Fall 2013 'Southern Magazine

Southern

’

A Publication for Alumni and Friends

Fall 2013 Volume 39, Number 2

Turning the traditional classroom experience on its head

BSC tests innovative approaches to learning

BSC

Birmingham-Southern College

BSC Snapshots Hitting the book (store)—Students loaded up on supplies at the BSC Bookstore during the first week of fall term classes.

Inside’Southern ’Southern magazine / Fall 2013 / Volume 39, Number 2

BSC Departments

A Publication for Alumni and Friends

25

Features 27

2

Editor’s Note

4

Community News

7

Faculty News

10

Student News

12

Features

32

Alumni Affairs

36

Philanthropy

38

Athletics

43

ClassNotes

56

’Southern Voices

12

Welcoming the Class of 2017

20

Turning the traditional classroom experience on its head

BSC tests innovative approaches to learning 25

College kicks off Panther Partnerships Mentoring Program

27

Celebrate game day with these tailgating recipes

On the Cover Today’s college students have grown up with technology. They’ve never known a world without computers, cellphones, and other wireless electronics. To keep up with this computer-savvy generation, Birmingham-Southern has broken new ground and delved into new technology trends to provide greater student engagement and classroom learning. Read more about the college’s technology advancements, including the new Olin 205 classroom pictured on the cover, on page 20. fall 2013

Gen. Charles C. Krulak, President Dr. Wayne Killion Jr. ’72, Chair, Board of Trustees

Editor’s Note Looking forward There have been some really interesting conversations going on here on campus lately.

Much of the talk revolves around how we can use the latest technology to make Birmingham-Southern better and involves faculty, staff, and administrators at the highest levels looking at how we can stay ahead of our peers. That ranges from our newly-redesigned home page on the web to a brand-new high-tech classroom (see more on page 20).

Some of the dialogue digs into what makes BSC special as we dive into the college’s new Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, which focuses on engaged learning. Along with that comes a renewed focus on experiential education and a promise that all Birmingham-Southern students will have opportunities to apply what they learn in the classroom through internships, research, travel, and service.

In a third category comes the college’s ongoing strategic planning process, which is asking the question “Who do we want to be?” As we map out where BSC should be a decade from now, know that alumni input matters! You can follow along with the process or volunteer to take part at www.bsc.edu/stratplan.

But for me, perhaps the most exciting moment of conversation came when I watched about 20 BSC professors gather over the summer to learn about the newest learning technology—and they ended up spending hours joyfully sharing their best teaching tactics, even though they came from all different disciplines.

What that told me is that the old adage is still true: The more things change, the more things stay the same. Even as we step forward into a brave new future for BSC, the things that matter most haven’t altered: fine teachers who care deeply for their students; great young people living and learning together; staff providing support and energy; and all of it happening right here on the Hilltop.

Come see for yourself! We’re in the full throes of plans for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, Nov. 1-2. Or stop by anytime to take a tour of some of the new and re-visit the old. Until we see you…

Forward, Ever!

Hannah Wolfson Director of Communications

Are you missing e-mails from BSC?

In an effort to better serve our subscribers and protect your privacy, Birmingham-Southern adopted a new policy in July for the college’s e-mail subscriptions. Anyone who has not opened an email from BSC in six months will be unsubscribed from future mailings. If you find that you are not getting BSC emails and would like to re-subscribe, please contact Mike Hamilton at mhamilto@bsc.edu.

’Southern magazine is published by the Office of Alumni Affairs and the Office of Communications at Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Alabama 35254.

Non-profit postage paid at B’ham., AL Permit No. 2575. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Alumni Affairs, Birmingham-Southern College, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254; telephone 205/226-4912; or access at www.bsc.edu/alumni. ©2013 Birmingham-Southern College.

Editorial Offices: 10 Stockham Building 900 Arkadelphia Road Box 549004 Birmingham, AL 35254 Phone: 205/226-4922 Fax: 205/226-4931 E-mail: hwolfson@bsc.edu Executive Editor: Hannah Wolfson,

Director of

Communications Managing Editor:

Pat Cole, MPPM ’11 Communications Specialist

Art Director: Tracy Thomas ’92, Director of Visual Identity and Publications Contributing Writers: Pat Cole MPPM ’11, Communications Specialist Sarah Erreca, Director of Sports Information Lisa Harrison MPPM ’85, Director of Alumni Affairs Dr. Duane Pontius ’81, Morris T. Hackney Professor of Physics Erica Crump Sellers ’05 Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs Hannah Wolfson, Director of Communications Photography: Wynter Byrd Thomas Coiner John Consoli Cari Dean Melinda Mercer Jimmy Mitchell Hunter Nichols Frank Poulin Howie Rowling Vianca Williams ’15 Archived Photos Submitted Photos www.bsc.edu

BI RM I NGHA M- S O UTHERN COLLEGE

homecoming/reunion November 1-2, 2013

Extra special weekend Graduates from across the country are planning to come “home” to the Birmingham-Southern campus Nov. 1-2 for Alumni Reunion/Homecoming 2013.

This year, classes ending in “3” and “8” will be celebrated. There will be so many exciting events and activities, including a reception with the president, campus tours, class parties, and a tailgate contest. The football game vs. Rhodes College kicks off Saturday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. at Panther Stadium. There will also be parties for each of the college’s honor classes, including the 50th reunion Class of 1963.

Other highlights include: Nov. 1

Nov. 1

Nov. 2

Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon This annual awards luncheon is the kickoff for this special weekend. All alumni are invited to bring a guest to hear remarks from our Distinguished Alumni and Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipients.

The Hilltop Singers will entertain. All classes celebrating 50+ years since graduation will be specially honored, and the 50th reunion class will be seated together and recognized.

Attire: Coat and Tie | Noon, Bruno Great Hall, Norton Campus Center, 3rd Floor “Onward & Upward” BSC President Gen. Charles C. Krulak will talk about the college’s successes, challenges, and goals as we move ever forward.

2 p.m., Norton Theatre, Norton Campus Center, 2nd Floor BSC Alumni BBQ For alumni not celebrating a reunion this year, come by the Alumni BBQ to avoid lines at the concession stand.

11 a.m., outside the tennis and softball complexes All tailgating will be catered by Full Moon Barbecue.

Honor Class Parties Classes celebrating reunions will host events at venues across Birmingham.

Hope to see you at your BSC alumni reunion in November!

Register quickly and easily at www.alumni.bsc.edu/homecoming2013.

BSC

COMMUNITY NEWS

Stultz in forefront

Award-winning teaching—Nearly 300 students graduated May 18 at BSC’s 154th Commencement. At the ceremony, Provost Dr. Mark Schantz named Chemistry Professor Dr. Laura Stultz Professor of the Year. Stultz will be the Commencement speaker in 2014. Schantz praised Stultz, who has been at BSC since 1997, for her stellar teaching, service on almost every college committee, commitment to interdisciplinary research, and her “levelheadedness and keen intelligence.” The college also conveyed an honorary doctor of letters to Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith, who recently served as BSC’s chief of staff.

BSC again included in annual Fiske Guide to Colleges Birmingham-Southern is among the 300-plus colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain highlighted in the 2014 Fiske Guide to Colleges released this summer.

Compiled by former New York Times education editor Edward B. Fiske, the Fiske Guide examines a broad range of subjects such as academic climate, social life, campus setting, financial aid, and extracurricular activities. The book is now in its 30th year of issuing annual evaluations of colleges and universities. It is available in bookstores and online.

4 / ’southern

COMMUNITY NEWS

Battle

Boatright

Gray

Selman

Four named to Birmingham-Southern Board of Trustees Birmingham-Southern College has selected four members for its Board of Trustees.

The new BSC trustees are Brooke Tanner Battle ’96, founder of SMART Party LLC; Shane Boatright, president and CEO of Boatright Companies Inc.; Dr. Samuel E. Gray ’82, obstetrician and gynecologist at Alabama Women’s Specialists; and Scott Selman, chief financial officer of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The selections were approved in June at the annual meetings of the North Alabama and AlabamaWest Florida Conferences of the UMC.

BSC partnering with Project SEARCH to improve employment outcomes for the disabled Along with incoming BSC students, there are a few more new faces on campus this fall. This semester, Birmingham-Southern began providing on-the-job training and work experience to young adults with intellectual and physical disabilities through Project SEARCH, a collaborative effort between the college, United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Birmingham, Birmingham City Schools, and Alabama Vocational Rehab.

The one-year transition program teaches participants (called interns) workplace skills that can lead to employment within the community. The interns are working Monday through Friday in multiple departments across campus, practicing repetitive and systematic job skills while learning to communicate effectively with members of the BSC community.

“Many new graduates often say ‘I want to get a job, but I don’t have the required experience,’ and it is difficult to find an employer willing to provide on-the-job training,” said Angela Harrill, associate director of human resources at Birmingham-Southern. “We’re thrilled to offer this service.”

There are 10 interns assigned to BSC’s Project SEARCH class of 2013. They are students who, because of their special needs, may remain in the K-12 school system up to age 21.

The interns have a Project SEARCH teacher and job coach to support their training. They also get continual feedback and end their day by reflection, problem-solving, and journaling what they’ve learned. A formal graduation ceremony will be held for the interns in May. Project SEARCH was formed in 1996 by Nurse J. Erin Riehle, then the director of the Emergency Department at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. This is the organization’s first step in the development of a pilot program to provide “on-campus classrooms.” BSC is the first college or university in Alabama to partner with Project SEARCH in this effort. fall 2013 / 5

2013-14

visual &

performing arts upcoming events

BSC Fine Arts Society enters its 33rd year with exciting productions of plays, musical performances, and art

We look forward to seeing you!

Whether you want to take in a theatre or musical performance, check out an art exhibit, connect with alumni, or keep up with today’s critical issues—BSC has an event for you. Explore the college’s upcoming events at www.bsc.edu and discover how much we have to offer.

Web connect: To view the 2013-14 Visual and Performing Arts brochure, visit:

www.bsc.edu/academics/fas/calendar

BSC

Birmingham-Southern College

FACULTY NEWS

Cole in his studio with his dog, Twombly.

Cole confronts prevalence of intolerance through “Hate Project” art installation Just what does “hate” mean? How does it spread?

How can intolerance be stopped?

Those questions and more were raised by “The Hate Project,” an art exhibition by BSC Art and Art History Professor Steve Cole that debuted at Birmingham-Southern’s Durbin Gallery Sept.

6-26. Timed to launch the same month as the 50th anniversary of the racist bombing at Birmingham’s 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four girls, the installation depicted the prevalence of intolerance and hate nationwide.

The installation mapped the 1,000-plus hate groups currently active in the United States as identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, White Nationalists, Christian Identity, Neo-Nazis, AntiGay, Racist Skinheads, and more were represented by 10-inch cast figurines arranged state-by-state on a 42-foot gallery floor.

The project was supported by a grant from the Associated Colleges of the South. As well as

opening a community-wide dialogue about hate, it was designed to give BSC students an opportunity to help craft the piece and to get hands-on experience planning an exhibition, from organizing the gallery space to dealing with storing and shipping the work when it travels to other locations later in the year.

“The Hate Project” was part of “Forward, Ever Birmingham!,” BSC’s commemoration of Birmingham’s pivotal role in the movement for and toward global human rights.

As part of the commemoration, best-selling author Sena Jeter Naslund ’64 visited campus in September for a “Four Spirits: Presentation, Reading, and Book Signing.” Naslund’s novel, Four Spirits, is set in civil rights-era Birmingham and takes its title from the Sept. 15, 1963, bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church.

On Nov. 2, a ceremony will be held to honor Ulysses “Skip” Bennett ’67, the first black student to matriculate at BSC, during halftime of the Homecoming football game at Panther Stadium.

fall 2013 / 7

FACULTY NEWS

New faculty, tenure and promotions announced for 2013-14 Birmingham-Southern faculty recently awarded tenure and/or promotion, along with new faculty and staff, were recognized at the college’s 2013 welcome event in August.

• Promoted to full professor: Dr. Scott Dorman (chemistry) and Dr. Duane Pontius ’81 (physics) • Promoted to associate professor with tenure: Dr. Amy Cottrill (religion), Dr. Mark Rupright (physics), and Dr. Kelly Russell (education)

New faculty (left photo, l to r): Tyler Dart, Dr. Joseph Chandler ’03, Dr. Greta Valenti, Dr. Chunbei Wang, and Dr. Will Hustwit. (Right photo, l to r): Dr. Leon Couch, Dr. George Klersey, and Dr. Peter Van Zandt.

The new faculty members are: Dr. Joseph Chandler ‘03, Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Leon Couch, Assistant Professor of Music Tyler Dart, Instructor of Physics Dr. William Hustwit, Assistant Professor of History

Dr. George Klersey, Associate Professor of Accounting Dr. Greta Valenti, Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Peter Van Zandt, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Chunbei Wang, Assistant Professor of Economics

Duncan’s first book explores Alabama’s biological diversity

A forthcoming book by BSC Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Scot Duncan has received a grant from the Nature Conservancy to help defray publication costs.

The Nature Conservancy has donated $20,000 to the University of Alabama Press to help support the printing of Duncan’s book, titled Southern Wonder: Alabama’s Surprising Biodiversity. The book is due for release in November.

The book takes readers on a journey through the ecosystems of the state that ranks fifth in the nation for biodiversity. With insightful prose and 132 beautiful color illustrations, Southern Wonder ranges from the coastal dunes of the Gulf of Mexico to the Tennessee River Valley; interweaves ecology, meteorology, evolution, and geology; and introduces unique species found only in Alabama, including the beach mouse.

Duncan’s book has already been hailed by Pulitzer Prize-winning author and naturalist Photo courtesy of Hunter Edward O. Wilson as “one of the most important books ever written about Alabama . . . a Nichols call to Alabama’s people to treasure and protect the state’s living heritage.” It is the featured book in the University of Alabama Press’ upcoming catalogue, and the Nature Conservancy’s support shows that the book is important in the preservation of the state’s natural beauty.

8 / ’southern

FACULTY NEWS

Styers receives grant, buys specialized microscope equipment BSC Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Melanie Styers ’99 has been awarded a prestigious grant from the National Science Foundation that will give Birmingham-Southern students hands-on lab experience.

The $164,250 grant runs three years, but it will benefit BSC for far longer, because Styers was able to use it to purchase a high-tech confocal fluorescence microscope—a piece of equipment few undergraduates ever get to use.

“This is a great opportunity,” Styers said. “Not only will we be able to use it in our lab and in biology courses, but other faculty members are discovering ways they can apply it to their research.”

With four lasers and the ability to create 3D images, confocal microscopes cost as much as $300,000. But Styers found a gently used one that didn’t sell in an Atlanta auction, and the firm agreed to sell it for the reserve price of just $20,000.

The grant covered the microscope, but Styers still had to get the massive and delicate piece of equipment home. She hired a specialty firm from Philadelphia at a hefty cost. To her own money, she added a generous donation from her parents, David and Kathy Styers of Decatur. (Styers’ sister is Hartselle physician Dr. Sarah Styers ’03.)

The microscope and other equipment purchased by the grant will help Styers’ research into membrane trafficking, which she describes as “the cellular postal system.” Her work focuses on understanding how pathways in cells are co-opted by viruses for their own replication.

Harrison receives 2013 faculty development award Dr. Mary Harrison, assistant professor of marketing at Birmingham-Southern, has been named this year’s recipient of the Bob Whetstone Faculty Development Award, given by the Provost’s Office. The announcement was made at the opening-ofschool faculty and staff assembly in August.

Named for the professor emeritus, college alumnus, and former longtime chair of the education division at BSC, the annual award goes to a non-tenured faculty member for excellence in teaching.

Harrison (center) with Dr. Bob Whetstone ‘55 and his The cash component of the award is for professional development wife, Janelle. and travel.

In addition to teaching marketing, Harrison has presented her research in services and retailing at numerous national and international conferences. Her work can be found in the Journal of Service Research, the Journal of Business Research, and the Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice.

“I am honored to receive this award,” said Harrison. “Birmingham-Southern has amazing students who make teaching a rewarding experience.”

Harrison joined the Birmingham-Southern faculty in 2011. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College and her MBA and Ph.D. from the University of Alabama.

Read more about the award on page 36.

fall 2013 / 9

STUDENT NEWS

The 2013 Hess Fellows are (front row, from left): Chandler Grace Terry, Katie Green, Hope Lloyd, Joe Moultrie, Samantha Bisese, and Liz Wallace; second row (from left): Hess Center Director Kent Andersen, Peter Raffanti, Catie Gilliland, Susan Tuberville, and Eman Abboud; (back row, from left): Will Fagan, Jenny Lewis, Joe Stanford, and Leadership Studies Coordinator James Randolph ’10. Not pictured are Taylor Bain, who studied abroad in Japan for a year, and Jennie Phillips, Bunting/Hess Center assistant.

Eighth annual class of Hess Fellows pairs hands-on community engagement with advocacy The Hess Center for Leadership and Service at Birmingham-Southern introduced its 2013 class of Hess Fellows, who are dedicating an academic year to exploring advocacy for social justice in a three-phased training and internship program.

The 14 BSC students spent eight weeks this summer working as fulltime staff members at leading advocacy organizations in Birmingham, Montgomery, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C. Their internship projects were as varied

10 / ’southern

as the agencies—from coordinating lobbying events on Capitol Hill and building a retail development plan for downtown Birmingham to launching statewide communication programs on affordable housing and developing publications to help educate immigrant youth on ways to become involved in the community.

In addition to the summer advocacy internships, the Hess Fellows participated in pre-internship seminars in the spring. During the 2013-14 academic year, the fellows will share

their experiences with the campus community.

Hess Fellowships are supported by the Dixon Foundation, Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation, Ronne and Donald Hess, the Independent Presbyterian Church Foundation, and several private donors.

Web connect: Read more about the Hess Fellows’ summer experiences here: www.bsc.edu/communications/ news/2013/20130617-hess.cfm

STUDENT NEWS

Recent BSC graduate wins Fulbright teaching assistantship to Taiwan

Rucker

Birmingham-Southern’s longstanding success in earning Fulbright scholarships carried into 2013, when senior Daniel Rucker received the nation’s flagship international education award.

Rucker is using her award to spend 10 months assisting English teachers of a non-native English background in Yilan, Taiwan. She is spending at least 30 hours per week in the classroom teaching and organizing languagerelated activities.

Her interest in Taiwan grew from her study-abroad experience her sophomore year at Hong Kong Baptist University.

“I feel so fortunate to have received this amazing opportunity to teach abroad,” said Rucker, a native of Nashville, Tenn., who graduated from BSC in May with a degree in economics. “I’m also excited to be immersed in the Taiwanese culture while exposing their students to a bit of American culture.”

Once she returns from Taiwan, Rucker plans to pursue a graduate degree.

“Teaching is not my first passion,” she said. “But who knows? After my year in Taiwan, that could all change.”

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the highly selective, merit-based Fulbright scholarship provides funds to seniors and graduate students who plan to conduct research, teach, or exercise other talents abroad.

Some 5,000 applicants competed for this year’s awards.

Memphis student wins college’s top scholarship Andrea Vancil was heavily involved in student activities and academic life while at White Station High School in Memphis. Now that work has paid off: Vancil was selected earlier this year for Birmingham-Southern’s highest award to incoming freshmen, the Rushton Scholarship.

The award, now in its sixth year as BSC’s preeminent scholarship, honors Col. William James Rushton, a Birmingham insurance executive, and his wife, Elizabeth Perry Rushton.

Rushton Scholars receive full tuition and room and board each year, plus a $2,000 annual stipend to be used for summer travel, internships, study abroad programs, or special Vancil projects. Vancil was chosen by a selection committee from national candidates based on her exemplary record of leadership and service.

In high school, Vancil was president of the National Honor Society, pianist and saxophonist for the Jazz Band, founder of the school’s Humane Society, varsity cheerleader, and a Drum Corps International color guard member. She also served as an elementary school chess coach for her community and volunteered for library summer reading programs.

The daughter of Mark and Lori Vancil, she graduated with a weighted GPA of 4.6. Andrea Vancil is the great-niece of Edna Marie Wakefield ’64. Her grandmother, Ella Frances Wakefield, also attended BSC.

AAICU awards UPS scholarship to Birmingham-Southern senior LaTonya Owen, a senior at Birmingham-Southern, recently received a $2,400 UPS scholarship provided through the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (AAICU).

Owen is a psychology major and a member of the Psychology Club, Psi Chi international honor society in psychology, and the Omicron Delta Kappa leadership honor society. She is the daughter of Gloria and Michael Owen of Birmingham and the sister of Reginald Owen ’02.

The AAICU is a statewide association for private colleges and universities that is affiliated with the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). At the national level, the CIC teams up with the UPS Foundation to distribute funding of the UPS scholarship. This year, the CIC awarded nearly $1.5 million in scholarships from its UPS Educational Endowment Fund to private institutions of higher learning across the nation.

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of students’ academic achievement and financial need.

Owen fall 2013 / 11

Welcoming the Class of 2017

Newest students arrive on the Hilltop by

pat cole

This fall, the newborns of 1995 turned into the Class of 2017. A remarkable 383 new students and transfers began their college careers at BSC—representing an almost 10 percent increase in incoming students from the previous fall.

The students come from 234 high schools, 26 states, and six countries with an average grade-point average of 3.5. And they are all here to experience the extraordinary education offered at BSC.

“We are so very excited about the new students we are welcoming to our BSC family this year,” said Sheri Scholl Salmon ’85, associate vice president of admission. “The fun part though is watching them grow from move-in day to graduation. BSC will truly change their lives.”

Following a whirlwind four days of orientation activities in August, the new students are getting used to their surroundings and calling the Hilltop home. Here are some tidbits about the new students and a few scenes from their arrival.

Seeing double—The

Class of 2017 includes identical twins Amanda and Emily Ballew from Hoover and Ashley and Tiffany Leonard from Chepachet, R.I. Both the Leonard twins and Amanda play on the BSC softball team.

Tiffany and Ashley Leonard 12 / ’southern

Ready to begin—Move-in Day for

new students was celebrated Aug. 24.

The students spent the morning moving into their residence halls with help from returning BSC students, staff, faculty, and administrators and attended an Opening of School Convocation with their parents that afternoon. The college’s signature color was in full bloom, from the yellow T-shirts on athletes unloading cars to the water bottles handed out by BSC’s welcoming Orientation team members.

FEATURES

Engage: Service in the City—More than 350 first-year BSC students ventured out into the community on the last day of Fall Orientation to volunteer at 24 sites throughout the Birmingham area, including Turkey Creek Nature Preserve, the Exceptional Foundation, homeless shelters, and food pantries. Service is integrally tied to the mission and ethos of Birmingham-Southern and provides a powerful way to introduce new students to their new city—Birmingham.

One group of new students (right) relocated plants to different areas at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to prepare for a plant sale.

Senior Jenny Lewis was the group’s orientation leader.

Another group (above) visited the Ronald McDonald House, where they cleaned the playground and common room spaces, packaged baked goods, and counted and organized pop tabs. Senior Christie Connolly was the group’s orientation leader.

New students gather in front of the Edwards Bell Tower.

The New Student Convocation kicked things off with students and their families hearing from BSC President Gen. Charles C. Krulak, Provost Mark S. Schantz, Associate Vice President of Admission Sheri Scholl Salmon ’85, and SGA President Raul Gonzalez, among others. The new students proved to be quick studies at BSC traditions, belting out the college’s alma mater during the ceremony.

fall 2013 / 13

Here’s a look at the

By the

up 5% from last year

356 27 new students

transfers

1,931 applications

BSC

22%

56% 44% males

FEmales

identify

as Asian American, Hispanic, African American, Pacific Islander, Native American, or multiracial

BSC’s first-year students entered with a variety of noteworthy experiences. They are talented, very accomplished academically and athletically, and are givers to their communities.

For example, Daisa Baker of New York City went to school on Wall Street. Tracey Vu of Norcross, Ga., has a love (and talent) for solving the Rubik’s Cube and has won competitions for solving the cube in 30 seconds.

Connor Hayes of Nashville is in a band with his whole 14 / ’southern

family and plays the electric guitar; he also just finished writing his first novel. Clayton Crawford of Birmingham wrote, directed, and starred in his own one-man play.

Lukas Isenhart of Goshen, Ky., and Mary Lovelady of Birmingham each have eight siblings. Turner Collins of Birmingham started a morphsuit team (the full-body spandex costumes popular among hard-core sports fans), while Emily Fleisig of Birmingham is in the Guinness Book of World Records for participating in the highest

new first-year students

3.5

Numbers

average high school GPA (unweighted)

1

%

are international (representing six countries)

50

are ranked in the top 10% of their high school class

50% are participating in intercollegiate athletics

26 states represented (51% from Alabama)

number of pianos to be played simultaneously. Noah Rowe of Newnan, Ga., has a second-degree black belt and is a champion martial arts instructor. And Jada Cato of Ellenwood, Ga., sang the national anthem at an Atlanta Braves game and also performed at the Georgia Governor’s Mansion and in New York.

Also within this group are valedictorians; National Merit finalists and Achievement finalists; award-winning participants in music, theatre and dance; champion

public speakers; varsity athletes; SGA presidents; Eagle Scouts and Girl Scout Gold recipients; winners of numerous civic and community public service awards; and those who have provided military service in this country and abroad.

fall 2013 / 15

FEATURES

Objects of Affection

As they begin their college journey, freshmen bring with them a bit of home by

pat cole College freshmen go through a range of emotions once they’ve left home. Many are a little nervous, but mostly excited, as they build their feelings of confidence and independence.

These new students often bring keepsakes or souvenirs with them to remind them of fond memories and the

people they’ve shared most of their life with. The objects vary, and each has a story of its own. They lend a bit of familiarity to the students’ new surroundings as they begin their lives at Birmingham-Southern.

Here are a few freshmen who have brought at least one thing they just couldn’t leave behind:

Meredith Browning

Hometown: Mobile Major: Undecided, leaning toward English Object: T-shirt blanket “My T-shirt blanket was a high school graduation present from my parents and was made by a family friend. I love it because it represents my life and memories in my hometown of Mobile.”

Jonas Heidrich Hometown: Nordhausen, Germany Major: Undecided Object: Guardian angel

“The guardian angel is from my mom, and ever since my birth, it has hung over a picture of me at home. On the last night before I left for college, my mom gave it to me. She told me that I must hang the angel over my bed and he will protect me, even though I am far away from home.”

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FEATURES

President’s Reflections, by Gen. Charles C. Krulak In my short time at BirminghamSouthern, Move-in Day has already become one of my favorite days of the year.

Each fall, it brings me joy to watch the newest crop of students start their lives on the Hilltop. I love seeing their nervousness and excitement—and the same emotions reflected in their parents’ eyes. I love the hugs and energy our staff, faculty, and students greet them with, helping chase the jitters away. There is so much packed into that first few hours: meeting roommates, finding their way around campus, learning about their classmates at Convocation, and, finally, saying goodbye to their families as they turn to focus on their future at BSC. The students know they’re in for the adventure of their lives.

What they don’t know—what makes me smile most—is how much their BSC experience will change them. Sure, they

expect to learn and grow and end up ready to face whatever challenges life throws at them. They’ve already chosen to come to a place that promises them a real education rather than simple training in a subject. Training is preparation for the expected, while education is preparation for the unexpected, and they value that distinction.

What they may not realize is how much they’ll learn, not just in their classrooms and from their incredible professors, but also on the playing fields, backstage at the theatre or recital, at lunch in the Caf, or in a late-night dorm-room heart-toheart. They’ll learn from their classmates’ diverse backgrounds; they’ll learn while traveling abroad or working in the inner-city during Exploration Term; and they’ll learn from the professionals who volunteer to be their mentors or give them internships that will guide them on their path.

Gen. Krulak welcomes new students and parents personally on Move-in Day. That combination of experiences— building on the true character I see in all our students—is something that they can’t get just anywhere. They don’t know that yet. But by the time they graduate four years from now, they will. And I can’t wait.

As you see it—First-year students took part in a fun contest to tap into their photographic genius and become familiar with the campus. Orientation groups were sent out to find objects in the landscape and architecture of their new home that spelled out B-S-C. The best version got a framed copy of their photographic finds. The winner of the contest was Team Black, led by sophomore Sarah Dolmovich.

fall 2013 / 17

FEATURES

Jameice Holmes

Hometown:

Nashville, Tenn.

Major: Biology Object: Hamburger pillow “I got this pillow for my birthday from one of my good friends back home.

I couldn’t bear to leave it behind because it’s super comfy, and it’s also the perfect pillow for me because I love food and SpongeBob!”

Alexandra Skene

Hometown:

Littleton, Colo.

Major: Business Object: State flag “The Colorado flag was given to me as a high school graduation gift. I wanted to bring it to college with me to represent my home state.”

Holly Jones

Hometown: Lenoir City, Tenn.

Major: Undecided Object: Teddy bear “My dad gave the teddy bear to my mom when they lived in Germany during his service in the U.S. Army.

My mom had named it Edwin.

When I was very young, I found the bear, asked if I could keep it, and gave him a new name: Bobby.

Ever since then, Bobby has gone everywhere with me. I couldn’t imagine going through this new experience without him.”

Eric Cassimere

Hometown: New Orleans Major: Sociology and economics double major

Object: Wooden plaque with colored

blocks of inspirational words “My freshman English teacher in high school was giving out old class items that she didn’t need anymore, and I decided to take the plaque because it looked pretty neat. She really made an impression on me that year. That was a good enough reason for me not to part with it when I moved to Birmingham.”

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Alma matters

Twenty-five legacies join Hilltop family as new students Birmingham-Southern is proud that each year a considerable number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of alumni are found among the new students who’ve enrolled on the Hilltop.

At New Student Move-in-Day in August, the Alumni Office left goodie baskets in the dorm rooms for all incoming children and grandchildren of BSC alums.

New students this year fulfilling a family legacy are: Meagan Bailey of Huntsville, daughter of Philip Bailey ’89; Scott Barton of Albertville, son of Dr. Jeffrey Barton ’84; Savannah Bullard of Montgomery, daughter of Dr. Roy Bullard ’83; Peyton Clark of Brookhaven, Miss., son of Dr. Jeff Clark ’85; Harper DeWine of Mountain Brook, daughter of Lane Jackson DeWine ’86; Christopher Groark of Huntsville, son of Sean Groark ’85; Douglass Hubbard of Mountain Brook, grandson of Trent Douglass Caddis ’71 and great-grandson of Florence Nicholson Douglass ’34; Hannah Hudson of Hoover, granddaughter of Dr. C. Nolen Hudson ’60; Tillman Hurst of Decatur, the son of Vernon Hurst ’88; Alex Makarenko of Suwanee, Ga., the son of Nik Makarenko ’86; Briana Mann of Kansas City, Mo., granddaughter of Rev. Sam Mann III ’62 and

Dr. Beverlye Brown Mann ’64; Lauren Moran of Huntsville, daughter of Dr. Ellen O’Kelley Moran ’84 and Dr. Stephan Moran ’83; Bailey Phillips of Columbus, Miss., son of Susan Dillard Phillips ’84 and David Phillips ’84; Elizabeth “Elise” Pittman of Vestavia Hills, granddaughter of Priss Baughman Pittman ’85; Amanda Pullen of Huntsville, daughter of Mark Pullen ’86 and Sherry Green Pullen ’90; Rebecca Rhea of Gadsden, granddaughter of Marie Cannon Rhea ’49; Morgan Schneider of Hoover, son of Renee Yeilding Schneider ’86 and David Schneider ’85; Bradford Smith of Franklin, Tenn., great-grandson of Neil Hanson ’36, Charis Smith of Mountain Brook, granddaughter of Dr. William M. Harris Jr. ’38 and Mary Richardson Harris ’44; India “Alex” Somers of Tuscumbia, step-daughter of Wayne Melvin ’75; Hope Strawn of Gadsden, daughter of Lisa Pate Strawn ’81; Mary-Stewart Wachter of Auburn, daughter of Sonya Thomas Wachter ‘86 and Chad Wachter ’87; Wesley Walker of Homewood, son of Catherine Gunn Walker ’89 and Clete Walker ’90 and grandson of Elizabeth Scruggs Gunn ’60 and Rev. William Gunn ’59; Laine Whitaker of Helena, great-granddaughter of Harris Saunders Jr. ’43; and Anna Whitehead of Decatur, Ga., daughter of Robin Whitehead ’80.

Meagan Hamilton

Hometown: Decatur Major: Business Object: Basketball collection

“Basketball is my life, and I felt like if I left my collection at home, I would be missing a huge part of me. I wanted to remember all the good times and accomplishments of my high school basketball career as I start out with the Panthers.”

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FEATURES

The 21st century classroom

BSC transforms teaching

and learning with innovative uses of technology by

hannah wolfson

BSC Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Genell Lewis-Ferrell shares a digital presentation to her Social Studies Methods class on the new InFocus Mondopad (giant tablet computer), taking pre-service teachers on a virtual field trip to the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

S

omething weird is happening in Associate Professor Dr. Heather Meggers-Wright’s psychology class at BSC. You could say it’s been turned upside-down.

The same thing is going on in biology and physics and education; in fact, it’s spreading to classes all over campus as Birmingham-Southern faculty find new ways to employ the latest high-tech pedagogical technique, called “flipping the classroom.”

Sounds crazy, but flipping really just means that students first experience

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new material on their own—often through online video presentations— then spend class time in a guided exploration of the material via group discussion or problem-solving. That’s a change from how many (but not all) professors have traditionally taught: introducing the students to new concepts in class, then sending them off to practice with the ideas on their own through homework.

“It’s about putting the content outside the classroom so students come prepared to do in the class,”

said Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Melanie Styers ‘99. “It’s almost the opposite of what we do in the sciences traditionally, where we talk at them for an hour, then send them home to work with the materials.”

This summer, Styers organized a discussion session for faculty on classroom flipping. About 20 professors from across disciplines— including math, psychology, education, and theatre—attended to share ideas and talk about what has worked for them. Much of the discussion centered

FEATURES

An example of Dr. Meggers-Wright’s class material on YouTube.

on using new technology, especially online video streaming, to present the out-of-class materials. That’s not a requirement for flipped classrooms, but it is a hallmark. It’s also a way to reach young students in a medium they’re comfortable with.

Meggers-Wright, for example, prepared short YouTube videos on basics for her students—how to conduct a reliability test or create a conference poster, for example—so they could spend valuable minutes in class doing deeper work. Each

of her presentations looks like a PowerPoint presentation, with slides, with Meggers-Wright down in the corner talking directly to students and walking them through the 10-minute mini-lessons. Although it took some effort on her part up front, she said, it helped the actual course run much more smoothly.

“It ended up being a very, very useful use of time,” she said. “It cut down on me having to run from group to group and remind them of things. Instead, we had a higher level of discussion.”

Many of the students liked it, too, saying they appreciated being able to rewind their professor if they misunderstood something and take notes at their own pace.

“I would suggest this be a continued practice. It also allowed for me to learn the material on my own time,” one wrote in the class evaluations. “It was convenient to be able to pull up the video as necessary, and not to have to wait for help,” another said.

Studies at other schools have also shown positive results from classroom

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The Mondopad allows Lewis-Ferrell to shift seamlessly from Microsoft’s PowerPoint to the Internet for a visual field trip. flipping. In a large-enrollment physics class at Vanderbilt University, a flipped group had increased student

engagement and better scores on a multiple choice test than a control group. At San Jose State University, a

flipped engineering section had higher mid-term exam scores than traditional sections, even though the flipped class took a harder test.

Data like that is just one part of why the flipped classroom trend is here to stay. The practice grew out of K-12 classrooms, where teachers are under increasing pressure to reach students with a wide range of abilities in a limited time.

“As more and more students grow up with flipped classrooms, they’re going to expect the same when they get to college,” said BSC Associate Professor of Education Dr. Louanne Jacobs.

“They’re used to experiencing education this way. We have such great teachers here already. This is just about quality teaching.”

Humanities graduates may be scratching their heads, as many

What’s a MOOC?

A MOOC, not a moose…

If you’ve been anywhere near a college campus lately, you’ve probably heard a conversation about MOOCs, the shorthand for “massive open online courses.” It’s maybe the hottest trend in higher ed, with institutions from MIT to the Museum of Modern Art offering these large, free, online courses, usually not for credit. Many are offered through companies, such as Coursera and Udacity, that organize the infrastructure for the faculty who teach them.

Part of the goal of MOOCs is to share the information that often gets locked up in the towers of academe with the rest of the world. Because they’re free and entirely online, a broad range of people can access the classes, even if they

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FEATURES

disciplines have long been structured this way; after all, you can’t discuss a novel in English class without reading it first.

But for the natural and social sciences, class time is often used to break down difficult new ideas or review concepts.

And even those in the humanities are also finding applications, such as explaining good persuasive writing techniques or defining historical terms via video.

To make this wave of the future readily accessible, BSC has set up a battery of equipment for faculty members to try out this year. At the college library, they can check out two

Wacom tablets that can be used like a whiteboard, or a laptop with a built-in webcam and special software called Camtasia that allows for easy recording alongside videos and also enables faculty to embed quizzes in their online materials. The IT department has also bought 10 Camtasia licenses to enable faculty to install it on their own computers, and would eventually like to expand that to every professor on campus.

“That said, there are other ways to incorporate the ideas behind a flipped classroom,” said Jan Pontia, instructional technologist at BSC. “There’s so much more than just video.

If you’re just creating video, that’s not flipping a classroom. It’s getting them to engage so you can take it to deeper levels in the classroom.”

don’t have the financial resources or time to go back to college.

Even more, many MOOCs are about creating a new community of learners. Some professors require their students, who may be from far-flung corners of the world, to team up out of class to work on projects, usually via email, online video chat, or social media.

Will BSC offer a MOOC? Most likely. Faculty and administrators are working now to research the best way MOOCs can work for our college. With Olin 205 ready to use this fall (see page 24), BSC professors have the technology to teach online at their fingertips.

Education students listen to an interview by a museum conservator as part of the Smithsonian virtual field trip.

POLL: Would you take a BSC MOOC? Scan the code with your smart phone or other device to take our online poll. Or go to www.bsc.edu/features/mooc.

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The Mondopad easily converts to a whiteboard for note-taking during class discussions.

Trading chalk for circuits—BSC’s bold new classroom Welcome to the classroom of the future: Olin 205.

Forget whiteboards—much less chalkboards—or overhead projectors. The new classroom, built this summer as a pilot project to find new ways to deliver classroom content, boasts four 70-inch high-definition monitors, one with a built-in computer and touchscreen with broadcast capability; two HD cameras, and the server storage and bandwidth to transmit and receive to up to three remote locations at the same time.

“This is really going to be something else,” said BSC’s president, Gen. Charles C. Krulak. “It opens all kinds of doors for new teaching methods and new opportunities for our students and also for potentially bringing in new revenue opportunities. And it really puts Birmingham-Southern out front.”

The new Olin 205, built entirely this summer, grew out of conversations between the Provost and Information Technology, as well as research into what other colleges have—or wish they had.

The $80,000 classroom, which seats 70 and is housed in the building used by the math department, puts BSC in the position to produce or receive content as part of the Associated Colleges of the South’s blended learning initiative, which is encouraging ACS schools to share courses across the 16 campuses. Down the road, Birmingham-Southern students could take advantage of a senior Chinese course at Rollins, or a student at Sewanee could take a class in Urban Environmental Studies at BSC. To start with, there are two screens at the front of the room and two in the back, plus cameras pointed in both directions.

That means a faculty member can teach a group of BSC students on-site and have both the professor’s and the students’ interactions instantly transmitted to, say, students at a peer institution eager to cross-enroll in a BSC course.

One of the front screens is actually an Infocus Mondopad, which operates like a giant iPad with a touchscreen. It’s one of the first Mondopads in use on a college campus, and it allows

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a professor to share whatever’s on the screen to wireless devices like tablets or laptops, so students can instantly see notes and information—whether they’re in the room or across an ocean.

They can even write on their own tablet and have the data pop up on the Mondopad, which also allows for all notes to be saved and emailed to the entire class for easy reference.

The other screen allows users to dial in from anywhere in the world and appear in the classroom in high definition—making even the hardest-to-book guest lecturers easy to invite. It can connect up to three different locations at once, and it can also dial in to a series of live cameras around the world. To test it out during a recent education class discussion on teaching patriotism to elementary schoolers, Dr. Genell D. Lewis-Ferrell asked her students to stand and say the pledge of allegiance.

“Only let’s not say it right here in Birmingham, let’s say the pledge somewhere else,” she said, pausing for just a moment to dial into a camera showing an ordinary-looking street scene in Washington, D.C. Then she panned the camera up in real time to focus on the flag flying atop the U.S. Capitol—eliciting gasps of amazement and excitement from the class.

The options for using the new classroom are almost endless, organizers say. As well as getting BSC ready for blended learning and the ACS initiative, Olin 205 can also be used by faculty who want to flip their classrooms (see page 20) or for videoconferencing for guest lecturers, meetings, and interviews.

Faculty and administrators are also looking into the possibility of using it to offer summer school courses to students who may want to take classes without living on campus.

And it’s just the beginning. Krulak said there are already plans to build four more high-tech classrooms across the campus.

“This is going to enable us to do remarkable things,” he said.

“We’re going to learn a lot from other schools about how best to take advantage of it, but we know already that we can enhance what professors do in the classroom and attract more students to campus. Olin 205 is just the beginning.”

FEATURES

Kopkin Busby

Panther Partnerships ME N T O R I N G

P R O G RAM

Intensive mentoring program pairs BSC juniors with local professionals by

hannah wolfson

As Brooks Busby entered his junior year at Birmingham-Southern, he knew he was on the right track. As a business major, he was learning the skills he’d need after graduation. As a soccer player, he was mastering discipline and leadership. And yet, he felt like something was still missing: a mentor.

“I wanted to have a mentor who could give me an idea of where I stood as a college student, could point out what I needed to work on, and also might help me find some contacts for a job after college,” said Busby, a Homewood native who’s now a senior.

“My mom has been my mentor my entire life, and sometimes it’s good to hear something from someone who hasn’t known you since birth.”

He found just what he was looking for in BSC’s new Panther Partnerships Mentoring Program, which began last year under the auspices of the college’s Norton Board of Advisors. Busby was one of just 10 students in the first year pilot of the program. This fall, 26 students have signed up, and the hope

is to eventually make mentorships available to all Birmingham-Southern juniors.

“This is such an important program,” said Linda Flaherty-Goldsmith, BSC’s former chief of staff, who founded— and generously sponsored—Panther Partnerships. “It’s a way to give our students something they can’t get in the classroom: hands-on, one-on-one advice tailored to their pre-professional

Appleton has worked to restructure the board to re-focus it on providing internships and other real-world opportunities for BSC students. The board now has seven committees— each with a faculty or staff advisor— focused on connecting students to experiences in their fields of interest, including health care, law, education, business, engineering, the non-profit world, and fine arts.

I have gotten more out of the mentor program than I ever planned on getting. My mentor helped focus me and pointed out my strengths and weaknesses so I would know exactly what to work on. And I know it’s a relationship that will continue..

Brooks Busby needs. And it gets them ready to land on their feet when they graduate.”

Panther Partnerships is also a sign of the revitalization of the Norton Board, a group of some 250 professionals committed to helping BirminghamSouthern and its students. This summer, current Chief of Staff Russ

“As soon as I came to BSC, I realized the Norton Board was unique to this college and had remarkable potential,” said BSC’s president, Gen. Charles C. Krulak. “Now we’re finding a way to harness that strength to give our students direct access to the kinds of hands-on experiences they need to fall 2013 / 25

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I set three goals—improving my résumé, working on my interviewing skills, and landing an internship—and we managed to do them all. It’s just so beneficial to have that help and to have somebody prepare me for life beyond college. m e g a n ko p k i n

become the professionals of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.”

Indeed, the national higher education consulting firm Art & Science, which worked with BSC last year to analyze the needs of prospective students, singled out the Norton Board as something very special, calling it “central to the professional side of the BSC experience.” The Norton Board members, along with BSC’s prime location in Birmingham, make it easy to connect students with mentors in a wide range of fields. During last year’s pilot, students were matched with lawyers, doctors, financial experts, business leaders, and others; several landed summer jobs or internships

through their mentors.

Part of the reason for the success of the program, Flaherty-Goldsmith said, is that students and their mentors sign a contract committing them to certain responsibilities. The pairs must meet at least once a month; in the first session, they must lay out concrete goals for the year. There are also four program seminars on topics such as résumé writing, networking, and interviewing skills, as well as kickoff and closing receptions.

“The thing that impressed me most about it was there was a clear set of expectations on the mentee,” said Colin Coyne, managing principal of the Coyne Group and Busby’s mentor.

“It’s a lot of work, but the investment

paid off,” said Megan Kopkin, who last year was paired with Birmingham physician Dr. Greg Banks. Kopkin was skeptical at first; after all, how much could she, a psychology major, learn from an OB/GYN? But she was quickly convinced when Dr. Banks helped her polish her résumé and interviewing skills and helped her land a summer placement shadowing a doctor in the psychiatry ward at Brookwood Hospital—a position previously reserved for medical students.

“I do not think I would have gotten this opportunity at another school,” Kopkin said. “This is so personalized and in touch with the students at BSC. At a larger school, I don’t think they would have the resources to do it.”

My mentor and I talked about strategies that would help me get into law school and just generally showed me the path. Most importantly, he was just there to help me and to talk to me whenever I had questions.

Gonzalez

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raul gonzalez

Grills and gridiron

Celebrate game day with these tailgating recipes from BSC alumni, parents, and staff by

pat cole At Birmingham-Southern, like so many other college campuses across the country, tailgating is a joyful scene.

Fans arrive early, setting up their grills and temporary kitchens on the grass and pavement for a half-day celebration of football and feasting. Some use tents and tables and others use blankets, but the goal is the same: to enjoy some good food with friends and family in the great outdoors.

These days, the menu goes way beyond hotdogs and hamburgers. Game day revelers serve everything from boiled shrimp and pork tenderloin to casseroles and cornbread.

We asked members of the BSC family to share a few of their go-to recipes for game days. Thanks to all of you who submitted recipes!

Amanda Atkinson BSC purchasing coordinator

Touchdown Football Dip

Yields 20 servings

1 lb. ground beef 1 package taco seasoning 1 large block of Velveeta cheese

1 lb. ground sausage 1 small jar salsa

Cook ground beef and ground sausage together in a skillet. Drain grease. Place in crockpot. Add taco seasoning and salsa. Cut Velveeta into cubes and add to crockpot.

Cook on low until all cheese is melted completely. Eat with your favorite tortilla chips. fall 2013 / 27

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Katie Welsh Shelton ’10 of Birmingham

Hot Corn Dip

Yields 10-15 servings 1 15 oz. can white corn, drained 1 15 oz. can yellow corn, drained 1 can Rotel tomato and green chiles, drained (we prefer hot Rotel) 8 oz. cream cheese, diced and softened 1/2 tsp. chili powder 1/2 tsp. garlic powder Chopped cilantro to taste Combine all ingredients in an oven-proof dish. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Jana Hill of Decatur Parent of BSC junior and football player Ty Keenum

Buffalo Wing Dip

Yields 10-12 servings

8 oz. cream cheese at room temperature 1/2 cup ranch dressing 1/2 cup hot sauce (we prefer Frank’s Red Hot Sauce) 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 2 12.5 oz. cans chicken Mix all ingredients together and bake at 350° for about 20-30 minutes.

Serve with corn or tortilla chips.

Mary Catherine Richardson Phillips ’98 of Montgomery

Feta Cheese Green Beans

Yields 20 servings

2 28 oz. cans of cut green beans 2 4 oz. containers of feta cheese 1 bottle of Ken’s sundried tomato salad dressing Empty drained green beans into 9 x 13 casserole dish. Generously pour dressing over beans. Sprinkle feta cheese and mix well. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.

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Zandi Krulak BSC First Lady

Chili

Yields 6-8 servings 2 15 oz. cans kidney beans 2 large onions, sliced or cut in large chunks 2 green peppers, chopped 2 lbs. ground chuck 2 small cans whole tomatoes, drained 1 16 oz. can tomato sauce 3 tbsp. chili powder 2 tsp. salt 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp. vinegar 2 tbsp. sugar 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 dashes paprika 3 dashes tabasco sauce Brown the onion, green pepper, and chuck before adding the other ingredients. Simmer 2-3 hours.

Put chili on top of Fritos corn chips and then place the following ingredients on top in the following order: shredded cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream.

Melia and Trey Corcoran of Trussville, Ala. Parents of BSC senior and football player Cory Corcoran

Pork Tenderloin

Yields 10-15 servings

Whole pork tenderloin 1/4 cup lemon pepper 1 cup Moore’s seasoning 1/2 cup hot sauce (we prefer Texas Pete) 1/4 cup white vinegar 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup Sear the tenderloin on all sides and butterfly it down the middle.

Pour seasoning mixture down the center of the tenderloin, then wrap in heavy duty tin foil and let it cook from the beginning of the game until about the end of the 3rd quarter. Take it off, let it cool, and slice it up. You can put it on dinner rolls and use the jus sauce on the sandwich, or eat it plain.

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FEATURES The Hansard family (from left): Austin, Wesley, Cherie, Matt, and Darrell.

Photo by Cari Dean

Cherie Hansard of Cumming, Ga. Parent of BSC juniors Wesley and Austin Hansard and BSC senior Matt Hansard (all three are on the football team!)

Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

Yields 6 servings 1 box tri-color pasta 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. white vinegar

6 grilled chicken tenders 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper 1 small can sliced black olives (drained) 1-1/2 cups mayonnaise 1 tsp. sugar Morton Nature’s Seasoning (the secret ingredient!)

Cook pasta according to directions on the box and drain well. In a large mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and vinegar, and whisk together. Add pasta, onion, bell peppers, and olives and stir well. Fold in chopped grilled chicken and parmesan cheese (a pound of peeled grilled shrimp is a great substitute for chicken). Season to your taste with Nature’s Seasoning and cover and chill. Excellent when made the day before, so there’s no work to do on game day!

Valorie Cooper ’88 of Talladega, Ala.

Company Cornbread

Yields 8-10 servings

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar + plain soy milk to equal 1 cup OR 1 cup buttermilk 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tbsp. baking powder 1 tbsp. granulated sugar 1 tsp. onion powder 1/2 tsp. sea salt 1/3 cup canola oil 1-1/2 cups frozen yellow corn niblets Place apple cider vinegar in glass measuring cup and add plain soy milk to equal 1 cup (or use a cup of buttermilk). Stir and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°. Spray a 9-inch round cast iron skillet generously with cooking spray and heat 3-5 minutes in the oven until hot. In a large bowl, mix together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, onion powder, and sea salt. Stir in oil, milk, and corn niblets just until combined. Pour batter into heated skillet and bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly before cutting. *For Mexican cornbread, add 4 oz. chopped green chiles and 1/2 cup chopped jalapenos with the corn. Can easily be baked in a muffin tin rather than a skillet for easier tailgate serving; great at room temperature and with fried chicken or BBQ!

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Susie Talbert of Harvest, Ala. Parent of BSC senior and football player Grant Talbert

Tailgate Caviar

Yields 16 servings

1 can each of black-eyed peas without the pork and black beans, drained and rinsed 1 small can white shoepeg corn, drained 1 green pepper, chopped 1 tbsp. cilantro 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 large firm tomato, chopped 1 bottle of Italian salad dressing (fat free works well, too) 4 green onions, chopped 1 small onion, chopped Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and toss lightly. Marinate in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours. Serve with your favorite chips or scoops.

Edward Forrester ’79 of Franklin, Tenn.

Grilled Donuts Krispy Kreme glazed donuts (even slightly stale will work fine) Ice cream Place the donuts over the dying embers of your grill or low setting on a gas grill. Grill until the sugar bubbles then flip to the other side. When that side is ready, allow to cool on a plate.

Fill hole with ice cream and enjoy.

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ALUMNI AFFAIRS

New National Alumni Association president wants fellow BSC alums to stay involved When Brent Yarborough is passionate about something, he’s always ready to go the extra mile.

He spends long hours at work with the Birmingham creditors’ rights firm of Zarzaur & Schwartz PC, but he loves the personal satisfaction he gets. The same applies to his alma mater.

Since graduating from Cornell Law School, Yarborough, who graduated from BSC in 1997 with a degree in religion, has stayed in close contact with the college, serving on the alumni board and getting involved with the BSC Lawyers Club. He joined the alumni board as vice president of the chapter and affinity programs in 2009 and became president-elect in 2012.

This June, Yarborough stepped into his new role as national alumni association president.

Now, he hopes to inspire other alums to connect with BSC and to encourage their peers to get more engaged.

Though his term is only a year, he and the board have come up with a vision for what they want to accomplish.

“We intend to involve more alumni volunteers in our chapter and affinity groups, as well as in our reunion committees,” Yarborough says. “We’re also looking at how to better utilize technology and social media to inform alumni of events and opportunities to get involved with the college.”

Yarborough says he wants alumni to know there are more ways to participate beyond just giving to the Annual Fund and attending Homecoming/Reunion, including mentoring students and recent graduates, providing internships, and talking about BSC with potential applicants.

As a student at Birmingham-Southern, Yarborough threw himself into campus life. His activities included the Honors and Leadership Studies programs and Student Government Association. He also served as BSC chapter coordinator for Habitat for Humanity.

“Birmingham-Southern played an enormous role in helping me determine my career path and molding me into the person I’ve become,” he says. “I have so many great memories of the college, especially my interim term trips to Israel and Greece my junior and senior years.”

As president of the alumni association, Yarborough is poised to build that same feeling of BSC pride in more than 16,000 alums worldwide.

“The college has faced many challenges over the past few years, but we are meeting them head on, thanks to the leadership of our president, Gen. Charles C. Krulak, and others,” Yarborough says. “But we can’t rest on our laurels. We have to keep on moving forward in terms of giving generously to the college, staying involved and engaged, helping bring in more new students, and helping graduates succeed.”

Yarborough practices what he counsels, staying connected and giving every year to the BSC Annual Fund.

“We have to do these things not only to maintain the integrity and prestige of our own degrees, but to honor the institution that helped mold us into what we’ve become,” he says. “We owe so much to Birmingham-Southern, and I encourage all alumni to step up and make a difference in the college’s future.”

2013-14 Alumni Association Executive Board members announced The BSC Alumni Board is composed of a diverse group of people who volunteer their time, talents, and resources to serve as leaders and advisors within the alumni community on behalf of the mission of the college. Brent Yarborough ’97 of Birmingham is the new president of the BSC Alumni Association. Other members of the Alumni Executive Board are: President-Elect: Christine Wenning Lambert ’86, Birmingham Past President: Terry Smiley ’94, Birmingham VP/Chapter and Affinity Programs: Mallie Searcy Hale ’07, Decatur VP/Service and Outreach: Craig Langford ’00, Washington, D.C.

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VP/Advancement: Roger Ball ’03, Birmingham VP/Enrollment: Mike Chappell ’82, Huntsville VP/Marketing and Communications: Vicki Van Valkenburgh ’88, Birmingham VP/Reunion and Class Activities: Audrey Ann Prude Wilson ’68, Birmingham VP/Athletics: Rodney Barganier ’94, Birmingham Chair/Young Alumni Council: Rebecca Beers ’04, Birmingham

ALUMNI AFFAIRS

Future lawyers meet and greet The BSC Birmingham Lawyers’ Club and the restaurant Veranda on Highland hosted a Social and Summer Send-Off in July for Birmingham-Southern graduates entering or returning to law school in the fall. Almost 30 were in attendance, including new and recent graduates (front row, l to r): Stephanie Gossett ’11, Jennifer Commander Gray ’12, and Anna Davis ’12; (back row) Art Richey ’09, Mary McDaniel ’12, and Ben Odendahl ’11.

Help us find BSC legacies!

Birmingham-Southern College has a long tradition of welcoming generations of families to our campus. We are so proud of our “legacies”—the children, step-children and grandchildren of our BSC alumni—and we hope they decide to follow in their families’ footsteps to the Hilltop when they make their college decision.

We want more of our legacies to experience the life-changing Birmingham-Southern traditions that our graduates experienced as students.

While we do our best to keep up with our legacies, we need your help. If you are the parent, stepparent or grandparent of a future BSC student, or if you know a BSC legacy, please complete the form at www.bsc.edu/alumni/form-prosleg.cfm. We want to make sure they get lots of BSC love and attention! Also, if you would like information about visits to the BSC campus for legacies, go to www.bsc.edu/admission/visit.cfm.

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Lisa Harrison MPPM ’85, director of alumni affairs, at lharriso@bsc.edu, or (205) 226-4912.

bsc legacies

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ALUMNI AFFAIRS

All-new format and new members announced for Young Alumni Council Now in its fourth year, the BSC Young Alumni Council (YAC) is growing into a valuable resource for the college and for young Birmingham-Southern graduates.

For the first time this year, the Alumni Affairs Office asked prospective members of the council (young alumni who’ve graduated in the last 10 years) to apply through an online form. Twenty-three general members were chosen from among the outstanding applicants (nine were founding members), 10 regional members were added, and 32 at-large members were named.

To maintain consistency while the new format of the council is being developed and introduced, Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient Rebecca Beers ’04 was once again tapped to serve as YAC chair. A chair-elect will be named to shadow Beers and assume leadership next year.

“I am honored to be leading BSC’s Young Alumni Council in my last year of being a ‘young’ alum,” Beers says. “We were overwhelmed with the enthusiasm of some 70 outstanding young alumni from Alabama and across the country—even internationally—who applied to join the council.”

Beers said that the enthusiasm and dedication of the new YAC indicates that Birmingham-Southern has a dynamic and bright future ahead.

“The new council is committed to ensuring that future BSC students will have an experience on the Hilltop that was just as rewarding and life-changing as their own,” she adds. “We have an exciting year of events planned for our young alums, and we are confident that the leadership of this group will raise our young alumni engagement to an unprecedented level.”

2013-14 YAC Members Rebecca Beers ’04* – Chair *denotes founding member of YAC Brittany Arias ’13 Andrew Bailey ’12 Nancy Williams Ball ’04* Kristen Prince Brasher ’05 Christopher Daniel ’08 Catherine Cummings Davidson ’09 Anna Davis ’12 Stephen Denton ’13 Laura Saliba Ellis ’05* Justin Fargason ’09

Nikki George ’05 Jennifer Damian Hamrick ’06 Adam Israel ’06* Emily Duggan Israel ’06* Brett Janich ’10 Kelsey Grissom Johnson ’06 Ben Lewellyn ’08 Chad Long ’05* Clay Malcolm ’11 Brent Martina ’07 Shema Mbyirukira ’05*

regional members Casey Daniel ’07 – Boston Susan Fant ’09 – Gadsden Elizabeth Mitchell Jones ’04 – Mobile Rob NeSmith ’11 – Washington, D.C. Michael Popwell ’12 – Franklin, Tenn.

Sunday Vanderver ’04 – New York City Ellie Walker ’08 – Atlanta Anne Wood ’13 – Huntsville Jessica Wood ’05 – Millington, Tenn.

Nino Christopher Yu Tiamco ’13 – Chicago

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Wilson Nash ’07* Neal NeSmith ’10 Benjamin Odendahl ’11 James Randolph ’10 Ashley Rhea ’11 Zachary Richards ’13 Danielle Ridgeway ’06* Herdon Rouse ’09 Jeanie Sleadd ’09 Katie Wilson ’08

at-large members Colin Alexander ’13 Brandon Bates ’05 Brittany Berkopec ’13 John Boutwell ’09 Will Breland ’11 Devan Byrd ’13 Christianna Denelsbeck ’13 Faith Dorn ’12 Jordan Duchock Goad ’08 Emily Godsey ’08 Chryseis Griffin ’06

Lee Hopf ’11 Collin Janich ’13 John McCarty ’08 Mandy McDaniel ’13 Alex Miller ’13 Laura Moore ’13 Cal NeSmith ’07 Kristen Sornsin Osborne ’07 Stephen Palmer ’05 Leslie Brown Plaia ’08 Brent Pritchard ’04

Cole Rudder ’13 Alexa Ruiz ’13 Simone Schicker ’11 Michael Speigle ’09 Lindsey Horton Sway ’07 Grace Sweeney ’11 David Talley, IV ’09 Daniel Wiggins ’13 Zaki Yazdi ’12 Rebecca Kornegay Yeager ’06

PHILANTHROPY

BSC alumni, parents, and friends contribute to another successful Annual Fund year Thank you BSC alumni, parents, and friends! By the end of the last fiscal year, May 31, 2013, you gave more than $1.8 million to the Annual Fund, providing scholarship and academic program support for students and meeting the day-to-day needs of the college.

The alumni giving percentage increased another 2% last year, from 34% last fiscal year to 36%. That means that in two short years, our participation has made an astounding leap from 28% to 36%. This enthusiastic support from the BSC family played a significant role in our favorable accreditation review and showed our community how much BSC alumni care about their alma mater.

raised!

c $1.8 million c as of May 31, 2013

28 2011

34 2012

36 2013

An increase of 8 percentage points from 2011 to 2013 The Annual Fund goals for this fiscal year, which ends on May 31, 2014, are to:

$2m

Raise at least $2 million from alumni, parents, and friends

40%

Reach an alumni giving percentage of at least 40%

Your gift to the Annual Fund supports a great BSC education for today’s students and provides the revenue necessary to meet the college’s daily needs. To make your annual gift to Birmingham-Southern, please go online to the secure giving site at www.bsc.edu/egiving, or contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at (205) 226-4909. Forward, Ever!

fall 2013 / 35

PHILANTHROPY

Whetstone

The IRA Rollover

Good Tool for a Great Idea Dr. Bob Whetstone ’55 joined the BSC faculty in 1963 and has been giving back for more than 50 years. Inspired by Dean Cecil Abernethy’s encouragement and investment in improving his own classroom performance, Whetstone decided that he wanted to guarantee funds each year to support professional development for promising young faculty.

Making a great idea even better, Whetstone took advantage of a tax law allowing donors who are 70 ½ or older to make a direct gift to Birmingham-Southern from their IRAs. That IRA rollover gift endowed the Bob Whetstone Faculty Development Award and ensured that the award will continue in perpetuity. (For more on this year’s Whetstone Award winner, see page 9.)

•

What is an IRA rollover gift?

As part of the fiscal cliff law, Congress reauthorized the IRA rollover for 2013. Anyone 70 ½ or older can make a charitable gift of up to $100,000 from an IRA. Your gift will qualify for your 2013 required minimum distribution, and you will not have to pay federal income tax on the amount given to BSC from your IRA. •

How do you make an IRA rollover gift to BSC?

Simply contact your custodian and choose an amount to be directly transferred to BSC. Your gift could be $1,000, $10,000, $50,000, or even $100,000. You may want to support the Annual Fund, scholarships, faculty salaries, or the library. Or, like Bob Whetstone, you might already have a great idea that needs funding! An IRA rollover is an easy and effective way to make a significant gift to BSC. •

Questions?

Contact Martha Hamrick Boshers, assistant vice president for institutional advancement at (205) 226-4978 or mboshers@bsc.edu.

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PHILANTHROPY

Late alumnus leaves $2.2 million endowment to BSC In life, Buford Bowen ’30 was a generous donor to his alma mater, setting up a scholarship in his family’s name and helping build the SAE house. In his death, Bowen has made an enormous impact, contributing an endowed trust of $2.2 million to the college.

“Mr. Bowen was a wonderful man, and he has made a wonderful gift that will give students who might not otherwise be able to afford it access to a transformative BSC education,” said BSC’s president, Gen. Charles C. Krulak. “We are so thankful Bowen

he chose to continue his legacy of generosity to ‘Southern.”

Bowen graduated from the college with a B.A. in business administration.

In 1939, he began working as a stockbrocker with Fenner & Bean; he left that job in 1943 to serve in the U.S. Army during World War II. When the war ended in 1945, Bowen was discharged as a lieutenant commander and began working at Merrill Lynch in Jacksonville, Fla. He retired after 37 years of service.

Buford outlived two wives and his only child, who died in a car accident when he was 8. He died in 2004; his third wife, Beckwith Lockwood Bowen, died this year, which released his estate’s planned gift to the college.

The Buford L. Bowen Family Scholarship Fund will be held in trust in perpetuity, and will generate approximately $110,000 a year for the college to distribute.

Bowen during his service in WWII

BSC hires new director of corporate and foundation relations John Sweeney, an experienced development professional, is BSC’s new director of corporate and foundation relations. He began his position in August.

In his new role, Sweeney is responsible for maintaining relationships with private foundations and corporations that support the college. In addition, he submits detailed grant requests to foundations.

He previously served as state director for the Arthritis Foundation’s Southeast region, and as regional director for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Georgia and Alabama.

“As a strong believer and product of a liberal arts education, I believe in the greatness of BSC,” said Sweeney, who moved to Birmingham in 2000 from Oxford, Miss. “There’s a wonderful history to this college, and I am excited to be a part of the legacy of BSC going forward.”

A graduate of Millsaps College, Sweeney earned a Master of Divinity degree from Duke University.

Sweeney

fall 2013 / 37

ATHLETICS

Coaching for gold

by

pat cole

Goldfarb leads Maccabi USA Open Men’s Soccer

After spending nearly a month overseas, BSC’s longtime Head Men’s Soccer Coach Preston Goldfarb arrived back on campus in August, and he brought the global spotlight with him.

Goldfarb led the USA to its first-ever gold medal in open men’s soccer at the World Maccabiah Games in Israel, held July 17-30. The team won behind tiebreaking penalty kicks over international powerhouse Argentina.

“It is very hard to explain in words just how truly special this team is,” Goldfarb wrote on his team’s blog after the historic win. “I’ve had the good fortune of coaching some incredible players, teams, and people over my long career, but I have never been with any group that made me as proud or as honored to coach them as this team.”

Thousands of Jewish athletes from around the globe gather in Israel every four years for the Olympic-style Maccabiah Games, the third-largest sporting event in the world. This year’s games had a record with 78 countries competing; 17 countries participated in the men’s open division for soccer.

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In the past 76 years of the World Maccabiah Games, no USA open men’s soccer team had ever won the gold. The 1981 and 2005 teams made it to the finals, but lost in the championship games.

This was Goldfarb’s third time coaching in the games, having led Team USA at the 18th World Maccabiah Games in 2009 and the Maccabi Australia International Games in 2010.

Tryouts for this year’s open men’s soccer team began in Los Angeles last December. Goldfarb was on hand to help evaluate the talent for the field, which ranges from pre-college students to professional players. Twenty athletes and 10 alternates were selected.

“When we all met for the first time on July 7 in Tel Aviv, I told the team to dare to dream the impossible, so they can achieve the possible,” Goldfarb says.

“I told them to leave their egos at the door, and fortunately, they all bought in to my philosophy about how we would operate as one. I did not want to have ‘best players,’ but a team that was the superstar. Only three of the athletes had ever played

ATHLETICS

Team to historic win

Photos courtesy of Howie Rowling

together. We only had 10 training sessions to get on the same page.”

The U.S. team went 2-1 in group play in the first round of this year’s tournament, losing to Uruguay, but rallied with defeats of Denmark and Mexico to move to the quarterfinals.

“After the loss, our backs were against the wall,” Goldfarb continues. “We had to win every game by five or more goals and then we had to beat Mexico in our last group game to advance to the quarterfinals.

And we were playing against some very good teams.

But that loss gave us the impetus to win. We dared to dream the impossible.”

The team shut out Germany 7-0 in the quarterfinals to move to the semifinals, where they defeated Canada 5-0. That advanced them to the final game against Argentina, which was held at Givat Ram Field in Jerusalem on July 29. After 90 minutes of play, the game was tied at 2-2 and went into 30 minutes of overtime. After two scoreless 15-minute overtimes, the U.S. team won it 4-3 on penalty kicks.

Goldfarb ran onto the field after the victory and

was buried by U.S. team members.

“It was incredible,” he says. “There were so many tears of joy; I had tears in my eyes. This was their moment— being the first. It still hasn’t really sunk in with me yet.”

“Before the final round against Argentina, I told them I did not want to talk about the game, but rather about life,” Goldfarb notes. “It’s very rare in one’s life that they get a chance to do something no one else has ever done, and make history doing it.”

Goldfarb, who now holds more than 31 years of soccer coaching experience at the NAIA and NCAA levels, was elected to the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2000. He says he has had an incredible experience at the Maccabiah Games, but is ready to retire.

“This year’s games have been the highlight of my life,” says Goldfarb. “And it is a fitting end to my Maccabi USA career.”

Visit the team’s blog page at http://pgoldfarb.blogspot. com.

fall 2013 / 39

ATHLETICS

Senior Women’s Administrator and Head Women’s Tennis Coach Ann Dielen (far left) and Athletics Director Joe Dean Jr. (far right) with the 2013 Larry D. Striplin Athletes of the Year: Tiarra Goode, Robert Willett, and Taylor Bassett (photo by Jimmy Mitchell).

Bassett, Goode, Willett named Athletes of the Year at annual awards banquet Birmingham-Southern held its annual Athletic Awards Banquet in May and named the 2013 Newcomers, Athletes, Teams, and Man and Woman of the Year, as well as the Johnny Johnson Most Inspirational Senior Student Athletes.

Junior sprinter Tiarra Goode and sophomore softball player Taylor Bassett were named Co-Larry D. Striplin Female Athletes of the Year, while senior runner Robert Willett was named Larry D. Striplin Male Athlete of the Year. BSC’s Athlete of the Year awards were named in honor of late benefactor Larry D. Striplin ’52, a member of the college’s Board of Trustees and the BSC Sports Hall of Fame, who passed away last year at the age of 82.

Goode, who was also the Female Athlete of the Year in 2012, won three SAA individual titles at the 2013 Track & Field Championships and qualified for the national championship in La Crosse, Wis. Bassett was the 2013 SAA Softball Player of the Year after leading the nation in home runs and breaking the BSC career home run record as a sophomore. Willett was also a three-time SAA champion at the SAA Championship and won the NCAA Division III men's outdoor 800-meter national championship in La Crosse. (Read more about their accomplishments on page 42.)

Freshmen Sara Cohen of women's tennis and Hannah Busk of swimming and diving were Co-Female Newcomers of the Year, and swimmer Duncan Bonney was the Male Newcomer of the Year. Cohen was 11-1 in singles and 10-2 in doubles play this year and was undefeated against SAA opponents. Busk was the SAA Swimmer of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, as was Bonney on the men's side.

The Johnny Johnson Most Inspirational Senior Student-Athlete awards went to Raeann Lamere of women's tennis and Andrew Huffman of men's lacrosse. The Johnny Johnson Award is named for the late vice president for business and finance at Birmingham-Southern who was an avid supporter of BSC athletics.

The BSC Man and Woman of the Year—new awards this year—were seniors Shelby Moore of volleyball and track and field, and Blaise White of men's basketball. Moore was First-Team All-Conference in 2011 and 2012, and is also an AllConference athlete in track and field. White was the 2012 and 2013 conference Defensive Player of the Year.

BSC also named its Teams of the Year, giving the award to football, women's soccer, and women's golf. Football and women’s soccer were SAA regular-season champions, while women's golf earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship.

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ATHLETICS

Naming rights—When Panther fans arrived

for the first home football game of the season Sept.

14, they watched the team play on the newly named Battle Field at Panther Stadium. This summer, the college honored the contributions of University of Alabama Athletics Director Bill Battle III to BSC’s athletics program. He is just one member of the Battle family who has served and/or supported Birmingham-Southern for many years. His father, the late William Raines Battle Jr. ’30, was BSC’s athletics director from 1952-74 and a professor of physical education; he was inducted into the inaugural class of the BSC Sports Hall of Fame program in 1981, and the coliseum on campus is named in his honor. Other members of the Battle family with Birmingham-Southern ties include the late Dr. Jean Allen Battle ’36, a longtime educator and the first dean of the College of Education at the University of South Florida; the late Laurie Battle ’34, BSC Sports Hall of Fame member and four-term U.S. representative from Alabama; and Mary Virginia Battle Mudd, who attended BSC from 1943-44.

fall/winter sports schedules are online Visit www.bscsports.net and click the links for football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s basketball, and women’s basketball or navigate to those sports pages.

Check frequently for stats, rosters, live streams, and more as the fall sports season continues.

The basketball season opens Nov. 15 with the men playing at home against Spalding University of Louisville, Ky.

fall 2013 / 41

ATHLETICS

Goode (Courtesy of Jimmy Mitchell)

Willett (Courtesy of Frank Poulin)

Track and field runner brings home national championship; adds to banner year for program The Birmingham-Southern track and field teams competed in seven indoor meets and eight regular season outdoor meets this past spring, leading up to the 2013 Southern Athletic Association Championship, where the Panthers won seven individual conference titles and medaled in 22 events.

At the conclusion of the indoor season, senior Robert Willett and junior Tiarra Goode repeated as NCAA Division III All-Americans, placing second in their events at the NCAA Indoor National Championship in Naperville, Ill., on March 9. Goode ran

the 60-meter hurdles in 8.61 seconds to place second after winning the national title in the same event last season. She also placed third in the 60-meter dash, earning All-America accolades for both events.

Willett ran the 800-meters in 1:50.6, also finishing second, and was named Regional Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) for his efforts.

Goode and Willett returned to the national stage at the end of the outdoor season, along with teammates Hank

Ballard, a junior, and Aaron Sherrill, a senior, who both qualified in the javelin throw.

All posted marks high enough to earn berths to the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championship held in La Crosse, Wis., May 24-25. Willett brought home the national crown in the 800-meters, BSC’s third national championship at the Division III level, after posting a time of 1:49.95.

Goode, who also won the 100-meter hurdles national title last season, qualified nationally in three events, finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 14.24 seconds, third in

the 100-meter dash with a mark of 12.29 seconds, and eighth in the 200-meter dash with a time of 25.11 seconds.

Sherrill placed fourth in the javelin with a mark of 65.44 meters, and Ballard was 18th in the nation with a distance of 57.50 meters.

Goode and Willett earned All-American honors again, with Goode qualifying as an All-American in all three of her events, one of only 15 student athletes in the nation to do so. Sherrill was also named an All-American after his fourthplace finish. Goode went on to earn USTFCCCA Regional Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year honors, and Ballard, Sherrill, and Willett were named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team.

“Having a family of studentathletes who are willing to raise the bar each year with their unwavering desire to be the best in the conference, region, and the nation makes me proud to be their head coach,” said BSC Cross Country/Track And Field Coach Kenneth Cox. “We have experienced amazing growth each year, and I still believe that the best is yet to come for BSC’s cross country/track and field program.”

Casey Kear tapped to lead BSC men’s lacrosse program

Kear

42 / ’southern

Birmingham-Southern has hired Casey Kear as head coach of its men’s lacrosse program.

“We are very pleased to have Casey leading our men’s lacrosse program,” said Joe Dean, BSC director of athletics.“ He has been extremely successful as both a player and coach during his career, and we feel he is the right person to take our program to the national level.”

Kear had been an assistant men’s lacrosse coach at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., since 2006. His main responsibility was coordinating the defense, along with recruiting.

Kear coached two NCAA All-Americans at FMC and helped lead the Diplomats to top-20 national rankings in each of the past three seasons and 21 total wins in the last two seasons.

He is a 2006 graduate of the State University of New York at Albany, where he majored in history. He played varsity lacrosse there, helping lead the Great Danes to the America East championships in 2004 and 2005. Prior to SUNY Albany, he attended Herkimer County Community College, winning the 2003 Junior College National Championship; before that he attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point from 2001-03.

Kear has also helped direct Tom Cavallaro’s All-Star Lacrosse Camps in Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Texas over the past five years.

CLASSNOTES

ClassNotes ’51 The North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church, in partnership with The Foundation for Evangelism, presented its 2013 Harry Denman Evangelism Award for unusual and outstanding efforts to Rev. Richard Hunter. Hunter is currently appointed at Sugar Hill UMC in Buford, Ga. He graduated from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology and received a Doctor of Ministry degree from the University of Chicago’s McCormick Theological Seminary. He was ordained an elder in 1985.

’55

AlumNews ’70 Dr. William Eiland, director of the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia, received the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Award for Distinguished Service to Museums in July during the AAM’s annual conference in Baltimore. The award was instituted in 1981 and recognizes excellence and contributions to the museum profession for at least 20 years.

Eiland has been the director of the Georgia Museum of Art since 1992, a period of unprecedented growth for the museum.

He has given his time for many years to such professional organizations as AAM, for whose accreditation program he acts as one of six commissioners as well as a frequent site visitor to applicant museums; the Southeastern Museums Conference; the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries (GAMG); the Association of Art Museum Directors; the Arts and Artifacts Indemnity Advisory Panel for the National Endowment for the Arts; and the International Council of Museums.

A Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Eiland has received several other fellowships, including the Danforth Teaching Fellowship at the University of Virginia, a Museum Professionals Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, and a Research Fellowship from the UGA Center for Humanities and Arts. He has edited and contributed to more than 50 publications.

Eiland previously earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from GAMG in 2007 and Museum Professional of the Year from the same organization in 2000. The Southeastern College Art Conference named him Outstanding Museum Professional in 1999. He was inducted into the Sigma Pi Kappa national honor society in 2010 and received BSC’s Distinguished Alumni Award later that year.

A native of Sprott, Ala., Eiland now resides in Athens, Ga.

BSC professor emeritus Dr. Bob Whetstone of Birmingham has released his sixth novel, Jacob’s Robe (Lulu Enterprises, 2013). The novel is about a young man who survives an auto accident in which his twin brother dies. A nurse, the daughter of a local Cherokee chief, along with a local pastor, aid the man in his recovery as he struggles to retrieve some small glimmer of his past.

’56 Jo Taylor is co-author of the fifth update of Alabama Elder Law, a 1,000-plus-page treatise on the practice of elder law in Alabama, published by Thomson-Reuters.

Taylor resides in Birmingham.

She earned a second undergraduate degree from BSC in 1958.

’58 S T Kimbrough Jr. of Durham, N.C., recently published the volume Radical Grace: Justice for the Poor and Marginalized—

Charles Wesley’s Views for the Twenty-First Century. Kimbrough is a Research Fellow of the Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition of Duke Divinity School, founder of The Charles Wesley Society, and editor of its annual journal. He has taught on major theological faculties in the U.S. and abroad. Kimbrough is also an internationally known baritone, and his newest CD, Die Jahreszeiten/ The Seasons (German folk songs), was just released by VMS Records.

’59 After 50 years of practicing dentistry in his hometown of Clanton, Ala., Dr. Curtis Baker has retired from Baker Family Dentistry.

He graduated from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry in 1963. His son, Dr. Chris Baker, joined his practice in 1990 and is continuing its operation.

’61 Jonathan May of Sawyerville, Ala., recently published his second novel, Siren Song, which features strange goings-on concerning the old dead town of Erie in Hale County, Ala., and highlights the Black Warrior River. His first novel, Rumors of Wolves, was published in 2006. May also published a memoir, A Fever of the Mad, written by his late friend Tom Canford about his work as a movie publicist.

The books are available from Amazon in paper and Kindle editions and are downloadable from bookstores and libraries.

fall 2013 / 43

CLASSNOTES

AlumNews ’71 Since graduating from Birmingham-Southern with honors in music, Louise Hall Beard has touched the American theatre world with her creative vision.

Beard was among more than a dozen producers behind the Broadway play A Christmas Story, The Musical, which was nominated for Best New Musical of the Year as well as the book and score categories at the 67th annual Tony Awards in June. She attended the awards ceremony at Radio City Music Hall in New York City with her daughter, Lanford, who writes for Entertainment Weekly magazine.

“I ran into quite a few people at the awards ceremony like Alan Cumming, Bernadette Peters . . . the whole Broadway community was there,” she remarked. “I wore a copy of the same dress that Octavia Spencer had when she accepted her Oscar for The Help.”

Though A Christmas Story, The Musical didn’t win any awards, the production is still a big name. The musical began with a twomonth run in Seattle at the 5th Avenue Theatre in 2010, then launched a U.S. tour in 2011, followed by its Broadway debut during the 2012 Christmas season. The show will be back on tour this November and December in Hartford, Conn.; Boston; and at New York’s Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York.

“It was so much fun to be involved in the show and to be surrounded by such a talented cast of people,” said Beard, who is married to John Beard and lives in Birmingham.

Beard sang in Birmingham’s Independent Presbyterian Church Choir for 34 years under Joe Schreiber—her organ professor at BSC. She was a tap dance instructor to adults for 29 years at the Time Step Dance Studio she co-founded.

“Prof. Hugh Thomas, director of the music department and choral director at ’Southern, was a huge influence on my life,” she said.

“His wife, Barbara, taught me piano, but I switched over to organ since I was really into choral and church music.”

Her interest in theatre was piqued after seeing the musical production The Decline and Fall of the Entire World As Seen Through the Eyes of Cole Porter at Birmingham Festival Theatre in the ’70s. Beard’s big break came when a friend introduced her to a prominent member of the New York theatre world.

Since then, she has invested in about two dozen theatrical shows and Broadway plays over the years; she served as both majority investor and producer for A Christmas Story. Because her investment placed her above the title, her name would have been associated with a win.

At age 63, Beard is eager to gain more co-production credits.

She recently traveled to Los Angeles to produce a film that screened at the Outfest Film Festival in July.

She’s also gaining some acting experience. Beard played a small part in the 2012 film Blues for Willadean, co-starring Octavia Spencer. Since then, she and Spencer have become good friends.

“Now I will always be able to add Tony Award-nominated Broadway producer to my résumé,” said Beard with a smile. “How great is that!?”

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’66 William Dawson Jr. recently joined the newly created Community Law Office in Birmingham as the deputy public defender in charge of trial management. He has been a criminal defense attorney for more than 40 years in private practice in Birmingham. He was a founder of the Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and recipient of its Roderick Beddow Award, which recognizes lifetime achievement in the practice of criminal law. Dawson graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law.

’68 Laurie Brasfield Gearhart has retired after teaching elementary school in Houston, Texas, for 28 years. She now resides in Franklin, Tenn., and is enjoying her status as “Grandma” to three grandchildren.

She is active in St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where she chairs the Prayer Shawl Ministry.

Jim Humphreys was named to the 2013 Barron’s “America’s Top 1000 Advisors: State-by-State” List. He is a senior vice president of wealth management for Merrill Lynch in Nashville, Tenn.

’69 Dr. Wayne Leaver retired in 2012 from Hope Hospice in Ft. Myers, Fla. He served 20 years as a United Methodist minister.

Leaver also served as dean of the undergraduate program of the Union Institute in Miami, and as co-coordinator and faculty member of the Counseling Psychology program of Walden University.

He has published several books, spoken at numerous national and international conferences, and traveled to more than 40 countries.

’72 John Northrop Jr. presented a composite photographic exhibit this past spring at a Birmingham

arts venue commemorating the 50th anniversary of the city’s civil rights movement. Entitled “Red State Blues,” his exhibit focused on Alabama history, culture, and politics. Northrop’s first career was in journalism before he turned to teaching and school administration. He served as executive director of the Alabama School of Fine Arts until his retirement in 2011.

’81 Dr. Donald Stewart, an artist at DS Art Studio in Homewood, has published a new book, Past Medical History: Recollections of a Medical Miscreant. In the book, he talks about his choice to exit the field of medicine and pursue a more fulfilling career in art.

’83 Dr. Angela Batey has been promoted to full professor and named associate dean for diversity in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Batey is a recognized choral conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and teacher whose wide variety of experience encompasses professional, university, high school, community, and church choruses. She earned a second undergraduate degree from BSC in 1984, a master’s degree from Florida State University in music education, and a DMA degree in choral conducting from the University of South Carolina.

’86 The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) recently appointed Katherine Holt Antonello to the position of chief actuary, to be based in Boca

CLASSNOTES

Raton, Fla. As a member of the senior management team, she will actively participate in the development and implementation of NCCI’s corporate objectives and strategies. She spent the last 12 years as vice president of Lumbermen’s Underwriting Alliance, managing all aspects of the workers’ compensation line of business.

John London was recently elected to the city council of Irondale, Ala.

Phillips holds a JD degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law. Her husband is also an attorney, and they live in Nashville.

’92 Patrice Hobbs Glass received the 2013 Margaret Rawlings Lupton Award of Excellence from her alma mater, the Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga, for her professional and volunteer activities. Last year, she was appointed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to the Tennessee Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission, which is overseeing the state’s five-year commemoration of the war’s anniversary.

Photo by Melinda Mercer Photography

From this day forward, ever—Mandy Barham ’04 and Matt Stephens ’05 tied the knot on March 23 at The Beach Club resort in Gulf Shores. The couple’s wedding was attended by a host of proud Birmingham-Southern alumni. Groomsmen included David McCurry ’04, and bridesmaids included Kelsey Powell ’04 and Rebecca Beers ’04, who submitted the photo. The happy couple reside in Birmingham where both are employed as schoolteachers.

More wedding news on page 48.

’93 Jim Newman is the newest member of the Village People, performing as the band’s new cowboy. He took over the role from Jeff Olson, who’s been wearing the chaps in the Village People since 1980. Newman is an actor in New York City who has performed in six Broadway shows, including The Who’s Tommy, Minnelli on Minnelli, and this season’s Hands on a Hardbody. In 2011, he returned to his hometown of Birmingham to perform in the musical, Bubba’s Revenge, produced by the Red Mountain Theatre Co.

’89 Joelle Phillips was recently promoted to president of AT&T Tennessee.

Phillips is a 12-year veteran of AT&T and its predecessor companies and was most recently general attorney for its Tennessee division.

She will oversee the company’s work to build out the state’s communications infrastructure.

Hamp Baxley was recently reelected to a third term on the Dothan City Commission.

’95 Last year, Bernard Assaf marked his 15-year anniversary with Oracle America Inc., where he was recently promoted to principal applications developer. He works in the Atlanta office of Oracle’s Retail Global Business Unit.

Oracle is a multinational computer technology corporation.

Amanda Buck Varella recently made partner at Brown Rudnick LLP. She practices in the law firm’s Boston office in its Litigation and Arbitration Department.

’96 Kimberly Webster Harbison is the principal of Hayden Primary School in Hayden, Ala. She earned her master’s degree in educational leadership from Samford University. Her sister, Kay Webster Veazey ’98, teaches high school English at Hayden High School, and this past spring, earned her master’s degree in educational leadership from UAB.

’97 Dr. Susan Williams, soprano, is now assistant professor of voice at the University of Alabama.

She co-authored an article, “3D Virtual Anatomy Technology in the Voice Studio: A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Functionality and Limitations of Visible Body,” which appeared in the March/April issue of The Journal of Singing. She presented on this technology at the Classical Singer Convention in May in Boston. This past June, she interned at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Intern Program at Vanderbilt University.

’98 George Canoles Jr. of Blountsville, Ala., was recently promoted to general manager of purchasing and quality control/

logistics for Walter Coke. He joined the Walter team (Sloss Industries) in 1989 and has held several roles of increasing responsibility in operations.

Jeremy Turner of Eclectic, Ala., was recently named publisher of Birmingham’s MD News, a custom magazine distributed to medical practitioners. Turner has 13 years of experience in launching and managing highly successful media, marketing, and communication strategies for clients in finance, healthcare, and other industries.

‘00 Jamey Grimes was one of two exhibiting sculptors whose work was presented at the Birmingham Public Library in June. Grimes describes his three-dimensional sculptures as “fragments of a conversation with nature.” He teaches design and drawing at the University of Alabama, where he earned his MFA in sculpture.

Grimes and Natalie Dunham ’07 of

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CLASSNOTES

Nearly a century old— Vivian Harrington Whitt ’52 will turn 100 years old Oct. 30. As this milestone draws closer, her family is preparing for a grand celebration. Whitt was born in 1913 in Ft. Scott, Kansas, as the middle child of 10 children, experiencing an era that survives only in vintage film clips and blackand-white photographs. During World War II, she served overseas in the Women’s Army Corps.

Whitt was a non-traditional student at Birmingham-Southern and graduated with a degree in biology. She worked as a hospital medical technologist in Birmingham for several years. Soon after marrying in 1963, she and her husband, a U.S. Air Force chaplain, moved to England. Whitt now resides in Roff, Okla.

She always enjoyed gardening and reading. Family members include niece Judith Smith Stacey ’63, of Hayneville, Ala., great-great niece Megan Stacey Snider ’12, of Tuscaloosa, and great-great nephew Brett Snider, who is a junior at BSC.

Nashville will display their artwork at BSC Nov. 1-26 at an exhibition called “Chroma.”

promoted to partner at Roberts & Stevens P.A., a full-service law firm in Asheville.

’01

Mary Stewart Nelson has transitioned to a full-time position at the workers compensation defense law firm Fish Nelson LLC in Birmingham. She has launched a new Real Property division of the firm, where she is offering services such as real estate closings as well as continuing her practice in corporate and contract law. Trey Cotney ’09 recently joined the firm as an associate, where he represents employers in workers’ compensation matters. He also dedicates part of his practice to planning and administering clients’ estates.

Jay de los Reyes is the new chief operating officer at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Ohio.

De los Reyes earned master’s degrees in health administration and business administration from UAB. Watson Donald III is now director of government affairs for Southern Research Institute in Birmingham.

He previously spent 11 years in Washington, D.C., including nine years as a congressional staffer for U.S. Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions and Rep. Jo Bonner, and two years as a lobbyist with a governmental affairs firm.

Ann Patton Nelson Hornthal has been recognized again as a North Carolina Super Lawyer Rising Star in the practice area of civil litigation defense. She was recently

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’02 James Drysdale was admitted to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 3, 2012. He is an appellate attorney with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.

The Rev. Allison Sandlin Liles is the new executive director of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship (EPF) in Ithaca, N.Y. A graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, Liles joined the EPF National Executive Council in 2006—her ordination year as priest—and was vice chair for public witness for three years. She served two churches in Alabama for five years before resettling with her husband and two children in Crozet, Va.

’03 Dr. Matthew Caine of Columbia, S.C., presented the interest session “Where 10 or 12 Are Gathered: Strategies for Smaller Church Choirs” at the 2013 National Conference of the American Choral Directors Association held this past spring in Dallas, Texas. James Seay ’02 of Northport, Ala., presided over the session.

’04 Dr. Michelle Downing completed a fellowship in cardiothoracic anesthesiology from Duke University Hospital in June and has returned to Birmingham to join the faculty of the UAB Department of Anesthesiology.

Lawyers of Color recently named 100 early-to midcareer minority attorneys under the age of 40 to its inaugural Southern Region Hot List. Maynard, Cooper & Gale P.C.’s Stephanie Houston Mays was among them. Mays received her JD degree from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. She is an associate in the Birmingham firm’s labor and employment practice group.

’05 Revs. Stacey Henry Rushing and Dalton Rushing of Decatur, Ga., were recently ordained during the North

Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Stacey is the pastor of University Heights UMC, and Dalton is serving as pastor of North Decatur UMC. Elizabeth Yost is now assistant professor of sociology at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

’06 Justin Hallock graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in May and is continuing his training as an orthopaedic surgeon at the Campbell Clinic in Memphis.

Rev. Kelsey Grissom Johnson of Birmingham was selected to serve on the editorial board of The Young Clergy Women Project, an international and interdenominational network of the youngest ordained female clergy. She is serving as an editor of Fidelia’s Sisters, which publishes fresh and evocative articles written by, for, and about young clergywomen.

Reese Julian Jr. is head of the Circulation Department for Smith College Libraries in Northampton, Mass.

Dr. George A. Nelson IV was recently selected chief medical resident for the UAB Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Program for 2014-15.

’07 Wedgworth Companies LLC recently hired Sean Ballinger as a realtor to manage its new projects in the Over the Mountain area of Birmingham. Wedgworth specializes in custom homebuilding.

CLASSNOTES Kathryn Campbell Julian, a doctoral candidate in history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, received a Fulbright research grant for the 2013-14 academic year at Freie Universität in Berlin. Her current research focuses on religious communities and sacred space within socialism.

’08 Megan LaRussa has continued her grandmother’s dream of outreach at Oasis Counseling for Women and Children, which has provided mental health services and educational programs in Birmingham since 1995.

LaRussa is president of the Junior Board at Oasis and chaired the organization’s recent Art Card fundraiser. She also is the owner of Southern Femme, a fashion consulting firm that helps women look and feel their best.

Hillary Hughes Turner is director of development for the Pensacola (Fla.) Children’s Chorus.

’09 Luquire George Andrews, one of the Southeast region’s leading advertising, digital, and public relations agencies, recently hired Erin Cribb as junior art director in the LGA Creative Department. As a new resident of Charlotte, she is enjoying exploring and seeing the beautiful sights of North Carolina.

Kristen Kerr Cotney graduated from the UAB School of Medicine in May. She is an internal medicine resident physician at UAB. Vishwanath Danthuluri, Benjamin Jones, William B. Moore, and Emily Schlitz graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in May. Danthuluri is a general surgery resident physician

at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah, Ga.; Jones and Schlitz are neurology resident physicians at UAB Hospital; and Moore is an internal medicine resident physician at UAB Hospital.

Justin Fargason graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law this past spring.

MotionMobs LLC, a Birminghambased software development company, recently appointed Robert Hahnemann as its chief executive officer.

Hahnemann was previously a project manager with the company.

Rev. Miriam Smith completed her Master of Divinity degree from Duke University in May 2012 and is serving as associate pastor at First United Methodist Church of Alabaster.

Theresa “Tara” Wohleber Speigle, CPA, was recently promoted to senior consultant in the Assurance and Advisory Department of Beason & Nalley Inc., a fullservice accounting and consulting firm in Huntsville. Speigle’s audit experience includes government contractors, local governments, employee benefit plans, manufacturers, biotechnology, and not-for-profit organizations. She is married to Michael Speigle.

’10 After graduating from the University of Alabama in May with a master’s degree in English

Choral reunion—Members of the college’s former Hugh Thomas Chorus met at Birmingham’s Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse on April 24 to celebrate the anniversary of their Town Hall Concert in Manhattan in 1951, which received rave reviews in all the New York newspapers, especially The New York Times. Enjoying the memories were (left to right) Jean Gilmer Simmons ’49, Janice Henry Williams ’52, Dorothy Griffis Jones ’47, Ann Armbrester Clark ’53, and BSC friend Andrew Glaze. Glaze, who attended with his wife, Adrianna, was recently named Poet Laureate of Alabama. Unable to attend this year’s reunion were Julia Ann Gilmer Glenn ’51, Barbara Barnett Smith ’53, and Frieda Roser White ’51.

literature, Kimberly Paige Farris has begun a Ph.D. program in English literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a Hanner Fellowship. This past summer, she worked as the AmeriCorps administrator at the YWCA Central Alabama.

Kelly Gronemeyer recently earned a master’s degree in biology from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. Gronemeyer presented a portion of the results of her thesis, “Antimicrobial function of alkaloids in geographically different populations of Oophaga pumilio (Dendrobatid) and Melanophryniscus simplex (Bufonid) frog skin,” at the 2013 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in Albuquerque, N.M. This fall, she is teaching high school biology at John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham.

’11 Anthony Bianchi graduated from UAB in December 2012 with an MPH degree in epidemiology. He began studies at the Alabama School of Osteopathic Medicine in Dothan in August.

Brad Elsinger is a capital recovery analyst for small business funder Kabbage Inc. in Atlanta. The company is a leader among finance companies worldwide.

Ashley Pittman began graduate studies in clinical mental health counseling at Troy University in Troy, Ala., this fall.

’12 Katie Adams is serving as a TEFL teacher and trainer in the U.S. Peace Corps in Nicaragua until November 2014. She is writing and sharing photos about her experience at http:// katiewandering.wordpress.com.

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CLASSNOTES as a special education teacher at Center Point Elementary School.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Qualls of Decatur, Ala., completed her 27-month commitment as a mathematics teacher with the U.S. Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa, in August. She is now applying to graduate schools in the U.S. Thomas Ray was hired last fall as the first employee of the Birmingham-based clothing brand State Traditions. He manages the company’s inventory, online retail fulfillment, and wholesale fulfillment for more than 300 fine

A six-sibling success story—Madeline NeSmith

graduated from Birmingham-Southern in May and sent us a photo of her and her five siblings on their family vacation in Carmel, Calif., the week of the 4th of July. Five are BSC grads—soon to be six! Pictured (from left to right) at Julia Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur, Calif., are Mary Brittain NeSmith Blankenship ’05, Cal NeSmith ’07, Neal NeSmith ’09, Rob NeSmith ‘11, Madeline NeSmith ’13, and Andrew NeSmith, who is a sophomore at BSC. Thirteen of Madeline’s family members traveled to California this summer, including parents, grandparents, siblings and their spouses, and a niece. Madeline is currently in Okayama, Japan, teaching English to preschoolers.

Jesse Calvert is traveling around the world and performing with Royal Caribbean cruise line, having recently visited the Baltic Sea Region. She previously danced and toured with the Atlanta Dance Connection.

Winston Crute has finished his first year teaching math in Huntsville through Teach for America. He plans to start medical school at the University of South Alabama in 2014.

Julia Guyton is a wildlife biologist in a cooperative position with The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Forest Service, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Her work includes studying salamanders, deer, and black bears

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in the Apalachicola National Forest and Tate’s Hell State Forest in Florida.

Karly Kitabchi is pursuing her master’s degree in marriage and family counseling and also teaching full-time at the Hilltop Montessori School in Birmingham, which “I love,” she says.

Sara Menton is completing a Graduate Teaching Fellowship in Asian studies at the University of Oregon.

Erica Ogle is the recipient of a TransTeam grant from UAB’s Department of Education. Ogle is working full-time on a master’s degree in early childhood special education. She also is working

men’s clothing stores that carry the brand.

Alex Wilson is the owner of Wilson Taxidermy in Franklin, Tenn. He also does wedding and engagement photography.

Nathaniel “Nat” Yonce is working on a Master of Philosophy in Music and Media Technologies (sound engineering) degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. He was one of 14 students accepted out of an applicant pool of 70 and is the only American in this international program.

Friends The award-winning documentary AROVA, featuring the late and former BSC dance instructor Dame Sonia Arova, was included in the Russian exhibit “The Enchanted Wanderers” held in February at the University of North Carolina in Asheville. Dame Arova, a Bulgarian-born ballerina, was the Alabama Ballet’s founding artistic director and a faculty member at BSC along with her husband, Thor Sutowski, in 1976-77. Therese Roach Laeger ’79 served as executive producer, Colleen Laeger was director and producer, and Brittany Laeger ’11 handled media relations.

Best-selling author, speaker, and Southern humorist Melinda Rainey Thompson of Homewood wrote her fourth book last year, I’ve Had it Up to Here With Teenagers. A collection of essays, the book takes aim squarely at her three children. Thompson was a member of BSC’s English faculty from 1988-94.

Weddings Anne Maloney Spiece ’73 to Gerald Woods, May 5, 2012.

Charlotte Kelly ’04 to Walker Wells, July 20, 2013.

Jessie Wagner ’09 to Logan Pippin, Feb. 9, 2013.

Galen Boehme ’10 to Robyn Mielke ’12, Sept. 29, 2012.

Keith Gray ’10 to Jennifer Commander ’12, Aug. 10, 2013.

Katie Welsh ’10 to Andrew Shelton ’11, Aug. 31, 2013.

Samuel Bratt ’12 to Brittany Wheeler ’13, June 7, 2013.

Blakeley Childress ’12 to Lucas Strickland ’12, Oct. 6, 2012.

Jamie Hodge ’12 to Richard Bubb, Jan. 19, 2013.

Hannah Howell ’12 to Benjamin Johnson, June 2, 2012.

Births A son, Brian Christopher Templeman II, Nov. 5, 2012, to Brian Christopher Templeman Jones ’90 and wife, Kandye.

A son, Henry Thomas, April 12, 2013, to Rev. Dana Pender Brady ’94 and husband, Jake (big brother, Jed).

A son, Nico Sebastian, March 25, 2013, to Nicole Bates Provonchee ’95 and husband, Zach (big brother, Luca).

CLASSNOTES A daughter, Elizabeth Laurens, May 14, 2012, to Sarah Parker Scaffidi ’95 and husband, John Michael Scaffidi ’96 (big brothers, Matt and Will, and big sister, Emme).

Proud grandparents are R. Michael Parker ’68 and Trudy Jeffries Parker ’69. Other relatives include aunt Jennifer Parker Graul ’98 and greatgrandmother Mary Ruth Franklin Jeffries ’41.

A son, Matthew James, Feb. 8, 2013, to Melissa Cotney Dooley ’98 and husband, Adam (big brothers, Jackson and William).

A daughter, Millie McK, Jan. 2, 2013, to Russ Parrish ’00 and wife, Carol Jean “CJ” Alexander Parrish ’02 (big brother, Wilson, and big sister, Ally).

A daughter, Elisha Marie, Dec. 8, 2012, to Lindsay Peck Denton ’01 and husband, Nathan.

A son, Walker Haynes, April 2, 2013, to Ann Patton Nelson Hornthal ’01 and husband, Lang (big brother, Patton Ashe).

A daughter, Alice Holbrook, Feb. 13, 2013, to Brooke Emfinger Reid ’03 and husband, Phelps.

A daughter, Savannah Grace, July 15, 2013, to Stephanie Houston Mays ’04 and husband, Bernard “BJ” Mays Jr. ’04.

A son, Christopher Knox Jr., June 30, 2013, to Christopher Knox Friedman ’05 and wife, Anna Russell.

A daughter, Catherine Favor, Nov. 19, 2012, to Suelin Joe Schilleci ’05 and husband, Phillip.

A daughter, Lillian Hartsell, Nov. 28, 2012, to Rankin Miller Langley ’06 and husband, Travis.

A son, George “Quinn” A. Nelson V, June 14, 2013, to Dr. George A. Nelson IV ’06 and wife, Dr. Jennifer Turnham Nelson ’06.

Proud aunt is Mary Stewart Nelson ’01.

In Memoriam Harriet Hanover Glasspiegel ’39 of Longboat Key, Fla., formerly of Milwaukee, Wis., on Oct. 13, 2011. She enjoyed spending time with friends and traveling with her husband, who operated the John Glasspiegel Co. in Milwaukee with his brother for some 40 years.

Her retirement activities included tennis, painting, and volunteer work. She is survived by three sons.

Dr. Orizaba Emfinger ’41 of Union Springs on June 14, 2013.

Emfinger was a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Medicine and practiced medicine

in the Union Springs community for more than 50 years. He was past president of the Alabama Medical Association and recipient of the Samuel Buford Word Award.

Emfinger served as a captain in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army during World War II. “He was an avid supporter of BSC and sang the college’s praises literally until his last breath,” his granddaughter, Brooke Emfinger Reid ’03 of Montgomery, noted. Survivors also include a daughter, Sandra Emfinger Fay ’71 of Pensacola, Fla. In addition, his son, John Emfinger of Union Springs, and his daughter, Patricia Emfinger Shaner of Montgomery, attended BSC.

Betty Ann Hard Rhodes ’42 of Marietta, Ga., on June 12, 2013.

Rhodes earned a master’s degree in chemistry from Ohio State University. During World War II, she did research to produce a mold-free cloth used by the military. Rhodes made her lifelong home in Cobb County, where she was involved in local politics to improve the Cobb County school system. In later years, she was active in bringing inpatient hospice care to Cobb County, where she also served as a volunteer. She is survived by two sons.

Dr. Ralph W. Wadeson Jr. ’43 of Washington, D.C., on May 11, (continued on page 52)

In Memoriam ’40 Birmingham native and avid traveler Eulette Francis Carter passed away July 17, 2013, at the age of 93.

Her passion for travel took her to 48 states and 43 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. She was eager to understand different cultures, and she could recite each meal she ate during a trip.

Proud of her Southern heritage, Carter worked to end racism. She was the first secretary of Christians and Jews for Justice, a forerunner of Alabama Arise, an advocacy group for civil rights and economic opportunity. She was a devoted member of Trinity United Methodist Church.

Dedicated to lifelong learning, Carter was president of Les Meres, a study club for young mothers. After raising her three children, she taught math for several years at Pizitz Middle School. Later she was a founding member of New Horizons, the learning community for retirees at UAB. At age 62, Carter learned tap dancing and performed with “The Dancing Moms” at UAB and nursing homes. She was still active in Dialogues, a lively discussion group of well-educated women in their 50s through 90s.

At age 50, Carter earned a master’s degree in counseling from Samford University, and she was the first teacher/counselor at the adolescent day treatment center at the UAB Smolian Psychiatric Clinic.

She lived at Greenbriar at the Altamont for the last 18 years of her life, and served five years as president of the Residents’ Council. She is survived by two children.

Because of her generous donations to Birmingham-Southern, the college’s speech lab is named in her honor. The family requests that memorial donations be made to BSC through the Office of Institutional Advancement, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254.

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CLASSNOTES

FromtheArchives Take a stroll around BSC’s campus in 2013, and you’ll find students checking their emails, sifting through Facebook and Twitter feeds, and tapping away on smart phones, tablets, and iPads.

In the early 1900s, postcards were the medium of choice to send simple messages to loved ones and friends. Though postcards are still alive and well, here are a few records of campus and student life “back then.”

Birmingham-Southern College was formed during World War I by the merging of Southern University and Birmingham College.

This postcard contains a personal, handwritten note by a student and has SU’s traditional purple and white colors. Notice the 1 cent stamp!

BSC’s former art building opened in June 1965 and enabled broadening of the art curriculum to include, for the first time, sculpture and graphics.

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CLASSNOTES

BSC’s original fountain stood in front of the Snavely Student Center, the predecessor to the Norton Campus Center. The center serves as the hub of student life on campus.

Ramsay Hall, the college’s former science building, was torn down and replaced by the Harbert Building in the 1980s.

A road originally crossed the BSC quad where the Edwards Bell Tower stands today. The buildings pictured (from left) are Ramsay Hall, now the Harbert Building; Phillips Library, now the Phillips Administration Building; Munger Hall; and Phillips Science Building.

fall 2013 / 51

CLASSNOTES

2013. He attended BSC and Emory University and graduated from the Medical College of Alabama.

Wadeson served in the U.S. Navy as a physician assigned to a Marine unit during the Korean War. His wartime experience motivated him to select psychiatry as a medical specialty. He began practicing psychiatry in the D.C. area in 1958, when he moved to Bethesda, Md., and joined the staff at the National Institutes of Mental Health. Two years later, he opened a private practice in Bethesda and later in Clinton, Md., and D.C., before retiring in 2007.

Elsie McClain Clotfelter ’45 of Birmingham, formerly of Columbus, Miss., on March 8, 2013. Clotfelter was a former schoolteacher. Her loves were her children, family, friends, flowers, and reading.

Dr. John Akin Jr. ’49 of Mountain Brook on March 1, 2013. After BSC, Akin entered the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, which was interrupted by a twoyear stint as a captain in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps.

After service, he returned to Pennsylvania for surgical training, where he was chief resident of the University of Pennsylvania Hospital from 1960-61. Afterward, Akin returned to Birmingham and began private practice as a surgeon. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Baptist Health System Surgical Residency program. Survivors include his wife and three children, including Kathleen Smyly Parsons ’78 of Birmingham. He is predeceased by his son, Dr. John Akin III ’84.

Jerry N. “Buddy” Oxford ’50 of Leeds on Feb. 24, 2013. Oxford was a longtime principal at Leeds High School and an active member of that community. As one of the top men’s basketball players in BSC history, he was inducted into the college’s Sports Hall of

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In Memoriam ’55 Dr. Robert Thomas Cargo died on Dec. 23, 2012, in Philadelphia, Penn., at the age of 79. He was a longtime resident of Tuscaloosa.

After graduating from BirminghamSouthern, Cargo earned a master’s degree from the University of Alabama and received his Ph.D. in French with a specialty in 19th century French literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a member of the department of Romance Languages and Classics at the University of Alabama for 25 years until his retirement in 1990.

Cargo was an avid collector of Southern folk and outsider art and was a supporter of many Alabama artists. He was the owner of the Robert Cargo Folk Art Gallery, which remained in downtown Tuscaloosa for 20 years.

He and his wife began a quilt collection in the ‘50s. Significant portions of the Cargo collection of African-American quilts are held in the International Quilt Study Center in Nebraska, and their extensive collection of Alabama-made quilts is housed in the Birmingham Museum of Art. At the request of the family, memorial contributions can be made to the Helen and Robert Cargo Scholarship for International Study at BSC through the Office of Institutional Advancement, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254. He established the scholarship in 2009 to support students in study-abroad programs in France and other Francophone countries for a January term, a semester, or a year.

Fame in 1985. He was a longtime supporter of BSC’s athletics program. Survivors include his wife, Sara Killingsworth Oxford ’50.

traveled twice to Sicily to visit relatives and trace her heritage.

Among survivors are two sons and close cousin, Lucretia Giattina Anderton ’59 of Birmingham.

Antonia Rizzo Reed ’50 of Houston, Texas, formerly of Birmingham, on Feb. 26, 2013.

After graduating from BSC, Reed began working at the UAB Medical Center. She loved music and literature. Reed was a supporter of the performing arts and loved to attend theatre, opera, symphony, and chamber music performances.

She sang in the choir at Houston’s First Unitarian Church. She

James W. Walker Jr. ’50 of Carrollton, Ga., on Jan. 29, 2013.

He served as a lieutenant of artillery in the U.S. Army during World War II and during the occupation of Japan. Walker attended the Emory University School of Law after BSC, and was later honored by both institutions as a distinguished alumnus. He received a fellowship from Harvard University. Among his career

highlights, Walker served as general counsel of the American Stock Exchange and was head of the legal department for Merrill Lynch in New York. He also served as chairman of the American Liver Foundation and was on the board of directors of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. After retirement, he formed M.C. Investors, a real estate investment firm. He is survived by his wife and five children, including Michael Walker ’74 of Pottstown, Pa. Michael’s grandfather, James W. Walker Sr. ’74, was deemed the oldest living BSC graduate before he passed away in 1992.

CLASSNOTES

In Memoriam ’59 Carol Clotfelter Golson of Gadsden, formerly of Birmingham, passed away on April 11, 2013.

She was 75.

Golson was a schoolteacher who exhibited a deep commitment to education through mentoring children and modeling lifelong learning. She taught first grade at Cleveland Elementary School for nearly 10 years and retired from the Blount County Board of Education in 1998.

Golson also taught and ministered jointly with her husband, Rev. Henry Golson ’60, now a retired United Methodist minister. She enjoyed homemaking, travel, camping, gardening, and sewing.

In addition to her husband, survivors include a brother, J. Emory Clotfelter ’63 of Mechanicsville, Va., and daughters Rev. Clare Golson Doyle ’85 of Shelbyville, Tenn.; Elizabeth Golson McGlaughn ’87 of Birmingham; and Dr. Linda Golson Bradley ’96 of Milledgeville, Ga. At the request of the family, memorial contributions can be made to the George W. Clotfelter Scholarship at BSC through the Office of Institutional Advancement, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254. George Clotfelter was Carol’s father. She was a lifelong supporter of and advocate for the college.

Joyce Elaine Powell ’52 of Cherokee Village, Ariz., on Dec. 12, 2012. She had retired from teaching in Texas and belonged to the Cherokee Village United Methodist Church, where she served as secretary. She is survived by two adopted daughters.

Rev. Richard Norris Robertson ’52 of Columbus, Ga., born in Talladega, Ala., on March 9, 2013.

Robertson was a graduate of Duke Divinity School and served as a United Methodist minister and pastoral counselor. He was founding director of the Pastoral Institute of Columbus, which now employs more than 70 counselors.

Robertson was instrumental in advocacy for marriage enrichment, counseling training for clergy, and many other areas. In June, the Pastoral Institute dedicated

the Richard N. Robertson Prayer Garden in his memory.

549003, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Birmingham, AL 35254.

Betty Godfrey Duncan ’55 of Tuscaloosa on July 15, 2013.

Duncan’s husband, Gerald, was a United Methodist minister and together they served churches throughout North Alabama.

Wherever they lived, she taught school, usually first grade, and she had a passion for teaching children to read. Duncan earned a master’s degree in education from LaGrange College. After her husband’s death and her retirement from teaching, she moved to Tuscaloosa, where she remained active and enjoyed attending sporting events and musical programs at the University of Alabama. Survivors include a son and grandchildren. The family requests that donations be made to BSC through the Office of Institutional Advancement, Box

James “Jim” E. Gray ’57 of Melbourne, Fla., formerly of Birmingham, on March 8, 2013.

Gray and his wife moved to Melbourne in 1961 when he became owner of Space Coast Vending Co. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where he served in the Hurricane Hunters. Gray was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Melbourne, where he served in the choir for many years, and was an active member of the Bull Creek Hunt Club. Among his survivors are two brothers, Dr. Robert M. Gray ’54 of Sylacauga and T. Randolph Gray ’61 of Birmingham.

Kathryn McDonough Browdy ’59 of Gulf Shores, born in Birmingham, on Aug. 14, 2012.

She was a teacher and was active at her church and in her community. She was married to Charles Browdy ’54 for more than 50 years, and moved with him to Chicago; South Bend, Ind.; Atlanta; and finally to her dream home on Mobile Bay in the Ft. Morgan community. She was the mother of four children and grandmother of seven.

Larry Joseph Lamon ’69 of Birmingham on June 24, 2013. He had retired from Southern Natural Gas Co. with 20 years of service.

Lamon was a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church, where he previously worked with the youth program. He is survived by his wife.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Morgan Stewart ’74 of Hazel Green, Ala., formerly of Birmingham, on April 18, 2013. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University and a Doctor of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary.

He was a United Methodist pastor, serving a number of pastorates in the North Alabama Conference of the UMC. He was ordained an elder in 1979. He is survived by a son, Nathan Stewart ’02 of Jacksonville, Fla., and two daughters, including Skye Stewart ’06 of Somerville, Ma. Elizabeth Chatham Hammond ’77 of Decatur, formerly of Huntsville, on March 14, 2013.

Hammond was a multitalented homemaker and stay-at-home mother dedicated to her family.

She made friends wherever she went and charmed many with her compassion, generosity, and humor. She is survived by her husband and daughter.

Joe Corcoran ’79 of St. Bernard, Ohio, on Feb. 13, 2013. He was the athletics director at Roger Bacon High School in Cincinnati and a former BSC assistant baseball coach.

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CLASSNOTES a lifelong animal advocate. Both were strong supporters of the college.

In Memoriam Friend Business leader Wayne W. Killion Sr. died on March 31, 2013, at the age of 87. He was a longtime resident of Birmingham.

Killion served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a line officer on the USS Ozark. He attended Tulane University and graduated from Howard College (now Samford University).

He began his business career as a public accountant before moving into private accounting with Shook & Fletcher Supply Co. in 1949. In 1964, Killion began working for Shook & Fletcher Insulation Co. as its vice president of finance. In 1967, he and five partners bought the insulation company. Over the years, he served as vice president of finance, president, and finally as chair of the board before his retirement in 2002.

Killion was instrumental in the company’s growth, including the establishment of a Marine division in Pascagoula, Miss., which insulated U.S. Naval ships at Ingalls shipyard, and the acquisition of Shook & Fletcher Supply Co., which specializes in mining equipment. In 1993, he founded Sunbelt Insulation Co. He was a member of the Southeastern Insulation Contractors Association and the National Insulation Association (NIA), serving as president of both organizations.

In 2004, Killion received the NIA President’s Award, which is the highest honor bestowed by the association. In 2011, he was inducted into the Birmingham Business Hall of Fame.

Killion was especially proud of establishing the Christine Cooper Killion Scholarship Fund at Birmingham-Southern and the Christine and Wayne Killion Student Progress Scholarship at the University of Montevallo, which have been responsible for helping numerous young people reach their dreams of a higher education. He particularly enjoyed meeting personally with students who were scholarship recipients.

He is survived by his wife and two sons, Christopher Killion ’75 and Dr. Wayne Killion Jr. ’72, chair of the BSC Board of Trustees.

Laura Beth Monroe Gill ’97 of Birmingham on March 26, 2013.

She was employed in the corporate office of BBVA Compass. Among survivors are her husband, Eugene Gill Jr. ’95, two daughters, and sister Meredith Monroe Kitey ’93 of Dunwoody, Ga. Dr. Rachel Frisbie Maidens ’00 of Brentwood, Tenn. on April 21, 2013. Maidens graduated from the University of Florida’s College of

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Dental Medicine before eventually returning to her hometown of Brentwood to open up her own practice. She belonged to various professional affiliations, including the American Association of Orthodontics and American Dental Association. Survivors include a brother, Dr. Brent Frisbie ’99 of Brentwood.

Friends Helen “Marge” Sleeth Butsch of Birmingham, formerly of Dayton, Ohio, on Feb. 5, 2013.

Butsch graduated from Ohio State University with an MBA. She worked at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in research and development where she met her husband, Leonard Butsch Jr. ’40, who is now deceased. She was

Claire Haines Fairley of Birmingham on May 5, 2013.

A graduate of Connecticut College, Fairley loved the arts and flowers and was a patron of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, Alys Stephens Center, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and Birmingham Museum of Art. She and her husband lived in Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Montreal before moving to Birmingham in 1972. Fairley was a member of several garden and literary clubs, among her many affiliations. She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Fairley Jr. ’34.

They were generous supporters of BSC. Louise Ward Hubbs of Tuscaloosa on Aug. 21, 2013. When not teaching math, she filled every moment by playing the piano, singing in choirs, exploring new places, helping in church, giving selflessly, and making many friends. Among survivors are her son, BSC Professor of the Library Dr. Guy Hubbs, his wife Patricia, and three granddaughters, including BSC Admission Counselor Claire Ward Hubbs ’11. With her family, Louise endowed the Hubbs Award in 2006 that provides a generous scholarship and cash award to a student who best exemplifies the twin principles on which BSC was founded: academic excellence and selfless service. The family requests that memorial donations be made to the BSC Library Fund through the Office of Institutional Advancement, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254.

CLASSNOTES

In Memoriam Friend Dr. Virginia Pitts Rembert Liles, noted art historian, died on July 5, 2013, in Birmingham at the age of 91.

Liles’ teaching, scholarship achievements, and leadership in the arts spanned more than 45 years. She was a member of the Birmingham-Southern faculty from 1960-73 and was the first woman to chair the college’s Art Department.

She held many other teaching and administrative appointments around the U.S., including Beloit College, the Massachusetts College of Art, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Liles earned her bachelor’s degree from the Alabama College for Women (now University of Montevallo); an MFA from Teachers’ College, Columbia University; a master’s in art history from the University of Wisconsin; and a Ph.D. in art history and archeology from Columbia.

Marilyn Brown ’72 wrote about her former teacher, “I always remember her as a combination of awesome erudition and gracious elegance. She set me on my life’s course as an art historian. She made me realize that learning is not a chore or exercise, but a rich lifelong pursuit.”

Liles wrote two books, one on Dutch painter Piet Mondrian and one on Netherlandish painter Hieronymus Bosch. She was also a regular contributor to Art News and Women’s Art Journal.

After retirement from college teaching, she lived in New York City from 1991-2006. In 1993, she married artist Raeford Liles. In 2006, they moved to their native city, Birmingham, where she continued to write and follow her secondary interests of drawing and painting watercolors.

Class Notes submissions You can send news of weddings, births, deaths, job changes, career highlights, honors, and awards directly to Birmingham-Southern through the college’s online alumni community at www.bsc.edu/alumni. Or, you may submit them via email to Pat Cole at pcole@bsc.edu.

fall 2013 / 55

‘SOUTHERN VOICES

A spirited improvisation starring the students

by Dr. Duane Pontius ’81, T. Morris Hackney Professor of Physics To most students, a good class seems to require a perfect lecture, one that lays out the truth of the subject with such elegance that comprehension

class from the perfect explanation of the instructor to the muddled feedback of the students, for therein lies the real value. The student’s brain arrives filled with a jumble of half scrawled and incompletely erased fragments of conflicting ideas—a far cry from a blank slate waiting to receive the truth. The teacher’s task is to engage those ill-formed conceptions and force them into conflict with new insights.

Resolving that conflict via vigorous discussion leads students to a robust understanding. Otherwise, those misconceptions lurk in the recesses and re-emerge after the final exam to vanquish any gains made.

What is now called “flipping” (see page 20) simply means reorienting the classroom meeting away from delivering material via lecture and toward activities that explore the subtleties and implications of ideas introduced outside the class. For example, terms and definitions, narrative exposition, and formal derivations are generally best covered in private at the student’s convenience and pace. If attempted in the classroom, the resulting notes are generally copied verbatim from the board with little comprehension.

After flipping, class becomes the nexus in which the outside portions of the course come together and mesh.

Pontius is unavoidable. (Ideally, it should be entertaining as well.) However, if knowledge really can be imparted by simply explaining well, then why hasn’t someone else already achieved such a divine arrangement of words and published them? Indeed, as Samuel Johnson said to Boswell, “I cannot see that lectures can do so much good as reading the books from which the lectures are taken.”

That realization set me to refocus my

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Now, I post my former lecture notes online for students to read before class. To make sure they study them, students must complete a brief essay assignment that applies the principles in a real-world example. Reading those essays also gives me insight into whatever difficulties are troubling their comprehension, so I can plan accordingly. Moreover, credit for these essays depends on students conscientiously explaining their thoughts, not on them getting the right

answer. I know the right answer. What I need to know is how my students are thinking about the subject.

Being able to enter the classroom with a basic understanding of where the students’ thoughts are that day is a great benefit for me. To assess comprehension during class, I have the students use electronic clickers to respond to a series of multiple-choice questions. These seem deceptively simple because the incorrect responses are deliberately targeted at common misconceptions. I choose particular questions based on what I learned from the pre-class exercises and I add or drop other questions as the class progresses.

This way, the real learning takes place as students try to explain their reasoning to their peers. Any teacher will agree that you learn best when you try to explain something to someone else! I play a supporting role, circulating among the groups, addressing questions, offering hints and prodding where needed, and taking the pulse of the overall level of understanding. I poll the students again when I sense general convergence. The responses typically go from an initial scattershot of guesses to solid understanding of the correct answer.

Class is thus transformed from the choreographed performance of a professor to a spirited improvisation starring the students. Standardized tests designed to assess genuine learning confirm that students using this method really understand physics and aren’t simply memorizing a few examples. The rewards are improved learning and, frankly, a lot more fun. I can’t imagine going back.

BSC Snapshots Daniel Whitecage, Steven Wilson, and Lexi Smith enjoy a dip in the Norton Center fountain following the May 2013 Commencement ceremony. This was believed to be the first year of the “senior splash!�

BSC Snapshots Birmingham-Southern’s annual Honor Code Induction Ceremony was the culminating event of New Student Orientation. By signing the pledge, each first-year student made a commitment to themselves, and more importantly to each other, that they will abide by and uphold the Honor Code during their time at BSC. To read more about this year’s new students, see page 12.

Parting Shot

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