Connection Magazine Spring 2012 by Georgia College & State University

Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s First Lady Sandra Dunagan Deal reminisces on her days at Georgia College

First doctoral program at Georgia College

Smart phone apps developed by students

Sports: Bobcats impact the community

A LETTER FROM THE CAMPAIGN CHAIR We’ve done it! THE FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS of Georgia College have pledged more than $11 million dollars and exceeded the $10.35 million fundraising goal of “The Pillars for the Future Campaign” for Georgia College. Please celebrate with us, and if you helped, take a bow. I am elated at our success during these difficult economic times. Our collective success is a fantastic achievement, which ensures that Georgia College will continue its exemplary role as Georgia’s designated public liberal arts university. Our success is so significant because: 1) Gifts for this campaign came in all shapes and sizes, for all manner of reasons – scholarships, endowed professorships, programmatic support, building improvements, including a telescope for the new observatory at the pinnacle of Herty Hall. With state funding at an all-time low, these funds make the difference in maintaining the quality educational opportunities that Georgia College provides.

Interim President Stas Preczewski

Vice President for External Relations and University Advancement Amy Amason Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications Harry Battson

2) The support for this campaign – from alumni, parents of students, friends, foundations, corporations, the faculty and staff– proclaims to the state and the nation that Georgia College can sustain its national leadership role among public liberal arts universities. This financial support is critical to our national rankings and exponentially increases Georgia College’s image. 3) Finally, and most importantly, this successful campaign spreads the message about supporting Georgia College and creates a culture of donating to make a difference. I want to thank everyone who participated in any way with the success of “The Pillars for the Future Campaign.” You have taken Georgia College to the next level! Stan Wilson, ’77 Chair, “The Pillars for the Future Campaign” Trustee, Georgia College & State University Foundation

Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Bill Doerr Editor Kyle Brogdon ‘96 Writers Judy Bailey Candace Morrow Al Weston

Design Jon Scott ’83 Photography Tim Vacula ’86 Video production Chris Brown '03 Stacey Lumley '99 Bill Wendt '85 Web production Barbara Monnett '06 Mark Misinco '09

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

gcsu.edu

Contents CONNECTION MAGAZINE | SPRING 2012

4 Up Front 8 Homecoming and Alumni Weekend 11 History & Heritage

Peabody Garden dedicated during Homecoming

Georgia College will offer its first doctoral degree program

12 Cover Story 16 Campaign Tops Goal 18 There’s an App for That 20 Programs of Distinction 24 Endowed Professorship 28 Sports 30 Class Notes

On the Cover: Sandra Dunagan Deal, ’63 ‘66, wife of Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal.

The 25th anniversary reunion of the founding of a Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity

Stay connected with Georgia College through our social media channels:

facebook.com/gacollege

twitter.com/georgiacollege

youtube.com/georgiacollege

Subscribe to our monthly alumni enewsletter by sending your email address to alumni@gcsu.edu

UP FRONT Cultural Center opens in historic

Sallie Ellis Davis House

The Sallie Ellis Davis House, in a universitycommunity initiative, has been restored to house an AfricanAmerican cultural center.

THE FORMER HOME OF A LOCAL EDUCATOR HAS been transformed into an African-American cultural center on the campus of Georgia College. The Sallie Ellis Davis House was built in 1890, and served as Davis’ residence from 1912 until her death in 1950. The house on South Clarke Street was used as a residence until 1989, when the University System of Georgia Board of Regents purchased it. The transformation of the 123-year-old home into an African–American cultural center began in June 2009 just months after The Georgia Trust listed the educator’s home as a “Place in Peril.” Former President Dorothy Leland and Carolyn Thomas, chair of the Sallie Ellis Davis Foundation, announced a partnership in October 2008 to save the historic house. “We as a university and community have succeeded in this wonderful project restoring the historic home of the influential educator who spent a lifetime teaching hundreds of local African-American children both academic and life lessons,” said Interim President Stas Preczewski. The African-American cultural center will recreate the house in the two front rooms — a parlor furnished with period sofa, chairs, tables and lamps; and a classroom with student walnut-and-wrought-iron desks, bookcases filled with early education materials and a chalkboard. The hallway will display before and after images of the renovation and information about Sallie Ellis Davis and her teachings. “The cultural center offers both a historic center and space for gatherings and instruction,” said Matt Davis, ‘02, ‘04, curator of the Old Governor’s Mansion and the cultural center. “It will help educate us about early African-American education in Baldwin County and prepare us to educate students for generations.”

Georgia College named safest campus in state

The GC bicycle patrol officers help Georgia College’s ranking as a safe campus.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

GEORGIA COLLEGE RANKS NO. 1 IN THE STATE FOR campus safety, according to StateUniversity.com. The StateUniversity.com School Safety Ratings are based on campus crime statistics as reported by 450 of the largest U.S. colleges and universities. Each college's safety score, which ranges from 0 to 100, is calculated based on the number and type of campus crime reported during the calendar year. Georgia College reported 0.15 burglaries and 1.66 theft incidents per 1,000 students, the lowest among both public and private colleges and universities in Georgia. Georgia College police officers are proactive in providing programs to benefit the campus community. The SNAP program and the recently enacted community policing educational programs are two examples of the department’s proactive approach.

J. Whitney Bunting College of Business maintains accreditation THE J. WHITNEy BUNTING COLLEGE OF Business has maintained its business accreditation by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

GC student Gabby Banzon playing a Steinway grand piano at Georgia College.

Georgia College earns

All-Steinway School distinction GEORGIA COLLEGE HAS EARNED THE DESIGNATION AS an All-Steinway School, one of five universities in the state of Georgia. The university provides 18 Steinway pianos — seven grands and 11 uprights — across the campus for practice, rehearsal and performance. All-Steinway Schools demonstrate a commitment to excellence by providing their students and faculties with the best equipment possible for the study of music, according to Steinway & Sons Inc. To achieve the designation, Steinway requires that its products represent 90 percent of the university’s piano inventory. The university completed the process this year with the purchase of 10 Steinway “Boston” upright pianos for practice rooms in Porter Hall. The university’s oldest Steinway, circa 1890, remains in use in Chappell Hall.

Only 643 schools of business, or less than 5 percent worldwide, have earned this distinguished hallmark of excellence in management education. Georgia College earned its AACSB International accreditation in 1997 and has earned reaccreditation during a previous maintenance review. The AACSB team visit report describes the college as “at the forefront of … commitment to ethics, service to community, and experimental projects and competition as some of the most important contributions of the liberal arts to the practice of business.” The maintenance review also recognizes the college’s efforts to diversify the student population with local and international students and its efforts in India to expand global focus.

Matt Davis named Museum 'Professional of Year' GEORGIA COLLEGE’S MATT DAVIS, ‘02, ‘04, has been named “Professional of the Year” for 2011 by the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries (GAMG). The award recognizes a Georgia museum or gallery employee who demonstrates leadership on the local, state and national level. GAMG is a statewide organization

dedicated to establishing a responsive network, providing a resource base and promoting professionalism so Georgia’s museum community is strong, effective and proactive. During his career, Davis has served as assistant curator and curator of the Old Governor’s Mansion and director of the Hay House of The Georgia Trust in Macon. Davis returned to Georgia College in January 2012. He also is a member of the American Historical Society, Georgia Historical Society, Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation and other historic societies and fraternities.

Matt Davis

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

UP FRONT

Dr. Sandra Jordan

Provost elected SACS trustee GEORGIA COLLEGE PROVOST Dr. Sandra Jordan has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Jordan is one of the 77members representing 800 educational institutions that are members of SACS. The board determines commission policy and reviews and makes decisions regarding the accreditation of higher education institutions in the Southeast. It also conducts the initial review of significant dues or fee changes and forwards proposed modifications of accreditation standards to the membership for final vote. Jordan’s two-year term concludes in 2014.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

GC faculty, staff campaign exceeds goal WITH 61 PERCENT OF THE FACULTY AND STAFF PARTICIPATING, the faculty and staff portion of the “Pillars for the Future” fundraising campaign exceeded its goal. The goal was 50 percent participation. The 61 percent participation rate doubled the previous number of faculty and staff donors to the university, according to Interim President Stas Preczewski. “The faculty and staff truly have stepped up to support the mission of Georgia College,” he said. “I couldn’t be more personally grateful for (their) selfless sacrifice.” “This is an outstanding accomplishment for the university,” said Stan Wilson, ’77, chair of the Pillars for the Future campaign committee and trustee of the Georgia College & State University Foundation. “The faculty and staff participation is very important because they can invest in the programs and departments that are of interest to them, and the strong participation shows our other donors and friends that our own faculty and staff believe in the university.” A number of units, including plant operations (with more than 100 employees), achieved 100 percent participation and received a pizza party celebration in honor of the achievement. “These donations are creating new scholarships, new endowed professorships and providing support for programs and departments at a time when additional funding is truly needed,” Wilson said. “The faculty and staff support adds immensely to our overall efforts.”

Plant Operations staff enjoy a pizza party for being one of the more than 35 departments to reach full participation in the Faculty & Staff portion of the Capital Campaign.

(L-R) Interim President Stas Preczewski, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Suzanne Pittman, Senior Director for Advising and Retention Mike Augustine, USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby, and Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Sandra Jordan.

Enrollment Management earns customer service award Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Suzanne Pittman, along with the Customer Service Initiative and Going the Extra Mile teams, have been recognized for their outstanding customer service. University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby presented Pittman with the 2011 gold level Chancellor’s Outstanding Customer Service Excellence Award. Pittman and her team were nominated for the chancellor’s award based on their ability to adopt continuous-improvement methodology that emphasizes customer satisfaction and quality of service. The Chancellor’s Customer Service Awards were created to honor employees who have gone “above and beyond” their normal job responsibilities.

Online MBA ranked among nation’s best THE J. WHITNEY BUNTING COLLEGE OF Business at Georgia College has been ranked among the best online Master of Business Administration programs in the country. U.S. News & World Report ranked the Georgia WebMBA® at Georgia College 43rd, 44th and 85th among graduate online MBA programs. More than 900 colleges and universities across the United States were invited to participate. Georgia College’s scores were for faculty credentials and training (43); student services and technology (44); and student engagement and accreditation (85).

Georgia College awarded 20 MBAs through the Georgia WebMBA® in 2011. Five Georgia College business faculty members participate regularly in the program, including Management Information Systems professor Dr. Howard Woodard who earned the Georgia WebMBA® Teacher of the Year award in 2011. CEO Magazine selected Georgia WebMBA® in 2010 and 2011 as a top-tier online MBA program, one of only 26 schools selected worldwide. GetEducated.com also ranked Georgia WebMBA® as among the top 30 most affordable online MBA programs.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Homecoming and Alumni Weekend 2012 was a time to gather to reflect on the past of Georgia College, yet see with clarity the bright future that lies ahead for Georgia’s Public Liberal Arts University. Alumni young and old gathered during the week and into the weekend of Feb. 6-11 to reminisce about college days gone by and reflect on the place that has made such a deep impact on so many lives. We hope you enjoy this look back at Homecoming 2012, and start planning today to join us for Alumni Weekend 2013! To see a recap video of Homecoming 2012 visit

gcsu.edu/connection.

Peabody Alumnae and university officials gathered for a reception at the dedication of the newly renovated Peabody Garden and the unveiling of the commemorative artwork (story on page 10).

Dr. John H. Lounsbury, namesake of the College of Education (passenger seat), enjoys his ride down Hancock Street in the Homecoming Parade. Residents from Parkhurst Hall proudly display their winning entry in the 2012 Spirit Board Contest.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Make plans today for Alumni Weekend 2013, February 18-23. Search “Georgia College Homecoming” on Facebook to keep up-to-date on the latest Homecoming news.

Alumnae from the classes of ’60 and ’62 gathered to reflect on memories that remain.

Members of the class of ’62 celebrate at the Honor Roll Luncheon as they reached their 50th anniversary of graduation.

Senior Ryan Aquino drives to the basket against Columbus State in front of a packed house at the Centennial Center.

More than 3,000 students and alumni enjoy the Homecoming concert performances by the Eric Dodd Band and Third Eye Blind.

Ross Daniel and Sarah Mead are crowned Mr. and Ms. Georgia College 2012.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Peabody Garden dedicated during Homecoming Erected in the center of the newly renovated Peabody Garden, the 12-foot stainless-steel sculpture, Kernel, honors and memorializes the graduates of Peabody School. “It depicts Peabody very well,” said Betty Smith, a member of the last Peabody graduation in 1956. “It’s letters and numbers — that’s what education is all about.” Peabody School was established in 1891 on the university campus as a public school for Baldwin County students and a practice school for Georgia College education students. It endured for more than a century.

Kernel symbolizes the ever-widening circles of influence that philanthropy, teaching and education can affect in the community and the wider world, said commissioned artist Mark Moulton, an associate professor of art-sculpture at Georgia Southern University. The Peabody Garden offers these alumni a new place to call their own, said Cecile Parker, ’56. “We are delighted to have a place to keep the spirit of Peabody School alive,” said Parker. “We all had, and continue to have, a close fellowship and enjoy sharing our memories.”

Made possible by Barbara Anne Chandler, ’34, former students of the Peabody School and the Georgia College Alumni Association.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

HISTORy&HERITAGE

Parks Memorial Hall ITS STATELY COLUMNS WELCOME students and visitors into the world of nursing. The red-brick facade represents decades of service to Georgia College. Parks Memorial will celebrate 100 years of service to Georgia College within the next year. Today, Parks Memorial serves as offices for the College of Health Sciences, including the School of Nursing. The university celebrated the reopening of Parks Memorial in 2009 after major renovations. The renovations provided 13,000 square feet of office space, allowing the consolidation of the dean’s office with faculty of undergraduate and graduate nursing, music therapy and kinesiology that were previously scattered across the campus. The multi-million dollar makeover not only revitalized office space, but also upgraded the electrical and heating and air-conditioning systems and provided installation of a new elevator to meet ADA requirements. Built in 1913 for $35,000 as a new classroom building, Parks Memorial continues to evolve to meet the needs of Georgia College students. The two-story building was named in honor of Georgia College’s second president, Marvin McTyeire Parks (1872-1926), who successfully battled to transfer the then-teachers’ school into a four-year degree granting institution. ■

Georgia College's second president, Marvin McTyeire Parks.

For more information about the history of Georgia College, search “archives” at gcsu.edu.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

By Harry Battson

From Georgia College to Georgia’s

First Lady Georgia’s First Lady is the epitome of southern hospitality. She stands at the entrance of the Governor’s Mansion, talking to visitors, shaking hands, asking questions. Sandra Deal, ’63, ‘66, enjoys people. You can tell it with every encounter.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

COVER STORY Georgia College Connection â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2012

Favorite Faculty When asked about her favorite faculty members from her school days, Sandra Dunagan Deal readily responded. • Dr. Max Noah, professor of music – “Dr. Noah was just a wonderful person to lead our choir and he was so sensitive about music. He also would invite a couple of girls over each Saturday and he would make waffles or pancakes so that he could get acquainted with each of us. And that was special, when your number got called, and you got to come over and have breakfast with him and Mrs. Noah.” • Dr. Ed Dawson, professor of English and faculty advisor to The Colonnade – “Big, old guy with buckskin shoes and he loved reading poetry to us and I loved hearing him talk about it. That was new to me, I wasn’t used to it. I’d had a few male teachers but not any that were that sensitive. He gave me a new and different appreciation for some of the literature. I particularly enjoyed taking his classes.” • Jessie Trawick, professor of chemistry – “She had covered a scientific experiment with her body to protect the students and she had scars on her face. She was a very good science teacher and I enjoyed her classes in particular.” • Dr. James C. Bonner, professor of history – “He wrote the history of Georgia and I had him for two classes of history, and I had such a hard time remembering the dates but I really enjoyed learning.” • Salvatore C. Mangiafico, professor of modern foreign language – “Was from Sicily, Italy, and quite a different kind of person. I had a hard time with Spanish but he was just a really different person that I just enjoyed.” • Mary Thomas Maxwell, professor of English, and Dr. John H. Lounsbury, professor of education and director of Graduate Programs, “And just so many that I think of that I enjoyed their classes.” “I was like a sponge,” she concluded. “I soaked it up and loved it. I still do love learning.”

To see a video featuring Connection's visit with Georgia's First Lady, visit

gcsu.edu/connection. 14

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Deal speaks with a member of the Early Ford V-8 Club of America on a recent tour.

TODAY, IT’S THE EARLY FORD V-8 CLUB OF AMERICA TAKING THE Mansion tour. The members and their spouses arrive in vintage model cars, from the 1930s through the ‘70s. She walks down the stairs to better view the cars, exclaiming, “Oh, Nathan would love this.” Her husband, Gov. Nathan Deal, is at the capital and misses the personal viewing of the cars. Inside, she shows off the 1907 Silver Bowl on display – originally a gift from the state of Georgia to President Theodore Roosevelt. “There are photos of Mrs. Sanders (Georgia’s First Lady from 1963-67) serving punch from this bowl, but now we just have these flowers in it,” Mrs. Deal notes. She moves on, showing early portraits of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington that grace the hallway, noting the chandelier that fronts the curving stairway. “The little kids get so excited when they see that and they ask, ‘Are you rich? Are those diamonds?’ because the cut glass looks like diamonds and it’s beautiful,” she recounts. “Originally, it was at the Standard Men’s Club in Atlanta but, after a fire burned the building, we got it. Actually, it’s made from two different chandeliers, two different styles from different periods that were put together, but it’s made a beautiful chandelier.” Much like the social studies and English teacher she became as a 1963 and 1966 graduate of Georgia College, Sandra Dunagan Deal shares facts, imparts information and tells stories as she talks with visitors. “I love being able to share with them the history of the different pieces, and I just have fun teaching.” She and her husband both came from families of teachers. “Education just has to be of primary importance, because we know that a good education opens doors and leads people out of poverty into good jobs,” she said. That focus prompts her to attend many school events throughout the state. “I like to give the teachers a pat on the back; give them the opportunity to show off their good students who are producing and to show what they’re learning. Let those students perform for us.” Sandra Dunagan grew up in a small “mill village” outside Gainesville, Ga. Her mother grew up there too, and attended what was then Georgia State College for Women to become a teacher in the community. When Sandra began considering college, she had a place in mind but her mother convinced her to take a look at Georgia College. “My friends and I rode the bus all the way from Gainesville to Milledgeville and I didn’t know what I was looking for, not really anything,” she said. “I was just going because mother wanted me to.” Once she arrived, the beauty of the college overwhelmed her. “The dogwoods were in full bloom and the azaleas were popping and it was the most beautiful place I thought I had ever been with all those old buildings. It was like walking back in time, and it was just so pretty.

Nathan to finish law school. “He graduated one Sunday, we got married the next Sunday and we had a one-day honeymoon because I had to go back to school to finish my last 10 hours on my master’s.” Married in 1966, the Deals have four adult children and nine grandchildren. After Nathan spent time in the military, the couple returned to Gainesville, where Nathan began practicing law and Sandra raised the children and occasionally taught as a substitute. She returned to the classroom full time in 1992, the same year Nathan was first elected to the U.S. Congress (after serving eight years in the Georgia Senate). The campaign for the governorship in 2010 brought back Georgia College memories for Mrs. Deal. “As we were campaigning, when I would hear the names of different towns in south Georgia, it would bring back memories of people I knew from there,” she said. “Girls that were in my freshman class, friends from the a cappella choir.” “All these memories came flooding back and all the people and places I had been.” The memories continue to come back as she has joined the Board of Trustees of the Georgia College Foundation, which meets three times a year on campus and serves as the principal fundraising support for the university. “It’s different from the college I remember, but that’s OK because I love my memories of the big oak trees on front campus and the walks back and forth past the Old Governor’s Mansion.” “I think that the college has to grow with the times but it’s still this little jewel right in the center of the state that has all that beauty of the Old South.” Much like Georgia’s first lady herself. ■

COVER STORY

Then I walked into the dormitories and they had roses in big bowls on the table and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I loved it.” During the visit, she also heard the a cappella choir sing for the first time, a choir she soon would join. “They were wearing these pastel-colored formals and they sounded so pretty, I just decided right then and there that’s where I was going to school.” She never regretted it, and wears her class ring to this day. “I have worn it for all these years because I love the ring and I love that it represents the college that gave me such a good start.” That start led to her future husband and the Governor’s Mansion. A choir friend invited Sandra for a weekend beach trip that ended up being a double date instead. “It turned out that the person she’d set me up with was Nathan,” Deal recalls. “She had gone to school with him, elementary through high school, so she knew him quite well.” Nathan Deal was a Mercer University student at the time, who also sang in an adult choir. “That appealed to me because it was nice to know that someone liked music as I liked music and that, as a college student, he was voluntarily going to choir practice and singing in the adult choir.” In fact, the two enjoyed an extended talk that night. “Our conversation turned to religion and our philosophy of life and we found that our thoughts were very similar.” Similar enough, that after seeing him that weekend, she told her parents that Monday that “I had met the boy I was going to marry. It took me four years, but I did marry him.” The four-year wait enabled Sandra to begin teaching and

Reminiscences of Georgia State College for Women Georgia’s First Lady enjoys many memories of her time as an undergraduate at Georgia State College for Women, which is now Georgia College. • “I never regretted my decision. It was a great place to go to school and I just loved all of it, and loved the fact that it was a girl’s school at the time.” • “I worked as the desk person to answer the phone and call the girls to the phone or tell them they had visitors. I always worked while I was at school and my outside activity was the choir.” • “I remember people dressing up as Jackie Kennedy wearing the little hats like she wore. That was when we portrayed them as part of the characters that we did as went across the stage (during the Golden Slipper competition).” • “We traveled on the bus together (for choir concerts). Back then, we had silver dollars, or maybe 50 cent pieces, and (Dr. Max Noah) would give them to us and we had to eat off that. We could back then, but that is how much he gave us and if you ate more than that you had to pay for it out of your own pocket.” • “Back then we didn’t have McDonald’s, so we would find a four-corner stop where there were four filling stations, and he would say, ‘you’ve got five minutes.’ Everybody would go for a different filling station and block off the

men’s room and use them all and get back on the bus. We’d have to make our time.” • “We stayed in houses as we traveled and he told us to look around and find an address on a magazine or look at the house numbers so that we could write a ‘thank you’ note. So he taught me a lot of things and that was just a great opportunity for me. I’d never been out of Georgia very much and the first year we went to Houston, and the next year to New york and, I think, the next year to Miami. Of course, they were almost afraid for us to go to Miami because that was about the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis.” • “I can remember a couple of times that people were chasing us in their car trying to catch the bus, (when) the host families were running behind. Sometimes we had to leave at 4:30 or 5 o’clock in the morning to get to the next location so we had to tell our host families we had to get up so early. But it was fun, a great experience for me, a little small-town girl who had never been anywhere or done anything. It was just like moving to a big city.” • “I remember the old swimming pool under one of the buildings. Just recently we were able to visit the new (Wellness and Recreation Center) and I thought that was just fabulous.”

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

By Harry Battson

FOUNDATION

Pillars for the Future Campaign to Sustain Excellence

Foundation celebrates campaign success W Mrs. Newell, ’42 touring campus.

Dr. Ken Saladin teaching students.

BREAKDOWN OF CAMPAIGN GIFTS CAMPAIGN GIFT SOURCES Alumni 36% Faculty/Staff 26% Foundation 20% Friend 9% Corporations/ Organizations 9%

ITH GIFTS AND PLEDGES TOTALING OVER $11 million, “The Pillars for the Future Campaign” for Georgia College has achieved its goal—and then some! “I am elated,” said campaign Chair Stan Wilson, ’77, who reported in March that the Georgia College & State University Foundation actually raised more than $11 million, over half a million dollars more than its $10.35 million goal. Wilson said he was astounded by the commitments of the donors, the excitement and diligence of the Foundation staff, and the tremendous response by the Georgia College faculty, alumni and friends. “We entered this campaign—the first comprehensive fundraising campaign the college has ever undertaken—in the most challenging of times,” said Wilson. “But we had real needs and a great story to tell. The campaign’s strong reception on and off campus left me awed by the generosity and sense of community that followed.” The success of the campaign has an immediate impact on student scholarships, faculty endowments and program support, Wilson noted. The $11 million, made possible by thousands of donors, includes funding for: • • • •

21 new endowed scholarships Two new endowed faculty chairs An endowment for undergraduate research in chemistry Endowments and program support for such areas as English, Economics, O’Connor Studies, Early College, and the Museum of Fine Arts and Theatre • Support for the Natural History Museum, Herty Hall laboratories and observatory • The Sallie Ellis Davis house renovation as an African-American cultural center.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Campaign committee member and former Foundation Board Chair Tad Brown said that he was humbled by the loyalty, passion and diversity of donors. "It is one thing to make a donation, quite another to give,” remarked Brown. “The thoughtful responses to the campaign reflected a keen understanding of the mission of the college and the importance of liberal arts education today." More than 450 staff and faculty of Georgia College contributed to the campaign. "That the rank and file showed such commitment to the programs they steward and the students they mentor was nothing short of inspirational,” said Brown. Campaign member and Georgia College alumna Jo Slade Wilbanks, ’69, said the success of the campaign highlights that “Georgia College, the state’s designated public liberal arts university, is a jewel in the University System of Georgia, providing quality educational opportunities worthy of continuing private support.” Those who donated more than $10,000 to the campaign will have their names inscribed on the benches

in Russell Auditorium plaza. Vice President for External Relations and University Advancement Amy Amason remarked the strong leadership of the campaign committee was paramount in its success. “We simply could not have accomplished the goal without our volunteers’ tireless efforts and constant attention,” said Amason. “The committee was terrific.” Pete Robinson, current chair of the Georgia College & State University Foundation Board of Trustees, takes particular pride in the campaign's success. “I feel particularly gratified to stand at the helm after such a resounding effort,” said Robinson. Not one to rest, however, Robinson noted meaningful opportunities still exist. “While the Pillars Campaign has officially ended,” he said, “we are still seeking gifts to further the university’s unique mission. We have diverse philanthropic opportunities for scholarships, programs and campus improvements.” A celebration will be held on campus in late June. ■

OUR SUPPORTING PILLARS These donors of $100,000+ were crucial to the campaign’s success. The John S. & James L. Knight Foundation Kenneth and Diane Saladin Martha Newell, ‘42 Sodexo The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Estate of George M. Brown Milledgeville Coca-Cola Estate of Katharine M. Elder, ‘29 The Holland-Underwood Foundation, Inc. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Pohl The Ted Smith Family Chandler Minter Tagliabue, ‘64 Susan and Glenn Warren Debi, ‘77, and Stan, ‘77, Wilson Undergraduate research in chemistry will benefit from the endowment established during the campaign, as will many other areas supported through the fundraising effort.

We have honored all the major donors ($10,000+) to the Pillars for the Future Campaign on our virtual donor wall at foundation.gcsu.edu/pillars

For information about giving to Georgia College, contact Amy Amason, Vice President for University Advancement and External Relations, at amy.amason@gcsu.edu or 478-445-1945.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

FEATURES

There’s an App

for that Students at Georgia College are learning real-world skills by developing applications, or “apps,” for smart phones. Along with smaller apps for class projects, Georgia College students have designed, developed and implemented apps for the Georgia College Career Center and Public Safety department.

UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DR. GITA PHELPS, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR of computer science, the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business at Georgia College began offering iPhone development courses in spring 2010 and has advanced the program to include paid student positions. Student interest in creating apps led Phelps to begin the courses, which began as private study for individual students. In less than one year, Phelps had created positions within the Multimedia Technology Center for students to do more in-depth work on the projects outside of class. The first official app began when Dr. Gerald Adkins, chair of the Information Technology and Marketing Department, and Mary Roberts, director of the GC Career Center, discussed ways to create an innovative to-do list to help students find jobs after graduation. Having learned about about the iPhone development class that Phelps had recently begun, Adkins suggested the students develop the Career Center app as a class project.

By Kyle Brogdon

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Georgia College official iPhone app you can connect to Georgia College resources onthe-go with GC Mobile for Android, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. The app is available for free download by searching “GC Mobile” in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store (formerly Android Market). Athletics Check schedules, scores and stay up-to-date with your favorite Bobcat sports. Events your source for everything happening on and around campus. Maps Lost? Find out exactly where you are and where you need to go. you can also search for a building and click the building detail to get a better look and feel of your location. That's not all! Use current location and press augmented reality to virtually see where you are on campus, and where you need to go.

Dr. Gita Phelps and former student Scott Zhang worked very closely together to develop smart phone apps for campus needs.

“We made an application that prepares students for the workforce,” said Phelps. “The Career Center application grooms them for the job market, and it’s all in the palm of their hands.” The app connects students via iPhones and Androids with the Career Center to track their degree progress and get advice about postgraduate opportunities. The Department of Public Safety introduced its need for an app for the Student Night Auxiliary Patrol (SNAP) program. SNAP is a free service to Georgia College students that allows for a safety escort to pick up any student in need of a cross-campus ride on a golf cart. It’s a service that greatly enhances student safety and security, and having access to request a ride via one’s smart phone was a no-brainer. While aiding students, the SNAP project also needed to work for Public Safety on the back end. It needed an interface to receive requests, control dispatchers and manage the entire system. "The SNAP app was a great opportunity for information systems and computer science students to work together," Phelps said. "Students learned new techniques in programming, collaborating with each other and working with clients." “The app allows public safety to update information instantly,” she said. “This project illustrates how our students’ hard work makes them more marketable once they complete their degrees.” After months of testing and tweaking, both the SNAP and Career Center apps were launched in August 2011. The clients are happy with the end product, but the students who were a part of an engaged learning project of this magnitude were the largest beneficiaries. “I really appreciate that the Career Center and SNAP reserved these projects for Georgia College students,” said Scott Zhang, ’11, one of the most involved students on the projects. “They are precious opportunities for the students and our future careers.” ■

Videos Stream Georgia College videos from the official youTube site straight to your smart phone. News Get the latest headlines and browse recent articles to stay on top of Georgia College news. Campus Life OrgSync helps you connect with student organizations and find out what is happening around campus. Dining Find out what the chefs are cooking at The Max. Housing Report any problems on campus housing straight from your phone. Find out which laundry machines are available or track when your laundry is ready. SNAP Register your phone with SNAP and request pick up and drop off straight from your phone. Check the status of your SNAP officer and easily locate emergency numbers. Directory Instantly find contact information for departments, faculty and staff. Twitter Follow @GeorgiaCollege directly through GC Mobile. Transit Connects instantly to Georgia College’s NextBus system, so you’ll always know when the next bus will arrive.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

PROGRAMS OF DISTINCTION By Candace Morrow

MFA in Creative Writing Georgia College alumnus William Torgerson, ’07, applied to Georgia College’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program for a good reason: to write more effectively.

Dr. Marty Lammon, coordinator of the MFA in Creative Writing Program and editor of Arts & Letters, shows off Arts & Letters PRIME on his iPad.

William Torgerson, ‘07

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Cover of his 2011 novel

“I WROTE REGULARLY,” SAID TORGERSON. “I wrote short stories and a novel. I knew just enough about writing to know I needed help.” The Winamac, Ind., native learned about Georgia College’s MFA program after reading about it in The Writer’s Chronicle, the flagship journal of the national literary organization Association of Writers and Writing Programs. “I sensed the faculty at Georgia College would actually read my work and spend time with me,” Torgerson said. “That proved true.” Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the threeyear program engages students in workshops with Georgia College’s award-winning faculty, who hold expertise in poetry, fiction, memoir, scriptwriting and creative nonfiction. “Our program prepares students to become not only great writers but great readers,” said Dr. Marty Lammon, MFA and BA programs in creative writing coordinator and Fuller E. Callaway endowed Flannery O’Connor chair. “We receive applications from across the nation and abroad because we offer students an intimate environment where they can connect with faculty, colleagues and visiting writers.” The MFA in Creative Writing Program is one of six Georgia College Programs of Distinction — providing a distinctive niche in an academic area of state, national and international significance. In 2011, The Huffington Post ranked Georgia College as one of the top 25 underrated creative writing MFA programs in America. “Five years ago we received approximately 50 applications to the program,” Lammon said. “For fall 2012 we received 120 applications, and we only admit 10 students each year.” Dr. Allen Gee, associate professor of English and creative writing, attributes the program’s success to a core group of accomplished faculty members who encourage student-faculty collaboration:

>>> PRIME TIME

Students from Allen Gee’s Creative Writing class discuss a book at Blackbird coffee shop in downtown Milledgeville.

• Alice Friman, poet-in-residence • Dr. Allen Gee, associate professor of English and creative writing • Dr. Martin Lammon, creative writing programs coordinator • Dr. Karen McElmurray, associate professor of English and creative writing • David Muschell, professor of English and creative writing • Laura Newbern, associate professor of English and creative writing “During the past seven years this group of professors has created neat collaborations both internally and externally,” Gee said. “From our visiting writers serving as thesis readers for students to students presenting at national conferences with faculty, our program is about providing students with various opportunities in writing.” The collaborative community of students also assists in producing and editing the award-winning journal Arts & Letters; leads an Early College Writing in the Schools Project to improve student writing skills; and coordinates the Visiting Writers Series, public readings by nationally acclaimed authors. “This program is the one place where

students’ feelings and experiences count,” said Georgia College poet-in-residence Alice Friman. “Growing up I always wrote poetry alone. This program is unique because I’m working with young people who share a common interest with me.” The terminal degree has graduated alumni who have published in distinguished literary journals; received national awards like the Pushcart Prize for fiction and $15,000 Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship; and taught full time in schools such as Marshall University and North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Today, Torgerson teaches as an assistant professor in the Institute for Writing Studies at St. John’s University in New York. He also completed revisions to a collection of stories, Horseshoe, to publish this spring. “I wrote several of these stories while attending Georgia College,” Torgerson said. “I’m also writing my third novel, working on a documentary and creating a short script going into production. The faculty of Georgia College’s MFA program taught me how to read like a writer, which is at the heart of how I’m able to create my current work.” ■

This year Georgia College’s MFA program debuted digital journal Arts & Letters PRIME. Accessible through iBooks, PRIME expands on awardwinning journal Arts & Letters and offers print, graphic, audio and video features of the nation’s best writers and artists. The Creative Writing program offers a sneak peek of this new publication to alumni and friends of Georgia College who would like to become more involved in the university’s writing community.

Download PRIME for free through summer 2012 by visiting gcsu.edu/PRIME

>>>

To learn more about the MFA in Creative Writing, see the video at

gcsu.edu/connection, or visit gcsu.edu/creativewriting.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Recent Georgia College graduate Garry Michaels, RN, MSN, looks at a digital X-ray image with Dr. Lora Crowe, one of the faculty members in the new Doctor of Nursing Practice program.

Georgia College Connection â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2012

By Judy Bailey

First doctoral degree offered by School of Nursing Georgia College will offer the first doctoral degree program in its 123-year history, beginning this summer. THE SCHOOL OF NURSING WILL ADMIT up to 12 nursing professionals to the new Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Georgia College. The online program will enable professionals to advance as leaders in the nursing field and help fill the growing gap in local communities, the state and the nation for DNP graduates who have learned research skills to improve patient care. “Recent research has established a clear link between higher levels of nursing education and better patient outcomes,” said Dr. Deborah MacMillan, assistant director of graduate programs in nursing. “The nursing faculty is committed to enhancing nursing education at all levels.” The program will arm DNP graduates with skills to use in their roles at the policymaking level to advance patient care, said Dr. Judith Malachowski, director of the School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences. “Our DNP students will bridge the gap between research and patient care. The program will offer extensive opportunities for collaboration, challenging problems for study and a tradition of rigorous scholarship.” The first cohort will launch the program with a weeklong, intensive immersion experience in May, and is expected to complete the five-semester program by December 2013. Applicants must hold a current, valid registered nurse license and a master’s degree in nursing or anesthesia from a nationally accredited

program. Applicants also are required to have 500 faculty-supervised, clinical hours in a graduate program. “This major step toward doctoral education is a natural progression for the College of Health Sciences and the university in our continuous effort to meet the growing need for highly qualified healthcare professionals in the region,” said Dr. Sandra Gangstead, dean of the College of Health Sciences at Georgia College. Georgia College received approval for the DNP program from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents last spring. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) recently approved a level change for Georgia College, which enables the university to offer professionally based doctoral programs. The doctoral program builds upon Georgia College’s decades-long role as a key provider of undergraduate and graduate nursing education. Georgia College joins Georgia Southern University and Georgia Health Sciences University among University System of Georgia schools in offering the DNP degree. “Not only do we graduate bedside nurses through our Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program and primary care nurses through our Master of Science degree for family nurse practitioners,” said Dr. Martha Colvin, associate dean of the College of Health Sciences, “but now we will educate nursing leaders who will advance patient care.” ■

For more information on the nursing programs offered at Georgia College, visit gcsu.edu/nursing.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

ENDOWED PROFESSORSHIP

Dr. Roger Coate

International political expert holds Coverdell Chair He has the good looks, the dapper dress, the suave character of an international statesman and, although he has never been elected to office nor appointed to an ambassadorship, Dr. Roger Coate carries a lot of influence in international political circles. THE PAUL D. COVERDELL ENDOWED CHAIR OF POLICY STUDIES at Georgia College jets around the world to advise governments and international organizations, address professional and political groups, and seek international cooperation. Then he brings his knowledge and acumen as one of the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top international political scholars back to the classrooms and the scholarly community at Georgia College.

By Harry Battson

Georgia College Connection â&#x20AC;˘ Spring 2012

Coate, after teaching at the University of South Carolina for 28 years and the University of Arizona before that, accepted the Coverdell Chair at Georgia College in 2009 to “pursue the kinds of work that represent the ideal of Paul Coverdell as director of the Peace Corps and as someone very much interested in central Georgia with the vision of trying to bring to Georgia College more internationalization and more interest by students and faculty in policy work.” For Coate, policy work can bring strange twists. When the Reagan administration withdrew from UNESCO (United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization), Coate was asked to serve as counsel to the Chair of the U.S Secretary of State’s special blue-ribbon panel to consider whether the U.S. should reconsider its decision to withdraw. Coate wrote a book, Unilateralism, Ideology, and U.S. Foreign Policy, about the politics behind why the United States quit the world body. In 2001, Coate was a delegate for the United States to the UNESCO General Conference to look at whether enough change was possible for the United States to rejoin. UNESCO “is the leading institution for education in the world, as well as the leading international organization for science,” Coate said. “It also deals with culture but equally important for where we’re sitting right now, information and communication” which makes it a very important organization for the world and for America. So, under the Bush administration in 2003, the United States rejoined and Coate continues to study U.S. foreign policy as it relates to UNESCO. But Coate keeps several irons in the fire. “I just finished a book, Identity Politics, which is a new area for me.” In the post 9/11 era, Coate feels it’s critical for Americans to understand how identity shapes people’s actions – “not just Islamic culture but other kinds of identities that people have that really motivate, or stifle, their behavior.” Another new project is “looking at the role of sport for promoting educational attainment and gender empowerment and gender equality,” Coate said. “It’s an outgrowth of the World Cup. It was fascinating to see the President of South Africa host an education summit and he got these soccer players, the stars, to come on board to try to use sports to make certain that young men and women are staying in school, that they are excited about school.” Coate remains excited about Georgia College. “This year, for the first time, we have a course on international organization,” Coate noted. The course acquaints “students with what institutions are, the role of multilateral institutions in dealing with global issues and global problems, but also the importance of working in cooperation with other countries and other actors in institutional settings that enable us, the US government or individual Americans, to be able to solve problems we can’t solve ourselves.” Almost every issue today is an international issue. That’s one of the reasons that Coate and his faculty colleagues launched a student team for the National Model United Nations competition three years ago.

Coverdell Chair Dr. Roger Coate chats with research assistants Jeffrey Griffin and Taylor Henderson.

“We’ve been very successful,” Coate said. “Last year the students went to the national Model UN simulation in Washington DC and won awards. It was the first time they went and actually walked home with awards.” The team trains through a class at Georgia College where students simulate the UN Security Council, “an eye opener for students,” Coate said. Students are graded on their role playing, representing other nations in dealing with the United States and other world powers. “Currently on the council there are some countries that aren’t that friendly to the United States, but you’ve got to play the role, you’ve got to represent them. So the students get frustrated sometimes, but it’s life. That’s what the real world is like.” Interestingly, at Georgia College, only half a dozen of the 20 students participating in the model UN are political science majors. “The rest are from business, they’re from communications, they are from all the disciplines,” Coate said. “That’s what I like about Georgia College – that we are interdisciplinary. We are a true liberal arts university.” Coate is now working on setting up grants for students, working with a faculty research mentor, to enable students to pursue research in their respective fields of inquiry. He’s also working to establish a Center for Global Cooperation and Security at Georgia College, which would involve disciplines across the campus and establish a new major in international studies. “To me, this is in the image of Paul Coverdell. He was really concerned about U.S. outreach and involvement in various parts of the world to promote democracy,” Coate said. “A cornerstone of that is getting people, our students, our local community, to understand more of what’s going on in the world around them – and that’s what this center would do.” ■

To see a video featuring Roger Coate, visit gcsu.edu/Connection

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Front Row - Anthony Taylor, Robert Thomas, Dwain Evans, Rickey Smith, Kenneth Washington Sr., Alden Brown, Jonathan McColumn, Thad Dixon, Pierre Clements, Darryl Thomas. Back Row - Tyrone Evans, Cody Blenman, Jairus McColumn, Randy Smith, Bruce Colbert, Willie Collins, Walter Burke, Clarence Hollins.

Kappa Alpha Psi celebrates 25 years

at Georgia College THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION OF THE FOUNDING of a Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at Georgia College was celebrated March 8-10, with the 10 living founders returning to campus for the event. The Mu Psi chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi officially was chartered on March 7, 1987. The organization continues on campus, with founder Kenneth Washington, ’88, serving as alumni adviser.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

“Georgia College was instrumental in the charter of our fraternity and also provided the academic enrichment tools for many of the founders to be successful in corporate America,” said Pierre Clements, ’86, a Mu Psi founder and a member of the K-100 Executive Leadership Organization for Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity nationally. The Kappa Alpha Psi motto is “achievement in every field of human endeavor.” The fraternity is known for its community service projects, the Guide Right Program, aimed at supporting local youths, and for its “cane stepping” at organized shows. Nationally Kappa Alpha Psi celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2011, only the second predominantly African-American collegiate fraternity to reach that milestone. The fraternity has more than 150,000 members with 721 undergraduate and alumni chapters. The Mu Psi chapter founders and members have met annually for the past 25 years in Atlanta, Macon, Greensboro or Milledgeville. This year’s reunion at Georgia College included a Legacy of the Chapter luncheon. Kappa Alpha Psi had its beginnings at Georgia College in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, when William Denerson transferred to Georgia College from the Beta Chi Chapter at Hampton University, along with Willie B. Collins, a graduate student from Georgia Southern University. Through an affiliation with the Theta Pi chapter at Mercer University,

Denerson and Collins recruited other Georgia College students, including Michael Jinks, Rudy Grant, Cedric Miller and Leonard Moore to pledge Kappa Alpha Psi. In 1983, six Georgia College students planted the seed that grew into the Georgia College chapter. Labeled the “Persevering Prophets of Integrity,” Albert Armstrong (deceased), Vascoe Rozier, Dwain Evans, Jarius McColumn and Rickey E. Smith were initiated into the Theta Pi chapter on March 11, 1984, as a Kappa Alpha Psi “Colony at Georgia College.” In 1985, three “Dynamic Men of Courage” – Pierre Clements, Kenneth Washington and Jonathan McColumn – were initiated. In 1986 the “Bonded Men of Wisdom” – Bruce Colbert, Randy Smith and Alden Brown – were initiated. The following March, Mu Psi Chapter was approved nationally and chartered at Georgia College with the 11 members from those first three inductions listed as founders of Mu Psi. “All of us received a tremendous foundation as an undergraduate at Georgia College,” said Clements, “and my goal is to have the Mu Psi Brothers give back to Georgia College with their time, talent and resources.” The group is considering establishing a Mu Psi Memorial Scholarship Fund in the future and other ways to give back to Georgia College, Clements said. ■

Founders of Mu Psi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi at Georgia College: Albert Sydney Armstrong Jr., ‘87 (deceased) - Business administration. Armstrong was the founder and president of Armstrong Management Group, LLC; a company that specialized in event promotion and concert planning. An active member of Center Hill Baptist Church and president of the scholarship ministry, he was also a Freemason with the Square Lodge #346/F&AM in Macon, Ga. Armstrong was married to Mrs. Trace Armstrong Pou and they have two children, Ashleigh and Albert Armstrong III. Vascoe Rozier III, ‘87 (Macon, Ga.) – Marketing and logistics. Rozier is the operations manager for the Macon Centreplex. Rozier also serves in the U.S. Navy Reserve as a senior chief petty officer. A life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., he serves on several community boards. Rozier and his wife, Catherine, have three children, Charnecia, Vascoe IV and VaShaun. Dwain Evans, ‘86 (Greensboro, Ga.) – Marketing and logistics. Evans also received a Strategy Formulation Certification from Georgia State University, specializing in Strategy Development and Execution. As director of Enterprise Accounts, Government Sales for UPS Corporation, Evans develops sales strategies for national and global accounts. He serves on the Board of the Institute and Organization Development and CFO for Spring Field Baptist Church. Evans and his wife, Alicia, have three children: Briana, Bradley and Brook. Jairus McColumn, ‘08 (Stockbridge, Ga.) – Leadership and administration. McColumn currently serves as a technician with AT&T, responsible for maintaining and providing services for data loops as well as I.T. support and implementation for wireless networks. Trained in classical piano, McColumn a minister of music, songwriter and producer. McColumn has one son, Jairus L. McColumn II. Rickey Smith, ‘87 (Roswell, Ga.) – Chemistry. Smith currently serves as the Environmental Laboratory Sciences manager for Georgia Power Company, responsible for the administrative and technical operations of the laboratory. The laboratory consists of fossil fuel, chemistry, dosimetry and radiochemistry. Smith serves on the ASME Power Plan and Environmental Chemist Committee and he is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. Smith is married to Natalie, ’88, and they have two children, Rickey Jr. and Christina. Pierre Clements, ‘86 (Lake Spivey, Ga.) – Business management, with a minor in marketing, also earned an MBA from Mercer University in 2002. Clements is chief executive officer of Inside Group International, a management consulting/business solutions firm. Clements spent more than 24 years as a vice president/senior executive with Coca-Cola and Kraft. Clements serves on the Georgia College Foundation Board of Trustees and on the boards for Field of Dreams Academy, Kappa Alpha Psi K-100 Executive Leadership Organization and youth Ministry Higher Living Christian Church. A life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., he is married to LaKeshia and they have two children, Ernest and Joshua.

Kenneth Washington, ‘88 (Milledgeville, Ga.) – General studies and fine arts. Activity Therapist supervisor at Central State Hospital, Washington manages the New Direction Industries Work Therapy Program. Washington previously owned The Art Cellar, a custom design frame studio and art supply store. A life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and Mu Psi Chapter Alumni Adviser, Washington and his wife, Kimberly, ’91, have four children: Kenecia, Kimbria, Kendra and Kenneth Jr. Col. Jonathan McColumn, ‘86 (Washington, D.C.) – Management and logistics, also graduated from Georgia Military College in 1984 and earned a Master of Science in education from Elmira College in 1992, an MBA from Webster University in 2003, a Master of Strategic Studies from U.S. Army War College in 2010 and studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. McColumn, after 25 years in the U.S. Army, currently serves as director of contracting for the Administrative Support Office, Office of the Chief, Army Reserve and is the principle adviser to the chief for all contracting matters and business advisor for Army Reserve contracting. An ordained minister, he has one daughter, Jewel Faith McColumn. Bruce Colbert, ‘88 (Macon, Ga.) – Marketing and logistics. As Utility and Licensing manager for the city of Perry, Colbert is responsible for all business matters related to water and sewage, natural gas, solid waste, property taxes and business licensing. Colbert is an ordained deacon/Sunday school superintendent for Center Hill Baptist Church. He is also on the West Macon youth Sports Board of Directors, a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and a Little League Baseball and youth football coach. Colbert and his wife, Arlisa, ‘05, have two children, Bryson and Addison. Randy Smith, ‘88 (Jonesboro, Ga.) – Marketing. Smith is regional Southeast manager for Trends International LLC, the world’s largest leader and producer of posters, calendars, doodles, stationery and sticker retail products. Smith supervises a 30-person sales team and is responsible for product penetration for the Southeast region. Prior to this role, Smith was a manager for American Greeting Cards Company and Cross Mark Special Markets where he also supervised a sales staff. Alden Brown, ‘87 (Lithonia, Ga.) – Business management, with a minor in psychology. Brown also earned a Certificate of Executive Management from Georgia Tech and completed some post-graduate work toward an MBA in Marketing and Finance at Clark College. A senior executive area business specialist with Johnson and Johnson, Brown recently reached the 20 year milestone with the company and has been the recipient of several presidential and regional awards. Brown is also a licensed minister at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. He and his wife, Lowanna, have six children: Aleah, Airiana, Alden, Ariel, April and Alex.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

By Al Weston

SPORTS

Bobcats in the Community The Georgia College athletic department prides itself on initiatives for community involvement, not only to give back to a Baldwin County community that has so loyally supported GC’s studentathletes, but also to remain in tune with Georgia College’s liberal arts mission of creating a wellrounded student experience. Here is a small sample of the many community outreach successes Georgia College student-athletes have been a part of in the past academic year.

Halloween on the Hill In a night filled with ghosts, goblins and ghouls, members of the Georgia College baseball, softball and cross-country teams entertained Milledgeville youth at John Kurtz Field. The youngsters showed up to take part in various games, face painting and activities, all while getting a chance to meet some of their favorite Bobcat student-athletes. Then everyone headed over to the diamond to watch a three-inning costumed baseball game with members of the GC baseball team. The children, dressed in their Halloween attire, then had the opportunity to come down on the field, judge a costume contest and run the bases. 2011 Halloween on the Hill.

Valentine’s Day Mother/Son, Father/Daughter Free Youth Clinic With a focus on the family, the Georgia College women’s soccer team and head coach Hope Clark hosted their second Valentine’s Day Father/Daughter, Mother/Son Soccer Clinic Feb. 12. The clinic featured Georgia College’s brand-new Wellness and Recreation Center. The state-of-the-art facility has a sizeable indoor soccer surface, which served as the new home for the clinic after it was held outdoors in its first year.

GC soccer players getting into the fun with local youth.

Bobcat Student-Athletes Holiday Caroling at Local Retirement Home

GC student-athletes sing carols to residents of the Green Acres Retirement Home.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Georgia College Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC), student-athletes and staff took part in bringing holiday cheer to residents at the Green Acres Retirement Home by singing Christmas carols. “This was a great idea by SAAC and it was great to get Bobcat student-athletes involved in the community,” said Assistant Athletic Director/Senior Women Administrator Ginger Chaffinch. “They did a wonderful job and everyone really appreciated us being there. Student-athletes from all GC sports sang “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” and other holiday favorites. A great time was had by all, and SAAC hopes to continue their singing tradition next holiday season.

By Al Weston

Where are they now?

Missy Thomas Swicord teaches her sport Missy Thomas Swicord - Gymnastics When Missy (Thomas) Swicord, ’91, was inducted into the Georgia College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008, she became the first of what is sure to be a long line of Georgia College gymnasts to earn slots in GC’s highest athletic honorary. Swicord was ever-gracious in her acceptance speech, recognizing her teammates and legendary head coach Geza Martiny, showing a true sense of community that only collegiate athletics can produce. Swicord continues her involvement in the world of gymnastics by serving as owner of Lake Country Gymnastics, a youth training facility here in Milledgeville, Ga. She now works alongside her long-time gymnastics coach, as Martiny is a member of the training staff at Lake Country.

Today, Swicord is the owner of Lake Country Gymnastics in Milledgeville.

Swicord competed at Georgia College in gymnastics from 1987-91, aiding the squad to an NAIA National Championship in 1988. An AllAmerican four times over, Swicord earned an NAIA national honor in the all-around in 1988. In 1989, she won NCAA Division II All-American honors in the all-around and the balance beam while qualifying for the national championships as an individual in the all-around. She won allaround All-American honors again in 1990, and was an important member of the 1991 GC gymnastics team that qualified for nationals, finishing second in the region. Q&A What made you decide on Georgia College for your collegiate gymnastics career? I had a couple of choices for pursuing higher education through gymnastics. I decided on Georgia College for a couple of reasons. My private club coach for more than 10 years had been friends with Geza Martiny from the college and my team (Low Country Gymnastics in Charleston, SC) had been to several summer gymnastics camps and hosted meets at Georgia College. I fell in love with the campus at a younger age and I remember telling my mother that the Georgia hospitality far exceeded anything I was used to in the Charleston area. Those things, coupled with a comfortable feeling of knowing that I was going to a place that was familiar to me with a coach that knew me and my abilities, made Georgia College my final pick. How did your role as a student-athlete help shape you as a person in college? Being a student-athlete helped in several ways. The most important was that you walked into

SPORTS

Bobcat Alumni:

college on the first day and you were already a part of a team. No need for other social avenues to get you acquainted to your surroundings, you were a part of something great already! People recognized you as being an athlete, they knew who you were. It was a comfortable, reassuring feeling that an 18-year-old young woman needed at that point in her life. What do you miss the most about being on the Georgia College team? I certainly miss the comradeship that I had with each and every member of that GC Gymnastics team. Through my four years of competing, I made lifelong friends with all of the girls that shaped our gymnastics team from 1987 – 1991! I was able to be a leader, a mentor, a protector of my teammates. That was a good feeling, a feeling that I have to this day with a lot of them still. What was your most memorable moment in gymnastics competition for Georgia College? That would have to be the team qualifying to the NCAA Division II National Championships. I was a senior and had already made the trip to the National Championship by myself, but to see my team come together and perform well enough for us to make together; that was a moment I will never forget! What made you decide to stay involved with the sport? After graduation, I coached for a local club for a couple of years and then took up aerobic instruction for the next several years. When my daughter began taking gymnastics (at the age of 4) it brought back that feeling of “Oh my goodness what am I doing?” It was an opportunity to build a training facility and do what I always knew I could do – become a gymnastics owner and coach! With just an idea, I set out and explored and researched our community for more than a year before opening Lake Country Gymnastics in July 2010. What advice would you have for future Georgia College students to get the most of their experience at GC? Have fun – keep the future in clear view. Review your after-college plans long before the day comes. Be prepared to continue to build on the great foundation that the school stands for, and above all remember that for every day there is a beginning and an end, finish it as strong and as you started and always keep your eye on the prize!

Swicord was inducted into the GC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

1940s

Eva M. Moss-Stevenson, ’77, completed 34 years of state government service and retired from the Georgia Department of Human Services/DFCS. She served the most recent 14 years as director of Baldwin County DFCS. Eva retired on March 31, 2011.

Olivia Starr Berger, ’49, moved to Peekshill, N.y., to be near her children.

1980s

CLASS NOTES 1950s Martha Vassar Bowers, ’51, was honored by the Orita Mefa Baptist Church in Ibadan, Nigeria, where she served as a missionary from 1967-1972. Bowers continued her work in Nigeria until 1987. Once she returned to Georgia she and her husband started a church and served with the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

Kim Wall, ‘81, was inducted into the CMBDC Hall of Fame for a 29year career of marketing, business development and public relations excellence. Andy Offutt Irwin, ’83, is a storyteller, humorist, singer, songwriter and musician. Andy has performed as a featured storyteller at the national Storytelling Festival four times, and five times at the International Storytelling Center.

Helen Cook Boruff, ’58, continues to meet with a group of GSCW classmates who call themselves the “Big 8 of ‘58.” The group celebrated their 75th birthdays on Cumberland Island, Ga., and were hosted on a tour by GC alumna, Ann Proctor, ’71.

1960s

1990s

Nancy Elizabeth Jay, ’68, retired from Valencia College in Orlando, Fla. She continues to teach in the visual arts department as a senior teaching fellow. The Mennello Museum of Art recently purchased one of her paintings titled “Moving Through Time in the Rain” for their permanent collection.

Eric Roberts, ’90, was hired by Conservation Service Group, a national energy firm, to run customer service operations. Eric currently lives in New Albany, Ohio.

1970s Jimmy Hires, ‘73, has served six years on the Richmond Hill, Ga., City Council. He is running as an incumbent for Richmond Hill City Council Post 3. Hires has served on the Bryan County Board of Education for 30 years and was on educator for 40 years. Bill Herringdine, ’74, recently joined Lighthouse Counsel as a senior consultant specializing in planned giving and campaign management. Bill spent more than 15 years in the University of Georgia’s development programs for fundraising. Nancy Ginn, ‘77, was hired as the administrator of Riverview Health and Rehabilitation Center. She has worked with Ethic Health and Retirement Communities since 1995 in many roles ranging from director of Clinical Services and administrator of Chaplinwood Health and Rehabilitation.

Harlan Archer, ‘89, has been named president of KaMin, a manufacturer of high quality hydrous and calcined kaolin with plants in Macon, Sandersville and Wrens, Ga.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2012

Ronnie Richardson, ’91, was selected as the acting director of secure campuses for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. Missy Swicord, ’91, was hired as assistant vice president at Century Bank & Trust in Milledgeville, Ga. Before joining the Century Bank Team, Swicord was inducted into the GC Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 and opened Lake Country Gymnastics in 2009. Kendra Green Russell, Ph.D., ’94, was named director of the Georgia College Center for Graduate and Professional Learning in Macon, Ga. Russell has been the interim director since August 2011. Puneet Puri, ’96, is currently working as Senior Manager in Postpaid Telecom of Idea Cellular LTD., a Birla Group Indian Global Company in Kolkata, India.

2000s Chad McDaniel, ’00, was honored as the 2011 Gwinnett Daily Post girls crosscountry coach of the year, and the boys

cross-country state coach of the year by the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association and the Atlanta Track Club. His Wesleyan School girls’ team finished second in the GHSA Class A state meet, while the boys’ team won the Class A state title for the third consecutive year. McDaniel has served as the director of communications at Wesleyan for the past five years. Lisa Gandy Holton, ‘00, founded Working Media Group Atlanta with partner John Minahan.

Kristen Quinton, ’00, opened her own law firm in Macon, Ga., specializing in criminal defense and family law. Previously, Kristen worked as a public defender for several years. Jeff Hornsby, ’01, manages the latest franchise of Georgia Bob’s Barbecue in Milledgeville, Ga., which opened in fall 2011. Dr. Marcus Jackson, ‘04, wrote a book, Because My Teacher Said I Can, to persuade teachers that the best teaching tool is encouraging words. Jackson went on a national tour in Oct. to promote his new book. In his spare time, he serves as a motivational speaker and mentor for at risk males in the Atlanta area. Kelly Sowers Swanson, ’06, ’07, and Nick Swanson, ‘07’ tied the knot on Oct. 14, 2011 at the Higdon House Inn and Gardens in Greensboro, Ga. John C. Barnette Jr., ’06, married Rebekah Jo Hunt on March 10, 2012. John is employed by Chick-Fil-A in Athens, Ga.

Roger Harrison, ‘09, was appointed to the Georgia Piedmont Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees. Harrison is a senior vice president for economic development at the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce. Brittany Johnson, ‘09, was hired as the Rockdale County Cooperative Extension 4-H agent.

In Memoriam 1920s

Photo: Shawn Norton

Roslynn Hight ’73, Dave Perkins ’71, Craig Amason ’83 ‘85 at the Atlanta premiere of Deadline.

Alumnus creates film score The music of Nashville recording artist and Southernblues legend Dave Perkins, ’71, is featured in the new movie, Deadline. The independent suspense drama starring Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts and Steve Talley opened in February and a soundtrack of the music is available. Filmed entirely in the Nashville area, the story involves journalist Matt Harper’s investigation into the 20year-old unsolved murder of an African-American youth in rural Alabama, despite opposition from his publisher, violent threats from mysterious forces, a break-up with his fiancée and his father's cancer diagnosis. Deadline is a story of murder, family, race and redemption — for a small Southern town and for Harper. Inspired by a true story, Deadline is adapted from Mark Ethridge's novel Grievances. Perkins composed and performed all the music. “Dave’s gritty, raucous, rootsy blend of blues, rock and more captures the essence of Deadline perfectly,” said Executive Producer and Director Curt Hahn, “and gives the movie a distinctive sense of place.” He was listening to the 2009 CD, “Pistol City Holiness,” when he knew he wanted Perkins to do the music for the movie. “The film’s narrative demands that a musical bridge be built between the traditional rural South, and the shiny, new urban South of cities like Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte,” said Perkins. “Once the listener crosses this bridge, he or she can look back and see the bridge for what it is. All aspects considered, the Deadline soundtrack is Blues with many movements. After all, if there is one music that cries the pain of the South’s troubled past but, also, sings the spirit of its hope for the future, it is the Blues.” Perkins, who has a bachelor’s in history from Georgia College, also just received his doctorate from the Divinity School at Vanderbilt University. Perkins performed on campus last year as part of the international Flannery O’Connor conference hosted by the O’Connor Studies Program. Perkins credits the works of Georgia College alumna Flannery O’Connor as having a profound influence on his faith and his art. Perkins’ score and songs use stylistic extremes with instruments like the acoustic guitar and banjo along with computer-driven beats and explosive guitars. The Fall 2009 Connection profiled Perkins and included this video of him performing: www.gcsu.edu/connectionmagazine/fall2009index.htm

Lucy Veazy Shores, ‘26 Frances Beall Holtzendorf, ‘28 Audrey Westbrook Hembree, ‘29

1930s Mary Williams Anderson, ‘32 Elizabeth Cowart Hurd, ‘32 Sarah Anne Staples, ’34 Agnes Smith Brownell, ‘35 Martha Carithers Rhodes, ‘35 Lola Smith Lauff, ‘36 Nell Stokes Reeves, ‘36 Ruby Oakley Thompson, ‘36 Sara Allmond Carroll, ‘37 Louise Chambers Miller, ‘37 Margaret Gary Timm, ‘37 Polly Burns Fowler, ‘38 Louise Treadwell Hayes, ‘38 Edna Gibson McWhirter, ‘38 Julia Stewart Eden, ‘39 Doris Thomas Harden, ‘39 Elizabeth Hatcher Waldrep, ‘39 Annette Burton Waters, ‘39

1940s Olive Steed Baker, ‘40 Louise Rice Jones, ‘40 Sara Thomasson O’Hern, ‘40 Gladys Darling Battalia, ‘41 Marjorie Grant Cook, ‘41 Louise Reichert Edrington, ‘41 Elaine Baker Farmer, ‘41’ Dorothy Darden Renfro, ‘41 Martha Chandler Tomlin, ‘41 Helen Foster Wood, ‘41 Elsie McKinley, ‘42 Virginia Collar Clark, ‘42 Virginia Sasser Jones, ‘42 Sara M. Perdue, ‘42 Sue Jones Stapleton, ‘42 Fay Crowder Teetor, ‘42 Rosalia Donnelly Walsh, ‘42 Ruby Sigman Walton, ‘42 Corrine Tucker Dykes, ‘43 Betty Giles Lewis, ‘43 Catherine Goette Ochs, ‘43 Sara Penn Williams, ‘44 Mary Johnson Duggan, ‘45 Marie Leverette Gordon, ‘45 Ann Fitzpatrick Klein, ‘45 Christine yawn Brown, ‘46 Carolyn Cox Davis, ‘46 Antoinette Pennington Layfield, ‘46 Dorothy Bruce Murphy, ‘46 Comer Hymes Gay, ‘46

Lorena McDonald Johnson, ‘47 Doris Mobley Lightsey, ‘49 Mel Chambliss Whipple, ‘49

1950s Jane Hayes Smith, ‘50 Melba Shelnutt Hull, ‘51 Peggy Grubbs Cotton, ‘52 Garland Crowe DuPree, ‘52 Janet Marks Sobel, ‘52 Corene Wilkes Walton, ‘53 Emily Hodges young, ‘53 Mary Bollinger Ballard, ‘54 Sue Parks Bryan, ‘54 Martha Clarkson Fletcher, ‘54 Hennilu Maxwell Geiger, ‘55 Sarah Staples, ‘55 Patricia Henry Steele, ‘56 Frankie Smith Clark, ‘58 Patricia Blackwell Hall, ‘58 Azilee Johnson Jessup, ‘58

1960s Stella Phillips Middlebrooks, ‘61 Marie Jones Sears, ‘61 Violet Maughon Machen, ‘63 Paula Arnold, ‘65 Sarah McMillan Greene, ‘66 Rita Ratteree Greene, ‘68

1970s Susan Mather Hallsworth, ‘70 Polly Ware Rogers, ‘70 Clarice Harbin Stephens, ‘71 Joel Cortes, ‘74 Jeanne yager Tribble, ‘75 Alice Bush Newsome, ‘76 Angus M. Duff, ‘77 Leroy S. Wiley, ‘77 Carol J. Bloodworth, ‘78 Dorothy M. Gordy, ‘78 Beth Williams Meier, ‘78

1980s Sandra Wolfe Hickman, ‘80 Steve Tompkins, ‘81 Rev. Larry B. Jones, ‘83 Sudie Lewis Dorris, ‘84 William B. Collins, ‘86 Joyce Hoskins Jackson, ‘88 Sara Bendure Goolsby, ‘89 Michael D. Moses, ‘89

2000s Tiffany D. Bishop, ‘09, ‘11 Margaret NeSmith, ‘09

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