Roanoke College Magazine issue TWo 2019
Table of Contents
5 D EPARTMEN TS 2
PRESIDENT’S PEN BOARD OF TRUSTEES
3
SNAPSHOTS
4
WE HEARD FROM YOU...
5
COLLEGE NEWS • Tibetan Buddhist monks share the gift of peace • Roanoke joins ranks of top colleges for undergrad teaching • Introducing: RC MediaBytes
24 GIVING • Science scholarship honors Dr. Bettie Sue Masters • Supporting student experiences 26 ATHLETICS • Soccer rules! • Loss of a legend 30 ALUMNI NEWS • Class Notes, Weddings, Families • In Memoriam • Alumni Association news 42 COLLEGE ARCHIVES The Real War Babies
10 FEATURES
10 Scholar Stories What pivotal role do Fulbrights, Trumans, Goldwaters and other prestigious awards play in the lives of their recipients? Five alumni share their stories. BY LES LI E TAY LOR
18 Hearing with their Hearts How Dr. Chris Lee, mathematics professor, and his wife, Christina, established a national organization dedicated to saving deaf dogs. BY K AREN DOS S BO WM AN
20 Where to from here? Roanoke College’s Class of 2019 includes a number of grad school-bound students, two of whom are now pursuing studies at Harvard University professional schools. BY LES LI E TAY LOR
44 RELIC
20 AT LEFT: May Term in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve in southern Colorado. Photo by Holly Fisher ’21.
ON THE COVER: Courtney Vaughan ’15, the recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship during her years at Roanoke. Vaughan, now a Coverdell Fellow at the University of San Diego’s Master of Arts in Peace and Justice Program, shares her story in this issue’s cover feature (beginning on page 10), along with four other alumni who received prestigious scholarships and fellowships while at Roanoke. Vaughan says her Fulbright experience, “helped shape my life trajectory.” Photo by Zachary Barron.
ROANOKE.EDU
1
PRESIDENT’S PEN
Roanoke College Magazine
ollege life is cyclical. Semesters open and close on schedule. Students arrive in August and depart annually for summer breaks. Graduations fall at the close of each year. The pressures of midterms and exams come at the same time each semester with students scurrying to prepare to complete exams or papers. Teams practice and compete at the same time annually. Faculty do their magic in the classroom like clockwork. Student leaders do their important work. Speakers arrive here regularly to bring the world to Roanoke. We are a predictable community in our cycles of Maroon life.
C
At Roanoke, we experience other cycles that remind us of people who mean a great deal to us. Legendary Coach Charlie Moir passed away recently, leaving behind a legacy of Roanoke’s first national championship and a life of influence. The Moir cycle with Roanoke continued with his son Page’s coaching run, and granddaughter Anna graduating. We have the Moir Court in the Cregger Center to remember this gentleman coach who touched many lives and still influences us today. I also experienced the loss of my father recently. Terri and I have been overwhelmed with the kindness and concern of the community. Students have stopped us to express sympathy. They sent us cards and gifts. Faculty members and staff expressed sympathy and gave us hugs of support. Alumni and trustees sent words of consolation and acts of kindness that lifted our spirits. There is much about Roanoke that lifts all of our spirits. That spirit transcends our cycles. In these moments, we are acutely aware of the rich community and family spirit of Roanoke. As I write this message, it is the cycle of students finishing a semester and returning home for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. We all recognize that Roanoke, especially in this season of Thanksgiving, is a treasured place. A place of cycles. A place of community. A place that helps students grow, develop and move into the world to make it a better place. We talk about The Roanoke Difference. It is real. We strive to help students find direction and purpose in their lives. I see The Roanoke Difference every day. I see it in the lives of our alumni who are making a Roanoke Difference in their communities. I could not be prouder or more grateful to be part of Roanoke College. Through this Roanoke College magazine, I hope you feel the same justifiable pride and gratitude for our College.
“I could not be prouder or more grateful to be part of Roanoke College.”
Editor Leslie Taylor Contributing Editors Teresa Gereaux ’87 Kelsea Pieters ’13 Alumni News Linda Lindsay Archives Linda Miller Dr. Mark Miller Contributors Karen Doss Bowman James France Rebecca Marsh ’21 Sharon Nanz ’09 Kelsea Pieters ’13 Photography Zachary Barron Carissa Szuch Divant Ashley Eagleson ’20 Pete Emerson ’80 Ryan Hunt ’18 Robert Jordan Marisa Seager ’23 Paul Ward Design & Production Mikula-Harris Printing Bison Printing
Executive Director Melanie Wine Tolan of Marketing and Communications
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
2019 – 2020 | board of trustees Mr. Malon W. Courts ’92, 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, MPH ’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 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 Clifton Ray and Maureen Daisey
College Switchboard ....................................(540) 375-2500
(Ex-officio, Co-Chairs of the Parent Leadership Council)
Church Relations ..........................................(540) 375-4958
221 College Lane | Salem, VA 24153-3794 | www.roanoke.edu
Admissions Local .........................................(540) 375-2270 Admissions Toll-free......................................(800) 388-2276 Alumni/Parent Relations................................(540) 375-2238 Alumni E-mail .......................................alumni@roanoke.edu Colket Center ...............................................(540) 378-5125 Intercollegiate Athletics .................................(540) 375-2338 Olin Box Office..............................................(540) 375-2333
2 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
© 2019 Roanoke College. All rights reserved. Roanoke College and associated logos are trademarks of Roanoke College.
snapshots Dr. Art Laffer, father of supply-side economics and the Laffer Curve, with faculty members Dr. Michael Enz, far left, and Dr. Alice Kassens, center. Laffer visited campus in September to give a talk about the U.S. economy (top left, continuing clockwise). • President Michael Maxey and Alexandra Gautier ’20, feign ring amazement at the Ring Ceremony, held during Family Weekend in September. • Two monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in southern India enjoyed some hoop time in the Cregger Center during their campus visit in October. • Afro-Latinx heritage was celebrated in October with a theatrical performance of “Ruandi,” by Cuban playwright Gerardo Fulleda León. • Incoming students (Spiderman, too) packed the Roanoke City Market for the 10th annual RCity event, held Opening Day weekend in August. • Kelsey Lee ’21, Roanoke College Garden club manager, cuddles one of its chickens.
WE HEARD FROM YOU LE TT ER S, NOTES, TWEE TS A N D P O ST S
ing Roanoke trustee leaders was unusually informative. As a former newspaper editor, I particularly liked the news feature about student participation in the Model UN. This item prompted me to offer a remembrance of a Roanoke student event of a somewhat similar nature, organized 50 years ago in the old Lab Theater. Eight students had been authorized to travel to New York to attend a National Convocation titled "Challenge of Building Peace," an outstanding educational experience that featured such prominent peacemakers as the late J. William Fulbright. It makes us hope and wonder: Are today's students encouraged to challenge their world? Thanks again for a terrific edition.
Roanoke College
Big thanks to our athletes who hosted local trick-or-treaters last night! @RCmaroons #Halloween
Rod Leith ’70 Rutherford, New Jersey
SOCIAL MEDIA Roanoke College
Mike Pugh ’18 dreamed of putting his sports management major to work in the big leagues. After just a few months as an inside sales representative with the Washington @Nationals, he is living that dream big time as they play in the World Series!
Roanoke College
Look what rolled onto campus — the @llbean @bootmobile! montaguashley @annieplants now that’s cool
BEHIND THE SHOOT(S)
LETTERS Thanks for the editorial people relative to the Roanoke College magazine. The most recent issue is wonderful. Seems like it gets better with each issue. Keep up the good work! Durward W. Owen.’55 Charlotte, North Carolina
Honestly, with all there is that must be read, I usually merely glance at Roanoke College magazine. But the article titled “Office Treasure” was a very interesting article. I quite enjoyed reading it. Thanks!
Four talented photographers captured portraits of the five alumni featured in our cover story about the life-changing impact of scholarships and fellowships such as Fulbright, Gilman and Goldwater awards. We toyed with the idea of printing this issue of the magazine with covers featuring each of the five, but ultimately decided on a portrait of Courtney Vaughan ’15, a Fulbright Scholar who is now a Coverdell Fellow in the Master of Arts in Peace and Justice Program at the University of San Diego. The photo was taken by San Diego-based photographer Zachary Barron. We thought you might also like to see the other four cover photo options.
The Rev. Dale Bowers Woodstock, Virginia
CORRECTIONS Issue 1, 2019 is an exceptional edition of your magazine. The photography is outstanding, especially the image of Flat Top Mountain. The feature that includes a roundtable exchange of the incoming and outgo-
• David Robinson ’93 and Susan Ward Robinson hosted a social gathering for alumni, family and friends in the Los Angeles, California area on Feb. 12, 2019. Susan Ward Robinson’s name was incorrect in a caption that appeared in an Alumni News photo in Issue 1, 2019. • The inside front cover photo in Issue 1, 2019 was taken by Ashley Eagleson ’20.
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.
CONNECT WITH US:
4 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
WEB roanoke.edu/magazine
TWITTER @RoanokeCollege
FACEBOOK facebook.com/roanoke
INSTAGRAM #roanokecollege
SNAPCHAT @roanokecollege
collegenews
A Tibetan Buddhist monk at work on an intricate sand mandala.
A RT IS T IC T RA D IT IO N
“ ” Perhaps the greatest gift our guests gave us is peace. — Dr. Melanie E. Trexler
Monks share lessons in compassion and kindness FIVE TIBETAN BUDDHIST MONKS from the Drepung Loseling Monastery in southern India visited Roanoke College in September for a weeklong residency. Their visit, part of their Mystical Arts of Tibet tour, included lectures on meditation and on the meaning of mandalas, a geometric figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism. The monks’ tour was endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a means to promote global peace and healing through the sharing of Tibetan sacred performing and visual arts. Throughout their residency at the College, the monks created an intricate sand mandala in the Colket Center Atrium. The mandala was made of millions of grains of sand, carefully measured and placed on a large tabletop. At the end of the week, a ceremony was held to bless the mandala, then wiped away, sending an underlying message that nothing is permanent. Dr. Melanie E. Trexler, assistant professor of religion at Roanoke, was responsible for the monks’ visit to campus. “Our guests gave us a lesson on compassion and kindness during their weeklong residency at Roanoke College,” Trexler said. “Throughout the week, I marveled at the subtle shifts I saw among our students: people opened doors for each other more often; people smiled when they said ‘Hello’ more frequently; and people took multiple pauses each day to watch the creation of a mandala.” “Perhaps the greatest gift our guests gave us is peace,” Trexler said.
The residency was sponsored by the Copenhaver Scholars in Residence program, created by Margaret Sue Copenhaver and Mrs. Gordon Hanes to honor their parents and influence the lives of Roanoke students. The residency helps expose students to scholars of national and international stature.
Dr. Melanie Trexler engages in conversation with one of the visiting Tibetan Buddhist monks.
ROANOKE.EDU
5
collegenews NATIONAL R ANKING AWA RD
Prestigious grant supports faculty, student research Dr. Andreea Mihalache-OKeef, associate professor of political science and international relations.
A ROANOKE COLLEGE FACULTY MEMBER has received a prestigious grant that is providing not only research opportunity for her, but the same opportunity for several of her students. Dr. Andreea Mihalache-OKeef, associate professor of political science and international relations, is the co-recipient of a competitive three-year Partnership Development Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The grant is the Canadian equivalent of a National Science Foundation grant in the United States, totaling $198,835 in Canadian dollars (roughly $151,000 in U.S. dollars). Mihalache-OKeef is a member of a five-person interdisciplinary team whose partners include faculty from the University of Calgary, and SUNY-Binghamton in the fields of international relations, comparative politics, international business and finance/risk management. The team conducted over 150 in-depth field interviews with upper-level managers and government officials in Turkey and Tunisia, to learn about political risk and corporate political activities in emerging markets. This past summer, the SSHRC grant provided funding for gaston ocampo ’20, an international relations and business administration major at Roanoke, to travel to Turkey and Tunisia with the faculty research team and to participate in more than 20 interviews. He presented research on corporate political activities, based on his field work, at the International Studies Association-South meeting in Memphis, Tennessee in early October. In addition, the grant is funding a team of five student researchers at Roanoke this fall through spring 2021 to analyze the field interview data collected in Turkey and Tunisia, Mihalache-OKeef said. “Initially, the students are learning about the research topic through reading and discussion,” she said. “Later, they will help analyze the interview data, and they will be supported all along to develop and explore related research projects to present at conferences and hopefully publish.” The students plan to present a first team-authored paper at the Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia Conference, on Jan. 25, 2020, Mihalache-OKeef said.
6 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
Roanoke recognized for strength of teaching ROANOKE COLLEGE HAS JOINED the ranks of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges for undergraduate teaching. U.S. News & World Report in September released its “Best Undergraduate Teaching” list for National Liberal Arts Colleges. Roanoke College ranked 40th (tied) out of 71 National Liberal Arts colleges recognized. This is the first time Roanoke College has been recognized on the list. According to U.S. News, the Best Undergraduate Teaching rankings focus on schools where faculty and administrators are committed to teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner. College presidents, provosts and admissions deans who participated in the annual U.S. News peer assessment survey were asked to nominate up to 15 schools in their Best Colleges ranking category with a strength in undergraduate teaching. The U.S. News and World Report survey asked top academics to name the schools they believe have an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. “Our inclusion on this list recognizes what I have known since I arrived at this college — our faculty is committed to fostering an environment that helps each student discover high-value careers and lives with meaning and purpose,” said Dr. Richard Smith, vice president for Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, and dean of the College. WE L L RE AD
FA CULT Y BOOKS “Intemperate Spirits: Economic Adaptation During Prohibition” by Dr. Alice Louise Kassens, the John S. Shannon Professor of Economics and a senior analyst with Roanoke’s Institute for Policy and Opinion Research Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan overview: Dr. Kassens uses the basic economic principle of making decisions using a cost-benefit framework to uncover how various groups responded to incentives provided by the Prohibition legislation. In a chapter titled “Line Tip-Toers,” Kassens explores how a religious exemption to Prohibition laws resulted in abuses and bootlegging by “fake rabbis.” Kassens’ book attracted the attention of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, an international news agency, and she was invited to submit an op-ed, which was published in August. “Epic Landscapes: Benjamin Henry Latrobe and the Art of Watercolor” by Dr. Julia A. Sienkewicz, assistant professor of art history Publisher: University of Delaware Press overview: “Epic Landscapes” is the first study devoted to famed architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe’s substantial artistic canon. The book rediscovers Latrobe’s watercolors and reconsiders the close relationship between the visual and spatial sensibility of these images and his architectural designs. “Epic Landscapes” won the Wyeth Foundation for American Art Publication Grant, an award granted by the College Art Association.
AC C OL A D E
Freshman receives Girl Scout Gold Award GRACIE GOODPASTURE ’23 was barely two months into her first year at Roanoke College when news broke that she’d received a national Girl Scouts award — and that she had mere days to prepare for an appearance on NBC’s “Today Show.” Goodpasture, of Ashland, Virginia, was one of 10 young women nationwide to receive the 2019 National Gold Award from the Girl Scouts USA in October. The 10, described as “teen activists and changemakers who created innovative and sustainable solutions for today’s most pressing issues,” were honored with what is the Girl Scouts’ highest distinction. Goodpasture visited New York City for award-related events on Oct. 11, International Day of the Girl. She and the nine other Gold Award recipients attended Girls Speak Out at the United Nations and an awards ceremony. Goodpasture’s platform for her Gold Award focuses on her longtime interest in chickens and farm-to-table education. She created a curriculum to
RCMediaBytes Scientists Find Out How Leaping Maggots Leap — National Public Radio, Aug. 9, 2019
“I was wondering what was going on…And then I caught out of the corner of my eye a little bit of motion, a little orange larva jumping across my table.” — Dr. Mike Wise, visiting assistant professor of environmental studies, Roanoke College Poll: Americans, including Republicans and Gun Owners, Broadly Support Red Flag Laws — Colorado Public Radio News, Aug. 20, 2019
“We do not live in a direct democracy. We don’t live in a nation where issues are simply put to a vote and the majority rules.” — Dr. Harry Wilson, director of the Institute for Policy and Opinion Research at Roanoke College Roanoke College firstyear students assist with 14th annual “R house” — WDBJ7 (CBS affiliate), Aug. 26, 2019
“I find it a little bit ironic that one of
the more meaningful experiences that a Roanoke College student has occurs within the first three to four days they arrive on campus their freshman year.” — Ben Vester ’20, Student Services coordinator, Roanoke College How Colleges Choose Which Students to Admit
help teach students at the schools in her hometown about the importance of eating healthy, chemical-free, unprocessed foods. She even created her own breed of chicken — the Goodpasture breed — as a heartier and healthier food source. “Knowing I’ve helped educate this generation so they know the difference between natural, real food and the stuff you buy that’s full of preservatives and hormones makes me really proud,” Goodpasture says. “Ultimately, it means these kids have a greater chance of a healthy future.” At Roanoke, Goodpasture is a member of the Honors Program and plans to major in biology with a minor in Spanish. Her long-term plan is to attend medical school and become a pediatrician or a pediatric oncologist. Her career goal has been inspired by her mother, who is a cancer survivor. Goodpasture will be featured in public service announcements and events representing Girl Scouts for the coming year.
ROANOKE COLLEGE IN THE NEWS
stories are not being told.” — Dr. Gregory S. Rosenthal, assistant professor of public history, Roanoke College Roanoke Environmental Studies professor to present annual Beck Lecture at Southwestern College
— U.S. News & World Report.com,
— NewsCow (Cowley County, Kansas),
Sept. 10, 2019
Oct. 10, 2019
“There is no doubt the recent college bribery scandal made every president and admissions leader pause and consider checks and balances at their school.” — Michael C. Maxey, president of Roanoke College
“If we mess up an ecosystem, can we put it back and make it right again? Some say we delude ourselves if we try to do this. Others say doing this is our sacred duty, a way of making amends and repenting for the sins of humanity.” — Dr. Laura Hartman, assistant professor of environmental studies, Roanoke College
History project strives to empower Southwest Virginia LGBT community — The Washington Post, Oct. 5, 2019
“I don’t care if we create the world’s best archive, but it’s important to me that we build a collective sense of our history as a community together…There are so many communities in which their
Roanoke and Western Illinois change admissions standards — insidehighered.com, Oct. 28, 2019
“After data proved that previously accepted students who chose not to submit their test scores were thriving at Roanoke, we made the
decision to waive standardized tests completely. We want to provide greater access to Roanoke College nationwide, and we want students to know that we believe they are much more than their test scores.” — Dr. Brenda Poggendorf ’81, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, Roanoke College Is it time to televise executions in Virginia? — Richmond Times-Dispatch, Nov. 4, 2019 (commentary)
“Instead of fighting over whether a small group of witnesses should be able to watch an inmate prepped for execution, why not shine a light on the entire execution process? Let’s watch the final walk into the death chamber. Let’s see if the condemned man shakes as he is tied to the gurney. Let’s listen to his final words. Let’s observe his final breath. And then let’s ask ourselves if we still support state-sanctioned killing.” — Dr. Todd C. Peppers, Henry H. & Trudye H. Fowler Professor in Public Affairs, Roanoke College ROANOKE.EDU
7
collegenews
“Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer the goal.” — Elbert Hubbard, writer
8 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
A camera drone, hovering above the Cregger Center, Colket Center, Back Quad and Kerr Stadium, captured this stunning view of the Roanoke College campus at sunset on Oct.1, 2019. Photo courtesy of Autonomous Flight ROANOKE.EDU
9
Over the past decade, the number of Roanoke College students who have received prestigious scholarships and fellowships through such organizations as the Fulbright Scholar Program, the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation, and others, has risen exponentially. In fact, for three consecutive years, the College has been named a top producer of Fulbright U.S. students. But what pivotal role do these awards play in the lives of those who receive such honors? We asked five alumni. For them, the awards were transformative.
Scholar Stories By LESLIE TAyLOR
THE STAFFER
10 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
CARISSA SZUCH DIVANT
F
lexibility is a must when scheduling a workday interview with Zahava Urecki ’16, a professional staff member on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources. Urecki works for ranking committee member Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), the Democrats’ top member on the Senate committee devoted to energy issues. The work can be high-pressure with long hours. Consequently, the accommodation of scheduling changes is warranted in the pressure cooker that is Capitol Hill. “My apologies,” she offers profusely, returning a phone call several minutes past an appointed interview time. Asked how much time she can spare, she replies “15 minutes,” which in the hurried moment, seems generous. Urecki, of Charleston, West Virginia, has been working on the Hill since 2013. She interned for Sen. Manchin and former U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall II (DW.Va.), the summer between her freshman and sophomore years at Roanoke, getting a good taste of the career she’d first set her sights on as an 11-year-old fan of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report.” The internship cemented her desire to be part of a world of enormous power, influence and impact. She majored in political science at Roanoke and demonstrated her commitment to a career in public service through work as a writing center tutor and president of the Hillel Jewish Student Group. Then in 2015, Urecki became the first Roanoke College student to receive the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, awarded to students viewed as having the potential to become change agents in the world. “I never would have applied for the Truman if not for Dr. [Jennifer] Rosti,” Urecki says of the College’s director of major scholarships and fellowships. “That’s not the type of thing I would have done. But Roanoke believed in me more than I believed in myself.” The Truman, to use well-worn but perfectly good phrases, has opened doors and broadened horizons for Urecki. “I’ve had the opportunity to network with a lot of thought leaders who
“I’ve had the opportunity to network with a lot of thought leaders who are doing innovative work. There’s a good network of us on the Hill.” — Zahava Urecki ’16, professional staff member, U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources, 2015 Harry S. Truman Scholar
Zahava Urecki, in the halls of the U.S. Capitol, believes she is in the best place to help her home state of West Virginia.
ROANOKE.EDU
11
are doing innovative work,” she says. “I’ve been able to talk to people in my initial Truman class as well as older Trumans. There’s a good network of us on the Hill.” The Truman award includes $30,000 for graduate school, which Urecki has not yet tapped. Truman scholars are given four years of automatic deferral after graduation and can request additional years of deferral, but for now Urecki is focusing on her work as the point person on high-priority topics in the energy portfolio, issues such as workforce development, vehicle technologies, manufacturing — issues of great interest and impact in her home state of West Virginia. West Virginia is a leading energy producer; it is the largest coal producer east of the Mississippi River, accounting for one-tenth of the nation’s production. But “the market forces are starting to steer away from that, and Senator Manchin is focused on how to make sure rural communities, like those where coal has been mined for generations in West Virginia, are part of the energy solutions of the future as opposed to being left behind.” Urecki’s desire to help her home state permeates the influence she wants to have on U.S. government policy. She has worked on the Hill a little over three years — as a staff assistant, legislative correspondent and legislative aide — and sees herself staying a little longer. “The opportunity to work with Sen. Manchin on issues that are significant to West Virginia on a daily basis is something that’s important to me,” she says. “Eventually, I want to go back to West Virginia,” Urecki says. “But it’s an interesting time to be in Washington, and there’s a reason why I’m here during this time. It’s the best place for me to help West Virginia.”
THE PROFESSOR r. Jake Bennett ’08 discovered his love for math and science as a rising senior in high school. A physics professor at a college in Lexington, Virginia, the city where he and his family lived at the time, invited him to campus during the summer of 2002 to conduct research.
D
12 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
“[The Goldwater] had the benefit of building my resume, my CV, when applying to graduate school. It was a piece I could use to bolster my academic credentials.” — Dr. Jake Bennett ’08, assistant professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Mississippi, 2007 Goldwater Scholar
Dr. Jake Bennett with one of his University of Mississippi graduate students, Saroj Pokharel, who is wearing a virtual reality headset running a simulation of the Belle II experiment.
The experience ignited a spark that fully fired once he entered Roanoke College, with the distinct desire to pursue a research career in physics and mathematics. The summer after his freshman year, he studied the mathematics of a tennis serve with Dr. Roland Minton, a mathematics professor at Roanoke. (“The equations describing the path of the tennis ball are non-linear and cannot be solved explicitly.” Bennett explains.) He also worked with Dr. Rama Balasubramanian, a Roanoke physics professor, synthesizing carbon nanotubes, large tube-shaped molecules of pure carbon that can act as antennas for radios and other electromagnetic devices, among other uses. (“We actually produced our own,” Bennett recalls.)
As a sophomore, Bennett was one of the first three college and university students nationwide to be awarded a $10,000 Rossing Physics Scholarship through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He also was recognized by the Alpha Chi National College Honor Society with an Alfred H. Nolle Scholarship, and participated in Cornell University’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program in Cornell’s Laboratory for ElementaryParticle Physics. And by the end of his junior year, the physics and math double-major was named a Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, recognizing outstanding students nationwide who plan to pursue careers in science, math or engineering. The award had the immediate effect of “making it easier for me to focus on my
ROBERT JORDAN
and their antiparticles (positrons) to simulate the high-energy environment immediately following the Big Bang. “The primary goals of the Belle II experiment are focused on obtaining a better understanding of fundamental particles and their interactions,” Bennett himself explains in the article. “We will use Belle II data to study new particles and processes in an attempt to gain a better understanding of fundamental particles and their interactions.” The purpose of acquiring this understanding? In simple terms, Bennett says knowing why the universe looks the way it does is “invaluable.” “A lot of technological advances come from particle physics, particularly medical technology and medical imaging such as radiation therapy and PET scans,” Bennett says. “They all have a foundation in particle physics.” The University of Mississippi has been a Belle II member institute since 2013, with a team contributing to hardware, software and computing projects for the global experiment, according to the article. The university’s role in the collaboration is a significant one, Bennett says. “We collected data in May and June. We now need to put that into a format so that analysts can use it to study physics,” he says. “It is amazingly exciting.”
academic work, rather than getting a job to support myself,” Bennett says. “It also had the benefit of building my resume, my CV, when applying to graduate school. It was a piece I could use to bolster my academic credentials.” Bennett went on to earn an M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from Indiana University, Bloomington. After five years as a postdoctoral research associate and a research physicist at Carnegie Mellon University, Bennett joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi in 2018 as an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “Research is what I do now. It is my profession,” says Bennett. “My area of research is called high-energy physics, experimental elementary particle physics.” Earlier this year, Bennett led a team of
physicists who are part of a global network of researchers making significant contributions to a groundbreaking particle physics project called the Belle II experiment. For explanation, Bennett points to a news posting on the University of Mississippi website. According to the article, the Belle II network includes more than 900 members from around the world seeking to answer a great mystery of particle physics: If matter and antimatter were created in equal amounts during the Big Bang, why is the universe today filled almost entirely with matter? To try to the solve that mystery, the article explains, researchers using the SuperKEKB particle accelerator at a research facility in Tsukuba, Japan, collide bunches of particles of matter (electrons)
THE EDUCATOR athleen Ouyang ’13 gushes with enthusiasm as she talks of bringing history to life for her students at Oakcrest School in Vienna, Virginia. It is the history of the ancestry of this daughter of a Chinese-American father and granddaughter of a gentleman who years ago piqued her desire to learn about Chinese history and culture. A U.S. Fulbright Student Research Award in 2013 elevated that desire to fulfillment. Ouyang, a history major, learned two days before graduating from Roanoke that she had been admitted into the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for postgraduate research. (“I was on my way to the senior dinner at President Maxey’s
K
ROANOKE.EDU
13
city — the starting point of the ancient network of trade routes known as the Silk Road — re-emerged in the 1990s as a cultural, industrial and educational center of inland China. After spending the first four months of her Fulbright in an intensive Chinese language program, Ouyang dove into a study of how historic preservation and tourism intersect. “It was important for me to have the
“It was important for me to have the experience of living in China. Living abroad really does give you a sense of perspective of the history and culture of the place.”
Kathleen Ouyang brings aspects of Chinese history and culture into the classroom for her students at a private, all-girls school.
CARISSA SZUCH DIVANT
— Kathleen Ouyang ’13, faculty member and 12th grade dean, Oakcrest School, Vienna, Virginia, recipient of 2013 U.S. Fulbright Student Research Award
experience of living in China,” Ouyang says. “With the intensive language program, and doing research and living there, my language skills would never have reached the level they have. And I never would have been able to learn about all the historic sites that I did. I would not have been able to get to this point.” “This point” is the private, all-girls Oakcrest School in Vienna, Virginia, her alma mater, and where six years ago, she returned to teach ninth-grade ancient world history and 12th-grade government and modern world history. Teaching the history classes “is where my Fulbright directly impacts my career now,” Ouyang says. Both classes have given her the opportunity to bring aspects of Chinese history and culture into the classroom, and share personal experiences and knowledge she has acquired in her travels to China. “The students really love when I tell them stories about the Terracotta Warriors,” Ouyang says. “I am able to show them something they might not have an experience with. I give them perspective, bring history to life. The students get a lot of U.S. history, but once they get a chance to branch out, it gives me opportunity to share. I really love that.” Ouyang’s passion for broadening learning experiences for her students — one of whom is now a sophomore at Roanoke College — has been inspired by the dedication exhibited by her professors at Roanoke, in particular, Dr. Stella Xu, professor of history. Ouyang was one of four Roanoke College students who traveled to China with Xu in 2012. The team conducted research for the project, “Reinvented Tradition in the Age of Globalization: The Silk Road and its Legacy in Contemporary China.” The project was made possible by the ASIANetwork-Freeman Foundation Student-Faculty Fellows Program. It was the ASIANetwork-Freeman program that Ouyang says helped put her on the path to Fulbright. “It was important for me to have the experience of living in China,” she says. “Living abroad really does give you a sense of perspective of the history and culture of the place. Conducting research allowed me to integrate into culture and not just stay on the surface…It played an integral role in so many ways.”
PAUL WARD
house when I found out,” she says.) Two months later, Ouyang, of Potomac, Maryland, was on a plane to China, where she spent the next 14 months — the first four in Harbin for a language program, and the remaining months at XiBei University, researching the city’s heritage tourism. Xi’an is home to the famed “Bingmayong,” or Terracotta Army, the thousands of lifesize, hand-molded figures buried with China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The
“JET quite literally enabled everything that came after it.” — Maj. James Guthrie ’98, operations officer for the 461 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, 1998 Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program scholar
Maj. James Guthrie oversees the work of more than 325 airmen, both active duty and in the Georgia Air National Guard.
THE OFFICER aj. James Guthrie ’98 cannot easily trace a direct line between the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program award he received during his senior year at Roanoke College and his current job as operations officer for the 461 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia. The two years he spent as a JET scholar in the late 1990s teaching English as a second language in Japan, seem worlds away — literally and figuratively — from his current position, overseeing the operations and maintenance of the U.S. Air Force’s $5.9 billion fleet of JSTARS (Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System) aircraft.
M
Yet it was the JET award that gave Guthrie the opportunity to deepen his interest in Japanese history and put him on a path that, oddly and in retrospect, seems like a natural evolution. As a Roanoke College Summer Scholar in 1997, Guthrie, a history major, had an opportunity to study the history of his choice. “I was burned out on U.S. history and wasn’t interested in European history, but I found Japanese history interesting,” says Guthrie, a native of Richmond, Virginia. His Summer Scholar research in 1997, “The Influence of Buddhism on Japanese Government and Imperial Court Life,” solidified that interest. Guthrie became one of the first Roanoke College students to major in history with a concentration in East Asian studies. Several history faculty members advised Guthrie that if he was serious about his study of the Land of the Rising
Sun, he needed to immerse himself in that country. Dr. Gary Gibbs, history professor, and Dr. Susan Millinger, now-retired professor of history, helped Guthrie turn around, in 72 hours, an application for a JET post-graduate scholarship that would send him to Japan to live and work. The JET program offered several job options; Guthrie chose teaching at a middle school in Niigata, a city on the northwest coast of Japan. The experience was invigorating, Guthrie says, further deepening his interest in Japan, even more so when he met a teacher at the school who would later become his wife. In 2000, the two married and moved to the United States. Guthrie enrolled at Cornell University, earning a master’s degree in Asian Studies. The couple then moved to Guthrie’s hometown of Richmond, Virginia, where he taught Japanese language and culture at the private Seven Hills School, later teaching Japanese ROANOKE.EDU
15
another four and a half years at schools in Richmond and in Chesterfield County. In Richmond, Guthrie’s connection to Japan continued through groups such as the Richmond Sister Cities Commission. He served as a translator during visits of delegations from Richmond’s Sister City of Saitama, Japan. He continued to teach, yet felt the pull to shift his career path. “The military seemed like an attractive option,” Guthrie recalls. “So I applied, was accepted to officer training school, and graduated as an aircraft maintenance officer.” From 2009 to 2013, Guthrie served in various aircraft support and maintenance positions at Air Force bases in Arizona and North Carolina. He deployed twice to Afghanistan, once to Kandahar and once to Shindand Air Base. In 2016, Guthrie applied for and was accepted into the first active duty cohort of the U.S. Air Force Language Enabled Airman Program — or LEAP. The program aims to sustain and improve the language and cultural capabilities of airmen (the USAF term for both men and women). “The Air Force has been trying to identify people with existing language skills and find how they can be utilized in working with partner nations,” Guthrie says. Earning the LEAP certification helped pave the way for Guthrie to return to Japan, this time as senior instructor/ exchange officer to the Japanese Air Self Defense Force in Hamamatsu, Japan. He served as a bilingual instructor of DOD/USAF organization and USAF maintenance operations courses in Japanese for all new Japanese Air Self Defense Force maintenance officers. Guthrie had come full circle, returning to a country in which his interest was nurtured at Roanoke College. “In the Air Force there are multiple paths for maintenance officers, but quite often, one of our first three assignments is what is called a ‘career broadening assignment,’ that is, one that is considered outside of our core maintenance career field, but will broaden our experience,” Guthrie explains. “Working for the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force was my career broadening assignment. Once we do that job, we have to come back to the ‘core’ field. In my case, I needed to come back and be a maintenance operations officer to check that box in my develop16 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
“I considered myself a pretty resilient individual before I embarked on my journey in Laos, but when my time there ended I had the sense that I could do anything and overcome any challenge I faced in work or in life.” — Courtney Vaughan ’15, Coverdell Fellow, Master of Arts in Peace and Justice Program, University of San Diego, recipient of 2014 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship
Courtney Vaughan’s Fulbright award laid the groundwork for her graduate studies and deepened her passion for helping others.
ment as a maintenance officer.” At Robins Air Force Base, Guthrie oversees the work of more than 325 airmen, both active duty and in the Georgia Air National Guard. It is a difficult assignment in that JSTARs are referred to as “highdemand, low-density assets,” he says. “There are very few of them in the fleet and everybody wants to use their capabilities. When you couple that with the age of the fleet, keeping the jets healthy, missioncapable and flying can be extremely challenging.” Guthrie’s fondness for Japan lingers. He says he will try to return there in one of his next two or three assignments, either as a squadron commander in a unit in Japan or as a staff member for some aspect of U.S. Forces Japan. He credits the JET award for “quite literally enabling everything that came after it — my relationship with the Japanese
culture and Japan, going to Cornell, my job as a teacher of Japanese, meeting my wife, serving as a Japanese linguist.” “Its influence continues.”
THE PEACEBUILDER ourtney Vaughan ’15 reels off a list of how her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Laos four years ago meant doing without the creature comforts she took for granted back home in the United States: 1. “We weren’t allowed to drive a car or motorbike, so I commuted to the capital from my village via bicycle or bus.” 2. “Dryers did not exist, so if I needed clean, dry clothes, I had to plan.” 3. “I learned how to eat seasonally,
C
ZACHARY BARRON
which required learning a million different recipes for cooking eggplant.” 4. “The classrooms I taught in weren’t equipped with air conditioning, let alone classroom materials. I got creative as a teacher, and overall as a person, and definitely resourceful.” But don’t misinterpret these remarks as protestations; they are instead reflections of a real-world experience that Vaughan, of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, says “helped shape my life trajectory.” It is a broad, extensive path that led her to enter, this fall, the University of San Diego’s Master of Arts in Peace and Justice Program as a Coverdell Fellow. “My time in Laos opened the world of local-level community development work to me as a career possibility, as well as government-based development work and diplomacy. I started to seriously consider a career as a diplomat or the prospect of
working internationally in development work.” In Laos, Vaughan worked closely with Lao government employees to help them improve their English-speaking skills in preparation for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations 2017 Summit and for then-President Barack Obama’s visit that year to Laos. Vaughan learned how to network, connecting with people in the U.S. Embassy as well as repatriates and expatriates in Laos who worked for NGOs and nonprofit organizations. “I grew as a person, and I learned a ton of valuable life skills,” she says. “I considered myself a pretty resilient individual before I embarked on my journey in Laos, but when my time there ended I had the sense that I could do anything and overcome any challenge I faced in work or in life.” Vaughan’s year in Laos was pivotal in that it led her to the Peace Corps, where
she served in the former Soviet republic of Armenia as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) volunteer in a primary school. There, she and her Armenian counterpart opened a resource center in the school and held a civic engagement discussion series to educate youth on how to become active members of their community. She also worked with other Peace Corps volunteers and Armenian members of the Youth for Future NGO to plan and hold the annual Teaching Our Boys Excellence Summer Camp, a project that gives young Armenian men the tools and skills needed to cultivate change in their communities. “I also learned how to speak fluent conversational Armenian and gained a second family in the world,” Vaughan says. “All of these experiences can be traced back to my Fulbright, and then even further back to my time at Roanoke College.” Vaughan’s years at Roanoke were replete with supportive professors and study abroad experiences that opened her eyes to the possibility of applying for a Fulbright award. She attributes a May Term Travel Writing course in Cambodia and study abroad in the Czech Republic to gaining experience that not only helped her become a competitive Fulbright candidate, but also allowed her to develop skills that were valuable during her year in Laos. “Roanoke College also gave me the tools necessary to be a global citizen by serving communities in my own backyard and abroad,” she says. “I really believe my time at Roanoke College planted the seeds of transforming my passion to help others gain access to resources, into a career path.” Therein lies the continuing influence of Vaughan’s Fulbright award. She discovered the depth of her passion for helping others — not just as something she wants to do in her career, but in her everyday life, even in the smallest of ways, she says. It laid the groundwork for her graduate studies in Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. “I hold near and dear to my heart the communities around the world that embraced me for a sliver of time,” Vaughan adds. “Those connections taught me how important and powerful community relationships can be. They are necessary for change and growth to happen around the world.” RC
ROANOKE.EDU
17
ABOUT US
Dr. Chris Lee, a math professor at Roanoke, and his wife, Christina — shown here with their late dog Nitro — co-founded a national organization dedicated to saving deaf dogs.
Hearing with their hearts BY KAREN DOSS BOWMAN
“
I love a challenge, I love learning, and the idea of working with a deaf dog was interesting. — Dr. Chris Lee
PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. CHRIS LEE
”
r. Chris Lee, professor of mathematics at Roanoke College, has always been a dog lover. But he couldn’t have imagined how a malnourished, emaciated white boxer puppy would capture his heart and give thousands of special needs dogs around the world a chance of finding forever homes. The happy ending started with a photograph. Lee’s wife, Christina, visited the Salem Animal Shelter one day in November 2010 to take photos of dogs available for adoption to post on social media — something she did often. The staff introduced her to Nitro, who had been abandoned near the Roanoke River and rescued by Salem Animal Control officers. The tiny boxer would need an extra-special home: He was completely deaf. Could the Lee family take him in, the shelter director asked? Though the Lee farm already was home to three dogs and three horses at the time, Christina Lee took Nitro’s picture home to show her husband. “Nitro needed someone to cherish him and always keep him safe,” she says. “I knew Chris and I could possibly be the people who could help him.” Though a bit apprehensive about taking in a puppy with special needs, Chris Lee agreed: Nitro would join their family. “I love a challenge, I love learning, and the idea of working with a deaf dog was interesting,” he says. “And if I’m being completely honest, Nitro was just so damn cute and in such need of a home that he won us over immediately.” As the Lees prepared to bring Nitro home, they discovered that resources about caring for and training deaf dogs were scarce. So in August 2011, they launched Deaf Dogs Rock, a nonprofit with a mission to “promote the care and well-being of deaf dogs.” Since then, the organization has gained national recognition among animal shelters, rescue agencies, veterinary clinics, and current and prospective deaf dog owners. Deaf Dogs Rock has helped over 3,500 deaf dogs find homes and has financially supported the rescue of more than 600. The nonprofit also has been
D
instrumental in changing the prevailing notion that deaf dogs are “unadoptable,” saving thousands of animals from being euthanized. “Word is getting out — deaf dogs make great additions to your family,” says Chris Lee, adding that four of the couple’s six dogs are deaf. “Old stereotypes and stigmas are fading. Deaf dogs are just dogs that need to be helped a bit with communication. We may be a bit biased, but we prefer deaf dogs now. And deafness in a dog is wonderful during a thunderstorm.” Christina Lee — a former advertising executive who serves as president of Deaf Dogs Rock — advises prospective deaf dog adopters to “make sure they have the time commitment to train, socialize and help their new deaf dog or puppy be the best they can be for the first year.” The Lees enrolled Nitro in puppy training classes and taught him commands in American Sign Language. To help others, they have posted videos and blogs filled with training tips from their own experiences on the nonprofit’s website, deafdogsrock.com — which also features listings of deaf dogs available for adoption, heartwarming success stories and links to online resources. “A deaf dog is a dog first, a breed second and deaf third — in that order,” Christina Lee says. “What that means is a deaf dog is a dog first and learns like a regular hearing dogs using positive reinforcement training methods.” Sadly, Nitro died last November. But thanks to him, life is better for countless deaf dogs all over the world. “Nitro leaves behind a legacy of love with families and their deaf dogs around the globe,” Christina Lee wrote in announcing his death on deafdogsrock.com. “He is the reason why Deaf Dogs Rock was launched, [to] help deaf dogs just like Nitro make it out of shelters alive and into partner rescues. … There won’t be one single day that goes by that our hearts won’t miss Nitro’s presence, but his legacy will continue through our work here at Deaf Dogs Rock. … [Nitro] will always be our hero dog.” RC ”About Us” is an occasional series that introduces readers to members of the Roanoke College family.
For more information about Deaf Dogs Rock, visit www.deafdogsrock.com, or www.facebook.com/deafdogsrock.
ROANOKE.EDU
19
WHERE TO FROM HERE? BY L E S L I E TAY L O R
Academic exploration after Roanoke College The U.S. Census Bureau’s “Educational Attainment in the United States: 2018” reported that nationally, 13.1% of people who earned bachelor’s degrees that year went on to earn master’s, professional and/or doctoral degrees. According to the Roanoke College Office of Career Service’s “first destination” data of recent graduates, roughly 20% of 2018 graduates entered graduate school or professional school — exceeding the national percentage. While similar data on Roanoke College’s Class of 2019 won’t be available until early 2020, two of the class members are now pursuing studies at Harvard University professional schools — a distinction, certainly, and possibly a first for a Roanoke College graduating class. Here are their stories, and those of two other 2019 graduates for whom the Roanoke experience inspired deeper academic pursuits.
20 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
“I’m ecstatic about studying with passionate scholars and future healthcare leaders, and learn from the diverse patients in our affiliated hospitals.” — Matthew Johnson literature,” Johnson says. “The volunteer opportunities at Roanoke also reaffirmed my passion for service and provided avenues to learn new skills while helping others.” “I applied to over 20 medical schools and was fortunate to interview at many of them,” Johnson says. “After revisiting Harvard during a program for accepted students, I realized that it was the right fit for me.” “I cannot wait for what the next four years here will bring,”
ADVOCATE FOR JUSTICE FUTURE PHYSICIAN Matthew Johnson ’19 says he has witnessed the positive impact healthcare professionals can have on people in the most difficult moments of their lives. “Seeing my mother battle and survive breast cancer during my childhood inspired me to want to become a physician,” says Johnson, of Almond, New York. “I want to be part of providing this life-saving care.” In August, he took one giant leap toward his goal. Johnson entered Harvard Medical School, ranked by U.S. News and World Report 2019-20 as the No. 1 medical school in the country. Attending Harvard, he says, “is truly the fruition of a dream.” “I’m ecstatic about studying with passionate scholars and future healthcare leaders and learning from the diverse patients in our affiliated hospitals,” says Johnson, who majored in biochemistry at Roanoke. “I’m very grateful for this opportunity to learn exceptional medicine.” Johnson credits Roanoke College with providing an environment that helped him grow “as a critical thinker, student, Christian, individual, scientist and future physician.” “The well-rounded liberal arts curriculum enriched my knowledge in not only biology and chemistry, but also psychology and
“Freshman year, I took two upperlevel law classes and thrived. I was really in my element. It was at that point I decided that law school was for me.” — Rebekah Carey
Becoming a lawyer wasn’t always in Rebekah Carey’s career plan. As early as middle school, Carey, a December 2018 graduate of Roanoke, was convinced she wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement, specifically as an FBI agent. Early on, she started trying to figure out what path would best help her reach that goal. The law was one path, though for Carey, not the preferred path. “But the more I started studying law, the more I realized it was the right path for me,” says Carey, who majored in criminal justice
and political science. “Freshman year, I took two upper-level law classes and thrived. I was really in my element. It was at that point I decided that law school was for me.” This fall, Carey, of Severna, Maryland, entered Harvard Law School, ranked by U.S. News and World Report 2019-20 as the No.3 law school in the country, just behind Yale and Stanford. “It is still surreal,” Carey says. “I’m thrilled and excited, and also a bit terrified. There’s a bit of imposter syndrome that I think is only natural. But at the end of the day, I think that can be a good thing. It allows you to stay humble and embrace the opportunity you’ve been given, realizing there is a level of responsibility that comes with it.” Carey has a keen interest in working in public service after completing law school, specifically, prosecuting crimes against women and children at the federal level. “For me, law is compelling because it is a profession that allows you to be an advocate for justice and to give a voice back to the voiceless,” she says. “The law isn’t perfect, and we don’t always get it right. But when we do — when a court of law can achieve justice — that is a powerful thing of which I can’t wait to be a part.”
THE HUMANITARIAN Roanoke College offered Anna Mari Ford ’19 the opportunity to explore a range of interests — INQ classes, research, study abroad. That combination of diverse classes and settings provided direction in Ford’s area of study after graduating this year with a degree in international relations. “Very rarely did a professor at Roanoke ever say ‘no’ to my ideas for research directions,” Ford says. “In fact, they often recommended
opportunities for me to pursue that advanced my career.” Ford was one of six Roanoke College students who, with two faculty members, traveled to South Korea in 2018 to conduct a three-week research project, made possible through an ASIANetwork Fellowship Award. Ford — solo and with other students — later presented the research, which explored how South Koreans view North Koreans who live in South Korea through portrayals in film, at events in San Diego, California and Washington, D.C. This year, Ford received a full tuition waiver and living stipend to study as a Predoctoral Fellow at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures. Ford, of Hampton, Virginia, will earn an M.A. and a Ph.D. through the six-year program. Ford’s long-range goal is to develop a set of standards for organizations that want to deliver aid to refugees and other vulnerable populations. “My goals for my time at the University of Illinois is to maximize what I can learn and connections I can make so I am prepared and capable to improve humanitarian aid distributions to refugees and other vulnerable populations,” Ford says. “I hope to start by working in the United Nations and learning more about organizational practices. In fact, I hope to research U.N. staff and systematic procedures while in graduate school. After that, and with a deeper understanding of humanitarian aid in general, I would like to develop a set of standards for organizations that wish to deliver aid to refugees and other vulnerable populations. By doing this, only those organizations that can prove they are “effective” at aid delivery would receive government, and international funding, as well as permissions to work with vulnerable populations. We have bar exams for lawyers, why not raise the bar for delivering aid?”
“Very rarely did a professor at Roanoke ever say ‘no’ to my ideas for research directions. In fact, they often recommended opportunities for me to pursue that advanced my career.” — Anna Mari Ford
PH.D. PURSUIT Cody Dillon-Owens ’19 loves psychology, specifically its interdisciplinary approach to solving problems and understanding the human condition. He also believes that physical and mental health are intertwined and wants to learn how to holistically approach helping people. “The brain and body all operate under one system, so it’s important to understand all of the factors at play,” says Dillon-Owens, who majored in psychology at Roanoke. Yet it was his psychology professors at Roanoke College who pushed him to realize he could excel in a Ph.D. program in psychology. Conversations with them “made me realize psychology
“I foresee myself working in a healthcare system doing some combination of practice, intervention research, and program evaluation. I have also considered professorship.” — Cody Dillon-Owens
was my passion, but I also wanted to apply it to make a difference in other’s lives.” Dillon-Owens entered the University of North Carolina at Charlotte this fall, where he is pursuing a doctorate in health psychology with a concentration in clinical psychology. He chose UNC Charlotte because the program takes a holistic approach to understanding human health, the faculty are “personable and collaborative, and the course load more than prepares you for both practice and research.” Dillon-Owens also believes his rigorous but enriching education at Roanoke, plus the one-on-one teaching he received, prepared him well for this next step. Long-range plans are a bit uncertain; he still has five years of academic work followed by a yearlong internship ahead, he says. But “I foresee myself working in a healthcare system doing some combination of practice, intervention research, and program evaluation,” Dillon-Owens says. “I have also considered professorship.” RC
HOW TO GET THERE FROM HERE Apply for everything you can: fellowships, assistantships, departments, schools that are “out of your league,” and schools that you consider “safety nets.” Take advantage of the funding available for conference travel, research, study abroad and other opportunities you have your fingertips at Roanoke. They can never tell you “yes” unless you apply. — Anna Mari Ford
1. Take advantage of opportunities on campus — whether it be studying abroad or in D.C., doing research, getting involved in student government, or doing an externship. There is much more to be learned at college than what is in the classroom. 2. Get to know your professors. 3. Put in the work. Early on, this means engaging with your classes and making your studies a priority. 4. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the people who are where you want to be. 5. Know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. you can sometimes feel directionless and not sure where ‘you’re supposed to be’ next year. But at the end of the day…you will be where you are supposed to be, and you have a community around you cheering you on.” — Rebekah Carey
Definitely explore what you’re passionate about and have conversations with people in those fields outside of the classroom. Grades matter, but so do skills, motivation and the interest in pursuing your own, new ideas. Cultivate yourself as a person and be more than just good numbers. — Cody Dillon-Owens
I strongly recommend utilizing the exceptional professors at Roanoke College. Find a mentor. Get involved in oncampus research, service and extracurriculars. Explore any potential interests you have. Develop yourself as a whole person. Definitely apply early. Do not be afraid to dream big and pursue large ambitions. — Matthew Johnson
Advice abounds about strategies for success in graduate and professional schools, once students have applied and been accepted. But what about preparation in the years before graduation? The following is advice to undergraduates from these four members of Roanoke College’s Class of 2019.
ROANOKE.EDU
23
STRAWBRIDGE STUDIOS
givingnews Dr. Bettie Sue Masters, currently adjunct professor of biochemistry at Duke University
won a science scholarship to support her education at Roanoke. After graduating as salutatorian of her class at Roanoke with a chemistry degree, Masters continued her education at Duke University. She earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry in 1963 and remained at Duke for a post-doctoral fellowship with the American Cancer Society. In 1968, she was selected as an advanced research fellow with the American Heart Association. Masters began her academic career at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, moved up the ranks to become a tenured professor of biochemistry, research professor of surgery and director of biochemical burn research. In 1978, she spent her sabbatical as a visiting professor of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Masters joined the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1982, becoming the first woman to chair the Department of Biochemistry. In 1990, she went to the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio as the first Robert A. Welch Foundation Distinguished Professor in Chemistry, a post she held until retiring in 2016. During her various faculty appointments, Masters, as principal investigator, was awarded research grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling over $17 million. She received numerous honors, including the Roanoke College Medal in 1973 and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Roanoke in 1983. She was awarded the Doctorem Medicinae Honoris Causae (Honorary M.D.) in 2005 from Charles University in Prague. She also shared the stage with
G I VI N G W I T H P U RP O S E
— Ruth Stubbs Denlinger ’59
” 24
DURING THE LATE 1950S, educational and career opportunities for women were limited. But Bettie sue siler Masters’ talent, work ethic and drive made her an outstanding science student at Roanoke College and fueled a distinguished career in biochemistry research. Ruth stubbs Denlinger and Masters — both members of Roanoke’s class of 1959 — met as freshmen, and their friendship has endured for six decades. Having admired her friend’s success, Denlinger hopes Masters’ example can inspire future generations of aspiring scientists at Roanoke. Denlinger and her husband, Nelson, of Bethesda, Maryland, established the Bettie Sue Siler Masters ’59 Endowed Science Scholarship to support an outstanding student pursuing a career in the sciences, with preference given to chemistry majors. “Bettie Sue has been one of my dearest friends since our time together at Roanoke College,” says Ruth Denlinger, adding that she and Masters were sorority sisters in Delta Gamma. “Nelson and I are impressed with everything she’s accomplished, and we thought that Roanoke might like to continue her tradition. I’m so proud of Bettie Sue.” Masters’ love of learning was obvious from an early age: She graduated as valedictorian of her high school class and Ruth Denlinger ’59, left, and Bettie Sue Masters ’59 in 1989 at Masters’ home in San Antonio, Texas.
Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology, who was also honored. Masters and Murad shared research interests in nitric oxide biology. Masters lives in Durham and serves as an adjunct professor of biochemistry at Duke. She and her husband, the late Robert sherman Masters ’59, raised two daughters: Diane Elizabeth Masters and Deborah Ann Masters Camitta. “Through the establishment of The Bettie Sue Siler Masters ’59 Endowed Science Scholarship, Ruth and Nelson Denlinger have done an amazing thing,” says stephen esworthy ’91, di-
PHOTO COUR TESY OF RUTH DENLI NGER
“
Nelson and I are impressed with everything she’s accomplished, and we thought Roanoke might like to continue her tradition.
Couple honors distinguished alumna with science scholarship
rector of development at Roanoke College. “First, they have honored a dear friend and Ruth’s classmate for a prolific career in the sciences. They have reminded us all that Roanoke College is capable of producing science scholars on par with the nation’s finest institutions.” “Second, this scholarship will ensure that a Roanoke College science education will be accessible to generations of worthy students to
come,” Esworthy notes. “In honoring Bettie Sue Siler Masters in this way, the Denlingers have recognized the College’s past and have helped to ensure the impact it will have on generations of students to come.” For the Denlingers, the desire to establish this scholarship is sparked by their love and admiration for Masters, but they hope her story will inspire future students to aim high.
“We want to honor Bettie Sue, but we also hope this scholarship can help attract more outstanding science students to Roanoke College, seeing what is possible to achieve through the Roanoke experience,” Ruth Denlinger says. “Hopefully the students who are awarded this scholarship will follow in her footsteps.” — Karen Doss Bowman
OPP ORT UN I T Y
Supporting, and broadening, student experiences IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, three Roanoke College students traveled to Zambia, Africa as first-time members of the Orphan Medical Network International (OMNI) Medical Mission Team. There, they assisted in administering care to people who lacked access to medical services. And in November, a two-student delegation of the Roanoke College Model United Nations League attended a one-week National Model UN Germany conference in Erfurt, Germany, marking the first time in the College’s history that Roanoke participated in an international Model UN conference. Two “firsts,” certainly opportunities deserving of recognition. It should be noted, too, that these inaugural international experiences for Roanoke College students were made possible, in large part, by the generosity of alumni and friends of Roanoke College. This type of support “gives students the opportunity to have life-changing experiences that can deepen understanding of their studies and expand their view of the world,” said Aaron Fetrow, Roanoke College’s vice president for resource development. “These experiences are invaluable in shaping our future leaders.” Students Reilly Bird ’21, emily spangler ’20 and Brady Wright ’20 were among a team of doctors, nurses, teachers and others, who provided medical care, education and community support at mobile clinics in eight villages in Zambia over 10 days. Each clinic saw approximately 500 patients, many of whom had traveled long distances to receive care. “Emily and Reilly made Roanoke College very proud today,” one Medical Mission Team member posted on the OMNI blog. “These young people did their first-ever blood draws and tests for HIV and malaria. Brady [helped us organize] the dozen Wound Care cases and crucially helped us deliver aid.” OMNI, founded in 1989, has cared for orphaned and vulnerable children in the Copperbelt
Emily Spangler, Reilly Bird and Brady Wright at the first field clinic during their medical mission trip to Zambia.
Province in northern Zambia, according to the OMNI website. Medical teams consisting of physicians, nurses and support staff have made several trips to that area. The effort began with mobile medical clinics and has grown into the building and staffing of orphanages and most recently the opening of schools supported by OMNI. “Having the opportunity to have a hands-on experience with doctors and registered nurses while abroad in a new country has only made my certainty in becoming a health care professional grow exponentially,” Reilly Bird wrote in a letter to the donor whose gift made the OMNI experience possible for the Roanoke students. “Thank you for providing me with a life-changing opportunity to not only grow in the sense of knowledge but also as an individual.” Students emily Cranford ’22 and Ryan Denholm ’21, with Dr. Joshua Rubongoya, international relations professor at Roanoke, traveled
to the University of Erfurt, just outside of Frankfurt, for the one-week National Model UN Germany conference on Nov. 24 – Dec.1. Denholm, a member of the Roanoke College Model UN for the past two years, and Cranford, who joined the Roanoke College Model UN in the fall semester of 2018, received an Honorable Mention for their portrayal of the United Arab Emirates. “We feel truly honored to have had the opportunity to represent the College in this fashion,” Denholm said. “This award is the first of its kind in school history for an international Model UN conference.” The trip was made possible by support from the following individuals: Ms. Amy Cranford; Mrs. Mary P. gwaltney ’78; Ms. Douglas F. Powell ’97; Mrs. Jacqueline Richards; Mr. Harold F. Trent, iii ’02 and Mrs. sasha M. Trent ’02, and an anonymous donor. ROANOKE.EDU
25
athleticsnews
“
Starting the way we did created a lot of excitement. — Ryan Pflugrad ’02, head men’s soccer coach
” 26
On Nov. 3, sophomore Isaac Wolf scored a goal and added an assist to lead Roanoke to a 2-0 win over Guilford in the quarterfinals of the 2019 ODAC Men’s Soccer Tournament.
Forceful in the field Men’s and women’s soccer teams score impressive seasons. SOCCER AT ROANOKE COLLEGE is alive and kicking. Both the men’s and women’s programs had successful campaigns in the recently completed fall season. Both teams were regulars in the regional rankings. The women’s team was ranked as high as seventh in the South Atlantic Region. The men’s team was fourth in the region and at one point was ranked 13th nationally in Division III. “I thought both teams had outstanding seasons,” says Director of Athletics scott allison ’79. He should know. Allison was a standout player at Roanoke as a student, graduating in 1979, and he was the head coach of the men’s soccer team for 26 years before stepping down after the 2012 season. “Our teams compete for the ODAC [Old Dominion Athletic Conference] year in and year out,” he says. “We’re always among the top teams talent-wise. Some years we break through and some years we don’t, but we’re always right there.” One of Scott’s former players, Ryan Pflugrad ’02, has been head coach of the Roanoke men’s team since 2013. Pflugrad was a four-year All-ODAC player and team captain in 2001, when the Maroons qualified for the NCAA tournament. “He was one of the best captain’s I’ve ever had,” says Allison. “He cared deeply about every result and he proved to be quite a leader for the younger players.” Pflugrad compares this year’s team to the one he captained as a senior in 2001. “We’re young, but it’s a very competitive group,” he said. “They pride themselves on making practice harder than the
games. They come to practice trying to get better every game.” The men went 14 games to open the season without a loss. They won their first four games before playing to a scoreless tie at University of Mary Washington on Sept. 14. Three more wins followed before a scoreless tie against the University of Lynchburg during Family Weekend at Roanoke College’s Kerr Stadium. The Maroons then ripped off five more wins, and at that point they had outscored the opposition by a combined
Ellie Schad, a junior, scored twice in a 5-1 Roanoke win over Emory & Henry on Oct. 15.
Senior Hailey Davis in action against Virginia Wesleyan on Sept. 28.
score of 35-4 with a record of 12-0-2 and 10 shutout wins. “Starting the way we did created a lot of excitement,” says Pflugrad. “Before the season I posted the team records in the locker room, then we went unbeaten for so long. It was fun.” Roanoke’s first loss was a 4-1 defeat at Bridgewater on Oct. 19. It was disappointing but probably took some pressure off the team.
semifinals, and W&L won the ODAC tournament and the automatic NCAA berth that goes to the champion. Pflugrad then sat on pins and needles waiting to see if the Maroons would also join the field as an at-large team. The word came on Nov. 11 that RC was in. “That’s huge for our program,” Pflugrad says. “We’ve been upgrading our schedule every year, and this was the reward. In 2014 we were 15-2
just five years later the Hornets didn’t make the eight-team ODAC tournament. That’s how tough it is to compete year in and year out. Benne has been able to do that for 30 years as head coach at Roanoke. He’s won 340 games as coach of the women’s team while losing just 198 along with 49 ties. This was a season of close, low-scoring games for the Maroons. The women played four overtime games, including a 2-1 loss to Bridgewater College in the ODAC semifinals that ended their season. Of their six losses, four were by 1-0 scores. “It was a tremendously fun season,” Benne says. “Our defense and goalkeeping kept us in the games.” Benne will lose his talented keeper, Chris Martin ’20, to graduation, but he had 22 underclassmen on the roster. Martin was a first team All-ODAC selection while lucy Perry ’21 and eliza Ryan ’23 made the second team. Hailey Davis ’20, kathryn Van orden ’20 and ellie schad ’21 made the third team. Likewise, Pflugrad had a young team on the men’s side. Tim leuenberger ’22 made first team All-ODAC, zach Behe ’22 and Dylan Berk ’23 made the second team, and Joe Carman ’21, liam Camilleri ’22, isaac Wolf ’22, alec Taitague ’22 and Chris Jerrild ’22 made the third team. “I would smile every time they’d announce the team prior to the game,” Allison says of the young men. “It was sophomore, sophomore, sophomore. . .” In that case, expect Kerr Stadium to be alive and kicking again next fall. — Brian Hoffman ’74
“It was a tremendously fun season.” — Phil Benne, head women’s soccer coach
“It was a game we were capable of winning,” Pflugrad recalls. “It’s hard to get up mentally for every game, and we just had a letdown.” The Maroons finished the regular season at 13-1-3, tying a talented Washington and Lee University team in two overtimes. In the ODAC tournament, Roanoke beat Guilford College in the opener then lost to W&L, 2-1, in the semifinals. That was a point of contention as Hampden-Sydney College was the top-seeded team and the H-SC Tigers didn’t play Roanoke or W&L during the regular season. “The two best teams met in the semifinals,” Pflugrad says. “Since there are so many teams in the ODAC we only play eight of the 12 teams and Hampden-Sydney didn’t have the two best teams on their schedule.” Hampden-Sydney lost to Lynchburg in the
and had a very good team, losing in the conference final, but weren’t selected because of our schedule.” The season came to an end in the NCAA tournament, but not without a battle. RC lost to Swarthmore College on penalty kicks after playing to a 2-2 tie. On the women’s side, Head Coach Phil Benne has been upgrading his schedule as well. The ODAC is one of the top conferences in the nation for women’s soccer, and the Maroons completed a very challenging season with a 13-6-1 overall record and a 7-3 mark in the ODAC. “We have a tremendously tough league,” says Benne. “We have as many as eight teams in our league that can beat anyone on a given day.” The University of Lynchburg won the NCAA championship as Lynchburg College in 2014, but
Midfielder Chris Jerrild, a sophomore, in action.
athleticsnews
Coach Charlie Moir NOVEMBER 29, 1930 ~ NOVEMBER 14, 2019 ROANOKE COLLEGE LOST ONE OF ITS LEGENDS on Nov. 15. Charlie Moir, who steered the men’s basketball team to the NCAA title in 1972 — the College’s first-ever national title — died at the age of 88. The head men’s basketball coach at Roanoke College from 1967-73, Moir’s teams compiled a record of 133-44, had five 20-win campaigns and had a winning percentage of 75.1. Under his leadership at Roanoke, the Maroons won five Mason-Dixon Conference Championships, advanced to four NCAA Tournaments and twice won the National Collegiate Athletic Association South Atlantic Regional title (1972-73). In 1972, Moir led the Maroons to the NCAA College Division National Championship, which was the first for any sport at Roanoke. For his efforts, Moir was named NABC National Coach of the Year, the highest honor ever achieved by a Roanoke College coach.
Prior to Roanoke College, Moir coached at high schools in Stuart, Virginia and in North Carolina, posting an 11-year record of 224-42. Four times he coached high school teams to state championships. From 1952-59, Moir coached at Stuart High School, where he compiled a 143-27 record and directed his teams to six district titles and two state championships. He coached at Mt. Airy High School (North Carolina) from 1960-63, where he led them to two state titles. He went on to coach at NCAA Div. I schools Tulane and Virginia Tech from 1973-87. For his career, he averaged a remarkable 20 wins per season in 31 years as a head coach. While at Virginia Tech, Moir took seven teams to the post-season, including four NCAA Tournament bids, compiling a 213119 mark. His 1982-83 team won a school-record 23 games while his 1978-79 team captured the Metro Conference Championship. Moir, who is
Bringing home the NCAA trophy in 1972.
Charlie Moir with family, friends and former players in 2016, when Roanoke College held a court-naming ceremony for the basketball floor in the new Cregger Center, named the Charlie Moir Court.
still Virginia Tech’s winningest coach, recruited All-Americans Dell Curry, who went on to a successful NBA career, and Bimbo Coles, who was the only Olympian at the 1988 games. A native of Francisco, North Carolina, Moir attended Appalachian State University, where he was a star in basketball and baseball. He spent three years in the Cincinnati Reds’ organization before medical problems ended his professional career. Following his brother Sam Moir’s footsteps, (1947-49) he played for Francis Hoover at Appalachian State (1949-51). He was a junior on the 1949-50 team, which captured the Carolinas Conference Championship, NAIA District Championship and a berth to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. They finished 21-9, which was one win shy of tying the singleseason record at that time and wasn’t matched for another 18 years. Moir — whose son Page, coached Roanoke’s men’s basketball team from 1989 to 2016 — was inducted into the Roanoke College Hall of Fame in 1973. Charlie Moir was one of 14 former record-setting coaches and standout players named to the 2015 class of ACC Basketball Legends.
Charlie Moir acknowledges the crowd at the ACC Basketball Legends ceremony in 2015.
S CO R EB OA R D
RC|highlights WoMen’s soCCeR 13-6-1 (7-3 ODAC)
Men’s soCCeR 14-2-4 (5-1-2 ODAC)
FielD HoCkeY 12-8 (4-4 ODAC)
VolleYBall 14-15 (6-6 ODAC)
WoMen’s CRoss CounTRY 5th at ODAC Championships Linsey Bailey was named to the First Team All ODAC.
Men’s CRoss CounTRY
Connor Kinkema brought home a pair of first-place points at the Nov. 16 meet against Emory & Henry.
4th at ODAC Championships
Men’s & WoMen’s sWiMMing The Roanoke College swim team was in the pool for the final time in 2019 when they hosted Emory & Henry on Nov. 16. The women won every event on their way to a 159-36 win while the men earned 25 top three finishes in defeating E&H 151-46. NOTE: As of Nov. 20, 2019
• Two Maroons were selected to the 2019 All ODAC Volleyball Team. linsey Bailey ’22 was named to the First Team All ODAC. kennedy Clemmer ’23 received third team honors. Bailey finished the season ranked second in the conference with 443 kills, one of only two players in the ODAC to record 400+ kills. Clemmer completed her first collegiate season with a team high 480 digs, fourth best in the ODAC. Her 4.75 digs per set were also fourth best in the league. • Roanoke College placed four Maroons on 2019 All ODAC Field Hockey teams, two on first team and another pair on the second team. Midfielder lauren Heffron ’21 and forward emilee Wooten ’21 received first team selections, while emma Clark ’20 and Martha Hurley ’22 were named to the second team. It was the second consecutive season that Wooten and Clark were recognized by the league after both were named to the first team in 2018 with Clark also earning first team honors in 2017. • Jake Bowery ’23 posted the 2nd-best time in the ODAC with a 10:23.63 in the 1000 Freestyle at a meet against Emory & Henry College on Nov. 16. With wins in the 200 and 500 Freestyle, Connor kinkema ’22 brought home a pair of first-place points while Xavier Williams ’23 won the two shortest Freestyle events, the 50 and 100. In the first event of the meet for the men, Kinkema and Williams teamed with Colin Burnette ’22 and kaleb Payne ’23 to win the 200 Medley Relay. Maria Vinson ’22 won a pair of events, the 200 Individual Medley and 100 Fly. In the 1000 Freestyle, grace Fountain ’22 posted the 7th-fastest time in the ODAC, 11:20.28. In the 100 and 50 Freestyle, kimberly large ’23 added two more wins to her resume. Fountain, Vinson, Large and Hannah Petty ’22 set the time to beat in the ODAC in the 800 Freestyle Relay by posting 8:19.40. • In cross country, Chamberlain zulauf ’22 was named to the All ODAC Second Team by virtue of his 14thplace finish at the 2019 ODAC Cross Country Championships on Nov. 2. A pair of runners, lauren Brown ’23 and emma Maras ’23, claimed top 25 points.
For the latest scores, go to
roanokemaroons.com ROANOKE.EDU
29
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 1950s David S. Ferguson ’57, of Tallahassee, Florida, is serving as president of the Board of Directors for the Homes Association of Killearn Estates, a 3,800-home and golf course development in Tallahassee. David retired from the Department of Transportation in 2003 after serving 30 years as its statewide director of human resources. Previously, he worked with private and public employers, including the Florida University System. After college, he served four years of active duty in the U.S. Navy. Currently, David volunteers in a number of capacities and serves as president of the Town Club of Tallahassee. In 2007, he was awarded the Roanoke College Medal, which recognizes Roanoke alumni who have demonstrated leadership, intellectual integrity and a dedication to serving their communities.
1960s Mary Beth Kershner Cox ’66 and her husband, Thomas Cox, celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2018 with a weeklong river cruise in France. This year, they embarked on a river cruise on the Danube. Mary Beth recently sold her retail military store, Ship’s Hatch, and retired after 45 years as owner and operator. The store is located near the Pentagon. Mary Beth has two siblings, Robin Kershner ’81 and Stuart Kershner ’75, who are Roanoke alumni.
1970s Kathi Meenehan ’75 lives in Murrills Inlet, South Carolina, and enjoys the warmth and the beach. Sally W. Bauer ’77 is serving as president of the Board of Directors of The Family Tree, a Baltimore-based nonprofit serving as the leading authority in Maryland for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Dr. Francis X. Tunney ’78 has been elected to the Board of Directors of East Cooper Community Outreach, a nonprofit
30
PHOTO COURTESY OF WALTER BARTON
alumninews
Roanoke College magazine
Walter Barton, far left, with other inductees to the Civic Monument Wall of Honor.
Dr. Walter S. Barton ’55 was selected for inclusion on the Civic Monument at the Wall of Honor in Withers Park in Wytheville, Virginia. The monument recognizes people who have left his or her distinctive and unique mark on Wytheville and Wythe County. Dr. Barton, who holds a Doctor of Medicine from the Medical College of Virginia at VCU, served as a medical officer in the U.S. Navy, and practiced family medicine for a number of years. His practice of family medicine began at a clinic in South Boston, Virginia. In 1964, he moved to Wytheville to join a family medical practice. After eight years of solo practicing, he was joined by three other doctors to establish Family Physicians of Wytheville, now Carilion Family Medical. During his years of caring for the citizens of the Wytheville area, Dr. Barton, who retired in 1996, served on the medical staff at Wythe County Community Hospital and on the hospital’s first board of directors. He was chief of the medical staff when the hospital opened in 1972. Barton has served on a variety of committees and boards of organizations including the Wytheville-Wythe-Bland Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Wythe County and Wytheville Community College Education Foundation.
organization in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina that provides comprehensive support services to families. Francis is an emergency medicine physician at Doctors Care Ivy Hall in Mount Pleasant. He also serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Division of Emergency Medicine, at the Medical University of South Carolina. He holds an M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Jim Dooley ’79 retired as a professional school therapist in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. He continues working with children and adolescents in schools, camps and other venues, and also leads a weekend grief support for children who have lost immediate family members. Jim provides weather forecasts and analyses as “The Dooleycaster” on Facebook.
1980s The Rev. Dr. N. Graham Standish ’81 is executive director of Samaritan Counseling, Guidance Counseling, where he is a clergy coach and spiritual director. His eighth book, “...And the Church Actually Changed,” will be published soon. His daughter, Erin Standish ’21, currently attends Roanoke. Daniel Lentz ’83 was recently recognized with the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award from the National Eagle Scout Association. The award was established in 2010 to recognize notable Eagle Scouts who perform distinguished service at the local, state, or regional level. Margaret Lindsey, CPA ’84 has been named director of finance for Accomack
Steve Williamson ’92 graduated with an M.S. in Management of Information Technology from the University of Virginia in 2018. Polly Berman Hall ’93 was recognized as a 2019 Federal 100 award winner, a prestigious award in federal information technology conferred on those who are transforming government and its ability to deliver on critical missions. Polly serves as strategy lead for the Department of Homeland Security Procurement Innovation Lab. Adam D. Griffith ’99 earned a Ph.D. in geography from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and is working for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians helping to preserve culturally significant native plants. Heidi M. Hanrahan, Ph.D. ’99, a professor of English at Shepherd University (West Virginia), has received the university’s 2018 Professor of the Year Award. Since joining the Shepherd faculty in 2007, Heidi has taken on numerous roles, including active membership with the Academic Advising Committee; Gender and Women’s Studies Board; Diversity and Equity Committee; and the Curriculum and Instruction Committee. Heidi, who holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, is a member of a number of professional organizations including the Modern Language Association; Society for the Study of American Women Writers; and the Society for the Study of Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States.
Silver Bullet Productions, a nonprofit educational film company headed by Pamela Pierce ’72, received the Governors’ Award at the 2019 Rocky Mountain Emmy Awards on Sept. 14 in Scottsdale, Arizona. The award, presented by the Board of Governors of The Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, recognizes unique achievements by an individual or organization that has made a significant impact on the television industry and the community. “This recognition for our use of film as a vehicle for change, that allows authentic voices to be heard, will further our mission to educate,” says Pierce, who is CEO of Silver Bullet Productions. Through award-winning documentaries, Silver Bullet promotes awareness and preservation of culture and heritage. The company received an Emmy in 2013 for its documentary film “Canes of Power.” Roanoke College hosted a viewing and discussion of Silver Bullet’s most recent documentary, “Defending the Fire,” in 2018, with Pierce in attendance.
Holly Stevenson Hunt ’90, right, and Lisa Lewis Ferrell ’92, left, coincidentally met at a resort in St. Kitts. Both are graduates of St. Anne’s Belfield School in Charlottesville, Virginia.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HON. MAWINE G. DIGGS
1990s
Dale ’74 and Janet (Vass) Sarjeant ’73 (pictured left of center) wrote that they had dinner earlier this year at Southminster Retirement Community, where Janet’s mother is a resident. “Next table over, was Durward ’55 and Connie Owen (pictured right of center), visiting some of their former neighbors,” Dale wrote. “I suggested to Durward, ‘Let’s take a picture and see if the Roanoke magazine can squeeze us in.’ He said he’s never had his picture in the magazine that he remembered.” Here you go, Durward!
PAUL RAMIREZ
County, Virginia. Margaret has over a decade of experience in government accounting for municipalities, including the City of Roanoke, and for public school systems. Prior to working in the public arena, she was an auditor for KPMG as well as other accounting firms. Her interest in government accounting started when she served on audit teams for state and local municipalities. Deneen L. Evans ’86, Ph.D. has opened the Mosaic Mental Wellness and Health practice in Roanoke, Virginia. The practice, which has a multicultural/social justice focus, is supported by case managers and serves as a teaching site for Master of Social Work students and licensed eligible MSWs. Valerie Robertson Lanier ’87 is a mental health clinician in the Emergency Department at Mission Hospital, Asheville, North Carolina.
Matt Miktus ’99 and his family have moved from South Carolina back to the Northeast.
2000s Stephanie Burris ’00 has been named the assistant principal for Bonsack and Mount Pleasant elementary schools, both in the Roanoke County, Virginia. Burris joined Roanoke County Public Schools in 2007 as a teacher at Cave Spring Elementary following seven years of teaching in Roanoke City Public Schools. Burris holds a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Radford University. Andrew Sayers ’00 was named the
The Honorable Mawine G. Diggs ’06, has been commissioned as the Republic of Liberia’s deputy minister for administration for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The President of Liberia, H.E. Dr. George Manneh Weah, commissioned Diggs and other ministers and officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a ceremony on Aug. 9. Mawine, who was born in Liberia, previously served as director-general of the Republic of Liberia’s National Commission on Higher Education. Here, President Weah presents Diggs with a certificate during the commissioning ceremony.
2019 Floyd County (Virginia) Teacher of the Year in May. Sayers teaches government classes, honors government classes and Advanced Placement U.S. History at Floyd County High School. Sayers also coaches the cross country team at the high school. He and his wife, Shelli S. Sayers ’00, have two children. S. Graham Simmons III ’01 a member of the Norris McLaughlin, P.A., law firm, has been elected administrative partner of the firm’s Allentown, Pennsylvania office. He also serves as co-chair of the Business Law Group. As
the administrative partner, Simmons will oversee the daily functions of the Pennsylvania office and work directly with the firm’s management committee. Graham holds a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law. Elizabeth Thomson Becker ’04 is enrolled in Emerge America, a national organization that recruits, trains and provides a network to Democratic women who want to run for office. Elizabeth says she plans to run for Nevada State Senate in 2020. Trevor Shannon ’04 was promoted to Battalion Chief of Emergency Management with the Roanoke City Fire-EMS Departcontinued on page 33
ROANOKE.EDU
31
A L U M N I
P R O F I L E
From seed to feed Joe Shea making handcrafted hearth loaves of bread at his Charleston, South Carolina bakery, Tiller Baking Co.
oe Shea ’09 has a particular fondness for the simplicity of bread, its elemental ingredients, and what he once referred to as the “quotidian” nature of baking it. “It’s kind of a process of constant refinement without ever achieving a level of perfection,” says Shea. “I like doing the work. It always engages me.” Bread-baking has been Shea’s joy and profession for the past 10 years — in Telluride, Colorado, in Oakland, California and now, in Charleston, South Carolina, where he opened Tiller Baking Co. in 2018. Located in the Red Top area on the far western edge of Charleston, Tiller Baking’s specialty is handcrafted hearth loaves made with fresh-milled whole grains. To say the breads are works of art is no exaggeration. The crusty loaves are enhanced by braided edges, petal-shaped carvings and unique shapes. What sets this artisan bread apart from others are ingredients and process, says Shea. Tiller Baking works with local quality, organic ingredients, milling 20% of the flour used. Most of the breads are sourdough; its most popular is a classic baguette and a rich, creamy, sweet loaf that incorporates grits and cornmeal. (“It tastes like a corn flake,” Shea says.) Tiller Baking’s use of the freshest local ingredients hearkens back to Shea’s years at Roanoke College, where he majored in philosophy and minored in environmental science. Shea, an Alabama native, spent the summer between his junior and senior years as a Summer Scholar, a competitive program at Roanoke College in which students work one-on-one with faculty on a research project. Shea’s project, titled “Topology of Sustainability: A Dynamic Approach to Agricultural Systems,”
J
32 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
was with Dr. Brent Adkins, professor of philosophy. Dr. Adkins, who was also Shea’s advisor during the regular school year, would share homemade bread with his students from time to time, Shea recalls. Adkins invited his 2008-09 Advanced Seminar students, including Shea, to his house for an end-of-term celebration, where they baked bread, made pasta and enjoyed the food together. For Shea, who’d worked at local restaurants and coffee houses during his years at Roanoke, “bread was a new thing for me.” Dr. Adkins also says he occasionally would invite students over for an all-day cooking event. “I think in Joe’s case this meant pizza in a wood-burning oven for lunch, and homemade cappelletti, slow-roasted goat, and focaccia for dinner. It was a great time hanging out and cooking together,” Adkins recalls. “It never occurred to me that a student would take such an interest in cooking that he would make a career out of it.” But that experience, coupled with Shea’s field of study, was “definitely an influence,” Shea says. “The foundation was laid in the kind of study work I did at the College. And after thinking theoretically about things, I wanted to spend time learning a skill, a practical skill doing something concrete,” he adds. How funny Shea muses, that his work now is tied to “that historical agricultural metaphor” from years ago. In 2009, Shea moved to Colorado, where he baked bread and pastry in Telluride. Two years later, he moved to San Francisco, where he completed course work at the San Francisco Baking Institute and worked at a wood-fired bakery in Oakland. After marrying, Shea and his wife, Charlotte, ventured back east to Charleston, where Shea managed a restaurant bakery, then worked as head baker at a bakery that specialized in honoring the baking traditions of time and craft. When the owners decided to move to Atlanta, Shea purchased the business and opened Tiller Baking, where he is continuing the baking traditions and skills he’s honed over the years. Tiller Baking’s five employees include his brother-in-law, who is head baker. Shea’s wife and their two children — Jacob, 3, and 1-year-old Zoe — can be found at the bakery too, on occasion. In May, Tiller Baking was featured in City Paper, a Charleston weekly newspaper. The writer borrowed a quote from the late iconic chef Julia Child in describing the bakery’s deep affinity for artisan breads made of fresh-milled whole grains: “How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?” “I wrote the writer a letter and thanked him for the quote,” Shea says. “I’m definitely going to keep it in my back pocket.” — Leslie Taylor See more of Tiller Baking’s breads at www.instagram.com/tillerbakingco/?hl=en
ment. He completed his M.A. in emergency and disaster management in November 2018 through the American Military University. Trevor and his wife, Jenn Jennings Shannon ’04, live in Salem, Virginia, with their two sons. Jenn teaches math at Salem High School. Taryn Crowder ’07 recently authored a children’s book, “Buckets Goes on a Winter Adventure.” Published by Mascot Books, it is a story about the escapades of a French Bulldog. Clint R. Zimmerman ’07 has been named head boys basketball coach at Freedom High School in Morgantown, North Carolina. Clint — who grew up in Burke County, North Carolina, and played basketball and baseball at Freedom and at Roanoke — joined the Freedom High staff 11 years ago. He also will continue to serve as head baseball coach at Freedom, a position he has held since 2010. Loren M. LaPorte ’08 is head softball coach at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In June, Loren and her coaching staff were named the 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Staff of the Year for the Northeast
region. The team claimed the regular-season Colonial Athletic Association title and its fifth CAA Championship with three run-rule victories before defeating Michigan twice in the Ann Arbor Regional to advance to the Los Angeles Super Regional. Loren, a former Roanoke softball standout, is married to Josh LaPorte ’08, former member of the Roanoke men’s basketball team.
2010s Daniel DeVault ’11, founding artistic director of the Humanity Theatre Project, has added a staged reading of Lisa Loomer’s play, “Roe,” to create a forum for discussion on abortion and women’s rights. Daniel has been a theater professional as an actor, stage manager, lighting designer and director. He has focused his career in middle Tennessee and has worked with Nashville Repertory Theatre, Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theatre, Circle Players and Southern Stage Productions, among others.
Manley-Brinkley wedding
Blaney-Sanderson wedding
Cathleen Gruver ’11, lead interior designer with Gruver Cooley Custom Homebuilders in Purcellville, Virginia, has received national and regional Chrysalis Awards. The awards, sponsored by Qualified Remodeler and Kitchen and Bath Design News, recognize remodeling excellence. Cathleen holds a master’s degree in interior design from Marymount University, where she has served as an adjunct professor. Elizabeth Jung ’11 is as an associate attorney at the Law Offices of Marc S. Ward, LLC. She previously served as an assistant state’s attorney for Frederick County, Virginia, where she prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases in Circuit and District Court. Jung holds a J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law. Patrick March ’11 has been named offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Syracuse University men’s lacrosse program. Patrick, a former twotime all-American attack at Roanoke, has experience coaching at Roanoke, at the University of Vermont and at Dickinson College, and in Major League Lacrosse for the Atlanta Blaze. Most recently, he served
as offense coordinator and recruiting coordinator for Princeton University’s lacrosse team. Bridget A. McLaughlin ’12 received a doctor of veterinary medicine from Oklahoma State University in May 2019. She has joined an animal practice in Allen, Texas. Caitlin A. Mitchell ’13 has been inducted into North Carolina Lawyers Weekly inaugural Rising Stars class. Caitlin, nominated by Judge Phil Berger, Jr. of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, was one of 30 young lawyers across North Carolina who were honored at a program and luncheon in May. The award recognizes lawyers who have been out of law school 10 years or less, and have already made a strong impact in the legal community. Criteria for selection included career accomplishments, contributions to the profession, contributions to the development of the law, contributions to the bar and the state, and efforts to increase access to justice. Caitlin, who holds a J.D. from Elon University, is an associate attorney with
Bridges-Horn wedding
Phillips-Lyons wedding
Davis-Ricketts wedding
ROANOKE.EDU
33
alumninews
Annabelle and Deacon Fizer
Holden Lynch
Young Moore and Henderson, P.A. in Raleigh, North Carolina. Jennifer M. Blaney, Ph.D. ’14 is an assistant professor of higher education at Idaho State University. Blaney holds a doctorate in Higher Education & Organizational Change from UCLA. Zachary T. Carney ’16 has been promoted to senior accounting administrator at Advance Auto Parts’ Roanoke, Virginia, office. Amber Cook ’16 is working as a terminal accountant in Roanoke, Virginia. Jordan Jones ’16 was promoted to ARC team advisor with CBIZ, Inc. Her responsibilities include supporting the team, and internal and external clients; driving process improvement; and focusing on implementation. She started with the company as the first employee of the CBIZ Benefits ARC team, now EB National Support. Caity Ashley ’17 finished in the top 2% of women at the 2019 Boston Marathon. She completed the race in 246th place among the estimated 12,000 women who ran, with a time of 3:3:45 over 26.2 miles. Caity works for a hunger relief organization in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is pursuing a master’s degree in public health at the University of North Carolina with a focus on nutrition. Aisha Mpinga ’17 graduated with a Master of Arts degree in global studies from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Helen Phillips ’17 co-hosted an influencer event in Darien, Connecticut on July 31 to celebrate Connecticut and its brands and makers. The event was featured in Cottages & Gardens magazine. Helen collaborated with fellow Maroon Lexie Janney ’16, who used her artistic talents
to create invitations, sponsor cards and recipe cards for the event. Alison Krupnik ’11 was among the attendees. Read about the event on Helen’s lifestyle blog, styleinherited.com. James I. Baker ’18 is district scout executive with the Pine Tree Council of the Boy Scouts of America in Raymond, Maine. Rebecca Cook ’18 lives in Alexandria, Virginia, and is a development and membership associate for a nonprofit. Eli Sumpter ’18 has joined the baseball coaching staff at Eastern Mennonite University. Eli, who had a standout career as a member of the baseball and men’s basketball teams at Roanoke, now occupies the Graduate Assistant role at EMU. Erin Hannon ’19, of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, began training as a Youth Development Facilitator volunteer with the Peace Corps in Peru in September. Erin is living with a host family in Peru for her first three months, becoming fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. She will then be sworn into service and assigned to a community in Peru, where she will live and work for two years.
marriages Kymberleigh Davis ’03 married John Ricketts on May 25, 2019 in Roanoke, Virginia. The Rev. Canon Natalie L.G. Hall ‘03 officiated the wedding, with Catherine Davis ’06 as maid of honor. Also in attendance were Ashley Roth ’05 and Gwen Woodson ’06. Meghan Brinkley ’12 wed Clarke Manley ’13 on May 11, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. Members of the wedding party included Chelsea Souza ’13, Lindsey Grinnell ’15, Tyler Poindexter ’14 and Patrick DelBuono ’13. Countless other friends from Roanoke attended as well.
34 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
Robinson family
Madison Phillips ’13 married Alex Lyons ’11 on June 29 in Dennis, Massachusetts. The couple met in 2009 while at Roanoke College. Alumnae in the bridal party included Sophie Wilson ’13, Stephanie Margolin ’13, Kara Kayrouz ’13, Kelsea Pieters ’13, Nicole Thomas ’13, Jamie Ronne ’12, Tyler Booth ’11, Paxton Fitchett ’12, Connor Denis ’12, Patrick Dibert ’12, Greg Kroeger ’11 and Ryan Montoni ’12. Katherine Thornton ’13 married Matthew Brickey on June 16, 2018, in Johnson City, Tennessee. Jennifer Blaney ’14 and Eric Sanderson celebrated their wedding day on July 7, 2018, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Jennifer completed her Ph.D. in higher education and organizational change from UCLA in 2018, and is assistant professor of higher education at Idaho State University. Robert Horn ’15 and Hannah Bridges ’16 were married on June 1, 2019, at The Farm in Asheville, North Carolina. Robert is the son of Doug ’78 and Peggy (Fintel) Horn ’78. Roanoke alumni in attendance joined the bride and groom for a group photo.
families Stephen T. and Rebecca K. Bast ’75 ’75 shared the following: “We thought you might like to see our granddaughter Zoe Bast — and Homer’s great granddaughter — in her new Roanoke College jacket she got for her 4th birthday! She loves it!” Julie Haddy Barrick ’97 and husband Thomas are the proud parents of Sebastian Thomas Barrick, born Aug. 20, 2019. Audrey Easter Fizer ’07 and her husband, Dustin, welcomed Annabelle Elizabeth, into their family on May 29, 2019.
Zoe Bast
Annabelle and her brother, Deacon, live with their parents in Salem, Virginia. Allyson Ridgway Lynch ’07 and her husband, Adam, are excited to announce the Jan. 27, 2019, birth, of son Charles Holden. Holden’s sister, Emily, was on hand to welcome him home. Allyson is an assistant principal at Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Elizabeth M. Rothera ’11 and husband Ian Robinson ’11 welcomed son Walker James Robinson on March 21, 2019. The family currently lives in Japan, where Ian is on assignment with the U.S. Air Force.
in memoriam Sarah Galloway Larrabee ’40, of East Craftsbury, Vermont, died April 15, 2019, at age 99. After graduating from Roanoke, she earned a master’s degree in Christian education from New York University and taught English in the Radford Public Schools. She and her husband served many churches, her husband as pastor and she as Bible teacher. While living in Maryland, she worked for the Maryland Children’s Aid and Family Services and also as a travel agent. Larrabee was an art enthusiast and enjoyed being a friend to many. Mary-Starke H. Wilson ’43, of Stamford, Connecticut, died on Aug. 7, 2019. Wilson, who held a master’s degree in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia, was active in interfaith activities and was a member of the Interfaith Council of Christians and Jews. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church
for 61 years, where she served as an elder and was Clerk of Session for 10 years. Later in life, she was employed by local churches, the Connecticut Psychotherapy Center, and Xerox Corporation. As a minister’s wife, she joined the Stamford Yacht Club in 1959 where she was passionate about tennis. In 1992, she was named a Sesquicentennial Distinguished Alumna of Roanoke College. Clara Herbert Larmore ’45, a resident of Delmar, Maryland, died July 15, 2019, at age 96. She was a registered nurse who started her career at Hagerstown Memorial Hospital. After she married, raising a family became her full-time job. Larmore was a longtime member of St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church where she volunteered in the church office and was part of the prayer shawl knitting group. She also volunteered at Peninsula Regional Medical Center for over 20 years. Lellen Rice Dawson ’46 died in Salem, Virginia, on June 3, 2019. As a young woman, she traveled, sold real estate, and modeled for area department stores. Dawson was a member of the Salem Book Club and Salem Presbyterian Church, and was a member and docent of the Salem Historical Society. She also was president of the Salem Junior Guild and the Salem Needlework Guild, which provided clothing for local underprivileged children. Dawson was 95. Rev. Reginald H. Potts III ’46 died Feb. 13, 2019, in Richmond, Virginia at age 94. During World War II, he served under Gen. George S. Patton in the Third Army in Europe. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School, Duke University, and served as a pastor for 40 years with various churches in the Vir-
Carl B. Sherertz ’42 passed away in Roanoke, Virginia, on April 24, 2019. He was 96 and a longtime member of Roanoke College’s Honor Guard Committee. Sherertz, a retired major in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, was retired from Merrill Lynch. As a chartered life underwriter, he had been president of local chapters of GAMA, IAFP and Life Underwriters. He was a member of the Estate Planning Council, Roanoke Country Club and the Rotary Club. In addition, Sherertz was a member of the South Roanoke United Methodist Church, board chairman of the Pastoral Counseling Center and district director of the Methodist Men. He was preceded in death by his wife, Barbara Minichan Sherertz ’45. Among his survivors is grandson Robert Sherertz ’06.
ginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Pastor Potts served 12 years as Virginia Conference Secretary. He also served as a board member in the Virginia Conference Historical Society, Peninsula District Society, Norfolk District Society, Southeastern District Society, and was active in the Kiwanis. Ruth A. Schmidt ’47, of East Aurora, New York, passed away Oct. 25, 2018. Joyce Francl Brace ’48 died on Dec. 5, 2018. She was a member of the Roanoke College Society of 1842 and a retired administrator of Nassau County Social Services. Eleanor Rierson Lever ’49, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away on Aug. 4, 2019. She attended Roanoke College, graduating in 1950 from the Woman’s College of the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. A teacher for a number of years, Lever was known as patient and supportive, with a passion for literacy. She was a member of the Alexandria Retired Teachers Association, Delta Kappa Gamma Society for women educators, and the Kate Waller Barrett Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Betty Jane Dunn Ryman ’49 passed away May 26, 2019, at age 92 in Roanoke, Virginia. She spent most of her career teaching in Roanoke City Schools. Ryman was an active member of Huntington Court United Methodist Church and in the ministry to the homebound of her church. She was a lover of animals and a generous contributor to animal charities. Edwin K. Harless ’50, U.S. Navy veteran, died on Feb. 21, 2019, in Salem, Virginia. He was 93. A three-sport athlete during his years at Roanoke, Harless was inducted into the Roanoke College Hall of
Sherertz at a 2012 Honor Guard breakfast.
Fame in 1972. During the span of his career, he was a teacher and coach at Andrew Lewis High School and later became an insurance agent with State Farm. Earl G. Robertson ’50, age 96, died June 20, 2019, in Roanoke, Virginia. A veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps, he spent most of World War II in Fairbanks, Alaska, carrying out cold-weather testing on American warplanes. As a civilian, his primary career was in real estate, starting as a realty agent and later as an appraiser. Robertson was an active member and trustee of Greene Memorial United Methodist Church and served in fraternal organizations, including the Roanoke Kiwanis Club. He retired from the Air Force Reserve with the rank of major and continued to fly as a member of the Acorn Flying Club. In addition to flying, he also enjoyed woodworking, automobiles and boating. William E. Weddington ’50, a resident of Bon Air, Virginia, passed away March 4, 2019 at age 96. His compassion for disadvantaged children led him to a lifelong career in building juvenile justice programs in Virginia. He became director of the Virginia Division of Youth Services and retired in 1985 as assistant director of Virginia Department of Corrections. He also served as auditor with the American Correctional Association for juvenile institutions across the country. Weddington served during World War II in the U.S. Air Force where he was an airplane electrical mechanic working on B-17s. He held a master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Katherine Robertson MacGregor ’51, a resident of Rocky Mount, Virginia, died March 22, 2019. She held a master’s degree in library science from the University of Rhode Island. Her long career as a librarian first included volunteering in the Danvers State Hospital, then holding positions at Haverhill High School, Varian Associates and Topsfield Public Library, all in Massachusetts. She later joined Topsfield Historical Society where she cataloged historical books and served as librarian. MacGregor was an avid traveler and dedicated to her family, faith and community. Donald H. Salisbury Jr. ’52, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, passed away March 13, 2019, in Roanoke, Virginia. He worked for the Radford Arsenal before joining General Electric. After retiring from G.E., he served as CFO of two companies on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. He also earned his charter boat captain’s license. Ben D. Bowles ’54 died in Salem, Virginia, on June 1, 2019. His early interest in flying motivated him to enlist in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean crisis, and he was one of the first five pilots to fly the SR-71 Blackbird. He flew highly classified
reconnaissance missions and was awarded the Air Medal and two Distinguished Flying Crosses. After retiring from the Air Force in 1972 with the rank of lieutenant colonel, he worked 15 years as chief corporate pilot with Dayton Hudson/Target Corporation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. William Byrd Nock Jr. ’52, of Greensboro, North Carolina, passed away on July 30, 2019. After graduating from Roanoke, Nock attended the University of Maryland. He went on to serve in the U.S. Air Force in the Korean Conflict from 1951-52, then returned home to take over the business that would become Tri County Pickles. Concurrently, he started and managed Snow Hill Grain Co. Inc., until his retirement. Nock, who served as a town councilman from 1990-98, continued to work part-time following retirement, delivering meals to clients with the Worcester County Commission on Aging Senior Center. He also contributed to the local 4-H Extension Service program and was a member of the local Lions Club and Bates Memorial Methodist Church. Rachel (Lorine) Tyler ’56 died in Vinton, Virginia, on Feb. 18, 2019. After graduating from Roanoke, she embarked on a teaching career. Tyler was an active member of Belmont Baptist Church. Samuel E. Grove ’57, a veteran of the U.S. Army, passed away on June 9, 2019, in Fishersville, Virginia. While at Roanoke, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity and operated one of the world’s smallest radio stations set up for the benefit of students in Wells Hall. His 38-year teaching career included schools in Vance County, North Carolina, and Waynesboro, Virginia. Grove was a lifetime member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church and also held membership in many fraternal organizations. His daughter, Rachel Augusta Grove ’06, is among his survivors. Georgia C. Daniels ’58, of Chester, Virginia, died on Aug. 7, 2019. Daniels was May Queen at Roanoke College, Sweetheart of Sigma Chi fraternity, Miss Roanoke 1955 and first runner-up Miss Virginia. After college, she taught school, married and raised her family, and returned to teaching high school once her children were grown. Daniels was a longtime member of Chester United Methodist Church. Dr. William N. Toomy ’59 passed away June 7, 2019, in Raphine, Virginia. During his college career, he was elected vice president of the junior class and was named captain of the All-Little Eight team, the first sophomore to receive the honor. A member of the Monogram Club, Toomy excelled in basketball at Roanoke. After graduating, he continued his education at George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and served ROANOKE.EDU
35
alumninews
Paul J. Housman ’59, nationally acclaimed college basketball official and Roanoke College Hall of Famer, died April 12, 2019, in Roanoke, Virginia. Housman, a five-sport athlete and basketball team captain during his years at Roanoke, took his love for basketball and made it a career, serving as an Atlantic Coast Conference official for nearly 20 years, and officiating the Final Four tournament in 1983 and 1988. In addition to his passion for basketball, he enjoyed golf, dancing, singing and jokes. Housman was in the National Guard for eight years and was an insurance executive in his firm, Paul Housman and Associates. The family has designated that memorial contributions be sent to: The Roanoke College Maroon Fund for Athletics, 221 College Lane, Salem, Virginia 24153.
his internship at the Medical College of Virginia. His internal medical residencies were completed at the Jersey Shore Medical Center and the University of New Mexico, where he was chief resident. In 1967, he embarked on a 44-year medical career in Waynesboro, Virginia. In 2013, Toomy was named to the Roanoke College All-Century Team. James B. O’Mahony ’60, of Peterborough, New Hampshire, died Aug. 8, 2019. O’Mahony worked for Maryland Casualty, Cigna Insurance and as a self-employed safety engineer. He enjoyed the outdoors, birdwatching and was an avid fisherman. Col. Jaime Sabater Jr. ’60, passed away April 14, 2019, in New Bern, North Carolina. Sabater attended the U.S. Naval Academy for two years before transferring to Roanoke College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. He was commissioned in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1960 and spent the next 26 years in service, retiring as a full colonel. During his years of service, he had various assignments, including two tours in Vietnam. Upon his retirement from the Marine Corps, he lived and worked in Europe as the regional director of marketing and sales for a U. S. defense firm until his retirement in 1996. Robert J. Flynn ’62 passed away Feb. 23, 2019, in North Wales, Pennsylvania. He served in the Army Reserves and joined his family’s property and casualty insurance business. Flynn enjoyed water sports and expressing his sense of humor. John (Frank) Toohey ’63 passed away July 4, 2019, in Bethesda, Maryland. During his student days at Roanoke, he played basketball and remained devoted to the sport throughout his life. As a business
Housman played basketball at Roanoke from 1955-59, averaging more than 10 points per game over his last two seasons.
professional, his career focus was in tax policy with state and federal government. He served during the Clinton administration in the Office of Legislative Affairs, U.S. Department of the Treasury. Toohey held a Ph.D. in business administration from the University of Alabama. Doris Meador DeLong ’64, of Roanoke, Virginia, died on Feb. 7, 2019. She served the Roanoke City Department of Social Services for 30 years. Her daughter, Cyndee Kinsey Basham ’90, is among her survivors. Susan Stephenson Hunter ’67, a resident of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away May 28, 2019. She taught special education for over 20 years with Roanoke County Schools. As a mandolin player in the Hunter Family Band, she toured nationwide. Hunter met her husband, Bill Hunter ’68, at Roanoke College on a blind date, and they were married 51 years. Stephen R. Mott ’68, a U.S. Army veteran, died in Metuchen, New Jersey, on May 26, 2019. Drafted in the armed forces after graduation, he served in Vietnam, where he was wounded and was awarded the Purple Heart. He was honorably discharged as sergeant in 1970. As a civilian, he was an insurance broker and underwriter in New York and New Jersey. Mott coached recreation soccer, basketball and track and field, and was a certified high school track and field official for many years. James B. Irving ’69, of Powhatan, Virginia, died on July 26, 2019. Irving served in the U.S. Army from 1969-72 and later retired after more than 10 years as a CPA with the Virginia Department of Taxation. He was a member of the Masons and the Forest Hill Men’s Breakfast Crew. Irving’s sur-
36 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
vivors include his wife, Linda F. Irving ’70. Stewart Malone ’69 passed away in Fernandina Beach, Florida, on July 7, 2019. He was president of his familyowned lumber company and a professor of business administration at the University of Virginia. He also was a commercial and recreational pilot. Malone volunteered in several local organizations, but was most proud of his work as a guardian ad litem. Henry S. Mosby Jr. ’70, of Montvale, Virginia, died on Aug. 21, 2019. Robert F. Agnew ’73, of Arlington, Virginia, died on Aug. 19, 2019. Agnew, who attended graduate school at the University of North Dakota, had a 40-year career in aviation, serving in the USAF Strategic Air Command as an instructor navigator and starting a commercial aviation career at Northwest Airlines. He was president and CEO of Morten Beyer & Agnew, an international aviation consulting firm, and a member of the Board of Directors of Atlas air Worldwide. Surviving family members include his wife of 45 years, Susan Porter Agnew ’73, who he met at Roanoke College. Peggy Ann Bryant Richardson ’77, of Salem, Virginia, passed away on March 27, 2019. She enjoyed a 40-year career as a registered nurse with Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where she taught pediatrics in the school of nursing and worked in the outpatient clinic. Richardson was an avid reader and was devoted to her family. Ken Bezouska ’78 died in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 28, 2018. Robert A. Davies ’78 died on March 1, 2019, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Davies chaired the English Department at Randolph Macon Academy at Front Royal, Virginia, where he taught English for 24 years. He was the recipient of many awards for his teaching, including the prestigious Educator of Distinction Award. His passions were literature, reading, classical music, his school, and, most of all, his students. Isabel Paterson Wesel ’79, of Blacksburg, Virginia, passed away April 5, 2019. After working as a registered nurse during the 1940s, she matriculated at Roanoke as a non-traditional student and graduated summa cum laude when she was 50. Wesel loved family, church, music and flowers. Dr. Dawn Y. Manjoney ’80, a magna cum laude graduate of Roanoke, died on June 14, 2019. She received her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical College and completed an internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at the combined Yale University School of Medicine and New York Medical College program at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She went on to
post-fellowship training in nuclear cardiology and echocardiology at Duke University and the University of North Carolina. She worked as a cardiologist in Virginia for several years. Aside from her work, Dr. Manjoney enjoyed cooking and baking, and was an avid photographer and musician. Among her survivors are her sisters, Delia Manjoney, M.D. ’73 and Deborah Manjoney, M.D. ’74. Wade F. Hodges ’81 passed away in Salem, Virginia, on July 23, 2019. He was a retired Roanoke City law enforcement officer with 33 years of service to his community. Robert H. Jones ’85, a resident of Reading, Pennsylvania, passed away July 1, 2019. He served in the U.S. Army, 1st Battalion, 75th Infantry Regiment (Airborne Ranger) with over 63 jumps from eight different types of aircraft. In the workforce, he was employed in the computer and information systems field for USA Today in Rosslyn, Virginia, and later with Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Jones was known for his passion for opera and classical music, and talent for carving wood, making pottery and painting impressionist art. Peter C. McGowan ’85 died March 30, 2019, in Ocean Pines, Maryland. He spent many years working in Colorado, skiing in the winter and spending summers on Martha’s Vineyard in water-related activities. After formally studying photography, he embarked on a successful photography career and focused on freelance advertising, editorial sports, marine, yachting and outdoor action photography. McGowan’s friends describe his larger-than-life personality as enigmatic, persuasive and adventurous. His motto was to always make life an adventure for himself and those around him. Leigh Brill Singh ’92 passed away May 15, 2019, in Charlottesville, Virginia. She held a master’s degree in psychology, with a specialization in community service, from James Madison University. Singh worked at the Community Services Board in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and later at the Ronald McDonald House of Southwest Virginia in Roanoke. She was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church and an accomplished writer and motivational speaker. Paul Welykoridko ’93, a resident of Glenwood, Maryland, passed away March 27, 2019. He earned an M.B.A. at Baruch College in New York City. He began his career as an associate financial consultant with Merrill Lynch in New York City, climbing the ranks to director, head of Investment Products Group. He also worked many years with Morgan Stanley and most recently, was product manager in Retirement Plan Services with T. Rowe Price. His
I N
M E M O R I A M
World War II veteran pilot remembered as a “guy’s guy” etired U.S. Army Air Corps and Air Force Reserve pilot Earl George Robertson ’49 spent much of his life in the cockpit before he “tipped his wings” for the last time. Robertson died on June 20, 2019. A Roanoke native, Robertson was the eldest of four brothers, barely arriving ahead of his identical twin, Dewey Rutledge Robertson ’45. When the twins were still in high school, their father enrolled them in flying lessons. World War II was beginning, and he hoped they would serve as pilots rather than on the more dangerous battlefront. After graduating from Jefferson High School in Roanoke in 1941, the two attended Roanoke College for about a year before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Both served as instructor pilots and reached the rank of first lieutenant. Earl Robertson was stationed at Ladd Field in Fairbanks, Alaska, and was in the air conducting a flight lesson when Army Command abruptly rounded up all of the other multi-engine pilots and sent them off to train for the invasion of Europe. Robertson remained at Ladd Field for most of the war, conducting dangerous cold-weather flight testing of experimental two- and four-engine military transport aircraft, including the C-47. He flew the planes to and around the North Pole. His son, David Robertson, said his father quipped that he “circled the globe non-stop.” He did — at one degree of latitude south of the pole. Robertson met his wife, Phyllis Wood Robertson, during a military trip through Watertown, South Dakota. The two met at a bowling alley, and she caught his eye, as he told family, with the way she guided her bowling ball down the lane to “a perfect landing.” The two married in 1946 and moved to Roanoke, where they raised their two sons and remained the rest of their lives. Robertson returned to Roanoke College, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics. He spent two years in sales for General Electric Supply Company before becoming a rental and sales agent for R.L. Rush Realty. Around 1960, he and a colleague formed Roanoke’s first real estate appraisal practice, State Appraisal Corporation. When his colleague retired, Robertson renamed the business Commonwealth Appraisal, and his son David later joined the business. The elder Robertson never officially retired, reporting for work daily into his 90s.
passions were biking, golf, baseball, kayaking and lacrosse. Courtney Tillett ’99 died in Lubbock, Texas, on April 10, 2019. While a student at Roanoke, he was a two-time captain of the men’s track team and holds the College’s 800-meter indoor record. At graduation, he was named Roanoke’s most outstanding literary and writing student. Tillett held an M.A. with emphasis on special education from Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland. In Baltimore, he worked at the
Rainbow School and Johns Hopkins Center for the study of the brain, and with the Sylvan Learning Center in Lubbock. He also worked for 10 years in China and the United Arab Emirates managing and coordinating special needs programs at international schools. His work was his passion and he accumulated many accolades as a gifted teacher of autistic and learningdisabled children. RC
DAVID ROBERTSON
R
Pilot Earl Robertson, in his prime.
He never lost his love of flying, either. After World War II, Robertson was one of the original members of the U.S. Air Force Reserve squadron in Roanoke, later retiring with the rank of major. He also joined the recreational Acorn Flying Club in 1966 and flew for pleasure for many years. Other hobbies included fishing, hunting, cars, boating and woodworking. “He was a guy’s guy,” said grandson Mark Robertson, who noted that his grandfather would show up for Mark’s sporting events in a dress shirt, long pants and a jacket. “Earl was a product of his time,” Mark said. “Formality was part of who he was.” Earl Robertson was active with the Roanoke Kiwanis Club, of which he was president for years, and with the Freemasons and Shriners. He spent his entire life as a member of Greene Memorial United Methodist Church in Roanoke, where he was baptized as a baby, served as a trustee for years, and was memorialized upon his death. — Sharon Nanz ’09
F A C U LT Y O B I T U A R Y Dr. Jeffrey L. Spielman, Roanoke College mathematics professor, died on March 10, 2019, in Salem, Virginia. Before joining the Roanoke faculty, Dr. Spielman taught at Chicago State University and Ohio Northern University. During his tenure at Roanoke, he played a major role in the design and concentration of statistics. He was known for his sense of humor and his mix of patience and encouragement to help students. He retired in 2015. Spielman’s wife, Maryanne Rutter Spielman ’73 passed away shortly after on March 28, 2019.
ROANOKE.EDU
37
alumninews ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS
Henry Hill Challenge Atlanta Alumni Chapter captures 2019 award
C
ongratulations to the Atlanta Alumni Chapter, winner of the 2019 Henry Hill Chapter Challenge! The chapter won with an alumni giving percentage of 28.5.
This is the second consecutive Henry Hill Challenge win for
the Atlanta Chapter. The Charlotte Alumni Chapter, this year, came in second. Roanoke College created the Henry Hill Challenge as a friendly competition among the alumni chapters. It is named for the beloved custodian who spent 42 years (from 1911 to 1953) ringing the campus bell to signal meals, chapel services and classes. The award itself is a replica based on the real bell tower, which was dedicated in honor of Hill in 1954 and is now used at opening convocation and commencement ceremonies. The award is given annually to the alumni chapter with the highest giving percentage at the end of the ďŹ scal year and most improved giving percentage from the previous ďŹ scal year. The winning chapter receives a victory event with the College president, bragging rights for the year, and the opportunity to showcase a replica of the Henry Hill bell at events throughout the year.
The Atlanta Alumni Chapter celebrates its Henry Hill Challenge win at a reception in June.
38 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
Honor Guard Keeping the reunion tradition alive after the 50th!
Honor Guard Reunion Representatives: Bob ’58 and Sally (Randolph) Upton ’60 The Roanoke College Honor Guard includes alumni from the classes of 1969 and prior years. Honor Guard activities during the 2020 Alumni Weekend include: a reception on Friday, April 17 in Pickle Lounge, Colket Center; and breakfast induction on Saturday, April 18 in the Colket Center.
Contact: For more information about Honor Guard and Alumni Weekend, contact Greg Hanlon at (540) 375-2075 or hanlon@roanoke.edu. For more information about making a gift to the College, contact Suzanne Hiner at (540) 375-2088 or hiner@roanoke.edu.
ROANOKE COLLEGE
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
2020 Reunions ALUMNI WEEKEND April 17-19, 2020 The following classes are celebrating reunions this year:
Class of
Class of
2019
2015
Class of
Class of
1st Reunion
5th Reunion
2010
2005
Class of
Class of
20th Reunion
25th Reunion
Class of
Class of
10th Reunion
15th Reunion
2000 1995 1990
1985
Class of
Class of
30th Reunion
1980 40th Reunion
35th Reunion
1975 45th Reunion
Class of
interested in getting more involved in your local alumni chapter or reunion committee, or hosting
1970 50th Reunion
an event in your area for local alumni, families and friends? Contact the Roanoke College Office of Alumni & Family Relations to learn more. Email us at rcalumni@roanoke.edu.
Golden Reunion photo to be taken Friday, April 17 at the Golden Reunion, President’s Home. All others will be taken Saturday, April 18, at Bloodies & Bagels on the Maroon Athletic Quad (MAQ).
Want to be on your reunion committee? V I S I T U S AT R O A N O K E . E D U /A L U M N I
Contact the Office of Alumni & Family Relations at: rcalumnievents@roanoke.edu ROANOKE.EDU
39
alumninews ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS
The New England Alumni Chapter spent an evening at the historic Fenway Park in August.
The Southwest Virginia/East Tennessee Alumni Chapter and Marion College Alumni gathered for an annual reception on June 17.
The Philadelphia Alumni Chapter hosted the “Roanoke College Golf Tournament” on Sept. 9 at the Sunnybrook Golf Club in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. The tournament raises money to support scholarships for Philadelphia students attending Roanoke College.
The Hampton Roads Chapter hosted night at a Norfolk Tides game on July 20. A group of alumni, parents and friends braved near-100 degree temperatures.
40 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
In September, Chicago area alumni, parents and friends gathered with President and Mrs. Maxey for an evening in downtown Chicago.
The Atlanta Alumni Chapter enjoyed a Summer Social at the home of Doug ’78 and Peggy (Fintel) Horn ’78 on Aug. 24. Pictured are Patrick ’06 and Emma Leardo with daughter Rosemarie.
The Roanoke Valley Alumni Chapter hosted “Party in Elmwood” on Aug. 29 in downtown Roanoke’s Elmwood Park. Alumni, family, friends of the College, and members of the College community joined the fun!
COLLEGE ARCHIVES B Y D R. M AR K M ILLER , PR OF E S SO R OF H IST ORY A ND DAVI D BI TTLE CO LL E G E H IS T OR IA N
The Real “War Babies:” Roanoke and the World Wars
SATC troops in formation.
t was April of 1917 when U.S. President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war on Germany and move America to a war footing not seen since the Civil War, more than half a century earlier. If most Americans were unclear about what the impact would be, equally Roanoke College was uncertain as to how life on campus would be affected as well. Roanoke College President John A. Morehead preached calm and caution to his boys. Through the academic year of 1917-18, Morehead advised his charges to follow their consciences, but that there was nothing wrong with staying in college, where they could continue their studies “until ripe for the largest possible usefulness.” Meanwhile on campus, the College organized a voluntary military training program and hired a local
I
42 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
retired military officer to conduct military drilling and provide instruction. Fifty-four students signed up. By the spring of 1918, as the war intensified in Europe, the U.S. government announced a more formal program for colleges to help. Roanoke was quick to apply and received permission to organize a unit of the Student Army Training Corps, the SATC. By the fall of 1918, campus life had changed dramatically. The College accepted 121 men into the program, about half of the student body, and instruction and training began in
In all, 448 Roanoke College alumni and ex-students saw service in World War I. Along with the Student Army Training Corps, 312 served in the Army and Navy, and 15 more in nonmilitary service. earnest. Four U.S. Army officers and an Army surgeon provided direction, and Roanoke College faculty offered other instruction. The Sections was transformed into their barracks, and the Commons was retitled as the mess hall. The Roanoke College unit was officially a company of infantry with compulsory service, and a commission as an Army officer was the expectation upon completion of the program. And then it was over. Allied advances by the late summer and into the fall would turn the tide on the western front, and on Nov. 11, 1918, an armistice was signed. Amidst the celebrations across America, the College company got the word that
it would be demobilized at the end of the semester. In all, 448 Roanoke College alumni and ex-students saw service in the war. Along with the SATC, 312 served in the Army and Navy, and 15 more in non-military service. Two men were killed in combat and four more died in the service. Ten Maroons received decorations. By the spring of 1919, the College struggled to make ends meet. With the demise of the SATC, most of those students elected not to return to school and, as a result, enrollment plummeted. Then President Morehead accepted a call from the Lutheran Church to help with refugee aid in Europe in the aftermath. Biology professor George Peery was tapped by the Board of Trustees to provide leadership while the president was away. As if the College’s fragile state wasn’t enough, it got worse in the fall of 1919. In the world’s worst-ever pandemic, the influenza outbreak would kill as many as 100 million worldwide, including 670,000 Americans. The College would not emerge unscathed. The flu swept through Salem in the fall and authorities ordered people to shelter in place. The College converted the Ciceronian Debate parlor on the third floor of Miller Hall into an infirmary and did its best to combat this deadly killer. The College lost a freshman, Thomas Cadwalader, to the plague; another student died at Lewis-Gale Hospital in Roanoke later that winter. By the spring of 1920, Morehead offered his official resignation. With enrollment struggling, endowment gone, accreditation lost, faculty leaving, the physical plant in disarray and lingering memories of war and flu, Roanoke College was on the ropes. It would have been easy to quit. But the board and Dr. Charles J. Smith, who succeeded Morehead as College president, voted to go on. Fast-forward 20 years to December 1941. The College was as shocked as the nation as 1942 began. Dr. Smith
formed the Morale Committee to keep spirits up and the College focused on the eventual comeback. Faculty volunteered to join the Roanoke-Salem Intelligence Bureau to help the community in their search for spies. Charles Brown, former dean and town mayor, formed a speakers’ bureau and defense library to help educate the public. Meanwhile, the students formed their own paramilitary campus army. They turned the Sections into “posts” and the Commons returned to its WWI “mess hall” status. Seniors were officers and freshmen natu-
Recruitment officer swears in Navy flyers in the V program.
rally became privates in the new order. Drilling and calisthenics became the detail of the day, until at least March when the “play army” seemed to have run its course and the war quickly became more serious and deadly than maintaining the campus defense. Numerous students had volunteered already to join the war effort and the draft claimed many others. Campus life struggled to keep up; sports were allowed to continue, but with a more limited travel schedule. Social events and parties continued and the May Court offered a most patriotic salute to America. The College did scale back on its muchanticipated Centennial anniversary in June of 1942 as one remarked that “celebrating seemed unpatriotic.” Over the summer, six College faculty and staff — 20% of the College employees — joined the war effort.
By the fall of 1942, the College benefited from an unanticipated surge in enrollment. Choosing between college and enlistment, this initial wave of Maroons felt a lot more at home in the classroom than the battlefield. The College had encouraged the interest with its “Wartime Education” program, which promised an accelerated three-year course to graduation. College enrollment ballooned to an all-time record of 370 students, including a record number of women, totaling 46. To house the crowd, the College stashed the students in the gym, the Commons, and the infirmary. Even President Smith took in four boarders at his home, “Roselawn.” Still, there was a military feel on campus; the College hosted 30 U.S. Army soldiers who the students nicknamed the “Green Hornets.” The College debuted its first ROTC program with 88 students enrolled. Football survived for one more season but played just four games of seven-man teams. By the spring of 1943, U.S. war efforts had continued to mount. The draft age dropped to 18 for the first time and college deferments proved harder to come by. Numerous students were drafted during the semester and had just a few days to report. With declining numbers, the College called an end to all sports and social events. Even commencement was reduced to just one day to enable parents and family to save on time and expenses to make the trip. But the most important news was announced in late March; the College signed a contract with the U.S. Navy to house and train a program for naval aviators. The V (Navy College Training) Program would transform the nature of the College for the next year and a half, but also guaranteed the financial survival of the school. Within weeks, the first 105 Navy flyers appeared in Salem. The Navy had arrived just in the nick of time. Regular enrollment had plummeted to just 50 men and 115
women in the fall of 1943, over 200 below the numbers from the previous fall. The flyers were housed in the Sections, ate in the Commons, and took classes in aeronautics, navigation, and aviation science, taught by Roanoke professors. Each afternoon they were transported to Woodrum Field, an airport that served the Roanoke Valley, to practice. The cohort of 100 men spent six weeks on campus, then another detachment appeared to take their place. With most of the boys away, the women took over leadership roles across campus. The SGA had its first female officers, and the BracketyAck and the yearbook had virtually all women staffs. The paper was full of war-related news and eagerly published letters from the Roanoke College boys at the front. By the fall of 1944, enrollment had increased slightly, 71 men and a record 146 women, but the campus seemed almost empty with the departure of the V program the previous August. Still, the students made the best of it. There was plenty to do — volunteering to pick apples, assisting the Red Cross, helping to raise money, and assisting the town on numerous scrap drives for metal and newspapers. By the spring of 1945, news of the war grew brighter and with the growing numbers of returning veterans, GI bill in hand, the campus could celebrate VE day in May with joyous relief. After VJ day in August, the campus boomed with record enrollments. The Brackety-Ack celebrated with its new column “From Khaki to Kampus.” And the College remembered, too. Those “War Babies” marched off to war with 36 never to return. President Smith estimated that the College had between 1,100 to 1,200 Maroons in the service between 1941 and 1945. To alter slightly the words of our Alma Mater, “they served Roanoke and the country well.” RC
ROANOKE.EDU
43
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.
Henry H. Fowler and lBJ c.1960s
44 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO 2019
Henry H. Fowler ’29 served as the nation’s 58th Secretary of the Treasury from April 1, 1965 to Dec. 20, 1968, under President Lyndon B. Johnson. The two are shown here, conferring in the Oval Office. In 1983, the Fowler Public Policy Lecture Series was initiated at Roanoke College, in honor of Henry Fowler. Now in its 36th year, the program has brought to campus such luminaries as President Jimmy Carter, U.N. Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, civil rights leader Andrew Young, Prime Minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, and Pulitzer Prizewinning biographers and historians Doris Kearns Goodwin and Jon Meacham. In November, the Fowler program brought to campus a discussion on civil discourse featuring Howard Kurtz, media specialist for Fox News, and Jen Psaki, former communications director for President Barack Obama’s administration.
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE
PAID SALEM, VA PERMIT NO. 11
Office of Public Relations 221 College Lane | Salem, Virginia 24153-3794
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.