Roanoke College Magazine 2019 Issue 1 by Roanoke College

ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE ISSUE ONE 2019

Table of Contents

8 D ePartMeN ts 2

PRESIDENT’S PEN BOARD OF TRUSTEES

SNAPSHOTS

WE HEARD FROM YOU...

COLLEGE NEWS • Model league competition • Prison exchange program • NEH grant awards

28 ATHLETICS NEWS • “Playing for her” • Athletic Hall of Fame 2019 Induction Class • Season highlights 32 ALUMNI NEWS • Class Notes, Weddings, Families • Alumni profiles • In Memoriam 42 MAROON MUSINGS “I’m a Lutheran” 43 COLLEGE ARCHIVES Play ball! 44 RELIC

10 features

10 Office Treasure We peeked into the offices of faculty and staff, and discovered objects that evoked laughter, tugged at our heartstrings, and told us a lot about the people who help make Roanoke College tick. BY K ELS EA P I ET ERS ’1 3 A ND CA RIS SA S ZUC H DI VA NT

20 Changing of the Guard A few words from the outgoing and incoming chairs of the Roanoke College Board of Trustees.

26 Shaking up Philanthropy

Micah Spruill ’11 breaks tradition by contributing Roanoke College’s ﬁrst gift of cryptocurrency. BY LES LI E TAY LOR

AT LEFT: The view from a Feb. 3 student hike to Flat Top Mountain, near Buchanan, Virginia. Flat Top is one of three mountains that make up the Peaks of Otter in the Jefferson National Forest. Photo by Carissa Szuch Divant.

ON THE COVER: The levitating light bulb in the office of Dr. Roland Minton, Roanoke College professor of mathematics, is part of his collection of optional illusions. While Minton can’t use the light bulb (fully operational, by the way) for anything math-related in his courses, “it’s just a fun thing to have,” he says. (See page 17.) Photo by Carissa Szuch Divant.

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PRESIDENT’S PEN

Roanoke College Magazine

he glow of graduation lingers on campus as I write this, two weeks after the 2019 Commencement on May 4. The forecasted rain held off, allowing the ceremony to take place on a sunny John R. Turbyfill ’53 Quadrangle. There, the shared pride and admiration for our graduates’ achievements was palpable. The Class of 2019 is rich with accomplishment — Fulbright scholars, an ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year, a rare triple major. The class includes three valedictorians — a record for the College. One, Matthew Johnson, will be attending Harvard Medical School in the fall. Another, Cody Dillon-Owens, plans to attend UNC Charlotte, where he will pursue a Ph.D. in health psychology. A third, William Lambert, will enter the doctoral program in aerospace engineering at Virginia Tech. These achievements shouldn’t surprise us. This College — the experience created by the “family” of people our students encounter during their years here — is awesome. Perhaps Matthew Johnson, in his valedictory address, best expressed how: “Professors, family, friends and peers…have taught me that it is possible to be a scholar and scientist, as well as a Christian. You taught me the importance of discovering my passions and pursuing them with all of my being. You taught me the significance of service. You taught me to listen to others with different viewpoints. You’ve enabled me to learn from everyone in some small way.” The world may be grappling with fakery, but we believe Roanoke is different from other places in a very real way. Students, from freshman orientation, pledge themselves to Roanoke’s reality: pursue truth, contribute to community, serve others, do your best. This is what makes Roanoke real. And this is what carries graduates through for the rest of their days. Go Maroons!

“

[Roanoke] taught me the importance of discovering my passions and pursuing them with all of my being.

— Matthew Johnson ’19

”

Editor Leslie Taylor Contributing Editors Teresa Gereaux ’87 Kelsea Pieters ’13 Alumni News Linda Lindsay Archives Linda Miller Dr. Mark Miller Contributors James France Rebecca Marsh ’21 Bethany Montrose ’19 Sharon Nanz ’09 Kelsea Pieters ’13 Photography Carissa Szuch Divant Ashley Eagleson ’20 Pete Emerson ’80 Ryan Hunt ’18 Design & Production Mikula-Harris Printing Bison Printing

Roanoke College does not discriminate against students, employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status. Roanoke College Magazine is published twice a year by the Office of Public Relations for alumni, students, parents, staff and friends of Roanoke College. Editorial rights are reserved. Questions, comments and corrections may be sent to: Magazine Editor Roanoke College Office of Public Relations 221 College Lane Salem, VA 24153-3794 rcmagazine@roanoke.edu

Michael Creed Maxey

2018 – 2019 | board of trustees Mr. Morris M. Cregger, Jr. ’64, chair Ms. Kathryn Snell Harkness ’73, vice chair Mr. James S. Frantz, Jr., secretary Mr. David B. Mowen, treasurer Mr. Michael C. Maxey, president of the College Mr. Kenneth J. Belton, Sr. ’81 Mr. Kirk Howard Betts Dr. Paris D. Butler ’00 Ms. Pamela L. Cabalka ’76 Dr. M. Paul Capp ’52 Mr. Joseph H. Carpenter, IV ’99 Ms. Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo ’78

Mr. W. Morgan Churchman ’65 Mr. Malon W. Courts ’92 Ms. Danae Psilopoulos Foley ’92 The Reverend Dr. Rick J. Goeres Mr. David L. Guy ’75 Mr. Michael P. Haley ’73 Ms. Judith B. Hall ’69 Mr. Richard S. Hathaway ’73 Ms. Peggy Fintel Horn ’78 The Reverend Robert F. Humphrey Mr. John E. Lang ’73 Mr. Patrick R. Leardo Mr. Michael A. Martino ’79

Ms. Nancy B. Mulheren ’72 Mr. Timothy J. O’Donnell Mr. Roger A. Petersen ’81 Mr. J. Tyler Pugh ’70 Ms. Margaret Lynn Jacobs Reichenbach The Reverend Dr. Theodore F. Schneider ’56 Mr. Thomas A. Stevens ’90 Mr. Andrew K. Teeter ’71 Dr. Patrice M. Weiss Ms. Helen Twohy Whittemore ’80 Mr. Chiming Tse and Mrs. Jennifer Tse (Ex-officio, Co-Chairs of the Parent Leadership Council)

221 College Lane | Salem, VA 24153-3794 | www.roanoke.edu

College Switchboard ....................................(540) 375-2500 Admissions Local .........................................(540) 375-2270 Admissions Toll-free......................................(800) 388-2276 Alumni/Parent Relations................................(540) 375-2238 Alumni E-mail .......................................alumni@roanoke.edu Church Relations ..........................................(540) 375-4958 Colket Center ...............................................(540) 378-5125 Intercollegiate Athletics .................................(540) 375-2338 Olin Box Office..............................................(540) 375-2333

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snapshots Let the countdown begin! The Class of 2019’s “100 Days Celebration,” held Jan. 31 in the Wortmann Ballroom (top left, continuing clockwise). • Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winner Jon Meacham poses for a selfie after his March 28 Fowler lecture “Leadership and Character.” • A student takes advantage of a break in late-winter temps on the Back Quad. • The Juried Biennial Exhibition at Olin Hall Galleries featured a range of fine arts media. • Bill Kendig ’80, son of Roanoke’s seventh president, Dr. Perry Kendig, with President Michael Maxey at the planting of an American beech tree, dedicated April 5 in President Kendig’s memory. • Dr. Brad Braxton, of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, returned home to Salem as featured speaker at the 2019 Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Celebration on Jan. 21.

When I was at Roanoke College I worked for her mother at a mail order company in Salem. She was a wonderful person to work for and I can see how she would inspire her daughter. [Comment on Roanoke College FB post about Carole Crotts Rich ’79 receiving the 2019 Alumni Medal.] Carl Hayslett ’84

Roanoke College retweeted: Environmental Studies at Roanoke College @CollegeRoanoke

Congratulations @RoanokeCollege’s Garden Club for being named Club of the Year! We’re proud of your hard work!

WE hEARD fRoM you

Roanoke College

LE TT ER S AND NO TES FRO M T H E C Y B ER SPH E R E

Roanoke College

Over the weekend, three of our freshmen took on the legendary Triple Crown Hike, which is a 37- mile loop in the Blue Ridge Mountains including McAfee Knob, Tinker Cliffs and Dragon’s Tooth. They hiked for over 17 hours and experienced over 20,000 feet of elevation change during the trek. They did this in an effort to raise money for Earthbound, Roanoke’s student organization committed to environmental awareness. They collected 5.4 pounds of trash. Great job, Maroons!

Thanks to Dr. Brooks Crozier, professor of biology, for sharing a little about his uncle Fred Rogers [of the preschool TV series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood] with us on his birthday today [March 20]. @RoanokeCollege Roanoke College retweeted: HopeTree @HopeTreeFS

Three Roanoke College seniors gave our seniors a treat yesterday. After spending time at HopeTree Academy for a project, these students were so impressed that they invited our seniors for a personal tour, a meeting with the financial aid office, and lunch in the caf. Thank you!! Roanoke College retweeted: Theatre Roanoke College @TheatreRoanoke

LETTERS I truly enjoyed the article “Caring for Roanoke” in the last issue. Staff like Juanita and Gordon Lee are gems, and are one of the many reasons Roanoke College earns such a special place in the hearts of students who choose RC. Thanks Juanita and Gordon for dedicating your careers to Roanoke College! Jan Morehead ’89 Midlothian, Virginia

Roanoke College

“I’m grading you this summer...” “Oh, I know.” Shout out to @RCMCSP for their annual Pi Day fundraiser for @WestEndCenter! #PieDay

SOCIAL MEDIA

BEHIND THE SHOOT

I remember those days. I pretty much slept in one of the silent study rooms for a week. [Comment on Roanoke College FB post: “Good luck with exams! We know Fintel will be the second home for many this week.”]

Carissa Szuch Divant, photographer for the Roanoke College Office of Public Relations, captures a “high five” between outgoing and incoming Board of Trustees chairs Morris Cregger and Malon Courts. See the “Changing of the Guard” feature, which begins on page 20.

Lee Nixon ’08

You know what’s fun? When your heroes come see you in their play. @theatreroanoke @RoanokeCollege Thanks, @huntbell for coming to surprise our cast of [title of show]! #titleofshow EDITOR’S NOTE: The Theatre Roanoke College cast of the spring musical, “[title of show],” was surprised by a special guest on their closing night on April 13. Hunter Bell, who wrote and developed the show, was in the audience.

We want to hear from you! Roanoke magazine welcomes letters and emails about what you read in this publication. Mail letters to: Magazine Editor, Department of Public Relations, Roanoke College, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153, or send an email to: rcmagazine@roanoke.edu. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and may be edited for content.

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4 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

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collegenews

Members of the Roanoke College Model Arab League delegation display their certificate awards at the SERMAL conference.

Model uN and arab League groups excel at spring conferences Two history majors received a first-place award in Environmental Affairs.

ROANOKE COLLEGE STUDENTS participated in three diplomatic conferences on the regional and national levels this spring, winning awards at each. The Roanoke College Model Arab League delegation in April participated in the National University Model Arab League (NUMAL) in Washington, D.C. Two history majors, Mia Petrucci ’20 and Tim Shay ’19, received the Outstanding Delegation (first-place) award in Environmental Affairs for their representation of Palestine. This was Roanoke College’s first time participating in NUMAL, which started as an informal demonstration simulation at Georgetown University in 1983, and has grown to host more than 400 students from 25 colleges and universities. In March, the Roanoke College Model United Nations League received a third-place award at the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference in New York City. It was the first time in 23 years that the College’s Model UN delegation received recognition at the NMUN-NY, which draws participants from more than 130 UN Member States to address current global issues. The Roanoke College UN delegation — one of the smallest of the delegations from 200 schools and universities that participated in this spring’s conference — received the award for their representation of the State of Palestine. Petrucci and Shay received Outstanding Delegates, Environmental Affairs, at the South Eastern Regional Model Arab League (SERMAL) conference, held in Spartanburg, South Carolina in March. This was the third year in a row that Roanoke

College competed at SERMAL. The Roanoke College delegation represented Qatar at SERMAL. The delegation won second overall and won individual awards in every category — a first for the College. Individual and group awards went to: • Mary Rose Stark ’21 – Outstanding Delegate, Palestinian Affairs; • Simon Gardehl ’22 and Bradley Sperl ’22 – Distinguished Delegates, Economic Affairs; • Emily Cranford ’22 and Christa Waterwiese ’19 – Distinguished Delegates, Joint Defense Council; • Casey Wilson ’21 – Distinguished Delegate, Special Council on Women and Children; • Sasha Bronder ’19 – Distinguished Delegate, Social Affairs; • Paul Manville ’19 – Distinguished Delegate, Political Affairs; • Ryan Denholm ’22 and Dan Nahor ’22 – Superior Delegates, Head of State. The delegation, as a group, received the overall Distinguished Delegation award for their representation of Qatar. The Model Arab League and Model UN League offer students the ability to research deeply into the politics of the Middle East, meet with like-minded students, hear from diplomats and scholars, hone their professional and leadership skills, and travel to the region. In addition, the leagues are focused on competing on behalf of Roanoke College and in doing so, instill school pride. “They absolutely did that,” said Dr. Robert Willingham, associate professor of history who, with Dr. Joshua Rubongoya, professor of public affairs, serve as league advisors. ROANOKE.EDU

collegenews SCH O LA R

Henold receives Fulbright fellowship DR. MARY HENOLD, John R. Turbyfill Professor of History at Roanoke College, will spend the 2020 spring semester teaching in Hungary as a Fulbright scholar. Dr. Henold will be teaching courses at the Institute of English and American Studies at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest, Hungary. Teaching there will offer “what I believe will be an enriching mid-career challenge: adapting my established approaches for students who are non-native speakers, non-history majors and have not been trained to the particular narrative of American history common in our K-12 educational system,” Henold said. She also hopes to see American historical narratives through the eyes of Hungarian students. In the classroom, Henold said she will focus primarily on questions concerning American identity formation and motivation, “key themes for those seeking to understand what Americans say and why.” Henold, who has taught history at Roanoke since 2005, chose Hungary and Pázmány Péter because of her family ties to the country. “My great-grandparents came to the United States from Hungary in the late 19th century,” Henold said. “I’m excited to explore my own origins, but as a historian of Catholicism I’m also looking forward to observing the Catholic community in Hungary from which my great-grandmother emigrated 125 years ago.” — Rebecca Marsh ’21

IN N OVAT IV E L E A RNI NG

College partners in prison exchange program ROANOKE COLLEGE, in collaboration with the Roanoke County Jail, has launched an Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, a unique educational experience that brings together traditional college students and incarcerated individuals for semester-long courses that explore issues of crime and justice from behind prison walls. The program is modeled after one founded at Temple University in 1997 on the premise that incarcerated and non-incarcerated students might mutually benefit from studying together as peers. Inside-Out’s mission is to “foster social change through transformative education.” The program exposes traditional college students to the realities of incarceration, while exposing inmates to academic content and pro-social interactions with college students. Dr. Daisy Ball, assistant professor of criminal justice at Roanoke College, received training through the Temple University program, which allowed her to establish courses in correctional settings. Her course, introduced in the 2019 spring semester, is the first of its kind taught at Roanoke College and the first for the Roanoke County Jail. The program is one of only a handful of Inside-Out programs in Virginia. “Involvement in the Inside-Out program is a highly educational and memorable experience for all involved,” Ball said. “This program epitomizes Roanoke College’s commitment to both experiential learning and community involvement.” 6 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

Dr. Daisy Ball, assistant professor of criminal justice, with students in the spring semester Inside-Out course, taught at the Roanoke County Jail.

This spring semester, the Roanoke College/ Roanoke County Jail course met once a week at the jail for CJUS 261: Special Topics in Criminology. Ball and 10 Roanoke College students went to the jail once a week for class with 10 incarcerated individuals. Students first learned the foundations of criminological theory, then were tasked with critically analyzing various social problems — including white-collar crime, juvenile delinquency and mass incarceration — through the lens of theory. Students who completed the course received one course credit.

The course culminated with a research project and final presentation to administrators of the Roanoke County Jail and Roanoke College. A closing ceremony was held on April 22. “I am very grateful to all of those who made this class possible,” one student shared on the last day of class. “It has sparked a desire in me to finish out the process of getting my college degree. Thank you also to all of the “outsiders,” or traditional students, for sharing this experience with us. All of you have made us feel a part of the class and without judgment.”

H UM A NI T I ES

Roanoke College receives two NEH grants ROANOKE COLLEGE HAS BEEN AWARDED two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, part of a $28.6 million grant initiative to shore up the nation’s history, literature, historic sites, regional traditions and cultural institutions. On March 28, the NEH, an independent federal agency that is one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States, announced grant awards for 233 humanities projects across the country. Roanoke will receive $97,785 for two projects. An Infrastructure and Capacity Building Challenge Grant of $62,785 will support the creation of a Humanities Collaboration Center on the groundfloor of Roanoke College’s Fintel Library. The center will include a flexible, multimedia classroom and lecture venue for the humanities, improved public

“These grants represent a significant accomplishment for the College.” — Dr. Richard Smith, vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, and dean of the College

areas to accommodate individual learning and small group activities, and technology upgrades that align with today’s teaching and learning methods. The College also received a $35,000 Humanities Connections Planning Grant to develop an interdisciplinary archaeological curriculum that incorporates skills and perspectives from the humanities and the sciences. The

project, titled “A Liberal Arts Approach to Archaeological Curriculum,” was one of only 19 Humanities Connections Planning Grants awarded in this funding cycle. These grants “represent a significant accomplishment for the College,” said Dr. Richard Smith, vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, and dean of the College. “This funding will allow both of these projects to keep the humanities relevant in a modern and changing world that still needs the liberal arts.” Two awards at the federal funding level is a significant achievement for Roanoke College and for Southwest Virginia. The competitive NEH grant process involves four rounds of judging and reviews. NEH offers a variety of grant programs to individuals and organizations that do the highest- quality work to promote the humanities.

H ONO R

Former Hershey VP receives Roanoke College Medal CAROLE CROTTS RICH ’78, a former Hershey Company vice president, was awarded the Roanoke College Medal during the 2019 Alumni Weekend in April. The medal recognizes Roanoke alumni who have demonstrated leadership, intellectual integrity and a dedication to serving their communities. Rich, born in Salina, Kansas and raised in Salem, Virginia, graduated from Roanoke with a degree in urban studies but found her sweet spot in the manufacturing world. During her 30-year tenure at Hershey, Rich served as a production planner and in various management positions in shipping, manufacturing and plant operations. She rose to manager of plant operations in Savanna, Georgia, and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. At one point, she was the only woman plant manager at Hershey Company. Later, she served as director of manufacturing and eventually, vice president of manufacturing, chocolate. Rich’s reputation as a successful woman leader in manufacturing led to recognition, not only among her colleagues, but also by Fortune Magazine in 2000 and CBS Evening News in 2001. In her retirement, Rich volunteers with Habitat for Humanity Women Build, The First Tee youth development golf program and other organizations. In 2005, Rich established the Doris B. Barba and Carl W. Crotts Scholarship at Roanoke Carole Crotts Rich with Roanoke College to provide scholarships to full-time College President Michael Maxey students from the Roanoke Valley. at the Medalist ceremony. ROANOKE.EDU

collegenews

“I encourage each of you not to fear the battles that have yet to come but to embrace them. You are not done growing. And it’s the challenges in life you still have to face that are going to shape who you were meant to be.” — Cody Morgan Dillon-Owens, co-valedictorian, Class of 2019. A psychology major, he will attend UNC Charlotte to pursue a Ph.D. in health psychology.

Confetti flutters around Kaylin Stenson, center, and classmates Taylor Stewart, left, and Katie Wismer, at right, during the 2019 Commencement ceremony on May 4. Photo by Ashley Eagleson â&#x20AC;&#x2122;20.

BY KELSEA PIETERS ’13 / PHOTOS BY CARISSA SZUCH DIVANT

What we keep in our offices says a lot about us. Perfectly coordinated desk accessories and piles of clutter aside (although both can speak volumes), we’re referring to the deeply personal things — the cool, weird, fun stuff that sparks conversation, brings a smile to visitors’ faces, maybe freaks them out a bit. That is the stuff Roanoke magazine sought when we asked College faculty and staff what unusual, cherished belonging had made its way into their office. We were overwhelmed by the response: nearly 60 replies, each object and related story funnier, more heart-tugging and more fascinating than the next. Page space limitations being what they are, we couldn’t feature every one. What follows on this page, and the following nine pages, is a mere sample. Enjoy — and for more, visit roanoke.edu/magazine.

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Sitcom central JOE BOUCHER / Director of Student Activities OBJECT: “King of the Hill” figurines Boucher has mementos from his past life lining a bookshelf in his Colket Center office. He produced all 13 seasons of the TV show “King of the Hill,” and these figurines came with him from Los Angeles to Salem. Fun fact about his time working on “King of the Hill”: The Colkie Awards, given out annually to Roanoke College organizations, were inspired by The Swampies, “King of the Hill” staff office awards. “We do a lot of things around here that came from my time working on ‘King of the Hill,’” Boucher says. Another fact, this one for fans of the TV show “The Office”: The Dundies were also inspired by The Swampies. Greg Daniels, producer of “The Office,” worked on “King of the Hill” with Boucher.

Old-school accounting KATHRYN VANNESS / Financial Projects Advisor OBJECT: General ledger books A massive leather-bound book sits open on a table in Vanness’s office in College Hall. Another one, thousands of pages thick, sits under a lamp on her desk. “These are the old-fashioned general ledger books, which is how all of the accounting was done for the College, by hand. This one is from 1930,” she says, flipping through pages of numbers and gorgeous script. The two books were found in the basement of the business office during a post-flood clean-up a few years ago. Also found were audit reports from 1937 and 1958, and scholarship contracts from 1907 and 1923.

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Museum worthy MICHAEL MAXEY / President of Roanoke College OBJECT: Hat from Tajikistan “My ofﬁce is a veritable museum,” says Maxey. He has bricks from old buildings on campus; a dulcimer made by shop employees out of a campus Ash tree; a bowl made by George Arthur, retired professor and Olin Hall technical director, from remnants of the Bittle Tree; and, as shown here, a hat worn by village leaders that was gifted to him by a student from Tajikistan.

Beatlemania THE REV. DAVID DELANEY / Director for Youth and Young Adult Ministries, Virginia Synod ELCA OBJECT: Beatles “shrine” Delaney’s Beatles fandom took him all the way to Liverpool last year. In his Bittle Memorial Hall office he displays photos of him crossing the famous Abbey Road — that’s Delany’s re-enactment in the top left photo — and in a backyard positioned next to a young John Lennon photo. He found the exact spot where that picture of Lennon was taken decades ago. “I even tried to find a matching shirt,” says Delaney. “It was high on my list, to find my way to St. Peter’s Church, where The Beatles’ ‘big bang’ happened.” The Beatles shrine in his office was almost entirely gifted to him: a lunchbox full of notes, a Beatles Mount Rushmore painting, figurines. His real collection, he says, is at home.

One man’s office is another man’s… MARK WILHELM / Plumber, Building Maintenance OBJECT: Lego toilet on wheels Wilhelm’s office is his van, and his cherished object is glued to the dashboard of his 1990 Ford van. It’s a little Lego toilet on wheels, gifted to him by his daughter, Breanna. “She gave it to me when she was 4 or 5, and I’ve carried it around in every vehicle since then. I’ve been a plumber for 22 years. The van is my office,” Wilhelm says. Wilhelm has been the school’s plumber now for five years, and Breanna is enrolled as a junior at Roanoke College. She occasionally leaves notes on her dad’s van when she sees it around campus.

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The simplicity of soccer SCOTT ALLISON / Athletic Director OBJECT: Thatched soccer ball The curios in Allison’s Cregger Center ofﬁce serve as a testament to his dynamic career at Roanoke College. There are signed soccer balls from his time as coach of the men’s team; a fan’s hard hat from his last game in 2012; a trinket from one of the team’s trips to Brazil; and mug from nowclosed Bel-Loc Diner in Baltimore, owned by friend Bill Doxanas ’74. It is a thatched soccer ball from former Assistant Coach Will Krause’s time serving in the Peace Corps in Africa that gives Allison perspective on the game. “It shows the simplicity of soccer. All you really need is a ball.”

Cone collection DR. MARWOOD LARSON-HARRIS / Professor of Religion OBJECT: Pinecone collection Pinecones line the shelves of Larson-Harris’s well-lit West Hall ofﬁce. It’s a collection spurred by the interest of his daughter, Zoe. He brought some pinecones home a few years ago, and she began identifying them and creating handmade labels. Since then, he’s collected pinecones from 50 different trees from multiple states and countries as far away as India and Korea. “The tallest conifer has one of the smallest cones, and the largest cone comes from a modest-sized tree,” LarsonHarris says. Therein lies a lesson.

The anti-staple LINDA MILLER / College Archivist OBJECT: Paper clip collection In the 1970s, Miller was hired through a National Historical Publications and Records Commission grant to do collection processing of congressional and senatorial records at Duke University. The job required sifting through decades of documents, and “a lot of it has to do with getting rid of rusty staples and paper clips,” she says. “I started to wonder if I could ﬁll a trash can over the year. Paper clips are very small. I only had 2½ inches of them at the bottom after a while. When I started working on the Fowler papers here, I wanted to try again.” She now has students putting paperclips and staples aside, and hopes to melt them down into a metal sculpture one day — possibly of a big paper clip.

Woodwork DR. CHAD MORRIS / Associate Professor of Sociology, Director of Honors Program OBJECT: Palauan storyboards Morris has helped establish a special relationship between Roanoke College and the island nation of Palau. Since 2012, he has led three groups of students to conduct public health work there for May Term. “Our students in Palau this past May worked with the ministry of education and ministry of health, asking questions about school nutrition. Students in global health this semester and honors global health in the fall have worked with that data in order to create promotional materials for the schools with help from the college’s pathways program.” On the walls of his office in New Hall are Palauan storyboards. One is shaped like a turtle, with intricate carvings across the shell that tells a specific story, a gift from Moses Uludong, the publisher of Palau’s first newspaper. He gave the storyboard to the group on their last night in Palau, indicative of a shared admiration.

The “Roanoke plant” DR. BRENDA POGGENDORF ’81 / Vice President, Enrollment & Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid OBJECT: Office plant Poggendorf was a student here in 1978 when her mother visited for parent’s weekend. They were at a reception in the brand-new Olin Hall, when Poggendorf’s mother took some leaves from a decorative plant, wrapped them in a wet napkin and slipped them into her purse. She carried them around all weekend, took them back home to San Francisco and planted the leaves, where they began to grow. “In the early ’80s after I graduated, I was home, and the plant was big and beautiful. I asked where she got it, and she said ‘It’s the Roanoke plant,’ so I took some leaves from her plant, and that’s where my ofﬁce plant came from. It moved from Virginia to Wisconsin back to Virginia, and I have given a lot of my college friends their own Roanoke plant,” says Poggendorf. “I don’t know what the real name of this plant is; we’ve just always called it the Roanoke plant.” 14 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

Spock ’n stuff DR. MARTHA KUCHAR / Professor, English and Communication Studies OBJECT: Russian trinkets and Star Trek tchotchkes “My Russian stuff and my Star Trek stuff is kind of all mixed up,” Kuchar says of her ofﬁce in Miller Hall. She has a bobblehead of Spock displayed among Matryoshka nesting dolls, a small oniondomed Slavic church, and a mini samovar, a device traditionally used to heat and boil water. Her Star Trek trinkets omit sounds and alarms from the original series. She also has a box of chocolate cake mix from Russia that she found, oddly, at a second-hand store in Salem. Kuchar was a Fulbright researcher in Ukraine and Moldova, where she picked up some of her Slavic sundry objects. As for her Star Trek tchotchkes? She’s a big fan!

Well, hello Henry… DR. TODD PEPPERS / Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs OBJECT: Photo of Henry Fowler and Carol Channing Peppers’ ofﬁce in West Hall is a veritable museum. He has Dr. Pepper signage, bobbleheads of world leaders, a bell celebrating Victory in Europe Day made from melted-down parts of German ﬁghter planes, among other items. He also has a jar of raw asbestos to commemorate a previous life when “I was a lawyer who represented companies that used asbestos.” Also of great note: a photo of well-known Roanoke alumnus, the Hon. Henry H. Fowler ’29, dancing with actress Carol Channing. “I hold the Fowler chair, named after alum Henry Fowler. He was in Lyndon Johnson’s cabinet, and a big supporter of Johnson was Carol Channing. So my wife found this picture of Henry Fowler dancing with Channing, and I sent it to her two years ago when she was 95, half-blind with arthritis. She still signed it and sent it back to me.”

Family keepsakes LIBBY CAMPER / Assistant Director of Campaign and Volunteer Relations OBJECT: Shadowbox of father’s Roanoke College memorabilia Camper’s sister-in-law helped design the Pine Room bar of the Hotel Roanoke when it reopened in 1995. To highlight area colleges, a piece was created with Hollins and Roanoke College mementos — including the 1938 Roanoke College yearbook of Camper’s father, and several photographs of the College football team. “He played football for Roanoke…On the football ﬁeld he was called Slimy because he was hard to catch,” says Camper. The piece hung in the bar for years until it was remodeled, then went into storage. As a former employee of the hotel, Camper was able to track it down to hang in her current ofﬁce in Ayres Hall. “I couldn’t think of a better place to put it,” she says.

Holy Scripture DR. NED WISNEFSKE / Charles & Helen Schumann Professor of Lutheran Theology OBJECT: Hand-stitched biblical passage Behind Wisnefske’s desk in West Hall is a handstitched biblical passage in German. Wisnefske believes it was given to his grandparents as a wedding gift in 1906, and he has found a way to use it in class. The passage is from the book of Isaiah. Says Wisnefske: “It illustrates a point about how people interpret the Bible, and how it can speak to people in different circumstances.”

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Honoring Dad SUZANNE HINER / Director of the Roanoke Fund OBJECT: Bobblehead of her father, Willis White On a table near the desk of her Ayres Hall ofﬁce, Hiner keeps a bobblehead of her father, Willis White, longtime math teacher and football coach at Salem High School, where he helped lead the 1996 team to a state championship. “The team was a little scrappy and had a rough start to the season,” says Hiner. “After he retired, the school wanted to do a nice thing for him at a Salem Red Sox game, so they had a Willis White Appreciation Night where they gave out bobbleheads, and my dad threw the ﬁrst pitch.” The Willis White bobblehead holds the trophy from that 1996 championship game.

Mind-bender DR. ROLAND MINTON / M. Paul Capp & Constance Whitehead Professor of Mathematics OBJECT: Levitating lightbulb Minton is evidently an enthusiastic supporter of all sports. His Trexler Hall office is filled with paraphernalia from his alma maters. (And two of his three books are about sports.) He also has an interesting collection of illusions, like a levitating lightbulb. While Minton can’t use it for anything math-related in his courses, he says “it’s just a fun thing to have.” He also has an optical illusion of Einstein’s head that he can use in a class that explores how the brain works. He first saw that illusion in a museum, “near the food court, and everyone was really hungry. I was picking up the food when I saw the illusion and I thought I had lost it.”

Old school DR. TOM CARTER / Associate Professor, English and Communication Studies OBJECT: Old cellphones Carter has an ofﬁce object quite apropos to what he teaches: a timeline of old cellphones, the oldest being a 1997 bag phone. “I leave it zipped up, plop it down on the table in class and ask if anyone knows what this is. They pick up on the antennae and think it’s a radio,” he says. No wonder it stumps students — most of them were born after the phone was made in 1997. Also of note: a Dixie cup sculpture of carpet backing chemical. Who knew Carter started his career as a chemist?

Eclecticism TALIA LOGAN / Olin Gallery Director OBJECT: Artful objects When your ofﬁce is Olin Gallery, everything counts as an “unusual object.” Beyond the art, a few special items stand out to Logan. A funny collage that looks like a crying baby hangs near the box ofﬁce window. It was the by-product of a bigger project for a group on campus. Then there are the discarded tools of artist Steve Keene, a New York-based artist who curated a show in Olin in 2017. Logan found them in the trash and decided they should be preserved and displayed on a shelf. And, of course, there’s Sandy, Logan’s rescue pug. “She’s only laid on one painting so far.”

Fan art JEREMY RUCH / Assistant Director of Development OBJECT: Painting of singer-songwriter Bob Dylan Ruch is a big Bob Dylan fan. The painting of Dylan in his Ayres Hall ofﬁce was a birthday gift done by one of the 8th-grade students he taught at Faith Christian School in Roanoke. “The interesting thing is, [the student] had a crush on a guy in my class and they ended up going out…I just attended their wedding in January.”

Learning tools CATHERINE SARISKY / Associate Professor of Chemistry OBJECT: LEGO robots Sarisky describes herself as a LEGO junkie. “I kind of eat, sleep and breathe LEGOs, and on your typical day there are 20 or more LEGO pieces in my purse.” It’s an interest she’s melded with academia and community. Her ofﬁce objects, LEGO WeDo robots, are products of an INQ class that has students coaching First LEGO League Junior teams at the West End Center for Youth, a Roanoke community center that provides after-school and summer care. She hopes to expand the League beyond the classroom and continue to bring LEGO robotics to local kids who can’t afford it. 18 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

Reference material SARAH BATTAGLIA / Campus Safety Coordinator OBJECT: 1988 secretary’s handbook. This secretary’s handbook, printed in 1988, was given to Battaglia by Tom Turner, former director of campus safety, who retired in 2014. While she might not need to reference how to make corrections on carbon paper anymore, some things, like letter-writing, have timeless instructions. “They don’t call us secretaries anymore, but I still use the book,” says Battaglia, who keeps the book in her ofﬁce in the Campus Safety building.

Chamber of critters DR. MARY CAMAC / Associate Professor of Psychology OBJECT: Faux critters Camac may win the prize for most unusual objects. Fake critters and toys abound to create a lighthearted environment in her office in the Life Science building. “I cope with stress by laughing. I have a very low threshold for humor, and I find it everywhere.” She likes rodents, as evidenced by the stuffed hamsters and chinchilla pop-art. She has a set of mullet magnets and a guide to roadkill called “Flattened Fauna.” And then there’s a fake vulture that lives high on a top shelf because, she says, it tends to frighten her students. “I like things that other people find gross.”

Changing of Roanoke College Board of Trustees leadership transition will occur in fall of 2019.

“To be nominated and considered as the next board chair of Roanoke College is an incredible honor and quite humbling...” — Malon Courts

t the February 2019 meeting of Roanoke College’s Board of Trustees, an election was held for the new board chair to succeed Morris M. Cregger ’64. Elected to the position was Malon W. Courts ’92. Courts, who is believed to be the youngest person to serve as Board of Trustees chair in the College’s 177-year history, will begin his term as Roanoke’s 18th board chair at the October 2019 board meeting, as Morris Cregger concludes his second term as chair. Courts, a board member since 2002, is president and chief execu-

“I have been honored and humbled to serve as the Board of Trustees chairman of Roanoke College.” — Morris Cregger

the guard tive officer of Atlantic Investment Company in Atlanta, Georgia. He also serves as partner and chief compliance officer of Capstone Global Investments, managing partner of Colony Capital Management, and manager of Five Stand Capital. “To be nominated and considered as the next board chair of Roanoke College is an incredible honor and quite humbling, as I reflect on the significant talent and dedication of the women and men who I have come to know and respect on our board,” Courts, of Atlanta, wrote in a letter to the board earlier this year. “If you were to peer inside my inner core, you would find a deep…sense of respect and moral obligation toward this institution we call Roanoke College.” Courts has served his alma mater in a variety of roles. A former member of the President’s Advisory Board, he has chaired the Board of Trustees’ Long Range Planning Committee as well as the Trusteeship Committee. Courts also served on the Executive Committee and the Investment Committee. A member of the Atlanta alumni chapter, Courts served on the Roanoke Rising Steering Committee and was a co-chair of the Atlanta regional campaign. Courts and his wife, Sarah, have two children, Avery, a freshman at Roanoke, and Sophie, a high school sophomore. Roanoke roots run throughout the Courts family. His brother, Clay Courts ’97, sister-in-law ingrid Strelka ’89, and her husband, dan Strelka ’89, are graduates of Roanoke College. Sarah Courts is a graduate of Hollins University.

Morris Cregger steps down after leading the Board of Trustees for eight years as chair and serving a total of 20 years as a board member. One of his early acts on the board was to institute a term limit of up to eight years for board chairs to allow for more trustees to serve in leadership roles. Cregger’s support and leadership of Roanoke continues to reshape the College. He was a member of the Roanoke Rising Campaign Steering Committee and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni. Roanoke College recognized Cregger and his wife, Sheila, with the naming of the Morris M. Cregger Center. Cregger is a firm believer in the importance and value of student athletics in shaping student development and character. He and his wife, Sheila, epitomize the best in the great tradition of American philanthropy and have dedicated themselves to assisting current and future generations in the same way they were assisted in their own educational journeys. The two were awarded honorary degrees at the 2019 Commencement. “I have been honored and humbled to serve as the Board of Trustees chairman of Roanoke College,” Cregger says. “I am most proud that the board was always supportive of my efforts during a very difficult time for higher education, but I feel Roanoke is a better place at the end of my journey.” Roanoke College magazine asked the outgoing and incoming board chairs to reflect on their years of board leadership and membership, and peer into the future to offer thoughts of what lies ahead for the institution.

Q&A: MORRIS CREGGER AND MALON COURTS RC: What have been the College’s greatest accomplishments over the past decade? Morris Cregger: The last decade would be reflective of a period featuring the “Great Recession,” which created tremendous pressure on our financial and banking systems, failure of many notable businesses, and a stock market that retreated in value at a pace not viewed since the Depression years. Higher education was not immune to the effects of this recession. Colleges scrambled to meet their required enrollment numbers, and tuition costs were lowered through resets and discounting far below normal discount rates. Roanoke felt the same pressure of other colleges > ROANOKE.EDU

Q&A: MORRIS CREGGER AND MALON COURTS and universities but still continued to grow its physical facilities with the addition of new dorms and the Cregger Center, now the largest building on campus. In addition, the capital campaign raised $204 million, representing the most successful in our history. The College also was able to get through these very difficult times and maintain a balanced budget. Malon Courts: Over the last decade, the College’s most significant accomplishments have been the many improvements to the physical campus, fine-tuning our curriculum, implementing the Roanoke Difference and completing—and surpassing—a $200 million campaign. The results of these efforts are evident with record numbers of applications, record number of Fulbright scholars and a record number of Roanoke graduates accepted into medical schools. RC: What are the greatest challenges and/or threats facing the College in the next year, the next ﬁve years, the next decade? Courts: The most significant challenge facing the College in the coming years is the changing business model of higher education. The cost of a college degree has far outpaced household incomes and as a result, all colleges and universities—from schools smaller than Roanoke College to large state universities—must adapt to the new economic constraints of providing high-quality education and experience for students. The number of high school graduates is expected to drop by 15% in 2026 due to lower birthrates during the Great Recession of the late 2000s. In today’s competitive higher-education landscape, Roanoke College must prepare now by providing a relevant and cost-effective education that is differentiated by our unique culture and scale that guarantees each student a very personal experience that cannot be replicated at large universities. I hate when I hear people describe Roanoke College as small, like it is something we need to apologize for. Small is a strength. You cannot offer, at large institutions, the quality and personal experience that Roanoke does in an undergraduate environment. I want to celebrate our scale and not think about it as problem. RC: How do you view the role of the Board of Trustees — beyond supervising the president, setting the College’s direction, and managing the College’s ﬁduciary health? Cregger: The role of the board changes with time to meet what is required to support our mission and goals. Beyond the obvious, as outlined in the question, I see the board as a protector of the reputation of the College. In addition, we have a responsibility to promote the College in a positive way in regards to recruitment and in our local communities. We should be a sounding board for our president and his staff, but we should not micromanage the process. We are the anchor of the ship, and we have the responsibility to assure we steer through the storms. Courts: Beyond the technical description of the Board of Trustees’ responsibilities, the board should be the loudest and most audacious cheerleaders for the institution. Roanoke College is blessed with talented and dedicated women and men I have come to know, learn from and respect. Each one of these board members gives unselfishly of their time, talent and treasure to the College. The Roanoke College Board of Trustees is a working board and not a mechanism for a rubber stamp. Each member of our board shares a 22 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

love for the College and sees the quality education Roanoke delivers that guarantees students a personal experience and meaningful relationship with faculty and staff. RC: How do you view the role of board chair? Cregger: The board chair should bleed Maroon and have the utmost respect and passion for the College. The board chair should support and make decisions that ensure the integrity and the best interest of the school. The chair should work closely with the president but also should hold him accountable to the standards of his position while always having his back. Lastly, the chair should be a facilitator between all segments of the College but especially between the board and the president. RC: As outgoing board chair, what would you like to pass on to your successor? What, that the board set in motion during your tenure as board chair, would you like to see him build on? What new and diﬀerent would you like to see him explore? Cregger: Our board at Roanoke is a very close-knit group with passion and appreciation for our experiences at the school. Our new board chair is at the top of the list in regard to his love for Roanoke. I am confident that the agendas we started during my tenure, which was a collective effort of the board, will be continued and achieved. We cannot predict the future, but if I had one piece of advice for our chair and board, it would be to continue our search for new revenue sources and become more aggressive with our investment opportunities. RC: As incoming board chair, what advice/direction are you seeking from your predecessor? What do you want to build on? What new and diﬀerent would you like to explore? Courts: Morris envisioned and led the design, construction and completion of the largest building on campus, the Cregger Center, as well as the successful conclusion of the most extensive capital campaign in the College’s history. Those accomplishments were farreaching and set the bar pretty high for his successor. I am seeking guidance from Morris on helping Roanoke College be the best it can be. There has been a lot of attention on who would succeed Morris Cregger as board chair. But the role of board chair is not about any one person, it is about the thousands of students who have entrusted us with helping them achieve their life goals. Students and families have entrusted us with their education. That is where I am focused and seeking advice and input. There is no organic “new direction” that I want to lead the College; I want to continue the strong, steady, progressive course that Morris has established. Roanoke College is moving definitively in the right direction. The Roanoke Difference, for example, significantly improves what Roanoke College already does quite well. We need to continue to raise the endowment by becoming less dependent on tuition, and market Roanoke College as the unique institution of higher education it has become. RC: How does it feel to assume the position of Board chair of your alma mater? Courts: Right now, it is as energizing as it is frightening. You know in life there are several things you don’t want to mess up: your family

relationships, your marriage, your kids, and being the chair of your alma mater’s Board of Trustees!

repetitive process of self-reflection—who we are and how we want to contribute.

RC: The student experience today at Roanoke College is very diﬀerent from when you were students at Roanoke. Where and how can the College enhance that experience? Cregger: I have often stated that I received an excellent academic curriculum during my four years at Roanoke as a student. More importantly, the maturing process in learning the discipline required for success, along with the encouragement and advice from so many of my professors, gave me a confidence that has lasted a lifetime—and these lessons were outside of the classroom. I am excited with our focus to continue with our “Whole Person Experience” curriculum, as it will surely separate the Roanoke College experience from many of our sister schools. This will require that the entire Roanoke College community adopt this as a culture and for our board to continue to support this initiative and to assure that funding is available. Courts: Liberal arts will always be at the center of the Roanoke College experience, but we must continue to add fields of study that are relevant and applicable to the changing world. Our newest major, Actuarial Science, is a great example of an essential new discipline of study that has a foundation of core liberal arts. We have seen and will continue to see massive innovation and disruption in every industry and business process; this includes the business of higher education. It is difficult to know or predict how rapid technological innovations such as automation and artificial intelligence will ultimately impact higher education, but as an institution, we must be willing to lean into disruptive innovation and be ready to pivot. Traditionally, higher education has been very slow and resistant to change. I consider this a significant opportunity and, at the same time, a significant challenge.

RC: After serving two terms as Board chair what are you most proud of? Cregger: The first business when I became chair was to establish a term limit of eight years for the board chair. After serving in this position for eight years, I believe this is a guideline for future board chairs to adhere to. I have stated throughout my career as chair that I am a firm believer that great things are achieved by the efforts of many working together toward common goals. I must confess my chest swells up every time I visit the Cregger Center but I am also humbled

RC: What distinguishes Roanoke from other institutions of higher learning? Courts: Roanoke College is distinguished from other institutions by its culture and appropriate size. Culture matters, but it is challenging to describe to an individual who has never experienced it first-hand. Our size permits each student to have a very personal experience and relationship with faculty, staff and fellow students. Many institutions of significantly larger size cannot deliver the same profoundly personal experience that Roanoke College can—and does. The entire institution has been wired that way since 1842, making it very difficult for other institutions to replicate. Our culture fits perfectly with our curriculum. Simply put, it’s The Roanoke Difference. Our students are led through a very deliberate process to understand who they are, how they fit into society, and what contribution they want to make to their future employer and the world at large. Part of our curriculum that I am very proud of is the intense, deliberate and

by the magnitude of the accomplishment that carries my name. This dream could never have been accomplished without the overall support of our board’s vision and generosity, or without a president who possesses the knowledge and understanding of the impact the Center has had on both the College and the community. And of course, a special thanks to all the many people who gave of their time and treasure, far beyond expectations, to fund this magnificent structure. RC: What do you consider Morris Cregger’s greatest accomplishment? Courts: That is an incredibly difficult question to answer, similar to declaring the single best flavor of ice cream! When I think about all that Morris has accomplished in life—from his basketball career at Roanoke College, to his family, his business and contributions to the College—there is one accomplishment that stands out: his partnership with his wife, Sheila. I have little doubt that behind much of Morris’s achievements stands Sheila Cregger, who is his partner in life, marriage and business. Morris and Sheila are equally deserving of our appreciation for their enormous contribution and generosity to Roanoke College. RC

ROANOKE.EDU

givingnews Greg Dowdy ’82, chief operating officer of American HealthCare, LLC – Heritage Hall Healthcare and Rehabilitation Centers and new member of the Associates Society, presenting at a 2018 conference in New Orleans.

“

I want to see young folks have the same experience and opportunity I did. — Greg Dowdy ’82

” 24

G I VI N G W I T H P U RP O S E

Creating opportunity, preparing a path IN MARCH 2018, GREG DOWDY ’82 delivered the health care industry equivalent of a TED talk at the American Health Care Association’s annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Dowdy was asked to talk about managing people in the workplace, with the focus on the unique style of management at American HealthCare, LLC – Heritage Hall Healthcare and Rehabilitation Centers in Roanoke, where Dowdy serves as chief operating officer. Dowdy is a naturally gifted public speaker. In the talk, which can be found on YouTube (Google “LED Talks 2018: Greg Dowdy”), his words are peppered with humor and exude good, common sense. He speaks with passion, and with knowledge acquired from years of experience in long-term care. Dowdy was 24, married and out in the working world, when he and his wife, Terry, made the decision that he would go back to school. He was young, determined and had earned an associate degree in education from Virginia Western Community College when he enrolled in a few evening classes at Roanoke in the spring of 1981. Dowdy recalls that when he told Dr. John Spitz — then a business and economics professor and department chair at Roanoke — that he wanted to complete 2½ years of business coursework in 1½ years, Spitz tried to dissuade him. But by December 1982, Dowdy had completed all of the required coursework — and graduated with honors. Two months before Dowdy was scheduled to complete his last semester at Roanoke, he applied for a job as an assistant

administrator at a Roanoke retirement community. The job interview was scheduled for the same day and time as a test in Business Policy, the capstone course of the Business Administration curriculum. Edward McClelland, then an associate professor of business administration who taught the course, “let me come back to take the test later. He told me, ‘Getting a job is what you came back to school for, right?’” Dowdy recalls. That interview led to a job that launched Dowdy’s 37-year career in health care. Prior to his current position, he served as chief operating officer for the Roanoke retirement community that hired him in 1982 and where he worked for 27 years. He has been a licensed nursing home administrator since 1985 and a nursing home preceptor since 1988. “What the degree got me was the opportunity and the foundation to build on,” Dowdy says. “That foundation was what prepared me and put me on a path.” In recent years, Dowdy had felt a desire to reconnect with Roanoke College. Last December, he made his first gift to the College and became a member of the Associates Society, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. “When you reach a certain age, you think about the legacy you are leaving for others,” Dowdy says. “I want to see young folks have the same experience and opportunity I did. There are challenges out there and Roanoke College is trying to prepare students to meet those challenges and achieve success. That’s what it’s all about.”

DAY OF GIVING: April 10, 2019

he spring 2019 Roanoke College Day of Giving, held on April 10, was a great success, raising a total of $324,472. Students (shown here modeling Giving Day T-shirts and volunteering at the “Gratitude Station” in the Colket Center), alumni, parents and friends joined the 24-hour event to support students and celebrate the longstanding tradition of giving back. Giving far surpassed the initial goal of raising $100,000 in 24 hours. The total raised includes a special challenge gift from Trustees Malon Courts ’92, Nancy Mulheren ’72 and Morgan Churchman ’65 who matched gifts made to the Roanoke Fund, dollar for dollar, up to $50,000.

BY THE NUMBERS:

ROANOKE.EDU

givingnews

Shaking up philanthropy Micah Spruill ’11 breaks traditional giving with Roanoke College’s first gift of cryptocurrency. icah Spruill ’11 majored in biology at Roanoke College, with plans to enter medical school after graduation. That is, until he was introduced to Dr. Dar Jorgensen’s physiology research lab, known not only for producing medical school-bound students, but for its disciplined method of study and research. Spruill shifted his pursuits to finance but because of that rigor, was well prepared for the shift and the challenges it posed. He learned that at the fundamental levels of everything, even finance, is math and science. “It gave me an entirely different perspective on finance than other students who did study finance, not sciences,” Spruill says. The pull toward finance was so great that Spruill spent the summer between his junior and senior years interning in daytrading. At the start of his senior year, Spruill approached Dr. Larry Lynch about enrolling in Lynch’s Student-Managed Fund class, in which students use their skills, innovation and teamwork to responsibly grow an actual investment portfolio, a portion of the College endowment. Initially, Dr. Lynch told Spruill that the class was reserved

“The desire to give back came from the rich relationships I had with professors and mentors in my life while I was in school.” strictly for finance students. But when Spruill shared details of his day-trading internship, Lynch “made an exception and allowed a biology student into the class,” Spruill says. The class was transformational, Spruill recalls, so much so that it sealed his desire to pursue a career in finance. Moreover, the opportunity Dr. Lynch extended to him left a desire to ensure future Student-Managed Fund students had the same opportunity — with a slight twist. This year, Spruill gave Roanoke College its first gift of cryptocurrency. It is in the form of bitcoin, which is, in the simplest terms, “a type of digital currency.” Bitcoin can be used as an investment vehicle. “I knew I always wanted to give back to the school, but I wasn’t sure in what form,” said the Atlanta, Georgia-based Spruill, who is co-founder and managing partner of Xsquared Ventures, a blockchain-focused venture capital fund. He also is founder and chief executive officer of MS2 Consulting — chief operating officer is Ben Everest ’13 — 26 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

B Y L E S L I E TAY L O R

a consulting firm in the blockchain space. (Blockchain is the record-keeping technology behind bitcoin, now widely used by other cryptocurrency.) Spruill’s gift — an initial 6.5 Bitcoin ($25,000 at the time and already appreciating in worth) with an additional $25,000 over the next six months — will be managed by students in the Student Managed Fund class. (The fund, created in 2004 at a value of $500,000 is now valued at more than $1.1 million.) Spruill believes his gift distinguishes Roanoke as one of the few, if not only, higher-ed institutions to have cryptocurrency invested in and managed by students.

Micah Spruill ’11, who gave Roanoke College its first gift of cryptocurrency.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICAH SPRUILL

“When you are the product of something that shapes who you are in a good way, then as a human being you want to afford those who come behind you the same opportunity.” Dr. Timothy Carpenter, assistant professor of business administration and economics who teaches the Student Managed Fund class at Roanoke, shares that belief. “This gift makes us one of the first institutions to make trading in cryptoassets with real money available to our students. To our knowledge, we are currently the only institution with this offering, which once again puts us at the leading edge of experiential learning in finance,” Carpenter says. “Our students now have the incentive and opportunity to examine these assets and to put their research into action,” he adds. “This gives the opportunity for a greater understanding of this emerging sub-field in finance, which opens up new potential placement opportunities upon graduation, particularly given our proximity to Blacksburg [Virginia], a budding hub in this field.” That Spruill’s gift is not in the form of cash, check or stock, is an intentional nod to his generation. He cited a recent survey that asked if millennials would rather own stock or cryptocurrency. “The majority said cryptocurrency,” Spruill says. In fact, a 2018 study found that people under the age of 30 are more likely to spend money on cryptocurrencies, finding in-

Clockwise from top left: Micah Spruill, with wife, Elizabeth, and pup, Bella. Spruill, far left, with Ingrid Strelka ’89, Kathy Chisom and Dan Strelka ’89 at President’s Advisory Board dinner in September 2018. Spruill’s gift will serve as a “real-world” learning tool for the College’s Student Managed Fund class.

vesting in them less intimidating than putting money in the stock market. Spruill said he believes blockchain technology and its accompanying tool, cryptocurrency, will be one of the most “disruptive” technologies — meaning shaking things up — since the internet. “Cryptocurrency is going to disrupt money, or the way we view money and understand money, in the same way the internet disrupted forms of communication, payment, laws and more,” Spruill says. “It’s going to shape the way we interact with money.” Spruill’s gift of bitcoin, he says, serves as a “gateway” for others who might be considering giving in the same paradigmshifting fashion. “I wanted to break down barriers and break the friction,” says Spruill, who is a member of the President’s Advisory Board at Roanoke. “It’s not going to be the last time someone gives a gift of cryptocurrency; it’s going to be the first of many.” ROANOKE.EDU

athleticsnews

Ian Davies during a March match against Kenyon College.

“Playing for her”

“

I felt like I went from playing for nothing to playing for something. I could play for my Mom. — Ian Davies ’19

” 28

Roanoke goalie Ian Davies’ late mother was his inspiration during his senior year season. B Y JO N ATH A N S IG A L THIS PAST WINTER, Bill Pilat ’85, coach of the Roanoke College men’s lacrosse team, called his senior goalie, Ian Davies ’19, the best in college lacrosse. Davies, the 2018 National Goalie of the Year and a First Team All-American, sure had the talent to back that up. “He’s so fast and so quick,” Pilat said at the time. “He sometimes does things wrong technically, but he’s so fast it doesn’t matter. That’s rare. You think a shot is going low but it’s really going high, and he still saves it. Most people can’t do that.” But for much of his freshman year, Davies was Roanoke’s No. 2 option between the pipes, as classmate Burke McManus ’19 received the lion’s share of minutes. McManus and Davies, roommates as sophomores and seniors, shared a friendly competition. Like any goalie battle, one tends to win out. “We were always each other’s biggest supporters, each other’s biggest fans,” McManus said. As that fateful 2016 season unfolded, it wasn’t as if Davies wasn’t talented. It was quite the opposite, as he’d graduated from Germantown Academy, the high-end prep program near Philadelphia. But focus and clarity, for a position that leans upon both traits so heavily, was lacking. In late March of 2016, Davies’ mother, Cindi, had what she thought was vertigo while driving on the highway. A few days later, she had a stroke, after which doctors discovered she had

Stage 5 lung cancer. Cindi Davies was given only a few months to live. Ian Davies, at his mother’s wishes, stayed through second semester to finish the Maroons’ lacrosse season and wrap up classes. He’d fly home to Utah, once everything wrapped up. All would be well, they trusted. “Since she had a stroke, she lost her speech,” Davies said. “I would FaceTime her before practice, after practice, after a game. We couldn’t really have a dialogue, so I would just tell her about my day. She was always asking about the team and Coach Pilat and everything. I would give her updates. We were always in touch.” Nearly a month went by when Davies didn’t play at all. But then an ODAC semifinal game against Lynchburg College came around on May 7, 2016, and McManus was struggling. Pilat looked to Davies, who entered in relief, making 12 saves on 17 shots as Roanoke lost 16-14. “It was probably the coolest experience I’ve had playing lacrosse since I knew my Mom was watching,” Davies said. “We ended up losing, but I remember thinking how cool it was for my Mom to see.” With the season over, Davies returned to his family, and his mother began to defy the odds. She was healthy for most of Davies’ sophomore year in 2017, off chemo and had switched to another immunotherapy treatment. Davies became the go-to

starter, more focused on lacrosse as family life cleared up. “She couldn’t come to a lot of games because we were so far,” Davies said. “But my sister and Dad told me she’d sit by the computer and every time I made a save she would mark it down. She’d have a tally going and if I turned the ball over she’d have a column for that. She loved watching us play. Once she got her speech back some we’d always talk about lacrosse.” Roanoke again lost to Lynchburg in the ODAC semifinals in early May of that year, and Davies returned home. Shortly after, his mother’s health took a turn for the worse. On June 25, 2017, Cynthia Kathleen Davies, 51, died. “When it first happened, I just wished it was a dream or something,” Davies said. “But you keep waking up and it’s the reality you have to deal with.” Davies, back home, had time to prepare for what was coming. His lacrosse family at Roanoke, though, was entirely caught off guard. “Next thing I know I get a text from Ian that his mom passed away,” Pilat said. “I thought everything was OK and everybody on the team did too. It was kind of a shock. Ian was home, and people reached out to him. Everyone on the team reached out.” McManus, one of Davies’ closest friends at school, planned to fly out for the services, only for work to get in the way. His family and several others sent bouquets of flowers and messages of support.

Davies with family at the Senior Night match against Hampden Sydney College on April 3, 2019.

“I’ve been a part of so many teams in my lacrosse career, but I’ve never seen a team come together so much for a guy,” McManus said. “We had his back from the start.” Roanoke lacrosse, especially then, became one big family. “It’s just that lacrosse brings people together,” Pilat said. “It always has.” As hard as it was, life went on for Davies. Pilat saw a new goalie when Davies returned for the 2018 season, and it showed on the field with a 9.24 goals against average and .570 save per-

“I’ve been a part of so many teams in my lacrosse career, but I’ve never seen a team come together so much for a guy.” — Burke McManus ’19

Davies in action at a 2017 match against Bridgewater College.

centage. The postseason awards came, too, as Roanoke made the NCAA tournament’s second round. Asked what changed, Davies quickly knew the answer. “People would ask me what changed,” he said. “It’s easy. I felt like I went from playing for nothing to playing for something. I could play for my Mom. She helped me out a lot my junior year, even after she passed away. Learning to play for something was really important.” Davies’ biggest supporter was never far, and she wasn’t during his senior year either. He suffered a knee injury against Christopher Newport University on Feb. 27, but quickly bounced back as Roanoke found its groove after some earlyseason troubles. Roanoke even finished the year at 11-8, missing the NCAA tournament by a hair. The Maroons fell to Washington and Lee University in the ODAC semifinals, so an automatic bid remained elusive. Through it all, Davies was a rock. He had a career-high 0.575 save percentage and graduated with a 9.75 goals against average. In 2019, Davies made just over 13 saves per game. His motivator? Playing for something bigger than himself. “Nothing has really changed from last year,” Davies said before the season’s end. “It’s still playing for her. I always will play for her.” Jonathan Sigal is a sports writer based in the Northeast whose work has primarily appeared in The Boston Globe, The Athletic, US Lacrosse Magazine and MLSsoccer.com. A 2017 graduate of Boston University, he puts special focus on soccer, hockey and lacrosse – the three sports he grew up playing. This article originally appeared in US Lacrosse Magazine. It is reprinted in Roanoke magazine with permission.

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athleticsnews STAN DO U T S

Four inducted to RC Hall of Fame FOUR DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI ATHLETES — J. J. Blatt ’97, Harold “Ace” McConnell ’03, Robby Pridgen ’03 and Meredith Withers ’08 — were inducted into the Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame during the Alumni Weekend in April. Established in 1971, the Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made history while coaching or playing for their respective athletic programs at the College. At the time of his graduation, Blatt was the 11th all-time leading scorer in Roanoke Men’s Lacrosse history. He accumulated 161 career points on 101 goals and 60 assists, and led the team in both assists (29) and points scored (58) during the 1995 season. He was a First-Team All-American selection following the 1995 season after earning his first All-American honor a year prior. He was also a First-Team All-ODAC selection in 1994 and 1995. McConnell was a defending midfielder and considered the best ever to play that position in the Scott Allison era. A three-time All-ODAC selection, he was named First-Team All-ODAC in each of his final three seasons. McConnell was a two-time NSCAA All-Region player, was selected to the VaSID All-State Team, and was the Maroons 2002 Team Captain. He was also a member of Roanoke’s 2001 and 2002 ODAC Championship and NCAA

Tournament teams. McConnell finished his career with a record of 83-27-4. Pridgen closed his career as the sixth all-time leading scorer in Roanoke College basketball history with 1,586 points. He also finished as the program’s leader in free-throw percentage (.864) 3-pointers made (228) and fifth all-time in 3-point percentage (.401). His nine, 3-point field goals against Eastern Mennonite in 2003 set a Roanoke College single game record. Defensively, he finished his career tied for ninth all-time with 133 steals. A three-time All-ODAC selection, Pridgen was named First-Team AllODAC as a junior and senior. He was also a two-time NABC All-Region selection and was a member of Roanoke’s 2000 ODAC Championship team. Withers was a multi-event athlete who won numerous titles at the ODAC Championships and qualified for the NCAA National Championships three times in the heptathlon. In total, Withers won eight individual ODAC titles and placed in seven other individual events. Her teams won six ODAC team titles. She qualified and competed at three National Championships and still holds two school records. Withers was the 2005 ODAC Rookie of the Year and the 2006 ODAC Athlete of the Meet at the Outdoor Championships. Withers was also named the 2006 Roanoke College Female Athlete of the Year.

The Roanoke College Athletic Hall of Fame 2019 Induction Class, left to right: Harold “Ace” McConnell ’03, J. J. Blatt ’97, Robby Pridgen ’03 and Meredith Withers ’08. The four Maroons were inducted during Alumni Weekend in April.

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s CO r eB Oa r D

rC|highlights BASEBALL 21-18 (16-6 ODAC)

SOFTBALL 18-21 (7-13 ODAC)

MEN’S LACROSSE 11-8 (6-4 ODAC)

WOMEN’S LACROSSE 12-7 (6-3 ODAC)

MEN’S BASKETBALL 19-8 (11-5 ODAC)

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 18-10 (9-9 ODAC)

MEN’S TENNIS 7-12 (5-6 ODAC)

WOMEN’S TENNIS 10-8 (8-4 ODAC)

MEN’S TRACK & FIELD Fifth at ODAC Championships

WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Third at ODAC Championships

GOLF Closed out the 2019 season at ODAC Championship at Bryan Park Champions Golf Course in Browns Summit, North Carolina. Nick Peters ’20, finished 16th overall.

MEN’S SWIMMING Second at ODAC Championships

WOMEN’S SWIMMING Third at ODAC Championships NOTE: As of May 14, 2019

Jack Howard ’19 was named ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Quinn Harlan ’21, at left, competed in this year’s NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships.

• Four Roanoke College standouts have been named to the 2019 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Baseball All-Conference Team. Kevin Ledford ’21 and Will Smith ’21 were named First-Team All-ODAC, while Gavin Kandrick ’21 and Jack Howard ’19 were named to the third-team. Howard earned the ODAC ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year recognition. • Quinn Harlan ’21 finished fourth in the 60M at 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, held March 9 at the Reggie Lewis Track and Field Athletic Center in Boston, Massachusetts. Harlan crossed the finish line in 7.711 seconds (7.72) to earn fourth place just .002 seconds ahead of fifth-place finisher Savannah Rygiewicz from Wisconsin La Crosse. With a fourth-place finish, Harlan earned All-American honors for the second year in a row at the indoor championships. • Men’s Basketball standout Josh Freund ’19 was named First-Team All-State by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) in April. It was the second consecutive First-Team All-State honor for Freund and the latest in a long line of postseason awards for Freund. • Three Maroons were selected to the 2019 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Women’s Tennis All-Conference Team. Arabella Goralski ’19 was named First-Team All-ODAC at No. 5 singles. Carolyn Kitsock ’20 was named Second-Team All-ODAC at No. 2 singles, while Janny Alvarado ’20 was named Second-Team AllODAC at No. 4 singles. • Six Women’s Lacrosse standouts were named to the 2019 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) All-Conference Team. Katie Clements ’19, Emerson Foster ’22 and Jenn Schwechheimer ’19 were all named FirstTeam All-ODAC. Ellie Armstrong ’21 was named second-team, while Lilly Blair ’22 and Sarah Kroneberger ’19 were third-team choices. • Jennifer Calascione ’19 set a school record in the discus with a mark of 41.95m at the Liberty Twilight Meet in May. The mark also ranked tops in the ODAC and 31st in the NCAA. Corbin Turner ’21 set a school record at the Liberty meet with a mark of 4.35m in pole vault. • Claire Eisenhart ’22 and Claudia Roncone ’22, both standout student-athletes in field hockey, were named as Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Scholars of Distinction for having at least a 3.90 cumulative GPA following the completion of the 2018 fall semester.

For the latest scores, go to

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alumninews

Roanoke College magazine welcomes news of your recent accomplishments and/or transitions.

You can write to us at: Office of Alumni Relations, Roanoke College, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153-3794; call us toll-free at 1-866-RCALUMS; fax us at 540-375-2398; email us at alumni@roanoke.edu or update your record online at www.roanoke.edu/maroonsonline. Due to space constraints and time between issues, submissions might appear in an upcoming issue. Editorial contributions are welcome but subject to editing. Photographs may be used as space permits, submitted in print or digital format. Digital photos must be 1 MB in size or larger. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee return of contributed materials. We look forward to hearing from you!

class notes 1940s June Cline Hock ’46 is proud to note that her Roanoke legacy includes her grandfather, The Rev. Robert H. Cline, class of 1885, and her father, Dr. Robert F. Cline, class of 1919.

1960s Howard Beck ’63 and his wife, Harriet, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in September 2018. Peter R. Hill ’65 is commander of the American Legion Post 38 in Haddonfield, New Jersey. Steve Disbrow ’66 and his wife, Marilyn, have moved from northern California to warmer climes further south in Napa, California.

1970s Lt. Col. Robert Samborski ’78 has been appointed by Texas. Gov. Greg Abbott to the Governor’s Committee to Support the Military. The committee will actively look for ways to maintain and enhance military value at installations within the state. Robert, who currently lives in Missouri City, Texas, is a technical services representative for Northrop Grumman. He served in the U.S. Army for 33 years until his retirement in 2013. Robert holds a

Master of Business Administration from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, a Master of Science from Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

1980s The Rev. Kenneth Bowman ’81 is serving as interim pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in Greenbush, Minnesota, and Faith Lutheran Church, Badger, Minnesota.

1990s Jason Moyers ’92 was elected secretary of the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys. Virginia Tech has appointed Kim Perdue Blair ’93 as assistant vice president of advancement for Roanoke. She will lead fundraising and help with outreach and strategic communication initiatives centered in Roanoke. The move reflects the university’s growing presence in Roanoke, where Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine are based. Previously, Kim served as principal gifts officer supporting the school’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Program in Real Estate. Christy Underwood Clark ’93 was elected to the North Carolina General Assembly House of Representatives in November 2018. She represents North Carolina House District 98.

Chi Omega sisters from the classes of 1967 to 1971 gathered for a reunion in September 2018 in Arlington, Virginia. Judy Hall ’69 reported that 21 of 72 sisters attended, many of whom had not seen one another since graduation. The group dined together and went sightseeing in Washington, D.C. Those attending the Saturday dinner, pictured here include (from left): Cindy Cecil Read, Pam LeLong Lanigan, Mary Anapliotes Bier, Carolyn Wolfe Erhardt, Bobbi Stearns Nielsen, Paula Stone Ledman, Ann Houck Rose, Judy Heckendorn Hall, Lorraine Suminski Lange, Lynne Money Sunderland, Kathleen Downey Cauthorn, Mary Jane Lindstrom Pfleger, Karen MacKelland Westberg, Barbara Johansen Zonfrilli, Susan Lewis Berton and Karen Percy. Not pictured, but who attended other events were: Sandra Nelson Bates, Nancy Fairbrother Councilor, Nancy Kuhn, Carol Graham Schneider and Nancy Witt Wood.

Jonathan R. Hauser ’93, an attorney with the Boston office of Robinson+Cole law firm, has been elected partner. Jonathan is a member of the firm’s Construction Group and has spent his entire legal career in construction law. He represents all parties involved in construction, including public and private property owners, general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers and construction sureties. Rebecca Owens ’94 has been promoted to the position of assistant county administrator for Roanoke County, Virginia. Rebecca has worked for the county since 2000, most recently as finance director. As one of two assistant administrators, Rebecca supervises the departments of finance, real estate valuation, general services, information technology and library services. Rebecca holds a master’s degree in business administration from Averett University. Chris Zupko ’95 is director of basketball operations at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Zupko is in his third year at Drexel, his first position at a Division I school, after having worked for The Hoop — a comprehensive basketball company that provides instruction, competition and exposure — for a decade prior as well as gaining some experience at the Division III level. continued on page 34

Bruce and Betsy Baumann Carlson ’68 ’68 chanced upon President and Mrs. Maxey during move-in day 2018, as the Maxeys were preparing to help freshman parents move in students’ belongings. The Carlsons were on their way back to their Atlanta home after a golf trip.

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War through a mother’s eyes

JIM GUERARD

from wars, earthquakes and other adversities. He also photographed AIDS work and micro-enterprise projects in the slums of Kigali, Rwanda, for the humanitarian organization World Relief. “I’ve traveled to 45 countries on four continents and every state in the country,” says Pitts. He also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, wrote articles for “World and I” magazine and had three one-person photo exhibits. Pitts returned to the United States and married ellen Holl Pitts ’84, whom he met while the two were working at Oppenheimer. He joined the history faculty at The Hun School of Princeton, a preparatory school in New Jersey, where he taught courses such as Cold War History and Global Problems. In 2013, Pitts retired and moved with his wife to Savannah, Georgia. Since retiring, Pitts has published two books. He describes the first, “Taming Your Tiger Mom,” as “a little bit social commentary and a little how parents and kids can work effectively in order to prepare them for what comes next.” The book also gives practical career and job-hunting advice. “When I Think Back” — his second book, released in the fall of 2018 — is a compilation of letters that his mother, Fitje Pitts, Tim Pitts ’72 and wife Ellen Holl Pitts ’84. wrote to her family when she was a young Red Cross volunteer serving in Europe during World War II. While growing up, Pitts altimore native tilghman “tim” Pitts ’72 knew about some of his mother’s experiences, took the long way around to his current but he learned much more after her death vocation of author and editor. Entering when he and his brother found 160 letters and Roanoke College in the turbulent late ’60s, he an unfinished narrative that she had written. admits that he was “not a paragon of academic “The letters gave us the total story, the virtue as a college student.” groups she’d been with, where she’d been and Pitts did, however, choose a major he loved who she knew,” Pitts says. “All in all, the story — history — a subject that holds his interest to was much bigger than we thought it was... I this day and is reflected in his new book, “When knew the minute I started reading the letters I Think Back: 1943 –1945: The War Letters of that they were a historical treasure trove.” Fitje Pitts.” Pitts says that as he edited the letters, he Tim Pitts’s circuitous path to author literally “didn’t try to interpret her, her actions or her took him around the world. He first enjoyed words. Doing so would risk diminishing her a 25-year career in investments, where he rose story, which was too good to mess with. They to the chairmanship of OppenheimerFunds give a rare look at the war through a woman’s Distributors and executive vice eyes… They are also a compelling president of parent company, woman’s coming-of-age story.” OppenheimerFunds. While in New The book title comes from a York, Pitts studied photography at passage Fitje Pitts wrote: “When I the International Center for Phothink back over the last two years tography and earned a master’s deand realize how it has been and gree in history at New York what I have done and how I have — Tim Pitts ’72 University in 1993. He left Oppenchanged, I die at the thought of heimer in 1998 and soon after decided to pursue a dream. coming home.” “I spent the better part of two years traveling as a freelance Pitts says that his mother returned to live a traditional life photojournalist, as I was interested in history, current events, while raising a family, but her later years were defined by wantravel and photography,” Pitts says. His position as a trustee for derlust and 30 trips out of the country. Save the Children charity gave him access to refugee areas in A traveler, a writer. Like mother, like son. Kosovo, Iran and Ethiopia, where he photographed those fleeing — Sharon Nanz ’09

“I knew the minute I started reading the letters that they were a historical treasure trove.”

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functional art aryMar Keenan ’96 found her calling as a sophomore art major when she walked into the ceramics studio in Roanoke College’s Olin Hall. She was “completely drawn” to clay as a creative medium. “I fell in love with the idea of functional art.” Keenan says. “I was immediately hooked and haven’t stopped making pottery since.” After graduation, Keenan moved to San Francisco and opened a ceramics studio and gallery, which showcased over 30 Bay Area ceramics artists. She subsequently owned three other clay-centered businesses before rebranding and redefining her business as MMclay five years ago. Keenan and her staff create several lines of handmade tableware, and her customers include over 50 restaurants and hundreds of homes worldwide. Every piece that comes out of her kiln is handmade and is “considered special, but not precious,” she says. “I want my work to be used daily.” Each line features an array of utilitarian pottery including dinner plates, serving pieces, cups, vases, charcuterie boards and more, Keenan says. While most of the pieces are handmade using slabs of clay, a number of pieces are wheel-thrown, adding unique shapes and designs within each series. Customers can choose from several glazes to personalize their pieces. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARYMAR KEENAN

Marcie Flinchum Atkins ’97, a librarian with Belvedere Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia, has published four books this year: “Be Smart Online;” “Build a Website;” “Design a Game;” and “Think Like a Computer.” Her fifth book, “Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature,” will be released in September 2019. Marcie was a keynote speaker for the 2018 Copenhaver Institute, an annual three-day program held at Roanoke College for K-12

educators and administrators. Danny Adams ’98 is a reference librarian at Ferrum College and published author of novels and short stories. His current writing project is a history book focusing primarily on the lives of people who were at Ferrum College at various times in the college’s past. James Guthrie ’98 is Air Force Operations Officer with the 461 AMXS. He and his family live in Warner Robins, Georgia.

Lindsey Porter Bowman ’75 shared this photo from her recent trip on a safari on the Serengeti Plain. Pictured, from left to right, are Wes Wolmesdorf, Patti Hass Wolmesdorf ’73, Larry Bowman, Lindsey Bowman, Steve Bast ’75 and Rebecca Krebs Bast ’75.

34 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

Pieces from Keenan’s Sierra Line.

“My work is designed to be a collaboration between the maker, the server, the chef and, finally, the customer,” Keenan says. MMclay has operated from a 500-square-foot studio behind a coffee shop — a “clay cave,” Keenan calls it — and a small retail shop in a retrofitted 1964 Airstream trailer. Both are located in the trendy San Francisco neighborhood of Hayes Valley, but Keenan is currently relocating to a larger studio just three blocks away. She hopes the extra space will allow her to “create a deeper understanding of the importance of handmade pottery” through events, classes and small workshops. Keenan believes wholeheartedly in the power of positive thinking and visualization, as she does in the advice her father gave her when she graduated from Roanoke: “Find what makes you happy and figure out a way to make a living doing it.” Clearly, Keenan has found the medium to do just that. — Sharon Nanz ’09

Charles Leiser ’99 was promoted to financial consultant with Thrivent Financial. A 10-year employee of the firm, Charles also earned his Chartered Financial Consultant designation by qualifying for a series of written examinations on several financial topics including financial planning, income taxa-

tion, investments, and estate and retirement planning.

2000s Tyler Brass ’00 is an in-house attorney with Raymond James Financial, Inc. He and his wife, who is the director of the Office of Accessibility at Eckerd College, recently moved from Syracuse, New York, to St. Petersburg, Florida, where they are

Sarah Morris ’16 is in her third year working at local elementary and junior high schools in Nomi City, Ishikawa, Japan through the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) program. Currently, she is working as one of Ishikawa’s prefectural advisors. Outside of work, Sarah is a member of the local Yosakoi Soran dance team. The team has traveled to multiple prefectures and competed at the national level. Through it, “I have found a home away from home,” she says. “I am also lucky to have been placed in an area that is not only by the ocean but also by the Japanese Alps. Though much bigger, the mountains remind me of Roanoke.” Sarah started with the Jet program in 2016 as an assistant language teacher. She says she is grateful for everyone at Roanoke College who helped her reach this point in her life, “especially Jennifer Rosti, who helped me with the process of applying!”

enjoying the beach and exploring the Tampa Bay area. Joshua E. Bailey ’03 is a board-certified geriatric pharmacist, board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist, and credentialed American Academy of HIV Medicine pharmacist working as a clinical pharmacist in specialty pharmacy practice. Joshua, president of the Washington, D.C. Pharmacy Association, holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and was the recipient of the 2018 Herb Kwash Washington, D.C. Pharmacist of the Year award.

Kathleen Burns Swatt ’03 has received the Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority’s Agape Award, established to recognize volunteers who demonstrate a focus on the greater good of the sorority by “giving full measure toward the success of others.” Kathleen, an alumna member of the

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Kathleen, at right, with former National President, Melissa Koch Merriam, former national president of Alpha Sigma Alpha.

Theta Beta Chapter at Roanoke, is a member of the Northern Virginia alumnae chapter and is serving as a Foundation Trustee. She served two years as a traveling leadership consultant for the sorority and served as team member/leader of the national risk management and standards coaching team, and has been serving as region facilitator since 2012. Brandy Collier Jemczura ’04 was one of five “Everyday Heroes” finalists honored by the Columbus Dispatch Media Group. Brandy started a non-profit, Seeds of Caring, to instill a giving spirit in children. The organization is making an impact in central Ohio. Carrie Grundmann ’05 has joined the Winston-Salem office of Spilman Thomas and Battle, but she also maintains a practice in Spilman’s Roanoke office. Her primary area of practice is litigation with an emphasis on labor and employment law, consumer finance, and public utility and energy law. Carrie is a summa cum laude graduate of Roanoke College and earned her law degree from The College of William and Mary. Richard (Ryan) Hutchison ’05 is pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Richard graduated from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University with a Master of Business Administration in May 2018. Julia Novakovic ’06 appeared on two episodes of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” that aired in December 2018. To watch one of the episodes and see how Julia fared, visit tinyurl.com/y4udo23l. (Julia appears at

Traveling from Towson, Maryland on vacation in January 2019, John and Fran Crumley Holman ’71 ’73 attended a community theater production in Asheville, North Carolina. Waiting for the curtain, Fran (pictured at right) struck up a conversation with the woman seated next to her. She happened to be Connie Moser Koiner ’49 (pictured at left). Connie knew Fran’s father, Roanoke College Medalist James R. Crumley, Jr. ’48 from her “wonderful time” at the College. At Connie’s invitation, Fran attended church at St Mark’s Lutheran, Asheville that Sunday and the two enjoyed furthering their connections.

1:08:20.) Julia was a contestant on “Jeopardy!” in October 2015. Meredith Withers Allen ’08 was inducted into the Buffalo Gap High School (Swoope, Virginia) Hall of Fame in December 2018. Meredith lettered in basketball, volleyball and track at the high school, excelling in track, where she earned all-region and all-state honors. She went on to play volleyball at Roanoke, and again excelled in track, in which she qualified and competed in the national championships three times in the heptathlon. She was named ODAC Athlete of the Year and twice named Academic All-American. Withers, her husband and their three children, live in Lynchburg. Daniel DeVault ’11 has been named founding artistic director by the Humanity Theatre Project. He has been a theater professional as an actor, stage manager, lighting designer and director. Daniel has focused his career in middle Tennessee and has worked with Nashville Repertory Theatre, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theater, Circle Players and Southern Stage Productions, among others. Katie McNamara ’11 is deputy director of Legislative Affairs for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Cassie Elverum ’12 completed a physician’s assistant program and earned a doctorate in medical sciences from Lynchburg College. She is a physician’s assistant in child abuse pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia, and is working parttime in pediatric urgent care. Kylie Moore ’15 is a news journalist with WFAE 90.7, a public radio station in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her duties include content creation and distribution across multiple platforms. In her previous job with Charlotte Agenda, she helped guide editorial structure and strategy for the website and daily newsletter, and developed social media and spearheaded multiple ongoing series. Allison White ’16, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is account manager with Consolidated Claims Group. Tori George ’17 is a risk and compliance analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Virginia. Madeline Sefcik ’17 is serving as clerk to the Franklin County (Virginia) Board of Supervisors. Madeline, who majored in business administration and minored in American

politics at Roanoke, was named to the position after interning for the county for two years. Marissa Freeman ’18 is working at Randstad Technologies in Charlotte, North Carolina.

marriages Garrett H. Cosenza ’06 was married to Corey Utsurogi on May 18, 2018, in San Jose, California. Proud parents of the groom are John and Patricia Kiser Cosenza ’73. Alumni in attendance were Lauren Kiser Dawson ’71, Pamela Kiser Goodwin ’73 and Julia Novakovic ’06. The Cosenzas live in Napa, California, where Garrett is assistant winemaker with Pope Valley Winery and Corey is deputy county counsel with Napa County. Taylor Gill ’06 exchanged wedding vows with Kevin Lyden in September 2018 in northeast Pennsylvania. Jenna Huber Cowperthwaite ’06 was in attendance. Taylor completed a master’s degree from Arizona State University and is doing litigation consulting with Magna Legal Services in Philadelphia. Kevin is a graduate of Drexel University and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Villanova University. He is employed with AZEK Building Products, Inc. The newlyweds live in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Janelle Hollister ’11 was married to Nathan Bounds in Cape Charles, Virginia, on July 14, 2018. Sarah Ringo ’11 served as her maid of honor. The guests included Alexa Mislitski ’11, Sarah Thompson ’12, Kristen Killie ’12, Katie George ’12 and Jonathan Honchar ’11. The Bounds live in Baltimore, Maryland, where Janelle is an elementary school counselor and Nathan works for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Ben Shifflett ’11 married Tara Rose on Aug. 3, 2018. Ben is manager of Olive Garden in Bowie, Maryland. Alyssa Bostrom ’12 married Geoffrey Collins on Sept. 29, 2018 in Littleton, Colorado. Geoffrey, of Littleton, is a 2012 graduate of Texas Lutheran University. RC alumni in attendance were Amanda Hursch ’13, Julia Holahan, ’16 and Shawn Perkins ’15. A Maroon Merger took place on May 18, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio, when Katie Corsaro ’12 wed Mike Gardineer ’13. A number of Roanoke College alumni were in attendance. Kerry Murphy ’13 and Buck Elam were married Sept. 8, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. A number of Roanoke College alumni were in attendance. Timaria Hammond-Downing ’14 and Dan Brach were wed in Minneapolis

ROANOKE.EDU

alumninews

Corsaro-Gardineer wedding

Cosenza-Utsurogi wedding

Bostrom-Collins wedding

Hollister-Bounds wedding

Hammond-Downing-Brach wedding

Apelquist-Gawedzinski wedding

on Nov. 3, 2018. Alumni in attendance were: Corey Perhac, Kaitlyn Perhac, Kim Mazzola, Taylor Kiser, Danetta Allen, Tereasha Santos, Heather Cook-Moats, Darlene Harris and Patrick Moats The couple live in Minneapolis (Timaria’s home city) where Timaria works at Land O’Lakes and Dan, who is from Michigan, works at General Mills. Nicholas Apelquist ’15 and Natalie Gawedzinski were married June 24, 2017, in St. Louis, Missouri. Roanoke College Chaplain Chris Bowen was the officiant for the ceremony. Nicholas is student affairs information system lead at St. Louis Community College and Natalie teaches second grade in St. Peters, Missouri. Daniel Eacho ’15 and Jamie Donahue ’17 are proud to announce that they were wed Aug. 25, 2018, at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Salem,

Murphy-Elam wedding

Gill-Lyden wedding

Virginia. About 30 alumni from the 20132018 classes attended the ceremony. Zachary Scherrer ’16 and Mercedes Lucas ’17 were wed April 7, 2018, in Hampton, Virginia. Amber Isham ’16 and Victoria Peterson Winnard ’16 were among the guests. Zachary and Mercedes live in Hampton.

families Matt Horwatt ’99 and his wife, Melissa, of Fairfax, Virginia, welcomed the arrival of their daughter, Abigail Horwatt, on July 25, 2018. Ann Pilson Sanders ’02 and her husband, Michael, are excited to announce the birth of their second son, Nicolas (Coley) Page Sanders, who was born Aug. 1, 2018. His brother, Jonathan, was on hand

36 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

Scherrer-Lucas wedding

Eacho-Donahue wedding

to welcome him home. Proud grandfather is York Pilson ’72. Miranda Puckett Williams ’03 and her husband Andrew Holt Williams announce the birth of their daughter, Beatrice Ruby Williams, on July 16, 2017. In November 2017, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland. Miranda works for a large defense contractor as a technical writer, and Andrew works for the Maryland Department of Education. Ashleigh Chiaviello Johnson ’06 and her husband, Trever, celebrated the birth of Anne Louise Johnson on Oct. 24, 2018. J. Heyward Chiaviello ’84 is Anne’s great uncle. Alissa Hickman Bledsoe ’11 and her husband, Christopher, are proud parents of Emilia Grace Bledsoe who was born Oct. 13, 2018. The Bledsoes reside in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

in memoriam Beulah C. Wood ’40, age 100, passed away Sept. 23, 2018. Jane Kelly Grigsby Daniel ’45, age 95, passed away Oct. 15, 2018. A resident of Daleville, Virginia, she valued traditional southern manners and had many friends of all ages. Edward W. Iandoli ’45, of Albany, New York, died Aug. 1, 2018 at age 95. A second lieutenant when he graduated from New York Military Academy, he served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army in the 11th Airborne Division. He fought in the Pacific Theater and was injured in New Guinea prior to the end of World War II. Iandoli earned a Ph.D. at Syracuse University and was employed by Albany Medical College and the College of St. Rose. He was

predeceased by his wife, Helen Ellifrits Iandoli ’45. Elrica Sowers Graham ’46 passed away Dec. 31, 2018. The 92-year-old resident of Roanoke, Virginia, held a Master of Science degree from Radford University and was a high school science teacher at area schools. In 1976, she was named Best Earth Science Teacher in Virginia and in the Eastern Section of the United States. During retirement, she served 20 years as chair of heritage exhibits in the Pulaski County Old Courthouse. She received the Southwest Times Civic Honor in 1995 and 2012. Barbara Ligon Johnston ’47 died June 29, 2018, in Anderson, South Carolina. She was 91. A retired biology teacher with Orangeburg County Schools, Johnston was a member of First Presbyterian

Beatrice Ruby Williams

Anne Louise Johnson

Church of Anderson and past regent of the DAR, Cateechee Chapter. Anne Lindsey Newton ’47, a 92year-old resident of Vero Beach, Florida, passed away on Nov. 11, 2018. After graduating from Roanoke, she moved to New York, where she became the first woman buyer for B. Altman and Company. She enjoyed playing bridge and attained the level of Gold Life Master. Newton served for many years on the Rockingham Memorial Hospital Board of Directors. Joseph G. Rusmiselle Jr. ’47, a World War II veteran with the U.S. Air Force 40th Fighter Squadron, died Oct. 7, 2018 at age 93. A member of Sigma Chi Fraternity at Roanoke, he spent his career as a draftsman in the engineering department of General Electric. Rusmiselle was active in the Virginia Archeological Society and was a member of the Novel Research Organization. His many interests included travel, animals, painting and sculpting.

Richard B. Minnix ’54 died on Nov. 28, 2018, in Lexington, Virginia. After earning a Master of Science degree in physics from the University of Virginia and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in experimental physics from the University of North Carolina, Minnix embarked on a career with Virginia Military Institute. He retired as Colonel and Professor Emeritus from VMI after a 40-year teaching career. A recipient of the school’s Distinguished Teaching Award as well as the Distinguished Service Award, he gained national attention for his physics demonstrations and coordination of summer courses held at VMI that were sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Minnix was a member of many professional organizations including the Virginia Academy of Science, of which he was treasurer. He also served as chairman and secretary in the astronomy, mathematics and physics sections of the Academy. For their work in physics demonstrations, Minnix and Dr. D. Rae Carpenter ’49 (both Roanoke College Medalists) were jointly awarded the George B. Pegram Award of the Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society for Outstanding Teaching; the Guy & Rebecca Forman Teaching Award of the Vanderbilt University Department of Physics and Astronomy; and the Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Physics Teachers. As a community volunteer, Minnix was involved with the Rockbridge County Christmas Basket Program, was a leader of a local Cub Scout pack, and member of the Rotary Club. In addition, he was an active member of his church.

Emilia Grace Bledsoe

Claude (Pat) Hughes Jr. ’48, of Hilton Head, South Carolina, passed away Sept. 4, 2018, at age 93. A U.S. Navy veteran, he matriculated at Roanoke after the end of World War II. Following graduation, he enrolled in the Institute of Textile Technology and earned a master’s degree in textile chemistry. He was employed with Drayton Mills as a technical supervisor and later at Millikan Mills as a technical director. Boyce E. Flora ’50, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, died Oct. 18, 2018. He was a veteran of the Korean War and worked 34 years with the Social Security Administration. He was a Sunday school teacher at Glen Burnie Baptist Church for 56 years and served as its treasurer for almost 30 years. Flora also was a trustee with the Baptist Family and Children’s Services of Maryland.

VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE

Nicolas (Coley) Page Sanders

Richard Minnix in a photo from the 1979 Virginia Military Institute yearbook. Minnix was then head of VMI’s physics department.

Elizabeth “Libby” Walker M’50, of Port Republic, Virginia, passed away on Jan. 25, 2019. Walker taught at Konnarock Lutheran High School (Virginia) and was a home demonstration and 4-H agent with the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service in Bedford and Botetourt counties. She was a member of the Marion Ideal Legacy Society. Ralph C. Walker ’50, of Silver Spring, Maryland, died Jan. 30, 2019 at age 92. After graduating from Roanoke College, Walker had a career in sales working many years with Sears. Walker also served in the United States Army. Gwendolyn Johnson Nickerson ’51 passed away in Bridgeport, West Virginia, on Oct. 13, 2018. During the Korean War, she was a research chemist with the Radford Arsenal. Before joining the faculty at Roanoke College, she was a part-time teacher at Andrew Lewis High School. Nickerson retired as professor of general and organic chemistry at Virginia Western Community College. Richard J. Augsbach Sr. ’52 passed away Jan. 20, 2018, in Airmont, New York, at age 90. He served in the U.S. Merchant Marines and the Air Force during World War II and the Korean War, where he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. In civilian life, he enjoyed a 32-year career with Lederle Laboratories, starting as a chemist and advancing to sterilization specialist and pharmaceutical manager. He held a Master of Science degree in life sciences at William Patterson College. Diane Hood Nininger ’52 passed away in Daleville, Virginia, on Jan. 6, 2019. Nancy Witherspoon Welchans ’52, longtime resident of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, died Nov. 9, 2018. She started her career with the National Security Agency as a cryptanalyst specializing in Russian translations. In 1975, after earning a mascontinued on page 39

ROANOKE.EDU

alumninews A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N N E W S

Oh, the places Maroons gather…

TO LIVE AND DRIVE IN L.A.… CAPITAL CITY Alumni, parents and friends gathered for the annual Washington, D.C. Alumni Chapter reception on March 14, 2019 at the University Club.

Susan Ward Hagerty ’84 and David Robinson ’93 hosted a social gathering for alumni, family and friends in the Los Angeles, California area in February 2019. Award for best photo header goes to the very creative Joe Boucher ’87 (back row, third from the left) who penned the header for this photo.

MEANWHILE, IN THE GULF… BEACHES AND BEYOND On Feb. 26, 2019, President Michael Maxey and First Lady Terri Maxey enjoyed visiting with alumni and friends who live in the Sarasota area. Over lunch, guests received an update on the College from President Maxey and enjoyed Maroons fellowship.

Naples, Florida-area Maroons gathered on Feb. 27, 2019 for a social event hosted by Judy Hall ’69. President Michael Maxey and First Lady Terri Maxey (seated with Hall) enjoyed visiting with alumni, parents and friends who live in the Naples area.

ON THE HOME FRONT Young alumni at the Roanoke Valley, Virginia Chapter event, held Nov. 15, 2018 at the Taubman Museum of Art in downtown Roanoke. 38 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

BRAGGING RIGHTS Congratulations to the Atlanta Alumni Chapter for its win of the Henry Hill Alumni Participation Challenge in 2018! — For chapter news and upcoming chapter events, visit roanoke.edu/alumni.

I N

M E M O R I A M

a true pioneer mily stephens Mueller ’42, retired aerospace engineer and one of NASA’s early “human computers,” died at age 98, in Williamsburg, Virginia, on Oct. 14, 2018. During her 34-year professional career with NASA (then NACA, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), Mueller made significant contributions to the successes of the Mercury and Apollo programs, and subsequent missions. She worked closely with the original seven astronauts and was among the first to be stationed at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in 1963. During World War II, she served as a “computer” at NACA’s Langley Field, then went on to assist in the development of the Bell X-2, the second generation of supersonic manned aircraft. Her numerous scientific papers were published under the name of Emily W. Stephens. Langley Research Center reference material Emily Stephens Mueller, seated at far right, with other women at NASA in 1959. NASA FILE PHOTO cites a former colleague recalling that at a NACA Research Center and paused, then pointed somewhat in amazereunion in 2008, Mueller walked over to a table of books about ment. ‘That’s me,’ she said of a picture on the cover of her on the the history of NACA, former NACA facilities and the organizafar left of a line of women.” tion’s aviation pioneers. Mueller received the Roanoke College Medal in 1977. Mueller “saw a book about women of flight from the Dryden

ter’s degree in history at John Carroll University in Ohio, she was named Clerk of Court in Cleveland Heights. She also served as president of state and local court clerks’ associations. Hampton Robert Bates, Jr. ’53, of Richmond, Virginia, passed away on Jan. 20, 2019. After receiving a B.S. in chemistry from Roanoke, Bates graduated from the Medical College of Virginia in 1957, followed by an internship and residency at MCV in Pathology from 1957-1962, and served on the faculty at MCV from 19621963. Dr. Bates was board certified by the American Board of Pathology, the American Board of Nuclear Medicine, the National Board of Medical Examiners, and was certified as a radiation safety officer. He practiced medicine, specializing in forensic medicine, pathology and nuclear medicine from 1963-1995 at Richmond Memorial Hospital, Johnston-Willis Medical Center, Chippenham Medical Center, Clinical Laboratory Associates, Inc., and the State of Virginia Medical Examiners’ Office. A contributing writer of descriptive, experimental and forensic pathology articles, Dr. Bates was a fellow of the College of American Pathologists, and a member of the AMA, AAAS, the Medical Society of Virginia, and the Richmond Academy of Medicine.

Ronald M. Emmons ’53, of Red Bank, New Jersey, passed away at the age of 92, on Oct. 7, 2018. After serving with the U.S. Air Force, he embarked on a 40-year career with the New York Telephone Company. Kelly A. Perdue ’54 passed away on Oct. 31, 2018. Following six years in the Army Reserves, he pursued a career in sales and marketing. In 1968, he was elected Justice of the Peace in Fairfax County and was involved in county politics. Perdue was a charter member and second president of the West Springfield Rotary Club. Alexander Y. Lee Jr. ’55, of Roanoke and McLean, Virginia, died Aug. 16, 2018. He was an avid ham radio enthusiast. An endowed scholarship in his name has been established at Roanoke College. George M. Wood Jr. ’55 passed away Sept. 8, 2018, in Newport News, Virginia. He was a veteran of the Korean War and held a Ph.D. in engineering science from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Wood began his professional career with NASA Langley Research Center in the Instrument Research Division where he conducted research, created experiments, authored over 100 publications and developed nine patents. He co-authored “Mass Spectrometry: Applications in Science and Engineer-

ing.” As an aerospace technologist and scientist, he collaborated with many colleagues around the globe. After a 36-year career with NASA, Wood became vice president and aerospace program manager at STC Corporation and STC Catalysts in Hampton, Virginia. He was predeceased by his wife, Nancy Litz Wood ’55. Jack W. Fleshman ’56, a retiree from Liberty Mutual Company, passed away Oct. 23, 2018. He resided in Roanoke, Virginia. Mary Sabine Shreve ’57, valedictorian of her Roanoke College class, passed away in Richmond, Virginia, on July 22, 2018. She began her career as an elementary teacher and took a hiatus to raise her family before returning to the classroom. During retirement, Shreve volunteered with St. Mary’s Hospital and Mended Hearts, an organization committed to improving the quality of life for heart patients and their families through ongoing peer-to-peer support. She later served as president of the local Mended Hearts chapter and published its newsletter. Charles F. Bruno ’58 died Sept. 20, 2018 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. For the past seven years, he was CEO/CTO of Polyorganic Technologies Corporation, an environmentally friendly products company in Cranbury, New Jersey. He founded Quantum Consulting and Cell Products,

Inc., and was director of fermentation at the former E.R. Squibb & Sons for over 20 years. Bruno was a sports enthusiast and was active in his community’s Little League, Republican Committee and St. Mary’s Church. He earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Virginia Tech. Survivors include his wife, Carol Mareydt Bruno ’60. Bobby D. Whiteside ’58, Korean War veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, died Feb. 11, 2018, in Roanoke, Virginia. He retired from Norfolk Southern Railway as engineering draftsman. Whiteside’s passion was training dogs, and he traveled and learned from skilled trainers of canine training facilities in England, Scotland Yard and Italy. He instructed eight different police departments in the training of their dogs for attack work, tracking, building search and drug detection. He served as president for the Roanoke Kennel Club, and obedience chairman and delegate to the American Kennel Club. He also was a dog obedience judge with the American Kennel Club. David S. Ames ’60 passed away on Nov. 27, 2018. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a medical technician. As a civilian, he spent most of his life working in the medical field. He was active in the Virginia Mensa Society and served as the local area presiROANOKE.EDU

alumninews dent; he also wrote for their newsletter. Ames was active in the Olympics of the Mind, helping children develop their creativity. He also coached sandlot basketball for a number of years. His special interest was music and he wrote over 30 songs during his lifetime. Kerry (Coach) L. Camper Sr. ’61 passed away Dec. 20, 2017, in Buena Vista, Virginia. “Coach” is remembered by the countless number of students, players, fans and citizens of Buena Vista who he helped, mentored and supported over the years. R. Alan Brogan ’62, of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away Dec. 22, 2018. He held a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech and a master’s of business administration from Lynchburg College. He also was a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. In 1964, he joined Norfolk and Western Railway as an area engineer and soon moved to the management side of the business. He retired in 2000 as president–Norfolk-Southern Intermodal. During his tenure, he also was president and CEO of the railroad’s North American Van Lines subsidiary. His involvements with civic organizations included the Salvation Army, YMCA and Big Brothers. Brogan was on the Advisory Board for the Virginia Tech School of Business and was a member of the University’s Committee of 100 and the Caldwell Society. Survivors include his three siblings, Linda Brogan Wright ’69, Thomas R. Brogan ’72, and Diane Brogan ’77. Fred L. Jenkins ’62, died on Dec. 1, 2018 at age 78. Jenkins had relocated to New Jersey in 1970 and was a beloved middle school math teacher for 35 years, retiring in 2006. Jenkins’ college education was interrupted when he was drafted in the U.S. Army. He served two years as a medic in Korea, returning to Roanoke College to finish his degree. Mary Bowman Campbell ’64 died Aug 25, 2018, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She was a retired histotechnician from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. She previously worked as a histotechnician with Iowa State University in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy. Campbell was a member of Fellowship United Methodist Church, United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Colonial Dames 17th Century. Thomas E. Harris ’64, a resident of Baltimore, Maryland, passed away Jan. 7, 2019. After graduating from Roanoke with a degree in chemistry, he served as a chemist in the U.S. Army. He was employed with Baltimore Gas and Electric Company as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Martel Laboratories in Baltimore, and at Schaefer and

American Beer Company. Harris enjoyed coaching youth softball and soccer and served in many roles with First Presbyterian Church in Bel Air, Maryland. He held an MBA from Loyola College. Louise Gallion Chittum ’65, of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away July 13, 2018. A retired Botetourt County Schools teacher, she held a master’s degree from the University of Virginia. Chittum was predeceased by a brother, Clifford Gallion ’70. A sister, Marlene Gallion Bray ’56 survives her. Mary Lou Colison Dunlap ’65 died Oct. 9, 2018, in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She worked for Allstate Insurance Company for over 20 years and became a lead project software design consultant for the installation of a systemwide software management program. Dunlap was active in St. Lawrence Episcopal Church and was building manager of her condominium association. Rebecca Sharitz Hatfield ’66 died Oct. 20, 2018, in Aiken, South Carolina. She earned a Ph.D. in plant ecology from the University of North Carolina. Hatfield was a former professor of plant biology and senior research ecologist at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. During her career, she authored and co-authored more than 160 peer-reviewed papers and chapters, and co-edited three books. Hatfield was invited to serve on four National Academy of Science committees and served as secretary general and vice president of the International Association for Ecology. In addition, she presented numerous lectures abroad on conservation and ecological restoration. Charles I. Vigness ’66, U.S. Air Force veteran, died Nov. 17, 2018, in Ft. Myers, Florida. He was a member of Pi Kappa Phi fraternity while at Roanoke, and upon graduation, entered a lifelong career in manufacturing. He retired as director of manufacturing from Home Diagnostics, Inc. His varied interests included boating, fishing, gardening, reading and digital photography. He and his wife, Grace Fell Vigness ’66 attended several Roanoke reunions, most recently the 50th reunion of their class. William R. Miller ’70 passed away on Dec. 24, 2018, in Roanoke, Virginia. He had a 30-year career with C&P Telephone. His interests were anything involving outer space, reading science fiction novels and golf. John S. Johnson ’71 died on Oct. 30, 2018, while vacationing in the Rocky Mountains. A resident of Roanoke, Virginia, he followed his passion for music and was a longtime patron of the Jefferson Center and other local music venues. Stephen Hopkins ’72 passed away

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Oct. 25, 2018. Among his survivors is his daughter, Molly Hopkins Sommer ’00. Scott Stillwell Wilson ’73, of Middletown, Connecticut, died on Jan. 24, 2019 at age 68. Wilson worked as an HVAC technician, including serving as a contractor to the federal government in Afghanistan. He enjoyed skiing, tennis, history and volunteering as a ski ranger at Mount Southington, Connecticut. Survivors include his mother, Mary-Starke Wilson ’43. Jane Moore Ambrose-Cosby ’74, a resident of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away Sept. 2, 2018. She was an English teacher for many years in Roanoke County public schools where she was affectionately known to her students as “Ms. ABC.” Ambrose-Cosby took pleasure in gardening, bird watching and travel. She especially delighted in her students. Denise Linkenauger Sprinkle ’75 passed away in Buchanan, Virginia, on Jan.19, 2019. Her teaching career with Botetourt County Schools spanned over 40 years. She previously served on the Botetourt County Planning Commission, enjoyed cooking and gardening, and was devoted to her family. Barbara Martin Barber ’76, passed away on Dec. 21, 2018. She was employed with the Central Bucks School District in Pennsylvania as a secondary math teacher for 35 years. Barber, an avid baker, was a loving wife, dedicated mother and caring grandmother. Among her survivors are her husband, Robert S. Barber ’74, daughters Jennifer Barber Conicello and Kathleen Barber Ordile ’06, and sister, Kathleen Martin Robertson ’77. In January, the Barbara Barber Memorial Fund was established at Roanoke College to support student scholarships. Claire Peragine Meaney ’78, of New Orleans, Louisiana, died Dec. 14, 2018. After graduating from Roanoke, she attended the Paul M. Hebert School of Law in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and later enjoyed tremendous professional success. Meaney and her husband, John M. Meaney III ’73, were members of the President’s Advisory Board at Roanoke College. Michael L. Lancaster ’81 died Oct. 30, 2018. He lived in Roanoke, Virginia, where he was a talented guitar player and played in many local bands over the years. Forest W. Hiner ’83 passed away Oct. 24, 2018, in New Windsor, Maryland. He was an accountant for various businesses and had a great love for 1960s music. Theodore (Ted) L. Plunkett III ’84 of Moneta, Virginia, passed away Dec. 6,

2018. His father, Theodore L. Plunkett Jr. ’46, predeceased him. John Rogan Jr. ’84, a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, died Oct. 4, 2018, in California. Barbara Brunson Stout ’85 passed away Feb. 11, 2018. She was a resident of Rocky Mount, Virginia. After graduating from Roanoke, she earned a master’s degree with reading certification from Virginia Tech, and spent the majority of her teaching career in the Franklin County School system. Stout was a Master Gardener and enjoyed many hobbies, including sewing, quilting, painting and wire weaving. Shannon N. Garrett ’94, died Oct. 21, 2018, in Buena Vista, Virginia. Jennifer Anne Wren ’95, a resident of Palm City, Florida, passed away Oct. 24, 2018. She worked in corporate marketing for several companies in Boston, Massachusetts. Vanessa L. Payne ’96 passed away Jan. 9, 2019. A military veteran with the U.S. Army, she was on active and reserve duty for over 15 years. Early in her career, she served with the Roanoke County Police Department, and was most recently employed with Anthem. Harmony Cline Bison ’97, of St. Petersburg, Florida, and formerly Augusta, Maine, died Dec. 25, 2018. After marrying and raising a family in Maine, she moved to Florida in 2017. She was fond of reading, walking and visiting with friends and family. Bison also spent time befriending and assisting those who were oppressed. Tyler M. Hurd ’08, of Henrico, Virginia, died Feb. 6, 2018. Hurd’s interests were baking, kayaking and fishing, and he expressed his passion for music by participating in the Richmond Choral Society. His wife, Courtney Faudree Hurd ’09, survives him. Adam R. Rapoport ’09 passed away Jan. 25, 2018, in Norfolk, Virginia. After graduating from Roanoke, he attended The New England School of Acupuncture, Wilderness Survival Skills School in Montana and several culinary institutions. He was an accomplished sommelier and chef in New York City. Rapoport had a love for adventure and traveled the world. A part of his journey has been published in his memoir, “Memory of a Vagabond.” Griffin W. James ’13, a lifelong resident of Essex Fells, New Jersey, passed away Feb. 8, 2018. A financial analyst with JP Morgan Chase in New York, James was a hockey enthusiast and belonged to the Montclair Blues Hockey Team. RC

institute participant in the united Kingdom allowed me to ﬁnd conﬁdence in myself that I never thought possible. Not only did I experience academic validation, I also learned I can be a world citizen. Traveling abroad is an essential experience, and I encourage anyone with the means to pursue it. I’m so thankful to the Fulbright Commission for this experience. The trip encouraged me to not only travel internationally again, but also to take advantage of some of the fantastic sights in our own country.

MARooN MuSINgS B Y J ENNA NOV OS EL ’20

ASHLEY EAGLESON ’20

I’m a Lutheran

“People don’t want to be enemies and they are more than willing to listen if you will listen back.”

Jenna Novosel ’20

The following is an excerpt from an essay written by Jenna Novosel, a rising senior at Roanoke College, that originally appeared in the November 2018 issue of Living Lutheran magazine. It is reprinted with permission.

ﬁnd grace in nearly every possible capacity: the kindness and loyalty of my friends; the dedication and wisdom of my professors; and the opportunities college has aﬀorded me thus far.

i wanted to attend an eLCa college because I knew it was important for me to have a strong faith community since I was going to be leaving a very supportive congregation back home. I ﬁgured an ELCA college would have an active Lutheran group, and I was not disappointed. My experience this past summer [2018] as a fulbright Summer 42 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

Being involved in roanoke’s campus ministry (rC Lutherans) has not only given me the chance to take part in fun activities and meet great people, but our chaplain leads several weekday activities that help me consider my faith and engage with God on more days of the week than just Sunday. i wanted to major in literary studies because literature has been integral to my life ever since I learned how to read. There is something indiscernibly intimate about reading. Whether it’s ﬁction or nonﬁction, that message is meant just for you. I remember reading Ray Bradbury’s “Dark They Were,” and “GoldenEyed” in seventh grade. I was so taken that I thought about that story for the rest of the day. From that point on, I understood that stories are impactful and personal, and

I want to spend my life delving deeper into those feelings. Something i wish more people knew about young adults in the church is that we’re hardly different from any non-churchgoing person. We simply have a different outlook on our purpose in life. Most of us aren’t going to preach at you or make you feel guilty for not believing. If we invite you to church, it means that we want you to have the same opportunity to enjoy God’s presence and feel his love in the world. an issue i’m passionate about relates to our new dependence on technology as a crutch rather than a means to communicate and become closer to others. When we stare at social media to avoid talking with strangers or when kids play iPad games rather than observing the world around them, we miss out on vital opportunities to connect with one another. i pray for all those I can. As corny as it sounds, I’ve been praying more for world peace recently. Being on another continent this summer provided me with a firsthand example of how we need to stand together as nations. People don’t want to be enemies and they are more than willing to listen if you will listen back. after college, i’d like to get my doctorate in literary studies and become an English professor at a university. I have a passion for literature and film, and I would love to be able to convey those passions to students who feel the same. A professorship would also afford me the opportunity to do research and publish papers, which I’m very interested in. RC Jenna Novosel, of Severna Park, Maryland, is majoring in literary studies with a minor in creative writing.

CoLLEgE ARChIVES BY D R. MARK MILL ER, PR OF ES S OR OF H IST ORY A N D D AV ID B ITTLE COLLEGE H IST OR IA N

Our Boys of Spring: Baseball’s early years at Roanoke

and Market streets to play local teams but steadfastly refused to let them play other colleges. This, to Bittle, was plain nonsense. A sound mind and strong body were ﬁne; playing other schools was a waste of time and money, he believed. In the fall of 1876, Bittle died. The following spring, the boys played their ﬁrst intercollegiate baseball game. One hundred and forty seasons ago, the intrepid squad of nine ventured by train all the way to Blacksburg to meet the team from the 5-year-old Agricultural & Mechanical College (now Virginia Tech). Roanoke College lost but demanded

Baseball gave us one of our proudest moments in 1907 — the birth of the Maroons.

The Roanoke College baseball team in 1907.

aseball and Roanoke grew up together;” the Rev. William Eisenberg, class of 1925, wrote in his 1942 centennial history of Roanoke College. “Since 1853, some kind of ball was played” on College grounds and around the town, Eisenberg wrote. Roanoke baseball is older than the professional circuit, ﬁrst organized in 1869 and known as the National League. Roanoke College boys organized themselves usually into two teams each season and spent most of their time playing each other. For other competition, local town clubs and the Salem graded school oﬀered their best. President David Bittle was a fan of sorts, but he was more interested in the physical exercise component rather than the wins and losses. He approved of his boys crossing Clay

“B

a rematch. A month later, the boys from Blacksburg appeared, and Roanoke triumphed in a hardfought defensive struggle, 27–21. Throughout the balance of the 19th century, the students managed their own affairs. The College, typically, had two clubs that spent half the time playing each other, venturing into town for a few games and then combining squads for a couple of college battles for good measure. Some years, the students mustered a dozen games, only half that many other years, and a few times couldn’t quite get their act together at all. It’s fair to say that the quality of competition was pretty modest. Just finding 18 talented ball players out of an enrollment of 40 or 50 wasn’t easy. The Collegian constantly reported that one club needed a few, better “throwers” and the other needed more men who could simply “catch.” The boys fought long and hard for a field of their own on campus. By the late 1870s, their diamond was located along High Street between

Bittle Hall and the future Back Quad. They took great care of its presentation and spearheaded the effort to maintain the campus hedge and gates along High Street. Barbed wire, invented in 1876, was added to make sure the campus grounds and their field were protected. The real target of these precautions was not regular campus visitors but town livestock who roamed freely in the 1870s and 1880s and had often made footing in the outfield rather “treacherous.” The College took its first step into the world of athletic management by the mid-1890s. The College hired a physical activity director who coached the baseball team and also played, managed the gym, helped with the other clubs (football, tennis and track), and took classes as he worked on his degree. Baseball gave us one of our proudest moments in 1907 — the birth of the Maroons. The College’s official colors are blue and yellow, but the baseball boys were reportedly slow to order their new blue uniforms. To have something to wear that would arrive on time, they picked maroon and gray. Other sports teams continued on in blue and yellow into the 1920s until the College stepped in with its “maroon only” policy. In the decade of the 1910s, the College finally took over direct supervision of the sporting front. Baseball flourished through the 1930s, was suspended by the war, and reestablished between 1946 until 1952. Fifty years would pass before our proud association with baseball would resume. In 2002, the Maroons took the field again. The team made a NCAA Division III World Series appearance in 2017, was ranked No. 10 in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll at the start of the 2017-18 season and was ranked No. 17 in D3baseball.com/NCBWA Preseason Top 25 at the start of the 2018-19 season. Play ball! RC ROANOKE.EDU

relic:

noun. An object surviving from an earlier time, especially one of historical or sentimental interest; an artifact having interest by reason of its age or its association with the past.

Kim Kyusik Graduation 1903 March 1, 2019 marked the 100-year anniversary of the March 1st movement of 1919, an early act of Korean resistance against Japanese rule and a catalyst for the Korean Independence Movement. One political and academic leader during these efforts to gain independence was Kim Kyusik, a 1903 graduate of Roanoke College, who played important roles throughout the movement and during the establishment of a provisional Korean government. Kim was named secretary of foreign affairs, a role that afforded him a chance to lobby for Korean independence at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919. Though they had the support of China, Kim and those advocating for Korean independence were unsuccessful, as Korea was seen only as a colony of the powerful Japan. The photo here, which appeared in the “Semi-Centennial Celebration and Commencement of Roanoke College, June 7–11, 1903,” shows Kim Kyusik (bottom row at the far left) on his graduation day in 1903.

44 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2019

“

People may not realize that they have the capacity to be an Associate.But the College is flexible in working with you…For me, flexibility made it seem possible.

”

— MICHELLE AUSTIN CROOK ’93

ichelle Austin Crook ’93 had what she describes as a “very traditional” “I have supported several scholarships earmarked for business students,” says student experience at Roanoke College. A native of nearby Botetourt Crook, who was awarded academic scholarships as a student at Roanoke. “When you County, Virginia, her desire was to attend a small college with quality are a recipient of that type of benefit, it’s appropriate to give back and pay it forward. academics and a sense of community, a “family-type atmosphere.” Now that I’m in a position that I can donate to the College, I think it is appropriate.” Crook acknowledges that developing the habit of giving can be tough for young Crook majored in business, determined to follow in the footsteps of her brother, alumni, who are settling into careers and maybe paying down student loan debt. Jerry Austin ’89, who graduated from Roanoke with a degree in business, and her father, who owned his own business. She recalls, as a young graduate, receiving mailers and solicitations from the College and responding with small, periodic gifts. At Roanoke, Crook found Business & Economics Department faculty who were But when a College staff member, who happened to be a member of Crook’s influential in helping her carve out a career path, in particular, Dr. Robert Stauffer, then an associate professor of economics who helped Crook obtain an internship at graduating class, called her with a personal appeal, she decided to increase her Bank of Botetourt. That internship led to full-time employment after she graduated giving with committed contributions at the Associates level. “People may not realize that they have the capacity to be an Associate,” Crook from Roanoke — magna cum laude and as class salutatorian — with a bachelor’s says. “But the College is flexible in working with you. You don’t have to write a check degree in business administration. for $1,000; it can be $83 a month deducted from your account. For me, flexibility “Now, here I am, 26 years later,” says Crook, who is senior vice president and chief made it seem possible.” financial officer at Bank of Botetourt, which operates 12 offices in the greater Crook, who holds an MBA from Troy University and taught evening business Roanoke Valley. “Without the influence and commitment of Dr. Stauffer and other courses at Roanoke from 2006 to 2016, recalls her fondest professors, I would not be where I am today.” memory of her student years at Roanoke. It was the day of For that reason, Crook has given back to Roanoke over the Commencement, “the most beautiful day,” she remembers. The years, initially in modest amounts, but for the past 11 years as weather was gorgeous, the campus was adorned with flags a member of the College’s Associates Society. and school colors. “It was the perfect ending to my college The Associates Society celebrates its 50th anniversary this career,” she says. year. Its membership recognizes annual giving at five levels of What Crook asks now of new and recent graduates — and distinction — $1,000, at minimum, on up to $25,000 or more. the not-so-recent — is to recall a similar moment from their Members remain in Associates as long as they continue to time at Roanoke. make qualifying gifts — unrestricted and restricted — each “Now, it’s your turn to give back,” she says. “Recognize fiscal year. Unrestricted annual gifts are used by the College what’s important. Recognize that you probably didn’t get there where they are needed most. Restricted annual gifts allow Celebrating 50 Years by yourself.” donors to determine where their gift is used.

For more information about the Associates Society at Roanoke College, please contact the Office of Resource Development, Annual Fund at (866) 724-4831.

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NOTE TO PARENTS: If this issue of Roanoke College Magazine is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer lives at your address, please provide a change of address to the College. Contact the Alumni Office by mail, e-mail or phone.

EVENTS AT R O A N O K E C O L L E G E

Whether it’s a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer discussing leadership and character, an art exhibition featuring watercolor paintings by acclaimed artists, or two nationally known political pundits debating midterm election results — something engaging, educational and entertaining is always happening at Roanoke College. Join us in the 2019-20 year for more events! For a list of all upcoming lectures, concerts, activities, exhibitions — and more — on the Roanoke College campus, visit roanoke.edu/events.

roanoke.edu/events.