Montevallo Today, Spring/Summer 2015

Spring/Summer 2015

Photo by Alyssa Luna ’14

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Past distinguished alumni recipients congratulate Robert Rollins for being named the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus.

4 Faculty Spotlight

Jim Day, professor of history and local author, is recognized as the University Scholar for his achievements in research and scholarship.

14 Study Abroad Students’ proficiency in a foreign language grows from interacting with native speakers at their hosts’ homes, in stores and while using public transportation.

17 Scholarship Luncheon

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Alumni Profile: four young alumni exemplify benefits of liberal arts education Jim Cavale acknowledges that his education was crucial to his success.

32 Alumni Activities Marcus Kennedy is one of eight inductees of the class of 2015 Falcons Hall of Fame.

Kennedy was honored for his excellence in basketball.

DEPARTMENTS 4 Faculty/Student Spotlight 6 Campus News 12 Athletics 13 Guest Essay 14 Featured Programs

20 Montevallo Profile 24 Advancement News 26 Class Notes & Activities 34 Professional Spotlight 36 Upcoming Events

MONTEVALLO TODAY Vol. CV, No. 2 Spring/Summer 2015 Montevallo Today (ISSN 1052-3634) is published three times a year by the University of Montevallo, Alumni Affairs/University Relations, Reynolds Hall, Highland St., Montevallo, AL 35115. Periodicals postage paid at Montevallo, AL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, send address changes to Montevallo Today, Station 6215, P.O. Box 6000, Montevallo, AL 35115. To contact the Alumni Affairs office, please call 205-665-6215. Text, photographs and graphic images included in this publication may not be reproduced without written permission from the editor. The University of Montevallo does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or in the provision of services.

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For many students, a scholarship is a key ingredient in the success of their college career. UM recently held a Scholarship Luncheon for donors and recipients.

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Montevallo Today University of Montevallo alumni magazine PUBLISHER

Gary Johnson gjohnson5@montevallo.edu

EDITOR

Tiffany Roskamp-Bunt ’00, MBA ’13 bunttr@montevallo.edu

ALUMNI EDITOR

Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98 paynet@montevallo.edu

PHOTOGR APHERS

Amy Cathryn Baldis ’10, Terry Bruno, Stephen Devries, Brittany Headley ’14, Sky Johnson ’10, M.Ed. ’11, Alyssa Luna ’14, M.Ed. ’15, Timothy McMillan ’15, Art Meripol, Ryan Moriarty ’15, Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98, Amber Quinn ’18, Michael Wade

WRITERS

Marsha Littleton, Nick Moeller, Stephanie C. Newton’03, Eric Velasco, Craig Williams

DESIGNERS

Tiffany Roskamp-Bunt ’00, MBA ’13, Amy Cathryn Baldis ’10, Karin Fecteau, Brittany Kenny, Hannah Stein ’14

CONTRIBUTORS

Justin Averette ’06, Ryan Bass ’15, Hunter George, Wesley Hallman, Cassie Popwell ’15

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION UMNAA President — Michael Malone ’69 President-Elect — Laurl Self ’94 Past President/Parliamentarian Jim Methvin ’73 Alumni Council Representative Melanie Poole ’86 Admissions Representative — Greg Embry ’96, M.Ed. ’99 Faculty Representative — Carolyn Miller-Kirby SGA President — Tanya Hoang ’15 UMNAA Vice Presidents Matt Arnold ’93, Barbara Bonfield ’58, Stephanie Shaw ’93, Toni Leo ’80, Jalete Nelms ’90, Keith Shoemaker ’98, Warwick M. Woodall ’82 Members at Large Jody Atchison ’69, Eddie Baker ’04, Lewis Brooks ’88, Fred Crawford ’68, Tiffani Humphries ’98, Ann Kelly ’57, Patrick McDonald ’01, Terra Miller ’06, Megan Randolph ’06, Diane Ray ’68, Susan Vaughn ’71, Cornelia Watts ’77, Chris Willis ’07, Virginia Young ’84 Ex-Officio John W. Stewart III, Julie Harbin ’00, Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98

ON THE COVER

Cindy Mullins exemplifies the benefits of a liberal arts education. Cindy must stay adaptable in her work as event director for the Alabama Theatre in downtown Birmingham.

Photo by Art Meripol

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Montevallo family: As I write this, I am reminded of how quickly Spring Semester 2015 has come and gone. Homecoming, College Night and Spring Commencement are treasured memories and we are now in the midst of summer classes, camps, Fall Orientation sessions, and making needed upgrades to facilities. Some of the summer activities of our students include a tour of Europe by the University of Montevallo Concert Choir who performed in Vienna’s Imperial Chapel; two of our sophomore scholar-athletes were named All-Americans by Women’s Golf Coaches Association.

Also taking advantage of summer Photo by Matt Orton break are numerous faculty members and students who are busy conducting active research and presenting their findings on national and global stages. We are proud of these individuals who continue to share Montevallo’s excellence with the world. To them, and to all of the other extraordinary ambassadors of UM, I express my deep appreciation.

I would like to extend hearty congratulations to Dean Craft and the Michael E. Stephens College of Business faculty and staff!

The Stephens College of Business was recently recognized by the AACSB International Board of Directors, who reaffirmed accreditation to both the undergraduate and graduate business degree programs in the Stephens College of Business. This highly coveted accreditation has only been achieved by 727 business schools in 48 countries, which represents fewer than 5% of the world’s business programs.

Lastly, I wanted to let you know that we made the difficult decision to return Ramsay Conference Center and Lodge to its original purpose as a residence hall.

This decision was based upon two important components: the need for additional student housing and the need to generate revenue. Since 2008, the University has lost approximately 27% in state funding yet we continue to deliver a high quality education at an affordable price. This is evidenced by significant growth within the freshman class and by providing on-campus housing to the largest number of students since the 1990s.

While I am excited about Ramsay serving students in this capacity, I am also well aware of its deep roots on our campus and community, specifically as a place where alumni can stay and can gather during special occasions such as Founders’ Day and Homecoming. We truly believe that repurposing Ramsay Lodge will address our housing shortage in the most logical and economical manner. Our goal is to have alternative lodging available within the next few years. Until then, the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs can offer suggestions for lodging located within the City of Montevallo and surrounding communities.

I am grateful for your loyalty and dedication to your beloved alma mater and send best wishes for a pleasant summer!

Warmest regards,

Faculty Spotlight

Photo by Art Meripol

DAY HONORED AS LEADING HISTORIAN

BY ERIC VELASCO

For more than three decades, Jim Day has been a leader in both the field and the classroom, first as a U.S. Army officer and later as history professor.

Day was Montevallo’s 2014 University Scholar, which recognizes achievements in research and scholarship. Day’s monograph, A History of Alabama’s Cahaba Coal Field, won an award from the Alabama Historical Association as the best work on state history in the previous two years. Published in 2013, the book is now in its second printing.

“Being named University Scholar was an affirmation of the work I have done,” says Day, who has won numerous awards for his research and writing, including books, articles and reviews.

Day believes teaching history should

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not be a mechanical exercise in dates and events. “It is the study of people,” Day says. “The skill for the historian is to take the research and anecdotes and weave them into a story, a narrative that is appealing.”

Born in Japan, Day grew up about two miles south of the UM campus. He caught the history bug while attending the U.S. Military Academy. “We were talking about themes, change over time, cause and effect,” he says. “I really liked that mode of thinking.”

Day worked his way up the Army leadership ladder, eventually commanding scores of soldiers in Germany. Seizing a chance to teach, Day earned a master’s degree, taught for three years at West Point and took an early retirement.

Day started at the University in 1997.

Shortly after, in 2002, he earned his Ph.D. He has also served as chair of the behavioral and social sciences department (2007-2010) and assistant vice president for academic affairs (2010-2012).

“Jim is one of the most respected and beloved teachers and advisers on this campus,” says Mary Beth Armstrong, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“He cares deeply about his students, but he also holds them accountable. I am always proud to read the heartfelt comments students give him in his course evaluations.”

The Alabaster resident enjoys gardening (he is a certified Master Gardener), running and hiking. He and wife Rene have two daughters, Abby and Mary Afton.

Student Spotlight

Photo by Amy Baldis ’10

HATTER LEADS WITH COMMUNITY ACTIVISM

BY NICK MOELLER

Students at UM are provided a myriad of options that allow each individual to personally cultivate a college experience to best fit his/her needs. Senior Brandi Hatter embodies this philosophy by consistently seeking learning opportunities outside of the classroom to augment her studies.

Hatter is entering her senior year as an established campus figure. The social work major is involved in many aspects of university life, including participating in Montevallo Masters and serving as an R.A. on campus.

She is also a member of the track and field team, earning a spot on the Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll following her sophomore season.

Outside of her roles on the brick streets, Hatter is a member of the Leading Edge Institute, which focuses on service-based leadership. The Institute brings together women from all professions and backgrounds in the hopes of building community leaders.

The Selma native is also actively involved in the betterment of her hometown, consistently participating in the Random Acts of Theatre Company (RATCo). RATCo is a community theatre program that specifically focuses on the empowerment of young people by promoting self-expression, teamwork and the value of giving back.

Hatter was a catalyst in the organization of an alternative spring break where, instead of flocking to a normal spring break

destination, students focus on activism and community engagement. Hatter returned home to Selma for the 50th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday” and participated in the march led by President Barack Obama.

She acts as the outreach coordinator of Student UNITE (Unified Nonviolent Initiative Towards Equality) and even had an interview with Huff-Post Live. In it, she discussed the petition to change the name of Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, which is currently named after a Grand Dragon of Alabama’s Ku Klux Klan.

Hatter appreciates the opportunity to participate in the advancement of her community, “What is happening in Selma now is a movement that is continuing from 50 years before and I am incredibly grateful and honored to be a part of it.” www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Campus News

President Stewart assists Aidan Smith and Barbara Blackerby in cutting the ribbon of the new 3-D Art Building while Board of Trustees members and DeAnna and Chris Smith observe at Homecoming.

Scott Meyer and Barbara Blackerby celebrate the new H. Conrad and Barbara Martin Blackerby Ceramics Studio.

3-D ART GAINS NEW HOME

BY CRAIG WILLIAMS

UM’s new 3-D Art Building tells a story of interconnectivity. The facility’s fruition fuses the future with the University’s nearly 120-year-old history, featuring determination, collaboration and philanthropy. The 10,000 square-foot complex is complete, but its narrative is not yet finished. It is becoming.

The structure, located where the building known as “The Laundry” stood during the early 1900s, contains a ceramics studio, a metalwork/sculpture studio and 3-D classroom space, as well as a carved limestone windowsill from 1908.

Architects and construction crews tailored the building to sketches by UM Art Department faculty members, who proudly tout their collaboration as artists. Windows connect the classrooms, symbolic of the unification of their respective fields.

“The coolest things in art bring different disciplines together,” says Scott Meyer, professor of art. “That’s where new knowledge comes from, and that’s what’s going to make an artist.”

Meyer believes the facility will allow

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The McCarley/Smith family commemorates the Donald G. McCarley Metal Shop.

UM to continue its legacy of attracting gifted and passionate artists. Meyer says he met a student at a conference who is looking to transfer to UM from another school’s clay-building program.

“They’re going to see it and want to come here,” senior art student Blake Dillard says. “This opens up all kinds of possibilities.”

Dillard is using his metalworking skills in learning to create clay and ceramic structures, including kilns.

Donors and alumni H. Conrad and Barbara Martin Blackerby (classes of 1966 and 1965, respectively) funded the H. Conrad and Barbara Martin Blackerby Ceramics Studio.

Photos by Amy Baldis ’10

Chris and DeAnna Smith ’99 funded The Donald G. McCarley Metal Shop in memory of DeAnna’s father, a talented welder who operated his own industrial design and manufacturing business.

Chris is a current MBA student at UM. DeAnna serves as UM’s vice president for business affairs and treasurer.

The excitement for the project is palpable among those involved. Scott Meyer, for one, says he is proud to be an element in a larger context.

“I wouldn’t trade places with anyone in the country, not only for what we are, but what we are going to do,” Meyer says.

“This isn’t going on in many other places.

And it’s not over.”

Photo by Terry Bruno

UMNAA President Mike Malone congratulates award winners Blake Hudson, Deborah Hudson and Robert Rollins.

UMNAA honors alumni at Homecoming

BY STEPHANIE C. NEWTON ’03

The University of Montevallo Alma Mater is full of history and meaning. Its promise is never more evident than when we return each winter to celebrate Homecoming. The phrase “may your years be rich and fruitful” is not only our hope for Montevallo as we sing, but also its pledge in return to those who walk its brick streets. The 2015 Homecoming Luncheon was an opportunity for Montevallo to honor three such alumni who have made their years since graduation valuable to the University, the community and the world at large.

The Distinguished Alumnus Award was given to Robert Rollins, class of 1968. Founder of The Beacon Group, Inc., his self-made professional success in the insurance industry has been inspiring to those around him. Known for giving

“unselfishly of his time and energy,” it has been Rollins’ dedication to educational development, both at Montevallo and beyond, that continues to have the greatest impact on young minds. He was instrumental in the founding of the Bruce D. Higdon Brotherhood Award, which provides assistance to students in the Sigma/ATO fraternity.

Deborah Hudson ’78, was the recipient of the Nathalie Molton Gibbons Alumni Achievement Award. Using her business administration degree, Hudson has served families in the Birmingham community during times of greatest need, with support during medical emergencies.

Dedicated to improving the lives of others, Hudson has served on various church and town leadership positions. One nomination letter noted that Hudson was “an un-

sung hero for this state who has touched many lives.”

The Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achiever’s Award was bestowed on Blake Hudson for his achievements in the field of environmental law. A 2002 graduate, Hudson is currently an assistant professor of law at the Louisiana State University Law Center. Passionate about preserving natural resources, Hudson has often returned to Montevallo in the summer to share his knowledge with May-term students.

Next year, don’t just read about the amazing work being done by your fellow alumni: return home for the annual Homecoming Luncheon and take part in honoring those who “shed thy light” on the world. Nominations for alumni awards are open year round at www. montevallo.edu/nominate-alumni. www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Campus News

Laissez les bon temps rouler Purple, Gold and Green in ’15

BY STEPHANIE C. NEWTON ’03

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his year’s College Night was held under the Mardis Gras-oriented theme “Purple, Gold and Green in 2015” – a reminder that Homecoming is for all who have called Montevallo home, not just those who have sung the Purple and Gold Side songs.

Former students and their families flooded the campus to attend a variety of events from the alumni luncheon and departmental open houses to the College Night tailgate outside Myrick Hall. Special events were also held for graduating classes of years ending in five, with the grand reunion being held for the class of 1965.

Homecoming also gives the students an opportunity to celebrate outstanding work from their peers and leaders who have made an impact on the university community. The 2015 award recipients included Eddie Davis and Nikola Polcerova, named Mr. and Ms. Montevallo, and Mary Lou Elder Williams ’69, UM graduate and former director of development and alumni relations, honored with the College Night Dedication.

The final performance and judging of the Gold and Purple productions took place Saturday night. For the second year in a row, alumni who were unable to return to campus were able to watch the evening’s activities via an online streaming service.

This year the winning production was the Gold Side’s “Diamond in the Rough.”

When Marilee Montelimar comes to New Orleans to settle the estate of her recently deceased Aunt Pauline, she is shocked when the town is abuzz over the possibility of her aunt possessing the valuable “Blood Diamond.” Throughout the production, villains aim to capture the jewel, but Marilee and local lawyer Beau are victorious in the end – both in finding the “Blood Diamond” and show-

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ing their fellow townspeople where true value is found.

Purple Side’s show, “Love Bites: A New Rock Musical,” followed college students Alan and Becky as they traveled to Transylvania for a study abroad trip. Finding refuge at a castle with a cast of monsters, led by Dracula, the friends quickly find themselves at odds when Frankenstein makes a play for Becky. When Alan leaves the castle in disgust, he overhears a bounty hunter’s plan to bring down the castle’s inhabitants. In the end, Alan returns to the castle to save the day and admit his true feelings for Becky.

And while at the end of the night, the Gold Side was crowned victor, the true winners were everyone who came home to Montevallo for the event. The weather was perfect. The crowd was raucous. And the only disappointment was that it all too quickly came to an end. M

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Photo by Ryan Moriarty ’15

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Photo by Amy Baldis ’10

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Photo by Amber Quinn ’18

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Photo by Amy Baldis ’10

1. Dracula sings in the Purple production, “Love Bites.”

2. Gold Side players perform in “Diamond in the Rough.”

3. The Vintage Purples alumni club gather at Homecoming to celebrate their official recognition as a UMNAA club. 4. Barbara Bradford ’56 enjoys a break in the Homecoming activities in Ramsay Hall. 5. Vera Cox ’56, Della Scott ’53, Orpha Sue McDonald ’58 and Delores “Dolly” White ’54, utilize the Mardi Gras themed photo booth during Homecoming celebrations. 6. Jeff Walker ’08, Tom Walker ’75 and Matt Walker ’02 share a special Homecoming moment during the Behavioral and Social Sciences reunion held at the University of Montevallo on Main building. 7. Alumni of the three UM student publications staffs reunite at Homecoming. 8.

Mary Lou Williams ’69, director of alumni relations and development emerita is awarded the 2015 College Night Dedication. 9. The sides await the judges decision. Within a few brief moments, SGA president Tonya Hoang announced the Gold Side’s winning phrase.

Photo by Ryan Moriarty ’15

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Photo by Amber Quinn ’18

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Photo by Rebecca White ’15

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by Sky Photo

by Johnson Wendy ’10 Johnson ’17

Photo by Sky Johnson ’10

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Campus News

MONTEVALLO NEWS BRIEFS Service Learning honored

Undergraduate Research

UM has again been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. This honor roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for a commitment to voluntary community outreach, recognizes institutions of higher education that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities. The Office of Service Learning and Community Engagement (OSLACE), which began in 2009, acts as a liaison to approximately 70 community partner agencies in the Shelby County area offering community service activities to UM students, faculty and staff.

The 18th Undergraduate Research Day took place Wednesday, March 25 in Harman Hall. The event featured the work of more than 40 undergraduate students from across campus as they presented their research through oral and poster presentations.

UM Musical Theatre majors attend a dance audition workshop in Ripley-Greer Studios, NYC.

Theatre students in NYC During the spring semester, 14 Musical Theatre majors participated again in the 3-Day Musical Theatre Intensive Workshop with the Amy Murphy Studio.

They worked with casting directors, choreographers, and actors in NYC. The weekend concluded with a social gathering in Manhattan, where the workshop participants also had a chance to chat with many of the weekend’s guest artists.

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Photo by Katie Compton ’18

Equal pay for equal work Alabama native and equal pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter spoke on March 10 as the 2015 lecturer of the Hallie Farmer Lecture Series.

Ledbetter, author of Grace and Grit: My Fight for Equal Pay and Fairness at Goodyear and Beyond, shared her personal experience of discrimination and her fight for equal pay. After many years, her battle resulted in the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act signed into law on Jan. 29, 2009.

She encouraged the audience to fight for equal pay for all races and both genders.

Wrapping up her lecture, she challenged the audience, “We must overcome history and do better.”

The evening concluded with a reception and book signing.

Montevallo Literary The 13th Annual MonFestival tevallo Literary Festival was held on March 20. The event focused on four leading female poets: Nickole Brown, Jessica Jacobs, Amy Lemmon and Catherine Wing.

Photo by Timothy McMillan ’15

The Big Event Five years ago, UM began participating in one of the largest one-day, student-run service projects in the national event titled The Big Event.

The Big Event provides an opportunity for students from across the country to give back through volunteerism to the communities in which their campuses are located.

This year’s event featured the largest number of volunteers and job sites in Montevallo history. For the city of Montevallo and surrounding area, that meant that on Saturday, April 11, UM students — 696 of them — converged on 57 area job sites to provide volunteer labor for everything from painting to pulling weeds, from sprucing up gardens and yards to washing windows, and providing service with a smile to people throughout the community.

Photo by Michael Wade

Tax assistance offered

First pitch UM President John W. Stewart III, Montevallo Mayor Hollie Cost and Becca Leigh Chadwick (daughter of UM assistant athletic director Michael Chadwick) throw out the first pitch at the inaugural softball game on Jan. 31.

Accounting students from the Stephens College of Business once again offered free tax return filing assistance through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. This was the fourth consecutive year for the program, which has grown from just 30 clients in 2012, to 71 in 2014. The program provided free services to the community and invaluable experience to qualified business students.

STUDENTS HONOR CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS MLK celebration on campus Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday was celebrated with several events throughout the day on Wednesday, Jan. 21. The day began with the MLK Oratorical Breakfast, where selected students delivered speeches on the topic of civil rights.

Later in the day, a celebration program was held with keynote speaker, Jawana Jackson, CEO of The Jackson Foundation and Museum in Atlanta and co-owner of Par Golf LLC, one of a few minority companies in the United States that produces golf apparel.

Jackson’s childhood home in Selma became the headquarters for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders in the planning of the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965. As a young child, Jackson witnessed American history take place.

Jackson’s mother, Richie Jean Sherrod Jackson, who earned a master’s degree from the University of Montevallo in 1976, penned the book, The House by the Side of the Road: The Selma Civil Rights Movement. The book is the Jackson family’s official account of events that occurred in their home.

VISITING SELMA: UM students, Melissa Talley, Associate Professor Stephen Parker, Hilary Maccrae and Quincy Hall travel to Selma to participate in the 50-year march.

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Athletics

JEFFERY

HESSENBERGER

German native brings excellence on and off the field.

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His on the field accomplishments are what has made him well known in the region but what gets left out is his academic success and the example he sets in his training.

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— Coach Bruce Dietterle

Photo by Stephen Devries

SINCE ARRIVING on campus, junior soccer star Jeffrey Hessenberger has brought an international flair to Montevallo, while adding trophies to the showcase and proving himself as an academic leader.

In his freshman season, the Engelsbrand, Germany native helped lead the UM men’s soccer team to its third conference title in four years. Hessenberger was named to the Peach Belt Conference All-Tournament Team for his efforts and was named Second Team All-Conference his sophomore year after leading Montevallo in points.

On-field achievements are not the only praise bestowed upon the business management major, as Hessenberger has also thrived in the classroom.

He was named to the Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team this year, earning a 3.91 GPA. Hessenberger’s presence and success on campus highlights the global appeal of a liberal arts education and the breadth of Montevallo’s reach.

Guest Essay

REACHING OUT FOR THE FUTURE T

here has been much said and written this year about Selma and how far we’ve come since Bloody Sunday and the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965.

As editor of “The Selma Times-Journal”, I had the unbelievable opportunity to chronicle the 50th anniversary of some of our country’s most important events in history.

It started back in January with the nationwide release of the movie “Selma.”

That was followed by a Martin Luther King Jr. weekend red carpet event that saw the likes of Oprah Winfrey, John Legend and other actors from the movie return to the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

The weeks that followed culminated in the March 7 anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the day Alabama State Troopers and deputy sheriffs attacked peaceful protestors rallying for the right to vote.

President Barack Obama and his family, along with former President George W. Bush and his wife Laura, joined the leader of the march, now U.S. Rep. John Lewis, in returning to hallowed ground to mark 50 years since the turning point in America’s voting rights movement.

I’ve been editor of the Times-Journal less than a year, but the Selma I witnessed that weekend shined as never before.

In 1965, a group of all white Alabama State Troopers met 600 protestors on the Selma side of the Edmund Pettus Bridge with aggression, billy clubs and tear gas.

In 2015, a new generation of troopers of all races handed out bottles of water to the largest crowd to assemble in Selma since those marches.

It was 50 years ago that the Rev. Hosea Williams wasn’t even granted a few moments to pray for direction before troopers attacked under orders from then Gov. George Wallace “to use whatever measures are necessary to prevent a march.” This year, the daughters of those two men returned to Selma to stand together and promote unity.

In 1965, then 25-year-old student Lewis led that group of protestors with the Rev. Wil-

liams. By that point in his life, Lewis had already been beaten and jailed dozens of times during his peaceful fight for equal rights.

In 2015, now Congressman Lewis, bearing literal scars from those struggles, introduced the country’s first black president on the same bridge where his skull was fractured.

Lewis said he would have called someone crazy for suggesting that would have even be possible 50 years ago.

The Selma of 1965 isn’t the Selma of today, nor is our country the same as it was 50 years ago.

In an interview prior to this year’s anniversary, Lewis told me what happened in Selma changed not just Alabama, but it changed America and inspired the world.

“Selma is more than a place. It’s more than a city. It’s more than a community.

It’s almost an idea that invites people to stand up for what’s right and what’s fair and what’s just,” Lewis said.

U.S. Congresswoman Terri Sewell, who was born in 1965 and was the first black valedictorian at Selma High School, recounted a story about Amelia Boynton Robinson, often called the matriarch of the voting rights movement. Boynton Robinson was beaten unconscious on Bloody Sunday. A photo of her body being carried from the carnage was circulated on the front pages of newspapers around the world.

After being told repeatedly by a group of young people, “We stand on your shoulders,” the living legend, now 103 years old, implored them, “Get off my shoulders — there’s plenty of work to do.”

I’m proud of my University of Montevallo liberal arts education. This year, I’ve met people from across the world.

Inevitably, I’m always asked where I went to college, and I enjoy the chance to talk

BY JUSTIN AVERETTE ’06

Photo by Alaina Denean Deshazo / STJ

about Montevallo and what a gem the university is.

I believe UM well prepares students to go out into the world with a good head on their shoulders. A new batch of graduates was welcomed in May to the University of Montevallo alumni association. I congratulate all on getting to graduation—what an accomplishment that no one will ever be able to take away from you.

However, now your work is just really beginning. For now, it’s time to take the education and opportunities you have been given at Montevallo and go out and make a difference in the lives of others. For as Boynton Robinson told those young people, “There’s plenty of work to do.”

Selma and indeed our entire country stand at a crux of history on many issues.

Selma can remain defined by what happened in 1965, or we can get to the business at hand. The same can be said for our country and even the world.

As President Barack Obama said on that important anniversary in Selma, “We respect the past, but we don’t pine for it.

We don’t fear the future; we grab for it.”

I believe more people are reaching out for that future than ever before. www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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—Join the ­–

CULTURE CLUB

BY ERIC VELASCO PHOTOS BY STEPHEN DEVRIES ILLUSTRATION BY BRITTANY KENNY

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“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrowmindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.” – Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad/Roughing It

F

oreign language skills can be important in business and social settings, and the University of Montevallo’s studyabroad program helps students learning Spanish and French to hone their skills through immersion.

Features

From the time they get on the plane until they leave to return to Alabama, students are expected to speak no English. On some trips they stay with host families, with whom they eat all meals and even sometimes attend family gatherings. The Montevallo professor holds two classes each weekday, and she accompanies the group on tours and excursions to significant cultural sites.

But the experience of living in another culture – especially for students who have had limited opportunities to travel – also has a profound effect.

The students’ proficiency grows from interacting with native speakers at their hosts’ homes, in stores and while using public transportation. “It’s a culture shock,” Vazquez-Gonzalez says. “At first it’s hard to understand. People speak fast and assume the other

“It is life-changing,” says Leonor Vazquez-Gonzalez, the associate professor who created the template for the study-abroad program 10 years ago. “They see different ways of living, experience different ways of thinking. Their world view expands.”

Mary Beth Armstrong, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has seen that effect on study-abroad students. “They are glowing when they talk about their experiences and what it has meant to them,” she says.

“Many say they would go again if they could.”

The idea is to provide the same academic study the students would get at Montevallo, but enable them to explore the language and culture in person. That linkage is why the program in Madrid is called “Montevallo in Madrid,” for example, and the program in France is called “Montevallo in France.”

THE MONTH-LONG TRIPS, featuring weekday classes taught by Montevallo professors, are offered in May, June or July. Other study-abroad classes have been held in Peru, Guatemala and Mexico.

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Leonor Vazquez-Gonzalez and Rosa Stoops encourage students to immerse themselves in the language and culture they are studying.

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Montevallo in Madrid is open to university students in any major requiring language credits. Sometimes, students on the trip will so fall in love with the language, they switch majors, Vazquez-Gonzalez says.

The other “Montevallo in …” programs are reserved for upper-level students, majors or minors in Spanish or French.

It is life-changing. They see different ways of living, experience different ways of thinking. Their world view expands.

— Leonor Vazquez-Gonzalez

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Features

Photo courtesy of UM Foreign Languages

Studying abroad allows students to apply the skills they have learned in the classroom and experience the culture first hand. At left, Vazquez-Gonzalez guides students on an exploration of Machu Picchu in the Cuzco Region of Peru. Below left, Stoops leads a group of students on a visit to Musee du Louvre in Paris, France.

person understands everything. The students will keep asking people to repeat themselves. But they adjust.”

In addition to Vazquez-Gonzalez, study-abroad trips have been led by associate professors Rosa Maria Stoops, Eric Vaccarella and Stacey Beth-Mackowiak Ayotte. As the program reaches its 10th anniversary, Vazquez-Gonzalez says the university administration worked with the language department to keep it going. “We are grateful for their support,” she says.

The Montevallo students often form lasting relationships as they travel together, Vazquez-Gonzalez says. They also learn about themselves. “Even though they are traveling in a group, it is a personal experience,” she says.

“They realize they have become more independent. They learn how to cope with new situations, like being with strangers.”

STUDENTS ALSO OFTEN BOND WITH THEIR HOSTS, sometimes even returning with their own family, spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend. “In the majority of cases, they are crying when they leave their host family at the end of the program,” Vazquez-Gonzalez says. “They say ‘I didn’t know I could get this close to you in this short a time.’”

The program fee covers travel, tuition, lodging, meals and expenses for scheduled excursions. Students pay their passport expenses, insurance and incidentals.

Pho UM Fore to cour tesy of ign Langu ages

The class trips are publicized in the fall. Applications – including a statement of why the student wants to go and a recommendation from a professor outside the language department – are due when the winter semester begins in January.

After verifying the students meet the minimum requirements, the professor organizing the program starts making arrangements with contacts in the country where classes will be held. Pre-trip meetings begin in the spring.

Countries selected for the study-abroad program vary from year to year.

A Spanish major potentially could go to Peru, Mexico and Spain in different summers, picking up local dialects as well.

For more information: www.montevallo.edu/studyabroad

‘‘

They are glowing when they talk about their experiences and what it has meant to them. Many say they would go again if they could.

‘‘

“It is impossible after one month to return fluent,” says Vazquez-Gonzalez.

“The main thing is they lose the fear to talk with a native speaker.” M

— Mary Beth Armstrong 16 Montevallo Today | |

Dean, College of Arts & Sciences

STUDENTS AND DONORS RECOGNIZED FOR MANY STUDENTS, A SCHOLARSHIP IS A KEY INGREDIENT IN THE SUCCESS OF THEIR COLLEGE CAREER. For those who receive scholarships thanks to philanthropic support, they rarely—if ever—get the chance to meet those donors responsible for making a difference in their academic lives. The University of Montevallo, however, is taking steps to change that.

Photos by Amy Baldis ’10

Scholarship recipients and donors have the opportunity to meet and socialize at the University’s Scholarship Luncheon recently held on campus. Above left, AJ Jackson with Kit Waters ’78 and John Gasson. Above right, Judy Rogers, emerita and Maggie Spiller. Left, Andres Morales, Jeannine McElroy ’53, Katie Nelson and Tiffany Polson.

ON APRIL 21, 2015, the University, hosted a luncheon to honor scholarship donors and allow them to meet the students who had benefited from their support.

“The University of Montevallo is fortunate to have many donors who are passionate and committed to supporting our scholarship fund, but they don’t

often get to see firsthand the difference their support makes in students’ lives,” says Susan Brenner, manager of donor relations. “We are making a concerted effort to change that. We want our donors to meet and get to know our students to strengthen the bonds among the Montevallo family.”

According to recent statistics, about two-thirds of full-time students pay for college with the help of financial aid in the form of grants and scholarships. Approximately 57 percent of financial aid dollars awarded to undergraduates are in the form of grants, and 34 percent take the form of federal loans. www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Scholarship recipient, Abby Alger, meets her scholarship donor, Tim Lupinacci ’88 at the luncheon.

Photos by Amy Baldis ’10

“WE VIEW THIS CONCEPT OF ‘PAYING IT FORWARD’ AS HELPING CHANGE OUR WORLD, SINCE THE STUDENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO ATTEND MONTEVALLO BECAUSE OF OUR SMALL SCHOLARSHIP MAY WELL BE THE PERSON WHO DISCOVERS THE CURE FOR CANCER, FACILITATES PEACE IN SOME CORNER OF THE WORLD, OR HELPS END CHILD TRAFFICKING ACROSS THE GLOBE,” LUPINACCI SAYS. At Montevallo, 60 percent of students are on needs-based financial aid. In the 201415 academic year alone, the UM Foundation awarded more than $609,000 in scholarship funds to more than 400 students.

Such scholarships would not be possible without the generous support of private donors. One of those donors is Tim Lupinacci ’88, who, with his wife Ellen, supports multiple scholarship funds at UM. “I benefited from receiving a leadership scholarship to the University of Montevallo in 1984,” says Lupinacci, who was the featured speaker at the recent scholarship luncheon.

18 Montevallo Today | |

“We began funding scholarships slowly over a decade ago with contributions as we had opportunities, and it has been rewarding to see it grow.” That growth led to the Lupinaccis making a multi-year commitment to fund a more substantive scholarship to assist deserving applicants who plan to attend UM. “We view this concept of ‘paying it forward’ as helping change our world, since the students who are able to attend Montevallo because of our small scholarship may well be the person who discovers the cure for cancer, facilitates peace in some corner of the world, or helps end child

trafficking across the globe,” Lupinacci says. “It could also be a person who ends up working in rural Alabama, teaching children and challenging them to dream big dreams. A scholarship to worthy UM students is our small step to change the world that we live in.”

Charlotte Quinn ’15 is an example of such a student. “The scholarships I received during my academic career at Montevallo gave me the motivation to keep moving forward,” she says. “Scholarships provided opportunities for me that I would not have been able to experience otherwise, and I benefited greatly from my time at the University

Features

Top left: Tim Lupinacci ’88 addresses attendees of the scholarship luncheon on April 21.

Top right: Dean Mary Beth Armstrong, sits next to student AJ Jackson. The luncheon provided an opportunity for alumni and faculty to interact with students.

Above left: Donors Tom and Pat Monroe meet students Amber Quinn and Alex Cottrell.

Above right: Cathy Jo Wheeler ’75, Dean Steven Peters and student Charlotte Quinn enjoy the luncheon.

Left: Student Maggie Spiller shares how scholarships have enhanced her experiences at UM.

of Montevallo due to the generous giving of alumni and friends of the university.”

“One of the major reasons I came to Montevallo was because of the scholarships I received,” says John Gasson ’15. “Coming from a family with three children all relatively close in age placed a burden on my parents to finance our education. Throughout my years at Montevallo, I always had enough scholarship money to cover my tuition, which helped my parents tremendously —especially during my senior year, when all three of us were in college.”

As tuition costs continue to rise nationwide, additional scholarship funding is be-

coming more and more critical to the success of every university and its students, Montevallo included. “The university’s mission statement compels us to provide students an affordable and accessible higher education,” says University President John W. Stewart III. “When we lose a high-quality student to another university during recruitment, it is often because the competing school is able to offer more scholarship dollars.

Scholarships are so much more than a way to pay for tuition. They provide students the freedom to focus on their academics and enjoy the college experience.”

With the increasing importance of

scholarships, Tim Lupinacci plans to continue donating to UM and strongly encourages others to do so as well.

“For the alumni and other friends of the university, we have the challenge of living our legacy today of noble purpose, generous service and work well-done,” he says.

“I can speak from experience as a scholarship recipient, that there are few more effective ways to impact your world and live your legacy than by committing to help fund additional scholarships at UM so that more future students have the opportunity to learn and grow and lead at the University of Montevallo and in our world.” M www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Spotlight on Young Alumni in

CANDACE O’NEIL, JIM CAVALE, MARVIN J. PRICE

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CINDY MULLINS

Alumni Profile

CINDY MULLINS graduated from Montevallo in 2012 with an art degree, and she brings all the skills from her liberal arts education to her current position as event director at the Alabama Theatre and the adjoining Hill Event Center. “I really feel like my liberal arts education has strengthened my critical thinking skills,� Mullins says.

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Candace O’Neil ‘05

BY ERIC VELASCO, PHOTOS BY ART MERIPOL

We recently caught up with four young UM alumni and asked how they are using their liberal arts degrees. Here’s what we discovered: “It’s a sky-is-the-limit foundation that gives you the chance to do anything you want once you’ve graduated,” Cavale says. “You don’t lock yourself into one focus, so you can evolve your career desires into whatever direction your passions take you.”

The native of Syracuse, N.Y., came to Montevallo with plans to be a pro athlete. But he already was moving into sports-related broadcasting when he graduated with a B.S. in broadcast journalism.

Cavale started a video production company. He later recruited investors to establish what ultimately became NextSpex.com, a website specializing in sports and athletes.

A video project in 2010 with Iron Tribe founder Forrest Walden led to Cavale opening the company’s second gym location. Its immediate success pushed Cavale into Iron Tribe’s corporate office, where he helped develop JIM CAVALE is a former baseball CANDACE O’NEIL ’05 the franchise strategy that would lead player at the University of to 40 locations from coast to coast.

Montevallo who helped build the “Little did I know that at UM I would truly become Birmingham-based Iron Tribe chain of fitness gyms. an entrepreneur,” the Hoover resident says. “My mass Now the company president, the 2005 graduate says communications professors, namely Dr. John Hoerner his liberal arts education at Montevallo was crucial to and Dr. Jay Cofield, gave me the tools to start my own his successful career start.

CANDACE O’NEIL says she was drawn to the University of Montevallo precisely because it was a small-town liberal arts school. “There are so many successful graduates in the Birmingham area and they have nothing but great things to say about the experience,” says the Hoover resident.

A 2005 mass-communications graduate, O’Neil works in the public relations and marketing division of the Birmingham Airport Authority. She says she believes a liberal arts education can be the foundation for a career in any field.

“It’s diverse and it instills in you the desire to be a life-long learner,” O’Neil says. “We learned a little bit about everything and that’s allowed me to excel and grow while working in different places, from an advertising agency to a local television station and now the airport.”

“We learned a little bit about everything and that’s allowed me to excel and grow while working in different places...”

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Alumni Profile

Jim Cavale ‘05

Marvin J. Price ‘09

television/radio/film broadcasting network with another student, Chris Megginson.”

The breadth of studies is part of what makes a liberal arts education remain essential in a world of increasing specialization and single-study focus.

“A liberal arts education is a little bit of everything,” says MARVIN J. PRICE, a 2009 graduate who is now commercial/ business industrial development representative for the Alabama

Gas Corporation. “It’s learning about art, history, music, philosophy and so much more to make a well-rounded student. Employers are looking for well-rounded graduates and you obtain that with a liberal arts education.”

In a 2013 survey by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, 80 percent of surveyed employers said exposure to liberal arts courses is important, regardless of major.

More than 90 percent of employers said that when they assess a job candidate, they consider skills developed in liberal arts schools such as thinking critically, communicating clearly and solving complex problems to be more important than the candidate’s major.

Price agrees. The Auburn resident works with a diverse cast on any given day—building owners, contractors, mall managers, city planners and Realtors. He also has been an economic development project manager for the Birmingham Business Alliance. He says his liberal arts education at Montevallo set his course by pushing him outside his comfort zone.

“I learned about everything from classical music all the way to sign language,” says Price, who was Senior Class President in 2009. “Leaving that comfort zone allowed me to grow and proved to me that anything is possible.”

CINDY MULLINS graduated from Montevallo in 2012 with an art degree, and she brings all the skills from her liberal arts education to her current position as event director at the Alabama Theatre and the adjoining Hill Event Center. “I really feel like my liberal arts education has strengthened my critical thinking skills,” Mullins says.

Alabama Theatre hired Mullins, in part, for her ability to juggle many different tasks. As event director, she plans and manages private events and helps with concerts and other public performances at the theatre. She designs the graphics and handles the website and social media. She even conducts tours and coordinates weddings there.

“This has become my motto since I started working at the Alabama Theatre: The show must go on,” Mullins says. “I have learned to be very flexible because my plans don’t always work out the way I thought they would.”

The AAC&U also found that graduates with liberal arts degrees were more likely to volunteer in their communities.

Cavale, for example, is active in the Aspire Ministry, in which adult men mentor fatherless children. Mullins is involved in Girls Inc. of Central Alabama.

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Advancement News

THE POWER OF A GIFT The University recently received a gift from the Alabama Power Foundation to benefit the UM Department of Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics, strengthening the company’s philanthropic partnership with the university.

Alabama Power’s donation will be used for much-needed renovations and upgrades to the department’s classrooms and laboratories, including purchasing equipment necessary for biology and chemistry experiments and research. With these improved resources, Montevallo will be able to offer the modern, state-of-the-art facilities required to recruit and retain top-tier students.

The gift will also fund the department’s preprofessional programs for biology and chemistry majors pursuing admission into medical, dental, veterinarian, pharmacy and optometry schools. For students interested in such professions, Montevallo offers a preparatory program beginning as early as freshman year to advise and prepare students for pursuing advanced careers.

The program culminates with the junior year “PLUNGE,” a course specifically designed for the health profession’s entrance exams and application process in which students take actual entrance exams, work on applications and personal statements, and participate in mock interviews.

“In today’s competitive world, we need to give our students every advantage we can,” says Dr. Houston Byrd, chair of the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. “That includes providing them with the necessary guidance and support to ensure their success in post-graduate education as well as offering them state-of-theart classrooms and resources during their time here at Montevallo. The generous support of our friends at Alabama Power will help make that possible.”

“We are proud to partner with the University of Montevallo and their commitment to innovation and educational excellence. By investing in today’s students, we are building our state’s future leaders.” says Ashley Robinett, Area Manager for the Birmingham Division of Alabama Power.

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Photo by Stephen Devries

|DONOR PROFILE|

‘‘

We are proud to partner with the University of Montevallo and their commitment to innovation and educational excellence.

By investing in today’s students, we are building our state’s future leaders.

‘‘

— Ashley Robinett

Area Manager, Birmingham Division of Alabama Power

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Class Notes ALABAMA COLLEGE SOCIETY

ACS

From left: (front row) Libby Queen ’59, Della Scott ’53, Bobbye Lightfoot ’52, Margaret Utley ’52; (middle row) Marie Zannis ’56, Dolly White ’54, Miriam Finch ’56, Mary Louise Dabbs ’56, Anna Martin ’56, Jeannine McElroy ’53, Ann Davis ’48; (back row) Mollie Powell ’60, Betty Jean Lobsiger ’56, Vera Cox ’56, Joyce Greathouse ’56, Billie Ray Kohen ’53

1965

CLASS NOTES

1963

Bob Chapman was named president of the United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham Board of Directors.

1970

The Rev. Stanley Carter has retired from the United Methodist Ministry after 46 years. He resides in Millbrook, Alabama.

John Cooke, masonry supervisor emeritus at UM, sent his fossil collection to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. Cooke, who resides in Pleasant Grove, credits his geology professor at Montevallo, James Connell, with stirring his interest in fossils. Now that his collection has been relocated, he has taken a new interest in collecting petrified wood.

1972

David Wheeler was recently elected to

the position of treasurer for the Alabama Republican Party. He is retired from Alabama Power Co. with 29 years of service.

1973

Gordon F. Welch, music instructor at Wallace Community College Selma, recently received the Alabama Community College Class of 2014 Chancellor’s Award for Academic Excellence. He has been teaching music courses, both traditional and online, since 2008.

He also serves as organist and director of music ministries at Church Street United Methodist Church in Selma.

1975

Reneé Pierce was named Ms. Senior Alabama 2014 and later placed third runner-up in the Ms. Senior America pageant. She utilized her skills on the piano in the talent competition.

Reneé serves as pianist and music associate at First Baptist Church of

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CLASS OF 1965

From left: (front row) Martha Hubbard Smith, Sonja Reed Wescott, Betty Jean Barlow Davis, Shirley Harrison Burk, Judy Patrick Ory, Charolette Megginson, Barbara Martin Blackerby, Dolores Crowley Frye, Mary Hardee; (second row) Mary Phillips Cady, Betty Whittle Kozlowski, Carol Robbins Hull, Diana Barkfield, Nancy Dupree Boyd, Taylor Reynolds, Ruth Davis Sundberg; (third row) Joanne Lancaster Gordon, Jean Coplin Mellard, Mary Louise Latham Jones, Charles Wicke, Larry Barton, Carl “Bud” Paepcke, Jackie Grider Tally; (back row) Jane Byrd Autry, Fred Cooper, Suzliee Yonce Draper, Billie Dodson, Donly Ray, Allen Fulton

Boaz where her husband, Tommy, is music director.

1976

Hardwick Gregg recently finished fourth in the USA Cycling National Championship for cyclocross in Austin, Texas, in the 60-64 age bracket. He won the same age category in January 2014 in Boulder, Colorado.

1982

J. Mark Hendrick joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as chief information officer and will be based in the Birmingham office. He was previously the director of information technology at Baker Botts in Houston, Texas.

1983

Lisa Davis Smith recently retired from the Rockdale County, Georgia, school system, where she taught music in the elementary schools for 18 years. She taught in Georgia for a total of 30 years. She has since accepted the posi-

tion of director of music for children and youth at First United Methodist Church in Monroe, Georgia.

1984

Lee Griner, of Birmingham, has been elected president of the board of directors of Birmingham Festival Theatre, a nonprofit community theater. He is employed in the office of the Institutional Review Board at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Margaret Purcell, of Coker, has been named executive director of the Center for Resiliency at the University of Alabama System in Tuscaloosa.

1985

Joey Bunch was the honoree at the Northeast Alabama Community College Foundation Board’s Holiday Gala in December. Joey began his college days at NACC before transferring to UM. He is a reporter at The Denver Post and was part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2013 for

Photos by Terry Bruno

1975

1985

CLASS OF 1985 From left: (front row) Denise Page Askelson, Lynne

Crowe Hanson, Tina Rye Sloan, Amber Davenport Williams, Grace Reece Devane, Margaret Wickersham, Kim Southerland; (back row) Rebecca Key, Mike Hanson, Vic Pierce, Beth Wilkinson, Connie Goodwin

CLASS OF 1975 From left: (front row) Julia K. House, Melissa Martin Garrett, Wynelle Sanders Sewell, Joan Cherry Collins; (back row) Tom Walker, Betty Driver Walker, Mark Brandon

1995

CLASS OF 1995 From left: (front row) Barbara Judd, Kathy Coston Frost, Heather Miller Cover, Melanie Barnard Forbes, Pam Torstenson Parker, Ramsi Wilkes; (back row) Amanda Oswalt, Wendy Tuger, Susan Poplin Barclay, Brian Frost, Shana Reach, Wendy Q. Stewart, Ashley Doran Cordell its coverage of the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shootings.

1986

Randy Kennedy recently was named program director and Web editor at Mobile-based sports radio station WNSP-FM. He had previously served as sports editor for the Mobile PressRegister and subsequently as hub director of Alabama Media Group’s Mobile newsroom.

1987

Kimberly Essex has been the 6 and 10 p.m. news anchor at WAFF-48 in Huntsville since 1995. She also founded Sole Sisters Huntsville in 2013, an organization that encourages women to participate in regular exercise and make healthy nutritional choices.

Membership with Sole Sisters Huntsville has grown to more than 1,700 women in just two years.

1988

Bob Boyer is currently employed with WZDX

TV FOX 54 in Huntsville as commercial production manager. After a near-fatal heart attack in August 2011, Bob had a full heart transplant in February 2012. In the three years since his successful transplant, Bob has used his position in broadcasting to help spread the word about the importance of organ donation.

Patrick Evans is excited to be moving home to Birmingham after 27 years away. He has been appointed professor of music and chair of the Department of Music at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, effective July 1.

Tim Lupinacci of Baker Donelson was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Bankruptcy on March 13, in Washington, D.C. He was one of 34 nominees worldwide honored for professional excellence and exceptional contributions to the field of bankruptcy and insolvency.

1992

Becky Nix earned a master’s degree in social work from The University of Alabama recently. She was married to Brad Romager Aug. 23, 2014.

1994

Amoi Samone Geter was recently named director of corporate communication for Mississippi Power Co. She has served Southern Company and some of its subsidiaries (which include Georgia Power, Mississippi Power and Southern Nuclear) for a number of years.

Linda Hogue M.Ed. has been named Teacher-of-the-Year at Meadow View Elementary School in Alabaster. A first-grade teacher, Linda will move on to compete in the elementary division of the state’s contest.

Catherine Mohon, a physical education teacher, was honored as Teacherof-the-Year at Creek View Elementary School in the Alabaster school system.

1996

Carl Dean was voted Best Director of a Musical and Best Choreographer in the running for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Birmingham awards. He was recognized for his work on “Jesus Christ Superstar,” presented at the Virginia Samford Theater.

1998

Tony Sturgis has been promoted to lieutenant in the Tuscaloosa Fire and Rescue Service. A paramedic and an 11-year veteran of the fire service, he will serve as station lieutenant.

Chris Wilson M.Ed. ’01 is the new football coach at Straughn High School in Andalusia. He previously served as head football coach at Washington County High, leading that team to a five-year record of 58-11 and two state championship appearances.

1999

Racheal Brantley Banks, of Mobile, was named to Mobile Bay’s 2014 Class

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Class Notes

2005

CLASS OF 2005 From left: (front row) Krystal Swann, Susan Elizabeth Spann, Patricia Lovelady, Jenny Harvard, Eric Leslie, Angela Sanders; (back row) Rosanna McGinnis, Daniel West, Michael Hill, Blake Harvard, Ben Greer MINORITY The newly-formed Minority Alumni Club elected officers at Homecoming. Officers are Cynthia Todd ’88 – President, Fred Miller ’04 – Vice President, Cortez Bennett ’12 – Treasurer and Arielle Jones ’11 – Secretary.

of 40 under Forty. Formerly UM’s director of development and alumni affairs, Racheal is currently the director of health sciences development and alumni relations at the University of South Alabama.

Paul Giardina, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Mobile, was recognized in the list of Mobile Bay’s 2014 Class of 40 under Forty.

Kathryn Miller Thomas, of Mobile, is a support recipients benefit manager with Volunteers of America Southeast. She ensures that people with intellectual disabilities who are residents in VOA Alabama group homes keep their benefits current.

2000

Julie Neussl Harrison M.Ed. ’02, Ed.S. ’08, M.Ed. ’12, art teacher at Clanton Elementary School, has received National Board Certification in early/middle childhood art education.

She was the first teacher in Chilton County to pass the process.

Beth House M.Ed. ’03 was named 2014 Teacher-of-the-Year at Thompson

High School. She teaches English and works with the Problem-Solving Team and the Peer Helpers Program.

Beth and husband Mike participated in the Dopey Challenge Run at Walt Disney World in January, benefiting cancer research.

2002

Rhetanna D. Taunton received her Juris Doctorate from the Birmingham School of Law on May 17.

Jeff Traywick, senior project manager for the Birmingham Business Alliance’s economic development division, recently received the 40 Under 40 Award for economic development from Development Counsellors International. In the past five years, Jeff has managed or worked on 56 announced economic development projects resulting in more than $199 million in announced capital investment and 1,786 jobs.

2003

Joey Candler Jankoski, of Columbia, Maryland, recently became a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of library media. She is a

28 Montevallo Today | |

MINORITY ALUMNI CLUB library media specialist at Longfellow Elementary School.

Eric Saninocencio has been promoted to digital media director for the NFL’s Houston Texans. The Texans’ digital media efforts have been recognized by the NFL and other sports organizations for several fan engagement campaigns. Eric and wife Heather Huot Saninocencio ’02 reside in Sugar Land, Texas, with their children, Deric, 4, and Isla, 2.

2004

Aubrey Blackwell M.Ed. ’06 has accepted the position of head football coach at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. He had previously served as assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at St. James School, also in Montgomery. Aubrey was also the recipient of the Kinesiology Award at the UM College of Education Alumni Awards Dinner, held in conjunction with homecoming in February.

2005

Melanie Tingle M.Ed. was chosen Teacher of the Year at Thompson Middle School in Alabaster. Melanie teaches English language arts.

2006

Eric Browne, a theater teacher at Baker High School in Mobile for the past four years, was featured in a recent article on al.com in Mobile. He sent 28 of his students to the statewide Walter Trumbauer Secondary Theatre Festival, held at Troy University, where they competed successfully with almost 2,000 other high school theater students.

Tina Strozier Harris, of Enterprise, recently earned an MBA from Auburn University at Montgomery.

Jane Herndon M.Ed. has accepted the position of secondary instruction specialist for Madison County schools.

2007

Evelyn Black, of Montgomery, is firm administrator and a paralegal for the law firm of Ryals, Donaldson & Agricola P.C.

2009

Sharon New Glass, of Calera, completed dental school in 2014 and has taken over the practice of Dr. Paul Morgan in Clanton. Sharon was a hygienist for Morgan while in school and assumed

HOMECOMING YOUNG ALUMNI GOLD SIDE Photos by Terry Bruno

YOUNG ALUMNI PURPLE SIDE ownership of the practice soon after graduation. She is married to Steven Glass, who works as a locksmith and security officer at UM.

2011

Jay Beard is a reporter for The Arab Tribune in Marshall County.

2013

Sarah Dunn had her artwork exhibited at Heritage Hall Museum in Talladega recently. Her show, “Preservation,” involved covering frozen objects with wax, heating the objects, then photographing the pieces as they melted.

Daniel Farris was named Teacherof-the-Year at Thompson Sixth Grade Center in the Alabaster school system. Daniel teaches English and advanced math.

2014

Lila Dostal, of Birmingham, has selfpublished a fantasy novel, The Cry of the South, a book she started when she was 13 years old. Prior to her arrival at UM, Lila earned a degree in professional mariner training, and she is currently teaching English as a second language to school children in Japan.

WEDDINGS

1999

Sheila Jett and Melanie Smith ’95 were married at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Birmingham Feb. 9.

Sheila is a physical education teacher at Montevallo Middle School and an adjunct instructor in UM’s kinesiology department, and Melanie is a carpenter in UM’s physical plant.

2008

Stephanie Perry and Barbara Silor ’08 were married and held a ceremony on Oct. 4 at Aldridge Botanical Gardens in Hoover with family, friends and fellow UM alumni. After a honeymoon trip to the beach, the couple resides in Birmingham. Stephanie is the administrative manager in the department of psychiatry at UAB, and Barbara is a marketing and corporate events manager at Daxko.

2013

Emily Brooks Rogers and Forrest Blake Lovett ’13 were married June 6 at The Sonnet House in Leeds. Emily teaches first grade at Vincent Elementary School in Shelby County, and Blake is pursuing a master’s degree

YOUNG ALUMNI GREEN SIDE in education with a focus on social science. Lindsay Kate Glausier ’14 served as Emily’s maid of honor, and bridesmaids included UM alumnae Tina Roberts ’14 and Samantha Hyde ’13.

BIRTHS

2006

Amanda McGinnis Mercer M.Ed. ’07 & ’11, Ed.S. ’14 and her husband, Maurice, welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Kathryn Reese Mercer, in December. Big sister Emma, 3, welcomed the new arrival to the Mercer home in Pelham. Amanda is an assistant principal in the Jefferson County school system, and Maurice works in banking and serves on the Pelham City Council.

Meghan Methvin Suda and her husband Dan Suda ’07 welcomed the birth of their twin daughters, Madison Marie and Ann Riley Suda, Feb. 11, 2015. The family resides in Hoover.

2007

Leah Simpson and husband Casey Simpson ’05 celebrated the birth of their second child, AnnaLee Fayeth Simp-

son, Sept. 19. Big brother Case Simpson welcomed his sister to the family home in McMinnville, Tennessee.

DEATHS

1933

Margaret Bransford Cloud, 103, of Birmingham, died Jan. 23. She worked with her husband, Emmett, in real estate development.

1934

Ina Murl Smith Moore, 105, of Winfield, died Feb. 9. She was a retired elementary school music teacher.

1936

Ann Barr, 100, of Auburn, died in December.

She held the position of state leader of Alabama 4-H Clubs for 34 years, retiring in 1984. She also served on the National 4-H Club Council in Washington, D.C., for 33 years, chairing that organization for six years.

1938

Jannette McPhail Argo, 98, of Fairhope, formerly of Jasper, died Jan. 16. She was retired from the Auburn University Cooperative Extension Service with 30 years of service.

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Class Notes

Photo by Terry Bruno

ALUMNI BOARD From left: (front row) Michael Malone ’69, Tracy Rockco ’94, Cornelia Watts ’77, Terra Miller ’06, Megan Randolph ’06, Laurl Self ’94, Diane Ray ’68, Barbara Bradford ’56; (middle row) Fred Crawford ’68, Stephanie Shaw ’93, Julie Harbin ’00, Toni Leo ’80, Warwick Woodall ’82, Melanie Poole ’86, Eddie Baker ’04, Jody Atchison ’69; (back row) Matt Arnold ’93, Chris Willis ’07, Keith Shoemaker ’98, James Methvin ’73, Barbara Bonfield ’58, Mary Lou Williams ’69, Carolyn MillerKirby, Susan Vaughn ’71, Tiffani Humphries ’98

Photo by Timothy McMillan ’15

Virginia Reeder Scott, 99, of Athens, Georgia, died Jan. 12. She was a collector, researcher and writer on the subject of Candlewick glassware, publishing a newsletter and a book on the subject.

1940

Ethel Mathews McAuley, of Montgomery, died Nov. 19. She had worked in various government jobs, retiring from the Department of the Interior in 1975.

June Mathews Moody, 96, of Birmingham, died Jan. 4. She was a homemaker and active in her community.

Carolyn Day Pfol, 95, of Jacksonville, Florida, died Nov. 29. She was a music teacher, administrator and champion of music education, predominantly in Duval County, Florida.

1941

Mary Flynn Sellers Pilgreen, 94, of Birmingham, died Dec. 30. She was an administrator in the Jefferson County Schools for 39 years, retiring in 1996 at the age of 76. Mary also had served as president of the Alabama College

JUNIOR BOARD From left: (front row) Jordan Hutchison ’10, Rick Casey ’00, Michael Hill ’05, Jeff Purvis ’02, Dan McBrayer ’08, Lindsey Sherrill ’07, Kacie Kilpatrick ’09; (back row) Zach Banks ’08, Jason Booi ’04, Tiffany Bunt ’00, Candyce Hughston ’10, Kristen Dechert ’03, Kelly Curry ’08

Alumni Association from 1962-1964.

Claudine McAdams Spurlock, 94, of Alexandria, Louisiana, died Jan. 18. She had served as a caseworker and supervisor for the Louisiana Department of Welfare for 25 years.

1942

Virginia Martin Brown, 94, of Birmingham, died Dec. 18. She was a homemaker.

Faye Roberts MacLeod, 94, passed away Monday March 23. She settled in Birmingham in the 1950s and designed clothes and worked for “McCall’s Magazine.”

Theda Wyatt Nordan Dunham, 93, of Birmingham, died March 19. She was retired from Alabama Power Co. with 23 years of service. Survivors include her son, UM alumnus Clayton M. Nordan M.A. ’76.

1944

Willodine “Billie” Hamner Malone, 91, of Cherokee, died in January. She was a retired teacher with 40 years of service.

30 Montevallo Today | |

Ann Cooper Kelly M.A. ’62, 92, of Prattville, died March 13. She taught mathematics at Autauga County High School for many years.

Frances Elvira McCrory, 91, of Selma, formerly of Greenville, died Feb. 16. She taught music in the elementary schools in Selma for many years and also gave private violin and piano lessons in her home.

1947

Alice Ray Clemons Baxter, 89, of Fort Payne, died Jan. 4. She was a retired teacher with 30 years of service.

Alice Anderson Craig, 88, of Gulf Breeze, Florida, passed away May 2. Alice, known to her family as “Mema,” taught art in public schools for more than 30 years. Alice was a talented artist who worked with many different mediums, but loved painting most of all.

Jane Cogle Hamilton, 88, of Dixon’s Mills, died Jan. 10. She was a homemaker.

1948

Elenore Cochrane, 89, of Birmingham, died Feb. 26. She was retired from the Social Security Administration with 27 years of service.

Edith Deason Thomaston Short, 87, of Parrish, died Nov. 12. She was a retired teacher. Edith’s sister, Mildred Deason ’46, wrote that, “At age 87, Edith could still sing College Night songs and would always ‘Sing for Montevallo.’”

1949

Henriella Kornegay Key, 87, of Jacksonville, Florida, died Feb. 3. She was a retired librarian.

Doris “Dee” Chism Lien, age 86, passed on April 3. A resident of Montevallo, Dee was a graduate of Alabama College with a degree in music. She taught piano lessons and was later the choral and band director at Montevallo High School.

1950

Elizabeth Hortense Barnes, age 86, of Dothan, passed away on Thursday,

April 2. She spent 31 years in Birmingham where she served as minister of education, pastor’s secretary and assistant at three area churches. In 1986, she returned to Montgomery to become the administrative assistant to the executive director of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions.

Katharine Elizabeth Wynn Gamble, 87, of Leeds, died Jan. 4. She was a homemaker.

Martha Josephine Worrell McCully, 86, of Selma, died Jan. 13. She was the first teacher of multi-handicapped children in Dallas County.

Mildred Aniece Griffin Yelverton, 86, of Dothan, formerly of Uniontown and Montgomery, died in January.

She retired as director of the Judson College library, where she also served as executive director of the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame. After retirement, she published a book, They Also Served, about the first 25 inductees.

1951

Carolyn Welch Sasser, 84, of Birmingham, passed away April 25.

1953

died Nov. 7.

Bettye Jean Smith East, 83, of Dadeville,

Norma Jean Johnston Harris, 83, of Lexington, Kentucky, died Jan. 4. She was an elementary school teacher and a legal secretary.

1954

Myrt Salter M.S. ’59, of Fort Pierce, Florida, died Jan. 4. She was a retired physical education teacher and dedicated alumna who frequently returned to campus, to spend time with fellow alumni.

1955

Martha Sue Cobb Cargile, 80, of Millbrook, died Nov. 29. She was a teacher.

1956

Martha Ann Cox Champion, of Pelham, died Nov. 23. She was a homemaker.

1957

Eugenia “Gene” King Hulme, 79, of Alexander City, died Dec. 8. She was a retired dental hygienist.

Lutie Jackson Stickney Leisy, 78, of Greensboro, died Jan. 11.

1958

Charlotte Pritchett Donnenwirth, 79, of Lillian, died Feb. 15.

1959

Robert E. Bowdon, 80, of Calera, died Dec. 25. He owned and operated Bobby Bowdon’s Discount Furniture for more than 50 years.

Mary Gene McCutchen passed away on Sunday, January 25, at the age of 77. She was a professor of dance at the University of Tennessee until her retirement in 2008, when she returned to Scottsboro and opened the McCutchen’s Magnolia House restaurant with her late brother, Bill McCutchen.

Lelia Joan Bethea Webb, 80, of Sheffield, died Nov. 23. She was a pastor’s wife and a homemaker for more than 60 years.

1960

Shirley Faye Thrasher Daviston, 78, of Brierfield, died Dec. 17. She was a homemaker.

1961

Belinda Roy Burrage, 77, of Dallas, died Jan. 2. She was retired from Dallas Bias Fabrics with 37 years of service.

Bette Thornton Lloyd, 76, of Birmingham, died Jan. 16. She was a homemaker.

1967

Vicki Hymel Fedde, 69, of Hickory, North Carolina, died Nov. 14. Over her lifetime, she was a physician’s assistant, a biology teacher, a corporate manager and an entrepreneur.

1971

Pamela Ryer Walters M.A. ’77, 66, of Cheshire, Massachusetts, died Feb. 8.

She was a teacher.

1972

Jerry Glenn Bumpers, age 66, passed away April 24, 2014. He was a native and resident of Coffeeville, Alabama, and an educator with Clarke County Schools for 45 years.

Emmett Ray Godfrey, 64, of Birmingham, died Jan. 10. He owned Underwriting Services of Alabama for 29 years, and after retirement, owned the Baseball Card Shop in Hoover and later, Metro Truck Rental and Storage.

1973

John William Jones, 78, of Enterprise, died Jan. 22. He was retired from the U.S. Army with 26 years of service. Survivors include his wife, UM alumna Gail C. Jones ’63.

Demisha W. Scrushy, age 63, native of Selma, lost her battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on April 11.

Her teaching career spanned 25 years with the majority of the time at Elvin Hill Elementary School in Columbiana, Alabama.

1974

Forest Stephen Patrick M.Ed., 68, of Cleveland, Tennessee, formerly of Huntsville, died Jan. 6. He retired from the Huntsville city school system with 37 years of service.

Timothy Lane Tucker, 62, of Marion, died Oct. 28. Survivors include his wife of 40 years, UM alumna Linda Faye Merrell Tucker ’74.

1975

Mary Lois Holladay Fondren M.Ed., of Birmingham, died Nov. 26. She was a teacher with 40 years of service.

Prince Leon Dorough M.Ed. ’79, 75, of Pekin, passed away Jan. 31.

He retired as associate professor and director of choral activities and music education at Illinois Central College in 2009. Prince taught music for 35 years.

1978

Ann Drysdale, 62, of Orange Beach, died March 23. She was a retired elementary educator.

1981

Leroy Anthony M.Ed., 83, of Jasper, died Sept.

25. He was a retired teacher and a pastor to several Baptist churches in Walker County. In the winter 2015 issue of “Montevallo Today,” he was mistakingly listed as Leroy Anderson.

The editorial staff regrets this error.

Apologies to the Anthony family.

Harriet Posey Beam M.Ed., of Taylors, South Carolina, previously of Alabaster, died Jan. 13. She was a retired teacher and counselor.

1990

Mitchell C. Edwards, 47, of Alabaster, died Dec. 18. He was senior vice president of marketing, sales and business development at High Ground Solutions and formerly director of communications for the Alabama State Department of Education. Survivors include his wife, UM alumna Lori Edwards ’13.

1995

Steve Taylor, University Police Lieutenant emeritus, died on April 2.

2002 died Dec. 13.

Cheryl Sanders Brown, 43, of Shelby,

CONDOLENCES

1978

To Cherry Cash Pickett, of Montevallo, on the death of her husband, Albert Lee Pickett Sr., Jan. 5. He was a retired minister.

1984

To Nancy Wilstach, of Montevallo, on the death of her daughter, Elbra Lillian Wilstach Plott, Dec. 30.

1982

To Sharon Maneice Gilbert M.A. ’89, director of the university’s Upward Bound program, on the death of her mother, Minnie Maneice.

1992

To Tammi Dahle M.Ed. ’95, UM’s dean of students, on the death of her mother, Janice Boackle Stewart, of Birmingham, March 23.

1993

To Kathy Zuber Hoefker M.Ed., registrar emerita, on the death of her son, Jonathan Hoefker, March 15.

2009

To Regan Horton Stedwell on the death of her brother, Perry Duane Horton, Jan. 13.

To Kathy Bailey, human resources assistant at Montevallo, on the death of her father, Fredrick Callies Sr. To the family of Robyn Webb Boyd, 51, of Alabaster, who died Feb. 19.

She was UM’s director of student life emerita, retiring in 2011.

To Scott Dillard, UM’s director of development, on the death of his mother, Pauline Dillard.

To the family of Jeanette Hays Pickett, 87, of Montevallo, who died Nov. 29. She retired in 1995 as a records assistant in UM’s alumni office after 30 years of service.

To the family of Rachel Wiggins Polhill, 78, of Birmingham, who died March 3. She was an associate professor and the reference librarian emerita, retiring in 2000.

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

Send your updates to:

today@montevallo.edu

|31|

Photo by Michael Wade

Photo by Michael Wade

William Crawford, director of the annual fund, along with baseball alumni, present a check to former coach Bob Riesener celebrating the endowment of a scholarship in his honor.

Denise Heisler ’88 receives a plaque from Mark Richard, UM director of athletics.

Photo by Alyssa Luna ’14

Jeremy Smith ’98, Undrez Lawrence, former coach Rob Spivery, Henry White ’75 and Shane Traylor ’96 (second row) reminisce at the 50th anniversary reception.

UM Athletics alumni reunite

Johnny Locklar ’67 and UM’s first head coach of men’s basketball, Leon Davis, speak to Mark Richard about the basketball program.

Photo by Alyssa Luna ’14 Photo by Michael Wade

This year, UM athletics celebrated two milestones: the 50th anniversary of intercollegiate men’s basketball and the largest Hall of Fame class ever inducted.

Falcons from multiple generations flocked back to campus to both reminisce about days gone by and to be celebrated for their accomplishments that have forever shaped the foundation of UM’s athletics program.

Nominate a former Falcon for the Hall of Fame at:

montevallofalcons.com/Forms/Hall_of _Fame

32 Montevallo Today | |

The 2015 Athletics Hall of Fame inductees (from left) are: Josh Johnson ’00, Denise Heisler ’88, Zach Andrews ’08, Stacey Balaam ’08, Jonathan Maloney ’08, Adele Jackson ’08, Erica Harris ’02 and Marcus Kennedy ’07.

1

Photo by Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94

2

Photo provided by Kirk Lightfoot

Spotted at Alumni Events

3

1. Mike Malone ’69, UMNAA president and Freddie the Falcon cheer on the Falcons at the inaugural softball game on Jan. 31.

2. Frank Lightfoot, first baseball coach emeritus at Alabama College, welcomes Lindsay Vanover, first softball coach to the UM family.

3. Stephanie Shaw ’93, Rene Eiland ’90 and Jasyn Fowler ’95 show their College Night pride at the Mobile Alumni Club Mardi Gras Event.

4. College of Education award recipients pose at the COE alumni dinner held on Feb. 10 in conjunction with Homecoming.

5. John Mark Willis ’95 wins the family fun prize at the Annual Shelby County Alumni Benefit Bash.

6. Rebecca Kent ’95 and her husband Mike were the jackpot prize winners at the Shelby County Benefit Bash.

Photo by Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94

4

Photo by Amber Quinn ’18

Photo by Brittany Headley ’14

5

6

Photo by Brittany Headley ’14

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Professional Spotlight

Read more of what these

alumni had to say at: www.montevallo.edu/montevallo-today

The professors at Montevallo helped open my eyes to the world of Finance and Investments by using hands-on tools that have been applicable throughout my career at Regions. Also, through acquiring my MBA, I found a passion for strategic management and showcasing effective leadership at my workplace.

MONICA RATCHFORD ’08, MBA ’12 I didn’t originally plan to work in the banking field, but Montevallo provides you with a true liberal arts education that prepares you to work and be successful in any profession.

Assistant Vice President, managing retirement plan assets, endowment and foundations accounts for the state of Mississippi, Regions Bank

LEE BANKS ’00

Wealth Advisor, Regions Bank

Montevallo was my reality check. It was the best of times, but it was also the worst of times. I started my collegiate career as a ‘not so serious’ student. Over time, I learned that if I applied myself, change could actually move me in the right direction.

JASON BOOI ’04

Assistant Vice President of International EDD (Enhanced Due Diligence), Regions Bank

Photo by Aubrae Taylor ’15

UM’s academic standards have continued to improve, but the low ratio of students to teachers still remains. This is definitely an advantage over many other universities.

JOHN C. KIRBY ’61

Shelby County President,Trustmark National Bank

I think my favorite aspect of (UM) is something that’s not easily put into words that stems from the memories, the Quad, the trees, etc., and I’m confident that those who were blessed to go there, like me, will know what I’m talking about.

REAGAN DENSON ’03

Sr. Financial Sales Advisor, BBVA Compass

34 Montevallo Today | |

Montevallo provided a great education and many opportunities for me to grow through student leadership. I graduated with a degree in Management and knew I wanted to lead people, just as I had done as both President of student government and the fraternity. Moving into a management program as my first role at the bank seemed to be a natural progression.

JASON EPSTEIN ’96

Executive Vice President, Head of Consumer Sales & Service, Regions Bank

ALUMNI IN BANKING I absolutely love the diversity at Montevallo. I also valued the small class sizes and being able to express my ideas, opinions, and dreams to my professors. I wouldn’t trade my experience at all, it is definitely a unique but meaning ful experience.

It’s like a big family and I’ve met people whom I will never forget.

Something that was taught to me, time and time again, at Montevallo was to never stop learning and to always be willing and eager to accept new responsibilities, and to never say the words, “That’s not my job”.

CASEY WILLIS ’10, MBA ’11

Indirect Lending Officer, America’s First Federal Credit Union

CHELSEY FORD ’12, MBA ’13 Business Banking Credit Underwriter, Regions Bank

The low student-to-professor ratio (at UM) was important to me, and I feel that I definitely benefited. I didn’t want to get “ lost in the crowd”.

SHANNON ISBELL DYE ’80

Vice President, First National Bank of Talladega

www.montevallo.edu/alumni

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Thursday, July 30 Jr. Alumni Board and Jeff Co Alumni Club present Alumni Night at the Ballpark - Birmingham Barons Cookout @ 6:00 p.m. • Game @ 7:05 p.m. • Regions Park 1401 1st Ave. S. • Birmingham, AL $15.00 per person to help cover the cost of food

Registration: www.montevallo.edu/alumni-events/

Friday, August 14 Tenn. Valley Area Back-to-School Kickoff 5:30 p.m. – until• Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment 2211 Seminole Dr. SW • Huntsville, AL In conjunction with the Huntsville Art League’s Lowe Mill Friday Concerts on the Dock series. Students, alumni, parents, and friends are invited; $10.00 reservation fee (lowemill.net)

Registration: www.montevallo.edu/alumni-events/

Saturday, August 22

Jr. Alumni Board 10th Anniversary Celebration 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. • Birmingham Zoo Alumni and friends are invited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Junior Alumni Board. Event includes food and fun with the animals. Attendees will receive discounted zoo admission to enjoy following the event.

Visit www.facebook.com/UMyoungalumni for more info

Friday, October 9 - Saturday, October 10 Coming Home Weekend & Alumni Olympics Day Events include Golf Tournament, Tennis Match, Family Fun Run, Hope Bryant Smith Memorial 5k, Disc Golf Tournament, and activities for the family to enjoy.

Visit www.montevallo.edu/olympics for more info For more information about events, contact paynet@montevallo.edu or 205.665.6215.

TRACK & FIELD: Lauren Pearson competes in Montevallo’s first PBC Championship hosted at UM’s new track and field facility on April 18.

Photo by Michael Wade