Marshall Magazine, Spring 2023

Major Changes in the Athletic Department Students Going Back Abroad

Dr. Cicero Fain

Meet the author of “Black Huntington: An Appalachian Story” whose mission is to promote diversity and inclusion at Marshall.

President Brad D. Smith

Executive Editor Susan Tams

Director of Communications Leah Payne

Publisher Jack Houvouras

Office Manager Dana Keaton

Art Director Katie Sigler

Senior Graphic Designer Suzanna Stephens

Contributing Photographers Brock Burwell, Rick Lee, Morgan Napier, Darshan Sangani, Walker Tatum, Amy Parsons-White

Contributing Writers

James E. Casto, Keith Morehouse, Katherine Pyles, Shelly Ridgeway, Carter Seaton

Editorial Advisory Board Michelle Biggs, William “Tootie” Carter, Larry Crum, Karen McComas, Sheanna Spence, Susan Tams

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

president

Catching up with President Smith

1. President Brad D. Smith makes his way to the stage accompanied by his wife, Alys, and representatives of faculty, staff and students.

2. Smith is officially sworn in by the chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker (left). At right is Patrick Farrell, chairman of Marshall’s Board of Governors.

3. Smith poses with a gift from the athletic department, a game-worn jersey from the Herd’s win over Notre Dame Sept. 10.

4. Smith poses with his quoits partner, H. Toney Stroud, Marshall’s chief legal officer and general counsel (second from left) and their competitors from the Marshall Recreation Center at the presidential quoits tournament Sept. 23.

5. President Smith speaks at the annual Memorial Service Nov. 14, his first since taking office.

6. First Lady Alys Smith and President Smith flip the switch to light the holiday tree at Herd Holiday Nov. 29. Looking on are this year’s Mr. Marshall, Calvin Hunter, and Miss Marshall, Nevaeh Harmon.

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President Smith’s official investiture took place on the Morrow Library lawn Sept. 16.

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Dr. Cicero Fain 111

Dr. Cicero Fain III

Meet the professor, assistant provost and author of Black Huntington: An Appalachian Story, whose mission is to promote diversity and inclusion at Marshall.

By Shelly Ridgeway

Dr. Cicero Fain has spent the greater part of the past 20 years delving into the history of Black Huntingtonians and Appalachians. Inspired by the many stories he heard from locals while growing up with his three siblings near Huntington’s Southside and Fairfield West neighborhoods, his passion for storytelling eventually led to opportunities to travel the globe and bear witness to other cultures, including parts of the African continent.

Fain began his college studies at Marshall University in 1976 as a political science and journalism major. While there, he served as a staff writer for the student newspaper, The Parthenon, and seemed destined to share stories about people who were relatively unknown, marginalized or forgotten.

By his junior year at Marshall, a young Cicero Fain left college for what he said was a oncein-a-lifetime opportunity with Pan American World Airways (aka Pan Am) to see the world through a different lens as a flight attendant and purser. It proved to be a transformative experience and served as a springboard to work for other airlines that carried him to faraway places.

“Every place we went was an adventure for me. I think I visited 35 countries while working

for Pan Am, Kabo Air and USAfrica Airways,” Fain said. “No place spoke to me the way Africa did.”

Following his time with several international airline carriers, Fain returned to his studies and completed his bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1983.

He would go on to earn his master’s degree in education from George Mason University. He also enrolled at The Ohio State University, where he earned a second master’s degree in history and a Ph.D. in history, focusing on African American history, Modern African history and Native American history. In 2021, after spending the past 10 years teaching at the College of Southern Maryland, Fain was beckoned to return to his hometown of Huntington.

Talk about coming full circle in returning to one’s roots. He was selected for Marshall’s prestigious Carter G. Woodson Fellowship in 2000, which provided full financial support for his graduate studies at OSU, and later joined Marshall’s teaching faculty as an instructor and associate professor in the history department.

Today, as Marshall University’s inaugural Assistant Provost of Inclusive Excellence and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Fellow, Fain is well

“ Both Huntington’s and West Virginia’s Black history [are] incredibly rich and unique in the American narrative and deserve to be elevated to a place of prominence. ”

— Dr. Cicero Fain III

Dr. Cicero Fain’s latest book chronicles the rich history of Huntington’s Black community from 1871 to 1929.

positioned to build upon the university’s commitment to be a welcoming, diversely populated and inclusive institution. Prior to being named to this current role, Fain was serving a two-year appointment as the inaugural Visiting Diversity Scholar.

A typical day for Fain includes meeting with colleagues, both in person and via video conference calls, from across the university spectrum. They use that time to discuss, strategize and collaborate on a variety of initiatives.

In addition to tending to his classroom teaching duties, Fain has broader ideas that require him to continually seek ways to engage and partner with business leaders and community members. He is currently working to garner support to create a regional African American heritage tourism sector with Huntington as its primary hub — there is no comprehensive center in the state of West Virginia that acknowledges the wide range of contributions among its Black residents.

“The biggest challenge I see is educating both Blacks and whites on the importance of Huntington’s Black history as an exemplar of Black strivings, achievement and success beyond just celebrating Carter G. Woodson,” Fain said.

Fain’s latest book, Black Huntington: An Appalachian Story , chronicles the rich history

of Huntington’s Black community from 1871 to 1929, taking readers on a journey through time to learn about the many challenges and successes that Black people faced as new and generational community members. It is important to remember that Huntington was formed six years after the end of the Civil War. Life for the Black community at that time was filled with uncertainty. Many had traveled from plantations, where they were enslaved, to begin a new way of life.

In sharing his research tactics for the book, Fain said that the historical fact-gathering required some unconventional methods, such as interviewing people and collecting oral testimonies.

“You can’t rely on traditional methods like you would with a white population, because they (white people) have always had multiple ways to validate their existence,” he said.

With this year’s Black History Month celebrations and tributes in the rearview mirror, Fain is intently focused on what lies ahead.

“Both Huntington’s and West Virginia’s Black history [are] incredibly rich and unique in the American narrative and deserve to be elevated to a place of prominence beyond activities, ceremonies and events celebrating Black History Month,” he said.

Fain said that today the study of Black history faces new obstacles.

“Numerous schools and colleges across America are being impacted by efforts to curtail or ban the types of courses being taught here at Marshall,” he noted.

Some may question the importance of learning about Huntington’s Black history or advancing diversity, equity

“ Marshall University is a public university that recognizes the importance of diversity and how it enriches the educational experience. Students are exposed to differing ideas, perspectives, backgrounds, experiences and cultures. ”

— Dr. Cicero Fain III

Dr. Cicero Fain speaks at the “From the Valley to the Mountaintop: Hip Hop in Appalachia” panel held at Marshall on Feb. 16, 2023.

and inclusion initiatives at Marshall University.

“It matters because Marshall University is a public university that recognizes the importance of diversity and how it enriches the educational experience,” Fain asserted. “Students are exposed to differing ideas, perspectives, backgrounds, experiences and cultures. It provides an opportunity for enlightenment that helps prepare our students to operate within a global economy.”

Locally, Fain said he is energized by what he has witnessed in the Huntington community.

“I am gratified to see so many from all walks of life committed to working together to rebuild trust, revitalize the Fairfield West community and restore cultural pride,” he said.

Ultimately, Fain said, his goal is to help build on Marshall’s strong diversity, equity and inclusion foundation.

“I see myself as an evangelist of Black history, the celebration of diversity and the importance of human dignity,” he explained. “My life experiences, my friendships and my family composition show me every day the richness and blessings of diversity and inclusion.”

Shelly Ridgeway

Dr. Cicero Fain sits next to the statue of Dr. Carter G. Woodson in Huntington's Fairfield West community. Woodson founded Black History Month in 1926. Fain’s book, “Black Huntington: An Appalachian Story,” examines the impact of numerous Black leaders in the city’s formation.

Dr. Cicero Fain speaks at the Honors Convocation in 2022.

NEW LOOK ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

director for facilities and operations; Annie

manager, Thundering Herd Sports Properties;

Torain, assistant athletic director for academic services; Teddy Kluemper III, associate athletic director for development; Dawn Kirtner, assistant athletic director for business operations; Beatrice Crane Banford, senior associate athletic director for Olympic sports/SWA; Christian Spears, director of athletics; Debra Boughton, executive associate athletic director for championship planning and resources; Greg Beals, head coach, baseball; John Sutherland, senior associate athletic director for development and Big Green Executive Director; Arlin Vieira, special assistant to the director of athletics; Taylor Hickman, associate athletic director for capital campaigns and signature events; Rodney Kasey, assistant athletic director for digital strategy and brand management; Ryan Crisp, associate athletics director for annual giving, ticket sales and fan engagement; Cedric Prowell, assistant athletic director for equipment operations; Sean Tuttle, associate athletic director for compliance; Sharrod Everett, assistant athletic director and football chief of staff; and Grant Traylor, associate athletic director of communications

BY KEITH MOREHOUSE

The Marshall Athletics Senior Staff includes (from back left to right back) Chris Lapole, assistant athletic director, head athletic trainer; Ben Ashford, assistant athletic director, director of sports performance; Andrew Brown, associate athletic

Cavrich,

Kaylyn

PHOTO BY RICK LEE

The Cam Henderson Center sports a brand-new arena floor with that ubiquitous “M” logo at center court.

Just north of Third Avenue, behind the Dot Hicks softball complex, there’s a lot of activity going on in the bullpen. Well, not a bullpen yet, but it’s coming. Several excavators are pitching mounds of dirt around the site. Marshall’s long-awaited ballpark is no longer a project on paper. College baseball on Marshall’s Huntington campus is on the horizon.

“At last, the new baseball stadium is real,” said Christian Spears, the university’s energetic athletic director. “All of the people who said, ‘They’ll never do it, it won’t happen, they’ve failed for 60 years,’ — well, today earth is being moved and construction is underway.”

The doubters and naysayers have had plenty of valid reasons to be skeptical. Herd legend and longtime head coach Jack Cook — who passed away in 2021 — had attended two separate stadium groundbreakings. He infamously remembered that the administration began promising him a new ballpark back in the 1960s.

It turns out those stadium blueprints were a real enticement to lure former Ohio State baseball coach Greg Beals to Huntington to become Marshall’s next head coach.

“The bones are here, I believe that,” said Beals. “I see what’s going on across the street and I’ve got a big picture in mind. We’re going to have a brand-new ballpark; and when it opens next year, I think we can be the big show in town every March and April.”

The stadium is on target to open for the 2024 season, an ambitious timetable by any measure. Beals is willing to wait, he said, and to get to work building a program for the Thundering Herd in the ultra-competitive Sun Belt Conference. He coached the Buckeyes to three NCAA tournament appearances and knows what it takes to win

A new baseball stadium, new baseball coach, upgrades to the football and basketball facilities, NIL money and the transfer portal. In just one year, Christian Spears and his staff have overseen major improvements and a bevy of changes at the university.

(Top) Edwards Stadium received new turf in the fall. (Bottom) Coming in 2023 is a huge Jumbotron that will fill the south end zone.

at the highest level.

The baseball park is just one of a myriad of facility improvements around campus. Edwards Stadium has a new playing surface; and a new, much larger video display will fill the south end zone this fall. The Henderson Center sports a brand-new arena floor with that ubiquitous “M” logo at center court. Venerable Gullickson Hall and its gymnasium got a makeover worthy of an HGTV show.

Christian Spears

Marshall University Athletic Director

In fact, the old home of Marshall’s athletics offices and physical education classes looks better today than it has since its construction in 1961.

When Christian Spears was introduced as Marshall’s new athletic director in February 2022, his plan was to resurrect pride in the Marshall brand. He wanted to ensure the brand was represented at every facility on campus, and his template for the cosmetic transformation sounded simple enough.

“A little bit of paint, a little bit of graphic, a little bit of pride and more wins,” Spears explained. “When people feel great about their environment, the results start to turn pretty quick.”

Those results came quickly. Marshall’s win over No. 8-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend woke up the Herd’s

(Above) An aerial view shows construction underway for Marshall's new baseball stadium, which is scheduled to open for the 2024 season. (Left) The new baseball stadium helped lure Ohio State baseball coach Greg Beals to Huntington to lead the Thundering Herd.

“ At last, the new baseball stadium is real. Today earth is being moved and construction is underway. ”

—

football echoes and is likely the most noteworthy win in school history. Marshall won nine games including a victory in the Myrtle Beach Bowl over UConn. The Herd basketball team got off to its best start in 36 years and finished the regular season at 23-6.

One thing Spears has noticed in less than a year on campus is that Marshall fans will tell you how they feel. When the new floor was laid down at the Henderson Center, there was one subtle omission that fans — loudly and clearly — let Spears know about. The famous Bruce Morris footprints were gone. Those prints marked the game-winning shot Morris made from 89 feet, 10 inches back in 1989 against Appalachian State. Proving that he can take a little criticism and advice, Spears had the footprints reaffixed to the floor.

He also made the decision to put tarps over parts of the stands in both Edwards Stadium and the Henderson Center. That has reduced capacity in both venues, but Spears reasoned the moves were necessary. At Edwards Stadium, the eventual plan is for a deck and that new video display to be installed in the south end zone. As for the Henderson Center, if you’ve ever trekked to the upper seats, you know the high anxiety it brings. Spears said it was the responsible call to make to keep fans away from those sections.

“I asked the risk manager to come look at our upperlevel basketball seats and he said, ‘We sit people up here?’ That was all I needed to hear,” said Spears. “I made the decision to cover those seats and eliminate the risk they pose to fans.”

There’s also another matter keeping athletic directors up at night. How do they deal with the new frontier regarding name, image and likeness (NIL)? NIL allows athletes to make endorsement deals, cash in on making personal appearances and profit from their athletic endeavors. Assisting Spears in navigating these tricky waters is Huntington native Tyler Hutchison. The former Yale football player is now a certified financial planner who oversees “The Thunder Trust,” Marshall’s collective created to help within the new realm of NIL.

“Our students aren’t here to get rich off of NIL,”

Hutchison said. “What hits the media headlines nationally might be more prevalent in the Power 5 conferences, but that’s certainly not what’s happening here. That said, our athletes are happy to make a few hundred dollars to be in a commercial or to spend a few hours at a local nonprofit organization.”

The NIL rules expressly prohibit pay-forplay deals, but a quick Google search shows that some schools seem to be playing by their own rules. And the bigger the school, the bigger the deals.

“The two things you can’t do is offer pay-forplay or induce recruits with money,” Spears said. “Well, that’s what everyone’s doing, and there’s no one stopping them. When you couple these NIL issues with the newly formed transfer portal that allows athletes to transfer to other schools without sitting out a year, you quickly see how the work of college coaches just got much harder.”

Hutchison said he realizes NIL money doesn’t grow on trees, and at a smaller university like Marshall there won’t be any get-rich-quick offers for athletes. In fact, The Thunder Trust has partnered with several nonprofits around the Huntington area — like the A.D. Lewis Community Center and the Facing Hunger Foodbank — to pair athletes with NIL opportunities that also give them a chance to leave a mark on the community.

“The athletes at Marshall are not expecting exorbitant financial deals from NIL,” Hutchison said. “They’re happy to make a few hundred dollars to help supplement their day-to-day expenses, whether it’s buying winter clothes, taking a date to dinner and a movie or paying for a plane ticket to fly home for Thanksgiving or Christmas. They just want to feel appreciated.”

All this keeps Christian Spears and his staff in the athletic department quite busy. College sports is changing at warp speed. Luckily, that fast pace suits Spears just fine.

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

Under new Athletic Director Christian Spears, the men's track and field program was resurrected at the end of 2022.

A GLOBAL LEADER IN GOING GREEN

From energy management and waste reduction to a state-of-the-art commercial composting facility, Marshall is on the forefront of sustainability.

By Katherine Pyles

Photo by Rick Lee

(From left) Tracy Smith, Amy Parsons-White and Carrie Nilles pose in front of the university's new commercial composting facility — the first in the state of West Virginia and the second largest in the eastern U.S.

For Marshall University Sustainability Manager Amy Parsons-White, M.S., there’s nothing better than seeing the (energy-efficient) lightbulb go off when people really start to “get” sustainability.

“When you see that lightbulb go off, when people begin to realize that sustainability has a positive impact not just on our environment but also on our students, our economy and our community, it’s really exciting,” said Parsons-White, who oversees sustainability programs for students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community.

People, planet, profit — “the three Ps,” as they’re often called — are what make sustainability sustainable, she said.

“People usually think of the environmental side of sustainability, but

sustainability is actually an accounting framework,” she explained. “It’s known as the triple bottom line. Any program we start on campus has to encompass all three of those pillars.”

that framework has been applied to department initiatives like recycling, utility management, trayless dining, bottle refill stations, the Rolling Thunder bike share program and an array of gardening projects: vegetable gardens, rain gardens, green roof gardens and gardens for local pollinators — even a waystation for migrating Monarch butterflies.

In other words, just because a project benefits the environment, that doesn’t make it sustainable; it has to have a positive social and financial impact, too. At Marshall,

Recently, the three Ps came into play for the department’s largest undertaking yet: a commercial composting facility, the first in the state of West Virginia and the second largest in the eastern U.S. The project was four years in the making, said Parsons-White, whose extensive preliminary work included drafting bills with state legislators to change the laws on postconsumer food waste.

The facility is groundbreaking (literally). It turns food waste, lawn

The Rolling Thunder bike share program is a 24/7 transportation system for both point-to-point trips across campus and long scenic rides.

waste, white office paper and cardboard into compost, reducing the university’s carbon footprint and saving thousands of dollars in waste haul fees. It’s home to an XACT BioReactor, an aerobic digester that takes in five tons of waste per day and completes the composting process in just six days. Marshall is the only university in the world with the digester, Parsons-White said. Then there’s the worm bin, where 50,000 red wigglers are hard at work composting an additional three tons of waste per day. Parsons-White said students pursuing a specialty agriculture degree will use the facility as their educational laboratory; elective courses and internships will be offered as well.

The facility, which became fully operational Feb. 1, has the potential

to be a huge profit center for the university, she said. Soon, compost, worm castings and a compost tea called “Herd Dirt” will be available for purchase. Workshops, tours and a composting microcredential program, currently being developed, will be open to the community.

“We’re taking what was just going to be hauled off to a landfill and turning it into a product that we can use here on campus to make our soil better and that we can sell to make our community better,” ParsonsWhite said. “The facility has the potential to really change the dynamics of waste haul in West Virginia.”

Another trendsetter in

waste reduction is the Marshall Thrift Store, which recycles items left behind by dorm residents during moveout days. The thrift store

(Above) Marshall has an array of gardening projects, including vegetable gardens, rain gardens, green roof gardens and gardens for local pollinators — even a waystation for migrating Monarch butterflies. (Right) The Marshall Thrift Store recycles items left behind by dorm residents during moveout days. The thrift store has reduced moveout waste by 50%.

has reduced moveout waste by an overwhelming 50%.

“Students leave an enormous quantity of things behind when they move out of campus housing,” explained Sustainability Coordinator Carrie Uihlein Nilles, M.A. “And these are things that are surprising: mini fridges, microwaves, Keurigs, name-brand televisions and monitors, not to mention all of the

clothing.”

At the end of each semester, Housing and Residence Life and the Sustainability Department host a Green Move Out event to collect unwanted items. Nilles said while the waste reduction during these events is significant, it’s what the Marshall Thrift Store does the rest of the year that’s even more meaningful. Since the

store opened in 2021, it has served upwards of 400 students, who on their first visit pay $3 for a reusable bag to fill with as many items as they can fit. Each return trip with the same bag is $1.

Sometimes, students pay nothing.

“We’ve had students who’ve been put out of their homes for one reason or another or arrive on campus without the necessary supplies to thrive; they come to us through Housing, the athletic department or

“ Sustainability is an accounting framework ... known as the triple bottom line. ”

— Amy Parsons-White, M.S. Marshall University Sustainability Manager

(Above) Marco enjoys picking fresh vegetables from one of the university’s many gardens. (Right) Herd Dirt Compost Tea is made with worm castings and sold at The Wild Ramp.

sometimes individual faculty members,” Nilles said. “We allow them to come in and take what they need, and we’re able to sort of give them the beginning of a rebuild to their life. That’s incredibly gratifying.”

The Sustainability Department’s shift toward the social equity and profitability aspects of sustainability has been a team effort, Parsons-White said, not only within the department but university wide. The College of Science, College of Business, Department of Social Work and Department of History have been key players in that shift, she said.

“The university is starting to see that we’re not just ‘the people that

“ We’re taking what was just going to be hauled off to a landfill and turning it into a product that we can use here on campus to make our soil better and that we can sell to make our community better. The facility has the potential to really change the dynamics of waste haul in West Virginia. ”

— Amy Parsons-White, M.S. Marshall University Sustainability Manager

Marco encourages a Marshall student to recycle at one of the many recycling bins found across the Huntington campus.

pick up the recycling,’” she said. “We’re working to make sure the university can take care of itself and thrive in the long run.”

The Sustainability Department emphasizes detailed recordkeeping and data management, ensuring each of its programs has a measurable impact. That’s where Nilles comes in. She tracks things like the output of recycling bins around campus, the number of students served by the thrift store and the thousands of pounds of paper waste sent to composting or recycling from the department’s shred room. When Marshall converted its incandescent and fluorescent lighting to LEDs, Nilles tracked energy savings throughout the transition.

“It was astounding,” she said. “We’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars saved just by changing lightbulbs.”

The data makes sure the department remains sustainable as it grows, she said. And there’s a lot of growing to be done: the Sustainability Department just received grant funding to begin hydroponic gardening, and Parsons-White said the goal is for the gardens to eventually provide all of the produce on campus.

“Our dining halls will have fresh, organic food grown right here on campus. We’ll be able to offer courses and internships for business students and ag students, and anyone else who wants to come in and learn,” she said. “We’ll be developing programs that look at things like food production and social equity, while also educating students and making a profit for the university.”

She said her hope is that sustainability becomes everyone’s goal.

“On the university level, we want our students, faculty and staff

to know that these programs exist for them, and to understand that it’s not just about saving the earth — it’s also about saving money and becoming more fiscally responsible, so that the university can invest in better programs, events and activities for them,” she said. “And then just being a university in a town the size of Huntington, it’s our responsibility to be that beacon to the community as well. If we can reach out and help people in our community with sustainability projects, that’s not just making a good name for Marshall — it’s making our community better. We all benefit.”

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

A worldwide pandemic may have put the world on hold for two years, but today students are lining up to study abroad once again.

StudyIS BACK!Abroad

By Carter Seaton

Strike up the pep band! Shout it from the towers of Old Main! Study abroad has returned in full force for Marshall students.

The opportunity to study abroad had been available at the university for many decades, but that streak ended in March 2020 when the program came to a screeching halt because of the COVID-19 pandemic. No students traveled abroad, and the exchange programs were paused for nearly two years.

International Student Services. “While we didn’t send any stu dents abroad, we did accept new study abroad students from partner schools in other countries through our exchange programs. We started sending students abroad again in earnest in the spring and summer of 2022.”

“In the fall of 2021 we started to slowly ease back into things,” noted Tyler

Sharp, associate director of

Under the program, any students who have completed their freshman year with a GPA of 2.5, are self-motivated and independent, have a desire for adventure

“ After COVID, I’ve definitely noticed there’s pent-up demand for study abroad programs. ”

— Tyler Sharp Associate Director of International Student Services

Walker Tatum and a group of Marshall students studied abroad in Europe.

and have a strong interest in learning about other cultures are eligible for one or more of the programs managed by Sharp’s office. Those interested in dipping their feet

in the overseas experience often begin with one of the Marshall faculty-led programs. These usually take place in the summer and are taught by Marshall faculty. In the past, students have traveled to Spain, Argentina, Belize, El Salvador, Mexico, China, Japan, Ireland and England to study and learn about the culture.

“ It gave me exposure to the world outside of campus life and allowed me to gain a new perspective on ways of thinking. ”

— Darshan Sangani senior, studied in Spain

Pisa, Italy

Rome, Italy

The Kakehashi Japan program

The Kakehashi Japan program

The Kakehashi Japan program

Darshan Sangani, now a senior at Marshall, chose to study in Spain with Dr. Maria Carmen Riddel. During his month abroad, Sangani took Spanish courses at the local university and lived with a host family. While he’d been to India to visit family, he’d never been to Spain or any part of Europe.

“At first, I was concerned about the costs. Luckily the Marshall study abroad office helped me figure it out financially and paved my way across the sea,” Sangani said. “I’m glad I explored the option. It was eye-opening. It gave me exposure to the world outside of campus life and allowed me to gain a new perspective on ways of thinking. You learn to appreciate and embrace other cultures. The experience showed me we are much more alike than we are different.”

Through KIIS (Kentucky Institute

for International Studies) Marshall offers low-cost study abroad options for students. These range from 25 four-week summer programs to four-semester programs in Europe, Africa, Asia, Canada and Central and South America. KIIS is one of several nonprofit affiliate programs Marshall works with to help facilitate studying abroad. KIIS programs are faculty-led courses of study. Other affiliate programs offer opportunities in Greece, Australia, Ireland, the Middle East and sometimes Russia and India.

Currently, Marshall has school-to-school exchange partnerships with five universities overseas — two in France and Japan, and one in the United Kingdom. These are usually semester-long programs. Because the university wants the same number of exchange students coming to Marshall as it sends abroad, the number of those who participate fluctuates each semester.

The highest volume of students traveling abroad to study and experience other cultures occurs

in the summer. That’s partially because students don’t want to give up an entire semester for one class when they have other requirements to fulfill. But it’s also because many Marshall students have never been out of the country, and shorter stays are easier on the students than ones that last four to five months. There are often 50 to 60 students participating in these short experiential summer opportunities.

Walker Tatum, a junior biology major, is one of those students. A native of Wayne, West Virginia, Tatum was initially concerned about traveling abroad for the first time.

“Initially, I turned down the chance to study overseas. But the people in the study abroad program addressed my concerns about the costs and what to expect,” Tatum said. “They spent more time prepping students like me who had never been out of the country. Looking back now, it’s something I would do 100 times over.”

Walker may have to get in line. According to Sharp, students are coming to his office constantly wanting to find out about studying abroad.

“Students are eager to travel. After COVID, I’ve definitely noticed there’s pent-up demand for study abroad programs,” Sharp noted.

While it may take some time to fully rebuild the program because of lingering anxiety about COVID or the state of world affairs, Sharp said students are ready to go now.

“They’re very eager, and I’m excited to be able to help them through this process. I’m happy the restrictions have mostly ended and that it’s safe for students to start studying abroad again. It’s a truly life-changing experience for them.”

“ Looking back now, it’s something I would do 100 times over. ”

— Walker Tatum junior, studied in Europe

Carter Seaton is an author and freelance writer living in Huntington.

(Above top) Students at the Chicago O'Hare airport before departure for Japan. (Above bottom) Study abroad students at the Civitas Metropolitan Stadium (Athletico Madrid's soccer stadium).

A NEW Gateway to

MARSHALL’S HUNTINGTON CAMPUS

Construction has begun on a major project that will make Hal Greer Boulevard safer for students and more aesthetically pleasing to visitors.

By James E. Casto

After a multiyear planning and design process, construction work has started on a project that will transform Hal Greer Boulevard from Third Avenue to Washington Boulevard.

“Hal Greer Boulevard is the gateway to downtown Huntington and the Marshall University campus,” said Huntington Mayor Steve Williams. “Every day thousands of motorists travel Hal Greer Boulevard. Our goal is to make the Hal Greer corridor much safer, better lighted and more conducive to economic development.”

The Hal Greer improvements are the result of a lengthy collaboration among the City of Huntington,

(Opposite page) A rendering shows the changes to Hal Greer Boulevard that will make it safer for students. (This page) Construction work is currently underway.

the KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission and the West Virginia Division of Highways (DOH).

Other partners who aided in the planning included Marshall University, Marshall Health, Cabell Huntington Hospital, the Thundercloud fiber optic network, the Fairfield Alliance, Fairfield Community Development Corporation, the A.D. Lewis Community Center, the Huntington Housing Authority, businesses located on Hal Greer and residents of the Fairfield neighborhood.

“This plan is very special,” said KYOVA Executive Director Chris Chiles. “And one of the reasons why is because all levels of government and the community came together to create it. Without the united front displayed by all the agencies involved and without the participation of the community we would not be where we are today.

“Moreover,” he continued, “what we’ve accomplished with the Hal Greer plan lays the groundwork for future cooperative projects here in the area. We have shown the DOH that the city, other major stakeholders and the members of the community can come together and deliver a major transformational project. You do not see that in many places.”

The DOH has awarded a $13.5 million contract to Triton Construction Inc. for the construction work revamping Hal Greer. The City of Huntington will contribute 20% of the project’s cost. The remaining 80% is funded through a federal grant secured by KYOVA.

Busy Hal Greer Boulevard is the epicenter of Huntington’s medical infrastructure, with Cabell Huntington Hospital and Marshall’s growing health sciences campus, which draw steady streams of traffic.

“The Hal Greer corridor is very congested, and it’s gotten worse with our addition of the School of Pharmacy, student housing and a parking garage,” said

A multiyear planning and design process led to a project that will transform the corridor from Third Avenue to Washington Boulevard.

James E. Terry, director of MU’s Office of Public Safety. “So the major improvements coming for the corridor are certainly welcome.

“I like the plan’s unified approach, with all the individual pieces designed to work together,” he added. “I especially like the new protections it will provide pedestrians and bikers.”

Ultimately, improvements also are envisioned for the portion of the Hal Greer Corridor stretching from Washington Boulevard to Kinetic Park.

Williams noted that as the project plan was being drafted, several opportunities were provided for members of the public to hear about the plan and offer their feedback. The opportunities included an initial project symposium, multiple public meetings as work on the plan progressed and an open house detailing the final plan.

“There were several guiding principles in the creation of the Hal Greer plan,” Williams said. “These included

the safety of all users, prioritized consideration for pedestrians and bikers, addressing stormwater issues and supporting quality development and redevelopment.”

Williams noted that construction work implementing the planned improvements will bring major traffic interruptions in the coming months, but the temporary inconvenience will be more than worth it for a new, safer roadway. The plan also envisions new economic development opportunities along Hal Greer Boulevard.

“That’s going to take time, but it’s going to happen. It’s inevitable,” Williams said. “I can absolutely guarantee you that if somebody left Huntington today and returned after being gone for 10 years they wouldn’t recognize Hal Greer Boulevard. That’s how dramatically different the future corridor is going to be.”

The new improvements being undertaken along the Hal Greer corridor include:

“ Our goal is to make the Hal Greer corridor much safer, better lighted and more conducive to economic development.”

— Steve Williams Mayor of Huntington

The Hal Greer plan will provide increased safety for pedestrians and bikers and lead to redevelopment of the Fairfield West region.

• Widened sidewalks on the east side, protected midblock crossings with rectangular rapid flashing beacons, high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian countdown signals at intersections and planted medians to address stormwater issues and control turning movements.

•New pedestrian lighting along Hal Greer from Third Avenue to Washington Boulevard.

•Protected bike lanes from Third Avenue to Seventh Avenue and a protected pedestrian and bike path under the Hal Greer underpass.

•Realigning Charleston and 10th avenues on either side of the former Northcott Court to straighten out the intersections and eliminate redundant stop lights.

•Reconfigured stop lights along the rest of the Hal Greer corridor to allow for a more efficient pathway. According to simulation models, the roadway improvements will reduce the overall corridor delay by 12-15%.

•Major safety improvements near Cabell Huntington Hospital, especially for pedestrians. This includes the construction of a Danish crossing (pedestrian island) at the intersection of Columbia and 13th avenues, which will give pedestrians a safe refuge while crossing Hal Greer. The entrance to Cabell Huntington Hospital and Medical Center Drive will be redesigned and will include aligned crosswalks and upgraded signals for pedestrians crossing Hal Greer.

•Reconfiguring of the roadway near Marshall’s campus between Third and Seventh avenues to add a two-way cycle track, which will be protected from traffic by additional parallel parking.

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.

The Man, the Myth,

By Katherine Pyles

The thing about legends is that they’re seldom true. An embellishment here, an exaggeration there, and the facts, over time, become fiction. But when it comes to the legend of the late Dr. Simon Perry, professor emeritus of the Department of Political Science at Marshall and the university’s longestserving faculty member, you can believe every word: “Loved.” “Feared.” “Tough, but fair.” “An institution.” “A treasure.” “Legendary.”

“When Dr. Perry died on Jan. 27 at the age of 92, it was a profound loss for the Marshall community,” said Patricia Proctor, founding director of the Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy, in an interview for The Parthenon. “He was a brilliant

professor with a hunger for knowledge and an intellectual curiosity that never waned. His students — and I was one — were the beneficiaries of this. He was deeply thoughtful and pushed students to challenge their preconceptions, open their minds and grow as critical thinkers and as human beings.”

As a professor, Perry was known for his stories. Heartfelt anecdotes about his childhood on Gilbert Creek in Mingo County and his wife, Frances, whom he playfully (and relentlessly) teased, provided well-timed relief during rigorous lectures. Perry would scan the room with a familiar twinkle in his eye, and you’d know: “This is going to be a good one.”

“I think students probably remember my stories,

Venerated professor and political science icon

Dr. Simon Perry dies at the age of 92.

“

S imon Perry was the epitome of what a college professor should be. ”

— Paul Hughart

perhaps more than they remember the content of my classes,” said Perry in a 2011 Huntington Quarterly magazine interview.

“Simon Perry was the epitome of what a college professor should be,” said former student Paul Hughart in the Huntington Quarterly. He said Perry inspired students to pursue careers not only in political science but also in public service, academia, the law, journalism and social work. They crowded into classes like “Power in American Society” and “Public Opinion and Propaganda,” knowing a passing grade would be a hard-fought battle.

It was no secret that Perry’s classes were among the most difficult at Marshall, yet students flocked to them anyway — in Perry’s 48 years at the university, he taught more than 20,000 students. As Perry once said, “To be perceived as challenging is the greatest compliment.”

In his distinctive deep voice, Perry encouraged students to engage in civil discourse and political activism — areas in which he had firsthand experience. As an undergraduate at Berea College in the 1950s, Perry organized boycotts of local businesses that refused to serve his Black classmates. He drove the point home in his valedictory address: “It is unjust and plain conceit for one person to discriminate against another on the basis of race, color or creed,” he said during the speech. “It is time that you should recognize that segregation is bad, and it would be good of you, if you could become concerned enough, to lend a hand in putting it to its deathbed.”

After graduating from Berea, Perry returned to Gilbert Creek and accepted a high school teaching job, a role he held briefly before continuing his education at the University of Tennessee, where he earned his master’s degree, and Michigan State University, where he earned his Ph.D. It was during his three-month stint at Williamson High School that he met Frances Hickman, a young chemistry teacher there. The pair would marry a year later and go on to have four children, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They considered Razia Bennoui, an Afghan immigrant whose family was killed by the

Taliban, their “adopted daughter” and her children their adopted grandchildren. When Perry passed away — at his home, in Frances’s arms — the couple had been married 66 years.

Perry completed his doctoral dissertation in 1961 and joined Marshall’s political science department the following year. The rest is history — U.S. political history, to be exact.

During Perry’s tenure at Marshall, he received the Marshall Distinguished Service Award, was the university’s first Drinko Fellow and was named Distinguished West Virginian twice, first by Gov. Arch Moore and later by Gov. Joe Manchin. Perry served as chair of Marshall’s political science department from 1975 to 1994. On April 30, 2010, when he entered the classroom for his final lecture, Perry found a room overflowing with colleagues, friends and former students. Moved by their presence, Perry

Dr. Simon Perry was known for his tough classes and entertaining lectures.

paused — but only for a moment — and then carried on with his lecture.

Nationally, Perry was a known expert on constitutional democracy. He was invited to the White House during President Carter’s administration to participate in a conference for the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II), a series of conferences with corresponding treaties regarding the use of nuclear weapons in the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The SALT II treaty was a precursor to the New START treaty currently making headlines for its role in the U.S.-Russia tensions.

The legacy of Perry’s prolific career lives on at the Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy, established in 2011. The center offers pre-law advising, an academic minor in constitutional democracy and the Amicus Curiae Lecture Series on Constitutional Democracy. At the center, students take courses that Perry himself created, under the tutelage of professors willing to embrace what Perry once called “a professor’s greatest pressure — bringing to life rather than putting to sleep the mind of the student.”

For Proctor, her former professor’s influence goes beyond the name of the center she directs.

“He influenced my life. He provided the intellectual challenges that prepared me for law school and a legal career,” she said in The Parthenon . “He also was kind-hearted, an advocate for what was right, not afraid to call out prejudice in all forms and to stand up for people marginalized by society. I and so many others are better for having

him as part of our lives.”

Robert Ingersoll, a 19th-century orator and lawyer who famously delivered the funeral eulogy for Walt Whitman in 1892, gave a eulogy at his brother Ebon Ingersoll’s graveside in 1879 which Perry had always found touching. Quoted near the end of Perry’s obituary, it might as well have been written about Perry himself: “This brave and tender man in every storm of life was oak and rock; but in the sunshine he was vine and flower. … He added to the sum of human joy; and were every one to whom he did some loving service to bring a blossom to his grave, he would sleep [tonight] beneath a wilderness of flowers.”

To read Perry’s obituary in full, visit www.hensonandkitchen.com/obituaries/Simon-Perry-2/. Donations in Perry’s memory may be made to the Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy at www.marshall.edu/spc.

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

“

H e influenced my life. I and so many others are better for having him as part of our lives. ”

— Patricia Proctor Founding Director of the Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy

Greenever

A MESSAGE FROM MIKALA SHREMSHOCK

MUAA National President

Hello, Marshall family!

As they say, everything comes in its own time, sometimes exactly when it’s supposed to. Every winter, we may doubt if our lawn will ever be green or if our flowers will ever bloom again. Some of us plant and reseed, fertilize and mulch meticulously. Some of us skip the extra effort and sip tea and read books all winter instead. Regardless of your approach, spring requires patience. Without waiting, would it be as beautiful and magnificent?

With the spring comes my favorite event of the year — the Marshall University Alumni Awards Banquet. Amazingly, this will be our first new selection of awardees since the COVID pandemic took the in-person event away for a couple of years. And we look forward to honoring some amazing awardees! These special individuals are members of the Marshall family that have had an outsized impact on the university and community. I am so impressed with the contributions of each of the nominees. These award winners truly represent the best of the best.

Also new, during our spring Alumni Association board meeting we will elect a new slate of officers to continue to lead this amazing group of dedicated alumni members. We’ll also be electing 10 new members to the board. If you would like more information about joining, you can always learn more by reaching out at alumni@marshall.edu.

The alumni staff work exceptionally hard to host top-notch, fun events throughout the year for our nationwide network of Marshall alums. Our executive director, Matt James, has taken on a demanding workload and added more initiatives of his own in his first few months in the role! Working with him and the staff over the past six months has been invigorating and delightful.

I strongly encourage you to invite Matt to your next alumni chapter event. What? You don’t have an alumni chapter? You can find a map of all the local chapters on HerdAlum.com. Don’t have one close to you? Gather a few of your Marshall friends and start one! We are working with many emerging chapters to assist them in developing signature events and establishing connections in their area. Some of the emerging chapters are in Marshall’s backyard — Huntington and Charleston chapters are being restarted — as well as new chapters in Myrtle Beach, Annapolis, Louisville and around the country.

Today’s alumni are citizens of the world or are only in their locales for a short amount of time. Therefore, we’re also working with colleges and organizations to develop constituency-based alumni chapters. While the School of Medicine has had a strong alumni group for years, other professional groups are finding the benefit of staying connected to their alma mater for news, entertainment, professional opportunities or a rousing game of softball!

I hope you’ll consider getting more involved and connected with Marshall in whatever way suits you. I hope to see you at a Marshall event soon! Reach out to us via phone or e-mail, or stay connected with the alumni social media accounts. Thank you for your support of Marshall University; I hope to see you in Huntington soon! Go Herd!

Mikala Shremshock President, Marshall University Alumni Association

1940s

Julian Heath Sockman (’49) celebrated his 100th birthday March 3. Sockman is a World War II veteran, having been awarded the Purple Heart after being wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. During his time at Marshall, Sockman was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. In recent years, Sockman served on the Marshall University Alumni Association Board of Directors.

1960s

Philip W. Carter Jr. (’65) received special recognition when the City of Huntington dedicated the Ninth Street Plaza as the Phil Carter Plaza on Oct. 28. For more than 60 years, Carter was a professor of social work and academic activist in Marshall’s College of Health Professions.

1970s

Dr. Randi D. Litman Ward (’71) has accepted a position as the chancellor of the new online World University of Leadership and Management and will represent it at its first conference in Dubai in January 2024.

The Rev. Peter M. Wallace (’76) published his latest book, “A Generous Beckoning: Accepting God’s Invitation to a More Fulfilling Life,” in February.

CLASS NOTES

Wallace is the author of more than a dozen books. He also is the executive producer and host of the Day1 ecumenical and internet ministry (Day1. org) and president of the Alliance for Christian Media, based in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an ordained Episcopal priest serving in the Diocese of Atlanta.

1990s

Deirdre Cline (’91) was named the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History’s Superintendent of the Year. Cline took the reins as superintendent of Wyoming County Schools in 2016. She is the county’s first female school superintendent.

Tia Fenton (’98) joined Duane Morris as partner in the law firm’s Intellectual Property Practice Group in its Washington, D.C., office.

William “Billy” K. Marshall (’93) was appointed by Gov. Jim Justice as the commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Marshall previously served more than 25 years with the West Virginia State Police.

Christina Mullins (’95, ’97) was appointed as deputy secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Mullins previously served as the commissioner of the DHHR’s Bureau for Behavioral Health since 2018.

2000s

Stacey Bowen (’09) published her book “Things I Wish I Knew: A Manual for Future You.” The book aims to help new graduates as they navigate life as young professionals, specifically in the areas of finance, relationships and health. Bowen graduated from Marshall with a degree in organizational communication.

Jennifer Wheeler (’07) married Ben Newhouse on Oct. 28. Wheeler is the director of development at the Huntington Museum of Art and Newhouse is the county administrator for Cabell County.

2010s

Dave Traube (’10) was hired as Marshall University’s chief marketing officer on Oct. 10. Traube graduated from Marshall with a degree in broadcast journalism. Traube was previously the vice president of communications and marketing at the University of Charleston.

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

In Memoriam

Elizabeth Marie Mustain died on Feb. 6. She was born in Chicago on Oct. 20, 1950. Mustain grew up in Charleston. She attended George Washington High School and graduated from Marshall University, where she played on the university tennis team. She earned certifications in physical education and mathematics. She had a master’s degree in education from Eastern Kentucky University. She was an educator for more than 35 years in the Chesterfield County school system in Virginia. She approached teaching with dedication, passion and patience.

Mustain is survived by her loving husband, Tony Mustain; two children, Ashley Chambers and husband, Luke, of Anchorage, Alaska, and Brett Ager of Richmond, Virginia; and her devoted dog, Fender.

Elias J. “Lou” Sahadi (’53) died on Feb. 15. Sahadi was born on Oct. 24, 1930, in New York City to

immigrant Lebanese parents. He served in the Korean War as an MP in the United States Army. He graduated from Marshall with a degree in journalism.

Sahadi was a well-known sports author and editor, having written dozens of sports books and published many articles in numerous magazines, including working with Willie Mays on his autobiography, “Say Hey: The Autobiography of Willie Mays.”

Sahadi is survived by his five children, Joseph, Helen, David, Elizabeth and John.

Billy G. Adams (’62, ’65) died on Aug. 5, 2022 at his home in Barboursville, West Virginia. He retired from Cabell County Schools in 2001 as the administrative assistant to the superintendent over elementary schools.

Matt James

A TRUE SON OF MARSHALL TAPPED TO LEAD THE MUAA

Alumni are the lifeblood of any institution of higher learning.

They are the givers. They are the doers. They are the true hands and feet of a university, helping better their communities through the degrees they earn and helping better their alma mater through action.

Therefore, it only stands to reason that the person heading up an alumni program have certain traits that helps them have more of a connection with those dedicated alums, while also possessing a willingness to educate and work side by side with students that make up the future alumni population.

At Marshall University, there is none that fits that bill better than Matt James.

Named the new executive director of alumni relations at Marshall University in the fall of 2022, James has hit the ground running as only he can. A decorated former student, a caring advocate for the student population and an alumnus with green-and-white credentials that are hard to equal, this Bluefield, West Virgina, native and two-time graduate is ready to shake up the alumni program at Marshall and grow it like never before.

“I like to say that I fell in love with Marshall and at Marshall, having met my wife, Sara, during our freshman year. Specifically, I fell in love with MU and never left, having spent exactly half of my life here over the past 19 years as a student and staff member,” James said. “The impact Marshall University has made on my life is immeasurable. I’ll never be able to pay back everything this school has given

to me over the last two decades. Marshall is a special place, but it’s the people who make it so special.”

James’ ties to his alma mater are unmatched. A southern West Virginia transplant, he came to Marshall in 2004 as a student and simply never left. In his own words, he fell in love with a special campus that quickly became his second home.

“Coming from southern West Virginia, I always aspired to attend Virginia Tech. As a kid, I wanted to be a veterinarian, so VT’s vet school seemed like a natural fit being so close in proximity to my hometown,” James said. “However, during a high school recruiting fair, I met someone from Marshall who invited me to visit Huntington. From the moment I stepped foot on our campus, it felt like home. The rest is history.”

James transitions into his new role after many years as both a faculty and staff member on campus working with the current student population. After beginning his postgraduate career as a graduate assistant, James moved into his first professional role as a student resource specialist and academic advisor for undecided students. From there, he was promoted to assistant dean of students in 2015, a role in which he had an opportunity to oversee multiple areas of the university, including Student Activities, Student Involvement and Leadership, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Military and Veterans Affairs and Intercultural and International Student Affairs.

During that time, James had an opportunity to mold

student programs under the leadership of four different university presidents.

“My career path began during my undergraduate years when I was elected student body president,” James said. “That role provided me with access and opportunities that ultimately shifted my career focus from pharmacy to higher education administration to where I am today.

“Having worked with so many students, I can say that the most rewarding aspect is observing their professional growth and development. Often, working in Student Affairs, we were present for the highest of highs and lowest of lows for students; and mentoring those students to overcome obstacles was especially rewarding during my time as assistant dean of students. Thankfully, I’ve been able to maintain my role as an adjunct faculty member for the Honors College and I serve as an advisor to the Student Government Association. Both roles allow me to maintain contact with students, which feeds my passion for student development.”

When he was a student himself, James was crowned Mr. Marshall in 2007 and was elected student body president for 2008-09. He would go on to earn two degrees from the university, including a bachelor’s degree in biology in 2009 and a master’s in school counseling in 2011.

“I’ll never forget walking out on the football field during Homecoming my senior year with both of my parents and being crowned Mr. Marshall. That is a memory I will cherish with my family forever,” James said. “I’ll also never forget the countless experiences and people I met during my time serving as student body president. I have been blessed by so many impactful mentors during my time at Marshall. There are many who have made a significant impact on me, both personally and professionally.”

James credits his student experience as one of his biggest strengths when connecting to alumni, pledging to help bridge the gap between the young alumni population and previous generations.

“My heart will always be with the students; however, I saw an opportunity to contribute to my alma mater in new and meaningful ways,” James said. “Having spent the past

several years in student affairs administration, joining the Marshall Foundation family was a leap of faith. But it has been a breath of fresh air. We have so much potential to expand alumni efforts to Herd Nation around the world. Under the leadership of President (Brad D.) Smith, and with the support of the Foundation and the exciting momentum surrounding athletics, we are poised for a very bright future.”

Already hitting the ground running, James has a number of priorities he is setting for the new look of the alumni relations department, including growing the alumni chapter network and helping grow the student population through student recruitment.

“First and foremost, we are rebuilding our alumni chapters around the world. The pandemic was detrimental to many programs, but especially difficult for our alumni chapters. After [I assumed] this position in October, our alumni and Foundation team wasted little time facilitating the growth and cultivation of multiple alumni and affinity chapters,” James said. “We are also working closely to support President Smith’s vision and priorities, specifically to grow enrollment, build scholarships, and provide mentorship and employment opportunities for our students and alumni. Lastly, I feel compelled to identify fresh and innovative ways to engage our young alumni population beyond donorship. We are in the process of strategically planning new initiatives and programs to grow our young alumni network and celebrate their accomplishments.”

James currently lives in Huntington with his wife, Sara, and their daughter, Saylor. They have two “wiener” dogs, Chip and Charlie. James is a passionate animal advocate, supporting abused and abandoned dogs at his local animal shelter.

So what message does James want to leave with alumni eager to get involved in this new era of alumni engagement?

“If you bleed green or feel called to strengthen your bond with the alumni community, give me a call and let’s make it happen,” James said. “It is a special time to be a member of the Marshall family. The best is truly yet to come, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”

Thank a Donor Days

SUPPORTING THE HERD RIGHT AT HOME

On Sept. 6, six Marshall University staff members received quite the surprise, complete with balloons, visits from Marco and Miss Marshall and, most importantly, recognition for their years of generous contributions to the Marshall University Foundation.

The surprises were a part of the Marshall Foundation’s Thank A Donor Days, which took place Sept. 26-30 and celebrated the university’s various supporters from staff giving, scholarship endowments and friends and family members of students who helped them achieve their dreams.

Thank A Donor Days also celebrated the conclusion of the Marshall Rises campaign, the Marshall Foundation’s first comprehensive campaign, which raised $176 million for the university in six years.

“The Marshall Rises campaign has been tremendous. I think it helps with our national prestige, especially with our peers in comparison,” said Dr. Monica Brooks, dean of university libraries. “We’re a force to be reckoned with. We’ve elevated our academic standing

and our athletic standing, and now we’re elevating our financial standing.”

While the decision to give to the Marshall Foundation varies slightly among each staff member, it is always rooted in student success.

Perry Chaffin and Bob Walker both work in Marshall’s finance department. The similarities don’t end there, though. Both are from Kenova, West Virginia, and they were both first-generation college students. While they are nearly 10 years apart in age, they even grew up on the same street. For both Chaffin and Walker, giving to Marshall was their way of saying “thank you” for the opportunities they received after earning their degrees.

“I felt that I should give to the Foundation because I had opportunities that others in my family did not,” said Chaffin, director of internal audit. “I was given this jump start, so I decided to give back. I felt really proud and fortunate that my parents would support me. My parents really valued an education; they said, ‘Hey, we want better for you.’ It was just a great situation, and that’s really what got me started giving.”

Walker found that giving to the Marshall Foundation

2021 Miss Marshall Caroline Kinder, Perry Chaffin, Bob Walker, Marco and Annual Fund Director Griffin Talbott

2021 Miss Marshall Caroline Kinder, Karen McComas, Marco, Mary Beth Reynolds and Annual Fund Director Griffin Talbott

allowed him to extend the same opportunities he had to students who might face disadvantages.

“I wanted to support the university because it supported me in getting the education I have, and to be where I am today,” said Walker, director of finance information. “I thought it’s best to support where you come from. I like to think I’m helping someone who may not have the same opportunity to get an education, which I feel is very important for everyone.”

Dr. Karen McComas and Dr. Mary Beth Reynolds know firsthand the importance of what a quality education can provide. Both work in the Office of Academic Affairs and are instrumental in crafting the university’s curriculum. McComas is the interim associate vice president for academic affairs and associate provost. Reynolds is the associate provost and associate vice president for assessment and quality initiatives.

“The most important part of a university is the students. Everything we do is in service of students,” Reynolds said. “When I first became a faculty member at Marshall, I felt like that was almost a sacred trust.”

Reynolds and her husband, Nick, decided to start contributing to the Marshall Foundation because of the impact the university has made in their lives and the lives of their children as members of the Huntington community.

For McComas, the decision to give was an important one, both professionally and personally.

“For me, Marshall is a family affair,” McComas said. “My father graduated from Marshall in 1945. I came here in 1973 as a freshman; and since then, with the exception of two years, I have either been enrolled at or employed by the university. My entire adult life has been wrapped up in this place, so I feel really deeply committed to it.”

Because of the generosity and commitment of Marshall’s benefactors, the university has been able to make significant strides in the 21st century.

Patsy Stephenson, document librarian, has been with the university for 41 years. In that time, she has witnessed the dramatic changes across the Huntington campus, particularly for the university’s libraries.

“I think the most inspirational has been the online learning and everything you can do with computers,” Stephenson said. “When I started here, we had a few computers and people had to stand in line to use them.”

But for Stephenson, it’s not just the changes you can see up close. It’s the incremental changes that build over a period of years or decades.

“I had graduated from here. My husband went to school here. We had our son and knew that he would go here. It was a part of giving back,” Stephenson said. “When you are here for so long, you see what even just $1 can do. So, through the years, you want to give back and want to see everything grow.”

1. Monica Brooks, Marco, Patsy Stephenson 2. Monica Brooks, Marco, Patsy Stephenson 3. Marco, Patsy Stephenson 4. High Fives 5. Marco, Monica Brooks

3.

4.

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Want to keep in touch with the latest news and events at Marshall University? Then update your contact information today! The Marshall University Alumni Association is calling on all alumni to join us and update your information today so that we can better serve you and keep you informed of the latest news, happenings, offerings and much, much more from your alma mater! Updating your information is simple — visit www.herdalum.com and click on the update contact

Greenever

Saturday, April 1, 2023 | Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall

The Marshall University Alumni Association (MUAA) is proud to present the 84th annual Alumni Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 1, at Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall. The MUAA is excited to recognize this year’s outstanding class of awardees when the event takes place on the Huntington campus in the spring.

Join the MUAA and the larger university community in celebrating and honoring these outstanding alumni, students, faculty, supporters and friends of Marshall University. For more information about nominating an alum for future awards recognition, or to watch this year’s awards banquet online, please visit www. herdalum.com or call 304-696-3134.

Distinguished Alumnus Bill Noe

Distinguished Service to Marshall University Randy Dunfee

Outstanding Community Achievement Mendy Aluise

Distinguished Young Alumnus Christopher Taylor

Distinguished Alumna Randi Ward

Breaking News:

MARSHALL SETS 2023 HOMECOMING FOR SEPT. 30

The pageantry and excitement of Homecoming will return to Marshall University beginning Monday, Sept. 25, and culminating with the crowning of Mr. and Miss Marshall at halftime during the game against Old Dominion University on Saturday, Sept. 30.

Slotted between early-season matchups against Virginia Tech and North Carolina State, this year’s celebration will mark the earliest Homecoming has come to the Huntington campus since a victory over Toledo in the 1977 Homecoming game on Sept. 24.

“Homecoming is such an integral part of the Marshall University calendar for our alumni, our supporters and our student population,” said Matt James, executive director of the Marshall University Alumni Association. “It is a unique time where the entire Marshall family comes together to celebrate the rich history and proud traditions of our university. And this year we are excited to shake things up a bit with an earlier date right in the heart of the schedule. So, mark your calendars and join us in September for as many events as your schedule will allow as we prepare for another wonderful week of Homecoming activities.”

Several pillar Homecoming events will highlight the weeklong celebration, including the annual Unity Walk, Homecoming Parade, Picnic on the Plaza and numerous tailgates and gatherings

everyone back to Joan C. Edwards Stadium for Homecoming 2023 on Sept. 30,” said Athletic Director Christian Spears. “The Sun Belt schedule has offered us a unique opportunity for a late September Homecoming game against a familiar conference foe in ODU. We look forward to seeing all of Herd Nation join us at The Joan for a beautiful day of football on Sept. 30!”

The Thundering Herd is coming off a 9-4 season, highlighted by a historic win over Notre Dame and a victory in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. Marshall finished third in the East Division during its inaugural season in the Sun Belt Conference.

Since the opening of The Joan in 1990, Marshall is 27-6 in Homecoming games and 9-1 over its past 10 games. This season will mark the third time the Monarchs have come to Huntington as the Homecoming opponent, with the Herd taking victories in 2021 and 2017.

throughout the day on Sept. 30. The week will conclude with the Thundering Herd taking on the Old Dominion Monarchs in a Sun Belt Conference matchup at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

“We are super-excited to welcome

For more information about Marshall’s 2023 Homecoming celebrations, watch future issues of Marshall Magazine, contact the Marshall University Alumni Association at 304-6963424, or for ticket information call 1-800-THE-HERD.

A MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE OF ALUMNI RELATIONS

LET’S GO!

Greetings, Fellow Alumni and Friends of Marshall University:

What an exciting time to be a part of the Marshall University family!

When we last shared an update with you late in 2022, we were just wrapping up Marshall Rises, the largest, most ambitious comprehensive campaign in the history of Marshall University. Now, we are excited to enter a brand-new era right here in our very own alumni department.

In the fall we had the privilege of welcoming Mr. Matt James as the new executive director of alumni relations, overseeing all aspects of alumni outreach and growth here at Marshall. You can read more about Matt and his journey to this new role in the following pages of this issue of the Marshall Magazine, but we wanted to take this opportunity to welcome Matt to the team and share with all of you what comes next.

There are a number of areas that will be tackled immediately that will help improve the overall alumni experience, while also providing our alums with a real purpose and opportunity to give back to their alma mater. Headlining that charge will be a concerted effort to expand our alumni chapter network to heights never seen before.

Alumni chapters are an important part of Marshall University. These regional and affinity-based chapters provide alumni with the means to stay connected to Marshall, while offering unique events and opportunities to give back to the university and connect, all in the name of our shared alma mater. We are actively in the process of reaching out to our current chapters, as well as chapters that fell on hard times during the pandemic and brand-new chapters that are popping up across the country. Our goal is to develop a strong network of chapters around the world that can answer the call and help improve the experience for the students of Marshall.

Another area of focus for the new-look alumni office is a renewed focus on connecting with and reaching our young alumni population. This goal ties in closely with the previous goal as we help our new graduates and young alums connect to pockets of alumni and regional and affinity-based chapters no matter where they go. This effort will also include new ways to get young alumni involved, either through volunteer opportunities, exciting new events or chances to serve through outlets such as the Marshall University Alumni Association national board of directors.

The final immediate focus is expanded outreach efforts across our entire alumni population. This includes researching new and expanding current methods of outreach to keep alumni engaged and informed. That includes traditional methods such as this very magazine and new outlets such as the monthly alumni newsletter, our social media and even a new website.

Above all, as we gear up for a new era in alumni relations, we want to hear from you! If you have any suggestions, ideas or comments about the alumni experience at Marshall University, you can reach out any time at alumni@marshall.edu. We look forward to growing together.

Until next time, Godspeed and GO HERD!

Best Regards, Marshall University Office of Alumni

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