TROY Magazine - Fall 2016

MAGAZINE Fall 2016

EAST MEETS WEST

IN NEW CULTURAL ARTS PARK

Former athlete saves lives in flood Faculty legacies enable study abroad, preserve music Meet the Alumni of the Year Ballet places spotlight on Helen Keller’s private life Alumna becomes highest ranking woman in U.S. military history

Troy University Magazine Fall 2016 Executive Editor Donna Clark Schubert Editor Samantha Johnson Art Directors Rob Drinkard (’09), Mark Moseley ('97, '99) Copy Editors Andy Ellis, Emily Price (’09) Contributors Reba Allen (’75), Matt Clower (’04), Tom Davis (’81), Andy Ellis, Clif Lusk, Jane Martin (’97, ’99), Greg Phillips (‘06), Adam Prendergast, Emily Price (’09), Jonathan Sellers (’07, ‘11), Josh Yohn (’07, ’14) Photographers Kevin Glackmeyer, Mark Moseley (’97, ’99) Printer JKG Group, Inc. Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. Senior Vice Chancellor, Advancement & Economic Development Maj. Gen. Walter D. Givhan, USAF, Retired (’89) Associate Vice Chancellor, Development Dr. Jean Laliberte Associate Vice Chancellor, Marketing & Communication Donna Clark Schubert Director, Alumni Affairs Faith Ward (’81, ’87) Director, Marketing Samantha Johnson Director, University Relations Matt Clower (’04) President, Troy University Alumni Association Bob Boothe (’63, ’78) Troy University Magazine is published three times a year for the alumni and friends of Troy University. For more information, contact the Office of Marketing and Communication at: 256 Adams Administration Building Troy, AL 36082 Phone: (334) 670-5830 Fax: (334) 670-3274 E-mail: troymagazine@troy.edu Troy University Magazine welcomes comments, ideas and suggestions from readers. Editors reserve the right to decide if letters to the editor will be published and to edit submissions for content and length.

Copyright 2016 by Troy University, all rights reserved.

Troy University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist and doctoral degrees.

Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Troy University. The Commission is to be contacted only if there is evidence that appears to support an institution’s significant non-compliance with a requirement or standard.

troy.edu F ind us on: troy.edu/social and @ http://troy.today

From left: Mallory Houston, Alexus Martin and Kailey DeMartino enjoy the excitement of Bid Day. This year marks the 50 th anniversary of Greek life at TROY.

FEATURED STORIES 9 THE GIFT OF MUSIC TROY student creates nonprofit to expand music education in India

11 DEEP CALLING

Former football player saves lives during Louisiana flood

13

PLANNED GIVING

ON THE COVER The face of one of TROY’s newest terracotta warrior statues—created

by Chinese artist Dr. Huo Bao Zhu—was unveiled in the summer in preparation for installation in the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park on the Troy Campus.

TROY faculty plan their legacies; You can, too!

17 MAKING HISTORY TROY students help make a historic discovery in Israel

19 CU LTURAL ARTS PAR K East meets West with art

installation on the Troy Campus

21 ALUMN I OFGetTHE YEAR to know this

year’s honorees

27 HELEN KELLER

Renowned dancer places spotlight on famous author's private life

29 ROBINSON

MAKES H I STORY

TROY grad becomes Air Force’s first female combatant commander

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 TORCHLIGHT

6 CHAPTE R NEWS 23 ATHLETICS 30ALUM NOTES

FROM THE DESK OF THE CHANCELLOR This issue of the Troy University Magazine features coverage of one of the more exciting capital projects we have undertaken at TROY in several years—the transformation of Stewart Hall into the International Arts Center and the accompanying Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park. I am certain that TROY alumni from across the globe will be proud of this project and will want to visit our Troy campus to see it for themselves.

The International Arts Center will feature two main galleries named for the internationally acclaimed artist Nall Hollis, a Troy native, and Dr. Huo Bao Zhu of Xi’an, China, who has donated several statues that adorn our campuses. The center will also house classroom and office space for the Department of Art and Design, as well as an interpretive center that will tell the fascinating story of the Chinese Terracotta Army, one of the most remarkable archeological finds in history.

The park will showcase some 200 terracotta warrior reproductions produced by Dr. Huo—ensconced in three special “warrior pits.” I predict the exhibit will become a major tourist attraction for Alabama. The park, with its terracotta warriors from China and the statuary donated by the artist Nall, will become a place where two distinct cultures converge—where East meets West.

The genesis of the international flavor of the cultural arts park is our commitment to prepare students who are globally competitive. As “Alabama’s International University,” we serve students from 76 nations speaking 80 languages. The park is a perfect complement to our mission.

This edition also shines the spotlight on our four Distinguished Alumni of the Year. This year, we recognize Chuck Ash, Wiley Locklar, Dr. Imogene Mixon and Dr. Yves Sucaet. We began this tradition in 1955, and to date we have honored 147 Alumni of the Year. Congratulations to these outstanding Trojans!

We also welcome two new alumni chapters—the Conecuh County Chapter and the Murder Creek Chapter, which covers Escambia County, Alabama. Murder Creek is the 63rd chapter chartered, and I am proud of our growth in this area. We need more TROY alumni to get involved in the life of our University!

Finally, I wanted to extend the invitation for you to return to campus October 15 for Homecoming events as well as the November 12 football game vs. Appalachian State, which is our annual Military Appreciation Game. It’s always a pleasure to welcome you home to TROY!

Sincerely,

Jack Hawkins, Jr., Ph.D. Chancellor

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4 TORCHLIGHT

Starring in Troy Montgomery’s recent commercial series, William Filmore ('11) stands on the steps of Alabama’s State Capitol while cameras roll. Filmore, a graduate of Troy University, works in Montgomery and shares in the excitement of Troy Montgomery’s vision for the future.

TROY MONTGOMERY HELPS REVITALIZE CAPITAL CITY A fixture on Montgomery Street since the early 1970s, Troy Montgomery has played an important role in the revitalization of Alabama’s capital city. With the renovation of the Whitley Hotel and the Davis Theatre, the construction of the Rosa Parks Library and Museum, located on the spot of Mrs. Parks’ arrest, and the new Barnes & Noble Trojan Café, the Trojan Warrior Spirit is alive and well within the heart of Montgomery.

Troy Montgomery is investing in the success of the River Region by offering academic opportunities in the areas of social work, human resource management, computer science, psychology, business, counseling, adult education master’s degree programs and more.

“Now more than ever, Troy Montgomery is helping to fuel the success of our capital city,” Vice Chancellor Dr. Lance Tatum said. “Right here, in the heart of downtown Montgomery, Troy University is making a difference in the lives of working professionals who are excited about seizing and creating new opportunities for themselves and their families.”

At Troy Montgomery, each academic year is divided into five nine-week terms allowing students the option to earn their degrees faster. Also, with classes offered

nights, weekends and online, students will find convenience as they seek to advance their careers.

TROY’s Montgomery campus offers more than 20 community and corporate partnerships, which empower local professionals to continue their training within TROY’s graduate programs and chart new courses toward success.

“Every day, we’re ensuring that our students are not only advancing their careers—they’re also moving our great city forward,” Tatum said.

Troy Montgomery's Trojan Cafe TROY Magazine · 4

Assuming command: Capt. Danielle Pankey heads up TROY for Troops Center Capt. Danielle Pankey, Army National Guard, is no stranger to Troy University and certainly well aware of the University’s commitment to serving active-duty military and veterans.

Capt. Pankey was named the new director of the University’s TROY for Troops Center in March after the retirement of founding director Capt. Dave Barron, U.S. Army, retired.

As director of the TROY for Troops Center, she oversees support services for veterans and active duty military members at all campuses, as well as the University’s virtual veteran support center. The center functions as a one-stop hub for service members and family members who are TROY students.

As director, Pankey also oversees the University’s Green Zone training initiative, which is designed to equip TROY faculty and staff with the tools necessary to assist and provide guidance with needs that are unique to military-affiliated students.

Pankey had previously been responsible for veteran state authorizations and participating in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement, as well as coordinating community college articulation agreements and partnerships in support of military families transferring to TROY. A 10-year employee, she previously was the University’s Veterans Affairs certifying official at TROY’s Tampa service center and MacDill Air Force Base.

TROY welcomes military, Appalachian State Nov. 12 Troy University is proud of its history of service to the United States military and will, once again, honor military men and women during its annual Salute to Military football game on November 12.

The Trojans will welcome Sun Belt Conference foe Appalachian State to Veterans Memorial Stadium, and the University is planning several recognitions, including a special halftime show by the renowned Sound of the South Marching Band and a ceremonial laying of a wreath by members of TROY’s Veterans Alumni Chapter.

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Above and below: Capt. Danielle Pankey (right) discusses TROY for Troops plans with Alabama Representative Martha Roby (left).

SAVE THE DATE

Military Appreciation Day November 12 Appalachian State vs. TROY

The University’s service to the military is frequently recognized through rankings and recognition and, occasionally, through expressions of appreciation. A recent letter received from Lt. Col. Christopher S. Litwhiler thanked the University for its service to military men and women. “I truly do appreciate the work that Troy University does in taking care of our soldiers and going out of their way to ensure they can continue their education in austere environments.”

Today, nearly 30 percent of the TROY student body is made up of students with affiliation to the military, and thousands of current students and alumni who are serving in harm’s way.

6 CHAPTER NEWS

Murder Creek joins TROY as newest alumni chapter

The Troy University Murder Creek Trojan Alumni Chapter held its first meeting on August 16 at the Country Club of Brewton. At the event, Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. served as speaker, and the chapter was officially recognized as the 63rd alumni chapter of the University.

Director of Alumni Affairs Faith Ward installed chapter officers, (from left) Andrew Clark, secretary/ public relations, Elizabeth Rush Pugh, treasurer, Jamie Manning, president, and Melanie McGougin, vice-president. The Murder Creek Trojan Alumni Chapter is currently accepting members. TROY alumni, family and friends are all welcome to become a part of the chapter. Connect with the group on Facebook by searching the name Troy University Murder Creek Alumni Chapter.

Become a Lifetime Member Become a lifetime member of TROY’s Alumni Association and stay in touch with your alma mater! As a lifetime member, you’ll have access to some of the most anticipated and exclusive alumni events, and you’ll save money on dues in the long run. Payment plans are available for individual lifetime memberships ($500) and joint memberships ($750). As a member of TROY’s Alumni Association, not only will you reconnect with some of your favorite people, you’ll also provide fantastic opportunities to new generations of TROY Trojans.

TROJAN WAR R IOR

FOR LI FE

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Founded in 1887 ◆ troy.edu/alumni TROY Magazine · 6

New Conecuh Alumni Chapter focused on building scholarships The Conecuh Alumni Chapter became the University’s Brock said much of the emphasis of the chapter would be nd 62 chapter when it officially chartered in May at Pine Top on building scholarships for local students.

“There is no better way to support our University than Lodge in Evergreen. by scholarships,” he said. “Our goal is to endow a local Organized by 1985 graduate Jeff Brock, who has served scholarship for incoming as district judge in freshmen from Conecuh Conecuh County for County within three 22 years, the chapter years while providing had more than 60 two annual scholarships alumni and friends as the endowment gather for the festivities continues to grow.” that included a visit Following a social from Chancellor Dr. hour, a barbecue dinner Jack Hawkins, Jr. and was served, during updates from Alumni which Tanner Gorum, Affairs staffer Tanner nd The Conecuh Alumni Chapter chartered in May became the University's 62 chapter. a freshman attending Hicks and Associate Participating in the chartering ceremonies are from left, Ryan Williams, vice president; TROY on a leadership Athletics Director Steve District Judge Jeff Brock, president; Faith Ward, alumni director; Chancellor Dr. Jack scholarship, and Drew Stroud. Alumni Affairs Hawkins, Jr.; Doris Gorum, secretary; Trip Hendrix, treasurer; and Steve Stroud, senior Ann Lambert, an Director Faith Ward associate director of athletics for external affairs. incoming freshman swore in the inaugural on a Chancellor’s officers: Jeff Brock, Scholarship, were recognized, as was the Sessions family, president, J. Ryan Williams, vice president, Doris Gorum, owners of Conecuh Sausage—a financial supporter of secretary and Trip Hendrix, treasurer.

Trojan Athletics. John Crum, Sheila Sessions, John Henry “Establishing an alumni chapter has been a goal for many and Jamie Sessions presented Chancellor Hawkins with a years,” Brock said. “We see the need to support local youth gift for his support of the new chapter. attending TROY and the need to support our University.”

TROY Vietnam Alumni Chapter volunteers at orphanage Members of the TROY Vietnam Alumni Chapter recently spent time volunteering at Saint An’s Orphanage located in Bui Chu, Nam Dinh City. The group delivered gifts of rice, snacks and children’s books to the nearly 100 orphans, many of whom have disabilities, who call Saint An’s home.

The team was joined by Sorrell College of Business Professor Dr. Joe Teng, who serves as Assistant Dean for International Community Engagement.

TROY has an active community of alumni in Vietnam thanks to its partnerships with local universities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Last year, about 140 students received degrees from TROY in Vietnam.

Since its founding, the group has been actively involved in service projects, including providing school supplies and textbooks to a local elementary school, and funding scholarships for students in need.

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Mangum takes helm of TROY’s Student Alumni Association Summer has been busy for Montgomery native William Mangum, a senior exercise science pre-health major.

First, he was off to Cambodia for a U.S. Army-sponsored cultural exchange with the Royal Cambodian Army. An ROTC cadet set to commission in the Army following graduation, Mangum spent much of June teaching English to RCA soldiers. Then it was off to Fort Knox in July for ROTC Advanced Camp.

Ultimately, Mangum wants to be a physical therapist, but before that he’ll spend a tour of duty as president of the Student Alumni Association (SAA).

“The SAA is important because it gives students perspective on TROY as a whole. We work with the athletic department, student involvement and some of the colleges individually,” he said. “I think it’s an invaluable experience because you have the opportunity to connect with alumni of all ages and walks of life.”

The networking, Mangum adds, helps students with preparing for the workforce and offers leadership opportunities that aid professional development.

“My major emphasis will be on giving students the chance to connect with alumni in several different

settings. I believe the more students are connected to TROY, the more likely they are to support the University now and in the future,” he said.

His experiences with the SAA began four years after the 2010 founding of the association when he received an email inviting membership.

“It seemed like a great opportunity. I joined then and have progressively gotten more involved,” he said.

His involvement has led to the other leg of his presidential platform. “My goal is to have a large, active SAA that impacts positive change on the University” he said.

As with alumni membership, there are privileges associated with joining the official student group of the National Alumni Association. The $25 membership fee covers the student membership in the Alumni Association, a T-shirt, a subscription to TROY Magazine and access to tailgating events and networking opportunities.

“Everyone can’t play football. Everyone can’t be in a fraternity or sorority,” Alumni Affairs Director Faith Ward said. “But everyone can join the SAA. It’s a great way to build the Trojan tradition.”

Hopper embraces opportunity to serve as Veterans Alumni Chapter president Troy University is a military friendly institution. That was one of the first things Stephanie Hopper learned about TROY while earning her bachelor’s degree.

Today, the Marine Corps veteran is helping to ensure that reputation continues to be translated into action. Hopper, who received her bachelor’s degree in English in 2013 and is now pursuing a master’s degree in strategic communication, is the new president of TROY’s Veterans Alumni Chapter. In addition, she serves as the departmental secretary for the University’s TROY for Troops Center.

As for her new role as Veterans Alumni Chapter president, Hopper said she hopes to complete the chapter’s bylaws, plan a Military Appreciation Week and get the chapter involved in fundraising and events of the Student Veterans Association and SALUTE honor society.

“Through the TROY for Troops centers, the Student Veterans Association, SALUTE and the Veterans Alumni Chapter, we want to do everything in our power to equip military-affiliated students for success in academics and careers,” she said.

TROY Magazine · 8

by Greg Phillips

Ramkumar Jagadeesan didn’t grow up around music, but he fell in love with it all the same.

Now, the 37-year-old Troy University student is trying to spread that love to his home country of India, where music isn’t considered a priority in education and children often grow up without the option to listen to a wide array of music.

In 2014, Jagadeesan founded Project Missing Pieces, a public charitable trust operating in his homeland with the mission of providing quality music education and exposure to disadvantaged children and promoting music education.

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“We are trying to give music education to underprivileged children who don’t have access to formal education,” said Jagadeesan, who is studying music industry and psychology at the Troy Campus. “I have seen situations back home where I realize a set of 60 children, believe it or not, know only a couple of songs together. Everybody wanted to sing, but they kept singing the same songs.”

The lack of musical exposure not only keeps children from entertainment, he argues, but hampers their intellectual growth as well.

“Music back home is still entertainment, not considered a basic requirement for any child’s upbringing,” Jagadeesan said. “That’s a challenge to make them understand how important it is. Put (kids) in music, and their grades will improve. That’s scientific. It’s been proven. If you want the child to improve grades, put them in music and you’ll see the change over a long period of time.”

Because of the lack of formal training options in his home state of Tamil Nadu, Jagadeesan taught himself how to write and compose songs. Eventually, he decided to pursue it full-time and found his way to America, where he studies Western music.

Now, he wants to give formal music education to the children in his homeland—for free. The organization is in the process of developing a Kickstarter and other funding options, and Jagadeesan said he’s trying to convince leadership and parents in India of the program’s importance.

The point of Project Missing Pieces isn’t to teach everyone to play instruments, but to expose children to the beauty of music.

“The primary thing is not to make everybody a musician, but it is about the opportunity to enjoy music,” Jagadeesan said. “The goal is not to make everybody a cook. The goal is giving everyone an opportunity to eat.”

For more information about the project, visit projectmissingpieces.org.

TROY Magazine · 10

by Greg Phillips

Former TROY football player Tyler Parker helps a child to safety during flooding in Baton Rogue.

While some aim to become gridiron heroes, former TROY Trojans football player Tyler Parker recently became a real-life hero. The historic flooding that struck Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in August came just a month after Parker, 24, moved to the area from Troy to take a teaching and coaching job at Parkview Baptist School. Though Parker was safe from the water, a friend in need brought him into some of the worst of it.

The elderly grandmother of Parker’s friend and fellow coach Patrick Spikes was trapped in her home in the Park Forest neighborhood, where water reached up to 5 feet of depth in some spots.

“We had a little one-person kayak, and we figured if we could ride out in the kayak, I could wade through the water and get her,” said Parker, who played safety for the Trojans from 2011 through 2014.

But what Parker saw on the way to get Spikes’ grandmother rattled him to his core: dozens of people, many elderly or

11 · TROY Magazine

disabled, some young children, trapped in their homes and pleading for help.

“They were begging us to help them, and we were like, ‘No, we’re here to get his grandmother. We’ll have to come back,'” he said. “We got her, I drug her out, and Patrick took his uncle in the kayak, but we didn’t feel right leaving people stranded.”

At that point, Parker knew it was time to go into action. He turned back and, for the next eight hours, made a total of 12 trips rescuing 11 adults and three children.

“I knew some of those elderly people couldn’t be wet and stay there overnight,” he said. “They’d get sick. There was no power. I knew the water was gross. There was gasoline and sewage in the water. I didn’t want to leave them there to deal with that. I think just about anybody in that situation with a conscience would have tried to help people out. It was literally a disaster.” That disaster left 13 people dead and more than 60,000 homes damaged or destroyed.

For those, like Parker, who were helping in the midst of the flooding, the sheer breadth of the problem didn’t become apparent until later.

“I didn’t really know the gravity of the situation,” Parker said.

“You can’t tell the full damage until the water’s receded. For people who got 4 feet of water in their house, sheetrock only comes in 48-inch sheets. You have to replace your entire wall, break down every wall of your house, every baseboard, every stitch of carpet. The mold will become a health problem. I couldn’t imagine before I saw it.”

But what really affected Parker were the things he saw in the water as he was helping people.

“Sure, people will have insurance, and sure, people can rebuild houses. But there was jewelry hundreds of years old in the water, family portraits, high school diplomas, birth certificates, things that are almost irreplaceable,” Parker said.

“I saw a box of Christmas decorations that kids had made

for their parents in elementary school. These are things that are tough to let go of. It’s crazy to think you have a house of possessions, and the next day it’s moldy and stinky, and the next day after that you have to tear it down and are left with nothing. Seeing such devastation would be crushing."

But Parker chooses to focus on the good things he’s seen in the weeks after the flood.

“I would say that as bad as it is, it’s got a super great message behind it,” he said. “I got to see people helping people—people of different races, people of different economic backgrounds. It’s encouraging to see the strength in humanity and to see us be reminded that our joy and happiness don't come from things we own but the people we surround ourselves with and our faith.”

Parker graduated from TROY in 2015 with a degree in biology. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree through TROY Online.

TROY Magazine · 12

Your present, Their future: planned giving paves way for future Trojans

by Emily Price

Since TROY’s founding in 1887, proud TROY alumni, faculty,

staff and friends of the University have given selflessly to ensure new generations of students have opportunities to learn. From scholarships to endowments to planned giving, the generosity of TROY’s supporters continue to leave a lasting legacy found within the successes of their fellow TROY Trojans.

According to Rob Ackerman, director of planned giving and major gifts, one simple way to give to TROY is through planned giving—a legacy gift that is given to TROY at the end of the donor’s life. “Planned giving is the easiest way to give because it doesn’t cost you anything up front,” he said. “It just takes a little forethought. It can be as simple as leaving a planned gift through your will or changing your beneficiary arrangement in your life insurance. It’s very simple, quick and painless, and it gives you the peace of mind in knowing that you’ve done something for future generations of Trojans.”

For TROY Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Jean Laliberte, her family legacy will carry on in the form of a scholarship and a planned gift that will go into effect at the time of her passing. “We’ve been at TROY going on 26 years now, and my daughter Jeni and husband David both attended TROY,” she said. “We bleed TROY cardinal. I think it’s a very special institution. It’s where I’ve spent the bulk of my career, so it clearly means a lot to me.” Laliberte said she is excited to see her scholarship made available to TROY students in 2017, and she’s relieved to know that her family’s planned gifts will keep the scholarship alive long after she’s gone.

Like Laliberte, many others have chosen to leave planned gifts to upcoming generations of TROY Trojans.

DR. MARY ANN HOOTEN Determination, self-awareness and a dedication to academia are three of the main contributors that led Dr. Mary Ann Hooten out of the corporate world and into a fulfilling career as a college psychology professor—a career Hooten says may never have happened if not for Troy University. “[After I earned my Ph.D.,] I ended up going back and working for three more years for a Fortune 500 company, and I kept looking [for a teaching job.] But I almost quit looking. I even took my diplomas down off the wall in my office. I said ‘I guess I’m going to be this for the rest of my life…' But then I applied to TROY.” Now, after 15 years of teaching and mentoring TROY students, Hooten said she is excited to leave a planned gift that will open new opportunities to future psychology students who long to travel and explore the world. “I feel eternally grateful to TROY. They gave me a chance when nobody else would,” she said. “I will always have TROY in my heart. Even before I got tenure, I thought, ‘Even if I don’t get tenure, no matter what happens, if I get fired, I’m going to love TROY forever because they gave me this chance.' That’s a big part of why I wanted to [leave a planned gift.]

“But also, in 2012, another professor and I went on a trip together,” she added. “We hiked through England, and we went to Edinburgh, Scotland, and at 43 years old, that blew my mind… I thought, ‘Look at this world out here.’ It changed my feeling about history."

With a high percentage of her students lacking the financial resources to travel, Hooten knew instantly what she wanted her planned giving legacy to be—traveling and studying abroad. continued on pg. 16

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“I will always have TROY in my heart. Even before I got tenure, I thought, ‘Even if I don’ t get tenure, no matter what happens, if I get fired, I’m going to love TROY forever because they gave me this chance.' That’s a big part of why I wanted to [leave a planned gift.]”

- Dr. Mary Ann Hooten

TROY Magazine · 14

“I feel that the little I’ve contributed to life is my music, and I want a place where it’s preserved. Because someday, who knows, it’s there in case anybody wants it. And I want to preserve that.”

- Dr. Carl Vollrath

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“I know my students don’t have a lot of money—in fact, a lot of my students are first-generation college students, and it’s expensive to travel,” she said. “I wouldn’t have ever been able to travel as a student. But if [traveling] made that big of an impact on me at 43, imagine what kind of impact it would have on you if you’re 20! “…I never had any role models about anything like that, and I just wanted to give back to this university because I love it so much, and I love my students,” she said. “I wanted to give them an opportunity to experience something that could really have a huge impact on the rest of their lives.”

Through Hooten’s planned giving scholarship, each awarded student will have his or her entire trip covered—airfare, hotels, museum visits, tuition, etc.

“At that time in your life, you could go in any direction,” she said. “I get to be the positive person to say, ‘Hey, you can do anything! You’re as free as a bird. The sky is the limit.’”

DR. CARL VOLLRATH Fifty-one years ago, Dr. Carl Vollrath drove into the city of Troy with its friendly University, and ever since, the 85-year-old prolific composer and instructor has continued to look into the future and the promises it holds. Vollrath continues to compose and teach new generations of TROY Trojans, and it’s that dedication to his students and craft, along with his broadened world-view, that fuels his desire to leave his University home the ultimate planned gift—his life’s work.

Vollrath has taken the legal and financial steps necessary to make sure his gift to Troy University will be preserved for future musicians and music lovers.

“I have no children, I have no family, and I figured to give [my planned gift] to a scholarship program may be obsolete because if someone becomes president and wants to give free education to everybody, there’s no need for scholarships,” he said. “I feel that the little I’ve contributed to life is my music, and I want a place where it’s preserved because someday, who knows—it’s there in case anybody wants it. And I want to preserve that.”

Vollrath said he hopes his planned gift lives on as a sort of musical time capsule for future generations. “My work is an expression of the times,” he said. “If the music is lucky to live that long, there may not be a China. There may not be a United States. There may be a world government. And then, this music—Eastern and Western—may be completely odd to them. It’s just to show what the time was like at this particular moment. Without knowing the past we can’t know what we are.

We have to know the past to see how we got where we are.

“I’m not a totally rich man at all, but at least [future generations] will have access to my work by my giving funds here at Troy University. And hopefully some of the other composers here will also get involved and preserve our composers’ [work] here at TROY because we’re unique.”

HOW TO GIVE To date, Laliberte said Troy University has received a total of $40 million in gifts with $6-7 million actualized in recent years due to the passing of donors.

Planned gifts can be left to the University in two ways. Some planned gifts are left as unrestricted gifts that may be used for what’s most needed at the time the gift is received based on the discretion of the acting chancellor. Others are designated for anything the donor wishes as long as it pertains to TROY. Laliberte said planned gifts are an affordable way young people can plan to give back to their alma mater. “I had a person who was not quite 30 do a $50,000 insurance policy that was $10 a month. It’s very inexpensive,” she said.

Laliberte said TROY’s Shield Society was created to celebrate the generosity of those who have decided to make significant (a minimum of $10,000) gifts to the University.

The Laliberte family’s legacy will live on through planned gifts that will fund the family’s scholarship. From left to right: John Harrison Gruber, Dr. Jean Laliberte, Jeni Gruber, Hawkins Gruber, David Laliberte and Nick Gruber “One of the reasons we have a planned giving society is because institutions, for many years, have had people leave gifts to them in their wills, but there’s no real opportunity to say ‘thank you,’” she said. “We formalized our program so when people let us know that they are [setting up a planned gift], we have the opportunity to say ‘thank you.’”

Laliberte said her office is always willing to help someone figure out their best course of action when considering a planned gift. “People who are interested can contact us and let us know what their plans are,” she said. “We can help them decide what their next steps may be.”

For details about planned giving, contact Rob Ackerman, Office of Development. 334-808-6144 • troy.edu/development TROY Magazine · 16

by Greg Phillips

Five Troy University students were part of an archeological expedition that recently announced a major find in Ashkelon, Israel, which may provide clues to a Biblical mystery. The Leon Levy Expedition, a 30year excavation of Ashkelon, recently announced the discovery of what its archeologists believe to be the world’s first identified Philistine cemetery.

The discovery could reveal answers to questions about the origins of the Philistines, an ancient people who migrated to southern Israel thousands of years ago. Most of what’s known about the Philistines has come from the Bible, in which they are enemies of the Israelites.

In 2012, TROY officially joined the Leon Levy Foundation, Harvard’s Semitic Museum, Boston College and Wheaton College in a consortium to continue an ongoing excavation, begun in 1985, that teamed professional archeologists with students and volunteers to conduct annual excavations of the ancient city 17 · TROY Magazine

located about 35 miles south of Tel Aviv. The cemetery, discovered in 2013, and the remains of more than 200 humans found there since then, provide key information about how the Philistines lived and, perhaps, clues to their origins.

“It wasn’t until I realized this is the only Philistine cemetery ever found and excavated that I really started to understand our purpose for the project,” said Rebekah Ramirez, a TROY student majoring in anthropology who took part in the excavation. “We were in unknown territory. Every day we glimpsed a little bit more of the Philistine world. There is usually such a negative connotation associated with the Philistines, but the stories are from outside sources. The information we gathered about these people is helping not only the archeology world to better understand this culture but the history of the Philistines as well.”

TROY student Savanna Moore helps unearth skeletal remains in Ashkelon, Israel, during this year’s Leon Levy Expedition. TROY students have helped discover what archeologists believe is the world’s first identified Philistine cemetery.

TROY’s involvement is due to the experiences of Dr. Bill Grantham, a professor of anthropology who worked in Ashkelon in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

One of Grantham’s students, Hilary Boyd, became interested in Ashkelon and funded her own trip to the excavation in 2009. By the next year, funding had been secured to begin sending students on an annual basis.

“I am incredibly excited for (the students),” Boyd said.

“I cannot overstate the importance of this find to academia. The Philistines are known as the enemies of the Israelites. We know them as these bumbling characters from history, but as time has gone on and research has been done on the Philistines, the story is somewhat different. Now, for the first time, we have an actual Philistine cemetery where we can go and get the story from their own point of view.”

For Grantham, it’s rewarding to see the fruits of his students’ labor. “What it means for me is my students

get to carry on a project I participated in many years ago. It gets my students first-hand experience in a major exploration and, with the cemetery, first-hand experience with a major archeological find,” Grantham said.

Ashleigh Williams, an anthropology major who spent the summer in Ashkelon, said she and her fellow students are honored to have taken part in the excavation.

“It is a high honor to have made a contribution to the first Philistine cemetery discovered in Ashkelon and to work with the Leon Levy Expedition,” she said. “As more research continues to be conducted and published on our discoveries, I am excited to have been a part of a team that has retold the story of the Philistines.”

In addition to Williams and Ramirez, TROY students Clayton Johnson, Whitney Spake and Savanna Moore took part in this year's expedition.

TROY Magazine · 18

East meets West

on the Troy Campus as 200 terracotta warriors are installed in park

by Emily Price and Greg Phillips

Discover the spirit of the terracotta warriors and tour the International Arts Center at the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park Dedication and Concert 4 p.m., Friday, November 4, on the Troy Campus.

19 ¡ TROY Magazine

Amid the creaks and groans of splintering boards, TROY Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. tore away the door of a wooden crate to reveal the next phase of Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park—the stoic visage of a Chinese terracotta warrior.

One of more than 200 hand-crafted, custom replicas created by the renowned Chinese artist Dr. Huo Bao Zhu, the soldier’s 6-foot frame will soon find a permanent home on the grounds of the Troy Campus’ Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park.

Dr. Hawkins’ vision of bringing East to meet West on the Troy Campus is part of the mission to prepare students who are globally competitive. When the terracotta warriors are installed and the International Arts Center opens in Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park, students and visitors will experience art, history and discovery, as well as build their understandings of different cultures.

Dr. Hawkins said seeing the first of Dr. Huo's warriors brought back memories of the unforgettable experience of seeing the original terracotta warrior excavation site in Xi’an, China.

“I think it’s exactly what I saw 10,000 miles away from here in Xi’an,” he said. “Dr. Huo's work perfectly captures the majesty of what you have to go so far to be able to experience. It truly is a replica of what you see that was buried more than 2,000 years ago and unearthed more than 40 years ago.”

In addition to the terracotta warriors, visitors to Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park will also see sculptures such as the Peace Dove and the Nandi Bull by worldrenowned artist and longtime TROY supporter Nall Hollis.

“Thanks to the incredible talent and generosity of Dr. Huo Bao Zhu and Nall, this park will represent a treasure to Troy University, Pike County and the state of Alabama,” Dr. Hawkins said.

Construction of the park also includes the renovation of TROY’s existing Stewart Hall, which will become the International Arts Center featuring an interpretive center, an artist’s studio, classroom space for TROY's graphic design program and more.

Janice Hawkins, First Lady of Troy University, said she’s ready for the park’s official grand opening in November.

“Our galleries are just going to be the most exciting things,” she said. “We’re going to have a permanent gallery where we have already received some major collections that we’ll have on display, and then we’ll have a student gallery where our students’ works will be.”

Internationally known commercial artist and industrial designer Frank Marquette is leading the creative elements of the construction project.

The city of Troy and the Daniel Foundation have become major partners in ensuring the success of the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park. University and city representatives said they view the new development as a key component to the strong, ongoing partnership between TROY and the city for which it is named.

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves called the city’s relationship with the University “One Troy.”

“We want Troy to be an arts community,” he said. “We have as strong an arts [facility] in the Johnson Center for the Arts as there is for a town of our size. It’s a matter of quality of life. Now more than ever, people can choose where they live, where they go to work and where they go to school.

The more we can improve the quality of life, [the better].”

Note: This story is part one of a series on the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park. Watch for part two, featuring works by Nall and the opening of the International Arts Center, in the spring issue.

TROY Magazine · 20

Alumni of Dr. Imogene Mixon earned her bachelor’s degree in English education from TROY in 1959. She began her education career at Dothan High School, where she taught English for seven years. From there, she went to work at Enterprise State Community College as an English instructor and English department chair for 15 years. She later became an instructor and English department chair at Wallace Community College-Dothan before being named academic dean in 1983. She has also served as interim president of both Wallace Community College-Dothan and Alabama Aviation and Technical College-Ozark.

The Skipperville native has served as secretary and member of the executive and development committees of the Alabama Humanities Foundation Board of Directors. She also served as a longtime member of the Ozark-Dale County Public Library Board of Directors and is a past president and current member of both the Dale County Education Retirees Association and Ozark Literary Club.

Dr. Mixon currently serves as a member of TROY’s Planned Giving Advisory Board and Trojan Shield Society. She also is an avid supporter of the University’s All-Steinway Initiative and is an endowed scholarship donor.

Charles G. “Chuck” Ash is TROY's director of sports medicine and a 1978 and 1979 TROY graduate. Ash is in his 29 th year with TROY Athletics, having worked as head athletic trainer for 25 of those years. He served as the school’s assistant athletic trainer from 1987-1991.

Ash coordinates all aspects of athletic training, including supervision of athletic training curriculum students, in what has become one of the most respected programs in the country.

Prior to coming to TROY, Ash was head trainer and baseball coach at Early County High School in Blakely, Georgia. During his time in the high school ranks, he also worked closely with the Hughston Clinic in Columbus, Georgia.

In 2002, Ash was named College and University Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Alabama Athletic Trainers Association. In 2001, he was also granted membership in the prestigious American Sports Medicine Fellowship Society.

Ash was inducted into the Alabama Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 2008.

A native of Lakeland, Florida, Ash and his wife Marilyn, also a TROY alumna, have two sons—Bubba and Cody ('09)—and two granddaughters.

21 · TROY Magazine

the Year Dr. Yves Sucaet, Ph.D. is a 2005 TROY graduate with a master’s degree in environmental analysis and management who came to TROY as an international student. After graduation from TROY, he went on to earn a Ph.D. in bioinformatics from Iowa State University where he was co-founder of the Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Laboratory. The graduate student-driven organization seeks out web labs with bioinformatics needs and allows students to gain applied bioinformatics and consultancy experience in addition to pursuing academic goals.

Dr. Sucaet is a co-founder and current chief technology officer of Pathomation, a leading innovator of software solutions within the area of digital pathology, providing software solutions with emphasis on communication and interoperability solutions for the end users.

Dr. Sucaet previously served as section head of data management and bioinformatics at HistoGeneX, a multinational pharma and biotech drug development laboratory in Antwerp, Belgium.

Dr. Sucaet met his wife, a Eufaula native, while at TROY and today, the couple has two children and makes their home outside of Antwerp, Belgium.

J. Wiley Locklar, a 1963 TROY graduate, retired from Henderson, Black and Greene, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of wood columns, after working for the company since 1957. Locklar is also one of the founding partners and former vice president of National Freezer.

Among his professional achievements are the creation of two computerized lathes and the largest finger joint machine in the world.

An active part of the Troy community, Locklar is member and past president of the Troy Country Club, a longtime member and past president of the Troy University Alumni Association, a former member of the Troy Rotary Club and a lifelong member of Henderson Methodist Church. Locklar served as a member of the selection committee that brought Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. to TROY as chancellor. He was also a member of the five-person committee that paved the way for all sports to be moved from Division II to Division I-AA and eventually to Division I, and is a longtime donor to the University.

Locklar and his wife Glenda have three children.

To learn more about annual recognition of outstanding alumni and to make a nomination, contact Alumni Affairs at 334-670-3318.

TROY Magazine · 22

23ATHLETICS

YOUNG BLOOD BRINGS NEW ENERGY TO MEN’S BASKETBALL TROY Men’s Basketball has undergone a youth movement under Head Basketball Coach Phil Cunningham, and this upcoming season should see the Trojans rewarded for their persistence. Now in his junior year, Wesley Person has made a three-point field goal in all 60 games of his TROY career, which is the longest active streak in the country. After averaging 16.8 points and 3.5 assists last season, Person has been named a “Non-Power Five Conference guard to watch” by the Hoops Column. On the post, the TROY Trojans have a true weapon in forward Jordon Varnado, who averaged 13.2 points and 6.9 rebounds last season as a freshman. Varnado, like Person, garnered national attention as College Court Report named him a “Non-Power Five forward who will be a household name in 2016-17.” The TROY Trojans open the season on Nov. 11 in Trojan Arena against Toccoa Falls.

23 · TROY Magazine

Hard work, talent

EARNS RIVERA place in MLB

To say T.J. Rivera’s life was a whirlwind throughout the months of August and September would be an understatement. In less than a month, Rivera made his Major League Baseball debut, hit .364 over his first seven games with the New York Mets and was sent back down to AAA where he won the Pacific Coast League batting title before returning to the Big Apple for the Mets’ run at the playoffs.

“If you’re here, you’ve got to feel like you belong,” Rivera told the New York Times following his call up. “If not, it’s going to eat you up.

As long as I contribute on all ends—hitting, defense, being a good teammate—then I can help the team any way possible, especially with the great team we have and the push we’re trying to make.”

Rivera’s path to the Mets was not your typical MLB success story.

A native of the Bronx, New York, Rivera went undrafted following his senior season at TROY. The Mets signed him as an undrafted free agent, and all he did was perform at every level in their Minor League system.

In six Minor League Baseball seasons, Rivera finished each year with a batting average north of the .300 mark, including an unheard of .343 batting average in more than 1,000 at-bats at the AA and AAA levels for the Mets.

“I am extremely proud of T.J. and what he has accomplished,” TROY Head Baseball Coach Mark Smartt said. “It’s a great story of perseverance and determination. He got the ultimate reward by getting his Major League Baseball opportunity with his hometown team.”

Rivera played in 13 games for the Mets over two separate stints in The Show before heading back to their AAA affiliate in Las Vegas at the end of August. During the final six games of the Las Vegas 51s’ season, Rivera went 12-for-23 from the plate to finish the season with a .353 batting average at the AAA level and moved past teammate Brandon Mimmo for the Pacific Coast League batting title.

The award should come as no surprise for anyone who has followed Rivera’s career. Despite his current rise to The Show, Rivera is the leader among active players with a .324 career batting average during his Minor League career.

During his two-year career at TROY (2010-11), he batted .299 with 31 doubles, nine home runs and 88 RBIs. He accumulated a .429 slugging percentage and a .363 on-base percentage. In 2010, Rivera had 21 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI games.

In his senior year, Rivera had a .303 batting average with 76 hits, 18 doubles, 37 RBIs and 11 stolen bases, which helped send the Trojans to a NCAA Regional appearance. In TROY’s regional win over Oklahoma State, he went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, one double and a run scored.

TROY Magazine · 24

MEN’S GOLF MAKES TROY HISTORY

Golf is a sport that is rich in tradition, and TROY has developed quite a nice tradition of its own when it comes to the U.S. Amateur Championship. Sophomore Calum Masters and senior Luke Moser represented Troy University in the 116 th U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakland Hill Country Club in late August. The pair’s inclusion in the most prestigious amateur event in the world marked the fifth straight year that a current TROY golfer competed in the event. Current TROY student-athlete Jared Bettcher played in last year’s event, while recent graduates Jake Tucker and Tolver Dozier began TROY’s run at the event.

The U.S. Amateur Championship invitations capped a historic season for TROY’s Men’s Golf program as they qualified for their second straight NCAA Regional appearance and captured the first Sun Belt Conference title in program history.

Additionally, the TROY Trojans sent shockwaves through the collegiate golf community when they won the Tiger Invitational, which included Auburn (ranked No. 5).

Pictured left to right: Head coach Matt Terry, assistant coach Tolver Dozier, Jared Bettcher, Luke Moser, Clayton Vannoy, Cam Norman and Calum Masters receive the Sun Belt Conference Championship Trophy.

TEAMING UP TO SERVE The TROY Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the TROY Student Government Association teamed up to collect donations for those affected by August’s historic flood that brought more than 31 inches of rain in just 15 hours in south Louisiana. All of TROY’s athletic programs donated items such as water, non-perishable food items and clothes, which were loaded on a truck and sent directly to those in need in Louisiana. TROY’s student-athletes have been spending more time in the Troy, Alabama, community and visiting local organizations and establishments such as the Boys & Girls Club, Christian Love Center, local schools and assisted living homes.

25 · TROY Magazine

Chris Horne (left) and Casey Hall (right) pack trucks with donated items to send to flood victims in Louisiana.

JOINING FORCES: TROY, ESPN3

partner to provide sports fans more coverage

A new TROY partnership with ESPN3 is allowing TROY

existing agreement, and we are looking forward to

fans the ability to watch more Troy University sporting

seeing that continue to expand with our in-house ESPN3

events than ever before—in HD.

production.”

As part of this partnership, in-house productions

With the assistance of Dr. Jeff Spurlock, director of

will utilize sports broadcasting professionals and Troy

the Hall School of Journalism and Communication,

University students who are enrolled in a specialized

TROY students began enrolling in Network Sports

sports broadcasting class within the Hall School

Production, a 400-level class, this fall. Students enrolled

of Journalism and Communication to help create

in the class will receive hands-on experience in sports

programming.

production. They will be given opportunities to learn

“This is an absolute win-win all around for our

all aspects of production including, but not limited to,

University,” TROY Athletics Director Jeremy McClain

camera operation, production switcher usage, video

said. “Our fans have the opportunity to watch

replay, graphic and animation creation and statistical

professionally produced HD broadcasts all around the

integration.

world, our coaches are able to highlight our first-class facilities to recruits, and our students are getting

“The students enrolled in ‘Network Sports

hands-on working experience that will put them ahead

Production’ at Troy University will have an

of the curve upon graduation in a highly competitive

opportunity that most broadcast production

workplace.”

students at other schools do not have,” Spurlock said. “Our students are working with ESPN3, shooting and editing video for use on the network. This experience will certainly enhance students’ resume reels when they are ready to look for their first jobs after graduation.”

ESPN3 is ESPN’s live multi-screen sports network—a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports Patrick Johnson (left) and Emanuel Thompson (right) work together to create TROY footage to send to ESPN3.

events annually to viewers around the world. It is accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV,

TROY’s presence on ESPN3 debuted this fall with

Chromecast (via the WatchESPN app), Roku, Xbox 360

volleyball matches and is continuing through the

and Xbox One. The network is currently available to

winter with men’s and women’s basketball games. A full

more than 90 million homes at no additional cost to fans

schedule complete with a spring-coverage plan and

who receive their high-speed internet connection or

broadcast talent will be announced at a later date.

video subscription from affiliated service providers.

“In addition to servicing our existing fan base with

The network is also available at no cost to

this partnership, we are exposing the TROY Trojans

approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-

brand to more than 90 million households that receive

based military personnel via computers, smartphones

ESPN3 through their internet or television provider,”

and tablets connected to on-campus educational and

McClain said. “We’ve enjoyed tremendous growth of

on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

our brand through the Sun Belt Conference’s ESPN3 TROY Magazine · 26

Helen Keller's private life gets ballet treatment

by Emily Price

Beauty. Grace. Love. Passion. Heartbreak. All of these elements are found within the life of famous author and humanitarian Helen Keller. And thanks to the artistic endeavors of world-renowned dancer and choreographer Adria Ferrali, these stories will be told with intensity and heart at this year’s 22nd Annual Helen Keller Lecture Series on Nov. 14 as Ferrali presents her contemporary ballet, “With Tempest on Its Wings.”

Based on what Keller, herself, described as one of the happiest times of her life, Ferrali’s ballet tells the story of the love Keller shared with young newspaperman Peter Fagan before their affair was put to an end by those closest to Keller.

Judy Robertson, chair of TROY’s Helen Keller Lecture Series committee, said while the series has always celebrated the legacy and spirit of Helen Keller, this year’s performance will be different from anything attendees 27 · TROY Magazine

have experienced before. “Through the years, we’ve welcomed wonderful people who have shared incredible stories of perseverance and overcoming obstacles with our students and community members, but this year, we’re getting the opportunity to understand a part of Helen Keller’s life that often gets overlooked,” she said.

“I think sometimes we forget Helen Keller wasn’t just a strong female figure who did incredible things in the face of her challenges—she was also a woman with real feelings, hopes and dreams of a love and family of her own,” Robertson added. “While this story and dramatization of love lost is heartbreaking, it will hopefully bring people a new appreciation and a better understanding of Helen Keller.”

Ferrali is no stranger to Troy University. In fact, the Italian-born dancer is a visiting faculty member who is imparting her wisdom and techniques to students within

TROY’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Brooke Whigham and London Brison, both TROY dance majors, have been selected to portray Helen Keller and Keller’s lover Peter Fagan. Ferrali will dance the role of Anne Sullivan, Keller’s teacher, caretaker and friend.

Victoria Lee Averett, assistant professor and coordinator of theatre education, said she is excited to work with Ferrali as they prepare their student dancers to weave a bittersweet tale of love and loss on stage through acting and dancing.

“They are learning a piece that has already been created, so she’s setting the piece on them,” Averett said.

“Right now, they’re rehearsing and nuancing, and they are starting to layer in the character work and the acting.

What a deep experience it is for those two students. It’s incredible for them to get to work with her. Their world is expanding because of working with her.”

Averett said with Ferrali teaching two contemporary dance classes this semester, TROY students are receiving an opportunity of a lifetime.

“She danced with the Martha Graham Dance Company,” Averett said. “…She brings a fire and passion for not only dance, but for ideas.... She also brings a reminder of the standard to which we should aspire. She’s very passionate and energetic, and we’re so glad she’s here.”

Troy University’s 22nd Annual Helen Keller Lecture Series

10 a.m., November 14 Claudia Crosby Theater, Troy Campus TROY Magazine · 28

Highest ranking woman in U.S. military history is TROY alumna

by Greg Phillips

The most powerful woman in the U.S. military earned a master’s degree from Troy University.

Earlier this year, Air Force Gen. Lori Robinson was named commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), making her the first female combatant commander in the country’s history.

“While I recognize it’s historic, I don’t dwell on that description,” Robinson said. “I am the NORADNORTHCOM commander. I am a general. I am an Airman.

I just happen to be a woman. I am a part of something bigger than myself. I represent all those in the military who make sacrifices every day along with their peers in order to defend this great nation.”

Robinson’s Air Force career began in 1982. A decade later, she obtained a master’s degree in education leadership and management from TROY in 1992.

“I had the privilege to obtain my master’s from TROY while I was a captain,” Robinson said. “It was through distance learning, which allowed me to continue to focus on work, but also broaden my background. It helped me obtain a master’s early in my career, which I believe added to the diversity of my overall professional education.”

Her journey through the Air Force ranks was never supposed to happen. In fact, she only planned on serving temporarily.

“Growing up, my dad was a huge influence on my decision to join,” said Robinson, one of only two women who are four-star generals in the Air Force. “When I joined the Air Force over 30 years ago, I only planned to serve for a couple of years, until I quit having fun or no longer felt like I was making a difference. I didn’t expect to make the rank of Major General Officer. It wasn’t even something I considered for my future.”

Nearly 35 years after she joined, Robinson believes being successful in the military is about three things: attitude, aptitude and seizing upon an opportunity.

“At the U.S. Air Force fighter weapons school, I received the greatest compliment I could ever get: ‘If I’m on a tough mission, I want Lori Robinson on the radio,’” she said.

Robinson said her first few months in her new position flew by as she gained understanding about both her operational commands. “I worked to define how they are separate and yet overlap in the no-fail mission of defense of our homelands,”Robinson said.

Now, her attention is on combining her expertise and that newfound understanding to lead both positions going forward.

29 · TROY Magazine

“The NORAD-NORTHCOM team is truly an incredible and capable one, which I’m humbled to lead and look forward to growing in terms of its roles, its relationships and its readiness,” Robinson said. “As I work to grow this bi-national command, I am also focused on strengthening our trusted partnerships with Mexico and the Bahamas to advance our theater’s security. And of course, we must take care of our people—our service members and their families. They are our foundation and the future of our nation’s military.”

Despite the groundbreaking nature of her rise to power, Robinson said she’d give the same advice to every person who joins the military, whether man or woman.

“Our military is a meritocracy; everyone starts on equal footing,” she said. “Strive to be your very best every day and push the boundaries to meet and exceed the standards. Continue to have a positive attitude. And when an opportunity arises, seize it!”

30ALUM NOTES ’70

Earl Miller ('76), one of the state of

Craig Pittman ('81), a reporter for the Tampa Bay Times and an awardwinning author, has published his new

’80

book, “Oh, Florida! How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country.” Pittman, who has covered environmental issues since 1998, has also co-written “Paving Paradise:

Alabama’s most successful high school

Florida’s Vanishing Wetlands and the

baseball coaches, was inducted into the

Failure of No Net Loss," “Manatee

26 th class of the Alabama High School

Insanity: Inside the War Over Florida’s

Sports Hall of Fame. Miller led the G.W.

Most Famous Endangered Species" and

Long High School baseball program

“The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal

from 1991-2005, compiling a 407-133

and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid.”

record with 14 trips to the state playoffs.

R.G. “Greg” Still ('81) has been

His teams won seven Class 1A state

named manager, general aviation, U.S.

baseball championships and three Class

sales for Phillips 66. Still has more than

2A titles during his tenure, including a

35 years of experience in numerous

span of six state championships in a row

management and marketing roles in

during the 1990s. He was inducted into

the industry, most recently serving as

the Alabama Baseball Coaches Hall of

branded sales manager, wholesale.

Fame in 2003.

Paul A. Young ('76) has been elected president of the Alabama Criminal Defense Lawyers Association.

Young has served as president of the

Tom Foreman ('81), a journalist

Coffee County Bar Association for 15

at CNN based out of the network’s

years. He is a lifetime member of the

Washington, D.C. bureau, was the

ACDLA and has served on the board of

keynote speaker for TROY’s Odyssey

directors for more than a decade. He

Convocation for new students in August.

received the ACDLA President’s Award

Foreman has traveled to all 50 U.S.

in 2004 and 2007. Young is a recipient of

states and more than 20 countries to

the two highest awards that a criminal

report on, among many topics, CNN’s

defense lawyer in Alabama can receive.

America’s Choice 2016 presidential

In 1994, he was awarded the Alabama

campaign cycle, the Paris terror attacks,

State Bar Association’s Clarence Darrow

the disappearance of passenger plane

Award for his contributions to the

MH370 and the aftermath of Hurricane

integrity of criminal defense. In 2009,

Katrina. He leads the network’s fact

Young was also awarded the ACDLA’s

checking initiative and, in 2013, Foreman

Roderick Beddow Lifetime Achievement

and the fact checking team were

Award for Criminal Defense, the

awarded the Walter Cronkite/Brooks

most prestigious award given by the

Jackson Award.

organization, for his service in criminal defense.

U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson ('79) has

Foreman has pioneered much of CNN’s work in new media by playing a key role in the development of an

been selected as a member of the

immersive, 3D virtual studio which takes

bipartisan Encryption Working Group,

viewers into space to study satellites,

which was formed by the U.S. House

travels to distant battlefields to promote

of Representatives Committee on the

better understanding of dangerous

Judiciary and the Committee on Energy

conflicts and takes a deep dive analysis

and Commerce. These committees have

on the 2016 election cycle.

primary jurisdiction over encryption

In addition, Foreman writes a weekly

and the issues it presents for citizens,

newspaper column, has penned more

law enforcement and American

than 1,400 open letters to President

technology companies.

Obama on CNN.com and anchors CNN’s year-in-review show on New Year’s Eve.

Rose M. Jordan ('85) is the executive assistant to the president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. She is staff liaison for the AASCU Board of Directors and the AASCU-Penson Center for Professional Development Board, where she manages all aspects of both boards and their meetings. Prior to assuming her current position, Jordan served as the staff associate for the Division of Government Relations and Policy Analysis for 12 years. She joined AASCU in 2002, and has more than 20 years of experience in the field of administration.

Jordan previously served as a military policewoman in the United States TROY Magazine · 30

Alumnus Broome inducted into Army ROTC Hall of Fame Brig. Gen. Doyle D. “Don” Broome,

Marine Corps where she became the

in Albuquerque, New Mexico. With

first woman to be named “MP of

more than 1.2 million visitors annually,

the Quarter.”

the ABQ BioPark, located along the Rio

Pamela Jackson ('87) has been

in New Mexico, consisting of the ABQ

and Economics at Fayetteville State

BioPark Zoo, Botanic Gardens, Aquarium

University in North Carolina. She

and Tingley Beach. Allen earned his

has served as interim dean since Fall

MBA from TROY.

2015, and has been a member of the Fayetteville State faculty since 1999. She holds a Master of Public Administration from TROY.

Jr., U.S. Army, retired, has been

’90

inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame. The induction ceremonies took place on the 100 anniversary of the th

Army ROTC. Gen. Broome, a 1984 TROY

Dr. Denise Taunton Reid ('90)

has received Valdosta State University’s 2016 President’s Award for Excellence

graduate, entered active duty as

in Service. Reid, a professor within the

a 19-year-old platoon leader after

university’s department of mathematics

earning an associate degree from

and computer science, was recognized

Georgia Military College in 1975.

for her continuous dedication to

Through night and weekend classes,

increasing the development of STEM

Gen. Broome earned his bachelor’s

disciplines. Reid has spent more than

degree in business administration

two decades dedicated to her VSU

from TROY, graduating Cum Laude.

students and fellow faculty.

He would later earn a Master of

C.J. Wilson ('90) was nominated

Science in history from the Army’s

for a Lucille Lortel Award in the

Command and General Staff College.

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

Gen. Broome’s career spanned

category for his role as Duke in “Hold on

service in infantry, special forces and

to Me Darling,” by acclaimed playwright

aviation units over his 32-year career,

Kenneth Lonergan.

which included combat, training and

Alabama Sen. Cam Ward ('93)

disaster assistance operations. Gen.

has been presented with the Foundation

Broome was Deputy Commanding

for Government Accountability’s 2016

General of the 82 nd Airborne Division

Friend of Government Accountability

overseeing combat operations during

Award for sponsoring the Alabama

Operation Iraqi Freedom. His last

Right to Shop Act, which would reward

active duty assignment was as the

patients who utilize high-value health

Deputy Commanding General, U.S.

care options.

Army Cadet Command. In this role, he

Christina Johnson ('95) has been

was responsible for increasing Army

named principal of Slingluff Elementary

ROTC accession and commissions

School in Dothan. She most recently

to meet the demands of post 9/11

served as assistant principal of Girard

combat requirements, revamping

Middle School.

the Army ROTC nursing program and

Brig. Gen. Eric Wesley ('95)

overseeing the ROTC programs at the

recently assumed command of the

nation’s 11 military colleges.

Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort

In 2011, Gen. Broome began

Benning. His most recent assignment

his duties as the 10 th president

was at the Pentagon as the deputy

of Hargrave Military Academy in

director for Program Analysis and

Chatham, Virginia.

Evaluation, G-8. Gen. Wesley is a 1986 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and holds a master’s degree in international relations from TROY.

James T. Allen ('97) has been named chief executive of ABQ BioPark 31 · TROY Magazine

Grande River, is a top tourist destination

named dean of the School of Business

Stephen Hauck ('97) is anchor of WOFL’s new “NewsEdge @ 6 p.m.” newscast. Hauck joined the Orlando FOX affiliate in April as a reporter and anchor after spending 18 years at WIAT, the CBS affiliate in Birmingham.

Jemel Jones ('97) has been named the general manager of DoubleTree

by Hilton DFW Arlington South in Arlington, Texas. He previously held a series of leadership positions with Hilton Hotels and has nearly 20 years of experience in hospitality.

Michael Terry ('97) was recently promoted to the rank of captain in the Greensboro Police Department in North Carolina. Terry joined the Greensboro PD in 1996 and most recently served as executive officer for Patrol District 4. With the promotion, Terry will now assume command of Patrol District 1. He holds a Master of Public Administration from TROY.

Ben Baker ('97, '02) was recently elected superintendent of Dale County Schools. He formerly served as principal of Ariton School and was selected as the Alabama Association of Secondary School Principals’ Principal of the Year.

In addition to his eight years as the principal at Ariton, Baker has also served

as principal at Midland City Elementary

Wendy Pitts ('01) has been named

School and as an assistant principal and

chief operations officer of Harbin Clinic.

teacher at Ariton.

Headquartered in Rome, Georgia,

Steven Kilcrease ('98) has been

Harbin Clinic is the largest privately

named as new head football coach

owned, multi-specialty physician group

at Ariton High School. He previously

in Georgia, comprised of 240 medical

served as head coach at Pike Liberal

professionals representing 40 different

Arts in Troy, leading the Patriots to two

specialties and services. Pitts has served

state championships and a 42-16 record

as interim chief operations officer for

over five years.

the past nine months and previously

April Parker ('99) was recently

served a chief quality officer. She joined

appointed to the post of assistant

the Harbin Clinic staff in 1987 as an

principal at Central High School in

ophthalmology surgical nurse.

Phenix City. An educator for 20 years,

Yvonda A. Bean ('02) has been

Parker holds a master’s in secondary

named executive director of the Housing

mathematics education from TROY.

Authority of the City of Lafayette,

’00

Louisiana. Bean has more than 15 years

Alumnus Ken Grimes honored by state City/ County Management Association

TROY alumnus Ken Grimes, Jr., city

of experience in community housing,

administrator for the city of Orange

workforce and economic development

Beach, was awarded the Sam Gaston

James (Jimmy) Gray ('00) was

and asset and property management

Vocational Excellence Award during

recently elected to the Hampton City

and most recently served as executive

the 2016 Summer Conference of the

Council in Virginia to fill the remaining

director of Preferred Properties in

Alabama City/County Management

two-year term of Councilman Donnie R.

Toledo, Ohio, where she administered

Association.

Tuck, who won the mayoral election. A

HUD low-income elderly and disabled

former Hampton assistant city manager

housing programs and the Low

president of the International City/

and fire chief, Gray has more than 36

Income Housing Tax Credit program in

County Management Association,

years of local government experience

Northwest Ohio.

the award recognizes members of

Named in honor of Alabama’s first

Darcy J. Davis ('02) has been

the profession that have contributed

named the chief operating officer of

significantly to improving the quality

the Health Care District of Palm Beach

of life in their communities through

an executive coach and facilitator with

County. Davis has more than 20 years of

professional local government

Leadership Management International,

healthcare experience and previously

management, community building and

Inc., a world leader in organizational

served as senior vice president and chief

economic development.

and leadership development.

financial officer of Memorial Health

Beheler has more than 15 years of

System in Savannah, Georgia.

and is an active member of the Hampton Roads community.

Amy Beheler ('01) has been named

experience in leadership and training

Matias Mosso ('02) is the

As city administrator, Grimes manages a $44 million annual budget with a staff of just under 300 full-time employees.

and development within a variety of

international account director for Red

industries, including manufacturing and

Bull. He is responsible for all European

a bachelor’s degree in marketing from

nonprofit agencies.

distribution partner markets, which

TROY in 1986, also earned a master’s

covers 20 countries and provides

degree in economic development from

the principal of Faith Middle School

strategy, guidelines and best practices

the University of Southern Mississippi.

at Fort Benning, Georgia. Islas has

for partners. His current Red Bull

He is married to Kelly Harless Grimes,

been with the Department of Defense

clients are located throughout Europe,

and the couple has two daughters, Abby

Education Activity for 17 years.

the Middle East, Australia, North

and Caroline.

Dr. Joan Islas ('01) has been named

Tracy Pickle ('01) was recently

America and Africa. Mosso attended

promoted to the role of market

TROY on a tennis scholarship and

president of Ameris Bank for the

received his bachelor’s degree in

greater Dothan market. Pickle has more

business administration.

than 15 years of financial and banking

Grimes, a Bessemer native who earned

Tamika Phillips ('02, '06),

experience, previously serving as Ameris

executive director for adult education

Bank commercial banker and market

at Chattahoochee Technical College,

president for Donalsonville and Colquitt.

was recently named runner-up for

Prior to joining Ameris Bank, he served

Outstanding Administrator of the

in leadership and lending roles at

Year by the Commission on Adult

Wachovia Bank and SouthTrust Bank.

Basic Education.

Josh Underwood ('02) was recently named associate athletic director for media relations at Jacksonville State University. He is in his 12 th year with the Gamecock Athletic Department and previously served as assistant director for media relations at TROY.

TROY Magazine · 32

Jason Sasser ('03) has been

responsible for the oversight of the

Service by the Hampton Roads Chapter

named director of career and technical

employed orthopaedic practices of

of the American Society for Public

education at Central High School in

orthopaedic sports medicine, surgery

Administration. The award recognizes an

Phenix City. He has served as an assistant

and primary care, physical medicine

outstanding public administrator under

principal at the school since 2015.

and rehabilitation and orthopaedic

the age of 40.

Cmdr. Meger Chappell ('04) took

trauma. He joined Baptist Health Care

Amanda C. Read ('13) has been

command of guided-missile destroyer

in 2014 as the corporate director of

awarded a James Madison Fellowship by

USS Roosevelt during a change-of-

Andrews Rehabilitation.

the James Madison Memorial Fellowship

command ceremony at Florida's Naval

Dr. Brittney Reynolds ('06) is

Foundation of Alexandria, Virginia.

Station Mayport in March. Chappell

a veterinarian at Patches of Grace

James Madison Fellowships support the

joined the Roosevelt crew as executive

Veterinarian Equine Services in

study of American history by aspiring

officer in 2014. He has also completed

Greenville, Alabama.

or experienced teachers of American

sea tours aboard USS Arthur W.

Aishah S. Casseus ('08), a lawyer

history, government and social studies in

Radford, USS Carr, USS Elrod and with

with a background in constitutional

DESRON 28, deployed on board the USS

law and civil rights, recently assumed

Eisenhower. He holds a master’s degree

a newly created position of Title IX

recently named as the new band director

in management from TROY.

investigator at Florida State University.

at Brantley High School. She holds a

The Columbus, Georgia, native

bachelor’s degree in music education

named to the position of city manager of

graduated cum laude in 2011 with a law

and a master’s degree in education from

Newberry, South Carolina.

degree from North Carolina Central

TROY and is an alumna of the Sound of

University School of Law, where she

the South.

Matt DeWitt ('04) was recently

Kaci Perry ('04) was recently named executive director of the Covington

earned a certificate of concentration in

County Child Advocacy Center.

constitutional law and civil rights.

She previously worked at Andalusia Regional Hospital.

Jason Rawson ('04, '14) was

Mary King ('08, '15) was recently

the nation’s secondary schools.

Kylie McGlincy ('14, '16) was

Suretha Barlow Oates ('15) is a full-time employee with the State of Alabama Personnel Department and

awarded a Southeastern Regional EMMY

also a partner in Posh Shoetique, a

Award for the Best Morning Newscast as

Montgomery-based online shoe store.

recently appointed as assistant

part of the morning show on WIS-TV in

principal at Sherwood Elementary

Columbia, South Carolina.

Sarah Hill ('16) was recently elected to serve Ward 2 on the Tallassee City

School in Phenix City. An educator

Greg Rossino ('08) is a digital

Council. She currently works at the

for 12 years, Rawson holds master’s

content producer for WXIA 11Alive in

Auburn University Harrison School

degrees in instructional leadership and

Atlanta. Prior to joining 11Alive, Rossino

of Pharmacy as an administrator of

administration and sport and fitness

served as a multimedia producer at

continuing education programs and

management from TROY.

Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento,

is the former assistant director of

California, as well as an award-

leadership development for the Alabama

recently named principal of Honeysuckle

winning sports editor for both the Troy

Association of School Boards.

Middle School in Dothan. He previously

Messenger and the DeKalb Neighbor.

Jeff Torrence ('04, '10) was

served as principal at Slingluff Elementary School.

John Craig ('05) has joined BancorpSouth as first vice president of

Sue Guy ('09), a resident of Goldsboro, North Carolina, has released her first novel “Leaving Smalltown” through Xlibris Publishers.

commercial lending. He has 21 years

’10

of banking experience with a focus in commercial lending and is a 2009 graduate of the American Bankers

Leo Dicesaris ('10) of Cerrone’s

Association National Commercial

Brick Oven Pizza in Columbus, Georgia,

Lending School at Southern Methodist

recently finished third in the Southeast

University.

in the International Pizza Challenge's

Jessica Griffin ('05) is the sous

nontraditional category at this year's

chef, manager, bookkeeper and event

International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas.

coordinator for Montgomery-based

Dicesaris opened Cerrone’s last year,

A Catered Affair. She also serves as

along with his father Tom Dicesaris and

manager for Pike Road Butcher Block.

brother Jonathan.

Chad McCammon ('05) has been

Sgt. William L. Gervin ('12) of

selected to serve as the executive

the Virginia Beach Police Department

director of orthopaedics for the

in Virginia was awarded the George

Andrews Institute, where he will be

Robert House, Jr. Award for Outstanding

33 · TROY Magazine

WEDDINGS AND ENGAGEMENTS Troy University Alumni Kristy Linton (‘98) to Shawn Williams Lindsay M. Johnson (‘06) to Matthew Ragnar Pagano Liz Dowe (‘11, ‘15) to William Filmore (‘11) Jordan Elizabeth Reeves (‘12) to Seth Roland Brooks Jean Nicole Nation to Brandon Terry McNeil (‘12) Victoria Brooke Stinson (‘13) to Nicholas Grant Darts (‘10) Alex Sanders ('14) to Austin Brook (‘11)

David Douglas ('96) shows his TROY pride on a recent trip to Italy.

Troy University fans around the world fly their school colors with pride while giving back to TROY student scholarships! “‘Take TROY’ wherever you go,” said Bronda Denison, director of annual giving and special projects. “For decades, men and women around the globe have studied and made lifelong memories at TROY. We’re proud they’ve taken their TROY degrees and achieved incredible things.

“The ‘Take TROY’ campaign was created in that spirit,” she added. “Every flag displayed serves as a reminder that we’re all one, big TROY family. Get involved and show your Trojan Warrior Spirit by posting your flag photos with #TakeTROY.” To learn more about the campaign and how to get a flag of your own, visit troy.edu/taketroy or call Bronda Denison at (334) 670-5843.

Hallie F. Dodds (‘15) to Jeremy K. Brooks

IN REMEMBRANCE Troy University Alumni Bobby Ray Gwin, Sr. (‘51) Larry J. Andress (‘64) James Charles "Jim" Roling (‘68) Gary Edwards (‘76) Lt. Col. Richard E. Crotty (‘79) Lisa M. Stone Bond (‘84) Timothy H. Galloway (’84) Sidney A. Gill (‘84, ‘85) Command Sgt. Maj. Thomas Morgan (‘88)

Harrison retires after 36-year banking career After spending 36 years in banking, including the last 11 years as Alabama’s superintendent of banks, John D. Harrison has retired.

The Troy University Trustee and 1967 TROY graduate began his professional life in the timber business. The Selma native moved to Luverne in 1968 and became owner of Glenwood Woodyard. As a local businessman, he was an organizing director in 1980 for the First Citizens Bank in Luverne where he was later named president and CEO in 1983.

Harrison joined the administration of Gov. Bob Riley in 2003 as head of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs and was subsequently named Alabama’s superintendent of banks in May 2005.

“It has been an honor and pleasure to work with and for John Harrison,” said William Petrey, Alabama Bankers Association chair and president and CEO of First Citizens Bank in Luverne. “He has done a great job for Alabama banks, and he will be missed by a lot of people.”

Harrison and his wife Barbara were honored during a reception in August held in conjunction with the Alabama Bankers Association’s CEO, Executive Management and Directors Conference in Point Clear.

Dejerilyn “DJ” King Henderson (‘93) Molly Ann Estes Fulford (‘95) David Grice (‘95) Col. Andrew T. Poznick (‘04) Mark A. Arrington (‘08) Allen Lee Jacobs (‘11)

IN REMEMBRANCE Troy University Friends Dr. Henry Barwood Hubert L. Conner TROY Magazine · 34

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