A Publication for Alumnae and Friends of Meredith College
M a g a z i n e
Fall 2012, Volume 37, Number 3
Investing in STEM A decade of commitment to women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
Honor Roll of Donors 2011-12 Special section inside
Contents Meredith Magazine Volume 37, Number 3 Fall 2012 Executive Editor Kristi Eaves-McLennan Managing Editors Melyssa Allen Karen T. Dunton Assistant Editor Gaye Hill Art Director Vanessa Harris Designer Lauren Sumner Alumnae Connection Editors Hilary Allen, ’01 Meredith Moody, ’10 Halie Sue Smith, ’11 Editorial Assistant Kaye Rains Photographers Becky Bailey Katie Dow Christopher Ferrer Gary Knight Susan Murray Lauren Sumner David Timberlake Tabitha Underwood
Meredith Magazine exists to serve the Meredith community by providing readers with insight and information about the news, activities, events, programs, plans and people of the College. Meredith Magazine is published three times a year by the Meredith College Department of Marketing. Questions or comments may be submitted to marketing@meredith.edu. © 2012 Meredith College. The Meredith name and word mark are registered trademarks of Meredith College and may not be used without permission. All rights reserved. 12-116
Features 12 Meredith Forever Meredith’s strategic plan builds on the strengths of the College and sets the
stage for a strong and vibrant future.
14 Investing in STEM Meredith’s Science and Mathematics Building symbolizes a decade of
commitment to women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
18 What’s It Like to Work for Your Alma Mater? Alumnae find working at Meredith to be a rewarding experience.
News 2 Meredith College Celebrates $1 Million Gift from Philanthropist Porter Byrum 4 Author Jeannette Walls Shares Life Lessons at Meredith 8 Endowment Gift Establishes Meredith’s First Engineering Scholarship 11 “Miss Representation” Event Puts Spotlight on Women’s Issues
in every issue 1
From the President
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Newsmakers
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Dateline Meredith
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Meredith Experts in the News
21 Alumnae Connection
from the president
Launching Meredith’s Future
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or years, I crewed for a hot air balloon team, helping with the balloon’s inflation, following its travels, and then packing it up at the end of the flight. When spectators following us asked where the balloon was going, crew members often pulled an insiders’ joke, telling them that it would land “at the airport.” Then, when the spectators went tearing off to the airport, the crew dissolved into fits of laughter. The truth about ballooning is that we don’t know where the balloon will land. Indeed, that’s half the beauty of the balloon—the freedom, rising up on earth’s thermal winds and landing softly (we hope) in a safe field miles away. It is such a beautiful image, in fact, that we may be tempted to try to adopt that freedom and its lack of intentionality in all that we do, resulting in even more glorious vistas—whether real or symbolic. Unfortunately, and contrary to the beauty of the untethered balloon, a college without direction and grounding can result in devastation and ruin. At Meredith, we are implementing a new strategic plan for the College that sets as our landing spot a destiny that is well aligned with our history and our current realities. The plan focuses on six key pillars: educational excellence, including academic and co-curricular emphases; enhanced visibility and reputation; optimal enrollment, including modest growth; sound financial strength based on operational efficiencies and new revenues; carefully maintained and enhanced technology and facilities for state-of-the-art living and learning; and an enhanced
quality of life that sustains the students, faculty and staff throughout the Meredith community. We are committed through this plan to creating a culture that builds possibilities from current realities and connects entrepreneurial thinking and leadership with grounded accountability. In that sense, we are building a balloon that will soar—one that will lift Meredith’s reputation and ability to serve, while retaining a clear view of our values and responsibilities. This issue of Meredith Magazine provides an overview of the strategic plan. We hope you will read it carefully, as well as visit the new website, and then give us feedback on how you might want to be engaged in the work of the College. We have a wonderful opportunity to build an even brighter future for Meredith. You can help us launch that future by recommitting to the life of Meredith and the difference she makes in the lives of us all.
“In that sense, we are building a balloon that will soar—one that will lift Meredith’s reputation and ability to serve, while retaining a clear view of our values and responsibilities.”
To learn more about Meredith’s new strategic plan visit meredith.edu/strategic-plan.
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An Update on the Events and the People of the Meredith College Campus
Meredith College Celebrates $1 Million Gift from Philanthropist Porter Byrum By Melyssa Allen
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sa Ward Byrum was a student at Meredith College in the school’s earliest days. Thanks to a $1 million gift from her son, Porter Byrum, she will have an impact on Meredith students well into the future. The Meredith College community celebrated this gift when Porter Byrum visited campus on September 20, 2012. The gift will support need-based financial assistance for Meredith students. Byrum said his mother “believed in education and her dream was for all her sons to get an education. I hope this money will help other mothers’ dreams also come true.” A retired attorney and real estate developer from Charlotte, N.C., Porter Byrum is known for his educational philanthropy. He is one of four sons of the late John Thomas Byrum and Isa Ward Byrum. Isa Ward Byrum, who was born in 1883, attended Meredith College between 1906-1910.
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During the celebration, Porter Byrum was presented with a portrait of his mother. The portrait was drawn by artist Allison Vincent, who graduated from Meredith in May 2012. Meredith College President Jo Allen, ’80, is pleased that Byrum chose to honor his mother with this gift. “Mr. Byrum speaks so affectionately of his mother, sharing the sentiment that most of us feel for our mothers—a wish to do more on their behalf and in their honor,” Allen said. “Now, he has given a supreme gift
that not only memorializes his mother for perpetuity, but also tells her story as a young woman coming to Meredith, excelling in her studies, and ensuring her family’s well-being through education.” Allen noted the scholarships funded by this gift from Porter Byrum will change the lives of the students following in his mother’s footsteps at Meredith. “One of the most consistent things I see and know about Meredith is that it does, truly, change women’s lives. I know. It changed my life,” said Allen, the first alumna to serve as Meredith president. Allen has seen students transform into confident, self-assured achievers during their time at Meredith. “Because Meredith excels in making these transformations possible, gifts such as Mr. Byrum’s are especially valued and valuable,” Allen said. “It is a message we frequently hear, and we see increasing evidence of its accuracy: because of their impact on families and communities, not to mention on businesses and services, if you want to change the world, educate a woman. Mr. Byrum’s gift will help us to do that—in exponential ways with exponential benefits.” Byrum is pleased that his gift to Meredith will have a long-lasting effect. “It is a great pleasure to be able to honor my mother and it is a wonderful feeling that in the future, long after I’m gone, some good person will get some help from what we do now,” Byrum said. Visit youtube.com/meredithcollege to view a video of the Byrum gift celebration.
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Meredith Provides Warm Welcome to Class of 2016 By Gaye Hill
New students are greeted by orientation crew (above) and President Jo Allen (below right).
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he Class of 2016 moved into Meredith College’s residence halls on Saturday, August 11, 2012, getting their first taste of the friendly community spirit that is a hallmark of the College. And while the entire campus came out to welcome first year students to their new home, a significant part of that greeting came from current Meredith students, many of whom recalled the excitement and challenges of their own move-in day. Chief Student Advisor Brittany Murray, ’13, said she remembers pulling into the front drive at Meredith and feeling the excitement on campus right away. “Everyone was smiling and welcoming me to Meredith. I remember looking around as I moved into my residence hall and thinking, ‘These girls are going to be my best friends’,”
said Murray. “I also remember the nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach, but it soon disappeared as I began moving my boxes inside and getting to know the people who would be living with me throughout my freshmen year,” continued Murray. First Year Experience Director Chrissie Bumgardner said that Move-In Day is designed to provide a warm and energetic welcome, good information, and strong support as students move into their new home. “Because it’s our new students’ first official day as members of the Meredith community, we want to make sure it is a memorable one,” said Bumgardner. “We do this in many ways, ranging from the colorful balloon arch and group of cheering student leaders at the front gate, to personal visits and gifts from their student advisors, to the Daisy Seed Ceremony
and a family barbecue at the end of the day.” Five groups of students were in place to help new students transition smoothly to Meredith: Student Advisors, Adult and Transfer Advisors, Orientation Crew, Resident Assistants and Commuter Assistant Resources (CARS). The student advisors are trained upper-level students who work with faculty advisors to support and advise new students during orientation and throughout the year. The Orientation Crew handles much of the programming and behind the scenes work that goes on during orientation, including the famous “Introduction to Campus Life” skit each year. Resident Assistants live on each residence hall floor and provide support for students, and help to create a healthy community living environment. CARS are student leaders who help support new commuter students. Murray said that Move-In Day holds a special place in her heart. “I love talking with the incoming students about their orientation experience and upcoming year at Meredith,” said Murray. “Seeing all of the smiles and hearing the excitement from incoming students and the Student Advisors makes Move-In Day one of my favorite days of the year at Meredith.” About the Class of 2016
Meredith College welcomed 407 freshmen into its Class of 2016. The students come from 15 states and 12 countries, including Brazil, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, India, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Togo. The Class of 2016 includes 60 honors scholars, the largest incoming class of Honors Program participants in Meredith history. This is a 40% increase over the number of honors students who entered in the previous class. Meredith also welcomed 29 students who are in the first class of Meredith College Teaching Fellows. (See story pg. 7 for more on the Meredith College Teaching Fellows Program) Visit youtube.com/meredithcollege to view a video of Move-In Day 2012. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / fal l 2 012 /
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Author Jeannette Walls Shares Life Lessons at Meredith By Melyssa Allen
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est-selling author Jeannette Walls shared life lessons she’s learned since the publication of her memoir “The Glass Castle” during her August 27, 2012, visit to Meredith College. Nearly 1,000 people attended the lecture in Jones Auditorium or satellite viewing areas on campus. “Telling the story of my childhood has changed my life,” Walls said. “One of the lessons I’ve learned is that everything in life is a blessing and a curse – it’s up to you to choose which to focus on. The blessing of my childhood is that I grew up as a fighter and a scrapper. The curse of my childhood is that I grew up as a fighter and a scrapper.” Walls, whose book was chosen as Meredith’s 2012 Summer Reading Program book, spoke at an informal afternoon Q&A and presented an evening lecture to overflow crowds. During both events, she mentioned how pleased she is that students are reading her book. “My secret bold ambition for my book was that students would read it,” Walls said. She said she hoped that students might
Southwest and then in a West Virginia mining town with her three siblings and the brilliant, unorthodox, irresponsible parents who manage at once to neglect them, love them and teach them to face their fears. Walls discussed the process of writing her memoir, and the challenge of depicting her parents, who she described as “people with wonderful qualities but who were certainly not saints.” Writing the first draft of her book took only six weeks, Walls said, but the rewriting process took five years, as she chose the parts of her life story to include. “Even though ‘The Glass Castle’ is nonfiction, we shape our truths … I included scenes that were important in shaping the person I became.” Walls’ memoir has been a New York Times best-seller for more than four years, has sold 3.5 million copies in the U.S. alone, been translated into 22 languages, and is being made into a movie by Paramount. It was named one of the “Top 10 Books of the Decade” by Amazon, and has won numerous awards.
be inspired by her story, and be nicer to those who are different. “What you see in my story is a reflection of your story,” Walls said. “I hope when you leave here you are thinking about your story, not mine.” In “The Glass Castle,” Walls describes growing up in the desert of the American
FYE Event Ties Summer Reading to Service
By Melyssa Allen
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tudents in Meredith’s First Year Experience classes attended an event in September that helped tie community service to what they learned reading this year’s Summer Reading P rogram selection. “The Glass Castle” brings to vivid life the issues of poverty. The FYE program, which featured guest speaker Anne Burke, ’99, executive director of Urban Ministries of Wake County, helped to illustrate poverty in the local area. Burke said, “‘The Glass Castle’ is true here, in the sense that there are many, many families in our area who live lives like Jeannette Walls describes in her book, and who have to overcome many challenges.” 4
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After Burke’s presentation, FYE students visited agency tables and gathered information on service projects FYE classes will adopt this fall.
Meredith’s Summer Reading Program is now in its fourteenth year. Visit youtube.com/meredithcollege to view a video about the FYE service event.
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Newsmakers
Cate Student Center Gets Facelift By Melyssa Allen
Associate Professor of Business Jane Barnes and Assistant Professor of Business Ying Liao had a paper accepted into the International Journal of Production Economics. The paper is titled “The Effect of Individual, Network, and Collaborative Competencies on the Supply Chain Management System.” Learning Center Director Carmen Christopher Caviness wrote a chapter titled “Tutoring Foreign Languages” for the textbook “College Reading & Learning Association Tutor Training Handbook.” Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Erin Lindquist presented a poster titled, “Variation of repeated DBH measurements by students in the Ecological Research as Education Network’s (EREN) Pilot Permanent Forest
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he Cate Student Center at Meredith College has a new look featuring Meredith maroon, thanks to a renovation this summer. The project was student-focused from the start. Design decisions were informed by a student survey that indicated students wanted improved lighting, a lounge area with comfortable seating and entertainment options, brighter wall paint, “Meredith spirit” décor, and an enhanced study area with more electrical outlets for laptops. Interior design students in Professor of Human Environmental Sciences Martha Burpitt’s classes presented concepts and colors for Cate Center. The final design was selected from among the four student designs that were presented, and popular features from the other presentations were also incorporated. “The updates made to the Cate Center are excellent and truly showcase the power of student initiative,” said Student Government Association President Jade Rice, ’13. “A group of students from SGA, Student Life, Commuter Association, and the interior design department worked very hard to get the center renovated.” Additional outlets, which were the top need requested by students, and two L-shaped countertops have been added to accommodate student use of laptops. The
Plot Project (PFPP)” with coauthors Laurel
computer area has been relocated near the windows and the area closest to the Bee Hive now has a café appearance. Facilities Services incorporated sustainable practices into the project through the re-use of existing furniture by replacing the worn cushions and re-upholstering the lounge furniture. In addition, the lobby furniture on the first floor of Cate has been re-upholstered and the carpet was replaced to freshen up the entrance. “The changes improve the student experience by making the space more functional, and welcoming,” Rice said. “The brighter lighting encourages more students to stick around and do homework, and hang out with their friends between classes. The overall atmosphere has really brought more students into the student center, and that’s what we want.” Pooja Ghai, ’13, said the renovations have been helpful for commuter students like herself. “The Cate Center has become more of an exciting, vibrant place to be. It is my favorite place to simply catch my breath during the week,” Ghai said. “The Cate Center has become more organized, inviting and beautiful.” The Cate Center renovation was supported by gifts to The Parents’ Fund.
Anderson, Ohio Wesleyan University, and Karen Kuers, Sewanee: University of the South, at the 2012 Ecological Society of America (ESA) Annual Meetings in Portland, Oregon. Associate Professor of Accounting Mary Jane Lenard and Assistant Professor of Business Bing Yu were co-authors of a paper (with Karin Petruska and Pervaiz Alam) titled “Internal Control Weaknesses and Evidence of Real Earnings Management.” It was presented at the annual meeting of the American Accounting Association held in Washington, D.C. Associate Professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures Débora Maldonado-DeOliveira’s essay “Cultural Translations of a Puerto Rican Womanhood in Judith Ortíz-Cofer’s ‘Silent Dancing’” has been published by Caribbean Studies Press in an anthology titled “Rituals of Movement in the Writing of Judith OrtizCofer.” Professor of Dance Sherry Shapiro presented her paper “Choreography, Culture and Consciousness” at the Global Dance Summit held in Taipei, Taiwan. Her presentation was part of a larger panel focused on dance pedagogy and empowerment.
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Dateline Meredith
Meredith College Earns #3 Ranking from U.S. News By Melyssa Allen
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eredith College is ranked third on the 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s list of the South’s Best Regional Colleges. Meredith was also named to the “Great Schools, Great Prices” list, ranked 9th among regional colleges in the South. U.S. News describes this ranking as “taking into account a school’s academic quality, and the 2011-12 cost of attendance for students who receive the average level of need-based financial aid.” The U.S. News ranking system places colleges and universities in one of four categories: national universities, national liberal arts colleges, regional universities and regional colleges. U.S. News divides colleges and universities by the following regions: North, South, West and Midwest. Schools are ranked using several indicators including peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources (class size, faculty/student ratio, percentage of full-time faculty), student selectivity (average SAT scores, acceptance rate) and alumni giving percentage. The U.S. News & World Report ranking is the latest accolade earned by Meredith College.
Best College 2013
Meredith was named one of the best colleges in the Southeast by The Princeton Review, a nationally known education services company. It is one of 136 institutions The Princeton Review recommends in its “Best in the Southeast” section of its website feature, “2013 Best Colleges: Region by Region.” The Princeton Review’s “regional best” colleges constitute only 25% of the four-year colleges in the U.S. Meredith has also been named a 2012-13 College of Distinction, and will be featured on CollegesofDistinction.com and in the Colleges of Distinction e-Guidebook. Colleges and universities are nominated for participation in Colleges of Distinction
by high school college counselors. Schools included on the list show commitment to four distinctions – Student Engagement, Great Teaching, Vibrant Communities and Successful Outcomes. Meredith College has been named to the Military Friendly Schools® list, which honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans, and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus. These schools are recognized for providing programs and policies for student support on campus, academic accreditation, credit policies and flexibility to service members.
established a semester abroad program there in 2009. Since that time, Meredith College has become a part of the local community.
Meredith study abroad participants have taken part for four consecutive years in one of the town’s centuries-old traditions. As
Meredith College Connections Celebrated in Sansepolcro By Melyssa Allen This summer, Meredith College’s connections in Sansepolcro, Italy, were celebrated at a ceremony with Sansepolcro’s mayor. President Jo Allen, Professor of Art Emerita Maureen Banker and Betty Webb, director of Meredith’s Sansepolcro program, were given medals depicting the traditional founders of Sansepolcro, St. Arcano and St. Egidio. The medallions were created for the 1000th anniversary of Sansepolcro’s cathedral. Meredith’s connections with the area began 20 years ago when students first studied abroad in Sansepolcro, and the College 6
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Dateline Meredith
part of this tradition, Meredith students processed on the feast night of St. Egidio, the city’s patron saint. The event took place two days prior to the Palio della Balestra, a crossbow competition begun in 1619 and held twice each year between Sansepolcro and rival city, Gubbio. “It is an honor for Meredith students to be asked to participate, an honor that shows that we are seen to be a part of the town,” said Betty Webb, director of the Meredith in Sansepolcro program. Meredith students processed in varied costumes that reflected the range of medieval women’s dress across the social spectrum. “It was great fun to watch the people of Sansepolcro recognize Meredith College and a few even clapped for us,” said student Rosanna Turchi. “It made me understand how welcoming these people are and how much they appreciate us coming and enjoying their wonderful town.”
Meredith Magazine Earns Awards Meredith Magazine received three awards in the 2012 Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication. The magazine is produced by the Department of Marketing. The marketing team won a Gold Award for Meredith Magazine and a Gold Award for the Meredith Magazine feature “Inspiring Action.” This Fall 2011 feature, which explored the lasting impact Meredith’s recent Summer Reading Program selections had on the Meredith community, also received the Best in Division Award for public relations writing. In addition to the awards for Meredith Magazine, the Department of Marketing received a Silver Award for the publicity materials created to support the announcement of lacrosse as Meredith’s newest sport. The Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Excellence in Communication competition, sponsored by the Raleigh Public Relations Society, is open to public relations practitioners across North Carolina.
Meredith Teaching Fellows Continue Tradition of Excellence By Melyssa Allen
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he 29 students who make up the 2012 incoming class of Teaching Fellows differ from their predecessors in one significant way; they are the first students to be part of Meredith’s own Teaching Fellows program. Since 1987, Meredith has participated in the prestigious North Carolina Teaching Fellows program. The College launched its own Teaching Fellows program after the North Carolina Legislature voted to phase out the statewide program. Members of the new class of Teaching Fellows come from counties across North Carolina, and are planning to teach a variety of subjects. The group includes 14 Honors Program participants and several student athletes. The 2012 Meredith Legacy Scholar Tia Joyce is participating in the Teaching Fellows program. Meredith College Teaching Fellows Director Jan Hargove praises Meredith leaders for continuing the program. “Teaching Fellows have an impact in many arenas, in student government, as student assistants, Learning Center tutors, and as admissions ambassadors. If we didn’t have them on campus, we would miss their presence,” Hargrove said. “It was visionary of Meredith College to want to continue the program.”
Meredith Teaching Fellows have a history of success. Of N.C. Teaching Fellows who have graduated from Meredith College in the last three years, 100% have passed PRAXIS II, and over 95 percent are currently employed or in graduate school. “Meredith has always had a strong teacher licensure program and the Meredith College Teaching Fellows program is continuing the legacy of providing quality programing and enriched experiences,” Hargrove said. Meredith College Teaching Fellows continue to benefit from enrichment opportunities including: • Two-year internships in one of the nation’s leading school systems • An Honors core of 15-17 semester hours, including an honors thesis • Seminars on current topics in education • Focus on Excellence cultural and social events • An opportunity to study abroad. The Meredith College Teaching Fellows program provides selected students with special programming related to teaching and learning in a complex society. The program is open to students from North Carolina and from out-of-state. The deadline to apply for the 2013 class of Meredith College Teaching Fellows is January 15, 2013. To apply, visit meredith.edu/ teachfel.
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Meredith faculty and staff have served as
Endowment Gift Establishes Meredith’s First Engineering Scholarship
experts in a wide variety of news articles
By Melyssa Allen
in media outlets such as USA Today, StudentAdvisor.com, Fox Business, and Investor’s Business Daily.
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Write down your value. List what you do. Simply being in a position for a certain amount of time is not [enough of] a reason for a raise.” —Kristy Dixon, assistant professor of business, in a USA Today Modern Woman magazine article on how to ask for a raise.
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The skills [in theatre classes] — controlling emotions, communicating on multiple levels, capturing the attention of potential clients — all can transfer into making you a super employee.” —Assistant Director of Academic and Career Planning Amy Losordo was quoted in an article about electives that are beneficial in the job search. The article was published by the College Bound Network.
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If you must miss class, email the professor or stop by during office hours. Take responsibility for the work you missed. Whatever you do, do not ask ‘did we do anything important in class yesterday?’ That is offensive to the professor who works hard to try to make every class valuable. Get the notes from a friend, do the reading, and then ask questions about anything on which you are unclear.” —Professor of Psychology Cynthia Edwards, in a StudentAdvisor.com advice article on how students can make a good impression on faculty.
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Select a college that provides appropriate assistance so you can manage the expenses of college, but also choose a school that when you graduate, you know you are prepared fully for the future.” —Associate Vice President for Enrollment Danny Green was quoted in a Fox Business story about five things students should consider when selecting a college.
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Meredith donor General Norman C. Gaddis (front right) with family and Meredith administration.
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eneral Norman C. Gaddis, of Durham, N.C., has recently established the Hazel Lee Gaddis Engineering Scholarship, which is the first scholarship for engineering at Meredith College. Gaddis, a retired Air Force brigadier general, made this gift in memory of his wife, Hazel Lee Gaddis. During his long military career, Norman Gaddis was a prisoner of war in Vietnam for 2,124 days. Hazel Gaddis became an activist and advocate for POWs and their families, serving as the North Carolina coordinator of the National League of Families. Her activities involved contacting the families of North Carolina servicemen who were Killed, Missing In Action or Prisoners Of War. As a coordinator, she worked directly with the Department of Defense and the State Department. “Hazel Gaddis had the spirit and can-do attitude of a Meredith woman. She saw a problem to be solved and became a powerful advocate,” said Meredith College President Jo Allen. “We are honored that General Gaddis wanted to honor his wife with
this special gift to support Meredith’s engineering program.” The Hazel Lee Gaddis Engineering Scholarship will support students who are pursuing their studies through Meredith’s Engineering Dual Degree Program, a partnership between Meredith College and NC State University. At completion, students in this program earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Meredith College in chemistry or mathematics and a Bachelor of Science degree from NCSU in chemical, environmental engineering, civil, computer, electrical, industrial or mechanical engineering. “This scholarship will make a tremendous impact on the lives of future Engineering Dual Degree students and will help Meredith College attract and retain bright and promising students,” said Professor of Mathematics Cammey Cole Manning, who served as engineering program coordinator for five years. For more information on Meredith’s engineering dual degree program visit meredith.edu/admissions/engineering_dual_ degree_program.
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Campus Showcase Provides A Taste of Research By Melyssa Allen
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eredith’s annual “A Taste of Research” event provided a glimpse into the research projects completed by Meredith students. The showcase of summer research is an opportunity for students to share the results of their research through poster presentations. Another purpose of the event is to encourage other students to explore undergraduate research. Paul Winterhoff, interim director of undergraduate research, said A Taste of Research is a prelude to the spring Celebrating Student Achievement Day. “A Taste of Research lets the community see examples of what our students can do,” Winterhoff said. “It is a sign of student quality, and of the dedication of our faculty.” Students shared research from many academic disciplines. Topics include “Forgiveness: Study on Attitudes and Perceptions;” “Deviant Behavior in Post World War I Society;” “A Manipulation of Perceptions of Leadership among College Women,” and “HIV Protease Inhibition through Tylosema Fassoglensis and Oxymatrine.” Senior Pooja Ghai, who is earning a degree in biology and a minor in psychology, presented her research into female assertiveness. Her goal was to determine how assertive students would be in different situations. Ghai calls undergraduate research a great opportunity. “It gives you the freedom to explore different ideas that you have about
things you are interested in,” Ghai said. “You’re able to hone in on something you are passionate about.” Senior Emma Keim’s research took her to Sansepolcro, Italy, where she had studied abroad as a sophomore.
While based at Meredith’s study abroad site in the Tuscany region of Italy, Keim compared composting and waste collection in Italy and in Raleigh. Composting is much more common in Italy, and Keim’s research aimed to show ways in which these methods could be adapted for Meredith College. A business administration major, Keim said the opportunity to study sustainability through her second undergraduate research project was appealing. “I recommend undergraduate research to other students,” Keim said. “It was great to go outside of my field, focus on an interest of mine and work one-on-one with a professor. The opportunities at Meredith are so vast.” For more information on Undergraduate Research visit meredith.edu/urp. M er edi t h M ag az i n e / fal l 2 012 /
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Meredith Mourns Loss of Professor Emeritus James L. Clyburn By Melyssa Allen
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eredith Professor Emeritus James L. Clyburn passed away on October 13, 2012, at age 80. Clyburn joined the faculty at Meredith in 1958 and retired as professor of music after 42 years of service. A memorial service was held at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Raleigh on October 17. Clyburn was a native of Charleston, S.C., who graduated from Elon College in 1953 with a major in both piano and
organ. He earned a master’s degree from the Julliard School of Music. He also served in the United States Army for two years in Orleans, France. Beginning in 1958, Clyburn joined the faculty at Meredith College and served as organist at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church. He retired from both positions in 2000. During his tenure he performed many recitals, both solo and with other musicians. One of his favorite professional activities was judging auditions and contests
throughout the state. Clyburn is survived by his wife, Margaret, and their three children and their families: Rev. Claire Clyburn McKeown and her daughter, Catherine, of Carrboro, N.C.; J. Albert Clyburn, his wife, Marty, and their children Anna Margaret and James Albert, of Wilmington, N.C.; Lee Clyburn, his wife, Tina, and their children Aubrey, Ellie and Natalie, of Raleigh, N.C. He is also survived by two sisters and their husbands, one brother and several nephews and nieces.
Artist Brings Mass Consumption Issues to the Forefront By Melyssa Allen
Artist Chris Jordan’s visit included classroom discussions.
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he belief that the enormous scale of what he calls “the underbelly of American mass consumption” has to been seen to be comprehended inspires visual artist Chris Jordan, who brought his message to Meredith College on September 19, 2012. Jordan, whose works are hanging in museums including the NC Museum of Art, is an internationally acclaimed artist. His work explores contemporary mass culture from a variety of photographic and conceptual perspectives, connecting the viewer to the enormity of humanity’s behavior. His works include a piece called “Three Second Meditation,” which depicts 9,960 mail order catalogs, equal to the average number of pieces of junk mail that are
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printed, shipped, delivered and disposed of in the U.S. every three seconds, and “Venus,” which depicts 240,000 plastic bags, equal to the estimated number of plastic bags consumed around the world every ten seconds. “I want to foster comprehension of these issues and foster some feeling around them,” Jordan said. His art grew from an interest in showing the colors found in piles of trash, “the giant piles of the things we throw away … creating a macabre portrait of America” to his current efforts of bringing staggering statistics to visual life. Jordan’s latest project is a film about the thousands of baby albatrosses that die on Midway Island after eating plastic that floats in the Pacific Ocean. It is estimated that 2.4
million pounds of plastic pollution enter the world’s oceans every hour. “This isn’t something that somebody else is doing,” Jordan said. “It is each of us one by one. We have to face these issues first if we want to solve them.” Jordan’s visit to included class visits, an artist-led tour of the NC Museum of Art, and an informal Q&A with students. His visit was sponsored by the Meredith College Convocation Committee, the Department of Art, and through major additional support from the Meredith Environmental Sustainability Initiative, which is funded by a generous grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation. Visit chrisjordan.com for more information about the artist and his work.
M e r e d i t h
N e w s
“Miss Representation” Event Puts Spotlight on Women’s Issues By Melyssa Allen
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eredith College hosted a community discussion on issues facing women and girls on October 20, 2012. The event, which featured a screening of the documentary “Miss Representation,” and culminated in a town hall discussion, was a partnership with MissRepresentation.org, InterAct, the N.C. Council for Women and Connected Women of North Carolina. Meredith College was well-represented at the event. Executive Director of Marketing Kristi Eaves-McLennan welcomed the more than 150 audience members, and shared the event’s goal of drawing attention to issues facing young women. “We couldn’t be more proud to provide a venue for engaging in creating solutions for changing media messaging, bolstering positive self-esteem and promoting new leadership opportunities for women and girls in the local community,” said Eaves-McLennan. Assistant Professor of Sociology Amie Hess presented a preview of the College’s upcoming Status of Girls Report, scheduled for release in spring 2013. Hess shared statistics on poverty, education and media use by girls in the state. According to the Status of Girls report, girls and young women under 25 make up 16 percent of North Carolina’s population, yet 25 percent of North Carolina’s poor. “We know that poverty has become a female problem—meaning women are more likely to be or become poor when compared to men— but economic disadvantage is increasingly the problem of children,” Hess said. “Poverty has risen substantially for all children in North Carolina, but the poverty rate for girls under five in North Carolina has increased by 50 percent in the past decade. Thirty percent of our youngest girls now live below the poverty line.” There are also challenging issues facing girls in the educational arena as they progress in school. “Among students who took the SATs in the 2011-12 school year, young men scored an average of 34 points higher than young
women,” Hess said. “This gap as increased— albeit only slightly—over the past decade. Virtually all of the gap comes in the mathematics portion of the exam.” Some blame for this gap goes to perpetuation of the stereotype that women are not skilled in or interested in science and mathematics, Hess said. “One place where stereotypes are perpetuated—and possibly challenged—is of course the media,” Hess said. Films such as “Miss Representation” bring this issue into focus. First premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival, “Miss Representation” interweaves stories from teenage girls with provocative interviews from women leaders to give an inside look at the media and its message. Using the issues raised in the film as a basis for discussion, participants were led in a discussion to generate ideas of personal and community actions that will improve the lives of girls and women. The “Miss Representation” event at Meredith College was sponsored by Red Hat and Apogee Social Media Group.
More than 300 Service Hours Completed During Splash Into Service By Melyssa Allen
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hanks to the work of 103 faculty, staff and students, 361 service hours were completed in one day, during Meredith’s annual Splash into Service event. The fifth annual Splash into Service was held on Saturday, Aug. 18. The event was begun by a student in 2008. Participants were able to serve on campus and in two community sites this year. One option was a Communities in Schools event in the nearby Method Neighborhood, which was coordinated
through the Chaplain’s Community Connections initiative. Other volunteers served at Marbles Museum’s “Kickoff to Kindergarten” event. Splash into Service volunteers also participated in service efforts right on campus. These projects were led by Facilities Maintenance Manager Todd Lechner and Grounds Manager Aaron Schettler. On campus, efforts included replacing pavers in the Courtyard and outside McIver Amphitheater, re-finishing teak wood furniture outside residence halls and the library, power washing and clearing bike racks, replacing desks in Joyner, and deep cleaning Jones Chapel. “By taking just a few hours to help my school, I gained so much pride for Meredith and will be more careful in the future to take good care of her,” said student volunteer Britney Wiggins. “I just might have to take a detour to my classes so that I can walk on the sidewalk that I and my fellow classmates helped to create.” Splash into Service is a collaborative effort by the Office of Student Leadership and Service, Facilities and Grounds.
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Meredith Forever
Meredith’s strategic plan builds on the strengths of the College and sets the stage for a strong and vibrant future. By Gaye Hill
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hen alumnae recall their Meredith experience, they often talk about the positive challenges that helped them grow academically and personally, the way faculty and staff took an interest in their success, and the College’s role in preparing them to excel in the “real world.” The new strategic plan aims to build on those well-established truths about Meredith, making clear to prospective students and their families that a Meredith 12
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education represents an exceptional value— one that proves its worth over a lifetime. And, through the plan’s implementation and success, that value will only continue to increase, which in turn will add to the value of every Meredith degree. Aptly named Meredith Forever, the newlyapproved 2013-2016+ strategic plan reflects the College’s historic reputation for high academic quality and a supportive, collaborative environment. The name of the plan indicates a commitment to preserve the best of Meredith,
coupled with an intent to shape those strengths into a dynamic future. Thus, though the plan is based on historic truths about Meredith, its mission is to set the College on a course for a stronger, more vibrant future. Meredith Forever
Meredith’s two previous strategic plans, Initiative 2000 and Vision 2010, did much to strengthen the College. An emphasis on areas including global citizenship, student diversity, leadership development, technology, and
academic study in science and mathematics led to dramatic changes in the College that are now a part of the campus culture. The new strategic plan is based on a commitment to six “pillars” or areas of focus: • educational excellence • financial strength • optimal enrollment • information technology and campus infrastructure • enhanced visibility • quality of life for Meredith faculty, staff and students Meredith Forever is a rolling, three-year plan, meaning that each year another set of action items, accountabilities and resources will be built into the plan. It is truly a living document, meant to be used in the daily life of the College by all who are charged with carrying it out. A Community Effort
Early on, college leaders recognized that in order for the plan to succeed, investment by all is required. According to President Jo
Allen, “The strategic planning process for Meredith Forever has been an extraordinarily thoughtful, collaborative effort.” The planning process was designed for maximum input and buy-in by stakeholders, with direct input from those who are most invested in the College’s future. Starting with a vision conference in early 2012 that brought together more than 170 alumnae, faculty, staff, students and community leaders, the development of the plan was guided and shaped by the Meredith community. From the “GO” teams who developed the draft of the plan, to the alumnae, faculty, staff, students and trustees who provided important feedback and helped shape the final document, the development process has been intentionally inclusive and highly transparent. While the planning process has been lengthy and complex, in truth its completion signifies only the first step in accomplishing all that it sets forth and envisions for Meredith’s future. As President Allen observed, “There is much to be done, and we acknowledge our ongoing dependence on the goodwill of so many to achieve so much.”
Aptly named Meredith Forever, the newly-approved strategic plan reflects the College’s historic reputation for high academic quality and a supportive, collaborative environment.
Goals & Objectives of the Plan
Meredith Forever emphasizes a series of vital outcomes that will strengthen the College’s current position and set the stage for exciting and significant growth in the future. With the plan’s success, Meredith will … • have enhanced visibility and reputation throughout the region and nation • amass significant information and data about the College, allowing Meredith to operate from positions of evidence and more effectively track improvements • enroll approximately 2,025 students • develop Classrooms-to-Careers pathways for every major, building on strengths in critical thinking and experiential learning in ways that are attractive to students, parents and employers • develop the Meredith Plan, a fourpart plan allowing students to work with advisors, faculty and mentors to develop a curricular, co-curricular, financial and career plan for achieving their goals at and beyond Meredith • establish a stronger financial position based on effective management, sensible cost reductions, and enhanced revenue generation • enhance the technology culture of the College in work and education models • preserve the beauty, safety and functionality of campus • enhance connections of respect, appreciation and value among all campus constituents For more information, visit meredith.edu/strategic-plan.
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Investing in
STEM Meredith’s Science and Mathematics Building symbolizes a decade of commitment to women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. By Melyssa Allen
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primary goal at Meredith College is to prepare its undergraduates for professions where women are underrepresented, in keeping with its status as one of the largest women’s colleges in the United States. For the past decade, the College has invested resources to educate women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as STEM fields. 14
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Currently, women hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs in the United States. Jobs in these fields are expected to grow by 17 percent by 2018, nearly double the rate of growth in non-STEM occupations, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. One of the most visible examples of Meredith’s STEM focus is the College’s Science and Mathematics Building, which opened for classes on January 8, 2003. As the building’s tenth anniversary approaches, faculty who teach in the building are proud of the progress made in STEM programs at Meredith. “When I came to Meredith in 1981, I could have counted the number of majors in our program on my hands,” Professor of Biological Sciences Larry Grimes said. “Now we are approaching 200 students in our major. The previous building could not have supported the number of majors we have now.” Grimes taught at Meredith for 20 years before the Science and Mathematics Build-
ing opened. Hunter Hall, which previously housed biology, had just three labs for biology coursework. “One lab was for freshman biology, one was for microbiology, and everything else was taught in one lab,” Grimes recalled. In the 80,000 square foot Science and Mathematics Building, there are nine teaching labs for biological sciences, six teaching labs for chemistry, physics and geosciences, and a Bit Lab for the study of computer science, along with research labs for each faculty member, support labs and prep labs. The new spaces were purposefully designed to meet the needs of each discipline housed in the building. Faculty members were able to work closely with the architects to customize the teaching and research labs to support the needs of their disciplines. “Each person was able to imagine what it would take to teach each different course – Continued on page 15
“All the labs are multi-functional ...the labs are designed so that all the necessary materials are there.” —Larry Grimes, Professor of Biological Sciences
cell biology, microbiology, ecology, etc.,” said Grimes. “All the labs are multi-functional. I teach six or seven different courses in the same room because the labs are designed so that all the necessary materials are there.” The building and the College’s increased focus on science, technology and mathematics has positioned Meredith to be a leader in STEM education opportunities for women. Biological Sciences is now one of the most popular majors at Meredith College, and all of the programs housed in Science and Mathematics Building are growing. Since 2002, the number of students majoring in STEM programs at Meredith has increased by 25 percent. Chemistry has tripled in size in the last five years, there has been an increase in students earning mathematics teaching licensure and computer science enrollment is on an upward trajectory. The building has also helped Meredith attract and retain well-qualified faculty members. Professor of Mathematics Jackie Dietz is one example. “I came to Meredith from NC State in 2004 for a variety of reasons, but among them was the opportunity to teach and work in the Science and Mathematics Building,” Dietz said. Dietz says the technology that comes standard in the building’s classrooms enhances
her teaching and the learning experience for students. “I teach statistics, and I use technology during every class; the computer projectors built into the classrooms make this easy and seamless,” Dietz said. “The document cameras make it possible to project a variety of other materials on the screen in addition to our laptop screens. Students sit at tables for
two, making it easy for students to collaborate during class.” Student-Focused Building
Collaboration is common in the classroom, research labs and shared areas in the Science and Mathematics Building. The building is designed to promote interaction between faculty members, between faculty and students, and between the students themselves. “We don’t have to create programming to make that interaction happen,” Vice President for Academic Planning and Programs Liz Wolfinger said. “The building’s design is making that possible naturally.” Among the building’s important features are student/faculty research labs for each faculty office. These small research labs are all designed to fit the faculty member’s discipline. “Faculty designed the labs around their professional goals and needs,” said Professor of Biological Sciences John Mecham. “Since faculty here are student-focused, their labs were designed in the best way to support student learning and outcomes. The labs give us an intellectual space in which we can work with students.” Wolfinger, who has been a biology faculty member at Meredith since 1992,
“Since faculty here are student-focused, their labs were designed in the best way to support student learning and outcomes.”—John Meacham, Professor of Biological Sciences
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believes these research spaces are particularly important to students because “the heart of science takes place in the labs. That’s where they can really ‘do’ science.” The benefits of this focus on hands-on research carry into the classroom. “Students participate in the classroom in a different way because they are engaged in scientific research,” Wolfinger said. Students aren’t the only ones who benefit from these research experiences. “The enthusiasm goes both ways. We’re just as excited as the students,” said Professor of Chemistry Walda Powell. Collaboration is a Constant
Common areas for use by students are abundant in the Science and Mathematics Building. There are study alcoves on each wing, a sitting area on the breezeway on the second floor, and an outdoor courtyard. These common areas provide space for students to study and to work together outside of class. “I always see students in those common areas,” said Powell, who is acting dean of the School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. “At 7:30 a.m., I see students out there studying. It’s nice to see them working together and using the space as their own.” Students in mathematics and computer science have access to the Computation
Commons room, which serves as home base for students in these majors. Professor of Mathematics Cammey Manning, head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, believes these common areas “help students in our majors identify with this building and come to see it as their home on campus.” Wolfinger said having an atmosphere where students want to congregate “helps to build a think tank atmosphere” bringing together freshmen, sophomores and upper division students. “It lets freshman see students in the majors working out problems and having fun doing it,” Wolfinger said. Another special space for computer science students is the Bit Lab, where students build and deconstruct computers. “Students have a dedicated space to work together, which is phenomenal for building community for students in that major,” Manning said. Collaboration among Meredith faculty has also resulted. Prior to the opening of the Science and Mathematics Building, Meredith’s STEM programs were housed in separate buildings. Now, all the programs in the School of Natural and Mathematics are together. The building “connected math and computer science with the other sciences,” Manning said. “If we were not in the same physical
“Students are being trained in a state-of-the-art facility, with small class sizes, where women are not in the minority.” —Cammey Manning, Department Head, Mathematics and Computer Science
space those connections wouldn’t happen.” Manning says many more students are earning double majors in computer science or mathematics and other STEM majors. One of many positive results of this increased collaboration is Meredith’s engineering dual degree program, a partnership with NC State University through which students earn a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry or Mathematics from Meredith College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical, environmental, civil, computer, electrical, industrial or mechanical engineering degree from NC State University. Faculty members also collaborate on research and on applying for grants to support STEM programs at Meredith. “It’s not unusual for faculty to team together on grants,” said Powell. “The faculty have tried to work together to increase grant funding so we can offer students opportunities to do more research.” One example is a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant of more than $1 million over the past six years to support mathematics, chemistry and biological sciences students. Another example is a grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation of nearly $400,000 over five years to invest in sustainability initiatives. The College’s investment in STEM “created an atmosphere that encourages faculty to write grants for STEM efforts that have greatly benefitted students,” Wolfinger said. Campus-Wide Benefits
Manning said the building helps to change people’s impressions of STEM at a women’s college. “Students are being trained in a state-ofthe-art facility, with small class sizes, where women are not in the minority,” Manning said. The addition of the Science and Mathematics Building has also benefitted the Meredith campus community in ways beyond the STEM programs housed in it. The building has a prominent place in campus tours for prospective students since all students take general education science and mathematics courses in the building, regardless of their majors. 16
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The facility has also expanded Meredith’s community outreach opportunities, drawing scientists and students alike from across the region. Since 2003, Meredith has hosted the North Carolina Science and Engineering Fair, which showcases the highest level of student achievement in the state. Students from 3rd grade through 12th grade present their original science and engineering research at the fair. Meredith’s Science and Mathematics Building serves as headquarters of the North Carolina Academy of Science, and the College has hosted the organization’s annual meeting. Other science-focused events have been held in the Science and Mathematics Building, including the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creativity Symposium in 2010. Meredith was the first private college in North Carolina to host this statewide undergraduate research conference, which attracted nearly 400 presenters. Meredith hosted the first all-members meeting of the Ecological Research as Education Network (EREN), in June 2012. Meredith College is a founding institution of EREN, a five-year project established in 2010 with a $498,980 grant from the National Science Foundation. Another opportunity afforded by the building is the sponsorship of middle school science camps and enrichment programs for teachers of science and math. Programs such as these help drive future enrollment at Meredith as young students experience the study of math and science, and as teachers from across the state get to work in Meredith’s state-of-the-art facility. The building also serves as a popular location for campus-wide events including the Taste of Research showcase of summer undergraduate research projects, Academic & Career Planning’s annual networking program and Celebrating Student Achievement (CSA) Day presentations. Events such as these stand out for Professor of Mathematics Cammey Manning. “So many of my favorite moments are repeated again and again, including watching students I’ve seen grow in incredible ways present their research on CSA Day,” said Manning.
STEM Programs At Meredith College Students interested in pursuing a STEM career can choose from the following programs at Meredith: Biology Chemistry Engineering* Computer Science Mathematics *The Engineering Dual Degree Program is a five-year program offered in conjunction with NC State University. Students earn a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry or Mathematics from Meredith College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical, environmental, civil, computer, electrical, industrial or mechanical engineering degree from NC State University. Minors include: Biology Chemical Physics Chemistry Geoscience Mathematics Mathematics and Computer Applications Statistics Web Development
What’s Next for STEM at Meredith?
Building on the strong foundation provided by the Science and Mathematics Building, Meredith College leaders believe STEM programs will continue to grow. Faculty and administrators are collaborating with NC State University on a National Science Foundation grant proposal to support programs that will encourage women to study STEM. The College will continue to expand the Engineering Dual Degree Program partnership with NC State as well, including the recent addition of mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering options. Meredith is also exploring the possibility of adding professional science master’s degree programs. In 2012, the College added a PreHealth Professions Post-Baccalaureate certificate program designed to provide the coursework
Success Stories Meredith STEM graduates enjoy consistent success, both in finding employment in their field and acceptance to graduate programs. The personal attention and guidance our students receive is reflected in their exceptional preparation for the job search process and in their applications to graduate and professional programs. Companies and organizations that have hired recent graduates include FDH Engineering, SAS Institute, Credit Suisse, BioAgilytix Labs, Wake County Public Schools, Southern Lithoplate, Inc., and Tekelec. Graduate programs include the Yale School of Medicine, Indiana University School of Law, Wake Forest University, Biomedical Engineering at UNC-Chapel Hill, Master of Public Health at East Carolina University, and Information Technology at UNC-Charlotte. If you know a prospective student interested in studying STEM programs at Meredith, we encourage you to share this article with her and invite her to visit campus. For more information, visit meredith.edu/admissions.
needed to attend graduate school in health professions such as dentistry, pharmacy, medicine and nursing. The program’s first cohort of 12 students enrolled in Fall 2012. “These students are strong, really engaged, and excited to be part of the new program,” Wolfinger said. The Science and Mathematics Building itself continues to help attract strong and academically engaged students and faculty to Meredith, and to prepare graduates for success. Mecham, like many of his colleagues, believes a tour of the building is the best way to show prospective students why they should study STEM at Meredith. “If you want to develop intellectual maturity and sophistication, it helps to have a good environment for students to learn in,” said Mecham. “The building is a symbol of the potential for what a student can do at Meredith.” M er edi t h M ag az i n e / fal l 2 012 /
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What’s it like to work for your Alma Mater? Alumnae find working at Meredith to be a rewarding experience. By Melyssa Allen
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early 500 faculty and staff members work hard at Meredith College every day in order to provide a high-quality educational experience for students. Among these dedicated employees is a group who know firsthand what makes a Meredith education special, because they experienced it themselves as students. Meredith alumnae serve as faculty members, admissions recruiters, office managers and fundraisers. While their roles at Meredith are different, what each of these alumnae employees have in common is their love for their alma mater.
An excellent educational experience is a common bond for all Meredith alumnae, according to Professor of Theatre Catherine Rodgers, ’76. 18
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An appreciation of the women’s college experience inspired Professor of Theatre Catherine Rodgers, ’76, to return to Meredith. After teaching at another women’s college, Rodgers said she realized the excellence of the education she’d received at Meredith. She began teaching part-time at Meredith in 1988 and has been a full-time faculty member since 1993. “I wanted to teach at Meredith because I truly believe in the benefits of same gender higher education,” said Rodgers. “I wanted to be a part of future generations of “angels” and make a difference in their lives.” Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations Halie Sue Smith, ’11, wanted to work at Meredith in order to give back. “Meredith offered such growth and development to me as a student, I wanted to be a part of the continued development of all our constituents, alumnae as well as current students,” Smith said. Smith likes that alumnae staff members have opportunities to be immersed in campus life, such as teaching a First Year Experience course or serving as an advisor to classes and clubs. “I love seeing the new students enter and mature as they move through Meredith,” Smith said. “It is the most rewarding thing to see them experience new ideas, traditions and experiences for the first time. I have such a strong bond with Halie Sue Smith, ’11 them even though we share none of the same classes or class years.” The Office of Admissions has several alumnae on staff. These alumnae use their own experiences at Meredith Anna Buryk, ’09 to help introduce the College to prospective students. Anna Buryk, ’09, senior admissions counselor, feels this firsthand experience is Jackie Manning, ’06 beneficial to her job.
Working with students is rewarding for Kathy Owen, ’75.
“We’ve had the Meredith experience and know what it is like to attend a women’s college,” said Buryk, who was hired as a temporary admissions counselor in 2009, and returned in a full-time capacity in 2010. “It is rewarding to share my experiences I had as an undergraduate with prospective students and their families.” Jackie Manning, ’06, earned a second degree at Meredith and now works in Media Services. She hopes her daughter will follow in her footsteps. “I want my daughter to have the same opportunity I had as a student, and an even fuller experience as a traditional age Meredith student,” Manning said. What Manning enjoys most about working at Meredith is interacting with current students. “I love seeing them grow and thrive in our environment,” she said. As office manager in the Office of Student Leadership and Service (SLS), Kathy Owen, ’75, works with students every day. “Being around the students is by far the most rewarding. SLS is such a student oriented office that I am spoiled with having a great working atmosphere,” said Owen. “It’s always fun when a student notices my onyx, which starts the conversation about how Meredith is different (or the same) as when I was here in ’71-’75.”
“It’s always fun when a student notices my onyx, which starts the conversation about how Meredith is different (or the same) as when I was here.” —Kathy Owen, ’75
Owen credits the career services offered by Meredith to its alumnae with helping her get the position she’s held for 13 years. “I needed the services of the Career Center (now Academic and Career Planning) in 1999 when I decided to return to the work force after being a stay-at-home mom for 16 years,” Owen said. While working with career advisors at Meredith, Owen learned about the opening in the office now known as SLS. “I interviewed for the job and was hired. It was a thrill to be back at Meredith and because I hadn’t expected or planned it, it was all the more special,” Owen said. Unlike Owen, Assistant Professor of Education Tisha Duncan, ’99, said she always intended to work at Meredith. “The day I graduated, I wrote down a 10 year plan. I would teach for several years, earn my master’s in literacy, and my doctorate in education so that I could M er edi t h M ag az i n e / fa l l 2 012 /
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return to be part of the faculty at Meredith,” Duncan said. “I am who I am because of my alma mater. I wanted to be able to give back to the institution and people who molded, shaped and mentored me.” Duncan joined the faculty in 2008, and enjoys the bond having a shared experience with her students provides. Professor Betty “On the first day of class when I share Webb, ’67, on that I’m an ‘Odd’ and that I’m a product of location in Italy. the Education Dept. the students connect with me right away,” Duncan said. “We have I thought she had the wrong person and would be shocked when I showed up for a bond. I wear my onyx because it really an interview.” does make you part of something larger Webb is now serving as director of the than your college experience. It makes you Meredith in Sansepolcro, Italy, study abroad part of a family.” program, and will retire in June after 37 years While there are many positives to working for the college they attended, alumnae do on the faculty. She is also the former director of international programs, a passion that face challenges. grew from something that was missing from Rodgers identifies caring too much as a her time as a student. Webb believes alumna challenge for alumnae employees. employees are sometimes inspired to create “When faced with institutional problems experiences that weren’t available to them. or obstacles, it is sometimes hard for me to “I, for example, would have loved step back, take a deep breath, and try to see for Meredith to have the whole picture,” Rodgers said. “All had study abroad Meredith alums have a tendency programming to feel such ownership of this when I was “On the first place that being ‘shareful’ is sometimes difficult.” day of class when I There is another share that I’m an ‘Odd’ challenge unique to alumnae. Professor and that I’m a product of the Emerita of English Education Dept. the students Betty Webb, ’67, said connect with me right she had a hard time learning to call her away.”—Tisha Duncan, ’99 former professors by their names once they were working together. “Early on, I could only say “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am” to my former teachers, even when I became head of the department, but after a mere 20 or so years I got over that,” Webb said. One of those professors recruited Webb to the Meredith faculty. “It was not, ironically, an ambition of mine to teach at Meredith,” Webb said.“I received a call out of the blue from Dr. Norma Rose when I was 25 years old to see if I was interested in teaching English methods and supervising student teachers. 20
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a student, so it has been a passion of mine to create and sustain those opportunities for today’s students,” Webb said. Like her alumnae colleagues, Webb has found working at her alma mater to be rewarding. “As a student, I was so very well served by Meredith that it has been both a pleasure and a privilege to have been able to give something back,” Webb said. “As I reflect on the undergraduate education I received, I continue to be amazed by both its rigor and its excellence.” Rodgers believes that the bond of the Meredith experience provides alumnae faculty and staff members with a unique perspective on College traditions. She notes that her onyx has been recognized as far away as Italy and the United Kingdom. “Our common bond is not jewelry or Cornhuskin’ or the alma mater, however—it is the quality education we received while we were fortunate enough to study here at this institution,” Rodgers said. “That academic excellence is what is most important about our past and is what must remain as most distinctive about our future.”
Tisha Duncan, ’99, has fulfilled her goal of joining Meredith’s education faculty.
lumnae Connection Notes and news for Meredith alumnae
It takes an Angel to know an Angel: How alumnae can shape the future of Meredith College. By Elizabeth Dove, ’84 President, Alumnae Association
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ne of Meredith’s most important goals is to find, nurture and recruit qualified students. As an alumna, you have a unique perspective on the Meredith experience; what makes our beloved college so special, what makes our traditions unique, and what makes an ideal Meredith student. We invite your help in achieving this goal. After all, it takes an Angel to know an Angel. We realize our alumnae are one of Meredith College’s greatest assets! Alumnae offer prospective students the ability to see the tangible results of hard work and dedication. Additionally, alumnae are able to convey their enthusiasm about the College, their time spent at Meredith, including the various activities that it offers, campus life and what it is like to live in the great city of Raleigh! All of these variables are extremely important for prospective college students. Alumnae can help recruit prospective students by: • Inviting students to attend Discover Meredith or other admission events on campus • Writing letters and/or personalized emails to prospective students • Making phone calls to prospective students • Participating in on-campus recruitment programs • Hosting receptions for prospective students within your local area When you volunteer your time and talents to Meredith in this way, you become part of a very special group. Nothing speaks more highly for Meredith than successful alumnae who enthusiastically serve and support it. Whether you help recruit students, speak at a career workshop, lead an alumnae chapter or serve on the Alumnae Board of Directors, you’ll walk away with a sense of accomplishment and pride, knowing that you truly make a difference in the lives of current and prospective Meredith students. In January 2012, the College hosted its first alumnae-sponsored recruiting event, called Discover Meredith. With direct support from alumnae like you, prospective students received an invaluable opportunity to learn and see the Meredith experience first-hand, an experience enriched by lifelong friendships, time-honored traditions, and rigorous academics. All of these occur within a nurturing environment surrounded by a beautiful campus in the heart of one of the best cities in the country. Thanks to many of you, these students heard from alumnae and students alike what it means to be a Meredith College Angel. We give them wings while we keep them close. Thanks for all you do for Meredith.
Highlights Alumna Profile: Lisa Rost-Welling, ’03................ 23 Meredith Career Services: Focus on Alumnae, Networking and Career Tips ... 24 Then and Now, Academics............. 25 Alumna Profile: Beth Morris Nance, ’95............... 26 Alumna Profile: Tisha Admire Duncan, ’99............ 29
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alumnae Connection
class notes Compiled by the Office of Alumnae & Parent Relations from May 2012 to September 2012. Information may be edited for space limitations and content restrictions. Submit class notes to your class agent, online at www.meredith.edu/alumnae, by e-mail at alumnae@meredith.edu, by fax (919) 760-2818, or by phone to the Office of Alumnae & Parent Relations at (919) 760-8548. Deadline for Spring 2013 issue is January 16, 2013. Submissions received after this date will appear in the Summer 2013 issue.
’48
Jolene Weathers Edwards writes that she was
honored to represent the Class of 1948 at the inauguration of President Jo Allen, ‘80. She is still active in clubs, church and Curves. She is looking forward to her 65th reunion in the spring.
’49
Betty Jean Johnson Brown and her husband happily celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with good wishes from their five children, two sons-in-law and three grandsons. Brown retired after 20 years as headmistress at The Langley School in McLean, Va., where the Lower School Building was named in her honor. Since retirement she began helping other schools and is now serving as the grandparents’ coordinator at The Woods Academy in Bethesda, Md.
’58
Beulah Cameron has been living at Springmoor
Life Care Retirement Community for 24 years. At 95, she writes that she is enjoying life and still playing piano for vespers, memorial services and choir. Martha Bone Crow has been undergoing some medical tests, but everything is in good shape. Anne Howard Farmer and her husband have not yet retired. They are involved with their Shenandoah Springs ministry in Virginia, church, community and their family. On their campus, they host college students from the U.S. and abroad along with churches, weddings and family reunions. She writes that they would love to see the class and meet President Allen. Janet Jenkins Harding, after living in Northern Virginia for 41 years, has moved back to a retirement facility in Matthews, N.C. They are closer to their extended family and to people that “understand their language.” She sends her cheers to everyone! Margaret Creech Sutton is still struggling with some health issues but her life has been brightened by the return of her granddaughter to Meredith for 22
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her senior year. Glenda Eddins Temple has been spending time with her two daughters and their families. They spent time together this past summer in Isle of Palms, S.C. She has six grandchildren and is looking forward to flying to New York to visit her daughter and her family this fall.
’64
Betsy Rose Long Bucks still enjoys an adventur-
ous life. An early Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia, South America, she recently helped organize a reunion of her Peace Corps contemporaries and contributed to a book about their experiences. She continues to travel widely, having most recently visited in Germany, Canada, the Southwest and Guatemala. When not traveling, she and her husband enjoy spending lots of time with the two (of three) grandchildren who live near their Elkridge, Md., home. After teaching math and having three children, Mary Lyon McKenney Camper worked for 17 years in a textile business that she and her husband founded in New York City. They later moved to Virginia
Beach, Va., where, after his death, she became senior managing director of a New York-based entertainment company. Camper has served as minister of music for various churches. She co-founded and directs a community faith-based mission choir that has traveled in the past 11 years to seven countries, most recently to Guatemala. She has 11 grandchildren. Betty Bass Shows has been in the Atlanta area where she taught special education for 30 years. She and her husband have two children and five grandchildren. Shows has been a community leader in Junior League, the Arts Board, and the Library Board. She is also active in her church where she sings in the chancel choir and directs the cherub choir. She still plays bridge, has taken up golf, and says she “can’t wait ’til our 50th!”
’65
Carol Brenda Long Cobb has a new grandson born
in August to daughter Collins and her husband. Jean Hutcherson Ebert and a friend, Charlotte Ruth, have just started a non-profit called No to O. Both women
Meredith Mayhem Are You Ready for The Mayhem? Meredith Mayhem 2013 Coming to you in February! meredith.edu/giving
alumnae Connection were diagnosed four years ago with ovarian cancer. No to O has just received 501c3 status, and they will be holding a fundraiser in Winston Salem in April. Half of the funds raised for No to O will go to ovarian cancer research, and the other half will go to local cancer services. Donations may be made online, and Ebert would love the support of her Meredith classmates, faculty and administrators. Billie Hartsell Freeman writes that she has twin granddaughters born October 2011. Her daughter-in-law Anna Taylor Freeman, ’99, and son are their parents. Nileen Hunt and Roger Austin are building an addition to their home, a library, and a sunroom for her and an office and workshop for him. She was also diagnosed with cancer. Janet Pugh Martin and husband have just moved to Myrtle Beach, S.C., to be near their son, his wife and two granddaughters. Her son owns a restaurant there named The Aspen Grill. Sally Howard Moore continues to help her husband with several sand sculptures a year. They also run an event for children with cancer and their families called Mile of Hope, held the second weekend in May at Atlantic Beach, N.C. Carol Andrews Southerland and her husband have “retired” but continue to work! Her husband has just finished as interim headmaster at Harrells Academy and she is tutoring two days a week SAT/ACT prep. Southerland and her husband enjoy a granddaughter and a grandson, with another on the way!
’70
Susan Soloway Daul won the highest award as a traditional artisan in this year’s Directory of Traditional American Crafts. Her work is shown in the 2012 August issue of Early American Life magazine. Karen Watson Watts volunteered at the Democratic National Convention that was held in Charlotte, N.C.
’71
After living in Raleigh for 28 years, Gail Bartholomew Kiker and her husband moved to Pinehurst, N.C., in early 2011. From her home, Kiker continues to run her organizational consulting business that specializes in work with non-profit organizations. The move to Pinehurst has put her closer to her two sons and three-year-old granddaughter. She also enjoys spending long weekends at Holden Beach, N.C. Margaret Tharrington retired in November 2011 after being a commercial banker for 38 years. She writes that she loves being retired.
’73
Carolyn H. Carter was elected as a Board Member
for District 8 of North Carolina Retired Governmental Employees’ Association.
Alumna Finds Success in the Arts By Melyssa Allen
T
heatre has taken Lisa Rost-Welling, ’03, from Meredith College to London, where she is a producer and performer. “Since moving to London, I’ve been fortunate enough to work in both production and as a performer for independent films and fringe theatre on up to the BBC and “The Lion King” in the West End,” said Rost-Welling, who studied theatre at Meredith. One of her recent accomplishments was the Tower Theatre Company production of “Baba Shakespeare” by Emmeline Winterbotham. The play follows the Buckinghams, a British acting troupe in 1960s India. “The Buckinghams journey from desert palace to hill station, performing Shakespeare amid declining audiences, changing circumstances and ever more slender means,” Rost-Welling explained. “While the Buckinghams fight to come to terms with a changing world, their struggle is mirrored in the love triangle between daughter Lizzie, Sanju, a handsome Indian playboy and Manjula, a glamorous Bollywood film star.” Rost-Welling served as producer. “If you were to imagine a ringmaster in the midst of a full-blown, three-ring circus, you wouldn’t be far off,” she said. “As producer, it was my job to steer the production so that ultimately, it was successfully staged.” The play was selected for The Royal Shakespeare Company’s inaugural Open Stages project, a showcase of productions “bridging the gap between professional, “Baba Shakespeare” fringe and amateur theatre.” Productions were required to have a Shakespearean element, new artistic collaborations and a variety of theatre techniques. “The creative advantage to our production was the ability to originate the design concept, which needed to blend Shakespeare and Bollywood, Britain and India, theatre and film,” she said. The production incorporated original set and costume design, musical score, choreography and puppetry, which broadened the appeal of “Baba Shakespeare.” “Baba Shakespeare” had a three-week run at the Arcola Theatre, a prominent fringe venue in London. It was selected by the RSC from more than 70 Open Stages productions to represent the London region at the World Shakespeare Festival, which was held in July. Rost-Welling and her team are now working on proposals for additional productions of “Baba Shakespeare.” Rost-Welling finds fulfillment in all the opportunities she’s found in the arts. “What’s fulfilling is when a project ends, when the dust settles, you can look at it and proudly think, ‘I was part of that,’” she said. “Then you get to go back out there, find a new opportunity, and do it again.”
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alumnae Connection
’74
Jeanne “Cookie” Parker Guthrie Newton writes that she loves her work as the family life coordinator at Brentwood Academy, an independent private school outside of Nashville, Tenn. Newton was in Beaufort, N.C., for a family reunion in the summer of 2012 that included her own Meredith alumnae legacy connections with her sister, Suzanne Guthrie Letchworth, ’68, their mother, Lucille Parker Guthrie, ’36, and cousin, Jenny Reynolds Plummer, ’95.
’75
Kay Smith Jones retired from BB&T in March after almost 35 years.
’78
After 16 years of moving during her married life, Laura Maynard Beall lives near Beaufort, S.C. They have lived in the north, the south, the east, the west, Mexico City and Mendoza, Argentina. She writes that it has been a great adventure! Beall stays busy with church work at the Episcopal church, DAR and fund-
raising volunteer work for Beaufort Memorial Hospital. She feels very blessed and has great memories of her days at Meredith. Leigh Anne Boone McLean received a Master of Arts degree in Christian clinical counseling. She has ministerial credentials and is licensed by the National Association of Christian Counselors as a pastoral minister and temperament counselor. She writes that it is a dream come true!
’80
Kim Smith Ball has joined the North Carolina Com-
munity Foundation as a regional associate for the Coastal Plain south region.
’87
Donna Wilson Thagard’s son Nick received his
Eagle award, the highest achievement in Boy Scouting. He led the refurbishment and installation of a flagpole at St. David’s School.
’88
Kelly Aman was appointed principal of West
Millbrook Middle School in Raleigh, N.C. Previously,
Aman served as assistant principal at Millbrook High School since 2004. Dottie Bass Burch has been named chair of the Equine Law subcommittee for the American Bar Association.
’90
Susan Worley Forbes is assistant director at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Library in Research Triangle Park, N.C. She is serving as the 2012 president of the NC Special Libraries Association and enjoys volunteering at the Wake County SPCA. Deanna Harris started her sixth year as the media and technology coordinator at East Cary Middle School, where she shares her love of reading young adult novels and using technology tools with students and staff. Harris and her family live in southern Wake County. Katie Powers Sparks, after being a stay-at-home mom/room-mom/school volunteer for 16 years, has decided to start her own business, launching CitrusChick.com in November 2011. She writes that she has been blessed with a great first year and looks forward to a busy holiday season. Conswella Long Timmons is currently the training special-
Meredith Career Services: Focus on Alumnae
Networking and Career Tips By Marie B. Sumerel
Y
ou may have heard that Meredith College alumnae have access to free career counseling and coaching services for their lifetime. This is true! And for alumnae, these services tend to focus on career change or re-entry, career management, and/or career enhancement. Since graduating, you may have had a variety of work experiences, participated in community service, or pursued educational programs. You do not look at work the same way you did at graduation. You are probably much more aware of the careers that exist. I imagine you also have more roles in life – partner, parent, caregiver, to name a few. Life may be complicated, with little time to consider making career changes. With just a little time, you can assess your motivation in order to guide your
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career with intentionality. Why don’t you start here? Reflect on your interests and what brings you satisfaction. Are you realizing your primary interests through your work? What about your abilities … are you fully utilizing your motivated skills? These are the skills that you most enjoy using – those skills which bring you energy and a positive feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day. There are other areas that are important to examine but identifying interests and motivated skills are the important “first steps.” This reflection will help you be more deliberate about any changes you make. Please realize that one of the biggest barriers to making a career change is procrastination. Yes, it takes time, a personal commitment to stick with it, and the
ability to step out of your comfort zone to make it work. Rather than procrastinate, grab a journal and begin to write: • Develop a timeline and set goals – be as specific as possible. • Tap into your creativity – think outside the box, realize strengths you have in areas other than work, create a mosaic of words that describe you and what you value. • Identify mentors in your career field and friends that can support you during the process. • Embrace change. So, begin the process! At Meredith, we have exceptional career counselors who can help you. We are available by phone, email, and in person. Simply reach out. Academic & Career Planning (919) 760-8341 career@meredith.edu
ist for Pomeroy IT in Research Triangle Park, N.C. Amelia Stinson-Wesley was elected to the Board of Education of Mecklenburg County in January 2012 and will serve for two years. She continues to direct World Connections for Women, a nonprofit she founded. She spent July 2012 working in Cambodia on the issue of human trafficking. She has two children in elementary school who keep her busy.
’91
B
B
alumnae Connection
Academics 1960s-70s
Tracy Harris Lewis is a senior business analyst
Georgia Moyer Davis is in the early planning
stages of The 20th College Reunion Weekend. If anyone is interested in helping with reunion, contact her at gcmdavis@gmail.com. Courtney Marks DiFruscio is staying busy in Raleigh working at IBM by day and taking care of her husband and two girls by night. Their oldest daughter graduated from
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’93
Academics 2012
B
at Red Hat in Raleigh. She and her new husband are living in Apex, N.C., with their two dogs. Jenny Hoeppner Lang writes that after setting a 12 year goal, her family moved aboard their sailboat this June and has started cruising. They departed North Carolina and are sailing Maine and Massachusetts and then they will head south through the Bahamas and to Panama where they will continue the journey westward across the Pacific. Their goal is to make it to New Zealand. This is a lifestyle change and they hope to be cruising for at least the next four years and maybe longer. Their website is www.svfullmonty.com. Donna Newton Ryals and family experienced a military relocation to Middletown, R.I., over the summer and are bracing themselves for the New England winter. She is continuing her work as a marketing consultant from her home office. Carol Ann Johnson Schweikert writes that, after living in Shanghai, China, for eight months for her husband’s overseas assignment, her family is getting back to a normal life in Noblesville, Ind., where they are finishing their second historic home restoration project. Their girls are happy to be back in school in the U.S. Schweikert continues her work as a historic preservation consultant which gives her a lot of flexibility to be a full-time mom. Bentley Bland Shuller’s family is living in Wake Forest and plans to be there for a very long time. She has two wonderful, sweet girls. She writes that they are very blessed and thankful for their wonderful church family, supportive neighbors and all family in the area. She is a stayat-home mom and her husband has been a civil engineer for NC DOT for over 14 years.
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alumnae Connection
Alumna Opens Toy Museum to Honor Sister By Melyssa Allen
T
he latest attraction in Spencer, N.C., has Meredith College ties. Alumna Beth Morris Nance, ’95, recently opened the Spencer Doll and Toy Museum (SDTM), showcasing dolls and toys of every kind. “If you ever had a favorite doll or toy as a child, chances are you’ll find it represented here,” Nance said. “The museum is for anyone who has an interest in collectible modern, vintage and antique dolls, trains and toys.” The museum houses approximately 1,000 dolls, ranging from Barbie dolls to French-made Emile Jumeau dolls with bisque-porcelain faces and paperweight eyes. The oldest doll is one from the mid-1800s that is made from wax. “While you’ll find stuffed animals, a variety of toys and 2,000 model trucks in the museum, dolls and trains are the centerpieces,” said Nance, whose partner in the venture is her mother, Susan Lane Morris. Trains have a prominent place in the museum because of the importance of locomotives in Spencer’s history. The North Carolina Transportation Museum is located at what was once Beth Morris Nance, ’95 Southern Railway Company’s largest steam locomotive servicing facility. The SDTM is across the street from this tourist attraction. “Our museum draws visitors from across the street,” Nance said. “However, we are seeing visitors from all across the state who are coming specifically to see us.” One purpose of the museum is to collect and preserve toys and to educate visitors on the historical significance of items in the collection. “We realize that items in our collection are becoming harder for the average person to find, so we hope young children who visit can appreciate the dolls and playthings that their parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents treasured,” Nance said. Another important purpose of the museum is to pay tribute to Nance’s sister, Amy Dawn Morris, who died in 1996 at age 21. The museum “embraces the same joy and optimism Amy displayed, even though she suffered from a terminal illness,” Nance said. “She touched so many lives and inspired those around her. She was courageous and never backed down from a challenge … she had a quick wit, gentle spirit and an always positive attitude.” For more information on the Spencer Doll and Toy Museum, visit spencerdollandtoymuseum.com.
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high school and started at NC State University this fall while their younger daughter started first grade. She has been able to travel to Hortolandia, Brazil; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Bratislava, Slovaki, over the last year with IBM. All of these destinations are now on her vacation list -- although next time, she says she will definitely go to Bratislava in the spring or summer. Natalie Stanley Driggs adopted a daughter from China in December of 2009. Her daughter was five and a half at the time and is from the Hunan Province of China. Driggs also has two sons. Janie Mullis Farwell’s family spent a month in Israel this past summer. Beth Ann Fleshman Foess is trying hard to comprehend how she is old enough to have a high school student and a fifth grade student this year. She and her family have been living in York, Pa., for eight years. Since her husband travels internationally quite a bit, the family decided to cash in all those frequent flier miles for a vacation to Paris this summer. All went well, and they hope to visit Italy the next time. Katherine Gu Granger’s family has recently moved to Columbus, Ohio, for her husband’s job at The Ohio State University. So far, they really like Columbus as it reminds them a lot of Raleigh. Their little girl is now in second grade. Mandy Dill Hines is teaching fulltime at Davie High School in the Career and Technical Education Department. She also maintains a strong Pampered Chef business as a sales director and earned the Excellence Award in Personal Sales this year for the sixth year in a row. Hollie Coward Muscio has been busy in Atlanta with her balloon and floral décor company, Balloonacy. She is excited to have several of the company’s weddings published on the blog “Style Me Pretty” and in “Occasions Magazine.” In addition to her work, she still finds time to volunteer with the Junior League of Atlanta. She has been asked to join the Centennial Celebration task force for planning events surrounding the JLA’s 100th birthday celebrations during 2016. Kelly Brown Ogburn is living in Vicksburg, Miss. She recently served as onsite event manager for the Willow Creek Association Global Leadership Summit in Vicksburg. She is now event manager for the Center for Pregnancy Choices Annual Fundraiser, which will feature Dr. Alveda King as the guest speaker.
’95
Jena Leake recently received her Ph.D. in expres-
sive arts therapy, with the distinction of magna cum laude, from the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. She is currently an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development
alumnae Connection and Psychological Counseling at Appalachian State University, training graduate students in expressive arts therapy and clinical mental health counseling. She is also the new program coordinator for Expressive Arts Therapy at ASU.
’97
Jeanne Hubbard joined her husband in London
in August 2012 after an arduous visa application process was completed. She will reside permanently in London.
’98
Jennifer Richardson Readling received her master’s degree in Christian education from Pfeiffer University-Charlotte in August 2012. She is now teaching three-year-olds at First Baptist Church Child Development Center in Huntersville.
’01
Missy Neff Gould began a new chapter in her career by working with the government affairs division for CRT/tanaka.
’04
Patty Edwards Shaver’s book, “My Career Voyage: Charting the Course,” is being used in a local college’s career development course.
’05
Jenna Chambers is now clerking for Coats and Bennett of Cary, an intellectual law firm specializing in patents, copyrights and trademarks. Cynthia Dils is a teacher for visual impairment at Escambia County School District. Hannah Pollet Edens is the regional breastfeeding coordinator for Perinatal Care Region VI. Diane Gray Fields is a senior monitoring associate at PAREXEL International. Amanda Hatfield is the minister of Hillsville Christian Church in Hillsville, Va. Rachel Salsman Harrison is a senior client advisor with SchoolDude.com. Margaret Hudson Cameron is a child nutrition area supervisor for Wake County Schools. Jessica Tolbert MacIntosh is the owner of Simply Yoga of Belmont in Belmont, N.C. Casey Wilson Savelli is an accountant at Bronto Software in Durham, N.C.
’07
Amanda Gentry is working on her grandfather’s
farm, Blue Moon Meadows, in Hillsborough, N.C. They rescued a herd of alpacas in September 2011. She is also designing and selling fiber art. Allison Griffin graduated from Pharmacy School at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tenn., and is a staff phar-
macist with CVS Pharmacy in Winston-Salem, NC. Genevieve Parker Hill is writing her first book: “Minimalism for Grandparents: Decluttering for Increased Health, Happiness, and Connection During the Golden Years.” Valerie Mckoy Pierce is the new branch manager of the Park Place branch library with Norfolk Public Library in Norfolk, Va.
’08
Heather Allen graduated from NC State University
and IAE Puyicard, France with a dual Master’s of Global Innovation Management in 2010. She started an artist management company, Capitol H. Creative, Inc., in February 2012. Jenna Burnham began working at Wake Forest University in May 2012 as the administrative assistant to the associate dean for academic planning. ToniAnn Gambella works as a speech language pathologist at the Rebecca School, a day school for children with neuro-developmental delays in relating and communicating, in New York City. Robin Gray completed her master’s in sociology at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. She is also teaching Principles of Sociology at Meredith College. Stephanie Massey works as a Sales Representative for Cintas Document Management. Britney Brown Matthews resides in Lewisville, N.C. She works in WinstonSalem for BB&T and is a lending project manager at BB&T’s Commercial Credit Administration. Nichole Ecklund Miller graduated from East Carolina University with a master’s in special education in December 2011. She is a Pre-Kindergarten teacher at the Jordan Center in Raleigh and a developmental therapist with Cornerstone Family Services. Brittany Rice earned her doctorate in physical therapy from East Carolina University in May 2011. Heather Sellers lives outside of Washington, D.C., and works in financial analysis consulting for the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Melissa Staley started her own private practice, Foundations Family Therapy, in Fuquay-Varina, N.C., this fall.
’09
Emily Newnam was one of 15 designers chosen to have their designs sold at Belk. Newnam’s line, Southern fRock, was part of the department store’s Belk Southern Designer competition. The winners were chosen from more than 200 entries in a competition commemorating Belk’s 125th anniversary.
’11
Nataleigh Timberlake Carscaddon began a job at Camp Oak Hill in Raleigh. Rachel Karaman opened a dog boutique in Cary called Woof Gang
Bakery, which features toys, food and grooming. Kiran Subramaniam writes that in June Abbey Collins, ’10, touched down in Los Angeles, CA to visit a few of her favorite MCGs (Ashley Phillips, ’09, Maureen Price, ’08, and Subramaniam). It was so wonderful for them to reunite and get some great pictures with the Onyx. Subramaniam writes that “Meredith College is taking the world by storm!”
Marriages 1979 Claudia Furr to David Cantrell, 5/19/12.
1991 Sarah Kelly Burns to John Capps, 7/28/12. Tracy Harris to Stephen Lewis, 8/11/12.
1993 Kelly Brown Ogburn to Mark Ogburn, 5/22/11.
1994 Katherine Kincaid to Thomas Coley, 4/28/12.
1997 Jeanne Hubbard to Andrew Webb, 6/23/12.
2001 Deanna Whaley to Nicholas Ford, 6/30/12. Tracy Caldwell McElroy to Jeffery Simerson, 6/16/12.
2003 Rebecca Atkinson to Frank Connerat, 6/16/12. Erin Taylor to Erik Rice, 9/3/11.
2004 Meredith Rose to Brian Bray, 4/21/12.
2005 Ava Jackson to Timothy “Tim” Naylor, 8/5/12. Elizabeth Robinson to Dustin Throckmorton, 4/28/12. Casey Wilson to Jeff Savelli, 7/14/12. Sarah Wilson to Matthew Collins, 6/2/12.
2006 Anna Marie Horne to David Parris, 5/5/12.
2008 Dana Chandler to Kevin Williams, 8/11/12. Elizabeth Hayes to Dan Vaugh, 6/2/12. Whitney Collins
to Gray Hunter, 6/11/12. Rebecca Lewis to Darren Gardner, 5/8/10. Jill Guyton to Shawn Nee, 6/30/12. Heather Sellers to Jeff Woodard, 6/28/12.
2009 Meredith Baker to James Ainsworth, 8/18/12. Elyse Collins to Wesley Johnson, 4/14/12. Vittoria Longiotti to Michael Ciampa, 8/18/12.
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alumnae Connection On October 12, 2012, Meredith hosted “House United”, a reception at the Massey House for married couples who graduated from Meredith College and N.C. State University. The event was a success and all who attended enjoyed hearing about the special courtship stories of each couple. While all of the couples’ stories were meaningful, one in particular caught our heart.
“
Memorable
Moment
“
2010
Erin Etheridge to Corban Prim, 6/16/12. Hillary
Goodson to Scott Spear, 6/30/12. Amy Sapp to
Jacob Holcomb, 7/28/12.
2011 Nataleigh Timberlake to Zack Carscaddon, 5/5/12. Alexandra Christos to Dustin Wilmoth, 4/14/12. Allison Huber to Corey Godwin, 7/14/12.
2012 Avera Acai to David Joyce, 7/21/12.
[My husband] and I met after I initiated correspondence with him while he was at war in Korea as an Army Engineer. My grandmother lived in a house belonging to a lady who had college boys as tenants. She showed me a scrapbook of “her boys” and told me all the kind and helpful things he did for her. In July, she suggested that I begin writing letters to him. He came home from the war in April and in August, four months later, we were married! I had come to Goldsboro to teach since the education department at Meredith had recommended the town as having an excellent school system. I did not realize until later that Paul was from Goldsboro. We had our 55th wedding anniversary the 25th of August! Where has the time gone?” —Mary Glenn Randall Pittman, ’55, on how she met her husband, Paul H. Pittman, Jr., who graduated from NC State in 1955.
Births
Macy Mackenzie, 3/20/12.
1996
2001
Christian “Christy” Hunt Arbogast, a son, John
Valentine, 6/7/12.
1997 Shannon Hagerty George, a daughter, Colleen Victoria, 5/17/11. Heidi Niedenberger Hoven, a daughter, Maria Anne, 2/28/12.
2000 Melissa Boyette Scibor, a daughter, Genevieve
Christine, 7/11/12. Jill Bruner Jones, a daughter, 28
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Rachel Perkinson Dickens, a son, Henry Thomas,
7/3/12. Rachel Langley Embler, a daughter, Anna Winslow, 07/08/11. Kelley Davidson Johnson, a son, Cole Thomas, 7/5/12. Chassie Dietz Selouane, a daughter, Nora Aziza, 7/16/12. Stephanie Parsons Watson, a daughter, Sadie Craig, 8/3/12.
2002 Jenny Costa Honeycutt, a daughter, Adleigh Gail, 6/5/12.
alumnae Connection 2003 Melissa Currin Byrum, a son, Luke Currin, 8/24/12. Lara Stroud Dick, a daughter, Irene Kristen,
3/11/12. Allee Byrd Harrell, a daughter, Emmarie Elisabeth, 1/8/12. Courtney Little Shelton, a daughter, Elizabeth Mae, 2/15/12.
2005 Diane Gray Fields, a daughter, London Jade,
9/24/09. Laura Mashburn Simmons, a daughter, Claire Elizabeth, 7/29/12.
2006 Carly Kanupp Beam, a son, John Pickney Beam, V,
7/30/12 and a daughter, Suzanna Rae, 10/27/10.
2007 Kristi Arthur Paylor, a son, Hudson Wood, 6/3/12. Julie Hardison Green, a son, Mason Eldridge,
8/11/12. Megan Hembree Morlok, a daughter, Iris Evangeline, 9/5/12. Emily Boyd Pasquariello, a daughter, Addison Ann, 9/3/12. Nichole Ecklund Miller, a son, Sawyer Jack, 8/14/12. Natasha Lynn Wells, a son, Caden Alan, 7/26/12.
Deaths 1934 Vara Lee Thornton, 7/26/12.
1935 Elizabeth Barker Ogburn, 7/6/12.
1937 Ruby Barrett Graham, 6/30/12.
1939 Frances Price Oliver, 6/22/12.
1942 Anne Hines Hooke, 6/25/12.
1947 Sheila Kaplan Spizel, 9/13/12.
1948 Estella Cox Collins, 8/8/12.
1953 Irma Smith Etheridge, 9/11/12.
1954 Nancy Johnson Blanchard, 6/14/12. Betsy Patterson Lynch, 4/30/12.
1955 Elizabeth Boland Butler, 9/5/12. Ann Hamrick Elliott, 8/18/12. Virginia Kime MacMillan, 8/22/12.
1956 Myra Cochran Doster, 6/16/12.
Alumna’s Work as Author and Educator Provides Best of Both Worlds By Melyssa Allen
T
o Meredith College students, Tisha Admire Duncan, ’99, is an assistant professor in the education department. But to kids, Duncan is the author who brings a cat named Mutt to life. Duncan’s children’s book series follows the adventures of Mutt and his friends. Her first book, “My Dirty Cat Mutt,” was based on a story Duncan wrote as a child. “My first book was for my grandmother, who had saved my childhood story and wanted to see it in print,” Duncan said. Duncan did not plan to create a series but after the first book received a positive response she decided to do a series in which Mutt meets new friends. The second book is called “Myrtle the Blue Eyed Turtle.” In the latest book, Mutt meets Myrtle, who is different and doesn’t have many friends. In a storyline focused on accepting differences and not judging others, Mutt and Myrtle discover that friendship isn’t based on appearances. “Research has shown that Tisha Admire children make connections to Duncan, ’99 their own lives through book characters,” Duncan said. “I wanted to write a book that would spark conversations among younger students.” Duncan is pleased with the response to the book. One young reviewer wrote that he knew what it felt like to be different because he was taller than others in his class, and that reading about Myrtle and Mutt helps kids learn that differences should be celebrated. Hearing from readers and meeting students is rewarding for Duncan. “It is a lot of fun to visit schools, read to children and help them make connections,” Duncan said. “In their minds I’m just as famous as Dr. Seuss.” While her next book is already in the works, Duncan continues to enjoy her work at Meredith teaching pre-service teachers in undergraduate methods courses, and graduate education courses in gifted education, literacy and social studies. She joined the faculty of her alma mater in 2008. “I love to teach and I love to write,” Duncan said. “I get the best of both worlds at Meredith.” Both of Duncan’s books are illustrated by Phillip Holeman. The books are available through WestBow Press, a division of Thomas Nelson publishing. The book is available online and at bookstores including Raleigh’s Quail Ridge Books. Visit muttandfriends.com for more information.
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alumnae Connection 1961 Linda Dobson Edwards, 8/21/12.
1962 Rachel Lowe Long, 9/5/12.
1967 Madge Spence Ayscue, 6/24/12.
1968 Patsy Wilson Lockhart, 7/16/12.
1971 Martha Browning Dicus, 8/26/12.
Travel with Meredith to the Heart of Tuscany June 13-24, 2013
2004 Babette “Babs” Sue Smith, 6/28/12.
Sympathy 1957 Sarah Lawrence Dupree in the loss of her husband.
1958
You are Invited! Whether you have traveled to Italy before or it’s your first time, the Meredith College 2013 tour of the Tuscan region is one you don’t want to miss! Guided by Betty Webb, ’67, Professor Emerita, Department of English, and director of Meredith in Sansepolcro, and Becky Bailey, Professor Emerita, Department of Art, you will explore the charms and beauty of Tuscany and Umbria.
Vivian Morris Deal in the death of her husband.
1960 Joy Goldsmith Jarrett in the death of her husband.
1961 Evelyn Simpson Osbahr in the death of her
husband.
1970 Carolyn Langhorne Shields in the death of her
husband.
1971 Olivia Harris Fleming in the death of her mother. Gail Bartholomew Kiker in the death of her mother.
1973 Linda Weeks Peterson in the death of her husband.
1974 Woody Woodley Dicus in the death of her sister. Elaine Bartholomew Scarborough in the death of her mother.
1977 Carol Clapp Lemke in the death of her mother. Carolyn Gay Shackelford in the death of her mother.
1978 Faye Hollowell Porter in the death of her mother.
1979 Diane Bauer Hadley in the death of her father. Kay Pollock Bender in the death of her mother. Tina
Enjoy a unique travel experience discovering the allure of the small hill towns, enhanced by the expertise of guides who have intimate knowledge of the region. While you’ll travel to places like Florence, Assisi and Siena, this tour includes unique opportunities to see little known parts of Tuscany such as … • the tiny monastery in Montecasale where St. Francis would retreat to rest, sleeping on a rock ledge • the headquarters of the elegant, internationally-known Busatti domestic textiles, where you’ll be introduced to the weaving process by the owners • Castello di Sorci, an ancient stone restaurant and inn outside Sansepolcro, so off the beaten path that it’s easily missed, where you will enjoy a multi-course, traditional Tuscan meal • Fattoria Resta, built in the second half of the 16th century, that was once a monastery but now home to winemaker Anna Lisa Tempestini, your guide to the exceptional wines of the region, including her own label. Reserve your space early—space is limited to 30 guests. Please contact Susan Metts at mettssus@meredith.edu or (919) 760-8589. A complete description of the trip and travel details can be found at meredith.edu/alumnae/travel.htm.
1983
Tiahna Krabacher McDowell in the death of her father.
Katy Too S. Johnson Lewis in the death of her mother.
1995
1986
Betsy Trible Reid in the death of her grandmother.
Sandra Dupree Somers in the loss of her father.
2007
1990
Christina Hooks Copersito in the death of her
Amanda Carroll Lowe in the death of her son.
grandfather.
1991
2009
Prewitt Bryan in the death of her husband.
Rebecca Allen Paul in the death of her father.
Ashley Lewis in the death of her grandmother.
1980
1993
2010
Cathy Clapp Byman in the death of her mother. 30
/ Meredith M a ga z i ne / fa l l 2 0 12
Katherine Gu Granger in the death of her father.
Katie Garner in the death of her grandmother.
CC
ultural events
Spring 2013 Calendar for Meredith College
Meredith College cultural events are open to the public and free unless otherwise noted. We invite you to visit meredith.edu/community for more information about these and other events.
January Junior Recital: Katherine Barton, piano January 12, 5 p.m. Carswell Concert Hall
Guest Recital: Anatoly Larkin, piano January 18, 7:30 p.m. Carswell Concert Hall
Faculty Recital: DeMar Neal, baritone January 19, 7:30 p.m. Carswell Concert Hall
Artistry in Design: Visual Connections January 24–March 31 Opening reception: January 24, 4-6 p.m. Rotunda Gallery
Connections: Artists Invited by Meredith College Art Faculty January 24–March 17 Opening reception: January 24, 4-6 p.m. Frankie G. Weems Art Gallery
February Graduation Recital: Ashlee Pemberton, double bass
“Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler February 22-23, 8 p.m. Studio Theatre Tickets: $10 (Proceeds benefit InterAct of Wake County) Reservations: boxoffice@meredith.edu
Meredith Spring Choral Concert featuring NCSU Men’s Chorus
Winter Choral Concert
“Elektra,” devised and directed by Chip Rodgers
February 24, 3 p.m. Jones Chapel
April 16-20, 8 p.m. April 21, 3 p.m. Studio Theatre
Meredith Sinfonietta Winter Concert February 28, 8 p.m. Jones Auditorium
March Faculty Distinguished Lecture
DanceWorks April 26-28, 8 p.m. April 27-28, 3 p.m. Jones Auditorium Tickets: $10 general; $5 students/seniors Reservations: boxoffice@meredith.edu
Sherry Shapiro – “The Hair Project: Negotiating the Politics of the Body” March 12, 7 p.m. Jones Auditorium
Junior Recital: Christina Hunt, soprano
Meredith Concerto Aria Concert
April 28, 3 p.m. Jones Chapel
March 16, 7 p.m. Jones Auditorium
Guest Recital: Ray Kilburn, piano March 18, 7:30 p.m. Carswell Concert Hall
February 2, 3 p.m. Carswell Concert Hall
April
“A Little Night Music” by Hugh Wheeler directed by Catherine Rodgers
Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition
February 12-17, 8 p.m. February 16, 3 & 8 p.m. Jones Auditorium Tickets: $10 general; $5 students/seniors Reservations: boxoffice@meredith.edu
April 15, 7:30 p.m. Jones Chapel
April 11–August 27 Opening reception: April 11, 4-6 p.m. Awards ceremony: April 11, 5 p.m. Rotunda Gallery
Senior Art Exhibition April 14-30 Opening reception: April 14, 2-4 p.m. Frankie G. Weems Art Gallery
April 27, 8 p.m. Carswell Concert Hall
Spring Choral Concert
May Meredith Sinfonietta Spring Concert May 2, 8 p.m. Jones Auditorium
Senior Recital: Erica Rogers, piano May 4, 3 p.m. Carswell Concert Hall
Junior Recital: Rose Turchi, soprano May 5, 3 p.m. Carswell Concert Hall
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Department of Marketing 3800 Hillsborough Street Raleigh, North Carolina 27607-5298 meredith.edu
Angels Needed (Yes, we mean you.) As a Meredith Angel, you’re passionate about your alma mater. You believe in its mission to educate and inspire students, and you’re living proof of its success. In short, you’re proud of Meredith, and all it stands for. You’re proud of other Angels, too. The sisterhood that begins at Meredith only grows over time. You want the best for other Angels. And when you need help, as we all do from time to time, odds are good you’ll turn to another Angel. Now, Meredith needs you. If Meredith is to continue to be strong and vibrant, we need you, and all our Angels, to act on your commitment to the College through a gift to The Meredith Fund. Your financial support will allow Meredith to stay focused on the future. It will make a Meredith education accessible to more women. And, it will increase the value of your degree. This year, we’re asking you to give back to the College that gave you so much. Make a gift to The Meredith Fund.
Needed meredith.edu/giving