Millsaps magazine winter 2015 by Millsaps College

MILLSAPS MAGAZINE

WINTER 2015

In an article from the Aug. 17, 2015 issue of Forbes magazine,

in medicine, law, business, science, or education, but many

author George Anders writes of the increasing value of a

graduates will also find themselves working in jobs that do not

liberal arts background in today’s tech industry, remarking

exist today and will benefit from the adaptability and flexibil-

“software companies are discovering that liberal arts thinking

ity offered by a liberal arts background.

makes them stronger.” At a time when proponents of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) training are finding eager audiences of parents and students, it’s important to note the demand that remains for employees grounded in the liberal arts that, traditionally, have included the humanities, arts, and social sciences along with mathematics and the natural sciences. A growing number of C-level executives are calling for greater STEAM education (adding an A for arts), and advocating for the value of the arts and humanities in today’s workplace. A liberal arts education develops and encourages the ability to discern, analyze, question, communicate, and challenge. While the liberal arts have always been a cornerstone of a Millsaps education, we have woven this approach to learning into the fabric of our innovative Compass Curriculum, which is now a requirement for all incoming first-year students. The Compass Curriculum provides the skills and abilities that our students need to thrive in an ever-changing world coupled with a broad, rich education that focuses on STEM fields, humanities, understanding the social world, non-native languages, and business skills that allow students to navigate our increasingly interconnected society. Furthermore, our curriculum, combined with our central location in the capital city of our state, ensures our students are socially conscious, civically engaged, and able to integrate their personal values with their professional responsibilities. We know this educational approach will prove valuable

It is equally important to offer students and parents the value of completing this course of study in a four-year period. They want to see a return on their investment in a college education, and the ability to earn a degree and enter the job market in four years should be the norm rather than the exception. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Millsaps College has the highest four-year graduation rate of any college or university in Mississippi—more than one and a half times that of the next highest school. And, with the Compass Curriculum, we continue to provide a clear path to graduation in four years. Just as we remain focused on the long-term value of a Millsaps education, we are committed to guarantee students who meet basic course load and performance requirements will graduate in four years—or we will waive tuition and fees on courses required to complete a bachelor’s degree. This has been a standard expectation at Millsaps since our origin 125 years ago, and our new guarantee simply formalizes what we have always done. The diverse global environment into which our graduates enter demands their very best. The young women and men we teach today expect and deserve an education that gives them the knowledge, skills, and practical experience to succeed in their career and make a difference in their communities. We know we can provide this education at Millsaps. In fact, we guarantee it!

as our students learn over the next four years and prepare for their working careers. Many of our students will choose careers

Dr. Robert W. Pearigen President

Compass Curriculum

On Campus Campus Events Accolades

Commencement

Four-Year Guarantee Stewart Professorship CASE Award Vocation, Ethics, and Society

4 5 6 8 11 12 14

Major Sports

Associate Athletic Director Riverside Rumble Major Homecoming

24 26 28

Alumni

Alumni President Physician Couple Greek Tea

A Helping Hand Giving Back

Class Notes

Shelton IV*; Mike Sturdivant Jr.*; Bishop James E. Swanson Sr.; Ward Van Skiver*;

Jerry Bostick Beam*; The Rev. Zachary

J. Mack Varner*; William G. Yates III

EXECUTIVE EDITOR John Sewell*

Dr. S. Keith Dunn, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

DESIGN Kelley Matthews

Dr. Robert Alexander, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing

PUBLICATIONS MANAGER Nell Luter Floyd

Terri Hudson, Vice President for Institutional Planning and Assessment

The Rev. Elisabeth Anne Garvin*; Dr.

Michael V. Hutchison, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

H. Hall Jr.*; Monica Sethi Harrigill*; The

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Greg Campbell, Jacob Langston, Chris Todd, and Sophie McNeil Wolf

Kenneth Townsend*, Special Assistant to the President

J. Thomas Fowlkes*, Chair; The Rev.

EXECUTIVE STAFF Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, President

Dr. R. Brit Katz, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Millsaps Magazine Winter 2015

WEB Lucy Molinaro* and Justin Schultz

A Magical Career In Memoriam

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ruth Cummins, Nell Luter Floyd, Nell Knox*, and John Webb

C. Beasley; Paul T. Benton*; Carol A. Biedenharn*; The Rev. Warren Black*; Katherine B. Brady*; William Bynum; James A. Coggin; The Rev. Claire Dobbs; William R. Flatt*; Mark R. Freeman*; Cristina P. Glick; William F. Goodman III*; Judge James E. Graves Jr.*; Maurice Rev. Heather K. Hensarling; Richard G. Hickson; William R. James; Peder R.

HONORARY TRUSTEES Robert H. Dunlap*; Robert W. Pittman*; Ruth W. Watson* LIFE TRUSTEES Gale L. Galloway; William T. Jeanes*; Robert N. Leggett Jr.*; Richard D. McRae; J. Con Maloney Jr.*; Nat S. Rogers*; Rowan H. Taylor; John C. Vaughey; Leila Clark Wynn *Denotes Millsaps Alumni

Johnson*; The Rev. W. Geoffrey Joyner*; Charles R. Lathem*; John L. Lindsey; Paul F. McNeill*; Vaughan W. McRae; Michael T. McRee; Jean N. Medley*; Richard H. Mills*; Monte Rector*; Donna Ruth Else Roberts; Dr. Robert C. Robbins*; E. B. Robinson Jr.; Toddy Porter Sanders*; The Rev. Dr. J. Joseph

Millsaps Magazine is published by Millsaps College, 1701 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39210, for distribution to alumni, parents of students, and friends of the College. For the online magazine, visit www.millsaps.edu/magazine.

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Meet Sara Jo Ridgeway, a junior from the Mississippi Gulf Coast town of Ocean Springs. She is a member of both the cheerleading team and the dance team, the Millsaps Singers, chaplain of Kappa Delta, vice president of the Panhellenic Executive Board, a member of the Title IX Committee, and a participant in Millsaps Theatre. She is a resident assistant and teaches Zumba on campus. One of her most significant contributions has been establishing an annual event named the ENDIT Movement to raise awareness about human/sex trafficking. It has formally been adopted as a program of Panhellenic, which means that even when Ridgeway graduates, the program will continue. Ridgeway, who is majoring in education with a minor in psychology, would like to teach at a school in a low-income community and work with at-risk students. She’d also like to teach dance on the side. Q: WHAT MADE YOU CHOOSE MILLSAPS? A: I felt that I would thrive here because of the close relationships students build with professors and the administration. I consider myself a “go-getter.” I seek out opportunities, and when something ends or doesn’t work out, I’m quick to start on the next thing I want to do.

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Millsaps understands students who are go-getters, because that’s who we are and that’s what Millsaps College is.

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT MILLSAPS? A: I love people, but I especially love Millsaps people. We understand each other, and being able to walk around campus recognizing every face you pass means so much to me. When I say this is my “homeaway-from-home,” I’m not saying that to be cliché. Millsaps College really feels like home to me.

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN MOST TRANSFORMATIVE ABOUT BEING A STUDENT AT MILLSAPS? A: Millsaps College has taught me how to truly care about people and how to be a good friend. I enjoy “me time,” but I’ve had to learn that it’s not all about me, and that even when my school work or campus involvement seems most important, it’s usually not. Being there for people when they need you, laughing with your friends, and having spontaneous trips to get ice cream is crucial! At the end of the day, most people won’t remember you for your GPA, or for the many activities you’re involved in, but they will remember the people who were good friends, and that is what is really important.

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Meet Dr. Anita M. DeRouen, director of writing and

teaching and an assistant professor responsible for teaching communication studies and English courses. Her job allows her to interact with students and faculty and to engage new ideas and scholarship that help shape curriculum development, all of which ensure she never has a dull moment. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, her master’s degree at Northwestern State University, and her doctorate at the University of Georgia. She joined the Millsaps faculty in 2008.

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE ABOUT WRITING? A: Just write! So often we get bogged down in our desire for perfection: what’s most important is to put the pen to the paper and get the words out! Daily writing is crucial, like a workout for the mind. Whether you’re a student, professor, administrator, or alum working in your chosen field, write anything and write often.

Q: IS WRITING A SKILL THAT CAN BE IMPROVED? A: Definitely! There’s no such thing as a person who just isn’t born to write and there’s no writer who isn’t continually developing. The only responsible way to think about writing is to see it as akin to the very essence of what makes us human; every writer is constantly grow-

ing and improving with each passing day, just as we develop our life stories by living and reflecting one day at a time. Mississippi author and Millsaps alumnus Kiese Laymon says it best in his book, How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America: “We owe it to each other to love and insist on meaningful revision until the day we die.” We are ever changing and our responsibility is to be active writers and revisers in everything that we do.

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT BEING A FACULTY MEMBER AT MILLSAPS? A: The people make the place. When I interviewed here, I immediately felt like I’d found my family, and that’s what this place fosters: the love, support, challenge, and nurturing of family.

Q: WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH ON CAMPUS? A: I’m involved in work surrounding promoting and developing faculty and student awareness of issues regarding race on campus. I serve as an advisor to the Black Student Union and participate in the ongoing conversations of the African-American Student Advisory Circle. I am working with Susan Womack, associate vice president of development operations at Millsaps, as we deliver and continually refine a program to help students learn to effectively engage in dialogue with one another about issues related to race relations. Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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CAMPUS EVENTS

SCHOLARS, AUTHORS, AND MUSICIANS WERE AMONG VISITORS IN RECENT MONTHS.

Former Governor Ronnie Musgrove and Patsy Brumfield

Poet Richard Blanco

Former Governor Haley Barbour

EDUCATION FORUM Former Mississippi Governor Ronnie Musgrove, state representative John Moore, and Patsy Brumfield, communications director of 42 for Better Schools, spoke last April as part of the program entitled “Competing Plans for Public Education Funding in Mississippi: An Examination of the Role of the Legislature, Courts, and the Constitution.” The program was sponsored by the Elise and William Winter Speaker Series.

WELTY BIENNIAL Oscar-winning actress Olivia Dukakis presented a staged reading of Eudora Welty’s short story, “Asphodel,” on campus in June as part of the Welty Biennial. Sibyl Child of Jackson and Brenda Currin, who appeared in the films “In Cold Blood,” “Reds,” and “The World According to Garp,” joined Dukakis.

MCMULLAN YOUNG WRITERS WORKSHOP Richard Blanco, who read a poem he wrote for the occasion of President Barack Obama’s second inauguration, was the keynote speaker at the McMullan Young Writers Workshop on campus in July. He read from his memoir, The Prince of Los Cocuyos, and from his award-winning poetry. Margaret McMullan, award-winning novelist, short story writer, and essayist, spoke to students, and students also visited by Skype with other writers including Helen Habila and Megan Stielstra. The McMullan Family Foundation funded the workshop, which was coordinated through a partnership with Millsaps College and the Eudora Welty Foundation.

ARTS & LECTURE SERIES Former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, photographer Tim Isbell, author NancyKay Wessman, and political expert Jere Nash discussed in September “Katrina—Ten Years Later.” They gave the annual Ross Moore History Lecture as part of a program sponsored by the Arts and Lecture Series.

MILLSAPS FALL FORUM SERIES Judge James E. Graves Jr., B.A. 1975, trustee, and a judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, led in September the viewing of “The Loving Story” and reflection afterward. The documentary tells the story of Mildred and Richard Loving, who were arrested in July 1958, in Virginia, for violating a state law that banned marriage between people of different races. Such laws had been on the books in most states since the 17th century. The program was a celebration of Constitution Day 2015 and was made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities Created Equal Initiative.

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ACCOLADES

Millsaps faculty and staff members spend time in the classroom, but that's not all that they do. They find time for research and creative endeavors, and they participate in professional activities that expand their knowledge and enhance their teaching. Our staff members stay busy, too. Here are some of their recent professional activities.

Faculty JESSE D. BEELER, professor of accounting; DAVID H. CULPEPPER B.S. 1980, M.B.A. 1984, professor of accounting; and PENELOPE J. PRENSHAW, professor of marketing, published “Native American Youth Entrepreneurship Summer Camp: An Intensive Instructional Approach” in the spring 2015 issue of the Journal of Scholastic Inquiry: Education.

VÉRONIQUE BÉLISLE, assistant professor of anthropology, published “Understanding Wari State Expansion: A ‘Bottom-Up’ Approach at the Village of Ak’awillay, Cusco, Peru” in Latin American

Antiquity (June 2015).

DAMON E. CAMPBELL, associate professor of information systems, published with J.D. Wells and C. Parks “Understanding the Role of Theory on Instrument Development: An Examination of Strengths and Weaknesses of Discriminant Validity Analysis Techniques” in the Journal of Information

Technology Theory and Application in June 2015.

RACHEL FISCHBACH, post-doctoral teaching fellow in the religious studies department, had two articles published in 2015: “Interfaith Dialogue in Lebanon: Between a Power Balancing Act and Theological Encounters” in Islam and Christian-

Muslim Relations 26 (co-authored with Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad) and “Enlightening Engagement” in Critical Muslim (co-authored with Rachel Friedman). Fischbach recently received a research grant from the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa.

AMY WIESE FORBES, associate professor of history and director of European studies, spoke in August at the National Library of Medicine on “Medical Identity and Ethnicity in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans.”

SUZANNE MARRS, emerita professor of English, co-edited with Tom Nolan the book, Meanwhile

There Are Letters: The Correspondence of Eudora Welty and Ross Macdonald, published by Arcade. It has received reviews inThe New York Times,

Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times.

SHELLI POE, visiting assistant professor of religious

III. He was selected to serve as a facilitator for

studies, became the director of Vocation, Ethics,

ACUI’s seven-day immersive undergraduate stu-

and Society (formerly known as the Faith and

dent leadership experience I-LEAD held at Colo-

Work Initiative) at Millsaps in May 2014. She

rado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colo.,

made a conference presentation with THE REV.

July 23-31. Takewell also served as a facilitator for

CHRIS DONALD, chaplain and director of religious

the National Interfraternity Conference’s Under-

life at Millsaps, and Ann Phelps, former 1 Cam-

graduate Interfraternity Institute in May. He has

pus 1 Community director, entitled “Transitional

co-authored “Queering South Mississippi: Simple

Times: Navigating the Spaces between Convoca-

and Seemingly Impossible Work” as a research fel-

tion, Vocation, and Baccalaureate in a Religiously

low with the Research Initiative for Social Justice

Plural Community” at the Network for Vocation in

and Equity; it will be found in the upcoming book,

Undergraduate Education Conference in St. Louis

Educators Queering Academia: Critical Memoirs.

on March 28. Poe also presented “Friedrich Schleiermacher’s Dogmatics as a Resource for Ecological

Center for Career Education staff members LAUREN

Economics” at the American Academy of Reli-

ABRAMSON, B.A. 2015, student employment coor-

gion in San Diego, Calif. on Nov. 24, 2014. With

dinator/social media specialist; TONYA NATIONS,

Maurice Apprey and Patrice Preston-Grimes, Poe

senior director; SUZI NYBERG, career specialist for

published “Key Issues from Policy and Strategy to

the Else School of Management; and SECOND LT.

Program Implementation” in the Peabody Journal

JESSICA WHATLEY, military specialist, flew on a Boe-

of Education, Special Issue: Advising, Mentoring,

ing CH-47 Chinook from Hawkins Field in Jackson

and Advancing African-American Students in

to Camp Shelby, south of Hattiesburg, on Aug. 3

Higher Education: Trajectories from Policy and

to participate in the Boss Lift Program. The Boss

Strategy to Academic Support Programs (2014).

Lift Program helps employers understand how vital jobs are to service members and what service

STEVE SMITH, professor of philosophy and reli-

members do during drill or active duty. Activi-

gious studies, published “Historical Rightness”

ties included a tour of facilities where national

in Soundings (Spring 2015) and “How to Expand

and international groups are housed and trained,

Musical Formalism” in the Journal of Aesthetic

observation of an M1A1 tank, and the opportunity

Education (Summer 2015).

to shoot a 240 Bravo from the top of a Maneuver Area Training Equipment Site, and a lecture and

KENNETH TOWNSEND, B.A. 2004, special assistant to

access to drones used for gathering information in

the president and assistant professor of politi-

the field.

cal science, was one of 22 American delegates selected to take part in the American Council on Germany’s 2015 Young Leaders Program, which was held in Munich and Berlin in July. During the conference, Townsend delivered a presentation entitled “Immigration and Integration in the U.S. and Germany.”

Staff ISABELLE E. HIGBEE, B.A. 1978, was promoted from associate director of the Office Financial Aid to director of the Office of Financial Aid.

WILLIAM TAKEWELL, director of Campus Life, serves as the communications coordinator for the Association of College Unions International’s Region

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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2015 graduates presented with diplomas during ceremony in the Bowl The 121st commencement at Millsaps College, held May 9, was especially joyous because it was the first time in four years that the weather permitted it to be held outside on campus in the traditional setting of the Bowl. The class of 2015 included 179 students who received undergraduate degrees and 58 students who received graduate degrees. Honorary degrees were awarded to Gulfport-born poet and former United States Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey, the Rev. Janet Sanderson Ott, 1970, and the Rev. Luther Ott, B.A. 1971, of Jackson, and business leader Jack Reed Sr. of Tupelo. Ellen Faulk was recognized as the recipient of the Millsaps College Foundersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Medal. The medal is awarded to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average and a grade of excellent on comprehensive examinations. Resham Rahat, a Phi Betta Kappa graduate, was named the recipient of the Frank and Rachel Anne Laney Award for her essay that reflected upon the value of a Millsaps liberal arts education. Kyle Scott Skene was recognized as the Outstanding Master of Accountancy Graduate. Meredith Freeman Vandevender and Samantha L. Wursteisen were recognized with the Charles Sewell Outstanding Master of Business Administration Award. Michala Perry Sullivan earned the Don Fortenberry Award, which recognizes the graduating senior who has demonstrated the most notable, meritorious, diligent, and devoted service to Millsaps with no expectation of recognition, reward, or public remembrance. Dr. Jesse D. Beeler, director of accounting programs and the Hyman F. McCarty Jr. Chair of Business Administration, received the Distinguished Professor Award. He received a bachelor of science degree from Missouri State University, an M.B.A. from Missouri State University, and a doctorate in accounting from the University of Texas-Arlington. Forty-two percent of the class reported the day before graduation that they had been accepted into a graduate/professional program, and 43 percent reported they had secured employment, according to the Millsaps College Center for Career Education. Graduates pursuing additional studies represent a broad range of fields, including business, accounting, and economics (48 percent); medicine and healthcare (20 percent); science and engineering (11 percent); law (10 percent); teaching, counseling, and ministry (6 percent); and the arts and humanities (4 percent).

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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Four years. Guaranteed. In conjunction with its new Compass Curriculum, Millsaps College has announced an initiative that guarantees graduation in four years, or the College will waive tuition and fees on courses required to complete a bachelor’s degree. “Millsaps College already boasts the highest fouryear graduation rate in the state, more than one and a half times that of the next highest college or university, according to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics,” said Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, Millsaps’ president. “Through our Compass Curriculum, we provide a clear four-year path that ensures our graduates will have the knowledge, skills, and practical experience to succeed in their careers and make a difference in their communities.” Beginning with this fall’s first-year students, all Millsaps students (regardless of major) will progress through the Compass Curriculum, which includes first-year courses aimed at providing necessary skills and interdisciplinary study in a broad array of knowledge domains including humanities, STEM, business, fine arts, the natural world, the social world, mathematics, and non-native languages courses. All students will earn academic credit for learning experiences both on and off campus, such as internships in the capital region, research fellowships with Millsaps’ partners in the medical corridor, or participation in Millsaps’ highly ranked study abroad programs. The new guarantee states that students must meet certain conditions, including completing a minimum number of hours per semester, maintaining good academic standing, and fulfilling all academic requirements including comprehensive examinations. “This new guarantee simply formalizes what has been, for the past 125 years, the standard expectation from the incredible experience that is a Millsaps education,” said Pearigen. For details about the Millsaps four-year graduation guarantee and the Compass Curriculum, visit millsaps.edu/guarantee.

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Millsaps student only Goldwater Scholarship recipient in Mississippi for 2015 Millsaps College student Ardith Diane Ward Bravenec is the recipient of a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes the nation’s next generation of top research scientists. Bravenec, a senior who is from Brandon and earning degrees in chemistry, creative writing, and mathematics, is the only student from Mississippi to receive a Goldwater Scholarship this year. Named in honor of Sen. Barry Goldwater, the one- and two-year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year. The scholarship program was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics,

2015 Millsaps Student Science Research Symposium. She will present collaborative research at the 2015 Society for American Archaeology. Bravenec plans to earn a doctorate in chemistry, either in analytical, theoretical, physical, or astrochemistry so that she can work in industry and later teach at a research university. Bravenec said she was delighted to learn she had been selected as a Goldwater Scholar. “It’s an incredible encouragement for me to continue research and to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry,” she said. “I’d like to thank everyone in the Chemistry Department for their support, especially Dr. Lee Maggio for nominating me for the Goldwater Scholarship, Dr. Kristina Stensaas, and my research advisor Dr. Timothy Ward.” Two-hundred-sixty scholarships were awarded for the 2015–2016 academic year to undergraduate sophomores and juniors from the United States.

the natural sciences, and engineering. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type in these fields. “Students chosen for a Goldwater Scholarship far exceed faculty expectations, and Ardith Bravenec is no exception,” said Dr. Lee Lewis Maggio, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Millsaps. “Ardith’s thirst for understanding every facet of a subject has driven her to excel in her classes, research, and extracurricular activities, well preparing her to pursue a career in chemistry. Through her research, creative writing, and equestrian activities that take her to local, national, and international events, Ardith personifies the Millsaps model of learning and leading ‘across the street and around the globe.’ ” Bravenec serves as president of the Millsaps chapter of Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society and is a member of the national mathematics honor society, Pi Mu Epsilon, and the national English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta. She is a writing juror for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. She is pursuing two projects as part of the Honors Program at Millsaps. One project, supervised by Dr. Timothy Ward, professor of chemistry and director of The W.M. Keck Center for Instrumental and Biochemical Comparative Archaeology, focuses on developing analytical chemistry methods for trace residues with applications in archaeology. A second project, supervised by Dr. George Bey, professor of sociology and anthropology and Chisholm Foundation Chair of Arts and Sciences, focuses on technology in science fiction. Bravenec has worked in the Keck lab since her freshman year, pursuing research during the summer. She has presented her research in Chicago at Pittcon 2014, the world’s largest annual conference and exposition for laboratory science, and in New Orleans at Pittcon 2015 as well as at the 245th American Chemical Society National Meeting and Exposition and the

The Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,206 mathematics, science, and engineering students who were nominated by the faculties of colleges and universities nationwide. One hundred forty-five of the scholars are men, 115 are women, and virtually all intend to obtain a Ph.D. as their degree objective. Thirty-four scholars are mathematics majors, 154 are science and related majors, 68 are majoring in engineering, and four are computer science majors. Many of the scholars have dual majors in a variety of mathematics, science, engineering, and computer disciplines. Goldwater Scholars have impressive academic qualifications that have garnered the attention of prestigious post-graduate fellowship programs. Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 86 Rhodes Scholarships, 123 Marshall Awards, 123 Churchill Scholarships, and numerous other distinguished fellowships such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships. Bravenec is the daughter of Dr. Timothy Ward and Karen Ward.

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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Assistant Dean helps students adjust to college life In her new role as assistant dean for academic advising and student support, Dr. Melissa A. Lea helps ensure Millsaps College students start and remain on the right foot. “I provide student support for time management, study skills, and stress management,” said Lea, who is also associate professor of psychology & neuroscience and director of the neuroscience and cognitive studies program at Millsaps. “I am also a resource for referrals to other campus services, such as mental and spiritual counseling.” Lea, who has worked at Millsaps since 2007, said her new role allows her to help students acclimate to Millsaps if they need assistance. “I like thinking of it as a means to help students with finding tutors, approaching professors, and transitioning to college,” she said. Dr. Keith Dunn, senior vice president and dean of the College, said Millsaps has a strong legacy of student support and success. “Having Melissa Lea in the assistant dean’s role allows us to bring the interrelated areas of academic advising and student support and the academic side of retention and student success under one proven, student-centered leader,” he said. Lea’s duties include coordinating support for academically at-risk students and working with students who must withdraw from classes during a term or who need to take a leave of absence. 10

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She also assists the Enrollment Management Office in recruiting and advising prospective students and will recruit, select, and train all summer advisors and coordinate all summer advising sessions for new students. She is responsible for Major Declaration Day and the College’s annual Awards Day, which recognizes top scholars in all departments and divisions of the College. Lea will teach two courses each year as a member of the Psychology and Neuroscience Department. A graduate of the University of Michigan where she received her B.S. and Miami University where she received her master’s degree and doctorate, Lea has studied food perception and behaviors that lead to eating disorders, as well as how social roles influence team cohesion in athletics. She established the neuroscience and cognitive studies major at Millsaps and helped bring the Dance for PD program to campus as a community engaged learning opportunity for neuroscience and cognitive studies students and an opportunity to offer the program that focuses on movement to anyone with Parkinson’s disease.

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Classics professor awarded the prestigious Stewart professorship Dr. Holly Sypniewski, associate professor of Classics, has been named the E.B. Stewart Family Professor in Language and Literature. The Stewart professorship is awarded on a competitive basis for a two-year term to support the work of a faculty member from the Arts and Humanities Division, teaching in the area of language and literature. The post carries a reduced teaching load, a summer stipend, and a research and travel fund. The Stewart professorship was established in 1986 with a gift from E. Edward Stewart, a 1957 graduate of Millsaps. Stewart, who made the gift in honor of his father and mother, credited Millsaps with expanding his view of the world. After his graduation, Stewart pursued a career in investment banking. He founded and was president of Financial Investments Corp. in Memphis from 1967 until his death in 1995. “I am thrilled that, through Mr. Stewart’s generosity, the College is able to recognize Holly Synpiewski and support her fascinating scholarship on ancient graffiti,” said Dr. Keith Dunn, senior vice president and dean of the College. “Holly is a dedicated and enthusiastic servant of Millsaps whose contributions to the College have only multiplied in recent years. It is gratifying to know that the E.B. Stewart Chair will provide Holly and our students with time and resources to focus on this exciting project.” Sypniewski will use her time as the Stewart Professor to complete several articles associated with ongoing work on the ancient Roman graffiti preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E. in the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. She is the assistant director of digitization for the Ancient

Graffiti Project, a collaboration that will study and digitize the comprehensive collection of several thousand textual graffiti and graffiti drawings preserved in the two cities. “I am honored to be named the Stewart Family Professor in Languages and Literature, and I am grateful for the support of my current research with the Ancient Graffiti Project, directed by Rebecca R. Benefiel of Washington and Lee University,” Sypniewski said. “In a contemporary context, the term ‘graffiti’ is usually negative, referring to large scale, informal writing that defaces or vandalizes. Ancient graffiti, however, were remarkably different. Most were private messages, scratched lightly on the walls of homes or shops. As such, graffiti provide a window into many aspects of the daily life of the inhabitants of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In addition to completing several publications, I will use the resources of this award to return to Herculaneum next summer with some of my Latin students to document the graffiti there.” Sypniewski joined the faculty at Millsaps in 2002, after completing her Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin. In 2008, she became the chair of the Classical Studies Department, a post from which she has stepped down this fall to become the interim associate dean of Arts and Humanities. She has also served as the Core Curriculum director since 2012. Sypniewski has received the Millsaps College Outstanding Young Faculty Award, the Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year Award, and the Charles W. Sallis Award for Distinguished Service to the College. She has been instrumental in developing and launching the Compass Curriculum. Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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Generosity of alumni, parents, and friends brings recognition for fundraising The Council for Advancement and Support of Education has named Millsaps College a recipient of a 2015 CASE Educational Fundraising Award. The award honors overall improvement, as well as exemplary fundraising programs and activities. It is given based on analysis by volunteer judges of three years of fundraising data that Millsaps College submitted to the Council for Aid to Education’s annual Voluntary Support of Education Survey. “This award recognizes the generosity and commitment of our alumni, parents, and friends, and is a testament to their desire to help advance the mission and vision of Millsaps College,” said Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, president of the College. Judges select winners based on numerous factors, including pattern of growth in total support, evaluation of what contributed to the total support

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figure, overall breadth in program areas, pattern of growth in each program area, and pattern of donor growth among alumni/ae donors and other individual donors. Also considered are the impact of the 12 largest gifts on total support, total support in relation to the alumni/ae base, and type of institution. Institutions are evaluated within appropriate peer groups, using different size and type classifications. Millsaps was recognized as one of seven private liberal arts institutions with endowments over $100 million. Other colleges awarded in the peer group with Millsaps include Colby College (Maine), College of the Holy Cross (Massachusetts), Hope College (Michigan), Knox College (Illinois), Saint Mary’s College (Indiana), and Wellesley College (Massachusetts).

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Gifts from the Sanderson family and Phil Hardin Foundation support Welty Chair The campaign to create the Eudora Welty Chair of Southern Literature at Millsaps College recently moved closer to its $2.5 million goal, thanks to a $500,000 gift from the Phil Hardin Foundation that will be combined with a $500,000 gift from Joe Sanderson, B.A. 1969, and his wife, Kathy, of Laurel. The Sanderson-Hardin Challenge will be used to encourage other Millsaps alumni, parents, and friends to contribute toward the $2.5 million goal for endowing the Chair. Establishing an endowment will enable the College to begin a national search for a preeminent scholar or writer to fill the new Welty Chair. The Eudora Welty Foundation is an enthusiastic supporter of the College’s efforts to raise funds for the Chair. “Millsaps has a rich and treasured history with Eudora Welty, who served this institution as an adjunct faculty member and a member of the Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, president of Millsaps. “This generous support from the Hardin Foundation and Joe and Kathy Sanderson will help ensure that this history remains strong and vibrant for generations of students.” Williams Jeanes, B.A. 1959, a life trustee at Millsaps and member of the Welty Foundation Board of Directors, echoed Pearigen, stating “there is no college or university better suited or better qualified to be the keeper of the Welty flame.” The Welty Chair is being developed to continue the nationally and internationally recognized work of Dr. Suzanne Marrs, professor emerita of English and former Millsaps Welty Scholar-in-Residence. Marrs retired in May 2015 after producing an exceptional level of scholarship program support as well as achieving a reputation as an outstanding teacher in the English Department. Just as Welty was neither a cloistered or self-obsessed writer but one who was truly engaged in the world, the College’s strategic plan “Across the Street and Around the Globe: Partnerships and Influence at Millsaps College” seeks to create the same capacities and values that were reflected in her writing—to connect the passions and abilities of our students to the larger needs of the world. The life of Welty not only models the writing process, it models a journey of lifelong learning so that students can develop their own creative voices and powers of observation. This new Chair and the endowment that supports it will further the goals and mission of the College, all the while promoting the legacy of Eudora Welty.

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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Vocation, Ethics, and Society helps students find their way in the world A distinctive minor at Millsaps College is helping students find their place and voice in the world—and to realize, on their journey to life after graduation, that it’s not all about them. The interdisciplinary minor is Vocation, Ethics, and Society (VESO). Directed by Dr. Shelli Poe, visiting assistant professor of religious studies, the minor strives to help students explore their social, cultural, and ethical worlds as they contemplate their own lives and

internships of their choice, usually in the city of Jackson, at the same time enrolling in a one-credit discussion course on campus “One student worked for the Human Rights Campaign. Another worked at the Southern Poverty Law Center, and another at the University of Mississippi Medical Center,” Poe said. “If they have something they want to explore, we try to make that happen.” About 80 courses are pre-approved to round out the interdisciplinary minor. If students want another course to count toward the minor, they ask Poe to approve it.

work. The diverse group of students en-

Callie Rush, a senior sociology

rolled, their academic studies ranging

major from Prentiss, said the classes

from business to natural science to the

she’s taken as part of the minor “have

humanities, are challenging each other

been incredibly influential in helping

to consider new perspectives as they

shape my experience at Millsaps.

pursue their vocations.

“My eyes were opened to the many

“Every college, especially a liberal

complexities of social change,” Rush

arts college, has as part of its mission

said. “My desire to change the world

to equip students with the tools they

became less a solo mission with me as

need to thrive in the world and help

the main hero and more a community

the world thrive,” Poe said. “But a lot of

effort, participating side by side with

colleges don’t offer an academic minor

those whose lives were influenced the

that will help students integrate what

most by the change.”

they learn in various classrooms across

Some students choose to travel

campus with what they want to do with their lives.” The Vocation, Ethics, and Society minor, Poe said, helps students to connect the dots in a structured way. “We help them to integrate their academic learning with what they do in their internships, and to think about what they want to do after they graduate. We help them try to figure out where they are in the world, and how they can contribute

“Prior to attending Millsaps, I had the opportunity to serve with the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps...but it wasn’t until I began my minor that I fully understood what taking a risk like AmeriCorps had done for me” –MICHALA SULLIVAN

to the society that they live in.” The minor began within Millsaps’ Faith and Work Initiative. “We have a number of students in the pipeline who might have begun as a Faith and Work minor. They’re continuing that with Vocation, Ethics, and Society,” Poe said. After a number of leadership and funding changes within the Initiative, Poe talked with students, faculty, and administration to re-envision how the minor could best serve the student body. “We want to indicate to students that the minor is interdisciplinary and includes students of various backgrounds and interests,” said Poe. “Millsaps is very proud to be affiliated with the United Methodist Church as an academic institution, because we share a commitment to intellectual integrity and the free exchange of ideas. We want to express that commitment in every one of our academic programs, including this minor.” Those in the minor enroll in a gateway course, The Meaning of Work, to earn four of the 20 required credits. Students complete two 14

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as part of the minor. Millsaps awards competitive grants to students in the minor who “apply to go somewhere or do something that would help them find their voice and place in the world,” Poe said. A final requirement is the creation of a portfolio that shows the development of their thought during the course of the minor. They must gather documents for the portfolio that will serve as credentials and resources for

their future work activities. Poe is recruiting students for the minor from across the College’s divisions. “We are seeking those who already have a major, and those who don’t yet know what they want to do,” she said. “We’re getting the information to the first-year students, and perhaps by the time they are sophomores, they might consider using the minor as a way to think deeply about their path in life.” She wants Vocation, Ethics, and Society to leave them with a clear message. “We want students to do what they love, but we also want them to think about how what they love doing can contribute to creating a more just world.” BY RUTH CUMMINS

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WELCOME TO THE LEGGETT LIVING ROOM. Newly remodeled space in the Boyd Campbell Student Center offers students, families, friends, and alumni a place to hang out and enjoy the beauty of the Bowl. Visit and enjoy the Leggett Living Room, which looks out onto the Bowl and includes the ecoGrounds coffee shop, offering a variety of coffees, smoothies, sandwiches, and more. The addition of rocking chairs underneath the big oak tree in front of the student center also offers students and visitors a comfortable gathering spot outside, perfect for an after-lunch or a late afternoon study break.

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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C MPASS CURRICULUM POINTING STUDENTS IN NEW DIRECTIONS BY JOHN WEBB

Just as a compass has four cardinal points—north, south, east, and west—the Millsaps College Compass Curriculum, introduced this fall, is marked by four cardinal learning objectives designed to help students navigate the increasingly complex terrain of a rapidly changing world. Before leaving Millsaps, they were expected to have an informed command of: Thinking and Reasoning—the ability to analyze and synthesize ideas and evidence, to question assumptions, to weigh alternative interpretations, to draw defensible conclusions, and to raise new questions and ideas. Communication—the ability to engage as both receiver and producer. Integrative and Collaborative Learning—the ability to build connections among ideas and experiences, to synthesize and transfer learning to new and/or complex situations, and to engage others in reciprocal work. Problem Solving and Creative Practice—the ability to synthesize ideas and work in imaginative, innovative ways, including artistic creation, to produce new ideas about challenging problems and offer solutions.

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{FEATURE}

S THE FACULTY SET OUT in 2012 to rethink the core objectives of a Millsaps education, “The first thing we did was endorse those four areas as the basis of the curriculum,” said

Dr. S. Keith Dunn, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. “Our curriculum had not been critically evaluated in two decades, and we saw an opportunity to intentionally address those principles, leverage all the assets Millsaps has, or connect with our strategic plan, Across the Street and Around the Globe.” Eleven faculty members, one student life professional, and ultimately the entire faculty worked with Dunn for two years to evaluate the curriculum, eventually conceiving the College’s innovative Compass Curriculum. Underpinned by the above learning objectives, the curriculum is divided into five components spanning a student’s entire career at the College: Our Human Heritage, Ventures, Connections, Explorations, and The Major Experience. Another track, Discovery, combines elements in a unique way for transfer students. “The final product,” according to Millsaps President Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, is one that reflects Millsaps’ historic commitment to excellence in the liberal arts while also preparing students to apply their knowledge and skills in creative ways and in a variety of settings.” “This was the most challenging committee work I have ever done at Millsaps,” said Dr. Holly Sypniewski, interim associate dean of Arts and Humanities and director of the core curriculum design and implementation teams since 2012. “There were countless hours of meetings, reading, research, and writing. I am incredibly proud of the new curriculum we developed, and through this work I gained an even greater appreciation for my colleagues who were relentlessly committed to developing the very best curriculum we could imagine for Millsaps.” Developing the Compass Curriculum also required allaying the fears of loyal alumni who felt attached to the old core curriculum, said Kenneth Townsend, B.A. 2004, assistant professor of political science and special assistant to the president of the College. “When word first spread that we were revamping our core, we heard from a number of concerned alumni whose fond memories of the old core curriculum, Heritage in particular, led them to express concerns about change. “As a product of the old core myself, I understood their worries, but I have to say that I’ve not talked with a single alum who has remained skeptical after reviewing the Compass Curriculum. In fact, several have reached out specifically to retract their prior concerns and to let me know that they wish they could study under the Compass Curriculum.” The curriculum’s four cardinal objectives are scaffolded throughout students’ four-year experience, Dunn said. “Our Human Heritage focuses on the breadth of understanding and interdisciplinary knowledge we think students ought to have, while Ventures, Connections, and Explorations span all four student outcomes in an intentional way, with the development of skills and abilities central to the courses,” he said. “The Major Experience is a deliberate link between the Compass Curriculum and the strategic plan, Across the

Street and Around the Globe, making sure that all our students learn to apply their interdisciplinary knowledge beyond our gates.” The committee that started the core review addressed two major ques-

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{FEATURE}

tions, Dunn said: “What should every Millsaps student be able to do and what

the 21st century there is a need for college education to give students skills they

should every student know? Ventures, Connections, and Discovery focus on

can carry with them into a rapidly changing society, one in which new kinds of

what they should be able to do, and Explorations targets knowledge domains—

great thinking are emerging with great speed.”

what they should know. “In a real sense it gives us the ability to foster the four things we consider

Dunn, Sypniewski, and Dr. Jamie Harris, a geology professor, began spreading the word about the curriculum at a February 2015 conference

essential for every Millsaps student throughout every aspect of a Millsaps edu-

organized by the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Kansas

cation. That is very different from most schools’ general education programs,

City, Mo. “We are very proud of what the core review committee accomplished

which often lack the coherence of what the point is behind exposure to distri-

and we wanted to share our process for developing the Compass Curriculum,”

bution requirements such as a social science or lab science course.”

Sypniewski said.

Also distinguishing the Compass approach is its business requirement, Dunn said. With its course Money, Markets, and Leadership, the Else School of Management “has done a marvelous job of putting students’ passion to work,” he said. “It’s not to necessarily promote the business curriculum but rather to endow every student with the skills, abilities, and tools they will need to survive in a market-based society. It’s becoming popular around the country for liberal arts majors to take business boot camps that they pay thousands of dollars for over the summer, but through our business school we have the ability, and really the responsibility, to extend that opportunity to every one of our students. “I have yet to see, and I’ve looked hard, a liberal arts college requiring a

THER COLLEGES ARE taking note. “Between 40 and 50 faculty and administrators attended our presentation, and we were a little surprised at how much interest and excite-

ment it generated. Later, the leader of the core curriculum at Spelman College brought a team of his faculty colleagues to Millsaps to learn more about how we developed our new curriculum.” Early in that development, the faculty decided to give students the freedom to study what they might find particularly interesting and intriguing. Said De-

true business course of every student to enable them to perform in a market-

Zutter: “The Compass Curriculum is highly flexible and may be personalized,

based society.”

so it builds on the Millsaps tradition of embracing each student as an indi-

The Compass Curriculum is not only a step forward in curriculum design

vidual, and the liberal arts tradition of allowing each student to explore many

for Millsaps but also for liberal arts colleges in general, said Dr. Stacy DeZutter,

areas of interest. At the same time, the Compass Curriculum offers structure to

associate professor of education and the first Ventures coordinator. “There has

provide students a framework or a ‘compass’ for their exploration.”

been a tradition at liberal arts colleges of teaching students the great thinking across the disciplines and throughout the ages,” she said. “At the same time, in

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“Instead of being purely prescriptive, the curriculum allows students to choose different ways of encountering the learning objectives,” Dunn said.

{FEATURE}

For instance, as part of the broad humanities survey Our Human Heri-

engaged citizens work to create a culture of peace in our local and global com-

tage, students can choose between studying the history of civilization from

munities? Most historians focus on moments of violence and ignore the eras

two perspectives, Power or Turning Points. The former track examines how

of peaceful coexistence that offer great models for our own times. Our society

power is manifested through gender, ownership, the state, conceptions of the

spends billions on refining the art of war. Why not invest in cultivating the

divine, war, and the relationship between the individual and the community,

arts of peace?”

and taps the expertise of faculty in art history, classical studies, English, and

Added Dunn, “The class is among those in the curriculum that will allow

philosophy. Turning Points examines significant transformations in society

students to grapple with life’s biggest, most important, and often messiest

chronologically and incorporates history, classical studies, Spanish, music, and

questions.”

philosophy faculty. An organic work in progress, the Compass Curriculum will build on itself, Dunn said. “Students will be assessed at the end of the first year so we can figure out how to improve the foundation courses,” he said, adding that students

Indeed, all Ventures courses are posed as questions, among which are the unexpected Will Zombies Rule the Planet? and Problem-Solving in Biochemistry and The 5-Second Rule: Can I Still Eat It? Teaching these courses, respectively, are Dr. Cory Toyota, assistant profes-

would be evaluated in the same learning objectives at the end of their Millsaps

sor of organic chemistry, and Dr. Elizabeth A. Hussa, assistant professor of

studies with an eye toward improvements in each major’s curriculum.

biology, who received a $27,644 grant from the Mississippi IDeA Network of

How does Sypniewski see the curriculum evolving? “Honestly,” she said, “right now I’m focused on enjoying our first year of new freshman courses!” The Compass Curriculum has not gone unnoticed by the kinds of pres-

Biomedical Research Excellence, funded by the National Institutes of Health. “Of course, Dr. Toyota does not think that there is a pressing real-world zombie problem, but he is a creative thinker with a great sense of humor,

tigious national foundations that provide grants. Dr. Kristen Brown Golden,

and he wanted to find a problem that would allow students to use the tools

associate professor of philosophy, and Dr. Lola Williamson, associate professor

of biochemistry to address a complex, far-reaching problem,” DeZutter said.

of religious studies, received $33,000 from the National Endowment for the

“The zombies in his course are essentially a stand-in for the many real-world

Humanities to develop and teach a course on peace and violence. The course

global health problems that must be addressed through the same processes his

support a peace and justice interdisciplinary minor and a freshman seminar

students will engage with.”

that will be implemented for the first time in the fall of 2015. Said Dr. David Davis, professor of history at Millsaps: “This highly com-

The 5-Second Rule: Can I Still Eat It? focuses on the moments after food is dropped: Is it still “safe” to eat? What does “safe” mean? In this course, stu-

petitive grant allowed Lola and Kristen to address one of the great enduring

dents will design and conduct experiments that address this problem using the

questions of human history: Is peace possible? How can we as educated and

scientific method, Hussa said. “In the end, we might just scratch the surface of

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{FEATURE}

what is actually a complicated scientific question,” she said, “but what’s really

in the classroom. “Each section of Ventures is taught by a professor from a dif-

important is that the students will learn how to approach and propose solu-

ferent discipline who has chosen a different problem for her or his students to

tions for interesting, complicated problems."

dive into,” DeZutter said. “The professor may provide a toolkit and/or impor-

Said Toyota, “Our universal goal with these classes is to establish a new

tant background knowledge, but it will be the students who identify how they

method of student-driven learning among freshmen, which will hopefully

will approach the course’s central problem—sometimes even how they will de-

make it more exciting and engaging to learn science as science is done—by ap-

fine the problem or what portion of the problem is most important to work on.”

plying the scientific method instead of reading a textbook.” The College also received support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Essentially, the professor becomes a resource for the students, and a facilitator, evoking the adage, “A sage on the stage is less effective than a guide on the

for its writing program and “the ways it needs to evolve with the implementa-

side,” DeZutter said. “Since Ventures is a freshman course, professors will also

tion of the new curriculum,” Dunn said. “The Frueauff Foundation and the

provide support for students in the underlying skills needed to engage in prob-

Gertrude C. Ford Foundation have provided grants for Compass faculty and

lem-based learning, such as how to collaborate effectively, how to find trustwor-

course development.”

thy and relevant information, how to use relevant disciplinary tools of inquiry,

and so on. As the students develop skill and confidence with these things, the

LONG WITH Our Human Heritage, Ventures is the first Compass component students will encounter. “We wanted Ventures to be first because it will help them transition into

the kind of learning experience that the Compass Curriculum will lead them through,” DeZutter said. “It is an education process that differs from what many will have had in high school, due to its focus on self-directed and purposeful learning, meaningful collaboration, engagement with real-world problems, and an intellectual environment where ‘correct’ answers and straightforward ‘facts’ are emphasized less than robust intellectual exploration.” Ventures is also designed to encourage students to assume a decisive role

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professor will move further to the side and let the students take the lead. “It has been a goal for the faculty to design our sections in ways that are relevant to contemporary society because we want students to experience how tools and knowledge within academic disciplines are useful in the real world. We want to avoid mere intellectual exercises and offer students the chance to use their learning in ways that show its value beyond just earning a piece of paper that says bachelor’s degree.” Students will be investigating problems that plague the city of Jackson, the nation, and the globe, actively communicating their solutions to real-world powers that be. “This is already a common practice in many courses in our business school and in a few courses in other areas of the College,” DeZutter said. “We have discussed the value of students having a real audience for what-

{FEATURE}

ever they produce at the end of the class. In some cases, that may be an outside

through a single discipline, Connections complements Our Human Heritage’s

group, in others, it may be their peers or others on campus.”

interdisciplinary perspective. An eclectic sampling includes Redemption of

For instance, Sandra Murchison, professor of art, will teach the Ventures

Reality? The Force of Cinema; Mansfield Park and the Trouble of Faithful

course Can We Promote Literacy Through Artistic Means?, which will examine

Adaptation; The Pentecostal Explosion: A 20th Century Global Phenomenon;

whether small gestures have a lasting impact on a child’s desire to read. “How

and The Bald Soprano and Rhinoceros, Two Plays by Ionesco: How Absurd!?

do we know what works in Midtown?” Murchison asks in the course description.

Through its Explorations component, the Compass needle will point

“Through the art and content of book arts, this course will serve as a cross sec-

students toward knowledge domains like business, fine arts, mathematics, the

tion of studio art, community-engaged practices, and literature.”

natural world, the social world, non-native languages, and STEM fields—sci-

Said Dunn, “Compass reflects Millsaps’ commitment not only to personal enrichment but also to preparing students to positively impact every community they touch.” Communication and collaboration are the Compass coordinates that will

ence, technology, engineering, and math. Finally, The Major Experience will bring it all back home—and then take it on the road—encouraging upperclassmen to take what they have learned and put it to use in the real world, thereby integrating the Compass Curriculum

help Millsaps students succeed, DeZutter said. “As one example, when video

with the College’s Strategic Plan, Across the Street and Around the Globe.

games first became available to the masses, they were usually created by a

Examples include study abroad, field-based coursework, community-engaged

single person,” DeZutter said. “Now, creating a video game involves a team of

coursework, fellowships, and internships. “The Major Experience is about

a hundred people or more. Modes of communication are changing too, which

experiential learning,” Dunn said.

means that people need to be thoughtful about how they communicate in any given context. “The skill set we want to develop in our students prepares them to innovate—to look at problems and challenges in new ways and develop new means for addressing them,” DeZutter said. “Students will also have the ability to link the pragmatic with the academic, so they can draw on areas of existing

In today’s world, mere knowledge is not enough, DeZutter said. “The rate of innovation in our society means that a person needs to know how to learn new things, and how to identify and address new problems,” she said. “Often these are issues that we might not have conceived of just a few years ago. “Millsaps wants to educate students to succeed in the face of the unexpected.”

expertise and apply it in new ways. This will give our students the foundation to make meaningful change in any area they pursue.” With courses that address a specific topic within its historical context and

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{FEATURE}

AT A GLANCE A yearlong first-year course, OUR HUMAN HERITAGE is a humanities-based, interdisciplinary exploration of humankind and world cultures that considers intellectual development, artistic expression, and social and cultural evolution, from pre-history until the present. Offered in the fall semester, VENTURES explores a problem or tightly focused set of problems from multiple perspectives, with students proposing possibilities for resolution, and engaging in project-based work, collaborative learning, creative risk-taking, and adaptive strategies for problem-solving. Offered in the spring semester, CONNECTIONS classes address a specific topic within a single humanities discipline and in the topic’s historical context. Students will create formal and informal communication products that demonstrate critical listening, reading, and, where appropriate, aural and visual comprehension of course material. Throughout their four years, EXPLORATIONS courses focus on knowledge domains like business, fine arts, the natural world, the social world, foreign languages, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). THE MAJOR EXPERIENCE is a capstone exercise directly connected with Millsaps’ vision of producing transformative leaders who will have positive impacts “across the street and around the globe” through action on or beyond the Millsaps campus. Examples include study abroad, field-based courses, community-engaged coursework, undergraduate research, honors projects, Ford Fellowships, and internships.

The Compass Curriculum affirms Millsaps College’s dedication to engaging students in a transformative learning and leadership experience that results in personal and intellectual growth, commitment to good citizenship in our global society, and a desire to succeed and make a difference in every community they touch.

YEAR ONE OUR HUMAN HERITAGE • YEARLONG

A HUMANITIES-BASED, INTERDISCIPLINARY EXPLORATION OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND WORLD CULTURES THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

VENTURES • FALL SEMESTER

STUDENTS WILL INVESTIGATE RELEVANT ISSUES FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES AND PROPOSE POSSIBLITIES FOR RESOLUTION, ENGAGING IN PROJECT-BASED WORK, COLLABORATIVE LEARNING, CREATIVE RISK-TAKING, AND ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES.

CONNECTIONS • SPRING SEMESTER

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FOCUSING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS, STUDENTS WILL ADDRESS A SPECIFIC TOPIC SITUATED WITHIN A SINGLE HUMANITIES DISCIPLINE AND IN THE TOPIC’S HISTORICAL CONTEXT.

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YEARS TWO AND THREE EXPLORATIONS

THROUGH THE COMPASS CURRICULUM, STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE SEVERAL KNOWLEDGE DOMAINS DURING THEIR TIME AT MILLSAPS. THE EXPLORATIONS COMPONENTS OF THE COMPASS CURRICULUM INCLUDE: BUSINESS Students will gain fundamental

FINE ART S

MATICS THE MA

STEM

SS INE S BU

B B

NA T UR AL W

ES AG U NG

A A

THE SOCIAL WORLD Students

business knowledge, skills to understand the logic of the marketplace, and the capacities of organizations and organizational leaders to affect human life across the street and around the globe.

will build an academic and intellectual foundation for understanding and/or engaging in diverse social settings, and for reflecting critically on social and cultural phenomena.

FINE ARTS Students will explore the aesthetic dimension of human life through artistic expression, performance, and/or discernment.

NON-NATIVE LANGUAGES

MATHEMATICS Students will study and solve pure and applied mathematical problems from both visual and analytic perspectives. THE NATURAL WORLD Students will gain, use, and interpret scientific knowledge of the natural world through experimentation with, and observation of, its processes and relationships.

Students will engage language as a vital means to understanding other cultures, literatures, historical perspectives, and human experiences, and will become more aware of their own native language and culture to enhance communication, reasoning, and thinking skills.

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH Students will develop skills to evaluate new situations, new phenomena, and new data.

LD OR

LA W SOCIAL ORLD

YEAR FOUR THE MAJOR EXPERIENCE

STUDENTS WILL COMPLETE A CAPSTONE LEARNING EXPERIENCE DIRECTLY CONNECTED WITH MILLSAPSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; VISION OF PRODUCING TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERS WHO WILL HAVE POSITIVE IMPACTS ACROSS THE STREET AND AROUND THE GLOBE THROUGH AN EXPERIENCE ON OR BEYOND THE MILLSAPS CAMPUS.

STUDY ABROAD

FIELD-BASED COURSE

COMMUNITYENGAGED COURSEWORK

UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH

HONORS PROJECT

FORD FELLOWSHIP

INTERNSHIP WITH REFLECTIVE COMPONENT

GUARANTEED TO GRADUATE IN F UR YEARS WITH REAL-WORLD SKILLS. Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{MAJOR SPORTS}

Head volleyball coach takes on additional role as Associate Athletic Director Watching volleyball team members develop as athletes and evolve as leaders is one of the most satisfying parts of Jaime Fisher’s job. “Our student-athletes really grow as people,” said Fisher, head volleyball coach of the Majors, senior women’s administrator, and associate athletic director. “Our student-athletes can compete in a sport they love and still accomplish their academic and professional goals. All of my former players are doing amazing and inspiring things, and it’s because of their experience and opportunities at Millsaps. In her newest role as associate athletic director, Fisher looks beyond volleyball and works to move the College’s athletic department forward. “My goal is to provide continued support to our sports programs while working to produce new ideas for growth every day,” she said. As the Title IX coordinator, Fisher handles athletic compliance of coaches and student-athletes. As senior women’s administrator, she provides guidance and support and mentors coaches of the women’s teams. Fisher, who is in her ninth season at Millsaps, has led the Majors to the semi-finals of the Southern Athletic Association conference tournament in each of the last three seasons, including a championship match appearance in 2012. The team ended the 2015 season as one of the top four teams in the conference. “This team was relentless on the court and never gave up,” she said. Volleyball is an extremely technical and precise sport, but training is more than just about athletic ability, she said. “We take pride in leadership development, mental training, and team development,” Fisher said. “We are a family so the mentoring role for me is just as important as teaching volleyball skills.” Team members hold each other accountable on and off the court, she said, and strive to build on the success of the program. “When players see the growth of teammates it pushes them to be better and to continue on the legacy of the players who have come before them,” she said. The majority of players on the volleyball team are from states outside of Mississippi where volleyball has been popular for many years, she said. “Often the perception of volleyball is what is played in the backyard or on the beach at a family function or on vacation,” she said. “What we do is very different. We have specific positions and plays,

then a part-time head coach position at Millsaps for the 2004 season,

and we run with an offense and defense just like any other team sport.

and left to coach full time in Missouri.

A native of Centennial, Colo., Fisher earned a bachelor’s degree in

“After being gone for a few years, I returned to Jackson and was

elementary education and a master’s degree in higher education from

again given the opportunity to come back to Millsaps,” she said. “I

the University of Mississippi, where she was a four-year letter winner

love coaching here. The girls I get to coach are here because they love

in volleyball. She coached as a volunteer at Ole Miss, filled what was

the sport, and so do I.”

www.millsaps.edu

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HALBROOK AWARD RECOGNIZES OUTSTANDING GRADUATION RATE OF ATHLETES AT MILLSAPS Millsaps College is the 2015 recipient of the Halbrook Award for Academic Achievement in the independent colleges division. Millsaps received the award that recognized its 99 percent graduation rate of athletes during a Mississippi Association of Colleges and Universities conference in October at Millsaps.

WILLIAM CHENOWETH, B.B.A. 2015, and CAROLINE MCKEY, B.A. 2015, were named 2014-2015 student athlete certificate recipients. Administered cooperatively by the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning, the Mississippi Community College Board, and the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the Halbrook Awards program recognizes colleges and universities that maintain and achieve high academic standards for student athletes, thus encouraging high graduation rates. The awards were established by the Mississippi Legislature in 1984 and named for former legislator David M. Halbrook, and his brothers, John C. Halbrook, James G. Halbrook and J.A. Halbook. Since the programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s establishment, Millsaps has distinguished itself by receiving the David M. Halbrook Award for Academic Achievement 22 times, the most of any school in the independent college/university division.

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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RIVERSIDE RUMBLE BRINGS WIN AND FAMILY FUN The Riverside Rumble kicked off the 2015 football season, with the Majors defeating the Belhaven University Blazers 52-23. Millsaps quarterback Ty Proctor threw for three touchdowns and ran for one in the game that marked the first time since 2009 Millsaps and Belhaven have squared off in football. The two teams have played each other six times. The Rumble brought plenty of family fun. The Majors welcomed the Jim Hill High School band. Under the direction of Christopher Little, Jim Hill has earned the “Band of Distinction” honor and is known for its drumline, “Grave Yard Thunder.” The Majors’ Kid’s Zone featured inflatables, face painting, a craft station, balloon swords, and popsicles from Deep South Pops. The Jackson Zoo got in on the fun with a mobile exhibit. Also during the Rumble: a setup from the Army ROTC, a halftime youth football exhibition from the Jackson Freedom League, and a foam party in the student section. New this year is an admission policy that admits kids 12 and under free of charge all season long, so come on out to watch the Majors play in all sports. Bring your appetite as upgraded concessions from some of your favorite Jackson restaurants and vendors will be available. Look for sausage dogs and hot dogs from Polk’s Meat and the Wingstop stand next to the Lucky Town Beer Garden. For more information about all Millsaps athletics, visit gomajors.com.

www.millsaps.edu

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More Majors. Anytime. Anywhere.

The new Majors app will make the most of your smartphone. Download for free now at gomajors.com and stay up to date.

gomajors.com Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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MILLSAPS COLLEGE HOMECOMING 2015 Homecoming 2015 focused on alumni, family, and friends, who took time to renew friendships, check out the latest improvements on campus such as the Leggett Living, and to enjoy the Tasting at the Tents and the Majors versus Vikings (Berry College) football game. The weekend included the annual Major Generals Luncheon that celebrates alumni who have been graduated for 50 years or more and continued with the Alumni Awards that honored five outstanding alumni (above, third row, middle photo) Jim Livesay Service Award recipient Eugene Countiss, Distinguished Alumnus Steve McAlilly, Outstanding Young Alumna Mandi Strickland, Jim Livesay Service Award recipient Alan Ferguson, and Terry Wells, 1976, who accepted the Distinguished Alumna award given to Marsha McCarty Wells (bestowed posthumously). The Class of 2005 received the Leadership in Giving Award and the Spirit of Giving Award. Also part of the weekend were surrey tours of campus for Class of 1965, the Kappa Alpha Golf Tournament for Muscular Dystrophy, a 5K run/walk hosted by Pi Kappa Alpha and Millsaps Outdoors, and the Friday Forum, “Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of Millsaps’ Desegregation.”

MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND HOMECOMING IN OCTOBER 2016!

Reunion classes are: 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, and 2011. If you are interested in helping plan your reunion event, please contact Maribeth Kitchings in the Alumni and Parent Relations office at 601-974-1002 or email kitchme@millsaps.edu.

www.millsaps.edu

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Alumni President wants alumni to promote their alma mater Meet Teresa White Bailey, B.A. 1994, of Memphis, president of the Millsaps College Alumni Association. She grew up in Baton Rouge, La., wanted a unique, liberal arts experience outside her hometown, and found it at Millsaps. “Millsaps was definitely transformational,” she said. “College for me was this grand, cerebral, utopian, idealistic experience that I was able to selfishly devote to my academic pursuits. I truly enjoyed all four years, but while I was there learned some difficult, real life lessons, and I am happy to say some professors reaffirmed my faith in fairness and justice.” Bailey majored in political science and met Mac Bailey, B.A. 1986, when she was a senior at Millsaps. “All of the political science majors were required as seniors to attend a seminar about careers in the legal field,” she said. “Mac was there speaking about working as an attorney. Mac and I met because of an event planned for current students that had alumni participation. Both of us were dating other people at the time, so we never imagined that encounter would change our lives forever.” The two married in 1995 and established The Bailey Firm in 1996. She worked as a paralegal for a decade, then earned an M.B.A. from Union University, and is the firm’s administrator. The Baileys have a 10-year-old son named Jackson “since that is where our life together began—in Jackson, Miss., at Millsaps,” she said. “Even though he is only in the fourth grade, we have begun talking to him about college. He tells us there is no need to discuss options as ‘he plans on going where you and dad went, to Millsaps.’ He has been indoctrinated in purple and white and loves being on campus. If he attends Millsaps, Jackson will be part of the Class of 2028.” Bailey volunteered with the Memphis Alumni Chapter, which led to service on the Millsaps Alumni Board as a member, then as chair of chapter development, and now president. When alumni ask how to get involved, Bailey suggests attending a Millsaps on the Move event and taking part in an alumni chapter. There are currently chapters in Atlanta, Dallas, the Golden Triangle, Houston, Jackson, Memphis, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. “If there’s not one in your area, contact Maribeth Kitchings, director of alumni and parent relations, and help start one,” she said. There are other ways to help, too, she said, including making a donation to the College. Overall alumni giving increased over last year, helping the College reach $1.7 million, the highest level in giving to the Annual Fund. Refer a student to Millsaps. Become a mentor to a Millsaps student, hire a Millaps graduate, or let a student intern at your business. Join the Millsaps “Major Mentors” group on LinkedIn. Take time to “like” the College Facebook page and follow on Twitter (@ millsapscollege) and Instagram (@millsapscollege).Wear a Millsaps T-shirt, place a Millsaps sticker on the bumper of your vehicle, fly a Millsaps banner in front of your home, or put a book about Millsaps on your coffee table. “Let everyone know how proud you are of your

alma mater,” she said.

Flat Reuben makes his way around the world

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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www.millsaps.edu

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Couple builds upon knowledge from pre-medical program, excels in chosen fields Kimberly and Billy Crowder first met after their junior year in high school during a summer program at one of Mississippi’s public universities. They saw each other again the next year when they happened to be placed in the same Perspectives group as freshmen at Millsaps College. So began their journey during which Billy Crowder, B.S. 1995, has become an interventional cardiologist and innovator in new devices and procedures to advance the standard and quality of care for his patients, and Kimberly Williams Crowder, B.S. 1995, has excelled as a gifted ophthalmological surgeon and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. A native of the small Mississippi town of Grenada, Billy Crowder chose to attend Millsaps because he knew its rigorous academic program with excellent professors would help ensure his acceptance to medical school. Kimberly Crowder felt a nudge from lifelong friend Renee Richardson Ebner, B.A. 1992, then a senior at Millsaps, to visit the College and learn about all it offered. “Kimberly and I went to St. Richard (Elementary School) and St. Joseph Catholic High School together, and I think our paths have crossed since birth,” Ebner said. “I always knew she was a good student, and I wanted more than anything for her to consider Millsaps. I thought it would be a good fit.” Ebner proved correct, and Kimberly Crowder enrolled as a biology major intent on becoming a high school biology teacher. She later switched her studies to include courses needed to meet requirements for medical school, and found herself on the same track as Billy Crowder. They spent countless hours in Olin Hall where Drs. Gene Cain, George Ezell, and Al Berry taught chemistry, and Professor Bob Nevins and Dr. Jim McKeown taught biology. “Dr. McKeown was a great teacher,” said Billy Crowder, who recalls taking morphology and entomology with him. “You’d go into his class in absolute fear of being unprepared.” McKeown, who retired in 2011 after teaching for 49 years at Millsaps, set high expectations for students in his classes, and Kimberly and Billy Crowder met them. “They were good students who were disciplined and focused on their education and enjoyed the college experience,” he said. Billy Crowder was among four students McKeown hired one summer to help with his cotton entomology consulting business, which assisted cotton growers in the Mississippi Delta and hills with determining the best crop protection products to use. “Those were long, hot days, and Billy was wonderful to be around,” McKeown said. “I’d say about two-thirds of the students I hired during the 25 years I had that business during the summer went on to medical school or dental school.” Ezell, who retired from Millsaps in 1998 after teaching for 31 years, remembers the two as good students bound to make their mark in the world. “They were some of my favorite students,” he said, noting that the two excelled academically, were blessed with a sense of humor, and knew how to get along with others. “There wasn’t any doubt that they would be successful.” Both Billy and Kimberly Crowder joined in life on campus with Kimberly serving

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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as social chair and vice president of Chi Omega sorority, and Billy

married two weeks after they graduated from medical school and two

pledging Kappa Alpha while still finding time for piano class with Dr.

weeks later began life as residents at UMMC.

Jonathan M. Sweat. Kimberly Crowder still keeps up with numerous

20 different places—to figure out where we could go together,” Kim-

nity brothers. He sometimes finds time to record Americana music

berly Crowder said. “We felt it was best to just stay at home.”

with his father at the studio in his home. The two began dating seriously during their senior year, each eagerly awaiting notification from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. She was admitted in December, and he received his acceptance letter that spring.

Billy Crowder pursued training in internal medicine and cardiology at UMMC, while Kimberly Crowder continued studies in ophthalmology. Billy Crowder underwent a year of additional training in advanced interventional cardiology techniques at the Medical Univer-

Commencement brought the announcement of Kimberly

sity of South Carolina. He gravitated toward interventional cardiology

Crowder as recipient of the Founders’ Medal, which is given to the

because of the technology involved and the results it provides, he said.

graduating senior who has the highest grade point average for the

Today, he practices interventional cardiology, with Jackson Heart

entire college course of study and a grade of excellent on comprehen-

Clinic, one of the largest cardiology groups in Mississippi. He is board

sive examinations. She was also named a member of Phi Beta Kappa,

certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interven-

an honor extended to no more than 10 percent of a class of liberal arts

tional cardiology, and is a member of the Mississippi State Medical

and sciences graduates.

Association, the American Medical Association, and the American

When it came time to start class at UMMC, both felt prepared to tackle gross anatomy and other classes that some first-year medical students find daunting.

College of Cardiology. He is a fellow of the College of Cardiology. “I specialize in trying to repair all sorts of cardiac ailments through minimally invasive means,” he said. “I can clear blockages

“There was never a moment in medical school where I said, ‘I

from heart and leg arteries with a catheter-based procedure, allowing

can’t do this,’” Billy Crowder said. “The thing we learned how to do at

patients to avoid open heart surgery. We can also correct heart defects

Millsaps was study.”

and even replace heart valves through a catheter without the patient

During their medical school years, major tests were scheduled at 8 a.m. each Monday, so it’s not surprising that their medical school class yielded 10 couples who dated and got married, they said. They

“We were interviewing at the same time for residencies—probably

sorority sisters, and Billy Crowder does the same with several frater-

www.millsaps.edu

ever having to have an incision. This is about as cutting edge as it gets when it comes to cardiac care.” Kimberly Crowder completed her residency in ophthalmology at

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UMMC and joined the faculty in 2003. She found ophthalmology to be her calling partly because it offers continuity of care to patients. “I am a comprehensive ophthalmologist, which means I take

Ebner said she has great respect for the two as parents. “Our children attend St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, and there is chapel every Friday for students in pre-K through fourth grade. I’ve rarely been to

care of patients for their routine eye exams, glasses, evaluations for

a chapel service where Kimberly isn’t there. She makes her children a

screening and treatment for eye diseases such as cataracts, dry eye,

priority and so does Billy,” she said.

glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetes,” she said. “Surgically,

Ryan Beckett, B.S. 1996, a Jackson attorney who was Billy

I primarily remove cataracts, but at UMMC I also do a lot of trauma

Crowder’s fraternity brother and is a neighbor, admires the couple not

eye surgery.”

only for the success they have achieved in their careers but also the

She is a member of several professional societies, among them the Mississippi Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, serving as

time they give to their alma mater. “Billy and Kimberly have juggled family and careers and still find

alternate councilor to the American Academy of Ophthalmology from

the time to be active alumni at Millsaps. They have contributed their

2015-2017, the American Medical Association, and the Association for

time, talent, and treasure to activities like Homecoming, service on

Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

several Millsaps boards, and help with fundraising efforts.”

The two said they’ve learned to coordinate their schedules so

Kimberly Crowder said she thinks back fondly on her era at

they’re on call on the same weekends, to make sure the activities of

Millsaps. “We had such a good time and made lifelong friends. It

their three children get placed on their calendar, and to value the

heartens me to look at the successes of these friends and know that

support of family members. Kimberly Crowder is also a sustaining

Millsaps played a huge role,” she said.

member of the Junior League of Jackson, a Sunday school teacher at

Billy Crowder is a member of the Millsaps Alumni Advisory Board

St. Richard Catholic Church, and frequently volunteers as a faculty

and involved in the Pre-Medical Advisory Board, and both worked on

representative for glaucoma and diabetic screenings at the Jackson

the 20-year reunion of their class at Millsaps.

Free Clinic and UMMC’s Grants Ferry multispecialty clinic in Flowood. Family and children, Sandra (11), Will (7), and Sarah Kate (4),

“Millsaps still has such a great reputation,” Billy Crowder said. “I have reached the point in my life and career where I really want to actively give back to the institution that gave me so much. I certainly

consume most of the time Kimberly and Billy Crowder are away from

enjoy seeing the increasing enrollment and hope that my children

the office. “We do a lot of school-oriented things, but we like to travel

attend the college as well.”

when we can,” Kimberly Crowder said.

BY NELL LUTER FLOYD

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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Alumnus trades power lunches for Paleo diet and Greek tea and establishes a new business Like many young men starting out on Wall Street, Steve Raftopoulos quickly became immersed in a culture of long hours at a whirlwind pace, and days filled with number crunching and financial grunt work. He’d been raised in Louisiana and Mississippi and finished high school in Jackson, but Raftopoulos wasn’t a neophyte from the South. As a student at Millsaps College in the 1980s, he cut his teeth on finance and business classes while working up to three part-time jobs at a time, most notably at a local investment firm. “I got a little bit of a taste for Wall Street,” said Raftopoulos, B.B.A. 1988, a first-generation Greek-American whose parents came to live in America when he was just two years old. He moved to New York City in 1991, after three years at Shearson Lehman in Jackson—and with a Southern drawl that New Yorkers considered “a novelty,” Raftopoulos remembered. “My sister had moved to New York from Mississippi to work in the fashion industry, so I had a floor to sleep on while I looked for a job. But anyone who knew me knew I was focused on finance. “Working a lot of hours while in school was difficult and challenging, but it proved to be an asset when I hit the streets in New York looking for a job. It was a key differentiator,” Raftopoulos said. After four long months of pounding the pavement, he was hired by the investment banking firm Lehman Brothers, then hired away in 1999 by the mergers and acquisitions firm JPMorgan, and then hired away again in 2007 by Bank of America. “Moving around is something you do on Wall Street,” he said. Being middle market mergers and acquisitions group leader for both JPMorgan and Bank of America, he said, consumed his waking hours. “I was exhausted,” said Raftopoulos, 50, who jokingly described himself as a “hopeless bachelor.” “The stories I heard about Steve then were that his Jackson and New York City lunch breaks were spent studying the Handbook of Fixed Income Securities,” said Dr. Walter Neely, a Millsaps professor of finance who in 1987 taught Raftopoulos advanced corporate finance. “People in New York are so much more intense. Everything is just so fast paced,” Raftopoulos said. “The competitiveness is hard core, and I was in a hard-core industry, and in the most intensive part of it.” And then—he hired himself away from it all. “I didn’t want to spend my whole life on Wall Street. I’d been there 18 years,” he said. “I wanted another career, and I’d been plotting for a while to do something more entrepreneurial.” Raftopoulos’ business travels through the years had taken him to California on a regular basis. “It was always a place I was quite intrigued with,” he said. He headed west in 2010, moving to Los Angeles. Raftopoulos took some time off and built a country house on a small ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley a couple of hours north of Los Angeles, and then summoned the entrepreneur within. One day, Raftopoulos said, he found himself in a Greek grocery store shopping for three-liter cans of olive oil. “And I happened to see at the check-out these little bags of Greek mountain tea, which my mom used to always talk about,” he recalled. “I got some, and I fell for it. I started reading about it, and realized there’s quite a story there. “I became quite intrigued, and before you know it, I had a business idea to make Greek herbal tea the next big thing.” It seemed only yesterday that Raftopoulos was a Wall Street baron in the making. Today, his Klio Tea Company is the leading U.S. importer and brand of Greek mountain tea and other organic Greek herbal teas known for their unique flavors and substantial health properties. His tea processing and warehouse facility is based in Santa Barbara, Calif., a beautiful haven where he now lives. The climate, which rarely tops 78 degrees in the summer, is similar to that at high elevations in Greece, where herbal teas are grown in small plots scattered through the mountains and countryside.

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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Raftopoulos formally launched Klio Tea, named for the mythical Greek

without becoming a pretty good writer, and that has been a big asset for me

muse of history and daughter of Zeus, in December 2014. “I’d never worked

throughout my entire career. As a banker, you write a lot. Being a good writer

with startups or small business, so this was a new thing for me,” Raftopoulos

made you more productive and efficient.

said. “The biggest challenge was to develop a supply chain for the herbal teas out of Greece. It’s a very fragmented market, with small producers scattered all over the country.” He enlisted the help of a cousin in Greece to manage the network of

“In this business, I find myself writing a lot, whether it’s my blog, marketing materials, or letters to journalists,” said Raftopoulos, who has written about the pleasures and health benefits of Greek herbal teas for California

Healthy Living magazine.

growers and ship the loose-leaf tea in containers to the port in Los Angeles

He also credits Millsaps for teaching him to think creatively. “The small

for transport and packaging at his Santa Barbara facility. “It took a while to

classes, team efforts, and team projects were such a big asset for me,” Rafto-

develop that. I was getting tons of samples, and deciding which teas to carry,”

poulos said, remembering how he built teamwork skills while working with

Raftopoulos said. “Then, we had to figure out how to take it to market.”

classmates Mark McCreery, B.B.A. 1988, and Bill McLeod, B.B.A. 1988, on

With experience in the consumer products industry, Raftopoulos said he

strategy projects.

“knew the challenges of a typical retail

“Steve is one of the hardest working

model. I reasoned that I could pull

friends I have from Millsaps,” McCreery said.

this off strictly as a direct to consumer

“I would call his work ethic old-fashioned

online enterprise.”

grit with a strong sense of his Greek identity.

Go to www.kliotea.com, and select

Klio Tea Company is an embodiment of that

from Greek herbal varieties includ-

grit and his heritage and sure sounds like

ing Greek mountain tea, sage, lemon

our senior year strategy class. Millsaps has

verbena, chamomile, olive leaf, and sea

prepared him well.

buckthorn leaf. It is loose-leaf tea, which

“Klio's business strategy, built on a

comes in a resealable rice-paper pouch.

foundation of good nutrition and healthy

“It didn’t work,” Raftopoulos said of

lifestyles, reminds me of eating with Steve

experimenting with placing the natu-

and his parents in college,” McCreery said.

rally caffeine-free herbs in traditional

“Everything was grown in a garden, scratch

teabags. “A teabag makes a pretty poor

made and delicious.” Neely said Raftopoulos was already

quality of tea. Good tea is loose leaf.”

working for a local investment firm when he

He’s modest when he says his business is “going well.” Klio Tea ships to all

first taught him and recognized his poten-

50 states and soon will tap into Canada

tial. “Steve was really interested in invest-

and the European Union, and Raftopoulos also is beginning a wholesale

ments, and he showed that interest and

market and exploring a bottled single-

understanding in my class. I talked with him

serve strategy.

regularly about his interest in investments and his work with Shearson Lehman.”

Although it’s an acquired taste for some, he said, Greek herbal tea is sim-

They kept in touch, and Raftopoulos

ply good for you. Since ancient times,

and JP Morgan hosted Neely and a group of

Greek herbs and tea have figured promi-

students in New York City. “He impressed

nently in the Mediterranean diet and

me and the students with his call for a sense

have significant antioxidant properties

of urgency and the need for those who want

from their phyto-nutrients that include polyphenols and flavonoids. That makes for a recipe for healthy living seasoned well with whole foods and physical activity, Raftopoulos believes. “The growing environment in Greece, particularly in the hillsides and mountains, is particularly suited for producing very high quality herbs,” Raftopoulos said. “If I gave you Greek oregano, you’d be blown away. It’s super pungent and concentrated, and the herbs there are very high in antioxidants. “It’s interesting,” he said of his family’s ancestral home. “It’s a tiny country

to work in New York City to become really competitive,” Neely said. Raftopoulos doesn’t miss Wall Street. His life is “much more laid back now. There’s nowhere near the competitiveness or intensity. People here have a great quality of life. And I hated humidity all of my life. It’s dry here, and I get to live on the coast,” he said. He has traded rich power lunches and business dinners for a Paleo diet – and cups of healing Greek herbal teas. “I spend a lot of time outdoors working on my ranch property when I can get there. Every free minute I get, I try to

about the size of Louisiana, but it has not just quality, but a tremendous num-

spend outside in the beautiful California weather. And I’m always on the hunt

ber and diversity of herbs. It has one special tea—Greek mountain tea.”

for Ms. Right. I date a lot.

How did his Millsaps education play into his ability to succeed, both on

“I’m trying to make up for my Wall Street years, and the 90- to 100-hour

Wall Street and in building a nontraditional business? His professors taught

weeks, week after week, year after year. I’m turning a new leaf, and I’m leading

the power of the well-written word, Raftopoulos said.

a much healthier lifestyle.”

“Millsaps is big on writing. It’s fair to say you don’t get through Millsaps

www.millsaps.edu

BY RUTH CUMMINS

MILLSAPS COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SEMINAR PRESENTED BY MILLSAPS COLLEGE AND ROGERS & ASSOCIATES, LLC

SAVE THE DATE:

MAY 10-11, 2016 “THE MILLSAPS REAL ESTATE SEMINAR WAS WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST EDUCATIONAL SEMINAR I HAVE ATTENDED IN MY 25-YEAR CAREER.” –SAM L. COLSON, PRINCIPAL AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, NET LEASE ALLIANCE, LLC

FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER, go to millsapselseschool.com

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Cynthia Weems trains volunteers for First United Methodist Church of Miamiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Foot Washing for the Homeless.

www.millsaps.edu

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Christian service focus of veteran pastor, now District Superintendent in Florida Even when she was in elementary school in Mississippi in Neshoba County, Cynthia Weems says, everybody knew she would be a minister some day.

presence, with a radiant smile for everyone,” Fortenberry said. “Not

The preacher’s kid known as “Dee” to friends and family had no

of the College. She was a fine student, open to all whom she met, an

“When thinking about Dee, a first image for me is her welcoming surprisingly, she was the one student chosen for an interpretive video

doubt in her own heart that she would devote her life and talents to

individual whose presence and mirthful spirit created a climate of

Christian service. Today, the Rev. Cynthia Weems is a veteran pastor

acceptance.”

and missionary leader entrusted with shepherding a dynamic, mul-

Dr. Steven Smith, professor of philosophy and religious studies

ticultural flock as South East District Superintendent of the Florida

at Millsaps, also remembers Weems’ quest for knowledge. “Dee was

Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

a keen student who brought a lot of positive energy to the Religious

Until recently pastor of First United Methodist Church in Miami, Weems has served congregations in Connecticut, Kansas, and

Studies Department,” Smith said. “Her time with us in the ‘90s was a great time for discussing theology.” It was at Millsaps, Weems said, that she learned to use her gifts in

Florida, as well as spending two years as a volunteer missionary in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

God’s service. “Millsaps was really, for me, a formative time to put belief and

“I grew up with the community being the church, and that was very compelling for me,” Weems, B.A. 1994, said of her early child-

practice together,” she said. “The work of the campus ministry team

hood in Philadelphia, Miss. “It didn’t make any sense to me to spend

and the important work in Midtown introduced me to the ways of

the days of my working life outside that community.”

using my hands and my heart to share beliefs and faith. It gave me an

Her father, Dr. Lovett H. Weems Jr., B.A. 1967, is globally recog-

intellectual understanding of people and community.” As a religion major with minors in women’s studies and history,

nized in the area of church leadership. His pastoral assignments took the family to Kansas City, Mo., before Weems finished high school,

Weems said, she came into contact with professors who challenged

but her family roots—in Mississippi, and at Millsaps—brought her

her not just to think, but to think outside the box. “I had such positive relationships,” Weems remembered, giving

back. “My father is from Forest, and my mother is from McComb,” said

a special nod to mentors including professor emeritus of religion Dr.

Weems, who lives in Coral Gables, Fla., with husband Amauri Silva,

T.W. Lewis, B.A. 1953, and former professor of English Dr. Judith

a native Brazilian and naturalized U.S. citizen, and their family. “The

Page. “I learned to think missionally. I could live out all the pieces of

Scott County Weems relations have a lot of Millsaps connections.

me, including my intellectual side, asking questions and just wonder-

“With my brother (also named Lovett Weems) already at Millsaps and my father having been a graduate, I was actually less inclined to

ing. “At Millsaps, that’s such a big part of Religious Studies. They want

go there,” Weems said. “I found myself still looking elsewhere. But

you to dig deeper. There was a time when I knew, even at Millsaps,

after a weekend campus visit there when I was a senior, it was irresist-

that there was a piece of me that needed a more hands-on opportunity

ible. I couldn’t not go. I knew it would have everything I would need. I

to learn about myself and my vocation.”

felt the community.” She hit the ground running, becoming co-chair of the Campus

Weems left Millsaps for Master of Divinity studies at Yale Divinity School, where she was a Yale Fellow and student body president be-

Ministry Team, a dormitory resident assistant, and a Panhellenic

fore her graduation in 1997. She would go on to graduate with honors

delegate for her sorority, Kappa Delta, also serving as the chapter’s

in 2004 from Saint Paul School of Theology with a doctor of ministry

chaplain.

degree and specialization in church leadership.

“Then in my senior year, I was full force toward graduation and

“It wasn’t until I finished at Yale that I had the realization that I

Phi Beta Kappa,” said Weems, who was selected to the elite national

really needed to get my hands dirty, and to learn differently,” Weems

academic society as an upperclassman. “I was definitely surrounded

said. She fulfilled that calling during almost two years of mission work

by a group of strong academics and that rigor and intensity chal-

in Bolivia beginning in 1997.

lenged me, which I appreciate today.” One of her greatest influences was Dr. Don Fortenberry, B.A. 1962, who served as Millsaps’ chaplain for more than three decades until his retirement in 2005. At Millsaps, he said, Weems began to

There, she learned a foreign language, later adding Portuguese to the list. “My worst grade at Millsaps was in Spanish class,” she said with a laugh. “But I just showed up in Bolivia, and people helped me voluntarily

develop the global outlook and bridge-building skills that make her

serve,” Weems said. “It became an amazing learning opportunity

ministry successful today.

outside the library and my books, and the chance to put into practice

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

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what I believed. That experience fundamentally shifted my whole

There may be too many properties, or they might not be in the right

ministry.”

places, or where the population is.”

It also “manifested the qualities and worldview that have made her the perfect minister to the multicultural congregations she has served,” Fortenberry said. That ministry shift is put into practice every day in the greater Miami community, where Weems began pastoring First United Methodist Church in 2009. As superintendent of the South East Dis-

But Weems and her fellow ministers are up to those tasks. “To want to pastor here is a gift,” she said. “I really feel like our pastors are committed and excited to be here.” Millsaps, she said, taught her life lessons that help her to lead. “I learned about the relationship between the intellectual endeavor and the practical endeavor of my vocation,” Weems said.

trict, she oversees 75 churches

“Now, all these years later, my

spanning a territory from Fort

gleaning joy from what I do comes

Lauderdale to Key West. “They

from the early influences in my

are English speaking, Spanish

schooling that say these things are

speaking, Creole speaking, and

not separate. “I took seriously a call to serve

Korean speaking,” Weems said.

the community,” she said. “Part of

Portuguese, her husband’s native language, is one more

your training at Millsaps is that

communication tool in her

you will share your gifts, your in-

ministry. “We’re launching a

tellect, and your abilities. It’s hard

Brazilian Methodist Church

to think of a day that goes by that I

here this summer,” Weems

don’t put that into practice.” “Cynthia always has a smile

said.

on her face, inviting others into

Her work with First United Methodist, where she was

conversation and offering a listen-

deeply involved in the church’s

ing ear,” Garvin said. “In a time

25-year-old ministry to the

of great anxiety—in the United

homeless, prepared her to be

Methodist Church and in the

not just an administrator and

world—she is offering grace and

leader, but a “missional strate-

hope as a leader in her community

gist” for her district.

and in the Church.” Weems is proud stepmother

“That’s a big part of the job,” Weems said. “How are

to Aline, an ordained minister,

we doing our job for the com-

and Felipe, a high school student.

munities that God has called

Nine-year-old daughter Mariana

us to serve? I strategically

completes the family. “We spend a lot of time travel-

and missionally think about serving the people in this large

ing in Brazil as often as we can,”

community.”

Weems said. “We enjoy the beach, and being outside. Mississippi

Weems is a natural leader, said the Rev. Lisa Garvin, B.A. 1993, associate dean of the chapel and

is absolutely my home, but Miami we describe as being a wonderful

religious life at Emory University, one of Weems’ Millsaps classmates,

bridge community between my roots and my husband’s roots.”

and a Millsaps College trustee. “As United Methodists, Cynthia and

leadership position. “A lot of people with a lot more wisdom than me

have enjoyed a wonderful friendship rooted in shared experiences,

are helping me navigate this,” she said.

not the least of which is our time at Millsaps.” Her job is not without obstacles—and opportunities, Weems said.

“Part of what leaving the country and my experience in Bolivia taught me is that my brain is not always the best judge of what is best

“One of the biggest challenges is being the church in a very secular

for me. I have to be open to where my faith and heart lead me. That is

context, and being a witness to very good news, being a witness to

where my joy will come, combined with great mentors and training,

love, and being a witness to cooperation and reconciliation … in a

for service to others.”

place that is very secular, and very materialistic and me-centered.” Another major challenge, Weems said, is “aligning our ministries and our resources. It’s expensive to have property in South Florida.

It’s a bit unusual, Weems said, for someone at her age to be in her

I regularly cross paths at regional and global church gatherings and

www.millsaps.edu

BY RUTH CUMMINS

{ALUMNI}

“College should provide students with opportunities to find and begin to define their passion…something that drives their achievements and interests for the rest of their lives.” —PATRICIA MCINTOSH COLES, B.A. 1965

What will be your legacy? Patricia McIntosh Coles, B.S. 1965, returned to Millsaps along with her husband Gary to celebrate her fiftieth class reunion. In honor of Patricia’s fiftieth reunion, Dr. Robert W. Pearigen announced that the Coles have committed a substantial estate gift to fund scholarships for future education majors at Millsaps. This gift will provide students with opportunities to positively shape the lives of countless children as Patricia did throughout her career as a teacher and education consultant. With the Coles’ generous investment in the College’s Education Department, Millsaps will continue producing exceptional educators who carry the Millsaps influence into future generations and communities. To learn more or to discuss your options for making a planned gift to Millsaps, contact Beth Autrey, director of planned giving, at 601-974-1454 or beth.autrey@millsaps.edu. Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{ALUMNI}

www.millsaps.edu

{ALUMNI}

College benefits from education and experience of alumnus Walton Lipscomb, B.S. 1956, majored in history and took all of the pre-requisites necessary to gain admittance to the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. “I realized it wasn’t for me,” he said. “It took me three quarters to tell my dad, who was a physician. I would have been the fifth-generation physician in my family. Fortunately my brother, Lewis, became an ob-gyn as did his son, Lewis Jr.” After he decided to entertain other career options, Lipscomb returned to Millsaps, consulted the dean of students, and found his way. He completed several interest tests and discovered he was more suited for a career involving history or mathematics. He enrolled in accounting classes at what was then Mississippi State College and earned a B.S. with a concentration in accounting. An accountant for 57 years, Lipscomb recently returned to Millsaps for several months to help close the books and prepare financial statements for fiscal year 2015. His assistance was needed after Louise Burney, vice president for financial affairs, retired and while a search was under way for her replacement. Millsaps President Robert W. Pearigen applauded Lipscomb’s willingness to serve his alma mater. “I’m thankful for the help of Walton,” he said, “and for the knowledge he brings from his experience and his days at Vanderbilt University where he spent 19 years as controller.” Pearigen recently made a contribution to the Lipscomb Endowed Scholarship at Millsaps that Lipscomb set up in 2008. ‘’I really appreciated that,” Lipscomb said. Lipscomb began his career as an accountant in 1958 with what was then the largest accounting firm in the state, Dick D. Quin & Co. in Jackson. He served for a year on active duty at Fort Polk, La., with the 134th MASH unit as an auditor for the command post. Several years later, Lipscomb decided to move out of Mississippi so he contacted lifelong friend and Lambda Chi fraternity brother, Tom Naylor, B.S. 1958, who was then a professor of economics at Duke University. Naylor told him about a job at Duke, and Lipscomb became an assistant to the controller at Duke and was promoted to assistant controller a few months later. In late 1967, Lipscomb learned that the home of friend Bob Kochtitzky, a lay person involved in racial reconciliation efforts, had been bombed, and he rethought his career plans. “I decided it was time to return to Mississippi and help bring about positive change,” he said. He took a job as controller at Blue Cross and served as treasurer for several organizations, including LAOS Inc., the Bethlehem Center, the first Project Head Start in Jackson, and the Mississippi Council on Human Relations. A letter that Lipscomb wrote in 1968 to the chairman of the board of directors of Sears & Roebuck in Chicago brought the end of

a two-week boycott of Sears in Jackson and the hiring of black sales associates for the first time. Because of the letter, an attorney and the regional human resources manager for Sears traveled to Jackson and met with Lipscomb and Pat Derian, a civil rights and human rights activist who would serve as assistant secretary of state for human rights and humanitarian affairs from 1977 until 1981, to review the situation. As a result of the meeting, an agreement that was satisfactory to Charles Evers, who led the boycott, was reached. “Within several weeks, all of the department stores in Jackson had hired black sales associates,” Lipscomb said. When Millsaps and Tougaloo College secured a developing institutions grant that provided for an accountant and purchasing agent, Lipscomb began work at Millsaps. After the grant ran its course, Lipscomb became full-time controller and later chief financial officer at Millsaps, positions he held until 1974. He married his first wife, Evelyn Henson Weathersby, while employed at Millsaps. The Rev. Roy Grisham Sr., B.A.1928, father of Roy Grisham, B.A.1958, one of his Lambda Chi brothers, married them. The Rev. Roy Grisham Sr. and his wife were godparents of Weathersby’s daughter, Mary Joe, whom they had helped Weathersby and her late husband, Joe, adopt, Lipscomb said. Lipscomb then became controller at the University of South Alabama, where he helped install a new accounting system, an experience that would prove helpful later. He worked at South Alabama for two years until joining Vanderbilt University as controller, where he also oversaw installation of the same accounting system and worked with parents and students to come up with financial plans that would enable them to attend the school and graduate. Lipscomb retired in 1995, although he worked part time for Jewish Family Service for nine years and later as interim vice president for business affairs at Hiwassee College. After Evelyn Henson Weathersby Lipscomb passed away in 2009, Lipscomb visited his brother, Lewis, at St. Catherine’s Village in Madison. On one of those visits, Lipscomb was reconnected with a high school friend whom he had not seen in 60 years, a widow, Betty Jo Farnham Cotten. The Rev. Brister Ware, a Millsaps alumnus, a lifelong friend, and fraternity brother, married Lipscomb and Cotten in November 2012. Lipscomb said he’s enjoyed being back on the Millsaps campus, seeing improvements that have been made, and visiting friends. Years ago, he made a name for himself on campus as managing editor of the Purple & White, a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, the Millsaps Singers, and treasurer of Lambda Chi Alpha. These days, he’s still active with Lambda Chi and its mentoring program. As part of the program, Lipscomb keeps up with Trey Vernaci, a senior who is student body president. “We’ve had lunch in the cafeteria together,” he said. “It’s great to be back.”

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{ALUMNI}

www.millsaps.edu

{ALUMNI}

Wonderful world of Disney draws alumna to Florida Tiara Willis, B.B.A. 2013, finds the magic and wonder of Disney fascinating. A Jackson native and Murrah High School graduate, Willis grew up watching the Disney Channel and visiting Disney World. “We used to go to Disney almost every year growing up,” she said. “When I was a kid during vacation, I got to dance the Twist on the Streets of America in Disney-MGM Studios (now Hollywood Studios) with a cast member. I was probably seven years old.” Willis’ admiration of Disney continued, and she knew as a sophomore at Millsaps that one of the classes she wanted to take was Disney and the American Way of Life, co-taught by Dr. George Bey, professor of sociology/anthropology, and Dr. Brit Katz, vice president for student life and dean of students. “I hadn’t taken any anthropology classes when I signed up for the class,” she said. “I had to petition to get in the class, and I remember explaining to Dr. Bey that I analyzed Disney cartoons and movies almost daily. I got in the class by explaining my analysis of the “Phineas and Ferb” show that was on the Disney Channel.” The class studies the early 20th century life and times of Walt Disney, the golden age of Disney in the 1930s and 1940s, the 1950s symbiotic relationship between television and the theme park, and the present with the growth of Disney as a global corporation. The class concludes with field study at Disney World where students see Mickey Mouse up close, do their best to view the park as anthropologists would, and have a lot of fun. “Before I took the class, when I thought of working at Disney I thought of wanting to dance in the parade, things like that,” said Willis, now a retail guest service manager at the Mouse Gear Store at Disney World’s Epcot Theme Park. “I didn’t realize how many different segments of Disney there are.” The time Willis spent at Disney World with her Millsaps classmates heightened her interest in finding a way to use her Millsaps degree in accounting to work there. “Tonya Nations (director of the Millsaps Center for Career Education) knew of my love of Disney and approached me about giving my resume to a Disney recruiter who would be at a conference she was attending,” she said. Willis began communicating with a recruiter from the Disney College Program, an institution that provides college-age students a chance to work and study at Disney. She was accepted into the Disney College Program, where she became intrigued by Disney’s emphasis on guest services and the Disney business model. In her current job, Willis is responsible for making sure the Mouse Gear Store at Epcot, stocked with everything from magnets to mugs, candy to clothing, and hats to home décor, provides excellent guest service. “I work with other managers and make sure we have enough cast members working and that the operation is running smoothly,” she

said. “One of my goals is to inspire the cast.” To work at Disney, Willis said, is to know how magic is made. “It’s one thing to experience it, but to actually learn about it and piece everything together is fascinating,” she said. Disney still follows founder Walt Disney’s original dream: Everything is a show. “We are called ‘cast members,’ not employees,” she said. “We are cast members because we are part of the show for the guests.” The theme of the store where Willis works is a factory, meaning the cast members who are employed there are dressed in costumes reminiscent of employees in a gear factory. When cast members are visible to the public eye, they are described as being “on stage,” while zones of the park that are cast-only are known as “backstage” areas, she said. While on stage, Willis and other cast members are expected to be in character and uphold the Disney ideals, which place a high value on safety and courtesy. Long-term, Willis’ plan is to continue working for Disney. She would like to work in the corporate accounting sector, but believes she is exactly where she is meant to be. Willis said she is constantly using skills gleaned from her courses at Millsaps in her professional work for Disney. “I look at numbers and know how to make decisions based on them,” she said. She is thankful for the experience she had at Millsaps, where professors and counselors took an individualized approach to helping her land the right job after college. “I chose Millsaps because I wanted that exclusive experience that I couldn’t get at a large university, and that’s exactly what I had,” she said. “Millsaps definitely taught me the power of networking. Millsaps appreciates and celebrates diversity. I think that’s a perk, because at Disney there are so many types of cast members.” Willis recalls as some of her favorite Millsaps professors Dr. Kimberly G. Burke, dean of the Else School of Management, and Terri P. Hudson, vice president for institutional planning and assessment. She spoke with the most recent group of Millsaps students who visited Disney as part of the Disney and the American Way of Life class. Bey said Willis brought such passion to his Disney and the American Way of Life class that he knew she would wind up working there. “She believes in the Disney Magic yet has a very smart work ethic. I think she will go far in the world of the Mouse,” he said. Katz also remembers Willis as a perfect proponent for the Disney experience. “As a student in the College’s Disney class, she exhibited the quintessential enthusiasm, sincerity, and friendliness codified in a Disney theme park professional,” he said. “Disney management should make her the archetypal poster-professional from whom future employees could model their own behaviors. Move over Snow White, Belle, Ariel, and Aurora. You’ve got nothing on Tiara Willis!” BY NELL LINTON KNOX, B.A. 2012

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{CLASS NOTES}

Class Notes Check out Class Notes to find out who has celebrated a major milestone.

READ MORE ABOUT IT We would like to encourage all alumni to send in their news items, large or small, personal or professional, to Nell Luter Floyd, Office of Communications, Millsaps College, 1701 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39210-0001. Fax : 601-974-1456. Phone: 601-974-1033 or 1-86-MILLSAPS (1-866 - 455-7277). Email: communications@ millsaps.edu. Please include your name, address, phone numbers, email address, graduation year and degree, and any news you want to share. Appropriate items include births, weddings, advanced degrees, awards, job promotions, etc. Photographs are also welcome. Photographs should be no less than 300 dpi. We reserve the right to not include a photo that doesn’t meet our standards. If you are aware of alumni who are not receiving the magazine, please send us their names and addresses.

1976

reference to Bonner’s focus on encouraging stu-

Jim McCafferty, B.A. 1976, of Ridgeland, is author of The Bear Hunter: The Life and Times of Robert Eager Bobo in the Canebrakes of the Old South, a true account of the adventures of Bob

of the Bonner Foundation: civic engagement, com-

Bobo and other 19th century Mississippi Delta hunters and the environment in which they lived. It is available at Amazon’s Kindle store.

dent passion for leadership in service, recognizes an individual’s support of the value commitments munity building, diversity, international perspective, social justice, and spiritual exploration.

1982

1984 Ben Wynne, B.B.A 1984, of Oconee, Ga., author of In Tune: Charley Patton, Jimmy Rodgers, and the Roots of American Music, signed his book on April 10 at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale. The new book traces the shared experiences of these two Mississippi musical legends who pioneered different styles of music while growing up, living, and playing in the South. The signing took

1977

place in the Museum Gift Shop.

1986

Bob King , B.A. 1977, of San Antonio, Texas, director of athletics at Trinity University, was named the NCAA Division III Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year. The annual award is sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics,

Alumni fishing trip

and includes all NCAA Divisions, the NAIA, and

Alumni from the classes of 1982-1987 gathered in

junior/community colleges. King was one of only

Alabama at Dauphin Island for deep sea fishing

four athletic directors in Division III to achieve the

and fellowship in August. Many of the Pi Kappa

honor. This marks the third time King has received

Alpha–Alpha Iota alums had not seen one another

the prestigious award, having previously been

since the mid-1980s. One of the Majors travelled

honored by his peers in 2000 and 2004. King was

from Istanbul, Turkey for the three-day gather-

appointed AD in 1993.

ing. The group included front row, from left,

1980

John Hermann, B.S. 1984; Stephen Martin, B.A. 1985; Andrew Sessions, B.S. 1986; Philip

Gaines, B.A. 1982; Necip Alican, B.B.A. 1985 and B.A. 1986; John Ray III, 1986; Scott Bauer,

Dixon Myers, B.B.A.1980, of Sewannee, Tenn.,

B.S. 1983; back row, Bill Lang , B.A. 1986; Wesley

received the B-Loved Community Award from the

Blacksher, B.B.A. 1985; Whit McKinley, B.A. 1985; Collin Cope, B.B.A. 1985; Jon Nance, B.A. 1985; Marty Lester, M.B.A. 1989; Ben Wynne, B.B.A. 1984; Jeff Good , B.B.A. 1986; John Leggett , B.A. 1985; Allen Andrews, B.B.A. 1986; Albert Labasse, B.A. 1986; and Bill Hetrick , B.A. 1984.

Bonner Foundation during its 25th annual Student Leadership Institute in June at Davidson College. Myers, coordinator of outreach at The University of the South since 1991, was recognized for his exemplary work. The B-Loved Community Award, named in

www.millsaps.edu

Olen M. “Mac” Bailey, B.A. 1986

Olen M. “Mac” Bailey, B.A.1986, of Memphis, received his Master of Laws in elder law with Honors from Stetson University College of Law in May 2015. He received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University in 1989, and is the president of The Bailey Law

{CLASS NOTES}

Firm. He practices in the areas of estate planning,

Wildman Medal Award for his paper, “The Effect

elder law, and probate. He is married to Teresa

of the Social Mismatch Between Staff Auditors and

White Bailey, B.A. 1994, incoming president of

Client Management on the Collection of Audit

the Millsaps Alumni Association Board.

Evidence,” (co-authored with Dr. Richard C. Hat-

2007

field of the University of Alabama), published in

Sarah Beth Wilson, B.B.A. 2007, of Ridgeland,

the January 2013 issue of The Accounting Review.

was named one of Mississippi’s 50 Leading Busi-

The Wildman Medal Award was founded in 1978

ness Women for 2015 by the Mississippi Business

to commemorate John Wildman and to encour-

Journal. She is an associate at the law firm Cope-

Charlotte Seals, B.S. 1988, of Madison, is the

age research relevant to the professional practice

land, Cook, Taylor & Bush in Ridgeland.

2015-1026 president of the Junior League of Jack-

of accounting, to which much of Wildman’s life

son, a volunteer organization with 2,400 members.

was devoted. The award, sponsored by the Deloitte

With more than 25 active and provisional projects,

Foundation, was presented to each recipient in the

the league focuses its work in the areas of early

form of a medal and monetary prize on Aug. 11 at

literacy, teen pregnancy prevention, nutrition,

the 2015 American Accounting Association Annual

physical activity, and social/emotional wellness.

Meeting in Chicago.

1988

Seals, an associate superintendent of Madison

Bennett is an assistant professor of account-

County Schools, served as president of the Nation-

ing in the Isenberg School of Management at the

al Association of Junior Auxiliaries in 2010-2011.

University of Massachusetts Amherst. He teaches

1991 Holly Lange, B.A.1991, of Jackson, served as executive director of the inaugural Mississippi

auditing at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as co-teaches a research seminar for the accounting Ph.D. students. Bennett focuses primarily on researching auditing topics using experimental methods. His current research in-

cludes examining auditor-client communications; Book Festival, held August 22 on the grounds of audit-client negotiations; materiality judgments; Bradley Bennett, CPA, Ph.D.,The (BBA 2000; MAcc 2001) received the 2015 the Mississippi Capitol. festival celebrated and corporate use of electronic mediums to disAAA/Deloitte Wildman Medal Award for his paper “The Effect of the Social Mismatch Mississippi’s literary and attracted an Between Staff Auditors andtradition Client Management on the Collection ofseminate Audit Evidence,” information. Before earning his Ph.D. (co-authored with Dr. Richard C. Hatfield of the University of Alabama), published in the estimated 2,500-3,500, more than double the audiof Alabama in 2012, Bennett January 2013 issue of The Accounting Review. The Wildman Medal from Awardthe wasUniversity founded inence 1978expected. to commemorate John Wildman and to encourage research relevant the manager at KPMG and then assistant was antoaudit professional practice of accounting to which much of Mr. Wildman's life was devoted. The award recognizes “the author(s) of the article, monograph, bookcontroller or other at Millsaps. work…judged to have made or will be likely to make the most significant contribution to the advancement of the practice of public accountancy (including audit, tax and management services).” This award, sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation, was presented to each recipient in the form of a medal and monetary prize on Tuesday, August 11th at the 2015 American Accounting Association Annual Meeting held in Chicago, HeathIllinois. Massey, B.A.1996, of Beloit, Wisc., is

1996

2010 Jordan Bryan, M.B.A. 2010, of Madison, was named to the “Young Guns” list of the publication,

Insurance Business America. The list is composed of professionals under age 35 who have made significant contributions to the insurance industry. Bryan, who began working as a personal lines producer for Ross & Yerger Insurance in Jackson in 2010, is now vice president.

2012

2005

the author of The Origin Heidegger and School of Management at Bradley is an Assistant ProfessorofofTime: Accounting in the Isenberg the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He teaches auditing at both the undergraduate Bergon , published by SUNY Press. He teaches phiand graduate levels, as well as co-teaches a research seminar for the accounting Ph.D. primarily on researching students. losophyDr. atBennett Beloitfocuses College in Wisconsin, and auditing fondly topics using experimental methods. His current research includes examining auditor-client communications; auditrecalls his studymateriality of philosophy at Millsaps with client negotiations; judgments; and corporate useDr. of electronic mediums to disseminate information. work has been published in The Accounting Review and Steve Smith and Dr.His Ted Ammon. Contemporary Accounting Research, and he has been awarded competitive research grants from KPMG and the University of Alabama to support his research efforts. Bradley currently serves on the editorial board for Behavioral Research in Accounting. Prior to obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in 2012, Dr. Bennett was an audit manager at KPMG and then assistant controller at Millsaps. (From Left) President Robert W. Pearigen, Paige Biglane,B.S. 2005,

2000

Lane Williamson Staines B.B.A. 2005, John Kueven B.B.A. 2005, and Teresa White Bailey B.A. 1994, president of the Alumni Association Board.

Congratulations to the Class of 2005, winners of the 2015 Leadership in Giving Award and the Spirit of Giving Award. Members of the Class of 2005 were honored during Homecoming for their outstanding participation in giving to the College

Bolton Kircher, B.A. 2011 and Maggie Floyd, B.A. 2012

for the fund raising year ending June 30, 2015. A Bradley Bennett, B.B.A. 2000, second from left

combination of letters, emails, texts, and Facebook messages yielded gifts from 56% of 2005 class

members and represented the true spirit of giving Bradley Bennett , B.B.A. 2000 and M.Acc. 2001, More information about this award is available online at in support of the College and its motto of Ad Excelhttp://aaahq.org/About/Directories/2014-2015-AAA-Committees-Task-Forces/Awardof Amherst, Mass., received the 2015 AAA/Deloitte Committees/Deloitte-Wildman-Award-Committee/Award-Criteria. lentiam—excellence in all things.

Maggie Floyd , B.A. 2012, and Bolton Kircher, B.A. 2011, were married June 20 at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Jackson. The wedding party included Victoria Gorham, B.A. 2012; Mad-

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{IN MEMORIAM}

eleine Porter Groth, B.S, 2012; Laura Sorey, B.S. 2012; Virginia Simmons, B.A. 2011; Zach Davis, B.A. 2011; and Ian McDougall, B.B.A

ans, B.A. 2014; and Drew Richardson, B.B.A.

2012. Maggie teaches writing to sixth graders at

Louisiana State University School of Dentistry and

eStem Middle School, a charter school in down-

Jacob works at IberiaBank.

2014. The couple lives in New Orleans, where Madeleine is in her fourth year of dental school at

town Little Rock, Ark., and Bolton is pursuing concurrent graduate degrees at the Clinton School

Laura Sorey, B.S. 2012, of Covington, La., re-

of Public Service and the University of Arkansas

ceived her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in geology from Louisi-

for Medical Sciences College of Public Health.

ana State University in 2014 and is a development geologist with Chevron in Covington, La., working

Victoria Gorham, B.A 2012, of Gainesville, Fla.,

prospects on the Gulf of Mexico.

is in the fourth year of her Ph.D. program in politi-

2013

cal science at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She was scheduled to sit for her second set of comprehensive exams in September, and planned to defend her dissertation prospectus in 2015, all

Kasey Laird, B.S. 2013, of New Orleans, is the

of which will mean achievement of ABD (all but

head volleyball coach for Cabrini High School in

dissertation) within the year.

New Orleans, her alma mater. She earned a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of science in kinesiology, with a coaching edu-

Her research revolves around questions of the

cation emphasis, from Georgia Southern University.

relative efficacy of nation-building projects. In other words, what makes nationalism salient in some cases, but not in others? She is especially interested in the ways that institutions of state (museums, schools, the military, and government ceremony) convince ordinary people to love and identify with their country.

Madeleine Porter, B.S. 2012, and Jacob Groth, B.B.A. 2014, were married on April 18, 2015 at

Madeleine Porter, B.S. 2012 and Jacob Groth, B.B.A. 2014

Trinity Episcopal Church in New Orleans. The wedding party included Victoria Gorham, B.A, 2012; Laura Sorey, B.S. 2012; Maggie Floyd

Kirchner, B.A. 2012; Maria Underwood Davis, B.A. 2011; Will Travis, B.B.A. 2015; Ben Ev-

At Millsaps, Laird was a member of both the volleyball and track and field teams. In volleyball, she was conference player of the year. As a member of the track team, she won the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference discus throw three consecutive years and the SAA shot put throw.

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{IN MEMORIAM} {IN MEMORIAM}

In Memoriam Millsaps College remembers those in our alumni family and College community whom we’ve lost. These In Memoriam listings reflect those received from Feb. 25, 2015 to Aug. 3, 2015.

Letitia Chambers Withers, 1937, of Jackson,

distinguished naval career during World War II.

Marion Gordon Stewart Jr., 1946, of Natchez,

died March 3, 2015. She was a member of Fondren

He became a farmer and served in the Mississippi

died March 7, 2015. He was a pilot in the Naval

Presbyterian Church and the Ralph Humphrey

House of Representatives in the 1960s.

Air Corps during World War II. He received an

Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolu-

agricultural engineering degree from Mississippi

tion. She served as president of the Junior League

Louise Miller Cooley, B.A. 1944, of Hazlehurst,

State University in 1948. He was a civil engineer

of Jackson and several women’s clubs.

died May 3, 2015. She was a member of the Hazle-

for more than 30 years with the U.S. Department

hurst United Methodist Church, the DAR, the

of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, and then

Janet McRae Clancy, 1939, of Ridgeland, died

Hazlehurst Garden Club, and other community

worked for the Mississippi Department of Environ-

April 13, 2015. After World War II, she devoted her

organizations.

mental Quality as a hydrologist for 10 years.

was active in community and national arts organi-

Mitchell Berry Wells, B.A. 1944, of Canton,

James H. Colmer Sr., 1947, of Pascagoula, died

zations and was selected for President Dwight D.

died April 27, 2015. He received his degree in

May 12, 2013.

Eisenhower’s Women’s Congress on Housing.

dental surgery from Emory University and served

time to her church, her family, and her son. She

in the U.S. Navy in World War II. After leaving

Mary Murphy, B.S. 1947, of Pewee Valley, Ky.,

Dr. Felix Sutphin, B.A. 1940, of Meridian, died

active military service in 1946, he returned to

died May 21, 2013.

May 19, 2015. He earned a divinity degree from

Canton and joined his father’s dental practice,

Candler School of Theology at Emory University

retiring in 1990.

William D. Simmons, class of 1947, died Dec.

in Atlanta and in 1957 became the first Wood

28, 2014.

Junior College alumnus to be named president of the college. He received an honorary degree from Millsaps College in 1957. During his 30 years as president of Wood Jr. College, he was credited with numerous improvements. As a minister in full connection with the United Methodist Church, he was registrar and chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry, a member of the Board of Pensions, and secretary to the board of trustees for Camp Lake Stevens.

Lampton O’Neal Williams, 1940, of Poplarville, died April 14, 2015. He graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law, practiced law, and was named Poplarville’s Citizen of the Year for 1967.

James D. Wall, B.S. 1941, of Houston, Texas, died March 24, 2012.

William DeLoach Cope, 1943, of Arcola, died March 23, 2015. He transferred to the University of Mississippi, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942, and had a

Tom Fowlkes, chair of the Millsaps College Board of Trustees, presented a Millsaps lapel pin this past May to Raymond

S. Martin, B.S. 1942. Martin, After serving in the U.S. Army at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi

taught both general and special education in Clarksdale for 22 municant of St. George’s Episcopal Church and belonged to the DAR, the Colonial Dames of the 17th

and completing his training at

Century, the Huguenot Society,

Vanderbilt University School

the Clarksdale Woman’s Club, and

of Medicine, he established a practice in general and pediatric surgery, which he maintained

numerous other organizations.

Philip Erskine Irby Jr., B.A.

until 1990. He was a founding

1949, of Madison, died March

faculty member in surgery at

22, 2015. He served in the U.S.

the University Medical Center

Army Air Forces before he entered

and a member of the Southern Surgical Association. He loved his surgical practice, but his true love was in relationships—with his patients, friends, neighbors, colleagues, his

Millsaps. He was hired as a special agent by Prudential Insurance Company in 1952, where he had

family, and, especially, his wife, Margery, of 69 years. He was honored as the Millsaps College Distinguished Alumnus in 1999. He received the Jim Livesay Award, which recognizes outstanding service and dedication to the College, in 1995. He served as president of the Millsaps Alumni Association in 1966-1967, was a founding member of the Millsaps Arts & major fundraising campaigns for the College.

dale, died April 23, 2015. She

years. She was a longtime com-

of Jackson, died Sept. 19, 2015.

Lecture Series and on its advisory board, and provided leadership with

Frances Margaret Johnson Pelegrin, B.A. 1949, of Clarks-

an active career of service until his retirement in 1995. He was active in professional organizations and served as president of the Jackson Toastmasters Club, Capital City Kiwanis Club (with perfect weekly

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{IN MEMORIAM}

attendance for 36 years), Northwood Homeowners

Mary Sue Best , of Indianapolis, Ind., B.A. 1952,

ington Medical Center. Dr. McGown worked in the

Association, River Hills Club, and Lake Castle Lot

died Nov. 5, 2013.

Emergency Departments at the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, NC, and Bamberg Hospital,

Owners Association

Curtis Leo Clapham, B.A. 1952, of Wilmington,

Bamberg, S.C.

Ralph Emerson Hays Jr., B.A. 1949, died April

Del., died April 13, 2015. He earned a master’s of

29, 2015. He had a long and outstanding career in

social work from Tulane University. He was an

Katherine E. Hornsby Parrish, 1952, of Cape

sales management.

administrator at Bethesda-Savannah Children’s

Girardeau, Mo., died Nov. 30, 2014. She earned

Center in Savannah, Ga., and later director of

a master’s degree in English at the University of

Russell Moreland “Bud” Weaver Jr., B.S. 1949,

Family Service of Chester County, Penn. where he

Tennessee and a doctorate from Southern Illinois

of Tupelo, died June 23, 2015. He lived in Memphis

served for 30 years. He was the founding director

University. She was a faculty member at Southeast

working for GMAC prior to moving to Tupelo in

of the board of Kendal-Crosslands Retirement

Missouri State where she was faculty advisor to

1960. He worked for the Coca-Cola Company for a

Communities, serving in various capacities for

Sigma Tau Delta, a charter member of Phi Kappa

number of years before starting Bearing and Sup-

more than 30 years.

Phi, and served in various ways.

film, they saw Weaver act in a local production

William Arland “Billy” Hays Jr., B.A. 1952,

Peggy Louise Hughes Speed , 1954, of Hatties-

of “The Odd Couple” and cast him in the movie,

of Bogue Chitto, died April 1, 2015. He earned a

burg, died Feb. 25, 2015. She reared her children

“Tomorrow,” which starred Robert Duvall and was

B.S. in business, and a master’s degree in guidance

and continued her education by earning a master’s

shot in part in Tupelo in 1972.

and counseling at Mississippi State University. He

degree in speech pathology at the University of

worked with the state of Mississippi for 39 years

Southern Mississippi. She worked as a speech

Audrea Louise Jones Hobgood , B.A. 1950, of

at the Mississippi Employment Security Commis-

pathologist for the Hattiesburg School System.

Ackerman, died March 28, 2015. She taught high

sion, the Mississippi Council on Aging, and the

She was a member of Westminster Presbyterian

school history and English for more than 28 years

Mississippi Department of Economic and Com-

Church and a founding member of ShareCare.

with the majority of that time spent at Manchester

munity Development.

ply. When filmmakers were recruiting for a new

Mary Helen Philips White, B.A. 1954, of Port

Academy in Yazoo City. After teaching, she worked for several years with the Mississippi Department

The Rev. Sale T. Lilly Jr., B.A. 1952, of Can-

Gibson, died May 22, 2015. She taught English at

of Human Services as a parenting counselor. In

ton, died May 18, 2015. He attended both Perkins

Tunica High School and Yazoo City High School.

1985, she was the Mississippi Private School As-

School of Theology at Southern Methodist Uni-

After moving to northern Virginia, she earned a

sociation Teacher of the Year.

versity, and Candler School of Theology at Emory

master’s degree at the University of Virginia and

University where he received his master’s of divin-

taught at Frances Hammond and James Madison

Joe Ashley Sutherland Sr., 1950, of Canton,

ity in 1955. He served as a minister in numerous

High Schools.

died July 3, 2015. He earned a B.S. in civil engi-

churches across Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and

neering from Mississippi State University. He

Missouri, and in Monterrey, Mexico. He retired

The Rev. Jerry Williamson, B.S. 1954, of Mad-

worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

from the United Methodist Mississippi conference

den, died March 19, 2015. He was a minister, a na-

in 1996, but continued to preach at numerous rural

tive of Neshoba County, and a member of Madden

churches in the Carthage area.

Methodist Church.

Warren Wright Sr., 1950, of Brandon, died May 24, 2015. He served during World War II as a tail gunner on a B-17 fighter plane in the U.S. Air

H. Curtis McGown III, B.A. 1952, of Winns-

Paul Baker Murphy Sr., B.S. 1955, of Jackson,

Force. He was a Jackson businessman who opened

boro, S.C., died May 29, 2015. He completed his

died March 11, 2015. He received his law degree

Warren Wright’s House of Ideas in 1961.

medical education through the University of

from the University of Mississippi School of Law.

Tennessee School of Medicine. McGown’s work as

He served two years in the United States Army at

Mary Sue Robinson, B.A. 1951, of Oxford, died

a physician led him to positions in North Caro-

Fort Bliss, Texas. He spent most of his years prac-

April 11, 2014. She was a United Methodist mis-

lina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and ultimately

ticing law as a land man representing oil and gas

sionary and a member of Oxford-University United

to service in the United States Army as a combat

companies in the Southeast.

Methodist Church. She earned a master of arts in

surgeon. He was a volunteer surgeon in Vietnam,

Middle Eastern studies from Harvard University

and he served as a general surgeon in Saudi Arabia

Patricia McGuire Cole, 1956, of Cypress, Texas,

and a master of arts in English from the University

with the 144th Evacuation Hospital during Opera-

died Jan. 22, 2015. She was on the staff at Cypress

of Mississippi. She spent 27 years in Algeria. After

tions Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He was

Assistance Ministries for 14 years and was a Texas

returning to the states in 1982, she taught at the

awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his

Master Gardener.

University of Mississippi.

service, and was presented the Meritorious Service Award by the Military Order of the Purple Heart

The Rev. Dr. O. Gerald Trigg, B.A. 1956, of

Lyle K. Bartlett , 1954, of Kalispell, Mont., died

for his work with the wounded. He held positions

Tupelo, died May 15, 2015. He was senior minister

July 26, 2014. He earned a bachelor’s degree in

as president of the South Carolina Chapter of the

of First United Methodist Church in Colorado

physics and a master’s in education at the Uni-

American College of Surgeons, director of medi-

Springs, Colo., for 22 years and co-founded Ecu-

versity of Oklahoma. He was a pharmaceutical

cal education and director of surgical education

menical Social Ministries. The Quitman native

representative in Midland, Texas, and later owned

at Richland Memorial Hospital, as well as chief of

was one of 28 white Methodist clergy in Mississippi

a medical supply company.

surgery at WJB Dorn VA Medical Center and Lex-

who signed the “Born of Conviction” declaration in

www.millsaps.edu

{IN MEMORIAM}

1963, denouncing racism and segregation of public

historic buildings as law offices and refurbished

schools. In 1993, when he was in Colorado Springs,

the Elks Club as a bed and breakfast. He was

director of psychiatric emergency service, assistant

he was among 17 local religious leaders who signed

director of the Central Legal Staff from 1994 until

professor of emergency medicine, and associ-

the “Covenant of Mutual Respect” in opposition

2005 and a court administrator to the Mississippi

ate professor of neurology at UMMC. He was the

to an anti-gay rights amendment to the Colorado

Supreme Court from 2005 until 2011.

recipient of many awards and honors, and several

He was a professor of psychiatry, medical

times was named Teacher of the Year for his

Constitution that was later struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Trigg also studied the writings

Marion Lane Sigrest, B.S. 1958, of Yazoo City,

contribution and dedication to didactic teaching

and life of President Abraham Lincoln for decades,

died May 19, 2015. He graduated from the Uni-

and clinical supervision. He received the 2013

often giving lectures about the nation’s 16th presi-

versity of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1962.

Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from the National

dent. His study was filled with Lincoln biographies,

After a family practice internship in Savannah,

Alliance on Mental Illness and the AAEP’s Emer-

memorabilia, and statues, as well as life-sized

Ga., Sigrest and his family settled in Yazoo City in

gency Psychiatry Achievement Award. He received

bronze castings of the president’s face and hands

1963. He practiced family medicine for 53 years.

the Excellence in Psychiatric Education Award

he bought for $250 at an Illinois pawn shop.

presented by the UMMC psychiatry residents and

The Rev. Inge Mobley Halbert , 1959, of Cale-

was designated the inaugural member of the 7th

Eugenia K. Dickinson, B.A. 1957, of Braxton,

donia, died July 20, 2013. He served United Meth-

Floor West Attending Hall of Fame.

died March 15, 2015. She was a teacher in Natchez,

odist churches throughout Mississippi. Included in

Southaven, Magee, and Mendenhall before retiring.

his pastoral ministry was a talent for singing and

Judith Karen Michael, B.A. 1964, of Baldwyn,

She was a member of Bethany United Methodist

playing the piano.

died March 15, 2015. In 1968, she received a master

Church in Braxton where she played the piano and

of social work degree from Tulane University in

William “Bill” Wright Rhymes Jr., B.S. 1959,

New Orleans. She was a retired state employee

of Shelby, N.C., died July 15, 2015. He retired from

who worked at the Department of Human Service.

The Rev. Tommy D. Gilbert , B.A. 1957, of Me-

Mallinckrodt Chemical Works in St. Louis, Mo.,

She later worked at Baptist Medical Center in

ridian, died June 17, 2015. A graduate of Candler

after 27 years and OHP, Inc. after 12 years. He was

Jackson as a medical social worker and then at

School of Theology at Emory University, he served

a member of Zion Baptist Church, where he served

Gilbert’s Home Health Agency.

these Methodist congregations: The Matherville

as chairman of the deacons, chair of the Pastor

Circuit, The Philadelphia Circuit, Southside Phila-

Search Committee, a Sunday school teacher, an

Jane V. “Candye” Slay, B.A. 1965, of Cary, N.C.,

delphia, Flowood, The Mt. Zion Circuit in Georgia,

Adult Sunday School Deptartment leader, and a

died Jan. 29, 2013.

Crawford St. Vicksburg, St. John’s Yazoo City,

choir member.

was a member of the United Methodist Women.

Charles Manton Broad Jr., B.S. 1966, of

Legget Memorial Biloxi, Carthage First, Brookhaven First, The Hattiesburg District, and Gulfport

Thomas Clyde Welch, B.A. 1959, of Ridgeland,

Jackson, died May 28, 2015. He received an M.B.A.

First. For 20 years and 11 months, he was minister

died July 26, 2015. He was a Chartered Life Under-

from Mississippi College and was an insurance

of stewardship and visitation at Central Meridian.

writer.

executive. He served as senior vice president of

Betty Anne Callaway Quinnelly, 1957, of

Clyde Earnest Stanfield, 1961, of Brandon,

traveled widely in the United States as an insur-

Purvis, died June 19, 2015. She was a homemaker

died July 14, 2015. He attended the University of

ance examiner.

and a Methodist.

Mississippi, served in the U.S. Air Force, and was a

Andrew Jackson Life Insurance Company, and

retired sales representative for Teknamed Co.

James O. Coley, B.A.1958, of Tupelo, died May

Kathryn “Kathy” Hymers Frye, B.A. 1966, of Jackson, died June 29, 2015. After teaching for

18, 2015. He retired from the Mississippi Highway

R. Doris Moore Graham, B.A. 1962, of Jackson,

several years, she focused her talents on raising

Department in 1983 as a senior engineer techni-

died June 17, 2015. She was a teacher, member of

three children, serving in leadership positions for

cian. In 1989, he retired as a chief warrant officer

Common Cause, and active in the Democratic

the Junior League of Jackson, and volunteering as

from the military after 35 years of distinguished

Party. She was a member of Northminster Baptist

a docent at the Jackson Zoo. She was the director

service.

Church.

of children’s ministry at Covenant Presbyterian

Betty Eakin Dane, B.A. 1958, of Germantown,

Garland Hamilton ‘Bo’ Holloman Jr., B.A.

Tenn., died March 10, 2015. She earned a master’s

1964, of Jackson, died Feb. 7, 2014. He received

Wilson Ragan Rodgers, B.S. 1966, of Paris,

degree from East Texas State University. After

his doctorate in physiology and biophysics in 1969

Texas, died Friday, June 26, 2015. He received a

teaching school in Mississippi and Alabama, she

and his medical degree in 1973 from the Univer-

master’s of science from Virginia Tech University

married and raised her family in Texarkana, Texas,

sity of Mississippi Medical Center. He practiced

and an M.B.A. from Lynchburg College.

where she later continued teaching.

emergency medicine at several area hospitals, was

Church.

in private practice in Canton, and served as ER

William Brandsford Greene Jr., 1967, of Baton

Jack E. Pool, B.A. 1958, of Dallas, died March 6,

director at Delta Medical Center in Greenville. He

Rouge, La., died March 14, 2015. He was a gradu-

2015. He was a graduate of the University of Mis-

completed his psychiatry residency at the Mental

ate of the University of Mississippi and a member

sissippi School of Law. A member of the Natchez

Health Institute in Cherokee, Iowa, and a year of

of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

Historic Preservation Committee, he restored two

residency in neurology at UMMC.

Millsaps Magazine | Fall-Winter 2015

{IN MEMORIAM}

The Rev. C. Henderson Rasberry Sr., B.S.

University of Mississippi School of Medicine, he

All American Wildcatters, a group limited to 100

1967, of Clinton, died June 2, 2015. He was a

was the first African-American chief resident at

members in the U.S. In 1996, he was inducted into

graduate of Candler School of Theology, Emory

UMMC. Gordon’s medical career included service

the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame.

University. He served as district superintendent of

as the laboratory director of Jackson-Hinds Com-

the West Jackson District and previously served

prehensive Health Center, clinical instructor in pa-

troleum Council in Washington, D.C. He received

the East Jackson District. He served as pastor of

thology at UMMC, director of central Mississippi

the American Association of Petroleum Geologists’

churches in Mississippi and Georgia.

Cytology Laboratory, and clinical services director

2008 Outstanding Explorer Award. He was named

at Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center.

the 2009 Philanthropist of the Year by the state of

Cecil Theodore Williams Jr., 1969, of Laurel,

In 2002, he was appointed to the National Pe-

Mississippi.

died May 24, 2015. He received a degree in geol-

Stephen L. Ingram Sr., 1985, of Houston, Texas,

ogy from the University of Southern Mississippi

died June 3, 2011. He was a Vietnam veteran.

Kathy McCarty Flynt , secretary of McCarty Enterprises and the H.F. McCarty, Jr. Family Founda-

and worked for Continental Oil Company before becoming a physician. He received his medical

Stennis Earl Wells, 1991, of Jackson, died April

tion, of Flowood, died May 4, 2015. She graduated

degree from the University of Mississippi. He prac-

24, 2015. For nearly 20 years, he enjoyed a career

with a B.S. degree from William Carey College in

ticed cardiology for more than 25 years in Laurel.

as a sales executive for major pharmaceutical and

1973. She worked in the family-owned business,

medical device companies, most recently with

McCarty Farms. With her philanthropy, caring,

Phyllis Allen, B.A. 1970, of Ocean Springs,

Intuitive Surgical, before retiring in 2008 to devote

and dedication of time, she continued the legacy

died May 22, 2015. She was employed by Harrah’s

more time to his family.

established and taught to her by her mother and late father. She was a faithful member of Flowood

Grand Casino for 15 years as a security dispatcher.

Montgomery “Monte” Bates Sernel, B.A.

Baptist Church and the Rankin County and the

Willenham Cortez Castilla , B.A. 1971, of

1994, of Germantown, Tenn., died June 19, 2015.

Greater Jackson Phi Mu alumnae chapters.

Jackson, died Feb. 28, 2015. He was the longtime

He was a graduate of Memphis University School

director of choral activities at Jackson State Uni-

and played on the soccer team at Millsaps.

Mary Ann McCarty, who served alongside her husband in the family-owned business, Mc-

versity. He earned a master’s degree in music and ethnomusicology from Fisk University. Castilla

Jody Tidwell, M.B.A. 1995, of Jackson, died May

Carty Farms, for more than 26 years, of Madison,

received many accolades throughout his musical

30, 2015. He was a partner and division president of

died June 8, 2015. She was a member of McCarty

career, including the 2011 Champions of Leader-

the Southeast division of Blue Clover, an advertis-

Enterprises, LLC and served as secretary of The

ship Award presented by the 105 Voices of History:

ing agency. He was known for his love of Neshoba

H.F. McCarty, Jr. Family Foundation. With her

HBCU National Concert Choir. In September

County, especially the Neshoba County Fair.

philanthropy, caring, and dedication of time, she continued the legacy that she and her late husband

2012, Castilla served as a national conductor of the 105 Voices of History: HBCU National Concert

Margaret Anne Thomas, 2013, of Hatties-

established. She was a faithful member of the First

Choir in a concert performance at Andrew Mellon

burg, died May 23, 2015. She was a member of St.

United Methodist Church of Magee and volun-

Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church and loved pets

teered her time and support to many organiza-

and plants and the arts.

tions, including Millsaps College, the YMCA of

Dr. David Nelson George, B.A. 1975, of Montgomery, Ala., died March 26, 2015. He graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1978, completed an internal medicine residency at UMMC in 1982, and a cardiology fellowship at the University of North Carolina in 1985. He joined Montgomery Cardiovascular As-

Metro Jackson, Mississippi Symphony Orchestra,

Friend

Mississippi Opera, Children’s Discovery Zoo, and

Dudley J. Hughes, geologist and philanthropist,

Faculty/Staff

of Jackson, died April 2, 2015. He grew up near Palestine, Texas and graduated from high school

Smith-Robertson Museum of Black History.

sociates in 1985.

there before receiving his geological degree from

Elizabeth Lauderdale Ranager, of Byram,

Texas A&M in 1951. Hired by Union Producing Co.

died Feb. 27, 2015. After the death of her husband,

Steve Germany, B.A. 1976, of Canton, died March

as a field geologist and scout, he was almost im-

the Rev. Walter Ranager, she took a position at

mediately called up for active duty by the military.

Millsaps College in the Sciences Division office.

He served as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army

She later became secretary to the dean of the

artillery in the Korean War and was awarded the

College, a position she held until her retirement

Mississippi Employment Security Commission.

Bronze Star Medal for distinguishing himself by

in 1986.

Donald Brady, B.A. 1977, of McComb, died May

Korea, from December 1952 to May 1953.

4, 2015. He was affectionately known as “Captain” by his Millsaps friends. Germany was a retired employment counselor who had worked for the

19, 2015. He was a retired engineer, and an avid

meritorious service against an armed enemy in After returning to the United States, Dudley

radio owner and operator.

Hughes rejoined Union Producing. He and his

These submissions for In Memorianm reflect those

twin brother, Dan Hughes, later started a com-

received between Feb. 25, 2015 and Aug. 3, 2015. For

Raymond Anthony Paul Gordon, B.S. 1978,

pany, Hughes & Hughes, for independent opera-

more information, contact Nell Luter Floyd at 601-

tions. In 1971, he was elected to membership of

974-1089 or floydnl@millsaps.edu.

of Jackson, died Feb. 22, 2015. A graduate of the