FA LL/ WI N TE R 2020
REP. JOHN LEWIS
Troy University holds service to honor the life and legacy of civil rights icon.
30 YEARS OF INFLUENCE TROY’s First Lady Janice Hawkins creates lasting impact on University.
SAVE THE DATE HOMECOMING 2020 OCT. 24
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Home Sweet Troy
Alumni Association troy.edu/alumni 334-670-3318
2
TROY TODAY Troy University Marketing and Communication Fall/Winter 2020
Executive Editor Donna Clark Schubert
From the desk of the Chancellor On July 25, the eyes of the world were turned to Troy University as we held the first memorial service for civil rights legend John Lewis, who served for more than three decades in the U.S. House of Representatives. The journey home for the Troy native was one of the most moving and meaningful events I have witnessed during my tenure as Chancellor. It was at this service that we made the announcement that the annual African-American Leadership Conference, sponsored jointly by the University and the city of Troy, will be named in Rep. Lewis’ memory. A month later, on Aug. 26, our Board of Trustees honored Rep. Lewis by renaming the centerpiece building on our Troy Campus John Robert Lewis Hall. The action by our Board reminded us that change is not only inevitable, it is often necessary. The cover story of this edition of TROY Today tells the remarkable story of Rep. Lewis’ long relationship with his hometown University. It should be a source of pride for every Trojan to have Rep. Lewis’ name enshrined permanently on our main campus. This issue also covers our efforts in the area of leadership development. We launched the Ph.D. in Global Leadership this fall, which I predict will be one of our centerpiece programs. In the summer, we took the unprecedented step of launching a free, for-credit Leadership 101 course designed to introduce students to TROY as well as acclimate them to online learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are planning to take our efforts in leadership studies to a new level, including greater emphasis across the curriculum. Alumni achievement is a central theme in every issue. We recognize Trojans for success in the worlds of business, music and journalism, as well as alumnus and President Pro Tempore of our Board of Trustees, Gibson Vance, for his election as Vice President of the Alabama State Bar. In June, we held the first Unity Prayer Breakfast on the Troy Campus as a response to widespread racial unrest that gripped our nation. We brought together leaders from the University and the community at large to begin a discussion on healing based upon love, prayer, and appreciation of each other. It was the first event of many we are planning to keep the lines of communication open with the ultimate goal of achieving true unity in our community. If we can reach this goal, it would be another fitting tribute to the legacy of Congressman John Robert Lewis.
Editor Samantha Johnson Art Directors Rob Drinkard (’09) Mark Moseley (’97, ’99) Copy Editors Andy Ellis Kristin Frazier Contributors Tomiwa Akintode Matt Clower (’04) Tom Davis (’81) Andy Ellis Lynne Firmin Madelyn Flanagan ('19) Kristin Frazier Kyle George Buddy Johnson (’75) Brent Jones Clif Lusk Jane Martin (’97, ’99) Dr. Marty Olliff Greg Phillips (’06) Adam Prendergast Jonathan Sellers (’07, ’11) Josh Yohn (’07, ’14) Photographers Joey Meredith (’16) Mark Moseley (’97, ’99)
Chancellor
Sincerely,
Jack Hawkins, Jr., Ph.D. Senior Vice Chancellor, Advancement & Economic Development Maj. Gen. Walter D. Givhan, USAF, Retired (’89)
Jack Hawkins, Jr., Ph.D. Chancellor
Associate Vice Chancellor, Marketing & Communication Donna Clark Schubert Associate Vice Chancellor, Development
TROY Today Magazine welcomes comments, ideas and suggestions from readers. Editors reserve the rights to determine if letters to the editor will be published and to edit submissions for content and length. Copyright 2020 by Troy University, all rights reserved. Troy University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Troy University. Troy University is following the latest coronavirus safety precautions as they pertain to masks, social distancing and more. For more information visit troy.edu/coronavirus.
TROY Today Magazine is published for alumni members, donors, students, parents and friends of Troy University. For more information, contact the Office of Marketing and Communication at: 256 Adams Administration Building Troy, AL 36082 Phone: 334-670-5830 Email: troymagazine@troy.edu
Becky Watson Director, Alumni Affairs Faith West Byrd (’81, ’87) Senior Director, Marketing Samantha Johnson Senior Director, University Relations Matt Clower (’04)
Find us on: troy.edu/social and at www.troy.today Advertising: Contact Marketing at 334-670-5830 or see the media guide at troy.edu/advertising.
President, Troy University Alumni Association Bill Hopper (’72, ’77)
Introducing the Global Leadership Ph.D. for the world ahead. As one of U.S. News and World Report’s “Most Innovative” universities, TROY is tackling the national need for principled, visionary leaders head on. And, as Alabama’s International University, we know today’s successful leaders need a global viewpoint that works within all cultural contexts. This one-of-a-kind, online Ph.D. program gives leaders global opportunities through travel, innovative teaching, and shared values. It will push leaders to become visionaries to guide the world ahead. Apply today if you have what it takes to change the world.
troy.edu/globalleadership
Jack Hawkins, Jr., Ph.D. Chancellor
© 2020 Troy University
WHALEY CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.
"Helping TROY grow since 1931"
On The Cover FALL/WINTER 2020
The painting depicts the portrait of Rep. John Lewis with the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, in the background. PAINTING BY: MARK MOSELEY
NEWS 2 From the desk of the Chancellor 6 Diversity training
STUDENTS
24 TROY’s First Lady
45 Sweet success
A look back at the last three decades of campus transformation and progress under the guiding force of Janice Hawkins.
46 Learning Center benefits
7 Bugs on Broad
48 First-year triplets
8 Commencement
49 PSA places first
10 New drone course
50 Class publishes e-textbook
11 SON receives grant
51 Vocal jazz workshop
12 Unity Prayer Breakfast 13 3D printing minor 14 Commemorative coin
30 Global Leadership Ph.D. 15 Leadership 101
FACULTY & STAFF 16 Radio show milestone 17 Malone Award winner
TROY’s new doctorate program is addressing a growing need across a variety of disciplines.
32 Honoring Rep. John Lewis Troy University holds memorial service and renames a building in tribute to the “boy from Troy.”
18 COE conference
PERSPECTIVES 52 ‘It Came from the Archives’
ALUMNI 54 Business-world standout 56 Alum notes
19 Online concerts
57 A basketball-writing legend
DONORS & GIVING
58 Vance new VP of Alabama State Bar
20 Dr. Laliberte’s gift 21 STEAM grant 22 Palmers give back 23 McNeills honor friendships
ATHLETICS
59 Going the distance
39 Engaging fans 40 New Athletics’ partnerships 42 Voice of the Trojans 44 Mini-makeover
36 Responding to the COVID-19 crisis Faculty, staff and students pull together to meet the challenges of the pandemic with a can-do attitude.
61 Remembering SOTS trailblazer 64 Alumni of the Year
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DIVERSITY TRAINING
TROY PRESENTS SEMINAR TO CITY OF DOTHAN EMPLOYEES Troy University’s Continuing Education and Outreach
have a tendency to categorize things that we don’t understand
presented a training seminar on diversity and unconscious bias
as being negative, but that’s not true.”
to all city of Dothan employees.
Dothan Police Chief Steve Parrish originally had the idea for
The classes were held at the Dothan Civic Center after
a diversity training session for his department, and TROY was
approval and funding from the Dothan City Commission.
a natural partner. “This is a journey that started about three
“People’s past experiences, their values, their beliefs shape
years ago when we were discussing the possibilities of doing
their thoughts,” said Laura Chambliss, Market Development
some multicultural training at the police department, and we
Manager for Continuing Education and Outreach. “If you can
did some of that in house. It was very successful, but it fell by
make them aware of those, it helps head off anything that
the wayside over time,” Parrish said. “Once the COVID-19 crisis
may come in the future. Originally, this course was aimed at
started, we’d already been talking with Troy University to do
law enforcement, but when the city of Dothan looked at the
some sensitivity and diversity training on a larger scale. We’ve
material, they said, ‘This is good for anybody.’ We’re training
used Mr. Jackson as an instructor on some multigenerational
1,000 people over a period of a few weeks.”
instruction at the police department in the past that was very
Michael Jackson, a retired Marine and 30-year Department of
informative and useful. This is career development, something
Corrections employee, led the sessions for TROY. “We’re trying
they can take with them in their careers and in their personal
to get them to see diversity is more than race and gender; it has
lives as well.”
to do with thought diversity and diversity of approach,” Jackson
Parrish said Dothan’s relationship with TROY continues to
said. “I’m hoping they walk away being more aware of being
reap benefits. “We have also worked with TROY on a previous
what we call ‘culturally competent’ and understanding that just
communitywide survey. I’m very proud of the relationship
because a person is different doesn’t make them wrong. We
we’ve forged with Troy University.”
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BUGS ON BROAD
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BRINGS COMMUNITIES TOGETHER
The COVID-19 pandemic may have changed some plans, but it
Artwork by Zye’ Breyonna Pyfferoen, a second grader from Fox
didn’t deter the efforts of TROY staff members and partnering
Elementary School, and Rebekkah Garrett, a second grader at
organizations to unite local school districts and regional arts
Lakewood Primary, was selected to be reinterpreted by two
through a communitywide art project known as Bugs on Broad.
professional artists in their chosen medium. Partnering foundry
Combining the imaginations of local elementary school
Diversified Metalsmiths Inc. in Opelika, Alabama, is casting the
students and professional artists from the Chattahoochee
models into miniature insect sculptures. Once completed, the
Valley, Bugs on Broad was a collaborative project designed to
sculptures will be installed on Broad Street in Phenix City and
engage the community and attract visitors to the region.
on Broadway in Columbus.
Second-grade art students at Lakewood Primary School in
“Art has always joined people together, and Bugs on Broad does
Phenix City, Alabama, and Fox Elementary School in Columbus,
exactly that,” said Dr. David White, Vice Chancellor of TROY’s
Georgia, created their own illustrations of bugs followed by a
Phenix City Campus and leader of the Phenix City Arts Park
lesson on the benefits of pollinator insects delivered
Committee. “The project allows us to celebrate our artists, our
by Alabama Extension’s Russell County Coordinator
community and an ever-growing collection of small sculptures
Jennifer Davidson and University of Georgia Extension’s
that will inspire and delight those that search for and find them.”
Muscogee County Agriculture & Natural Resources Agent Ashley Brantley.
TROY DEGREE PROGRAMS RECOGNIZED BY INTELLIGENT.COM TROY has been named in the Top 25 Military Friendly Colleges
TROY’s master’s degree in human resource management
and several of its online degree programs were recognized
was named the top-ranking program in the country in the
among the nation’s best by Intelligent.com.
Intelligent.com rankings. Other online programs recognized
Intelligent.com, a student-focused, comprehensive research
were: master’s degree in criminal justice (7th); master’s
guide, assessed 1,604 accredited colleges and universities and
degree in adult education (9th); hospitality management (10th);
evaluated programs based on curriculum quality, graduation
computer science (21st); master’s degree in sport management
rate, reputation and post-graduate employment.
(24th); master’s degree in history (25th); and social work (35th).
The 2020 rankings are calculated through a unique scoring
“This recognition of our online degree programs is a testament
system which includes student engagement, potential return on
to Troy University’s commitment to offering quality academic
investment and leading third-party evaluations.
experiences for all of our students, whether they study with us
In addition to ranking 24th among Military Friendly Colleges,
in the classroom or at a distance,” said Dr. Lance Tatum, Senior
TROY ranked 57 in the category of Best Online Colleges.
Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
th
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TROY TODAY
COMMENCEMENT
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Morgan Long
This summer, Troy University’s 2019
The ceremonies took on a much different look than normal
Student Government Association
commencement ceremonies in that graduates were socially
President Morgan Long encouraged his
distanced from one another and required to wear face
fellow 2020 graduates to change the
coverings. Guests were limited to two per graduate inside
nation and the world by choosing to
the arena with Veterans Memorial Stadium serving to
show love rather than hate.
accommodate additional guests.
Long delivered the keynote address
A moment of silence was held in each ceremony to honor
at three separate commencement
the memory of those lives lost as a result of COVID-19.
ceremonies held on the Troy Campus
The moment in history wasn’t lost on Long who received
inside Trojan Arena on July 24,
his bachelor’s degree in hospitality, sport, and tourism
honoring spring and summer TROY
management during the first commencement ceremony of
graduates. COVID-19 forced the
the day. “What a time it is in our nation’s history,” Long told
postponement of the spring ceremony,
graduates. “This is an unprecedented time that truly marks the
which was previously scheduled to take
resilience of this generation.”
place in May.
T ROY T O DAY
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"It was very odd to begin with. You could see hints of the traditional ceremony, but you could also see changes as well, and rightfully so," said Allison Woodfin, a communications studies graduate.
Quoting 1 Corinthians 13, Long urged graduates to choose “the
still in the midst of the pandemic and in a time where it seems
greatest gift.” “We have a choice every day. We are all born with
everywhere we turn there is another fork in a road that is trying
this amazing attribute and ability to love. It is a part of all of us,
to divide us — we as Trojans have the capacity and the great
but we must choose to use and show love,” he said.
ability to choose love. We have the ability to not just change our
Honoring the memory of Congressman John Lewis, who passed
families and our communities but to change our nation and our
away on July 17 at the age of 80, Long recalled an often-quoted
world. Paul finished out 1 Corinthians 13 by telling us ‘And now
statement the late Pike County native spoke in 2009 — “‘Hate
these three things remain forever: faith, hope and love. But the
is too heavy a burden to bear’ ... Mr. Lewis certainly experienced
greatest of these is love.’ So today, graduates, as we walk out
hate throughout his lifetime. We all, in this room, have
those doors, I challenge you to choose love.”
experienced or expressed hate in some capacity. Why would we
In all, some 770 students received degrees that day, including
choose to make people feel less? Why would we choose division
398 undergraduates, 360 graduate students and eight
when we all have the gift of love?”
education specialist students. In addition, four received the
Choosing to love rather than to hate can change the world,
Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
he said. “Today, as we start our new careers, our new lives —
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HIGH-FLYING EXPERIENCE NEW COURSE TEACHES PRACTICAL AIRMANSHIP A new course in drone operation is already paying dividends for
pandemic threatened to change that, leading to classes later in
Troy University students.
the semester to be conducted virtually.
The Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) minor offered by
That didn’t keep computer science senior Riley Bates from
the Geospatial
pressing on,
Informatics Department
passing the FAA
completed its first-ever,
exam during spring break and
on-campus class, and one of its
being accepted to do research in UAV
students has earned her Federal Aviation
cybersecurity during the summer at Embry-
Administration (FAA) Remote Pilot Certification.
Riddle Aeronautical University. Bates, who
The course, Remote Pilot Familiarization, gives
graduated following the spring semester, ranked
students the practical airmanship knowledge
the class as her favorite course. “Remote Pilot
to successfully pass the FAA’s Part 107 Remote
Familiarization gave me the knowledge and
Pilot examination as well as practical experience
resources to be able to accomplish these things,”
in quadcopter and fixed-wing drone operations.
she said. “This class is by far my favorite and most practical of
The class was originally conceived as a weekly three-hour
any college course I have taken.”
laboratory on the Troy Campus. However, the COVID-19
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT TROY.EDU/GEOSPATIAL.
The Troy University Board of Trustees voted in May to freeze
University fee of $42 per credit hour will remain the same for
undergraduate and graduate tuition for the 2020 academic
in-state students in the 2020 academic year. Tuition for out-of-
year, marking the second straight year students will not see
state students and TROY Online students will also remain the
a change in tuition. “Many of our students and their families
same. Graduate tuition rates will remain at $425 in class and
face economic uncertainty, therefore we believe this is a
$494 online.
prudent decision,” said Chancellor Jack Hawkins, Jr. “Further,
Trustees did approve a recommendation to increase tuition for
with student debt in America approaching $1.7 trillion, it is
doctoral-level degrees to $550 in class and online.
important for us to make the university experience affordable
Dr. Hawkins cited good stewardship, cost savings in expenses
for the students we serve.”
and sound financial management, in addition to slightly higher
The current undergraduate tuition of $325 per credit hour
state support, as reasons for being able to hold the line on
in class and $338 per credit hour online and the general
tuition costs.
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SCHOOL OF NURSING RECEIVES GRANT TROY’s School of Nursing has been awarded a grant aimed at
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
increasing the number of qualified nursing faculty in Alabama.
reported that 75,029 qualified applicants were not offered
The Nurse Faculty Loan Program grant, totaling $89,319, was
admission to baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs
awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration
in 2018, and the insufficient numbers of faculty played a
of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As a
significant role in those numbers. “Many nursing schools
partner in this project, Troy University will provide 10% of the
are unable to admit qualified applicants in large part due to
total funding. Dr. Carrie Lee Gardner, Associate Professor in the
insufficient numbers of faculty,” Dr. Gardner said. “The majority
TROY School of Nursing, is the project’s director.
of job vacancies in nursing schools were for positions that
The grant program provides funding to accredited schools
required or preferred a doctoral degree. The aim of this
of nursing to offer loans to students enrolled in advanced
funding opportunity is to increase the number of qualified
education nursing degree programs who are committed
nursing faculty.”
to becoming nurse faculty. In exchange for full-time, post-
Dr. Gardner said that over the last five years, the percentage
graduation employment as nurse faculty, the program
of Doctor of Nursing Practice graduates at TROY who seek
authorizes the cancellation of up to 85% of any such loan.
positions in nursing education has ranged from 16% to
“This is a big accomplishment for the School of Nursing,” said
35%. Since its inception in 2009, TROY’s DNP program has
Dr. Wade Forehand, Director of TROY’s School of Nursing.
experienced success in placing graduate nursing faculty in
“Receiving this grant will be instrumental in attracting Doctor
positions throughout the Southeast. Since 2015, the DNP
of Nursing Practice students to our program and developing
program has graduated students that now reside in Alabama,
nursing educators. I am grateful to Dr. Carrie Lee Gardner, the
Georgia, Florida and Mississippi.
principal investigator for this grant, who was instrumental in putting the grant together and pursuing this activity.”
THOSE INTERESTED IN APPLYING SHOULD CONTACT DR. GARDNER AT CSGARDNER@TROY.EDU.
This article for this partnership is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $89,319 with 10% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of Troy University and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.
TROY TODAY
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The Rev. Dr. Glenda Curry became Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Alabama on June 27.
UNITY PRAYER BREAKFAST 'STARTING A CONVERSATION' For leaders from Troy University, the city of Troy and Pike
Dr. Hawkins said the country is in the midst of a tumultuous
County, this year’s Unity Prayer Breakfast was a time for
time and is in dire need of unity. “Troy University has built itself,
reflection, conversation and, most importantly, listening.
over the last quarter century, on the basis of diversity, but that
The event, sponsored by the Troy University Foundation,
doesn’t mean that we are immune to the challenges of racism,”
was held in the Trojan Center Ballrooms on the Troy Campus,
Dr. Hawkins said. “Today’s event was designed to provide us
attracting nearly 100 invited guests. The brainchild of Troy
with the opportunity to look inside our hearts. We wanted to
University Trustee Lamar Higgins and TROY Chancellor
come together as a community to initiate a conversation. This is
Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., the event was intended to be a starting
not the end, this is the beginning of a long conversation.”
point for conversation and action regarding the state of race
Higgins served as a keynote speaker for the event, along with
relations at the local, state and national level.
the Rev. Dr. Glenda Curry.
Higgins said recent events in this country “tore at my soul.”
The Rev. Curry said now is the time for people to work together
“Unfortunately, the situation in Minneapolis with George Floyd
to bring about change and reconciliation. “People being one
and the violence against Blacks in this country continues to
in unity is God’s dream for His people,” said the Rev. Curry,
escalate,” Higgins said. “When I saw George Floyd screaming
who formerly served as President of Troy State University
for his life and saying he couldn’t breathe, it hurt my heart. I
Montgomery and, along with Higgins, played a key role in
thought it really could have been me, and it wasn’t a far stretch.
creating the Rosa Parks Museum on the Montgomery Campus.
I found the people that care about me, and I told them that I
Dr. Hawkins said this event is the first step in an important
was hurting, and I’m thankful they listened. Today’s event is
ongoing conversation that will lead to understanding and,
about starting a conversation, a difficult conversation, that
ultimately, appreciation.
many of us have never had to have before.”
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T ROY T O DAY
The courses in the 3D Printing for Art and Industry minor are offered online and in person.
STARTING A TREND
TROY ONLY UNIVERSITY IN U.S. OFFERING 3D PRINTING MINOR A new series of classes that kicked off this fall aims to give Troy
“They decided, based on the scope and vision of this program,
University students the tools necessary to enter the growing
that they wanted us to be their university hub for the state of
world of 3D printing.
Alabama,” Marquette said. “In fact, we’re the first WASP hub in
3D Printing for Art and Industry, which is being offered as
America. We’ll be collaborating internationally.”
a University minor, helps students build the knowledge and
The skills learned can be applied to a variety of disciplines.
skills required to digitally design objects for 3D printing and
“Students will be working toward the end goal of them
manufacturing. These courses represent a high-tech creative
graduating with a strong understanding of how they can apply
and industrial fabrication program focused on sustainable
this to all different areas and a portfolio showing they’ve
materials, innovative thinking and problem solving.
actually done these things,” Marquette said. “It really is a
The courses are overseen by Frank Marquette, Professor of
technology and skill set that can be applied to anything.”
Practice in the Department of Theatre and Dance, who has
Marquette said working with local businesses such as plastics
spent more than 25 years working as a designer, innovative
recycler KW Plastics will allow the program to have value in the
manufacturer and creative project manager in the motion
community as well, including local internships.
picture, television, museum, amusement park and industrial
“What I’m excited about is we’re going to be leading the way
material handling industries.
nationally in terms of finding innovative solutions to using
Troy University has partnered with the World’s Advanced
recyclable plastics,” he said. “We will be the only university in
Saving Project (WASP), an Italian company considered the
America that is offering this emphasis. We’re not following a
worldwide leader in large-format printing of recyclable
trend; we’re starting one.”
materials, which supplied much of the technology used in the program. The Large Format 3D Printing Lab will be located at the IDEA Bank in downtown Troy.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT TROY.EDU/3DPRINTING.
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TROY TODAY
ARTIST FOR NEW GEORGE H.W. BUSH COMMEMORATIVE COIN HAS TROY TIES
Elana Hagler painted the "Portrait of the University" that hangs on the Troy Campus and the portrait of Rep. Terry Everett on the Dothan Campus.
The coin, which will be released as a collector’s item, was selected by two committees and the Bush family.
Elana Hagler’s work is seen on Troy University’s Alabama
She said she can’t yet imagine how it will feel to hold a coin
campuses, and soon, it will be shared with the entire country in
featuring her work. “Right now, all I can think is, it’ll feel
the form of a commemorative coin.
surreal,” Hagler said. “I’ve been in this program for one year
A new presidential $1 coin honoring President George H.W.
and hope to be for many years to come. This is the first
Bush from the U.S. Mint will feature Hagler’s drawing of the
project that’s been selected. I think it’s hard to imagine until
41st president. “It’s a tremendously big deal for me,” said
it actually happens.”
Hagler, whose “Portrait of the University” hangs in the Adams
She said the process differed from her typical artwork. “The
Administration Building on the University’s Troy Campus. “First
drawing that I do for coins is very different from the drawing I
of all, it’s an honor to be able to do a portrait of the president
do for my own art,” Hagler said. “First of all, I have to consider
of the United States. Usually, I make a painting and then one
a really tiny canvas. Certain things can and can’t be actually
person can have it. With coins, it’s like the most public art there
minted, so I have to take that into account. Also, when I do my
is. People can carry it around with them.”
own paintings and drawings, I like to play around with a certain
The gold coin will be released later this year, continuing a series
element of mystery, and I can’t do that with coin design because
that began in 2007.
everything has to be very carefully articulated.”
Hagler’s drawing was selected from a field of entries in the
Hagler also painted the portrait of U.S. Rep. Terry Everett that
U.S. Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program by the U.S. Commission
is displayed in R. Terry Everett Hall on the Dothan Campus.
of Fine Arts, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee and the
Her husband, Aaron, is an Associate Professor of History at
Bush family.
Troy University.
T ROY T O DAY
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TROY’s first free summer course was an overwhelming
“The discussion forums highlighted the most interesting
success with students from many walks of life. Leadership
dynamic of this course. Our oldest student was 84 and our
101 saw more than 4,600 students register and 1,600 receive
youngest was 14,” Dr. Palmer said. “We had high school
certificates of completion. “Our free Leadership 101 course was
students, incoming college freshman, undergraduates attending
more successful than we could ever have imagined,” said Dr.
other institutions, college professors, law enforcement leaders
Kerry Palmer, Associate Dean of the College of Education and
and even senior military officers. The diversity of age
one of the primary instructors in the course. “When designing
and experience allowed students to learn from each other in
the course, we had no way of knowing how many would take
addition to learning from us. Those forums produced the most
it. However, we ended up with over 1,600 students enrolled
unique educational environment I have ever encountered.”
in June and over 3,000 students enrolled in July. I believe this
One of those incoming first-year students, Theo Hornsby,
course was successful because the topics were relevant to a
saw the class as an invaluable opportunity he needed to take.
broad audience — especially considering everything that has
“Leadership 101 has provided me with a skill set that has taught
been going on in the world.”
me to be intentional in my interactions,” he said. “I've learned
With course content designed to equip students to thrive
the importance of taking advantage of opportunities and
in a post-pandemic world, Leadership 101 featured lectures
setting goals for myself. I’ve learned that self-awareness is an
from some of TROY’s most well-known faculty, including
integral step in developing my leadership skills. Leadership 101
Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., Chancellor; Dr. Dionne Rosser-Mims,
helped me step outside myself and reevaluate the approach
Dean of the College of Education; and Dr. John Kline, Executive
I might normally take in a situation. It helped me see that
Director of the Institute for Leadership Development.
leadership must include an understanding, not just of myself,
The class reached students from a variety of backgrounds,
but of others.”
including current college students and respected professionals. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT TROY.EDU/LEADERSHIP.
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TROY TODAY
FA CULT Y & S TA F F
RADIO SHOW MILESTONE DR. TIM PHILLIPS HITS 400 TH EPISODE
For much of the last decade, Dr. Tim
clarinetist of the Berlin Philharmonic
Phillips, Associate Professor of
Wenzel Fuchs, assistant principal
Clarinet in the John M. Long School of
clarinetist of the Chicago Symphony
Music, has been sharing his love for
John Yeh, bass clarinetist Michael
the clarinet with audiences of TROY
Lowenstern, New Orleans clarinetists
Public Radio.
Evan Christopher, Gregory Agid and
His weekly show, “Clarinet Corner,”
Doreen Ketchens, and James Kanter, who
which features interviews with
has played in over 1,500 film scores,”
renowned clarinetists, as well as
Dr. Phillips said.
selections of clarinet-based tunes,
His favorite part of the show, however,
recently celebrated its milestone
is finding new music. “I love highlighting
400 episode.
new work,” Dr. Phillips said. “I also enjoy
His first interview remains one of his
playing long-lost recordings, or even
favorites, as he talked with Anthony
favorites from the past. I always end
McGill, who was serving as the
each show by saying, ‘There’s a lot more
principal clarinetist of the Metropolitan
where that came from,’ and it’s the truth.”
Opera Orchestra and had recently
The show airs on WTSU TROY Public
played for President Barack Obama’s
Radio on Mondays at 2 p.m. It can be
inauguration ceremony. “Since that
heard on the radio or through the
time, I’ve interviewed principal
TuneIn app.
th
HOWARDS RECOGNIZED
FOR LIFETIME CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE STUDY OF LATIN & GREEK A Troy University professor and his wife have received a
Dr. Howard has taught Latin, Greek, classical civilization,
lifetime achievement award in classical languages.
German and English at the University and has worked for
Dr. Peter Howard, Chair of the Department of World
more than 30 years with the College Board’s AP Latin Exam,
Languages and Cultures and Professor of Classics, and Ephy
in addition to his service as president of the American
Howard were co-recipients of the Latin citation by the Classical
Classical League.
Association of the Middle West and South for their lifetime
Mrs. Howard, who retired in 2010 after teaching Latin for 25
contributions nationwide to the study of Latin and Greek.
years at Charles Henderson High School, has continued her
The award, called “The Ovatio,” was presented at the
teaching of Latin through ACCESS. She has worked closely
organization’s nationally attended virtual meeting due to
with the North American Cambridge Classics Projects and has
COVID-19 restrictions.
chaired the National Latin Exam Scholarship Committee for the
Nonetheless, Dr. Howard said it came as a complete surprise to
past 20 years.
both him and his wife.
The Howards reside in Troy with their daughter, Caroline.
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FA CU LT Y & S TA FF
T ROY T O DAY
(from left) Dr. Lance Tatum, Dr. Ed Pappanastos and Dr. Bernita Hamilton, last year’s recipient
PAPPANASTOS RECEIVES MALONE AWARD Dr. Ed Pappanastos, a Professor in the Sorrell College of
Dr. Pappanastos first joined the TROY faculty in 1997, serving
Business and Associate Chair of the Department of Risk
for 17 years as a Professor of Quantitative Measures and
Management and Data Analytics, has been awarded TROY’s
Risk Management and Insurance. After a two-year stint as a
Wallace D. Malone, Jr. Distinguished Faculty Award.
Professor of Management at Tuskegee University, he returned
The award consists of a $1,500 cash prize and a medallion
to TROY in 2016 as Chair of the Department of Economics,
to be worn with academic regalia. The award is made
Finance and RMI and then Chair of the Department of Risk
possible through a $100,000 endowment by the SouthTrust
Management and Data Analytics from 2017 to 2019.
Corporation. Wallace Malone, former Chairman of the Board
In addition to his numerous published articles and conference
and Chief Executive Officer of SouthTrust, served as a TROY
presentations, Dr. Pappanastos was named as a Scholar-in-
Trustee from 1975-1995.
Residence for captive insurance industry leader Arsenal earlier
Dr. Pappanastos said he was shocked and honored to receive
this year. Dr. Pappanastos will partner with Arsenal on several
the recognition. “I am tremendously thankful to be able to
strategic recruitment and educational initiatives throughout
work alongside a group that is so focused on making a positive
the year to cultivate current and prospective RMI students and
impact on the lives of the students and each other,” he said. “The
increase awareness of the opportunities available in the risk
quality of our current faculty and the legacies of the previous
management and insurance industry.
award winners make this a tremendous honor. I am extremely grateful, and somewhat embarrassed, to have been selected.”
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TROY TODAY
FA CULT Y & S TA F F
SHARED COMMITMENT
CREATES MILESTONE COE CONFERENCE Faculty and staff within TROY’s College of Education took to
Dr. Rodney J. Maiden, Assistant Professor in the Department
heart the words of the late P.T. Barnum, “The show must go on.”
of Counseling, Rehabilitation and Interpreter Training, chaired
The college’s annual Research and Scholarship Conference
the conference planning committee and was pleased with the
was set to take place on the University’s Montgomery Campus
response to the virtual event. “Based on the feedback from
before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down events. Undeterred,
former attendees, this conference plays an essential role
the conference team moved the event online, utilizing
in aiding them with their research and scholarship tenure
Microsoft Teams.
requirements. Therefore, we knew it was necessary to move
More than 180 participants registered for the conference
forward with the conference,” Dr. Maiden said. “Fortunately, I
that included a keynote address from Dr. Denise Green, Dean
was privileged to have some of the best committee members
of TROY’s College of Health and Human Services, along with
with a shared commitment to bring this conference to fruition.”
various breakout sessions.
Dr. Maiden said there was initially some trepidation about
Dr. Dionne Rosser-Mims, Dean of the College of Education,
the virtual conference expressed by those who had already
said the successful virtual conference was a milestone for the
registered or expressed interest in registering for the in-
College of Education. “It is with great pride and admiration
person event. “After receiving training administered by Dr.
that I congratulate the 2020 COE Research and Scholarship
Shirley Farrell, Dr. Tammy Esteves and Loubna Zahri on the
Planning Committee for hosting the inaugural virtual research
platform being used, for the most part, the skepticism began to
conference. The use of Microsoft Teams was well-executed,
dissipate,” he said. “During and after the conference, I received
serving as a significant milestone for the college,” she said. “I
emails from participants indicating there were apprehensions
applaud each member of the planning committee for upholding
in using the new platform before the conference, but they
our commitment to excellence, teamwork and our unwavering
found it to be efficient and effective.”
commitment to forging interdisciplinary collaborations.”
FA CULT Y & S TA FF
Troy University’s Symphony Band virtually performs “Salvation is Created” by Pavel Tchesnokov.
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX MUSIC FACULTY, STUDENTS CREATE ONLINE CONCERTS
When the COVID-19 pandemic brought a halt to in-person
one from Frequency — with Beck editing them together into a
concerts this spring, faculty and students of TROY’s John M.
polished final product.
Long School of Music didn’t let it stop them from performing.
Dr. Mark Walker, Director of Bands, put something similar
Using technology, Troy University’s Symphony Band, Concert
together with the Symphony Band, a piece titled “Salvation is
Chorale and Frequency all crafted collaborative pieces edited
Created” by Pavel Tchesnokov.
together by Kenny Beck, a Lecturer of Music Education and
“The reason I chose that piece is it’s a beautiful chorale that,
Music Industry, to create stunning virtual performances.
even without words, sends a message of comfort and hope that
“When we went into quarantine, our live performances came
everything is going to be OK,” Dr. Walker said. “I made a short
to a halt, but we had to come up with ways to get students
video of myself conducting for the piece, sent video out to the
to perform,” Beck said. “My thought was Eric Whitacre, who
students, and they recorded their particular parts on their own.
is a famous composer. I’d seen in the past he had done some
We uploaded all of that, and Kenny got all of those videos, put
massive projects with thousands of voices where they would
them all together into the performance.”
submit videos of themselves performing the work, and he and
Meanwhile, Dr. Dave Camwell, an Associate Professor of Music,
his crew would go through, compile and produce this video with
worked to create a similar project with the Jazz Ensemble while
all these other voices. It was an awesome project, and I thought
also working on his own remote collaborative music projects
it was something we might be able to replicate to a degree.”
with colleagues in other states.
Other faculty members became intrigued by the possibilities.
“My thought was it would be a good use of my skill set — I do a
“Concert Chorale had been preparing and was three-and-a-
lot of video and audio editing,” Dr. Camwell said. “I picked a tune
half weeks from their big performance for the term when this
and had them play along with a recording so everybody was on
happened,” said Dr. Diane Orlofsky, Director of Choirs. “How
the same page with the same timing. I imported and did a lot of
do you help all these kids who are extraordinarily disappointed
post-production work, audio and video editing.”
because all their hard work is gone, and there’s no opportunity
Dr. Orlofsky said it’s impossible to replicate the experience
to flesh it out?”
of true live performances, but the response to the videos has
Through trial and error, Dr. Orlofsky and her students put
shown the importance of the arts in times of crisis.
together two separate pieces — one from Concert Chorale and
TO LISTEN TO THESE VIRTUAL PERFORMANCES, VISIT TROY.TODAY AND SEARCH “THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX.”
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TROY TODAY
D ON O R S & GIVING
DR. JEAN LALIBERTE'S LOVE FOR TROY WILL LIVE ON THROUGH LEGACY GIFT Dr. Jean Laliberte was proud of Troy University. One could see it in her smile and in her eyes. One could hear her enthusiasm for the University in her voice. She was proud to be a TROY Trojan, and it showed. Dr. Laliberte, who served as the University’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Development from 2000 until her retirement in 2017, passed away unexpectedly on June 27 at the age of 69, but her love for TROY and its students will live on through a $50,000 legacy gift that she had pledged through the Legacy Giving Council. The gift is restricted for The Laliberte Endowed Scholarship, which she and her husband, David, started shortly before her retirement. They intended it to be a scholarship that honored and included their daughter, Jennifer, her husband, Nick Gruber, and their two sons, John Harrison and Hawkins, all of whom are avid TROY fans. The scholarship will support Troy University students who are either a math or marketing major in need of financial assistance. In addition to the legacy gift, an additional $5,000 was contributed to the scholarship through memorial gifts by alumni, friends and family. “Dr. Jean Laliberte founded the Legacy Giving Council at Troy University, and she was a role model for others to follow,” said Becky Watson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Development. “She was a good donor to the University and was always vocal about the many reasons it was important to give back and support TROY. She was a true Trojan and loved TROY deeply. She will be greatly missed, but her legacy will live on at TROY through this scholarship and the recipients that receive it. The University is very grateful to Dr. Laliberte and her husband, David, for this wonderful gift that will serve our students in such a meaningful way and honor her family.” Dr. Laliberte joined the TROY family in 1991, serving as a Professor of Marketing, a position she held until 2005. “She was a trusted colleague, and there was no one more enthusiastic about TROY than Jean,” said Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr., TROY’s Chancellor. “As a faculty member within our Sorrell College of Business for many years, Jean was committed to serving, encouraging and preparing our students for future success. Later, as Associate Vice Chancellor for Development, Jean’s dedication to and pride in the University was evident to all with whom she came in contact. Even in retirement, Jean remained devoted to serving the community and engaging with her Troy University family.”
T ROY T O DAY
DON O R S & GIVING
21
COLEMAN CENTER RECEIVES GRANT FOR STEAM SUPPLIES
The 14,000-square-foot facility provides care and learning to children from newborns through 4-year-olds.
Troy University’s Coleman Center for Early Learning and Family Enrichment is making good use of a $10,000 grant from Wiregrass Resource Conservation and Development (WRC&D). The grant provides for the purchase of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) supplies, which are already being used in the classrooms. WRC&D Board Member Doug Sinquefield said his organization looks for any opportunity to help services such as the Coleman Center. “When you see something like this — teaching kids about STEAM — it’s just part of what we love to see,” he said. “The funding that we can get from our state and federal government, we move it right out into these areas.” FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT TROY.EDU/COLEMANCENTER.
AUTHOR, SONGWRITER ALLISON MOORER RECEIVES TROY UNIVERSITY'S HALL-WATERS PRIZE Renowned author and songwriter Allison Moorer received Troy University’s Hall-Waters Prize during a virtual ceremony following the cancellation of campus events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moorer, an Academy Award nominee whose recent memoir, “Blood,” has been heralded as a frank and cathartic memoir of family and healing, is a leading voice in country, folk and Americana music and has written hit songs for artists such as Trisha Yearwood, Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert. The Hall-Waters Prize is endowed by TROY alumnus Dr. Wade Hall, an author, former member of the faculty at the University of Florida and Professor Emeritus of English at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. The award is presented regularly to a person who has made significant contributions to Southern heritage and culture in history, literature or the arts. Maj. Gen. Walter Givhan, Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement and Economic Development, presented the award to Moorer via video conference. “That Alabama voice truly comes through, not just in her songs, but also in her written work,” Gen. Givhan said.
Dr. Kirk Curnutt, Chair of the English Department, interviews Hall-Waters Prize recipient Allison Moorer.
Moorer said she was extremely honored to receive the award, especially because it recognizes the work of Southern artists. “I’ve always been, and will continue to be, a very proud Southerner. It’s in me. It’s who I am, so I’m delighted that this award is given to honor works of a Southerner,” Moorer said from her home in Nashville, Tennessee.
TROY TODAY
D ONOR S & GIV IN G
22
DR. KERRY AND ROBYN PALMER MAKE SIGNIFICANT LEGACY GIFT Leadership and education are two foundational pillars for
While at TROY, Dr. Palmer said he was blessed by the generosity
Dr. Kerry Palmer, and it was during his time at TROY that he
of others in the form of scholarships, and he one day hoped to
was able to truly cultivate those interests.
return the favor.
To help TROY continue its goal of producing top-notch
“Scholarships made it so much easier to attend college,” said
leaders, Dr. Palmer and his wife, Robyn, chose to donate to
Dr. Palmer. “You can’t take your money with you when you die,
the University in the form of a generous TROY Shield Society
and I feel that one of the best ways you can say thank you is to
legacy gift of more than $500,000.
pay it forward and make that possible for others.”
As a student, Dr. Palmer played an active role in the Sound of
Dr. Palmer said it has not yet been determined how the legacy
the South marching band, serving as the drum major for three
gift will be spent, but he hopes it can be used in the form of a
years. Dr. Palmer said his experiences in the Sound of the South
scholarship for future Trojans. “With this generous gift,
under the mentorship of the late John M. Long proved to be
Dr. Palmer is ultimately going to impact the lives of future TROY
turning points in his life as they showed him his passion for the
students just as he is doing so today,” said Chancellor Jack
field of education and his ability to be a leader.
Hawkins, Jr. “As a current administrator, former student and
Today, Dr. Palmer serves as the Associate Dean of the College
alumnus of TROY, Dr. Palmer truly understands the importance
of Education for TROY, where he strives to make a difference in
and value of experiencing college life and getting a good college
the lives of students every day.
education. I am truly grateful to him and his family for their
Among those students is his daughter who recently finished her
generosity and love for our University.”
first year at TROY and also served as a member of the Sound of the South.
T ROY T O DAY
23
D ON O R S & G I V ING
CECILE AND JOHN MCNEILL HONOR
LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS AND TEACHING PROFESSION When Cecile and John McNeill consider their recently established $25,000 endowed scholarship within TROY’s College of Education, they see a gift that honors lifelong friendships and the teaching profession. While creating the Cecile Billy and Katherine Pennington College of Education Endowed Scholarship, John McNeill said it was important for him to honor the friendships, teachers and character-building atmosphere that has helped shape the love of his life into the person he fell completely in love with 50 years ago. “Cecile is a dedicated teacher,” he said. “I wanted to do an endowment, and I asked her if she would mind if we established one at TROY. She is a 1968 graduate of TROY’s elementary education program, and she has always been proud to say she graduated from Troy University. She was thrilled with the idea. Cecile is so proud of the fact that she was a teacher and that she took that as her vocation.” “Devoted TROY College of Education graduates like Cecile Billy McNeill and her close friend, Katherine Pennington Ignacio, make me extremely proud of our teachers and educators in this state,” said Dean of the College of Education Dr. Dionne RosserMims. “I am humbled by the establishment of this endowed scholarship by Cecile and John which will help us attract dedicated students, like Cecile, who want to enter the teaching profession and impact future generations.” Cecile said her desire to become a teacher began when she was a high school student. Through living and attending classes on the Troy Campus, she met lifelong friends such as Katherine Pennington Ignacio (’68) in her elementary education classes. It didn’t take long for Cecile and Katherine to become roommates
continue to graduate educators who will significantly influence
during their junior and senior years.
the lives of those they teach,” said Becky Watson, Associate
John said it was relevant for him to honor his wife’s experience
Vice Chancellor for Development. “Cecile and John’s love story,
at TROY through the naming of the endowed scholarship. “I
love of education and love of TROY will be remembered by
wanted to include Kathey in the name as well to honor Cecile
those whose lives they will impact by their generosity and the
and Kathey’s long-term friendship as well as the commitment
scholarship they have established. We are truly grateful to both
to service they developed at TROY.” John also said it was
of them.”
important to name the endowment using the friends’ maiden
Even with the endowment established, John said he and Cecile
names by which they were known during their time at TROY.
have plans to continue to contribute to the scholarship to build
“The TROY College of Education is fortunate to have loyal
on the foundation that has been laid.
supporters, like the McNeills, who want to help the college
TROY TODAY
TROY'S FIRST LADY
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F E AT UR E S TO RY
JANICE HAWKINS: THREE DECADES OF PROGRESS AT TROY WRITTEN BY: GREG PHILLIPS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY: MARK MOSELEY
A walk across Troy University’s Troy Campus in 2020 looks significantly different than it did in 1989 when Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. arrived as the new Chancellor. From the lush greenery to the modernized buildings, one of the guiding forces behind the campus’ transformation throughout the last three decades has been at Dr. Hawkins’ side: his wife, Janice. Janice Hawkins brought her passions for culture and art to TROY and used them to help transform the University and guide it into the new millennium. “I believed that my wife, Janice, and I could make a difference here,” Dr. Hawkins said. “And she has been a remarkable partner on this journey, championing initiatives as varied as the appearance of the campus, advocating on behalf of military veterans and creating study abroad opportunities. And there has been no better champion for the fine arts.” Mrs. Hawkins decided to transition a promising career working with the visually impaired into a lifelong partnership with her husband as he became president of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind (AIDB) 10 years before transitioning to TROY. “My career was working with the blind,” Mrs. Hawkins said. “That work exposed Dr. Hawkins to the Board of Trustees at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, and they saw what an extraordinary young man and leader he was. We
decided, rather than me continuing my full-time career, we would do this as a partnership, and that’s what we’ve done for 40 years.” While at AIDB, the Hawkins family left a lasting legacy still felt to this day at that revered institution. “Janice Hawkins had a long career and interest and commitment to the education of children and adults who are blind and visually impaired,” said AIDB President Dr. John Mascia. “That interest and long career influenced so many changes and so much unprecedented progress. Dr. Hawkins would be the first person to say Janice’s influence helped to develop this institute into the nation’s most comprehensive education and service program for people who are deaf, blind and deaf-blind.” Mrs. Hawkins’ history at AIDB led her to champion the Helen Keller Lecture Series, which she and Dr. Hawkins introduced in 1995 to raise awareness of the hurdles facing individuals with physical challenges, particularly those affecting sensory abilities. “Every time I see Mrs. Hawkins, I can feel her passion for wanting to bring awareness to our citizens who have disabilities,” Dr. Mascia said. “The Helen Keller Lecture Series is a wonderful example of how Mrs. Hawkins wants to make sure that those people who are deaf, blind or deaf-blind are not forgotten. That lecture series is a very important part of our year. We look forward to going down to TROY and being
T ROY T O DAY
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TROY TODAY
EV EN T HOUG H W E DI DN ’ T SET O UT TO EX PLO R E T H E WOR L D OF A RT, I T CA M E TO M E T H RO UG H A BY PRO DUCT OF OUR CIRCUMSTA N C ES, A N D I T H AS M A DE M E A PPR EC I AT E T HINGS OF B EAUT Y AN D I M PO RTA N C E I N A WAY I D O N ’ T T HINK I WOUL D HAV E W I T H O UT T H AT EA R LY EX PO SUR E . — JANICE HAWKINS
inspired each year by a person who has a disability, and also having the opportunity to speak with providers and future providers, the wonderful students that are attending TROY.” When she came to TROY, Mrs. Hawkins saw opportunities to embrace theatre, dance and other arts in a more comprehensive way. That love of the arts, which manifested itself in the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park, among other initiatives, began in her childhood in New York and New Jersey. “My father was a lay minister in New York City,” Mrs. Hawkins said. “After we moved from New York City to New Jersey in sixth grade, we would go back into the city early Sunday morning because he would preach Sunday morning and night service. During the day, my brother and I either had to go on visits with him or fill this time.” Along with her brother, she found herself taking in the sights and sounds of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History and Central Park. A lifelong love affair with the arts was born. “Before I was 17, I had a chance to see the ‘Mona Lisa’ and the ‘Pieta,’ and the first
TRUSTEE LAMAR HIGGINS CONGRATULATES MRS. HAWKINS AT THE DEDICATION OF THE JANICE HAWKINS CULTURAL ARTS PARK.
play I ever saw was ‘The Sound of Music’ on Broadway,” she said. “I don’t consider myself artistic, and yet I discovered such a love for it. Even though we didn’t set out to explore the world of art, it came to me through a byproduct of our circumstances, and it has made me appreciate things of beauty and importance in a way I don’t think I would have without that early exposure.” From almost the moment she stepped on campus, Mrs. Hawkins saw the value in making TROY a beautiful and attractive location for students. Working behind the scenes, her efforts culminated in the creation of the Janice Hawkins Cultural Arts Park, a centerpiece of modern campus life consisting of an amphitheater, walking trails, a lagoon, a display of 200 replica terracotta warriors, as well as other outdoor sculptures and a new art facility: the International Arts Center (IAC). “I think what I’m most proud of is the beautification of the campus,” Mrs. Hawkins said. “We set out to do that because if you’re going to school, and you’re paying money, you deserve to be proud of the place that you’re investing in and getting your degree from. And, in so many cases, it doesn’t take that much. The IAC building already existed. I’m not one that believes in tearing things down if there’s any way to save them. There are buildings we have been able to save, and the IAC is one of them because it has such perfect features for an art center.” The IAC, along with the Cultural Arts Park as a whole, has become a centerpiece of the University, attracting visitors throughout the year. “The IAC at TROY is having an impact on the entire state,” said Al Head, former longtime Executive Director of the Alabama State Council on the Arts. “There are visitors from all over Alabama and all over the Southeast and, really, if you think about it, all over the world. She has been recognized as the visionary and inspiration for that center. Many are coming to
MRS. HAWKINS WITH HER TWO DAUGHTERS KATIE (LEFT) AND KELLY (RIGHT) AND GRANDDAUGHTERS ELLYOTE AND MICAH
visit the campus, which is spectacular and quite a model for the entire state and for the entire Southeast, and she has played a really big part in all of that.” The IAC, which also houses the Department of Art and Design, has been transformative for the artists who work and study there. “The IAC has been vital,” said Ed Noriega, a Professor of Graphic Design and Director of the Center for Design Technology and Industry. “It has given graphic design a whole different look, a whole different perspective for the potential we have for reaching across campus and the globe. It has empowered us, and it has empowered the students. They are proud to come to the building, exhibit their work and work in that facility.” Mrs. Hawkins’ passion for cultural arts directly contributed to the growth and development of dance at TROY. “We remain especially grateful to Mrs. Hawkins, who has campaigned relentlessly year after year on our department’s behalf,” said Deborah Hicks, Coordinator of Dance. “Because of her efforts, we have a beautiful 4,000-square-foot studio space in which to train and perform. Because she has worked around the clock to make the Danza in Arte a Pietrasanta (DAP) Festival in Italy affordable for our students, we have enjoyed the Tuscany coast for three summers, but she also extends her support of our students in more personal ways — traveling to Italy with us, hosting our alumni lunch and scheduling personal time with current students.” Noriega credits Mrs. Hawkins with elevating the presence of art at TROY. “Many universities look at their art departments as novelties, but she looks at it as an opportunity to be entrepreneurial,” he said. Mrs. Hawkins’ work with the arts isn’t limited to TROY. She’s also served on the board of the Alabama Humanities Foundation for many years, a role in which she’s helped education initiatives throughout the state. “Janice has been a
THE NALL MUSEUM, HOUSED IN THE INTERNATIONAL ARTS CENTER (IAC)
strong leader for the humanities all across the state and not just TROY,” said Armand DeKyser, former Executive Director of the Alabama Humanities Foundation and an appointed member of the National Council on the Humanities. “She has been an advocate for programming, targeting education programs that help teachers in particular. Janice has been a wonderful friend who has helped me through my eight years at the Humanities Foundation and has been a mentor and guide throughout my tenure. Her advocacy for TROY has been one of her strongest traits in dealing, not only with the humanities, but dealing with all the people we meet across the state of Alabama.” The “international” aspect of the IAC reflects Mrs. Hawkins’ interest in helping international students and fostering TROY’s reputation as Alabama’s International University. Her first project at TROY was Friends of Foreign Students, which was born from her relationship with her father, an Irish immigrant. “His heritage has given me an appreciation for people from other countries and that heritage that we have,” she said. “It made me interested in making people feel a part of what we’re doing, to feel like they’re at home. That was very important to me.” Thanks in large part to Mrs. Hawkins’ efforts, TROY forged a partnership with the city of Pietrasanta, Italy, first bringing dance students to the DAP Festival in 2017 and kicking off a yearly tradition for fine arts students. “Mrs. Hawkins did all in her power to help dancers get to Pietrasanta that summer, and she hasn’t stopped since,” Hicks said. “We have been three years now, and I can’t really put into words the impact the DAP Festival and travel to Italy have had on our dancers. You would have to be in the presence of [the students] experiencing world travel for the first time in order to fully appreciate how their breath catches when they realize the significance of what it means to experience [that area] of the world.”
DR. AND MRS. JACK HAWKINS, JR.
T ROY T O DAY
A SCULPTURE FROM THE NATIVE SERIES BY NALL
Her work in building relationships in Italy is another example of her leadership skills. “She has shown great leadership there,” Head said. “I think [internationalization] is an area that is going to grow and expand and take on new dimensions in the future. Her contributions have been significant. In my position with the State Council on the Arts, I’ve been able to have a good view of all of that, and the impact has certainly been focused on TROY, to a degree, but her impact has been statewide and really beyond.” Her work also extends to the men and women of the U.S. armed forces. In the aftermath of 9/11, Dr. and Mrs. Hawkins pushed for the creation of TROY for Troops, which has helped military families for the better part of two decades. “TROY for Troops came as a result of 9/11 and the war in Iraq, and our desire to reach out to our graduates and families and friends that were serving over there or anywhere in the world,” Mrs. Hawkins said. “We have a great appreciation for the military. Our son-in-law serves in the Air Force, our daughter went through ROTC. Dr. Hawkins is a Marine. In starting TROY for Troops, students worked with us and sent care packages our way. It was so needed at the time because so few universities were doing things to help our people serving.” The 30 years and counting since Mrs. Hawkins arrived have seen unprecedented growth at the University, and her influence will be felt for generations to come. “She has made major contributions at the University and made the arts a priority,” Head said. “For years, performing arts like theatre and dance have been encouraged and supported by her. And, more recently, she’s given us the Nall Gallery inside the International Arts Center, really significant projects that would not have happened without her, both in terms of outright support but also vision and inspiration for doing something on that scale.”
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FOR YEARS, PE RFORMING ARTS L IKE THEATRE AND DANCE HAVE BE E N E NCOURAGED AND SUPPORTED BY HE R. AND, MORE RECENTLY, SHE ’ S GIVEN US THE NAL L GAL L E RY INSIDE THE INTE RNATIONAL ARTS CE NTE R, REAL LY SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS THAT WOUL D NOT HAVE HAPPE NED W ITHOUT HER, BOTH IN TERMS OF OUTRIGHT SUPPORT BUT ALSO VISION AND INSPIRATION FOR D OING SOMETHING ON THAT SCAL E. — AL HEAD
JANICE HAWKINS SITS ON THE STEPS OF THE COLLEGIATE CHURCH OF SAN MARTINO WITH STUDY ABROAD STUDENTS IN PIETRASANTA, ITALY.
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TROY TODAY
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and Public Administration. Global internships are also a component of the program. The program’s first cohort is made up of 18 students — seven men and 11 women — from seven states with educational backgrounds ranging from biology to diplomacy to adult education. For Monica Anderson Young, a Daphne, Alabama, resident, At a time when the world is more connected than at any
being accepted to the program brought her educational
point in its history, the launch of Troy University’s new
journey full circle. She completed the bulk of her
Ph.D. in Global Leadership is addressing a growing need
undergraduate studies at TROY before transferring to the
across a variety of disciplines.
University of Central Florida to complete her bachelor’s
The program, which is a part of the College of Education,
degree, before going on to earn a master’s degree in global
launched on Aug. 1 with an orientation seminar featuring
strategic communication from Georgetown University
keynote speaker Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro, the Deputy
and a post-graduate certificate in organizational behavior
Executive Director for Programs at Global Open Data in
from Harvard University. “Sentimentally, finishing where I
Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN). “In the past 10 years,
started holds a certain nostalgia,” Young said. “Practically,
there has been an increase in the demand for professionals
I was looking for a quality program that allowed me to
with advanced training in global leadership,” said Dr.
work and was focused on the practitioner side of study.”
Pamela Lemoine, Program Coordinator.
She serves as principal of Assisted Communications, a
Through the online program, students complete a core
consultancy providing advisement in the areas of culture,
curriculum focused on leadership, leadership theory and
engagement, communication and talent optimization. “I
the global nature of today’s workforce, in addition to
feel grateful to be learning not only alongside a talented,
continuing their education in an area of specialization in
diverse group of thought leaders who make up my cohort
the areas of Strategic Communication, Higher Education,
but from them as well,” Young said. “Each week, I find
Organizational Leadership, Instructional Leadership
nuggets of great takeaways in our online discussions.”
DERSHI
PP H. D . T ROY T O DAY
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Fellow TROY alumna Traci A. Howell, who earned a master’s in human resource management in 2006, agreed that learning from her classmates adds to the value of the program. “The diversity of this group is amazing, and I am always learning something new weekly as we interact in our courses,” Howell said. “The support system is what makes it so comforting, knowing I have someone to reach out to for anything. It’s like a family environment.”
For the last 21 years, Fondal has served as the Executive
Howell said the flexibility of the program made it an
Director of Starbase Robins, a Department of Defense
attractive option. She serves as the Chief of Mission
STEM Education program at Robins Air Force in Warner
Support Systems Portfolio Office at Business and
Robins, Georgia. The Macon, Georgia, resident also
Enterprise Systems Directorate with the Department of
is Founder and CEO of E2 (E squared) Educational
the Air Force at Maxwell-Gunter Annex in Montgomery
Consulting, LLC. “I would eventually like to influence STEM
where she is responsible for business operations and the
and educational policy, and I feel that this degree will give
integration activities of 40 defense business systems
me preparation and tools that I need to affect STEM policy
within the division. Howell, who has been hearing impaired
around the world,” Fondal said.
since the age of 5, is also passionate about giving back, and
Fondal earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from
serves as a community and youth advocate.
Dillard University, his master’s degree in cell biology from
Wesley Fondal, Jr. was intrigued by the focus of the new
the University of the Incarnate Word and also did doctoral
doctoral program. “The first thing that made the program
work at the University of Missouri in microbiology and
attractive to me was that it was a new doctoral program
immunology. “I feel that pursuing my doctoral degree in
at the University, and I thought it would be nice to be a
global leadership at Troy University will help me to propel
part of something new and fresh,” Fondal said. “I was also
my career goals to the next level.”
intrigued by the emerging field of Global Leadership and the wide-ranging possibilities within the field.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT TROY.EDU/GLOBALLEADERSHIP.
F E AT UR E S T O R Y
HONORING A CIVIL RIGHTS ICON TROY UNIVERSITY HOLDS SERVICE, RENAMES BUILDING IN TRIBUTE TO REP. JOHN LEWIS WRITTEN BY: GREG PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JOEY MEREDITH & MARK MOSELEY
T ROY T O DAY
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Rep. John Lewis and Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. at the 2018 Leadership Conference
The “boy from Troy” made one last visit home.
Some in attendance remembered the horrific events of “Bloody
Hundreds of people — friends, family and the public — gathered
Sunday,” when Rep. Lewis’ skull was fractured in a beating by
July 25 at Trojan Arena to honor the life of civil rights icon and
Alabama State Troopers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma,
Pike County native Rep. John Lewis, who died July 17 at age 80.
Alabama. “Growing up in the South, I knew him for the struggle
Rather than a somber remembrance, the memorial service
that we went through as Black people,” said Mary Davis, a Troy
featured jubilant music courtesy of Sheila Jackson and
resident who attended school with Rep. Lewis’ brother, Henry
award-winning gospel artist Dottie Peoples, fond childhood
“Grant” Lewis. “When he got beaten, I was small at that time,
remembrances from Rep. Lewis’ siblings and frequent
very young, but I can remember that scene. That scene has
references to his propensity for “good trouble.”
never left my mind, how they were beaten by the police as they
During the service, the flag of the country he loved adorned his
tried to cross the bridge. He never gave up. He pressed on.”
casket, a reminder of Rep. Lewis’ more than 30 years serving in
Many in attendance remembered the congressman for his
the U.S. Congress representing Georgia’s 5th district.
kindness and willingness to reach out to others. “We decided
Rep. Lewis’ passion, dedication and kindness drew people from
we were going to come because he had been to our church,”
throughout the area to pay their respects to the man the
said Hattie Heggins, who drove from Dothan with her husband
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called “the boy from Troy.”
for the service. “What I remember about him was he was
Rep. Lewis was born the son of sharecroppers on Feb. 21,
very honorable, he was very nice, and he really didn’t act like
1940, outside of Troy, Alabama. He grew up on his family’s
a celebrity. He was a kind, compassionate person. What I got
farm and attended segregated public schools in Pike County.
from his life was to try to treat everybody right, and when you
As a young boy, he was inspired by the activism surrounding
see something that is not right, try your best to make it right.”
the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the words of the Rev. Martin
Heggins’ words were echoed by Rep. Lewis’ sister, Rosa Mae
Luther King Jr., which he heard on radio broadcasts. In those
Tyner, who spoke of her brother’s mission to attack injustice
pivotal moments, he made a decision to become a part of the
wherever he saw it. “A humble man, a simple man and a man of
civil rights movement, and he rapidly emerged as a leader in
God, he always wanted to improve the lives of others without
the vanguard of progressive social movements and the human
any concern for himself,” she said. “He always told us, ‘If you see
rights struggle in the United States.
something wrong, do something. See something, say something,
“Some of the struggles that he went through, I’m old enough
do something.’”
to have gone through some of the same struggles,” said the
While many knew Rep. Lewis for his civil rights work, others
Rev. Lovell Martin, a Troy resident. “He paved the way to make
knew John Lewis the family man.
life better not only for myself but for all the American people he
His brother, Henry, recalled the congressman making a surprise
was working for. He didn’t work just for a race, he worked for
visit to his nephew’s fifth grade class.
everybody. He set an example young people could look up to,
Troy resident Mellonese Johnson grew up hearing her mother,
and they received some of the benefits he fought for — voting
one of Rep. Lewis’ cousins, sing the congressman’s praises. This
rights, civil rights and justice across the nation. I felt it was
service was a chance for her to pay her respects to someone
honorable to come and look at such a human being for the
she’d admired her entire life. “He was a legend. He did things
last time.”
for so many people, and he was a great person,” Johnson said.
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TROY TODAY
T ROY T O DAY
WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT RIGHT, NOT FAIR, NOT JUST, YOU HAVE TO SPEAK UP. YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING; YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. — REP. JOHN LEWIS
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T ROY T O DAY
35
“My mother used to talk about him a lot, the struggle he went
To further pay tribute to the man and the legacy he leaves
through, and he never gave up — not once.”
behind, the Troy University Board of Trustees voted on
Since taking office in January 1987, Rep. Lewis has inspired
Aug. 26 to rename historic Bibb Graves Hall on the Troy
many leaders both nationally and locally.
Campus in honor of the civil rights icon.
One of those leaders, Troy City Councilman Robert Jones, said
The name change was effective immediately, and the building
he couldn’t miss a chance to honor the late congressman. “He
now bears the name John Robert Lewis Hall. “John Lewis is
was an icon. He was a warrior and a trooper,” Jones said. “The
a towering figure in American history, whose leadership and
lesson I take away from him is like he said, to get in and start
advocacy for non-violent change have left a lasting legacy for
trouble, but good trouble. You’ve got to walk on the right side,
us all,” said Dr. Hawkins. “Although Rep. Lewis once sought
and that’s what he did.”
admission to then Troy State College as a young man and was
TROY Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. said his encounters
sadly ignored, I am pleased to say that he became a friend to
with Rep. Lewis always included a conversation about the
the University. He visited our campuses several times and was a
congressman being denied entry to TROY in 1957 on the basis
profound influence on many of us. I am grateful to the Board of
of race. “With that sheepish grin, he would always remind me
Trustees for choosing to honor this Pike County native with this
that in 1957 he was denied admission to Troy State College,” Dr.
name change.”
Hawkins said. “He would quickly remind me that, 32 years later,
“I am proud of my fellow Board members for unanimously
we were sensible enough to award him an honorary doctorate.”
approving the resolution to honor Congressman John Lewis,”
Troy resident Daniel Wyche said Rep. Lewis’ presence will
said Gibson Vance, President Pro Tempore of the TROY Board
continue to be felt in the city and on the Troy Campus. “The
of Trustees. “John Lewis’ character, spirit and selflessness
impact that he’s had locally, nationally and internationally is
reflect the values we strive to embrace every day at TROY.”
[incredible],” Wyche said. “It seems as though you can see traces
TROY previously honored Rep. Lewis with an honorary
of his influence floating around the campus still. Settling down
doctorate in 1989 and the Hall-Waters Prize in 2006 for his
here and seeing the real civil rights icons, it would be a waste
memoir “Walking with the Wind.” He was also the keynote
of an opportunity to not come out here and see something like
speaker in 2018 during the annual Leadership Conference:
this in real time. He left us the concept of good trouble — if
Celebrating African American History Month, which has
you see something that’s wrong … and the next person that
since been renamed the Congressman John Lewis Leadership
comes to that wall, you should be knocking it down for them. I
Conference.
believe that’s what Congressman John Lewis did for us, set that
“Naming this building in honor of Congressman Lewis is a great
example. So for me, it’s about seeing that light and following it.”
testament to the legacy of a man whose blood, sweat and tears
Of all the day’s glowing tributes, perhaps nobody put into
continue to make Alabama and America a better place for all
words Rep. Lewis’ legacy more appropriately than Davis: “The
people,” said Lamar P. Higgins, Vice President Pro Tempore of
kind of man that he was is the kind that God intended everyone
the TROY Board of Trustees.
to be — to stand up for what’s right.”
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TROY TODAY
F EAT UR E S T O RY
RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE OF COVID-19 WRITTEN BY: GREG PHILLIPS ILLUSTRATION BY: MADELYN FLANAGAN
It’s been a year like none before. From a spring semester
in Troy University’s history. Our faculty, staff and students
conducted largely online, to the cancellation of sports and
immediately pulled together for a common purpose, were able
events, and the now-familiar sight of face coverings on
to quickly respond to a variety of necessary modifications to
campuses this fall, many things have been different at Troy
how we delivered instruction, adjusted our routines and the
University due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But one thing has
manner in which we interacted on our campuses and focused
remained the same — the Trojan Spirit to meet challenges
on the health and welfare of our students and employees —
head on. “The strength of an organization is most apparent in
all proving, yet again, that Troy University’s can-do attitude
times of crisis,” said Dr. Lance Tatum, Senior Vice Chancellor
is at the heart of our success.” As the virus spread in March,
for Academic Affairs and Chair of the University’s Coronavirus
TROY moved all spring and summer classes to online or other
Task Force. “Beginning in March 2020, we found ourselves
alternative delivery methods — a transition made easier by
working through some of the most challenging circumstances
TROY’s decades of success as an online education leader.
T ROY T O DAY
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Professors had to quickly adapt classes to the change in format,
The University’s Center for Materials and Manufacturing
including TROY’s first on-campus Unmanned Aerial Systems
Sciences announced new research aimed to bolster production
class. The class was completed using remote technology to
of personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers
give students the best possible virtual experience, and one of
and create new avenues for recycling medical waste. “The
the students, Riley Bates, even earned her Federal Aviation
current pandemic has shown the crucial need to increase the
Administration Remote Pilot Certification. “I had designed
nation’s production capacity in regards to protective equipment
the class to front load the FAA airmanship academics before
for our medical professionals,” said Dr. Govind Menon, Director
spring break, then conduct practical laboratory and field drone
of the Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences. “At
flying afterward when the weather was more favorable,”
TROY, we are committing to researching new methods for
said Al Allenback, Adjunct UAS Instructor in the Geospatial
producing polymer-based PPEs in preparation for future
Informatics Department. “Well, obviously we had to rethink
medical threats.”
that after the virus hit. I’m really proud of Riley and the
Dr. Suzanne Lukjan, a Lecturer in the Chemistry and Physics
other students for using their initiative and the University’s
Department, began work this spring with ONY Biotech to
technology platforms to get the most out of the class.”
research a therapeutic treatment that could help patients
TROY also found ways to honor its students through
before their lungs succumb to the coronavirus. The research
nontraditional means, such as the College of Education’s virtual
focuses on pulmonary surfactant therapy, which aids patients
Research and Scholarship Conference, the Phenix City Campus’
suffering from COVID-19-related acute respiratory distress
virtual Honors Convocation ceremony and the Dothan Campus’
syndrome (ARDS), a type of respiratory failure.
virtual commencement ceremony.
TROY is also doing its part to record the history of the virus as
The Trojan Spirit also extended to the fight against COVID-19.
it happens. The Wiregrass Archives, located on the University’s
Faculty members immediately went to work on research
Dothan Campus, is looking to preserve the stories of individuals
projects aimed at helping battle the coronavirus’ spread and
and families during the pandemic. “What the Wiregrass
impact on victims.
Archives specifically wants to acquire are those documents that
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TROY TODAY
YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR. — DR. SHELLYE VARDAMAN
people are producing relative to their lives specifically under
Dr. Dave Camwell, an Associate Professor of Music, worked
COVID-19,” said Dr. Marty Olliff, Director of the Wiregrass
to create a similar project with the Jazz Ensemble and also
Archives. “People may be sitting in quarantine, or they may
created his own remote collaborative projects with colleagues
not be, but if they are keeping some kind of record of their
in other states.
daily activities, we want to acquire that. The format could be
The University has also reached out to the community in
anything from letters to emails to little memoirs.”
exciting new ways.
Meanwhile, faculty members and students from the School of
The Office of Career Services continued to offer all its services
Nursing continue to fight the virus on the front lines.
virtually, using programs such as “Big Interview,” a program that
Dr. Shellye Vardaman, a Professor of Nursing currently working
enables students to hone their interview skills from home.
as a PRN staff nurse in the intensive care unit of Troy Regional
TROY’s Office of Civic Engagement partnered with the David
Medical Center, is just one of the faculty members continuing
Mathews Center for Civic Life to offer a superhero-themed
to work long hours and face unprecedented challenges in
virtual summer camp, Civic Heroes, aimed at educating children
hospitals. “You just don’t know what to expect when you walk in
about their communities, government and citizenship, serving
the door,” Dr. Vardaman said.
80 students from as far away as the state of Washington.
Faculty members in the John M. Long School of Music found
COVID-19 continues to affect our lives in a variety of ways.
ways to keep the spirit of the arts alive through the internet
Entering the fall, the University unveiled a comprehensive
this spring.
coronavirus plan for faculty, staff and students.
While in-person concerts weren’t happening due to COVID-19,
Titled TROY Strong, the plan established mandatory face
several faculty members and their students used technology to
coverings and social distancing on campus, protocols for
create stunning virtual performances.
cleaning and sanitization and modifications in a variety of
The Symphony Band, Concert Chorale and Frequency all
campus functions.
crafted collaborative pieces edited together by Kenny Beck, a Lecturer of Music Education and Music Industry.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT TROY.EDU/CORONAVIRUS.
T ROY T O DAY
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AT H LE T I CS
ENGAGING FANS IN NEW WAY TROY ATHLETICS PROVIDES VIRTUAL SHOWS
Barry McKnight
TROY Athletics found a new way to engage with fans this past spring during the COVID-19 pandemic with the introduction of virtual shows. “Once we knew that sports were off the table for the spring, we immediately started brainstorming ideas on how we could continue to engage our fans throughout the spring,” Associate Athletics Director for Communications & Creative Content Adam Prendergast said. “Ideas came from all members of our team, and it was great to see the outside-of-the-box thinking that came from what could have been an otherwise stressful time.” One of those outside-of-the-box ideas was Reading with the Trojans, the brainchild of Barry McKnight, the current “Voice of the Trojans.” McKnight, joined by a different TROY head coach each week, would read a children’s book for the Trojan Nation
through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TroyTrojans.com. “The item that we had the biggest response from was our weekly Reading with the Trojans segment,” Prendergast said. “The local schools got involved and were sharing it with the kids in their classes via Facebook, while families across the country would also tune in. I had a captive audience of three kids at my house each Wednesday waiting for ‘Mr. Barry’ to read each week.” Another idea that had great success was to use Zoom to connect the Trojan Nation to staff, coaches and studentathletes from football, baseball and men’s and women’s basketball on the weekly Trojan Talk radio show. Due to COVID-19, the annual Trojan Tribute Awards were broadcast on Facebook and Twitter, and TROY’s Trojan Tour was viewed via webinar.
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TROY TODAY
AT H LE T I CS
ATHLETICS' NEW PARTNERSHIPS
INSPIRE & EMPOWER TROY Athletics made an investment in the futures of its student-athletes, staff and coaches over the summer with a pair of partnerships. For the student-athletes, it was a megadeal with leading brand specialist and best-selling author Jeremy Darlow, and for the coaches and staff, it was a collaboration with motivational speaker and life coach Damon West. “We’re extremely excited about this collaborative partnership with best-selling author Jeremy Darlow,” Director of Athletics Brent Jones said. “This program is uniquely tailored to provide up-to-date and cutting-edge information to better prepare our student-athletes, staff and coaches for future success. I have known Jeremy since his first book, ‘Brands Win Championships,’ and I greatly appreciate our relationship and his expertise in this field.” The newfound partnership will assist TROY student-athletes to build a personal brand that transcends sports. “After sitting in on a Zoom session with Jeremy Darlow, I am excited that we will be given the tools to create a clearer path for how to create our brand and our life after soccer,” TROY junior soccer student-athlete Carina Valeriano said. “I think learning from someone like Jeremy Darlow will help us transition from our
playing days to life after sports. I’m looking forward to learning more from him and building my brand.” TROY became the first Sun Belt Conference institution and first from the state of Alabama to form a partnership with Darlow, whose resume features schools like Notre Dame, Michigan and UCLA; athletes that include Aaron Rodgers, Kris Bryant and Lionel Messi; and celebrities such as Snoop Dogg. “Being a student-athlete at Troy University is about more than sports, it’s about life. And it’s that dedication to a future beyond sports that drew me to this school and this staff,” Darlow said. “I look forward to teaching every Trojan student-athlete how to build a personal brand and a reputation that sets them up to succeed in life after the game.” With this partnership, all of TROY’s student-athletes will have access to The DARLOW Rules, an online course that features short, easy-to-understand, video-based lessons designed to teach student-athletes from every sport the fundamentals of brand development and communication. By the end of the course, TROY’s student-athletes will have built their own brand marketing plan, employing the same planning techniques used by Darlow over the course of his
T ROY T O DAY
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JEREMY DARLOW
DAMON WEST
extensive career in sports marketing. “Jeremy Darlow is the industry leader on brand marketing, and this is a game changer for our student-athletes,” TROY Football Head Coach Chip Lindsey said. “We want the young men in our program to not only develop as players on the field, we also want them to become leaders in their community and be prepared for life after football. Jeremy Darlow literally wrote the book on building your brand and now our players will have the opportunity to engage with him and learn from him — what a tremendous opportunity for the TROY Trojans.” The collaboration between TROY coaches and staff with Damon West started with a Zoom call where he shared his inspiring testimonial. A former college football player at North Texas, West found himself in prison following a burglary conviction. There, he met a man who told him that prison can be like being thrown into a pot of boiling water. His fellow inmate presented him three options … was he going to become like a carrot and turn weak and soft, was he going to be like an egg and become hard on the outside or would he be a coffee bean and change the water around it.
Damon West partnered with best-selling author Jon Gordon to write “The Coffee Bean,” which is an illustrated fable that teaches readers how to transform their environment, overcome challenges and create positive change. “Damon West’s story is one of inspiration and perseverance,” Jones said. “His ability to connect and engage with his audience is the best I have ever seen. His desire to give back and make a difference is what truly sets him apart. He is one of the most honest and vulnerable speakers and people that I have ever come across. We all need to be a ‘coffee bean.’” The impact of West’s story and lesson has already begun to trickle down through the TROY staff with Sun Belt champion Women’s Basketball Head Coach Chanda Rigby leading the charge. “Our team studied Damon’s ‘Coffee Bean’ story via Zoom meetings this summer,” Rigby said. “It has been a game changer for us. We now strive every day to be ‘coffee beans’ and be change agents in our environment instead of letting circumstances change us. The lessons we learned from this book are empowering and have helped us in our quest to become the strongest people we can be.”
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TROY TODAY
AT H LE T I CS
'VOICE OF THE TROJANS' TROY MOURNS THE LOSS OF RALPH BLACK
T ROY T O DAY
Ralph Black, whose voice painted the picture for so many of TROY’s most memorable athletic moments, passed away on July 17 at age 79. “Ralph Black — to me — was, is and will always be the ‘Voice of the Trojans,’ and I know TROY fans of all ages join me in sorrow at the news of his passing,” current TROY play-by-play broadcaster Barry McKnight said. “Yet, Ralph also touched the life of the shut-in who listened for her birthday when Ralph would announce it on his morning show or the young athlete who swelled with pride when he or she took the field and saw that Ralph himself was there to broadcast their game.” Black was responsible for many historic calls during his 26 years as the play-byplay broadcaster for TROY football, basketball and baseball. His famous "Holy Mackerel" call came after Ted Clem booted a 50-yard field goal as time expired to win the 1984 NCAA Division II National Championship game. Remarkably, that was just one of four national championships that Black called during his career, as his voice also painted the picture for the 1987 football national title, in addition to the 1986 and 1987 baseball national championships. Black was also part of the 1993 men's basketball run to the national championship game. “Ralph Black provided the soundtrack for many of the most memorable moments in the history of Troy University Athletics,” TROY Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. said. “He loved Troy University and the Troy community. I enjoyed his friendship and appreciated his unwavering support of our Trojans through the years. TROY Athletics has lost one of its biggest fans.” A native of Montgomery, Alabama, Black called more than 1,000 TROY sporting events from 1976 to 2002 and helped
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build the Troy State Sports Network into one of the largest of its kind in Alabama, at one point comprising 18 stations. He called 122 straight Troy University football games, including TROY's first season as a Division I member. “Ralph Black had a front row seat to some of the greatest moments in TROY Athletics history and, through his God-given talents, he painted a picture of those memories for generations of TROY fans,” Troy University Director of Athletics Brent Jones said. “Our hearts go out to his wife, Cheryl, and his family and friends as we mourn his passing. Even following his retirement from the radio booth, Ralph’s love for this University and this community was second to none.” Following his retirement as the “Voice of the Trojans,” Black was still a prominent figure in the Troy community. He was an on-air personality at WTBF and could be heard as the public address voice for Charles Henderson High School football, in addition to several local high school radio broadcasts. “In 2016, I was the emcee of the ceremony that inducted Ralph Black into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, and it was the most difficult time I had ever had in announcing the name of any inductee because I choked up and had to work to hold back the tears,” McKnight said. “I knew how much Ralph had given to TROY, how much it meant to him to be honored, how many miles he had driven and sleep he had lost and challenges the job entailed. But mostly I knew — as much as anyone can know — just how much Ralph Black loved Troy University and Troy people, and in that spirit, as we mourn his passing, I can speak for the entire TROY Nation in saying that, ‘Ralph, the feeling was mutual.’”
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TROY TODAY
AT H LE T I CS
MINIMAKEOVER For the first time since its opening in 2012, Trojan Arena received a makeover in the spring with a redesign of the playing court. Named for Hall of Fame Head Coach Don Maestri, the court now features TROY’s Power T logo, displays the words “TROY” and “Trojans” along both baselines in the University’s updated athletics font and has TROY’s trademark cross swords emoji at midcourt on both sides of the floor.
What’s happening there and what it means here
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T ROY T O DAY
ST UD E N T S
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SWEET SUCCESS
TROY GRAD OPENS SMOOTHIE CAFÉ
Troy residents looking to enjoy some of Sherman's Smoothie Café's products can contact the café through Facebook for advance orders.
Charmin Harvey kept hearing the same complaint from her fellow Troy University students: Why doesn’t Troy, Alabama, have a restaurant focusing on smoothies? In the fall of 2019, her senior year, Harvey decided to tackle that problem head-on by creating Sherman’s Smoothie Café, a place where TROY students and Troy residents alike can buy homemade fruit smoothies, juice and a variety of sandwiches and pastries. “I came here in 2018, and I became tired of working at a fast food job,” said Harvey, who graduated this past summer with a degree in criminal justice. “I’m also a personal trainer, and I kept hearing people say they were tired of going to Montgomery or Dothan (for good smoothies), so I put all of the things I love to do in one business — selling smoothies, bagel sandwiches, soups and things like that. I’m from a small town in Georgia, and my family are entrepreneurs, so I guess it runs in the family.” Balancing her school work with a full-time job is nothing new for Harvey. “I’m used to working and going to school,” she said. “I’d feel crazy or out of place if I wasn’t doing something else while going to school.”
She named the café in honor of her father, a moving company owner who died in 2016 due to cancer. “He had his own business, and I decided to name this after him because he was an entrepreneur,” Harvey said, adding that her father never saw her as a business owner. “He always talked about school, school, school because he didn’t know how to read. Back in that time, it was all about working and trying to get money for your family. He knew how to do everything, but he couldn’t read, and all he talked about was me going to school and getting an education. I think this would’ve surprised him.” While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed life for everyone, Harvey said her shop has been able to maintain relatively normal business. “Before the virus started, people were starting to warm up to me, and it takes a while to warm up to new businesses,” she said. As for the future, Harvey plans to pursue a career in criminal justice while possibly opening more Sherman’s cafés. “I’m going to try and find a job in my field, keep this business running and hopefully open up some more wherever I go,” she said.
STUDENTS
Students working as tutors at the Learning Center
LEARNING CENTER TUTORS ENJOY SUCCESS WHILE HELPING OTHERS
TROY tutors who took time to mentor their peers in academics have seen the fruits of their labor pay off as they graduate. Located in the John W. Schmidt Center for Student Success, the Learning Center provides tutoring and mentorship services to students in need by connecting them with fellow students who are experts in a given field. The Learning Center has also proven beneficial to the tutors who are investing their time as they prepare for their own career journeys. Meet Patel, a recent TROY graduate, is now pursuing his Ph.D. in biology at the University of Kentucky. He began tutoring students as a first-year student but landed a paid tutoring position as a sophomore. “It was phenomenal,” Patel said. “I enjoyed tutoring because it provided a sense of satisfaction after being able to help a learner through a difficult subject. The experience extends further as we see a learner visit us again for tutoring.”
Alex Mote began tutoring students in chemistry during his first year at TROY, and as he prepares for a career in the Air Force, he looks back on his Learning Center experience as particularly important. “It was one of the best decisions I made,” said Mote, who is preparing for flight school. “The most rewarding part of my job was seeing a smile from someone who finally understood something and/or having someone find interest in chemistry. While it helped me stay fresh on my skills and network with hundreds of students, the biggest benefit was the social and leadership skills. Listening before talking, empathy and being someone that these stressed students can talk to allowed me to see two sides to a story.” Ty Naquin, a recent graduate who tutored students in physics, has been accepted on a full scholarship to the Ph.D. program in physics at the University of Chicago. “It was always rewarding to help students understand a concept they were struggling
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with,” he said. “It was also a unique opportunity to see all the different ways students approach their schoolwork. I learned a lot myself from the creativity of those I tutored. The job also forced me to keep up with my basic physics knowledge, which helped me perform well on the tests I had to take to get into graduate school.” For the tutors, the experience often challenges them to expand their ways of thinking. Aashish Kafle, who has earned a full scholarship to the Ph.D. program in physics at Penn State University, thrived on seeing other students grasp new concepts. “A single way of explaining things was never enough. Helping students understand the underlying concepts was very rewarding,” Kafle said. “Tackling students with no prior experience in these subject matters was more fun because I could teach them in a way that my experience tells me is the best one for a novice.” Patel credits the Learning Center staff and Troy University for giving him vital preparation for his future goals as well. “I believe having tutored undergraduate students for multiple hours would further allow me to now teach labs at a bigger university,” he said. “I wouldn’t be as confident without my tutoring experience at TROY, and I wouldn’t be where I am without my supervisors. Lastly, I am extremely grateful for Dr. Robert Sheppard and Ms. Patricia Harris for training me.” The Learning Center helps students find the skills they need to succeed in class, but it also helps prepare those teaching them for a successful future. “The heart and soul of effective tutoring is a relationship based on trust,” said Dr. Hal Fulmer, Associate Provost and Dean of Undergraduate and First-Year Studies. “Students who come to our Learning Center, whether in person or online, find that they can trust our tutors. The tutors are well-trained, knowledgeable and caring. They seek to understand a student’s needs in a holistic way and not just in terms of particular class content. Our tutors are a key part of our success efforts in the John W. Schmidt Center. They are on the front lines for us in helping their fellow students to retain, progress and graduate from Troy University.”
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The heart and soul of effective tutoring is a relationship based on trust. — Dr. Hal Fulmer
The Learning Center is housed in Eldridge Hall.
FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT TROY.EDU/LEARNINGCENTER.
William, Kay-Lyn and Kelley Hornsby
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PHENIX CITY TRIPLETS
ATTENDING TROY TOGETHER
They were born together, they’ve lived together for 18 years and now the Hornsby siblings are continuing their journeys together at Troy University. Triplets Kelley, William and Kay-Lyn Hornsby officially became Trojans this fall, and the recent Central High School (Phenix City, Alabama) graduates are excited to experience college with one another. “It wasn’t originally the plan for us to go together,” Kelley said. “I don’t know what was so different about TROY, but the tour was way better. We had a great tour guide. Me and my sister have been to the summer camps for band, and my brother competes in [the Trumbauer Theatre Festival] with musical theater in school. It just felt way different when we were there.” Kay-Lyn credited a great tour and good memories from high school with cementing TROY as her university of choice. “I had already been to TROY many times before, and it was always really ‘homey’ to me,” she said. “I wanted a school with a
marching band I could be in and a good nursing school. I really did enjoy the tour. They were able to accommodate for what we were interested in. They were able to set up meetings with people in different fields, helping to show us what we needed to do to succeed.” Despite the uncertainties associated with moving away from home, none of the siblings have any doubts they made the right choice. “Part of what stood out about TROY when I toured was it’s a bigger university, but it seems a lot closer to the feel that a small college would have,” said William, who plans to pursue theatre education as his major. “As I was making my decision, I thought that when I left whatever college I chose, I wanted to be able to leave with more than a degree. TROY had that and also had smaller class sizes and a welcoming atmosphere.” Their mother, Kathy Hornsby, may be even more excited than the triplets. “It’s time,” she laughed. “It’s time for them to head out. I’m ready for them to begin their journey as Trojans.”
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TROJAN OUTREACH STUDENTS' PSA WINS FIRST PLACE Charter members of Beta Gamma Sigma
A still frame from the winning PSA
A public service announcement created by Troy University students has won first place in the fourth annual Red Ribbon Week Campus Video PSA National Contest. The contest was sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as a part of Red Ribbon Week activities. Colleges and universities that entered produced a 30- to 60-second anti-drug video public service announcement, focusing on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse among college students. The video featured members from Trojan Outreach, a studentled organization within Troy University’s Student Services division committed to promoting and influencing a culture that is focused on health, wellness and safety by empowering and engaging the campus community to make healthy decisions. “Trojan Outreach wanted to highlight the reality of substance misuse among college students and provide a platform of support to students working to overcome substance abuse related issues,” said Kimbrlei McCain, Outreach and Substance Intervention Coordinator. As the winning campus, Troy University received a firstplace plaque and $3,000 to support its campus’ drug abuse prevention efforts. McCain and fellow Trojan Outreach member Riley Jacks were on hand to receive the award. TO WATCH THE AWARD WINNING PSA, VISIT TROY.TODAY AND SEARCH “PSA.”
BETA GAMMA SIGMA RECOGNIZED AS HONORS CHAPTER TROY’s chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma has been selected an Honors Chapter by its global headquarters. Established in the Sorrell College of Business in 2019, Beta Gamma Sigma is The International Business Honor Society and is affiliated with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The Sorrell College is one of just 189 business colleges worldwide to hold dual accreditation on both the college-wide level and the School of Accountancy. “Membership in this honor society is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive, and Beta Gamma Sigma is recognized by leading corporate recruiters as an indicator of business acumen and leadership,” said Dr. Judson Edwards, Dean of the Sorrell College of Business. Beta Gamma Sigma members are the top 10% of undergraduate students, top 20% of graduate students and all doctoral candidates that have successfully defended their dissertation at an AACSB-accredited business school. The chapter is led by Dr. Robert Wheatley and currently consists of: Connor Rhodes, Haylee Bull, Jaroslav Moravek, Lindsey Zerbinos, Logan Tew, Daniel Gaietto, Kristen Conyers, Pablo Mareno Dapena, Joseph Vairo, Cassidy Nall, Sally Langley, Christopher Tasker, Keitt Trammell, Sangam Subedi, Stephanie Martin, Kacey Tinney, Zackary Himes, Wu Xie and Andre L. Baldo.
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TROY ENGLISH CLASS PUBLISHES E-TEXTBOOK
A group of Troy University students and faculty recently published a new textbook as part of a class on digital media. Dr. Richard Scott Nokes’ Writing, Editing, and Publishing for Digital Media class has published “The Student’s Guide to Digital Publishing,” available now as an e-book on Amazon and Apple Books. The project began when Dr. Nokes realized there were no textbooks on the market addressing the topic of the new class.
“I decided that we would write our own textbook as a class,” Dr. Nokes said. During the semester, the students published an online magazine, Trojan Digital Review, which served as research for the development of the textbook. “While I had taken creative writing classes, the idea of a nonfiction writing course designed for publishing online seemed beneficial to my career and what I may want to do with my degree,” said Draven Jackson, a recent TROY graduate who majored in English. Graduate Wesley Ralph, also an English major, felt that he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to publish a book. “The text itself begins to fill a need in modern English curriculum: understanding and exploring reading and writing in the digital age. It may be some of the most applicable advice as I move into the job world,” Ralph said. The publisher, Witan Publishing, has agreed to donate all author royalties to the TROY English Department Foundation.
HALL SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM STUDENTS RECEIVE RECOGNITION Troy University Hall School of Journalism students represented themselves well in recent award ceremonies. Several students were honored in the Mark of Excellence Awards presented by the Society of Professional Journalists, which honors the best in student journalism. Winners included: Editorial Cartooning — Abigail Nicholson; Sports Photography — Pawan Khanal; Sports writing — Scott Shelton; Radio InDepth Reporting — Jason Snyder; Radio Feature — Octavius Ausbon; and TV Breaking News Reporting — Brady Talbert. The Southeast Journalism Conference (SEJC) took place in February with Trojans taking home awards in 13 categories. Those receiving awards were: Luke Brantley, 4th place, News Feature Writing; Pradyot Sharma, 4th place, Opinion Editorial Writing; Scott Shelton, 10th place, Sports Writing; Emma Daniel, 2nd place, Newspaper Page Design; Shaaz Peroni, 4th place,
TV Feature Reporting; Jason Snyder, 1st place, Radio Feature Reporting; Brady Talbert, 4th place, Multimedia Journalist; Talk of TROY, 2nd place, College Audio Program; TROY TrojanVision, 2nd place, College Video News Program; The Tropolitan, 4th place, College News Website; and TROY TrojanVision, 2nd place, College TV Station. Students also performed well in on-site competitions during the conference with the following bringing home honors: Pradyot Sharma, 1st place, Opinion Editorial Writing, and Brady Talbert, 1st place, TV News Reporting. Meanwhile, Troy University took home the Best Radio Spot News Award from the 2020 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System awards in New York City, at which the University was nominated in six categories.
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Several members of Frequency, TROY’s vocal jazz ensemble
STUDENTS LEARN FROM RENOWNED SINGER DURING VOCAL JAZZ AND MORE! WORKSHOP Troy University students and students from area schools and community colleges had a chance to work with acclaimed performer and educator Cindy Dicken during the two-day Vocal Jazz and More! Workshop in February. Dicken, an internationally renowned singer, currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Mt. San Antonio College, El Camino College, Fullerton College and Concordia University Irvine. She also sang on the soundtracks of more than 50 films, including “Spider-Man,” “Star Trek,” “Wall-E” and “Ice Age.” The event began in 2015 as an on-campus recruiting and outreach opportunity for middle school through community college students, said Dr. Diane Orlofsky, Director of Choirs. Dr. Orlofsky opened the event to soloists this year, and Dicken spent the second afternoon working with them on their unique talents. She also worked extensively with Frequency, TROY’s vocal jazz ensemble. Dicken left the event impressed with the openness and coachability of not only the TROY students but the high schoolers as well. She credited Dr. Orlofsky’s guidance with
preparing TROY students to learn the skills necessary to progress in their singing. “Everybody was so open and ready to learn something new, to figure out things from a different point of view,” Dicken said. “The kids were amazing because she prepared them. I’ve found with the kids here at TROY that their director is so humble, it was easy for me to come in and do whatever I wanted. She has prepared them so completely to be open and to be teachable and that is such a great life skill. If you are a teachable human, you will go through your life constantly learning and being excited about things, always adding to your toolbox. That is a life skill.” Dicken said that she hoped students walked away from the event with one key lesson. “I want them to know that it’s OK to be who and what they are, that they don’t have to be anything more than that,” she said. “They should not be constantly longing to be what they’re not because what they are is beautiful.” Vocal Jazz and More! was presented thanks to a Jazz2U grant from the Jazz Education Network.
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‘IT CAME FROM THE ARCHIVES’ — DOTHAN MAN AMONG FASTEST ON OPEN SEA WRITTEN BY: DR. MARTY OLLIFF
People in the Wiregrass have known about Bishop Cleaners since it opened in Dothan, Alabama, in 1947. But few know that in November 1945, its founder, Eustace E. Bishop, was one of the fastest men on the open sea. A lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Bishop served on the aircraft carrier/troopship USS Lake Champlain (CV 39) when it made the fastest run to date across the Atlantic Ocean — a record it held until 1952. Born in 1912 in Ashburn, Georgia, Bishop attended the University of Georgia for a year, then graduated from Georgia Tech in 1933, where he had been president of the student body. His family moved to Decatur, Georgia, in the 1930s, where he met and, in 1937, married Agnes Scott College student and Dothan resident Mary Alice Newton. Bishop worked as an insurance agent in Decatur until he entered the U.S. Naval Reserve during World War II. Bishop served as a lieutenant during Operation Magic Carpet to bring 3 million servicemen and women home from Europe. The Army and Merchant Marine led the operation but soon realized they needed resources from the Navy to avoid the problem of slow removal that troops had faced in World War I. The first ship the Navy dedicated to Operation Magic Carpet was the USS Lake Champlain, a Ticonderoga class aircraft carrier commissioned at Norfolk in June 1945, then refitted to
carry 3,300 troops in place of its usual complement of 90-100 aircraft. The Champlain entered service in October 1945. It was 888 feet long; its beam measured 93 feet; it weighed 27,100 tons; and it carried a combat crew of 3,448. Having set a west-to-east speed record from Norfolk to Bishop Rock off the coast of England on an earlier voyage, The Champlain broke the Queen Mary’s east-to-west record on its third voyage in November 1945. It took 4 days, 8 hours, 15 minutes to ply the Atlantic Ocean’s 3360.3 nautical miles from Gibraltar to Norfolk, an average of 32.048 knots (almost 37 miles per hour). Bishop wrote a long letter home during the voyage that explained the captain’s motivation “to bring the boys into the states in a hurry.” Provisioning 5,000 hungry passengers was, as Bishop wrote, “quite a problem.” He gave an example — the officers’ mess he ran usually fed 350 men per day, but he had to feed 550 ravenous soldiers. Even the 505 pounds of turkey he prepared for Thanksgiving dinner didn’t suffice. It was gone so quickly that his 96 stewards had to eat something else. He warned, “You civilians had better be prepared for these people … get plenty of food ready.” The Navy mothballed the Champlain in 1947, but it returned to action in the Korean War and was part of the Cuban Missile
Blockade Fleet in the fall of 1962. It also served as the prime recovery ship for the U.S.’s first manned space flight — Alan Shepard’s Friendship 7 — in February 1962, as well as the Gemini 2 mission in 1965. The carrier was decommissioned in 1969 and scrapped in 1972. The Champlain’s speed record stood from 1945 until the summer of 1952 when the SS United States, a 900-foot-long commercial ocean liner designed to be quickly converted to carry 15,000 troops, sped eastward across the Atlantic at 35.59 knots (41 mph) and returned at 34.51 knots (40 mph). After the war, Bishop and his family moved to Dothan, where they opened Bishop Cleaners. By employing family members, the business expanded into Albany and Valdosta, Georgia, in 1953-1954, then three plants were purchased in Panama City, Florida, in 1955. It further expanded beyond laundry and dry cleaning into emergency cleanup, restoration and uniform rental. Reconfigured over time, by 1987 Bishop Enterprises consisted of four operating plants helmed by Eustace Bishop, Jr. E.E. Bishop served the Wiregrass until his death in 2005. Among many other services, he helped to build First Methodist Church and to bring Wesley Manor retirement center (now Wesley Place) to Dothan. He chaired the 1950 National Peanut
Festival and served as president of both the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club. He participated in industrial and transportation development initiatives such as the Houston County Port Authority, the Alabama Ameriport Authority and the Dothan-Houston County Airport Authority (establishing Dothan’s current airport at Napier Field). In addition, he was a member of the group that opened the local Boys Club and the committee that steered Dothan through racial desegregation in the 1950s and 60s. For his contributions, the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce honored him among the 2012 inductees into its Business Hall of Fame. Mr. Bishop’s archival collection is being processed at the Wiregrass Archives and will be available for research this fall. “It Came from the Archives” is an ongoing series spotlighting the fascinating collections at the Wiregrass Archives. To find out more, visit online at troy.edu/ wiregrassarchives or in person in Everett Hall on the Dothan Campus.
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FORMER TROJAN GRIDIRON STAR MAKING MARK IN BUSINESS WORLD
Nicole and Eric Sloan
In the late 1990s, Eric Sloan terrorized opposing quarterbacks and wide receivers as an All-American defensive back for the then-Troy State Trojans. Today, the 41-year-old is a pillar of the Montgomery business community, running a multimillion-dollar tech company while helping upstarts looking to follow a similar career path. It’s been quite a 20-year journey for Sloan and his wife, Nicole, a fellow Trojan alumna who owns her own successful real estate company, Nicole Sloan Realty. He first came to TROY as a walk-on for Coach John Mayotte’s Trojan baseball team before the lure of the gridiron pulled him away. On the field, Sloan racked up awards at TROY, becoming a second-team All-American in 1998 and landing a spot on the Southland Conference’s All-Decade Team. After graduating in 2000 with a computer science degree, Sloan landed in the original XFL, intercepting four passes as a member of the Birmingham Thunderbolts during that football league’s only season. In 2005, Sloan earned his MBA from Troy University and began the long road to his current-day success, forging a career in information technology.
Among Sloan’s priorities was helping young tech students who wanted to make their mark in the industry. This led him and some of his colleagues to form the Montgomery Association of IT Professionals, a group focused on mentoring and developing students to prepare them for the professional world. In 2015, Sloan took a leap of faith, starting 1 Sync Technologies in Montgomery, which today earns more than $5 million in revenue. “1 Sync is an IT government contractor,” Sloan said. “We do software development, cybersecurity, professional services, medical IT, and we branched off to doing medical staffing as well, providing the federal government with staffing solutions that would help better prepare them for where they were and where they were trying to go.” Sloan has fond memories of TROY, but he’s also proud of the growth at the institution in the last two decades. “I go back often, and I’m on the Legacy Giving Board. Just to see how it was when I was there compared to what it is now, the campus has changed tremendously, but for the better,” he said.
Alice in
Wonderland The Museum International Arts Center 158 International Blvd. Troy, Alabama 36082
Hours of operation Monday - Friday 9 AM - 4 PM Saturday 10 AM - 4 PM Sunday 1 - 4 PM To schedule a tour or for more information: Call 334-808-6412
THIS EXHIBITION IS RECOMMENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCES. iac_troyuniversity
RK T DA S O EX ’S M NALL G, COMPL Y TLIN ISTICALL T E S UN ES ART AND ING SERI N STUN al head —
International Arts Center
The International Arts Center presents Nallʼs most acclaimed series — “Alice in Wonderland.” Step into a mesmerizing rabbit hole experience created by Nall, inspired by Lewis Carroll and his most well-known literary masterpieces “Aliceʼs Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass.” Also available for viewing: • “Three Who Dared: Civil Rights Icons” • Unveiling of Nallʼs studio addition
Troy.edu/iac
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ALUM NOTES ’80
PITTMAN NAMED LITERARY LEGEND Craig Pittman, a 1981 Troy University graduate, Florida native, author and columnist for the Tampa Bay Times, was recently named the Florida Heritage Book Festival Board’s Literary Legend 2020. A former member of Troy University’s student newspaper, the Tropolitan, Pittman has a career spanning several generations and innovations of the journalism industry. “My fondest memories of TROY mostly involve working on the student newspaper with a bunch of smart, funny people who taught me a lot and made me laugh a lot, too,” Pittman said. “Through them, I learned what power words could have and how the truth can scare some powerful people who don’t want to hear it. My favorite teacher was Judy Means Wagnon who encouraged her journalism students to get the facts, tell the truth and never spell a name wrong.” Pittman’s fifth book coming out is called “Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther” and is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other independent bookstores and Indiebound.
Michael Alexander (’84) was named chief operations officer of Rennova Community Health, Inc. Prior to joining Rennova Health, Alexander spent 10 years as hospital administrator with Tanner Health Systems in Georgia where he managed overall operations of a 25bed joint commission-accredited Critical Access Hospital with over $98 million in revenue and over 22,000 emergency department visits per year.
legislative military liaison with Congress at the Pentagon. He holds a Master of Public Administration from TROY. Greg K. Mittelman (’89) was recently appointed as the chairman of the board of directors of the EOD Warrior Foundation, the most experienced nonprofit offering high-quality, comprehensive support for the joint service EOD community. Mittelman is a retired U.S. Air Force EOD veteran and a former USAF commander at Naval School EOD and was a key team member in the transition and opening of the school to Eglin AFB, Florida, and in commemorating the EOD Memorial. Mittelman also serves on the National Defense Industrial Association EOD Advisory Committee. He has a Master of Public Administration from Troy University, Bachelor of Arts from Texas State University and a Non-Profit Management Certificate from the University of Texas.
’90
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Samuel “Bo” Mahaney (’88) is chief of staff of Air Mobility Command, an enterprise of 107,000 men and women in active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian service who provide global airlift, aerial refueling, air mobility support and aeromedical evacuation. Stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, Maj. Gen. Mahaney is a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. Maj. Gen. Mahaney, who is a licensed attorney after receiving his juris doctorate from St. Louis University in 2000, has been a Harvard National Security Fellow, Georgetown Legislative Fellow and
Leigh Anne Jernigan Minchew (’91, ’94, ’97) was recently appointed assistant dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Nursing at the University of South Alabama. Dr. Minchew holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Case Western Reserve University and post-graduate certificates as a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Carl White (’91), who served as principal of Midland Valley High School for more than 10 years, is the new director of Student Services for Aiken County (South Carolina) Public Schools. Fred Mullard (’92) was named administrator of Village of Lake in the Hills (Illinois). He most recently served as community services director and is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the Air Force Academy and holds a Master of Public Administration from TROY. CONTINUED ON PG. 58
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Wendy Parker, far right, with her colleagues on the 1980 Tropolitan staff
PARKER NAMED TO U.S. BASKETBALL WRITERS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME A Troy University alumna is being honored as one of the best college basketball writers of all time. Wendy Parker, a 1982 graduate of the Hall School of Journalism, was named to the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame after covering the rise of women’s college basketball into a national spectator sport. As a TROY student, Parker wrote for the Tropolitan student newspaper for four years, serving as editor throughout her senior year. She went on to write for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 18 years, covering a variety of beats including college football and basketball, soccer and the Olympics. But it was her coverage of women’s college basketball that earned her perhaps her greatest notoriety. “I covered women’s college basketball, mostly the University of Georgia, who had really good teams in the ‘90s, and I also wrote for a magazine called Basketball Times for 20 years,” Parker said. “I’m now one of two people enshrined in this hall of fame who covered primarily women’s basketball, but I came along at a time when ESPN started doing more
games, and it started getting more TV coverage, so I came along at the perfect time.” Her first taste of the sport came in covering Coach Joyce Sorrell’s TROY teams in the early 1980s. “I kind of got the bug doing that,” Parker said. “I had a lot of illustrious basketball writers I got to know, like Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe, Dick Weiss, some great names. That [I’m] considered among that company is always going to be unbelievable for me.” Parker credits her time at the Tropolitan with laying the groundwork for her journalism career. “It’s a great training ground, not only to know how to write a news story and develop news judgment, but to make mistakes and see what you’re going to like or not like. We supported each other, encouraged each other, and we had some really good professors, especially Judy Wagnon. TROY gave me a lot of time, space and opportunity to try a lot of things.” Today, she has left sports to focus on running her own community news site, East Cobb News.
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GIBSON VANCE
ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT OF ALABAMA STATE BAR Troy University Board of Trustees President Pro Tempore Gibson Vance has been appointed Vice President of the Alabama State Bar Association. The 20,000-plus member association is the official licensing and regulatory organization of lawyers in Alabama. Created in 1923 by an act of the Alabama Legislature, ASB programs and activities have continuously served the public and improved the justice system. The organization is dedicated to promoting the professional responsibility and competence of its members, improving the administration of justice and increasing the public understanding of and respect for the law. “I have served on the ASB Board of Bar Commissioners for several years, and I’ve greatly enjoyed the opportunity to give back to a profession that has given so much to me,” Vance said. “I look forward to serving as vice president of the organization this year and helping the president with all his initiatives.”
Barry Parker (’92) was recently named Wetumpka city president of the River Bank & Trust. He most recently served as branch manager for First Community Bank of Central Alabama in Tallassee.
In late June, Birmingham attorney Bob Methvin, Jr. was elected the ASB’s 145th president and was installed in the Bar’s firstever virtual annual meeting and grand convocation. Methvin appointed Vance to the post. Vance practices in the Beasley Allen Law Firm’s Personal Injury and Consumer Fraud sections and is a 1987 graduate of TROY and the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University. He is past president of the American Association of Justice and is a Fellow of the American Law Foundation. He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He joined the Troy University Board of Trustees in 2012 and was elected to the President Pro Tempore's seat in 2019.
and coached the school’s cheerleading squad. She holds a Master of Business Administration from TROY.
Bridges Anderson (’93) was named the new head varsity boys and girls basketball coach at Red Level High School. An Opp, Alabama, native, Anderson has nearly 30 years of experience working with young people. He and his wife, Cassandra, have five children. Shanna Roberts (’95) was recently named Southern Lee High School Teacher of the Year in the Lee County (North Carolina) School System. Roberts has taught at Southern Lee for the past 11 years, teaching multimedia and webpage design, e-commerce honors, digital media and Microsoft Imagine Academy’s Word and PowerPoint. She also manages the school’s website, is faculty advisor for the National Technical Honor Society
Michelle Hopson (’96, ’05) was named director of finance for the Business Council of Alabama. Hopson has 24 years of accounting experience in arenas spanning from governmental accounting to the nonprofit sector to the banking industry. Laurence Pender (’99) was named principal of the Franklin County (Florida) Schools. He previously served as a principal within the Jackson County School District.
’00 Stan Sauls (’95, ’10) was named the new principal at Enterprise High School. Sauls has taught for more than 17 years. He most recently worked as an assistant principal at the school and previously served as the assistant principal of Enterprise Junior High School and Dauphin Junior High School.
Barry Baker (’00), an athletic trainer at Chilton County High School, recently was among coaches and administrators selected as recipients of the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s Making a Difference Award for the 2019-20 school year. During his time at TROY, he served as a student trainer for the Trojans’ track, football, baseball, softball and basketball teams. CONTINUED ON PG. 60
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This image of Jessica Jones (third from left) comes from the 1995-1996 Palladium.
GOING THE DISTANCE ALUMNA FINISHES SECOND IN WORLD MARATHON
Dr. Jessica Jones has run a long way from her hometown of Sulphur Springs, Indiana (population 374), and now she can say she has run around the globe. The 1999 Troy University graduate and microbiologist finished second in the 2020 World Marathon Challenge, a challenge in which competitors run seven marathons on seven continents in seven days. Dr. Jones’ journey has taken her to a variety of locations and planned career paths, but running has always come naturally for her. Coming from such a small town in Indiana, she knows how unlikely her life story has been. “As a young 17-year-old, I thought I knew exactly what I wanted — a degree in marine biology, to go to a smaller school, somewhere where it was warm and somewhere I could walk onto the cross-country team,” Dr. Jones said. “It just so happens those factors lined up for me at TROY.” A phone conversation with then-Cross-Country Coach (and TROY Athletics Hall of Famer) Bob Lambert convinced Dr. Jones that TROY was the right destination for her. She ran track and competed in cross-country for two years at TROY, finding the University to be a home away from home. “I loved it, I really did,” she said. “It was the perfect fit for me. TROY has grown a lot since I was there, but it was exactly what I was looking for — it wasn’t overwhelming to me, coming from a small town, and I was really happy to be a Trojan athlete.” Dr. Jones stopped running in order to focus on her studies, and she later switched tracks, earning a Ph.D. in microbiology from South Alabama. While she kept running to stay in shape, a national tragedy inspired her to enter the world of marathons. “I started
marathoning after the Boston Marathon bombing (in 2013),” Dr. Jones said. “I was already into running again pretty seriously at that point — 5K, 10K and half marathons. After the bombing, there was a big sense of community, and the runners all pulled together. It reminded me that’s where I felt happy was in the runner community at TROY. That motivated me to go for a marathon.” Since then, Dr. Jones has competed in more than 30 marathons, recently winning the Mississippi Gulf Coast Marathon and the Mobile Marathon. In February, the person who didn’t want to be overwhelmed in college found herself running in Antarctica, among other exotic locales. “I’ve been thinking about this for four or five years,” said Dr. Jones, who works as a supervisory microbiologist at the Food and Drug Administration Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory on Dauphin Island. “A friend of mine at work, his niece ran this event either the first or second time it happened. I said, ‘Wow, that’s incredible, I can’t imagine doing that.’ Then I started thinking that maybe I can imagine it. She set the world record, and I said, ‘I’ve got to do that.’” While Dr. Jones had traveled to Europe and South America before, this daunting challenge was an entirely new experience. “Nobody travels this much — seven continents in seven days,” she said. “But I pushed across the finish line and as second overall. That’s pretty epic.” She finished with the fourth-fastest time ever for a woman. She enjoyed the challenge, the travel and representing Troy University. “I enjoyed the support of the whole community when I was there,” she said. “I loved competing for TROY and being a Trojan.”
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TROY TODAY
Alfaye Miller (’02) was named community services director for the Brunswick-based Coastal Georgia Community Action Authority. In this new role, Miller is responsible for the management, coordination and implementation of a variety of service programs in Glynn, McIntosh, Camden, Liberty and Bryan counties in Georgia. Service programs for Coastal Georgia Community Action Authority include community services block grants, low-income home-energy assistance, rapid re-housing and aging [elderly] services. She has more than 14 years of experience in criminal justice and holds a Master of Public Administration from Troy University. Emanuel Brown (’03) was named head basketball coach at Opelika High School. He began his coaching career in 1996 at Beverlye Middle School before moving on to the position of head basketball coach at Houston County High School in 2004. After coaching stints at Dothan and Abbeville high schools, Brown has taught physical education and strength and conditioning at Rehobeth High School since 2018. His overall coaching record is 307-124. Brown and his wife, Paraswun, have two children. Scott Fabian (’04) is director of strength and conditioning at Portland State University. Fabian started his career in 2000 as assistant strength coach at Texas Southern University before joining Portland State in 2004.
Dr. Kevin James (’04) was named the 19th president of Morris Brown College. He had served as interim president since March 2019. At age 42, he is one of the youngest college presidents in the country. A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Dr. James holds a master’s degree in business management, leadership and organizational effectiveness from TROY. He also is a graduate of the Higher Education Institute at Harvard University. Dr. James is an active member of the dReam Center Church of Atlanta under the leadership of his pastor, Bishop William Murphy, III. Among his memberships are Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and Golden Key International Honor Society. Committed to community service, Dr. James holds memberships in several organizations including Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, the Prince Hall Masonic Fraternity and 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.
Elizabeth Lindsay-Wood (’04) was named vice president and CIO of Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida. She has served as interim CIO of Moffitt since July 2019. She also held senior IT executive roles at Tampa General Hospital and Norfolk, Virginiabased Sentara Healthcare. LindsayWood holds a Master of Business Administration from TROY.
Lee Milliner (’04), an Enterprise native and State Farm insurance agent, has made it a practice to give back to the community on a regular basis since opening his insurance office in 2018. His level of commitment to the community has taken an even greater step forward as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Milliner and his office started by providing lunches and dinners to frontline workers, including health care offices, the medical center, EMTs, police officers and firefighters. In July, Milliner surprised customers at area businesses like Weevil Nut Co., Boll Weevil Soap Company, Initially Yours, Milky Moos, Style ASAP and Tropical Smoothie, by purchasing gift cards that could be used by customers when making purchases. Milliner began his career with State Farm in 2006 in Mobile before returning home to Enterprise in 2009. He and his wife, Brynn, have two daughters. Jill Nolin (’04) is deputy editor at the Georgia Recorder in Atlanta. Nolin has spent 15 years reporting on state and local government in four states, focusing on policy and political stories and tracking public spending. Ronda Coleman (’05) was recently named vice president of property accounting for The Franklin Johnston Group in Virginia Beach, Virginia. She had served as the company’s controller and previously served as senior real estate portfolio accountant for Harbor Group Management Company. Coleman holds a Master of Business Administration from TROY. CONTINUED ON PG. 62
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A LU M N I
T ROY T O DAY
Dr. Robert Lawrence
SOTS TRAILBLAZER REMEMBERED Dr. Robert Lawrence, a native of Lanett, Alabama, who was the
was invited back to serve as the drum major of the Alumni Band
first African American elected to serve as Drum Major of the
last November.
Sound of the South marching band in 1979 passed away in July.
“Dr. Lawrence was also serving as the band director at my high
The band, under Dr. Lawrence’s leadership that year, was one
school alma mater, and my hope was to get to know him better
of the largest in University history; in fact, a portrait of that
as a friend, alumni and colleague," Cobb said.
special year is still displayed in Long Hall.
Dr. Lawrence made history again in the summer of 1996 when
When asked about his drum major experience, Dr. Lawrence
the first-ever Educational Specialist degree in music was
turned the praise right back around on the band itself. “In
conferred by Troy State University and awarded to him by
’79, we brought the thunder!” he said, when interviewed for
Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr.
the book “FANFARE: The 75-Year Legacy of the Troy
Former TROY faculty member Ralph Ford was there during that
University Bands.”
time. “Bob and I spent a few summers together at TROY. He
“Bobby and I were in competition for the drum major spot but
was a warm, affable man with a strong dedication to his music,
were the best of friends,” said former Sound of the South Drum
teaching, students and friends,” Ford said.
Major Don Aplin, who served from 1980-82. “[We] spent a lot
After earning his degree from TROY and a master’s degree in
of time hanging out together. He was such a good friend to me
music education from Boston University, Dr. Lawrence went on
always. I am totally devastated.”
to earn his doctorate in pedagogy of music from the American
Former Troy University Band Alumni President Terrance Cobb
Conservatory of Music in Chicago.
noted that this past football season was the 40th anniversary
Dr. Lawrence was a music educator, mostly in the state of
of Dr. Lawrence making history. To honor that milestone, he
Georgia, over a career that spanned 35 years.
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TROY TODAY
A LUM N I Dear Alumni and Friends, During these uncertain times, I want to assure you that your Troy University Alumni Association remains committed to you — our alumni — now numbering more than 163,000 strong. Our association represents a diverse group of Trojans drawn together by our shared experiences at our alma mater. Now, more than ever, it is important to continue the great traditions we have shared over the years. One such tradition is honoring our alumni. Our
Richard Hendricks (’06) was named director of athletics at Shorter University. He has more than 15 years of experience in the public and private sectors and has served as Shorter University’s head strength and conditioning coach since 2019. Yulonda Griffin (’07) was recently promoted to director of the Department of Community Resources for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. She most recently served as the department’s assistant director and previously served as human resources placement specialist at Cumberland County Department of Social Services. She holds a master’s degree in human resources management from TROY.
Brent Harrison (’08, ’12) was recently named as the new principal at Saraland High School. Harrison most recently served as principal of Enterprise High School, a post he held since 2017.
’10
2020 Alumni of the Year are included in this edition of the magazine. You can read more about their commitment and loyalty to TROY on page 64. Please join me in celebrating these true Trojans. It is also an important time to show our Trojan pride by helping our students. This spring, the University started the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund, and with your help, we were able to assist 250 students who were struggling financially because of the pandemic. Many of our students and their families continue to struggle and still need our help. If you are inclined to give to this cause, simply visit troy.edu/fallcovid and designate your gift to the Student Support/Emergency Fund. I look forward to continuing to serve and support you through our Alumni Association. Please join me as we challenge ourselves to be the best Trojans we can be. Please come back soon to Home Sweet TROY! From one Trojan to another,
Faith West Byrd Troy University Alumni Director
Victoria Rose Brown Phillips (’07) earned her Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (ACOM) in Dothan. She was also the recipient of the William E. Glover Service Award, receiving recognition for completing more than 350 community service hours during medical school. In addition, she was named the 2018-19 Student Doctor of the Year, served as an ACOM Student Ambassador, served as a Student Delegate to the Board of Censors for the Medical Association of the State of Alabama and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She currently resides in Dothan with her husband, Dr. Chris Phillips.
Command Sgt. Maj. Philson Tavernier (’12, ’19) is the new senior enlisted adviser to the Army Training Center and Fort Jackson Commander Brig. Gen. Milford H. Beagle, Jr. Prior to selection as Fort Jackson post command sergeant major, he served as the Ansbach Garrison Command sergeant major in Germany. Tavernier's operational deployments include Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005-07, Operation New Dawn and Operation Joint Guardian Kosovo Force 3A. Carrie Carroll (’13) has been named nurse practitioner at the Brundidge Medical Clinic. She has previously worked in the emergency department at Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery and in the intensive care unit at the Montgomery Cancer Center. Rob Rosner (’15) was named director of Economic Opportunity for the city of Tampa, Florida. He most recently served as manager of several redevelopment areas, including downtown and the Channel District. He holds a Master of Public Administration from TROY.
T ROY T O DAY
Dallas Tidwell (’15) was named offensive coordinator for Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. He previously served as offensive coordinator for East Coast Prep, a college prep program in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. While at TROY, Tidwell was a member of the Trojan football team.
Savannah Weed (’17) has joined the staff of The Enterprise Ledger. Weed has previously been on the staffs of The Monroe Journal and The Southeast Sun. Matt Fulton (’18) recently accepted a scholarship to attend Brooklyn Law School in New York. Sam White (’18) was named the new softball coach at Bluefield College in Virginia. With more than 20 years of coaching experience, White most recently served as assistant coach, head recruiter, pitching coach and offensive coordinator at Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky. White and his wife, Lidia, are the proud parents of four children.
DeMarcus Weems (’16) was recently sworn in as police chief of the town of Mosses in Lowndes County. He previously worked as an Alabama Probation and Parole officer.
at-bats (816); sixth in hits (214); and fifth in doubles (47). In 2019, he was named first-team All-Sun Belt catcher and third-team All-American catcher. Smartt went on to play baseball for the New Jersey Jackals of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball before returning to Troy to start his coaching career. He joins the rest of his family in the coaching profession. Smartt’s father, Mark, is head baseball coach at TROY, and his mother, Debbie, is the volleyball coach at Charles Henderson Middle School. His sister, Taylor, is an assistant coach with the TROY softball team.
IN REMEMBRANCE Troy University Alumni
Samantha Dubrinsky (’16, ’19) is executive director of the Levite Jewish Community Center in Birmingham. She previously served as director of Community Impact for the Birmingham Jewish Federation. Grant Alan Meacham (’16) recently received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Auburn University’s James I. Harrison School of Pharmacy. Meacham has accepted a full-time pharmacist position in the central pharmacy at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery.
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Tonya Cianchette (’98) Ollie Jane Denison (’71) Col. Thomas G. Falzarano (’01) Molly Gordon Fowler (’96) Joanne Brooks Godwin (’59, ’72) Rush Hixon (’19) was recently named as the new varsity boys baseball coach at Pike Liberal Arts School. Hixon was a two-time Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll recipient during his time at TROY and had the second-best earned run average among Trojan pitchers during his senior season. Hixon’s diving catch off of the pitcher’s mound in March 2018 landed him in the No. 2 spot on ESPN’s Top 10 plays. He served as a student assistant for the Trojans baseball team in 2019 and has also coached for six years for the American Legion Baseball League, winning four state championships. Chase Smartt (’19) was named as the new head baseball coach at Charles Henderson High School. After his four years as a catcher for the TROY baseball team, Smartt ranks first in school history for most games played (222); third in
Mary Ellen Hancock (’03) Max Neal Hughes (’54) Reita Wearren Irwin (’76) Arthur Russell Jones, Jr. (’78, ’80) Dr. Robert Lawrence (’80, ’96) Col. Barron Nesselrode, USAF, ret. (’78) David Clarence Ryan (’75) Ronald James Taylor (’99) Will Whitehead (’71) Janice Folmar Whitman (’77) Edgar “Lecil” Wylie (’85)
IN REMEMBRANCE Troy University Friends Ralph Black Charles Kenneth Mitchell, Sr. Darryel Lee Roberds Rep. John Robert Lewis Juanita Bush
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TROY TODAY
A LUM N I
ALUMNI OF THE YEAR TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNUAL RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING ALUMNI AND TO MAKE A NOMINATION, CONTACT ALUMNI AFFAIRS AT 334-670-3318.
RETIRED BRIG. GEN. ED CROWELL, USAF Retired Brig. Gen. Ed Crowell (USAF), who received his Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in management in 2001, has been a member of the Troy University Board of Trustees since 2009. His military service in the Air Force and Reserve spanned 35 years, including stints as the commandant of the Air War College, vice commander of Air University and mobilization assistant to the commander of Air University before his retirement in 2009. He recently retired as president and chief executive officer of VT Miltope, a leading manufacturer of computers, servers, network peripherals and airborne solutions. Brig. Gen. Crowell is a past chairman of the State of Alabama’s Ethics Commission, a past member of the board of directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, past chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 and past chair of the River Region United Way Annual Campaign. In 2018, he was selected as the YMCA Man of the Year and currently serves on its board of directors in Montgomery. He is married to Ernestine Jordan Crowell. They have two children.
JOE JUDKINS Joe Judkins, a 21-year veteran of the Air Force, earned his bachelor’s degree in social science in 1996 and his master’s degree in psychology in 1997. Following his Air Force retirement in 1996, he worked with Choice Behavioral Health from 1996 to 2000 before working for the Lockheed Martin Corporation from 2000 to 2018. An active member of the Fort Walton Beach, Florida, community, Judkins is a past member of the board of directors of the Stage Crafters Community Theatre, a past member of the Northwest Florida All Sports Association and member of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church. A lifetime member of the Troy University Alumni Association and president of the Emerald Coast Alumni Chapter, he established an endowed scholarship for the Emerald Coast chapter and also helped establish alumni chapters in Pensacola and Panama City. Judkins is a charter member of the Trojan Warrior Council, a member of the TROY Shield Society, a member of the Trojan Warrior Society and an avid supporter of Trojan Athletics events. He and his wife, Jane, have three children and three grandchildren.
T ROY T O DAY
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FREDDIE THOMAS A former walk-on who became a two-time All-American football player at TROY, Freddie Thomas earned his bachelor’s degree in management in 1988. He was a member of both the 1984 and 1987 NCAA Division II National Championship teams. In 2015, Thomas was inducted in the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame. In 2019, he was named to the Sun Belt Conference’s Honor Roll of Players. Since 2009, Thomas, a Montgomery native and current Birmingham resident, has served as staffing team manager at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama, LLC. A member of the Troy University Alumni Association Board of Directors and a lifetime member of the Alumni Association, Thomas also serves as president for the Trojan Tailgaters Chapter, chartered in 2015. The chapter’s annual Alumni Ball during Homecoming helps fund the Student Alumni Association Scholarship. Thomas has been an active coach and supporter of youth sports and a mentor to youth organizations. He and his wife, TROY alumna Deborah, have three children — one a TROY graduate and the other two current TROY students.
LAWRENCE TYNES Lawrence Tynes, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and a 2013 inductee into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, is a 2000 TROY graduate. After helping TROY to a pair of Southland Conference titles and two NCAA I-AA playoff berths, Tynes went on to a more than 12-year professional football career as a placekicker, including two years with the Ottawa Renegades of the Canadian Football League, two stints with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and six years with the New York Giants. Tynes is the only player in NFL history to have two overtime, game-winning field goals in the playoffs, and he still holds TROY records. Tynes is a senior vice president for Wheels Up, a membershipbased private aviation company. He also serves as a member of the board of directors of Live Like Luke, a Kansas-based nonprofit organization that offers enrichment activities for children, as well as tragedy assistance and “bucket list” opportunities for terminally ill or injured children and their siblings. Tynes and his wife, Amanda, have twin boys.
DR. JEAN LALIBERTE
HONORARY ALUMNA OF THE YEAR, POSTHUMOUSLY In June, TROY lost one of its most enthusiastic supporters when former Professor and Associate Vice Chancellor for Development Dr. Jean Laliberte passed away unexpectedly. Dr. Laliberte joined the TROY family in 1991, serving as a Professor of Marketing, a position she would hold until 2005. In 2000, she was named Associate Vice Chancellor for Development, serving in that position until her retirement in 2017. Dr. Laliberte spearheaded the University’s Building Beyond Boundaries capital campaign, which well surpassed its goal by raising $258.3 million. She was also responsible for founding the TROY Shield Society, which recognizes donors who make planned legacy gifts to the University. She left a $50,000 legacy gift that will go to The Laliberte Endowed Scholarship. Dr. Laliberte was also dedicated to serving the Troy community, including serving as the local chapter and state treasurer of Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority; as a member of Troy Rotary; secretary of the Troy Arts Council; Troy Arts Auxiliary; the Troy Regional Medical Foundation; and Park Memorial United Methodist Church’s Circle of Benevolence, among others.
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TROJAN WA R R I O RS
PAY I T FORWA R D For more than a century, TROY alumni and friends have helped provide opportunities and lessons to those following in their footsteps. Today, you are a part of that legacy. You know better than anyone that TROY is a top-notch University guiding students to achievement; it’s an institution with a rich history of success. By investing in TROY, your gift will inspire students to find their Trojan Warrior Spirit and do more than they ever thought possible. You can begin your TROY legacy today by: · Donating to TROY’s Annual Fund Campaign · Creating or donating to a much-needed student scholarship · Supporting academic programs · Supporting our fabulous Trojan athletic programs · Establishing a planned gift · Purchasing a Fraternity, Rosa Parks or Graduate Walk of Honor Brick · Joining or renewing your Alumni Membership · and more
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