EKU Magazine Fall 2016 by Eastern Kentucky University

FALL 2016

Contributors EKU Magazine is a collaborative effort between EKU Alumni and Donor Engagement, and EKU Communications and Marketing EKU President Michael T. Benson Executive Vice President and University Counsel Laurie Carter Vice President, Development and Alumni Relations Nicholas Perlick Assistant Vice President, Alumni and Donor Engagement Kari Martin ’06 Assistant Vice President, Communications and Marketing Doug Cornett Photography Mishari Aldiab, ’17 Sarah Bucknam, ’16 Chris Radcliffe, ’04 Stacey Sizemore, ’16 EKU Special Collections & Archives Heart Image, opposite © Infinity, fotolia Contributing Writers Jerry Wallace Kristi Middleton Karen Lynn, ’86 Margaret Muncy Willingham, ’80 Steven Fohl, ’07 ’12 Kevin Britton, ’00, ’11 Beth Polin Editorial Managing Editor Brandon Moore, ’14 Design & Layout Senior Graphic Designer Mickey Thomas Design Management Jessica Holly

Alumni Engagement Staff Senior Director Engagement and Communications Steve Greenwell, ’06 Director Alumni Programming and Student Philanthropy Jennifer Ott, ’11 Coordinator of Alumni Programming and Student Philanthropy Sarah Baker, ’15 International Alumni Association Board President Tom Martin, ’93 ’01 Immediate Past President Glenn Raglin, ’80 Vice President Jan Sheppard Barnes, ’72 ’75 Secretary Jeff Klein, ’07 ’11 Board Members: Kenneth Armstrong, ’90, Justice and Safety Representative, Ray Arnold, ’09 ’13, Tichaedza Chikuni, ’05 ’11, Afsi Davis ’10, George Demaree, ’82, Christopher Eden, ’09, David Fifer, ’07, Dana Daughetee Fohl, ’07, Amy Jo Smith Gabel, ’06 ’09, Jerry Goble, ’91, Stephanie Goodpaster, ’08, Miranda Massey (President, Student Alumni Ambassadors), DaJuane Harris, ’13, Ryan Kennedy, ’14, Bob McCroskey, ’75, David McFaddin, ’99, ’15, Donald Pace, ’62 ’64, Chris Radcliffe, ’04, JoEllen Reed, ’75, Bob Sullivan, ’72, (ROTC Representative), R. (Vasu) Vasudevan, ’03, Donald Whitaker, ’62, Robert Wood, ’82, Christina Baird Young, ’96 ’98, J. C. Young, ’04

WHY HIGHER EDUCATION MATTERS FOR DEMOCRACY

EKU STORIES stories.eku.edu

Design Support Tara Leisure, ’16 Photography Coordination Karen Lynn, ’86

Eastern Kentucky University 521 Lancaster Avenue Richmond, KY 40475-3102

Visit us online:

eku.edu stories.eku.edu alumni.eku.edu development.eku.edu

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, 416 Jones Building, CPO 37, Eastern Kentucky University, 521 Lancaster Avenue, Richmond, Kentucky 40475-3102, 859-622-8020 or the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC. 20202 1-800-421-3481 (V), 1-800-877-8339 (TDD).

CHAMPIONING WOMEN’S ATHLETICS Honoring a Legacy of Greatness

ATHLETICS YEAR IN REVIEW

Contents

PASSION MEETS OPPORTUNITY Occupational Therapy Program Develops Skills for Life

REFLECTIONS Dr. Janna Vice Looks Back on a Remarkable Career

COVER STORY

STUDENT SUCCESS Chellgrens’ Gift Helps Fund New Center

BREAKING BOUNDARIES and Building Bridges

ANATOMY OF AN APOLOGY

GIVING BACK Donor Support Crucial to EKU Success

PRESERVING THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT

FAITH, FOCUS & FINISH The Journey of James Pennington, ’10

ALUMNI NEWS CLASS NOTES IN MEMORIAM

WHY HIGHER

Encountering Kentucky’s frontier for the first time, folk hero Daniel Boone christened the land “a second paradise.” He returned to his family “with a determination to bring them as soon as possible.” Today, the Commonwealth still boasts lush landscapes and natural resources; yet, as the globally competitive economy is increasingly knowledge-based, Kentucky’s fertile minds are just as important as the state’s fertile soil. The Daniel Boones of today are drawn to our human resources as much as our natural ones. Our mission at Eastern Kentucky University is to cultivate the workforce and citizenry of the Kentucky of tomorrow. While the race to educate an innovative workforce surges, America’s states today spend an average 20 percent less per student than seven years ago. These cuts are often justified to fund other pressing state needs. Education, however, is the medicine that treats root causes of society’s ills. And, therefore, in the triage of treatment, it must remain paramount. The Wall Street Journal recently observed that “the political pressure on higher education is rooted in a simple but vexing question: Is the government getting a good return on the money it is pouring into the U.S. college system?” Along with my co-author, Hal Boyd, we are publishing “College for the Commonwealth: Why Higher Education Matters for Democracy” to answer that very question. Data shows that, even with troubling tuition hikes, the long-term financial returns from a robust college education, like what we proudly deliver at Eastern Kentucky University, far

02 FALL 2016

EDUCATION MATTERS FOR

MOCRACY exceed the individual monetary investment for most students. Aside from the obvious societal benefits that come with educated surgeons, judges, engineers and first responders, studies suggest that those who attend college exhibit increased levels of political participation, and are more likely to attend churches and become involved in various civic causes. College graduates have better health and contribute to the state through paying their taxes. Meanwhile, study abroad programs and international students help spread goodwill and continue to bolster the state’s global reputation. Is the government getting a good return? The answer seems straightforward. An investment in EKU, simply put, is an investment in Kentucky. Thanks to recent improvements and ongoing and planned revitalization efforts that are transforming our campus, more and more of the Commonwealth’s best and brightest young people are choosing Eastern. And more than 75 percent of EKU degree holders are employed in Kentucky after graduation, many serving in positions vital to any community’s quality of life: educators, health care professionals, social workers, and police officers and other first responders.

It is only through the generous support of the State, alumni and friends, community members, faculty, staff and students that universities are able to carry out their missions to provide the gateway to a better life and more fulsome civic participation that our Commonwealth requires. That has been a winning combination for this institution for well over a century, and will sustain her for generations to come if we continue to “Make No Little Plans.”

Michael T. Benson President, Eastern Kentucky University

EKU MAGAZINE 03

EKU STORIES

– EKU STORIES – In this

issue Dr. Kishonna Gray Selected as MLK Visiting Scholar at MIT Professor Eyes Economic Potential of Gorge Martin Hall Time Capsule Opened EMC Students Help Save Life Library of Congress Turns to EKU for First Interpreting Intern Students “Digging” Region’s Ancient History EKU Exceeds Student Engagement Benchmarks Senior among 30 Selected for Humanity in Action Program Game Design Program Ranks 50th in World Colleges Reorganized Campus Revitalization Initiatives Continue D r. Sherry Powers Named Dean of College of Education

Read more campus news at

stories.eku.edu

04 FALL 2016

DR. KISHONNA GRAY SELECTED AS MLK VISITING SCHOLAR AT MIT An EKU faculty member internationally known for her research linking diversityrelated issues to the gaming culture has been selected to serve as an MLK visiting scholar at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the 2016-17 academic year. Dr. Kishonna Gray, ’05 ’07, author of “Race, Gender and Deviance on Xbox Live” and frequently sought by media for her expertise, will teach classes, speak at forums, and participate in seminars and conferences as she continues to work on her second book, “Punishing Blackness in Digital Culture.” MIT selected only six educators for its MLK program. An assistant professor in EKU’s School of Justice Studies, Gray is “deeply engaged with diversity issues in both her research and her role as an educator,” said Dr. T.L. Taylor, professor of comparative media

studies/writing at MIT, who nominated Gray for the prestigious position. “She does fantastic work that explores race, gender and intersectionality within new media. It is some of the most original, field-building work I’ve encountered, and she is gaining tremendous momentum in developing this much-needed sector of research. “She is clearly establishing herself as the goto person on key issues around race, gender and critical studies of new media (and) building a strong reputation as someone who does specific domain research but leverages that work into broader conversations, both scholarly and public. Her insights and experience will be a tremendous benefit not only to (MIT) faculty and staff, but I anticipate her experience having a tremendous resonance with many of our students.”

EKU STORIES

MARTIN HALL TIME CAPSULE OPENED

PROFESSOR EYES ECONOMIC POTENTIAL OF GORGE When he visits Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, Dr. James Maples meets rock climbers from around the world. Besides enjoying scenic views and world-class climbing, approximately 7,500 climbers spend an estimated $3.6 million annually in the region.

John F. Kennedy was president. Worries about a Soviet attack on U.S. soil were real. It was the year America’s current president, Barack Obama, was born. Robert R. Martin was one year into his presidency of what was then Eastern Kentucky State College. And near the intersection of Lancaster Avenue and Park Drive, a cornerstone was laid in 1961 for a new residence hall that would house generations of Eastern students. Fast-forward to Feb. 11, 2016, several days into the demolition of Martin Hall, when the contents of a time capsule placed in that cornerstone 55 years ago were revealed to a large crowd. President Benson and SGA President Katie Scott described the items before laying them on a table for all to peruse: several copies of The Eastern Progress and Richmond Register newspapers, an alumni magazine, Martin’s inauguration program, an admissions brochure, course catalogue, photos of Martin and his wife, Anne, construction of the hall and much more. A new Martin Hall, with approximately 600 beds, will open on the same site in Fall 2017. Benson said some of the contents from the 1961 capsule will be placed in a cornerstone capsule for that building, with the remainder going to University Archives. For more information, click here.

The EKU faculty member recently completed a Red River Gorge economic impact study, surveying more than 700 climbers. The study determined that rock climbing contributed to 39 full-time jobs in the surrounding six-county region. Maples, who envisions the Gorge as a “predictable and renewable economic resource that can generate economic growth and jobs in our service region,” presented the results of his initial study to area residents, regional tourism officials, business leaders and other stakeholders. Maples said many are surprised to learn of the high educational attainment and income of the average climber. Of the six counties (Powell, Wolfe, Lee, Estill, Menifee and Owsley) that form the basis of the study, four are among the 100 poorest in the nation. “As such, we need to find ways we can create economic activity without requiring lots of change or government economic investment,” Maples said. “This project captures that possibility very well.”

EMC STUDENTS HELP SAVE LIFE Thanks to quick action and their education and training, four emergency medical care students and an EKU instructor played a key role in a life-saving situation. As they were returning from a conference in Baltimore, Maryland, EKU instructor David Fifer and EMC students Leah Gaddis, Richmond; Jon Gaddis, Corbin; Brad Harp, Lexington; and Ashley Brosmer, Plainfield, Indiana, were among the first to come upon a serious wreck on an interstate highway in West Virginia. The damage to the wrecked pickup and the condition of the injured driver suggested immediate help was critical. “The only equipment we had was just us and what we have been taught,” said Leah Gaddis. Because the accident victim had a diminished level of consciousness and a lot of fluid in his airway, their first priority was to prevent choking. “We had to do a lot of work to make sure that didn’t happen.” The students and Fifer helped support the driver’s injured spine while firefighters extricated the driver, who is expected to make a full recovery.

EKU MAGAZINE 05

EKU STORIES

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TURNS TO EKU FOR FIRST INTERPRETING INTERN When the Library of Congress created a new internship within the Interpreting Services Program this past year, it turned to EKU for the program’s first participant. And it’s a perfect fit for Mekaella Vailu’u, ’16, who graduated with degrees in American Sign Language interpreting and deaf studies and a minor in political science. “I didn’t apply anywhere else,” said Vailu’u, a Southern California native who moved to Kentucky as a teen. “It was a dream. I got to wake up and walk the halls with people who report directly to Congress, and help our elected officials remain informed on issues in a nonpartisan way.” Vailu’u became familiar with American Sign Language as a teen in order to communicate with a sister who’s one of 10 older siblings. “I finally felt like I knew my sister, which brought me into the culture and community since I was so eager to spend time with her.” A passion for equality and disability further drew Vailu’u into interpreting. “I wanted to be a part of a community that refused to take a label like ‘disabled’ or ‘handicapped,’ even ‘hearing-impaired,’ and partner with them in their passion for accessibility and language equality.” “Mekaella’s passion for the field of interpreting and autodidactic nature made her a pleasure to work with, and a motivation to our office as we watched her continually go above and beyond what was asked of her,” said Travis Painter, ’10, Interpreting Services Program manager for the Library of Congress. “Her success is both reassuring that this internship opportunity is here to stay, and sets a challenge for anyone in the future to meet the incredibly high bar she’s set.”

STUDENTS “DIGGING” REGION’S ANCIENT HISTORY The Daniel Boone National Forest is rich with ancient native history. And about a dozen undergraduate students and faculty at EKU intend to get to the bottom of it. Literally. The University’s anthropology program has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to conduct archaeology field schools in the Forest for the next five years (and likely beyond) at various sites within Daniel Boone National Forest. The work began this summer with an investigation of prehistoric Native American

sites in Jackson County. “We are assisting the Forest Service in its mission of managing and protecting our nation’s history, and conducting the first systematic, scientific investigations at these sites,” said Dr. Jon Endonino, assistant professor of anthropology, who is overseeing the students’ work. “By collecting and documenting valuable information from these irreplaceable and endangered sites before it is lost forever, this work serves both the learning objectives of our students and EKU’s regional stewardship mission, while simultaneously assisting the Forest Service in the documentation and management of historical properties within the forest. It’s a win-win for everybody involved.” Over four weeks this summer, the EKU team evaluated two Jackson County sites where evidence of human activity may date back to the Middle Woodland Period (approximately 500 B.C. to A.D. 1000). A subsequent field school will study two similar sites. “There’s lots to learn,” Endonino said. “What’s been done has barely scratched the surface, mostly illegal looting that is rampant in Daniel Boone Forest. We want people to know what kind of history they have right in their backyards.” For more information, click here.

06 FALL 2016

EKU STORIES

EKU EXCEEDS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT BENCHMARKS

SENIOR AMONG 30 SELECTED FOR HUMANITY IN ACTION PROGRAM

EKU exceeds similar benchmark institutions and other comparison groups on measures of student engagement, especially in the areas of academic challenge and experiences with faculty. According to the 2015 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), freshmen and seniors alike rated EKU “significantly better” than all its benchmarks and the national average on all academic challenge indicators (higher-order learning, reflective and integrative learning, learning strategies and quantitative reasoning), as well as measures related to experiences with faculty (student-faculty interaction and effective teaching practices). EKU also fared well in the campus environment category. First-year students and seniors rated Eastern ahead of its benchmarks and the national average in quality of interactions and supportive environment. In almost every NSSE category, Eastern showed steady improvement over the past three years. Dr. Janna Vice, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said the NSSE results “confirm our confidence in the high quality of our faculty and our commitment to keeping our promise to students. I couldn’t be more proud.”

EKU senior Symone Purcell, a biology (pre-med) major from London, Kentucky, with a 3.82 GPA and equally impressive record of campus involvement, was one of just 30 American and European college students and graduates selected for the 2016 Humanity in Action Program this summer in Atlanta, thanks to a prestigious John Lewis Fellowship.

The survey also showed the percentage of EKU firstyear students and seniors who rated their experience as “excellent” or “good” and who said they would “definitely” or “probably” choose to attend the institution again given the opportunity exceeded the average for benchmarks, southeast public institutions and the nation. In each case, 86-87 percent of the firstyear students and seniors responded affirmatively.

The monthlong program offers participants the opportunity to “think anew with others about complex issues of diversity in historical and contemporary terms,” according to the program’s website, focusing, through educational seminars and site visits, on “vulnerable populations and the unfulfilled goals of just democratic societies.” Purcell’s parents, both health care professionals themselves, grew up in the Caribbean country of Grenada. “Learning about the challenges they’ve overcome has certainly influenced my perspective by impressing the necessity of compassion, dedication and creativity into my psyche,” Purcell said. “They’ve always pushed me to keep my sights open to new frontiers, and they’ve never let me forget that we always have a duty to serve the future and to respect our past. “I want to become a physician out of respect for what my family and community have taught me about generosity, love, acceptance and leadership, which are a few components of what I call the ‘mentality of mentorship,’” Purcell added. “For me, that mentality encompasses many facets of the human experience but, most importantly, it is a set of thought patterns rooted in giving back to the world.”

EKU MAGAZINE 07

EKU STORIES

COLLEGES REORGANIZED The College of Arts and Sciences has been split into the College of Science and the College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences (CLASS). The College of Science, headed by Dean Dr. Tom Otieno, consists of the departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geosciences, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics and Astronomy. It also houses the Division of Natural Areas.

GAME DESIGN PROGRAM RANKS 50TH IN WORLD EKU’s game design program ranks 50th internationally, according to The Princeton Review. The Review determined its rankings based on a survey it conducted in 2015 of 150 institutions offering game design coursework and/or degrees in the United States, Canada and some other countries. The company’s 40-question survey asked schools to report on everything from their academic offerings and faculty credentials to their graduates’ starting salaries and employment experience. Criteria included each school’s academics, facilities, career services and technology. The high international ranking “says we’ve committed to keep our program and our students competitive,” said Dr. George Landon, director of the EKU Gaming Institute. “We are serious about game design and how EKU fits into the bigger picture — both in academia and industry. EKU boasts one of the newer programs on the list. The Gaming Institute was established in 2014. “Many of these schools have been at it for over 10 years, and some are closer to 20 years,” Landon noted.

08 FALL 2016

Otieno, who joined EKU in 1995 and previously served as associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, said the new structure offers “a greater focus on EKU’s science and math programs, giving all the programs opportunities for increased prominence.” The College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences, headed by Dean Dr. Sara Zeigler, houses the departments of Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work; Art and Design; English and Theatre; Government; History; Interdisciplinary Programs; Languages, Cultures and Humanities; Philosophy and Religion; Psychology; and the School of Music. It also includes the University’s numerous interdisciplinary programs and the academic areas of Service Learning and Education Abroad. “CLASS represents EKU’s enduring commitment to a liberal arts education as the intellectual foundation for work, life and citizenship,” said Zeigler, who joined EKU in 1997 and had previously served as dean of university programs, the functions of which were dispersed to other areas on campus. It was also announced that Dr. John Wade, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since 2008, intends to return to teaching economics at Eastern. During his tenure, the college launched its first doctoral program (Psy.D.), brought Phase 1 of the New Science Building online and began construction of Phase 2 of NSB. He also was instrumental in revisions of the University’s general education and developmental education programs.

EKU STORIES

CAMPUS REVITALIZATION INITIATIVES CONTINUE Numerous revitalization initiatives aimed at transforming the Richmond campus and the Eastern Experience are underway or in the planning stages. • Phase 2 of the New Science Building, which, when complete, will give EKU the largest such facility on any campus in Kentucky, is on track to open by late 2017. • New Martin and New Hall B, funded by a public-private partnership, will provide a total of 1,110 beds in suite-style rooms when they open for Fall 2017. • A new dining hall, to be built on the site of Case Hall and Annex, will be financed entirely by Aramark and open by Spring 2018. The Powell Building will be renovated to become a more attractive and useful student union. A new recreation center to be constructed nearby will complete a more studentcentric campus core. The student union renovations and recreation center are financed by a student fee.

• A new parking garage will open by Summer 2017 near the health sciences complex. The garage is part of the P-3 agreement that includes the new residence halls. • A Scholars House, featuring 36 two-bedroom apartments for single parents, will open in Summer 2017. The house is the product of a partnership between the Kentucky Housing Corporation, Kentucky River Foothills, the city of Richmond and EKU. • A new pedestrian entrance, financed in part by a contribution by Board of Regents Chair Craig Turner, at the intersection of Lancaster Avenue and Barnes Mill Road has enhanced the aesthetic appeal of the western periphery of campus, as will nearby Carloftis Gardens when it is completed. • Construction and renovation of baseball and softball facilities, funded by agency bonds, should be complete by March 2017. For more information, see ekubuilds.eku.edu.

DR. SHERRY POWERS NAMED DEAN OF COLLEGE OF EDUCATION Dr. Sherry Powers has been selected as dean of EKU’s College of Education. Powers brings 17 years of experience in higher education, including the past four years as dean of the School of Education at Asbury University. Previously, she served 13 years at Western Kentucky University, the last three as associate dean and director of its School of Teacher Education in the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences. Powers said she was delighted at the opportunity to join “a student-focused institution of higher education,” and the effort to “develop creative and critical thinkers who’ve expanded their ability to analyze problems and implement solutions to become citizen leaders.” Dr. Janna Vice, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, said Powers’ “knowledge of the issues facing education at all levels in Kentucky, and her proven leadership and commitment to improving the lives of learners of all ages and backgrounds through quality programs and services will enable her to adapt quickly to the college and to EKU.” Powers holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Asbury, a master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Kentucky, and a doctoral degree in instruction and administration reading specialization, also from UK.

EKU MAGAZINE 09

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PROGRAM DEVELOPS SKILLS FOR LIFE

When she graduated from high school in 1975, Julie Kraska, ’80, was pondering two career tracks: either pursue physical therapy at The Ohio State University in Columbus or early education at Wright State University in nearby Dayton. She knew nothing about the field of occupational therapy. But Kraska did know of Eastern Kentucky University through two close friends who were pursuing degrees in speech therapy and nursing. It was through them that she learned of EKU’s new occupational therapy program. Passion, meet opportunity. She was soon convinced that OT, and Eastern, would be a perfect match. Indeed it was. She opened her own private OT practice in 2002 and, since 2005, has been the owner of Kraska & Associates Inc., which provides occupational therapy, speech therapy and behavioral health services for children in a 2,500-square-foot space in Lexington, Kentucky.

10 FALL 2016

This story has been repeated many times over the past 36 years. EKU’s undergraduate program in occupational science and master’s and doctoral programs in occupational therapy are all about opportunities: for students looking to serve others in a richly rewarding career; for the recipients of a wide range of services hoping to regain some normalcy and sense of optimism in their lives; and for communities looking to round out their health care coverage, often by benefit of free outreach services provided by those students. “EKU gave me ample opportunities to grow and mature in my 20s,” Kraska said. “I was able to meet and work with students and professionals outside the field of occupational therapy, and those connections became invaluable when I graduated. When it was time to complete my clinical rotations, EKU provided me with excellent placements that contributed to my confidence and allowed me to apply my academic knowledge to actual patient care.”

STUDENT PROFILE

CODY HECKER, ’14 ’16 While Cody Hecker, ’14 ’16, found many things to love about his time at EKU — including a fiancée — one of the things he cherished most was the opportunity he had to complete a specialized certificate in the study of autism spectrum disorder, while working on his master’s degree in occupational therapy. “This interdisciplinary program taught me so much about this highly prevalent disorder, and also gave me the chance to work hands-on with this population,” the Frankfort, Kentucky, native said. “Individuals with this condition are oftentimes misunderstood and overlooked, and EKU equipped me with the skills necessary to give these individuals a voice and provide the best possible therapeutic services to improve their quality of life.” Hecker, who earned his bachelor’s degree in occupational science, noted that he was initially attracted to Eastern because of its nationally ranked occupational science and occupational therapy programs, but he “fell in love with the campus and town right away.” He was equally impressed by the faculty and staff in his chosen field. “They do an exceptional job of preparing us for the clinical world, and I can’t thank them enough for that,” he said. “The people were the best part of my time at EKU.”

Jennifer Austin, second-year graduate student in the Occupational Therapy program, works with a child to develop fine motor skills.

He is currently studying for the national board certification exam and job hunting, following two three-month internships — one in a school system and one for an in-patient rehabilitation hospital. He plans to work in pediatric or adult rehabilitation, and perhaps eventually obtain a doctorate in occupational therapy and move on to the classroom, where he can mentor others the same way he was mentored. Next up, though, is to settle down in Louisville with his most treasured find at EKU — fiancée Paige Compton, ’13.

Eastern, the only public university in the Commonwealth to offer occupational science or occupational therapy degrees at any level, boasts a three-year graduation rate in its master’s-level program of 97 percent, and the same percentage pass the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy exam. EKU’s master’s degree program in OT has been ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News Media Group. EKU launched its doctoral program in 2013, and three years later became only the fifth school in the nation to provide a bachelor’s-to-doctoral program fully online. Meanwhile, the job market for OTs has been strong for years and shows no immediate signs of slowing, according to Dr. Colleen Schneck, department chair. Having hired many from her alma mater, Kraska knows well the value of an EKU-prepared OT. “Not only do they excel in the academic arena, but they are also

EKU MAGAZINE 11

ABOVE: Julie Kraska works with a child at her practice in Lexington. BELOW: EKU OT graduate student Corey Wible works with a child on dynamic balance.

well-rounded in the amount of community involvement and extracurricular activities they are engaged in,” Kraska explained. For examples, you wouldn’t have to look any further than the Dizney Building, where the department hosts programs for local residents afflicted with Alzheimer’s or dementia. The Place to Be and Memory Café programs provide an extra bonus: a respite and other forms of support for caregivers. Students are involved in various other community-based programs in Richmond and Lexington, including work with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Despite the growing presence of occupational therapists, many still don’t grasp the role of occupational therapists. Schneck explained that OTs “work to get people back into their occupations, back

into their lives. We use things that are motivating to individuals and look at all the steps to get there. There are lots of pieces to getting people back. When we can engage people in their lives, the healing comes much faster.” Dr. Shirley O’Brien, a longtime faculty member in the department who was recently named an EKU Foundation Professor, recalled the adage, “Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach them how to fish and you feed them for a lifetime. Thus, rather than doing to someone, we work with our clients to promote their

EKU provided me with excellent placements that contributed to my confidence and allowed me to apply my academic knowledge to actual patient care. — Julie Kraska, ’80 abilities, and suggest adaptations for continued independence in life roles and routines.” Little wonder, then, that the future of occupational therapy is “limitless,” said Kraska. “It is frequently included in lists of best jobs with a high demand. As we see a greater emphasis on mental health, wellness and prevention, and given our strong knowledge base regarding purposeful occupations across lifespans, I only envision more and more opportunities to expand where we work and how we work.” n

12 FALL 2016

Dr. Shirley O’Brien

Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy 2016 -18 EKU Foundation Professor Tell us about your “journey” to EKU, and what you enjoy most about teaching here.

EKU has a strong commitment to learner-centered education — we are curators of knowledge development, application and implementation. It’s about preparing the next generation. Each year at graduation, I am amazed at the number of first-generation college students who graduate, even now. I, too, was a first-generation college student in my family.

What does it mean to you to have been selected as

the 2016-18 Foundation Professor and be a member of that esteemed group?

I am humbled and honored to be selected to serve with this esteemed What is one of your favorite classroom memories? I had two students who got engaged in my OTS 830 course on Feb. 16, 2009. I was teaching about the application of understanding sensory systems and neuroscience application in functional tasks; specifically, how to use the touch/tactile system to identify objects without our vision (e.g., finding coins in your pocket). I asked Allison to demonstrate the skill, with several objects placed on the table. I put a blindfold on her, so she had to identify the objects

group of faculty. The honor carries great responsibility as well. I see myself as a champion for faculty leadership, an advocate to assist others in finding harmony fulfilling their faculty responsibilities. I also see an overlap in serving as an EKU Faculty Innovator. My role in promoting effective teaching in online education and facilitating engagement of students to build learning communities asynchronously is another aspect that I hope to share through my scholarship.

by touch without vision. The last object (that had been hidden) was the ring. Josh slid into my place, kneeling and as she felt the ring, he asked her to marry him. It was really special. Teaching here at EKU is about blending professional with personal memories.

As a Foundation Professor, what is the most

important legacy you can leave with your students? The most important legacy I can share with my students is that we are all lifelong learners. Take risks, and stay alert to opportunities,

What advice do you give those students graduating from the OT program and entering the workforce? Attitude is everything. Follow your heart, and keep integrity at the

challenging yourself to serve those around you. Get involved in your communities. You will never have all the answers; if you wait until you do, life will pass you by.

forefront of all you do. There is a time and season for all you will do in your OT careers. Be open to possibilities.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Spending time with my family (board games are a staple in our house), cooking (I make a mean spinach lasagna), walking (I’m part of the Fitbit craze) and volunteering in my community.

EKU MAGAZINE 13

Allia Vaez Chemistry Pre-Med

BRE BOUND It’s only fitting that Allia Vaez wants to someday serve in the Doctors Without Borders program. As Shakespeare once penned, “What’s past is prologue.” The 2016 EKU graduate has already spent many of her 21 years breaking boundaries between diverse cultures and building bridges of goodwill. And that is why she was recently selected by the newly established Global Citizenship Alliance as its first and only allexpenses-paid student-leader intern for 2016. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in chemistry (pre-med) this May, Vaez joined six other interns from around the world in Austria at the Salzburg Global Seminar, whose lofty mission is to challenge current and

14 FALL 2016

future leaders to solve issues of worldwide concern, and which provided a home and workplace for her during a three-month internship with the Alliance. It wasn’t the Richmond native’s first visit to Salzburg or even her first experience with the Global Citizenship Program. In 2014, Vaez was one of three delegates in EKU’s inaugural student contingent to participate in one of its weeklong seminars. The second-generation Iranian-American made a vivid and lasting impression on many that summer, notably Dr. Jochen Fried, now president and CEO of the Global Citizenship Alliance. “Allia contributed to all discussions with great enthusiasm and extensive knowledge of issues that were addressed in the course of the week,” Fried said. “I was so impressed with (her) maturity,

You will hardly find a more determined, focused and goaloriented person — utterly committed to promoting human rights, diversity and active citizenship in her community and around the world— than Allia Vaez. — Dr. Minh Nguyen

EAKING DARIES AND BUILDING BRIDGES

intellect and sound judgment that I invited her to apply for an internship with us after her graduation — an offer that we only very rarely extend because we receive so many unsolicited applications. “Allia understands the nature of globalization, has a deep appreciation for human diversity and recognizes the challenges that are compromising humanity’s future. More importantly, she perceives these issues through the lenses of a future medical doctor. The future would look brighter if there were more people like Allia, who combine the commitment of a humanitarian and the ambitions of a medical doctor.” Salzburg is both a bigger stage for replicating her past efforts on the EKU campus and a springboard to launch additional smallscale efforts for positive change at home. The co-valedictorian of

her 2012 graduation class at Model Laboratory School grew up with a global awareness borne of her own family’s journey. Her parents, longtime EKU faculty and staff members Dr. Jaleh Rezaie (now at North Carolina Central University) and Dr. Hossein Vaez, remained in the U.S. in the wake of the 1979 revolution in their homeland. Despite a demanding academic major — and she minored in French — and her participation in EKU’s nationally prominent Honors program, Vaez maintained a 3.81 GPA and found time to head numerous campus initiatives designed to promote excellence and diversity, and further international dialogue and understanding. “You will hardly find a more determined, focused and goaloriented person — utterly committed to promoting human rights, diversity and active citizenship in her community and around the world — than Allia,” exclaimed Dr. Minh Nguyen, director of EKU’s Asian Studies Program, associate director of EKU Honors, and coordinator of National and International Scholarships and Fellowships. Add to that a heart for service and helping the less fortunate. Her senior Honors thesis examined treatment approaches for neonatal jaundice in her ancestral homeland, a subject into which she gained some insights through her research with a global medicine pediatrician at the University of Minnesota and through her hospital volunteer work. It’s a passion she hopes to explore further in Duke University’s “very unique” master’s degree program in global health beginning this fall. As she eyes a rewarding career in medicine, Vaez said her liberal arts grounding in EKU Honors has been the yin to her scienceminded yang: “It has helped me decide what I want to do with my life. It has helped me learn how to connect with people better, especially those from different backgrounds. If you can’t connect with people, you won’t be a good doctor.” n For more information, click here.

EKU MAGAZINE 15

ldo Garcia-Guinto, physics A and mathematics major, assists paralegal science major Kayla Shepherd with her studies at the EKU Student Success Center.

STUDENT SUCCESS CHELLGRENS’ GIFT HELPS FUND NEW CENTER

EKU, with the help of Paul and Deborah Chellgren, is wrapping its “arms” around firstgeneration and minority students to help them reach their educational and career goals. The University’s new Student Success Center, housed in a repurposed space on the lower level of the John Grant Crabbe Library, “is designed as a one-stop shop for students to access important programs and services for their success at EKU,” said Dr. Eugene Palka, associate vice president for student success. “It’s a provider of academic support services, but it’s also a referral agency, connecting students to resources to meet their academic, personal and professional goals. It’s open to all students, but reaches out especially to first-generation students and underrepresented minority populations as part of an effort to improve retention and graduation rates.”

16 FALL 2016

A cornerstone of the center is the Chellgren Success Series, an ideal legacy for a couple whose philanthropy has long been focused on higher education across Kentucky and whose specific interest is programs that help students succeed. The Chellgrens’ generous $500,000 donation endowed the series and the operating budget for the center. “Giving back to higher education in the state of Kentucky has always been important to us,” Mr. Chellgren said. “We’ve always respected the role that Eastern has played — as a place of opportunity, and as a place that understands its mission to serve its geographic region and broad constituency. What’s most important to us are programs that affect students. This is where the ‘rubber hits the road,’ where lives are changed. We’re pleased and honored to be able to endow this center, and we look forward to continuing to contribute to Eastern as the years go forward.”

Mr. Chellgren, a member of the EKU Foundation Board since 2004, is the former chair and CEO of Ashland Inc. and currently an operating partner of Snow Phipps LLC, a New York Citybased private equity investment firm, and chair of Cascade Environmental Services LLC. “Paul has long been a leader on the EKU Foundation Board in many ways,” said Nick Perlick, vice president for development and alumni relations at EKU. “He and Debbie have a great history of philanthropy within the Commonwealth and beyond. As the Student Success Center was being conceived, the Chellgrens quickly identified it as a project that matched their desire to help students in direct, tangible ways. Their generous gift will transform the programming that we are able to deliver through the center.”

DID YOU KNOW? NEW STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER OFFERS LIFE COACH SERVICES Visit go.eku.edu/johnrevere to learn more about current life coach — and former EKU football assistant coach — John Revere, and find out how he continues to provide young people with the tools for success.

That programming includes a blend of seminars, symposiums, group training sessions and classes, as well as general advising, tutoring, coaching and more. Palka called the Center’s approach “intentionally intrusive from day one. We’ve got our arms around — and are closely following — the progress of our first-generation and minority students (populations that often overlap). We’re actually going after them to inspire them to come to the Center, so we can assess what they really need and connect them with resources we already have in place. This is about being proactive with our students and setting them up for success.” n For more information, click here. EKU President Michael Benson, center, Executive Vice President and University Counsel Laurie Carter; and Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Nick Perlick present Paul and Deborah Chellgren, left, with a plaque in recognition of their generous support of the EKU Student Success Center.

For more information, visit

successcenter.eku.edu

EKU MAGAZINE 17

GIVING BACK DONOR SUPPORT CRUCIAL TO EKU SUCCESS

NOELS ENDOW FACULTY AND STUDENT RESEARCH Ron, ’64, and Sherrie Lou Noel, ’11, whose previous donations made possible the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity and the Noel Reading Porch, have generously pledged an additional $1 million to EKU. The majority of their gift will help establish the Ron and Sherrie Lou Noel Research Endowment, a $600,000 fund that will support faculty and student research at the University across a variety of academic areas and disciplines. In addition, $400,000 will be used to dramatically expand and renovate the athletics strength and conditioning center, a facility used by all men’s and women’s teams. “This gift could have a transformative effect on our efforts to engage students in faculty research,” said Nick Perlick, vice president for development and alumni relations. “In addition, it will dramatically enhance the experience of all of our athletes by creating a premier strength facility. Ron and Sherrie Lou have been titans in the philanthropic history of EKU, and we are humbled by their ongoing leadership and support.” The Noels, college sweethearts, were married in 1963, while both were students on the Richmond campus. Ron earned a bachelor’s degree in business in 1964 and went on to a highly successful career in industry. Sherrie Lou attended Eastern for three years before embarking on a career as a medical technologist, and becoming heavily involved in volunteer and philanthropic projects. She received a bachelor’s degree in general studies from EKU in 2011.

Sherrie Lou, ’11 and Ron, ’64 Noel

18 FALL 2016

MILLION-DOLLAR PLEDGE SUPPORTS ACADEMIC STUDENT INITIATIVES Noting their excitement about “the energy that exists across campus,” Maribeth and Louis Berman, of Louisville, pledged $1 million to EKU to support a combination of academic and student-focused initiatives. A portion of the Bermans’ gift will go toward a series of projects and initiatives important to them, to be chosen in collaboration with President Michael Benson and other University leaders. Inclusive in their total commitment is a twin-engine plane they recently gifted to the EKU Aviation program, as well as a commitment to support the University annual fund in coming years. The remainder will be deferred as an estate gift. “Louis and I are excited to be involved with the transformation going on at EKU,” said Maribeth Berman, ’92. “The changes being made to facilities, housing, student union, rec center, and academic and athletic facilities will all enhance the student experience at Eastern.” As chair of the EKU Foundation Board, Maribeth Berman is actively involved in promoting philanthropic support of the University. Louis Berman, who serves as southeast regional vice president at Assured Partners NL formerly Neace Lukens), volunteers in EKU’s College of Business and Technology. Maribeth McBride Berman graduated from Model Laboratory School before earning a degree in public relations from EKU in 1992. She went on to serve as assistant director in EKU’s Division of Human Resources.

Louis and I are excited to be involved with the transformation going on at EKU. The changes being made to facilities, housing, student union, rec center, and academic and athletic facilities will all enhance the student experience at Eastern. — Maribeth McBride Berman

Louis and Maribeth McBride Berman, ’92

EKU MAGAZINE 19

HONORING A LEGACY OF GREATNESS

CHAMPIONING

WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

20 FALL 2016

OPPOSITE, ABOVE:

Dr. Geri Polvino addresses guests at the March 2016 Championing Women’s Athletics Luncheon. OPPOSITE, BELOW: Panelists engage in dialogue about the progress of women’s sports, and reflect on the barriers and breakthroughs of current and former female student-athletes. RIGHT: Dr. Martha Mullins proudly displays her award alongside Director of Athletics Stephen Lochmueller, Head Softball Coach Jane Worthington and EKU President Michael Benson.

ATHLETICS The University’s inaugural Championing Women’s Athletics Luncheon in March was “not just a tribute to two incredible women who had dedicated their careers to the success of our women student-athletes at EKU,” said Colonel Volleyball Coach Lori Duncan, who had played for one of the honorees. “It was also a great reflection of the history, and many sacrifices and victories that have brought us to this day.” Duncan was on an all-female panel that discussed the growth of women’s sports, and the challenges and successes of current and former female student-athletes. Other panelists were Maribeth McBride Berman, chair of the EKU Foundation Board, alumna and longtime fan; Dr. Laurie Carter, executive vice president and University counsel, and former student-athlete; Dr. Sheila Pressley, faculty athletics representative; and Rachel Welker, women’s golf student-athlete. To conclude the event, Dr. Martha Mullins and Dr. Geri Polvino — two of EKU athletics’ most iconic figures — received awards from President Michael Benson and Director of Athletics Stephen Lochmueller.

“It’s important for us to give special attention to those studentathletes who make up our women’s teams and thank all those who support our student-athletes,” said Matt Roan, EKU deputy director of athletics, citing a support team of administrators, coaches, donors and fans. “The history of athletic success at EKU would not have been possible without the success of our women’s teams.” Mullins was EKU’s head women’s tennis coach from 1969 to 1983 and served as an athletics administrator from 1975 to 1996, first as assistant athletics director and then as associate athletics director. Her many honors speak to her reputation. In 1984, Mullins was selected for the Kentucky Women’s Intercollegiate Conference Honor Award for outstanding service to women’s intercollegiate athletics in Kentucky. In 1992, she was recognized by the Kentucky Department of Education for her contributions to women’s sports and selected by the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators as her district’s Administrator of the Year. The Lexington-based Women in Sports Foundation presented Mullins its first Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992. Also a mem-

EKU MAGAZINE 21

Are you a former EKU athlete? Join the rest of your teammates online at alumni.eku.edu Complete your profile today!

ships, served as president of the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport’s Coaches Academy, and chaired the CWS Volleyball Rules Committee.

ABOVE: Dr. Martha Mullins, tennis coach, with 1972-73 team.

ber of the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, Mullins was inducted into the OVC Hall of Fame in 2013. As EKU’s first volleyball coach from 1966 to 1997, Polvino led her teams to a 627-439 record, including nine Ohio Valley Conference championships and eight league tournament titles. She remains one of the nation’s all-time winningest volleyball coaches. Polvino became one of the most respected authorities in the sport worldwide and the first certified female instructor in the International Volleyball Federation, serving three years as campus director of the Federation’s International Coaches Course, which attracted more than 200 coaches from around the world to Eastern. She helped to pioneer the National Invitational Volleyball Champion-

DR. GERI POLVINO Retired EKU volleyball coach Dr. Geri Polvino has committed $100,000 to the University to fund a comprehensive renovation of the women’s volleyball locker room in Alumni Coliseum. In recognition of her generosity, the renovated facility will be named in honor of the OVC Hall of Famer, whose teams won 627 games from 1966 to 1997. The new lockers, flooring and other aesthetic improvements, as well as a state-of-the-art video room, are expected to enhance the program’s ability to attract high-level student-athletes. Polvino’s “generous contribution will ensure that current and future volleyball players at EKU will have some of the best facilities... to consistently compete for championships,” said EKU Director of Athletics Stephen Lochmueller. RIGHT: Dr. Geri Polvino coaching women’s volleyball in September 1996.

22 FALL 2016

Polvino was honored in November 2015 at a National Philanthropy Day luncheon in Lexington for her “exceptional” philanthropic efforts. She has remained actively involved with Eastern, and other local colleges and universities. Polvino, a member of EKU’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni and Athletics Hall of Fame, joined the OVC Hall of Fame in 2005. EKU Athletics recently won its third straight Ohio Valley Conference Commissioner’s Cup, a symbol of overall athletic excellence. Two women’s programs — cross-country and golf — won OVC titles this past season. Duncan, who played for Polvino, said she was inspired to hear “the many journeys and experiences of the student-athletes, coaches, and administrators past and present in attendance. What an honor to be part of an event celebrating the amazing women who have championed our athletic endeavors throughout our proud history. Eastern has a very rich tradition in regard to our women’s programs. I had an exceptional experience at EKU, and that’s what I’m trying to create for future generations.” Yes, some of those success stories have yet to be written. n

ATHLETICS YEAR IN REVIEW RECORDS & MILESTONES Men’s Basketball senior Jarelle Reischel was the first player in the country to reach 300 points, 100 rebounds and 50 assists during the 2015-16 season. Jalen O’Bannon was chosen as the OVC Women’s Basketball Newcomer of the Week a record-tying nine times, and Women’s Basketball Head Coach Chrissy Roberts recorded her 100th career win as Eastern beat Murray State to advance to the championship game of the 2016 OVC Tournament.

FROM EKU TO THE NFL

Baseball senior Kyle Nowlin broke the program record for home runs in a season with 21. Baseball senior Mandy Alvarez was chosen as the OVC Co-Player of the Year.

Football All-American Noah Spence was chosen as the OVC Co-Defensive Player of the Year and National Defensive Performer of the Year. In April, he was drafted by Tampa Bay with the 39th pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Spence is the 33rd EKU football player to be drafted by an NFL team.

Softball team members Hayley Flynn and Paige Murphy earned all-region honors. Flynn led the conference and broke the program record with 26 wins this season.

WINNING IN ATHLETICS & ACADEMICS Eastern Kentucky University won the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Commissioner’s Cup for the 2015-16 school year. The OVC Commissioner’s Cup is a symbol of overall athletic excellence in conference-sponsored championships. It is the Colonels’ third straight and fourth overall Commissioner’s Cup title in the last five years.

Alex Alvaro and Ramon van Flymen earned a bid to the NCAA Men’s Tennis Doubles Championship, the first in program history. The women’s golf team (shown below) won its third OVC title in the last four years and played in its third NCAA Regional.

The 2016 spring semester was the best ever in the classroom with more than 300 EKU student-athletes combining for a 3.179 grade point average, the highest single semester GPA on record.

CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD RACE TO SUCCESS The Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams swept the OVC Championships for the ninth time in the last 10 years. The Men’s Cross Country team finished third at the NCAA Southeast Region and advanced to the NCAA Championship for the fifth straight year. EKU placed 17th at the NCAA Championship. Eight Men’s and Women’s Track & Field student-athletes qualified for the NCAA East Regional, and Jakob Abrahamsen earned a bid to the NCAA Championships with a second-place finish in the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase.

EKU MAGAZINE 23

You might say that Paul and Eva Vaughn are the Cadillacs of Colonel football fans. It’s mostly what Paul drove. Most were white. Some were maroon. But they all got them to their destination. And, if it was a fall weekend, that meant EKU football. Home. Away. Neutral sites. Rain. Shine. Didn’t matter. They were there cheering on their Colonels. (In the interest of full disclosure and tailgating, the Vaughns did allow for Chevrolet and GMC vans for some home games. They also flew to a half-dozen games over the years.) Whatever the mode of transportation, going into this fall’s season, Paul, ’60, has attended 401 consecutive games, dating back to 1982. For Eva, ’59, the streak ended in 2010 when she broke a hip, missing the last six games of that season. Aside from missing the Morehead game in 2013 because of illness, her new streak has continued unabated.

SUPER FANS PAUL AND EVA VAUGHN

Of course, their history with the maroon and white — school colors, besides the Cadillacs — goes back much further. Paul Vaughn and the former Eva Kidwell met at Eastern and reconnected when Paul got out of the National Guard. Their first date was an Eastern basketball game at Morehead. Eva remembers well her first EKU football game. The year was 1952 and the quarterback was Roy Kidd, who went on to a Hall of Fame career as his alma mater’s head coach. “I was hooked,” she said, “and have been a football fan ever since.” The Vaughns also attend most home basketball games; they’ve had reserved seats since Alumni Coliseum opened in 1963. The Vaughn family's roots on the Richmond campus run deep. Paul’s grandfather graduated from Central University, the forerunner to Eastern Kentucky State Normal School. Their son, Paul Thomas Vaughn, ’85, accompanies his parents to some basketball games, as do Eva’s sister, Juanita (Lay) Norris, ’63, and her husband, Charles Norris, ’68 ’72. “EKU is special,” Eva said, “because it was the place that opened its doors to welcome us. It gave us an opportunity for an education and the training that prepared us for our chosen professions (Paul in banking, Eva as a schoolteacher, both in Lawrenceburg). It was a feeling of home, a place you belonged. It was and is your second family.” Eva and Paul cheering on the Colonels at the EKU vs. Liberty University football game on Nov. 2, 2002. EKU won 35-28.

The Vaughns also established a scholarship fund for Anderson County students, are charter members of the Colonel Club and worked with fellow alumni to launch the Capital Area Alumni Chapter. Eva served as president of EKU’s Alumni Association in 2000. Married three months after that first date, the Vaughns recently celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary. And that other streak? “We never thought of a ‘record’ when we started attending the games,” Eva said. “We went because we could, we enjoyed watching the games, and we wanted to support our Colonels.” n

24 FALL 2016

2016 EKU Football Schedule 9/3

9/8

9/17

10/1

10/8

Purdue University

Away

University of Pikeville

Home

Ball State University

Away

Tennessee Tech University

Southeast Missouri State University

Away

Home

10/15

Tennessee State University

Away

10/29

University of Tennessee at Martin

Away

10/22 Jacksonville State University (HC)

11/5

Murray State University

11/12

Austin Peay State University

11/26

NCAA FCS Playoffs

11/19 Eastern Illinois University

Home

Away

Home

JOIN THE

COLONEL CLUB

Our loyal alumni, parents and friends make tax-deductible contributions providing vital resources for all aspects of Colonel Athletics, including scholarships, facility enhancements and program-specific needs. They enjoy access to special benefits such as priority seating, preferred parking, bookstore discounts and more.

JOIN today! visit ekusports.com or call 859-622-2046

HOMECOMING & REUNION WEEKEND

Golden Opportunities OCTOBER 20-23, 2016

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20 Campus Beautiful Day of Service 9am – 2pm | Keen Johnson

MAROON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21

SHOW OFF YOUR COLONEL SPIRIT IN YOUR BEST MAROON GEAR!

more beautiful than ever by painting, planting, cleaning,

Decal Drive-Through 10am – 5pm | University Drive

assisting the Colonel Cupboard or improving the rain

Cruise to your official starting point for the 2016 EKU Homecoming and

gardens. The first 500 to register will receive a free

Reunion Weekend! Simply pull up to the curb in front of Keen Johnson to

T-shirt. This is a great opportunity to serve the campus

receive a campus map, schedule of events, parking directions and a special

community!

EKU Alumni window decal to show your Colonel pride.

Colonel Corn Roast 5pm – 7pm | Powell Plaza

Town and Gown Tailgate Noon – 1:30pm | Madison County Courthouse

Help the EKU Staff Council make the “Campus Beautiful”

Enjoy FREE roasted corn, hot dogs, and family-friendly

Join us in the heart of Richmond to celebrate Homecoming with free food

activities while getting pumped up for the big game with

and fun sponsored by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and City/

President Michael Benson, the EKU Cheerleaders, Dance

County Governments. Meet the Colonel, and hear from Football Coach

Teams and Pep Band. You’ll also get to meet the 2016

Mark Elder and President Michael Benson. Catch a shuttle at the Adams

Homecoming Court!

House off Lancaster Avenue for a ride to the courthouse steps to enjoy all

Eastern’s Got Talent 7pm – 9pm | Powell Corner Be entertained by talented students as they compete for the annual Eastern’s Got Talent title.

the festivities.

Back to Blanton 2pm – 5pm | Alumni Center at Blanton House Swing by the former home of EKU Presidents for hot cider and cookies! This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow Colonels and take a trip through EKU’s history with a viewing of the film “Essential Eastern.“ Get an up-close look at the contents of the Martin Hall time capsule, and other

#EKUHC2016

memorabilia from Special Collections and Archives. Jump on a shuttle at any point during the event to take a tour of the Colonel Nation.

Alumni Awards and Pioneer Celebration 5pm | Keen Johnson Come celebrate EKU’s 2016 Alumni Award recipients and the Pioneer Class

Visit homecoming.eku.edu

for a complete list of events, pricing, rain locations, registration and more!

of 1966. Enjoy the camaraderie of fellow Colonels, a delicious meal and a festive celebration of EKU’s finest graduates. Doors open at 5pm for a reception. Dinner and program begin at 6pm.

Young Alumni After Party 9pm – Midnight | Paddy Wagon Join us over appetizers and drink specials at the Paddy Wagon on Main Street for a special gathering of Colonel graduates from the past 10 years.

26 FALL 2016

All Alumni Welcome! Join us as we celebrate our rich history on the Golden Anniversary of EKU; founded originally on the Richmond site as Central University in 1874, named Eastern Kentucky State Normal School in 1906 and established as Eastern Kentucky University in 1966.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22

Milestone Mixer 9am – 10:30am | Alumni Center at Blanton House Mix and mingle with your reunion class and fellow alums over a continental breakfast. Enjoy this front-row seat to the Annual Homecoming 5K and Parade.

Homecoming 5K 10:30am | Model Lab School

SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR CLASSES:

1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, the Pioneer Class of 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006 and Distinguished Alumni Award recipients.

Run the 39th Annual Homecoming 5K, and lead the Parade through Downtown Richmond. Registration is $20 per person until October 17 and includes a Homecoming T-shirt ($5 registration with no T-shirt). Registration is from 8am to 10am with lineup beginning at 10am. Register at: imathlete.com/events/ekuhomecoming5k

Homecoming Parade 10:30am – 11:30am | Lancaster Ave. and Main St. Admire the floats and catch candy as you watch Eastern students and community members come together for the Annual Homecoming Parade. The parade will dazzle with floats reflecting the “Golden Opportunities” theme and will feature the 2016 Homecoming Court. If you have a group wanting to participate in the parade, contact: Sarah.Baker@eku.edu.

Alumni Family and Friends Tailgate 11:30am – 3pm | Alumni Coliseum Parking Lot Join fellow Colonels under the Alumni tailgate tent featuring cornhole, kanjam, events for children, food, beverages and a cash bar. Be on the lookout for the Colonel Walk at 1pm when you can cheer on the Football Team as it heads to Roy Kidd Stadium to take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks.

Homecoming Football Game 3pm | Roy Kidd Stadium Cheer our Colonels to a victory over the Gamecocks of Jacksonville State. Enjoy the halftime festivities as we introduce the 2016 Homecoming Court and crown this year’s Queen and King.

Stay Connected as a #ForeverColonel EKU Alums

@ekualums

@EKUalums

alumni.eku.edu EKU MAGAZINE 27

A place where you can build lasting memories and start family traditions The University Club at Arlington is a vibrant membership club with over 650 memberships representing over 1,300 individuals. As an integral part of the Richmond community, The University Club at Arlington has a rich history and a bright future. @UClub_Arlington @UClub_Arlington The University Club at Arlington

Membership information available www.universityclub-arlington.com 859-622-2200 1510 Lexington Road, Richmond, KY 40475

28 FALL 2016

REFLECTIONS

DR. JANNA VICE LOOKS BACK ON A REMARKABLE CAREER Sitting in her Coates Administration Building office late one May afternoon, as her long and distinguished career at EKU neared its end, Dr. Janna Vice, ’73 ’74, held her thumb and index finger about an inch apart and began to speak. “My contribution to the University,” she said, “has been this much.” Moving that thumb and finger to where they almost touched, she continued, “but without other people, it would be this small.” It was vintage Vice, self-effacing and quick to credit others. But ask former colleagues or students about how much she impacted their lives and Eastern these past 40 years and you would likely get arms outstretched, and

I wanted students to learn that they could do better than they thought they could—because I had experienced that. maybe even the glimmer of a tear from a brawny student-athlete or two. Since she announced in February her plans to retire, the many tributes have been touching. There’s a reason why Bobby Collins, ’91, former basketball standout and now head men’s basketball coach at Maryland-Eastern Shore, has called Vice and her husband, Wayne, ’73, on major holidays for the past 25 years, notably Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. And he’s far from alone. “The Vices,” he said, “have everything to do with my success, and I love them from the bottom of my heart.” For many years, the Vices hosted her classes and entire sports team — Janna chaired the University Athletics Committee 1994-2004 — for food, fun and fellowship at their family farm. Never underestimate the value of a home-cooked meal in the life of any student.

EKU MAGAZINE 29

CLOCKWISE FROM UPPER LEFT: Dr. Vice leading the faculty procession at Fall 2015 commencement; speaking at a Spring 2016 commencement convocation; relaxing at the 2016 Employee Recognition Luncheon; helping to hood First Lady Michelle Obama at Spring 2013 commencement; posing with husband Wayne, children and grandchildren at a reception in her honor in May 2016, when the Business and Technology Center atrium was named for her; and displaying her Kentucky Business Education Association Outstanding Teacher Award in 1999.

Then there’s the case of Rick Prewitt, ’92, whose first attempt at an EKU degree in the mid-1980s was quickly derailed by personal issues and the death of a grandfather, which “put my life in a tailspin.” When he returned to campus a changed man a few years later, “surprised they let me back in,” Prewitt was still unsure of himself “and everything that comes with trying to rebuild your life.” Then, in his first semester back, he walked into a class taught by Vice. He remembers Vice going around the room and asking all the students their names, and then going back around and repeating them. To his great surprise, she remembered his name the next time he came to class. “You don’t know what that meant to a young student who was wanting to be a part of something that they were so scared to be a part of,” recalled Prewitt, who went on to work in Community Education and Outreach, and then Accounting at Eastern. “She made me feel like she wanted me there. That is what I always loved about her — that she loved her students. I am sure God put us in that classroom for a purpose.” Julie Curry, ’11 ’16, now business operations manager with the Office of e-Campus Learning at EKU, tells a similar story, recalling her struggles as a student after the birth of her first child. “She encouraged me, she inspired me. She told me I could do it all. She believed in my ability. If she believed I could do it, it must be possible.” When she earned her master’s degree, Curry was pregnant with her second child as she met Vice crossing the commencement stage. “She was genuinely proud of me, and that meant so much to me.” Growing up as an only child on a 30-acre farm in a bend of the Cumberland River in rural Whitley County, Kentucky, Vice focused intently on a three-part mission that captured the hopes of her father, Roy Partin: make straight A’s, become high school valedictorian and earn a college scholarship. Her mother, Opal, was a schoolteacher, so young Vice spent much of her time with her father on the farm, where she assisted with typical chores and remembers bending the tractor’s tie rod her first time at the wheel. She never gave much thought to becoming a teacher.

30 FALL 2016

That’s when a series of inspirational teachers caused Vice to think more deeply about her future. One of the first was William Reed Bryant at Whitley County High School. “All my teachers were good, but he was visionary. I felt very challenged to excel.” Vice did become valedictorian, earned a scholarship to EKU and arrived in 1969 with her high school sweetheart/future husband, knowing no one except a few high school classmates. Well, there was Wayne’s aunt, Dr. Wanda Vice, whose education course led Vice to major in business education and caused Vice to “fall in love with teaching.” As both teacher and administrator, Vice reflected those and many other formative influences, even longtime Eastern football coach and fellow Corbin-area native Roy Kidd, ’55 ’61, who Vice said “seemed to care more about excellence than greatness but, because he pursued excellence, became a legend of greatness. I always thought, ‘What if each of us took our job that seriously?’ “I wanted students to learn that they could do better than they thought they could,” she said, “because I had experienced that. I always made a decision before I met my class for the first time that I was going to love that class. Caring about people is a decision.”

Vice remembers the reputational hit Eastern took in 1986 when Playboy magazine named it one of the top party schools in the nation. She took the news hard, and she took it as a personal challenge to do her part to ensure the campus was known most of all for the quality of its programs and services.

Dr. David Coleman, director of EKU Honors, said Vice was “at the center” of the University’s successful efforts to improve retention and graduation rates, “but she has shown that we do so most effectively by enhancing, rather than compromising, our emphasis on academic quality. This is her greatest legacy.”

“No senior wants that (party school) reputation,” she said. “I personally made the commitment that I was going to expect the best from our students, and I was going to give them my best. I never aspired for accolades or promotions, but I did aspire to do the best job I could. I wanted our students to be prepared to go into any profession and be proud of their Eastern education. That was so important to me.”

Colleagues have also long marveled at Vice’s calmness in the face of difficulty or even strife. President Emeritus Doug Whitlock, ’65 ’66, cited her “skill at gently bringing a conversation back on track.” President Michael Benson said he has “never met a more pleasant, agreeable person,” adding that “when it comes to making a tough decision, Janna will step up and do it.”

She also took it personally when EKU’s retention and graduation rates dipped to unsatisfactory levels, before beginning a steady and significant climb. “Eastern is better than that,” she remembers thinking at the time. But she deflected the credit when the University was among only three institutions nationally to receive the 2014 Award for Outstanding Institutional Practice in Student Learning Outcomes, presented by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. That honor, she said, reflected the vision and hard work of EKU’s entire academic community.

Vice said her faith gives her “a peace that passes all understanding,” and countless students, colleagues and friends have experienced it in action, whether they saw it in an approving nod, felt it in a timely hug or tasted it in a homemade casserole. n

For the complete story, visit

go.eku.edu/jannavice

EKU MAGAZINE 31

T E X T b y D R . B E T H P O L I N , A S S I S T A N T P R O F E S S O R o f M A N A G E M E N T, C O L L EGE O F BU SI N E S S and T EC H N O LO GY Think about the last time you apologized to someone. Perhaps it was to a group of coworkers for not finishing a project by the promised deadline. Maybe it was to a spouse for words said in a moment of tension. Or it could have been to friends for missing a birthday or another important event. Although there may be many motivations behind your apology, one common thread was probably the inclusion of the words “I’m sorry.” But if you really want to repair broken trust and restore a relationship, are these two words enough? This is exactly what my coauthors and I set out to answer in our latest research published in Negotiation and Conflict Management Research. Apologies are ubiquitous in professional and personal

32 FALL 2016

circles, which unfortunately means violations of trust are also prevalent. By dissecting the apology, we sought to uncover the differences between “effective” versus “ineffective” apologies. And apparently we were not the only ones interested in this answer, as our research has been picked up by a number of news outlets, including ABC Radio, CBS News, Psychology Today, Today.com, and U.S. News and World Report, to name a few. When trust violations occur, there are multiple ways of attempting to repair that broken trust. Since trust can be described as the glue that binds relationships, often no action after a trust breach can further harm relationships and push them to an irreparable point. While offers of reparations for harm done

Dr. Beth Polin, Assistant Professor of Management

EKU MAGAZINE 33

or insistence of structural solutions such as contracts to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future can assist in the process of trust repair, perhaps the easiest method is offering words to address the cognitive and emotional harm done.

time (e.g., Expression of Regret and Explanation together); three of the six at a time; four of the six at a time; five of the six at a time; or all six. This meant we were testing the effectiveness of many differently worded apologies, over 60 in total!

We began our research investigation with the development of a list of the components that could — and should, as we later argue — be included in an apology. The first is an Expression of Regret, which is the classic and recognizable “I’m sorry” part of the apology. The second is an Explanation for why the offense occurred. After all, responsibility and blame matter when we are deciding whether to accept someone’s apology; for example, “I did not set my alarm, overslept and was late for work” is different from “There was a terrible accident on the road that delayed traffic unexpectedly.” The third component is an Acknowledgement of Responsibility, in which the violator recognizes his or her part in the offense. Fourth, an apology can include a Declaration of Repentance, or a promise that the same offense will not happen again. A fifth component, called an Offer of Repair, shows the violator extending a plan for working toward trust rebuilding. And finally, a Request for Forgiveness recognizes that the trust building process is a two-way street; trust cannot be restored if the victim is unwilling to participate in the trust repair process. Thus, this last piece is an invitation for the victim to engage in rebuilding trust.

What did we find? It turns out that what you say in an apology really does make a difference in whether or not trust will be repaired. The more components included in an apology (e.g., six components versus one component alone), the more effective your apology is at restoring trust in a relationship. Furthermore, if circumstances prevent you from offering an apology consisting of all six components, then choose the components you do include wisely. The Acknowledgement of Responsibility and the Offer of Repair are consistently the more effective components at repairing trust, followed by the Explanation and the Declaration of Repentance. Routinely, the Request for Forgiveness is ranked as the least critical component.

Armed with our list of six potential components of an apology, we wanted to find out which components were necessary for an apology to be considered “effective” at repairing trust and moving the relationship forward. We designed a series of studies that presented people with scenarios in which trust was broken and then provided them with apologies that contained different components: one of the six at a time (e.g., just Expression of Regret); two of the six at a

So here’s the bottom line: When you apologize, include all six components if possible, and if not possible, at least include an Acknowledgement of Responsibility, an Offer of Repair and an Explanation. On the flip side, if you are the one receiving an apology, consider what all is said to you and how it affects your willingness to repair trust. Ultimately, there are many more variables to consider, encouraging future research on the issue, such as the depth of relationship in which the violation occurred, the severity of the violation, the timing of the apology and the amount of emotion included in the delivery of the apology. But one thing is clear: What you say in an apology matters! n Research coauthored by Dr. Roy Lewicki and Dr. Robert Lount Jr., The Ohio State University

BEYOND the CLASSROOM with Dr. Beth Polin • Born and raised in Evansville, Indiana • Earned her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in Labor in Human Resources • Married for six years to Lexington attorney Ken Finley • Enjoys spending time with their rescue dog, Leroy • Reading is her favorite hobby, and a good mystery is her favorite evening read • Starting her fourth year at EKU this fall

34 FALL 2016

•THE •

EASTERN FUND

YOUR GIFT MAKES A DIFFERENCE Every annual gift, no matter the size, directly impacts these and thousands of other students. The best part? You choose how! Pick your passion and make your gift today!

go.eku.edu/give

Eastern Kentucky University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and Educational Institution.

The #CampusBeautiful 01 01

Stay Connected as a #ForeverColonel facebook.com/EKUAlums @EKUAlums @ekualums

36 FALL 2016

01. Sunset over campus @bradtmorrissey

02. Rainbow over New Science Building @mcgilly19 03. Tulips and Keen Johnson @marissaroderick

04. University Building in the fall @jakegarriso.n

05. Sunshine and fall weather in the Ravine @jackie.raec 06. View down University Drive @sermenaa

07. Spring flowers in front of Coates @easternkentuckyu

08. Walking across campus during fall semester @torilyndy 09. The Pedway at sunset @bourbonbyte

10. Cloudy sky over University Building @easternkentuckyu 11. First sign of spring @ekugurus

12. A view over campus @ash_puckett189

13. Sunset over Roy Kidd Stadium @ekucolonel

14. Spring flowers in front of the #EKU sign @morganmcanly23 15. EKU in flowers @easternkentuckyu 16. CampusBeautiFALL @12kplester

See more photos! Follow @easternkentuckyu on Instagram. Like us on Facebook! facebook.com/ EasternKentuckyUniversity Share your photos! Use #EKU or #CampusBeautiful on any social media channel (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram)

@EKUStories EKU MAGAZINE 37 33

———— Preserving the ————

AMERICAN

CHESTNUT

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow...

This classic proverb is coming to life on EKU’s Richmond campus with a slightly different outcome. With the April planting of approximately 1,200 saplings, the University joined in a “noble and exciting” effort to restore the American chestnut tree to its past glory. Once one of the most common and important tree species in the eastern United States and highly valued for wood products and as a food source, the chestnut tree was all but wiped out by blight in the first half of the 20th century, with only small sprouts remaining. It is believed that the seed orchard at EKU, one of only four in the South and part of a 30-year effort by the American Chestnut Foundation, will enable the propagation of a blight-resistant species. The University received a $1,000 Tree Campus USA Arbor Day Mini-Award for the orchard, located near Taylor Fork Ecological Area at the southern edge of campus, and the saplings were provided by the Foundation.

To host a seed orchard, EKU had to dedicate the land for 35 to 40 years and commit to care of the trees. The restoration of the species is “an important mission for EKU because American chestnuts were an important part of our cultural and ecological heritage in eastern Kentucky forests,” said Dr. Jennifer Koslow, assistant professor of biological sciences at the University. The orchard also benefits EKU students. “It will provide an excellent educational opportunity for our students to learn about tree care, ecology, plant pathogens and the historical importance of the American chestnut,” Koslow added. “It will also provide them with an opportunity to contribute to an ambitious restoration program. After the initial planting, the orchard will be closed to the public while the trees get established, but there will be educational signage, and we will be having events in the future that would allow the public to interact with the trees themselves.” During the dedication ceremony, the University received its five-year recognition from Tree Campus USA and the Kentucky Division of Forestry. Other partners in the chestnut initiative include the EKU Division of Facilities Services, the EKU Office of Sustainability, the EKU Department of Biological Sciences, the EKU Department of Agriculture, the EKU Wildlife Management Program, the University’s Tree Advisory Committee, Kentucky Division of Forestry, and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. n For more information, click here. Or, visit acf.org. LEFT: EKU faculty, staff and students joined American

Chestnut Foundation and government officials to plant approximately 1,200 saplings in the new orchard near the Taylor Fork Ecological Area.

38 FALL 2016

Mature American chestnut trees may have only male flowers, called catkins, or burr-like female flowers along with catkins. The burr opens to reveal as many as three nuts when it is mature.

Along with long, serrated leaves and reddish stems, the American chestnut blooms with fragrant creamcolored catkins, which makes it easy to identify during summer months. During early fall, the leaves turn yellow earlier than most other deciduous trees.

The fruit of the American chestnut may be harvested when the burr shows signs of opening, typically in late September or early October, though some areas may see burrs open in mid-August. Source: The American Chestnut Foundation Field Guide, available at acf.org/field_guide.php Illustrations courtesy FCIT (etc.usf.edu/clipart)

EKU MAGAZINE 39

FAITH, FOCUS & FINISH THE JOURNEY OF JAMES PENNINGTON, ’10

If the life of James “Tee” Pennington could be depicted geometrically, it would take the shape of three perfectly linked circles. You might label them Faith, Focus and Finish, his mantra, and the only way to explain the success and happiness he finally found in their intersection. As a child, Pennington was fascinated by garbage trucks and longed to someday ride on the back of one as it rolled down the coal-dusted streets of his hometown. And that’s exactly where he found himself in 2005 as a laborer for the city of Manchester, Kentucky, population 1,400. But there was no joy in this dream come true. Just seven years earlier, Pennington was a hometown hero with the total package: popular and outstanding student at Clay County High School, All-Region football player, Academic AllState, college scholarship offers for both sports and academics,

40 FALL 2016

and with an effervescent personality to match. His future was as bright as those local mines were dark. After graduating, he left his familiar Appalachian environs for the faster pace and bright lights of Lexington, and the University of Kentucky. He was going to be a doctor and did well enough academically to survive but never acclimated to his new surroundings. Discouraged, Pennington left after four semesters and turned to a series of dead-end sales jobs. Then it happened. He began to move in “the wrong circles,” ran afoul of the law and earned a misdemeanor charge. He felt sorry for himself, but even worse for his mother, Pamela Pennington Boston, who had raised Pennington by herself. “She had always pushed me to do better in every way— sports, academics, life and faith. She was always telling me, ‘You’re better than this.’ So when I was going down the wrong

path, I was not only disappointing myself, but I knew I was disappointing her.” To get his “head on straight,” Pennington joined his hometown’s workforce, where his duties included helping on the garbage trucks around holidays. “I’m not looking down at anyone who does that work,” Pennington said, “but I just knew that I was squandering my abilities.” It was Full Circle No. 1. Getting his childhood wish was actually just the jolt Pennington needed to refocus his life and return to college, this time to EKU’s Manchester Campus. It turned out to be nothing less than a “lifesaver.” His career plans at first included teaching and coaching, but an Introduction to Law class taught by local County Attorney Clay Bishop, ’78, “just set a fire.” The flame only grew after Pennington enrolled at the Richmond campus and joined EKU’s nationally prominent mock trial program. At the time, Eastern fielded three squads, and he was initially placed on the “C” team. When one of the first-teamers wasn’t available, he stepped in and won an Outstanding Witness Award, the first of many. He was the top overall All-American witness when EKU finished fifth in the national tournament in 2009, the first of several top 15 finishes for the program. By the time he earned his bachelor’s degree in political science, Pennington was intent on pursuing a career in law. That’s when Full Circle No. 2 intersected No. 1. Despite his 3.9 GPA and his mock trial success, Pennington suffered another setback when he was denied admission to the UK College of Law. The committee’s concern, he said, was that one “bump in the road.” Pennington was asked to write a one-page addendum to his application, explaining how the experience changed him. “I talked about my faith and how I was going to come to UK and make a difference. I guaranteed that there wouldn’t be a student who walked through that door who worked any harder than I would.” Consider it his first successful appeal. And that promise? He made good on it and then some. He went on to participate as a Kentucky Legal Education Opportunity (KLEO) Scholar, won several trial team awards and competitions at UK, and served as the Law School Executive Board ABA representative, which afforded him the opportunity to chaperone two U.S. Supreme Court justices on campus visits. So it was one proud mother in attendance on Friday, May 9, 2014, when Pennington received his juris doctorate degree. The euphoria didn’t last long. Just two days later, on Mother’s Day, his mother began to feel ill. Then, on Tuesday, May 13, her 53rd birthday, she was admitted to the hospital. On Saturday, May 17, just eight days after cheering her only child’s milestone moment, she passed away.

James Pennington (CENTER, BACK ROW) was a key member of EKU’s 2010-11 Mock Trial Team, which finished in the top 15 in the National Championship Mock Trial Tournament.

gone from the heights of personal achievement to the depths of unspeakable sorrow in just a week. His bar exam only two months away, Pennington pondered delaying his legal career, but ultimately decided otherwise. The exam was divided into four sections, each with a different color code, and a distracted Pennington remembers a foreboding chill as he labored through the first three. Perhaps no one else in the room noticed, but the color of that final section didn’t escape Pennington’s eye. It was purple, his mother’s favorite color. Suddenly, a peace came over him that everything would be OK. “I just felt a sense of confidence that last section.” He passed the exam, and the three circles were now complete. Today, Pennington is an associate with Morgan, Collins & Yeast, ironically managing the Lexington office for a law firm with roots back home in the Manchester-London area and focusing on personal injury, Social Security disability and workers’ compensation cases. “For me,” he said, “it’s more than just giving legal advice. It’s about helping them get their lives back on track. I like knowing I’m making a huge difference in my clients’ lives.” Pennington, now 36, is quick to credit those who made a difference in his own life and a succession of interconnected events: the support of his mother and family, the convenience of EKU’s Manchester campus, Eastern’s mock trial program, the initial denial by UK Law School that steeled his resolve to outwork everyone, his mentors, the “Color Purple” intercession, his marriage in 2014 to the former Sandra Allen, ’96, and even that “bump in the road,” which helped him empathize with others enduring difficulties. “Without the journey, even the missteps,” he said, “I wouldn’t be where I’m at today.” Faith. Focus. Finish. n

It left an insatiable void in the life of the graduate, who had

EKU MAGAZINE 41

– ALUMNI NEWS – In this

issue Alumni Profiles Chad Miles J.P. Fisher Kristin Chilton Judith Monroe Jeff & Jeanie Gail Bowman Class Notes In Memoriam

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!

42 FALL 2016

Dear Fellow Alumni, As another academic year comes to an end, you have a lot to be proud of as alumni of EKU. The 2015-16 academic year was a resounding success with 2,789 associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees conferred at Spring Commencement. Approximately one-third of those students are first-generation, low-income and minority graduates — truly a school of opportunity! The EKU International Alumni Association continued to engage the Colonel Nation through programming, events, and a wide variety of benefits and services to our 100,000 alumni worldwide. I encourage you to officially join the EKU International Alumni Association at no cost by visiting alumni.eku.edu/register. Our Alumni Relations team has been working on ways to ensure that we are connected to and engaged with the University, and this is a great way to do that. Get connected, and stay connected! The Association is also excited to announce that, for the first time in EKU history, we will host a Homecoming and Reunion Weekend Oct. 20-23. Please mark your calendars today, and plan to join us as we combine the best aspects of Alumni and Homecoming weekends into these few days. Come home for class and affinity reunFor the third consecutive year, a large contingent from EKU — including members of the Alumni Board, alums from around the state, and supporters from Richmond and Madison County — attended Colonels at the Capitol Day. The Feb. 17 event in Frankfort, Kentucky, included meetings with legislators, formal introductions and recognition on the House and Senate floors, and an evening reception at the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.

ions, a celebration of EKU Pioneers and Alumni Award recipients, the Homecoming Parade, 5K Run/Walk, Alumni Family and Friends Tailgate, along with volleyball, soccer and a thorough throttling of Jacksonville State in football. While you are on campus, please check out Turner Gate — the new courtyard entrance to campus. Cruise Kit Carson Drive to see how the face of the University is changing and check out our newly renovated study areas — the Student Success Center and Noel Reading Porch at the John Grant Crabbe Library. Many thanks to each of you who continue to support and advance our alma mater!

Go Colonels! Dr. Thomas M. Martin Classes of ’93 and ’01

ALUMNI NEWS

Class Notes Douglas Flynn, ’54, of Benicia, California, has retired from Diablo Valley College in Concord, California, where he was a chemistry professor. Dr. Thomas Floyd, ’61, continues to consult in high-energy compound research for the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Myrtle Floyd, reside in Niceville, Florida. John C. Greene, ‘65, served as chair of the “Madison County Historical Pictorial” book committee; the book was published in 2015. He and his wife, Bettye Jo Guthrie Greene, ’63, reside in Georgetown, Kentucky. Ben C. Kaufmann, ’66, Lexington, recently completed his 100th trip to a foreign country. A financial planner, Kaufmann began traveling abroad several years ago with a trip to England. His last two journeys have been to Myanmar and India — and included an eight-day train trip that began in New Delhi and ended in Mumbai, India. Mary Lee Wigginton Pennington, ’67, of Prospect, Kentucky, retired from teaching, and now owns and operates a rental property company. William Raker, ’67, was inducted into the Credit Union House Hall of Leaders in Washington, D.C., in recognition of his dedication to upholding the credit union mission. Raker is currently president/CEO of Burnsville (Minnesota)-based U.S. Federal Credit Union. He has also been recognized for his industry efforts in Paraguay and Cambodia. Alex Ceruzzi, ’68 ’69, of Canton, Georgia, is a professional songwriter whose most recent work, “Christmas Holiday: CD and Song Book,” was released in November. For more information, visit MelodyManMusic.com. Richard Hampton, ’68, of Louisville, Kentucky, retired from Godsey Associates Architects in 2015. Former EKU head men’s basketball coach Max Good, ’69, has been named head coach at Pratt Community College in Kansas. Good led the Colonels from 1981 to 1989. Ron House, ’69 ’70, of Richmond, was recently awarded the Kentucky Medal of Honor by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-Kentucky. House is an insurance and financial adviser with Ron House and Associates Financial Services in Richmond. Robert Russell, ’69, of Granville, Ohio, is a retired Newark (Ohio) High School social studies teacher. Allen Rust, ‘69, of Taylor Mill, Kentucky, a retired high school teacher, is now an adjunct professor of history at Gateway Community and Technical College. Donna Cailey Upton, ’69, a retired schoolteacher who stays active volunteering, and husband, Mark Upton, ’70, who continues to work part time after 46 years in education, reside in Cincinnati, Ohio. Joel Vedelli, ’69, Deltaville, Virginia, has returned to the workforce as a drug tester with Major League Baseball 12 years after retiring from James Madison University. Coach Irvin “Frosty” Brown, ’70 ’71, was inducted into the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association earlier this year in Columbus, Ohio. Brown’s combined record as a high school head baseball coach is 618-306 over 33 years. More than 450 of his graduates have gone on to

CHAD MILES, ’99

New host of Kentucky Afield Chad Miles, ’99, is the new host of the Emmy Award-winning “Kentucky Afield” television show, a production of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources that airs on Kentucky Educational Television. He is the seventh host of the nation’s longest continuously running outdoor television show. Miles, a 41-year-old Mount Washington native, earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration. “I started out as an engineering major,” recalled Miles, “but I am so people-oriented, I decided that was the wrong major for me. I looked at business programs, came to EKU and fell in love with Eastern. “My professors assigned group projects and encouraged a collaborative approach to learning. That is exactly what real life is like,” Miles added. “You find out who the leaders are, who is flexible and who will work to find solutions, regardless of the obstacles.” At Fish and Wildlife Resources, Miles has worked with a number of EKU graduates. “I tell young people, if you want to go into wildlife management, you need to go to EKU. EKU’s wildlife management program is second to none.” Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Gregory Johnson said the department is thrilled to begin the next chapter in the storied history of Kentucky’s top-rated outdoor TV show. “I am excited for Chad as he joins a select and elite group who’ve headlined this legendary show through six decades,” Johnson said. “The ‘Kentucky Afield’ show is in its sixth decade because it’s not like other outdoor programs,” said Miles. “Our show appeals to the average hunter and angler. It also appeals to those who simply enjoy Kentucky’s beautiful landscape, and those who relish the exceptional and rewarding experiences of our outdoors.” n

EKU MAGAZINE 43

ALUMNI NEWS

play college baseball, with 44 signing pro contracts. He and his wife, the former Connie Conrad, reside in Troy, Ohio, and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last June. Patricia O’Neil Durham, ’70, Fort Pierce, Florida, an Indian River State College retiree, is now writing for Indian River Magazine. Retired Kentucky educator Cebert Gilbert, ’70 ’73, Stanton, Kentucky, is currently the AARP and Kentucky Retired Teachers Association (KRTA) liaison.

J. P. Fisher, ’15

Gary Reece, ’70, has been appointed deputy commissioner of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. He and his wife, Linda Parrett Reece, ’70, reside in Annville, Kentucky.

Two Majors, One Mission

James Banks, husband of Lena Hoffil Banks, ’71, Whiteland, Indiana, passed away in 2015.

Talk about your perfect marriage! J.P. Fisher, ’15, has blended two relatively new academic majors at EKU to help communities worldwide recover from disasters.

Anne Churchill Crawford, ’74, and her husband of more than 37 years, Darrell Crawford, have been raising Polled Hereford cattle in southwestern Kentucky following Mr. Crawford’s retirement from the military.

As an associate in emergency programs with AmeriCares, Fisher spent three weeks in Fiji this past spring, helping citizens of the South Pacific island nation rebuild their lives after a destructive cyclone. Previously, he was a part of teams that helped Texans rebuild their lives after tornadoes and Midwest residents recover from flooding. He never knows where he’ll serve next, only that he’ll be putting into practice lessons learned in two seemingly unrelated programs: homeland security and general business (global supply chain management).

Sharon Rowlett, ‘74, of Campbellsburg, Kentucky, is enjoying retirement after spending 34 years at Bedford Elementary in Trimble County — 27 of those as principal.

“While studying supply chain management, I was given the opportunity to explore how the course concepts could be applied to the emergency management material I was learning in the homeland security program, and vice versa,” Fisher said. “My professors were very supportive and gave me the tools to merge these two disciplines.” In his current role, Fisher works collaboratively with multiple departments, conducting partner outreach; building shipments for the delivery of medicines, medical supplies and other relief aid; conducting research on emergency response situations and regulatory changes; monitoring and addressing supply chain gaps; and deploying to help identify unmet health needs. When building shipments, Fisher considers product expiration dates, cold-chain requirements, hazmat requirements, country-specific import regulations and donor support. “One of the most important parts of the humanitarian supply chain is tracking the product from our warehouse to the health facility receiving the donation.” Fisher will long remember his experience in Fiji. “Even in the wake of a disaster,” he said, “the Fijian people were filled with joy, and treated us with kindness and respect. They were very interested in the work we were doing and always thankful for the support.” n

44 FALL 2016

Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Norman Arflack, ’75, has been appointed as Commissioner of Veteran Affairs for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Gen. Arflack served four decades in the Kentucky National Guard, and as secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. Henrietta Stengel Duke, ’75, now a widow, lives in Williamsburg, Kentucky. Ray Spenilla, ’75, a standout Eastern baseball player and 2013 inductee into the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame, remains active in retirement following a 30-plus-year career in education as a teacher, coach and administrator. He now serves as an adjunct health educator at University of Virginia-Wise, a volunteer patient advocate at the Southwest Virginia Regional Cancer Center, a youth coach and mentor, and a leadership speaker at local and regional events. He and his wife, Jennifer Belcher Spenilla, ’77, reside in Wise, Virginia. Madeline Waltz-Fluhr, ’77, Columbia, Kentucky, is a retired social worker who teaches Celebrate Recovery and Life Skills classes as a jail ministry volunteer. Cordelia “Dee Dee” Harbut, ’77 ’05, has been appointed to serve as executive director of the Kentucky Commission on Women and as acting director of the Governor’s Office of Minority Empowerment. Most recently, she was director of the Kentucky Procurement Technical Assistance Center. She earned her MBA degree from Eastern. She and her husband, Tyrone Harbut, ’76, reside in Lexington. Pamela Campbell Stewart Fahs, ’78, of Endwell, New York, has been named interim dean of the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University. Mary Jo Baumann Roberts, ’78, married Timothy Roth in September 2014. They reside in Cincinnati, Ohio.

ALUMNI NEWS

KRISTIN CHILTON, ’10 Janet Jacobs Brewer, ’81, Lenoir City, Tennessee, has been named senior vice president and chief communications and marketing officer for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

In 98 professional football games, Guyton recorded 10 interceptions. The 2007 EKU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and his wife, Lisa Booker Guyton, ’90, reside in Thomasville, Georgia.

Mary “Cathy” Clark, ’81, has retired after 35 years with the YMCA — the last 10 as president/chief executive officer of the YMCA of Muncie, Indiana.

Scott Childress, ’91, heads investor relations for Georgia-based logistics firm United Parcel Service.

Dr. Donna L. Burgraff, ’82 ’83, associate professor at Ohio University, had an article published in the January 2016 journal Higher Education for the Future. “No More Textbooks: Changing How We Structure Classes” details her solution to the increasing problem of high textbook costs in higher education. Patricia Boggs Conrad, ’82, a retired Grant County schoolteacher, and her husband, Terry A. Conrad, ’75, live in Dry Ridge, Kentucky. Stella Fugate Baker, ’85, Beattyville, Kentucky, was selected by the Kentucky Council of Teachers of English Board as KCTE Middle School Teacher of the Year. Baker teaches at Owsley County High School. Margaret Hazlette, ’85, Nicholasville, Kentucky, was recently inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Social Work Hall of Fame. Cathy Carrier Bosemer, ’86, has been named principal of Breckinridge Franklin Elementary School in Louisville, Kentucky. Linda Eckert Moser, ’86, and John Moser, ’87, of Louisville, Kentucky, recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. Their youngest son, Evan, is currently a student at EKU. Leigh Rose, ’86, of Berea, Kentucky, had her first published novel, “The Third Floor,” accepted at the Kentucky Book Fair in Frankfort in November 2015. Anton Reece, ’88, Knoxville, Tennessee, was recently named associate vice provost and director of the student success center at the University of Tennessee. Super Bowl Champion and former Eastern football standout Myron Guyton was recently inducted into the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame. After five years with the Giants, Guyton completed his career by playing two seasons with the New England Patriots.

Ken Bicknell, ’92, has been named superintendent of Paris (Kentucky) Independent Schools. From 2008 to 2015, Bicknell served as the first principal of B. Michael Caudill Middle School in Richmond, Kentucky. For the past year, he has been the education recovery leader for the Kentucky Department of Education. He and his wife, Lori Tillett Bicknell, ’93, reside in Richmond. David Williams, ’93, Richmond, Kentucky, is the new director of the University of Kentucky Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability. Tonya Tarvin Crum, ’95, has been named senior director of education for Kentucky Educational Television (KET). Since 2003, she has served as KET’s director of adult education and workforce development, and currently serves as vice chair of the National Educational Telecommunications Association. She is a former president of the EKU International Alumni Association. Kevin Hub, ’95, Richmond, Kentucky, has been named superintendent of Scott County (Kentucky) Schools. He is a former chief operating officer for Madison County (Kentucky) Schools and spent the past two years as superintendent of Logan County (Kentucky) Schools.

LEXINGTON APPOINTS FIRST FEMALE FIRE CHIEF When Kristin Chilton, ’10, was growing up, there were no female career firefighters. Then, while an undergraduate at Transylvania University, she met Lisa Daley, Lexington’s first female firefighter. Daley encouraged Chilton to sign up to ride along with emergency crews. Soon Chilton had joined the ranks. After 23 years with the department, Chilton was appointed as Lexington’s first female fire chief. Jennifer Mossotti, chair of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, said Chilton “has literally and figuratively climbed the ladder of success during her more than two decades of exemplary service with the department. She epitomizes the term ‘public servant,’ and I am confident she will provide strong leadership... while serving as a remarkable role model for future firefighters — male and female.” Chilton, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Transylvania in 1990 and a master’s degree in public health from EKU, was selected to serve as fire chief from among a field of 32 applicants, both internal and external. n

Jeremy D. Bates, ’96, has joined Advanced Global Communications Inc. in Louisville as a security services, investigations and asset protection expert. Laura Bayer Dedic, ’97 ’07, Richmond, Kentucky, was recently named assistant director of Model Laboratory School, from which she graduated in 1991.

EKU MAGAZINE 45 EKU MAGAZINE 45

ALUMNI NEWS

JUDITH MONROE, ’76

NEW CDC Foundation PRESIDENT and CEO Dr. Judith Monroe, ’76, president and CEO of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Foundation, discovered as an EKU student that leadership skills could be developed in a traditional classroom or inspired through less likely experiences. She remembers when her residence hall won first prize for Homecoming decorations. “We involved everyone in the dormitory,” explained Monroe. “We gave no visible sign of our efforts during the week leading up to Homecoming and executed our plan during the night. Our poor house mother did not think we were planning to decorate at all, and it was fun to watch her dismay turn to pride when we took first place! I was president of the dormitory, and I’ve carried that leadership experience with me into multiple jobs.” Two professors particularly motivated Monroe. “Mary McGlasson taught zoology, and I saw her as a role model,” she said. “Dr. Eugene Schroeder taught biology, and I loved his passion for the topic.” Today, Monroe connects the CDC to private-sector organizations and individuals to build public health programs. “Public-private partnerships are crucial to improving health outcomes for people in America and around the globe.” n

Gabe Uebel, ’97 ’98, was recently elected to the National Council of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity. A member of the EKU Foundation Board, he is owner and president of Splatter Inc., Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, specializing in screen printing, embroidery and promotional items, among other products and services. He and his wife, the former Leeann Gay, ’99, reside in Lawrenceburg. Ronald Todd Allen, ’98, of Berea, Kentucky, was recently promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the Madison County Sheriff’s Investigation Unit. Amelia Pence Prater, ’98, Campton, Kentucky, is an administrator at Wolfe County Health and Rehabilitation Center, which was recently named Facility of the Year by the Kentucky Association of Healthcare Facilities. Kenny Fields, ‘02, a deputy with the Madison County (Kentucky) Sheriff’s Office for the past four years, was recently promoted to sergeant. Josh Petrey, ’03, has joined the Madison County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy following nine years with the Richmond (Kentucky) Police Department. J. Clair Blankenship Edwards, ’05, an attorney with DelCotto Law Group PLLC, has been named the 2016 Outstanding Young Lawyer by the Fayette County (Kentucky) Bar Association. Edwards facilitates the CARE (Credit Abuse Resistance Education) program for Lexington’s high school students and was recently appointed as a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Trustee for the Eastern District of Kentucky. She and her husband, Robert Edwards, ’05, reside in Somerset. Larry Caudill, ’05, has been named principal of Lexington (Kentucky) Traditional Magnet School. Maria “Mia” Hansford, ’05, a poet, teacher and artist who lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a current participant in the Contemporary Performing Arts of Chattanooga (CoPAC) Full Circle Teaching Artists Program, and is working on a series of drawings and paintings of utilitarian objects, and on a collection of poems, “The Light of Certain Places.”

46 FALL 2016

Richard “Richie” Riley, ’05, has been named the 11th head men’s basketball coach at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Riley played during the 2001-02 season at Eastern. He started his coaching career at Georgetown College in 2003, was an assistant at Eastern during the 2011-12 season, and had coaching stints at the University of AlabamaBirmingham and Coastal Carolina. Jessica Lee Fugate, ’06 ’14, married Aaron Ferrell Renfro on Jan. 23, 2016, in Frankfort, Kentucky. They reside in Lexington, Kentucky, with their two dogs. Robert “Aaron” Browning, ’07, was recently named deputy director for the Knoxville (Tennessee) Parks and Recreation Department. John Zachary Burchette, ’07, married Sallee Elizabeth Mills on Dec. 31, 2015, in Danville, Kentucky. The couple, both teachers in the Knox County School System, reside in Barbourville, Kentucky. Don Goins, ’07, has joined S&ME Inc. (formerly Soil and Material Engineers) as a project industrial hygienist in the Charleston, South Carolina, area. Glenn Kahmann, ’07, has been named library director for the Town and Country Public Library District, based in Elburn, Illinois. Jenna Patton, ’07, Garnett, Kentucky, has joined Kentucky River Community Care in Hazard as its first staff occupational therapist. Michael Rossi, ’08, spent the summer of 2015 in Miami University’s Earth Expeditions global field course in Hawaii studying what it takes to save species in the wild and engaging with local partners. A life science teacher at Princeton City Schools in Middletown, Ohio, Rossi took the graduate course in pursuit of his master’s degree from Miami University’s Advanced Inquiry Program. Emmanuel “Mannie” Stone, ’08, has been selected as an ExCel (Excellence in Classroom and Educational Leadership) Award winner for 2016 and the district’s Teacher of the Year. Stone teaches at West Middle School in Shelby County, Kentucky. Ben Kleppinger, ’09, Stanford, Kentucky, was recently named editor of the Advocate-Messenger in Danville, Kentucky.

In Memoriam

ALUMNI NEWS

FACULTY & STAFF

Don McNay, ’81

DON McNAY

1. Kelly Ambrose, ’87, former Model Laboratory School teacher 2. Dr. C. Alan Beeler, retired music professor Dr. James Brooks, retired mathematics professor Jack Creech, ’49 ’55, retired Model Laboratory School teacher 3. Dr. Richard Givan, ’70 ’87, retired professor of justice studies Dr. Janet Hibbard, ’55 ’58, retired marketing professor 4. Fran Hindsman, retired professor of health information Dr. Richard “Ritchie” Hunley, ’01 ’03, professor of Appalachian Studies Eldon Lainhart, retired Central Stores employee 5. Dr. Rosanne Lorden, professor of psychology 6. Juran Darnell (J.D.) Parks, former employee who served EKU in several capacities with Student Affairs and Athletics Denise “Dee” Riggs, former assistant librarian Sandra Shapiro, retired nursing professor Donna Simmons, retired payroll manager

One of a kind. A life force. The Great Encourager. Larger than life. Mentor to many. Kind and compassionate. Gentle giant. Fiercely loyal. True Kentuckian. Fearless. Talented writer. Original, provocative voice. Wittily disarming. Courageously straightforward. Expert on many things. Best structured settlement consultant in the country. That’s what folks said about Don McNay, ’81. When Mr. McNay passed away unexpectedly on May 29, 2016, he left behind a legion of admirers, some of whom only knew him through his columns in The Huffington Post, their local newspaper or even just his Facebook posts. And that was just it: you felt like you knew Mr. McNay even if you never met him. As one Facebook tribute read, “We all thought we were your best friend, because you treated everyone like they were your best friend.” He founded McNay Settlement Group in 1982 and became one of the nation’s leading experts in helping people who have been awarded large sums of money — whether from a lucky lottery pick, insurance cases or other means. Some of his eight books touched on that subject, but his final effort, “Brand New Man: My Weight Loss Journey,” chronicled his loss, through bariatric surgery, careful diet and regular exercise, of well over 100 pounds. That he was beginning to enjoy life more than he had in many years made his sudden passing at age 57 all the more sorrowful. Just as he never forgot his friends, Mr. McNay loved his alma mater. He was a member of the University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni and the EKU Foundation Board of Directors. Donations in Mr. McNay’s honor may be made to the McNay Family Scholarship: Eastern Kentucky University, University Development, 521 Lancaster Ave., CPO 19A, Richmond, KY 40475, or online at development.eku.edu.

7. Dr. Jean Craig Surplus, retired music professor

Correction:

ALUMNI

Dr. Daniel Upton White, retired professor of English Rodney Branum, ’92

Robert Kelly, ’59

John Allen Siekman, ’66

EKU MAGAZINE 47

ALUMNI NEWS

Jeff & Jeanie Gail Bowman

1964 HOMECOMING QUEEN and ESCORT ARM IN ARM FOR 50 YEARS He was her escort for Homecoming activities when she reigned as queen in 1964.

Jeff Bowman ’65, and Jeanie Gail Bowman, ’66, ’68

And they’ve walked through life arm in arm ever since. Jeanie Gail Ashe, ’66 ’68, met Jeff Bowman, ’65, a few weeks prior to Homecoming. After one Pershing Rifles function and a football game date the weekend before the fall gala, they were smitten with each other. As they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 3, 2016, memories of that special autumn on The Campus Beautiful were never far from their hearts.

Jeff hailed from Jackson County, Kentucky, and Jeanie Gail from Rogersville, Tennessee. “My mother always said, ‘Watch out for the quiet ones,’” Jeanie Gail said. “He was so strong, and I loved that about him.”

“I thought she was the smartest, most beautiful girl on the Eastern campus in 1964,” Jeff said. “Fifty-two years later, I still think she’s the smartest and most beautiful girl I’ve ever known.”

Both went on to distinguished careers in their respective fields, were inducted into EKU’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni and speak glowingly of their Eastern Experience, which impacted their life course in every imaginable way. Together, they’ve raised two “wonderful” children and endowed three scholarship funds at their alma mater.

Though they had their differences—he was an art major, she a business education and English major—the couple found common ground in their small-town roots and values.

“I’ve lived a charmed life,” Jeanie Gail said. “We started with nothing except a good education and each other, and built together what we have.” n

Ashley Combs Norman, ’11, and her husband, Carvel Norman, opened Dirty South Pottery last year in Winchester, Kentucky. The two, who met in a ceramics class at EKU, recently began offering pottery classes at the newly renovated ceramics studio and shop.

Carolina, office, where he will also reside. He is in the process of obtaining his master’s degree from EKU in occupational safety administration. Emily DeBrock, ’13, and Jacob King, ’14, were married on April 2, 2016. Jacob is art director for Doe-Anderson Advertising, and Emily is a pre-school teacher for Jefferson County (Kentucky) Public Schools.

Rachel Mollozzi Cromer, ’12, and her husband, football alumnus Evan Cromer, ’11, started new careers in full-time ministry last year. The couple resides in Burlington, Kentucky. Whitney Leggett, ’12, was named editor of The Winchester (Kentucky) Sun earlier this year. John Parham, ’12, was recently named an academic adviser within the Cox Communications Academic Center for Student-Athletes at Louisiana State University. Brianna Boozer, ’13, and Corey Fannin, ’12, were married in July 2015. They reside in Athens, Alabama. S-E-A (Scientific Expert Analysis) fire investigator Jacob A. Critchley, ’13, has transferred to the Charlotte, North

48 FALL 2016

They reside in Louisville. Jason Colson, ’14, was named chief of the Bowling Green (Kentucky) Fire Department earlier this year.

Jim Sullivan, ’14, from Alexandria, Virginia, has been chosen as the chief building official for Johnson City, Tennessee. Sarah Carpenter, ’15, married Ryan Baker, ’15, in Berea, Kentucky on May 14, 2016. Ryan is the owner of Baker’s Farm Store in Jackson County. Sarah works in Alumni Engagement at EKU. Sean Gaudio, ’15, has been appointed a fire investigator in the Tampa, Florida, office of S-E-A (Scientific Expert Analysis).

We want to hear from you! For a comprehensive list of Class Notes or to share your good news with fellow alums, visit: alumni.eku.edu/Class-Notes

Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

Office of Alumni and Donor Engagement Alumni Center at Blanton House Eastern Kentucky University 521 Lancaster Avenue Richmond, Kentucky 40475-3102

Lexington Ky Permit #879

WWW.EKU.EDU

COME HOME

HOMECOMING AND REUNION WEEKEND

OCTOBER 20 - 23, 2016