MAGAZINE Fall 2018
ORANGE AND BLACK
FOREVER
HOMECOMING 2018 IN T H I S I S S U E
TH E B A I R D FA M I LY LE G ACY N E W K YC O A ND K YCOM DE ANS ATH L E T I C D I R E C TO R KE LLY WE LLS
As part of the UPIKE first-year experience, the president and provost lead students up “the 99” to signify the beginning of their college journey. Upon graduation, these students will walk down “the 99” as empowered leaders and lifelong learners.
Click here for photos, videos and more from first-year experience
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
MAGAZINE www.UPIKE.edu
Fall 2018 Volume 5, Number 1
HOMECOMING
MAGAZINE STAFF David Hutchens
Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations
ART DIRECTOR Kate Hensley CONTRIBUTORS Misty Asbury ’11, Mark Baggett, Lisa Blackburn, Bridgette Brashear, Laura Damron, Ron Damron, Michelle Goff, Sherrie Marrs, Kelly Rowe, Brooke Thacker ’04 PHOTOGRAPHERS Larry Epling, Dusty Layne, Matthew Lester, Kandi Zadel CONTACTS
Story ideas and letters to the editor: Email: editor@upike.edu. Mail: Editor, UPIKE Magazine, Office of Advancement, University of Pikeville, 147 Sycamore St., Pikeville, KY 41501. Address changes: Email: alumni@ upike.edu. Phone: (606) 218-5276 between 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Class notes: Email: alumni@upike.edu. Online: www.upike.edu/Alumni/ClassNotes. Mail: Office of Advancement, University of Pikeville, 147 Sycamore St., Pikeville, KY 41501
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THE BAIRD FAMILY LEGACY
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President’s Letter 2
Coach Wells Takes On New Role 26
Campus News 4 The Baird Family Legacy 10 Meet the Deans 14 Homecoming 18 Jamie Castle 24
MEET THE DEANS
Dr. Ed Stiles 30 Alumni Spotlight: Kay Hammond 32 Class Notes 34
ON THE COVER The University of Pikeville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of the University of Pikeville.
UPIKE student-athlete Morgyn Dixon cheers on the Bears at a home football game. Morgyn, a sophomore from Hazard, Ky., is majoring in biology.
Letter from the
PRESIDENT Throughout the seasons in UPIKE’s rich history one fact has stood the test of time: Were it not for the prayers, service and sacrifice of those before us, the UPIKE family would not exist, much less have the opportunity to leave its profound impact on the world. When a student travels abroad to learn by experiencing the world, or an alumna attends medical school on the same campus that so lovingly prepared her for a life well lived, or a faculty member makes a groundbreaking discovery, my thoughts turn to the men and women who laid the foundation for these journeys. Embedded in the pages that follow are powerful stories of individuals like Bill Baird who, along with family members before him, have given to the university with every fiber of their being. Those of us who walk this vibrant campus today are drinking from the well carved out of stone by our Presbyterian founders and the remarkable people who have poured their time, hearts, souls and resources into the beacon on the hill that is UPIKE. Equally inspiring are the people rolling up their sleeves today to help current students and future students they will never meet. Our new Alumni Association president, two new deans in our health professions programs and a beloved athletic director are just a sample of current servant leaders paving the way for students to succeed in the 21st century and beyond. Thanks to the genuine deep love that binds generations touched by our university, students see new possibilities. Providing opportunities to students of varied interests, talents, backgrounds and cultures is central to the mission so many have dutifully carried out since before 1889. Students are our lifeblood, our heartbeat! I am grateful for the selfless labor of those who have constructed the well that brings life to our institution. It is our privilege to exercise good stewardship of the gifts we have so graciously been given and to create possibilities for those yet to experience UPIKE. This is an exciting time of growth, innovation and opportunity at the Central Appalachian university that radiates hope as we continue‌ Striving to serve, Burton J. Webb President
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UPIKE’s theatre department hosted their first fall production, “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” September 25 through October 5. Students from left, foreground, include Autumn Jones and Jesse Plourde and in the background, from left, are students Ethan Duncan, Madi Daniels, Audrey Caudill, Grace Maynard and Mackenzie Fraley. The Tony and Olivier award-winning production is based on the frequently-challenged novel by Mark Haddon, and was selected in celebration of Banned Books Week.
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Campus News
KYCO students and faculty build relationships with Shanghai hospital Experiencing another culture and learning from its health care practices are just some of the benefits four Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) students gained from their recent trip to China. The experience was led by KYCO Director of International Relations and Assistant Professor of Optometry Xiaojing Yu, Ph.D., O.D. Initial planning for the trip included two spots for KYCO students. Yu knew the decision would be difficult given the number of applicants and her desire to give as many students as possible this once-in-alifetime opportunity. After a meeting with UPIKE President Burton Webb, Ph.D., two additional spots were added. “I want to give special acknowledgment to President Webb’s office for its great support, paying two students’ international airfare,” said Yu. “Because of such generosity, more KYCO students were able to have this invaluable international experience. I also want to acknowledge Dr. Bacigalupi [KYCO Dean], KYCO faculty and staff and the international office for their guidance.”
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With optometric care as the focus of the journey, students spent two weeks shadowing optometrists and ophthalmologists and working with patients. “Optometry is a new and uprising field in China,” added Yu. “Through this educational trip, we were not only able to bring professional support, but our students had the opportunity to see a different way of patient management that will offer them diverse perspectives in their future careers.” Students were notably impressed by the intentional design of patient care areas. The facility in which they learned and served included not only a 3D perceptional hallway, but also a museum used to teach children about the importance of eye care. Students also gained insight into how efficient the practices of optometrists and ophthalmologists must be to treat the large and growing patient population in the country. With a successful inaugural trip behind them, KYCO students and faculty look forward to their continued relationship with China. It is the hope of Yu to coordinate future trips with more students and to develop exchange opportunities for both students in China and at KYCO.
Students experience Belize In May 2018 Darla French, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, and Tim Whittier, Ph.D., division chair of mathematics and natural sciences, along with 14 science majors, travelled more than 2,500 miles to the small, welcoming country of Belize. The group spent nine days in the jungle and on the coast of the Central American country exploring plants, ecosystems and Mayan culture. “We take advantage of as many cultural and historical experiences as we can,” said French. The memorable and educational experience included night hikes, tropical bird watching, a sunrise canoe trip and studying the coral reef. “The experience gets students outside of their own bubble to see how other people live,” added French. “I love hearing students say they want to continue to fill their passports.”
KYCOM Class of 2022 commits to excellence, compassion during White Coat Ceremony In the presence of family members, friends and the campus community, the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) Class of 2022 was formally welcomed during a traditional White Coat Ceremony. Students were “coated” by peers in the Class of 2021. White coat ceremonies are rites of passage for beginning medical students that focus on the importance of both scientific excellence and compassionate care for the patient. The tradition was begun by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation in 1993 to promote humanism in medicine.
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During his first White Coat Ceremony as Dean of KYCOM, Dana Shaffer, D.O., FACOFP, dist., FAOGME, encouraged students to excel in their chosen profession. “This ceremony marks transition and commitment,” Shaffer said. “Being a physician starts now. You must walk, talk, act and behave as physicians, 24/7, 365. Embrace the mantle of professionalism bestowed on you today.” The keynote address was delivered by Stephen C. Shannon, D.O., MPH, past president of the American Association
for up-to-date campus news.
of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine. Shannon’s message focused on the positive impact KYCOM students will have on those they serve. He encouraged them to listen and learn from their patients. “You must learn how to communicate, respect and treat the whole person,” said Shannon.
Click here for photos from KYCOM's White Coat Ceremony
@UPIKEBears FALL 2018 | UPIKE MAGAZINE
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Simbulance enhances training opportunities, serves as community resource UPIKE received funding through a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant to purchase its firstever “Simbulance,” a mobile simulation unit used to train students from the Elliott School of Nursing, Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine and Kentucky College of Optometry as well as promote wellness in the community. The Simbulance is fully stocked with equipment and supplies that would be used in real-life emergencies. Of significant benefit to students is the mobile unit can be used in conjunction with the university’s new high-fidelity simulators, which mimic medical emergencies to a much greater extent than human volunteers. Administrators, faculty and staff demonstrate the Simbulance’s innovative capabilities to emergency medical personnel and at health fairs and regional events.
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Chemistry professor publishes groundbreaking research Andrew Turner, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, may be new to UPIKE but he is no stranger to the limelight. Turner served as lead author of a revolutionary research project that garnered attention from around the globe after being published in Nature Communications, a popular peer-reviewed scientific journal. Findings from the research suggest that phosphates, a key component of the building blocks of life, may have arrived on earth from outer space by comets or meteorites in the first one billion years of the planet’s history. “Half of the amino acids — the building blocks that make up proteins — are formed in space,” says Turner. “This research, though, considered phosphorus, which is poorly bioavailable to life on earth, and how it was available to the first organisms on earth.” While a graduate student at University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Turner and Chemistry Professor Ralf Kaiser, along with colleagues from France and Taiwan, produced phosphates under conditions consistent with outer space. Turner’s team formed ices with phosphorus and supplied energy to simulate conditions of space to see what products would appear.
“We uncovered phosphorus oxides that are components of our biological makeup, such as DNA, ATP and cell membranes,” Turner explains. The researchers’ work, titled “An Interstellar Synthesis of Phosphorus Oxoacids,” received attention from such media outlets as Forbes, Newsweek, and Daily Mail. Additionally, the American Chemistry Society (ACS) chose to highlight phosphine, the molecule Turner studied, during National Chemistry Week in October. The ACS referenced Turner’s research in promoting this year’s theme – “Chemistry is Out of This World.” Since Turner’s arrival to campus this fall, students have already benefited from exposure to a scientist who has been an integral part of the scientific community. “Receiving an education from professors who have contributed to science, including many great instructors at UPIKE, is a great opportunity for students to learn from those with knowledge of real-world applications,” he says. There is more to come from Turner, as he is currently expanding his research of prebiotic molecules.
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Pam Gilliam becomes first assistant provost With a passion for students spanning 41 years and more than 30 different courses taught, Pamela Gilliam, Ed.D., graciously assumed the role of the University of Pikeville’s first assistant provost. One of UPIKE’s longest serving faculty members, Gilliam arrived on campus in the fall of 1977 after receiving her Master of Business Administration (MBA). She quickly developed a passion for teaching in the Coleman College of Business. “Once I started working with students and saw how I could make an impact on their lives, I was hooked,” she said. “There is nothing more rewarding than running into a successful alum who shares how UPIKE made a difference.” Gilliam assisted with the growth and online transition of UPIKE’s MBA degree program while educating and mentoring countless undergraduate and graduate students. Gilliam’s new position affords her the opportunity to still teach and discover new ways to impact students. “As Assistant Provost, I’m able to see UPIKE from a different perspective than I did as a faculty member,” said Gilliam. “UPIKE has a dedicated group of leaders who strive daily to create a positive and life-changing experience for our students, and I am honored to be part of the team.”
undergraduate faculty mentoring program. The important initiative pairs new faculty with seasoned faculty to assist in acclimating to life at UPIKE. Gilliam is currently pursuing a grant to obtain funding for the beneficial program.
In addition to serving as student liaison for the Office of the Provost, Gilliam is a valuable resource to faculty across campus. Along with UPIKE Professor of Religion James Browning Ph.D., she recently implemented UPIKE’s first
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Along with the growth she is fostering internally with faculty and staff, Gilliam noted there are major projects on the horizon for the university. “I think we will continue to see growth in the health professions schools and in graduate programs,” said Gilliam. “We will work to partner with other institutions and create exciting new degree programs with the 21st century job market in mind. There has never been a better time to be a Bear!”
FIRST-YEAR FACTS
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First-year undergraduate students contribute to the growth and spirit of UPIKE. All first-year students are afforded both cultural and educational opportunities that allow them to create a university experience uniquely their own. The class of 2022 brings unique dynamics to campus.
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51% FEMALE
49% MALE
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“ The Baird Family Legacy
Our dad was a great teacher in treating people right,” says Bill Baird about his father, William J. Baird II, and about the heart of the Baird family’s long legacy of support for UPIKE students. Among the many stories of the family’s support, a remarkable statistic stands out: A Baird has been serving at UPIKE for over half of the 129 years of its existence. During the 2018 opening convocation ceremony, President Burton J. Webb, Ph.D., honored UPIKE Trustee Emeritus Bill Baird with the inaugural Baird Family Service Award, in recognition of his remarkable impact on the lives of others through steadfast service to the university, to the Appalachian region and to all humanity.
Bill Baird honored for embodiment of service By Mark Baggett
“In 2019, we will celebrate 130 years of service in the mountains of Central Appalachia,” says Webb. “During that span of time few families have impacted the college more than the Baird family. Bill Baird has taken the legacy of servant leadership from his mother, father and brother even further. He has been a softball coach, a friend of the university and an ardent supporter of the university for decades.” After more than 30 years of distinguished service Bill Baird retired from the UPIKE Board of Trustees, which was also served by Bill’s father and brother, Charles. In recognition of Bill Baird’s indelible contributions, the board voted unanimously to establish and fund the Bill Baird Family Scholarship to improve student retention by filling financial gaps for students. “You pick up on the need down here,” says Bill Baird. “There is a gap between the educated part of the community and the working class such as the retired coal miners or people on fixed incomes.” UPIKE Board Chairman Terry L. Dotson has witnessed the fruits of Bill Baird’s selflessness for decades. “The entire Baird family is a treasure to Eastern Kentucky and to the University of Pikeville,” Dotson says. “Bill is an exceptional person in every way. He is someone every good person strives to be. Bill cares about all things – his church, family and community. He has been a 10
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for high school, before going to the University of Kentucky. “My parents were very serviceoriented people,” says Bill Baird. “They were giving, caring people who gave back to their community.”
William J. Baird II, Bill Baird's father, received the honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Pikeville College President Jackson O. Hall on Founder's Day in 1977.
special board member who has fully given of his time, talent and treasure to the university at a level few have ever given, and he has done so with an unmatched sense of love and care. Bill is my friend and has served our board with distinction.” Dotson's sentiments are echoed by UPIKE Trustee Richard A. Sturgill. “Bill Baird has been an inspiration to me and many others in the UPIKE community. His unwavering positive attitude, his willingness to encourage and mentor the students and his ability to always stand up for what is right has been steadfast. I am thankful to call him my friend,” says Sturgill.
Kentucky farm and was a graduate of Berea College and Duke Law School (a classmate of Richard Nixon). He also founded in 1947 the Baird & Baird law firm in Pikeville where Bill Baird and his brothers (Charles and John) as well as children, grandchildren and in-laws also practice. Bill Baird’s mother Florane Justice Baird, who died in 2011, also had strong Pikeville roots: She attended the Training School for grades 1-8 in Pikeville (which operated in the original college building) and then the Pikeville Collegiate Institute
Bill Baird started at Duke University as an undergraduate and says he “made an A in fraternity and an A in football,” and soon he returned to the Pikeville area and worked in the mines, graduating from Pikeville College in 1966. He was admitted to the Kentucky bar in 1969 and served in the U.S. Army from 1969-1971. A life-transforming event happened to him in the spring of 1973 when he heard the Rev. Ben Sheldon, who was then a Presbyterian pastor in Washington, D.C., preach in Pikeville. “He started preaching the gospel of God’s love,” Baird says of Sheldon, who later became a pastor in Pikeville. “I felt a personal love that He died for me. It was God’s timing.” Baird went on to practice law in Pikeville, joking that “in Hatfield Continued on page 12
Bill Baird says the university and medical and optometry colleges are “miracles.” “UPIKE is a light on the hill to this city, the region and even nationally. To me, what we are is the answered prayers for the many people who laid the foundation for this place by praying for years. These are people who have sacrificed and dedicated themselves to the university.” Humbly, Bill Baird deflects the spotlight to his parents. His father, who died in 1987, was raised on a
President Burton J. Webb presents Bill Baird with the inaugural Baird Family Service Award at UPIKE's 2018 Opening Convocation.
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Continued from page 11 and McCoy country, folks can be litigious here.” He now describes his role as a “sometime” attorney, not full-time nor part-time, who does pro bono work and helps fill in for other attorneys at court appearances. “Some people say I’m the only retired person they know who comes in to the office every day,” he says. He followed up his short “athletic” career at Duke by coaching softball at Pikeville High School from 1986-2004 and at the university from 1994-2004. Today one of the family’s scholarships is dedicated to athletics, and Bill Baird himself is a member of the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Much of the family’s UPIKE support is described by Bill Baird as meeting the needs of first-time college students who come from the community. He says he hopes the scholarships will address larger gaps as well. To meet additional need in his region, Bill Baird has been actively involved in several faith-based groups and community support programs. He has supported the Fellowship of Christian Athletes program, provided devotional Bibles to coaches and is Board Chairman of WestCare of Kentucky, Inc., which is involved in treatment of substance abuse. Today, the Baird Family Circle is one of the granite inlays of Benefactors’ Plaza on campus. Acknowledging the recent service award and scholarship fund honoring him at UPIKE, Bill Baird says, “Christ made the difference in my life. He gave me an opportunity to serve in this way.” He praises this year’s fellow recipients of the Baird Family Service award, UPIKE Trustee Gregory Pauley and his wife, Kathryn, characterizing them as “wonderful, caring people” whose mobile home park neighborhood ministry is just the kind of generosity and service embodied by the Baird legacy.
Students Benefiting from the Baird Family Endowment “I’m thankful for this scholarship; it’s helped me flourish here at UPIKE. It allows me to participate in what I love on campus including being a Resident Advisor, Student Government Association Vice President and a tutor.” Jami Young
Sophomore History & Political Science and Communication Major
“After graduation, I plan to attend law school so this scholarship has made my dream a reality.” Coy Holstein
Senior Political Science Major
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President Burton J. Webb presents Baird Family Service Award to Kathryn and Gregory Pauley.
Baird Family Service Award Recipients Greg and Kathryn Pauley This year’s Baird Family Service Award was given to Gregory and Kathryn Pauley. Married for 45 years, the couple met while attending Harding University in Searcy, Ark. After graduation, Kathryn taught high school English while Gregory worked for American Electric Power (AEP). Although the couple relocated often throughout Gregory’s career with AEP, the Pauleys consider Kentucky home. They have three children and 10 grandchildren. The Pauleys are Christians and believe in giving God the glory for their marriage, children and careers. They are currently engaged in a mission outreach in Franklin County, Ky. Kathryn recalled that after thoughtful prayer, God’s agenda for their lives became very clear. They presented their plan for a mobile home park neighborhood ministry to family, friends and churches. Once funded, the Pauleys allowed Matthew 25:35 to guide their ministry. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
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MEET THE DEANS
With the addition of Michael Bacigalupi, O.D., M.S., FAAO, dean of the Kentucky College of Optometry, and Dana C. Shaffer, D.O., FACOFP dist., FAOGME, dean of the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine, UPIKE’s health professional schools are thriving with innovative and skilled leadership. By Mark Baggett
KYCO Dean Michael Bacigalupi, O.D., sees UPIKE’s mission embedded in its students Michael Bacigalupi grew up admiring all of the complicated instruments in an optometrist’s office in South Florida where his mother was office manager. “I was quite near-sighted,” he said, “and I was always trying out the newest contact lenses with my optometrist.” Those early years, when he admired the optometrist in that office as a role model, prepared the adult Bacigalupi for a career in optometry that recently culminated in his being named dean of the University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). He came to Pikeville after 13 years at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) College of Optometry in Florida where he was the assistant dean for student affairs and admissions. In 2015, when it was announced that KYCO was being founded at UPIKE, he “kept an eye on it” because a school in Kentucky in an underserved area would have amazing potential. Pikeville appealed to Bacigalupi from his first visit. He got a taste of its history and culture in a “community interview” that was part of the search process. “This community reminds me of where we lived in Texas,” he
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said, “ ... the gentle, kind nature of the people. I felt very comfortable right away.” The new dean and college are now joined in an exciting prospect of furthering optometric education. Many students are from small towns and immediately buy into the college’s mission of serving the medically-underserved in rural Appalachia. At the same time, because they are in Kentucky, they are able to use their training to the fullest extent of optometric care. “Kentucky has some of the most progressive optometry practice laws in the country,” Bacigalupi says. “It allows optometrists to practice a very medical style of optometry — using lasers, for instance, and performing minor surgical procedures such as incising styes of the eyelid. “In my opinion, our school is leading optometric education in the right direction. Our students are highly-skilled and well-trained. They want to serve the traditionally-underserved rural communities, who really need optometrists to provide a wider scope of care. At KYCO, we are allowing the students to practice to the full scope of their profession while carrying out our mission.”
Since joining KYCO in July 2018 as dean, Dr. Michael Bacigalupi has been busy meeting students and planning for KYCO’s bright future.
A fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a former clinical examiner for the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, Bacigalupi maintains a leadership role within the optometric profession. He serves as Chair of Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s Student Affairs Committee, a member of the Culture Task Force and the Committee for Applicant Development, and has fulfilled several roles in the American Optometric Association. Bacigalupi is a frequent author and lecturer in the areas of practice management, student affairs and admissions. Bacigalupi knows about practicing in a medically underserved area, having been the only eye care provider in the two-county area around Ballinger, Texas, “in the middle of a cotton field between Abilene and San Angelo,” he says. Starting his practice from scratch, taking out business loans, growing the practice, and learning from his mistakes along the way — all were worth it, he said, “because I was giving back to a community that really needed the eye care that I could provide.”
students at the University of Houston College of Optometry. “Most of us (board members) were University of Houston-College of Optometry graduates, and we decided to speak to undergraduates in order to raise our applicant pool in Texas. I realized I really loved teaching and told my wife [Kelly] I wanted to transition into higher education.” As a faculty member at NSU in Florida, his love for teaching and supervising students in the clinics developed “organically” into an administrative role. His calm personality and his management skills in practice led to his promotion to the assistant dean for student affairs and admissions. He says that optometry students are very similar to those in other health professions, but those at Pikeville are unique: “Their mission for service — really wanting to serve patients in need — is really special,” he says. “They often come from small towns and small colleges, and they want to give back after graduation.”
In 2005, his career took another turn. While serving on the Texas Optometric Association Board of Directors, he was named chair of a task force to recruit pre-optometry
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KYCOM Dean Dana Shaffer, D.O., follows the Marcus Welby model in leading Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine Exira, Iowa, tried a novel approach in recruiting Dana and Joan Shaffer to their community in the early 1980s. A local committee conducted multiple fundraisers to accumulate $20,000 of forgivable loans to persuade the Shaffers to locate to Exira. The loan was forgiven over a five-year commitment period as Dr. Shaffer maintained his family medicine practice in Exira. “Raising $20,000 was herculean,” said Dana Shaffer, now dean of the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) at UPIKE. “The older doctor who served the area for years was retiring, and they essentially offered a scholarship that allowed me to put food on the table for my family. The community literally had donation cans at convenient stores and held bake sales. It was the first time I had ever heard of a community getting together to recruit a physician. I realized just how important it was for them to have a physician in town, and I have always appreciated what they did.” While in the U.S Navy serving as a hospital corpsman, Shaffer met and married a Navy nurse, Joan, whose hometown was 10 miles from Exira. Prior to Shaffer's graduation from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1985, the couple was interested in moving to a small town, and rural Iowa seemed like a good opportunity. “I knew I wanted to be a small-town family doctor, a Marcus Welby-style family friend,” said Shaffer, referring to the congenial television doctor of the 1970s. He went on to fit the profile well, and the community got its money’s worth. He stayed 22 years in Exira, practicing rural family medicine in the areas of osteopathic manipulative medicine, obstetrics and emergency medicine. He also served in the Office of Clinical Affairs at Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine for several years. By 2013, Shaffer was ready for a different opportunity. Through his professional associations, he knew Boyd Buser, former dean of KYCOM, and William Betz, former chair of the department of family medicine at KYCOM. “I had absolutely no intention of coming to Kentucky, to UPIKE, or to a smaller osteopathic college, but they kept hounding me, and to get them off my back, I agreed to spend a weekend in Pikeville,” Shaffer says jokingly of what he thought was a courtesy visit. 16
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“The people were great; the scenery was wonderful,” he remembers. “Most importantly, they weren’t just talking the talk, they were walking the walk.” The “walk,” as he describes it, was the college’s mission of recruiting local men and women, training them in the mountains, and creating primary care physicians to serve the underserved. “I was close enough to retirement to realize I would enjoy coming here for the rest of my working life, and being a small part of this mission.” Shaffer, who was senior associate dean of osteopathic medical education and professor of family medicine at KYCOM before taking over as dean in July 2018, names several objectives for the school. But first, he says he wants to avoid “undoing all the good work” of his two predecessors. “I want to make sure our graduates are as well prepared as possible as they move into the new world of medical technology,” he says. “It’s very important that students have a finger on the pulse of the directions in medical technology and in osteopathic medicine.” Shaffer keeps track of these professional issues through his leadership roles in national associations. He is a distinguished fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, was recently named chair of the National Board of Osteopathic Medical Examiners’ Board of Directors and recently served several years as chair of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Executive Council of the Conclave of Fellows. Growing up in eastern Pennsylvania, on the northern edge of Appalachia, Shaffer’s background links him to Pikeville, where the concerns of the rural, family doctor still occupy his attention. He is a preceptor at the Pikeville Medical Center Family Medicine Clinic and has served on numerous local, state and national committees focused on access to affordable medical care, scope of practice issues, the use of chronic pain medication, electronic medical records and health care legislation. His goals for the college are student-oriented. “The students here are such high-quality people,” Shaffer says. “They are unique in many ways because we have a number of first-generation high school graduates, not just first-generation college graduates.”
Dr. Dana Shaffer made a seamless transition into his new role as dean of KYCOM and has quickly become an advocate and mentor for students.
“To see them come from such humble beginnings, where their fathers might have quit school in the eighth or ninth grade to work in the mines, and now to be in medical school — it is phenomenal. They are very dedicated to getting their education, staying in the area and treating the people of Central Appalachia.” Not surprising for someone whose first salary as a doctor was paid by small-town fundraisers, Shaffer wants to help reduce students’ financial debt, which could reach $180,000-$250,000 by the time they graduate from medical school, according to national statistics.
“KYCOM needs to continue building post-graduate residency programs to address both a local and national need,” Shaffer says. Medical school graduates tend to practice where they complete their postgraduate residency after medical school graduation. Today, Shaffer says he is “blessed” to follow the Marcus Welby model at Pikeville. “When I was in private practice, I worked 90-100 hours a week, and I absolutely loved it. Taking care of folks was an honor and privilege. These days I only put in 60-70 hours a week, but it’s not really work, because I love what I do − helping young people become the best physicians they can be.”
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HOMECOMING 2018
UPIKE welcomed family, friends and alumni to campus for another exciting Homecoming. Bears of all ages celebrated the university’s rich past and exciting future with art exhibits, hall of fame inductions, a Founders’ Day picnic with games, tailgating, concerts and a family bash on Benefactors' Plaza, and by cheering on their beloved black and orange at athletic events. Homecoming Week on the hill filled campus with activity and UPIKE pride. As part of the celebration, alumni had the opportunity to network and share professional guidance with students while first-year families bonded over breakfast with UPIKE President Burton J. Webb. Click here for photos from Homecoming 18
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HOMECOMING 2018
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HOMECOMING 2018
ALUMNI AWARDS
The University of Pikeville’s 2018 Alumni Award recipients are advocates, educators and passionate leaders. The honors for distinguished, rising and honorary alumni and the Gary Thrash Outstanding Ambassador Award were presented by First Lady Kay Webb (far left) and Alumni Association President Kay Hammond (far right) during the Homecoming football game on Oct. 20. Along with the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations, the UPIKE Alumni Association enhances student life, fosters university pride and creates community engagement.
RISING YOUNG ALUMNI Charity Burke Walters ’02 Charity Burke Walters graduated from Pikeville College in 2002 with a degree in both biology and chemistry. In addition to her studies, Burke played basketball for the Lady Bears and was captain her junior and senior seasons. She also played softball her junior and senior years. After college, Burke attended the University of Louisville School of Medicine where she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class. After completing her orthopedic surgery residency in 2011, she worked at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center during her hand surgery fellowship and continued her training with a second fellowship in children’s hand surgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Burke has served patients at Louisville Arm and Hand since 2013. She is passionate about educating the next generation of physicians and being an advocate for her patients. Burke assists abroad with healthcare and orthopedic resident education in Tanzania, partnering with the organization Health Volunteers Overseas. She married Andrew Walters in 2014 and together they have a daughter, Aubrey Grace. 20
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HOMECOMING 2018 GARY THRASH OUTSTANDING AMBASSADOR AWARD Danny C. Adams ’71 Danny C. Adams is a 1971 graduate of Pikeville College who has spent 33 years in education. Of his 33 years of service to students, 26 were as a teacher in the classroom and basketball coach at both Pikeville High School and Magoffin County High School. Adams also gave back to his alma mater, serving as admissions counselor and director of admissions and financial aid as well as assistant men's basketball coach. In addition to other accolades, Adams was inducted into the Pikeville College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994 and the UPIKE Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame in 2015. He was married to his wife Rebecca Ann Sanders for 33 years until her death in 2002. They have three children, Neil Adams, Jayne Fontana, and Hester Hopson as well as four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI Marcy McClanahan Cassady ’80 A Pikeville native and 1980 graduate of Pikeville College, Marcy McClanahan Cassady majored in piano before going on to earn a J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. Cassady’s legal practice focused on education, policy and advocacy. Throughout her career, she empowered and assisted many clients, including Apple Computer’s K-12 Education Division. Continuing her advocacy and passion for education, Cassady founded Louisville Classical Academy in 2007, a private school where she served as Head of School until 2013. Today, she is president of a home renovation company in Louisville, Turn-Key Design. She and her husband Ballard have three adult children.
HONORARY ALUMNI Tim Collins Community advocate, volunteer and Pikeville native, Tim Collins is a 1989 graduate of Prestonsburg Community College. Collins has worked for Food City for 32 years and has served the organization in various management roles at numerous store locations. He is currently the manager at the Pikeville Cassady Boulevard location. Along with Food City, Collins has long supported UPIKE and its students. Collins currently resides in Pikeville and is the proud father of a son, Noah Paxton Collins, who is a sophomore at Shelby Valley High School.
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HOMECOMING 2018
A L H L S C O I F T F E A L M H E T A - CLASS OF 2018 WHITNEY COMPTON ’11
Whitney Compton was a two-sport athlete at UPIKE, playing both basketball and softball. On the hardwood, she averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game across her career, improving year after year. However, Compton’s presence was most felt in the pitcher’s circle where she held a 2.67 ERA with 295 strikeouts. She exemplified the definition of a skilled student-athlete, studying three different majors and excelling in two sports. “Along the way, I had wonderful professors who taught me a tremendous amount. However, I truly believe my education and experience is defined by what I learned outside of class and the people I met during my time on the hill.”
TYRONE DUNN ’78
Tyrone Dunn was a member of the Bears men’s basketball team from 1974 to 1978. Across his sophomore and junior years, Dunn strung together back-to-back 500-point seasons. He was a four-time all-conference player and was Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore, the youngest to ever receive the honor. In addition, Dunn was a two-time NAIA All-American. “He [God] put me here to do what I do best. I learned a lot at Pikeville. Working with kids is what I do and what I’ve done for over 40 years. That’s a blessing to me. The ability is second. The talent I had is second to what I did afterwards.”
TERRY HAWKINS ’78
Terry Hawkins was a member of the Bears men’s basketball team from 1974 to 1978. Often regarded as one of the best sixth men in UPIKE history, Hawkins was a force off the bench and carried the stats of a starter. Hawkins hit the game-winning shot in the 1975 KIAC Conference Championship, which started a string of three consecutive conference titles. 22
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TREVOR HOSKINS ’13
Trevor Hoskins was the starting quarterback for the Bears from 2010 to 2012. After transferring from Eastern Kentucky University, he re-wrote the entire UPIKE record book. Every passing record still stands, including career passing yards (7,481), career touchdowns (62) and most career completions (553). Hoskins graduated from UPIKE in 2013 with a communication degree. “I take pride in waking up every day and coming to coach these [UPIKE] student-athletes and making sure they get to have the same experience that I had as a player here. This isn’t just a university, it’s not just a city, it truly is a family built on great people and I try every day to make sure that our student-athletes are getting that same experience.”
HILLARY MUSSMAN ’09
Hillary Mussman was the libero on the UPIKE volleyball team from 2005 to 2008, and was a two-time all MidSouth Conference honorable mention member. She was also a member of the 2008 NAIA Scholar-Athlete team. Across her career, Mussman tallied more than 2,000 digs, which set the school record at the time.
KIM YIOULOS GEERING ’12
Kim Yioulos Geering was a member of the UPIKE women’s bowling team from 2009 to 2012, and was a member of the 2012 national championship team. Geering was a two-time NAIA Bowler of the Year, a three-time NCBCA All-American and runner-up for National Bowler of the Year. She won three individual titles in her senior season and was the only NAIA bowler to do so. “While it’s an incredible honor to be inducted into the hall of fame as an individual, nothing can compare to the pride that I have to be part of a team that was able to bring home an NAIA championship to Pikeville. I will always be a proud UPIKE Bear.”
HOMECOMING 2018 Click here to watch the Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Inductees were honored at the Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony during UPIKE's Homecoming Week. Honorary inductees John "Gary" Buck and the Appalachian News-Express were also recognized.
2011 MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM
Arguably the most famous team in UPIKE history, the 2011 men’s basketball team became the second program in university history to win an NAIA National Championship. The Bears went 30-7 and 13-5 in the Mid-South Conference before storming through the tournament. Led by Vance Cooksey and Quincy Hankins-Cole, the Bears had a Cinderella story, advancing through the bracket as an unseeded team, defeating the ninth, eighth, first, fifth and third seeds to win the title. UPIKE clinched the title by winning an 83-76 overtime thriller against Mountain State.
2012 WOMEN’S BOWLING TEAM
The 2012 women’s bowling team made history winning the powerhouse program’s first NAIA Championship. Led by two-time NAIA Bowler of the Year Kim Yioulos and NAIA First-Team All-American Brandy Hensley, UPIKE opened the season as number one in the Coaches Poll and cruised through the season, earning the number three seed in the NAIA tournament. At the tournament, UPIKE defeated Webber International, a team to which they had previously lost, twice to claim the title. The Bears also finished seventh in the USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships later that season. FALL 2018 | UPIKE MAGAZINE
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KYCOM M E D I C I N E I N T H E M O U N TA I N S INSPIRES THE NEXT GENERATION OF PHYSICIANS By Kelly Rowe Coordinator of public Relations
At her childhood home in Magoffin County, Ky., a young Jamie Castle and her sister mourned the loss of a “pet” frog. Eager to understand what caused the amphibian’s untimely passing, Castle inquisitively dissected the frog. The would-be physician was at an early age, eager to make sense of the medical mystery in her front yard. It was with a frog that her heart for others and passion for service began. With her days of frog dissection far behind her, Castle now learns about the human anatomy. Still brimming with compassion and an eagerness to serve, the first-year medical student at the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) continues pursuing her childhood excitement for learning. Every step that brought her to this moment has been carefully guided by a goal Castle set for herself all those years ago as a young child. Aside from having the vision and drive for medical school at an early age, Castle was also a star student at UPIKE during her undergraduate career. As a basketball player for the Bears and an Osteopathic Medical Scholars Program (OMSP) student, Castle flourished during her undergraduate studies. Balancing the challenges of being a student-athlete along with the eight-year OMSP program that allows students to not only obtain their bachelor’s degree but also their degree in Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) from KYCOM wasn’t always easy. Castle credits numerous mentors for propelling her forward, but perhaps the most influential was her own pediatrician and KYCOM graduate Tiffany Mills, D.O. With a bond and trusted relationship that surpasses many others in a child’s development, Mills gave Castle’s interest in medicine a path from childhood fascination to career. “Dr. Tiffany Mills has been such an inspiration to me. As my personal pediatrician, she cared for me and provided true patient-centered care,” says Castle. Even
after Mills ignited her career interest from the care she felt as a patient, Castle had the unique perspective to see the same from a professional standpoint after shadowing the physician. “I realized Dr. Mills was committed to serving and putting each patient’s care and needs first in her practice of medicine. Under her wing, I saw first-hand the importance of preventative care, the true portrayal of empathy and the practice of the holistic approach,” remembers Castle. As a direct result of the trust and admiration established from that relationship, Castle has hopes to specialize in pediatrics. “Like Dr. Mills, it is my wish to be an empathetic physician committed to building strong patient-doctor relationships and providing the best possible care,” says Castle. Beyond her interest in emulating her role model, Castle has an even broader goal for her life. Directly in line with KYCOM’s mission, the student says she, too, wants to practice with an emphasis on providing primary health care to patients in underserved rural areas. “This mission is parallel with my personal goal,” says Castle. “Calling the foothills of Appalachia home means that I have witnessed the desperate needs of health care. I seek to serve those who are underserved, and those who feel marginalized.” For Castle, being aligned with a medical school that shares in her ideals will be the guiding force for the next chapters of her journey. “KYCOM is well-known for producing graduates committed to serving the needs of underserved Appalachian regions and other rural areas, and I am honored to be on my way to becoming one of those graduates. I am committed to fulfilling this mission in which I and KYCOM share.”
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Wells Takes on Men's Basketball Coach Kelly Wells becomes UPIKE's Athletic Director By Mark Baggett UPIKE Basketball Coach Kelly Wells, who succeeded Robert Staggs as athletic director on July 1, says modestly that his journey to the office is “a little bit of a long story.” But the sustained success of his coaching record at UPIKE and in Kentucky high schools did not come without the challenges to his own health and a detour far away from the Bluegrass state. As a basketball coach’s son in a basketball state, he grew up as a gym rat. When he graduated from high school, he went first to the University of Tulsa, then transferred to Morehead State University (MSU), where his father, Mickey Wells, was the women’s basketball coach (from 1975-84), was Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year twice, and is now a Morehead Athletic Hall of Fame member. Wells played three years (1992 to 1994) at MSU, where he scored more than 450 points and was named 1993-94 Academic All-OVC Conference. He earned both a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a Master of Arts in Education degree from MSU. He moved into coaching as a high school coach and business teacher at Marion County High School and then at Mason County High School. There, he won the Kentucky State Championship in 2003 and was runner-up in 2004, but in between seasons, his life changed. Even before graduating from MSU, Wells did 26
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New Role not play basketball his senior year because of a kidney disease. As a student assistant that year, he hoped to stay well as long as possible, but he became progressively ill as he began coaching at Mason County. He had the first of his two kidney transplants in 2004. Another life-changing moment followed the runner-up season of 2004. His old coach at Tulsa had moved to Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu and offered Wells a job. The move seems unusual for someone with deep roots in Kentucky basketball, but Wells accepted the job as assistant men’s basketball coach, assistant director of athletics and men’s basketball coach. “A number of factors went into the move,” Wells said. “We had just won a championship and then a runnerup season; I had been the Kentucky-Indiana all-star coach; we had graduated two of the better players ever in the program; and I had always wanted to be a college coach. It seemed like a natural progression, even if it was Hawaii.” Life was good, he says, at Hawaii Pacific University, but new realities brought him back home. “My wife (Shawne) and I liked living there. But Hawaii is just not conducive to running a basketball program like programs in Kentucky. There are financial challenges and a different level of competition. We had just had our first child, and being away from grandparents was torture.” Moving back to Pikeville was an easy transition. At the time (2006), UPIKE was a small liberal arts college where enrollment was always the key. The basketball program had had success. “But our school had a vision of doing something special, and we’ve accomplished that.” “I remember coming to my interview and being asked about my expectations,” Wells says. “I told them I wanted to compete at the highest level and win a championship. I’m sure there were some raised eyebrows.” Now, entering his 13th year at UPIKE, Wells has become the all-time wins leader in men’s basketball at 287-102. He won the NAIA National Championship in 2011, has
captured four MSC titles and coached 23 All-Americans. “We prepared for success, and we’ve achieved it,” he says. “We’ve been a staple every season in the national rankings.” This season, the Bears are 6-0 and ranked seventh in the country. “We have nine really talented players who returned and two talented new players. The gelling process is going well. I really like our team — it’s a diverse, talented team — and I’m excited to see how things can grow. Wells see his dual roles of basketball coach and athletic director as a natural progression. “It’s been an end goal of mine,” he says. “That’s where I felt my career goal would lead, even though I didn’t envision it happening so soon. I enjoy mentoring my players, and now I will be mentoring other coaches. I want to be invested in both jobs. It would actually be more of a life-changing move if I couldn’t do both.” His plans for the athletic department center on keeping ahead of the changes in intercollegiate athletics. “It’s a critical time, a transitional time on many levels,” he says. “Facilities are an important piece, especially fitting our facilities within the university’s master plan. We have a high level of competitiveness in all 22 sports, and I want to maintain that. Fundraising, recruiting, these are important pieces in getting to that level of competitiveness. Fortunately, we have a great university and great support from university administrators, faculty and students.”
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ONLINE
University of Pikeville
Alumni Association Upcoming Events December 13 Alumni Luncheon Kingsport, Tenn.
March 26 Alumni Reception Nashville, Tenn.
January 15-17 Alumni Receptions Florida
April 23 Alumni and Friends Attorney Reception Pikeville, Ky.
February 5 Alumni Luncheon Whitesburg, Ky. February 26 Alumni Luncheon Hazard, Ky. March 7 Alumni Reception Ashland, Ky. March 14 Alumni Luncheon London, Ky.
May 6 UPIKE Scholarship Golf Tournament May 21 Alumni Reception Greenville, S.C. June 28 Cincinnati Reds Game Cincinnati, Ohio
Stay up-to-date on the latest alumni news and events. Follow UPIKE Alumni on Facebook.
. y K , n o t g n Lexi
San Diego, Calif.
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Still Not a Job Pioneer Ed Stiles continues to train the next generation By Mark Baggett
E
d Stiles was one of the first five physicians to come to KYCOM (Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine) in 1997, and he was the oldest of the five by 10 years. Most figured he would be the first to leave. Instead, as he says today, “I’m the last one standing.” Stiles, professor of Osteopathic Principles and Practices (OPP) and chair of Musculoskeletal Medicine at Pikeville Medical Center, doesn’t stand around very much. He’s a busy medical doctor, a highly-respected educator, and a pioneer in osteopathic medicine and in training the next generation. “It’s much more than a full-time job,” he says. “But it’s still not a job.” What he has accomplished at Pikeville in the last two decades is impressive, but very much the tip of an iceberg of lifetime achievement.
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Before he came to Pikeville in 1997, he had already established practices and taught in Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Michigan. One of his mentors was George Andrew Laughlin, who was a grandson of A.T. Still, the founder of osteopathic medicine. By 1970, Stiles had founded the first hospital-based OMT in the country in Waterville (Maine) Osteopathic Hospital. Back in 1997, a Kaiser Permanente study said it would be impossible to effectively start a medical school in Appalachia, but Stiles saw the potential for doing it. “I had been doing a lot of post-graduate teaching out of Michigan State, and I had developed my own ideas of how osteopathic medicine should be practiced and taught,” he remembers. “I saw Pikeville as a place where I could put these ideas into practice and start from scratch.
“What clenched it for me was reading about how the board of trustees had set up a day-care center for single mothers to allow them to take care of their kids while they got an education. One of the board members supported it with his own money. I said, ‘Boy, that’s an institution that’s looking out for the people of the community. That’s the kind of place I want to be involved with.’” Stiles, who went to college at Bates College in Maine, had been to Lexington, Ky., where he planned to retire, but in 1996, he knew little about the Pikeville area. Most of his colleagues thought it was impossible to build an osteopathic college unless there were a large number of D.O.s (Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine) and osteopathic hospitals. Kentucky did not have those resources. The assumption was that local students, even if they studied there, would not practice locally, but would go on to the big cities. “But people were ignoring the data,” says Stiles. “Two things determine where physicians practice: close to the place where they got their last training or close to the place where their spouse or significant other is from. Take a student from Pikeville. They would willingly stay in the area if we developed a hospital to train them.” Today, the model adopted at the University of Pikeville has been copied by other schools — both osteopathic and allopathic — for training primary care physicians for rural areas. Medical schools throughout the country are following the Pikeville model by training primary care physicians who are not threatened by “rural areas.” When Stiles went to osteopathic school, there were five of these schools. University of Pikeville was the nineteenth. Now, counting colleges and satellite branches, there are approximately 40 schools. “Our local students are very committed to the region, and when we got here, they not only decided to apply to medical school here, but then they decided they might as well attend Pikeville College to study premed. And then they might have a better chance of getting into medical school at Pikeville. This has had a profound effect on our community and region. Once the medical school was established, Pikeville added more schools in the college and became a university, which today is thriving.”
Dr. Stiles (left) was presented as the John A. Strosnider, D.O. Memorial Lecturer during KYCOM's 2018 Founders Dinner by KYCOM Dean, Dana Shaffer (right).
Stiles’ own loyalty to the region and to his students sometimes obscures that he is a world-renowned physician in osteopathic medicine and has received numerous professional awards including the American Academy of Osteopathy Distinguished Service Award, the American Osteopathic Association Great Pioneer of Osteopathic Medicine Award and the A.T. Still Lecture Award by the AOA House of Delegates. He may be the only person to have won all three awards. On September 14, 2018, at the annual KYCOM Founders Dinner, Stiles was honored for his service to the college and to the osteopathic profession. In November 2018, he was selected to have a poster presented at the prestigious FASCIA Research Congress in Berlin, one of a few global applicants to have their abstracts accepted. His more-than-full-time work doesn’t allow him a wide travel schedule, or the time to ski, play golf, or enjoy his five grandchildren, but his 300 conference presentations, including a recent presentation at the AAO last March, and his trip to Germany show that his approach to evaluation and treatment are respected internationally. Stiles sees his legacy tied to his students’ legacies. “When we first started here, we took local students who often had low GPAs and low MCAT scores, and we committed ourselves to booting up our teaching to get them through. The growth of these students has been amazing. Now we have students from all over the United States.”
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Alumni Spotlight: Kay Hammond ’68 By Michelle Goff Grant Writer
As Kay Hammond ’68 reflects on her career as a librarian and a teacher as well as her roles as executive director of the Appalachian Pregnancy Care Center (APCC) and president of the University of Pikeville Alumni Association, she smiles and shares a quote. “It’s like David Mitchell writes in Cloud Atlas ʻthere ain't no journey what don't change you some.’” For Kay, the journey began in Salyersville, her home town, and continued at the University of Pikeville. “My family – my dad, my aunts, my brother – went to UPIKE,” Kay recalls. “There was never a question of me going anywhere else.” An elementary education major, Kay taught first and second grade at Fleming Neon Elementary School after graduating from UPIKE. “I had been teaching for a couple years when the superintendent called me into his office and told me they needed librarians. They offered to pay for me to get a library science degree.” Kay earned a degree in library science and served as the librarian at Fleming Neon’s elementary and high schools until her retirement. She then worked in UPIKE’s library until embarking on a new journey. “A group of us got together and had a meeting with the director of Two Hearts Pregnancy Center in Ashland. We learned they were getting clients from Pike County and this part of Eastern Kentucky. We saw a need in this area, so seven of us started the board of the APCC, and they hired me as director,” Kay says. Associated with Care Net, the APCC offers support and services for women and girls experiencing unplanned pregnancies. Offering services to the babies until they are a year old, APCC also provides pre- and post-natal education resources. Although she never imagined taking on such a role, Kay says, “Through years of working in high schools, I saw pregnant teens and I had compassion for them and what they were going through. I feel God called me to do this. It’s my ministry.” It hasn’t always been easy, though. “Early on, there wasn’t much money coming in and I was a bit discouraged,” Kay recalls. “I started wondering if this is what God wanted me to do. That’s when a donor walked in with a check. God has provided through his people.”
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“When you count mothers and babies, we’ve had thousands of clients,” Kay adds. “Some clients receive material items, others take parenting classes on things like how to install car seats, and we share studies and trends on raising babies. We’ve started getting more grandparents due to the substance abuse problem.” Most of the clients have been young mothers, though, including a young teen whose experience still resonates with Kay. “This girl had no support,” Kay recalls. “It was a sad situation. When she had her baby, we went to see her, and she was by herself. I said, ‘We’re here to celebrate your baby.’ She said, ‘Nobody is celebrating this baby.’” Kay, who remained in touch with the girl, says, “She has a career, is married, and is doing well. But it was a scary time for her. It’s always a scary time for the girls, so we make the pregnancy center feel like home.” Kay is now taking that same approach to her role as president of the UPIKE Alumni Association. “UPIKE changed my life and changed the lives of every student who walked through the doors,” she says. “I want alumni to know that the school we loved, the school that gave us so many opportunities, is still here.” With plans to offer monthly alumni events that are informative, interactive, and inspirational, Kay and the board intend to connect with professors, invite current students to meetings, and host luncheons in the university cafeteria. “The board members are ambassadors,” Kay says before asking, “Who better to promote UPIKE than alumni?” As Kay, who along with her husband Dave, has two daughters and two grandchildren, reflects on the importance of instilling a spirit of community to students, she returns to the subject of journeys. “I think the most important thing about my journey is that I have not taken it alone. So many people along the way helped open doors for me, and I wasn’t afraid to walk through them. I constantly tell APCC clients not to be afraid to step into an opportunity, even if you don’t feel 100 percent ready. I think, as alumni, we should give students the same advice.”
“UPIKE changed my life and changed the lives of every student who walked through the doors. I want alumni to know that the school we loved, the school that gave us so many opportunities, is still here.”
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Class Notes
Click here to be featured in the next edition of UPIKE Magazine
1970s
Will T. Scott ’71, a retired Kentucky Supreme Court Justice, was honored among friends, family, and elected officials with the unveiling of his portrait in the Commonwealth’s Capitol. Scott served on Kentucky’s high court from 2005 to 2015 before resigning to run for governor. He served as assistant commonwealth’s attorney in Pike County and as a Pike Circuit Court judge prior to his election to the Supreme Court. In 1966, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, rose to the rank of 1st lieutenant and was awarded the Bronze Star during his service in Vietnam. He subsequently earned his bachelor's degree from Pikeville College and graduated from the University of Miami Law School.
Danny Osborne ’99 was named superintendent for Carroll County School system in May 2018. Osborne came to this position from the Kentucky Department of Education where he served as an education recovery leader since 2012. Osborne and his wife, Chrystal, have a son, Dylan, who is a sophomore at UPIKE, as well as a daughter, Madie, who is a sophomore at Carroll County High School.
1990s 2000s
Dr. Amy Canuso KYCOM ’06 joined St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa, as a psychiatrist. After spending 12 years serving the military, Canuso and her husband, Sean, along with their two sons, Caeden and Logan, reside in Carroll. Entrepreneur Kyle Sineath ’07 recently opened Renew Men’s Health Clinic in Pikeville. As the clinic’s co-founder, Sineath has worked in the corporate and health care sectors since graduation. The Pikeville College alum says he’s glad to give back to the region that gave him the tools he needed to start the clinic, which offers services ranging from testosterone replacement to guidance on adopting a healthier lifestyle. Alexandria Sisco Allen ’10 and Bradley Allen ’08 celebrated the birth of their daughter and third child, Kaylee Jordyn Allen, on Sept. 26, 2018. 34
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2010s
Kayla Dawn Easterling and Jeff Grieme ’10 were married October 12 in Lexington, Ky., where the couple now resides. Jeff played baseball for then Pikeville College. Jeff is an inside sales representative for Corken Steel and Kayla is a third-grade teacher at Hearn Elementary School in Frankfort. Dr. Robert Shurtleff UPIKE ’10 and KYCOM ’15 joined Pikeville Medical Center as a family medicine physician. Shurtleff, who has called Pikeville home for nearly his entire life, is excited to help better the community he loves. He and his wife Brooke are the proud parents to a three-year-old son, Luke, and 15-month-old daughter, Molly. Lakia Bailey ’11 was named Assistant Sports Information Director and Athletic Assistant at UPIKE. Prior to assuming her new role, Bailey served as coordinator of graphic services and events at the university since 2012. Bailey, who played on the women’s basketball team from 2007-2011, is pivotal in UPIKE Athletics’ multimedia marketing initiatives as well as assisting with statistics and coordinating athletic events.
Dr. Alice Higdon KYCOM ’13 recently joined Mercy Health-Paducah General Surgery in Paducah, Ky. Higdon joins Mercy Health from New York’s St. John’s Episcopal Hospital where she completed both her internship and residency. Zachary Sutherland ’14 and Courtney Lovern Sutherland ’15 were married July 6. Zach played baseball while attending UPIKE and Courtney worked as an admissions counselor after graduation. The couple now lives in Elizabethtown, Ky., where Zach works at Pepsi while Courtney works at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. Lauren Gregory Dezarn ’15 and Bryan Dezarn were married April 7. The couple resides in Manchester, Ky. Lauren was an admissions counselor for the university and currently works at Clay County High School as a talent search counselor. Bryan works at Wal-Mart Distribution.
In July 2018, Pikeville High School named Brandi Jo Howard ’15 head softball coach. In addition to playing softball at UPIKE from 2011 to 2015, Howard also served as a graduate assistant with the university. In high school, she was a Class 1A first team all-state selection from Magoffin County. Howard comes to Pikeville High School after coaching at Floyd Central Middle School. Dr. Courtney Maiden KYCOM ’15 joined Ephraim McDowell Dedman’s primary care team in Harrodsburg, Ky. With an interest in preventive medicine, nutrition and wellness, Maiden completed her residency in North Carolina at Southeastern Regional Medical Center. She and her husband Joe reside with their two dogs. Shawn Fuller MBA ’16 was promoted to branch manager, assistant vice president for Community Trust Bank. Fuller has worked for Community Trust Bank for more than five years as a management trainee, CSR and teller. Fuller will oversee daily branch operations, work with new and existing clients with lending options as well as provide coaching and development opportunities to staff in addition to other responsibilities.
Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame Induction Features UPIKE Alum UPIKE annually recognizes a select group of passionate and service-minded educators in its Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame. The prestigious award honors those whose contributions to learning have inspired generations of students and made significant impact in the field of education. After being nominated by their peers, former students or community members, the group of professionals were inducted on Oct. 18. 2018 inductees include (from left) Deborah Lemaster of Paintsville, Stephen A. Trimble ’81 of Louisa, Emily Faye Warne of Paintsville, Tammie Hobbs Hensley ’94 of Pikeville, Jeff Shannon of Prestonsburg, Modena Sallee ’70 of Lexington, Cassandra Akers of Stanville and Teddie Renee’ Buchanan ’89 (posthumously). Billy Ray Buchanan accepted the award on behalf of his late wife.
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In Memoriam Dr. Thomas Johns, former president of UPIKE (formerly Pikeville College), passed away in Missouri at age 87 in July. He served as the institution’s 16th president from 1968 to 1969. An ordained Presbyterian pastor, Johns was a graduate of Hanover College, Louisville Seminary and Indiana University. During Johns’ tenure in Pikeville, he secured funds for Armington Learning Center, a classroom facility that was sorely needed at the time. A campus hub, Armington Learning Center currently houses numerous faculty offices, an auditorium and most courses taught at the university. After leaving Pikeville, Johns continued a life of service in higher education and ministry. “Though President Johns’ time at the university was short, his legacy lives on in the lives of our students today as they walk through the halls of Armington Learning Center,” said UPIKE President Burton J. Webb.
On Nov. 2, 2018, Walter of 81.
E. May passed away at his Pikeville home at the age
The late President and CEO of East Kentucky Broadcasting began his broadcast career when he was hired as WPKE’s first rock and roll disc jockey at 16 years of age. He eventually escalated to ownership and built the nine radio stations and television station that comprise East Kentucky Broadcasting. May served the City of Pikeville admirably as mayor from 1990-1993 and guided Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) as CEO from a local hospital to a regional referral center affiliated with Mayo Clinic. In addition to serving on PMC’s Board of Directors for decades, May lent his talents to the University of Pikeville Board of Trustees from 1980 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1991. He served one term as chairman. UPIKE honored him with a Doctor of Laws degree at the 2015 Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) commencement ceremony. The following year, KYCOM named May the John A. Strosnider, D.O., Memorial Lecturer for the instrumental role he played in the medical school’s early development. Paul E. Patton, chancellor of UPIKE and former governor of Kentucky, partnered with May on numerous initiatives and considered him a friend. “Few people have had as much positive impact on the region as Walter May,” says Patton. “He demonstrated great vision and business acumen. As mayor, he raised Pikeville’s level of service to its people. He led Pikeville Medical Center to become one of the most progressive medical providers in the Commonwealth. His support for the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine and our relationship with the Pikeville Medical Center has helped raise medical care to a new level in Central Appalachia. Walter didn’t think small. We are all better off because of his work.”
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UPIKE MAGAZINE | FALL 2018
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