FROM THE ALUMNI PRESIDENT Dear Friends, The one thing that we can always count on is change. New friends, new jobs, new places to live-these are all regular changes in our lives. Changes at Longwood are also very apparent, whether you graduated four or 40 years ago. We've changed from a college to a university; from having dorm mothers to RECs; from eating in Blackwell dining hall to eating in Dorrill or an on- or offcampus fast-food restaurant. Of course, the biggest change is that we've gone from all-female to coed. However, the more things change, the more things stay the same, and that is absolutely the case here at Longwood. The things you love the most about Longwood have remained the same. Students still meet in the Rotunda around Joan, they still attend Chi burning, and they still wonder how they are going to make it to class at 8 a.m .-much like we still rush to get to work on time! As we bring about change to this newsletter, we hope to inspire one small change in your life. We want to see more of you and hear more from you in both small and big ways! Below are a few ways you can accomplish this. •Attend events both off and on campus. While it can
be difficult to travel to Longwood, there are Longwoodsponsored events happenin!J in many metropolitan areas, and we would love for you and your family to join us! If a trip to campus is possible, the optiops for a great visit are endless. Guest speakers, musical performances, student athletic events and many other activities take place every day. Or you might just want to spend time visiting your favorite professors! •Tell us your great news! Send us news about your ca-
reer and information about marriage, births and awards. We love to celebrate your accomplishments in life and want to share this news with other alumni. Photos are also welcome! • Ready to engage with current students? We are always
actively seeking to connect current students with alumni for internship experiences. We are also interested in bringing alumni back to campus to share information about their careers and/or job openings. •Already getting together with fellow alumni? Tell us
about your event, and we willl send you a Longwood Loot box! Who doesn't love more Longwood gear as a gift? We hope you will make a commitment to stay connected to your alma mater. We look forward to hearing about that charity event you participated in, the marathon you ran, the job promotion that came through or that new addition to your family (be it child or grandchild-they are all future Lon!JWood graduates!) . Although our lives have led us down different paths and we have changed in many ways from that first moment we stepped on campus, the one thing that we all have in common is that Lon9wood is a place we called home for a magical time in our lives. We hope you will come home soon! Looking forward to our paths crossing soon,
Colleen Margiloff '99 President, Longwood Alumni ,1\ssociation
On the cover: Longwood students take advantage of a photo op while hiking Elephant Rock located in Nevada's Valley of Fire State Park. (from left) Sarah Adams, Theodor Kuntz, Jon Kirchgessner, Jesse Prater, Katie Holloway, Gus Hemmer and Russell Reed.
on po.mt is published twice a year by the Division of University Advancement. Editor: Gina Caldwell Creative Direct,or: David Whaley
434-395-2020
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LONGWOOD ALUMNI NEWS
Leaving A Legacy President Patrick Finneg1an resigns for health reasons
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Longwood University President: Patrick Finnegan, who has been on leave due to health reasons for several weeks, has submitted his resignation to the university's Board of Visitors effective June 30. Marge Connelly, financial services executive and former rector of the Board of Visitors, is serving as acting president through June 30. She will become interim president on July 1 and continue in that role during the search for a new president. (See related story on Page 3.) An Army brigadier general, Finnegan was named Longwood's 25th president on July l, 2010, after serving 11 years as a law professor and administrator at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. From 2005-10, he was dean of the Academic Board, West Point's chief academic officer. Stepping down as Longwood's president after just two years in office was a difficult but necessary decision, Finnegan said, adding that it doesn't mean he is leaving Longwood behind. "I said in my inauguration speech chat I will be a Lancer forever, and chat statement is as true today as it was then, " said Finnegan. "Joan and I will always be grateful that we had the privilege of becoming part of the Longwood family. I am proud of the strides the university has made over the last two years." Speaking for the Board of Visitors, Rector Marianne Radcliff '92 said Finnegan accomplished much in a short time and that he would be greatly missed. "It is with great sadness that the Board of Visitors accepted President Finnegan's resignation," said Radcliff "From Pat's first days as president, his joy at being a Lancer and his vision for Longwood inspired excitement throughout campus,
ence. After extensive discussions and negotiations, the Big South Conference extended an invitation to Longwood on Jan. 23, 2012. Joining the Big South, which is effective July 1, will give Longwood better opportunities to participate in NCAA postseason play as well as to develop rivalries with the three other Virginia members of the conference. Athletics Director Troy Austin said Finnegan played a critical part in securing Longwood's invitation to join the Big South. "Early in his tenure, President Finnegan worked to develop relationships with other Big South presidents and key officials, which I believe was instrumental in achieving our ultimate goal-membership in the Big South," said Austin.
lrh e best th.1ng lS . th at we h ad a
from freshman students to long' tenured faculty members." Finnegan did achieve some of that vision, and his legacy at Longwood will be a lasting one, touching the lives of many future generations. Among his accomplishments are the creation of an academic strategic plan through a campuswide collabo-Brandon Fry ' 12 2011-12 Student Government Association President rative process; securing membership in the Big South Conference for Longwood's Division I athletics program; focusing attention The most visible legacy of Finnegan's presidency will be a on the need to make faculty and staff salaries more competinew alumni center. (See story on Page 3.) The most endurtive and beginning the process of allocating additional reing legacy of his presidency, however, may well be the consources to that need; gaining board approval for the location nection he created with Longwood students. of an alumni center on campus; creating an Office of SponFrom the outset, Finnegan made it clear that students were his No. 1 priority- and that he expected the same sored Programs and Research to seek funding for the faculty's scholarly activities; and increasing the number of international commitment from everyone who worked at Longwood. students on campus. Whether covered in red and green paint during Long"President Finnegan was the drive behind the academic wood's annual Color Wars, drenched in water after taking a strategic plan," said Dr. Ken Perkins, provost and vice presi- fall in a Spring Weekend dunking booth or caught up in the moves of a flash mob dance to support a student fund-raiser dent for academic affairs. "Higher education in Virginia is highly competitive, and he recognized that we have to iden- for muscular dystrophy, Finnegan has consistently shown that students are high on his list. tify our strengths-and take market forces into considera"A lot of students see him as that fatherly figure-sometion-as we shape our programs for the foture. " Finnegan also recognized that making faculty and staff one they can look up to. They gained that sense from his salaries competitive is key to Longwood's future. Toward being so involved and really putting students first," said that end, Longwood commissioned the Sibson Consulting 2011-12 Student Government Association President BranDivision of the Segal Company to conduce a universitywide don Fry '12 of Smithfield. salary study as a first step in addressing compensation issues. "The best thing is that we had a president who bought Finnegan also worked with the Board of Visitors to establish into the concept of the citizen leader. It's something all stua Compensation Task Force charged with developing an acdents are taught from day one at Longwood-that they are to become a person who makes a difference in their tion plan to make salaries more competitive. community. President Finnegan was that perfect role Another critical effort in which Finnegan was instrumenmode!."-Sabrina Brown tal was Longwood's search for a Division I athletics confer-
president who bought into the concept of the citizen l~ader.'
Marge Connelly
Board names interim president Financial services executive Marge Connelly, former rector of the Longwood Board of Visitors, on May 24 was named by the board to serve as Longwood's top leader during the search for a new president. Connelly is serving as acting president through June 30, transitioning to
interim president on July 1. Finnegan's resignation becomes effective June 30. Connelly has had a successful career in the financial services .industry, serving in top leadership positions for Barclaycard, Wachovia Securities and Capital One Financial Services. She served on the Board of Visitors nearly eight years, including three as rector. She resigned from the board after accepting the interim position. "We are fortunate to have someone with Ms. Connelly's management experience, financial acumen and knowledge of Longwood to guide the university through chis transition," said Board of Visitors Rector Marianne Radcliff'92. "We are confident that she will keep the university moving in the right direction." Connelly is looking forward co her new role at Longwood. "I am truly honored to have this opportunity," she said. "I have come to know Longwood as a very special place that makes a big impact on its students and the community overall. I look forward to continuing my engagement with Longwood in chis new capacity."
Connelly served as global chief operating officer for Barclaycard from July 2009 to December 2011. Ac Barclaycard, she was responsible for all operations and technology supporting the company's business activities in the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. Prior to working at Barclaycard, she was chief operating officer for Wachovia Securities (now Wells Fargo Advisors). As COO from 2006-08, Connelly oversaw the firm's information technology and operations management and served on the Executive Committee. She also worked for Capital One Financial Services from 1994-2006, rising to executive vice president. In that role, she managed much of the company's operations and technology, and worked to identify and cultivate relationships with business, government and community leaders. Connelly earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Delaware. She and her partner, Julie Christopher, live in Keswick and have two grown children.
On Our Way Plans for new alumni center get rolling with approval of location Longwood alumni are one step closer to having a permanent home of their own on campus. Paving the way for Longwood's first alumni center, the Board of Visitors in March approved a change to the campus master plan chat would allow the center to be located on the ground level of Blackwell Hall as part of chat building's renovation. State approval is necessary before construction can begin. The new center will be named the Frank 0. and Katharine Allen Maugans Alumni Center. Katharine Maugans '46 provided $2.5 million through a bequest to support a new alumni center. "An alumni center has been my dream for more than 10 years," said Nancy Shelton, director of alumni relations, adding that Longwood is the
only senior public institution of higher learning in Virginia without such a facility. Shelton said the new center will support the Alumni Association's mission to advance the interests of the university and to strengthen the bond between the university, its alumni and friends. "It will be a place on campu§ that alumni can call home," she said. The location designac,ed for the center is particularly appropriate because of the memories it holds for many alumni. For years it serv,ed as the lower dining hall or senior dining hall, and was a popular spot for parties and special events. With more than 12,000 square feet of assignable space, the Maugans Alumni Center will house not only
the Division of University Advancement, which includes Alumni Relations, Development, Public Relations and the Longwood University Foundation, but also a display area that will cell the story of Longwood from its beginnings to the present. Yearbooks and historical items donated by alumni will be showcased in this area. The center should also provide space for meetings, receptions and other alumni events. "We are working to finalize design plans for the center and will share chose details as they become available," said Dr. Bryan Rowland, vice president for university advancement. "We are all very excited about how this new facility will enhance our ability to serve Longwood alumni."
Phyllis Mable
Forme1r VP for student affairs dies in Washington, D.C. Phyllis L. Mable of Washington, D.C., former vice president for student affairs at Longwood University and a beloved figure here for nearly 20 years, died May 9, 2012, at George Washington University Hospital. Mable, 7B, served as vice president at Longwood from 1982-2001 and was a national leader in the stu-. dent affairs field. Mable had been executive director of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education since 2001 and had planned to retire from that position May 31. She was president of the organization from 1989-2001. "Phyllis always put Longwood students first;' said Dr. Tim Pierson, who was hired by Mable as dean of students and succeeded her as vice president. "Generations of students called her 'Aunt Phyllis' because she always genuinely cared about them. She always challenged students 'to live, love, learn and leave a legacy."' Mable was an unforgettable character for the generations of professionals that she mentored, Pierson said. "Anyone who has worked with her remembers her distinctive laugh, her notes of encouragement and her genuine interest in helping professionals and students grow. She was instrumental in building the philosophical foundation of the student affairs profession, both here and nationally. She traveled the world and met numerous celEibrities, but nothing was more important to her than heir Longwood friends:' Memorial donations may be made to the Phyllis Mable Citizen Leadership Award at Longwood, which was established upon her retirement, or to the Phyllis L. Mable New Professionals Institute at the American College Personnel Association.
3 alumni among new Board of Visitors officers
$86,00~D grant funds first step in creating laboratory school
Three Longwood alumni are among the new officers elected May 12 by the university's Board ofVisitors. Marianne Radcliff '92, a Richmond lobbyist, was elected rector. Dr. Judi Lynch '87 is the new vice rector; Ronald 0. White, secretary; and Stephen Mobley '93, member-at-large. The new officers' terms began immediately and will continue through 2012-13. Radcliff is vice president of Kemper Consulting, where her practice focuses on transportation, procurement, local government, natural resources and budget issues. In addition to working 14 years as a private sector lobbyist, Radcliff has held several positions in Virginia state government, including assistant secretary of transportation. She was appointed to Longwood's Board of Visitors in 2011. Lynch is principal of Saint Gertrude
Longwood is one of four public institutions of higher education to earn a Virginia College/University Partnership Laboratory School Application Planning Grant. Longwood, George Mason, James Madison and Virginia State were selected for the grants as part of Gov. Bob McDonnell's "Opportunity to Learn" agenda to improve K-12 education by providing more flexibility, innovation and autonomy outside the traditional public school system. Longwood's $86,000 grant will help establish a laboratory partnership school with Charlotte County Public Schools. In fall 2011, Longwood's College of Education and Human Services initiated a proposal for a summer lab school, which may be developed into the year-round model that will be made possible through the grant.
Marianne Radcliff '92
Jud i Lynch '87
High School in Richmond, the only all-girl Catholic high school in Virginia. Prior to joining Saint Gertrude, Lynch worked 20 years at Virginia Tech, most recently as director of special initiatives in the Office of the Dean at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. She was appointed to the Board of Visitors in 2010. White is district representative and military liaison for U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes (Virginia's 4th District) in the congressman's Chesterfield office.
Ronald White
Stephen Mobley '93
A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, White served 21 years in the Army, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He joined the Board ofVisitors in 2010. Stephen Mobley is program manager for Discovery Logic, a Rockville, Md., research and software engineering firm that consults with government, academia and private industry. He previously conducted stem cell research as a graduate biomedical researcher at Georgetown University. Mobley has served on the Board ofVisitors since 2009.
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This outstanding academic preparation paired with hands-on experience leads to jobs in what Barrett describes as the "fastest-growing technical field in this economy." In fact, Barrett said, 85-90 percent of business students who complete an internship have jobs directly related to the internship within 90 days of graduation. Take Matt Bogar '07, for example. He majored in what is now information systems and security, and minored in what is now cyber security, forensics and policy. His internship was with Advanced BY SABRINA BROWN Systems Development, an IT enterprise contractor, where he worked directly with the IT department in the Department of Defense's Office of the General Counsel. contractors, law enforcement agencies and companies in ave you ever thought about Today, Bogar works for CGI Federal heading a group the private sector. of 64 engineers who provide global network operations what would happen if someone "Longwood students take part in the Comprehenand compurer network defense for the Marine Corps. sive National Security Initiative launched by the hacked into the computer system that He says his Longwood degree helped him get ahead White House to establish a front-line defense against where others with lesser training hit "the glass ceiling." today's immediate threats to infrastructure and supply controls the U.S. missiles protecting Among his professors, he said, Dardick stands out. chain key information technologies, " said Paul Barrett, "Dr. Dardick brought vast knowledge from the indusour country? What if all the ATMs in dean of the College of Business and Economics. "Stutry and had a relevant, interesting scenario for each topic, dents in Longwood's Center for Cyber Security also your state-and the credit card promaking it seem more like an episode from a crime-solving TV series than a traditional class," Bogar said. cessing systems-simultaneously Dardick uses many resources in his classes. While textbooks are an important component, he also draws stopped functioning? Or what if all from many other resources, including the Internet, the the air traffic control radar screens news media and his personal experiences as an internationally known court expert and the founder and across the country went blank at publisher of the Journal ofDigital Forensics, Security and Law. Dardick also involves his students in rethe same time? search projects where they can utilize cyber forenYou may not have given these frightening possics tools and methods. sibilities much thought, but Glenn Dardick has. For one research project, Dardick and students purchased used hard drives from eBay and other Dardick, associate professor of information systems at Longwood, is director of the universources and analyzed them. The drives were supsity's new Center for Cyber Security. He and posed to be wiped clean of data, but the Longothers in the College of Business and Ecowood team discovered highly sensitive material on some of the drives. Such matenomics were focused on preparing professionals to protect critical information rial included personal information and systems and deal with other cyber security copies of sealed court documents as well as and digital forensics issues when they esinformation from a U.S. government contablished the center earlier this year. tractor regarding facilities and employees asThe center brings together academic sociated with the THAAD (Terminal High programs focused on information systems Altitude Area Defense) anti-missile missile security, digital forensics and homeland defense system. The drives containing the information from the U.S. government security. It also serves as the nucleus for contractor were turned over to the FBI. research in these areas and soon will be Karen Nettleton '07 remembers well the home of a state-of-the-art secure cyber security lab that will allow for the expanthat project-and other things she sion of that research. learned from Dardick. "We hardly used a textbook with him," "The entire world economy depends on the security and safety of our information she said. "He just had all this knowledge systems," said Dardick. "With the estabin his head. He provided us with real-life lishment of this center, Longwood has seexamples- and that's what you remember down the road." cured its leadership position in preparing Nettleton's current job in the Digital professionals to protect the cyber infraEvidence Section of the Virginia Beach structures of businesses, the military, transportation systems and other critical Police Department involves recovering areas from the very real threats they digital evidence from cell phones. "I look for text messages, voice face every day." mails, call logs, any pictures or The Center for Cyber Sevideos on the phone, and curity supports a bachelor's I also go through and recover degree in information systems and security and an inB,,,,, Tdylor the deleted data," she said. terdisciplinary program in cyber In addition to preparing unsecurity, forensics and policy. The dergraduate students for careers, center also supporrs the interdiscithe Center for Cyber Security is plinary program in homeland sehome to the premier double'or. Dardick brought from the blind, peer-reviewed journal in curity offered through the industry and had a the cyber security field, journal of Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences. In the planning stages is Digital Forensics, Security and for making it seem more like an episode from a certificate program in cyber secuLaw, which Dardick launched in a than a traditional class.' rity and cyber forensics designed 2006, and the Association of Digwith a flexible schedule for workital Forensics, Security and Law, - MATT BOGAR '07 ing professionals who are interwhich hosts an annual conference that draws cyber security and digested in the field. ital forensics experts from around Students currently working to the world. The 2012 conference, complete curricula supported by the center not only take courses including Cyber Secuheld in Richmond in May, drew participants from counwill meet and work with personnel in the Defense Inrity, Cyber Forensics, Network Communications and tries on five continents, including Egypt, India, Taiwan, telligence Agency, which is spearheading the initiative White Collar Crime but also have opportunities to com- to hire, train and retain the next generation of intelliGermany, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States. plete internships with the federal government, defense gence experts in the field."
New Center for Cyber Security prepares students to protect country from threat of cyber attack
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vast knowledge relevant, interesting scenario
each topic, crime-solving TV series
4 I ON POINT~ LONGWOOD ALUMN I NEWS
Spring break takes an unexpected turn
BY GINA CALDWELL
xperiencing a week without running water, sleeping under the stars and observing the process and impact of mountaintop removal. These may not sound like the typical adventures of college students on spring break, but they are some of the things that 30 Longwood students chose do for their Alternative Spring Break (ASB) trips in March.
mountaintop removal. Then they saw it in action. "From the Kentucky/Virginia border, we were able to see an active explosion of a mountain in Virginia," said Alexis Weixel, a junior social work major from Chesapeake. "This was an unusual event to witness, as many of the residents in that area do not see firsthand the actual blasting, only the effects." For the service portion of their trip, the students UTAH'S ZION NATIONAL PARK spent time volunteering in the communities affected by Guided by a volunteer coordinator from the National the blasting. "We assisted with home weatherization, such as caulkPark Service, 11 Longwood students worked in Zion National Park assisting with irrigation projects, spreading windows and doors, to help keep some of the dust ing manure and banding trees with a sticky substance to and debris from coming into the homes," said Meghan keep away caterpillars. O'Laughlen, a senior psychology major from Catlett. "This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip," said Theo Kuntz, The group also planted trees to help restore some of the a senior biology major from Suffolk. "I was able to learn vegetation that has died as a result of the blasting. valuable leadership skills and have a great time. When people see that you are willing to work hard, they appre- TURTLE ISLAND PRESERVE (Triplett, N.C.) ciate it and it makes for a great experience. This trip pro- Eleven Longwood students spent the week in the comvided a time to work and a time to have fun. " pletely natural surroundings ofTurt!e Island Preserve, a community located in a remote hidden valley in westThe fun part of the trip involved hiking Angels ern North Carolina. Named for a Native American legLanding and some of the park's other magnificent mountain peaks, taking in the views of canyons and ex- end, the preserve strives to acquaint people with the ploring (and sometimes bathing in) rivers and streams. natural world and to enhance their appreciation and respect for life. MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL "This trip changed how I view the world," said Andy IN APPALACHIA (Harlan, Ky.) Salzer, a junior physics major from Leesburg. "I was Harlan, Ky., was the destination for eight students inable to get close to nature and learn to do many fundaterested in learning more about the controversial coalmental things that have been lost in our generation." mining method known as mountaintop removal. The students helped with trail clearing, tree felling, Using explosives, mining companies in Kentucky, cutting and stacking firewood, stripping trees and pickVirginia and West Virginia blast as much as 600 feet off ing up sticks. Turtle Island is a completely sustainable community. the top of mountains, hills and ridges to get to the coal. They then dump the rock and debris into mountain Its full-time residents (about six) plant and harvest food streams. Students spent three days learning about from the gardens, milk goats, and make butter, soap and all tools. Wild animals on the preserve are hunted (top) Students stop to take in the view while hiking to Angels Land- for meat. ing in Zion National Park. (middle) Hard hats are required gear for "The food was fantastic," said Salzer. "Everything was students observing mountaintop removal activities in Appalachia . so fresh and healthy, it was a hard adjustment to return (bottom)The peaceful surroundings ofTurtle Island Preserve proto our normal ways of eating. " vided a welcome change of pace for 11 Longwood students.
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Lancer Lens
photos of alumni and friends at Longwood events
FOUNDERS DAY O Charlottesville Katie Blackburn '10 (left) and Kelly Sloan '10 @ Lynchburg Talbot and Shirley Huff '62 @) Virginia Beach Emily Carlton ' 11 (left) and Jenny Downs '10 0
Reston Carey Seery '9 ~
T,ONGWOOI
MILESTONE REUNIONS
(D Class of 1947 Gene H. Knoop (left), Virginia A. Justice, Anne C. Miller, Geraldine N. Sandidge and Betty B. Hunter-Clapp @ Class of 1957
@ E. Ann Parker Stokes '42
@ Class of 1962
'8 0 5
RE UN ION Gl Carla Lightfoot '85 (left) and Angela Radford '8511) Gary Hale (left) and Matthew Church '87 Cl) Sharon Mauch Sutton '84 (left), Christopher Conner '84 and Beth Hamilton Evans '84
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LONGWOOD ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni Events JUNE
20 NorfolkTides Baseball: Pre-game picnic, 5:45 p.m.; game, 7:15 p.m ., Harbor Park, Norfolk. Tickets: game and picnic, $25; game only, $11; picnic only, $15. Register at www.longwoodlink.com .
JULY
9 2013 Alumni Awards Nomination Deadline: For Longwood's annual awards recognizing outstanding alumni . Information: 800-281-4677 (ext. 3) or 434-395-2044. 9 9 (left) and Nancy Shelton '68
0 Richmond Taylor Hines '11 (left), President Patrick Finnegan, Paula King '90 and Mike Oprysko
18 Richmond Flying Squirrels Baseball: Pre-game event, 6 p.m., Morgan Stanley Smith-Barney Suite, courtesy of Bill Edwards '02; game, 7:15 p.m ., The Diamond, Richmond . Tickets: $10. Register by June 17 at www.longwoodlink.com.
25 Longwood Legacy Visit Day: For rising high-school juniors and seniors who are the children of alumni and interested in applying to Longwood. 10:30 a.m., Blackwell Ballroom on campus. Rising seniors who wish to receive a decision that day are invited to participate in the Immediate Decision Program; personal statements on the application will be waived for this day. Information and R.S.V.P.: 434-395-2879.
AUGUST
19 0 Class of 1952
The GAME 3.0:Tailgating and spirit carnival, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Dorrill Dining Hall; pep rally, 6 p.m ., Willett Hall; march to soccer field, 6:15 p.m., departs from Willett; women's soccer vs. VCU, 7 p.m., Athletics Complex. The new Longwood Scarf can be purchased at this event.
20 Washington Nationals Baseball : vs. Atlanta Braves. Pre-game picnic, 5:35 p.m.; game, 7:05 p.m., Nationals Park, Washington, D.C. Tickets: game and picnic, $40; game only, $24; picnic only, $16. Register by July 20 at www.longwoodlink.com.
22 Lynchburg Hillcats Baseball: Pre-game picnic, 5:30 p.m.; game, 7:05 p.m., Lynchburg City Stadium. Adult tickets: game and picnic, $18; game only, $6; picnic only, $11. Child tickets (ages 5-14): game and picnic, $9; game only, $4; picnic only, $5 . Register by Aug . 8 at www.longwoodlink.com.
GRADUATION GARDEN RECEPTION mPresident Finnegan,Amy Lawson '12 and Joan Finnegan
OCTOBER
5-6 Oktoberfest: On the Longwood campus.
19 Longwood Athletics Benefit: Live and silent auction, great food and dancing, 7-11 p.m., The Omni Hotel, Richmond. Tickets: $75 each or $125 for two. Presented by the Lancer Club. Information and registration: lancerclub @longwood .edu or 434-395-2081.
19-21 Black Alumni Weekend : On the Longwood campus. Information and registration: 434-395-2394.
26-27 Reunion Weekend : For the Class of 1967 (45th reunion) and the Class of 1972 (40th reunion). On the Longwood campus . Information : 434-395-2044.
~ Carol Knowles Nelms '82 (left), Andy Ruffin Crooks '81, Debbie Osborne Jones '80, Kathy Koch Winston '81 and Jeannie Wakelyn Boyce '83
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Reality Show Alum's exhibit at Virginia Historical Society captures the drama of Appalachian life BY KENT BOOTY
Some of the photographs are of people who are looking into a camera lens for the first time. Others are of weather-beaten barns, horses in snowy fields and out-of-the-way Appalachian landscapes. All are black-and-white slices of life by an artist who said he was "documenting a way of life that was rapidly disappearing. " "End of an Era: The Photography of Jack Jeffers" runs through Aug. 26 at the Virginia Historical Society in Richmond. The exhibit includes 23 large-format silver sulfide prints, all hand-processed by Jeffers '62 and featuring people and landscapes from primarily the Appalachian region of western Virginia. The prints were selected from 119 images Jeffers captured over a period of about 30 years and donated to the society in 1996. His photographs also hang in several prestigious museums, including the Smithsonian. The Longwood Center for the Visual Arcs also has 39 Jeffers works in its permanent collection. Thirty-eight of the photographs were donated by the artist in 1996, and the ocher was purchased by che LCVA in 1980. "Mine is a poetic and classic view of rural America, and I portray the land in a traditional and representational genre," Jeffers wrote in his blog. Jeffers' images are quiet, but his work has made a big noise in the art world. In 1972, he became the first fine arc photographer to win a best-in-show award at a juried all-media arc show in chis country, which has been called a "major breakthrough" for the acceptance of photography as an art form. Visitors 8 I ON POINT H
LONGWOOD ALUMNI NEWS
'Mine is a poetic and classic view of rural America, and I portray the land in a traditional and representational genre.' to the exhibit at the Virginia Historical Society can view that winning photograph, "Mountain Man" (1972), as well as Jack Jeffers '62 "The Hiker" (1969), which he considers his first fine arc photograph. It's tempting to say chat Jeffers was an instant success, in that 1972 was the same year he quit his day job (he worked in advertising for General Electric for 10 years) and began representing himself and marketing his photographic work. By chat time, however, he had been hooked on photography for years. He was about 10 when he "confiscated" his mother's Kodak Brownie camera and set up a darkroom in his dad's woodshed behind the family's home, in the Kingsville area halfway between Farmville and Hampden-Sydney. "I could only work on moonless nights because there were no shades over the windows and there were numerous cracks in the wooden walls. It was about as primitive as you can get," he said. For most of his career, he lugged around a 40-pound field pack containing two medium format cameras, four lenses, several filters, a light meter, film and a sturdy tripod. During
the nine years he was Radford University's chief photographer, he loaded everything into a modified grocery store care that could handle his expanded gear, which included a mobile studio. He switched from film to digital in 2005, which lightened the load a bit. "I now chink pixels rather than silver particles, but my view of the world around me has not changed," he wrote on his blog. "I am still inspired by the gentle, the noble and dignified, and the beautiful unfolding oflife as I see it." Jeffers is the son of Anne Meredith Jeffers '23 (who taught math at Longwood and later worked in the library) and Dr. George W Jeffers, known affectionately as "Dr. Jeff," who taught biology at Longwood from 1926 to 1968. Jeffers Auditorium is named for Dr. Jeffers, who died in 1990. "I had Dad for one class, Biology 101. Dad was the finest teacher I ever had, and I came to understand why so many students had such great respect for him. I ran across his students years after I lefr Farmville. Often, at an arc show, someone would come up to me and ask if I was any kin to Dr. Jeff." Now mostly retired, Jeffers moved to Colorado in 2008, where he lives with his wife, Pac, a fiber artist and painter.
Clockwise from opposite page: Highland County, Va., 1979, silver sulfide print, 4 of 40, printed and signed in 1979 (1996.81.73); Mountain Man, 1972, silver sulfide print, 2 of 50, printed and signed in 1978 (1996. 81 .49); Team, 1979, silver sulfide print, 18 of 40, printed and signed in 1983 (1996.81 .115); Daybreaking, 1979, silver sulfide print, 3 of 10, printed and signed in 1979 (1996.81.88). All images courtesy of Virginia Historical Society.
Seller Beware Award-winning student paper contains caveat for choosing real estate agent If you're looking for a real estate agent to sell your home, you might be better off choosing someone who doesn't have any properties of his or her own on the market, the results of a Longwood University research study indicate. Conducted by Brandon Caracciolo '12, the study showed that properties owned by real estate agents sell for more and are on the market longer than properties owned by agents' clients. This could mean that agents' interest in making money for themselves trumps their obligations to their clients, said Caracciolo. "The Performance of Owner-Agent Properties during Volatile Economic Conditions" won a best paper award in January at the annual Clute Institute conference, an international conference devoted to business research. "Brandon's paper was the only one by a student at his session; the other four papers were presented by college professors;' said Dr. Bennie Waller, professor of finance and real estate and chair of the Department of Accounting, Economics, Finance and Real Estate. "The number of students who even present papers at this conference is incredibly small:' Caracciolo looked at the situation in which an owneragent is trying to sell property he owns-not his primary residence but usually a vacation home or second home - in addition to properties owned by clients. Caracciolo found that, although there were no significant differences in selling price before the economic crisis, in the period after the crisis (2007-09), agent-owned properties on average sold for $7,603 more than comparable client properties. One possible explanation for the disparity in selling price and time on market could be that owner-agents were more motivated to sell their own properties, which may "violate the agent's fiduciary duties;' Caracciolo said. On the other hand, he said, many traditional sellers often have to act quickly due to job transfers and other factors, thus making them more willing to sell faster and for less. Agent-owned properties may stay on the market longer because they are investment properties, he added. The difference in results for 2007-09, as compared with the period before the crisis, could be explained by the mass exodus of agents, Caracciolo said. Those who remained were likely to be experienced, successful agents who have "staying power;' which might also explain the prolonged market time and higher sales price for their own properties. "They are more likely to own historic properties, water access properties, and properties that do not reside in specific geographical areas;' Caracciolo wrote in his paper. -Kent Booty
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Survey seeks alumni feedback
Forget the Suit
The best way to find out what people think usually is to ask them-so we're asking. The Office of Alumni Relations is conducting an alumni survey this summer to find out how alumni prefer to engage with the university. You may already have received an email requesting that you participate in the web-based survey, which is being facilitated by Hartford Survey Research. The survey will help us understand alumni attitudes about reunions and other alumni events, what kind of information alums would like to receive from the university and how they'd like to receive it, and how alumni would like to become more involved with Longwood. We will use the information from the survey to develop programs and direct our communications efforts. Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey. The email you receive will contain instructions on how to log in. If the Office of Alumni Relations does not have your current email address, please send it to alumni @ longwood.edu so that we can benefit from your feedback. If you want to participate in the survey but don't have Internet access, please contact Alumni Relations at 434-395-2044 to request a paper copy.
Business school graduate heads west to start career on Wyoming dude ranch Laura Lash '12 is living proof that business majors don't have to, as she said, "put on a suit and go to an office every day. " The graduating senior will begin her career in the saddle, decked out in Western duds, on a Wyoming dude ranch. Lash, a lifelong horse lover whose internship last summer was managing an equestrian business, lassoed a job as a wrangler at Goosewing Ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Less than two weeks after graduating, she began working as a "tour guide on horseback" at Goosewing, a kind of combination dude ranch and upscale resort. "My philosophy as a business major is that your job doesn't have to be behind a desk," said Lash, whose double concentration was in management information systems assurance and management. "I don't want a desk job, at least not for now. I'm going to chase something different for a while." Lash was equally comfortable in the saddle, in the classroom and in a leadership role for a student organization. A four-year member of the equestrian team, she was a regional champion in intercollegiate competition in spring 2011. She was president this year, and treasurer last year, of the Sport Club Council, which allocates about $60,000 annually to the 19 sport clubs that compete intercollegiately at the club level. She has visited Thailand in one class and Yellowstone National Park in another. ''Along with six or seven other wranglers-that's my title-I will lead guests all through the Gros Ventre River Valley, " said Lash. ''I'll have to dress Western-plaid shirt, cowboy boots and cowboy hat-and eat meals with the guests. I'll have to learn about the area-the plants, the animals, the history-and I'll have to take guests to the rodeo on Wednesday and Saturday nights." She's not sure how riding will figure into the rest of her life, but she's definitely looking forward to her time at Goosewing. - Kent Booty
Warden focuses on life beyond prison walls
LONGWOOD LOOT Make your next gathering of Longwood classmates and friends a bit more special with Longwood LootLongwood-themed goodies for your guests! Request a box of Longwood Loot by emailing (alumni@longwood.edu) or calling the Office of Alumni Relations (800-281-4677, ext. 3) with the details for your event. Be sure to give us at least two weeks notice. All we ask in return is for you to email us a photo taken at your gathering.
Nominations for 2013 awards accepted through July 9 The Longwood University Alumni Awards program recognizes alumni for their outstanding achievements and service to others. Nominations for awards to be presented in spring 2013 are due no later than July 9. If you would like to nominate one or more alumni, please visit www.longwood .edu/alumni/awards.htm and click on "Nomination Form'.' For more information, call 800-281-4677 (extension 3) or 434-395-2044.
10 I ON POINT~ LONGWOOD ALUMNI NEWS
A conversation that Benjamin Wright '97, M.S .'07 had years ago with a former correctional center offender is what motivates him every day. "Years after his release, a former offender called to thank me for assisting him in his journey to becoming a productive citizen," said Wright, who is the lead warden at Greensville Correctional Center in Jarratt. "I was able to connect him with educational and vocational programs that ulcimately enabled him to get a job immediately upon release. His call made me realize the influence that I could have on the lives of others. " Having started his career with the Department of Corrections after receiving his bachelor's degree in psychology from Longwood, Wright returned to the university to earn a Master of Science degree in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice and a certificate in public administration. Wright has worked at four facilities and has been promoted to positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career. The Greensville Correctional Center houses about 3,000 medium-level security offenders from across Virginia, with sentences ranging from less than a year to multiple life terms.
Under Wright's direction, the center offers a variety of programs aimed at helping rehabilitate offenders and preparing chem to successfully re-enter society. The "Campus within Walls" program allows offenders to earn certificates and associate's degrees from Southside Virginia Community College. Those enrolled in the program are housed together so they can support each other in their educational endeavors. Therapy dogs specially trained to reduce tension make regular visits. This program has proven to help build morale and promote good behavior among the inmates. For offenders approaching their release dates, the center offers a cognitive community program designed to change criminal thinking, introduce offenders to community resources and reunify them with family members. "Being separated from society is the punishment," Wright said. "We aim to rehabilitate offenders while they are incarcerated, not punish them further. Rehabilitation starts with the individual, and it's my job to put programming in place to motivate them to change." - jenny Pedraza
Can you hear me now? Graduate students provide screenings to governor's staff Thirty-seven members of Gov. Bob McDonnell's staff received hearing screenings and learned some facts about how to protect their hearing, all courtesy ofLongwood's communication sciences and disorders (CSDS) graduate program. The screenings, held in recognition of May as Better Hearing and Speech Month, were conducted by CSDS graduate students Rachel Brenegar, Lauren Robinson and Jenny Hazlegrove with assistance from Dr. Lissa Power-deFur, director of the Longwood Center for Communication, Literacy and Learning and coordinator of the CSDS graduate program. "This was a fantastic opportunity for Longwood graduate students to showcase their skills while alerting members of the governor's staff about the importance of protecting their hearing," said Power-deFur. "Our students are always eager to highlight their profession and Longwood's speechlanguage pathology graduate program." In addition to the screenings, the Virginia Department for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing presented demonstrations of assistive technologies. - Gina Caldwell
Classes of 1967 and 1972 to hold reunions in October
Graduate student Jenny Hazlegrove conducts a hearing screening for Todd Haymore, Virginia's secretary of agriculture and forestry.
WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE LONGWOOD SCARF?
Attention members of the classes of 1967 and 1972! Make plans now to return to campus on Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 27, for your class reunions.You will have the opportunity to visit the Rotunda and other areas of campus while enjoying the company of your classmates. In mid-September you will receive a brochure or postcard with registration information. Please be sure to mark your calendars, contact classmates and make plans to return to Longwood for this special reunion weekend. If you are interested in arriving on Friday and will need overnight accommodations, reservations can be made at the Hampton Inn (434-392-8826), Comfort Inn (434-392-8163) and Days Inn (434-392-6611 ). Be sure to ask for a room in the Longwood Reunion block. Please let the Alumni Relations office know your current email address so we can keep you posted on the latest reunion information. Call 434-395-2044, or send an email to alumni@longwood.edu . Visit us on Facebook at facebook .com/longwoodalumni.
Class Notes coming soon Longwood magazine is planning to start a Class Notes section with personal and professional news about our alums. If you have recently gotten a promotion or a new job, celebrated the birth or adoption of a child, gotten married or received an award, please tell us about it so we can share it with your classmates. Please provide the following information: For all submissions: full name, year graduated, degree received, contact information. For weddings: date of ceremony, spouse's name, spouse's degree and class year if Longwood alum. For births/adoptions: full name of child (including (from left) Jason Whisman '98, Ransford Doherty '97, Bethalyn Staples '99, Matt Bolte '03 and Robbie Winston '99
At the Oscars! Acting on a spur-of-the-moment call from fellow alum Ransford Doherty '97, five Longwood alumni braved crowds and security for a photo shoot in February with The Scarf in front of the Oscar Statue displayed inside Hollywood's historic Kodak Theatre. "The idea came to me after reading an article in Longwood magazine about alumni taking pictures with The Scarf in different places across the world, " said Doherty in an email. "So I thought, 'What if we took a picture with The Scarf in front of the Oscar statue? It's a once-a-year event! "' Doherty then called his friends and made arrangements to meet at the Kodak Theatre on the Saturday morning before Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. "I must warn you," said Doherty, "Hollywood Boulevard during the Oscars is hectic. Matter of fact, it's closed off, security is very strict, every news crew in the world is setting up and the red carpet is no where in sight for fear it will get dirty. Not to mention the tourists are very aggressive. When I say aggressive, I mean they'll push you out of the way just
last name), date of birth/adoption, parents' names, parents' degrees and class years (if Longwood alumni; both parents do not have to be alums). For awards: title of award, name of sponsoring organization, when you received the award and why.
to get a shot in front of of the giant Oscar statue. Luckily, we got off five decent photos before the morning rush started to swarm in." Doherty, Jason Whisman '98, Bethalyn Staples '99, Robbie Winston '99 and Matt Bolte '03 have moved to Los Angeles to pursue a variety of careers in the entertainment industry. Currently, Staples is working for STILETTO Entertainment, helping to produce theatrical shows for luxury cruise lines, and Doherty is starring opposite Kyra Segwick as Kendall, the coroner's assistant in TNT's hit drama "The Closer." In August, he will reprise his role opposite Mary McDonnell in the series spin-off"Major Crimes." Although the group wasn't able to attend this year's Academy Awards ceremony (they watched the event together at Winston's house), Doherty is confident that soon Longwood will be represented at the Oscar ceremony. "One day, The Scarf will be at the Oscars. One of our theatre alums will be wearing it when they receive their Oscar!" - Gina Caldwell
For professional news: current job title, company, location of company, when promotion received or
new job started. Please email your submissions to: alumni@longwood.edu.
Story ideas welcome The Office of Public Relations shares the accomplishments of Longwood University faculty, students, staff and alumni with many different audiences. But the staff is always looking for more stories-especially yours. Just fill out the story idea form at www.longwood.edu/ suggestastory.htm . Each story idea will be evaluated to determine where it might fit: on the website, in admissions materials or alumni publications, or in other venues. Thanks for your help!
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on Din NEWS FOR LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY ALUMNI SUMMER 2012
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Inside President Patrick Finnegan resigns 2 Interim president named 3 Alumni center plans are rolling 3 Center for Cyber Security launched 4 Lancer Lens 6 Alumni events 7 2012 grad saddles up for job 10 Lancer Scarf sighting
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Life in the Slow Lane Exhibition features alum's photos of rural America Jack Jeffers, Old Lady in a Car, Bridgewater, Va ., 1979. silver sulfide print, 12 of 15, printed and signed in 1994 (1996.81.106). Courtesy of Virginia Historical Society.