Forward, Fall 2021

THE MAGAZINE OF

Volume 66, No. 2

Fall 2021

DR. CHRIS HAMMER

Positive, Determined, Motivated Story p.8 Also in this issue:

Alumni and Students Pay Tribute to the Late Terry Hayes p.5 Garden Serves as Living Reminder of Dr. Gloria M. Payne p.9

LETTER from the PRESIDENT Dear Members of the D&E Community, Journalist and Catholic social activist Dorothy Day once described vocation as “… that which brings meaning to one’s life.” As I reflect upon my life’s journey, I am fortunate to have discovered my vocation and then married it to my career. For me, the result has been a fulfilling life with gratitude and joy each morning I am blessed to wake and continue the exploration of my vocation.

Assisting students to discover their vocation and prepare themselves for meaningful lives and careers is at the heart of the D&E educational experience. The generation now entering college is passionate about finding a path in life that is filled with meaning and purpose. They have a spiritual hunger and are searching for answers to the big questions of life. All of this bodes well for a school such as D&E that is invested in the liberal arts, personalizes the classroom and collegiate experience, and challenges our students to articulate their beliefs and live purposeful lives.

You might notice a subtle, or perhaps not-so-subtle, vocational theme throughout this edition of Forward magazine. The recent celebration of the life of Professor Terry Hayes became personal for D&E Theater Professor Lonnie Martin, a former student of Hayes. Professor Hayes loved theater and inspired others to pursue their dreams in the field. He made a career of what he loved and inspired others to do likewise. The two stories focusing on former faculty members, Dr. Jean Minnick and Dr. Gloria Payne, pay tribute to two beloved individuals who epitomized living our meaning and passion in one’s life and sharing it with others.

Dr. Chris Hammer, D&E’s triathlon team coach, recently competed in the Paralympics Games in Tokyo and finished fourth in the world in triathlon. Chris shares his love and passion for the sport, and the way he has woven together vocation and career to result in success and meaning.

Students over the decades have come to the mountains of Randolph County to discover their life’s calling.

Some have remained in the area; many others have gone on to locations across the nation and world. D&E has sent alumni into communities far and wide who have put into practice that which they discovered and honed right here. Their families and communities have been the beneficiaries.

My request of alumni and friends of Davis & Elkins remains the same. Provide financial support, refer prospective students, and keep this College in your prayers. The students of D&E are worth our time and investment as they prepare to follow their calling to lead and serve.

On a personal note, you will see the story in these pages of the contract extension I have signed to lead D&E through 2026. Lisa and I are privileged to continue our journey with all of you that are a part of the Davis & Elkins College community. Working together, we will move this College forward as we lead the way graduating students ready and prepared to fulfill their vocational calling.

With warmest wishes,

Chris A. Wood President FACEBOOK.COM/DAVISANDELKINS

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

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ISSUE in this

THE MAGAZINE OF

Editor: Linda Howell Skidmore Writers: Linda Howell Skidmore, Wendy Morgan and Cathy Nosel.

Photographers: Scott Barker, Andrew Carroll,

Laurie Goux, Linda Howell Skidmore, Lonnie Martin, Ryann Moore, Wendy Morgan and Julie Singleton.

ON THE COVER

About the Magazine

D&E’s head triathlon coach Dr. Chris Hammer represented the United States on the Paralympic Triathlon Team this summer and earned a fourth-place finish in the PTS5 Sport Class. He plans another go at the competition in Paris in three years. Photo by Scott Barker

The Mission of Davis & Elkins College

News Around Campus

Forward magazine is published by the Office of Communications & Marketing. To subscribe or to submit your news, please send an email to skidmorel@dewv.edu or write to Linda Howell Skidmore, 100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241.

To prepare and inspire students for success and for thoughtful engagement in the world.

Davis & Elkins College Cabinet

Patrick Snively Chris A. Wood Athletic Director President Robert J. Phillips, Ph.D. Jane Corey Director of Provost and Vice President Human Resources for Academic Affairs Scott D. Goddard ’96 Rosemary M. Thomas, Ed.D. Vice President for Executive Vice President Institutional Advancement Robert O. Hardman II Vice President for Business & Administration

Davis & Elkins College Board of Trustees Elected Officers (2021-2022) Mark S. Barber ’75 Chair David E. Cutlip ’77 Vice Chair David H. Morrison ’79 Secretary Elaine H. Christ Treasurer

Members

Reginald Owens Sr. ’83 Barbara A. Porter ’76 Steven S. Savage ’72 Dr. Robert G. Smith ’65 Rev. Edward J. Thompson (ex officio) Chris A. Wood (ex officio)

Life Trustees

Karen H. Berner ’64 Carter Giltinan John H. Harling ’53 David A. Rutherford Dorothy H. Wamsley ’61

Joyce B. Allen James Bialek ’74 Nathaniel Bonnell ’03 Robert E. Douglas Nancy Evans-Bennett ’66 Chair Emeriti Henry M. Moore Jennifer Giovannitti June B. Myles Barry A. Greene ’83 William N. Johnston, Ed.D. Paul S. Stirrup ’60 L. Newton Thomas Jr. William Nuttall ’70 Leonard J. Timms Jr. John Ochsendorf Adam J. Ouellette ’93

Honorary Trustee Emeritus and Staff Emeritus Robin Price ’73

Davis & Elkins College, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the West Virginia Human Rights Act is an equal opportunity institution that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, including sexual and gender-based harassment, assault, and violence, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, gender identification, or genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, admission to and enrollment with the College, including, but not limited to, recruitment, selection, hiring, placement, transfer, promotion, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination, educational policies, admission policies, financial aid, scholarship and loan programs, housing, athletic and other College-administered programs and activities. For inquiries regarding Title IX and/or 504 compliance and/ or the filing of a complaint, contact the College’s Title IX Coordinator by filing a report online at www.dewv.edu/consumer-information/. Bruce Blankenship, Title IX Coordinator, Scholar’s Room, Booth Library, 3rd Floor, 304-637-1244, detitleix@dewv.edu.

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Homecoming 2021 Hayes Didn’t Take it With Him D&E Takes to the Road to Honor Alumni Distinguished Alumnus

Tower Award

Outstanding Young Alumni

Senators Community Service Award New Fountain Graces Mary Frances Garden Hammer is Determined; Paralympics Here He Comes Again Gloria’s Garden Board of Trustees Adds Bonnell, Nuttall Higher Learning Commission Reaffirms Davis & Elkins Accreditation Senior Management Team Changes Announced Raises Rank in US News Best Colleges Report Davis & Elkins Trustees Extend Five-Year Contract for Wood Orientation 2021 Students Gain Career Experience in SHIP Inaugural Session Augusta Awarded State’s Highest Folklife Honor Seven Appointed to D&E Faculty Davis & Elkins, Marshall Reach Agreement for Physical Therapy Study McCollam Showing Students the Transformative Power of Art Graduating from Retirement Bill King Wins HeartWood Poetry Prize

Athletics 20 Snivelys are Making a Difference in the Lives of Students and Communities 21 Golf Members Honored

Cycling Teams Added to Athletic Lineup

Men’s Soccer Rallying a Successful Season

Giving

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Terry Hayes

New Fountain

The Snivelys

22 Minnick Endowment Increases to Over $1.9 Million 23 Honor Roll of Donors

Alumni News 24 D&E Alumni Celebrate Lifelong Friendships During the First Post-2020 Party!

25 Goddard Hits the Road 26 Alumni News 33 Hamilton Descendants Shares Memorabilia of D&E’s Third Founder

34 In Memory 35 Remembering

©2021 Davis & Elkins College

Fall 2021

Volume 66, No. 2

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A Rare Gift 3

NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

Stay Connected

“Stay Connected” was the theme for Homecoming and Family Weekend this year! And stay connected was exactly what we did. From “in-person” regional celebrations to honor our D&E 2021 Alumni Award recipients, to Zoom gatherings for athletics, fraternities and sororities, and alumni from all decades with a very special virtual induction of the Class of 1970 and 1971 into the Half Century Club, to a special tribute to the late Terry Hayes, professor of theatre emeritus, there was something for everyone.

The campus community also enjoyed bingo, s’mores and a live concert featuring D&E’s very own ’80s alumni house band The Hybrids. Led by Alex “Sandy” Edwards ’88, Karl Hilbert ’89, Chris Gartmann and Matt Vinson ’88, with Ben Quarles ’91 providing the sound, Halliehurst porch was the place to be.

Homecoming and Family Weekend came Join for to a close with us an all campus kickballour virtual tournament, and a virtual chapel and memorial service led by alumna Brenda ecoming and’71. Family Weekend 2021 Woodson Hermanson Many thanks to all who participated, with a very special thank you to those who assisted in livestreaming our athletic games, the presentation of the royal court and crowning of Miss D&E and Mr. Senator, The Hybrids concert, and our chapel and memorial service.

To view some of the special activities from Homecoming and Family Weekend, visit www.dewv.edu/alumni/events/.

Dean of Students Kate Garlick, left, and Davis & Elkins College President Chris A. Wood, right, congratulate the 2021 Homecoming Court. From left are, Sophomore Escort Nicholas Allen, Sophomore Princess Mia Ely, Senior Escort Bradley Sisler, Senior Princess Dru Mills, Mr. Senator Tycen Allan, Miss D&E Katie Dixon, Junior Princess Aurora Long, Freshman Princess Brooklyn Hathcock and Freshman Escort Walter Ridgley. Not pictured is Junior Escort Sean Addie.

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

Terry Hayes

Hayes Didn’t Take it with Him; He Left Plenty of Encouragement for His Students

The Pulitzer Prize-winning work “You Can’t Take It with You” by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart was one of the late Terry Hayes’ favorite plays. The story’s theme – doing what makes you happy and encouraging others to follow their dreams – much epitomized Hayes’ approach to life.

Fittingly, a tribute to the professor of theatre arts emeritus centered on a monologue presented by 10 D&E theatre students. The Homecoming and Family Weekend production also included a musical piece, “Try to Remember,” which was another of Hayes’ favorites. Produced by alumnus and Instructor of Theatre and Film Lonnie Martin ‘02, the performance was filmed and then edited giving each student a few lines from Act III. Martin chose the specific excerpt at the suggestion of Assistant Professor of Theatre Dr. Aubrey Helene Neumann.

“We knew it was one of Terry’s favorite plays, and when Dr. Neumann brought me the monologue, it just seemed to fit the moment,” Martin said.

Hayes died July 23, 2021, having lived a life filled with accomplishments – both his own and those of his students.

“He was a very positive person,” Martin says of Hayes. “He had the best laugh and when you made him laugh, it was such a wonderful feeling.”

As a student, Martin performed in Hayes’ productions of “The Apple Tree,” “Romeo and Juliet,” “Look Homeward Angel” and “A Christmas Twist.” He learned a lot more than acting skills and theatre production.

“Terry had a joyful, sort of romantic view of theatre,” Martin explained.

“When you are a young student, you want to tell dark stories. He taught us that you want the audience to leave the theatre happy. Above all, he wanted us to understand that the making of theatre should be a lot of fun and he encouraged us to try to go make a living doing it.”

That is exactly what Martin has done as a filmmaker and now as an instructor who finds himself where he had someday hoped to be – in his mentor’s place.

“His space was one I wanted to occupy,” Martin said. “I always try to emulate his approach to teaching by showing support for students and encouraging them to be themselves.”

After Martin began teaching at D&E, Hayes attended two shows he produced, “Murdered to Death” and “Frankenstein.”

“He was impressed and that made me feel like I can do this,” Martin said.

Like Martin, alumna Susan Plum ’96 is using her theatre education to help students. As an enrollment advisor at D&E, she works with prospective students who have an interest in creative arts.

“Terry was an exceptional teacher, mentor and friend,” said Plum, who appeared alongside Martin in “A Christmas Twist.” “As a student, I worked in the Theatre Office for him and did repeated internships with him. He truly taught me everything I needed to be successful. His wit, humor, kindness and encouragement remain unmatched. He mentored and advised me as I took on a community showing of ‘Plaza Suite’ at Sunken Garden Restaurant as my senior project. I honestly thought the project was too big of an undertaking for me, but with his guidance, it turned out amazing.”

Alumni and students make up the 2010 cast of “The Fantasiks.”

It was the last show Terry Hayes directed before retirement.

The Cast

“Try to Remember” from “The Fantasticks” Music by Harvey Schmidt, lyrics by Tom Jones. Performed by student Tobias Sears with piano accompaniment by Music Program Coordinator and Instructor of Music Donna Baroudi Huffman.

A monologue from “You Can’t Take It with You” Written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Performed by students in Beginning Acting, Daine Crouch, Uno Frederick, Doug Gabbert III, Heather Humphrey, Stephen Lester, Eli Nazelrodt, Music Program Coordinator and Walter Ridgley, Instructor of Music Donna Baroudi Giovanni Romero, Huffman and student Tobias Sears Leah Spinks, Luke Stables. perform “Try to Remember.”

Heather Humphrey and Daine Crouch, students in Beginning Acting, prepare to film a monologue from “You Can’t Take It with You” for the Terry Hayes Tribute Hour.

Hayes left his mark on more than Martin, Plum and his other students.

Coming to D&E as a theatre tech instructor, he rose to the rank of department chair. There was more he could accomplish, he thought, and he did. With the Boiler House Theatre established as a performance venue, Hayes advocated for constructing an addition onto the structure and elevated the theatre program to regional and nation recognition. He also helped the program earn accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Theatre, a status it still holds today.

Hayes retired from D&E in 2010 and caught up with another of his dreams – working as a train engineer for the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad.

Looking back at his life, his students and others who knew him say they see the proof of a man who put joy into everything he did and made a career doing what he loved.

News Around Campus

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NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

D&E Takes to the Road to Honor Alumni Although Homecoming and Family Weekend again shifted to a virtual event, alumni honors were presented in separate, private ceremonies throughout the East Coast. President Chris A. Wood, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Scott Goddard ’96 and Director of Alumni Engagement and Support Wendy Morgan ’12 traveled the region to honor alumni for their contributions to the College and their professions.

care program that later shifted to Muskingum Valley Health Center. In 2018, the facility got a new name – Dr. Bijan Joseph Goodarzi Health Center – in honor of the caring physician, who along with MVHC founder Chuck Hunter, established it.

Distinguished Alumnus

Tower Award

Dr. Bijan J. Goodarzi ’77 was presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award at La Ferme Restaurant in Chevy Chase, Maryland, on Sept. 11.

Karen Kober Brown ’84 received the Tower Award at Root Down Brewery in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 12.

“It has truly been a privilege and an honor to have gone to Davis & Elkins College,” Goodarzi said. “It started my career and I’ve known a great number of great people and great professors.”

Brown spent her days at D&E serving in various offices of Phi Mu sorority and working as a psychology teaching assistant, as well as completing her studies. She graduated cum laude in 1984 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in youth services. She went on to earn her Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout her career, she has worked as a child welfare caseworker, a school social worker, and now as a psychotherapist.

Goodarzi shares a long history with Davis & Elkins College.

Both of his parents – Dr. Manucher Goodarzi ’48 and the late Kathryn Elward Goodarzi ’49, as well as his uncle, the late Joseph Elward ’50 are alumni. Sharing their legacy, he made his way to Elkins and formed yet another connection.

After pledging Sigma Phi Epsilon, he learned that his uncle Joe was a member of the first Sig Ep pledge class at D&E. His additional interests in D&E grew with service to the Campus Activity Board, The Icehouse Committee, Student Assembly, International Club, Political Science Club and Chi Beta Phi honorary science fraternity.

Goodarzi graduated from D&E in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. He went on to obtain his Doctor of Medicine degree from Marshall University School of Medicine.

His impressive career began at Women’s Health Specialists in Zanesville, Ohio. It wasn’t long until he saw there was something more he needed to do for his patients. Many physicians in the area were not accepting Medicaid patients and, as a result, many of those patients were showing up in the emergency room with no prenatal care. After approaching the hospital, Goodarzi was able to start a hospital-based prenatal

Goodarzi dedicated his career to additional sectors of the medical profession working as a clinical instructor and medical director.

“D&E was the first place that truly believed in me,” Brown said.

Both in her career and personal life, she exemplifies a character of supporting others and providing service that brings betterment to all she endeavors. The same holds true with her commitment to Davis & Elkins College.

As a member of the National Alumni Council and cochair of the Regional Events Committee, she has helped organize multiple alumni events and helped everyone share their most treasured memories of D&E. She’s always ready to welcome new alumni and gives her full attention to networking opportunities during the Almost Alumni Receptions.

Blending her professional experience with her connections at her alma mater, Brown also has provided resources to D&E Counseling and Wellness Services.

Outstanding Young Alumna and Senators Community Service Award Amber Vineyard ’10 and Dave Cutlip ’77 shared a dual ceremony at Smoke on the Water, just outside of Elkins on Sept. 25.

With a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Davis & Elkins College, Vineyard has excelled in her career at Orion Strategies. She created opportunities that led the company to expand from two offices to six regional offices. As a senior account executive, she leads the company’s Buckhannon office by managing operations, workflow and collaborative efforts.

She also develops and oversees strategic campaigns utilizing various platforms.

Among her clientele is Davis & Elkins College. Vineyard led her team to create video productions to promote the College to prospective students and their families. Another project highlighted Davis & Elkins Highland Scholars.

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

The Distinguished Alumna/us Award

is the highest award given to a Davis & Elkins College alumna or alumnus who has made significant contributions to society in his or her career. The criteria for selection include career advancement and related service to others, significant honors in one’s field, and commitment to Davis & Elkins College.

The Tower Award is

presented to a D&E alumna or alumnus for outstanding commitment and service to the College and its alumni programs. The criteria for selection include volunteering of time, talent and/or funds in support of the numerous student and alumni programs the College offers.

The Outstanding Young Alumna/us Award is presented

to a young alumna or alumnus who graduated within the last 10 years and shows promise in his or her profession, including professional achievements and honors, community service/service to others, and commitment to the College.

The Senators Community Service Award is presented

Amber Vineyard ’10 receives the Outstanding Young Alumna Award from President Chris A. Wood.

to an alumna or alumnus in recognition of service to the community which resulted in significant impact.

The Senators Community Service Award is presented to an alumna or alumnus in recognition of service to the community which resulted in significant impact.

After moving to Elkins in 2014, Cutlip began volunteering his time to the College as an interviewer for student scholarships and career sessions. In 2018, he was named to the Davis & Elkins College Board of Trustees. He now serves as Vice Chair of the Board, Chair of the Property Sub-Committee, a member of the Business and Finance President Chris A. Wood, right, presents the Senators Committee, and Trustees and Honors Community Service Award to Committee. His academic and professional background have proven Dave Cutlip ’77. to be assets in this service. With a

Bachelor of Science degree in biology, and earth and environmental sciences, Cutlip spent 32 years in an executive position with DLZ Corporation, an engineering, architecture and environmental consulting firm based in central Ohio. He has also worked for the Ohio Division of Natural Resources.

Cutlip shares those talents with the Randolph County community as well, and received recognition for his endeavors. He has been active as a Board member and past president for Elkins Main Street, Inc.; serves on the Board of Directors for a WV-based engineering services firm; and is a consultant to the Randolph County Housing Authority, the Woodlands Development Group, and the City of Elkins. He also has worked with the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber’s project for building a vibrant Elkins and Randolph County.

Last year, Cutlip and his wife, Patricia Mayes, received the 2020 ElkinsRandolph County Chamber’s Citizens of the Year Award for Dave’s work with Elkins Main Street and Pat’s work with the Emma Scott Garden Club.

“I’ve had a good life, all in all, and it is because of D&E,” Cutlip said.

New Fountain Graces Mary Frances Garden The circular Mary Frances Garden stands as testament to the late Ralph and Mary Frances Shepler who gave Halliehurst a second chance. A welcoming site to all who pass by or enter the mansion, the garden now has a new feature – a nearly 8-foot-tall water fountain.

Constructed in the 1980s, the garden is planted with flowers each season thanks to an endowment established by the Shepler family to ensure the area is well maintained. Short evergreens that anchored the center had outgrown their space, leaving the garden in need of a makeover. A fountain seemed to be the natural choice to add to the beauty of the landscape.

“The fountain is such a complement to Halliehurst and to the beautiful Mary Frances Garden,” said Davis & Elkins College President Chris A. Wood. “It has already become a daily photo spot for prospective students and a gathering spot for our current students. The sound of the water is the perfect invitation to pause and enjoy the lovely surroundings Ralph and Mary Frances Shepler envisioned.”

they celebrated on Oct. 24, 1990. The goal had been exceeded by $13,000.

The building was completely restored in the 1990s.

The Sheplers were honored with the College’s Gordan Hermanson Service Award and in 1992 received the West Virginia Philanthropist of the Year award for their work in restoring Halliehurst.

The couple also established the endowed Mary Frances & Ralph Shepler Scholarship for Randolph County students attending D&E. In addition to their work with D&E, the couple also served the Elkins community as business owners and on various boards. In 1950, they established C.C. Keys Music Company and in 1952 brought cable television to Randolph County, which was among the first cable systems in the nation.

Ralph Shepler also served three terms as mayor of Elkins.

The 2,200-pound three-tiered concrete fountain was installed by a team from D&E’s National Management maintenance staff. The color and design were selected to complement Halliehurst’s architecture.

“My parents would be extremely pleased by the addition of the fountain to enhance the beauty of the garden,” Steve Shepler said.

Both Ralph and Mary Frances Shepler served on the Davis & Elkins College Board of Trustees. The College and Halliehurst were near and dear to their hearts.

The historic home of one of the College’s founders U.S. Senator Stephen Benton Elkins was in disrepair for several years and in 1984 its future hung in the balance.

“The general consensus of the Board of Trustees during their fall meeting that year was that Halliehurst should be torn down. But I knew it would be a sin to tear this lovely old building down,” Mary Frances is quoted as saying in the Summer 1991 issue of Forward.

The Board gave her permission to launch a fundraising campaign with a goal of $100,000. At the end of two months, $65,000 had been donated. She requested and was granted an extension to raise additional funds. By January 1985, the goal had been reached and by spring, the total exceeded $150,000.

When more funds were needed to continue with restoration of the building, Ralph Shepler gave trustees and friends of the College 36 days to match a $49,000 challenge grant. The amount of the challenge represented $1,000 for each of the Sheplers’ 49 years of marriage, which News Around Campus

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NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

Hammer Is Determined: Paralympics Here He Comes Again Dr. Chris Hammer has a couple new motivators. One fuels him with a positive determination and the other he simply wants to defeat.

The D&E head triathlon coach and competitive athlete represented the United States on the Paralympic Triathlon Team this summer and earned a fourth-place finish in the PTS5 Sport Class, just 6 seconds behind the bronze medal winner. Triathletes covered a 750m swim, non-drafting 20km bike and 5km run at Tokyo’s Odaiba Marine Park, the same venue as the Olympic triathlon competitions.

“This was the least nervous I’ve ever been before a race, the most fun I’ve ever had during a race and most heartbroken after it was over,” Hammer said. “It’s funny how those could co-exist.”

Hammer made up for his disappointment in November by capturing a gold medal and his first world title in the 2021 World Triathlon Para Championships Abu Dhabi.

Athletes competed in a 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run through Yas Marina and part of the Yas Marina Circuit, a Formula One motorsports track. Hammer sprinted through the finish line in 58 minutes, 34 seconds, just 2 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.

Now, he has his eye on the Paralympics in Paris, just three years away. He competed in London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

“After Rio I was thinking of hanging it up because the next one was four years out, but I stuck with it,” Hammer said.

“Now, because of COVID, it’s a shorter time. I want to continue to do this as long as I can compete at a high level.”

Born with one hand due to a congenital condition, Hammer never let his impairment impact his ability to compete in athletics while growing up and in college.

After earning his bachelor’s degree, Hammer joined the U.S. Paralympics Track & Field Team, where he was able to qualify for the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the 1,500-meters and the marathon. Competing on the USA Paratriathlon National Team, Hammer was a bronze medalist at the ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in 2014, 2017 and 2019. He also has 23 ITU Paratriathlon international event podium finishes in 31 total races, including 10 first-place finishes.

In 2013, he decided to try out a new sport: triathlon.

Despite not having a training background in swimming or biking, two of the three elements of a triathlon race, he felt his long-distance running success would translate.

“In a sport like this, there are two types of athletes,” Hammer explained. “Some like to train, some like to race.

I like both. I enjoy pushing myself to see if I can improve and to see how well I can compete against others. It’s just a thing I love to do.”

After the Tokyo race, Hammer has a few more reasons driving his determination. Before he had been back in Elkins a full 24 hours, the College welcomed him home with a parade through the Historic Wees District where he and his family live. The College community joined with neighbors, friends and public officials in cheering for the Paralympian as he rode through the streets on a D&E golf cart.

“It’s been neat because the previous times I’ve competed it’s just been my family and friends supporting me,” Hammer said. “Having the support of the College, the team and the Elkins community, makes me want to keep going because I feel pride in representing this community. When you represent more than yourself, you want to hold yourself to a higher standard. It is such a cliché, but it does change things up.”

Then there are the infamous 6 seconds.

“When I train for Paris, there won’t be a day that goes by that I won’t think about 6 seconds,” Hammer said. “I don’t want to be too acrimonious over it, but that is going to add to my motivation to give my best effort.”

His family in his home state of Michigan and his wife are behind him all the way. His dad hopes to take the whole family to Paris for the event. Before any of that happens, though, his wife, Amy, who serves as the assistant coach for the D&E triathlon team, is ready again to let her husband pursue his goal.

“It’s just a thing I love to do and as long as I have that desire, I don’t want to stop if I can make it work with my other responsibilities,” he said.

Davis & Elkins College head triathlon coach Dr. Chris Hammer, center, his wife, Amy, and daughters are surrounded by D&E staff in front of a large yard sign in the Wees Historic District in Elkins.

DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

Dr. Chris Hammer races through the non-drafting 20km cycling leg of Tokyo Paralympics triathlon competition.

“She’s more on board than anybody. I think it means as much to her as it does to me,” Hammer said. “When you train for something like this, you have to spend so much time doing your own thing and your family has to make so many sacrifices. She’s a collegiate All-American runner, so she understands this sort of thing. She stepped in and coached the D&E team for the first three weeks of the season. If it weren’t for her, I don’t think I could have left.”

Seems there’s nothing that can hold Hammer back and even if there were, he might just find a way around it.

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Dr. Chris Hammer gives it his all in the 5km run – the final component of the Tokyo Paralympics triathlon competition.

It was a great day for a parade in honor of D&E head triathlon coach Dr. Chris Hammer who came in fourth in the Tokyo Paralympics triathlon competition. A Davis & Elkins College golf cart leaves campus to continue along the parade route through the Wees Historic District of Elkins.

Gloria’s Garden Planting Seeds for a Lifetime of Success

Friend Establishes the Dr. Gloria Marquette Payne Memorial Garden Throughout her 72-year teaching career at Davis & Elkins College, Dr. Gloria M. Payne planted seeds every day. Not the kind that grow plants, but rather the kind that come in the form of ideas that made her students realize their potential.

With each day, she nurtured her students with encouragement and knowledge until they bloomed into what she was sure they could become.

Now a flower garden constructed in her honor serves as a daily reminder of the teacher, mentor and friend who made a life of helping others grow to their full potential. Established by a close friend who had a vision to honor Payne with a colorful and living tribute, the garden is filled with many of Payne’s favorite flowers, hydrangeas, calla lilies and butterfly bush.

The Dr. Gloria Marquette Payne Memorial Garden was dedicated on Oct. 3, 2021, with family and friends. Led by Davis & Elkins College President Chris A. Wood, the ceremony also included words from Vice President for Advancement Scott Goddard ’96, Payne’s daughter Debbie Payne Fragale ’81 and Payne’s nephew Dr. David McGee ’84. A video of the dedication was released on social media on Oct. 10, 2021, the one-year anniversary of Payne’s death.

Payne graduated from D&E in 1943 and was a member of the faculty from 1945 to 2016. She held the James S. McDonnell Foundation Chair – the first endowed chair in business and economics – and received the College’s highest honor, the Crystal Mace Award in 2017.

“Numerous alumni have credited Gloria with their success as students and in their careers,” Wood said. “She was always that person building their confidence, cheering them on and making them realize they really could achieve more than they thought.”

Goddard, a student and advisee of Payne’s, said that while the two kept in touch long after he graduated there was one shining moment in their

Participating in the garden dedication are, from left, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Scott Goddard, President Chris A. Wood, Director of Alumni Engagement and Support Wendy Morgan, Debbie Payne Fragale, Dr. David McGee and Executive Vice President Dr. Rosemary Thomas.

relationship – a chance for him to give back for all she had done for him.

“As director general of the Mountain State Forest Festival, I had the honor of selecting the Grand Feature Parade marshal,” Goddard said. “Dr. Payne had been volunteering for the Festival for 67 years, she had given so much to the community and I wanted her to have this distinction. I think she really enjoyed it.”

Fragale told the group her mother often said, “If you really have a passion for your work, the work is not a job, it’s your life.” She shared with the group one of Payne’s speeches titled “What Makes a Good Teacher.”

A quote from that speech will be engraved on a plaque that will stand in the garden: “Good teachers open students’ eyes to reality and prepare them for life’s challenges and make them endeavor to learn forever. Good teachers touch eternity.”

For the ceremony, McGee prepared a special reading that correlated Payne’s career to the symbolism of the garden.

“Helping someone grow, learn and mature is a wonderful thing. Gloria did just that with all of her students,” McGee said. “To her they were sources of opportunity for greatness, wanting to find their way in the world, just like these beautiful flowers.

“Her students went out into the world strong and educated and ready for new challenges,” he continued. “They continued to blossom and drop seeds of their own. Gloria’s garden continues to grow. Her flowers are many, each showing everyone they meet: ‘this is what going to Davis & Elkins College will get you.’”

The garden was also made possible with the efforts of Fragale, Director of Alumni Engagement and Support Wendy Morgan ’12, the National Management maintenance team under the direction of Ryan LaBrozzi, Matt Davis ’95 and Terra Flora Landscaping and Design, and Paula Doerr.

Celebrating the dedication of the Dr. Gloria Marquette Payne Memorial Garden are Payne’s family, from left, nephew Mark Carrico, great niece Leesa Ice, great niece Marissa Ice Plauger, great-great nephew Levi, niece Jaime Cupp, great-great niece Novalee, daughter Debbie Payne Fragale, nephew David McGee and wife Madison and niece JoAnn Gable and husband Paul Gable.

News Around Campus

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NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

Board of Trustees Add Bonnell, Nuttall

Two Davis & Elkins College alumni are now serving their alma mater as members of the Board of Trustees. Nathaniel Bonnell ’03 was appointed as a new member, while Bill Nuttall ’70 returned to the Board after a term rotation.

“Davis & Elkins College is fortunate to have Nathaniel and Bill as members of our Board of Trustees,” said D&E President Chris A. Wood. “Both of these gentlemen credit D&E with molding their lives and careers. They bring expertise from their professional lives coupled with a passion and commitment to the transformative education that is the hallmark of this institution. The addition of their gifts and graces make an excellent Board of Trustees even stronger as they guide this institution.”

Nathaniel Bonnell

Bonnell is president and chief executive officer of Citizens Bank of West Virginia as well as president and CEO of the bank’s parent company, Citizens Financial Corp., and a member of the Board of Directors for both organizations.

Related to his role in the banking industry, Bonnell serves as a member of the West Virginia Bankers Association Board of Directors, and recently served as an advisory board member for the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh.

Since earning his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and management from D&E in 2003, Bonnell has served the College and the Randolph County community.

He is a former member of the College’s National Alumni Council and in 2007 was presented the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.

Locally, Bonnell is an assistant director for the 2021 Mountain State Forest Festival, serves on the Board of Directors of the Randolph County Development Authority, Rotary Club of Elkins, and is past president of the Randolph-Tucker Children’s Advocacy Center’s Board of Directors. He is a member of American Institute of CPAs and West Virginia Society of CPAs, and recently joined the Mountain State Chapter of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization), an organization made up of CEOs younger than age 45.

In 2013, Bonnell was named Business Man of the Year by the ElkinsRandolph County Chamber of Commerce. He is a 2014 graduate of Leadership West Virginia. In 2018, he was selected to take part in a roundtable discussion on tax reform with President Donald J. Trump in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. He was also named a 2020 Young Gun by West Virginia Executive Magazine.

In addition to his degree from Davis & Elkins, Bonnell holds a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation, having received the WVSCPA Merit Award in 2003 for earning the highest score on the CPA exam in the state of West Virginia. He also earned a Master of Business Administration from West Virginia University in May 2007 and is a Certified Information Systems Auditor and Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Bonnell and his wife, Christina, ’04 reside in Elkins with their two children.

Nuttall led the Board of Trustees as chair from 2018 to 2020 and served as a member from 2011 to 2020. Nuttall Field was named in his honor after he and alumnus Hank Steinbrecher ’71 formed the Finish the Field Campaign Committee and raised $600,000 to construct the Astroturf soccer and lacrosse field. The committee was honored with the College’s Tower Award in 2013.

A goalie and co-captain for the Senators 1968 and 1970 NAIA National Championship team, and 1969 runner-up team, Nuttall was the 1969 NAIA Tournament MVP and the 1970 first team All American goalkeeper. He was inducted into the Davis & Elkins College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991.

Bill Nuttall

Former owner of Golden Viking Sports, Nuttall’s career has spanned the professional and collegiate field as a player and coach, the business side of managing the sport on a national level, and play-by-play coverage of ESPN’s inaugural soccer broadcast.

Nuttall’s career in playing professional soccer includes three seasons in the American Soccer League and three seasons in the North American Soccer League. He later coached at Florida International University and for the professional team Fort Lauderdale Strikers. He moved on to become the director of player personnel for the Dallas Sidekicks and then was hired by the United States Soccer Federation as general manager of the U.S. national teams as the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994.

As a marketing executive, Nuttall has worked for Mitre Sports, LJO International, Soccer Marketing and Promotions, and Diadora.

Nuttall was honored by the West Virginia Soccer Association as a Hall of Fame Meritorious Inductee to the class of 2020, a recognition based on his connections to soccer in West Virginia, as well as his accomplishments on a national and international level.

In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree from D&E, Nuttall earned a Master of Arts degree from Florida International University.

Nuttall and his wife, Beth, ’71 reside in Chattanooga, Tennessee. They have one daughter, Courtney, and four grandchildren.

Higher Learning Commission Reaffirms Davis & Elkins Accreditation The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) has reaffirmed accreditation for Davis & Elkins College following comprehensive virtual and onsite reviews earlier this year. The status will continue for the next 10 years with a reaffirmation of accreditation scheduled for 2030-2031.

HLC is a regional accreditor, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, whose authority extends over colleges and universities in 19 states from West Virginia to Wyoming.

“Once every 10 years, our accrediting body, the Higher Learning Commission, thoroughly reviews all aspects of the educational experience provided to students,” Davis & Elkins College President Chris A. Wood 10

DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

said. “This peer evaluation ensures that the College is delivering upon the promises we make. The reaccreditation we have received is an affirmation of the high-quality education that awaits every student at Davis & Elkins College. That high quality has been a hallmark of this College for decades and continues to be.”

Institutional accreditation validates the quality of an institution and evaluates multiple aspects of an institution ranging from its academic offerings, governance and administration, mission, finances and resources.

Institutional accreditation encompasses the institution as a whole, including all academic programs, all degree levels and both onsite and online course delivery.

Senior Management Team Changes Announced Campus leadership roles have changed over the past few months bringing new energy, skills and perspective to their individual assignments.

Executive Vice President, Dr. Rosemary Thomas President Chris A. Wood announced the appointment of Dr. Rosemary Thomas as executive vice president effective July 1, 2021. Thomas served as vice president for Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement since 2017.

In her new role, Thomas will continue overseeing enrollment management, including marketing and communications, with the additional responsibilities for dining services, compliance, student life and special assignments from the president.

“Dr. Thomas is a proven leader, a gifted manager, a creative partner and a passionate believer in the power of higher education to mold lives,” Wood said. “Davis & Elkins College is fortunate to have Rosemary back in her beloved home state building upon D&E’s solid foundation and ensuring a bright future. Her promotion to executive vice president is well deserved.”

Thomas was responsible for bringing the week-long American Legion Auxiliary Rhododendron Girls State session to the Davis & Elkins campus. In addition, she led a team of campus leaders in formulating a campus master plan to prepare the College for future growth on multiple fronts. Beginning in spring 2020, she chaired the COVID-19 Task Force which employed various efforts and resources in preparation of reopening the campus to students for the 2020-2021 academic year.

“I am humbled and excited as we look toward the future,” Thomas said.

“Serving Davis & Elkins College is fulfilling on so many levels; working with Chris, who has long been a faithful advisor, professional mentor and friend, is truly a blessing.”

A native of Fairmont, West Virginia, Thomas’ previous professional positions include: chief operating officer for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs; vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the FSU Foundation at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland; vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the FGCU Foundation at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida; vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the SU Foundation at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland; vice president for College Advancement and executive director of the GSC Foundation at Glenville State College in Glenville, West Virginia; and various positions at Fairmont State (College) University.

She currently serves as the campaign co-chair for the Tygart Valley United Way, president of the GFWC Woman’s Club of Elkins, director of American Legion Auxiliary WV Rhododendron Girls State and president of the Community Care of West Virginia board of directors.

Thomas earned a Doctorate of Education in educational leadership from West Virginia University in 2007 and was an honors graduate at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, with a Master of Public Administration in 1992. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, in 1990.

Vice President of Institutional Advancement, Scott Goddard A 1996 graduate of Davis & Elkins College, Scott Goddard has served his alma mater for 25 years, and counting.

His first assignment was as a resident director in 1996 until he was elevated to assistant dean of students in 2000.

In 2008, Goddard was named dean of students and then appointed vice president for Student Affairs in 2011. In addition to those roles, Goddard was the head men’s golf coach from 2005 to 2010, assistant cross country coach from 1997-1999 and 2002-2004, head women’s cross country coach from 1999 to 2000 and served on the faculty as part of the First Year Experience Program. He received Davis & Elkins College’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award in 2004.

In his new role as vice president for institutional advancement, Goddard oversees development, alumni relations, church relations, advancement services and the Augusta Heritage Center.

“Scott Goddard is an asset to Davis & Elkins College, and I am grateful that he is stepping forward to assume this new role which he will fulfill with competence and passion,” Wood said. “Scott’s life has been committed to Davis & Elkins, and he has nurtured relationships over past decades that make him a natural selection for our vice president for advancement.”

Throughout his career in Student Affairs, Goddard has supervised a wide scope of offices including counseling, career management, community service, dining services, Greek life, health services, housekeeping, The Icehouse, international students, orientation, outdoor recreation, religious life, residence life, safety/security, student activities, Student Assembly and general campus life issues. He was instrumental in developing orientation programs and overseeing residence hall renovations, as well as other improvements that enhance students’ environment.

As advisor to Student Assembly and Senator Entertainment, Goddard organized numerous entertainment events including the annual Déjà vu music festival and D&E Night on the Town in partnership with the city of Elkins and Elkins Main Street.

“As I transition from student affairs to advancement, I look forward to waving the D&E flag far and wide,” Goddard said. “For the members of the alumni community, board of trustees and friends of the College, I look forward to connecting or reconnecting on your home turf.”

In serving the local community, Goddard has volunteered with the Mountain State Forest Festival since 1992. He was appointed MSFF director general in 2016 after multiple terms as assistant director overseeing a variety of productions. He also has served on the board of directors. In addition, he is a member of the board of directors for The Arts Center in Elkins and the Elkins/Randolph County YMCA and is president of the Elkins Main Street board of directors.

Professionally, Goddard is president-elect and conference chairman of the West Virginia Association of Student Personnel Administrators.

A native of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, Goddard holds a Master of Arts degree in educational leadership from West Virginia University in addition to a Bachelor of Arts degree in marketing and management from D&E. He is the parent of one daughter, Ellyse News Around Campus

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NEWS AROUND CAMPUS

D&E Raises Rank in U.S. News Best Colleges Report Davis & Elkins College climbed 16 points within the Regional Colleges South category to maintain a prominent position in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges ranking. In addition, D&E achieved the highest overall score of any higher education institution in West Virginia with a three-point gain over last year’s report.

Now in their 37th year, U.S. News & World Report assessed 1,466 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality.

U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings offer resources to provide a deeper insight for students and their parents in deciding which college or university may best fit their needs.

The College is included in the Regional Colleges South category where 125 schools were assessed. D&E reached the No. 27 spot in its category, up from No. 43 last year. The College came in at No. 47 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, a vault from the No. 76 spot last year, and at No. 28 in Best Value Schools. Overall, Davis & Elkins earned a score of 55 out of 100 possible points.

Performance on Social Mobility measures how successful a college is in enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The majority of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000. In the current academic year, 44% of D&E students received Pell Grants.

“This significant rise in D&E’s ranking is no surprise to anyone familiar with the high quality of education that is the hallmark of this institution,” said Chris A. Wood, President of Davis & Elkins College. “Vaulting 16 spots in one category and 29 in another is an amazing affirmation of the continuing strides the College has experienced. Being ranked tops within the state and in the top quarter of all regional colleges in the southern U.S. brings more attention from prospective students who see in D&E both a transformational collegiate experience and a best value for their financial investment.”

The calculation used to determine Best Value Schools takes into account a school’s academic quality, as indicated by its 2022 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2020-2021 net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. At D&E, 64% of fulltime undergraduates receive some form of need-based financial aid, and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $11,337. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.

Davis & Elkins Trustees Extend Five-Year Contract for Wood In an ultimate show of confidence in the College’s leadership, the Davis & Elkins College Board of Trustees Executive Committee voted unanimously to extend a five-year contract for President Chris A. Wood.

“I am both honored and humbled by the contract extension provided by the Davis & Elkins College Board of Trustees,” Wood said. “Five years ago, Lisa and I had the opportunity to return home to West Virginia. Since that time, our lives have been impacted by the people who are the D&E community and the Elkins community-at-large. How grateful we are to have found a home with a College and a community we have grown to love. It is a blessing to continue to work and lead an institution dedicated to transforming lives and preparing leaders for our future.”

Wood was named D&E’s 15th president in 2016 and was awarded a multi-year contract in 2018. During his tenure, Wood has led the College to prepare for the future, both academically and financially, and steered the campus community to operate safely with in-person classes through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are very pleased and honored that Chris will continue to serve as President of Davis & Elkins College for several more years,” said D&E Chairman of the Board of Trustees Mark Barber ’75. “The strength and

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

continuity of his leadership is especially important today as we emerge from the challenges of the pandemic and pursue our shared vision for student success and enrollment growth. With an outstanding faculty and administrative team, D&E is well positioned to succeed under Chris’ leadership.”

Financially, the 117-year-old college stands on solid ground and remains debt-free while still growing for the future. Since Wood’s arrival, the College’s endowment has increased by 75% to date. Early in his career at D&E, Wood led the College to complete its Secure the Future campaign and exceed the goal by raising $101.4 million.

In addition to maintaining a balanced budget for the past five years, Wood secured more than $8 million in gifts for capital improvements, including expansion of Myles Center for the Arts and Myles Plaza, renovations to Harper-McNeeley Auditorium, The Caboose Café and campus-wide technology upgrades.

On the academic level, the Higher Learning Commission reaffirmed the College’s decennial accreditation in 2021. Under Wood’s guidance, the College has experienced growth in academics with the addition of

numerous new programs including digital media, special education and a Bachelor of Science in nursing.

Wood’s vision for the future of the College took form with a five-year strategic planning process and resulted in the Campus Master Plan.

Unanimously approved by the Board of Trustee in 2019, the plan creates new possibilities for personal growth and inspiration for D&E students by addressing the “value of place” in experiential education. Upgrades to Myles Center for the Arts completed the first phase.

Wood also prepared the College for the future with two presidential initiatives aimed at nurturing the learning environment.

The President’s Initiative on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was launched in 2020 with a pledge to listen, learn, and act intentionally to uphold the D&E institutional values and mission of “thoughtful engagement in the world,” “act(ing) responsibly as citizens of multiple communities,” and valuing “human dignity and social responsibility.” Stressing an openness and mutual respect for all within the D&E community, the initiative included multiple sessions of professional development, student workshops and public programming.

This fall, the College introduced a new enrollment initiative that will address increasing enrollment and better meeting the needs of students with the establishment of the Office of Student Success.

In addition to accomplishments within the campus community, “towngown” relations have been strengthened as well during Wood’s tenure. As Executive Director of the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber, First Lady Lisa Wood has worked to bring together the community and the College in numerous business collaborations. Most recently, the College and the Chamber partnered for the inaugural Summer Highlands Internship Program (SHIP).

“Chris and his wife, Lisa, have demonstrated their commitment and love for our College, for our community, and for the state of West Virginia,” Barber said. “We are fortunate to have them both so actively involved in leading the D&E campus community.”

President and First Lady Lisa Wood

A Successful Tenure for the Presidency of Chris A. Wood

(August 2016 to Present) Davis & Elkins College President Chris A. Wood has elevated the small liberal arts college in his tenure since 2016. Among many of the recent accomplishments are:

• Completed Secure the Future Campaign, raising $101.4 million • Completed Strategic Planning Process • Completed Campus Master Plan

improvements including the expansion of Myles Center for the Arts, Myles Plaza, renovation of Harper-McNeeley Auditorium, The Caboose Café and campus-wide technology upgrades

• Completed Decennial • Launched President’s Accreditation by Higher Initiative on Diversity, Learning Commission Equity and Inclusion • Increased graduation • Launched President’s rate Initiative on Community and Immersive Learning • Increased student retention rate • Launched President’s Initiative on Enrollment • Added numerous new academic programs • Moved Senator Athletics including Bachelor of from the GMAC to the Science Nursing, Digital MEC Media, Product Design • Added five new athletic and Special Education teams, Women’s • Maintained a balanced Acrobatics and Tumbling, budget for the past five Men’s and Women’s years Cycling, Women’s Golf, Women’s Triathlon and • Reduced student Men’s Wrestling accounts receivable • Strengthened “Town and • Increased College Gown” relations endowment by 75% • Guided the College • Completed more than through the COVID-19 $3 million in deferred Pandemic maintenance projects across campus • Promotes collaborative • Completed more than and transparent campus $8 million in capital leadership

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ORIENTATION 2021

With the theme “Senators in Session,” Davis & Elkins College welcomed new and returning students for the fall 2021 semester. The campus was brought to life with multiple events including interactive icebreaker sessions with motivational speaker J.P. Miller, an inflatable playground, a Thinkfast game show and the traditional matriculation convocation.

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

Students Gain Career Experience in SHIP Inaugural Session The inaugural group of Summer Highlands Internship Program (SHIP) participants gained hands-on experience in Randolph County businesses.

A partnership between Davis & Elkins College and the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber (ERCC), SHIP pairs local businesses with D&E students and Randolph County residents who attend other colleges.

The project is fueled by a $25,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The paid internship program focuses on the overall goal of enticing college students to start their professional careers in Randolph County after graduation.

“We very much appreciate the partnerships with local businesses who provided internships for our first year of SHIP,” said ERCC Executive Director and D&E First Lady Lisa Wood. “We hope to grow the program in the future and increase the impact in the Randolph County community.”

Students and their internship hosts were: Susan Riggleman, an education major at Geneva College, Elkins Christian Academy; Hailee Whitehair, a nursing major at D&E, Elkins Christian Academy; Jiwh Santos, a sport management and hospitality and tourism management major at D&E, Elkins Main Street and Elkins-Randolph County Chamber; Amanda Cummins, a criminology major at D&E, Randolph County Probation Office; Kristen Nestor, a criminology major at D&E, Randolph County Probation Office; Greyson Howell, an exercise science major at D&E, Elkins Rehabilitation & Care Center; Jack Harlen-Robertson, a management major at D&E, Randolph County Housing Authority; and John Fregonara, a sport and exercise psychology major at West Virginia University, Anytime Fitness.

“Having young people work with our local employers really adds to what we inspire to do to create a vibrant community in Randolph County,” said D&E Director of Career Services Chris Jones. “This gave the students an

Members of the inaugural Summer Highlands Internship Program (SHIP) are, from left, Jack Harlen-Robertson, Hailee Whitehair, Susan Riggleman, Kristen Nestor, Amanda Cummins, John Fregonara, Greyson Howell and Jiwh Santos.

opportunity to learn not only about the businesses where they worked, but about the community.”

Students agreed that the work experience helped guide their decisions for future study and career plans, while working with clients and colleagues enhanced their people skills.

“I really wanted to take on this internship to see if this would be the career I want for the rest of my life,” said Howell, who hopes to continue his studies toward becoming a physical therapist. “Now I know this is what I want to do.”

Cummins, a senior, said she enjoyed learning about how the probation office operates and attending court sessions to learn more about the legal community.

In addition to the time they put in at the businesses, students met weekly for leadership training and also discussed ideas for a community service project based on the perspective they gained.

Students who would like to apply for the SHIP 2022 program may email Jones at jonesc3@dewv.edu or call 304-637-1220.

Augusta Awarded State’s Highest Folklife Honor The Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College received West Virginia’s highest folklife honor, the Vandalia Award, at a special Vandalia Gathering concert. Presented by the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, the award recognizes the organization’s achievements in digitizing the Augusta Archives and making it publicly accessible on the website AugustaArtsandCulture.org.

heritage and are recognized for their lifetime contribution to West Virginia and its traditional culture.

The state also recognized Augusta for creating an online learning platform to keep master artists and learners safely connected during the worst days of the pandemic.

“We are extremely honored to have received this award,” said Seth Young, Augusta’s executive director. “It has reaffirmed our commitment to nurture and promote the traditional cultures that are so integral to our community.

Now, as we pivot back into classic in-person programming, we will use the lessons we learned during the pandemic to make this content more accessible than ever before.”

To date, Augusta has digitized over 700 tapes and many photos from its extensive archive featuring significant historical, cultural and musical recordings. Now, for the first time, the public is welcome to listen to performances, field recordings and stories from the comforts of home.

The Vandalia Award is presented each year during the annual Vandalia Gathering. Recipients of the award embody the spirit of the state’s folk

Commissioner of the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History Randall Reid-Smith, right, presents the Vandalia Award to members of the Augusta Heritage Center of Davis & Elkins College, from left, Technical Director Eric Armstrong, Artistic Director Emily Miller and Executive Director Seth Young. Photo by Steve Brightwell News Around Campus

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News Around Campus

Seven Appointed to D&E Faculty Davis & Elkins College welcomed seven additional faculty members at the start of the 2021-2022 academic year. Joining the full-time faculty rank are: Assistant Professor of Mathematics Dr. Jerod Caligiuri, Assistant Professor of Communications Dr. Andrew Jones, Instructor of Nursing Victoria Klinger, Assistant Professor of History Dr. Bryan Kozik, Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Peggy McQueen, Instructor of Psychology Kim Morgan and Assistant Professor of Theatre Dr. Aubrey Neumann.

Caligiuri comes to D&E from Tucker County High School where he taught upper level math and engineering.

He also has worked as a teaching fellow, teaching assistant and tutor at the University Dr. Jerrod Caligiuri of Pittsburgh, and as a math, physics and jazz band instructor at Carlbrook School in South Boston, Virginia. In addition, he was named a Pittsburgh Particle Physics, Astrophysics, and Cosmology Center Research Fellow for three years at the University of Pittsburgh and as a Buhl Academy Science Education Fellow.

He holds a Ph.D. and Master of Science degree in physics and astronomy, both from the University of Pittsburgh, a Bachelor of Science in astronomy and astrophysics and a Bachelor of Science in physics with a minor in mathematics, both from Pennsylvania State University. He completed additional study to earn an Accelerated Certification for Teaching from Wheeling Jesuit University. He also holds West Virginia permanent certification in mathematics and physics, and Project Lead the Way certifications in principles of engineering, digital electronics and engineering design and development.

Jones previously served as an assistant professor in the Communication Department at LCC International University in Klaipėda, Lithuania, where he taught advanced, intermediate and introductory level courses and received Dr. Andrew Jones the Faculty Award for Excellence. Prior to that, Jones was director of forensics in the Department of Communication and an adjunct instructor at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. While working toward his Ph.D., he instructed advanced and introductory courses at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

As an author, his work has been published in Baltic Journal of Law & Politics, Studies of Communication in the 2016 Presidential Campaign, International Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Communication and Quarterly Journal of Speech. In addition, Jones has delivered numerous public lectures and conference presentations throughout the United States and Europe.

Jones earned a Ph.D. in communication studies from Louisiana State University. He also holds a Master of Arts degree in communication from Liberty University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre and speech from Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. He is a member of the National Communication Association, Rhetoric Society of America, Rhetoric Society of Europe and European Communication Research and Education Association.

Klinger, a D&E alumna, has worked as an educator and nurse. Most recently, she served as the primary instructor at the Randolph Technical Center School of Practical Nursing.

In the clinical Victoria Klinger setting, Klinger has worked as the assistant director of nursing at Glenbridge Health & Rehabilitation Center in Boone, North Carolina, and in medical oncology as a Registered Nurse in the chemotherapy unit as well as an oncology nurse navigator at the Seby B. Jones Regional Cancer Center, an affiliate of Watauga Medical Center in Boone, North Carolina, in addition to other settings and facilities for more than 21 years in the nursing field.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Lees McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina, an Associate in Science in nursing from D&E, and a Practical Nursing degree from Fred Eberle School of Practical Nursing in Buckhannon, West Virginia. She also is an Oncology Certified Nurse and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in nursing, specializing in nursing education from Capella University.

Kozik has taught in the U.S. and abroad.

Most recently, he was a research fellow and visiting lecturer of history at the University of Warsaw.

He has also taught as a graduate student and adjunct professor at the University of FlorDr. Bryan Kozik ida and University of Alabama. His work has been presented throughout the world at the Renaissance Society of America Annual Meeting, Sixteenth Century Society & Conference, Annual Convention of the Austrian and Central European Centers and American Historical Association Annual Meeting, among others.

He earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Florida and holds a Master of Arts degree in history from the University of Alabama and a Bachelor of Arts degree in peace, war and defense/history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kozik was a Fullbright U.S. student to Poland and was selected for a postdoctoral research fellowship with the Foundation for Civic Space and Public Policy.

McQueen comes to D&E from Lancaster County Christian School in Pennsylvania where she was director of assisted learning. She also has worked as an assistant professor and coordinator of disability services Dr. Peggy McQueen at the University of Valley Forge, an assistant professor at Glenville State College and an adjunct professor at West Virginia University, as well as a program coordinator and teacher in supported learning classrooms.

She earned an Ed.D. in educational psychology with a minor in special education from WVU. She also holds a Master of Education in counseling, a graduate certification in mentally and physically handicapped and a Bachelor of Science in elementary education, all from California University of Pennsylvania.

Morgan, an educator and counselor, previously served as an adjunct professor of psychology at D&E before joining the faculty full time.

She also has served as counselor and chaplain at Mountain Kim Morgan Hospice and as an addiction therapist at The Edge, a recovery center in Florida.

The author of an award-winning newspaper column and articles published in various periodicals and newspapers, she also has served as a keynote speaker at women’s conferences, retreats and banquets throughout the United

States. Morgan is the founder, publisher and editor of Beautiful Christian Teen, a magazine for teenage ladies.

Morgan holds a Master of Arts degree in counseling and human relations from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in counseling.

Dr. Aubrey Neumann

Neumann has taught introductory theatre, acting, public speaking and television criticism at the undergraduate level as well as theatre workshops and residencies with middle and high schools throughout

the Midwest. She also has directed numerous college and community productions. As an author, her works have been published in Youth Theatre Journal, Texas Theatre Journal and New England Theatre Journal.

Neumann recently earned her Ph.D. in theatre from The Ohio State University where she received the honor of Distinguished University Fellowship. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in theatre studies from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre arts and mathematics from Lawrence University. In addition to her formal education, Neumann has trained with SITI Company, Albany Park Theatre Project, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and the Gaiety School of Acting in Dublin.

Davis & Elkins, Marshall Reach Agreement for Physical Therapy Study Davis & Elkins College and Marshall University have entered a collaboration that will benefit students pursuing graduate study in physical therapy. The agreement offers two D&E graduates, who meet specific criteria, acceptance into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Marshall University School of Physical Therapy.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job market for physical therapists is expected to grow much faster than average for all occupations at 18 percent through 2029 as a result of aging baby boomers. While an increasing number of Davis & Elkins students show an interest in entering the field, Professor of Sport Science Dr. Mary Ann DeLuca and Assistant Professor of Sport Science Dr. Jennifer Riggleman worked with leaders at Marshall University College of Health Professions to reach the agreement.

“We’re pleased to partner with Marshall University’s Physical Therapy program and grateful to Drs. Riggleman and DeLuca for their efforts in helping to establish this articulation agreement,” said D&E Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rob Phillips. “The agreement both recognizes the quality and rigor of a D&E education and broadens the educational and career opportunities available to our students.”

Davis & Elkins College students obtaining an undergraduate degree in the Pre-Professional Exercise Science major with an overall grade point average of 3.5 or higher and a 3.4 GPA in the required classes are qualified to apply for the Marshall Doctor of Physical Therapy program.

“I am excited about our partnership with Davis & Elkins College,” said Dr. Scott Davis, chairperson, program director and professor at Marshall University School of Physical Therapy. “Together we are forging a pathway for students to achieve their goal of becoming a physical therapist.”

Graduates of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Marshall University have a 100% employment rate. They’ve gone on to work in hospitals, outpatient facilities, in rehabilitation facilities and with athletics teams.

The first cohort of D&E students were able to apply for the Marshall program this fall to begin the Doctor of Physical Therapy program in the fall of 2022.

Davis & Elkins College and Marshall University have signed an agreement that will offer seats to two D&E graduates in Marshall’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program each year.

Representatives from Marshall University College of Health Professions School of Physical Therapy and Davis & Elkins College Sport Science Department are, from left, Yi-Po Chiu, PT, MHS, Ph.D., CEEAA, director of admissions/professor, MUSOPT; Melanie Lambert, PT, DPT, OCS, MTC, assistant professor, MUSOPT; Ashley Mason, PT, DPT, ATC, PCS, assistant professor, MUSOPT; Mary Ann DeLuca, Ed.D., chair of the sport science department and professor, D&E; Jennifer Riggleman, Ed.D., assistant professor of sport science, D&E; Virginia Liang, Ph.D., assistant professor, MUSOPT; D. Scott Davis, PT, MS, Ed.D., OCS, chairperson, program director, professor, MUSOPT; and Brad Profitt, PT, DPT, OCS, DC, CSCS, assistant professor.

News Around Campus

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News Around Campus

McCollam Showing Students the Transformative Power of Art Missy McCollam, a renowned figure in the local, regional and national theatre and arts communities has now taken the lead as coordinator of the President’s Initiative on Community and Immersive Learning (ICIL).

This initiative is an important component in identifying prospective students considering majors within the creative arts and creating internship and other experiential opportunities for students in those areas of study. McCollam will also teach some select courses and aid in scheduling programming for the newly expanded Myles Center for the Arts and Harper-McNeeley Auditorium.

An additional component to the President’s ICIL is the new minor in preart therapy. Established within the Division of Creative Arts, the program will allow students to explore the connection between art and healing while opening opportunities to work in health care and in the arts.

Students pursuing a pre-art therapy minor will study art courses exploring traditional artforms and emerging digital forms of creative expression, as well as methods for teaching art, psychopathology and life span development. The minor will benefit a variety of students, especially those in the human services field, creative arts and education. Students will be required to participate in a pre-art therapy internship seminar that will allow them to individualize their education and ensure they get a comprehensive view of the field of art therapy.

McCollam has led The Old Brick Playhouse team in the field of art therapy for nearly 30 years and will share those practices with D&E students in hands-on learning experiences. The transformative power of art has been paramount in McCollam’s work ranging from workshops with children whose parents were deployed to Afghanistan to students who dropped out of school, and from children experiencing grief to residents at elder care facilities and families trying to weather a global pandemic “We have seen the magic of a non-verbal resident join in a sing-along, to an inmate composing redemptive poetry,” McCollam said. “Art therapy is not only cathartic for participants; it’s rewarding for the teaching artists as well. It is imperative for students in the arts to understand that it is possible to couple their talents in the arts with helping others. The Old

Brick Playhouse team is exemplary in harnessing a person’s inner creativity and assisting them in finding their best selves.

We are thrilled to share this with D&E students.”

Alumna Katie Varchetto ’18, left, a

full-time team member at The Old McCollam received Brick Playhouse, and Missy McCollam her B.A. in theatre/ prepare an art therapy session for English from James Elkins Rehabilitation & Care Center Madison University in residents that will incorporate music Harrisonburg, Virginia, and puppetry to tell stories. The and her M.F.A. in acting puppets were created by D&E alumnus and directing from Jacob Currence ’17, a former member Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, of The Old Brick’s art therapy program.

Virginia. Throughout her 35-year career, she has performed at hundreds of venues, co-penned more than 20 original musical comedies for children that have been merited at the National Theater in Washington, D.C. and the Edinburgh (Scotland) Fringe Festival.

McCollam continues in her roles as executive director of The Old Brick Playhouse and executive director of The New School OBP, both in Elkins.

During McCollam’s tenure, The Old Brick earned recognition for Arts Leadership from the National Endowment of the Arts, The Susan Landis Leadership Award from the WV Department of Cultural and History, The Governor’s Fellowship Award for playwriting and Non-profit of the Year through the Chamber of Commerce. In 2009, The Old Brick Playhouse received the Coming Up Taller Award as one of the 15 top arts education programs in the nation from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. Additionally, The Old Brick was among three companies nationwide to be selected to participate in Broadway at the White House, a televised program in partnership with The Learning Channel.

The Black Student Union hosted a Paint & Sip event, complete with R&B music, in the art studio in Myles Center for the Arts. Students had the opportunity to relax, get in touch with their creative side and make art to take home with them.

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

Graduating from Retirement

By Dr. Bob McCutcheon, Professor of English Emeritus

Last spring, from off campus, as I witnessed the signs of Commencement — security directing traffic through the gates, gowned faculty streaming toward the College — it occurred to me that I had been retired for as long as I was in College.

I wondered if in the past four years I had learned as much.

My first decision as a novice emeritus in 2017 was whether to strike out in new directions, develop new skills and interests, or to deepen those I already had. Should I learn Arabic? Study chemistry? Take up the violin, which I abandoned in ninth grade for the more glamorous guitar?

I knew I would read. I remembered the character in “Grapes of Wrath” who said that when the Depression was over he would build a wall of pork chops around himself and eat his way out. My wall would consist of books, and I would read my way out. I had a whole century to begin with, the eighteenth, which I scanted in the course of my education. My first project was to read straight through Gibbon’s classic six-volume, 3,600-odd page “Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” Then on to Boswell’s unabridged life of Samuel Johnson and an equally massive anthology of writings from the Scottish Enlightenment. That curriculum covered my freshman year of retirement.

This would be a time for reading works in their entirety and in the original language: the “Aeneid” in Latin, the “Oresteia” in Greek, the fiction of Victor Hugo in French and the memoirs Albert Schweitzer in German.

Nothing in Arabic.

Not that I stopped teaching. Locally, I had very rewarding stints at Huttonsville Correctional Center and the Mountain School with students straining to ask the big questions. In Kenya, I spent two semesters at the Presbyterian University of East Africa teaching aspiring pastors. One day, after I dismissed my Greek class, no one budged. In an American classroom I would have expected a jail break. But I had forgotten to pray. Class could not end before we prayed. When I was last there, D&E and PUEA entered an agano ya urafiki, Kiswahili for a covenant of friendship, signed by the Vice Chancellor and President Wood in hopes of further exchange.

The Reformer John Calvin drew no distinction between teaching and preaching. In that spirit, I have filled pulpits in small mountain churches.

Recognizing travel as reading in a different form, I joined PC(USA) missions to Russia and Iraq.

And I fell into a nice writing rhythm. At D&E I taught a course called The Bible as Literature; truth to tell, in my English classes I taught literature

as the Bible. In either case, I asked how writers use language to express spiritual experience.

Shakespeare’s Over the past decade, three teams of Davis “Measure for & Elkins College students have visited the Measure” is the great campus of the Presbyterian University of example, placing East Africa (PUEA) just outside Nairobi as characters in peril of part of a winter term class. In the course their souls, working of the last couple of years, D&E and PUEA out theological have entered into a covenant, pledging to dilemmas in human look for opportunities for exchange and terms. In a collection fellowship, even at distance. In that spirit, of short stories Professor Emeritus Dr. Bob McCutcheon just out, “Suffer spent a few months as a visiting lecturer in the Children,” I the New Testament at PUEA. try to depict my generation’s struggles with faith and doubt. In one piece, a childless and recently fatherless character embarks on a mission to African children.

Another is a series of dialogues between a Christian and Jewish student on a college campus. One I call a parable; but that term might suit them all.

So, I chose the familiar path, though it presented different byways. I continued my literary discipleship. Now: what next? What to do with this belated education? Is it finally over?

I supposed I could always get a Ph.D. in retirement.

Editor’s Note: Dr. Bob McCutcheon retired as Professor of English Emeritus in 2017 after 22 years of service to the College. He holds a Ph.D. in English from Stanford University, a master’s in philosophy from Oxford University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Duke University. His new book, “Suffer the Children: Novellas, Short Stories, and a Parable” dramatizes a generation’s mingled faith and doubt. Released in July 2021, the book is available in paperback at christianbook.com and as an eBook at barnesandnoble.com

Bill King Wins HeartWood Poetry Prize

Dr. Bill King

Professor of English Dr. Bill King was selected as the inaugural winner of the 2021 HeartWood Poetry Prize. “Pre-Carnal Knowledge” is published in a special issue on HeartWood literary magazine’s website.

they used-to-bes and who-we-ares. Haunting in its careful description, ‘PreCarnal Knowledge’ followed me for days after first reading, like a flash of a remembered film, or a glimpse through a night-lit window. Wonderful work.”

The contest, judged by poet Mary CarrollHackett, called for previously unpublished works to be submitted without the author’s name or other identifying information.

An online literary magazine associated with the low-residency Master of Fine Arts program at West Virginia Wesleyan College, HeartWood features creative work from around the world that delves into the heart of humanity.

King wrote “Pre-Carnal Knowledge” in 2019 and notes that “when a voice comes into my head as strong and clear as this one, I’ve learned it’s best to listen.”

In her remarks, Carroll-Hackett said, “From the opening words to the ending, this poem maintains an incredible balance between an almost breathless tension and a slow stripping of a life, of multiple lives, of the who

As part of his winnings, King received a cash award and an opportunity to serve as the final judge for the 2022 HeartWood Poetry Prize.

On sabbatical for the fall 2021 semester, King had several other works published this summer. “Promise Made in Total Darkness” appeared in the online literary journal Change Seven, while “Living Wall” and “A Song for the Doe-Thief ” were published in Susurrus, an online literary arts magazine of the American South. King was especially content with the publication of “Post-Surgery” in Schuylkill Valley Journal Online.

News Around Campus

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Snivelys Are Making a Difference in the Lives of Students and Communities When it comes to working toward the success of any project, husband and wife Patrick and Amy Snively do it best together. The two recently joined the Davis & Elkins College campus community where they brought their expertise to individual departments and their teamwork to benefit the institution as a whole.

Patrick Snively is the College’s new athletic director, while Amy Snively came on board as the academic success coach for The Naylor Learning Center. Their new positions at Davis & Elkins overlap in service to student-athletes.

“I want to get student-athletes connected to all the resources they have available on campus so they can be successful,” Patrick explained. “Amy is working with student-athletes and other students to ensure they are successful academically.”

Working on the same campus isn’t a new venture for the couple. Previously they held posts at their alma mater, Fairmont State University, where they met as freshmen.

However, last year, their job sites put a distance between the two – Patrick moved on to become the director of athletics at Wheeling University and Amy remained in her post at Fairmont.

into effect with 2017-2018 season and oversaw planning and execution of 2018 NCAA DII Swimming and Diving National Championships from start to finish.

Amy served as an academic coach and program specialist in the Office of Accessibility Services. In addition to those duties, she was the project director for Autism Welcome Here: Library Programs, Services and More grant and a member of the Campus Coordinated Response to Interpersonal Violence Team.

“I really enjoy helping people, especially people with disabilities. That’s a passion for both of us,” Amy said.

That passion is evident in several of the Snivelys’ projects and pursuits.

Patrick brought an autism swimming challenge to Fairmont State, and Amy has served on the board of the Family Resource Network in Marion County.

The couple are both graduates of Leadership Marion and have volunteered at United Way agencies. The Snivelys paired up to serve as co-chairs for the 2020 United Way of Marion and Taylor Counties fundraising campaign. Their combined efforts helped the organization raise more than $500,000 for only the second time in its history.

Patrick’s tenure at Fairmont began as a coach and “United Way means so much continued as an administrator. to us and we want to stay As associate director connected with it,” Patrick of athletics for NCAA said.

Patrick and Amy Snively have begun their new journey at Davis & Elkins compliance he developed The Snivelys’ commitment to College. Patrick has taken the reins as Director of Athletics, while Amy department and institutionthe academic success coach at The Naylor Learning Center. service likely comes from their wide enrollment initiatives upbringing and true beliefs aimed at supporting recruitment and retention objectives, while that they can make a difference in the lives of others. implementing policies and procedures specific to compliance objectives.

“We both come from families that are more than willing to step in and do He rose to senior director of athletics and worked as an executive staff anything for anyone,” Patrick said. member to assist in the day-to-day operations of the department, placing emphasis on leadership and development for the athletic staff, coaches and For all they share in common, there are some differences. It’s those student-athletes. differences they use to their advantage to solve any dilemma.

Patrick also coached the Fairmont State men’s and women’s swimming “Because we work together, we always have the ability to bounce ideas off teams from 2001-2020 and earned a position on the College Swimming & each other,” Amy explained. “We have different perspectives because of our Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) Board of Directors. He varied experiences. It’s always good to consider another’s point of view to coached swimmers to 26 All-American performances, 91 school records, learn how areas work together.” eight National Swimmer of the Week honors and conference Swimmer of Now settling into their new careers, the Snivelys are ready to connect with the Year recognition 11 times. the community in a meaningful way.

The 2005 West Virginia Intercollegiate Conference (WVIAC) Men’s “I feel like this place at this time of our lives is the perfect fit for us,” Patrick Coach of the Year and 2018 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Women’s said. “Everybody is so welcoming, so committed to this institution and the Coach of the Year, Patrick served on the NCAA Division II National students, and so willing to work together. And, this place is beautiful. It’s Swimming and Diving Championships Committee. As chair, he helped establish a new National Championships qualification procedure that went the complete and total package.”

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

BANNER TEXT

Golf Members Honored Three members of the Senator men’s golf team Evan Lewis of Bromsgrove, England, Sean Addie of Prestwick, Scotland, and Jordan Hyland of Belfast, Northern Ireland, earned All-American Scholar status.

Presented by Srixon/Cleveland Golf and the Golf Coaches Association of America, the honors are presented to student-athletes who excel in golf and academics. As Division II student-athletes, those selected for the awards must participate in 40% of their team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke-average under 78.0 and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. Recipients must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.

In spring 2021, the Senators men’s golf team was the first Mountain East Conference program to advance to medal match play at NCAA Nationals.

The team has shown success this fall as well with first-place finishes in the two-day Stonewall Invitational in Roanoke, West Virginia, and the Shriners Hospital Invite, hosted by Ohio Valley University.

In September, the men’s and women’s golf teams broke school records while taking top honors at the Dr. Wally Edgell Invitational in Davis.

The men came in first, finishing with a 16 under par total of 560. Addie set a new program 36-hole scoring record of 11 under par and was named a Mountain East Conference co-Player of the Week.

The women’s team finished second with a score of 682. Freshman Lucrezia Speranza of Rome, Italy, set a new program 18-hole scoring record of 72 in round two of the invitational.

The women’s team claimed a first-place finish at the Fairmont Invitational. At the MEC Championship Conference, Speranza finished second overall and only two strokes out of first place in leading the D&E women to a fifth-place finish.

The men’s and women’s golf team is coached by Alasdair Forsythe.

Valley Resort saw over 200 youth competitors drawn to the area. The other, an international championship event that was nationally televised, took place at Snowshoe Mountain Resort.

A national search for a head coach has begun and qualified individuals can apply at www.dewv.edu/ human-resources/.

scholarship opportunities are available Cycling Teams Student and all prospective student-athletes interested in participating in the inaugural team are encouraged to visit www.dewv.edu/request-information/.

Added to Athletic Lineup Men’s Soccer Cycling will be the newest intercollegiate sports Rallying a offering at D&E for the 2022-2023 academic year. The addition of men’s and women’s teams will grow the Senators’ department to a total of Successful 26 teams and will be the only varsity level cycling program in West Virginia.

Season “Prospective students from across the state and nation who love cycling, and specifically mountain biking, are about to get some wonderful news,” said D&E President Chris A. Wood. “As a D&E Senator, they will not only experience a transformational education, but they will be able to practice their sport in one of the premier geographic locations in the country.”

The Senators’ cycling program will be affiliated with USA Cycling and plans to compete in the Atlantic Collegiate Cycling Conference. USA Cycling’s collegiate varsity cycling program competes across five disciplines: track, mountain bike, cyclocross, BMX and road. Races take place in fall and spring.

“Given our location and geography, I feel this is a natural fit,” said Davis & Elkins Director of Athletics Patrick Snively.

“Elkins is perfectly situated for outdoor activity and recreation. It is also ideal for athletes who seek the beauty of the outdoors and the adventure in exploring it. There is plenty of terrain for mountain bike enthusiasts, but Elkins also has quite a bit of level and inclined roads on which to ride.”

Members of the Senators men’s golf team, from left, Evan Lewis, Sean Addie and Jordan Hyland display their AllAmerican Scholar plaques.

Two sites, within a short drive of campus played host to large mountain bike races this fall. One event, held at Canaan

The D&E men’s soccer team claimed the Mountain East Conference (MEC) regular season championship with an undefeated season (16-0-2).

As of Nov. 8, the team held onto the No. 1 seed and was ranked No. 3 in the nation. The is the first MEC title for D&E men’s soccer since the College joined the league in 2019.

The MEC Men’s Soccer Tournament, Nov. 10 and 14, will pair the No. 4 seed and No. 1 seed, and the No. 3 seed and No. 2 seed. The winners will square off in a matchup for the tournament crown.

Throughout the season, the D&E men captured 16 wins with two ties against No. 3 Notre Dame (Ohio) and No. 2 University of Charleston (West Virginia).

Martin Lago of Vigo, Spain, was named MEC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in the Senators 1-0 season opening win.

Athletics

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GIVING

Minnick Endowment Increases to Over $1.9 Million Although Professor Emerita Dr. Jean Minnick committed a $1 million estate gift to fund an endowed chair, her savvy investments have increased the amount to over $1.9 million. Minnick died February 25, 2021, at age 94 leaving behind a legacy that will provide a high-quality education for generations of sport science students.

The legacy of Dr. Jean Minnick is alive and well on her beloved Davis & Elkins College campus. A lifetime of planning and forethought has resulted in this tangible expression of her love and concern for the students of D&E. Jean was a powerful influence on the young men and women she taught and the athletes she coached during her thirty-five years in the classroom and on the field. Though future students will not have the fortune of personally knowing Dr. Minnick, her legacy will be remembered along with so many of the great educators that have left indelible impressions on this college.

The establishment of the A. Jean Minnick Chair in Sport Science came in a surprise announcement to the campus community during the Founders’ Day Convocation in 2017. Minnick’s former student Dr. Mary Ann DeLuca ’80 was named as the inaugural holder of the chair.

The A. Jean Minnick Chair in Sport Science at Davis & Elkins College increased the number of endowed chairs to seven. The funds will remain in the endowment and the interest earned will provide support and vital resources for the Department of Sport Science.

The Davis & Elkins College Department of Sport Science encompasses exercise science, physical education and sport management programs.

The programs for students seeking a bachelor’s degree are designed to provide leadership and facilities for regular instruction and participation in physical activity. They also assist students in gaining a better understanding of the general principles and concepts involved in the fundamentals of effective movement patterns. Students are provided with working knowledge of the physiology of exercise and exercise testing and prescription so that graduates may pursue employment in public and privately owned wellness and fitness centers, corporate fitness facilities and clinical therapeutic programs. Those planning to continue their education at the graduate level will be well prepared.

championships, four national qualifiers in Division I and a third-place finish in the Division I National Championships. Minnick coached five All-Midwest players, three All-South players and two All-American players.

Minnick joined the faculty in 1963 and was later promoted to professor and chair in the Department of Health, Sport, and Movement Sciences.

During her tenure, she was instrumental in the enhancement of majors and course offerings, adding exercise science and sports management majors, as well as a minor in athletic training.

Minnick has received several accolades for her coaching and teaching achievements. In 2011, she was inducted into the West Virginia University College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences Hall of Fame. At D&E, she was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990 and was selected for the Lois Latham Award for Teaching Excellence. She was also honored with the West Virginia Celebrate Women Award, the West Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AHPERD) Honor Award, the Recognition Award from the West Virginia Sports Writers Association and named to the Traveler’s Century Club.

Minnick earned a Ph.D. from New York University in 1970 and continued post-doctoral studies at the University of Utah, Penn State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received her Master of Science degree from WVU in 1964 and Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from West Virginia University School of Physical Education in 1949. Minnick is also a graduate of Marlinton High School in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.

Known for encouraging her students to do their best, discovering their hidden talents and opening their worlds to sights unseen, Minnick served the College as a teacher and coach for 35 years.

As coach of the women’s field hockey team, she finished with an astounding 145-21-14 career record over 17 seasons. The Division I teams recorded 12 undefeated seasons against nationally ranked teams, three Midwest

Tax Tip

D&E President Chris A. Wood greets Dr. Jean Minnick, center, after announcing the establishment of the Dr. A. Jean Minnick Chair in Sport Science and naming Dr. Mary Ann DeLuca as the inaugural holder of the chair.

Beginning at age 72, you are required to take minimum distributions (RMD’s) from both traditional IRA and Roth IRA accounts. These distributions are considered taxable income and could alter your adjusted gross income to a higher tax bracket. To avoid this scenario, RMD’s can be donated with no tax liability. As a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Davis & Elkins College would be an option as the beneficiary of RMD funds. Gifts may be designated at your discretion. For more information or assistance, please contact Cathy Nosel, Senior Director of Advancement: noselc@dewv.edu or call 304-637-1339.

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

Honor Roll of Donors

From their first day as Davis & Elkins College students...

To the day they graduate, gifts from alumni, family and friends make it all possible.

We are very grateful to everyone whose contributions during the 2020-2021 fiscal year (July 1-June 30) provided each student with the financial support and academic resources he/she needed to succeed and experience all that a D&E education has to offer.

With 98% of our students receiving some form of financial assistance, support from alumni, families and friends of the College is essential for the continued financial stability of Davis & Elkins College. Our first priority continues to be students. Your gifts help purchase the supplies, technology and resources they need to be competitive in today’s job market. Providing them with leadership opportunities that will serve them well in a professional world helps ensure their success.

None of this would be possible without YOUR generosity. There is no better investment than providing an education for our students, they are our future and the quality liberal arts education from D&E will help them continue Leading the Way. The fall issue of Forward traditionally includes the Honor Roll of Donors, providing us the opportunity to express our gratitude to those who make giving to Davis & Elkins College a priority. Along with many other items, the paper used to print the magazine is in short supply so we are doing our part to help preserve supplies and be environmentally conscious by offering our annual Honor Roll of Donors online at https://www.dewv.edu/give/honorroll2021/.

Those who prefer printed copies, may contact Wendy Morgan (morganw@dewv.edu or 304-637-1341) and one will be mailed to you.

Thank you again for your support and your belief in Davis & Elkins College.

Giving

23

ALUMNI NEWS

D&E Alumni Celebrate Lifelong Friendships during the First Post-2020 Party!

The weekend of July 23-24 found 60-plus alumni and friends at the home of Charlie ’75 and Suzanne “Froggy” Hallock Hehn ’75 in Tom’s River, N.J, for a gathering they had begun planning in 2019.

At that time, the plan was to celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary the weekend of July 26, 2020, with D&E friends. The gathering was dubbed the “Stuart Park Revival,” as they remembered that as D&E students one of their favorite places to go was Stuart Park, just outside of Elkins. However, due to the pandemic the party was pushed to 2021.

It was an amazing weekend filled with laughter, tons of food and great music as classmates, teammates, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters came together to renew friendships and remember the “little College on the Hill” where they became family for a lifetime.

Those attending were Mark Barber ’75; Barbara Barosa ’77; Diane “Di” Birkbeck ’75; Pam Boyd ’78; Shirley Oorlog Childs ’78; Wendy Cunningham Morgan ’12; Conn ’75 and Debi Behm Davis ’76, and grandson, Christian; the late Pete ’75 and Jan Dougherty; Paul ’77 and Judy Towne Essex ’76; Susan and George Fahoury Jr. ’76; Dirk Finley ’76; Cindy Camp Garvin ’73; Scott Goddard ’96; Bill ’75 and Cindy Kretsinger Harrison ’76; Amy and Ken Hart ’77; Bob “Mouse” ’76 and Judy Gallagher Herman ’75; Connie Howe Hershelman ’74; Jamie and Tom Illmensee ’76; Jo Anne “Josie” Vaccaro Cerven ’78; Kathy and Steven “Mitch” Kendall ’76; Jennifer “Kay” Kirby Jeter ’78; Denise D’Annunzio Klockner ’78; Carolyn Camp Maddox ’75; Toni and Alan McCormick ’77; Susan “Ben” Bennett McGuire ’73; Anne McVey ’77; Sherri Phipps Murphy ’74; Sue Ososki Reich ’77; Michael and Cynthia “Rev” Reilly Scott ’74; Georgie Peiser Shireman ’74; Jay Silverman ’78; Kathy and David Skerbetz ’75; Kate and

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DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

Christine “Chris” Smith ’73; Jim Walker Giacalone ’82 and Andrea Wilson ’75; Bob Weaner ’77; and Cindi May West ’75. Also joining in the fun were Charlie and Froggy’s family, Ali, Lauren,

Greg and grandchildren, Leila, Harvey, Julian and Carson.

As the weekend came to a close and we all wished Charlie and Froggy “Happy 46th Anniversary,” plans were already being made for the NEXT reunion. So, stay tuned and get your D&E swag ready because 2022 … here we come!!

Goddard Hits the Road Scott Goddard graduated from Davis & Elkins College in 1996. Since that time, he has been a part of campus life and has had the privilege of watching the transformation of thousands of students as they became young adults and fellow alumni. In his new role as vice president for institutional advancement, Scott was excited to hit the road to meet D&E alumni, renew friendships and make new connections.

And, what better way to begin than with a wedding celebration!

Culpeper, Virginia, was the first stop for Scott as he attended the wedding celebration of Elena Zanella ’17 and Matt Lamplugh.

Next, was a visit with Robert ’07 and Kay Stover Ryan ’09.

Robert and Kay introduced Scott to their children, Colt and Scarlett, and shared memories of playing Senator soccer.

Joe and Mary Anne Biggs ’69 were delighted to receive a visit from Scott at their home in Front Royal, Virginia, where Scott had the pleasure of presenting Mary Anne with her Half Elena Zanella ’17 and Matt Century Club medallion. He Lamplugh were married in then traveled to Stanardsville Culpeper, Virginia, on to see Rob ’79 and Jennifer June 12, 2021.

Liveright Murphy ’81. College sweethearts, Rob and Jen shared with Scott how they met at D&E and the many friendships that have spanned the years since graduation. The final visit was with friend Robert Frazier ’76, and his wife, Paula, at their home in Harrisonburg. Through the years, Scott and Robert had made connection via the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, and they discussed the upcoming re-chartering ceremony of the Gamma Delta Chapter.

A trip around the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area found Scott having lunch in Bethel Park with Cliff ’74 and Pam Malkmes Decker ’74, who are enjoying retirement and their grandchildren. Dr. Rev. Jean Humason Henderson ’64 was pleased to take Scott on a tour of the Community Presbyterian Church in Ben Avon. Although now retired, Jean continues to help and serve others as needed. Following Scott’s visit with Jean, it was a reunion with Erin Smulski Wolling ’98 as they enjoyed reminiscing about their time at D&E and sharing life stories.

Before heading to eastern Pennsylvania, Scott and John Zanardelli ’72, had great conversation as John fondly recalled his days at D&E, living in “Allen Hall” and friendships he made.

Traveling east, Scott had great conversation and lunch with fellow classmate Heather Konhaus ’96 and her parents, Fred ’68 and Pat Taggart Konhaus ’69. A “D&E legacy” family, the Konhaus’ recently celebrated the achievements of their grandson Aiden Konhaus ’21. On to Mechanicsburg, Scott connected with Dr. Rev. Neil Irons ’58 as he shared memories of his time in Elkins and the energy on campus when the field hockey team had their first win. Christine and Stephen Velott ’04, welcomed the opportunity to have dinner with Scott in Harrisburg. Stephen ran cross country while at D&E and continues to stay in touch with Coach Will Shaw and his teammates. Scott’s tour through Pennsylvania ended with a delightful afternoon visiting with great friends William S. “Bill” Moyer, a former Board of Trustees member, and his wife, Joan, in Newville, Pennsylvania. They are enjoying life and really appreciated the chance to re-connect with Scott as he shared news from campus.

The weekend of July 23-24 found Scott and Wendy Morgan ’12, director of alumni engagement and support, at Firefly Farm in Tom’s River, New Jersey, the home of Charlie ’75 and Suzanne “Froggy” Hallock Hehn ’75, for the first POST-2020 alumni reunion. Check out page 24 for full details.

After a brief hiatus to be on campus for the start of the academic year, Scott was on the road again in September to catch up with Bill Turner ’72, at the Arts Club of Washington. A former member Mary Anne Biggs ’69 received of the National Alumni her Half Century Club medallion Council (NAC), Bill was very and a congratulations from her pleased to take Scott on a tour husband, Joe Biggs, when Scott of the facility. Following Scott’s Goddard visited their home in visit with Bill, he was on to Front Royal, Virginia, in June.

A painting of Liberal Arts Hall reconnect with Cory Toth ’06, hangs above their mantel. the current NAC president.

This visit brought back great memories, as Cory was on the golf team at D&E and Scott was his coach.

Both Bill and Cory remarked the D.C. area would be a great place for an alumni gathering, so stay tuned.

Next up, was a classic alumni reunion with Deven Majkowski ’96 in Leesburg, Virginia. Campus memories and life stories flowed as Deven and Scott had not seen each other since Devon worked at D&E in the admissions office after graduation. Scott then had the privilege to visit with life-long friends Rev. Dr. David Kirk ’64 and H. Thomas “Tom” Mullis ’65 and his wife, Diane, in Staffordsville. It was a special time as they shared stories from their time at D&E and their continued friendship.

From Virginia to Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the District of Columbia, Scott has reminisced with alumni from multiple decades who have shared their cherished memories. He is ready to hit the road again soon … where would you like to see him go next?

Scott Goddard said it was a great day in September with Bill Turner ’72 touring the Arts Club of Washington and learning about his work at the cultural center.

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1948 Manucher Goodarzi, Washington, D.C., was very happy to attend the award ceremony for his son Dr. Bijan Goodarzi ’77, Nashport, Ohio, as he was honored as D&E’s 2021 Distinguished Alumnus. Manucher was unaware that he too, would be receiving a special recognition from President Chris A. Wood, by receiving his Half Century Club medallion. President Wood then awarded Manucher his second medallion as he is mid-way through his next half century.

Ginny and George Holborow receive visit from President Chris Wood. See 1952.

retired on his birthday in 1991. During that time, Judy taught history at high schools in South Kingstown, R.I., and Montclair, N.J., as well as receiving her MA at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. Richard and Judy live in Princeton, N.J., and are the proud parents of a son and daughter, and two beautiful granddaughters.

President Chris A. Wood presents Manucher Goodarzi with his Half Century Club medallions. See 1948.

1952 An educator throughout her entire career, Virginia E. “Ginny” Smith Holborow, Kensington, Md., took the skills she learned from her mentor and friend, the late Dr. Gloria M. Payne ’43, to teach business classes to thousands of students. Ginny loved being a teacher. She and her husband, George, were frequent visitors to her hometown of Elkins just to check in with friends and to see “her College.” Sadly, Ginny passed away on May 28, 2021.

1955 After Richard F. Hepburn graduated from D&E, he joined the Navy. He attended Officer Candidate School, becoming an Ensign, and then following 18 months flight training in Pensacola, Fla., and Kingsville, Texas, he returned to Elkins as a Naval Aviator and Lieutenant Junior Grade to marry Judy Pétra Wilson ’57. After 10 years in the Navy, and 25 years as an airline pilot with Mohawk, Allegheny and USAir, Richard 26

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1956 On August 26, Thomas J. “Tom” and Carolyn “Lynn” Soliday Meakem ’58, Kiawah Island, S.C., celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

They are the proud parents of three children and 13 grandchildren.

Tom and Lynn Soliday Meakem.

See 1956.

(a card making group), playing military Mahjong, Samba, decorative painting and rug hooking. Her children, Heather Jack Antolini ’84, Holly Jack Conrad ’89 and Tharon L. “TL” Jack ’89, are frequent visitors. While she loves living in Florida, she still cherishes the memories and friendships she has in Elkins and of Davis & Elkins College, where she continues to support the Jack Family Scholarship and the Highlands Scholarship.

1960 Richard “Dick” Huggins is still preaching once in a while, sharing that “Retirement is a sometime thing.” He and his wife, Barbara, live in Lakeland, Fla. In the fall of 1959, Richard “Dick” and Judy Miller Stoeltzing ’63 met in the campus library.

They have now been married for 59 years and are enjoying three great grandsons. The Stoeltzings live in Sacramento, Calif.

1962 For the past year, Judy Mewha Jack has made her home in The Villages, Fla., where she is involved in a wide variety of activities. Judy is an active member of New Covenant United Methodist Church where she serves as a greeter for the 11 a.m. service. She enjoys being a member of the West Virginia Club, Stamping Up

Judy Mewha Jack is now living in The Villages, Fla. See 1962.

1963 James W. “Jim” Bryant continues to be proud of his alma mater and grateful for the education and growth opportunities he received at D&E. Jim played on D&E’s first men’s soccer team and has passed that passion on to his grandson, Ethan Bryant. At age 16, Ethan signed with San Antonio FC and made his professional debut in the U.S. Open Cup in May 2018. He is now on loan from the USL Championship team San Antonio FC to the Richmond Kickers of USL League One for the remainder of the 2021 season. Ethan is a midfielder and the second-youngest player to debut for San Antonio FC. After eloping on Nov. 13, 1962, Leonard W. “Len” and Sandy Moore Rudnick, Tucson, Ariz., are going on 59 years of “happily ever-after.”

Now, reluctantly retired, they cherish their days at D&E.

1964 Rowland I.C. and Linda Hurst New ’65, New Market, Md., have been enjoying retirement since 2005. Linda taught kindergarten for 25 years in Montgomery County Public Schools, and Rowland was professor of counseling and psychology at Montgomery College in Rockville from 1970-2005. They now live close to their daughter and two sons and are the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren.

1965 Hannah Palmer Snyder is enjoying life in her retirement community, Foulkeways, in Gwynedd, Pa. She shares, “Moving in was an excellent decision.”

Janice Kemp Hutchison proudly displays her Half Century Club medallion.

See 1970.

Mary Vine Langley proudly displays her Half Century Club medallion. See 1970.

Mary Vine Langley enjoyed participating and sharing stories with classmates and President Chris A. Wood during the Homecoming virtual Half Century Club induction. Mary and husband Kelvin Langley ’69 live in Surprise, Ariz.

David C. and Diane Weese Buerger reside in Winter Haven, Fla. After 20-plus years with her own private law practice, Diane has now joined the Victor Smith Law Group in Winter Haven. In the recent virtual Half Century Club induction, David and Diane shared one of their favorite memories was when they both worked as students for the D&E College radio station WCDE.

1971 Glenn R. and Grace “Ellen” Gray Krechel, Pawley’s Island, S.C., celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 19, 2021.

Carolyn Ekins Heasley, Alexandria, Va., loves to paint in watercolors and oils, and is enjoying life with her teenage grandchildren.

1966 Andras “Andy” Maros, Stuart, Va., looks forward to a golden re-connection with old friends of D&E. He invites all to peruse Peace Production, an organization he co-founded with Mayana Kingery. Together, with single purpose and united vision, they have dedicated their lives to the inspiration of humanity. To learn more about their efforts, visit www.peaceproduction.org.

1970 During the virtual Half Century Club induction, Janice “Jake” Kemp Hutchison, Harrisburg, Pa., shared that some of her favorite D&E memories were singing in the choir, playing field hockey, living in Gribble Hall, and meeting her life-long friends.

Celebrating Georgia Soccer with friends John Staniforth; soccer legend Angus McAlpine; and Hugo Escobar, Michael Shue is on the list of Georgia’s All-Time Top 50 Soccer Players. See 1976.

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Surf’s Up and Hank Steinbrecher Gets to Go Back Home

Editor’s Note: The following article, written by Hank Steinbrecher ’71, appeared in the East Hampton Star newspaper. “Guestwords: Going Home” is reprinted with permission.

The day began well enough. Up before dawn with childlike anticipation, clear skies and a bit of the night chill still in the air. Out for a big breakfast. Sun up, getting warm, we headed east on Montauk Highway to Montauk Point.

I had been there often as a young lad, some 50 years ago. The area then was nearly barren of buildings. A few beautiful homes and the old Montauk Tower. Now it’s a mega resort, a playground for the rich.

Young and passionate about surfing, my friends and I would make the long trek east to find the best waves on Long Island. Ditch Plain was my favorite spot. We would drive out and camp for a few days of surfing.

On this day I was heading there after being landlocked for the past 36 years. Chicago and Tucson do not produce great surf. I yearned for the rhythms of the ocean. I have always found it cathartic. Dreamed about it, actually. We turned into the beach parking lot and there she was. The Atlantic Ocean.

My son has served in the military for the past 20 years. He and I have not spent more than a few days at a time together, because of his deployments and my international travel. On his last deployment he sent me a message.

“Dad, I have sent you a ticket in the email.

We are going on a trip together.”

Where are we going?

“It is a surprise. Once you get here [Washington, D.C.], we will have a seven-hour drive. We will spend the week together.”

He knows how to keep a secret. I felt like a kid a week before Christmas. I got out my compass and looked on a map at the 500 28

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miles around D.C. Ah, he’s taking me to the beaches of South Carolina. We spent many a vacation there.

Wrong. We headed north from his house.

Where were we going?

“It’s a surprise.”

Over the George Washington Bridge. Going to New England?

Wrong. Over the Throgs Neck Bridge.

This was my old stomping grounds. Past Levittown, my hometown. What were we doing? My son was taking me home.

We would spend the week reliving my past.

Wrong. The boy can really keep a secret.

We arrive in East Hampton. He’d booked a B&B; here for the week. We would relax and get to know each other again.

Wrong again. The next morning, we went to Grain Surfboards. These guys are the best. My son had arranged for us to build a classic wooden surfboard from scratch.

Grain sources sustainable wood to build their skateboards and surfboards. Wood, not foam boards. Classic.

It was our project. We spent every moment of the week together. The depth of our conversations and frankness of our talks were marvelous to experience. Yet the most salient moments came when there was no conversation. In the quiet. Feeling the bond between father and son. It was a real reconnection. That alone was worth its weight in gold.

My college teammate and dear friend, Antonio Rutigliano, lives in East Hampton.

We were able to hook up with him and shared many stories and meals.

Back to Ditch Plain, where the story began.

I am a 74-year-old man diagnosed with endstage heart and kidney disease. Complicated

by Parkinson’s. Told that I need a heart and kidney transplant. However, I did not qualify. They said that there was not much more they could do. Go live life.

I have been unstable and weak in the legs.

Yet here we were making a new board. My son truly knows me. I may never use it but my family will, hopefully my grandchildren.

We ambled out to the beach. I sat down in a chair we’d brought. Immediately I felt a sense of serenity. I’d brought my camera and took shots of the surfers. The lads from Grain Surfboards, Brian, Theo, and Luke, were with us, along with a friend of theirs, Jay. Jay is a hulk of a man with great

humanity. Brian, Theo, and Luke are unique businessmen. They showed us genuine care, compassion, hard work, artistry, and intelligence. They were fun guys to be around.

I have come to know the ocean and love it. There is really something mythical and magical about the surf. You are at the junction of land, water, air, and wind. They envelope you. Yet you can master them.

The rhythm of surf is hypnotic. I have learned that the ocean has many moods. On some days it can be very angry, other days peaceful. Now it was happy. The surf was a two-to-three-foot swell. A slight offshore breeze, sunny and warm. Many surfers in the water.

Sitting there I yearned to be in it. My son asked, “Want go surfing?” Given my condition, I would have to be out of my mind to say yes. I can barely walk without assistance.

“Hell, yes! Go for it!”

So, my son, Jay, and Brian got a board and helped me into the surf. Theo documented the journey in photos. We walked in, surf coming at us. I felt an immediate sense of excitement and simultaneously a sense of peace. The waves were coming in and we were going out. I was determined to get past the break. The first sizable wave came at us. I duck-dived under it, reliving childhood memories. The feel of the ocean breaking over my head and through my hair was energizing. I felt great satisfaction and happiness.

“How many more days do I have left?” I thought. Thank God and thank my son for giving me at least one last chance to feel this harmony with nature. We made it out past the break. We stayed there for a bit and then made the journey back to shore.

Weakened, I needed lots of help to get back in. I climbed onto the board, lying flat and too far back to catch anything. The nose of the board was high in the water. No way to catch a wave.

The lads got my legs back under me and walked me out of the surf. I must have looked like a beached whale. My son and I embraced, teary-eyed in each other’s arms.

We made the trek back to the surf shop. I was exhausted and energized all at the same time. You could say I was “stoked.” Indeed, my son had brought me back home.

1976

1988

During the 50th anniversary of Georgia Soccer, Michael E. Shue, Snellville, Ga., was listed among its All-Time Top 50 Soccer Players who have played in the state. He shared this honor with two of his teammates, John Staniforth and Hugo Escobar. The players were nominated by members of Georgia Soccer and the finalists were chosen by the members of a committee.

Congratulations Mike!!

During a visit to campus with their family, Alex “Sandy” and Kelly O’Donnell Edwards ’87, Clermont, Ga., had a chance to tour The IceHouse. They were excited to find their names on the wall, along with the names of their children. Sandy and Kelly are also proud to announce that following their son Collin’s graduation from high school next year in May, he will begin the 2022-2023 academic year as a freshman at D&E. The O’Donnell and Edwards legacy continues.

1979 Don E. Cover and his wife, Patty, recently relocated from Bridgeport, W.Va., to Clermont, Fla. They are enjoying the adventures of their new lives in the Sunshine State and look forward to meeting D&E alumni and friends in their area.

Crozet Volunteer Fire Department recognized Larry DeVault for his community service. See 1979.

1983 Karen Wilmoth, Elkins, W.Va., retired from her alma mater after serving 17 years in the Advancement/Development office. She is proud to have been a member of the team that raised $100 million over a 10-year period to Secure the Future of D&E.

1984 Juliann Noel Shackelford lives in Placerville, Calif., and is the records supervisor for the Placerville Police Department. She enjoys spending time with her six grandchildren.

Edwin ’86 and Diane Mullin Recinos live in Rahway, N.J. with their son, Tyler. Edwin is proud to announce Diane has been named interim president of Berkeley College with campuses in Midtown Manhattan, N.Y., and in Newark, Paramus, Woodbridge and Woodland Park, N.J. Her career at Berkeley College began in 1992 as director of financial aid for the Woodbridge campus and over the years, she took on expanded roles in financial aid, technology and analytics as the College’s mission expanded. Diane’s leadership has spanned campus operations, admissions, marketing, student development and campus life, disability services, career services, academic advisement, the Office of the Registrar, institutional effectiveness, and the Office of Military and Veterans Affairs. She served as senior vice president, enrollment management, and most recently as the senior vice president of student success. Diane served as a peer for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, was a board member for the American Conference on Diversity, the Woodbridge

Don and Patty Cover enjoy a day of picking blueberries with their daughter, Kimberly, in Clermont, Fla. at the Southern Hill Farms. See 1979.

Lawrence “Larry” DeVault has devoted over 42 years of service with various fire departments and rescue squads in Virginia and the northeastern United States. In his own community of Crozet, Va., he has served in various leadership roles for the Crozet Volunteer Fire Department. Larry has helped foster professionalism and accountability within the department, helped improve equipment in the area of vehicle extrication and worked hard to enhance relationships and partnerships with Western Albemarle Rescue Squad and Albemarle County Fire Rescue. In June, Larry was recognized for his service as he completed his term as assistant chief for the CVFD and was elected vice president of the department. Larry will serve on the Board of Directors for 2021-2022.

Etched in stone at The IceHouse, Sandy and Kelly O’Donnell Edwards found their names and those of their daughters, Madison Grace, Kayla (not pictured) and son, Collin. See 1988.

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Shane Meade is Making Music and Loving Every Minute of It Shane Meade’s career path has taken a 360-degree turn. It happened part out of necessity and part out of taking time to explore what he wanted to do in life.

Diane Mullin Recinos, EdD, Interim President of Berkeley College. See 1988.

Economic Development Corporation and the Woodbridge Special Improvement District; and served as Chairwoman of the Board of the Woodbridge Metro Chamber of Commerce.

She is a graduate of Leadership New Jersey, was named to the YWCA Academy of Women Leaders, is among the NJBIZ Best 50 Women in Business, and is a recipient of the William E. Short Community Service Award.

2002 In May, Lonnie Martin, Elkins, W.Va., was the guest speaker for a podcast interview on Discover Indie Film (DIF) for his 2019 FILA (Film Invasion L.A.) award winning film “The Last of the Manson Girls.” DIF is a TV Series and Podcast that highlights filmmakers handpicked from the festival circuit. Check out Lonnie’s film on Amazon Prime Video.

His success as a touring solo musician and with his band, Shane Meade & the Sound, wasn’t anything he would have imagined as a political science and history major and member of the Senator basketball team at Davis & Elkins College. Still, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I like working for the man in the mirror and I wouldn’t change that for a return to the corporate world,” Meade said.

After graduating D&E in 1997, the Elkins native earned a master’s degree in criminal justice from Marshall University. He relocated to Tampa, Florida, in the summer of 2000 and worked as a probation officer before moving on to a position in medical sales.

In 2005, after a little soul searching, he left the corporate world, picked up an old guitar of his father’s and discovered a new passion he had only dabbled in with open mic nights. A few solo gigs later, he joined up with other musicians to form Shane Meade & the Sound.

“Early on it was a transition from a 9-to-5 lifestyle to the world of performing music. I can’t say I didn’t miss the paychecks from time to time,” Meade said. “But, over the years the project was able to grow and we’ve established ourselves.”

Described as soul-infused folk rock with a splash of jazz and mountain funk, Shane Meade & the Sound has spent the last seven years playing up and down the East Coast with staple performances in the Virgin Islands. Of course Meade brought the band home to play at D&E for Déjà vu. Ironically, Rob Masten was managing The Icehouse when Meade played there. Now he’s the sax player for the group. Meade and Masten often performed as a duo over the years. Masten’s Elkins restaurant El Gran Sabor is the local “go to venue” for the band.

“We have a solid fan base in Elkins, and a lot of family and friends continue to show their love and support of the music,” Meade said.

Unlike most musicians who had to sit out the show during COVID, Meade was able to perform acoustic solos in small venues and online. Plus, it gave the band time to move ahead with the album they had in the works.

The band’s fourth album, released Oct. 11, is a collection of songs revolving around its title “Livin’ in the Moment.”

“I think this new album is our best effort yet,” Meade said. “I feel like I really put my best foot forward, although I’m proud of all our albums.”

The band released the double disc album “Candle Lights & Conspiracies” in 2009 and “All Walks of Life” in 2013.

Filmmaker and D&E Instructor of Theatre and Film, Lonnie Martin. See 2002.

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“I guess you can call it somewhat of a divine intervention,” Meade said. “Now I have a career, musical family and a way of life that I wouldn’t trade for anything.”

Benjamin Jones is Back in the Spotlight After a bit of a hiatus, Benjamin Jones ’08 is back in front of the camera. This time around, his family is joining him in the cast for a couple of the productions.

In what Jones calls a “pretty successful year,” he appeared in television commercials for Home Depot, Planet Fitness, Masterworks.io and one for Amtrak that’s been getting a lot of attention. For anyone who’s seen the Amtrak ad titled “No interruptions,” that’s Jones portraying the dad and the little girl is actually his 3-year-old daughter, Willa.

This summer, Kirk and Amanda Yeargan Monroe, Midlothian, Va., took a trip to Philadelphia, Pa., where they had an amazing time touring the “City of Brotherly Love.” A few of the places they enjoyed most were the Museum of the American Revolution, Carpenters’ Hall, Congress Hall, Independence Hall, the National Constitution Center, and the Liberty Bell Center.

Another special treat during their trip was having dinner with fellow alumna Karen Kober Brown ’84 and her son, Travis.

“They were looking for families because with COVID that would be safer and minimize people crossing paths,” Jones explained.

They left their home in New York, traveling by Amtrak, for the two-day shoot in Charleston, South Carolina.

Two versions of the train portion of the commercial were filmed – one with masks and one without. On location, the cast rode in a 100-year-old canoe on the lake before the house scene was filmed with Willa.

Performing is more of a family affair than just father and daughter. In fact, it was acting that brought Jones and his wife, Lauren Engleman, together. They met in a T. Schreiber Studio & Theatre class and were married in 2015. They and their youngest daughter, Winter, appeared in a commercial for Meridian Health Hospital in New Jersey. Engleman works as a professional dancer and has roles on HGTV and Discovery ID. Jones’ acting career goes back to his days at D&E when he performed in stage productions and was a model for promotional materials. Now his resume reads with highlights such as co-star roles on television’s “Quantico,” “Blood Feuds” and “Scorned,” along with a star role in “Paranormal Amish.” He’s also had supporting roles on the big screen in “Karma Club” and “Get Happy,” among others. That’s all in addition to stage work at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Pan Asian Repertory. The latter was brought back as a radio show at the start of the pandemic with Jones returning to his role for voice-over work.

“I always wanted to be an entertainer and I can’t let it go,” Jones said.

Another passion he’s carried on is soccer. The former player for the Senators now coaches pre-K 3-year-olds.

“For most of them it’s their first time with the sport,” Jones said. “They’re very energetic.”

Like many soccer dads and aspiring actors, Jones has a day job. A few years ago, he went back to school and earned a master’s degree from Hunter College. In a seventh-grade classroom in downtown Manhattan, he instructs special education ICT for science.

Although Jones says he’s unsure what’s on the horizon for his acting career, there is one direction he’s taking.

“I’m looking forward, just looking forward.”

Amanda and Kirk Monroe enjoyed a visit with Karen Kober Brown ’84 and her son Travis during a recent trip to Philadelphia, Pa. See 2002.

2003 Perry Cunningham III is the new head baseball coach for Waynesburg University. He has been with Waynesburg for 14 years, serving as an assistant coach and director of baseball strength and conditioning. Perry and his wife, Pam, live in Waynesburg, Pa., and are the proud parents of two sons, Cooper and Cade.

2009 Kate McArthur and Kristi Haakma, Bakersfield, Calif., announce the birth of their son. Coen Asher Haakma-McArthur was born on June 14, 2021, weighing 6 pounds, 13 ounces and measuring 19 inches in length. Baby Coen is the perfect little boy and Kate and Kristi are loving life as they watch him grow.

2013 On July 17, Sara K. Hill and Kevin McCartney exchanged wedding vows during a beautiful ceremony at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Their wedding was followed by an epic honeymoon that took them to Hawaii for visits Alumni News

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On October 7, Derek Sicca was sworn in as a firefighter for the Elkins Fire Department

by Elkins City Clerk Jessica Sutton, while Elkins Fire Chief Steve Himes and Derek’s wife Abby looked on. See 2018.

2018 Coen Asher Haakma-McArthur. See 2009.

Derek Sicca and Abigale “Abby” Gooden met at D&E and were married May 22, 2021. Abby is a nurse at Mountain Memories Assisted Living & Retirement Center and Derek is a firefighter for the Elkins Fire Department, as well as a personal trainer at Anytime Fitness.

2019 After a 2020 ceremony postponement due to the COVID pandemic, Angelea R. Goodwin and Matthew J. Maynard were married. On Aug. 7, 2021, the happy couple exchanged wedding vows in front of family and friends at their home in Swansboro, N.C. Matt is a P.A. at Johnston Pain Management and Angelea is a licensed lead teacher working in the field of preschool education and childcare. Angelea is the sister of Heather Henline, who received an Honorary Doctor of Letters in 2014, and Matt is the grandson of the late Fay McGee Maynard ’57 and the

Kaylee Wagner, Elkins, W.Va., started her new job as a family service specialist serving Randolph and Barbour counties through Youth Health Service. Kaylee shares, “I am so thankful to have been chosen for such a great and fulfilling position that utilizes my D&E degrees! I never imagined that just out of college, I would land a position in my field with health, dental, vision and life insurance, right in my college town! I’m so happy to be giving back to the community that has been my home since starting school here in 2017.”

to the Big Island and Maui, and then on to Seattle, Wash., where they enjoyed the views and excursions aboard a sea plane and sailboat and ended their trip with an amazing train ride via Amtrak through the Glacier National Park. The McCartneys reside in New Albany, Ohio, where Sara works for Amazon and Kevin works at Nationwide in network security.

2017

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late Gerald Maynard ’56. They look forward to taking their honeymoon trip to Honolulu, Hawaii, at a later date.

2021

Congratulations to the new “Mr. and Mrs.” – Kevin and Sara K. Hill McCartney!

See 2013.

Velma Ragsdale, Dallas, Texas, is thrilled to announce she is living the dream as the catering sales manager for the George W. Bush Presidential Center.

Angelea R. Goodwin and Matthew J. Maynard, married on Aug. 7, 2021. See 2019.

2024 Velma Ragsdale at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. See 2017.

Travis Scala, Rockville, Md., spent the summer working on his internship as an accountant with a medical practice, and staying in shape for the D&E lacrosse season.

Hamilton Descendant Shares Memorabilia of D&E’s Third Founder The great-granddaughter of the man whom historians have revealed as the third founder of Davis & Elkins College visited campus to present memorabilia. Dr. Mary Ann Stripling of Staunton, Virginia, shared the story of the Rev. Dr. Augustus Houston Hamilton.

According to Dr. Thomas Richard Ross in his book “Davis & Elkins College: The Diamond Jubilee History,” Dr. A.H. Hamilton was one of the three founders of the College, along with H.G. Davis and S.B. Elkins.

Born in 1846 in Monroe County, West Virginia, Hamilton was one of five children. He graduated from Washington College in 1870 and went on to Union Theological Seminary. An ordained Presbyterian minister, he served for 40 years and preached at Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church in Steeles Tavern, Virginia.

His association with the yet-to-be founded Davis & Elkins College began at a meeting in Franklin, West Virginia, on Sept. 12, 1901. Lexington Presbytery adopted a resolution offered by Hamilton asking Senators Davis and Elkins to contribute “at least $30,000” and “to donate suitable grounds” for a college in Elkins. Having turned the senators down 12 years earlier, the Presbytery promised to contribute toward the $30,000 for its share of

the “20th Century Million Dollar Fund” then being raised in the Southern Presbyterian Church for Christian Education and Church Expansion.

After a year of soliciting, Hamilton reported that he had cash and pledges totaling $23,607. Upon receiving this report, the Lexington Presbytery elected a nine-man board of trustees for the college. On Dec. 4, 1902, Hamilton, the temporary president, announced that the purposes of the meeting were to adopt a name for the college, select a site for the campus, make plans for erecting the first building, and effect a permanent organization of the board.

In 1902, the College’s Board of Trustees met for the first time. The first classes were held on Sept. 21, 1904, on the original campus in south Elkins on a plot donated by Senator Elkins.

Davis & Elkins College awarded an honorary D.D. degree to Rev. Hamilton in 1916, the third such degree in its history.

When Hamilton died in 1923, James Allen wrote, “the College has lost a man who, in the founding of the institution, rendered service that was wholly commensurate with the service of others at the time and indispensable.”

Later, in memory of Hamilton, the faculty established the Hamilton Honor Society to give “special honor to students of marked scholastic ability.” Members of the junior class whose grade average at the end of the year was “not less than A” were eligible.

An endowed scholarship has been established to honor Hamilton.

Memorial gifts may be sent to Davis and Elkins College with Hamilton Scholarship on the memo line. Mail to Scott Goddard, Davis and Elkins College, 100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241 or go to www.dewv.edu/giveonline and select “Other” as the designation and type Hamilton Scholarship in the bolx provided.

Dr. Mary Ann Stripling, second from right, and the Rev. Sarah Hill present memorabilia of Davis & Elkins College’s third founder, the Rev. Dr. Augustus Houston Hamilton, to D&E President Chris A. Wood, right, and Vice President for Institutional Advancement Scott Goddard.

Together we make a difference in the live students Together we make a difference in the lives of D&E Together we make a difference in the lives of D&E students D&E students Alumni News

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IN MEMORY The individuals listed below include members of the D&E family whose passing we have learned about within the last several months. We remember them here on behalf of all alumni and friends of Davis & Elkins College.

ALUMNI 1949 1949 1950 1950

1950 1951 1951 1951 1952 1952 1952 1952

1954 1954 1954 1955 1955

John W. McBee, May 23, 2021 Eleanor Spangler McNair, March 8, 2021 Stanley J. Allen, May 14, 2021 Barbara Ellen Weese Bennett, February 8, 2019 George E. Piercy, June 28, 2021 Chong S. Kim, May 7, 2021 Donald L. Rice, July 3, 2021 William B. Snyder, August 12, 2020 Edward W. Applebee, March 31, 2020 Charlene J. Gilmore Bennett, May 22, 2021 Irma Crosier Curran, July 15, 2021 Virginia “Ginny” Smith Holborow, May 28, 2021 John A. “Jack” Habers, September 7, 2021 Robert J. Juback, May 16, 2021 John C. Little, March 8, 2021 Patrick V. Castellano, May 27, 2021 Frank P. Cooper, June 21, 2021

1955 1955 1955 1956 1956 1957 1959 1959 1959 1960 1960 1962 1962 1962 1962 1963 1967 1967

Lucille Haddix, May 19, 2021 William A. “Bill” Leist, September 13, 2021 Walter J. “Buzz” Scheller, July 12, 2021 Lois E. Irons Kessler, July 18, 2021 Franklin L. Kittle, July 13, 2021 Fay D. McGee Maynard, October 2, 2021 Ava Jolene Stacy Callahan, August 5, 2021 Arthur C. Heldman Jr., August 27, 2021 Frederick W. Phelps, May 4, 2021 Donald L. Bugay, May 9, 2021 Jack D. Rogers, June 14, 2021 Peter Abramov III, July 22, 2021 Ann Lockridge Cain, September 15, 2021 Edward F. Hart, August 14, 2021 Dunton A. Wyatt, July 23, 2021 Roger P. Hailes, May 22, 2021 Milan “Smiley” Evans, July 16, 2021 Leslie C. Tate Taylor Jarvis, February 2, 2021

1967 1968 1969

1969 1972 1974 1974 1975

1979 1979 1987 1988 1991 1999

William S. “Bill” Weaving, August 22, 2021 Joseph P. Kelly, June 15, 2021 Rebecca F. Hipkins Guerrero, September 1, 2021 Nicholas B. Morgan, August 27, 2021 Margaret A. Curtis Adams, August 18, 2021 Herman A. Conrad, October 3, 2021 Patricia D. Hart Hyre, July 15, 2021 Andrew P. “Andy” Zimmerman, August 27, 2021 Anita K. Davis Higy, August 4, 2021 Donna E. Forinash Somers, May 21, 2021 James H. Koon, June 22, 2021 Michael T. Cole, August 20, 2021 Kimberley K. Yow, May 13, 2021 Gail L. Cassiday, May 24, 2021

FRIENDS & FAMILY Lloyd T. Adams, August 22, 2021 Former student

Courtney Granger, September 18, 2021 Longtime friend of Augusta

Joyce L. “Jackie” Wasmer Bennett, August 12, 2021 Former student

Brad A. Gum, August 29, 2021 Friend of the College

William R. “Randy” Brown, July 5, 2021 Former student

Ralph E. Mann, July 11, 2021 Former student

Frances “Frannie” Lightburn Cressman, September 16, 2021 Former student

Peggy J. Ray, July 13, 2021 Former housekeeping employee

To include the passing of alumni, friend of the College or former employee in the next edition of Forward, please call Director of Alumni Engagement and Support Wendy Morgan at 304-637-1314 or email her at morganw@dewv.edu

Gloria’s Garden 34

DAVIS & ELKINS COLLEGE Forward

REMEMBERING

Bruce E. Balding Former Trustee Bruce E. Balding, a former member of the Board of Trustees, died April 5, 2021, at age 90.

Balding served on the Board from 1980 to 1990. He was the great-nephew of Davis & Elkins College founder Henry G. Davis.

Dr. Joseph M. Gratto Former Trustee Dr. Joseph Michael Gratto, a former member of the Board of Trustees, died April 8, 2021, at his home. He was 84.

Gratto served on the Board from 1994 to 2003.

He held an MBA from Harvard Business School and later served in the U.S. Army in South Korea. He spent his career in financial advisory and management.

As an athlete, he was a U.S. Olympic alternate in wrestling. A decorated U.S. Marine, Gratto served in Vietnam prior to his retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Following his military career, he embarked on a second career in academia.

Peter H. Dougherty ‘75

Terry R. Hayes

Trustee Peter Hansen Dougherty, an alumnus, founding member of the Davis & Elkins College National Alumni Council and member of the Board of Trustees died at his home in Sarasota, Florida, Sept. 12, 2021, at age 68.

Dougherty graduated D&E with a degree in history and political science. As a student he was class president and a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He was president of Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Volunteer Corporation and served on the National Alumni Council from 1985 to 2007. He was named to the Board of Trustees in 2007 and was serving his second term at the time of his death.

Dougherty began his career in Jefferson County where he worked in the parole and probation offices before becoming a magistrate from 1977 to 1983. He then worked in the service of former Congressman Harley Staggers and Senator Jay Rockefeller IV until his transition to the Department of Veterans Affairs where he was the first national director of Homelessness Programs, acting director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and acting deputy assistant secretary for Government Affairs. He was also a member of the Jefferson County School Board for 25 years, including 21 years as chairman. He then served as Jefferson County Sheriff from 2013 to 2020.

He is survived by his wife, Jan, children Megen Boyle (husband David), Bryan Dougherty (wife Emily), and Elizabeth Dougherty, stepson Dan Stewart, four grandchildren, two sister and numerous nieces and nephews.

The Pete Dougherty Scholarship has been created at Davis & Elkins College in Pete’s memory. Gifts may be made online at www.dewv.edu/give/ or mailed using the envelope inserted in this publication with gift designation for the Pete Dougherty Scholarship.

Faculty Emeritus Terry Richard Hayes, professor of theatre arts emeritus, died July 23, 2021, at Nella’s Nursing Home in Crystal Springs. He was 76.

Hayes served as professor of theatre arts, technical director and division chair of the Theatre Department from 1977 to 2010, when he retired. In addition to teaching, he directed dozens of stage productions at D&E. Prior to his work at D&E, Hayes was a designer, technical director and professor at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

He was born Sunday, Oct. 22, 1944, in Des Moines, Iowa, a son of the late Forest Gayle and Edna Belle Squire Hayes.

On Aug. 20, 1967, at Toledo, Ohio, he was married to the former Susan Starks, who survives. Also surviving are one son, David Hayes and wife, Emily, of Luckey, Ohio; one daughter, Rachel Hayes of Elkins; and six grandchildren, Alexander Mach, Heidi Mach, Noelle Hayes, Matthew Hayes, Isabelle Hayes and Savannah Gannon. Preceding him in death is one brother, Robert William Hayes.

He received his bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University, master’s degree from Denver University and Master of Fine Arts degree from West Virginia University.

He was an active member of Friends of Fort Liberte. He fulfilled his childhood dream of being a train engineer for the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad for 20 years.

Remembering

35

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