Madison Magazine: Winter 2020 by James Madison University

MURAL-MAKING ALUMNUS 30 TEACHER AT SEA 34 UNPRECEDENTED CAMPUS GROWTH 41 M A D I S O N

THE MAGAZINE OF JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY

The cover will be unveiled in early December 2019...

Stay tuned.

A Gem in the Valley W I N T E R

The Forbes Center celebrates its 10th anniversary season By Jen Kulju (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;04M)

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Outdoor laboratory Isaac Prock and his ISAT 320: Fundamentals of Environmental Science and Technology I classmates gather water quality data from the North River near Bridgewater, Virginia, to assess the ecological health of the freshwater tributary and its fish populations. PH OTO G R A PH BY E LI S E T R I S S E L

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Contents WINTER 2020

A Gem in the Valley

Page 24

The Forbes Center celebrates its 10th anniversary season By Jen Kulju (’04M)

Full Frame

prize-winning Porsche restoration; spotlighting JMU professors; JMU among best colleges for student voting; “Civvy” recognition; Purple Star Awards; #1 “Most Innovative” school

Students use outdoor laboratory to assess the health of the North River

4 Letter from

the Editor

Madison Executive Editor Khalil Garriott (’04) on Unleashing our talents

14 Unleashed events

6 Contributors,

Staff Soundbites

7 Directions

JMU President Jonathan R. Alger talks about the importance of feeding the business pipeline in the commonwealth

8 News & Notes

Madison Vision Series hosts Meacham, Grisham;

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Tech entrepreneur Jeff Grass’ (‘92) latest venture is sizzling

48 Alumni for Life

Unleashed supporters turn out for celebratory gatherings in New York City, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Harrisonburg

18 By the Numbers

22 Bright Lights

JMU is a leader in stewardship and sustainability

57 Class Notes

19 JMU Nation

2019 Hall of Fame class; Dukes Lead; app helps student-athletes tell their unique stories

Alumni chapter leaders; Handshake executive; Ronald McDonald House leader; volunteers honored at MAC event; alumna’s Madison Experience didn’t end at graduation Updates and news from JMU alumni; Celebrations, including Weddings, Honors and Future Dukes announcements

64 Connections

Me and my #MadisonMag

Ben Franklin shows his Purple Pride during the Philadelphia Unleashed event

ABOUT THE COVER:

To achieve the spectacular aerial shot of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, photographer Cody Troyer used a DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone at “golden hour.” (Metadata: ISO 100, F/4.5, 1/0.5)

F E AT U R E S

34 Combining her loves

BY JANET SMITH (’81)

Karah Nazor (‘99) draws from her Madison Experience every day

38 Treating the community

BY VICTORIA MARTINEAU, ERIKA METZLER SAWIN AND MICHELE DOMBROWSKI

41 Major construction projects signal fundraising success

BY KHALIL GARRIOTT (’04)

Unleashed impact felt campuswide

46 The future of wind and solar

New JMU Nursing partnership brings health care to rural patients

BY ERIC GORTON (’86, ’09M)

JMU center powers K-12 sustainable energy eduction across Virginia

Karah Nazor (‘99) with her Teacher at Sea team aboard ship in the Pacific Ocean; (Below): Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney (‘04) is a proud JMU Duke

Students discover the promise of alternative energy sources as teachers gain new resources

Ralph Cohen makes a point during Semester in London.

Riding the wave

BY JIM HEFFERNAN (’96, ’17M)

From murals to playgrounds to ambulances, alumnus’ art brings joy to others

FO R B E S C E N T E R A N D W I N D ST U D E N TS PH OTO G R A PH S BY E LI S E T R I S S E L ; PH I L A D E LPH I A U N LE AS H ED E V E N T A N D S U M M E R E LL BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M ); T E AC H E R AT S E A CO U RT E SY O F K A R A H N A ZO R ( ’ 99)

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Madison W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 Vol.43, No.1 BOA R D O F V I S ITO RS 20 19 –20

Maribeth D. Herod (’82), Rector Lara P. Major (’92), Vice Rector Michael B. Battle (’81, ’83M) Vanessa M. Evans-Grevious (’93, ’97M) Frank T. Gadams (’93) Jeffrey E. Grass (’92) Matthew A. Gray-Keeling (’05) Lucy Hutchinson (’06) Maria D. Jankowski Deborah T. Johnson (’78) Maggie A. Ragon (’82) John C. Rothenberger (’88) Michael M. Thomas (’76, ’77M) Kathy J. Warden (’92) Craig B. Welburn (’96) Norman Jones III (’20), Student Member Donna L. Harper (’77, ’81M, ’86Ed.S.), Secretary PRESIDENT

Jonathan R. Alger S E N I O R A D M I N I S T R AT O R S

L E T T E R

Arthur T. Dean II (’93, ’99M)

Executive Director, Campus & Community Programs for Access and Inclusion

Donna L. Harper (’77, ’81M, ’86Ed.S.)

Vice President, Access and Enrollment Management

Marilou Johnson (’80)

Vice Provost, Faculty and Curriculum

Charles W. King Jr.

Senior Vice President, Administration and Finance

Jack Knight

Senior Assistant Attorney General and University Counsel

Nick L. Langridge (’00, ’07M, ’14Ph.D.) Vice President, University Advancement

Tim Miller (’96, ’00M)

Vice President, Student Affairs

Towana Moore

Associate Vice President, Administration and Finance VICE PROVOSTS

Linda Cabe Halpern University Programs

Keith Holland (’00) and Anthony Tongen Research and Scholarship (interim)

Marilou Johnson (’80)

Faculty and Curriculum DEANS

Robert Aguirre Arts and Letters

Cynthia M. Bauerle Science and Mathematics

John Burgess

The Graduate School (interim)

Michael E. Busing Business

Rubén Graciani

Visual and Performing Arts (acting)

Robert A. Kolvoord

Integrated Science and Engineering

Mark L’Esperance

Education Sharon E. Lovell (’85) Health and Behavioral Studies

JMU family

Walking onto campus and feeling at home

Wonderful students and alumni

Friendly people who love purple!

The community. Go Dukes!

Furious Flower Poetry Center That I met my wife here!

It is family! All the generous people who share their stories!

My colleagues, the students and so many opportunities for meaningful growth

There’s a certain pattern in these responses. Home. Family. Connections. School spirit. Life-changing relationships. Growth. Friendliness. People. That’s it. That’s what JMU is about. I couldn’t have scripted it any better. I predict similar sentiments at our next release party. The ethos embodied by those attendees is echoed in the theme of this issue: “Unleashing Our Talents.” Examples are many. Our staff members share soundbites about how their talents have been unleashed while at JMU (Page 6). Madison Automotive Apprentices interns gain practical training and win a top national prize for restoring a Porsche (Page 9). JMU is recognized as a leader in civic engagement (Page 11). A JMU employee wins a Governor’s Award for enhancing the prosperity and quality of life in rural Virginia (Page 12). You can read about hundreds of alumni and supporters of the university uniting in four cities to unleash JMU’s full potential (Page 14). Learn about the university’s gold rating in environmental stewardship and sustainability (Page 18). Meet the sports immortals who etched their names into the lore of JMU Athletics (Page 19). Find out how one alumnus connects independent chefs with the corporate catering market and donates meals to local food banks (Page 22). Our cover story, 10 years of the world-class Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, speaks to a premier facility providing game-changing opportunities for students (Page 24). See the stunning artwork by an alumnus who runs a highly successful public art venture (Page 30). Catch up with an alumna who swam the English Channel and was a Teacher at Sea (Page 34). See the campaign’s impact firsthand through the myriad capital projects on campus (Page 41). These stories, plus many more, show how our talents Connect with us! are truly being unleashed at Madison. It’s an auspicious For a complete list of all time to be connected with this university. university social media links, We hope you enjoy this issue. Feedback is always please visit j.mu/socialmedia welcome: madisonmag@jmu.edu. Go Dukes! JamesMadisonUniversity

@JamesMadisonUniversity

Bethany Nowviskie

James Madison University

Libraries

Sincerely,

JamesMadisonU

A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N O F F I C E R

Eric Bowlin (’02), President

@JMU Madison magazine

PA R E N T S C O U N C I L C H A I R S

Wilson (’92) and Gina (’92) Friend (’20P, ’22P)

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People who bleed purple!

Always having a connection with a JMU alum from anywhere! The small-school feel

Bradley R. Newcomer Honors

E D I T O R

hat’s the question we asked the audience at the debut of our Madison magazine Release Party in August. The question was posed on a blank poster board in a corner of the venue, and we asked attendees to write their answers if they felt like doing so. It was optional, but the responses nearly filled the page:

Provost and Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs Executive Advisor to the President

T H E

What do you love about JMU?

Heather Coltman Mike Davis

F R O M

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jmu.edu/madisonmagazine

Khalil Garriott (’04) executive editor, Madison magazine

PH OTO G R A PH BY H A LLE FO R B E S ( ’ 1 9)

Unleashed on Tour SPRING 2020 Spendananevening evening with JMU near Spend with JMU near you!you!

MARCH 12

SAN DIEGO

MAY 20

NORFOLK & VIRGINIA BEACH

Details: j.mu/tour

PHOTOGRAPH BY NICOLAS HENDERSON

MAY 21

Unleash THE MOMENTUM!

Spend an evening with JMU friends to mix and mingle and share Madison stories! Hear from President Alger, star students

and alumni. Celebrate all things JMU and learn more about

“I’m in!”

THE DATE

their financial support, but it will take all of us. Join the tour

SAVE

AR CH

than 52,000 alumni and friends have already generously pledged

Unleashed: The Campaign for James Madison University. More

at one of these great events and say,

HAMPTON & NEWPORT NEWS

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Madison W I N T E R 2 0 2 0 Vol.43, No.1 EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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) C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R

C O N T R I BU T O R S

Staff Soundbites When is one time your talents have been unleashed as a result of being at JMU?

Bill Thompson EDITOR

Janet Smith (’81) ART DIRECTOR

Carolyn Windmiller (’81) D E S I G N A S S I S TA N T

Sydney Arnold (’19)

KIRA SPENCER

DESIGN INTERNS

design intern

Rachel Rizzetto Kira Spencer

EDITORIAL INTERNS

Amanda Christian Jazmine Otey

C R E AT I V E M E D I A T E A M

Mike Miriello (’09M) Justin Roth Elise Trissel Cody Troyer

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 :

advancementgr@jmu.edu or call 1-855-568-4483 C O N TA C T T H E M A D I S O N S TA F F :

Email: madisonmag@jmu.edu or call 540-568-2664

Madison magazine, JMU, 127 W. Bruce St., MSC 3610, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 For Class Notes, go to jmu.edu/alumni 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: James Robinson, Director and Title IX Coordinator, 540-568-6991, www.jmu. edu/oeo, oeo@jmu.edu. (REVISED DECEMBER 2015)

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“JMU has granted me the opportunity to grow my photography skills and to unleash my talents with a new set of skills as a video producer and director.” ELISE TRISSEL

AT H L E T I C S P H O T O G R A P H Y

“The creative skill set that I’ve gained from JMU allows me to unleash my talents on impactful work for our community.”

M AG A Z I N E

associate creative media producer

“Working on 2019 JMU Giving Day videos was an amazing experience, creating exciting and rewarding videos with such a gifted team.” CODY TROYER

creative media producer

CORRECTIONS: • An article about a summer chemistry research program at JMU (Fall 2019 issue, Page 11) should have identified one of the program’s American Sign Language interpreters as Judy Johnson Bradley (‘79, ‘80M, ‘82Ed.S.), faculty interpreting mentor for the program. • A photo of U.S. poets laureate on Page 28 of the Fall issue misidentified Eugene Redmond as Haki Madhubuti. • On Page 63 of the Fall issue, the couple at the inauguration of David Armstrong as the president of Saint Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, was misidentified. Greg (’75, ’78M) and Linda (’77) Cross, chairperson of the JMU Foundation, represented JMU at the ceremony. Madison regrets the errors.

Amanda Christian, an editorial intern in University Communications and Marketing, is a junior communication studies major with a concentration in public relations. She is double-minoring in writing, rhetoric and technical communication and honors interdisciplinary studies. Christian is president of the JMU chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America and involved with Bluestone Communications, JMU’s student-run public relations firm. Her contributions to this issue include writing about repurposing Styrofoam on Page 17. Jen Kulju (‘04M) is a passionate, results-oriented writer, journalist and communications professional with over 15 years of experience in corporate America, local government, television news and higher education. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business from Miami University and a Master of Arts degree in technical and scientific communication from JMU. Kulju has promoted the Forbes Center since it opened in 2010. Her cover story on the center’s 10th anniversary season begins on Page 24. Jazmine Otey is an editorial intern in University Communications and Marketing. She is a senior media arts and design major with a concentration in journalism and a minor in writing, rhetoric and technical communication. Enamored with writing since a young age, Otey has written for her hometown newspaper in Roanoke, Virginia, and reported in Urbino, Italy, last summer during JMU’s multimedia journalism program abroad. She wrote Faculty Focus on Page 10 and about JMU employees earning various awards on Page 12. Kira Spencer, a design intern in University Communications and Marketing, is a senior double-majoring in graphic design and media arts and design with a concentration in interactive design. She is minoring in studio art and honors interdisciplinary studies. Along with publication design, her passions include illustration, brand identity and user experience design, which she hopes to utilize at a creative studio after graduation. She designed this issue’s By the Numbers on Page 18. Mary-Hope Vass is the media relations manager in University Communications and Marketing. She came to JMU after working as a public information officer in local government for 10 years. Vass graduated from Radford University with a degree in communications and plans to pursue a master’s degree from JMU. She wrote several articles printed in News & Notes, beginning on Page 8.

CH R I STI A N , OTE Y, S PE N CE R A N D VA SS PH OTO G R A PH S BY E LI S E TR I SS E L ; K U LJ U BY BO B A DA M E K

D I R E C T I O NS

Feeding the Virginia talent pipeline

ou might have heard of Growth4VA, a campaign that felt inclusive and like I belonged here. It was ultimately what led run by the Virginia Business Higher Education to my decision to attend JMU.” During his visit, Brian also toured JMU X-Labs, the makerspace Council aimed at raising awareness among Virginians about the direct link between a well-funded, where students from every major work to solve problems brought to well-run system of public higher education and a JMU by partners in industry, the military and intelligence. He said robust commonwealth economy. If you have a few about the tour, “It was amazing. I think the thing that I was most minutes to spare, I recommend visiting their website to learn more and taken with actually is the applicability of what they are doing. They potentially taking action by sending the governor an automated email are solving problems that we’re trying to solve at Amazon. They’re encouraging him to include crucial investments in higher education attempting to solve problems in the way that we would solve them. in the new two-year budget he soon will recommend to the General When you’re waiting on the initial solution to something, there’s no glamorous way to do it. You’re hacking things together, you’re figuring Assembly (which begins its upcoming session in January 2020). out things as you go. And that’s exactly While at growth4va.com, you can what they’re doing. And it’s probably the watch “Investing in Talent Development most realistic simulation of the work they & Affordable Access,” a video featuring will do once they leave this university.” Virginia business leaders, lawmakers And, in describing his monumental and leaders in higher education. It will task of building a 25,000-member team make you proud of Virginia, and proud for the new Amazon headquarters, he to be connected to JMU. President and said, “I think the work they’re doing CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Comhere from an innovation perspective, and merce Barry DuVal (’81), a JMU alumfrom a customer-obsession perspective, is nus, opens the video by saying, “Virexceptional. And it’s certainly something ginia is fortunate to have some of the that would serve the students here well in best higher education institutions in the a workplace like Amazon’s.” country. It’s the reason I think we were Also in town for Homecoming was most recently named by CNBC as the Brian Riley (‘03), head of hiring for Amazon HQ2 Austin Adams (’00), senior manager at best state for business.” in Arlington, with President Alger during JMU’s Amazon Web Services. The former JMU Kirk Cox (’79), another JMU alum- Homecoming football win over Towson Oct. 26. Student Government Association presinus and Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, says, “I think if you look at any state, if they’ve been suc- dent said, “I’ve been coming back quite a bit recently because I’ve been cessful in addressing the talent pipeline, it’s a higher ed and business working to see what I can do about bringing Amazon and JMU more closely together and leverage the really amazing talent pool that JMU is collaboration. We do a really good job on that.” The video then goes on to make the very real connection between producing for both my own teams and for the rest of Amazon. Because Virginia’s No. 1 system of public higher education, according to with HQ2 coming, we’re hopeful that this will be a place that we can SmartAsset, and Amazon’s momentous decision to locate its HQ2 in recruit a lot. You know, employers talk a lot about JMU students as Arlington. Stephen Moret, president and CEO of the Virginia Eco- having not only technical proficiency, but also that unique social attinomic Development Partnership, says, “Higher education was the tude that makes them great on teams.” December’s theme in the Growth4VA campaign is “talent” as the centerpiece of Virginia’s successful bid for the Amazon HQ2 project; more than anything we won because of higher education in Virginia.” campaign works to maintain Virginia’s status as the “best state for busiDuring Homecoming weekend, I had the opportunity during our ness.” Clearly, JMU alumni are in the middle of the effort and will win against Towson in football (Go Dukes!) to host Brian Riley (’03). continue to be. The JMU community ought to feel very proud as we Brian is head of recruiting programs and strategy at Amazon, a proud roll up our sleeves and get to work! JMU alumnus and responsible for leading the effort at Amazon to hire 25,000 new employees for its HQ2 in Arlington. While in town, Brian also sat down for an interview to appear in a video that will be used in campaigns recruiting prospective students to JMU. While describing his JMU experience, Brian said something that I hear from Jonathan R. Alger alumni all the time: “I chose JMU because when I came here, I just felt president, James Madison University something different. There was just something about the atmosphere PH OTO G R A PH BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M )

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News&Notes WINTER 2020

Meacham, Grisham discuss America’s history of division

estselling writers and friends Jon value JMU works to bestow upon its students. Meacham and John Grisham came In addition to Jackson, Meacham’s subjects are to campus Sept. 12 for an evening of Thomas Jefferson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and colorful storytelling, good-natured George H.W. Bush. Meacham is currently working on a biography ribbing over book sales and concern about the future of America in front of an audience of James and Dolley Madison. James Madison is viewed as a quiet, scholarly man, Meacham said, that nearly filled Wilson Hall Auditorium. The event, the latest presentation of the bian- “but there was a political skill in this little guy.” Of nual John Grisham Writers Hour, was held in Dolley Madison, he said, “She was the most imporpartnership with the Madison Vision Series: Con- tant woman of the first 30 years of the republic.” His work on the Madison temporary Issues in an Engaged biography has been interrupted Society. Madison Vision Series on several occasions, including honors James Madison’s conafter the tragedy in Charlottesviction that cultivating an ville, Virginia, in August 2017, informed and educated citizenry — JON MEACHAM, which prompted Meacham to is essential to the health of our on James Madison write The Soul of America: The republican democracy. Meacham is a renowned presidential historian Battle for Our Better Angels. The book explores and 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning author for his political and social division in America. Meacham and Grisham discussed the current biography of Andrew Jackson. He has written about the leaders of this country during a variety of politi- political climate, with Grisham asking if this is cal climates. Most of the subjects of Meacham’s the worst time in our nation’s history. While agreebiographies were practicing civic engagement, a ing with his host that the population is incred-

(Above): Jon Meacham (left) and John Grisham chatted in front of an audience in Wilson Hall (below).

“There was a political skill in this little guy.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 >>> 8

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“It is essential to have the capacity to rethink things. We must use reason.” — JON MEACHAM, presidential biographer

>>> FROM PAGE 8

ibly polarized, Meacham explained that America of 100 years ago was also divided. Opinions on isolationism versus globalism split the country. “There is a perennial battle between our better angels,” Meacham said. A century ago, “The American people realized there were forces that were flowing that needed to ebb.” “It is essential to have the capacity to rethink things,” Meacham said. “We must use reason.” He pointed to his own reassessment of Bush. Before being asked by the former president to write his biography, Meacham admitted that he viewed him as “a hapless WASP.” After getting to know Bush, however, Meacham reassessed. Grisham is the author of 40 novels, all of which have become international bestsellers. Nine of his books have been turned into major motion pictures. — Janet Smith (’81)

Students restore classic Porsche to earn top prize

he 55-year-old Porsche sitting in a Harrisonburg shop looks like it just came off the assembly line. Owned by Shannon and Katherine Kennedy of Charlottesville and restored by JMU students interning at a unique nonprofit, the car earned a best-inclass finish in July at the Porsche Club of America’s premier event, the 64th Annual Porsche Parade in Boca Raton, Florida. Now, the students who intern at Madison Automotive Apprentices will work to make it roadworthy. “You can have a show car or you can have a road car, but not both,” said Cole Scrogham (‘90, ‘16M), an eight-time national champion team owner with Porsche brand and the founder of MAAP. But the real payoff for MAAP interns is the hands-on experience that prepares them to be productive

employees following graduation. MAAP, founded in 2016, is an automobile/motorsports enterprise, but the skills that students learn prepare them for a variety of careers, including engineering, nonprofit management and economic development. “After seeing what Cole has done here with the program and what it’s capable of, we just really wanted to support it as much as we wanted to build the car,” said Shannon Kennedy, who belongs to the same Porsche Club of America affiliate as Scrogham. — Eric Gorton (’86, ’09M)

(Top): Claire Wayand (left) and Jordan Prax of MAAP show off the award-winning car. (Right): Cole Scrogham assists a student in the MAAP teaching space.

PO RS C H E O N Q UA D PH OTO G R A PH BY T R E Y S EC R I ST ( ’ 1 5); S C R O G H A M BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M )

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FACULTY FOCUS Spotlighting JMU professors through the lenses of scholarship, awards and service Ken Rutherford

POLITICAL SCIENCE

During the summer of 2019, Rutherford, a landmine survivor and director of JMU’s Center for International Stabilization and Recovery, discussed the global landmine crisis and representations of the Embassy of the Republic of Yemen in Washington, D.C. The event served as a call to action to the international community to put aside our differences in support of the greater good.

Marcus Davis and Amanda Cass BIOLOGY

Davis, associate dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, and Cass were part of an international team that published research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Their research, “Deep evolutionary origin of limb and fin regeneration,” discovered that all groups of ray-finned fish can regenerate their fins following amputation. The research might have implications for regenerative medicines that could promote tissue regrowth in individuals who have lost limbs.

Dennis Blanton ANTHROPOLOGY

Blanton led a twomonth archaeological project at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in

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Staunton, Virginia. Building on the previous summer’s work, Blanton and JMU students studied the backyard of the former Presbyterian Manse, Wilson’s birthplace. “We learned then that the rear yard of The Manse, the building that housed Presbyterian reverends and their families since the 1850s—including Wilson’s family—offers much in the way of archaeological potential,” Blanton said. WWPL administrators want to “illuminate the lives of those families by looking at archaeological traces, as well as the lives of both enslaved and free laborers in the residence,” he said.

Kristen St. John GEOLOGY AND

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

In St. John’s upperlevel geology courses, students are examining core samples drilled from the Gulf of Mexico and the North Pacific Ocean. According to St. John, a veteran researcher in the International Ocean Discovery Program, the core samples could provide significant data regarding the climate of two distinct areas 2.6 million years ago. Students will uncover fossils, minerals and grains of various sizes. The way those artifacts have changed

N O T E S over time reveals clues to changes in climate. St. John’s experience with drilling sea cores has inspired her, and she hopes to be a part of the drilling expedition in the Arctic in 2021. “The Arctic is so sensitive to climate change,” she said. “We want a longer and more detailed record of the history.” She said having real samples for research has inspired her students to pursue science careers.

Gianluca De Fazio JUSTICE STUDIES

In the digital archive “Racial Terror: Lynching in Virginia,” De Fazio documents the stories of 104 African American lynching victims killed from 1866 to 1932. His research helped provide groundwork for the Virginia Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Commission and the History of Lynching in Virginia to identify and commemorate lynching victims in Virginia. The working group drafted and put forth a resolution that was passed by the Virginia General Assembly in 2019. The working group aims to “make as complete a record as possible of each documented lynching that occurred in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” “The initiatives the working group [is] promoting are important because they intend to address Virginia’s collective amnesia about its past of racial terror,” De Fazio said.

Lennie Echterling GRADUATE

PSYCHOLOGY

Echterling specializes in research in trauma and disasters, counselor education, resilience and positive psychology. He has served as crisis counselor, consultant

“In their efforts to face and meet the needs of their traumatized community, first responders are themselves affected.”

— LENNIE ECHTERLING, professor of graduate psychology

and trainer following many stressful events such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the 2004 tsunami in India, the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon, the shootings at Virginia Tech and the landmine explosions in the Middle East. His service has resulted in numerous awards. He has received James Madison University’s Distinguished Faculty Award, the Virginia Counselors Association’s Humanitarian Award, Virginia’s Outstanding Faculty Award, the Virginia Counselors Career Service Award and the national Counseling Vision and Innovation Award. Echterling’s experience has resulted in the publication of two books, Crisis Intervention: Building Resilience in Troubled Times and Thriving. “Although the community trauma itself is terrifying and overwhelming for many members, it is just the beginning of a long series of problems,” Echterling said. “In their efforts to face and meet the needs of their traumatized community, first responders are themselves affected. As a result, the distinction between helper and victim becomes blurred. In a very real sense, a disaster affects everyone in a community.”

Janna Parker MARKETING

Parker’s article, “Should employees be ‘dooced’ for a social media post? The role of social media marketing governance,” was published in the Journal of Business Research. Her research examines blurred lines between work life and personal life on social media. In her study, she examined an employee’s initial awareness about social media policies, the role of offensiveness in the perceived fairness of the termination, and whether work-related posts and the presence of a social media policy influence the perception of termination fairness. — Jazmine Otey

R U T H E R FO R D A N D EC H T E R LI N G PH OTO G R A PH S BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M ); ST. J O H N BY A LYS SA A N TO N I O ( ’ 1 8)/TH E B R EEZE

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JMU ranks among best colleges for student voting

he Best 80 Colleges for Student Voting list has been released by Washington Monthly, and JMU is in the rankings. JMU has made civic engagement an institutional priority as it advances the legacy of James Madison, the Father of the Constitution. The James Madison Center for Civic Engagement supports Dukes Vote, a student-led initiative to provide opportunities to educate and prepare students for an active and informed role in democracy. “We are honored to be recognized for student voting, as it continues to emphasize our work here at JMU,” said Abe Goldberg, the center’s executive director. “Voting in elections can be a front door to deeper democratic engagement, and our students will develop the knowledge and skills needed to address public issues that concern them most.” In addition, JMU was No. 8 in the Southeast region for Best Bang for the Buck by Washington Monthly. — Mary-Hope Vass

Paul Mabrey (in white shirt) meets with Communication Center staff and students.

JMU, VCU recognized with ’Civvy’ award

MU earned an honorable mention from the American Civic Collaboration Awards for a yearlong partnership with Virginia Commonwealth University. The two universities introduced a new strategy in teaching civic engagement called “Debate for Civic Learning.” “Civic learning is important for higher education today because we can play a vital role in helping prepare students, faculty and staff to be engaged community members,” said Paul Mabrey (’17Ph.D.), professor of communication studies and coordinator of the Communication Center. The pilot program included six JMU faculty members who integrated debatebased assignments into their courses. Participating faculty members from

JMU are Cathy Copeland, Laura Flores, Shin Ji Kang, Smita Mathur, Karina Kline-Gabel and Kathy Ott Walter. Mabrey explained the JMU-VCU group is collecting and analyzing assessment data from the pilot courses and expects to expand this partnership and reach in the future. In September, JMU, VCU and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia hosted the Debate for Civic Learning Institute. Faculty and staff from institutions around the region participated in panel discussions and workshops to learn how to improve civic learning in classrooms. The pilot program was funded with support from 4-VA, The Madison Center and the Office of the Provost. — Mary-Hope Vass

“Civic learning is important for higher education today because we can play a vital role in helping prepare students ... to be engaged community members.” — PAUL MABREY (‘17 Ph.D.), professor of communication studies

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Prestigious awards JMU President Jonathan R. Alger presented Purple Star Awards to faculty and staff for their contributions to JMU and the community. The award winners were recognized in August at the president’s address to staff members. RJ Ohgren, an Office of Student Account-

ability and Restorative Practices staff member, received the Purple Star Award for Agency Star for his unwavering dedication to initiate student learning and development. Ohgren helped revise the JMU Student Accountability Process and Standards of Conduct. David Onestak, director of the JMU

Counseling Center, earned the Purple Star Award for Career Achievement. Since joining JMU in 2004, his focus has been in assessing service utilization, efficiency and best practices to support the mentalhealth needs of JMU students. In addition, Onestak is devoted to providing resources for underrepresented students such as veterans, minorities and international students. Jennifer Taylor, a political science pro-

fessor, received the Purple Star Award for Community Service and Volunteerism. She has volunteered at numerous nonprofit organizations and developed the Student Veterans Association in 2012. Since then,

student veteran enrollment at JMU has increased by 271%. According to U.S. News & World Report, JMU is now in the top 5 for best colleges for military members and their families. Print Services Team members Heather

Wilharm, Lisa Rhodes, Connie Fulk, Sherry Brooks and Laurie Brinkley

were awarded the Purple Star Award for Customer Service. Not only do they value each customer, they work closely with the Office of Disability Services to ensure that students with disabilities have access to course materials. William Yates, parking services direc-

tor, was awarded the Purple Star Award for Innovation for his contributions to benefit faculty, staff and students. He has helped install count displays that show available parking spaces and pay stations that accept credit and JAC cards. He has also helped to develop a mobile app that allows customers to access real-time data.

Yvonne Frazier, program manager for Healthy Families, Page and Shenandoah Counties, received a Governor’s Honors Award for Enhancing the Prosperity and Quality of Life in Rural Virginia. Through her leadership, Frazier has enabled lowincome parents to effectively raise and care for their children, improve their education and employment status,

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Green Dot Campaign Committee members Lorie Miller, Holly Bailey, Des-

tiny Savage, Liz Chenevey, Sarah Blackstone, Jamie Williams, Jess Weed, Tiffany Brutus, David Chew, Jen Principe, Megan Driver, Misty Newman, Jackie Hieber, Arianna Sessoms, Jordan McCann, Angela Ritchie and Ann Simmons received

the Purple Star Award for Teamwork. The program trains students, faculty and staff in bystander intervention to help prevent power-based personal violence. The team members have coordinated Green Dot talks with 500 faculty and staff members. They also have led bystander intervention workshops for over 100 undergraduates. Matthew Lovesky, assistant director for

aquatics and safety at the University Recreation Center, received the Purple Star Award for Workplace Safety and Health. He oversees UREC’s health and safety environment, including the training of students to respond to medical emergencies.

and ensure that their children are healthy and prepared for school. Frazier has influenced numerous publicprivate partnerships, resulting in a new child-care center. Gov. Ralph Northam presented Frazier with the Governor’s Honors Award in September at the Executive Mansion in Richmond. — Jazmine Otey

PU R PLE STA R C E R E M O N Y PH OTO G R A PH BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M ); FR A ZI E R CO U RT E SY O F I I H H S

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JMU ranks as ‘most innovative’ school

MU is the “most innovative school” in the South, according to U.S. News & World Report. College officials were asked to identify institutions of higher education that are making the most innovative improvements in curriculum, technology, facilities and other areas. In addition, this year, JMU maintained its status as the No. 3 school overall and No. 2 public school among regional universities in the South. Regional universities offer a full range of undergraduate programs and provide graduate education at the master’s level, but offer few, if any, doctoral programs. JMU also ranked No. 4 for “best undergraduate teaching programs” and No. 47 for “best value schools.” The rankings compare bachelor’s degree-granting institutions from across

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the country and use statistical data such as student-faculty ratios, graduation rates, application requirements, tuition and financial aid, student body characteristics and post-graduation employment information. In August, JMU was ranked as one of the best institutions for higher education according to The Princeton Review’s 2020

General Education students in Memorial Hall benefit from JMU’s stellar undergraduate teaching programs.

edition of the annual college guide, The Best 385 Colleges. JMU also came in at No. 279 on The Wall Street Journal/Times of Higher Ed list of top U.S. colleges. — Mary-Hope Vass

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‘It is time that we all answer the call’ Unleashed supporters help make JMU the national leader it’s destined to become

By Khalil Garriott (’04)

Katrina Purcell (’04) attended the New York City event because undreds of people who want to unleash the power of JMU turned out for the Fall 2019 tour in New York, she’s already donated to the campaign, and now wants to get reconNew York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Charlotte, nected and reinvigorated with the university. After attending a School of Media Arts and Design banquet in April 2019, she was prompted to North Carolina; and Harrisonburg, Virginia. Unleashed: The Campaign for James Madison get more involved as a College of Arts and Letters alumna. She called University takes a two-pronged approach to elevat- her Madison Experience “amazing” and still misses her college days. “Unleashed is understanding that JMU is not just a Virginia school. ing JMU—through raising the national profile of the university and raising private support. Five campuswide initiatives totaling a $200 JMU grads are everywhere and they’ve been set loose,” said Purcell, million campaign goal are designed to provide new funding for these who still keeps up with some of her old professors. “I’m still friends with my freshman-year hallmates from Eagle five areas: society, students, learning, campus Hall 5B. Between the six of us, there are now and opportunity. “It doesn’t matter “One of the things that we are really focused where you came from 11 kids. We still live life together. We have a group chat and every time we get together, we on, with all of our graduates, is to think about or your background. all talk about our fun times at JMU. what the skills are that they need for success in You’re going to feel “After seeing that fancy new campus, I just the 21st century,” JMU President Jonathan R. feel like everyone should go there.” Alger said. “Part of the secret sauce of Madison at home at JMU.” Purcell’s attendance at the Sept. 25 event is that combination of intellectual plus interper— JASON HARRIS (’93), filled with Purple Pride attire inspired her to sonal skills; we educate the head and the heart.” New York City event host

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Alumni and friends gather in New York City as the Unleashed campaign continues.

PH OTO G R A PH S BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M )

PHILADELPHIA

In Philadelphia, even the Founding Fathers get into the act of donning their Purple Pride to support JMU.

“The power of change is here on this hallowed ground. The spirit of Madison is calling upon us to act.” — ELLEN HINEMAN (’89), Philadelphia event host

be a part of giving back to the university by getting more involved with her local alumni chapter, which has new leadership. “I think it’s always nice to know people who have had common experiences,” she said. Jason Harris (’93) hosted the New York City event at his creative agency, Mekanism. He loved his experience at JMU, then graduated and was disconnected from the institution. After reengaging over the past several years, a flood of good memories came back. Among them: bonding moments with friends that he still stays in touch with, riding his bike along Old South High Street near his old house and exploring his favorite parts of campus. After transferring from the University of Delaware, Harris found his place at JMU. “I just instantly felt a warm, inviting community where you can really be yourself. It felt like the right environment for me to do my best work and be my best self. It’s a diverse

school with a lot of different people from different backgrounds, but somehow the culture comes together. It doesn’t matter where you came from or your background. You’re going to feel at home at JMU.” College is one part education and two parts learning how to socialize, according to Harris. “A lot of what I learned well at Madison is the idea of being yourself and leaning into what makes you, you.” The economics major formed his beliefs, ideals, likes, dislikes, principles, interests and role models as a JMU student. “That time in college was a lot of development and figuring out how I wanted to show up in the world.” The foundation for Harris’ success as president and CEO of a top agency, as well as author of a new book about building character and establishing habits for business and personal growth in an era of distrust, was formed during his days as a Duke. The time is now for his

alma mater to take its efforts to the next level. “We need to raise some money and have JMU become the best version of itself,” he said. “Unleashed, to me, means the idea of conquering your fear, not letting anything hold you back, listening to your gut and swinging for the fences.” In Philadelphia, Dukes showed up in force at the National Constitution Center, a venue in the heart of the birthplace of American democracy. “We are mere steps away from the place where Madison, a Virginia man, had the courage to change the course of our nation,” host Ellen Hineman (’89) said. “The power of change is here on this hallowed ground. The spirit of Madison is calling upon us to act.” Alger added, “We are named for the Father of the U.S. Constitution. We’re all here tonight at the National Constitution Center. That is in our DNA; it’s really important that we remember what it means

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to serve the public good.” It was a family affair in Philly for the Hinemans. Erika Hineman (’15) was recognized as the recipient of a scholarship given by the SMAD Alumni Advisory Council. Hineman, who comes from a family of Dukes, visited JMU last on her tour of 12-15 colleges and originally didn’t want to attend JMU. But after choosing JMU, she had an experience that was “second-to-none.” Alger emphasized the university’s attention on relational skills that cut across all majors. “We focus on critical thinking, but also communications, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and innovation. There are a lot of schools that are really good at teaching the subject matter content, but they leave out the interpersonal skills. It’s a really exciting time for all of our students in terms of [their] learning environment.” Ellen Hineman cited the four Ts as ways to give back: time, talent, treasure and testimony. “It is time that we all answer the call to be Forever Loyal. I encourage everyone to give thoughtfully this evening as well as participate in Giving Day on March 24, 2020. “We know JMU is great. It’s time to let others know it, too.”

Charlotte attendees hear updates from university leaders.

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The 2019 tour wraps up back home in Harrisonburg.

PH OTO G R A PH S BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M )

Trash to treasure: Sustainable

building materials from Styrofoam waste

ach week, The Free Clinic in downtown Harrisonburg receives medical supplies in Styrofoam containers and is left to dispose of the material without a viable recycling option. Six students and four faculty members in the Integrated Science and Technology program set out to find a solution. The result was a senior capstone project to convert Styrofoam collected throughout the city into a sustainable building material called Insulated Composite Concrete Forms. ICCFs have proven to be stronger than wood, fire- and termite-resistant, and energy-efficient. The goal of the project is to create a simple and safe production process that is low cost and easily portable for the Harrisonburg community. Drawing on knowledge, tools and skills gained from different classes, the students are

applying what they’ve learned to craft innovative, real-world solutions. After attempting full-size block construction, the team is searching for a “recipe” that can successfully make blocks to scale, with the hope of creating their first wall. They are also collaborating with the city’s Public Works Jared Stoltzfus, faculty adviser, with students in the senior capstone project. Department to create a pilot projMadison Trust fully funded the team’s ect that introduces Styrofoam into the existing recycling system so that the collection $12,500 fundraising goal, which covered the costs of the equipment, materials and personprocess is more streamlined. Eventually, the team plans to pursue pat- nel to complete the project. “The funding from Madison Trust is makents and commercialization of the product and process. Jared Stoltzfus, the faculty ing it possible for us to physically build and test adviser of the capstone project, will likely be what otherwise would have been theoretical, the first to try out the product. He hopes to or very small-scale testing,” Stoltzfus said. build a house with the blocks later this spring. — Amanda Christian

INNOVATION BEGINS IN MADISON TRUST

Join the excitement

ou already know that good things happen when JMU and donors come together. Now you can join that partnership and shape the direction of bold new faculty and staff innovations at Madison. Lend us your acumen and insights and enjoy the rare opportunity to influence high-impact initiatives, in person, from the inside.

AND GROWS IN SERVICE TO THE WORLD

Be an investor-judge! February 28, 2020 Live Presentations

Contact John Meck • executive director 540-568-4122 • meckjh@jmu.edu

JMU’s premier philanthropic investment competition

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*Special opportunities for graduates of the last decade

Watch the video: j.mu/mtrust

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By the

JMU leads the way in stewardship and sustainability

For the first time, JMU earned a gold rating for its comprehensive sustainability achievements from the Association of Sustainability in Higher Education. The university received silver ratings in 2013 and 2017.

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members are engaged in research/scholarship that leads toward solutions that simultaneously support social well-being, economic prosperity and ecological health.

40%

JMU has 10 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings.

of materials for campus facilities and operations were diverted from the landfill by donating, composting, recycling or reselling in FY 2017 compared to 18% in FY 2009.

The results of the Residence Life Perception Studies from 2013 to 2017 indicate approximately 69% of student residents agreed or strongly agreed that their residence hall was environmentally friendly, and they could see efforts being made by residents to recycle, conserve water and save energy.

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at JMU are either “sustainability courses” or “courses that include sustainability.” Sustainability courses primarily focus on sustainability, understanding or solving one or more major sustainability challenges.

$1.9M+

was externally funded for sustainability-related activities between FY 2015 and FY 2018.

75%

of academic departments that conduct research/scholarship have at least one faculty or staff member engaged in sustainabilityrelated research/ scholarship.

DID YOU KNOW?

69% 200+ E M PLOY E ES have completed the “Greening Your Workspace” program since October 2017.

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NATION

2019 Hall of Fame class JMU inducted five student-athletes

and one head coach into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Sept. 13.

Keisha Banks-Thornton (’01) TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY (1997-2001)

Banks-Thornton is the 11th member of the JMU women’s track and f ield and cross country programs to earn induction into the JMU Athletics Hall of Fame. A member of the CA A Silver Anniversary Team recognizing the top 25 athletes in the league’s first 25 years, Banks was 1998 USA Track & Field Junior National Champion in the 1,500-meter run, a NCA A qualif ier in the indoor mile in 1999, CA A champion in the 800-meter run in 2000 and a six-time NCA A provisional qualifier. She once held six program records, including individual marks in the indoor 1,000 (2:50.90) and outdoor 800 (2:07.98), which each stood from 1999 to 2012. She ran the anchor leg on the distance medley relay record (11:22.06), which still stands from 2001, and also closed the outdoor sprint medley relay top mark (3:58.93) set in 2000. Banks also once held both the outdoor (8:47.28 in 1998) and indoor (8:56.61 in 2001) 4x800-meter-relay records.

Kelsey Cutchins Beard (’10, ’11M, ’13Ed.S.) FIELD HOCKEY (2006-09) A triple Duke with bachelor’s, master’s and educational specialist degrees from JMU in psychology and school psychology, Cutchins is the only three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American in any sport in JMU Athletics history. On the field, she was a two-time First Team All-American, and when combined with her academic accomplishments, she became the f irst

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2019 Hall of Fame Class inductees (Above, L-R): Keisha Banks-Thornton, track & field and cross country (1997-2001); Kelsey Cutchins Beard, field hockey goalkeeper (200609); Carol Green Robertson, golfer (2001-05); and Christina “Corky” Julien, women’s soccer forward (2006-09). (Left): Tony LeZotte, football safety (2004-07) and the late Tom Martin, men’s soccer head coach (1986-2014).

student-athlete in the history of the CAA to repeat as the league’s overall female Scholar-Athlete of the Year among all sports. Her other accolades include twice being named the CAA Player of the Year, two-time Virginia Sports Information Directors State Player of the Year, threetime CA A All-Tournament, three-time National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad, four-time All-State, three-time First Team All-CAA, two-time JMU Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and recognition on the CAA Sil-

ver Anniversary Team. Cutchins’ stalwart play guarding the net earned her a spot on the U.S. Under-21 National Team and helped guide JMU to CA A Championships in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Carol Green Robertson (’05) WOMEN’S GOLF (2001-05)

Robertson was the first women’s golf Hall of Fame inductee in JMU history. Women’s golf officially became a CA A sport in 2003, with Robertson claiming medalist honors and CA A Player of the Year

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J M U accolades in the first season. She made it consecutive CA A Player of the Year laurels in 2004 with a third-place finish in the league championship event. Robertson advanced to twice represent JMU in NCA A Regional competition and was later named to the CAA Silver Anniversary Team. Following her graduation, Robertson’s competitive success continued by claiming the 2006 Virginia State Amateur Championship and reaching the f inals of the 2010 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Robertson served one year as an assistant coach at JMU and two years as head coach at Old Dominion. She was hired in 2013 to start the women’s golf program at Virginia Tech.

the Year and VaSID State Player of the Year. That year she had 16 goals, 35 points and five game-winning goals, highlighted by a program-record stretch of nine consecutive games scoring a goal. She was named to the CA A women’s soccer Silver Anniversary Team. Julien made an immediate international impact after JMU, appearing on the Canadian National Team in the Cyprus Cup in 2009 and 2010 before earning a gold medal in the 2011 Pan American Games in Mexico and participating in the World Cup in Germany. She was then an alternate at the London Olympics in 2012. As a professional, she most recently competed for 1. FC Koln in Germany.

Christina “Corky” Julien (’10)

FOOTBALL (2004-07)

WOMEN’S SOCCER (2006-09)

One of the top scorers in JMU history, Julien is enjoying a professional soccer career highlighted by her participation on the Canadian National Team. Julien is still second in program history in goals (44) and points (102), including sharing the school record for career game-winning goals with 19. She is also 21st with 14 career assists. Julien was a three-time All-Region honoree, including Soccer Buzz Third Team AllAmerica and Second Team NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America honors as a junior, when she was also recognized as the CAA Player of

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Tony LeZotte (’07) The only player in CAA football history— and the first JMU athlete in any sport—to be a four-time All-American and to earn four First Team All-CA A recognitions, LeZotte was a defensive force during an era of JMU football that forever changed the trajectory of the program. JMU went 37-13 in his four years and captured the program’s first national title in his freshman campaign in 2004. LeZotte ranks seventh overall in program history with 416 tackles and first among defensive backs. As a senior, LeZotte was a consensus First Team AllAmerican after compiling 95 tackles to lead

the Dukes. He had 51 solo stops, 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and eight pass deflections. He added Second Team AllAmerica honors as a junior, First Team as a sophomore and First Team as a freshman. LeZotte was also named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year in both his sophomore and senior campaigns and stands as one of just five players in league history to earn the top defensive honor twice.

Tom Martin MEN’S SOCCER COACH (1986-2014)

Martin guided JMU men’s soccer to prolific success with a 359-164-58 record in 29 seasons, from 1986 to 2014. Martin’s 478 career victories rank seventh all-time among coaches with at least 10 years leading a Division I program and 18th among all coaches at all four-year institutions across all divisions. His .687 career winning percentage ranks 37th among coaches with 10 or more years in Division I. The Dukes qualified for 10 NCAA Tournaments (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2011, 2014), highlighted by consecutive quarterfinal appearances in 1994 and 1995. Martin was named CAA Coach of the Year in 1986, 1989, 1993, 2000 and 2011. Before JMU, Martin led West Virginia Wesleyan College to consecutive NAIA National Championships in 1984-85 to earn national Coach of the Year accolades.

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Dukes Lead BY JEFF BOURNE, director of athletics

speak frequently about our vision to be the NCAA model of the student-athlete experience and the holistic approach we take to athletics at James Madison. As athletics administrators, we believe student-athletes will emerge from their collegiate experience as a different person than they were. This impact can’t be understated. This is where the JMU Athletics Student-Athlete Leadership Development Program, Dukes Lead, steps in. Many fans and media look at wins and losses. Often, coaches are evaluated solely upon results on the field, and opinions of athletes are formulated solely upon their abilities exhibited in competition. This does a disservice to the importance of the individual as a human being. Everyone has a place and a purpose. Everyone brings value. We are blessed at James Madison to win on a high level, but we win because of the culture, the structure of support and the quality of the people involved, not because of superior athletic ability or strategy. Unfair criticism can come when an athlete makes a mistake in competition, but we know how hard that individual works behind the scenes—the hours they pour into training and preparation, the aca-

demic rigors of an institution like JMU, the time they give to work in our community or mentor youth, the constant time management, the commitment to healthy eating, sleeping habits and mental health, the ups and downs of everyday life—the list goes on. These factors, not athletic prowess, will make them leaders in life. The Dukes Lead program equips our student-athletes with the tools to be leaders in life. We help them with career development via one-on-one staff guidance, career coaching, internship placement and coordinating interaction with employers and mentors. We offer workshops on a variety of topics for individual growth, focusing on the pillars of life skills, leadership, personal development and professional development. We facilitate civic engagement by helping student-athletes find ways to get involved in our community. Last year, this led to 5,765 recorded hours of giving back, a department record. Now, in conjunction with the Unleashed comprehensive campaign, I invite you to invest in our student-athletes by supporting the Student-Athlete Leadership Development Endowment. All mone tary gifts are appreciated and make an impact. Go Dukes!

INFLCR APP EQUIPS STUDENTATHLETES TO TELL THEIR STORIES

During the fall, JMU Athletics entered into an agreement with INFLCR to help student-athletes have access to content to tell their stories. The app provides access to photos and other content so studentathletes can post directly to their connected, personal social media accounts, significantly increasing brand reach for themselves and for JMU Athletics. In just the first month, 75% of JMU student-athletes used the app and downloaded or shared nearly 2,500 photos.

DUKES ATTEND WOMEN IN SPORT CONFERENCE

Senior finance majors Erica Royal and Morgan Cox were selected to attend the Athlete Leadership Connection conference, hosted by the Women’s Sports Foundation at the Morgan Stanley Headquarters in New York on Oct. 15. Read more at jmusports.com.

VIRGINIA IS FOR CAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Spring 2020 semester will bring multiple opportunities for JMU fans around the commonwealth to cheer on the Dukes to CAA championships. For the first time in league history, the CAA Men’s Basketball Championship MEN’S BASKETBALL comes to Washington, D.C., taking place in the new Entertainment & Sports Arena in Congress Heights, March 7-10. Later in the spring, JMU will host CAA champ ionships in lacrosse (April 30-May 2), track & field (May 1-2) and softball (May 6-8). Swimming & diving (Christiansburg, Feb. 19-22) and tennis (Williamsburg, April 16-19) will also take place in Virginia. WASHINGTON, D.C.

ATLANTIC UNION BANK CENTER CONSTRUCTION Construction continues on the Atlantic Union Bank Center, which is scheduled to open in November 2020. Over the course of the fall, the roof was enclosed and much of the building structure was framed, both interior and exterior. For tickets, go to jmusports.com.

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Bright Lights

Jeff Grass (‘92) is chairman and CEO of HUNGRY, an online marketplace that connects independent chefs with the corporate catering market.

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HUNGRY?

Tech entrepreneur’s latest venture is sizzling

BY JIM HEFFERNAN (‘96, ‘17M)

HUNGRY launched in Grass’ hometown of Arlington, Virginia, in s the office manager for a busy firm, you’re charged with ordering food for an upcoming event. You late 2016. The first two years were spent perfecting the technology so could hire a local catering company again, but the platform could be rolled out in other markets. HUNGRY has since they’re pricey and the menu is limited. You could expanded into Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, Atlanta try one of the new four-star restaurants in town, but and Boston. The company projects sales of more than $20 million by the crowds outside make you wonder if they could the end of 2019, and openings are slated in nine more cities in 2020. “We’ve really been East Coast-centric thus be counted on to deliver your meal on time. far, but next year we go west,” he said. Where do you turn? James Madison Innovations, a startup HUNGRY is an online marketplace that investment organization at JMU, was an connects independent chefs with the burgeonearly investor in HUNGRY. The company ing corporate catering market. has also secured f inancing from Sands “Companies are investing in food more Capital Ventures and Motley Fool Ventures than ever before,” said HUNGRY Chairman as well as celebrity investors Jay Z, Usher, and CEO Jeff Grass (’92). “Providing food for chef Tom Colicchio (founder and chief employees drives productivity, keeps your peojudge of Top Chef ), Seth Goldman (Beyond ple in the office longer and enhances culture.” — JEFF GRASS (’92), Meat) and Walter Robb (former co-CEO of At the same time, Grass said, there has HUNGRY chairman and CEO Whole Foods). been an explosion of food allergies and dietary HUNGRY is a purpose-driven company committed to improving restrictions as well as people wanting to eat more healthfully. “Those trends are putting a tremendous amount of pressure on the office man- the lives of everyone it touches—chefs, clients and the communities it serves. For every two meals purchased, the company donates one meal agers and executive assistants whose job it is to order food,” he said. HUNGRY’s platform allows companies to tap into a network of to local food banks to help those in need. And HUNGRY’s “WeRetalented, independent chefs in their area, each with their own cuisines. cycle” program promotes environmental sustainability by offering biodegradable plates and cutlery with all delivered meals. To date, the Customers can browse profiles, menus, prices, ratings and availability. HUNGRY’s stable of culinary masters includes James Beard Award company has donated over 300,000 meals and eliminated more than winners, former White House chefs, Food Network stars and personal 2 million plastic and non-recyclable trash items. chefs to celebrities such as Will Smith and Pitbull as well as professional sports teams like the Atlanta Falcons. Madison Experience “High-quality chefs specializing in a small number of their very best Grass came to JMU as a freshman in Fall 1988. He credits his Madison dishes allows for very high-quality food,” Grass said. Experience with helping him grow “as a person and as a leader.” He coFor independent chefs who want to become entrepreneurs, HUNGRY’s founded the Iota Sigma chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha and was president marketplace allows for more flexible hours and higher earning potential of the Financial Management Association. than what standard restaurants and caterers offer. “It’s a model that puts a After selling his first company, Grass returned to JMU in 2002 lot more money in a chef’s pocket,” Grass says. “We have chefs now mak- to teach a section of COB 300, the College of Business’ team-based ing as much as $40,000 a month. We’re like a business-in-a-box for them. course integrating management, finance, operations and marketing, The chefs do the cooking and we take care of everything else—the sales, as well as a Chartered Financial Analyst prep class. the marketing, the delivery, the payment collection.” A member of the university’s Board of Visitors, Grass believes JMU Grass is a tech entrepreneur who specializes in business-to-business is developing a culture of entrepreneurship that is unique in higher and consumer technology-enabled services. He started his first company, education. PayMyBills.com, while still in graduate school. HUNGRY is his fourth During a trip to campus in September, he attended an event featurventure and his second with fellow Duke Shy Pahlevani (’07). The two ing students in the Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship. “The quality co-founded LiveSafe—a crowdsourcing safety app used by corporations of the presentations and just how articulate and well thought-out the and educational institutions, including JMU—along with a survivor of business plans were was amazing,” he said. “And I love the fact that the the 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech. center is so interdisciplinary.”

“Providing food for employees drives productivity, keeps your people in the office longer and enhances culture.”

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A Gem in the Valley The Forbes Center celebrates its 10th anniversary season By Jen Kulju (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;04M), director of communications and marketing, College of Visual and Performing Arts/Forbes Center

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E X T E R I O R PH OTO G R A PH BY CO DY T R OY E R ; VO LU N T E E R BY C A LE B S C H L A BAC H

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Welcome to the Forbes Center!â&#x20AC;?

f you have been to a show at the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, the premier performing arts center in the Shenandoah Valley, you likely have been greeted with a smile by one of 150 ushers who generously volunteer their time to ensure a positive arts experience. The desire to provide a high level of service in a professional environment as well as a variety of quality performances for audiences is as much of a goal today as it was when the Forbes Center opened 10 years ago. Along the way, the center has changed the cultural, economic, educational and social landscape of JMU and the Harrisonburg communityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and beyond.

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Since opening with a concert by singer-songwriter Phil Vassar (’85) in 2010, the Forbes Center has welcomed over 400,000 patrons to 2,900 guest-artist, faculty- and student-theater, dance and music performances in its five state-of-the-art venues. The Masterpiece Season has grown to 1,300 subscriber households due in large part to the diversity of world-class artists brought in to perform by Executive Director Regan Byrne. Byrne joined JMU when the Forbes Center opened and has been a driving force in behind the scenes, front-of-house and marketing operations, from setting up the box office to initiating the volunteer program to hiring an “enormously committed” team of employees. “We’re in that space where the systems work well. Now, it’s about making a difference in people’s lives. When people walk in that theater, I want their lives to be changed,” Byrne said. Creating a transformational experience means booking excellent shows that challenge audiences, often with an international flair. “I look to book shows that audiences may not have ever seen—even in Charlottesville, Richmond or Washington, D.C.,” said Byrne, adding that booking opportunities are greater now

that the Forbes Center has developed “When people a reputation for having extraordinary walk in that audiences and venues. Twenty-time Grammy Award-winning guitarist theater, I want Pat Metheny said the Concert Hall their lives to was one of the top five performance be changed.” venues he had played in, rivaling the Esplanade Concert Hall in Singapore. — REGAN BYRNE, Booking shows that align with the executive director curriculum is also important, according to Byrne, and Masterpiece guest artists who are invited to perform at the Forbes Center host master classes with JMU students. In addition, Byrne facilitates opportunities for students to perform onstage with Masterpiece artists. She connects the artists and faculty directors, who create arrangements that artists often use in other markets. Collaborations have included choral students appearing alongside Danú, Cantus and The King’s Singers, and the JMU Symphony Orchestra and music theatre students performing with Patti LuPone.

(Top): Regan Byrne answers questions at the 2016 Women in Leadership Conference. (Above): JMU students performed onstage with Broadway superstar Patti LuPone in 2013. (Right): The Forbes Center opened with a performance by JMU alumnus Phil Vassar (’85) in 2010. (Below): The Madison Singers performed with Irish ensemble Danú in March.

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BY R N E PH OTO G R A PH BY H O LLY V E E N I S; Lu PO N E BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ' 09 M ); DA N Ú BY C A LE B S C H L A BAC H ; VA S SA R BY K AT H Y L A M

Arts enthusiasts Tom and Gina Holden have been subscribers since the Forbes Center’s inception, attending an average of 30 shows per season. While mostly ticketed for the Masterpiece events—including Forbes Family Fun shows with their granddaughter and her friends—the Holdens also enjoy the student performances, which they have attended since 1989, when the productions were held in Wilson Hall and Latimer-Shaeffer Theatre in Duke Hall. “We’ve loved watching the students’ progress,” Tom Holden said. Ross Neal (’13), a music theatre graduate and equity actor at Walt Disney World, honed his acting chops at the Forbes Center. Neal acted in the center’s first theater performance, Metamorphoses, which featured a pool filled with 4,000 gallons of water on the Mainstage Theatre. “Being able to quickly transition from a dance class to an acting class to working on sets in the scene shop let me be fully immersed in professional-level work,” Neal said. He returned to the Forbes Center in May to perform in The Pledge as part of the Madison New Works Laboratory at JMU. Anna-Lee Craig (’11), a theatre graduate and assistant audio engineer on the Broadway production of Hamilton, spent her junior and senior years at the Forbes Center where she was a production intern under Tom Carr, the center’s recording engineer/ sound designer. Craig said working with Carr was a great experience. “The Forbes Center is a great place to cut your teeth, make mistakes in a place that’s safe, and learn what you don’t know.” Craig returned to the Forbes Center in September to serve as the sound designer for the JMU School of Theatre and Dance’s production of Everybody. Senior oboe performance major and Harrisonburg native Laura Ruple experienced the Forbes Center being built along with her dad, Eric Ruple, faculty pianist and interim director of the School of Music. She remembers “walking through the hallways when there were just outlines of rooms drawn on the cement floor,” watching the delivery and assembly of hundreds of new Steinway pianos, and signing her name on the concrete walls that now form the back of the Concert Hall stage where she regularly performs.

Pat Metheny said the Forbes Center’s Concert Hall was one of the top five performance venues he had played in.

(Left): Metamorphoses featured a pool filled with 4,000 gallons of water. (Above): Anna-Lee Craig (‘11) returned to JMU as the sound designer for the production of Everybody (Bottom).

“The Forbes Center is a great place to cut your teeth, make mistakes in a place that’s safe, and learn what you don’t know.” — ANNA-LEE CRAIG (’11), assistant audio engineer, Hamilton M E T H E N Y PH OTO G R A PH CO U RT E SY O F PAT M E T H E N Y; M ETAM O R PH OS ES , C R A I G ( ' 1 1 ) A N D EVERYB O DY BY R I C H A R D FI N K E L ST E I N

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(Top): JMU alumna Kathy Moran (’87M), whose business sponsors the Forbes Center Masterpiece Season, was greeted by a special guest at Holidayfest in 2017. (Above, right): JMU senior oboe performance major Laura Ruple became part of history when she signed her name on the back of the Concert Hall as a child. (Above, left): Sing Out! featured a cappella groups from JMU and Valley high schools. (Below): Dallas Children’s Theater performed How I Became a Pirate in 2018.

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Donors Earlynn J. Miller and Don Albright have seen the arts blossom at JMU over the last 10 years due in large part to the Forbes Center. Miller, faculty emerita of dance, started the JMU Dance Program in 1969 and taught for 30 years, and Albright spent much of his 30-year career in the United States Foreign Service as a cultural attaché. Miller said the Forbes Center was needed to accommodate the growing technical requests and audiences of dance professionals, and ultimately to move the arts forward at JMU. As subscribers, the two enjoy attending performances that “knock you out,” up to 21 dance, music and theater events per season. “The arts bring a sophistication to a community, which is welcome. They give people a lift, a little different view on their society,” Albright said. “I believe the arts in any form touch our souls and feed our humanity,” said Kathy Moran (’87M), a financial adviser at Kathy Moran Wealth Group. Moran had been looking for a way to significantly support the arts at JMU when the opportunity arose to sponsor the Forbes Center Masterpiece Season in 2017. With half of the dollars going toward center programming and half toward student scholarships, Moran liked the dual mission of the sponsorship. Kathy Moran Wealth Group is now in its third year as season sponsor. She said, “The arts “It is a hub are such a uniter and that draws enrich our lives in ways people from that nothing else does. When the opportunity inside and came to give back on a outside the meaningful level, the sponsorship was a noarea into brainer.” Moran often the artistic brings personal and endeavor.” professional contacts to performances, and sees — KATHY MORAN the Forbes Center as a (’87M), Masterpiece wonderful tool to share Season sponsor with and about the community. “It is a hub that draws people from inside and outside the area into the artistic endeavor.” The Forbes Center is committed to reaching students in grades preK-12 for performance and live arts experiences. A cappella groups from Harrisonburg City Public Schools and Spotswood High School performed at the center in Sing Out!, featuring JMU’s a cappella groups, from 2012 to 2019. In 2016, the Forbes Center became the premier performance partner for Any Given Child Shenandoah Valley, a program of the Arts Council of the Valley and a community partnership with the Education and National Partnership offices of the John

D U K E D O G PH OTO G R A PH BY B O B A DA M E K ; S I N G O UT! CO U RT E SY O F T H E B LU E STO N E S; R U PLE CO U RT E SY O F L AU R A R U PLE ; H OW I B EC AM E A PI R ATE BY M AC S O N M c G U I G A N

more—perhaps go out to dinner, shop and stay F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in “The arts ... give overnight—than someone passing through for Washington, D.C. As part of this program, the Forbes Center has welcomed over 5,000 chil- people a lift, a little another tourism purpose.” Bell said the center dren in grades K-8 for 11 free matinee perfordifferent view on is also important to retirees and job candidates seeking vibrant, diverse cultural opportunities. mances that culminate in question-and-answer their society.” Andrea Dono, executive director of Harrisonsessions with the artists. burg Downtown Renaissance, moved to the city The Forbes Center is helping to attract busi— DON ALBRIGHT, Forbes Center patron from the D.C. area in 2016 and has been particunesses, tourists, retirees and job seekers to Harlarly impressed with the international talent that risonburg as well. In 2001, the city established the first Arts and Cultural District in Virginia, which includes the down- comes to the Forbes Center as well as the accessibility and affordability town core and extends to JMU’s campus. “The Forbes Center sits in of the performances. “The Forbes Center is an awesome treasure that the district, and the location is so nice, and within walking distance showcases the best of Harrisonburg,” Dono said. “Over the past 10 years, the Forbes Center has become one of the to restaurants downtown,” said Brian Shull, who, as director of economic development for the city, was involved in creating the district. gems of the Shenandoah Valley, where people of all walks of life are welAccording to Jennifer Bell, city tourism manager, “The arts are a huge comed to experience the world through a new and different lens. We’ve economic driver to Harrisonburg. It’s a big draw for local spending as listened together, learned together, laughed together and cried together,” well as for tourism spending,” which in 2018 totaled $131 million, $4.8 said JMU President Jonathan R. Alger, who has attended countless performances with his wife, Mary Ann, and daughter, Eleanor. million in local tax receipts and 1,200 jobs. As for the next 10 years, Byrne said she “can’t wait.” Bell said tourism is the No. 2 industry in Virginia and nationwide “The arts allow you to continue to be excited about what you’re going studies have shown that arts and cultural travelers spend more money and tend to stay longer in a community. “When you can bring peo- to do in the future. It never gets tiring, we’re never complacent and we ple in for a performance at the Forbes Center, they’re likely to spend never stop dreaming about the next performing arts experience.”

Ten years and counting The Forbes Center by the numbers

The Havana Cuba All-Stars brought the crowd to its feet in a 2016 performance.

H AVA N A C U BA A LL-STA RS PH OTO G R A PH BY B O B A DA M E K

400,000 50,000 2,900 1,300 200 11

PATRONS VOLUNTEER HOURS PERFORMANCES SUBSCRIBER HOUSEHOLDS MASTER CLASSES MATINEE PERFORMANCES FOR 5,000 K-8 STUDENTS

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From murals to playgrounds to ambulances, alumnus’ art brings joy to others BY JIM HEFFERNAN (’96, ’17M)

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s a surfer growing up in Virginia Beach, Troy Summerell (’02) would sketch waves in his notebooks in school. When one of his boards broke, he would refurbish it as art, sell it and use the money to buy a new one. It wasn’t until after he had graduated from JMU with a degree in business and was back home managing a restaurant that he decided to try his hand at art as a career. “I sat down and I drew some pictures and I thought, ‘Maybe I’ve got something here.’”

PH OTO G R A PH S BY M I K E M I R I E LLO ( ’ 09 M )

Summerell’s coastal themes fea- Troy Summerell (’02), who tured colorful florals and larger- founded OnieTonie Designs, by one of his building murals than-life sea creatures. But some- in Virginia Beach. thing wasn’t quite right. Then it hit him. If his work was going to have an impact, it had to be positive. “I’ve gotta make all these fish and turtles smile,” he said. “I redrew everything, and I’ve done it that way ever since.” He named his business, which launched in January 2014, after his late grandmother, who volunteered at a local hospital for more than 30 years. “Her name was Onie. We called her Tonie. So I called

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ings, school cafeterias, rundown basketball my company OnieTonie Designs,” he said. courts, and vans that deliver hot showers, “It’s a unique name. It rhymes and it’s kidtoothbrushes, socks and shoes to the local friendly. And honoring her legacy was homeless population. important to me.” “My art is super simple,” he said. “But Next, the company needed some expoit’s colorful and positive and it tends to sure. Summerell opened a gallery, Studio get a response from people. It’s not over 17, near the oceanfront and painted his the top. It doesn’t make you think, really, first mural on the building. except to try to make you happy.” “It happened to be a time when art In June, in the wake of a shooting at districts were becoming popular,” he a municipal building in Virginia Beach said. “How do you renovate a downtrodthat left 12 people dead and four others den area? You get artists to come in and wounded, Summerell joined other local beautify the thing.” OnieTonie Designs — TROY SUMMERELL (’02) artists in supporting the “Virginia Beach would set the stage for Virginia Beach’s Strong” movement. His designs appeared ViBe Creative District, a community of artists who turn the city’s roads, sidewalks and buildings into a on T-shirts and banners and in public spaces throughout the city. Proceeds from the T-shirt sales went to victims of the shooting neighborhood canvas. As Summerell’s reputation as an artist grew, so did his portfolio. and their families. “I wanted to do something to help,” The Pediatric TransChildren’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters hired him to spruce up the second floor of its Urgent Care building with his smiling fish. Then he said. “I felt a responsibility to try port Team Special Care to create something that people could Unit truck Summerell he did the same for the hospital’s fleet of ambulances. painted for Children’s OnieTonie Designs also was commissioned for redevelopment take solace in, to help the city heal … Hospital of The King’s Daughters. projects in the Hampton Roads region, including dilapidated build- to be a positive voice.”

“I’ve gotta make all these fish and turtles smile. I’ve done it that way ever since.”

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“My art is super simple. … It’s not over the top. It doesn’t make you think, really, except to try to make you happy.”

Now Summerell’s business is at a crossroads as he tries to transition from a public artist whose work is sometimes exploited, to an entrepreneur. A marketing major at JMU, Summerell has drawn on some of the lessons he learned in the classroom, including how to write business plans, design websites and raise capital. “People ask me, ‘How do you know how to do all this?’ I attribute it to JMU 100%. It gives me confidence to be a business marketing major from JMU.” His goal is to design hospital kits for children battling cancer. For Summerell, it’s a dream that hits close to home. When he

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was 6, his younger cousin was diagnosed with leukemia. “My plan has always been to wrap the hospital hallways with my positive imagery, and at the same time give socks and gowns, a coloring book—a full packet of things—to the kids as they go through treatment,” he said. In October, Summerell traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, to paint a hospital for Smile Train, an international nonprofit that provides corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. If the opportunity arises, Summerell would love to do a mural at JMU. “That would be amazing,” he said. “That’s something on my bucket list.”

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Combining

herloves

Karah Nazor (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;99) draws

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PH OTO G R A PH S CO U RT E SY O F K A R A H N A ZO R ( ' 99), N OA A T E AC H E R AT S E A PR O G R A M A N D M c C A LLI E S C H O O L

arah Nazor’s (’99) love of science, swimming and teaching intersected at JMU, where she majored in biology, minored in gerontology and swam for the Dukes as a student-athlete. After earning a Ph.D. in gerontology at the University of Kentucky in 2005, she studied the molecular biology of prion disease (protein misfolding) at the University of California San Francisco. In 2008, she swam the English Channel, completing the approximately 21-mile solo swim from England to France in 12 hours and 28 minutes. Since 1875, just 1,638 people have completed the distance solo, according to the Channel Swimming Association. Nazor teaches science research, general biology, marine biology, molecular biology and environmental science at McCallie High School in her hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. She remains an open-water swimmer and is race director of Swim the Suck, a 10-mile swim in the Tennessee River Gorge that annually attracts 100 swimmers from 35 states. In summer 2019, the Pacific Ocean became Nazor’s lab when she embarked on a Teacher at Sea adventure through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Nazor recently shared her perspectives on science, swimming, teaching and JMU with Madison.

from her Madison Experience every day

(Opposite): Since 2011, Nazor has raised jellyfish in her classroom laboratory in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (Top): Nazor as a Teacher at Sea; (Below): Swimming with friends at the Muni Pier at Aquatic Park in San Francisco.

BY JANET SMITH (’81)

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A D VA N C I N G Madison: Marine biology and open-

water swimming. There seems to be a connection. KARAH NAZOR: I do love water. Swimming in the drink. When I was a kid, we always had a little, round, above-ground pool in my backyard. I joined a competitive swim team when I was 7. Sadly, the 50-meter pool has now become a Walmart. If it was not there when I was little, I would not have gotten to swim for JMU nor would I be the person who I am today. Like many children, I aspired to be a marine biologist because I love the water—rivers and oceans and the organisms that live in them, from the diatoms to the humpbacks.

“I aspired to be a marine biologist because I love water— rivers and oceans and all the organisms that live in them.” — KARAH NAZOR (’99)

I love jellyfish because the Tennessee Aquarium in my hometown has one of the nation’s premier jellyfish exhibits, featuring more than 10 species. The aquarists there, including Thom Demas, Sharyl Crossley and Rachel Thayer, have trained me to raise jellies in culture. Over the last six years, we have collaborated on many research projects. Currently, I raise ctenophores, upside-down jellyfish and moon jellyfish in my lab, and my students’ (L-R): Nazor with her Teacher at Sea team; examining a jellyfish before returning it to the ocean; and working with students in the McCallie School’s science lab.

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hypothesis-driven research project topics range from growing primary cultures from stem cell-rich organs of the jellyfish to elucidating the effects of ocean acidification on marine invertebrates. Madison: It’s an understatement

to say that you challenge yourself. What is your philosophy? NAZOR: I came from a middle-class, hardworking family. My parents and teachers at the all-girls high school I attended emphasized the message that hard work and determination will be noticed and will be beneficial in your life. People who choose to invest in you are concerned with your strength of character, not with superficial matters such as the size of your house or the car that you drive. I was fortunate to have many mentors at JMU and beyond who invested in me, who made me see my own potential and to embrace the idea that I deserve opportunities that are presented to me and to always challenge myself. My philosophy is simple: If presented with a challenge, I feel confident in my ability to give my best effort and to structure my daily activities to be able to invest the energy toward achieving the goal. This perseverance can, and often does, lead to success. Endurance is a skill that I obtained early on as a swimmer who spent 20 hours training per week, either in the pool or in the weight room. Swimmers and all student-athletes learn to balance the time

demanded by their sport early on. Such time management skills have proven efficacious in my adulthood. Madison: Why did you swim the English Channel? NAZOR: I enjoy exploring the limits of my own physical and mental endurance. As with many endurance athletes, the motivation to train is enhanced if you have an event or race for which you are training. When I swim, I count my strokes in sets of three. One, two, three (breathe). When I swam the English Channel, I counted to three around 15,000 times in a row. Somewhere around the 7,000th time of counting to three, I entered a mental state where my mind was not occupied by any thought or emotion at all, and my body instinctively pulled me through the water, one stroke at a time, toward France. I am grateful for the privilege and the support of my family members, observers and pilot, who every half-hour fed me a little snack placed in a bucket on the end of a pole and gifted me their time to be able to have my day in the channel. Madison: What do you love most about teaching? NAZOR: My biology laboratory classes and professors at JMU, including Sharon Babcock and Jonathan Monroe, piqued my interests in biomedical research, in particular the neurodegenerative diseases of aging. After JMU, I worked “at the bench” for nine years, five in graduate school at UKY in the Telling Lab and four at UCSF for a postdoc in the Prusiner Lab. This means I was perform-

A D VA N C I N G ing experiments in the lab, such as making transgenic mouse models, and testing the efficacy of drugs in cultured cells to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of prion diseases. So I am trained as a researcher, and am now teaching science. I have the opportunity to work at McCallie, an all-boys college preparatory school. Two years ago, McCallie invested in the importance of science research education in high school and built Walker Hall, a state-of-the-art science building equipped with engineering, robotics and a tissue culture lab. I now enjoy the opportunity to work in a facility that can support in-depth research, such as having jellyfish tanks (plus 30 other tanks in my classroom/lab) and then being able to grow primary cultures from jellyfish in the cell culture lab. I like to take my students outside to enjoy nature. I also love when my students hang around after the day has ended, just to talk, you know, about life. Madison: A lot is expected of Teacher at Sea participants after their return. How have you met the requirements? NAZOR: I had the incredible opportunity to participate in the NOAA Teacher at Sea Program. Last May and June, I spent 10 days at sea aboard the ship Reuben Lasker as part of the Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment study, which is in its 30th year, led for its duration by chief scientist Keith Sakuma. I wrote a blog about my experience as a Teacher at Sea here: j.mu/nazor. This type of professional enhancement is crucial for me as an educator, simply because I am better able to engage my students. I actually have my own stories to tell my students on this subject because I was there and participated in this research, I held these fish with my hands, and have photos and videos to show my students. When my students ask questions, I know the answer because I was there with the marine biologists. Heck, I was a marine biologist! I am currently working on constructing a lesson that adheres to the National Science Teachers Association guidelines, promotes the research initiatives of NOAA and is fun for both teachers and students. PH OTO G R A PH CO U RT E SY O F L AWS O N W H I TA K E R

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Nazor loves open-water swimming and supports the sport as race director of Swim the Suck, a 10-mile swim in the Tennessee River Gorge.

Madison: Did you enroll at JMU knowing that you wanted to major in biology? NAZOR: Yes, I did. I was attracted to the fact that JMU had a Division I swimming program and was an acclaimed university with a robust science department. I am inspired by the new science facilities and research labs available to the current JMU students. I learned that gerontology was a minor [during] the second part of my junior year at JMU and picked up those classes. This program embraced me as a biologist with an interest in older people. One professor in particular, Catherine Tompkins, took me under her wing and encouraged me to intern at the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education in D.C., and to apply to Ph.D. programs in gerontology. So, I took her advice and did both! Madison: What drew you to JMU? NAZOR: As is the case today, JMU had been consistently ranked as having the best on-campus food in the nation. I was a hungry swimmer! Just kidding, the food was a fantastic bonus, but I was really attracted to JMU for the combination of excellent academic programs and the Division I swim program. The new rec center had just been constructed and I was excited

about the outdoors programs, in particular the white-water kayaking in the area. The size of the school was also a good fit for me, with small class sizes. Madison: Any favorite or especially influential faculty members/coaches at JMU? NAZOR: You better believe that I model my teaching and attitude after JMU’s Charles Ziegenfus, and I will pass on the fascination and passion for the gift of birds to my young students. [Editor’s Note: Ziegenfus is a professor emeritus of mathematics and statistics and an adjunct professor in the Department of Biology who teaches ornithology with a field component.] This brilliant, humble and kind professor is fully dedicated to students who either want to learn more about birds or share a passion about birds. Zig’s class is flagrantly the best class I have ever taken, and ever since I have been able to recognize common birds of North America that frequent lakes, rivers, forests and beaches. Sharon Babcock was my adviser in her first year at JMU. She was very kind and helpful and guided me in my course selection and career interests. My swim coaches were Leigh Ann Fetter-Witt and Gwynn Evans Harrison, in my senior year. W I N T E R

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TREATING THE

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New JMU Nursing partnership brings

OMMUNITY health care to rural patients

By Victoria Martineau, Erika Metzler Sawin and Michele Dombrowski, JMU School of Nursing

he JMU School of Nursing secured $2.7 million in federal funds last year to recruit, admit and retain students interested in pursuing nursing and working in underserved primary-care environments. The first cohort of UPCARE Scholars began work in Spring 2019, and a second group started in the Fall 2019 semester. The patients in neighboring Page County, Virginia, a federally designated medically underserved area in mental health, dental health and primary care, are benefiting from the developing expertise of students known as Undergraduate Primary Care and Rural Education Scholars. The scholars focus on the registered nurse’s role in coordinating care for patients’ substance use disorder, mental health and varying complex chronic disease needs in partnership with Valley Health Page Memorial Hospital. Supported by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention program, the program aims to increase the number of BSN nurses working in primarycare settings. Each Bachelor of Science in Nursing student completes four semesters in clinical settings as part of the degree requirements. In Spring 2019, the first cohort of nine UPCARE Scholars began clinical rotations at the rural health clinics. Over the next four years, 56 students will participate in the program.

C LI N I C PH OTO G R A PH S BY E LI S E T R I S S E L ; S I G N S BY C I N DY G O FF / G E T T Y I M AG E S

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C O M M U N I T Y “Each population is different, just as each patient is different,” UPCARE Scholar Lauren Crebbs said. “An outcome of being an UPCARE Scholar is the opportunity it provides us to broaden our knowledge of the many different populations we may work with in our future careers.” Working with BSN-prepared nurse preceptors, or specialized teachers, and health care professionals at the rural health clinics, UPCARE Scholars learn about chronic disease management, preventive care, hospital transition management and health coaching. Along the way, the scholars learn about the “heart” of health care. “From the time we spent there in one semester alone, I could tell that my peers brightened the day of each patient we cared for,” Crebbs said. “In any health care facility I’ve been to, I find that health care providers are often overwhelmed enough as it is with their roles that some patients don’t get as much lighthearted social interaction as they could. With our one-on-one assignment, we had the chance to provide constant care for our patients while also having the time to get to know them, hear their stories and help them create a plan to reclaim control of their health and maintain good health status.” UPCARE Scholars are also learning about health care access and health disparities in rural areas from the front-line nurses affiliated with Valley Health Page Memorial Hospital Rural Health Clinics. The scholars benefit from a partnership with JMU’s

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“With our one-on-one assignment, we had the chance to provide constant care for our patients while also having the time to get to know them.” — LAUREN CREBBS, UPCARE Scholar

Counseling and Psychological Services, and participate in interprofessional experiences as part of their mental health clinical. The scholars learn on both sides of the hospital doors, said Tina Switzer (’18M), UPCARE partnership liaison. “They have seen patients in the hospital, in their homes and in the clinics—sometimes the same patient in those different settings—to better understand the patient’s experience in a small, rural setting.” In summer 2019, the UPCARE cohort members expanded their perspectives when they joined Virginia Commonwealth University nursing students for the second week of their own HRSA-funded program, Primary care Improved Outcomes with Nurses in Evolving and Expanding Roles (PIONEER). The students gathered for Primary Care Camp, a weeklong learning activity of exercises teaching students and health care professionals about primary care and rural health concepts and nursing interventions.

UPCARE Scholars work with health care professionals to provide quality care for residents of Page County, Virginia. 40

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The unique urban and rural exchange joined students at JMU to collaborate on various topics related to rural primary care, such as quality improvement and financing health care and safety net programs. VCU students visited Page Memorial Hospital clinics, while JMU students visited two VCU hospital system clinics, CrossOver Healthcare Ministry and the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority. Students reunited on the final day at Piedmont Valley Community College for debriefing on their experiences and developed small-group case-study presentations to share with the larger group. JMU UPCARE Scholar Jessica DiscuaAguilar was excited to participate in the Primary Care Camp, where she connected with PIONEER and VCU student Ikenna Onyeador. “It was great getting to meet other nursing students from a different school and getting to know the similarities and differences between the UPCARE and PIONEER grants,” Discua-Aguilar said. “Getting to do clinical observations at Richmond was absolutely amazing. I shadowed medical assistants, nurses and doctors. The staff of each of the four locations made sure my peer and I were participating and learning.” Onyeador added, “The entire week was a phenomenal teaching, learning and networking experience. We got to understand and see for ourselves the true essence of rural health care.” Although the UPCARE Scholars program is in its early stages, faculty, students and community partners are working hard to grow the network so more opportunities like the Primary Care Camp can become possible. “A lot of creativity and research, as well as trial and error, have started to bear some quality fruit, and I am excited to be a part of this team,” Switzer said. While they are developing their nursing skills in clinical settings, some UPCARE Scholars are considering future roles. “My mind has definitely been opened to the idea of working in primary care rather than a hospital,” Crebbs said. “UPCARE is definitely an amazing support system,” Discua-Aguilar said. “I am so grateful to be a part of it.”

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CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS SIGNAL FUNDRAISING

SUCCESS

Cornerstone facilities take shape as campus continues to expand BY KHALIL GARRIOTT (’04)

Atlantic Union Bank Center

The Atlantic Union Bank Center will have 8,500 seats for JMU men’s and women’s basketball games and a capacity of 9,500 for events like commencement and concerts, depending on configuration. It will be a preeminent venue featuring modern technology, video boards, improved sight lines and upgraded concessions. PH OTO G R A PH BY CO DY T R OY E R

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“We recognize the commonwealth is not going to be able to fund all our facility needs, so the campaign is critical to meeting our long-range facility needs.” — CHARLIE KING, senior vice president for administration and finance

College of Business Learning Complex The new CoB Learning Complex, with an open and bright design, will be more than twice the square footage of the current College of Business in Zane Showker Hall. The new total square footage is 206,900 square feet, which includes Showker Hall. (The original Showker Hall, which opened in 1991, is 92,132 square feet.) When complete, it will give students and faculty dedicated spaces for innovation, collaboration, creativity, entrepreneurship and community engagement.

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ew residence halls. A new College of Business Learning Complex coming next year. A new arena for basketball, entertainment and special events opening in Fall 2020. A new parking deck. A newly renovated Wilson Hall. A new land bridge. A new Phillips Hall in the works for Spring 2020. A road extension of Grace Street. The growth of James Madison University is evident everywhere you look, and the impact of the Unleashed campaign can now be seen across campus. JMU has the largest number of capital projects underway at one time in the institution’s history. JMU’s growth has occurred because of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s request for the university to enroll more in-state students. “All of these facilities improve the college experience for our students and provide first-class facilities for our staff to perform their jobs,” said Charlie King, senior vice president for administration and finance. “We take a great deal of pride in the campus, and I think it is one of the reasons JMU is so popular.” “Building Our Success” is one of the five campaign goals. Now that the campaign has eclipsed $155 million and 52,400 investors, the fruits of that support are coming to bear. JMU has a clear commitment to leverage improved facilities for student learning and development. “In order to attract the best and brightest students and faculty, you must provide great facilities,” King said. “JMU has a long history of doing that and to continue that practice, we are including capital improvements in our Unleashed campaign. We recognize the commonwealth is not going to be able to fund all our facility needs, so the campaign is critical to meeting our long-range facility needs.” The CoB Learning Complex, a project with a $71.2 million construction cost, and the Atlantic Union Bank Center are two priorities of the “Building Our Success” campaign goal. Both are being built with significant private support. College of Business Dean Mike Busing said having an up-todate facility will elevate his college.

“Our students will have a leg up on the competition and continue to be highly sought after in the marketplace,” Busing said. “This will translate into a brand awareness that will take us to the next level. I am excited about the many opportunities this space will provide our faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders.” The new CoB Learning Complex, with an open and bright design, will be more than twice the square footage of the current College of Business in Zane Showker Hall. The new total square footage is 206,900 square feet, which includes Showker Hall. (The original Showker Hall, which opened in 1991, is 92,132 square feet.) When complete, it will give students and faculty dedicated spaces for innovation, collaboration, creativity, entrepreneurship and community engagement. “The newly expanded Capital Markets Lab will provide more students access to Bloomberg financial terminals,” College of Business Associate Dean Kim Foreman said. “The Forum space will permit us to engage with more alumni as we begin to host C-suite speaker series events, conferences and seminars. Our faculty will find new opportunities to collaborate with their colleagues, check in on what’s happening with our Gilliam Center for Entrepreneurship and/or teach in newly created specialty spaces like our Digital Marketing Lab, Economics Lab and Distance Learning classroom.” The Atlantic Union Bank Center will have 8,500 seats for JMU men’s and women’s basketball games and a capacity of 9,500 for events like commencement and concerts, depending on configuration. It will be a preeminent venue featuring modern technology, video boards, improved sight lines and upgraded concessions. Whether driving by or watching construction webcams from afar, it’s exciting for JMU community members to see the buildings take shape. Students, faculty, staff and alumni feel a sense of pride in Madison’s ongoing evolution.

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SUCCESS “Even though I come to campus daily as an employee, I still experience that ‘wow factor’ when I see the improvements and updates made on campus,” said Kristin Gibson (’06, ’10M), associate director for UREC services. “It never gets old seeing the awestruck reaction of an alum … when they tour UREC and see the incredible transformation our facility underwent recently. There will always be a special place in my memory for the last version of D-Hall, Mrs. Greens and the SMAD modular buildings behind UREC, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love eating at the new D-Hall and appreciate how the new facilities better meet the needs of our current students.” Paul Jennings Hall, the newest residence hall on campus, is home to 500 students and features a learning commons, 200-person great room and grab-and-go dining option.

“Even though I come to campus daily as an employee, I still experience that ‘wow factor’ when I see the improvements made on campus.” — KRISTIN GIBSON (’06, ’10M), associate director for UREC services

Jennings, once held in slavery by James Madison’s family, purchased his freedom and joined the abolitionist movement. Some of Jennings’ descendants attended a grand opening of the residence hall in October. The future home of the Atlantic Union Bank Center now includes an adjacent parking deck. Built a year ahead of schedule, the 1,500-vehicle East Campus Parking Deck has alleviated parking woes on East Campus. “The [deck] has had a tremendous impact for students, faculty and staff who need to park on East Campus,” said Towana Moore, associate vice president of business services. “During the past several years we have had a shortage of parking spaces over on that side of campus, and this deck provided spaces necessary to help with the shortage and to service the Atlantic Union Bank Center, once it is completed.”

Paul Jennings Hall

The newest residence hall on campus is home to 500 students and features a learning commons, 200-person great room and grab-and-go dining option. Jennings, once held in slavery by James Madison’s family, purchased his freedom and joined the abolitionist movement. Some of Jennings’ descendants attended a grand opening of the residence hall in October.

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Across Interstate 81, Bluestone Drive now connects to Mason Street near the Student Success Center. The Grace Street Extension diverts vehicles away from heavy foot traffic around the Bluestone area. “The Grace Street Extension sidewalk is already being heavily used by pedestrians,” Moore said. “The roadway provides an additional route through the inner campus, which should speed up bus travel times.” Four projects are on track for completion in 2020: the CoB Learning Complex, the Atlantic Union Bank Center, the Phillips Center retail dining facility and the JMU Foundation building. Last summer, there was a flurry of construction activity around campus, but workers minimized disruption and delays. Progress was necessary over the summertime to keep the capital projects on track. “Summertime is critical for us because we have an opportunity to complete parts of projects that would inconvenience people if they were here,” Moore added. “This summer, we had to move utilities that were in roadways which required closing roads. It’s always better to do those projects when the majority of the campus community is not here.” Visitors to the university bookstore and Godwin Hall likely noticed the recent reconfiguring of G Lot. Rows in that parking lot are now parallel to Godwin Hall instead of perpendicular. Nearby, the turf on Zane Showker Field at Bridgeforth Stadium was replaced, as was the turf behind UREC. The turf on Eagle Field at Veterans Memorial Park will be redone in December. “The new turf will provide our students and student-athletes with an opportunity to compete on surfaces that provide the latest in safety and performance technology,” JMU President Jonathan R. Alger said. In addition to the major construction projects, several smaller improvements have been made around campus. Tireless work by the facilities and construction teams have kept plans on track (and ahead of schedule in some cases) as JMU unleashes its graduates on the world.

PAU L J E N N I N G S H A LL A N D C L A S S R O O M PH OTO G R A PH S BY CO DY T R OY E R ; W I L S O N H A LL BY E LI S E T R I S S E L ; I N T E R I O R C LO C K BY J U ST I N R OT H

Renovation of JMU’s landmark building

or the first time since 1931, Wilson Hall is fully renovated. Now home to the history department, the iconic building reopened in August after being closed for over a year. The construction cost was $20 million. Architectural details preserve Wilson’s historic character. Featuring a two-story atrium and a refurbished auditorium with new seating, Wilson Hall is the new home for history students who are creating content in a cutting-edge podcast studio, working with big data, doing

hands-on work like developing websites in a new history lab, studying in smart classrooms and using 21st-century technology such as 3D printers and virtual reality. When the scaffolding finally came down in time for the Fall 2019 semester, faculty members were elated about the exciting new learning environment. “We all feel privileged to walk into the building each day,” History Department Head Maura Hametz said. “Coming in the front doors from the Quad is like walking across a movie set! The

favorite features seem to be the bookshelf ladders in faculty offices on the second and third floors (think Belle in Beauty and the Beast) and the clock room, a seminar room on the fourth floor with a huge clock designed to mimic the clock on the outside of Wilson.”

“We all feel privileged to walk into the building each day. ” — MAURA HAMETZ, history department head

Over the years, JMU’s landmark building has had myriad uses. University presidents, student organizations, the campus post office, art department and student radio station all have been based in the longstanding building. As the visual centerpiece of the Quad, Wilson Hall now sets history students up for future success. “The renovation ‘Builds Our Success’ by enabling us to address the needs of 21stcentury students and to enable them to develop critical skills and understanding to be engaged citizens at JMU, in the community and in the world,” Hametz said.

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Pangle (right) trains teachers on using materials in a wind education kit at one of the 4-H educational centers.

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The future of wind and solar

JMU center powers K-12 sustainable energy education across Virginia BY ERIC GORTON (’86, ’09M)

rowing up on the coast of Massachusetts, Remy Virginia Cooperative Extension, involves supplying educational Pangle (’99) set her sights on becoming an kits for teaching about solar and wind power to the state’s six 4-H educational centers. The 4-H centers teach the material to chiloceanographer. After graduating from JMU with a degree in dren who visit them and loan the kits to schools in their regions. Before the VCE partnership, Pangle placed the kits at museintegrated science and technology, she headed to the University of Maine for a master’s degree and ums around the state, but the 4-H Centers are better staffed for working with students and teachers, she said. began her career in oceanography. With help from her interns, Pangle customizes the kits so they’re A phone call with Jonathan Miles, executive director of the JMU Center for the Advancement of Sustainable Energy, led available for different age groups, from elementary through high Pangle back to JMU and to a job that now has her promoting school, and easy for teachers to use. She also trains the 4-H staff wind and solar energy education to K-12 teachers across Virginia. and teachers how to use the materials, which were developed by the “My path from oceanography to renewable energy actually made National Energy Education Development Project. Purchased with a lot of sense,” Pangle said. “I was doing a lot of work just when GIS grant money from the U.S. Department of Energy, the NEED kits was coming into the mainstream, doing a lot of spatial analysis. I contain hands-on activities accompanied by books and curricutalked to Jon and he told me he needed a marine scientist to help lum materials that align with Virginia’s Standards of Learning. The kits come with six activities in each understand the offshore realm for putting “I guess I’ve always box. “It’s basically everything you need to up wind turbines. It just fascinated me.” do a module on wind energy or solar energy It didn’t hurt that the position, which she just cared about for 25 kids,” Pangle said. However, because took in 2007, offered a way to do something the world.” the kits can be daunting to teachers who to mitigate climate change rather than just want to teach specific lessons to specific observe what it was doing to the oceans. — REMY PANGLE ( ’99), director and education manager of JMU’s age groups, Pangle developed a method for “Growing up on the coast, I think, piqued Center for the Advancement of breaking them down into more manageable my interest in the environment,” she said. “I Sustainable Energy lessons. “The Wonders of the Wind kit is guess I’ve always just cared about the world.” As director and education manager of CASE, which serves as now Wind Does Work, Wind Makes Electricity and Measuring the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Application Center for Vir- the Wind. There are three individual kits teachers can borrow that ginia, Pangle gets to share her enthusiasm for the environment and cover three main concepts,” Pangle said. Tammy Stone, science coordinator for Rockingham County science with teachers and students across the state. JMU is the only university in Virginia providing a wide variety of services under the Public Schools, said the CASE program for loaning the teaching kits removed a barrier for teachers who don’t have the supplies, DOE’s Wind for Schools program. The outreach began in 2010 when the center, then called The Cen- and Pangle’s efforts to connect JMU students with RCPS students ter for Wind Energy, secured its first Wind for Schools grant. Since “is a win-win for both the college students and our students.” Stone lauded the work Pangle has done. “Remy is an outstandthen, Pangle has been implementing Wind for Schools programs and initiatives, including the annual KidWind Challenge, a competition ing outreach ambassador for JMU,” she said. Pangle said she enjoys training educators to teach the matefor elementary-, middle- and high-school students that incorporates rial and seeing students solving problems. And while training the engineering, science, alternative energy and sustainability. The center provides consulting services for schools interested in future sustainable energy workforce is a goal of Wind for Schools, installing wind turbines and solar panels. So far, eight schools have Pangle said even students who don’t follow a path to the energy installed wind turbines through the Wind for Schools program, sector receive a real benefit. “If we can get kids excited now about important issues, teaching with assistance from CASE. The center also runs a solar panel loan program for schools interested in small demonstration projects. them about renewable energy and tying it to climate change, when For larger projects, CASE helps connect the schools with installers. they’re ready to vote, they’re going to be well-informed on energy Pangle’s latest project, the result of a budding partnership with issues and able to make good decisions,” she said. PH OTO G R A PH BY E LI S E T R I S S E L

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Alumni Life for

he JMU Alumni Association has over 35 alumni chapters and 20 regional alumni ambassadors worldwide. Wherever life

takes you, alumni chapters are a great way to stay connected to JMU and meet local alumni.

Alumni chapters are organ ized and run by teams of dedi cated local alumni volunteers.

JMUAA alumni chapters

It is because of these awesome Dukes that the Madison Experi ence is able to expand far beyond JMU’s campus. Meet some of our chapter leaders.

Doug Ley (’06)

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PRESIDENT, SAN DIEGO DUKES Major: Integrated Science and Technology, with concentrations in manufacturing and engineering, and Business

What is your favorite JMU memory? There are so many! I’d have to say trav eling with friends to Chattanooga in 2004 and seeing JMU bring home its first football national championship.

Why do you love being a JMU volunteer? I love being able to remind fellow alumni what it was like back when they were at JMU, even if it’s for an hour here or there, breaking up some people’s monotonous day-to-day adult life. I really enjoy scheduling networking events for alumni to catch up with old friends, or a viewing party for a football game, reminding them what it was like on game day in Bridgeforth Stadium.

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Kendall Gaume (’09) CO-PRESIDENT, HOUSTON DUKES Major: Hospitality and Tourism Management, Business Administration

Why do you love being a JMU volunteer? My four years at JMU were the best years of my life, and I met some of the best people ever. Now that I am living in a city so far away from Harrison burg, I want to stay as connected as possible to the school and people that have meant so much to me. Why should other alumni get involved in their local chapters? One thing every alum can agree on is how much JMU impacted our lives in a positive way. As JMU Nation expands farther throughout the country, it is so important to continue the engagement with the university and alumni, even from afar. Plus, we do really fun things in Houston!

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Hayley (’14) and Matt Schoner (’13) CO-LEADERS OF THE CHICAGO DUKES Majors: Media Arts and Design (Hayley) and Finance (Matt)

What does Being the Change mean to you? Hayley: Being the Change, to me, means listening more than you speak and always seeking out others’ perspectives. You never know who may have the next great idea or what their current situation may be.

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When you come back to campus, what do you look forward to doing the most? Matt: I most look forward to the Zuber family tailgate. One of my best friends and his parents started tailgating our freshman year, and they haven’t missed a game in 10 years. The welcoming, loving atmosphere that embodies JMU (not to mention the AMAZING food) is something I look forward to for every home game. I cherish the opportunity to get back to campus and be with my JMU family in G lot.

Why should other alumni get involved in their local chapters? Both: It’s incredible the places you’ll make

Carmen Jones (’05, ’06M)

connections just by spreading the good word of JMU. Whether we’re at a service event or a watch party, we always come decked out in purple and gold. I love when strangers go out of their way to come up to us and tell us about their connection to JMU.

PRESIDENT, WILLIAMSBURG DUKES Major: Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, with a minor in Early Childhood Education (preK-3), Master’s degree in Special Education

When you come back to campus, what do you look forward to doing the most? Connecting with all of my JMU friends, tailgating, throwing streamers, walking around the beautiful grounds and taking in the crisp mountain air!

Find a chapter near you: alumni.jmu.edu/chapter.

What does Being the Change mean to you? As a spe cial education teacher, I believe that Being the Change means making the difference in the lives of my students. I believe that I can change their future by building meaningful relationships that go beyond the classroom. I also encourage all of my students to be avid JMU fans!

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Volunteer recognition

Dedicated Dukes honored at MAC banquet

he JMU Alumni Association hosted the annual Madison Alumni Conference Awards Banquet to recognize out standing chapter leaders in the JMU community. It is because of JMU’s dedicated and exceptional volunteers that the association has a presence in over 35 regional alumni chapters worldwide. Blue Ridge Chapter of the Year: Charlottesville Dukes

The Charlottesville Dukes were recognized as the Most Improved Chapter in 2018, and building on their momentum, they find themselves in the top spot as Blue Ridge Chapter of the Year. Over the past year, the Charlottesville Dukes have completely revamped their leadership team, event strategy and marketing outreach to create a more inclusive, diverse alumni chapter. In 2018 alone, the chapter successfully planned and executed more than 20 events. 50

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Charlottesville Dukes are the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Year. (Above, L-R): Mary Andrews (’15), Christian Embrey (’16), Elizabeth Liles (’87), Bellamy Brown (’04), Matt Merritt (’13), Dirron Allen (’00) and Mark Liles (’87). M AC PH OTO G R A PH S BY E LI S E T R I S S E L

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Becoming ‘Forever Loyal’ BY ERIC BOWLIN (’02)

Alumni Association president

F (L-R): Tiffany Brutus (’04, ’06M), Chiquita King (’09, ’11M) and Paula Bowens (’89).

Shenandoah Chapter of the Year: Black Alumni Chapter

As an affinity-based chapter, the BAC doesn’t have the conve nience of shared geography, but that doesn’t stop it from offering innovative programs in a variety of locations across the country. In 2019, it added more than $15,000 to its endowment to provide scholarships to JMU students. This group of volunteers works tirelessly to support JMU and advocate for diversity.

our or five years after graduation, my wife, Stephanie (’01), and I sat down at our kitchen table with a good friend from JMU’s Office of Annual Giving. She explained to us how little financial support JMU was receiving from Virginia’s state government and how important our support was, in order for JMU students to continue having the same awesome experiences we had. She politely challenged us to ask ourselves, “Why aren’t we giving back?” There was no good excuse, so we got our butts in gear and started making a small monthly donation. At first, all we could manage was $10 a month. But each year we increased our gift and started spreading it across several different funds that we were passionate about. Even though those initial gifts were small, it put us on the path to regular giving. We have been Forever Loyal donors for over 14 years. JMU’s Forever Loyal program recognizes and celebrates the heart of JMU: the steadfast supporters whose investments make a difference every day. Tuition and state funding provide only part of the resources our university relies on to continue unleashing JMU’s potential in academics, athletics and other priorities. Join the thousands of Forever Loyal alumni, current students and friends already committed to Being the Change at JMU with three simple steps:

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Choose your passion: My wife and I are passionate about so many areas at JMU: the College of Business, Duke Club, MRDs, Centennial Scholars, JMU football, the list goes on. Find your passion and make a difference.

Zac (’06, ’10M) and Laura (’07, ’08M) Hittie.

Volunteer of the Year: Laura Hittie

This past year Laura Hittie (’07, ’08M) became president of the Harrisonburg Alumni Chapter. Throughout the year, Hittie has facilitated a variety of events focusing on service, philanthropy and university collaboration. Laura and her husband, Zac (’06, ’10M), are a true JMU love story. Through their involvement with the Harrisonburg Alumni Chapter, they met at the Madison Alumni Conference in 2013. As they say, the rest is history. A LU M N I A S S O C I AT I O N PR E S I D E N T PH OTO G R A PH CO U RT E SY O F E R I C B OW LI N (‘ 02)

Choose your amount: We can’t all make a gift with a comma in the middle, but we can all make a difference. Every gift matters. Give each year: Consistent giving has a powerful impact on the success of JMU. Worried you’ll forget? Set up a recurring payment.

I challenge you to ask yourself the same question Stephanie and I were asked, “Why aren’t you giving back?” And if the answer is, “I don’t know,” consider starting your journey to becoming Forever Loyal today. And don't forget to show your loyalty on social media with #WeBleedPurple on Fridays! Get involved: j.mu/loyal W I N T E R

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It starts with (a) Handshake BY JACOB NEFF, alumni relations communications coordinator

hristine Cruzvergara (’05), an executive at Handshake, a college-to-career network, has worked with thousands of graduates throughout her career, but JMU graduates have always stood out. For Cruzvergara, there is no mistaking a Duke. There is a “very special spirit about every JMU graduate,” she said. “There is a certain level of empathy.” Cruzvergara appreciates her experiences as a psychology major for allowing her to sharpen her professional skills. Psychol ogy professor Bill Evans, whose leadership still inspires her, taught Cruzvergara the concept of servant leadership. “His humil ity and his lessons about what it means to show leadership, particularly in difficult moments, has carried me through some of the most challenging situations,” she said. Since graduation, she has applied these skills to a career in higher education. Cruz vergara spent over a decade in the industry before landing at Handshake as vice presi dent of higher education and student success. It seems right that a JMU alumna would be involved in the student success efforts at Handshake. After all, Career and Aca demic Planning at JMU uses Handshake to provide students with a one-stop shop for employment resources. Additionally, students are able to request an appointment with CAP through Handshake, streamlin ing the process and allowing easier access

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Christine Cruzvergara (’05), vice president of higher education and student success at Handshake. (Bottom): The entire Handshake team.

to advisers. A student from any academic department can benefit from this online employment community. Recent JMU graduates may continue to apply to oncampus interview positions and register for career fairs, and all alumni may use and search for jobs on Handshake. Handshake is not the first service of its kind. LinkedIn, Glassdoor and Indeed offer similar opportunities. A key difference is that employers reach more schools (and more applicants) than ever before through Hand shake. As employers seek out applicants, many of them return to the same schools and job pools they have always used. Handshake allows these companies to recruit at new schools and reach a community of 17 million students. Additionally, as employers across

the country strive for diverse workplaces, Cruzvergara and her team have been an ally, both to potential employees and the compa nies that can hire them. Transitioning into the technology indus try is no easy task, though for Cruzvergara the “ability to have an impact on millions of students across thousands of universities” was well worth the challenge. Recruited as part of a growing team, she arrived at Handshake after working tirelessly for the students of Wellesley College and George Mason University. In her current role, Cruzvergara has had the opportunity to serve students on a much larger scale. In today’s job market, “professionals will change jobs nearly 12-15 times,” Cruzver gara said. “Students will have to continually reinvent themselves.” Soon-to-be college graduates will enter this market shortly, and when they do, access to a community of employers could make a difference. Serving as a first step in crafting your career, Handshake has partnered with over 400,000 companies. Some of these compa nies are seeking students to hire immedi ately in their campus communities. Reflecting on her time at JMU, Cruzver gara recited an old saying: “No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care.” This saying summarized her Madison Experience. During her time at JMU, Cruzvergara learned very quickly that “leadership is an action, not a title.”

PH OTO G R A PH S CO U RT E SY O F C H R I ST I N E C R UZ V E RG A R A ( ’ 05)

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Building communities, providing opportunities

BY JACOB NEFF, alumni relations communications coordinator

ames Madison University is community. At least, that’s how Sandy Sneen Pagnotti (’84) sees it. If anyone could provide a firsthand account of the impact that Being the Change can have on a community, it would be Pagnotti. During her tenure at Ronald McDon ald House Charities of Maryland, she has seen several dozen JMU alumni become involved in the projects of the organiza tion, which supports families whose chil dren are receiving treatment for chronic illness or injury. Whether there was a need for donations of time, talents or finances, JMU alumni have fulfilled these needs enthusiastically. A Baltimore resident and public relations professional for over 25 years, Pagnotti saw her “empty nest” as a chance to begin a new career. With her daughter living in Harrisonburg at her alma mater, Pagnotti set her sights on the nonprofit sector. “I was motivated to spend the second half of my career in service to others,” Pagnotti said. “It’s been the greatest and most rewarding decision I’ve ever made.” In August 2010, she was chosen as the next CEO and president of Ronald McDon ald House Charities of Maryland. Her first task was to build a Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore, a project that would take seven years to complete and cost $35 million. As shocking as those figures were, Pagnotti was unfazed. Change begins “with a big impact in a small place, and builds from there,” she said. “We can certainly lift the burdens of these families.” As the home grew in size, so did the number of JMU alumni making a differ ence in the build. Diane Lewis Robinson (’85), owner of DLR Marketing, worked tirelessly with Pagnotti to promote the proj ect and bring a Ronald McDonald House into the Baltimore skyline. Kim Hobart Zaruba (’85) is a longtime volunteer with

(Above): Sandy Sneen Pagnotti (’84) jumps for joy as construction progresses on the Ronald McDonald House. (Right): Pagnotti at the groundbreaking.

RMHC Maryland, donating countless hours to the project. There is a “spirit of service and community” in JMU alumni, Pagnotti said, “an underlying sense of pride that is shared.” If you ask the RMHC team what it’s like to stay at a Ronald McDonald House, they likely will tell you that “it’s kind of like the Ritz meets Disney meets grandma’s house.” Their goal is to provide opportuni ties for children to enjoy childhood despite their medical situation. “We are set up like a hotel,” Pagnotti said. “What they (the children) know at the hospital is poking, prodding and chemotherapy … at Ronald McDonald they know that dogs visit and they can be a kid.” In addition to constructing Maryland’s only Ronald McDonald House, Pagnotti and her team have partnered with Bal timore City Department of Recreation and Parks to restore McKim Park. The renovation will include a new basketball court, playground and upgraded park space. McKim Park and the newly built Ronald McDonald House sit across from

PH OTO G R A PH S CO U RT E SY O F SA N DY S N E E N PAG N OT T I ( ’ 8 4)

each other in Jonestown, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Baltimore. Few have impacted the lives of Balti more youth like Pagnotti. “At the Ronald McDonald House, we can’t make the med icine taste better, the hospitals less scary or the treatments less painful … but we can Be the Change for a sick or dying child and their family by bringing comfort, compas sion and even joy to their journey.” W I N T E R

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Always home

‘My Madison Experience didn’t stop when I graduated almost 10 years ago’ BY TIFFANY BROWN (’10), guest writer

’ve been to every JMU Homecoming since 2007. Thirteen for a living. People always ask me if JMU was the best four years of years later, the excitement of being on campus on this special my life, but JMU has been the best part of all the years of my life. My Madison Experience didn’t stop when I graduated almost weekend still doesn’t get old. I’m quite different from the small-town girl who had 10 years ago. Most of the friends I’ve made in my adult years (out never stepped foot on campus until she was already officially side of co-workers) are alumni. And get this, some of them were enrolled, completely unsure if she’d made the right decision. Today, even there the same years that I was. We didn’t meet at JMU, but we met because of JMU. This is why I believe that staying I’m sure it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. It just feels right. Homecoming is when we reminisce about the old days. involved post-graduation is so important. Two years after I graduated from JMU, I learned that the Sometimes, it’s like we never left. Homecoming is holding your RVA Dukes chapter held its monthly meet friend’s 4-week-old baby and feeling like it was “JMU always ings f ive minutes away from my off ice and I just yesterday that he was the freshman beside you in philosophy class your sophomore year. feels like home.” attended my first meeting. Two years after that, It’s making friends at a restaurant in downtown — TIFFANY BROWN (’10) I became the social media chair. I served in that capacity for two years and spent Harrisonburg with two guys who another year serving on the Com were ra ndom f re sh ma n room munications Committee. Since mates-turned-lifelong-friends and February 2017, I’ve been a member comparing your college experience of the GOLD (Graduates of the with theirs. It’s having a weekend Last Decade) Board of Directors sleepover with your best friend who and served as the Outreach Com was a random suitemate and having mittee head. the chance to love on her babies, I go back for Homecoming because one of whom is your goddaugh whether I’m actually on campus, with ter. It’s walking to campus with my fellow alums in Richmond or sur Wagon Wheel playing on a speaker rounded by thousands of my closest and singing at the top of your lungs friends in Frisco, Texas, JMU always because JMU just gets you. feels like home. I am who I am today because of James Madison University. I’m no (Clockwise): Tiffany Brown (’10) reminisces by McGraw-Long Hall longer the girl who stood in the door during Homecoming weekend ways of McGraw-Long Hall freshman 2019, tailgates with friends before year, almost too shy to make friends. the football game and enjoys life Now, I’m in sales and I call strangers as a student.

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MixedMedia BOOKS, MUSIC

& FILM

Yes We Did: Photos and Behind-the-Scenes Stories Celebrating Our First African American President BY LAWRENCE JACKSON (’90) Penguin Publishing Group ISBN: 9780525541011 “Eight years in the White House went by so fast. That’s why I’m so grateful that Lawrence was there to capture them. I hope you enjoy his work as much as I do.” (From the foreword by Barack Obama)

Hidden History of Herndon

BY BARBARA A. GLAKAS (’81) The History Press ISBN: 9781467140966 Glakas tells interesting, little-known stories of Herndon’s past, including tales involving the Civil War, Prohibition and the Ku Klux Klan.

Yummy Yoga: Playful Poses and Tasty Treats

BY JOY SCHLOSS BAUER AND BONNIE SMITH STEPHENS (’83) Abrams Books of New York ISBN: 9781419738241 Yummy Yoga is a fun and fresh introduction to yoga and nutrition through entertaining poses and kid-friendly recipes. Joy Schloss Bauer attended JMU.

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Slay Like a Mother: How to Destroy What’s Holding You Back So You Can Live the Life You Want BY KATHERINE WINTSCH (’99) Sourcebooks ISBN: 9781492669401

Slay Like a Mother is a feisty, clever and fun blueprint for modern motherhood. “As a woman and mother, you’ll gain a newfound power, happiness and ability to leap tall Lego buildings in a single bound,” writes critic Erin Falconer.

Graphic Design: Learn It, Do It

BY KATHERINE A. HUGHES (’94) Taylor & Francis Group ISBN: 9780367075347 Graphic Design: Learn It, Do It is an introduction to the fundamentals of graphic design and the Adobe Creative Cloud applications used to put these concepts into practice.

The Soulful Art of Persuasion: The 11 Habits That Will Make Anyone a Master Influencer BY JASON HARRIS (’93) The Crown Publishing Group ISBN: 9781984822567

The Soulful Art of Persuasion is a revolu tionary guide to becoming a master influencer in an age of distrust through the cultivation of character-building habits that are essential to both personal growth and sustained business success.

SHOW YOUR PRIDE! JMU license plate sales have provided nearly $900,000 for student scholarships. To show your Madison pride wherever you drive and support scholarships for Virginia students, visit www.dmvNOW.com to get your JMU plate today.

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Madison

EVENTS The JMU Alumni Association presents the

FEB. 10-14

I Heart JMU week

Use #IHeartJMU and share why you love JMU!

MARCH 9-13

Madison Network Dinner with 12 Dukes

The concept is simple: Sit down with 12 strangers, walk away with 12 friends. Dinners will be held in various locations, in partnership with the JMU Alternative Spring Break Program.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2020 For more information and to RSVP, please visit alumni.jmu.edu/awards2020

MARCH 20

Alumni Awards Banquet Recognize the accomplishments of distinguished JMU alumni.

MARCH 24 Giving Day

Mark your calendar and make a gift. Your gift will enhance the Madison Experience and inspire greatness for years to come.

APRIL 24-25

Spring Reunions

If your class year ends in a zero or five, congrats, you celebrate a milestone reunion this year! Come out for a fun weekend of events. This special weekend of class reunions culminates with the Bluestone Society Induction for alumni celebrating their 50th reunion.

JUNE 6

RVA Crabfest

Join fellow Dukes for a day of food and fun at Crabfest, the Richmond, Virginia, Alumni Chapterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest scholarship fundraiser.

JULY 9-10

Save the Dates: JULY 9-10, 2020 JMU alumni and their high-school-age children are invited to attend Legacy Family Days, a two-day event designed for alumni families to help navigate the college admissions process. For more information visit: alumni.jmu.edu/legacy Presented by the JMU Alumni Association and Office of Undergraduate Admissions 56

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Legacy Family Days

JMU alumni and their high-school-age children are invited to attend Legacy Family Days, a two-day event designed for alumni families to help navigate the college admissions process.

For more information and to register for all alumni events, please visit

alumni.jmu.edu/events

PH OTO G R A PH S BY CO DY T ROY E R A N D E LI S E T R I S S E L

STAFF EM ER ITI 59 CELEB R ATI O NS 61 I NAU G U R ATI O N S 62 FACU LT Y EM ER ITI 63 ALU M N I S POTLI G HT 63

Class Notes

2009

JMU Opera Theater’s production of Carmen. Before the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts opened, Masterpiece Season events and student performances were held in Wilson Hall Auditorium and Duke Hall’s Latimer-Shaeffer Theatre.

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Daniel Lynch, principal of Lynch Seli P.C., was installed as the Richmond Bar Association’s 135th president in June.

Joe Flory visited New York City on July 4 and ran into “James Madison” himself (as portrayed by Kyle Jenks)!

Karen Whetzel (’74M) was elected chair of the Virginia School Boards Association, Valley Region, one of nine VSBA regions.

Jim Hill, Jason Flory (’10) and three of their friends recently completed the 93-mile Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park. The group completed the backpacking trip in 10 days.

Joe Flory (’64) with James Madison.

Rob Lesniak and his family traveled to Port-auPrince, Haiti, for a service trip.

John Bau, former career coach at the Yale School of Management, was appointed director of career development for the School of Engineering at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

Karen Whetzel (’71, ’74M)

Elizabeth Liles, while traveling in Switzerland, met Barbara Kurtz (’65), Bill Bowman (’79), Carol Graves (’84) and Mike O’Baugh (’79). BowDaniel Lynch man noticed a JMU (’84) sticker on Liles’ cell David Meredith, former phone and suggested they capchief operating officer of ture the moment. Rackspace, was recently appointed

Jason Flory (’10) and Jim Hill (’83) on the Wonderland Trail in Mount Rainier National Park.

John Lynskey (’90) gives the AGA President’s Award to Kelly Stefanko (’94).

While space is limited in Madison print issues, the Alumni Online Community gives you a chance to tell your full story, share your photos and communicate with other alumni!

To sign up and start sharing your news, visit

alumni.jmu.edu

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PAG E 5 7 C A R M E N P H OTO G R A P H BY DA N G O R I N ( ’ 1 1 )

chief executive officer of Everbridge.

John Bau (’92)

coordinator for the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County (North Carolina) school system, was recently appointed executive director at Project Impact, a community initiative to provide additional operating funds to the school system to address critical student achievement gaps.

Kelley Morrison Bendheim (’95)

Kelly Stefanko earned a President’s Award for her support and volunteerism during the term of John Lynskey (’90) as head of the 15,000-member Association of Government Accountants. Lynskey presented the award to Stefanko at the association’s national training conference in July.

Kelley Morrison Bendheim, early learning

Brian Boder was honored as a top national financial representative by Northwestern Mutual in August. He is affil-

(Above, L-R): Barbara Kurtz (’65), Elizabeth Liles (’87), Bill Bowman (’79), Carol Graves (’84) and Mike O’Baugh (’79) all met by chance while traveling in Switzerland.

SEA members engage through volunteering, luncheon series

BY TINA UPDIKE (’73), SEA Steering Committee chair

he Staff Emeriti Association set a 2019 goal to increase member participation at its events, and the organization’s monthly luncheon series has proven to be a great success. The luncheon series offers opportunities for members to network with former colleagues and connect with the JMU community. The summer events were held in Bridgewater, with a June lunch at The Cracked Pillar Pub’s outdoor pavilion and a July dinner at the Jalapeño Southwest Grill. The August gathering began with a tour of the new D-Hall, led by food service director Matthew Gardner. Following the tour, attendees feasted on a lunch buffet featuring the wide variety of cuisine choices that D-Hall offers daily. September and October lunches were held at O’Neill’s Grill and Traditions Family Restaurant, respectively. Being active and engaged in the JMU community was another goal this year for SEA. SEA members achieved this by volunteering at events such as CHOICES and the annual Employee Appreciation Day. In the fall, the JMU Office of Human Resources

held its first Retirement Fair for faculty and staff. SEA members were on hand throughout the day, volunteering at an information table, handing out their newly updated association brochures and answering employees’ questions about involvement opportunities after retirement. Future plans include a November lunch at the Montpelier Restaurant and Bar in Hotel

Madison, followed by a tour of the newly renovated Wilson Hall, which now houses the JMU history department. In December, SEA members will celebrate the season at a festive Yuletide luncheon to be held at the Village Inn. For more information about the SEA and upcoming events, visit jmu.edu/staffemeriti or email staffemeriti@jmu.edu.

During the summer, Staff Emeriti Association members toured the new D-Hall before savoring a tasty lunch buffet. (Inset): SEA members enjoyed a delicious dinner at Jalapeño Southwest Grill in Bridgewater.

S E A P H OTO G R A P H S C O U R T E S Y O F T H E S TA F F E M E R I T I A S S O C I AT I O N

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Sarah Carr made bracelets to commemorate the reunion of former Hoffman Hall residents on June 22 at a Phish concert in Columbia, Maryland. “They are a testament to the bonds made by students at JMU (over and above a terrific education)!” Carr wrote.

Brian Vaccarino and his fiancé launched Joah Brown, a women’s clothing line specializing in authentic Los Angeles streetwear.

iated with the Seiden Network office in New York City. As part of the recognition, Boder was inducted into the company’s 2019 Forum Group.

Stephanie Jones designed the 2019 Neptune Festival poster. Jones’

(Above): The 2019 Neptune Festival poster designed by Stephanie Jones (’02).

poster, chosen by the Neptune Festival Committee to represent a “celebration of beach life,” was displayed throughout Virginia Beach during Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend.

Jamie Lockhart graduated with a Master in Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University on May 30.

Caitlin McPartland Milo, litigation attorney at the National Veterans

(Above): “The Lesniak Five” show their Purple Pride on a “tap-tap,” a Haitian taxi, in Port-auPrince, Haiti, during their recent service trip. (L-R): Kim (’90), Rob (’90), James, Grace (’19) and Hannah. The taxi gets its name because a rider will tap on the top when they want to hop off. (Right): Grace and James with Haitian children. 60

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(Above): Pictured are Sarah Carr’s (’04) bracelets worn by Phil Shannon (’03), Jim Roche (’03), Jennifer Waitkus (’03), Laurie Bailer Scher (’03) and Meredith Fleisch mann Burke (’03).

Legal Services Program, used her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from JMU to become an expert in veterans disability law. CONTINUED ON PAGE 62 >>>

Celebrations W E D D I N G S , H O N O R S & FUTUR E DUKES

(Top): Laura DeBusk (’14) married Josiah Mauger at Bluestone Vineyard on July 19. Bridesmaids included alumnae Joanne Forrest (’13), Melissa Carter Mercogliano (’14) and Angelica Gertel (’14). The couple resides in Richmond, Virginia. (Right): Aaron Rebuck (’15) and Yoon Jung Chang were married on April 6 at Messiah Presbyterian Church of Washington in Annandale, Virginia.

(Above): Curtis Hendrick (’16) and Kaylee Frey (’15) were married on June 29 in Powhatan, Virginia. The two are seen in this photo with a pack of Dukes! (Right): Chloe Mapes Lehman (’14) and Carter Lehman had a son, Brooks Lewis, on April 5. (Above): Jennifer Corser (’15) and Avery Hymel (’15) were married on June 7 in Occoquan, Virginia. They met as JMU Student Ambassadors. (Inset): Their Duke Dog cake topper was handmade by Katie Gwinn (‘13). (Right): Leah Brockman (’10) and Jordan Barker (’11) were married on June 1 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. D e B U S K / M AU G E R P H OTO G R A P H BY C H R I S T Y M c K E E P H OTO G R A P H Y

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>>> FROM PAGE 60

She currently appeals denied disability claims to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims in Washington, D.C.

Allie Emerick (’14M) owns Bring Your Own LLC, Harrisonburg’s only zero-waste and bulk refill store. She opened the business in October 2017.

Jamie Lockhart (’08)

“College Day.” n Ariel Lee was appointed director of programming for the Washington West Film Festival in Reston, Virginia. The festival donates 100% of box office proceeds to underserved communities.

Anne McAninch recently received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in composition from the University of Wisconsin.

Anne

Zachary KattMcAninch (’15) winkel (’14M), a teacher at First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, gathAndrew Ankrah signed ered with his fellow teaching with the Washington Dukes during First Colonial’s Redskins.

Alumni represent JMU at university presidential inaugurations in 2019 Robert Grimesey Jr. (’78, ’85M), an alumnus of the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Education, represented President Jonathan R. Alger and JMU at the inauguration of Stanley Wearden as the fifth president of Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Sept. 14. Grimesey, the superintendent of Moore County (North Carolina) Schools, said, “It was a genuine honor for me to be present for his investiture and to represent both James Madison University and Moore County Schools.” College of Business double Duke David G. Israel (’80, ’87M) (right) of Los Angeles, California, represented JMU at the inauguration of James A. Gash as the eighth president of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, on Sept. 25. “Thank you guys for allowing me to represent JMU at this inauguration,” Israel said. “Weather was great, too (usually is in Malibu).” Claudia Pfaff (’80) represented JMU at the inauguration of Suresh V. Garimella as the 27th president of the University of Vermont in Burlington on Oct. 3. “Thank you so much for the opportunity to attend and participate in the UVM Presidential Inauguration,” Pfaff said. “I truly enjoyed the entire experience! It was such a beautiful event. I was honored to be there as the representative of JMU.” Paul Albright (’84) (left) represented JMU at the inauguration of Kevin O’Brien as the 29th president of Santa Clara University in California on Oct. 11.

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(L-R): Matthew Hotaling (’08, ’09M), Carrie Knoche (’90), Jennifer Kelly (’98) and Zachary Kattwinkel (’13, ’14M) on First Colonial High School’s College Day.

S C H O L A R S H I P T H A N K -Y O U L E T T E R S Beth Hefner Memorial Scholarship The scholarship was established in 1987 in memory of Beth Hefner, a former JMU student. Dear Mrs. Hefner, Thank you so much for selecting me for the Beth Hefner Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship allows me to focus on my education and dedicate my time to studying and growing as a future teacher. I am thankful for even being considered for the scholarship, and am extremely grateful to have been chosen. As a future educator, I know the importance of empowering students to want to succeed, and being selected for this scholarship has empowered me to work hard and remain focused in my last year of undergraduate studies. Thank you again for your generosity and kindness. Warmest regards, Ann Allred, Class of 2020 Henrico, Virginia

Dr. Jay D. Kain Art Education Scholarship The scholarship was established in 2003 by Karin Ellis to honor Jay D. Kain, former director of the School of Art, Design and Art History at JMU. Dr. Kain and Ms. Ellis, I would like to say a big thank you for your support in the art education department here at James Madison University. I appreciate your help in assisting me with the funds for a proper education that will soon be shared with the students whom I will have the honor of educating in the future. The Dr. Jay D. Kain Art Education Scholarship is bringing me one step closer to reaching my dreams of being an art educator. Again, thank you for all that you have done for me and my department; we appreciate you very much. Sincerely, Jesse Boyce, Class of 2021 Toms Brook, Virginia

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Faculty Emeriti Association news

Battling ‘The Mom Complex’

Two of the four quotations approved for inscription on the soon-to-be-constructed national WWI Memorial in Washington, D.C., were recommended by Mark Facknitz (right), professor emeritus of English. Facknitz, whose research interests include war, commemoration, memory and the arts, serves on the Historical Advisory Board of the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission. One of the quotes is from Archibald MacLeish’s 1940 poem The Young Dead Soldiers Do Not Speak. The other is from prominent American frontier writer Willa Cather’s 1922 novel One of Ours. “Both are about the real cost, the loss of life, or lives cut short, and both hand the responsibility of commemoration—and continuity—over to the living,” Facknitz said. Construction of the memorial is expected to finish by the end of 2020. Harold Daniel Lehman (’42), 98, professor emeritus of secondary education and school administration, passed away Aug. 25. In 1967, he joined the Department of Secondary Education, where he taught until his retirement in 1986. He completed a bachelor’s degree through summer course work at Madison Col-

BY TALIA DAVIS, alumni relations intern

K lege and one year at Bridgewater College. Lehman was one of the oldest surviving male graduates of Madison College. Sara Elizabeth Dilm ore Runyan (’67), 73, associate professor emerita of communication sciences and disorders, passed away Aug. 5. In addition to being a faculty member, she served as director of the Speech and Language Clinic at JMU. A specialist in working with individuals who stuttered, she retired from JMU in 2006. Her husband, Charles Runyan, professor emeritus of communication sciences and disorders, survives. For more information about the faculty emeriti organization, contact Sherry King, director of parent and faculty emeriti relations, at kingsf@jmu.edu or by phone at 540–568–8064.

Faculty Emeriti Association officers (L-R): Bob Atkins, treasurer; Steve Smith, Program Committee co-chair; Martha Ross, Program Committee co-chair; Violet Allain, past president; Kay Knickrehm, vice president; Lance Kearns, secretary; Shelia Moorman, president; Mary Lou Wylie, Interest Groups Committee chair; Elizabeth Ihle, Special Events Committee chair; and LeDhu Tynes, member-at-large.

atherine Wintsch (’99) is on a mission. As founder and CEO of The Mom Complex, Wintsch and her team study the passions and struggles of mothers around the world to help develop innovative new products, services and strategies to make their lives easier. The team has worked alongside some of the world’s largest mom-focused companies, including Walmart, Chobani, Pinterest, Kimberly-Clark and Discovery. Wintsch’s sought-after research and expertise have been featured on Today and Good Morning America and in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company. It started in 2010 while Wintsch was on maternity leave with her second child. While watching TV and caring for her son, Alex, she noticed how mothers were portrayed in advertising. “It was all so idealized and glamorized,” Wintsch said. “Women dancing around in high heels baking cupcakes, and I was barely holding it together as a new mom. I felt this extraordinary divide between how hard it was to be a mother and the way motherhood was brought to life in advertising.” When she returned from leave, this divide was confirmed with the results of a client research study that showed the No. 1 emotion mothers feel is self-doubt. The study included 5,000 mothers in 17 global markets of varying ages, ethnicities, household incomes, marital statuses and geography. Wintsch decided to start The Mom Complex. Her experience with self-doubt, combined with her years of research with mothers, inspired her to write Slay Like a Mother. The book teaches mothers how self-doubt starts, why it grows and how to slay it. While the book is popular today, the path to getting published wasn’t smooth sailing. Wintsch’s book proposal was rejected by 23 publishers. But after a lot of introspection and late-night work sessions, Wintsch landed a major book deal. The only catch was that the publisher needed the book written in seven months. She agreed, cleared her schedule and wrote for at least nine hours a day, five days a week. Slay Like a Mother made its debut this year. Parade Magazine named it “One of the top 10 life-changing self-help books of 2019.” Its success has taken Wintsch worldwide. “To be able to stand in front of women and know that this book is out in the world is a dream come true,” Wintsch said. “I hear from women all the time about how much my book has changed the trajectory of their life. I know what it feels like to be filled with self-doubt, so I know how meaningful it is to them to be free of that doubt. It’s extraordinarily rewarding.” Although she is a CEO and author, growth isn’t the goal at her consulting company; she would prefer to do good work with good people and then go home to her family. In fact, she hopes to combine running The Mom Complex and promoting the work behind her book. “I’m extraordinarily happy and fulfilled and I have amazing worklife balance,” she said. “I’ll never go back to working the schedule I did in the past. I don’t need more than what I have right now, and that feels pretty amazing.”

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DISCOVERING THE

SECRET While on a study abroad trip, Jésus Armenta (‘19) gained an appreciation for the complexities and cultural differences he observed.

An active member of Community Service-Learning, a teacher’s assistant and a psychology major with an Honors College interdisciplinary minor, Jésus Armenta (’19) made the most of his time at JMU. In the summer of 2018, Armenta embarked on a monthlong trip to Scandinavia to study two of the happiest nations on earth, Denmark and Sweden, to determine what conditions and behaviors produce meaningful lives. “No place is perfect,” he said, “but I started to see a larger picture of humanity itself, including how I can identify a problem and how I can fit into a solution.” — Sarah Chase (‘17) PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF JÉSUS ARMENTA (’19)

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