Roanoke College Magazine | Issue 2 | 2020

ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE ISSUE TWO 2020

Table of Contents

7 DEPARTMENTS 2

WE PERSEVERE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

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SNAPSHOTS

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WE HEARD FROM YOU...

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COLLEGE NEWS • A virtual chat with a U.S. Supreme Court justice • Roanoke recognized by national college/university publications • College opens the Center for Studying Structures of Race

24 GIVING • Memorial and honorary gifts 26 ALUMNI NEWS • Class Notes, Weddings, Families • In Memoriam • Alumni Association news 38 MAROON MUSINGS Tomatoes, vanity plates and other inspirations 40 RELIC

AT LEFT: The work of James France, graphic designer in the Roanoke College Office of Marketing and Communications, is exceptional, always. Viewbooks, signage, event invitations, brochures, logos, airport advertising — his talents are boundless. This fall, as the College prepared to reopen the campus to returning students, France used his talents to help ensure the safest reopening possible. Here, a collage of his “COVID-19 projects.”

12 FEATURES

10 President’s Pen In these extraordinary times, what lies ahead?

12 Opportunity for Excellence The academic and professional achievements of Dr. Paris Butler ’00 now fuel his great desire for diversity and inclusion in the field of academic medicine.

BY ALEX MC CART HY

18 Wildlife Wonder The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted photographer Pete Emerson ’80’s focus away from sports photography and toward the wonder of wildlife.

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ON THE COVER: This year, issues of race and medicine have been at the forefront of many Americans’ minds. Dr. Paris Butler ’00, assistant professor of surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, has found himself at the intersection of those issues, particularly on June 5, 2020. Clad in scrubs and white coats, Butler and dozens of his colleagues walked out and knelt in the Pine Garden in front of hospital. Photo courtesy of Dr. Paris Butler.

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WE PERSEVERE

Roanoke College Magazine

Editor Leslie Taylor Contributing Editors Teresa Gereaux ’87 Alex McCarthy

“At the conclusion of the ring ceremony, I called my parents so they could see the ring. They had watched the entire ceremony over the livestream, and I wanted them to be able to see the ring up close. I was happy to share the moment with them even though they are all the way in Rhode Island.” — Katie Martin ’22, on the Oct. 22 virtual ring ceremony

Archives Linda Miller Dr. Mark Miller Contributors Karen Doss Bowman James France Rebecca Marsh ’21 Alex McCarthy Photography Carissa Szuch Divant Pete Emerson ’80 Marisa Seager ’23 Design & Production Mikula-Harris Printing Bison Printing

Vice President, Melanie Tolan Marketing and Communications

Roanoke College does not discriminate against students, employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status.

CARISSA SZUCH DIVANT

Roanoke College Magazine is published twice a year by the Office of Marketing and Communications for alumni, students, parents, staff and friends of Roanoke College. Editorial rights are reserved.

Questions, comments and corrections may be sent to: Magazine Editor Roanoke College Office of Marketing and Communications 221 College Lane Salem, VA 24153-3794 rcmagazine@roanoke.edu

2020 – 2021 | board of trustees Mr. Malon W. Courts ’92, chair Ms. Kathryn Snell Harkness ’73, vice chair Mr. James S. Frantz, Jr., secretary Mr. David B. Mowen, treasurer Mr. Michael C. Maxey, president of the College Mr. Kenneth J. Belton, Sr. ’81 Mr. Kirk Howard Betts Dr. Paris D. Butler, MPH ’00 Ms. Pamela L. Cabalka ’76 Dr. M. Paul Capp ’52 Mr. Joseph H. Carpenter, IV ’99 Ms. Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo ’78

Mr. W. Morgan Churchman ’65 Ms. Danae Psilopoulos Foley ’92 The Reverend Dr. Rick J. Goeres Mr. David L. Guy ’75 Mr. Michael P. Haley ’73 Ms. Judith B. Hall ’69 Mr. Richard S. Hathaway ’73 Ms. Peggy Fintel Horn ’78 The Reverend Robert F. Humphrey Mr. John E. Lang ’73 Mr. Patrick R. Leardo Ms. Nancy B. Mulheren ’72 Mr. Timothy J. O’Donnell

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Mr. Roger A. Petersen ’81 Mr. J. Tyler Pugh ’70 Ms. Margaret Lynn Jacobs Reichenbach The Reverend Dr. Theodore F. Schneider ’56 Mr. Andrew K. Teeter ’71 Dr. Patrice M. Weiss Dr. Garnett B. Whitehurst Ms. Helen Twohy Whittemore ’80 James L. Chisom ’84 (Ex-officio, Chair of the President’s Advisory Board)

Clifton Ray and Maureen Daisey (Ex-officio, Co-Chairs of the Parent Leadership Council)

221 College Lane | Salem, VA 24153-3794 | www.roanoke.edu

College Switchboard ....................................(540) 375-2500 Admissions Local .........................................(540) 375-2270 Admissions Toll-free......................................(800) 388-2276 Alumni/Parent Relations................................(540) 375-2238 Alumni E-mail .......................................alumni@roanoke.edu Church Relations ..........................................(540) 375-4958 Colket Center ...............................................(540) 378-5125 Intercollegiate Athletics .................................(540) 375-2338 Olin Box Office..............................................(540) 375-2333 © 2020 Roanoke College. All rights reserved.

Roanoke College and associated logos are trademarks of Roanoke College.

snapshots Socially distanced “Silent Disco” fun on the Maroon Athletic Quad on Sept. 18, courtesy of the Campus Activities Board (top left, continuing clockwise). • Family Weekend looked a little different this year. There was no in-person celebration, but Build-A-Bear happily proceeded as planned. • Maroons hand sanitizer, a symbol of current times. • A Martial Arts Club member is poised to share info at the annual fall Student Activities Fair. • On Sept. 11, members of Roanoke College’s Sigma Chi Fraternity honored the life of member Steve Lamantia ’85, who was on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower, where he worked for a financial services firm, on Sept. 11, 2001. • Karin Kaerwer ’08 (foreground) lecturer in the College’s Education Department, snaps a selfie with students in her Teaching, Learning & Cognition class as they listen to a podcast together while walking the Bast track.

After the court session, we met with Justice Ginsburg. She talked with us and answered questions. Many of those students told me that visit was their most memorable college experience. On another occasion, I interviewed Justice Ginsburg for a book I was writing. I was struck by the fact that someone so diminutive and quiet could radiate such intellectual power. She was truly a force and will be greatly missed.”

WE HEARD FROM YOU LE T T ERS, EMAI LS, TWEE T S A N D POST S

outside when possible for a nice change.

The in-person interaction with professors is so very important for building connection, learning and accountability. Not all students are able to thrive with online classes.

Tracey Collins

Great job to the School AND students with the support of the families. This is truly a team effort.

Margaret Dalton

Thank you for all the INCREDIBLY HARD WORK you are doing to keep our children safe and well-educated. I am beyond thrilled that Gillian chose Roanoke!!

Ellen Stacom

One of the best classes EVER. And one of the best years...We got to meet RBG and Justice [Sandra Day] O’Conner. We were incredibly lucky.

Courtney Ryan ’11

I was a part of that class that had the opportunity to meet Justice Ginsburg. Truly an amazing trip to the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

Andy Blair ’11

I was in that group, amazing moment.

Andrew L. Howell ’11

As a parent, I thoroughly enjoy and appreciate the email updates.

Christie Bundrick

It was wonderful to read of the tributes being paid to Donald M. Sutton Sr. in the most recent Roanoke College Magazine.

Dean Sutton arrived at Roanoke College as dean of men the same year I arrived as a freshman. During the next four years while I was there, he was a regular presence in student life, doing the job not only in excellent fashion but with welcome good humor.

What several alumni remarked in Facebook posts about that occasion:

ON THE DEATH OF ROANOKE COLLEGE BASKETBALL GREAT REGGIE THOMAS ’85

REMEMBERING RBG

Paul Dellinger ’60

Roanoke College has taken great care to keep the College community informed during this particularly fluid time. President Mike Maxey’s regular updates have generated a flood of responses. Below are just a few: Incredible job!!!! I can’t say enough about how much I hold the school in the highest esteem!

Ed Kivior

Thank you for the great communication.

Please have in-person, socially distancedwith-mask classes in the spring. Hold them

A great player in his time at RC and a great person. He will be missed. Thanks for the memories Reggie!

Roger Petersen ’81

The day after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Dr. Todd Peppers, Roanoke College’s Henry H. and Trudy H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs, reflected on the opportunity our students had to meet Justice Ginsburg in 2010.

“I brought Roanoke College students in my Civil Liberties class to the Supreme Court.

Heartbreaking! Reggie was a wonderful classmate and fun to watch on the court.

Cathy Meckley Huemer ’85

I remember him smiling. Always smiling.

Marlene Stumpf Meade ’87

To read the full news obituary of Reggie Thomas, visit www.roanoke.edu/reggie.

We want to hear from you! Roanoke magazine welcomes letters and emails about what you read in this publication. Mail letters to: Magazine Editor, Department of Public Relations, Roanoke College, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153, or send an email to: rcmagazine@roanoke.edu. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and may be edited for content.

CONNECT WITH US:

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TWITTER @RoanokeCollege

FACEBOOK facebook.com/roanoke

INSTAGRAM #roanokecollege

collegenews Zooming in: From top left, Erykah Guerra ’24, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Cameron McDonald ’24 and Dr. Todd Peppers, Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs and Turk Pre-Law Program advisor.

“ ” ...the opportunity of a lifetime.

— Erykah Guerra ’24

W E P E RS E V E RE

Justice Sonia Sotomayor shares personal stories, wisdom with College EXTRAORDINARY TIMES can present some pretty extraordinary experiences.

Take, for example, the Nov. 10 opportunity for the Roanoke College community to “visit,” from the comfort of dorm room, kitchen table, living room sofa or office desk, with Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Sotomayor, the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Court, spoke to more than 300 Roanoke College students, faculty and staff during a one-hour Zoom webinar billed as “A Conversation with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.” The event was sponsored by Roanoke College Public Affairs and the Turk Pre-Law Program.

Dr. Todd Peppers, Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs, organized the event with assistance from the College’s James C. & S. Maynard Turk Pre-Law Program. Peppers also moderated the discussion and introduced Sotomayor to attendees.

For one hour, Sotomayor discussed her judicial experiences, primarily in response to questions posed by 10 Roanoke College students. What singular experience has stuck with her the most? Has anyone ever questioned her credibility? How have her life experiences shaped how she interprets the law?

One of the 10 students, Erykah Guerra ’24, said asking a U.S. Supreme Court justice a question was “the opportunity of

a lifetime.” Guerra, who is Hispanic, asked Sotomayor if people ever doubted her because of her heritage.

“It was almost surreal sitting down with Justice Sotomayor,” Guerra said. “It was important for me that she and I were alike and that I finally saw someone like me doing such important work.”

Sotomayor spoke at length about the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, sharing stories about how pleased Ginsburg was to see Sotomayor and Justice Elena Kagan join the Court.

Sotomayor told a story about an exchange between President Barack Obama (who nominated Sotomayor and Kagan) and Ginsburg while both were attending Kagan’s swearing-in ceremony.

Obama asked Ginsburg if she was happy to have two other women on the Court with the addition of Sotomayor and Kagan.

Ginsburg responded that she was happy, but would be even happier when she had a Court full of women alongside her.

That was a typical Ginsburg moment, Sotomayor said. Ginsburg, who died Sept. 18 at the age of 87, was a tremendously important figure in the quest for equal rights for women in this country, Sotomayor said. She spoke glowingly about Ginsburg’s legacy, saying Ginsburg revolutionized the treatment of women in law and that her actions changed the course of equality in the United States. — Alex McCarthy

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collegenews HERITA GE

New center created to study, examine issues of race “We need to have an honest and ongoing conversation about the College’s physical and financial heritage from slavery.”

— Dr. Jesse Bucher

The interior of the renovated quarters.

The exterior of the renovated slave quarters, where the Center for Studying Structures of Race is housed.

IN JUNE, ROANOKE COLLEGE opened an academic center on campus that is dedicated to the study of historical and contemporary issues dealing with race and the legacies of slavery in modern American society.

The Center for Studying Structures of Race serves as a venue for teaching, research and community engagement about issues of race, and emphasizes the examination of forms of institutional racism at local, national and international levels.

Dr. Jesse Bucher, associate professor of history at Roanoke College, serves as director of the Center.

Efforts to develop the Center began more than a year ago. It is located in the renovated quarters of slaves owned by a family who lived in a private residence, built in 1853, that was purchased by Roanoke College in 2002.

Upper porch of the renovated quarters.

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While Roanoke College did not own slaves, the College’s earliest buildings — the Administration Building and Miller Hall — were constructed using the labor of enslaved people. The name of the Center invokes the historical significance Dr. Jesse Bucher, associate professor of of that piece of Roanoke College’s history, who serves as director of the history, as well as the former slave Center for Studying Structures of Race. quarters as physical “structures.”

“We need to have an honest and ongoing conversation about the College’s physical and financial heritage from slavery,” Dr. Bucher said of the Center’s founding purpose. “Just as importantly, we must use those conversations to reflect on our own present day. The goal of this Center is to teach and learn about and become compassionate about the ongoing presence of institutional racism in our society.”

The Center plans to host a variety of events, open to the public, that are aimed at encouraging civic engagement and civil, informed debate. Activities include a reading group that will visit the work of African-American science fiction author Octavia Butler, and the creation of an artist-in-residence program, first featuring artist Karen Collins — have been postponed due to state and national COVID-related orders, Bucher said.

“Our goal when we created this center was to bring together two sets of works. The first was our long-running interest in exploring our own historical connections with practices of slavery,” Bucher said.

“But more broadly, we were interested in finding ways of bringing that story and those forms of commemoration up to the present day, so as not just to compartmentalize our understanding of slavery and limit it to just talking about what was going on around us in the 1850s, but really thinking about the question of historical legacy.”

NATIO NA L AWA R D

Outstanding Mentor DR. CHRIS LASSITER, Roanoke College professor of biology, has received the Council of Undergraduate Research’s Biology Mentor Award for mid-career faculty.

The award honors biology mentors for their long-term efforts in supervising undergraduate research students. The mid-career designation recognizes scientists with seven to 15 years of experience mentoring undergraduate researchers.

Lassiter, who has taught at Roanoke since 2005, also served as Roanoke’s director of undergraduate research.

The award committee recognized Lassiter’s dedication to his students.

Through his 15 years of teaching at Roanoke, he has mentored 29 undergraduates in his zebrafish developmental biology lab. These research collaborations with students have resulted in several published papers with student co-authors and numerous poster presentations with students, including many at regional, national and international professional conferences.

Lassiter is also well known for his love and knowledge of the country’s national parks. He teaches a course dedicated to national parks and also extends conference road trips to allow research students to visit national parks along the way.

“Dr. Lassiter does not simply teach biology. He also teaches important lessons about life and personal growth,” said Rebecca Hudon ’17, one of Lassiter’s former students. “He recognizes that college students need an encouraging environment where they can make mistakes, find passions and become well rounded people.”

Dr. Lassiter holds a bachelor of science from Furman University and a

Dr. Chris Lassiter, at left, with several of his students in 2017.

Ph.D. in genetics and genomics from Duke University. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, Lassiter has been recognized at Roanoke College with the Dean’s Award for Exemplary Teaching, 2009-10.

The Council on Undergraduate Research, founded in 1978, is an organization of individual, institutional, and affiliate members from around the world who share a focus on providing high-quality and collaborative undergraduate research, scholarly, and creative activity opportunities for faculty and students.

ACCOLA D E S

College recognized by national publications ROANOKE COLLEGE RECEIVED RECOGNITION this fall from two publications with long-running traditions of ranking and rating the nation’s top colleges and universities.

The Princeton Review included Roanoke in “The 386 Best Colleges,” the 2021 edition of its annual guidebook of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education. The College also is included in the guidebook’s

Roanoke was also ranked in the Top 100 of peer assessment scores, which gauge a college’s reputation.

lists of Great Schools for Business/Finance Majors, Great Schools for Computer Science/Computer Engineering Majors and Great Schools for Psychology Majors.

The “Best Colleges” guide has published annually since 1992. Roanoke College has appeared in it each year since the 2012 edition.

Roanoke College also has been named by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s most highly effective with students who demonstrate significant potential.

In September, the publication released its 2021 list of “A+ Colleges for B Students,” described as colleges that have strong ratings and accept a number of promising students with moderate transcripts.

Roanoke College has been recognized in previous years in this ranking, which is part of U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Colleges” rankings.

Roanoke was also ranked in the Top 100 of peer assessment scores, which gauge a college’s reputation. In the peer assessment portion of the research, Roanoke ranked 96th among the nation’s top liberal arts colleges as judged by presidents and top administrators from similar colleges across the country.

“There is great satisfaction in watching young people reach their full potential at Roanoke and then go out to make the world a better place,” said Dr. Brenda Poggendorf, vice president for enrollment and dean for admissions and financial aid. “It’s gratifying that our peers recognize and value what we do.”

Roanoke College also was listed as one of the Top Performers on Social Mobility, identified as colleges that are successful in attracting high-potential students who have high financial need.

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collegenews R ESE A R CH

Study leads to national honors program

Stephanie Zemba’s study of immigrant elders was presented virtually at a national conference in August.

STEPH ZEMBA ’21’s research on how religion comforts immigrant elders, received national attention this year. She was accepted into the American Sociological Association (ASA) Honors Program, and presented her research, via Zoom, at the ASA’s 2020 annual conference in August.

Zemba’s presentation, titled “’I depend on God’: Religion as a Source of Comfort for Immigrant Elders,” examined how religious communities can serve as a source of social support and assistance for immigrant elders, and offer them a sense of connection to their culture through native language services, traditional celebrations and food.

“I was honestly quite surprised to be selected, as it’s a very prestigious program,” said Zemba, of Greensburg, Pennsylvania. “My advisor told me when I applied that she only knew of a few Roanoke students who were selected in the 20 years she had worked at the College.”

The ASA Honors Program is a competitive national program that gives undergraduate students a taste of life as a professional sociologist. Student participants are invited to attend all regular meeting sessions, and present their research in a roundtable format, receive feedback on it and network with other sociologists.

Zemba also is involved in two other research projects at Roanoke. As part of the Research Fellows Program, she is working with Dr. Kristi Hoffman, professor of sociology, to collect data about the experiences of college students who abstain from alcohol. She has also worked with Hoffman and Dr. Meeta Mehrotra, associate professor of sociology, on a project on interfaith dating, which will be published in the Journal of College and Character in 2021. — Alex McCarthy

WELL R E A D

F A C U LT Y B O O K S “The Historical Mind: Humanistic Renewal in a Post-Constitutional Age”

by Dr. Justin Garrison, associate professor of political science, co-edited with Dr. Ryan Holston, professor and Jonathan Myrick Daniels ’61 Chair for Academic Excellence at Virginia Military Institute.

Publisher: SUNY Press Overview: The book is described as “a timely and provocative assessment of various cultural, moral and political problems in “post-constitutional” America.

From the publisher: “In ‘The Historical Mind,’ various scholars argue that America’s problems are rooted in its people’s refusal to heed the lessons of historical experience and to adopt ‘constitutional’ checks or self-imposed restraints on their cultural, moral, and political lives.”

Review: “By exploring what humanistic renewal might entail, this book offers judicious and insightful perspectives about what the past teaches us about the limits of human beings in society and how to be prudent within the context of universal morality given these limitations.” wrote Dr. James Todd, assistant professor of politics at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

“Of Courtiers & Kings: More Stories of Supreme Court Law Clerks and Their Justices”

by Dr. Todd Peppers, Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs, with Clare Cushman Publisher: UVA Press Overview: The book, scheduled to publish in January 2021, is the third and final collection of Dr. Todd Peppers’ essays about law clerks.

From the publisher: “In Of Courtiers and Kings, Todd C. Peppers and Clare Cushman offer an intimate new look at the personal and professional relationships of law clerks with their justices. … The vignettes collected here 8 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2020

range from reflections on how serving as clerks at the Supreme Court impacted the careers of such justices as Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, William Rehnquist, John G. Roberts Jr., and John Paul Stevens to personal recollections written by parents and children who have both served as Supreme Court clerks.”

Review: “Combining accounts of the personalities and jurisprudence of important lower court judges with tales of how they organized their offices and worked with their law clerks, these essays give us valuable ‘inside the chambers’ insights into how good judges actually get their important work done.” wrote Mark Tushnet, a leading scholar of constitutional law and legal history, and currently the William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Law at Harvard Law School.

“Blue Star, New Star”

by Dr. Matthew Fleenor, professor of physics Publisher: Archway Overview: Intriguing and engaging, this children’s exploration of astronomy provides an introduction to the science through memorable verses and prose explanation.

From the publisher: “‘Blue Star, New Star’ offers an introductory reader and an early portal into the realm of stars.

It uses a rhyming cadence and repetitions of important words (colors, numbers, and phonetics) to appeal to a broad range of young readers. The prose text covers many basic concepts of astronomy, while the images reveal the beauty and wonder of the night sky as seen through the eyes of national satellite observatories.”

Review: “‘Blue Star, New Star’ is a fun look into the amazing life of stars!

With higher level astronomy ideas boiled down to reach early readers, this book is a great way to let kids explore their questions about our night sky,” wrote Mary Jo Heckman, 2020 Teacher of the Year for Harrisonburg City, Virginia.

IN M E MOR I A M

Professor remembered as leader, mentor and friend DR. LARRY A. LYNCH, a professor of business administration for nearly four decades at Roanoke College, died on Oct. 24. He was 73.

Lynch retired from Roanoke College in 2015, along with his wife, Dr. Jan H. Lynch, professor of psychology.

Both were granted emeritus status.

Larry Lynch was a versatile and talented educator, as well as a forensic economics consultant and an experienced electrical engineer. He held a B.S. in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech, an MBA from the University of Lynchburg and a Ph.D. in finance, economics and statistics from Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business.

He taught in Roanoke College’s business administration department for 37 years. One of the courses he developed was the unique Student Managed Fund, which empowered students to manage a portion of the College’s endowment — $500,000 — in the stock market. Unlike mock portfolios, students have gained valuable financial experience by researching stocks, managing a portfolio and taking risks while working with real money. Lynch also served as chairman of the Business Administration and Economics department for many years.

For 11 years, Lynch directed The Management Institute, a management education program developed for businesses in the Roanoke Valley to pro-

vide educational development for middle- and upperlevel managers. Lynch also was involved in the Innovation Challenge, mentored Summer Scholar students, and lectured for the College’s Elderscholar program. He was a widely sought forensic economist, providing courts with guidance as an expert financial witness throughout Virginia.

At the 2015 Commencement, Lynch and his wife received the Simon Carson Wells Medal, an award bestowed upon tenured retiring faculty members. The medal is named after Roanoke’s longest-serving faculty member, Dr. Simon Carson Wells, who taught mathematics and natural science on the faculty from 1849 to 1900.

Lynch’s off-campus activities included serving on the Board of Directors of the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs, and as president of the Salem Rotary Club, two of many organizations in which he was involved. He also had “a special fondness for fast cars, planes, motorcycles and sailboats, sharing many sagas of adventurous voyages and flights with students and close friends,” according to his obituary.

The obituary also included this apt characterization of Lynch: “An astute and observant friend once described Larry as 100% Buffett — 50% Jimmy and 50% Warren.”

“100% Buffett — 50% Jimmy and 50% Warren.”

RCMediaBytes

ROANOKE COLLEGE IN THE NEWS

Suffragists’ Work Didn’t End in 1920 — History New Network, Aug. 23, 2020

“August 26th is Women’s Equality Day, a commemoration of American women gaining the right to vote that has been celebrated since 1973…The women’s history world has gone all out this year to celebrate this milestone, and I encourage you to make a virtual if not an in-person visit to the phenomenal exhibits at the National Archives and the Library of Congress that preserve and interpret the lives, work, and sheer persistence of American suffragists. But the historians and archivists who spent years building these exhibits for 2020 will be the first to tell you that the intense focus on the year 1920 is a form of erasure. For too long this date has been taught as a triumphant conclusion of the story of a movement, when for millions of women of color, it was only a painful moment of exclusion that served to prolong white supremacy.”

— From column written by Dr. Mary Henold, John R. Turbyfill Professor of History, Roanoke College

How to Kill a Vampire: Not With This Kit, Apparently — New York Times, July 18, 2020

Vampires beware. The ornate velvet-covered box may look like a treasure chest. But open it, and instead of gems and jewels, you’ll find the ingredients to fight off bloodsucking monster: a pistol, three crucifixes, rosary beads, some shark’s teeth and a 19th-century Bible. Martha Kuchar, an English professor at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, said she was skeptical of the kit’s authenticity: “The best way to destroy a vampire once and for all is to burn it on a pyre built of special wood (aspen or hawthorn is best) until all that’s left is ashes.”

Milestones Lost to Coronaviruis Leave Youth Adults with Unclear Path Forward — Teen Vogue, Sept. 22, 2020

Many of these ‘milestones,’ including graduations, are actually “age-graded normative influences,” Darcey N. Powell, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Roanoke College tells Teen Vogue. That means they are events or experiences that tend to happen for people with a society at a specific age, like driving at 16, voting and graduating high school at 18, and college at 22. “So, when they don’t, individuals often feel like they have missed out or that they are now ‘off-time’ from their peers,” Powell adds, pointing out that the experiences afforded to individuals during the transition from adolescence to adulthood are very much dependent on factors like socioeconomic status.

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PRESIDENT’S PEN

T

hroughout this year, I’ve found myself clinging to the bright sparks of hope, the things that evoke pride, joy and laughter, the things that remind me that this current condition shall pass.

At Roanoke College, we are fortunate to have had more than our fair share of “sparks,” hidden as they might be in the day-to-day coping with masks, social distancing and nose swabs.

Early November brought a reminder of the greatness we have been and still are capable of. On the Monday after Election Day, A.B. Stoddard, an associate editor and columnist at RealClearPolitics, and Chris Stirewalt, politics editor for the Fox News Channel, traveled to campus to give a balanced, virtual analysis of what has been a contentious election season.

“ ”

A reminder that life at Roanoke might have been thrown a bit offbeat, but we always find our rhythm. Even under the weight of hardship, we persevere.

A day later, we were extremely fortunate to have a Zoom conversation with Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. I welcomed her from the desktop computer in my office in the Administration Building. Justice Sotomayor was genuine, candid and emotive, particularly when answering questions posed by a diverse group of 10 students.

The response to both events was overwhelming, from all corners of the College community. I expected no less. But it was a comment from a parent, shared on Twitter, that reinforced my confidence in how we have persevered in these times.

“Yesterday Izzy was able to enjoy this conversation [with Stoddard and Stirewalt] and tonight she’s on a Zoom with a Supreme Court Justice. We love the experiences Roanoke College is able to provide,”

Masked and socially distanced, President Maxey chats with students Jade Bryan ’22 and Senn Boswell ’21. Throughout this semester, Maxey has communicated frequently with students — in person, through email and through social media.

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parent Stephanie Ubaydi wrote.

A reminder that life at Roanoke might have been thrown a bit offbeat, but we always find our rhythm. Even under the weight of hardship, we persevere.

We got creative with tradition, holding annual events such as the conferral of degrees, the ring ceremony, and Showcase of Research & Creativity, in more health- and safety-appropriate settings.

Student activities prospered, with an outdoor “Silent Disco” and an On-Campus Adventures Day that included yoga on the Back Quad, an “Amazing Race”-style scavenger hunt, slacklining and outdoor Olympics. Alumni connected through virtual NOKELive events.

And after a mild COVID-19 outbreak on campus at the beginning of the fall 2020 semester, we went into holiday break with one active case among students, faculty and staff, a testament to how our community rose to the local challenge of the pandemic.

I once spoke about admiring the portraits of past presidents of the College and recounting all they had to endure — from Civil War to world wars, global depression and pandemics. Through the better part of two centuries, Roanoke has celebrated great triumphs and suffered its share of difficult tribulations.

These words, from Dr. Mark Miller, professor of history and David Bittle College Historian at Roanoke College, have never rung truer: “We have endured them all through our steadfast dedication and belief in one another,” Miller said. “We emerged stronger every time and we will again now.”

2021 shows great promise at Roanoke. We are becoming a more diverse, engaging community.

We will continue to see great student, alumni and faculty achievements. Our beautiful campus and environment will become more impressive for student use, especially with a science center on the horizon.

Mostly, we can confidently predict that Maroons will do two things: They will care about other Maroons, and they will influence the communities in which they live.

Those are the greatest bright sparks of hope in our future.

Go Maroons!

Michael Creed Maxey

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THE ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF DR. PARIS BUTLER ’00 NOW FUEL HIS GREAT DESIRE FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE FIELD OF ACADEMIC MEDICINE.

Paris Butler, MD, MPH, is assistant professor of surgery at the Pennsylvania Hospital.

WIDENING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXCELLENCE

BY ALEX MCCARTHY

n 2016, Dr. Paris Butler ’00 made history.

He wishes someone had done it long before him.

That year, the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine — the first medical school in the United States — hired Butler on the school’s surgical faculty. That made him, at the time, the first African American plastic surgeon at what was then the 251-year-old medical school.

“Some suggest that I should consider it as a huge compliment,” Butler says. “Although I feel blessed and honored to have this opportunity, I tend to perceive it more as, ‘It was 2016 when I was hired. That’s a really long time before such a faculty appointment was accomplished.’ Once again, I greatly appreciate the institution for hiring me and recognizing that there was a need that I could thankfully fill. However, that opportunity likely should have been offered well before my time.”

Butler has worked and studied from coast to coast, and has witnessed the lack of diversity in hospitals

I

and medical schools. He’s taken it upon himself in recent years to track hires of Black medical professionals and to bring attention to the issue.

Butler, a member of Roanoke College’s Board of Trustees, has written articles over the years for medical journals about disparities in health care and diversity in the field of academic medicine.

He wrote one of those articles this year for The American Journal of Surgery. Following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, during his May 25 arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the American Journal of Surgery asked Butler to write an article for them.

Butler wasn’t sure at first, but as he saw protests and demonstrations raging throughout the country, he thought that the article — titled “When excellence is still not enough” — could be an opportunity to express his thoughts.

“It was therapeutic for me. As I chose not to go out and protest, due to my obligation to take care of my patients, my writing served as my venue to express

DANIEL BURKE PHOTOGRAPHY

“It was therapeutic for me. As I chose not to go out and protest, due to my obligation to take care of my patients, my writing served as my venue to express myself.”

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A men’s basketball team captain in his final season, Paris Butler led the Maroons to the 2000 ODAC Championship.

myself,” Butler says. “I’m privileged with a platform to be able to write and for it to be relatively wellreceived in American surgical journals.”

This year, issues of race and medicine have been at the forefront of many Americans’ minds. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened awareness about health care disparities, while the social movement in the wake of George Floyd’s death has forced many people to reexamine the foundations of race relations in this country.

Butler has found himself at the intersection of those major issues, particularly on June 5, 2020.

Clad in scrubs and white coats, Butler and dozens of his colleagues walked out of the hospitals and clinics at 1 p.m. and knelt in the Pine Garden in front of Pennsylvania Hospital for eight minutes and 46 seconds — the length of time that a white police officer in Minneapolis had his knee on Floyd’s neck.

Change in plans Paris Butler’s journey has included a number of surprises and changes of plan along the way.

As a student at West Springfield High School in West Springfield, Virginia, Butler was accepted to a slew of prestigious schools — Cornell University, the United States Air Force Academy and the University of Michigan, among others. Even as he and his father

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drove to visit Roanoke College during his senior year, Butler’s father was trying to convince his son to choose one of the other schools to which he had been accepted.

Something about Roanoke intrigued Butler, though, and not just the fact that he’d have an opportunity to play basketball there.

Father and son toured the campus, and Butler got to hang out with some of the basketball players.

Butler’s father had a meeting with Michael C. Maxey — current president of the College, who at the time was vice president for College Relations, and dean of admissions and financial aid — and suddenly the senior Butler’s opinion changed.

“The whole ride home, my dad was very different,” Butler recalls. “He said, ‘This is not that far. Your mom and I can see you play. It’s a really beautiful campus.

The academic credentials are good. You need to give it some consideration.’”

Butler was pleasantly surprised, and he agreed.

A few months later he came to Roanoke, playing basketball and studying biochemical engineering.

Early into his time on campus, Butler’s academic path — and the trajectory of his life — changed, due to one attentive professor.

Dr. Dar Jorgensen, Thornhill Professor of Biology, immediately noticed Butler’s work ethic and maturity.

ROANOKE COLLEGE FILE

“He never stopped trying to get better at everything he did.

He self-critiqued, I think, more effectively than any undergraduate student I’ve ever known. He was just never satisfied — always wanted to improve in whatever he was doing.” — Dr. Dar Jorgensen One day, Butler got a test back with a note written on it. The note was from Jorgensen, who wanted to see him after class. So Butler went and spoke to Jorgensen, and the two of them talked about what Butler might be interested in doing after college.

Jorgensen suggested Butler give some thought to the medical profession. Jorgensen talked about how little diversity there was in the medical field, and said he thought Butler had a real aptitude for it, Butler remembers.

Butler gave it some thought. He talked with his parents. He gave it more thought. Then he decided he would go for it.

Butler immediately started excelling.

“He never stopped trying to get better at everything he did,” Jorgensen recalls. “He self-critiqued, I think, more effectively than any undergraduate student I’ve ever known. He was just never satisfied — always wanted to improve in whatever he was doing.”

Butler kept improving and advancing in his field, as his journey took him from coast to coast.

After graduating with degrees in biology and sociology at Roanoke in 2000 — and leading the basketball team to two NCAA Tournament appearances and the ODAC title in 2000 — Butler entered the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Through medical school and his general surgery residency, both at the University of Virginia, he decided to specialize in plastic and reconstructive surgery.

That took him out west for a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Stanford School of Medicine. He also earned a master’s degree in public health at the University of California, Berkeley prior to returning to the University of Virginia to finish his general surgery residency.

Butler was a finalist for the prestigious White House Fellowship, and served as a policy fellow in the Office of Minority Health in the U.S. Department of

Paris Butler says it was Dr. Dar Jorgensen, Thornhill Professor of Biology at Roanoke College (shown here at left in a photo from 2019), who put him on a path toward a career in the medical profession.

Butler, his wife, Jennifer, and their two children.

Health and Human Services. Butler helped develop strategies to unroll the Affordable Care Act in minority communities. Eventually, in 2012, he landed at the University of Pennsylvania for his plastic surgery training, and by 2016 he was hired on the Department of Surgery faculty.

He always kept his eyes open for new opportunities. In 2009, the Roanoke College Board of Trustees 16 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2020

appointed Butler as a new trustee, a seat he holds today.

More than just ‘lip service’ While in California, Butler began thinking back to what he and Jorgensen had talked about, that the world of academic medicine lacked diversity.

“I started kind of looking around to see if there

PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. PARIS BUTLER

“I started kind of looking around to see if there were any surgeons that looked like me in academia. Yes, there were some, but there were very few, and I was concerned about it. So I said, ‘Maybe we should look at the actual national data.’” were any surgeons that looked like me in academia,” Butler said. “Yes, there were some, but there were very few, and I was concerned about it. So I said, ‘Maybe we should look at the actual national data.’”

As Butler expected, the statistics showed that women and people of color were extremely underrepresented in the field of academic medicine.

He has continued to track those numbers over the years, and wrote at length about them in his article this summer for The American Journal of Surgery.

The numbers were discouraging at the time and have only grown worse. There are fewer Black surgery department chairs in 2020 (seven) than there were in 2008 (13), Butler wrote. Faculty representation in U.S. departments of surgery has either decreased or remained the same for most schools since 2005.

Butler referred to Dr. Charles Drew, a renowned African American surgeon who once said “Excellence of performance will transcend artificial barriers created by man,” encouraging other surgeons of color not to worry about the color barrier but to focus on improving their craft.

“With all due respect to Dr. Drew and other giants like him, that tirelessly attempted to ‘break through,’ I’m no longer convinced that sentiment is true. The data is conclusive that D&I [diversity and inclusion] in the academic surgical workforce has been given nothing more than lip service on a national level,” Butler wrote.

In the article, Butler encouraged people to continue speaking up or writing about diversity and discrimination, even after protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death subside. He also encouraged white medical professionals to lift up their Black and brown colleagues and take steps to even the playing field.

Butler has seen the effect of that representation.

His mother was born in Philadelphia, and when he became the first African American plastic surgeon at Penn in 2016, he saw the impact that his presence had on friends of his grandparents.

“When my grandparents were in South Philly there were no Black surgeons at [Penn],” Butler says.

“My grandparents have passed, but for some of their contemporaries to see me, that gives me a certain sense of pride, and it gives them a certain sense of pride. I know my presence alone is making a difference in some of these communities.”

He believes the same is true for his alma mater, that representation is vital to making members of the

campus community more comfortable and engaged.

This summer, Roanoke alumni wrote to the administration asking for College leaders to initiate measures to create a more inclusive campus. Among these requested measures were hiring more faculty of color, and adding more courses about the history and contributions of people of color.

Butler agreed with many of the points, and has also suggested to his fellow Board of Trustees members that the College have an associate dean specifically for diversity and inclusion. In August 2020, the College announced that it will hire a Chief Diversity Officer, who will report directly to President Maxey as a member of the President’s Cabinet.

The College has committed to a number of other endeavors, including the creation of the Center for Studying Structures of Race, a center committed to studying historical and contemporary issues dealing with race and the legacies of slavery in modern American society. The College is also planning a memorial to the enslaved laborers who helped build some of the campus’ earliest buildings.

Butler says he appreciates the way President Maxey and other campus leaders have committed to having the tough conversations and acting on the results of those conversations. Butler says he and Maxey talk frequently, and Butler believes the president isn’t just giving “lip service,” as some in the world of academia have done over the years.

“Dr. Butler has been a great guide for Roanoke as we work to become a place where everyone is welcome, accepted and affirmed,” Maxey says. “I am excited about what the future holds as we work in this critical direction. We will challenge ourselves with difficult conversations and a commitment to come to grips with our history, present and future.

We will be a better college as a result; the time is right to do so.”

Butler says he’s looking forward to ways in which the Board of Trustees and the College as a whole can create a more inclusive and diverse Roanoke.

“We have work to do,” Butler says. “The Board is very much enthusiastic about changing the culture and climate, and ensuring a place where all young people want to come and learn. That’s what we should be about. I think the Board definitely is embracing it, as is the administration.”

“We just have to make sure we continue to walk the walk.” RC ROANOKE.EDU

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WILDLIFE WONDER

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“Since the [pandemic] hit in March, I have fallen in love with being out in the wild, trying to capture images of the beautiful creatures that live all around us.”

— Pete Emerson ’80

T

ypically during the Roanoke College academic year, photographer Pete Emerson ’80 can be found behind the lens of his camera, capturing the drama

and emotion of College athletics competition.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted Emerson’s focus, so to speak. With fall and winter sports competition postponed, Emerson turned the lens away from the fleeting moments of athletic aptitude and toward the magnificence of fauna and flora.

“It’s something I’ve always loved, growing up in rural West Virginia and Pennsylvania,” Emerson says. “Both of my parents were huge animal and nature lovers, and it was my mother who gave me my first camera. Plus, my dad was a voracious reader and lover of books, so I had tons of great books of animals, birds, art and photography to reference from a young age.

Probably why I pursued a degree in art from Roanoke College.”

From 1991 through 2008, Emerson worked as a black and white custom printer in a photo lab in Charlottesville, Virginia.

To get out of the darkroom and into the outdoors, he started shooting athletics full-time.

“I loved sports,” he says. “I played varsity soccer and club lacrosse at [Roanoke], so it was natural for me to turn to my love of photography and all the cool cameras and lenses that go with being a sports photographer. The facilities and instruction I had at Roanoke absolutely enabled me to succeed in both my careers as a fine art black and white custom printer, and a photographer over the last 40 years.”

Emerson says he was greatly influenced by a design class taught by Scott Hardwig, professor of fine arts at Roanoke.

“Strong design, color and composition are key ingredients to not only drawing and painting but photography as well,” Emerson says. “It was a fantastic class that Scott made fun and interactive.”

Emerson’s love of the arts has only deepened over the years.

“Every human on earth, that has the gift of sight, craves visual stimuli. But for me, I immerse myself in it every day, whether poring through other people’s art and photography or working on my own stuff. It’s just what I love to do, and Roanoke certainly laid the foundations for a lot of that,” he says.

“I photograph every day, and since the [pandemic] hit in March, I have fallen in love with being out in the wild, trying to capture images of the beautiful creatures that live all around us.”

BLACK RACER SNAKE Coyner Springs, Waynesboro, Virginia

Emerson’s images—older, and more recent —are stunning, startling even. Have a look. >> ROANOKE.EDU

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PRAYING MANTIS EATING A COBWEB SKIPPER BUTTERFLY Coyner Springs, Waynesboro, Virginia

ROYAL WALNUT MOTH Goose Creek, Fishersville, Virginia

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FEMALE BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER Goose Creek, Fishersville, Virginia

BEAVER Goose Creek, Fishersville, Virginia

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BELTED KINGFISHER EATING A CRAYFISH Goose Creek, Fishersville, Virginia

TOMATO HORNWORM COVERED WITH PARASITOID WASP EGGS Fishersville, Virginia

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EASTERN PONDHAWK DRAGONFLY Coyner Springs, Waynesboro, Virginia

GARDEN SPIDER Coyner Springs, Waynesboro, Virginia

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givingnews

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SANDY WOLF

Timothy and Sandy Wolf at Sandy’s Roanoke College commencement in 1976.

“

Roanoke gave us a strong education, wonderful friendships and life experience.

”

— Sandy Wolf ’76

G IV IN G W IT H P U RP O S E

In memory of “Flip” WHEN SANDRA “SANDY” RANG WOLF ’76, reflects on her time at Roanoke College, she remembers a close-knit environment, caring faculty and friendships that have lasted a lifetime. She also smiles at the memory of meeting her husband, Timothy Sears Wolf ’74 — better known as “Flip” — at a Delta Gamma progressive dinner, when the two were put in charge of making gravy, despite lacking access to a stove.

“We eventually fell in love, and Roanoke was such an important part of our lives,” Sandy Wolf says.

After Timothy’s death in December 2005, she established the Timothy “Flip” Sears Wolf ‘74 Endowed Scholarship to express love and admiration for her husband of 28 years. The endowment is earmarked for English or music majors.

Sandy Wolf has supported the scholarship with annual gifts, so far. But Roanoke College also is named as a beneficiary of her IRA. Timothy’s brother, Ted Wolf, has been a significant donor to the scholarship, as well, leveraging his company’s matching gift program to double his annual gifts.

Timothy Wolf, an English major, earned a master’s degree from the University of Maryland. After retiring from the Mortgage Banking Association, he worked as a Washington, D.C., tour guide. He also was a supernumerary — or “extra” — for the Washington Opera.

Sandy Wolf is grateful that the scholarship will have a positive impact on generations of future students.

“I hope the scholarship can help make it possible for students to afford Roanoke College,” she says. “I have so many great memories and friends from the four years I was there, I just want more people to be able to attend Roanoke.”

— By Karen Doss Bowman

The Wolfs in 1998 at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

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For more information about creating an endowed fund using your IRA, please contact Director of Development Stephen A. Esworthy ’91, at (540) 375-2028 or esworthy@roanoke.edu.

F I R S T- GE NE R AT I O N

Creating opportunity through endowed scholarship FOR LYNN BELTON ’77, a Roanoke College education opened up a world of opportunity.

After earning a master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin in 1979, she served over 30 years at three state of Texas agencies, including the Office of the Texas Attorney General. Before retiring in 2008, she worked for four elected Attorneys General, including current U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

“My time at Roanoke was wonderful,” Belton says. “I made lifelong friends and had excellent professors. My political science classes, many of which included a strong research component, provided a solid background for my career.”

Belton said she thrived in the small, close-knit campus Lynn Belton ’77 community, with professors dedicated to student success.

The experience prepared her for a career with varied roles, including helping to implement the statewide 911 emergency telecommunications system in Texas and launch a federally mandated, $80 million information system for the Child Support Enforcement Program.

Out of a desire to support first-generation and minority students, she established the Love of Learning Endowed Student Scholarship. As the first person in her family to attend college, Belton understands the challenges these students face in pursuing higher education.

“My parents were very supportive of me going to college, but their lack of experience with the overall process meant they couldn’t guide me on the specific steps I needed to take,” says Belton, who herself received a generous scholarship to attend Roanoke.

“Hopefully, this type of scholarship can make it easier for students in a similar situation to go to Roanoke and have access to the same opportunities that have enriched my life.”

“I enjoyed my whole experience at Roanoke College and feel that I was well prepared for my career. It was important to me to establish this scholarship, given that I was in a position to pay it forward and help the college continue to grow.”

— Lynn Belton ’77

CARISSA SZUCH DIVANT

Gift made in remembrance of brother

Earlier this year, W. Doug Thomas, of Winchester, Virginia, personally delivered a gift to the College in memory of his brother, Robert C. Thomas ’50, who died in 2017. During his years at Roanoke, Robert Thomas (pictured at far right) was president of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. After graduating with a B.A. in economics, Thomas went on to earn an M.S. in Industrial Relations from the University of North Carolina. His career expertise was in personnel services, and he used that talent at various companies in several localities. “He knew he got a good education [at Roanoke College], preparing him well for life,” said W. Doug Thomas, pictured above, at left, presenting the gift to Roanoke College President Michael C. Maxey in July. “He treasured his memories of the happy times and great friends. He loved this place.”

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alumninews

Roanoke College magazine welcomes news of your recent accomplishments and/or transitions.

You can write to us at: Office of Alumni Relations, Roanoke College, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153-3794; call us toll-free at 1-866-RCALUMS; fax us at 540-375-2398; email us at alumni@roanoke.edu or update your record online at www.roanoke.edu/alumni.

Due to space constraints and time between issues, submissions might appear in an upcoming issue.

Editorial contributions are welcome but subject to editing. Photographs may be used as space permits, submitted in print or digital format. Digital photos must be 1 MB in size or larger. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee return of contributed materials. We look forward to hearing from you!

class notes 1960s Rowena (Holliday) Boehling ’60 sent a note that she is “grateful to all of my teachers at Roanoke College.” Rowena, who holds a B.A. from Roanoke and an M.A. from the University of Kentucky, taught Latin for 40 years.

Marianne (Butterfoss) Dennison ’63 and her husband, Tom, celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary in May. The couple live in Farmville, Virginia. Marianne, who holds a B.A. in English from Roanoke, recently received grand prize and firstplace art awards at the Red Door 104 Gallery in Farmville.

Pamela Slate ’66 has served for four years as Director of School of St. Mary After School Care in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Pamela, who graduated from Roanoke with a B.A. in English, holds an M.A. in English from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. from the University of Tulsa.

The Rev. Carl F. Pattison MA ’66, RC ’68 began serving as assisting minister at Ebenezer ARP Church in Lexington, Virginia on June 7, 2020. He holds a B.A. in Industrial Psychology from Roanoke, Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary and a Master of Education from James Madison University.

1970s William “Bill” Brenzovich Sr. ’71 is completing a two-year term as the chair of the Virginia Association of Community Services. He will remain a member of the

association’s Executive Committee as Past Chair. The association represents Virginia’s 40 Community Services Boards and Behavioral Health Authority, which provide behavioral health and developmental disability services in Virginia communities.

In October, Bill will begin his 22nd year as a Girl Scout Leader.

Andy Teeter ’71 has received the Sigma Chi Seven Lights Alumni Award, which is presented to alumni members who have demonstrated significant service to the Fraternity. Only 28 of these awards are given out annually.

Teeter earned a B.A. in psychology at Roanoke, and now lives in Charleston, West Virginia, where he is the senior vice president at USI Insurance. He has held that position since 2014.

Okey Goode ’74 retired from teaching literature and writing in college classrooms and on lawns after 43 years, the last 34 as an English professor at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. Okey holds a B.A. in English from Roanoke, and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky. He and his wife, Pat, a former student at Roanoke, live in Clarkston, Washington.

Jay Middleton ’76 has joined Lokken Investment Group LLC, an independent investment firm in Lewes, Delaware, as senior advisor and portfolio manager. Jay, a business administration graduate of Roanoke, was conferred as Chartered Financial Consultant by the American College, Byrn Mawr, Pennsylvania, in 1985.

Jay lives in Dagsboro, Delaware with his

wife, Linda. They have five children and eight grandchildren.

Pam (Haugh) Hughes ’77 retired in 2017 after more than 30 years as a registered medical technologist. Pamela, who holds a B.S. in biology from Roanoke and a B.S. from University of Missouri Columbia, lives in Shell Knob, Missouri.

William M. Passano III ’78 is proud to announce that his eldest daughter, Caroline, married Will Cagney IV on June 22, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. Caroline works in fundraising at the Smithsonian Institution National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. Will is a policy analyst at the Department of Defense in Washington, and a first lieutenant in the Maryland Army National Guard. William Passano is president of Zensights, a biopharmaceutical vendor management company based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Bob Rotanz ’78 has been appointed to the Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge Board of Directors, the region’s official destination marketing organization. Bob is co-owner of Mac and Bob’s Restaurant in Salem, Virginia.

1980s Pamela (Hutts) Willoughby ’82 is enjoying her great-granddaughter, 2-year-old Kennedy, and great-grandson, Linwood, born Feb. 10, 2020. Pamela, who holds bachelor’s degrees in nursing from Roanoke College and Radford University, and her husband reside in Moneta, Virginia.

Linda Harvey Plichta ’83 retired in January 2020 after a 25-year career in continued on page 28

Dale Sarjeant ’71 has been inducted into the Kappa Alpha Order – Samuel Zenas Ammen Court of Honor, honoring KA alumni for contributions to Kappa Alpha Order in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The purpose of the Court of Honor is to recognize and honor alumni for their continuing interest, support and participation in the Order, its active chapters or its alumni chapters, and to stimulate the growth and strength of the Order, its chapters and members.

The induction ceremony was held Aug. 24, 2019, at the Ammen Court of Honor’s annual dinner at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, Virginia. Dale’s induction was attended by fellow Beta Rho (Roanoke College’s chapter) alumni members of the court. Pictured, from left to right, are: P. Jason Cording, Esq. ’94, John H. Turner Jr. ’66, D. Matthew Clarke ’08, and Dale. Dale joins a long line of KA’s Beta Rho chapter who are members of the Samuel Zenas Ammen Court of Honor and continue to help the Order long after graduation.

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A L U M N I

P R O F I L E

Turk makes history as Salem’s first woman mayor economics and education courses, giving her a wide array of knowledge and experience.

She remained in the Roanoke Valley afterward, using her degree to succeed in the business world and the education realm.

She has taught business classes at Salem High School, and been employed as the general sales manager at Saturn of Roanoke Valley and as an account executive for Q99 radio. She retired from Wheeler Broadcasting in 2014.

“My business education from Roanoke College is the foundation of my strength.”

CITY OF SALEM

— Renée Turk ’77, Mayor of Salem

Renée Turk at her swearing-in on July 1, 2020.

W

hen Renée Ferris Turk ’77 fell just 79 votes short of a Salem City Council seat in 2018, many people encouraged her to run again in 2020.

She ran again, and in the process, made history.

Not only did Turk earn the most votes in this year’s City Council election, held May 19, but her fellow council members then elected her mayor. (In Salem, the mayor is selected by the council, from within their own ranks.) That made Turk the first woman mayor in the City of Salem’s 52-year history. She was sworn in on July 1.

“The perspective that I can bring is important,” Turk said. “The population of Salem is 53 percent female, so it’s important to have that kind of balance on any council or board.”

In addition to that perspective, Turk brings business experience, local knowledge and leadership skills to her new post. Turk grew up in the Roanoke Valley, attending Jefferson High School in the City of Roanoke before enrolling at Virginia Western Community College and eventually transferring to Roanoke College.

At Roanoke, Turk earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, economics and education. She was able to earn that degree by taking 20 credit hours each of business administration,

She currently serves as an adult coordinator and music minister for the Diocese of Richmond’s Discovery Youth Retreats, and she is the current president of the Waipani Homeowners Association.

In many ways, she said, her time at Roanoke College prepared her for success.

“My business education from Roanoke College is the foundation of my strength,” Turk said.

Turk said the classes were challenging and engaging, and she appreciated the fact that business professors had years of experience in the business world. They spoke from personal experience, which Turk said she appreciated.

As a decades-long resident of Salem, Turk said she has seen Roanoke College continue to be a “tremendous part” of Salem’s community.

“It’s our partner and our neighbor,” Turk said of the College.

“It’s our great foundation for preparing business leaders to leave and go on their own. Hopefully, some of them settle in Salem, just like Bob Rotanz ’78 did with Mac and Bob’s. There are a number of different Roanoke College graduates who have done some awesome things in the City of Salem.”

During her campaign, Turk said she wanted to find ways to help local business owners weather the COVID-19 pandemic. She also said she aims to make Salem’s government as transparent as possible.

The pandemic has made it harder for Turk to speak to Salem residents in person, but she has experience listening to constituents over the phone and through social media, having campaigned this spring by phone and online. In whatever form of listening she takes, Turk said she’s ready to hear from members of the community.

“My intent as a member of council is to listen, to explore, to learn, to observe, to talk to people, to build relationships and to be available for people so the citizens feel like they’re being heard,” she said. — Alex McCarthy

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alumninews clinical research. Plichta, who holds a B.B.A. from Roanoke, lives in Clearwater, Florida with her husband, John.

Deneen Evans ’86 has been appointed to a three-year term, effective July 1, 2020, on the Council on Disability and Persons with Disabilities.

The council is part of the Commission on Diversity and Social Economic Justice, a national association that develops social work education resources that are related to issues surrounding disability and the experiences of individuals with disabilities.

Deneen, an associate professor and MSW (Master of Social Work) Coordinator at Radford University, holds a B.A. in sociology from Roanoke, an MSW from Radford and a Ph.D. in social work from Norfolk State University. She is owner of and a clinician at the Mosaic Mental Wellness and Health practice in Roanoke, Virginia. The practice, which has a multicultural/social justice focus, is supported by case managers and serves as a teaching site for Master of Social Work students and licensed eligible MSWs. Deneen and her husband, Dwayne Evans ’85, celebrated their 32nd wedding anniversary this year.

1990s Elizabeth “Scotti” (Boardwine) Hartman ’95 has been promoted to director of Community and Development at Richfield Living, a senior living and healthcare community in Salem, Virginia. Scott, who graduated from Roanoke with a bachelor’s degree in sociology, has been a member of the Richfield team for 25 years. She is a board member of the

Roanoke Valley Senior Networking Group, an ambassador with the Salem-Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Rotary Club of Salem.

2000s Ann Thayer ’00, a criminal defense attorney, opened a law firm in Fairfax, Virginia on Feb. 1. The firm defends adults and juveniles charged with criminal, traffic and DUI offenses, and helps victims obtain civil protective orders or defends those served with protective orders. Thayer graduated from Roanoke with a B.A. in criminal justice and Spanish, and holds a J.D. from the Widener University School of Law. Adiyah A. Ali ’02 is working on her Ed.D. in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. Adiyah holds a B.A. in international relations from Roanoke and an M.A. in public policy from Pepperdine University. Adiyah was the recipient of a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Scholarship for Minority Students.

Andy Bonasera ’03 was inducted into the US Lacrosse Ohio Chapter Hall of Fame in October. Andy, a native of Columbus, Ohio, finished his Roanoke career as the program’s all-time leading scorer. He ranks in the top-five, all-time at Roanoke in seven statistical categories, and was inducted into the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. Since graduating from Roanoke, Andy has held several

Former Maroons lacrosse teammates Will Benassi ’84, John Shaw ’84, Bill Pilat (current head Men’s Lacrosse coach) ’85, and Edwin “Bo” Jarrett ’84 met up at the Roanoke College vs. Dickinson College game at the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame on March 7, 2020 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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coaching positions, most recently as head varsity boy’s lacrosse coach at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. Andy, who holds a B.B.A from Roanoke, lives in Glendale, California.

Nathan Stewart ’03 has been named athletic director at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Nathan most recently served as deputy athletic director at Centre College, a Division III school in Danville, Kentucky. Prior to his three years at Centre, he served as athletic director at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania, and Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota. He also has served as assistant coach and coach at several Division I and Division III schools. Nathan was a four-year letterwinner in basketball at Roanoke, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in health and human performance. He holds a master’s degree in athletic administration from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Justin Sheldon ’05 has joined the Richmond, Virginia law firm of Breit Cantor Grana Buckner as an associate. Justin, who holds a B.A. in Spanish from Roanoke, graduated cum laude from the University of Richmond School of Law. Meghan (Fuller) Coates ’06 has been named director of Henrico County, Virginia’s Department of Finance. Coates moves to position after serving as deputy director and acting director. Meghan, who has helped lead Henrico’s financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will head an agency with more than 160 employees and a budget of $13.7 million for the 2020-21 fiscal year. She also will serve as commissioner of revenue and treasurer for Henrico County, as prescribed by the Code of Virginia.

Meghan holds a B.B.A. from Roanoke and an M.S. from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Justin Thomas ’06 is chief operating officer of EHOP Health, a chronic disease reversal company based in Apex, North Carolina. He is working with one of EHOP’s clients — Harriss & Covington, a High Point, North Carolina hosiery mill — to deliver face masks around the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Another of EHOP’s clients, Weaver Street Market, is helping to distribute them. The partnership, called Easy Masks, creates nonmedical face masks for people who need protection on their essential trips.

Lauren (Cook) Wood ’06 is serving as coordinator for Alumni & Family Relations at Roanoke College. Lauren holds a B.A. in history from Roanoke.

Chastity (Vangosen) Chartier ’07 has joined the Austin Hatcher Foundation for Pediatric Cancer as its new licensed clinical psychologist. Chastity, who has practiced for more than 10 years, comes to the Chattanooga, Tennessee-based foundation after practicing as a licensed clinical psychologist at Saratoga Center for the Family in Saratoga Springs, New York.

Chastity holds a B.A. in psychology from Roanoke and an M.S. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Antioch University.

Sara (Woody) Jamison ’07 has joined the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine as director for development and alumni relations. Sara, who holds a B.A. in chemistry from Roanoke, has worked in development for Roanoke College, Ferrum College and Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia.

She and her husband, Stuart, live in Salem, Virginia.

Sade Younger ’08 received a Doctorate of Social Work from Howard University on April 13. Dr. Younger is the first Ph.D. candidate in the history of the School of Social Work at Howard University to successfully defend a dissertation via Zoom. In a Facebook post, Younger thanked several people who supported her throughout her dissertation process, including Dr. Deneen Evans ’86.

Younger is a financial therapist at The Financial Spa, LLC in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She holds a B.A. in sociology from Roanoke and a Master of Social Work degree from Radford University.

2010s Amanda (Nesbit) Nastiuk ’11 has been named executive director of the West End Center for Youth in Roanoke, Virginia.

Nastiuk comes to the position after serving as the center’s development director. She previously worked at ARCH Services-Bethany Hall and Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare. West End Center serves children whose families have limited resources by providing educational and social development through continued on page 30

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Alumna plays key role in life-saving COVID-19 treatment Health, theorized that a certain treatment for blood clots could help eliminate these small blood clots.

They used this treatment — Tissue Plasminogen Activator, known as tPA — on five COVID-19 patients, some of whom were in very bad condition, Nemec said.

“Some of them were extremely sick, they were dying, they were on the ventilator,” Nemec said. “They had no options left.

Everything else had been tried, including antimalarial medication, steroids — every treatment you could give them — and they were still dying.”

“It hasn’t been used before.

A lot of these things haven’t because of such a new disease, but we’re trying to do anything to save them.”

— Hannah Nemec ’12, on what she tells family members of COVID-19 patients her team is treating.

Hannah Nemec, at right, has been helping COVID-19 patients with a new method of treatment.

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s a chief surgery resident at The Medical Center Navicent Health at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, Dr. Hannah Nemec ’12 usually operates on patients every day.

When elective surgeries were put on hold as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nemec and some of her colleagues suddenly saw their schedules open up.

“We had some extra time to help out in the ICU in our hospital,” Nemec said.

Nemec made the most of that extra time. She assisted in a study that helped COVID-19 patients at the Navicent Health center recover, and is helping patients all over the country recover.

The study, which was published in May in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, proposes one way to help COVID-19 patients get more oxygen to their lungs.

As Nemec explains, many COVID-19 patients experience small blood clots in their lungs, preventing them from getting enough oxygen to easily breathe. Nemec and her colleagues at Navicent

The first patient they gave tPA to was able to get off the ventilator and go home just a few weeks later, which was “pretty incredible,” Nemec said. The next four patients also saw marked improvements, but that first patient showed the most remarkable turnaround.

With so many unknowns surrounding COVID-19, doctors are using the best information they have to try new approaches to treating patients. Nemec said it was difficult talking to patients’ families about the study without having hard evidence that it would save their loved ones.

“We called them and told them, ‘This is an off-label use. It hasn’t been used before. A lot of these things haven’t because of such a new disease, but we’re trying to do anything to save them,’” Nemec said. “And to be able to call them back and tell them that they [were taken off the ventilator] or were able to go home is really just an incredible team effort.”

The team has treated patients using tPA, Nemec said, and is sharing the information with other hospitals, in addition to publishing the study in the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery. Nemec said a team led by doctors at Harvard University published a similar study, and is pushing for a national trial for the treatment.

Nemec, who majored in chemistry at Roanoke, earned a Doctor of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. From there, she was accepted into Mercer University’s surgery program. Nemec, originally from Catawba, Virginia, plans to specialize in trauma surgery after the residency.

— Alex McCarthy

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alumninews after-school and summer programs. She holds a B.A. in sociology from Roanoke.

Gregory Hanlon ’11 is serving as associate director of Alumni & Family Relations at Roanoke College. Greg holds a B.S. in Health and Human Performance from Roanoke and an M.A. in education from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

William Barrett ’12 has entered the MBA program at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. William, who holds a B.B.A from Roanoke, is vice president of Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc., an international commercial real estate services company.

Catherine Bonilla ’14 is Due Diligence Analyst at TRACE International, Inc. in Annapolis, Maryland. Catherine, who graduated from Roanoke with a B.A. in international relations and history, also earned an M.A. in International Relations: U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security from American University in Washington, D.C. As an analyst, Catherine conducts in-depth reviews and risk assessments of foreign and multinational companies in English and Spanish to identify risks or violations as they relate to bribery, corruption and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). TRACE International is a nonprofit business association, founded in 2001, that provides multinational companies and their commercial intermediaries with anti-bribery compliance support. TRACE’s mission is “To Raise the Standard of Anti-Bribery Compliance Worldwide,” which Catherine says is essential in promoting good governance and transparency across the globe.

Ben Walker ’16 graduated from Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and has started his residency at Carilion Clinic. Walker, a 2012 Cave Spring High School graduate, attended Roanoke on a full academic scholarship and majored in biology. He graduated summa cum laude and entered the VTC School of Medicine in the summer of 2016. Walker plans to stay in Roanoke after his residency and practice medicine in his hometown.

Helen Phillips ’17 has started PeakMATES (Mentoring and Tutoring Elementary Students) in Westchester County, New York. The program, which Phillips created in response to in-person classroom education shifting to

Emily Crane ’17 and Wes Knowles ’17 recently finished service as agricultural extension agents with the Peace Corps in the West African country of Ghana. There, they worked on soil conservation, dry season gardening, malaria education and financial literacy. “We’re proud as Roanoke alumni to have been part of such a service-oriented school,” they shared. Crane, who earned a B.A. in international relations and French at Roanoke, will pursue a master’s degree in international relations at Syracuse University this fall. Knowles, who earned a B.A. in international relations at Roanoke, will enter a dual degree program at Syracuse University this fall, pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree and a master’s degree in international relations. The two are pictured here at a local festival in Ghana, which is the Peace Corps’ oldest post.

digital learning, has connected 200 high school and college-age students with elementary school students in New York and Connecticut. “The program has been running for five weeks and has had great success,” Phillips emailed. “It’s been a great opportunity for high school students to grow as individuals while also earning community service hours. All of this has been done from the safety of their homes while following social distancing guidelines!” Phillips holds a B.A. in biology and creative writing from Roanoke.

Brenda Prieto Velazquez ’17, marketing director of Roanoke’s historic Grandin Theatre, had a vital role in ensuring its revenue stream continued while the theater was closed due to the COVID-19 stay-at-home order.

She was instrumental in creating the theater’s online rental system, through which people could rent current releases and watch them on their home computer. The Grandin “is a very important landmark for

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Roanoke, and I think it’s really important for people to support the Grandin Theatre through these films,” said Prieto Velazquez, who became marketing director of the Grandin after graduating from Roanoke with a B.A. in Communication Studies. A native of Mexico City, Mexico, she is currently working on her master’s degree in strategic communications from Radford University.

Olivia Earls ’18, a former standout volleyball player at Roanoke, has been named an assistant volleyball coach at Ferrum College. Olivia, previously a graduate assistant coach at the University of Charleston, earned a B.S. in health and physical education at Roanoke and an M.S. in Strategic Leadership at the University of Charleston.

William Goins ’19 is a junior trader at Hard 6 Trading in Chicago, Illinois. William holds a B.B.A. from Roanoke.

Madison Kantor ’19 is a business systems analyst at Wells Fargo in Rich-

mond, Virginia. Previously, Madison, who holds a B.B.A. from Roanoke, was employed as a business analyst at Industrial Turnaround Corporation.

2020s Jayna Jean-Jules ’20, is working as a scale-up technician for Bentley Laboratories, a cosmetic formulation company headquartered in Edison, New Jersey.

At Bentley, described as “a cutting-edge formulation and manufacturing partner to the world’s best beauty brands,” Jayna has as two-part role. “I work with a scale-up engineer and we perform different experiments to improve the quality of products,” she says.“For the other part, I am a lab technician and do some processing when we get jobs from the companies we work with and help the chemists in the lab.” Jayna holds a B.S. in chemistry from Roanoke.

marriages Margot McDonald ’11 wed Colin Aker on May 25, 2019 in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Alumni who were members of the wedding party included Rebecca Dallas Corbicz ’11, Megan Semmelman Irvin ’11, Megan Rhodes Litteral ’11 and Elizabeth McSorley ’12. Alumni who attended included Steven Corbicz ’09, Courtney Thompson Lindeman ’10, Kara Kelliher Quinn ’12 and Sara Sloman ’12.

Rebecca Lemos ’13 married Bennett Tansey in a small ceremony on March 27, 2020 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Due to COVID-19, bridesmaids (and Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority sisters) Colleen Hayes Sheehan ’13, Erica Nielsen ’13, and Alexis Helms ’14, attended virtually.

Benjamin Cowgill ’17 wed Allison

Michelle De La Cruz ’20 is working as a college adviser at the George Washington High School in Danville, Virginia. The position is part of a joint public service venture of the University of Virginia and Americorps that seeks to address the widening gap in college access for low-income, first-generation and underrepresented students. “I am so excited to begin my first post-undergraduate job and start helping the youth of my community and state,” Michelle said. This summer, Michelle launched a GoFundMe fundraiser initiative called “Addressing the Gap in College Access 4 HS Students.” “I wanted to do something unique and especially generous by creating my own scholarship that I will be awarding to three deserving students at the high school.” Michelle, who majored in criminal justice with a concentration in legal studies at Roanoke, spent the fall 2019 semester studying criminal law, advanced French, and law and technology at Vesalius College in Brussels, Belgium as a Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar. “The campus was small, similar to Roanoke College, so it was fairly easy to create bonds with staff and faculty,” she said. “The best part of the school had to have been the cafeteria sandwiches. Those were some of the best sandwiches of my life!”

McDonald-Aker wedding

Caudill on July 6 at Christ Church Cathedral in Louisville, Kentucky. Ben is in his third year of seminary at the School of Theology at the University of the South to become a priest in the Episcopal Church. Allison is a priest in the Episcopal Church, currently serving as the associate rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Anchorage, Kentucky.

families Kathleen (Barber) Ordile ’06 and husband, Greg, happily welcomed daughter Annaliese Barbara on Dec. 6, 2019.

The family lives in Chalfont, Pennsylvania.

Stacey (Chapman) Thomas ’08 and husband Justin, welcomed son Reid Chapman on Sept. 17, 2019. He joins big sister, Hadley. The family lives in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

in memoriam Jean Perkins Coots ’40, of Roanoke, Virginia, died on July l8, 2020, at the age of 101. After graduating from Roanoke,

Annaliese Ordile

Lemos-Tansey wedding

Coots did graduate work at the University of North Carolina and Appalachian University. She taught school in Salem, Virginia before working for the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Arlington, Virginia during World War II. Surviving family members include Dr. Fred A. Coots Jr ’67, one of two sons born to Coots and her husband, Frederick A. Coots.

Robert “Bob” E. Lambert ’43, of Salem, Virginia, died on March 26, 2020, at the age of 98.

Mildred Carper Schaaf ’43, of Charlotte, North Carolina, died on May 6, 2020.

She was 97. Schaaf served as an Army nurse during World War II. A devoted wife, mother and homemaker, Schaaf enjoyed performing with the Sweet Adelines organization, singing and competing in chorus and quartet contests across the country.

James L. Moore ’46, of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away on April 13, 2020 at age 95. Moore served with the 5th Marine Division during the battle of Iwo Jima.

Moore returned from the war and remained in the Marine inactive reserve until he was called to duty as a recruiting officer. He began a lifelong career in banking

Hadley and Reid Thomas

Cowgill-Caudill wedding

in Waynesboro and Virginia Beach, Virginia, rising to the level of executive vice president and head of the Sales Finance Division at Virginia National Bank. After retiring, he and his wife, Sara, moved to Emerald Isle, North Carolina then returned to Roanoke for their twilight years.

Oscar Watts Gills, Jr. ’47 died on June 29, 2020 in Roanoke, Virginia. After serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he completed his college education at Roanoke College, after which he started a career in banking, much of it at the Bank of Virginia. Ultimately, he served as president of the Bank of Virginia of the Roanoke Valley and the Bank of Virginia of the Southwest. Gills was very involved in civic and community organizations, including the Roanoke Central YMCA, the American Red Cross of Roanoke and United Way. He also was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church and the Businessmen’s Club. He continued his interest in flying as a member of the Acorn Flying Club at Woodrum Field.

Phyllis Hurt Marshall ’47, of Roanoke, Virginia, died on March 13, 2020. Marshall was known as a stickler for English grammar, a superb cook, outstanding flower arranger, avid bridge player and a wonderful mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend.

Aurelia Jewell Faulconer ’48, of Lynchburg, Virginia, died on April 20, 2020 at age 92. After graduating from Roanoke, Faulconer was known as a strong and loving family matriarch, whose husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren were the core of her life. She was a member of many organizations and clubs, volunteering as a librarian at Westminster Canterbury retirement community in Lynchburg.

Anne Watson Muller ’50, of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, passed away on June 20, 2020. After graduating from Roanoke, Muller earned an R.N. degree from the

VCU School of Nursing in Richmond, Virginia. She went on to work at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where she met Arnold Muller, the man who would become her husband in 1955. Muller returned to her nursing career in her 40s, earning a Master of Education degree from Temple University, ultimately retiring from Penn State Hershey Medical Center. Predeceased family include Elinor Watson ’51. Surviving family members include daughter Janice Muller Hawbaker, Esq. ’80, who shared that “Mom loved Roanoke College and had fond memories of her years there.”

Doris Rutherford O’Neil ’50 died on April 18, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee.

O’Neil worked for the Tennessee State Legislature and was an assistant to Rep. Pete Phillips until he retired, then assisted Rep. John Hood. She retired in 2005 after 20 years of service. She was an active volunteer in her community, serving as a member of the Friends of the Nashville Symphony, Opera and Ballet, and of the Hillwood Garden Club, among other organizations.

Jacqueline Britts Brooks ’50, passed away of May 17, 2020 at her home in Montgomery, Alabama. She was 92. Brooks worked as a teacher and a social worker in Roanoke, Virginia.

Alice Howell Powell ’50 passed away on July 19, 2020 in Boone, North Carolina.

She was 91. Powell, an English major who graduated with honors from Roanoke, worked as a teacher, in the hotel industry, and in the Department of Food Sciences at NCSU, where her husband, Nathaniel Powell, served as professor of plant pathology.

Powell helped establish Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church, and was a singer, songwriter, poet and accomplished writer.

She was known for her cooking, and, according to her obituary, fed neighbors off the grill on her backyard deck after hurricanes ravaged the neighborhood.

Joanne Lewis Stewart Woodfin ’50, of Brooklyn, New York and Bar Harbor, Maine, passed away on Dec. 2, 2018.

Woodfin and her husband were the parents of four children, eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Dr. James Peter King Jr. ’51 passed away on June 13, 2020 in Elkin, North Carolina. He was 91. After graduating from Roanoke College, King received a medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he also completed his residency in otolaryngology.

He later served in the U.S. Navy as a medical officer and lieutenant commander. After military service, he spent more than 40 years in private practice in Roanoke and Galax, Virginia. King was an avid golfer, member of the Single Action ROANOKE.EDU

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Carpenter remembered as a leader and gied teacher

Teaching was a life calling for D. Rae Carpenter.

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r. D. Rae Carpenter Jr. ’49, former head of the physics department at Virginia Military Institute, died on May 26, 2020. He was 92.

After graduating from Roanoke with a B.S. in physics and mathematics, Carpenter entered Cornell University and earned an M.S. in experimental physics and applied mathematics. Shortly after, he joined the faculty of the Virginia Military Institute, where he taught physics for the next 40 years. During that time, Carpenter earned a Ph.D. in experimental physics from the University of Virginia.

Carpenter’s decades-long partnership with fellow Roanoke alumnus and VMI faculty member Dr. Richard “Dick” Minnix ’54, led to the development of short courses on physics that were produced as lecture demonstrations. These demos reached thousands of teachers and school-age children throughout the United States, Canada and China. Notably, “The Dick and Rae Physics Demo Notebook” has been purchased on every continent except Antarctica and is still in print today.

Carpenter served in other capacities at VMI, including 22 years as director of research at VMI Research Laboratories (VMIRL), the research and development arm of VMI. In 1985, Carpenter took a semester break from VMI to participate as a visiting professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and at Auburn University in 1986. He also taught high school students for five summers at Virginia Governor’s Schools.

Carpenter’s service to others was not limited to the classroom.

Rotary was a passion for Carpenter, who firmly believed in the premise of “Service Beyond Self.” During his membership in Rotary District 7570 and Rotary International, Carpenter maintained perfect attendance for 59 years. He held various positions, including president of the Lexington Rotary Club and later, at the state level, as lieutenant governor and district governor. As a Rotarian, Carpenter impacted thousands of lives through projects in Bangladesh and the Philippines.

Carpenter served the congregation of his home church, Lexington Presbyterian, as a deacon, elder, treasurer and “fix-it man.” He also served on the Roanoke Regional Committee for the Roanoke Rising Campaign at Roanoke College, and established an endowed scholarship to support students studying mathematics or physics.

VMI Research Laboratories established The Dr. D. Rae Carpenter Award to honor Carpenter’s service to VMIRL. The award is given to the best research proposal submitted to the VMI Research Committee.

In 2018, Carpenter received the Roanoke College Medal, which recognizes outstanding alumni whose professional accomplishments, community engagement and service to the College represent the ideals of leadership, integrity and citizenship.

Carpenter was preceded in death by his wife, Jane Grant Carpenter. Surviving family members include three children — D. Rae Carpenter III ’76, Gordon Grant Carpenter and Barbara Elizabeth Carpenter Lutz — four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Carpenter’s service to others was not limited to the classroom.

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Shooting Society and long-time Green Bay Packers fan.

Stewart E. Grotz ’51, of Cumming, Georgia, died April 4, 2020. He was 94.

Grotz worked in the insurance industry, retiring at a age 72. His hobbies included photography, playing card games and solving puzzles daily online.

Doris Rauti Clay ’53, of Greenwood, South Carolina, passed away on July 5, 2020. Clay’s career as a teacher and coach spanned 30 years, including those at the University of Buffalo, where her teams won NYS titles in track and field hockey. She was inducted into the MaineEndwell High School Hall of Fame as well as the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame for her athletic prowess. After retirement, Clay and her husband, Evan, moved to Greenwood, where she devoted time and energy to volunteering at the local food bank and running the Greenwood Soup Kitchen for more than 15 years, along with her husband. A breast cancer survivor, she also volunteered for the Reach the Recovery program. She was an active member of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection, where she sang in the choir and did volunteer work.

David A. Maxwell ’53, of New Haven, Connecticut, passed away on Feb. 3, 2020 at the age of 90. Following gradua-

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tion from Roanoke, Maxwell earned a J.D. from the University of Miami in Florida. In 1955, he became a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving with distinction for 25 years. While assigned to the FBI office in New York, Maxwell earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College.

Upon retiring from the FBI in 1980, Maxwell joined the Criminal Justice faculty at the University of New Haven, where he taught for more than 25 years and retired as Professor Emeritus.

Crockett B. Carr, Jr. ’55, of Bedford, Virginia, died on June 18, 2020. An outstanding athlete in football and track at Roanoke College and the University of Virginia, Carr served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force before renewing his lifelong interest in art. He was an accomplished and eclectic artist, cartoonist and writer, creating work that included oil paintings, wood carvings and computer-generated drawings. His pen and ink drawings and humorous captions won him a place as a staff artist or artist-in-residence at various events, and with various publications and organizations.

Bruce J. Haupt ’56 passed away on May 5, 2020 in Oxford, Florida. Haupt, who attended Roanoke College on a basketball scholarship, served three years of

active duty in the U.S. Navy on the U.S.S. Floyd B. Parks. From its decks, he witnessed the nuclear bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. After completing military service, he worked for IBM, rising through the management ranks before retiring in 1988, and after opening the corporation’s robotics division in Boca Raton, Florida. Haupt was a lifelong athlete in high school and college, and maintained his passion for sports as a player and coach. In 2005, he was inducted into the Bethel Park High School (Pennyslvania) Hall of Fame for basketball and baseball.

Dr. William W. Joness ’56, of Vinton, Virginia, died on July 14, 2020. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Joness earned a B.S. in chemistry from Roanoke and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Medical College of Virginia. Joness practiced dentistry in Vinton from June 1959 until his retirement in December 2000. Outside of his dental practice, Joness pursued his passion for flying, taking lessons and ultimately earning every license short of a commercial jet license. A certified flight instructor, Joness taught others at Woodrum Field (now Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport) and

at Virginia Western Community College. He was a member of the Flying Dentists Association, the Vinton Lions Club and the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, and was an avid sports enthusiast.

Donald W. Rhinehart ’56 died in Bethesda, Maryland on June 29, 2020.

Rhinehart served in the U.S. Army, working at the Pentagon and in South Korea.

Rhinehart attended Roanoke College from 1952 to 1954, completing his college education at Virginia Tech, after which he began a career at Fralin and Waldron, Inc. serving as vice president before retiring.

He was a lifetime member of the Roanoke Host Lions Club, serving as Virginia Lions District Governor. He also was a Scottish Rite Freemason and Shriner, and an active member of Christ Lutheran Church.

Carol Torrance Lundquist ’57, of Glen Rock, New Jersey, died on June 12, 2020. She was 84. Lundquist, who graduated from Roanoke with a bachelor’s degree in education, was a teacher for 33 years in New Jersey. She was inducted into the Roanoke College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1974 for her achievements in basketball and field hockey. Lundquist was an active member of Community Church of Glen Rock, and enjoyed knitting, gardening and competing with her son while watching “Jeopardy!”

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Stump remembered for his generosity A

Al Stump paid homage to his former coach with a gift to the Cregger Center.

lvin Stump ’52, a businessman, former Roanoke College track and cross country athlete and generous supporter of organizations and institutions he deeply believed in, died on July 8, 2020 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was 89.

After graduating from Roanoke, Stump served in the U.S. Army before joining General Mills as a sales statistician. In 1956, he joined Schering, a multinational pharmaceutical company, as a pharmaceutical detail man. He served Central Virginia physicians in territorial representation for 42 years, retiring in 1998.

Stump was generous with his support of local charities, particularly the Lynchburg Humane Society. He joined several of his physician friends in supporting University of Virginia athletics and enjoyed membership in the Virginia Athletics Foundation for more than 60 years.

In 2015, Stump honored the competitive sport he loved during his years at Roanoke — and paid homage to his former coach, C. Homer Bast, by making a gift toward construction of the men’s track and field locker room in the Cregger Center. Bast served the College as a professor, coach, administrator and counselor for 33 years.

Stump’s gift to the Cregger Center represented his “love for the College and what it did for me,” he said.

“I hope the athletes that go through there really enjoy the College as much as I did.

I think it’s one of the greatest four years I’ve ever spent in my life.”

Stump’s surviving family members include nephew Barry L. Stump ’76.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COLKET FAMILY

Colket was generous in spirit, committed to philanthropy

Tristram C. Colket Jr. (standing) and wife Ruth with their grandchildren.

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he man for whom the Roanoke College building that serves as the hub of campus activity is named, died this summer.

Tristram C. Colket Jr. LHD ’01 passed away on July 6, 2020, at the age of 82.

In 1998, Colket and his wife, Ruth M. Colket LHD ’01 presented the College with a $5 million challenge gift as part of a fundraising effort for the College’s new campus center project, a major

Lt. Col. Richard J. Seed III ’57, passed away May 2, 2020. After graduating from Roanoke and receiving a master’s degree from Catholic University, Seed entered officers Candidate School at Quantico, Virginia, where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He served for 22 years before retiring from military service, and teaching middle and high school. Seed, a track and soccer student-athlete at Roanoke, was inducted in the Roanoke College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975.

George H. “Buck” Wood, Jr. ’57, of Boones Mill, Virginia, died Feb. 4, 2020 at age 85. A graduate of Medical College of Virginia, Wood was owner and pharmacist of Wood’s Pharmacy (The Medicine Shoppe) in Boones Mill. Wood, an active member of Boones Mill Baptist Church,

served in the National Guard and was a member of the NRA, Taylor Masonic Lodge (Salem). Isaac Masonic Lodge (Boones Mill), and The Gideons International.

Lewis P. Whitescarver ’58, of Christiansburg, Virginia, passed away on May 10, 2020. He was 83.

The Rev. W. Eugene Copenhaver ’60 died Aug. 16, 2020 at his home in Marion, Virginia. After graduating from Roanoke, Copenhaver received a master’s degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and was ordained to the gospel ministry in 1964. Copenhaver served as pastor of churches in Pulaski, Virginia; Clemson, S.C.; Arlington, Virginia; and Manassas, Virginia. He retired in 2000 after 36 years of ministry. Copenhaver served on many boards but had special interest in helping establish the Clemson

34 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2020

priority of a capital campaign called “The Difference.” The challenge brought in another $5 million, enabling the construction of the center, which was named the Colket Center in honor of the couple.

The Colkets received honorary Doctors of Humane Letters at the College’s Commencement in 2001.

According to his obituary, Tristram Colket launched his career with North American Smelting Company, an experience that laid the groundwork for a life of entrepreneurship that included the acquisition and founding of several companies in metal manufacturing, software development, robotics and high-tech manufacturing equipment. In 1966, he founded Altair Airlines, and later served as chairman of the board of Cressona Aluminum Company, before it merged with what is now known as Alcoa.

Generous in spirit, Colket was a supporter of numerous nonprofit entities. He supported the Pennsylvania arts as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and as a member of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia’s advisory committee. He also served as a board member for the Quebec Labrador Foundation, an environmental and educational organization; was a member of the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania; and was a dedicated supporter of Acadia National Park and Maine Seacoast Mission.

Committed to medical philanthropy, Colket was a lifelong supporter and later board member of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, eventually becoming chairman of the hospital’s Stokes Research Institute. His passion for research led to the creation the Ruth and Tristram Colket, Jr. Translational Research Building Surviving family members include wife Ruth, and son Bryan D. Colket ’98 and his wife, Jayme O’Malley Colket ’98.

Congregations in Touch; the Literacy Council for Pickens County, South Carolina; Pickens County Council for Drug and Alcohol Abuse, serving as chair; and the Council on Aging in Clemson, S.C. He also served on the boards of the National Lutheran Home for Metro-Washington area; the United Way for Arlington County, Virginia and the Year of the Child Commission in Manassas, Virginia.

The Rev. Dr. Gerald M. Miller Sr. ’60 died on May 2, 2020 at the age of 82.

After graduating from Roanoke, Miller attended Theological Seminary, where he received a Bachelor’s of Divinity degree, Master of Theology degree and Doctor of Ministry. He served churches all across Virginia, including those in the localities of Richmond, Vienna, Petersburg and Chesterfield. Mowery loved to golf, fish

and spent time with his family.

Michael C. Neely ’61, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, passed away on March 24, 2020. He was 81. Neely served in the U.S. Army in the military police, and was later employed by General Motors Corp. for 33 years. After retiring to Florida, Neely worked for Watson Realty. He had a passion for all sports, particularly golf and college sports, and loved spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Donald “Don” Pickard ’62, of Roanoke, Virginia, died on April 29, 2020.

Charles “Tom” Robinson ’62, passed away on Jan. 18, 2020. Robinson made his way to California after graduating from Roanoke, marrying and raising a family. A Philadelphia native, he loved the sports of his hometown, bluegrass music and spending time at his cabin in the woods.

Peter Van de Water ’62 died May 5, 2018 at the Hamptons Center for Rehabilitation in South Hampton, New York. He was 78. He worked as a chemical engineer for TruTech in Riverhead, New York. .

In his spare time, he enjoyed baseball and collecting stamps and coins.

Robert E. Baker Jr. ’63 passed away on Jan. 27, 2020 in Colorado. After graduating from Roanoke, Baker joined the U.S. Naval Reserves. He went on to earn a master’s degree at Case Western Reserve University, later embarking on a career in the health care industry. In 1995, he retired to the Vail Valley, where he spent many hours volunteering for various charities including Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley and the Food Bank of the Rockies.

David Myron Etheridge III ’63, of Carrollton, Texas, died on April 30, 2020.

After graduating from Roanoke College, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order, Etheridge started a career with IBM as a marketer. After 13 years and a move to Dallas, Texas, he started a search firm and soon after, Royal Oak, an oil and gas exploration company. He retired as a wealth manager and investment adviser with BTS Securities. Etheridge was an avid hunter and member of the Dallas Safari Club.

Madeline Alexander Bounds ’65, of Roanoke, Virginia, died on March 18, 2020.

Elizabeth McCurdy Bruney ’65, of Portsmouth, Virginia, passed away on May 24, 2020 at the age of 77. A member of Phi Mu during her years at Roanoke, Bruney went on to graduate from Roanoke Memorial Hospital School of Radiology Technology. She lived in Fairfax County, Virginia for a number of years, where she was a member of the Clifton Women’s Club, the Arts Gala Committee at George Mason University and the Fairfax Symphony Guild.

Joseph H. Carpenter III ’65, of Covington, Virginia, passed away on June 7, 2020. Carpenter was a lifelong member of the Covington community, where he was employed as a teacher, coach and administrator in the Alleghany County Public Schools system. A member of the Roanoke College Athletics Hall of Fame, Carpenter was a professional baseball scout, member of the Elks Club BPOE 1065 and served on the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors. Carpenter, a member of the Army National Guard, also was appointed chair of the LewisGale Hospital Alleghany Board and was past president and Paul Harris Fellow of the Covington-Hot Springs Rotary Club.

Ann Messer Dilks ’65, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, died on Jan. 26, 2020 at the age of 76. Dilks was a retired teacher and longtime active member of Star of the

Sea Catholic Church and the La Concha Circle of Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters.

Dorothy Mae Stultz Hudgins ’65, of New Canton, Virginia, passed away Feb. 11, 2020. She was 76. After graduating from Roanoke with a bachelor’s degree in education, Hudgins began her teaching career at a two-room schoolhouse in Appomattox County. She retired after 40 years as an elementary teacher in the Buckingham County Public Schools system. Hudgins, who also owned and operated the Sears Catalog Store in Dillwyn, Virginia, was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother.

Charles Edward Straub III ’67, of Christiansburg, Virginia, passed away on July 19, 2020. Straub, who held an MBA from the University of Richmond, had a career as a certified public accountant. He was a faithful member of St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Christiansburg, where he wore many “church hats” over the years.

Randy Dale Freas ’72, of Kingston, Pennsylvania, died on July 3, 2020. Freas attended Roanoke College, studying theater arts, before being drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was the recipient of the Bronze Star, National Defense Medal, Vietnam Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. A career salesman, Freas enjoyed the outdoors, hunting, fishing, classic cars and traveling the world with his wife and son.

Massie E. Saunders Jr. ’75, of Hardy, Virginia, died on June 22, 2020. Saunders was retired from the U.S. Postal Service.

Thomas Stuart Gordon ’78, a longtime resident of Millburn, Short Hills, and Floram Park, New Jersey, died on June 19, 2020. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Roanoke College, where he served as student body president and president of Sigma Chi Fraternity, Gordon began a 40-year career at Gordon Terminal Service. Most recently, he served as vice president and managing partner of the company, which has facilities in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania and Bayonne, New Jersey. Gordon, an active member of Christ Church of Short Hills, and was an avid philanthropist, well-traveled wine enthusiast and devout Steelers, Penguins and Pirates fan. Surviving family members include Robert A. Gordon ’92.

Ralph A. Russo ’78, of Roanoke, Virginia, died on April 11, 2020. Russo’s greatest love was teaching and coaching at Hidden Valley Middle School, where he touched the lives of countless students and colleagues. He loved all sports but especially soccer and golf. Surviving family include his wife Elizabeth “Betsy” K. Russo ’80, whom he met at Roanoke College.

David M. Forbes ’82, a top 5 member of the Maroons men’s cross country team that dominated the ODAC through most of the 1980s, died March 22 in Roanoke. He was 60. Forbes “was engaging and outgoing,” said Richard Browder, former head coach of the Roanoke College cross country program. “For all who met him, it seemed his goal was to make you feel better and significant.” Forbes had a long career in education, employed since 2002 with Bedford County Public Schools as an English teacher, special education teacher and most recently as an assistant principal at Staunton River High School in Moneta, Virginia. He coached basketball for both the girls and boys programs. Forbes — who graduated from Roanoke with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and held master’s degrees from Old Dominion University and Radford University — also had years of success in the business world. “He was the perfect person to be a teacher and coach of young people,” Browder said. “As a student athlete at Roanoke College, he provided outstanding leadership for the cross country and track teams. His passing is tragic.”

Michelle Hebner Peterson ’79, of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away on July 9, 2020. Peterson, who loved to travel and shower loved ones with delicious food, was a lifelong Redskins fan and spent hours relaxing in her garden.

Janice Demeo Chester ’81 passed away on June 25, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia. A native of Long Island, she migrated to Richmond after attending Roanoke. She is remembered for having countless best friends, and deep and compassionate love for her husband, children, family and friends.

Cynthia E. Clark ’83, died on May 30, 2020. Clark moved to San Diego, Calif., and started a family in 1989, having two sons. Though Clark graduated from Roanoke with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, she realized that she wanted to be a teacher and went back to school, earning her teaching certificate and degree in education. She taught at the Ronald McDonald House and then taught special needs children at Kumeyaay Elementary School in San Diego.

Robert G. Kemble ’84, of Roanoke, Virginia, died on July 22, 2020. Kemble served in the National Guard, then retired after 21 years in the U.S. Navy. He was a longtime member of Connelly Memorial Baptist Church and was an ordained deacon in the Southern Baptist Church.

Archie M. Waldron ’84 passed away on March 25, 2020. Waldron spent over two decades in food service management before moving to Hahira, Georgia, where he began a new career in insurance as president of Star Insurance Agency. He spent the last few years in retirement, enjoying time on the farm and with family.

Waldron was a dedicated civic leader, serving as a board member of the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts, and as a past member of the Rotary Club of Amherst, Virginia. He was a proud member of Hahira United Methodist Church.

Thomas Munsey Robertson, Jr. ’85, of California and formerly of Salem, Virginia, passed away on Aug. 18, 2020.

After graduating from Roanoke with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Robertson joined his family business, Robertson Marketing, where he worked for 34 years and served as president. He was active in his community, as a member of the Rotary Club of Salem and as a member of the boards of the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation and the Salem YMCA. Robertson was a lifelong exercise enthusiast and enjoyed fitness activities that included running with friends in Salem and in California.

Alison Hurdle Coyne ’02, of Falls Church, Virginia, died on April 14, 2020.

After graduating from Roanoke College, Coyne earned an M.A. in elementary education, an M.A. in forensic psychology from Marymount University and an M.S. in Strategic Intelligence from National Defense Intelligence College. Coyne was a teacher in Roanoke and Fairfax County for six years before changing careers and joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Her nearly 12-year career with the FBI allowed her to serve her country and fulfill her love of travel. She traveled to more than 40 countries, learning about new cultures. RC

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alumninews ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS

From the Alumni Association president Dear fellow alumni, I wish you and your family well amid a world that is impacting and challenging each of our daily lives. We are a strong Maroons Nation, and I am excited to be an alumnus of a college that is persevering during these uncertain times. Our connectedness to one another, and to the College, is more important now than ever, and the Alumni Association will continue to fulfill our mission to provide connection and purpose for alumni.

The Alumni Executive Council (AEC) convened virtually in September for its annual meeting. College staff presented updates from the offices of the President, Admissions & Enrollment, Career Services, Multicultural Affairs, and Alumni & Family Relations. I want to take this time to share key actions taken by the AEC that support the mission of the Alumni Association.

Joe Carpenter ’99

One organizational responsibility of the AEC is to provide representation of all alumni. To fulfill this purpose, the AEC endorsed an alumni proposal to estabish a Multicultural Alumni Chapter to join the current geographically defined chapters, young alumni, at-large alumni and Honor Guard alumni representatives. Additionally, the AEC voted to support a newly formed Alumni Ambassadors Program that will train alumni to connect with interested applicants and support recruitment for the College. This partnership will complement the other ways in which alumni can support a strong enrollment such as referring potential applicants to the College and participating in the Maroon Mentors program. Lastly, the AEC offered support for the development of a Student Alumni Ambassadors program as a vehicle to strengthen the transition of students to alumni.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the AEC has partnered with the Office of Alumni & Family Relations to implement new ways of connecting with alumni. I am proud of the quick-moving response of the We are a strong Maroons Nation, AEC membership in successfully addressing four key areas:

and I am excited to be an alumnus

First, because the College could not host Alumni Weekend in April, virtual Alumni Weekend activities were held, offering a way for alumni to find connection. We all hope for an on-campus weekend in of a college that is persevering April 2021. Second, the AEC provided individualized outreach to each member of the Class of 2020 via phone calls, text messages, emails and virtual socials. These newest alumni were during these uncertain times. welcomed into the Alumni Association and provided connections for employment opportunities.

Third, the weekly live event series, NOKELive, was launched and, as I write this, 15 live events have occurred, reaching over 1,200 participants. Past and future NOKELive event links are found on the newly created Alumni Hub webpage (www.roanoke.edu/alumni/alumni_hub) and can be viewed on the new Alumni Association YouTube channel.

Finally, the AEC membership accomplished an important leadership milestone in achieving 100% participation with financial contributions to the College in the 2019-20 fiscal year. Not only did we encourage our fellow alumni to support the College financially, we joined over 1,900 other alumni in making a gift. Thank you to each alumnus and alumna who has and continues to support our alma mater in this way.

Respectfully, Joe Carpenter ’99 President, Roanoke College Alumni Association Chair, Alumni Executive Council The mission of the Alumni Association and the Alumni Executive Council (AEC) is to involve as many alumni as possible in satisfying relationships in the life of Roanoke College and to build strong connections to our community, region, and the world. Through recruitment of active participants, development of career enhancing opportunities, and encouragement of financial contribution, the AEC guides generations of alumni in support of Roanoke College with their time, hearts, and resources. To learn more about the AEC, visit roanoke.edu/alumni.

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’NokeNEWS: Multicultural Alumni Chapter Roanoke College has established a Multicultural Alumni Chapter. The new chapter is the outgrowth of an idea proposed earlier this year by several alumni who had a strong interest in creating a chapter for Roanoke graduates who identify as or who are allies of racial, ethnic and religious minorities, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community. The chapter, which has been endorsed by the Alumni Executive Council, aims to create an alumni network of advocacy and support for Roanoke College in its enhancement of diversity and inclusion initiatives, while supporting current students through their years at Roanoke and as they transition to life after graduation. If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact the Office of Alumni & Family Relations, at alumni@roanoke.edu or (540) 375-2238.

Alumni Ambassador Program Roanoke College is creating an Alumni Ambassador Program, to begin in 2021. Ambassadors will serve as College connections for prospective students in your region or career path who are interested in attending Roanoke. By sharing your story, you will play an important role in students’ decision-making process and be a partner in helping the Office of Admissions attract strong applicants. Alumni are our greatest ambassadors! If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Sally Logan Walker, Director of Alumni & Family Relations, at swalker@roanoke.edu or (540) 375-2074.

Maroon Mentor Program Join the hundreds of Roanoke College alumni who have volunteered to assist students and recent graduates in their career development by serving as Maroon Mentors. Maroon Mentors is a formal mentor/student pairing program. Students are matched with mentors whose experience and background are similar to the students’ career interests. These opportunities can lead to internships and other resume-building and professional-networking benefits for participating students. For more information, contact Jonathan Lee ’95, Director of Alumni Engagement and Student Enrichment, at jelee@roanoke.edu or (540) 375-2237.

Commencement for the Class of 2020 All alumni graduates of the Class of 2020 are invited back to campus to celebrate and participate in Commencement on May 1, 2021. To ensure that you receive all communication regarding Commencement and traditional activities leading up to the ceremony, please update your information by emailing alumni@roanoke.edu, or by logging into the Alumni Directory from www.roanoke.edu/alumni.

NOKELive Attend a NOKELive event! Visit www.roanoke.edu/alumni and check out past and future live events. Hear from alumni, faculty, staff and students on topics ranging from “Economy and Politics” to “Healthcare on the Hill;” learn about the Inside Out Prison Project and tips from the Outdoor Adventures Program; watch a film and join in the discussion; play BINGO with the College chaplain — and more. Events are being planned throughout the year.

We hope to see you!

Is there a Roanoke College Alumni Chapter in your area? Want to get involved?

• Atlanta Alumni Chapter • Baltimore Alumni Chapter • Charlotte Alumni Chapter • Charlottesville Alumni Chapter • Hampton Roads Alumni Chapter • New England Alumni Chapter

• New York Alumni Chapter • Philadelphia Alumni Chapter • Richmond Alumni Chapter • Roanoke Alumni Chapter • SWVAETN Alumni Chapter • Washington, D.C. Alumni Chapter

Learn more by visiting www.roanoke.edu/alumni.

2020 & 2021 MILESTONE REUNIONS

The following classes will celebrate reunions during Alumni Weekend, April 16-18, 2021.

Classes of 2017– 2020 Young Alumni Reunion

Classes of

Classes of

2015 AND 2016 5th Reunion

2010 AND 2011 10th Reunion

Classes of

Classes of

2005 AND 2006 15th Reunion

2000 AND 2001 20th Reunion

Classes of

Classes of

1995 AND 1996 25th Reunion

1990 AND 1991 30th Reunion

Classes of

Classes of

1985 AND 1986 35th Reunion

1980 AND 1981 40th Reunion

Classes of

Classes of

1975 AND 1976 45th Reunion

1970 AND 1971 50th Reunion

Classes of 1969 and prior Honor Guard Please visit roanoke.edu/reunions for more information.

Want to be on your reunion committee?

Contact the Office of Alumni & Family Relations at rcalumnievents@roanoke.edu.

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MAROON MUSINGS

BY MELANI E WI NE TOLAN

Tomatoes, vanity plates and other inspirations

great deal has happened, some of which will surely be written into the College’s future history.

A year packed with so many significant matters certainly wasn’t what I would have predicted at the start. I learned quickly that every issue affecting the world and nation touches Roanoke College.

On top of the global pandemic, the College has been addressing critical social justice issues, petitions, Confederate monument discussions and more — openly and fairly. Being open, fair and civil are values wholly embodied by President Mike Maxey,

“Virginians and Maroons really love their vanity plates…On campus, the promotional plates make me proud.”

O

ffice mates sharing tomatoes from their gardens, that’s not real life, is it? Before joining Roanoke College, gift sharing from the garden was something I only read about in novels. That changed after I moved with my family from New York to Salem last summer. The pile of red “home-growns” in the conference room was a beautiful sight.

In my first week on the job, I also received a signed copy of “Dear Old Roanoke,” a beautiful bound book detailing the College’s history, delivered by the author and my new neighbor, Professor Mark Miller. Since then, a 38 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2020

interactions with others: the sharing of homemade jams and breads, kind words and help for his neighbors.

Community connections are what Roanoke College is all about, and my family benefitted immediately from the kindness of my new colleagues as we became part of this community. Sally Walker, Steve Esworthy, Tommy Blair and their families warmly welcomed my daughter, Annie. I am forever grateful for the friendship they sparked by connecting their daughters with mine. These are friends she has laughed, lunched and lacrosse-ed with almost every day since we arrived. This past Christmas we had to smile when Annie and her friends dressed as elves and gave out presents at the children’s holiday party organized by Whitney Leeson and Terri Maxey at the President’s House. The College holiday party and the candlelight chapel celebration are also wonderful memories from the past year.

My husband, Matt Tolan, is now an adjunct professor at Roanoke College. He’s loving it. I make the marketing team laugh when I tell them how he is always asking me to be an active participant in his class: I drew the line at taking the midterm exam, “to see if it really could be done within two hours.” Matt has been as heartily welcomed by the College as the rest of our family. For him, every-

“A year packed with so many significant matters certainly wasn’t what I would have predicted at the start. I learned quickly that every issue affecting the world and nation touches Roanoke College.” and not a small reason why I said “Yes” to the opportunity to join his team.

These are family values that were passed down to him, as I learned when I attended the funeral of his father, Mr. Creed Maxey. During the remembrances, I heard stories describing Creed Maxey’s thoughtful

thing is about team dynamics, so if he’s not teaching, he’s coaching — and he is happily in his element as he works with his students and the men’s lacrosse team here.

The Olin Hall Galleries have been a bright spot in my life from the first exhibit opening I attended, featuring artist Rob Wynne. That night I

The children’s holiday party at the President’s House in 2019, complete with Santa’s Elves.

learned about the remarkable sculpture composed of heartbreakingly beautiful teardrops, given in memory of a dear college friend of Board members Joanne Cassullo and Pam Cabalka. The commitment of the entire Board of Trustees to give back and plan for Roanoke College’s future is motivating to watch. I am especially excited for the unfolding plans of the newly named Community, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

I am often asked, “How is Virginia different from New York?” Aside from the obvious, what first comes to mind is the beautiful trees, gorgeous sunlight — and license plates.

Virginians and Maroons really love their vanity plates. A personal favorite is “X Tr Mayo” (although it always makes me hungry for a BLT.) On campus, the promotional plates make me proud.

It’s a marketer’s dream to see “Maroons,” “Noke21,” “1842NOKE” and “GoNoke” rolling by, and I love walking our new puppy Tate (who gets a lot of attention from students)

through campus to see how many vanity plates we can find.

This spring, when we learned we would have to send students home due to the pandemic, President Maxey said, “We’re called on to rise to the occasion and meet the challenge; there aren’t many times in life when that happens.” This sounds lofty and it is lofty, but it’s the combination of the small-but-mighty, student-affirming things happening here that will make the biggest difference for the future of the College.

Our graduates will be counted among the most educated people in the world, which is also lofty. And, it’s the work of the faculty and staff in educating and encouraging students little-by-little, day-by-day that will enable Roanoke College grads to positively shape the world.

I think of this quote from Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, when I imagine students starting their journey at Roanoke College. “Never lose an opportunity of urging a practical beginning, however small, for it is

wonderful how often in such matters the mustard-seed germinates and roots itself.”

As for so many schools, an obstacle for Roanoke College is proving the value of the residential college experience. What price is the right one for connecting students with mentors and educators who are committed to helping them find their purpose and set a course to attain it? What value can be placed on being a vital part of a life-changing community?

A community is where you learn, engage, experiment, trust, grow, discover and, perhaps most importantly, connect — and the Roanoke College community cannot be rivaled. We may be more distant than usual at the moment, but we are all as committed as ever to making those critical connections with current and prospective students, families and alumni, even when doing so six feet apart.

No matter how much has changed in the world, there is much joy and hope at Roanoke College.

Our graduates go off equipped with an exceptional education, ready to change the future, and they will always be a part of our community. It inspires me to see how many give back to the College they hold dear.

Wherever you are today, I encourage you to consider growing your own connection to the College. It will enrich your life and provide opportunities to those who follow in your footsteps.

As for me, a little over one year in, I am still inspired by the connections I learn of every day. I am honored to be a part of the Roanoke College community and look forward to keeping the world informed about all of the good happening here. RC Melanie Wine Tolan is vice president, Marketing and Communications at Roanoke College — and a great fan of vanity license plates. If you have a Roanoke College vanity plate, take a photo and send it to marketing@roanoke.edu.

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relic:

noun. An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest; an artifact having interest by reason of its age or its association with the past.

“Leaves of Grass” 1855

40 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2020

A first edition (1855) of American poet Walt Whitman’s “Leaves of Grass.”

Roanoke College’s copy — a rare book that Dr. Robert Schultz, retired John P. Fishwick Professor of English, once called “possibly the most important book of American poetry yet published” — was a gift to the College from the Class of 1965.

PAYING IT

FORWARD

Mark Gobble ’87 and Nancy Layton Gobble ’87

s students at Roanoke College, Mark Gobble ’87 and Nancy Layton Gobble ’87 developed close ties with many of their professors.

But one who remained a friend was Dr. Larry Lynch, professor of business administration from 1978 to 2015. The beloved professor, who died on Oct. 24, 2020, was a mentor to the Gobbles and many others during his 37-year tenure.

A

“We feel that much of our career success stems from what Larry taught us, both in the classroom and in practical terms,” says Mark, a financial advisor and director of the Merrill Lynch Roanoke office.

Mark and Nancy created the Larry A. Lynch Endowed Student Scholarship to honor his retirement in 2015. The fund — which has been supported by other students, as well as colleagues and friends of Dr. Lynch — provides financial assistance annually to three outstanding business administration or economics majors concentrating in finance.

The Gobbles recall Dr. Lynch’s courses as being focused on experiential learning opportunities, including a study trip to Australia focused on the country’s stock market; an entrepreneurship course in which students started a flea market business; and an investment course in which students managed a portfolio with play money.

Mark and Nancy believe that alumni support is essential helping the College thrive in its mission to prepare students for success in the real world.

“We both were fortunate that our parents had the means to pay for our education, but many young people are not able to afford college,” says Nancy, who worked in human resources management. “This is a way we can give to others and help the College continue to grow in the future.”

For more information about the Larry A. Lynch Endowed Student Scholarship, please contact Stephen Esworthy ’91, Director of Development, Resource Development Office, at (540) 375-2028, or email esworthy@roanoke.edu.

Dr. Larry Lynch

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NOTE TO PARENTS: If this issue of Roanoke College Magazine is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer lives at your address, please provide a change of address to the College. Contact the Alumni Office by mail, e-mail or phone.