Marshall Magazine, Autumn 2022

BRIEF

baseball

President Brad D. Smith

Editor Susan Tams

of Communications Leah Payne

Jack Houvouras

Manager Dana Keaton Art Director Suzanna Stephens

Senior Graphic Designer Katie Sigler

Contributing Photographers

Rick Lee, Morgan Napier, Austin O’Connor, Marilyn Testerman-Haye

Contributing Writers

James E. Casto, Amy Deal, Amanda Larch, Keith Morehouse, Lalena Price, Katherine Pyles, Taylor Stuck

Editorial Advisory Board

Michelle Biggs, William “Tootie” Carter, Larry Crum, Karen McComas, Chuck McGill, Sheanna Spence, Susan Tams

Magazine is distributed three times a year by: Marshall University One John Marshall Drive Huntington, WV 25755

WV 25708

Brad D. Smith began his presidency with a Listening Tour. The 1,200+ responses he received were referenced when addressing the “Big Five” key areas of concern for the university’s future.

Growing up, Marshall University President Brad D. Smith was often reminded, “You were born with two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.”

“It was one of my mom’s favorite sayings,” Smith said.

Smith carried those words with him as one of Silicon Valley’s preeminent CEOs, and they remained at the top of his mind as he stepped into the role of Marshall president.

“Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate that you should first seek to understand before seeking to be un derstood,” he said.

It’s fitting, then, that Smith’s first presidential under taking was, simply, to listen.

“I thought it would be best to begin by listening,” Smith said. “I recognize that even though I was born in this area and I’m a Son of Marshall, I’ve been gone for 36 years. I didn’t want to assume that I knew the things that were most important to focus on.”

To gain insight into what matters most to the Marshall

Marshall’s annual Week of Welcome (WOW) included a full schedule of activities in August to welcome the Class of 2026. Shown is the Freshman Walk held on Fourth Avenue between campus and the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center in Huntington.

community, Smith kicked off his presidency with a 100day listening tour, meeting with students, alumni, faculty, staff, community leaders and others in 38 separate listening sessions. More than 1,000 people participated in the sessions, garnering more than 1,200 suggestions for the university.

Board of Governors Chairman Patrick Farrell said Smith’s tour, which also included visits to other campuses and conversations with 18 college and university presidents, was inspiring to witness.

“President Smith has an extraordinary ability to listen and empathize with people so they really feel understood,” Farrell said.

An outside firm analyzed the data from the listening tour. The suggestions were organized by theme, and the most frequently referenced themes were identified as key areas. Smith labeled these areas “The Big Five.”

“It was surprising to see how aligned our campus com munity is about what our priorities should be,” Farrell said.

OCT 27, 2021 - Brad D. Smith named president of Marshall University

NOV 12, 2021Smith initiates his 100-day Listening Tour

JAN 3, 2022 - On Smith’s first day as president, he receives a green jacket from the Board of Governors

FEB 21, 2022Christian Spears is named MU’s new athletic director

The 2022 Alumni Award recipients Jeff McKay (Distinguished Young Alumnus), Alys Smith (Distinguished Service to Marshall University), Brad Smith (Distinguished Alumnus) and Cathy Burns (Outstanding Community Achievement) were honored April 9.

“It’s normally hard to get large groups to agree on almost anything, but it’s clear from the listening tour feedback that there’s widespread agreement among our stakeholders about where we should focus our resources.”

The Big Five are: 1) increasing enrollment, using an “end-to-end” approach that begins when a student first learns about Marshall and ends with lifelong alumni engagement; 2) improving the student experience, with targeted efforts for commuters, online learners and other nontraditional students; 3) investing in staff and faculty with an emphasis on compensation, resources and professional development; 4) increasing efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion; and 5) advancing the university’s marketing strategy to better tell the Marshall story. Efforts are already underway in each area.

Smith said that seeing the level at which certain topics resonated among the different groups was eye-opening. For example, increasing enrollment by making Marshall more affordable, particularly for metro residents, was a leading issue brought up in multiple sessions.

“That was top of mind for many people,” Smith said.

“And what I love is that we’re already taking action. We’ve made pricing decisions to hold our tuition relatively flat even in an inflationary market, and we just expanded our metro discounts to a total of 59 counties in Ohio and Kentucky. That’s a 100-mile radius that can get tuition rates lower than the in-state rates in Ohio and Kentucky.”

The administration has also hit the ground running in bolstering Marshall’s marketing strategy, with digital marketing campaigns and storytelling efforts that align with the university’s mission and vision.

— President Brad D. Smith Marshall University

“One thing that really bubbled to the top during the listening tour was that we need to be aligned as a university community on what our vision is — who we are, who we aspire to be — and then build a concrete strategy as we move forward,” Smith said. “For a long time there were questions of, ‘Do we want to be a high-research university?’ ‘Do we want to be another WVU?’ What we want to be is a great Marshall University. The question now is, ‘What does that look like?’”

The university has partnered with McKinsey Consulting

APR 9, 2022Avinandan Mukherjee is named new Provost

APR 9, 2022 - Brad and Alys Smith are honored at the Alumni Awards Banquet with the Distinguished Alumnus and Distinguished Service to Marshall University awards, respectively

APR 12, 2022Intercultural Center opens

APR 19-20, 2022 - Inaugural Student Research Creativity Symposium is held

JUN 9, 2022 - Bruce

Felder is named inaugural Chief Talent and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer

APR

JUN

“ Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate that you should first seek to understand before seeking to be understood

to help build that narrative and increase awareness of Marshall throughout the nation and world. Smith can hardly contain his excitement for what they’ve come up with.

“As we wrap up the work with McKinsey, I’ll just put a teaser out there: ‘Marshall for all. Marshall forever,’” Smith said with a smile. “And we’ll explain more soon.”

Decisive action is taking place in the other areas as well. A comprehensive compensation analysis is being conducted to identify potential inequities due to gender, race or other factors. Through a partnership with consulting firm InfoTech, the university is working to modernize its IT platforms and processes. Marshall is adopting a Responsibility Center Management (RCM) philosophy, an approach that gives academic administrators more control over resource decisions. The university’s Strategic Enrollment Management plan will work to increase enrollment, expand recruitment initiatives and improve retention rates. And key leadership positions in diversity, equity and inclusion have been filled in order to better facilitate the university’s diversity and equity work.

Complementing all these efforts is a shared governance ad hoc committee focused on promoting transparency, accountability, inclusivity and collaboration. Smith said the concept of shared governance is vital to Marshall’s future success.

“All strong cultures and great decisions are made better by diversity: diversity of thought, diversity of experience and demographic diversity like gender, race and sexual orientation,” Smith explained. “And that’s really the foundation of shared governance. Shared governance means that all the powers that be — students, faculty, staff, the Board of Governors, the administra tion — are coming together and collectively

working on the major decisions that affect the university. To be clear, there are primary decision-makers in certain areas — the faculty is the primary decision-maker on the academic side of things, and there are areas where the administration is the primary decision-maker. But all the groups have a voice.”

The ad hoc committee is conducting a study of other universities that utilize shared governance in order to put their best practices in place at Marshall.

“They are studying the best practices of universities that not only have strong shared governance but also move at the speed of life, because one thing we all recognize is that we can’t measure the world by semesters when things are changing by day,” Smith said.

Tackling the Big Five and moving Marshall forward takes everyone, Smith said. And it was in that spirit of collaboration that Marshall held its inaugural Community Cares Week, a series of service projects that gave the

AUG

President Brad D. Smith’s first press conference recapped his first 100 days in office including a summary of the issues brought to his attention during his extensive listening tour.

JUL

Former

CEO James C. “Jim” Smith appointed to BOG

Marshall family an opportunity to give back to the institution through sweat equity last June.

“We thought we’d have 50 people show up,” Smith said. “Then we said, ‘Let’s dream big. Maybe we’ll have 250.’ Well, we had 451 people show up. And I have not walked out of my office a day since and not seen someone I worked with that week.”

Smith, whose jobs included power washing, painting, planting trees and scrubbing the floors of Corbly Hall, said one moment in particular stood out to him. He was assigned to a shift with a group of incoming B.S./M.D. students, high school seniors preparing to earn both their Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine at Marshall in an accelerated program. Their task that day was to put together park benches, securing new wood to stone frames throughout campus.

“I was working with two young women, and when we were finished one of them asked if I’d take a picture of

them on one of the benches,” Smith recalled. “I did, and I handed her phone back to her. As I was walking away, I overheard her say, ‘I want to have this picture so that one day when my daughter comes to Marshall, she’ll see the bench that her mother built.’”

He said tears ran down his cheeks as he walked back to his office.

“This was a 17-year-old girl, who had just finished doing very hard work, with people she’d never met before, on a campus she wasn’t officially a part of yet — but she’s already envisioned herself having a daughter who will follow in her footsteps at Marshall and sit on the bench her mother built,” Smith said.

That’s the power of “we,” he asserted.

“I’ve always felt that the most important word in ‘We are … Marshall’ is the word ‘we,’” he said. “This is the community’s university. This is Appalachia’s university. And quite frankly, it’s the world’s university. Everywhere I’ve traveled, if I say, ‘We are …’ someone will call out, ‘Marshall!’ They’ve seen the movie. They know our story. We have a part to play in a bigger picture.”

In a sense, bringing that bigger picture to life was the goal of the listening tour. While the tour has ended and 100 days in office have turned into 200, and soon 300, that doesn’t mean things are slowing down for Smith. He’s just getting started.

“People sometimes ask me if being the president of a university is very different from being the CEO of a Fortune 500 company,” he said. “My answer is that the hours really aren’t that different. What’s different is that not a day that I’ve been here has felt like work. It feels like purpose.”

Katherine Pyles is a freelance writer living in Huntington, West Virginia. She is a 2009 graduate of the Marshall University School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

Brad

with housekeeping

Student Body President

Improving the student experience for all.

By Katherine Pyles

One of the Big Five focus areas is improving the student experience, and students themselves are leading several initiatives to effect change in that area. It starts with recognizing that one size doesn’t fit all, said Marshall President Brad D. Smith.

“Part of our Strategic Enrollment Plan is recognizing that we’re not just enrolling recent high school graduates,” Smith explained. “A nontraditional student expects a different college experience than a student coming straight out of a local high school. A veteran expects something different than a working parent with a child at home.”

Seeing the need for better inclusion of diverse, nontraditional and commuter students, as well as for expanded mental health services, Marshall’s student leaders are working to promote campus connections.

“We want every student to feel like they’re being heard and have a role in the Marshall community,” explained Student Body President Isabella Griffiths. “No voice is bigger or smaller than another. Everyone can contribute.”

The Intercultural Center, which opened last spring, houses the LGBTQ+ Office, Office of Student Success, Center for African American Students, Center for International Student Affairs and English Language Institute. It also houses a lounge area where students can relax and connect, Griffiths said.

“It’s a space where you can learn about different sexualities, ethnicities, gender identifications, religions — all the things that make you unique,” she said. “It’s a space to share your story and learn from others’ stories.”

The Intercultural Center is one of several small lounge areas on campus that students can take advantage of, said Student Body Vice President Walker Tatum. Some of the lounge areas, like a space located in the Women’s and Gender Center, can even be reserved for individual use.

“You can sign in, dim the lights and just take a breather,” Tatum said, adding that the smaller lounge areas are especially beneficial to commuter students who don’t have a dorm where

they can go to relax. “Sometimes you don’t want to be in a populated area like the student center or the plaza. Having these little spaces tucked away is really important.”

Mental health initiatives and services are also key to a more inclusive student experience, he said.

“College isn’t easy, and Bella and I are the first to say, ‘It’s OK not to be OK,’” Tatum said. “But Marshall has so many resources that students can use. We want students to know that there are things they can take advantage of whenever they feel the need to.”

He said therapy dogs through the MU PAWS program are becoming increasingly popular, and the Counseling Center recently hired additional counselors to improve access to counsel ing services. For students who’d prefer to reach out to a peer for support, the Green Bandana Initiative offers peer-level mental health assistance. Students who join the Green Bandana Initiative go through mental health first aid training and QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training, then receive green bandanas that they display on their backpacks or elsewhere to show that they’re a safe person to turn to for help.

“So many people have participated in the trainings,” Tatum said. “It’s nice to see the green bandanas all around campus.”

As Griffiths and Tatum work to spread awareness about the initiative and other mental health resources, Griffiths said she hopes students also know that they can always come to her.

“We’re always here for the students,” she said. “They’ve put their faith in us to represent them, and our doors are always open to them.”

She said one of her priorities as president is to facilitate op portunities for students to be heard, with events like “Popsicles with the President” and “Mochas with the Mayor” designed to promote civic engagement. She’s also working to reinstate the Marshall University House of Delegates to encourage collaboration among Marshall’s clubs, organizations and athletic teams.

“We want students to feel connected not only on campus but also out in the community,” she said. “We want them to make their voices heard.”

Isabella Griffiths is leading several mental health initiatives for students who are facing any challenges.

aviation

Ground Support

The opening of the Aviation Maintenance Technology program in Huntington has Marshall poised to fill some of the most in-demand jobs in the world.

By Lalena Price

Students are being trained in the critical field of aviation maintenance technology through a partnership with Mountwest Community and Technical College.

Bill Noe says Marshall University is perfectly poised to bolster the aviation industry for decades to come.

“If you’ve ever watched somebody surf, you see them sitting out there waiting for the perfect wave to ride,” said Noe, the university’s new chief aviation officer and the man for whom its flight school in Charleston is named. “At Marshall we see this perfect wave starting to come our way, and we’re starting to paddle hard to catch it because we know we will be able to ride it for the next 30-plus years.”

The first students of the Aviation Maintenance Technology A.A.S. program at Marshall University are joined by James Smith, program director, and Nancy Ritter, director of the Bill Noe Flight School.

Noe, an accomplished pilot and the former president and chief operations officer for NetJets, the largest private jet fleet in the world, has served as a trusted adviser to Marshall’s aviation pro gram since its inception in 2017. He was tapped to lead it in late August 2022, and it seems the sky’s the limit for his vision.

From left, AMT Program Director Jim Smith; Stephen M. Friedrich, CCO, Embraer Executive Jets; William Smith, Director, Learning and Development, Delta Air Lines; MU President Brad D. Smith; Sen. Shelley Moore Capito; MU Chief Aviation Officer Bill Noe; and Mountwest Community and Technical College President Joshua Baker cut the ribbon on the new Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program’s facility at Huntington Tri-State Airport Aug. 25.

“Right now, the aviation indus try is so open that you can pick and choose pretty much what you want to do once you get your certifications and qualifications,” Noe said. “We have aircraft manufacturers right now telling us they want to hire people coming out of our program. We have them wanting to support our program financially and donate equipment to help us train people they can hire. They — all the major players — are donating engines, wings, propellers and more to help expose our students to everything they need to know.”

In Noe’s eyes, Marshall’s Division of Aviation, which operates two programs through agreements with West Virginia International Yeager Airport in Charleston and Tri-State Airport in Huntington, is perfectly positioned for the future. He said he envisions the aviation division evolving into an industry leader that produces capable, adaptable, industry-savvy professionals, including pilots from the Bill Noe Flight

School and administrators from the aviation management program in the Lewis College of Business. And now, students are being trained in the critical field of aviation maintenance technology through a partnership with Mountwest Community and Technical College, which became the nation’s newest FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician school and the first of its kind in the region.

There’s no doubt aviation is gaining speed at Marshall. Noe’s intention is to feed the program well and watch it get stronger and stronger, he said.

“I’m asked, ‘Bill, can you train your students this way, or that way,’ and it makes me think of the scene in the movie Jaws where someone says, ‘We’re gonna need a bigger boat.’ Once we get up to full throttle with Marshall aviation, we may need a bigger school,” Noe laughed.

James Smith directs the Aviation Maintenance Technology program and said many stars had to align

to get it up and running in time for classes that began in August. Years of work culminated in a flurry of activity prior to the start of the fall semester. FAA certification was granted in late June. An open house was held in early July. Twenty qualified students were recruited and admitted to the program, beginning classes even before the ribbon was cut on the state-of-theart training facility at Huntington Tri-State Airport.

Certainly, Smith’s program will fill a void in the aviation industry; but he said he also sees potential for it to serve as an economic driver for the region, producing a workforce with malleable skills that also directly answers industry needs.

“One-quarter of students who graduate from these programs will go to work in oil and gas, maritime and automotive industries,” Smith said. “So, the Aviation Maintenance Technology program is a blessing for all the industries in the region.”

Students will earn an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) through an 18-month, year-round program. Graduates will be qualified to take the FAA’s Airframe and Powerplant certification exams, which are good for life and can be used in any state without restriction. The average U.S. annual salary for an aviation technician? Over $55,000. Industry need for AMTs? 132,000 technicians

before 2041. Current licensed AMTs?

Not enough to fill every job. Coming attrition? 30% of the existing AMT workforce will retire, creating thou sands of positions for new technicians. These are not great statistics for the industry, but they are great for students. Smith is seeking perfect candidates for 2023 to fill 30 spaces for the spring semester and 50 for the fall semester. The FAA sets the ratio of instructors to students at 25:1 to ensure quality instruction.

“The aviation industry is hurting for technicians; and if you look at the way a lot of companies invest in their infrastructure, they tend to invest in facilities where they have a direct pipeline of workforce,” Smith said. “My goal for the Aviation Maintenance Technology program is to inspire companies to come to Huntington that can employ our students and help grow our airport.”

Overall, Marshall’s aviation program has received a number of gifts from the likes of Delta Airlines TechOps and the Embraer Foundation, among others, in support of its nascent program; and at least one company, Thoroughbred Aviation, has expanded to Huntington Tri-State Airport in part due to Marshall’s program. Monica Newman McCluney, head of the Embraer Foundation, said, “Aviation is a robust, high-growth industry; and the incoming students at Marshall University have the opportunity to greatly contribute to the future of flight. We celebrate the university, as well as the students, and are proud to be part of this journey.”

There’s no need for instruments to gauge what those kinds of strong industry investments mean for Marshall’s climb in the world of

aviation. It’s ultimately about jobs for students — whether they oper ate, build or maintain aircraft or manage those who do. Curating a specialized workforce takes time. As Noe says, “You do have to crawl before you walk.”

Noe’s most meaningful involvement in the program begins as students are preparing to leave it. He wants his students to have jobs before they graduate, he said.

“That’s when I go to work creating paths to guaranteed employment, guaranteed opportunity, guaranteed fulfillment for our students just about anywhere they want to go. That’s what we are starting to see happen already with these aviation companies,” Noe said.

Lalena Price is a freelance writer living in Kenna, West Virginia.

esearch Readyesearch Ready

Faculty and students have worked hard over the last 25 years to transformMarshall into one of the leading research universities in the nation.

By Amanda Larch

Dr. Derrick Kolling explains a chemical reaction to a student. Kolling is a professor and the chair of the Department of Chemistry.

Dr. John Maher, vice president for research at Marshall, says the university’s prestigious reputation for research is a success story 25 years in the making. Having achieved Carnegie Classification R2 High Research Activity status in 2018, Marshall is now among the top 6% of research universities in the country.

“If you name a direction of research, our faculty are involved in it,” Maher said. “When you look at Marshall research, it’s impactful.”

Many factors at Marshall foster research and have laid the groundwork for this success, such as the accreditation of the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences, as well as the construction of the Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center in 2006 and the Arthur Weisberg Family Applied Engineering Complex in 2015. This past fiscal year, Marshall was awarded approximately $63 million in grants for research — an all-time record for the university.

“Those are elements that have been built brick by brick by Marshall faculty, and we’ve been come a long way in the last 25 years,” Maher said.

Maher said the research experience at Marshall prepares students, no matter their area of study, for the real world.

“That training builds resilience, selfconfidence, and collaborative and team skills,” he explained. “We see that across the board, whether somebody’s doing an undergraduate research project in fine arts or doing an undergraduate research project in biomedical engineering.”

One focus of research at Marshall is discovering new pathways for treating obesity, spearheaded by Dr. Umapathy Sundaram, vice dean for research and chairman of the Department of Clinical and Translational Science at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

“Obesity is an epidemic in West Virginia and central Appalachia,” said Sundaram. “The many complications of obesity, such as diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, cardiovascular disease, etc., are more common in West Virginia than most any other state.”

To focus the research at Marshall in this important area, the Appalachian Center for Cellular Transport in Obesity Related

Dr. John Maher is executive director of the Marshall University Research Corporation and vice president for research at Marshall.

Dr. Umapathy Sundaram has practiced gastroenterology at Marshall and WVU for almost 20 years and is discovering new pathways for treating obesity.

Disorders (ACCORD) at Marshall University was founded several years ago. Through the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program of the National Institutes of Health, Sundaram and his team were awarded a nearly $11 million grant to investigate obesity.

“This program will allow us to not only perform research in obesity and its complications, but also provide funding to train the next generation of biomedical researchers and establish important infrastructures to perform state-of-the-art research at Marshall,” said Sundaram, principal investigator of the grant. NIH has also awarded grants to fund other entities, including the IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) in partnership with West Virginia University, led by Dr. Gary Rankin, chair of the JCESOM Department of Pharmacology.

“INBRE uses the research experience at WVU and Marshall to foster student and faculty research activity at primarily undergraduate institutions in the state, and it creates a statewide network of people who are trained and going into careers in biomedical research,” Maher explained. “It has a

profound impact on research competitiveness and on the lives and the careers of the students who are now leaving the undergraduate institutions to go on to graduate or medical studies.”

Sundaram, who has been at Marshall for nine years and has practiced gastroenterology at Marshall and WVU for almost 20 years, said a priority among university researchers is to “concentrate our efforts on research that is relevant to our patients.” Because many West Virginians face difficulty in traveling to receive the latest and most advanced care, the Marshall Clinical Research Center (MCRC) was established to bring advancements in treatment and medicine to the area. It supports and grants patients access to clinical trial programs and pro motes clinical and translational research to provide advanced care that otherwise is not available for patients in the region.

“The goal with the MCRC is to bring the latest treatment available by the government and pharmaceutical companies to our locale so patients don’t have to travel too far,” Sundaram said.

Recently, Sundaram and his team completed a clinical trial with a new medication that specifically treats patients with liver complications of obesity.

“ If people were not doing research, we wouldn’t have transistors, iPhones or cholesterol drugs. All of that comes from people asking basic questions and training students to be curious

— Dr. John Maher vice president for research

Dr. Gary Rankin is the principal investigator of the NIH-funded West Virginia IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence.

“We participated in a multicenter trial, and it certainly shows significance in terms of potentially reversing this problem,” Sundaram said.

The Department of Clinical and Translational Science has another goal: to train the next generation of researchers. Dr. Sundaram and his fellow researchers work with students to study the landscape of health care disparities in West Virginia and central Appalachia. They then focus on solving those inequities through research. Sundaram said getting medical and graduate students involved in research that is important for the state of West Virginia adds to the level of care they provide. The goal is to get those students interested in the health care issues facing West Virginia so they can start to prepare mindful paths to solve those problems.

Sundaram also noted that West Virginia and central Appalachia are home to a large number of veterans, and the Huntington VA Medical Center has the largest research facility in the region.

“In the last several years we have made a concerted effort to collaboratively enhance research between the VA and Marshall,” said Sundaram, who takes care of patients as well as conducts research at the VA.

Reflecting the success of this collaboration between the VA and Marshall, Sundaram was recently awarded the prestigious Senior Clinician Scientist Investigator VA Merit Award by the Department of Veterans Affairs to study inflam matory bowel disease, a common condition in veterans as well as West Virginians.

The Marshall University College of Science has a large research concentration in water resources and environmental science. Researchers in the College of Science are partnering with the U.S. Army to understand how army bases are impacting wildlife — and how to minimize that impact. Members of the college are also studying river systems, trying to understand how to control, detect and prevent harmful algae blooms.

The university’s Forensic Science Graduate Program, one of the foremost forensics master’s degree programs in the country, is conducting cutting-edge research in DNA analysis.

“There’s a real advancement taking place in forensics for law enforcement, and our forensic center is at the forefront,” Maher said.

Dr. Lynn O’Connell and Amy Saunders (center) are both involved in behavioral and public health research and program development.

Dr. Maria Serrat is associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences where she heads research on childhood obesity.

Marshall has been awarded grants focusing on addiction and recovery through the Center for Recovery Excellence, headed by Dr. Lynn O’Connell, associate director of Addiction Sciences, and Amy Saunders, managing director of the center. They apply state-of-the-art techniques to provide services to people in recovery to maximize their chances of finding success and re-entering the workforce. This involves partnerships between state and federal organizations such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Marshall’s Psychology Department and the Department of Family Medicine at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

“We work a lot on the most profound problems that address the state, and we hope that we’re having an impact,” Maher said. “These folks are work ing to make this state a better place, either from an economic development perspective or from a health perspective.”

Under Marshall President Brad D. Smith’s leadership, the university is reorganizing and even more sharply focusing its research strategy.

“We’re also going to emphasize areas of economic

development where we have real strengths to ensure we are having the maximum impact possible on the region’s growth,” Maher said.

Smith, who continues the tradition of encouraging research, said the growth of the research enterprise at the university has been nothing short of incredible the past few decades.

“Under the direction of my predecessors, and with the commitment of our dynamic faculty, staff and students, Marshall has transformed into a Carnegie Classification R2 institution, a designation that gives us a standing in the research world,” Smith said. “Research is a two-pronged operation in higher education: it drives novel concepts and prepares the next generation of investigators.”

Research is a priority at Marshall, Maher said, because it’s fundamentally important to science while also having a positive economic impact on society.

“If people were not doing research, we wouldn’t have transistors, iPhones or cholesterol drugs,” Maher said. “All of that comes from people asking basic questions and training students to be curi ous. The economic impact of the research itself is that we hire people and we conduct research, and it creates a vibrant university community.

“The most gratifying aspect is that the students and faculty are working hard not only to come up with innovative solutions, but to make them a real ity as well,” he continued. “Everybody in the community should recognize all the good work being done at Marshall and take pride in its commitment to research.”

Amanda Larch is a freelance writer living in Hurricane, West Virginia.

Professor of Biological Sciences Dr. Wendy Trzyna focuses her investigation on cellular activity.

Dr. Barbara Becker-Cottrill is senior research associate at the WV Autism Training Center at Marshall University.

Autism EXPERTISE

Over the past 38 years, Marshall has become a national leader in the field of autism.

By Amy Deal Photos by Rick Lee

People in the Huntington region might be surprised to learn that Marshall University is the home of a national leader in the field of autism. Born from the passion and dedication of autism pioneer Dr. Ruth Sullivan, the West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall has been serving the needs of individuals with autism since be ing established by the West Virginia Legislature in 1984. Their mission: “To support individuals diagnosed with autism as they pursue a life of quality.”

The oldest program at the cen ter, now called Direct Services, has provided free multitiered support to both families and educators statewide. The services are designed to meet the needs of all West Virginians with autism and the people who

support them. A community-based program, its services include behavior and needs assessments as well as training parents and caregivers in positive behavior support techniques. School-based paraprofessionals who receive training become credentialed as “autism mentors.”

In 2002 the College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder was created, becoming the first of its kind in the nation. The only program offered that isn’t free, the fee-based initiative serves 60-70 students each year. Around 60% of those students are from out of state, which brings revenue to the university for housing, meal plans and other services. In addition, it also teaches students how to transi tion into employment after college. Examples include summer workshop

programs with local businesses and hosting a panel of business leaders who help soon-to-be graduates understand what managers expect from employees.

According to Dr. Marc Ellison, executive director of the center, the businesses involved also learn about the benefits of hiring people with autism.

“A lot of companies are looking for the skills that people with au tism have; they just don’t know it,” Ellison said. “As employees they are extremely reliable, having stellar attendance rates. What’s more, many are hyperfocused about their work.”

Matt Kaiser is a 2015 graduate of Marshall and one of the students who benefited from the program. He said that the mentors were a huge part of his success, working with him to

“ A lot of companies are looking for the skills that people with autism have; they just don’ t know it. As employees they are extremely reliable, having stellar attendance rates. What’ s more, many are hyperfocused about their work. ”

— Executive Director Dr. Mark Ellison WV Autism Training Center at Marshall

Staff of the West Virginia Autism Training Center provide support to individuals with autism spectrum disorder as they pursue a life of quality.

plan his schedule and assisting him with any projects he might have had difficulty navigating.

In August the center announced a partnership with CAI Neurodiverse Solutions to work with its end-to-end employment program. The program provides work experience and employment opportunities in the technology field to Marshall graduates. While not all graduates have an interest in the tech field, Ellison said he believes it’s important to give those who do a chance to succeed.

The Behavior/Mental Health Technical Assistance Center supports educators by teaching positive behavior support and interventions. It also oversees a statewide Mental Health First Aid initiative. The center

was established as a response to a request for support from teachers with issues related to student behavior and mental health needs. The services supported by the center are based upon national models and research related to multitiered systems of support (MTSS) and interconnected systems framework (ISF).

Ellison has followed in Sullivan’s footsteps by working to get legislation passed that further benefits West Virginia citizens who have autism. In 2021 Gov. Jim Justice signed into law Senate Bill 634, which requires law enforcement and correctional officers to be trained on the best ways to interact with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The training focuses on providing officers

with a base knowledge of how autism spectrum disorder affects a person and why they may not act or react the same way as a neurotypical person. West Virginia is now one of only a handful of states that require this training.

Ellison worked with Lt. K.G. Murray, deputy director of training at the West Virginia State Police Academy, to get the bill passed. Murray has two sons with autism.

“The bottom line is this training is vital to ensure those people with ASD will be safer when they may have an encounter with the police,” Murray said. “What’s more, police officers will be safer when they encounter a person with ASD.”

The Autism Training Center

The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall offers a variety of services including behavior and needs assessments as well as training parents and caregivers in positive behavior support techniques. It also teaches students how to transition into employment after college.

currently employs 44 staff members and has offices not only on Marshall’s Huntington campus, but also in Fairmont and Parkersburg. In addition, autism specialists are stationed in regions across the state and work from their homes.

“How we understand autism is constantly evolving,” Ellison noted. “For example, new research shows that many females exhibit autism traits differently than men. Not being aware of this fact clearly led to the misdiagnoses of thousands of women over the decades.”

A five-year plan calls for the number of students served by the college program to double. A major part of this plan will involve moving from the

current location in Old Main to a building on Sixth Avenue that formerly housed Tri State MRI. Ellison said the program will need to raise $5 million to renovate the building.

“We believe that doubling the size of the program and moving into a new location will enable us to develop a center of excellence for the employment of people with autism,” Ellison said. “This is meaningful work that benefits not only those with ASD, but their families, friends and the community as well.”

Amy Deal is a freelance writer living in Barboursville, West Virginia.

The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall was born from the passion and dedication of autism pioneer Dr. Ruth Sullivan, having been established by the West Virginia Legislature in 1984.

Thundering Herd

Basketball Preview

With the return of star guard Taevion Kinsey and a bevy of new talent, Herd hoops hope to shine in the Sun Belt Conference.

By Keith Morehouse

Marshall basketball coach Dan D’Antoni unwittingly snagged his best recruit in the offseason without so much as picking up the phone or leaving his office. When senior guard Taevion Kinsey decided to return for his senior season, D’Antoni had his prize puzzle piece for the 2022-23 season.

“I hope people appreciate his loyalty to Marshall,” said D’Antoni of his leading scorer. “He comes out every day to get better. He’s an unselfish player and an unselfish person. He’s been a pleasure to coach.”

The 6-foot-5-inch guard could have tested the NBA draft waters the last two years — or he could have even hit the transfer portal. Ultimately, he said there were things to improve upon in his repertoire so he’s bringing his 19 points per game to the Henderson Center to run it back one more time.

“I think I’m just more loyal to who’s more loyal to me,” said Kinsey. “Coach Dan, Marshall, my teammates and the community have been very loyal to me. It was a no brainer.”

There is also a bad taste in his mouth that needs to be expunged for him and the team. Marshall finished 12-21 and 4-14 in its final year in Conference USA.

“It was a hurtful season,” agreed junior guard Andrew Taylor. “I don’t think many people around here have been through a losing season and experienced that. It’s

motivation like I never had because I’ve never been through a losing season.”

Kinsey and Taylor (14 points per game last year) return with a familiar cast from last year. Six-foot, 9-inch sophomore Obinna Anochili-Killen (12 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game) is back and Coach D’Antoni is eager to get him back to “blocking shots, rebounding, setting picks and playing the pick and roll.”

The Herd struggled from distance last year and the staff hopes that will be rectified by the addition of VMI transfer Kamdyn Curfman. He was second in the nation in 3-point field goals made last year with 117 and shot nearly 40% from behind the arc. He also averaged nearly 16 points per game. Marshall’s fast-paced, freewheeling offense is tailor-made for an outside shooter. He thinks that will fit well in the Sun Belt Conference.

“For us the Sun Belt is kind of a grittier, more athletic league,” said Curfman. “We can match up well with those teams, but I think we can provide more scoring than a lot of those teams so they’re going to have a matchup problem on

“We can already tell in pickup games that things run a lot more smoothly, Taylor said of Curfman. “Our flow offense is just smooth. We don’t have to worry about him knocking down his shot.”

Herd fans shouldn’t forget 7-foot junior Goran Miladinovich, who played plenty of minutes last year, or junior swing man Marco Sarenac, who gives the Herd another shooter from distance.

There are plenty of other position players for D’Antoni to pluck off the bench. Returning 6-foot, 9-inch sophomores Aymeric Toussaint and Chase McKey will help inside. The Herd has added 7-foot, 1-inch Micah Handlogten, who runs the floor quite well for a big man. There’s 6-foot, 8-inch freshman Wyatt Fricks who sat out last year with an injury, but D’Antoni is high on his potential. Freshman Jacob Conner also brings height and range to the perimeter, while sophomore guards David Early and Kyle Braun will provide depth at the guard positions.

For Kinsey and the Herd, this will be a year to get better.

“Me being more mature now I think it’s time the game slowed down a little bit more for me,” Kinsey said. “So, I’m able to make better reads and get this guy the ball or that guy the ball when they’re open. Then, we just need to make the shots.”

The Henderson Center also will get a mini-makeover this fall with new playing surfaces for basketball and

Head Coach Dan D’Antoni is thrilled that guard Taevion Kinsey chose to return for his senior season instead of heading to the NBA.

Goran Miladinovic, a junior, is one of two 7-footers on the Thundering Herd’s basketball roster for the 2022-23 season.

Junior guard Andrew Taylor started all 22 games last season, averaged 14 points and 5.8 rebounds. He also had 33 steals.

Obinna Anochili-Killen averaged 12 points and 6.6 rebounds last season as a freshman. Coach D’Antoni is eager to get him back to blocking shots, rebounding and playing the pick and roll.

volleyball. Also on Dan D’Antoni’s wish list since he became head coach was to make Gullickson Hall into a more suitable practice facility. The plans are in place to make improvements by adding more baskets and upgrading the HVAC system.

“Christian Spears is moving a lot of things forward,” D’Antoni said of Marshall’s new athletic director. “There was a 20-year period where we didn’t keep up with the competition. He’s going to have Gullickson ready where we can practice with multiple hoops.”

It all points to Nov. 7, 2002, when Marshall opens at home against Queens College. Public address an nouncer Mike Kirtner will intone, “Starting tonight for the Thundering Herd, 6-foot, 5-inch senior guard Taevion Kinsey.”

Dan D’Antoni won’t hold his smile back. Herd Hoops has that effect on him.

Keith Morehouse is a freelance writer and the sports director at WSAZ NewsChannel 3 in Huntington, West Virginia.

“

I think I’m just more loyal to who’ s more loyal to me. Coach Dan, Marshall, my teammates and the community have been very loyal to me. ”

— Taevion Kinsey

Huntington Campus UPDATES

A revised baseball stadium plan was approved by the Board of Governors in June. It will now be built at Second Avenue and 22nd Street, adjacent to the Dot Hicks Field, and will be ready for the 2024 season.

By Jack Houvouras

Baseball Stadium

For decades Marshall fans have been dreaming of a new stadium for the university’s storied baseball program. And, with the arrival of President Brad D. Smith and new Athletic Director Christian Spears the Thundering Herd’s field of dreams is close at hand. In June the pair presented a revised baseball stadium project statement to the Board of Governors, which unanimously approved the plan.

The new stadium will be built along a parcel of land located at Second Avenue and 22nd Street, adjacent to Marshall’s Dot Hicks Field. President Smith said while the project was initially slated for property on Fifth Avenue, the newly designated site was selected because it will be developed at a lower cost, with an accelerated time to completion. The goal is for the stadium to be ready for the 2024 season.

“Marshall is ready to see this long-anticipated ball field come to fruition,” Smith said. “Our partners, including the City of Huntington, are ready. Our intention to build this ballpark has never wavered and while we encountered a major hurdle in the COVID pandemic, it’s never dampened our enthusiasm to see this project to its completion.”

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams said he is confident there will be collegiate baseball played in the city in the coming months.

“I’m pleased that President Smith, Athletic Director Christian Spears and the Marshall University Board of Governors have settled on an aggressive plan for the

There’s a new site and strict deadline for Marshall’s field of dreams while construction is underway at the university’s modern new home for the College of Business.

construction of the new baseball stadium,” Williams said. “I am enthused that we can take on big projects that will benefit our university, city, state and region.”

“This is why this university and community are so special,” Spears said. “We don’t back down, we don’t quit. We partner, we collaborate, we include, we find a way, we believe. We are ready to move forward with a new location, timeline, budget and plan. Now we need many to give.”

BREAKING

West Virginia’s Office of Economic Development will contribute $13.8 million toward the baseball stadium project. Gov. Jim Justice came to the site especially to make the an nouncement and to throw out a cer emonial first pitch.

Here he is shown presenting the check to President Brad D. Smith and Athletic Director Christian Spears, surrounded by members of the baseball team.

The Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation

One of the university’s largest development projects in years is underway with the construction of the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation. Steel beams went up in April at the 1400 block of Fourth Avenue in Huntington — the site of the former Uptowner Inn and later the Flats on 4th apartments.

The sprawling facility will be 77,000 gross square feet and is ex pected to welcome its first students in January 2024. Along with class room space, the center will feature a forum and auditorium, computer and finance labs, office space, meeting rooms and study spaces for students. It will be equipped with conference capabilities for small and large

business gatherings and serve as an incubator for both management and practice. Officials say the facility will allow for more interdisciplin ary collaboration among students and faculty, concurrently advancing research, 21st-century learning and community engagement.

“This is the realization of a longcherished dream for our univer sity to have a world-class facility for our business students,” said Dr. Avinandan “Avi” Mukherjee, provost and former dean of the Lewis College of Business. “The economic impact of the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation on the state, the region and the city will be incredibly significant.”

The building project is the result of a $25 million gift in 2018 to the Lewis College of Business from

former Intuit CEO Brad Smith and his wife, Alys. It marked one of the top three gifts to Marshall University in its history.

Future development that is envisioned along Fourth Avenue will be a collaboration among Fairmount Properties, Marshall University, PJ Dick Construction and architectural firm Perkins Eastman.

Fairmount Properties plans to develop a vibrant, mixed-use district where one can live, work, dine, play and recreate, anchored by and adjacent to the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation. In addition to sophisticated urban resi dential units geared toward Marshall faculty, staff and medical and other professionals in Huntington, the district is expected to include new restaurant and retail options curated to help recruit and retain Marshall graduates. This “Marshall Business and Innovation District” will be strategically located where downtown meets Marshall University’s Huntington campus, presenting opportunities for strategic connec tions, idea sharing and catalytic growth and leading to broad and sustained economic effects.

Jack Houvouras is publisher of Marshall Magazine

The Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation is on track to open in 2024.

STRONGER and MORE INCLUSIVE

Marshall begins a three-year quality initiative to make both the university and the community more inclusive.

By James E. Casto

“

We have chosen to focus on building a stronger and more inclusive community because we feel that when people from diverse backgrounds study and work together, we enrich our learning. ”

— Associate Provost and Associate Vice President Mary Beth Reynolds Assessment and Quality Initiative

Ming it a stronger and more inclusive community. As part of the accredita tion requirements set by the Higher Learning Commission, each institution is required to select and implement a large-scale Quality Initiative.

“We have chosen to focus on building a stronger and more inclusive community because we feel that when people from diverse backgrounds study and work together, we enrich our own learning,” said Dr. Mary Beth Reynolds, associate provost and associate vice president for assessment and quality initiatives. “Together we make our communities better places to live and work.”

Reynolds was quick to point out that there were a large number of faculty involved in planning the three-year initiative. Just some of those indi viduals include Dr. Feon SmithBranch, associate professor and program coordinator of Adult and Continuing Education in the College of Education and Professional Development; Bruce Felder, chief talent and diversity, equity and inclusion officer; Dr. April Fugett, interim executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning; Dr. Andy Hermansdorfer, director of student involvement and leadership; Brandi Jacobs-Jones, senior vice president of operations; Dr. Montserrat Miller, executive director of the John Deaver Drinko Academy; and Dr. Kateryna Schray, English professor and the Charles E. Hedrick Outstanding Faculty Award recipient for 2012-2013.

Reynolds said Marshall’s Quality Initiative has three goals: “To increase students’ readiness to work and live in a global and/or otherwise diverse com munity by providing them opportunities to grow and learn through contact with others who come from cultures, races, or backgrounds different from their

ACCREDIT TIO N Q U ALITYINITIATV

own. To increase access to the university by reducing barriers that disproportionately disadvantage people from underserved populations and provide support needed for success. And to promote student learning through outreach to the community.”

During its implementation, Marshall’s Quality Initiative will focus on three themes:

Year 1: Complexities of Identity

Year 2: Building Bridges

Year 3: Embracing and Celebrating Differences

Projects supporting the first goal include themealigned readings. For example, one book will be selected each semester for campus-wide reading, with suggested scholarly readings for classroom use. In addition, there will be theme-aligned lectures, discus sions and activities; diversity dinner groups that bring together new freshmen from different backgrounds several times each fall; and an inaugural diversity learning community.

“Members of student organizations are being challenged to select another organization with whom, under normal circumstances, they might not be likely to collaborate.,” Reynolds explained. “There can be many reasons for possible lack of natural collaboration, and students will be asked to consider these reasons.

Is it because the members of the other organization differ from them in background, political or religious ideologies, general outlook on life? Our hope is that, through working with and getting to know people who are different from ourselves, we expand our appreciation for differences and realize we have many similarities.”

The book selected for campus-wide reading for this year’s first semester is Dr. Cicero Fain’s Black Huntington: An Appalachian Story. A Huntington native, Fain is a visiting diversity scholar in Marshall’s History Department.

“There is no greater pleasure and point of pride than knowing that your work matters,” Fain said. “My book illuminates, acknowledges and celebrates the sacrifices, labors and successes of Black pioneers who contributed mightily to the rise of Huntington as a regional industrial, commercial and sociocultural center. This unique history continues to animate the efforts of area residents dedicated to elevating it to a place of prominence and relevance. In truth, one cannot truly appreciate the story of Huntington and the Tri-State region without knowing the story of its Black heroes and heroines. I am delighted that my book contributes to this goal.”

The book selected for campus-wide reading for the Spring 2023 semester is Another Appalachia: Coming Up Queer and Indian in Mountain Places, by Neema Avashia.

“

When we work and socialize with people who come from backgrounds different from our own, all our lives are enriched by the new experiences we share and the new things we learn. ”

— Associate Provost and Associate Vice President Mary Beth Reynolds Assessment and Quality Initiative

A large number of faculty and staff have been and continue to be involved in planning the three-year Quality Initiative that aims at making a stronger and more inclusive community.

Reynolds said projects supporting the Quality Initiative’s second goal include the enhanced recruit ing and retention of students, faculty and staff from chronically underserved populations, and an outside evaluation of university policies to ensure they adhere to the principles of equity.

Projects supporting the initiative’s third goal include engaging Marshall students as near-peer mentors for Health Science & Technology Academy (HSTA) clubs at area high schools and providing an opportunity for a Marshall student to work as an intern with the Fairfield Community Development Corporation.

“We will measure outcomes of the Quality Initiative through annual surveys, pre/post evaluations, input from project participants and institutional data trends,” Reynolds said.

Four to 12 incoming freshmen will be selected to participate in a Diversity Learning Community each year. They will receive scholarships and, with the

support of their faculty mentor, engage in diversity programming and leadership opportunities through out the year.

Reynolds said the initiative, which is focused on diversity, is not just important for students and staff, but also for people in the surrounding community.

“When we work and socialize with people who come from backgrounds different from our own, all our lives are enriched by the new experiences we share and the new things we learn,” Reynolds said. “When we can talk with people who have different ideas or viewpoints than we do, we learn to critically examine our own ideas. In a diverse society, we quickly learn that no person can be defined by only one characteristic.”

James E. Casto is the retired associate editor of The Herald-Dispatch and the author of a number of books on local and regional history.

Greenever

YOUR ALUMNI CONNECTION

A MESSAGE FROM MIKALA SHREMSHOCK

MUAA National President

Hello, Marshall alumni family.

I hope you had an enjoyable and adventurous summer. After two years of virtual meetings and staycations, it’s taught me a new appreciation for interactions IRL.

In July, the Alumni Association Board of Directors welcomed the new cohort of elected board members. Our meetings with President Brad D. Smith, Athletic Director Christian Spears and other university representatives were inspiring. We also had the opportunity to tour Towers Residence Hall, the Rec Center and the Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Training Facility. One theme I took away from those meetings was that, even with so much change and growth happening at Marshall, the leadership team is committed to maintaining that connection to the history of Marshall.

As I’m composing this letter, it has been announced that a new Executive Director of Alumni Relations has been selected. We are looking forward to working closely with that person to provide new opportunities for engagement with the Marshall community.

Aligning with President Smith, we want to encourage all alumni to look to Marshall for lifelong learning. Whether it’s an advanced degree, a certificate course or coursework to support your side-hustle, Marshall can offer alumni opportunities in many fields on-campus or virtually.

If you’re looking for more community and social engagement, Marshall’s alumni chapters are a great way to stay involved. With more regional chapters than ever, and new college-based chapters, they remain the best way to connect with other Marshall alums for networking, community volunteering or just having some fun watching a game.

Lastly, I would like to personally invite you all back to campus for Homecoming for a special Fun in the Sunthemed celebration commemorating Marshall’s shift to the Sun Belt Conference. Already this season we have seen plenty of excitement and we expect many more celebrations in the weeks to come.

If attending Homecoming doesn’t work for your schedule, be sure to reach out to your local alumni chapter to engage with a game-watching party and other social events that support Marshall.

Stay connected with the alumni social media accounts and HerdAlum.com for up-to-date listings of events. Thank you for your support of Marshall University. Hope to see you in Huntington soon! Go Herd!

Mikala Shremshock

President, Marshall University Alumni Association

Lasting Legacy

SCHOLARSHIP SECURES THREE GENERATIONS

Collegeis a momentous experience for every student. It is often the beginning of the rest of their lives. What unfolds among the stately buildings, late night study sessions, and lifelong friendships that shape their futures, can many times spur inspiration for the generations that follow.

Three Marshall University graduates have such stories. Susan Popp, Kim Wellman and Sydney Wellman all received their degrees from Marshall. They are also grandmother, mother and daughter.

“Three generations is kind of a long time, so we all experienced something different,” Sydney said. “We definitely bond over that. And it's also a matter of respect in a way, we all recognize that we've put in the work to receive our degrees from the same college and we have this level of respect for each other.”

Sydney is the most recent Marshall graduate in their family, earning her bachelor's degree in biomechanics in May 2022. She is now a graduate student in Marshall’s School of Physical Therapy.

Their legacy is made possible thanks to Marshall’s Alumni Legacy Scholarship. The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is awarded to a non-resident, first-time freshman whose parent or grandparent graduated from Marshall. The student’s parent or grandparent must also be donors of the university.

Susan has donated to Marshall consistently for more than 30 years, and it is because of Susan’s generous contributions to the university that Sydney, who lives across the river in Chesapeake, Ohio, was able to attend Marshall

at an affordable rate. However, none were aware of the scholarship beforehand.

“I was completely surprised by the scholarship opportunity,” Kim said. “That was a real blessing. It has made me realize how important donations are to the university. That’s something I’m going to start doing is donating to the Marshall Foundation for that reason. It was so helpful for Sydney to get her bachelor’s degree. I’m grateful my mom donated, and that she could have that opportunity.”

But for Susan, college was not a part of her original plan.

“My future husband was already at Marshall,” she explained. “My father asked me if I wanted to go, and he gave me some money. He wanted me to go to school.”

Susan married her late husband, Larry, who graduated from Marshall in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. The two then moved to Virginia, thus putting Susan’s college career on hold.

“We moved to a southern part of Virginia and there were no colleges there, so there was no opportunity to go back,” she said.

Nearly a decade later, the family moved to Blacksburg, Virginia, as Larry graduated with his master’s degree from Radford University. This allowed Susan to return to the classroom before the family moved back to Huntington a year later.

With another move across state lines, Susan knew she would have to wait a year before she could enroll again to pay the in-state tuition rates. Or so she thought.

“My mother saw an article in the newspaper that they had a program for women returning to college,” Susan

said. “So, she dragged me to Marshall and before I left there that night, I was enrolled again.”

Susan’s educational journey crafted some of Kim’s earliest memories and began her love for their shared alma mater.

“I can remember going to Marshall with my mom when she was signing up for classes and standing there in those long lines with her while she was paying her tuition when I was a little girl,” Kim said.

In 1983, Susan earned her bachelor's degree in library science and social studies. After graduation, Susan went into teaching, first as a long-term substitute teacher before taking a full-time position at St. Joseph Central Catholic High School in Huntington as the librarian. Susan worked there for 29 years and retired in 2018.

“Marshall gave him the opportunity to have a career for 24 years in what he loved to do, which was teach music on a high school and middle school level.”

“He was a wonderful man who loved Marshall,” Kim echoed. “Sydney knows he’s a powerful influence in my life, even still. I think that influence carries on to her and my other daughter, as well.”

What began as a way to honor a beloved husband and father, became a significant source of financial reprieve for Sydney. As someone who grew up around the university and watching Marshall sports, Sydney was always interested in attending college close to home as part of the Herd.

“That’s where my mom and nana went, and they always spoke so highly of it,” Sydney said.

From left, Sydney Wellman (daughter), Kim Wellman (mother) and Susan Poppall (grandmother) all received their degrees from Marshall.

For Kim, she always knew she would attend Marshall. Both of her parents were Marshall graduates, and it was never a question as to where she would complete her degree. She also knew from a young age what her major would be.

Larry Popp passed away in January 1990 during Kim’s freshman year. He battled with heart disease for many years, which included an open-heart surgery when Kim was around 9 years old. It was her father’s health struggles that led Kim to become a nurse.

“I remember sitting in the lobby of the old St. Mary’s Hospital for hours waiting for him to have heart surgery and I was just inspired by the nurses there,” Kim said. “If I could have the opportunity to provide that care to someone else’s family, I just wanted to be able to do that.”

Kim earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in 1991 from Marshall. She then took all her prerequisite classes at Marshall before attending St. Mary’s School of Nursing, from which she graduated in 1996. In 2005, she received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Marshall.

Larry’s passing had a profound impact on the entire family. With Kim just beginning her time at Marshall and Susan only mere months into her job at St. Joseph, Susan wanted to find a way to honor his memory.

“Every year after my husband died, I’d send a little money to the Foundation in his name,” Susan said.

“It also worked out that what I wanted to do was at Marshall, too.”

Sydney began her Marshall journey as a nursing student, like her mother, but soon felt her academic career was leading her down a different path.

“I found the biomechanics program in the School of Kinesiology and started that my junior year,” Sydney said. Sydney said she has always loved studying math and the human body. Biomechanics, which is the study of human movement, encapsulated everything she was in terested in. Her graduate program in physical therapy will help her reach her dream, which is to work as a pediatric neurology physical therapist.

“I want to work with kids and young adults who have gone through a traumatic brain injury or a spinal cord injury and work with them to rehab them to get better,” Sydney said.

Three Marshall alumnae. Three vastly different ma jors. Three stories, bound by a deep appreciation for the university they love.

On the day of Sydney’s graduation, the three stood proudly outside of the Mountain Health Arena and com memorated the occasion with a photo as they each held a Marshall Alumni T-shirt that Susan had gifted Kim and Sydney.

“I hope to be able to pass my desire and my gratitude for Marshall to my future children,” Sydney said. “And hopefully, there will be a fourth generation.”

financial aid

Scholarship Portal

MORE MONEY IN STUDENTS’ HANDS

Duringhis tenure as president of Marshall University, Dr. Jerome Gilbert made it a priority to increase scholarship aid for the student body in the face of rising education costs, and thanks to the Marshall Rises campaign, scholarship aid has increased 44% over the last five years with 500 more students receiving aid.

Part of the increase has been thanks to the hard work of the university’s Office of Financial Aid, which launched a brand-new way for students to apply for private scholarships through an online portal. Launched in January of 2020, the portal reduces the amount of time it takes both students and staff to find and apply for applicable scholarships.

“What we were doing was trying to find scholarships for students by looking at the individual guidelines for each scholarship,” said Tara Hensley, senior financial aid counselor. “And then we didn’t really have something set up to where we could view a GPA or ACT score or the major they’re in or anything like that. We just had to search. And really, it was like countless hours.”

Financial aid staff said before the portal, there were upwards of 400 private scholarships that each required

an application. Students could search most of the scholarships online at the financial aid site and college and department staff would work to pair students with appropriate scholarships, but awarding all available funding was still too big a task for the financial aid office.

“There were hundreds of applicants and applications that would come through,” said Cody Call, associate director of operations. “The paper was so much. We would open them all and there were some that were 20 per student. That would all get scanned in and filed away. It was a big pain. Then you’d have to review those, try to match up the scholarship and look at all the information manually. Now, the portal does all of that automatically for us. One word to describe the portal was just efficiency for our office.”

Students now fill out one application and are automatically matched with the scholarships for which they qualify.

“I think there are about 20 different departments, colleges and financial aid that utilize the scholarship portal now,” said Nathan Miller, administrative associate for financial aid and builder of the portal.

The portal is a great resource for incoming students,

Staff members of the Student Financial Aid Office are using a new portal that matches students with scholarship opportunities.

who are able to see all the potential funding they can receive, and it’s great for retaining students by potentially providing them with funding all four years. It also helps the university catch students who may have fallen through the cracks before, like first-generation students.

“It’s an efficient way to spend the donors’ money,” said Jean Ann Bevans, associate director of customer service.

The portal has led to an increase in the number of students applying for scholarships, with over 1,100 students applying last year.

“That’s not even the supplemental applications, which was also a big increase from previous years where we may have been hurting to find students to award these things to,” Miller said. “Now we’re having to be more selective of whom we award to because of the criteria, which is great. We’re using the donors’ money as they intended it to be used.”

Miller said the portal is helping colleges utilize their scholarship funding to the best of their ability.

“The portal has created ease of access for our future and current business students to apply for scholarships,” said Dr. Jeffrey Archambault, interim dean of the Lewis College of Business. “Keeping students the focus of all

Save the Date!

more and register for

that we do is our first priority. We cannot reach the ambitious goals we have set as the Lewis College of Business, and our students from the Brad D. Smith Schools of Business cannot achieve the ambitious goals they set, without a robust and competitive scholarship portfolio. Scholarships are a great equalizer — they help business students realize their potential and help Marshall recruit and retain them.”

The Office of Student Financial Assistance takes every opportunity to teach students about the portal, as does the Marshall University Foundation. From incoming student tours to orientation and beyond, financial aid counselors love to connect students with funding.

“That’s why I’m so passionate,” Miller said. “I did not have any idea until my last semester of college that I could come to the financial aid office and ask for a scholarship. So, I went through school with student loans because I didn’t know. I’m not going to have that in the future for other students. I can fix that. So, I’ve fixed that for other students so that they know that they can get scholarship money. They may not be awarded it, but they’re going to know about it. They’re going to know there are opportunities out there.”

HOMECOMING

Marshall vs Coastal Carolina

FEATURING

maier foundation scholarship

Scholarship Opens Myriad Opportunities for Four Future Teachers

By Taylor Stuck

Scotland

doesn’t look too different from West Virginia. There are the rolling green hills. There are lush trees and forests. But there are also the lochs and the 18th-century castles, and instead of Marco, there are highland cows.

Four future educators from Cabell and Putnam counties spent their summer transplanted in Stirling, Scotland, an opportunity they likely would not have had if not for the Maier Foundation.

Kirsten Hill, Dylan Collier, Caroline Kinder and Bailey Arkell are the recipients of the inaugural Maier Foundation STEM Educators’ Scholarship. The scholarship includes roughly $15,000 annually for tuition, housing and other costs; a stipend of $1,500 for a laptop; and funding for a study abroad or student exchange experience and was renewable for three additional years

The goal of the scholarship is to increase the number of highly qualified science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) middle and high school teachers in West Virginia.

Arkell and Kinder are studying math education while Hill and Colliers are in chemistry education.

The group spent a month attending Stirling University, roaming the Scottish Highlands and mingling with local and other international students. It’s an experience they all say they likely would not have had if not for the Maier scholarship.

“I don’t always like to go out of my comfort zone, and if you can’t tell by me staying home for college, I don’t always like to go very far from home,” said Barboursville native and current Miss Marshall, Caroline Kinder. “So, it may have been something that crossed my mind, but probably not something I would have fully pursued just based on finances and confidence. I had a great support system from all the people helping me go.”

The students had support back home before the trip from the College of Education and Professional

Development and support in Scotland from their pro fessor. They took one course while on their trip, which included a tour of an elementary school and a high school.

“Our professor was fantastic,” St. Albans resident Hill said. “She was so nice. And she was so helpful. Anything we needed, anyone there would help us. The people who worked at the high school that we visited … were all super welcoming and were just ready to give us any information that we needed.”

Even the residents of Stirling were welcoming. In searching for a piece of home, Kinder and Arkell found a Baptist church and attended one Sunday. A family at the church invited them for dinner at their home.

While there are similarities between West Virginia and Scotland, there are many things that are different. In the schools they toured, they learned the importance of physical and mental health in Scottish schools.

“Learning about how they incorporate mental health standards and physical health standards into their curriculum was really a breath of fresh air and made me want to rearrange how I would teach here to kind of prioritize those things in my own classroom if they aren’t prioritized on a large scale,” Kinder said.

For Hill, she misses the ease of public transportation.

“I loved being able to hop on a bus and go,” she said. “I hated when I got back and remembered I had to drive my car everywhere.”

Arkell’s favorite memories of the trip were when they were able to relax and enjoy their experiences. They traveled to North Berwick, a seaside town with golden beaches and unique rock formations.

“It was really nice and peaceful,” she said. “There were little shops down this little street and lots of bakeries and coffee shops, things like that. Oh, man, it was just one of the nicest travel experiences where you could enjoy being there and not have to worry about the crowds or having to do something. We were just able to explore.”

Collier, a self-proclaimed introvert, explored a lot during his trip. Always looking to save money, Collier would walk nearly everywhere while the women rode the bus. His favorite memories include hiking Stirling’s campus.

“My favorite place was this wood out by the National Wallace Monument,” he said. “I decided to go on some obscure trails. I was discovering things and eventually came up to this pavilion opening on top of the hill. You can see almost all of Stirling’s castle and the town on the river. I was like, whoa. That was a big, nice way to wrap up my little exploration. The next day I went out to the monument tower and on top of it I was able to see the college.”

Now back at Marshall, the four are wrapping up their undergraduate education. While they all have dreams of continuing their education, they are all excited to enter their own classrooms. They all plan to stay and teach in the area and, thanks to the Maier scholarship, they are confident they will find a position quickly.

“I’ve had a lot more things the scholarship has given me that a lot of students don’t have, and it’s honestly set me up in a lot of ways upon graduation,” Hill said. “I feel it’s given me more connections throughout education in general. Even our freshman year here, we cut the ribbon with the previous president when the renovations to the College of Education were finished, and the superintendent

of Cabell County Schools showed up. We were college babies, had just gotten here, but he already was like the second you graduate, you call us, and you put in an application for a job. We will get you placed somewhere with a job. So, it’s even offered more job security.”

As they near the end of this undergraduate journey, they all said they appreciate the large impact this opportunity has made on them and their futures.

College of Education and Professional Development Dean Dr. Teresa Eagle said this first group to receive the Maier STEM scholarship has set the bar high.

“They have persisted through difficult courses, through a pandemic that provided a college experience like no other, and yet here they are, ready to take on classrooms and take the final steps to being teachers,” Eagle said. “Our scholars have represented Marshall well, getting involved in activities, volunteering to help with recruitment events, and taking their energies and enthusiasm to a study abroad experience in Scotland. I don’t believe we could have put together a better group who will be successful in the classroom and will have an influence on middle and high school students who are considering a career in teaching. I am anxious to see all the great things that are in their futures!”

To learn more about all the scholarships offered to Marshall students, visit marshall.edu/sfa.

From left, Marshall students Kimberly Hill, Caroline Kinder, Bailey Arkell and Dustin Collier traveled and studied in Scotland with funding from the Maier Foundation STEM Educator’s Scholarship.

Marshall announces Sun Belt-themed Homecoming!

Marshall

University proudly extends a warm invitation toward its alumni, family and friends back to the Huntington campus for its 2022 Homecoming celebration Saturday, Oct. 29.

The theme, Fun in the Sun, is a nod to the Sun Belt Conference and plays up the name of our Homecoming opponent, Coastal Carolina University. Join Marshall University and the Marshall University Alumni Association for Homecoming the week of Oct. 24-29 for a full week of fun events.

This year’s activities will begin early in the week with the Unity Walk and end with our highly anticipated Homecoming football game against Coastal Carolina Oct. 29. Among the week’s many activities include the annual parade and bonfire (Oct. 27), Picnic on the Plaza (Oct. 28), Homecoming Stamfeed (Oct. 28) presented by Jenkins Fenstermaker, Homecoming 5K (Oct. 29), Marshall Alumni & Family Tailgate (Oct. 29) presented by Woodlands Retirement Community and more.

Campus events are sponsored by the Marshall University Alumni Association, Student Government Association, Office of Student Activities, Office of Intercultural Affairs and others.

This is your opportunity to showcase your Thundering Herd pride, reunite with friends, check out the new things happening on campus and celebrate with your fellow Herd alums. So grab your green-and-white gear and join us in October for a little “Fun in the Sun!”

ALUMNI MAJOR ACTIVITY SCHEDULE

Monday, Oct. 24

OFFICE DECORATION

WHEN: All Week

WHERE: Marshall University Huntington Campus

INFO: Campus offices are asked to decorate using the Homecoming theme. The offices are judged on Thursday of Homecoming Week and prizes awarded at the Friday, Oct. 28, Picnic on the Plaza. Prizes are awarded in multiple categories for large and small offices. Registration at HerdAlum.com.

UNITY WALK / HOMECOMING COURT ANNOUNCEMENT

WHEN: Late Afternoon

WHERE: Memorial Student Center Plaza

INFO: All students, teams, organizations, residence halls, faculty, staff and community members were invited to walk the campus perimeter and show their Marshall pride ending with the naming of the 2022 Homecoming Court.

Thursday, Oct. 27

HOMECOMING PARADE

WHEN: 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Downtown Huntington INFO: Floats, marching bands and everything you love about parades fill the Thursday night air! And if you can’t make it, join us @MarshallUAlumni and @MarshallU for a broadcast of the parade!

PEP RALLY & BONFIRE

WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Harless Field INFO: A new tradition! Alumni and students enjoy a bonfire with plenty of entertainment and activities featuring university coaches, cheerleaders and team members, the Marshall University Marching Thunder, float awards and much more!

Friday, Oct. 28

PICNIC ON THE PLAZA

WHEN: 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Memorial Student Center Plaza

INFO: Marshall’s largest and most exciting on-campus Homecoming party! The Marshall University Alumni Association throw a party with free food, drinks, music, games, plus special appearances by the Marching Thunder, cheerleaders, coaches, players and more! Lots of fun for students, faculty and alumni!

MARSHALL STAMFEED

WHEN: TBD

WHERE: Downtown Huntington INFO: A new event on the Homecoming schedule! Join the Marshall University Alumni Association on a tour of popular Huntington eateries and pubs for a fun evening of food and drinks! More information is available at HerdAlum.com/ HerdHomecoming.

Saturday, Oct. 29

HOMECOMING STAMPEDE 5K

WHEN: 8 a.m.

WHERE: Meet at John Marshall Statue

INFO: Students, faculty, alumni and Marshall University supporters are invited to come together for a fun run around campus featuring a brand new route weaving throughout campus with multiple age groups and prizes.

MARSHALL ALUMNI & FAMILY TAILGATE

WHEN: 3 hours before kickoff

WHERE: Joan C. Edwards Stadium East Lot (Beside Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Facility)

INFO: ALL are invited to this wonderful tailgating experience in a brand new location! Enjoy great food, hang with friends, play tailgating games and enjoy performances by the Marching Thunder, Marshall University Cheerleaders and greetings from special guests. Don’t miss the famous Marshall Alumni & Family Tailgate prior to the game! Tickets and information are available at HerdAlum.com/ HerdHomecoming.

HOMECOMING GAME VS. COASTAL CAROLINA

WHEN: TBD

WHERE: Joan C. Edwards Stadium

INFO: Marshall battles new Sun Belt Conference foe, the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, in the annual Homecoming Game! Game time will be announced a few weeks before the game.

For a complete schedule of events visit HerdAlum.com/ HerdHomecoming.

class notes

1960s

Sara Motz Elmore (’68) and her husband, Tom Elmore, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 22, 2022.

1970s

Tom Keith (’76), the longtime president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina retired in July of 2022. Keith was the founding president of the founda tion, which began in May 1996, and he has served in that role for nearly 26 years. Keith previously led the Providence Hospital Foundation from 1993-96. Under Keith’s leadership, more than $81 million in grants has been disbursed to over 3,100 orga nizations across South Carolina. He also helped found the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families, the South Carolina Grantmakers Network and the Collaboration for Ministry Initiative for women religious workers across the state. Keith’s career in the nonprofit sector spans more than 45 years. He began his nonprofit jour ney three months out of college in August of 1976. His community work includes serving on the boards of Columbia College, the Columbia Free Medical Clinic, Healthy Learners and the South Carolina Center for Fathers and Families.

David Roach (’72, ’79) has been appointed West Virginia superinten dent of schools. Roach has served at

CLASS NOTES

the county level as the superinten dent of Cabell, Lincoln, Mingo and Wayne counties. He is also a former assistant superintendent, princi pal, assistant principal and biology teacher.

Dianna Whitt Carrico (’79) and her husband, Robert Carrico, cel ebrated their 50th wedding anniver sary on Aug. 5, 2022

1980s

Lisa A. Mazzei (’83) was appointed Alumni Faculty Professor of Education at the University of Oregon. Mazzei will be celebrating her 10th year as a member of the faculty in the College of Education at the University of Oregon in 2022.

Dr. Amy Slifko-Hilbelink (’83) was promoted to president of South College’s Pittsburgh location. She previously served as the college’s vice chancellor of online operations, which is also located in Pittsburgh. South College, a multi-campus institution founded in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1882, offers more than 80 programs and concentra tions taught at eight physical cam puses and online.

Dr. Randall Hawkins (’87) was elected to the position of medical staff president at Pleasant Valley Hospital in Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Hawkins earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

Hawkins has provided medical care at Pleasant Valley Hospital since 1990 1990s

Jennifer Day (’95) has worked for Huntington High School for 24 years, spending the first eight years as an English teacher before becoming the school’s librarian. The Huntington High and Marshall University gradu ate has lived in the city her entire life and continues to share the history of where her family was raised.

Shannon Lewis (’91) has been an nounced as the women’s basketball coach at Lakeway Christian Academy. Lewis previously served at St. Joseph Central Catholic High School in Huntington for 18 years.

Brian M. Morgan (’97, ’00) has been named the interim dean of the College of Science at Marshall University, effective as of July. Brian has served as the associate dean in the college for the past two years after being in the classroom in the Computer and Information Technology Department at Marshall for 20 years.

Robin Ryson Chapman (’98) recently published a book titled Ordinary Walk with an Extraordinary God: Fifty-Two Devotions to Keep You In Step. Chapman co-owns Pro Writers for Hire LLC and previously worked for The Herald-Dispatch

2000s

Sara Payne Scarbro (’03) has been named associate vice presi dent of government relations at Marshall University. Before taking the new position, Scarbro served as the associate vice president for external engagement for the Marshall University Research Corp. Scarbro will serve in the Office of Legal and External Affairs, from where she will advocate and educate on behalf of the Marshall community.

Matt Lockhart (’04) was recently promoted to deputy general counsel, complex litigation at Norfolk Southern in Atlanta, Georgia. As part of the promotion, Lockhart supervises the company’s litigation across the country.

Jordan H. Oxley (’09) and Hilary Humphrey were united in marriage at the Sandals Resort on the island of Grenada on May 29, 2022. Jordan is an active member of the Big Green. He is the owner of Padgett Business Services in Barboursville and Teays Valley. Hilary is a graduate of Ohio University. She is employed with Cabell-Huntington Hospital. The couple reside in Milton, West Virginia.

Tessa White (’07, ’08) has been named a co-executive director alongside Christopher Bly. They are the new executive directors of the Future of Nursing West Virginia Action Coalition

2010s

Dr. Ben Williams (’16, ’20) recently launched his own skincare company,

NOVO skin, which specializes in pro viding dermatologic essentials, such as sunscreen. Williams is currently in his first year of a dermatology resi dency at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York.

2020s

Wade Martin (’20) was named CEO of OVP HEALTH CARE, a nonprofit organization committed to making quality health care services acces sible to all people. Martin gradu ated from Marshall with a Master of Science degree in health care administration and was hired shortly after as an operations manager for OVP HEALTH, a separate for-profit health care company

For more Class Notes, go to www.herdalum.com.

P lease share your news wi t h us!

Preference will be given to active alumni.

Other news will be printed as space allows and should be received within six months of the event.

Send details to

Marshall University Alumni Association

One John Marshall Drive • Huntington, WV 25755

In Memoriam

Norma C. Carroll (’51) passed away on Dec. 20, 2021. She was born in Charleston, West Virginia, and graduated from Charleston High School with honors. She moved to Huntington, West Virginia, with her family in 1947 and attended Marshall, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with focus in accounting and a minor in French. When asked, she liked to tell people she intended to be a French accountant. She and her husband, Charlie Carroll, met at a church camp in August 1949. They were imme diately in love and dated for 14 months before marrying in October 1950. After graduating from Marshall, Norma chose to be a homemaker. She was very active in her church at Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church, serving as president of the United Methodist Women for two terms and treasurer for 10 years. She was very active in many nonprofit and volunteer organizations, serving as president and/or treasurer in most. She was a substantial supporter of Marshall University in both academics and athletics, having served students through multiple scholarships and endow ments. Norma was a talented interior decorator, flower gardener and landscape designer. She was named Alumni of the Year in Liberal Arts at Marshall University in 2013 and was a member of Marshall’s Pathway to Prominence.

Shirley Bender (’99) passed away on May 13, 2022, at the age of 75 in Mesa, Arizona, after an extended illness.

Nicholas Kontos passed away on Oct. 15, 2021. He was born in Karytaina, Greece. He had an idyllic early childhood. Then, he survived years of Nazi occupation, ending with the vivid memory of NATO forces handing out Crisco, which he promptly opened and ate from the can with a spoon. Despite years with no formal education during the war, he had extremely high test scores. At age 20, knowing no English, he immigrated to the United States to attend Indiana University. He painstakingly translated and hand rewrote each

of his textbooks into Greek using a dictionary so that he could continue to make excellent grades. After completing his undergraduate degree in Economics, he finished a master’s degree at the University of Michigan and did Ph.D. work at West Virginia University. Nick moved to Huntington, West Virginia, in 1965 to teach economics at Marshall University. He happily taught there for 48 years be fore retiring at age 81. While teaching at Marshall, he met and married Sharon (Stone) Kontos. They were married for just shy of 50 years. Together they traveled to more than 25 countries, returning often to Greece, which was their second home. When Nick was about to turn 50, he and Sharon welcomed their only daughter, Eleni Christina, and she became their new adventure. He was the best “baba” and he adored every second with his family. Nick had many friends. He had a running card game for decades and he had golfing buddies at every course in the TriState. He often played multiple rounds per week and managed to get 5 holes-in-one over the years. But his happiest day was playing the old course at St. Andrews. Though he always missed his family in Greece, he was blessed to find a church family at St. George Greek Orthodox Church where he could often be found outside with other men having a “breath of fresh air” (smoking) after services. Sitting beside Sharon, Eleni and her husband, Christopher Miller, and his grandchildren, Evyenia Krina, Stavros Christoforos and Athena Kontopoulou, at church were his happiest moments. He will be remem bered as a loving man whose quiet presence was always accompanied by kindness and a smile.

Lucille Juett passed away Feb. 14, 2022. Lucille, originally from Jacksboro, Tennessee, resided in Ashland, Kentucky, since 1973. She received her undergraduate degree from Berea College and her master’s degree from the University of Kentucky, where she met her husband, Tilman. Lucille taught at schools in Kentucky, Ohio and Oregon, and later at the University of Cincinnati and Marshall University.

A MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

A NEW ERA FOR MARSHALL!

Greetings, Fellow Alumni and Friends of Marshall University:

It all began with a dream. A dream to impact Marshall University in profound ways, thanks to the support of its loyal and dedicated alumni base. A dream to raise $150 million over the course of seven years to support five key areas across the university. A dream to help Marshall rise to new heights. Today, that dream is a reality.

In late September, the Marshall University Foundation and Marshall University Alumni Association announced it had exceeded that initial goal and did so in less time than projected. In total, the Marshall Rises campaign generated more than $176 million in support of Marshall University and its students, programs and facilities.

From the Marshall Rises campaign, some fascinating statistics came to light. Since 2016, more than 50,000 gifts were made across 1,300 different designations at the university. And of that number, one-third were first-time donors to the university. The numbers showed a dedicated base of supporters ready to make a difference in affecting real change at Marshall and in the Tri-State.

So how has Marshall Rises impacted the university? Well, it starts with the students.

Over the past six years, scholarship aid has increased 44% at the university, with more than 500 additional students receiving awards annually. That is 500 additional students that have more resources to pursue their passions and finish their degrees thanks to you. In total, more than $5 million in scholarship aid is awarded every year.

You can also see the impact of the Marshall Rises campaign on and around the university. The Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation is scheduled to open in the spring of 2024. In the past year, the university has opened the Bill Noe Flight School at Yeager Airport in Charleston and added two new aviation programs — a commercial pilot program and an aviation maintenance technology program.

The impact of the campaign can also be seen in renovations to current facilities; increased funding for faculty, undergraduate research and the arts; and new spaces for students to learn, study and play. In short, the impact of Marshall Rises can be felt everywhere and by everyone.

When Marshall publicly announced the Marshall Rises campaign to the backdrop of fireworks and public fanfare at the 2019 Homecoming game, even then the true potential of the campaign remained a dream. A dream that has since become a reality at Marshall.

So what comes next?

Next up is another dream. Another goal to do big things and take Marshall to the next level. And with that comes the need for you, our devoted alumni, to step up and give back — give your time, your energy, your resources – to assure that future generations of students at Marshall will graduate from one of the nation’s most distinguished and dynamic universities.

Join us in dreaming big and envisioning how we can continue to impact future generations of Thundering Herd alumni. Because, if the Marshall Rises campaign has shown us anything, it is that together, we can accomplish anything.

Until next time, Godspeed and GO HERD!

Best Regards, The Office of Alumni Relations