UPIKE Magazine Fall 2016

Fall 2016

MAGAZINE

BUILDING A SOLID FUTURE FOR STUDENTS, THE COMMUNITY & BEYOND

Kentucky College of Optometry Opens PAGE 10 Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine Dean, President American Osteopathic Association PAGE 20 UPIKE Inaugurates New President/Welcomes New Provost PAGES 4, 8

2017 Elliott School of Nursing faculty offices move to new Health Professions Education Building

2003 City opens four-story parking deck, adjoining walkway, lighted billboard

2017 Donors Plaza expands from Coal Building to Health Professions Education Building

2016 1994 Remodeled Record Memorial Building Marguerite Weber Art Gallery, Ridenour Dance Studio, Booth Auditorium, music & art studios, meditation chapel

City of Pikeville erects statue of former Kentucky Governor & UPIKE Chancellor Paul Patton

September 2014 Coal Building, Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine Opened

January 2017 Kentucky College of Optometry, New Health Professions Education Building Opens

UPIKE Serves 5K Walk/Run Homecoming Week 2016

Young at heart alumni, students and friends participate in this Scholar House of Central Appalachia fundraiser. Scholar House provides single parents pursuing a college degree housing, on-site childcare and academic advising.

Pictured from left: Erica Werth, Pikey, Parker Hutchens, Neal Thacker, Randall Watts and Leonard Burks.

Features

Table of Contents Letter from the President Sometimes the Mountains Choose You

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It is our sincere hope that reading this magazine will cause you to lift your eyes to the hills once again.

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Crossing the Goal Line

UPIKE’s New Provost, Dr. Lori Werth Shepherding Scholarship and Embracing the Mission

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This year, Werth was selected to serve as the University of Pikeville’s first provost. The provost is UPIKE’s chief academic officer and a leader within our campus community.

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Kentucky College of Optometry Opens

New, Local Eye Care Clinics in Appalachia

Lexington, KY

Nine UPIKE KYCO optometry clinics are to open in 2017. KYCO is bringing more people as well as eye care into the community.

Huntington, WV

Pikeville, KY

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Knoxville, TN

Homecoming Week 2016

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1 hour drive distance

www.UPIKE.edu Fall 2016 Volume 3, Number 1 Dr. Boyd Buser on Leading the American Osteopathic Association Buser commissions colleagues

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We are all creating our future, a future that is in our hands.

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Magazine Staff David Hutchens

Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations

Lucy Holman, ‘89

Elliott School of Nursing New Doctorates, New Faculty

Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs

Editor

Stacy Smith

Alumni Association Spring 2017 Events

Art Director

Meet and get acquainted with new UPIKE President, Dr. Burton Webb, and network with fellow alumni at events this spring.

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Michael Hawkins

Graphic Designer Kate Hensley

Contributors

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MBA Launches Medical Management Career

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Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame Alumni Spotlights

Lucy Holman Stephanie Stiltner, ‘10 Michelle Goff Misty Ramey, ‘11 Steve Millburg Marguerite Armistead Lakia Bailey, ‘11 Lisa Blackburn Ron Damron Brooke Thacker ‘04

Photographers Stephanie Stiltner Michael Hawkins Larry Epling Doug Mortimer

The University of Pikeville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, masters and doctorate 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.

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Send letters to the editor to: Editor, UPIKE Magazine Office of Advancement University of Pikeville 147 Sycamore Street Pikeville, KY 41501

letter from the president

Sometimes

the Mountains Choose You The knock on our door came after dark and only moments after we arrived on campus. After four days driving across the country with two dogs in the back seat, neither of us looked very presidential. I went to the door and peered out ...

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here, with his characteristic grin, was Bill Baird. His right hand was thrust into mine and his left hand carried a warm pie that his wife Kaye had pulled from the oven only minutes before. “We just wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood!” Bill said as he walked away.

Ten minutes passed and Chancellor Paul Patton and Judi were standing in our living room admiring the Christmas tree that had been set up and decorated by the able hands of Charity Deel. She had even wrapped empty boxes in such a way that we could give presents to our children without worrying about the wrapping paper. I could go on, and on.

The weeks and months have flown by since those first few days on campus in December of last year. We learned early and well what it means to be part of the UPIKE family.

In the months since we have celebrated together, laughed together, and mourned together. More than anything, we have been together, one UPIKE family moving forward.

Lately we have been thinking about what it means to move forward. In the last 20 years we have added medical and optometry programs, several undergraduate programs, and expanded the physical footprint of the college. What will happen next? As

Burton and Kay Webb with their shepherds, Indy and Raven, at the president’s home.

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Kay and Burton Webb with this year’s Mountain Laurel Festival Queen, Connor Rose Cook. Cook is a junior majoring in psychology and the first from UPIKE to be crowned queen in almost 30 years.

The Webb family gathers for Homecoming at UPIKE: Kelsea, Mason, Lo, Kay and Burton.

unglamorous as it sounds we need to work on the infrastructure before we can add anything more of significance. Boring things like policy and procedure, governance and structure, budget and pedagogy need an investment of time and effort. This year we will lay the foundation that will allow us to build well for the decades to come. We must forge relationships with people who love Central Appalachia and help them to see the legacy they can build with an investment here. Our partnership with the City of Pikeville and our work with the local business community must result in increased entrepreneurial investment in the region. We must build an institutional identity bolstered by our sense of mission and purpose that will inspire generations of future Appalachians.

“We have been together, one UPIKE family moving forward.”

The other day I heard Jared Arnett, who is the executive director of Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), say, “Sometimes you choose the mountains, and sometimes, the mountains choose you.”

We have always loved the mountains, but now, we feel called to be here. While we cannot predict with certainty what the future will hold, we will work diligently to serve the UPIKE family well. It is a homecoming, of sorts, for both Kay and me. My roots run deep in Eastern Kentucky, even if they were planted elsewhere for a while.

It is our sincere hope that reading this magazine will cause you to lift your eyes to the hills once again. Your college is still here, still pursuing the same mission, and still …

Striving to serve, Burton and Kay Webb

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A new UPIKE First-Year Ritual: Freshmen climb “The 99” historic steps led by the Provost, Dr. Lori Werth, and university President, Dr. Burton Webb.

By David Hutchens, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations

Crossing

the Goal line

UPIKE exceeds fundraising goal for college of optometry.

While not a stopping point, it is certainly an exciting milestone.

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PIKE has a rich history, a bright future and plenty of challenges to keep those of us privileged to work here busy.

New to the UPIKE team, having started in December of 2015, I want to briefly introduce myself, share with you some recent encouraging news, and signal how eager those of us on UPIKE’s advancement team are to work with everyone in service to UPIKE’s valuable mission.

The Health Professions Education Building currently under construction will soon house the new Kentucky College of Optometry. My first task upon arrival to campus was to lead fundraising to help complete this project to give our students a world class building and equipment.

“Like many in this region, my own grandfather and great grandfather were coal miners,” said David Hutchens.

In April, the advancement team received news of a $1 million gift to help complete the Kentucky College of Optometry and the Health Professions Education Building. This gift was the largest private foundation gift in the school’s history.

July 2016 brought more good news for UPIKE. We were awarded a $2.6 million grant to improve and expand health care services through student scholarships.

“As the region’s economic base continues to evolve, UPIKE has a critical role to play. If all of us chip in, we can continue to move mountains.”

While excitement about the $1 million and $2.6 million grants was still in the air, August brought additional joyous news. On August 24, UPIKE was awarded a $7.5 million POWER grant to support our Kentucky College of Optometry.

Any campus in America would celebrate gifts totaling $11.1 million.

To have achieved these victories within eight months is tremendous for our students and for the university.

These significant gifts, along with the key support of others, are evidence that there is momentum behind UPIKE’s mission, vision and plans. This is exactly what I was hoping for when President Webb appointed me as the vice president for advancement and

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Interior construction of the Health Professions Education Building. This light filled area on the seventh floor opens to a roof-top terrace overlooking downtown Pikeville.

alumni relations in December. It has been gratifying to work with so many new friends across campus to help achieve these early “wins” for UPIKE. We have lots more to do. UPIKE is blessed with many alumni and friends who have a special connection to this place. We have an important mission going forward. As the region’s economic base continues to evolve, UPIKE has a critical role to play. If all of us chip in, we can continue to move mountains.

With the urgent need to fund the optometry school facilities substantially met, we will now work to help donors invest in our undergraduate programs and existing facilities, provide greater faculty support, and secure more student scholarships.

We are so proud of our past and where we are planted. We also know that higher education is a key to Appalachia’s future.

UPIKE is indispensable. Working together, we will keep our positive momentum going and do even more to help our region flourish and contribute to the good in the world. Lives will be transformed, which has been UPIKE’s focus and mission for 127 years.

Like many in this region, my own grandfather and great grandfather were coal miners. I’ve been in fundraising and development for 20 years now, and I am so proud to be a part of the UPIKE family, working with a talented team and many dedicated alumni and friends to advance our cause.

Please reach out to me with your ideas, suggestions, stories and insights. Go Bears!

Advancement & Alumni Relations (606) 218-5276 or alumni@upike.edu

This is our legacy.

Make a Donation. Leave a Legacy.

“We will always be thankful for the excellent education we received at Pikeville College.” To help the next generation of University of Pikeville students, the Bairds consistently give back to support our future UPIKE servant leaders.

Bill and Kaye Baird

Pikeville College Class of 1966

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Have you planned your legacy?

plannedgiving.upike.edu • 606-218-5230

By Dr. Lori Werth, Provost

UPIKE’s New Provost Shepherding Scholarship and Embracing the Mission

As UPIKE’s chief academic officer and a leader within our campus community, as provost I report to the president.

Planning and implementing the institution’s academic priorities is central to my work.

Collaborating with academic deans, department leaders, faculty and staff, strengthens our commitment to quality undergraduate and graduate programs. The provost oversees the teams who focus on recruitment, retention and athletics.

Dr. Werth works out with Bowen Smith of Aiken, S.C., and other football players in the weight room.

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y path to becoming the person I am today has not always been easy. When I was in elementary school, my family immigrated to the United States from Romania with nothing but what we could carry in a few suitcases.

I learned English as a second language, worked hard to adapt to a new school, held a job at a department store, and became the first in my family to attend college.

While earning my master’s degree, I married my wonderful husband Eric and had three daughters.

Earlier this year, I was selected to serve as the University of Pikeville’s first provost. In June, we moved more than 2,100 miles from Nampa, Idaho, to our new home in Pikeville. Whether as individuals, or an institution, my achievements are the result not only of my own efforts, but of those who came before me.

Life-changing events have often provided me with tremendous opportunities and a multitude of blessings.

I believe in the transformational impact one person can have on another. During a critical time in my development, two people, my school principal Shirley Vandrell and caring pastor Roy Litsey, believed in me and gave

“Life-changing events have often provided me with tremendous opportunities.” me the courage to set my sights higher than what anyone in my family had done before.

Today, I have the privilege of serving alongside faculty and staff who are passionate about education and dedicated to our community. We have a rich history as a vibrant liberal arts university with a nationally recognized medical school and a new optometry school that are meeting the needs of rural communities and attracting students from across the country.

I personally know the power of education to transform lives, a founding promise of UPIKE that has been sustained by the power of relationships and a calling to serve.

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Doctor of Philosophy Educational Leadership University of Idaho Master of Science Education Oregon State University Bachelor of Science Biology College of Idaho

S M A R G O R P C I M E D ACA

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GRADUATE & PROFESSIONAL SCHOOLS

UNDERGRADUATE COLLEGES & SCHOOLS

UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS College of Arts and Sciences Art Biology Chemistry Communication Computer Science Criminal Justice English Film & Media Arts History History/Political Science Mathematics Music* Psychology Religion Social Work Sociology Spanish Theatre* *Minor only

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MAJORS & PROGRAMS

GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

Coleman College of Business Business • • • •

Accounting Healthcare Management Management Sport Management

Patton College of Education Educational Studies Elementary Education Middle Grades Education Secondary Education

Business Administration (MBA) • General Business • Healthcare Management

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) Teacher Leader Program (M.A.)

PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS Dentistry Engineering Law Medicine

Optometry Pharmacy Physical Therapy Veterinary

Elliott School of Nursing Nursing RN-BSN

Day, evening, online and summer courses to work with your schedule.

It is the policy of the University of Pikeville that no student shall be excluded from participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program sponsored by the university because of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age, handicap, or national origin. In order to promote a 9 backgrounds. broad learning environment, the University of Pikeville welcomes applications from individuals of diverse

www.UPIKE.edu

Kentucky

College of Optometry Opens

Looks Beyond Campus

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uilding a new optometry school involved looking beyond the University of Pikeville campus, said Founding Dean Andrew Buzzelli, O.D., M.S., FAAO. As a result, the new Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) at the University of Pikeville is the only optometry school in Kentucky and has become what the Appalachian News-Express called “a vision of hope” for Central Appalachia.

In founding the optometry program, UPIKE focused on three main areas. First, Buzzelli asserts it created “the most technologically advanced college of optometry in the country.” That technology will be on full display when KYCO’s state-of-the-art new building opens in January.

Kentucky College of Optometry faculty and administrators spent the summer making final preparations for the Class of 2020. From left are: Gregory Moore, O.D., Eilene Kinzer, O.D., M.Ed. VFL, FAAO, Andrew Buzzelli O.D., M.S., FAAO, Roya Attar, O.D. and Cliff Caudill, O.D.

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Second, KYCO gives young adults a chance to build their careers close to home, without having to seek educational and economic opportunities elsewhere.

A 2013 study found that Kentucky needs to double the number of its optometrists.

More than 25 percent of the state’s counties have no optometrist, and only 10 percent of counties have enough optometrists to satisfy the demand for vision care.

“The children of Appalachia will now be able to realize a professional optometry education within their own region,” Dr. Buzzelli said.

The third area of focus involves direct community service. “The people of Appalachia will have an institution devoted to the care of their ocular health as well as research, which will help control the level of vision loss that is endemic to this area,” Buzzelli said.

“Care is built on and emphasizes a close personal relationship between physician and patient.”

The college leadership includes Donald J. Egan, O.D., FAAO, associate dean of academic affairs, Heather Keene, MBA, KYCO executive director, and Andrew Buzzelli, O.D., M.S., FAAO, vice president for optometric education and founding dean, KYCO.

Optometrists (O.D.s) are health care professionals who provide primary eye care that ranges from testing and correction of vision to diagnosis, treatment and management of eye disorders.

Kentucky is one of three states that allows optometrists to perform certain surgeries related to primary optometric care in their offices. That helps tremendously in giving rural populations access to vision care, Buzzelli explained.

KYCO students will receive more than 90 hours of study in those surgical procedures.

Patients can receive screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care all in one local office instead of having to drive or find someone to drive them to a city medical center.

UPIKE recruited Buzzelli from a position he loved as dean at an optometry school in Texas. In deciding to accept the founding dean position at UPIKE, he is devoting his considerable energies to creating optometrists who will, in the words of the KYCO mission statement, “apply their unparalleled knowledge of clinical care and vision science in a cultural environment of faith, social justice and human dignity in Appalachia and rural America.”

Dr. Buzzelli is a retired Air Force colonel and former assistant to the Air Force surgeon general.

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Eyes on the Prize

Local Access to Vision Care Broad scope of practice, along with a specialization in rural optometry, gives KYCO a unique appeal.

The states of Kentucky, Louisiana and Oklahoma allow optometrists to perform glaucoma- and cataract-related laser surgeries and certain other surgical procedures. However, only two of those three states, Oklahoma and now Kentucky, have an optometry school or college.

That broad scope of practice along with a specialization in rural optometry gives KYCO a unique appeal. “Prospective students understand that the future of the profession is going to be in more advanced procedures than those most optometrists currently perform,” Caudill said.

Terry Marrs had cataract surgeries seven and 10 years ago. Dr. Caudill gives Marrs a vision screening at the UPIKE Hub Clinic.

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hat excites Dr. Cliff Caudill the most about his position within the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO)? He has the opportunity to give back to the profession that has been so good to him – in his home state. Cliff Caudill, O.D., KYCO assistant dean of clinical affairs, said, “KYCO allows me to train the next generation of optometrists in the advanced procedures we are allowed to perform in Kentucky.”

“The adult population can now gain local and early education about appropriate treatment and prevention of diabetes, hypertension, macular degeneration and other prevalent diseases in the rural population,” says Caudill.

Optometry students, under “very careful faculty supervision,” will treat patients as part of their training, he explained. The Kentucky College of Optometry can teach students techniques that only one other optometry school in the nation now covers in their clinical training.

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Also, as baby boomers are aging and people are living longer, a greater number of adults need regular vision checkups than ever before. Regular vision checkups become crucial as people begin to gray. “Glaucoma is probably the biggest example of this. It’s known as the sneak thief of sight because it really has no symptoms,” explains Caudill.

“KYCO can teach techniques that only one other school in the nation now covers.”

If caught early, vision damage from glaucoma can be minimized. Left untreated, the damage is irreversible.

Fighting glaucoma and other ocular diseases with the faculty and students at KYCO and its new clinics clearly excites Caudill and many in east Kentucky.

New Local

in Appalachia

Eye Care Clinics KYCO is partnering with local federally qualified health care clinics and hospitals to create a new, patient-centered model for the education of eye care professionals and access to vision care for residents in east Kentucky.

Faculty will staff the KYCO Hub Clinic on the UPIKE campus as well as eight or more partner clinics in 2017. Optometry students will work under faculty supervision conducting rounds at the clinics beginning in summer 2018.

Nine UPIKE KYCO Optometry Clinics will open in 2017 at the following locations. 

ABOUT Dr. Cliff Caudill

KYCO Assistant Dean of Clinical Affairs Education: • Doctor of Optometry, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry • Residency, Primary Care Optometry, Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry • Bachelor of Science, Biology, University of Kentucky Select Certifications: • Fellow, American Academy of Optometry

 

Pikeville, three clinics: • Hub Clinic - UPIKE Health Professions Education Building, fourth floor • Pikeville Medical Center (PMC) • Big Sandy Health Care (BSHC) Pikeville Inez BSHC Salyersville BSHC Auxier BSHC  Prestonsburg BSHC Grethel BSHC Whitesburg, Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation (MCHC)  * Juniper Health locations to be determined

NEW UPIKE KENTUCKY COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY CLINICS

Lexington, KY

• Laser Certified, Kentucky Board of Optometric Education •

Huntington, WV

Pikeville, KY

Advisor, Kentucky Optometric Association Laser/Minor Surgical Procedures Task Force

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In Focus Preventable Blindness in Children

Sarah French takes her one-year-old to her first eye exam. The exam seems like playtime to the toddler.

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he is excited to work in Pikeville. “We need more pediatric eye care in east Kentucky. That’s what I’m here to do,” said Josephine Owoeye, O.D., MPH. After more than a decade working at the prestigious Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute in Baltimore, Dr. Owoeye is now assistant clinical professor of optometry at Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO).

Owoeye has dedicated her career to research and clinical activities that focus on preventable blindness in children. As part of the KYCO leadership team, she has been involved in planning the pediatric program and specialty clinic.

“We are going to make a difference.”

“Children here will have access to preventive eye care as well as treatment like never before,” she heralded.

The community, Owoeye said, has made her, her husband and their two young daughters feel very welcome.

“UPIKE’s mission fits,” she said. “Teaching, nurturing, service to the community — that’s what I love to do. My career has focused on that, and at KYCO, I can take it to another level, the missions match.”

“KYCO is bringing more people as well as more care into the community,” she said.

“We have students who are not all from east Kentucky and we are all here together. This is great and we are going to make a difference.”

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Child Care Eye Care Tips from Dr. Owoeye

When should I schedule an eye exam for my child?

What are some warning signs of vision problems?

• I bring my daughters in once a year for an eye exam.

• Eye rubbing, squinting, holding reading material close to the face and head tilting.

Why? Potential problems may be missed without professional evaluation. For example, a child can compensate for a lazy eye with the better-seeing eye, but leaving lazy eye uncorrected can result in permanent vision loss.

• Healthy babies should have their first eye exam at age six months to one year.

Dr. Josephine Owoeye

Why? To detect any abnormalities. If a parent notices that a child does not seem to focus well, does not make eye contact or is delayed in development, that baby should be examined immediately, even before six months.

Education: • Master of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

• In Kentucky, children are required to have a vision exam before attending a public school or preschool.

ABOUT KYCO Clinical Assistant Professor of Optometry

•

Residency, Binocular Vision and Pediatric Optometry, Pennsylvania College of Optometry

• Children who resist doing school-related work or who take an abnormally long time to do homework.

• Behavioral or developmental issues sometimes stem from vision problems.

Insurance is covering eye care for children better than ever before. Check your insurance.

Some insurance coverage is likely available.

Why? Vision problems affect learning. Many states require vision screenings for school children.

• Doctor of Optometry, Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University •

Bachelor of Science, Visual Sciences, Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University

• Bachelor of Science, Biology, Psychology, University of Maryland Select Certifications: • National Board of Examiners in Optometry • Fellow, American Academy of Optometry Dr. Owoeye examines this first grader who has astigmatism. An eyeglass prescription corrects her vision, and she is ready to read.

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HOMECOMIN

Homecoming 2016 was a week of traditio alumni gathered to celebrate their heritage an 21st president, cheering on athletic teams

Dr. Burton J. Webb is installed as the 21st president of the university and receives the presidential medallion from Chancellor Paul Patton. Trustees Dr. Martin Levine, Dr. Ron McCoy, board chairman Terry Dotson and Lynn Parrish stand in ovation.

Marshall Bennett, UPIKE men’s basketball guard/forward, practices with Canaan Ramey at UPIKE’s Day of Service.

le f Pikevil Little o Pikeville, a n e le en Ma Casebolt of ksey. r ing Que mecom ear-old Conno King Jamar Kir o H 6 1 g -y 20 n in e m v o e c by s r Home joined od in fo who sto

The UPIKE Bears’ football team takes the field with #9 Anfernee Brown, #80 Bradyn Randall, #83 Myles Smith and #87 Mi’Quez Cox.

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NG WEEK 2016

ons and transitions as students, faculty and nd make new history, installing the university’s s, and serving members of the community.

Misty Hall shows her UPIKE spirit as she starts the UPIKE Serves 5K Walk/Run.

The women’s softball team plays giant Jenga with a future Bear during the UPIKE Day of Service block party.

UPIKE women games during ’s soccer, men’s soccer and football H all hosted Ky., moves th omecoming Week. Abby e ball downfi H eld as Madis elwig from Richmond, Calif., moves on into a suppor Cook from Fremont, t position.

without white inline

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with white inline

UPIKE

Welcomes

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New

Coaches

Coach Gary Warford Soccer Around the World, Now at UPIKE

Coach Bobby Brown Excited to Coach UPIKE Women’s Bowling

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wo-time NCBCA National Coach of the Year, Bobby Brown leads his first season as head coach of women’s bowling at UPIKE.

hile serving in the Navy, Coach Gary Warford competed in soccer tournaments around the world.

He brings that spirit of competition to his first season as the head coach of the UPIKE men’s soccer program.

Warford also coaches UPIKE women’s soccer and is the winningest coach in that program’s 10-year history.

Brown is a member of the NCBCA Board of Directors. Prior to leading the UPIKE Bears’ women’s bowling, he kept the Morehead State University (MSU) men in the national rankings for the last 17 years, with the Eagles making 11 trips to the Intercollegiate Team Championships and producing 10 NCBCA All-Americans.

While earning his bachelor of arts, majoring in history at Eastern Kentucky University, he played club soccer before the Colonels offered men’s soccer as a varsity program. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching and a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from Eastern Kentucky University. Warford is currently pursuing a doctorate at Northcentral University.

He also served as an assistant on the women’s bowling team where he helped capture national titles in 2000 and 2002.

Prior to becoming a UPIKE Bear and while coaching at MSU, he taught computer information systems for more than 15 years. Brown earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems and Management and a Master of Business Administration from MSU.

He holds USSF Youth Module, National D and E licenses from the United States Soccer Federation, and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Goalkeeper Certification Level I and II.

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Last Call: Alcohol Awareness Training

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n October, UPIKE Student Life hosted events along Benefactors Plaza to make students more aware of some effects and dangers of alcohol.

In the visitor parking lot, students drove golf carts while wearing “drunk goggles.” Only orange cones were injured in this activity.

In the common room of Condit Hall, there was a mixer mocktail party where students learned how easily something could be slipped into their drink if even briefly left unattended.

For the Drunk Relay, a student wore “drunk goggles” and tried to navigate the furniture obstacle course and walk a straight line without harming himself or the property.

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KYCOM

Dean Boyd Buser On Leading the American Osteopathic Association as President The installation in July as president of the American Osteopathic Association (AOA) has far-reaching implications for Boyd R. Buser, D.O., vice president for health affairs and dean, University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM) — literally.

Before he embarked on the new academic year and welcomed the KYCOM Class of 2020, Dr. Buser accepted this major national leadership position.

In September, Buser was in Australia for the AOA. “As I travel around the country and around the world in this position,” he said, “every time I’m introduced, I’m introduced as the dean of the Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine at the University of Pikeville. It brings worldwide awareness of the college and the university.”

In the almost 20-year history of KYCOM, Buser is only the second dean of KYCOM and is also the second KYCOM dean to serve as president of the AOA. When John A. Strosnider, D.O., founding dean and a past AOA president, passed away in July 2007, the college recruited Buser to UPIKE from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine, where he had served in faculty and administrative leadership positions for more than 20 years.

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or his AOA presidency, Buser’s priorities include advancing the board certification process for osteopathic physicians.

He also wants to increase international activities by, for example, helping U.S. trained osteopathic physicians get licensure outside the United States. “It’s a global economy now,” he said.

Also, the transition to a single Graduate Medical Education (GME) Accreditation system is opening new opportunities for D.O.s and M.D.s in training while preserving what makes the osteopathic GME distinctive.

“D.O.s are in a unique position to lead and influence action and change in health care.”

While many of the profession’s leaders deserve credit for helping oversee the AOA’s transition to a single GME Accreditation system, Buser has been “the longest continuous thread” throughout the endeavor explaining the nuances of the transition to a single GME Accreditation system to AOA stakeholders, notes Norman Vinn, D.O., AOA’s 2013-14 president.

“D.O.s are in a unique position to lead and influence action and change in health care,” Buser said. He has long served as one of the profession’s strongest advocates for osteopathic manipulative medicine, pushing for increased training and a low student-totrainer ratio in labs at KYCOM.

KYCOM leadership in the OMM lab: Bill Betz, D.O., chair, department of family medicine, Boyd Buser, D.O., dean, and Laura Griffin, D.O., chair, department of osteopathic principles and practices

In his AOA presidential inaugural address, Buser commissioned colleagues with this missive. “We are all creating our future, a future that is in our hands. The amazing healing power of human touch which is in every one of us applied in the context of ultramodern medicine ... osteopathic medicine is what our patients want, what they deserve, and what we are all here to provide.”

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BY Erin Griffin, D.O., KYCOM ’09, and President, KYCOM Alumni Association

Dr. Sonbol Shahid-Salles Appointed to AOA Board

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onbol Shahid-Salles, D.O., KYCOM ‘10 and KYCOM Alumni Association vice president, accepted appointment

to the American Osteopathic Association Board of Trustees in July as New Physician in Practice Trustee.

This is the third AOA board position in which Shahid-Salles has served. As a fourthyear emergency medicine resident, she served as the AOA Resident Trustee. As a fourth-year medical student, she sat on the AOA board representing D.O. students.

“I am thrilled to represent my cohorts on the AOA board. Being an advocate for the profession is an interest of mine, and

At the AOA OMED Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., in September, Sonbol Shahid-Salles with UPIKE President Burton Webb, Erin Griffin, Graham Harris and Gregory Harris, KYCOM ’05, Secretary-Treasurer KYCOM Alumni Association.

I really enjoy the politics of organized medicine as a whole. Continuing to maintain this level of leadership, I feel, is vital to my work as a physician,” said

KYCOM #1

Shahid-Salles.

A board-certified emergency medicine

Best D.O. School in Rural Medicine

by U.S. News & World Report

physician at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Fla., Shahid-Salles also teaches at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine and the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.

For information on joining the KYCOM Alumni Association and donating to its new endowed scholarship fund for KYCOM students, see the KYCOM section of the UPIKE website, www.upike.edu/KYCOM/KYCOM-Alumni-Association.

For 2017, KYCOM earned the top spot as the number one ranked “D.O. medical school in rural medicine” by U.S. News & World Report.

KYCOM ranked 15th in family medicine among all U.S. medical schools, D.O. and M.D. For the past three years, KYCOM has earned a top four ranking as a best medical school providing graduates who enter a residency program in a primary care specialty.

Also, since 2011, KYCOM has earned high marks from U.S. News & World Report in affordability, ranking among the five most affordable private medical schools in the nation.

22

Elliott School of Nursing Welcomes New Doctorates, New Faculty

T

wo returning faculty members brought with them brand new doctoral degrees, and three new full-time faculty members joined the University of Pikeville-Elliott School of Nursing this 2016-17 academic year.

“Our returning faculty with advanced nursing degrees provide such a great role model to our current students and alumni in knowing that nursing is more than a job — it is a professional career,” said Dean Mary Rado Simpson, Ph.D.

From left: Faculty members Tiffany Wright, Karen Damron, Ashlie Newsome, Bethany Sullivan and Tauna Gulley

UPIKE Nursing Graduates Earn 100% RN Licensure Pass Rate Two Consecutive Years

Again this past spring, Elliott School of Nursing graduates achieved a 100 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

The school’s NCLEX-RN pass rate for 2015 was also 100 percent, well above the national and state pass averages.

23

Associate Professor of Nursing Karen R. Damron, a faculty member since 1998, earned a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in nursing from the University of Kentucky. Instructor of Nursing Tiffany Wright, who studied under Damron to earn her Associate of Science degree in nursing at UPIKE in the mid-2000s, earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree from the University of Alabama.

“One of my goals as dean was to put in place the next generation of nurse educators for the Elliott School of Nursing to continue the tradition of excellent nursing education at UPIKE,” Simpson explained. “With my returning faculty of Dr. Damron, Dr. Wright, and Associate Professor of Nursing Dawnetta Marcum, in addition to the three new faculty, that goal has been achieved.”

The three new faculty include Tauna Gulley, Ph.D., RN, a board-certified family nurse practitioner who accepted a position as an associate professor of nursing and coordinator of the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RNBSN) program. Ashlie Newsome, MSN, RN, and Bethany Sullivan, MSN, RN, also a board-certified family nurse practitioner, accepted positions as instructors of nursing.

By Tommy Chamberlin, President

Alumni Association

M D a

Update

C w

It has been my pleasure to serve as the University of Pikeville Alumni Association president for the last two years.

I

’ve seen our alumni association grow and reach out to our alums and community. Our underlying goal remains to maintain or reestablish relationships with our alums and their alma mater.

So what can alums expect from the alumni association in the near future?

the website for the latest on those events.

Second, the alumni association has booked activities recently for alums to socialize while enjoying a unique experience. Examples include a trip to Ireland and Scotland, our annual trip to Cincinnati for a Reds game, a

The Alumni Association is also creating fascinating community experiences First, look for nearby alumni events. We are traveling to host events for alums with new UPIKE President Burton Webb to meet alums where they live.

Refer to the spring schedule or check

Christmastime visit to the Biltmore and much more. Look for more fun events like these coming in the year.

Lastly, we are not only reaching out to alums but also creating fascinating community experiences. My personal favorite is our Biblical Archaeology exhibit opening in 2017 – Khirbet elMaqatir: Journey through Biblical History.

We will host an exhibit of approximately 250 artifacts from ancient Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Visitors will discover the ancient world of the Bible in a walk through fashion similar to exhibits usually only found in large metropolitan areas.

I hope to see you at an alumni event this year and would love to hear your thoughts on how the alumni association can better serve our alums.

GO BEARS!

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Spring 2017

Alumni Association Events Schedule

Welcome Lisa Blackburn Associate Director, Alumni Relations

Meet and get acquainted with new UPIKE President, Dr. Burton Webb, and network with fellow alumni at the following events this spring.

Contact Lisa Blackburn for more information or visit www.UPIKE.edu/Alumni.

• January 17, Tuesday – Bristol,Tenn.

• January 31, Tuesday – Knoxville,Tenn.

• February 3 - 4, Friday & Saturday – Daytona, Fla. • February 28, Tuesday – Hazard, Ky. • March 14, Tuesday – London, Ky. • April 11, Tuesday – Ashland, Ky. • May (Day TBD) – UPIKE Scholarship Golf Tournament –

UPIKE Office of Alumni Affairs is delighted to welcome Lisa Blackburn as the new associate director of alumni relations and development.

Lisa brings more than 20 years of experience in public relations, sales and service to alumni relations, most recently working for Pikeville Medical Center.

“I am enjoying meeting and working with UPIKE alumni,” said Blackburn. “I find the

one commonality between every alumni is they are grateful to the school and for the bonds formed while here.”

Lisa has been working to schedule alumni get togethers across the region. “I am eager to engage the UPIKE alumni at the many events we are hosting and to help reunite friends of the university.”

NEW UPIKE Alumni Directory Out in July

StoneCrest Golf Course, Prestonsburg, Ky.

• June (Day TBD) – Cincinnati Reds Game – Cincinnati, Ohio

UPIKE and Harris Connect are collaborating on an updated Alumni Directory booklet to be available in July 2017. Harris Connect will be contacting alumni through postcards, letters and phone calls with the opportunity to purchase the directory for approximately $100. The last published alumni directory was in 2008.

SUBMIT YOUR NEWS What’s New, Alum?

We want to read and see the latest on your career moves, honors and awards, and family news.

Email your news with a photo to: Alumni@upike.edu or complete the attached postcard and drop it in the mail.

25

Alum ni Sp otlight

Candy Potter, MBA ‘16

MBA Launches

Medical Management Career “One day, I thought, ‘You’ve been doing this long enough,’” explained Candy Potter, ’86 and MBA ’16.

After 20 years in Cincinnati working as an area supervisor for McDonald’s, Candy Potter needed a career change. She moved back to Pikeville where Tom and Bob Hutchison, owners of McDonald’s of East Kentucky, hired her to manage one restaurant, which allowed her the time to both work and study.

Recently established in 2011, the UPIKE MBA program enhances the university’s Coleman College of Business.

By offering the flexibility of online and evening classes for working adults, the two-year MBA program gives professionals like Potter the opportunity to further their education and advance their careers.

“I was grateful for my time and career development with McDonald’s and was ready for the next step for me professionally and personally,” said Potter. “I knew getting my MBA (Master of Business Administration) was the place to start.”

“I was working sometimes for 12 or 13 hours a day then going to night classes,” Potter says. “The program was split into eight-week classes, and every week we had homework assignments. I did not sleep a lot.”

Potter attended an alumni dinner and talked with Howard Roberts, dean, UPIKE’s Coleman College of Business. “I told Dr. Roberts I had been thinking about getting my MBA and he said, ‘Why not UPIKE?’” 26

“It is not easy to work during the day then be ready and attend night and online classes. Candy did this. She stayed committed and now enjoys the results of her success, which empowered her to change to the career of her choice,” said Roberts.

Master of Business Administration MBA Program

Potter’s MBA Final Project Team. From left, back row: Mike Martin and Candy Potter with Dean Howard Roberts.

Front row: Marsha Matthis Little and Lisa Asbury.

Since 2011,

I

ndeed, last December, five months before graduation, Potter submitted her resume to Pikeville Medical Center and was promptly hired as the business manager for the critical care units and surgical suites.

Coleman College of Business at the University of Pikeville offers an MBA program focused on the development of leadership, entrepreneurship and management skills to prepare working adults as well as full-time graduate students for today’s competitive business environment.

“I look forward to what the future holds,” Potter says of her current position. “Working toward my MBA stretched me further than anything else. It was definitely worth it.”

When asked to offer advice to anyone thinking of enrolling in UPIKE’s MBA program, Potter turns to a plaque that emphasizes one word – courage.

Program highlights:

“Have courage to follow through,” she advises.

“Do not allow negativity to prevent you from helping yourself. You are the only one who can.”

• • •

UPIKE graduate faculty awarded Candy Potter the Coleman College of Business Academic Award for Excellence, based on her GPA, effort, achievements and leadership.

•

Earn an MBA in less than two years Concentrated course structure Fall and spring classes meet two nights a week Summer classes are online

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) accredited

UPIKE.edu/mba

Academically Entrepreneurial

Dr. David Snow places the MBA hood on Candy Potter at the May 2016 graduation.

27

Alumni Sp otlight

2016 UPIKE Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame

9th-12th Grade Algebra II, Pre-Calculus and AP Calculus Teacher Betsy Lane High School, Floyd County

Christina Crase, ‘04

Knows Numbers Her students were number one in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in their proficiency on the Algebra II End of Course Assessment, 2015.

“Give me a chance. Forget what you have experienced in the past, and just give me a chance,” is the infamous speech she is known for making every year to her new high school students. And, give her a chance they do.

Last year, executives from the Gates Foundation visited her classroom and Melinda Gates tweeted about it. And, if anyone knows about using math to launch a successful career, it just might be Bill and Melinda Gates.

In the face of economic challenges, Floyd County schools have made great strides, skyrocketing from 145th in student achievement among Kentucky’s 173 public school districts to 12th within 10 years, from 2005 to 2015. Their college readiness rates are also on the rise. Crase is a part of that astronomic rise in student achievement. And, she is far from done.

Continued on Page 30 28

Alum ni Sp otlight

2016 UPIKE Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame

English, Journalism, Fine Arts and Yearbook Teacher Pikeville High School, City of Pikeville

Susan Huffman, ‘81

Open-Minded Teaching She not only lets them draw on the sidewalk, she encourages it.

Merging fine arts teaching with Pep Club sponsorship, she emboldens seniors to write welcoming messages on the sidewalk, windows and front doors at the start of the school year.

Pikeville native Susan Huffman began her 25th year of teaching at Pikeville High School this fall. During this time, she has also been dedicated to working with the Upward Bound program at UPIKE, which provides high school students opportunities for attending college.

Brenda K. Maynard remarked in her nomination of Huffman for the UPIKE Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame, “Susan gives 110 percent to making sure all her students are treated fairly and given equal opportunities. She provides life-changing impact on many of her students, which sometimes means simply listening. When actions are necessary, she has been diligent in making contacts for the betterment of her students.”

Continued on Page 30 29

Alum n i Sp otlig h t

Alumni Sp otligh t

Continued from Page 28

Continued from Page 29

Christina Crase

Susan Huffman

I

S

n the past two years, Crase has served on the KVEC STEM Committee to develop STEM units in the region. She also is working with Teach for America in training and curriculum development for new math teaching prospects in Eastern Kentucky.

he encourages open-mindedness; and she encourages her students to welcome change. She likes to stay on top of things that are trending, especially issues and ideas for better teaching and student learning.

“To inspire students to reach their full potential, both for current learning and their future possibilities,” is Crase’s personal mission statement. How does she do this?

For pre-calculus, she had them build Ferris wheels. Those students never looked at the Ferris wheel at the county fair the same again.

In her journalism class, she tells students to research their subject on Facebook. “If you had checked that coach’s Facebook page, you would have seen he is sick. That is probably why he hasn’t returned your call yet for a quote,” she explained to a student-reporter as a learning moment for the class.

Huffman works tirelessly to ensure students not only receive a quality education, but also a memorable high school experience. She is instrumental in creating special moments in the lives of her students including at homecoming, prom and graduation, and supports the KEY Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Student Council.

Then, she helps students document those memories in the school’s yearbook and newspaper.

She incorporates the “flipped classroom” approach in her class to maximize student achievement by increasing student interest and engagement, assists Science Olympiad students in preparing for regional and state competitions, and has coached several sports including volleyball and basketball.

“She serves as department chair, mentor, friend, and most importantly, student advocate,” said Ricky Lee Thacker, ’07, in nominating Crase for the UPIKE Distinguished Educators Hall of Fame.

As a proud alumna, Huffman infuses spirit into the school environment so students can carry with them lifelong positive memories around education.

With her passion and ability to create terrific and engaging lessons, the majority of graduating students credit her as the best teacher they have ever had.

Education: Huffman earned a bachelor’s degree from Pikeville College and a master’s degree in English education from Morehead State University.

Education: Crase earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education with an emphasis in math from Pikeville College; a master’s degree in administration from Morehead State University and is currently working on a master’s degree in mathematics at Western Kentucky University.

30

By Andrew Reed, M.A., M.F.A. Program Director of Film & Media Arts

2017

Put Your Name In Lights And your story on the big screen.

S

ubmit your film and support the art of local filmmaking at the third annual University of Pikeville Film & Media Arts Festival.

PLAN TO SUBMIT Submit through: Film Freeway platform

The two-day festival includes screenings, questionand-answer sessions with filmmakers whose work will be shown, and special guests. All are encouraged to submit, attend, and vote in the Audience Choice Awards.

https://filmfreeway.com/festival/fmafest

Deadline: March 5 Here’s how: 1. Submit your digital short or feature on Film

Films of all lengths will be considered and all formats including documentary, animation, and music video are encouraged. To keep submissions contemporary, filmmakers are to submit works completed within the past two years.

Freeway through outlets such as YouTube or Vimeo.

2. Provide information regarding the film and its makers.

3. Make sure your video is unlisted if on YouTube or password protected if on Vimeo as it will allow audiences to be surprised when shown at the festival.

To adhere to copyright laws, submit your original work in you have the rights Alum nwhich i Sp otlig h t to use all content in the film including the soundtrack, story, logos, and characters. Any films that do not adhere to copyright standards will not be screened.

All submissions compete for the right to screen at the festival and to win cash awards.

Awards include Best of Show, Best Professional Film, Best College Film, Best High School Film, Best Middle School Film, Best UPIKE Student Film, Audience Choice Awards, and a high school senior Film & Media Arts Scholarship to attend UPIKE. UPIKE film and media arts students host and judge the film festival. For more information, see www.fmafest.org or email fmafest@upike.edu.

PLAN TO ATTEND The third annual

UPIKE Film & Media Arts Festival April 7-8, 2017 April 7 – Screen films produced by regional middle and high school students April 8 – Enjoy feature films produced by college students and professionals

Filmmakers of “Seed” conduct a Q&A following the 2016 FMA screening.

University of Pikeville, Booth Auditorium

Free Admission 31

By Jenna Steigerwalt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of English

American Shakespeare Center Directs Student Workshop Students to Conduct, Combat and Costume with Professionals Stage combat, costuming, songwriting, song placement in plays, staging conditions ‌ during the day and before the performance of Two Gentlemen of Verona, American Shakespeare Center (ASC) actors will conduct two hour-long workshops tackling theatre-craft, one workshop with UPIKE theatre students and the other with UPIKE English students.

This January 2017, students will experience the world in which Shakespeare and his actors created their plays, as well as the techniques ASC actors engage with to make choices about when to bring the audience into the play. Then, at the end of the day, the show must go on!

ASC actors Ronald Roman and Andrew Goldwasser rehearse. Photo by Jay McClure.

Informed and Ready to Vote UPIKE Campus Conservatives and UPIKE Young Progressives jointly hosted presidential debate watch parties this fall in Chrisman Auditorium. Everyone was welcomed and encouraged to vote.

32

Josh Clark as Proteus and Ross Neal as Valentine.

Photo by Michael Bailey.

Because love is confusing; friendship is confusing; life is confusing. And when all those elements get tangled together, the confusion and the comedy grow.

One Night Only

Thursday, January 26, 2017 7:00 p.m. - Live musical prelude 7:30 p.m. - Performance

Booth Auditorium, University of Pikeville Free admission with UPIKE I.D. $5 general admission Sometimes it takes two clever women, a pair of devoted servants and a dog to make things right. Shakespeare tries out some of his most popular ideas for the first time in this early comedy. Jealous lovers, a cross-dressing heroine and a daring escape into the forest make The Two Gentlemen of Verona simultaneously a familiar and completely refreshing trip.

Based out of Staunton, Virginia, join this professional Shakespearean company for a night to recover the joys and accessibility of Shakespeare’s theatre.

Brought by: Constance Swain as Lucetta and Sara J. Griffin as Julia.

Photo by Michael Bailey.

147 Sycamore Street Pikeville, KY 41501 without white inline

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Birmingham, AL Permit No. 585

with white inline

You Are Invited

Free and open to the public

Coleman College of Business 2nd Annual Spring Entrepreneurship Lecture Series University of Pikeville, Booth Auditorium Learn from prominent business leaders and network with fellow business professionals and students.

Thursday, February 23, 1:30 p.m.

Healthcare Business in Appalachia Ancil Lewis, CEO, Big Sandy Health Care Learn about successful healthcare business management from Ancil Lewis, MBA, who for 18 years has served as CEO of Big Sandy Health Care (BSHC), a private, non-profit corporation providing health services to residents through six clinics in five counties, employing more than 100 health providers.

Friday, March 24, 11:00 a.m.

Successful Careers in Pharmaceutical Sales Sandra May, GSK, and Bridgette Holbrook, Grifols Get sales and marketing tips from top pharmaceutical professionals Sandra May, regional immunization sales director for the Kentucky/East Tennessee region of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a Fortune Global 500 company, and from Bridgette Holbrook, specialty sales representative, Grifols, S.A., a multinational pharmaceutical and chemical company and the world’s largest producer of blood plasma-based products.

Monday, April 17, 1:00 p.m.

Entrepreneurship, Leadership & Government Allison Ball, Kentucky State Treasurer How young is too young to be entrepreneurial? Ask Allison. Before her election as the youngest statewide female elected official in the country, and before practicing bankruptcy law, nine- yearold Allison Ball started a business selling pencils with positive slogans for 25 cents each. After making $200 the first week, she maintained the business through high school selling to students, sports teams and even two Olympic teams.

Academically Entrepreneurial