Connection Magazine Fall 2010

letter

Letter from the President

What is Georgia’s Public Liberal Arts University?

Alumni and Friends, Many people ask me what is special about Georgia College; what does it really mean to be a liberal arts university?

I’m happy to tell you that you’ll find answers to those questions sprinkled throughout this issue of your Connection magazine, and certainly the cover story about our students’ efforts to help the Warner Robins Chamber of Commerce rebrand its image provides an excellent illustration. One major focus of our efforts as a public liberal arts university is to provide our students with learning activities that go beyond the classroom, President Dorothy Leland not just learning by doing, but learning well by doing professional activities under the guidance of faculty teachers. In this case, two of our marketing professors in the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business led students into a real-life branding project for a major community enterprise. This project also falls under service learning because the students’ work provided a service to the community that would otherwise cost thousands of dollars to obtain. It’s a great success story of our mission, a story that combines the achievements of our students under faculty direction with our service to the Warner Robins community.

Another feature profiles a sociology class that traveled to Jekyll Island this past May to learn first-hand about the cross-currents of opinion whether to increase development on the island or to allow the land to remain in a more natural state. This too represents what we value in a liberal arts education – providing experiences that develop critical thinking skills and analytical abilities that better enable students to examine issues from multiple perspectives.

Although students choose Georgia College for many reasons, opportunities to connect classroom learning with real-life situations is near the top of many lists. In this issue, you will find a brief overview of our entering freshman and graduating senior classes. In terms of preparation for college and scores on achievement tests, this is the most qualified incoming group of students to enter Georgia College. We rank alongside the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech in the caliber of students that we recruit, and they continue to excel while they are on campus and after they graduate.

This magazine is full of great tales of our alumni, our faculty, our students and our friends, including generous donors such as Stan and Debi Wilson and the IMERYS group, who are full partners in making our university shine. I hope you enjoy these stories and add them to your examples of what makes Georgia College a very distinctive university in the state of Georgia and beyond.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Leland President

CONNECTION FALL 2010, Vol. XX, No. 1 Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

Published by University Communications A Division of University Advancement 231 West Hancock Street Milledgeville, GA 31061 President Dorothy Leland Vice President for External Relations and University Advancement Amy Amason Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications Harry Battson Director of Alumni Relations Herbert Agnew, ’04 Editor Kyle Brogdon, ’96 Writers Judy Bailey Emily Hansen Candace Morrow Jen Pirkle Al Weston Design Jon Scott, ’83 Photography Tim Vacula, ’86 Cover Joshua Grant, ‘10 Billy Grace, ‘10 Amr Mohamed, ‘10 Erin Conboy, ’10 Eli Miranda, ‘09

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

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contents Table of Contents

GEORGIA COLLEGE CONNECTION MAGAZINE

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FALL 2010

4 Up Front 7 Alumni Profile 8 Feature 10 Alumni Weekend 12 Cover Story 14 People 16 Sports 18 Making A Difference 21 Class Notes

8 Into The Marshes

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upfront UpFront

Teaching excellence recognized in latest national rankings Georgia College’s commitment to providing students top-notch teachers who care about student achievement has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report.

The university ranks sixth in the “A Strong Commitment to Teaching” category among the South’s universities, according to the latest edition of America's Best Colleges released in August by U.S. News & World Report, and tied for second among public universities in the South.

Georgia College tied for sixth with The Citadel in South Carolina, Lee University in Tennessee, and James Madison University in Virginia. Georgia College is the only university in the state of Georgia to be ranked in this category.

“Our faculty is committed to challenging and inspiring students and care deeply about student learning and success,” said President Dorothy Leland. “We strive to hire faculty who love to teach, and our students reap the benefits.”

The university also ranks 32nd among the "Best Regional Universities" in the South — the highest ranking of any Georgia public university and 12th among all public universities in this category in the South.

In addition, Georgia College was named “A Best in the Southeast” college by The Princeton Review in its 2011 survey of colleges and universities. Inclusion on this list places Georgia College in an elite group of the top 25 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges. Only three University System of Georgia colleges made the list: Georgia College, Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia.

Making a financial impact on our community Georgia College had a more than $200 million impact on the local economy during the 2009 fiscal year, an increase of more than $10 million from the previous fiscal year.

Despite the downturn in the economy, the report by the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business also showed that Georgia College’s presence in the community provided an increase of 100 jobs compared to the previous year.

Architects’ rendering of a new $28 million Wellness and Recreation Center on West Campus, scheduled to open in late 2011.

“Georgia College is a significant asset to the local economy,” said President Dorothy Leland. “During this time of economic stress, the revenue that Georgia College brings into this region plays an important role in the financial health of many businesses and in the lives of many of our citizens.”

The annual Selig survey revealed the economies in Baldwin, Hancock, Putnam, Wilkinson, Jones and Washington counties realized $200,068,929 from Georgia College. Additionally, in 2009, 2,065 jobs in the region were related to Georgia College’s presence, compared to 1,960 the previous fiscal year. Of the 2009 jobs total, 793 were on campus and 1,272 were elsewhere in the region.

Super computer research yields truly unique experience for students Dr. Ben Scafidi, associate professor of economics and finance, is currently working with four Georgia College students on what he calls a “flux capacitor,” a super computer that is 100 times faster than an average desktop computer. Scafidi and his students are using the computer to deal with sets of 2 to 3 million pieces of data on educational issues such as teacher mobility, high school graduation rates and the effects of cutting class size in elementary schools.

“Part of a liberal arts experience is to be able to do quality research as an undergraduate. You don't get that at a big school,” said Scafidi. “Brad Cone, for example, is doing Ph.D. economist-quality research in his senior year.”

“You can learn all the concepts, and we have classes for that,” said Cone. “But the small things here and there that you pick up doing research are really important.”

Scafidi

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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Fighting childhood obesity in Baldwin County

Callie Boteler, ’09, volunteers at a Live Healthy Baldwin event by serving healthy snacks to local students. Boteler is studying for her master’s of education in Health Promotions at Georgia College.

Program strengthens local teachers’ leadership through literacy Sixteen middle Georgia teachers headed back to school this summer to learn about writing’s essential role in good teaching by participating in the fourth annual Central Georgia Writing Project at Georgia College.

The CGWP is part of the National Writing Project, a professional development network in more than 200 college and university sites across the United States that serve teachers at all grade levels and subject areas.

“Many teachers teach writing because they have to; however, we aim to make writing and thinking something they embrace,” said Georgia College’s Dr. Dan Bauer, one of the leaders of the project.

To see the full story, visit

gcsu.edu/connection

Georgia College faculty member Dr. Jim Lidstone is directing the Live Healthy Baldwin initiative to transform the health of children in the Milledgeville community. Launched in January 2010 with a $360,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the plan has taken root and is sprouting.

The program also received a $100,000 grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to build the beginning of the Fishing Creek Community Trail, a trail that will eventually connect the Oconee River Greenway to Walter B. Williams Park.

Live Healthy Baldwin will establish community vegetable gardens where neighborhood residents can plant, grow, harvest and share healthy foods and work to transform Milledgeville into a community where walking and biking is possible for daily living needs, as well as for exercise and recreation.

Natural History Museum

A free resource to local teachers Georgia College was awarded a $149,296 grant by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for monthly training in biology, paleontology, astronomy and earth science.

Initiated in August 2009, the two-year project also provides free field trips and teacher-training sessions.

Fifteen elementary and middle school teachers from nearby counties participated in the resulting science program at Georgia College, From Fossils to Space.

“It’s good to know now I can incorporate Georgia College’s resources into my classroom, using methods like inquiry-based science,” said Pamela Longino, ‘96, ‘09, ‘10, a teacher at Blandy Hills Elementary School, “and it’s free.”

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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inner seminars on global issues, book discussions at faculty members’ homes, guest speakers at small, intimate classes, a residential learning community—just a few of the hallmarks of Georgia College’s Honors Program as it celebrates its 40th anniversary on campus.

Founded in 1970 by Dr. John Sallstrom, then-professor of philosophy and religion, the honors program started with only 25 students but quickly became an integral part of Georgia College academics and life.

“We started with a three-part program modeled after UGA's: honors sections of courses, interdisciplinary courses and independent study,” said Sallstrom. “We've refined the program over the years, but that was basically the structure we started and have kept.”

The program has expanded to more than 200 current honors students, with approximately 50 graduating each year.

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Georgia College Honors Program celebrates 40th anniversary

By Emily Hansen

Honors Program students engage in a book discussion with Dr. Bruce Gentry, editor of the Flannery O'Connor Review.

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

Since its inception, the goal of the Honors Program has remained more or less the same: to offer academically talented students nontraditional learning opportunities; small, enriched classes; and strong relationships with faculty.

“We’re building on a history here,” said Dr. Steven Elliott-Gower, current director of the Honors Program and associate professor of political science. “The focus on faculty-student interaction has always been a vital part of the program. In that respect, the Honors Program is in the vanguard of what the university at large wants to do.”

Elliott-Gower continues to build a sense of community among honors students with dinner seminars on topics such as natural resource management and population demographics, small group book discussions held at faculty members’ homes, and the Honors Residential Learning Community (RLC), exclusively for honors students in Bell Hall.

“The focus of the Honors RLC is on global learning and global citizenship,” said Elliott-Gower. “We want to help students along a continuum of global citizenship to become informed, engaged and compassionate world citizens who are comfortable and competent in different cultures.”

Meredith Carpenter, a senior honors student majoring in Spanish, has participated in the RLC, started an initiative to raise money for Heifer International and taken classes that helped relate academic issues to the world around her.

“In my favorite honors class, Identity and Ethics, we read novels and essays and all sorts of other books,” said Carpenter. “Through discussion we gain knowledge on everything from the hardships of being in a different culture to the impact China has on economics and the cotton trade.”

Carpenter counts being a part of the Honors Program as a privilege during her college experience. When Carpenter graduates in May, she will become one of the more than 1,000 alumni from the Honors Program.

Sallstrom says the program remains one of his best experiences.

“I think sometimes I learned more than the students,” he said.

With the guidance of his “wise council” (former directors Sallstrom, Dr. Doris Moody and Dr. Ken Saladin), Elliott-Gower hopes to continue to develop the program.

“What I'd really like to do, resources permitting, is to double the size of the program during the next five to 10 years without sacrificing academic quality,” said Elliott-Gower. “We would then have an even greater impact on the classroom, the campus and the community.” ■

alumni Profile

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Georgia College honors graduate pursues career in education reform

By Jen Pirkle

“My time in New Orleans opened my eyes to the challenges facing education reform.”

Sam Rauschenberg, '07, Georgia College honors graduate and economics major, wants to change education policy.

After three years of teaching math at Clark High School in Louisiana's Recovery School District, Rauschenberg gained a solid foundation in teaching through the teachNOLA Fellows Program and a real understanding of the shortcomings of public education policies.

"My time in New Orleans opened my eyes to the challenges facing education reform," said Rauschenberg. “Without compromising standards, I had to figure out a way to teach 11th grade math to students who entered my class somewhere between fourth and 10th grade reading and math levels.”

This experience was exactly what he needed before starting his graduate work in education policy this fall at Duke University.

“I chose Duke because it has the strongest faculty with research that focuses on education policy,” said Rauschenberg.

“I'm pursuing a two-year master's in public policy with a concentration in social policy. My primary focus within the area, though, will be education policy. I hope to write my thesis on the post-Katrina public education system in New Orleans.”

The national organization of Phi Kappa Phi awarded Rauschenberg with a graduate fellowship to study at Duke.

While attending Georgia College, Rauschenberg maintained a 4.0 GPA. He was also a member of the GC Golf team, earned recognition as a Phi Kappa Phi honor graduate, a Department of Economics and Finance honors graduate, and the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business Student of the Year.

Dr. Ben Scafidi, Rauschenberg’s former economics professor and mentor at Georgia College, has full confidence that Rauschenberg will be a success in his chosen field.

“In his bones, Sam believes education is the key to eradicating poverty and improving lives,” said Scafidi. “Having served the last two Georgia governors in the area of education policy, I can state with some authority that Sam will become very influential in the policy arena. He has the intellect, the drive and the passion to do so.”

Rauschenberg hopes to become an education policy adviser to an elected official or serve as a policy analyst for a nonprofit organization.

“A policymaking career will give me the opportunity to use my experiences at Clark and my firsthand observations of the post-Katrina education reforms to find ways that will improve public education as a whole.” ■

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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feature Feature

Into the Marshes A Georgia College sociology class explores the real-world debate on Jekyll Island By Judy Bailey

William Bridges’ quest for knowledge launched a journey from a Georgia College sociology classroom to coastal Georgia.

Bridges and five classmates pounded pavement, hiked through marshes and visited barrier islands. They interviewed strangers on the beach and island residents.

The students questioned two passionate groups — one, proponents of proposed commercial development on Jekyll Island, the other, staunch opponents of the plan.

“Gathering our own information from both sides, hearing the pros and cons — rather than just reading or hearing about their opposing views — made a tremendous difference in helping us draw our own opinions,” Bridges said.

“And seeing the beauty of Jekyll Island and its impact on its residents and visitors made the issue personal.”

Georgia College Sociology Professor Dr. Stephanie McClure designed the upper level environmental sociology course to arm her students with needed tools to become active, informed citizens.

“I definitely thought about the course as citizenship education,” McClure said. “I do think that citizenship education is part of my job responsibilities. Inevitably through the course of their lifetimes, as citizens of Georgia or wherever they live, they will encounter these questions and issues.”

The Island Jekyll Island is one of the Golden Isles of Georgia, stretching along the state’s Atlantic coast.

Jekyll is rich in history. Spanish explorers first claimed the island in 1510. English Gen. James Oglethorpe established Georgia as a colony in 1733 and named the island in honor of his friend Sir Joseph Jekyll.

The ruins of a two-story structure built in 1742 was the home to British generals during the colonial period and later served as Georgia’s first brewery. The islands saw battles during the Revolutionary War. Vacation homes built during the 19th century for the rich and famous — the Rockefellers, Morgans, Pulitzers and Goulds — comprise the Jekyll Island Club Historic District.

The island is abundant with wildlife, including many species of mammals, reptiles and birds living and breeding in the island’s inland marshes.

Georgia established the Jekyll Island Authority in 1950 to make the island self-sufficient. During the next decade, motels, houses, a convention center and shopping center were built.

Plans to revitalize the island were put into place in 2007 after years of a declining numbers of visitors. By legislative mandate, 65 percent of the island is and will remain in a mostly natural state.

Inside the Classroom Students spent the first week of the 2010 Maymester course inside the classroom learning about the Jekyll Island development issues.

Using the textbook Volatile Places, the students learned the basic framework to investigate communities and environmental controversies and applied it to the development issue at Jekyll Island.

They listened to guest speakers from the university’s biology and environmental sciences departments who spoke about the science of coastal Georgia and its water systems.

The students sharpened their interviewing skills and garnered more preparatory information for the Jekyll Island trip by quizzing a professor whose family has lived along the coast for generations.

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

“We didn’t go to Jekyll Island in a vacuum,” Bridges said. “We did our own research, read our assignments and heard from knowledgeable people on the issues. We were prepared.”

Sociology major Katie Hoehn of Alpharetta left for the coast with a pre-conceived opinion on the development issue.

“I thought I knew how I felt about the controversy before we started on our trip,” Hoehn said. “But I flip-flopped several times. You have to research and study both sides of an issue before forming an opinion.”

Outside the classroom The trip to the Georgia coast brought the Jekyll Island development controversy to the forefront.

Developers met with the students to discuss their desires to bring about change and improvements to the island. The students also discussed the development proposals with members of the local chamber of commerce and government officials who hope upgrades will bring more tourism dollars to the area.

“We all understood the need to upgrade the island’s infrastructure and make needed repairs and upgrades to the existing structures,” Bridges said. “Really, the island could look much better than the current rundown hotels and the ‘60s ranch houses.”

On the flipside, students met with island residents who oppose the plans and want to protect the island environment.

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Sociology students at Jekyll Island: (l to r, front): David Egan, Mindy Egan, Cayla McMichael, Katie Hoehn, Abigail Wigington, Julia Oliver. (l to r, back): Stephanie McClure, Will Bridges, Jeff Turner, Andrew McCrary.

They walked the beaches, collecting visitors’ opinions on the development proposals.

“What I discovered is that most of the residents and visitors really were not against development,” said Hoehn. “They just want to make sure Jekyll Island’s uniqueness remains intact.”

The students also visited nearby islands, including the more developed St. Simons Island and more natural Sapelo Island for comparison.

“Jekyll Island doesn’t have the touristy attractions like shopping and lots of restaurants,” Hoehn said. “Instead, it has natural trails and the historic district. It’s really quiet.

And I think that’s good to relax.”

The students’ hike through a forest in the center of Jekyll Island helped drive home the beauty and uniqueness of the barrier island.

“We climbed a hill, and when we looked down, all we could see was a sea of beautiful palm fronds,” Bridges said. “I had never seen anything like it. That solidified my understanding of the island’s beauty. That forest should never be touched by man.”

The Results Hoehn left for the coast with her own opinion about the development proposals for the island based on her classroom experience and research. But her firsthand experience caught her questioning herself.

“What I did learn was you can do all the research and read all the articles,” Hoehn said, “but when you go and actually get to interview the people involved, you get a better sense of what’s going on — you pick up on more things. I felt much more informed about making a decision.”

Hoehn plans to continue researching and watching the development at Jekyll Island as a personal project.

It’s that type of life skill and community involvement that helps define a liberal arts education at Georgia College, Hoehn’s professor said.

“In our liberal arts environment, we educate the whole student,” McClure said. “It’s hard to quantify, measure and justify, but it’s our purpose. This course, I believe, leaves the students better positioned as citizens to participate in subsequent discussions of this type that they may encounter throughout their lives.”

Bridges knows he’s learned lessons he will take with him into communities throughout his life.

“I don’t quite know how to be yet, but I don’t want to just sit back and watch things happen,” said Bridges, who plans to pursue a graduate degree in sociology. “I want to be able to say I’ve educated myself, I am a smart person and I know about things that matter in my community.” ■

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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alumni

Homecoming and Alumni Weekend

Bobcat Nation: The Hunt for Memories and Spirit Whether you graduated in 1951, 1961, 1971 or 2001, you’re an essential part of the history of Georgia College.

Through our heritage and changes, we are stronger. We have evolved into Georgia’s Public Liberal Arts University.

We have a breadth of alumni throughout the United States and beyond who call Georgia College their alma mater.

We invite you to celebrate our history, our present and our future — to come together as Bobcat Nation, and join us in the hunt for memories and spirit!

Reserve Your Spot!

Alumni who register in advance receive: • Free entrance to Homecoming basketball games • Free entrance to the Homecoming concert • Free entrance to the Old Governor’s Mansion • Free gift from the Alumni Association • Automatic entry into a drawing for an iPad at the Alumni Association tent on Saturday To register, visit homecoming.gcsu.edu, or contact Alumni Relations at (478) 445-5771 or alumni@gcsu.edu.

To sign up for specific events, see the mail-in form on the back cover.

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

Homecoming and Alumni Weekend 2011 February 14-19 MONDAY: Office decoration contest Faculty and staff at Georgia College go all out to represent school spirit by decorating their offices.

WEDNESDAY: Bobcat Trivia College Bowl THURSDAY: Homecoming Concert All alumni are invited to attend the Homecoming concert on Thursday night.

Registered alumni get in free!

Stay tuned to homecoming.gcsu.edu for details on the featured acts.

MUTEMATH rocks the Centennial Center at 2010 Homecoming

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FRIDAY: 11:30 a.m. Peabody Luncheon 7 p.m. Alumni Welcome Reception with Cocktails A time to mingle and network with other GC alumni.

Enjoy the live jazz band, meeting old friends and making new ones.

7:30 p.m. Kappa Sigma alumni reunion 8 p.m. The Golden Slipper Murder Mystery

SATURDAY: Blue & Green Day Wear blue and green to represent your Bobcat pride!

8:30 a.m.

Bobcat Ramble 5K and Fun Run – sign up at homecoming.gcsu.edu

11 a.m.

Homecoming Parade

Noon:

Alumni Honor Roll Luncheon Reunion groups, Greeks, past alumni association presidents and more will be recognized as we welcome the 50th class reunion into the half-century club.

Noon:

Tailgating begins!

Noon-2 p.m. Campus Tours and Open House 2 p.m.

Class of 1961 wine and cheese reception

3 p.m.

Women’s basketball vs. Columbus State

5 p.m.

Men’s basketball vs. Columbus State After Basketball Games: Crowning of Mr. and Ms. Georgia College

6 p.m.

Class of 1961 dinner

7:30 p.m.

Athletic Hall of Fame

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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cover Cover Story

BUILDING ‘THE BASE OF SUCCESS’ Georgia College students, professors transform image of Warner Robins chamber

By Candace Morrow he process of rebranding an entire regional chamber of commerce is usually an undertaking of a professional public relations or advertising agency. It involves hundreds of thousands of dollars of research, testing and development.

When the 1,400-member Warner Robins Area Chamber of Commerce wanted to renew its image and potentially its entire chamber region, the organization considered a few six-figure professional firms.

But word-of-mouth about Georgia College’s exceptional service-learning projects made chamber President Ed Rodriguez reconsider.

“This was a mammoth task that required an experienced marketing firm,” said Rodriguez. “However, we were looking for a great partner and some of our chamber members are Georgia College alumni, so we thought it would be a neat partnership with the university.”

A year and a half later, Rodriguez is now president of the newly branded Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce, thanks to collaborative efforts of Georgia College students and faculty.

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Chamber President Ed Rodriguez

Georgia College alumni on the Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors: Dr. Ivan Allen, ‘96 President, Middle Georgia Technical College

April Mouton, ‘07 Event & Media Coordinator, Robins Regional Chamber

Dee Dee Côté, ‘00 Chamber Vice Chairman, Robins Federal Credit Union Executive

Justin Ritchie, ‘06 Chamber Vice Chairman, Marketing Executive with Cox Communications

Rick Drury, ’79, ’87 Past Chamber Chairman, Aerospace Executive Steve Holcomb Jr., ‘92 Chamber Board Member, Banker, Attorney Beth McLaughlin, ‘96 Chamber Board Member, Communications Director for Houston County Schools

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Jeff Scruggs, ’87, ‘96 Vice President, Middle Georgia Technical College Megan H. Smith, IOM, ’11 (expected) President/CEO, Perry Area Chamber of Commerce

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

Making education applicable in the real world “We wanted to rebrand ourselves in a way that reflected who the organization is and what we had become over the years,” he said. “Georgia College made that happen.”

Under the supervision of Dr. Doreen Sams and Dr. Cynthia Rodriguez Cano, both Georgia College marketing professors, approximately 130 students researched, planned and developed a comprehensive branding plan and then helped to implement it for the chamber.

“The slogan was the perfect play on words since we’re home to Robins Air Force Base and the Little League World Series Champions.”

–Ed Rodriguez

ON THE COVER: Five GC alumni represent the hundreds of students who worked on the Robins Regional chamber project: (L-R) Joshua Grant, '10, Billy Grace, '10, Amr Mohamed, '10, Erin Conboy, '10, Eli Miranda, '09.

“We work hard to network with our communities about projects like this in order to benefit our clients and give students the opportunity to learn outside the classroom,” said Sams. “After talking with Mr. Rodriguez and understanding this was the culmination of nearly two years worth of extensive research, Dr. Cano and I knew the project would take our students’ course material to a higher level.”

The project began in spring semester 2009 with the marketing students working on two projects for the organization: regional branding (place branding) of nine surrounding counties and the rebranding of the Warner Robins chamber.

The projects spanned many semesters and involved several Georgia College courses, including marketing research, advanced marketing theory and application, services marketing, and advertising and promotions.

“Students were required to collect data about SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of the region and gather perceptions and attitudes from local residents, businesses and about the area’s culture,” said Cano, whose advertising class worked mostly on the regional branding.

From this research, students defined target markets, developed objectives and created an integrated marketing communications plan, which included the creation of an original visual symbol, tagline and appropriate promotional materials to launch the newly branded chamber.

When your research changes your business plan In 2008, the chamber had plans to bring together nine diverse counties to create a new, larger middle Georgia regional chamber.

After no consensus emerged from the counties on how to implement the students’ branding strategy, the chamber shelved that portion.

“Research isn’t designed to tell you what you want; it’s to tell you what you need to know,” said Rodriguez. “In this case, the students’ research was just as valuable, which led to the new branding of our chamber. It told us it was best not to try for a regional brand at this time.”

As the project neared its implementation phase, two of Georgia College’s international graduate students, Sergey

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Dr. Cynthia Rodriguez Cano

Chernokov and Amr Mohamed, collected previous research compiled from the work of the many previous students and finalized the marketing plan. In addition, Chernokov and Mohamed finalized the chamber’s new name, “Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce,” as well as the new slogan, “The Base of Success.”

“The slogan was the perfect play on words since we’re home to Robins Air Force Base and the Little League World Series Champions,” said Rodriguez.

“The marketing plan contained two distinct parts in it—marketing research and a rebranding proposal,” said Chernokov, who graduated with a master’s in business administration. “Dr. Sams was very helpful and resourceful during this detailed phase.”

Real world experience makes a difference Graduates from the College of Business who have worked on the project felt that it equipped them for the business world.

“I was able to work alongside real clients and deliver a real product,” said Mohamed, who graduates with a master’s in Business Administration this fall. “The project widened my network scope and helped me build contacts in the professional world.”

Sams expounded on the importance of students gaining realworld experience such as this project: “Each participating student now has a line on their resume that has value to a future employer.”

Making an impact on students and our community During the last five years, Georgia College professors have led thousands of students through service learning projects with companies in surrounding communities, and will continue to do so in the future.

“What made the Warner Robins chamber branding unique is the size and complexity of managing the project,” said Sams. “It involved so many courses over a long period of time.”

From beginning to end, Rodriguez witnessed the students’ excellent and comprehensive research and planning.

“A professional firm couldn’t have done a more thorough job,” he said. “We couldn’t be happier with the results.” ■

Dr. Doreen Sams

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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people People

Georgia College poet earns national recognition, awards

Laura Newbern

Georgia College associate professor Laura Newbern’s recently released debut poetry collection, Love and the Eye, has earned the 2010 Kore Press First Book Award.

Newbern also received a prestigious Writer’s Award from the Rona Jaffe Foundation. She traveled to New York to receive the award, which recognizes outstanding emerging women writers and includes a monetary award of $25,000.

“It’s an honor to be recognized,” said Newbern, who serves on the university’s MFA program faculty and as the poetry editor of Arts & Letters. “It’s a greater honor to receive awards that support and promote literature by women.”

Newbern plans to use her Writer’s Award to take a leave from teaching to work on a new collection, tentatively titled Nightfall, that focuses on her current home of Milledgeville — her neighborhood and a local state hospital (Central State Hospital) that was once the largest asylum in the world.

“I find myself, many evenings, on my porch, watching the movements of my neighbors. But I also mean ‘nightfall’ in the sense of mental darkness,” Newbern said. “My interest lies in the notion of ‘asylum’ as inviolable refuge, in the salubrious environments created for sometimes terrible isolation.”

Newbern was born in Germany and grew up in Washington, D.C. She holds degrees from Barnard College, New York University and the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. She returned to Warren Wilson as its first Joan Beebe Graduate Teaching Fellow. She joined the faculty at Georgia College in 2005.

Her poems have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Poetry, TriQuarterly and other national publications.

Love and the Eye is available through Amazon.com, at select bookstores or directly from Kore Press.

Poet-in-Residence published in The Southern Review Georgia College's Poet-in-Residence Alice Friman recently published two poems, “The Night I Saw Saturn” and “Swedes,” in the summer 2010 edition of The Southern Review, a literary journal published by Louisiana State University.

Friman’s recent work can also be found in The Georgia Review (“Letter to New Zealand”), Prairie Schooner (“The View From Here,” “Troubled Interiors” and “Kindling”) and Shenandoah (“Visiting Flannery”).

Friman has previously published eight collections of poetry, including Zoo, which won the Ezra Pound Poetry Award from Truman State University. Her ninth book of poetry, Vinculum, is due out in 2011 by LSU Press.

To purchase copies of The Southern Review, visit www.lsu.edu/thesouthernreview.

Alice Friman

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

Novels address African experience Dr. Eustace Palmer, Georgia College English professor and Africana Studies coordinator, published two books this year, A Hanging is Announced and Canfira’s Travels, which both address African experiences and social justice.

The Sierra Leonian-born professor based A Hanging is Announced loosely on a true story about a group of men executed in Sierra Leone. Canfira’s Travels follows a lone survivor of a plane crash into a world inspired by Planet of the Apes and Gulliver’s Travels.

Palmer also authored An Introduction to the African Novel and The Growth of the African Novel, basic texts in the English curricula of many universities worldwide.

Later this year, he plans to publish a book about the plight of women in Sierra Leone, A Tale of Three Women.

To purchase copies of A Hanging is Announced and Canfira’s Travels, visit www.publishamerica.net. A Hanging is Announced is also available at Georgia College’s bookstore, Box Office Books, located at the historic Campus Theatre.

Eustace Palmer

Georgia College appoints associate provost to aid in leading academic areas Dr. Tom Ormond has been named associate provost for academic affairs at Georgia College, effective Jan 3, 2011.

The associate provost will assist Provost Dr. Sandra J. Jordan with management and leadership operations of the university’s academic affairs areas.

"Dr. Ormond is a respected educator, prolific researcher, successful grant writer and an accomplished administrator,” Jordan said. “He has enjoyed a successful career in higher education, serving as a faculty member, department chair and dean.”

Ormond has most recently served as dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and as director of academic planning and resources for the School of Science and Technology there.

He completed his doctoral studies at The Ohio State University where he majored in teacher education in physical education. He earned a master’s of science degree in physical education at Indiana University and a bachelor’s of education degree at Massey University in New Zealand.

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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Sports Georgia College Wins Second-Straight Peach Belt Commissioner’s Cup In 2008-09, Georgia College Athletics was awarded the Peach Belt Conference’s (PBC) all-sports trophy, the Commissioner’s Cup, for the first time in school history. So what does Bobcat Athletics do for an encore? Georgia College made it back-to-back, capturing the coveted cup for the second-straight season.

“Bobcat Athletics remains a source of pride for the Georgia College community,” said President Dorothy Leland. “Our student-athletes continue to represent our university well, with a sense of commitment to character as well as on-the-field success.”

Georgia College blew away the competition, picking up 85 of a possible 113 points.

“This is a direct result of our quality, hard-working student-athletes, coaches and support staff,” said Wendell Staton, director of Athletics. “I am equally as proud of our consistency on the Peach Belt Presidential Scholar List and All-Academic teams. Georgia College is fortunate enough to follow closely the NCAA Division II model of a well-balanced student-athlete both on and off the playing surface.”

Georgia College took the Commissioner’s Cup this season with strong performances across the board, led by conference championships in baseball and men’s golf.

GC women’s cross country also took second at the PBC Championships in the fall.

Bobcat men’s and women’s basketball each won the PBC West Division, the men finishing second overall, and the women third.

Men’s tennis also took third place, with women’s soccer also pulling in a third-place slot. All told, of the 10 athletic programs at Georgia College, a whopping seven finished in the top three or better in their respective league standings. Seven of the 10 programs also advanced to NCAA post-season competition, including the Bobcat baseball team, finishing third in the nation at the 2010 Division II College World Series.

Bobcats head to World Series; Carty named Dugout Club Coach of the Year On the wings of one of the most exciting seasons in Georgia College baseball history, head coach Tom Carty has been named 2010 Georgia Dugout Club Division II Coach of the Year, the organization announced recently.

Carty’s Bobcats went 42-17, adding a 19-5 conference mark, good for the team’s third Peach Belt Conference (PBC) title. The Bobcats swept the 2009 NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament, beating Mount Olive College, Columbus State University twice and hosting Francis Marion University for the second regional championship in program history.

The Bobcats represented the Southeast Region well in the Division II Carty College World Series in Cary, NC, when, after dropping their first contest to No. 1 UC-San Diego, they rattled off three big wins to escape the losers’ bracket. The Bobcats ended the run of both the University of Tampa and Central Missouri University before beating eventual National Champion, the University of Southern Indiana.

After beating Southern Indiana 3-0, the Bobcats needed one more win to advance to the National Championship game, but fell short to USI, 3-2.

Carty was named the PBC Coach of the Year in 2010, adding a Region Coach of the Year honor from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

Shortstop Chandler Snell, ’10, attempts a diving catch during the Bobcats’ World Series game with the University of Southern Illinois.

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

Georgia College adds three new head coaches Maurice Smith Promoted To Women’s Basketball Head Coach Maurice Smith is the new head coach of Georgia College women’s basketball. He replaces John Carrick, a 27-year veteran of the Bobcat program who retired earlier this year.

“I’m excited for our program and I’m excited for Coach Smith,” said Athletic Director Wendell Staton. “Mo represents what any employer would want: a high character person with a great work ethic and value system.”

Smith has spent more than 10 years at Georgia College. He was an All-Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Second Team selection in 2001, after playing a sixth-man role on the best team in program history, the 1999-2000 Elite Eight squad.

He then joined the coaching ranks, first as a student assistant for men’s basketball and continuing as a graduate assistant coach for two seasons (2004-06). Smith moved to the women’s side in 2006-07 as the assistant coach and has worked with the Bobcat women’s basketball program since.

“Georgia College has been a part of my life for the last decade, serving as a training ground for me as a player, person and professional,” said Smith. “For me to get this job is the ultimate privilege. My family is rooted here. I played here, got my bachelor’s and master’s here, and to know I’m going to start my head coaching career here is outstanding.”

Originally from College Park, Ga., Smith graduated high school in Americus, Ga. He is married to Martine Thomas Smith, also a Georgia College alumna. The Smiths live in Milledgeville and have two young daughters.

Hope Clark is Third Soccer Head Coach in History New soccer head coach Hope Clark comes to Milledgeville after three seasons as the head coach of the women’s soccer program at Auburn University Montgomery (AUM).

“We are thrilled that Hope Clark has decided to lead our soccer program at Georgia College,” said Athletic Director Wendell Staton. “She has proven

herself as an outstanding head coach while leading her last program to national success. The winning on the field was equaled by the success of the team in the classroom and in the community. I am most pleased for our student-athletes who will be challenged every day to be their best.”

“I am excited for the opportunity to lead the Bobcat’s soccer program,” said Clark. “I truly believe that Georgia College is the best place for me and look forward to a very successful career. The Georgia soccer community has always supported me and I am thankful for the chance to return.”

A native of Louisiana, Clark played collegiate soccer as a goalkeeper at Virginia Tech. She played semi-professional soccer in 2005 and 2006 with the Atlanta Silverbacks in the women’s division of the United Soccer Leagues. Clark has been the assistant director of The Last Defense Goalkeeping Academy and worked with Region 3 Olympic Development Program on staff. Clark earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science and health promotion from Virginia Tech and her master’s degree in fitness management from American University.

Softball Appoints Madewell-Grodecki As Head Coach Jamie Madewell-Grodecki was recently named the fourth fastpitch softball coach in school history. She comes to Milledgeville after three seasons as head coach at St. Petersburg College.

"We are excited that Jamie will be leading our softball program," said Athletic Director Wendell Staton. "She brings proven success athletically and academically as she won nearly 70 percent of her games at her prior institution, while her student-athletes received both athletic and academic recognition. She is a great representative of our university and we look forward to her continuing the success of our softball program."

"I am honored to have this opportunity to take over a team associated with a tradition of excellence on and off the field," MadewellGrodecki said. "I know that the college and the community will be excited with what this program will bring to the field and the classroom every day."

Madewell-Grodecki received her B.B.A. from the University of Alabama-Huntsville, and her M.Ed. in Physical Education from the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

A native of Huntsville, Ala., she is married to Andrew Grodecki.

Ginger Chaffinch Named Assistant Athletic Director Georgia College recently announced the elevation of senior women’s administrator and head softball coach Ginger Chaffinch to full-time assistant athletic director for compliance and student-athlete welfare.

A six-year veteran as head coach of the softball program at Georgia College, Chaffinch left that post to focus on her new expanded role in athletic administration.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity,” said Chaffinch. “Georgia College is an amazing institution and has been a wonderful place to work over the years. I look forward to being able to focus all of my energy helping the student-athletes.”

In her new role, she will serve as NCAA compliance officer, provide academic support aid for Bobcat student-athletes and develop the CHAMPS/Life Skills program on campus. She will continue advising the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), as well as serving as the senior woman administrator in the department. Chaffinch will also oversee the Athletic Training and Sports Medicine department.

“Ginger has been an extremely successful coach and will have even greater success as an administrator,” said Athletic Director Wendell Staton. “She brings a skill set that will benefit our student-athletes and coaches and enhance the quality of our department. We will benefit for years to come as this is a great move for Bobcat Athletics.”

Originally from Wingate, NC, Chaffinch earned a bachelor's degree in political science. from Francis Marion University in Florence, SC. She added a master’s of Education in Kinesiology from Georgia College in 2010. She and her husband Chris live in Milledgeville.

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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donations Donations

Stan and Debi Wilson give $100,000 to begin annual scholarship Couple credits Georgia College for confidence leading to career successes

“The fun in being on the board has been in watching this transformation into a great public liberal arts university.”

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

aking the confidence instilled throughout their undergraduate coursework at Georgia College, Stan and Debi Wilson each created an outstanding career — Stan as the managing partner of the Atlanta labor and employment law firm, Elarbee, Thompson, Sapp & Wilson, LLP; and Debi as senior vice president and chief financial officer for Butler Properties.

“We received an excellent education at Georgia College,” noted Debi, “and I always felt that the faculty supported us and gave us the confidence to succeed in class, and in life. We had the keys to go forward!”

Now the couple hopes, by establishing the Wilson Presidential Scholarship, to provide the key for future students interested in developing that same confidence and success. Their $100,000 donation will create an endowment, which annually will provide scholarship support for incoming Georgia College students.

As a long-time member of the Georgia College Foundation Board of Trustees, Stan has followed the transition of the university into one of the top public liberal arts colleges in the country. “I love to see the students who present information to the Board on what they’re doing as part of their educational process at Georgia College,” said Stan. “Providing assistance for these students — that’s what drives us.”

“It’s a pay-it-forward approach,” adds Debi. “We hope that by providing students this additional support, maybe, in the future when they have become successful in their careers, they will do the same thing.”

Stan and Debi came to Georgia College from Sandersville as high school sweethearts and both entered the accounting program. “We were attracted to the small campus, the small class sizes and to the faculty who were so willing to help and available after class, and who shared their business knowledge — the theory — but also told us how it would be in the real business world,” said Debi. “It was a great experience. “ After graduation in 1977, Debi applied her accounting degree to work at Ackerman and Company, an Atlanta real estate firm, and later, Butler Properties, where she had the opportunity to expand her areas of responsibility. With Debi’s support, Stan, “a stellar student,” Debi notes, was able to go straight from Georgia College into law school at Emory University.

“That first day at Emory Law School,” Stan recalls, “there were students from all the top colleges in the country: Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago. They had what you think of as the best pedigrees, but I’ll tell you that I had a great education — Georgia College had prepared me just as well and had given me the confidence to succeed.”

Debi seconds the notion that the education at Georgia College matches well with anyone. “I had a chance later to attend a class in finance at Princeton, and everything they were discussing in that class was completely familiar to me from my classes at Georgia College.”

While growing their careers, the two also successfully raised two sons, Matthew and Christopher, who have graduated from college and live in Atlanta.

Matthew has succeeded as a real estate developer, even in these difficult economic conditions, and Christopher has started his career in marketing.

Stan’s involvement with the Georgia College Foundation began in 2000 and he has stayed active, currently serving as chair of the campaign committee after having previously served as chair of the board and chair of the fundraising committee.

Stan and Debi previously established the Wilson School of Business Accounting Scholarship to support undergraduate accounting students from Washington County. They also have supported annual scholarships for entering freshmen business majors, with a preference for students from Sandersville.

“The fun in being on the board has been in watching this transformation into a great public liberal arts university,” Stan said. “The university has had great leadership in this total transformation, and the faculty, staff and students all have contributed to its success. I deal with people all over the country and the state, and our people at Georgia College are the real deal. And I will tell you that people all over the state know that Georgia College is a great educational value.” ■

T

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

$50,000 IMERYS endowment fuels student research in sciences

Donations to Georgia College make a difference Your financial support of the Georgia College Foundation creates opportunities for students. Sophomore Ericka Moss received funds from Georgia College’s Guy Herbert Wells Alumni Scholarship, designed to support students participating in a study abroad program.

Moss is now on a yearlong study abroad journey to Kyoto, Japan. View the complete story of her study abroad journey at gcsu.edu/connection.

IMERYS Clays Inc., a world leader in pigments for paper products, has created an endowment to fund undergraduate student research in the Department of Chemistry and Physics at Georgia College.

The $50,000 endowment will support student research projects such as physics software applications; planetarium show development; investigating magnetic propulsion for use in zero emission vehicles; and image acquisition of white dwarf stars with Georgia College’s new telescope in Herty Hall.

“IMERYS has been a long-time supporter of the university and a company with a long-term corporate presence in the middle Georgia area,” said Dr. Steven Fortier, Vice President and General Manager of C-E Minerals, and a member of the Georgia College Foundation Board of Trustees. “The endowment allows IMERYS to contribute in a way that is self-sustaining and serves as an example to other potential corporate donors.”

“Faculty in the chemistry, physics and astronomy department believe student involvement in an active research program is a pivotal element of a successful undergraduate degree,” said Dr. Ken McGill, chair of the department and professor of chemistry and physics. “This endowment will ensure we continue to provide students with research opportunities.”

IMERYS is part of the kaolin industry, a traditionally strong supporter of Georgia College. In 1991, seven kaolin companies contributed approximately $700,000 to establish the Kaolin Chair in Science and the Science Education Outreach Program fund. The State of Georgia Eminent Scholars Program matched with a $500,000 contribution for the endowed chair.

As IMERYS Vice President, Fortier is responsible for mining, manufacturing and sales in North America, South America and Asia for C-E Minerals’ global business unit. He previously served as Director of Operations for IMERYS at locations on the East Coast and in Europe.

“I’m a huge fan of President Dorothy Leland and Vice President for External Affairs Amy Amason and what their team is doing to enhance the quality, educational experience and national reputation of Georgia College,” said Fortier.

“As a member of the IMERYS family of industrial minerals companies, I will continue to support Georgia College,” he added. “IMERYS is truly a global business with a serious commitment to sustainable development, and helping to maintain education is part of our sustainable development agenda.” ■

IMERYS has been a long-time supporter of the university and a company with a long-term corporate presence in the middle Georgia area.

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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donations Donations

The Foresight of a Founding Father Making a Lasting Impact with your Legacy

Julie and Michael Jenkins

Julie’s Story Why Becoming a Planned Gift Donor Matters Julie Massey Jenkins, ’85, decided to give a charitable estate gift to Georgia College because of the well-rounded education she received.

“I appreciate the education along with the memories of my time spent in Milledgeville,” said Jenkins, an Athens, Ga., native.

“I wanted to give back to make sure the university continues to thrive for generations to come.”

Jenkins received her bachelor’s degree in marketing and business information systems. She was involved in the Marketing Club, Delta Sigma Pi and was on the yearbook staff.

“My most vivid memories were being an active member in Delta Sigma Pi,” she said, “and one year being in charge of the Business and Industry Conference where Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, was the keynote speaker.”

Georgia College has served as a family tradition for Jenkins.

Her grandmother, Lydia Nix Massey, and great aunt, Lucile Nix, graduated from then-Georgia State College for Women.

Jenkins’ mother, Juliette Snellings, attended Georgia College but graduated from the University of Georgia while her brother, Sam Massey, graduated from Georgia College in 1974.

“What I know now that I wish I had known then is to treasure every moment and friendship because Georgia College was a great part of my life,” said Jenkins. “The university’s small size and layout allowed me to meet a lot of students and be on a personal basis with my professors.”

Interested in making a planned gift to Georgia College? Call (478) 445-1944.

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

When Benjamin Franklin died in 1790, he left £2,000 in a codicil to his will with one condition: much of the money could not be drawn on for 100 years, and the rest could not be distributed for 200 years. Franklin's small bequest 220 years ago has grown to $6.5 million dollars and is now supporting scholarships, symphonies, The Franklin Institute and other projects in Boston and Philadelphia.

You, too, can make a significant long-term impact with a gift in your will. A charitable bequest works for anyone who would like to support Georgia College in the future by including a gift to the Georgia College Foundation in your will or living trust. Because you can change your mind at any time and make your gift in proportion to bequests to family and friends, this type of gift has universal appeal.

This type of charitable bequest is: • Simple. A few sentences in your will or living trust are all that is needed. Already have a will? A simple codicil will be sufficient.

• Flexible. Because you are not actually making a gift until after your lifetime, you can change your mind at any time.

• Versatile. You can structure the bequest to leave a specific amount of money or a specific percentage of your estate to support Georgia College.

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• A Tax Relief. Your estate is entitled to an estate tax charitable deduction for the gift's full value.

Your bequest or other estate gift can make a difference by: • Endowing a scholarship to support outstanding and deserving students.

• Helping attract and retain an exceptional and dedicated faculty.

• Preserving the magnificence of our historical campus.

• Honoring the memory of teachers, mentors and others who have made a difference in the lives of generations of Georgia College alumni.

• Promoting the core values of Georgia College.

We invite you to join The Corinthian Society, reserved for individuals who have arranged a planned gift to Georgia College that will continue helping our students for generations to come.

Please contact Elizabeth Hines at (478) 445-1944 or elizabeth.hines@gcsu.edu with any questions about naming the Georgia College Foundation in your will or living trust.

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Currently federal estate taxes are repealed for any deaths that occur in the calendar year 2010. In 2011 and beyond, estate taxes are reinstated in full. Congress, however, may reinstate federal estate taxes sometime in 2010. What the final legislation will look like is unknown at this point.

notes Class Notes

1920s Helen Branan Heath ’28 celebrated her 100th birthday on Dec. 27, 2009. Helen puts in more than 50 hours per week at Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in St. Petersburg, Fla. She serves as treasurer and office manager and has worked for the sanctuary since 1971, when her only son, Ralph Heath Jr., brought home his first injured bird. Helen lives on the second floor of the main office, where she has lived since 1959, when she and her husband moved from Tampa into their longtime summer home, which is now the sanctuary.

Nancy L. Windler ‘26 of Columbus, Ohio, celebrated her 104th birthday on Aug. 23.

1950s Jane Bonner ’58 and her husband Jimmy Andrews celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with family and friends at a hot dog picnic. Family joke: Newlywed home economics major Jane melted a plastic hot dog whistle in the boiling water of hotdogs as Jimmy told her it would whistle when the dogs were done. He reminds her occasionally. The couple currently resides in Eastman, Ga. Susan Sanborn Hammond ’58 retired from working with the United States Geological Survey in 1997 and now enjoys traveling, reading and church work in her retirement. She now resides in Tucker, Ga.

1970s Claude Powell ’71 retired as principal of Thomson Middle School after 39 years in the McDuffie County School System. Claude attended Georgia College on a baseball scholarship and played until he graduated. During his 39 years in McDuffie County, Claude worked under five school superintendents and eight principals. He was distinguished as a high performance principal in 2007 and 2008 by the Georgia Department of Education. Claude, who has never be without a job, does not plan to “laze away his retirement.”

Karen Harrell Jones ’72, ’73, developed a program that was selected as one of the top five projects in the nation funded by an Improving Teacher Quality grant. The program was designed to improve the mathematics and technology skills of Georgia educators who teach students from special populations. Karen is a professor in workforce education, leadership and social foundations at the University of Georgia.

Lynwood “Lyn” F. Chandler ’76 was promoted to general manager of operations for Randale Johnson Industries, Inc. (RJI). He joined RIJ in February 2010 and worked to develop media

relations for the company. Lyn retired from the Baldwin County School System where he was a former principal of Baldwin High School.

Nancy G. Robinson ’77 was appointed the Georgia Board of Nursing by Gov. Sonny Perdue. Nancy, a Sandersville native, is an administrator at Chaplinwood Health and Rehabilitation. She is an active member of the Georgia Health Care Association, American College of Health Care Administrators, Baldwin County Retirement Community Committee, American Society for Quality and the Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce. Robinson is licensed as a registered nurse and a nursing home administrator.

John “Jay” F. Harrington Jr. ’79 was installed as the 2010-2011 president of the Georgia Dental Association during the association’s 143rd annual meeting. Jay graduated from the Emory School of Dentistry in 1984.

1980s Jeffery “Jeff” D. Scruggs ’88, ’96 has been appointed interim president of Middle Georgia Technical College in Warner Robins, Ga. Jeff has served in a variety of positions since he first joined MGTC in 1995 as a computer information sciences instructor. He has been the college's director of information technology, director of institutional effectiveness, vice president of student affairs, and vice president of technology and institutional support. Jeff has also recently helped lead MGTC through a long and rigorous academic reaccreditation process.

1990s Bryan Weil ’90 received a master’s of science in nursing in 2008 and is presently working as director of nursing at The Fountains at the Albemarle in Tarboro, Ga. J. Noland White Ph.D., ’90, ’92 received the Joe and Ann Marie Horvat Distinguished Service Award at the International Society for Neurofeedback and Research (ISNR) in Indianapolis, Ind., on Sept. 6, 2009. Noland is an associate professor of the Psychology Department of Psychological Science at Georgia College.

Pam Johnson Gardner ’91 was recently promoted to director of college relations at Athens Technical College.

Amy Amundson Smith ’92 is the director of Neuro-Oncology at Shands Children's Hospital and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Florida. A pediatric oncologist with advanced training and experience in neurooncology, Amy directs the medical care and management of each patient, coordinating with other physicians and healthcare providers in

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

creating an individual treatment plan for patients.

Brian Brown ’93 received the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prize in 2008, one of the largest independent literary prizes in the United States. Presently, he's photographing vernacular architecture and folk culture for his website, vanishingsouthgeorgia.com.

Maria Sheffield ’95, ’97 currently works as an insurance regulatory and compliance attorney.

After graduating from Georgia College, Maria went on to earn an MBA and a law degree from Georgia State University.

Sally L. Burkett ’97, ’08 was named the 20092010 Teacher of the Year for Twin Rivers Middle School in Gwinnett County Public Schools.

Lisa Gray ’99 has joined the management team of Exchange Bank as the assistant vice president and branch manager of the main office. In 2004 she accepted a position with Magnolia State Bank as vice president of mortgage and construction building. Lisa began her career with BB&T as a mortgage lender and branch manager.

Michelle Young ’99 recently accepted a new role as a commodity analyst/program manager with ConMed Linvatec in Largo, Fla., after spending 10 years with GE Energy in a variety of procurement roles.

2000’s Altovise Curtis ’00 was recently hired as a web architect for Jackson Spalding, a communications firm in Atlanta. She worked previously as a web and graphic designer for Spherian/ Technisource and as a GO2IT Group Field Technician serving IBM and DELL computer clients, and also operated her own company, Curteous Web Designs. She currently resides in Duluth, Ga. Leah M. Blasingame ’03 and Alex L. Brown ’04 were married on Aug. 7, 2010, at a private ceremony with close family and friends in Macon at the Love of God International Cathedral. Leah currently serves on the Georgia College Alumni Association Board of Directors. The happy couple now resides in Stockbridge, Ga. Ashley Andes Cooper married M. Devlin Cooper ’03 on June 19, 2010. Devlin works as an attorney with Sell & Melton where he practices in the area of general civil litigation. He also serves on the Georgia College Alumni Board of Directors. The couple resides in Macon, Ga.

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

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notes Class Notes

Lisa Marie Federico ’03 and Ashley Thomas Rickard ’05 were married in September 2010.

Doug Tingle ’05 was named Jackson Elementary School Teacher of the Year and nominated for the Butts County Teacher of the Year for the 2009-2010 school year. Tingle has been a special-education teacher at Jackson for eight years. This year he goes into kindergarten and first-grade classes for co-teaching and pulls fifth-graders into a resource class.

James “J.W.” Mozley ’03, ’05 proposed to Jena Weirich. Jena is guidance counselor for Gwinnett County Public Schools. J.W. recently completed a specialist degree in educational leadership from Mercer University and also works for Gwinnett County Public Schools as a middle school math teacher. J.W. was named a 2010 Georgia Master Teacher. The couple is to be married in December 2010 and will reside in Duluth, Ga.

William “Will” D. Conoly ’06 (MBA) has joined the United Bank as vice-president and commercial lender in Newnan. William has more than five years of experience in community banking, most previously with the Bank of Coweta where he worked as a commercial banker. He serves the Newnan-Coweta community as an advisory board member of the United Way, a member of the Coweta Community Foundation Board and as a member of the Friends of Scouting fundraising committee. A recent graduate of Leadership Coweta, he lives in Newnan with his wife, Meredith, and his son, Griffin.

Whitney E. Crawford ’04 married Gregory Fitts Vasey at Palmetto Bluff resort in Bluffton, S.C., in October 2009. Whitney is a program coordinator at Harvard Law School, where she plans symposia on international financial regulations.

She resigned in June from her role as senior project manager for the United States Chamber of Commerce in Washington. Gregory owns two Five Guys Burgers and Fries franchises, one in Swampscott, Mass., the other in Gloucester, Mass. He graduated from Hamilton College and received an MBA from the University of Chicago. The couple met in 2004 while working on the re-election campaign of George W. Bush.

Rachel Bartz ’07 was recently hired as the new programs and events manager for the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. In her new position, Rachel will be responsible for overseeing the Drugs Don’t Work program, Gwinnett’s Leadership Organization for Woman (GLOW), the Human Resource Management Association (HRMA) and the Metro Atlanta Council for Entrepreneurship (MACE).

Lee A. Fruitticher ’05 (MBA) has been promoted to vice president of Business Affairs at Gordon College. Lee previously served as associate vice president of business affairs and has been with Gordon College for three years. Prior to his position at Gordon, Lee was controller at Macon State College. Lee enjoys working with the other cabinet members and the president on strategic planning for the college and looks forward to adding more programs of study as well as facilities to accommodate the growth.

Kristen Chapman ’07 graduated from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Ga. with a master’s of public health.

She now works as a public health apprentice with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Albany, Ga.

Send Us Your News

Adam Elenbaas ’07 (MFA) published his memoirs Fishers of Men: The Gospel of an Ayahuasca Vision Quest. Adam’s book has been hailed as a “… gripping, heartbreaking and yet ultimately uplifting story of the power to transcend one’s past.”

Michelle Smith Klubenspies ’08 married Matt Klubenspies on Sept. 26, 2009, in Macon, Ga. Michelle is currently working at metro Atlanta insurance agency and Matt is a police officer for the city of Snellville. The couple currently resides in Grayson, Ga. Hanna Rauschenberg married Sam Rauschenberg ’07 in August 2010. The couple now resides in Durham, NC while Sam completes a master’s of public policy degree at Duke University. Before entering graduate school, Sam taught with the Teach America program in New Orleans, La. Lindsay Saine Smith ’08 and husband Adam C. Smith ’08 recently opened The 42nd Floor, a new custom apparel printing shop in downtown Milledgeville, Ga. The 42nd Floor customers can print photos or any kind of artwork printed on any textile that is at least 50 percent cotton.

The store has experienced excellent sales since they opened their doors in July 2010.

Kelly D. Boulineau ’09, ’10 married Jason F. Bryan on June 19, 2010 at Wrens United Methodist Church in Wrens, Ga. Jessica Fields ’09 recently opened ExtraordiNailry Salon & Spa in downtown Milledgeville, Ga. with fellow alumnus, Sam Kang ‘09.

Let your classmates know what you’ve been doing Submit your class note on our website at www.gcsu.edu/alumni Reach us by email

alumni@gcsu.edu 22

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

In Memoriam 1920s Caroline C. Carlton ’29 died on 7/29/2010 1930s Eulalie M. Giffen ’34 died on 5/30/2010 Inez L. Jones ’34 died on 6/1/2010 Dorothy J. McAulay ’34 died on 4/1/2010 Margaret M. Giddens ’37 died on 7/29/2010 Myron B. Mitcham ’39 died on 6/9/2010 Frances K. Paysinger ’39 died on 5/9/2010 1940s Christine R. Daley ’40 died on 7/18/2010 Mary L. Ford ’40 died on 8/2/2010 Marjorie D. Johnson ’40 died on 8/4/2010 Rosalyn D. Ogletree ’40 died on 7/17/2010 Frances H. Johnson ’41 died on 5/29/2010 Mary Steele ’41 died on 5/5/2010 Lilyan M. Hanberry ’43 died on 5/4/2010 Nelle C. Pattillo ’43 died on 4/23/2010 Mabel B. Richardson ’43 died on 5/30/2010 Marian S. Wilhoit ’44 died on 4/15/2010 Nancy M. Cumbie ’45 died on 8/24/2010 Evelyn H. Nichols ’45 died on 7/26/2010

Mary E. Benson ’46 died on 6/19/2010 Jane L. Dixon ’46 died on 4/30/2010 Miriam Collins ’47 died on 5/1/2010 1950s Dorothy B. Sinclair ’50 died on 5/20/2010 Harriett W. Hargrove ’51 died on 4/22/2010 Louise L. Kranzberg ‘51 died on 6/23/2010 Claire V. Quinn ’51 died on 7/26/2010 Ila K. Pinyan ’52 died on 7/24/2010 Eloise C. Rogers ’53 died on 5/3/2010 Julia H. Hughes ’54 died on 6/22/2010 Mary L. Jimmerson ’54 died on 4/10/2010 Katheryn C. Musselwhite ’58 died on 5/25/2010 Geraldine D. Purcell ’58 died on 8/2/2010 Sylvia L. Gay ’59 died on 4/11/2010 1960s Delores H. Thompson ’63 died on 4/21/2010 Carolyn V. Lindsey ’66 died on 5/4/2010 Marjorie L. Lovein ’66 died on 5/24/2010 Dawn M. Norris ’66 died on 4/24/2010 1970s Ann F. Black ’70 died on 4/16/2010 Diane B. Nisbet ’71 died on 6/25/2010

Former Faculty Member Former professor Gwendolyn Caldwell Stanford died on June 4, 2010, in Hampton, Ga. at the age of 84. Professor Stanford had a 44-year teaching career.

She was an associate professor of English and Literature at Georgia College for 34 years. She did her undergraduate study in modern languages and English at Winthrop College, in Rock Hill, S.C., and her graduate study in French and comparative literature at the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill. By the age of 22, she was a college professor.

She taught French, Spanish and English at Winthrop College; Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tenn.; and West Georgia College in Carrollton, Ga. She joined the faculty of Georgia College in 1969, and in addition to teaching, has served as coordinator of freshman English. Professor Stanford wrote poetry in both English and French; several of her poems have appeared in the Georgia College magazine, The Peacock's Feet.

Catherine C. Tucker ’73 died on 4/16/2010 Helen B. Byrne ’74 died on 6/28/2010 Nancy T. Douglas ’75 died on 5/13/2010 George C. Oetter, Sr. ‘75 died on 8/21/2010 Mary W. Leyda ’76 died on 8/27/2010 Gerald L. Walker ’76 died on 6/27/2010 Andrew E. Smith ’77 died on 6/2/2010 Gloria J. Shurling ’78 died on 6/12/2010 Nell W. Hicks ’79 died on 5/4/2010 1980s Patricia W. Krick ’82 died on 7/11/2010 Pamela J. Glover ’84 died on 5/30/2010 Michael B. Higginbotham ’88 died on 5/3/2010 1990s Rebecca M. Cox ’93 died on 7/10/2010 Kelli A. Felton ’95 died on 4/15/2010 Debra S. Specht ’97 died on 7/24/2010 2000s Rita C. Rose ’06 died on 4/12/2010 Candus M. Davis ’09 died on 5/7/2010 Rebecca P. McKnight died on 5/4/2010

Former Foundation Trustee Louise Lester “Les” Clark Kranzberg, ’51, died June 23, 2010, at the age of 81 at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. She graduated from Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville with a bachelor’s of business administration. While at GSCW, Les was in the A Cappella Choir and a member of the SGA. She earned both a master's and a specialist's degree in education from the University of Georgia. She received a prestigious international scholarship from the Rotary Club of Cobb County to study at the University of Freiberg in Germany.

Les had a lifelong passion for helping others. She worked as an educator specializing in teaching reading to students from around the world, both young and adult. She served as principal of Belmont Hills Elementary School near Atlanta.

She served as a member of the Foundation Board of Trustees at Georgia College. In 1995 she established Kranzberg Phoenix Scholarship that provides financial support to non-traditional female students working to complete an undergraduate degree. She also received the Georgia College Alumni Service Award in 2002.

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2010

23

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