Lipscomb Now Spring 2022

The Magazine for Alumni and Friends spring 2022

LIPSCOMB’S 18TH PRESIDENT

DR. CANDICE McQUEEN SHINES A LIGHT ON A NEW ERA

Vol. 17 No.1

FROM PAST TO PRESENT:

Beautiful Day

Above: Generations of Bisons have experienced or heard stories about Beautiful Day, the annual surprise announcement by Lipscomb’s past presidents that classes are canceled in favor of a picnic at the park. The tradition spans back to at least the 1930s, with “hog calling” and “biggest tale contests.’’

In 2022, new President Candice McQueen renewed the tradition with on-campus fun including fair rides, roller skating, food trucks and a service opportunity.

Right: A scene from a Beautiful Day of the past, before the tradition went by the wayside in 1965.

Post your favorite story about Beautiful Day on the Lipscomb Alumni Association Facebook page and @LipscombAlumni on Twitter.

The Magazine for Alumni and Friends

spring 2022

Vol. 17 No.1

2........ In the Now: Latest News 6........ Lipscomb Bisons: Athletics 37....... Bison Notes 53...... Reflections from the President

Features 12 A light shining — in the darkness A new era begins at Lipscomb with the inauguration of its 18th president Candice McQueen.

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Once upon a time there was a show...

Spring 2022 brought the return of a beloved Lipscomb tradition: live performances of Singarama. .

Alumni 24 —

A haven for the homeless Environmental sciences graduate Cecelie Eiler creates a peaceful garden refuge for Nashville’s most needy.

Cover: Lipscomb University’s 18th president, Candice McQueen, was welcomed with three days of inauguration activities, including the investiture ceremony on March 29. .

Editor Kim Chaudoin Senior Managing Editor Janel Shoun-Smith Writers Logan Butts Kim Chaudoin Janel Shoun-Smith Photography Kristi Jones Lauren Scott Lipscomb Athletics Design Zach Bowen Will Mason

Produced by the Office of Public Relations & Communications.

Lipscomb Now is published by Lipscomb University®. Go to lipscomb.edu/now to read more.

Postmaster: Send changes of address to Lipscomb Now, Alumni Relations Lipscomb University One University Park Drive Nashville, Tennessee 37204-3951 ©2022 Lipscomb University.

All Rights Reserved.

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Providing answers amidst a pandemic Biology alumnus Matthew Hardison leads Aegis Sciences Labs, testing millions of samples for covid-19.

We Are Lipscomb 7........ Alum rockets into NBA 9........ Winning silver in Japan 39....... A man of science instills faith 42...... Ensuring a firm foundation in NYC 45...... Slam dunk on the movie screen 46...... Contributing to the computer age 49...... Building a Peloton nation

now

SCENE & HEARD Bart Millard came to Lipscomb in 2021 to declare he could “only imagine” the heights Lipscomb arts students could

IN THE

reach through his new partnership

with the George Shinn College of

Entertainment & the Arts. Imagine House, a mash-up of innovative

education, real market entertainment

experiences and a nationwide mentoring

network, began offering Lipscomb students an innovative, immersive

“While music is my first love, I am excited about training the next generation to impact the world with tremendous storytelling across many artistic mediums.”

– Bart Millard

Lead Singer of Mercy Me

learning experience this past fall.

What makes a great leader?

“Humility, empathy, resilience, selfawareness and selfreflection.”

The same traits that made a great leader

– Doris Kearns Goodwin

shared the common patterns of behavior

in the 1860s, 1900s, 1930s and 1960s. So said Doris Kearns Goodwin during her

visit to campus in November to speak at

the Don R. Elliott Distinguished Lectures.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian

Author of Leadership: In Turbulent Times

she found in her research of presidents

Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR and Lyndon Johnson.

Exercise science achieves first-in-state accreditation The Department of Kinesiology’s exercise science program became the first program in Tennessee to achieve initial accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs in January.

CAAHEP accreditation will allow exercise science students to take certain certification exams in the health science field.

The exercise science program’s facilities and lab equipment in the Hughes Center were particularly impressive to the CAAHEP accreditation team who visited campus.

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Currently, there are only 72 undergraduate programs in the nation that are accredited by CAAHEP, representing 30 different states. The site visit was conducted in November, and there were no deficiencies cited in any of the accreditation categories.

“The site visitors from other universities were particularly impressed with the quality of our lab spaces and equipment,” said Ruth Henry, chair of the Department of Kinesiology.

Fall 2021 freshman enrollment marks record percentage of ethnically diverse students

31%

of the 2021 freshman class are from underrepresented racial categories.

The future Class of 2025 began its college journey with 31% of students identifying as part of historically underrepresented racial or ethnic categories, a record for the university.

Nearly 10% of undergraduate students—an institutional record—are Hispanic or Latino.

Byron Lewis, vice president of enrollment management, says the record numbers were the result of focused outreach such as explaining how a Christian, private education can be affordable, emphasizing how the Lipscomb community offers points of connection for all students of any background and focusing on financial policies that make a Lipscomb education more affordable.

Turning ministers into spiritual leaders What is a minister today? Well, they are certainly a lot more than preachers!

The ministry professionals of today also often find themselves in the role of mental health counselor, community organizer or business professional, not to mention humble servant, sometimes on a global scale.

Through the largest grant in its history, $1.069 million from the

Kern Family Foundation, the College of Bible & Ministry has established a unique 4+1 Pastoral Leadership Program to prepare future ministers to be future leaders.

Targeting 18- to 22-year-olds, the new program will offer a dual undergraduate and graduate degree in four years’ time using an accelerated curriculum format.

The program will also include global learning experiences in Florence, Italy, and Israel, as well as internship placements with congregations.

New center launched for transforming supply chain In the past two years, barely a week has gone by

without Americans hearing about a new shortage due to “supply chain issues.”

But at Lipscomb the College of Business

has recognized the importance of the supply

chain field to a humming economy since 2013,

when it established its program in supply chain management in partnership with Hang Seng

Management College in Hong Kong.

Now the college has built on that

foundation and launched a first-of-its-kind

Center for Transformative Sales & Supply Chain Leadership, headed by international

supply chain scholar and author Hannah Stolze.

Stolze’s research and writings on the lives of

customers and employees through an emphasis

on environmental business practices, the social

impact of organizations on employees and

society, and integration of faith and ethics will

fuel the new center’s academic endeavors.

Such endeavors will include adding

new undergraduate, graduate and certificate

programs, developing a business-as-mission

track and workshops, bootcamps and training for industry professionals around the world.

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now IN THE

Getting to the heart of the matter

In Lipscomb’s new Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion program, it is the students who literally keep the blood flowing.

In response to nationwide demand, Lipscomb has partnered with health care companies like SpecialtyCare, Comprehensive Care Services and Perfusion.com, which provide specialist health care providers to many hospitals nationwide, to launch the new program. Perfusionists play a vital role on the cardiac surgical team by operating artificial pumps that ensure that a patient’s blood continues to flow throughout the body during cardiac procedures.

The partnerships bring financial aid opportunities and secure job placement for students entering the field that has been in particularly high demand during the covid-19 pandemic which has required extensive use of artificial pumps to oxygenate blood.

New program director David Webb is cultivating numerous partnerships to allow the first cohort of 15 students, who began this past fall, to take advantage of clinical rotations across the country and opportunities to move straight into a position after graduation.

IMPACT turns 30 years old

The first cohort of 15 cardiovascular perfusion students began classes in fall 2021.

Campers came from

Jeff Walling has spoken

29 & 5 64 50,034 25,000+ 364 2,422 1 2,393 Now that the annual spiritual summer youth camp is well into its adulthood, what does it have to show for itself as of summer 2021?

States

Nations

times

Teens attended

slices of pizza consumed

Beach balls used in Morning Impact

Baptisms

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Campers have enrolled as freshmen at Lipscomb University

David Rubio has fallen off the stage

time

Lipscomb climbs the ladder to enter the less than 6% of business schools with AACSB accreditation. Each AACSB-accredited school must Engage, Innovate and Impact.

2022

College of Business joins an elite club of less than 6% of schools globally accredited by the AACSB The Lipscomb University College of Business was awarded accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in February, placing it within less than 6% of the more than 16,000 business schools worldwide. Only 926 institutions across 60 countries have been endorsed by the AACSB, the largest business education network connecting learners, educators and businesses worldwide.

Synonymous with the highest standards of quality, AACSB accreditation opens many doors for Lipscomb graduates including obtaining preferred entry status to prestigious graduate schools and the ability to draw the attention of recruiters for national and international corporations, said college Dean Ray Eldridge. The designation is also a proven attraction for the most highly credentialed potential faculty, he said.

In addition, all 6,000+ alumni of the College of Business and the Pfeffer Graduate School of Business can now note their alma mater’s new accreditation status on their resumes.

While business college leaders and faculty dating all the way back to Axel Swang have had interest in pursuing the AACSB accreditation, the college became focused on the goal in 2016, when the college expressed its commitment

College of Business Dean Ray Eldridge at a spring event celebrating the college’s new accreditation status.

to AACSB and began the years’ long journey of enhancing its engagement, innovation and impact to meet the organization’s requirements.

To meet those standards, each degree offered by the college had to meet the highest level of faculty and curriculum quality, Eldridge said.

Faculty had to reach new standards and a balance of academic and professional qualification.

As such, contributions from many supporters in the past few years have been used to assist current faculty with strong professional backgrounds to achieve their terminal academic degrees, he said. In addition, since 2016, 18 faculty have been hired in new or existing positions.

Various advisory boards have been established to engage hundreds of local professionals, and highly successful executivesin-residence have been recruited to bring real-world insight to students in classrooms, Eldridge said.

To bring new innovation to the college, leaders focused on enhancing supply chain management, data analytics and health care as unique and relevant distinctives as well as the traditional core of accounting, finance, marketing and management. Academic programs in business as mission and entrepreneurship as well as student services in advising and career development have also been enhanced.

2021

2019

AACSB officially announces accreditation status INNOVATE: Center for Transformative Sales & Supply Chain Leadership established IMPACT: First Business as Mission conference held with global involvement INNOVATE: New Master of Health Administration established

2018

INNOVATE: Center for Analytics & Informatics established ENGAGE: Master of Management in Health Care launched

2017

ENGAGE: The first of five professional-led advisory boards established INNOVATE: Financial trading lab Powered by Bloomberg added

2016

ENGAGE: First of seven professionally successful in-residence faculty join Lipscomb

2015

IMPACT: Launch of the Center for Business as Mission lipscomb.edu/now

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LIPSCOMB bisons

Men’s and women’s soccer advanced to the 2021 NCAA tournament This past fall, the Lipscomb women’s soccer team earned its way to

the national ncaa Tournament by downing Kennesaw State en

route to the program’s third asun

championship in four years in front of

a record crowd.

Lipscomb men’s soccer defeated Central Arkansas 4-1 to capture the

asun championship crown and earn its first ncaa tournament berth since

2018 and third overall with the victory.

The women’s team entered the

ncaa competition coming off the asun Championship game where

Lipscomb scored 11 goals and conceded none in their three tournament matches. Overall, the team posted a record of 15-4-1, and at that time the Bisons were ranked sixth in the South Region of the United Soccer Coaches Poll and ranked 82nd in the rpi.

In its third appearance in the

ncaa Division I Women’s Soccer

Championship, the Bisons traveled

in November to Knoxville to take on the third-seeded University of Tennessee Volunteers and fell 3-0. Shelby Craft, a

junior from Texas, won asun Defensive Player of the Year for the season.

Lipscomb had success against the Power Five conferences this year with a

win in the season opener over sec foe Mississippi State as well as the acc’s Miami Hurricanes. The team’s one Power Five loss came at home against Music City rival Vanderbilt in a hardfought match.

The women have made two prior

appearances to the ncaa Tournament and advanced one time. In 2018 Lipscomb made its debut with a thrilling 1-0 win over Mississippi State. After a second-round loss to Duke, the team returned to the tournament in 2019. This time Lipscomb matched up with 22nd ranked Louisville and fell by a score of 1-0.

The Bison men traveled to No. 13 Hofstra for their first-round game in the

ncaa tournament and first-ever matchup

against the Colonial Athletic Association conference champion. Despite a one-goal lead at halftime, Lipscomb fell to Hofstra 4-2.

Lipscomb entered the ncaa championship with a 2-2 program record with both of its wins coming in 2018 against Washington and Central Florida to reach the Round of 12.

Noah Gulden, a senior from Norway,

was named the asun Defensive Player of the Year and the Scholar Athlete of the Year for the 2021-22 season.

Both the men’s (left) and women’s (above) soccer teams won their respective ASUN championships to compete in the NCAA National Tournament in fall 2021.

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WE ARE LIPSCOMB

YOUR FELLOW ALUMNI

BISON ALUM GARRISON MATHEWS ROCKETS INTO THE NBA For the first time ever, Lipscomb basketball fans can see one of their own grace the hardwood at the highest level. Following a highly decorated career in the Purple and Gold, Garrison Mathews (’19) became the first Lipscomb men’s basketball player in program history to play in the NBA. After earning a spot on the Washington Wizards roster following his years with the Bisons, Mathews made a name for himself in the league with sweet shooting and a strong work ethic. Now, Mathews suits up for the Houston Rockets, who offered the wing a four-year contract after a string of high-scoring games this season.

For a player who was undrafted coming out of college and lightly recruited coming out of Franklin High School, Mathews’ success is a testament to hard work and dedication to honing a craft.

During his time at Lipscomb, Mathews became the program’s all-time leading scorer in the NCAA Division I era with 2,478 points, won the ASUN Player of the Year as a senior, set a conference record with 13 career Player of the Week Awards and led Lipscomb to its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and a spot in the 2019 NIT championship game.

Having now signed a guaranteed contract, the Franklin native will be representing Lipscomb on the court for seasons to come.

Photo credit: Associated Press

Read more about Garrison at bit.ly/GarrisonMathews

lipscomb.edu/now

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LIPSCOMB bisons

Asadullah makes ASUN history in January victory over North Florida Men’s basketball center Ahsan Asadullah became the first player in asun Conference history to collect 1,400 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists in a career in a January victory over the University of North Florida.

The Bisons won the game 77-74 thanks to Asadullah’s history-making seventh doubledouble of the season. Asadullah finished that game with 19 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals.

During his Lipscomb career, the 6-foot9 center from Atlanta has been among the most dominant centers in the country for the Bisons. His trophy case is full, having earned two All-asun First Team appearances, two

asun All-Tournament Team honors and two asun All-Academic Team nods with a 3.55 GPA in finance. Over his time in the purple and gold, Asadullah secured seven Player of the Week honors.

In 2019-20, he scored a career-high 40 points to go along with 14 rebounds to power Lipscomb past Florida Gulf Coast University in the first round of the asun championship. His efforts

O’Callaghan finished out season at NCAA cross country championship Lipscomb men’s cross country senior Grant O’Callaghan was awarded an at-large bid to the 2021 ncaa Division I Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Florida, in November.

The Flowery Branch, Georgia-native finished 141st out of 253 runners with a time of 30:31.6 for the 10K race as the sole asun conference runner qualifying for the men’s event. O’Callaghan’s appearance marked the third time, in as many years, that the Lipscomb cross country program was represented at the national meet.

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marked the most points ever scored by a Bison inside Allen Arena. He also set an asun championship single-game record with 18 made field goals in a quarterfinal win over Jacksonville.

O’Callaghan arrived at Lipscomb in 2021 as a transfer from Southeastern Louisiana University. In his first race as a Bison, O’Callaghan placed 72nd out of 355 runners with a time of 24:39.0 to help the Bisons finish fifth out of 32 teams at the Live in Lou Classic.

O’Callaghan once again led the Bisons at the asun championship as he finished 3rd with a time of 24:10.0 to help the team finish third overall at the meet. At the ncaa South Regional, O’Callaghan earned All-Region honors for his 10th place finish with a time of 29:48.61 in the 10K race.

O’Callaghan is the third Bison in three straight years to have earned an individual at-large bid to the meet.

WE ARE LIPSCOMB

TODAY’S BISONS

FRESHMAN GAVE SILVER PERFORMANCE AT PARALYMPICS

Liza Corso’s name will forever be etched in Lipscomb athletics history, before she even suited up in the purple and gold.

Before she attended fall 2021 QuestWeek or even her first class, freshman Corso won a silver medal in the women’s 1500-meter final, competing on the United States’ National Paralympics Team at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Japan (held in summer 2021).

“When I crossed the finish line and realized I came in second with a time that was 13 seconds better than my personal best, I was in a little bit of disbelief,” said Corso, who lives with albinism that makes her legally blind. “Once I had time for it to really sink in, I was just filled with joy and gratitude that God gave me the ability to not only run in the final but also get the silver medal,” Corso said.

As a freshman in college, Corso was one of the youngest to compete in track and field at last year’s Paralympics in any event. Corso joined the Lipscomb cross country team as a distance runner and one of five incoming freshmen for the fall 2021 season. She came to Lipscomb from Newmarket, New Hampshire, where she established herself as one of the state’s top high school distance runners despite being legally blind.

This story is an excerpt from a Lumination story by student Danny Kotula.

Photo credit: Chris Keeley

Read more about Liza at bit.ly/LizaCorso

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01

QuestWeek, orientation week for incoming freshmen and transfer students, included a worship night this year, with students enjoying live music.

02 The Plant Hope event held by the Counseling Center and Office of Student Wellbeing in the fall semester included various activities designed to bring joy and hope to students, including caricatures drawn by CEA students, free succulents and sign-ups for suicide prevention training.

03 Black History Month in February featured the opportunity to get autographs from these top Bison athletes, as well as a trivia night, guest lecture, service project and themed meals.

01

04 Hispanic Heritage Month in 2021 included a Fall Fiesta featuring a ballet folklorico dance performance. Lipscomb started the 2021-22 school year with nearly 10% of its undergraduate students coming from a Hispanic or Latino heritage.

05 Students struck a pose at the John C. Hutcheson Gallery during Nashville’s annual Fashion Week, which featured an exhibit of Lipscomb’s exclusive collection of Halston designs.

06 Lipscomb President Candice McQueen recruited her own team to compete in the annual Dodgeball tournament.

Despite boasting a few extra years of wisdom, the alladministrator team made it to the final four.

07 The Bell Tower Social during Quest Week is where many a lifelong friendship, or even romance, has been born.

08 In a first-time concert, student ensembles from the School of Music combined to present excerpts from Handel’s Messiah during the holiday season.

09 Sophomore Week was held in September in honor of those students who completed their freshman year in 2020-21, when the covid-19 pandemic caused many limitations and restrictions on social life.

10 A new freshman-only concert, Freshman LipSynch, was added to the students’ must-do slate of activities this past fall.

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THE LIPSCOMB SCENE

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A LIGHT SHINING IN THE DARKNESS

BE A LIGHT

BE A LIGHT

INAUGURATION BRINGS A NEW BEGINNING AND FUTURE LED BY PRESIDENT CANDICE MCQUEEN (’96), SPARKING LIPSCOMB TO SHINE BRIGHTER IN THE COMMUNITY AND THROUGH EACH AND EVERY STUDENT “The past will influence how we go forward…but ultimately, the past does not dictate the next step you make. That’s our vision, and our next step to make. We will work together to build this vision, and I’m looking forward to working with all of you to take that next step. Whatever we decide to do though, I’m committed, and I know, that Lipscomb will be a light.”

I

Lipscomb University’s 18th President Dr. Candice McQueen launched her tenure in 2021 with the words of I John: “The light shines in darkness; and the darkness has not overcome it.”

nauguration. It means a new beginning.

Certainly, a transition of leadership in higher education is a new beginning. But then again, an inauguration is about much more, says Lipscomb’s President, Dr. Candice McQueen: it’s about the past, the present and the future.

“Inauguration is a moment in which you are celebrating a transition,” McQueen says, “but you are also highlighting what Lipscomb has been for 130 years and you are looking toward the future of what it can become.”

What Lipscomb has been, is and will be, to McQueen, is a light. A light shining in the darkness, as described in I John.

A light that darkness has not overcome.

From her first acceptance speech on campus in August to her Be A Light Tour, connecting with alumni, prospective students and parents in seven cities this past spring (see page 52), McQueen has urged the Lipscomb community to be a spiritual light in the community and to work to shine even brighter in the future.

“I fully believe Lipscomb’s 130-year history has been life-changing,” said McQueen in her speech accepting the presidency post, “as we have continued to elevate the only light that overcomes darkness by revealing Christ to our students.”

While Lipscomb’s inauguration festivities, held March 28-30, were indeed a reflection of Lipscomb University’s past, present and future, they were also a celebration of McQueen’s own past, present and future, a lifelong journey that has been molded, cast and refined by the people of Lipscomb University.

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BE A LIGHT

REFLECTING ON THE PAST

“I left Lipscomb with a different relationship with God than I had when I started there.”

“EDUCATION CHANGES LIVES FOR THE BETTER. AND YOUR STEWARDSHIP OF THIS INSTITUTION WILL BE A STEWARDSHIP THAT CHANGES LIVES AND IMPROVES OUR COMMUNITY.” — JOHN COOPER, MAYOR, CITY OF NASHVILLE, INAUGURATION CEREMONY

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McQueen came to Lipscomb as a freshman, hailing from Clarksville, Tennessee, and hungry to grow in knowledge and faith.

“I had a faith that had been nurtured and had grown in my Christian household, but in hindsight much of it was inherited from my parents,” she said. “I came to Lipscomb to take my faith deeper and to pursue all I could be in a career that was satisfying.”

From 1992-1996, Lipscomb delivered on both counts, building a foundation for her lifelong profession in education and blazing a pathway to an understanding of Scripture and a relationship with God that was truly her own.

McQueen recalls how her classes—particularly Richard Goode’s history class—tested her perceptions of faith. She remembers feeling uplifted by the authentic lives of professors such as Tim Johnson in history, Joyce Rucker in education and Fletcher Srygley in physics.

“I remember being pricked in my heart after hearing various chapel talks, and I remember considering decisions that would have lifelong impact and talking them through with godly people all over Lipscomb’s campus,” she said.

“Students are different today than when I was a student,” said McQueen, “but yet, students still want the same things…

They want relationships; they want community; they want to learn together with faculty.”

She took one experience particularly to heart: a four-year stint volunteering for the Youth Hobby Shop, now Youth Encouragement Services, tutoring at-risk children in Nashville.

“What I learned there sparked an interest that grew over the years and then one day became my platform when I was (Tennessee’s education) commissioner, and it still is the platform of the current governor and commissioner,” she said. “Reading is truly the great equalizer in helping students reach their educational potential.” This spark started at Lipscomb and from the mentorship of Gary Hall, professor of mathematics.

Well before being tapped for Tennessee’s top education leader in 2015, McQueen taught in both private and public elementary and middle schools in Texas and Nashville— including Lipscomb Academy, where she saw the Lipscomb team spirit for enriching the spiritual and intellectual lives of young people firsthand.

“I saw how Lipscomb Academy really partners with parents in their children’s educational journeys. I felt like

BE A LIGHT McQueen’s first week on campus was marked by participation in various student events and many personal conversations with students campuswide.

McQueen was featured in the 1996 Backlog, after being voted Miss Lipscomb in her senior year.

McQueen’s most treasured ministry experience during her college years was tutoring at-risk children at Nashville’s Youth Hobby Shop (now Youth Encouragement Services).

I got to know parents better at the academy than at probably any other job I have had,” she said.

She further learned the power of the Lipscomb team spirit when she joined the Lipscomb University faculty in 2001, became education department chair in 2004 and was appointed dean of the newly created College of Education in 2008. During her tenure as dean, the college’s enrollment and giving more than doubled. McQueen expanded the college to include six new graduate programs and a doctoral program as well as coordinated the founding of the IDEAL program and the Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning & Innovation.

“What was exciting for me when I served as a dean was all that we were able to accomplish as a team. We became the best in the state at educating new teachers and preparing education leaders,” she said. “We worked together to create a compelling strategic plan, brought in new partnerships, changed our course contents and clinical placements and created programs that met needs.”

SPOTLIGHT ON THE PRESENT

“Every day, my first thought is: ‘How can I partner with God on what He is doing at Lipscomb, and do that in a way that provides a better future for each and every student?’ That’s my prayer.”

Just as she starts each day searching for God’s feedback on His spiritual plan for Lipscomb, McQueen started her tenure at Lipscomb searching for feedback from the entire Lipscomb community, asking them where the university needs to go next to accomplish its goal of becoming a top-tier Christian university.

Students, faculty, staff, board members, donors and alumni were all given the opportunity to submit answers to survey questions that McQueen pledged to review personally. One-on-one conversations with alumni and on-campus groups are ongoing, and all of Lipscomb’s leaders were asked to ponder and apply author Peter Drucker’s famous five

elements of an effective plan: what should Lipscomb concentrate on, abandon, innovate, take a risk on and continue to analyze.

McQueen’s methodical and collaborative approach in her early days leading Lipscomb was born out of her past leadership experiences, which brought home the importance of listening, goalsetting, data and teamwork, she said.

“In my experience working across a variety of constituents and stakeholders, I have found that most can agree on a vision, but they often come to how to get there in different ways,” she noted.

“So, I have found that listening makes me smarter and helps me set goals and priorities that best meet the vision in ways that more people will buy into and work toward themselves.”

After an initial 90-day period of listening, McQueen launched a strategic planning effort called Lipscomb Impact 360. The effort includes more than 90 Lipscomb stakeholders working through a SOAR analysis (strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results), developing a

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BE A LIGHT “FATHER WE PRAY FOR THIS WOMAN WHOM YOU HAVE CALLED TO LEAD THIS GREAT UNIVERSITY IN THIS GREAT CITY… THESE ARE DIFFICULT TIMES TO LEAD, BUT WE KNOW THAT YOU HAVE LED THIS UNIVERSITY IN TIMES PAST AND YOU WILL IN TIMES TO COME. WE PRAY FOR YOUR FAVOR AND YOUR BLESSING ON CANDICE, AS SHE LEADS IN A WAY THAT REFLECTS GLORY TO YOU AND SHEDS YOUR LIGHT TO THE WORLD AROUND US.” –FORMER GOV. BILL HASLAM, STATE OF TENNESSEE, OPENING PRAYER, INAUGURATION CEREMONY 16

lipscomb now

BE A LIGHT No one could forget that March 30, the final day of inauguration festivities, was Beautiful Day with these oversized letters on Bison Square.

The 2022 version included food trucks, roller skating in Allen Arena, fair rides on the intramural field and a concert.

The March 30 festivities also included a campus-wide service opportunity to assemble care kits for Ukrainian refugees.

More than 450 degrees were awarded at the December commencement ceremony, the first to be presided over by McQueen.

core mission and vision statement and undergoing a nine-month long strategic goal-setting process.

“Our collective goal-setting process needs to elevate what goals are the best for our future. So the idea behind Lipscomb Impact 360 is to solidify what we believe our strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results have been and then build on that,” McQueen said.

While a large representation of the Lipscomb team is working this spring and summer to develop and refine the university’s goals critical for the next several years, McQueen sees her role as stepping in to ensure that the goals are “big enough.”

“We need to ask ourselves what are the big transformational goals that could potentially take many of our other goals to the next level,” she said. “It is also

important to set performance measures to define our goals and then relentlessly pursue these.”

So she also sees part of her role in the Lipscomb Impact 360 plan as ensuring that the appropriate metrics are in place to measure the university’s progress toward its goals. Anecdotal evidence does not tell the whole story, says McQueen. Anecdotes combined with data makes the whole picture transparent to all stakeholders and promotes good decisions, she said.

“I feel like the success of our plan will hinge on the transparency around where we are and where we have to go, because people will rise to what you ask them to do,” she said. “When you have a vision, and you have a passion, and you have a team that is all working toward that vision, you can accomplish anything.”

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“One thing is abundantly clear, we are now standing at a pivotal moment of extraordinary opportunity, and what we do next, will be up to us.”

(Top) McQueen’s husband Andy (’95) is also a Lipscomb alumnus, her son Henry is a ninth-grader at Lipscomb Academy and her daughter Abigail is a freshman at Lipscomb University.

(Middle Right) Students Grant Hitchcock (right) and Olivia Sibley (left) joined in the fun taking selflies with McQueen at the inauguration gala.

(Middle Left) A special version of the Tokens show featured Matt Maher and Lizzie Morgan and the Lipscomb Academy Choir, among other entertainers and guests.

(Bottom) Lipscomb supporters such as (left to right) donor Janet Ayers, Board Member Mike Adams, Board Chair David Solomon, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and Nashville Mayor John Cooper joined the university community in celebrating her leadership at the March 29 inauguration ceremony.

As a parent of Lipscomb Academy and Lipscomb University freshmen, McQueen can’t help but think about the future. Before September 2021, she thought about the future of her own children. Now, however, she thinks about the future of every single Lipscomb student in her care, she says.

So while an inauguration is a beginning, McQueen was focused on the future in her official address on March 29, reinforcing what she has been saying since her first day on campus: Lipscomb must continue to be a light in our local, state and national communities.

“For me, one of the most hopeful verses in Scripture is John 1:5: ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it’,” McQueen told the packed crowd at the formal inauguration ceremony in Allen Arena on March 29.

“Every day we see the darkness creep in— anxiety, doubt, hatred, pride, fear, selfishness and all types of temptations.

“But we know… there is a better path.

There is a path of light filled with truth, hope, service, courage, compassion and graciousness. That’s a truth that all of us can build our lives on,” she said.

In her inauguration address, McQueen shared a few ways Lipscomb University will still be a shining light on a hill in the future: The Center for Vocational Discovery and Life Purpose will be a first-of-its kind center, destined to become a national model, McQueen said.

“The very first question a student should not ever be asked when they come onto a campus is: ‘What’s your major?’ The very first question we should be asking here is: ‘What is your purpose?’. ‘What do you want to become?’” said McQueen.

“This center will re-center how we think about what we do. We will help all students discover their ‘why,’ be trained in their ‘how’, and then we’ll send them into the world with their ‘what’ upon graduation.”

Being a light in the darkness, means making sure we are a light right here in Nashville, she said.

“This means serving our neighborhood. Caring for those who experience tragedy. This means using our expertise, resources, time and talents to solve big city problems. We have answers.

We have experts here. And also we need to

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ILLUMINATING THE FUTURE

stand up for those who need a voice. This is actually what Lipscomb has always been about,” she said.

Being a light at Lipscomb also means “we want to be a light to more students,” said McQueen. “We are going to seek to ensure that all students, all students, who want a Christian higher education degree can come to Lipscomb. We don’t want the financial barrier that we know can be a problem.”

The Lipscomb Impact 360 strategic plan “is fully in keeping with the founders’ goal that ‘we will stand in the front ranks’ ­—not the back, but the front ranks—‘of the great educational institutions of the world,’” said McQueen at the ceremony. “Our plan is to stand at the front and lead. We’ll do that as we accelerate our path to be a toptier, nationally recognized university.”

“To say it more plainly, or maybe in a different way, I want Lipscomb University to be the best university in the country,” said McQueen. “I want you to be proud of your education, and when someone stops you and says, ‘Where did you go to college?’ you smile and you say with a new term I created —prideful humility, ‘I went to Lipscomb University.’”

As Lipscomb has in the past; as we are today; and as we strive for the future, says McQueen, “Let’s never forget the words of Matthew 5: ‘We are the light of the world.’”

“DR. CANDICE MCQUEEN BRINGS HER BEST IN EVERY CALLING. SHE IS A LIGHT TO ALL WHO KNOW HER, AND TO THE MANY, MANY PEOPLE SHE WILL TOUCH IN HER ROLE AS LIPSCOMB’S PRESIDENT.” —JANET AYERS, PRESIDENT, THE AYERS FOUNDATION, CONFIRMATION STATEMENT, INAUGURATION CEREMONY

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WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD The following is an excerpt from Dr. Candice McQueen’s March 29 inauguration address to the Lipscomb community.

It is a great time to be a Bison.

Over the last six months, I have been from Austin to Atlanta, from Huntsville to Memphis, from downtown Nashville to rural Tennessee, meeting alums, donors, parents, legislators, employers, and future Bison. Every person I have met has told me how much they love this university. Even people who never attended Lipscomb tell me how important this university is to them, to Nashville, and to our larger community.

The Lipscomb legacy is alive. And, it lives in every person touched by the many teachers, doctors, nurses, and ministers who learned their purpose while a student here.

We should never lose sight of this. This is who we are.

This is what we stand for.

You have to wonder if David Lipscomb could have ever imagined today’s Lipscomb. We have more than 40,000 alumni around the world and have influenced countless people in the 130 years since our founding.

The past will influence how we move forward, but will not dictate it. We will determine what it means to be Lipscomb, and we will now work together to build this vision. Whatever we decide, I know this: Lipscomb will be a light.

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What does that mean?

First, it means Lipscomb will be a light in the darkness...

For me, one of the most hopeful verses in scripture is John 1:5: The light shines in darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.

Every day, the darkness of this world creeps in— anxiety, doubt, hatred, pride, fear, selfishness and all kinds of temptations. But, we know there is a better way—a path of light—one that is filled with truth, hope, service, courage, compassion, and love. That is a truth that we can build our life on.

Several years ago, I heard former Nashville mayor and Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen on an education panel.

When asked what he thought made a great teacher, he paused, and said you know, I want in a teacher, the same thing I wanted in health care. I want a nurse or a doctor who when the door of the hospital room closes behind her, she leads and serves from her values and cares in ways that aren’t just in a textbook.

This is our mission at Lipscomb—where values meet excellence.

This is what our students need now more than ever.

And Lipscomb will be this kind of light to our community.

(This speech has been edited for print.)

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AN EVENT THAT WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY The inauguration of Lipscomb University’s 18th President Dr. Candice McQueen, on March 28-30, was a history-making reflection drawing more than 1,000 guests to campus and shining a light on Lipscomb’s past, present and future.

Events such as the devotional on the steps of Collins Alumni Auditorium and the renewal of the “Beautiful Day” tradition—where students were surprised with a day off from classes and provided organized, fun, food, service opportunities and fellowship on campus, were a fond callback to campus life decades ago.

Showcase demonstrations throughout campus showed off Lipscomb’s premier educational programs of today, including animation, engineering, pharmacy and archaeology. Today’s campus community gathered for a fun block party and today’s students filled more than 1,000 buckets with essential items for Ukrainian refugees.

Finally, a scholarly symposium discussed how Lipscomb University can be a light for the world in the future in the areas of business, education, health sciences, the arts and the public square.

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Panelists at the symposium included former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Adrienne Battle, head of Metro Nashville Public Schools, and Bart Millard, lead singer of Mercy Me. The installation ceremony spotlighted the Lipscomb of today and tomorrow, with performances by the university’s Gospel Choir, directed by Aaron Howard; the University Choir, directed by Lynn Hodges; and the Sanctuary worship ensemble, directed by Randy Gill; an original composition by Lipscomb’s Director of Instrumental Studies Ben Blasko; and greetings from local community leaders, such as Tennessee’s Governor Bill Lee and Nashville’s Mayor John Cooper, and Lipscomb’s three living past presidents: L. Randolph Lowry, Steve Flatt and Harold Hazelip. The alma mater was led by entertainer Pat Boone, a 1952 Lipscomb Academy graduate who attended the university and co-wrote the alma mater.

In a community display of celebration, the city of Nashville’s State Capitol Building and Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge (pictured here) were both lit up in purple and gold on Tuesday, March 29.

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A HAVEN FOR THE HOMELESS

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NASHVILLE’S NEEDY CAN TAKE REFUGE IN NATURE THANKS TO THE WORK OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES GRADUATE CECELIE EILER

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Cecelie Eiler’s passion in life is harvesting the powers of the environment to “serve the greater good.”

ecelie Eiler (’21) is a healer. Not in the way one would normally think, in a hospital or a doctor’s office. Eiler brings healing through dirt and vegetables, through quiet mindfulness and flavorful herbs. Her title at The Village at Glencliff was administrative data analyst, but her passion in life was harvesting the powers of the environment to “serve the greater good.”

Eiler, originally from Freeport, Illinois, discovered her love of earth sciences in community college. She refined and built on that love with her Bachelor of Science in environmental and sustainability sciences at Lipscomb.

Then, while still a student, she used her passion to bring her vision of a healing garden at a local tiny home village for the medically vulnerable homeless into reality. As an alumna and an employee at The Village at Glencliff she brought together volunteers from throughout Nashville to help the garden bloom and grow, bringing an extra level of healing to the village residents and whole foods to Nashvillians.

The Village at Glencliff is located on the campus of Glencliff United Methodist Church in Nashville. It consists of 22 micro homes and its mission is to provide a hospitable medical respite and a bridge housing community for medically vulnerable people experiencing homelessness.

Eiler was introduced to the community in the fall of 2019 when Emily Stutzman Jones, assistant professor of sustainable practice and director of the environmental and sustainability

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“THE STORY OF THIS GARDEN IS A STORY ABOUT JUSTICE, LOVE, COMPASSION AND GROWTH.” —CECELIE EILER studies program, took her class to visit the site. The class met with Rev. Ingrid McIntyre, founder of The Village at Glencliff. Eiler and McIntyre’s relationship grew over the next year, until in the spring of 2020, when McIntyre mentioned the idea of establishing a community garden for the residents of the village as an internship role for Eiler.

At Stutzman’s urging, Eiler took on the project for her senior capstone project beginning in August 2020. Eiler worked with another intern at the village, Will Compton, a Master of Divinity candidate at Vanderbilt University, to establish a master plan.

McIntyre connected them with Will Hargrove at Farmer Morgan, a design firm specializing in the creation of memorable places, who helped develop a conceptual layout, a master plan and a planting plan. Compton established a partnership for the garden with Nashville Foodscapes, a design firm specializing

in landscaping used to grow food.

“After we solidified these two partnerships, we decided it was time to give the garden a name. Since the beginning of the planning process, Will (Compton) and I had used the word ‘haven’ as a descriptor for the garden, and when it came time to give it a name it only felt natural to name it The Haven,” says Eiler.

The original master plan for The Haven included ADA-accessible raised beds (for residents), an herb garden, a rain garden, ground-level raised beds (for church members, community members and residents), communal spaces and a remembrance garden.

Today the garden encompasses greenery from flowering to food producing plants.

The goal is to provide a space for residents to rest, reflect and reap the physical, emotional, spiritual benefits of being one with the Earth. “Our hope is that The Haven

becomes not only a community garden, but also a resting place and a site of healing for our most vulnerable friends,” Eiler said in May 2021, just before her graduation.

“Cecelie and the team working on The Haven have created a sustainable community garden that will far outlast their project timeline,” McIntyre predicted in May 2021.

“It will provide a space that sustains not only the residents here, but also helps create community through their outreach efforts in the neighborhood. Its very presence is a sign of resistance, resilience and restoration.”

After joining The Village at Glencliff as a full-time employee, Eiler was able to make sure those predictions came true. Volunteers who became familiar with the project through FoodScapes have continued to work on the garden every other Saturday, Eiler said.

The goals for the garden are a mix of both mindfulness and food production, said Eiler. The final tiny homes in The Village were completed in summer 2021, and they surround the garden in a semicircle. Eventually, the garden will stretch right up to the porch of each house, so it can be a place for reflection either on benches in the garden or even from inside the home.

ALUMNI The garden includes a courtyard section with berry bushes and fruit trees and raised beds for foodproducing plants.

Local volunteers who became familiar with the project through FoodScapes have continued to work on expanding the garden, coordinated

by Eiler, each week.

Cecelie Eiler hopes The Haven becomes not only a community garden, but a site of healing for the most vulnerable in the Nashville community.

By this past spring, a courtyard section with berry bushes and an arboretum with fruit trees had been added. Raised beds with all foodproducing plants have been planted, and volunteers who care for the garden and members of the Methodist church have been taking home plenty of tomatoes, squash and peppers.

The plants in the herb garden can be used medicinally, and a volunteer, who is a nurse by profession, is teaching residents, volunteers and staff how to use the herbs for better health, said Allie Rutland, development coordinator at Glencliff and a Lipscomb Academy alumna.

Residents now often work in the garden, and Glencliff is raising money to buy a lawn mower to allow residents more outdoor time, said Rutland. The nonprofit is also fundraising to add more plants, a

shed and a pergola, Rutland said.

“I am passionate about this work because it is the work of humanity,” Eiler said. “The opportunity to coordinate a safe space, a haven, for residents who are experiencing homelessness, has allowed me to serve in ways that go beyond my physical being.”

“This project is so beautiful because it’s founded in the healing power of nature, while it simultaneously provides a physical benefit to those who will reap the harvest and to the greater ecology of the space. My biggest dream is to work in some capacity that directly impacts others, and this work does exactly that.”

Eiler is now working for the National Health Care for the Homeless Council, but remains an active member of the volunteer leadership of The Village at Glencliff.

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PROVIDING ANSWERS AMIDST A PANDEMIC

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LIPSCOMB BIOLOGY ALUMNUS LEADS NASHVILLE’S AEGIS SCIENCES LABS TESTING MILLIONS OF SAMPLES FOR COVID-19

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Matthew Hardison, the senior vice president of lab operations at Aegis Sciences in Nashville, is well familiar with the new significance of “testing”, as the molecular laboratory he oversees at Aegis performs covid-19 tests and about 15% of the covid strain identification in the U.S.

ver the past two years, the word “test” has taken on new significance in the minds of people all over the globe. Rather than referring to a final exam or a requirement to drive, the word “test” is now most often heard and uttered in regards to covid-19 testing, the first—and still one of the most important—weapons against the covid-19 pandemic.

Matthew Hardison (’05), the senior vice president of lab operations at Aegis Sciences in Nashville, is well familiar with the new significance of “testing”, as the molecular laboratory he oversees at Aegis has performed more than 12.2 million covid-19 tests since launching in the spring of 2020. Aegis’ molecular lab has grown from five people in early 2020 to 300 employees currently who can analyze more than 60,000 tests in a single day.

Hardison has overseen the rapid growth and constant transition at the labs throughout the pandemic. When he first entered his biology career, “I was not expecting weekly calls with the [Centers for Disease Control] and the [National Institutes of Health] and talking through data at the highest levels. It has been very fulfilling and also humbling,” he said.

“Hopefully, Lord willing, this is a once in a lifetime event. I am here in this time, and with that comes a responsibility.”

The biology and chemistry graduate from Lipscomb chose to take his skills into the laboratory rather than into a dental practice (his original career plan), but was thrilled in 2011 to find that through the study and practice of molecular genetics, he could practice the science he loved and also directly impact patients for the better.

That expectation has proven true over the years as Hardison’s work has been closely aligned with testing methods to alleviate the opioid epidemic and now the covid pandemic.

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“In clinical laboratory testing, there is always a patient at the other end of the sample,” he says. “No matter how many samples we are testing, whether it’s 30,000 a day or 70,000 a day, there is one patient on the other end of each sample–waiting for their answer.

“It is stressful, but rewarding because you know you are making an immediate impact on the patients’ lives.”

Hardison moved back to Nashville to join Aegis in 2015. Prior to that, his career started with his Ph.D. studies at the University of Alabama Birmingham, followed by a clinical molecular genetics post-doctoral fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, where he performed whole exome gene sequencing (analyzing all the coding regions in the entire human genome at one time—a new process at the time).

Then he moved to Assurance Scientific

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Labs in Birmingham, Alabama, where he built a toxicology lab from the ground up to better treat patients during the opioid epidemic.

Aegis was established in the 1990s. As a toxicology company, Aegis only had five people in its molecular lab in early 2020, but because the lab had instrumentation used for other tests that could also be used for covid, the lab was able to quickly pivot to covid testing, starting at 1,500-2,000 samples a day, he said.

At first, Hardison’s labs worked primarily with the state to do covid testing for Tennessee’s prisons, which had a number of large outbreaks early in the pandemic.

“We tested pretty much every prisoner in the state,” he said.

In August of 2020, Aegis partnered with the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services to expand their testing capabilities through more than $12 million in grant funds for new instruments. That allowed Aegis to begin testing up to 30,000 samples a day. In just five months, Hardison saw his employee numbers go from five to 150 people.

In November 2020, Aegis collaborated with Walgreens to begin conducting covid testing nationwide and in Puerto Rico.

The laboratory expanded once again to 550 employees and offers testing in over 5,000 Walgreens stores around the country. Then in April 2021, Aegis contracted with the cdc to provide covid strain identification.

Hardison’s team had to quickly develop high-throughput next-generation sequencing methods at scale, and today they have provided approximately 15% of the strain identification performed in the U.S., Hardison said.

An Aegis lab team member checks the plates before testing. The Aegis molecular laboratory has performed over 10.5 million covid -19 tests since launching in the spring of 2020.

At left, a lab team member divides a specimen to prepare for testing. At right, a technician receives and processes samples in the lab.

Molecular genetic testing is used to analyze DNA or RNA sequences that are present in the body, such as the COVID-19 virus.

“We’ve had to learn different ways to do things. Automation takes time and development. What has allowed us to do that, and to do it successfully, is the broad knowledge we have at Aegis,” he said.

“On top of our expert scientific team we have a team of engineers who can repair and maintain the liquid handling robots. We have a materials management team and client services to get testing supplies in the lab and collection devices to our clients. We have a clinical pharmacist team focused on communicating with clinicians and patients. It’s been a great experience to scale up our services.”

While Hardison still rolls up his white coat sleeves in the lab on occasion, his job today is mostly administrative, and managerial, he said. “I try to be very collaborative. My teams work best when we work together,” he noted, saying that every challenge starts with setting clear goals.

Hardison’s wife Andrea (’08) currently serves as a nurse practitioner

in Lipscomb Health Services, so it’s safe for Hardison to say that “covid has completely dominated our lives professionally and personally.”

Despite he and his wife being fully vaccinated, Hardison’s entire family fell ill with the Delta strain of covid in August 2021. Their personal and their professional experiences give them a unique perspective on covid, he said. “(Andrea) takes care of students experiencing covid-19, while I work with covid on the diagnostic/epidemiological side. It is good we are in the thick of it together, because it allows us to have grace and understanding to see where the other person is coming from,” he said.

Hardison, originally from Lexington, Kentucky, comes from a long line of Bisons, with the number of family members who have attended Lipscomb in the double digits. During his college career he carried out research projects with Jon Lowrance, now chair of the biology

department, and participated in summer research programs at Pepperdine and Vanderbilt universities.

When the time came to apply for dental school like his father before him, he began dragging his feet as he was uncertain about his chosen path.

“My dad pulled me aside in my grandparents’ kitchen and said there was no pressure or expectation from him.

When I said, ‘I’m not sure I want to be a dentist,’ he said, ‘Lord willing, you will work a long time, so you should do something you love.’”

Hardison took that advice, applied to graduate school in molecular physiology and biophysics, and set out on the path that led to his ability to impact the lives of millions of people during the worst pandemic in a century.

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“THERE IS ALWAYS ONE PATIENT ON THE OTHER END OF EACH SAMPLE–WAITING FOR THEIR ANSWER.”

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ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A SHOW…

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SINGARAMA 2022 STORYTIME: OFFERED THE PERFECT BOOKEND FOR THE CLASS OF 2022

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The History show, featuring Delta Omega, Sigma Iota Delta, Phi Nu and friends, was inspired by a Netflix documentary on the Gardner Museum art heist in Boston in the 1990s.

nce upon a time, there was a little musical show that lived large in the memories of generations of Lipscomb University students for almost 60 years. It was called Singarama.

Singarama has changed over the years. In 1966 there were two performances in one year; then no performance at all in 1967. Some performances were held without props or choreography. Some years Singarama had no overall theme. The student-produced musical show has survived structure changes, schedule changes, leadership changes in the requirements for shows to earn points.

Then in 2020, it faced one of its biggest challenges yet… the covid-19 pandemic, which resulted in the last-minute cancellation of the 2020 show, 20/20 Vision, and the video streaming rather than live performance of The Human Condition in 2021.

While students of Lipscomb were disappointed, you just can’t keep a Lipscomb Bison down!

In 2022, more than 200 undergraduates once again took part in the musical variety show that consumes the lives of students throughout March, this year with the theme: Storytime.

As the new year dawned, the 2022 Singarama directors and their core student leadership teams were planning, writing, plotting and recruiting to stage their three shows: Mystery, History and Fairy Tale.

And while Singarama still faced some challenges in the 2021-22 school year, students’ age-old desire for friendship, fun and community triumphed in the end, with three successful Singarama performances in Collins Auditorium on March 24-26.

“The thing that made it so special, was that Singarama 2022 started that train going of getting people back out of their comfort zone and interacting with people outside of

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their bubble, so to speak. That was really special for everyone,” said Nate Pearce, co-director of Fairy Tale (Theta Psi, Phi Sigma, Gamma Lamda and friends), which took the 2022 Sweepstakes Award. “I talked to so many people who told me that initially they didn’t want to do it. But after the shows, they said it was their best memory of college.”

It wasn’t easy getting to the stage this year. Singarama has long served as a milestone experience for Lipscomb students building their social foundation in college.

All students are invited to participate, and new pledges to the 10 social clubs are highly encouraged, or sometimes required, to participate. But in 2022, half of the student body had never experienced a full-fledged Singarama from beginning to end, due to covid restrictions the past two years.

In 2021 all performers had to wear masks on stage for the video streamed performance, the numbers of students allowed on stage for each dance number was slashed and rehearsals had to take place in cohorts of smaller groups, which made preparation take longer overall, said Pearce, a senior and four-time Singarama veteran.

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“The biggest challenge overall is getting people excited and wanting to be involved again after covid,” said Shelby Bratcher, junior and co-director of Mystery (Kappa Chi, Pi Delta, Tau Phi, Sigma Alpha and friends). “And it is such a huge time commitment.”

“It is kind of hard to get everybody to understand everything because only the seniors have seen a real Singarama,” said senior and History (Delta Omega, Sigma Iota Delta, Phi Nu and friends) director Mallory Nunley in early March.

“Some people didn’t even realize it was a competition and that we get points for certain things.”

The competitive points remain the same as years before. Each show is required to have eight songs, with half lasting at least one minute and half lasting at least oneand-a-half minutes. Each show is required to have an opening dance number, a closing dance number, a guys’ dance, a girls’ dance and a couples dance.

This year brought the return of a packed stage for “opener” and “closer,” with at least

Fairy Tale, about a brother and sister transported to a fairy tale world while he is trying to write his college entrance essay “had the perfect amount of Singarama cheese,” according to co-director Nate Pearce.

(Far left) One of the many changes to Singarama over the years was the addition of four hosts who provide entertainment between shows.

(Middle) Auditions are held for speaking and soloists, such as these performers pictured from History (middle) and Mystery (far right), but anyone and everyone is encouraged to participate in the annual student-led musical extravaganza.

essay “had the perfect amount of Singarama cheese.”

“You have to make it at least a little bit cheesy. It’s always a little bit of an eyeroll. It needs a nice lesson to learn, and you have to make it fun. If you aren’t having fun on stage, the people watching probably aren’t enjoying it much.

“If you are not having fun with Singarama, then you are doing something wrong,” said Pearce, who has been dubbed “Singapapa” by his social club because of his enthusiasm for the show. Fairy Tale’s co-director was Erin Bell.

The History team passed over major historical world events for their plot and instead drew from a smaller, but certainly attention-grabbing, piece of history: an art heist.

Inspired by the Netflix documentary This is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist, about the 1990 robbery of the Gardner Museum in Boston, the History team embraced the 1990s setting in their costume selection and added audience engagement by offering a $10 million reward to the audience after vowing “One way or another, I’m gonna find ya, I’m gonna get ya, get ya, get ya, get ya” in their closing song.

“I tried to make the script as funny as possible, and to include jokes that can be understood by everyone, not just my peers,” said Nunley.

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25 people and no more than 100 people on stage for the group numbers. Each show must be no more than 25 minutes long.

“One thing the newcomers definitely had to navigate was the time limit,” said Nunley. “They only have a couple minutes to change back stage if their main character is in two scenes in a row. It is stressful at the time, but then really fun afterwards.”

Even in the last few weeks of fall semester, the social clubs began discussing the 2022 show, said Bratcher.

Just before Christmas break, the teams were randomly assigned their themes by each drawing one of the words from a bowl. Then as soon as spring semester started, the core student leadership team – directors, assistant directors, writers, choreographers and vocal coaches – started brainstorming ideas for their show themes and the types of songs they wanted to include.

The Mystery team, chose a dinner party murder mystery because “it was an easy way to tell the story, it would fit within 20 minutes, it utilizes a lot of people and is easy to understand,” said Bratcher. The co-director of Mystery was Elli Miller.

Whereas Fairy Tale’s Pearce said his show about a brother and sister transported to a fairy tale world while he is trying to write his college entrance

The musical portion of Singarama still includes popular songs from a wide range of decades. The 2022 show included oldies, and not so oldies, like “A Night to Remember” from High School Musical 3, James Brown’s “I Feel Good,” U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl” and the aforementioned Blondie song “One Way or Another.”

So just how do these students know all these old songs? Bratcher said her team heard “I Feel Good” on an aspirin commercial.

“One song is ‘Thriller.’ Everyone just knows that,” she said. “There are songs you learn from your parents or you hear them in stores. We hear them in Karaoke or the game, Just Dance. Those you know for sure are danceable.”

While January is made up mostly of planning and writing, February brings casting, as that is the month the social clubs accept new freshman members. The directors held auditions for some of the more complicated dances (like the couples dance with lots of flips and turns, according to Pearce) but, as is the tradition, accepted anyone and everyone who wanted to participate in the opener and closer.

Nunley, a film production major who wants to be a professional casting director, said she ended up casting a lot of freshmen

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“IT FEELS LIKE A GOOD BOOKEND FOR OUR CLASS. WE STARTED TOGETHER AND WE FINISHED TOGETHER. IT REALLY IS THE BEST PART OF LIPSCOMB FOR ME.” NATE PEARCE, CO-DIRECTOR OF FAIRY TALE, 2022 SINGARAMA SWEEPSTAKES WINNER

Fairy Tale, featuring members of Theta Psi, Phi Sigma, Gamma Lamda and friends, won the Sweepstakes Award for 2022, a year made all the more special by the two-year absence of live performances due to covid -19 restrictions.

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and sophomores in speaking roles because she was “blown away” by their talent. “They work really well together as a cast, and I also went with mostly underclassmen so that in the next couple years directors will have people who know all of the ins and outs of how Singarama works,” she said.

During his auditions for speaking and singing roles, Pearce said he couldn’t count how many times he heard one student say to another, “I didn’t know you could sing!” which underscores the real fun behind Singarama: students getting to know and love one another.

“I would say that one thing that is special about Singarama is that there are so many people from all kinds of majors, clubs and experience levels coming together to make a show, which is something you would not be able to see anywhere else (on campus),” said Benjamin Meador, a freshman from Sigma Iota Delta who played Sebastian in History.

Pearce joined Theta Psi in his freshman year, and the 2019 Singarama (Bring the Family) “was probably my favorite memory of college,” he said. “You make all these friends because you are rehearsing every night and making a fool of yourself learning these dances. There is just a lot of camaraderie, and everyone is there to have a good time.”

“One of the best parts about Singarama is that there are no real barriers to entry,” said Bratcher, a Pi Delta who participated in the 2020 and 2021 shows.

“We are not looking for artistic talent requirements. We are just looking for the most enthusiasm.”

“It is so fun to see people step out of their comfort zone to perform and use their talents, even if they have never been in a production before,” said Grace Anne Richardson, a junior and Pi Delta choreographer for Mystery. She grew up dancing ballet and has been in Lipscomb’s

Foundation Dance Theatre performances, but the 2022 show was her first Singarama.

Talented dancers or not, “I’m excited to perform with all my Pi Delta sisters and our brother clubs,” she said. “It’s really fun and entertaining to see everyone perform.”

“You don’t need to be a theater person to do Singarama,” echoed Pearce. “You don’t have to feel self-conscious if you can’t dance, because the dances aren’t hard. It emphasizes participation over talent. If you show up and give your all every day, that is more important to me than being able to break dance on stage.

“I think people were really excited, because the only ones who had done a full show were the seniors,” noted Pearce, who said he and his co-director Bell were sobbing backstage after the final 2022 Singarama performance. “It feels like a good bookend for our class. We started together and we finished together. It really is the best part of Lipscomb for me.”

Greetings to the Bison Herd, I think everyone can agree that the last couple of years have been tough times for us all, no matter where we live or how we spend our days. But we can also agree that when the going gets tough, we Lipscomb Bisons come together.

That’s what our Bison Notes are all about, coming together as a community to celebrate, grieve, honor service and recognize achievement. So the Lipscomb Now staff has made a few changes for this issue, changes that I hope you will agree shine a light—as our president likes to say—on the spirit and Christian community that is Lipscomb.

We want to keep shining a light on our Bison community, so please send in those baby pictures, drop us a note about your promotion, let us know when a loved one has passed on and let us know what you would like to see and share in the future. We’re excited to celebrate all you bring to our Lipscomb family.

Stephanie Carroll

Assistant Vice President for Annual Giving, Alumni and Parent Program

LipscombAlumni

! d e t c e n n o Stay C

Reach out to the Herd

Give us a shout out

You can reach out to and get involved with your fellow Bisons by contacting the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni.lipscomb.edu.

Let everyone know how proud you are to be a Bison by liking our Lipscomb Herd social media pages.

Send us your Bison Notes through email at classnotes@lipscomb.edu or input them online at lipscomb.edu/classnotes.

alumni.lipscomb.edu

LipscombAlumni

Alumni & Parent Programs • 615.966.6212 • One University Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37204

ALUMNI

BISON NOTES

BISON NOTES

Class Notes

1990

Kim Chaudoin

(BA) of Brentwood, Tenn., is a member of the FrankTown Open Hearts board of directors. She is vice president of public relations and communications at Lipscomb University.

At lipscomb.edu/classnotes you can post an update, share a photo, especially if it is your reunion year. For Bisons who have joined Golden Circle—that’s 50+ years since graduation—every year is a reunion year.

1977

Lipscomb treasure Chumley receives CASE Bill Franklin Volunteer of the Year Award Mary Nelle Chumley (LA ’49), whose love and support of Lipscomb University began more than 80 years ago, was named the recipient of the Bill Franklin Volunteer of the Year Award by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District III, which covers nine states in the Southeast.

“No one can surpass Mary Nelle’s love for her school, her constant investment of time and energy, and her determination to help advance Lipscomb in all the ways she can imagine or influence,” Stephanie Carroll, assistant vice president for annual giving, alumni and parent engagement, said.

Chumley was introduced to volunteering at Lipscomb when her grandfather was named to the Board of Trustees for then-David Lipscomb College. She graduated from Lipscomb’s high school, now Lipscomb Academy, in 1949 and attended the college from 1949 to 1951. It was there she met her future husband John C. Hutcheson Jr., who would later become Lipscomb’s art department chair from 1958-1986.

Chumley’s unbroken legacy of volunteerism at Lipscomb began when she and her husband returned to the university in 1958. As art department chair, her husband was responsible for decorating many college events, and Chumley, as a gifted floral arranger, was a major part of those assignments. Following her husband’s untimely death in 1986, Chumley continued creating floral arrangements for on-campus events through the year 2000. She has served the university in this way for five presidential administrations.

She was a founding member of the Associated Women for Lipscomb in the early 1980s. It was Chumley’s idea to use the Avalon house, university founder David Lipscomb’s historic, on-campus home, as a bed and breakfast or meeting space for campus visitors to endow the Associated Women for Lipscomb (AWL)-Centennial Scholarship.

In 2006, Chumley was named the university’s “Alumnus of the Year,” an honor she shared with her husband Charles Chumley (’39), a 1991 “Alumnus of the Year” honoree.

Read more about Mary Nelle Chumley’s lifelong service to Lipscomb at bit.ly/Chumley.

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Jimmy W. Burnett

(BS) of Saint Paul, Minn., is the managing director of healthcare operations performance alignment for Katz, Sapper & Miller, a consulting, tax and audit firm.

1980 Kevin Hickman (BS) of Nashville is the trustee of the Spencer and Marlene Hays Foundation.

1981

Kristy Sinkfield (BS) of Brentwood, Tenn., received the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Five Pillar Leader Award. She is the director of strategy and innovation at VUMC.

1983 David Barnard (BS) of Mt. Juliet., Tenn., is owner of Barnard’s Heat & Cooling.

1984 Joseph Binkley (BA) of Nashville is the

new worship minister at Hillsboro Church of Christ.

1985 Linda K. Gilmore (BS) of Bell Buckle,

Tenn., is a teacher with the Bedford County Board of Education.

1986 Greg Glenn (BS) of Montgomery, Ala., is head of school at Alabama Christian Academy. Glenn was head of school for Lipscomb Academy from 2014 to 2020.

Tim Gobble (BS) of Cleveland, Tenn., was

appointed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to serve on the Board of Parole.

Lisa Shacklett (BS, MBA ’09) of Nashville is the new vice president of enrollment management at Lubbock Christian University.

1987 Michael Selfe (BS) of Hopkinsville, Ky.,

is the chief operating officer and senior vice president of Planters Bank.

1988 Carol Canady Payne (BS) of

Charlottesville, Va., has published her second book entitled “Early Literacy Matters: A Leader’s Guide to Systematic Change.”

1989 Sam Collier (BS) of Pickerington, Ohio,

is executive vice president of leading and national accounts for First National Realty Partners.

Jeffrey Fee (BS) of Missoula, Mo., is

CEO of ZoomCare, owned by nonprofit PeaceHealth hospital system.

Brad Pope (BS) of

Signal Mountain, Tenn., received the 2020 Champion of Health Care Award in the administrative excellence category.

He is the vice president and chief human resources officer for CommonSpirit Health, Southeast Division.

1993 Shane Hooper (BA) of Saltillo, Miss., is

economic director for Shelbyville-Bedford County.

1994 Melissa Lester (BA) of Birmingham, Ala., has been named editor of Victoria magazine.

Barry (BS) and Tara Wilhelm (BS) of

Spring Hill, Tenn., announce the April 10 birth of grandson Atlas James, son of their daughter Megan and Tyler Doll. Tara is a digital learning designer for Williamson County Schools.

1995 Kelly McKee Austin (BS, MED ’99)

of Nashville is a kindergarten teacher at Lipscomb Academy.

1996 Jeffrey Keller (BA) of Mount Juliet, Tenn., is the girls’ basketball coach at Watertown High School.

Chris Walker (BS) of Brentwood, Tenn., is

director of business development for PhyMed Healthcare Group.

1997 Josh Perry (BA) of Bloomington, Ind., has been promoted to professor and appointed chair of the Department of Business Law & Ethics in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

1998 Deborah Watts (MBA ’00) of Brentwood, Tenn., is CEO of Hayde and Company.

1999 Zach Nixon (BS) of Mt. Juliet, Tenn., is

an auditor for the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security.

Jay Rowe (BA) of Madison, Tenn., has

earned the certified financial planner designation. Rowe is a financial advisor with Ascend Retirement and Investment Services.

2002 Jennifer Sisson (BA) and Michael West of Germantown, Tenn,, announce the Dec. 10, 2020, birth of son Connor Allen Sisson-West.

Donnie Tidwell (BS) of Louisville,

Kentucky, is operations manager for Dayton Freight Lines, Inc.

CONTRIBUTORS TO THE COMMUNITY

ONE MAN OF SCIENCE INSTILLING FAITH INTO THE FUTURE Dr. Robert McClure (’82, MDiv ’16) is a man of science.

He’s got the credentials in biochemistry from Lipscomb and in medicine from Vanderbilt University to prove it.

But in 2008, he became much more interested in becoming a man of faith and science. That’s what led him back to Lipscomb to study biblical languages and interpretation of the context of ancient/modern culture and prescientific/scientific understandings.

McClure, a gastroenterologist in Columbia, Tennessee, enrolled in Lipscomb’s Hazelip School of Theology to pursue his Master of Divinity degree and immersed himself in his graduate studies during his off-hours from his fulltime medical practice. It took eight years to complete a degree that traditionally takes about three-and-a-half years to finish.

Following his own academic journey to reconcile issues of faith and science, McClure and his wife Brenda (’80), decided to encourage such insight within the next generation of doctors and scientists by funding the McClure Center for Faith and Science and the McClure Endowed Professorship in Faith and Science, which held its grand opening in November.

The center serves as an intellectual and physical place for students to explore the relationship between the Christian faith and scientific inquiry.

Read more about Dr. McClure online at bit.ly/RobertMcClure.

lipscomb.edu/news

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WE ARE LIPSCOMB

BISON NOTES

ALUMNI

Bisons are Back After a year of separation in 2020, the Bison Herd came back together for Homecoming and Family Weekend in November 2021.

More than 50 events including social club reunions, a parade, a 5K run, class reunions, receptions, athletic competitions, Bison Square Fair and student performances provided the perfect opportunity to reconnect with friends and acquaintances, reminisce about fun times and make new memories.

The alumni classes honored at Homecoming included 1970-71, 1975-76, 1980-81, 1990-91, 1995-96, 2000-01 and the Golden Circle. The Homecoming musical was Mamma Mia, and the Lipscomb volleyball team competed against the University of North Alabama.

Lipscomb Athletics inducted into the department’s Hall of Fame: Ann Mullins (Volleyball), Alex Kelly Samuels (Volleyball), Jake Pease House (Volleyball) and Andy Lane (Meritorious Service).

Don’t miss Bison Weekend, Nov. 11-12, with a new name, but the same exciting events and Lipscomb spirit.

One Goal. One Day. One Herd.

Exceeding expectations and expanding opportunities Lipscomb University’s fourth Day of Giving launched on

who could not otherwise afford the transformation of a

Feb. 22, was the most exciting one yet! The university’s bold

Lipscomb education. The lives of countless students will

goal of $1 million contributed by 3,000 donors in a 24-period

be positively impacted.

of Lipscomb giving $2,120,938 in just 24 hours.

“I continue to be humbled by our Lipscomb community,”

The focus of Day of Giving 2022 was on providing

school year I have often talked about the following three

scholarships to students, and because of the generosity

challenges­­—to bring our best, to be a light and to be a

of the Bison Herd more than $500,000 was raised for

fan—and the 24 hours of this giving day certainly showed

the Lipscomb Opportunity Scholarship Fund, which

what it means to meet these challenges. Lipscomb’s

allows Lipscomb to provide more scholarships to students

future is bright, and its best days are ahead.”

was obliterated with a total of 4,748

friends and fans

said Lipscomb President Candice McQueen. “This

Thank you

for all you bring to make Lipscomb’s future bright.

Bring your Best. Be a Light. Be a Fan. GIVE.LIPSCOMB.EDU

THE HERD’S GENEROSITY IS GROWING In the past four years, the number of contributors to Day of Giving has increased each year, leading to a huge jump of 894 contributors in 2022.

2019

2020

2021

2022

2,746 3,521 3,854 4,748

WE ARE LIPSCOMB

YOUR FELLOW ALUMNI

ALUMNA CHRISTIE CLAYTON ENSURES A FIRM FOUNDATION FOR NYC SKYSCRAPER So what does an international firm do when they want to build a 1,425-foot tall skyscraper in New York City?

Demolish the 707-foot tall skyscraper they already have, of course.

The JP Morgan Chase World Headquarters in Manhattan carried out the largest planned demolition in history in 2019 to dispense with its building at 270 Park Avenue. In order to rebuild the new headquarters, however, the company had to work with Metro North Railroad as the original building was built on top of the city’s famous railroad system.

The foundation columns for the new building, located about two blocks from Grand Central Terminal, had to be threaded through the train shed running beneath Park Avenue.

So who did Metro North look to, to make sure the massive engineering and construction project worked for both JP Morgan Chase and the railroad?

That would be Lipscomb alumna Christie Clayton (’06), one of Lipscomb’s earliest engineering graduates and a tunnel expert at Gannett Fleming, a nationally recognized engineering firm, in Pittsburg. She was intricately involved in making sure what will be the fourth largest building in New York City (It won’t be complete until 2024.) stands on a firm foundation.

Photo credit: Samantha Rayward

Read more about Clayton at bit.ly/ChristieClayton

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BISON NOTES

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES! 2003

2011

Stephen Fawehinmi

(MBA) of Franklin, Tenn., has been named senior vice president of Reliant Bank.

Christina Tostado Furnival (MS) of San

Pat Price (BA) and Katie Laurel Wells of

Nashville were married March 20, 2021, at St. Henry’s Church in Nashville.

Donna Thorstensen (BA) of

Leonardtown, Md., is elementary principal at George Washington Carver Elementary School.

2004 Holly Cromwell (BS) of Brentwood,

Tenn., is an ortho/trauma nurse registered at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

2005 Reggie Blair (BS, MS ’14) of Antioch, Tenn., has been named vice president of enrollment services at Cumberland University.

Joshua Garner (BS, MBA ’09) of Franklin,

Tenn., is director of operations for Star Transportation.

2006 James B. Angus Jr. (BA, MDIV ’09)

of Springfield, Tenn., is the community life minister at Otter Creek Church in Brentwood, Tenn.

Alen Brcic (BS, MBA ’08) of Winston

Salem, N.C., joined Mercyhealth as vice president of people and culture on Aug. 23.

Patrick Stubblefield (BS) of Salt Lake

City, Utah, is an attorney with Bonfire Legal.

Diego, Ca., has released her first children’s book, “The Not-So-Friendly Friend”. The topic covers navigating tough friendships and setting boundaries for healthy relationships.

Furnival is a licensed mental health therapist, blogger and writer.

Will Hagar (MS) of Lebanon, Tenn., is associate vice president and director of planning for Lose Design.

Amy Hillin (BA) of Mount Dora, Fla., is a preschool lead teacher at Mount Dora Christian Academy.

Anita Brzeski Mitchum (MED) of Castle

Rock, Colo., is a university relations talent acquisition specialist for DISH Network.

2012 Joshua Cotham (BBA, MBA ’14) of

Mount Juliet, Tenn., is director of solutions engineering at Bridge Connector, an interoperability company with offices in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and Nashville.

Alé Dalton (BA) is an associate in the

Nashville office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and has been selected to the 2021 Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Pathfinders program.

2007 Julie Martin (BS) of Arlington is a clinical assistant with Elite Sports Medicine & Orthopedics.

2008 Gabriel Sterling (MA) of Brentwood,

Tenn., is the vice president of technology for Mployer Advisors.

2009 Branden (BA, MBA ’14) and Whitney (BS

’11) Cadavid of Nolensville, Tenn., announce the Nov. 23, 2021, birth of daughter Callyn Joy. Callyn is little sister to brothers Greyson and Leo.

William Paddock (MBA) of Nashville is

principal for GreenEnergy GPO.

2010 Jeff Cundiff (MBA) of Hendersonville,

Tenn., is vice president PE, LEED AP, and has been promoted to Tennessee civil lead by Barge Design Solutions Inc.

Zachary Pharr

(BS) of Columbia, Tenn., has joined the Mid-Tennessee Bone and Joint Clinic and will focus on sports medicine.

Allison Griffin (PharmD) married Scott Tullos on Aug. 28, 2021, in Winston Salem, N.C. Kandace Harris (MBA) of Nashville is

vice president of retail banking for Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Co. Jeremy Swindle (MA) of Montgomery,

Ala., is worship minister for Landmark Church of Christ.

Kayla Raines Wienczkowski

(BS) of Mount Juliet, Tenn., is a pediatrician with Murfreesboro Medical Clinic.

Randy Steger’s marketing class shipped $230,000 worth of medical supplies to Eastern Europe as part of a successful class project. That assignment became the spark to create Healing Hands International, a Nashville nonprofit that has now delivered more than $100 million in aid to more than 75 countries around the world, most recently coordinating churches and organizations all over Nashville to provide needed materials packed in buckets for refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine.

A look back at Lipscomb from 2022 to 1992, the year that the 25th Olympic Games opened in Barcelona, Spain, Bill Clinton was elected President and Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to go into space.

• Current Associate Professor in Counseling Melanie Hodge Morris (’93) was celebrating her selection as the university’s Homecoming queen.

• Dennis Loyd and Marlin Connelly were gearing up to each take a group of students on a tour of Israel, a global opportunity that continues to be offered at times today (bit.ly/LUIsrael).

• Lipscomb board member Raymond B. Jones spoke to business students at a year-end academic awards ceremony.

Today engineering students learn their craft in the Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering (bit.ly/FieldsCenter).

• Newly graduated art student Michael Shane Neal (’91) painted a portrait of President Emeritus Willard Collins. Neal went on to paint hundreds of national public figures, and the Collins portrait can still be seen in Beaman Library today (bit.ly/MSNeal).

• In his 33rd year as head baseball coach, Ken Dugan celebrated his 1,000th win, a feat only seven other coaches in baseball had achieved at that time.

Share your favorite memories of these alumni and more at the Lipscomb University Alumni Association Facebook page.

lipscomb.edu/now

43

BISON NOTES

Shining Light Awards honor community service during Be A Light Tour As part of President Candice McQueen’s introduction to the Lipscomb community this school year, the university’s new president challenged all Bisons to “be a light,” even taking that message on the road to meet alumni, prospective students, donors and friends on her Be A Light Tour.

At each stop on the tour, Lipscomb selected recipients of the Shining Light Award to honor a Bison whose life—and light—shines brightly in the community and in their service to others. Shining Light Award recipients as of print date included: a former Lipscomb University nonprofit focused on sharing the Gospel by caring for student, was actively involved society’s most vulnerable and in the Medical Auxiliary of disadvantaged.

Nashville and Davidson County, and was twice named volunteer of the year. Terry, a member of the Lipscomb Board of Trustees and longtime leader with ExxonMobil, has been actively involved in United Way Ray (’92) and Libby Jones organizations worldwide.

Ray Jones served on the Lipscomb Board of Trustees from 1983-2007. The Joneses led the David and Jenny LaVelle charge in 2002 to first establish Both part of families who served Lipscomb’s school of engineering as foster homes, Dr. David and that grew into a college that bears Jenny LaVelle became involved his name. The couple support at AGAPE child and family Lipscomb’s Peugeot Center services, serving as foster parents for Engineering Service, have twice and David as board served on numerous boards and chairman. David is a retired ministries and have ministered to orthopedist, and Jenny is retired others through Mayfair church of from her role as a registered Archie Crenshaw (’57) Christ, in Huntsville, Alabama. nurse. They are active members After a successful career in of Highland Church of Christ business, in 1974 he established in Memphis, and David has the World Outreach Fund, which participated in mission work supports faith-based initiatives in Ukraine and at the Church worldwide focused on poverty, Health Center in Memphis. hunger, clean water, ministry to prisoners, health care and support for the widowed and orphaned. World Outreach and two of its major ministry partners, Predisan and Honduras Outreach Eddie (’76) and Becky International (HOI), work closely Cunningham with Lipscomb’s Peugeot Center Eddie, a 1976 Lipscomb graduate for Engineering Missions to and anesthesiology specialist, improve the quality of life for and Becky, an educator who thousands around the world. taught middle school at Harding Academy, established and now operate For the Kingdom Camp​, a 1​00-acre youth camp in Memphis. They also devote their time and talents to Point Honduras, a Tegucigalpa

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lipscomb now

Terry and Carole Koonce The Koonces, of Montgomery, Texas, have given generously of their time and resources throughout their lifetimes. Carole,

Shining Light Awards continued to be awarded throughout the month of April. Log on to bit.ly/LightAwards to see the rest of the 2022 honorees.

2013 Anna Uselton Dearman (BA) of Kingston, Tenn., summitted 14,411-ft Mt. Rainier in Washington state.

Hannah Jones (BA, MMGT ’15) of Nolensville, Tenn., has been named girls basketball coach at Middle Tennessee Christian School in Murfreesboro.

Mark Stevens (MBA) of

Franklin, Tenn., is a project manager for SomeraRoad in Nashville.

2014

Logan Butts (BA) and Makenzy Davis of

Nashville, Tenn. were married June 5, 2021. Logan is the sports editor at the Williamson Home Page.

Matt Crawford (MBA) of Spring Hill, Tenn., has been named executive vice president and Williamson County market president for Reliant Bank.

Jessica Flick (BBA, MACC) of Mount Pleasant, Tenn., passed all parts of the Certified Public Accountant exam and received her license.

Catherine Glover (MA) of Cincinnati, Ohio, is center director of Northern Kentucky University Small Business Development Center.

Savannah Hollis (BA) of Seattle, Wash., is the social media manager for the Seattle Kraken, National Hockey League’s new franchise.

Nicole Nielsen (PharmD) and her husband Marcus welcomed their first child Jade on Dec. 1, 2021.

Nicole is an associate professor of pharmacy practice at West Coast University in Los Angeles, Ca.

Julia Pate (PharmD) was

recently commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy. She is stationed at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla., and is the division officer of the inpatient pharmacy.

TODAY’S BISONS

RECENT LIPSCOMB ANIMATION GRAD SLAM DUNKS ONTO SPACE JAM: A NEW LEGACY TEAM

If you were one of the many who watched Space Jam: A New Legacy with nostalgic fondness in 2021, you probably didn’t realize you were watching the work of some of your fellow Lipscomb Bisons.

The blockbuster movie featured several contributions from both instructors and recent graduates from the Lipscomb University animation department, including Jon Densk (BBA ’18, BFA ’21), who worked fulltime on the film while still a student at Lipscomb, a rare opportunity.

Tom Bancroft, Lipscomb artist-in-residence and a former supervising animator and director at Disney and Big Idea, contributed to the film’s storyboards, but passed along Densk’s portfolio to the studio when he had to exit the project. The film, which is a sequel to the beloved 1996 movie Space Jam, features NBA star LeBron James teaming up with the Looney Tunes to take on the film’s villain in a high-stakes game of basketball.

Densk, who now works out of Brentwood, Tennessee, as a freelance designer for Tonic DNA and Pencilish animation studios, worked on the animation for the Looney Tunes characters as well as a sequence involving DC Comics and Warner Brothers superhero Wonder Woman.

Read more about Densk at bit.ly/JonDensk.

lipscomb.edu/now

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WE ARE LIPSCOMB

BISON NOTES

MATH ALUMNUS GARY TUCKER HELPED EVOLVE COMPUTERS FROM ‘LUGGABLES’ TO SMART WATCHES Most of us over the age of 50 look around and stand in wonder of the change in our world over the past 60 years.

Alumnus Gary Tucker (’63) of Austin, Texas, stands in wonder of how he helped make those changes happen.

Immediately after earning his mathematics degree from Lipscomb, Tucker, a native of Nitro, West Virginia, took a job at IBM and over a decade later, he found himself on the task force team that created the preliminary designs for the personal computer.

Although other tech companies were in the process of developing personal computers, IBM is credited as a leader in launching them for public use in the early 1980s. “Internally, we called them ‘luggables’ because they were so heavy,” Tucker said.

Tucker is most proud of the work he did in “text processing,” the precursor to what is known as “word processing.”

“When I started with IBM, the machine I worked on had 4K memory,” he said. “Your watch today has many times more memory than that. A system that has the power of your iPhone now would’ve taken up the entire floor of a building with multiple AC units to keep them cool back then.”

Read more about Tucker at bit.ly/GaryTucker.

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lipscomb now

Photo credit: Tommy Kile

WE ARE LIPSCOMB

YOUR FELLOW ALUMNI

BISON NOTES

Kage Sanderson (BA) of Brentwood,

Tenn., is the director of West Coast regional promotion of Carolie Records under Universal Music Group based in Los Angeles, Ca.

2015

John Womack IV (BBA) of Liberty, Tenn.,

works in shipping for Lee Building Products.

2017

MohamedShukri Hassan

(BA) of Nashville, Tenn., was named director of the Office of New Americans by Nashville Mayor John Cooper.

Traci Holton (MS) of

Hendersonville, Tenn., is vice president of engineering and deputy chief operating officer for the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority.

Karla MacIntyre

(BA) of Nashville is college success coach at Conexión Américas and has been appointed to the Nashville State Community College Foundation 2021-2022 Board of Trustees as a Young Leaders Council intern.

Joanna Schmidt (MED) of Spring Hill,

Tenn., has been named principal of Battle Creek Elementary School with Maury County Public Schools.

Kurtis Taylor (MBA) of Nashville is a

senior strategy analyst, OAS analytics COE at Optum.

The Lipscomb Family Tree Genna Holder (PharmD) and husband

Nick of Murfreesboro, Tenn., announce the birth of their daughter Vera Eloise Holder on Aug. 31, 2021. Vera weighed exactly 7 pounds and measured 20.5 inches long.

Lauren Risley (BS, MBA ’19) is a public

health and sports project leader for the Public Health Department in Saba.

2016 Jacob Bratcher (BA), formerly of Athens, Ga., is an academic advisor at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C.

Elizabeth Fiser (MS) and Michal Williams

of Rogers, Ark., were married Aug. 22, 2020.

Elizabeth is a registered dietitian and health coach with TrestleTree.

Don Gibson (MBA) of Franklin, Tenn., is chief medical officer for Mercy Community Healthcare.

Bill Harlin (EDD) of Brentwood, Tenn., is the school administrator at Brentwood Middle School.

Cole Meador (BA) of Nashville is a

technical writer for Avelead.

Leslie Poff (BA) of Colorado Springs,

Colo., is a multimedia communications specialist with LearningRx. Gemikal Prude (BA) of Nashville is an

enrollment and marketing associate for RePublic Schools.

Gregory Smith (MA) of Hohenwald,

Tenn., is the minister at Hohenwald Church of Christ.

Nicholas Trice (BBA)

of Lebanon, Tenn., was named as a board member of FiftyForward, a non-profit organization that operates seven lifelong learning centers in Middle Tennessee.

Lindsey Watson (PharmD) and her

husband Richard of Gallatin, Tenn., welcomed Jay Winfield Watson to their family on Nov. 5, 2021.

2018 Brooke Baggett (PharmD) is assistant

director of pharmacy services at University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla.

Margaret Bedont (MBA) of Franklin,

Tenn., serves as a finance data governance lead for UBS in Nashville.

Joel Clinger (BA) of Nashville is a sports reporter for The Connection.

Kacey Kemper (BS) of Scottsdale, Ariz., is

a student at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine.

Zach Olley (BBA) of Galloway, N.J., is an

insurance agent with State Farm in Franklin, Tenn.

Kacey Main (BA) of Little Rock, Ark., has

been named communications coordinator of SLO Food co-op in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Grandson of Willis Owens, biology professor, joins the Lipscomb faculty Certainly Josh Owens’ apple doesn’t fall far from the Willis Owens tree.

For almost 40 years, Willis Owens (’53) laid the foundation for generations of Lipscomb students moving into scientific research, medicine and environmental sciences. Now, three decades after his retirement and three years after his death, his grandson, Josh Owens (’16), is continuing that legacy as an assistant professor in biology at Lipscomb, teaching in the same halls and classrooms in McFarland Science Center where his grandfather taught.

Whereas the elder Owens took his Intro to Biology students to his own backyard on Graybar Lane to identify plants and trees as his final exam, Josh Owens is preparing the next generation of scientists in cancer biology.

The younger Owens remembers his grandfather taking him on hikes to identify various plants and trees.

Thanks in part to those hikes, Josh came to “love the complexity and the organization of ourselves. I don’t think you can study biology and not believe in a Creator,” he said, noting that his grandfather also strongly believed that “you can be a good biologist and a good Christian.”

Willis Owens was earning his Lipscomb degree when Watson and Crick discovered the double helix of DNA, which transformed his chosen field from being focused on plants and animals to being focused on genetics, a shift that “changed the game” for his career, he told his grandson.

Josh Owens hopes his career can be a factor in changing the game for cancer sufferers. His research at Emory has involved how our body’s immune response can contribute to eliminating cancer. He also worked on developing methods to test for covid-19 and has been published in three papers regarding covid-19.

Not only are Willis and Josh Owens both alumni of Lipscomb, but two of Willis’ children, Josh’s mother and both of Josh’s siblings are all Lipscomb alumni as well, all with a history of ministry, engineering and health care careers. lipscomb.edu/now

47

BISON NOTES

Carjarmin Scott (EdD) of Gainesville, Florida, has released her literary debut “You are Accepted: How to Get Accepted into College and Life,” detailing her experience as a first-generation college student and higher education leader.

2019

We want your notes!

Please send news of weddings, births, deaths; new jobs and promotions; academics and professional degrees; church and community service activities; awards and achievements; and changes of address to Class Notes Editor, Lipscomb University, One University Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37204.

Email: classnotes@lipscomb.edu Online: lipscomb.edu/classnotes .

In Memoriam Victoria Fung-A-Fat (PharmD) and her husband Matt (BBA, ’12) welcomed Sydney Ann Fung-A-Fat to their family on July 5, 2021.

Daven Oglesby (MED) of Antioch, Tenn.,

received the 2021 Annette Eskind Inspiring Educator Award from the Nashville Public Education Foundation.

Eli Pepper (BBA) of Princeton, Ky., is the basketball coach at West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

We publish news of the passing of Bisons as we learn of it. Share your news of loved ones lost at lipscomb.edu/classnotes or submit obituaries and photos for possible publication in print to the Office of Alumni Relations at Lipscomb University, One University park Drive, Nashville, TN 37204.

LIPSCOMB COMMUNITY Winston Fish of Nashville,

a former member of the Board of Trustees, died June 20, 2021.

Everette Hunt of

Nashville, a retired member of the physics department faculty, died May 27, 2021.

Bob Kerce of Manchester, Tenn., a retired member of the math department faculty, died Sept. 27, 2021.

Cassidy Reynolds Ruckel (PharmD)

recently joined Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis as an emergency medicine/critical care clinical pharmacy specialist.

Kyle Sykes (EdS) of Brush Creek, Tenn.,

is an eighth-grade science teacher with Rutherford County Schools.

2020 Summer Larson (PharmD) of Franklin, Tenn., is a pharmacist with CVS.

Doug Smith of Nashville,

former member of the Board of Trustees, died June 10, 2021.

Bill Tallon of Nashville,

a retired member of the chemistry faculty, died Oct. 29, 2021.

Willis Wells of Nolensville,

is an account coordinator at Reed Public Relations.

lipscomb now

Frances Tyree Miller of

Nashville died Sept. 9, 2020.

Martha Jean Clark

Cooke of Brentwood, Tenn., died Aug. 22, 2020.

1952 Jack Burch of Camarillo, Calif., died Nov. 7, 2020

Hank Hillin of Brentwood,

Tenn., died Feb. 10, 2021.

Dot Lacroix Thompson of

Marysville, Ohio, died Nov. 27, 2020.

1953 Dennis Doyle Frizzell of

Nashville died Nov. 8, 2020.

1954 Joy Anderson of

Richmond, Ky., died in September 2021.

Brentwood, Tenn., died July 14, 2021.

Jess Hall Jr. of Houston, Texas, died Aug. 9, 2020.

Margaret Silveman Weinberg of Nashville died May 9, 2021.

1958 Anita Johnson Luther of

Dickson, Tenn., died July 13, 2020.

1959 Richard Brackett of

Brentwood, Tenn., died March 8, 2021.

David E. Harrell Jr. of

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., died March 15, 2021.

1940

Marion L. Stilwell of

Cadillac, Mich., died Aug. 1, 2021.

Bob Goff (MDIV, ’89 &

’00) of Franklin, Tenn., died Nov. 30, 2020. Bob was a retired Lipscomb Academy instructor.

Morehead City, N.C., died Feb. 25, 2021.

1955 J.C. Goodpasture of

Nashville died Aug. 15, 2020.

Katherine Sneed of

Knoxville, Tenn., died Feb. 2, 2021.

Evelyn McKee Raines of

Owensboro, Kentucky, died Sept. 21, 2021.

1943 Ann Richmond Sewell

of Searcy, Ark., died May 5, 2021.

1945 June Edwards Coates of Covington, Ky., died Nov. 24, 2020.

48

1957 Cornelia Turman Bain of

1938 Dorothy Crawford of

Deanie Pedigo (BBA, MAcc ’21) and Judson Chaudoin (BBA ’21) were married

2021 Kayla Wood (BA) of Greenback, Tenn.,

Marion West Casady of

Lafayette, Tenn., died Aug. 20, 2020.

Huntsville, Ala., died July 21, 2020.

Mary Dobson Dillingham

of Bowling Green, Ky., died Aug. 14, 2020.

Franklin, N.C., died Dec. 21, 2020.

Kailey Schuyler (BA) of Huntsville, Ala., is

a morning reporter for WAFF 48 News.

Anita Quandt Hand of

of Only, Tenn., died Dec. 2, 2020.

Evelyn Silverman Davy of

Tenn., a retired member of the education faculty, died Aug. 9, 2021.

Aug. 28, 2021. Deanie is in the assurance practice at EY in Nashville and Judson is a logistics coordinator for CPC Commodities.

They live in Nashville.

1946 Sarah Christian Brown

1956 Manson Behel of Florence, Ala., died Nov. 20, 2020.

Deems Brooks of

Warrensburg, Mo., died Dec. 31, 2020.

Jesse Clayton of Nashville died Dec. 17, 2020.

Richard Craig of Nashville died Oct. 2, 2021.

James Lamar Matthews

of Bridgeport, Ala., died Jan. 24, 2020.

Bill Moore of Huntsville,

Ala., died Oct. 16, 2020.

1960 Bernard “Bernie” Barton of Rickman, Tenn., died April 28, 2021.

WE ARE LIPSCOMB

YOUR FELLOW ALUMNI

KINESIOLOGY ALUM HELPS BUILD A PELOTON NATION It’s a Peloton nation out there right now as at-home warriors nationwide have purchased the company’s Internet-connected exercise equipment and logged into virtual fitness classes to work out and encourage one another as a community.

A big part of Peloton’s success is due to positive Peloton instructors like Chase Tucker (’13), a personal trainer and social media influencer, with close to 100,000 followers on Instagram. The Haitian-American kinesiology graduate has been highlighted in the New York Post, Authority Magazine and Thrive Global as a Peloton instructor “who has become his own brand,” according to AdWeek.

Raised as an athlete by physicians in Chicago, Tucker entered Lipscomb with an eye on medical school, but soon realized that wasn’t the path for him. He switched to physical therapy. “However, upon graduating and working in the field, I realized there was an important piece to fitness that I was missing by working in kinesiology—helping people overcome their barriers, whether it be physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually,” he said.

He joined Peloton at its flagship studio in Manhattan in 2018 and teaches treadmill, strength and cardio classes. His mantra is that he wants his students to see his classes as something “deeper than just working out”.

“One thing I took away from Lipscomb was a sense of community,” he said. “...that sense of community is a core component of my fitness philosophy. Community is the glue that ties it all together. It makes it enjoyable, sustainable, fun and a place to bond in shared experiences.”

Photo credit Peloton

Read more about Tucker at bit.ly/ChaseTucker.

lipscomb.edu/now

49

BISON NOTES Photo credit: Monte Isom

Joan Atkins Sivley of

1980 Joseph Dill of Antioch,

1968 Tommy Daniel of Nashville

Hal Sensing of Nashville died

July 27, 2020.

Charles Mullins of

Farrell Owens of Nashville

died Nov. 20, 2020.

1981 Harold Brewer of Nashville

Andrea Rogers Clayton of

Joe Ralston of

Hendersonville, Tenn., died Nov. 20, 2021.

Tammy Ross Jerkins of

Fruitland Park, Fla., died June 9, 2021.

1969 Rebecca Lynn Hinckley of

1986 Phil Brasher of Fairview,

David Francis of Bridgeport,

Ala., died July 14, 2020.

1988 Heather Alred Alton of

Jimmy Cook of Red Boiling Springs, Tenn., died Nov. 14, 2021.

1962 Carl Gilstrap of Muncie, Ind., died Sept. 9, 2021.

Murfreesboro, Tenn., died Aug. 6, 2020.

‘Widow of the South’ author Robert Hicks died in February

Robert Benjamin Hicks III (’73), 71, died at his beloved

home, “Labor In Vain,” in the hills of Bingham, Tenn., near Franklin on Feb. 25, 2022.

Hicks was a New York Times bestselling author for his 2005 novel, The Widow of the South, in which he told a fictionalized account of the life of Carrie McGavock, matron of Carnton Plantation, tending to the graves of more than 1,500 soldiers killed in the Nov. 30, 1864, Battle of Franklin.

The book brought international attention and a flood of visitors to Franklin and the Carnton Plantation after it was published in 2005. He was named Tennessean of the Year in 2005 by The Tennessean for the impact of the novel as well as for the co-founding of Franklin’s Charge, which brought together numerous organizations in a coalition dedicated to reclaiming Franklin’s Civil War legacy through land acquisition and interpretation. Hundreds of acres have been reclaimed and Franklin’s Charge has raised millions of dollars through its efforts.

Born in Palm Beach, Fla., Hicks moved to Franklin in 1974, shortly after graduating with a history degree from Lipscomb, to work in the music publishing industry in Nashville. He joined the Board of Directors of Carnton Plantation soon after and played a key role over the next few decades in the house’s restoration and interpretation.

In 2018, he was honored by the American Battlefield Trust with the coveted Edwin C. Bearrs Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hicks was active in art and the field of historic preservation beyond Williamson County. He was an internationally recognized collector of Southern antiques and folk art, and he curated the landmark exhibition “Art of Tennessee” at the Frist Center for Visual Arts in Nashville in 2003.

On March 5, an old-fashioned wake was held at Hicks’ home near Franklin, including music, a social time and a covered dish dinner. He was buried at the McGavock Family Cemetery at Carnton next to a monument for those enslaved who are also buried there, a marker he helped make possible.

Those wishing to honor Hicks’ commitment to Franklin and battlefield reclamation may designate memorials to Franklin’s Charge www.franklinscharge.org, or Battle of Franklin Trust www.boft.org.

Nashville died Dec. 5, 2020.

Sonny Smithson of

Rossville, Ga., died July 27, 2021.

Bruce White of Franklin,

Tenn., died March 20, 2021.

1963 Steve North of Madison, Tenn., died Dec. 28, 2020.

David Parker of Nashville died Jan. 23, 2021.

Dana Stocksdale Gray of New Madison, Ohio, died March 7, 2021.

Nashville died July 28, 2020.

died March 15, 2021.

Clifton, Va., died May 29, 2019.

Ron Monroe of Sarasota, Fla.,

died Aug. 9, 2021.

1970 Bert Bryan Lake Orion, Mich., died Jan. 2, 2021.

Donna High of Nashville died

Aug. 23, 2020.

Eddie Montgomery of

Nashville died March 7, 2021.

Tenn., died Feb. 2, 2021.

died Aug. 30, 2020.

Tenn., died May 13, 2021.

Jacksonville, Fla., died Aug. 28, 2020.

Patricia McVey of Lebanon,

Tenn., died Oct. 29, 2020.

1989 Steve Frasier of Nashville died Dec. 19, 2021.

1992 David Martin of Brentwood, Tenn., died May 29, 2021.

1994 Jennifer Johnston Martin

Bruce Sullivan of Nashville

Sammy Webb of Cookeville,

Tenn., died Sept. 21, 2020.

Dana Burford Williams of

1971 Gene Caldwell of Hoover,

1995 Ted Smith of Ozark, Mo.,

Jack Williams of Nashville

died Feb. 14, 2021.

George Parks of Nashville

died June 4, 2021.

1999 Jaime Starkey of

died Sept. 21, 2021.

Nashville died Jan. 14, 2021.

Cooper Wood of Nashville

died June 5, 2021.

Ala., died Feb. 8, 2021.

John Ross of Excel, Ala.,

died Jan. 23, 2021.

1964 Rogina Blackwood Baker of

Rick Sinclair of Nashville,

Tenn., died June 12, 2021.

Billy Freeze of Decherd,

Donna Irwin Youngblood

of Murray, Ky., died March 9, 2021.

Nashville died July 22, 2021.

Tenn., died Sept. 17, 2021.

Helen Brown Smith of

Goodlettsville, Tenn., died Oct. 4, 2021.

1972 Mary Riggs Reed of Waverly, Tenn., died Sept. 21, 2020.

1965 Ken Stewart of Rensselaer,

1973 David Fincher of Tuscaloosa,

1966 Buddy Chaffin of Lebanon,

1974 Margie Brown of Bartlett,

Zane Hutcherson of

Nancy Kay White Davis of

Nashville died Nov. 22, 2021.

Ind., died Nov. 29, 2020.

Tenn., died Feb. 14, 2021.

Memphis, Tenn., died Jan. 11, 2021.

Linda Lou Richardson of Mayfield, Ky., died Sept. 15, 2021.

Ala., died Jan. 11, 2021.

Tenn., died Oct. 13, 2020.

1976 George R. Carr of Vicksburg, Miss., died March 29, 2021.

He owned George Carr Buick Cadillac GMC dealership in Vicksburg.

Ray Lamb of Johnson City,

Tenn., died May 26, 2021.

1978 Leonard “Tommy”

Hamrick of Chattanooga, Tenn., died Aug. 19, 2021.

Janet Loyd Shoun of

Nashville died on Nov. 10, 2021.

1967 Anne Simpkins Goad of

Brentwood, Tenn., died Nov. 5, 2021.

Susan Boyd Sayers Beasley of Lynnville, Tenn., died Oct. 29, 2021.

David V. Surber of Spring

Hill, Tenn., died Sept. 13, 2021.

of Brentwood, Tenn., died May 29, 2021.

died Sept. 21, 2021.

Jacksonville, Fla., died Nov. 30, 2020.

Jennifer Powell

Whittington of Culleoka, Tenn., died Oct. 25, 2020.

2000

Maurice Conner of Nashville, former Lipscomb employee, died Jan. 20, 2021.

2003 Brandon Hannah (LA, ’99) of Franklin, Tenn., died May 29, 2021.

John Williamson of

Murfreesboro, Tenn., died Aug. 21, 2021.

2005 Leslie Lynette Myers (BSN ’08) of Estill Springs, Tenn., died Oct. 3, 2021.

2009 LuWillow McDaniel of

Smyrna, Tenn., died Aug. 3, 2021.

2018 Harold “Harry” Jefferson Loyd III of Murfreesboro,

Tenn., died Sept. 26, 2021.

2021 Patrice Boyd of Brownsville, Tenn., died Feb. 2, 2021.

Raising the next generation of Christian leaders.

A gift to Lipscomb University helps prepare thinkers, doers and leaders with competence and character to guide people and organizations through society’s biggest challenges. By unleashing the power of estate planning, you can find financial peace of mind for you and your family while also paving the way for students who dream of achieving a Christian education at Lipscomb.

Learn more about different gift-planning options available that can support scholarships such as the Lipscomb Opportunity Scholarship. You can set students on their journey of being a light that helps change the world.

lipscomb.edu/planmyestate Paul Stovall Senior Director of Gift Planning Center for Estate & Gift Planning 615.966.5251 paul.stovall@lipscomb.edu

Memphis

Atlanta

Huntsville Memphis

Tour brings Lipscomb’s light to alumni in communities across the Southeast

Austin, Texas

Memphis

This spring, Lipscomb University Alumni Relations and new Lipscomb President Candice McQueen went on the road with the first few stops on the 2022 Be A Light Tour.

The tour was an opportunity for McQueen to meet alumni, prospective students, donors and friends, celebrate past accomplishments, share exciting university updates and introduce the Lipscomb Impact 360 strategic planning process that envisions a bright future for Lipscomb.

One of the themes of McQueen’s administration is challenging those in the Lipscomb community to “be a light.” At each tour stop, Lipscomb selected a recipient of the Shining Light Award to recognize someone whose life—and light—shines brightly in the community and in their service to others. (See page 44 for more on

the 2022 Shining Light Award winners.)

“As Christians we are called to be a light to others. Our journey to being a light starts by turning our faith into action,” says McQueen. “Lipscomb is a community that cultivates the light of Christ to move forward in excellence. As a faith-based institution we partner with our students to bring light as they prepare for their work, their future and their own service. Similarly, I encourage everyone in the Lipscomb community—our students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, prospective students, parents and friends—to consider the higher calling of faith and to be a light to those around you every day.”

Additional Be a Light Tour stops throughout April included Chattanooga, Knoxville and Louisville, Kentucky.

Reflections from the President

We are an institution committed to bringing our best to all we do It is such an honor to return home to Lipscomb as its 18th president. After having been away for close to eight years it has been a privilege to come back in this new role and join God’s plans in what he continues to do at Lipscomb.

While I stepped into the presidency with deep appreciation and understanding of the Lipscomb community, it has been important to take time to listen and learn as we chart a path for the next few years. Over the last few months, I have especially enjoyed visiting with many of you during stops on the Be A Light tour.

Along the way, I have heard amazing stories about the far-reaching impact of Lipscomb from our students, alumni, faculty, staff, trustees, donors, parents and friends. I also heard your dreams for Lipscomb and ways we can always improve. I appreciated each conversation.

My reflections are much like Paul’s as he wrote to the Philippians, “I thank my God in all remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.”

As I have shared with our community many times, we are a light to our community, and I look forward to partnering in our efforts to shine brightly on campus, in Nashville and around the world. When I think about the future of this institution what often comes to mind is Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” What a wonderful promise that is, especially as we think about the influence Lipscomb will have on the lives of future generations of students and everyone in our community.

We are looking boldly to the future and perpetuating the vision of our founders for providing students rigorous academics coupled with Bible studies and opportunities for spiritual growth.

This fall we kicked off the planning process for our new strategic vision and plan called Lipscomb Impact 360, which I hope you read about in the previous pages. The plan will further Lipscomb’s rise as a nationally recognized, top tier Christian institution and our commitment to prepare our students intellectually and spiritually to be a light in the world.

In 2016, Lipscomb University broke into the ranks of national colleges and universities as it was classified for the first time as a research institution. In our initial work on the Lipscomb Impact 360 strategic planning process, the

advancement of student-centered research quickly emerged as a priority. The recent establishment of the Office of Grants and Research is a direct result of the growing success of our grant writing efforts and awards as well as the Lipscomb Impact 360 work and the goals that are emerging. Students are increasingly interested in research, as is evidenced by the tremendous growth in participation in the annual Student Scholars’ Symposium throughout its 10-year history. Establishing this office provides an essential foundational piece that fully supports student-centered research while fostering and supporting faculty research.

To fully actualize our commitment to being a studentfocused institution, we want to be accessible for any student who wants to attend. Nearly 100% of Lipscomb’s student body receives some type of financial support, which includes loans, scholarships, grants and work study, and about 65% receive need-based financial aid. Because Lipscomb currently has a limited number of donor-funded scholarships available, each year students who want to earn their undergraduate degrees here lack the financial help to make it possible. Our goal is to build a $100 million scholarship fund that will make a difference in the lives of our students immediately and provide a long-term foundation for scholarships by growing the endowed scholarship pool. If you want to donate to this fund, visit our website at community.lipscomb.edu/opportunitygift.

As I begin to reflect on my first academic year as president, I am proud of what our students, faculty and staff have accomplished and I believe in the shared vision we have for Lipscomb’s future. We are an institution committed to bringing our best to all we do because everyone who invests in Lipscomb and earns their degree here deserves our best. We want you to be enthusiastic about Lipscomb and the tremendous lifechanging experiences that have happened here for generations and continue to happen today.

Lipscomb’s future is bright and its best days are ahead.

Dr. Candice McQueen President, Lipscomb University

lipscomb.edu/now

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