Connection Magazine Winter 2016 by Georgia College & State University

Alumni Weekend

CONTENTS 4

Up Front News and notes around campus

Homecoming Viva Milly Vegas

10 Cover Story GC awards ﬁrst honorary doctorate

16 Sports 18 Faculty Proﬁle 20 Student Proﬁle 22 Featured Alumna 24 Alumni Awards 26 Class Notes 31 Alumni Weekend

Cover photo courtesy of Grad Images, gradimages.com

Tony Tan sets the standard in cloud storage innovation For Anthony “Tony” Tan (HA’09) success, especially in the technology industry, is just another day in the oﬃce. Tan leads StoAmigo, a company he founded that is going to set the standard in cloud storage innovation.

President Steve Dorman Vice President for University Advancement Monica Delisa Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications Omar Odeh Editor/Director of Marketing and Publications Victoria Fowler, ‘12

Featured in Forbes magazine for the Cloudlocker personal cloud storage device, the company’s new development, “Tack App,” will turn any computer or Android device into a cloud server. With Tack App, ﬁles on devices under a user's control become instantly available and can be securely shared with others or accessed from anywhere in the world. Cloud-enabling a device makes unifying users’ devices a breeze while accessing all the ﬁles on all their devices from one location.

the launch of its Tack App. It’s available for free, but those who register using the promotional code Bobcats4Biz will receive a free activation of the 2-Factor Authentication protection feature.

As a result of Tan’s relationship with Georgia College, in serving as a J. Whitney Bunting College of Business Advisory Board member and a former Georgia College & State University Foundation Trustee, the GCSU Foundation is partnering with StoAmigo in

To register for a free account, visit https://signup.stoamigo.com/index.html. Learn about the easy accessibility and security of the Tack App. https://www.stoamigo.com/videogallery/tackapp.

Writers Brittiny Johnson, ‘15 Margaret Morris Aubrie L. Sofala, ‘12 Al Weston

Wilson’s scholarship allowed student to land her “dream job”

Design Jon Scott, ‘83 Brooks Hinton

For Georgia College summa cum laude graduate and Foundation Trustee Stan Wilson, ’77, paying it forward to future GC students “is what drives” his support of scholarships at GC. Wilson, the managing partner of Elarbee, Thompson, Sapp & Wilson, LLP, a labor and employment law ﬁrm in Atlanta, has served on the GC Foundation Board of Trustees since 2000, part of which time he served as chair of the board and on multiple committees.

Photography Tim Vacula, ‘86 Guillermo “Willie” Ledezma, ’16 Aubrie L. Sofala, ’12

Please send change of address and class notes to: University Advancement Campus Box 113 Milledgeville, GA 31061 connection@gcsu.edu

With a $100,000 donation in 2010, he and his wife Debi, ’77, established the Wilson Presidential Endowed Scholarship

No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information be excluded from employment or participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to discrimination, under any program or activity conducted by Georgia College.

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Georgia College continues to climb in U.S. News & World Report rankings Georgia College continues its climb in the U.S. News & World Report rankings moving up a slot in the Top Public Regional Universities list. The university was designated ninth among the top public regional universities, tied with Longwood University in Virginia and Murray State University in Kentucky. GC was the state’s only university to be ranked in the top 10 of this category. U.S. News and World Report also recently ranked our online graduate nursing programs eighth in the nation and our WebMBA(c) (put copyright symbol there) as 22nd in the nation. The 2015 “Best Colleges” guidebook shows GC also was listed 28th on the Best Regional Universities in the South for the second year in a row. The Princeton Review recognized GC on the “2016 Best Colleges: Region by Region” list for the ninth consecutive year. The university is a member of the elite group classiﬁed as the “Best in the Southeast.” The Colleges of Distinction website also recognized GC as a public college of distinction — one of only two in Georgia named to the list.

providing scholarship support for incoming GC students. They have also established the Wilson Accounting Scholarship in the school of business to support entering ﬁrst-year accounting majors and the Sarah & Oliver Wilson Endowed Scholarship in honor of Stan’s parents, who were tireless supporters of higher education. “Our students have an opportunity to change the world, and scholarships at GC allow them to reach those goals,” says Wilson, who urges recipients once they graduate to “pay it forward” with scholarships for future students. “A graduate told me that a scholarship allowed her to complete school and begin her dream job,” declares Wilson. “That means a lot to me because I had the same experience when I received a scholarship at GC. Debi and I would not have stayed in school together and ﬁnished in a timely manner if not for my scholarship.”

Incoming Huston-Tillotson President Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette (right) receives the university’s mace, symbolizing the university’s heritage and affirming the institution’s continuing commitments.

Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, ’83 Reigns as New President of Huston-Tillotson University On Nov. 7, Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette, ’83, was inaugurated as the sixth president and chief executive officer of Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas. Pierce Burnette is the first female president of the merged university and only the second female president in the institution’s 140-year history. She is an experienced leader in higher education with a deep commitment to student success. Pierce Burnette served as interim president at Pierce College in Puyallup, Wash., vice president for Administration and chief financial officer, plus vice president for Information Technology at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Pierce Burnette earned a Master of Science Degree in Administration with honors from Georgia College after completing a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Ohio State University in 1980. In 2003, she completed the Harvard Graduate School’s Education Management Development Program and recently completed an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration at the University of Pennsylvania.

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Georgia College launches new website and logo Brand is an important part of any product. At Georgia College, our product is a top-of-the-line public liberal arts education that is unmatched in the state and region. As Georgia's public liberal arts university, GC provides an expansive undergraduate experience and excellence in graduate education in academically engaging, student-centered programs that take learning beyond the traditional classroom. Our students develop the intellectual, professional and civic skills and dispositions that enable graduates to thrive in an informationintensive and diverse global society. We attract students who are service-minded, engaged with the campus and community and are innovative thinkers, prepared to make a difference in the world. In that spirit, we launched several new identifying features for our university, based on our refined brand. Our website, gcsu.edu, now has a new, fresh look that makes the platform easier to use and reflects our brand. It is also now mobile friendly and will be used to target and recruit future Bobcats to GC. GC Athletics also has a new website design. The university has also launched a new primary mark based on the 125th anniversary logo. This logo incorporates pieces of our rich history while positioning us to be identified by our strong brand in the future.

The Userys inspire students covering a range of disciplines From business students in financial need to those who desire to study business abroad, to scholars who wish to teach secondary education to students enrolled in outdoor education, Eleyce, “Lisa” ’72, and Melvin Usery support students with a range of disciplines through four scholarships at Georgia College. The college has held significant meaning for the Userys. After graduating with a BS in mathematics, Lisa taught secondary education for 26 years in two states, public and private and middle and high school. Upon retirement, her husband surprised her with a scholarship in her name. Later upon the passing of Lisa’s father, a scholarship was created in his memory. And recently, two more scholarships named for Lisa's and Melvin’s late mothers have been added. Lisa is proud of the heritage and modern era accomplishments of GC and comments often to students, faculty, administrators and especially to potential donors how important the university was to her life and career. “GC is an outstanding university and in providing these scholarships to my alma mater Melvin and I further recognize the meaning of giving back,” she states. Melvin adds, “Donors should make every effort to meet the scholarship recipients and share about the person for which the scholarship is named and encourage the student to excel and in due time be a donor.”

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GC sophomore starts nonprofit to fund education for students in Haiti

Martha Newell, '42, derives fresh, unique purpose for fabric scraps Martha Newell can make magic with donated scraps of fabric and unwanted clothing. She uses her sewing talent to transform fabric odds and ends, including donated buttons and trim into darling doll apparel. Newell, who is 94, has made over 150 shirts, pants, dresses and coats in the last several years. Upon the passing of her husband in 2001, she needed to immerse herself in a hobby and asked herself, "Why am I not sewing clothes for my girls' dolls?"

It started as an Eagle Scout project when he was a teenager. Georgia College sophomore Brendan Morton was going to put together a coat drive until his dad encouraged him to not just do something to check the box for his Eagle Scout project, but instead to find his passion. “It was just after the earthquake happened in Haiti,” said Morton, who is a marketing major and is planning to focus on international business. “I just took that as a sign that maybe I should help the people there.” Morton, his dad, mom and sister soon flew to the poverty-stricken Caribbean nation to find out how they could help. The first trip has now turned in to an annual event for the last four years for Morton and his family. Three other GC students, Mackenzie Light, Mackenzie Roux and Samantha Mayo actually participated in this summer’s mission trip.

When asked for doll attire, she also sews for others, too. “I like to make little girls happy,” says Newell. Newell discovered her passion for sewing in 1946—the year she bought her steel sewing machine that she still uses today. Back then, she made clothes for her daughters. Now, each Christmas, Newell takes scraps of clothes or donated pieces of fabric from residents of the retirement community where she lives and uses them to sew doll outﬁts— three for each of her seven greatgranddaughters. This annual tradition helps Newell connect with the girls, especially when she sees their faces light up.

Their work has been focused in the Cite Soleil area of Port-au-Prince, which is known as one of the poorest and most dangerous areas in the Western Hemisphere. His experiences led Morton and his sister Bethany to start a nonprofit called HOPE in Haiti. HOPE stands for Helping Others Pursue Education. HOPE in Haiti works to encourage and assist in the education of the youth of Haiti, giving them hope for a brighter, more prosperous future. They do that by paying for the education of children and youth, which can cost upwards of $1,300 per semester.

Dolls adorned with Newell’s clothing collection were on display at the Hermitage at Cedarfield where Newell is a resident.

To learn more about HOPE in Haiti, visit their website hope-in-haiti.org/home.

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Georgia College honored at Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards At the annual USG Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards presentation, held at the Georgia Perimeter College Clarkston campus on Oct. 21, Georgia College was honored for customer service that goes above and beyond the call of duty. The Maintenance Direct Implementation Team from Maintenance and Operations received the silver medal in the category of Outstanding Process Improvement Award: Increase Eﬀectiveness and Eﬃciency. Public Safety received the bronze medal in the category of Outstanding Process Improvement Award: Increase Service to Students for their work on the No Bobcat Left Behind initiative.

Kendall Stiles, director of the GIVE Center, received an honorable mention certiﬁcate in the category of Outstanding Individual. The Chancellor’s Service Excellence Awards is a system-wide initiative to recognize and reward employees for demonstrating consistently high levels of performance while accomplishing normal job responsibilities as it relates to service for the past year. All 33 USG institutions participate in the program by submitting nominations from their respective campuses. GC was one of the very few institutions to receive multiple honors among the more than 2,000 individuals and team members nominated.

Renewing our focus on the liberal arts A new initiative on campus looks to explore our liberal arts mission, what it means and why it is important. It’s an effort to align all aspects of campus life, from volunteerism to coursework, with our mission as the state’s designated public liberal arts university. “The Liberal Arts Renewal Project” is spearheaded by Dr. Julia Metzker, Dr. Cara Meade Smith, Dr. Cynthia Alby, Dr. Amy Sumpter, Dr. Nolan White and Dr. Kimberly Cossey, all of whom attended the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Institute on General Education and Assessment over the summer. “When we went to the Institute, we saw many teams that were creating plans to be implemented upon their return to campus, but we knew we didn't want to do that,” said Cossey. “We have many great curricular and co-curricular programs in place at Georgia College, but we need input from everyone to make our liberal arts efforts cohesive and more visible.”

This liberal arts renewal project started with discussions throughout this year where faculty, staff, students and community members have been invited to develop a shared understanding of the liberal arts at Georgia College through spirited and engaging conversations.

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HOMECOMING

Plan to join us for Georgia College’s Homecoming 2016, as we celebrate all things GC and Milledgeville as this year’s theme embraces the nickname that many of our students refer to our hometown as: “Milly Vegas.” Tuesday, Feb. 2 7 p.m. Presidential Debate viewing, hosted by the Student Government Association – Russell Auditorium Wednesday, Feb. 3 2 - 4 p.m. Family Connections Blessing Bags for local youth to help fight hunger MSU Lounge 8 p.m. GC’s Got Talent – Magnolia Ballroom Thursday, Feb. 4 5 - 11 p.m. Blitz Ball – Front Campus Friday, Feb. 5 2 p.m. 6 p.m.

Alumni Registration – Magnolia Ballroom GC Jamfest 2016 featuring Rich Homie Quan, Lil’ Dicky, Pia Mia and Good Thoughts (Doors open at 6 p.m., concert begins at 7 p.m.) – Centennial Center

Saturday, Feb. 6 9 a.m. 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. 11 a.m. 11 a.m. 12 p.m. 2 p.m. 3:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m.

Tent City opens – Centennial Square Alumni Registration - Magnolia Ballroom Homecoming Parade – Tattnall Street Tailgating begins at Reunion Tents – Centennial Square Entertainment on Community Stage – Centennial Square Cornhole Tournament – Centennial Square Women’s Basketball game v. Columbus State – Centennial Center (introduction of Duke and Duchess courts at halftime) Men’s Basketball game v. Columbus State – Centennial Center (introduction of King and Queen courts at halftime)

*Immediately following the game the parade winners, Student Government Association election results and homecoming court winners will be presented. Alumni may register at https://alumni.gcsu.edu/homecoming2016

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COVER STORY

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connection The December 2015 commencement ceremony marked a special celebration for Georgia College as the university awarded its first honorary doctoral degree.

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he recipient of Georgia College’s ﬁrst honorary doctorate, Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, has not only dedicated her life to education, but also has a special connection to Georgia College. After careful consideration by the campus Honorary Degree Committee, the university presented its recommendation to the Board of Regents for approval to confer the degree to recognize Coleman’s commitment to encouraging student scholarship – a commitment that was inspired by her mother’s transformational time as a ﬁrstgeneration college student at Georgia College.

“It is because of my mother that I am here today – here in Milledgeville, here as a longtime educator, and here as an advocate of a liberal arts education and the power of higher education,” said Coleman during the commencement speech on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015. “My mother was born Margaret Harvin. No one from her family had ever attended college, and she was determined to be the ﬁrst. Fortunately for Margaret, her father had set aside a small amount of money from his job as a furniture salesman, and she enrolled here, at the Georgia State College for Women (GSCW), which is now Georgia College.”

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Margaret waited tables in the dining hall in exchange for discounted tuition. When she was a senior, a GSCW teacher encouraged her to enter a short story contest in the English Department. Winning first prize in 1933 for "Sympathy Speaks" gave her great confidence for her subsequent teaching career. Coleman turned her mother’s passion into her pursuit, spending many years in higher education. Her most impactful time was spent as president of the University of Michigan from 2002 until her retirement in 2014. “Attending college was never a question for my sisters and me – it was simply the next chapter after high school. Higher education was essential and important, and we had the world’s best colleges and universities to choose from without having to travel very far,” said Coleman. “One sister became a physician, another a lawyer and I became a scientist who came to be a university president.” “Dr. Coleman's family illustrates the power of higher education in the lives of the family. By providing scholarships for first-generation students, we are not only changing their lives, we are changing the trajectory of generations to come,” said Dr. Steve Dorman, president of Georgia College.

Universities. She co-chairs the Lincoln Project, an initiative of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences to preserve the strength and diversity of public research universities. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit organization dedicated to public engagement in scientific research and education. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Kavli Foundation, which promotes science and support for scientists; the Board of Trustees of the Gates Cambridge Scholars, a graduate fellowship program; the Board of Trustees of the Mayo Clinic; and the Board of Trustees of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. Having served as president at Michigan and the University of Iowa, two of the nation’s most prestigious universities, and assuming the role of president of the American Association of Universities, Dr. Coleman is one of the nation’s most outstanding higher education leaders. “We are proud to acknowledge Dr. Coleman’s accomplishments with this honorary degree and to celebrate the fact that Dr. Coleman’s mother was a first generation graduate of Georgia College,” said Dorman. Wilson’s graduation set into motion a transformation that continues to impact the lives of countless others today. ■

In January 2010, she and her husband, Kenneth, established an endowment at Georgia College in memory of her mother for the competitive and prestigious Margaret Harvin Wilson Writing Award. This award is designed to inspire undergraduate students to be imaginative and creative and submit pieces of original work to be judged. This is similar to the competition that Coleman’s mother entered and won decades before that had a profound impact on her life. “Education is an expanding sum commodity. It’s quite simple: Our collective progress and prosperity hinge on higher education. You only help your nation by becoming more educated,” said Coleman. “No other nation can rival the innovation, creativity and intellectual fervor of America’s universities. Human capital – the intellectual currency of Georgia College graduates and college graduates everywhere – will determine the course of this state and nation.” She continues to be a recognized higher education leader at the national level, and in June 2016 she will assume the presidency of the Association of American

Dr. Coleman had the opportunity to review one of her mother’s classmate’s scrapbooks.

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Fall Commencement 2015

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SPORTS

DA DA DA DA DA DA

eorgia College’s Homecoming Week has always been one of the most dynamic and exciting times of the school year, but the 2016 GC Homecoming has been given an extra jolt of national exposure. The Bobcat Basketball doubleheader, the week’s final event, has been selected for an exclusive ESPN3 national broadcast as the Division II Basketball Game of the Week. The packed-out Centennial Center will be host to both games of the women's and men's doubleheader against long-time Peach Belt Conference (PBC) rival Columbus State University Saturday, Feb. 6 beginning at 3:30 p.m. The entirety of the doubleheader will be carried live on the ESPN3 network, utilizing ESPN equipment and broadcasting talent. “We are grateful to the NCAA and ESPN for the opportunity to be part of their broadcast schedule and be featured as the national NCAA Division II Game of the Week,” said Director of Athletics Wendell Staton. “This provides a national platform and unique branding opportunity for our university and our alumni. I am thrilled that our outstanding studentathletes will have the opportunity to play in front of a national audience.” ESPN and the NCAA couldn’t have chosen a better set of games for their weekly broadcast, as the Bobcats and Cougars have a long-standing history dating back to the inception of varsity athletics at GC in 1969. The teams were rivals as members of the NAIA until both joined the NCAA Division II as charter members of the Peach Belt in 1990-91. ■

About ESPN3 ESPN3 is ESPN's live multi-screen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible online at -----WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. The network is currently available to more than 99 million homes at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed Internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. The network is also available at no cost to approximately 21 million U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

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GC Athletics helps make wishes a reality Top Fundraising Schools for Make-A-Wish Foundation 1. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania $13,665.11 2. Molloy College $13,154.25 3. Dixie State University $12,670 4. Lubbock Christian University $11,615.87 5. University of North Georgia $11,102 6. Saint Leo University $10,084 7. University of California, San Diego $9,593.54 8. Missouri University of Science and Technology $9,006 9. Delta State University $8,473.50 10. Georgia College $8,122.22

Conference Rankings: 1. Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference $53,493.51 2. Peach Belt Conference $40,312.95 3.Pacific West Conference $32,911.57 4. Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference $30,117.10 5. East Coast Conference $28,131.59

GC Athletics hosted a special campus luau for a local Make-A-Wish child in honor of her trip to Hawaii that they were able to sponsor.

n 2003, Division II sports began its alliance with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since then it has raised over four million dollars, granting wishes to over 530 kids around the country. Georgia College is proud to be a part of this organization that makes a difference in children with terminal illnesses. For two years in a row GC Athletics has been able to come up with funds to make wishes come true. In 2014-15, athletics raised $8,122.22, beating the average cost of a wish at $7,500 and was able to grant a young girl her wish. “I am proud of our athletic community for making the great strides that we have over the years,” said Shanteona Keys former Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president for Georgia College. “We have continued to improve and hold ourselves accountable to raise funds for Make-A-Wish. It really is heartwarming to see our contributions make a big impact in a small child’s life by making their wishes come true.” GC Athletics was #10 in the nation in fundraising for Make-A-Wish. Georgia College’s athletic community raises its funds through a SAAC raffle, a student-athletes formal where the participation proceeds go to the foundation and a tennis tournament called the Milledgeville Open hosted by GC Tennis coach Steve Barsby. The Milledgeville Open funds used to go directly to the tennis team budget to help them cover their season costs, but in recent years Barsby has taken all the proceeds and given them to Make-A-Wish. “The student-athletes realize it’s a big world out there,” said Barsby. “You see kids like Men’s Basketball coach, Mark Ganious’, son, who was in Make-AWish, and you see that energetic little kid running around fighting leukemia and you have to ask yourself, ‘What are we doing here?’ It comes down to more than tennis balls. You see what Make-A-Wish did for him and for all the kids. How could you not support this organization?” All the student-athletes and the department members of GC have pushed the college to number two in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) of fundraising schools. “We are grateful for the opportunity to help make a difference in the life of a wonderful child who is facing unique challenges,” said Athletic Director Wendell Staton. “All of the credit goes to our outstanding student-athletes and the SAAC leadership.” “This cause has very personal meaning within our department, and it has provided another great opportunity for them to come together as one. I would like to thank our leadership from last year, Assistant Athletic Director Ginger Chaffinch, and the SAAC led by President Shanteona Keys, as they are the driving force. I also want to publicly thank coach Steve Barsby and the Men's and Women's Tennis programs. It is a great life lesson to help others and this selflessness is a trademark of a culture that is unique and appealing, and I am fortunate to be a a part of [an organization with] what I think are the most outstanding student-athletes in the country." ■

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Continuing a legacy: Georgia College welcomes the ďŹ rst William Harvey Professor of Biomedical Sciences

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FACULTY PROFILE

or Dr. Ken Saladin, his 38 years at Georgia College led him to giving back to the university he calls home. Saladin, a professor of biology, created the Premedical Mentorship Program in 2008, which aims to introduce students to the aspects of the medical ﬁeld through discussion, ﬁlms, seminars, research opportunities and more—all while providing small, cohort-style class sizes.

“However exhausted I may feel by Thursday evening each week, I always seem to walk out of these seminars feeling re-energized, in high spirits,” said Saladin. “Mentoring these students is the high point of my week, a uniquely fulfilling experience even beyond my original expectations of it. I find myself motivated to the extent of preparing six hours or more for almost every two-hour seminar.” Ensuring the program thrives after he leaves Georgia College, Saladin chose to fund the William Harvey Endowed Chair in Biomedical Sciences. To take on that role, the accomplished neuroscientist and the first William Harvey Professor Dr. Ashok Hegde has taken the lead. “I was attracted to Georgia College because of the mentoring aspect of this position,” said Hegde, who previously was a professor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “I was well aware of how important this mentor relationship is with students, but now I’m mentoring undergraduates and the need for small class sizes and small group-based learning is ever more important at this critical stage in their education.” Saladin and Hegde both understand a need for students to be well prepared as they enter into the medical field, which includes knowing the positive as well as negative aspects of their future career. “Dr. Saladin really created a program that wasn’t just focused on getting students to that

next level in medical education,” said Hegde. “It’s about showing them what a career in medicine looks like. Your heart has to be in the right place to pursue medicine.” As he enters his second semester at Georgia College, Hegde will begin work on his research, which focuses on the changes that occur in neurons in the brain during learning and the formation of long-term memory. A lab is being created that will include observing brain cells in a dish that will mimic what actually happens in the human brain during the formation of memory. “I’ve already had some students who have approached me and want to begin work,” said Hegde. “Certainly research is a large aspect of giving premedical students hands-on experience. Success in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) ﬁelds rely heavily on research, so they know how the process works.” As for Saladin, he hopes to leave a legacy at the university. In addition to the endowed chair, Saladin’s generosity also spreads to an endowment for the Museum of Natural History, funds to remodel the anatomy lab, microscopes and other lab equipment, and he has endowed three named scholarships in the biological and environmental sciences. Moving forward, Saladin hopes Hegde’s position grows, inspiring a new generation of premed students with every year. “My hope and expectation is that the Premedical Mentorship will evolve under Dr. Hegde’s leadership and prepare our students, even better than I could do, for life in medical school and beyond,” said Saladin. “The Harvey Chair carries a light teaching load so the mentor can devote even more time than I ever could, with a heavy teaching and textbook writing workload, to develop more resources and mentoring activities for our premed students.” ■

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STUDENT PROFILE

SCholArS of DIStInCtIon work on community-based projects in local schools

Abigail Stout and Sarah Kukshtel have had a more hectic than usual start to their semester. î &#x201C;e two recently won the Scholars of Distinction competition, garnering the two spots to fully implement and fund their Impact Projects, which aim to serve the Baldwin and Milledgeville communities while also including the Georgia College community.

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“I heArD ABout the SCholArS of DIStInCtIon through my sorority, and I thought it seemed like a great fit,” said Kukshtel, who is pursuing her master’s in middle grades education. “I realized at the end of the application that we needed an Impact Project, and I thought for a long time on it and landed on the idea of a unified physical education program.” Kukshtel graduated with an undergraduate degree in special education in May 2015. She was inspired by her time spent at Dames ferry elementary, teaching in a classroom that included autistic children. After seeing interaction between general education and special education students and the impact it had on both individuals— she knew the value of a unified physical education course. “Without that experience, I wouldn’t be the educator I am today,” said Kukshtel. “I’ve learned qualities about myself I also wouldn’t have known I had in me, such as patience, flexibility, confidence and the need to constantly be innovative.” hitting the ground running in August, Kukshtel has spent the fall semester in talks with the principal of Baldwin County high School. e goal is to have a pilot program in spring 2016, with a fully implemented course for the upcoming 2016-2017 academic school year. e program will promote acceptance and foster respect, by pairing general education students with students with intellectual and/or physical disabilities during a physical education course. Stout, like Kukshtel, has also been in and out of a local public school this semester implementing her Impact Project. “I emailed the principal of oak hill Middle School and expressed my interest in bringing these two communities together—Baldwin and Georgia College,” said Stout. “When she got back to me that some students had expressed interest in forming a student council—I knew that was what I was meant to do.” e senior political science major has been involved in the Georgia education Mentorship (GeM) program, was a member of the Judicial Board and spent time interning and volunteering on political campaigns while at GC. Stout knows the importance of leadership and wanted to give the same opportunity to local middle school students. Starting in August, Stout began working with administration and teachers at oak hill. After planning the organization, they received 40 applicants who applied and wanted to be part of the student council. Since then, Stout has held meetings and in october, hosted a retreat at the Depot on the campus. “It focused on leadership skills and had team building activities as well speakers from SGA,” said Stout. “Seeing these students interact with each other was amazing. ey all have these deep thoughts and are able to express them to myself and to each other. Student Council gives those ideas a chance to be validated

and for them to know we want to hear their voices.” Stout also says this is an integral time for the students at oak hill. “is whole program for me has been about making an impact, doing something larger than yourself,” said Stout. “ese kids need this opportunity to be involved with the school, but they also need role models. If you can have that one person to step up and be that for them, it makes all the difference.” Both Stout and Kukshtel know the key to their Impact Projects lie in gaining successors once they leave GC. Stout has been working with the leadership Certificate Program to rally support, while Kukshtel is looking into her tight-knit cohort group. “I’m working with the special education cohort right now to get someone on board once I graduate in May,” said Kukshtel. “It’s a huge program to take on and it’s going to take a leap of faith— but all I need is that someone who sees this program as an opportunity for growth and to really make a change in the lives of students.” Stout and Kukshtel also recognize the importance of the opportunity the Scholars of Distinction program gave them. rough the Scholars of Distinction program, which was designed to recognize two students whose academic performance epitomized the mission of the college, they now have hands-on experience building a successful project from scratch. “My hope is that the Impact Projects become that bridge that is so desperately needed between GC and the MilledgevilleBaldwin Community. And also that the Milledgeville-Baldwin Community is able to see that the students who contribute, do so because of their love for service, humanity and that they see Milledgeville as a second home and truly care what happens in the schools system, local government. ey just care about the community period,” said Stacey Milner, assistant director of the office of fraternity and Sorority life. for Milner, she hopes the program goes on to become an endowed scholarship, continuing to award students who do great, meaningful work in the community. looking toward graduation, both Stout and Kukshtel say they’ve learned valuable lessons from these Impact Projects that they’ll carry with them in their careers. “It’s made all the difference to have GC’s full support behind me with this huge project,” said Kukshtel. “I’ve learned that putting action to the words I say is not only possible, but necessary to make a true impact. Being able to take advantage of opportunities that the university provides in the community is where part of my education took place, and it’s where I found my passion.” ■

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FEATURED ALUMNA

To Janelle Johnson Draper, ’01, life is meant to be shared orn from a dream, Foundation to Fly was formed in 2010. “It felt like a whisper that kept me up at night and could no longer be ignored,” says program founder Janelle Johnson Draper, ’01.

Despite having a successful teaching career, Draper couldn’t overcome the feeling that she needed to explore something more. So she left her full-time teaching job to pursue her dream of building the nonproﬁt Foundation to Fly. The organization empowers girls to be conﬁdent, self-assured leaders with an understanding of their impact on the world.

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For Draper, leaving a full-time teaching job was a scary prospect. “Everything in my teaching career felt right, yet I couldn't dismiss the feeling that I needed to explore something more,” says Draper. According to Draper, building a nonprofit – something from nothing – requires a great deal of support, revision, reflection and funding. Foundation to Fly is 100 percent volunteer based. “Building dreams and changing lives requires wisdom, integrity, passion and skill,” she says. “We are always looking to add more of each to our organization.” Draper came to Georgia College from New York. Since she didn't know anyone, Draper felt a need to connect by giving her time to worthy causes. Through her early childhood education classes, she served as a literacy advocate in a local school by reading to students. She also sought out Big Brothers Big Sisters, to not only serve, but to begin feeling connected to others. Draper did so much for her little sister Khiwana, that not only did she earn Big Sister of the Year in 1998, but they both became the faces of the Middle Georgia United Way Campaign. Each week, when Khiwana met her goals by using her manners, cleaning up after crafts, etc., she earned pennies. When walking on the way back to Khiwana’s house, they would stop by the fountain at GC. They made wishes on each penny before tossing them into the water. Once Khiwana was hospitalized for several days due to a respiratory infection so Draper brought books to the hospital to sit with her and read. “Khiwana was my Georgia family,” Draper states. Draper also joined GC’s Gamma Sigma Sigma—a community service organization. She served as president of the executive board and was the keynote speaker at the first GIVE Conference. Draper was inspired by her sorority advisor Kendall Stiles, who encouraged the group to continue reaching out through her example and passion. Some of the service projects included Maranatha Mission Home, Little Feet and the Cardboard Camp Out. Draper was especially fond of serving on the planning board of Relay for Life as her mother is a breast cancer survivor. In addition, she served on the Baldwin County Planning Board, plus worked on the survivor's walk. Draper’s mother drove from her home in Florida to walk with her every year in Relay for Life while she was at GC.

In 2012, Draper served as Mrs. Gwinnett County. “I was way outside of my comfort zone,” she mentions. “I learned that I have the most amazing support system in my family, friends and local community. I also learned to believe in myself, my dreams and to lean on others for support. It's a wonderful feeling to be unsure of your own footing, and find there are people there to reach out their hand.” Today, she teaches fourth grade, has been named teacher of the year at her school and is a county finalist selected as one of the top six out of more than 11,000 teachers in Gwinnett County for Teacher of the Year. Draper’s main focus with her students is to have them recognize that everyone is important and to be kind. “I want children to be prepared for life, not just a test,” she says. “When children understand that they are important, valuable and loved, and you see it in them, they know that what you are asking of them is possible. If each of us can understand our own immeasurable value, and see it in others, our actions become ones that are softer, kinder and contribute to a better world.” Born from Foundation to Fly, Roots and Wings is a weekly enrichment program empowering girls in grades three through five to develop leadership skills and understand how much they matter. “There came a time in my life when the greater risk was not failure, but failing to become all I am meant to be,” Draper says. “I knew I would always be a teacher, in some capacity, but wanted to focus my attention on the heart of a child.” The development of Roots and Wings allowed her to use her knowledge of content and curriculum, and an innate understanding of emotional intelligence, to create a program that celebrates the value of each individual person. “In many ways Roots and Wings chose me,” she mentions. “I am just doing my part to give back.” Aside from teaching or spending time with Foundation to Fly, Draper along with her husband Jason, '01, support their son in his goals. He plays flag football, basketball, baseball and competes in triathlons. “The thing about service, for me, is that it is just a part of who I am,” Draper states. “I simply lived my life in a way that filled my soul and helped me to feel connected to the people around me, the community I lived in and the core of who I am. There is so much need, and knowing that I can play a small part in contributing to others fills my soul. I feel that life is meant to be shared.” ■

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ALUMNI AWARDS The Alumni Awards Ceremony held on Nov. 14, was a highlight of Alumni Weekend. Echoing their resounding beliefs of service to others, the 2015 Alumni Award recipients tailored their remarks toward finding their purpose. The following awards were presented:

The Outstanding Recent Alumni Award honors alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years and have established notable recognition in a professional career with promise for continued success.

The Alumni Achievement Award is awarded to a graduate who has excelled in a professional ﬁeld and attained prominence by having a positive eﬀect on the state, region or nation.

The Ethel Rae Mozo-Stewart Alumni Community Service Award honors alumni with a history of service that has resulted in visible improvements within the community. It’s named in honor of Ethel Rae MozoStewart Class of '46.

The William Bone Gold Key Award honors friends of GC who have rendered outstanding service to the university and its community. It is named after alumnus William Thomas Bone of the Class of 1910.

Rita Rattray Cannon, ’65, was granted the Ethel Rae Mozo-Stewart Alumni Community Service Award. Upon receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from the Women’s College of Georgia, Cannon served as a lab technician at the Medical College of Georgia. Later, she was a teacher for Wheeler and Richmond Counties.

Receiving the Outstanding Recent Alumni Award was D. Adam Hammond, ’08. Hammond is an Emmynominated journalist who hosts the morning show for WREG-TV in Memphis, Tenn. In prior years, he worked for WGXA in Macon, Ga. His work has been featured on CNN, Headline News and FOX News. Hammond believes in contributing to his community. He worked with lawmakers in Mississippi to create the Andrew Loyd Law, an action which now protects millions of children in Mississippi by adding another layer of protection when a parent or guardian is treated for mental health issues. Hammond also serves on the advisory board for the Commission on Missing and Exploited Children. As a member of the Alpha Omega Veterans Services Board of Directors in Memphis, a nonprofit effort that provides housing, food, counseling and rehabilitative services to homeless veterans, he directs all marketing and public relations efforts for the organization. “I believe that our life isn't about us, but it's instead about those who surround us,” mentions Hammond. “We are each given a purpose and a set of unique gifts and talents that give us a platform or stage which we can to use to make a difference in our community and corner of the world.”

Throughout her life, Cannon has volunteered to better the lives of others. She was a member of the Symphony Guild Boards in Lubbock and Amarillo, Texas for 14 years and also served in a similar capacity for 24 years while residing in Jacksonville, Fla. As chairperson and member of the board of trustees, she served on the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation. Due to her dedication and service to others, Cannon received the Woman of Distinction Award from the Girl Scout Council of Jacksonville, Fla. “From personal experience I can recommend volunteerism and community service,” says Cannon. “It beneﬁts both the community you live in and the volunteer.”

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Dallas Patterson Jankowski, ’56, received the Alumni Achievement Award. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Georgia State College for Women, then obtained a master’s degree in education from Florida State University, plus a master teaching certificate from the University of Georgia. Jankowski taught mathematics in Georgia’s public high schools. In 1973, she received her juris doctorate from the Woodrow Wilson College of Law, then served as the Assistant Attorney General in the State Department of Law and as the director of emergency medical services (EMS) health program under the State Department of Human Resources. Her efforts to develop and implement the EMS program in Georgia played a vital role in establishing the critical system response protocol and procedures for the welfare of the state’s residents and visitors. Today, Jankowski serves as a Chattahoochee County Commissioner and as the president of the Valley Partnership, the purpose of which is to enhance commerce and trade opportunities within the Columbus Ga., region. Jankowski shared the thoughts of her two award winner predecessors on the importance of finding a purpose to give back to others.

Dorothy Evalyn “Eve” Puckett, ’83, ’85, ’93, garnered the William Bone Golden Key Award awarded posthumously. From 1978 to 2015, with the exception of two years, Puckett was a student or an employee— often both—of Georgia College. Upon graduating with her bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice, political science and public administration, she began her professional career at GC in 1984. While employed at GC, she continued her education receiving her master’s degrees in public administration, kinesiology and conﬂict management. Throughout her 29 years at GC, Puckett worked in housing, kinesiology, government and sociology, athletics, the GIVE Center and human resources. She also served as an advisor for the Student Government Association and for several sorority and fraternity organizations on campus. She was an avid supporter of GC sports and the studentathletes, inputting stats for basketball teams for many years, working on numerous Athletic Auction committees and serving as a mentor for students in GC’s athletic programs. As a charter member of the GCSU Bobcat Club supporting giving for GC sporting activities and events, Puckett earned the Bill Childers Award. Outside campus she served through the GIVE Center and on the board of the Baldwin County Habitat for Humanity and also taught life-saving and swim lessons through local recreation departments.

To nominate alumni for the 2016 Alumni Awards, visit: gcsu.edu/alumni/awards.

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Class Notes

1930s

1980s

Jacqueline McCrary Andrews, ’36, celebrated her 100th birthday on Nov. 9. She was born in Roberta, Ga,. where she lived most of her life. Andrews taught third grade in Lizella, Ga. for 25 years. She resides in Nashville, Tenn. with her daughter.

Hank Lewis, ’81, is the coordinator of Academic Support Services for the Quality Enhancement Plan/Oﬃce of Information Fluency at the University of Central Florida. He spent 30 years in higher education working as an instructor, assistant professor, dean, vice president and president of private proprietary colleges in Georgia and Florida. He has spoken at numerous conferences and presented seminars on student retention, classroom creativity, technology, pedagogy and faculty development. Lewis has also worked as an education consultant. He is the managing editor for the Journal of Information Fluency and co-chair of the National Information Fluency Conference.

1960s Three Georgia College alumnae attended the Western-Southern Professional Tennis Tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio Aug. 17-20. This tournament was held prior to the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Glad to reunite were Jean Johnson Lowery '68, of Powder Springs, Ga, Kay Sellers '69, of Sylvania, Ohio and Linda J. Stovall '69, of Chattanooga, Tenn. Lowery and Stovall were on the tennis team during their years at GC.

1970s Bill Herringdine, ’74, was awarded the 2014 Community Patriot Award by the Daughters of the American Revolution during a ceremony at Oconee Veterans Park in Watkinsville. Herringdine is a public school teacher who also serves as bailiﬀ at the Oconee County Courthouse. He volunteered to appeal to the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, which agreed to donate funds to help purchase a bronze eagle statue that will be a centerpiece at Oconee Veterans Park. Blake Anderson, ’75, became senior vice president of New Business Development for California Dairies in 2013. He has more than 35 years of commercial and business experience across the food and beverage industry (domestic and international). Anderson also completed the Food Executive Program at Cornell University. In October, Roger Bryant, ’79, was appointed to serve on the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) State Advisory Board. Bryant retired as county director for the Bleckley County DFCS and the Laurens County DFCS. He is also on the boards of directors of the Bleckley County DFCS and Region 11 DFCS. In addition, he is a member of the Communities in Schools of Cochran/Bleckley County and Family Connection Community Partnership.

Robertiena “Tiena” Fletcher, ’88, ’89, is the director of Pharmacy at the Houston Healthcare Complex and serves as a member of the board of directors of the American Cancer Society, the Warner Robins Chamber of Commerce and is a trained mediator for the Houston County Juvenile Courts.

1990s Tom McElhenney, ’93, was named director of the Office of Health Services for the Georgia Department of Corrections. He is responsible for the supervision of all physical health, mental health and dental health services provided to the more than 52,000 incarcerated offenders in Georgia. McElhenney was also the 2014-2015 Commander for the Disabled American Veterans at the Department of Georgia. For 14 years, he worked with veterans who needed help with Veterans affairs claims. Jeff Smith, ’93, ’96, is the director of the Brain Research Lab at Saginaw Valley State University. He has been the Malcolm and Lois Field Endowed Chair of Health Science since the fall of 2010 and had previously served on the faculty of several private liberal arts colleges across the country. Smith earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Emory University. Currently, Smith and his students are focused on research that explores the mechanisms (behavioral, cellular and pharmacological) that impact recovery from traumatic brain injury. Smith has mentored more than 60 undergraduates in his lab over the years, and many have gone on to receive post-baccalaureate training in psychology, neuroscience, medicine and other health professions.

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2010s From a baseball player for the Southern Illinois Miners to a student in medical school, Sean Harrell, ’10 is on his way to becoming a doctor. He is completing his fourth year at Ross University Medical School with a target graduation date of May 2016.

Stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., LTC Karen Carter Saravia, ’97, was recently promoted from army major to lieutenant colonel and was selected as the U.S. Army Reserve’s Sexual Assault / Harassment and Response and Prevention Program Manager. Her children are pictured above placing badges of her new rank on her uniform.

2000s Gloria Sutton, ’00, is the director of Corporate Security Compliance for Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. She has over 15 years of experience as an industrial security professional and is responsible for developing and integrating a security strategy that complies with government regulations and procedures for evaluating information security risks and developing response plans for the protection of sensitive materials, documents and equipment. Robert Smith, ’05, ’07, received his juris doctor degree, cum laude, from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University in 2010. He joined the Swift, Currie, McGhee and Hiers Firm in 2015. Prior to that time, Smith worked for three years representing insurers, selfinsureds, employers and third-party administrators for a defense ﬁrm in Atlanta. Andrew “Andy” Neal, ’07, completed his Master of Science in Forestry in May 2014. While at GC, he investigated the environmental impacts of establishing novel cellulosic biofuels cropping systems in Alabama. Upon graduating from GC, Neal spent a summer working as a hydrologic technician for the Bureau of Land Management in Medford, Ore. and then worked as an environmental specialist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division in coastal Georgia. Now, he is a staﬀ geologist with Environmental Resources Management based out of Raleigh, NC where Neal has a passion for understanding and improving the environment, especially with regard to soil and water.

LaTasha Hutcherson Price, ’11, was named a 2014 state doctoral fellow by the Southern Regional Education Board. The fellowship supports minority students who are working toward their Ph.D. with the goal of becoming college professors. As a doctoral student at the University of Georgia, College of Education, Price is pursuing a degree in language and literacy education. Price earned a bachelor's degree in electronic media from James Madison University. In November 2015, U.S. Senator David Perdue (R-GA) announced Evan Karanovich, ’12, as his state ﬁeld director and West Ga. ﬁeld representative. Karanovich represents the Senator at events and meetings in nine counties including Douglas, Carroll and Coweta in addition to his statewide responsibilities. He is a former special assistant to Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black. “Evan is a capable young leader and I am proud he is a member of our team,” said Senator Perdue. “Constituent service is one of our top priorities, and the team we’ve assembled has hit the ground running working to secure a brighter future for all Georgians and all Americans.” Leslie Spamer, ’12, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in French. For three years, she has been building on her event marketing experience at a local Atlanta agency, working with multiple clients to prepare her for the dream job that she’d always wanted. In May 2015, Spamer began her duties as a marketing asset manager at The Coca-Cola Company in the Sports and Entertainment Marketing Department overseeing the company’s college football assets. “Our objective is to solidify Coke and Coke Zero as the refreshment of choice for football fans,” says Spamer. “A cool perk about my job is I get to travel with ESPN College Gameday to universities across the country with Coke Zero's Section Zero that is featured on the show.

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Coca-Cola has been an oﬃcial sponsor of College Gameday for the past three seasons and Section Zero is our on the ground experience to drive trial and awareness of the brand. Be sure to tune in Saturdays from 9 a.m. - noon Eastern Standard Time to check us out on Gameday!” Randie Johnson Gray, ’13, recently became a 4-H agent with Hancock County. She took night classes at Georgia College and graduated with a degree in sociology. Through the school system, Gray brings 4-H programming to approximately 700 students oﬀering an after-school program, horseback riding and archery.

Taylor Miller, ’15, is in her first year as Thomas University’s athletic assistant athletic trainer. She will split her time with the Thomasville High School’s athletics department. In the spring of 2014, Miller worked with Mercer University’s athletic training department assisting with injury rehabilitation for acute and chronic injuries, improved on and off-field injury evaluations, and worked with modalities in the treatment of inflammation, injury and pain with the men’s lacrosse and softball teams. She interned during the summer of 2014 with Varsity Spirit Corporation, spent the fall with OrthoGeorgia, then spent six months working as a student athletic trainer with Tattnall Square Academy’s men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer and baseball programs. Kathryn “Katie” Ham, ’15, is pursuing her Ph.D. in Solid State Physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Michael Neck, ’14, began his employment with Corey Airport Services (a subsidiary of U.S. Enterprises) in Feb. 2015 upon graduating from Georgia College in December. Corey Airport Services is an airport advertising concessionaire providing quality service to eight airports and holds the rights to the advertising space that the company sells to advertisers. Neck began in an entry level position as marketing coordinator. After three months, he was promoted to marketing manager and was in charge of the department and his “fantastic team.” In July, Neck was informed that he would undergo training to become the new vice president of operations "hopefully" eﬀective Jan. 2016. He describes how landing an interview for this position was partly due to fraternity connections that he had from GC. Christopher Leshoure, ’15, and Ashleigh Lincoln, ’15, social studies teachers at Westside High School in Macon, Ga., and Andrea Sowell, ’13, ’15, an art teacher at Howard High School also in Macon, received the Georgia Power First Year Teacher Awards of $1,000 each to spend on classroom materials and supplies. A total of 60 teachers in Georgia. received the awards. Lincoln received the Teacher of the Month award from Westside High School. Both Lincoln and Sowell received GC’s Outstanding Graduate Student Awards in May.

GC alumni showcase their Bobcat pride as Corus360 employees. Corus360 is a technology consulting and solutions company that helps clients better leverage technology investments to satisfy strategic and tactical business requirements.

Please submit your news for Class Notes at: https://webforms.gcsu.edu/classnotes.

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Photo credit: Barbara Covington Photography

Weddings, Anniversaries, Engagements and Births

Sarah Wierzbowski, ’13 married Michael Manning Kramer, ’12 on Aug. 29. Wierzbowski earned a degree in nursing and works for WellStar Kennestone Hospital. Kramer holds a degree in marketing and currently works for Corus360 in Norcross. The couple was married at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Ga., honeymooned in the Dominican Republic and reside in Roswell, Ga. Attendants included Tyler Anderson, ’09, ’11; Joe Bendin, ’12; Ryann Bristow, ’14; Blake Burrell, ’12; Nick Castagna, ’11, ’12; Cierra Cathey, ’13; Jimmy Hollowed, ’11; Lauren White Hull, ’12; Caroline Kramer, ’16; Kevin Parks, ’11; Derek Pietro, ’09; Chelsea Werner, ’13 and Kristen Wierzbowski, ’16.

Benjamin Aaron Archer, ’13, married Brittany Leigh Jolley on Nov. 28 at Oconee Ridge Plantation in Tennille, Ga. Benjamin is a project manager with Sunbelt Structures of Tucker. Brittany is employed by Georgia Military College and is seeking her master of education degree in higher education administration from Georgia Southern University. The couple resides in Milledgeville, Ga.

Kate Hunter Pope, ’08, ’10, and Jonathan Pope, ’08, along with sister Sydney, welcomed James Jackson “Jack” on July 13.

GC Alumni, friends and family gathered to celebrate the marriage of Matthew Bolden, ’12, to Ashley Daniel. The ceremony was held at Walnut Hill Farms on Oct. 24, 2015. Matt and Ashley dated many years prior to their time at Georgia College, but continued their relationship there and later got engaged on Aug. 3, 2014 on a hot-air balloon ride over Atlanta. Matt is currently a systems analyst at the Medical Center of Central Georgia (MCCG), and Ashley is a registered nurse at MCCG's Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit. They reside in Macon.

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In Memoriam Beulah Torrance Browne* Lillian Humphries Foster* Ann Wallace Hatcher* Louise Brookins McDade* Johnny Royal Louise Riley Taylor* Dale Tanner Tennille* Annie May Strickland Lewis, ’14 Allie Ferguson Murphy, ’19 Fannie Gardner Watkins, ’20 Lucille McCommons Wingﬁeld, ’23 Jennie Folds Whitmire, ’24 Edith Lawrence Hood, ’25 Merie McTyre Smith, ’26 Margaret Harnesberger Dekle, ’28 Velma Kemp, ’29 Nan Hamby Short, ’30 Elizabeth Byrd Gill, ’31 Nina Dekle Price, ’31 Martha Petty Stephens, ’32 Mildred Lockerman Davis, ’34 Lillian Dillard Mahone, ’34 Martha Shields McLendon, ’34 Minnie Yetter Phillips, ’34 Edith Perry Gregory, ’35 Mayme Morgan Herring, ’36 Garnette Lynes Murphy, ’36 Anne Carmichael Phillips, ’36 Donnie Dailey Wise, ’36 Nerine Cleveland Grubaugh, ’37 Ruth Adams, ’38 Lytell Stripling Calhoun, ’38 Mildred Zeagler Whitaker, ’38 Sara Daves Aaron, ’39 Louise Jones Blount, ’39 Sara Cobb Burch, ’39 Cecile Adams Harper, ’39 Carolyn Jordan Odom, ’40 Jane Loﬂin Watkins, ’40 Vivian Granade Wickersham, ’40 Hortense Fountain Dekle, ’41 Elizabeth Heath McFall, ’41 Eloise Wade Shepard, ’41 Barbara Conn Wright, ’41 Hilda Williford Gregory, ’42

Mayo Harriett Altman Hudak, ’42 Mary Swann Nicholson, ’42 Mildred Pharr O’Brien, ’42 Sarah Sloan Rogers, ’42 Sylvia Lowery Capps, ’43 Sybil Lindsey Levie, ’43 Alice Strickler Marshall, ’43 Madge Jones Trapnell, ’43 Frances Walters, ’43 Martha Johnson Aultman, ’44 Martha White Davenport, ’44 Frances Smith Owens, ’44 Dorothy Dot Lewis Warthen, ’44 Sarah Council Billue, ’45 Eleanor Kitty Liles Kelly, ’45 Beulah Brown Nettles ’45 Claudine Wood Rogers, ’45 Emery Kirby Baxley, ’46 Martha Carpenter Thornton, ’46 Betty Anderson Tucker, ’46 Leilou Caldwell Brady, ’47 Anna Logan Drvaric, ’47 Elna Rogers Cook, ’48 Marie Branan Shattles, ’48 Barbara Johnson Appleby, ’51 Frances Foshee Davis, ’51 Carolyn Underwood Jackson, ’51 Gladys Hill Lindsey, ’51 Mamie Etheredge Ragsdale, ’51 Martha Phelps Silsby, ’51 Agatha Moody Thrash, ’51 Joyce Pannell Wollschlager, ’51 Dex Elva Hardaway Dominy, ’52 Frances Harris Gurganus, ’52 Kathryn Keaton Hicks, ’52 Bernice Carter King, ’52 Marie Mimy Herfurth Grover, ’53 Thelva Horton Sharpe, ’53 Nancy Luke Steward, ’53 Virginia Burnum Keeﬀe, ’54 Mary Pope Barentine, ’55 Jolene Harrell Burkett, ’55 Vivian Allen Howard, ’55 Dorothy Cox Clare, ’56 Ruth Carey Early, ’57

Janice Heath Grundy, ’57 Wessie Wiley, ’57 Thelma Harrison Hamilton, ’58 Barbara Richardson McKeever, ’58 Alatia Anglin Pettigrew, ’58 Frances Frankie Garrad Keim, ’60 Shirley Sam Mell, ’60 Mary Thrash, ’60 Ruth Daniels Meeks, ’61 Mary Betsey Kimbrough, ’62 Lyna Barbara Grant Taylor, ’63 Mae Blount Day, ’64 Mollie Williamson Sims, ’64 Agnes Willis, ’64 Sallie Hasty McLeod, ’65 Rosa Peavy, ’65 Marian Vinson Rickerson, ’70 Otilia Amador, ’73 Ann Smith Grace, ’73 Lois McNair Dickson, ’74 George Hart, ’74 Donald Smith, ’74 Frances Sadler Roberts, ’75 Jewell Geiger Davis, ’76 Robert Smith, ’76 Audrey Crocker Posey, ’77 Clarence Yates, ’77 David Hodge, ’78 Yvonnie Harrison Lord, ’79 Sue Tannahill Grabiak, ’80 Christine Betsy Lewis, ’80 Steven Raybourne, ’80 Myrtis Bartlett Vinson, ’80 Dorothy Eve Puckett, ’83, ’85, ’93 Joseph Goble, ’84 Angela King Todd, ’88 Juana Beach Crapse, ’95 Tracey Jensen, ’97 Daryl Devero, ’98 Terratina Bronson, ’00 Cary Chapman Harris, ’00 Terri Crowell Drummond ’07

*Denotes alumni of Peabody School. This list recognizes deceased alumni that the university has been made aware of since Dec. 14, 2015.

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ALUMNI WEEKEND

> Alumni Weekend delivered fun across generations. > Alumni Weekend was held Nov. 12 – 14 and garnered plenty of Georgia College alumni. > Thursday evening’s performance by the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors opened Alumni Weekend. > A Friday morning breakfast with President Dorman got the day’s events underway, followed by the Peabody Lunch, GIVE Center Open House, Class of 1955 Tea, campus tour, National Pan-Hellenic Council Rechartering, Class of 1965 50th Class Reunion and a choral reunion party. A front campus party featuring the band Suzy and the Bird Dogs capped off the opening day’s happenings. > The Bobcat Ramble charged up Saturday's activities with more than 100 participants followed by flag football, a campus tour, alumni picnic, the Class of 1965 Wine and Cheese Reception and the Choral Alumni Reunion Concert. The alumni awards ceremony recognizing four alumni concluded the event.

Make plans to attend Alumni Weekend on Nov. 5 – 6, 2016!

University Communications Campus Box 97 Milledgeville, GA 31061

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gcsu.edu/alumni facebook.com/georgiacollegealumni

Ambler’s, ’69, big heart will continue reaching others

hen Sherry Shaw Ambler, ’69, graduated with a degree in psychology from Georgia College at Milledgeville, she followed her heart, which was children and pursued a career as a social worker specializing in child welfare for the state of florida. irty years later, she served senior citizens as a social worker in a nursing home for 12 years.

can use your education. It can even open a door.”

Ambler still plans to help individuals. only this time, it will be through her will by giving a percentage of her remaining estate to GC. “I hope by giving, it will provide opportunities for others to pursue their dreams and explore beyond their immediate surroundings,” states Ambler. “We may be assisting a future teacher, peacemaker or politician. Giving provides opportunities Ambler is a firm believer in the results of a good to students who will make diﬀerences and are our future education. She also obtained her Associate in Science problem solvers.” degree in paralegal studies. In addition, she took a course to become a guardian and manager for assisted living. like Ambler, in one easy step, you can let your legacy “In doing so, it helped me understand more of what the support numerous students aspiring to reach their goals. caregivers did, and I could explain things better to Contact elizabeth hines at 478-445-1944 or families,” says Ambler. “no matter what you study, you elizabeth.hines@gcsu.edu.