The Naylor Learning Center: 10 Years of Building Success

negotiation and contract management, as well as pairing quality and financial performance for health care delivery optimization. Dempsey earned Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting and biology with a minor in chemistry from Davis & Elkins College and holds a master’s degree in healthcare administration from West Virginia University. She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Healthcare Financial Management Association and Rotary. She serves as an assistant director for the Mountain State Forest Festival, is a board member for Davis Health System Foundation, and volunteers with the Randolph County school system. Goodarzi is chief medical officer and medical director of Women’s Health at Muskingum Valley Health Centers in Ohio. He received the 2021 Davis & Elkins College Distinguished Alumnus Award in recognition of his significant contributions to health care. “D&E is proud to have Dr. Bijan Goodarzi as an alumnus and honored to welcome him as a new member of our Board of Trustees,” Wood said. “Dr. Goodarzi has achieved a stellar career in the medical profession. He credits his alma mater with

preparing him for a meaningful and purposeful life. Through his Board service, he intends to ensure D&E remains vital for students today and for generations to come.” Goodarzi began his career at Women’s Health Specialists in Zanesville, Ohio, and later pioneered a hospital-based prenatal care program. The program later shifted to Muskingum Valley Health Center. In 2018, it was named the Dr. Bijan Joseph Goodarzi Health Center in honor of the caring physician, who along with MVHC founder Chuck Hunter, established it. He also dedicated his career to additional sectors of the medical profession by working as a clinical instructor and medical director. Goodarzi shares a long history with D&E. 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. After graduating D&E cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Goodarzi attended medical school at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia. He completed his residency at Akron City Hospital in Ohio. He is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is a Fellow in the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a Dr. Bijan Goodarzi diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners. He is licensed to practice medicine in Ohio.

Ensuring students succeed academically and socially parallels the Davis & Elkins College mission of “preparing students for success and thoughtful engagement in the world.” Since 2011, The Naylor Learning Center has helped students gain the skills they need to fulfill that success. Although the College has provided academic support programs for decades through the William James Center and the Supported Learning Program, the establishment of The Naylor Learning Center brought together a variety of services in one supportive environment. A gift from the Naylor family provided for renovations to the second floor of Albert Hall that includes offices, open and private study areas, the Writing Center and classroom spaces. “The Naylor Learning Center provides all students with access to their needed academic support and the skills they need to be successful here at D&E,” said Director Derek Fincham. “We really try to focus on each individual student and their particular needs and direct them to the services that best fits these needs.” During the 2021- 2022 academic year, the Center served more than 61% of the student population by providing more than 14,600 hours of direct support. Services include academic support, D&E disability services, the Supported Learning Program, tutoring, structured study hall, study groups, classes and workshops, and international student support. In addition, the Center coordinates the PATH program, a five-day early start college transition for incoming D&E students that provides social and educational experiences while helping participants build a network of support for successful college transition. While The Naylor Learning Center offers multiple resources, Fincham says it is known as a grounding place, one that extends the sense of belonging. “It’s a place they can find the support they need and find the friendship and community that can bridge the gap between student life and academic success,” Fincham explained. Fincham’s predecessor, Mary Ellen Schubert ’77 who led the Center from 2009 until she retired in 2021, saw the Center grow and led a charge to celebrate student achievement and educate the campus community about learning differences. In 2015, she applied for and helped establish the Delta Epsilon chapter of Delta Alpha Phi international honor society. Several students have been inducted after meeting the requirement of earning a 3.1 GPA. Each year, the organization hosts an information day for the campus. “They talk about the different disabilities they have and explain it to others,” Schubert said. “It serves as a time for them to educate the college community about what they deal with every single day.” The Naylor Learning Center’s 10th anniversary was marked with a Top Hat Series virtual gathering attended by faculty, staff, students and alumni, along with friends of the College and those interested in learning more about the Center.

One-on-one tutoring in The Writing Center is among services offered to all students in The Naylor Center.