A PUBLICATION FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY | FALL 2021
Contributors
COLLABORATING WITH EKU TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT FOR EMPLOYEES IS A SMART DECISION
EKU Magazine is a collaborative effort between EKU Alumni Engagement and EKU Communications and Brand Management. EKU President David T. McFaddin, ’99 ’15
TIME TO PARTNER UP
Vice President of Development and Alumni Engagement Betina Gardner
Providing an educational pathway to advancement increases employee confidence, technical skill and loyalty. With this in mind, EKU offers employers a unique educational advantage. By partnering with EKU, your company and employees benefit from the following:
Assistant Vice President, Communications and Brand Management Doug Cornett
Assistant Director of Engagement and Communications
• Enhanced customer service
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Katie Adkins Lanny Brannock, ’99 Kevin Britton, ’00 ’11 Madison Caplinger, ’19 Steven Fohl, ’07 ’12 Eyouel Mekonnen, ’21 Elise G. Russell, ’06 Jerry Wallace Margaret Muncy Willingham, ’80
Bob Sullivan, ’72 Vice President Lucy Riffle, ’77 Secretary; Chair, Development Allison Allgier, ’92
Eastern Kentucky University
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President
Design Management Jessica Holly
Director, Brand Management; Managing Editor
Graphic Designer Ashley Reaves, ’19
Corporate Educational Partnerships
International Alumni Association Board
Board Members: Joe Bentley, ’82 ’88; Josh Bleidt, ’00; Rodney Bussell, ’95; Mikayla Courtney, ’19; Stephen EdwardsMortley ’01; Kelvin Ford, ’93; Doug Hampton, ’71; Roger Hardin, ’75; Ann Harris, ’07 ’09; Allison Helsinger, ’07; Zach Lawrence, ’11 ’13; Kenna Middleton, ’79 ’81; Alvin Miller, ’81; Lori Murphy-Tatum, ’99; Iddah Otieno, ’01; Tom Reeves, ’99 ’02; Lucy Riffle, ’77; Liz Ross, ’86; Laura Rudolph, ’08; Ashley Shofner, ’21; Katie Siahkoohi, ’16; Gracie Staude, ’22; Bob Sullivan, ’72; Lelani Turrentine, ’71; Randy White, ’90
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Eastern Kentucky University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and educational institution and does not discriminate on the basis of age (40 and over), race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, ethnicity, disability, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information in the admission to, or participation in, any educational program or activity (e.g., athletics, academics and housing) which it conducts, or in any employment policy or practice. Any complaint arising by reason of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Office of Equity and Inclusion, Eastern Kentucky University, Jones Building 416, Richmond, Kentucky 40475, (859) 622-8020, or the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202, 1 (800) 421-3481 (V), 1 (800) 877-8339 (TTY). EKU has taken considerable precautions to keep students, faculty, and staff healthy and safe during the coronavirus pandemic. All photos were either taken pre-pandemic or in an environment designed to ensure the safety of all participants.
FA 2021 –—— CONTEN TS ——––
2
A Letter from President David T. McFaddin
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4
EKU Stories
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15
¡Sí Se Puede: Yes, You Can! Mentorship Opportunities Encourage Students to Reach for their Dreams
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18
Coming Home Traditions Old and New Welcome Colonels Back to the Campus Beautiful
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22
22 31
Small Businesses: Big for Kentucky Communities
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31
Outside the Lines
18
Rural Roots, Rich Writing
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35
Opportunity Knocks:
An Eastern History
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38
EKU Athletics
–———––
42
Alumni News
15
35
A LE T T ER from P RESI DENT DAVI D T. MCFADDI N
PAYING IT
FORWARD SHARING OPPORTUNITY
At EKU, students have returned to campus this fall with even more opportunities to learn and grow. Seeing campus bustling with student activity feels exciting, invigorating and inspiring. After a long and challenging year-and-a-half of adjusting to a “new normal,” a renewed and enhanced normal offers a reminder of the value of the Eastern Experience and the countless opportunities this institution provides. In May, we celebrated the achievements of our 2020 and 2021 graduates with in-person, outdoor ceremonies. In August, we greeted new and returning students to campus with our traditional Big E Welcome. This semester, we launched the Exceptional Eastern Experience (E3). Building upon a longstanding tradition of the Eastern Experience, we’ve strengthened on-campus and student life involvement with a new lineup of events and activities for students to connect with each other and the campus community. Last spring, in preparation for the annual EKU Giving Day, I had the opportunity to reflect on my personal Eastern Experience. As many of you can likely relate, attending EKU changed the trajectory of my life. I met lifelong friends, made lasting memories and above all, opened important doors of opportunity for my future. Now, here I am as president of my alma mater — an opportunity that never would have been possible had it not been for my Eastern Experience. Looking back, I realize scholarships enabled me to pursue my goals and aspirations, and my wife, Melissa, Class of 2002, feels the same way about her time at EKU. That’s why we announced our Pay it Forward to Pay it Back campaign on EKU’s Giving Day in April. Over the course of several years, Melissa and I will pay back the full amount of the scholarships we were awarded as students. Because we directly benefited
2 FALL 2021
from the generosity of others, it’s now our obligation to ensure future students have the same opportunities we were afforded. Melissa and I invite you to think about your own Eastern Experience and how it’s shaped you and your life. If you’re in a position to do so, we’d like you to join us in the commitment to Pay it Forward to Pay it Back. As EKU Colonels, we are called to service, in our professions and in our lives. It’s evident across our campus and across Kentucky’s communities. The theme of service is also highlighted throughout this issue of EKU Magazine. From mentorships to small business owners to the state’s newest Poet Laureate, EKU students and alumni selflessly give back to others and their communities through their time and talents. It’s an exciting time at EKU! We have a revived sense of inspiration and motivation, and a heightened appreciation for Colonel traditions. I hope you feel a sense of pride when you think of Eastern Kentucky University, and I hope you remain encouraged to serve others and give back. One Eastern,
David T. McFaddin President, Eastern Kentucky University
EKUSTORIES IN THIS
ISSUE
FLIGHT SIMULATOR LAB TAKES LEARNING PILOTS SAFELY TO THE SKIES A 2D/virtual reality professional flight simulation lab has been installed for Eastern Kentucky University’s aviation program. The lab, located in the Whalin Technology Complex on EKU’s campus, contains multiple simulation stations (colloquially called “sleds”) equipped with high-end technology.
Flight Simulator Lab Takes Learning Pilots Safely to the Skies ———— • ————
New AVP Makinen on Front Line of COVID-19 Response ———— • ————
Student Body Elects New SGA President and Vice Presidents ———— • ————
Emmy-Nominated Documentary “Frametown” Highlights Women Volunteer Firefighters ———— • ————
EKU Adds Online MBA to Growing Program List ———— • ————
EKU Celebrates Graduates at Outdoor Ceremonies ———— • ————
EKU Faculty Innovators Announced ———— • ————
Student Nurses Fighting COVID-19 ———— • ————
Couple’s 65 Collective Years of Service are Recognized on the Campus Beautiful ———— • ————
Richmond Attorney Eaves Sworn in as Regent ———— • ————
EKU Adds Instructional Design, Global Hospitality, Tourism Online Degrees and New Data Science Certificates
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“As the only flight school in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, we are proud to offer this opportunity to students in Appalachia and beyond,” said EKU President Dr. David McFaddin. The simulators provide students with real-time instruction, step-by-step guidance and corrective feedback. After each use, the post-flight lesson report shows the student’s performance and which areas still need improvement. The flight simulator is as real as it gets without actually flying a plane. Once students put on the virtual reality goggles, they can look all around inside the cockpit and out the windows to see unbelievably realistic features. The lab is designed not only to teach students in a safe manner but also at a fast rate. By using the lab, professors now teach students a lesson, then students practice in the flight simulator. After mastering the material, they are ready to go up in the air.
NEW AVP MAKINEN ON FRONT LINE OF COVID-19 RESPONSE Dr. Bryan Makinen, ’99 ’06 ’19, has been named associate vice president for facilities management and safety at Eastern Kentucky University. Makinen’s role will provide him the opportunity to serve the university’s physical plant, engineering and construction, grounds, structures and maintenance, in addition to his previous role serving the police department, environmental health and safety, emergency management and security, risk management and insurance, as well as other critical areas. “I am grateful for the opportunity to lead with the guiding principles of integrity, fairness, good health, commitment to excellence and helping others who are in need,” Makinen said. “The small things matter, and I believe we are charged with making the world a better place tomorrow because of our work today.” Makinen has been instrumental in leading EKU’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring learning, working and living conditions on campus are as safe and health-conscious as possible while shepherding the university through a pragmatic, well-organized plan for this fall’s full return to campus life. He has been heralded for the university’s involvement in vaccination opportunities for students and community members.
STUDENT BODY ELECTS NEW SGA PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENTS Since 1954, when the Board of Regents established the Eastern Kentucky University Student Government Association (SGA) as an official representative body, students vote their peers into office every spring semester. At the March 2021 election, the student body elected Jenna Grace Smith as the 66th student body president and student regent; Kennedy Nguyen as the executive vice president of the Student Senate; and Jacob Weaver as the vice president of the newly renamed Campus Activities Board. The new leadership embodies the association’s long history of exceptional student leaders and alumni. “I am reminded daily of the people who have entrusted me to do this job; it is the greatest honor and pride of my life,” Smith said. “As the student body president,” she continued with sincere passion, “I believe that every student, especially underrepresented minorities and students of color, must be represented and feel heard. That’s student representation, empowered to use your voice,” Smith emphasized. The visionary Executive Vice President Nguyen is committed to “setting excellence as the SGA status quo” and “leaving a legacy of professionalism.” The Campus Activity Board under Vice President Weaver entered a new era. “My goal is to boost event attendance and recruit students, especially freshmen, to join SGA,” said Weaver. The new SGA leadership’s commitment to excellence strengthens the nearly seven-decade reputation of student government at the epicenter of collegiate success at EKU.
FROM ABOVE: Jenna Grace Smith, Kennedy Nguyen and Jacob Weaver
EKU MAGAZINE 5
Three generations of women are part of the Frametown Volunteer Fire Department: Firefighter Teresa Mick (grandmother); Member Taylor Riffle (granddaughter); Firefighter and EMT Bridgett McLaughlin (mother).
EMMY-NOMINATED DOCUMENTARY “FRAMETOWN” HIGHLIGHTS WOMEN VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS Eastern Kentucky University Professor Dr. Scotty Dunlap’s passion for
is declining, and my hope is that through telling their story, females
public safety and emergency management led him to an unusual place,
of all ages might be encouraged to join the volunteer fire department
Frametown, West Virginia, for an unusual activity—producing a docu-
in their community.”
mentary about a group of female volunteer firefighters in what has traditionally been a male-dominated field.
The half-hour documentary was nominated for a local Emmy. “Frame-
Over the course of a year, Dunlap chronicled the history and membership
West Virginia, and it is available to view at go.eku.edu/Frametown.
of the Frametown Volunteer Fire Department where roughly 60 percent
town,” has aired multiple times on public television in both Kentucky and
of volunteers are women, compared to the national average of 11 percent.
Because much of the United States is rural, like the hundreds of
“The film tells the story of this inspiring department that is predominantly
get young people involved in public service through volunteerism in
comprised of females,” Dunlap said. “Volunteerism in the fire service
fire departments.
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small towns in West Virginia and Kentucky, Dunlap’s next goal is to
EKU ADDS ONLINE MBA TO GROWING PROGRAM LIST Eastern Kentucky University has recently added an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree to a virtual lineup that now includes more than 50 online program options. This new addition expands opportunities for students and is designed for working adults looking to advance in their current career, change career paths or even become an entrepreneur. “We are dedicated to advancing the business landscape and educating the next generation of business leaders,” said Dr. Thomas Erekson, dean of the College of Business. “Through the addition of a customizable online MBA degree, we are continuing our commitment to providing educational opportunities to all students and building upon the long-established reputation of our AACSB-accredited business school that saw our first MBA graduates in 1969.” EKU’s 100-percent online MBA equips its students with the foundational business knowledge that is needed for managers and leaders across industries.
EKU CELEBRATES GRADUATES AT OUTDOOR CEREMONIES The weather cooperated for the most part, making it possible for families and friends to join in celebrating EKU’s 2021 graduates in outdoor commencement ceremonies. Held in May at Roy Kidd Stadium, several graduates from the Class of 2020 also came back to campus for their long-awaited opportunity to participate in an in-person commencement ceremony. With a 3.4 average GPA, Eastern Kentucky University graduated more than 2,200 Colonels from 22 countries, 43 states and 108 Kentucky counties. Breaking barriers further, 38 percent of the Class of 2021 were first-generation graduates—the first in their family to attain a higher-education degree. Nick Koenig, ’21, the student speaker for the College of Science, told his fellow students to “dig for roots. No more and no less… this is the most parsimonious phrase that could be applied to our collective future that we will be building, investigating, revolutionizing, calculating, teaching, writing, amplifying, facilitating, undertaking and questioning.” Koenig earned his bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in botany; minors in chemistry, geography and music; and certificates in geographic information science and applied data science. Among the top-awarded degrees were communication disorders, nursing, criminal justice, psychology and occupational safety.
EKU MAGAZINE 7
STUDENT NURSES FIGHTING COVID-19 At Eastern Kentucky University, 46 senior Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) students administered COVID-19 vaccines across EKU’s service region last semester. In addition to serving in Baptist Health’s vaccination clinic inside EKU’s Perkins Building, students also worked in mass vaccination clinics across Fayette and Powell counties. These experiences are all provided as part of their clinical rotations. The student experience is about more than just “giving a shot,” though that is an important, impactful part of fighting COVID-19. “Nurses (current and future) have a unique role,” said Dr. Melanie Adams-Johnson, associate professor and clinical coordinator in the School of Nursing. “Nurses comprise the largest component of the healthcare workforce in the United States and across the world. The healthcare system cannot operate without competent, professional, healthy nurses who are ready and willing to deploy to
EKU FACULTY INNOVATORS ANNOUNCED
care for populations — both inside and outside the walls of the hospital.” These service-learning experiences include on-site support and collaboration among EKU faculty,
The Eastern Kentucky University Faculty Innovator program offers a premier leadership and service opportunity for EKU faculty. Faculty innovators play a vital role in promoting teaching excellence, and they serve as teachers, scholars and mentors. Four new Faculty innovators started this fall. Dr. Cindy Tran is an assistant professor of chemistry. She uses scaffolded group discussions to deliver course content, placing students in teams of three to four for the duration of the semester. These teams work together to process concepts and help each other learn. Mr. Kyle Knezevich is an assistant professor of aviation. His students create a virtual airline from the ground up, using a combination of course materials and an online airline management software platform. Dr. Laurel Schwartz is an associate professor of public health. Her students have created theory-informed radio ads in partnership with the Madison County Health Department, allowing them to put health behavior theory into practice. Dr. Jose Juan Gomez-Becerra is an assistant professor of Spanish. Working across disciplines, his Latinx studies class collaborated with the communications department to develop a series of audio texts and a special edition of the Eastern Progress for the Latinx heritage month. Faculty Innovators pictured above. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Dr. Cindy Tran, Mr. Kyle Knezevich, Dr. Laurel Schwartz and Dr. Jose Juan Gomez-Becerra.
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public health departments and hospital partners.
As we near the goal of EKU’s comprehensive campaign, we continue to focus on student success, academic excellence and campus revitalization. Make your gift to support student success and academic excellence at campaign.eku.edu —————
“
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Coming from a small town in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, a scholarship of this magnitude means the world to me and my family. Hopefully, by the end of my EKU college experience, I can graduate and take my skills and understanding of the world to make an impact on everyone around me. I cannot begin to thank you enough for your generous donation to the University as it helps me more than I will ever be able to put into words.”
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”
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Dylan Robinson
FORENSIC BIOLOGY MAJOR — RECIPIENT — KAREN ANN HAWKINS ANDERSON COUNTY SCHOLARSHIP
COUPLE’S 65 COLLECTIVE YEARS OF SERVICE ARE RECOGNIZED ON THE CAMPUS BEAUTIFUL Among the many faculty and staff who make up the College of Education
Billy and Nancy’s commitment to teaching and helping others made
at Eastern Kentucky University, couple Billy and Nancy Thames dedicated
a major impact on their family, but they also impacted each of the
their lives to the teaching profession, with a combined tenure of 65 years
students and teachers they supported. The legacy they left at EKU will
working in the College of Education. To honor their years of service,
always live on, but there is now a tangible marker recognizing their
the many students they helped, and their lifelong dedication to EKU, their
lifelong dedication to education. The Billy and Nancy Thames bench is
three children — Knox, Wil and Liz — donated a permanent marker
located near the Combs building, where the College of Education
in the form of a campus bench and surprised their parents during a
resides on campus. The plaque reads, “In Celebration of Nancy and Billy
campus visit.
Thames: 65 Years of Collective Service to EKU and the Students of Eastern Kentucky; And 50 Years of Marriage.”
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RICHMOND ATTORNEY EAVES SWORN IN AS REGENT Long-time Richmond attorney Michael Ray Eaves was sworn in as the newest Eastern Kentucky University regent on May 3, 2021, at a specially called meeting of the EKU Board of Regents. Appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear, Eaves is a partner in Eaves, Olds, Bohannon, & Floyd law firm in Richmond and has been a member of the Kentucky State Bar Association since 1979. Eaves earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Kentucky University in 1975 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Kentucky in 1979. His wife Ava, also an EKU graduate, retired from Baptist Health Richmond as a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator. In addition to the full-time practice of law, since 1979, Eaves has been involved in the formation and operation of a local bank and residential and commercial real estate development in Madison County. During his years in Richmond, Eaves has participated in numerous volunteer and charitable organizations, including the founding and primary sponsorship of the Pro-Am Golf Classic to benefit the Pattie A. Clay Hospital Foundation (now Baptist Health Richmond).
EKU ADDS INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN, GLOBAL HOSPITALITY, TOURISM ONLINE DEGREES AND NEW DATA SCIENCE CERTIFICATES Students have exciting new opportunities to pursue as Eastern Kentucky University launched an online bachelor’s degree in global hospitality and tourism, and an online master’s degree in instructional design and learning technology this fall. The global hospitality and tourism bachelor’s degree offers concentrations in both gastronomic (culinary) tourism and sustainable hospitality, preparing culturally competent and technically savvy graduates for the ever-evolving and rewarding hospitality field. The instructional design and learning technology master’s degree provides a systematic approach to improving learning outcomes in education and the corporate workforce by developing consistent, high-quality instructional products and experiences. With concentrations in online learning design and user experience design, graduates will be ready to take on PHOTO © MICHAEL BLOCK, PEXELS.COM
key roles in the growing field of instructional design and leave the program with a professional portfolio showcasing their skills. EKU’s new certificate program in applied data science, an evolving and in-demand field, requires 26 — 27 credits in statistics, mathematics, applied fields and computer science. The applied data science certificate is an interdisciplinary initiative to produce data scientists at the undergraduate level in central Kentucky and enhance data science skills in general.
EKU MAGAZINE 11
ONE DAY. ONE GOAL.
ONE EASTERN. Each year during the annual EKU Giving Day, donors open up their hearts and give with purpose to Eastern Kentucky University. This year on April 14, 2021, nearly 2,000 donors gave more than $325,000, shattering the original goal of 1,000 donors. Thanks to our generous donors, EKU continues to live as the School of Opportunity where dreams come true and barriers are broken.
TOTAL DONORS
1,997
499
TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED
FIRST-TIME DONORS
CHALLENGE GIFTS UNLOCKED
$325,000+
$110,000+
DONORS MADE THE MAP MAROON Gifts poured in from all 50 states and Puerto Rico MOST PHILANTHROPIC
TOP FIVE GIVING
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences ————————— & ————————— College of Health Sciences
1. Eastern Fund 2. Student Assistance Fund for Eastern ( S. A. F. E.) 3. Matter of Pride Football Boosters 4. Latino Education Assistance and Development
COLLEGES (TIE)
MOST PHILANTHROPIC
AFFINITY Athletics
DAY FUNDS
( L. E. A. D.) Fund
5. Colonel Club
go.eku.edu/givingday #GiveBigE
¡SÍ SE PUEDE YES,YOU
CAN!
MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO REACH FOR THEIR DREAMS A job-shadowing assignment between Senior Britany Guerrero and Physician Assistant Jared Harper, ’15, represents more than just an alumnus-student connection. It symbolizes a continual culture of giving back through mentorship and a flourishing Latino community at Eastern Kentucky University. Harper and Guerrero share a similar path. Both came to EKU from Kentucky’s Appalachian region — Harper from Somerset and Guerrero from Ashland. Both pursued biomedical sciences and Spanish double
majors with aspirations to become physician assistants. Both are bilingual, with Latino heritage in their immediate families. Both benefited from a mentorship program, and both give back through mentorship. While a student, Harper was connected with the Madison County Health Department for a job-shadowing opportunity by Dr. Abbey Poffenberger, chair of EKU’s Department of Languages, Cultures, and Humanities, and professor of Spanish. “Doctora (Dra.) Abbey helped me; she knew I wanted to be a PA-C (physician assistant-certified), so she helped me find a clinic in Richmond, working with Spanish translators and interpreters,” Harper said. He attributes the experience to helping him get into the University of Kentucky’s competitive PA program. “I did the PA program, and now I’m practicing. Britany is pretty much six or seven years behind me
EKU MAGAZINE 15
on the same path. Because Dra. Abbey and I have kept in touch, Britany
Guerrero’s shadowing assignment started as part of Poffenberger’s
is able to shadow me now.”
Spanish service learning course, which includes a 30-hour service-
Harper works as a family medicine PA-C in Versailles, Kentucky. With a
learning requirement.
large Hispanic population in the area, Harper said he speaks to about
“Our students are out in the community, using their Spanish, and
a quarter of his patients in their native Spanish language.
applying what they’re learning in the classroom to real-world situations,” said Poffenberger. “Whatever matches the students’ career goals — that’s
Being bilingual proves useful in his career, Harper said, enabling him to give more personal care and serve as both a healthcare provider and interpreter. Beyond the language component, understanding and sharing Latino culture helps Harper establish long-term relationships and trust with his patients, improving healthcare access and quality.
where we try to establish a relationship and partnership. It’s very much about getting the students out practicing and speaking the language in an immersive cultural experience.” Relationships, such as the mentorship between Harper and Guerrero, not only contribute to the academic experience for Spanish majors, but also play a major role in the thriving Latino comunidad at EKU. “We are a familia,” Poffenberger said, “And that is our approach with the families and students that come to EKU.”
When Guerrero visits to shadow Harper, she also connects to the
The Department of Languages, Cultures and Humanities puts immense
patients in Spanish. From this mentorship, she said she’s learning the
efforts into building an inclusive, diverse and supportive learning
correct word usage for health terminology, the local health care issues,
environment for all students. As a result, the Latino population
mental health awareness and the behind-the-scenes work that goes
represents a growing demographic at EKU, with now more than 500
along with being a PA-C.
students — doubled from the past five to six years and boasting about
“I foresee when Britany gets her interview for PA school, they’ll look
an 80 percent retention rate.
at her clinical experience the same way they looked at how it helped
“We’re the go-to place right now in the state because of the resources
me,” Harper said.
that we have,” Poffenberger said. Those resources include the Bobby
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Verdugo & Yoli Rios Bilingual and Peer Mentor and Tutoring Center (often referred to as El Centro), Camino to Success Camp for prospective high school students and incoming EKU freshmen, and community engagement opportunities for students. “What El Centro has become to many of the Latino students is a home away from home. It’s a place where they feel comfortable being themselves,” said Dr. Socorro Zaragoza, associate professor of Spanish. It’s not only open for Latino students, but any student looking for a mentor or tutor, and not only in the languages, she said. “Students are helping each other, and that’s the kind of community that we are able to create here. It eases the way in terms of anxiety and the unknown when somebody else has been through it.” Guerrero gives back to her fellow classmates and future Colonels as a peer mentor and tutor at El Centro and a facilitator for Camino Camp. She also participates in panels for incoming students where she talks about being a first-generation college student.
“All of these have enhanced my experience at EKU, because it makes me more knowledgeable about other cultures, have an open perspective, and overall show other students that if I can do it, they can do it,” Guerrero said. “It’s a humbling experience.” After seeing the immense effect Harper’s mentorship has made on her journey to becoming a PA, she plans to continue the mentorship tradition and provide a similar oportunidad for a future student. “For first-generation students who feel scared of the unknown or need that extra help to navigate the PA world — I just know that feeling and am so fortunate to have found Jared,” Guerrero said. “I would definitely want to become a resource for another student and show them that ‘¡Sí Se Puede: Yes You Can! ’ ” For Harper, he says mentoring Guerrero offered him an opportunity to look introspectively at how far he’s come. “I remember myself in Britany’s shoes,” Harper said. “It was a long, hard and arduous journey becoming a PA-C, but now looking back, it’s definitely been worth the difficult journey.” Would you like to mentor an EKU student? Be part of the brand-new EKU Alumni Mentor Program where simple actions and meaningful relationships help prepare students for a successful future. From resume review to internship opportunities, choose the depth of your involvement based on your schedule. n
Create your profile today at alumni.eku.edu/mentor.
EKU MAGAZINE 17
Cheerleaders guide the Class of ’25 around campus and through Turner Gate during the annual Big E Welcome Walk. OPPOSITE, FROM TOP: Sorting through BookSmart boxes at move in; Faculty and staff tend to the Campus Beautiful during employee service day; Dr. McFaddin greets new students at the President’s Party; the Ravine provides a rest amid Big E activities.
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COMING
HOME
TRADITIONS OLD AND NEW WELCOME COLONELS BACK TO THE CAMPUS BEAUTIFUL The opportunity to connect with others, have fun and engage with the campus community has long served as a cornerstone of the student experience at Eastern Kentucky University. Signature events, such as the Big E Welcome, Rec the Ravine, City Fest and athletic events, bring new and returning Colonels together on campus and contribute to a shared sentiment often referred to by alumni and students as the Eastern Experience. Expanding on continued traditions and events, Eastern Kentucky University launched the Exceptional Eastern Experience (E3) this fall. “E3 is our commitment to making a distinguishable campus experience that makes EKU a place where students want to be,” said EKU President, Dr. David McFaddin. “To deliver on this promise, we have crafted a cohesive, inclusive and engaging student experience that engages all facets of the university and our local community.” In August, E3 started with the Big E Welcome and continues with events throughout the semester, such as the Live Music Series, Football Gameday Experience, Homecoming events and Fright Nights, among many other programs and events. n
EKU MAGAZINE 19
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At freshman orientation, new Colonels carry on the tradition of rubbing Daniel Boone’s toe for luck. OPPOSITE, FROM TOP LEFT: Through the BookSmart initiative, current students received their textbooks for free; Cornhole at Powell Palooza; Dr. McFaddin helping to distribute BookSmart boxes; Maroon carts are a familiar site on move-in day; SGA members enjoying the festivities; Forming the “Big E” is a rite of passage for new Colonels.
SMALL BUSINESSES: BIG FOR KENTUCKY COMMUNITIES It’s well known that EKU Colonels serve Kentucky’s communities. Across various fields, EKU graduates lead, innovate and make a positive impact. This is especially true for EKU’s small business owners. They have a dream and go after it. They work hard to achieve success. They are driven by passion. And they thrive on local support. From elementary education to manufacturing technology graduates, from a brewery to industrial supplier, from just a handful of employees to dozens, these small business owners share the experience of an Eastern education. The following profiles highlight a variety of EKU’s small business owners and reflect the impact they’re making in their fields and throughout Kentucky.
• ASHLEY BUCK, ’13 ’18 ——— L I T T L E P E A P R E S C H O O L ——— • EMINENCE, KY • After earning a degree in early childhood education, Ashley Buck moved to her hometown in Henry County, Kentucky, and taught 5th grade. She always dreamed of starting a preschool and jumped at the opportunity when the local preschool closed their doors. Buck, along with her fellow teacher and now co-owner, opened Little Pea Preschool at full capacity in 2019. This fall, the duo expanded their business, nearly doubling the full-time staff and adding “The Pod” for infants aged six weeks and older. Buck said she loves helping children in her community grow and learn from a young age, but she is also driven by her own two children. “I want them to see that if you dream it, work hard and push yourself, you can make it happen!”
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TIARA HOLT, ’12 ’15 ——— H E A L I N G E S S E N C E ——— • RICHMOND, KY • “I wanted to create a space for myself that I was able to freely practice the way that I choose, but also to be able to eventually provide a safe space for other clinicians to contract and have that same type of autonomy and flexibility,” said Tiara Holt, sociology and clinical mental health counseling graduate. She started Healing Essence in 2018 with a focus on holistic health and high-quality counseling services. As Holt’s business grew in Richmond and online, she brought on two contract clinicians and former classmates, Shana Goggins, ’13, and Kendra Maxwell, ’15. Holt’s upcoming goals include continuing to provide one-to-one counseling, plus offering mental health workshops, and expanding with additional locations in Shelbyville and Louisville, Kentucky.
• RUSS SELLS, ’02 ——— B L U E G R A S S T O O L & I N D U S T R I A L ——— • LEXINGTON, KY • “I’m always looking for opportunities and quick to react to opportunities,” said Russ Sells, owner of Bluegrass Tool & Industrial in Lexington, Kentucky. The manufacturing technology graduate previously worked as a regional sales manager for S&K Air Power. He noticed factories needed support and consulting to supplement their reduced staff, in addition to manufacturing equipment. Taking advantage of a market rebound, Sells started his single-source industrial supply company in 2012. Bluegrass Tool has since acquired two companies — S&K Industrial and Alpha Material Handling — and now employs 50 people. Mr. Sells sees an opportunity for even more growth and plans to add locations and sales teams across more states over the next few years.
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EKU MAGAZINE 25
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AUSTIN DACCI, ’09 ’11 AND JAMIE PLUMMER, ’08 ——— M A I D E N C I T Y B R E W E R Y ——— • CYNTHIANA, KY • What started as a weekend hobby among college roommates eventually turned into a microbrewery business for Austin Dacci and Jamie Plummer. Since they opened Maiden City Brewery, several other restaurants, cafes, bars and retail establishments have poured into the downtown area of Cynthiana, Kentucky. “I think it just took one group of people to roll the dice and give others confidence to take a chance,” Dacci said. Although they enjoy making and drinking good beer, Plummer sees their passion project “as an engine to spur community investment and pride in our small town.” The brewery has helped to revive their hometown, but Dacci says it’s the community’s loyalty that has enabled their business to flourish.
• MIKE SCOTT, ’04 ——— H O O P D R E A M S ——— • LEXINGTON, KY • “Basketball saved my life,” said Mike Scott, owner of Hoop Dreams in Lexington, Kentucky. From his upbringing in Baltimore, Maryland, Scott credits a mentor for encouraging him to play basketball at a junior college and then later at EKU, where he earned a degree in exercise and sport science. Now through Hoop Dreams, Coach Mike gives back by mentoring youth and helping them develop life skills, such as adversity, perseverance, teamwork and dedication, through basketball. “I love that I get to help people,” he said. Driven by his passion for the sport and his family, Scott’s business has grown to include several employees and coaches and offers youth skills training, competitive basketball leagues, camps and clinics.
EKU MAGAZINE 27
MARK SWEET, ’82 ’09 ——— S H I E L D E N V I R O N M E N T A L A S S O C I A T E S ——— • LEXINGTON & LOUISVILLE, KY • Equipped with a geology degree and extensive consulting experience, Mark Sweet was hired at Shield Environmental Associates in 2001 and worked his way up, becoming president of the company in 2017. Shield, an engineering and environmental consulting firm, manages environmental liabilities for clients in the United States and abroad. Although Sweet’s technical expertise contributes to his success in overseeing both environmental projects and a company of 24 employees, he’s discovered relationship building and communication skills to be just as important. “It’s rewarding when various elements of a project come together and are successful in meeting the goals of all involved parties,” Sweet said.
• RHONDA CORNETT, ’04 ——— C O R N E T T F A R M F R E S H ——— • LONDON, KY • When Rhonda Cornett and her husband lost their full-time jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic, they “found a way to make lemonade out of sour lemons.” They didn’t give up. Instead, they took the opportunity to grow their already full-time family farm operation into a fruitful retail and produce store, Cornett Farm Fresh in London, Kentucky. “Feeding our community is extremely rewarding,” Cornett said. Furthermore, the agriculture education graduate says the business allows her to teach farming and gardening in a nontraditional way, “sharing basic knowledge and practice of how food gets on the table.” As the business blossoms, Cornett attributes their success to hard work and support from the local community.
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EKU MAGAZINE 29
CRYSTAL WILKINSON, ’85
OUT SIDE THE LINES
RURAL ROOTS, RICH WRITING
The map of me can’t be all hills & mountains even though i’ve been country all my life. The twang in my voice has moved downhill to the flatland a time or two. My taste buds have exiled themselves from fried green tomatoes & rhubarb for goat milk & pine nuts. Still i return to old ground time & again, a homing blackbird destined to return. — Excerpt from “Perfect Black,” written by Crystal Wilkinson, 2021 On a sunny June morning, Crystal Wilkinson, ’85, Kentucky Poet Laureate and author, works in her garden while talking about her experience as a writer. She grew up in Appalachia Kentucky on her grandparents’ farm, a rural tale woven throughout many of her fiction and nonfiction pieces. Her grandfather grew tobacco, corn and alfalfa. They had two big vegetable gardens and picked wild blackberries every summer while cleaning up the family graveyard. She misses those days, but skillfully captures the tastes, smells and sounds of those memories in her writing. Wilkinson says she’s been a “city girl for a while,” and she decided to get back into gardening while in the throes of the pandemic. She has some flowers and tomatoes in her raised garden bed but laughs and says, “It’s mostly squirrel damage.”
EKU MAGAZINE 31
HERITAGE The women that make me a woman
Although she left Casey County at 16 years old to go to Eastern Kentucky University
whisper Good morning
on an art scholarship, her childhood and upbringing in Appalachia run deep
in my ears sometimes.
throughout her writing and life story.
They been long done past over yonder
At an early age, Wilkinson discovered a love for reading. Her grandmother would read to her often, and then Wilkinson began reading on her own. “When I grew up in Casey County, I had never been anywhere but there,” she said. “I was raised by my grandparents, and it was very insular, but I was able to go all over the world
but i see them just the same. All these women that make me a woman kiss sense into my head sometimes. They are churning butter baking fresh bread
by reading.” Her grandmother would joke that once Wilkinson had read all the
peering over wire-rim med glasses.
books in the house, she started writing her own books.
“
Girl you can do it, come on now,
Early on, I didn’t know what it meant; writing was just something that I loved. I didn’t have books by Black writers growing up, I didn’t have books by rural writers growing up, and not many books by women. I thought I was aspiring to something that was either impossible or something that no one else had done.
”
Among the first in her family to go to college, she pursued a journalism degree at
EKU and took every creative writing class that was offered. Around this time, she began to be introduced to Appalachian writers, rural writers, Southern writers and Black writers — realizing the possibility of her own writing career.
Upon graduating, she worked in public relations for Lexington’s city government and then the Carnegie Center, all while writing her own stories on the side. “Writing is my most natural mode,” she says. “It’s the other things that I do that are not natural to me. I would write and do nothing but write, if I had my druthers.” She describes her style as lyrical, sensory and drenched in language.
i hear them say. They piece quilts in winter, pick blackberries in july, & call me by name. They wink an eye while oiling the scalps of their daughters tucked safely between their black, soft thighs. All you got is your own, they speak softly. They break beans on big wide laps, carry water from the well. They some strong sisters. Just a little ways to go, their voices hum. They scrub floors, sweep porches.
Wilkinson writes novels, short stories, poetry and memoirs, fiction and nonfiction. She’s published several books, including “Blackberries, Blackberries,” “Water Street,” and “Birds of Opulence,” a recent selection of the EKU Book Club. Her just-published “Perfect Black” is a memoir in verse, featuring lyrics and poems. She’s now working on a fiction piece but also teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Kentucky. In April, Wilkinson was appointed Kentucky’s Poet Laureate. As the state’s spokesperson for arts and letters, she promotes literacy and advocates for writing and reading. Throughout her two-year term, she plans to speak and read from her own work, but also highlight the work of a variety of other writers, including young and elder writers. Wilkinson has received many prestigious accolades and awards for her writing from across the country and different parts of the world. But when it comes to being named Kentucky’s Poet Laureate, Wilkinson said, “There’s something extremely special about being honored in this way at home.” As the first Black woman to be appointed Kentucky Poet Laureate, she said, “I hope that the young women in the state see a reflection of themselves in me, that they see this is something they can aspire to.” Looking back on the beginnings of her own writing career and early on, not having read books by many Black, woman or rural
Girl you can’t stop now, they whisper.
authors, it feels especially important to her to show young aspiring writers that
Their stories fill up my head
•
they can do it, too. “I hope it makes their back straighter and their eyes brighter in reaching for their own goals.”
& i am learning their ways. I see them gathered round my supper table bringing me along,
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pleasure in each of their eyes.
ADVANCE YOUR CAREER WITH AN ADVANCED DEGREE Further your education at EKU! An advanced degree makes you more marketable to employers, increases earning potential and opens up greater career possibilities. • CHOOSE FROM MORE THAN 35 MASTER’S, FOUR DOCTORAL AND ONE SPECIALIST DEGREE PROGRAMS • • GET AN AFFORDABLE TUITION RATE, PLUS SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE • • TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FLEXIBLE LEARNING OPTIONS TO FIT YOUR LIFESTYLE •
APPLY FOR FREE! LEARN MORE: gradschool.eku.edu
“Having obtained both my bachelor’s and master’s from EKU, I feel the University has equipped me extremely well to be successful and make a difference in my chosen career path.” James Tyler Price, ’19 ’21 MASTER’S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
University Building, c.1955
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OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
AN EASTERN HISTORY BY EMERITUS FOUNDATION PROFESSOR OF HISTORY WILLIAM E. ELLIS, ’67
For well more than a century, Eastern has changed the lives of thousands of students. I am only one in a long line of young adults who found a purpose and education in Richmond. An early motto of Eastern Kentucky State Normal School, “The Best Is Hardly Good Enough,” was an exhortation to personal and institutional excellence, and that same zeal permeated the Richmond campus when I first experienced it six decades later. I graduated from Georgetown College in 1962 with the intention of
I continued to teach and coach one more year, but decided that
teaching history and coaching football at the high-school level.
coaching for a lifetime was not for me. I tell people that the
Three years later, my Eastern story began when Dr. Don Lord, an
sign of a great football coach is to win 300 games in a career.
Eastern critic teacher supervising a student teacher at Shelby
At the rate I was going after four years, I would have had to
County High School, told me about a summer program for high
coach a century to achieve that number. But I still had a burning
school history teachers. I spent eight weeks in the intensive
ambition to teach history. Could I handle graduate school?
summer program taught by members of the history department, including Professors Bill Berge, Walter Odum and George Robinson. And I received a nice stipend, saving me from a job selling encyclopedias that summer.
I met with Dr. Robinson and applied for a teaching fellowship, which paid $160 a month at the newly named Eastern Kentucky University, and it was granted. With help from my parents and a National Defense Student Loan, I was able to spend a year
In 1966, Eastern was granted university status by House Bill
completely dedicated to history studies, including writing a
238, opening new windows of opportunity: master’s degrees in
thesis under Dr. Robinson’s direction. EKU professors became
subjects other than education.
role models for a 26-year-old fledgling historian who was married and already the father of two small children.
EKU MAGAZINE 35
Students walking between the Coates and Roark Buildings, 1962.
After obtaining my master’s degree in history in 1967, I took a job
journals and published three books while working full time. I was most
teaching history at Lees Junior College in Jackson for three years, taking
proud to be granted a Foundation Professorship in 1993.
graduate courses at the University of Kentucky in summer school and through independent studies. About that time, Dr. Robinson suggested I write an article for a state historical journal. It became the first of more than 30 articles and six books I would publish over a lifetime. In 1970, I applied for a teaching position in the Social Science Department, then an integral part of a two-year general studies program in Central University College. Moving to Richmond with my family, I taught a full load of classes while continuing my studies at UK. I passed my written
After retirement in 1999, I was given a grant to complete a monograph, “A History of Eastern Kentucky University: The School of Opportunity,” published a year before EKU’s centennial in 2006. It was a labor of love. From that summer institute in 1965, obtaining an M.A. in history, through the encouragement of mentors to complete a Ph.D., and continued research and writing, the staff and administration at EKU changed my life.
and oral examinations in 1972, completed my dissertation and
While pursuing my passion as an historian, I walked through an
graduated with a Ph.D. in history in 1975.
important period of history with Eastern. Though a great deal has
Eight years after arriving at Eastern as a teacher, I transferred to the Department of History and became deeply involved in an oral history program, completing more than 600 interviews. I also taught correspondence courses for more than two decades, as well as off-campus
changed during that time, one constant remains. While EKU was most certainly a place of opportunity for me, I also was privileged to observe and further Eastern’s service as the same place of opportunity for thousands of students yesterday, today and tomorrow.
history classes to diverse groups, including three semesters at a state
What more can I say than thank you, Eastern Kentucky University,
prison — an interesting experience, to say the least. My experiences
for changing my life? You will always be “The School of Opportunity”
teaching correspondence courses led to a Fulbright teaching award
in my heart. n
to Massey University in New Zealand in 1989.
———————————————————————————————————————
For another decade, I taught history classes on and off campus. Inspired by several mentors, including Kentucky Historian Laureate Dr. Thomas D. Clark, I maintained a steady flow of history articles in professional
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For more information, or to purchase “A History of Eastern Kentucky University: The School of Opportunity,” visit go.eku.edu/historyofeku.
UPCOMING GOALS FOR 2500 X 2025
Seeking 2,500 Total Colonel Club Members by 2025
• Introduction of all-sport letterwinners association • Introduction of 1909 Society • 100% EKU Athletics coach and staff giving • Increase membership to Colonel Kids’ Club by 25%
WHAT’S NEW IN 2021–22 FOR YOU... WELCOME TO THE ASUN CONFERENCE 2021–22 is the inaugural season for EKU in the ASUN Conference, opening new opportunities for EKU student-athletes to compete at an elite level.
25 BY 25 The 2021 Colonel Club membership year kicks off our ambitious goal of growing the Colonel Club and the reach of EKU Athletics by achieving 2,500 members of the Colonel Club by 2025.
EXCLUSIVE GIFT FOR FOOTBALL SEASON TICKET HOLDERS EKU will institute a clear bag policy for the 2021 season. As part of this move, each season ticket account will receive an exclusive gift of a clear bag that complies with the new safety policy.
FOOTBALL SEASON TICKET HOLDER BENEFITS We are instituting a robust football season ticket holder benefits program. Being a Season Ticket Holder (STH) doesn’t just mean getting admission to our games; it is an investment in the EKU Football program. Being an STH brings patrons to the front of the line for several opportunities.
COLONEL KIDS’ CLUB Make sure your child is a member of the Colonel Kids’ Club as we introduce new experiences for club members in the upcoming year.
EKUATHLETICS JUNIOR BREAKS EKU RECORDS Junior Ahmed Jaziri competed at three different NCAA Championships over a three-month span during the 2020–21 season. The distance runner from Rades, Tunisia, earned first team All-America honors by finishing sixth in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on March 13 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. His time of seven minutes, 53.1 seconds broke the EKU record that had stood since 2012. Two days later, on March 15, Jaziri represented EKU in Stillwater, Oklahoma, at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, an event that is usually held in November but was delayed until March due to COVID-19 protocols. Jaziri was one of only 47 student-athletes nationally to race at both the NCAA Indoor Championships and NCAA Cross Country Championships during that week in March. As spring arrived, Jaziri carried his amazing performances into the outdoor track season. He broke the EKU record in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of eight minutes, 32.9 seconds at a meet in Kansas City on May 1. On June 11, in front a national television audience, Jaziri represented EKU in the steeplechase at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He finished 10th in the finals at the world-famous Hayward Field, earning his second All-America honors of the 2020–21 season.
GREG TODD NAMED NEW WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH Alum Greg Todd was named the new women’s basketball head coach at EKU in May. Todd, a Madison County native, has spent his entire 29-year head coaching career in Kentucky. He most recently served as the head coach at Morehead State for the last seven years, leading the Eagles to three straight 20-plus win seasons with two WNIT appearances. From 2006 to 2014, Todd was the head coach at Transylvania University where he led the team to four conference championships and three NCAA tournament appearances. Before entering collegiate coaching, Todd was one of the most decorated high school coaches in Kentucky. He built a national powerhouse at Lexington Catholic High School from 1999– 2006, making five appearances in the state championship game and winning three state titles. Todd started his head coaching career at Berea Community High School. “Being from Madison County, I am so excited to come home and get the women’s basketball program to the top of the ASUN Conference as quickly as possible,” said Todd.
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CONFERENCE WIN FIRST FOR SOFTBALL TEAM IN MORE THAN A DECADE On May 15, the softball team won its first conference championship since 2004 with a 5 –4 win over Southeast Missouri. With the win, the Colonels secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they competed in the Knoxville Regional with No. 9 Tennessee, Liberty and eventual NCAA semifinalist James Madison. Southeast Missouri went in front for the first time in the top of the fourth inning. The Redhawks hit three straight solo home runs to go on top 4–3. That set up late inning heroics in the bottom of the fifth. Zoe Mihalicz singled to get the inning started. Carly Robinson followed with a two-run home run over the wall in right center to put Eastern back on top 5–4.
Samantha Reynoso allowed a pair of base runners with two outs in the sixth but ended the threat with a fly ball to left. With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, Reynoso got a ground ball to end the game. Sammi Miller, Vianna Barron, Robinson, Mollie Paulick and Mihalicz were named to the all-tournament team. Reynoso was chosen as the tournament MVP. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, EKU battled Tennessee to a 1–1 tie through the first four innings. The Vols pulled away late for an 8–1 win. In the elimination game against Liberty, the Flames only scored in one inning, but five runs in the second were enough for a 5–1 victory over the Colonels.
EKU MAGAZINE 39
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SPRING 2021
Commencement
Commencement is a time for celebration as Colonels mark the completion of their hard-earned degrees and begin a new chapter in their journeys. In May, we celebrated the Classes of 2020 and 2021 alongside their friends and families at Roy Kidd Stadium.
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2,292 GRADUATES
FIRST GENERATION 38% of EKU’s Class of 2021 are the first in their family to attain a higher education degree.
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DIVERSE EKU’s Class of 2021 hail from 22 countries, 43 states and 108
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Kentucky counties.
3.40
EKU CLASS OF 2021 AVERAGE GPA
They range in age from 18 to 69.
From the very first time I toured EKU, I immediately felt a connection that they personally wanted me to come here, instead of just feeling like a number. I grew up in a smaller town of Northern Kentucky and the small knit community of EKU reminded me of the more rural setting resembling my home. — Elizabeth Weyer, Apparel Design and Merchandising
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Being a Colonel means being an achiever!!! Anything is possible, and EKU showed me that. When I was in high school, I had a meeting with a guidance counselor in which they told me that, ‘college isn't for everyone.’ What she meant was that I didn't have what it takes to be successful in college and that maybe I should go pursue something else. I now have a B.A., an M.A., a Principal Certification and an Ed.D. How is that for someone who should have never went to college?
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— William Trent Hamlin, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
26 I feel EKU has given me the foundations to have a successful career as a Fire Investigator. I have learned a lot from my classes, but have learned more about the fire service across the country from my classmates and having the opportunity to travel with EKU to the Fire Department Instructor's Conference and Fire Rescue International.
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— Rebecca Parson, Fire Arson and Explosion Investigation
01. @easternkentuckyu 02. @lauren_shoe98/@haleyholbrookphotography 03. @trey_w12 04. @easternkentuckyu 05. @eyouelmekonnen/@easternkentucky 06. @easternkentuckyu07. @easternkentuckyu 08. @suzannewgayle/@kristentakespics 09. @ juliane21 / @katrina.creative 10. @ easternkentuckyu 11. @easternkentuckyu 12. @hunter_mcferron83 13. @easternkentuckyu 14. @alex_karbach/@f2.0visuals 15. @easternkentuckyu 16. @ easternkentuckyu 17. @easternkentuckyu 18. @ babyrobinson1/@addisonfryphotography 19. Jodi Collins/@easternkentuckyu 20. @rebeccakava/ @katecwatkins 21. @easternkentuckyu 22. @easternkentuckyu 23. @matthew.s.baldwin/@ mk_baldwin 24. @jennaross8/@jaelynross 25. @lilaay_allen/@meganmichelle_photography 26. @jray004/@carsen.bryant 27. Jonny Giardina/@easternkentuckyu 28. @ easternkentuckyu 29. @ easternkentuckyu 30. @ easternkentuckyu
ALUMNINEWS IN THIS
ISSUE CLASS NOTES
——––———— • —————––—
PROFILES Lindsey Rechtin,’08 —— • ——
Kathy Dieringer,’85 Phillip Kennedy Johnson,’01 —— • ——
Brandon Johnson, ’08 Mary Ousley, ’74 ’86 ——––———— • ———––———
IN MEMORIAM
A Lifetime of Service As the new president of the EKU International Alumni Association, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Bob Sullivan, and I graduated in 1972 with a B.S. in parks management and recreation. Upon graduation from Eastern, I had a two-year commitment with the U.S. Army. Those two years grew into a career of 20 years, providing me the opportunity to serve in Europe multiple times, South Korea and in the mid-east, to include the Gulf War as a senior advisor with Saudi Arabia. Upon retirement from the military, I returned home to Louisville, Kentucky. It wasn’t very long before I made my first trip back to Richmond and EKU. It was at this time I decided to start giving back to my great alma mater by various means. Since joining the EKU Alumni Board, I have served on the Awards & Recognition Committee, as vice president, and as the ROTC representative. As you can see, service is important to me, and I invite you to join me in service to the University. I encourage alumni to not only attend events but to serve as EKU Alumni Ambassadors. You can do this by spreading the word about our great university. You can also volunteer at local events and even host events in your local community.
For a comprehensive list of Class Notes or to share your good news with fellow alums, visit
alumni.eku.edu/ Class-Notes. We want to hear from you!
As an example, I have always enjoyed volunteering for freshman “Move-in Day” in mid-August. This experience has certainly changed for the better since I carried my first suitcase into Mattox Hall and shared a room intended for two as a trio. As I’m sure you can relate, new Colonels and their families never forget moving in on campus, and it’s one of many ways we can help to welcome future alumni to our EKU family. Going forward, it is my desire to maintain the purpose of the Alumni Board, which will continue to serve as a conduit between all alumni and the University. We want to keep you up to date on the great happenings at EKU, and we value your feedback. Let us know how we can serve you better, and how you might serve the University as well. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone back on campus again for Homecoming and Reunion weekend October 1–2, 2021. Please stay connected with us. Cordially,
Bob Sullivan Bob Sullivan
LINDSEY RECHTIN,’08
Class Notes Mary Frances Hedrick Garrett, ’71, retired teacher and principal from public and private schools after 40 years, published “The Mysterious, Dark, Hidden Recesses of the World of Education” in 2017 and “God’s Miracle Stories for Kiddos” in 2018. Craig Milburn, ’71, head softball coach at Ryle High School in Union, KY, was honored for his 50th year of coaching, the last eight at Ryle, where he has been head coach since 2014. Dr. Larry John Barnhardt, ’71 ’73, professor emeritus at Boise State University, published “Knowing the Deepest Happiness, A Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness and a Workbook to Create Daily RICH-U-ALLS for Optimal Well-being!” in September. Tom Colbert, ’76, Oklahoma Supreme Court justice, retired February 1, 2021. Terry Thompson, ’76, conductor of Portsmouth Wind Symphony, plans to retire following seven years of leadership. Joann Anderson, ’79, president and CEO of UNC Health Southeastern, plans to retire effective December 31, 2021 after having been associated with the health care system for 14 years. Stephen E. Markert, ’79, retired on May 31, 2021 after 11 years of service as marshal to the Mississippi Supreme Court and 43 years of law enforcement and judicial security experience. Jeffery Rimel, ’79, master trooper, retired from Indiana State Police after nearly 42 years of service.
Alumna Named President/ CEO at Northern Kentucky Water District The Northern Kentucky Water District’s Board of Commissioners named Lindsey Rechtin, ’08, CPA, as incoming president and CEO. Rechtin earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accountancy at Eastern Kentucky University. She started her career in 2008 as a financial statement auditor and has been a Certified Public Accountant in Kentucky since 2010. Rechtin began working at the Northern Kentucky Water District in 2013 as finance manager and since 2017, she has served as vice president of finance and support services. “I am honored to have been named incoming president/CEO, and to have been given this wonderful opportunity to serve the district and the NKY community,” Rechtin said in a news release. The Northern Kentucky Water District serves nearly 85,000 customer accounts, or nearly 300,000 people in the northern Kentucky region and the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport. n
Aaron Thompson, ’79, Ph.D., chair of the Baptist Health system board, was presented the Kentucky Hospital Association’s Health Care Governance Leadership Award. Steve Crump, ’80, journalist, is donating a collection of materials and research to the University of South Carolina Libraries, hoping to give future scholars a better understanding of the Civil Rights movement. Bob Sphire, ’80, has been hired as the next varsity football coach at Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, KY. Greg Wolf, ’81, has been named commissioner of the Department of Criminal Investigations in the Kentucky Attorney General’s office. Ginny Harville Baker, ’82, published the book “Go Jo! The Story of Jonah” in October 2020. Karen Harbin, ’82, president and CEO of Commonwealth Credit Union, was one of 12 women featured in the March issue of The Lane Report’s Top Women in Business, highlighting some of the women in and around Kentucky.
EKU MAGAZINE 43
Joe Kloeker, ’83, was hired by Truliant Federal Credit Union as its director of facilities. Michael Cadore, ’88, was named one of three 2021 Distinguished Alumni by the Eastern Florida State College Foundation. Cadore is a 1990 EFSC graduate and currently serves as the associate provost for Eastern Florida State College and adjunct instructor. Wayne Hicks, ’88, notified the school’s administration that he is stepping down as the Indians’ head football coach after eight seasons at St. Stephens High. Doug Parkey, ’88, has been named to the position of senior vice president of regional banking at Citizens Bank. Claude Little, ’89, Kentucky State Police lieutenant, has been promoted to major and is the director for the Special Enforcement Division as of May 1, 2021.
KATHY DIERINGER,’85
Alumna Elected President of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Kathy Dieringer, a 1985 master’s graduate from EKU, has been elected to serve a three-year term as president of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA). NATA is the professional membership association for the athletic training profession. As the 15th president of NATA, Dieringer is the second representative from EKU to take on the leadership role. Dr. Bobby Barton, professor emeritus and former EKU athletic trainer, served as NATA’s fourth president and was Dieringer’s mentor throughout her graduate studies. “My time at EKU provided me the incredible opportunity to be mentored professionally by a number of stellar athletic trainers and other professionals,” Dieringer said. “Their impact on me is immeasurable, especially as it relates to the pursuit of excellence and servant leadership.” Dieringer was also named EKU’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science Alumni of the Year in 2020. Her more than 35 years in the profession include clinical work in the collegiate setting, teaching in several athletic training programs, and the founding and co-ownership of three outpatient rehabilitation clinics near Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. n
44 FALL 2021
Dan McBride, ’89, associate vice president for development and alumni engagement, was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the sixth annual Colonel’s Choice Awards. Major Michael C. Rogers, ’89 ’93, Kentucky State Police, was promoted to lieutenant colonel effective May 1, 2021, where he will serve as executive director of the Office of Operations. Prenell Mitchell, ’91, was recently named director of maintenance by Fayette County Schools. Greg Roush, ’93 ’98 ’05, Western Hills High School principal, is retiring after 28 years in education. Andrea Albert, ’95, currently serves as a conservation officer in Antrim County, MI, one of two counties in the state patrolled entirely by female conservation officers. Albert was also presented with a Lifesaving Award in July 2018 as a result of her efforts to save a snowmobiler. Jon M. Oliver, ’95, was one of six judges selected for the 2021 Miss Nebraska Scholarship Competition. Emily O’Dell, ’96, has been hired as risk management client executive at MJ Insurance headquarters in Indianapolis. Stefanie Ashley, ’96 ’16, EKU’s director of the Facilitation Center, obtained her Certified Virtual Facilitator credential from the International Institute for Facilitation. Tina Hamm, ’97, co-founder, CFO and licensed professional clinical counselor supervisor of Phoenix Preferred Care, has been appointed to a four-year term on Somerset-Pulaski’s Economic Development Authority board. Michelle Spalding, ’97, was named assistant principal of Bardstown Elementary School.
Elizabeth Gabehart, ’97 ’05, has been named the new principal of Scott County High School. Roderick Woods, ’99, was recently hired as an assistant women’s basketball coach at East Mississippi Community College. Julia Duncan, ’99 ’03, was named principal at Stanford Elementary by Lincoln County Schools. Kenton Buckner, ’99 ’08, Syracuse Police chief, has joined the Rescue Mission Alliance board of directors. He’s the first city police chief to join the rescue mission board in at least 50 years, possibly longer, mission officials said. Paula Mlinar, ’00, was presented a 2020 –21 KAGE Service & Advocacy Award by the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education. Mlinar is the gifted/ talented resource teacher at Dixie Magnet Elementary. Melissa Humfleet, ’00 ’02, has been named nursing program coordinator at Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. Phillip Kennedy Johnson, ’01, became the new writer for DC’s Superman and Action Comics series after building a career as a prolific writer of comic books for studios like BOOM!, Marvel and DC. Curtis Searcy, ’01, was welcomed by Parkside Financial Bank & Trust as president of Trust & Family Office division.
PHILLIP KENNEDY JOHNSON,’01
Music Alum Becomes Writer for DC Superman Comics Phillip Kennedy Johnson, ’01, has managed to build not one, but two successful careers in different creative spheres. After graduating from the EKU School Music, he toured with world-renowned jazz acts as a trumpet player. In his second act, he became a prolific writer of comic books for studios like BOOM!, Marvel and DC. In March 2021, Johnson became the new writer for DC’s Superman and Action Comics series. Although Johnson’s first aspirations were in music, he’s been an avid comic reader for most of his life. “It’s an incredible honor to have the opportunity,” he said. “Superman was my first hero, and I still have a super clear vision of who the character is, and who he should be. I hope to write the character for a very long time.” In fact, the writer learned to read from the weathered comic books his dad brought home from flea markets. He recalls being especially drawn to DC’s Batman, and of course, Superman. n
Alison Hubbard, ’01 ’04, was named acting principal of Picadome Elementary by Fayette County Schools. Nicholas Bertram, ’02, is president of Giant Co., which was honored with the Food Industry Trailblazer Award from the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association. Steve Jones, ’02, recently joined ScanSource as CFO and senior executive vice president. Charlie Vance, ’04, CEO of Current HR, has launched a Professional Employer Organization serving regional markets in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, as well as other markets in the Midwest and Southeast regions. Pam Breunig, ’05, principal of St. Dominic School, received the Distinguished Catholic School Leader Award from the Archdiocese of Louisville on February 2, 2021. Adam MacPharlain, ’05, is the new curator of clothing and textiles for the Missouri Historical Society. MHS houses one of the country’s most extensive textile collections, comprising nearly 20,000 pieces spanning more than 200 years of history. Joshua Mara, ’05, was one of two crew chiefs leading the umpiring crew for the 2021 Division III College Baseball Championship Series, which took place in Cedar Rapids, IA.
EKU MAGAZINE 45
DR. JACK DYER
1 9 3 7 — 2 0 2 1 Dr. Jack Dyer passed away
JUSTICE BANKOLE THOMPSON 1 9 3 6 — 2 0 2 1
on April 3, 2021. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and
EKU Professor Emeritus Dr. Rosolu John Bankole
Government Financial Manager
Thompson passed away in May. Prior to his passing,
(CFM), Dyer held his longest
he was serving as the high court justice for Sierra
teaching tenure at Eastern
Leone, having just completed his service as a
Kentucky University, where he
commissioner on the Sierra Leone Commission of
also served as the director of
Inquiry, which was formed to investigate the
the MBA program. He had
corruption of the previous Sierra Leone government.
numerous articles published in professional journals, was
Thompson started his distinguished legal career in his
recognized for his excellence in
home country of Sierra Leone, then began a research
teaching and received several
tour of the United States at the invitation of the U.S.
honors and awards for service
Ambassador. In 1995, Thompson joined EKU’s faculty
to his profession.
in the Department of Criminal Justice and in 2001, was
Upon his retirement from EKU in 2002, he and his family established the coveted “Dr. Jack L. Dyer Excellence in Teaching Award,” awarded annually to a business faculty member who upholds high professional standards.
named dean of Graduate Studies — the first person of African descent to hold the position. Thompson authored books, chapters and peer-reviewed articles and wrote extensively about crime and law in Africa. While at EKU, he was appointed to the United Nations Special Court for Sierra Leone, then to the United
DR. BRUCE R. MacLAREN 1 9 4 3 — 2 0 2 1
Revered professor and mentor, Dr. Bruce MacLaren passed away on March 17. MacLaren began teaching at EKU in 1969 and was chair of the Department of Natural Sciences for 20 years. He was among the core EKU faculty who founded the EKU honors program in 1988 and was instrumental in the early development of the program. He formally mentored more than four dozen honors thesis projects in the program’s first two decades, and his informal mentorship and leadership were considered legendary among his students. MacLaren was also well known as the founding coordinator of the Chautauqua Lecture Series, which continues today, bringing noted scholars from around the world to speak to the EKU campus community.
46 FALL 2021
Nations’ West African Commission on Drug Trafficking and Other Transnational Crimes. He later went on to serve on the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone.
MARTHA (MARCIA) LUY, ’74
DR. EUGENE M. HUGHES
1 9 3 2 — 2 0 2 1
1 9 3 4 — 2 0 2 1
Martha Luy passed away in February. She and her
Former EKU Interim President Eugene Hughes passed away
late husband, Jack, both
on March 10, 2021. In 2001, Hughes came out of retirement,
served EKU for decades as
after 42 years in higher education, to become Eastern’s interim
faculty members. Martha
president until a permanent president was found.
worked as a nurse all over
Hughes brought to
the United States before coming to Eastern. When Jack accepted a faculty position at EKU, Martha enrolled in the master’s nursing program and joined the nursing faculty after graduation. She taught in the program for nearly 25 years until her retirement in the mid-’90s.
Eastern not only a fresh face with new ideas, but also an impressive resume. He was president of Northern Arizona University (1979– 1993) and Wichita State University
She was a member of several organizations, including the Friends
(1993–1999) before
of EKU Libraries Executive Board. Martha and Jack supported
retiring as president
EKU generously, establishing the Jack and Martha Luy Endowed
emeritus.
Fund for the Library and the Jack and Martha Luy Scholarship
Hughes was honored at EKU’s 2011 commencement by receiving
in Baccalaureate Nursing.
an honorary doctorate of laws and was commissioned an honorary Kentucky colonel in 2010.
DR. BILL JANEWAY 1944 — 2021
Dr. Bill Janeway died on
Joseph C. Davis
Sally P. Green
Allen Grant
Carol J. Teague
February 13, 2021. He worked at NASA for many years and was part of the team that was awarded the Presidential Medal of
Thomas M. Bertram, ’57
Patricia E. Lovington, ’55
Joseph U. Blankenship, ’65 ’66
William McCarty, ’50
James E. Cameron, ’75
Jene S. McKnight, ’57
After earning his Ph.D., his
Richard E. Emmons, ’65
James Melton, ’59
family moved to Richmond,
Thomas R. Giacchini, ’80
John Osbourne, ’62
where he taught math and
Sylvia Hargrove, ’66 ’68
Ardith A. Park, ’59
Karen A. Hawkins, ’68
Robert C. Ridgway, ’57
David E. Jones, ’75
Mary L. Salter
David M. Jones, ’73 ’77
Nancye Thornberry, ’62
Frances E. Kramer
Gary B. Welch, ’66
Freedom for their work on the Apollo 13 Space Mission.
computer science at Eastern Kentucky University for 29 years. He retired in 2010 and was named professor emeritus in recognition of his service. Janeway was an active member of the First Baptist Church in Richmond, where he served as a deacon for many years.
Timothy L. Lester, ’92
EKU MAGAZINE 47
Brandon Johnson, ’08
Goodwill Industries of Kentucky promotes EKU Grad to Director of Retail Brandon Johnson, ’08, is the new director of retail at Goodwill Industries of Kentucky, overseeing 66 Kentucky retail locations. “I am honored to serve in this new role, as I now have a larger area to support and can continue to give back to an organization that has given me so much — not only to me but to thousands of Kentuckians,” Johnson said in a press release. In 2006 while in college, Johnson began working at Goodwill. He started as a production clerk at the Goodwill store in his hometown of Mount Sterling, Kentucky, earning promotions to team leader and assistant manager. Johnson managed the Winchester, Kentucky, Goodwill retail location for a few years, and in 2013, he became a regional manager in Somerset. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science degree from EKU and is a U. S. Marine Corps veteran. n
Jules Montinar, ’08, was hired as defensive assistant by the Florida Gators head coach, filling the last coaching spot. Billy Parker, ’08, will be the new school superintendent in Scott County. He is serving as interim superintendent since July 1 and will officially become superintendent December 1, 2021. Catherine Vannatter, ’08, was named principal at Locust Trace AgriScience Center by Fayette County Schools. Kyle Wicker, ’08, has joined Cumberland Valley National Bank & Trust as a vice president, commercial lender for the Lexington area. Nick Wentzel, ’09, and wife Starr, ’06 ’08, welcomed their second child, a baby girl, on April 28, 2021. Matt Grammer, ’09 ’12 ’14, owns Kentucky Counseling Center, which was named the 92nd fastest growing private company in the country in 2018. Kentucky Counseling Center now employs approximately 130 people and has 11 offices around the state. Natalie Deering, ’10, returned to her hometown of Fort Thomas, KY, and established her own private mental health practice, ND Wellness, after practicing therapy for 11 years. Mandy Moore, ’10, EKU women’s golf coach, received the 2020–21 Coaches Academic Enhancement Award at the sixth annual Colonel’s Choice Awards. Maria Bennett, ’11, Stamping Ground Elementary School principal, will now be serving as the chief information officer for Scott County Schools. Chris Flores, ’11, has been named acting program director of STEAM Academy by Fayette County Schools. Ryan Bethel, ’12, has been appointed manager of compliance for Kentucky American Water and Tennessee American Water. Sharmy Davis, ’12, has been named director of diversity at Owensboro Community and Technical College. Christina Thweatt, ’13, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, has joined Mercy Health-Paducah Urology as a nurse practitioner. Brandon Blackburn, ’14, was named Pikeville High School’s new principal, effective July 1, 2021, by the Pikeville Independent School District.
Brandon Johnson, LEFT, and David Schult at Goodwill’s 2014 Gala for Good. PHOTO by Bill Wine, Voice-Tribune.
48 FALL 2021
Shaylon Freeman, ’15, and husband Cliff welcomed their third child, a baby girl, on April 28, 2021.
Astor Halcomb, ’15, became the new regional radiography program coordinator for Hazard Community and Technical College and Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College on March 1, 2021. Daniel DeLuca, ’15 ’17, was hired by Murray State Athletics as the head men’s golf coach for the Racers. J. Taylor Davis, ’16, was recognized as top national financial advisor. Davis will be inducted into Northwestern Mutual’s elite membership, the 2021 Forum Group. Laurel Regnier, ’16, a science teacher at Lafayette High School, is a Kentucky finalist for a Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. The state selection committee will forward her application for national consideration. Dr. Lara Vance, ’16, former director of EKU’s Student Success Center, has been selected as the next dean of students. Tyler Collet, ’17, played in his first PGA TOUR event, the Puerto Rico Open, on February 28, 2021. Mitchell Golden, ’18 and Taylor Congleton, ’16, both educators in local school systems, were married on July 17 in Richmond, KY. Will Sallee, ’18 ’20, former Eastern Kentucky men’s golf team member, will serve as the assistant coach for the EKU men’s and women’s golf teams. Katherine Anneken, ’19, has joined Baldwin CPAs in January 2021 as an accountant in its Richmond office. Ashton Dockery, ’19, apparel design and merchandising major, opened Be You Boutique in downtown Somerset in August 2020, following four years of a successful online-only boutique, and a year of construction and designing her dream store. Matthew Ashby, ’20, joined Baldwin CPAs in January 2021 as a client accounting specialist in its Richmond office. Peter Malanowski, ’20, a dietetic intern and graduate student at East Tennessee State University, was recognized as “Outstanding Student in a Dietetic Internship Program for Tennessee” from the Tennessee Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Raven Merriweather, ’20, was hired as an assistant coach for Bellarmine University women’s basketball. Randa Morris, ’20, recently joined Central Kentucky Ag Credit as a loan officer in the Stanford branch office.
Mary Ousley, ’74 ’86
Ousley Earns Lifetime Achievement Honor Mary Ousley, ’74 ’86, chief strategy officer for PruittHealth and past chair of the American Health Care Association, has been named 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award winner in the McKnight’s Women of Distinction program. The award recognizes a woman each year who has made marvelous contributions in the area of skilled nursing and/or senior living over the course of their career. “I think the recognition of this award is far more so than for Mary Ousley; it is the recognition of the importance of this type of work,” said Ousley. “No one ever accomplishes anything alone. You have to have that team around you, and I have been fortunate; I have had that team.” Ousley is a registered nurse by training, but she is also a clinical and regulatory tactician and a former facility owner. She has held top management positions at several senior care chains and is credited as one of the architects of OBRA 1987, the landmark nursing home reform law. n
EKU MAGAZINE 49
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