Journal, Fall 2017

FALL 2017 | VOLUME 10, NUMBER 1

2017 PRESIDENTS REPORT INSIDE!

NATURAL SCIENCES:

PUTTING THE EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH CHANTICLEER WOWS PIEDMONT

JOURNAL FALL 2017

President James F. Mellichamp

Contents FEATURES

NE WS

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Vice President for Advancement Amy Amason

Natural Sciences Unsung heroes—students in the Natural Sciences quietly make their marks.

Director of Public Relations David Price (’99)

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Woodrow Wilson STEM Camp Middle and high school students plan a mission to Mars with Woodrow Wilson Fellows.

Coordinator of Development Services Chris Pearce

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@PiedmontGA

President's Report Highlights of 2016-17 as Piedmont College celebrates its 120th year.

Published by the Office of Institutional Advancement

Piedmont College

Students

16

Fine Arts

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Athletics

Website Coordinator Brian Carter (’09)

Send Address Changes to: Piedmont College Institutional Advancement P.O. Box 429 Demorest, GA 30535 or piedmont.edu/updateinfo

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Outreach & Impact

Associate Director of Alumni Relations Laura Briggs (’16)

Development Coordinator Krysti Elam (’16)

Programs

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Design Manager Regina M. Fried (’08) Director Annual Giving & Alumni Relations Mary Colston

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Alumni

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Class Notes

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In Memory

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Legendary Chanticleer Visits Grammy Award-winning choir leads Piedmont Cantabile in a master class, then wows packed house in the Chapel.

Happy 120th Birthday!

Lane Hall was named for Dr. Mary Charlotte Lane, who served as Dean of the College from 1978 to 1987 and as archivist until her death in 2007. The College continues to honor her memory by naming the new library in Athens the Mary C. Lane Library. The beautiful new Lane Library features public-access computers, private study rooms, and a comfortable leisure reading area.

Officials on hand for the ribbon cutting include the folks you see in the photo, plus Vice President for Academic Affairs Perry Rettig, Vice President for Administration

Pictured from left, Piedmont Trustee Myron Downs, R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences Dean Julia Behr, President James F. Mellichamp, Board Chairman Thomas A. ‘Gus’ Arrendale III, Dean of Libraries Bob Glass, and Trustee Edward Ariail cut the ribbon to open the new facilities at the Athens Campus.

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he year 2017 marks not just the 120th birthday of Piedmont College, it is also the 18th birthday for the R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences—and the 21st birthday for the Piedmont Athens Campus.

I mention these dates because of a ribbon-cutting ceremony we held in Athens on Sept. 14 to officially open newly renovated space in the Athens Campus Commons Hall for classrooms, hospital labs, and faculty offices for the R.H. Daniels School of Nursing & Health Sciences. The space also houses a new library for the entire campus.

Previously, these facilities were located in Lane Hall on North Milledge Avenue—a short walk, but separated from the Prince Avenue site. Besides having a beautiful addition to The Commons, the students, faculty, and staff who met in Lane Hall are now glad to be part of the main campus.

& Finance Ken Jones, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Amy Amason, School of Education Dean Don Gnecco, Athens-Clarke County Mayor Nancy Denson, Commissioner Mike Hamby, Chamber of Commerce President Doc Eldridge, Rep. Spencer Frye, as well as architect Chris Evans and contractor Chris Grahl.

If you happen to be in Athens, drop by and see the new facilities—and wish them a Happy Birthday!

James F. Mellichamp, President

Natural Sciences PUTTING THE EMPHASIS ON RESEARCH

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he General Education Requirements at Piedmont make it plain that a solid foundation in the Natural Sciences

is an important part of earning a bachelor’s degree. The requirements spell out that Piedmont wants undergraduates to “understand the scientific method as a mode of modern inquiry” and grasp “important aspects of the physical nature of the universe, the earth, and/or living organisms found there on.” To this end, all students who enter as freshmen take at least two semesters of lab courses in the natural or physical sciences before graduating.

While these requirements apply to all majors, students who major in the Natural Sciences take 60–70 additional hours of science classes that delve deeper into the connections between the different disciplines. Many of these students go on to earn graduate degrees for careers in medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.

PROGRAMS

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HONORS PROGRAMS AND UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH At Piedmont, the Natural Sciences include biology, chemistry, and environmental science. Students majoring in these areas—with good grades—can opt to enroll in an Honors Program that puts an added emphasis on research. Students not in the Honors program can also conduct research projects, without the requirement to complete a formal thesis.

Piedmont may not be a “research institution” in the tradition of MIT, but research still plays a large role in the education of science majors. Each year, Piedmont students complete more than 500 studies at the bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral level. Many faculty members are also involved in individual and group research, leading to published books, journal articles, and conference papers. More and more often, faculty members and students are publishing the results of their joint research.

“Students work handson with a faculty member, ... we also like them to work on their own ... to problem solve." ­­— Dr. Elaine Bailey that is really great,” she said. For students, research not only helps them understand the subject, it allows them more lab time to become proficient with the equipment.

Students also can present their research to various scientific organizations each year, either as a poster or an oral presentation.

But it is undergraduate research where Piedmont excels, says Dr. Elaine Bailey, Professor of Chemistry and chair of the Department of Natural Sciences. “Students work hands-on with faculty members, but in addition, we also want them to work on their own. This allows them the opportunity to problem-solve,” she said.

"Most schools don’t do this type of faculty-student undergraduate research because they are too large," Bailey said. "There would simply be too many students involved.

Here at Piedmont, each faculty member works with one to three students. That creates an interaction with the faculty

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Dr. Rob Wainberg, right, looks over science illustrations prepared by Natural Science students.

NATURAL SCIENCE RESEARCH FUND To assist students and faculty in their research projects, the college last year created a special Research Fund, said Professor of Biology Dr. Carlos Camp. “The Fund will allow us to do a lot of things without cutting into the regular budget for laboratory consumables,” he said.

For example, Camp said, a group of undergraduate students is currently studying the potential co-evolution between a species of leeches and their salamander hosts. After collecting hundreds of samples, the specimens are sent to a DNA lab for gene sequencing. “The tests cost about $3

each, but for hundreds of tests, it adds up,” Camps said. Other recent student research projects have involved the purchase of miniature radio transmitters that can be attached to snakes, and even the purchase of Cornish game hens for a study on decomposition.

“We hope alumni will be interested in supporting student research and make donations to this effort." Camp said. “It is a great way to give back to the school for alumni who enjoyed their own research projects.” For more information, please contact Mary Colston at mcolston@piedmont.edu, or to give visit www.piedmont.edu/giving.

From left, Cayla Simmons, Rachel Matthews, and Jessica Smith prepare DNA samples they collected as part of an undergraduate research project on salamander parasitic leeches.

ATTENTION ALL NATURAL SCIENCES ALUMNI! The upcoming 2018 Alumni Weekend will feature a special get-together for graduates of the Natural Sciences. “Piedmont has a long tradition of preparing students to excel in their chosen field, and we thought it would be great to get together with graduates from across the years to celebrate their achievements,” said Professor of Earth Science Dr. Deb Dooley. Alumni Weekend will be held April 6–7, 2018, and details for the group are still in the works, but for more information, contact Associate Director of Alumni Relations Laura Briggs at lbriggs@piedmont.edu.

“Piedmont has a long tradition of preparing students to excel in their chosen field, and we thought it would be great to get together with graduates from across the years to celebrate their achievements,” — Dr. Deb Dooley 4

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NEW FACULTY: CARSON WEBB, BUTMAN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES

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r. Carson Webb, formerly Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Eureka College in Illinois, has been named the Butman Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Piedmont College. Webb takes over the position from Dr. Barbara Brown Taylor, who joined Piedmont as the first Butman Professor in 1998 and retired from teaching in May.

Carson Webb Butman Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Piedmont College

At Eureka College, Webb taught historical and contemporary Christianity, world religions, and biblical studies. He is a graduate of Pepperdine University, where he earned a BA in Religion, and he earned a master’s degree in Philosophical Theology at the University of Nottingham. He holds a master’s degree in Religion from Syracuse University, where he also earned a Ph.D. in 2014.

The Butman Chair at Piedmont College was created in 1998 and named in honor of the Rev. Harry R. Butman, a founder of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches.

'SLEEPING WORLD' AUTHOR PRESENTS READING

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ophomore philosophy and religion major Page Dukes of Atlanta (left) talks with author Gabrielle Lucille Fuentes of Athens about her new novel, The Sleeping World, following a reading at the MasonScharfenstein Museum of Art. The Sleeping World was named one of the Best Fiction Books of 2016 by Entropy Magazine and featured on the New York Times Book Review Shortlist for debut novels. Fuentes earned a PhD at the University of Georgia and is now teaching at the University of Maryland. Her debut novel was published by Touchstone (Simon & Schuster) in 2016 and tells the story of Mosca, a bitterly jaded young woman who goes on a search for her missing brother in 1970s Spain.

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h t u So rica Af FAITH, SERVICE, TRAVEL: A CONGREGATIONAL CONFERENCE

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trip to South Africa proved to be an eye-opening experience for four Piedmont students—and the Rev. Tim Garvin-Leighton, who accompanied them.

The group traveled to Stellenbosch University just outside Cape Town to attend the quadrennial conference of the International Congregational Fellowship, held July 6–11.

The students, Makayla Kennedy, Breanna Kramer, Alexandra Nunnally, and Emily Pierce, were selected after completing a Compass project and submitting an essay describing how the trip would benefit them in the selection of a future vocation.

In Cape Town, the group got their first look at the dichotomy of living conditions that remain even after the end of apartheid. “I had been to Africa before, but not South Africa,” said Garvin-Leighton, who worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the late 1980s.

“Cape Town is a major city, like any other city in the world … more like Boston or Seattle, a coastal city with skyscrapers and well-paved roads.” But outside the city, they passed through the nearby Khayelitsha township — “A million-plus people living in ‘houses’ made of corrugated metal, if one was lucky,” he said.

CULTURE SHOCK

“Before leaving on July 4, the group met several times to discuss the details of the trip as well as bone up on our background knowledge of South Africa, its history, and the Congregational Church,” Garvin-Leighton said. “We took time to reflect on the racial segregation that shaped not only South Africa’s past but also its present and how that history had similarities to our own racially segregated society.”

Kramer said the townships were a “culture shock” for all of the students at the conference. “The conditions people live in is not something many people from other areas in the world think of," she said. “However, you could see God at work in the community. Hundreds of people lived in this village and it was like a giant family. Children would run and play together, and adults that had no relation to these children would keep an eye on any that were nearby. Many women and their daughters were doing laundry together and helping each other.”

Once prepared, they were off for the 35-hour journey, including a 10-hour layover in Istanbul. “I had never traveled outside the country before,” said Nunnally. “I had never even been on an airplane. Everything about this trip was a new experience for me. When we landed in Turkey, I was so excited to be in a new place. Exploring Istanbul was a great experience. While we had dinner, there was a call to prayer at three mosques surrounding the restaurant. I loved hearing the prayers over the loud speakers.”

As part of the ICF Conference, the students also visited the infamous former prison on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was held for 19 of his 27 years in captivity. “It was extremely intense,” Pierce said. “I overheard someone say it was like visiting a concentration camp. It made me question our humanity. How could people do this to other people? Our tour guide talked about the guards there who beat them, and how afterward he befriended one of them. I can’t imagine being able to forgive so much. It was heartbreaking and

STUDENTS

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“ I had a lot of time to think about God and the wonders he creates. We went hiking, and kayaking and zip-lining and all these experiences were simply breath taking."

— Breanna Kramer

Alexandra Nunnally, Breanna Kramer, Emily Pierce, the Rev. Tim Garvin-Leighton, and Makayla Kennedy at Table Mountain near Cape Town.

surreal. I don’t think I’ll ever experience anything like that again.”

of historic sites and villages, as well as nature reserves along the way.

After the conference, the group continued on a six-day, 450-mile drive to Port Elizabeth, visiting a number

“The post-tour trip was also an experience of growth for me as a person,” Kramer said. “I became friends with a student from Olivet College who wants to become a pastor. We spoke a lot about our religious beliefs and …

I had a lot of time to think about God and the wonders he creates. We went hiking, and

kayaking and zip-lining, and all these experiences were simply breathtaking.

I am so incredibly thankful for this experience and the friends I made along the way.”

NETVUE GRANT The students' trip was made possible by a grant from The Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE), a nationwide network of colleges and universities formed to enrich the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduate students. This initiative is administered by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) with support from Lilly Endowment Inc. and member colleges.

Record Freshman Class!

FALL SEMESTER UNDERWAY For the fourth year in a row, the college welcomed a record-breaking freshman class—some 391 students this fall, a 21-percent increase over last year. Total enrollment of undergraduate and graduate students at both the Demorest and Athens campuses stands at 2,361, up from 2,266 last year. Residential student enrollment is also at a record, with 694 students now living on the Demorest campus.

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STUDENTS TAKE VIDEO AWARD

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iedmont Mass Communications students Samuel Negron, Pearl Oppenheimer, and Mark Tatum took home a first-place award from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) annual conference held in New York City in March.

Negron

Oppenheimer

Tatum

The three seniors, who graduated in May, won Best Commercial/Promotion for their “Recycle Please” public service announcement. Entries from colleges including Arizona State and Pittsburg State were also in this category. Members of the 2016 Entertainment Television class were also honored as finalists in the Best Comedy category, for the third episode of their series, “Res Life.” IBS is a not-for-profit educational association and foundation founded in 1940.

THE GREAT AMERICAN

ECLIPSE 2017 R

ight on schedule, the clouds moved out of the way and let the “Great American Eclipse” of Aug. 21 shine down on students gathered in the Quad at the Demorest campus and in Athens.

The path of totality passed directly over the Demorest campus, giving viewers the chance to see the sun’s corona for about a minute and 48 seconds.

For Dr. Joel Aquino, an adjunct professor in Natural Sciences, this was his second total eclipse, the first occurring on March 18, 1988, while he was in the jungles of the southern Philippines doing geological field research.

In Demorest, about 300 students, faculty, and staff gathered on the Quad for the rare show. The Office of Student Affairs presented glasses—and a Moon Pie!—to the first 120 students to arrive.

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(Left) Sandra Maughon, a Fellow in Piedmont’s Walker School of Business, greets new arrivals.

NACCC Annual Meeting: fellowship, business, and service

(Above) Delegates from the NACCC and its youth organizations, National Association of Pilgrim Fellowship (NAPF) and Heritage of Pilgrim Endeavor (HOPE), worked to pack meals for the international relief agency Rise Against Hunger.

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wenty years after helping Piedmont celebrate its 100th birthday, the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches (NACCC) was back on campus this past June to hold its Annual Meeting—and help celebrate Piedmont’s 120th year!

Piedmont has been affiliated with Congregational Churches—the denomination founded by the Pilgrims—since 1901, shortly after the college was founded in 1897.

NACCC Moderator Laura Hamby of Soquel, California, addresses the Annual Meeting.

“Dreaming, Talking and Acting” was the theme of the meeting, and hosts included Piedmont and the Demorest Methodist-Congregational Federated Church.

Among the participants were Piedmont Board of Trustee members, the Rev. Dr. Beth Bingham and the Rev. Dr. Tom Richard (’70). The group heard from one of the keynote speakers, the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, the first Butman Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Piedmont, an endowed chair named for one of the founders of the NACCC, the late Dr. Harry R. Butman. Other speakers included current campus minister the Rev. Tim Garvin-Leighton and former chaplain the Rev. Dr. Ashley Cleere.

While on campus, the group held a dinner reception in the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art, and some participants took time for a “Quiet Day” at the Lillian E. Smith Center in Clayton. Also meeting at Piedmont were 80 members of two NACCC youth organizations, the National Association Of Pilgrim Fellowship (NAPF) and Heritage of Christian Endeavor (HOPE). While on campus, all participants got busy—packing and shipping more than 20,000 meals for the organization Rise Against Hunger.

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Barbara Brown Taylor was one of the keynote speakers for the NACCC Annual Meeting.

O U T R E AC H & I M PAC T

mission: life on mars WOODROW WILSON TEACHING FELLOW S.T.E.M. CAMP

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iddle and high school students from across northeast Georgia got some hands-on experience in the STEM fields during a five-day residential summer camp designed

by graduate students in the Piedmont College Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship program.

“Mission: Life on Mars” was the theme of the camp, designed to foster and enhance education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields for rising 7th–10th graders, said Dr. Julie Palmour, Associate Dean in the School of Education and director of the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship program.

“We sought to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders through learning experiences that promote inquiry and critical thinking. Moreover, we wanted to provide high-quality, rigorous, and authentic opportunities

that promote outstanding academic achievement for all students. Mission accomplished!” she said.

The 44 campers participated in activitypacked days, working toward the goal of creating a sustainable community on Mars. Activities on day one included a rover simulation, sustainability brainstorming, biotechnology in a real lab, environmental science experiments, exploring Mars via virtual reality, and flying a drone. Campers built and programmed rovers using cutting-edge technology to simulate exploration of a Mars surface that was constructed by the Wilson Fellows.

The curriculum for the camp was organized in three working labs: environmental, biotechnology, and engineering. The environmental lab allowed campers to explore ecospheres, analyze soil and water samples, collect data, build water filtration systems, and grow a Martian garden.

The biotechnology lab taught campers to extract and analyze DNA from both strawberries and human cells, to use sophisticated microscopes and other

lab equipment, and offered campers the opportunity to solve a forensics problem. Engineering focused on robotics and involved many skills in math that the campers developed because of their work. Using drone technology, they developed topographic maps to be used in their programming of the rovers they themselves built.

Campers reactions were consistently positive. “This is how math and science ought to be taught” and “This was the best experience I have ever had” were just two of the responses.

The camp was directed by Piedmont professors Dr. Julie Palmour, Project Director; Dr. Lynn Rambo, Curriculum Director; and Dr. William Nye, Gwinnett County Schools.

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LILLIAN E. SMITH SYMPOSIUM

UCC ANNUAL MEETING

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UCC SOUTHEAST MEETS FOR THIRD YEAR AT PIEDMONT

en Delos Reyes, associate director of the School of Art and Art History at the University of Illinois Chicago, kicked off the Lillian E. Smith Symposium on Arts and Social Change at the Athens Campus in March.

Reyes

Reyes is the director and founder of Open Engagement, an international annual conference on socially-engaged art. The symposium examined the role of public art—murals, graffiti, outdoor art installations, and more—as a form of cultural expression and inspiration for social justice.

In addition to Reyes, speakers for the symposium included Ellen Elmes of Jewell Ridge, Virginia, who has completed more than 25 large-scale public murals; Broderick Flanigan, a freelance artist whose murals and portraits have been featured across the Athens-Clarke County area; and Hope Hilton, an artist, educator, designer, and writer who lives and works in Athens.

Piedmont students Cordell Jones and Layla Zeitouni (right) check in visitors attending the United Church of Christ (UCC) Southeast Conference Annual Meeting, held at the Demorest campus June 8–10.

Some 120 UCC members met for retreats, training, and business meetings.

The one-day conference included a panel discussion by the artists and audience moderated by the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, former Butman Professor of Religion at Piedmont College.

SMITH BOOK A TOP PICK

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Lillian Smith Reader has been named by The Georgia Center for the Book as one of 10 “Books All Georgians Should Read” for 2017.

The list includes authors and editors who are from Georgia or have a Georgia connection and whose work pertains to the state’s history.

Edited by Dr. Margaret Rose Gladney, professor emerita of American Studies at the University of Alabama, and Dr. Lisa Hodgens, professor emerita of English at Piedmont College, A Lillian Smith Reader gathers more than 50 selections from Smith’s letters, columns, magazine articles, and books into a single volume. It was published by the University of Georgia Press.

Visit the Lillian Smith Center online at www.piedmont.edu/LES

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SharRon Jamison, a minister at the Victory for the World Church in Stone Mountain, presented the keynote address to open the UCC Southeast Annual Meeting.

PRESIDENT'S

REPORT

2017

120TH ANNIVERSARY On the first Wednesday of September 1897, amid much fanfare and ceremony, the opening exercises for a brand new college were held in downtown Demorest, Georgia, as the new student body—from first graders to college juniors—began their studies.

In its first year, the J.S. Green Collegiate Institute (the name was changed to Piedmont College in 1903) enrolled 367 students, an astonishing number given the rural nature of the area and the scant population.

Today, just as they did 120 years ago, the students of Piedmont College arrive from all over the world, still carrying that same unquenchable thirst for education.

Some are third, even fourth generation Piedmont students. Some are the first in their families to venture beyond high school. But all of them find at Piedmont an experience much like those students of 1897—a small college in which the faculty and students form a community with a rich academic tradition and where anyone with a desire for knowledge is welcome.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR ENROLLMENT GROWTH In recent years, Piedmont has added a new Student Commons, the Student Village apartments, and new academic facilities, which have helped the college enroll a record number of freshmen four years in a row.

291 CURRENT FRESHMEN CLASS

694

RESIDENTIAL POPULATION RECORD HIGH

21%

AN ACADEMICALLY STRONG FRESHMEN CLASS

UP BY

2,361 2,266 TOTAL POPULATION 2017

TOTAL POPULATION 2016

3.47 42% AVERAGE GPA

ENTER WITH DUAL ENROLLMENT OR AP CREDITS

ACCREDITATIONS The R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences, which has grown to include seven majors, successfully completed three accreditation reviews during the past academic year. The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing awarded continued certification through 2023 for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. Graduates in the Class of 2017 are currently demonstrating a 95-percent first time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

As the Athletic Training program transitions from an undergraduate to a graduate program, the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education has granted an initial five-year accreditation, the longest possible designation.

The Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology reported no areas of noncompliance and issued its accreditation for Piedmont's undergraduate and certificate programs in Cardiovascular Technology.

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PRESIDENT'S REPORT

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS During the past academic year, Piedmont has developed four new undergraduate and graduate academic programs.

MUSIC EDUCATION School of Arts & Sciences The Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education, which complements existing MA and MAT programs, includes instruction in music theory, music history, performance technique, and education methods, as well as opportunities for solo and ensemble performance experiences on and off campus.

SPORTS COMMUNICATION

SOCIOLOGY & ANTHROPOLOGY

ATHLETIC TRAINING

School of Arts & Sciences

School of Arts & Sciences

R.H. Daniel School of Nursing & Health Sciences

Sports Communication takes students beyond scores and statistics to analyze and critically examine the role of sports in society. Sports communications encompasses broadcasting, marketing, advertising, public relations, and new media.

These two programs were combined this year to form a new major that allows students to develop sensitivity to critical cultural, historical, and moral issues, while promoting understanding of the diversity of cultures (both past and present).

Athletic Training, which had been offered as an undergraduate degree, transitions to a graduate program for Fall 2017.

This new program allows incoming students to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.

NEW ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS This past year, the college awarded more than $10.6 million for student scholarships and grants. This year, five new endowed scholarships were established

by Gus Arrendale III and named for Jean Shepard, T.G. Sheppard, Kelly Lang, Mack H. Guest, and Moe Bandy.

10.6M

$

SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

PIEDMONT WINS PRESIDENTS CUP In 2017, the college won its first-ever Overall Presidents Cup as a member of the NCAA Division III USA South Conference. The women’s teams captured their third Presidents Cup of the past four years. Just as important, Piedmont’s student-athletes took second place in the Academic AllConference awards, and the college has never finished outside the top three since joining USA South in 2012. (Left) USA South Commissioner Tom Hart presents the cup to President Mellichamp and Athletic Director Jim Peeples.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

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TRAVEL STUDY In 2017, some 63 students took part in Travel Study during the “Maymester” session, compared to 34 students the previous year. Future trips are planned for undergraduate and graduate students to study in Italy (two trips); Chile; Ireland; France and Switzerland; Peru; Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.; and Germany and the Czech Republic.

US NEWS AND WASHINGTON MONTHLY COLLEGE RANKINGS US News & World Report named Piedmont a “Best College” among the 142 Regional Universities in the South, and Piedmont placed fifth among the 12 Regional Universities in Georgia. In the separate “Best Value” list, Piedmont is one of only two Georgia institutions selected for the honor from the Regional Universities in the 12-state South region. Washington Monthly magazine also selected Piedmont as one its “Best Bang for the Buck” institutions.

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW FY 2016-17 AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES

AUXILIARY ENTERPRISES

OTHERSOURCES

OTHER EXPENSES INSTRUCTIONAL

INVESTMENT EARNINGS

GROSS TUITION & FEES

ENDOWMENT INCOME

REVENUES

EXPENSES STUDENT AID

PRIVATE GRANTS & CONTRIBUTIONS FEDERALSTUDENT GRANTS

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

ACADEMIC SUPPORT STUDENT SERVICES

Revenues Tuition and Fees Federal Student Grants Private Grants and Contributions Endowment Income Investment Earnings Other Sources Total Educational and General Auxiliary Enterprises Total Revenues

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2016-17 $35,159,996 127,852 1,597,331 2,749,751 5,706,221 1,089,801 $46,430,952 5,814,621 $52,245,573

Expenses Instructional Academic Support Student Services Institutional Support Student Aid Other Expenses Total Educational and General Auxiliary Enterprises Total Revenues Total Expenses Change in Net Asset

2016-17 $17,531,264 2,230,187 7,048,499 5,018,218 10,798,893 996,293 $43,623,354 5,362,111 $52,245,573 $48,985,465 $3,260,108

PRESIDENT'S REPORT

Swanson Center Celebrates 10th Anniversary W

hen the Neil Simon comedy, God’s Favorite, opened at the Swanson Center for Performing Arts and Communications in October 2007, it marked a new era for live theatre in northeast Georgia.

Named for longtime Piedmont supporters Kay and Dean Swanson and their children, the 45,000-square-foot Swanson Center remains the “signature facility” for the college 10 years later, says Piedmont President James F. Mellichamp.

“For 10 years, the Swanson Center has enriched the lives of Piedmont students, faculty, staff, and the entire northeast Georgia community,” Mellichamp said. “All of us at the college thank the generous donors—especially Kay and Dean Swanson and Cast and Crew of 'God's Favorite' from the first show their family—who made in the Swanson Center in 2007. this magnificent facility possible, and we look forward to many more seasons of Long noted for outstanding opening nights!” theatre and theatre education programs, Piedmont lacked one key In addition to the Main Stage, there is ingredient—a venue worthy of the a separate “Blackbox” theater that gives talented students who performed students space to perform smaller, everything from Shakespeare to avant-garde shows and theater-inchildren’s theater on the college’s the-round. This space is also used tiny stage. That all changed with the for acting and directing classes. The opening of the Swanson Center, which Center houses a large scene shop, provides a professional-size mainstage costume shop, catering kitchen, and and seating for 350 people. department offices.

As beautiful as the theater is, that is only half the story of the Swanson Center. In a separate wing off of the soaring main lobby, the Center also houses one of the most advanced mass communications education facilities in the Southeast. With studios for television and radio production, and computer labs for print and online media production, the facility includes a central newsroom, where students man the desks and oversee the production of the college’s newspaper, yearbook, and student magazine.

Surrounding the newsroom are the production studios for radio and television classes.

The opening of 'Guys and Dolls’ marked the 10th anniversary of the Swanson Center for Performing Arts and Communications. On hand to celebrate were (from left) Theatre Department Chair Bill Gabelhausen, Carol Swanson, D. Stewart Swanson, Dean Swanson, Mass Communications Department Chair Dale Van Cantfort, Kaylee Grant, and President James F. Mellichamp.

Fine out more about upcoming Fine Arts Events at www.piedmont.edu/FA

FINE ARTS

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'VALLEY WHERE THEY DANCED' WORLD PREMIER

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iedmont’s professional summer stock company, North Georgia Theatre, presented a world premiere performance of a play

by Cleveland author Emory Jones that brought together current Piedmont theatre students and theatre alumni.

The story of an ill-fated love in 1920s Sautee Nacoochee Valley, The Valley Where They Danced is based on Jones’ book of the same name. A young doctor moves to “The Valley” to start a new practice, taking over for the community’s long-serving local doctor. Many of the people he meets are based on actual residents of the time, but the story tells a fictional tale of the enduring quality of love.

The cast included theatre alumni Liat Faver (’10) and Katie Deal Wright (’02) who both played Hannah Conley in different time periods. Current theatre students included Tyler Vandiver, Brecken Watts, Aleek Reed, Levi Doublet, Dashawn Crawford, Mikayla Liat Faver (’10) and Tyler Vandiver Walters, Hunter Blackburn, Kaitlyn Echols, Aubrey Peat, and Luna Cox. Backstage staff included stage manager Rebekah James, Samantha Autry, Todd Blandin, Kadence Cole, Rachel Danford, Jessica Eves, Grace Lyman-Barner, Tamara Morris-Thompson, Kristian Tice, Mac Tinius, Cheyenne Turner, and Tatum Williams. New to the theatre were actors Kendall Kiker, Chris Wright, Jack Molnar, Mike Fisher, and Savana Owensby.

MSMA GAINS ECHIZEN CERAMIC

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any artists can point to a specific piece by Van Gogh, Da Vinci, or Picaso that inspired them. For Chris Kelly, chair of the Department of Art, it was an exhibition of ceramics created by the master potters of Echizen, Japan.

Kelly saw the show at the Birmingham Museum while a student at the University of Montevallo. Skip forward to this past spring, when he happened to run into another Echizen aficionado, Reggie Williams of Florida, at an art show in Watkinsville. “We started talking, and he said that the Birmingham Exhibition many years ago had included a pot that he owned,” Kelly said.

MSMA Director Rebecca Brantley and Art Department Chair Chris Kelly with museum's new acquisition.

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That was coincidental enough, but then Williams offered to donate the pot to the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art, where Kelly said it will now become the foundational piece for the museum’s small but growing ceramics collection. “This is a very old Echizen pot, made around 1500,” Kelly said. “It is interesting that it has traveled around the world and come back here.” (piedmont.edu/MSMA)

Chanticleer lights up Chapel Based in San Francisco, Chanticleer is a Grammy Award-winning troupe that has circled the world with their original interpretations of vocal literature from the Renaissance, to jazz, and popular songs.

During their stay at Piedmont, the entire group also conducted a two-hour master class with members of Cantabile, Piedmont’s own eight-member a cappella group. In front of their toughest audience ever, Cantabile sang Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind,” as the Chanticleer singers listened and offered suggestions on everything from tempo to emotion.

Members of Cantabile with Chanticleer following the Master Class.

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ike their namesake, the “clear-singing” rooster from Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” the a cappella ensemble Chanticleer captured the attention of a packed house for an evening concert Oct. 5 in the Chapel.

The 12-voice choir lived up to their billing as an “orchestra of voices” to produce a luminous concert titled “Heart of a Soldier,” featuring a range of songs from the 14th to the 20th centuries. Each song cast a spell on the audience as the singers invoked the rowdy memories of Russian soldiers in “Battle of Borodino” one moment, to the melancholy strains of Pete Seeger’s “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” in the next.

“Even though you are part of a group,” said Chanticleer’s Eric Alatore, “Sing each part as if it is your solo. Trust your fellow singers,” he said.

After the concert, the singers met with members of the Piedmont Friends of the Arts for a reception at the MasonScharfenstein Museum of Art. A longtime fan of Chanticleer, Music Department Chair Dr. Wallace Hinson called the concert and master class a “fantastic experience” for students and the audience. “We’ve never had a singing group at this level of international prominence here before,” he said.

(Continued on Page 23)

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ATHLETICS TOPS IN COMPETITION AND THE CLASSROOM: ATHLETIC ACADEMIC HONORS In addition to winning their first-ever Overall Presidents Cup as a USA South member, Piedmont student athletes also showed their mettle in the classroom with a number of conference and national academic awards. >> Second place in Academic All-Conference totals, with 166 students making the grade. Piedmont has never finished outside the top three since joining the USA South in 2012-13. >> Ten Piedmont softball players named All-America Scholar-Athletes by National Fastpitch Coaches Association: Jessica Bagwell, Allyson Gentry, Avery Migues, Haley Hixon, Josie Coker, Linsay Link, Audrey Esakoff, Rayven Lawrence, Madison Garrett, and Shannon Baker. >> Men's and women's track and field teams named U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Academic Teams. The first year Piedmont has made the listing on either side as the program continues to grow.

country to earn the honor, and one of only four USA South members to make the cut. >> Baseball took an American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award for the second straight season. One of 59 NCAA Division III teams to earn the honor—and only USA South team on the list. >> Men's basketball placed five members on the National Basketball Coaches Association Honors Court: Landry Assinesi, Nick Ryan, Chase England, Trae Gaines, and Peyton Luke. The NABC also awarded Piedmont a Team Academic Excellence Award for the fourth year in a row.

>> Senior Jake Forbes, Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar for the second year in a row. >> Charlie Justice and Ashton Mamula, All-America Scholars, Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA). >> Women's volleyball captured a Team Academic Excellence Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association. One of 150 D-III programs across the

Keep up with all of our sports news, schedules, and scores at www.piedmontlions.com

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SPORTS SPRING ROUNDUP MEN’S GOLF 7th at the USA South Tournament, led by Davis Cook, who tied for 23rd with a pair of 75s and a 78. Garrett Rowland posted lowest individual round, a 71.

WOMEN’S GOLF Best score was at the Joe Duncan Rhodes Invitational, carding a 315 in the first round. Sophomore Jana Guy led Piedmont with a 78 in both rounds, helping the team to fourth-place finish. Five of Piedmont's seven golfers recorded scores in the 70s, with Guy leading the charge at 74.

WOMEN’S TENNIS Overall 7-10, and 3-4 in USA South, finishing fifth in the West Division of the conference. Most dominant win came against USA South foe Maryville College, as Morgan Buchholz and Amanda Blackwell won at #1 doubles, 8-0, and Piedmont swept the doubles play.

MEN’S TENNIS Took a share of the USA South West Division regular season title, finishing 10-9 overall and 7-1 in the USA South. Eliminated from the conference tournament with a 1-8 loss to Methodist University.

Junior Nathan Metzger was named to the All-Conference Team.

SOFTBALL Swept Maryville at home to claim a share of the USA South West Division regular season championship. 16-6 record in conference play and 26-15 overall. Maryville got revenge in the conference tournament, taking the three-game series 2-1. Five players named to the All-Conference team: Melissa Eckman (also Pitcher of the Year), Allyson Gentry, Audrey Esakoff, Sarah Walker, and Hannah Hoban.

BASEBALL 24-20 overall and 7-11 in conference play. As the #8 seed, made a stellar run through the USA South tourney, winning four straight to make it to the championship game before bowing to #1 seed LaGrange 6-0. Brady Ballstadt and Zach Langley were named to the USA South All-Conference Team. Ballstadt was named to the ABCA/ Rawlings and D3Baseball Division III All-Region teams. Langley, Collin Grant, Griffin Olson, Justin Groover, and Jabin Smith were named to the All-Tournament Team.

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD Both teams finished with second place titles in the conference championships. Julia Graham was women's MVP (400m hurdles, 400m, and 100m hurdles), Kyle Ray (pole vault), Nick Lemons (high jump), Brooke Hardegree (triple jump), Nathan Galloway (5K), Bryce Griggs, (1500m), Analee Bradach (800m), and Alvin Jacobs (800m).

Ray named to All-Region Indoor and Outdoor teams, while Graham named to the All-Region Outdoor Team.

WOMEN’S LACROSSE

CYCLING

Posted fourth straight USA South Tournament Championship game appearance, with 10-8 overall and 4-2 USA South record. In the tournament, Piedmont fell to Meredith 18-7 in the finals. Six players named to the All-Conference Team: Caitlin O’Brien, Kayla Jones, Blake Forrest, Cassidy Heflin, Francesca Malabad, and Jenna Smith.

Men's and women's teams made their debut, competing in mountain biking, track, cyclocross, and road events. At Track Nationals, Jessica Prinner earned gold in the Points Race and Individual Pursuit; and Erica Allar added gold in the Match Sprints, Scratch Race, 500 Meter Time Trial, and Omnium. Allar won three national championships at the Collegiate Road National Championships in Colorado, taking the top spot in the Criterium Division 2, Road Race Division 2, and the Omnium. Men's riders Dylan Cantrell and Andrew Guelzo finished 27th and 32nd, respectively at the Nationals.

MEN’S LACROSSE With a roster of mostly freshmen, posted a 5-10 record overall and 1-3 in conference play. Freshman Jeremy Kohn was named to the All-Conference Team with 33 goals on the year.

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1

randon Hitch B (’09) and Meghann Clark (’09) took in the G-Braves with their boys Ezra (3) and Rhett (1).

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onstance Sharpe C (EdS ’07) and husband Rodney were wearing the G-Braves favorite colors during alumni outing to Coolray Field.

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auren Fritsch L Goza (’05, MBA ’07) and son, Atticus, head for the concession stand.

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-Club Advisory P Board member Rob Geis (’69) and wife, Cathy, wait for the umpire to say 'Play Ball!'

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lumni Association Director Gerald Dunn A (’65), Vice President Lisa Black (’01, EdS ’07), and Treasurer Dock Sisk (’72) get ready to meet the crowds at the eighth annual 'Taste of Clarkesville' held Sept. 30 on the Square.

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lumni and friends gathered May 21 in Atlanta A to chat and swing a few clubs at Topgolf Midtown.

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Upcoming events: www.piedmont.edu/alumni-events

A LU M N I & F R I E N D S

Alumni Association Awards

The 2017 Piedmont College Alumni Association award winners, pictured with Association President Vann Brown (’90), left, and Piedmont President Dr. James F. Mellichamp, right, include Tim Suda (’09), Alumni Service; Daniela Guevara (’09), Pacesetter; Dr. Phillip A. Furman (’68), Distinguished Alumni; and Karen Dodson (’05), Excellence in Education.

The Piedmont College Alumni Association presented awards to four graduates at a special luncheon held at the Demorest campus during spring Alumni Weekend.

DR. PHILLIP A. FURMAN Distinguished Alumni Dr. Furman of St. Augustine, Florida, a member of the Piedmont Class of 1968, was awarded the group’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Dr. Furman graduated from Piedmont in 1968, earned a Master’s Degree from the University of South Florida, and holds a PhD in microbiology

from Tulane University. Furman is a co-inventor of Retrovir (AZT), the first effective treatment for AIDS, developed while at Burroughs Wellcome & Company in Durham, North Carolina. Also while at Burroughs, he was on the team that developed Acyclovir, an antiviral drug to treat herpes simplex infections.

Furman later co-founded Triangle Pharmaceuticals and served as Vice President of biology at Pharmasset, which developed Sovaldi, a drug that revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C.

He has served as an adjunct professor at the Lineburger Cancer Center and the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at UNC Chapel Hill. A former president of the International Society for Antiviral Research, Dr. Furman has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers. In 2016, he received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the University of South Florida Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology & Molecular Biology.

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KAREN DODSON Excellence in Education Excellence in Education Award winner Karen Dodson earned a BA degree in English from Piedmont in 2005 and holds a master’s degree from Western Carolina University. She is currently an assistant professor of English at the University of North Georgia, working toward a PhD from Georgia State University. Dodson teaches a wide range of freshman and sophomore classes, including composition, world literature, American literature, and British literature, as well as an upper division Milton class. She was named the Outstanding Faculty Member at UNG in 2012 and was featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of the top 25 professors in the United States in 2015.

TIM SUDA Alumni Service Alumni Service Award winner Tim Suda earned a BA degree in Mass Communications in 2009. He is currently a Technology Specialist with Banks County Schools. In addition to his work with the Piedmont Alumni Association, Suda is an active volunteer with the American Red Cross, having served on three deployments and working in both “Blue Sky” and “Gray Sky” (disaster) events. He also serves on the board of the Banks County Public Library and the Piedmont Regional Library System.

DANIELA GUEVARA Pacesetter Pacesetter Award winner Daniela Guevara earned a BA degree in Mass Communications at Piedmont in 2009.

She works in the business side of media as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses on marketing and advertising to Hispanic communities. During her career, she has worked for Coca-Cola, Google, AMC Theatres, and Telemundo. After competing against more than 3,000 candidates, Daniela earned a seat on the corporate Sales Associate Program at NBCUniversal in New York City, where she now resides. Daniela also continues to pursue her voice-over career at an international level.

CHANTICLEER (From Page 18 ) Chanticleer’s current director is Thomasville, Georgia, native William Fred Scott, who was the artistic director and principal conductor of the Atlanta Opera from 1985 to 2005 and was associate conductor of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra from 1981 to 1988.

Scott said the acoustics in the Chapel made it ideal for a group like Chanticleer, and he noted the enthusiastic response from the audience. “We’ll come back any time,” he said.

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After the concert, Chanticleer singers Matthew Mazzola and Tim Keeler are pictured with Friends of the Arts members Carole Jackson and Dr. Bill Jackson at a reception at the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art.

Legacy Giving at

Piedmont College Piedmont College has been the recipient of hundreds of planned gifts since its beginning in 1897.

These gifts have helped to provide the solid future of Piedmont. We would like to share two stories with you about recent planned gifts and their impact on Piedmont.

Marion Hunt The late Marion Hunt graduated from Piedmont College in 1955 with a B.A. degree in music. After graduation, he moved to White Plains, New York, to study piano with composer Percy Grainger, before moving to California, where he taught music from 1956-1989. He also taught at the Interlochen Arts Center in Michigan. After a 50year career as a music teacher, Mr. Hunt retired and moved to Athens. He attended campus events and enjoyed his renewed connection with his alma mater. Through his estate, Mr. Hunt established an endowed scholarship to support students who are majoring in music.

The Marion Hunt Endowed Scholarship will support Piedmont music students every year, and generations will benefit from his generosity and passion for the college.

Joan Titus The Lillian E. Smith Center of Piedmont College received a major gift from the estate of Joan Titus. Ms. Titus was a dear friend of Lillian Smith and recorded the author reading from two of her works, Strange Fruit and The Journey, in the 1960s at Smith’s home in Clayton, Georgia. For five years she served as researcher and associate producer of radio broadcasts and television documentaries at Time Life Broadcast, Inc., and then worked for five years as a researcher and reporter for Time magazine. Ms. Titus devoted years researching the life and work of Lillian Smith and amassed an impressive collection of sources, which she donated to the University of Georgia Libraries where the majority of Smith’s papers are housed.

While we mourn the loss of Joan Titus, we are humbled by and grateful for her generosity to Piedmont College. Her gift is supporting capital improvements at the LES Center.

Help Shape the Future!

Please visit www.plannedgiving.piedmont.edu to explore options for legacy and planned gifts.

For more information, contact Amy Amason, Vice President for Advancement, 706 776 0148, aamason@piedmont.edu.

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Class Notes

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1990s

Jenny Connor Crow (’05) and Wesley Crow (’04, MAT ’07) are teaching special education at North Hall High School.

Wesley is an assistant baseball coach for the North Hall State Champions and Jenny is an assistant softball coach.

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Pamela Hattaway Wisecup (’99) of Danielsville, earned an EdD degree in English as a Second Language from Northcentral University of San Diego in July 2017.

2000s

Eli Stancel (’00) of Dacula presented research on early families in Jackson and Gwinnett counties to the Gwinnett Archaeological Research Society in April 2017. He is also part of a GARS group that is uncovering the remnants of Fort Daniel on the Hawkins Line in Gwinnett County, which marked the boundary with the Creek Indian Nation in 1813.

Joe Weinmeister (MAT ’01) has been named Teacher of the Year at Cleveland Road Elementary School in Clarke County.

Stephen Johnson (’02) and his wife, Margaret, of Cleveland announce the birth of a son, Michael Sean Johnson, April 19, 2017.

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Richie Jenkins (MBA ’05) is a commander and 18-year veteran of the U.S. Navy. He is currently stationed in Mayport, Florida, where he serves aboard the USS Iwo Jima, a Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) amphibious assault ship.

Cameron Brooks (’07) a third-grade teacher at Chase Street Elementary in Athens, found an unusual way to keep his students reading during the summer.

Cameron is an avid cyclist, so he thought, “What better way to promote reading and cycling than with a Bibliobike?” With a small cart attached to his bike, Cameron delivers books provided by Books For Keeps at stops around Athens. You can read more at www. bibliobike.org.

Casey (BA ’07, MBA ’09) and Jessica Martin (’11) announce the birth of a son, Cyrus Adler Martin, June 26, 2017. Casey is a former associate director of undergraduate admissions at Piedmont, and Jessica is currently a Director on the Alumni Association Board.

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Katie Hankins Towns (’02) has been named Teacher of the Year at Oglethorpe County Primary School, where she teaches kindergarten.

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Dr. Jeremy Williams (MA ’07, EdS ’08, EdD ’12) has been named superintendent for the Gainesville City School System. Jeremy was one of the first graduates to earn a doctor of education degree from Piedmont.

The Habersham County native worked in Union County as assistant superintendent and later as associate superintendent for the past five years. Prior to that, he served in different capacities with the Pioneer Regional Educational Service Agency, which works with 14 school districts in Northeast Georgia, including Gainesville City Schools.

He is a former classroom teacher in Gwinnett County and has been an adjunct professor at Piedmont College since 2012.

2010s

Beryl Wagner (EdS ’10) has been named assistant principal of Carencro Heights Elementary School in the Lafayette Parish School System in Louisiana. She previously taught for 11 years at Lilburn Middle School in Gwinnett County.

Alice Marshall Esary (MAT ’12) has been named Teacher of the Year at Oglethorpe County Elementary School, where she teaches fourth grade.

Class Notes Jenny Whitmire (’15) of Toccoa is attending the Emory University master’s program in Public Health.

Chad White (’16) and Sarah Burch of Athens were married Sept. 30, 2017. Chad is an administrator at Oconee Heart and Vascular Center, and Sarah is a licensed practical nurse at Athens Neurological Associates.

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Cheryl Kennedy (’12) of Athens is working on a PhD in Leadership, Learning, and Organizational Development at the University of Georgia, where she is a senior program coordinator for the Essentials of Clinical Medicine. She also manages the Simulated Patient Volunteer Program.

Shannon Romano (’12) received her PhD in biochemistry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is now enrolled in post-doc studies at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York. At UAB, Shannon has been working with the latest CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing tools to study how estrogens influence heart development and function. “I really think my graduate career has been full of successes, and I credit a large part of that to what I learned from you guys at Piedmont!” she recently wrote to biology professor Dr. Rob Wainberg.

Haley Cawthon (’13) is the Formations Pastor at Redeeming Church of St. Petersburg, Florida. Haley earned a master’s degree in theology from Mercer University in 2016.

Cedric Payne (MAT ’13, ’EdS ’17) has been named Teacher of the Year for 2017-18 at Winterville Elementary School in Clarke County.

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Elizabeth Farmer Peppers (’13, MAT ’15) and Colton Peppers (’13) of Baldwin announce the birth of a daughter, Addilyn Elizabeth Peppers, Aug. 27, 2017.

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5 Jeremy Douylliez (’14, MBA ’15) and Cory Willis of Staunton, Virginia, were married Sept. 16, 2017, at the State Botanical Gardens in Athens. Jeremy is a digital marketing and public relations manager at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton.

Jay Evans (’14) of Tampa, Florida, has been named the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at Davis & Elkins College.

Patrick Lyons (’14) is in his third year as the head coach of the Edgewater Lightning swim team of the Gwinnett County Swim League. Patrick also works in marketing for e4 Design in Norcross.

Emily DeLorenzo (’15, MBA ’16) and Patrick Reid (’15) were married Oct. 8, 2016, and the Reids are off to Yale University, where Patrick is studying in the School of Divinity and Emily is working in School of Divinity Alumni Relations Department.

Emily previously worked as associate director for student accounts at Piedmont.

Kenny Hearn (’16) is enrolled at the Medical College of Georgia.

Matt Bolt (MA ’17) of Statham has been named Teacher of the Year at the Jackson County Comprehensive High School.

James Keelan Passmore (’17) of Gainesville is attending the Medical College of Georgia this fall, working toward an MD degree. He was named one of six Harrison Scholarship winners at the college.

Amanda Trotter (’17) has joined the Emory University Department of Environmental Health as a research specialist.

Daniel Whitson (’17) of Alto is enrolled at the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine.

Theresa Bettis, a current EdS student, has been named Teacher of the Year for the Madison County School System, where she teaches special education at Colbert Elementary School.

Kelli Cox, a current EdS student and math teacher at North Forsyth High School, received one of only six $1,000 PAGE Professional Scholarships sponsored by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) Foundation.

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Class Notes PEEVY RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE Among the new graduates at Piedmont's summer Commencement ceremony was Larry A. Peevy, President and Head of School at Tallulah Falls School. President Peevy was awarded an honorary Doctor of Education degree for his work at Tallulah Falls during the past 10 years and his longtime career in education. Dr. Peevy previously served as vice-president for Enrollment and Retention Services at Georgia Military College in Milledgeville, Georgia. Prior to that he served at Georgia College and State University for 20 years, and was a member of or chaired most major University System of Georgia committees related to enrollment management and information systems. He also served as an Army Infantry and Transportation officer for 23 years.

EDUCATION ALUMNI EARN STATE AWARDS Four Piedmont alumni are among 10 administrators from across the state to receive recognition from the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL) as Administrators of the Year for 2017–18.

"Of the 10 school leaders selected from approximately 2,300 schools in Georgia, four of them completed degrees at Piedmont College, which is a wonderful affirmation of the high caliber of people who have chosen to study here,” said Dr. Don Gnecco, Dean of the School of Education. “Moreover, it is a testament to the quality of our practical and relevant programs and our knowledgeable and enthusiastic faculty. I couldn’t be more proud!”

TAYLOR, SHERRER, SMITH, WOFFORD RETIRE Faculty and staff held a reception April 26 for four longtime Piedmont community members who retired at the end of the school year. Pictured with President James F. Mellichamp (second from right) are Linda Wofford, Executive Assistant to the Vice President for Academic Affairs (20 years); H. Hilton Smith, Professor of Education and Coordinator of the Foxfire Project (22 years); Barbara Brown Taylor, Butman Professor of Religion (20 years); and Patricia S. Sherrer, Associate Professor of Business and Director of Graduate Programs for the Walker School of Business (15 years).

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• Chris Chitwood (BS ’02, MAT ’04) of Wilbanks Middle School in Demorest was named Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year.

• C.T. Hussion (BA ’97, MAT ’98, EdS ’13) of Union County High School in Blairsville was named High School Assistant Principal of the year. Hussion is now principal at UCHS. • Kaleen Pulley (EdS ’12) of Buford Academy was named Georgia Distinguished Principal.

• Dr. Tommy Welch (EdS ’05) of Meadowcreek high School in Norcross was named Georgia High School Principal of the Year.

In Memory Nelle Hood Higdon (’31) of Hendersonville, North Carolina, died March 7, 2017. She was 105. Born in Sautee, Higdon met her husband, the late Earl Dills Higdon (’33), while they were students at Piedmont. After graduating, she taught English and was principal of the Cornelia Grammar School and taught in Sylva, North Carolina. In 1946, the Higdons established Higdon Knitting Mill in Hendersonville, which they operated together until they retired in 1969. Both Earl and Nelle Higdon were honored as Piedmont College Distinguished Alumni, Earl in 1993 and Nelle in 2008. They are the parents of current Board of Trustees member Jane Higdon Ballard (’70) of Cornelia.

Sarah Gillespie Fenner (’44) of Demorest, Georgia, died July 6, 2017. She was 93. Born in Helen, Fenner was a retired library director with 35 years of service. While at Piedmont, she was a member of Theta Zeta Phi, the Glee Club, editor of The Owl, a cheerleader, and member of the Drama Club and The Torch.

Jacqueline Ann "Jackie" (Haines) Webb (’44) of Laurel Springs, North Carolina, died Jan. 26, 2017. She was 91. Born in Crossville, Alabama, she earned degrees in chemistry and biology from Piedmont, where she was a member of Gamma Chi, the Music Club and the Glee Club. She worked as a chemist in Atlanta before moving to Elon, North Carolina.

Cecil William “C.W.” Davis (’47) of Oakwood, Georgia, died March 11, 2017.

He was 96. After serving in the Army Air Corps, he earned a bachelor's degree from Piedmont College, a Master's degree from Vanderbilt University, and a Specialist degree in school administration from the University of Georgia. A longtime educator in Hall County, he served as principal at Flowery Branch School and at South

Hall High School. From 1977–83 he was superintendent of Hall County Schools, where the C.W. Davis Middle School was named for him in 1999. He received the Piedmont Alumni Association Excellence in Education Award in 2000.

Mrs. Elizabeth Sosebee Wells (’47) of Appling, Georgia, died Feb. 18, 2017. She was 90. Wells grew up in Demorest and met her husband, the late Charles Chesley Wells (’47), while at Piedmont, where she was a member of Gamma Chi and vice president of the Students Association. After graduating, she taught school in Macon for many years.

Helen Cannon Hunter (’51) of Clayton, Georgia, died May 1, 2017. She was 86.

While at Piedmont she was vice president of the sophomore class and president of her junior class. She played basketball for two years and was a member of the P-Club, Yonahian staff, Drama Club, and Torch Club.

She taught English at Rabun County High School from 1951 to 1954.

Dr. Theodore (Ted) Roosevelt Sisk Jr. (’52) of Lexington, Kentucky, died April 18, 2017. He was 89. Born in Toccoa, Sisk served churches in Georgia, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and he served as pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington from 1970 until his retirement in 1995.

James Glenn Barnett Sr. (’55) of Forest Park, Georgia, died May 15, 2017. He was 83.

While at Piedmont, Barnett was president of the Senior Class and a member of the Yonahian and Owl staffs. He was president of the J.S. Green Literary Society, manager of The Lions Den, a cheerleader, and a member of the Square Dance Team.

Eddie Starnes (’55–56) of Birmingham, Alabama, and formerly of Cedartown, Georgia, died July 26, 2017. He was 82. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marines. Starnes served at Benedict and Cedar Lake schools in Cedartown before becoming founding

principal of Westside Elementary School, where he retired in 1992.

The Rev. Charles Crawford Alexander (’56) of Baldwin, Georgia, died Feb. 23, 2017.

He was 88. Born in Barberton, Ohio, after graduating high school in 1946, he served in the U.S. Army in Germany and then graduated from Piedmont and Columbia Seminary. He served Presbyterian churches in Ila, Danielsville, Homer, Maysville, and Mount Holly, North Carolina. Fluent in Portuguese, Rev. Alexander and his wife, the late Ellen Garrison Alexander, were missionaries in Brazil for 30 years from 1963 to 1993.

Billy A. Heaton, Lt. Col. (Ret) (’58) of Augusta, Georgia, died Aug. 7, 2017. Born in Toccoa, Heaton served in the U.S. Army for 27 years and was a veteran of the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was the recipient of 24 military awards and decorations. In the 1980s, Heaton led the effort to locate a professional baseball team in Augusta.

The Augusta Pirates began play in 1988 at Heaton Stadium and the following year won the South Atlantic League Championship.

Edna Mooney Vickers (’60) of Ellijay, Georgia, died Jan. 28, 2017. She was 78.

Born in Gilmer County, she was retired from teaching English at Oakway and West-Oak high schools in Oconee County, South Carolina. At Piedmont, she was treasurer of the Senior Class, a member of the Student Association, and president of Theta Zeta Phi. Judith Hassell Reynolds (’64) of Jefferson, Georgia, died Aug. 7, 2017. She was 74. Born in Rhode Island, Reynolds was retired after teaching elementary school for 27 years. She was a member of the Jefferson First United Methodist Church, where she taught in the preschool program, and she was a member of the Jefferson Pilot Club.

Allen Tribble Caldwell (’67) of Greenville, South Carolina, died July 31, 2017. He was 72. Caldwell grew up in Royston; and after

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graduating from Piedmont, he graduated from pharmacy school at the University of Georgia. He worked for the Greenville Hospital System for 40 years. He was a longtime member of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church.

Grover Thomas "Tom" Pound (’77) of LaGrange, Georgia, died July 6, 2017. He was 71. A LaGrange native, he served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam era. He was an active member of the LaGrange Kiwanis Club and was involved in city government in LaGrange for many years.

Gregory Larry Franklin (’79) of Toccoa, Georgia, died May 3, 2017. He was 64. A lifelong resident of Stephens County, he was retired from the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services and was a member of Toccoa Creek Baptist Church.

Max G. Jordan (’98, MPA ’01) of Hartwell, Georgia, died May 5, 2017. He was 73. Jordan was a U.S. Air Force veteran, serving during the Vietnam War. He was retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where was an Environmental Compliance Officer.

Marie Ann McAllister Allen (MA ’00) of Dalton, Georgia, died Feb. 26, 2017. She was 53. Allen retired from teaching in the Dalton Public Schools after 28 years of service. She continued to teach Bible School and Sunday School classes at Carolyn Baptist and Grove Level Baptist churches.

Phillip B. Palmer (MBA ’03) of Santee, South Carolina, formerly of Clarkesville, Georgia, died April 22, 2017. He was 58. Born in Burlington, Vermont, he served five years in the U.S. Navy. He worked for 24 years at Habersham County Medical Center and for the past seven years at the Regional Care Hospital in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

Katie Elizabeth Bennett (MBA ’05) of Decatur, Georgia, died June 13, 2017. She was 56. Bennett grew up in Ft. Gaines and

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earned a BA in Art Education from the University of Georgia before earning an MBA degree at Piedmont. An artist much of her life, Bennett was the author of The Tale of the Naked Hitchhiker, a collection of non-fiction stories about growing up in Clay County, Georgia.

Thomas William "Billy" Taylor Sr. (’07, MBA ’09) of Cleveland, Georgia, died Aug. 19, 2017. He was 60. Born in Demorest, he was a U.S. Army veteran and deployed to Desert Storm. He taught heating and air conditioning at North Georgia Technical College and previously owned and operated Taylor Heating and Air.

Dr. Albert W. (Al) Parsons, 93, of Cornelia, Georgia, died May 19, 2017. Born in McAdoo, Pennsylvania, Parsons served in the U.S. Army during World War II and retired after teaching for 29 years at Centenary College in New Jersey. He was an adjunct professor of education at Piedmont and at the University of North Georgia.

John Roderick Wilson, 87, of Decatur, Georgia, died April 24, 2017. Wilson was a former Trustee of Piedmont College.

From 1952-1957, he served in the U.S. Air Force as an F-86 and F-100 fighter pilot.

Following his service, he worked 27 years in the radio broadcast industry in sales and management.

FRIENDS Dr. Charles Buford Arnold, Ph.D., 81, of Bear Creek, Alabama, died April 8, 2017. Dr. Arnold was a former professor of education at Piedmont. He earned BS and MS degrees from the University of North Alabama and a PhD from Georgia State University. He was a teacher in the Jonesboro and Bremen school systems, worked for the University of Georgia Extension Center, and was an assistant superintendent for the Cedartown School System and superintendent of the Bremen and Cartersville school systems.

Laura Rogers Fortson, 101, of Athens, Georgia, died April 26, 2017. Fortson was born in Demorest, where her father, Dr. Jonathan Clark Rogers served as Dean of Students at Piedmont College. An educator for 18 years, she taught kindergarten and elementary grades, and she co-wrote the seminal book in the field, Early Childhood Curriculum: Open Structures for Integrative Learning. A resident of Athens since 1948, she was a longtime supporter of Piedmont College.

Thomas T. “Tommy” Irvin, 88, of Mt. Airy, Georgia, died Sept. 15, 2017. Irvin was a member of the Piedmont Board of Trustees from 2001–13. Born in Lula, he served on the Habersham County Board of Education and as a state legislator before becoming Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Georgia, a post he held for 42 years. He was a Deacon Emeritus at Antioch Baptist Church.

Save the Date!

Return to Piedmont for special alumni events such as the 40th & 50th Class Reunion and a Chamber Singers Alumni Reunion. Visit us online for more information and event updates at www.piedmont.edu/alumni-weekend.

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piedmont.edu/alumni-events