Piedmont College Journal, Spring 2017

SPRING 2017 | VOLUME 9, NUMBER 2

NASA ENGINEER FINDS DREAM JOB—TEACHING US NEWS & WORLD REPORT ‘BEST VALUE’ MARVIN HUDSON & P-CLUB HALL OF FAME INDUCTION

JOURNAL SPR ING 2017

President James F. Mellichamp

Contents F E ATU RE S

NE WS

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Vice President for Advancement Amy Amason

For three years in a row, Piedmont has enrolled a record freshman class— including 289 freshmen during the current school year

Director of Public Relations David Price (’99) Design Manager Regina M. Fried (’09) Associate Director of Development Mary Colston

Admissions Bright Future

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'Best Value' U.S. News and World Report has selected Piedmont College as one the "Best Value Schools in the Southeast."

Associate Director of Alumni Relations Laura Briggs (’16) Coordinator of Development Services Chris Pearce

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Published by the Office of Institutional Advancement

Send Address Changes to: Piedmont College Institutional Advancement P.O. Box 429 Demorest, GA 30535 or piedmont.edu/updateinfo

On the Cover: Re-Entry Wanda Harding, a former NASA engineer, says what she really wants to do is teach.

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Students

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Impact & Outreach

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Fine Arts

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Alumni

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Class Notes

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In Memory

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Marvin Hudson: An Ump's Journey

Piedmont College @PiedmontGA

Programs

Athletics

Website Coordinator Brian Carter (’09) Development Coordinator Krysti Elam (’16)

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MLB umpire Marvin Hudson (’86) began his career behind the plate as a catcher for the Lions.

Sprichst du Deutsch?

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prichst du Deutsch? (Do you speak German?) I speak German because, as a student, I had the opportunity to live in Germany for two years as a recipient of an international scholarship to study organ. I learned to speak German and became a diplomate of the Hochschule für Musik in Herford, Germany. In my 35 years at Piedmont College, we’ve continued to foster relationships with Germany and many other international destinations to the benefit of Piedmont students who have traveled and studied there. For several years, we have hosted exchange students from Paderborn University in Germany, who are studying for one to two semesters at Piedmont.

President Mellichamp addresses the Amerika Haus conference, which promotes international

Last year, I was honored to receive the Germancultural exchanges between the U.S. and Germany.

American Friendship Award, presented by Thomas Wülfing, Deputy Consul General of Atlanta. The award is given each year by the German Ambassador to the United States to recognize Americans who have helped foster positive German-American relations. And in January of this year, I presented the keynote address at a conference on international student exchange held at the Amerika Haus in Munich.

For Piedmont College students, study abroad remains an important focus, one of the myriad interesting and experiential activities that comprise “high impact practices.”

These HIPs, as they are called, ensure that our students graduate having enjoyed and engaged in the highest caliber of instruction.

In this issue of the Journal, we will highlight some of our best students and the excellent experiences and learning opportunities they have enjoyed. In addition, you will discover that the Lillian E. Smith Center has been active with special events and programs.

Learn how higher education experts and publications are taking notice of Piedmont College’s continued advancement among our peer institutions. Our students in Arts & Sciences, Education, Business, and Nursing & Health Sciences have been challenged and have excelled in numerous ways.

I think you will enjoy “digging into” this issue of the Journal to learn more about our achievements and progress in Fine Arts, Athletics and many other programs taking place on our Demorest and Athens campuses. Read on and be amazed at the vitality and academic excellence of Piedmont College. I know I am proud of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends who contribute so much to our success!

I think you will enjoy “digging into” this issue of the Journal to learn more about our achievements and progress in Fine Arts, Athletics and many other programs taking place on our Demorest and Athens campuses.

New freshmen leave the Swanson Center to tour the campus as part of a summer orientation session.

Admissions Plans for a Bright Future F

or three years in a row, Piedmont College has enrolled a record freshman class—including 289 freshmen during the current school year.

Attracting those students to the Demorest and Athens campuses is the job of the Admissions Office, and it is a process that can take more than a year for each student.

“We are already looking down the road at the year 2021," said Cindy Peterson, Dean of Admissions and Undergraduate Enrollment Management. “Students who are now sophomores in high school are already beginning to make their college plans, and you can bet that parents started long before that.”

To make sure that high school students across Georgia, the Southeast, and the U.S. hear about Piedmont, the Admissions Office has a number of tools, Peterson said. “Today, most students start their search on the internet, so that is a critically important piece for us. Our website is designed to make it easy for students to find information no matter what

PROGRAMS

type of computer or mobile device they are using to search.”

Peterson said the website also includes a detailed “Virtual Visit” so prospective students can see the campus and hear what Piedmont students say about the college.

“But our main goal is to get students to visit the campus,” Peterson said. “I can’t tell you how many times a new student has told me that as soon as they stepped on campus, they felt at home.”

Each year the Admissions Office conducts special events just for high school students. These include FACE—the Fine Arts College Experience—which allows students interested in the arts, music, theatre, and creative writing to come to campus and sit in on classes, meet with professors, spend the night in the residence halls, and try out for a variety of scholarships.

Joanna Tucker, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, said similar one-day events are held for students interested in Mass Communications and Nursing & Health Sciences. In addition, two events that appeal to students

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ADMISSIONS

FACTS & FIGURES

of any major are “Living Like a Lion” and “Preview Piedmont,” which give high school students and their parents the opportunity to experience a day in the life of a Piedmont student and interact with Piedmont faculty and staff.

289 FRESHMEN THIS YEAR

“One of our most exciting new events is ‘Día de la Familia,’ which encourages Hispanic students and their families to come and visit the campus,” Tucker said. In addition to tours of the campus and a chance to meet the faculty, the day includes bilingual sessions for parents and students to ask about the admissions process.

In addition to these special events, Tucker said the Admissions Office staff and “Team Piedmont” students provide more than 500 individual tours of the campuses throughout the year. “Just about any weekday, you can find families touring the campus, eating in the dining hall, meeting with professors and learning about everything Piedmont,” she said.

Peterson said one of the best resources the Admissions Office has for attracting new students is the college’s alumni. "Our graduates, whether they were undergrads or grad students, are still the best advertising that we have,” she said. “People who have been here and know the campus, who know the benefits of one-onone engagement with our faculty, those are the best ambassadors we could have.”

For information about Piedmont College admissions and upcoming events, visit www.piedmont.edu/ future-students.

RESIDENTAL STUDENTS: 659

AVERAGE HIGH SCHOOL GPA

3.47 FRESHMEN ARE FROM 15 DIFFERENT STATES, 4 COUNTRIES

For Admissions information, go to www.piedmont.edu/future-students.

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PROGRAMS

‘Best

Value’

U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

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.S. News and World Report has selected Piedmont College as one the "Best Value Schools in the Southeast." The college is one of only three schools in Georgia to make the annual list in the Regional Universities category.

The magazine selected 31 Best Value schools across 12 Southeast states, based on their overall academic quality and the net cost of attending. “The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal,” the editors said. “Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included, because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.”

U.S. News defines regional universities as offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, including some doctoral degrees. Of the 113 regional institutions in the Southeast ranked by U.S. News, the Best Value schools in Georgia include Berry College (#3) Piedmont (#19), and Brenau University (#30).

“In recent years, Piedmont College has made major investments in facilities and academic programs, while maintaining the small classes and other features that make us who we are,” said Piedmont President James F. Mellichamp. “We have also worked hard to keep tuition affordable, especially through scholarships, and that effort is what the latest U.S. News selection recognizes.”

The U.S. News ranking follows a similar review by Washington Monthly magazine, which named Piedmont one of the top “Best Bang for the Buck” colleges in the Southeast.

The magazine ranked institutions of all sizes on a number of key variables, including net price, graduation rates, student loan repayments, income after graduation, and the number of first-generation students attending. Piedmont took the 20th spot among the 100 schools in the Southeast examined by Washington Monthly.

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COMMONS CONFERENCE ROOM NAMED FOR TOMMY IRVIN

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Pictured, front from left, are Lisa Irvin Collier, Londa Irvin Sprinkle, and James Irvin; back, Dr. Mellichamp, Chris Irvin, and Chairman Arrendale.

oard Chairman Thomas A. ‘Gus’ Arrendale III and President James F. Mellichamp joined family members of Piedmont Trustee Emeritus Tommy Irvin recently to dedicate a Student Commons conference room in honor of Irvin and his late wife, Bernice. Irvin served as Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture for 42 years and served on the Piedmont Board of Trustees from 2001–2015. At the dedication, James T. Irvin presented a donation of $30,000 to the college from the Thomas T. & Bernice F. Irvin Foundation Inc.

PROGRAMS

STUDENTS GET A REACTION DURING CHEMISTRY WEEK “Better Living Through Chemistry” is an old advertising slogan, but at Piedmont each year, it could be “More Fun Through Chemistry” when the Chemistry Club holds its annual fall demonstrations of some surprising reactions during national Chemistry Week. Pictured, from left, Nick Mathews and Seth George demonstrate the creation of rainbow foam, also known as “Elephant’s Toothpaste,” which results when hydrogen peroxide meets dish detergent.

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STUDENTS

Training to be HEROs S

ome 54 senior students from Piedmont's R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences recently took part in an intense two-day emergency response training session at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Alabama.

Students from both the Demorest and Athens campuses, along with Dr. Julia Behr, dean of the School of Nursing, and nursing professor Karen Greilich, graduated from the CDP’s Healthcare Emergency Response Operations (HERO) and Emergency Medical Response Awareness (EMRA) courses. Both courses train responders

in how to react to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive disaster scenarios.

The training includes classroom and simulation exercises in which participants complete various nursing skills such as wound care, injections, and starting IV’s, while wearing level C personal protection gear, including respirators. Students learned the importance of proper procedure for mass-casualty triage, setting up field stations, and decontamination.

The CDP is operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and is the only federally-

Nursing student Haley Vasser works in a hazmat suit.

chartered weapons of mass destruction (WMD) training facility in the nation.

Dr. Behr said the training is especially important for the students as they begin to prepare for the annual disaster drill here at Piedmont College.

More importantly, “Lifelong learning is an important part of the nursing profession, and because of this training they will be eligible to take future courses from FEMA throughout their nursing careers,” Behr said.

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“ I hope I can be an inspiration to students interested in pursuing a field like space or any technical field.”

re entry!

N A S A E N G I N E E R F I N D S H E R D R E A M J O B —T E A C H I N G

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re entry!

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or Wanda Harding, a 20+ year career as a NASA engineer, Senior Mission Manager, and NOAA technical director was a sidetrack from what she really wanted to do—teach.

“I thought I would work for about five years and then go into the classroom,” Harding said. “Teaching is something I’ve wanted to do since I was an undergraduate. The best professors I had were the ones able to bring realworld experiences to the class, and that is the kind of teacher I wanted to be.”

Thanks to the Woodrow Wilson Georgia Teaching Fellowship Program, Harding is now getting her chance to get back into the classroom and teach.

And she not only brings real-world experience to the job, she brings a lot of out-of-this-world experience as well.

FROM PIANIST TO SCIENTIST Originally from Atlanta, Harding said that up until high school, she had plans of being a concert pianist.

That changed when she enrolled in Benjamin E. Mays High School, which had created a special Science & Mathematics Academy. “It was something different, so my parents decided we would try it out,” she said.

Asked which teacher at Mays inspired her to pursue a career in engineering, Harding said, “That would be a long list. At Mays, we were strongly encouraged (almost required) to participate in annual math and science fairs, and we had teachers that wouldn’t let us give up. They set the

bar of expectations high for us.”

After graduation, Harding earned a bachelor of science degree at Hampton University and then a master’s degree at Georgia Tech, both in electrical engineering. In October 1994, she was hired by NASA

at the Kennedy Space Center and began working on projects for the International Space Station. After a few years, she joined the Launch Services Program, a division of NASA that works with private rocket manufacturers, such as United Launch

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Alliance (Boeing and Lockheed), Orbital Sciences, and SpaceX to launch spacecraft for government customers.

Overseeing the work of large engineering and science teams for each launch, Harding was involved with missions that read like

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a list of the ultimate science projects, including the Spitzer Space Telescope; the Dawn space probe; the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; and the Mars Science Laboratory, better known as the Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012 and is still exploring the planet. (Google “MSL Launch Poll” to

Wanda Harding and NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden talk to reporters next to the first stage of the Atlas V rocket that launched the Mars Science Laboratory in 2011. Harding served as Mission Manager for the launch.

re entry! school for 30 years, and it’s certainly a lot different from what I remember," she said.

“I hope I can be an inspiration to students interested in pursuing a field like space or any technical field,” Harding said. She noted that the movie Hidden Figures has focused attention on the role that women, and particularly African-American women, have played at NASA. “Hidden Figures is one of the best things that could have come out,” she said. “Before, all the

“ The best professors I had were able to bring real-world experiences to the class, and that is the kind of teacher I wanted to be.” see Harding give the Mission Manager “GO” call prior to the MSL launch.)

Still, Harding never gave up on her dream to teach. In 2000-01 she participated in a NASA program that allowed her to teach for one year at Spelman College. She even coaches and tutors her niece and nephews in math. So, when she heard about the Woodrow Wilson Fellows program, she jumped at the chance.

AN OPPORTUNITY AT PIEDMONT Piedmont College is one of five Georgia colleges and universities selected by the Woodrow Wilson National

Fellowship Foundation in Princeton, N.J., to offer graduate programs for students with backgrounds in the STEM fields who want to be become middle and high school science and math teachers in high-need schools.

The program is coordinated by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education with support from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation.

Now Harding spends her days at Cedar Shoals High School in Athens, Monday through Friday, teaching ninth-grade coordinate algebra and analytic geometry. “The experience has been great,” she says. “I’ve been out of high

images of NASA's early successes were of white men, and you would think that is who was responsible for the space program. But Dorothy Vaughn (one of the three mathematicians featured in the movie) started in the ’40s when it was first called NACA— the interest and participation in STEM has been there all along.”

Harding said her students were initially curious about her NASA background, but mostly they wanted to know why she left. “I tell them I was ready to come work with the next generation. They are going to be the ones running the world when I retire."

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Covering the NCAA

By Brian Carter (’09)

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hen Janie Harris ('16) ends her 11-month journey as an NCAA Digital Intern with Turner Sports in June, she’s unsure what her future holds. However, she’s confident that it’ll be a bright one.

The program provides on-the-job experiences for grads pursuing a career in the digital sports industry.

Interns assist in covering and promoting the NCAA’s 90 Championships, including March Madness.

Harris has been a part of so much, but it was an opportunity to help promote Piedmont that sits as one of her standout experiences thus far.

“My favorite experience was Fall champs. NCAA.com covers all sports from DI to DIII, so when Piedmont’s

“With the education and opportunities Piedmont has provided for me, I won’t have to worry about finding and keeping a job,”

Although interns rarely get the chance to cover the larger NCAA Championships, like the College Football Playoff National Championship or the Final Four, Harris expects that she’ll be able to take part in the Beach Volleyball Championships this spring.

For the 2016 Mass Communications major, the partnership with Turner Sports has been eye-opening and potentially careeraltering.

“I had an idea of what it was like to write for national audiences from what I learned in the classroom, but I had never really seen it in action,” explains Harris. “Now, I am a part of it all. I’ve learned so much about social media practices, digital journalism and even PR practices.”

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Although Turner typically looks to keep post-grad interns on staff after the program is over, Harris plans to work in Destin, Florida, with a media company there or get a PR position at a local resort or hospital in the Destin area. She’ll take her Turner Sports experiences with her.

women’s soccer team won the USA South and participated in the NCAA National Tournament, I was part of the team that made sure the selection show was streaming on the website and the bracket was revealed and updated on the site throughout the whole tournament.”

“I know that with the education and opportunities Piedmont has provided for me, I won’t have to worry about finding and keeping a job,” she said. “Piedmont prepared me to take on any challenge the world throws at me.”

Harris’ Piedmont roots run deep, as her mother, Ann Elizabeth Harris, received her Master’s (’02), Specialist (’03), and Doctoral (’14) degrees from Piedmont.

CARICATURES AID STUDY BREAK

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he Campus Activities Board likes to come up with creative ways to give students a break from studies as finals approach each semester. Before the fall break, students in the Commons were treated to professional caricatures by award-winning artist Tony Smith of Atlanta, who was on hand to capture each student’s look and personality. Pictured in real life and in caricature are Benedict Fox and Samantha Catoggio.

PRITCHETT ATTENDS WEST POINT ‘CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES’ CONFERENCE

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eslie Pritchett, a mass communications major from Baldwin, attended the 68th annual Student Conference on U.S. Affairs (SCUSA), which was hosted by the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. West Point hosts SCUSA every fall, and it is the oldest undergraduate conference of its type in the world.

Some 200 undergraduate students from more than 100 colleges and universities around the world attend. Throughout the conference, the student delegates and cadets debate and formulate policy recommendations that model American strategic responses to significant national and global challenges.

Piedmont mass communications majors compete for the honor through a series of faculty interviews and an essay. Department Chair Dale Van Cantfort said this is the ninth year in a row that Piedmont has been represented at the conference.

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Crash Course: Driving While Distracted T

he accidents ranged from fender benders to total wipeouts as students got behind the wheel of a driving simulator that replicates the effect of driving under the influence or driving while texting. The Arrive Alive Tour of Grand Rapids, Michigan, travels the country to educate students on the dangers of driving while impaired or distracted.

Director of Student Life Kim Crawford said more than 75 students took part in the event, which was sponsored by the Campus Activity Board as part of its "Safe Spring Break" campaign.

(Right) Sophomore Brian Mims of Houston, Texas, prepares for an impact.

Senior Jenna Smith of St. Augustine, Florida, takes a turn behind the wheel.

(Below) Junior Gabe Gutierrez of Hendersonville, North Carolina, tries his hand at texting and driving.

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It's Not Just Fun and Games P

eople don’t usually like to take business surveys. People do like to play games. If you could combine the two, would you get a higher response rate for online surveys?

That is the question Sumner Gantz looked to answer with a year-long study of survey “gamification,” which he presented to the survey experts at the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) Digital Research Conference in Austin, Texas.

The study, conducted with Dr. Susanna Warnock in Piedmont’s Walker School of Business, was also published in the October 2016 issue of Quirk’s Marketing Research Review and the January 2017 issue of the International Journal of Market Research.

Gantz, who completed his undergraduate degree in Business Administration in 2015 and is now an MBA student, worked with Dr. Warnock to test ways of designing surveys to better engage respondents— especially younger people, who are notoriously difficult to reach.

Gantz said the problem of surveys is pertinent in all industries. Increasingly, businesses are relying on survey data to make more effective decisions, yet survey response rates are dropping precipitously, making data in short supply.

Gantz considered ways that “game-like elements” of video games and phone apps can be incorporated into surveys

Sumner Gantz (’15) presents results of a study of online surveys he conducted as part of an MBA class.

to gain the attention of younger respondents. By turning a survey into a game, he hoped to decrease the number of respondents who drop out before completing a survey.

To test this idea, Gantz helped draft two versions of a survey concerning restaurant preferences in the Birmingham, Alabama, area—a standard and a gamified version.

After deploying the surveys to more than 10,000 people, the response rates of the two versions were compared. Gantz found that many of the game-like elements used by survey researchers are not effective

at increasing response rates. Using images, giving challenges with time limits, using modified projection techniques, and personalizing the question did not encourage respondents to complete a survey.

However, providing the respondent with immediate feedback is effective.

For instance, study respondents invited to “Find out what your restaurant preferences say about you!” were more likely to complete the question than those who were simply asked about what they find important in restaurants.

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Lillian Smith Day ‘Lillian Smith Day’ focuses on life of civil rights author

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ore than 90 people from across the country were at Piedmont College in September for “Lillian Smith Day” to commemorate the life of the noted civil rights pioneer from Clayton, Georgia.

Activities included scholarly presentations, book signings, an art exhibition, remembrances of Lillian Smith from family and friends, and much more.

“2016 marked the 50th anniversary of Lillian Smith's death,” said Craig Amason, director of Piedmont’s Lillian E. Smith Center in Clayton. “From her

Relatives of Lillian Smith were among the attendees at the celebration of her life and civil rights career.

controversial 1944 novel Strange Fruit, to her influential Killers of the Dream in 1949, and until her death in 1966, Smith spoke out against injustice. To commemorate the life of this great humanitarian, we wanted everyone to join us as we celebrate the life and work of a fine writer and a champion of social justice.”

Dr. Lisa Hodgens and Dr. Margaret Rose Gladney, co-editors of 'A Lillian Smith Reader,' spoke about Smith’s impact on the Civil Rights movement.

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Events included a book signing by Dr. Lisa Hodgens and Dr. Margaret Rose Gladney, co-editors of a new book, A Lillian Smith Reader, published by the University of Georgia Press. Hodgens

is a professor emerita of English at Piedmont, and Gladney is a professor emerita of American Studies at the University of Alabama.

Speakers included Dr. John Inscoe, the Albert B. Saye Professor of History at the University of Georgia; Dr. Will Brantley, professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University; Dr. Robert H. Brinkmeyer Jr., professor of Southern Studies at the University of South Carolina; and Sally Stanhope, author of a history of Smith’s Laurel Falls Camp in Clayton.

I M PAC T & O U T R E AC H

FLORIDA FRIENDS OF LES CENTER GATHER IN TALLAHASSEE

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ome 70 friends of the Lillian E. Smith Center in the Tallahassee area got together at the Capital City Country Club Jan. 8 to hear about new projects and developments at the Clayton, Georgia, education center and artist retreat. The event was hosted by Dr. Nancy Smith Fichter and Robert Fichter, founding directors of the Center.

Pictured, from left, are hosts and organizers including Center Director Craig Amason, Robert Fichter, Nancy Fichter (seated), Cricket Mannheimer, Sherrill Ragans, Velma Frye, and President James F. Mellichamp.

LILLIAN SMITH CENTER ADDS NEW DECK

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s an outdoor education center, the Lillian E. Smith Center in Clayton just got a little more "outdoorsy" with the addition of a deck facing Screamer Mountain on the Common Room. The work was completed thanks to a bequest from the estate of Joan Titus, a close friend of Lillian Smith. With the recent addition of two bunkhouses, the Center can now host groups of up to 30 people for indoor and outdoor education events.

LES Center caretaker Bill Watts (left) and director Craig Amason prepare the new Common Room Cottage deck.

Visit the Lillian Smith Center online at www.piedmont.edu/LES

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Student-run retail space begins sales in Demorest

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ooking for some one-of-a-kind gifts? The Piedmont College Art Department may have just what you are looking for.

Artifact, a student-operated art gallery and retail space, has opened on the corner of Central Avenue and Georgia Street, featuring a variety of paintings, photographs, sculptures, ceramics, knitwear, pillows, and printed items.

The art store is open from noon until 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. (Sales are by check, credit, or debit card only.)

Rebecca Brantley, director of Piedmont’s Mason-Scharfenstein Junior art major Jessica Cheij of Alpharetta shows off items in the new Artifact store.

Museum of Art, said Artifact will be more than a retail shop. “It will be a place for art students to meet and showcase their work,” she said. “But it will also help them gain knowledge about selling their work. As a teaching resource, it will help students to consider real-world concerns.”

operation of Artifact, including sales, marketing, and window displays. Artifact will also feature works by Piedmont art graduates, she said. Alumni interested in showing and selling their work at Artifact can contact Botts at kbotts@piedmont.edu.

Art professor Kaitlin Botts said students handle the day-to-day

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FINE ARTS

ATHLETICS MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Lions finished the season at 14-12 overall and 8-6 in conference play, after dropping a quarterfinal round game 8769 to Maryville College in the USA South tournament on Feb. 23. Junior Justin Vallejo of Daytona Beach, Florida, and senior Chase England of Oakwood were named to the USA South All Conference Team. Vallejo led the team in scoring this season, with 15.6 points per game, while England was right behind at 13.4. Senior Kelly Assinesi of Simpsonville, South Carolina, was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Lady Lions upset the topseeded Maryville Scotts 58-44 to win the USA South Tournament title. On March 3, they fell in the opening round of the NCAA D-III tournament, 54-64, to Albright College. Senior Brianna Barrett of Cornelia was named to the AllConference team for the third time and averaged 9.5 points per game.

Senior Erin Clifford of Gainesville was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.

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ATHLETIC TRAINING STUDENTS HOLD SEMINAR FOR AREA HIGH SCHOOLS Holly Howard (left) and Kingsley Ross (right) of Habersham Central High School demonstrate a twoman carry technique with Skyler Gooch of Chestatee High School, while Piedmont student Trae Gaines observes. Students majoring in Athletic Training (AT) at Piedmont held a seminar for area high school students who are also interested in the field.

Head Athletic Trainer Matt McKinney, who teaches the Organization and Administration in Athletic Training class, said students in his class planned and executed the event. Some 51 students from Chestatee, North Hall, and Habersham Central high schools learned about AT basics related to lower body injuries, taping techniques, transporting patients, and correct use of crutches. The Piedmont students conducting the seminar included Jessica Bergin, Morgan Cheek, Brian Edwards, Trae Gaines, Whitney Lambert, and Bethany Pildner.

SPORTS TRIVIA

1: I n how many of the last eight seasons has the Piedmont College baseball team been nationally ranked or received votes in the national poll?

2: W ho is the only men's basketball player in the last 10 years to accumulate more than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in his career?

3:

T he Piedmont College men's soccer program is the only known Division III program to have ever had three straight goals-per-game statistical national champions, with two players combining for the feat. Who were those two players?

1. Answer-7 2. Chase England 3. Drew Griffin and Jorge Pradilla

Keep up with all of our sports news, schedules, and scores at www.piedmontlions.com

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ATHLETICS CASTLES NAMED COSIDA ALL-AMERICAN; SOCCER TEAMS EARN NATIONAL ACADEMIC AWARDS during her senior season, in which she started in 18 games for the Lady Lions and scored eight goals with two assists.

Senior soccer player Savannah Castles has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team. She is an Exercise & Sport Science major from Helen and sports a perfect 4.0 gradepoint average.

Castles also was named to the USA South Academic All-Conference Team

Castles is the ninth Piedmont athlete to earn the Academic All-America honor, which has been awarded by the College Sports Information Directors of America since 1952.

In other awards, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) has announced its College Team Academic Award honorees, with the Piedmont men’s and women’s

soccer teams making the list for the second year in a row.

In total, 893 soccer teams (315 men, 578 women) posted a team gradepoint average of 3.0 or higher, thereby earning the NSCAA College Team Academic Award for the 2015-16 academic year. Piedmont was one of only 223 schools to place both the men’s and women’s teams on the listing.

“Our goal as a department is to teach and encourage our student-athletes to excel in every aspect of their life during their time at Piedmont,” said Athletic Director Jim Peeples. “I’m happy to see that we are on the path towards graduating young people who are prepared to lead and be successful in all areas of their lives.”

ATLANTA BRAVES’ PRESIDENT IS A FAN OF CYCLING Pictured from left, cycling coach Jame Carney, Atlanta Braves President of Development Mike Plant, and Piedmont president James F. Mellichamp recently got together to talk about the potential of intercollegiate cycling in the South and ways to build the sport. Plant was a member of the 1980 Olympic team in speed skating and is a former president of USA Cycling, the national governing body for cycle racing.

Piedmont’s spring sports, including cycling, baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, track & field, and golf, are underway. To keep up with all the Piedmont Lions sports action, visit www.piedmontlions.com.

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2017 P-CLUB HALL OF FAME

The P-Club inducted three new members to the Sports Hall of Fame Feb. 11 at a luncheon in Demorest.

This year's class includes baseball players Marvin Hudson of Washington, Georgia, Evan Nissley of Jefferson, and basketball standout Nikki Sosebee Wood of Hoschton.

MARVIN HUDSON '86 Originally from Marietta, Marvin Hudson was a catcher for the Lions from 1983–86 under coaches Clarence Duncan and David McGinn. He also played basketball for coach O’Neal Cave. Since 1999, he has worked as a Major League Baseball umpire and last year was part of the umpire crew for the 2016 World Series. He was also recognized for his work in 2007 cofounding “Blues for Kids,” which is now part of the “Umps Care” organization, working with at-risk youths and children coping with serious illnesses.

Hudson thanked the P-Club and noted that not only did he get his start in officiating while at Piedmont, he also met his wife of 34 years, Sherry (Smith, '82-83), while they were freshmen. “This is a great honor and I appreciate it,” he said.

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Pictured from left are Piedmont President James F. Mellichamp; Hall of Fame inductees Evan Nissley, Nikki Sosebee Wood, and Marvin Hudson; P-Club President Michael Williams; and Athletic Director Jim Peeples.

EVAN NISSLEY '08 Evan Nissley was a four-year starter under coach Jim Peeples and ranks fourth in hits for the Lions since they joined the NCAA in 2004.

He is number three in runs scored and stolen bases, and his bat and outfield play earned him the Conference Tournament MVP award in 2008, when the Lions beat LaGrange College for the title. He currently works as a senior loan officer with PrimeLending of Watkinsville.

Nikki Wood scored more than 1,000 points during her four years playing basketball for coaches Charles Cooper and Jamie Purdy. A first-team All-Conference player each year, she was named Best Offensive Player and Best Rebounder. Wood was the 2005 Conference Freshman of the Year in 2004 and the 2008 Conference Player of the Year as a senior.

Nissley thanked his parents, brothers, and his wife Tiffany (Holcomb) (’10), whom he also met at Piedmont. “This recognition goes deeper than just a personal accomplishment,” he said.

“It’s confirmation that the people who shaped my life from an early age knew what they were doing.”

“I want to thank my parents,” Wood said.

“I think my mom missed one game in four years and my dad only one or two. And I want to thank my husband, Eddie, for helping me continue my dream of coaching.”

NIKKI SOSEBEE WOOD '08, M '10

She now teaches mathematics and coaches ninth grade girls basketball at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton.

A LU M N I & F R I E N D S

Marvin Hudson: An Ump's Journey The 2016 World Series between Chicago and Cleveland was over, and umpire Marvin Hudson sat in the locker room reflecting on the past week and half of baseball. As part of the six-man crew calling the November Series, Hudson had worked behind home plate for Game 4, which Cleveland won, putting them just one game away from the title. But Chicago took the final three games and shocked the world with their first World Series trophy since 1908.

stand here today and say I was part of that history means a lot, but I wasn’t the only one … I have my family, I have my friends, and I’ll tell you why in a second.”

Hudson explained that it was a seemingly offhand remark 30 years

school football and basketball games.

His career progressed to AAA baseball, and in 1999 he was umpiring in the Dominican Republic when he got "the call that every triple-A umpire looks for,” a call to begin working his first season in the National League, with his first assignment a regular season series between the Dodgers and the Phillies.

Throughout his time as a minor-league umpire and right up to today, Hudson said that it was his wife, Sherry, whom he met at Piedmont, who has At Piedmont College kept him going. He on Feb. 11, Hudson recalled times when reflected on that he was on the road day and his feelings and their child was immediately after sick, and he wanted to the game. He was at Marvin Hudson (’86) with Dock Sisk (’72) at the Hall of Fame induction. change careers. “She’d Piedmont not only as say, ‘Well, just wait till the guest speaker but the end of the season, and you can also as one of three former Piedmont earlier that had resulted in his call to decide then,'” he said. work the World Series. While playing athletes being inducted into the baseball at Piedmont in 1986, one of college’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Since 1999, Hudson has spent much the umpires, Piedmont alumnus Dock of his time on the road, working “It will be remembered in history as Sisk (’72), asked him, “Would you like to ballgames in all the major-league one of the best,” Hudson said. “It was an officiate?” towns. Umpires don’t get a lot of press, epic Series. You had the Cubs, and you which Hudson said is the way they Hudson said he thought about it and had Cleveland, with 150 years between like it. But occasionally he has found said “Yes,” and soon he was wearing them that they hadn’t won a Series— himself on the front page of the sports the striped shirt, refereeing local high and it goes seven games. For me to

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ATHENS ALUMNI REUNION

T

he Piedmont Athens Campus held a drop-in reunion in Rogers Hall in November. Alumni and faculty caught up with one another over hors d’ouvres from Marti’s at Midday. Among the alumni were, from left, Alex Ventura (’07), Kim Singko (’12-14), Devin Granato (’14), and Kate Smith (’11). To find out about upcoming alumni events, visit piedmont. edu/alumni.

section, such as the time last season when he tossed Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals from a game, which lit up the Twitterverse.

He has called several division playoffs and championship series, but 2016 was his first World Series. Hudson said the umpires and the players get just as caught up in the excitement of the event, but once play begins, “You just do your job and call ‘em one pitch at a time.”

But after that Series, Hudson said he thought back on what it had taken to get there. “I looked back at how just a few words could mold somebody into what they are. And it all tracks back to here, where one Piedmont alumni said to a future Piedmont alumni, ‘Would you like to officiate?’ It started right here, and I thank you.”

Mitzi Heck ('14) with Pamela Getman ('13)

We'd love to hear from you!

Send us your news at classnotes@piedmont.edu and look for them in the next Journal. Visit our alumni page to update your contact information so you don’t miss out on invitations to alumni events! Visit us online at www.piedmont.edu/alumni.

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Planned Giving for a Strong Future

Piedmont College is grateful for the many planned gifts from alumni and friends that have funded scholarships and programs. Planned gifts of any size help to strengthen Piedmont College and provide for a strong future.

We have a new website (www.plannedgiving.piedmont.edu) that provides information and tips to help you organize and build your estate plan to meet your philanthropic and financial goals.

With easy-to-use calculators and guides, you can now explore what a planned gift might look like for you. Check it out and let us know if you need more information or would like to discuss any of the options.

For more information, contact Amy Amason, Vice President for Advancement, 706 776 0148, aamason@piedmont.edu.

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Class Notes

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1980s

Jessica and David McNeill White (’03) of Dayton, Tennessee, announce the birth of a son, Daniel McNeill, Aug. 13, 2016.

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Dr. Kathy Segers (’82) has been named superintendent of the Tennessee School for the Blind in Nashville. Segers taught and was an administrator in the blindness field in Georgia when she retired with 30 years of service. “The foundation received at Piedmont shaped and molded my learning and attitudes to ensure my future terminal degree and success in my career,” Segers said. “Thank you, Piedmont!”

1990s

Stella Whitaker Price (’92, MAT ’96) of Cornelia was named Teacher of the Year for 2016-17 at Baldwin Elementary School, where she teaches ESOL classes.

2000s

Casey LaFrance (’03), an associate professor in the Department of Political Science at Western Illinois University, has published a new book, Targeting Discretion: A Guide for Command Staff, Frontline Officers, and Students, about organizational development in police agencies.

Kim Ruark (’03, MA ’05, EDS ’08) was named Teacher of the Year at Stroud Elementary School in Athens.

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2 Stephen Andrew (’04, MBA ’07) has been named the head coach of the Valdosta State women’s soccer program, after leading the Piedmont women for the past nine years. The Falkirk, Scotland, native led the Lady Lions to the 2016 USA South Conference Championship for their fourth conference championship during Andrew’s tenure, and the program appeared in the NCAA Division III National Tournament four times. Piedmont’s record under Andrew resulted in 136 wins against just 42 losses and eight ties. He was named the Great South Conference Coach of the Year and was inducted into the Piedmont College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. His teams earned NSCAA Team Academic Awards during each of his nine seasons.

Linda K. West (’05, MA ’07, EDS ’11) of Maysville will retire this June after 28 years of teaching. West started as a paraprofessional in Walton and Lamar counties and began teaching fourth grade at Banks County Elementary School 2005.

Natalie Crawford (’07, MBA ’12) of Mt. Airy was re-elected to the Habersham County Board of Commissioners and also has been elected to the Group Health Benefits Board of Directors of the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.

Christie McAlum (MAT ’07) has been named STAR teacher at Jasper County High School, where she teaches mathematics.

McAlum was selected by STAR student Amber York.

Utevia Tolbert (MAT ’07) has been named principal of Hilsman Middle School in Athens. Tolbert previously served as assistant principal at Hilsman since 2014, and she was an assistant principal at Barrow Elementary School, a behavior specialist at Coile Middle School, and special education team leader at Winterville Elementary School.

3 Erica and Brian Carter (’09) of Gainesville announce the birth of a daughter, Annabelle Lynn Carter, Nov. 20, 2016.

Andrea Tillman (MAT ’09) was named Teacher of the Year for 2016-17 at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School in Athens, where she teaches kindergarten.

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Class Notes

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5

Ruben Mendez (’09) and Stephanie Mortimer were married Oct. 7, 2016, in Bensalem, Pennsylvania.

Tianashan Jones (’11, MBA ’13) and Zach Thomaswick (’12, MA ’14) were married Oct. 8, 2016, in Dahlonega.

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2010s

Lesley Dean (MA ’10) was named Teacher of the Year at Barnett Shoals Elementary School in Clarke County.

Em Smith Headley (MAT ’10, EDS ’16) was named Teacher of the Year at Barrow Elementary School in Athens.

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Karen Carl (EDS ’12) has been named a 2016 Distinguished Principal by the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals.

Carl has been principal at Free Home Elementary School in Cherokee County for four years.

Sean Maguire (’10, MBA ’12) and Rebecca Johnson (’12, MBA ’14) were married Sept. 26, 2015, in Snellville, Georgia.

The Rev. Jacob Douylliez (’12) has been named pastor of The First Presbyterian Church of Marion, North Carolina. Douylliez graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary in May with a master’s degree in divinity.

Carrie Maxey (MAT ’10) was named Teacher of the Year at Chase Street Elementary School in Athens.

Sarah Ghosheh (MAT ’12) was named Teacher of the Year at Whitehead Road Elementary School in Athens.

Tammy Cassidy (MA ’11) was named Teacher of the Year at Oglethorpe County Primary School and County-wide Teacher of the Year in Oglethorpe County for 20162017. She has been a kindergarten teacher for 19 years at OCPS.

Marc Pedersen (EDS ’12) of Dallas has been named the 2017 Georgia Biotechnology Teacher of the Year. The award recognizes excellence in STEM teaching and is selected by the nonprofit Georgia BioEd Institute. Pedersen has been a science teacher at Paulding County High School for the past 12 years and has taught biotechnology, chemistry, environmental science, and physics. In 2016, he was named

Ryan and Marlee Fleming (’11, MBA ’16) of Mt. Airy announce the birth of a son, Ryan Declan Fleming, Nov. 15, 2016.

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a Claes Nobel Top Ten National Educator of the Year by the National Society of High School Scholars.

8 Kristi Shead (’12, MBA ’15), formerly a senior financial analyst at Piedmont, has been named city manager of Demorest.

9 Amanda Cavin (EDS ’13), assistant principal at Unity Grove Elementary School in Locust Grove, was named by President Obama as a recipient of a 2016 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The award is given to outstanding K-12 teachers from across the country. Winners receive a $10,000 honorarium from the National Science Foundation. Cavin began teaching in Clayton County and has been an educator for 13 years.

Allison Barron Roberts (MAT ’13) was named Teacher of the Year for 2016-17 at Gainesville Exploratory Academy, where she teaches fourth grade.

Anthony Wright (’14) of Hartwell has been accepted into the master of science program in Environmental Health at the University of Georgia.

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Class Notes

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Xandy Green (’15) has been named head volleyball coach at Sonoraville High School in Calhoun, where she teaches multiple subjects in the eighth grade.

Amanda Jewell (’15) has started The Magari Theatre Company, a new live theatre in Duluth. Joining Jewell in the startup are Piedmont alumni Kathryn May (’15) and Kallie Robinson (’15).

Connor Lockridge (’15) of Loganville has been accepted into the Pharmacology program at Mercer University.

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Diana Drerup (EDS ’16) of Jefferson teaches ESOL at the Centennial Arts Academy in Gainesville. Drerup has been teaching for 13 years and was named Teacher of the Year in 2015.

Heather LaPrade (’17) of Acworth has been accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at the University of North Georgia.

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Charliette Harris, a current MAT student, was named Paraprofessional of the Year at Clarke Middle School in Athens.

FRIENDS Former English Department Fellow Michele Moore’s novel, The Cigar Factory (University of South Carolina Press), is the winner of the 2016 David J. Langum Sr. Prize in American Historical Fiction. The Cigar Factory tells the story of two entwined families—the white McGonegals and the African-American Ravenels—in Charleston, South Carolina, during the world wars.

Martin to coach softball in South Africa Head softball coach Terry Martin has been selected to skipper a team in South Africa during the summer of 2017 for the international “Beyond Sport” organization, which promotes sport to create positive social change across the world.

The program features a two-week stay in Cape Town, South Africa, with players selected from across the U.S. to compete against some of South Africa’s top teams. The players will also conduct softball clinics for youth players in the region.

"This opportunity is an absolute privilege for me as a coach and a fantastic opportunity for recognition for Piedmont College as an institution," Martin said. “I want to thank Beyond Sport for this chance to represent these student-athletes in competition abroad."

Martin's selection comes following the best seven-year run in program history with more than 200 wins, five NCAA National Tournament appearances, five USA South Regular Season Championships, and three Conference Tournament titles.

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In Memory Conrad Mahew Rizer (’42) of Gainesville, Florida, died Oct. 21, 2016. He was 98.

At Piedmont, he was a member of the Protropian literary society and president of the Drama Club. He played baseball for four years and was president of the Student’s Association and the P-Club.

J. Foster Goolsby (’47) of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Nov. 5, 2016. He was 94. After graduating from Piedmont, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Georgia and a specialist degree from Florida State. He was a B-17 pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII and was awarded three air medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was a former classroom teacher in Stephens County and served as principal or headmaster at Edison High School, Tucker High School, Cross Keys High School, Thomasville High School, Griffin High School, Tiftarea Academy, Brookwood School, and Irwin Academy. For more than 40 years, he served as chairman of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Accrediting Commission.

Stella Wilson Hardman (’47) of Matthews, North Carolina, died Jan. 12, 2017. She was 89. After graduating from Piedmont with a double major in science and social studies, she taught middle and high school students for more than 30 years in Colbert, Warner Robins, Gainesville, Lawrenceville and Macon. She also served as regional director of the Central Region of Georgia for The Alzheimer’s Association.

Vivian Eloise Parks Carson (’54) of Bold Springs, Georgia, died Jan. 31, 2016. She was 95. She taught in Franklin County for 22 years at Canon, Bold Spring, Red Hill, and Carnesville Schools. She was a member of the Franklin County Retired Teacher Association and lifetime member of Bold Spring United Methodist Church.

Maephene Ford Edwards (’55) of Lavonia, Georgia, died Sept. 13, 2016. She was 92.

Before retiring in 1983, Edwards’ teaching

career spanned 40 years in schools in Turnerville; Summerville; Lavonia; Toccoa; Columbus, Ohio; Goose Bay, Labrador; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Warner Robbins; and Honolulu. She also taught as a volunteer at Shriner’s Hospitals for Children.

Marion Thomas Hunt (’55) of Athens, Georgia, died Dec. 20, 2016. He as 84. After graduating from Piedmont with a degree in music, he studied piano with composer Percy Grainger in White Plains, New York, for two years. During a 50-year career as a music teacher, he taught in public schools in San Francisco. While there, he studied music at Claremont Graduate School, Stanford University, San Francisco State, and the University of California. He taught piano during 15 summers at the Interlochen Arts Center in Michigan. In 1989, Hunt moved to Medford, Oregon, and operated a piano studio. He served as president of the Rogue Valley Chapter of Oregon Music Teachers Association and served on the state OMTA executive board for 13 years, four years as State Ensemble Chair. In 2005, he retired and moved to Athens. In 2009, Piedmont College presented Hunt with its Distinguished Alumni Award in recognition of his long career in music education.

Carolyn Louise Abercrombie (’59) of Seneca, South Carolina, died Dec. 25, 2016.

She was 80. Born in Carnesville, she taught school in Gainesville and in Dekalb County.

She was an active member of the Walhalla Presbyterian Church and the Nettie Long Circle.

Lamartine “Tene” Perry (’59) of Hoschton, Georgia, died Nov. 1, 2016. He was 82.

Perry served in the U.S. Navy as a medical assistant aboard the destroyer USS Twining and worked for Gold Kist in Atlanta for 40 years as an accountant. While at Piedmont, he played baseball, served as Student Association president, and was a member of the J.S. Green literary society.

Sidney Lanier Roland Jr. (’61) of Clarkesville, Georgia, died Oct. 3, 2016. He was 81. Born in Union Point, he graduated from North Georgia Technical College in 1956 and then earned a degree in sociology at Piedmont, where he played on the basketball and baseball teams, and where he met his wife of 58 years, Suzanne Carolyn Swaim Roland (’61). He was inducted into the Piedmont Sports Hall of Fame in 1986. He worked as a counselor at the Lee Arrendale State Prison for many years and as a real estate agent. He worked as a sales representative for Graymills Corporation for 35 years. He and his wife were involved in the American Belarus Relief Organization (ABRO), hosting children affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

The Reverend Charles Thomas Ivey (’66) of Cartersville, Georgia, died Sept.

13, 2016. He was 84. Born in Lincolnton, he was ordained in 1955 and pastored Baptist churches in Franklin County, Rome, Clarkesville, Griffin, Oakman, Kingston, and Cartersville. He also taught in the Georgia State Prisons at Alto and Buford.

He served as director of Hickory Log, the Bartow Work Activities Center, and Georgia Diversified Industries, which work with developmentally challenged adults.

Kenneth Sanders (’67) of Toccoa, Georgia, died Dec. 20, 2016. He was 72.

Born in Miami, he earned a BA in history at Piedmont and a master’s degree from the University of Georgia. His teaching and coaching career began at Dalton High School before moving to Toccoa Falls Academy In 1976 he joined Toccoa Falls College, where he served first as Dean of Students, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Athletic Director. He served as the head coach for men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, cross country, and golf. Sanders received many awards and recognitions over his lifetime, including induction into the NCCAA National Hall of Fame and Piedmont College Hall of Fame.

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MSGT William “Bill” Haas, USAF (Ret.) (’69) of Perry, Georgia, died Oct. 4, 2016. He was 70. Born in Royston, he served in the U.S. Air Force in the Vietnam War and worked in civil service at Robins Air Force Base, where he retired as a Computer Management Supervisor.

Walter Dorsey Stancil (’69) of Buford, Georgia, died Dec. 8, 2016. He was 69.

Stancil was a STAR student at Buford High School and earned degrees in chemistry and history at Piedmont. He taught school for two years in Buford before joining the Gwinnett County Water System, where he worked for 27 years as an operator, chemist, technical supervisor, and superintendent.

After retiring from Gwinnett County, he became executive director of the Buford Housing Authority, a position he held for 18 years. He was a past president of the Gwinnett Historical Society and was author of Vanishing Gwinnett volumes one and two.

Ronald Lowell Ledford (’72) of Franklin, North Carolina, died Sept. 22, 2016. He was 67. Born in Macon County, he played basketball at Piedmont and was a member of the J.S. Green literary society. After graduation, he began a long coaching career at Franklin High School. After his retirement from teaching, he was employed

by Metrolina Greenhouses.

Catherine “Kitty” LuNora Miller VerValin (’72) of Fisherville, Virginia, died Sept. 11, 2016. She was 66. VerValin graduated with honors from Piedmont and began teaching at Criglersville Elementary School, the start of more than 30 years in education in the Madison County (Va.) School System.

Richard “Rick” Leon Savage (’78) of Toccoa, Georgia, died Dec. 29, 2016. He was 63. Born in Stephens County, he served as athletic director for the Stephens County Recreation Department for many years and served in the Army National Guard. At Piedmont, he was a member of the baseball team, earning a degree in psychology.

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Teresa Ailene Ledford-Goss (’94) of Anderson, South Carolina, died Nov. 1, 2016.

She was 44. Born in Franklin, North Carolina, she was a teacher in the Hart County School System and taught at Liberty High School in Pickens, South Carolina, where she was named Teacher of the Year. She also received the “Outstanding Program Award” from the South Carolina Division of Career Development and Transition.

Karin Pic McIntire (MA ’08) of Woodstock, Georgia, died Nov. 25, 2016. She was 52.

Born in New Orleans, she was a special education teacher at Little River Elementary School in Woodstock.

Sgt. Joel Brandon Lawton-USMC-Res. (’09) of Newport News, Virginia, died Oct. 18, 2016. He was 30. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he served in Afghanistan combat support activities and served two tours as a Human Terrain Analyst in Afghanistan in remote intelligence gathering. He served as an intelligence analyst at the G2 level in the Army Training and Doctrine Command.

Heather Dawn Landers London (’10) of Clarkesville, Georgia, died Jan. 17, 2017.

She was 32. Born in Demorest, she was a homemaker and a member of Line Baptist Church. She was a 2003 graduate of Habersham Central High School and earned a degree in English from Piedmont.

Jennifer Leigh Reeves of Sautee, a current student in the Education Specialist Program, died Nov. 30, 2016. She was 39. Born in Plantation, Florida, she was a paraprofessional at Mount Yonah Elementary School.

FRIENDS

Trustee Emeritus Nathan Louis Burgen of Cornelia, Georgia, died Dec. 7, 2016.

He was 90. Born in Eufaula, Alabama, he served in the U.S Army during World War II, stationed in the Philippines. In 1946, he purchased Gold’s clothing store in Cornelia, which he operated for 70 years. He also operated 14 stores in Georgia and South Carolina, including Milner’s and Burton’s in Gainesville. Bergen served in various civic and board positions and was a trustee at Piedmont College for 46 years. A longtime supporter of the college, especially in the areas of facilities, landscaping, and the arts, he received an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree from Piedmont in 1979.

Dr. Kathleen Hall O’Keefe died Oct. 23, 2016. Dr. O’Keefe spent 37 years in public education as a classroom teacher, federal projects coordinator, curriculum coordinator, and RESA consultant. After her retirement from public education in 2007, she joined the faculty at Piedmont College in 2007 and taught in the School of Education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Lois Helen Johnson Shortt of Cornelia, Georgia, died Sept. 18, 2016. She was 90.

Born in Alma, she taught high school in Bacon County and Habersham County. She stayed involved with the school system by mentoring young people as well as working with the literacy program. She was a longtime Girl Scout leader for Cornelia Girl Scout Troop 41.

James Shore Thacker, 73, of Demorest, Georgia, died Dec. 6, 2016. Born in Turnerville, Thacker worked for many years in clothing manufacturing and retail in Toccoa and Franklin, North Carolina. He was a longtime supporter of the fine arts at Piedmont College.

NON-PROFIT U. S. POSTAGE PAID BURLINGTON, VT PERMIT #19

ALUMNI EVENT SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2017 1–3 PM

1600 ELLSWORTH INDUSTRIAL BLVD NW, ATLANTA Piedmont College Alumni in the Atlanta area are invited to a fun afternoon of golf, food, and good times with fellow alumni.

This is a great opportunity to network with Piedmont alumni who live in the Atlanta area, catch up with old classmates, and enjoy an afternoon at Topgolf. Included at this event is two hours of Topgolf play, club rental, game demonstration, and buffet with bottomless soda, tea and water.

HOST AN EVENT! Contact Laura Briggs at lbriggs@piedmont.edu if you would like to host a Piedmont College ‘On the Move’ event!

piedmont.edu/alumni-events

We are adding new events! Visit us online for updates on new events, such as the Gwinnett Braves baseball game.