A Publication for Alumnae and Friends of Meredith College
M A G A Z I N E
A President’s Legacy Maureen A. Hartford, 1999-2011
Spring 2011, Volume 36, Number 1
Meredith Magazine Volume 36, Number 1 Spring 2011 Executive Editor Kristi Eaves-McLennan Managing Editors Melyssa Allen Karen T. Dunton Assistant Editor Gaye Hill Art Director Vanessa Harris
Contents Features 12 LEADING BY EXAMPLE A look back at Maureen A. Hartford’s presidency 20 A LEGACY GROWS UP The first two Alumnae Legacy Scholars graduate from Meredith
Senior Designer Mary Rose, ’01 Designer Lauren Sumner Alumnae Connection Editors Hilary Allen, ’01 Meredith Moore, ’10 Amanda Oliver, ’02 Contributing Writers Jean Jackson Greg Jarvis Editorial Assistant Kaye Rains Photographers Katie Dow Kristi Eaves-McLennan Christopher Ferrer Gary Knight Brian W. Lynn Mary Rose Lauren Sumner David Timberlake Steve Wilson Michael Zirkle Meredith College Archives On the Cover President Maureen Hartford and her husband, Jay Hartford. Maureen Hartford has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. Her husband, Jay Hartford, has served as a committed Meredith College volunteer throughout her presidency. Meredith Magazine exists to serve the Meredith community by providing readers with insight and information about the news, activities, events, programs, plans and people of the College. Meredith Magazine is published three times a year by the Meredith College Department of Marketing. Questions or comments may be submitted to marketing@meredith.edu. © 2011 Meredith College. The Meredith name and word mark are registered trademarks of Meredith College and may not be used without permission. All rights reserved. 11-006
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MEREDITH WELCOMES NEW VP FOR BUSINESS AND FINANCE
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NEW DUPONT GRANT SUPPORTS RESEARCH MENTORING AT MEREDITH
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FACULTY DISTINGUISHED LECTURE INTRODUCES AUDIENCE TO ICELANDIC NOVEL
10 MEREDITH HOSTS STATEWIDE RESEARCH CONFERENCE
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Meredith Campus News
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Dateline Meredith
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Newsmakers
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Athletics
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Meredith Experts in the News
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Alumnae Connection
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Summer Events
Maureen and Jay Hartford have celebrated Cornhuskin’ and countless other events during their time at Meredith.
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ampus news An Update on the Events and the People of the Meredith College Campus
After the lecture, President Hartford presented keepsakes to members of the Class of 2011, who wore robes that had been worn by alumnae during her inauguration.
Hartford Explores Critical Thinking in Women’s Education By Melyssa Allen
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aureen A. Hartford, Meredith’s first woman president, presented a look at the history and future of women’s education during a February 28 public lecture held to commemorate the College’s Founders’ Day. Hartford, who has more than 30 years of experience in higher education, will retire in June 2011 after 12 years as president of Meredith College. Hartford noted that “120 years and one day” prior to her lecture, the charter was granted to create what became Meredith College, and that “12 years and one day ago” she had been named Meredith’s seventh president. The lecture, which was peppered with the perspectives of college presidents and other higher education leaders, offered a look at the history of women’s education in the United States, the role of women’s colleges, current criticism of higher education and student learning outcomes. “Women’s access to higher education at all levels has come a very long way during the
20th century and the first decade of the 21st century,” Hartford said. “Women’s majority presence at our colleges and universities probably represents one of the notable achievements in women’s equality in the last century.” Despite these gains, women’s education still brings challenges with it. Hartford shared what she called “problems in para-
same period of time.” Hartford ended with “a challenge on how we might do a better job.” “We must prepare students with a different kind of education than their parents experienced – and we must create curricula that both stimulate students and prepare them for the high speed… instant gratifica-
“Women’s access to higher education at all levels has come a very long way during the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century.” —Maureen A. Hartford dise,” including women “dumbing down” in coeducational classrooms, increasing levels of stress among women students, and whether women learn differently from men. Hartford also cited issues with how U.S. educational systems were designed. “America’s current education system, created during the industrial era, resembles an assembly line…with all students required to master the same body of knowledge in the
tion, multitasking world in which they live, and we must acknowledge that women are different,” Hartford said. The event was part of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Presidential Lecture Series, which stimulates and enhances the intellectual and academic climate at Meredith College and the broader community. For more information, visit www.meredith.edu/ campus-theme/presidential-lecture-series.htm. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r i n g 2 011 /
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Coast Guard Vice Admiral to Speak at Meredith Commencement By Melyssa Allen
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.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Sally Brice-O’Hara will deliver the 2011 commencement address at Meredith College. Brice-O’Hara assumed her duties as the vice commandant of the United States Coast Guard on May 24, 2010. She is the second woman to serve as the U.S. Coast Guard’s second in command and chief operating officer. Brice-O’Hara executes the commandant’s strategic intent, manages internal organizational governance and serves as the component acquisition executive. A native of Annapolis, Md., Brice-O’Hara graduated from Goucher College in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology. She received her Coast Guard commission from Officer Candidate School the following year. She holds a Master of Arts in public administration from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she was named a Littauer Fellow, and a Master of Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College.
Brice-O’Hara’s other assignments have included: • Deputy Commandant for Operations, overseeing the strategic integration of operational missions and the optimization of policy development and mission execution consistent with the Service’s national priorities; • Commander of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District and Deputy Commander for East Asia – Pacific Engagement, managing operations across nearly 12.2 million square miles of the Central Pacific Ocean; and • Director of Reserve and Training, where she developed policies to recruit, train, allocate, and support more than 12,000 Coast Guard Ready Reservists, and oversaw all Coast Guard training facilities. Brice-O’Hara’s personal awards include a Distinguished Service Medal, five Legions of Merit, a Meritorious Service Medal, six Coast Guard Commendation Medals, a Coast Guard Achievement Medal, and the Commandant’s Letter of Commendation.
Meredith College’s commencement exercises will be held on Sunday, May 8, 2011, at 10 a.m. in McIver Amphitheater. For more information, visit www.meredith.edu/ commencement.
Meredith Welcomes New VP for Business and Finance By Melyssa Allen
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raig Barfield joined Meredith’s administration as vice president for business and finance at the beginning of the spring 2011 semester, bringing with him a decade of experience in a similar role at Peace College. “I’m excited about the opportunity to be here at Meredith after working at Peace College,” Barfield said. “My background at a women’s college provided the perfect experience for this position at Meredith.” Barfield’s responsibilities as Peace’s vice president for finance and administration in-
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cluded budget development and monitoring as well as supervision of facilities, housekeeping, grounds, dining, bookstore and human resources functions for the college. In addition to his work at Peace College, Barfield also has experience in government, having served as Assistant Controller for the N.C. Department of State Treasurer and earlier as Director of the Fiscal Management Section for the Local Government Commission. “Craig is an experienced vice president who brings with him strong skills in financial management, staff supervision, budget development, and understanding of the small campus environment,” said President Maureen Hartford.
A Raleigh native, Barfield said “I’ve known Meredith College all my life.” Women’s colleges also hold a special place of esteem for him. “I greatly value women’s higher education institutions,” Barfield said. “My wife, mother, aunts and grandmother all attended women’s colleges.” Barfield replaces Bill Wade, who retired in December 2010 after 25 years at Meredith. Wade joined Meredith’s staff in 1986 as controller, but his work with Meredith began 11 years earlier when he was a member of the independent auditors team assigned to Meredith. He served as head of the College’s Division of Business and Finance since 2000.
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Research Mentoring Program Pairs Meredith College With Duke By Melyssa Allen
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research mentoring program that pairs Meredith College students with postdoctoral associates at Duke University will be able to expand thanks to a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. The program allows the Duke post-docs to gain experience as mentors and teachers and gives Meredith’s students an opportunity to conduct research at a large institution to prepare them for research and professional pursuits after graduation. With funding provided by the duPont Fund, women at Meredith will have an expanded opportunity to enter into the greatly needed science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions in the U.S. The duPont Fund has awarded Meredith College $46,688 over three years to support its undergraduate research mentoring program with neighboring research institutions. Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Erin Lindquist is the principal investigator for the grant. Funding for the first year is in the amount of $12,038 and will support research experiences for Meredith College undergraduate students under the mentorship of postdoctoral associates at Duke University. It is planned that the program will be expanded to other research sites during the second and third year of the grant. Students will commit to at least 10 hours of research per week and receive academic credit for their participation during spring semesters. Students who complete the spring semester research experience successfully will have the opportunity to apply for research stipends to continue their research with their mentors in the summer. The funding will support stipends for mentor researchers, student summer research stipends, faculty stipends for those who consult with mentors, and travel for students. Meredith will provide training for mentors, workshop fees and some additional travel expenses. The mentoring program began in 2009 as a result of the mentoring relationship between Lindquist and Susan Smith, a
Meredith students strengthen their research skills and their Duke mentors gain experience working with undergraduate students through a program supported by the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. Photos show (top) Jessie Breazeale with mentor Marcelo Ardon and (right) Kayley Hake with mentor Benjamin Colman. Duke postdoctoral research associate whom Lindquist was mentoring through the Duke Preparing Future Faculty program. The program is already proving successful. Of the five students who participated in the program in Spring 2009, three have entered graduate school including the doctoral program in biochemistry at Wake Forest University, the masters program in clinical research at Campbell University, and the Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (D.P.M.) pro-
gram at Midwestern University. One student has already had a manuscript accepted for publication by a peer-reviewed journal. Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Erin Lindquist and Director of Sponsored Programs Linda Hatcher contributed to this article. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r in g 2 011 /
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Dateline Meredith
Zipcar Program Provides Students With Wheels on Demand By Melyssa Allen
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eredith College and NC State University have launched a joint partnership with Zipcar Inc., providing both campuses with combined access to a unique car sharing service. The cost-effective and convenient transportation option is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to all students, faculty, and staff members, ages 18 and older. The Zipcar program supports one of the goals of Meredith’s Greenprint plan to integrate sustainability across campus by providing access to alternative transportation options. Meredith is offering two Zipcars on campus, and NC State has four vehicles. NC State and Meredith members have access to the cars on both campuses. “Zipcar comes to both NC State and Meredith at no cost to either establishment and is funded by users of the vehicles, who will receive several key benefits as members of the car-sharing service,” said Matthew Malloy, vice president of global university operations at Zipcar. “In addition to helping both schools reduce their overall carbon footprint and ease demand
Two With Meredith Ties Inducted into YWCA Academy By Melyssa Allen Meredith College Senior Vice President for Academic Administration Denise Rotondo and Board of Trustees member Andrea Bazan were selected for the YWCA of the Greater Triangle Academy of Women’s Class of 2010. Rotondo and Bazan were among the 11 women honored by The YWCA of the Greater Triangle during its 28th annual Academy of Women Awards in November 2010. Rotondo, who was inducted in the education category, has served as dean of the School of Business and professor of business at Meredith since 2006. She is serving a term appointment as senior vice 4
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for parking, it will provide students, faculty and staff with a cost-effective and convenient transportation alternative that eliminates the need for them to bring their own cars to campus.” Zipcar has established partnerships
president for academic administration. As dean, Rotondo led the School of Business’ efforts to earn accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Rotondo Schools of Business International (AACSB). In 2010, Meredith joined the five percent of business schools worldwide that hold AACSB accreditation, becoming one of only two women’s Bazan colleges in the country to have earned this distinction. Bazan, who was inducted in the racial jus-
with more than 225 universities, including UNC–Chapel Hill, Duke University and Wake Forest University. For more information, including how to enroll in Zipcar at Meredith, visit www.zipcar.com/meredith.
tice category, is the president of the Triangle Community Foundation, a philanthropic organization with assets of over $135 million, and the co-founder of El Pueblo, a Latino advocacy and public policy organization. She joined Meredith’s Board of Trustees in 2010, and will serve through 2014. Membership in the Academy of Women is a distinguished honor, recognizing remarkable women who excel in their fields while embodying the YWCA mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. The Academy of Women honorary society now includes 256 women. Each inductee was selected through a formal nomination and evaluation process based on community service, professional qualifications and her commitment to the YWCA mission.
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Dateline Meredith
Students Participate in Auschwitz Jewish Center Program By Melyssa Allen Meredith College students Meredith Hyatt, ’12, and Brianna Karmi, ’13, received full scholarships for the Fall 2010 Auschwitz Jewish Center (AJC) Program for Students Abroad, in Krakow, Poland. The program took place in October 2010. Hyatt and Karmi studied abroad during the Fall 2010 semester in Meredith’s Sansepolcro, Italy program. One of the courses they took was Justice & Liberty, which explored Italy during World War II. Their experiences in this class inspired them to apply for the AJC program. The AJC Program for Students Abroad provides a scholarly learning environment through which students can engage intensively with the history of the Holocaust and of Jewish life in Poland. The AJC’s programming offers a unique opportunity for North American students to visit Krakow and Oswiecim, work with scholars, take in-depth tours of Auschwitz-Birkenau, hear testimony and engage in meaningful discussion. Both students wrote about the experience in their travel journals. “This was by far the most intense and overwhelming weekend of my life. I learned so much and saw the horrors of history,” Karmi wrote. “After visiting the two camps, it is hard to see the world as I used to see it.
I feel as if I have aged more in the past four days than I have at any other point in my life.” Hyatt called it a once in a lifetime opportunity. “Visiting made it personal in a way that studying did not. I know I won’t forget the way I felt when I saw that fence out of the car window the first time, in the middle of a big bustling world, still there for people to remember.” The goal of the AJC program is that students will learn about the history of the Holocaust and of Auschwitz in ways that they could not through independent visits to the camp and that they will be able to incorporate the lessons they have learned into their academic, personal and professional lives in a significant way.
Convocation Focuses on Images of Beauty in the Media By Melyssa Allen Former actress Camille Cooper, co-chair of the Committee for the Empowerment of Young Women, presented a lecture on “Images of Beauty in the Media” on October 19, 2010. Cooper drew from her experiences as an actress in film and television, including “General Hospital” and “Knots Landing” and her life as the mother of two daughters. “Today, there is a prevalent notion that what’s of value about women relates to their attractiveness,” Cooper said. According to Cooper, this message begins Convocation speaker Camille Cooper
as early as childhood. She showed examples of gender specific toys including dress-up kits for boys that featured doctor and firefighter uniforms, while those for girls were “for fairy princesses and tea parties.” Her presentation also illustrated the heavily retouched nature of magazine photos of models and actresses. “Take those ideas from culture and put them aside,” Cooper said. “The only thing that matters is what each of us contributes to society.” This event was sponsored by the Meredith College Convocation Committee.
Meredith Students Compete in Green Design Challenge By Melyssa Allen Interior design student Danielle Stott, ’11, was the winner of a green design competition sponsored by Highwoods Properties, the largest owner and operator of suburban office properties in the Southeast. She received a $500 prize for her winning design. Highwoods announced the competition in October 2010 and the winner was announced December 2. Eleven interior design students prepared environmentally responsible interior designs for a 5,200-square-foot office space at Highwood’s ENERGY STAR and Green Globes certified 3600 Glenwood building. “This has been a terrific project for both Highwoods and Meredith College’s interior design program,” said Skip Hill, vice president of Highwoods Properties’ Raleigh division. “The quality and creativity produced by this team of students left the judging committee with a very difficult task of selecting only one winner. Danielle was selected because her attention to detail and clean design could easily come to life in our building. I applaud all of the students for their hard work over the last few months.” The winner was chosen based on several criteria including space plan, creativity and realism of concept, finish selections, presentation (boards and video), furniture selection and coordination and environmental responsibility. Meredith College has the only Council for Interior Design Accreditation accredited interior design program in the Triangle area. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r in g 2 011 /
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Professor’s Book Project Promotes Encouragement Training By Melyssa Allen
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project that Professor of Psychology Jack Huber began while on sabbatical five years ago reached fruition when his translation of Theo Schoenaker’s “Mut Tut Gut” from German into English was published in December 2010. The book was released in the U.S. as “Encouragement Makes Good Things Happen” by Routledge Press. This is the first time the book, which is a bestseller in Germany, has been available in English. The book “focuses on the belief that human encouragement is the most important natural ingredient for the healthy development of human beings,” said Huber. Schoenaker, an expert in encouragement training, was the Kenan Visiting Distinguished Professor at Meredith in 2005. His book focuses on the effects of negativity, and teaches readers to encourage themselves and others by focusing on the positive. “No matter who you are, even in bleak situations, there can be positives,” Huber said. “If you are accepting of who you are, you can move forward.” Huber first agreed to take on the translation
project seven years ago. He says the book’s message is “I am who I am, and that’s good enough.” According to Huber, completing the project is a testimony to the positive message of the book. “Once I started the project, I said ‘I am translating the book’ not ‘I’m going to’,” Huber said. “I am doing this now. I’m not a linguist, but I’m determined, so there’s no reason I can’t start this project.” Huber has taught psychology at Meredith for more than 30 years. He worked with two German natives, including Meredith alumna Sandra Losa, ’06, on the book’s translation.
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Professor of Psychology Jack Huber’s book project is just one of many completed by Meredith College faculty members. Other recent publications include: • Associate Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures Astrid Billat is the author of a textbook, “Three Centuries of Spanish Short Stories.” • Professor of English Rebecca Duncan is a co-editor of “Voices of Moroccan Youth: Creative Writing by and for Students of English.” Published in Morocco by Marsam
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Publishers, the book presents the work of Lucy Melbourne, professor of English at St. Augustine’s College in Raleigh, in collaboration with a group of writers and university professors in several Moroccan universities. Associate Professor of History Dan Fountain is the author of “Slavery, Civil War, and Salvation: African American Slaves and Christianity.” The book was published by LSU Press. Professor of Foreign Languages & Literatures Brent Pitts completed a critical edition of a thirteenth-century Anglo-Norman Apocalypse poem Revelacion in 2010. Associate Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures Veronique Machelidon edited and translated a play by Algerian writer Rachid Boudjedra. Machelidon’s published translation is titled “Underground, Unknown, Unseen. Immigrant Coal Crackers in France. A North-South Retable.” Assistant Professor of Communication Michiko Yamada is the author of two books, “A Lucrative Double-standard on Pop Culture: Western celebrities and Japanese TV commercials,” and “Double Consciousness as a Fantasy Theme: Japanese ‘ladies’ comics’ and sexual fantasy,” both published by VDM Verlag.
Social Work Major Speaks at International Conference By Melyssa Allen
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ocial work student Kayte Thomas spoke at the 2010 International Gastroschisis Conference in Barcelona, Spain. Thomas is chief administrative officer of Avery’s Angels Gastroschisis Foundation, the only foundation of its kind. Gastroschisis is a birth defect that causes the intestines and other organs to protrude from the abdomen at birth. Thomas, whose daughter Ashley was born with gastroschisis, has been involved in gastroschisis outreach for five years. According to Thomas, the prognosis in more industrialized nations is very good,
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with a 90% survival rate, while in other countries the survival rate is below 50%. “However, some children have long-term issues from this disease including but not limited to multiple surgeries, intestinal blockages, and organ transplants,” Thomas said. Thomas spoke about the Avery’s Angels organization before an audience of 94 doctors representing 19 countries. Her presentation was a way to “share the family perspective
with the physicians who attended the conference to remind them in a non-clinical way of what the families experience.” Thomas was pleased with the response from the doctors in attendance. “So many doctors came up to me afterwards and said that what we are doing is important, many asked about how they could start an Avery’s Angels in their own country,” Thomas said. “They all expressed gratitude for the reminder of the things they may not see.” For more information, visit www.averysangels.org or email kayte@averysangels.org.
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Newsmakers Eloise Grathwohl presented Meredith’s 48th Faculty Distinguished Lecture.
Art faculty members Rebecca Bailey and Lisa Pearce served as jurors for the Greater Charlotte Regional Scholastics Art Competition for Middle and High School students. The region encompasses the area from Greensboro west, and part of South Carolina. The program, supported by the Scholastics publishing company, is the largest national arts scholarship program in the country. Jane Barnes and Ying Liao from the School of Business presented their paper, “Successful Supply Chain Management Systems: The Role of Individual, Network and Collaborative Competencies” at the annual meeting of the Decision Science Institute in San Diego on November 22. The paper was named the best empirical research paper of the conference. Associate Professor of Business Tony Bledsoe
Faculty Distinguished Lecture Introduces Audience to Icelandic Novel
and Professor of Business Becky Oatsvall served as the editors of a Women-Owned Business Issues Special Edition of the “International Business and Economics Research Journal.” The publication also included an
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eredith’s annual Faculty Distinguished Lecture provides an opportunity for a faculty member to share his or her research with students, colleagues and the community. During the 2011 lecture, held on January 25, Professor of English Eloise Grathwohl shared her love of Iceland, and introduced the audience to the work of the country’s best known 20th-century writer. Since 2008, Grathwohl has served as a faculty member for Meredith’s Study Abroad program in Iceland. The topic of her lecture grew out of her interest in the work of Nobel-prize winning novelist Halldór Laxness. Her lecture, “The Glacier Stands Open,” drew parallels between Laxness’ work, “Under the Glacier” and the “Tao te Ching,” a 5th or 6th-century work of Chinese philosophy. “The project grew out of my affection for this late novel and especially my interest in the way it combines Laxness’s Christianity with his lifelong reading of a work of Chinese philosophy known as the ‘Tao te Ching,’” Grathwohl said. “I have become convinced that in the protagonist of ‘Under the Glacier,’ pastor Jón Primus, Laxness is
article titled “Entrepreneurship–Women’s
among other things exploring what a Taoist sage might look like if he were to live in late-20th-century Iceland.” Grathwohl led the audience through the plot of “Under the Glacier,” which she said was “a mystery, and the story of a love triangle, and a commentary on one of the oldest human drives—the quest for power and control.” Throughout, she identified places where the novel’s characters and plot included references to Christianity and to Taoism. The lecture’s setting was brought to vivid life through images of Iceland, including the glacier to which the title refers. A member of Meredith’s Department of English since 1990, Grathwohl is director of writing and holder of the Mary Lynch Johnson Chair in English. She holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a specialization in medieval English literature. The first Faculty Distinguished Lecture was presented by Professor of English Norma Rose in December 1964. According to “Faculty Distinguished Lectures 1964-1981,” the lecture series was designed to “represent a significant achievement of research by a faculty member.”
Business” written by Bledsoe and Oatsvall. Professor of Human Environmental Sciences Ellen Goode was selected to present a program on Meredith’s Sansepolcro project titled, “Past to Present: Conversion of a 16th Century Palazzo to a 21st Center Living/Learning Center,” as part of the Institutional Design track at NeoCon 2011 in Chicago on Monday, June 13, 2011. Associate Professor of Art Shannon Johnstone’s photography was included in an invitational group exhibition extended to the Award Winners of LensCulture’s 2010 Exposure Awards. The exhibition was held at Espace Dupon in Paris in February. Johnstone’s work was also featured in four exhibitions on the west coast this spring. Associate Professor of Music Kent Lyman presented at the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in January 2011. Associate Director of International Programs Kevin Morrison participated in a “Supporting LGBTQ Students Abroad: What is our Role?” panel at the Council on International Educational Exchange’s Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pa. Assistant Director Elizabeth Yaros co-presented a conference session at the NAFSA: Association of International Educators Regional Conference in Jacksonville, Fla. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r in g 2 011 /
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A Decade of Success for Meredith Athletics Compiled by Greg Jarvis
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even NCAA tournament bids across three sports in the last 10 years. Multiple conference championships in a new athletic conference. A new logo and marketing efforts that have generated increased awareness and pride among fans. One of the top soccer facilities among women’s colleges in the country. For many Division III athletic programs, this is the kind of athletic success they would hope to achieve throughout the life of their program. At Meredith, these successes have all been realized in the last 10 years.
Meredith’s athletics program encompasses six sports: Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Softball, Tennis and Volleyball. Athletic involvement is a time-honored part of a liberal arts education, and has specific benefits for women that include higher levels of confidence and strong leadership skills. A renewed commitment to athletics was a component of Vision 2010, Meredith’s most recent strategic plan. 8
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After joining the USA South Athletic Conference, Meredith won a conference title with both tennis and soccer tournament victories in the 2008-09 season. The soccer team added a regular season title in 2009. (Bottom left) In 2007, Meredith unveiled its new athletics identity, the Avenging Angels, to emphasize the prowess of Meredith athletes. “Using ‘Avenging Angels’ and the flying M identifier honors our traditional name and yet gives a new edge to that name,” said Jean Jackson,’75, vice president for college programs.
The new athletic field and track complex opened in 2009. The facility helps recruit students, particularly student athletes, and supports athletic participation by the entire campus community. “The appearance of athletics on the face of campus is important. People drive by and see that beautiful facility as a part of who we are,” said President Maureen Hartford (bottom right) shown at the athletic complex opening. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r i ng 2 011 /
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Meredith Experts in the News Meredith faculty, staff and students have served as experts in a wide variety of news articles, in media outlets such as Fox Business, the Associated Press and HR Executive Magazine.
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Technology for kids in this generation is like air, it has always been there. Intuitive and visual technology will appeal to these kids. The iPad with age-appropriate education software is potentially beneficial in helping your child learn.” —Professor of Psychology Cindy Edwards, in an article for The Charlotte Observer for an article about whether it is appropriate to buy ipads for toddlers.
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I would be very surprised if he is at all political. He needs to reflect what’s on the nation’s mind: sorrow; sympathy, not outrage; hope and perseverance.” —Professor of Political Science Clyde Frazier, in an Associated Press article on the role of U.S. presidents as healer to a distressed nation. The article ran prior to President Barack Obama’s speech at a memorial service for those killed in Tucson, Arizona in January 2011.
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The consumer is easily entertained. Changing anything will bring customers through the door, and there will be a certain number of people who buy it just to see what it’s like and then throw half of it away. —Associate Professor of Foods and Nutrition Susan Fisher in a Fox Business News story on the new Trenta “supersized” drinks at Starbucks.
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HR executives should examine their pay and promotion policies to ensure that there is not unintentional gender discrimination by how inflexible the work and hours are. We need to start thinking outside the box on how work is designed to be sure that we don’t keep work schedules designed in such a way as to accommodate only workers who have no outside interests and no family obligations.” —Associate Professor of Economics Anne York was quoted in an HR Executive Magazine article on the gender pay gap.
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Meredith Hosts Statewide Research Conference By Melyssa Allen
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eredith College served as the host of the annual State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium (SNCURCS) on November 20, 2010. Meredith is the first independent school to host the statewide undergraduate research conference. The SNCURCS is a showcase of multidisciplinary undergraduate research scholarship from all of North Carolina’s colleges and universities. The event included poster, oral, artistic and performance presentations. More than 700 people attended the event, including student presenters from 14 public universities, 22 private universities, four community colleges and the North Carolina School of Science and Math. Representatives from graduate and professional schools, non-profits and corporations also attended. “The SNCURCS program is unique to the state of North Carolina because it pulls together public, private and community colleges for an event that emphasizes research, and its importance to undergraduate education,” said Meredith Professor of Biological Sciences Francie
Cuffney, who served as coordinator for the 2010 event. “Hosting the event fits Meredith’s mission to get our students into research, and to provide opportunities to network with other students.” The event featured 346 presentations of student research from across the curriculum, including the arts, business, history, psychology and science. Sixty-three percent of those registered were women, and 47% were minorities. Thirteen Meredith students presented during the conference, and more than 40 Meredith students attended. Undergraduate research is increasingly popular at Meredith. According to the most recent National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), 41% of Meredith’s Class of 2010 participated in undergraduate research. The national average is 20%. In keeping with Meredith’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the SNCURCS event was a green conference. Conference bags that were created from recycled materials, meals featuring local food and used reusable or compostable utensils and dishware were just a few of the environmentally friendly elements of the event.
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Meredith Makes Progress on Greenprint Goals By Melyssa Allen
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eredith College has made progress on many of the goals put forth in its Greenprint plan in the two years since the plan was approved in spring 2009. The Greenprint guides the College’s efforts to integrate sustainability into its practices in education and daily operations. Achievements since 2009 include the completion of Meredith’s first LEED certified building and the planting of more than 350 trees in the Meredith College Greenbelt. Sustainability successes in the academic arena include the approval of a new environmental sustainability major and minor. Sustainability has been included in coursework in a variety of other academic subjects. Interior design students designed The Daisy Trade, an on-campus reuse store that opened in 2010, and a communications class organized a residence hall recycling competition. Science classes have completed a campus greenhouse gas inventory and mapped the trees included in Meredith’s greenbelt. Three of the most recent efforts are a new partnership with NC State to bring the Zipcar car sharing service to campus (see article pg. 4), the launch of a pilot program to test complete recycling options in Meredith’s classroom buildings, and the beginning of an energy management program.
Energy Management
A grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Foundation has allowed Meredith to jump-start its energy management program. The $148,000 grant funds a comprehensive energy audit to identify energy conservation measures campus-wide, funds an energy management consultant to oversee the College’s energy conservation initiatives, and supports the installation of a sub-metering system to record electric consumption and demand for select campus buildings. American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds are supporting an Energy Fellow on campus. The Fellow serves as a liaison between the energy management program and students. Working through Residence Life, Academic
(Above) Volunteers sorted recyclables from trash during Meredith’s annual waste audit, which measures how well the College’s recycling programs are working.
and Career Planning, and Sustainability offices, Meredith’s Energy Fellow will support students’ understanding of energy consumption. The energy audit, which is a comprehensive analysis of the College’s energy usage and shapes recommendations for a wide range of energy conservation measures, is scheduled to be completed during the spring semester. Classroom Recycling Pilot Project
Joyner Hall was been selected to lead a pilot project in providing complete recycling options for Meredith’s classroom buildings. In January 2011, trashcans were removed from individual classrooms, and new recycling bins were placed alongside trashcans at the stairwell and building exits on both the first
and second floors. The waste stations provide a full range of options for disposing paper, aluminum, plastic and garbage. These stations are visible from the entrance of each classroom. The project will address the anecdotal and quantitative findings that trashcans in classrooms across campus are significantly filled with recyclables. A campus waste audit conducted in 2010 found that almost 25 percent of campus trash should have been placed in the recycling stream, such as office paper, bottles, aluminum and cardboard. Research shows that effective trash and recycling behaviors are achieved when all available bins are placed together and every option is equally convenient. The pilot program was initiated by the campus Sustainability Committee and is led by Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities Garry Walton and Facilities Services Manager Harry Cadman. For more information on Meredith’s Greenprint plan or other sustainability efforts, visit www.meredith.edu/sustainability. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r i ng 2 011 /
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Alumnae & Friends Dear Alumnae & Friends of Meredith, I know better than anyone that the past 12 years have truly been a collaboration of the best kind. I have rarely encountered a more caring community than the one here at Meredith. Together, we have achieved much to celebrate. Your historic efforts during The Campaign for Meredith allowed us to surpass our goal by 24 percent, raising more than $41.5 million. I am especially pleased that we have been able to dramatically increase funding for financial assistance to our students, thanks to your generosity. We launched several new scholarship initiatives, including the Alumnae Legacy Scholarship, allowing us to attract women of exceptional academic ability. Please continue to support Meredith financially—your gifts are essential, and much appreciated. You have also supported Meredith by inviting promising young women to attend school here. Over the last 12 years, we have enrolled several record freshmen classes. Your willingness to share the good news about women’s education is a vital part of keeping our college strong. Since my arrival, we have increased our alumnae chapters from seven to 32. I invite you to continue to engage with Meredith, both the institution and other alumnae. Our network is powerful, and I know from experience that our alumnae are truly the movers and shakers in their communities. We at Meredith have always been pioneers, from our very founding as a women’s college at a time when no one really thought women could, or should, be educated. I invite you to join the new president as we continue to advance, seeking out new frontiers while always keeping the core values of our community close within. Thank you for your endless kindnesses, and your passion for Meredith. Sincerely,
Maureen A. Hartford President
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Maureen A. Hartford, Ed.D., came to the presidency of Meredith an experienced leader, ready to build on its reputation for excellence in women’s education. Her unabashed ambition on behalf of the College has inspired its students, faculty, staff and alumnae with remarkable results. This look back at her presidency honors all that she has done to help Meredith advance to the next level of achievement.
Leading By Example By Gaye Hill
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A legacy of
Living, Learning and Leadership As Meredith’s first woman president, Maureen Hartford has been an inspiring role model for the young women who have studied at Meredith during her leadership. Jean Jackson, ’75, vice president for college programs and a member of Meredith’s faculty since 1983, reflects on the Hartford era.
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hen Maureen Hartford was introduced in February, 1999, as the seventh president of Meredith College, she came down the stairs into the Rotunda of Johnson Hall to thunderous applause and students’ singing of the Alma Mater. Kelly Conkling Scott, SGA President 1997-98, says, “the positive vibe on campus was exciting and refreshing…. [it] seemed like the campus ‘woke up,’ and everyone was willing and ready to make some improvements.” Shannon MacFarlane Byers, SGA President 1998-99, speaks of “the excited anticipation of her arrival and the beginning of a new time at Meredith.” For the three generations of undergraduate students during President Hartford’s term as president, those improvements
Announcement—The Hartfords
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have been in virtually every area of student life. Students have lived in refurbished residence halls: Brewer, Faircloth, Heilman, Poteat, Vann, and Stringfield, which had been the object of much complaint about, among other things, “burlap” walls. Now the courtyard residence halls, Meredith’s oldest, are among the most sought after places to live on campus. They are second in popularity only to The Oaks, student apartments in their second year of providing juniors and seniors with the greater independence and freedom for which earlier students had long clamored. During Hartford’s presidency, Martin (formerly Hunter) and Harris Halls have been renovated, and Carlyle Campbell Library and Joyner have been refurbished.
The Alumnae House was moved to provide space for our newest and largest academic space, the Science and Mathematics Building. The Athletic Field and Track has been built, giving students and all Meredith community members an excellent facility for training, classes and competition. Hartford has been an ardent advocate for Meredith’s semester-long program and facility in Sansepolcro, Italy. But improving the physical facilities for learning is secondary to what happens in those facilities. Students have been challenged and changed by the undergraduate research program, improved faculty teaching loads, Meredith Laptop Initiative, growth in international study, and enhanced diversity of student populations. Hartford created the Presidential Scholars
President Hartford traveling with students
100 year celebration of SGA
program and has traveled at home and abroad with Legacy and Presidential Scholars. Students have benefitted from both material and symbolic changes made in the last 12 years. As the first female President of Meredith College, Maureen Hartford has had considerable influence on students. Shannon MacFarlane Byers terms it “fitting” that, 100 years after the opening of Baptist Female University in 1899, Meredith College welcomed President Hartford. “A constant reminder to every member of the student body that as women, we can do absolutely anything we set our minds to,” says Erin Hege, SGA President 2003-04, about the powerful influence of Meredith’s president.
LeaderShape
Similarly, Britney Brown Matthews, SGA President 2007-08, declares, “I always looked at her as a role model…a confident and strong leader.” Under Hartford’s guidance, LeaderShape has for ten years helped Meredith women lead with integrity. Matthews also remembers that “Dr. Hartford was the primary reason why Meredith felt so much like home. From the dinner at her house freshman year to late nights of President’s Raid during Cornhuskin’, she often invited students into her home.” That sense of welcome and warmth for students is a singular gift that Maureen Hartford has given to students throughout her presidency. From her early stay with them in Poteat Residence Hall to her
holiday gatherings at Massey House to her wish to know them, Hartford has made clear that students matter to her. Anna Beavon Gravely, SGA President 2010-11, says, “She is very open to speaking to students, and she enjoys the conversation. She understands that education needs to change with the times in order to best captivate the attention of the students.” Colleges, too, need to evolve and change in order to thrive. Guided by President Hartford, the students of Meredith College have thrived in a dynamic legacy of living, learning and leadership. For a President who knows students, who “gets” them, and who loves them, that is a powerful legacy indeed.
“Maureen has facilitated women’s leadership in a powerful way at Meredith—this will be her legacy. She has lived out her genuine care and concern for students by being a great role model and mentor for them. I will miss her warmth, and the enthusiasm siasm that she and Jay have brought to Meredith.” —Michelle Rich Goode, ’73, Former Chair, Board of Trustees “Maureen Hartford’s tenure is marked by the kind and quality of progress both in programs and student body that everyone celebrates. She has served the institution with exceptional dedication and leadership. We shall greatly miss her.” —William C. Friday, Former UNC System President
Science and Math Building, 2003
SMB Groundbreaking, 2001
meredith Milestones Our Evolving College and Community A brief historical review offers some highlights from Maureen Hartford’s presidency
“Maureen Hartford arrived at Meredith during a crucial moment in the history of our study abroad programming. We had, I believe, reached a point where the campus was ready for an expansion in programming and her decision to support that readiness enabled us to make the splendid leap from 8% to 40% of our students studying abroad. She realized that in today’s world international education is not only enriching but essential.” —Betty Webb, ’67, Professor of English, g Director of International Programs ms
2001 • Meredith becomes the first women’s college to host an on-campus site of the LeaderShape® Institute. More than 360 Meredith students have participated. • Meredith Technology Initiative includes laptop computers for all full-time students. • Service-Learning program begins. Over 2,100 students have completed more than 33,589 service hours in the community.
2003 • Celebrating Student Achievement begins. In 2009-10, more than 140 undergraduate projects were conducted by teams of students and professors. • The Science and Mathematics Building opens, housing all science, mathematics and computer science programs.
2004 • Diversity Council established. Meredith’s multicultural student representation has increased from 10.2% to 20.5% since 2000.
2006 • Engineering dual degree program created with North Carolina State University
2007 • The Campaign for Meredith ends, raising more than $41 million. Funding for scholarships and grants has increased by more than $11.7 million since 2001.
2008 • Master of Arts in Teaching graduate program is launched. The Master of Science in Nutrition was added in 2001.
2009 • Athletic Field and Track Complex completed. Since joining the USA South Athletic Conference in 2007, Meredith is the only single gender institution to win USA South championships. • The apartment-style
“In her role as the first woman president of Meredith College, Dr. Hartford has done much to transform the College. She has been a passionate advocate for women’s leadership as she has sought to advance the role of women in all areas of society, serving as a positive role model for our students and exemplifying that there are no limits to what a woman can attain. Even though her tenure as president will conclude on June 30, Dr. Hartford’s influence will continue to affect future generations of Meredith students, as young women are prepared for leadership responsibilities in a rapidly changing world.”—Sam Ewell, Chair, Meredith College Board of Trustees Sansepolcro, Italy, 2009
The Oaks, 2009
Daisy Trade, 2010
Habitat for Humanity, 2009
residence hall known as The Oaks accommodates up to 252 students and was awarded LEED Silver Certification. • Meredith celebrates the completion of the College’s first Habitat for Humanity home. Other service projects of note included outreach to Sri Lanka after the 2004 tsunami and in the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina. • Meredith’s Study Abroad program establishes permanent site in Sansepolcro, Italy. In recent years, students have studied in 35 different countries.
2010 • Meredith becomes one of only two women’s colleges in the world whose business schools are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). • The Daisy Trade, a student reuse store, opens. Sustainability has been a primary focus—accomplishments include the hiring of the first sustainability coordinator and winning a City of Raleigh environmental award.
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treasured Moments
A look at just a few of Maureen Hartford’s favorite memories from her time at Meredith In her own words Raid on President’s House “The first fall we
were at Meredith, I saw on my schedule ‘Raid on President’s House.’ Jay looked at me and I said, ‘I have no idea!’ So when the throng of students came up the driveway with whistles and noisemakers, and then serenaded us, it was such a sweet, sweet moment. Every year this tradition has been special, but that first time stands out because we had no idea what to expect.” Elie Weisel’s visit to campus “This visit brought
our campus together with the Jewish community because we were partners in planning the event. And Elie Weisel is such a charmer, despite everything that has happened to him. I can’t imagine having that generosity of spirit had I endured what he has.” Celebrating Student Achievement day
“The initial Celebrating Student Achievement event was amazing. We were able to see the depth and breadth of the intellectual prowess of our students on display—it was really too much to absorb in just one day.” Palazzo Opening in Sansepolcro, Italy
“The day we officially opened the palazzo in Italy will be forever with me. It was a joyous day for us, and for the community of Sansepolcro who celebrated with us—a time of coming ho cele together. r. It seemed to me to be an example of just what study abroad is supposed to be, but frequently isn’t. O Our students aand faculty have really the community.” becomee a part of th
“Dr. Hartford understands the impact of education on women and how women learn differently than men. My fellow students and I will miss how much she valued the student body as a whole. Dr. Hartford truly wants the best for us and believes that college students, with enough passion and gumption, can change the world. We will miss her faith in our dreams.”—Anna Beavon Gravely, ’11, Student Government Association President
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A Legacy Grows Up The commencement of the Class of 2011 marks an important milestone for Meredith with the graduation of the first two Alumnae Legacy Scholars. By Gaye Hill
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our years ago, Meredith welcomed a record-breaking freshman class to campus. Among the students in the Class of 2011 were two young women who made Meredith history as the initial recipients of the prestigious Alumnae Legacy Scholarship, Meredith’s first full academic scholarship. With commencement fast approaching, Scholars Sarah Beth Phelps, ’11, and Erin Huber, ’11, are poised to move into the next phase of their lives, building on the strong foundation they have established during their four years at Meredith.
The scholarship was a labor of love created by Meredith alumnae over a period of six years. Five Scholars are currently enrolled, including Huber and Phelps. The other Alumnae Legacy Scholars are Amy Hruby, ’13, Zeenat Razvi, ’13, and Michelle Maiden, ’14. Students who are awarded the Alumnae Legacy Scholarship receive a range of alumnae support that extends far beyond financial, significant though that is. Susan Metts, ’71, director of strategic giving, noted that the Alumnae Legacy Steering Committee has taken a hands-on approach to working with the Scholars. “The steering committee members and other alumnae have supported them in so many different ways, from providing exam goodie bags to meeting with them several times a year and helping them secure intern-
Alumnae Legacy Scholars Sarah Beth Phelps, ’11, and Erin Huber, ’11, both pursued double majors while at Meredith. Upon graduation, Phelps will receive a B.A. in International Studies and a B.A. in Mathematics. Huber will receive a B.A. in International Studies and a B.A. in Professional Writing and Design. In keeping with Meredith tradition, at commencement their robes will be adorned with cords and other emblems signifying their numerous academic achievements.
ships,” said Metts. “Our alumnae have really reached out to these young women to help them build a professional network.” For Erin Huber, her interactions with Meredith alumnae have been one of her favorite aspects of being an Alumnae Legacy Scholar. “They were always supportive of the academic directions I was taking and were interested in what I was doing,” said Huber. “I met with many alumnae all over the state— I’m a writer at heart, so I loved hearing all their stories of experiences they’d had in life.” The Alumnae Legacy Scholarship also includes funding for studying overseas. Phelps came to Meredith intending to take full advantage of Meredith’s exceptional study abroad program, an ambition she more than fulfilled as a Scholar. “I spent eight weeks in Xi’an, China. In addition to learning Chinese, I took a course called ‘The Anthropology of the Silk Road’ where we learned all about ancient globalization in China,” said Phelps, who has studied Chinese while at Meredith. “I saw parts of China that are rarely, if ever, seen by Westerners—I’ve also traveled to Spain and Italy. Without the Legacy Scholarship, I would not have been able to go on these once-in-a-lifetime adventures.” Elizabeth Triplett Beam, ’72, one of the founding members of the steering committee, noted that the Scholarship benefits both the College and the Scholars. “The Alumnae Legacy Scholars were students of promise when they arrived and now are women who leave Meredith with
2007
the educations and leadership skills to make a difference wherever they go,” said Beam. “Meredith has benefitted from their time here as they have certainly made differences in our community—a blessing to us and, we hope, a blessing to them.”
Alumnae Legacy Scholarship
$12 million
$6.6 million $3 million $1 million
Funding for the Alumnae Legacy Scholarship is at $6.6 million, over halfway to the original goal of $12 million. When fully funded, four scholarships will be awarded each year, with a full complement of 16 scholars. If you would like to support the Scholarship, please contact Susan Metts,’71, at (919) 760-8589 or mettssus@meredith.edu or Billie Jo Kennedy Cockman, ’79, at (919) 760-8371 or cockmanb@meredith.edu.
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lumnae Connection Notes and news for Meredith alumnae
Highlights Alumna Profile: Leesha Austin-Buehlmann, ’02. ...... 24 Class Rings Then and Now ............ .......... .. 26
Alumnae Reunion Weekend Schedule of Events Friday, May 13 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. 12 – 1 p.m.
Where in the World is Meredith? ...... . ..... 27 Alumna Profile: Martha Dobson, ’81 .. 28
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.
Alumna Profile: Leslie van den Berg, ’05 .............. ....... .. .... . 31 6 – 7 p.m.
7 – 10 p.m.
Registration – Johnson Hall Rotunda Class of 1961 and the Golden Oaks Society Luncheon – Belk Dining Hall Members of the Class of 1961 and the Golden Oaks Society are invited to attend a special luncheon with President Maureen Hartford. Campus Traditions Tours – meet in Johnson Hall, Rotunda Daisy Chain, Cornhuskin, oh the memories! Relive some of your beloved Meredith traditions and learn about some of the newer ones on this traditions tour of campus. Silver Reunion Cocktail Reception – Massey House, President’s Residence Members of the Class of 1986 are invited to a special pre-party reception with President Maureen Hartford in honor of their 25th Reunion. Reunion Reception – Massey House, President’s Residence You will not want to miss this party for all alumnae! Please join us for live music from the Band of Oz. Alumnae are encouraged to carpool; valet service will be available on site.
Saturday, May 14 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Registration – Johnson Hall Rotunda
10 – 11:30 a.m.
Meredith Alumnae Association Annual Meeting – Jones Auditorium Be a part of this special meeting as we present the alumnae annual awards. Deborah Jordan Matthews, ’74, will offer remarks as outgoing president of the Alumnae Association. Elizabeth Dove, ’84, will be inducted as the new president of the Alumnae Association.
8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Alumnae Market – Johnson Hall As you arrive on campus and throughout the day, a market of alumnae owned and operated businesses will be set up in Johnson Hall.
May 13-15, 2011 Register online: www.meredith.edu/alumnae
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Lunch – Belk Dining Hall $14/person, children 7-12 – $9, Children 6 & under Free.
1:45 – 3 p.m.
Reunion Class Meeting – Locations TBA
1:45 – 3 p.m.
Class Photos – SMB Courtyard
3:15 – 4:15 p.m.
Afternoon Sessions: Golf Tips on the Putting Green – Weatherspoon Gymnasium Cooking Demo – Martin Hall Apartment Tours – The Oaks Apartments Individual class activities will be held throughout the evening.
Sunday, May 15 10 a.m. 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
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Alumnae Worship Service – Jones Chapel Sunday Brunch – SMB Atrium $13/person, children 7-12 – $9, Children 6 & under Free
class notes Compiled by the Office of Alumnae & Parent Relations from September 21, 2010 – January 21, 2011. Information may be edited for space limitations and content restrictions. Submit class notes to your class agent, online at www.meredith.edu/alumnae, by email at alumnae@meredith.edu, by fax (919) 760-2818, or by phone to the Office of Alumnae and Parent Relations at (919) 760-8548. Deadline for the Summer 2011 issue is May 25, 2011. Submissions received after this date will appear in the Fall 2011 issue.
Susan Stancil Plyler, ’76, was incorrectly listed as
deceased in the Summer 2010 edition of the Meredith Magazine. We apologize for our error.
’44 June Baker Rawlins is pleased to announce the birth of her grandson in January.
’55 Lois Williams Gerald continues to own and operate
Dale’s Seafood of Whiteville, N.C. She continues to enjoy traveling.
’63 Barbara Blanchard Allen enjoys traveling with Bettie Mac, Kappie, Anna Shadoin, Lou Morgan, and Philecta Clark. Over the past seven years they have enjoyed trips to Spain, Ireland, China and Costa Rica. Barbara has two children living close by who have blessed her with three grandchildren, ages 16, 13, and six. She enjoys being a docent at the NC Museum of Art. Martha Spence Blount and her husband spend as much time traveling as possible. Their son and his family live in San Diego, Calif., so several trips a year take them there. Harriet Rivers Brower retired from teaching and enjoys traveling with her husband. She and her husband just returned from Vail, Colorado. They also spend a great deal of time at their lake house. Susan Leathers Burnette has grandchildren ages three and 18-months. She teaches piano two afternoons a week and plays in a handbell group at church. She and daughter, Beth Burnette, ‘94, went to England this summer. Nancy Williams Cheek is having fun with her two future Meredith angels: granddaughters ages four and seven. She is a volunteer tutor with third graders in Durham. Cheek is now serving as vice chair of the Board of Trustees and vice chair of the search committee for our new college president. Elizabeth Haywood Derreth is enjoying a second career as president of Housing Forms, INC., a company that supplies forms to housing authorities across the U.S. This is quite a change from her first career as a teacher. Annette McFall Epps retired from teaching in the science
lab at Lacy Elementary in 2003. Her time is filled with volunteering, church work and grandchildren. She also enjoys reading, playing bridge and working out at the Alexander YMCA. Velma McGee Ferrell has just completed two wonderful years as manager of the gift shop at the Chapel Hill Museum. Now that the museum has closed, she is looking forward to discovering her next adventure. Jane Link Fleming wrote to announce the birth of her new granddaughter in January. She has been enjoying retirement and sees it as a gift of time to travel to New York City, Goldsboro, N.C., and to Miami, Fla., to visit her three grandchildren. Fleming is staying busy with choir, handbells, and teaching Sunday school. Kappie Weede Griggs spent the week of Thanksgiving with her children, their spouses and her eight grandchildren (ages three to eight) on a Disney Cruise followed by three days and nights at Disney World. Kathy Smith Knowles is still working full time in medical insurance for the Headache Wellness Center in Greensboro and plans to retire early in 2011. She has a 6-month old grandson in Chicago. Betty Jo Johnson Pearson traveled with husband to Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore and the Canadian Rockies in July. They happily spent the rest of summer at Lake Gaston.
She is enjoying her 11 grandchildren! Mary Fran Carver Perkinson’s first grandchild is off to college in the fall. Her sixth grandchild will enter kindergarten in the fall as well. Her daughter is now running her own counseling practice. Perkinson writes, “Life is good!” Bettie McManus Phillips has a new granddaughter. Her family totals five grandchildren and two daughters. Anna Shadoin Rickell has a part-time private practice in Spartanburg, S.C., and is the secretary of the South Carolina Society of Clinical Social Work. Her grandchildren are five and three. Her son’s family is in Atlanta and her daughter’s family lives in Seattle, Wash. Rickell loves to travel. Ellen Lockhart Rogers’ children keep her traveling since they live in Florida and New Mexico. The five grandchildren range from two to 10 years old. Ellen enjoys volunteering at the N.C. Museum of Art, playing bridge and Skype-ing with her grandchildren. Brenda Bunn Taylor retired from teaching middle school several years ago. She has since been traveling from Vermont to Minnesota and back to North Carolina to visit grandchildren. She’s enjoying book clubs, volunteer work and occasionally teaching law enforcement officers who work with DARE programs. She’s still in Raleigh—for now.
Two More Reasons Your Gift Matters Did you know that an important marker for school rankings is the percentage of alumnae who give back to their college? It’s true. Organizations like U.S. News and World Report include alumnae giving rates as part of their ranking formula. Even more important, prospective students see alumnae giving as an indication of graduates’ satisfaction with their educational experience. Your gift supports current students and shows that you value your Meredith education. It also strengthens your degree by providing important financial support for the College.
Be One in a Million. Give to The Meredith Fund today. www.meredith.edu/million M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r i n g 2 011 /
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alumnae Connection
Alumna Helps Meredith Student Gain Experience in Global Environment By Melyssa Allen
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eredith students frequently complete internships in the Triangle area, but one student is gaining international experience, thanks to alumna Leesha Austin-Buehlmann, ’02. Austin-Buehlmann, an English major originally from Taylorsville, N.C., works at Texas Instruments (TI) in the company’s office in Freising, Germany. She serves as internal communications manager for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) sales and marketing. When the opportunity to hire an internal communications intern came up, Austin-Buehlmann wanted to offer this internship experience to a Meredith student. “I had the idea that this would be a great work and international experience for a Meredith student.” AustinBuehlmann said. “Our office in Germany includes employees from more than 40 different countries. English is the business language, but you’ll hear multiple languages as you walk through the halls.” On a visit to Meredith, she met with the College’s Academic & Career Planning staff, who helped recruit Amanda Baity, ’13, a business administration major from Nags Head, N.C., for the position. Baity has spent the 2010-11 Leesha Austin-Buehlmann, ’02, academic year in the internship. (left) is interviewed by intern The internship’s location in Germany was Amanda Baity, ’13. appealing to Baity. “I love to travel, and saw this as a perfect opportunity to do that while simultaneously getting practical work experience,” Baity said. The experience has also helped Baity define her career plans. “I feel like I have found my niche. Working in the Internal Communications Department has really strengthened my interest in the communication field,” Baity said. “Before I came to Germany, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my business major, but now I would like to do something with business communications. I also have a much better understanding of the corporate work environment.” Austin-Buehlmann believes international experience is beneficial to everyone. She studied abroad after college, and this non-traditional choice led to her current career. “As a Meredith student, I wanted to study abroad, but in the end, I didn’t, and I did regret it. A year after graduation, I took a big risk by leaving my job and going with the Meredith Abroad group to study in the U.K. for the summer,” AustinBuehlmann said. “It was one of the bravest, scariest and best decisions I’ve ever made. It was the first step in the journey that has led me to where I am now.” Alumnae: If your company has an internship program, contact Academic & Career Planning to find out how to recruit Meredith students. Visit www.meredith.edu/acp for more information. 24
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’65 Sarah Carver Adams lives in Raleigh, enjoys being a
retired teacher/administrator, grandmother, volunteer at Camp Seafarer/Sea Gull and member of various committees at church. Betty Jo Steele Anderson lives on Lake Norman and enjoys being in the ‘content lane’. She is retired, volunteers at church and enjoys her grandchildren. Phoebe Lassiter Clarke is retired and loving it. She spends time with grandchildren and travels. Penny Adams Creech and her husband moved to Clayton in 1996 to be close to their parents. She stays busy with their 4-year old granddaughter, church, bridge, canasta, travel and volunteer work. Martha Branon Edwards and her husband are enjoying retirement and their eight grandchildren - all six years old and younger. Martha House Helms and her husband, both happy and well, are retired and enjoying visiting their children and grandchildren who live all over the U.S. Mary Ann Britt Hopkins retired after 20 years with Wake County Schools. She divides her time between her two homes in Cary and on the coast. She fills her days playing with her two granddaughters, playing bridge, gardening and spending time with friends. Ginger Brown Horton and her husband have retired and moved from Chapel Hill, N.C., to Prescott, Arizona. Donna Dull Hurt continues to enjoy her fulltime work as a director of Christian education at a church in Lexington, N.C. Mondays are her day off with the church and day on with the grandchildren. She is ‘G-mama’ to four of them, all still preschool age. Jane Guion Kanipe and husband enjoy traveling, NC State sports and volunteer activities, including Raleigh Fine Arts. Crystal Hartness Leathers retired from teaching in 2001. She and her husband moved to Winston Salem, N.C., in August 2009 after he retired as pastor of First Baptist, Hickory. They are enjoying retirement, spending time with their family (three grandchildren) and renewing old friendships. Cindy Swayne Morris is retired from teaching. She and her husband moved to Charlotte, N.C., in 2009. Lynn Myers has lived in Raleigh for the past 43 years. She taught biology for 15 years then entered the corporate world for the next 20 years at the North Carolina Bankers Association. Currently retired, she is enjoying the “slow lane” by taking art classes and reading. Gail Williams O’Brien retired from NC State after 30 years as a history professor and associate dean in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. She currently teaches homeless and at-risk youth weekly. Jo Ann Stafford Peer retired from IBM after 40 years in management. She and her recently retired husband have two daughters and two grandsons who live in Manhattan. Becky Parker Shue is retired and enjoying her grandchil-
alumnae Connection dren and cruising. She also enjoys teaching an adult women’s Sunday school class and taking Bible studies. Carol Andrews Southerland and her husband live in Morehead City. Carol does some private tutoring for SAT/ACT two days a week. She has two sons and one grandson in Birmingham, Ala. Lura Penney Stringer is still working as a real estate agent in Shillington, Penn., enjoys traveling and spending time with her three children and three grandchildren. Marion Welch Thorn is enjoying retirement from medical sales and 40 years as church organist. She keeps busy with organizations in Currituck and Dare Counties. She and her husband enjoy spending time at their house in Boone, which is closer to their two daughters and their families. Martha Plyler Tracy retired in 2005 from the NC Museum of History after more than 23 years in museum education. She and her husband moved to Hendersonville, N.C., in 2006, where she was active in opening Hands-On Children’s Museum and in tutoring local elementary students. In June 2009, she was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor, which she continues to fight. Diane Truelove just celebrated 10 years at Mulkey Engineers and consultants as an office assistant. Truelove is also busy helping raise a sevenyear old grandson and volunteering in his classroom. She also enjoys working out, reading and quilting. Dottie Bullock Wilkerson is retired and living in Sylvania, Ohio. Wilkerson enjoys traveling and spending time with her two children and grandchildren.
’67 Judy Ellis Daniels has retired from teaching but is
still teaching piano privately. She has four grandchildren and one great grandchild.
’68 Tesse Ayers Griffin and her husband continue to live in
Winston Salem, N.C. She still enjoys her time as a private tutor and has three grandchildren in Greensboro.
’70 Ann Carroll Ward writes that she had a great time
reconnecting with the Class of 1970 at reunion weekend.
’72 Lynda Bell Moore has retired after more than 25
years of teaching academically gifted students in Onslow County in Florida. She is enjoying time with her two grandchildren.
’73 Andrea Rodler Andrew’s daughter was married in May, 2010. Her daughter now lives in Germany, and Andrew traveled there to visit with her daughter for
Pass It On According to recent surveys, 98% of our alumnae would recommend Meredith to others. Alumnae are wonderful ambassadors for the College. You understand instinctively who will thrive at Meredith and can relate your own positive experiences to prospective students. If you know a young woman who might be a good fit for Meredith, we invite you to help her make a connection with us. Encourage her to visit campus—or bring her yourself! Suggest that she become a fan of Meredith College on Facebook or share a copy of Meredith Magazine with her. If she’s ready to apply for college, you can provide her with a voucher that will waive the application fee at Meredith. Your encouragement may very well change her life! You can download and print the admissions voucher at www.meredith. edu/alumnae/alumna-voucher.pdf.
Christmas. Nancy Bass Drake is teaching middle school social studies in Burlington. Drake also writes that she became a grandmother in 2010. Pat Scott Finn lives in Chapel Hill, N.C., and is the managing editor of “Renal Failure,” a medical journal. Michelle Rich Goode enjoys taking meals to Dr. Ione Knight every week. She recently rotated off the Meredith Board of Trustees after two terms and was the chair for one year; in addition, she is the owner of Rich Commercial Realty in Raleigh. Susan Herring lives in Raleigh. She is retired from teaching but works part time for Wake County schools teaching math intervention at the school where she did her student teaching while at Meredith. Deborah Tingle McCutchen and her husband now own the Amelia Island Williams House, a bed and breakfast in Amelia Island, Fla. The house was built in 1856. Donna Salem Naeser is retired from teaching and is enjoying teaching piano and getting ready for her students’ recitals at Meredith. She is also a health coach with Take Shape for Life. She has done three triathlons and is training for her fourth in May. Paula Gupton Page lives in Raleigh where she has been state legislative director for the North Carolina Farm Bureau for 29 years. Brenda Richardson lives in Raleigh and is the director of international operations for Genworth Financial. Richardson and Susan Herring had a blast on their trip to Italy in 2010. Mary Penn Fitzsimmons Sherlin lives in Raleigh and is currently in sales management for Gilead Sciences. She has been married for 36 years, is
the mother of two grown sons and has two grandchildren. Sherlin writes that she “enjoys the informal group of the greater Raleigh area class of ’73 angels … the warmth and love in the group lifts me up each time we are together.” Connie Frazier Turlington is the facility manager for Allscripts, a medical software developer. Turlington also enjoys knitting.
’74 Hope Faircloth Coffey, Peggy Walser Howard, Kathy Fleetwood McNeill, Cindy Godwin, Lissy Wall, Christy Farrior, and Linda Keith Ray recently met for lunch in Raleigh and had a wonderful time catching up on their lives. Christy Farrior has moved to Cary as the new assistant director for music at First United Methodist Church. She and Linda Keith Ray have been able to have lunch together as Ray is also in Cary. Cindy Godwin and Dan Unkefer traveled to Barcelona, Spain, over Thanksgiving where they caught up with Dan’s brother and sister and visited Gaudi attractions. Phoenix Chen Haydon has just returned from Taiwan where she has been working with her mother in a Taiwanese school started by her mother. Peggy Walser Howard writes that she has recently begun work as a testing coordinator for the Halifax County School system. Kathy Fleetwood McNeill is a teacher in Sanford, N.C. Debbie Pugh Miller’s son and wife are expecting Miller’s second grandchild soon. Linda Keith Ray welcomed her first granddaughter in January 2010. Ray has gone on short-term M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r i ng 2 011 /
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alumnae Connection disability from work because of her fight with ovarian cancer. She is doing well currently and is about to finish her fourth round of chemo. Ray and Kitty Brewer Spillman took the winter Meredith alumnae trip to New York City in November and while there met up with Cindy Godwin. A festive time was had by all. Peggy Karstedt Sanders and her husband recently rode their bicycles from Asheville, N.C., to Ocean Isle, N.C., in seven days. They look forward to riding their bikes across the U.S. once they retire in a few years.
’76 Betty Freeman Martin has retired after 30 years
of teaching. Karen Britt Peeler is now working for Herring, Mills & Kratt, PLLC in Raleigh, N.C.
’78 Mazie Swindell Smith was named interim county
manager by the Hyde County Board of Commissioners. Beth Wicker Walters is working as an adjunct professor at Northeastern Technical College teaching art appreciation and film appreciation. Walters is also cochair of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths, and chair of the juried group Artisans of the South Carolina Cotton Trail. Her work was featured in an exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Natural Science in November.
’80
’84
Hunter Dudley Darden is an author and recently
Robin Rowe Faulkner is the first woman prin-
published a new book titled, “I Only Eat Trout,” which explores childhood anxiety. Her book explains an effective way to help children manage their fears and worries. Becky Parrish Green received the N.C. Music Educators Association 2009 Orchestra Teacher of the Year. Leigh Walters was awarded the N.C. Music Educators Association 2009 Richard Keasler Middle School Chorus Teacher of the Year. Walters is also the N.C. Music Educators Association Middle School Chorus Section Chair for 2010-2011.
cipal of Bunn High School, her alma mater. She has just completed her third year in this position. Carolyn Quincy Foil lives in Charlotte, N.C., with her three children. She is the executive director of Central Piedmont Community College Services Corporation, a non-profit organization supporting projects of the college.
’81 Judith Carr Reel writes that her daughter will be graduating on Mother’s Day 2011. She and her family have recently moved to Virginia and are glad to be back in the south.
’83 Anne Poe Matthews and Kim Easton Patterson, suitemates while at Meredith, are excited to announce that their children are engaged to be married in April 2011.
B
’87 Jennifer Hubbard recently completed her first book, “Paper Covers Rock,” which will be published by Random House this June. Hubbard and her husband live in Asheville now.
’89 Katy Weatherly Benningfield is working as a
professional blogger and writes about national and North Carolina politics. She has one son and is married to a systems engineer with Alcatel-Lucent. They live in Raleigh and own a home on the beach in Emerald Isle, N.C. Michelle Davis Stivers became the director of Southampton County Department of Social Services in Courtland, Va., on September 1, 2010. She has worked in social services for 21 years. Treva Spellman Wheeler is starting her 22nd year working for Delta Airlines in Atlanta. She is also managing her husband’s real estate company.
’90
B
Dawn Flynn Euman is back from Japan after a two
year tour with her husband. Her family is currently stationed in Virginia Beach, Va. Euman is working at Landstown High School teaching math analysis, statistics and algebra. Deanna Harris is the 2010-11 president of the N.C. School Library Media Association. Tracy Sternberg has been named the chief development officer for Girl Scouts in the North Carolina Coastal Pines region.
’91
B
B
Class Rings then & now 26
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Melinda Henderson Desmarais is serving as a community health and wellness director for the Harris and Harris Express YMCA. Desmarais is also an avid cyclist and triathlete. She recently completed her second Ironman Triathlon and is planning for her third.
’94 Sheryl R. Long received her Ph.D. in curriculum
and instruction from NC State in May of 2010. She is now working for Chowan University as an assistant professor of education.
alumnae Connection
’95 Amy Whitt Phillips was recently selected as Bonlee
School Teacher of the Year and Chatham County NCCTM Secondary Math Teacher of the Year. Phillips also achieved National Board certification in early adolescent math.
’96 Elizabeth Brinkley Edwards writes that she was
diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma in 2009 and then underwent a stem cell transplant in 2010. She is currently in remission. Elanie King Corbett and her husband own and operate “A Beach Wedding Minister - Weddings of Topsail” which performs about 400 weddings in Coastal North Carolina each year. Ashley Carawan White is working as a teacher in Wake Forest, N.C.
’97 Paula Parks-Fitzhughes owns a photography studio, Creative Creations, in Clayton. Deanna Lemond LaMotte has taught English, composition, literature and/or linguistics in Wajima, Japan; Boston, Mass.; Mokpo, South Korea; Atlanta, Ga; Asheville, N.C., and Brisbane, Australia. She has a toddler son, and she looks forward to making him a Harry Potter fan.
’98 Leigh Sitzman is now working as a senior program manager with Apple Sales Operations. Carol Swink Wooten was named a regional teacher of the year in 2009 and won a Presidential Award for Teaching in Science and Mathematics. Wooten was honored at the White House.
’01 Leslie Maxwell is pursuing an MFA in creative nonfiction at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. Rachel Tidwell Walker is teaching English at Cape Fear Community College.
’02 Christina Holder is pursuing a Master of Divinity
at Duke Divinity School. Holder was hired as a communications associate for the school’s Center for Reconciliation, which focuses on engaging the universal church in the ministry of reconciliation, specifically racial and post-war reconciliation efforts.
’03 Kylene Dibble and her husband recently returned
to Raleigh with their daughter so her husband can attend a Ph.D. program at NC State. Dibble is working as a mentor advocate with homeless families at PLM
MC in NYC More than 50 alumnae and friends took over the Big Apple this past November. Alumnae enjoyed city tours, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, a performance of the Broadway hit “Promises, Promises” as well as sight-seeing and shopping! Alumnae and friends from various class years enjoyed the opportunity to travel with one another as well as with a group from the College.
in ere Wh is orld h? w edit the Mer
Melody Yow, ’99, enjoyed the opportunity to meet other alumnae, and noted, “I felt an instant heartfelt connection to all my fellow Meredith grads that I spent time with on this trip. There’s nothing more special than meeting others who graduated before or after you and being able to tell stories of shared Meredith traditions. It was fun to see how many of us actually remembered that Chaucer poem we all had to memorize! What a very special time we spent together on such a beautiful fall weekend. I hope to make it a new tradition.” After spending time in the city with two of her college friends, Laura Cress, ’04, recalled, “The NYC alumnae trip was a wonderful opportunity to connect with Meredith alums of all ages. It was the perfect blend of planned activities and free time to spend at your leisure, all for an unbeatable price. I had an unforgettable weekend!” The Office of Alumnae & Parent Relations is already working on the next New York trip. Those dates are November 18-20, 2011. If you are interested in the New York trip, please contact Hilary Allen, ’01, director of alumnae & parent relations, at (919) 760-8751 or allenh@meredith.edu.
Families Together. Alma Nora Duran was promoted to human resources director at Metters Inc. in McLean, Va. She is responsible for leading all HR functions for the organization. Duran was recently awarded the President’s Award for a second year in a row in recognition of her exceptional contributions. Natasha Matheny Michaels’ research entitled “Retrospective analysis of community pharmacists’ recommendations in the North Carolina Medicaid medication therapy management program” was published in the May/June 2010 issue of Journal of the American Pharmacists Association. Michaels was also awarded the North Carolina Association of the Pharmacists Community Care Pharmacist of the Year. Christy Sadler is now living in the Washington, D.C. area.
’04 Amanda Smith Browning earned her National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification in Physical Education-Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood. This is her seventh year of teaching at Aycock Middle School in Guilford County. Holly McGhin Bell is in graduate school at the University of Virginia.
’05 Kendra Keech Alexander is the director of development and communications in the College of Education at East Carolina University. Emily Mitchell Drake is the research and assessment specialist at Craven Community College in New Bern, NC. Kristen Duffer is the preschool director at the Children’s Center at Clarksville Baptist Church. Karoline Grant received her M.ED. in reading and literacy from Boston College. Amanda Cook Hatfield is the minister at First Christian Church of Eden, N.C. Mary Hemphill received her Master of School Administration from Western Carolina University and is the assistant principal at Statesville High School. Katie Holloman received National Board Certification. Margaret Hudson received her Master of Science in nutrition from Meredith College. Ava Leigh Jackson is an elementary school teacher at Dream Big Christian Academy in Dunn, N.C. Jenny Sloop Johnson is the assistant director of career services for the Master of Engineering Management Program at Duke University. Leslie van den Berg is teaching first grade at Concordia International School in Shanghai, China. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r i ng 2 011 /
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alumnae Connection
Alumna Serves as Iditarod Teacher on the Trail By Melyssa Allen
M
artha Dobson, ’81, helped bring Alaska’s famed Iditarod race to classrooms across the U.S., by serving as the Target® 2011 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™. Dobson, a sixth grade English and language arts teacher at Mount Pleasant Middle School, in Mount Pleasant, N.C., was selected for this position by the Iditarod Trail Committee. “They say that books can take you places,” Dobson said. “Teaching and a book, ‘Woodsong,’ by Gary Paulsen took me to Alaska.” When Dobson returned to teaching nine years ago, she chose to teach the book, which covers Paulsen’s experiences learning to run sled dogs and features a journal of his Iditarod race. She went to Anchorage to hear Paulsen speak before the 2005 Iditarod race start; she also rode in a sled during the ceremonial race start and watched the official start. “Watching the teams, the dogs, the mushers, and seeing the amazing place that Alaska is really caught me,” Dobson said. “Alaska has entranced me ever since. Shortly after, I discovered the Iditarod Teacher on the Trail position and started in 2006 working toward applying for it.” The Iditarod, a race of more than 1,150 miles from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska, has Martha Dobson, ’81 been called the “last great race on Earth.” The race is a wonderful teaching tool, according to Dobson, who uses it as a topic in her classroom each year. Her students conduct online research, learn about citing sources, create brochures on topics related to the Iditarod, and use race statistics to learn math, graphs and how to read charts. (Visit her Iditarod blog, www.itcteacheronthetrail.wordpress.com for more teaching ideas.) “Teachers know that if they can get their students interested in a topic, then the students are engaged, and the teacher can use that engagement to teach the skills those students need to learn,” Dobson said. “The first thing [about the Iditarod] that hooks the kids is the dogs. Then, the uniqueness of this event catches them.” As Teacher on the Trail, Dobson provided lesson ideas that teachers and students could use to learn more about the Iditarod race. Prior to the race she made presentations about the Iditarod to classes and to other community groups. During the race, held in March, she traveled to checkpoints and reported on her experiences on the blog, and via videoconferencing with classrooms. Dobson hopes her experience does more than teach about the race. “I hope my trip and adventure serves as encouragement for others to take advantage of an opportunity that may come their way in life,” Dobson said. “I never thought I’d go to Alaska … and now I’ve gone for my eighth trip.”
’06 Jennifer Hilton-Adcock recently graduated from
nursing school at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences with an Associate of Science in Nursing in May 2010. Talley Rouse Evans is the 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year at Hunter Elementary School. Elizabeth Newton received her MFA in scenic design from the University of Southern Mississippi. She now lives in Raleigh working as a freelance designer for local theatre companies, including Meredith College.
’07 Heather Blackwood is now living in Richmond, Va.,
working as a corporate sales executive at Richmond International Raceway. Autumn Metzger is a firstyear medical student in Oregon.
’08 ToniAnn Gambella graduated from Seton Hall
University in May with a master’s degree in speech language pathology and is employed at New Beginnings, a school for children with autism and other disabilities. Gambella lives in Hoboken, N.J., the home of Frank Sinatra and baseball. Rebecca Lewis is working on her Master of Arts in intercultural studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C.
’09 Natalie Braswell is working for Mullen Advertising in Winston-Salem, N.C. Amy Lewis is teaching in Currituck County, N.C. Whitney Wilson is working in Florida for a non-profit called To Write Love on Her Arms, based in Cocoa, Florida.
MARRIAGES 1946 Peggy Haywood Gregory to Morris Jones, 6/26/10.
1974 Peggy Karstedt to Joe Sanders, 5/22/10.
1993 Malisa Harris to David Hart, 5/28/10.
1995 Heather Rogers to Jeffrey Beasley, 8/27/10.
1996 Kacey Reynolds to Matthew Schedler, 10/30/10.
2000 Alicia Lanier to David Jones, 5/7/10.
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alumnae Connection
“
Memorable Moment
“
Our Alumnae Reunion Weekend was a great stroll down memory lane. I was able to meet women from the class of 1940 and reconnect with my ‘so divine’ classmates from 1999. My four years at Meredith College will always be the best years of my life!” – Nelly Navarro-Britt, ’99
M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r i ng 2 011 /
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alumnae Connection 2003
Calling all Angels!
Bonnie Avery Arciniegas, a daughter, Lucia
The Meredith College alumnae group allows all alumnae on Facebook to network and reconnect. Each month, members will receive a campus update from Alumnae Director Hilary Allen. Find us on Facebook by searching for the group titled “Meredith College Alumnae.”
2001 Shannon Morris to Jake Fox, 10/16/10. Emily Phillips to Troy Herring, 11/6/10. Kelly Pryor to Paul
Bryan, 10/9/10.
2002
BIRTHS 1989 Cheryl Whitfield Moreland, a daughter, Caroline
Elizabeth, 2/2/09. Treva Spellman Wheeler, a son, David, 12/8/10.
Kimberly Waddell to Jeremiah G. Osborne.
1996
2003
Paula Beam Anstrom, a son, Eli Henry, 11/23/10.
Whitney Wooten to Russel Cato, 10/2/10.
1997
2004
Collyn Evans, a daughter, Roxie Stoudemire Fink, 9/19/10. Heidi Schunk Moe, a son, Ethan Andrew, 3/11/10. Megan Schmidt Phelps, a son, Davis Scott, 4/10/10. Jonna Anderson Yarbrough, a daughter, Eleanor ‘Nora’ Tesh, 11/18/10.
Lindsey Jones to Matthew Renaud, 10/2/10. Erin McGraw, MBA graduate, to Brad Donald Worley,
MBA graduate, 4/30/11.
2005 Leslie Bloem to Kenneth Almond, 10/9/10. Charlotte Burton to Ryan Heroux, 10/30/10. Laura Ashley Marshburn to John William Simmons, Jr., 10/16/10. Katherine Monaghan to Thomas Gluyas Nisbet, III, 10/2/10. Courtney Morris to Jackson Newberry, 10/2/10. Ann Castelloe to Gregory Morrison, 6/5/10. Zenaya Davis to Toriano Marsh, 8/27/09.
2006
1998 Katherine Miller Laskey, a daughter, Molly Katherine, 5/29/10. Shanda Dunn Snead, a daughter, Riley Quinn, 7/22/10. Kristi Hunsinger Woodard, a daughter, Lila Kathryn ‘Lila Kate’, 4/29/10.
1999 Jenni Laws Barker, a son, Raymond Merrill,
11/8/10. Heather Adkins Holt, a daughter, Holly Noel, 5/18/09.
Carey Amanda Blake to Brian Harris, 9/18/10.
2000
Kara Norville to Matthew Leggett, 4/17/10. Mea-
Shannon Summerlin Craver, a son, Jackson Glenn,
gan Gail Matt to Clint Maddox, 9/25/10. Jennifer Back to Justin Stehle, 9/4/10.
10/12/10. Beth Clark Robbins, a son, Everett Neal, 8/29/10.
2007
2001
Angie Lapino to Jeremy Patrick, 9/19/10. Elizabeth
Jenna Leggett Leissner, a daughter, Mary Walter Elizabeth, 12/29/10. Adrian Pearce Martin, a daughter, Cheyenne Elizabeth, 1/11/11. Elizabeth Bondurant Spries, a daughter, Anne Porter, 1/3/11. Katie McLean White, a daughter, Barrett Katherine, 8/27/10.
Cullen Thompson to Ashley Moser, 9/18/10.
2008 Shannon Walsh to Robbie Boyd, 9/25/10. Lizzy Boyles to Josh Bain, 9/25/10. Stephanie Ann Davis to Brian Smith, 10/9/10. Rebecca Vannoy to
Joshua Bailey, 6/26/10.
2002 Jenny Brooks Johnston, a daughter, Elizabeth
2010 Lauren White to Geoffrey McLawhorn, 9/7/10. Elizabeth “Fallen” Yeager to Joseph King, 10/3/10. 30
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Camille, 2/19/10. Jessica Tanner Kincaid, a son, Bishop Lee, 11/26/10. Meghan Wiest Retseck, a son, Liam David, 8/31/10.
Elizabeth, 7/14/10. Jennifer Carter Hare, a daughter, Kailyn Elizabeth, 1/13/11. Holden Burke Hayes, a daughter, Evelyn Ruth, 12/27/10. Rachel Burton Kincaid, a daughter, Barrett Reese, 12/23/10. Natasha Matheny Michaels, a daughter, Carly Marie, 11/14/10. Elizabeth Stephenson Pelter, a daughter, Lily Kate, 7/3/10. Becca King Stephens, Parker Elizabeth, 12/21/10. Meg Perdue Wyatt, a son, Ayden Samuel, 10/4/10.
2004 Jennifer McClees Birch, a son, Robert Michael
Birch, III, 10/26/10.
2005 Paula Stewart Hendrickson, a son, Beckett Clark, and a daughter, Hazel Sloane, 12/20/10. Jessica Wilson Kelly, a son, Liam Michael, 2/24/10. Allison Clapp Marth, a daughter, Leah Elisabeth, 10/22/10. Elizabeth Wilson McAllister, a son, Harrison James, 10/1/10. Melissa Pendergraft McMurry, a daughter, Summer Jane, 10/15/10. Christa Morrison, a daughter, Emma Rose, 5/7/10. Zenaya Davis Marsh, a daughter, Zairah Toriana, 9/1/10. Claudia David Powell, a daughter, Abigail Anne, 12/2/10. Leann Ruff Wilson, a daughter, Kensie Grace, 10/13/10.
2006 Jennifer Hilton-Adcock, a daughter, Chloe Alyse,
10/29/10. Melissa Poe Parks, a daughter, Ella Ruth, 11/25/10.
2007 Katherine Murray, a daughter, Lillian Elizabeth,
5/11/10. Caitlin Spicola Skotnicki, a daughter, Vivien Anne, 7/23/10.
2008 Jessica Wolf Driscoll, a son, John Liam, 5/5/10.
DEATHS 1934 Katharine Davis Ogburn, 12/25/10.
1936 Elizabeth Watson Rodwell Daniel, 10/12/10. Alice Rubenstein Ehrlich, 1/13/11.
1937 Ruth Ray Abernethy Benton, 9/1/10.
alumnae Connection 1938 Nancy Waldine Bass McClenny, 9/8/10. Mary Stewart Warner, 1/21/11. Jane Yelverton Wells,
12/31/10.
1939 Sada Louise Clarke, 10/23/10.
1940 Lottie Ruth Allen Pick, 9/21/10.
1941 Josephine Douglass Dixon, 12/5/10. Jean Beddingfield Murchison, 2/10.
1942 Elizabeth Tucker Wagoner, 1/15/11.
1944 Martha Lindsey Gould, 12/3/10.
1945 Edna Lou Lamb Aldrich, 1/1/11. Janie Sue Allen Carpenter, 10/18/10.
1947 Lucille Ballentine Bass, 11/12/10.
1949 Opal Clemmons Johnson, 1/13/11. Mary Humphrey Langston, 1/14/11.
1952 Anne Creech Freeman, 10/22/10. Norma Howard Lewis, 10/29/10.
1953 Alice Champion Hart, 11/2/10.
1956 Ellen Scofield Silvers, 5/19/10.
1958 Martha McIntyre Hill, 9/29/10.
1967 Alice Miller Allison, 11/10/10.
1968 Mary Singleton, 11/25/10.
SYMPATHY 1934 Martha Davis Lowrance in the death of her sister.
1937 Ruth Nowell Aspden in the death of her husband.
Living in China is an Adventure for Meredith Alumna By Melyssa Allen
W
hile Leslie van den Berg’s classroom is in China, for her, the rewards of teaching are universal. “The most rewarding aspect of my job is the same as any teacher – seeing children learn and get excited about learning,” she said. “I love watching their faces light up when they gain new understanding or reach a new goal.” Van den Berg, who graduated from Meredith in 2005 with a degree in child development and K-6 licensure, teaches first grade at Concordia International School Shanghai. Concordia accepts international students who speak English and the school follows an American curriculum. “Since all of the children speak English, my role is the same as that of a first grade teacher in the U.S.,” van den Berg said. “I teach reading, writing, math, science, social studies and religion/Bible.” After teaching at West Lake Elementary School in Apex, N.C., van den Berg started exploring teaching internationally. Her previous international experience was participating in several mission trips, in locations including Peru and India. “In September of 2009, I started looking into teaching at international Christian schools throughout the world,” van den Berg said. “I wanted to teach in a Leslie van den Berg, ’05 school for children whose parents are missionaries, and I applied to several schools throughout the world.” She began a two-year contract at Concordia in August 2010, and has the option of continuing once her contract ends. The education program at Meredith prepared her well for this experience. “The education department always emphasized reflecting, which has proved extremely beneficial in making me the teacher I am today. I am constantly thinking about what I am teaching and how I am teaching. If a method does not work, or if a child needs a different technique, I am able to adapt and change to meet the child’s needs. That is what teaching is all about.” While van den Berg has found Shanghai to be “very Westernized in many ways,” she said there are many surprising aspects to living in China. “Imagine going to the grocery store and seeing a basket of live toads or turtles,” van den Berg said. “Every day brings a new adventure.”
Pauline ‘Pinky’ Davis Perry in the death of her cousin. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / S p r i n g 2 011 /
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alumnae Connection 1943 Nan Davis Van Every in the death of her sister.
1946 Mary Davis Davidson in the death of her sister.
1947 Vicky Manty Chesnutt in the death of her husband.
1948 Eloise Capps in the death of her husband. Mary Frances Keene Remsburg in the death of her husband.
1949 Eunice Andrews Bland in the death of her
husband.
1952
Meredith Marketplace A link to view and purchase items from the Alumnae Collection can be found on the Alumnae Home page. The alumnae merchandise collection includes Tervis Tumblers®, Vineyard Vines® Custom Collection tote bags and ties, travel coffee mugs, his/hers dog collars, children’s tees and more. You may also contact our office to place an order at (919) 760-8548 or alumnae@meredith.edu.
Jerry Staton Batchelor in the death of her husband. Peggy Walser Howard in the death of her mother.
1988
Dorothy Thomas Bowers in the death of her
Ann Lowery Shivar in the death of her father and in
Anna Chamblee Ingrum in the death of her
husband.
the death of her mother.
grandmother.
1954
1975
1953
Mary Brooks Booth in the death of her daughter.
Susan Senter Worrell in the death of her niece.
Dorothy Hampton Marcus in the death of her brother.
1976
1955
Amy Garber Byrd in the death of her nephew.
Mimi Royster Wilkins in the death of her husband.
1978
1962
Sherry Singer Edgerton in the death of her father.
Ida Carol Senter Wilson in the death of her niece.
Beth Wicker Walters in the death of her mother.
1964
1979
Penelope Senter Bethune in the death of her
Elizabeth Langston Deal in the death of her
daughter. Frieda Farmer Bostian in the death of her mother.
Billie Hartsell Freeman in the death of her mother.
mother. Carolyn Waddell Keziah in the death of her husband. April Dean King in the death of her father. Barbara Hart West in the death of her mother. Robin Pike Zevenhuizen in the death of her father-in-law.
1966
1980
1965
1989 Gretchen Holt Witt in the death of her son. Donna L. Fowler-Marchant in the death of her mother.
1991 Marta Infante DeMartino in the death of her father.
1992 Lesley Chamblee Hunt in the death of her grand-
mother.
1994 Betsy McLamb Downing in the death of her daughter.
2000 Melanie Chrisp -Thorpe in the death of her mother.
Leigh Osborne in the death of her father, mother
2003
husband.
and brother-in-law.
Jacqueline Phillips Weatherly in the death of her
1967
1981
Barbara Watson Hawkins in the death of her
Mary Frances Senter Kear in the death of her niece.
Jeannie Bowers Phillips in the death of her father.
2005
1982
Kathryn Bailey Runy in the death of her father and in the death of her grandfather.
Joan Elaine Miller in the death of her mother.
1972
Liz Harrell Newell in the death of her nephew.
Lydia Senter Langdon in the death of her niece.
1973
grandfather.
1983 Susan Davis Johnson in the death of her father.
Cynthia Capps Landvater in the death of her father.
2008 Jill Guyton in the death of her brother.
1984
2009
Carolyn Quincy Foil in the death of her mother.
Ashley King in the death of her father.
Elaine Jackson Bowen in the death of her mother.
1986
2010
Susan DeLeon Hoffman in the death of her father.
Ann Davis Douglas in the death of her father.
Kim Jennings in the death of her father.
Paula Gupton Page in the death of her husband.
1974
32
/ Meredith M a ga z i n e / S pr i n g 2 0 11
SS
ummer at Meredith Activities and Programs for the Meredith Community
Learn
Grow
Summer School
Looking Toward College: A Residential Program for High School Women
New online course options make it easy for Meredith students and other college students to get ahead or catch up in their studies. Learn more: www.meredith.edu/summer
An opportunity for high school women to explore what college life is really like. June 21-24.
Graduate School
Music Camps
With multiple information sessions available, summer is an ideal time to learn about Meredith’s graduate programs: MBA, Master of Science in Nutrition, Master of Education and Master of Arts in Teaching. Learn more: www.meredith.edu/graduate
Music camps at Meredith include: • Middle School Composition Camp.
June 27–July 1. • Beginners’ Piano Camp. July 25 – 29. • High School Music Theory Camp. July 25–29. • Piano Camp. Two-week camp:
July 11-15 and July 18-22.
Play Alumnae Reunion Weekend An opportunity for alumnae to reconnect with lifelong Meredith friends. May 13-15. Learn more: www.meredith.edu/alumnae/ reunion-weekend.htm
Alumnae Travel Program Alumnae and friends will travel to Meredith’s permanent site in Sansepolcro, Italy, and surrounding areas. June 12-23. Learn more: www.meredith.edu/alumnae/travel.htm
Focusing on Form: A Writing Workshop for Women Focusing on Form offers workshops in creative nonfiction, fiction, journaling, and poetry. June 20-24. Learn more: www.meredith. edu/english/community-programs.
• Intensive Piano Camp. June 20–26. • Lamar Stringfield Chamber Music Camp.
Two sessions: June 12-17 and June 19-24.
Sports Camps Some sports camps are co-ed, others are for girls only. Sports camps offered at Meredith include: • Character Counts Sports Camp.
Young Writer’s Camp Middle school girls read and discuss lively works of literature, sharpen their creative writing skills and work on independent writing projects with Meredith faculty. July 11-15. Learn more about Meredith summer camps: www.meredith.edu/community/ youth.htm
June 27 – July 1. • Soccer Camp. June 20 – 24.
Help
• Basketball Camp. July 18 – 22.
Triangle Race for the Cure
• Volleyball Day Camp. July 25 – 27.
Saturday, June 11 For the 15th year, Meredith will host the Susan G. Komen NC Triangle Race for the Cure. Learn more: www.komennctriangle.org/ komen-race-for-the-cure.
• Volleyball Overnight Camp. July 29 – 31.
Meredith is an active, vibrant place in the summer, with opportunities to learn, play, grow and help your community. Please join us!
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Raleigh, NC Permit No. 369
Department of Marketing 3800 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, North Carolina 27607-5298 www.meredith.edu
2011 Summer Reading
Meredith’s Summer Reading Program enhances the academic climate on campus. Each year, a book is chosen to fit a campuswide theme. This shared intellectual endeavor kicks off the College’s exploration of the campus theme and helps foster Meredith’s strong sense of community. You are invited to participate! Read the book. Come hear the
Program
author speak. Join the dialogue.
2011 Summer Reading Book Enrique’s Journey By Sonia Nazario
Campus Lecture Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist Sonia Nazario Monday, August 29, 2011, 7 p.m. Jones Auditorium Free and Open to the Public
In a career spanning 20 years, Nazario has reported on social issues for such publications as the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal. Enrique’s Journey began as a Pulitzer Prize-winning story for the Los Angeles Times and was later expanded into a book. The story presents a Honduran boy’s perilous quest to locate his mother in the United States.
