spiritual
A New Science Complex
Campus Chapel
When the Minges Science Building was constructed, there were no color televisions, manned space flights, personal computers, cell phones, MRI machines, or organ transplants, and collaborative learning was sometimes looked upon as cheating. While a great facility for its time, Minges reflected, and to a certain extent still reflects, that time with seats bolted to the floor, fixed laboratories, and few spaces for student-faculty research. Still, with the University’s many programs based on science education and the core curriculum requiring at least two science courses, it remains the most heavily utilized building on campus.
“In all instruction, in all departments, the aim shall be to impress upon the minds of the young the principles of Christian morality.” So decreed one of Lenoir-Rhyne’s first catalogues. And today, over 115 years later, that commitment still holds true.
If our University is to continue to offer the latest in science education to our students, add new programs to continue to increase our enrollment and build the financial viability of the institution, and promote the economic development of Hickory and the surrounding area as a major health care center, an expanded and renovated science complex is needed. The new design calls for a two-phase project. Phase I is a $15 million, 35,000 square foot addition that will contain new classrooms configured to promote collaboration and team learning, a requirement for success in almost any vocation. There will be a physics teaching laboratory, a physics optics laboratory, a geology laboratory, an advanced physics student research laboratory, as well as laboratories dedicated to zoology, microbiology, anatomy, physiology, botany, chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. An outside classroom with greenhouse and wetlands area will promote the study of conservation and the environment. Construction on Phase I will commence once $15 million has been committed to the project, and already, we are over 50 percent toward that goal. Phase II will be a $10 million renovation of the existing facility to include classrooms, study areas, and faculty offices.
Within the state of North Carolina, L-R occupies a unique position: It is the only college or university affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. In addition, more of its Lutheran students matriculate to seminary than any other Lutheran college in the nation. Weekly chapel services are held every Wednesday morning in the Mauney Music Building, and no other activity may be scheduled in conflict with this service. In the last 20 years, students have continually vocalized their desire for a place on campus where they can participate in mid-week services, take daily communion, and find a focus for all aspects of religious life. Our master plan locates the chapel in the physical center of the campus, at the heart of the University. By its very presence and location, the chapel will make a bold proclamation of Lenoir-Rhyne’s vision. More important, it will serve as a refuge as well as a center of formal religious life, learning, and activity. Just as Christ sought refuge, so, too, our students, faculty, and staff will retreat to the chapel to be infused with God’s spirit, returning to the world renewed and refreshed. As an academic investment, the chapel will provide a physical space for the philosophical and religious education of students for generations to come. To date, over $3.2 million of the $4 million goal has been raised for construction of the chapel. The preliminary design exhibits a signature structure that will distinguish LenoirRhyne as a university where spiritual development is not only included in the mission and vision statements, but stands at the core of education.
How to be a Part of University Rising Comprehensive campaigns are the transformational opportunities in the life of a university where alumni and friends play the signature role. Alumni and friends can attend campaign events or identify potential donors and corporate and foundation sources of support. They can introduce Advancement Officers to those potential donors or ask those individuals to be open to a visit. Finally, they can support with their time, talents, and treasure this opportunity, the only opportunity through which their university can realize its full potential and transform the lives of the students and the communities it serves. Please visit our website at universityrising.lr.edu to learn more about University Rising, and view our inspirational video. Please be open to a visit or a call from the Office of Institutional Advancement. And remember the Fund for Lenoir-Rhyne, the Science Complex, and the chapel when you reflect on how you can best serve others, as well as yourself. Schedule of Upcoming Gatherings We have scheduled several alumni and friend events to talk about University Rising. To date, we have held events in Hickory and Atlanta, and we hope to be scheduling more throughout the region. These are informational and not fundraising events. We hope that when invited, you will come and share fellowship and good food with your friends and fellow alumni. If you would like to host such an event in your area, please contact Suzanne Jackson, Director of Alumni Relations at 828-328-7080 or Suzanne.Jackson@lr.edu.
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Rise Up and Go Global.
L-R students Rachel Birkedal and Mong Lohr spent part of their summer studying abroad in Guatemala and Ireland, respectively.
International students on the soccer team point out their home countries on a map.
A core lesson for every college student is not just learning more about themselves but learning about the people around them. Maybe your roommate is from a different state, your study partner speaks a second language, or your professor earned their degree in another country. Through enhanced technologies, the world has become a smaller place and it is not uncommon to interact and do business with someone around the globe.
returning to her home university, where she will graduate in just over a year.
Sometimes the world is right at your doorstep. This year, L-R is hosting 35 international students representing 16 different countries. The experiences they bring to campus allow their classmates a first-hand opportunity to hear about life in another country.
This academic year, Lenoir-Rhyne has international students from Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Ecuador, France, Germany, Honduras, India, Mexico, Poland, Sweden, and the UK (England, Scotland, and Wales).
International students have many different reasons for coming to L-R to continue their studies, but at the core, all want to experience life in a different country. Sometimes it is the simplest things that strike a chord with an international student. “Taking lunch while listening to music and afterwards have ice cream or sweets – that is a dream of almost every student in Germany,” commented Sema Yildiz, an exchange student from the University of Hochschule Magdeburg-Stendal in Germany. “In Germany you can only say Meal One, Meal Two, Meal Three, please.” Sema has embraced the differences of studying in Hickory and has been eager to build her L-R identity as early in the year as the honor code signing. “Seeing things with international eyes is different. I never had such an experience in my life before. It was a good feeling,” she said. Sema will spend the fall semester at Lenoir-Rhyne and the spring semester studying in Brussels, Belgium before
Other international students come to L-R to play a sport; like George Wilson, a graduate student from England. Unlike Sema, George is looking forward to staying in the United States after graduating and hopes to work in a large corporation.
For those students who want to venture out and immerse themselves in the culture and life of another country, there are many international study options available. Within the past year, L-R students have traveled the globe learning about new cultures. The University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands; Chester University in the UK; British Virgin Islands; Galway, Ireland; France; Germany; and Guatemala are just a few of the places where L-R students have recently studied. Whether traveling to North Carolina to study or traveling around the world, these students are taking advantage of opportunities to expand their worldview, learn more about themselves, and enhance their degree with practical life experiences. Studying abroad is a life-changing experience.
New LRU Graduate Center Opening in Asheville Lenoir-Rhyne is expanding and taking its growth know-how to Asheville, North Carolina. Next fall, L-R will open a new Center for Graduate Studies, which will offer master’s level programs in healthcare, business and government, liberal arts and sciences, and education and human services. “We don’t want to be part of the Great Recession,” says Wayne Powell, president of the University since 2002. “We want to be part of the solution.” Dr. Powell believes Lenoir-Rhyne can be an engine of growth for Western North Carolina. “We can improve childhood education, because we’re preparing future teachers,” he explains. “In the same way, we can improve healthcare, drive economic development, and launch formal sustainability studies.” Why Asheville? Proximity and need, for starters. Asheville is about 75 minutes west of Lenoir-Rhyne’s main campus in Hickory. “Charlotte is closer,” concedes Dr. Larry Hall, L-R’s provost, “but it already has plenty of educational options. Western North Carolina, with Asheville as its core, can really benefit from the kind of energy and innovation L-R can provide.”
The location of the new Asheville Graduate Center is being finalized and will be announced by the end of the year. Dr. Paul Knott, director of the Asheville Center, has been busy meeting local business owners, community leaders, and government officials to get a sense of what programs are most needed in the area. “In order to meet the educational needs of the residents of Asheville and surrounding areas, we have been considering three criteria for determining our initial Asheville Center offerings,” he explains. “First, we’ve identified programs for which there is a need and interest but no offering is currently available; second, we looked at innovative variations on programs currently offered in the area; third, we identified programs currently available from others but where the need for greater graduate capacity remains.” Additional information on the Asheville Center can be found online at asheville.LR.edu. At this website, there is also an opportunity to provide feedback and input as to what programs the community would like to see offered.
To learn more about international education, visit the Office of International Education website at oie.lr.edu.
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Rev. Dr. Gerald S. Troutman (l),
Carole Haas Gravagno (c)
Pastor Timothy Smith (r) with
with Charles Snipes, Chairman,
Pastor Andrew Weisner
L-R Board of Trustees (l) and Dr. Wayne Powell (r)
Three Awarded Honorary Degrees at Spring Commencement Each year following a nomination process, the Lenoir-Rhyne Board of Trustees approves awards to be bestowed at Commencement. Honorary doctorate degrees are awarded to persons of outstanding character and personality who have a) distinguished themselves for scholarship or literary achievement, or b) won professional or other distinction, or c) rendered conspicuous service in some particular field. The Trustee Award is presented to persons of outstanding character and personality who have rendered noteworthy service to LenoirRhyne University. This year’s recipients were the Rev. Dr. Gerald S. Troutman, who received an honorary Doctor of Divinity; Carole Haas Gravagno, who received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters; and John Morris Moretz, who received the Trustee Award. Dr. Gerald Troutman is retired after more than 50 years in ministry. He helped guide the ELCA’s Division for Ministry and Synodical Relations as a deployed staff member working with Region 9 synods from Virginia to the Caribbean. His most recent service was for the ELCA Fund for Leaders in Mission in Region 9 and as a Development Associate at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC.
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As a former member of the Board of Trustees for three terms, Dr. Troutman clearly saw the strong academic, spiritual, and athletic foundation students receive at Lenoir-Rhyne. Often seen at University functions wearing his L-R football letterman jacket (that still fits after 55 years), Dr. Troutman considers the school’s past, present, and future in stating, “I am proud of the commitment L-R has to the church, and pleased that the University continues to make significant contributions to the world in which it ministers.”
In recognition of her passion, commitment, and effort toward expanding people’s access to the arts, supporting excellence in artistic expression, and enriching Philadelphia’s cultural resources, Mrs. Gravagno recently received the Fleisher Art Memorial 2010 Founder’s Award.
Married for more than 50 years, he and his wife, Dr. Marihope Shirey Troutman, have three children and six grandchildren.
John Moretz is the Chief Innovation Officer of Gildan Activewear USA and a 1972 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne.
Carole Haas Gravagno, originally Carole Plonk from Kings Mountain, NC, was a sociology major at Lenoir-Rhyne, graduating in 1964. While a student, she participated in the Women’s House Council and the Kappa Delta sorority. Mrs. Gravagno is a leading voice and ardent advocate for education and artistic endeavors in Philadelphia. Considered “a compassionate advocate for youth and a friend of the arts,” she helps transform lives by providing access to the arts and encouraging young persons to invest in their own development.
Mrs. Gravagno is the daughter of Dr. George Plonk and the late Margaret Plonk. She is married to Emilio Gravagno, who recently retired from the Philadelphia Orchestra. In their blended family, they have four sons and 12 grandchildren.
Mr. Moretz’s textile career started in 1973 with Moretz Mills, founded by his father C. Hugh Moretz in 1946. The company has received many honors, including Supplier of the Year for Walmart and Target for multiple years. Mr. Moretz also became the first sockwear licensee for both Under Armour and New Balance. The Catawba County Chamber of Commerce presented the company its Faith in the Future award in 2005 for its investment in the area’s economy. In 2006, Moretz, Inc., backed by the Blackstone Group, merged with Gold Toe Brands, Inc., to form GoldtoeMoretz. GTM was recently acquired by Gildan Activewear USA,
where Mr. Moretz now serves as Chief Innovation Officer. Mr. Moretz also manages Moretz Sport Marketing, Inc., a full service marketing and licensing company specializing in creating and managing lifestyle brands. In 2007, the L-R Business Council recognized Mr. Moretz as the Business Leader of the Year. Mr. Moretz and his wife, Marilyn, a 1973 graduate of L-R, made a gift in 2007 that created the Moretz Sports-Athletic Complex and paid for improvements to the University’s sports facilities. The gift also funded the Steven Harris Moretz Scholarship, the largest nursing scholarship gift in the history of the University, named in memory of their son. In 2010, Mr. Moretz was inducted into the L-R Sports Hall of Fame. John and Marilyn Manning Moretz have generously supported their alma mater over the years as well as many other community organizations, such as Family Builders of the Catawba Valley, Habitat for Humanity, the YMCA of the Catawba Valley, the Family Care Center, the Western Piedmont Symphony, The Green Room, Catawba Science Center, the United Way, the American Heart Association, and the March of Dimes. John and Marilyn have two children and one grandchild.
PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 17
Bear Tracks LRU Names Business Leader of the Year
Service to Others at the Forefront for Community Service Award Recipients The Lenoir-Rhyne Board of Trustees presented Community Service Awards to community members Beth Harris Brandes and Mitchell Gold. On-campus recipients were Rich Duncan, LRU Executive Director of Development, faculty/ staff winner; Circle K, student organization winner; and Belinda Ear, student winner.
The Lenoir-Rhyne University Business Council honored Tony Wolfe as Business Leader of the Year during the spring semester. Wolfe is president and chief executive officer of Peoples Bank, Newton, NC, and Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. He has been employed by Peoples Bank since 1990 and has served as the president and CEO since 1993. He was employed by First Union National Bank, South Carolina National Bank, and Northwestern Bank prior to joining Peoples Bank. Wolfe is a graduate of Wingate College, Lenoir-Rhyne University, the Carolina School of Banking at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees at LenoirRhyne University, the Board of Directors of United Way of North Carolina, the Board of Directors of Catawba County Foundation, and the Board of Directors of Catawba Valley Medical Foundation. He is a member of Catawba Country Club, Newton-Conover Rotary Club, and Catawba County Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Finance Authority. Formerly, Wolfe served on the Business Council of LenoirRhyne University, Catawba County United Way, Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Bankers Association. The Lenoir-Rhyne Business Council consists of businesses, corporations, and foundations that believe so strongly in the mission of Lenoir-Rhyne that they contribute $1,000 or more each year for current operations of the university. Page 18 / Winter ’12/ PROFILE
Beth Harris Brandes is Assistant Director of Catawba County Department of Social Services. Under her leadership, the Child and Family Services Division has been recognized nationally for Outstanding Innovations in Child Protective Services, Excellence in Adoption Services (HHS), and numerous state program awards. Brandes has worked closely with several community initiatives during her tenure at Social Services and as a state public health consultant in North Carolina. She has served on several boards including the YMCA, Exodus Homes, Hickory Choral Society, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Board of North Carolina, Totally Teens Clinic, and School Health Advisory Board, and is the DSS staff liaison to the Children’s Advocacy Center Board. In 1987, Brandes developed the TEEN UP adolescent pregnancy prevention program, which now serves over 350 teens annually in Catawba County in eight middle schools and four neighborhood sites. Mitchell Gold was chosen for his many contributions to the community. Last year, he was honored to be part of Lenoir-Rhyne’s Visiting Writers Series for his book Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing up Gay in America. Rather than delivering a lecture, he invited CNN’s Soledad O’Brien to turn the evening into an interview. Gold has received other awards recently, including the first Legacy Award from ALFA; the Advocate Award from the Ali Forney Center, a NYC homeless shelter for LGBT youth; and the Divine Design Interior Design Award from Project Angel Food.
In 1989, Gold and his business partner, Bob Williams, created a furniture company in Taylorsville, NC, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Today, Gold and Williams head a nationally recognized brand that boasts a 600,000 square foot state-of-the-art factory with a family-friendly work environment that includes an on-site not-for-profit education-based daycare center, the first of its kind in the residential furniture industry. There is also a hospitality division that provides comfort on the road at hotels like the W and Ritz-Carlton and eateries like Starbucks. Rich Duncan is a member of the Catawba Valley Executives Club and has been instrumental in refocusing this group. He serves as Assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scouts of America Troop 184 of Morganton where he co-leads most high adventure trips including canyoneering in Utah, canoeing the Okefenokee and Congaree swamps, and backpacking Mt. Rogers. On an unofficial basis, Duncan advises the L-R chapter of Theta Xi as a local brother and fraternity alumni. He enjoys attending athletic events, musical performances, and other activities that the students participate in. As a state board member of NC Beautiful: Education in Conservation, Duncan works to bring $1,000 grants to many elementary schools to educate children in conservation science with them performing hands-on service projects state-wide. Duncan also volunteers with Calvary Lutheran Church, Hickory Rotary, Patton High School Soccer Boosters, and the Association of Lutheran Development Executives. The student organization winner, Circle K, is a Lenoir-Rhyne club based solely on service to others. Every participant in the group has a heart for others and wants to be responsible for making the world a better place. This year alone, students from this group have tutored at a local elementary school, participated in the Angel Tree Christmas program, worked with Salvation Army bell-ringers, and served food at a homeless shelter.
Front row: Jonathon Shelton, Holly Baldwin (Circle K representatives), Belinda Ear, and Beth Brandes. Back row: Charles Snipes (Chairman, L-R Board of Trustees), Rich Duncan, Mitchell Gold, Irving Perez (Circle K), and Wayne Powell (President, LRU) These students don’t do these activities for any type of recognition but rather to know that through even a simple act they can make a difference in a person’s life and the community as a whole. Belinda Ear, the student recipient, a sophomore community health major from Franklin, NC, has a diverse history of helping others whether in her own community or going to other locations to help those in need. As president of the L-R group Circle K, Ear has been instrumental in organizing service projects in the Hickory area for the students to participate in. She frequently tutors students at an area elementary school and has also worked with Habitat for Humanity. Ear traveled to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to be an active participant in helping rebuild homes. She has also been to Atlanta and Charlotte to work with Operation Christmas Child. The LRU Board of Trustees started the Community Service Awards in 1998. The Board’s Committee for Honors and Awards, consisting of trustees and faculty, collects the nominations and recommends candidates for the Board’s approval. The awards are given to those who have contributed significant philanthropic or volunteer service to their communities and whose lives are exemplary role models to the college community as it educates students for leadership and service. PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 19
Bear Tracks Faculty and Staff Awards
Faculty Retirements
Several Lenoir-Rhyne employees were honored at the annual Honors Convocation held in May.
When asked why he is so passionate about volunteering, Crapps replied, “We are all given the talent and ability to make a positive impact in the community and those around us. I just love doing things.”
Professor Mia Self was named Outstanding Student Organization Advisor for her work with Playmakers and Alpha Psi Omega. Dr. Joshua Ring, assistant professor of chemistry, received the Raymond M. Bost Distinguished Professor Award. This award recognizes and encourages outstanding teaching. The Faculty Scholar Award was presented to Dr. Jennifer Heller, assistant professor of English. This award is presented to the faculty member who has made the greatest contribution to his/her discipline in the spirit of academic inquiry during the academic year.
Ginny Moreland, Kathy Collins, Carolyn Huff, John Sorenson. Dr. Ginny Moreland – Director of Library Services (Hired 3/13/06) Dr. Carolyn Huff – Professor of History (Hired 9/1/69) Dr. Kathryn Collins – Professor of Nursing (Hired 2/10/75) Dr. John Sorenson – Professor of Sociology (Hired 7/14/03)
Dr. Josh Ring
Dr. Carolyn Huff, professor of history, received the Roediger Distinguished Professorship award. This award recognizes faculty members for their service to the University, the community, or church communities. The Hacawa yearbook was also dedicated to Dr. Huff on her retirement after 42 years of teaching at Lenoir-Rhyne. The Jeff L. Norris Non-Teaching Employee of the Year was Emma Sellers, director of residence life and director of intercultural programs. This award is presented for contribution to the University mission, going beyond the call of duty on the job, contribution of a value added idea, placement of institutional good above individual or departmental good, and positive attitude.
James Crapps Receives Statewide Community Impact Student Award James “J.J.” Crapps, a recent graduate with a B.A. in History and Political Science, has received the North Carolina Campus Compact’s fifth Community Impact Student Award. Crapps was one of 34 college students across the state who received the award for making significant, innovative contributions to their campus’ efforts to address local community needs. Crapps volunteered at several organizations in the Hickory area including Rape Crisis Center of Catawba County, Hickory Police Department, Project HEART (after school tutor program), and Habitat for Humanity. On campus, he has been part of the Homecoming and Spring Fling committees, Circle K, Greek Life Task Force member, Peer Tutor, Campus Activity Board, and served as a resident assistant. As the philanthropy chair for his fraternity, Theta Xi, Crapp has organized and facilitated several events and projects including fundraising for several organizations, hosting clothing drives, and holding the first-ever book drive for the Patrick Beaver Memorial Library. Two weeks after graduating from L-R, Crapps married fellow student Kassie Endicott. He began a Basic Law Enforcement Training program in August with the goal of
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becoming a police officer in Catawba County and eventually working within federal law enforcement.
Masters Students Attend Health Conference Public health is an exciting and growing field of study where individuals have the opportunity to serve others and are challenged to protect the public’s health today and into the future in local, national, and international communities. The Master of Public Health program at Lenoir-Rhyne reflects the university’s commitment to building a sense of community and promoting responsible leadership and service to the world. To learn more about this field, four current students recently attended the Minority Health Conference at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Emily Sigmon, Heather Weygant, Laura Sexton, and Ala Marandiuc took part in conference sessions ranging from HIV/AIDS strategies and policies, LGBT health, mental health among specific minorities, and diabetes among the American Indian population. The UNC Minority Health Conference is the largest and longest-running student-led health conference in the country and this year marked its 32nd year. This event regularly attracts over 500 students, faculty, researchers, public health and human services professionals, and community leaders from North Carolina and surrounding states. Nearly 500 more tune into the keynote lecture through an online broadcast. Launched by the Minority Student Caucus in 1977, this event highlights health issues of concern for people of color. It provides a forum for scholarly exchange of ideas related to understanding and addressing continuing health disparities in minority populations. “This conference gave us the opportunity to share research, ideas, and commune with our fellow public health peers,” said Sexton. “I feel that conferences like these are vital
to our education at Lenoir-Rhyne because they allow us to network with others and make lasting connections that may provide career opportunities in the future.” The MPH program at Lenoir-Rhyne is an interdisciplinary program focusing on health assessment, policy, change leadership, and operation management for healthcare. Upon graduation, MPH students will work to protect and improve the health of communities through education, prevention, research, and policy. For more information on the MPH program at L-R, visit http://hes.lr.edu/academics/public-health.
Choir Director Receives Award from Alma Mater Dr. Paul Weber, Professor of Church Music, recently received honors as a Distinguished Alumnus from two of the Lutheran Church’s institutions of higher learning. On May 5, at the graduation of Concordia College– New York, Dr. Weber was recognized as an educator, composer, choral director, and Christian witness. Especially noted was his commitment to sacred music as coordinator of the sacred music program at Lenoir-Rhyne. The presentation of this award can be seen on YouTube, Concordia College. On April 4, Dr. Weber was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus for Specialized Ministry by the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, where he was a member of the first graduating class in 1975. Present at the Chicago ceremony were former Lenoir-Rhyne University President Ryan LaHurd and his wife Carol, as well as Paul’s wife, Florence Jowers, his brother, Les, sister-in-law, and two nephews. Also in attendance and playing a new tune that Dr. Weber composed for the occasion were The Rev. Michael Costello and his wife Rebekah, both L-R alumni.
PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 21
Bear Tracks The Rev. Dr. Mark Bangert, Dr. Weber’s mentor in music at seminary, gave an introduction to the award. A recent seminary publication included the following: “Dr. Weber has contributed to both the ELCA’s Evangelical Lutheran Worship and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s Lutheran Service Book. His leadership at Lenoir-Rhyne University has resulted in national attention for both the sacred music program and the A Cappella Choir.”
UCHS offers an advanced and highly academic curriculum in partnership with L-R. Students at UCHS have the opportunity to take a greater variety of advanced classes than any other high school, public or private, in the area. Through dual enrollment opportunities, UCHS students have the opportunity to graduate with up to 30 college credit hours, which is included in the tuition cost of the school.
Dr. Weber holds master’s degrees from Yale University (composition), and Washington University, St. Louis (organ performance and composition). He earned his doctorate of musical arts in choral conducting from the University of Iowa.
This partnership allows Lenoir-Rhyne to provide greater opportunities to high school students and to better prepare them to succeed at a four-year institution after graduation. L-R has dedicated a classroom/lab area for UCHS science classes to ensure up-to-date resources are available to the students in their education.
LRU Partners with High School to Develop Outstanding Programs & Students
Beginning with this school year, UCHS will be located at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, across the street from L-R. The proximity of the high school to Lenoir-Rhyne allows for easy access to the college classes that juniors and seniors take. The first class of Dietetic Interns were on campus earlier in the semester to learn about program requirements and begin their training.
More information about University Christian High School can be found on their website at www.uchigh.com. The high school is still accepting applications for the 2011-12 academic year.
Rise Up and Get Healthy! Interns Strive to Educate Youth on Healthy Lifestyles
UCHS students, principal Dr. Jerry Willard, and Board Chairman David Reitzel join L-R provost Dr. Larry Hall as the partnership agreement is signed.
Lenoir-Rhyne has entered into a formal partnership with University Christian High School in order to further develop a high quality faith-based high school curriculum for students in the greater Hickory area. Established in 2009, University Christian High School’s (UCHS) mission is to provide a Christ-centered education that inspires students to excellence in academics, moral character, and servant leadership.
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Lenoir-Rhyne University was recently granted Accreditation to the Solmaz Institute for Obesity Dietetic Internship Program by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) Board. Dietetic interns will be part of a team that provides nutrition education and wellness services to the community through the Solmaz Institute. The first interns arrived at Lenoir-Rhyne this fall and have already made some big impacts in the community. The Solmaz Institute Dietetic Internship provides a unique internship experience, due to the intense focus on the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, in addition to meeting the basic competencies set forth by the American Dietetic Association. At this time, there are no other programs that graduate students from the internship with advanced certification in childhood and adolescent weight management.
The Solmaz Institute was established at L-R with a gift from Gungor and Diana Solmaz of Denver, N.C. The Solmaz Institute involves various programs already established at Lenoir-Rhyne, including counseling, physical education, nursing, and athletic training. In October of 2011, a clinic was opened to assist and educate children and their families. Services are provided to families regardless of their ability to pay. The Dietetic Internship (DI) has the ability to enroll 20 full-time interns annually and will offer two location options for students – to be based in North Carolina or in the intern’s home community. A dietetic internship is required for all students wishing to become licensed as Registered Dietitians. Michelle Rimer, Director of the Solmaz Institute, explained that there is a shortage of internship opportunities across the country. Obesity is a difficult problem to address because it is influenced by a multitude of factors, including genetics, culture, lifestyle, and available resources. For example, some neighborhoods have limited access to fresh fruit and vegetables, although they do have many fast-food restaurants. In some communities, parks may not be safe enough for children to use. Other neighborhoods
do not have sidewalks, discouraging people from walking. “We need to create communities that are wellnessoriented,” said Rimer. Currently, the 16 LRU dietetic interns are contributing to the communities they serve in several ways: Laurann Singleton writes a nutrition column for the LRU paper, The Rhynean; Katie Myrold and Richard Joe have eradicated margarine containing trans fat from the Newton-Conover City Schools; Molly Tomberlin is completing her DI in Alabama and was featured on the cover of her local paper for her work with the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program; Sam Budwit and Molly Amberg are educating children at Catawba Valley Medical Center’s “Healthy House” on the importance of hydration; and in Chicago, IL, Amanda Seguin is creating menu items and events such as “Breakfast with the Principal” in the Lincoln-Way School System. “These are just a few of the projects that the dietetic interns have been working on. They all have such diverse backgrounds in education and work experiences that it has been an absolute joy to watch them thrive,” says LRU internship director Allison Loyd. For more information about the Lenoir-Rhyne University Dietetic Internship, please visit http://solmaz.lr.edu.
PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 23
Bear Tracks New Faculty
Nursing Program to Benefit from Grant
Apperson, Suzanne, Clinical Instructor of Nursing. B.S., Western Carolina University; MSN, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
The Foundation for Nursing Excellence (FNE) has received a $1,370,000 grant from The Duke Endowment to increase the number of Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates in North Carolina by expanding the RIBN (Regionally Increasing Baccalaureate Nurses) project. The Hickory RIBN program is a four-year nursing option that will dually admit and enroll students to both Lenoir-Rhyne University and one of five area community colleges.
Cappelletty, Gordon, Assistant Professor of Psychology. B.A., University of California, Berkeley; Ph.D., California School of Professional Psychology. Goldberg, Timothy, Assistant Professor of Mathematics. B.A., Bard College; MS, Cornell University; Ph.D., Cornell University. Hendricks, Randy, Assistant Professor of Education. B.S. University of Mary Hardin-Baylor; M. Ed., Tarleton State University; Ed.D., Tarleton State University. Johnson, Linda Kay, Assistant Professor of Nursing. BSN, Clemson University; MSN, University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Johnson, Rita, Professional Librarian with Faculty Status. B.A., University of Alaska, Anchorage; M.LIBR, University of Washington.
First Row: Rita Johnson, Linda Kay Johnson, Suzanne Apperson
Koch, Alexander, Associate Professor of Health, Exercise, and Sport Science. B.S., Appalachian State University, MS, Appalachian State University; Ph.D., University of Kansas.
Third Row: Allison Loyd, Veronica McComb, Paul Knott, Alexander Koch
Lesser, Mary, Professor of Economics and Chair of the Charles M. Snipes School of Business, 2011. B.A., Fordham University; MA Fordham University; Ph.D., Fordham University. Lounsbury, Karen, Instructor of Education. B.S., James Madison University; M.Ed., University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Ph.D. (ABD), University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Loyd, Allison, Instructor of Dietetics and Supervised Practice Coordinator. B.S., Western Michigan University; MA, Western Michigan University. McComb, Veronica, Assistant Professor of History. B.A., Dartmouth College; Ph.D., Boston University.
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Second Row: Gordon Cappelletty, Karen Lounsbury, Randy Hendricks, Hank Weddington
Weddington, Hank, Dean of the College of Education and Human Services and Associate Professor of Education. B.M., Appalachian State University; MA, Appalachian State University; Ed.D., Appalachian State University. NEW STAFF MEMBER: Knott, Paul, Director of the Asheville Center for Graduate Studies, 2011. B.A., University of Maryland; MA, University of Maryland; MPH, University of California, Berkeley, CA; Ed.D., Western Carolina University.
A higher-educated nursing workforce is needed to address the increasingly complex healthcare needs of citizens, and expand the pool for future faculty and advanced practice nurses. North Carolina must create new partnerships between community colleges and universities to support seamless progression toward a baccalaureate degree. The Duke Endowment is further investing in the expansion of the RIBN project to ensure an adequately prepared nursing workforce to support the health and well being of the citizens of our state. This program will provide a seamless associate to baccalaureate nursing education for students. The first three years of study will be at the community college campus, with one course per semester at L-R. Upon successful completion of the first three years, students will take their fourth year at Lenoir-Rhyne. “We are so excited to be a part of the Hickory RIBN Collaborative,” said Kerry Thompson, chair of the School of Nursing at L-R. “This opportunity allows us to be innovative and provide our local healthcare facilities the advantage to offer more baccalaureate prepared nurses to the work force.” One of the priority recommendations from the 2004 NC IOM Nursing Workforce Report and from the 2011 IOM Future of Nursing report is to significantly increase the proportion of BSN prepared nurses by 2020. Currently over 66 percent of newly licensed nurses enter the workforce with associate degrees in nursing and less than 15 percent of these nurses achieve a BSN or higher degree in nursing during their careers.
Based on the success of the initial stage of this project in western NC and the broad interest in expanding this educational model statewide, The Duke Endowment is investing in the expansion of the RIBN model in five regions across the state, including 14 associate degree and five university nursing education programs. Unlike a traditional BSN program, RIBN students will have the opportunity to begin working as an RN at the end of their third year, once they have passed the NCLEX. This L-R program is in conjunction with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute, Catawba Valley Community College, Mitchell Community College, Western Piedmont Community College, and Wilkes Community College. “The School of Nursing at Lenoir-Rhyne is firmly committed to maintaining high educational standards and this program is another way that we can work with leaders all across the state to provide quality nursing graduates with the potential to advance our nursing profession,” Thompson explained.
PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 25
Scoreboard Scoreboard
Cameron Sealey
Kate Griewisch See the L-R Athletics commercial
Athletic Highlights Cameron Sealey – 2010-11 All-South Atlantic Conference First Team (Women’s Basketball) and the 17th player in school history to score 1,000 points in her career. Whitney Brinkley – 2010-11 South Atlantic Conference AllFreshman Team (Women’s Basketball). Todd Starkey – 2010-11 South Atlantic Conference Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year for the third straight season. The Bears were picked to finish seventh in the league coaches’ preseason poll, but finished the season tied for third with a record of 14-13 (11-7 in conference play). Allan Jones – 2010-11 South Atlantic Conference All-Freshman Team (Men’s Basketball).
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Kate Griewisch, a senior from Banner Elk, N.C., became the first-ever multi-sport All-American in school history. Griewisch finished 4th out of 186 competitors at the NCAA Division II Women’s Cross Country National Championship held in Spokane, Washington in November. Her performance helped her earn All-American honors for the third straight year. Griewisch finished 6th overall in the women’s 10,000-meter race with a school-record time of 34:21 at the 2011 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field National Championships in Turlock, Calif. A biology major with a 3.81 grade point average, Griewisch also won the prestigious South Atlantic Conference Presidents Award. The SAC Presidents Award is the most prestigious honor the conference awards to its studentathletes. The award exemplifies the finest combined qualities of excellence in athletics, academics and community leadership.
Football Mike Houston became the 18th Head Coach in Lenoir-Rhyne football history on May 9, 2011. Houston had been the Bears’ defensive coordinator for the past four seasons (2007-10).
Whitaker (Salisbury, N.C.), senior defensive back Jamont Jones (Washington, N.C.), and Michael Green, who made it as a return specialist as well. Demetrius Green was named the South Atlantic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
The Bears finished the 2011 season 7-3 overall and 6-1 in conference play winning the South Atlantic Conference Championship for the first time since 1994. First-year coach Mike Houston was named the SAC Co-Coach of the Year and nine players earned All-South Atlantic Conference honors.
Chandler Rearden won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the second straight year. The trophy is given annually to the top offensive lineman in the South Atlantic Conference
Senior offensive lineman Chandler Rearden (Greenwood, S.C.), senior quarterback Major Herron (Kingsland, Ga.), senior placekicker Colin Corpe (Ocala, Fla.), junior defensive lineman Brandon Martin (Roebuck, S.C.), junior linebacker Demetrius Green (Cedartown, Ga.), and sophomore defensive back Michael Green (Kingsland, Ga.) were all named to the All-South Atlantic Conference First Team. Three players were named to the All-SAC Second Team: redshirt freshman fullback Isaiah
Softball For the second straight year, the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II Super Regional Tournament. The Bears finished last year with a record of 45-10 and won the South Atlantic Conference Regular Season and Tournament Championships for the second consecutive season. For their efforts, the Bears finished the year ranked No. 10 in the nation. PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 27
Get connected, alumni! It is hard to believe that the fall semester is winding down and 2012 is just around the corner. What an exciting time of year! Your Alumni Association has been hard at work with numerous exciting ideas for the year. Our annual Alumni Association BBQ was yet again a great success. Seeing old friends, making new ones, games, great food, and football; it does not get any better than that. A big THANKS to all the people who made such a successful event possible. I invite you to explore your Alumni Association’s new website, which launched in November. The new website brings several exciting features such as:
Michael Ervin
Now Calling for Nominations for the 2012 Alumni Association Awards! Don’t hesitate – get your nominations in today for an outstanding Lenoir-Rhyne graduate (or nominate yourself). Categories include: • Clarence L. Pugh Distinguished Alumnus/a Award – The Association’s highest award is presented annually to the alumnus/a who has achieved great prominence in his or her career field. • Opal L. Moretz Alumnus/a Service Awards (three categories: Service to the University, Service to the Alumni Association, or Service to Community) – Nominees must have provided unusual or exemplary service to LenoirRhyne University, the Lenoir-Rhyne Alumni Association, or to his or her community since graduating from L-R. • Young Alumnus/a Rising Star Award – Nominees must show an outstanding promise in his or her field of endeavor, been cited for outstanding achievement, or cited for community or volunteer leadership. In addition, the alumnus/a must have graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne within the past ten years (or, up to 15 years in the event the nominee has been involved in significant postgraduate studies such as medical school, law school, etc.)
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Simplified log in
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Ease in registration for alumni events
To nominate a deserving alumnus/a, fill out the nomination form below and submit to the Office of Alumni Relations (L-R Box 7228, Hickory, NC 28603), or submit the information to lru.director@alumni.lr.edu no later than Friday, February 10, 2012. Recipients will be notified by Friday, March 2, 2012 of their selection and recognized during Alumni Weekend, April 14, 2012.
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Reunion and alumni event photo pages
LENOIR-RHYNE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARDS NOMINATION FORM
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Alumni email log in
It is our hope that the new website will allow us to better serve you and also give you opportunities to share with your fellow alumni and the University. Let us know what you think of the website, how we can improve it, and spread the word to fellow alumni of its existence. Thanks to Suzanne Jackson ’02, director of Alumni Relations, for leading this project. Recently, we created the Alumni Society, which is a group of volunteers who will assist the University and the Association in promoting all the multi-facets of our great alma mater. If there has ever been a desire to help Lenoir-Rhyne or the Association, the time is now.
I wish to nominate for the: [ ] Clarence L. Pugh Distinguished Alumnus/a Award [ ] Opal L. Moretz Service Alumnus/a Awards for Service to: [ ] University [ ] Alumni Association [ ] Community [ ] Young Alumnus/a Rising Star Award
Submitted by: Phone: Email: For more information about each award, please go to http://alumnirelations.lr.edu/awards
We are entertaining new ideas for the Alumni Weekend 2012, the development of an Alumni Association logo and banner, and projects that will promote the Association in new and exciting areas of growth. President Powell and the University staff have been hard at work launching our largest capital campaign ever – University Rising – to provide state-of-the-art facilities for future alumni to make the impossible possible. Yes, what an exciting time it truly is. A time like no other to “Fling Wide the Red and Black.” As always, it is a privilege to serve as your Alumni Association President and if the Association or I can be of any service to you, please let us know. Go Bears! Michael Ervin, Class of 1988 Alumni Association President
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Class Notes 1950
1966
Bill Frazier was inducted into the Caldwell County Sports Hall of Fame at an awards dinner last fall. A Lenoir, N.C., native, Bill played baseball for the Bears. He served as a Marine during WW II and the Korean War and was a member of the Marine basketball and baseball teams. Bill was coach of the Lenoir Optimist Little League team that won the first city championship in 1952, and was instrumental in the organization of Teener League Baseball. His 1958 Teener League All Stars won regional championships and finished as the national runner up. His 1962 Senior League Team won the state baseball championship. He and his wife, Willodene ’52 Hook Frazier, have two sons, one daughter and five grandchildren.
The Rev. Dr. D. Mark Cooper was appointed the department chair of the Department of Patient Counseling in 2008. He holds an M.Div. from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and a D.Min. from Union Theological Seminary. He is an ordained pastor in the ELCA. He and his wife, Sandra ’64 Greene Cooper, live in Richmond, Va.
1967 Steven LeShay is currently a professor and chair of the marketing program at Wilmington University, New Castle, Del.
1961 Dr. Joseph P. Hester and Prof. Don R. Killian, Gaston College, have published their article, “The Leader as Moral Agent,” in the Winter/Spring edition of Valparaiso University’s Journal of Values Based Leadership. Hester and Killian have also had two books accepted for publication: Understanding Values and Morals, A Foundation for Civility Education/A Course of Study for Reflective Middle and High School Students; and Values, Morals and Civility, Seeking Community in a Divided World.
1964 Brennan Elliott was inducted into the Lincoln County Sports Hall of Fame on June 25. He was a three-sport letterman (football, baseball, and track) and member of the 1964 NAIA National Championship Team while at Lenoir-Rhyne.
Page 30 / Winter ’12/ PROFILE
Submitted by Becky Sink Schlein, Class of 1971. Photo by Dana Roseman, husband of Jan Nash Roseman. Bruce Meisner was elected Mayor Pro Tempore for the city of Hickory, completing 28 years on the Hickory City Council.
1975 Libby Adams Carter’s speech and debate team won the 2011 North Carolina State Championship and had multiple other state wins this year. They also did well in the college/university events. Libby is a speech and debate teacher at Pinecrest High School in Pinecrest, N.C., and head coach of the debate team. She was named Tarheel East District Coach of the year for 2005-2006 and North Carolina Coach of the Year 2007-2008.
1977
1971 The LRU Nursing Class of 1971 recently held a reunion at the vacation home of Alice Biggerstaff Loper in Dillsboro. Class members enjoyed remembering their college days, catching up on family and friends, and sharing stories from their 40 years of nursing experiences. Old photos invoked many memories and much laughter! The clothing and hair styles may have changed, but the wonderful spirit of the group remains the same! Front Row: Sharon Watts Fretz, Reba Kelly Miller, Jane Mashburn, Jan Nash Roseman, Ceeya Patton Bolman. Back Row: Anne Ryan Neary, Linda Chilton Gill, Shirley Huffman, Margaret Aldrich Morris, Alice Biggerstaff Loper, Becky Sink Schlein, Linda Wilson Ward.
Robert McIver was installed as the 2011-12 Lenoir-Rhyne Alumni Association Board of Directors President-elect. He is the owner/ president of the LaMar McIver Insurance Agency in Wilmington, N.C.
years, Lela Lineberger Groene has accepted a position with Children’s Meeting House Montessori private school in Loveland, Ohio, teaching first, second, and third grades in a multiage classroom. Lela, husband Dan, and 15-year-old son Matthew live in Montgomery, a Cincinnati suburb.
1978 Victoria Austin Martin’s accounting firm, Martin Starnes & Associates, was recently awarded Best Accounting Firm (Top 100) for the third year in a row by Accounting Today magazine.
1979 Married Raye Rufty and Richard “Rick” Ratliff on May 14. The couple lives in Abingdon, Va. Dr. Miriam Adderholdt recently made a presentation to the North Carolina Council for Exceptional Children Conference in Winston-Salem. The presentation was about perfectionism and covered points in her book, Perfectionism: What’s Bad About Being Too Good? Miriam’s doctorate is in the fields of educational psychology, gifted education, creativity, and research methods.
1981
1978 After becoming a second-career Montessori teacher in 2006 and teaching in public Montessori and traditional elementary schools for five
Tim Phillips and L-R student Kendra Williford of Morganton attended the Scottish International Festival of Trumpets in Elgin, Scotland, in June
2010. Musicians from Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, England, Scotland, Ireland, and the U.S. attended. Featured performers included Derek Watkins, who played on soundtracks for the James Bond and Harry Potter movies, and John Wallace, who performed for Prince Charles’ and Lady Diana’s wedding. Phillips, an adjunct professor at Lenoir-Rhyne, was also selected as a soloist and received positive reviews.
1985 Rex Casterline has joined Rogers Townsend & Thomas, PC, attorneys in Columbia, S.C. His practice areas include residential and commercial real estate, mortgage lending, real estate litigation, and business counseling. Rex and his wife, Renae, live in Irmo, S.C.
1990 Todd Martin received his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Appalachian State University. He is currently a psychology instructor at Mitchell Community College. He, his wife Stacy, and his daughter Sadie live in Statesville.
1991 Baby Bear To Warren and Victoria (Tory) Williams Judson, twin daughters, Olivia Ellen and Scarlett Gaige, on May 27. The family resides in Roseville, Calif. Calvin Padgett is competing as a sprinter in USA Master’s Track and Field competitions. Once the MVP on L-R’s track team, he has had strong finishes since returning to competitive events. At the USA Masters Indoor Track and Field National Championships in Albuquerque, N.M., he took seventh in the 400-meter event, 12th in the 60 meters and 10th in the 200 meters.
He is planning to compete in six outdoor events in the coming months.
1993 Joel Pruett received an MBA in 2009 from the Wake Forest Babcock School of Management.
1994 Married Heather Klein and John Snyder on June 3. The couple lives in Bethlehem, Pa. Heather is a teacher with Nazareth Area School District.
1995 Baby Bear To Jeff and Angie Schmucker Phillips, a daughter, Caroline Addison, on Nov. 17, 2010. Grandparents are Jim ’63 and Kay ’64 Bowman Schmucker. The family lives in Hickory. Frank McKay was a recipient of a 2011 Bartlett Merit Award, given by the National Environmental Education Foundation. Bartlett awards are given annually to three outstanding middle or high school teachers across the country who successfully integrate environmental education into classroom curriculum and engage students in interdisciplinary solutions to environmental challenges.
PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 31
Class Notes Daron Montgomery has been named the director of athletics at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He previously was associate athletic director at University of Detroit Mercy. Daron lives with his wife Karen and their daughters Bailey and Isabelle.
1996 Jason Knebel was honored with two awards from Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, Va., where he is an English teacher and department chair. The first award, the Zimmer Award, is given by the senior class to the faculty member they feel has demonstrated the deepest love and concern for the school. The second award, the Fulton Master Teacher Award, is presented by the school’s faculty for excellent teaching. Jason and his wife Larissa King Knebel ’96, have three sons: Sebastian, Augustus, and Ignatius. Larissa also teaches at Virginia Episcopal School.
1997 Baby Bears To Christy and Chris Beaver, a daughter, Caleigh Grace, on May 20. The family lives in Charlotte.
Alida Cardo writes articles for examiner.com on the subjects of politics and home schooling. She is the Raleigh Political Buzz Examiner and the Wilkesboro Home Schooling Examiner. Alida attended Thomas M. Cooley Law School and is a former congressional aide for Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart of South Florida. She specialized and assisted in U.S. Service Academy matters, Veteran Affairs, Medicare, Social Security, and U.S. Postal Service issues. She home schools her daughter.
1999 Baby Bear To Steven and Carrie Maness Regan, a daughter, Claire Elizabeth, on July 12, 2010. The family lives in Claremont.
2000 Baby Bears Brandon and Shanna Hughes Carter welcomed their new son, Ace Nathaniel, on May 10, 2010. He joins older sister Avery and older brother Aidan. The family lives in Hurricane, W.V.
To Mike and Angela Shields Langford, a daughter, Leigh Ainsley, on April 2. She joins big sister, Maya, age 5. The family lives in Hickory.
2004
Baby Bears To Chris and Heather Bennett VanOpdorp, a son, Cody Michael, in Dec. 2010. Cody has an older brother, Tyler, age 3. The family lives in Land O’ Lakes, Fla.
Baby Bears To Brent and Tiffany Lee Allen, a daughter, Caroline Michelle, on Nov. 4. Tiffany is a family/women’s health nurse practitioner in Thomasville, N.C., and Brent is a CFO at a company in Archdale, N.C. The family lives in Archdale.
To Reja Winebarger Couch and husband Dale Couch, a son, Kellen Ray, on June 12. The family lives in Yadkinville, N.C.
2002 Baby Bears To Adam and Nicole Nain Coffey ’05, a daughter, Elizabeth Marie, on Feb. 6. She joins her big brother Caleb. The family resides in Conover. To Larry and Jana Smith Creed, a daughter, Ava, on Feb. 26. The family lives in Hickory, where Jana is a registered nurse at Catawba Valley Medical Center. To Sarah and Terry Donaher, a son, Kane Thomas, on Feb. 12. He joins big brother Tripp, age 2. The family resides in Hershey, Pa., where Terry and Sarah work as house parents at Milton Hershey School. To Jenna and David Sergeant, a daughter, Kennedy Rebecca, on Dec. 20. The family lives in Ridgeway, Va.
2003
Stacey Hill Thomas passed the national certification exam to become a Certified Registered Nurse in Inpatient Obstetric Nursing. She is employed at Catawba Valley Medical Center in the Birthing Center.
1998 Baby Bear To Charles White ’91 and Krista Grabowski White, a boy, Copeland David, on May 22, 2010.
2001
To Todd Lawing and Andi Penley Lawing ’02, a boy, Grady, on Oct. 14. He joins big sister, Kenna, age 4. The family lives in Cullowhee, N.C.
Micaela Glen Cuda, CPA, Senior Tax Accountant at Martin Starnes & Associates, has recently earned the professional designation of Certified Specialist in Estate Planning™ CSEP. This designation was awarded by the National Institute for Excellence in Professional Education, LLC, in conjuncture with various state societies of CPAs and Surgent and Associates, LLC.
To Caroline and Frank Jolly, a daughter, Martha Jeanne, on April 25. The family lives in Alexandria, Va. Amy Westmoreland Latimer and her husband, Robert, own Natural Hearing Solutions, with locations in Fort Myers and Naples, Fla. They currently live in Fort Myers with their one-year-old son, Robert Michael (Beau).
2006 Married Heather Brown and Jason Raines ’03 on June 11. Heather is an occupational therapist and Jason is a quality engineer. The couple lives in Hickory.
Baby Bear To Billy ’95 and Amanda Hurt Hilton, a daughter, McKinley Ballard, on May 1. The family lives in Hickory. Gretchen Nagle received a Master of Education degree from Campbell University in May. She is a teacher with Wake County Public Schools. J.D. Osborne earned a Master of Business Education degree from Campbell University in May. He is a professional healthcare representative for Pfizer, Inc.
2007 Married Jonathan Wester and Maggie Womack on Dec. 18 in Sanford, N.C. Jonathan is a financial services officer for the State Employees Credit Union and Maggie will graduate in May 2012 from the College of Veterinary Medicine at North Carolina State University. The couple lives in Raleigh.
Stephanie Delgado graduated in December 2010 with her JD/MBA from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She finished in the top 20 percent of her business school class. She is currently a licensed attorney in the state of Florida and recently accepted a position in corporate outreach at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn.
2008 Married Crystal Elliott and Jonathan Goodman on April 1. Crystal is an elementary school teacher and Jonathan is a mechanical engineer. The couple lives in Salisbury. Elisabeth A. West received her master’s degree from Coastal Carolina University, Conway, S.C., in 2009. She is currently teaching at Risen Christ School in North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
2011 Married James Crapps, Jr., and Kassandra Endicott on May 29. The couple lives in Connelly Springs, N.C.
Submit Your Class Notes for Alumni News Name (Maiden) Class Year Address City State Phone (
)
-
Marriage Date
Zip
Is it new?
(Do not submit before marriage)
Spouse’s Name (Maiden) Class Year Birth
/ Adoption
Son
Daughter
Name
Date
Occupation: Self Spouse Death of Date
Class Year
Other news You may submit class notes online at: www.alumni.lr.edu, by FAX to: 828-328-7358 or email lr.alumni@lr.edu By mail to: Office of Alumni & Parent Relations, P. O. Box 7228, Hickory, NC 28603
Page 32 / Winter ’12/ PROFILE
PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 33
Class Notes LOST BEARS! We need your help in locating some of our lost Bears. If you know how to contact any of these former classmates, please send an email to lru.director@alumni.lr.edu or call (828) 328-7080. 1980-89 LOST: Samuel Lee Adams ’86 Tanya Johnson Alston ’85 Debra Cozart Beach ’88 Mark Craig Booth ’87 Jerome Fitzgerald Branch ’86 Sheryl Melchor Burch ’87 Carolina Johnson Cabe ’89 Patricia Harrison Cannon ’89 Kim Rustay Connerly ’89 Candace Draper Crissman ’80
In Memoriam 1990-99 LOST: Anne O’Grady Austin ’98 Susan Michele Bartlett ’98 Robbie Edward Berry ’93 William Bryant Binch ’93 Jeffrey Leonard Carpenter ’94 Katie S. Davenport ’96 Dawn Rudisill Emory ’92 Kristie Paul Foster ’96 Keith Ervin Hedrick ’91 Paul Curtiss Job ’94
Cale Kenneth Robinson ’01 John L. Savage ’02 Sarah Dellinger Sharpe ’03
2000-09 LOST: Dayne Omar Chester ’00 Daniel Stephen Clover ’04 Elizabeth Warlick Neal ’00 Vanessa Michelle Norman ’00 April Brady Perryman ’00 Robener Audrey Phillips ’01 William Gerhard Puckett ’07
Mark your calendars and save the date for
Alumni Weekend 2012 April 13 & 14
Events taking place include: Class of 1952 60th-Year Reunion Luncheon at the President’s House Class of 1962 50th-Year Reunion Dinner 17th Annual Golden Bear Breakfast Annual Alumni Weekend (Black & Red) Luncheon Band Reunion – Celebrating a century of music at Lenoir-Rhyne Many more events will be taking place. Events are subject to change. Please check alumnirelations.lr.edu often! Page 34 / Winter ’12/ PROFILE
Mary Louise Little Mauney ’35 of Conover on May 8 Geraldine Rudisill Zeigler ’36 of Savannah, Ga., on June 22 Mary Hickman Vaughan ’37 of Oxford on March 4 Lucille Billings ’38 of Kernersville on May 17 Sarah Black Haraldsen ’38 of Newton on July 16 Helen Anderson Stogner ’38 of Hickory on April 12 Robert Clement ’39 of Kannapolis on May 16 Winona Miller ’39 of Hickory on March 24 Frank van der Linden ’39 of Bethesda, Md., on June 23 Eugenia Ivey Bivens ’40 of Charlotte on Jan. 20 Ruth Miller Edwards ’40 of Norfolk, Va., on Feb. 9 Nancy Cline Shuford ’40 of Hickory on May 12 Martha Moretz Wellman ’40 of Advance on April 6 Hoke Ritchie ’41 of Concord on July 7 Marian Morgan Solace ’41 of Long Beach, Calif., on March 14 Marguerite Smith Bellois ’42 of Wilmington on July 14 Beatrice Boyd Colerider ’42 of Concord on July 2 Virl Hefner ’42 of Newton on Dec. 7, 2010 Sarah Peeler Hendrix ’42 of Spartanburg, S.C., on April 10 Willie Self Query-Jewell ’42 of Charlotte on Jan. 23 Virginia Morrison Whitener ’42 of Georgetown, S.C., on July 21 Ruth Arnett Nelms ’43 of Morganton on Jan. 13 Flora Yount Smith ’43 of Charlotte on July 8 J. Herman Cater ’44 of Hickory on Dec. 15, 2010 William Grose ’44 of Advance on March 21 John Hunsucker ’44 of Newton on June 4 J. Eulan Johnson ’44 of Hickory on Jan. 4 Helen Houser Killian ’45 of Hendersonville on Jan. 17 Wyolene Teal McFee ’45 of Cary on April 25 Frances Micol Pascal ’45 of Valdese on Dec. 18, 2010 E.W. Walton ’45 of Hickory on April 13 Don Michael ’46 of Salisbury on June 1 Evelyn Swing Sheppard ’46 of Lexington on June 10 Margie White Simmons ’46 of Hickory on Jan. 25 Jean Tuttle Allen ’47 of Lincolnton on Jan. 4 Evelyn Frye Helton ’47 of Hickory on Feb. 8 Robert Laffon ’47 of Hickory on Dec. 15, 2010 Bernard Cruse ’48 of Concord on May 2 Doris Zerden Kramer ’48 of Whiteville on April 28 James Mashburn ’48 of Raleigh on July 11 Billie Miller ’48 of Hickory on July 16 Hubert Crotts ’49 of Charlotte on Feb. 9 James Jackson ’49 of Hickory on Jan. 8 Harold Leatherman ’49 of Mint Hill on March 1 Luther Tarlton ’49 of Concord on May 2 Harvey Feimster ’50 of Taylorsville on April 2 Ruth Soeldner Pope ’50 of Charlotte on July 26 Marcus Shelton ’50 of Winston-Salem on June 8 Elbert Swink ’50 of Morganton on July 21 Jack Underdown ’50 of Elkin on May 16 Chrystal Stirewalt ’51 of Salisbury on Feb. 17 Gus Tron ’51 of Valdese on March 8 Ted Harviel ’52 of Cornelius on Jan. 23
Henry Hunsucker ’52 of Charlotte on Sept. 6 James Newsome ’52 of Newton on Dec. 17, 2010 Michael Pierce ’53 of Hickory on June 16 Robert Shuford ’53 of Hickory on April 4 Edward Boyd ’54 of Charlotte on Jan. 23 Joanne Todd Cartee ’54 of Winston-Salem on July 17 Carl Dellinger ’54 of Spartanburg, S.C., on Feb. 19 C. Ross Ritchie ’54 of Chapin, S.C., on May 29 Frances Simmons ’54 of Burlington on July 12 William Daughtrey ’55 of Hickory on Feb. 19 Bobby Hildebran ’55 of Hildebran on July 26 James Cansler ’56 of Hickory on Jan. 4 Anna Briggs Miller ’56 of Charleston, W.V., on Feb. 19 William Propst ’56 of Fairfax Station, Va., on June 8 Billy Trull ’56 of Newton on June 25 Juanita Gregg Wallace ’56 of Hickory on Aug. 17 Betty Clodfelter Black ’57 of Matthews on March 15 James Holder ’58 of Indian Lk Est., Fla., on Feb. 3 Harold Reese ’58 of Hickory on March 18 Larry Bumgarner ’59 of King on July 4 Harry Ingram ’59 of Morganton on June 4 Billy Moffitt ’59 of Old Fort on July 2 Carl Rector ’59 of Conover on July 22 Helen Sink ’59 of Thomasville on March 12 Pete Summers ’59 of Vicksburg, Miss., on April 19 Roy Troutman ’59 of China Grove on Aug. 4 Robert Yount ’59 of China Grove on Aug. 18 Hugh Hallman ’60 of Lincolnton on Dec. 5, 2010 Harold Odom ’60 of Taylorsville on April 30 Linda Nichols Lyon ’61 of Ocracoke on Jan. 2 Wade Teague ’61 of Lancaster, S.C., on May 3 Kay Bryant Tice ’61 of Winter Park, Fla., on July 8 John Cress ’62 of Charlotte on Aug. 4 Frank Horton ’63 of Hickory on July 12 Gerald Briggs ’64 of Lexington on May 10 Olin Hawkins ’64 of Atlanta, Ga., on Feb. 13 John Josey ’64 of Statesville on Dec. 23, 2010 Bonnie Farthing ’66 of Raleigh on April 28 Mary Thompson Stikeleather ’66 of Las Vegas, Nev., on Jan. 4 John Jones ’67 of Hickory on Feb. 11 David Lutz ’67 of Waynesville on July 13 Carol Bush Lewis ’68 of Gastonia on March 21 W. Kemp Steen ’69 of Blowing Rock on Jan. 14 Vernon Brewer ’70 of Hickory on Jan. 1 Randall Powell ’71 of Morganton on April 11 Timothy Elliott ’72 of Statesville on June 28 Paulette Herman Church ’74 of Lenoir on March 29 Mark Reed ’80 of Hickory on May 10 James Moore ’81 of Lincolnton on Feb. 7 Robin Rockett Bowen ’89 of Taylorsville on Dec. 24, 2010 Bobbie Lackey Tallent ’95 of Vale on Feb. 11 Jacob Sigman ’07 of Granite Falls on Aug. 20 PROFILE/ Winter ’12/ Page 35
Homecoming!
Graduation!
l e traditiona m during th u y. ri n o o it m d u re A e en t C Monroe o m m en c em C ther in P.E a e g th ts n to e r d o Stu ny pri ate Ceremo Baccalaure
Matt Pursley and Sabrina Cummings celebrate after being named the 2011 Homecoming King and Queen.
A 2011 graduate
cheers the Bears foo Student Molly Haynes Homecoming victor y.
experiences at
Lenoir-Rhyne.
tball team to their
the Lenoir-Rhyne Faculty joy fully sings recent graduates.
ays one of nament is alw
Page 36 / Winter ’11/ PROFILE
reflects on her
tour The corn hole BQ. B g in om ec Hom
the highlight
Alma Mater as they
bid farewell to the
s of the
PROFILE/ Winter ’11/ Page 37
Spring Calendar Music Events
Visiting Writers Series
April 13
7:30 pm Spring Concert
April 14
Alumni Weekend Reunion Band Concert
Isaac Anderson, Visiting Writer-in-Residence February 2, 7:00 pm, Belk Centrum
Concert Band – http://mus.lr.edu/instrumental/concert
Choral Music Program http://mus.lr.edu/choral March 13-20
A Cappella Choir and Brass Tour
March 24 A Cappella Choir and Brass Tour Home Concert (St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church, Hickory) April 21
L-R Choral Festival
visitingwriters.lr.edu
Anderson recently completed his MFA from The University of Ohio. As an emerging nonfiction writer specializing in the spiritual biography, Anderson’s work also includes interviews, reviews, essays and translations.
Find out more about the Visiting Writers Series
Judy Goldman February 2, 7:00 pm, Belk Centrum Goldman, a North Carolina author of two novels and two poetry collections, has a readership that recognizes what Library Journal calls “masterfully written” work. Sandra Cisneros March 1st, 7:00 pm, Belk Centrum March 2nd, UNC-Asheville Cisneros’ books, House on Mango Street, Woman Hollering Creek, and Caramelo, all evoke the power of words to tell a meaningful part of America’s history through novels, poetry, and short stories. The LRU Visiting Writers Series, in conjunction with UNC-Asheville, will present an encore presentation by Cisneros on the UNC-A campus.
Lenoir-RhyneRises RisesUp Uptoto Lenoir-Rhyne Lenoir-Rhyne Up Bring theStage StageRises Life! Bring the totoLife! Lenoir-Rhyne Rises Up to to
Lynne Cherry – The Little Read March 31st, 12:00 pm, P.E. Monroe Auditorium
Bring Stage to Life! Check outthe ourspring springperformances! performances! Check out our
Her best-selling books like The Great Kapok Tree and A River Ran are written out of inspiration from the natural world and encourage the same inspiration in children to make a difference. Alexander McCall Smith April 19th, 7:00 pm, P.E. Monroe Auditorium
Institute for Faith and Learning All events held in Belk Centrum on campus at 7:00pm January 16 James H. Cone, Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. February 16 Jacqueline Bussie, Capital University (topic TBD)
Page 38 / Winter ’12/ PROFILE
Alexander McCall Smith is not only the author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, and other internationally best-selling series, but also a respected expert on medical law and bioethics, as well as a founder and member of The Really Terrible Orchestra.
Bring the Stage to Life!
Check out our spring performances! Check out our spring performances!
Lenoir-Rhyne Lenoir-Rhyne University University Concert Series Concert Series presents: presents:
The Threepenny Opera The Threepenny Opera
The Threepenny Opera Book and Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, Book Lyrics by Bertolt Bertolt Brecht, Theand Threepenny OperaBrecht, Book andby Lyrics byWeill Music Kurt Music by Kurt Weill Music by Kurt Weill Book andFeb. Lyrics by– Bertolt Brecht, Wed., 22Sat., Sat., 26 Wed., 22 Feb.Feb. Wed., Feb. 22 ––Weill Sat., Feb. 2626 MusicFeb. by Kurt P.E. Monroe Auditorium P.E. Monroe Auditorium P.E. Monroe Auditorium Wed., Feb. 22 – Sat., Feb. 26 P.E. Monroe Auditorium
concert series concert series
Just JustArt Art Just An original JustArt Art performance
An original performance Andevised performance by the LR Playmakers Anoriginal original performance devised by LR Playmakers Wed., April 18the – Fri., April 20 devised by LR Playmakers devised bythe the LR Playmakers Wed., April 18Fri., Fri., April Hickory Museum of–Art Wed., April 18 – April 2020 20 Wed., April 18 Fri., April Hickory Museum of Art Hickory Museum of Hickory Museum ofArt Art
For reservations call 828-328-PLAY or visit theatre.lr.edu For reservations call 828-328-PLAY or visit theatre.lr.edu
reservations 828-328-PLAY visit theatre.lr.edu ForFor reservations callcall 828-328-PLAY or or visit theatre.lr.edu
Join us for our spring performances! Join us for our spring performances! William Chapman Nyaho, William Chapman Nyaho, Piano - March 2, 2012 Piano - March 2, 2012 John Wojciechowski Quartet John Wojciechowski Quartet April 20, 2012 April 20, 2012 Check our website at mus.lr.edu/concert for updates and Check our website at mus.lr.edu/concert for updates and additional details. additional details.
PROFILE/ Winter ’11/ Page 39
Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid Permit #61 Hickory, NC P. O. BOX 7228 HICKORY, NC 28603 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
Rise Up and Give Back When you were a student at Lenoir-Rhyne, you were asked many questions that sparked thought and conversation. Today, we ask, “Will you rise up and give to the students of L-R the way alumni gave to you?�
Lenoir-Rhyne needs your support to keep offering scholarships to hard-working students, building the most advanced facilities, and backing faculty and leadership who are tirelessly dedicated to raising the standards of education in Western North Carolina. Please make your gift today so that even more students can receive the kinds of advantages you enjoyed. For more information on The Fund for Lenoir-Rhyne, contact Krystal Phillips, Director of Annual Giving at phillipsks@lr.edu or 828-328-7171. Gifts can be sent to The Fund for Lenoir-Rhyne, LR Box 7150, Hickory, NC 28603 or made online at giving.lr.edu.