Anderson University Magazine

2018 SPRING MAGAZINE

Provost’s early observation inspired massive innovation AU partners with Apple to offer coding minor U.S. News & World Report ranks AU the Seventh Most Innovative Regional University in the South and among the nation’s best offering bachelor’s degree programs online

Anderson University 2018 Spring Magazine Provost’s Early Observation Inspired Massive Innovation at AU..................................................4 Honors Program Teaches Students to Understand Their Beliefs and Defend Them.........................................8 A Brief History of Our Digital Transformation ............... 10 Author and Historian Credits AU for Early Lessons about Calling and Professional Work............... 12 A Timeline of Our Innovations......................................... 14 Innovative New Master’s Program Helps Merge Technology and Learning..................................... 16 AU Book Corner.................................................................20 The AU Diary...................................................................... 22 AU’s Online Programs Ranked Among the Best in the Country........................................24 Companies Impressed by Innovative Knowledge of AU Supply Chain Business Students.............................26 Alumni News......................................................................28 Three-Decade AU Contributor Helps Students Succeed and Pursue Their Dreams .................30 Jason’s Column.................................................................. 32 Cancer Research Center Introduces Students to the Life of a Research Scientist ...................34 Athletic News.....................................................................36

Anderson University Magazine is a publication of the Office of Marketing and Communications at Anderson University for alumni and friends.

President: Dr. Evans P. Whitaker Editor in Chief: Jonathan Todd Contributing Writers: Evelyn Beck, Andrew J. Beckner, Richard Breen, Liz Carey, Mike McMillan, Dr. Danny Parker, Jason Rutland Contributing Photographers: Cindy Hosea, Jason Jones Photography, Shelli Rutland

university

happenings...

Campus News

No. South Carolina No. 3 3 in in South Carolina

online the top the top online bachelor’s program bachelor’s program

and and

in in the the Upstate Upstate — — U.S. U.S. News News & & World World Report Report

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Spring greetings from Anderson University!

We had our theme: technological innovation at AU.

Dr. Parker also shares that while “most AU offices

And we had these great stories planned for this Spring

and some faculty members had PCs…most retained

2018 issue:

typewriters.” Within seven years—through the Mobile Learning Initiative (MLI)—our professors

• U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Colleges named us the “Seventh Most Innovative School” among regional universities in the South.

• We’re joining forces with Apple, Inc. to offer an innovative coding minor.

were redesigning courses to leverage the use of iPads in classes from biblical Hebrew to studio art.

We hope you enjoy these stories about academic innovation at AU and get inspired to send us an email at alumni@andersonuniversity.edu to update

• We’re launching a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Learning Technology.

• We have a seven-year-old Undergraduate Cancer Research Center whose student scholars are garnering national recognition.

us about your journey. And perhaps you too will consider enrolling in one of our online programs— from our new MS in Instructional Design and Learning Technology to an MBA with an online concentration in Supply Chain Management, Healthcare Leadership, Human Resources or

And there are many more stories you’ll read about in

Marketing. Please also consider making a financial

this issue that coincide with our May commencement,

gift to help others become better equipped for their

when we launch our latest grads who are rooted in the

journey through a continuously evolving workforce. At

knowledge of their field and a call to serve.

AU they can enjoy innovative instruction in an atmosphere that fosters the integration of faith

Then, we received word that U.S. News & World Report

and learning.

named AU to its list of the best schools offering online bachelor’s degree programs. U.S. News &

In a few months, in our Back-to-School issue, we’ll

World Report said we’re No. 3 in South Carolina

share stories about members of our AU family who

and the top program in the Upstate. Thus, in the

balance work, home and school as adult students.

midst of assembling this issue about innovation,

For now, happy reading!

we were recognized for offering an online program that—by definition—takes innovation to do well. We

Blessings,

are humbled by this recognition, and you’ll read why

- Anderson University Magazine

in this issue’s AU Heritage column by Executive Vice President, Provost and history professor Dr. Danny Parker: in 2004 we didn’t offer any online classes.

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provost’s early observation of texting

inspired massive innovation at Anderson University

By Liz Carey

It didn’t take long for AU Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Danny Parker to realize that things were never going to be the same.

in the hands of every student on campus, AU is embracing innovation as a way to enhance students’ education in a rapidly changing world.

And since that revelation, innovation at Anderson University has been the cornerstone of new ways of teaching and engaging students, and to help them on their path to success in our digital world. From providing students with iPads, to creating new ways to approach information in the classroom, to re-thinking the way students learn and collaborate, Anderson University is taking innovation to a new level.

It started, Dr. Parker said, with a few observations.

It’s a realization that has not only been noticed at the school, but on a national level as well.

In 2017, Anderson University was ranked the seventh Most Innovative Regional University in the South

by U.S. News & World Report. And this year, the magazine ranked AU as having one of the best online bachelor’s degree programs in the country.

“The Most Innovative Schools ranking is based on a peer assessment survey,” said Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News & World Report. “College presidents, provosts and admissions deans were asked to nominate up to 10 colleges or universities in their U.S. News’ Best Colleges ranking category that are making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities. This ranking enables top college officials to pick schools that the public should be watching because of the cutting-edge changes the colleges are making on their campuses.”

AU’s online program ranking is based on the school’s reputation as well. U.S. News bases its ranking on a four-part formula that looks at the school’s student engagement, its student services and technology infrastructure, the credentials and training of its faculty and the school’s reputation among its peers.

And for the second time, Apple named AU an Apple Distinguished School in 2017, an honor rarely given twice. From the new coding minor offered in partnership with Apple, to the Master of Science in Instructional Design and Learning Technology, to the school’s Mobile Learning Initiative that put iPads

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“I came to Anderson University in 2004,” Dr. Parker said. “Not long after, two things happened that made me rethink how we needed to educate our students.

The first was that I noticed so many students were walking around campus looking at the phones in their hands.”

“

Students who graduate from this institution are much more marketable not merely because they have a marketable skill. They are more desirable because they have demonstrable proof that they know how to use the knowledge that they have acquired here.

”

— Dr. Danny Parker Executive Vice President and Provost

“At the same time, I had two daughters, and the younger one had just gotten a flip phone. She was frantically typing on the number pad. I asked her ‘What are you doing?’ She told me she was texting.

I said, ‘It’s a phone, why don’t you just call them?’

She looked at me like I was crazy. It was then that I got a sense that things were changing.”

Those observations led Dr. Parker to research young people, technology and education. What he found changed his philosophy on how higher education should be reaching students.

“There was a nationwide survey of undergrads, and they were asked ‘What is the most important development that has happened in your lifetime that has shaped your world?’” Dr. Parker said.

“Overwhelmingly they said the invention of the Internet. Those of us in higher education knew then that we needed to rethink how we teach.”

Through those discoveries and with the full urging of President Whitaker, AU started implementing sweeping digital innovations. No longer was the professor the “sage on the stage,” Dr. Parker said, but more the “guide on the side,” helping students to navigate their way through their own discovery of subjects.

Working with Dr. Ben Deaton, Assistant Provost for Academic Innovation and Digital Learning, the university began its Mobile Learning Initiative that put iPads in the hands of every student at AU. “The iPad provides a common tool for all students and faculty members and serves as a launch point for technology integration and pedagogical change,” Dr. Deaton said. “The integration of mobile technology has allowed for growth in hybrid or blended learning, where students spend some of the course time outside of class working on authentic problems together.

The ease of multimedia production has allowed for students to produce incredible work in ways that would not have been possible previously. These skills of collaboration and communication are putting our students on the leading edge.”

And the examples of how innovative faculty have been with the Mobile Learning Initiative are numerous: a team of English faculty transforming writing courses to focus on the process of writing versus focusing on the product of writing; education students using digital resources to record and share their field experiences; or business students using drones to better understand supply chain management.

In the chemistry department, Dr. Dorota Abramovitch, currently in her fifth decade teaching in higher education, worked with students and other faculty members to identify which apps and tools would best serve the needs of the chemistry department.

The result earned Dr. Abramovitch the title of Mobile Learning Initiative educator of the year for the school in 2013-2014.

“When we started the Mobile Learning Initiative at AU, I did not even own (a) smart phone and didn’t know any applications,” Dr. Abramovitch said.

Dr. Abramovitch said that she asked students to identify what some of the best apps for chemistry available were, and she worked with them to determine

(Continued on page 7)

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“

how they could best be used in the classroom. Dr. Abramovitch worked initially to study aids for her students to use on their iPads. Working with other faculty members, Dr. Abramovitch was able to bring the chemistry department together to coordinate applications for all of the department’s students.

for students, including designing and implementing active-learning classrooms and active-learning spaces that promote student engagement and foster an atmosphere of collaboration and communication.

“We realized that the most important scientific concept pertaining (to) chemistry curriculum was to understand that structure determines properties,” she said. “Our intent was and remains the same: to engage students in the steps mastering this concept.”

“In the hierarchy of learning, repeated studies have found that at the bottom of the learning pyramid is lecture and memorization—the least-effective means of teaching,” Dr. Parker said. “But at the top of the learning pyramid is learning by doing. When a student is using an iPad, they are actually learning by doing.”

The ease of multimedia production has allowed for students to produce incredible work in ways that would not have been possible previously.

These skills of collaboration and communication are putting our students on the leading edge.

— Dr. Ben Deaton

”

Assistant Provost for Academic Innovation and Digital Learning

The work helped her to see new ways of communicating with students and other faculty members. The increased ability to communicate helped Dr. Abramovitch and other faculty members in chemistry, biology and biochemistry to work together to connect their disciplines to enhance their students’ learning in the sciences. The collaboration helped students see how connected the three disciplines were.

That kind of out-of-the-box thinking led to the creation of Anderson University’s Center for Innovation and Digital Learning (CIDL). In the Center, resources for enriching teaching through innovation provide ways for faculty to create an active learning experience for students, Dr. Deaton said.

“Annually, the (Center for Innovation and Digital Learning) hosts 40-50 workshops and professional development experiences for faculty throughout the academic year. Workshops focus on a variety of topics including sessions focused on specific learning technologies and teaching strategies for integrating technology inside and outside of the classroom,” Dr. Deaton said.

The Center also hosts workshops and development programs to help faculty expand their understanding of new ways to teach and to design learning experiences

Students learn best by doing, Dr. Deaton said.

From the new coding minor offered in partnership with Apple, to the Master of Science in Instructional Design and Learning Technology that teaches educators how to design and innovate classroom curriculum, to the school’s Mobile Learning Initiative that put iPads in the hands of every student at the school, AU is embracing innovation as a way to enhance students’ education in a rapidly changing world. More programs, including cybersecurity and information analytics majors, are planned to prepare students for new careers in developing technological fields.

For Joel McCann, who has a double major in mathematics: actuarial and music, spaces such as the technology lab in Thrift Library help him to expand his experiences in different areas.

“The innovations are extremely helpful,” he said.

“College is a place of learning and experiencing new fields of work. I believe I am expanding my horizons by going to the technology lab just to experiment.”

The different innovations at the school help him to also expand his marketability, he said.

“The way I see it, if I put my foot in multiple paths, I will always have something to do if one avenue falls through,” said McCann, who is scheduled to graduate in 2020. “If math does not work, I can do music.

If music does not work, I have innovation in technology, so on and so forth. It can be mixed and matched in multiple ways.”

Innovations at Anderson University will continue to help students succeed, Dr. Parker said.

“Students who graduate from this institution are much more marketable not merely because they have a marketable skill,” Dr. Parker said. “They are more desirable because they have demonstrable proof that they know how to use the knowledge that they have acquired here.”

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students wrestle with big ideas and

primary documents in revamped Honors Program

By Evelyn Beck

What do you believe? Why do you believe it? On the surface, these are simple questions. But it turns out that wrestling with these ideas, which is the focus of Anderson University’s Honors Program, is both difficult and transcendent.

“I thought I knew what I believed,” said Sara Walenceus, a junior business major now in her third year of honors. “But there’s so much more to consider.”

This push toward deeper reflection is the root of the Honors Program, which was reframed about five years ago.

The current structure of the Honors Program was the inspiration of AU’s First Lady, Diane Whitaker and was developed and implemented in 2013 by Honors Program faculty members. Dr. Ryan Neal, Assistant Provost, led the program until 2017 when the directorship was passed to Dr. Fuller.

“We want students to think really hard and test their own beliefs so when they leave AU, they can stand on their own two feet and contribute to the great competition of ideas out there,” said Dr. Chuck Fuller, Assistant Professor of Christian Studies and Honors Program Director. “The program is a deep exploration into life’s hardest questions. We really value pondering long and hard about questions like the human dilemma, the solution to man’s problems, and whether there is a destiny for humanity.”

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Christian beliefs and the Greek philosophers The Honors Program focuses on faith and learning— what the Gospel has to do with secular learning and the nature of the tension between Christian beliefs and the Greek philosophers. In short, the central question is this: What does Christian belief look like in the twenty-first century?

Students take four foundation courses and two electives—all of which count toward their curriculum requirements—plus a senior seminar. The courses, which are limited to 15 students, use an inquirybased, discussion-style format, in contrast to the lecture format used in similar programs.

“Students learn to swim by jumping in the deep end,” Dr. Fuller said. “It’s like a high-caliber graduate program retuned to be accessible to undergraduates.”

The electives, which are interdisciplinary, include Science and Faith, C.S. Lewis, Honors Theatre, Chemistry in Art, Irish Literature, and Religion and Politics. Jacob Oster, a junior business major, thought Chemistry in Art sounded intimidating, but it ended up being his favorite elective. It included learning how colors are made, as well as hands-on activities such as metal etching and fabric dying. For Victoria Becker, “Honors Theatre” was a very satisfying challenge. The class came up with a topic—doubt—and then wrote a play in which a character representing doubt appears to five students in different ways, such

as doubts about one’s abilities and about faith. Doubt is fueled by pride, anger and gossip to increase the students’ insecurities. Once the play was written and revised, class members took on roles and performed it for the university. It was so well received that a high school teacher who saw it asked to use it at her school, and the script is now in the process of being copyrighted.

want students to think really “We hard and test their own beliefs so when they leave AU, they can stand on their own two feet and contribute to the great competition of ideas out there.

”

— Dr. Chuck Fuller Assistant Professor of Christian Studies and Honors Program Director While the Honors Program offers leadership opportunities, the chance to interact with peers from many disciplines, priority class registration, honors housing and social activities such as bowling, trivia night, bonfires, picnics, swing dancing and field trips, its greatest benefits are more long-term and less tangible.

“Honors teaches you how to have healthy and fruitful discussions even when you don’t agree,” said Millicent Curlee, who graduated from AU and the Honors

Program in 2017. “You learn to listen to other perspectives and to respond respectfully but to defend your own ideas and understand what you believe.”

Graduate Program Acceptance Curlee, who attended an international high school in Taiwan, also thinks that the honors experience, especially reading the original work of several philosophers, helped set her apart and gain acceptance into the PhD program in clinical psychology at American University in Washington, D.C. She has a fully funded assistantship, which involves helping with an Introduction to Psychology class and working in the Emotions and Positive Psychology Lab on projects such as the relationship between autonomy and gratitude. Her own interests include looking at ways that mental health treatment can incorporate people’s religious beliefs.

There are currently about 120 students in the Honors Program, representing about four percent of the AU student body. Selection of incoming freshmen is based on SAT or ACT score, high school GPA, plus an Honors application form and essay. An interview is recommended but not required.

For more information about AU Honors Program, visit: andersonuniversity.edu/honors.

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Forty years ago there was not a single “PC� on college campuses. Computer work was done using punch cards on mainframe computers the size of small trailers. While copiers existed, access to them was carefully guarded, so examinations were reproduced on mimeograph machines that inevitably leaked ink on hands and papers. And every academic department scrambled to obtain the latest IBM Selectric typewriters.

The advent of the PC in the 1980s and the growing ubiquity of the Internet in the 1990s were instrumental in creating fundamental changes in the administrative work of higher education. Most institutions were quick to see potential benefits, especially in creating, transmitting and storing information, but integration of digital technologies into the learning environment lagged considerably behind adoption by administrative offices.

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Such was the case when I arrived at Anderson University in 2004. Most offices and some faculty members had PCs, but most retained typewriters.

Mimeograph machines were still in use. Other than two computer labs, classrooms lacked PCs and A/V equipment. The institution did not offer any online classes. In most respects, teaching and learning styles at Anderson, just as with most colleges and universities at that time, were not all that different from the teaching and learning techniques that occurred decades or even centuries earlier.

As Chief Academic Officer I came to understand that information technologies were fundamentally changing the manner and speed in which our students could access information. As I asked our faculty, how can we respond as teachers to learners who can access more information on their smart phones in two minutes than we could when we were students in two weeks?

Several steps have proven fundamentally important to transforming our campus.

I asked our faculty, how can we respond “Asas teachers to learners who can access more information on their smart phones in two minutes than we could when we were students in two weeks?

”

— Dr. Danny Parker Executive Vice President and Provost Central to academic innovation at Anderson University is the Center for Innovation and Digital Learning (CIDL). CIDL trains faculty members for teaching online and with various digital technologies. It has proven fundamentally important in re-creating how we conduct higher education, as has been recognized by Apple. The University has been named an Apple Distinguished School for two consecutive terms, and Dr. Ben Deaton, Dean of the CIDL, has been designated as an Apple Distinguished Educator.

A decade ago Anderson University adopted a Mobile Learning Initiative (MLI), which provides iPads each fall semester to all entering freshmen. Faculty members are also provided iPads. The CIDL trains and supports faculty members who use iPads in their traditional “seated” classes, online courses, and also “hybrid courses,” which are a mixture of online and seated classes.

Today, Anderson University offers hundreds of courses each semester online and in various digital formats. Ultimately the goal for Anderson University is to join together the strengths of traditional higher education – such as disciplinary expertise and the personalities of faculty members – with the potential of digital technologies to access and leverage information. We believe we are well on the way to creating a new model for effective higher education in the twenty-first century.

Dr. Danny Parker is the Executive Vice President and Provost at Anderson University.

Dr. Danny Parker

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author and southern anti-slavery historian

Dr. Joseph Moore learned early lessons about calling and professional work from AU

By Evelyn Beck

Dr. Joseph Moore knew he wanted to become a historian at a very young age after his grandparents took him to a Revolutionary War re-enactment. He then became an avid reader about early America; and in first grade, he said, “I got in trouble for insisting George Washington wasn’t the first president of the United States since there were presidents under the Articles of Confederation.” The teacher summoned his parents. “That was when I knew I had a job to do,” Dr. Moore said.

assistant professor of history at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

He also serves as chair of the Department of Social Sciences and as Special Assistant to the President for Academic Enhancement.

professor taught that your witness to “ My the world should be the quality of your work and the integrity with which you pursue it. That lesson was very dear to me.

— Dr. Joseph Moore AU Class of 2000

”

After high school, he initially attended another college but decided to transfer to Anderson University with encouragement from his parents, who had met while students there. The smaller campus and Christian identity proved to be the right fit, and he flourished under the tutelage of professors who pushed him to live up to his potential. A favorite memory is a capstone seminar with AU Professor of History Dr. John C. Lassiter, who “made that room one where you could spar over big ideas,” Dr. Moore said. “It was an exciting class because you walked in knowing you had to take a stand and you might lose. You wanted to get prepared. I still think that class helped me realize that intelligence only goes so far—you have to do the work. I mentally came alive in that seminar.”

Dr. Moore graduated in 2000 with a degree in liberal studies with an emphasis in history and religion.

Today, after completing a PhD at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Dr. Moore is an

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Dr. Joseph Moore

In 2015, he published the book Founding Sins: How a Group of Antislavery Radicals Fought to Put Christ into the Constitution (Oxford University Press). The seed for this study was planted during research that turned up in an antislavery speech on July 4 in the 1840s in Abbeville County, South Carolina. Dr. Moore’s question—“How could you have antislavery South erners that late and that deep in the heart of slavery country?”—led him to a Scotch-Irish group of radicals known as the Covenanters. The resulting book, said Dr. Moore, addresses two misconceptions in American history: “that abolition was a late-arriving phenomenon whereas the history I told showed abolition was a long-held belief in some Christian circles and that

the rather contentious debate between church and state in America is more complex than many sides want to admit.”

For Dr. Lassiter, Dr. Moore’s former teacher and now his friend and colleague, the book is a must read.

“Everyone who cares about this country’s Christian heritage should read Founding Sins,” he said. “There they will encounter a story that most Americans don’t know but need to know. It sheds new light on what it means to say that the United States is a Christian nation.”

In progress are two new books, one on antislavery Southerners and the other on financial advice in early America, when it was sometimes delivered in sermons.

His research pushes him to uncover lost lives and reflect on their meaning for us today. Whatever his topic, he is guided by a lesson from another AU history professor: “He encouraged me to think deeply about the relationship of professional calling and Christian faith,” Dr. Moore said. “He taught that your witness to the world should be the quality of your work and the integrity with which you pursue it. That lesson was very dear to me.”

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AU TIMELINE OF I The Thrift Libra rary added a Full Text Link king Service Allowing Ussers to Link from Bibliograp phic Citations in One Databasee to a Full Text Article in Anoth her Database

Began Three Undergraduate Degrees and Three Master’s Degrees for Fully Online Students

Awarded $600,000 Multi-year State Grant to Establish Center of Excellence for Mobile Learning

.edu 2008

2011 2009

2007

2013

1:1 Began Offering a Few Online Courses as Part of the Adult Evening Program th

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Launched Mobile Learning Initiative (MLI), a 1:1 iPad Program for all Students on campus

F INNOVATIONS Launch of Online Nursing Programs (RN-BSN, MSN, DNP), which Significantly Increased Our Online Growth

Launch off New Minor in Coding an nd App Developmentt

</> 2014

2016 2015

Recognized First Time as Apple Distinguished School

2019 2018

Recognized Second d Time as Apple Disting nguished School

Laun nch of the New Master off Science in Instructional Design and Learning Technology

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innovative new master’s program helps merge technology, learning

By Richard Breen

A new graduate program at AU helps educators and professionals from different fields better integrate technology into their instruction and training programs.

The Master of Science in Instructional Design and Learning Technology launches in the Spring of 2019.

Students receive an iPad during their first course.

This 30-credit-hour program is offered through a collaboration between the Center for Innovation and Digital Learning (CIDL) and AU’s College of Education.

It is offered online and can be completed within a year. Dr. Josh Herron, associate dean in the CIDL, expects students to come to the program from diverse backgrounds.

“Instructional design and learning technology students come from education, training, design or communication, among many other fields,” he said.

“The program is designed to prepare professionals with various backgrounds to combine their strengths with instructional design processes and emerging technologies to create highly effective and engaging instruction.”

Graduates of the program will be ready for jobs with titles such as instructional designer, learning technologist or trainer. These professionals collaborate with subject matter experts and use learning theories, instructional design models and multimedia to develop meaningful learning experiences.

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In recent years, there has been more of an effort to blend technology into K-12 classrooms. Dr. Veta New, an assistant superintendent with Anderson School District Five and member of the AU Board of Visitors, says it’s important that the work students do in the classroom matches the work they’ll do after graduation.

“It’s a moral imperative for us to incorporate technology into all our coursework,” she said. “It’s great that Anderson University is putting something together to address this.”

Students in the new program will develop instructional materials using design-based approaches and immersive, interactive multimedia in real-world learning situations.

They’ll learn to integrate and evaluate emerging technologies and delivery modes to understand best approaches for any learning need.

More than 20,000 new jobs are expected nationwide in instructional design and learning technology from 2016 to 2026.

Median salaries in the field range from $62,400 through $105,800.

Salaries will vary for graduates of the program, since many will add this skill set to job duties that include administration or management. For more information, visit andersonuniversity.edu/instruct.

AU poised to launch

Apple-supported coding minor in the fall

By Liz Carey

In a little over six hours one Tuesday afternoon last fall, more than 30 students gathered in a banquet room of the G. Ross Anderson, Jr. Student Center and learned how to build an app. A development executive with Apple walked through the banquet room, stopping at each student’s seat, helping them run lines of code on their iPads. Students sounded relaxed and intrigued, letting their creativity take over as they built a chatbot and taught it how to “talk.” Screens flashed in different colors as the software for the class ran the code and brought the bot to life with the touch of a student’s finger.

“We believe this opportunity will strengthen the partnership we have with Apple and

allow us to do something unique in liberal arts education. This minor epitomizes how we approach teaching and learning.

”

— Dr. Evans Whitaker

Anderson University President

But these were not your typical programming student computer engineers or program developers used to writing out code line by line. No, these were local high school teachers, elementary school administrators and even some AU students. And they all learned how to code in a day.

The class was part of a new effort by AU to prepare its students for the changing and more digital world in which they’ll work after graduation. AU has launched a coding minor to give its students a competitive advantage in the workplace.

The minor started in the Spring 2018 semester, but the initial, required coursework for the minor will be re-offered this fall semester too. In addition to launching the minor in the fall, AU has transformed one of its digital media labs into the App and Media Development Studio.

Covering everything from app design and development, the minor consists of 18 credit hours, including two introductory courses and other classes in web development and visual design for mobile app development. All of the texts and apps for the coding and capstone courses are provided free from Apple as part of its philosophy that “Everyone Can Code.”

“We believe this opportunity will strengthen the partnership we have with Apple and allow us to do something unique in liberal arts education,” AU President Dr. Evans Whitaker said. “This minor epitomizes how we approach teaching and learning.”

The minor was developed as a partnership between AU’s College of Arts and Sciences, AU’s Center for Innovation and Digital Learning (CIDL) and Apple.

Taught by faculty from three AU colleges, the minor will cover how to build websites, create chatbots and build apps for mobile devices.

Two capstone courses for the minor will have students work in groups to create apps to meet real-world needs. Not only will the project encompass all of the disciplines used in the minor, but will also give students a working example of their abilities.

For students, the minor represents a chance to bring coding skills to virtually any major, and to make themselves competitive in the real world.

According to a 2016 report from Burning Glass, a job market analytics company, as many as 7,000,000 job openings in 2015 required coding skills. Those skills reached across the market spectrum–including IT workers, artists and designers and scientists.

And according to Code.org, there were more than 500,000 programming and coding positions available in the US as of August 2017. Monster.com’s analysis of coding jobs found those that value coding skills pay on average $22,000 more than jobs that don’t require coding.

“This minor offers a unique environment for students in the liberal arts to apply their creativity and reasoning skills in additional ways that can enhance and articulate their employment opportunities,” said Wayne Cox, dean of AU’s College of Arts and Sciences. “They will be ready to find their place and flourish in the new economy, where apps and connectivity and productivity go hand in hand.”

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our faculty

and students...

The AU Family

B

etween 1738 and 1770, English preacher George Whitefield conducted seven evangelistic tours of the American colonies. His preaching and evangelism played a pivotal role in what came to be known as the Evangelical Awakening and the First Great Awakening.

He preached in cities and towns throughout the colonies, including: New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Charleston, Savannah, Trent Town, Newport, Lewis Town, and Williamsburg. Thousands of Americans, about 80 percent of the population, came to hear this English itinerant preacher, according to pastor and writer Kevin A. Miller. Before his death on September 30, 1770, the “Great Itinerant” had preached at least 18,000 times, according to Memoirs of Rev. George Whitefield by John Gillies.

Despite the impact of this English itinerant evangelist on church history, no Christian scholar, church historian, or biographer has examined thoroughly the connection between his theology and methodology of evangelism… until now.

No Better Gospel: George Whitefield’s Theology & Methodology of Evangelism

By Assistant Professor of Christian Studies Dr. Tim McKnight My new book, No Better Gospel, presents a thorough examination of George Whitefield’s evangelistic theology and methodology and provides lessons from Whitefield that contemporary Christians can apply to their evangelistic efforts.

No Better Gospel is available for purchase at AU Outfitters in the Student Center and on amazon.com for $19.99.

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What others are saying about No Better Gospel:

“

What a joy it is to recommend No Better Gospel, an illuminating new book on the theology and evangelistic methodology of George Whitefield! Timothy McKnight offers a thoughtful analysis of Whitefield’s doctrinal formulations and ministry methodology, as well as insights from Whitefield’s larger historical context. In addition, readers will find wise and helpful guidance regarding the importance of doctrinal preaching, our stewardship of the gospel, the wide-ranging work of evangelism, and faithful pastoral ministry. We congratulate and salute Prof. McKnight for his splendid work in bringing together this informative, engaging, and well-researched volume on the life, thought, and ministry of the highly influential 18th-century evangelist.

”

— David S. Dockery President, Trinity International University/Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“

In a day in which there is a battle for the gospel, Dr. Tim McKnight has provided the church with a valuable volume devoted to the incomparable gospel, No Better Gospel. The author takes George Whitefield’s theology of evangelism, which is biblically driven and theologically informed and presents it as a model for 21st-century evangelism and a contemporary mirror for effective proclamation. This book is not for those who seek to be prophets for profit. Rather, it is for those who are faithful in planting and watering the Word in anticipation of the Lord giving the increase!

”

— Dr. Robert Smith Jr. Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity Beeson Divinity School Samford University

“

As a young seminarian a leader encouraged me to read at least one biography a year the rest of my life. This routine introduced me to a plethora of people used of God in history. George Whitefield rises to the top of all those whose lives I surveyed. He has become one of my favorite evangelists. My friend Tim McKnight has given the church a valuable resource on the life of Whitefield. This volume is both theologically rich and practically accessible. It demonstrates the heart and life of a man used of God while not ignoring he had feet of clay. Read it and be encouraged!

”

— Alvin L. Reid Senior Professor of Evangelism and Student Ministry/Bailey Smith Chair of Evangelism, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

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petition in the the Presidential Fellows scholarship com When I visited Anderson University for me a glimpse birthday. My visit that weekend gave winter of my senior year, it was my 18th surprised e. The First Lady, Mrs. Diane Whitaker, of what it would look like to call AU hom ies, Dr. and Assistant Professor of Christian Stud me with a birthday cake to celebrate, see veloped Honors Program. I started to Ryan Neal, shared about the newly rede ip lina. I was offered a generous scholarsh myself living and growing in South Caro and I was incredibly grateful for the that made it possible for me to attend, r graduating in May, it is humbling opportunity to study at AU. Now as a senio ish in academics, equipped me in to consider how AU has helped me flour re. leadership, and prepared me for the futu

easily been the most formative Participating in the Honors Program has e. The Honors Program is designed component to my academic experienc ary inquiry to investigate societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s for students to engage in interdisciplin ents to understand the intersection perennial questions, and it presses stud ram challenged me intellectually and of faith and learning. The Honors Prog my and support from both my peers and spiritually in a context of community class es require me to prepare before each professors. The Socratic-method class res, erial. Instead of learning through lectu period by reading primary source mat cting the discussion by asking questions, disse honors students facilitate peer-driven skills and pectives. Cultivating critical-thinking authorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work and defending their pers uate my atic-method classes trained me to eval engaging in discussions through Socr ors Program fs with substance and humility. The Hon assumptions and articulate my belie e or profession. ly the Gospel faithfully in any disciplin has helped me consider how I can app

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on and off d me for leadership opportunities both The culture of hospitalit y at AU equippe ed p I led called Fear Is Not Our Policy, I work campus. Through an advocacy grou te students to supp ort the refu gee with gracious faculty and passiona rs sacrificed their time and energy community. My friends and professo e to the voiceless, and we alongside me in this cause to give voic in the state of South helped block anti-refugee legislation lege of being the Carolina. On campus, I had the privi nization president of the Connect club, an orga through that celebrates and promotes diversity love. education, empowerment, service, and ssly The students and faculty at AU work tirele e of to make sure ever yon e feels a sens of belonging, and it is an honor to be a part y ever an organization that wants to make student feel at home.

For more AU Diaries visit urney yjo AndersonUniversity.edu/m

Because of my interdisciplinary study within the Honors Program and my leadership experience while at AU, I plan to pursue graduate school and k, study public policy. Over winter brea is Harr I received an offer to attend the ersity School of Public Policy Studies at the Univ a few of Chicago, and I hope to hear back from that creating other universities this spring. I believe ble change thoughtful policy can facilitate sustaina t to utilize my and flourishing communities, and I wan common good. My convictions and skill set to impact the I think, lead, and love, tenure at AU has transformed the way ns in whatever lies ahead. and I look forward to applying these lesso

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Dr. Ben Deaton

AU’s online programs ranked among the best in the country

By Andrew J. Beckner

It’s official: Anderson University is among the nation’s best schools offering online bachelor’s degree programs.

U.S. News & World Report each year releases its Best Online Bachelor’s Programs list, a comprehensive ranking of nearly 1,500 distance education degree programs. AU, which offers 16 online bachelor’s degree programs among its eight colleges and schools, is U.S. News & World Report’s top online bachelor’s degree program among all institutions of higher learning in Upstate South Carolina, and is No. 3 among all South Carolina schools ranked.

“

Our primary focus is providing high-quality learning experiences. We achieve this by having world-class instructors who design engaging courses and programs, using the best tools and technologies to support meaningful learning opportunities.

”

— Dr. Ben Deaton

Dean of AU’s Center for Innovation and Digital Learning

AU began online programming in 2005. Since that time, AU Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Danny Parker has watched its offerings flourish.

“The growth of our online programs and this recognition by U.S. News & World Report, along with our Mobile Learning Initiative and the widespread integration of the latest innovations in instructional technology into our curriculum, demonstrate our progress in creation of a new model for higher education in the twenty-first century,” Dr. Parker said.

More than 550 of roughly 3,500 students attend AU online. In addition, many on-campus students learn through hybrid courses, downloading lectures and materials online so that class time is spent deepening

their understanding through discussion and collaborative learning. AU is home to the Center for Innovation and Digital Learning (CIDL) and is a two-time Apple Distinguished School.

The Mobile Learning Initiative was a catalyst, said AU College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Wayne Cox. “Eight years ago, AU began its Mobile Learning Initiative, taking the lead as one of the most innovative universities in the South,” Cox said. He said the recognition by Apple was also notable.

“Our ‘flipped’ classes moved beyond the physical confinements of a seated class, and our science labs that pioneered the use of the iPad as scientific tool expanded learning opportunities for every student,” Cox said. “Most recently, we’ve become the first four-year university in the United States to create and implement a minor in Coding and App Development.

Extending this innovation and excellence to our online programs is not only logical for us, but inevitable.”

U.S. News & World Report compiles its ranking based on a four-part formula that examines a school’s student engagement, its student services and technology infrastructure, the credentials and training of its faculty, and its reputation among its peers. This year marks AU’s first appearance in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs list.

That’s especially rewarding for Dr. Ben Deaton, dean of AU’s Center for Innovation and Digital Learning.

“This recognition illustrates Anderson’s commitment to providing enriching experiences to all students in our online programs,” he said. “Our primary focus is providing high-quality learning experiences. We achieve this by having world-class instructors who design engaging courses and programs, using the best tools and technologies to support meaningful learning opportunities. Paired with our Mobile Learning Initiative, the tools and technologies we use to support online learning are accessible to students on their mobile devices in order to support learning everywhere.”

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companies impressed by innovative knowledge of AU

supply chain business students

By Andrew J. Beckner

Innovation in the way goods and services are moved around the world is changing how companies conduct business in the twenty-first century. And students in AU’s College of Business are on the leading edge of these new trends.

In fact, AU students’ research is so innovative, some of the world’s leading companies are seeking their advice on how to incorporate emerging technologies into their business practices.

Case in point: at a recent trade group meeting, undergraduate supply chain students presented their research into Blockchain technology and how it informs a company’s supply chain and logistics infrastructure.

The presentation—and attendees’ reception of the students—reflect the emerging reputation of AU’s supply chain management program.

He was among those impressed with AU students’ initiative and understanding of emerging technology.

Baker serves as president of the Upstate South Carolina APICS chapter. After meeting Combs, he invited her and her classmates to formally present their research to APICS members.

“Whenever I see students attending a professional event, it impresses me. It shows maturity above an average student,” Baker said. In his interactions with AU students, he said, “I have witnessed the maturity and respect they have given to others.

It’s not just me saying that; others have mentioned to me how professional (they are). That says something about the training they are receiving at (Anderson University) and the professors that teach them.”

“ They’ve shown initiative. That’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for people who have that drive.”

— Yash Bhatia, President of Datos Consulting

On January 16, students Allison Combs and Ramiro Urreta presented at a regional event for the American Production and Inventory Control Society (APICS), an organization that certifies professionals and promotes opportunities in the supply chain field.

Blockchain is a software platform for companies’ digital assets and involves authenticating financial transactions across the Internet. Combs, Urreta, and other students in AU’s supply chain program interviewed logistics professionals in Upstate South Carolina who work at some of the world’s leading companies.

One of those professionals was Chuck Baker, a logistics coordinator for Michelin North America.

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Kim Whitehead

supply chain graduates,” he said. AU students “are up-to-date with the latest technologies and concepts that are important to (APICS) members.”

“We need go-getters,” Bhatia said, noting, like Baker, that AU supply chain students are choosing to attend professional-level events in their free time. “They’ve shown initiative. That’s what I’m looking for. I’m looking for people who have that drive.”

That drive comes, in part, from the AU College of Business and its supply chain management program, which is designed to equip students to tackle modern business problems and provide the skills to perform in today’s global business environment. Students graduating from the program are prepared for careers in operations management, project management and procurement, among others.

“Anderson University is keeping up with

cutting edge technolog y and is training their students to stay up-to-date with all that is going on in industry.

Allison Combs

Combs said the chapter’s enthusiastic reception of their presentation shows that AU is giving them a relevant education in supply chain management.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to not only gain real-world presentation experience, but I’m even more excited that we are able to inform local professionals about emerging technology that they may not even have heard of,” Combs said. “This proves Anderson University is keeping up with cutting-edge technology and is training their students to stay up-to-date with all that is going on in industry.”

Yash Bhatia is president of Datos Consulting, who met AU students through APICS events as well. Not only has he been impressed in his interactions with AU’s supply chain students, but also of the forwardlooking nature of their research. Blockchain, and how it intersects with the crypto-currency Bitcoin, an emerging method of payment on the Internet, has enormous implications for business transactions in the twenty-first century.

“They’ve shown initiative in wanting to learn more,” he said. “It’s a key trait for companies looking to hire

”

— Allison Combs, AU Student “Students concentrating in supply chain management learn to make ethical and meaningful decisions through the exchange of products and services with companies all over the world,” said Assistant Professor of Management Dr. Kimberly Whitehead.

Dr. Whitehead said AU students are increasingly in demand by employers because of the holistic approach of the supply chain management program, and for their career readiness. For example, AU students have interned at BMW, TTi Ryobi, BorgWarner and other respected companies.

“Companies are coming to us more and more and recruiting our students because they are excited about what we are doing,” Dr. Whitehead said.

Michelin’s Chuck Baker represents one of those companies.

“I’ve mentioned to the head of our recruiting that we need to be more engaged with AU so that we can offer (internship opportunities) to the students,” Baker said.

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united with a passion...

Alumni News

three-decade AU contributor Kelley O’Quinn loves helping students succeed, pursue their dreams

By Liz Carey

While most people say that the benefit of giving comes from the act itself, Kelley O’Quinn will tell you the benefits of giving to Anderson University are in being a part of something she knows is doing good in the world.

“Giving to Anderson University has given back to me so much more than I’ve ever put into it,” O’Quinn said. “It’s been a blessing to know that I have been influential in helping the university give young people what they need in order to succeed in their lives here and after they graduate as they pursue their dreams.”

As a teenager, O’Quinn was part of the youth group at First Baptist Church in Walhalla where she met the church’s pastor, Dr. Nelson Eugene Mandrell, who was also chair of Anderson’s psychology department.

Dr. Mandrell married O’Quinn and her husband, the late Dr. Ken Smith, and remained an influence in the newlyweds’ lives.

Once they married, the Smiths moved to Richmond, Virginia, and Birmingham, Alabama, where Dr. Smith completed his residency in dermatology. In 1969, Dr. Smith and his wife moved back to the area and established his practice in Anderson. “O’Quinn helped manage their dermatology and cancer clinic for more than 20 years.” During that time, (then) Anderson College called the Smiths and offered them the opportunity to help build a lab in the psychology department, now known as the Mandrell Psychology Suite. They decided that if Dr. Mandrell was involved, it was a worthwhile cause.

“Mrs. O’Quinn has supported every major capital effort of the University in the last two decades, including: the purchase of the Anderson County Fair Grounds for our Athletic Campus; the building of Thrift Library; our Front Lawn project, and the G. Ross Anderson, Jr. Student Center,” he said. “She is truly an amazing, generous individual with several major gifts to the University.”

Her gifts, Landrith said, have helped more than just a few students.

“Through the generosity of Mrs. O’Quinn, thousands of AU students have directly benefitted from her support,” Landrith said. “In addition, her kindness has touched the lives of many in the Anderson community that cannot be measured statistically.”

For Emily Bailey, the 2017 recipient of the Earlene G. Kelley Scholarship for Music, the scholarship is more than just money for college. It’s reaffirmation of someone else’s faith in her abilities.

“The scholarship shows that someone supports me in the furthering of my knowledge of music,” Bailey said. “Not only is it encouragement to me to pursue my dreams, but it is wonderful to know that someone like that believes in me.”

Bailey is majoring in piano performance and pedagogy, with a minor in marketing, and hopes to one day teach piano in her own studio. She graduates in May.

While Dr. Smith passed away in 1999, O’Quinn remarried in 2004 and continued to give to the university. The initial contribution to the university’s psychology department was the beginning of more than 30 years of philanthropy by O’Quinn.

The need for a quality Christian education is even more important today, O’Quinn said, and Anderson University provides students with a way to follow their dreams, but in a way that teaches them values and morals.

O’Quinn supported every major capital effort and established music and education scholarships.

For O’Quinn, the contributions she makes are investments into a thriving university that is making the world a better place.

Over the years, O’Quinn served on several boards for the University, until she was asked to be part of the school’s Board of Regents, a group that helps to shape the University’s vision and direction.

Her involvement with the school impressed her.

In response, she established a music scholarship in memory of her mother, the Earlene G. Kelley Scholarship, and another in honor of her brother, the John Kelley Scholarship, for teacher education.

Senior Vice President for Development and Presidential Affairs Wayne Landrith said O’Quinn’s decades of giving have contributed substantially to the university.

“It’s been wonderful being able to watch the university grow,” she said. “It’s no wonder that people in the community have supported the university.

If the community is investing in the university, you have to know that there’s something there that is good and right.”

In addition to contributing to AU, O’Quinn’s civic involvement has included her serving as a member of the Anderson/Oconee Behavioral Health Services Board and the Medical University of South Carolina Foundation Board. O’Quinn also was the State President of the South Carolina Medical Association.

Left to right: Emily Bailey & Kelley O’Quinn

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Jason’s COLUMN

By jason rutland, Associate Vice President for Alumni & Parent Engagement

When you’re at AU every day, it’s easy to forget how it has flourished in this new era I do my best to not take this campus for granted.

In 1999, I showed up on the Anderson campus, hailing from a very small town in South Carolina.

I was here to play baseball but was excited about the other things to do on campus. We had a small student center with two television sets, a Ping-Pong table, and two pool tables. We had a fitness facility that was shared with the entire campus, and the intramural gymnasium was in the lower level of Vandiver Hall. I was also told that we had a library on Front Street, though I do not remember seeing much of the inside.

realized that I still do not fully “ Icomprehend what is happening at AU because I am lucky enough to spend every day at this wonderful place.

”

There were a few residence halls on campus. The men lived in South Rouse, North Rouse or Lawton, while the women lived in Pratt, Denmark or Kingsley. When I became a junior, I got to live in one of the houses across Boulevard.

Wow, how things have changed! We have a beautiful new nursing facility, the gorgeous Thrift Library, five new residence halls where my campus house used to be, the 90,000 square-foot G. Ross Anderson, Jr. Student Center, the athletic campus and a new name: Anderson University. And a host of other

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additions to one of the nation’s fastest-growing Christian universities. I have been lucky to see this transformation. I try not to take the growth for granted, and I thought I did a good job with this until recently, when I had the distinct pleasure of showing one of my best friends around AU’s campus.

Fellow AU grad Frank Vildosola came to campus from his hometown of Miami, Florida. As we were getting close to campus, I told him how much it had changed. He said he was sure he’d still be able to navigate campus. I chuckled as we approached AU from downtown Anderson. He started talking about the houses that were on that side of campus, and I had to inform him that they were no longer there.

We drove past the new residence halls, and he just stared in disbelief.

As we entered the G. Ross Anderson, Jr. Student Center, I didn’t really get to say much. He grabbed his cell phone and began to FaceTime many of our former teammates that have not been able to get back to campus. He marveled over the fitness center, the technology in the building, the game area, the theater, and the number of food options that our students have now. We spent so much time in the student center that we were unable to go much farther before he had to depart.

I realized that I still do not fully comprehend what is happening at AU because I am lucky enough to spend every day at this wonderful place. God has truly blessed AU, and I encourage you, alumni, to stop by.

I would love to show you around and share stories about what this place means to all of us.

Because our students are worth your investment.

Gifts to the Anderson Fund help the university provide life-changing scholarships to worthy, financially deserving students.

The Anderson Fund helps pay for computer and laboratory equipment, course development, art exhibitions, athletic enhancements, theatrical performances, library books, student mission trips and so much more, which all have a positive impact on students. The Anderson Fund literally touches the lives of thousands of students each year and provides hope to our world as Anderson University sends forth inspired Christian leaders and servants who will make a difference in their local communities where they will live, work and serve.

Make your gift today with the enclosed envelope or go to www.AndersonUniversity.edu/giving/online.

You may also contact our Office of Development at 864.231.2147.

Anderson University does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or religion in its programs and activities. Please direct inquiries to Dr. Beverly Rice McAdams, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion/Title IX Administrator, Merritt Administration Building, 3rd floor, 316 Boulevard, Anderson, SC 29621, (864) 231-2126, bmcadams@andersonuniversity.edu or to the Office of Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education at ocr@ed.gov.

Dr. Diana Ivankovic

Undergraduate Cancer Research Center introduces students to the life of a research scientist

By Mike McMillan

Anderson University students are leading the fight against cancer—and they’re doing it before they even hit graduate school.

Headed by Professor of Biology Dr. Diana Ivankovic, the Undergraduate Cancer Center is a major asset to the University’s sciences program and a first step in training the next generation of cancer researchers. It gives students a real-world taste of how pharmaceutical companies conduct research through collecting plant-based samples, preparing the compounds and examining the results.

Dr. Ivankovic said the goal of the center is to educate undergraduate students to do basic cancer research.

She hopes to get students on the path to become health-care professionals.

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The program started in 2011, and the facility was a temporary donation by AnMed Health Medical Center; it’s directly across from the hospital’s main campus. Each semester, between four and seven students are selected for the program, and this year there are six. Many students participate in the program for a semester; others become cancer scholars. Cancer scholars are in the program for an entire year and present their research at the end of the year.

Professor of Chemistry Dr. Dorota Abramovitch is one of the faculty members who works with Dr. Ivankovic at the center. The work these students do is similar to what pharmaceutical companies do, Dr. Abramovitch said, in that the students test compounds on live cancer cells.

Students’ work at the center includes making sure there is a controlled environment for the research.

The students purify the extracts for testing and examine past findings on compounds to see if they have the ability to attack cancer cells. Later, the students follow the progress of the experiments. Finally, they put together a digital library of the compounds extracted.

Dr. Ivankovic, herself a breast cancer survivor,and former Susan G. Komen board member, has also taken students on a trip to the Peruvian Amazon to study plants, as much of their work involves studying the anticarcinogenic properties of these plants.

“We believe that training students in proper techniques and teaching them to think like scientists is as important as discovering a new drug,” Dr. Abramovitch said.

Student Achievements Undergraduate Cancer Center students recently participated in the Ernest E. Just Symposium at the Medical University of South Carolina, an event that supports diversity in graduate education and medical science. Students present research and receive feedback from their peers and professors from other institutions. Two years ago, student Eslie Aguilar presented her research to 310 students from 12 colleges and universities and won an award. Three years ago, student Rakish Taylor brought home an award. Students who are selected and awarded at the symposium have a greater chance of receiving grants and scholarships and being accepted into graduate programs and medical school.

Taylor gave a presentation on the socio-economic value of genome testing — in essence, making a case for testing a person’s genes to see if he or she is predisposed to cancer and making an economic case for its widespread implementation. Taylor’s research won second place out of hundreds of projects.

“It was thrilling to get up there and share my knowledge with them, and for them to appreciate my efforts,” he said.

Aguilar was a second-place winner for excellence in research. She was part of the program during her sophomore year, having taken the cancer scholar path. Her interest in the program began when she lost a close family friend at her church to cancer. Since then, she said she wanted to be a part of the fight against cancer.

Aguilar researched how to direct a substance with an antibody to attack a lymphoma cell. In essence, it’s about using the body’s own immune system to help attack cancer cells. Since being a part of the

Undergraduate Cancer Research Center, the nowsenior is in the application process for med schools and plans to become an oncologist.

Research Publication In addition to the successes of Aguilar and Taylor, advances in Cancer Prevention, a medical journal, published Mary Kay Daughterty’s research on the anticarcinogenic properties of the false indigo plant.

AU’s Undergraduate Cancer Center was one of the major draws to Anderson University for the biology major. After investigating where to transfer as a freshman at a state school, she decided on AU.

believe that training students in “We proper techniques and teaching them to think like scientists is as important as discovering a new drug.

”

— Dr. Dorota Abramovitch Professor of Biolog y “I considered my acceptance into the program a true honor and a chance to achieve a personal academic goal with the school,” Daugherty said.

Daugherty graduated in May 2016 and took a year off school to teach math and science, but she is now applying to graduate programs to become a physician’s assistant. She said the program gave her a distinct academic advantage.

“I have nothing but high praise for the program,” Daugherty said.

Undergraduate Cancer Center Fundraising Sources The Undergraduate Cancer Center organized a charity campus bike ride with the Cancer Association of Anderson, a group that financially helps new cancer patients. Dr. Ivankovic estimates the bike rides have raised about $10,000 over the past few years. Clemson University football head coach Dabo Swinney also has contributed funds to support breast cancer research at the center. According to Dr. Ivankovic, the center is funded through Anderson University, Clemson University’s All-In Foundation and the Ride for Research bike ride.

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athletic news...

Trojans in motion!

Trojan student athletes post

record performance in the classroom

Led by the men’s tennis team, Anderson University’s student-athletes’ academic achievement continues to rise to record heights, as they achieved an overall 3.26 grade point average for the fall semester, marking the Athletic Department’s highest GPA in school history.

In mid-January, the men’s tennis squad became the first men’s team in the 12-year history of the Dr. Shirley Jacks Award to earn the honor of recording the department’s highest GPA, with a stellar 3.65 mark. The team was presented with the award, which is given to the team that possesses the highest grade point average at the end of each semester, in February.

The position became vacant earlier when longtime Sports Medicine Director, Ed Duvall was named Executive Director of University Wellness at Anderson.

Lopes joined the Trojan athletic training staff in September, 2013 after serving as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Clemson University. Lopes has worked with the women’s soccer, men’s basketball and baseball teams and currently serves as the primary athletic trainer with volleyball and softball.

Lopes graduated from College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training in 2010.

She was a student athletic trainer in learning with The Citadel football team, College of Charleston women’s soccer and softball teams, and Wando High School spring sports teams.

Nearly every team achieved at least a 3.0 GPA for the semester, with the overall 3.26 GPA for the athletic department.

Dalton Greer

Dalton Greer Named Assistant Director of Sports Medicine Monica Lopes

Monica Lopes named Assistant Director of Athletics – Director of Sports Medicine Monica Lopes is the new Assistant Athletics DirectorDirector of Sports Medicine for the Trojan athletic department, having been named to the post in January.

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Anderson University Assistant Athletics Director Monica Lopes announced in February that Spartanburg, S.C., native Dalton Greer has been named Assistant Director of Sports Medicine.

Greer has served as an athletic trainer with the Trojans since arriving from Western Carolina last fall and has also worked with the University of Arizona football

program, North Carolina State women’s basketball and football, North Buncombe High School and at AC Reynolds High School in Asheville, N.C. during his professional career.

membership in the Trojan Club growing eight-fold, and the organization now boasting more than 700 active members and corporate sponsorships reaching a quarter-million dollars in support.

As part of his responsibilities, Greer will continue to cover men’s soccer and baseball for the Trojans.

D’Andrea supplemented Trojan Club funding and ticket revenue at each athletic venue and has overseen substantial improvements at the Athletic Campus, with significant enhancements to the weight room and the addition of state-of-the-art lights and locker rooms at soccer’s Trojan Stadium, while removing the pre-existing wooden bleachers. Additionally, fan engagement was enhanced with videoboards and new scoreboards at the Abney Athletic Center. He also partnered with the City of Anderson to build a new fence at Anderson Memorial Stadium, home of the baseball team.

Greer is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers’ Association and the North Carolina Athletic Trainers’ Association and also volunteered at Western Carolina and at Good Samaritan Clinic of Jackson County in Cullowhee, N.C. Greer earned his bachelor’s degree at Western Carolina in 2017 and is currently working on his master’s degree in Advanced Athletic Training through the University of South Florida.

Under his leadership, the department saw the addition of the first full-time Development Officer and Game Manager.

In addition to his athletic department duties, D’Andrea is also a member of the Senior Leadership Team at Anderson, which works closely with the president to provide the executive leadership of the University. Prior to taking the reins of the Trojan athletic program, D’Andrea served as Executive Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at Clemson, while his administrative career spanned 30 years.

Bill D’Andrea

Bill D’Andrea to retire as Vice President for Athletics in May After serving three years at the helm of the Anderson University athletics program, Bill D’Andrea announced in mid-January that he will be retiring from his role as Vice President for Athletics, effective May 1. During his tenure, D’Andrea has placed an emphasis on facility enhancement and fundraising, with

He served with the Tigers’ athletic department in both full-time and part-time positions for more than three decades, beginning as a graduate assistant football coach under legendary Clemson head coach Danny Ford in 1983 and 1984.

Women’s Basketball In late January, forward Alexis Dillard became the 13th women’s basketball player in program history to achieve the 1,000 career-point milestone when she scored her second layup of the first period at Queens.

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The former Wade Hampton High School standout later had her No. 25 jersey retired during a ceremony between the Generals’ girls and boys games against Hillcrest. Dillard graduated in 2013 from Wade Hampton, where she was a four-year letter winner in basketball and a three-year letter winner in volleyball for the Generals.

Men’s Basketball With his second basket of the game against Limestone on Nov. 15, junior guard Randall Shaw became the 13th men’s basketball player in school history to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The Greenville, S.C., native was the eighth player to reach the milestone in three years or fewer.

Men’s Soccer The AU men’s soccer team was named the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Fair Play Award recipient at the conclusion of the SAC Soccer Championships.

The Fair Play award is given to the team that demonstrates model behavior and the spirit of fair play throughout the season. The Trojans only received 11 yellow cards during SAC play and 22 overall in 16 matches.

Women’s Cross Country Paced by senior Haylee Love’s 10th-place finish and with four runners finishing in the top-14, the Anderson women’s cross country team became the first Trojan cross country squad–men or women–to qualify for the NCA A National Championships by finishing second at the 2017 NCA A Southeast Region Championships in early November.

Volleyball The volleyball team won a school-record 28 victories on its way to an appearance in the semifinals of the NCA A Southeast Region Tournament. The Trojans posted a school-record 22-match win streak during the record-breaking season, which included a regular -season South Atlantic Conference Championship.

At the conclusion of the season, standout setter Emily Conlin was named an Honorable Mention All-American by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA). Off the court, Conlin earned First-Team Academic All-America honors.

Baseball On the eve of the 2018 baseball season, the senior duo of outfielder William Thomas and shortstop Tyler Miller earned Preseason Second-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honors.

Women’s Soccer Senior Kristin Herbert was named the 2017 South Atlantic Conference Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year in December. The SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards are presented to one male and one female student-athlete in each of the conference’s 18 championship and recognize excellence in athletics, academics, service and leadership. The awards are voted on by the league’s Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee.

Herbert is the first women’s soccer student-athlete from Anderson University to receive the SAC Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and holds a perfect 4.0 GPA in Biochemistry. The Arlington, Va., native was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team and to the NSCA A Senior College Scholar All-Region Team.

The senior captain played in 13 matches while starting in 11 for the Black and Gold. Herbert helped anchor a backline that helped produce six clean sheets and a second straight trip to the SAC Championship semifinals.

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Following the opening weekend of the season, junior Will Gee was named the AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Baseball Pitcher of the Week. The Blackville, S.C. native tossed a gem in his first appearance on the mound for the Trojans, as the right-hander’s performance propelled AU to a 2-0 shutout over King in the opening game of a doubleheader.

Softball Senior catcher Cailah Niles earned Preseason All-South Atlantic Conference honors after leading the league in RBI last season, tying for first in home runs and ranking 10th with a .390 batting average.

The Phenix City, Ala., native set a conference record with her 48th career home run in the Trojans’ win over Southern Wesleyan in the season opener and was named SAC Player of the Week.

Men’s Golf First Tournament: Monday, March 5th at Green Valley Country Club. Learn more at: autrojans.com/sports/mgolf/2017-18/schedule

Top to bottom: Haylee Love, Emily Conlin

Alexis Dillard

Women’s Golf

Men’s Tennis

Head Coach Danny Neal, who is in his 15th season at the helm of the Trojan golf program, saw his squad win the AU Invitational last fall for the first time in program history and the team built on the success by finishing third in two more tournaments. During the Patsy Rendleman Invitational in mid-October, the Trojans posted the program’s best round since joining the South Atlantic Conference with a 300 in the second round of the event.

Sophomore Ignacio Bidegain was named South Atlantic Conference Preseason First-Team on the singles side in late January. Bidegain landed in the No. 19 spot in the singles Southeast Region rankings back in November. The native of Buenos Aires tallied a final 2017 season record of (16-4, 7-3 SAC) on his way to All-SAC First Team honors following his freshman campaign.

Women’s Tennis

Track & Field Freshman Olivia Evans was named the AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week in early February. Evans won the women’s 5,000 meter run in a time of 17:54.64 on the first day of ETSU’s Buccaneer Invitational. The native of Boiling Springs, S.C. followed up by finishing fifth in the women’s mile run in a time of 5:17.26.

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The doubles team of juniors Laura Dean and Jacqueline Olivia earned Preseason Second-Team All-SAC honors in January. Dean was also honored as a FirstTeam All-SAC selection in singles. The Georgetown, S.C. native finished the 2017 season with an overall 15-7 singles record at the No. 1 position and dominated in two fall matches. Senior Ivey Welborn was also a first-team All-SAC selection in singles.

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