The Columns Martin Methodist Spring 2015 by Martin Methodist College

olumns THE MAGAZINE OF MARTIN METHODIST COLLEGE

FROM

CORAL REEF TO CLASSROOM Also in this issue • Judy Blankenship Cheatham Named Provost • Lacy Jane Denny: World Traveler • Retirement for Academic Dean Jim Murrell • Jeff Bain Named One of the Nation’s Top Athletic Directors!

SPRING 2015

Spring 2015

Volume 14, Number 2

In this issue 5

From Coral Reef to Classroom............5 I remember a night many years ago when I was at Martin Hall very late. I had

finished rehearsal and as I went down the hall from my office toward the vending machines, I noticed light streaming out from a nearby office into the darkened hallway. When I got there, I stopped to talk.

Judy Blankenship Cheatham...........12

Dr. Judy Blankenship Cheatham, Vice President at Reading Is Fundamental in Washington, DC, will return to middle Tennessee to begin her duties in August as the first-ever Provost of Martin Methodist College.

MMC $970,000 LEAP Initiative.......19 A partnership of the South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance, heavily involving Martin Methodist College, has received a $970,000 grant through the Governor’s 2014 Labor and Education Alignment Program (LEAP).

Lacy Jane Denny World Traveler......21

Lacy Denny transferred to Martin Methodist College in the fall of 2010 and walked

across the stage on May 3, 2014 as the first ever Liberal Arts graduate of the school.

Chickens and Ducks and Cats..........24 It was March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, and I sat in the office of Dr. Jim Murrell, VicePresident for academic affairs, listening to the pleasant music that was playing in the background. Books completely covered a table near the desk.

Also in these pages . . .

President’s Message................................. 2 A President Speaks on Growth.............. 26 Alumni Notes........................................ 37 Postscript.............................................. 40 On the cover . . .

Martin Methodist College senior, Brad Crye accompanied by Mr. Troy Gonzales (citizen volunteer) collecting sea urchin population data at Pequelle Bay, Salybia, Toco, Trinidad during a visit June 2015.

I first met Grant Vosburgh at a meeting

very quickly began thinking of a strategy for building The Columns into a first-rate college magazine. Needless to say Grant Vosburgh figured centrally into that strategy.

Dear Friends: This summer issue of The Columns is filled with stories of the Martin Methodist College’s continuing advancement. We hope you enjoy seeing the many ways your college is growing and progressing. But also with this issue we begin an important transition with The Columns. Our long-time editor, Grant Vosburgh, is retiring and we are in search of a new director of communications to fill his enormously large shoes in that position. We appreciate Grant writing a guest editorial for this issue and we hope he will continue to take on special writing projects for The Columns and for Martin Methodist. We simply can’t do without his remarkable writing talent. I first met Grant Vosburgh at a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce in Laurens County, South Carolina, where he and I had both moved to begin new jobs. Grant was starting as editor of the local newspaper and I was a vice president at nearby Presbyterian College. We struck up a friendship through the local leadership program and a number of community service activities. We eventually convinced Grant to become editor of the college magazine, so we had the opportunity to work side-by-side for many years. Grant systematically built that college magazine into an award winning publication. When the opportunity opened up for me to come to Martin Methodist College, I very quickly began thinking of a strategy for building The Columns into a first-rate college magazine. Needless to say, Grant Vosburgh figured centrally into that strategy. Sure enough, in 2001 Grant agreed to move to MMC and assume the role of director of communications and editor of The Columns. And with his creativity and skillfulness, The Columns now rivals any small college magazine in the country. What I have not mentioned are the personal challenges that Grant Vosburgh and his family have withstood over this same time period. Back in South Carolina, Grant’s wife, Robin, endured a near-fatal bout with colon cancer, her life hanging in the balance for weeks. As a result of his wife’s battle with this dread disease, Grant became a passionate volunteer for the American Cancer Society, literally transforming our local Relay for Life event. He eventually became a regional and national volunteer consultant, ultimately earning an international award from The American Cancer Society for his selfless work. With all of that in mind, how could it be that more than 20 years after Robin’s battle with cancer, Grant has an episode with the same disease? And while Robin’s story was clear-cut in its resolution with no further signs of cancer; Grant’s situation is more ambiguous. And most tragically, Grant’s eyesight has been taken, making it impossible for him to continue his cherished work in writing and composing the college magazine. While this may sound like a personal reminiscence, it is very much a Martin Methodist College story. If you engage Grant in conversation about his challenges, the first point he is likely to raise is about the blessing of being part of such a loving and supportive academic community. Our faculty and staff have rallied support and encouragement for Grant, Robin and his family in so many ways. Grant Vosburgh’s story of resilience and courage is also a clear affirmation of what a special place Martin Methodist College has been and continues to be. And it is certainly not an experience that is limited to faculty and staff—our students are the primary beneficiaries of the legacy of love and nurture that occurs naturally on this campus. Our alumni are not shy about proclaiming how their Martin experience literally transformed their lives. So as we offer deepest gratitude to Grant Vosburgh for his extraordinary service to the college and offer him our best wishes for retirement, we also celebrate a remarkable institution that understands and exhibits Christian charity on a constant day-to-day, even minute-by-minute basis. Nothing is closer to the heart of our mission and nothing is more central to the educational experience that our students enjoy.

A letter from the editor

Thanks, my friend, for the memories Editor Grant Vosburgh

Director of Communications

Managing Editor Dr. Kayla McKinney Wiggins Professor of English

Contributors Edna Luna ’06

Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Susan Carlisle

Marketing Director

Wade Neely

Director of Sports Communications

Guy Schafer Photographer

Christina Jordan

Assistant to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement

MMC Executive Council Dr. Ted Brown President

Dr. James Murrell

Vice President for Academic Affairs

W. David Jones

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Robby Shelton ’85

Vice President for Campus Life and Enrollment Management

David Stephens

Vice President for Finance and Administration

Jeff Bain

Director of Athletics

Dr. Ed Trimmer

Executive Director of The Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership

Dr. Dennis Haskins

Vice President for Planning and Effectiveness

Jamie Hlubb

Associate Vice President for Human Resources and Operations

Dr. Daniel McMasters

President of the Faculty Senate

Edna Luna ’06

Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement

The final letter from this editor: The time was late October of 2010, just a few weeks after the college had celebrated the remarkable renovation of the Old Gym into the Gault Fine Arts Center. “You’ve done some great things since you came here,” I told President Ted Brown, “and you’ll do more amazing things before you’re done, but you’ve set the bar pretty darn high with this one.” He had truly, as a Columns magazine cover had proclaimed, turned “an athletic gym into and aesthetic gem.” This was exactly what I had expected and, indeed, predicted when I accepted Ted Brown’s invitation to become Martin Methodist College’s director of communications at the start of 2001. Having known and worked with him since we met in 1985, I knew, without question, his presidency would transform this place. Now, as I step away from this position after 14-plus years, it’s time to reflect…and have some fun. From a strictly personal and unscientific perspective, here are some of the events since 2001 that stand out among the many, many achievements and advancements that have occurred here. That’s why my first award goes back to that day in the fall of 2010. Most Stunning Renovation of an Existing Building: The aforementioned transformation from the old gym to the Gault Center. Just walk through and picture a gloomy 1931 cracker box of a gymnasium. Enough said.

Best New Construction: East Campus Athletic Complex. Yes, it took some time for things to take shape on the 44-acre tract, but what the RedHawks now have rivals anything in NAIA, with tennis Write us at: and walking trails Letters, The Columns c/o Susan Carlisle still to come. Martin Methodist College Initiatives 433 W. Madison St. Pulaski, TN 38478 with the Most Or e-mail us at: Profound Effect scarlisle@martinmethodist.edu on the Academic Please include a mailing address and a daytime phone number Future of MMC: Barton and Alford scholarship programs. In February 2001, the college created two ambitious scholarship competitions, the Barton for academic excellence and the Alford for church leadership. The effect these programs have had on MMC’s academic profile is nothing short of astonishing. College’s finest hour (Trustees): In June of 2002, the college announced its largest gift ever – a $5 million matching grant from Nashville business and civic leader Cal Turner, Jr. toward the Center for Church Leadership. MMC’s

Board of Trustees stepped up to the fundraising plate and equaled his generosity, for a total $10 million gift. College’s Finest Hour (Students): Martin Methodist’s 2011 Tennessee Appellate Moot Court Collegiate Challenge championship: With no coach, no pre-law, and not even having attended a mock trial, MMC’s four member team stunned the likes of Rhodes, Tennessee Tech, East TN State and Vanderbilt to capture the title and bring tremendous statewide recognition to the campus. College’s Finest Hour (Cultural Arts): Becoming an All-Steinway institution. When benefactors Harriet and Bill Norrie gave the college 12 new Steinway pianos for the renovated Gault Fine Arts Center, it put Martin Methodist in a class with only 95 other music programs in the world, and one of only 3 in Tennessee. (Five years later, there are still only 176 such schools worldwide.) It also kick-started exciting new innovative music programs. Most Visionary New Initiative: The Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership. In Ted Brown, the college was getting a innovative leader with a special love of Methodist faith-based higher education, and when he and the late Ben Alford began thinking about the future of the church, monumental ideas, one after another were to be expected. The Turner Center has put Martin Methodist on the denominational map in a way that maybe even these two visionaries could not have imagined back in 1998. Most Exciting Moment, bar none: James Justice’s 2012 Slam Dunk Championship on ESPN. Granted, the college’s public relations and marketing profile held a special interest for me and also, I was the PA announcer for RedHawk basketball, so my enthusiasm might have been a bit more heightened than most, but

the number of students, parents, alumni and friends who rallied around this event bordered on the unimaginable. For one night, MMC and its high flying point guard, ruled the social network worldwide, an exposure that one ESPN executive said would have been valued at as much as $2 million had we purchased it. Favorite Della Clayton Lee performance: An evening with Michael Johnson. Maybe no category will have more disagreement from readers, and if so, that’s good news to the person who coordinated the cultural arts series for 13 years. However, the voice behind the iconic ‘70s hit, “Bluer than Blue” not only was one of my favorite artists 20 years ago, but I learned that he was living in Nashville at the time. Beginners luck for the very first act that I booked for the DCL lineup. New Program Most Appropriate for MMC’s Leadership: The NAIA’s Champions of Character. Granted, it would make sense that this athletic initiative would fit Martin Methodist, seeing as how one of the authors of the 2001 document was President Ted Brown. But the Red Hawks’ involvement has gone far beyond a good fit, as Director of Athletics Jeff Bain has guided the college to a national leadership role, and RedHawk teams have taken to heart the five core values of respect, integrity, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. Most Creative (and Well Played) Presentation: The transition from Indian mascot to Rowdy RedHawk. 2002 Homecoming featured the final athletic contest

as the Indians and the first as the RedHawks. The transition, which occurred between the women’s and men’s games featured multi media images, music, narration based on the Native American mythology of shapeshifting and a clever sleight of hand in which Rowdy made his inaugural appearance. It turned what could have been a controversial change into a first rate theatrical event. Best Examples of David beating Goliath: 2005, 2007 and 2013 NAIA soccer championships. Pretty impressive for one of the NAIA’s smallest schools with one of the smallest athletic budgets. Best personal decision made since 2000, without a doubt: Saying “yes” to Ted Brown’s invitation to come to Martin Methodist College. Seldom does one get the chance to work for a great friend who, you know, is about to do great things.

Grant Vosburgh Director of Communications

From Coral Reef to Classroom: The Amazing Journey of Stanton Belford By Kayla McKinney Wiggins

remember a night many years ago when I was at Martin Hall very late. I had finished rehearsal and as I went down the hall from my office toward the vending machines, I noticed light streaming out from a nearby office into the darkened hallway. When I got there, I stopped to talk. The office had once been part of an administrative suite but when the administrative offices moved to Colonial Hall, it became the mailroom, the office of the Director of Campus Services, Stanton Belford. Stanton was working late: studying, reading, or completing paperwork. We started talking. I knew that he was from the Caribbean, that he played soccer for Martin, that he was a good student, but I did not know until that late-night

conversation about his amazing journey from Trinidad to the campus of Martin Methodist College or about his passion for education. As Stanton told me that night about the years he spent after high school working as a manual laborer in difficult and sometimes demoralizing jobs, hoping and praying for a chance to further his education, I was reminded of a story told by Frederick Douglass in Narrative of the Life of an American Slave. Douglass talked of a time in his teenage years when his life was at its lowest point and he would stand and watch the ships on the Chesapeake Bay, bitter at his captivity and dreaming of freedom. I realized that for Stanton Belford, education, something we too often took for granted, spelled

freedom, and also his chance to give something back. Belford grew up in a small town in Trinidad. He attended a rural, Roman Catholic high school. “I was brought up very strict, respectable, Roman Catholic,” he says. At his school discipline was a “huge aspect,” discipline and sports. “It was either sports or academics,” Belford says. But, for Stanton, it was obviously both. Belford was part of a soccer team in high school that he says “was a pretty good team from a national perspective.” Six members of his team were called up to play for their country at various levels of competition. Belford also received a very good high school education, taking educational passes in six upper-level

From Coral Reef to Classroom... subjects before attending an advanced high school for two years and receiving advanced passes in biology and math. At the time, however, the only accredited university in Trinidad & Tobago was the University of the West Indies, and it was expensive. Belford says he simply could not afford to go, but he did not want to go on taking money from his grandmother, so he went to work while he waited for his next educational opportunity. “I was decently educated,” he says, “so I kept telling myself this is just for a moment in time. Working in a garden, working in a chicken depot, that was my employment for the time.” After high school, Belford worked for four years. He worked in a hardware store, a grocery store, in agriculture, in a cookie factory, and in a chicken depot where he killed, as he says, “hundreds and hundreds of chickens.” During this

Caught a Sea star while accompanying students of the Martin Methodist College Biology Club. MMC assistant professor, Dr. Shanna Hanes and I took 8 students to Key Largo, Florida in March 2015.

time, he sat for the SAT three times, hoping for a soccer scholarship to the United States. The first time, two of his teammates received scholarships; the second time, three others got to go; the last time, Belford finally got his chance. Roger Sandy, who had been his high school soccer coach, was already at Martin, and he helped Belford to obtain the scholarship that brought him SCUBA diving at Aqaba, Jordan, Red Sea in 2010 while doing research to Pulaski. on non-intrusive techniques used to measure the Two-band clownfish When he came to Pu- (Amphiprion bicinctus). laski in 1996, Belford exlater.” pected to get a four-year degree and return When he first came to Martin Methto Trinidad. He never imagined, he odist, the school did not have a major in says, that he would get not one but biology, so Belford got a degree in Human two Bachelor’s degrees, a Master’s Services. While he never worked in the degree, a PhD and return to Martin field, Belford notes that he uses the skills to teach biology. he gained from that degree every day in his Belford knows first-hand that teaching and research because the degree teaching matters. “I am a product taught him to listen, to step back and learn really of a high school teacher tak- from others. ing her students to the coral reefs After graduation, while he was workon the northeastern coast of Trini- ing in campus services, the biology major dad, which was the beginning of me became available so he completed that shifting my interest from chemistry degree before moving on to his get his to biology. And I did not realize it Master’s in biology at MTSU. Members of at the time, but that basically provided me the Martin faculty and administration not with the foundation to do a Master’s, to only encouraged Belford to continue his do research at that same site fifteen years education, but the school also provided

a flexible schedule and some financial support to assist him in that endeavor. His research for his Master’s degree was on the distribution of coral diversity on that same reef he had studied in high school. “I actually have the notebook from high school in my office right now,” Belford says. He uses the notebook when he makes presentations about sciWorking on coral species abundance and distribution at Toco Bay, Trinidad August 2006 collecting data entific research to high school for the Masters thesis. Currently building a research center in Trinidad to bring more MMC students students in the United States and to Trinidad for future studies.

From Coral Reef to Classroom... in Trinidad. As part of his training for his PhD, Belford worked with high school students in rural areas of Alabama, helping them to like science. In that endeavor, he worked in a fresh-water environment, but his work with coral distribution in Trinidad and clown fish and sea anemone distribution in the Red Sea solidifies his tie to Marine Biology. “Every time I go back [to Trinidad], I collect data. It has turned into life-long research. It is my goal, if everything goes well, that two students from Martin Methodist will be joining me sometime next year on one of these trips. And then in August 2015, I want to take a robust shot at an international research experience with students, a National Science Foundation Grant, one of those $300,000 grants. That’s one of the things I want to bring to Martin, grant writing, because that experience from a high school teacher basically guided my whole career.” When Belford stops to consider, and describe, the places he has been and the things he has seen in his research, he expresses amazement. “My father passed away when I was nine, and there were times when all we had to eat was bread and butter, but here I am.” He gives the

credit to all those who helped and guided him, and he gives the credit to God. He intends to pass on the gifts he has been given. “Many hands make the world lighter,” he says. “I am not going to close my hands to anyone who wants assistance because a lot of people helped me.” When he goes on to say that he thinks “everyone should do planting,” it is obvious that he means the phrase both literally and symbolically. Belford talks about his parents who instilled in him a desire to know his creator, and friends that he worked with in agriculture who walked down the valley and up a mountain in Trinidad every day to do their planting. He remembers how, as he made ♦that daily journey, he prayed to his creator for guidance. That guidance brought him to Pulaski, to Martin, and to the classroom. His goals for the future include continued research and publishing. “I will always be writing,” he says, but he includes students, and teaching, prominently in those goals. Belford has recently developed a course in Invertebrate Zoology which will include a research lab on the East Campus. “It is very special to me to create a

course in a place that I really love a lot. I’ve given a lot here, and I want to give more.” He sees himself as a part of the new, young science professors at Martin and feels that he can relate to the students because he is closer to their age. “If I can use that to squeeze in a little science, then that is what I want to do. I believe that science knowledge will assist in changing the world. I am a positive person and if we are stretched thin and overworked or don’t have the resources, I am going to see what I can do to assist.” He believes that at the very least, the students will leave his classroom knowing more about science than they did before, but also that his positive attitude will spill over to the students. In a presentation made to athletes, Belford told the students that each of us “stands on the shoulders of giants,” and encouraged the students to find their own giants from which to build so as to make their own contributions to the world. And Belford’s contribution? That’s easy: more of the same. “I love teaching,” he says, “and I love research, and I love life.”

Intrusting students in Bio 440 (Invertebrate Zoology) and Dr. Harwell’s nature writing class prior to collecting and identifying invertebrate organisms at MMC East Campus. This new course was introduced Spring 2015.

“

ulfilling Dreams at Martin ” – Dr. Stephanie Richardson

A Different Kind of Chemistry– By Grant Vosburgh

he newest major at Martin Methodist College—chemistry—kicked off in the fall of 2013 and Dr. Stephanie Richardson joined the faculty of the department in the fall of 2014. In her world of formulas, equations, laboratories and research, Richardson found a different kind of chemistry when she interviewed for the faculty position at Martin Methodist College. “The students, the faculty, the camaraderie . . . it just felt like home,” said the new assistant professor of chemistry. Even moreso than one might initially think. For while she was pursuing education and research fellowships that took her from Nashville to Minnesota back to Nashville and on to North Carolina, her parents—who had lived in Louisville, Phoenix and Indianapolis while she was growing up—had settled in, of all places, Pulaski, Tenn., in 2002. So when she found the Martin Methodist College chemistry faculty position advertised in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Richardson’s heart quickened a beat. And when she was selected for the post, she recognized a blessing.“It was God opening a door,” she said. Richardson knows something about opening doors, first as an impressionable student and now as a college professor. While in high school in Indianapolis, she was stunned when her chemistry teacher singled her out. “He said that I knew chemistry, and I was just so surprised,” she recalled with a laugh. “I sat in the back of the class, and while I enjoyed the labs and did well on the tests, I didn’t know there was a career out there in chemistry.” PHOTO BY GUY SCHAFER But her teacher didn’t stop with a compliment and an encouraging word. He then Dr. Stephanie Richardson discovered the helped get her into two special programs: the first, run by the Boy Scouts of America, rewards of teaching, and satisfaction are offered talented teenagers the chance to shadow a physician; and the second, a summer richer during her first year on the MMC program funded by the Eli Lilly pharmaceutical company, put promising high school campus. chemistry and biology students in the biosciences lab on the campus of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Now, as a teacher herself, she tries to open those same doors of discovery and opportunity for her college students. “I love to interact with students, and not just the ones who ‘get it,’” she said. “For those who have to take science and dread it, I’m trying to make it interesting and exciting for them, too. That’s the goal. “A lot of students are frightened of calculation, and in chemistry, there’s a lot of it, but I want to make it as smooth sailing for them as possible.” As for Stephanie Richardson, the sailing has been, at times, challenging, as all academic pursuits are, but always rewarding, with her charted course leading her to an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Oakwood University in Huntsville, Ala., and a doctorate in pharmacology from Meharry Medical College in Nashville. Richardson did post-doctoral work at the Mayo Clinic’s Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in Rochester, Minn.; Vanderbilt University’s Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism in Nashville; and the Carolinas Medical Center’s Department of Neurology in Charlotte. For the past three years she was a member of the faculty at Creswell (N.C.) High School. It was at that last assignment that she discovered the rewards of teaching, and that satisfaction has been all the richer during her first year on the Martin Methodist campus. “The next generation of jobs will be in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, and Martin Methodist is trying to promote that. That’s really important,” Richardson said. “It’s so exciting to see students who have dreams of a STEM career coming here, and on a campus that is so nurturing and supportive, I believe Martin Methodist will be a place where they’ll be able to fulfill their dreams. “I asked my students, ‘Tell me the dreams you have, because I want you to get everything you can out of this class.’” It’s there that the perfect chemistry between professor and student begins.

Studying the World that We Live In

hemistry major Wesley Riggins lists the small class size and the focused atention offered to the students as a major advantage of studying at a small liberal arts college. For Riggins, the challenges of the program that may first appear as disadvantages have become advantages. “The online homework I had during my General Chemistry class was very difficult at times. The homework generated all types of questions that really got my mind working. These problems would make me have to work a certain problem many different ways just to get the right answer.” Although frustrated at times by the work, Riggins said, that it forced him to think in new ways. “As much as I hated that online homework, I know that it was there to teach me to think like a chemist. I am able to better think of ways of solving a chemistry problem now. It is still difficult, but I have acquired better problem-solving skills.”

Riggins said that one of the most fun things he has done as a chemistry student was synthesizing “acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).” He says that it “was fun to be able to create something that many people take to relieve their pain.” In reflecting on career opportunities, Riggins said that while he loves all areas of science, he finds chemistry “especially unique. To be able to create something from nothing may come from my abilities as an artist. I love to oil-paint and sketch. The feeling that I get when I compose a beautiful landscape or animal painting just makes me happy.” While noting that he might go into research or pharmacology with his degree, Riggins said that he might be able to do something in the arts, working for art companies and thus combining two loves. “My love of art and the ability to create might have just given me an idea about a possible career. I am not

Wesley Riggins

limiting what I can do with this degree, but I just want to make sure that I do something that I know that I will love to do.” Ultimately, it may not matter to Riggins exactly what he does as long as he works in chemistry. “To be a science major,” he said “is to study the world that we live in.”– KAYLA WIGGINS

This painting and others by Wesley Riggins can be seen at the Martin Methodist College Gault Fine Arts Center.

Commencement 2015

n a picture-perfect Saturday morning, members of the Class of 2015 entered into the next phase of their lives with diploma in hand after Martin Methodist College’s 144th Commencement. A total of 197 degrees were awarded at Grissom Gazebo on the Campus Green. The college bestowed 55 Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees, 48 Bachelor of Science degrees and 1 Bachelor of Arts degree in the Division of Social Sciences, 34 Bachelor of Business Administration degrees, 21 Bachelor of Science degrees in the Division of Education, 8 Bachelor of Science degrees and 8 Bachelor of Arts degrees in the Division of Humanities, 14 Bachelor of Science degrees in the Division of Mathematics and Science, and 8 Associate of Arts degrees. Six students received multiple degrees. In addition to the degrees presented to the graduates, President Ted Brown presented two significant individual honors as part of the ceremony. The President’s Award, given to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average, was presented to seniors Derek Toone of Pulaski, Tennessee and Stephen Lunney of Dublin, Ireland. Toone earned Bachelor of Science degrees in pre-seminary and general psychology while Lunney received a Bachelor of Science

A Picture-Perfect Day

Martin Methodist College’s - Class of 2015.

Martin Methodist College’s 144th Commencement - Class of 2015.

degree in physical education. Toone and Lunney achieved perfect 4.00 grade-point averages during their academic careers at Martin Methodist. The 2015 Fred E. Ford Exemplary Teaching Award, given to a member of the faculty for outstanding contributions both in and out of the classroom, was presented to Dr. James T. Murrell, Vice President for Academic Affairs. Murrell, who has served as the academic dean since 2002, received his Bachelor of Science degree from Austin Peay State University, and his doctoral

degree from Vanderbilt University. The commencement festivities began on the afternoon of Thursday, April 30, with the eighth annual Pinning Ceremony for the Division of Nursing. A recordnumber 55 students earning the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree participated in the ceremony, in which members of the nursing faculty awarded each new graduate with a lapel pin and oil lamp unique to the Martin Methodist nursing program. Ceremonies continued on Friday morning with the second annual Martin

Promise Plus Scholarship MMC is a Tennessee Promise Institution... Martin Methodist College’s - Class of 2015.

Methodist College Athletic Department Senior Student-Athlete Sash Ceremony. During the event, a total of 35 RedHawk student-athletes received a ceremonial sash from their respective head coaches to be worn during Saturday’s commencement ceremony. The baccalaureate service followed later in the afternoon at First United Methodist Church of Pulaski, as Reverend Dr. Davis Chappell, pastor at Brentwood United Methodist Church and member of the Martin Methodist Board of Trustees, delivered the sermon. The final event leading up to the graduation ceremony was the annual Jubilee Dinner on Friday night at the Curry Christian Life Center, honoring the Class of 2015, the Golden Jubilee Class of 1965 (celebrating its 50th anniversary), the Diamond Jubilee Class of 1955 (celebrating its 60th anniversary), and the President’s Society, which is made up benefactors who have donated $1,000 or more to Martin Methodist College in the past year. Two individual awards were also presented at the dinner. Reverend Tom Smith, a 1964 alumnus, received the 2015 Servant Leader Award, presented by the Turner Center for Church Leadership. Smith, who started his pastoral career while at Martin Methodist College, has spent over 50 years in the ministry and currently serves as the pastor at Boonshill Cumberland Presbyterian in Boonshill, Tennessee. Finally, Bob Gallaher, a Cookeville native, career radio station operator and member of the Board of Trustees for over 30 years, was inducted into the Hall of Distinction for his service to the college and in his professional career in communications. For the last 10 years, Gallaher has worked as a public relations and marketing official for First National Bank of Tennessee.

Beginning this fall, Martin Methodist College will offer a grant program that takes Tennessee Promise to the next level. Because the college still offers an associate of arts degree, it is eligible to participate in the state’s Tennessee Promise program, which will offer $3,800 per year to each high school graduate who wishes to enroll in a two-year curriculum beginning in 2015. Now, Martin Methodist is sweetening the financial pot by offering a matching grant to those students. MMC’s Promise Plus grant will add $3,800 per year of additional funding, making each student’s financial package at least $7,600 per year. In addition, Martin Methodist will continue to offer the matching grant for two more years should the recipient decide to continue on to a bachelor’s degree. “Many believe that Tennessee Promise program is restricted to our state community colleges,” says President Ted Brown, “but the truth is that Martin Methodist College is a Tennessee Promise institution, and you can bring your $3,800 Tennessee Promise Grant here if you are pursuing our associate’s degree.” According to Brown, Martin Methodist will match the $3,800 grant with Martin scholarships and will extend those matching dollars for an additional two years if the grant recipient stays at Martin to complete the baccalaureate degree. Brown said he hopes that Promise Plus will help to counteract the widespread concern that the Tennessee Promise program will divert students otherwise headed to four-year degree programs into the public community college system. “There is no question that a continuous four-year degree program on one campus is more effective from an educational perspective, especially in terms of retention and graduation rates,” Brown said. “There has also been some misleading information circulating about employability and salary scales for associate’s degree vs. bachelor’s degree recipients. While there are short-term exceptions with a few specific career paths, the long-term national statistics don’t lie. The baccalaureate degree clearly carries enormous advantages.” According to the United State Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate is 1.4 percent higher for those with associate’s degrees compared with those with bachelor’s degrees. In terms of earnings, the national average for the associate’s degree is $777 per week compared with $1,108 for bachelor’s degrees, or an additional $331 per week. Over a lifetime, that results in an additional $1,125,295 in earnings for those with the baccalaureate degree over those with the associate’s degree.

Judy Judy Blankenship Blankenship Cheatham Cheatham Named Named

Provost Provost

r. Judy Blankenship Cheatham, Vice President at Reading Is Fundamental in Washington, DC, will return to middle Tennessee to begin her duties in August as the first-ever Provost of Martin Methodist College. MMC President Ted Brown said, “This may be the most pivotal appointment the college has made in decades. Not only does it represent a new position that moves the college structure forward in decisive ways, but we are appointing an exceptional education leader with deep ties to our college, our region and our church.” Dr. Cheatham is a native of middle Tennessee, with a B.A. in English and Spanish from Middle Tennessee State University and an M.A. in English from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her Ph.D. is in English Education from the University of Mississippi. Cheatham’s current assignment as Vice President at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) has provided her with a national platform for providing literacy services for children through state programs, schools and school systems and directly to teachers. Not only is she a national spokesperson for RIF, but Cheatham also takes part in their fund-raising efforts with corporations, foundations

and individuals. She has recently been involved in a two-year study on summer learning loss and the achievement gap with elementary-aged children in 173 schools across the country. Prior to her appointment at Reading Is Fundamental, Cheatham enjoyed an extensive career in higher education. She served in positions of increasing responsibility at Greensboro College, a sister United Methodist institution in North Carolina. Beginning with her appointment as the Campbell Professor of Writing and member of the English department, she served as Foundations Officer and later served as Dean of Adult Education and the founding director of their master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and eventually as the Coordinator of the Division of Modern Languages and Literature. Prior to the move to Greensboro, Cheatham served as English professor, Grant Writer and Literacy consultant at Eastern Kentucky University. Cheatham’s career also includes teaching and leadership positions at the University of Kentucky, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Oxford City Schools in Mississippi and Battle Ground Academy in Tennessee. According to Brown, “Dr. Cheatham’s extensive education and wide-ranging

experience suit her perfectly for this important new position at Martin Methodist College. As Provost she will, in collaboration with the Faculty, lead all areas of the academic program, including the library and learning center. In addition, she will help to oversee recruitment and admissions, student services and retention, and a host of academic and student support areas that help to provide the kind of nurturing atmosphere for which Martin Methodist has become recognized.” In accepting the position, Cheatham said, “I have known and loved Martin Methodist for as long as I can remember. It is an important institution, perfectly located to serve those who may not be served otherwise. I am delighted to accept a place in and be a part of this wonderful college community that has made such a difference in the lives of others.” The move to the Provost structure is a central tenet of the Martin 2020 plan, a bold course of development for Martin Methodist that takes the college to its 150th anniversary in 2020. The plan calls for MMC to become the “educational epicenter” for the thirteen counties of south central Tennessee and to encourage economic, cultural and artistic development across this potentially dynamic region.

OpporTUNEity Program Receives Award Shown from left: Chuck Boggs, President of Boys & Girls Club of Pulaski Board of Directors, Alexis Ketchum, Ellie Crain, Chet Nichols, Regional Service Director of Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Mario Martinez, Dr. Melissa Martiros, Program Coodinator of Music at Martin Methodist College, Minka Dorer, Dr. Ted Brown, President of Martin Methodist College, Mike Anderson, Director of Boys and Girls Club of Pulaski, Mayor Pat Ford of the City of Pulaski & Cassandra Gardner, Boys & Girls Club of Pulaski staff.

Dr. Melissa Martiros’ pledge to community service was recognized as she was honored by the Boys & Girls Club of America for her commitment and service to the community. Dr. Martiros’ “OpporTUNEity” program received the Boys & Girls Club of America’s Tennessee Area Council Award for Program Impact Excellence in The Arts. “OpporTUNEity” is a co-curricular service-learning project that provides at-risk youth with a unique opportunity to receive piano lessons and mentoring from undergraduate piano students in a supervised, oneon-one setting. Only one Arts award, which encompasses all art programs, was handed out in the entire state of Tennessee, including cities with much-larger clubs. “This is an extremely exciting and humbling award to receive,” Martiros said. “This is huge not only for Martin Methodist College, but also the Boys & Girls Club of Pulaski, TN and our entire community. The program is still very much in its beginning stag-

es, so for us to receive an award as prestigious as this speaks to the quality and commitment level of our entire operation. I am particularly proud of Alexis Ketchum, Mario Martinez, Minka Dorer and Ellie Crain as their student leadership during this project has been invaluable. We are thrilled with our progress thus far, but we cannot wait to see how the program continues to grow.” In place less than a year, the program benefits Martin Methodist College students, who receive workstudy funds as well as gain valuable experience as instructors, but also 15 local youth at the nearby Boys & Girls Club chapter. The youth selected to be part of the program during the 2014-2015 academic year were required to be members of the Boys & Girls Club in good standing, display good behavior, commit to daily practice at the club, commit to attending weekly lessons for at least one year and display a willingness to learn and excel at the piano. The fit of the program could not have been better for Martin Method-

ist, an All-Steinway School, and for Dr. Martiros, an advocate for community service and helping those in need. The program has already expanded, both in terms of youth involvement and staffing needs. Additionally, the program hopes to one day be used to recruit piano students to Martin Methodist and increase arts education opportunities for at-risk youth in Giles County. “The ‘OpporTUNEity’ program is the prefect intersection of campus and community,” Martin Methodist President Dr. Ted Brown said. “Dr. Martiros’ program is about engaging student piano instructors with deserving children at our local Boys & Girls Club. It is the mission of Martin Methodist College in action. I congratulate Dr. Martiros for her imagination and foresight in creating ‘OpporTUNEity’ and for this well-deserved recognition.” Martin Methodist has had a longstanding relationship with local youth organizations, especially the Boys & Girls Club, but received the organization’s award for the first

time. In addition to the arts, the organization hands out awards in the following categories: Education and Career Development, Character and Citizenship Development, Sports, Fitness and Recreation and Health and Life-skills. Chet Nichols, Regional Service Director at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, was on hand to present the award to Dr. Martiros and other college representatives, including the program’s four work-study students. Nichols noted “four major benefits” to the program: the positive exposure for the Boys and Girls club for receiving the award, the connection between the local organization and MMC, the benefits received by the Martin students, and the significant gains to the children at the Boys and Girls Club. “If we can somehow keep the spark of higher education burning in their hearts,” he said, “I would say this program would have been a major success.” Currently, there are 23 Boys & Girls Club corporations across the State of Tennessee that service 74 different communities. There are 33,360 registered club members ages five and up and the organization has 1,128 professionally trained staff members.

Faculty Promotions

member of the Martin faculty was approved for promotion at the Board of Trustees meeting in

April. Natalie Lewter-Milliken, Director of TESOL and ESL, was promoted to Assistant Professor of English. Lewter-Milliken teaches in the English department, including classes in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and in English as a Second Language. Natalie She is currently working on Lewter-Milliken a doctorate in applied linguistics from the University of Tennessee at Memphis.

Ms. Martin 2014 Crowned

Aminah Sarr was crowned Ms. Martin 2014. Picutured above (from left): Seika Hall, Erica Hanserd (Ms. Martin 2013), Aminah Sarr (Ms. Martin 2014), Dr. Ted Brown.

Aminah Sarr (left) was crowned Ms. Martin 2014. Picutured above (from left): Hannah Houston, Ashleigh Burns, DeeJay Baxter, Natasha Adcock, Rachel Lamon, Amber Jones, Lacy Lyle (People’s Choice), Brittany Spears, Jean-Imani Phipps (first runner-up), Shelby Caperton (third runner-up), Ashlee Elkins (fifth runner-up), Aminah Sarr (Ms. Martin 2014), Erica Hanserd (Ms. Martin 2013), Seika Hall, Maggie Taylor, Lauren Wotruba, Victoria Ryjak, Mercedez Jackson, Fabiola Sanchez, Tiffany Hallmark, Harli Standish. Not pictured: Sooyeon Hong.

minah Sarr, a resident of the nation of Mauritanie and a psychology major, was selected as Ms. Martin 2014 from a field of 21 contestants. First runnerup was Jean-Imani Phipps, a junior biology major from Southhaven, Miss.; second runner-up was Seika Hall, a junior business administration from Savannah, Tenn.; third runner-up was Shelby Layne Caperton, a freshman elementary education major from Columbia, Tenn.; and fourth runner-up was Ashlee Paige Elkins, a sophomore nursing major from Lawrenceburg, Tenn. Lacy Lyle, a junior biology major from Erin, Tenn., was selected as People’s Choice winner. Crowning the winner were Dr. Ted Brown, president of Martin Methodist, and Erica Hanserd, the 2013 Ms. Martin winner. Other contestants in the pageant were: Natasha Adcock, a junior nursing major from Ashland City, Tenn.; DeeJay Baxter, a sophomore English major from Lawrenceburg, Tenn.; Ashleigh Winter Burns, a freshman psychology major from Tupelo, Miss.; Tiffany Hallmark, a sophomore nursing major from Loretto, Tenn.; Sooyeon Hong, a junior education major from Seoul, South Korea; Hannah Houston, a freshman nursing major from Columbia, Tenn.; Mercedez Jackson, a freshman nursing major from Shelbyville, Tenn.; Amber Jones, a sophomore dramatic arts major from Fayetteville, Tenn.; Rachel Lamon, a freshman English major from Fayetteville, Tenn.; Victoria Ryjak, a senior business management major from Madrid, Spain; Fabiola Sanchez, a junior physical education major from Heredia, Costa Rica; Brittany Michelle Spears, a sophomore criminal justice and forensic psychology double major from Hohenwald, Tenn.; Harli Standish, a senior business administration major from Pulaski; Maggie Taylor, a junior pre-seminary and general psychology double major from Nashville, Tenn.; and Lauren Wotruba, a freshman elementary education major from Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Faculty Promotions Continued Kim Goldinger, Was promoted to Assistant Professor of Nursing. Goldinger who holds the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Masters of Science in Nursing from the University of Alabama, Hunstville, and the Masters of Science in Nurshing from Dr. Kim the University of Alabama, Goldinger Birmingham, received the Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in December 2014. Goldinger’s doctorate culminated in a scholarly project on motivating college students to get flu shots.

Magneti Marelli Offering Internships to Martin Students

Listed Left to Right: Tyler Miles, Tim Shelton, Kristan Greene, Kim Ketchum, Cruz Wallace, Kenzie Herd, Trent Henderson, Caroline Ezell, Pat Ford, Not pictured: Coy Shultz and Micah King

artin Methodist College is focusing on an education that’s personal for their students and what’s more personal than making those necessary career connections to prepare you for the next phase in life? A new partnership with Magneti Marelli now provides working internships to current students attending the Johnston School of Business, majoring in business management or a related specialization. Stiff competition for jobs post-graduation is still an issue for many struggling to gain employment in their field. While providing invaluable resume experience, genuine training, and a realistic approach to acclimating in today’s workforce, the partnership has also blossomed into actual careers for some Martin Alums. Instructor Pat Ford provides the leadership for the business internship course at Martin Methodist College and works directly with business student interns. – GRANT VOSBURGH

Martin Methodist Hires Powell as Director of Choral Activities Martin Methodist College has recently hired Dr. Timothy Powell as the school’s new Director of Choral Activities and Music Education. Dr. Powell most recently served as Director of Choral Activities at the prestigious John S. Davidson Fine Arts School in Augusta, Georgia. While in Augusta, Powell also conducted the Davidson Chorale, winner of the 2012 American Prize in Choral Performance. Dr. Powell holds a DMA in Conducting from the University of South Carolina and his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Belmont University, where he studied with Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association Dr. Tim Sharp. He was the 1999 National Choristers Guild Scholar, a 2002-2003 Fulbright Scholar to Bulgaria, and is currently a quarterfinalist for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year award. His compositions include numerous major works which, including his Wedding Mass, premiered at Carnegie Hall; the American Prize semifinalist Incarnatio Mysteria, which was premiered at Lincoln Center in 2011; and St. George and the Dragon, a collaboration with renowned poet and lyricist Charles Anthony Silvestri, that was premiered in April 2014 at Lincoln Center. He is published through Spivey Music Publishing and Morningstar Music. “We hired Dr. Powell after conducting a very quick and competitive national search,” Martin Methodist Program Coordinator of Music Dr. Melissa Martiros said. “He comes to us with impressive credentials and has an exciting plan to build both the choral program and a music education program at Martin Methodist.” Powell’s choirs have twice performed by peer-reviewed invitation at the Georgia Music Educators Association Conference, and performed in 2014 at the Southern Division Convention of the American Choral Directors Association in Jacksonville, FL. In 2010, the Davidson Chorale received an exclusive invitation to perform on Easter Sunday at the famed St. Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Germany, the home church of J. S. Bach, and most recently returned from a 2013 performance at the Vatican. Dr. Powell is also very active in professional development as he holds memberships in Pi Kappa Lambda, the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, GMEA, NAfME, and ACDA. In addition to his work at Davidson, Dr. Powell has served as the Choral Chair for the 10th District of GMEA and as the Chair of High School Repertoire and Standards for the Georgia chapter of ACDA. He is a member of the Cecilia Ensemble, a professional vocal ensemble in Augusta, GA, the Director of Music and Worship Arts at Woodlawn United Methodist Church, and the Founding Artistic Director of Decorus: the Premiere Youth Choir of Augusta. Dr. Powell has previously served on the faculties of Lee College, Rhodes College and of the University of South Carolina. He is married to his wife Jennifer, and they have three children.

Four New Board Members Appointed

eff Arnett, Debbie Cassetty, Joelle Phillips, and Harriet Norrie were recently introduced as new members of Martin Methodist board of trustees. Arnett currently serves as the Master Distiller of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and was named the brand’s seventh master distiller in 2008. Cassetty currently serves as the Board Chair for the Blake McMeans Foundation, a group designed to educate young people about the dangers of drinking and

driving. Phillips currently serves as the President of AT&T Tennessee, a title she has held for two years. Norrie, who returned to Giles County after her retirement because of fond memories of the community and the city of Pulaski, joins the Board after spending 30-plus years as an educator of gifted children in the state of Florida. Norrie is best known at Martin Methodist for her generous donation of 12 Steinway pianos to the College’s music department.

The board also elected three officers. Longtime trustee Byron R. Trauger, partner at Trauger & Tuke in Nashville, was re-elected as the Chairman of the Board. J.B. Baker, CEO of Sprint Logistics, LLC in Nashville, was voted in as the Vice Chairman. Joe Henry, partner at Henry, Henry & Underwood, PC in Pulaski, was chosen as the board’s Secretary.

Criminal Justice Class Shared with Students at Rust College

Dr. John White, professor of criminal justice, teaches his class at Martin Methodist College while students in two classrooms at Rust College in Mississippi also prticipate by way of video conferencing

artin Methodist College is expanding its reach with the use of video conferencing technology. Dr. John White is broadcasting his criminal justice class to a campus hundreds of miles away in Holly Springs, Miss. Rust College, a United Methodist liberal arts college of 900 students, has partnered with Martin Methodist College to fill two classrooms with eager students more than three hours away from Pulaski.

Race andReligionConvocation

Rev. Dr. Thom White Wolf Fassett receiving the President’s Medallion. Pictured from left: Dr. Roger Ireson, Rev. Dr. Thom White Wolf Fassett and Dr. Ted Brown.

ne of the United Methodist Church’s most dedicated defenders of civil and human rights was honored by Martin Methodist College during the annual International Studies convocation on Friday, Oct. 24. The Rev. Dr. Thom White Wolf Fassett received the President’s Medallion, one of the college’s highest honors, presented to him by Dr. Ted Brown, president of Martin Methodist. A citizen of the Seneca Nation of Indians in the state of New York, Fassett is emeritus General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, the international public policy organization of the UMC denomination. “You have been internationally recognized for your unstinting advocacy of human and civil rights and your outspo-

ken defense of Native and indigenous rights,” Brown said in presenting the honor, “traveling throughout the world to assist those whose voices need to be heard: from Zimbabwe and Mozambique as part of a team investigating human rights; to Guatemala as a leader of the International Justice Forum; to Copenhagen, Denmark, as delegate to the United Nations Summit on Social Development; as well as to countless American cities speaking and writing for justice and reconciliation. “You have been widely recognized for your activities in conflict resolution and mediation, even participating in White House negotiations resulting in the peaceful ‘invasion’ of Haiti by the United States. You traveled to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

Rust College Continued: “What makes this such a great tool is the live interaction,” says White, who chairs Martin Methodist’s criminal justice program, “student to teacher, teacher to student and student to student.” Students on any campus, White points out, can interact with the professor as if they were sitting there live: they can raise their hands, ask questions, make comments, all in real time, and they can even interact with the students who are hundreds of miles away. “What’s amazing is that we can

expand our enrollment without having to expand our physical campus,” said Dr. Dennis Haskins, MMC’s vice president for planning and effectiveness and dean of extended education. “Martin Methodist College is excited about the potential to grow beyond our brick and mortar influence here in southern middle Tennessee. Soon we will literally be able to see our students sharing class time with students from countries all over the world.”

on a peace mission with the President of the United States, negotiated Cuban principles of religious freedom face to face with Fidel Castro, and played the determining role in breaking the impasse between the United States and Cuba in the case of Elian Gonzalez.” Fassett received advanced degrees from Colgate Rochester Divinity School and The American University. His experience includes teaching high school English; local pastorates in United Methodist congregations; founding Minister of Urban Mission in Rochester, N.Y.; Urban Affairs Officer for United States Operations, the Xerox Corporation, in which he developed national strategy plans for corporate social responsibility; Special Assistant to the United States Senate and House of Representatives conducting investigations into Federal/ Indian policy with the American Indian Policy Review Commission; executive for programming of the General Board of Church and Society; Superintendent of The United Methodist Church in Alaska, District Superintendent in Central New York, and General Secretary of The General Board of Church and Society with headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and United Nations offices in New York City.

M MC t o Partic ip a te in

$970,000 LEAP Initiative

partnership of the South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance, heavily involving Martin Methodist College, has received a $970,000 grant through the Governor’s 2014 Labor and Education Alignment Program (LEAP). The grant, announced by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, was one of 12 such awards throughout the state totaling $10 million. The LEAP program seeks to better link higher education and industry in order to enhance the Drive to 55 initiative, Haslam’s challenge to get 55 percent of Tennesseans equipped with a college degree or certificate by the year 2025. “The LEAP initiative is aimed at ensuing employers in Tennessee have the workforce they need to thrive and continue to create jobs,” said Mike Krause, executive director of the Drive to 55. “This project fully addresses that need, and I think it will make a great impact towards helping our state reach the Drive for 55.” A closer connection between Martin Methodist College and industry throughout the south central Tennessee

region is a major element of the Martin 2020 long-range plan, approved in April of 2012 by the college’s Board of Trustees. The LEAP proposal was a perfect fit, said Dr. Ted Brown, president of Martin Methodist College. “A primary focus of the Martin 2020 plan is to establish Martin Methodist College as the academic, cultural, economic development and leadership development epicenter in south central Tennessee,” Brown said. “Playing a key role in this proposal couldn’t have come at a better time or in a more appropriate fashion for Martin Methodist.” Along with Martin Methodist College, which is the only baccalaureate degree institution in the region, numerous other entities will be a part of the LEAP’s “Closing Gaps” program, including Gattis Leadership, the regional leadership development program for which Martin Methodist provides executive administration. Other entities in the region involved in the proposal include Columbia State Community College and the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Pulaski; Career

technical education (CTE) programs in Bedford, Franklin, Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Marshall and Wayne counties; and private employers Nissan, Magneti Marelli (located in Pulaski), Modine Manufacturing, Lincoln Brass and 4 MAC Machining. Four individuals made up the core leadership team for the LEAP grant proposal. Joining Jan McKeel, executive director of the South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance, and Tony Creecy, director of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Pulaski, were Dr. Dennis Haskins, vice president for planning for effectiveness and dean of extended education at Martin Methodist College, and Kim Ketchum, corporate director of business development (NAFTA region) for Magneti Marelli and a member of the Martin Methodist College Board of Trustees. Ketchum, a resident of Giles County, will chair the LEAP Project Steering Committee, while Haskins will chair the LEAP Project Accountability Committee and be responsible for LEAP grant assessment. “The training cost for industry loAmong the key leaders in the successful South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance LEAP grant project are: (seated from left) Kim Ketchum of Magneti Marelli and member of Gattis Leadership; Paige Liggett, communications coordinator for SCTWA; (standing from left) Tony Creecy, director of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Pulaski; Dr. Cheri Thomas, executive director of Martin Methodist College’s Center for Executive and Professional Development; Edna Luna, assistant vice president for institutional advancement at Martin Methodist and executive director of Gattis Leadership; Dr. Dennis Haskins, MMC’s vice president for planning and effectiveness and dean of extended education; and Stephen Milligan, assistant director of TCAT-Pulaski. Pictured in the insert is Jan McKeel, executive director of SCTWA.

need was overdue, the excitement was amazing and the results will benefit our communities for years to come.” Creecy echoed Ketchum’s excitement about the collaborative efforts that went into the proposal. “The approval of this LEAP grant proposal is a critical indicator of the great value of partnerships between the public and private sectors in addressing the growing shortage of a skilled workforce in our region and beyond,” he said. “The collaboration of various entities has proven that in order to move Tennessee forward, we must remove boundaries and work as one for the betterment of the communities in which we serve.” Creecy’s assistant director, Stephen Milligan, will be implementing the TCAT interface portion of the LEAP project.

LEAP Initiative continued:

cating in our region is 100 percent of the new hire’s salary for six months,” Ketchum said. “That’s approximately $20,000 per employee investment, and this does not include scrap, equipment breakage and cost of quality. It takes a minimum of six months for new hires to be efficient in their jobs, with needed skills such as welding, injection molding, working with robotics and basic mechatronics tasks. Ketchum was especially excited about how the various entities worked together to make the LEAP proposal happen. “The synergies we were able to pull together from support from Martin Methodist College, TCAT, South Central Workforce, CTEs and local industry were overwhelming,” she said. “The

Susan Carlisle

New Director of Marketing

Susan Carlisle

usan Carlisle, who has worked for the past 13 years at Pulaski Electric System—most recently as marketing coordinator, key accounts manager and energy efficiency director—joined the advancement office at Martin Methodist on Jan. 26, 2015 to direct the college’s growing marketing efforts. Along with experience in advertising, social media marketing, customer satisfaction, publication and event and program planning, Carlisle is a talented graphic artist who has done full-time and freelance design for more than 25 years. “We are excited to have someone of Susan’s caliber and experience join our team,” said David Jones, vice

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Also critical to the project are Edna Luna, assistant vice president of advancement for Martin Methodist College, who also serves as executive director of Gattis Leadership, and Dr. Cheri Thomas, executive director of the college’s Center for Executive and Professional Development. Luna will organize, implement and expand the project’s continuity, while Thomas will oversee the MakerLab activities for the students in the LEAP program. “We are so excited that the LEAP grant will make Martin Methodist’s MakerLab programs available to high school and TCAT students,” Thomas said. “When people are engaged and encouraged to innovate and be creative, it leads to long-term competitive advantage and economic development.” president for institutional advancement. “Her extensive background in marketing, graphic design and social media will provide Martin with critical leadership in these areas, as the college continues to expand and promote many new programs and activities across the community and south central Tennessee. In these ever-changing and competitive times of higher education, Susan will be a tremendous asset in positioning Martin Methodist College for the future.” A native of Huntsville, Ala., who has lived in Giles County for the past 18 years, Carlisle earned associate degrees from Virginia College in 1996 and Martin Methodist College in 2005, and her bachelor and master degrees in business from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2009 and 2013, respectively. Among the many posts she has held in various community organizations, she is secretary-treasurer of Gattis Leadership, the leadership development program for the south central region of Tennessee, a program for which Martin Methodist College provides administrative support.

Lacy Jane Denny:

World Traveler

acy Denny transferred to Martin Methodist College in the fall of 2010 and walked across the stage on May 3, 2014 as the first ever Liberal Arts graduate of the school. During her years at Martin, she was not only a dedicated student—excelling at upper-level classes even when she was just a sophomore—she was also a campus leader. Lacy was very active in the green movement on campus. She edited the campus newspaper. She acted in campus productions. She danced with fire at concerts and campus events; yes, danced with fire. And during her last year at Martin, she took her biggest risk and had her greatest adventure. In the late summer of 2013, Lacy

By Kayla McKinney Wiggins answered a challenge to, as she says, “get on a plane and go to Africa.” She spent five days in South Africa and then journeyed to Zimbabwe to spend a semester studying at Africa University. Her inspiration for the trip came from her older brother who traveled abroad when he was in college, enthralling his younger sister with his “stories of crazy, wonderful people in strange, crazy, and wonderful places,” and from Fern Greenbank who was at the time the advisor for the campus newspaper. Greenbank received her doctorate in Africa, living there for nearly four years. Her love for the African continent led to her desire to facilitate the travel of Martin students to Africa. According

to Denny, Greenbank called her into her office one day and asked her if she would be willing to get on a plane and go to Africa, explaining that she believed in Denny’s ability to handle herself alone in another country for an entire semester. Greenbank’s confidence facilitated Denny’s belief in herself. “And then,” Denny says, “my heart got set on going to and living in Zimbabwe.” Denny established her own “rule” for the journey. “There was one ground rule on this trip that really set the pace for my attitude and my entire experience while I was there,” she says. “That rule was that I was going there to learn. So often Americans travel to third world developing nations to do something. They

World Traveler are going to help, to build, to teach, to fix, to redo things the way they think it should be done. I am not knocking the efforts of these usually well intentioned people. However, it has given people in these countries a strange (and I would argue negative) view of American people. I did not want to do anything in Zimbabwe. I wanted to learn from them; I wanted to let the people I met know that I am an educated white woman from America who values what they as individuals and as a people have to offer to the world. I don’t think this is a message they receive often.” Denny feels that she learned much, both academically and personally. “Speaking in terms of education, I became aware of how much world history has been skipped over in my own education. American students do not learn enough about English (not to mention Portuguese) colonialism and the massive role it has played in the history and development of the world.” Much of her learning related to global political and social issues, including some uncomfortable lessons. “My eyes were opened to the impact the ‘American dream’ (glorified materialism?) has had on developing nations. I also became aware of racial divisions that not only still exist but still thrive in some parts of the world, and I gained experience that has helped me develop opinions on why this is so. I was more exposed to

Denny's first day in Zimbabwe.

Photo on previous page: First graders in Elaine Saul's class in Soweto, South Africa. Photo above: The sun setting over the Africa University Campus.

the idea that the way we do things is not the only way, nor is it necessarily the best way. I was able to engage in discussion of American and world politics, and I was surprised how much people around the world know about what is going on in America. It has often been said that victors write the history books. I believe that is true, certainly in American education. It was interesting to hear not only how past World Wars are taught and perceived in other countries, but also the current events of the world. “Unfortunately, I became aware that the concept of ‘white privilege’ is a very real thing, not just in America, but even in countries where white is a minority. I was stunned and saddened to witness black on black, African on African, racism (which I encountered many, many, many times). It became apparent

to me that often other students wanted to be my friend because I was a white person. Just my presence in their vehicle could get them waved through a police stop. They call it the ‘white passport.’ It is sad to me because the people ‘accepting’ this passport are black Africans, and in doing so they are acknowledging and accepting that white is better. “I was shocked by the level of privilege being white offers in Zimbabwe. To me it seemed that after a few hundred years of being told they were less than— less smart, less capable, less worthy than white people—they had accepted that to be true.” Denny also experienced race relations in another way. “I was the only white student on campus. It was a strange but wonderful thing to be a minority in that way. It made me more aware of the way minority people feel in groups. It has made me more conscious of my own behaviors and attitudes in public settings, as if it is my duty to make sure minorities feel comfortable.” Denny says that she also gained much personally from the opportunity to study abroad. “I still keep in touch

World Traveler

The official gear of the Africa University student.

with friends I made there. I know some of them will be very successful in their careers, and one day may have the opportunity to travel to America, and I hope when they do I am able to treat them to our country as kindly as they did me to theirs. Because I went on this trip alone, I gained so much knowledge about my own strengths and weaknesses, my personality, my likes and dislikes, my limits, even my aspirations and what I want out of life.” Her most moving experience came at the end of a day when she and a group of graduate students climbed to the top of

Avacado pears from the campus farm.

a mountain and saw the world, literally, in a new way. “At the end of the day we stood in a big circle and played some word games and danced. Then someone got the idea that we should go around the circle and everyone could say the country they were from. I still don’t know why, but when I said ‘America’ everyone clapped and cheered for me. I really like the memory of the entire day, but I think that is my favorite part. It made me feel welcomed and a part of the group in a way that I wouldn’t have expected them to accept me.” When Denny reflects on her worst experience in Africa, she realizes that the entire trip almost didn’t happen. After spending five days in South Africa, she journeyed to Zimbabwe to begin her studies. Four days before, Zimbabwe had held elections and, according to Denny, it was unusual for a young, white

American female to fly into the country alone. When she landed, an official at the airport said to her “I’m sorry, my sister, your access into this country has been denied,” and she was told to return to the plane and “go back to the state you came from.” The misunderstanding was eventually cleared up by the person who had come to collect Denny from the airport, and she was allowed to enter the country. While Denny asserts that she was never in danger and everything turned out well, she also says that she “was absolutely horrified for about 10 minutes.” Lacy Denny is an adventurer and a free spirit who definitely travels—and dances—to her own drummer. This girl from Tennessee who had never even been on a plane before the summer of 2013 is also, now, a world traveler. And she is always and ever a learner. “If I could live for another 200 more years or so, I would like to stay in school and learn and do everything I possibly could. But since I can’t do that, I’m just going to try to fit in as much as I can in the years I have left. I have so many aspirations and things I would like to do, and things I would probably be good at so I have established three rules. Whatever I do in my future has to be something where I continue to learn and grow as a spiritual being; feel good about the impact my work is making on my life, my health, my community, and the world; and do something that keeps me connected with other people.” Before traveling to Africa, Denny’s plans after graduation centered on the PeaceCorps. Her trip to Africa changed those aspirations, at least for a time. “Although I had no negative experiences or memories pertaining to my trip, it made me realize that leaving everything I know and love to do for humanitarian work in a far off land is not what I want to do with my life right now. I wish I knew how the experience will impact my future life, but having all the answers now kind of defeats the purpose. I do have a suspicion though, that I’ve caught a little travel bug that is going to keep sending me to far off places as life carries on.”

Chickens and Ducks and Dogs and Cats, Books, Family, and Plants: Retirement for Academic Dean Jim Murrell Story by Kayla McKinney Wiggins • Photos by Guy Schafer

t was March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day, and I sat in the office of Dr. Jim Murrell, vice president for academic affairs, listening to the pleasant music that was playing in the background. Books completely covered a table near the desk. We were nearing the end of an interview. I asked Dean Murrell why he had chosen the end of the 2014/15 academic year to retire, and he smiled. “I turned 73 years old today, that’s why,” he said. “My wife keeps asking me why I don’t just stay home. This past year or so, I found myself thinking more and more about how nice it would be not to have to get up at 5:30 and head to campus.” I asked what he planned to do when he retired and he gestured to the books covering the table. “I’m going to read all the books I have never had time to read. I’ve put in an orchard. I’m going to fish, something I haven’t had time to do in a long time.” Murrell went on to say that he planned to work in his garden, to spend time with family, and to take care of his many animals: “chickens and ducks and dogs and cats.” He said that he will miss, though, early mornings drinking coffee and talking biology with his science colleagues. “My wife doesn’t know much about biology,” he said with a laugh. Murrell, who grew up in Dickson, Tennessee, attended Austin Peay State University with the intention of majoring in accounting and minoring in marketing. “I was going to be rich,” he said with a smile. When he took a business math class during his freshman year, however, the former football player realized that his career aspirations were going to change. “I found it dull and boring,” he said, “but I really liked the biology class that I took so I started talking to the professor, and he started giving me books to read. I would periodically go by and we would chit-chat about the books, and I just decided I would switch majors.” At the time, Murrell didn’t know what he would do once he completed his major in biology and minor in chemistry, but he had an opportunity to do undergraduate research and found that he really liked what he was doing. During his doctoral program at Vanderbilt, Murrell did graduate research in flavonoid compounds in trillium which led to an interest Dr. Jim Murrell in fragrancies in plants and finally to post-doctoral research through

Chickens and Ducks and... the University of Miami on orchids in South America. When his first year of research in South America ended, Murrell elected to move into higher education. He took a job as Assistant Professor of Biology at George Peabody College for Teachers where he remained from 1969 to 1975. Murrell’s work with graduate students at George Peabody College would lead to his assignment to the graduate council at Mississippi University for Women when he took a position at that institution in 1975. Murrell’s skill as a mediator between disputing groups on that council would lead in turn to his appointment as dean of the graduate school, a position which he held from 1978-1981, along with his teaching duties. He later would hold concurrently the positions of dean of the graduate school, dean of the school of arts and sciences, and special assistant to the president for planning before being promoted to the position of vice president for academic affairs and, finally, provost. Budget cuts for higher education in the state of Mississippi led to Murrell’s return to Tennessee. He was vice president of the college and dean of academic affairs at Hiawassee College in east Tennessee from 1989 until 2002, ending his career at the two-year institution with a six month assignment as acting president. In September of 2002, Murrell became vice president for academic affairs at Martin Methodist College. Dean Murrell says he came to Martin for two reasons. “I was just ready to do something different, and at the time my mother and father were still living in Dickson and my dad was in declining health. I spent a lot of time running back and forth and I just wanted to get closer, so when this opportunity came along, I jumped at it.” According to Murrell, the best aspects of his time at Martin have been the people, and the chance to facilitate the growth of the school. “The best experience has been the chance to work with a good group of faculty,” he said. Murrell was quick to say that the faculty at Martin is overall the best faculty he has ever worked with, and that the opportunity to participate in the recent rapid growth of the college has been a real source of pleasure to him. “I’ve enjoyed being involved in hiring new faculty for new programs. Seeing the school grow, that’s been one thing that has pleased me as much as anything,” said Murrell. According to Martin president Ted Brown, 35 new degree programs were added to the curriculum of the institution under Murrell’s tenure, and all but one of those programs is still in place. While Murrell struggled to identify anything negative about his 13 years at Martin, he did cite as one disappointment the loss of the federal grant that funded the Upward Bound program which functioned as a vehicle for getting at-risk high school students into college. “I saw that as a program that really helped students

Dr. Jim Murrell recognized for years of service receiving Standard Chair of Gardner with the Martin Methodist College Seal

see the importance of getting an education, many of whom would never have done so otherwise.” Dean Murrell has a clear passion for students and for teaching. “I have never gone more than a year without teaching at least one class, and sometimes more than that. It helps in a couple of ways: it keeps my feet on the ground and lets me know what other faculty [members] are dealing with, and it helps the students to see me as something other than the ‘mean dean.’” He said he will still come back to teach occasionally, if asked. “I don’t know if they will need me, but I will teach if they do. If they don’t, I’m not going to push it,” he said with another smile.

their full potential. This will serve our community, region, church and state. The governor’s Drive to 55 plan calls for 55 percent of the population of Tennessee to have a college degree or certificate by 2025. Currently only 17 percent of the population of Giles County has a degree and that is pretty typical of the rest of south central Tennessee. Martin has experience with first generation college students; we have proven that we can bring them in and see them successfully graduated. We also have a much improved dynamic with the churches in the region, especially in the 13 counties. One of the things we are doing is to bring pastors in for luncheons and dialogue about mutual needs. This gives us a chance to let the pastors see the growth and change on the campus and gives us new ideas about how we can better meet their needs.

A President Speaks on Growth and Change:

Dr. Ted Brown

Discusses the 2020 Plan Can you speak to what it means to you for MMC to be the educational epicenter for south, central Tennessee? There is some debate about the term, but the metaphorical nature of the phrase spoke to me, the metaphor of an earthquake with the image of waves of energy moving out from the center and affecting the surrounding area in the way that Martin can exert waves of influence that affect the 13 counties of south, central Tennessee. Our plans are malleable and we are adapting. Epicenter is not the perfect image perhaps; a network or areas of influence might be more accurate. As we understand better the dynamics of our relationship to the region, two specific things are emerging. The e-learning initiative and the current opportunity we have to establish a distance learning location at Northfield in Springhill may subtract from the epicenter concept. However, we clearly see ourselves as having a responsibility for the region. In the last few months, we had a

coalition of people from agencies and industries in the region gathered around Martin’s table working on the proposal for the governor’s 2014 LEAP (Labor and Education Alignment Program) Grant. The grant gives us—high schools, middle schools, industry, Martin Methodist and Columbia State—almost a million dollars to use in training the workforce of south, central Tennessee to be better prepared for work opportunities that will come our way. This takes us truly a step beyond how we have understood our mission in the past. We saw ourselves as an educational enclave, with people coming to us and joining the academic community, but the Martin 2020 Plan calls for us to point outward and be attentive to the needs of the region in new and imaginative ways. It calls for collaboration and a new team orientation with organization in the region. What does it mean to you to be a college of opportunity for students, the community, and the church? This concept is part of the tradition of Martin Methodist College. It taps into our historic mission. I believe it is best exhibited in the incredible level of open-mindedness about the talents students bring to us. We need to have our door open in a very significant way so that we can bring in students and nurture them to reach

How is this sense of service to the region shaping progress and establishing priorities in the implementation of the 2020 Plan? It requires us to be adaptable but also persistent and consistent in terms of the mission of the institution and the trajectory of the 2020 Plan so that we recognize not just needs but also opportunities. For example, we have been invited to bring upper-level classes and programs to the new Northfield Education Center in Springhill. The challenge we face with offering classes at remote locations and online is adaptability. We have to ask ourselves this question: if there is a particular way that we do business, what are the deliverables and how can we make sure they come through as that business model changes? The Martin 2020 Plan is organized around the concept of six pillars: Program Advancement, Innovation and Continuous Improvement, Globalization and Diversity, Integrated Marketing, Partnerships and Collaboration, Financial Responsibility and Sustainability. Can you speak to specific advances that have already been made in any of these areas, or to things that are coming up in the near future? We have hired a director of marketing and created a standing committee that

A President Speaks attends to the integrated aspect of marketing, a team that represents the entire campus. The goal is to be attentive to the marketing needs of the college, to get the word out across our constituencies, collecting and dispersing information in the region. We have had something of a diversity breakthrough in our staffing. Recent job searches are attracting minority applicants and creating greater diversity in our faculty. This is an important step forward, especially in terms of educational quality. Sixteen percent of our student population is African American, more than any state institution in Tennessee apart from Tennessee State University, which is a historically black institution. We now have a director of international programs who is helping to promote exchange programs and collaborative programs so that our students can study abroad. There are cost issues associated with this, as 60% of our student population are Pell Grant eligible, meaning that they typically don’t have a lot of money to spend on study-abroad programs, which tend to be expensive. We do still have a lot of diversity on campus, with a strong international population, and we hope to fund more travel study experiences, including a new relationship with Wesley House at Cambridge University in England. We have launched our first graduate degree, the MBA program, with the first classes being completed in the spring of 2015. Other graduate programs are in the design phase. We have also tweaked some of our educational programs based on the needs of the region. We are also working on collaborations and partnerships which are innovative. For example, because of the 13 county emphasis of the 2020 Plan, the Sullivan Foundation sought out Martin to partner in their social entrepreneurship program. The Sullivan Foundation is an organization that partners with schools to educate students in social entrepreneurship—business models adapted to social problems—in order to promote growth in the rural southeast. In terms of sustainability, the college has been working on a comprehensive sustainability program that is now in the draft phase. It includes measuring our

carbon footprint and establishing a yardstick for moving forward with our goal to become a sustainable campus. We also see e-learning and the Northfield initiative contributing to financial sustainability going forward. The hidden element of the plan— fundraising—is well on the way. We are currently in the quiet phase of a campaign for Martin 2020. We have engaged in a feasibility study, asking constituents where their interests lie for investment. The campaign is based on the concept of the Triple Ask: asking people to contribute to the college’s operating fund for five years, to capital investments for building projects and property acquisition, and to planned or deferred (estate) gifts to grow the endowment. One goal of the campaign is to double the size of the endowment to allow for future growth. The intent is not only to raise the funds by 2020, but to also complete most of the work by that date. What excites you most about the Martin 2020 Plan? What excites me the most is the fundraising. Except perhaps for the college’s founding in 1870, the 150th anniversary in 2020 is the best opportunity we’ve ever had to raise a lot of money to help the college move forward in dramatic ways. We’ll never have a better opportunity, at least not in our lifetimes--maybe the 200th anniversary--to raise significant dollars. So what could be more exciting than the opportunity to engage the entire constituency of the college in conversation about their love for Martin Methodist College. In fact, it is so exciting to me that I pushed the board of trustees to restructure the administration, to bring in a provost, who can oversee the day to day operation of the college and allow me to get out more in relation to fundraising. That’s the primary intent. We have a level of visibility, we have imaginative ideas, we have capital projects that are compelling for the college in terms of programs that already exist and potential future programs that need new or renovated facilities. What are the greatest challenges of the 2020 Plan? It’s the flip side of that coin and it goes back to the raw numbers, what it

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really costs to fund Martin 2020. It is a great deal larger than what the feasibility study said that we could realistically fund over the next five years. And so, certainly, finding folks who are compelled by the college’s opportunities is going to be the big challenge, but I have great faith that we’re going to have a lot of fun surprises. And part of that is engaging the region in terms of the future economic development of these communities across south, central Tennessee. I think we’ll have people who will say “Well, of course, that’s why we haven’t had the opportunity across south central Tennessee, because we haven’t had the educational opportunities to fuel it.” I just know folks will want to step up and help. There is a saying, purported to be an ancient Chinese proverb or curse, but in fact probably from 20th century America. It says, “May you live in interesting times.” How are the current interesting times in higher education likely to influence the Martin 2020 Plan? I never thought that I would be professionally living through some of the things that are coming at us. I made the case to the board that I believe that higher education is now the most competitive industry in America. And I didn’t have anyone argue back at me, and if you need any more evidence all you have to do is look at two things Governor Haslam has done: his Tennessee Promise so that Martin Methodist is now competing with free education at the community colleges, and Western Governor’s University Tennessee. The governor of Tennessee brings in an online education provider from outside the boundaries of the state and he appears in their advertising, selling WGU Tennessee in the face of virtually every state institution in Tennessee developing online programs and most if not all of our private institutions developing online programs. I’m not being critical of the governor; I think he is very shrewd. My hunch is he did an investigation and decided we really are not ready from an online perspective to attend to this kind of constituency, so we need somebody to come in here and push us forward. So, if you were not convinced that this is a competitive industry, those are two great

A President Speaks examples to prove the level of competitiveness that we are in every day. Here we are as a traditional liberal arts college that considers every change very carefully in this situation of really having to move quickly and adapt as quickly as we can to the changing environment. And so, these are definitely interesting times. Can we weather it?

Dr. Ted Brown

I have no doubt that Martin Methodist will weather it. I do think there is going to be a pendulum swing back in the direction of the power of the residen-

Shown from left to right: Dr. Ted Brown, Troy Baxter, Human Resource Director for NPC’s east territory, Dr. Bill Sodeman.

MMC Partners with Nation’s Largest Pizza Hut Franchisee

artin Methodist College is partnering with NPC International to offer online business degrees to its employees. The largest Pizza Hut franchisee in the world with 1,282 restaurants in 29 states, as well as another 400 Wendy’s restaurants, will offer incentives for its employees to pursue a college degree through Martin Methodist’s e-learning program. Any NPC employee who wishes to pursue a baccalaureate degree through MMC’s Johnston School of Business’s

on-line program will be able to use education gained through NPC’s management development program as worklife credits, which can accelerate the normal four-year degree completion. “The overall outcome helps our employees grow within the company to provide internal leadership opportunities,” said Troy Baxter, human resource director for NPC’s east territory. “But it also will provide each of them growth on a personal basis. We like to be able to give them that opportunity.”

tial liberal arts experience. Right now the pendulum is way over on the other side, so what I want to see by 2020 is not that we are just on the periphery of these e-learning and distance initiatives, but that we are leveraging the resources produced by those programs to strengthen our core here on the Pulaski campus. We have such a demographic advantage as the baccalaureate college of south central Tennessee. We just need to use that advantage as imaginatively and as extensively as possible. And that is what the Martin 2020 plan is all about. Offering such an opportunity touches a personal chord with Baxter. “I was an individual who went into the workforce right out of high school, but I definitely wanted to get my degree,” he said. “Balancing my time and commitments was challenging, but because I had all the leadership classes (provided by NPC), I was able to get my fouryear degree in three years. It shortened my time, and the online option gave me the flexibility to keep my job and earn my degree at the same time.” Baxter said NPC examined a number of college options before settling on Martin Methodist College. “If we were going to partner with somebody, we were going to do our homework. The work-life credit element was a plus, and the overall cost of the program was very affordable when compared to other online degree programs. Martin Methodist’s cost is very competitive.” MMC President Ted Brown shares Baxter’s positive outlook. “We are enormously excited to begin this ground-breaking relationship with NPC International,” Brown said. “Both organizations share a common goal of providing opportunities to a diverse community with wide-ranging talent levels. In both cases, we are working to assure that these opportunities lead to a transformational experience. We look forward to providing the employees of NPC a unique online experience, one that continues to deliver on the Martin Methodist commitment of offering an education that’s personal.”

Jeff Bain

Named One of the Nation’s Top Athletic Directors!

eff Bain, who just completed his 22nd year at the helm of the RedHawk Athletic Department, was one of four NAIA athletic directors and one of just 28 across all classifications to be named Under Armour AD of the Year by NACDA. “These 28 winners have been recognized by their peers for their outstanding work on campus, in their community and supporting their

Four RedHawks RedHawks Named Named Four NAIA Scholar-Athletes Scholar-Athletes NAIA

our members of the Martin Methodist Softball program were honored for their commitment to excellence both in the classroom and on the softball diamond as Courtney Grooms, Jazmen Howard, Morgan May and Kate Vanlandingham were named 2015 Daktronics-NAIA Softball Scholar-Athletes, the national office announced Wednesday evening. Grooms, a 5-foot-6 junior from Summertown, Tennessee sports a 3.96 grade-point average while pursuing a degree in Mathematics with Licensure. In addition to the Scholar-Athlete achievement, Grooms also earned the 2015 Tom Read Academic Student-Athlete of the Year award during the Martin Methodist Honors Convocation on campus earlier this semester. On the diamond, Grooms started all 47 games for the RedHawks and posted a .248 average with 28 hits and 18 runs scored. An

student-athletes,” NACDA executive director Bob Vecchione said. “Jeff Bain has led the development of a real athletic powerhouse at Martin Methodist over his more than two decades of service,” Martin Methodist President Dr. Ted Brown said. “With three national championships and long list of regional and conference honors, the RedHawks have a reputation for competitiveness. But more important, MMC athletic programs have become vital contributors to academic life and provide a highly successful venue for the character-development function of our institutional mission. Jeff Bain certainly earned this well-deserved recognition.” “Recognition of this magnitude is a by-product of the athletic department’s brand that is reflected by the employees and students of our institution representing us at our home and away contests,” Bain said. “I am merely the focal point of what our institution stands for and believes. On behalf of our president, our entire campus family, and our alumni, I humbly and proudly accept this recognition from my NACDA peers. Recognition from your peers is often the greatest compliment one can get and I am so grateful to accept this distinction.” Bain, who was recently elected to a three-year term on NACDA’s Executive Committee, received his award during the James J. Corbett Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, June 17 at NACDA’s 50th Annual Convention at the World Center Marriott Resort in Orlando, Fla.

everday center fielder, Grooms committed just one error on the season, that came when she was forced into duty at shortstop due to injury. Howard, a 5-foot-5 junior from Pulaski, boasts a 3.71 GPA while pursuing a degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in English. Primarily a pinch runner, Howard appeared in 22 contests in her first full season of varsity action. The junior scored seven runs on the season for the RedHawks. May, a 5-foot-6 junior from Pulaski, owns a 3.90 GPA while working toward a Business with Licensure degree. May started 39 games at shortstop and second base for the RedHawks, but missed the final eight

games of the season due to injury. The junior posted a .280 batting average with 30 hits and 25 runs scored on the season. Vanlandingham, a 5-foot-10 junior from Crossville, Tennessee, maintains a 3.59 GPA in pursuit of an Accounting degree with a minor in MIS. Vanlandingham made one start and appeared in 12 games as a utility player for the RedHawks this season. The junior had just six official at-bats, but scored two runs and had a perfect fielding percentage in her 13 total chances. The four honorees mark the most in the RedHawk Softball program’s history for a single season and double the program’s all-time NAIA

Scholar-Athlete selections to eight. In 2014, Softball became one of just two all-time programs to be named NAIA Scholar-Athlete teams as the squad boasted a collective 3.08 grade-point average. 402 softball student-athletes were named 2015 Daktronics-NAIA Softball Scholar-Athletes. William Carey (Miss.) University landed the most individuals on the list with 10 total. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved junior academic status.

RedHawks Hand Out Awards at 14th Annual Champions of Character Convocation

Pictured from left to right, front row: Martin Methodist College President, Dr. Ted Brown, Heather Holley Female Student-Athlete of the Year, Stephen Lunney Male Student-Athlete of the Year, Martin Methodist Biology professor, Dr. Stanton Belford, Martin Methodist Director of Communications, Grant Vosburgh Recipient of the Champions of Character Servant Leadership Award.

ver 350 Martin Methodist student-athletes descended upon the Martin Hall Auditorium for one of the Athletic Department’s longest-running traditions in the form of its 14th Annual Champions of Character Convocation Awards Ceremony. In front of a near capacity crowd, the RedHawk Athletic Department honored several student-athletes, coaches and staff members that best personified

the five core values of the NAIA’s Champions of Character program over the last year. After opening remarks from Martin Methodist President Dr. Ted Brown and Executive Director of Athletics Jeff Bain, the RedHawks welcomed former RedHawk student-athlete and current Martin Methodist Biology professor, Dr. Stanton Belford, to the podium. He began with a quotation from Sir Isaac

Newton: “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” and then shared how he transformed from a young college student from Trinidad and Tobago to recently receiving his Ph.D. by finding his personal “giants” – both individuals who inspired him and situations that motivated him. Former RedHawk Women’s Soccer standout Heather Holley was named

RedHawk spring sports wrap up the Female Student-Athlete of the Year for her continued commitment to the Women’s Soccer program and her academic studies. Holley, who graduated with honors last May with a degree in Biology, capped a four-year career that saw her rise from the reserve ranks all the way to the team’s everyday right back position during her senior campaign. Men’s Soccer senior goalkeeper Stephen Lunney was honored as the Male Student-Athlete of the Year for his academic and athletic successes a year ago, the likes of which may never be duplicated by a collegiate athlete. Academically, Lunney was named the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® of the Year and the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® Men’s Soccer Player of the Year. In the athletic realm, Lunney helped guide the RedHawks to the 2013 NAIA national championship and

was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player and Most Outstanding Defensive Player. The Martin Methodist Women’s Basketball team was honored as the Team of the Year for their commitment to the NAIA’s Champions of Character program and their dedication to giving back to the community. The RedHawks routinely participated in activities that integrated the NAIA’s five core values, including helping with Red Cross blood drives, volunteering time to teach basketball fundamentals to local high school players, visiting elementary schools, volunteering their time at the Kid’s Place 5K run and having an activities booth at Martin Methodist’s Halloween and Christmas community gatherings. Last, but certainly not least, the RedHawks honored staff member Grant Vosburgh as this year’s Champions of Character Servant Leadership Award

winner. Vosburgh, Martin Methodist’s Director of Communications, received the award after his countless hours of volunteer dedication to the RedHawk Athletic Department as the school’s public address announcer. Vosburgh also was honored for his tireless commitment toward cancer research and his involvement with local, regional and national Relay for Life and American Cancer Society chapters. “Our Champions of Character Convocation is truly one of our favorite events of the year,” Bain said. “This is a day where we honor and celebrate our student-athletes and their commitment to success on and off the fields of competition. We had several truly amazing winners this year and we look forward to continuing our dedication to the NAIA’s Champions of Character initiative throughout this academic year.”

Rising Senior to Represent MMC on a Global Stage

artin Methodist Women’s Soccer rising senior and 2015 team captain Fabiola Sanchez was named one of the 23 players to the Costa Rican Women’s National Team roster for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Sanchez is believed to be the only player from an NAIA institution to make the final roster of the 32 teams competing in the top women’s competition in the world, which began Saturday, June 6 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Sanchez made her debut with the Costa Rica senior national team last October as she helped Las Ticas punch their ticket to their first-ever World Cup Final. Sanchez was more than just a courtesy callup, however, as she appeared in all but two of Costa Rica’s contests and even scored a goal in the squad’s 6-1 victory over Martinique. “This is absolutely the highest honor in all of sport,” RedHawks head coach

Tyson John said. “To represent your country at the international level is such an unbelievable achievement. Especially to help your country advance to its first-ever World Cup. We could not be more thrilled for Fabiola as she represents Costa Rica and Martin Methodist on the world’s biggest stage.” A three-time NAIA All-American, Sanchez could finish her RedHawk career as one of the most decorated players in program history. Most recently, the defender helped lead the RedHawks back to the national tournament for an 11th consecutive season and back to the national quarterfinals for the first time since 2011. “Fabiola is definitely up there as one of the best players I have ever had the experience of coaching,” John said. “Her toughness and intensity are second to none. From the moment she first arrived on our campus she has been an absolute warrior.” “We are so excited for Fabiola and her experiences,” John said. “But obviously we are extremely excited about her upcoming senior campaign. Fabiola has been a strong advocate that her time here at Martin Methodist has helped her progression and development as an international footballer. She has become a leader here at Martin Methodist for our team, for women’s sports, our athletic department, and Martin Methodist as a whole.”

RedHawk spring sports wrap up

Women’s

Soccer National Champions

of 2005 & 2007 Honored

he NAIA title teams were inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming 2015. The RedHawk women’s soccer program won two NAIA national championships in three years, and the members of those teams were inducted into the Martin Methodist College Sports Hall of Fame during Homecoming ceremonies February of 2015. The RedHawks, led by former coach Gerry Cleary, captured the NAIA title in 2005 and 2007. “The bylaws of the Sports Hall of Fame indicate that any team that wins an NAIA national championship will automatically be inducted into the MMC Sports Hall of Fame after 10 years,” said Edna Luna, assistant vice president of institutional advancement and director of alumni affairs. “That made it time for the 2005 national championship team to go in, but we decided to waive the 10-year rule in the case for the 2007 team since a dozen of the RedHawks played on or coached both teams and many of them live in other countries, so we didn’t think it would be realistic to ask them to come back for another ceremony in just two more years.” In the fall of 2005, the RedHawks, in Cleary’s third year as head coach, captured the NAIA national championship with an overall record of 23-1-1,

with no seniors and only three juniors on the team. They repeated the feat two years later, going 19-4-1. (For the record, the 2006 team was no slouch, either, going 19-4 and advancing to the national semifinals. During those three years, the RedHawks were 59-9-1, including a 28-2 mark on their East Campus Athletic Complex home pitch and a perfect 21-0 mark in the TranSouth Athletic Conference.) Members of both the 2005 and 2007 championship teams were: • Emily Allegood, midfielder, Hazel Green, Ala. • Julie Bazi, defender, Bonnyrigg Heights, Australia. • Johanna Botold, defender, Vasteras, Sweden (assistant coach on the 2007 team) • Karen Carmack, goalkeeper, Marshall, Ky. • Victoria Charnley, defender, Manchester, England • Amanda Johansson, forward, Hyttgatan, Sweden • Lisa Mann, midfielder, Newcastle, England • Sarah Perrigan, forward, Nashville, Tenn. • Sarah Prendergast, goalkeeper, Palm Bay, Fla. • Clare Sykes, midfielder, Huddersfield, England

• Jessica White, midfielder, Manchester, Tenn. • Additional members of the 2005 team were: • Megan Finnegan, midfielder, Houston, Texas • Tassia Gimenez, forward, Sao Paulo, Brazil • Nicole Grochowsky, defender, New Market, Ala. • Maiko Higashiyama, defender, Tokyo, Japan • Kelly Lewicki, forward, Alberta Canada • Nicole Scherger, defender, Alberta, Canada • Manuela Schuh, midfielder, Poessneck, Germany • Rachel Sharp, defender, Paris, Tenn. • Harumi Someya, midfielder, Saitama, Japan • Maria Sonnerberg, midfielder, Malmo, Sweden • Azusa Takeuchi, midfielder, Wakayama, Japan • Mizuki Yosida, forward, Kanagawa, Japan • Additional members of the 2007 team were: • Taitane Alexio, defender, Jundiai, Brazil • Ali Crowley, defender, Manchester, Tenn. • Misty Facey, defender, Kingston, Jamaica • Kelly Glaser, midfielder, Chicago, Ill. • Marissa Hackett, midfielder, Hendersonville, Tenn. • Alyson Kosberg, goalkeeper, Palm Beach, Fla. • Abbey Roark, defender, Murfreesboro, Tenn. • Marcia Silva, defender, Valinhos, Brazil • Simone Souza, midfielder, Sao Paulo, Brazil • Shannon Walter, midfielder, Chicago, Ill. Assisting Cleary as coach in 2005 was Peter Anthony. Assisting him in 2007 were John Andrews and Johanna Botold.

Emirzian Named NAIA Scholar Athlete

Junior Business Administration major sports a 4.0 GPA artin Methodist Men’s Tennis performer Daniel Emirzian has been named to the 2015

Daktronics-NAIA Men’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete team. Emirzian, a 6-foot junior from Malmo, Sweden, was named to the 110-man squad for his commitment to excellence both in the classroom and on the tennis court. After three years at Martin Methodist, Emirzian boasts a spotless 4.0 grade-point average while majoring in Business Administration. In addition to his place on the Scholar-Athlete team, Emirzian also picked up some Martin Methodist hardware as the junior was named the 2015 Tom Read Academic Male Student-Athlete of the Year during Martin Methodist Honors Convocation on campus earlier this semester.

Emirzian helped guide the RedHawks to an 8-10 record on the season, the most victories in a season for the Men’s Tennis program since 2011. Despite competing in the ultra-competitive Southern States Athletic Conference, the RedHawks finished No. 28 in the final NAIA Top 25 polls and were one of the last teams left out of the NAIA national tournament held in Mobile, Alabama. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved junior academic status.

Lunney Repeats as SSAC Top Male Scholar-Athlete

or the second time in as many seasons, Martin Methodist Men’s Soccer standout Stephen Lunney was honored for his commitment to excellence both on the pitch and in the classroom as the senior was named the Musco Lighting Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the Southern States Athletic Conference Awards Banquet Sunday evening. The Dublin, Ireland native, who finished his career as arguably the most decorated student-athlete in school history, collected one last award for the trophy case. Lunney, made the trip down to Montgomery, Alabama to accept the award and reflect on his academic and athletic careers in front of a room full of coaches, staff members and administrators. “This is truly a humbling experience to be in front of you all to accept this great honor,” Lunney said. “I have had a remarkable journey and especially enjoyed my time in the SSAC these last two seasons. It has especially been a joy to play under two great head coaches, some fantastic assistants and with a tremendous athletic department. If not for their hard work, I would not be able to stand here and accept these kinds of awards.” Lunney was also named the CoSIDA Capital One Men’s Soccer Academic All-American of the Year for the second-straight year. He maintained a 4.0 grade-point average at Martin Methodist and was one of two recipients of the President’s Award, handed out at commencement to the senior with the highest grade-point average. Lunney was also heavily involved with projects outside of the classroom and fields of play as he served as one of two officers on the Inaugural SSAC Student Leadership Council. He also devoted countless hours toward the RedHawks Champions of Character program. “Stephen Lunney is truly the perfect embodiment of what a student-athlete should be,” RedHawks Executive Director of Athletics Jeff Bain said. “His dedication to success in soccer is only matched by his dedication to success in the classroom. We offer one final salute to Stephen for his successes at Martin Methodist and we wish him all the best as he begins this next chapter of his life.” Lunney, who is spending the summer playing for semi-professional side Nashville FC, is expected to continue his academic career at the graduate level this fall.

Whittenburg World Cup Shot Three incoming members of the Martin Methodist Clay Target program and head coach Chad Whittenburg recently achieved major success on the international stage as Team USA brought home seven combined medals at the 2015 ISSF Junior Cup. Samantha Smith, Sydney Carson and Corey Hutto all took part in the competition, which ran June 25-July 2 in Suhl, Germany. Team USA produced a total of three gold medals in the event and added four more silvers for the seven combined medals. “Representing your country is the highest honor imaginable,” said Whittenburg, who served as Team USA head coach and team leader during the event. “There were various world cups in different sports this summer. For our incoming freshman to gain experience like this is truly indescribable.” Smith, a Spring Hill, Tennessee native who currently resides in Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center for the summer, helped guide the Team USA Women’s Trap team to a gold medal with a score of 192 total hits. Emily Hampson and Cheyenne Waldrop joined Smith to give Team USA the gold medal. Smith, who is also Whittenburg’s daughter, won a team bronze Coach Chad Whittenburg, Samantha Smith, at the same event in 2014. He has worked as her shooting coach Cheyenne Waldrop and Emily Hampson, Dania for several years, including during her time as a student at nearby Vizzi display their medals in Suhl, Germany. Summit High School. With Smith having graduated from Summit in May, father and daughter will move on to new ventures together in the sport. Carson, a North Liberty, Indiana native, competed in the Women’s Skeet division and finished in 11th place overall with 63 total targets. Carson and current RedHawk Hannah Houston set the International Skeet record with a whopping 204 combined targets during last summer’s 2014 World Shooting Championships in Granada, Spain. On the men’s side, Hutto, a Cornersville, Tennessee native, finished with the highest score among United States shooters as he posted a 117 in Men’s Trap. In the ensuing shootoff, Hutto garnered a respectable Samantha Smith, Cheyenne Waldrop and Emily Hampson eighth-place finish. display their medals in Suhl, Germany. All three members are expected to contribute immediately and further improve an already impressive RedHawk Clay Target team, which has already posted a number of collective and individual achievements in its two years as Martin Methodist’s 15th varsity sport. Perhaps even more exciting, however, remains the possibility of representing the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “The opportunity to represent our great country overseas is truly an unbelievable experience,” Whittenburg said. “And, then, to top it off with three of Martin Methodist’s incoming shooters on the team? That’s remarkable. I am so proud of Team USA’s efforts and especially the three student-athletes that will be enrolling at Martin Methodist this fall. This 2015-16 campaign could be an extremely special year for these young men and women and we are thrilled to see their successes continue.”

Coach Chad Whittenburg

RedHawk sports wrap up

Joe Allen Inducted into Metro Nashville Public School Sports HOF

member of the Martin Methodist College Sports Hall of Fame received another lifetime achievement honor as Joe Allen was inducted into the Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame during a ceremony earlier this month. Allen, who was an inaugural inductee of the Martin Methodist College Sports Hall of Fame in 1996, was inducted into the MNPS Hall of Fame for his dedication and commitment to excellence to the youth of the Metro Nashville. Upon his departure from then Martin Junior College in 1956, Allen went on to becoming a coaching legend in the state of Tennessee at both Donelson and McGavok High Schools. Allen coached sports for both boys and girls throughout his career and won over 500 of his 791 games as a boy’s basketball coach. Allen coached nine All-State players, one Moss Oliver Award Winner, three professional players and helped 75 players

earn collegiate athletic scholarships. One of Allen’s players, Charles Davis, went on to become a standout at Vanderbilt University and enjoyed a lengthy NBA career. Allen’s teams won several championships throughout his tenure, including championships in tennis and volleyball, two other sports which Allen coached during his legendary career. In addition to the Martin Methodist College Sports Hall of Fame, Allen also earned enshrinement into several other Halls of Fame, including the TSSAA, Region VI Basketball and McGavock High School, where the gym floor was named in his honor in 2008. Nashville athletic standouts Preston Brown, Mike Jackson, Frank Pillow, Jr. and former University of Tennessee and NFL standout John Henderson were among the other MNPS Class of 2015 inductees. Allen and his wife Bettye have been married for 53 years and have one daugh-

ter, Joane, and one grandson, Neil.

Men and Women’s Basketball Chosen as Top Athletic Achievement of the Year

oth of the Martin Methodist Men and Women’s Basketball clubs have enjoyed their own individual runs of success in their respective program’s histories. But, until the 2014-15 campaign, the two programs have never achieved a great deal of simultaneous excellence. That changed dramatically this past season as the two clubs combined to produce the single greatest collective basketball season in school history. For these efforts, the success of the Martin Methodist Men and Women’s Basketball teams has been chosen as our 2014-15 RedHawk Athletic Achievement of the Year. “We salute the successes of our two basketball teams this season,” RedHawks Executive Director of Athletics Jeff Bain said. “Our two programs collectively put together the strongest overall year in our history. We thank our two head coaches, our assistants and certainly the players for producing a truly memorable year. It is our great excitement to announce the RedHawk Men and Women’s Basketball teams as our top athletic achievement of the year.”

“For a visual illustration of just how successful the two teams were, please see our infographic on Page the inside back cover.

Publisher, Businessman, and Treasured Friend to MMC

STEVE HERSHEL LAKE

ne of Martin Methodist College’s most dedicated supporters - and one of Giles County’s most celebrated leaders - over the past 30 years, died Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. Steve Hershel Lake, president of Pulaski Publishing, Holley’s Printing and radio station WKSR—and a member of the MMC Board of Trustees since 1986—passed away at St. Thomas West Hospital in Nashville. He was 75 years old. “Martin Methodist College has lost a valued leader and treasured friend,” said President Dr. Ted Brown. “Hershel Lake was a longtime member of the college’s Board of Trustees, having served for 28 years, including six years as its vice-chair. He was the first non-Methodist to join the board, something we joked a lot about. But Hershel identified with the primary values of this institution and inherently understood its worth for this community and region. His media background was enormously helpful as the college sought to grow and extend its visibility, and his interest in drama and the arts helped to spur the college’s development in this area. Over the years, Hershel, his family and his companies were enormously generous to the college, but his good advice and wise counsel were invaluable.” A native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., Lake studied civil engineering and general business at the University of Alabama. He then attended Alabama Military Academy, a National Guard officer candidate school, where he was president of his class and a honor graduate. As a result, he received a U.S. Army reserve commission. He began his career in the communications industry as advertising sales representative for theTuscaloosa News and later served the same role for the Montgomery Advertiser/ Alabama Journal. He later served as editor and publisher of the Crossett (Ark.) News-Observer, the Cookeville (Tenn.) Herald-Citizen and the Carthage (Tenn.) Courier. He operated the Crossett and Cookeville papers for an absentee owner, and entered business for himself with the purchase of the Carthage Courier in 1976. Soon after that, he purchased the Giles Free Press and the Pulaski Citizen. He moved his family to Giles County in 1985 and was invited to join the Board of Trustees at Martin Methodist College a year later. He was a former president of the Tennessee Press Association. Lake’s involvement with Martin Methodist College included helping originate a major fundraising drive and chairman of that drive for its first three years, exceeding the goal each year. He served as vice chairman and chairman of the audit and development/public relations committees. In May of 2014, he became the 43rd member of the Martin Methodist College’s Hall of Distinction.

If only you could see Martin Methodist College as I have! To watch today’s students transform, not only into alumni, but leaders. To hear the stories, to see and meet the alumni, you would know too, how a small liberal art college is making such Edna Luna ’06 an impact today, all over the world. Thank you for helping making this possible by sharing your memories and telling our story. I want to share how hard the alumni council is working on behalf of your alma mater. They are devoted in continuing the legacy of their college. They host golf tournaments, clay shooting competitions, area events, recruit students, and hand out Alumni Association membership certificates to all graduates, just to name a few. The list is endless. The alumni council is truly devoted to assisting the college in its growth. The incoming president, Overton Campbell, class of 1975, of Franklin, TN is continuing this tradition. Overton has a great attitude and displays such enthusiasm for the college. He carries high expectations and wishes to touch and engage as many alumni as possible. As a case in point, he recently organized a steering committee to launch a young alumni council. Our trustees and alumni council support each other without fail. It’s the formula that makes Martin Methodist College, the college of opportunity and an institution where education is personal. What a great family: alumni, alumni council, trustees, faculty, staff and students! We hope to see you get involved. Listed below are some of this academic year’s events: Sept. 17, 2015........ Golf Tournament Oct. 3, 2015........... Trap Shoot Competition Oct. 17, 2015......... Class of 1995 20-year reunion (first undergraduate class) Feb. 20, 2016......... Homecoming & the Sports Hall of Fame Induction May 6, 2016........... President’s Society, Golden Jubilee, Hall of Distinction Induction, and Senior Dinner Dates to be............. 1975 & 1985 class reunions determined Please join us for any event, but know, we welcome you on campus any day, any time. Make your visit personal as the education at Martin is personal. Are you engaged, connected, or involved with your alma mater? Will you join the hundreds that are? Until next issue, take care and God Bless!

Edna Luna, Class of 2006 Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Class Notes Have you changed jobs or received a promotion? Moved to a new city or even just a different street? Gotten married or had a baby? The Columns welcomes the news of the Martin Methodist College alumni. You can write, call, or e-mail . . . just let us know, so we can let your classmates know!

DR. STACEY AYMETT GARNER

Address: Alumni Office, Martin Methodist College, 433 W. Madison St., Pulaski, TN 38478 Phone: 931-363-9824 or 1-800-467-1273, ext. 3824. E-mail: eluna@martinmethodist.edu E-mail: alumni@martinmethodist.edu

An Influence That Will Be Greatly Missed

1956 Joe Allen, a coaching legend in the state of Tennessee and an inaugural inductee of

1961 Dr. Arthur Strock, a founding life member of the International Association for the

he day after Christmas brought a note of sadness to the Martin Methodist College campus with the death of Dr. Stacey Aymett Garner, who served on the Board of Trustees for 46 years. Dr. Garner, a dentist who also served as mayor of Pulaski from 19611990, was 90 years old. “The Martin Methodist College family lost a treasured friend with the passing of Dr. Stacey Aymett Garner,” said Dr. Ted Brown, president of the college. “Dr. Garner was among our longest serving members of the Board of Trustees, having first been elected in 1968. During those 46 years, he was an important advocate for the college on the local level, especially during his time as mayor and alderman. But he was also a trusted figure on the board, both as a faithful churchman and local authority. Dr. Garner’s influence on Martin Methodist College will be greatly missed.

Name the Alumni...

the Martin Methodist College Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 was inducted into the Metro Nashville Public Schools Sports Hall of Fame in April.

Study of Dreams (IASD) Dr. Strock presented at the 2015 IASD conference in Virginia Beach. His presentation included heartwarming stories of asking strangers to share their night time dreams. He welcomes hearing from alums and current students with an interest in or questions about their dreams, noting that respondents shouldn’t be worried if their dreams seem weird because most dreams seem weird until their helpful message is unlocked. Arthur lives in Belvidere, NJ.

1966

Jimmie Jean Webber, was featured in the Cookeville Herald Citizen’s Living Section in June of 2014 for a special outreach that mirrors her lifelong work on behalf of literacy—a miniature library in front of her home that invites passersby to take a book and leave a book in order to promote reading.

1971

Caneta Skelley Hankins, recently retired from Middle Tennessee State University where

she was the Deputy Director of the Center for Historic Preservation. Her most recent book is Plowshares and Swords: Tennessee Farm Families Tell Civil War Stories.

1977

J. Stephen Lang, author of the 2007 book The Bible on the Big Screen, was interviewed

in March of 2013 by Elizabeth Jensen of the New York Times in connection with the miniseries The Bible.

1990 Scott Paschal, and his family (Rebecca, Dalton, Cameron, and Boone) opened Smith

County’s first ever commercial winery, Cellar 53 Winery. The family began planting a vineyard in 2006, and currently have seven acres of grapes and blackberries. The farm and winery are located on the Paschal Family Farm that was acquired by Scott’s grandfather Van Paschal in the 1950s. You can follow the progress of the winery on Facebook @ Cellar 53 Winery. Win A Martin Surprise...Be the first to let us know who is in this picture and what year they graduated. Submit your entry in writing to Susan Carlisle at MMC, 433 W. Madison Street, Pulaski, TN 38478. Good Luck!

Mark Beecham, was the keynote speaker for the 6th annual Hiscall Technology Showcase on December 14, 2014. Mark received a Church Vocations degree from Martin and served as a pastor and youth pastor before developing his own life-coaching business. A motivational speaker and author, Mark is currently writing his third book, Wisdom from the Rearview Mirror.

1998 Rev. Holley Potts was featured in a

Renaissance Man: The Professor in Sandals

e was the professor in sandals. That’s one of the legacies that Wayne Price leaves after 24 years on the Martin Methodist College campus. But there was so much more to the respected biology professor, who died over the 2014 Labor Day holiday weekend. Price, 61, who joined the faculty in 1990, was remembered during a memorial service held Sept. 3 in Martin Hall Auditorium and attended by more than 300 faculty, staff and students, as well as members of the Price family. At the service, MMC President Dr. Ted Brown spoke of a man he came to admire for his intellect, but who seldom talked about himself. “I learned a few things about Wayne Price this week that I’m glad for,” Brown said. “Wayne was pretty much a local boy, from Leoma, Tennessee. For some reason, I had not known that. He was a veteran, having fought in Vietnam, a topic that I never heard him discuss, although I never asked him about it either. He did his academic

preparation at MTSU and was happy to come home to teach at the college level. He had begun his 25th year of teaching at Martin Methodist, a milestone that few others have reached on our campus. But that number 25 does not do justice to the nuances of Wayne Price’s life, the particular way in which he served this college and the unusual way in which he touched students and colleagues.” It was Mr. Price’s wide-ranging subject knowledge that Brown found most inspiring. “I dare say that Wayne Price was the most widely read person on this campus,” Brown said. “And I say that recognizing that this place is chock full of people who spent half their lives in class preparing to come here and who continue to spend way too much time in class and in the library. But Wayne Price held his own in any conversation I ever witnessed—in any discipline and on any topic. He was not simply a professor of biology, he was a kind of renaissance man, albeit a renaissance man in sandals.”

2014 article in the United Methodist Interpreter for outreach work with Mercy Street United Methodist Church in Smyrna, TN.

2011 Kevin Crawford is serving as Program Coordinator for Religious Life at Emory University.

2012 Philip Galyon graduated from Memphis Theological Seminary & CYMT with a Master of Arts in Youth Ministry, and will continue as the Youth Minister at West Memphis UMC, West Mempis, AR.

2013

Katie Dobbins began service with the

Peace Corps in May 2015. She will be serving in Ghana.

Carlos Luis Santos graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School with a Master of Theological Studies.

Name the Alumni...

PROFESSOR WAYNE PRICE

Win A Martin Surprise...Be the first to let us know who is in this picture and what year they graduated. Submit your entry in writing to Susan Carlisle at MMC, 433 W. Madison Street, Pulaski, TN 38478. Good Luck!

MMC Alumni Council for 2015-16 year The following individuals are guiding the activities of a busy Martin Methodist College Alumni Council during this academic year. President L. Overton Campbell ‘75, Franklin, TN President-elect Charlie C. Pope ‘95, Normandy, TN Secretary/Treasurer Reba Seals ’68, Fayetteville, TN Darlene Baxter ‘66, Columbia, TN Brenda Ogilvie Brown ‘71, Chapel Hill, TN J. Brad Butler ‘05, Pulaski, TN Jerry W. Campbell ‘69, Murfreesboro, TN Margaret Campbell ‘91, Pulaski, TN L. Overton Campbell ‘75, Franklin, TN Siron “Si” Culp ‘68, Clifton, TN Sammy Holden ‘74, Nashville, TN Royce Hughes ‘60, Pulaski, TN Joy Lewter ‘65, Chapel Hill, TN Debbie Denson Lloyd ‘71, Antioch, TN Jim Malone ‘67, Fayetteville, TN Gary McGuire ‘71, Murfreesboro, TN Charlie C. Pope ‘95, Normandy, TN Nancy Allen Pruitt ‘70, Lewisburg, TN Jerry N. Putman ‘68, Ethridge, TN J. Allen Scoggin ‘64, Memphis, TN Reba Seals ‘68, Fayetteville, TN Brandon Michael Steever ‘13, Pulaski, TN Rita Marie Tingle ‘72, Lawrenceburg, TN Monica D. Tucker ‘02, Flintville, TN The Rev. Thomas E. Vann ‘59, Centerville, TN Elizabeth Von Hofe 2000, Arlington, TN Carol Hamlett Wade ‘06, Lynnville, TN Terry M. Whitt ‘69, Ardmore, TN Doug Williamson ‘67, Columbia, TN

Young Alumni Advisory Committee Alex Carrick 2017, Loretta, TN Shiphrah Dass Cox ‘10, Columbia, TN Tyler Cox ‘12, Pulaski, TN Sami Roper Cox ‘12, Pulaski, TN Christin Martin ‘15, Pulaski, TN Laura Stephenson Morefield ‘09, Lewisburg, TN

In Memoriam ‘For all the saints,

who from their

labors rest ...’

Georgie Ayers ’40 of Signal Mountain, Tenn., died January 3, 2015, at the age of 93. Evelyn H. Colvin ’46 of Pulaski, TN, died Feb. 27, 2014, at the age of 90. Wesley M. Soto ’46 of Palm Harbor, FL, died July 4, 2013, at the age of 89. Marie Abernathy ’47 of Nashville, TN, died December 17, 2014, at the age of 87. Ruth Poole ’47 of Nashville, TN, died December 6, 2014, at the age of 89. Betty Francis ’48 of Spring Hill, TN, died January 19, 2015, at the age of 86. Ermer G. Boyd ’49 of Goodspring, TN, died January 21, 2015, at the age of 91. Martha J. Henson ’49 of Fayetteville, TN, died August 23, 2014, at the ge of 85. Larry R. Burks ’52 of Decatur, AL, died June 6, 2015, at the age of 83. Willard L. Davis ‘53 of Pulaski, TN, died January 16, 2015, at the age of 81. Patricia A. Luther ‘54 of Wilmore, KY, died December 18, 2014, at the age of 81. Edward Spiva ‘54 of Clarksville, TN, died September 17, 2014, at the age of 80. Frank W. Cheatham ‘55 Franklin, TN, died October 6, 2014, at the age of 79. William R. Kimes ‘55 East Point, GA, died May 24, 2105, at the age of 79. Helen J. Noffsinger ‘55 Murfreesboro, TN, died November 19, 2014, at the age of 79 William H. Balch ‘57 Knoxville, TN, died November 6, 2014. David L. Hardy ‘57 Ardmore, TN, died April 5, 2015, at the age of 77. Jimmy R. Smith ‘59 Jamestown, TN, died September 11, 2014, at the age of 76. Mary S. Wakefield ‘61 Pulaski, TN, died December 21, 2014, at the age of 73. Jerald L. Bass ‘68 Franklin, TN, died August 14, 2014, at the age of 66. William K. Brunson ’73 Columbia, TN, died August 21, 2014, at the age of 60. Linda K. Moss ‘75 Goodlettsville, TN, died January 24, 2015, at the age of 60. Mickey W. Barnett ‘58 Florence, AL, died August 5, 2014, at the age of 58. Roger D. Cagle ‘76 Prospect, AL, died December 17, 2014, at the age of 67. Elizabeth A. Adams ‘79 Savannah, TN, died October 28, 2014, at the age of 54 Betty M. Alexander ‘81 Hendersonville, TN, died August 21, 2013, at the age of 73. Jason D. White ‘00 Lawrenceburg, TN, died August 4, 2014, at the age of 35. Wayne J. Price ‘05 Pulaski, TN, died August 30, 2014, at the age of 61. Brandon K. Burroughs ‘11 Columbia, TN, died December 23, 2014, at the age of 26. Tyler W. Farris ‘13 Pulaski, TN, died August 20, 2014, at the age of 27.

He has an ear for words and an eye for style

took on a new challenge at Martin. I agreed to serve as the managing editor of campus publications and to write feature articles for The Columns magazine, reviving skills that I had not practiced in many years.

e live and work in a climate of change, and the longer we live, the more we realize that change is inevitable. In my 24 years at Martin Methodist College, I have seen many changes around our campus, most of them positive: new buildings, new faces, growth, progress and advancement. But some changes, we have to face with regret. A few years ago, I took on a new challenge at Martin. I agreed to serve as the managing editor of campus publications and to write feature articles for The Columns magazine, reviving skills that I had not practiced in many years. I was a bit nervous to say the least. But I was also fortunate to be welcomed to The Columns team by a remarkable man who had written the magazine virtually single-handedly for many years. Grant Vosburgh is the director of communications at Martin. He writes news stories and press releases. He issues public statements. He serves as the announcer for Martin sporting events. He works tirelessly for Relay for Life. And since its inception, he has written much of the copy and done all of the layout for the alumni magazine. Grant is a gifted man. He has an ear for words and an eye for style that has made The Columns a truly special publication. He is also a generous colleague. He guided and nurtured my work with The Columns and made me a true member of the team. Grant is also one of the most courageous and determined people I know. He is taking early retirement because of health reasons. For several years he has been battling cancer. He fights the battle with optimism, strength, and humor. And he fights the battle, as befits a man of words, with story. Grant tells one story—with his usual charm and humor—about a friend from another culture who told him while Grant and his wife Robin were fighting Robin’s battle with cancer many years ago that when you face a climb up a mountain, you don’t look up to the top of the mountain, but down at your feet. And you celebrate each step as a triumph, each moment as a blessing. More than anyone I know, Grant Vosburgh has the gift of celebrating each step and each moment. Our thoughts go with him as he continues his journey.

21st ANNUAL

GOLF CLASSIC SEPTEMBER 17, 2015 Rain out date: Sept. 24, 2015 Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creek Golf Club Spring Hill, TN

First

Bank hants Merc & s er Farm

Mark Your Calendars!

NOW!

Have fun ... while you support your college!

The Martin Methodist College Alumni Association will host the 21st Annual Popular RedHawk Golf Classic (set for Thursday, Sept.17) For more information

Call 931-363-9824

MARTIN METHODIST COLLEGE 433 WEST MADISON STREET P U L A S K I T N 3 8 47 8

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NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID NASHVILLE, TN PERMIT NO. 768