Millsaps Magazine
Summer 2012
From the President
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illsaps College has received an anonymous $1 million endowment gift from the parents of a Class of 2012 graduate. The gift was made by parents in honor of the professors and mentors who have changed their child’s life forever and in appreciation of the inspiring experiences that mark a Millsaps education. It is my hope that this generous gift will inspire others to support initiatives associated with the new strategic plan, “Across the Street and Around the Globe: Partnerships and Influence at Millsaps College.” The five-year plan for the College was developed during the last school year with input from faculty, staff, trustees, alumni, and students. A key piece of the plan is a new and distinctive educational and leadership program that leverages our location in the capital city of Mississippi and in the communities we touch around the world. The program is designed to expand the reach of our classrooms—embracing opportunities in our neighborhood and within our reach internationally to allow students to graduate with real-world skills and experiences that will be an advantage to them. The endowment supports the plan by providing resources for local, national, and international internships for students, enabling them to work, study, and serve. It will support students pursuing honors projects and collaborative research and teaching experiences with their professors. It will also provide funds for students to study abroad, particularly students whose resources do not allow such. This gift reminds us of the privilege and joy we have as educators in helping transform the hearts and minds of our students, even as our students shape our own hearts and minds. It also reminds us of the sacred trust that families place in us. WebExtra
Dr. Robert W. Pearigen
Read about the strategic plan at millsaps.edu/strategicplan.
Millsaps Magazine
Executive Editor Patti P. Wade* Director of Communications and Marketing
Features
Design Kelley Matthews Publications Manager Nell Luter Floyd Contributing Editors Jason Bronson*; Lucy Molinaro*; Kara G. Paulk; Marc Rolph Student Assistants Jesse Crow; Alison Montgomery; Lauren Williams Contributing Photographers Barbara Gaunt; Frank Ezelle; Casey Holloway; Greg Jenson; Carey Miller* Administrative Officers Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, President Dr. S. Keith Dunn, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College; Terri Hudson, Vice President for Institutional Planning and Assessment; Louise Burney*, Vice President for Finance; and Dr. R. Brit Katz, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Board of Trustees Tom Fowlkes*, Chair The Rev. Jerry Bostick Beam* The Rev. Zachary Beasley Paul Benton* Dan Bowling* Bill Bynum James A. Coggin Elaine Crystal Robert H. Dunlap* Will Flatt* Mark Freeman* Gale L. Galloway The Rev. Lisa Garvin* Dr. Cris Glick William F. Goodman III* Maurice H. Hall Jr.* Monica Sethi Harrigill* Richard G. Hickson William R. James William Jeanes* Peder Johnson* Earle F. Jones The Rev. Geoffrey Joyner* R. Eason Leake* Robert N. Leggett Jr.* John L. Lindsey Hal Malchow* J. Con Maloney Jr.*
The Rev. William T. McAlilly* Vaughan W. McRae Richard D. McRae Michael T. McRee Richard Mills* Dr. Don Q. Mitchell* Cooper Morrison* Robert R. Morrison Jr. Paul Ogden* The Rev. Luther S. Ott* Robert W. Pittman* Dr. Bobby Robbins* E. B. Robinson Jr. Nat S. Rogers* Toddy Sanders* The Rev. Joey Shelton* Steven Smith* Mike Sturdivant Jr.* Mike P. Sturdivant Rowan H. Taylor J. Murray Underwood* Mack Varner* John C. Vaughey Bishop Hope Ward Ruth W. Watson* Leila C. Wynn William G. Yates III
27 Yucatán Millsaps College’s presence in Yucatán transcends original research objectives.
on campus 10 Research 11 Creative Endeavors 14 New Dean
beyond campus 15 Medical Mentoring 17 Internships
sports 36 Women’s Basketball 40 Backyard Brawl
alumni 41 Meet Alums 48 Class Notes 53 In Memoriam
faculty & Staff 20 Accolades 23 Young Faculty Award 25 Fulbright Scholar
*Denotes Millsaps Alumni 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. Send alumni updates and address corrections to Millsaps Magazine, care of the above address. You can also reach us at 601-974-1033 or communications@millsaps.edu. For the online magazine, visit www.millsaps.edu.
Cover: McCall Walker, B.S. 2012; Michael Hiller, M.Acc. 2012; and Sarah Laughlin, M.B.A. 2012, tour the Kuche Palace at Kaxil Kiuic: A Biocultural Reserve. The students participated in the Winter Intercession 2012 program in Yucatán.
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are among the most valuable and lasting relation“ These ships you will build in your lifetime. Value and trust these relationships forever. � Tom Shima, B.A. 1987 Millsaps Alumni Association president, speaking to the Class of 2012
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On Campus
Commencement features major gift announcement and virtual Bowl Student speakers exemplify scholars in pursuit of excellence. by Nell luter floyd and Kara G. Paulk
David Guyott
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William M. Webb
Lauren Williams
wo-hundred-seventy-one undergraduate and graduate degrees were conferred during Millsaps College’s 118th Commencement ceremony on May 12 at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Madison. Rain prompted a move from the traditional location of the Bowl, but an oversized screen featured an image of the beloved greenspace in spring. Dr. Robert W. Pearigen, president of Millsaps, announced an anonymous $1 million endowment gift from the parents of a 2012 graduate. The gift honors professors and mentors who have changed the graduate’s life and acknowledges the experiences that distinguish a Millsaps education. Continuing a tradition that began in 2011, the Commencement address was delivered by the recipient of the Millsaps College Founders’ Medal, David Anthony Guyott, of Schertz, Texas. The Founders’ Medal is awarded to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average and an excellent on comprehensive examinations. In his address, Guyott encouraged his fellow classmates to do good in the world and to find a job they enjoy. “We’re so busy trying to accomplish all these things in life that we forget to enjoy life. We need to find what makes us happy, fulfills us and enriches our lives,” he said.
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Ashley C. Evans
Also recognized in the ceremony was William Mitchell Webb, of Shreveport, La. Webb received the Frank and Rachel Anne Laney Award, given to the graduating senior who has written the finest essay reflecting the value of a Millsaps liberal arts education. Ashley Christopher Evans, of Brandon, spoke on behalf of graduate students from the Else School of Management. Evans was chosen as the Outstanding Master of Accountancy Student. On active duty with the National Guard, Evans’ education was interrupted by three tours of duty in Afghanistan. Evans urged graduates to remember that their everyday interactions put them in a position to help others. “Our Millsaps education has given us a unique set of skills that can positively influence others,” Evans said. Dr. Bill Storey, professor of history, was named the Distinguished Professor. Also recognized was Lauren Williams, of Trussville, Ala., as The Don Fortenberry Award winner. The award is presented to a graduating student from any undergraduate academic division of the College who is considered to have performed the most notable, meritorious, diligent, and devoted service to Millsaps College with no expectation of recognition, reward, or public remembrance. During the Ceremony, the College conferred honorary doc-
Standing: Charles Lewis Overby, Judge Neal Brooks Biggers Jr., Millsaps President Robert W. Pearigen, and Robert Parker Adams. Seated: Bishop Hope Morgan Ward, Elaine Gradinger Crystal, and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College S. Keith Dunn.
toral degrees on individuals who have been influential in their respective fields or have made significant contributions to society. Recipients of honorary degrees are: Robert Parker Adams, 1959, is a Jackson architect who is a nationally recognized authority on the preservation and restoration of historic structures. After spending a year at Millsaps, Adams finished his degree in architecture at Auburn University. He was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his exceptional services in directing construction operations during the Vietnam War. At the age of 69 he received a master’s degree in historic preservation from Goucher College. Judge Neal Brooks Biggers Jr., B.A. 1956, is a native of Corinth who served in the United States Navy before receiving a law degree from the University of Mississippi. He practiced law in Corinth prior to his election as Alcorn County prosecuting attorney in 1964. He was district attorney for the First Judicial District of Mississippi and later a circuit judge of that district when he was appointed as U.S. District Judge for North Mississippi. He was chief judge from 1998 to 2000. Elaine Gradinger Crystal, businesswoman, civic and cultural leader, and honorary trustee for Millsaps College, has lived in Mississippi since her marriage in 1949. She was educated at MacMurray College and the University of Iowa where she met
her late husband, Manny Crystal. She is a member of the board of directors for the family’s business, Jackson Iron & Metal Company, where for a period in the 1970s and 1980s, she oversaw real estate management and development activities. Her passion for the arts, cultural diversity, and a lively civic square has been expressed through her varied leadership positions. The Elaine and Emmanuel Crystal Charitable Fund supports numerous arts, religious, and educational entities in Jackson, including Millsaps College. Charles Lewis Overby, a native of Jackson, is an advocate for the field of journalism and until his recent retirement, headed the Freedom Forum, which developed and operates the Newseum in Washington, D.C., among other global commitments to freedom of expression. He was executive editor of The Clarion-Ledger when the newspaper’s coverage of Mississippi’s education reform received a Pulitzer Prize in 1983. Bishop Hope Morgan Ward was elected a bishop in The United Methodist Church and appointed to Mississippi in 2004. A native of North Carolina, she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Duke University. She has served as vice president of the General Board of Global Ministries, president of JustPeace, chairperson of The Advance, and Vision Alignment Chairperson of the Council of Bishops.
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Meet a Student
Alex Lawson Jr. Alex Lawson Jr., a rising senior from Gulfport, has a knack for getting involved in campus activities and conveying a positive attitude. Perhaps it’s a lesson he learned when he and his family rode out Hurricane Katrina in their home—and survived unharmed.
events such as book distributions at Brown Elementary, Martin Luther King Jr. Play and Serve Day, and the 1C1C Block Party. My main role on the 1C1C Leadership Team is to help connect campus organizations and individual students to service events mainly in Midtown.
Q: How are you involved with SAPS, the student programming board? A: I have been elected twice as executive director of programming for the Student Body Association. Through this position I serve as the chair of SAPS. I oversee the planning and execution of fun events each semester such as free movie nights, a finals week rave in the library, free giveaways, Homecoming, Major Madness concerts, comedians, and crawfish boils.
Q: What is your favorite class so far? A: Heritage class my freshman year. For the first time I learned about history from more than one perspective.
Q: How have you been involved with One Campus One Community and the Campus Ministry Team? A: I have served on the chapel task force in CMT where I read passages or helped in other ways to facilitate the sermons. In 1C1C, I helped out with community service
Q: What are your career plans? A: I am majoring in business administration with a minor in psychology. I plan to enter the field of human resources after completing the M.B.A. program at Millsaps College.
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Q: Where is your favorite spot on campus and why? A: The Bowl is significant for me because it is where my college career began with being welcomed to campus during the Fourth Night ceremony and where it will end with graduation.
Meet a Professor
Dr. Patrick D. Hopkins Dr. Patrick D. Hopkins is chair and professor of philosophy at Millsaps and an associated faculty member at the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He is chair of the steering committee for the College’s Quality Enhancement Plan, a component of the College’s Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation renewal process. Q: What is the College’s QEP? A: The QEP is a new program to enhance student learning in a specific measurable way. Our QEP is called “Major Health: Enriching Students’ Lives through Health Education.” Q: How will the QEP be instituted? A: Using the Foundations course, freshmen will be divided into two groups; the control group will use the regular Foundations curriculum, and the experimental group will use the regular Foundations curriculum with a health education component. The effect of the program will be
determined by a pre-test assessment and a post-test assessment over a four-year time period starting in 2013. The desired outcome is for the experimental group to show a statistically significant improvement in health knowledge and skills. Q: How does Major Health differ from what alumni might have experienced? A: My understanding is that at various times Millsaps has had physical education requirements. Colleges across the country are instituting, or re-instituting health and fitness requirements in order to deal with the problems of obesity, depression, heart disease, and diabetes. We are not talking about dodgeball or calisthenics in the Bowl. We are talking about important factual information that health and fitness are indeed crucial to the good life. Q: What has been inspiring about this project? A: The fact that a student who plans on a health care career, Holly Irwin, B.S. 2012, was the person who submitted the original QEP proposal is particularly inspiring.
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On Campus
Dr. Bert D. Ehrman
Campus Visitors Academic scholars, authors, and musicians were among visitors on campus during the spring semester.
Dr. John Bickle, professor of philosophy and cognitive science at Mississippi State University, gave the 2012 Dunbar Lecture entitled, “How to Super-Charge a Brain: Manipulating Brain Genes and Proteins to Enhance Memory—What It Means and Where It’s Going” in February. He explained molecular and cellular cognition experiments that turn mice with memory problems into “super learners.” Printmaker and associate professor of printmaking at the University of Iowa, Anita Jung, gave a gallery talk in February about her exhibit entitled “I Am Not There.” Jung’s exhibit concentrates on materials that take on new meanings and contexts through unexpected relationships.
Rick Moody, John Wesley Harding, and Joe Pernice
Dr. Bart D. Ehrman delivered the 2012 Summers Lecture, “The Greatest Stories Rarely Told: Forgeries in the New Testament,” in February. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a world renowned scholar on early Christianity. Associate professor of biology at Lewis & Clark College, Dr. Greta Binford, spoke in March about “Spider Venoms: Tools of Tiny Predators,” highlighting the biological diversity of spiders’ feeding biology, skills, and venoms. She also spoke about using evolutionary history to discover new chemicals in venoms and ways to effectively treat spider bites. The presentation was part of the Moreton Lecture Series. Rick Moody, John Wesley Harding, and Joe Pernice entertained the campus with “Singers, Songs, and Writers” as part of the Visiting Writers Series in March. Author Rick Moody has penned five novels, two collections of stories, and one collection of novellas. John Wesley Harding is a writer and a musician. Joe Pernice has been in the music industry for more than 15 years and has released 13 albums. Millsaps Arts and Lecture Series presented a program about “Mississippi’s Baseball Legacy” in March. Rick Cleveland, sports writer and author, and baseball icons Chad Bradford and Jay Powell discussed Mississippi’s World Series connections. Susan Harrison, Eckerd College associate dean of the faculty and professor of rhetoric, visited Millsaps in March and discussed the influence of Virginia Woolf upon Eudora Welty’s fiction. The Eudora Welty Foundation played a role in presenting the lecture. Dr. Paul Marek, research entomologist at the University of Arizona, Tucson, introduced the biodiversity of millipedes, which includes the leggiest animal on the planet, those that squirt toxic cyanide, and species that glow bright green at night in April. The presentation was part of the Moreton Lecture Series.
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Jay Powell
Sinauer Associates, Inc.
Business 605: Strategic Management: Concepts and Applications is the capstone course in the M.B.A. program at Millsaps. Students in Dr. Ray Grubbs’ Strategic Management: Con cepts and Applications class draw on everything they have learned in all of their M.B.A. classes. Students explore decision-making as they participate in an online business strategy simulation. Divided into teams, students compose the management team of companies, which during the spring semester were in the electronic sensor industry. “They appoint a chief executive office, chief financial officer, and chief information officer, come up with a production schedule, make decisions to operate their company, and compete,� Grubbs said. Students consider forces such as international dynamics, the industry itself, government regulations, the economy, and technology in order to determine strategies for their companies. The simulation illustrates the complexities an executive team faces, the impact that decisions made by a manager can have on an organization, and the need that can arise for decisions to be made without complete information. Students develop skills in planning, measuring, and assessing organizational performance. Tiffany Hammond, B.S. 2006, said the class is competitive, noting that the team with the best outcome makes the best grade. “The simulation lets us see our results instantly. It is hard to know what to expect because, just like in the real world, a number of situations can be thrown at us at any time during each round of competition.� Student teams also complete 10 to 12 weeks of real-life field work. During the spring 2012 semester, a student team worked with Midtown Partners, another studied the utilization of campus assets for the College, and four other teams worked in the private sector. “It provides an opportunity for students to work with a client and address real business issues,� Grubbs said. Hannah Chappelle, B.B.A. 2011 and M.B.A. 2012, said the field study gave her an understanding of the entrepreneurial process. “It has taught me about the importance of a business plan and the different components that make one up,� she said. Capsim Management Simulations, Inc.Ž
On Campus
Syllabus
Professor Dr. Ray Grubbs is a professor of management in the Else School of Management at Millsaps College. He has a doctorate from the University of Mississippi, an M.B.A. from Mississippi College, and a bachelor’s degree from Millsaps. His teaching interests are in business policy, management skills, and leadership. His research interests are in factors determining propensity to change, leader trust, and upper management commitment. He has consulted with numerous organizations during his 30-year career.  Prerequisites Completion of all requirements for M.B.A. This class is typically taken the last semester a student is completing requirements for an M.B.A. textbook Capstone: An Industry Simulation Assignments Field Study Case Project Capstone Simulation
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On Campus
Research Keck Center on campus detects early cacao in Maya pottery plate sherd. The Hershey Company's Technical Center collaborates. by kara g. paulk
Dr. Tim Ward
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Cocoa Pods
cientists at Millsaps College’s W.M. Keck Center for Instrumental and Biochemical Comparative Archaeology have detected evidence of the presence of cacao in ancient ceramic pottery from a Maya archaeological site in Yucatán, Mexico, making it the earliest documented evidence of the use of cacao in the Northern Maya Lowlands. Dr. Timothy J. Ward, professor of chemistry at Millsaps; Dr. Jiyan Gu, research fellow; and students Syed Ali and Erin Redman used liquid chromatography in tandem with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer to extract and identify two specific chemical compounds. Their research revealed a specific ratio of theobromine and caffeine compounds that provided a strong indicator of cacao usage. The ceramics were found in 2001 at the site of Paso del Macho, a Middle Formative site dating to 600-500 B.C. in the Southern Puuc region of Mexico. The site was discovered and explored by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History archaeologist Tomás Gallareta Negron, who works as senior director of the Bolonchen Regional Archaeological Project, along with Dr. George Bey of Millsaps College and Dr. William Ringle of Davidson College. Paso del Macho is one of many sites the project has discovered in its regional exploration of this relatively unknown area of the Maya world. “Although a small site, Paso del Macho was apparently important as it had several small mounds and a ball
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court,” Bey said. “The fact that the inhabitants were able to acquire and use cacao indicates they were part of the larger Maya world even at this early date.” “One of the pottery sherds that has been identified as having had cacao residue was not a bowl or jar, as is typical, but a plate. This raises the possibility that cacao was not only being used to prepare a beverage at this early time but was already being used in sauces for dishes perhaps similar to the popular dish known as Molé,” Ward said. The Keck Lab at Millsaps College is collaborating with the University of New Mexico and the Hershey Company Technical Center in identifying cacao use and other ancient foods and beverages. Evidence for the use of cacao is known from other parts of Mesoamerica as early as 1500 B.C.; the use of cacao by the Maya was thought to first have occurred in the Southern Maya Lowlands during the Middle Formative (around 600-500 B.C.). Evidence for cacao use at the same time period in the Northern Maya Lowlands indicates that the Yucatán Maya region also consumed chocolate at this early date. “This evidence combined with other archaeological, architectural, and settlement data is providing us with a new view of this little known area of the Maya world during the earliest times. The Northern Maya world was just as complex and sophisticated as the far better known southern Maya area, and we can add the consumption of cacao to this list of traits,” Gallareta Negron said.
On Campus
Creative Endeavors Art education culminates in project that explores family relationships. by Kara G. Paulk and JASON BRONSON
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ue Carrie Drummond has always been intrigued by family dynamics, so much so that she used that as inspiration for her senior honors project. “For my honors research, I decided to focus on depicting the idea of family with a specific focus on differences between generations. I decided to explore different roles within a family, showcasing not only the warm tenderness between family members, but also exposing the reality behind these relationships,” said Drummond, a 2012 graduate. “I created book and box constructions because of their narrative and interactive nature. Books allude to history, stories, or journals, the way in which we document and learn about our past. Boxes allude to secrets, memories, or family relics tucked away for safekeeping, something hidden awaiting to be uncovered. Both of these constructions allowed me to create layers within my work as well as engage my viewer for more time.” Drummond’s research earned one of two Phi Beta Kappa awards for Excellence in Honors Research. She received an honorable mention. Cheshil Dixit, a 2012 graduate, who produced an honors project in biology with Dr. Sarah Lea Anglin as advisor, about “Localization of Aspergillus nidulans snxAHrb1 throughout the cell cycle” was the overall winner.
Drummond found inspiration from looking at the work of Sophie Calle, a French conceptualist and photographer, and from everyday items such as quilts, postcards, and food. “My research process involved interviewing college-aged men and women about their family experiences. Sometimes I would focus on one anecdote, other times I would string together several narratives, always considering what imagery and structure was best suited for the piece,” she said. The honors project is a culmination of all she’s learned during her four years at Millsaps. “The art department, as well as Millsaps in general, has challenged me and encouraged me to never take things at face value. I am always questioning what is the best technique, process or image to convey my message. Millsaps has not only taught me to create more meaningful art, but to look for more meaning in the art I encounter,” she said. At Millsaps, Drummond has been a Ford Teaching Fellow, a member of Delta Delta Delta, and president of the art honorary Kappa Pi. She earned membership in Phi Beta Kappa. After graduation, the Clinton resident hopes to take some time off and become involved in the Jackson arts community. Eventually, she plans to attend graduate school and study bookmaking. She hopes to one day become a college professor.
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On Campus
Millsaps Miscellaneous Salute the spirit of the College, and read these news snippets.
I have to read what? Incoming students for the 2012-2013 academic year are reading the graphic novel, The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. A graphic novel uses the same format as a comic book but usually contains stand-alone stories with complex plots. Persepolis is the story of Satrapi's childhood and coming of age within a large and loving family
in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution. And the winner is... Dionysus. Millsaps students had the opportunity to vote for Aphrodite, Artemis, Hermes, Dionysus, or Poseidon as a mythical mascot for the College. Students in the classical mythology class teamed up to promote one of the GrecoRoman deities as the Col-
Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go... The College's extensive involvement in community service earned it the honor of being named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. Millsaps was recognized as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the country for community engagement work in and with the Midtown community. During the 2010-2011 academic year, 927 students at Millsaps engaged in more than 33,000 hours of community service.
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lege's unofficial mythical mascot. Each team produced and posted a video in support of their god or goddess on YouTube, Course Connect, or the Classical Studies Department Facebook page. One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish... Volunteers from Millsaps got in on the fun during Read Across America Day by reading Dr. Seuss books to
each class at Brown Elementary School in the Midtown community near Millsaps and giving a free book to each student. Who doesn’t love reading One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish?
On Campus
The Deans Recommend... Looking for a good book to read? Check out what is on the bookshelves of our deans.
I visited Egypt as part of my sabbatical and this was an obvious choice to read while traveling. The book is a recent synthesis by a respected Egyptologist who is noted for his ability to write to nonspecialists. This book does as advertised, basically covering Egyptian history from the Predynastic period through the death of Cleopatra. Dr. David C. Davis, associate dean for arts and letters Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo (Random House, 2012)
Dr. S. Keith Dunn, senior vice president of academic affairs and dean of the College American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph J. Ellis (Knopf, 2007)
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This book is a highly recommended narrative nonfiction account of life in the halfacre slum of Annawadi near the Mumbai international airport. It documents the daily activities of these 335 families as they live, create, and work on the margins of the global economy.
American Creation gives a fascinating look into the personal journeys of five of the major players in the development of the republic: Washington, Adams, Ham-
ilton, Madison, and Jefferson. It gives a multi-perspective look at both the triumphs of the American Revolution and the failures (mainly the failure to end slavery and to find a reasonable arrangement with the indigenous natives) and contextualizes them rather brilliantly.
It is a “Common Sense 101” set of solutions to our current economic problems. The book analyzes problems arising from current government deficits and offers solutions to future financial storms. It offers a textbook definition of capitalism and the correct role of government. Dr. Tim Ward, associate dean for sciences Micro: A Novel by Michael Crichton and Richard Preston (Harper, 2011)
Dr. R. Brit Katz, vice president of student life and dean of students How to Win Friends & Influence People, by Dale Carnegie (Simon and Schuster, 1936) Harper
Dr. George Bey, associate dean for international education The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt by Toby Wilkerson (Random House, 2011)
This seminal tome, written in the 1930s, should be compulsory for contemporary undergraduates. It's a classic interpretation of the power of public praise or the impact of privately uttered constructive criticism. As e-technology risks reduce interpersonal communications to tweets and posts, this volume reminds us of the richness of person-to-person interactions.
The main characters in Micro are graduate students in science. The students embark on what could be described as an incredible adventure as they are shrunk to halfinch size, and, to escape the novel’s antagonist, flee to Hawaii’s wilderness. This was Crichton’s last work, which he was unable to finish before his death, and Preston was called upon to complete the story. Micro is a fun read, with heroic scientists. What more could a dean of sciences ask for?
Howard L. McMillan Jr., dean of the Else School of Management American Gridlock: Why the Right and the Left are Both Wrong —Commonsense 101 Solutions to the Economic Crisis by economist Dr. H. Woody Brock (Wiley, 2012)
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On Campus
Burke named dean of Else School of Management at Millsaps She replaces Howard McMillan, who will be executive-in-residence. by Kara G. Paulk
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r. Kimberly Gladden Burke, professor of accounting and assistant dean, is the new dean of Millsaps College’s Else School of Management. She will begin work as dean on July 1. Burke will oversee Millsaps’ undergraduate business, M.B.A., Executive M.B.A., and Master of Accountancy programs. “Dr. Burke is a valuable member of our faculty and has been a true leader at the Else School. She is recognized as an outstanding teacher, and her scholarship is highly regarded,” said Millsaps College President Robert W. Pearigen. “We look forward to her leadership, and I’m confident she will do great things for the Else School and Millsaps.” Burke replaces Howard McMillan, who has served as dean of the Else School since 2006 and interim President during the 2009-2010 academic year. McMillan will return to his previous role of executive-in-residence, a post he held from 2002 to 2006. McMillan joined the Else School after retiring from a distinguished career in the banking industry. He is a former director of the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta, past president of the American Bankers Association, and former president of Deposit Guaranty National Bank. As an accounting professor, Burke has taught a variety of classes including undergraduate and graduate auditing, intermediate and advanced accounting, accounting information systems, principles of financial accounting, and introduction to liberal studies. In 2008, she was recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and The Council for Advancement and Support of Education as the Mississippi 14
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Professor of the Year. She also plays a valuable role in helping Millsaps graduates secure jobs with leading accounting firms. She helped establish an executive shadowing program for accounting students. “On my first visit to Millsaps, I told my husband to start looking for houses,” Burke said. “I jumped at the opportunity to work with such talented faculty in providing real-world experiences for students. It’s what makes Millsaps unique.” Burke holds a B.B.A. and an M.S. in accounting from Texas Tech University and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. She joined the Millsaps faculty in 1995. Her research interests include the labor market for academics, assurance services, expectations formation and gender issues. Her research has been published in multiple publications including Advances in Accounting, Southern Economic Journal, Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Service Marketing, and Internal Auditing. “I’m looking forward to my new role as dean,” Burke said. “We know who we are, and we’re in a position of strength to move forward.” The Else School was recognized as one of the best business schools in the Princeton Review’s The Best 294 Business Schools, and its M.B.A. program was named a Top 10 Rising Star for 2011 by FindyourMBA.com.
beyond Campus
On Campus
Casey Holloway and Dr. Russell Rooks, B.S. 1982.
Medical Mentoring Program provides first-hand look at healthcare careers Student's experience includes viewing surgery performed by a Millsaps alumnus. by Nell Luter Floyd and Kara G. Paulk
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asey Holloway, a 2012 graduate from Hammond, La., credits Millsaps’ Medical Mentoring Program with affirming her career choice. “To say that my experiences in medical mentoring made me feel more secure in my career choice is an understatement. I have never been more excited about my future in medicine nor can I picture myself doing anything else. I know I have found my calling,” said Holloway, a religious studies/sociology major. She was accepted by Louisiana State University medical schools in New Orleans and Shreveport and chose to attend the school in Shreveport because of its systems-based curriculum, its relaxed, personal atmosphere, and the opportunity to live in a different part of her native state. Established in 2001, the Millsaps Medical Mentoring Program has grown from an initial group of 20 dedicated physicians
to nearly 100 professionals in fields such as dentistry, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, and optometry. Most, but not all, mentors are Millsaps alumni. The program was created to produce pre-medical career graduates with a greater probability of success in medical school and satisfaction in their medical careers by promoting interaction with physicians in their practices, said Dr. Kristina L. Stensaas, chair of chemistry and biochemistry, who has overseen the program since 2004. “When placing students with mentors, we consider the specialty the student is interested in, as well as the importance of the physician to be able to serve as a mentor in guiding, encouraging, and exposing the student to the challenges,” she said. About 30 students from freshmen to seniors participate in the program each year, and more than 270 mentorships have been completed. Students may enroll in the program during the
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beyond Campus
fall, spring, or summer months and receive one hour of academic credit for completing 40 hours of shadowing. Holloway shadowed Dr. Anthony Cloy, B.S. 1987, an assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and residents and other physicians in his clinic during her sophomore year. During the fall semester of her senior year, Holloway joined general surgeon Dr. Russell Rooks, B.S. 1982, on Tuesday mornings in an operating room at Baptist Medical Center, just a few blocks from campus. “At the beginning of this shadowing experience, I had no idea the cases I would see or how comfortable I would become with the world of surgery,” Holloway wrote in an essay about her experience. “When the nurses greeted me by name when I walked into the operating room, backed up to me with the understood request to tie their gown, or asked me to hold the Doppler machine while they assisted Dr. Rooks, I did not feel like just ‘Dr. Rooks’ student,’ but a welcome member of the team, albeit a very inexperienced one. When Dr. Rooks discussed patients’ aliments with me and talked me through every procedure he did, I felt as though he was really investing in me as a future doctor and potential surgeon. Once, right before a staph infection excision, the anesthesiologist told Dr. Rooks that I might not want to watch because it was ‘pretty gross.’ When Dr. Rooks replied,
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‘No, she’s tough! She can handle this,’ I felt like I had arrived. It was a verbal pat on the back.” Holloway said it was particularly rewarding to shadow physicians who are Millsaps alumni. “These physicians understand what Millsaps’ students are capable of and how much we love to learn because they were once in our place. The doctors whom I shadowed held me to high standards of intellectual curiosity, professional behavior, and interpersonal sensitivity. In return they bestowed upon me their time, knowledge, experience, and passion for medicine,” she wrote.
beyond Campus
College internships give students work experiences in a variety of fields Students gain focus for their career paths. by Jesse crowe, b.a. 2012
Lobbyist Stan Flint and Millsaps students Jordan Flint; Claire Sojourner, B.A. 2012, and Jeff Brown, B.A. 2012, prepare to meet members of the Mississippi Legislature.
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lassics major Kathryn Gunderson dedicated hours of time to her culinary passion—pastries— when she wasn't in class or studying for her classes in Latin IV, Greek III, or Classical Mythology. Gunderson, a 2012 graduate, was an intern at Campbell’s Bakery in Jackson during the spring semester. She considers her Millsaps education as her first step toward becoming a chef. “I wanted a great liberal arts education behind me before I tackled culinary school, so I chose a major that was really intriguing to me,” Gunderson said. “If I could major in making petit fours, I definitely would, but I'm glad for the foundation classics has given me.” Gunderson interned at several restaurants during her time at Millsaps, including Bravo! in Jackson, Pan Asia in Ridgeland, and Felicia Suzanne’s in Memphis. Her internship at Campbell’s Bakery was her first endeavor on the sweet side. “The atmosphere in the kitchen is incredibly welcoming and comfortable, even on the most stressful of days,” she said, citing the perks of working with warm cookies, cream puffs, and batches of icing. “It’s hard to be disheartened when creating delicacies that will make customers so happy.” Gunderson chose to intern at Campbell’s Bakery because it is a recently re-opened local business that has made a big impact
on the Fondren neighborhood. “In less than a year, it has won the Best of Jackson award for Best Bakery and Best Place to Order a Cake, and I wanted to be a part of that,” she said. Because Campbell’s Bakery is a small, locally-owned business, Gunderson was able to work directly with the owner and develop the skills she desired.“The owner of Campbell’s Bakery and my boss, Mitchell Moore, has given me the opportunity to say exactly what skills and recipes I hope to master, and has given me the guidance to practice them. We began with white cake and butter cream, progressed to sponge cake and the perfect pie crust, and we moved on to the French macaroon,” she said. Gunderson plans to apply to culinary school this summer and is confident she’ll be accepted because of her internship experiences and Millsaps education. The latest statistics available show that 78 percent of the spring 2011 Millsaps seniors responding to the National Survey of Student Engagement stated they had participated in a practicum, internship, field experience, or clinical assignment at some point during their four years at Millsaps. Seniors in previous years have responded with similar numbers. “Experiential learning is very much about the fabric of the College,” said Tonya Nations, director of the Career Center at Millsaps. Tiffany Langlinais, a business administration major and
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beyond Campus
Classics major Kathryn Gunderson, B.A. 2012, adds rosettes to petit fours at Campbell's Bakery in Fondren as part of her internship.
summer of 2012 graduate, spent half her week in Jackson and the other in Memphis, working with celebrity endorsements, sports marketing with the Memphis Redbirds, stuffing envelopes, and writing thank you notes. It was all in a day’s work as an intern at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Her internship spanned January through May 2012. She worked with her professors to rearrange her school schedule and spent Monday and Friday in class, and Tuesday through Thursday in Memphis. Langlinais’ involvement with Greek life on campus sparked her desire to become directly involved with St. Jude. St. Jude is the national philanthropy of her sorority, Delta Delta Delta. “Representing my chapter at the annual Leadership Collegiate Conference was the first time I had ever visited St. Jude, and, no matter how cliché it sounds, I felt like it changed my life,” she said. “It put things in perspective for me and made me understand that no matter how difficult some things in my life may seem, it is frivolous in comparison to what St. Jude patients and their families deal with every day.” Langlinais would like to eventually have a full-time job at St. Jude. Economics major and 2012 graduate Shaka Moody secured a summer 2011 internship at Wofford Consulting, a real estate appraising firm in Madison. He said his employer, “interviewed only a few people for the position because it was a pretty technical job. My economics background secured the position for me.”
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During his internship, Moody helped write appraisal reports, collected data on commercial real estate, and analyzed contracts. He gained real-world experience in a field related to his major, allowing him to sharpen skills learned at Millsaps. “I plan to use the skills I learned while at Wofford Consulting in similar jobs that need a conjunction of qualitative and quantitative skills,” he said. The benefits of internships are numerous, Nations said. “Not only do internships provide students with a better focus for a career path, they also give them firsthand knowledge of the world of work. Internships also provide proof of abilities for future employment, a connection to a mentor and abilities for future networking, and allow students to apply classroom learning to become more confident in their skills,” she said. Businesses also benefit from interns. “The biggest benefit for internship providers is the opportunity to try out student talent and see if there is a good fit for future employment. Our students have been known to start as interns and then get hired for full-time jobs after they graduate,” Nations said. Mitchell Moore, owner of Campbell’s Bakery, said having Gunderson as an intern was helpful with production. “It was just a huge help. It was wonderful,” he said. Stan Flint, managing partner of Southern Strategy Group, a 13-state lobbying firm that specializes in state level legislative and executive branch lobbying, said Millsaps students brighten the workplace. “Having enthusiastic, idealistic young people in your office totally changes the atmosphere,” he said.
beyond Campus
Internship Areas Student interns at Southern Strategy Group most recently included Jordan Flint, then a junior (Stan Flint’s daughter); Jeff Brown, then a senior and now a 2012 graduate; and Claire Sojourner, then a senior and now a 2012 graduate. The students tracked legislation, conducted research about potential legislation, answered the telephones, wrote client reports, and staffed special events. In turn, Flint introduced them to legislators at the Mississippi State Capitol. “Being an intern exposes them to the opportunity that they can have in the public policy arena,” Flint said. “One person can make a difference.” Internship experience makes college graduates more appealing to employers, Nations said. “According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, new college graduates who participated in internships did far better in the job market than their classmates who did not have that experience,” she said. Nations said that during the last two years more Millsaps students’ internships are unpaid, but it is also possible for students to receive class credit for internships. “I think unpaid internships have exceeded paid positions because employers have been forced to cut expenses, and many have chosen to cut their internship programs first,” Nations said. Nations believes the trend of unpaid internships is due to the nature of Millsaps students. “Our students seem to have a penchant for work with non-profit agencies, school systems, social service and justice agencies, religious organizations, and small businesses. These groups typically don’t have the funds to pay interns, so they recruit students hoping the chance to gain experience is enough of a reward,” Nations said. “With our students, it usually is.”
Millsaps students may obtain internships in numerous ways. The Career Center helps students find internships and will even tailor one to a student’s special interest. The Else School of Management assists its students with internships. Major Mentors is an avenue for internships that connects students with Millsaps alumni. Students may also do their own research and find opportunities for internships. The Faith & Work Initiative includes an internship component. Millsaps internships have included these locations: Alzheimer’s Association of Mississippi Crossroads Film Festival Dixie Equine Eudora Welty Foundation Grace House Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life Habitat for Humanity Metro Jackson Hinds County District Attorney International Museum of Muslim Cultures Jackson Free Press Jackson Public Schools Magnolia Speech School Mission Mississippi Mississippi Arts Commission Mississippi Center for Justice Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Mississippi Film Office Mississippi Museum of Art Mississippi School for the Deaf Nancy Price Interior Design Northminster Baptist Church Ramey Agency St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral Southern Poverty Law Center University of Mississippi Medical Center University Press of Mississippi
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Accolades
Millsaps faculty members spend time in the classroom, but that’s nowhere near all that they do. They find time for research and/or 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. Kathie Adams, coordinator of records and registration, attended the Oct. 1- 5 conference of the Mississippi Association of Colleges at Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena. She also attended the Southern Association of Registrars and Admissions Officer conference Feb. 10-15 at Northern Kentucky University in Newport, Ky. She attended seminars about protection of student information, transcript and diploma fraud, new federal regulations focused on higher education, administrative and program assessment, development of winter session, technical disaster recovery, current effective policies and procedures, and a Datatel users group forum. She is a member of the Registration Techniques and Records Management Committee for the 2013 SACRAO conference. Sarah Archino, visiting assistant professor of art, received an honorable mention for the Professional Development Grant from the College Art Association. Intended to support young academics, the award was granted in support of Archino’s plans to expand her dissertation, “Rewriting the Narrative of Dada in New York, 1910-1926,” into a larger treatment of early 20th-century American modern art. She hosted the conference, “Deadly Serious Art: Strategies of Humor as Critique,” on March 9 in New York. Her article, “Unpacking the White Box, Aspen 5+6,” details the Minimalist issue of Aspen Magazine and will appear in a forthcoming issue of the Rutgers Art Review. Diane Baker, professor of management, collaborated with Susan Baker, an art historian from the University of Houston 20
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Downtown, on the article, “To ‘Catch the Sparkling Glow’: A Canvas for Creativity in the Management Classroom,” forthcoming in the Academy of Management Learning and Education. William Bares, associate professor of computer science, has developed new software to help filmmakers more efficiently explore alternative ways of placing the camera to film scenes in computergenerated virtual worlds or mock-ups used to plan live action filming. Motion sensing control of the virtual cameras in filmmaking makes it possible for anyone skilled in operating a real camera to control a virtual camera by moving and turning the hand-held display screen just as they would a real camera. Bares and colleagues from Rennes, France and Udine, Italy created software that proposes several suggested camera viewpoints from which a filmmaker can begin an upcoming shot. This work was presented at ParisFX on Dec. 15. Bares presented an article, “Survey of Physical Controllers for Virtual Cameras,” at a workshop in the Foundations of Digital Games conference on May 29 in Raleigh, N.C. Richard Boada, post-doctoral fellow in rhetorical studies, had his chapbook of poems, Archipelago Sinking, nominated for the 2011 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Poetry Award. Some of his new poems appear in the following journals: RHINO, The Sierra Nevada Review, Country Dog Review, Off the Coast, and Jabberwock Review. Connie Campbell, professor of mathematics, presented the Distinguished
Teacher Award Lecture at the 89th annual meeting of the Louisiana/Mississippi Section of the Mathematical Association of America in Natchitoches, La. Damon Campbell, assistant professor of management information systems; J.D. Wells, associate dean for professional programs and an associate professor in the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; and J.S. Valacich, an Eller Professor of management information systems in the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, have written the forthcoming article "Breaking the Ice in B2C Relationships: Understanding Initial Perceptions of Websites with the eCommerce Attraction Model" that will be published in Information Systems Research. Jonathan Ferrell, associate dean of admissions, has been elected to serve on the board of directors for the Southern Association of College Admissions Counseling. The association governs secondary schools, as well as all colleges and universities in the Southeast. Michael Galaty, professor of anthropology, has been named one of nine academic trustees of the Archaeological Institute of America, the country’s oldest, most prestigious archaeological institute. The AIA promotes a vivid and informed public interest in the cultures and civilizations of the past, supports archaeological research, fosters the sound professional practice of archaeology, advocates the preservation of the world’s archaeological heritage, and represents the discipline in the wider world. The AIA also seeks to
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educate people of all ages about the significance of archaeological discovery and is committed to preserving the world’s archaeological resources and cultural heritage. USA Today Science Writer Dan Vergano recently wrote a story about Galaty’s work in Greece, where he is studying Alepotrypa Cave, which contains the remains of a Stone Age village, burials, a lake, and an amphitheater-sized final chamber that saw rituals take place more than 5,000 years ago. Eric Griffin, professor of English and director of Latin American Studies, gave an invited paper at the Renaissance Society of America’s annual meeting in Montreal (March 25), the culmination of two years’ involvement with the McGill University-University of Michigan-Folger Shakespeare Library “Making Publics” project. He also gave invited presentations at the UCLA-Clark Memorial Library’s conference on “Rivalry and Rhetoric in the Early Modern Mediterranean” (Feb. 10) and the University of TorontoCentre for Reformation and Renaissance Studies conference on “Early Modern Migrations: Exiles, Expulsion, and Religious Refugees, 1400-1700” (April 20). Tiffany Hammond, coordinator of event scheduling, attended The Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors-International, in November in Boone, N.C. The conference is for campus professionals who design, market, coordinate, and plan conferences and special events. Jamie Harris, professor of geology, made a presentation entitled “Shear-wave seismic reflection profiling across the Big
Creek escarpment, eastern Arkansas” at the 2011 meeting of the Eastern Section – Seismological Society of America, Oct. 16-18, in Little Rock, Ark. The presentation was co-authored with two former Millsaps geology students. Brent E. Hendrixson, assistant professor of biology, was re-elected as chairperson for the Division of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology for the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. He was invited to London as a VIP guest lecturer for the British Tarantula Society and gave the talk, “A Renaissance in Theraphosid Systematics: Case Studies in the North American Genus Aphonopelma,” on Feb. 18. With co-authors, he had the article, “A Reconsideration of the Classification of the Spider Infraorder Mygalomorphae Based on Three Nuclear Genes and Morphology (Arachnida: Araneae)”, accepted for publication in the journal PLoS ONE. James Martin, teaching artist-in-residence, sang his way into a group of three finalists in the 2012 American Traditions Competition in Savannah, Ga. He received the Patricia and Heyward Gignilliat Bronze Medal Award and $3,000 for third place. He was one of 32 selected quarterfinalists invited nationally to participate and one of six finalists. The competition requires that singers perform a different repertoiré each day. Martin was also a finalist in the 2009 American Traditions Competition. The week-long event drew contestants from across the country and featured a world-class panel of judges.
Suzanne Marrs, professor of English, edited the book, What There Is To Say, We Have Said: The Correspondence of Eudora Welty and William Maxwell, and it was selected as one of 2011’s best reads by the Chicago Tribune. The Richmond Post and Tulsa World also named it a top book. Tonya Nations, career center director, was elected to the 2012-2013 Southern Association of Colleges and Employers Board of Directors as director of diversity and inclusion. Ben Newell, technical services assistant at the Millsaps-Wilson Library, received a Master of Fine Arts in Writing from Spaulding University in November 2011. Kara G. Paulk, public relations coordinator, earned a Master of Science in Communication from Mississippi College in December 2011. Peggy Whitman Prenshaw, humanities scholar-in-residence, is the author of Composing Selves: Southern Women and Autobiography. The book provides a comprehensive treatment of autobiographies by women in the American South and provides an in-depth look at the lifewriting of 18 women authors. All of the authors presented came of age during the era Prenshaw refers to as the “late southern Victorian period,” which began in 1861 and ended in the 1930s. She writes about “life stories” of Belle Kearney, Helen Keller, Sissy Anderson (Walter Anderson's wife), Mary Craig Kimbrough Sinclair, Virginia Foster Durr, Lindy Boggs, Lylah Barber, Katharine DuPre Lumpkin, Lillian Smith, Ellen Glasgow, Marjorie Millsaps Magazine | Summer 2012
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Kinnan Rawlings, Zora Neale Hurston, Bernice Kelly Harris, Elizabeth Spencer, Ellen Douglas, and Eudora Welty. Darby Ray, professor of religious studies, presented “Civic Professionalism and Institutional Change” at the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. She also moderated a panel at the national Bringing Theory to Practice conference in Washington. Bennie Reynolds, visiting assistant professor of religious studies, is author of the book, Between Symbolism and Realism: The Use of Symbolic and Non-Symbolic Language in Ancient Jewish Apocalypses 333-63 B.C.E., published by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. Reynolds analyzes the language of Daniel and other ancient Jewish apocalypses in an effort to reveal their original meaning in the historical context in which they were written. Elise Smith, professor of art history and Sanderson Chair in Arts and Sciences, gave two presentations in March: “Cru-
elty and Compassion in the Garden: Women, Pests, and the Inculcation of Virtue,” at the Mother/Nature Interdisciplinary Conference at the University of Southern Mississippi, and “Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Evelyn De Morgan, and the Progress of the Spirit,” at the Nineteenth Century Studies Association Conference in Asheville, N.C. Steven G. Smith, professor of religious studies, and Jennie Carlisle Golding professor of philosophy, published “The Roar of the Lion, the Taste of the Salt: On Really Religious Reasons” in Religious Studies. He also gave these presentations in the spring of 2012: “The Impropriety of Mental Causation” at the Mid-South Philosophy Conference in Memphis, and “Religious Appeals and the Cognitive Science of Religion” at the American Academy of Religion/Southeastern Region meeting in Atlanta. His short film, “The Jackson Rag,” was an official selection for the 2012 Crossroads Film Festival. Drew Swanson, Mellon fellow in environmental history, published his first
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book, Remaking Wormsloe Plantation: The Environmental History of a Lowcountry Landscape (University of Georgia Press, 2012). His article, “Endangered Species and Threatened Habitats in Appalachia: Managing the Wild and the Human in the American Mountain South,” appeared in Environment & History this spring. He was a finalist for the American Society for Environmental History's Rachel Carson Prize. Patti P. Wade, director of communications, was named Outstanding Professional of the Year for 2011 by the Public Relations Association of Mississippi Central Chapter. She received the Advanced Practitioner Award, which is one of the highest honors PRAM bestows upon a member. It is given to recognize exceptional individual achievements in the public relations profession. She served in 2011 as president of the PRAM Central Chapter.
faculty and staff
Assistant professor of biology receives Outstanding Young Faculty Award Professor specializes in the study of tarantulas. by KARA G. PAULK
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r. Brent Hendrixson, assistant professor of biology, is the most recent recipient of the Outstanding Young Faculty Award at Millsaps College. The award is given each year to recognize an untenured faculty member for his or her contributions to the life of the College and to give time for the individual to develop teaching, scholarship, or artistic accomplishments. Hendrixson will receive a one-semester release from teaching during the 2012-13 academic year and up to $1,000 for support of his research project. Hendrixson earned a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Northern Colorado, a Master of Science from West Texas A&M, and a Ph.D. from East Carolina University, where he was a postdoctoral research associate. He joined the Millsaps faculty in 2008. “Since joining Millsaps, Brent has excelled as a teacher, a scholar, and a community leader,” said Dr. Keith Dunn, senior vice president and dean of the College. “He has engaged students in collaborative research and honors projects and has received a National Science Foundation research grant. He has also been a great ambassador for science in the public schools
and the greater Jackson region.” With the release from teaching duties, Hendrixson plans to spend several weeks in the southwestern United States collecting time-sensitive samples of tarantulas that he has been unable to obtain during previous summer field seasons. These new specimens will enable him to finish his research on these amazing “little” animals so he can begin writing a book that deals with the taxonomy, evolution, biogeography, and conservation of North American tarantulas. All full-time, untenured faculty members in their third, fourth, or fifth year at Millsaps are eligible for consideration. A winner must show evidence of noteworthy teaching, exceptional promise for scholarly or artistic accomplishments, and serious attention to the duties and responsibilities of a faculty member. Past recipients of the Outstanding Young Faculty Award are: Dr. Darby Ray, Dr. Elizabeth Moak, Dr. Eric Griffin, Dr. Mike Galaty, Dr. Bill Storey, Dr. Kristen Tegtmeier Oertel, Dr. Amy Forbes, Dr. Holly Sypniewski, Harvey Fiser, Dr. Rachel Heard, Dr. Zachary Musselman, and Dr. Sarah Bares.
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Bill Brister builds the economy one American-made product at a time Unsatisfactory shopping experiences led to the e-business. by KARA G. PAULK
"Elks Hart Lodge," oil, wax, and collage
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hat began as a conversation about the loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States has blossomed into the e-commerce company, American Station, for Else School business professor Dr. Bill Brister and his wife, Liz. “We thought then, and still think, that the loss of manufacturing employment in this country has had devastating economic impacts on once-thriving communities and on individuals who are not equipped to prosper in a service-dominated economy,” said Bill Brister. “We decided that one thing that we could do was to buy products that are made in the U.S. So, we put our money where our mouth is and had an American-made Christmas—i.e. to give only gifts that were made in the United States.” The Bristers’ experience of shopping for “Made in the U.S.A.” consumer products revealed that it’s almost impossible to find U.S.-made products in big box department and retail stores, and that trying to determine the country of origin is prohibitive for a busy consumer. Shopping online does not prove any easier. They opened Americanstation.com in 2011. One resource they found particularly helpful was the Entrepreneurial Initiative at the Else School of Management. “The center provided
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us expertise and asked good questions as we were developing the business plan,” Bill Brister said. “To this day, our website is maintained by Tracy Edelman, B.B.A. 2011, M.B.A. 2012, who came to us through the Entrepreneurial Initiative. Plus Aaron Caldwell, a Millsaps student, is an intern and works in sales for American Station.” The Bristers turned to Jackson-based Maris, West & Baker advertising agency for help in developing their website. The website features includes a blog where information and particular products are featured, and an online magazine that includes interviews with executives of companies that produce in the United States. “We do feel that we are playing a small role in bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. Liz and I understand that business is now a global enterprise. However, we also believe that ‘country of origin’ matters to many consumers,” he said. The concept is not unlike a “Buy Local” campaign, Brister said. “When you purchase items closer to home, made in this country, there are also environmental and safety benefits. We are simply trying to provide consumers with information about the country of origin and with a platform that makes shopping and purchasing products manufactured in the U.S. an easy and even a fun experience.”
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Millsaps professor receives Fulbright grant to teach music in Taiwan The year will be a homecoming for Lynn Raley, who has lived in Taiwan. by KARA G. PAULK
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r. Lynn Raley, associate professor of music at Millsaps College, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach music at National Chiao Tung University in Hsinchu, Taiwan, during the 2012-13 academic year. “This award is an extraordinary honor for Lynn, international recognition of his contributions to the creative world of contemporary music. This guest professorship will allow him to share his passion for composing and performing cutting-edge music, pursue his own interests in Chinese musical traditions, and collaborate with local Taiwanese composers,” said Dr. David Davis, associate dean of Arts & Letters. “Lynn has established a strong reputation at Millsaps for his Heritage Program lectures on music history and his courses on world music and jazz. This year-long experience will allow him to bring new ideas back to our students and enrich their understanding and appreciation of music.” Raley will teach in the graduate music institute at the university. “The music faculty there is very impressive,” Raley said. “One of my primary interests is the performances of new music, and the institute has a strong program in contemporary music, with four composers on faculty. NCTU sits in Taiwan's Silicon
Valley, and so it's not surprising that the Institute of Music has a state-of-the-art computer composition studio.” While in Taiwan, Raley plans to research young composers who are synthesizing Eastern and Western music traditions. The university also has a focus on early music. Raley’s wife, Dr. Rachel Heard, assistant professor of music at Millsaps, has been asked to present lecture-recitals about 18th century performance practice on the fortepiano. She will also provide performance coaching. Going to Taiwan will be a homecoming for Raley, who spent 16 years in the country before coming to the United States for college. He last visited the country in 1999 while setting up a study abroad course in China. “I’m excited about giving our 13-year-old daughter Gillian the experience of living there for a year,” Raley said. Raley has taught at Millsaps since 2002. He has degrees from Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, the University of Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music, and Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts.
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Millsaps faculty
Yucatán design multi-faceted study abroad experience in
By Patti P. Wade
What started in 2000 as a collaborative archaeological research project now includes opportunities across academic disciplines.
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he squawks from a flock of Great-tailed Grackles, found in cities and towns of the Yucatán Peninsula, overcame conversations inside Millsaps College’s 15-passenger van. Students and faculty had just landed from a late-night flight from Jackson to Merida, Yucatán, Mexico. Assistant Professor of Biology and ornithologist Dr. Markus Tellkamp launched into an unrehearsed explanation of the birds’ preference for cities and towns and the idea that city lights mix up the birds’ days and nights—thus their active presence at 10 p.m. Such ready explanations were an impressive part of the tropical conservation winter intersession 2012 class, as were the frequent questions of the 10 students from the Division of Sciences. Conversations were deep. The questions were endless. And Tellkamp had an answer for each query. Students were impressed, and not only with their professor on this five-day visit into the jungle at Kaxil Kiuic: A Biocultural Reserve operated by Millsaps College in the Mexican state of Yucatán. The students’ conversations, questions, and their answers demonstrated
the unbridled curiosity and critical thinking common among Millsaps scholars. Are birds dinosaurs or were dinosaurs birds? How does one figure the area of a hole in a net to catch birds when the hole has jagged edges? What happens when a human dies by freezing or in space? What are the most unusual circumstances they’ve ever seen while working in emergency rooms as they prepare for careers as doctors and other medical professionals? Truly, the conversations rarely slowed, except in the early morning when it was time to set mist nets. Mist nets are used by Tellkamp and his students to acquire birds and bats of the region for study. They look like badminton nets, are thin and black, and virtually disappear when spread amid jungle trees and vegetation. Mist nets contain a pocket at the bottom so when birds are stopped by them, the bird sinks to the soft mesh pocket to be held until researchers arrive to check nets, which occurs every 20 to 30 minutes. Catching and tagging birds (and bats!) and later releasing them were regular activities of the tropical conservation class. The 6:15 a.m. scheduled “setting of the
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nets” in a rare, cool 45 degree temp was barely heeded. Birds were inactive as were students, except for a couple early risers. By 7:15, however, the sustainable compound began to show life, and at the later morning “checking the mist nets,” six birds were found. Some birds were released immediately. Male and female Red-throated AntTanagers, and a solitary Hooded Warbler, were kept for further study and a lecture on mating systems. After returning to the compound, Tellkamp held class under an open-air hut amid a circle of chair hammocks. Students in this session, all senior biology majors, were Teal Brechtel, from Denver; Alex Richard, from Mandeville, La.; Jenny Pickren, from Memphis; Aubin St. Clair from Natchez; Martin Haaga from Memphis; Mikey Arceo from Ridgeland; Caitlyn Page from Brandon; McCall Walker, from Houma, La.; Taylor Allen from Meridian; and Anne Waldrop from Paducah, Ky. “Our study of birds in the tropical environment continues to reverberate with the birds I see back on Millsaps campus and beyond. Dr. Tellkamp never missed an opportunity to point out the diverse species of birds all around us, often comparing them to birds found back in the States. Some birds, however, I realize I may rarely see (in the wild) again,” said Waldrop. “I will never forget looking up into a pink sky filled with thousands of pink flamingos flying overhead. Flamingos filled the swampy horizon with pink, as well as the sky above us.” Millsaps College programs in the Yucatán Peninsula offer varied ways for students to gain international experiences. What started in 2000 as a collaborative archaeological research project has blossomed into a myriad of singular learning opportunities across many academic disciplines and includes research, study, conservation, service, and laboratory analysis. Laboratory analysis occurs on-site and in partnership with the W. M. Keck Center for Instrumental and Biochemical Comparative Archaeology located at Millsaps. Collaborative efforts with government entities, landowners, multiple businesses, organizations, and communities of people also mark the Yucatán initiative as one of a kind. This experience for students includes events such as an excursion where camera traps documented the first visual evidence of jaguars in the 4,500-acre reserve at Kiuic. For seven students, it includes being filmed by National Geographic during a summer 2011 dig that is featured in the documentary “Quest for the Lost Maya” broadcast on PBS domestically and internationally in 2012.
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Program's evolution leads to expansive offerings.
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here may be no other study abroad opportunity like the one offered by Millsaps, says Kaxil Kiuic Reserve Director James Callaghan, who states that now all of the five cats known to exist in the Yucatán Peninsula are documented at the Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve, including the jaguar. A female of this species was photographed by Tellkamp's summer of 2010 tropical ecology class. Callaghan has been involved with the reserve since its early days 12 years ago and has lived in Yucatán since the 1970s. According to Callaghan, scholars were active in research on the Northern Yucatán Peninsula at Ek Balam and recognized “there was a real opportunity” at this place for something unique and meaningful. Among them was Dr. George Bey, Millsaps’ associate dean of international education, professor of sociology and anthropology, and Chisholm Foundation Chair in Arts and Sciences. Millsaps Scholar of Maya Studies Tomás Gallareta Negrón, a Mexican archaeologist who was active in the early research and serves as senior director of the archaeological research project in Kiuic, identified the reserve site now operated by Millsaps. Early students to the region included anthropology students participating in the “Living in Yucatán” class and business students from classes of Dr. Jesse Beeler, professor of accounting and the Hyman F. McCarty Chair of Business Administration in the Else School of Management. Today, study abroad programs occur in the summer, at winter intersession, and during a full semester program introduced in the spring of 2011. Dr. Eric Griffin, professor of English and director of the College’s Latin American Studies Program, described the initial semester abroad in Yucatán as a “comprehensive, interdisciplinary immersion experience” that included courses in literature, history, archaeology, and anthropology, as well as Spanish language study geared to the proficiency level of individual students. The semester included courses such as Tomás Gallareta Negrón’s “Reading the Maya Ruins,” which focused on the art and architecture of the ancient Maya, Griffin’s “South of the Border: Visions of Mexico in Anglo-American Literature, Film, and Popular Song,” and “Colonial Yucatán and the Atlantic World,” as well as “Contemporary Culture and Environment in the Yucatán,” an anthropology course focused on the impact of tourism on the peninsula’s indigenous population.
“People are truly amazed with the global vision, and with the support provided by Millsaps trustees and other donors who have stepped up to bring this dream to life,” said Callaghan, speaking of the non-profit organization Kaxil Kiuic that serves as a base of operations for much of Millsaps’ involvement in Yucatán. Research and conservation are the primary missions of the non-profit. Since its inception, more than 100 colleges and 3,000 people have had involvement in some way. Currently, seven biological research projects are under way, and initiatives are in place for student fellowships and internships in the sciences. The Else School of Management has organized summer-long internships for business school interns through its Center for Business and Culture. Beyond opportunities for Millsaps students, other college groups and researchers, the non-profit has local cultural tourism, education, and economic development initiatives. Two recent developments include a cottage industry for Yucatecán women who embroider clothing and a scholarship and mentoring program to allow students in rural Yucatán to pursue a high school education that is available only outside of their community. Another long-standing facet of Millsaps College’s Yucatán initiative is the presence of programs by the Else School of Management. The concept of a winter intersession was first introduced at Millsaps College in 2001-2002 by the Else School of Management as a complementary learning experience for its long standing Summer International Business Program in Europe. While in Europe, students learn international business practices and are exposed to leaders of many of the premier companies in the world. Else School faculty wanted to offer students the opportunity to study business from a developing country’s perspective. The Latin America Business Program provides students that potential. Originally the Merida Business Program was arranged so that students began their study in Latin America at the reserve at Kiuic. “This part of the program was designed to give students an understanding of the most basic forms of economic activity (subsistence farming, hunting, and logging) and in part to see the remnants of the colonial hacienda economic model,” Beeler said. “From there, the program moved to the modern city of Merida, Mexico, where students studied the industrial development of that city. Finally, the program went on to the Playa Del Carmen/
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Cancun area where we studied the evolution of the tourist business and its impact on the country. This model allows students to see the development of an emerging modern economy one layer at a time.” One of the recent additions to the array of experiences is the opportunity to conduct research in the W. M. Keck Center for Instrumental and Biochemical Comparative Archaeology located on the Millsaps campus. The only lab of its kind at an undergraduate institution, the Keck Lab, directed by Dr. Tim Ward, professor of chemistry and associate dean of the Division of Sciences, is an interdisciplinary
research center where faculty and staff from anthropology, biology, chemistry, and geology analyze artifacts from field work using sophisticated equipment. Made possible by a grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation in 2007, the center also provides training for research students from Millsaps and other colleges and universities, and performs research for academic institutions and corporations. For Millsaps students, the hands-on experiences, including the opportunity to become a Keck Fellow, a competitive research position that often involves international travel, are among the abundant opportunities.
What do humans really need?
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otions of abundance are contrasted against ideas of conservation and sustainable living. What do humans really need to live was one such question posed by Dr. Stan Galicki, associate professor of geology, to his applied ecological design class during winter intersession 2012 in Yucatán as the students swung in hammocks inside Casa Millsaps on a mild day. The previous day, the seven students had toured facilities in Merida where sustainable architecture was examined. They next would travel to the jungle at Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve for six days at the Center for Research and Sustainable Living, an off the grid facility Galicki helped build using sustainable design and technology. In the ancient abandoned town of Kiuic, nestled amid the 4,500-acre reserve in a dry tropical forest spotted with Mayan ruins, students sleep in hammocks, take cold showers, and conserve water and solar power, yet have wireless Internet access. “It’s not a matter of doing without,” explained Galicki about sustainable living in general, “but a matter of making choices. Do I want to take a hot shower or spend an hour surfing the Internet?” Ashley Rivera, a senior political science major from Dallas, said her experience adapting to conditions in Yucatán was great preparation for the future. “Personally, sleeping in a hammock, the lack of hot water and other daily luxuries, as well as encountering various creatures such as scorpions directly aided me in my preparation for the Peace Corps. If I can sleep in a hammock, acclimate to my surroundings and enjoy myself, there is nothing that I cannot do,” Rivera said. “Accordingly, I am even more excited and feel more mentally prepared for my upcoming Peace Corps service.
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Every moment, every lecture, every discussion, every experience—blissful or rough—served as wholly significant.” Rivera also gained confidence navigating language differences. “My most enticing experience was definitely utilizing my foreign language skills,” she explained. “Out of our entire group, I was the ‘translator’ and ‘communicator’ for the majority of situations. I enjoyed the interaction and the realization that I can effectively converse and possess a
level of comfort in a foreign country.” Students in this session included Brendon Barnes, a senior biology major from Terry; Jayson Porter, a junior history major from Madison; Chelsea Overstreet, a junior religious studies major from Oxford; Brian Meyers, a senior political science major from Memphis; Olivia Coats, a senior geology major from Dallas; Suzanna Hyland, a senior education major from Winona, and Rivera.
Center for Business and Culture serves as hub.
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lass began at 9 a.m. on a sunny day in Merida for six business students, two undergraduate, and four graduate. Armed with cups of Mexican coffee and recently-read articles about the North American Free Trade Agreement, students had no trouble maintaining focus while palms rattled outside open windows and papers fluttered and lifted periodically in the warm breeze. The sound of an occasional car easing through the cul-de-sac the Center for Business and Culture shares with a Merida courthouse, and the roar of trucks on a nearby main thoroughfare, were reminders of the city of one million people just outside. This hands-on international experience during the January 2012 winter intersession is one of numerous study abroad sessions in Yucatán, Mexico made available through the Else School of Management. Visiting and interviewing owners and laborers at a sewing factory, limestone mine,
sea salt producing facility, cucumber farm, and gold business, as well as touring Mayan ruins at the ancient cities of Uxmal and Kiuic, were among session highlights. Students also met with the chief of national promotion for the secretary of economic development of Yucatán to learn about foreign investment and trade. “It’s the best study abroad experience I’ve ever had,” said undergraduate senior accounting major Drew Moroux of Lafayette, La., shortly after an excursion to Ganso Azul (“Blue Goose”) sewing factory, in Merida. At Ganso Azul, students toured with Gus Gordon, co-owner of the maquiladora, one of numerous assembly-line factories functioning under the terms of NAFTA. Ganso Azul produces 500 styles of law enforcement uniforms that are shipped throughout the U.S. Moroux also commented in a journal entry: “This morning, after breakfast, we had our first class discussion. It was
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really nice to engage in stimulating conversation around a dinner table as a class. This is what Millsaps is all about. With everyone informed and entitled to their own opinion while still being open to another’s opinion, true discussion of ideas and opinions flourished. We talked about how companies do business abroad, the difficulties exchange rates pose, the difference in culture of a country’s people and the risks associated with doing business abroad, all in an effort to better understand the world business environment we are growing into.” Students in this session led by Associate Professor of Law Harvey Fiser included Moroux; Hannah Hinson, master of accountancy program, from Memphis; Laura Jackson, M.Acc., from Mountain Brook, Ala.; Sarah Laughlin, M.B.A., also of Mountain Brook; Michael Hiller, M.Acc., from Shreveport, La., and Tim Gillis from Pearl, an undergraduate junior accounting major. Academic sessions in Yucatán are enhanced by the Center for Business and Culture, known as Casa Millsaps. Casa Millsaps is a hub for business students and faculty and a frequent stop for those from other academic disciplines who are visiting the College’s biocultural reserve at Kaxil Kiuic and a research facility at Oxkutzcab. During Intersession 2012, classes of biology, geology, and business students stayed in the nine-bedroom, 10-bath residence. Casa Millsaps is regularly used by Millsaps and nonMillsaps groups. It was reserved by another college as Millsaps’ intersession came to a close, with a few days of overlap that allowed for interaction among faculty and students from the two colleges. In 2011, a group of attorneys held a continuing legal education conference there that will be offered on a regular basis. A Millsaps program for rising high school seniors, the International Cultural Awareness Program, uses Casa Millsaps in the summer. Casa Millsaps was renovated in 2011 to include a conference room made possible by a number of friends of the college including lead donor Donna Ruth Else Roberts, daughter of Charles and Eloise Else, for whom the Else School of Management is named. For business students of winter intersession 2012, the board room was where field experiences were analyzed and key points debated, including regulation of farm crops in Mexico, costs of shipping, foreign investment, NAFTA, labor-intense versus highly-automated businesses, and border issues. For more information about the facility in Merida and its availability, visit www.casamillsaps.com.
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Program gains national recognition from Chronicle of Higher Education, USA Today, National Geographic, and PBS.
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or seven Millsaps students, being part of an archaeology dig in Kiuic with their professor gave them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. National Geographic directors, producers, cast, and crew spent part of the summer of 2011 in Kiuic with Professor George Bey, Millsaps students, researchers from other institutions, and graduate students as teams conducted archaeological excavations, part of an ongoing body of work identified as the Bolonchen Regional Archaeological Project. Ongoing excavations took on the trappings of a movie set as both domestic and international versions of a documentary were filmed in two languages. “Quest for the Lost Maya” was broadcast nationally on PBS on March 28. The documentary idea began taking shape in August 2010 when executives at National Geographic read a USA Today article by science writer Dan Vergano that featured the research of Bey and other scientists in Kiuic, an abandoned city in the foothills of Yucatán. The article, “So long, said the Maya,” explored evidence of rapid abandonment by the ancient Yucatec Maya. What is being learned in Kiuic, among other sites, is “crucial for a rethinking about the rise and fall of the
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Maya civilization in this part of the world,” said Bey. In March 2011, The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article featuring the work of Bey and an overview of the Millsaps programs in Mexico. National Geographic Director Jeremy Zipple, a Hattiesburg native now based in Washington, D.C., noted that the documentary centers on work in the field, with a majority of filming completed on site, a contrast to some documentaries that conduct interviews in multiple locations. “It was a fabulous summer down there,” commented Zipple. “It came together nicely. It has a lot of science in it—it is packed with information.” Millsaps students who participated in the dig were Mandi Strickland, a senior sociology/anthropology major from Yazoo City; Whitney Gilchrist, a senior English major from Jackson; Brittany Tourelle, a senior sociology and anthropology major from Covington, La.; Phillip Boyett, a senior anthropology major from Shreveport, La.; Andy Kennedy, a senior sociology and anthropology major from Brandon; and recent graduates Katharine Veron, B.A., 2010, and Evan Parker, B.A., 2011. Tomás Gallareta Negrón, Millsaps schol-
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ar of Maya studies, also appears in the documentary. PBS projected one of the highest monthly ratings on PBS for “Quest for the Lost Maya” with an audience estimated at 1.7 million households, or 4.5 million people. The documentary is also being shown in 2012 in France and across 53 National Geographic international TV channels. A Japanese documentary, filmed simultaneously and produced by Tokyo Broadcasting System, aired in January. Millsaps College hosted the premiere of “Quest for the Lost Maya” at the College on Feb. 9 for an audience of 400 in the Gertrude C. Ford Academic Complex Recital Hall. The event included an advance viewing of the documentary and a panel discussion featuring Bey, Zipple, Strickland, and Boyett. Strickland and Boyett were chosen for the panel because of their extensive work on the research with Bey at Kiuic. To order a “Quest for the Lost Maya” DVD, go to http://www.pbs.org/programs/quest-lost-maya/.
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Yucatán experiences are an experential microcosm of a liberal arts education.
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he experiences in Yucatán are best summed up by students who indicate that study abroad was both perspective-changing and confidence building. “A lasting impression from my experience in Yucatán will be my newly-trained ability for observation,” said Anne Waldrop. “I no longer walk oblivious to the flora and fauna surrounding me. Dr. Tellkamp and my Yucatán experience have ‘tuned’ my senses to the vibrant biology wherever I go.”
Ashley Rivera found the hands-on approach in Yucatán a microcosm of what education should be: “My trip to Yucatán directly correlates with my overall experience at Millsaps. The intimate experiences, heated discussions, personal growth, and abundance of knowledge are indeed how I would endeavor to describe my Millsaps experience. I suppose such an experience is the result of a crafted atmosphere catered to advancing humanity in every aspect possible...a liberal arts education.”
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Winning season boosts Millsaps women’s basketball to greater heights The team closed the season with 22 victories. by mike Christensen, freelance writer
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he 2011-12 season was one of the best in the history of Millsaps College women’s basketball: the Lady Majors won 22 games and reached the final of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament. It ended with tears in late February, when the team left the Birmingham tourney feeling crushed. “We felt like it was our time, our day,” Millsaps coach Chuck Winkelman said of the game Centre College won, 6048. “So, yes, there was great disappointment.” More would come the day after the SCAC final. The Lady Majors learned they would not receive an at-large invitation to the NCAA Division III Tournament. “This team was very, very deserving of postseason play,” Winkelman said. But although it ended in a letdown, the season was truly uplifting. As Millsaps President Robert W. Pearigen said in a state36
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ment he e-mailed to the school’s students, faculty, and staff: “Our nine players battled Centre’s team of almost twenty players to the very end, showing great talent and determination. Although we fell a bit short in the final score this afternoon, there was no loss of heart or spirit. Congratulations to Coach Winkelman, our lone senior Janice Okeke, and all the players, coaches, and staff of the Lady Majors for a great season! You have represented your alma mater exceedingly well!” Indeed, the unhappy ending was only a small part of the tale. A program that won just one game two seasons ago set a school record with a 15-game winning streak and reached 22 victories for the first time in 16 years. A program that had never qualified for the conference tournament won two tournament games. Shatoya White claimed the SCAC defensive player of the year award, and three other Lady Majors earned all-conference recognition.
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“Are we happy with the progress? Sure,” said Winkelman, who took the job as head coach prior to the 2010-11 season. “From where we came from, you have to be. But we can’t hang on to that too much.” Winkelman has won more than 500 games in a lengthy coaching career that included a stint at a powerhouse Arkansas high school. He pushes the concept of pursuing excellence—on and off the court—and taking satisfaction in nothing less. He’s hoping to teach life lessons as well as basketball skills. “I wanted this team to focus on the process,” he said. “The outcomes (of games) are a byproduct of the process. And for the most part, we stayed grounded and focused.” He said he sensed from the mood in the locker room after the season-ending loss to Centre that the team had bought into that philosophy. “I could tell this group was starting to get it,” he said. “They were starting to understand how far they can go, and that’s exciting. To go from 1-24 (in 2009-10) to the championship game of the league, there is a celebration in that. But we want the feeling to be, ‘Let’s celebrate and build on it.’” “Considering everything, it was a special season. But that doesn’t mean next year is going to be great.” The Lady Majors were short on numbers this season. They had only one senior and didn’t have a player who stood over 6 feet tall. They didn’t dominate statistically. But different players brought different skills to the court, making for a nice blend. Shante Morton, a junior from Eupora, led the team in scoring for the regular season at 14.1 points per game and also grabbed 10.0 rebounds per game. The only other double-figure scorer was Velvet Johnson, a freshman who played at Ethel High School, who chipped in 13.4 points a game.
Johnson was the team’s main 3-point threat, shooting an impressive 39 percent from beyond the arc. Okeke, from Jackson’s Murrah High School, led the team in rebounding, grabbing 10.4 per game, and in blocked shots with 28. Okeke set a SCAC Tournament record when she pulled down 21 rebounds in the opening round win over Trinity University. White, a sophomore from Houston, Texas, scored just 5.0 points a game but, as the point guard, tallied 3.6 assists per game and led the Lady Majors with 44 steals. Junior Lovie Love, from Mobile, scored 7.1 points a game and Samantha Perez, a freshman from Miami, added 5.5. The graduation of Okeke, one of five players on this year’s team who also played on the one-win team, will leave a “huge void” on next season’s roster, Winkelman said. He and assistant Jerrie Cooper were out recruiting the day after the SCAC Tournament. “The work is not done,” Winkelman said. He was familiar with Millsaps long before he took the job, having coached at SCAC rival Hendrix College from 1995-2004. “My wife, Denise, and I always thought we’d be back at a school like Hendrix at some point,” Winkelman said. “Every time we had come to Millsaps to play, we thought it was a great experience.” The Millsaps job came open in 2010. Winkelman was hired. And the team started to win, faster even than the coach thought it would. The Lady Majors won 12 games in 2010-11, then really took off at midseason this year. Looking back, Winkelman admits he had some concerns about taking over a program that had fallen on hard times. “But courage is fear prayed for,” he said. “We’re committed to our faith and our relationship with God. I believe it was God’s providence that this came together.”
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Gusto for sports, learning gives Scott competitive edge Scholar-athlete sees sports as ‘educational tool.’ by mike Christensen, freelance writer
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hen she was invited to attend this year’s NCAA Convention, Millsaps junior Raven Scott could have just taken it as a junket and enjoyed the free ride. But anyone who knows her—and many in the Millsaps family do—also knows that would not be Scott’s way. “She has great energy and enthusiasm and passion for everything she does,” said Millsaps athletic director Tim Wise. Those traits show up on the volleyball court, where Scott was an All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference selection this past season, and in the classroom, where the sociology/ anthropology major has a 3.6 GPA. She is a resident assistant on campus and is involved in clubs and intramurals. When the Millsaps basketball team was short on players last season, Scott walked on. “My friends say I’m always writing a paper or doing homework or going to practice or a meeting,” Scott said. Scott was not going to just sit on her hands at the NCAA Convention, an annual meeting in Indianapolis of athletic di-
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rectors and other administrators from hundreds of colleges and universities. “I got a lot of compliments about her,” said Lady Majors volleyball coach Jaime Burns Fisher, who represented Millsaps at the convention. “She was not afraid in the educational sessions to ask questions and give her opinions when she was asked. She took it as an opportunity to learn and bring ideas back to campus. I thought that was great.” Scott attended the convention with a group of athletes from the SCAC under a grant for minorities and women. She wrote a daily blog about the experience which can be accessed on the Millsaps website. “There were very few student-athletes there,” Scott said. “It was awesome for us to be the image of the SCAC and the voice for so many athletes. We were able to be there and use our voice to talk about issues that pertain to us. We had a purpose there. I met some great people, and it was a great experience to bring back to school.” Scott, from Boutte, La., says she has been a bundle of energy ever since she can remember.
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“I played basketball, soccer, track … I tried tennis, but I was awful at that,” she said. “I tried anything I could get into. I like to be active.” And she has a competitive streak. As a kid, she and her brother, Travis, ran on cross-country teams that competed at the same meets. If Travis won his race, Raven had to win hers. She still remembers only one time when she couldn’t match Travis’ victory. She was sick and couldn’t race. “That still bothers me,” she said with a laugh. “I refuse to lose at anything.” The 5-foot-9 Scott helped the 2011-12 Lady Majors post a 20-win season, their best finish in some 10 years, and climb to fourth place in a competitive conference. Millsaps moves into a new conference next season, and with Scott leading the way, Fisher thinks she may have the makings of a championship contender. “Raven’s a perfectionist,” Fisher said. “A very hard worker. She has the things you look for in a team leader.” Fisher first saw Scott playing volleyball during a club tournament in Louisiana during Scott’s high school days. “She did some things on the court that caught my eye,” Fisher said. “When I found out she was a good student, it was like, ‘O.K., I can go after her.’ “Raven hadn’t played a lot of volleyball at that time, so she came here a little raw. She’s a superior athlete, but I thought it might take a little time for her to develop into a player for us. But she was doing things I didn’t expect in her first season.” Millsaps also had what Scott was looking for in a college.
“I wanted a school that was academically rigorous with a good reputation,” said Scott, who considered Cornell University, among others. “I wanted to play volleyball, but I didn’t want it to take over my life. I wanted to be at a place where the coaches made sure I could do what I needed to in the classroom. I visited Millsaps, and I loved my teammates when I first met them. They’re my best friends. I’ve learned great lessons from them. Everything came together here.” Scott didn’t come to Millsaps with a clear career goal. “In high school, I lacked an extreme drive in one direction,” she said. “I knew I didn’t want to be a doctor or a lawyer or work in a conventional job. I started here as a business major, then I discovered anthropology and I loved it.” But Scott doesn’t want to be an anthropologist, either. “I’m trying to find what really motivates me,” she said. An internship she has accepted for this summer with SportsChallenge Leadership Academy, a mentoring organization based in Washington, D.C., might help her along a career path. “I love interacting with youth, and I believe in sports as an educational tool,” she said. “Sports, youth, and personal development is a great place for me to focus.” Rest assured, she’ll pursue it with great gusto. That’s her way.
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Crews to film Backyard Brawl on Aug. 30 at Harper Davis Field Filming last year captured Majors’ agonizing overtime defeat in 2011 Brawl. by mike Christensen, freelance writer
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ilmmakers seeking to capture the emotion of the annual Millsaps College-Mississippi College football game could hardly have scripted it better than what happened in 2011. Last season’s edition of the Backyard Brawl took place on a wet and windy night at Robinson-Hale Stadium at Mississippi College in Clinton, and it was a hard fight from the start. Millsaps missed a potential game-winning field goal in the closing seconds and wound up with an agonizing overtime defeat of 33-27. Cold, drenched, and defeated, the Majors drew special attention from camera operators that night filming the documentary tentatively titled “Grudge Match.” The Majors hope to draw attention this year as champions. “Revenge is sort of a theme for the film,” said Millsaps head football coach Aaron Pelch, who is 0-2 against Mississippi College and hopes to regain the trophy when the game is played on Aug. 30 at Harper Davis Field on campus. The game is set for 7 p.m., but the time could change if the game is televised. The Mississippi Sports Council, a division of Velocity Sports and Entertainment, is coordinator of the documentary. A release date has not been set. Three film companies, Cunning Worker Productions, Red Planet, and Scenic, are involved, said Mike Frascogna Jr., an attorney with Frascogna Courtney PLLC, which represents the council. The Mississippi Sports Council, the driving force in bringing two NFL exhibition games to Jackson, has published several football-themed books and helped revive the Millsaps-Mississippi College football series in 2000 after a 40-year hiatus. The council still promotes the game. “This project is a continuation of those efforts,” Frascogna said. 40
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Film crews shot the 2011 Backyard Brawl and recorded interviews before and after, focusing particularly on the Majors. Film crews will conduct additional interviews with both teams in June and then again in August, when they start practice for this year's Backyard Brawl. Film crews will also be at the game. The Millsaps-MC series dates to 1920, when “Goat” Hale led Mississippi College to a 60-0 rout that ensured the game would be something fans of both schools would count on for years to come. The game was played virtually every season until 1960, when, in the aftermath of a violent fight among fans at a basketball game between the two schools, the series was abruptly terminated. The schools agreed to resume the game in 2000. The Mississippi Sports Council dubbed it the Backyard Brawl, and it made a smashing return. Before a crowd of 13,000-plus at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Millsaps won 20-19 on a 29-yard field goal by Derrick McNeal, B.S. 2001, with 16 seconds remaining. The attendance for that game was reported to be an NCAA Division III record. During one stretch from 1937-46, the Choctaws won seven straight over the Majors and outscored them 177-0. In 1947, Millsaps ended that stretch thanks in large part to the efforts of halfback David McIntosh, B.S. 1949, whose brilliant running sparked a 7-0 victory at what is now Newell Field. Alumni are encouraged to buy tickets in advance. The colleges hope the game will set a new attendance record. Tickets may be purchased in advance at millsaps.edu/backyardbrawl. Tickets purchased online are $10 each plus a $1 shipping and handling fee. Tickets purchased at the gate will be $15 each.
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Matt Russell, 1999 and 2001 Else School alumnus driven to reach his dream job and promote BMW M Brand His interest in BMW automobiles sets the direction of his career. by Nell Luter Floyd
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att Russell, B.S. 1999 and M.B.A. 2001, spends most of his days working with spreadsheets and producing elaborate calculations and sales projections for products that will hit the streets in the next decade. When that’s not the case, he steps into the spotlight and assumes the role of spokesman for the BMW M Brand, a high performance brand initially created for BMW’s racing program. “I’ve learned to answer members of the media in 12 seconds flat. They have to have a good sound bite,” he said. Russell’s work also takes him to locations such as the New York Auto Show and the Daytona Speedway for the launch of
new cars. “The best places I’ve visited as part of my job so far include Spain, Portugal, and almost the entire west coast of the U.S. The job also occasionally takes me to legendary race tracks, and driving on those tracks is really a great experience for a car nut,” he said. “As we launch vehicles, we get a chance to present the technology that goes into them, meaning factory tours and technology days, where we often present the exotic materials that are currently experimental but will be the foundations of the best future vehicles.” BMW sells 250,000 autos in the United States annually, of which 7,000 are the M brand. M Brand models start at $60,100
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and reach a base price of more than $100,000. The M3 Coupe (the model at the core of the M Brand) has an average-equipped manufacturer’s suggested retail price in the neighborhood of $72,000. The M car is the pinnacle version of its respective BMW “Series” car (1 Series, 3 Series, 5 Series, 6 Series, X5) and represents the best engineering, styling, and custom configuration for the client, Russell said. Russell is a licensed pilot, a credential he desired because some of the discipline and skills required to fly planes are also required in the high-pressure environment of product planning. He also has a racing license, which helps him understand the car enthusiast contingent of BMW’s core group of customers. Russell arrived at Millsaps in the fall of 1995 with immense knowledge about BMWs, but without his beloved red 1990 BMW 325is. His mother thought it best if he leave his vehicle at home in Huntsville, Ala. “I went to the Career Center and told them I had to have an internship off campus, so I could bring my car,” he said. “It launched me into a relationship with the Career Center as a freshman, and I found an internship at the military processing center on South State Street, assisting the major who ran the center.” The summer after he completed his freshman year, Russell asked the owner of Century BMW in Huntsville if he could intern there. He worked as a management assistant and began learning about the service and parts side of the business. He stayed in touch with the dealership’s owners, began exploring how he might work for BMW after graduation and started communicating with BMW of North America executives. A management change at BMW kept him from obtaining employment with the company after graduation, but led him to pursue an M.B.A. from the Else School of Management. “I never had more fun in school than when I was in the Else School. The Else School was a brilliant mix of graduate students and people from the local community who had years of work experience, and as students could add that to classroom discussions.” While at Else, Russell worked for nine months as a strategic planning intern at Mississippi State Hospital. He also assisted Dr. Ray Phelps, associate professor of marketing, with a project involving one of the nation’s largest transport services. “He helped put together a presentation for the acquisition of one of the largest temperature controlled carriers,” Phelps said. After his first year in the M.B.A. program, Russell secured a summer internship as a customer service representative at
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BMW of Manhattan. “The BMW customer in New York is tough. New York is a city full of challenges, and everyone there is demanding of their time and how they spend their money. I set a performance goal of having at least two letters written to my manager from customers who where pleased with what I had done, and I ended up with one letter and one email written to my manager,” Russell said. After graduation from the Else School, Russell obtained a paid internship at BMW’s corporate office, where he worked in the warranties department. He entered the management training program, where he rotated through various departments of the company in 22 months. He secured his first full-time job at BMW, working as an after sales market representative for the eastern region, supporting 13 dealerships from central New Jersey to Pennsylvania. “It’s a job that teaches how the dealers think and what challenges they face,” he said. He then became service retail operations manager for three years, where he developed profitability initiatives and partnerships and provided subject matter expertise to non-technical training and service process developers. In 2008, he moved to BMW’s corporate communications office and became product and motorsport communications specialist. There, he handled communications with the media about BMW Racing, executed communications plans for new BMW models in the United States, and was responsible for crisis communications for the BMW brand in North America. In 2011, he moved into his current position as M Brand manager. His M.B.A. focused on strategic planning and professors at the Else School ensured he was prepared.“I learned about market research from Dr. (Ray) Grubbs, who was enthusiastic about everything. I had Dr. (Ajay) Aggarwal for operations management. Dr. Dianne Baker taught a course on human resources management. Her lessons were in my mind when the recession was looming. One of my regrets is that I ran out of time to take more finance classes.” Looking back on his days at Millsaps, Russell considers the oral comprehensive exam he was required to pass challenging but useful preparation for the corporate world. BMW requires panel-style interviews to secure a position. “You have to show your ability to think and analyze on the fly. Millsaps teaches you how to compete and how to prepare yourself,” he said.
alumni
George Gober, 1973 Alumnus makes problem-solving easy for state’s physically disabled Assistive technology provides solutions for unique situations.
by Carey Miller, b.a. 2000, communications assistant, methodist rehabilitation center
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very day, George Gober, B.A. 1973, improves the quality of life for people who have experienced life-changing events. But that’s not exactly something that fits neatly on a business card. “My title is assistive technology associate, which really doesn’t tell you much,” Gober said. He works at Jackson’s Methodist Rehabilitation Center, where he operates the hospital’s adaptive computing lab, one of the only such facilities in the state. Methodist Rehab is Mississippi’s only comprehensive rehabilitation hospital and treats patients who experience a brain
injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, or other neurological and orthopedic illnesses and injuries. Assistive technology, Gober says, is any kind of technology that helps people with a shortcoming. It can be as low-tech as a cane or as high-tech as a power wheelchair that allows a quadriplegic person to control appliances in the home; it can be anything from using a telephone to sending email to using a computer to speak. Gober’s job is to pair the patients with the devices and technologies that work best for their unique situation. “George recognizes that in order for patients to get the full benefit of AT, he must look at the entire scope of their interests,
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abilities, and limitations,” said Allison Fracchia, coordinator for Methodist Rehab’s Assistive Technology Clinic. “He takes a holistic approach to his recommendations.” He often works closely with Methodist Rehab’s physical and occupational therapists to determine what technologies their patients want to use. “The thing about George is his work doesn’t stop at 5 o’clock,” Methodist Rehab physical therapist Heather Maloney said. “George goes above and beyond. If someone needs him, he goes after hours, he gives his own time.” Another major part of his job is helping meet the needs of residents at Methodist Specialty Care Center, the hospital’s residential care facility for the severely disabled, which is located on Methodist Rehab’s east campus in Flowood. Jeremy Russell, a former Methodist Rehab patient, is a quadriplegic who wanted to use his own computer. So Gober paired him with computer solutions, including a Quadjoy mouth-operated joystick, voice recognition software and a mouth stick used for operating a trackball. “He showed me a lot,” Russell said. “Now it’s a lot easier to use my computer.” Gober also helped develop eTHANKS (Transitioning Home and Acquiring Necessary Knowledge about Self-Care), a webbased, modular training program designed to increase knowledge about self-care for persons with spinal cord injury in their transition to home. eTHANKS was developed by the Center for Neuroscience and Neurological Recovery and the Spinal Cord Injury Program at Methodist Rehab with grant support from the Mississippi Paralysis Association. “What I do really is problem solving,” Gober said. “The fact that I can take those things that I love—technology, problemsolving, and teaching—and do it in a way that provides a service for people that need something, that’s very fulfilling.” While Gober was majoring in Spanish literature at Millsaps in the early 1970s, he originally intended to become a college professor. But his life’s path has shaped him into a different kind of Renaissance man, even though the Jackson native has barely left the metro area. “Oddly enough, for a man that thought he was going to cruise the world his whole life, almost all of my jobs have been within a distance that you could throw a rock and hit them all,” Gober said.
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He taught school at Murrah High School, worked at the post office, coached soccer (“At virtually every level you can coach in Mississippi,” he said, and worked at the Addie McBryde Center for the Blind, where he first started working with the types of assistive technology he utilizes at Methodist Rehab. And that’s not to mention his hobbies—he’s a skilled craftsman who built his own wood shop, where he works on projects like built-in bookshelves for his home. He’s also a motorcycle enthusiast, and his beloved 2003 Honda VTX 1800 Retro helps satisfy his itch to tinker. At the core of all his different careers and interests has been his love of education, whether it’s helping players with their soccer kicks or teaching patients how to use new devices. “Part of education is that you find out what the deficiencies are, and then you find a way to fix those,” he said. His Millsaps connections run deep. It’s a Gober family tradition—his father, the late Rev. William T. Gober, a Methodist minister, is an alumnus, as is his mother, all his brothers and sisters, as well as his oldest daughter and three nieces. “Millsaps is a great school, so that made it an easy choice,” he said. It’s also a school that called him back home. Fourteen years of his soccer coaching days were at Millsaps, where he started both the men’s and women’s varsity soccer programs and served as intramural sports director from the late ‘70s to early ‘90s. “He means a lot to this program,” said current Millsaps head soccer coach Lee Johnson. “The relationships that he has had, and continues to have with the players and their families is what really sets George apart.” Gober says that he continued to learn while serving on the College’s staff, especially from his peers like long-time Millsaps chaplain Dr. Don Fortenberry, B.A. 1962. “I learned the quality of nobility and humility (from him),” Gober said. “That no matter what it is you choose to do, you can be noble as you try to serve others.” In his 2010 inaugural address, Millsaps President Robert W. Pearigen stated that Millsaps “promote(s) the intrinsic pleasures of learning and philosophic self-reflection that are essential to a thoughtful life.” It’s alumni like Gober who embody that ideal. “Millsaps taught me how to be curious, and how to search for more,” Gober said. “In a way, that has armed me to do what I do.”
alumni
Hope Patterson Pearson, 2007 Millsaps alumna named Teacher of the Year for Jackson Public Schools She studied education on a global scale as an undergraduate. by Kara G. Paulk
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ope Patterson Pearson, B.A. 2007, is the 2012 Jackson Public Schools Teacher of the Year. She is an exceptional education teacher at McWillie Elementary. She was also recently named the 2011 Metro Teacher honoree for JPS. Pearson received a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education and supplemental licensure in exceptional education and Spanish from Millsaps College. “As a student at Millsaps, Hope had the vision to set lofty goals and the tenacity to reach her goals as both a student and an educator,” said Dr. Marlys Vaughn, professor of education at Millsaps College. “Hope is committed to providing best instruc-
tional practices with high expectations and achievement for all students. Hope is an exemplary educator dedicated to improving the lives of others and serves as a mentor to current Millsaps College pre-service teachers.” After graduating from Millsaps, Pearson completed an education specialist’s degree and master’s degree in counseling from Mississippi College. She plans to pursue a doctorate degree in educational leadership. “During my undergraduate studies at Millsaps, I became interested in education on a global scale,” she said. Her experiences abroad included student teaching at Lincoln International School in Costa Rica for five months in fall
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2006; research in Yucatán, Mexico, in the summer of 2006 on the “Ways of Teaching Literacy: A Cross-Cultural Perspective,” including field research at five schools located in vastly different areas; and a month-long Spanish immersion program in Costa Rica in summer 2005 during which time she lived with a family and volunteered twice weekly at an orphanage and senior citizens' home. “In Yucatán, I learned about attempts at standardizing education through a televised system, unique language barriers for students who speak Mayan, and the system of accountability for teachers there,” she said. As an exceptional education teacher, Pearson teaches and coordinates special education programming for students who have mild to moderate disabilities, including developmental delays, specific learning disabilities, ADHD, autism, and emo-
tional disabilities. Since joining the faculty at McWillie Elementary in 2007, Pearson’s leadership roles have included team leader of the exceptional education department, adopt-a-school coordinator, Ask4More Arts program coordinator in 2010-11, member of the Site Council, the leadership team and the Safe Schools/ Healthy Students Committee, and volunteer translator for Spanish-speaking families. She said her goal, whether it is at McWillie or schools abroad, is “to continuously try to instill a love for learning, to share strategies that are relevant and meaningful to the students, to challenge them, and most importantly, to communicate to them that I care for them far outside of the realm of our classroom.”
Mississippi cars to sport tag with design by Millsaps alumna Lucy Hetrick’s design will be carried by 2.6 million vehicles in Mississippi.
L Lucy Hetrick, 1987
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ucy Hetrick, B.A. 1987, designed Mississippi's new car tag that will be available starting Oct. 1. Hetrick, a graphic designer at the Mississippi Development Authority, highlighted the state’s musical heritage in her design. The tag features the slogan “Birthplace of America’s Music” and B.B. King’s signature guitar, Lucille. The words “Celebrating Mississippi's Creative Culture” surround the guitar. About 2.6 million passenger vehicles in Mississippi will carry this plate, allowing the state to promote and celebrate its musical heritage as Mississippi drivers travel across the country. The Department of Revenue also anticipates interest from license plate collectors, who request unique designs for their collections.
ALUMNI
Alumni Happenings Meet me at the M Bench The Millsaps College Alumni Association is pleased to announce a new alumni website, the "M Bench,” which will re-launch the Millsaps alumni online community. This dynamic website will include interactive features enabling alumni to connect with others, share photos, stories, and information; the website will also allow alumni to mentor undergraduates and young alumni. Alumni will be able to make online donations to the College, register for events, check to see if friends are attending events, and much more. Website details and login information will be mailed to alumni.
Meet me at Homecoming 2012 Homecoming 2012 is scheduled the weekend of Nov. 2-3, with the Homecoming football game scheduled on Nov. 3. Numerous activities are planned for the weekend. The Major Generals luncheon honoring those celebrating their 50th class reunion, the Alumni Awards Presentation and the Alumni/Faculty/Parents Tailgate are among the events. Don't miss a minute of the fun! Classes with five- and ten-year reunions are: 1962, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007. Take a moment and book your Homecoming reservations at the Millsaps Cabot Lodge, 2375 N. State St., right next door to the College. Call 601-948-8650 and ask for the "Millsaps 2012 Homecoming Weekend" rate. If you need to update your contact information or have questions, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 601-974-1038 or alumni@millsaps.edu.
Meet me in Yucatán: Nov. 8-14, 2012 We invite you to join us for an alumni adventure in Merida, Yucatán. Merida is located in the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula, about 20 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. This seven-day trip includes spacious accommodations at Casa Millsaps (casamillsapsmerida.com), a tour of Uxmal, a tour of Millsaps College Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve, a day of cooking authentic cuisine, and time for exploring Merida. Contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 601-974-1038 or alumni@millsaps.edu to reserve your space. The cost per participant is $1,550, which does not include air fare.
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1. Tex Sample, B.A. 1957 2. Dr. Timothy Alford, B.S. 1978 3. Christina Finzel Gomez, B.A. 1996 4. Kristina K. Morris, B.A. 1980 5. Dr. Dosha Cummins, B.S. 1989 6. Teresa White Bailey, B.A. 1994 7. Dr. William A. Martin, B.M. 1995 8. Nicole Bradshaw, B.A. 1999 9. Jennifer Skipper, B.A. 1999, and Ben Skipper, B.A. 1997 10. Sarah Katherine Drury, B.A. 2000 11. Lawrence Ou, B.B.A. 2002 12. Jared Mott, B.A. 2003 13. Jeep Darnell, B.S. 2008 14. Greg Jensen, M.B.A. 2008 15. Ace F. Madjlesi, B.A. 2008 16. Robert Parrott, B.B.A. 2008 17. Chad Bowen, B.A. 2009, and Katie Hamm, B.A. 2009 18. Sarah Lloyd Allred, B.A. 2010
class notes
Millsaps Classnotes Millsaps Magazine prints only information sent in specifically for Class Notes. In the past, material was gleaned from newspaper clippings and other sources. The change was made to protect the privacy of alumni and to simplify the editing process. We would like to encourage all alumni to send in their news items, whether big 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. If you are aware of alumni who are not receiving the magazine, please send us their names and addresses.
1957 Tex Sample, B.A. 1957, of Goodyear, Ariz., published his eleventh book, The Future of John Wesley’s Theology: Back to the Future with the Apostle Paul. The book approaches the future of Wesley’s theology in terms of a preferred future by looking back to the Apostle Paul. Sample is the Robert B. and Kathleen Rogers Professor Emeritus of Church and Society at Saint Paul School of Theology.
Millsaps welcomes Trustee Beam The Rev. Jerry Bostick Beam, B.A. 1964, superintendent of the New Albany District of the United Methodist Church, serves as a member of the Millsaps College Board of Trustees. He holds a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Beam and his wife, Sally, have five children. Their daughter, Alicia Beam-Ingram, earned a B.A. in 1990 from Millsaps.
1961 Gayle Graham Yates, B.A. 1961, of Minneapolis, Minn., is author of the book, Ethics for Jessica: Meditations on Living. The book details for her grandchildren what Yates has loved, what she has learned, and what she has gleaned of lasting value in her experience as a woman, a professor, a reader, an educator, an advocate, and a grandmother. She is professor emerita of American studies at the University of Minnesota. She is author of What Women Want: The Ideas of the Movement, Mississippi Mind: A Personal Cultural History of an American State, and Death in a Small Southern Town: Memories of Shubuta, Mississippi. She was Millsaps College Alumna of the Year in 1976.
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Dr. Timothy Alford, B.S. 1978, of Kosciusko, has been appointed as a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Commission on Membership and Member Services. The Commission on Membership and Member Services is one of seven commissions that direct the academy’s policies and programs.
Kristina K. Morris, B.A. 1980, of Abingdon, Va., received a Master of Arts from Emory & Henry College, Emory, Va., in community and organizational leadership in May 2011. She is unit coordinator for the Southwest Virginia Medical Reserve Corps.
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1986 Leigh Ann Burns Naas, B.S. 1986, of Poway, Calif., has been appointed vice president of drug safety evaluation for Gilead Sciences Inc., a biopharmaceutical company in the San Francisco Bay area that focuses on HIV/AIDS, liver disease, serious cardiovascular/metabolic and respiratory conditions, and oncology. She previously worked as a drug safety research and development therapeutic area leader in infectious disease, vaccines, and oncology at Pfizer Inc. She is a member of the Society of Toxicology and its sub-specialty sections, and is a past president of the American College of Toxicology. She was selected as a fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences and is a diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology, where she also serves as a member of the board of directors.
1989 Dr. Dosha Cummins, B.S. 1989, of Jonesboro, Ark., is an associate professor in the Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She has been a fulltime faculty member in the Jonesboro Area Health Education Centers Family Medicine Residency Program since July 1996. Her practice includes educating and consulting with physicians, pharmacists, and medical students on appropriate drug therapy for hospitalized and ambulatory patients. She serves as an item writer for the North American Pharmacy Licensing Exam and the Board of Pharmacy Specialties Ambulatory Care Exam. She has published numerous manuscripts
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and presented lectures to regional, national, and international audiences. She has earned the Arkansas Distinguished Young Pharmacist of the Year award, the Arkansas Bowl of Hygeia Community Service Award, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy Preceptor of the Year award.
1992 Amie Peele Carter, B.A. 1992, of Indianapolis, Ind., received the Indianapolis Choice award from the National Association of Women Business OwnersIndianapolis. She was recognized for her advocacy for Indiana’s women business owners and NAWBO-Indy. She serves as a board member for P.E.O.'s Chapter DE, a philanthropic organization that celebrates the advancement of women and provides educational funding for women. She has served on the boards of the Midwest Regional Conference for Women in the Law, the Vivian Smith Teen Parenting Program, and Ovar’Coming Together. Carter recently co-founded Sports Circle Indy, a nonprofit networking organization for Indianapolis sports professionals. A partner at Baker & Daniels, Carter practices intellectual property, sports, and entertainment law. She concentrates her practice in trademarks, copyrights, e-commerce, branding, licensing, social media, and publishing.
1994 Teresa White Bailey, B.A. 1994, of Memphis, received an M.B.A. from Union University in December 2011. She is the firm administrator for The Bai-
ley Law Firm. The firm's practice areas include estate planning, probate, elder law and generational wealth planning, and it serves clients in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The year 2012 marks the 16th year of business for the law firm that Teresa White Bailey founded in 1996 with her husband, Olen M. “Mac” Bailey Jr., B.A. 1986.
1995 Dr. William A. Martin, B.M. 1995, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., assistant professor and director of vocal instruction and musical theatre, at the University of Alabama, was chosen to perform the role of Maurice in NETworks Presentations’ national tour of the hit Broadway musical Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. He will be part of a production touring throughout North America, performing in cities such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. He has performed with Atlanta Opera, Baltimore Opera, Young Victorian Theatre Company, and Lees-McRae Summer Theatre and appeared in concert in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and throughout the Southeast. He has degrees in vocal performance from Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Alabama.
1996 Christina Finzel Gomez, B.A. 1996, of Commerce City, Colo., is a partner at Holland & Hart LLP in Denver. Gomez primarily practices appellate law and serves as chair of the committee that is implementing a new pro bono program for indigent parties in the Colorado appel-
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late courts. She and her husband, Eddie Gomez, have two children, Isabella, 6, and Matias, 4.
1998 Amanda Cook Myers, B.A. 1998, of Memphis, founded a nonprofit program, The Respect Program, in October 2011 at the Exchange Club Family Center. The program builds resiliency skills in children ages 2 to 14 and uses literature and artistic endeavors to help them address and stop bullying in their lives. She earned a master's in public policy and nonprofit management at Carnegie Mellon University. Myers credits her work with the Campus Ministry Team at Millsaps and the Rev. Don Fortenberry0 with nurturing her interest in volunteerism.
1999 Nicole Bradshaw, B.A. 1999, of Brandon, earned Accredited in Public Relations credentials in August 2011. The accreditation program is the public relations profession’s only national postgraduate certification. It measures a public relations practitioner’s fundamental knowledge of communications theory and its application; establishes advanced capabilities in research, strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation; and demonstrates a commitment to professional excellence and ethical conduct. Jennifer Skipper, B.A. 1999, and Ben Skipper, B.A. 1997, of Madison, welcomed George Gladstone “Stone” Skipper to their family Sept. 1, 2011. They have two more sons, Will and Jack.
2000 Sarah Katherine Drury, B.A. 2000, of Bethesda, Md., married Dr. Scott Christopher Drury at a private ceremony in Charleston, S.C. on Aug. 15, 2011. They celebrated with families and friends at a reception in the M. Monroe Kimbrel Gardens of the Watson-Brown Foundation in Thomson, Ga., on Oct. 15, 2011. Sarah Katherine works for the Watson-Brown Foundation as director of scholarships and alumni relations, and Scott Christopher is a pathologist with Pathology Associates of Silver Spring, Md. R. Uvon Tucker, B.A. 2000, of Chicago, has been elected president of the Chicago Chamber Choir Board of Directors. He has been with the Chicago Chamber Choir since 2005 and has served on the board of directors since 2009.
2002 Lawrence Ou, B.B.A. 2002, of New York, married Lisa Kobashi on Sept. 10, 2011. Their wedding party included best man Ben Hughes, B.A. 2002 and M.B.A. 2004; groomsman Carter Burns, B.A. 2002; and usher Tyler Burns, B.A. 2005. Lawrence and Lisa met in M.B.A. School at Columbia University. Lawrence is a vice president at Citigroup Global Markets, and Lisa is a manager of brand development at Victoria’s Secret Beauty.
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2003 Jared Mott, B.A. 2003, and Michelle Cormier, B.A. 2005, married on February 18, 2012 in Breaux Bridge, La. The wedding party included groomsmen Andrew Chalona, B.S. 2003; Alden Shank, B.S. 2003; Sam Sparks, B.A. 2003; bridesmaid Sarah Benoit, B.B.A. 2005; and readers Natacha Touchette, B.S. 2005; and Meaghan Vander Schaaf, B.A. 2005.
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Isreal McKinney Scott, B.A. 2008, of Queens, N.Y., married Colleen Beaumont on July 23, 2011. Their wedding was featured on the TLC show, “Four Weddings.”
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Jeep Darnell, B.S. 2008 and B.A. 2006, of Santa Teresa, N.M., married Megan Coon on Oct. 22, 2011. He began working for Jim Darnell, P.C., in September and became licensed to practice law in the state of Texas in November.
Chad Bowen, B.A. 2009, and Katie Hamm, B.A. 2009, of Raleigh, N.C., married on Jan. 7, 2012, at St. Richard Catholic Church in Jackson. The wedding party included Millsaps graduates Kayla Richard, B.A. 2009; Mirel Brackin, B.A. 2010; Will Benton, B.A. 2008; Rob Stephens, B.A. 2008; Andy Carlson, B.A. 2009; and Michael Price, B.S. 2010. Chad is completing his Master of Divinity at Duke University. They plan to return to Mississippi after his graduation and serve in the United Methodist Church.
Robert Burkes, B.S. 2005 and M.B.A. 2008, of Washington, D.C., was named a Rising Star by Campaigns & Elections magazine. The award goes to those under age 35 with achievement in political consulting. Burkes is principal of the firm, Zata|3, that helps elect Democrats and advance progressive causes.
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Ryan Hooper, B.S. 2005, and Kate Anderson, B.A. 2007, married on July 9, 2011 in Eugene, Ore. at Kings Estate Winery. The wedding party included Jacob Sooter, B.A. 2005; Carly Deweese, B.S. 2007; and Katelyn Littlejohn, B.A. 2007. Ryan Hooper earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Saint Louis University in August 2011.
Ace F. Madjlesi, B.A. 2008, of Memphis, completed her M.A. in applied medical anthropology at the University of Memphis. Madjlesi received the Engaged Service Award for her work as a community organizer focused on issues of disability and transportation in the Memphis area.
R. John Sawyer II, B.A. 2005, of Memphis, is a neuropsychology fellow at the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center with a cross appointment at the University of Maryland Medical
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Center. He got his start in neuropsychology with Sarah Richie, B.S. 1999, who owns and runs a practice in Memphis devoted mainly to children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Greg Jensen, M.B.A. 2008, of Fort Myers, Fla., manages the day-to-day operations of Florida Gulf Coast University Student Health Services, including maintenance of AAAHC Accreditation and HIPPA/FERPA compliance.
Robert Parrott, B.B.A. 2008, of Jackson, joined Adams and Reese as a litigation associate in the firm’s Jackson office. He is a former summer associate with Adams and Reese in 2010. Parrott earned his J.D. from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2011.
2010 Sarah Lloyd Allred, B.A. 2010, of Washington, D.C., is a legislative assistant for U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker. She will advise the senator on health policies while continually monitoring legislation affecting health care. She also advises the senator on humanities, museums, community service, and libraries. She previously managed constituent services for Wicker.
IN MEMORIAM
In Memoriam Any submissions for In Memoriam received after March 5, 2012 will appear in the next issue of Millsaps Magazine.
Ayrlene McGahey Jones, B.A. 1935, of Jackson, died Nov. 14, 2011. She was a graduate of the University of Texas. She was a retired University of Alabama mathematics professor and a member of the American Mathematical Society and Mathematical Association of America. She was a former president of the Alumni Association of Millsaps College. Harry Julian Hendrick, B.A. 1937, of Jackson, died Jan. 8, 2012. He moved to Jackson during the Great Depression and worked as a partner at Graduate Supply House until his retirement at age 75. He served in the U.S. Air Force in World War II and earned battle stars in all seven European theaters of battle. David Kendrick Brooks, 1938, of Jackson, died Oct. 27, 2011. After serving in World War II, he entered the oil and gas business, first as an independent landman and later as an independent oil and gas operator. He founded the Chatom Oil and Gas Field in Washington County, Ala. He was the founder of Bruxoil, Inc., as well as its president until his death. David was an avid golfer who had his last hole in one at age 93. The Rev. Canon Fredrick Judson Bush, B.A. 1939, of Bradenton, Fla., died Jan. 8, 2012. After his discharge from the Army, he enrolled in seminary at Sewanee: The University of the South. Bush was ordained as a deacon in 1949 and as a priest in 1950. He served Chapel of the Cross, Rolling Fork; St. Paul's, Hollandale; and St. James and St. Phillip's in Jackson. In 1965, he was appointed canon to the ordinary, from which he retired in 1984. At the time of his death, he
was the senior presbyter in the Diocese of Mississippi, having been a priest for over 62 years. Edgar Harold Robertson, B.A. 1939, of Overland Park, Kan., died Dec. 17, 2011. He earned a master’s in entomology from the University of Mississippi. He served in the U.S. Navy for 22 years, retiring as lieutenant commander. He was past president of the Southeast Arkansas Chapter of The Retired Officers Association. He worked as a sales representative for Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals for 35 years, retiring in 1990. Elizabeth Cobb “Betty” Hollingsworth, 1940, of Williamsburg, Va., died Sept. 24, 2011. She earned two master’s degrees from Mississippi College. A dedicated educator, she began her career in the Jackson Public Schools teaching second grade at McWillie Elementary and was principal of George and Boyd elementaries. She was known for her innovative methodology and gained national recognition for pioneering the use of computers in the elementary curriculum at Boyd. After retiring in 1983 she served as residence hall director for Goodman House. Dr. Jesse L. “Bud” Wofford, B.S. 1943, of Jackson, died Jan. 26, 2012. In 1944, Bud joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He served as a captain and pilot on a B-17 bomber in the 100th Bomber Group in combat over Europe. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal of the 8th Air Force. He completed his surgical training at Charity Hospital and the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He practiced thoracic
surgery in Jackson and was on the medical staff of multiple Jackson area hospitals and at the University of Mississippi Medical Center since 1955. He worked for the development of Methodist Rehabilitation Center and served as a life board member of MRC. Lester E. Wilkes, 1946, of Bossier City, La., died Dec. 1, 2011. After high school, he enrolled in college and joined the Marine Corps reserve. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1945 and returned to civilian life in 1946. He graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law and began a law practice in Louisville, Miss. He returned to the Marine Corps in 1951, serving as an attorney with assignments in Virginia, Tennessee, and California before transferring into the Air Force in 1959. He served at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, then at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., as base staff judge advocate in 1965. He retired in 1970 at the rank of colonel. Lee L. Railsback, B.A. 1948, of Raymond, died Feb. 15, 2012. He spent three years in the South Pacific in the Army Air Forces as a staff sergeant. After his service in the military, he attended Millsaps College, majoring in history and graduating with honors. He began a career in freight sales and retired at age 62. Gloria Walton Singletary, B.A. 1948, of Lexington, Ky., died Feb. 10, 2012. From 1969-1987, she served as the First Lady of the University of Kentucky, while her husband, the late Dr. Otis A. Singletary, served as the eighth president. She was a staunch supporter of UK and a tireMillsaps Magazine | Summer 2012
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IN MEMORIAM
less campus volunteer. She contributed her time and support to The American Red Cross, Baby Health Service, Central Kentucky Blood Bank, Hospital Children’s Fund, International Book Project, Junior Achievement, Kentucky Arts and Crafts Foundation, Kentucky Citizens For the Arts, Kentucky Commission on Women, Lexington Child Abuse Council, Lexington Fund for the Arts, Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra, YWCA, Lexington Philharmonic Society, and United Way of the Bluegrass. William T. Clark, B.S. 1949, of Jackson, died Nov. 1, 2011. He was the founder and president of Observa-Dome Labs, manufacturer of observatory domes and tracking shelters, in use worldwide. He was an avid pilot and a founding member of the Mississippi Soaring Association. His other interests include reading, baseball, astronomy, sailing, and fishing. Walter Robert “Bob” Turner, B.S. 1949, of Shreveport, La., died May 1, 2011. He served in the U.S. Army Infantry during World War II. He retired from Tensas Delta Exploration Co. in Shreveport. James Wallace “Wally” Ridgway, B.S. 1950, of Little Rock, died Jan. 6, 2012. He earned his master’s in entomology from the University of Mississippi. He served in the Navy for 22 years, retiring as a lieutenant commander. He worked as a sales representative for Parke-Davis Pharmaceuticals for 35 years. The Rev. John Young Robinson, B.A. 1950, of Columbus, died Oct. 29, 2011. He was a veteran of World War II, serv54
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ing in the Army Air Corps. He was a retired minister of the Presbyterian Church USA, having been ordained in 1955. Ralph Franklin Shotts, 1950, of Louisville, died Nov. 7, 2011. He was an Army Air Force veteran of World War II, having served in India, China, and Burma. He received his B.S. degree from Mississippi State University in 1951. He owned and operated Eastside Motors. Charles Durr Hudspeth, 1951, of Jackson, died Feb. 10, 2012. He was in the textile business for most of his life, owning businesses in Rolling Fork and Vicksburg. He served as a board member of Merchants Bank in Vicksburg for 20 years and was a member of the Rolling Fork Rotary Club. He was president of the Mississippi Orchid Society, and growing orchids was one of his many hobbies. Rose Mary Cunningham Burge, B.S. 1952, of Jackson, died Dec. 4, 2011. She was born in Texarkana, Texas, and was a member of Chi Omega Fraternity. She was married to the late John Moody Burge Jr. She was known for her gift of hospitality and her love of design. William Holmes Holland Jr., B.A. 1952, of Bastrop, La., died Jan. 23, 2012. He enlisted in the Army during the Korean War and was stationed in Germany, where he used his word skills as a code breaker. He was honorably discharged from the Happy Hundred. He received a master's from the University of Mississippi and his doctorate in English from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He taught at several schools before settling at Middle Tennessee State University,
where he taught until retiring in 1993. While at MTSU he was the first chair of the Honors Department and was selected outstanding Honors teacher. He was instrumental in creating the community theater. Colonel Edwin R. Orr III, B.S. 1957, of Pontotoc, died Oct. 27, 2011. After four years in the Air Force, he earned his Millsaps degree, then graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical School in 1961. Orr interned at Andrews Air Force Base, Washington, D.C., and over the next two decades rose to the rank of colonel. He participated in 69 combat missions during the Tet Offensive. His medals include the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious services, the National Defense Service Award for service during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his leadership when a C-130 he was flying in was hit by ground fire over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in 1968. He also received the Vietnam Campaign Medal from the Republic of Vietnam in gratitude for his service on their behalf. His 24 years of active duty were followed by 22 years of medical practice in north Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama. Dr. A. Wallace Conerly, B.S. 1957, of Terry, died Jan. 10, 2012, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Wallace Conerly Critical Care Hospital. He served as vice chancellor of health affairs at UMC from 1994-2003. He earned his medical degree from Tulane University Medical School. He served six years in the Air Force and in 1966 returned to Mississippi, where he practiced general medicine. After a cardiology fellowship at
IN MEMORIAM
Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, he returned to Mississippi in 1971 and worked at UMC as a resident in internal medicine. Starting on the UMC faculty in 1973, he served in a variety of administrative positions. When then-UMC leader Dr. Norman C. Nelson retired in 1994, Conerly was appointed to take his place. In 2002, the American College of Chest Physicians recognized Conerly’s pivotal role in the creation of the Jackson Medical Mall with its Governor's Award for Community Service. Conerly’s tenure at the Medical Center was marked by dramatic increases to the physical plant, expanded research, a more diverse student and faculty population, greater community involvement, increased endowment, and increased national presence. Donald W. Williamson Jr., B.A. 1960, of Duluth, Ga., died Oct. 18, 2010. He graduated in 1963 from the University of Mississippi School of Law. He engaged in advanced studies in taxation at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., while working for the Tax Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He retired from the Office of Chief Counsel, U.S. Department of Treasury, in 2002 after 35 years of government service. The Rev. Jon Belton “Buddy” Walters, 1961, of Indianapolis, Ind., died Dec. 26, 2011. A classically trained, educated, and talented musician, he held two master’s degrees. Walters attended Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J., Indiana University School of Music in Bloomington, and Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Ind. A retired United Methodist Church elder, Walters served 40 years in the Indiana
Conference of the United Methodist Church and served as executive director of the Indiana Interreligious Commission on Human Equality. He served as pastor in the Alaska Missionary Conference in Kenai, Alaska. Walters returned to his home state of Mississippi, where he served as executive director and pastor of the United Methodist Mississippi Choctaw Mission in Philadelphia. Ruth Webster Kromer, 1962, of Asheville, N.C., died Jan. 1, 2012. She concluded her career in education with Buncombe County schools, serving Black Mountain Primary and Sand Hill-Venable elementary schools for 21 years as a teacher assistant. Thomas Riddell Mullins, B.A. 1962, of Vestavia Hills, Ala., died Feb. 17, 2012. He earned a master’s in physics at Vanderbilt University. He worked for IBM for 42 years as a systems engineer. Dorothy Allen Moore, 1963, of Little Rock, Ark., died Aug. 19, 2010. She taught elementary school in Jackson until 1973, when she and her husband, Tom Moore, 1962, moved to Little Rock. She owned the fundraising business Innisbrook Wraps while rearing her children. Francis Fulton Jacobs, B.A. 1965, of Brandon, died Jan. 20, 2012. Jacobs studied at Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She taught English at Pass Christian High School and Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga. She taught English and religion at Immanuel Lutheran School in Brandon.
Dr. Jeffrey E. Newman, B.S. 1965, of Seattle, died Jan. 22, 2012. He graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1969 and completed an internship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. He worked as a family practice physician in Seattle for more than 40 years. June Pedicord Myers, B.A. 1970, of Madison, died Oct. 18, 2011. She taught third grade for many years at St. Mary's Elementary in Jackson and retired in 1984. John Bown, B.S. 1975, of Billings, Mt., died Feb. 23, 2012. He earned a master of science in geology from the University of Missouri at Rolla (Missouri School of Mines) in 1977. He was a career geologist for more than 30 years with the Bureau of Land Management working in Montana, North Dakota, and Washington, D.C. He was instrumental in creating and implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. Bown greatly respected and enjoyed working with the tribes of the Great Plains Region. The Rev. Meredith Jones Spencer, B.S. 1975, of Jackson, died Nov. 4, 2011. He received a master's degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Va. He served as a priest to various congregations from Philadelphia, Pa., to southern Alabama and Mississippi. He also worked as a science teacher at St. Paul Christian School and The Veritas School. James Benedict Wiseman Jr., B.S. 1975, of Vicksburg, died Dec. 7, 2011. He received his doctorate from Mississippi State University. He was employed Millsaps Magazine | Summer 2012
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IN MEMORIAM with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. When he lived in Greenville, he was a member of First United Methodist Church. Walter McLaurin Jones, B.S. 1980, of Memphis, died Dec. 19, 2011. Jones started his career in the medical and pharmaceutical sales field, culminating with his last position as national accounts director for Baxter Healthcare Corp. He was known throughout the Memphis area’s competitive boys basketball community and served as his son’s coach, even after he became ill. Affirmation of
his significance in the competitive basketball community was shown when he received the Nolan Wilson Award. David Howard Moore, 1986, of Ridgeland, died Nov. 11, 2011. He also attended the University of California at Berkeley and Pacific McGeorge Law School in Sacramento, Calif. In his later years, he owned and operated David Moore Bonding Co.
Faculty & Staff
nance staff employee, died Nov. 4, 2011. Howard Lowe Corder of Monticello, Ky., former coach, died Oct. 2, 2011. He coached men’s basketball at Millsaps College from 1969-1971 and 1978-1979. He had the first winning team in 31 years at Millsaps in 1970. McCarrell L. Ayers, of Indianapolis, Ind., emeritus associate professor of music, died Feb. 24, 2012. He had a bachelor’s of music from Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, and a master’s of music from Indiana University.
James Almo, of Jackson, former mainte-
Dr. Roy Alfred Berry Jr., professor emeritus of chemistry, died March 2, 2012. Berry began teaching at Millsaps in 1962 and was known for his soft-spoken nature and ready sense of humor. Berry was honored as an emeritus professor in 1999. He is remembered as instrumental in shaping the chemistry program and in 1976 was awarded the College's Distinguished Professor Award. He served as chair of the PreHealth Advising Committee, chair of the chemistry department from 1971-1976 and chair of the science division from 1983-1986. Under his leadership, the chemistry department received accreditation by the American Chemical Society, the first Millsaps department to be accredited by a national organization. A native of New Hebron, Berry earned his undergraduate degree in chemistry from Mississippi College. He received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina in organic chemistry and completed post-doctoral research at the University of Florida. Memorials may be made to the Allen Bishop, Gene Cain and Al Berry Scholarship at Millsaps College, 1701 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39210-0001. Gifts honoring the memory of any of deceased alumni, faculty, or staff may be forwarded to Kristin Musselman, Millsaps College, 1701 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39210
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