UNDER THE OAKS
McBride, Herbert, Perkins receive Elon Medallions O
n Aug. 22, Elon’s Chaplain Emeritus Richard McBride, Trustee Dr. William N.P. Herbert ’68 and retired Vice President Nan Perkins received Elon Medallions, the highest honor the university bestows on individuals for meritorious service to the institution. McBride arrived at Elon in 1984 and in his 25-year career left an indelible mark on the university, guiding the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life through a period of rapid growth. Among his many achievements, McBride helped envision and endow the Vera Richardson Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, founded Elon’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity and the Elon Volunteers! service program, and introduced the Hometown Heroes and Turning 21 Dinner programs. He published a book, Inventing a Life: The Journey through College and Beyond, based on his conversations with Elon students. McBride and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of 1991 Elon alumnus Scott McBride. Herbert, a respected scholar and practitioner in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, has made significant contributions to medicine during his career, assisting in the development of groundbreaking prenatal tests to measure fetal lung development and preparing future physicians to care for their patients’ spirits as well as their bodies. He distinguished himself as a practitioner and faculty member at the University of North Carolina and Duke University medical centers before moving on to the University of Virginia Medical Center, where he chaired the department until his retirement in 2011. A loyal Elon alumnus, Herbert joined Elon’s board of
{ l-r, Richard McBride, Nan Perkins & Dr. William Herbert ’68 }
trustees first as a youth trustee and later in 1996 as a full member. He has served as a member of Elon’s Health Professions Advisory Committee, mentoring students preparing for careers in medicine and health care. Perkins served Elon for 32 years as a valued member of senior staff, a close adviser to two presidents, and as vice president for enrollment management and vice president for university advancement, guiding the institution to new levels of national visibility and excellence in academics, communications and philanthropy.
ELON EARNS TOP NATIONAL RANKINGS The Fiske Guide to Colleges, U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” guide, The Princeton Review and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance have again ranked Elon among the nation’s best universities for 2012. Fiske named Elon one of the nation’s all Southern master’s-level universities for top-25 “Best Buy” private universities, rec- the fifth year in a row; #1 among “Up and ognizing the quality of Elon’s academic Coming” Southern universities and #1 in offerings in relation to the cost of atten- the “Focus on Student Success” category. dance. 2011 marks Elon’s eighth year in the The guide includes Elon among the top 15 Fiske rankings, which call the university “an Southern universities in its “Great Schools, emerging name nationwide.” Great Prices” ranking. U.S. News gave Elon high marks in a Elon appeared among the nation’s number of categories, including #2 among top 376 top colleges and universities in
Among her many achievements, Perkins oversaw the reorganization of institutional communications under an Office of Publications, a predecessor of today’s Office of University Relations; conceptualized and coordinated Elon’s centennial celebration during 1988–89; and presided over the $47 million Elon Vision Campaign and spearheaded planning for the $100 million Ever Elon Campaign. Generous donors to Elon, Perkins and her husband, Edward, are the parents of 1988 alumna Laura Catoe.
the annual rankings published by The Princeton Review. The 2012 guide ranked Elon’s study abroad program as #4 in the nation and its music theatre program as #15. In the 2012 edition of “The Best 294 Business Schools,” The Princeton Review named the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business MBA program the #1 “best administered school” and #5 in the “best campus facilities” category. For the sixth consecutive year, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranked Elon among the nation’s top 50 best values in private higher education.
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