A Publication for Alumni and Friends of Eastern Kentucky University
Campus Revitalization spring 2016
Then&now
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 Chris Radcliffe (’04) Tim Webb (’92) Stacey Sizemore (’16) Lexington Herald-Leader EKU Special Collections & Archives Robert Crawford Contributing Writers Jerry Wallace Kristi Middleton Katie Patton (’10) Margaret Muncy Willingham (’80) Erika Khair (’15) Carrie Shirley (Bullhorn Creative) Design & Layout Sr. Graphic Designer David Espinoza (’11) Design Management Jessica Holly
International Alumni Association Board President Tom Martin (’93, ’01)
Design and Magazine Layout Consultation Adam Kuhn (Bullhorn Creative) (’07) Alumni Engagement Staff Senior Director Engagement and Communications Steve Greenwell (’06)
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First Words
04
EKU Stories | stories.eku.edu
10
Campus Revitalization
16
The “Wow” Factor
18
On a Mission: Improving Water Quality in Haiti
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), Marc Collins (’97), 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), Joseph Greathouse (’87), Alex Hanavan (President, Student Alumni Ambassadors), DaJuane Harris (’13), Ryan Kennedy (’14), Donna Black Kenney (’72 ’82), Bob McCroskey (’75), David McFaddin (’99, ’15), Paul Motley (’63 ’68 ’69), Charles Neal (’98), 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)
Design Support Brandon Moore (’14) Tara Leisure (’16) Photography Coordination and Design Support Karen Lynn (’86)
Contents
Eastern Kentucky University 521 Lancaster Avenue Richmond, Kentucky 40475-3102 Visit us online eku.edu stories.eku.edu alumni.eku.edu development.eku.edu
Director Alumni Programming and Student Philanthropy Jennifer Ott (’11) Coordinator of Alumni Programming and Student Philanthropy Sarah Carpenter (’15) Administrative Assistant II Donna Lazzara 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).
Surrounded by Heroes
From “A Vision of Greatness” to “Make No Little Plans”
Malcolm Frisbie, Professor and Faculty Shepherd
Candi Graves, ’15
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A Matter of Pride
24
Books and Boots
27
A Unifying Force
28
Homecoming 2015
30
#EKU on Instagram | Stay Connected
32
Alumni News | Class Notes
34
Called to Teach: One Student’s Transformative EKU Experience
EKU Charts the Course for the Future of Colonel Athletics
Troy Ellis, ’87
EKU Ensemble Celebrates History through Song
Kalena Roark, ‘15
38
Centenary Couple Reflects on Eastern Memories
Charley, ‘47 ‘50 and Cleda Lewis, ‘50
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In Memoriam
FIRST WORDS
FIRST WORDS:
SURROUNDED
by Heroes
Along with many of my EKU colleagues and Richmond neighbors, I found myself surrounded by heroes on Wednesday, November 11. Virtually the entire Alumni Coliseum floor and a good portion of the stands were filled with law enforcement officers and other first responders from throughout Kentucky and from at least 16 other states. More than 7,000 people were in attendance.
02 SPRING 2016
That number included many from the University and community, all wishing to honor the memory of Richmond Police Officer Daniel Ellis, who had been fatally wounded in the line of duty the previous week, and to comfort his wife, Katie, other family members, friends and colleagues. It was a day we will not soon forget. If you were not there in person, perhaps you saw media reports. The images, not only from that deeply moving service but also from the 100-mile procession through the heart of Richmond in bright autumn sunshine to a family cemetery in rural Adair
County at the day’s last gleam, will forever be seared in our collective conscience. Who can forget seeing folks young and old, and from all walks of life, line the entire route to pay homage to someone they hardly knew? I have never been more proud of our campus and community. Amidst such overwhelming grief and sorrow, the show of support and solidarity was truly heartwarming. Offering our facilities was the very least EKU could do, especially for alumni like Officer Ellis and Katie. I’m proud that we could play just a small part in giving this devoted public servant the tribute he richly deserved
FIRST WORDS
“I am proud to serve an institution that honors the sacrifices of our veterans yearround.” and help his family through some dark and difficult days. November 11 was also Veterans Day and shortly after the conclusion of the service for Officer Ellis, I made my way over to our Veterans Memorial to participate in the annual campus ceremony honoring all those who have given so much to preserve our cherished way of life. Again, I was surrounded by heroes past, present and, in the case of our ROTC cadets, future. As I said at the ceremony, I am proud to serve an institution that honors the sacrifices of our veterans year-round. Yes, we talked a lot about heroes that week, on our campus, in our community and in our homes. And it only reminded me that I am privileged to work among heroes every day. Our faculty and staff invest nothing less than themselves to the betterment of our students and University. Our students overcome often tremendous, sometimes unspeakable, odds to chase their dreams. And our friends and alumni continue to give so generously of their time, talents and treasure to ensure that future generations enjoy the same or even greater opportunities than they did. I suggested to colleagues at one of the planning meetings for the visitation and funeral service that we all go home that evening and hug our family members and loved ones. We have lost so many in the Eastern family this past year – some who lived long and rich lives; others like Officer Ellis and our veterans, who died trying to protect us; and current students, who were just
beginning their promising journey. When one hurts, we all hurt. If my family and I have learned anything these past two years, we have learned what it means to be a Colonel. The best way we can honor the heroes in our midst and in our memories is to live our lives in such a way that others see us in the same light and to leave our corner of the world better than we found it. Much of this magazine is focused on a spirit of renewal at our University, and our plans to meet the needs of future Colonels. This is a team effort, encompassing all segments of our University community, and your support is much appreciated. The great majority of us will not lose our lives to a criminal or to an enemy soldier, but we can all forfeit ourselves in service to others and help build a better tomorrow. If we’ve been touched in any way by the “Eastern Experience,” either as student, graduate, employee or, yes, your president, we have already been blessed beyond measure. We have walked among heroes. Let us vow today to perpetuate that long and proud legacy. Thank you for your commitment to a truly remarkable institution and the spirit of family that animates it.
Go Colonels! Michael T. Benson President
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— EKU MAGAZINE | 02 EKU MAGAZINE 03
EKU STORIES
– EKU Stories –
In this
issue New Scholarship Helps FirstGeneration College Students Kappeler Named Justice & Safety Dean Documentary Film Chronicles History of EKU EKU 3rd Nationally among “Best for Vets” Freshman Academy for Diverse Students Enters Second Year Best Fundraising Year Since 2001 Enrollment at Record Levels; Freshman Class Best Prepared Mary Roark Named Second President Mock Trial Team Finishes 11th in Nation Polvino Honored for Philanthropy Coming Soon to an Airport Near You: EKU Aviation
STORIES.EKU.EDU
04 SPRING 2016
New Scholarship Helps First-Generation College Students EKU has established a Trailblazer Scholarship Award to assist students seeking to be the first in their families to earn college degrees. More than 800 new freshmen entering EKU in Fall 2015 were first-generation students. “Serving this population of students has been at the heart of Eastern’s mission for more than a century,” said Dr. Brett Morris, executive director for enrollment management at EKU. “This scholarship will help fulfill unmet needs many first-generation families experience when attempting to find affordable, quality college options for their children.” According to a report from the Pell Institute entitled “What Works for First-Generation Students,” many first-generation students find the amount of aid awarded is often insufficient
to offset the rising costs of college attendance. Tuition increases, stagnant grant aid, and the high costs of textbooks and transportation make it a struggle to pay for college. Also, many first-generation students choose to work rather than to take out student loans, making it difficult for them to focus time and attention on their coursework. And that’s why EKU has taken the unprecedented step of designating funds for first-generation students. “EKU prides itself as a ‘School of Opportunity,’” Morris said. “Those opportunities become fewer when the cost of attending exceeds a family’s ability to pay for a first-rate education. This scholarship will give more students the opportunity to study at EKU and help move the Commonwealth forward.”
EKU STORIES
Kappeler Named Justice & Safety Dean EKU didn’t have to look far to find a dean with the personal reputation to match its internationally renowned College of Justice & Safety. Dr. Victor Kappeler, an associate dean of the College since 2012 and a widely recognized scholar whose textbooks are commonly used by universities worldwide, succeeds Dr. Allen Ault, who announced his retirement, effective June 30, 2015 after serving 12 years in the position. Kappeler, who earned associate, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from EKU, joined
his alma mater’s faculty in 1992 and has served in various capacities, including director of graduate studies and department chair, prior to being named associate dean. In 2007, he was named an EKU Foundation Professor, the University’s highest honor for excellence in teaching, scholarship and service. Five years later, Kappeler received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Critical Criminology for his “sustained and distinguished scholarship, teaching and service in the field of critical criminology.”
Documentary Film Chronicles History of EKU “The Essential Eastern,” an 86-minute film in the making since early 2014, was produced and directed by EKU communications professor Chad Cogdill. The film follows the institution’s evolution from Central University in 1874 and Walters Collegiate Institute to its beginnings as a state normal school in 1906 and then to a state college and, eventually in 1966, a university. Through two world wars and other military conflicts, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement and integration, the film touches on the historical events and cultural and societal issues that helped shape the campus and the students, faculty and staff who have called it home. “What emerged,” said Cogdill, “was Eastern’s resiliency during difficult times, coupled with a strong sense of community throughout the institution’s history. As with many educational institutions, Eastern has endured its share of victories and setbacks. But one thing remained clear, and that is a strong sense of community and institutional pride.” Cogdill said the film was inspired and informed by Dr. Bill Ellis’ 2005 book, “A History of Eastern Kentucky University.” Television personality Nick Clooney served as narrator. The film, which premiered last November at the EKU Center for the Arts and will also air on KET, features interviews with 18 figures from the University’s past and present.
EKU 3rd Nationally among “Best for Vets” For the fifth time in six years, EKU ranks third or higher nationally among four-year schools in the Military Times “Best for Vets” rankings. Eastern finished third nationally (and tops in Kentucky) in the 2016 rankings, behind only the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of South Florida. The rankings measure schools on their commitment to helping military veterans further their education. EKU ranked No. 1 in 2011 and 2013 and No. 2 in 2012 and 2015. The rankings are determined by a survey of more than 120 questions, as well as data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense and three Department of Education databases. EKU is home to more than 1,500 military-affiliated students and their dependents.
EKU MAGAZINE 05
EKU STORIES
Freshman Academy for Diverse Students Enters Second Year The second year of the highly successful Freshman Academy for Diverse Students promises even greater opportunities for its participants. When the Academy was launched in 2014 to promote the retention of all students, with a particular focus on minority students, organizers hoped it would build a “culture of achievement.” The results from the inaugural year suggest it accomplished just that. The fall-to-fall retention rate for the 51 first-year Academy participants was 82.4 percent, well above the average for other diverse students, and 77 percent are in good academic standing. Also, the average GPA of the group is 2.69, surpassing the average of other freshman diverse students. Now sophomores, those students are remaining with the Academy to serve as mentors for the program’s incoming freshmen and gain additional leadership skills. The mentors and mentees meet on a regular basis. The Academy is designed to provide first-year students with the information, encouragement and direction they need in order to navigate college life and reach their academic, personal and professional goals at EKU. In addition to the mentoring by their older classmates and faculty and staff, the second class of Academy freshmen will benefit from their participation in a couple of two-day seminars – one focused on the comprehensive college experience and involving students from three states, and another specifically on college skills. Additionally, the students will benefit from various interactive workshops as well as other academic and social activities.
06 SPRING 2016
This past fall’s GLIMPSE Diversity Student Leadership Conference attracted 140 students from EKU and all across Kentucky. GLIMPSE is an acronym for Gathering, Listening, Igniting, Mending, Persevering, Surviving and Empowering. The three-day event, designed to help students expand their horizons and develop their leadership skills, included numerous breakout sessions, including one involving Legos®.
Best Fundraising Year Since 2001 EKU recently concluded its best year for fundraising since 2001. Private giving for Fiscal Year 2015 totaled $4,144,457, according to Nick Perlick, vice president for development and alumni relations. The total, he added, reflects donations to all areas of the University: academic colleges and departments, facilities, athletics, the Center for the Arts, The Eastern Fund, endowed scholarship funds and more. “We are pleased with this year’s fundraising efforts, but also know we can do even better,” said EKU President Michael Benson. “We thank our donors and friends who voluntarily support EKU. All of us charged with helping lead EKU forward promise our donors that their investment will continue to positively impact countless lives.” More than 9,200 donors, approximately half of whom are EKU alumni, contributed to the total. Two of the larger gifts this past year were designated in support of ongoing campus revitalization efforts. Donald and Irene Dizney contributed the lead cash gift, the largest ever to EKU Athletics, in support of a multi-purpose facility to replace the east-side grandstands at Roy
Kidd Stadium. Ron and Sherrie Lou Noel, whose 2008 gift made possible the Noel Studio for Academic Creativity in John Grant Crabbe Main Library, directed their philanthropy this past year to a project on the opposite side of the Library – an outdoor reading porch that now overlooks a newly fashioned pedestrian mall. Additional significant gifts came in FY 2015 in support of scholarships, which Perlick said “will continue to be a top fundraising priority.” The 2015 total was also augmented by several significant bequest gifts. "Planned giving, as it is also known, has gained interest recently among EKU supporters as a means to make commitments in support of the University’s future," Perlick said. WEKU surpassed its fall drive goal of $75,000 and added another $2,000 a month in sustainer income, bringing the station’s total monthly giving (automatically billed to listeners) to approximately $8,000 a month.
EKU STORIES
ENROLLMENT at Record Levels; Freshman Class Best Prepared It’s a new day at EKU: ongoing construction of the second phase of what will be the largest science facility in the Commonwealth, plans to transform the educational experience with a Center for Student Life, various landscaping enhancements and a revamped merit scholarship model designed to attract more of the best and brightest students. Prospective students are paying attention. This fall, the University welcomed its largest-ever class of new freshmen (2,906, up 6.8 percent from 2014), part of a near-record total enrollment of 16,844. EKU’s largest enrollment in the past 35 years was 16,866 in Fall 1992; after a period of decline, it recovered to reach 16,567 in Fall 2010. It’s not just a matter of quantity. University officials also say this is the institution’s best-prepared freshman class. The number of students entering with developmental needs
is down from 31 percent two years ago to 21 percent this year. This year’s freshman class also brings a higher average ACT score (22.2) and high school GPA (3.28) than any preceding class. Thanks in part to EKU’s state-ofthe-art New Science Building, the number of freshmen enrolling in STEM disciplines is up significantly. For example, 33 freshmen are majoring in physics, up from seven a year ago, and the number of freshman chemistry majors increased from 85 to 121. This year’s total also includes a record number of Latino students. EKU hired a fulltime Latino recruitment specialist in 2013 and recently added two diversity recruitment and retention specialists. Online enrollment also continues to rise, with approximately 3,000 fully online students. Dr. Brett Morris, executive director for enrollment management, attributed much of the good news to EKU’s new scholarship model, for which the University increased scholarship funding by nearly $2 million. Under the new model, most freshmen with an unweighted GPA of at least 3.0 and a composite ACT of 23 or higher will qualify for substantial scholarships for their four years of college. This year, EKU awarded merit scholarships to 39 percent of its freshmen, up from 28 percent a year ago. Fifty members of this year’s incoming freshman class are former Governor’s Scholars, up from 29 a year ago.
“At EKU, student success is not defined by one person, department or division. It is defined by the collaborative efforts of faculty, staff and students across our University to make good on the promise that dreams can come true at EKU.” Dr. Laurie Carter EKU Executive Vice President and University Counsel
Student Success Center Will Open Spring 2016 www.facebook.com/EKUStudentSuccessCenter
@EKUSSC
@ekusuccesscenter
EKU MAGAZINE 07
EKU STORIES
Mary Roark Named Second President As acting president 1909-10, Mary C. Roark led what was then Eastern Kentucky State Normal School at a time when women couldn’t even vote in state or federal elections. Because of her trailblazing achievements, the EKU Board of Regents voted in February 2015 to remove the word “acting” from her title and officially designate her as the institution’s second president. Mrs. Roark succeeded her husband, Eastern’s first president, Ruric Nevel Roark (1906-09), when he became ill in February 1909. After he died two months later, she continued to serve in the position until April
1910, when John Grant Crabbe was named president. She was the first female to serve as president, albeit acting, of a public higher education institution in Kentucky history. EKU Archivist Emeritus Charles Hay and recent graduate and Honors Scholar Damir Siahkoohi addressed the Regents about Mrs. Roark’s contributions. “The Roarks worked tirelessly as a collaborative team to promote educational and social reform throughout Kentucky,” Hay said. Hay recalled a conversation he enjoyed with Eastern’s first graduate, Leslie Anderson, who earned a degree in 1909. “I asked him about Mrs. Roark, and he said he always considered her as president.” Siahkoohi said enrollment increased 25 percent during Mrs. Roark’s tenure, adding
that she helped Appalachian students attend the fledgling college and established the first all-female residence hall. Because Ms. Roark is now officially the institution’s second president, all subsequent presidents are one number higher in the sequence. EKU's current president, Michael Benson, is now President No. 13.
Mock Trial Team Finishes 11th in Nation Out of more than 600 collegiate mock trial teams nationwide that began the season, EKU’s squad finished 11th. Competing in the 48-team American Mock Trial Association National Championship Tournament (NCT) in April, the EKU team finished with a 6-6 record against what Coach Tom Parker called “an extremely tough set of opponents.” Eastern began by taking one of three ballots against the University of Arizona, which finished seventh; then swept all three ballots against Ivy League opponent Brown University in the second round. EKU then took two of three ballots from the University of Delaware, the 10th-place team, before losing three close ballots to the second-place finishers, the University of California at Berkeley, in the fourth round. EKU’s National Championship Tournament appearance was its first since 2012, when it finished 14th. It was the University’s highest finish in the event since 2009, when it placed fifth.
Polvino Honored for Philanthropy She became one of the nation’s winningest volleyball coaches during a 31-year coaching tenure at EKU, where her teams fashioned a 627-439 record and captured nine conference championships and eight league tournament titles. But Dr. Geri Polvino’s true legacy can’t be found in the pages of a record book or reflected in all the shiny hardware that graces EKU trophy cases. It’s in the legacy of changed lives – and it only starts with Polvino’s former players and students. The Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame member was honored last fall by the Association of Fundraising Professionals for her “exceptional” philanthropic efforts, as reflected through her gifts, and her “generosity of spirit and time.” Polvino, EKU’s first volleyball coach, retired in 1997, but has remained actively involved with Eastern as well as other local institutions of higher education. Her giving totals more than $2 million, with that support taking many forms.
08 SPRING 2016
EKU STORIES
Coming Soon to an Airport Near You: EKU Aviation The skies over Kentucky are increasingly dotted with airplanes bearing the familiar EKU logo, thanks to new 2 + 2 partnerships with community and technical colleges in Ashland, Hazard, Middlesboro and Owensboro. It’s all part of an effort to help prepare pilots for the 500,000 openings expected during the next 20 years. Students begin the flight portion of their degrees at airports near the colleges and then continue to take classes toward their associate degrees. The aviation courses will be taught by local instructors hired by EKU. The upper division courses for juniors and seniors are offered entirely online by EKU. Setting the stage for the partnership, the FAA in 2013 granted special authority for EKU aviation-professional flight graduates to take the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) check ride at 1,000 hours. More recently, the FAA added the University’s aviation-aerospace technology degree-completion pathway, designed for community colleges, to its list of approved “1,000 hour-power” degrees. Thus, EKU offers the nation’s only FAA-approved “1,000-hour power” R-ATP 2 + 2 degree pathway to aviation careers. So, along with their associate and bachelor’s degrees, the community and technical college students are able to complete their FAA private pilot through instructor pilot certificates and ratings, and simultaneously earn their R-ATP “1,000-hour power” certificates. This enables the airlines to hire the OCTC/EKU graduates at 1,000 hours instead of waiting until 1,500 total hours. More 2 + 2 partnerships are planned. In fact, EKU hopes to blanket the state where community and technical colleges are co-located with a regional airport. “Our goal,” President Benson said, “is to fly the EKU flag at every regional airport in the Commonwealth and across the United States.”
Do you have an idea for a story you would like to see in the next issue? Submit your ideas online! go.eku.edu/story-idea See more stories @ stories.eku.edu
ACTC President Kay Adkins and EKU President Michael Benson (Photo courtesy ACTC) EKU MAGAZINE 09
10 SPRING 2016
From “A Vision of Greatness” to
“Make No Little Plans” What is a quintessential day at Eastern? Greeting the morning sun from the Ravine? Traversing the plaza at Keen Johnson? Catching a game at Roy Kidd Stadium? Buried in books at the Crabbe Library? The evolution of iconic buildings and locations helps shape memories of the Eastern experience. The University’s ever-changing landscape is a result of visionary leadership in lightning-rod periods of change – from Robert R. Martin to Michael T. Benson. A palpable sense of excitement and momentum has enveloped the University as it advances to fit the changing needs of its student population. This isn’t the first time the campus has seen an explosion of major construction and renovation projects.
EKU MAGAZINE 11
CAMPUS REVITALIZATION
12 SPRING 2016
CAMPUS REVITALIZATION
Robert Martin "A Vision of Greatness" When Martin assumed the presidency of Eastern Kentucky State College in July 1960, he was the first Eastern graduate to lead the institution. “He was intensely loyal to Eastern,” EKU Archivist Emeritus Charles Hay said. June 1961 – Governor Bert Combs, Robert Martin and Lyndon Johnson, during groundbreaking at Alumni Coliseum.
During his 16-year tenure, Martin, through a combination of strong will, intelligent planning and charismatic leadership, transformed the face and very character of Eastern, bringing the institution into the modern era. EKU President Emeritus Doug Whitlock was a student under Martin in the early 1960s, and his firsthand experience speaks to the power of Martin’s presence: “He left an indelible stamp on this institution that remains to this day.” Martin was the perfect person at a pivotal time for Eastern. In anticipation of a wave of baby boomers and a substantial influx of veterans thanks to the GI Bill, he worked diligently to ready the Richmond campus. He organized the school’s departments to become academic colleges, dramatically updated facilities and oversaw structural development that spanned all aspects of students’ lives: Alumni Coliseum, Roy Kidd Stadium, the Moore Building, Whalin Complex and more. Martin’s moving inauguration speech, titled “A Vision of Greatness,” outlined a plan for change based on essential principles concerning the role
of education in Kentucky and in the lives of students. “Neither Eastern of the past nor the Eastern of the present will be adequate to the demands of the future,” he declared. Martin’s principles hold true to this day, even in a different cultural climate. Architect Byron Romanowitz was a key member of the team that shaped the Eastern campus during the Martin era. He and partner Ernst Johnson worked extensively with Martin on building men’s residence halls and the University’s core: the Powell Building, the renovated Keen Johnson Building and the Chapel of Meditation. The vast majority of the buildings were built in the “concrete brutalist” style, consistent with the architecture of the time across the country, particularly in academic settings. The style, with its heavy concrete blocks and minimal windows, looms large on campus to this day. “It’s honest in terms of the form and structure,” Romanowitz said. In some way, the architecture of that time reflected the personality of a president who also loomed large on EKU’s campus. “Martin was passionate, he was effective and he knew what he wanted.”
Groundbreaking ceremony for New Science Building Phase II EKU MAGAZINE 13
CAMPUS REVITALIZATION
Michael T. Benson "Make no Little Plans" When the University’s Board of Regents was seeking a “bold, visionary leader” to assume the presidency in 2013, it unanimously selected Benson, then president of Southern Utah University. In a time of shrinking state appropriations and a crowded competitive landscape, Benson’s reputation as a fundraiser, charismatic communicator and advocate for student success made him the right person at the right time for EKU. In his inauguration speech, “Make No Little Plans,” Benson’s devotion to students and their academic success was unequivocal. Like Martin, he cares deeply about the right to education: “It’s not a private good, it’s a public benefit.” “I am the chief emissary of (the EKU) experience,” said Benson, confident in the team he has assembled and deeply passionate about the future of the school. “The phrase alma mater means nurturing mother,” he noted. “That’s an interesting metaphor. The University gives birth to an individual (as) they go from adolescence into adulthood.” Benson takes the responsibility wrapped in those words seriously. Increasingly, the best and brightest students in Kentucky and beyond are choosing Eastern. This year’s freshman class is the best prepared and one of the largest in the institution’s history. The uptick in quantity and quality bodes well for Eastern. “Our task is to prepare citizens of the 21st century,” Benson said. “Young people today are not just competing with graduates or students from the surrounding counties or states. It’s a more global environment.” Noel Reading Porch Grand Opening (Left Middle) Topping Out Ceremony of New Science Building Phase II (Left Bottom) 14 SPRING 2016
In order for EKU to accommodate that growth and thrive in a highly competitive college marketplace, Benson is dedicated to developing an intentionally planned, modern campus. Unique and desirable academic programs complemented by modern facilities that satisfy the needs of the 21st-century learner are the seeds for success. Students who are prepared to advance to the workplace require modern facilities that mirror a real-world experience. Finding that delicate balance between “needs” and “wants” is an ongoing dialogue, of course, but the Benson administration is pursuing an aggressive and ambitious building strategy that will leave its mark on EKU’s physical landscape for years to come. The nexus to those aspirations lies in a solid plan. The architecture and planning firm of Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company is assisting the University with master planning. Principal Keith Storms
CAMPUS REVITALIZATION
Women’s Health Clinic Ribbon Cutting (Right) Lancaster Avenue Pedestrian Gateway (Below)
“There has never been a more exciting time to be a part of the EKU family.” — Michael T. Benson —
described the process as “holistically planning for the University’s building and infrastructure systems to support its goals over a 10-year time period.” Buildings, roads, open spaces, athletics and dining halls – everything that impacts student experience – are all “on the table” in order to develop a comprehensive construction strategy. The goals include making the campus core more pedestrian-friendly and providing more green space, where possible, while balancing access to parking and transportation. In addition, the plan will consider the best use of land from a sustainability standpoint, including energy use, parking and transportation, storm water, and making the best use of campus facilities. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about (Martin),” Benson said at his Fall 2015 convocation, before adding that much of the infrastructure dating to Martin’s visionary presidency is now 50-60 years old. “That’s
why we’re talking about campus revitalization. This is our chance to shape our campus in a very significant way ... one of our finest moments ... a chance to make a difference. We can control our own destiny.” The architectural firm of Murphy+ Graves+Trimble is responsible for several facilities included in the master plan, from a Lancaster Avenue revitalization study to a new Model Laboratory School/College of Education complex, a new alumni/welcome center and a new student recreation center. The Lancaster Avenue revitalization study was informed by Benson’s desire to unify the campus around Eastern’s most historic buildings and their traditional architectural language. “It is at the core of everything we are doing,” Benson said. “There has never been a more exciting time to be a part of the EKU family.” During the planning process, all decisions are based on feedback from the full spectrum
of the EKU family: students, faculty, staff, alumni and community. Descriptions of the interactions with the campus have proven productive. “That excitement is contagious,” MGT Principal Tim Murphy added. “It’s a tremendous opportunity right in front of us,” guided by a president Murphy describes as “a galvanizing presence on campus.” President Benson is not just hopeful. He is thoughtful. “I’m not chasing growth just to chase growth,” he said. “This is going to be measured, informed growth with students that graduate who are ready to be in the world.” More than a half-century since Martin reshaped both the campus and expectations for Eastern, Benson is doing the same, moving forward with a renewal plan that promises to “transform the way we learn, live and work together and even change the way others perceive us. “To every man comes that special moment,” Benson said, quoting Winston Churchill at a public forum in July 2015. “I believe I am here with my colleagues and all of you at a really unique moment in history. It falls to us to take advantage of this moment. “I don’t want us to look back here at Eastern at what might have been.” For more information, visit ekubuilds.eku.edu
EKU MAGAZINE 15
THE "WOW" FACTOR
Malcolm Frisbie
Professor of Biological Sciences and Faculty Shepherd
The
factor 16 SPRING 2016
THE "WOW" FACTOR
Thousands of hours of discussion. Design of 340,000 square feet. That is the continuing task of Dr. Malcolm Frisbie, professor of biology and faculty shepherd of the New Science Building.
What is your favorite memory teaching at EKU? Early in my career, I took students for an all-day trip to the Red River Gorge. Those trips were always satisfying for me, thinking that perhaps some of those students would pay a little more attention, and appreciate a bit more deeply, the natural world around them.
What do you enjoy most about being in the classroom? I really feed on interaction with students. Many students are afraid of science, or think they don’t like science, or both. Science is fascinating. I have fun talking with students about the natural world and helping them explore new things.
THE SCIENTIFIC FACTS Space for the Departments of Biological Sciences and Geosciences • Doubles Geosciences’ GIS/ Remote Sensing computer lab space • Specifically designed spaces for collections in Biological Sciences, including aquatic organisms and plant specimens
What does being part of the building process mean to you? Again and again, faculty and staff have said, “This is my chance to help make this building better,” and they have stepped up to the plate. EKU really is a special place. When push comes to shove, we do focus on furthering the mission of the University.
“It’s a great facility. It has the ‘wow’ factor.” — Malcolm Frisbie
Professor of Biological Sciences
Expected completion of the New Science Building is late 2017. EKU MAGAZINE 17
ALUMNI PROFILE
On a Mission:
Improving Water Quality in Haiti
Candi Graves, ’15 Environmental Health Sciences Major Recent alumna Candi Graves came to EKU with the goal of becoming a dentist. That changed during the course of a one-week mission trip to Haiti during the summer of 2013. She came back with a love for the small island nation and a desire to help the people. To expedite her newly found passion, she began taking courses in environmental health science. Graves fell in love with the material and the faculty within the department. Upon taking a class on water and wastewater taught by Dr. Jason Marion, she started questioning the water supply that her mission was using in Haiti. Marion was able to provide some feedback on how such a system could be evaluated for water quality and safety. During a 2014 internship to Haiti, she tested the density of fecal indicator bacteria within the water supply of the village where her mission was located. Upon discovering deficiencies in the existing water treatment system, she was able to use her results by partnering with researchers from Clemson University. As a result of this partnership, a new UV-based disinfection system was installed in the village, creating a clean and safe drinking supply for the area. “Candi performed marvelously in her own mission to improve the water source once she discovered the extent of the contamination problem present,” Marion said. “Candi’s work has likely already saved the lives of a number of children, and has significantly reduced the burden of gastrointestinal disease in the community in Haiti that she calls one of her homes.” Graves credits her time at EKU for pushing her to want to make a difference wherever she is. “It’s the mentality of Eastern Kentucky University,” she said. “It’s not just about getting through those four years. It’s about using the time to make a difference and develop a mindset of service.” Graves graduated in May 2015. She recently finished a prestigious United States Public Health Service CO-STEP internship with Indian Health Services in Wisconsin and again returned to Haiti for three weeks in October. “If I had to do it all over again and pick a school, I would pick Eastern 100 times,” Graves said. “It has honestly shaped the person I am today and has provided me with so many opportunities. It’s a small school with big university opportunities for this small-town Kentucky girl.”
18 SPRING 2016
COLONEL CLUB 2016 EKU Colonel Club has big plans for 2016, and we want you to be a part of the excitement! Colonel Club members – our loyal alumni, parents and friends – make tax-deductible contributions providing vital resources for all aspects of Colonel Athletics, including scholarships, travel expenses, equipment, academic support and many other areas. They enjoy membership benefits such as priority seating, priority parking, bookstore discounts and more.
THE ELITE 100 With a gift of $1000 or more, these special members of the Colonel Club enjoy exclusive membership benefits such as special event and ticket priority, pre-game and halftime receptions for select men’s and women’s basketball games, autographed team pictures, an annual coaches reception and inside access to practices. View a full list of membership benefits at ekusports.com.
EKUColonels @EKUSports
#GoBigE
Become a member today! visit ekusports.com or call (859) 622-2046
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A MATTER OF PRIDE
Roy Kidd (Above) Head Football Coach, 1964-2002
From humble beginnings to national glory, Coach Roy Kidd’s story is EKU’s story. When he arrived at EKU in 1950, he was planning to spend four years playing baseball and football, then
New leadership
move on.
interviewed for this position, I knew what I was getting into,” he said. “I was getting into opportunity. It was the opportunity to build something. Leaders who are successful are those folks who have surrounded themselves with good people.”
“I had one pair of shoes and one pair of Levi’s. My brother dropped me off, and when I got out of the car he said, ‘Good luck and goodbye.’” After Kidd’s time as a student, he returned to campus in 1963 to coach football, and went on to lead a vaunted, decades-long career that solidified EKU as a formidable presence in the world of college athletics. Why does a university prize its athletics? For EKU, athletics embody the University’s history, its values, its identity. Athletics are the engines that help drive growth and spirit. As Deputy Athletics Director Matt Roan said, “It may not be the most important room, but it’s the front door.” EKU has a winning tradition. More than that, the University boasts a tradition of sincere pride. As Coach Kidd often says, for EKU, winning is “a matter of pride.” With emerging plans for construction of athletic facilities, and a bold leadership team, there has never been a better time to become familiar with, or rediscover that pride. Plans for the future of athletics at EKU are bold. In the spring of 2004, Athletics was approved for the sale of $15 million worth of bonds. They broke the money down and committed it to several areas. EKU Athletics will take a holistic view of its facilities. “We want to see all our sports be successful,” Roan said, “and facilities is a huge part of that.”
A former University of Kentucky basketball player, Steve Lochmueller was hired in March 2015 straight from the corporate world. “When I
Lochmueller has certainly lived up to that, as evidenced in his decision to hire Roan. Both are former student athletes with combined experience in the higher education and corporate realms. “The more hats you can wear, the better you are at understanding your job,” Roan said. “Steve comes here with a strong business acumen,” said President Michael Benson, who is confident in the team Lochmueller is assembling. Working as a team, Benson, Lochmueller and Roan aim to position EKU Athletics as a revenue generator. “If you look at the percentage of our athletics budget as a percentage of the University budget,” Benson noted, “it has gone down, while the total athletics budget has increased.” That’s a huge positive step to ensure that athletics and academics will not only co-exist but enhance each other. Aside from the financial management, Lochmueller finds his greatest reward in
Matt Roan (Left) Deputy Athletics Director Steve Lochmueller (Right) Athletics Director
“Leaders who are successful are those folks who have surrounded themselves with good people.” — Steve Lochmueller — day-to-day interactions with student athletes: “That gets you up every morning.” Combined with fan surveys and alumni feedback, student athletes’ experiences directly inform how the Athletics Department plans for the future. That kind of attention is unique for a school and program of this size. But EKU is a school that likes to show off its family portrait. It comes as no surprise to the student athletes who are drawn here. “If we’re going to do the right thing by the student athletes, we have to prepare them for the future,” Lochmueller said. Whether it is career placement or continuing education, EKU student athletes can leverage the full complement of services offered by the university. “The majority of our folks are not going to play at the next level. We hope that they do. We wish them the best. We give them everything we can to make sure they do well. Almost 100 percent of our students are getting hired after they graduate. These are success stories as much as winning a game.”
EKU MAGAZINE 21
A MATTER OF PRIDE
Deverin Muff Class of 2015
Rachel Vick Class of 2016
BA Public Relations, MA Physical Education
Occupational Science
From the moment he was first contacted, Deverin Muff, ’15, knew that Eastern was going to be his home. “It clicked,” he said. Although his recruitment process was long, his move onto campus was short. “I made my decision in April, graduated in June and two weeks later I was on campus taking summer classes.” While he was a student, Muff was vice president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, volunteered at the hospital and local churches, and wrote columns for the Richmond Register and the Eastern Progress. “Looking back at it, I don’t know how I did so much,” Muff said, “but I’m glad I did it. It was worth every single second of it.” Muff is now working full-time in EKU Alumni Development and Engagement. “I have a new team now,” he said. His responsibilities range from game-day preparation to simple outreach. He plans on staying at EKU for as long as he can, “in whatever role that they need me.” “As an athlete, you’re always in the public eye,” Muff said, “I’m still an ambassador. I still carry that with me now.”
Similarly, Rachel Vick, ’16, was “completely drawn in by the efforts EKU made to connect with me.” A middle blocker on the volleyball team, Vick felt more than comfortable at EKU. “You can really trust the people here.” The occupational therapy major is president of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and learning to play the guitar: “I’m not very good at it yet. I’m working on it.” She will continue her education by pursuing a graduate degree in OT at EKU. Harking back to the Roy Kidd era and beyond, EKU captures the opportunity to produce athletes who have a true sense of pride and a value system that prepares them for the future. “EKU has a wonderful tradition of hard work and dedication and great athletics,” Vick said. “To be a part of a team here means taking that on and embodying all those values.” President Benson agrees, adding that he reminds EKU student athletes “the name on the front (of the uniform) is more important than the name on the back.”
“This is a new day,” Lochmueller added. “The door is open. We need to take advantage of that, and take our best shot.”
22 SPRING 2016
As Athletics rises, so does the University. A firm understanding of its humble beginnings paired, with a laser focus on the future and national prominence, is still the EKU story. With new leadership assembling a support system to reach new athletic milestones, EKU is poised on the cusp of something truly great.
A MATTER OF PRIDE
EASTERN ATHLETICS IS ON THE RISE
Drive Underway to Construct Statue of Coach Kidd
Dan McHale (Left) Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Edwin Thompson (Middle) Head Baseball Coach, Mark Elder (Right) Head Football Coach
EKU WELCOMED 3 NEW HEAD COACHES IN 2015 Former University of Minnesota and Louisville Assistant Coach Dan McHale assumed the reins of the men’s basketball program in April 2015. As he promised upon his hiring, his Colonels have played a fast-paced style, ranking among the nation’s top-scoring teams in the pre-conference portion of the schedule. McHale worked under Hall of Fame Coach Rick Pitino at Louisville from 2002 to 2003 and went on to work under Head Coach Kevin Willard at Iona College and Seton Hall before joining the staff of Pitino’s Son, Richard Pitino, at Minnesota. In July, Edwin Thompson was named head baseball coach. Thompson comes to EKU from Georgia State University, where he served as pitching coach and then recruiting coordinator and defensive coordinator. His 2015 recruiting class at GSU was ranked by Perfect Game as one of the top 100 recruiting classes in the country. Previously, he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Duke University, where his recruiting classes also ranked among the nation’s best. In all, he has recruited and coached 11 All-Americans and 24 players who went on to play professional baseball. In December 2015, Mark Elder was introduced as the Colonels’ new head football coach. Elder had served as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator under Head Coach Butch Jones at the University of Tennessee since 2013. He previously coached linebackers under Jones at Central Michigan University, 2007-09, and then followed him to the University of Cincinnati, where he coached tight ends. He also coached running backs, safeties and special teams at various times at Cincinnati. This season, Elder was recognized as one of the top recruiters in college football.
A drive is underway to raise the funds needed to construct a bronze statue of retired College Football Hall of Fame Coach Roy Kidd and a granite wall that will bear the names of all those who coached with him and played for him. Ernie House, a standout player under Kidd who now serves as vice chair of the EKU Board of Regents, said the goal is to eventually raise $150,000. Kidd’s teams won 315 games and two national I-AA titles during his 39-year career at EKU. For more information or to make an online donation, visit go.eku.edu/kiddfund.
Nicki Henry, ’15, Marketing and Professional Golf Management Major, Women’s Golf Team
Academic Accolades EKU student athletes continue to excel both on and off the field with the mentoring and support of the faculty and academic staff. • Seven programs received perfect scores of 1,000 on the NCAA APR report for the 2013-14 academic year • Women’s golf led the nation with six All-American scholars in 2013 • Volleyball received a 2015 NCAA APR Public Recognition Award for posting a perfect 1,000 multi-year APR score for the second straight year • 2015 overall student-athlete GPA has exceeded 3.0 for seven consecutive semesters • 13 of 17 teams have a 3.0 or higher term team GPA for Spring 2015
EKU MAGAZINE 23
BOOKS AND BOOTS
& Troy Ellis, ’87 Executive Vice President for Supply Chain Domino's Pizza
He grew up “poor, but not deprived” in a single-parent home on Louisville’s West End, living with his mother and two older sisters, “but truly surrounded by a village” – a father outside the home, aunts, uncles, cousins and neighbors. They all helped keep young Troy Ellis “in line” and accountable. “Things could have gone in a different direction for me, and often did for others in my community,” Ellis recalled. His own life soon took a different direction, but it was a path that ultimately led Ellis in June 2015 to his current position as executive vice president for supply chain with food giant Domino’s. It was hardly the career
24 SPRING 2016
BOOKS AND BOOTS
"…there is nothing more rewarding than looking in the eyes of a child or young adult and seeing you have made a difference."
equivalent of a 30-minute pizza delivery but, rather, a seemingly circuitous but ultimately connected series of steps that led to the top of one of the world’s most recognizable brands. When Ellis followed the footsteps of an older sister, Leveta Ellis, and enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University in 1983, he soon discovered that his grants and small loans weren’t quite sufficient. To help pay for school expenses, he entered the Army’s Simultaneous Membership Program (SMP), which allowed him to serve in the Army Reserves as an enlisted soldier and attend school full time. He joined the University’s renowned ROTC program after his sophomore year. The decision to combine books and boots proved a most fortuitous move. “SMP and ROTC had a tremendous impact on my life,” he said. “I am certain I would not be in the position I am today without those experiences. They forced me to quickly become disciplined, accountable and more mature, or fail. For an 18-year-old from the West End of Louisville away from home for the first time, the impact was significant. I couldn’t party all week and wake up at 5 a.m. and run around campus. Or party every weekend and go to Reserves.” At the same time, the coursework at Eastern was “foundational,” Ellis said. He remembers two faculty members in particular, crediting Charles Latta and Claude Vaughn
for their “major impact on me.” Latta “went out of his way and took a personal interest in my growth and development. He inspired me to do better. I knew if I did not get a ‘B’ or above he would pull me to the side and tell me I can do better and to apply myself. He held me accountable, which was exactly what I needed.” Vaughn was “the reason I became interested in business. He was a tough, challenging teacher who would not let you just answer a question but wanted to make sure you understood all that went into an answer. He also took a personal interest by taking time outside of class hours to explain and teach. I remember a lot of people avoiding his economics classes because he was so tough. I loved them because they challenged me in the right way. As a result, I believe I had a deeper understanding and a competitive advantage.” His edge only sharpened from service in the Army’s 101st Airborne Corps Support Group from 1988 to 1991. “I strongly believe that the military is the largest leadership development organization in the world,” Ellis declared. “The military is also one of the most expansive and effective supply chain organizations in the world. So I would say that my military experience was significant in my success. I went into the corporate world a highly trained leader and supply chain expert at a very young age.
What I learned in two years some of my current peers have still not been able to grasp.” Ellis worked for Kimberly-Clark Corp. and PepsiCo before joining Coca-Cola in 2000. He went on to hold various leadership roles with Coca-Cola Enterprises until 2010, after which he served as senior vice president for conversion and senior vice president for manufacturing for Coca-Cola Refreshments. Reporting now to Domino’s CEO J. Patrick Doyle, Ellis oversees 26 supply chain centers in the U.S. and Canada and is responsible for supplier management, including procurement, quality assurance and compliance functions within the company. In short, it’s his job to “ensure our customers get what they need, when they need it across the globe. Our success is defined by our customer. We must deliver a phenomenal product on time every time, which leads to a number of key business objectives around safety, cost, quality, customer service and people. “I firmly believe the primary responsibility of a leader at my level is to clearly communicate where we expect the organization to go and require them to contribute to achieving the vision and objectives. Set expectations, engage, support, and hold accountable.” Sounds a lot like his life-changing experiences and encounters in the military and at EKU. The advice he gives current students adds a call to serve: “You can achieve all your dreams, but it starts with you believing. As your career grows and your responsibility increases, never let your ego get larger than your purpose. Leaders are required to serve.” Ellis walks the talk. The father of three serves as co-chair of C5 Georgia, a youth development organization, and the Southeast Board of Trustees for Boys and Girls Club “because there is nothing more rewarding than looking in the eyes of a child or young adult and seeing you have made a difference. All those who have seen any measure of success have a responsibility to pull others with them. I truly believe the more you give the more you will receive. Nelson Mandela said something like if you hold on to your gifts they die, but what you give back lives forever.”
EKU MAGAZINE 25
Why Support EKU? LET US GIVE YOU THREE GREAT REASONS. Jalen
Accounting Major from Louisville, KY
Recipient of donor-funded scholarships, which enabled him to complete his final year and obtain his degree. Your support provides generous scholarships to hundreds of students every year.
Ansley
Forensic Science Major from Atlanta, GA
Researched many colleges, but selected EKU after meeting faculty and receiving a personalized tour of the impressive New Science Building. Your support of campus revitalization projects helps attract top students from across the country.
Justin
Spanish Major from Campbellsville, KY
Spent a semester studying abroad and was one of three EKU students selected for the Salzburg Global Citizenship Program in Austria. Your support enables students to engage in life-changing experiences around the world.
Make your gift today! development.eku.edu
A UNIFYING FORCE
A Unifying Force
EKU Ensemble Celebrates History through Song
“Little did I know when I joined this group in the ’70s that this would become my story, and this is still my song.” — Sherri Beaumont Hoover —
When members of the Eastern Kentucky University Gospel Ensemble gathered for a special reunion concert during the 2015 Homecoming Weekend, they came with songs in their hearts and warm memories of what the groundbreaking student-led group meant to their EKU experience. Established in 1968 by African-American students, the EKU Ensemble became a unifying force on campus and an inspiration to many during a time marked with racial unrest across the country. The message the Ensemble delivered to audiences at church worship services centered on “faith and love,” said Reginald Walters, one of the group’s founding members and 2015 EKU Hall of Distinguished Alumni inductee. As soloists reflected on their time with the Ensemble, many shared the sense of unity it offered students who often came from different towns or were in different Greek organizations. As part of the ensemble, they joined as one voice. “The Ensemble showed our connection to God and our spiritual values,” recalled Donna Kenney, an EKU employee who was a member of the group in the mid-1970s. The Ensemble recorded albums through the years and was well known on the gospel choral circuit, often traveling to out-of-state concerts. A number of members went on to careers in music even though there was a standing joke that not everyone could really sing. “We would take them anyway,” laughed Walters, who led the reunion concert and received a standing ovation from the crowd after his stirring piano medley of gospel songs. Many of the members had not seen each other in years, and the concert capped off a weekend of reconnecting. The Ensemble honored members who had passed away with photos and candles in front of the Brock Auditorium stage. With Ensemble favorites like “I’ll Trade a Lifetime” and “We’ve Come This Far by Faith” once again echoing at EKU, speakers often called for a “rebirth” of the Ensemble, which has been inactive the last several years. The Ensemble shaped the lives of its members and likely changed the cultural experience for decades of EKU alumni. As ensemble member and soloist Sherri Beaumont Hoover stepped to the microphone to sing the classic hymn “Blessed Assurance,” she reflected with a play on the lyrics, “Little did I know when I joined this group in the ’70s that this would become my story, and this is still my song.” As Ensemble members sang those familiar melodies, 48 years after the group first formed, the songs still rang true and the bonds felt as strong as ever.
EKU MAGAZINE 27
HOMECOMING
28 SPRING 2016
2015
save the date HOMECOMING & REUNION WEEKEND
October 21-23, 2016 Celebrating the reunion classes of :
1941, 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006
EKU MAGAZINE 29
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06. Daniel Boone statue @mistylvs2snap 07. Women's Soccer Team practice @ekusports 08. #EKUAbroad in Greece @janeyniz
30 SPRING 2016
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See more photos! Follow @easternkentuckyu on Instagram. Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/ EasternKentuckyUniversity
Stay Connected as a #ForeverColonel www.facebook.com/EKUAlums
09. #EKU students in Grand Isle @bogie73 10. Elmwood @chaselife89 11. #EKUAbroad in Haiti @ashesteen94 12. Basketball game in Spring 2015 @diego_asis
@EKUAlums @ekualums
13. Sunshine in the Ravine @danklapheke 14. Baseball Club Team @jabend12 15. Sunrise over AC @maryalidu 16. E leaf in Fall 2015 @easternkentuckyu EKU MAGAZINE 31
ALUMNI NEWS
– Alumni News –
In this
issue Alumni Profiles Sandra Robinson Kalena Roark Rick Roberts Charley & Cleda Lewis Class Notes General Notes Junior Alumni Newlyweds 2015 Alumni Award Winners In Memoriam
ALUMNI.EKU.EDU
Dear Fellow Alumni, Thank you so much for your support of Eastern Kentucky University and for taking the time to read this informative and inspirational magazine. As president of your International Alumni Board, I encourage you to check out all of the exciting things taking place on campus and across the country and to be an active and engaged member in 2016. Representing all segments of the university, Alumni Board members are chosen for their proven leadership skills and their passion for Eastern. Our mission is to connect our 100,000-plus alumni to their alma mater and to each other. We aspire to build traditions, foster student and alumni leadership, serve the diverse needs and interests of the University community, and create opportunities for investment in the institution’s future. EKU’s alumni are well positioned to strongly influence the University's future. Our graduates are in the business of having local, national and global impact; we want to keep you involved with the University wherever you roam. I hope you will take full advantage of the great cultural, academic and athletic
programs and events that the University offers. These provide a great opportunity to connect with fellow alums, share our common past and maintain a constant connection to the University. The Alumni Board welcomes your involvement and participation. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions about the Board or about opportunities for future participation, please contact me or Kari Martin, our Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement. We look forward to hearing from you.
Go Colonels! Dr. Thomas M. Martin Classes of ’93 and ‘01
President Benson and Richmond Mayor Jim Barnes visit with two girls, dressed in their native Indian attire, at this past year’s International Banquet. The girls, Saathvika Gona, left, and Yuktha Julakanti, are the daughters of EKU alumni Naveen Gona, ’05’08, and Chandra Julakanti, ’02, respectively.
32 SPRING 2016
ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni profile
Sandra Robinson
Class Notes Don Knowland, ’53, and Joan Neff Knowland, ’54, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on July 16, 2014. They reside in Fort Myers, Florida. Katherine McConnell Crenshaw, ’60, of Owenton, Kentucky, is a volunteer counselor, working with middle and high school students and with recovering addicts. Her parents, sister, brother and daughter have all graduated from EKU. David Kent Hatfield, ’62, and Joyce Lee Hatfield, of New Albany, Indiana, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 24, 2015. David retired in 1998 from teaching at Jeffersonville High School and continues to serve as a substitute teacher. Ada Brown Campbell, ’66 ’82, of Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, has retired for the second time from Lowcountry Preparatory School and is enjoying retirement, staying busy with church work, crafts and reading. Esther “Sissy” Meadows Shaffer, ’67, and Joseph Edwin Shaffer, ’67, of Russell, Kentucky, who met while EKU students, have retired. “Sissy” taught for 30 years in Russell Independent Schools, and “Ed” retired from St. Mary’s Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia. Jerry Hopkins, ’68, of Center, Texas, is completing his 15th year as a professor at East Texas Baptist University. Allen Rust, ’69, Taylor Mill, Kentucky, is retired from high school history teaching and now serves as a teacher educator for Northern Kentucky University while also teaching history at Gateway Community and Technical College. Gary Kincaid, ’70, of Georgetown, Kentucky, retired in July 2015 from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Loretta Lowhorn Polston, ’70, has retired from the Department of Social Services after 27 years, combined with teaching service. She is back in her hometown of Albany, Kentucky. Joanne Bogdanski Collins, ’71, Lawrenceville, Georgia, is in her 35th year teaching physical education and health at St. Thomas More School in Decatur, Georgia. David Burchfield, ’72, has retired after 40 years in music education with the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati. He plans to continue as a clinician and adjudicator, and to travel throughout the U.S. Mary “Carmel” Hines Kessler, ’73, and Dave Kessler, ’71 ’72, of Greensboro, North Carolina, have retired from teaching.
Brenda Willingham Sims, ’73, of Dover, Arkansas, retired from teaching in 2009 after 35 years with Dover Public Schools. Kathryn Hughlett Wilson, ’74, received her Master of Divinity degree from Lexington Theological Seminary in May 2010 and was ordained into ministry the following month. She currently serves as minister of mission and outreach at South Joplin Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri. Judith Beaty Ingram, ’77, of Hamilton, Ohio, retired from teaching in April 2015 after 27 years. Billye Morgan Haslett, ’78, was appointed in July 2015 as director of the Administrative Division of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. Mark Martin, ’78, recently received tenure and was promoted to associate professor of music education at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Rick Norris, ’79, retired from Kentucky Utilities and is a full-time beef producer. He is also a director for First National Bank of Carrollton, Kentucky. Chris Elsberry, ’80, Bridgeport, Connecticut, recently received the inaugural Stag Spirit Award from Fairfield University, along with former NBA standout John Starks and media personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, in recognition of outstanding contributions to the local community. Dr. Lori Stewart Gonzalez, ’81, has been named vice chancellor of academic, faculty and student affairs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Previously, she served as special adviser to the chief academic officer for the University of North Carolina General Administration, the North Carolina higher education authority. Dr. Gonzales had previously served at Appalachian State University and the University of Kentucky.
Sandra Robinson, ’76, of London, Kentucky, has been installed as president of National Garden Clubs Inc., the largest volunteer gardening organization in the world. Robinson will spend much of her two-year term traveling coast to coast to promote the organization’s causes and projects, seek new members geared to current needs and network with many of NGC’s 179,000 members. In addition, she will guide the national organization in advancing its mission: promoting civic and environmental responsibility, as well as a love of gardening and floral design. She said she plans to work with NGC members to foster education on critical issues facing today’s changing environment through the organization’s national and international outreach programs that address the growing decline of bee diversity, butterflies and frogs. “National Garden Clubs Inc. has a long history of working to make a difference in the lives of those living in communities, and in lives of our members through education and enrichment programs,” Robinson said. “But there are issues that challenge us as citizens of a global world, such as the critical decline of our pollinators, which threatens our food supplies. Real change requires action, action requires work and work requires active participation.” Robinson previously served as first vice president of National Garden Clubs Inc., and has been active at the national, regional and state levels. She is a Master Landscape Design and Gardening Studies consultant, accredited master flower show judge and environmental consultant. She also serves on the Kentucky Exotic Pest Plant Council, a nonprofit organization established in 2000 to raise awareness and promote public understanding regarding the threat posed by invasive exotic pest plants to native communities in Kentucky.
EKU MAGAZINE 33
ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni profile
Called toTeach
One Student’s Transformative EKU Experience
Kalena Roark '15
Major: Elementary Education and Learning Behavioral Disabilities A shy high school student from Georgetown, Kentucky, Kalena Roark preferred to stay in the background: “I was involved in so many organizations, but I was just a member. I loved drama class but always worked behind the scenes.” At EKU, Roark was invited to become a Student Alumni Ambassador. She was apprehensive but decided to do it. With encouragement, she began to take on more and more responsibility, and she noticed a change: “That experience alone molded me into a leader. I became president or vice president of several organizations. Four years ago, that was not me at all. The faculty and staff at EKU helped me to break out of my shell, value a balanced life and become a well-rounded person.” Many EKU faculty and staff reached out and made a personal connection, but there was one who went above and beyond. Choking back tears, Roark described her feelings toward her mentor, Jennifer Ott, director of alumni programming and student philanthropy: “She helped me make numerous connections, steered me toward continuing education options, gave me the confidence to try new things, shared my excitement, the good and bad times, and allowed me to vent about anything and everything. She was absolutely amazing!” As Roark moved through her transformative college experience, she saw the potential to help others become their best selves. “For me,
“I hope I will always be able to make an annual gift to support others in their education.”
Kalena with her students while teaching social studies at a new charter school in Hawaii.
teaching is more than making sure students know facts. It is about building a bond — giving a student the courage and help they need to further their own education and achieve their goals.” Even as a child, Roark knew what she wanted to do. “I knew that education was a ticket to a brighter future.” It would be a long journey from the shy little girl in elementary school to a confident sought-after school teacher in Hawaii, but Roark had decided early in life that she would begin that journey at EKU. “EKU’s Education Program is phenomenal,” she explained. Not surprisingly, she found out that she indeed had a knack for teaching, “Other careers might be more lucrative, but teaching was and is where my heart is,” she said. Roark served as vice president for the prestigious Student Alumni Ambassadors — also known on campus as the President's "right hand" organization. While serving on the SAA Executive Committee, she was given the opportunity to work in President Benson's office as a student liaison. She became involved and invested in the campus revitalization plans. “President Benson came to one of our weekly meetings and shared his vision. In that moment, I remember thinking, ‘Awesome! This guy has a vision, but not only does he have a vision, he has a plan, and the willpower to follow through with this plan in order to make our university even better than it already is.’ “I feel a real sense of pride and excitement as I watch my university transform into something Richmond has never seen before! As a student, and now as an alum, I have nothing but utmost respect for President Benson and the entire maroon nation as we step out of our comfort zones, expand and move on to greater heights that will ultimately benefit the University and future students to come! “I’ve already made my first donation to the EKU College of Education. I felt so awesome, excited and accomplished. I was giving back to my university — a university that had given so much to me. I hope I will always be able to make an annual gift to support others in their education. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at EKU,” Roark exclaimed, “and I cannot wait to return to my alma mater to see the bigger and better beauty she has become!”
ALUMNI NEWS
Barry Miller, ’81, has joined the law firm of Mazanec, Raskin & Ryder as a partner who focuses his practice on insurance coverage opinions and litigation, including coverage issues related to municipal liability, bad faith and extra-contractual damages. He also has considerable experience handling technology issues involving data breach defense and electronic discovery and provides instruction to a variety of groups, including attorneys and business owners, regarding preservation of digital evidence and insurance aspects of cyber liability. He has also taught mass communications law at EKU, is a Kentucky Super Lawyer (2013-15) and is AV Preeminent®, as rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He and wife Donna Bunch Miller,’81, reside in Nicholasville. Debra Revell, ’82, Winchester, Kentucky, retired from Lexmark International in 2009. She won numerous awards from the Society of Technical Communications for her technical writing skills during her 22-year career in Lexington for three companies.
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Irving Schoenacker, ’82, coaches chess in rural upstate New York. His elementary school chess team won the Livingston County Chess Championship for the fourth consecutive year, and his middle school chess team recently captured its fifth straight title. Lisa Holt-Taylor, ’84, of Cincinnati, participated in Miami University’s Earth Expeditions global field course in Guyana. During the summer of 2015, she studied traditional ecological knowledge of the Makushi and the potential of local wisdom to guide conservation initiatives in the South American country. Holt-Taylor, a third-grade teacher at Boyd E. Smith Elementary in Cincinnati, took the graduate course in pursuit of her master’s degree from Miami University’s Global Field Program. Dwayne Pettit, ’84, retired from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Prisons, in June 2015 after 30 years. He and wife Cynthia Pettit reside in Lexington, Kentucky. Barry Cox, ’85, of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, is a retired Civil Service employee, working part time in the mental health field. He is a veteran of Desert Storm/Desert Shield and coaches football at Aliquippa High School. Charles Taylor, ’88, retired as a captain with the Jefferson County (Kentucky) Police Department and is enjoying golf and motorcycle riding with the Blue Knights. Suzie Hackmiller, ’90, is the new principal at Harmony Elementary in Oldham County, Kentucky, where she began her career as a middle school special education teacher. For the past eight years, she was principal of Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School in Oak Park, Illinois. She had also worked in Jefferson County (Kentucky) Public Schools for 13 years.
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1. Granddaughter Audrey Mae Tincher to Michael Herschel Rachford, ’65, and Bonnie Sue Rachford, of Fort Thomas, Kentucky.
Addison Rena to Angela Messamore Carter, ’07, and Keil Carter, of Madisonville, Kentucky, on August 31, 2014.
2. Evan Andrew to Kim Kiser Brumbaugh, ’01, and Derick Brumbaugh, ’06, of Richmond, Kentucky, on Jan. 22, 2014.
Grant Bradley to Katherine Westrick Russell, ’07, and Brad Russell, of Louisville, Kentucky, on June 7, 2015.
3. Silas Turner to Jessica Turner Canterbury, ’01, and Jason Canterbury, ’03, of Bellevue, Kentucky, on Feb. 15, 2013.
Jackson William to Steven Kenneth Riley, ’07, and Charissa Marie (Foster) Riley, ’09, of Lexington, Kentucky, on June 3, 2015.
John Paul to Jonathan Brian Hartman, ’05, and Holly Dawn (Bayes) Hartman, ’02, of New Albany, Indiana, on June 18, 2015.
5. Weston to Paul Henry, ’12, and Jessica Arterburn Henry, ’12 in June 2015. Paul is employed by Southern States Cooperative and Jessica as an RN at the Medical Center at Bowling Green (Kentucky).
4. Kynzee Denise to Jason Perry Rector, ’06’08, and Lisa Kneisley Rector, ’08, of Champaign, Illinois, on Sept. 27, 2014. Lake Andre Hayes to Jeremy Andrew Hayes, ’06, and Lindsay Michelle (Bramlage) Hayes, ’12, of Leesville, Louisiana, on July 12, 2015.
6. Bailey Olivia to Scot Wiles, ’10, and Ashley Hollar, ’11. Scot is a TSA employee at Bluegrass Airport. Ashley is employed by Path Forward of Kentucky.
EKU MAGAZINE 35
ALUMNI NEWS
Dwaine Evans, ’12, recently started his own clothing company, Podz Gear. His wife, Terran Brewer Evans, ’14, is pursuing a master’s degree in occupational therapy at EKU. Tammy Cooper Abu-Husein, ’92, has released her fifth book of poetry, “Vulnerability in Silhouette: Poems,” and a book of short stories. She writes as T.L. Cooper. She and her husband, Loay M. Abu-Husein, ’92, reside in Albany, Oregon. Joe Richard, ’92, is currently a two-term vice president of the Columbus (Ohio) Local 67 Firefighters Union, and a three-term 5th District vice president of the Ohio Professional Firefighters Union. He is currently battalion chief with the Columbus Fire Department. Tim Browning, ’99, of Warsaw, Kentucky, has taught physical education in the Gallatin County School District for 16 years. He coached girls’ basketball for six years and became the first head football coach at the school in 2006, a position he continues to hold. Corey Walden, standout basketball player 2012-15, now plays for the Maine Red Claws, the Boston Celtics affiliate in the NBA Developmental League. The undrafted free agent saw summer league NBA action with the Celtics. Kelli Carter, ’05, of Lexington, Kentucky, is one of four full-time personnel for Kentucky’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), serving as a “go to” jobs liaison for the Kentucky Career Center, Department of Labor, KY-FAME Program, Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs, Kentucky Association of Manufacturers, Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and employers across the state. Dennis Hasty, ’03, is finishing his third year at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is currently serving as a youth pastor and part-time instructor for EKU. Chen Hao, ’15, works as a supplier quality engineer at Minth Group Limited, East Tawas, Michigan. Jordan Dorsey, ’13, is a pilot with Skywest Airlines, one of the world’s largest regional airlines. 36 SPRING 2016
Sharon Farthing Graves, ’82, is in her 26th year of teaching American history at Clark-Moores Middle School, Richmond, Kentucky. Patrick Louis Ford, ’12 ’13, played briefly with the New York Jets of the NFL. He is now project manager with Wehr Construction in Tampa, Florida. He and wife Savanna F. Griffith Ford, ’13, were married in July 2014.
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Stu Jackson, ’13, and Whitney Jackson, ’13, are employed by the Kentucky State Police and as manager of Purdy Embroidery of Richmond, respectively. 4 Amy Gossage Sole, ’14, and Tyler Sole, ’14, are employed at Woodland Early Learning Center in Lexington and Campus Outreach at Georgetown College, respectively.
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Alumni Events Mike Kopacko, ’09, was on patrol for the Reynoldsburg (Ohio) Police Department on March 24, 2015, when he saw black smoke coming from an apartment building complex. He radioed for the fire department, then pulled into the parking lot, where a crowd had begun to form as flames torched the balcony of a building. Kopacko went to the door to see if the apartment was occupied. The door handle was too hot to touch, but he kicked open the door. According to police reports, he was then engulfed in heavy black smoke and heat, making it impossible to enter. He checked below the smoke line to see if anyone was inside. The apartment was unoccupied. Kopacko then pounded on doors to alert residents in other apartments. He was able to escort residents from one unit to the parking lot. Other residents left their doors open as they made their way out of the building. Kopacko returned to one of the locked units and pounded on the door, but got no answer. He then kicked open the door and found a woman inside who said she had been in the bathroom and hadn’t heard the commotion outside. Police Lt. Ron Wright praised Kopacko for his actions: “Any time an officer puts the public safety in front of their own needs – while they’re supposed to do that – it is an heroic act and they aspire to perform that level of service to the public.”
1. EKU Alumni & Friends, Dan Mason (’73), Ralph Hacker, and Tom Leach, visit with President Michael T. Benson and Jennifer Ott, Director of Alumni Programming and Student Philanthropy, at Keeneland for EKU Day at the Races in October 2015. 2. Colonel pride was on full display at both the alumni tailgate and the game as EKU took the fight to UK in October 2015. 3. Young alumni gather at the home of Maribeth McBride Berman (’92) for EKU’s Evening of Vision in Louisville, October 2015. 4. Fred (’59, ’61) and Sue (’59, ’63) Rice and Marietta McBride (’73, ’76) converse with Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations Nick Perlick, at the home of Maribeth McBride Berman (’92) for EKU’s Evening of Vision in Louisville, October 2015. 5. Don (’86, ’95) and April (’86, ’96) Perry host an evening of vision for Ashland area alumni in November 2015. 6. Current and former Colonels unite for an alumni tailgate in Raleigh, North Carolina, as the Colonels took on the Wolfpack, September 2015.
Chris Radcliffe & Natalie McQuiston
Brandon Knight & Caylen Badgett
Chris Radcliffe, ’04, and Natalie McQuiston, ’08, were married on June 28, 2014. Chris is a freelance creative and Natalie teaches third grade at Glenn Marshall Elementary in Richmond. They have a son, Connor, 9.
Brandon Knight, ’15, and Caylen Badgett, ’15, were married on May 23, 2015. Brandon is a para-educator and Caylen a family and consumer science instructor, both at Cooper High School, Union, Kentucky.
Maury Young & Laura Edwards Laura Edwards Young, ’92, married Maury Young on November 21, 2014. They reside in Louisville, Kentucky.
Billy Means & Elise Wigger
Caleb Watkins & Morgan Crutchfield
Billy Means, ’12, and Elise Wigger, ’13, were married on July 3, 2015. Billy is an athletic trainer at Indiana University and Elise is employed at the special education center at Spencer (Indiana) Elementary.
Caleb Watkins, ’15, and Morgan Crutchfield, ’15, were married on May 15, 2015 (graduation day). Caleb is a teacher and assistant football coach at George Rogers Clark High School in Winchester, Kentucky, and Morgan is a communications technician at Employers Mutual Insurance in Lexington, Kentucky. EKU MAGAZINE 37
ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni profile
Centenary Couple Reflects on Eastern Memories Charley, ‘47 ‘50 & Cleda Lewis, ‘50 Even though they graduated from what is now known as Eastern Kentucky University 65 years ago and have 200 years of life between them, Charley and Cleda Lewis remember their time as students well. Now 101 and 99 years old, respectively, the Lewises still call EKU, then known as Eastern Kentucky State Teachers’ College, “their school” and speak fondly of friends and professors from their time on campus in the 1930s and 1940s. Charley and Cleda grew up in Jackson County and met in high school. After graduating, they attended Eastern for a couple of years, obtained temporary teaching licenses and left to teach in one-room schoolhouses to earn money to complete their education. They were married in 1938 when Charley was 24 and Cleda was 22. During World War II, Charley was stationed in Florida and Georgia, and Cleda and their daughter moved to be with him. After the war, the family returned to Jackson County and Charley used the GI Bill to finish his degree in social science at Eastern in 1947. Charley taught high school social studies and coached basketball and baseball while working on his master’s degree in education. Cleda also continued teaching while attending Eastern part-time to finish her degree in elementary education. They both graduated in 1950. The Lewises remember a very different Eastern than the one students know today. They recall having only one campus dining option, the dining hall in the Student Union Building (now the Keen Johnson Building). Charley was one of the few students with a car. Female students and professors wore dresses every day, male students wore slacks and button-up shirts and male professors
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“College makes people more interesting and offers them a chance to meet other people from different backgrounds.” usually wore suits and ties. Before they were married, the Lewises double-dated frequently with their friends and remember getting especially dressed up on those occasions. Charley’s favorite class at Eastern was geography. He remembers his professor’s true-or-false quizzes. If he didn’t know the answer to a question, he said, he could look at her face and tell if the answer was true or false. He got the best grade in the class. After graduating, Charley served a number of roles in the Jackson County school system, including superintendent and school board member, before moving into social work. He retired in the 1970s as a district supervisor for Family Services of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Cleda continued teaching and retired as an elementary school librarian. The Lewises have been active in Tyner Baptist Church and still live on their small farm in Tyner. They remember Eastern fondly and
consider it a top-notch school. Their daughter, Londa Wagoner, also graduated from Eastern in 1964 and their grandson, Donald Evans, in 1989. Charley and Cleda have both returned to campus many times over the years to visit family, take additional classes and attend meetings. The Lewises’ advice for a long life is not to drink or smoke. They also emphasize the importance of education in order to be successful. “College makes people more interesting and offers them a chance to meet other people with different backgrounds,” Cleda said.
ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS Alumni profile
Hall of Distinguished Alumni Award
Distinguished Service Award
Young Alumni Award
Brent Barton ’78 ‘86
State Senator Jared Carpenter ‘00
Kelly Thorne Gore ‘04
Dr. Paul Motley ’63 ’68 ‘69
Paul Laslo ‘79
John Wilson ‘05
Michael W. Poehlitz ‘85
Janie Miller ‘77
Rick Roberts, ’81 Rick Roberts, ’81, of Paintsville, Kentucky, was an EKU student when a friend and spelunking enthusiast convinced him and a few others to enter Adams Cave near Richmond. One member of the group got stuck, if only for a few minutes. With three people in front of him and three behind him, Roberts couldn’t go anywhere, triggering his claustrophobia. How ironic, then, that almost 35 years later, Roberts found himself acting in “The Death of Floyd Collins,” a film about the days when Collins was trapped in Sand Cave, now part of Mammoth Cave National Park. Roberts portrayed Henry St. George Tucker Carmichael, general superintendent of the Kentucky Rock Asphalt Co. and an engineer who wanted to construct a shaft to retrieve Collins. “It brought back (post-traumatic stress disorder) memories for me when reading ‘Trapped,’” a book that served as a key source for the film, Roberts said. The film, a mixture of reenactments, interviews and narration accompanying photos and video footage, was five years in the making. It premiered at the Cave City Convention Center in April 2015.
Do you have an idea for a story you would like to see in the next issue?
Reginald G. Walters ‘73
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Submit your ideas online! go.eku.edu/story-idea
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See more stories @ stories.eku.edu
www.alumni.eku.edu Dr. Donald Whitaker ‘62
ALUMNI NEWS
In Memoriam
Daniel Neil Ellis, ’05, an officer with the City of Richmond Police Department, passed away on Nov. 6, 2015, from injuries sustained in the line of duty. Officer Ellis earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from EKU, where he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and joined Richmond Police in 2008. His funeral services, held at a nearly packed Alumni Coliseum on Nov. 11, attracted law enforcement personnel and first responders from throughout Kentucky and at least 16 other states. “We remember Daniel for how he lived,”
said Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock. “He treated people with compassion, dignity and respect, and that included those he had to arrest.” Survivors include his wife, Katie Gruenwald Ellis, ’07 ’09, an assistant principal at Madison Central High School, and their three-year-old son, Luke Michael Ellis. (Above) Weeks before Officer Ellis’ death, members of the Ellis family were on hand to receive a game ball at the EKU-Tennessee Tech football game. From left are Dylan Holt; Amy Gruenwald Holt, ’10 ’12; Luke Ellis; Greg Gruenwald,’77; Nancy Haney Gruenwald, ’80; Katie Gruenwald Ellis, ’07 ’09, and Daniel Ellis, ’05.
Alumni Gene Elder Muncy, ’47
Karlton A. Patton, ’51
Noland “Doug” Warren, ’74
Dr. Harold Moberly, ’51
Janice Halliday Pressley, ’60
Dr. Martha Joyce “Joy” Hager, ’59 ‘77
Josephine Taylor Litvinas, ’51
Linda Morris Thornton, ’64
EKU MAGAZINE 41
ALUMNI NEWS
Former faculty & staff Dr. Jack Adams, ’56 ’64, retired professor of physical education, former standout player and coach and a member of the EKU Hall of Distinguished Alumni and Athletics Hall of Fame, served his alma mater faithfully from 1962 to 2001. He was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference performer in basketball, setting 13 school records, and his No. 40 jersey was the first number ever to be retired by the school. He remains the ninth leading scorer in Eastern history, with 1,460 points, an average of 20.6 points per game. He was an AAU All-American in 1959, when he also made the All-Army team and participated in the Pan American Games in Chicago. The following year, he toured the U.S.S.R. with the State Department-sponsored American team and was an alternate on the 1960 U.S. Olympic basketball team. He played 1960-62 for the Cleveland Pipers of the AAU National Basketball League, for whom he was selected Most Valuable Player 1961-62 and was named MVP of the AAU Tournament that season. He also played professionally with the New York Tapers of the American Basketball League and averaged 18 points per game. Dr. Adams was assistant basketball coach 1962-67 and head tennis coach from 1963 to 1972, and supervised a residence hall. He was also owner and broker of one of the longest-serving real estate firms in Madison County, Jack Adams Properties. Dr. Effie Creamer, retired professor in what was then the Department of Home Economics, died in March 2015. Dr. Creamer taught courses in nutrition and dietetics from 1966 to 1991. After her retirement, she founded Creamer Associates, a company that offered nutrition consulting, tutoring and teaching services. She also enjoyed traveling, gardening and community service. Her late husband, Dr. Glynn Creamer, taught mathematics education at Eastern for the same time period.
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Dr. Jerry Austin, retired professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 1. Joe Beck, professor in the Department of Environmental Health Science 2. Dr. Joseph Biesinger, professor emeritus of history 3. Dr. Branley Branson, Foundation Professor Emeritus of Biology Dr. Peter Creighton, professor emeritus of environmental health science Alberta Walker Davis, custodian in Moberly Building past 16 years Mary Dickerson Davis, ’97 ’01, retired administrative assistant Brenda Foley, ’67 ’89, retired professor of associate degree nursing
Dr. Robert N. Grise, ’52 ’55, professor emeritus, taught in the College of Education from 1963 to 1996. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Dr. P.M. Grise, who taught at Model Laboratory School 1930-39 and then at Eastern from 1939 to 1965. Dr. Robert Grise, who graduated from Model Laboratory School and Eastern, began his career at Kentucky Wesleyan College before joining the faculty at his alma mater. He taught undergraduate introductory courses, as well as courses in educational psychology, philosophy of education, history of education and sociology of education. He also served 19 years as curator of the Granny Richardson Springs One-Room School on the campus. His wife, Dr. Martha Grise, ’67, taught English at EKU from 1967 to 1997; their two children, Owen and David, both earned degrees from EKU and occasionally taught part time at the University. Beyond the campus, Dr. Grise was well known for his efforts to chronicle local history, authoring with EKU colleague Dr. Fred A. Engle Jr. a weekly newspaper column, “Madison’s Heritage,” for more than 40 years.
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Dr. Richard Gentry, professor emeritus of physical education 4. Dr. Ken Haddix, a member of the music faculty since 2002 Dr. Michael Hesse, professor emeritus of public relations 5. Karen Hunter, professor of health promotion and administration Edith Carolyn Lainhart, former residence hall night supervisor Nancy Long, who served the University in several capacities Dr. Jack Luy, retired professor and administrator
Former faculty & staff
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Geneva Cox Turpin Masters, retired campus bookstore employee 6. Dr. Kimberly Merritt, assistant director for recruitment in Admissions (degree awarded posthumously in December 2015) Rich Middleton, ’94, former Director of Facilities Services Dr. Dale Monsebroten, Department of Geography and Geology faculty Shird Riley Powell, retired maintenance mechanic William Frank “Billy” Rawlins, former Facilities Services employee 7. Dr. Byno Rhodes, professor emeritus of English Harold Rose, who served in Facilities Services for 28 years Jesse Samons, ’67 ’72, retired director of Billings and Collections Nancy Shanks, former custodian Dorothy Higgins Smith, ’64 ’68, who taught courses in child development Ethel Watts Blanton Smith, retired faculty member and administrator Wayne Steele, former coordinator of Kentucky Motorcycle Program Carol Jeanett Thomas, retired Libraries staff member. Merritt Warren, former custodian
Dr. William E. Sexton, ’57, retired dean and vice president, joined his alma mater’s faculty in 1957 and taught drafting and design. He went on to chair the Department of Industrial Technology from 1965 to 1969 and then serve as dean of what was then the College of Applied Arts and Technology from 1969 to 1975, a time of expansion and reorganization for the College. He capped his career by serving as Vice President for Public Service and Special Programs from 1975 until his retirement in 1986. He was also named to the University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni. An endowed scholarship for technology students bears his name.
James Wyatt “Spider” Thurman, ’41 ’52, left an indelible mark on Eastern as both standout student athlete and long time administrator. The son of a coal miner, Mr. Thurman directed the Eastern football team to two Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles. He was a three-time all-conference selection and a Little All-American in 1940 after quarterbacking the Maroons to the first undefeated and untied season in school history. He also lettered in basketball and track, and Coach Rome Rankin considered Thurman his most outstanding performer in any sport. After a highly successful coaching career at Clay County High School, he returned to his alma mater and served from 1962 to 1983 as Eastern’s first permanent Director of Alumni Affairs. During his tenure, the Alumni Association’s active membership grew tenfold. The J.W. Thurman Alumni Scholarship Fund honors his contributions and continues to help deserving students achieve their own educational dreams. He is a member of the University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni and the EKU Athletics Hall of Fame. Mr. Thurman’s son, Tom Thurman, ’69, taught in EKU’s College of Justice & Safety from 1998 until his recent retirement and is also a member of the University’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Dr. Virginia Wright, retired professor of economics and former chair of the Faculty Senate, served Eastern from 1982 to 1999, specializing in the economics of health care, particularly relating to the costs of smoking and the regional significance of hospital systems. She was also a major contributor to the Department’s general education courses. Dr. Wright received an Excellence in Teaching Award. She had also served as executive director of Growth and Research Organization for Women (GROW). Dr. Wright’s late husband, Dr. J. Ward Wright, was a professor of management at EKU and also served a term as chair of the Faculty Senate.
Daniel Upton White, former English professor Ruby Anglin Willis, retired custodian Dr. Bruce Wolford, retired professor in the College of Justice & Safety and founding director of the University’s Training Resource Center
EKU MAGAZINE 43
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