L E T T E R
F R O M
T H E
E D I T O R
Adaptation is the name of the game
L
Life will never be the same. Several aspects of our everyday lives won’t return to the way they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the use of technology has exploded. Our computers have been our portals to teaching, learning and connecting with others while being housebound. The theme of this issue, “Adapting to a Changing World,” touches on the many ways that the JMU Family has acclimated to the ground shifting beneath them. On Page 15, read about Bridge to Madison, a partnership between JMU and Blue Ridge Community College that serves students in new and innovative ways and helps meet the Commonwealth of Virginia’s changing workforce needs. Meet a media arts and design professor studying how Black women are represented in an evolving media landscape on Page 17. Also on Page 17, find out how a JMU expert on sport psychology is shining a light on the importance of athletes’ mental health as the issue, mercifully, continues to be destigmatized on a national level. Mental health, which for many of us has suffered during the pandemic, also is one of the numerous conversation topics on the Well Dukes podcast, which helps JMU students lead healthy, well-rounded lives. Learn more about Well Dukes on Page 42. And get to know Betsy Kauffman (’97), a leader who coaches organizations to be agile and change-driven, on Page 55. JMU alumni who embrace change, like Kauffman, are thriving. According to a new report based on earnings data provided by Equifax, JMU gradu-
ates experience increased earnings over time. This speaks to both the earning power of the JMU degree as well as the capacity of our graduates to be productive citizens. Median earnings from bachelor’sdegree graduates rise by 138% after 15 years from their JMU graduation. Over time, JMU bachelor’s degreeholders consistently and exponentially outperform the national benchmark. Myriad factors affect earnings, and it is not the only measure of their success—but it is an important puzzle piece. That JMU graduates have competitive incomes and see increased earnings for several years after graduating tells us that alumni outcomes remain strong. If you’re a prospective JMU student, you could be the next success story. As I shared in my testimonial with future Dukes, the Madison Experience will change your life forever. When the inevitable bumps in the proverbial road happen—as they have for all of us over the last couple years—lean on your JMU support system. You can read other alumni advice for new and future Dukes at https://j.mu/advice. As Heraclitus posited, “The only constant in life is change.” Go Dukes! Sincerely,
The Jessica Nickels story on CISR and how JMU students are benefitting from the Frasure-Kruzel-Drew Memorial Fellowship has a unique connection to my family and JMU. Joe Kruzel was my brother-in-law, and married to my sister, Gail, on that tragic day that took the lives of these
M AG A Z I N E
Khalil Garriott (’04)
S E N I O R E D I T O R - AT - L A R G E
Pam Brock
MANAG I NG E DITOR
Jim Heffernan (’96, ’17M) EDITOR
Amy Crockett (’10) C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R
Bill Thompson
ART DIRECTOR
Carolyn Windmiller (’81) A D M I N I S T R AT I V E A S S I S TA N T
Haley Garnett
D E S I G N A S S I S TA N T S
Emily Dodge Hannah Phillips
E D I T O R I A L A S S I S TA N T S
Kristen Essex Emma Loscalzo
C R E AT I V E M E D I A T E A M
Steve Aderton (’19) Justin Roth Cody Troyer Julia Weaver (’21)
AT H L E T I C S P H O T O G R A P H Y
Cathy Kushner (’87)
CAMPUS CONTRIBUTORS
Alumni Relations Athletics Donor Relations Parent Relations University Communications and Marketing F O R A D D R E S S U P D AT E S , E M A I L :
Email: madisonmag@jmu.edu or call 540-568-2664
executive editor, Madison magazine @khalilgarriott
fine individuals. I graduated from JMU in 1984, my wife, Karen, in 1986; Joe and my sister, Gail, were godparents to our daughter, Kristine (’16, ’17M), and our son, Jac (Joseph Albert Chipman) (’19), is named after Joe Kruzel. Thanks for publishing the very well written and informative article. — Bill Chipman (’84)
Madison magazine, JMU, 127 W. Bruce St., MSC 3610, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 For Class Notes, go to jmu.edu/alumni.
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE ... The old adage is true: “Nothing changes, yet nothing stays the same.” People no longer dot the hillside to watch JMU football games. The iconic, round dining hall no longer stands. The swimming pool at Godwin Hall is no longer the newest place to get in your laps. And the tunnel is no longer the most direct route to the basketball games. And yet ... the stately Quad remains dotted with students; professors remain dedicated to their students’ successes; academic excellence remains the CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 >>>
M A D ISON
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
C O N TA C T T H E M A D I S O N S TA F F :
Khalil Garriott (’04)
EDITOR’S NOTE: CISR managed the fellowship from 1999 to 2021. The program continues through the U.S. Department of State.
2
Vol.45, No. 1
advancementgr@jmu.edu or call 1-855-568-4483
Letters to the Editor UNIQUE CONNECTION
WINTER 2022
Madison is an official publication of James Madison University and is produced by the Division of University Advancement for alumni, parents of JMU students, faculty, staff and friends of JMU. Editorial office: JMU, 127 W. Bruce St., MSC 3610, Harrisonburg, VA 22807
NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: James Madison University does not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, race or color, height or weight, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation or belief, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, parental status (including pregnancy), marital status, family medical or genetic information, in its employment, educational programs, activities and admissions. JMU complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding non-discrimination, affirmative action, and anti-harassment. JMU prohibits sexual and gender-based harassment, including sexual assault, and other forms of inter-personal violence. The responsibility for overall coordination, monitoring and information dissemination about JMU’s program of equal opportunity, non-discrimination, Title IX, and affirmative action is assigned to the Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX. Inquiries or complaints may be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX: Amy Sirocky-Meck, Title IX Coordinator, 540-568-5219, www.jmu.edu/oeo, oeo@jmu.edu. (REVISED JANUARY 2020)
G A R R I OT T ( ’ 04) PH OTO G R A PH BY H A LLE FO R B E S (‘ 1 9)
