The Magazine of Elon, Summer 2011

M A G A Z I N E

O F

S U M M E R   

T H E

COMMANDING PRESENCE Vice Admiral William E. Gortney ’77

Contents Faculty Profile

 HANDSON SCIENCE

BY DAVE HART

Kathy Matera’s “show one, do one, teach one” philosophy inspires a passion for discovery in her students.

Alumni Profile

 WAITING ON SANTA CLAUS

BY ERIC TOWNSEND

Tyronna Hooker G’09, the 2011–12 North Carolina Teacher of the Year, finds her faith in her students realized every day.

Cover Story



IN COMMAND

BY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

One of Elon’s most accomplished alumni, Vice Adm. William E. Gortney ’77 reflects on his distinguished Navy career and the future of the U.S. military in a rapidly changing world.

I AM ELON Basketball brought Lei Lei Hairston to Elon, but her time here is about so much more.

“I’m focused on what I’m going to do once the ball stops bouncing,” she says.

That’s why, before taking to the court on sweltering July nights, she spends hours walking Elon’s brick paths, introducing prospective students to the university as an admissions tour guide. It’s why she critiques the finer points of science fiction in her morning literature course. It’s why, at a time when most student-athletes are far from their schools and their sports, she’s still here.

“To me, Elon is the land of endless opportunities,” she says. “You have professors, administrators, so many people who are here just for the students, and we all bring something to the table.”

Lei Lei is Elon. Visit elon.edu/magazine to see more of Lei Lei’s story, the first installment in the magazine’s “I am Elon” multimedia series featuring Elon students in their own words.

 IT’S A LIFE JOURNEY

BY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

The Alumni Association embarks on an ambitious plan to dramatically enhance the relationship between Elon graduates and their alma mater.

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Under the Oaks Phoenix Sports Alumni Action Class Notes Making a Difference

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NOT YOUR PARENTS’ CAREER SERVICES OFFICE

E { Leo M. Lambert }

The next phase of Elon’s dramatic rise in national reputation will not be fueled by new buildings or expanded academic programs but by the accomplishments of its alumni.

Helping students construct sturdy bridges to their lives after Elon is one of the most important investments we can make.

facebook.com/leomlambert twitter.com/headphoenix

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lon University is dramatically shifting its approach to career services. We want to ensure that each undergraduate student takes advantage of the vast array of curricular, cocurricular and student life programs offered at Elon to prepare for a successful life beyond Elon.

The old days of walking into the career services office during the senior year to begin planning for a job search are long gone. To be well positioned for life after Elon, students must begin planning early and develop a roadmap for academic experiences, international study, research and internships. Top employers tell us they seldom hire new graduates who have not yet completed a significant internship experience.

To support students in this planning process, Elon’s Office of Career Services is being retooled as the Student Professional Development Center, which will open in impressive new and spacious quarters in the Moseley Center in January 2012.

This center in the heart of campus will have specially designed spaces for recruiters, interview and seminar rooms, a lounge, staff offices and the latest video conferencing technology. Two gifts, one anonymous and a second from trustee Wes Elingburg and his wife, Cathy, P’11, are funding these new facilities as well as providing an endowment to support continuous improvements to the center.

Elon is also continuing to add staff to support professional development and internships within the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business and the School of Communications. The Love School hosts the newly named Porter Family Center for Professional Development thanks to a gift from trustee Dave Porter and his wife, Jen, P’11.

Both schools have talented on-site staffs dedicated to helping students secure internships and employment opportunities.

The Student Professional Development Center will also host enhanced student programming. An endowment gift from Charles and Diana Revson P’11 will enhance the transition strategies courses currently offered with a new series on practical business skills, such as how to read a contract and how insurance and real estate transactions work.

Developing a sophisticated employer relations program at Elon is a primary emphasis of a national search now under way for a new executive director of employer relations. This individual will help us realize our goal to develop a powerful network of alumni, parents, friends and contacts at leading

companies. Deans, senior administrators, university advancement personnel and faculty will reach out to corporate, nonprofit and government employers to help match talented Elon students and graduates with fulfilling internship and job opportunities.

And speaking of networking, Michael Nowak ’11, a graduate of the Love School of Business and former senior class president, launched The Elon Network, an opportunity for students to interact with peers who have completed internships or research projects in various industries.

Entrepreneurial leaders such as Michael understand that it is never too early for students to build personal networks beyond Facebook, reaching out to parents of current students and alumni who often are eager to advise and open doors. We wish Michael the best as he begins work with Teach for America in Philadelphia.

Also of significant note is the increasing number of Elon graduates going directly to graduate and professional school. Thirty-four percent of the Class of 2010 followed this path, including more than 50 percent in some arts and sciences fields.

Of course, faculty and pre-professional advisors remain the best source of mentoring, guidance and advice for students considering graduate and professional education. My best advice to students considering graduate school is to participate in Elon’s preeminent undergraduate research program.

There is no better preparation for graduate school than to take on a significant research question with the guidance of a faculty mentor, work that can lead to a professional scholarly presentation or publication in an academic journal. These relationships transform students into protégés of faculty and introduce them to the exhilaration and rigors of creating new knowledge and artistic works.

As stated in our strategic plan, The Elon Commitment, the next phase of Elon’s dramatic rise in national reputation will not be fueled by new buildings or expanded academic programs but by the accomplishments of its alumni. Helping students construct sturdy bridges to their lives after Elon is one of the most important investments we can make. I ask you to consider the role you can play in helping Elon alumni put their extraordinary educational experiences to use in making an impact in our society.

Leo M. Lambert President

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Elon Law secures full ABA approval T he American Bar Association announced its full accreditation of Elon University School of Law on June 10. Elon’s approval by the accrediting agency for law schools was achieved at the earliest possible date under the ABA’s accreditation guidelines.

The announcement, said Elon President Leo M. Lambert, “is an important milestone in the development of Elon Law as an institution known for excellence in innovative legal education and for cultivating leaders dedicated to serving society.”

Since it opened in 2006, Elon Law has developed an innovative program of legal education,

along with signature programs in leadership and engaged learning. The leadership program emphasizes direct client engagement, teamwork, project management, ethical foundations of the law, communications and interpersonal skills.

Through the school’s preceptor program, field placements, externships, service learning courses and clinics, Elon students participate

in a variety of professional activities throughout their legal education. Three classes of Elon Law graduates each have contributed more than 20,000 hours of community service through these programs, courses and student-led volunteer initiatives.

“We are very proud of this achievement,” said George R. Johnson Jr., dean of Elon Law. “We will continue to work to become that preeminent law school we all envision – a law school with a real difference.”

Setting precedents: Milestones at Elon Law Oct. 2004 The board of trustees approves a plan to establish the Elon University School of Law in downtown Greensboro, N.C.

Sept. 2006 Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Elon President Leo M. Lambert and Founding Dean Leary F. Davis dedicate Elon Law, which enrolls its charter class of 115 students.

Sept. 2005 David Gergen named founding chair of the school’s national advisory board, which includes two former North Carolina governors, three former N.C. Supreme Court chief justices, a former president of the American Bar Association, a former U.S. ambassador and numerous business and legal leaders.

June 2008 Elon Law is provisionally accredited by the ABA.

May 2009 The Charter Class of Elon Law receives its degrees and achieves a 97 percent overall bar passage rate.

Feb. 2009 George R. Johnson Jr., a respected law professor and former presidential adviser, is named the school’s second dean.

April 2011 Elon Law hosts its inaugural National Moot Court Competition, named in honor of former N.C. Supreme Court Justices and current school advisory board members Rhoda Bryan Billings, James G. Exum Jr. and Henry E. Frye.

Oct. 2009 Elon Law establishes the Clinical Law Center, which houses a Wills Clinic, Juvenile Justice Intervention and Mediation Clinic and Humanitarian Immigration Law Clinic.

June 2011 The ABA announces the full accreditation of Elon Law.

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The Magazine of Elon summer 2011 | vol. 73, no. 3 The Magazine of Elon is published quarterly for alumni, parents and friends by the Office of University Relations.

EDITOR

Kristin M. Simonetti ’05 DESIGNER

Christopher Eyl PHOTOGRAPHER

Kim Walker EDITORIAL STAFF

Holley Berry Keren Rivas ’04 Eric Townsend STUDENT WRITERS

Caitlin O’Donnell ’13 Kellye Coleman ’12 DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS

Daniel J. Anderson

Elon mourns loss of Verona Daniels Danieley ’49

V

erona Daniels Danieley ’49, a fixture of the Elon community for decades and the wife of President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46, died June 24 following a brief illness. Family and friends of the former Elon first lady joined hundreds of mourners three days later at Elon Community Church, where Verona was hailed as a woman who “set the gold standard as a builder of community.” She was 87.

“I will miss Verona, but her spirit lives within each of us,” Elon President Leo M. Lambert said at the memorial service. “I will remember her as a keeper of the community; the community of Elon University, of this church and this town.”

Born Verona Annie Daniels in Beaufort, N.C., she enrolled at Elon in 1940 and later became a secretary to then-Elon College President L.E. Smith. It was in this role that she caught the attention of her husband-to-be, who was a member of the college faculty following his own graduation from Elon in 1946.

The couple married two years later.

Verona supported her husband as he pursued a doctorate in chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the couple returned to Elon in 1953 when Earl was named acting dean of

the college. She assumed the role of Elon’s first lady in 1957 after the board of trustees elected Earl Elon’s sixth president. Verona presided over the president’s house for 16 years while raising three children and representing both her husband and the university in numerous social and community functions.

In 1972, the Danieleys established the DanielsDanieley Award for Excellence in Teaching, the university’s highest teaching honor, in memory of their parents. Earl Danieley established the Verona Daniels Danieley Scholarship Fund in 1984, and 20 years later, university trustees voted unanimously to approve the naming of Lake Verona on East Campus to recognize Verona’s many contributions to her alma mater.

Verona is survived by her husband, Earl; their children, Ned, Mark and Jane (Danieley) Shutt; and seven grandchildren. She was buried in Magnolia Cemetery in Elon.

EDITORIAL OFFICES

The Magazine of Elon 2030 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244-2020 (336) 278-7415 elon.edu/magazine

BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CHAIR

Mark T. Mahaffey p’97 p’01 St. Petersburg, Fla. ELON ALUMNI BOARD, PRESIDENT

Chris Martin ’78 p’13 Manasquan, N.J. YOUNG ALUMNI COUNCIL, PRESIDENT

Michael Bumbry ’07 Philadelphia, Pa. PARENTS COUNCIL, COPRESIDENTS

Kelly & Meredith Graves p’12 p’13 Charlotte, N.C. BOARD OF VISITORS, CHAIR

Clifford B. Hardy Jr. ’62 Tampa, Fla. SCHOOL OF LAW ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR

David Gergen Cambridge, Mass.

SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR

Brian Williams p’13 New Canaan, Conn.

LOVE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR

William S. Creekmuir p’09 p’10 Atlanta, Ga. PHOENIX CLUB ADVISORY BOARD, CHAIR

Mike Cross Burlington, N.C.

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University introduces lifelong learning program In September, Elon will launch a lifelong education program, Life@Elon, designed for people ages 50 and older. It will feature weekly presentations conducted in an interactive format by current and retired Elon faculty and staff members.

“We know there is a strong demand for engaging academic experiences by adults in our area who want to continue learning and expanding their horizons,” says Alison Morrison-Shetlar, dean of Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences. “Elon is a natural place for that to happen, a tremendous educational resource for our community.”

John Sullivan, Elon’s Powell Professor of Philosophy Emeritus, is chair of the Life@Elon executive board, and Chaplain Emeritus Richard McBride chairs the curriculum committee.

Participants in Life@Elon pay a yearlong membership fee of $100. The fee covers enrollment in 24 sessions and membership in the Friends of the University Library group, which includes borrowing privileges at Elon’s Belk Library. Sessions will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning Sept. 6 in Elon’s Johnston Hall. Topics will include health and wellness over age 50, social media, aging in the 21st century, musical theatre, post-Civil War history and many others.

For more information and a membership application, contact Kathryn Bennett, program assistant in the Office of University Advancement, at kbennett9@elon.edu or call (336) 278-7431.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE HONORS LATHAMS Elon trustee Dr. Bryan Latham and his wife, Janet, were among 12 recipients of the Southern Conference’s 2011 Distinguished Service Award.

The Lathams are members of the Numen Lumen Society, Elon’s premier donor society, which recognizes friends whose cumulative giving to the university has met or surpassed 1 million. The couple are also part of the Legacy Phoenix Society and members of the IMPACT Circle of the Phoenix Club.

They have made several major gifts to fund improvements at Walter C. Latham Park, home of the Phoenix baseball team. They named the facility in honor of Bryan’s late father, a 1934 Elon alumnus and standout baseball player.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT Fifteen rising juniors at Elon received the 2011 Lumen Prize, the university’s premier award that comes with a 15,000 scholarship to support and celebrate their academic and creative achievements. They are: Jamie Albright, of Charlotte, N.C.; Elizabeth Capel, of Raleigh, N.C.; Alison Deatsch, of Elmhurst, Ill.; Brett Evans, of Purcellville, Va.; Sarah Kowalkowski, of Lewisburg, W.Va.; Sarah Lentz, of Hudson, Ohio; Kirsten McCormick, of Port Orange, Fla.; Caitlin O’Donnell, of North Charleston, S.C.; Thomason Price, of Chapel Hill, N.C.; Julie Ronecker, of St. Louis, Mo.; Erica Schenhals, of Carlisle, Pa.; Cameron Shirley, of Apex, N.C.; Cecilia Smith, of Raleigh, N.C.; Logan Sutton, of Wendell, N.C.; and Kelsey Van Dalfsen, of Brier, Wash.

Members of Elon’s Black Alumni Network in May named the inaugural recipient of the Black Alumni Network Scholarship, which has been endowed by gifts made by Elon’s African-American graduates since 2007. Janelle Bennett, a rising sophomore from Yanceyville, N.C., was announced the scholarship recipient for the 2011–12 academic year.

MBA candidate Jeff Colgan, 2011 alumna Claire Tamer, and seniors Jamie Miliski and Sam Upton won first place this summer in the national Institute of Management Accountants Student Case Competition.

Three Class of 2011 graduates – Chris Jarrett, Gabrielle Dean and Brittany Carroll – each have been awarded Fulbright Program grants for overseas research and teaching. Dean and Carroll each received a 2011 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to spend a year in Taiwan.

Jarrett received a Fulbright U.S. Student Grant for research in Ecuador.

Rising senior Cedric Pulliam, of Woodbridge, Va., was one of 15 college students from across the nation selected for the 2011 Charles Rangel International Affairs Program in Washington, D.C., which includes courses at Howard University and meetings with diplomats to promote diversity and excellence within the Foreign Service.

SYLLABUZZ

BY KEREN RIVAS

{ GST  - Baseball and Statistics }

A

s legendary sportswriter Arthur Daley once said, “a baseball fan has the digestive apparatus of a billy goat: He can, and does, devour any set of statistics with insatiable appetite and nuzzles hungrily for more.”

But the importance of statistics goes well beyond ballpark bravado and fantasy baseball drafts. Statistics can dictate the outcome of games and the economic value of players and teams. If you have a man on first with no outs, does it pay to try to steal second? Does Albert Pujols’ production merit a 25 million-per-year contract? These are the kinds of questions Professor John Burbridge asks students who take his popular Baseball and Statistics course each year.

“What you’ll learn (in the course) is where the stats come from” and how they matter over the course of a season, he says.

The interdisciplinary course, which Burbridge has taught annually since 2005, blends his love for teaching and passion for America’s pastime.

Growing up in Jersey City, N.J., Burbridge was an avid New York Giants fan until the team moved to San Francisco in 1957.

Burbridge’s students must attend a baseball game and keep a scorecard, which they later submit, and are also required to give a presentation addressing how baseball has evolved from the 1800s to present day.

Burbridge introduces students to sabermetrics, the application of statistical analysis to baseball records, and how those numbers can support assumptions about player performance. Finally, students use sabermetrics to measure how a

player contributes to the wins and losses of a team in a culminating project.

“Stats are interesting, but only if they give you insight into how a player affects the game,” Burbridge says. “I want students to understand that chance and probabilistic processes are important parts of the game.”

{ John Burbridge }

About the professor Burbridge teaches operations and supply chain management in Elon’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. He has studied many topics related to the sports industry, including the imposition of salary caps and player performance issues.

Recommended readings Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis Curve Ball: Baseball, Statistics and the Role of Chance in the Game, by Jim Albert and Jay Bennett The Society for American Baseball Research, http://sabr.org

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FACULTY/STAFF SPOTLIGHT { l-r, Cahill, Festle, Vandermaas-Peeler & Bailey }

Elon honored four faculty members in May for their commitment to teaching, mentoring, research and service: Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching: Mary Jo Festle (history); Distinguished Scholar Award: Ann J. Cahill (philosophy); Ward Family Excellence in Mentoring Award: Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler (psychology); and Periclean Award for Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility: Stephen Bailey (physical therapy education).

Two retired professors authored new books that hit shelves this summer. Professor Emerita Carole Troxler wrote Farming Dissenters: The Regulator Movement in Piedmont North Carolina, which examines the root causes and impacts of backcountry settlers challenging the North Carolina governor in the years prior to the American Revolution.

Associate Professor Emerita Anne Cassebaum penned Down Along the Haw: The History of a North Carolina River, which looks at the Haw River’s economic, developmental and environmental impact in the region.

Professor Earl Honeycutt has been named the first Martha and Spencer Love Term Professor, an honor established by a gift from the Martha and Spencer Love Foundation. The Love Term Professorship is for five years and supports faculty research.

Associate Professor Michelle Ferrier co-organized the “Create or Die 2” journalism innovation conference in Greensboro, N.C., in early June. Gary Palin, executive director of the Doherty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, was a featured speaker at the four-day event to design and initiate digital projects that amplify diverse voices in new media.

A group of Elon staff and graduate students led by Ross Wade, assistant director of career services in the School of Communications, won an Innovative Excellence Award from the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Staff members Maggie Mullikin and Brad Berkner, and interactive media master’s program alumni Meghan Gargan G’11 and Colleen Callahan ‘09 G’10 were instrumental in the development and success of the project.

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Porter, Mader join board of trustees

Fuller named university chaplain

David Porter and Greg Mader ’11 were elected this spring to the Elon University board of trustees.

Porter, of Sudbury, Mass., is owner and managing partner of Baystate Financial { David Porter P’11 } Services, LLC, with eight offices in five states. He and his wife, Jen, are the parents of Tim Porter ’11, have served on the Parents Council and are members { Greg Mader ’11 } of the Founder’s Circle of the Elon Society. In February, Porter announced a major gift to endow the Porter Family Professional Development Center in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business.

The board elected Mader, of Durham, N.C., to a two-year term as youth trustee.

Mader received a degree in mathematics in May. He was a member of the varsity soccer team and was named to the Academic All-American team in 2008 and 2009. This fall, he will begin a doctoral program in applied mathematics at North Carolina State University.

The Rev. Dr. Janet F. Fuller, who has dedicated her career to higher education ministry, has been selected to serve as Elon’s university chaplain. Fuller spent the past 24 years at Hollins University in Roanoke, Va., where worship services, spiritual programming and multi-faith development thrived under her guidance.

A daughter of Baptist missionaries to the Middle East who is fluent in Arabic, Fuller earned her undergraduate degree from Hollins in 1978 and a master of divinity from Yale University in 1982.

She completed her doctoral studies in 1999 at the Wesley School of Theology, where her thesis examined bereavement and theology for young adult women.

In October 2010, she was ordained an Episcopal priest.

Prior to her work at Hollins, Fuller served as Baptist Chaplain at Yale University from 1982 to 1987 and as an adjunct professor of higher education ministries at the Yale Divinity School from 1983 to 1987. She worked as a pastoral associate and interim pastor at Trinity Baptist Church in New Haven, Conn., from 1980 to 1982.

Fuller succeeds the Rev. Richard McBride, who retired in 2009.

armc leader receives business leadership award John G. Currin Jr., president and chief executive officer of Alamance Regional Medical Center and ARMC Healthcare, received the Frank S. Holt, Jr. Business Leadership Award, Elon’s highest honor for business leadership.

Currin received the award at a June luncheon attended by local business, civic and university leaders. Besides sitting on the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Board of Advisors, Currin serves on several community boards and committees for statewide organizations.

Elon’s Martha and Spencer Love School of Business established the Holt Award to recognize local citizens whose contributions to business and the community reflect the progressive, visionary leadership exemplified by the award’s namesake. The late Frank S. Holt, Jr. was president of Holt Manufacturing Co. and an active civic leader.

ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES HALL OF FAME CLASS Four outstanding former studentathletes will be inducted into the Elon Sports Hall of Fame on Sept. 10 at 1:30 p.m. in Whitley Auditorium.

The ceremony is free and open to the public. Alumni to be honored are: Elliot Armstrong ’94 (football, track) Priscilla Awkard ’95 (volleyball) Mitch Rippy ’80 (football) Amy Williamson ’93 (women’s soccer) The four also will be honored at halftime of the evening’s home football game against Concord. Tickets for the game may be purchased at elonphoenix.com.

CAMPUS UNCOMMONS

BY KELLYE COLEMAN ’12

Susan Klopman, vice president of admissions and financial planning, has worked hard to bring students to Elon’s picturesque campus for more than 15 years.

Considering Elon’s explosive growth over the past decade and a half, it’s safe to estimate that she’s responsible for more than 16,000 undergraduates who’ve chosen to attend Elon in her tenure. In the process, Klopman has given much of herself to the university. Blood. Sweat. Tears. Squirrels.

Yes, squirrels.

When Klopman discovered a legion of squirrels wreaking havoc in her garden, she had an idea: why not trap the little rodents and bring them to Elon, where they could feast on acorns to their hearts’ content (and where they’re always a hit with prospective students)?

“My husband found out squirrels like sunflower seeds, and he would put some in a have-a-heart trap and have one of the traps ready to go at breakfast for me to bring to work,” she recalls. “If I went home for lunch, he’d have another one ready for me.”

Klopman personally supported Elon’s squirrel population for several years and lost count of exactly how many she let loose along the brick paths. Eventually, she decided to leave the squirrels’ propagation to Mother Nature.

“I said, ‘I have done my job,’” she recalls. “I am not hauling squirrels to work anymore!”

What faculty or staff member do you think is uncommon? Send a suggestion to alumniclassnotes@elon.edu.

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| UPDATE

EVER ELON CAMPAIGN SURPASSES $ MILLION

BY JALEH HAGIGH

With $5 million remaining to reach the $100 million goal, the Ever Elon Campaign continues to transform student learning and the entire university.

Gifts from alumni, parents and friends have supported student scholarships, faculty development and outstanding facilities. Gifts also have strengthened Elon’s renowned experiential learning programs of study abroad, service, internships, leadership and undergraduate research. The university looks to all members of the Elon community to help reach the $100 million goal this year.

GIFTS ENHANCE CAREER SERVICES Parents of an Elon student have contributed $1 million to support the new Student Professional Development Center, which will feature premier programs in career development and employer relations.

This gift will support construction of the center and establish an endowment to support operations, including capital and technology improvements. The donors have asked not to be identified. In addition, Elon trustee Wes Elingburg and his wife, Cathy, have made a $250,000 commitment to the center. Both couples want to support a project that will help the university meet its goal to place students in the nation’s top companies and graduate programs.

“We are very impressed with the new path Elon is taking with career services,” Wes Elingburg says. “It’s such an important part of any university. You have to put forth all the resources you can to help students build professional connections and be successful in life.”

The Elingburgs are members of the IMPACT Circle, the premier giving group of the Phoenix Club, and have made gifts to support Alumni Field House and renovations to Alumni Gym. The student-athlete lounge in the field house and the players’ lounge in the renovated men’s basketball locker room are named in their honor.

The couple also have supported the Elon

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Academy and endowed the Wesley R. Elingburg Professorship in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. Their son, Nolan, is a member of the Class of 2011.

The Student Professional Development Center will be located on the first floor of Moseley Center in space previously occupied by the campus bookstore. Its amenities will include a large event room, digital theater, and employer interview and conference rooms. The lobby will provide space for employer-student gatherings and feature a touch-screen display to showcase student and graduate success stories.

Connie Book, associate provost for academic affairs, says the center will impact

{ Cathy and Wes Elingburg P’11 }

every student and also provide career assistance to alumni.

“We envision a visible, active center that hosts dozens of corporations, nonprofits and graduate schools seeking students with the assets of an Elon degree,” Book says.

REVSONS FUND TRANSITION COURSES Elon parents Charles and Diana Revson believe students need a strong foundation in practical knowledge to succeed in an increasingly competitive world. They have made a $100,000 gift to enhance Elon’s

{ Diana and Charles Revson P’11 }

UPDATE |

space for informal interactions, celebrations and events for Elon’s 14 religious life student organizations. It will be the new home for Elon’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, which coordinates the university’s religious and spiritual life programming.

{ Numen Lumen Pavilion }

transition strategies program. Courses in this program will place a finer focus on the basic principles of law, finance, investments, insurance, politics, real estate, accounting and health. These courses will be part of the university’s professional development curriculum, which seeks to prepare students to be productive and successful adults.

“I think there’s a need at all colleges and universities today to give students a better understanding of how things work in the world,” Charles Revson says. “I hope Elon will create a program that can be a model for other universities to use.”

The Revsons’ gift will support a twoyear pilot program beginning this fall that will include curriculum development and training for faculty. Elon will host a lecture series on each course topic and invite experts to attend and work with faculty to develop lesson plans and select reading materials.

Revson hopes the transition strategies courses will sharpen students’ analytical skills and prepare them to succeed once they leave Elon.

“You have to know the right questions to ask, and I’m hoping this program will give students the knowledge they need to ask those questions,” he says.

The Revsons’ son, Tripp, is a 2011 Elon graduate.

university’s arts and sciences quadrangle.

The Latin words “numen” and “lumen,” which mean “spiritual light” and “intellectual light,” signify the highest purposes of an Elon education.

“The Numen Lumen Pavilion will serve as a beacon to Elon’s commitment to religious and cultural diversity and help fulfill the university’s vision for educating the whole student for life and leadership in a diverse world,” says Smith Jackson, vice president for student life and dean of students.

The Numen Lumen Pavilion will feature distinctive spaces unlike any other on campus, including a large space in which students, faculty and staff of various faiths will gather for worship, religious ceremonies and quiet reflection. Moveable furnishings and no fixed religious symbols will enable different groups to make the space their own.

The pavilion also will include prayer and meditation spaces, a multipurpose room, study and lounge areas, and a kitchen designed to meet the dietary needs of different faith traditions. This facility will serve as the hub of activity for the university chaplains and the gathering

{ Lori and Eric Sklut P’14 }

SKLUTS ADVANCE JEWISH STUDIES PROGRAM A $250,000 endowment gift from The Levine-Sklut Family Foundation will significantly expand the university’s Jewish Studies program. This gift will endow the Lori and Eric Sklut Emerging Scholar in Jewish Studies, who will help build an outstanding program recognized for excellence in teaching and scholarship. As the program grows, the endowment could support opportunities for visiting scholars, guest lecturers, course development and other initiatives that enrich the program.

“Elon embraces a pluralistic view of society and is making inroads in enhancing diversity, and we want to be part of that,” says Eric Sklut, founder of Perfection Automotive, Inc., and vice chair of the board for the Center for Jewish Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, his alma mater. “You can’t have a truly global liberal arts education without having a Jewish Studies program.

It’s important for people of all faiths.”

The couple’s son, Mason, is an Elon sophomore who has been active in the university’s Hillel organization and is working to bring a Jewish fraternity to campus.

“Lori and I want our kids to be in an environment where they can have exchanges with people of different faiths and from different cultures,” Sklut says. “Our hope is that this program will grow and spark additional interest among donors who may not be aware that this opportunity is available.”

SUPPORT BUILDS FOR MULTIFAITH CENTER DONORS MAKE PLANNED GIFTS Donors continue to support plans to build a multi-faith center and offer students an inviting place to practice their faiths and learn about many religious traditions. A total of $1 million has been committed to support construction and operations of the center, to be called the Numen Lumen Pavilion, which will become the sixth pavilion in the Academic Village, the

Order of the Oak, the university’s planned gift legacy society, welcomes the following new members: Elon parents John and Ann Barry, of Charlotte, N.C.; Colleen Minnock Chulis ’04, of Charlottesville, Va.; Sarah Rebecca Smith ’98, of Winston-Salem, N.C.; and Sam Burke ’89, and his wife, Kelly, of Berkeley Heights, N.J.

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PHOENIX SPORTS ▶ elonphoenix.com

MEET COACH SWEPSON

BY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

right from wrong. It’s just not worth it. Sure, you might get a really good player out of it, but it always comes back to bite you,” he says.

“With technology and phones and social media, you can’t hide anymore. I think technology is going to be the main way this gets cleaned up.”

HE HAS A SPECIAL PREGAME RITUAL. “Every night before a game, I call my dad. I’ve been doing it since I was 11 years old. I ask him for the ‘word of the day,’ and he gives it to me,” Swepson explains. “When I was playing, and I’d be up to my elbows in alligators during a game, I said the word of the day to myself and it helped me focus. He’s always right on with that word.

“Now, when I’m coaching and it’s the fourth quarter and I feel myself starting to get out of control, I concentrate on the word and it calms me down.”

A

HE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY TO PHOENIX FANS.

s you take a look around at the spartan furnishings in Head Football Coach Jason Swepson’s office, you’ll have to excuse him for lacking a bit in the interior design department. He’s been just a bit busy over the past several months assembling a full coaching staff nearly from scratch, scrambling to recruit a full class of new players and moving his family – wife Tanya and children Kiana, Nadia and Payton – from Raleigh, N.C., to Elon.

The schedule hasn’t left much time to fully introduce himself to the Phoenix football faithful, either. With less than a month until the team’s season opener, here are a few things you should know about Elon’s new head man.

University, where both the Golden Eagles and the Wolfpack ranked among the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top offenses.

“He told me to be myself and stay true to the ‘blueprint,’” Swepson says of the advice O’Brien gave him when he left NC State. “The blueprint’s worked in two places, and it’s about doing things the right way with integrity and efficiency. You hear horror stories about coaches who sleep in their offices night after night. Coach O’Brien always said that if you can’t finish your day’s work before 9 p.m., you’re not a very good coach.”

HE’S LEARNED FROM THE BEST.

Swepson, like nearly everyone in the country, has watched two formerly marquee NCAA football programs, at the University of Southern California and and the Ohio State University, crumble this year under the weight of rules violations. And he knows from experience that it doesn’t – and shouldn’t – need to happen.

“I think if you’re a family man, you know

As a running back and wide receiver at Boston College from 1988 to 1991, Swepson played for Jack Bicknell and Tom Coughlin, the latter of whom won Super Bowl XLII in 2008 with the New York Giants. From 1999 until his hiring at Elon this January, Swepson coached under Tom O’Brien at Boston College and NC State

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HE KNOWS YOU CAN RUN A CLEAN PROGRAM AND WIN IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL.

Sure, he knows Elon football supporters may have lower expectations this season, taking into consideration the recent coaching change and graduation of outstanding players like quarterback Scott Riddle and receiver Sean Jeffcoat.

But Swepson has an answer for them.

“When Coach O’Brien went to Boston College, he said ‘This program will be built to beat Notre Dame.’ We were 5–2 against Notre Dame. When we took over the NC State program, he said, ‘This program will be built to beat Carolina.’ We were 4–0 against Carolina,” he recalls.

“When I came to Elon, I said ‘This program will be built to beat Appalachian State.’ I tell them we’re going to brush our teeth better than App State. We’re going to dress better than App State. We’re going to be better in the classroom than App State. We’re going to practice harder than App State. And then we’ll see what happens.”

Read more about Swepson and his path to Elon at elon.edu/magazine

PHOENIX SPORTS

SET FOR SUCCESS

BY PAIGE FREDRICKSON

A

s Elon’s starting libero (volleyball-speak for defensive specialist), Ali Deatsch played a big role for the 2010 Southern Conference North Division Champion Phoenix. But the rising junior shined equally bright in the classroom and the physics laboratory. In April, she became the first student-athlete to receive the Lumen Prize, Elon’s premier award for academic and creative achievement. In a rare moment of spare time, Deatsch spoke with Elon athletics about her research.

CHARLOTTE SMITH TO LEAD WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Former college and professional basketball star Charlotte Smith became Elon’s sixth head women’s basketball coach on June 22. Smith spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she had an All-American career topped by a last-second shot that earned the Tar Heels the national title in 1994.

“We wanted a coach who was committed to the coexistence of academic and athletic excellence, as well as a familiarity with the recruiting footprint of Elon University and the state of North Carolina,” said Dave Blank, director of athletics.

A star for the Tar Heels from 1992 to 1995, Smith became the most decorated women’s basketball player in UNC history and is one of two Tar Heel players to have her jersey retired. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 1994 Final Four and National Player of the Year by ESPN in 1995. Following her graduation from UNC, Smith played professionally abroad, in the American Basketball League and the WNBA. During Smith’s tenure as an assistant to legendary UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell, the Tar Heels captured four ACC titles, appeared in the top-25 national rankings seven times, qualified for the NCAA Tournament nine times and advanced to the Final Four twice.

“We’re going to bring championshiplevel basketball to Elon University,” Smith said, “and while I know that winning isn’t everything, I can tell you from experience, it sure does feel good to win.”

Smith succeeds Karen Barefoot, who resigned in early June after three years as Elon head coach to take the same position at Old Dominion University.

Tell us about the project you’ll be working on with your Lumen Prize funds.

My research focuses on improving cancer treatment methods such as chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses a toxic drug that spreads out and kills cells all over your body, not just in the problem area. This is what causes horrible side effects like nausea and hair loss.

I want to use magnetic hyperthermia instead.

I use a magnetic particle that is about one-totwo microns, which is smaller than a red blood cell, and is nontoxic and novel to my lab. No one else has it.

In this method, I could inject these particles into a patient’s body then use an external magnet to pull them all to one specific region, hold them there with the magnet and heat them up with a magnetic field. Once the particles reach a certain temperature, they’d begin to kill the tumor cells in that area. This way you could kill tumor cells without killing important cells throughout the rest of the body, therefore avoiding the adverse side effects.

ball. When I realized that’s what I was doing, I realized I should study physics.

Speaking of volleyball, the 2011 season is right around the corner. What are your expectations?

During preseason, it’s going to be such a battle because we lost three good seniors. We have such a deep team that everyone wants to step up now and make a difference. I think that’s going to be huge for our attitude. I hope winning the division last season gives us a little bit of confidence in ourselves. Now when we go up against a team that has great record, we can go into that match just as confident as they are.

When I first got here, we thought, “Maybe we’ll win.” But now we’re North Division champs and think, “Yeah, we can win!”

What does it mean to be the first studentathlete to receive a Lumen Prize?

It’s cool, especially after some of the articles that have been written about how athletes are just dumb jocks. That hurts and I really take that to heart. Some people obviously have a stereotype of athletes, but there are a lot of great studentathletes with great GPAs who are involved in a lot of academic work that people don’t always get to see.

How does your volleyball schedule affect your class and lab work?

Volleyball has a lot to do with my work ethic.

It keeps me on task and has allowed me to be ambitious enough to even pursue something like the Lumen Prize. More directly, volleyball drove me to study physics. When I play, I sometimes analyze the angles or trajectories of the

summer 2011 11

HANDSON SCIENCE Kathy Matera inspires a passion for discovery in her students

BY DAVE HART

G

rowing up in Palo Alto, Calif., Kathy Matera had no aspirations of becoming a teacher, chemist or scientist of any kind.

“Oh, gosh, no,” says Matera, associate professor of chemistry. “I was going to be a national park ranger. My family did a lot of backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, and that’s where I wanted to work. Never in a thousand years did I think I’d wind up doing what I do.”

That was until she met her chemistry teacher at Palo Alto High School.

“She was young and hip and smart,” Matera says. “She was a fantastic teacher, and she made such a huge difference. I discovered that you don’t have to be a nerd to study science; it’s actually kind of cool and interesting.”

Today, Matera passes that same passion along to her students, opening their eyes to the wonders and possibilities of science and instilling in them a drive to make new discoveries.

“I came in thinking I would study biology, but after taking some classes with Dr. Matera, I switched to chemistry,” says Amanda Clark ’11, who received one of Elon’s prestigious Lumen Prizes to support her work with Matera. “Her students absolutely love her. A lot of them have done what I did, switched from something else to biochemistry because of her.”

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A ROAD LESS TRAVELED Yet Matera almost didn’t make her way into academia at all. She met her husband, Greg, while pursuing her doctorate at the University of California-Davis. As Greg completed his studies, Matera worked for two years synthesizing oil additives for Chevron. Then, when Greg received a post-doctorate opportunity at Yale, they moved to Connecticut, where Matera signed on with a startup biotech company. She assumed she’d found her career path when the plans changed again; Greg was hired to the faculty at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

“I told him I’d go anywhere with him, as long as it was west of Connecticut. I meant capital ‘W,’ as in ‘West Coast,’ but he pointed out that Cleveland is, indeed, west of Connecticut,” she quips.

In Ohio, Matera says, she fondly recalled her experience student-teaching at UC-Davis and decided to take a chance. She approached the chemistry chair at John Carroll University and asked if they needed an extra instructor. As it happened, they did, and Matera taught there for almost two years.

“It was a blast,” she says. “I thought, ‘I’ve discovered what I want to do.’”

She later accepted a position at BaldwinWallace College, earned tenure there and nearly settled in. But in 2007, Greg was offered a professorship in biology and genetics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He said yes, but only if they could help find his wife a position.

“They got on the phone and started calling universities,” Matera recalls. “They called Elon and asked, ‘Any chance you could use a biochemist?’”

As luck would have it, Elon was indeed in need, and the university appointed her a visiting professor for a year before offering her a tenuretrack position.

“I love it here,” she says. “I told Greg, ‘I’m done moving for you. This place is built for us!’”

Dan Wright, professor and chair of Elon’s Department Chemistry, says “the stars aligned for Kathy and us,” because she happened to come along just as the department was in the process of creating a biochemistry major.

“Kathy provided insight and leadership in the development of the program and has offered a number of research opportunities to our best students,” Wright says. “She is an excellent mentor and how she manages her students is a model for her younger colleagues.”

‘SHOW ONE, DO ONE, TEACH ONE’ On a recent summer morning, the Elon campus was quiet. Only a few students walked the paths, and visitors had their pick of parking spaces. Matera, though, was already busy in the

chemistry lab beside her office in McMichael enzymes and react with certain receptors in the Science Center, working with Anthony Pratt, body, they contribute to the buildup of plaque in a student completing one of Elon’s Summer the arteries, which causes atherosclerosis.

“No one had looked at how those lipids Undergraduate Research Experiences. They were creating a buffer solution – a method of change, and if you look at that change, you can controlling pH in a chemical application. find a way to stop that change from happening.

“My approach is ‘show one, do one, teach one,’” And that would be huge.”

Matera says. “I show them, they do it, and then For Clark, the experience – and the relationthey teach someone else how to do it. It’s impor- ship she built with Matera in the process – was tant to let students do things themselves. Often, invaluable.

“Dr. Matera showed me the ropes and then you learn the most by goofing up.”

Caroline Peckels ’11, another Lumen Prize let me go out on my own,” says Clark, who at recipient, agrees.

Matera’s urging spent two summers conduct“As an undergraduate, you have this naive ing research at UC-San Francisco, which houses expectation that things are always going to go the #3 medical school in the country, and the right, but so much can go wrong. Instruments University of Texas. break, enzymes go bad, results don’t go the way you expect and it can be frustrating,” Peckels CONCLUSIVE RESULTS Students, faculty and staff alike are noticing the impact Matera has made on the science programs at Elon. Two years ago, she received the A.L. Hook Emerging Scholar Professorship, a three-year post that carries an annual salary supplement, and materials and funds for student research. Earlier this year, the Student Government Association selected Matera for its 2011 Gerald L. Francis Award for Outstanding Faculty Member.

“Kathy is extremely popular with our biochemistry majors, and many of them start lobbying to work with her on research as soon as they come to Elon,” says Karl Sienerth, a colleague of Matera’s in the Department of Chemistry.

Yet, like many faculty at Elon, the greatest –kathy matera reward for Matera comes in the achievements of her students. She recalls advice a colleague gave her just before she began working at Elon about the challenges of working at an undersays. With Matera, she studied molecules (from graduate-focused liberal arts university: Don’t walnuts of all places) that could help prevent the try to compete with the big dogs. accumulation of plaques that form in the brains “We do tremendous research at Elon, but we of Alzheimer’s patients at the onset of the disease. don’t have the manpower that the bigger univer“Dr. Matera puts such a positive spin on sities have, so I’ve tried to find things that are things. She has you go through the process piece exciting and are on a scale that we can work on,” by piece so that you figure out where things went she says. “For my students – and all of them are wrong and learn from them. The way she trou- undergrads – being at a school like this offers bleshoots problems has influenced me so much.” real benefits, because they get to do a lot of fun The results speak volumes. Her students go and important things right away.” on to prestigious graduate schools and research For many of those students, Matera has institutions, making new discoveries that move become what that “hip and smart” high school humanity closer to elusive goals such as prevent- science teacher once became for her: an ing heart disease. Clark is a prime example; inspiration.

“To feel like you have contributed a little she will begin medical school this fall at the University of Rochester, where she’s hoping to piece to the overall puzzle of something like continue her research into the way oxidized Alzheimer’s disease is incredibly gratifying,” lipids contribute to the development of heart says Peckels, who begins her doctoral studies disease atherosclerosis. at Emory University this fall. “When I came “A lot of diseases and disorders can be traced to Elon, I didn’t know that I’d have a chance to to enzymes not working correctly,” Matera says. apply chemistry to real-world problems, but Dr. When lipids become oxidized in the presence of Matera has made that possible.”

“My approach is ‘show one, do one, teach one:’ I show them, they do it, and then they teach someone else how to do it.”

summer 2011

13

WAITING ON SANTA CLAUS

BY ERIC TOWNSEND

I

t’s easy to like Tyronna Hooker. It’s also easy to see how much her students like her. Threading her way through desk clusters in a Graham Middle School classroom on

a late May morning, she mesmerizes the teenagers studying

language arts as they prepare for end-of-course exams.

“What does it mean if I ‘evaluate’ something?” the Year. Several months later, the Alamanceasks Hooker, a 2009 graduate of Elon’s master Burlington School System judged her to be its of education program. A boy in a gray wool cap Teacher of the Year. And just last April, Hooker and plaid shirt responds. “Make a judgment?” learned that the state Department of Public “Exactly! If I’m going to evaluate something, Instruction judged her to be the 2011–12 North Carolina Teacher of the Year.

I’m making a judgment.”

Hooker knows a little something about judgIn the latter role, Hooker will travel the state ment. In early 2010, her colleagues judged her as an “ambassador for the teaching profesto be the Graham Middle School Teacher of sion.” Among her rewards are a car to use for

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travel in the next year, a cash award of $7,500, a November trip to the National State Teachers of the Year Conference in Indianapolis and an electronics package valued at more than $17,000.

She also will advise the state board of education.

For Hooker, who works with exceptional children who need additional attention in the classroom, the honor came by complete surprise.

“I thought what I did made a difference to my students, but I had no idea anyone was watching,” she says. “When I come here, I don’t think I’m coming to work. I’m coming to life. Because that’s what this is, it’s real life.”

Hooker’s story begins in Elizabethtown, a sleepy community halfway between Fayetteville and the North Carolina coast. The daughter of teenage parents, Hooker found a home with her paternal grandmother, Mary Susan McKoy, a woman known in the community for delightful storytelling, delectable cooking and her

WHAT HOOKER’S STUDENTS SAY

knowledge of the King James Bible. Hooker Hooker will be sharing her experience with a recalls the pair “were poor but we didn’t know it.” broad audience of educators, politicians, parIt wasn’t until the fourth grade, when classmates ents and the media. Among the concerns she would talk about new cars and sport new clothes, will share is that there is a common misunderthat she noticed her modest means. standing about what “true accountability” in Her grandmother, who had only completed education is or what it looks like. A popular 10th grade, believed there was nothing modest term among policy makers, the phrase is used about schooling. As high school graduation as a synonym for “testing,” she says, yet there approached, Hooker first considered military are other ways to demonstrate proficiency that enlistment until her grandmother protested. don’t require filling out bubbles on a scan sheet.

For example, Hooker supports the idea of With help from student loans and a softball scholarship, Hooker enrolled at North Carolina student portfolios. She talks about her classroom Central University in Durham. expectations and, more to the point, how those She majored in criminal justice and in 1993 expectations don’t waver. She also shares her was working for a women’s prison in Raleigh. philosophy of “differentiated learning,” a conHooker says she noticed right away that many cept emphasized by faculty in Elon’s School of prisoners weren’t bad people, but rather good Education for helping all students in the same people who made poor choices. Two years later, classroom learn a lesson, even if she needs to she moved into probation and parole, where she use more than one technique to teach it. Not all could do more to educate others. That brought students learn the same way, she explains, and her to Alamance County. it’s her responsibility to adapt.

To help repay her student loans, she took Then there’s the challenge of convincing a second job with Elon Homes for Children. students that school can be more than simply Hooker bonded with two teenagers while work- a place to spend their waking hours. That’s difing as a therapeutic counselor and later became ficult, she says, when parents aren’t involved a foster parent to both boys. But the boys began in their lives or their home environment is struggling in school and challenged her to “see unsettled. She can relate. Growing up, Hooker for herself ” problems they were having, so never sent a Mother’s or Father’s Day card. She Hooker began substitute teaching. felt abandoned. Now, Hooker appreciates the She found a calling, and was hired to teach circumstances of her youth and reflects on that language arts at Graham Middle School in 2002 experience to relate better to students in her and later moved to social studies. To enhance school, where a significant number of them her teaching skills, Hooker enrolled in Elon’s come from low-income homes. master of education program in 2007. Professors “People feel like they can trust her,” says who worked with her recall her determination to Rachel Clark, a language arts teacher at Graham take as much away from the program as possible. Middle who co-taught with Hooker. “I’ve “She knew the students she wanted to work learned patience from her. I’ve learned selfwith and help,” says Judith Howard, a former control from her.” professor of education who directed the graduAdds Davis, “She’s a strong Africanate program. “She’s just so dedicated to teaching, American woman, and people respect her. I especially teaching kids who need good teachers.” think of her as my best friend. She understands Hooker has touched lives beyond those of me and knows how I feel about certain stuff. I her students. Colleagues say they’ve incorpo- can go to her and talk about things whenever rated many of her approaches, such as the way I need her.” she’ll politely stop a lesson to tell a disruptive The frustrations of public education are student that she is “waiting for you.” many, she acknowledged when interviewed by “The whole class goes silent,” says Faith Davis, the selection committee for the state Teacher of one of Hooker’s students. “They know.” the Year Award. But nearly a decade after takYet Hooker’s ability to connect with young ing her first teaching assignment, her faith in people isn’t limited to the classroom. her students still serves as a powerful motivator.

“The word that sticks in my mind when peo- She likens going to school every day to a child’s ple ask about her is ‘originality,’” says Sterling anticipation on Christmas Eve. Royster, Hooker’s senior pastor at Parrish “Think about when you believed in Santa Chapel United Church of Christ in Saxapahaw. Claus. Nothing about that was logical, but you “She will always find a way to get to those who never doubted it, and that’s the same belief I have a need.” have in my classroom,” she says. “I walk in every As North Carolina Teacher of the Year, day waiting on Santa Claus.”

jeffrey wood “She breaks stuff down. If I need help with anything, like reading or writing, she helps me with it. She helps me a lot more than all my other teachers do.”

veronica childress “If she says she’s going to do something, she’s going to do it. She’s just the best teacher I’ve ever had in the school.”

ronald rauda “She’s a great teacher and doesn’t yell at the class. She always stands up for her students.”

melina meza “She’s not afraid to tell you what she’s thinking, she’ll be straight-on with you.

Don’t be afraid to tell her anything. She’ll help you with everything that you need.”

summer 2011

15

IN COMMAND Vice Admiral William E. Gortney ’77 reflects on a masterful military career On a glittering Friday morning in May, the day before Commencement, a group of men gathered on campus for breakfast. Ranging in age from the late teens to late 50s, the men were linked by their Elon heritage, the bonds of their Kappa Sigma fraternity and a gentleman dressed head to toe in bright white whom they’d all come to see.

Some of the men greeted him with a firm handshake and addressed him as “Sir” or “Admiral.”

But those who knew him best clapped him on the back, wrapped him in a hug and called him “Shortney.”

“Shortney” is U.S. Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney ’77, director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon and the keynote speaker at Elon’s 121st Commencement Exercises.

“Even in his dress whites, with all those bars on his sleeves, he’s still our ‘Shortney,’” said King White ’80.

Since the days his Kappa Sigma brethren bestowed the apt nickname upon him (he is 5 feet 5 inches tall, after all) Gortney has built one of the most accomplished careers—military or civilian—of any Elon graduate. His resume is distinguished, if not intimidating: 8 More than 5,300 hours flying the A-7E Corsair II and FA-18 Hornet in support of U.S. armed forces in operations Desert Shield, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom

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8 Three command tours in the U.S. Central Command area of operations at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, and aboard the USS Harry S. Truman and USS John F. Kennedy 8 A chestful of medals, including the Naval Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star 8 Direction of the Navy SEAL team that rescued Maersk Alabama Capt. Richard Phillips after his ship was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009 8 Appointment to the Joint Staff by President Barack Obama in 2010 to assist the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Yet watching Gortney speak to a group of Elon seniors, a day shy of their graduation, you’d think he was just one of the guys.

“He’s a very socially engaging person— and you wouldn’t necessarily think that about someone who fits the discipline that’s required for the military and his position,” said Steve Leach ’78.

During his visit to campus, Gortney’s wit, wisdom and candor were on full display as he sat down for a conversation with Magazine of Elon editor Kristin M. Simonetti ’05.

Your father was a Navy pilot, but the military wasn’t your first career choice. What changed your mind?

I thought I wanted to go to Elon and become a lawyer, but then I realized I wanted to have friends, so I decided against it. I chose to go do something for a little bit and then decide what I really wanted to do with my life—and that’s much of the way we get the youth of America into our military today, too.

I decided that flying airplanes off of aircraft carriers was maybe something I wanted to do.

But I had a very difficult time getting into the Navy—they actually turned me down twice.

You have to take a test that’s very heavy in the sciences, and I’d only taken one math and one science course when I was here at Elon. Finally, they accepted me, but that wasn’t until halfway through my senior year.

What did your father think about your decision?

At first he wasn’t very happy about it. He asked me, “Why would you want to go and do that?”

He wanted me to do something different from what he did and encouraged me to get a law degree. But I think he’s OK with it now. ▶

{ “Make excellence your trademark,” Vice Adm. William E. Gortney ’77 told the Class of 2011 at Commencement.

“Find your passion and do it better than anyone else.” }

summer 2011 17

The military wasn’t exactly in high esteem in the late 1970s. How was your career choice received by your classmates at Elon?

When I graduated in 1977, it was only four years after they ended the Vietnam War. In 1973, we ended the draft and went into the all-volunteer force, but the holdover from the Vietnam War was still pretty strong.

I was vice president of the student government and before Commencement, someone came into my office and said, “We have three guys who are getting commissioned into the Marine Corps the day before Commencement.

They want to wear their uniforms at Commencement. Do we want the military represented at Elon?” That was the culture.

I was kind of taken aback, because the military had been such a big part of my life. So I said, “Well, I think it’s pretty cool because I’m about to go do the same thing here in three weeks.”

You encouraged the Class of 2011 to find their passion and follow it. When did you realize the Navy was your passion?

When I started flying. I really liked it. It’s not just the flying—it’s all that goes with it. Being with the sailors and the chiefs and the camaraderie with the squadron—which is much like it was with the fraternity. And (my wife) Sherry and I, we’ve grown up with a Navy family that are all part of our passion. We are as close to our Navy family’s kids as we are our own. When I look back on growing up in a Navy family, I realize my parents had the same thing. I think that’s what keeps people in it.

{ “He’s grown into what you might call the ‘ultimate patriot,’” says fraternity brother Lt. Col. Zene Fearing ’76, USMC (Ret.). }

of the wives about halfway through the deploy- to work at the Pentagon. You want to drive ships ment and they went from port to port with us. and fly airplanes. That’s what you join for. But We toured Europe. It was a great squadron, great someone’s gotta do the dirty end of the work. family, great leadership. That’s when our Navy Someone’s gotta mop the floors. family started coming together.

Then we had Billy, our oldest, 10 days before What are the big differences between I went on my second deployment, which was the military you work for today and another six-month deployment. I remember the military you joined in the 1970s? climbing into bed one of those first nights think- I joined a Navy that was called “hollow”—a ing, “My goodness, I don’t know. This is hard. It’s “hollow force.” After Vietnam, there was a big hard with kids.” drawdown, as we have had after every major Today, it’s pretty hard to walk away when your war. As a result, the budget goes down. It wasn’t Because I’m a child of the 1980s, I just nation’s at war. It comes down to the fact that we a very pleasant place to be—it never is in a “holhave to ask—as a naval aviator at the time like what we’re doing. We like the challenges, the low force.” the film “Top Gun” was released, what shared experiences, who we’re working with and The difference now is how well manned, were your thoughts about the movie?

We actually were living in California at the the work itself. That’s always kept our “stay-in” trained and equipped our force is compared time, though not at Miramar. The best part of list longer than our “get-out” list. to the ’70s. There’s still great leadership, but the movie is the very beginning, when you see our training has improved dramatically. The the scene on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier, What are your primary duties as military is pretty focused right now after being kind of in slow motion with a great soundtrack. director of the Joint Staff? at war for 10 years. Attitudes are a lot different I whack moles. No one really ever calls me unless when you’re facing the realities of combat. there’s a problem—that’s when one of the moles So that’s the only thing about pops up. I come in and whack it down. the movie that’s accurate?

Do you think the American public needs Well, we don’t actually do it in slow motion, and I make sure everybody has what they need, to change its expectations for war or its there’s no music in the background. But that’s that the different groups communicate with one definitions of “victory” and “defeat?” the most realistic part of the movie. And the part another and that they stay focused on the mis- The American people have really done a good where they say, “You never leave your wingman.” sions that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs wants job hanging in there with us throughout this them to focus on, and that we give the chairman war. They’re apolitical when it comes to supAll right, back to the real questions. the ability to provide the best military advice to porting our servicemen and women, and I think Was there ever a time or a few times the president. that’s a great thing.

We said all along it was going to be a long that you and Sherry sat together and one. And it’s a long way from over—there will What’s it like working in the Pentagon? thought, “It’s time to get out?”

My first deployment was very hard. I remember It’s a brutal place to work. It’s long hours, hard be peaks and valleys of intensity. We’re always thinking, “My goodness, I’m gonna be gone for work, incredibly important work—but no one working hard to find the right balance to adapt six months.” But Sherry came over with a bunch joins the Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Air Force to how the enemy will decide to fight us, because

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it’s the enemy who decides how you’re going to fight.

But at the end of the day, if you take the long view of it—and being a history major from Elon College, I do—you know that there’s never been peace. There’s really only a violent peace. And as long as we’re a global superpower, we’re going to be engaged in things that are not predictable.

No one predicted Libya. No one predicted the Arab Spring. Three months before 9/11, we weren’t planning for 9/11. We weren’t thinking about that.

What do you expect will be the fallout from these unpredictable events in the Middle East?

Directly as the result of the Arab Spring, there’s going to be great crisis in the future as the Arab people decide what kind of nations they want to be and how they want to be led. There’s going to be a great deal of instability and it’s going to take a steady hand by somebody to work our way through that. I predict a lot of crisis, and the Navy and the Marine Corps sail to crisis.

I will tell you that our allies overseas are concerned that we will become isolationist; that we will withdraw and won’t be in it with them. Many of them are hedging their bets. But if we’re going to continue to be the leader of the free world, it takes leadership, responsibility and a level of engagement.

What would you say to young Americans to encourage them to join the military?

I’d say do it. The armed forces are going to give you an opportunity. I teach the people who work with me that it’s an implied task that the American people give us, to grow these kids up.

There are a lot of kids out there who come in and have never had a sense of purpose, discipline or mission. We take very good care of them. We treat them well. We give them responsibility at a very young age, and they like it and they thrive.

If you go on an aircraft carrier, the average age is about 19 or 20. I can go up to my airplane and there’ll be a young airman, maybe three years out of high school, who knows everything about that airplane. I ask him if it’s ready to fly—if it’s safe to fly—and he says, “Yes, sir.” I’ll usually do a cursory look around the airplane to see if there are any issues that have prevented me from flying before, but he’s already looked at it all. I get in, I go fly, I give it back. It’s his airplane. It’s amazing. Be very proud of the youth of America.

Looking back on the 34 years of your career, what would you consider your biggest accomplishment?

My kids. My son (Billy) and my daughter (Stephanie). It’s that simple.

Back in the day…

N

early 40 years ago, Bill Gortney chose to rush and pledge the Lambda Lambda chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity at Elon.

It’s a decision he considers one of the most important of his life.

“I wanted to get involved with a different group of people, and Kappa Sigma provided that. It was such a diverse mix of people— you can look at any picture of that group and see that we weren’t your stereotypical fraternity,” he recalls. “Throughout my 35 years in the Navy, that friendship has endured.”

Several of Gortney’s closest friends from Kappa Sigma shared their favorite stories about him for this issue of The Magazine of Elon.

His ability to plan ahead was extraordinary. He had this little Karmann Ghia and when he drove, he’d always let the gas tank go all the way to empty—but not before he got to his destination. I remember pushing the car from the street into the fraternity parking lot because, even though he’d just passed a gas station, he knew he could make it back on what he had. He told me stories about times he was flying jets and would do the same thing and would land on fumes. His ability to live life on the edge and make those kinds of decisions always got him home safe. – Les Hall ’77 I remember Bill being instrumental in getting Fido, the Kappa Sigma dog. It was out of the clear blue—one day, we had a dog.

Everyone on campus knew Fido and where she lived, and she and Bill were inseparable. – Tom Ponder ’76

{ Bill Gortney and Fido in the 1976–77 Phi Psi Cli. }

One of the earliest memories I have of Bill is when we went to an old rock quarry near campus with some other friends. There was a cliff about 60 feet above a pond. It took a lot of daring to dive off it, and it took me about 20 minutes before I got up the nerve.

But Bill was there and was full of encouragement—he kept saying “You’ve gotta do it! Go for it!” He was always somebody you wanted to be around, not necessarily because he was the most popular, but because there was an air of confidence about him without being cocky. He knew what he was doing, he knew what he was all about, and he inspired people to be associated with him. – Steve Leach ’78 When he returned to the U.S. and came to Global Forces Command in Norfolk (Va.), I hadn’t seen him since 1976. He had just become an admiral, had just put on his one-star, and it was a thrill to see him walking down the hallway for the first time. I saw that gold stripe on his sleeve and I just couldn’t have been any prouder of someone than when I saw Bill that day. I know as a Marine, I shouldn’t say this, but it almost put tears in my eyes that day when he came and gave me a bear hug.

– Lt. Col. Zene Fearing ’76, USMC (Ret.)

summer 2011 19

IT’S A

LIFE JOURNEY Elon launches an unprecedented commitment to alumni engagement

BY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

W

hen Colleen Callahan ’09 G’10 sought to break into Los Angeles’ entertainment industry, she immediately tapped the growing Elon network within it.

She reached out to Kristin Hegel ’06, an associate manager of creative services for FremantleMedia whom Callahan worked with at Elon Student Television, for help securing an internship. After graduating from Elon’s master of arts in interactive media program, Callahan noticed an Elon in L.A. intern, Caroline Drage ’11, was working with Ticketmaster and enlisted Drage’s help in getting her resume in front of the appropriate people. Now working full-time on Ticketmaster’s social media team, Callahan wants to pay it forward.

20 the magazine of elon

“Whenever I hear of opportunities that are available in my company or a colleague’s company, I shoot the word to Ross (Wade, assistant director of career services) and to professors who might know students who would be a good fit,” Callahan says. “If they are, I send their resumes on to my hiring manager.”

Interactions like Callahan’s happen among Elon alumni every day, but the Elon Alumni Association is hoping they occur more often – and more purposefully – in the years ahead. With the university’s support, the Alumni Association is making an unprecedented commitment to alumni engagement, and at the heart of this is an ambitious plan to build a vibrant alumni network.

Put simply, says Elon Alumni Board President Chris Martin ’78 P’13, a vibrant alumni network “means engagement – it’s a life journey.”

Alumnus and trustee Dr. Richard Thompson ’64 says “I wholeheartedly support this plan, which will expand opportunities for current and future alumni for generations to come.”

Under the Alumni Association’s plan, five broad priorities provide a framework for enhanced alumni involvement: growing the number of alumni volunteers, preparing current students to be Elon alumni, celebrating the accomplishments of alumni, bringing alumni back to campus and expanding regional programs.

GROWING ELON’S NETWORK OF ALUMNI VOLUNTEERS The Alumni Association seeks to triple the number of its volunteers, currently around 250 people, over the next three years. These alumni will receive extensive training at an annual Volunteer Leadership Summit, the first of which is planned for May 4–5, 2012. The summit will help alumni gain deeper knowledge of the university and specialized sessions will help strengthen their leadership skills.

“It’s a powerful thing to see alumni volunteering on Elon’s behalf because it shows to everyone what a strong

connection they share with the institution the university also is developing new ways to they love,” says Durice White ’09, coordinator honor alumni and bring them back to campus of alumni engagement for affinity programs. to be recognized. For example, in the past year, Graduates are needed to serve on advisory the Young Alumni Council hosted the inauguboards for schools, departments or organiza- ral Top 10 Under 10 Awards, which highlighted tions; provide professional contacts for Elon’s outstanding graduates of the past decade, and career services and employer relations staff; the Department of Physical Therapy Education speak to fellow alumni about giving to Elon bestowed its first Distinguished Alumnus of (peer-to-peer fundraising); lead regional the Year Award. alumni activities; and help strengthen bonds “We’ve got thousands of alumni who are among members of reunion classes and affin- making a difference in their communities, givity groups. ing back to Elon and becoming leaders in their “Elon works hard to provide innovative pro- careers,” says Kiley Moorefield ’07, coordinator grams that support Elon graduates,” explains of young alumni engagement. “It’s important Melissa Duncan ’06 L’09, who recently com- that we recognize alumni doing outstanding pleted a term on Elon’s Young Alumni Council. things.”

“To make that happen, we need alumni to give Recognition isn’t limited to awards. The back to Elon with their time and resources.”

Alumni Association will continue to solicit and share alumni success stories via various outlets, including The Magazine of Elon, E-Net PREPARING CURRENT STUDENTS and social media such as Facebook, Twitter TO BE ELON ALUMNI and LinkedIn. The most active alumni, says Tracey Helton Lewis ’93 P’10, are often those who were deeply BRINGING ALUMNI HOME TO CAMPUS involved in one or more campus organizations as undergraduates.

“When I run into a fellow alum, I always “They have a greater stake in the university,” open with, ‘When was the last time you were says Lewis, herself a perfect example. An active on campus?’” Martin says. “It’s not just the member of Alpha Kappa Alpha as a student, landscaping – you see the students, and how Lewis now serves her alma mater as a dynamic engaged and brilliant they are. You see how leader in Elon’s Black Alumni Network. She being involved as an alumnus makes your Elon passed along her passion for Elon to her son, degree that much more valuable.”

Brandon Helton ’10, also an active alumnus Homecoming will continue to be a hallmark who returns to campus nearly once a month weekend for Elon graduates, and the Alumni to support his fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, and Association is working to increase participation by hosting more affinity and reunion class Elon’s Gospel Choir.

“This will be a key component to our plan – events each year. Beyond Homecoming, the to make sure students are engaged,” she adds. Alumni Association is developing an alumni In addition to Elon’s myriad student-run visit program similar to that offered by Elon’s organizations, the newly formed Student Office of Admissions to welcome graduates Alumni Council will provide programs and and their families who visit campus. In colmessaging to educate students about the Elon laboration with Elon’s schools, the Alumni Association also is planning a guest-speaker alumni experience.

“Going forward, students will naturally program that would bring successful alumni know what to do as an active Elon alumnus,” into classes and campus organization meetings.

Duncan says.

EXPANDING REGIONAL PROGRAMS CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ELON ALUMNI The annual Alumni Association awards, which include the Distinguished Alumnus/a of the Year and the Young Alumnus/a of the Year, among others, will continue to be the premier recognition for alumni excellence. But

Because it’s not always convenient for alumni to visit Elon physically, the Alumni Association works hard to bring Elon to where graduates live. Alumni chapters have been established in 13 cities and regions around the country and smaller clubs have been formed in several more (see the map on the next page). To

support a vibrant alumni network, the Alumni Association will expand to at least 20 chapters and clubs and enlist alumni to serve as contacts.

“Our decision to expand these programs is largely due to the fact we have more Elon alumni in more cities around the country than we ever have before,” says Jamie Grauel ’07, coordinator of regional alumni engagement.

In addition, the Alumni Association plans to double the number of alumni outreach events nationwide, especially in metropolitan areas where Elon has not held events before.

For areas where there are large concentrations of Elon alumni, such as the Washington, D.C., and Charlotte, N.C., areas, the Alumni Association will host more frequent events than it has in years past.

WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR ELON? For this ambitious plan to reach its goals, alumni of all eras must commit to its success.

And it doesn’t have to be a difficult – or expensive – undertaking. It can involve making an annual gift to the Phoenix Club, keeping in touch with a student organization you were involved in, using Skype to appear as a guest lecturer in a class, sharing your story for this magazine’s Class Notes and updating your contact and employment information online.

“Realizing a vibrant alumni network will not only strengthen relationships between the university and its graduates, but also strengthen the breadth and depth of employer connections that will help students and alumni alike,” says Sallie Hutton ’92, director of alumni engagement. “Being an active member of our alumni network allows graduates to expand their personal and professional networks and support the advancement of our alma mater.”

But most important, says Callahan, is spreading the word to those inside and outside the Elon community.

“When my bosses were pleased with work that I did, I told them I learned those skills at Elon. When they look for new people, they always ask if there are others from Elon who might be interested,” she says. “Remember where you came from and see the greater Elon community as a family. It’s karma: if you help someone, it’ll come back to you.”

To learn more about the plan to build a vibrant alumni network or to get involved, contact alumni@elon.edu or call (877) 784-3566

summer 2011

21

THE ELON ALUMNI NETWORK Throughout the country, Elon’s alumni chapters and clubs keep you connected with fellow graduates and your alma mater long after Commencement. In some areas where there isn’t a chapter or a club, regional alumni contacts can help connect you to area information, career contacts and much more.

 of alumni

CHAPTERS

ATLANTA // atlantaelonalumni@gmail.com BALTIMORE // elonalumni.baltimore@yahoo.com

1,388

BOSTON // elonbostonalumni@gmail.com

602

CHARLESTON // eloncharlestonalumni@gmail.com

328

CHARLOTTE // charlottealumnichapter@gmail.com

1,971

CHICAGO // chicagoelonalums@gmail.com

243

NASHVILLE // elonalumninashville@gmail.com

129

NEW YORK // nycelonalumni@gmail.com

CLUBS

812

1,229

PHILADELPHIA // elonphillyalumni@gmail.com

949

RICHMOND // elonalumni.richmond@gmail.com

951

TRIAD // alumni@elon.edu

5,029

TRIANGLE // elontrianglealumni@gmail.com

2,312

WASHINGTON, D.C. // elonindc@yahoo.com

3,217

ASHEVILLE // alumni@elon.edu

202

COLUMBUS // cbuselonalums@gmail.com

148

DALLAS // alumni@elon.edu

327

DENVER // alumni@elon.edu

166

LOS ANGELES // alumni@elon.edu

201

MIAMI/SOUTH FLORIDA // sfloridaelonalums@gmail.com

318

TAMPA/ST. PETERSBURG // alumni@elon.edu

214

22 the magazine of elon

REGIONAL ALUMNI CONTACTS In several areas not served by a chapter or club, regional alumni contacts are available to help you with relocation, career searches and other needs.

So far, we have contacts in: BATON ROUGE, LA. HOUSTON JACKSONVILLE, FLA. KNOXVILLE

MOREHEAD CITY, N.C. PITTSBURGH RHODE ISLAND

Interested in becoming a contact for your region?

Contact us at alumni@elon.edu.

DID YOU KNOW? Highest concentration of alumni in the U.S. North Carolina; speciďŹ cally, the Triad (5,029) Smallest concentration of alumni in the U.S. North Dakota (1)

Elon alumni live in 61 other countries around the world! *Highest concentration of alumni internationally

Australia Austria Bahamas Belarus Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Botswana

Brazil Bulgaria Canada Cayman Islands Chile China Costa Rica Denmark England (24)*

Finland Germany Greece Guam Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary India

Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan (32)* Jordan Malawi Malaysia Mexico

Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Panama Peru Philippines Saudi Arabia Scotland

Serbia Singapore South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand

Trinidad Uganda United Arab Emirates Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands Wales

>>For the latest regional program news, events & photos, visit elon.edu/alumni

ALUMNI ACTION

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN ELON ALUM?

Planting new Roots

E

{ Sallie Hutton ’92 }

arlier in this magazine, you read about an ambitious plan the university and the Elon Alumni Association have developed to build a vibrant alumni network. In the coming years, we will grow the Elon alumni volunteer network, actively prepare current students to become Elon alumni, celebrate the accomplishments of our current alumni in new and exciting ways, enhance opportunities to bring graduates back to campus and expand our regional outreach.

To achieve all of this requires you, our alumni, to take a significant ownership stake in your alma mater. It raises a question: What does it mean to be an Elon alum?

After spending several months consulting with campus administrators and working with alumni leaders, we’ve come up with a definition.

AN ACTIVE, ENGAGED ALUMNUS OR ALUMNA OF ELON IS: a lifelong partner with Elon, staying connected, informed and involved. It means attending Elon events in your local area or on campus, becoming a volunteer and connecting with Elon through technology and in person. a lifelong advocate for Elon, sharing Elon’s story with others. It means promoting Elon to prospective students and families, and expanding Elon’s professional network by connecting Elon to internship and job opportunities with your employer or your network. a lifelong investor in Elon, supporting your alma mater on an annual basis and/or through estate plans. By supporting Elon at whatever amount you can, you demonstrate your pride and belief in your Elon education and the opportunities future generations of Elon students will receive.

We’re excited to have you involved in this vital effort to sustain Elon for the future. For more information, please visit elon.edu/alumni or contact me personally at shutton2@elon.edu to learn how you can help us build a vibrant alumni network.

Long Live Elon!

Sallie

24 the magazine of elon

{ Chris Brumbaugh ’98 & Lynn Terrell ’97 }

W

hile you’re back on campus, drop by The Root Trackside, a downtown Elon restaurant owned

by Chris Brumbaugh ’98 and Lynn Terrell ’97. The Root is located in the space previously occupied by Sidetracks Grill, where Chris and Lynn both worked as undergraduates.

“We come from the Sidetracks cloth, and we enter this with a lot of respect for what came before,” Chris says, noting that some old Sidetracks standbys live on at the The Root. But the menu also includes new ingredients and flavors, such as a fresh edamame dip appetizer and a quinoa salad side dish.

“We’re both artistic people, and this is a way for us to let out our creative side,” he says.

Check out theroottrackside.com for the menu and to learn more.

Phoenix football road trip to Nashville Join the Elon Alumni Association and the Phoenix Club in Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 2–3 to support the Elon football team as it battles Vanderbilt. Don’t forget to wear your maroon!

Friday, 8–10 P.m.

Reception for Elon fans at Cadillac Ranch on Broadway; appetizers served and cash bar available Saturday, time tbd Tailgate party and football game at Vanderbilt Stadium; tickets $25 per person for tailgate party, $12 per person for game Order your tickets at elon.edu/alumrsvp.

Have questions? Call the Office of Alumni Engagement at (877) 784-3566.

ALUMNI ACTION

Looking for a weekend full of fun and excitement?

Perhaps a trip down memory lane?

Choose from FABULOUS Homecoming activities for alumni of all ages, including:

8 Bus tours of our beautiful and growing campus led by Dr. Earl Danieley ’46 and Barry Bradberry ’75 8 Phoenix Club Golf Tournament 8 Young Alumni Party at Fat Frogg Bar & Grill 8 National Pan-Hellenic Council Step Show 8 “Instant Laughter” Improv Show 8 “Stop Hunger Now” Meal-Packing Service Event 8 Elon Alumni Association Awards Celebration 8 Sunday Alumni Worship Service

Don’t miss a thrilling battle when the Phoenix take on the SoCon rival UT-Chattanooga Mocs in Rhodes Stadium.

Kickoff at 3 p.m.!

SAY “HELLO!” to your favorite faculty and staff at alumni receptions sponsored by: School of Communications School of Education Martha & Spencer Love School of Business

Illustrations by Sarah Beth Costello ’11 11

ESCAPE TO ELON!

RELIVE your glory days at these special reunions!

Class of 1961 Class of 1966 Class of 1976 Class of 2001 Class of 2006 Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Phi Alpha Band Alumni Black Alumni Network/ NPHC Alumni Delta Sigma Theta Gospel Choir Kappa Alpha Psi Pi Kappa Phi Phi Mu/Pi Kappa Tau Sigma Alpha Omega Women’s Track Zeta Tau Alpha/Delta Upsilon Kappa Details » elon.edu/homecoming

Department of Math and Statistics

Then make Elon your destination Oct. 21–23, 2011!

Department of Sport and Event Management Periclean Scholars Student Government Association

TAKE HOME a piece of history!

Elon Archives has back issues of the Phi Psi Cli yearbook for several years from 1913 to 2008. Visit elon.edu/ homecoming for a list of available years and claim your free copy today or at Homecoming!

BOOK YOUR TRIP! HAVE A QUESTION?

Contact your Homecoming travel experts at alumni@elon.edu or (877) 784-3566

Register online in September at elon.edu/alumrsvp summer 2011 25

ALUMNI ACTION

ALUMNI ON THE TOWN Asheville

Baltimore

Charlotte

Los Angeles

Elon parents and alumni gathered June 22 for a social at Pack’s Tavern along with several Elon faculty and staff who made the trip.

“It was great to celebrate Elon at home in Asheville with alumni from as long ago as 1946 (Edna Tuck Lunsford) to 2008 (Kate McCulley Radford),” says Amy Carraux Price ’07. She adds that Asheville alumni are looking forward to welcoming Phoenix fans in March, when their hometown plays host to the 2012 Southern Conference basketball tournament.

“Be sure to join us, and go Phoenix!” she says.

Alumni united in April for a meal-packing service event at the Moveable Feast Food Bank. In May, they attended an Orioles vs. Tampa Bay Rays game at Camden Yards.

“It was a crowded day in the stands,” Trish Mateer ’05 reports, “but we had a blast trying to catch all the T-shirts thrown and home runs hit our way!”

More than 20 young alumni gathered June 15 to attend an “Alive After Five” event at Piedmont Town Center.

“I really enjoyed talking with different alumni I didn’t even know lived in Charlotte,” Andrew Wilen ’08 says, “and the live music and free food weren’t too bad, either.”

Ten alumni joined the 2011 Elon in L.A. interns on a June 4 hike that provided vistas of the city and the famed Hollywood sign.

“It was a good bonding activity, going past just meeting up at a reception or a restaurant,” Tim Johnson ’09 says. “It’s always beneficial to connect with the larger Elon community, whether it’s alumni you already know or current students you’re meeting for the first time.”

Atlanta Twenty alumni celebrated a thrilling Braves victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on May 1 during a chapter outing at Turner Field.

“Whether we’re tailgating for a football game at Elon or in the blue lot at Turner Field, when you bring Elon alumni together, we always have a good time!” says Patrick Holloway ’10.

In June, chapter members enjoyed a special tour of the famed Sweetwater Brewery and a social.

Coming up AUG.  // Welcome to the City, 6–8 p.m., Park Tavern ■ AUG.  // SoCon

Alumni Braves Game, 7 p.m., Turner Field ■ OCT.  // Dave & Buster’s Outing, 6–9 p.m.

Coming up SEPT.  // Welcome to the City

Crabfeast, 3–6 p.m., Riverside Park Pavilion. No cost for 2011 graduates; 20 per person for other alumni. Register at elon.edu/alumrsvp ■ NOV.  // Evening for Elon, 6:30–8:30 p.m., The Maryland Club

Coming up AUG.  // Welcome to the City, 6–9 p.m., Icehouse ■ OCT.  // Greek Alumni Mixer, time/location TBD ■ NOV.  // Young

Alumni Happy Hour, time/location TBD

Coming up

Visit

Boston Elon graduates celebrated Cinco de Mayo with Mexican food, drinks and beads at a party at Papagayo.

“The energetic crew gathered to celebrate the night while reflecting on their memories of Elon,” Meghan Cronen ’09 says.

Coming up AUG.  // Welcome to the City, 6-9 p.m.,

Tia’s on Long Wharf

Charleston Coming up SEPT.  // Welcome to the City, 7–9 p.m., Blind Tiger ■ OCT.  // Pumpkincarving Social, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Boone Hall Plantation. Alumni, friends and family must pay for their own pumpkin ■ OCT.  // Haunted Jail Tour, 7:30 p.m. Meet at 40 North Market Street

elon.edu/alumni for the latest alumni chapter news and events

Chicago Alumni ventured to the “friendly confines” of historic Wrigley Field on June 28 to watch the hometown Cubs take on the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants.

Coming up AUG.  // Evening for Elon, 6:30–8:30 p.m., Loyola University Club of Chicago ■ SEPT.  // Welcome to the City, time/location TBD

Columbus, Ohio Coming up SEPT.  // Kickoff Party/Welcome to the City, 6–8 p.m., Matt the Miller’s Tavern

26 the magazine of elon

Nashville AUG.  // Welcome to the City, 6–8 p.m., Broadway Brewhouse ■ SEPT.  // Elon

vs. Vanderbilt Social, 8–10 p.m., Cadillac Ranch ■ SEPT.  // Elon vs. Vanderbilt Tailgate & Game, time TBD, Vanderbilt Stadium. Tailgate: 25 per person; game ticket: 12 per person. Purchase at elon. edu/alumrsvp ■ OCT.  // Happy Hour, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Yazoo Brewery

New York City In May, about 50 alumni attended a mixer at Hill Country for graduates of southern colleges and universities. New York City Chapter President Ally Brunetti ’02 organized the event.

“We had a good time catching up with fellow alumni,” Liza Carey ’10 says. “It was a great way to kick off the summer!”

Coming up SEPT.  // Evening for Elon, 6:30–8:30 p.m., The Metropolitan Club ■ SEPT.  // Tunnels to Towers 5K, 9:30 a.m., Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel

ALUMNI ACTION

Richmond Alumni braved the summer heat June 15 to support guitarist David Carter ’81 as he performed at Sine Irish Pub. “We’ve had increased attendance at the past few events, and we were excited to see some new faces of graduates from the past four decades at the pub,” reports Dave Warfel ’06, new chapter president.

The chapter also recognized Ken Scott ’69, who stepped down as chapter president after more than two years in the role.

A crowd of more than 60 Elon alumni, parents and friends took to the links at Westfields Country Club on June 10 for the second-annual D.C. Chapter golf tournament benefitting the Phoenix Club. The group included Jason Swepson, Phoenix head football coach, and Dave Blank, director of athletics.

Chapter President Jaclyn Jensen ’07 presented a $1,000 gift to the Phoenix Club on behalf of alumni.

“There was a true sense of excitement surrounding our athletics programs and I look forward to seeing many of these folks in the stands at Rhodes Stadium this fall,” Swepson says.

Later in June, the chapter hosted more than 75 alumni and Elon students interning in the nation’s capital for a mixer at BlackFinn Saloon.

Coming up

ASHEVILLE

South Florida

BALTIMORE

BOSTON

Coming up AUG.  // Kickoff Party/Welcome to the City, 6:30–8:30 p.m., SoLita Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale

SEPT.  // Welcome to the City, 6–10 p.m., The Exchange ■ OCT.  // Dance

Marathon, 8 a.m.–9 p.m., Fun Night Club. See chapter email for more information ■ NOV.  // Evening for Elon, 6:30–8:30 p.m., USA Today, McLean, Va. ■ NOV.  // Central Kitchen Service Event, 4:45–8 p.m. See chapter email for more information

SEPT.  // Welcome to the City, 7–9 p.m., Natty Greene’s, Raleigh

Coming up AUG.  // Welcome to the City, 5:30–8 p.m., Amuse at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts ■ SEPT.  // Volunteer Event at Shalom Farms, time TBD ■ OCT.  // Elon vs. Georgia Southern Football Watch Party, 1:30 p.m., Capital Ale House ■ NOV.  // Volunteer Event at the Richmond Marathon, 7–10 a.m. We will man one of the course’s aid stations. To participate, email elonalumni.richmond@gmail.com

Coming up

CHARLOTTE

SEPT.  // Welcome to the City, 6–9 p.m., Triumph Brewing Company ■ SEPT.  // Tour & Tasting at Chaddsford Winery, 2–4 p.m. No cost for tour ■ OCT.  // Professional Development & Networking Night, 6:30–8:30 p.m., Union League of Philadelphia

Washington, D.C.

More than 50 alumni, friends and family came out May 7 for the chapter’s annual Kentucky Derby Party at Angus Barn.

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know other alumni living in the area,” Alex Matthews ’10 says. “I’ll be coming back next year – and bringing more friends!”

Triangle Elon alums also got moving for good causes this spring, fielding teams for the April Angels Among Us 5k, benefitting Duke University’s Tisch Brain Tumor Center, and June’s Race for the Cure, benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

Coming up

Triangle

TRIANGLE

Philadelphia

summer 2011 27

CLASS NOTES



Virginia May Corbett is

amazed at how Elon has grown. The campus is nearly three times the size it was when she was a student, but it’s still as beautiful as it was in her day. She encourages current students to work hard and find what they love to do.

Virginia lives with her husband, Clyde Corbett ’50, in Burlington, N.C. ■ Margarette Oakley Day was at Elon during World War II when there were very few male students, so it was a very exciting time when the Air Force College Training Detachment Unit came to campus. She worked in the office and that is where she met her husband, Edward. In September, they will celebrate their 66th anniversary. They have three children, nine grandchildren and 22 greatgrandchildren. Margarette and Edward live in Brownwood, Texas.



J. Earl Danieley marked the

end of his his 65th year of service to Elon in May. Not surprisingly, that makes him the university’s longest tenured employee!

President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley ’46 & the late Verona Daniels Danieley ’49



Jean Parker Rusak fondly

remembers her days touring with the Elon choir and the

wonderful hospitality of people who opened their homes so that the students could have the experience of performing along the Eastern seaboard. Jean encourages students to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities they have been given and to remember to give back to those less fortunate.

She lives with her husband, John, in Jacksonville, Fla.



Jack R. Lindley P’83 didn’t



Dr. Richard B. Simpson

live on campus while he attended school because he was already married and had children.

He was not able to enjoy campus life as much as he would have liked, so he encourages students today to avail themselves of their many opportunities at Elon, especially the opportunity for study abroad. It is those experiences that will make the next generation of Elon alumni the leaders of the future. Jack lives with his wife, Dot, in Burlington, N.C. is pleased that, despite its growth over the past 50 years, Elon is still focused and committed to the students and that faculty-student relationships are still valued.

The relationships he had with his professors and the mentoring he received were an invaluable part of his education and had a major impact on his life. Richard encourages current students to dream big and never quit. He lives with his wife, Tandy, in Gallipolis, Ohio.



Alfred “Al” Capuano re-

members when he was recruited by former football coach Sid Varney to play football for Elon. Al asked whether there would be any scholarship money available, but the answer was “no.” Al reluctantly turned down the opportunity to play because he had to work to pay his tuition and expenses. Disappointed, Al vowed that if he ever got the opportunity, he would help another student in a similar position. In 2007, his dream came true and he was able to endow a $50,000 scholarship. “Don’t let money rule your world. Help others with your talents and your heart. Be a giver!” says Al, who lives with his wife, Marcia, in West Palm Beach, Fla. ■ Richard C. Cecil Jr. is proud of Elon’s many accomplishments and the national recognition the school

ALUMNI ENDOW SCHOLARSHIP TO HONOR SON

S

James Wesley Willard II

28 the magazine of elon

ix years ago this summer, rising sophomore James Wesley Willard II was killed in a car accident. In his memory, his parents, Jonathan ’84 and Debra Sapsara Willard ’86, and his grandmother, Shirley Willard, established a scholarship fund to help a deserving student attend Elon and the School of Communications, where James studied.

“James was extremely giving of himself and his time – he never said ‘no,’” Debra says. “We wanted to honor him in a way that would reflect the way he lived, giving him a permanent place at Elon, a place all three of us loved so much.”

This spring, the Willards’ years of fundraising, saving and giving to Elon reached a milestone; the James Wesley Willard II Memorial Scholarship fund surpassed the minimum amount required for endowment.

“We’ve had donations from family and friends, but many have come from people who just heard our story, people whom we aren’t related to and don’t even know,” Debra says. “I found out recently that one Elon employee had 20

redirected from each paycheck to the scholarship fund since June 2008. I’m just overwhelmed by that generosity.”

Small annual scholarships bearing James’ name have been given to deserving students in the School of Communications since 2009, but for the first time this spring, the James Wesley Willard II Memorial Scholarship was awarded at the school’s annual awards ceremony in April.

Debra and Jonathan, who live in Tampa, Fla., were unable to attend. Shirley Willard, James’ grandmother who lives in Graham, N.C., met recipient Addie Haney briefly a few days after the ceremony.

“It’s still very emotional for me to talk about my son. I know all mothers say it, but James truly was an astounding person of talent, intellect and heart,” Debra says. “We wanted to help someone in need the way James always did, and I’m glad that we’ve done it the way that we have.”

To make a gift in support of the James Wesley Willard II Memorial Scholarship, please contact Sara Peterson at (877) 784-3566.

CLASS NOTES

has received. He was thrilled when he returned last year for his 50th reunion to see with his own eyes how Elon has changed from a small-town college to a renowned university. Richard encourages students not to be discouraged by this difficult job market; after he graduated with a degree in business, he bounced between jobs until he found his calling as a teacher and guidance counselor. He lives with his wife, Nancy, in Richmond, Va. ■ Ronald Fennell has many fond memories of his days at Elon, particularly of the fun the students had during rush week. Ronald reminds current students that “it’s a tough world, but someone has to do it!” He knows that Elon graduates are up to the task at hand and will be the leaders of the future. Ronald lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Nancy Butler Smith happily



returned to the workforce in 2010 as executive director of the online newspaper Sunshine State News in Tallahassee, Fla. The paper focuses on Florida politics and business for an audience of various government and business entities.

Nancy and her husband, Mick, live in Tallahassee.



David P. Layton had a mas-

sive hemorrhagic stroke in June 1999. Although the stroke left him partially paralyzed, David has made a remarkable recovery.

He recently returned from a sailing trip on a 38-foot sailboat on the Chesapeake Bay. He and his wife, Charlotte Harper Layton ’68, celebrated their 44th wedding anniversary in July. For more information about David’s inspirational recovery, please visit singlehandedliving.com.



George Martin Jr. retired

in April as vice president of supply chain at Swisher International Inc. after 22 years.

He and his wife, Julie, are spending their newfound free time playing tennis, golfing, fishing and cruising the St. Johns River in their boat. They live in Jacksonville, Fla.



Joe Foley works in govern-

ment relations. For the past 12 years, he has directed the Annual Assembly of the National Federation of Croatian Americans.

He lives in Potomac, Md. ■ A group of 1960s and ’70s alumni gather two or three times each year

in Virginia Beach, Va., at the home of Gena O’Berry Williams and her husband, Perry, or in Wake Forest, N.C., at the home of Pam Layton Richardson ’72 and her husband, Vaden. Nelda Shaw Simpson and her husband, Ed, Linda Hundley Smith and her husband, Bob, and Chris Jewell Thompson ’72 are usually in attendance. “We’re lifetime friends who genuinely love and care about each other,” Gena says.



Susan O’Neil Peters is an



Pamela Deitz Thomas is re-

analytical chemist for the University of Michigan Medical School. She lives with her husband, Thomas, in Flat Rock, Mich.

tiring after a 34-year career working with children and families. She lives with her husband, Andrew, in Raleigh, N.C.

Samuel A. Burgess is a principal development planner for New Hanover County, N.C. In February, he received the Silver Beaver Award from the Cape Fear Council of the Boy Scouts of America for his 20 years of service to BSA Troop 218 in Wilmington.

During his tenure, 24 young men have received the rank of Eagle, scouting’s highest honor. He lives with his wife, Jimi-Ann, in Wilmington.





Kathy A. Foster has accepted

a position as a psychology instructor at Carteret Community College in Morehead City, N.C. She is writing her dissertation for her doctorate in psychology and lives in Mocksville. ■ Jodie Luke is excited about the upcoming Zeta Tau Alpha and Phi Mu 40th anniversary reunion, which will be held during Homecoming in October. She lives in Raleigh, N.C.



Katherine Gilliam-Ruffin Pinson received the Virginia

Military Institute Distinguished Service Award, the highest award given to a civilian who works at the school. She is an administrative assistant in the U.S. Army ROTC program at VMI. ■ Cynthia E. Simmons celebrated 25 years with State Farm Insurance as a litigation claims adjuster. She lives in Montgomery, Ala.



Lillian Winston Glass pub-

lishes fiction under the pseudonym Lilly Gayle. Her first book, a paranormal romance titled Out of the Darkness, was

CHARITABLE GIFT ANNUITIES CAN PROVIDE INCOME FOR LIFE a charitable gift annuity of $10,000 or more to Elon will guarantee you a fixed income for the rest of your life. With market interest rates near historic lows, a gift annuity is an attractive way for you to increase your income and make a gift to Elon at the same time. You will receive immediate tax benefits and can defer capital gains. The payment rate of a charitable gift annuity depends on your age at the time of the gift — the older you are, the higher the rate.

rates as of july ,  ONE BENEFICIARY

T WO BENEFICIARIE S

AG E

ANNUIT Y R ATE

AG E

ANNUIT Y R ATE

60 65 70

4.8% 5.3% 5.8%

60/65 67/67 71/73

4.4% 4.8% 5.4%

Annuity rates are subject to change. The annuity rate remains fixed once your gift is made.

To calculate a gift annuity for you, your spouse or a family member, visit elon.edu/giftplanning.

Talk with us today about how you may benefit from a life income gift to Elon and other gift planning opportunities. please contact: Jamie Killorin, CPA/PFS, CFP®, Director of Gift Planning (877) 784-3566 • jkillorin2@elon.edu • elon.edu/giftplanning

summer 2011 29

CLASS NOTES

published in May 2010. Her second book, a historical romance titled Slightly Tarnished, was released in June 2011. Her books can be purchased online at Amazon. com or at thewildrosepress.com.

Lillian lives with her husband, John, in Butner, N.C. ■ A. Michael “Mike” Wilkerson and his wife, Denise, are thrilled that their son, Aubrey James Wilkerson, was one of 20 students accepted into the Elon Business Fellows program.

Aubrey plans to major in business and minor in leadership when he begins classes in August. The family lives in Winchester, Va.



Mark A. Rumley received a

doctorate in education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in December. His dissertation was nominated by UNCG’s School of Education for the university’s dissertation award; only one dissertation from each of UNCG’s schools is nominated each year. Mark is an assistant superintendent for Yadkin County Schools and lives in Graham, N.C.



Deborah Crite Blackwell has

achieved her National Board Certification, which recognizes accomplished teachers. The certification is based on high and rigorous standards that evaluate teaching practices. Deborah is in her 22nd year as a special education teacher in Greensboro, N.C. She lives with her husband, Teddy Blackwell ’89, in Sedalia. ■ R. Byron Hicks Jr. is a general business counselor for the Small Business and Technology Center of Appalachian State University in Hickory, N.C. He lives with his wife, Lori, in Winston-Salem.

Longtime friends N. Douglas Payne Jr. and W. Kirk Monroe ’87 worked together almost 30 years ago to establish Elon’s chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity and served as its first president and vice president. Today, the duo work for Payne & Company.

Douglas is the managing principal and leads advertising and marketing initiatives for Business Roundtable. Kirk is director of communications. (The pair have come a long way since their days of scooping ice cream at BaskinRobbins, they jest.) Douglas lives with his wife, Ashby, in Richmond, Va., and Kirk lives in Washington, D.C.



Shannon L. Moody is director of communications for the North Carolina State Ports Authority. In May 2011, she graduated from the Leadership North Carolina program, which informs, develops and engages committed leaders by broadening their understanding of and involvement in issues and opportunities facing the state. One of her classmates was David Cooper, dean of Elon’s School of Education. Shannon lives in Wilmington, N.C.



Katherine GilliamRuffin Pinson ’81

Jud Millar ’95, wife Annemarie, & children Wyatt & Molly

Mike Grant ’91, Kristi Tunila Grant ’04, & children Dyson & Gretchen

Christina Vengazo Purnell ’96 & Ed Purnell

Darron Stover ’93, wife Bryan & son Ian

Brian Weckerly ’96, wife Jessica, & daughters Helen & Lillian

30 the magazine of elon

Keith Merritt ’91 & Jill Merritt

Robin Valentine Vinegra ’95 & Michael Vinegra

Tricia Morgan Shockley ’97 & friends



Michael W. Grant and Kristi Tunila Grant ’04 wel-

comed a daughter, Gretchen Ann Elizabeth, on 12/9/10. She joins older brother Dyson. The family resides in Woodbridge, Va. ■ Maria L. Kealey received her second master’s degree in elementary education from the University of Phoenix. She plans to teach elementary school during the day and college-level classes in the evening. Maria lives in Centreville, Md. ■ Keith B. Merritt married Jill Talley on 9/18/10. Alumni in

attendance were Jeffrey Queen ’92 and David Glasscock ’92. Keith is a senior lead technical recruiter for BAE Systems in Herndon, Va. The couple live in Vienna, Va.



Darron Stover and Bryan

Stover welcomed a son, Ian Knox, on 3/4/11. His parents report that Ian will be attending several football games this fall to cheer on the Phoenix! The family lives in Raleigh, N.C.

Ingrid Quinn Hooks and Kevin Hooks welcomed a daughter, Ella Ruby, on 8/10/10.

Ingrid is self-employed. The family lives in Huntersville, N.C. ■ Peter Lindstrom received a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for research he is conducting at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He is a computer scientist in the Data Analysis Group at the laboratory’s Center for Applied Scientific Computing.

Peter, a recipient of the Elon Young Alumnus of the Year Award in 2002 and a member of the Elon Sports Hall of Fame, lives with his wife, Kerrie Hudzinski Lindstrom ’93, in Livermore, Calif. ■ Eric L. Palmer has accepted a position as director of contract administration for the American Association of University Professors at the University of Cincinnati. He represents 1,700 faculty members in grievances, mediations and arbitrations, and serves as lead negotiator in collective bargaining. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.



Jud W. Millar and his wife, Annemarie, purchased a coeducational summer camp, Stone Mountain Adventures, from Jud’s parents, who have run the camp since 1983. The camp offers outdoor adventure activities, traditional sports and art and community service projects for teens.

They also offer camp packages for families and groups for reunions.

Visit sma-summers.com for more information. Jud and Annemarie live with their children, Wyatt and Molly, in Huntingdon, Pa. ■ Robin Blythe Valentine married Michael Vinegra on 8/28/10.

Alumni in attendance were Susan Swanson, Allison Sharp Coords and Kristi Kienzle Reinholz ’93.

Robin is a senior manager for Pfizer Inc. The couple reside in Westfield, N.J.



CLASS NOTES

{ l-r, Vince Sumner ‘96, Chris Anstatt ‘96, Hunter Johnston ‘96 and Jim Royer ‘96 in Wilmington, N.C., for the 2011 Elon Family Weekend }

A tradition unlike any other

BY KRISTIN M. SIMONETTI ’05

M

ore than 15 years ago, four soon-to-be Elon alumni wrapped up a round of golf with their parents at Alamance Country Club. It had become a customary outing for the foursome – Chris Anstatt, Hunter Johnston, Jim Royer and Vince Sumner, all members of the class of 1996 – and their parents throughout their years at Elon. But as they walked off the 18th green that Friday afternoon, with the sons mere hours from graduation, the tradition’s future lay in doubt.

“We just kind of sat around afterward and thought, ‘Why does it have to end?’” recalls Sumner, of Charlotte, N.C. As it turns out, it didn’t. That summer, Anstatt, Johnston, Royer and Sumner, along with their parents, established a new tradition: Elon Parents’ Weekend. It’s an annual summer golf outing that has stood the test of the past decade and a half; not one alumnus or parent has ever missed a meeting.

“We always felt that if we didn’t do it one year, we may not the next year, and then who knows,” says Johnston, who lives in Chicago.

Yet while Johnston has made it in time to the first tee every year, it hasn’t always been an easy journey.

“Hunter has a tradition of getting lost. He finds a way of doing it every year, missing planes, taking the wrong road, cars breaking down,” says Royer, who makes his home in

Dallas, Texas. “One year we ended up calling the state police because he didn’t show up until 4 a.m.”

“It’s unfortunate that GPSs and Garmins and TomToms weren’t easily available in the early years of the weekend,” Johnston retorts. “But yeah, it seems to be an adventure every year!”

The group has gathered in several states with each family playing host on a rotating basis. They’ve played courses in Dallas and in several places around North Carolina, including Banner Elk, Wilmington, Ocean Isle and Pinehurst. Each family plays as a unit over several days, and the team with the lowest total score wins the JARS Cup, named for the initials of each family’s last names.

“Vince is the best golfer,” says Anstatt, of Charleston, S.C. “I definitely enjoy beating him when I can.”

Adds Johnston, “Vince likes to give Chris a hard time, because they’re both similar in scoring, both great golfers. Jim and I, we enjoy the social aspect a little bit more.”

But to a man, each alumnus says the tradition is less about the golf than the chance to spend quality time with one another.

“When my non-Elon friends ask about the weekend, I say I’m going to a family reunion,” Royer says. “They say, ‘You have family that went to Elon?’ I say ‘No, they’re not technically family, but we’re so close to each other that it’s like an

extended family – like aunts and uncles who just happen to be your best friends.’”

In recent years, Elon Parents’ Weekend has expanded to become Elon Family Weekend.

In 1999, the outing coincided with Sumner’s wedding in Charlotte, and since then, his wife, Amy, and daughters, Mabry and Ainsley, have become annual attendees. Royer got married in 2008, and this year’s event marked his wife Diane’s second appearance.

“It’s one of the rules – you have to be married into the family to attend. No girlfriends or fiancées,” Royer explains.

That means that Johnston’s fiancée, Michelle, will have to wait until the 2012 edition of Elon Family Weekend to make her debut.

“I’m the last man standing,” jokes Anstatt, the lone unmarried/unengaged alumnus whose family hosted June’s Elon Family Weekend at Landfall Country Club near Wilmington.

The Johnstons took home the 2011 JARS Cup, followed by the Sumners, Royers and Anstatts.

As the families wrapped up their latest Elon reunion and prepared to head out of Wilmington, they found themselves having come nearly full circle. Who knows where they all will be in a year? Might this be the last Elon Family Weekend? Or at least the last with everyone in attendance?

Royer has an answer.

“We’ve started an email discussion over the past couple of months about where it’s going.

Maybe it’s going to be less golf and more kid-friendly stuff,” Royer says. “It’s one of those things that you never know when it’s going to end – you just don’t want to miss it.”

summer 2011 31

CLASS NOTES



Sarah Plumb DiGioia

became a board-certified analyst in November 2010. She is a behavior resource teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools.

Sarah lives with her husband, Lou, and their son, Jack, in Burke, Va. ■ Judy Sweger was named one of the 2011 Women in Business Award winners by The Business Journal of the North Carolina Triad region in April. She was recognized for the innovative initiatives she implemented as a human resources director with Community Bank. Her initiatives were so successful that the bank has incorporated her ideas into its strategic plan. Active in her

community, Judy led the Davie County Family YMCA fundraising campaign to four percent growth, and she volunteers with the Davie Domestic Violence After-Hours Crisis Line. She lives in Mocksville, N.C. ■ Christina Vengazo married Ed Purnell in Washington, D.C., on 10/30/10. Christina is director of global e-commerce services in Europe for Marriott International.

The couple reside in London, England. ■ Angie McNeill Walston is director of student success at Barton College. She was selected one of ten National Academic Advising Association Emerging Leaders for 2011–13. Angie lives in Wilson, N.C. ■ Brian Weckerly and Jessica Weckerly welcomed a daughter, Lillian Mae, on 4/7/11.

She joins older sister Helen. Brian is an improv actor in Hollywood Public Works for the Citizens of Hollywood at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The family lives in Orlando, Fla. Sara Ryan Borchardt and Randy Borchardt welcomed a son, Bryson Patrick, on 8/27/10.

He joins older siblings Nathan and Lauren. The family lives in Charlotte, N.C. ■ Suzanne R. Hotchkiss and Defhaun Price welcomed a son, Dorien, on 11/5/10.

Suzanne is a teacher at Randleman Elementary, and the family lives in High Point, N.C. ■ Tricia Morgan married Scott Shockley on 9/18/10 on the beach in Lewes, Del. Alumni in attendance were Nicole Allaire-Pena, Lauren FoellCrook, Stephanie Bescker-Yeager ’96 and Rachel Miller-Rajala ’96.

The couple live in Newark, Del. ■ Michael Rodgers has joined the Women’s Sports Foundation as vice president of development.

The foundation was established

by Billie Jean King in 1974 and is the only national charitable educational organization promoting sports and physical activities for the advancement of women of all ages. He lives in New York City.



Leslie Roessler Kernodle ’99 with children Aiden, Kiya & Emmy

Kelli Palmer ’98 & James Bennett

Sean Loren ’99, wife Dawn & daughter Charlie

Leigh Wheeler Ashurst ’01, husband James, & twins Samantha & MacKenzie

Sarah Smith McArthur ’99 & Jay McArthur

Capt. Robin Roberts Wilson ’01

Lauren Stone Walsh ’00 & friends

Jessica Fowler Whitesell ’02 & Rod Whitesell ’02

Kelli Palmer married James Bennett on 5/14/11. Kelli is the director of enrichment voyages for the Institute for Shipboard Education. She oversees the adult learner-oriented program that takes place twice annually. The couple reside in Charlottesville, Va. ■ Kelly Rivers graduated in May with a doctorate in English and has been accepted as a



Brynn Psota DeVries ’03, husband Arthur & son Luke

32 the magazine of elon

Amanda Novissimo Goforth ’03, husband Marty, & children Grace, Henry & Sophia

tenure-track faculty member at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn., where she lives. ■ Jennifer James Terry and Ken Terry welcomed a daughter, Lauren Emilie, on 5/17/11.

She joins older brother Patrick.

Jennifer is an executive director with Carolinas Healthcare System.

The family lives in Denver, N.C. ■ Susan Green Tudor and Dragos Tudor welcomed a son, Landon Gheorghe, on 4/27/11. The family lives in Mt. Airy, Md. ■ Christina Rosbert Waddell and John R. Waddell welcomed a daughter, Hannah Makenzie, on 7/6/10. She joins older brothers JT and Jake.

Christina is a physician assistant at South Jersey Hand Center. The family lives in Hammonton, N.J.



Amanda Ballengee Fox

and Scott Fox welcomed a daughter, Piper Elizabeth, on 3/9/11. She joins older brothers Braxton, Gage and Maddox. The family lives in Mount Pleasant, S.C. ■ Jennifer Sizemore Beattie and Marc Beattie welcomed a daughter, Caitlyn Leeann, on 1/21/11. She joins older siblings Clarissa and Cameron. The family lives in Fort Myers, Fla. ■ Kimberly Mack Glennon and Jamie Glennon welcomed a daughter, Avery Grace, on 7/9/10. The family resides in Collegeville, Pa. ■ Leslie Roessler Kernodle and E. Clark Kernodle welcomed a daughter, Emmy Marie, on 3/9/11. She joins older siblings Kiya and Aiden. Leslie is a homemaker and the family lives in Graham, N.C. ■ Sean Loren and Dawn Loren welcomed a daughter, Charlie Elizabeth, on 12/28/10. The family lives in Tequesta, Fla. ■ Veronica Butcher Shingleton has been appointed to serve as a policy advisor to North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue on issues related to the environment, energy, transportation and agriculture. She has more than 11 years of public policy and advocacy experience on the state and federal level. Veronica is a member and former president of North Carolina Women United, a nonpartisan group advancing progressive policies to ensure equality for women. She is a member of the Women’s Forum of North Carolina and a Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Arlan, hiking and organic gardening. They

CLASS NOTES

live in Raleigh, N.C. ■ Sarah Smith married Jay McArthur on 3/27/11. Alumni in attendance were Jennifer Gregg, Joy Savell Workman, Heather Edmondson Roque ’00 and Marianne Smith Stern ’01. Sarah is a speech language pathologist. They live in Concord, N.C. ■ Amy Medders Turner and Allan Turner welcomed a son, Grayson Allan, on 11/14/10. Amy is a copy and direct mail coordinator in marketing for State Employee Credit Union of Maryland. ■ Mark A. Walker recently graduated from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business with a master’s degree in business administration. He works for the Chamberlain College of Nursing and lives in Chicago, Ill.



Henry L. Spence and Keiko

Spence welcomed a daughter, Hanna Emiko, on 1/21/11.

Henry is a major in the U.S. Army.

The family is currently stationed in Bassilly, Belgium. ■ Lauren Stone married Garrett Walsh in Richmond, Va., on 7/17/10. Alumni in attendance were Jaimie Ryan Morais ’99, Wendy Dunn Stone ’99, Brian Simpson ’02 and Jenna Denton ’01. Lauren is a program manager for Wells Fargo Advisors.

The couple live in Richmond. ■ Jennifer Ledger Thamoderam and Raj Thamoderam welcomed a daughter, Alanya Devi, on 3/27/11.

She joins older sister Madeira. The family lives in Baldock, England.



Leigh Wheeler Ashurst

and James Ashurst welcomed twins, Samantha Jo and MacKenzie Marie, on 5/19/10.

Leigh is pursuing a graduate degree at Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia campus. The family lives in Burke, Va. ■ Imre Kwast Nagel and Remy Nagel welcomed a son, Joep, on 7/22/10. He joins older brother Benjamin. The family lives in The Netherlands. ■ Shawn Weatherford graduated in May with a doctorate in physics from North Carolina State University.

He has accepted a position as an assistant professor of physics at Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Fla., and lives in Gainesville.

■

Capt. Robin Roberts Wilson

is an occupational therapist with the U.S. Army. She is serving a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan, where she is in charge of the Mild Traumatic Brain

The music man

BY CAITLIN O’DONNELL ’13

B

rian Rollins ’84 can’t remember a time when he wasn’t engrossed in music. And though the rooms of his childhood home pulsed with beats and tones, from classical tunes to the popular rock of the time, it wasn’t until he came to Elon that he developed a deeper love for the magic of the medium.

“We might start the day playing a popflavored show for a high school, then play a mixed set at a theme park in the afternoon, then play big-band music for an alumni function in the evening,” Rollins recalls of his time in The Emanons, Elon’s legendary jazz ensemble.

But Elon didn’t just inspire his affinity for playing music. Studying under former Elon professors Jack White and David Bragg, Rollins developed an interest in teaching it, too.

“They were very knowledgeable, compassionate and supportive,” Rollins says.

“They expected your best and gave no less in their own teaching.”

Today, Rollins follows their example as the music program director at Trinity Episcopal School, an independent school in Richmond, Va., serving grades 8–12. Hired in 1998 as Trinity’s first full-time music faculty member, Rollins found an ally in Headmaster Tom Aycock, a fellow music lover and former professional jazz trombonist, and he began pushing for expansion and enhancement of the music program.

“When I hired Brian, we sat down in the interview and within five minutes, I knew he was the guy I wanted,” Aycock says. “He just has tremendous charisma and talent. He has brought our band program to great heights.”

Originally housed in small classrooms around campus, Trinity’s music program expanded into new administrative offices, a rehearsal hall, and a state-of-the-art digital music lab for students to study music theory, digital production and composition. Trinity’s facilities have been featured in Richmond Magazine, and the school is now considered to house one of the top music programs in the state.

But Rollins’ primary focus hasn’t been on the accoutrements; it’s been on the people playing the instruments.

“The school is small enough that I get to know the students very well, yet the ensembles

are of sufficient size and skill to perform some fairly challenging literature,” Rollins says.

In 2004, Aycock and Rollins collaborated to find a way to showcase their talented young musicians and others in the Richmond area. The product of their brainstorm, the Jazz Titans of Tomorrow festival, debuted in 2005.

“In talking to my colleagues, it became clear that the aspect of a festival that they most enjoyed was having a clinician work with their ensembles,” Rollins says. “But clinics don’t

offer the same performance atmosphere or experience as playing for a large audience.”

To solve that problem, Rollins blended both aspects. Each year, he brings in the head of the jazz studies program at Virginia Commonwealth University to lead clinics with bands that attend the festival. The annual event closes with a performance by each of the bands for friends, family and community members under a tent on Trinity’s athletics fields.

“I think the essence of great music is that it powerfully conveys the life experiences of the individuals who create and perform it,” Rollins says. “This is especially true in jazz, because each performer’s improvisation presents a personal interpretation of the work’s spirit.”

As he works on the festival, with Trinity’s various music groups or inside the classroom, Rollins says he sometimes reflects on his time at Elon, which he calls a defining point in his life.

“I often find myself in the midst of a rehearsal or class discussion saying something to my students and, inwardly, I’m smiling while thinking about a similar scene from my time at Elon,” he says.

summer 2011 33

CLASS NOTES

Injury Reconditioning Center, where soldiers are cared for after blast exposure.

Erin Callihan Chappelle and Rob Chappelle welcomed a son, Jack, on 4/10/11. He joins older brother James. The family lives in Avon Lake, Ohio. ■ Lauren Cooper was named the marketing manager for Biltmore Farms Hotels in Asheville, N.C. Her responsibilities include web design and maintenance, and marketing and advertising in print publications. She also oversees the company’s social media and e-commerce efforts. Lauren lives in Asheville. ■ Erin Facciolo married Brandon Wehler on 10/10/10 at the John J. Audubon Center in Audubon, Pa. Alumni in attendance were Heather Dawley Groves, Jonie Lanier Millsap and Cristine SanLorenzo Milauskas.

The couple enjoyed a two-week honeymoon sightseeing and visiting family in Italy. Erin is a teacher and director of education at Starmaker Montessori School.

The couple are expecting their first child in August and they reside in Great Mills, Md. ■ Chris Rash and Ashley Rash welcomed a son, Tucker James, on 1/26/11. Chris is a vice president of digital marketing at Collinson Media & Events, a publishing and marketing firm serving the travel and tourism industry. The family lives in Tucker, Ga. ■ Rod Whitesell, head coach of the Holly Springs (N.C.) High School baseball team, led the Gold Hawks to the North Carolina 4A championship in June. The team finished the season on a 21-game winning streak en route to the first baseball championship in the school’s history. Rod and his wife, Jessica Fowler Whitesell, live in Holly Springs and are expecting their first child this year.



Carrie Grandy Judy ’03 with daughter Callie

l-r, Barbie Pace ’05, Sharon Anderson Davies ’04 & Angela Herrick ’03

Megan Kelly Campbell ’04, Mac Campbell ’05 & friends

Renita Leak Webb ’04, husband Jarred & daughter Reign

Casey Harris ’05

Sarah Ponzio Rush ’03, husband Chris, & daughters Sophia & Camdyn

Anne Clark Lee ’04, husband Kenn & daughter Calleigh

Ann Marie Leonard Chilton ’05, husband Clark & son Boone

Taylor Loftus Kopocis ’05 & Jeffrey Kopocis

Scott Moore ’04, Jill Haden Moore ’04 & son Haden

Brittiny Dunlap ’05 & Dustin Lenz with daughter Addilyn

Megan Bonstein ’06

GIVE ADDILYN SOMETHING TO CHEW ON. TURN YOURSELF IN! SEE P. 38.

Find Addilyn’s birth announcement from Brittiny Dunlap ’ on p. .

34 the magazine of elon

Jason Coosner received the National Choreography Recognition Award from Regional Dance America for his neo-classical ballet, “Composition VII,” at the Collin County Ballet Theatre, placing him on the national choreography plan. He and his work are mentioned in June/July issue of Pointe magazine. Jason lives in West Hollywood, Calif. ■ Brynn Psota DeVries and Arthur DeVries welcomed a son, Luke, on 3/30/11. The family lives in Boca Raton, Fla. ■ Kara Beth Falck is a



psychotherapist in a group home for adolescent males in Maryland and has a small private practice on the side, where she treats both adolescent and adult clients suffering from mental illness. Please visit her website at karafalckmsw.com.

She recently visited fellow alumna Elizabeth Kurtz in Madrid, Spain, but makes her home in Washington, D.C. ■ Anne DeVoe Garcia and Luke Garcia welcomed a son, Cruz Anderson, on 10/21/10.

The family lives in Naples, Fla. ■

Amanda Novissimo Goforth

and Marty Goforth welcomed a daughter, Sophia Madelyn, on 3/6/11. She joins older siblings Grace and Henry. Amanda is a photographer and stay-at-home mom. The family lives in Charlotte, N.C. ■ Fellow music lovers Angela Herrick and Sharon Anderson Davies ’04 traveled to New Orleans, La., in May for the 2011 edition of Jazzfest, an annual weeklong music and heritage festival, and enjoyed reuniting with their Alpha Chi Omega sorority sister, Barbie Pace ’05, who lives in the Big Easy.

■

Caroline Grandy “Carrie” Judy

and Edward Judy welcomed a daughter, Caroline “Callie” Grace, on 5/27/10. The family resides in Atlanta, Ga. ■ Sarah Ponzio Rush and Chris Rush welcomed a daughter, Camdyn Ella, on 6/17/10.

She joins older sister Sophia. The family lives in Duluth, Ga.



Wade Barnes gradu-

ated in May from Loyola University’s Executive MBA Fellows program with a master’s degree in business administration. He is vice president of consumer lending for 1st Mariner Bank. He was selected one of Maryland’s top 20 in their Twenties by The Maryland Daily Record. Candidates for this honor are chosen based on professional accomplishment, civic involvement and the impact of their achievements. The program honors up-and-comers under the age of 30 whose creativity, energy and spirit are contributing to new energy in Maryland. Wade lives in Parkville, Md. ■ Megan Kelly and Mac Campbell ’05 were married at Belin Memorial United Methodist Church in Murrells Inlet, S.C. on 7/10/10. Alumni in attendance were Kacey Platky, Cady Britten Warner, John von Stein, Timothy Martins, Adriane Rowe Newbauer, Kevin Haines,

CLASS NOTES

Creativity for a cause

BY CAITLIN O’DONNELL ‘13

A

sk Letitia Lee ’99 why she’s an artist and she’ll tell you it’s just a part of who she is, a passion that can’t be ignored. A combination of that passion and a dash of good fortune brought Lee face-to-face with a special opportunity this year: a role on the April 24 episode of ABC’s hit show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

“All I could think was ‘oh, my goodness!’” Lee says of the phone call telling her she was hired.

A few days prior, she had presented her work to the show’s production crew at a meeting in Virginia Beach, Va., near Lee’s hometown of Hampton. Lee, who owns Lee Mee Art and Design in Hampton, was thrilled to play a part in helping the crew reconstruct the home of Beverly Hill, a foster mother to six children and an advocate for the homeless in Virginia’s Tidewater region.

“I called back immediately and said I’d be there,” she recalls.

Art wasn’t always Lee’s dream career. Initially a broadcast communications major planning to

Michael Micciche, Emily Sprouse Walker, Shannon O’Connor Lopata ’03, Mary Brozina Wierick ’03, Morgan Steele Schmidt ’05, Grace Wortham Bennington ’03, Michael Lopata ’02, Gavin Miller ’05, Maxwell Newbauer ’03, Dr. Robert Wortham ’75, Kristin LoBiondo ’07, James Browning Herbert ’06 and Elizabeth Oller Wooten ’07.

Megan is a music teacher for Prince George’s County Public

enter the corporate world, she took art courses as electives before realizing she had enough credits to make it her major.

After working for several years to build her portfolio, Lee founded Lee Mee Art and Design in 2003, through which she creates original and commissioned works. She has shown her work in several venues, including the Holocaust Museum in Richmond, Va., and at the Brixton Gallery and Camden Centre in London, England. Several of her works are on display at Elon. One piece was inspired by her experiences studying abroad in Ghana as an Elon student. Another, titled “We the People,” depicts Elon students, faculty and staff.

“When I create, I create from what I see, put it out there and hope that someone gets something from it, because I took something from it,” Lee says of her philosophy. “My hope is that people stop and appreciate life and the beauty of what’s right in front of them.”

For “Extreme Makeover,” Lee tackled one of the house’s bedrooms, a “purple café” themed

Schools and Mac is the operations manager at the Strathmore Hall Foundation Inc. ■ Anne Clark Lee and Kenn Lee welcomed a daughter, Calleigh Mariam, on 2/20/11.

Anne is a district librarian for the Berryessa Union School District.

The family lives in San Jose, Calif.

■ Scott H. Moore and Jill Haden Moore welcomed a son, Haden, on 3/15/11. Scott is a teacher at T.W. Andrews High School and Jill

room for daughter Kenisha. Lee says that while much of the week was filled with meaningful work and fun interactions with cast members like Paige Hemmis and rapper Xhibit, it wasn’t without its frustrations. A lack of supplies caused a 40-hour work delay, which limited Lee’s time to paint Kenisha’s room.

“When they said ‘Move that bus!’ we were still inside the house painting,” she says. “When the family saw the finished house, they were so excited but had to wait two hours before they could go inside.”

While Lee’s handiwork appeared in the show, the two segments in which she was featured ended up on the cutting room floor. But she has not once regretted taking advantage of the opportunity and using her talents to give back to Hill and her family.

“I’ve been given the gift of creativity and of having empathy for the world,” Lee says. “I use this gift to create, and once I finish creating, the energy is out there in the world for anyone to take.”

To learn more about Lee and view her work, visit leemeeart.com

teaches at Gibsonville Elementary.

The family resides in High Point, N.C. ■ William K. Pou III and his wife, Tessa Sweetman Pou, recently were given the royal treatment by American Airlines. In May, they were flown to the Dallas, Texas, headquarters of American Airlines, where they were invited to fly a full-scale Boeing 737 simulator. In June, they flew to Seattle, Wash., for the inaugural flight and

delivery of American Airlines’ new 737-823 airplane. William is a replenishment buyer for Badcock Home Furniture and More. The couple live in Mulberry, Fla. ■ Renita Leak Webb and Jarred L. Webb welcomed a daughter, Reign Selah, 1/16/11. Renita is an assistant principal with the AlamanceBurlington School System. The family lives in Greensboro, N.C. ■ Kristin A. White will be

summer 2011 35

CLASS NOTES

teaching sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade mathematics at the Washington International School in Washington, D.C., beginning this fall. She lives in Arlington, Va.



Ann Marie Leonard Chilton

and Clark Chilton welcomed a son, Boone Davis, on 3/20/11. Ann Marie is an English instructor at Forsyth Technical Community College. The family lives in Clemmons, N.C. ■ Megan Ashley Clendaniel married David J. Malone on 3/26/11. Megan is director of client development for Cox Media Group in Louisville, Ky., where they live. ■ Brittiny M. Dunlap and Dustin R. Lenz welcomed a daughter, Addilyn

Professor Emerita Linda Weavil & Todd Beasley ’07

Annemarie Heim Gibboney ’07 & Matthew Gibboney

Abby Joyce Brolley ’07 & Matthew Brolley ’07

Jessica Frizen Diehl ’07 & friends

Kyle Lunsford Mino ’07, Warren Mino & friends

Michael Hughes ’08 & Kim Marker Hughes ’08

Sophia, on 7/19/10. The family lives in Hilliard, Ohio. ■ Bobby J. Griffin is a physical education teacher and head football, wrestling and baseball coach for West Craven Middle School. During the past year, his wrestling and baseball teams won their regular season and tournament championships, giving him a total of nine titles in three years. Bobby lives in New Bern, N.C. ■ Casey J. Harris graduated in April from the Black Public Administrators Executive Leadership Institute in Chicago, Ill. She was chosen to attend the program by Greensboro City Manager Rashad Young. Casey is the budget and management analyst for public safety for the City of Greensboro, where she lives. She is a member and treasurer of the Triad Chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. ■ Taylor Loftus married Jeffrey A. Kopocis on 9/25/10 in Newport, R.I. Michelle LeDonne and Victoria Windsor participated in the wedding.

Alumni in attenandance were Karen Van Hoewyk, Leslie Watson McGuire, Matthew McGuire, Rebecca Seiger, Kevin Norden, Jenny Clark Castle, Alexis Walters Macias and Jodie Daku ’04. The couple reside in Boston, Mass. ■ Steven J. Sposato graduated with a master’s degree in business administration in May from High Point University. He lives in Chapel Hill, N.C. ■ Matt Walgren and Kristy Sadvary ’06 were married on 6/18/10 in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Alumni in attendance were Jaclyn Jensen ’07, Carolyn Chew ’06, Jen Golan ’07, Jessica Bowling ’06, Leslie Ann Massey ’07, Lauren Jolliff ’07, Amanda Melick ’07, Kara Kalkreuth ’07, Tracy Trave ’06, Tori Pettee ’09, Rich McGruder ’05 and Kevin Kinker ’06. The couple reside in Charlotte, N.C. Earlier this year, Megan Bonstein was named one of 12 nominees for the 2011 New York City Man and Woman of the Year Campaign, which challenges nominees to raise funds to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. A two-year survivor of myelogenous leukemia, Megan founded a team, “MegaHope: Gratefully Giving Back,” and she and her supporters raised more than $37,000 – nearly double their original goal of $20,000. While



Alison Billings Lambert ’09 & friends

Claire Leonard ’09

Claudia Hinkle Pickler ’10 & Casey Pickler ’10 with friends

36 the magazine of elon

Dorian Wanzer ’09

Stuart Richie ’10

Megan did not take the top spot in the campaign, she thanks her awesome team and says, “we’ll keep celebrating progress and the hope for changes as the fight continues!” ■ J. Drew Hensley and Kristen Weeks ’07 were married on 5/21/11 in Norfolk, Va. Alumni in attendance were Brent Baker, Brian Wetzel, Bob Litchfield, Chad “Belushi” Taylor, Justin Bollenback, Gavin Sharp ’07, Jessica Mickler ’07, Nick MacDaniels ’07, Brian Fries ’05, Paul Parra ’87 and Bobbi Meyer Parra’ 85. The couple reside in Cary, N.C., with their two dogs. ■ Annie McQuaid was promoted to marketing manager for WebAssign, an online homework company based in Raleigh, N.C., where she lives. Her new position focuses on social media outreach, writing a monthly newsletter and creating a Gold Members program for valued clients. ■ Sean M. White recently graduated from North Carolina State University with a master’s degree in business administration. He has accepted a position with EMC Corporation in the marketing leadership development rotational program. He lives with his wife, Heather Krebs White, in Raleigh, N.C. Professor Emerita Linda Weavil was traveling aboard a Holland America cruise ship en route to New Zealand in March when she happened upon Todd Beasley, one of the ship’s entertainers. Also on the cruise was John Knight ’62. ■ Mirai BoothOng just wrapped a supporting lead role in an upcoming feature film, “No One Will Know,” which was filmed on location in Marin County, Calif. She lives in Los Angeles. ■ Carolyn Fiala graduated in May with a culinary arts degree from Johnson and Wales in Charlotte, N.C., where she lives. ■ Jessica Louise Frizen and Travis Diehl were married on 6/12/11. Elon alumni in attendance were Meredith Taylor, Laura Furr, Jennifer Heilman, Melissa Apperson and Lisa Parker. The couple reside in Frederick, Md. ■ Annemarie Kari Heim married Matthew J. Gibboney on 10/23/10.

Annemarie is a certified public accountant for HeimLantz P.C. They reside in Odenton, Md. ■ Katie Hight accepted a position as Elon’s director of new student programs. She will oversee fall



CLASS NOTES

opening weekend and new student transition programs and lives in Burlington, N.C. ■ Abby Lynn Joyce and Matthew J. Brolley were married on 8/28/10 in Chatham Mass. Alumni who participated in the wedding were Shannon O’Reilly, Liz Joy, Shannon Jennings, Carmen Schmitt, Krystal Cooper, Fieldon Torstrick and Tim Dobson ’06. Alumni in attendance were Rebecca Barker, Amy Southard, Jessica Mickler, Anna Hinson Menser, Harriet Pharr, Kelly Styron Torstrick and Mandy Morrissey ’10. Abby is a data and website coordinator for Brown University and Matt works as a regional business development director for Taconic Maintenance.

They live in Providence, R.I. ■ Kyle Ann Lunsford married Warren Mino on 10/23/10 in Augusta, Ga. Alumni in attendance included Dawson Heath, Casey Lobdell and Becky Riddle. Kyle received a doctorate in analytic chemistry from the University of Florida earlier this year and works for KiOR, Inc., in Houston, Texas, where the couple live.



Andrew G. Bennett was

elected the first young professional representative on the Greater Cleveland Partnership Board of Directors by the Cleveland ConneXion Board.

With more than 15,000 members, the Greater Cleveland Partnership is the largest metropolitan chamber of commerce in the nation.

Andrew lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

■ Jaclyn Garris joined the tournament business affairs department for the PGA Tour in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. She recently graduated with a master’s degree in business administration and sport management from the University of Central Florida. Jaclyn is training to compete in the Nation’s Triathlon, which will be held in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11. She is participating in honor of her uncle, Joe Evans, to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Jaclyn lives in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. ■ Karen Clark Holmes was selected for her second year as a New York Jets cheerleader.

She will perform at all the team’s home games and engage in charity work with the squad. She lives with her husband in New York City. ■ Michael Hughes and Kim Marker were married at

Sweet Briar College in Virginia on 2/26/11. Alumni in attendance were Virginia Zint, Bernie Coston, Brandy Troxler, Leah Matthews, Alysse Miller, Will Campbell, Dan Rossi, Chris Miller and Elon Bliden. Kim is an administrative assistant for the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado and Michael works in human services and development for the St. Francis Center. They live in Denver, Colo.

■ Kris Moody works for the Clay County News in Sutton, Neb. At the annual Nebraska Press Association Convention in April, Kris received three of the paper’s 10 awards: first place for spot news writing and personal column, second place for spot news writing with her managing editor and third place for news photography and feature series. Kris lives in Sutton. ■ Dillon K. Wyatt graduated from Western Carolina University with a master’s degree in education specializing in college student personnel. He has accepted a position as residence hall director at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. Alison Billings married Van



Lambert on 4/16/11. Alison is a communications coordinator for the Compass Group. The couple live in Concord, N.C. ■ Kyle Cerminara is a survey statistician for the Census Bureau. He lives in Arlington, Va. ■ Lindsay M. Clement completed her twoyear commitment with Teach for America and has been accepted at KIPP Legacy as a kindergarten math lead teacher for the 2011–12 school year. She lives in Houston, Texas. ■ Alisha R. Corbin is pursuing a master’s degree in forensic DNA and serology from the University of Florida. She lives in Etowah, N.C ■ Larissa K. Ferretti graduated from Auburn University in May with a master’s degree in human development and family studies. She also received a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, which she will use as she continues her studies in Auburn’s doctoral program. She lives in Auburn, Ala. ■ Maureen Emily Grewe graduated with a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs from the University of South Carolina, where she also has accepted a position as coordinator of behavioral intervention

In Memoriam Margaret Reid Smith ’38, Kipling, N.C. 6/14/11.

Frances Cochran Longest ’41, Burlington, N.C. 6/24/11. She taught

business education at Elon from 1955 to 1983.

Capt. Edward H. Potter Jr. ’41, Houston, Texas. 6/26/11.

Dr. Robert G. Schultz ’43, Columbus, Ga. 11/16/10.

Bryant Tripp ’43, Bethel, N.C. 3/6/11.

Elizabeth Scott Causey ’44, Raleigh, N.C. 4/7/11.

Hazel Truitt Iseley ’44, Burlington, N.C. 4/21/11.

Everett V. Wood ’44, Siler City, N.C. 5/5/11.

Norma Jean Edwards Federbush ’49, Berkeley Heights, N.J. 5/17/11.

Verona Daniels Danieley ’49, Elon, N.C. 6/24/11.

Herman H. Scott ’50, Decatur, Ga. 4/22/11.

Sara Foster Dodson ’51, Durham, N.C. 6/21/11.

Buford M. Andrew ’52, Bennettsville, S.C. 3/30/11.

Judith Ingram Bohrer ’54 P’88, Greensboro, N.C. 3/22/11.

James C. McPherson ’56, Elon, N.C. 5/12/11.

James S. Compton Jr. ’58, Raleigh, N.C. 5/27/11.

Jack L. Wrenn ’58, Wilmington, N.C. 4/23/11.

Robert W. Skinner ’60, Burlington, N.C. 4/30/11.

Jack W. Lambeth ’66, Arlington, Va. 6/27/11.

Emmaline Newman Bowles ’67, High Point, N.C. 3/21/11.

LeRoy H. Miller ’67, Burlington, N.C. 5/25/11.

John L. Crosby ’73, Greensboro, N.C. 12/13/08.

Charles E. Wood ’74, Elon, N.C. 3/30/11.

Daniel J. Stone ’76, Pilot Mountain, N.C. 5/23/11.

Jeffrey B. Tubaugh ’88, Washington, N.C. 6/3/11.

Elizabeth Anne “Beth” Brawley ’89, Apex, N.C. 4/14/11.

Virginia Lee “Ginny” Buckner ’08, Durham, N.C. 3/10/11.

Derek M. Parks G’09, Burlington, N.C. 4/13/11.

David E. W. Schlosser ’11, Greensboro, N.C. 6/2/11.

and judicial affairs. She lives in Columbia, S.C. ■ Brittany Heffernan is a certified public accountant for McGladrey. She lives in Arlington, Va. ■ Richard M. Johnson earned his National Board Certification in early adolescence and social studies. This summer, he is working for the National Park Service’s Teacher-RangerTeacher program at the National Jazz Park on Decatur Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, La. Richard lives in Burlington, N.C. ■ Back in high school, Claire Leonard knew that she wanted to work for the Academy of Country Music. At Elon, she made her dream a reality, interning in the Academy’s creative department in her senior spring semester. After graduation, she worked on and off for the Academy as a freelancer and in October 2010 was hired full-time. As the assistant of operations and logistics, Claire helps operate the Academy’s internship program and coordinates the ticketing, credentials and logistics for all Academy events – up to and

including the annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nev., which draws more than 50,000 country music fans from across the nation. ■ Kelly E. McCarty graduated from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in social justice and human rights. She lives in Raleigh, N.C. ■ Mitch Pittman has received many awards from the National Press Photographers Association. He was hired as a reporter at KTSP in Minneapolis, Minn., for which he writes, edits and appears live in all of his stories. ■ Christine Walton married Mohammed Emrani on 12/19/10. Christine teaches Spanish at Washington High School Early College. The couple live in Atlanta, Ga. ■ Dorian A. Wanzer received a master’s degree in public administration from the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University. She graduated with honors after receiving an outstanding review on her capstone project, which surveyed urban education policy in New Jersey.

She lives in Greensboro, N.C. summer 2011

37

CLASS NOTES



Andie N. Diemer was

promoted to associate online photo editor at Food & Wine and Travel & Leisure magazines. She is the main contact for FoodandWine.com images, invoicing and syndication, and she is in charge of print-to-web production.

She lives in Astoria, N.Y. ■ Laura Fraase married Derek C. Walsh on 7/10/10. Alumni in attendance were Anne Chichester Klein, Elizabeth Palmer, Carly Price, Beth Cohen, Jessica Rossi, Amanda Joyner, Kevin Manship, Andy Harris ’11 and Melanie Binder ’11.

Laura is a K–5 music teacher in Savannah, Ga. The couple live in

Pooler, Ga. ■ Claudia Rae Hinkle and Casey S. Pickler were married on 8/7/10 at the home of the bride’s parents in Lexington, N.C. Alumni who participated in the wedding were Douglas Colvard, Avery Goldman, Allison Whitecavage, Jenna Levy, Alexandra Coffman, Daniel Bell, Jerry “Pick” Pickler ’75, Dawn Luciano Pickler ’77, Brian Pickler ’05, Maxwell Pickler ’13 and Matthew Trucksess ’11. Alumni in attendance were Jenny Ward, Douglas Cooper, Andrew Fish, Brian Polio, Christopher Peele, Robert Hobbs, Patrick Cravey, Turner Green, Paura Pedersen, Phillip Barthalomew, Marcus

Lockamy, Michelle Robbins, Laura Smith, Melanie Johnson, Angela Sparrow, Kristi McGrath, Katie Hatcher, Alexandra Lahey, William Black ’08, Jenna Goldberg ’07, Brycen Fisher ’11, Jamie Luciano ’03, Phil Moroni ’11, Brian Andrews ’12, Lexi Andrews ’12, Kelly Molin ’11, Gina Guirich ’11, Kelly Bendarski ’11, Kathy Koontz ’74, Amy Williams Tucker ’77, Bunky Womble Manley ’78, Bobby Tucker ’78 and Debbie Luciano Cataliat ’75.

The couple reside in Apex, N.C. ■ Stuart E. Richie is a full-time stage manager with Cirque du Soleil working with the show, “Alegria.”

She recently celebrated her

one-year anniversary and received a show jacket. Stuart began working with Cirque du Soleil while a student at Elon, completing an internship in Las Vegas, Nev. The show is touring North America now and will move to Europe in the fall. When she’s not traveling, Stuart makes her home in Mineral, Va. ■ Several Delta Delta Delta alumnae gathered in Chicago, Ill., over Memorial Day weekend to catch a Cubs game at the “friendly confines” of Wrigley Field. Alumni in attendance were Halley Spong, Lauren Lamberti, Michelle Pojasek, Leanne Gerelus, Alex Cashion and Nancy Russell.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE |

{ Norris and Ann Moses }

Sharing a love of learning

BY JALEH HAGIGH

A

nn Watts Moses remembers Dan was one of eight siblings how much her late husband, to attend Elon. His sister, Jo Watts Daniel Watts ’37, loved Williams ’55, served her alma maElon and his life as an educator. To ter for more than four decades as a faculty member, vice president of honor Dan and his work, Ann has made a gift to endow the Daniel T. development and special assistant Watts Award for Undergraduate to the president.

Research, which will assist students After graduating from Elon, Dan conducting research in the mathearned his doctorate in pharmacolematical or natural sciences. ogy from Duke University. During “Research was Dan’s life, and his 40-year career, he served on the Elon is where he got his start,” Ann faculty at the University of Virginia, says. “I wanted to do something to West Virginia University and what is now Virginia Commonwealth honor him and his profession.” { Daniel Watts ’37 } To endow this fund, Ann took University Medical Center. He was advantage of a special opportunity devoted to his students and his called the charitable IRA rollover, life. She grew up on the cam- research in physiology and pharwhich allows individuals 70½ and pus of Lynchburg College in macology. In 1994, he and Ann older to make charitable gifts with Virginia, where her father, Riley made a gift to establish the Watts IRA assets that are tax-free. This op- Montgomery, served as the school’s Scholarship in Biology at Elon. portunity is available through the fifth president. A love of learning Ann has continued to generend of 2011. was one of the many things she and ously support Elon, including “That’s why I wanted to make Dan shared. making a planned gift to sustain this gift during this year. It’s a great “Elon was important to Dan,” the Watts Scholarship in perpetuopportunity,” Ann says. says Ann, a retired teacher. “He felt ity. She and her husband, Norris Ann understood the impor- like Elon educated his entire family Moses, are members of Elon’s tance of education early in her and changed their lives.”

Grandparent Leadership Society,

which recognizes donors who make annual gifts of $5,000 or more or have given a cumulative total of $25,000 or more to the university.

Norris’ granddaughter, Carolyn Macaulay, is a rising junior at Elon.

“I feel very fortunate to be able to make this gift,” Ann says. “It has allowed me to establish something in Dan’s name and support Elon students.”

TO LEARN MORE about how you can support the Ever Elon Campaign and make a difference at Elon with a planned gift, contact: Jamie Killorin, CPA/PFS, CFP® Director of Gift Planning Toll free: (877) 784-3566 jkillorin2@elon.edu elon.edu/giftplanning

summer 2011 39

TWEETS FROM COMMENCEMENT 2011

#elongrad @MichellePojasek @Rudy2Br Congrats class of 2011!

Wish I was there! “One day you will leave Elon but Elon will never leave you!”

E-U! U Know! Numen Lumen! #elongrad

Can’t believe it’s been A YEAR since I graduated!

Long live #elon! #elongrad

@toboyle2 grandparents lost near Alamance fountain.

Come claim your geezers. #elongrad

@mnguyen @cgroom13 How to march, check.

How to cross the stage, check. How to shake Leo’s hand, check. Time to go #elongrad

@brandoncurry7 Today, I graduate.

Tomorrow, who knows? #elongrad

@lkurtz Just graduated.

Holy moly. #elongrad

Please get my name, please get my name … #elongrad

@elegramuffet RT @CBanks4U: I wish twitter was around when I graduated…that would have made graduation even more fun #elongrad #oldhead

@cwellsfish Graduated from @elonuniversity 10 years ago today! Still miss it. #elongrad

@mbleser Congrats to all Elon grads today. One more week until a new beginning for me as well in Boston. Any new alums heading to Beantown? #elongrad

@nonyelo So proud of the Class of 2011, I’ll miss all of you so much!! Now go be famous. #elongrad #theFame

@evannclingan Diploma in hand…I’m done! #elongrad Also, did that kid just take his robe off and only have a cutoff and boxers on?

So normal.

@HegFalls No sign of zombies so far… #rapture #elongrad

@erikahakanson I now own my most expensive tiny tree #elongrad

Follow Elon [ @ElonUniversity ] and the Alumni Association [ @ElonAlumni ] on Twitter

Office of Alumni Engagement PO Box 398 Elon, NC 27244 Toll Free: (877) 784-3566 elon.edu/alumni Change Service Requested

GRADUATE COMMENCEMENT   LAW 

 INTERACTIVE MEDIA 

 MBA 