G R O W I N G S T R AT E G I C A L LY
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ENSURING STUDENT SUCCESS
PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE
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VA L U I N G P E O P L E
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WE PROMISE SUMMER 2018
“Alone, I can make a promise during my life, but together we can make The Promise of PC that will last for generations. I hope you’ll join us in this promise to all those who cross Neville’s threshold.” - President Bob Staton ’68
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Dear Alumni and Friends, It is an exciting time to be a Blue Hose. The Class of 2018 graduated a little more than a month ago on the West Plaza. I am proud and confident that we have prepared our students for “lives of personal and vocational fulfillment and responsible contribution to our democratic society and the world community,” just like our mission states. These recent graduates join the ranks of alumni with Bob Warren ’67, who has lived a life of service to others as an attorney. They also join the ranks of alumni with Brittany Kirkland ‘13, who is leading a successful career in New York City. You can read Mr. Warren’s and Ms. Kirkland’s inspiring stories in this issue of the magazine. You also will find stories centered on service; student, faculty and staff achievements; as well as highlights from our most recent Honors Day. Since our last magazine was printed, we have made strides in developing and rolling out a new strategic plan entitled “The Promise of PC.” The Promise of PC is our commitment to continue producing graduates like Bob Warren, like Brittany Kirkland, and like you. The strategic plan was a labor of love: More than 500 members of the PC family came together to craft it. It is the result of 18 months of work by students, faculty, staff and alumni. We held feedback sessions, assembled theme teams and reached out to individuals and groups to devise a plan to keep PC relevant and thriving today and tomorrow. The plan is rooted in our mission and grounded in our commitment to students. In all that we do, I am committed to ensuring we deliver on our promise to our students as we have done since 1880. These are challenging times in the world of higher education and for liberal arts colleges in particular. I believe The Promise of PC positions the College for success academically, athletically and financially for generations to come. I am happy with everyone’s work crafting the plan and grateful for the Board of Trustees’ unanimous support. This issue of the Presbyterian College Magazine serves to outline The Promise of PC, with stories demonstrating our move from planning to action. As we move forward together, ensuring the success of the strategic plan rests in our hands. I am convinced that, if each of us embraces and contributes to the tremendous potential of what we have to offer in the years to come, The Promise of PC will continue to set us apart as we provide a distinctive experience for all our students.
Bob Staton ’68 President, Presbyterian College
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PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE | magazine
COVER Ellis is the daughter of David ‘08 and Catherine ‘07 Dunagan and the granddaughter of Cissy ‘69 and Jim ‘66 Bankhead. When she grows up, Ellis wants to be a college tennis player like her mother, as well as a teacher. In her own words, Ellis says, “I’ll teach 5th grade or whatever grade they want me to teach.” Ellis aspires to be a third-generation Blue Hose.
PRESIDENT Bob Staton ’68 VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING Suzanne Petrusch A L U M N I R E L AT I O N S Leni Patterson ’83 Margaret Brown
“The Promise started to take shape on the day we celebrated in front of Neville...”
M A G A Z I N E S TA F F Kendall Givens-Little Jonathan Hooks Stacy Dyer ’96 Christina Cleveland Will Gribble ’13 GUEST WRITERS Hal Milam Tricia Barger C O N TA C T ALUMNI MAGAZINE CLASSNOTES SUPPORT PC
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Promise of PC 2-32
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Blue Hose Sports 33
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Grow
Alumni 39
Value 27
Succeed 17
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Classnotes 40
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Memorials 54
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“The Promise is about being student-centric in all that we do and plan to do...�
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The compelling purpose of Presbyterian College, as a framework of Christian faith the mental, physical, moral, for a lifetime of personal and vocational to our democratic society
church-related college, is to develop within the and spiritual capacities of each student in preparation fulfillment and responsible contribution and the world community.
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STRATEGIC GROWTH
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“Promise” is a powerful word. In its noun form, it means a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. As a verb, it means to commit oneself by a promise to do or give. The word “promise” can tie people together for a common purpose while conveying commitment, dedication and intent. It binds the one making the promise to delivering on the terms.
For nearly 140 years, Presbyterian College has been a place of promise, shaping and guiding students to become leaders and contributors to their communities and workplaces. Dedicated to service and devoted to excellence, PC continues to equip students with the skills to achieve great things, both on and off campus. Promise stretches back to our beginnings when founder William Plumer Jacobs stressed the importance of providing an education that prepares students for “lives of usefulness and honor.” Continuing on our promise, PC will introduce two new academic programs this fall which are born from The Promise of PC, an ambitious new strategic plan. The Promise of PC offers exceptional opportunities for PC students, faculty, staff and alumni that deliver on our motto, Dum Vivimus Servimus, “While We Live, We Serve.” We promise to remain committed to developing the mental, physical, moral and spiritual capacities of each student in preparation for a lifetime of personal and vocational fulfillment and responsible contribution to our democratic society and the world community. Our new strategic plan involves conveying both practical knowledge and the ability to think, to reason and to communicate. It prepares students for different careers while also understanding the importance of service to others. Growing strategically is the first pillar of the plan. This pillar expands the College through educational and co-curricular opportunities that will develop graduates with the skills to drive innovation and change. Fulfilling this promise will help PC reach our goal of increasing enrollment to 1,600 students — including 1,200 undergraduates — by the year 2022. “Our vision for The Promise of PC is to prepare students to achieve their best potential in a rapidly changing world,” says Presbyterian College President Bob Staton. “The Promise of PC envisions how the College will thrive by preparing both undergraduate and graduate students to contribute meaningfully to the communities in which they work and live.”
New Academic Offerings New undergraduate programs in computational biology and data analytics are built on the interdisciplinary nature of a liberal arts education. Students in the computational biology program will draw on elements of biology, math, computer science and medical physics. They will analyze biological data and recognize patterns that allow them to
develop models for unlocking complex codes programmed within human biology. In the global economy, computers have become essential components of modern biological research. Scientists are being asked not only to adopt new skills in computational biology but also to master new terminology. A recent survey found that nearly 90 percent of biological scientists are currently or will soon be analyzing large data sets. Computational biology is a huge step in building a deeper understanding of life by enhancing the student’s ability to answer the unmet needs of training in data integration, data management and scaling analyses for high-performance computing. Computational biology is growing and maturing into a discipline at the core of biological research. Data analytics also uses mathematics, statistics and software to detect trends found in data and provide context for the information culled. Through this new academic offering, students will learn to collect, analyze, interpret and communicate data, making it useful for solving real-world problems. Students will learn how to make sense of big data before acting on it. They will extract insights that will allow them to leverage big data by developing and enhancing strategies on how industries can gain competitive advantages. “Both of these programs take from the best parts of a PC education — capacities to analyze, reason, communicate and develop skills — and apply them in settings we could barely envision at the start of the 21st century,” says President Staton.
Addressing Societal Needs
In addition to new undergraduate offerings, PC is expanding its postgraduate educational offerings. Beginning in 2019, the College is positioning itself to open two new graduate programs in physician assistant studies and occupational therapy. Physician assistant studies and occupational therapy answer the demand for PAs and OTs across the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected demand for PAs is to grow by 37 percent in the next ten years, and the need for OTs will continue to rise with job growth, which is expected to increase by 27 percent through 2024.
Personal and Professional Fulfillment
Adding new academic programs is just one part of PC’s strategic growth. Preparing students for personal
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and professional fulfillment involves expanding co-curricular activities that nurture students’ interests and speak to their diverse experiences while emphasizing service to others. PC is expanding the Model United Nations program to emphasize students’ capacities to enact change by offering opportunities for a first-hand look at the issues facing the world today. Through Model UN, students gain a keen understanding of the importance of listening and appreciating alternative perspectives. The newly relaunched China Scholars program combines Chinese language and cultural study, culminating in a four-week intensive residential program at our partner school, Guizhou University, located in the capital city of Guizhou Province, China. Scholarships support the travel component of the program. The Promise of PC recommits resources to the health and growth of our athletic programs, ensuring that future students benefit from PC’s strong athletic tradition. In 2021, the football team will complete its transition to the Pioneer League, a long-established national conference with its sole focus on football. The move to a non-scholarship league within Division I represents a long-term strategy to strengthen PC’s athletic programs overall financially, while still attracting the exceptional talent that can be found in Division I football.
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The addition of intercollegiate programs in acrobatics and tumbling, as well as men’s and women’s wrestling, will further strengthen the athletic programs at PC. New club sports in archery, bass fishing, bowling and tennis support students’ physical and mental well-being and work to create a campus environment that invites students who have a variety of interests and talents. Growing strategically is the foundation of The Promise of PC, a promise to fulfill the potential of our students and the potential of the College. With this intentional approach to growth, PC can move into the future with a clear and impactful plan to use the concepts of a liberal arts education as the groundwork on which students and alumni solve tomorrow’s problems.
DIVERSITY MEANS Creating an Environment that Celebrates Cultural Differences
The Presbyterian College Leadership Team is committed to building, as part of the College’s permanent governing structure, an office that addresses issues that pertain to diversity and inclusion. In doing so, the College’s Leadership Team has identified diversity and inclusion as a strategic priority of the College, understanding that having a more diverse environment for students, faculty and staff promotes equality as a means of driving continued growth. In June of 2017, President Staton announced that Dr. Booker T. Ingram Jr., Charles A. Dana Professor of Political Science, had been named the inaugural director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Dr. Ingram began his official duties on July 1, 2017. President Staton expressed, “Dr. Ingram is a tremendous asset to the Presbyterian College community, and I am delighted that he has accepted this new and important role on campus. It is essential that we work to increase inclusiveness across all aspects of the Presbyterian College community, and I am excited that he will be leading our initiatives to do so.” In his new role, Dr. Ingram works with President Staton to advance existing programs and initiatives related to diversity on campus. “I am grateful that the College has extended this opportunity to me, for I think it is an important position to fill in this moment when our country is undergoing major demographic changes,” Dr. Ingram said. He also asserts that, in his capacity as the director of diversity and inclusion, it is essential to make the case in support of values that underpin and guide the College’s efforts. Dr. Ingram believes that the work of the new office is vital to our efforts in recruiting and retaining students of diverse backgrounds. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion ensures that students of diverse backgrounds are welcome at PC and that their experiences inside and outside the classroom are positive.
Researchers have noted that the changes in national demographics are projected to continue, with increases in minority populations for some years to come. A report from Insidehighered.com maintains, “It is imperative upon our institutions of higher education to increase the college-going rates of all students but in particular the students who are low-income, first-generation and students of color.” This demographic shift challenges colleges and universities to recruit effectively, retain and graduate diverse student bodies that will include minority and international students. Dr. Ingram stated, “In adopting diversity and inclusion as a strategic priority, I feel that the Leadership Team was guided in its decision-making by a number of practical concerns, shaped in part by the evolving demographic data as well as the belief that diversity has both moral (as stated in the College’s Diversity Aspiration Statement) and economic value.” He further states that “the College has acted in a prudent and responsible moral and fiduciary manner in making diversity and inclusion a strategic goal of The Promise of PC. The College is beginning to reposition itself in addressing the challenges of growing a more extensive and more diverse student body.” Dr. Ingram believes that a focus on diversity and building a more inclusive place is not merely that PC has to have people who look different. Such a focus requires creating a culture where individuals with varying cultural experiences associated with their race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexual orientation, religion and disability feel valued for their contributions which allows them to achieve their highest potential. “I feel very confident that the College can meet this new challenge, and I am very excited to take on this responsibility in helping it do so,” Dr. Ingram said.
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ROOM When Presbyterian College opened Recitation Hall in 1886, the $7,000 investment marked the first significant upgrade the fledgling institution had ever made to its facilities. The three-and-a-half story building housed a residence for President Robert P. Smith, a chapel, a literary society hall, five classrooms, a laboratory, an office and a small gymnasium. With its granite pillars and triple-arched portico, it was at once a classic piece of architecture fit for an academic community of scholars and students and a humble beginning to an otherwise ambitious dream. Today, as PC boldly executes a new strategic plan — the Promise of PC — facilities are once again at the forefront of change to meet the current and future needs of its students. Already, the College has made substantial improvements
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TO GROW to its academic facilities. The most obvious is the $11 million renovation of Neville Hall and the addition of the Cornelson Center. However, over the last two years, according to Provost Don Raber, PC has completed several other projects, including cosmetic enhancements in Jacobs Hall for the economics and business administration department, upgrades to Douglas House for art and music, and renovations to Richardson Hall to accommodate the proposed physician assistant program. “The modifications in all these spaces improve working and learning environments for faculty and students and, to me, they are critical for attracting and retaining both students and faculty,” he said. There are additional plans, Raber said, to expand the
College’s capacity in other health professions, including occupational therapy. “We will be looking to fit these programs into existing spaces in creative ways, and PC is working with architects and construction firms, as well as faculty and staff, to develop options,” he said. Raber acknowledged that facility improvements are an essential facet of the College’s strategic plan. “When you can point to new offices and gathering spaces, as well as classrooms and conference areas that are equipped with state-of-the-art technology, my hope is that new and potential faculty members will find PC to be a hospitable place to build an academic career,” he said. “But, of course, I want to emphasize that the quality of students and colleagues
and a commitment to academic excellence are absolutely essential as well.” Work and study space, however, are not the only priorities addressed by The Promise of PC. At the forefront of the College’s strategic planning is the creation of more vibrant living and communal spaces. Dr. Joy Smith, vice president for campus life and dean of students, said it is critical for a four-year residential college to offer students a fulfilling living experience. “Their residential experience enhances their academic involvement. It is immersive,” she said. “They live here, they eat here, they study here. It is part of what we sell; it is part of who we are. Our students form their closest relationships within these living communities.”
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Photo courtesy of Gabe Ford ’08
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In response to student input gathered over the last several years, one of the immediate priorities addressed by the strategic plan is student housing. Beginning this summer, the College is undergoing site preparation in anticipation of the construction of a new residential facility on Johnson Field behind Springs Campus Center. Approximately 36 units will house 144 seniors with each unit containing four single rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and common space. Smith explained that while students are okay with sharing space, they want to live more independently as they mature; hence, the new residences will be for seniors only. “When they first come here, they seem to want that freshman experience of living together in larger groups,” she said. “But as they begin to transition to life after college, this living arrangement offers a little more autonomy while still keeping them connected to the core of our campus.” In addition to the new construction, PC also plans to make substantial renovations to Springs and Laurens Hall. To accommodate the changes, most student life offices will be moved to Laurens. Plans for Laurens also include space for student organizations to meet or socialize. In Springs, the first-floor renovations will provide students additional open space and accommodations for large social events. The second-floor renovations will transform existing office space into a cardio fitness area, while the third-floor space will include a weight room and fitness studio. One of the driving forces behind the College’s plans to update facilities is the need to remain competitive with other higher education institutions. Attracting and graduating students is the heart of any college enterprise — and offering prospective students a thriving living and learning community is important, if not critical. “I believe enhancing facilities is vital, especially if we can make upgrades in housing that mirror what we have done on the academic side in recent years,” Raber said. “In a competitive marketplace for both students and faculty, having spaces for living and learning that are attractive and conducive to pursuing higher education makes a big difference for both groups, and I believe we will need to continue to improve our residence halls, as well as our classrooms and other gathering spaces, to deliver on PC’s promise that we envision in the plan.” A major facilities upgrade undoubtedly will make the work of Suzanne Petrusch, vice president for enrollment and marketing, and her team at least a little easier. “Although I have said that a college campus isn’t a collection of buildings — it is the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who form a community — I recognize that how the physical aspects of our campus show to prospective students and parents is a factor that influences
their perception of the institution,” she said. “PC must manage to compete not only with other schools but also with the expectations and experiences of future students,” Petrusch noted. “Many high schools — private and public — have invested in science facilities, performing arts centers, athletic facilities and technology,” she said. “Students have a baseline expectation of the building and environmental features a college or university should be offering that aid not just in taking the learning experience to the next level, but in how the learning and living facilities flow seamlessly as the students consider making any campus their home away from home for four years.” Like it or not, colleges and universities are forced to keep up with those expectations and with one another. “As we have moved from a service economy to an experience economy, it is vital that PC continue to invest in facilities, particularly student housing,” Petrusch said. “We must consider ways to create community while taking into consideration the amenities and aesthetics that students see when touring colleges and universities. Each year, the fight to attract talented students to our institution becomes more intense. We operate in an extraordinarily competitive arena, and we must provide facilities that will allow PC to hold a competitive place in the minds of our prospective students and families.” The College operates in this competitive arena all while trying to offer a PC education at an affordable price. “We understand the need to upgrade our array of offerings, but to do so without joining the schools that have added lazy rivers, tanning rooms, and similar amenities,” said Petrusch. “We are sensitive to the total price of a PC education and want to remain accessible to those who are motivated to be Blue Hose.” While the task of upgrading the College’s facilities is daunting, doing nothing at all is not a viable option. “By adding new housing facilities as a component of The Promise of PC, we begin to level the field,” Petrusch said. “This is an important investment in the experience we need to provide to our future students. I am delighted that the plan addresses enhanced academic and living opportunities.”
Photo courtesy of Gabe Ford ’08
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SUCCESS
OUR MISSION We’re Focused on Student Success from Orientation to Post-Graduation Ask PC students, and they will tell you professors’ office doors are nearly always open. PC professors are willing to do all they can to make sure their students succeed. In the same vein, The Promise of PC seeks to do the same. The strategic plan outlines initiatives to ensure that students find the help they need while they are on campus. The Promise of PC includes a plan to increase diversity initiatives and to help first-generation students successfully navigate the transition to college, flourish while enrolled, and graduate. Expanded academic support services provide students with the help they need inside the classroom. Internships and relevant work experience provide students with learning opportunities outside the classroom. Our “Compass” program helps students prepare for careers. For an example of how The Promise of PC seeks to ensure that all PC students succeed, look no further than Clay Wright, a rising senior from Clinton, S.C. “When I was four,” Wright said, “I would pull apart my family’s go-kart motor and put it back together, and I did this over and over again. I even took apart my Game Boy one time, just to see what made it work.” Wright did the same with Legos. “I always thought I wanted to be an engineer because of Legos. I loved taking things apart and putting them back together,” Wright said. A student who has been assembling and disassembling Legos, go-karts, and Nintendo Game Boys since he was four years old could have gone to college anywhere. Wright decided to stay in Clinton and enroll at PC. And why not? He knew he would find professors dedicated to his success. “I knew that PC’s professors were friendly and engaging from my experiences with the Science Olympiad program (at Clinton High School),” Wright said. “One thing I had heard from everyone I talked to about PC was that PC has a tight-knit community, so I knew I would meet many supportive people who could challenge and expand my views.” When he came to PC, Wright thought he wanted
to become an engineer. He took a class called Engineering Physics his sophomore year but found out that engineering was not for him. “I realized I did not want to know how to build a bridge,” Wright said. “I wanted to learn about more fundamental and abstract concepts like electricity or quantum mechanics.” The desire to know why things work led Wright to major in physics. Moreover, finding his field has led Wright to his next adventure: research. Wright, along with physics professor Dr. Eli Owens, has been working on a project for NASA. Wright has received the NASA South Carolina Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Research Award since working on the project. Wright’s research focuses on granular materials, the topic of Dr. Owens’ doctoral research. Most of us, especially those who have never taken apart go-kart motors or gaming systems, wouldn’t know where to start examining how confined granular flow behaves. Wright even admits the research does not sound exciting at first glance. However, it is real research that NASA will use. Wright is grateful — and somewhat surprised — he has been able to conduct such research right here at home. “I was completely unaware that these opportunities existed in Clinton until I came to PC,” he said, “but I have enjoyed working on serious research projects in a town with which I am familiar.” Wright hopes to conduct research with the National Science Foundation this summer. He still hasn’t ruled out becoming an engineer, but he is not quite sure yet what he wants to do after PC. He has narrowed it down, though. “I am considering Ph.D. programs in either physics or statistics,” Wright said. “I would enjoy a career where I can utilize mathematics and computer programming while also conducting research.” Due to professors like Dr. Owens and a plan like The Promise of PC, Wright and all PC students will find what they need to succeed.
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NEW YORK INSIGHT One Alumna’s Journey to New York City
From her office window, Brittany Kirkland ’13 can look down on busy New Yorkers hustling up and down Wall Street. That is on Fridays when she works from home in downtown New York City. The rest of the week Kirkland sips almond milk lattes in her office near Union Square Park, where you can find IBM’s corporate marketing headquarters. Kirkland graduated from PC in 2013. Today, she is an analytics strategy consultant at IBM. She analyzes data to help IBM’s marketing teams determine how well their efforts are working. How did she get there? If you ask Kirkland, she would tell you her liberal arts education — including just the right mix of natural sciences and humanities — led her to the Big Apple. Kirkland was a biology major her first three years at PC. She wanted to become an orthopedic surgeon. “I was so interested in science because I love the experimentation part of things,” Kirkland said. “I love being able to have a hypothesis, ask a question, run an experiment and see if I was right or wrong. You know, see what I might have learned in that process.” However, Kirkland had a change of heart after three years: She became interested in public relations and marketing and changed her major to English. That was the summer before her senior year. She loaded up on English courses and complemented those with two internships in PR and marketing. “I loved it from the start,” she said. “I have always enjoyed using my English major and love of language and words to communicate in a way that’s easy to understand and exciting for people.” Kirkland started working at Erwin-Penland (now EP+Co), the largest advertising agency in Greenville, S.C., less than a week after she graduated. She was assigned to the Verizon account from the start. Six months later, she was promoted to lead all of Verizon’s social media efforts for the Southeast. Kirkland wrote and managed all of the content, from Facebook and Twitter posts to the emerging photo platform now known as Instagram. Six months later, Kirkland received the biggest compliment you can get at an agency: The client hired her. Verizon chose Kirkland to manage the social media marketing for their cable and Internet brand called FiOS. Kirkland moved to New York City when she went to work at Verizon. It was not long after that she received yet another promotion.
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“My boss decided to pull me over to lead sponsorship for wireless,” Kirkland said. “The skills I learned on the regional level at Erwin-Penland equipped me to be successful on the national level for the entire brand.” Kirkland worked with sports and entertainment brands that are partners with Verizon. She was in charge of running social media campaigns to highlight the partnerships with music festivals around the country, the NBA, NFL, Showtime, Fox, NBC and other brand partners. Kirkland went to red carpet events and premieres, even occasionally meeting superstars like Kyrie Irving. And two years later, she left. Kirkland had led Verizon’s social media marketing and strategy and decided it was time to make her next move. She has her eyes set on leading all of marketing for a Fortune 500 company one day. To do that, she realized she needed to develop her marketing skill set outside of social media. “I wanted to expand beyond the realm of social and get more experience in digital marketing,” she said. IBM has given Kirkland that opportunity, and she’s run with it. She started off as the technology giant’s global digital marketing manager before settling into her current role. She does not create or manage social media posts, web pages, emails or any one part of IBM’s marketing campaign landscape. Instead, she determines if these campaign elements do what the IBM marketing team wants them to do, which is to drive revenue for the company. If that sounds like number-crunching, it is. And Kirkland is perfectly fine with that. “I have never been a numbers person, but I think about how that love of science ties back to what I am doing today,” Kirkland said. She may have changed her major from biology to English, but she has used every bit of her liberal arts education in her young career. Ever since she became involved in PR and marketing her senior year, Kirkland has noticed more and more how the marketing process is similar to the experimentation process she loves about science. “You have a campaign. You are targeting an audience you think is interested in your product. However, you might be wrong,” she said. “It is a lot of problem-solving. It is a lot of experimentation. Some of my biology mindset is still with me, and that is cool to see that used in my day today.”
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FIND YOUR PATH The Compass Initiative is Designed to Guide Students to Success
Did you know what you wanted to be when you came to PC? Or did you need time to explore the options? Some PC students arrive on campus knowing exactly what they want to do in life the second they leave 503 South Broad Street. Others are not entirely sure. Compass is a new quality enhancement plan (QEP) that helps students zero in on what they want to major in and what they want to do after college. It is one of the initiatives of The Promise of PC to ensure student success. Students begin the program by taking a course their freshman year taught by an expert in the field of study in which the student is interested. Students interested in law, for example, take a first-year exploration course taught by a faculty member who’s an expert in law. Students can choose from a number of fields. The beauty of the Compass course is that students can start thinking about the all-important questions “Who am I?” and “Where do I want to be in four years?” during their first week in college. Students take the second-year exploration course in the spring of their sophomore year. During the course, students
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focus on “Where am I going?” It is a crucial question for anyone, especially a 19- or 20-year-old. The Compass course helps students narrow down where they are going by connecting what they learned about themselves in the first-year course with potential career paths. Students make choices about their majors and explore fields related to their majors. The Capstone project is the final component of Compass. It is the student’s signature work, a semester-long project completed during the senior year. A faculty member guides the student during the project that can be research into a relevant problem in today’s world or an artistic performance, exhibit, original literary work or musical score. Today’s PC students are just like the students who were here when you were a student: They embark on their personal journeys with their own interests and abilities. Compass helps students chart their courses by better coordinating existing programming, educating faculty and staff as mentors and focusing campus discussion on vocation and calling.
EAGER TO SERVE Students Prepare 20,000 Meals for the Hungry Ruth Boggs ’18 was one of nearly 200 students, faculty and staff from the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Pharmacy to pack 20,000 meals for the hungry. The joint effort between PC and the First Presbyterian Church of Clinton, S.C., took place during Martin Luther King Week in January. Fifty members from First Presbyterian Church also volunteered their time and helped pay for the food. “One small act can make a giant impact on others you may not know,” Boggs said. “Doing something like packing 20,000 meals can help inspire others to do one good deed for others they do not know.” Boggs volunteered at the event last year, too. “The event is always one that brings the community of PC together with the community of Clinton,” she said. “I enjoy taking part in the event because, even though I may be only taking two hours out of my day, I am helping bring food to those in need.”
Boggs lives the PC motto, “While We Live, We Serve,” every chance she gets. She has also volunteered with Special Olympics and with the Laurens County Humane Society. Next year Boggs is moving to Chicago to participate in a program called DOOR. Standing for Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection, DOOR is a partnership between the Presbytery of Chicago and the Presbyterian Church (USA). Boggs will spend a year working at a social service agency while focusing on her spiritual development. Then, Boggs, who earned a degree in psychology, has set her sights on earning a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She says that PC has prepared her for success. “PC has given me the opportunity to serve in leadership positions and has pushed me to be a better student and a better person,” she said.
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HONORED TO SERVE ROTC Ceremony Salutes Military Service
This past spring the Presbyterian College ROTC Program concluded its 99th year with the ROTC Commissioning and Hall of Fame Ceremony, which took place in Edmunds Hall. “(ROTC) is an important part of life at PC and an important part of developing future leaders for our armed services,” PC President Bob Staton said during the ceremony. President Staton said the event is special to him because he was an ROTC cadet at PC and was commissioned a second lieutenant. Even more important, President Staton said that two of his PC classmates, retired Brigadier General H. G. Kirven, Jr. ’69 and retired Lieutenant Colonel George Randall Grant ’68, had “long and distinguished careers in and out of the military” and were at the event. “These two speak to the quality of the Highlander Battalion and its impact on our country and world,” President Staton said.
Cadets Commissioned and Honored After an inspiring speech from Kirven, PC cadets Brandon Morrow and LeeAnn Salim were commissioned as second lieutenants in the US Army. Morrow will serve in the Infantry, while Salim has been assigned to Military Intelligence. During the ceremony, Morrow was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate. This designation is bestowed upon graduates who rank among the top 10 percent in the nation. A physics and history double major, Morrow completed the Airborne Course, Air Assault Course and Jungle Survival Specialist Course while in
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ROTC. He was selected as a Military Intelligence Officer and will branch detail as an Infantry Officer on active duty. Salim received the Highlander Claymore Athletics award, which recognizes the top-scoring cadet on the Army Physical Fitness Test. Salim scored 334 on the test, exceeding all three event maximums. Salim played on the women’s lacrosse team all four years at PC.
Hall of Fame Inductee Grant was honored as the 2018 ROTC Hall of Fame inductee. Grant graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1968. “This institution has been responsible for every success I have had,” Grant said during his acceptance speech. “My life and careers were not planned. Every blessing led to the next, and PC ROTC was among the first and most important.” Grant went on to thank several women in his life who influenced and supported him, including his wife, his mother, a former teacher, and Leni Patterson ’83, executive director of alumni relations. Grant’s military duties began at PC, as leader of the ROTC’s Drum and Bugle Corps, as S3, and as SROTC Battalion Commander. In fact, the PC motto, “While We Live, We Serve,” and the Adjutant General’s Corps motto, “Defend and Serve,” formed LTC Grant’s view toward his many service achievements. LTC Grant has contributed to both the Presbyterian College Alumni Board and its ROTC Executive Board.
CALL OF THE WILD Pharmacy Graduate’s Journey to Alaska
“I have been localized to the southern region of the U.S. my entire life, and I wanted to have the chance to experience new cultures and environments,” said 2018 PC School of Pharmacy graduate Darien Campbell. “I feel like going somewhere new can help shape me as a person.” Campbell grew up in Walterboro, S.C., and earned his undergraduate degree at a college 69 miles away from home. From there, he went on to the PC School of Pharmacy, 150 miles away from his hometown. Now, Campbell plans to serve his pharmacy residency 4035 miles away from home in Nome, Alaska. Campbell will work at Norton Sound Regional Hospital in Nome, a city so remote it can be accessed only by plane. The hospital primarily serves native Alaskans in 15 surrounding villages. Campbell came across the opportunity when looking for residency programs. He knew he wanted to carry out the School of Pharmacy’s mission to help underserved populations and learned about the US Public Health Service (USPHS). The USPHS is a government agency that assists underserved populations in rural areas across the country, including Alaska.
“The mission of the pharmacy school aligned with my personal beliefs and values for giving back to the community,” Campbell said. “My experiences in the community throughout the pharmacy program allowed me to remain humble and compassionate.” While at the pharmacy school, Campbell volunteered at the Fairgrounds Senior Village, a retirement home in Laurens, S.C. He often fellowshipped with residents after finishing classes. Campbell also volunteered on a medical mission trip in Haiti and participated in numerous health screening events in the Laurens community. Campbell is nervous about living so far away from home but looks forward to the opportunity to help those in need. He may have to travel to other areas across the country through the USPHS to provide healthcare needs, but wants to stay in Alaska if he can. “Long-term, I would like to remain an officer in the U.S. Public Health Services Commission Corps to continuously provide care to underserved populations,” he said.
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MOROCCO TRIP Expedition Takes Students from Casablanca to Marrakech Last December, 22 PC students were able to take a trip of a lifetime. Erin Register, a rising senior, has always loved traveling the world and experiencing new cultures. “I can honestly say visiting a country in Northern Africa had never crossed my mind. When two of my professors, Dr. Lance and Dr. Campbell, proposed the possibility of Morocco, everyone in the room lit up,” Register said. From that point on, their “Morocco experience” would only get better. While in Morocco, the group traveled to and stayed in several different places around the country. Their journey began in Casablanca and continued to the capital city, Rabat. From there, it was on to Meknes, Fes, and the Atlas Mountains before finishing the trip in Marrakech. From the sunny coast to the mountains capped with snow, students enjoyed exploring various aspects of the country in just a week. Register stated, “One of the first things that immediately stood out to me about Morocco was the intricacy of the architecture.” Since Mohammad cannot be depicted, the people of the Islamic tradition focus on different designs and patterns on every structure. Register described the designs and patterns as “absolutely stunning.” Throughout the week, the group participated in many new and exciting activities,
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including riding on camels in the Atlas Mountains and walking through each city’s “old town,” called a medina. “The most interesting place we visited was the Roman Ruins of Volubilis on our journey to Meknes. I love history, so listening to the guide give detailed explanations about how these people used to live was awesome,” Register explained. “One of the highlights of the trip was venturing through the markets within the medina in Fes. I felt like I was in Aladdin!” Students also visited a Berber village in the mountains and sat in the home of one of the villagers as a woman taught the group how to make tea. After a lesson in tea brewing, the group visited the Royal Palace and received a brief education on the Moroccan political system. All of the students gained knowledge about the historical, political and cultural aspects throughout the week. Register gave her final thoughts on her experience: “I had an incredible trip and made many memories that will stay with me forever. Morocco is a country unlike one I have ever visited. The food, culture and people are a mixture of several different races from around the world. There are Spanish and French influences in the country, which I found fascinating. I am glad I was able to visit such a fantastic place!”
HONORS DAY Highlights Academic Achievements of Students and Faculty Students presented research, exhibited artwork and performed in music recitals during the annual Honors Day Symposium on campus on April 19. “We are not a research institution, and we know that,” said President Staton, “but research is a critical part of a liberal arts education. “The research, the study, the grappling with problems are part of the skills that we hope to impart on each student. We instill in our students critical thinking skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills and a thirst for learning. You could see that displayed today.” Nearly 80 students showed those in attendance during Honors Day the work in which they invested their time and efforts. Fifty-four students presented research and 18 more presented posters in Neville Hall throughout the day. The artwork of senior art majors was featured in the Harper Center, while six music majors performed during a recital in Edmunds Hall. Later in the day PC faculty, students and guests filed into Belk Auditorium for Honors Day Convocation. Ralph Paquin, professor of art, spoke about the value of art as he delivered this year’s Convocation Address, noting that the arts are “alive and kicking at Presbyterian College.” Paquin also read a Korean folktale called “The Mole and the Muerik,” one that he read to his children when they were younger. In the story, a small mole realizes that he has
as much value as the Muerik, the massive stone statue that guards the community. “One of the coolest things about the story,” Paquin said, “is that both words and pictures are used to describe the journey of understanding one’s power and determination. “As small as you might feel in this wacky world we are in, we’re all as powerful as the tiny mole.” Professors in academic regalia and seniors in graduation attire were recognized for their accomplishments over the past academic year. “We recognize and celebrate the hard work, character and aptitude of faculty and students in the pursuit of academics, service and leadership,” Provost Don Raber said. “What you have seen throughout the day and the cumulative efforts displayed by those receiving awards this afternoon make this a genuine Honors Day.”
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VALUE
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PEOPLE
TEAM UP There is No “I” in College
Students often say they chose PC because it felt like home as soon as they stepped on campus. After that, they meet students, professors, coaches and staff members who become like family. As a graduate, you probably had a similar experience. Part of the Promise of PC means investing in the professors and staff members who make the College a place that students love to call home year after year. “Not only is PC itself small in terms of numbers,” said Dr. Blake Miller, assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the School of Pharmacy, “Clinton is a small and close-knit community. I feel as though our students get to experience more personalized care and education due to the close-knit community which gladly flows straight from Clinton into our school.” Ray Bunting, craftsman supervisor, has been making PC feel like home for students for the past 35 years. Bunting has painted and done carpentry work in every building on the campus. Sixteen buildings or additions have been built since Bunting first arrived. Bunting received a Golden Paintbrush, PC rocking chair and a commemorative plaque for his service to the College. “I was humbled and honored to receive the award because I look at it as just doing my job, but taking pride in your work,” Bunting said. “The thing I like most about my years at PC is the friends I have made. From growing up on a dairy farm to working the better part of my life at PC, I have to say I have been a blessed man.” Dr. Mark Cox, professor of Spanish, has written and researched extensively on Peruvian literature and culture. He is focused on the guerrilla war in Peru that claimed 70 thousand lives from 1980 to 2000. An Italian publication, which translates as “Literature of the Testimony in Latin America,” has published Cox’s most recent work. His essay investigates the case of a professor and writer named Hildebrando Perez Huarancca who was accused of the massacre of 69 peasants in 1983. “My essay analyzes some theories critical of the current human rights community, points out criticisms I received
from that community and their unwillingness to correct the record and summarizes the case of Hildebrando Perez Huarancca,” Cox said. Cox personally knows most of the writers whose works he studies. He enjoys Peruvian literature and contributes to Peru and Latin American literature studies through his research. “(Research) allows me to be a part of a conversation about the present and recent past with people who are involved in contemporary culture,” Cox said. This year, the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators named the Rev. Dr. Rebecca Davis, associate professor of religion, the 2018 Educator of the Year. One of Davis’ strengths as a professor is recognizing students’ gifts, which students often don’t recognize themselves. “I invest in them, listen to them, watch them learn and practice, encourage, push and sometimes gently call them out on the matters that could derail them,” Davis said. Davis nudges students to leave their comfort zones by teaching and leading areas they would likely try to avoid. “Then I give them plenty of time and occasions for them to test and practice those gifts,” she said. “I also keep my eye on what the church needs, where it is heading for ministries in the future and do my best to equip the leaders who will graduate into those challenges and opportunities.” Davis does not consider being a professor as work. Instead, she considers it a “sacred opportunity to walk with people as they discover whom God is calling them to be.” She enjoys teaching students during the time in their lives when they are testing what they have always believed about themselves and the world. “Their worldview is being engaged, challenged and shaped,” Davis said. “I love being a part of that conversation, of creating occasions and offering opportunities to think differently about unexamined assumptions to raise their consciousness, and invite them to consider differing perspectives.” Bunting, Miller, Cox and Davis are just a few of the professors and staff members who make PC what it is today.
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FIGHTING WITH SCIENCE Professor and Student Conduct Impactful Breast Cancer Research Breast cancer ranks behind skin cancer as the second most common cancer among women. Fortunately, research continues to make essential strides in better detecting and treating breast cancer, according to Dr. Austin Shull ’11, assistant professor of biology at PC. Shull and junior math major Caroline Dyar have made strides of their own in the world of cancer research over the past year on the PC campus. “One of the biggest challenges in effectively treating breast cancer and improving breast cancer patient survival is intervening before the breast cancer spreads to other parts of the body,” Shull said. The spreading to other parts of the body is a process known as metastasis. “It is incredibly important that we find genetic markers within the DNA of breast cancer cells that will help us predict the potential of breast cancer to metastasize before it actually does,” Shull added.
“This research could be beneficial from a predictive and prognostic standpoint in that you would be able to treat the cancer in a different way if you knew early on that it was going to be very aggressive.” Caroline Dyar ’19
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Shull’s and Dyar’s research focuses on the DNA of breast cancer cells. In a lab in Lassiter Hall, the two look for patterns in the genetic information of cancer cells to help predict if they will spread to other parts of a patient’s body. “Based on the differences between these patterns in DNA, we can provide better insight in regards to the age of cancer diagnosis and survival rates,” Shull said. Shull has been working on this research for the past three years. Researchers from several institutions, including Augusta University, the University of Michigan, and the Cancer Research Center of Lyon in Lyon, France, have collaborated on the project. The research involves hundreds of thousands of data points from more than a thousand breast cancer patients and cell lines. This requires large-scale statistical analysis, and that is where Dyar’s role begins. Dyar worked alongside Shull for the past year running statistical comparisons to determine how breast cancer cases were grouped into different classes based on something known as DNA methylation. “The approach of this research project is the perfect example of using interdisciplinary skills like statistics and analytics to address problems in biology and medicine,” Shull said. Dyar’s input has helped her and Shull secure funding from a National Institutes of Health-sponsored program that promotes biomedical research within the state of South Carolina. “This research could be beneficial from a predictive and prognostic standpoint in that you would be able to treat cancer differently if you knew early on that it was going to be very aggressive,” Dyar said.
In mid-April, Shull and Dyar presented their work at the 2018 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the largest conferences devoted to cancer research in the world. Dyar also presented her research during Honors Day at PC. Her research was entitled “Multivariate Comparison of DNA Methylation Events in Breast Cancer.” “It has been great providing opportunities for students to be a part of meaningful research at such an early stage in their careers,” Shull said. “Research projects such as this help foster our foundational principles of Presbyterian College in developing students academically to use their abilities to serve our communities and society better.”
FORCE OF NATURE Physics Professor Receives Scholarship Award Dr. Chad Rodekohr, associate professor of physics, received the 2017-2018 Robert H. Freymeyer Award for Meritorious Scholarship on Honors Day. The award is given annually to a full-time faculty member for distinguished work in research, scholarship or artistic creation. “Ten years ago,” Rodekohr said when receiving the award, “when I was considering whether or not to accept a job offer from this small Presbyterian school that, from my wife’s perspective, was pretty far north, one of the factors that influenced our decision was the fact that research was not the focus here, and yet, it was a focus. “This entire day has been a testament to that focus — and I love that aspect of PC. So I am thankful to those who have gone before us and set up this atmosphere where research can be a focus to elevate the quality of teaching and the learning experience of our students.” The Robert H. Freymeyer Award for Meritorious Scholarship may be awarded either for a single accomplishment or a body of work. The recipient is selected by a panel of six faculties representing all academic divisions in the College of Arts and Sciences and faculty in the School of Pharmacy.
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TAKE NOTE
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Dr. Porter Stokes Retires after 20 Years at PC “Dr. Stokes changed my life,” Hanna Lea Agrelius ’11 said about Mr. & Mrs. C.B. Barksdale, Sr., Professor of Music Emeritus Dr. Porter Stokes, who is retiring from PC after 20 years. “He recruited me as a shy, unsure high school piano student and sent me off into the world a more confident, proud and grateful musician and educator.” From 1998 to 2018, Stokes taught and conducted generations of students with the care and dedication that can change lives. Music majors and non-music majors alike learned about music and life by taking Stokes 101, although the course titles ranged from Introduction to Music to Advanced Composition. Inside the classroom, Stokes helped students understand and appreciate music and the role of the arts in a liberal arts curriculum. Joel Tillirson ’18, who majored in psychology and French, took Stokes’ choral conducting class. “Dr. Stokes came in each morning ready to teach and share his knowledge,” Tillirson said. “More often than not, his explaining a concept or conducting style led to a 20-minute narrative about his early career and studies to help get the point across, which almost always ended in an eruption of laughter from the students. “Our ‘exams’ for the class were held in Dr. Stokes’ office, where he would be your ‘choir,’ and we had to conduct him. He undoubtedly enjoyed this much more than we did.” Music majors and non-music majors benefitted from Stokes 101 too, as all students were able to participate in any ensemble the music department offered. Stokes championed the idea of involving every student in music, beginning as early as their first year. “Freshmen are immersed in all of the opportunities of the College,” he said. “That is important. Part of our mission is that all students have access to everything.” Because of Stokes, students could select from a number of ensembles that matched their musical interests. The jazz band, pep band, Cantare! (men’s choir), Bella Voce (women’s choir), and many on-demand ensembles all began under Stokes’ leadership. “Dr. Stokes was the reason I did not drop out of college after one semester,” said Melissa Mack ’04. “He listened, he guided, he encouraged, he gently nudged, he pushed. I went to a large state university for grad school and quickly realized that it was not normal for professors to invest time and energy and care in their students. I was truly spoiled at PC.” Any student could also participate in Christmas at PC, the music department’s magnum opus that Stokes created in 1999. The annual production rang in the Christmas season for members of the local community and others who drove for hours to enjoy traditional Christmas hymns in early December. Each year, however, nearly 120 students began preparing for the performance in August. Typical of Stokes-led work, Christmas at PC taught students about themselves as they worked on the music, rehearsed and performed. “The Christmas concert gave me my first opportunity to participate in what I would call a professional style choir,” said Zach Williams ’03. “It was a bonding experience with students from all areas of campus life. We were all different people with
different values and aspirations, but for the first semester of school, we were one voice. “We had a common goal, a beautiful goal, an expression of love and passion.” Christmas at PC was Stokes 101 on display for the world every year. This past December, alumni returned to campus to take part in the last installment of a Stokes-led Christmas at PC. David Turner ’03 conducted alumni rehearsals for the performance. “The honor of standing in front of a chorus of individuals, whom all had the distinction of being trained by Dr. Stokes, is what I hold most dear,” Turner said. “The Christmas concert was one of my most memorable experiences as a student at PC. These concerts happen at a critical time during the school year as students are preparing for exams and wrapping up the semester. “Countless hours of rehearsal combined with many late nights studying for exams allowed me the opportunity to develop a strong work ethic, understand personal responsibility and remain mindful of the gift of Christmas given at the birth of Christ.” Throughout his tenure, Stokes also presented the PC Choir to the Laurens County community several times during the year. The choir appeared at regional churches and civic events and went on tour each spring. Students showed the best of PC as they traveled from Houston to Chicago and from Ft. Myers, Florida to Philadelphia, the United Kingdom and central Europe. “Dr. Stokes has always had a very clear vision of what he wanted from our choir, be it our sound, expression, interpretation of the music, even our attitudes,” Agrelius said. “His standards and expectations were high, and he made us want to rise to the occasion not because we felt intimidated or worried about consequence, but because his dedication to his students and the program was so great, showing him respect and responding in kind was the least we could give back to him. “I am so grateful to have been a part of the legacy he is leaving behind. I am proud to have been his student.” Stokes influenced his colleagues too. “The legacy that Dr. Stokes leaves is not one of permanence in facilities, curriculum or departmental policies, but one of treasured warmth and permanence in the hearts of his students and colleagues for whom he served as mentor, adviser, cajoler, encourager, supporter, disciplinarian, teacher and friend,” said Dr. Ron Davis, chair of the music department. “These are the lasting legacies from which Presbyterian College will benefit for many years to come.”
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THIS PROFESSOR ROCKS Dr. Rischbieter Selected as the 2018 Professor of the Year
Dr. Michael Rischbieter, professor of biology, has loved the subject since he was a child. He discovered a passion for paleontology and paleobotany after graduating from the University of Washington. Rischbieter conducted research similar to his professors from Washington University, Western Illinois University and UNC-Chapel Hill. At first, Rischbieter thought he would follow in his professors’ footsteps. “I never really imagined I would be teaching at a small college,” Rischbieter said. “I had been on track to be more of a big university research-type, but something at PC appealed to me, and I knew this was exactly where I was supposed to be.” At PC, Rischbieter has conducted research that he loves without the “publish or perish” burden. He has been able to research and share his passion with students. For his efforts, the faculty and student body named Rischbieter the 2018 Professor of the Year. Rischbieter’s students have benefited from his excitement for biology inside and outside the classroom. He has led students on trips to places like Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for years. Rischbieter chooses research spots with interesting history and “spectacular biology,” he says.
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“Taking students to these far-flung locations has been such a joy,” Rischbieter said. “To get them out of South Carolina or the Southeast in general, to show them biology they could never imagine, and to meet people from different cultures has been a fascinating aspect of college teaching I could never have imagined.” Rischbieter also involves students in local research and has been collecting fossils from Virginia to Georgia and Alabama. “With student help, I have been attempting to reconstruct the change in plant communities in the Southeast through geologic time,” Rischbieter said. This past year, Rischbieter has shared another passion with students: bass fishing. Rischbieter is the PC Bass Fishing team’s adviser and coach. The Blue Hose anglers compete in tournaments throughout the country. In their second year, they qualified for the 2019 FLW College National Championships. “The students are by far what I enjoy most about PC,” Rischbieter said. “I have been lucky enough over all of these years to continue to be provided with these great students that PC attracts. Year after year of interested, engaged and hard-working students that, luckily enough for me, continue to take my classes!”
SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS PC Athletics Stands Out at NCAA Public Recognition Awards
Big South All-Academic Honors
This 2017-2018 season alone, the Blue Hose saw 11 student-athletes pick up Big South All-Academic honors, with women’s basketball player Janie Miles honored for the second straight year as league Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team. Women’s golfer Celia Mansour was named league Scholar-Athlete as well. That is on top of the seven Big South weekly awards, 25 All-Conference honors, and one all-tournament nod.
Women’s Soccer
The women’s soccer program continues its tradition of a robust and well-rounded program. This past season the Big South honored two Blue Hose. Kelsey Yeager picked up Honorable Mention All-Big South honors, and Sarah Yoss earned a spot on the Big South All-Academic Team. PC defeated the Furman Paladins 2-0 early in the season, marking the first victory over the Paladins in program history. PC followed that up with a 3-2 victory over Wofford, just its third win ever over the Terriers.
Men’s Soccer
The Blue Hose finished a memorable season under second-year head coach Jonathan Potter. PC avenged its heartbreaking semifinal overtime loss in last year’s tournament by earning its first-ever Big South Tournament Championship in 2017. The Blue Hose took the semifinals and finals with back-to-back scoreless overtime games that went into penalty kicks, advancing against Radford 5-3 and winning the title against High Point 4-3. The Blue Hose made their second trip to the NCAA Tournament, and first as a Division I member, dropping a heartbreaking overtime match to UNC Wilmington 1-0.
Women’s Golf
Strides made by the women’s golf team cannot be overstated. The Blue Hose had one of the best seasons in program history this past fall. They finished in the top 15 at the 2017 Pinehurst Challenge, thanks to a strong team effort and several collegiate bests. Junior Maiken Bing Paulsen was named the Big South Golfer of the Week two weeks in a row, and freshman Serina Combs earned Freshman of the Week honors once. Senior Celia Mansour recorded three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the Terrier Intercollegiate. Paulsen also recorded three top-10 finishes and won the Bill Berg Invitational. After spring play, Mansour and Paulsen each earned All-Conference honors from the Big South. Mansour was also named the conference’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Combs was named to the Big South’s All-Freshman Team. Paulsen earned Big South Golfer of the Week honors for a third time this spring after finishing as a runner-up at the Mimosa Hills Intercollegiate with a 1-under 143 (72, 71) and passing Coach Kasay Holbrook in the PC record books with her eighth career top-10 finish.
Cross Country
Cross Country is on strong footing, on the course, and in the classroom. Junior Sally Hart stands out for the women’s team. She led the women’s cross country team in all six races this fall. Hart finished runner-up and led the team to second at the Will Wilson Invitational. Two weeks later, she ran a 5k school record of 18:57 at the Queen City Invitational. Hart was then named the Big South Runner of the Week. At the end of the season, Hart was named to the Big South All-Academic team. On the men’s side, junior Duncan Gotfredson led the men’s cross country team in five races this fall. He finished third at the Will Wilson Invitational (27:25) and then ran a school record 8k of 26:20 at the Queen City Invitational two weeks later. Gotfredson was later named to the Big South All-Academic team as well. Visit www.gobluehose.com for more information and updates on Blue Hose sports.
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BLUE HOSE
SPOTLIGHT
SERVIMU MY FELLOW MAN 34
PHOTO COURTESY OF PAUL CLARK/THE BLACK MOUNTAIN NEWS
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A LIFE OF SERVICE Alumnus Fights for Justice When they were students, Buddy Protinsky ’67 asked Bob Warren ’67 a question that would impact Warren’s entire law career. “Bud Protinsky asked me how I could call myself Christian when two-thirds of Allendale County is black and poor and don’t go to my church,” Warren said. “That question got me thinking differently about things because I came from a privileged white society that didn’t recognize the changing social norms of allowing African-Americans to go to white churches. I gradually changed my worldview, but Bud was ahead of the curve because he had grown up in St. Petersburg, Florida.” Warren’s parents raised him to have strong morals and values at a time and place when having strong morals and values often challenged social norms: the South during segregation. Warren’s father owned a drug store in Allendale, S.C., and always greeted his customers, black and white, with a friendly greeting. According to Black Mountain News, Warren’s father also gave African-American customers water in paper cups for free and often respectfully addressed them as “Professor” or “Reverend.” This frequently upset some of the white customers in Warren’s father’s store. From an early age, Warren learned that treating others with respect sometimes challenged the status quo. When he arrived on campus as a freshman, Warren already knew he wanted to serve others after he graduated. He just wasn’t quite sure which career he would pursue. Warren’s brother, Tommy, set an example for Bob and was the reason Bob Warren chose PC. Tommy, ten years older than Bob, played football for the Blue Hose. Bob learned about the College by coming to his games. Tommy took pre-med classes and went on to become a doctor in rural Allendale. Bob followed in his brother’s footsteps by taking pre-med courses at first. “(Tommy) practiced medicine in Allendale for about 50 years because he felt like he was serving a need,” Bob said. “He never pressured me to be a doctor, but I wanted to be like him, so I chose the law as somewhere I could serve.” Bob changed his major from pre-med to English and set his sights on law school. He served as president of Student Council when he was a senior and played football, like his brother, all four years. Bob’s professors and fellow students helped shape the type of lawyer he would become. He said Protinsky specifically helped him “focus on the real world regarding race.” “Like many students, my epiphany about race
evolved gradually as I came to understand the unfairness of the system,” Bob said, “and discussions with other students and faculty brought me around to do what is right regarding race relations.” After he graduated, Bob served in the Army for two years and then went to the University of South Carolina to earn a master of business administration degree and a law degree. He graduated in 1972. With law degree in hand, he moved back home to Allendale and took on civil rights cases from the start. In one of his earliest cases, he investigated the death of an 18-year-old African-American who had been shot and killed in Allendale County in 1970. Bob represented the NAACP in this case and many others throughout his career. He stood up for several Native American tribes over the years. Bob traveled with members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to Washington, DC, to search the National Archives for the tribe’s original constitution. In addition to defending those who had been discriminated against, Bob represented poor people and injured workers. He often worked for little or no pay and spent ten years fighting for benefits for Savannah River Site workers. He was finally able to persuade the federal government to provide some of these workers with benefits they had been denied. “I was always committed to helping poor people get through the system, and I still believe in the mission of legal services for poor people,” Bob told Black Mountain News. “If the Constitution does not apply to one person, then all people are in danger of losing their rights.” Bob has been recognized throughout his career for fighting for the poor and oppressed. The many awards he has received include the ACLU of South Carolina Civil Libertarian Award in 1979 and the Asheville-Buncombe United Public Workers Local Union Award in 1999. Last year, PC recognized Bob with the Thomas Aurelius Stallworth ’55 Alumni Award for embodying the characteristics of Stallworth’s Christian leadership, strong, bold character, integrity, moral courage, and values. Bob has been in the limelight for the work he has done. However, he says he is just one of many PC alumni who has lived a life of service. “Students from the class of 1967 at PC have made a difference in society by simply doing what is right,” he said. “When you are a student, you have interactions as students, and those interactions influence you in ways you cannot realize until later in life. PC has given me the ground rules that dominate my decisions, and I am sure others feel that way also.”
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WPJ SOCIETY GALA A Moment to Thank Some of the College’s Most Faithful Supporters The William Plumer Jacobs Society Gala in Columbia, S.C., this past spring featured some of the College’s most faithful supporters. G. Patrick ’71 and Deborah P. Phillips were recognized as the 2018 Distinguished Members. This award was presented in grateful appreciation for the Phillips’ generous and continued support of PC’s mission. Class of 2018 graduates Jonathan Turnley and Julia Law spoke eloquently during the gala about what support from WPJ Society members means to them and their classmates. Pictured above: Barbara Creel top left, Jonathan Turnley ’18 top right, Julia Law ’18 bottom left, Steven ’84 and Gayla ’85 Smith bottom right
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New 2018 WPJ Society Members David Belk Cannon Foundation The Kenneth Creel Family Robert F. ’35* & Irene W.* Fleming Allen D. ’36* & Sally* Guerard Peter J. ’86 & Elizabeth W. Neidenbach Dr. William Perry Putman ’55* Steven M. ’84 & Gayla Marshall ’85 Smith The Rev. Dr. Marc C.* & Marion H.* Weersing * Posthumous Recognition
LEGACY OF PHILANTHROPY Presbyterian College Honors Mary Bailey Vance Suitt
Alumni, students and friends of the College gathered on April 3 to honor the late Mary Bailey Vance Suitt, a longtime supporter of PC. The evening included an unveiling of a commissioned portrait of Suitt in Neville Hall. “The Bailey, Vance and Suitt families are honored to have the opportunity to see that Mary Bailey’s memory still serves her PC and Clinton community, providing a rich legacy for those after her to follow,” said Fleming Patterson, Suitt’s son. The portrait was commissioned by Patterson and completed by artist Ross Rossin. Rossin’s portraits of Hank Aaron, Maya Angelou and Morgan Freeman appear in the Smithsonian. Mary Bailey served on the PC Board of Trustees from 2002 to 2012. She supported PC throughout the years, including donating to the arts program, the construction of Bailey Memorial Stadium and the renovation of Neville Hall.
“Our family is so grateful that we were able to work with PC to honor my mother’s wishes while meeting the current needs of the College,” said Mary Ellen Barnwell, Suitt’s daughter. The recently renovated rotunda in Neville Hall is also named in memory of Mary Bailey Vance Suitt. The new space features her and others’ artwork, and it displays her commissioned portrait. In addition, a plaque honoring Suitt appears in Smith Administration building. In 2013, she was recognized as the Distinguished Member of the William Plumer Jacobs Society. Suitt’s plaque is prominently displayed among other plaques honoring all Distinguished Members of the William Plumer Jacobs Society.
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Jacki Berkshire Vice President of Advancement 864.833.8006 jberkshire@presby.edu
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Alumni Association BoBo Beasley ‘78 Greetings, fellow alumni! I am very proud and honored to serve as the president of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. My blood runs blue, and I have been a long-time engaged alumnus. There are a lot of exciting and great things happening at our alma mater. The Promise of PC is a strong plan to carry PC into the future and put us in a position to continue to offer an excellent educational experience for all of our students. We need ALL of our alumni engaged with the College to make this plan successful. There are many, many ways that you can be involved with PC. Below are ten ways you can support PC and help a new generation of students become Blue Hose. 1. Make your annual gift to the PC Fund (academics), Scotsman Club (athletic scholarships and the student-athlete experience) and/or the Pharmacy Fund. These gifts are significant in the everyday operation of the College. Our giving percentage is lower than it’s been in the past. Give up a latte or two a month and sign up for a recurring monthly gift of $10. Just think what that would add up to if we all did that. So that your gift can count this fiscal year, use the enclosed envelope to send your gift before June 30, or give online at www.my.presby.edu/givenow
2. Encourage prospective students to consider PC. Refer them through the Alumni Admissions Referral program for them to be considered for a $1,000/year scholarship. The nomination must be made no later than December 1 of the student’s senior year in high school. www.presby.edu/alumni/referral-scholarship/ 3. Volunteer. Let us know how you want to be engaged with PC by completing the form on www.presby.edu/alumni/promise-pc 4. Serve as a Class Agent. 5. Offer to host alumni events in your area.
6. Assist in establishing alumni chapters in your area. We are focused on Greenville, Columbia, Charleston, Atlanta and Charlotte and then will branch out to other areas.
7. Help students in the career development area: Conduct mock interviews, offer internships opportunities, recruit PC seniors and alumni for jobs and/or speak to students on campus about your career path.
8. Update your personal contact, educational and business information. If you want to stay “in the know,” we have to know how to contact you! Share news with us—new marriages, babies, jobs, promotions, awards. We want to hear about all of it! 9. Like and share PC’s social media posts.
10. Nominate your fellow alumni for our annual alumni awards presented at Homecoming. Fill out the online form at www.presby.edu/alumni-awards-form/
“Here’s to more alumni engagement to support the excellent educational opportunities we offer new generations of Blue Hose.”
BoBo and his granddaughter Lennox, class of 2039
Alumni Relations Office | 864.938.3757 | alumni@presby.edu
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Classnotes Forever Loyal Blue Hose
1953
David A. Collins worked for the National Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity for seven years after graduating from PC. He earned a master’s degree from Memphis State University (now University of Memphis). He served as assistant dean of students at Auburn University before returning to the University of Memphis and retiring in 1993 as assistant vice president for student affairs. He and his wife, Kay, celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2017. They have two children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandsons. After retirement, David and Kay spent much time volunteering at the Regional Medical Center of Memphis, participating in church work, helping in neighborhood associations and serving as poll workers during elections before health conditions kept them from being as active. They live in Germantown, after downsizing about 18 years ago. A part of David is still in Clinton, where he grew up at Thornwell Home for Children. After Thornwell, David joined the U. S. Navy, spent three years in DC and then returned to Clinton to graduate from PC. David worked as student assistant to the dean of students. David says these entities, hand in hand with the Presbyterian Church, trained and shaped him to work with masses of young people in his career. Dr. Henry Lewis Smith, Sr. officially retired as a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America. He is serving as supply pastor of Bethel Presbyterian Church near Union Springs, Ala., and stated clerk of the Southeast Alabama Presbytery. His wife, Anna Beth Lynn, passed away in 2014, but he says his four children and 12 grandchildren keep him busy and take great care of him at 85 1/2.
1958
Dr. Mike Andrews currently serves as interim pastor at Rockledge Presbyterian Church in Rockledge, Fla.
worked 35 years for the Daily Press in Newport News. Since 1973, he has been the NASCAR writer for Auto Week magazine in Detroit. He was inducted in 2003 into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega Superspeedway and went into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2012. He lives in Newport News with his wife, Francie. Their 29-year-old daughter, Annie, lives in Christiansburg, Va.
1965 Professor and Researcher Dr. Dixie Goswami, professor emerita of English at Clemson University, was a Senior Scholar at Clemson’s Strom Thurmond Institute for Policy and Analysis and a Senior Scientist at the American Institutes for Research in Washington, D.C. She was director and co-founder in 1996 of the Write to Change Foundation, which supports youth leadership, literacy, and advocacy, and director of Special Projects for Middlebury College’s national Bread Loaf School of English Teacher Network. As a longtime member of the Middlebury Bread Loaf faculty, she held the Robert Frost Chair of Literature and Language; as a South Carolina educator, she received the Richard Riley Award for Service to S.C. Public Education from the S.C. Council of Teachers of English. She holds honorary degrees from Presbyterian College and Middlebury College. Goswami’s recent work focuses on inclusive education policies and practices that provide vulnerable young people with the
1963
skills, resources and support they need to thrive. Currently
Fred Cook moved from Marietta, Ga., to Easley, S.C., a year ago. His grandchildren currently attend Clemson University and Campbell University.
she serves as director of the Middlebury Bread Loaf
John Henderson, Jr. and his wife, Nan, moved to Fla. for 10 years after retirement but recently returned to Charlotte, N.C. John planned a family reunion and had 94 kin attend at the Henderson Home Place in Dillon, S.C. John erected a historical marker on the family farm that has been in the family for five generations. In the process, he found his father’s 1921 PaC SaC annual and his father’s certificate as a founding member of Pi Kappa Alpha, Mu Chapter.
Opportunity and Learning initiative. NextGen will engage
1965
Don McInnis continues to be active with McInnis Homes, located in Indian Trail, N.C. They have recently acquired and transferred titles to consolidate many properties for the improving rental retail market. Al Pearce, award-winning sportswriter from Newport News, Va., recently was honored by NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway on the occasion of covering his 50th Daytona 500. Pearce, who worked on the Blue Stocking throughout his four years at PC,
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NextGeneration Leadership Network, which is supported by a two-year grant from the Ford Foundation’s Youth an exceptionally diverse cohort of youth from six states, including South Carolina, as allies and advocates in writing and acting for social and educational change. Her 15 greatgrandchildren represent a wide range of ethnicities and experiences in South Carolina and beyond. She received the Governor’s Award the S.C.
for
Service
Humanities Humanities
at
to the
award
ceremony in Columbia on Oct. 19, 2017.
1964 Ron Sieple says, “Life is good.”
Dr. Thomas Whitaker founded in Myrtle Beach the ophthalmology practice, Eye Associates of South Carolina LLP, dba as Eastern Carolina Regional Eye Center on July 1, 1977, and retired on June 30, 2014, 40 years to the day.
1967
Richard Galloway has been a member of the QUALISOY team since its inception in 2004 and is instrumental in the successful commercialization of this healthful replacement for partially hydrogenated oils. High oleic soybean oil, a product that has been the focus of QUALISOY, received final global approvals late in 2017, and is now approved for sale globally. In addition to the global approval, this vegetable oil has been cited as “improving cardiometabolic health in adults” in a study conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Richard is president of Galloway & Associates LLC, an agribusiness consulting firm.
1968
1968
Dr. Woody Hall, Jr. retired in 2015, following almost 41 years as a faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He and his wife, Mary Ann, divide their time among Wilmington, Durham and Charlotte. They have daughters in Durham, N.C., and Charlotte, N.C., and two grandsons in Charlotte.
William “Bill” Cooper has been busy serving as a substitute organist for churches in Clinton, Laurens and Spartanburg since retiring as director for more than 33 years of the Laurens County (S.C.) Public Library a few years ago. He currently serves as dean of the Spartanburg Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, as historian of the Spartanburg Philharmonic Music Club, as secretary for the Friends of the Laurens County Library, as chair of the Laurens City Cemetery Board and as treasurer of the Ferguson Meditation Garden for the Laurens County Memorial Hospital. On September 30, 2015, he married his long-time partner, Martin Edward Meek. The Rev. Mel Davis, retired Army chaplain, moved back to Seneca, S.C., and enjoys farming in his retirement. He is an honorably retired PC(USA) minister.
Richard Hanks has completed his book, “The Murder of a Brother: The Memories of a Ten Year Old,” that has been published by New York City-based Page Publishing in January 2018.
1970
Bonnie Dietz Coward and husband, Bud, welcomed twin grandsons, Henry Lee and Thomas Elliot McIntosh, on June 1, 2017. The twins’ parents and older sister, Ann Ellis, live in Charleston, S.C.
1971
Dr. Diana Rice was named professor emerita upon her retirement from Florida State University in August 2017. She served almost 30 years as a faculty member at Indiana University, University of South Carolina Columbia and Aiken, and Florida State University. She continues to reside in Tallahassee, Fla., with husband, Robert Schwartz, who is professor of higher education at Florida State.
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Several Sigma Nu alumni gathered in Alabama in February 2018, for a reunion hosted by Cam Lanier. From L to R, front to rear: 1st row...Tom Stacy ‘72, Doug Barbazon, Ray Dorsey ‘76, Morgan Grimball ’74, Hays Reynolds ’74, Lee Jones ‘73. 2nd row...Jay Golden ’76, Gary Clayton ’75, George McCall ‘72 , Wylie Watt ’73, Rusty Hawkins. 3rd row...Dick Painter ‘72, Cam Lanier ‘72, Billy Ellsworth. 4th row...Frank Armstrong ’73, Jon Benedict ‘72, Landon Smith ’75, Roger Blackstock ’71.
1972
Mary Lorick Thompson retired as dean of students/assistant head of school from Salem Academy in the summer of 2016 after serving there for 44 years. In the spring of 2017, she was asked to return to Salem Academy and serve as interim head of school. She has served in that position since 2017 and plans to retire for the second time in the summer of 2018.
1973
Wayne Renwick retired on Nov. 30, 2017. He and his wife, Sherry, have moved to their home on Lake Greenwood and enjoy “Lake Life.”
1974
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Anne Harrison Arrington retired May 4, 2018, after 44 years of disabilities and special needs service. A licensed master social worker, Anne earned her graduate degree in personnel services from Clemson University in 1981. She has been at Thrive Upstate, a provider of community supports for people with lifelong disabilities in Greenville, S.C., since 1979. Anne and John Arrington ’75 have three married daughters and eight grandchildren.
The Rev. Stan Reid is thoroughly enjoying the time spent with the leadership, faculty and students of Presbyterian College in this third year of his term on the Board of Trustees. He is honored and proud to participate in the revitalization of our campus and programs that is The Promise of PC. Tricia Lake Reid ’76 and Stan are now in the “empty nest” phase of their marriage, and Tricia is showing great patience as the spouse of a third-career pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Stan is ordained to transition ministry, so he gets to work his way out of a job every one to two years, if things are going right! All the activities of adult children and grandchildren keep them busy and frequently on the road. They hope to see PC friends and family this fall on campus or at away football games.
1976
Anna White French lives in Columbia, Mo., and works as a mental health provider in the Boone County Jail. She provides mental health de-escalation techniques and Crisis Intervention Team training for law enforcement officers. She is in the final phase of completing her Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology. Anna and Lawrence French married in June 2017. She is the proud grandmother to Whit Wilson, a very active 2-year-old.
Kay Jackson Reinhold has retired from teaching in public schools in Tampa, Fla. Her love of teaching English-for-Speakersof-Other-Languages elementary students was most evident in Clemson, S.C. There, she was named Teacher of the Year in 2004 while teaching at Clemson Elementary School. Kay and husband, Tim, also recently retired, will continue living in Tampa. They celebrated their 41st anniversary in May 2017.
1978 United States Attorney for New York Grant C. Jaquith became the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York on January 5, 2018. Grant had been serving as the acting United States Attorney since July 1, 2017. He was the First Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2010-2017 and an Assistant U.S. Attorney since 1989, serving as Chief of the Criminal Division from 2006-
1977
Cindy Kimball Dykes retired in May from teaching public school in the Dalton, Ga. school district. She is feeling very grateful to Dr. Dorothy Brandt for teaching Cindy all that she possibly could to prepare her for this experience.
2010 and Narcotics Chief and Chief of the Albany Office from 1998-2006. In 2016, he was honored with a national Director’s Award for Executive Achievement. Grant served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1982-2011, rising to the rank of colonel in 2004.
1978
The Rev. Dr. Philip Rick Baggett was honorably retired by Indian Nations Presbytery (Oklahoma) in 2017, following 33 years of meaningful and wonder-filled ministry. He and his wife, Joyce, continue to live in Oklahoma. Bill Cowsert serves as Senate majority leader in the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 46th Senate District, which includes Oconee County and portions of Clarke and Walton counties. He was named as one of “100 Most Influential Georgians” by Georgia Trend magazine. Georgia Trend recognized Bill for his leadership role as the majority leader in the Georgia Senate as well as his distinguished record as vice chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In addition to these roles, he serves as a member on several other influential committees, including Administrative Affairs, Appropriations, Assignments, Health and Human Services, and Regulated Industries and Utilities.
His military awards include the Legion of Merit. He was an Army circuit judge from 2001-2010, presiding over courtsmartial at forts throughout the continental United States and in Alaska, Germany and Korea. In 2006, he spent three months on active duty as the trial judge at Fort Bragg, N.C. Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Grant was in the litigation department of the law firm of Bond Schoeneck & King in Syracuse (1988-89) and a Judge Advocate on active duty in the U.S. Army (1982-88), where his work included administrative law, labor law, settlement of civil claims, legal assistance to soldiers, retirees, and their families, and criminal prosecutions. In 1984, he also taught Juvenile Law and Federal Income Taxation at Drury College. Grant received his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida College of Law in 1982 and a Bachelor of Science cum laude in business administration/accounting from PC in 1979. He resides in Niskayuna, New York, with wife,
Thomas Horonzy and Myra Westbrook Horonzy ’79 sold “Serenity,” their 10-acre homestead in Cowpens, and built in Polk County, Green Creek Community, not far from the International Equestrian Center. They raise Hereford cattle on the 67 acres gifted to them from Myra’s dad. Myra is involved with the Relief Society as president, and Thomas hit a hole-in-one for the sixth time last fall at Meadowbrook Golf Course. He continues to write volumes of poetry and volunteers to read to local high schools. He also teaches the adult Sunday school.
Rosemarie Perez Jaquith, and son Colton, 17, and has five other children, four grown -- Amanda Jaquith Ray ’97, Larene, Gordon, and Olivia -- and Isabelle, a freshman at WPI.
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Becky Padgett was recently named a 2017 Master Teacher by the Georgia Independent School Association. Following graduation from PC, she earned a master’s degree in administration, curriculum and supervision from the University of Georgia. She is in her 40th year of education as a second-grade teacher at Prince Avenue Christian School in Athens, Ga. Husband, Lee Padgett, owns Padgett and Company Financial Corporation, and they have three children and four grandchildren.
1980
Lester Britton, III recently relocated with Trinity Health to Boise, Idaho, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Lester serves as manager of rehabilitation administration for Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.
1981
Barbara Pickens Foster teaches highly academically gifted fifth graders at Southwest Elementary School in Clemmons, N.C. She teaches English language arts and American history to HAG students from all over Forsyth County. Barbara took this position in July 2016 after teaching at Lewisville Elementary for 12 years.
Several Theta Chi alumni gathered for a great time with PC friends at Talking Rock, Ga., in late February. Front Row: Blake Morgan‘83, Lisa Ledbetter Morgan ‘85. Middle Row L-R: Benjamin (Buddy) Cheek IV ‘83, Jana Haley Cheek ‘84, Miriam (Mimi) Trippe McEachern ‘82, Roban Bangle Everett ‘83. Back Row L-R: Rai Trippe ‘85, Wendi Trippe, George William Everett ‘81, James (Jimmy) McEachern III ‘82.
1983
Robert Brozina recently accepted the call as pastor of Rocky Springs Presbyterian Church in Laurens, S.C., after serving as pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg, S.C., for nine years. David Corley and his wife, Susan, retired from Laurens District 55 High School at the end of the academic year. David studenttaught at LDHS while at PC, met Susan in their first year of teaching at Greenwood High School, and then both came back to Laurens. David has served as an English and journalism teacher and has been school and district teacher of the year, state journalism teacher of the year and English department chair. David and Susan have two children, Andrew ’12 and Rebecca ’17. Roberta Pounds Terry opened a bakery in Brunswick, Ga., in July of 2017. “C is for Sweets” is in the heart of a small community known as Sterling. Roberta lives near Jekyll Island.
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1985
Tina Bell Childress will retire from the classroom in June 2018 after 33 years as a middle school teacher. She looks forward to enjoying more time with family, especially her 14-month-old granddaughter, and helping her husband on the family farm. Even though this is a bittersweet time for her, Tina looks forward to what adventures are ahead!
Lynn Compton Downie is associate director of career development and internships at PC. In January 2018, she was elected president of the National Employment Counseling Association and will be installed at the NECA 2018 executive retreat in July.
Bailey Harris won the 600th game of his basketball coaching career at Lexington High School. This puts him in the top 10 all time in SCHSL history. This was his 31st season at Lexington. His teams have won two state championships, four state runner-ups and nine trips to the Final Four. He also teaches U.S. history and coaches cross country.
Benning, Ga., after his tour as Battalion Commander of the 3/321st Training Support Battalion at Fort Jackson, S.C. He completed two overseas tours and an assignment in Panama. Jeff is employed as the director of certified employment services for Richland County School District One. Jeff, his wife, Karen, and their two children, Paris and Jaret, continue to reside in Lamar, S.C.
1986
Dr. Gary Kinard is the research leader of the USDA National Germplasm Resources Laboratory (NGRL) in Beltsville, Md. NGRL, part of the Agricultural Research Service of USDA, coordinates national agricultural plant collections curated at 20 genebanks around the U.S. They also operate USDA’s plant exploration program and conduct research on quarantine plant pathogens. His team was awarded the Abraham Lincoln award from USDA last year for their pioneering efforts to develop a global information management system for plant collections. Gary has been a scientist with USDA-ARS since completing his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Clemson University in 1995. Robert H. “Robb” Sasser III, a senior financial adviser for Wells Fargo Advisors in Florence, S.C., has been recognized as a 2018 Best-InState Wealth Advisor by Forbes Magazine. Sasser has 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.
1987
COL(R) Jeff Long (USAR) recently retired after 30 years of military service. Jeff ’s last assignment was the command inspector general of the 84th Training Command at Fort Knox, Ky. Prior to his most recent assignment, Jeff served as the IG at the 98th Training Division at Fort
1989
1988
Dr. Jane Crawford moved with her husband, Graham, to Perth, Scotland, in 2016. Graham is the minister at Kinnoull Parish Church of Scotland. Jane is currently employed by Perth City Medical Centre as a general practitioner. She is also the match-day doctor for Forfar Athletic Football Club. Jane’s older son, James, has been in the Regimental Band at The Citadel for four years and graduated in May. Her younger son, Thomas, will start at Midland University in Nebraska this fall on a soccer scholarship. Jane and Graham are happy to see any Blue Hose who come through Perth on a Scotland tour! John A. Dantzler, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has been appointed to the newly created position of vice chair for addiction programs in the Department of Psychiatry. John currently serves as executive director of the department’s Substance Abuse and Criminal Justice Programs located in Homewood. John will focus on expanding psychiatry’s addiction-related academic portfolio and strategically growing clinical services. He has been charged with growing the department’s addiction-related academic missions, which he sees as critical in the current climate of a major national and local public health crisis of a rapidly expanding substance-abusing and addicted population. Jim Kennedy completed his master’s of education at George Mason University. Jim is an assistant professor at the Army University’s Command and General Staff School, teaching force management and sustainment at Fort Belvoir.
Alumnus named one of best copyright lawyers in the country by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers
David Jinkins lives in St. Louis with Anna, his wife of 15 years, and their two sons, Roger,
13, and William, 12. David is a registered patent attorney with Thompson Coburn, the largest law firm in St. Louis. He serves as a lead litigator in the Intellectual Property group, with a focus on patent litigation. He represents companies in protection of their intellectual property through litigation and prosecution. David is routinely called on to litigate for many of the firm’s top clients. He has been named one of the best copyright lawyers in the country by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers. David played an instrumental role in a U.S. Supreme Court patent rights case, Bowman v. Monsanto, that had major implications across a broad range of industries. He received his master’s in molecular cellular and developmental biology from the University of South Carolina in 1994 and went on to graduate from Washington University – St. Louis School of Law in 1997. David was inducted into the Missouri Bar’s Pro Bono Hall of Fame in 2012.
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The Rev. Dr. Susan E. Moorefield is serving as the transitional pastor of the North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church in North Wilkesboro, N.C.
David Smith was named an assistant in the 2018 North-South All Star Game held in Myrtle Beach on Dec. 8, 2018.
1989
Dr. Jeff Edgens was promoted to dean of University of Wyoming at Casper from associate dean/director after one year in the position of associate dean. Jeff Shaffer has joined the professional consulting services firm Stroz Friedberg, an Aon Company. He serves as a vice president in the firm’s Dallas office. In this role, Jeff is responsible for leading the delivery of all consulting services, including incident response, cyber security assessments, risk mitigation and e-discovery services, alongside bestin-class technical and subject-matter experts. Jeff is also responsible for business development and thought leadership surrounding these areas.
1990
Kimberly Moore Medlin retired on Feb. 1, 2018, after 27 years of teaching elementary students in North Carolina. She is now working part-time for Biltmore in Asheville, N.C. Jennifer E. Woodward, Ph.D., has been promoted to vice chancellor for research operations at the University of Pittsburgh.
1991
Dr. Dana Chambers married Jonathan Birchfield, an accomplished singer/songwriter/musician and music consultant, on Feb. 18, 2017. She’s been a family physician in Hickory, N.C., for 20 years and serves on the Board of the N.C. Medical Society, as well as Hickory’s Business Development Committee. Tom Free recently accepted a board position at Ruth Eckerd Hall, a 73,000-square-foot performing arts venue in Clearwater, Fla., in the Tampa Bay area. Part of the Richard B. Baumgardner Center for the Performing Arts, Ruth Eckerd Hall changes lives through the performing arts by providing world-class entertainment and educational programs to the greater Tampa Bay area. In addition to this board position, Tom also serves on the boards of Make A Difference Fishing Tournaments, 50 Legs, Thornwell and PC. John Gentry, Jr. recently joined Gwinnett County as the Parks and Recreation director after serving 17 years in Oconee County. John’s management oversight includes 49 parks, programming, and special events, using the county’s 10,000 acres of parkland.
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Jay Knotts started LeveragePoint Life Coaching, based out of North Augusta, S.C., after 20 years as a licensed professional counselor. Life Coaching is the new path for helping others toward maximum life impact. Elisabeth Ridderhoff ’s husband, Lt. Col. Kevin Ridderhoff, retired from the US Army on March 29, 2018, after 21 years, six duty stations, nine homes and three deployments. The two are celebrating 27 years of marriage this June. Elisabeth is currently working part time and moving into a fulltime position in August 2018 at W.T. Woodson High School as an instructional assistant. They will remain in Northern Virginia. They have four children. The youngest, a freshman in high school, is the only one at home.
1992
Gene and Amanda Brooks ’02 deployed as career missionaries, along with their eight children, to Liberia in West Africa, on Dec. 7, 2017. They are serving as church ministries coordinators with SIM and are working primarily with the pastoral leadership of the Evangelical Church of Liberia. Rhett Burney has established the Law Office of Rhett D. Burney, P.C. after decades of practicing in a small firm. He is proud to announce the establishment of his own firm. He has had the privilege of practicing law with two fine attorneys for many years but is excited about this new opportunity. Rhett has been an attorney in the Upstate of South Carolina for more than 20 years, including the Laurens practice of Turner and Burney, P.C. He focuses his practice on divorce, child custody and personal injury cases with a growing emphasis on helping clients survive divorce. Rhett is recognized as a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Membership in the organization is limited to attorneys who have won million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements. Fewer than one percent of U.S. lawyers are members. Rebecca Davis recently renewed her National Board teaching certification. She currently teaches French at Spring Hill High School in Chapin, S.C. Suzi Schweiger McNicholas has a new job as global integrated marketing director at Honeywell, Industrial Safety Division. Tracey Julian Shultz and husband, Mike, decided to set off on a new adventure and move to the Colorado Rockies after 20 years living and working in Virginia. They now live in a mountain town called Evergreen, 8,800 feet up and surrounded by incredible views and nature at its finest. They love to have visitors.
1993
Kathryn Mahon started a new job in January as the marketing partner for the foundation at Akron Children’s Hospital. She provides marketing and public relations support for the Akron Children’s Hospital Foundation. ACH serves Northeast Ohio and is ranked among the best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report.
1993 Alumna selected to lead new office of Parker Poe Consulting Amy Odom was recently selected to lead the opening of the new Atlanta office of government relations firm Parker Poe Consulting. Amy brings with her a strong background in public policy, with regulatory and advocacy experience at the local, regional, multi-state and national level. From strategic government affairs planning to local grassroots initiatives, she has put her coalition-building skills to work providing results for clients in the heavily regulated health care, insurance and pharmaceutical industries. She was recognized as a “Top Lobbyist” in Georgia by James Magazine in 2016 and 2017. Prior to joining Parker Poe Consulting, Amy was a principal with Dentons and spent nearly 20 years with health
insurer
affairs, she was responsible for the company’s political during
advocacy the
strategy
health
care
reform debate.
1994
Stacy Dyer returned to PC to become director of media relations after a brief hiatus. At PC, Stacy is charged with fulfilling The Promise of PC by sharing the stories of alumni. Email him your story or good news at sadyer@presby.edu. Stacy lives in Simpsonville, S.C., with his two daughters, Madison, 12, and Reagan, 7. Tracy Dyer does CFO & Controller Services for nonprofits and small businesses at his practice in Hendersonville, N.C. He opened his business after 13 years working in public accounting and private industry. Tracy lives in Hendersonville with his wife, Poppy, and their three children. Todd Latiff was presented the Order of the Silver Crescent by Gov. Henry McMaster. The Order of the Silver Crescent is the state’s highest civilian award for significant contributions, leadership, volunteerism and lifelong influence within the state. Todd and his wife, Catherine Martin Latiff, reside in Clemson, S.C., with their children, Ashley and Andrew. Rebecca Richmond Morrison has started a new job at the local hospital emergency room as a patient registration representative, greeting patients, locating charts, filing insurance, reviewing legal paperwork, and billing. Rebecca married Paul Thomas Morrison, Jr. on March 26, 2018. Together, they have six children (four daughters and two sons), a 2-year-old grandson and seven “fur babies.”
Anthem.
As vice president of state
and
1996
1997
Dr. Matt Bishop serves as director of the University of Georgia’s J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. Matt is serving as the 2018 president of Leadership Georgia, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious statewide leadership development program. Matt will assume Leadership Georgia Chairman duties in 2019. Ginny Cobb Wages and her husband, Trey, are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, Samuel Hart Wages, who was born Sept. 18, 2017. Hart Cobb ’69 and his wife, Anne, are proud grandparents!
Sonja “Sunny” Walker continues to live in Summerville, S.C., and has recently accepted a teaching position at Daniel Jenkins Academy in North Charleston.
1998
Jamie Hendrix graduated with a post-master’s certificate for Family Nurse Practitioner at the end of 2017. Jamie is employed as an FNP at Sentinel Health Partners in Camden, S.C.
1995
Casey Ross works at North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Ga. Julie Ross teaches at Horizon Christian Academy in Cumming, Ga. They live in Cumming with their three children: Bennett, 16; Canon, 10; and Teague, 6. Dr. Rhett Wilson, Sr. has recently become a financial representative with Modern Woodmen of America in Greenville, S.C. He and his family recently moved to Lyman, S.C.
2000
The Rev. Elizabeth Soileau Acton was ordained to the Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018. Elizabeth is serving as the associate pastor of youth and mission at Druid Hills Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. She and her husband, Andy, also a Presbyterian minister, have two children, Katie and Davis.
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2001
Alumna to head S.C. Manufacturers Alliance
Sara Hopper Hazzard was named president and CEO of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA) in January 2018. Since 2004, Sara had served as SCMA’s vice president of government relations, where she championed legislative issues impacting manufacturing. Sara also is an active member of the South Carolina Economic Developers Association. Sara earned a degree in political science and minored in business administration and history at PC. She and her husband, John, live in Columbia with their two children.
Wil Elder is living in High Point, N.C., with his wife, Dr. Sadie Leder Elder. Wil is the senior development officer for High Point Regional Health Foundation and vice president of Secure Test Results, a drug testing program administration company that works with schools, colleges and fraternities across the country. Sadie is a tenured associate professor of psychology at High Point University. In 2017, both Sadie and Wil were named “Top 40 under 40” by the Triad Business Journal. This was the first time a married couple had received this honor in the same year. Last May, they joyfully welcomed their first child, Gemma Leder Elder. Eric Moses was admitted as a partner at Dixon Hughes Goodman in August 2017, and is managing partner of tax practice in the Nashville, Tenn., office. Rebecca Grau Perry, MD, began practicing neonatology at Lehigh Valley Children’s Hospital in Allentown, Pa., in June 2017. She continues her work as medical director for International Milk Bank. She and husband, Mike (with a military book under one arm), are becoming experts at Tickle Monster with their children, Alexis, 8; Cate, 5; and Teddy, 2. Matt Sherman will move to principal of Blythewood High in Blythewood, S.C., from his current position as an assistant principal at the school. He has served as an assistant principal in Richland Two for seven years, including three years at Round Top Elementary. He also served as an assistant administrator at Blythewood High School from 2008 through 2011. Matt began his career in education 18 years ago in Richland Two as a special education teacher at Ridge View High School. There he was selected as a Teacher of the Year and served as the chair of the special education department. He also coached football at both high schools. While serving as a transition specialist, he received a $129,000 Competitive Employment Training Grant. He completed a master’s of educational administration at the University of South Carolina. In addition to holding certifications in elementary and secondary administration, he earned National Board Certification in 2005. Matt is a member of the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. Alicia Weeber is a teacher for the military’s DoDEA school, Seoul American Elementary School, in Seoul, South Korea. She has been living overseas for eight years and will be in South Korea for the 201819 school year.
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2001
Andrew Gardner moved to Amsterdam in September 2017 as the North American program manager to digitize the company he’s worked for the last 11 years. Starting in sales in 2007 in Greenville, S.C., he then transitioned to branch manager of the Charleston location in 2013-2016. Andrew then managed five locations as a district manager until he moved overseas. He also completed an executive education at INSEAD via the company, Brenntag, over 2016-2017 at the Fontainebleau, France and Singapore campus. He plans to move back to the U.S. in the late summer to implement digital transformation across U.S. campuses. Barbara Eves Oswald was named vice president of programs for Special Olympics South Carolina in January 2018. Barbara has more than 16 years of service with the organization. During this time, she has served in varying roles, including director of program development and senior director of programs. Barbara’s first experience with Special Olympics was as a student volunteer at the local Spring Games hosted by PC.
Anne Pearce Worrell and her husband, Andrew, are thrilled to announce the addition of Virginia Rhodes Worrell, born on June 29, 2017. Rhodes joins big brothers Drew, 3, and Pearce, 2. The Worrells live in Atlanta, Ga., where Andrew is in his 18th season with the Atlanta Braves. Anne continues her charity work while raising the couple’s children. In September, Anne co-chaired the Hope Flies: Catch the Cure gala, which benefits the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine (FMM) in honor of Anne’s 8-year-old goddaughter, who suffers from Mitochondrial Disease. In addition to her work with the FMM, Anne serves on the advisory board and several other committees at The Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
2002
Nick Haigler, an attorney with Sowell Gray Robinson Stepp & Laffitte, LLC in Columbia, S.C., has been named by The State newspaper to its “20 under 40” class for 2018. The State recognizes Nick as one of the truly remarkable young professionals in the Midlands. Nick is the leader of the firm’s workers’ compensation team. He graduated from
Mississippi College School of Law in 2007. Nick and his wife, Lauren Hays Haigler ’05, have two children, Eliza, 6, and Mollie, 4. Katie Fowler Monoc and Ellis Roberts are pleased to announce the opening of Monoc Roberts, LLC, located on the upper peninsula in Charleston. Monoc Roberts represents clients through civil litigation for personal injury and other civil matters and serves as general counsel for businesses and political campaigns.
2001 Transcending Culture: Alumna Teaches Abroad Emily Grigg received a Fulbright-Nehru Academic and Professional Excellence Award in Teaching in Spring 2017. As a Fulbright Scholar, she served as visiting
2003
faculty at Christ University in Bangalore, India, where she Blair Barksdale completed her education specialist’s degree in educational leadership and policy at the University of Georgia and was elected to the Conyers City Council in 2017.
taught in the English and theatre studies departments. Her Fulbright project promoted universal themes that transcend cultures in both literature and theatre. She also had the opportunity to present a session at the Literary Association of Nepal Conference in Dhulikhel, Nepal. Furthermore, Emily received a Fulbright Travel Grant to teach for a week at the International University of Kyrgyzstan and lectured on literature and theatre
Linzie Steele Batchelor started her own marketing firm six years ago as Linzie Batchelor Marketing. Two years later, she branded her business as Outflare Marketing, LLC. Outflare Marketing, LLC offers marketing solutions for small businesses — and now has clients coast-to-coast. Linzie just opened an office in Florence, S.C., for her marketing firm. Linzie and her husband, Greg, and their two girls live in Florence, S.C., where Greg is pastor of Hoffmeyer Road Baptist Church. Linzie enjoys spending time with her family and their dog, Georgia. Georgia will be testing soon to be a Certified Therapy dog. Emmy Smith completed an MBA from Western Governors University in March 2016 and accepted a role with Amazon Web Services in September 2017 as a business intelligence engineer. In addition to professional successes, Emmy was recently elected vice president of education for her Toastmasters Club, as well as president of the Tri Sigma Seattle Alumnae Chapter. She and her husband enjoy exploring the Pacific Northwest and traveling the world, most recently to Copenhagen and Stockholm. Amy Riddle and AC Rizzo were married on April 7, 2018, in Greenville, S.C., at Furman University’s Charles E. Daniel Chapel. PC alumni Sara McCutcheon, Amy Garber, Bess Wilson, Sarah Blasek and Stephanie Gamble served as honorary attendants. Amy earned a Bachelor of Arts in music performance from PC, a Master of Music in classical voice from Boston Conservatory, a Master of Music in music theatre and an advanced certificate in vocal pedagogy from New York University. She also taught voice as an adjunct professor at NYU. Amy currently works at First Eagle Investment Management in New York. Dr. Rizzo completed his surgical residency at New York Medical College. Dr. Rizzo practices dermatology in New York City, where the couple reside.
topics, as well as lecturing to faculty on assessment strategies.
Mitchell Spearman recently accepted a job as director of principal gifts at the University of Texas at Austin. He developed his passion for fundraising while on campus in PC’s Advancement Office with Janet Roberts ’83, Genevra Kelly, and Alan Smith ’77 as a PC student worker and was fortunate to spend time with PC’s Ed Campbell ’50 during Ed’s final years on campus. Mitchell most recently was in Los Angeles and is thrilled to be back in a place where sweet tea, brisket and pies are plentiful!
2004
Matthew O’Leary published his first book, a collection of essays entitled Symptoms of a Teratoma, on August 30 in Columbia, S.C., by Muddy Ford Press. The book covers his mother’s struggle with pancreatic cancer and his own struggle with depression.
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Kinsey Roberts Hinkston proudly welcomed a first son, Hayden Joseph Hinkson, on Feb. 21, 2017. He joined big sister, Hannah Kate, 5. Kinsey was recently recognized as the property manager of the year for Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Georgia, the commercial real estate trade organization in Atlanta. She also serves on the executive committee and will be the BOMA Georgia president in 2019. Kinsey is currently a senior property manager for Granite Properties, overseeing more than 1 million square feet of commercial office space in Atlanta. The Rev. Elizabeth Howell Link is the associate pastor for Christian education at Second Presbyterian Church in Roanoke, Va. Her article “What’s on your bookshelf ” was recently published in The Presbyterian Outlook. Elizabeth is married to Chris, and the two enjoy spending time in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Ann-Marie Alfonso Pearson and husband, Christian, welcomed their second daughter, Edith Lowers, on Aug. 6, 2016. Edith joins big sister, Genevieve. The family resides in Tampa, Fla.
David and Elizabeth McCuen ’09 are proud to announce that Blakely Ann McCuen was born on Jan. 1, 2018 at 10:54 a.m. She was the first baby of the New Year at Bon Secours St. Francis Health System. She is the greatgranddaughter of Cally ’48 and Joy Gault and granddaughter of Bob ’76 and Emmie An ’76 McLean. Woods is a proud big brother.
Melanie McFarland Spoon earned her license as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Tennessee in September 2018. She practices as a school-based mental health therapist and crisis therapist for a nonprofit community mental health agency in Northeast Tennessee. Megan Smith Zapf accepted a position with the Upcountry History Museum - Furman University, a Smithsonian affiliate, as the director of development earlier this year. The mission of the museum is to connect people, history and culture. Katie Benjamin McCann and husband, Adam, welcomed their first child, a daughter, Emaline Alice, on April 2, 2018. Katie is employed by Hospital Corporation of America as a pathologist assistant, and Adam works for the Department of the Navy. The family resides in Mt. Pleasant, S.C.
2007 Natalie Sarkowski Raygor and her husband, Kyle, welcomed Landon Christopher Raygor to the world on Feb. 9, 2018.
2005
Rev. Sarah Smith is serving a Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland as an assistant minister. She’s nearly 4,000 miles away from the PC campus, but says the Religion and Christian Education Department provided her with the resources she needs to better serve the members of the congregation — from the youngest to the oldest.
Sean Dixon has been hired as assistant men’s basketball coach at Middle Tennessee State University. He was previously at UNC Asheville as associate head coach. Sean has spent the last five seasons with the Bulldogs, starting out as an assistant coach before being elevated to the position of associate head coach prior to the 2017-18 season. Sean specialized in guard development and was recruiting coordinator while in Asheville. Prior to UNC Asheville, Sean spent four years on the coaching staff at his alma mater, PC. Sean played four seasons at PC, twice serving as a team captain. He earned second-team All-Big South honors as a sophomore and first-team All-Big South honors as a junior and senior. He finished his playing career with 1,106 career points before earning his bachelor’s degree in business management in 2007. The Marietta, Ga., native is married to the former Tara Westendorf. The couple has one daughter, Kinsley Grace. Melissa Dorando and wife, Cathy, welcomed their son, Robert Samuel Dorando, into the world on Nov. 20, 2017. They look forward to the next alumni weekend to show him off to old friends and soccer teammates!
2006
William Brust has finally achieved full-time, gainful, long-term employment after 12 years in the working world! After years of parttime jobs, graduate studies, and a brief stint as a teacher, William started working full-time at Georgia State University in January of 2018. Lindsey Spires Griffin and Charlie Griffin welcome a son, Frederick Gray Griffin, born Aug. 18, 2017.
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Rachel McCray-Harms and husband, Mathew, welcomed the birth of their son, Lincoln McCray Harms, on Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, 7.4 pounds and 21 inches.
Kailtlin McShea Messich and her husband, Dr. Reid Messich, welcomed a daughter, Lowry Reagan Messich, on Aug. 19, 2017. Lowry is the great-granddaughter of Dr. Thomas Lide, Jr. ’53 and Mrs. Anne Lide of Greenville, S.C. Kaitlin recently received a promotion to faculty at the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government in February 2018. Kaitlin serves as art director for a community planning and urban design unit.
Amy Tinsley was named executive director of the South Carolina Automotive Council (SCAC), a division of the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance, in October 2017. Amy joins the SCAC after spending eight years in the utility industry, most recently working with the president of Duke Energy South Carolina, leading strategy and planning.
Matt and Brittany Flowe Reese announce the birth of their second daughter, Lander Elizabeth, on Nov. 22. She was welcomed by big sister Merritt. The Reeses reside in Greenville, S.C.
Emily (Daniel) Wetsel and Michael Wetsel welcomed a baby boy, Holden John Wetsel, on Nov. 5, 2017.
2007
Mark Owens began his new job as president and CEO of the WinstonSalem Chamber of Commerce in December 2017. He had previously served as the president of the Greater Greer (S.C.) Chamber of Commerce.
2008
Lindsey Sink Dasher announces the opening of Dasher Law, PLLC in Matthews, N.C. Lindsey practices family law, collaborative divorce law, and wills and estates law in both North and South Carolina.
Erin Sinkuler graduated from Armstrong University with a master’s in sports medicine in 2014 and decided to go to chiropractic school at Life University in Marietta, Ga. She graduated in June 2017 as Dr. Erin Sinkuler. In 2016, she married her love and partner in crime/adventure, Joel Parks. In February 2017, Erin’s brother and sister-in-law, Zach Sinkuler ’10 and Regan Hayes Sinkuler ’09, welcomed Erin’s nephew Calvin to the world and now live in Dallas, Texas. Eric Tatum has been chosen as a partner for Banks, Stubbs and McFarland, LLP, in Cumming, Ga. Tatum will lead the domestic side of the firm, with his primary practice focusing on family law litigation. He also has experience in criminal defense litigation, personal injury litigation, and will and estate preparation. Eric graduated from Georgia State University’s College of Law and was admitted to the state bar in 2011. He was the owner of his own firm from 2012 to 2017.
2009
Berkley Aiken lives in Nashville, Tenn. and works for a PR and communications firm. She’s a proud member of the Class of 2017 Appalachian Trail thru-hikers! She embarked on the journey March 27, 2017, going North Bound from Georgia to Maine. Berkley backpacked 2,190 miles through 14 states for six months and one day, completing the epic trek on Sept. 28, 2017. Visit her blog for photos and stories from the trail: www.baconandbearbells.com.
Alumnae Gather for Annual Girls’ Weekend in Washington D.C. Blair Seymour McLeod ‘06, Courtney Bell Wood ‘06, Helen Wrenn Pridmore ‘07, and Katherine Bryant ‘07
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Dr. Jennifer Bryson is married to Heath Bryson ’06 with a 3-year-old daughter and a son on the way. She graduated from the PC School of Pharmacy in 2014. Jennifer earned the board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, as well as board certification in geriatric pharmacy in 2017.
Molly Inclan joined Converse College in April 2016 as the assistant director of the Converse Annual Fund. In August 2017, she moved into the position of assistant professor of accounting at Converse College. DJ Royals and her husband, Daniel Diaz, are proud to announce the birth of their son, Anthony Julian, on July 2, 2017. He is their first child. The family resides in Fountain Inn, S.C. DJ is a CPA with Ernst & Young LLP, where she holds the position of tax manager.
Alyson Whitley Hansard married Paul Hansard on Oct. 7, 2017, in Marietta, Ga.
Dr. Austin Shull and wife, Libby, welcomed their first child, Nathaniel Carlisle Shull, on Aug. 14, 2017. The family currently resides in Clinton, S.C. Austin is an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at PC, and Libby is a senior tax manager for Manley Garvin, LLC in Greenwood, S.C.
Haley Harper Kelly and Dylan Kelly welcomed their second child, William Hampton (Hamp) Kelly, in February 2018. His sister, Harper Lawrence Kelly, couldn’t be more excited! Wilson White graduated from Clemson University’s MBA program in 2017 and opened a State Farm office in Greenville, S.C., on June 1.
2010
Sally Besuden married Hal Michael Lott on April 14, 2018. In the bridal party: Taylor Randall Marlatt, Laurie Jossey Truitt, Erin Boland Rigot, Sallie Wham, and Anna Burch. Anna Burch was ordained to ministry in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Church in October 2017. She currently serves as minister to children at First Baptist Church in Greenwood, SC. She will graduate with a master’s of theological studies from Iliff School of Theology in June 2018.
2011
Kent Crymes is the new business development manager for Phillips Connect Technologies (PCT) in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. He first joined Phillips Industries in 2012 as a territory sales manager and was promoted in 2015 to OEM/OES sales manager for the trailer segment. Dr. Amber Giles completed her PGY-2 pharmacy residency in infectious diseases at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Fla., this past summer. After residency, she accepted a position at PC as an assistant professor of pharmacy practice with a practice site at an infectious diseases clinic in Spartanburg, S.C. Additionally, in December 2017, Amber was credentialed by the American Academy of HIV Medicine (AAHIVM) as an HIV Pharmacist. Statia Price Gubbels resides in Portland, Ore., with her husband, David. They married on Sept. 1, 2016. Statia is a store manager for Eddie Bauer. Her store received the 2017 Maxims in Motion Full Price Store of the Year award. She and David enjoy spending their days traveling the West Coast and experiencing new adventures.
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2012
J.L. Cannady, an agent with NAI Isaac in Lexington, Ky., has been promoted to senior associate. J.L. is a sales/leasing associate primarily focused on office and retail offerings within the Lexington, Ky., market. A Kentucky native, J. L. has been with NAI Isaac since 2013. After graduation from PC, he returned to Lexington, where he worked in multifamily housing for an up-and-coming property management firm. His previous experience includes construction quality assurance and investment management. J. L. obtained the distinguished Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation in October 2016 and is now an active member in Lexington’s CCIM chapter. Andrew and Meghan King Corley ’13 celebrated the arrival of their first child, Davis James, on Feb. 22. Meghan teaches third grade at Grassy Pond Elementary School in Gaffney, S.C., and Andrew is minister of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Shelby, N.C. Davis’ aunt, Rebecca Corley ’17, grandfather, David Corley ’83, and great uncle, Gary Corley ’77, are looking forward to Davis becoming a Blue Hose. Kelby Dodson and Heather Hinesley Dodson were married at Green Valley Country Club in Greenville, S.C., on Sept. 17, 2017. Both graduated from PC with a BS in biology. Caroline Burch McCormick and husband, Mac, welcomed their first child, Lawrence Patrick, on May 24, 2017. The family lives in Kennesaw, Ga., where Caroline is a math lecturer at Kennesaw State University. Caroline McGill earned an MBA from the College of Charleston this summer. Since completing her Bachelor of Science in psychology at PC, Caroline has served in Clinton and in Charleston as a licensed funeral director and embalmer. Her unique professional experience affords her valuable opportunities to write from the perspective of a young female funeral director in industry publications. At the core, she enjoys making difficult topics and situations more approachable. Caroline plans to build on this expertise as she pursues new opportunities in the Charleston area.
Shannon Riley married Matthew Smith in Smyrna, Del., Shannon’s hometown, on Dec. 22, 2017.
Tracy Williams is a senior therapist at Hope Reach and married his childhood best friend Aug. 27, 2017.
2013
Shawn Armstrong and Morgan Mixon Armstrong have been married for three years. They welcomed their first baby, Mary Harper, in October 2017, and are currently living in Columbia, S.C. Meredith Kathleen Johnson and Michael Palmer Hitch, both of Greenville, S.C., were married June 16, 2018 in Hartsville. Both Meredith and Michael are employed with Belton Middle School in Anderson School District Two.
Dr. David Sellman graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga., May 2018, and was accepted for a residency position in urology at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C.
Patrick Kennedy is in his final semester of coursework for joint master’s of public administration/M.A. international education management degree at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif. He plans to stay on the West Coast after graduation and is an active member of the PC Alumni of the West. (It’s a real thing, we promise.)
Jack Warren began a job as an associate channel strategist with The Buntin Group, an ad agency located in Nashville, Tenn.
Blythe Elizabeth Reynolds and Zachary Tyler Robertson were married on May 5, 2018, at Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church in Augusta, Ga. The bride earned her master’s degree from the University of South Carolina. She is employed by Lexington Richland District 5. The bridegroom is employed by Thomas Sumter Academy as the athletic director and a teacher. Laura Settle Watson married her best friend, Cody Watson, in 2015 and moved to Williamsburg, Va. They live within walking distance of Colonial Williamsburg and get to experience the history and beauty every day. Laura serves as the assistant director for the Victim/Witness Assistance Program in Williamsburg, where she is an advocate for children and adults who have been victims of crime. She loves her job and is happy to make a difference in the community. She is thankful for all that the Psychology Department at PC taught her and how her education has undoubtedly helped her in her career.
2014
Karlie Smith Cain moved to Chapel Hill, N.C., in the fall of 2016 and began work with The Rams Club at the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill, just in time for a men’s basketball national championship.
Dr. Holli Pender is a 2014 graduate of the Doctor of Pharmacy program and is excited to announce that she and Dr. Angela Eppolito ’14 (PCSP) completed work to be board-certified geriatric pharmacists in 2017.
2015
Ashlan Andrews graduated from The Citadel in May with a Master of Arts in international politics. Isaac Cooper is the new career development facilitator at Clinton Middle School in Clinton, S.C. He has also served as a coach for Clinton Middle School basketball and football as well as baseball at Clinton High School. Isaac works with PC’s CHAMPS program as a member of the support staff and character education teacher.
Joy Eckert graduated from George Washington University with a master’s of public health in December 2017. She and Patrick Zhou were married in May. Jay Lizanich and Ashtin Frank met during their freshman spring semester in 2012 and dated throughout their time at PC. Jay proposed to Ashtin on May 26, 2017, at a mountainside winery in San Diego, Calif. on family vacation. They’ll officially become College Sweethearts on Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018 in Greenville, S.C. In February 2018 Jay opened a wealth management and retirement services company, Summit Wealth Advisors, in Simpsonville, S.C.
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2015
While We Live, We Serve: Alumnus is honored to live the values of our motto in his community Adam Bradshaw is entering his fifth year in law enforcement at the Mauldin (S.C.) Police Department. While he is working in what has been traditionally referred to as the “road patrol,” Adam has had the opportunity to serve as a school resource officer at Mauldin Middle School and Mauldin High School for a couple of years. During his time as an SRO, he had the opportunity to serve as head coach of Mauldin High School’s JV lacrosse team. He recently returned from a training deployment with the South Carolina National Guard in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. During this time, he worked with the militaries of several Eastern Bloc countries and spent the majority of time in Romania and Hungary. He has earned a master’s degree in public administration and is working toward a Doctor of Education with an emphasis in educational leadership at Liberty University. He is honored to live the values of our alma mater, Dum Vivimus Servimus, “While We Live, We Serve.”
Shelby Petik is an assistant softball coach at Furman University. Kelsey Sasser has accepted a job with Spartanburg School District 2 as a school psychologist.
2016
Dr. Gonzalo Asis earned his Ph.D. in economics from UNC-Chapel Hill. He is moving to New York City to work in equity derivatives research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Mary Kate Bartlett Black was married last June. She is teaching with Teach for America in Baton Rouge, La., and working on a master’s in educational leadership at LSU. She recently accepted a job teaching high schoool in District 55 of Laurens County, of which she is an alumna. Jillian Collier completed graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, earning a master’s degree in library and information science in December. In March, after relocating back home to S.C., Jillian began work as public services librarian at Spartanburg Community College. Sara Messier enrolled in the physician assistant program at South University in Savannah, Ga. Moriah Vinski accepted a job offer with Pfizer as their U.S. drug safety assistant.
Maddie Sieloff ’15and Wyatt Mills ’15 were married on Sept. 30, 2017.
2017
Ashley Cowart has taken a job as the administrative assistant in the education department for Thornwell, working with Norman Dover ’81. Joshua McGill has been working as an English teacher at Zhejiang Wanli University, an exchange partner of PC, in Ningbo, China, since September 2017. It has been a very rewarding and enjoyable experience, and it has inspired him to pursue a professional path in international education.
In Memory of... Dr. Thomas T. Upshur IV ’36 of Lynchburg, Va., died October 21, 2017, at the age of 102.
Rev. Roy W. Coker ’41 of Charlotte, N.C., died October 25, 2017, at the age of 98.
Lt Col John Woodward ’38 of Melbourne, Fla., died February 3, 2017, at the age of 100.
Frances Speake McMeekin ’42 of Lancaster, S.C., died December 12, 2017, at the age of 95.
Agatha Jones Hiers ’39 of Hudson Oaks, Texas, died March 15, 2017, at the age of 98.
Dr. E. Peter King ’45 of Oakwood, Ohio, died January 6, 2017, at the age of 90.
Walter Eugene (Pete) Brooker ’40 of Denmark, S.C., died March 29, 2018, at the age of 98.
William Burgess Harvin ’46 (Matriculate) of Manning, S.C., died January 12, 2017, at the age of 92.
Willie Earle Davidson Boland ’41 of Clinton, S.C., died April 21, 2018, at the age of 97.
Andrew George Kavounis ’46 of Potomac, Md., died March 25, 2017, at the age of 91.
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William W. (Bill) Gaston III ’47 of Atlanta, Ga., died April 6, 2018, at the age of 92. Rev. Dr. James Henry Banbury ’48 of Charlotte, N.C., died August 23, 2017, at the age of 91. Roy Merritt Brown, Jr. ’48 of Lilburn, Ga., died January 25, 2017, at the age of 92. CDR (Ret.) James R. “Dick” Martin ’48 of Lake Junaluska, N.C., died March 8, 2017, at the age of 95. Milton Lamar (Booty) Ivey, Sr. ’49 of Spartanburg, S.C., died January 5, 2018, at the age of 90. Dr. Calvert R. Marsh, Sr. ’49 of Columbia, S.C., died May 8, 2017, at the age of 92. Wallace A. (Bull) Berry ’50 of Bishopville, S.C., died February 9, 2018, at the age of 94. Louis Blanding Fowler ’50 of Columbia, S.C., died November 22, 2017, at the age of 93. William Thomas Mundy ’50 of Greenville, S.C., died March 4, 2017, at the age of 88. Clayto Lamar Roberts, Jr. ’50 of Greenwood, S.C., died July 7, 2017, at the age of 90.
1934 - 2018 Dr. Rachel Stewart Three-time Fulbright Scholar
Annette Foster Brewer ’51 of Sandy Springs, Ga., died January 18, 2017, at the age of 89. Rev. Cyrus S. Mallard ’51 of Roswell, Ga., died December 22, 2017, at the age of 90. Joseph B. Dodd ’52 of Big Canoe, Ga., died October 16, 2017, at the age of 87. Robert Langley Blanz ’53 of Decatur, Ga., died February 4, 2017, at the age of 85. Dr. Harry R. Foster, Jr. ’53 of Lithonia, Ga., died June 29, 2017, at the age of 85. Maurice Perry Randle ’53 of Sumter, S.C., died February 2, 2018, at the age of 87. John E. (Bill) Willingham ’53 of Joanna, S.C., died January 10, 2018, at the age of 93. Rev. Dr. John D. Campbell, Jr. ’54 of Shelby, N.C., died September 18, 2017, at the age of 90. Warren L. Berry ’55 of Atlanta, Ga., died May 24, 2017, at the age of 83. Ralph DesChamps ’55 of Bishopville, S.C., died February 13, 2018, at the age of 87. Rev. Dr. James Patterson Fleming ’55 of Florida, died in March 2018, at the age of 84. John P. Newsome ’55 of Decatur, Ga., died April 12, 2018, at the age of 83. Lynn W. Cooper, Jr. ’56 of Clinton, S.C., died April 16, 2017. John Allen Morris ’56 of Greensboro, N.C., died February 27, 2017, at the age of 84. William (Bill) T. Taylor, Sr. ’56 of Orangeburg, S.C., died September 5, 2017, at the age of 83.
Dr. Rachel Stewart, professor emerita of English, died on Friday, May 11. Dr. Stewart’s animated and energetic teaching style quickly earned her reputation as an outstanding lecturer when she joined the PC faculty in 1973. “She was a consummate dramatist in class,” said Dr. Dave Gillespie, PC’s former vice president for academic affairs. “Her students would sit in awe. She was an absolutely superb teacher.” Dr. Stewart received the Board of Visitors Outstanding Service Award in 1981 and the Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award in 1983. She was promoted to full professor of English in 1986, and the following year became the first PC faculty member to receive a prestigious Fulbright award. She would go on to receive two more Fulbrights during her career. Dr. Stewart served as chair of the College’s faculty development committee and publications committee. She also served many professional organizations and committees, including the Harvard Club of South Carolina as vice president and president, and the South Carolina Committee on Composition. Dr. Stewart retired in 2001. “She was truly a remarkable and brilliant person,” said Dr. Dean Thompson, the Mary Henry and de Saussure Davis Edmunds Professor of English. Look for a feature on Dr. Stewart, written by Dr. Thompson, in the next issue of the PC Magazine.
Dr. Samuel N. Workman ’56 of Clayton, N.C., died April 13, 2018, at the age of 83.
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Dr. Floyd Edward Allen ’57 of Conway, S.C., died April 3, 2018, at the age of 82. Herbert Joseph Butler ’57 of Georgetown, S.C., died April 7, 2017, at the age of 83. Walter A. Mayfield, Jr. ’57 of Anderson, S.C., died October 26, 2017, at the age of 82. Dr. John Boyd Tennant, Jr. ’57 of Alcolu, S.C., died May 8, 2017, at the age of 82. Zachary ( Jay) Drake ’58 of Bennettsville, S.C., died September 27, 2017, at the age of 80. William H. (Bill) Yearick ’58 of Charlotte, N.C., died December 5, 2017, at the age of 81. Frank Dennis Duncan ’59 of Marietta, Ga., died March 9, 2018, at the age of 80. Nettie Murphy Young ’59 of Clinton, S.C., died January 28, 2018, at the age of 93. Bobby J. Salyer ’60 of Jacksonville, Fla., died April 11, 2018, at the age of 84. Thomas Alexander (Alex) DuBose ’61 of Abbeville, S.C., died August 29, 2017, at the age of 79. Lionel Demming Bass ’61 of Charlotte, N.C., died October 3, 2017, at the age of 81. Thomas C. Middleton, Jr. ’61 of N. Myrtle Beach, S.C., died March 17, 2018, at the age of 77. Rev. Lloyd Wayne Wiggins ’61 of Abbeville, S.C., died March 18, 2018, at the age of 84. Rev. Dr. Frank R. Sells, Sr. ’62 died November 3, 2017, at the age of 77. William F. (Bill) Bartee, Jr. ’63 of Atlanta, Ga., died July 15, 2017, at the age of 75. Thomas Edwin (Ted) Taylor ’63 of Sharpsburg, Ga., died October 15, 2017, at the age of 76. Frederick Richard Young II ’63 of Charlotte, N.C., died April 9, 2018, at the age of 78. Mark D. Sullivan III ’64 of Hilton Head Island, S.C., died March 19, 2017, at the age of 74. Charles Sterling Jernigan ’67 of Rising Fawn, Ga., died February 20, 2017, at the age of 72. Max Milligan III ’67 of Valdosta, Ga., died April 16, 2018, at the age of 73. Dr. Ramon (Ray) Priestino ’67 of Columbia, S.C., died July 22, 2017, at the age of 76. George Alfred (Al) Reid, Jr. ’67 of Clinton, S.C., died October 8, 2017, at the age of 72. David Bryson Rousey ’67 of Phoenix, Ariz., died June 24, 2017, at the age of 73. Sarah Stribling Gillespie ’68 of Brunswick, Ga., died May 20, 2017, at the age of 70. James Francis Howard III ’69 of Los Angeles, Calif., died February 5, 2017, at the age of 70. Ann Reddick O’Connell ’69 (matriculate) of Spartanburg, S.C., died September 13, 2017, at the age of 70.
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1966 - 2018 Dr. Jerry Alexander PC’s Victorian Presbyterian College mourns the loss of Dr. Jerry Alexander, who passed away at his home on March 23 after a brief illness. He is survived by a sister, Carol Lathan of Smyrna, S.C.; a niece, Wendy Catledge, and nephew, Garrett Catledge, both of York, S.C.; and his partner of 32 years, Marc Fiori, of Mauldin, S.C. Dr. Alexander received his B.A. and M.A. from Clemson University and his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He was associate professor of English and chair of the department. Dr. Alexander taught at PC for more than 20 years, with emphasis in 18th and 19th century British literature. He was a devoted advocate for his profession and especially his students. He served as special topics chair for the national College English Association for 18th Century British Literature and Learning Assessment. Dr. Alexander ended his Victorian Age class with a high tea, replete with homemade scones and clotted cream, as well as his family recipe for lemon pound cake. He served for 20 years as the faculty advisor to the Sigma Tau Delta English honor society, for which he planned elegant spring initiations followed by a celebratory supper. He was a tireless supporter of student research and directed multiple Honors and Summer Fellows projects. Annually, he escorted students to the Coker College Humanities Undergraduate Conference to present their papers, often at his own expense for those who could not afford to travel. The Department of English hopes to sponsor a memorial scholarship on Dr. Alexander’s behalf to promote student travel to conferences.
1933 - 2016
Memorial Endowment Honors Dr. Kenneth B. Orr’s Legacy President Emeritus Dr. Kenneth Bradley Orr served as the president of PC for 18 years, from 1979 to 1997. After Dr. Orr’s death, Dr. Ruth Currie, his wife of 16 years, established the President Emeritus Dr. Kenneth B. Orr Memorial Endowment to honor her late husband and underscore his legacy at Presbyterian College. The Memorial Endowment will fund the Orr Faculty Research Fellowship, to be awarded at the Honors Day Convocation each year to a qualified faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences. The selected faculty member will receive a stipend of $5,000 for a research project to enhance his or her classroom teaching to benefit PC students. In April 2018, the Rev. Dr. Thomas W. (Tom) Currie ‘64, Orr’s brother-in-law, and a PC graduate, made the official presentation of the Orr Faculty Fellowship. “President Orr’s legacy fits well the current and future strategic plan underlined in The Promise of PC campaign now underway. This is what Presbyterian College is all about,” Dr. Tom Currie said. During his tenure as president, Dr. Orr expanded the curriculum, increased the size of the faculty by 25 percent and achieved for the College the Carnegie designation of Excellence. His leadership team helped increase the PC endowment from $7 million to $52 million. He also built new or refurbished at least nine major buildings on campus. “His legacy is much more than even these things for a college today,” Dr. Tom Currie said. “President Orr supported every aspect of the student’s college experience.” In the 1980s, Dr. Orr secured the first restoration effort for Neville Hall. “He would have celebrated with you the recent accomplishments of the Neville Renewed Campaign,” Dr. Currie noted.
Dr. Orr frequently attended athletic games and events during his presidency and faithfully supported the Scotsman Club. He traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with Senators to secure funding for the ROTC program when it was in danger of being discontinued. Dr. Orr made PC a positive presence in the community by beginning the CHAMPS program. The program still works with at-risk high school students to provide encouragement and mentoring, with the goal of helping them get to post-secondary education. Always seeking to beautify the PC campus, Dr. Orr authorized the underground irrigation system for the front campus and the planting of Bradford pear trees for the back-campus drive. “My husband was proud of the College and often told me of his intent to see Presbyterian become a premier institution in the liberal arts and higher education,” Dr. Ruth Currie said. “Knowing that it is the faculty who mentor and inspire their students, this would be one important way to underscore his legacy at the college he loved and served for so many years.” “It is our expectation,” Dr. Tom Currie said, “that this Faculty Research Fellowship will continue to build on President Orr’s hope for academic excellence at PC, enhance the undergraduate experience for PC students, and honor well the name it bears of Dr. Kenneth B. Orr.” The Dr. Kenneth B. Orr Memorial Endowment is one way the Curries have honored Dr. Orr’s legacy. Last year, confident that he would approve her decision, Dr. Ruth Currie donated the vast collection of Dr. Orr’s Presidential Papers to the PC Archives. The gift includes presidential correspondence, sermons, speeches and much more during Orr’s presidency.
“Dr. Orr served PC at an important time in our history. This gift will allow future generations to gain a deeper perspective on his years leading PC.”- President Staton 57
Robert E. Setttle III ’69 of Smyrna, Ga., died September 14, 2017, at the age of 70. Randy Merchant Crowder ’72 of Newberry, S.C., died March 7, 2017, at the age of 71. Dr. Thomas W. Westmoreland ’72 of Spartanburg, S.C., died February 12, 2018, at the age of 67. Dr. Paul Lester Yantis III ’72 of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., died September 27, 2017, at the age of 67. Edward Charles Anderson ’74 of Clinton, S.C., died August 8, 2017, at the age of 65. Henry Duane Bodie III ’74 of Pendleton, S.C., died January 22, 2017, at the age of 65. Judy Birdsong Moore ’76 of Folly Beach, S.C., died May 14, 2017, at the age of 62. Julie Crowder Mitchell ’81 of Columbus, Ga., died November 3, 2017, at the age of 58.
Marion Hill Weersing PC’s First Dean of Women Marion Hill Weersing began serving as PC’s first dean of women in 1964, when the College was transitioning to become fully co-ed. Weersing led the women’s programs and activities with style and grace, always focusing on the social and spiritual development of female students. In 1975, she earned the Board of Visitors’ Distinguished Service Award for her efforts. “Dean Hill (as she was known when I was a student) and her compassion she demonstrated to me when my father died in the fall of my freshman year forever endeared me to Presbyterian College,” said Leni Neal Patterson ‘83, PC’s executive director of alumni relations. “She was graceful and gracious and was a significant role model for the women on campus.” Weersing served as dean of women until 1977, when she was promoted to dean of students. Weersing served in this capacity until retiring in 1980. When Weersing retired, PC’s Board of Trustees bestowed upon her the designation Associate Dean Emeritus of Students for her distinguished service to the College. Even in retirement, Weersing continued to receive recognition for her work at PC. In 1994, the College awarded her an honorary doctorate of humanities for her many contributions. Later, in 2004, she was named an honorary alumna by the PC Alumni Association. Weersing stayed close to the PC community after retiring from the College. “Not having seen or talked to her for many, many years, I received a phone call from Mrs. Weersing in 2006, congratulating me on being named dean of admissions here at PC,” Patterson said. “I was blown away that she remembered me and took the time to call. But that was the type of person she was. She certainly embodied the spirit of PC and influenced countless lives during her service at PC.”
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Katherine (Katie) Ann Dewitt Eyles ’82 of Cornelia, Ga., died April 13, 2018, at the age of 58. Michael H. Owens ’83 of Suwanee, Ga., died February 12, 2017, at the age of 57. Dr. Cari Finney Ouderkirk ’84 of Atlanta, Ga., died January 1, 2017, at the age of 54. James F. Panter ’84 of Lawrenceville, Ga., died January 5, 2018, at the age of 55. Marcus (Marc) Brown Prince IV ’84 of Tryon, N.C., died January 22, 2018, at the age of 55. Wayne (Tad) Justesen ’96 of Greenwood, S.C., died August 30, 2017, at the age of 43. Nathan Joseph Cain ’99 of Decatur, Ga., died November 9, 2017, at the age of 40. Margaret “Joy” Daffin Hiott ’07 of York, S.C., died June 6, 2017, at the age of 32. Dr. Ted Brown, former vice president for development at Presbyterian College, died May 20, 2017, at the age of 65.
1929 - 2018 Dr. Carl J. Arnold - A Tough, Caring, Student-Centric Business Administration Professor Dr. Carl J. Arnold, professor emeritus of economics and business administration, died on Tuesday, May 15. From 1969 to 1991, Arnold established himself as a “tough but caring teacher whose door was always open to students,” as he was described in A History of PC. He was known for his signature khaki pants, white shirt, and clip-on tie as well as his challenging multiple choice tests. And, for 22 years, Arnold often reminded students that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Arnold received the Alumni Distinguished Teaching award in 1974 and Charles A. Dana designation in 1978. The PaC SaC was dedicated to him in 1980, and the Board of Visitors recognized him for outstanding service to the College in 1984. The PC Board of Trustees designated Arnold to be named Emeritus Professor of Economics and Business Administration when he retired in 1991. Arnold always focused on students instead of recognition. As he said in a 1991 article in the PC Report, “I think you get farther just by doing your job the best you can. You can’t go seeking success; it will seek you out if you’ve done a good job. The recognition, respect, and affection others may have for you -- it takes care of itself. You don’t have to go after it.” The Carl J. Arnold Scholarship is awarded at the annual Society for the Advancement of Management banquet to "rising juniors or seniors who possess an exemplary work ethic and show promise in the field."
forever A marriage with so many roots in this place deserves to be commemorated in the heart of campus. Place your name on the wall with other met and married alumni in Neville Hall. Learn how and read some great love stories at www.presby.edu/metmarried
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Presbyterian College 503 South Broad St. Clinton, SC 29325
COME HOME INSPIRED | LOYAL | BLUE HOSE HOMECOMING 2018
OCTOBER 26-27 60
Presbyterian College is an equal education opportunity institution. The College’s admission standards and practices are free from discrimination on the basis of age, sex, race, creed, color, disability, ethnicity or national origin. As required by the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Crime Statistics Act, information regarding crime statistics, campus safety, crime prevention and victim’s assistance is available on the PC website at http://www.presby.edu/ campus-life/campus-police/crime-prevention/crime-statistics/. A paper copy of the report is available by request. In Compliance with Title IX, Presbyterian College does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities it operates. Questions regarding Title IX may be referred to the Presbyterian College Title IX Officer or to the Office of Human Resources. More information is available at http://www.presby.edu/title-ix/.
