Mars Hill: The Magazine of Mars Hill University - Spring 2023

MAGAZINE STAFF:

Editor: Teresa Buckner, Director of Publications

Associate Editor: Mike Thornhill ’88, Director of Communications

Additional Contributors: Tatum Boggs ’20, M.M. ’21, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications; Emiley Burris ’20, Assistant Director of Multimedia Content Strategy; Samuel Evans ’25 Sophomore; Samantha Fender, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications; Dr. Amelia Wheeler, Director of Campus Engagement and Leadership; Adam Williams, Director of Athletic Communications

President’s Leadership Team:

Tony Floyd, J.D., President

Tracy Parkinson, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Provost

Rick Baker, Director of Athletics

Grainger Caudle, Ph.D., Senior Director of Planning and Strategy

Bud Christman, Vice President for Advancement

Samantha Fender, Senior Director of Marketing and Communications

Joy Kish, Ed.D. ’82, Senior Director of Alumni and Trustee Relations

Jennie Matthews, Director of Human Resources

Rev. Stephanie McLeskey, University Chaplain

Dave Rozeboom, Ph.D., Vice President for Student Life

Roger Slagle, Ph.D., Vice President for Finance and Administration

Kristie Vance ’07, M.M. ’22, Director of Admissions

Mars Hill, The Magazine of Mars Hill University is published regularly by the Office of Marketing and Communications. It is distributed, without charge, to alumni, donors, and friends of the university.

Notices of changes of address and class notes should be addressed to the Alumni Office, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6792, Mars Hill, N.C., 28754. Phone 828-689-1102. Email alumni@mhu.edu.

Letters to the editor and all other correspondence regarding the magazine should be addressed to the Office of Marketing and Communications, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6765, Mars Hill, N.C., 28754. Phone (828) 689-1304. Email tbuckner@mhu.edu.

Postmaster: Send address changes to the Alumni Office, Mars Hill University, P.O. Box 6792, Mars Hill, N.C., 28754.

Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.

Cover: Dr. Jedd Griffin leads Ava Wright and Alina Mueller through a process called DNA gel electrophoresis. The process is part of MHU’s new biomedical curriculum.

(Story on page 8.)

The Magazine of Mars Hill University | SPRING 2023

Inside photo: Graduating senior Savion Williams gets his diploma—and a hug—from President Tony Floyd. Williams is the first graduate of the newly-reestablished Interdisciplinary Studies Program. (Story on page 13.)

As president of Mars Hill University, my unique role requires me to think about, plan, and lead efforts to prepare our institution and students for the future. Technology and society are rapidly changing and so is the higher education landscape. The landscape is incredibly competitive with many public institutions in our region offering highlydiscounted or free tuition with campuses that have many new and beautiful spaces for learning.

A crucial piece of preparation for the future is to make sure that we provide a well-rounded education that prepares our students for the complexities of the world. Our liberal arts education emphasizes critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, and fosters creativity and innovation. These skills develop versatile young people who will be in high demand across our region and world.

Building on that well-rounded base, we are being intentional about updating and innovating some of our majors, as Mars Hill has done throughout its history. Needs and interests of students are constantly changing. We must keep pace in order to stay competitive and attract young people to walk these hallowed grounds. We must do so without compromising the high value we place on the liberal arts grounding that Mars Hill has provided since 1856.

Students profiled in this publication are educated in the liberal arts and they are having more choices in majors and minors. These choices will enable them to seek their place in the world, to find their callings, and to provide a living for themselves and their families.

We are also planning for the students who will come here in the future. Today’s kindergarten students will be here in 2035. They will begin touring our campus in 2033, if not sooner. Time is of the essence as we seek to attract the best and brightest students. Thank you for your help in supporting scholarships, the arts, athletics, and our new campus center. We need you now more than ever.

Sincerely,

Tony Floyd, J.D. President

Campaign Update

The Together We Rise campaign, with its initial goal of $20 million to build a new centrally-located MHU Campus Center, has surpassed that goal. The ongoing support of alumni, parents, and friends has made it possible to keep moving forward with the dream of a modern student center, designed to have intentional crossroads with students, faculty, administration, and staff.

“At this time, we are continuing to raise money and look at creative revenue streams internally that will allow us to meet additional costs associated with the project,” said Vice President for Advancement Bud Christman. “The project cost has risen, like many other building projects in the area, due to inflation and supply chain challenges.”

To help with this, the Together We Rise Task Force, made up primarily of board of trustee members, is also looking at ways to manage the project for additional savings. All planning, Christman said, has been undertaken “with the full intent and hope that we will be breaking ground in 2023.”

Prior to the groundbreaking for the campus center itself, the the university will undertake the beginning phases of the project: a new university gateway and a renovated sunken garden which will hold the Founders Memorial.

Together We Rise Campaign Steering Committee:

Board of Trustees

Wayne Higgins ’75 (chair)

Mark Cabaniss ’82

Julian Cuthbertson ’08

Carolyn Ferguson

A.C. Honeycutt ’75

Mike Kelly ’82

Eric Mann ’81

Cheryl Pappas ’70

Paul Powell ’79

Magay Shepard ’84

Brent Townsend ’02

Charlie Trammell ’59

Jim Wilson ’67

Board of Advisors

Charles Pond ’67

Alumni Board

Kellye Ratcliff ’86

“Keep Alive Your Love for Learning”

Mars Hill University Confers Degrees on 159 Spring Graduates

“Today is not the end; just the end of classes for a while.” With those words, keynote speaker Doug Buchanan encouraged the Mars Hill University class of 2023 to keep alive their love of learning in order to better prepare them for a productive future of work and service. In total, the university conferred degrees on 159 graduates during its spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

Seventeen graduates received master’s degrees, in criminal justice or management. Undergraduate degrees were spread across many of the university’s 35 majors and included the first graduate to earn one of the newest majors: interdisciplinary studies.

President Tony Floyd made a special presentation to the family of J’son Pitts, who died in a car crash in 2021 during his sophomore year and who would have been part of the class of 2023.

Piper Elizabeth Alexander, a social work major from Andrews, N.C., gave the invocation to begin the ceremony. Margaret Marie Crisp, a psychology major from Weaverville, N.C., was the student speaker representing the Adult and Graduate Studies students. Nursing major Allie Grace Jones, from

Leicester, N.C., was the student speaker representing the traditional undergraduate students.

Special music was performed by a sextet of graduates receiving their Bachelor of Music degrees: Christian Andrew Kraemer of Hendersonville, N.C.; Julia V. Pearson of Hollister, Calif.; Tyler Raymond Reese of Cornelius, N.C.; Hannah Rose Shoaf of Salisbury, N.C.; Abigail Elizabeth Wilson of Candler, N.C.; and Isaac Heath Woodlee of Fairview, N.C.

Keynote speaker Doug Buchanan is chair of the university’s board of trustees. He is a graduate of the Mars Hill class of 1988 and the first graduate of the university’s Continuing Education Program (a forerunner of the current Adult and Graduate Studies)—as well as first enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians—to serve as trustee chair. He is a retired vice president of Schneider Electric.

He told the graduates: “Today is actually the next step in a lifetime of learning. If you’re receiving your bachelor’s [degree] today, go for your master’s. If you’re receiving your master’s today, go for your doctorate. You will not regret it.”

1. Student speakers Margaret Crisp and Allie Jones, and Piper Alexander, who gave the invocation at the graduation.

2. Jaylan Gaines gets some help with his tie from Head Lacrosse Coach Joe Turner.

3. Brenda Mendoza crosses the stage to receive her diploma.

4. President Floyd presents the diploma of J’son Pitts, who passed away during his sophomore year, to his parents, Jason Pitts and Shuneka Elliott.

5. Trevon Barton receives his diploma from President Floyd.

6. Tyler Reese receives his diploma from President Floyd.

7. Cassidy Belcher receives her diploma from President Floyd.

8. Trustee Chair Doug Buchanan addresses the graduates.

9. Dr. Grainger Caudle, professor of economics, congratulates master’s graduate Jimmy Urzua.

10. Master’s graduate Sarah Goddard poses for a photo with Dr. Roger Slagle, vice president of finance and administration, and Dr. Donna Parsons, dean of professional programs and social sciences. Both Slagle and Parsons teach in the business program.

11. Hannah Barr poses after graduation.

12. Jaylin Parker gets a hug from Associate Professor of Chemistry Amanda Knapp.

CHANGING CURRICULUM FOR A CHANGING WORLD

by Teresa Buckner, Director of Publications

The world as we know it—our technology, our culture, and importantly, the world of work—continues to evolve with each passing year. Yet, the skills drawn from a liberal arts education remain among those most sought after by employers, according to Provost and Executive Vice President Tracy Parkinson.

If Mars Hill University is to effectively serve its students, Parkinson said, it must adapt its curriculum to the needs of the 21st century. This fall, the university will launch several new or updated programs. These new and updated programs (as well as another recently-launched program) represent MHU’s commitment to that goal.

“MHU faculty have been remarkably committed to providing an education that both relies on core

principles of our mission—namely providing an education grounded in the liberal arts—and, at the same time, adapts to a changing world and workplace,” he said.

Parkinson pointed to the first theme of the university’s recently-released strategic plan (2023-28) as evidence of the university’s mandate to meet the educational needs of modern students.

“The committee working on our strategic planning noted that ‘we must design and adapt for the next part of the 21st century—designing new programs and adapting existing programs to address the current environment of demographic challenges and changes’ in higher education,” he said. “These programs are perfect examples of just that.”

Changing Curriculum: Biomedical Science and Ecology and Conservation Biology

Biology as a major has become such a broad area of study that it has lost some appeal for students who are seeking a more tailored undergraduate experience, according to Dr. Michelle Gilley, associate professor of biology and dean of mathematics and sciences.

“We currently have students majoring in biology whose career aspirations range from becoming doctors, pharmacists, and physician assistants to ecologists, wildlife biologists, and zookeepers,” she said.

For that reason, the natural sciences faculty at Mars Hill University have added two new, more specific majors in biomedical sciences and ecology and conservation biology, and eliminated the biology major. They have also completely overhauled the existing zoology major. (Of note, MHU is one of only two schools in the state to offer zoology as a major. The other is N.C. State.)

The changes have been initiated by student choice, Gilley said, since faculty have taken taken the most popular concentrations in the former biology major and molded them into stand-alone majors.

Now, students will have the more tailored and streamlined experience they want and need to pursue their specific career paths.

The zoology curriculum has been overhauled to place a strong emphasis on research, study, and care of animals. The program will no longer require courses geared specifically toward helping students go to veterinary school, Gilley said.

“The vast majority of students coming to MHU to major in zoology were doing so because they wanted to pursue careers in animal research, rehabilitation, or animal care—not to prepare for vet school. The newly redesigned major will give students what they want to accomplish that goal.”

For MHU students that desire to go on to veterinary school, medical school, or a graduate program, all three majors leave room in the schedule for adding a pre-professional minor (or any of the other 36 minors offered at MHU). The pre-professional minor is designed specifically to prepare students for entry into professional and graduate programs, Gilley said.

For Gilley and the other natural sciences professors, the hope is that students will catch a new excitement in the program.

“I think these changes will make it more exciting for students because they’re getting something much more tailored to their career choice, that has a clearer path to graduate in four years, and will better emphasize the specific skill sets they need to get the job they want.”

Top: Dr. Michelle Gilley teaches students Chandler Nunn and Hollie Cutshall to identify mammals by skull characteristics. Gilley is one of the professors at MHU who teaches courses in the zoology curriculum. Bottom: Dr. Jedd Griffin leads Ava Wright and Alina Mueller through a process called DNA gel electrophoresis to visualize viral DNA. The process is part of the biomedical curriculum.

Changing Curriculum: Entrepreneurial Leadership

One curriculum change making big waves at Mars Hill University and in the local community is a minor and concentration in the business department which will allow majors to have a deeper level of experiential learning than is possible in the classroom alone.

Entrepreneurial Leadership is a program founded on “strategic partnerships” with members of the local business community, who will provide experiential learning opportunities, internships, mentoring, and possible funding for new ventures in the future.

“Local businesses are already excited about the potential this program is bringing,” said James Heinl, who is director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program and assistant professor of business at MHU.

“They love getting in the classroom and meeting our students and have already started talking about next steps.”

Ultimately, the program is designed to help students gain both skills and knowledge that will enable them to be successful members of a business organization or fulfill their dreams of business ownership.

“This curriculum is an enabler for students. They benefit from the ability to pursue passion via the liberal arts and simultaneously equip themselves with the coveted skillsets employers want.”

According to Heinl, the impetus for the program is a reported cultural gap between the skills of college graduates and the skills necessary to succeed in a career. Both students and employers agree that the transition from learning about business to conducting business in the real world is a difficult one.

“Students who are engaging with businesses throughout their education and learning the curriculum through that process gain confidence and capability that directly translates to a smoother transition,” Heinl said. “Soft skills are paramount in business and today’s students who have experienced much more virtual interaction are lacking the skills that are most coveted by employers. At the end of the day, students need and want jobs. Employers need and want graduates that are ready.”

The program aims to educate a new, diverse generation of business leaders for the future of western North Carolina, and to make business ownership a more reachable goal for the students involved, including, in particular, people of color and females.

All these goals, Heinl said, are consistent with the work of a liberal arts institution.

“Overall, the alignment of the entrepreneurial leadership curriculum with liberal arts degrees reflects the increasing recognition of the importance of a well-rounded education that emphasizes creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. I have sensed that some people perceive a ‘conflict’ between business and liberal arts. I hope that the entrepreneurial program is the bridge needed to make that superficial conflict disappear.”

Left: Assistant Professor of Business James Heinl with student entrepreneur and inventor Johannes Waals (see story on page 14.)

Top, right: Associate Professor of Computer Science Stefen Howard works with computer science student Naihrobi Vaughn.

Changing Curriculum: Computer Science and Web Development

One of the most rapidly changing academic areas is computer science, and careers related to the field continue to grow. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs related to web development and digital design are expected to increase by 23% between 2021 and 2031.

With these statistics in mind, the computer science program is undergoing an overhaul to prepare for the fall 2023 semester. The program is updating the computer science major and launching a new major called web development, which is a revision and upgrade of the previous webmaster minor. A simplified description of the difference in the majors, according to Associate Professor of Computer Science Stefen Howard, is this: “The computer science major is geared toward students who want to pursue a more traditional software development career or to prepare for graduate studies, while the web development program will prepare students to enter the newer field of web application programming or website management.”

According to Howard, these changes allow the program to provide majors which are more prescriptive for the students’ needs.

Howard said the computer science major was due for an update. Because the computer science world changes so rapidly, the courses in the major undergo continual, incremental modification. But the changes this year constitute a more extensive overhaul of the program, complete with a rewrite of the course descriptions required by the major.

Today’s computer science and web development courses teach methods and technologies that didn’t even exist when computer science first evolved as an academic discipline. New web pages are more interactive, Howard said, and they adapt to look good on various devices. Today’s programmers have to learn to navigate content management systems, back-end technology, database interaction, and commercial hosting services.

“What we were doing prior to these curriculum revisions was a small subset of what we’re doing now,” said Marty Gilbert, associate professor of computer science. “In an industry where information and technology changes by the week, overhauls of the program should happen fairly frequently.”

Changing Curriculum: Graphic Design Communications

Currently, graphic design/photography is a concentration in the visual arts major. For the coming academic year, professors in the art department will modernize graphic design into a stand-alone major called graphic design communications.

Lora Eggleston, assistant professor of graphic design, developed the new major and said the change is necessary to address rapid changes in the field. These changes include not only the tools that designers work with, but also the way they work in teams with other designers.

“Our software and technology changes constantly,” Eggleston said. “And then, the way we collaborate with teams through the internet is changing. We have to know how to use various software for different platforms. Graphic designers in general have to be very versatile in software, and ways they communicate their message.”

An additional reasoning for the updated curriculum is that more and more, designers are designing for screens rather than print.

Shane Mickey, associate professor and chair of art, said: “Graphic design used to be almost all printbased, and that’s what our program pretty much was. In this new major, we wanted to not necessarily move away from print, because it’s still important, but to bring in some of these new digital elements that are out there.”

Knowing how to use the new technologies is crucial, but it does not replace understanding the core principles of graphic design, Eggleston said.

“Students in this major are still learning about colors, fonts, two-dimensional design, and the appreciation of space, and then applying it with the new technology to get their message out,” she said.

Some knowledge of computer science is also necessary. “Graphic design in general is the bridge between the artistic and commercial worlds,” Eggleston said. “The major now adds elements of computer science. We’re not programmers; we’re still on the creative side. We’re using the same design tools in our tool belt, but we’re communicating in a few different ways.”

Graphic design communications will be a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree rather than a Bachelor of Arts degree. According to Mickey and Eggleston, this degree is a pre-professional degree, geared toward artists who plan to work in the field.

Left: Lora Eggleston works with graphic design students Anthony Flores (top) and Corrine Annas (bottom).

Changing Curriculum: Interdisciplinary Studies

While the concept of interdisciplinary studies has been around for a long time, the program did not become a stand-alone major at MHU until fall 2021. Its tenets have long been recognized as necessary in some circumstances, but they are more and more necessary in the modern world of work, according to Dr. Kim Reigle, coordinator of the program.

“IDS is a highly individualized major, where students can craft their own plan of study,” said Reigle. This allows students with multiple interests to pursue multiple disciplines in one major, Reigle said. It also allows students—with help from a faculty advisor—to put together a major for a particular career goal, even if that major is otherwise unavailable at MHU. An additional goal of the major is to prepare graduates for careers they cannot yet envision.

“Some of the jobs that current MHU students will have may not have even been created yet,” Reigle said. “For that reason, a major like interdisciplinary studies allows them to build on strengths they may already have. They also build problem solving and career readiness so that they have skills they can basically use in any area,” Reigle said. Reigle said she works closely with the Cothran Center for Career Readiness at MHU and its director, Jimmy Knight. Students create electronic portfolios which they can take with them when they graduate. The portfolios include resumes, as well as information and highlights from their educational experiences that enable them to “market themselves” for the careers they want.

According to Reigle, the major is project-based. And like the real world, the projects put before students require complex solutions from multiple disciplines. An example of this principle from the real world, she said, would be the COVID-19 pandemic, which required input and solutions from professionals in the worlds of healthcare, business, biology, education, public information, government, and more.

“As our world becomes more and more complex, these complex problem are the ones that will come to the fore and need to be addressed. And interdisciplinary studies prepares students to do that,” Reigle said. One of most important tenets of the major is “perspective-taking,” Reigle said. It encourages students to look at a problem from several different perspectives. They are encouraged not to latch onto a single perspective as providing the only possible solution.

Such an approach, Reigle said, develops creative thinking and problem solving, skills which are foundational to the liberal arts, and which can translate into any career.

Right: Marianne Ross and Savion Williams are interdisciplinary studies majors whose studies and career goals will integrate elements of health and human performance and psychology.

Braxton performs a piece of personal poetry as part of BSA’s poetry slam this spring.

Photo by Dr. Amelia Wheeler, Director of Campus Engagement and Leadership.

Who are Mountain Movers?

Mountain Movers are everyday students, faculty, and alumni doing extraordinary things. In this and future issues, we want to share some of their stories with you. Find out how Mars Hill University equips people to move mountains and achieve their dreams.

Braxton Robinson ’25

As a psychology major and a Student Health Ambassador at MHU, Braxton Robinson should have recognized the toll that grief was taking on his life when both his grandfathers passed away during a three-month span during his freshman year. But Braxton is also a driven, high-achieving student athlete, who dove into his studies and soccer practice with a vehemence designed to banish any lingering emotions.

“I knew I had responsibilities in school as well as on the field to live up to. And so I didn’t really take time away to process what I was going through, or grieve. I just sort of let it build up,” he said.

When Braxton finally turned to his parents and sought help to deal with his bottled-up emotions, he realized that he was behaving like many men do, by refusing to admit or deal with his emotional struggles.

Braxton has now turned his personal experience into an opportunity to serve other young men on the MHU campus. With the help of the MHU Counseling Center and other staff, Braxton is planning a seminar and workshop on men’s mental health for the fall semester. He is also hoping to encourage young men to seek the positive support of a new group on campus coordinated by Student Support Services, called Men of Distinction.

“This experience really made me think more about my mental health, as well as the health of other men on this campus and other men in my life that I’ve seen not properly address their mental health,” he said.

As a Student Health Ambassador, Braxton is one of several students charged with encouraging healthy

lifestyle choices among students, faculty, and staff on the MHU campus. While the ambassadors group often focuses on physical health, Braxton is mixing his interest in psychology with his platform as a SHA, to elevate awareness of mental health.

According to Braxton, men are culturally conditioned to hide their emotions. That can be even worse for athletes and black men, he said. But when men don’t learn to deal with their emotions in healthy ways, those emotions can cause damage in the long run, he said.

“I want to bring light to this and show that it’s OK to go through mental health struggles,” he said. “It’s OK to want to express these emotions, because at the end of the day, we’re human. It’s our nature to have these emotions and to show them.”

According to Dr. Kari Hunt, associate professor of health, human performance, and recreation, and coordinator of the Student Health Ambassador program, Braxton is a natural and approachable leader on campus who is using his passions to lead others toward a healthier life. She said: “Braxton has been an influential health advocate and ambassador since day one. His strong passion for educating his peers and creating awareness on campus is evident in his work addressing mental health stigmas in the male and African American populations, leading campus affirmation initiatives, and serving as president of the Black Student Association. We are very lucky to have such a natural and approachable student leader as part of our SHA program!”

Mountain Movers

Hope Hughes ’23

When Cleta “Hope” Hughes applied for a senior internship at Madison Health and Rehab outside Mars Hill, the people who would be her supervisors told her they had an idea for a project using music with dementia patients.

“And I just thought it was a really cool idea, and I kind of took it in my hands,” Hope said.

The project is called “Music is Medicine,” and over the past several months, Hope has been responsible for turning the project into a reality.

“Basically, we just take CD players and iPods and take them around to the patients at the facility, specifically the dementia patients, and just let them listen to music.”

If the patient can communicate, every effort is made to individualize the music to what the resident requests. According to Hope, it’s clear that the music has an effect on the residents.

“For some of them it’s sparked memories and things they have experienced in the past. And it’s been pretty cool to watch that.”

There was the case of the 98-year-old lady who used to be a dancer in her younger years. Upon hearing the

swing and big band music loaded on her iPod, “her face lit up,” Hope said. She began moving in her chair, and talking about her son, as well as former dance partners she had had in her earlier life.

Another resident had been a flight attendant years before. She requested Rolling Stones music, and when she heard it, she began telling stories of flying, of places she’d been, and of concerts she had experienced.

Yet another resident used to want to lie in bed all day. But since beginning the Music is Medicine project, he has begun getting out of bed more often. Hope attributes this small victory to the effect of the music. And Hope has noticed that some residents remember lyrics from gospel hymns, even when they cannot otherwise communicate.

As a senior social work major, Hope is looking forward to embarking on a career in the field. The project has helped confirm for her that the population she most enjoys working with is the elderly.

She said she feels this project will influence her as she embarks on a career. “I just never realized how powerful music can be and how much it impacts us. Music really can be medicine in a way,” she said.

Johannes Waals ’23

For Johannes Waals, Mars Hill University’s entrepreneurship program began at just the right time. The program’s launch aligns with Waals’ senior year, as well as the genesis of his business plan to create, build, and ultimately franchise, a pizzamaking robotic food truck.

Waals’ Gearfire Pizza project fits neatly into the goals of the university’s entrepreneurship program, which encourages students to seek entrepreneurship opportunities in cooperation with already-existing businesses in the Madison county area. As an example: Johannes’ already-incorporated business has an agreement in place for work space and engineering support from a new member of Mars Hill’s business community: Spark Robotic.

As for Johannes, the opportunity is not just a chance to start a business, but also a chance to reflect well on

the MHU business program, the engineering program at Mayland Community College where his idea was born, and Spark Robotic’s invitational incubation space as well.

“If everybody takes a shot on me, and I pull this off, we’ll all look really good,” he said.

A native of the Netherlands, Johannes came to the U.S. with his family when he was three years old and spent most of his childhood in Pennsylvania. The circuitous route that led him to MHU wandered first through a degree in computer animation and design, an early attempt at a gaming business with some friends, and then, a brief stint in the U.S. Army. After a career-ending injury, Waals left the Army with medical retirement and GI education benefits.

When Johannes lost a job in technology due to downsizing, he decided to pursue further education.

Now living outside of Burnsville, he chose MHU as a university he could attend in person. And, despite interests in engineering and art, he ultimately chose psychology as his major at MHU.

“I’ve always been interested in people,” he said. “That’s what led me out of the video gaming industry to begin with.”

During the height of the pandemic, Johannes took a couple of courses in engineering at Mayland Community College. His food-making robot grew out of a class project in one of those courses. Back at MHU, he enrolled in the entrepreneurship program and sought out a relationship with Spark Robotic that would allow him to work on producing a prototype of his robot inside the company’s “incubation space.”

That focus and the consistency to keep moving toward his entrepreneurship plan is the difference, Johannes said, between a good idea and reality.

“You just have to keep showing up and doing it, and people go, ‘oh, it’s real, I guess.’ Cause people aren’t going to do it for you,” he said.

Hope adjusts the headphones for Iris Sinclair, a resident at Madison Health and Rehab.

Johannes, continued...

Johannes stands in front of Spark Robotic, where he’ll be working on his prototype.

Three Professors Receive ACA Fellowships

Mars Hill University professors Laura Boggess, David Gilbert, and Kelly Moore Spencer have received faculty fellowships through the Appalachian College Association. They are among 27 faculty members from 17 ACA institutions to receive the awards for 2022-23. The fellowship program provides financial support to the recipients for post-doctoral research or pre-doctoral degree completion.

Through the fellowship, Boggess, an instructor of biology and environmental science, will be able to complete work on her Ph.D. in biology, examining Southern Appalachian lichens at the New York Botanical Garden and the City University of New York. Her work examines the impact of climate change and human disturbance on lichens and cliff plants in the Southern Appalachians. Her results will contribute to conservation and management of well-loved national forests and climbing areas in our mountains.

“I’m delighted to have received this fellowship,” said Boggess. “I’m also honored to be part of the Appalachian College Association and this program that has helped MHU and so many of our faculty over the years. And it’s even better that two of my amazing colleagues and friends can have similar experiences next year!”

Gilbert, an associate professor of history, will use grant funds to study jazz music and culture in Europe. He is author of a book about the Black musicians, actors, and dancers who desegregated Broadway theater and the New York City recording industry

by Mike Thornhill, Director of Communications

in the years prior to the Harlem Renaissance. Since completing the book in 2015, he has focused on researching local stories about Madison County and Mars Hill.

The fellowship will allow Gilbert to devote time to his ongoing academic study of the history of African American music. He will conduct research and interviews with performing musicians in Europe to explore Black influence regarding questions of cultural appropriation, racial essentialism, and the relationships between identity, race, culture, and power. Gilbert said, “I’m really excited to return to my primary areas of interest, and I can’t wait to talk to European jazz players about their love of the music and devotion to the craft.”

Spencer is an associate professor of art therapy and psychology. She said, “I am hoping to conduct a qualitative research study exploring ways that art can help communities heal, with the intention of continuing to build bridges between the Mars Hill community and MHU, culminating in a mural on Main Street. I am so grateful that both MHU and the ACA are supporting these projects!” Through the project she will develop coursework to help students explore ways in which art can connect communities and address social justice issues.

According to MHU Executive Vice President and Provost Tracy Parkinson, Mars Hill was the only institution among the ACA’s 34 members to have all of its proposals selected for funding. With the three awardees, Mars Hill received the maximum level of funding that can be allocated to a single institution in the yearly fellowship cycle.

Mars Hill professors Laura Boggess, Kelly Spencer, and David Gilbert

The Old Made New

“The Loft” Provides Space for Students to Gather

One of the oldest buildings on campus is home to the newest hangout spot for students. The Loft, found on the second floor of the McConnell building, has table games like pool and pingpong as well as games like cornhole for students to decompress and several different seating areas to be able to hangout. But this is just the start; what events could this new place hold in the future?

Many professors and alumni remember when this area was previously renovated from McConnell Gym to The Loft in 1985. It was open until 2014 when it had to be closed due to structural issues. During the time it was open, alumni like Danielle Plimpton, coach for the national champion Bailey Mountain Cloggers and MHU’s cheer and dance teams, remembers the events that used to be hosted there, like “Welcome Back to School” dances, fashion shows, clogging performances, Greek life events, and Mr. and Miss Mars Hill pageants.

Plimpton said, “I loved these events and would love to see them back on this campus. I remember winning the Miss Mars Hill Pageant my senior year. It was just such a fun event for students to take part in and watch. This space has a wonderful opportunity to hold events that would be more engaging for the school that could allow students to express themselves.”

The Loft was used for storage for ten years prior to 2022. That summer, faculty and staff, with the help of some local students, cleaned out The Loft and began repainting the walls and adding seating, lighting, and a sound system. There was a great turnout when students showed up for the opening in September to have fun, play games, and hang out. One of the students who attended the opening was Abby McLeod, a junior dance team member. She said “It doesn’t feel like a classroom space like a lot of the places on campus for us since we have classes

by Samuel Evans

in every building but that one. So, it is nice to have a place to separate yourself from your schoolwork while staying on campus!”

Lisa Wachtman, the Senior Director of Student Persistence at Mars Hill University and one of the faculty members helping clean The Loft, said, “I think it already has had an impact on morale. Reopening The Loft created a gathering space for students that we haven’t seen on this campus in the recent past.”

After only a semester of being open, the space has held events like ice cream socials, holiday parties, a World Cup viewing party, and a clogging performance. A Halloween event in The Loft on October 30 called the “Freak Show” had a costume contest, pizza, dessert, and music.

Aliyah Brewer, a cheerleader and junior at the university, said, “All the events they’ve had there so far have been really fun, especially the Halloween event.”

The Loft is the perfect place for students to gather. It has a rich history and the most comfortable couches. The location is perfect for students to hang between classes or at night to just rest and work on their mental health. For some students, like McLeod, it means even more because “it was a spot for my mom when she was here so I’m excited to make the same memories she did.”

The Mars Hill University student life and Campus Activities Board have been collaborating to find innovative ideas for events in the Loft. Hopefully, they will pull inspiration from what has gone well this first semester and from past events. The Loft is just in the beginning of its effect on the MHU campus. It has the perfect location and space to help students thrive.

Samuel Evans’24 is a sophomore English Major from Bostic, N.C. He is a student in Felice Lopez Bell’s narrative journalism class. For more examples of student writing, go to www.mhu.edu/extras.

Groce Receives Baptist Heritage Award

Trustee Mike Groce has been selected as the Mars Hill University recipient of the Baptist Heritage Award for 2023.

Groce is a graduate of the class of 1968 and has been a member of the board of trustees for three decades, including a term as chair of the board. The university’s recognition of him for the award notes that his reassuring, steady leadership style has contributed mightily to the university’s growth.

The Baptist Heritage Awards are presented each year through the North Carolina Baptist Foundation. This year’s slate of recipients includes some other Mars Hill alumni: George R. Renfro ’75, recognized by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, and Milton Hollifield ’77, recognized by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina.

New Trustees Welcomed

Mars Hill University welcomed the newest members of the board of trustees to their first meeting on May 5. New trustees are (l-r) Austin Lee ’03 of Atlanta, Ga.; Brian Danforth ’06 of Gainesville, Fla.; McKelle Ulm ’02 of Willow Spring, N.C.; Jameson Donnell ’12 of Charlotte, N.C.; and Doug Echols ’67 of Rock Hill, S.C.

To all our alumni and friends who helped make DAY4MHU a success!

We completed the one-day campaign with 462 donors, and a total amount raised of $255,236!

Longtime Faculty Retire

Five longtime members of the faculty retired in December of 2022.

They are, left to right: Dr. Joanna Pierce, dean of arts and humanities, professor of English, department chair; Dr. Marc Mullinax, professor of religion; Cathy Adkins, executive director of general studies, professor of music, campus organist; Dr. Yael Baldwin, professor of psychology, department chair; and Richard Seagle, assistant professor of theatre arts.

Moore Lobby Renovated

Mars Hill University unveiled beautiful new renovations to the lobby of Moore Fine Arts Building on May 5.

As the entry to Moore Auditorium, the lobby is one of the most public areas of the university. Renovations include new wood paneling on the wall facing the entrance, new flooring and carpet, and a beautiful new mural which represents the fine arts subjects taught in the building. The plaque describing the life and career of Dr. Robert Lee Moore, for whom the building is named, has been moved, but remains in the entrance of the building.

Athletics

Mike Kelly To Be Inducted into SAC Hall of Fame with Distinguished Alumni Award

Mars Hill’s Mike Kelly will be named to the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame and receive the Distinguished Alumni Award in May.

Kelly, a 1982 graduate of Mars Hill, was a four-year member of the men’s basketball team, scoring over 1,300 points in his career for the Lions, averaging 11.7 points per game.

Kelly enjoyed a very successful career in the corporate world with Macy’s and Michelin, with experience in operations, human resources, finance, marketing, and sales.

After more than 25 years in the corporate world, Kelly and his wife, Melinda, started Right Path Enterprises and Kelly Financial Planning in 2014, with the goal of teaching leader development and culture transformation by providing consulting, training, and coaching services with excellence and integrity.

Kelly is also an active member of the community, having been involved with Rotary International for over 24 years, serving a variety of board and leadership roles in the organization. He also served as the chair of the board of trustees at Mars Hill University for two years from January 2021 through December 2022.

Recently, Kelly authored a book, Leaderfluence: Secrets of Leadership Essential to Effectively Leading Yourself and Positively Influencing Others.

All alumni are invited to come tour the new Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations, now located in the Jarvis House on Main Street, Mars Hill. The house, which has been used for both office space and student housing through the years, has been newly renovated with comfortable seating areas and offices.

LIONS CHOICE AWARDS HIGHLIGHT ATHLETE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The Mars Hill Athletic Department and StudentAthlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) held the sixthannual Lions Choice Awards April 24 in Moore Auditorium.

Culminating all-around honors went to Man of the Year and Woman of the Year, awarded to SAAC Co-President and member of the Mars Hill men’s swim team Dalton Davidson and volleyball’s Jordan Schmucker.

Another highlight of the evening was recognition of the Mars Hill football team, which won the South Atlantic Conference Mountain Division. At the awards, the win was named the Mars Hill Moment of the Year. Director of Athletics Rick Baker along with head football coach Tim Clifton presented members of the team with their championship rings.

Volleyball’s Sarah Goddard took the Female Athlete of the Year Award while football’s Ty Snelson was named Male Athlete of the Year.

Goddard was named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-American –first in program history–AVCA All-Region Selection, D2CCA All-Region Second Team selection, and All-SAC First Team selection. She ranked second in the SAC

by Adam Williams, Director of Sports Information

with 352 kills and 3.63 kills per set and ended her career third in program history with 1,329 kills.

Snelson was named an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First Team All-American, D2CCA Second Team All-American, Don Hansen Honorable Mention All-American, D2CCA All-Region First Team selection, SAC Offensive Player of the Year, and First Team selection. He racked up 587 all-purpose yards (427 receiving).

Acrobatics & Tumbling took the “Make It Yours” Community Service and Engagement award for volunteering at Mars Hill Elementary School teaching acro and tumbling skills to the students in PE class as well as their after-school program and volunteering at free acro camps during summer 2022.

Winning the Most Supportive Team award was the men’s and women’s tennis program for their constant support at athletic events, whether in the crowd cheering on fellow Lions or assisting the athletic department by covering gameday operations.

Football’s Jervon Newton and women’s basketball’s Jo Snow were the recipients Male and Female Newcomer of the Year awards.

Moment of the Year: Lions Win Mountain Division Title

Newton was named a Don Hansen Honorable Mention All-American, All-SAC First Team selection and ranked third in SAC with 12 rushing touchdowns, 4th in SAC with 106.3 rushing yards per game and 1,048 yards. He recorded five 100+ yard rushing games on the season.

Snow appeared in 17 games, started 16 games and averaged 16.5 points, pulled down 80 rebounds, assisted on 57 baskets, and forced 31 steals.

Raul Briceno of the men’s swim team was named the “First Team” Performance of the Year for claiming victory in the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) College National Open Water Championships on December 18 held in Miami, Florida.

The academic excellence of the Mars Hill studentathletes was recognized as Jordan Schmucker from the volleyball team and Faris Hadzisadikovic of men’s

tennis were named the winners of the Female and Male Highest GPA awards. The women’s golf team took the Team Highest GPA award. Schmucker posted a 3.98 GPA while Hadzisadkovic posted a 3.88 GPA. The women’s golf team had a combined team GPA of 3.67.

Taking home the Faculty/Staff Supporter of the Year award was Assistant Network Manager Eddie Ball, capping off a nearly 20-year career at Mars Hill.

Laela Jimenez of the volleyball team and Kory Davis of the men’s basketball team won Freshman of the Year awards.

Davis was named SAC Freshman of the Year, earning spots on the All-SAC Freshman Team and All-SAC Third Team. He ranked fourth in the SAC in scoring (15.7 points per game) and Top-10 in steals (1.6 per game). He scored in double figures 22 times.

Jimenez was named an AVCA All-Region Selection, All-SAC Second Team selection, and All-SAC Freshman Team honoree. She led the SAC with 543 digs and 5.72 digs per set. The latter being fifth best in the country.

A recap of the entire awards slate is below.

LCA Recap

• Man of the Year - Dalton Davidson (men’s swimming)

• Woman of the Year - Jordan Schmucker (volleyball)

• Female Athlete of the Year - Sarah Goddard (volleyball)

• Male Athlete of the Year - Ty Snelson (football)

• Mars Hill Moment of the Year - football winning SAC Mountain Division Championship

• “Make It Yours” Team Award (community service and engagement) - acrobatics & tumbling

• Most Supportive Team - men’s & women’s tennis

• Male Newcomer of the Year - Jervon Newton (football)

• Female Newcomer of the Year - Jo Snow (women’s basketball)

• Female GPA - Jordan Schmucker (volleyball)

• Male GPA - Faris Hadzisadikovic (men’s tennis)

• First Team Sports Performance of the Year - Raul Briceno (men’s swimming)

• Faculty/Staff Supporter of the Year - Eddie Ball

• Female Freshman of the Year - Laela Jimenez (volleyball)

• Male Freshman of the Year - Kory Davis (men’s basketball)

• Team GPA - women’s golf

LEFT: from top: Man and Woman of the Year Dalton Davidson and Jordan Schmucker; First Team All-American and Male Athlete of the Year Ty Snelson; Female Athlete of the Year Sarah Goddard; and Male and Female Freshmen of the Year Kory Davis and Laela Jimenez.

To view a replay of the awards show on Youtube, go to bit.ly/mhulca2023.

Lions Athletic Club continues to Contribute to Upgrades

The Lions Athletic Club (LAC) continues to work closely with the Mars Hill University Athletic Department to drive ongoing upgrades in MHU’s athletic facilities.

Some of the most recent changes include a newlyrenovated locker room for the acrobatics and tumbling team and an athletic performance weight room with new flooring and weightlifting equipment. Other changes to Chambers Gymnasium are focused in the lobby area, with university-themed graphics, a new concession stand, and freshly-renovated lobby restrooms.

Stadium-style basketball goals have also been installed to add a fresh look to Stanford Arena.

In Meares Stadium, the athletic department and the LAC have added brand new turf and stadium nets. Future plans include new basketball locker rooms for both men and women. Each locker room consists of hand-built lockers with MHU logo emblem doors and built-in monitors. Locker rooms will include 85-inch flat screen TVs for film purposes, new bathrooms with showers included, refinished original flooring, and freshly painted walls.

Carter Benge Hired as Cross country coach

The Mars Hill Athletic Department has named Carter Benge as the new head men’s and women’s cross country coach. Benge will also serve as the assistant men’s and women’s track & field coach.

“I am extremely excited to be given the opportunity to return to Mars Hill and give back to the university I love so much,” Benge said.

Benge comes to Mars Hill after serving as the head cross country coach at Southwestern College during the fall of 2022. He led the men’s team to their first national

ranking in over 10 years and the women’s team to their highest conference finish (4th of 12) in the past five years.

Benge, a 2014 Mars Hill alum, was a Division II Academic All-American and DII National Championship participant during his time on The Hill. He was a multi-time All-South Atlantic Conference team selection.

He graduated from Mars Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in vocal music and a Bachelor of Science in computer science. He obtained his Master of Divinity degree from Campbell University in 2017. He served on the MHU Alumni Board from 2015-2022.

Left and top right: the new acrobatics and tumbling locker room. Bottom right: the new athletic performance weight room.

Class Notes Class Notes

1930s

Alfred Adams ’37, who passed away in 2002, was inducted into the inaugural class of the Watauga County Historical Society Hall of Fame in October. Adams was a long-time member of the banking industry in Boone, N.C. He was also active for many years in the Boone Chamber of Commerce and the board of directors of the Boone Merchants Association. He was the founding director of the Boone Golf Club and chairman of the board of the Watauga Medical Center. He was also active in dozens of community organizations, including Boy Scouts, Red Cross, and First Baptist Church of Boone, where he was a member and deacon.

1960s

Martha “Elizabeth” English Hamrick ’69 has received an Excellence in Community Service award from the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. For the last nine years, Hamrick has donated many hours to Marshall (N.C.) Housing Authority, by delivering food donated by The Fresh Market in Asheville to low-income housing and local needy Madison County residents.

1970s

Richard Sparkman ’72 has received the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the North Carolina Bar Association, Bankruptcy Section, at the group’s annual Bankruptcy Institute in November 2022. An attorney specializing in bankruptcy, Sparkman practices with the firm of Sparkman and Associates, which is located in Angier, N.C. Sparkman served as entertainment for the meeting, playing guitar and doing comedy before being surprised with the award.

Rebecca Lawson ’73 is now fully retired from her position as adjunct professor in the College of Education at Winthrop University. She retired from full-time teaching in 2009. Lawson said that fulfilling bucket list items is high on her agenda for the future. In November, she reconnected with her first MHU roommate from Edna Moore Residence Hall in Florida. She also recently volunteered at the Iditarod race for the sixth time. Beverly Snowden ’74, who has been the director of communications for Hickory Public Schools since 2010, retired in November. An award-winning journalist, photographer and public speaker, Snowden served in corporate and educational communications at all levels for 48 years. Her extensive experience includes leading the communications departments for Broyhill Furniture and CommScope, Inc. and serving as director of public relations for Lenoir-Rhyne University (and adjunct communications instructor), public information officer for Catawba County Schools, and assistant director

of public relations for Caldwell Community College. Snowden plans to move to the coast of N.C., where she will serve as the executive director of the Arts Council of Carteret County.

Snowden is a former member of the MHU Board of Advisors.

Sharon Joyner Hunt ’75 was inducted into the South Carolina School Nutrition Association Hall of Fame in October for her outstanding contributions and dedication to the organization and the child nutrition programs the state. Hunt has been involved in school nutrition for over 25 years, having served as director of School Food Services in Greenville, S.C.; education associate of the South Carolina Health and Nutrition Department; and director of Anderson School District 5 Culinary Services. She has held numerous state board offices of the SNA, including two terms as president of the organization.

Susan Wilson Parker ’77 retired in May 2022, after a 35-year career in medical technology in North Carolina, Florida, and Maryland. She now lives in Clarksville, Md.

MARS HILL MEMORIES

One day last fall, Rev. David Smith ’69, honorary trustee of MHU, was perusing a copy of Charity and Children, the magazine of the N.C. Baptist Children’s Homes, when he caught sight of a familiar name and face. The article quoted Jerry Carroll ’69, Smith’s fellow graduate and friend from MHC. Though they were friends as students, the two had had not seen each other since graduation in the spring of 1969.

Smith tracked down a number for Carroll, who lives in Winston-Salem, and the two met for an afternoon of fellowship and Mars Hill memories.

Carroll (photo, left) is a retired librarian, who was head of the North Carolina Room of the Forsyth County Public Library inWinstonSalem, N.C.

Smith (right) is a retired pastor and author. He pastored several churches in North Carolina, and retired from First Baptist Church of Lenoir.

1980s

Kenny Ford ’80, of Swannanoa, N.C., was recognized in September for his 2021 induction into the WNC Hall of Fame. The recognition had been postponed due to the pandemic. Ford enjoyed a spectacular coaching career at Owen High School. He was the Warhorses’ head coach from 1986 to 2016, during which time, he racked up 230 wins, 21 winning seasons and 14 conference championships. Ford is the only football coach in Buncombe County history to have 200 wins at the same school.

Robert (R.L.) Taylor ’82 was sworn in as one of two new members of the Swain County Board of Education in December 2022. Taylor was elected to the position in November.

Mickey Ezell ’84 retired June 1, 2022, with a combined 37 years of service for Palm Beach County (Fla.) Fire & Rescue Department. At the time of his retirement, he was a captain and fire operations officer overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department.

Danny McIntosh ’88 was honored as the grand marshal for the 2022 Burnsville (N.C.) Christmas Parade. Over the years, McIntosh has served the town of Burnsville in various ways, as the town’s water plant operator, assistant superintendent of public works, firefighter, emergency medical technician, certified rescue technician, police officer, magistrate, election board secretary, deputy sheriff, fire chief, probation officer, rescue chief, mayor, and tax administrator. He also served as partner and treasurer at GWP, Inc., a locallyowned long-distance trucking company, for 36 years.

1990s

Jeff Bailey ’92 retired from his position as principal of Brevard Middle School, in Brevard, N.C., in October of 2022, after a 30-year career in education. Bailey began his career at Brevard Middle School as a physical education teacher and coach. Over the years, he taught and coached in both Transylvania and Hendersonville County Schools. In 2010, Bailey was named head football coach at Brevard High School. Later, he moved to Brevard Middle School as assistant principal. For the last seven years, he has served as principal at the middle school.

Derrick Sharpe ’94 has been named head football coach at Parkland High School in Winston-Salem, N.C. Sharpe has been a coach in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System since 2010. During that time, he served on the coaching staffs of Carver, Mount Tabor, and Parkland high schools. Most recently, Sharpe was quarterbacks coach at North Forsyth High School.

2000s

Denise Long Stowe ’02 retired in 2019 from her position as a senior operational auditor at Wake Forest Baptist Health and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. She recently moved to Belmont, N.C.

Amber Ponder Skantz ’06 is the new assistant archivist at Athens State University. Skantz has been with Athens State’s Kares Library for 10 years, serving previously as the circulation supervisor. She lives with her husband Ryan Skantz ’06 in Athens, Ala.

Tyrea Allen ’09, has been named head football coach at Rosman High School in Rosman, N.C. Allen began coaching in Transylvania County Schools in 2009, soon after his graduation from Mars Hill. He has served in various roles, including middle school basketball coach and JV football coach. In 2019, he became a teacher and coach at Rosman High School. He is believed to be the first African American coach on the Rosman High School coaching staff, and the sixth African American head coach in western North Carolina history.

Jessica Britt Young ’09 married Corey Young on September 3, 2022. She was named the Teacher of the Year at Hugo Owens Middle School, in Chesapeake, Va., and took a new role as the department chair of the health and physical education department at the middle school.

2010s

Patrick Cash ’11 has accepted a position as library assistant/ professor/manuscripts curator for the East Carolina Manuscripts Collection at East Carolina University’s Joyner Library.

Megan Currie ’16 married Roxanne Paris on November 5, 2022 in Weaverville, N.C. The couple live in Atlanta, Ga.

Ashley Staton Williams ’16 and Savannah Maynor Creasman ’17 are shown at right with their babies at a recent alumni gathering.

Ashley and her husband, Austin, had their daughter, Finleigh Grace, on November 22, 2022.

Savannah and her husband, Charles, had their son, Clayton James Creasman, on November 5, 2022.

Patty Glenn ’19 had a daughter, Eliana Athera Rose Glenn on

Roxanne Paris and Megan Currie

Eliana Athera Rose Glenn

Ashley Williams, holding Finleigh, and Savannah Creasman, holding Clayton.

September 23, 2022. Glenn and her daughter live in WinstonSalem, N.C.

2020s

Sammantha Hodges Cannon ’20 married Gabriel Cannon on May 17, 2020. She has been employed as a microbiology technician at Genova Diagnostics in Asheville, N.C. since 2020.

Danielle Fant ’22 was one of the designers for “The Love Letter,” a collection of

In Memoriam

1930s

Altha L. Smith Satterwhite ’39, Hillsboro, Ore. November 13, 2022

1940s

Roger Hawley Crook ’40, Raleigh, N.C., December 2, 2022

Helen Maxine Moon Cashwell ’41, Raleigh, N.C., December 8, 2022

Gleta Ruby Harris Byrd ’43, Drexel, N.C., October 15, 2021

Ruth Mildred Baker Fisher ’43, Asheville, N.C., January 30, 2023

June Katherine Hallyburton Huddleston ’43, Johnson City, Tenn., January 30, 2023

Effie Maureen Lovingood Dunn ’44, Charlottesville, Va., April 18, 2019

Yvonna C. Chapman Mayse ’44, Flat Rock, N.C., January 18, 2023

Ruth Alyne Sims Carter ’45, Winston-Salem, N.C., March 11, 2023

Elizabeth West Gopfert Muench ’45, Fairview, N.C., October 21, 2022

Margaret Irene Holland Shoemaker ’45, Charlotte, N.C., January 3, 2023

Geraldine Carol Burgiss Mangum ’46, Raleigh, N.C., June 12, 2022

Faye Elizabeth Jenkins Rowe ’46, New Bern, N.C., October 19, 2020

Sarah “Inez” Haney Arant ’47, Matthews, N.C., September 28, 2022

fashion designs presented at New York Fashion Week in February of 2022, which was created to raise awareness about mental health issues and suicide prevention. “Each garment symbolizes our love letter to those who battle with mental health and thoughts of suicide,” Danielle said. The collection was created by No Punching Bag, a fashion brand for social change founded in 2015 by Fant, her mother, and her sister. No Punching Bag also presented designs in New York Fashion Week in September 2019, and at Paris Fashion Week in February 2019.

Hazel Eugenia Morrison ’47, Knoxville, Tenn., October 3, 2022

Edna Grace Stevens Price ’47, Clemmons, N.C., January 3, 2023

Troy Larkin Day ’48, Kannapolis, N.C., March 22, 2023

Evelyn Marion Huggins Harris ’48, Raleigh, N.C., January 31, 2023

Polly Jean Yandell Miller ’48, Black Mtn., N.C., February 20, 2023

Franklin Oscar Sappenfield ’48, Kings Mountain, N.C., September 19, 2022

Kathryn Elizabeth Bullard ’49, Richmond, Va., September 16, 2022

Anna Ruth Owen Kickliter ’49, Tallahassee, Fla., January 26, 2022

Joan Nivens McNeill ’49, Myrtle Beach, S.C., July 22, 2022

Phillip Ray Ruckner, Sr. ’49, Shelby, N.C., January 14, 2023

Davey Lee Ward ’49, Knoxville, Tenn., November 22, 2022

1950s

Betsy Bryan Bizzell ’50, Asheboro, N.C., December 10, 2022

Mary Josephine Snyder Caldwell ’50, Charlotte, N.C., January 31, 2023

Martha Courery Grant Smith ’50, Wilmington, N.C., October 3, 2022

Gladys Senora Hunter Smith ’50, Spencer, N.C., November 19, 2022

Danielle Fant poses in one of her designs

Gabriel and Sammantha Cannon

Since the last issue of Mars Hill, the Magazine, we have learned of the following deaths of alumni and other members of the MHU community.

In Memoriam

Dr. Ernest Harrison Stines ’50, Canton, N.C., September 22, 2022

Margaret Ann Lee Yandell ’50, Columbia, S.C., August 26, 2022

John Shaw McGirt, Jr. ’51, Waynesville, N.C., December 6, 2022

Betty Frances Shoaf Privette ’51, Kannapolis, N.C., October 11, 2022

Vannie Frances Willingham Torrance ’51, Milledgeville, Ga., October 18, 2022

Joseph “Joe” Luther Womack ’51, Aiken, S.C., August 20, 2022

Sarah Jean Lunsford Bumgarner ’52, Andrews, N.C., December 17, 2022

Barbara Ann Herrin Chason ’52, Hickory, N.C., February 12, 2023

William Wood Sanders ’52, Four Oaks, N.C., April 22, 2022

Matthew Thomas Wood ’52, Chapel Hill, N.C., November 1, 2022

Ray Franklin DeBruhl ’53, Cary, N.C., August 30, 2022

Robert Wendell Sodergren ’53, Suffolk, Va., October 14, 2022

Rose Nelleen Adair Thackston ’53, Spartanburg, S.C., April 8, 2022

Barbara Joyce King Black ’54, Easley, S.C., October 1, 2022

Joyce LaVerne Ellis Kile ’54, Norfolk, Va., August 31, 2022

Gladys G. Price Wilson ’54, Altamonte Springs, Fla., February 8, 2023

B. Fletcher Carter ’55, Alexander, N.C., February 4, 2023

William “Bill” Daniel Walke ’55, Greensboro, N.C., September 17, 2022

Joseph Lawrence Lynch ’56, Fort Mill, S.C., February 9, 2023

Carolyn Blake Porter Sturgill ’56, Chilhowie, Va., May 31, 2022

Larry Robert Summey ’56, Spartanburg, S.C., August 22, 2022

Kathleen Elaine Sanford Whisnant ’56, Cary, N.C., October 27, 2022

JoAnne Weber Alexander ’57, Statesville, N.C., January 15, 2023

Robert Glenn Carter ’57, Fayetteville, N.C., January 14, 2023

Bobby “Bob” Lee Cox ’57, Powhatan, Va., November 4, 2022

Gerald “Gerry” Foster Davis ’57, Charleston, S.C., October 1, 2020

Shirley Yvonne Donahoo Rhyne ’57, Wilmington, N.C., March 14, 2023

Horace Livingston Hawes ’58, Leland, N.C., November 26, 2022

William “Billy” Kenneth Padgett ’58, Walterboro, S.C., October 3, 2022

Norman Andrew Parris ’58, Webster, N.C., August 22, 2022

William Cloice Plemmons ’58, Marshall, N.C., October 11, 2022

Phyllis Anne Kellough Ballenger ’59, Raleigh, N.C., September 16, 2019

Norwood Bernice Woodard ’59, Raleigh, N.C., November 20, 2022

Joe Monteval Wright ’59, Bradenton, Fla., September 18, 2022

1960s

Dr. Robert “Bob” William Meldrum ’60, Bloomsburg, Penn., August 22, 2021

Linda Lee Sherwood Osborne ’60, New Port Richey, Fla., December 6, 2021

Henry Odell Beck, Jr. ’61, Greensboro, N.C., December 20, 2022

Gene Raymond McCreary ’61, Greenville, N.C., August 30, 2022

Larry Edwin Snead ’61, Covington, Va., August 10, 2022

Danny Mitchell Wall ’61, Brentwood, Tenn., September 24, 2021

Joseph Euel Taylor ’65, Waynesville, N.C., February 3, 2023

Gary Glenn Parker ’66, Lexington, Ky., October 8, 2022

John Roy Dulaney ’67, Burnsville, N.C., March 2, 2021

Lola Kathryn “Kathy” Mauldin ’68, Hillsborough, N.C., July 11, 2021

Betty Ann Baker Price ’68, Eastover, N.C., December 9, 2022

Robert Lindsay Wall, Jr. ’68, Madison, N.C., December 5, 2022

Earlene Lucille Radford Davis ’69, Mars Hill, N.C., November 23, 2022

Gordon Wendell Plumblee ’69, Burlington, N.C., October 6, 2022

1970s

John David Brookshire ’70, New York, N.Y., September 8, 2022

Mary Carol Harris Ard ’71, St. Simons Island, Ga., August 1, 2022

Elvira A. Carpenter Howard ’71, Fuquay-Varina, N.C., September 16, 2022

Dr. William Thaddeus “Thad” Hamilton ’72, Loganville, Ga., February 14, 2021

John Spurgeon Primm ’72, McLeansville, N.C., February 14, 2023

Roger Blue Smith ’72, Sumter, S.C., August 28, 2022

Agnes Osei Kessie Codjoe Akotuah ’73, Bolingbrook, Ill., May 16, 2022

David Forrest Cole ’73, Fayetteville, N.C., March 26, 2023

Susan Neely Waren ’73, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., July 21, 2022

Geraldine Smathers Britt ’74, Candler, N.C., February 20, 2023

Susan Ruth Austell Holdway ’75, Greer, S.C., October 26, 2022

Thomas Clifford Trantham ’76, Asheville, N.C., October 11, 2022

Randall Gordon Henry ’77, Farmington, N.Y., January 28, 2022

Jennifer Lynn Plemmons Robinson ’77, Leicester, N.C., September 12, 2022

John Marshall Worley ’79, Honea Path, S.C., October 31, 2022

1980s

Sandra Danell Bond Germain ’80, Concord, Ga., January 30, 2023

Dr. Troy Larkin Day, 95, longtime friend, supporter, and trustee of Mars Hill University, passed away March 22, 2023, in Kannapolis, NC. He was a faithful Christian, whose faith and love of Jesus Christ was his guiding principle. His life was characterized by service to community, leadership roles, graciousness, living by example, and love of family.

Day was born in 1927, in Connelly Springs, N.C. He served in the United States Navy in WWII, stationed in Yokohama, Japan and, upon his return, graduated from Mars Hill College in 1948, with a major in accounting. Day had a long career in banking, retiring as city executive of First Union National Bank in Kannapolis, N.C.

He was also an entrepreneur who started Day Enterprises, Inc., a Kentucky Fried Chicken/Taco Bell franchise with 27 restaurant locations across North and South Carolina, and several other businesses including Southeastern Credit Bureau, Inc. and Car Fare, Inc.

Deborah “Debbie” Ann Weatherly Strait ’82, N. Myrtle Beach, S.C., November 23, 2021

Ruby Elizabeth Gillespie Smith ’84, Brevard, N.C., September 4, 2022

Rev. John Jackson Hicks ’89, Union Mills, N.C., October 9, 2022

1990s

Pamela Cheryl Cleveland Mann ’92, Brevard, N.C., November 15, 2022

Raymond “Randy” Randall Virnelson ’93, Spruce Pine, N.C., November 7, 2022

Roslyn Fay Reed Carney ’99, Alexander, N.C., November 16, 2022

Faculty/Staff

Bobbie Jean Nicholson, retired computer science faculty, Penrose, N.C., February 13, 2023

John Charles Wells ’78, retired athletic training faculty, Hendersonville, N.C., October 30, 2022

Nancy Medford Wood, retired math faculty, Canton, N.C., September 12, 2022

David Riggins, retired athletic director, Cornelius, N.C., April 19, 2023.

At various times, he served as chair of the Building

Our University capital campaign, as chair of the university’s board of trustees, and as a member of the university’s foundation board. He and his wife, Pauline, were the lead donors for the construction of Day Hall, completed in 2016. He was awarded the doctrate of humane letters by Mars Hill University in the 1990s.

In addition to his service to MHU, Day was a deacon in First Baptist Church of Kannapolis and received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from N.C. Governor Pat McCrory. He held numerous church, community, and civic positions in Kannapolis and Cabarrus County.

The Days had three children, seven grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.

Dr. Troy Day ’48, Trustee Emeritus

David Riggins Coach & Director of Athletics, 1986-2018

David Riggins, the retired longtime Director of Athletics at Mars Hill University, died April 19, 2023, following a period of declining health. He was 71. Riggins began his 32-year career at Mars Hill in 1986, when he became the Lions head men’s basketball coach. Over his 13 years as coach, Riggins compiled a 184-179 record, and is the winningest men’s basketball coach in school history. He guided his Mars Hill teams to three postseason appearances including the 1994 SAC Championship title. He was named the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year in 1994.

In 1993 he added duties as assistant athletics director and in 1998 became the athletics director, a position he held until his 2018 retirement. Riggins was inducted into the Mars Hill Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.

Riggins was actively involved in NCAA committee work, having served on the NCAA Legislative Committee, NCAA Budget and Finance Committee, and the NCAA Playing Rules Committee, and as chair of the NCAA Championships Committee. Riggins served two years as vice chair of the NCAA Division II Management Council. He also served on the NCAA Division II game environments committee. That group initiated its work in July of 2007 with a summit held in Washington D.C. which Riggins chaired. He also chaired the NCAA task force regarding NCAA Division II eligibility issues.

Upon his retirement, the playing surface in Stanford Arena in Chambers Gymnasium was named in his honor as the David Riggins Court. In 2019, the South Atlantic Conference established the David Riggins Service Award, which is presented annually to an administrator from a member school who shows outstanding service to the SAC.

Riggins played basketball in college at Francis Marion University before receiving both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of South Carolina.

Riggins is survived by his wife, Rita, and sons Chase and Kyle and their families.

JoAnne Alexander ’57, Trustee Emerita

“And our efforts through the glad years thy tribute bring.” Friends of Mars Hill University will recognize those words from our alma mater, and as a student, I had trouble envisioning what exactly those words meant. Not anymore. The life of JoAnne Weber Alexander (class of 1957) captures the sentiment perfectly. JoAnne was the 1993 Alumna of the Year, and she was the first woman to serve as chairperson for the board of trustees. Those efforts certainly bring tribute to MHU.

JoAnne was a talented musician, a funny friend, a smart business woman, and a dedicated Christian who tirelessly served her church whenever and wherever she was needed. Those efforts also bring tribute to MHU.

However, more than any quantifiable accomplishment, JoAnne’s character is her greatest tribute to MHU. She had such a positive outlook on life, and her optimism was infectious. She had the gift of making others feel important and loved, and that resulted in her being a mentor to many young people in her community. That is because JoAnne found joy in using her gifts to help others succeed. Her life was one of service, and the spirit she brought to that service made her a natural leader.

by Rev. Dr. Lea Pardue Slaton ’90

Nancy Medford Wood, Faculty Emerita Professor of Mathematics 1956–1994

Nancy Medford Wood, faculty emerita in mathematics, passed away December 12, 2022, in Canton, N.C. She taught mathematics at MHU for nearly four decades, from 1956 to 1994.

Dr. Don Russell, Nancy’s neighbor and colleague in the math department, described her as an “excellent classroom instructor” who planned her teaching schedule around daily office hours beginning at 3 pm. Students often stayed in her office until past 6 p.m., he said. Her favorite mathematics courses to teach were geometry, the number systems course for elementary education majors, and the first course in calculus.

Nancy Medford graduated from The Women’s College of the University of North Carolina, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. In 1956, she earned a master’s degree in mathematics from Western Carolina University and she began teaching at Mars Hill College that same year.

In the summer of 1958, when it became obvious to faculty that MHC would become a senior, four-year

She taught that when you serve, do it from your heart. Do it because you are needed. Do it because you can. And, do it with joy.

JoAnne served in all those ways. When I was a senior in high school, JoAnne took me to Mars Hill. Gave me a tour of the campus. Introduced me to the president of the college and encouraged me to apply for a scholarship—that scholarship required an in-person interview, which made me nervous. But, JoAnne was on campus that day, and she gave me a good dose of confidence before I headed in. Then, she drove me home.

That is just one small example of the many kindnesses that JoAnne extended to so many people. Though she is missed, she will always be an inspiration. May we each carry a little of her sparkle into the world and to those who need it. In doing that, our efforts through the glad years thy tribute bring.

college, rather than a junior college, Nancy was instrumental in writing the new curriculum for a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

The class of 1961 dedicated their 2011 Laurelette to Nancy, with these words: “Mrs. Wood is known for her deep concern for individual students even as she demands the best from them. She challenged many of us to learn, and even excel, in trigonometry and algebra at Mars Hill.”

According to neighbor and colleague Brenda Russell, Wood was also a fun-loving, adventurous woman, who enjoyed enjoyed hikes, picnics, explorations of small towns, plays, concerts, etc. with her colleagues. Especially memorable, Brenda Russell said, were the picnics to Craggy Gardens that Nancy encouraged groups of faculty to take after graduation in May for a number of years. She also tended to be the member of the department who planned showers, parties, and dinners.

“She always wanted to bring joy to others and had a melodious laugh that was contagious,” Brenda said.

When, in 1998, Nancy’s colleague Art Wood became a widower, his son, Bob Wood, asked Nancy and her friend, Helen Castelloe, to include Art in some of their frequent “adventures.” By late 1999, Art Wood and Nancy Medford were engaged, and they married on January 1, 2000.

According to Bob, the wedding brought “food and family in large portions” to Nancy’s life. Art and Nancy Wood enjoyed traveling, and took many adventures together (and sometimes with others), including places like New Zealand, Alaska, New England, and the western U.S.

After many years of art lessons, Nancy was also quite an accomplished artist. At her memorial service, many of her paintings, surprising to her family in both their quality and number, were displayed. Nancy was a long-time member of Mars Hill Baptist Church, where she served as a youth leader in her early years. In later years, she held numerous positions and in retirement, she often ministered to others by visiting nursing homes in the area.

See the Extras page for more memories of Nancy Medford Wood and the Department of Mathematics and Physics by Dr. Don Russell. www.mhu.edu/extras