Volume 42, Number 2 Spartanburg, South Carolina Winter 2009
Wofford Today
www.wofford.edu
2009
Champions
From the Archives
‘Goin’ to Kansas City’: Wofford’s trip to the NAIA Basketball Tournament, March 1960
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he 1960 Bohemian called Wofford’s 1959-1960 basketball season “the great awakening.” Compared to football and baseball, basketball was something of a late-comer to the Wofford campus. The first reference to the sport appears around 1898, when gym instructor A. M. Chreitzberg of the class of 1895 introduced it to the students. The literary magazine reported that soon the campus had two courts, and games were constantly under way. The interest apparently lasted until winter arrived, as the courts were outside. By 1905, the college had both class teams and a varsity team. Records of those early years are almost non-existent, but one student explained the sport’s popularity on campus as a safer alternative to injury-prone football. Like all team sports, basketball had its good and bad seasons, but with the opening of Andrews Field House in 1929, the team had a place to practice and to play. At that time and into the 1950s, Andrews was arguably the premier on-campus basketball arena in the state.
In 1958-59, Coach Gene Alexander (“The Tall Man”) moved from Erskine to Wofford as head basketball coach. In that first season, he guided the Terriers to an 11-13 record and a Little Four (Erskine, Presbyterian, Newberry and Wofford) championship. The 1959-60 season started out with fairly low expectations, or as the Old Gold & Black (OG&B) delicately put it, Wofford would be “a team that is indeed interesting to watch.” Coach Alexander had lost three players to graduation, but with five returning lettermen and a transfer student, Alexander had the makings of a strong team. The coach was careful in his expectations telling the student newspaper, “we have the slimmest prospects this fall that I have ever had… we will be extremely lucky to win half our games.” The team got off to a strong start, and a string of early season wins gave Wofford a 9-2 record by mid-January. The student body seemed not to notice how much the team was exceeding expectations, which caused the
Old Gold & Black to complain about the lack of interest in basketball on the campus. The Terriers’ success continued into February, as they won their last eight regular season games in a row, giving them a regular season record of 21-5. The Terriers clinched a second consecutive Little Four championship. In those days, the Little Four represented the South Carolina contingent in NAIA District 26, which usually was dominated by North Carolina powerhouses. However, in the 1960 district tournament, the Terriers prevailed over Catawba and Appalachian State to win the district title. With the trophy came an invitation to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas City as the number 8 seed in the 32-team field. This celebrated single-elimination affair was played over five consecutive days, a supreme test of endurance as well as basketball skill.
Ad from the Old Gold & Black 2 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
The 1960 basketball team from the Bohemian
Leaving a snowy Spartanburg on Saturday, March 5, the team traveled to Kansas City by car, train, bus and plane to participate in the tournament. Kansas City seemed to be a pretty big place for many of the Terriers, though forward Bill Barbee ’60 said that the people there were making them feel at home. In its first game, on March 8, Wofford used its customized version of a match-up zone defense to slip past Oakland City College of Indiana in double overtime by a score of 86-85. A free throw by reserve guard Bill Tinder ’60 in the final half minute of the game secured the victory. In the second round, on March 9, Wofford defeated Findlay College of Ohio, 80-73 in front of 12,000 spectators. That total, according to the OG&B, represented more fans than had attended the Terriers’ nine home games put together. One of the NAIA’s guiding principles was the inclusion of historically black colleges in its membership. In the
quarter-final round of the tournament, Wofford played against Tennessee A&I State College, an all African-American team that had won the tournament three years running. Undoubtedly, the 1960 basketball squad thus became the first Wofford team to play a team with AfricanAmerican players. (The OG&B and the Spartanburg Herald mentioned the racial makeup of the Terriers’ opponent, though apparently the radio broadcasters in the Spartanburg area did not.) Tennessee A&I State ended Wofford’s celebrated season on March 10, handing the Terriers a 75-60 defeat. Barbee and team captain Trap Hart ’60 were both named to the all-state team, and Hart was named the South Carolina College Player of the Year in 1960. The record of 25-6 was the best record for a Wofford basketball team up to that day. Fifty years have passed since that memorable week in March, a week that saw Wofford represent the Carolinas on the national sports stage and that left strong memories in the minds of players, coaches and fans alike.
by Dr. Phillip Stone ‘94
In this issue...
Winter 2009
Students explored the Lumber-Wrap Banners of Kris Neely ’02 in the Liberty Trail area on the Wofford campus during the fall semester. Neely created the art on discarded shipping wrappers found around the local lumberyards that his great-grandfather and his sons established after the Depression. Some are covered with paintings, others with text. Neely's hope is that this installation can serve as an invitation to continue a dialogue about the role of the visual artist at Wofford, in the community, and in the landscape.
WOFFORD TODAY... College to award Sandor Teszler Prize to author of ‘The Blue Sweater’...............4 Faculty and students encourage school children to make healthy choices...............5 DEVELOPMENT... Photos from the Taylor Center and Brittain Plaza dedications; Annual Fund launches new online giving system...............6 Richardson Scholars give back...............7 STUDENTS... College participates in education abroad forum...............8 Saca brings ESOL program to campus...............9 STUDENT-ATHLETES... Men’s Soccer wins SoCon championship, Updates on other fall sports teams, BUY NOW: Athletics to auction off 1949 replica football jerseys.............10 FACULTY/STAFF... Shiflet named Carnegie Professor of the Year, Ayers recognized in U.S. News best leaders issue.............11 Wofford earns high marks in National Study for Student Engagement........ 12-13 Richardson Scholars honor Jerry Richardson ’59 and his family, p. 7.
For and About Alumni... including births, weddings, photos, notes and profiles of Wofford alumni........ 14-23 Dr. Gaines Foster ’71 takes on extra responsibilities as interim dean at LSU.............15 Dr. Chris Evans ’92 works to minimize public health threats.............17 Andy Sevic ’98 writes children’s book.............19 Black & Gold Gatherings.............20
Homecoming offered lots of opportunities for children to enjoy the day on campus. See other Black & Gold gathering photos, p. 20.
Christmas gift ideas from Ben Wofford Books and the Alumni Office.............22
Wofford Today
Volume 42, Number 2 • Winter 2009 Visit Wofford Today online at www.wofford.edu/WoffordToday
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offord Today (USPS 691-140) is published four times each year by the Office of Communications and Marketing, Wofford College, 429 N. Church St., Spartanburg, SC 293033663, for alumni and friends of the college. Issued quarterly: fall, winter, spring and summer. Periodicals postage is paid at Spartanburg Main Post Office, Spartanburg, South Carolina, with an additional mailing entry at Greenville, S.C.
Doyle Boggs ’70, senior editor boggsdw@wofford.edu, 864-597-4182 Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89 and Pat Smith, associate editors Laura H. Corbin, Janella Lane, and Phillip Stone ’94, contributors Brent Williamson, sports Photography by Mark Olencki ’75 Printed by Martin Printing Company Inc., Easley, SC Mailing address changes to: Alumni Office, Wofford College 429 N. Church St. Spartanburg, SC 29303-3663 e-mail alumni@wofford.edu call 864-597-4200; fax 864-597-4219 It is the policy of Wofford College to provide equal opportunities and reasonable accommodation to all persons regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.
Wofford College is committed to quintessential undergraduate education within the context of values-based inquiry. As a learning community, we are united by the unfettered pursuit of knowledge and the creative search for truth.
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 3
Wofford Today
for the most up-to-date news, check the Wofford Web site at www.wofford.edu
Novogratz to receive Sandor Teszler Award and speak at March 2, 2010, convocation
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New York Times Bureau Chief visits Wofford
For Ethan Bronner (above left), the Jerusalem bureau chief of the New York Times, the hardest part of his job is figuring out how to make people understand and care about the Israel-Palestinian conflict. “Most of the time I’m trying to find ways to illuminate this thing and bring it to you,” says Bronner, who visited the campus on Oct. 1 to discuss the situation in the Middle East, journalism, and what happens when the two merge. “As a journalist, I’m trying to make you rethink your prejudices about this conflict and humanize it for you,” says Bronner. “In a world that’s often black and white about this conflict, I traffic in the gray.”
Wofford professor featured in National Geographic documentary and on ‘Jeopardy!’
Dr. Byron R. McCane (above right with Bronner) was featured in the National Geographic documentary “The First Jesus?” on Nov. 20 on the National Geographic Channel. McCane, the Albert C. Outler Professor of Religion, chair of the department of religion and an archeologist, also was featured on Nov. 13 on the popular national game show “Jeopardy!” giving a clue in the category aimed at promoting National Geographic’s “Expedition Week” programs. McCane has appeared in other nationally televised documentaries for National Geographic, the Discovery Channel and the History Channel. The current program was filmed over 10 days in Israel in May of this year.
John Doggett gives November Santee Cooper Lecture
Sustainability through an “energy lens” was the focus of the Santee Cooper Lecture Series on Sustainability & Energy on Nov. 12 at the college. John Doggett, an expert in the field and senior lecturer in the Department of Management and Sustainability at the University of Texas-Austin, helped students “see the connection between energy and agribusiness, water use, the construction of buildings and the disposal of waste,” as well as look at how fuel efficiency, alternative energy and greenhouse gas emissions are all energy and sustainability issues. Doggett also explained how new energy technologies can have a significant impact on helping to make businesses more sustainable.
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acqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO of the philanthropic organization Acumen Fund, will receive the Sandor Teszler Award for Moral Courage and Service to Humankind and an honorary degree from Wofford on March 2, 2010, during a special convocation at the college. Novogratz will speak at the 11 a.m. convocation honoring her, to be held in Leonard Auditorium in Wofford’s Main Building. The event will be free and open to the public. The Sandor Teszler Award for Moral Courage and Service to Humankind represents the highest ideals that the Wofford community espouses, and it carries with it an honorary degree, a citation and a $10,000 cash award. Novogratz is the author of the bestselling memoir “The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World,” published earlier in 2009. Novogratz is responsible for the vision behind Acumen Fund’s unique approach to using philanthropic capital to invest in scalable Novogratz (Joyce Ravid photo) businesses that serve the poor with life-changing goods and services. She has led the Acumen Fund team since its launch in 2001, and under her leadership Acumen Fund has invested $40 million in more than 35 companies serving 25 million low-income customers in the developing world. Prior to Acumen Fund, Novogratz founded and directed The Philanthropy Workshop and The Next Generation Leadership program at the Rockefeller Foundation. She began her career in international banking with Chase Manhattan Bank and she founded Duterimbere, a micro-finance institution in Rwanda. She serves on the board of the Aspen Institute as well as the advisory councils of Stanford Graduate School of Business and MIT’s Legatum Center. She is an Aspen Institute Henry Crown Fellow, a Synergos Institute Senior Fellow and has received a number of honors, including Ernst & Young’s 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 2009 CASE Leadership in Social Entrepreneurship Award and AWNY’s 2009 Changing the Game Award. Novogratz is a frequent speaker at international conferences, including the World Economic Forum, the Clinton Global Initiative and TED. She has an MBA from Stanford University and a BA in economics/international relations from the University of Virginia. The award honors Sandor Teszler who was born in the old Austro-Hungarian empire, where he was ostracized from childhood not so much because he was a Jew, but because he was afflicted with club feet that required many painful operations. He is said to have loved music, especially opera, from an early age. Later in life, he befriended his fellow exile, composer Bela Bartok. During World War II, a successful businessman in textiles, Teszler and his family – his wife and two sons – were taken to a death house on the Danube, where victims were systematically beaten to death. They were prepared to die, prepared to take a poison capsule that would allow them to escape further torture, but they were saved when one of their tormentors inexplicably advised them not to take the pills, saying, “Help is on the way.” Shortly thereafter, they were rescued by an official from the Swiss embassy. Coming to the Carolinas, Teszler again joined the textile industry, and was one of the first to desegregate his mills. In the last decade of his life, Teszler graced the Wofford campus, “attending so many classes that the faculty, acknowledging a wisdom and experience greater than their own, honored themselves by making him a professor,” Wofford President Benjamin B. Dunlap wrote in a tribute to Teszler that appeared in the Charlotte Observer in August 2000. To Wofford students, Teszler was known simply as “Opi,” Hungarian for grandfather. The college library bears his name.
by Laura H. Corbin
Healthy serving of education, praise lead to healthy eating Wofford, USC Upstate partner with Jesse Boyd Elementary to help students
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little sprinkle of education and a dollop of praise can go a long way toward encouraging elementary school children to make healthy choices at lunchtime. That’s what preliminary results showed in “Making Healthy Decisions,” a program being tested at Jesse Boyd Elementary School by Wofford’s Dr. David Pittman ’94, along with six students and a professor for another Upstate university. Pittman, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Jennifer Parker, associate professor of psychology at the University of South Carolina Upstate, along with students from both institutions, worked as a team to develop the project, collect the data, and report the results. Wofford students on the team were Sara Riggs, Christina Jackson, An Le, Brittney Getz and Jonathan Shay; Emily Sheehan from USC Upstate also was part of the team. With more than 30 percent of South Carolina school children being overweight, Pittman says, something has to be done about helping students make healthier food choices. That’s why the program was started, in partnership with the Spartanburg District 7 elementary school and its food service company, Chartwells School Dining Services.
Chartwells already provided nutritious options of three main entrees, four side items and 1% white, chocolate-, vanilla- or strawberry-flavored milk every day. It identified one entrée and complimentary side items, along with non-fat or low-fat milk, as the “Balanced Choices” option, that exceeds the national standard for daily nutrition set by the USDA for elementary school children. For 10 days in October, Pittman and his team simply recorded the entrée and side item selections by the students, before holding an “education and awareness day” on Nov. 3. They presented the “Making Healthy Decisions” program on the health benefits of choosing the “Balanced Choices” options and white milk over flavored milk. Then, for 10 days beginning Nov. 5, students were informed of the balanced lunch options during daily morning announcements – through videos featuring the Wofford and Upstate students dressed as vegetables and fruits. Then began the incentive program in which students selecting all of the balanced lunch items and 1% white milk were given public recognition – being able to ring a bell in the cafeteria and receiving a special sticker. Each
day, a graph representing the percent of healthy decisions made by each grade was posted at the cafeteria. “Public recognition is a strong motivator, and we believe that being able to get up and ring a bell during the lunch period is an exciting event for elementary students,” Pittman says. “Our goal was for students to associate the positive emotions of ringing the bell and receiving public recognition with having made a healthy eating decision.” The early results looked good. Before the program began, fewer than five percent of the students were choosing the balanced lunch on any given day. “On our first ‘incentive day,’ there was a dramatic increase in both the choice of ‘balanced lunches’ and white milk,” says Pittman. “It was really amazing to see such dramatic results in just one day, and we expect to see continued improvement in the selection of balanced lunches and white milk as we continue the program.” Data collected in the first few days showed that more than 50 percent of all students chose the balanced lunch selections in November compared to 1 percent in October, with kindergartners hitting a high of 77 percent balanced lunches. More than 70 percent of the students in all grades chose white milk, also a dramatic increase from 20 percent in October. Again, kindergartners led the way with 93 percent choosing white over flavored milk. The education and incentive program continued at Jesse Boyd through Nov. 17, but Pittman
Dr. Dave Pittman listens as a Jesse Boyd student talks with him about what he likes to eat. hopes what the students have learned will stick with them forever, and he is encouraging parents to continue to encourage their children. “Parents can help make a difference, too. In fact, parents have much more influence over their children’s diet and eating habits than any program implemented within the school system.”
He says parents should talk to their children about making healthy decisions when choosing their food, and they should praise their children for making those choices. “Working together, as a community, we can reduce the prevalence of childhood overweight conditions and improve the quality of life for our children,” he adds.
by Laura H. Corbin
(Left) Students dressed as fruits and vegetables to get attention while they explained the food pyramid. (Below) Student volunteers with Pittman outside Jesse Boyd Elementary (JBE) School.
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 5
Development Update Dedicating Brittain Plaza and the Joe E. Taylor Athletic Center The clock is ticking on the Wofford Forever Challenge. In order to earn the $200,000 prize, we must have 400 new donors making three-year commitments of at least $50 per year to the Annual Fund before our gift year ends on Dec. 31. Don’t delay – your participation could make the difference!
College redesigns online giving system I
n October, the college launched a new online giving page on the Wofford Web site. While the old online giving site was cumbersome and set up like a store, the new site offers Wofford supporters easy one-stop giving. According to director of Annual Giving Lisa De Freitas ’88, people can make a pledge, credit card gift, stock transfer or set up automatic monthly payments on a single page. Wofford’s Information Management (IM) Department, led by Franklin Pettit and Jason Burr ’01, built the new system from scratch, saving the college thousands of dollars. De Freitas says the new online giving system also has the potential to save both the college and its donors by eliminating associated paper, postage and even personnel costs. “With the college’s emphasis on sustainability and green initiatives, everyone is conscious of ways we can save resources. Making paperless giving easier for our supporters is an ideal way our office can do its part,” she says. Along those lines, the Office of Annual Giving also is sending electronic gift acknowledgements to people with current e-mail addresses. College supporters can help by making sure that their e-mail information is current (visit alumni.wofford.edu and click on “Address Changes”, call 864-597-4202 or return the enclosed envelope). Online gifts can be made by going to www.wofford.edu/gifts and clicking on “Make a Gift.”
by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
Wofford President’s Advisory Board
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stablished in 2001, the 43-member President's Advisory B o a rd a d v i s e s Dr. Benjamin B. Dunlap in the areas of strategic planning, marketing, visibility, development and program innovation at Wofford. The group meets once annually in the fall over the course of two days.
(Photos from top to bottom) President Benjamin B. Dunlap speaks at the dedication of the Joe E. Taylor Athletic Center during Lettermen’s Weekend, Oct. 16-17. Wofford Trustee John White ’75 and Trustee Emeritus Roger Milliken tour the weight room in the Taylor Center. Tommy Brittain ’75 (above center) gathered with Brittain family Wofford graduates (his father, the Rev. Thomas Brittain ’47, and children, Case ’02, Preston ’02 and Mary Madison ’03) for the Oct. 31 dedication of the Brittain Plaza, leading into the Taylor Center.
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Ingo Angermeier, CEO, Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System W. Donald Bain Jr., retired business executive John E. Bauknight IV ’89, president, Longleaf Holdings Inc. Charlotte L. Berry, community volunteer Charles J. Bradshaw Jr. ’83, vice president, Alabama Theatre Peter M. Bristow, president and COO, First Citizens Bank James E. Brogdon ’74, senior vice president and general counsel, Santee Cooper Tad Brown, president, The Watson-Brown Foundation The Hon. Robert F. Chapman, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit Dr. Edward Coffey ’74, CEO, Behavioral Health Services, Chair of Psychiatry, Henry Ford Health System Jerry A. Cogan Jr., retired president, Milliken Research Corp. James C. Crawford III ’78, entrepreneur Franklin G. Daniels ’91, attorney, Nexsen Pruet, LLC Michael E. Edens ’98, vice president, Private Banking, NBSC Dr. Walter Edgar, professor and director of the Institute of Southern Studies, University of South Carolina Jennifer Evins, community volunteer E. Davidson Foster, entrepreneur Sally D. Foster, consultant, Sally Foster Inc. Elaine T. Freeman, consultant, ETV of South Carolina Carlos D. Gutierrez, president and CEO, United Resource Recovery Corp. (URRC) Cathy C. Henson founder and president, GeorgiaEducation.org Dr. Lester A. Hudson Jr., business executive/professor Dr. David P. Huston ’69, vice dean, College of Medicine, Texas A&M Health Science Center Dr. Mary W. Keisler, veterinarian Joab M. Lesesne III, vice president for governmental affairs, Cox Enterprises Betty J. Montgomery, community volunteer Dr. David J. Moody ’84, president, Milliken Research Corp/ASF Division Steven Mungo ’81, president, Construction Division, Mungo Co. Dr. Kirk H. Neely, pastor, Morningside Baptist Church David Riggins, business executive John H. Robison, retired business executive Benjamin T. Rook, managing principal, DesignStrategies, LLC W. Douglas Smith ’81, attorney, Johnson, Smith, Hibbard, & Wildman The Hon. James E. Talley, magistrate judge, former mayor of Spartanburg Mark VanGeison, CEO, American Credit Acceptance Ronald Holt Wrenn ’79, CEO, Fresher than Fresh (seafood distributor) Dr. Baxter M. Wynn ’74, minister of pastoral care and community relations, First Baptist Church, Greenville Joyce Payne Yette ’80, managing director and general counsel, Promontory Financial Group, LLC
Richardson Scholars honor Richardson family by creating internship opportunities for current students
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s a Richardson Scholar and Wofford student, Thomas Woods ’00 helped IBM make Wake Forest University one of the first Think Pad universities in the country. He worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab at Cal Tech on higher order programming languages, and designed BellAtlantic Mobile’s initial online bill payment site (one of the first online bill payment sites in the country)… and he accomplished all of it over the course of three summer internships. “Internships help you realize which of your childhood dreams you want to turn into reality,” says Woods. “The internship opportunities afforded me through the Richardson Scholarship allowed me to work with some of the greatest scientists of our time and be on the cutting edge of technology — technology that I actually saw released to the whole world.” Because of the internships, Woods says he graduated from Wofford with an edge over other computer programmers with a bachelor’s degree. Woods credits Jerry Richardson ’59 and his family for giving him that advantage and for instilling in him the desire to pay the gift forward. “After Mr. Richardson had his heart surgery, Nikki Ketchin ’99 (also a Richardson Scholar) sparked an email conversation about doing something lasting to show our gratitude to the Richardson family,” says Woods. “Mr. Richardson is a private person who doesn’t like a lot of fuss. He does things out of his heart. We felt that funding an internship opportunity for a current Wofford student would show Mr. Richardson that we truly understand the values that he taught and is still teaching all of us when it comes to giving back and providing opportunities and experiences for others.” According to Woods, the Richardson family makes Richardson Scholars a part of their family as soon as they’re named. They invite current and former Richardson Scholars and their families to join them during Carolina Panthers NFL games, and Jerry Richardson takes time to enjoy lunch with Richardson Scholars when they’re in the Charlotte, N.C., area. “The Richardsons have always been about family,” says Woods. “When I’ve had lunch with Mr. Richardson, he picks the family-style mom and pop restaurants. He talks to the UPS guy like he knows and sees him every day. He used to take the golf cart around to the parking lots before Panthers games to talk with the families tailgating around the stadium. He even picks up some of the kids and takes them down on the field to meet the players. I’m honored that he’s made me, my wife and my kids part of his family.” The Richardson Scholars already have raised enough money to pay a $3,000 stipend for several years to come. The first Richardson Summer Scholar will be awarded in the spring and used this coming summer. In addition to promising to fund the annual 10-week summer internship, the Richardson Scholars are donating additional
"We felt that funding an internship opportunity for a current Wofford student would show Mr. Richardson that we truly understand the values that he taught and is still teaching all of us when it comes to giving back and providing opportunities and experiences for others.”
(Left) Richardson Scholars Thomas Woods ’00 and Nikki Perrin Ketchin ’99 join Jerry Richardson during the surprise luncheon. (Middle) Family comes first so children of Richardson Scholars are always welcome at Richardson events. (Below) Jerry Richardson squeezes his wife Rosalind’s hand after thanking the Richardson Scholars for their gift.
money to endow the scholarship. The Richardson Summer Scholars must be finishing their junior year and cannot be current Richardson Scholars because paid summer internship experiences are already built into the scholarship program. Career Services will administer the Richardson Summer Scholar program. “I encourage students not to waste their summers,” says Woods. “Try to get internships. Paid is great, but paid internships are hard to come by, especially in this economy. We want this Richardson Summer Scholarship to give students the opportunity to prepare themselves professionally for life beyond Wofford in places they never thought possible.” Richardson Scholars surprised Jerry Richardson with the announcement of the scholarship the Saturday of Homecoming weekend. Woods and Ketchin worked with Susan Gray, the college’s director of donor relations, to plan a luncheon that they told Richardson was for members of the Class of 1959 who missed the class’s 50th reunion the previous spring.
“He was totally surprised and greatly moved,” says Woods, “but as in his tradition, he was very humble. He counts himself lucky to be in the position he’s in. God has blessed him tremendously in all the areas of his life.” According to Gray, Jerry Richardson’s family was in on the surprise, and his wife, Rosalind, and daughter, Ashley Richardson Allen, joined him along with former and current Richardson Scholars and their families for a moving and emotional luncheon. “In my 23 years of working in development for three different schools, nothing has touched me more than working with these Richardson Scholars,” says Gray. “There’s just such purity of spirit in these young people who are doing this for the sole purpose of helping others and letting the Richardson family know that they made a difference in their lives. It’s the most meaningful project I’ve ever helped with.”
by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 7
Student Alumni Association connects students to alumni through career luncheons
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students
hey sat in the same desks in Main Building, walked the same paths from lab to Burwell, and worried about the same anxieties, like acceptance into graduate school or finding employment. Now they’re back on campus to share their experiences and offer insight into the ultra-competitive world that students will find when they leave Wofford. For the past five years, the Student Alumni Association (SAA) has been bringing alumni back to campus to meet and talk with students. Two years ago, Career Services joined the initiative. “Students meet doctors who talk about what their days are like. They meet financial planners who discuss balancing their lives with their careers. Students meet young graduates who outline the challenges of transitioning from college to the workplace,” says Jennifer Almond Dillenger ’07, assistant director of Career Services. “We stress that no two experiences are alike, but it’s not always feasible to do an internship in every area of interest. These career luncheons connect alumni to students and help students think about and plan for their future.” According to Elizabeth Fields, assistant director of alumni affairs and annual giving who advises the SAA, attendance at the luncheons varies but averages at about 20 to 25 students and four to eight alumni per luncheon. The luncheons focus around different career clusters. This semester, students met alumni working in law, health care and financial services. During the spring semester, luncheons will bring students interested in learning more about small business (February), education (March) and marketing/public relations (April) together with alumni in those fields. “At the luncheons, students sit among alumni to talk informally over lunch. Later, each graduate spends a few minutes talking career paths and giving students tips on how to get into the field,” says Dillenger. “This is a great opportunity for students, but alumni really enjoy it as well.” Amy Bruce ’10 plans to attend medical school in the fall. She attended the health care professionals luncheon for the past two years. “All of the alumni were willing to talk to us one-on-one and were willing to let us shadow them to learn more about their professions,” says Bruce. “The health care career luncheon also allowed me to talk to health care professionals other than doctors, such as a dentist, a physical therapist and a nurse.” The SAA plans, organizes and caters the luncheons from the proceeds of their sale of Terrier Birthday Cakes. “The Student Alumni Association is important because you spend only four years as a student but the rest of your life as an alumnus,” says Dillenger. “It’s important to instill in students the importance of giving back once they become alumni. The career luncheons are a great way to do that.”
by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
Local physicians and other health care professionals joined Wofford students for a Student Alumni Association career luncheon this fall. 8 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
Wofford continues leadership in education abroad programs
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offord will be one of the 16 host institutions for the sixth annual Forum on Education Abroad to be held at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, N.C., March 24-26, 2010. The theme, “Vision and Value in Education Abroad,” will take up the central importance of creating and maintaining a compelling vision for education abroad while communicating its value. Wofford faculty, staff and students will be leading three panel presentations at the conference:
Open Doors Top 10 institutions by undergraduate participation in study abroad programs
1. Antioch College (Ohio) 2. Austin College (Texas) 3. Hartwick College (N.Y.) 4. Centre College (Ky.) 5. Kalamazoo College (Mich.) 6. Wofford College (S.C.) 7. Oberlin College (Ohio) 8. DePauw University (Ind.) 9. Saint Olaf College (Minn.) 10. Goucher College (Md.)
For Today and Tomorrow: The Value-Added of Study Abroad: Dr. Dennis Wiseman and Jason Womick ’94 in collaboration with Joan Gillespie of IES (The Institute for the International Education of Students) and Jennifer Lund of Agnes Scott College will present data developed from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) as applicable to a four-college Teagle Foundation collaborative “We face an enormous and important chalcomposed of UNC-Asheville, Converse Collenge in preparing our nation’s future leaders lege, Wofford College and Agnes Scott College. for a globally connected, hyper-competitive and interdependent world,” says Dr. David S. Wood, Turning an International Education into dean of the college. “Our faculty, staff and board Career Success: Scott Cochran ’88 and Amy of trustees have committed the institution to risLancaster ’01 in collaboration with Fran Jansen ing to meet such a challenge and our efforts have of the British School of Brussels and Jeff Rollibeen reflected in these numbers over the years. son ’06 of Delta Airlines will present and elaboOur faculty is to be commended for such innovarate upon institutional research suggesting that tive and bold approaches to enhancing the educastudy abroad participants develop impressive tional experience available at Wofford. Likewise, and measurable skills that indicate clear study our students are to be congratulated for rising to abroad “value-added” outcomes so crucial for confront the task of engaging the world. Last year richer academic and professional work. our students studied on seven continents in 34 different countries.” Bringing Study Abroad Home: Creative ApTo further support the goal of an internaproaches to Integrating the Study Abroad tionalized student learning experience, Wofford Experience into the Campus Community: Sara offers several programs that encourage and assist Milani, Emily Johnson ’10 and Annemarieke students wishing to study abroad. Among those de Vlaming ’10 in collaboration with Heidi is the 21st Century Boarding Pass (begun in White and students of Elon University will 2007), a scholarship program awarding a total discuss and elaborate upon focused pre-deparof $20,000 to students planning to study in ture and re-entry programming through which intensive language immersion programs during students reflect upon and integrate their experithe January Interim. ences into the campus community. Wofford faculty also are encouraged to study abroad. Thanks to a $400,000 gift made by Academic year 2008-2009 found Wofford Roger Milliken, chairman of the international students studying on all seven continents, textile firm of Milliken & Co., based in Sparincluding two who went to Antarctica, for the tanburg, faculty and staff are supported in their first time in its history. At the end of the Januefforts to gain a broad world view through ary 2010 Interim term, more than 220 students participation in the Milliken Faculty Developwill receive academic credit for the study of varment Seminars Abroad. Thirteen faculty and staff ious topics in Bonaire, South Africa, Namibia, members participated in 2009 in the first year Ecuador, Belize, Belgium, France, Spain, The of the five-year program, taking them to Buenos Bahamas, China, Israel, Chile, Mexico, The Aires, Argentina, for “Creating Citizens in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Greece. Americas” under the auspices of the Institute for The Open Doors 2009 report, published the International Education of Students (IES). by the Institute of International Education and Twenty faculty and staff members will parreleased Nov. 16, affirms the college’s committicipate in the seminar entitled “Where Tradition ment to helping Wofford graduates become meets Modernity” in Shanghai, China, in January global citizens. Wofford ranks sixth among the 2010. The participants will discuss China’s role nation’s top 40 baccalaureate institutions in the as a rising power on the world political stage, percent of students earning credit for studying and its response to the economic crisis, as well as abroad. Wofford is the only South Carolina issues of gender, demographics, urbanization, and college included in the rankings of baccalauresustainable development. ate, master’s and doctorate institutions. For more on Wofford’s International ProWofford is among 23 reporting colleges grams, go to www.wofford.edu/internationalprosending more than 80 percent of its students grams/. abroad at least once during their undergraduate by Laura Corbin and Doyle Boggs careers. Wofford, with a 93.9 percent rating, places at the very top of the list of participating schools.
Saca mobilizes students to bring English for Speakers of Other Languages classes to the campus
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tudent leadership, check! Classroom space, check! Campus Union funding, check! Trained student teachers, check! Supportive faculty advisor, check! Publicity, check! Teaching materials and expert community resources, check, check! On Nov. 2, all Amanda Saca ’12 and the Wofford ESOL student volunteers had to do was wait for their first English students to walk through the door. “We had classroom space in the Olin Building, money, materials, and plenty of volunteers; we just needed people to come,” says Saca, who spent the past six months researching, planning and developing an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) program on Wofford’s campus. A trained ESOL instructor who volunteered as a substitute ESOL teacher during high school, Saca, like many first-year students, spent much of her first year trying to find her niche at Wofford. She wrote for the Old Gold & Black student newspaper, ran for Campus Union and became involved in a variety of different organizations. She enjoyed and learned from the experiences, but she wanted to do more. Saca, whose father is a native of El Salvador and mother a native of the United States, grew up in Israel, Peru and Chile. Her grandmother learned to speak English through ESOL classes before training to become a nurse. By blending her diverse heritage and international experience with her desire to make a difference at Wofford, Saca eventually found her place, and a place for adults who want to improve their English speaking skills as well. “The reason I didn’t just volunteer at the Adult Learning Center (a non-profit organization that offers ESOL, basic literacy, GED and pre-employment/ computer classes free of charge to adults) was because I wanted to puncture the Wofford bubble and open the campus to the community,” says Saca. “I want people in the community to know what an awesome place Wofford is, and I want Wofford students to meet the people who live right outside the gates of the campus.” Once she settled on establishing a Wofford ESOL program, Saca enlisted the support of Dr. Laura Barbas Rhoden, associate professor of foreign languages and coordinator of Spanish, as faculty advisor. “Amanda came with an idea in mind and a lot of willingness to plan and work and learn from others,” says Barbas Rhoden. “My role at this point is logistical and helping her figure out what the next steps are in navigating a new program.” Barbas Rhoden put Saca in touch with Jana White, coordinator of the ESOL program at the Adult Learning Center (ALC). “Jana gave us books, trained our students and recommended Web sites and techniques for teaching adult international students. She also helped with recruitment,” says Saca. The Wofford ESOL classes are held each Monday and Wednesday evening complementing the ESOL classes held at the ALC on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “Because of our partnership with the Adult Learning Center, ESOL students can now take free English classes four evenings a week,” says Saca.
(Left) Amanda Saca ’12, who will travel abroad in the fall, is now trying to develop a long-range plan and transition leadership of the Wofford ESOL program to students Ellison Barber ’12 and Emily Barber ’12 (above with Tom Fenner ’11 at the ESOL volunteer booth). According to Saca, Linda Powers’ public relations class volunteered to publicize the Wofford ESOL program. They created a logo, Web site, news releases, and hand-delivered fliers to area churches, restaurants, hospitals and stores. Students in Wofford’s teacher education program, Success Initiative, and in several of the Spanish classes also volunteered to help. Barbas Rhoden believes that adding a service component to the curriculum benefits students academically. “From a foreign language standpoint, pushing students to take what they’re learning in an academic environment and use it outside of class helps them see ways they can interact now, and maybe more importantly, the limitations to those interactions,” she says. “Realizing those limitations often pushes students to work harder in class as a way of overcoming cultural barriers.” Barbas Rhoden saw Saca’s proposal to begin ESOL classes as another opportunity for her students as well as the community.
“This has been very much her project and her vision,” says Barbas Rhoden. “It’s wonderful to have a student at the end of her first year come up with such an exciting idea.” Saca, however, is quick to point out that the entire campus has rallied around the program. Ellison Barber made launching the Wofford ESOL program her Success Initiative project, and Emily Barber, who interned with Saca at the Latin American Association in Atlanta, Ga., this summer, has taken on a leadership role as well. Saca says they’ve also gotten support from Dean of the College David Wood, the administrative staff in the Olin Building, and dozens of Wofford students and student organizations. According to Saca, by November’s end, the Wofford ESOL roll listed 14 adult international students, and attendance increases with each class. For more information, contact Saca or one of the Wofford ESOL volunteers at ESOLWofford@gmail.com.
by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
Wofford students gave 74,480 hours of volunteer service to the community during 2009 “Making Healthy Decisions” (see page 5) and “Advanced Spanish with Community-based Learning” are two of the exemplary programs cited by Wofford in its 2009 application for the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, a national listing of institutions that particularly excel in encouraging service learning and student volunteerism. A program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the honor roll is supported by the U.S. Departments of Education and Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact, the American Council on Education, and other higher education associations. Since 2006, it has increased the public’s awareness of the contributions that colleges and their students make to local communities and the nation as a whole. In 2008, Wofford was one of 68 campuses listed on the honor roll “with distinction.” In 2009, Wofford provided the Spartanburg community and its human service agencies with 74,480 hours of volunteer service. In preparing the updated report, Dr. Ron Robinson ’78, Perkins-Prothro Chaplain, and the college staff found that 1,116 of the 1,450 Wofford students have been engaged in service learning, ranging from the mathematics academy that operates at Cleveland and Mary H. Wright elementary schools in central Spartanburg to various national philanthropies sponsored by fraternities and sororities. The cornerstone for service learning at Wofford is the Bonner Scholars program, which will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the college this year. Each of the 60 Bonner Scholars commits to working in the Spartanburg community and its human services agencies for at least 10 hours per week. During the summer of 2009, service-learning aspects of the Bonner Scholars program were restructured and improved. The Health Equity Issue team examines how wealth and power, or the lack thereof, affect health outcomes and has formed into working groups focused on preventing youth risk behaviors, improving mental health, and increasing access to health care for vulnerable populations. The Education Issue team examines issues of educational inequity and engages Scholars in service activities focused on student support and success, school-community partnership development, and program design. The Community Sustainability Issue team is assessing the impact the college has in terms of food, energy, and waste/recycling/water choices and working to reduce the negative impact our college community has on the global one. Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 9
student-athletes
Winter ’09 Quick Hits Men's soccer makes history
In just the second year under head coach Ralph Polson, the Wofford men’s soccer team has undergone one of the most impressive turnarounds in the NCAA. After finishing last or tied for last in the past six seasons in Southern Conference play, the Terriers posted a 5-1-1 conference record to win the regular season title. After struggling for the past six years, the Terriers finished the season with a 12-2-3 overall record and claimed both the regular season and SoCon tournament championships. The 12 wins were the second-most in Wofford’s history. The highest the Terriers had ever finished in the SoCon standings prior to this season was sixth in 1997. “What these guys have done in the 18 months that I have been here has been amazing,” says Ralph Polson, who was named SoCon Coach of the Year. Following the regular season, the Terriers placed defender Nick Schuermann ’10 and forward Kentrel Owens ’11 on the All-Southern Conference first team. Midfielders Paulo Bonfim ’11 and Andrew Eppelsheimer ’11 along with Branson Hyatt ’10 (defense) and Thomas Hunter ’10 (goalkeeper) earned second-team honors. In the SoCon Tournament, the Terriers defeated UNC Greensboro (3-1) for the first time in college history to advance to the title game. In the championship match of the tournament, on Sunday, Nov. 15 with more than 1,000 fans watching at Snyder Field, the Terriers got on the board first with a goal by forward Wilson Hood ’11. Owens added a goal seven minutes later for a 2-0 lead. Elon scored late, but Wofford held on for the 2-1 win and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Hood, with three goals in the two games, was named Tournament Most Valuable Player. Joining Hood on the All-Tournament team were forward Armin Kinigadner ’11, Owens and Hunter. “These guys never ceased to amaze me,” says Polson. “We started practice in August and our goals were to have a winning record in the conference because we knew that would get us into the tournament, and then we kept going. Let’s win the regular season and host the tournament. Let’s win the tournament and go to the NCAA’s. We knew how big these goals were. They worked so hard to do everything that we have asked them to do. Every training session is competitive and every player has contributed to what we have been able to do. I am so proud of these guys and these 10 seniors.” The remarkable season ended on Thursday night, Nov. 19, with a 1-0 loss to the University of California-Santa Barbara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Gauchos scored the game-winner with seven minutes left in the second half.
College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Wofford is in the third district, which includes schools in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Nominees must have at least a 3.30 grade point average.
Men's Basketball wins at Georgia
After falling in overtime the last two meetings, the Wofford men’s basketball team was able to win 60-57 The Southern Conference champion men’s soccer team on Snyder Field after their Southern at Georgia on Nov. 17. The Terriers built Conference tournament championship win. an 11-point lead in the first half, but needed two free throws by finishing ahead of in-state rivals Winthrop forward Cameron Rundles ’11 with three and Charleston Southern. seconds left to seal the win. For the women at the NCAA Regionals, The Terriers are picked to finish second Shelby Harris ’13 established a new college in the Southern Conference South Division. and freshman record, running the 6K Forward Noah Dahlman ’11 and guard Junior course in a time of 23:43.34. Harris beat the Salters ’10 were selected to the Preseason previous Wofford record by 15 seconds. All-Conference Team. Dahlman also was Volleyball finishes with winning named by USA Today Sports Weekly as the Preseason Player of the Year in the season, team breaks records conference. Volleyball completed the season with a win over The Citadel to finish the season with an 18-14 overall record. The 18 wins marked the most in a season in the Division I era. The team had a 12-game winning streak in September, which was the longest since the 1988 season. Shanna Hughes ’10, Sarah Palmer Shanna Hughes ’10 ’10 and Joanna Suddath ’10 all finished with more than 1,000 digs in their careers. Hughes added more than 1,000 career kills, BUY IT NOW! becoming only the fourth player in Wofford’s 1949 Football Jersey Auction history to top 1,000 in kills and digs. Wofford fans now have a chance to own a commemorative piece of Wofford FAB 15 Report football history! The “retro” 1949-style The Wofford Terrier Club is coming to football jerseys worn by the 2009 Terriers in the close of the 2009 athletic scholarship two games this season are now available fund-raising drive’s “FAB 15” contest. The contest tracks the annual giving of athletics through a special online auction. To place alumni in each of the varsity teams that the your bid go to woffordjersey.cmarket.com. college sponsors. The “FAB 15” ranks each The bidding closes on Dec. 16, 2009. The 2009 Wofford football season team by the participation of former studentmarked the 60th anniversary of one of athletes. It’s not about total dollars; it’s about the program’s greatest campaigns on the all players over the generations of Wofford gridiron. The 1949 Terriers marched through Athletics making an annual gift to support the regular season undefeated, 11-0, and today’s student-athletes. The Wofford College Terrier Club Board played in the Cigar Bowl held in Tampa, Fla., of Directors has set a goal of being number on Jan. 2, 1950. All proceeds from the football jersey one in the Southern Conference in the Trey Parker ’13 percentage of former athletes who give back auction will benefit to the Phil Dickens Endowed Scholarship Fund. Coach Dickens to their alma mater. “We know as a former Cross Country honors Academic All-District Wofford athlete, you love a challenge,” says was 40-16-7 in six seasons at Wofford from Trey Parker ’13 earned the Southern 1947-52. A trio of Wofford student-athletes earned Conference Men’s Freshman of the Year Associate Athletics Director and Director by Brent Williamson CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic of the Terrier Club Terri Lewitt. “Get back honors. Parker crossed the finish line at the All-District honors this fall. From the men’s SoCon Championship in a time of 26:04.19, that competitive edge, get your teammates soccer team, Nick Schuermann ’10 and involved, and get every former Wofford setting a new 8K Wofford record for the Branson Hyatt ’10 earned second team fourth time in as many races en route to the Terrier pushing Wofford Athletics to new honors. Both players are biology majors. honor. Parker, who hails from Sumter, S.C., heights!” From the football team, center Joe Fornadel edged Appalachian State freshman Burk Visit www.wofford.terriers.com for ’10 was named to the first team. Fornadel weekly updates or to make a gift before the Staub by less than a second to claim the is a double major in biology and philosophy honor. gift year ends on Dec-. 31. and is planning to attend law school next At the NCAA Regionals held on Nov. fall. Wofford has had at least one football 14, Parker demolished the previous Wofford player named to the All-District team nine record by more than two minutes, pacing consecutive years. the Terriers with a time of 32:17.14 on the The ESPN The Magazine All-District 10K course and placing 64th individually. teams are selected by members of the The Terrier men came in 29th as a team,
10 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
Wofford professor named Carnegie Foundation/CASE 2009 S.C. Professor of Year
T U.S. News’ ‘America’s Best Leaders’ issue highlights Ayers and Wofford football
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by Laura H. Corbin
Mitch Allen ’11 breaks a tackle during the Appalachian State game.
Carnegie/CASE Professor of the Year, Dr. Angela Shiflet, with Bailey Young ’10, who is majoring in chemistry with an emphasis in computational science. Young’s research and presentation were awarded honorable mention in the Undergraduate Four-Year Category, which had 28 submissions, at the MidSE Association for Computing Machinery Chapter Meeting in Gatlinburg, Tenn., this fall. Young presented a talk on her summer research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory on “Dynamic Modeling of Components on the Electrical Grid.” “She represented Wofford well,” says Shiflet, who helped Young secure the summer internship at Oak Ridge. computational science education and internships, has published numerous textbooks and articles, and has made 50 national and international presentations since 2000 on a variety of topics. A graduate of Furman University, she received master’s degrees from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, and her Ph.D. in mathematics from Vanderbilt University. CASE and the Carnegie Foundation have been partners in offering the U.S. Professors of the Year awards program since 1981. TIAA-CREF, one of America’s leading financial services organizations and higher education’s premier retirement system, became the principal sponsor for the awards ceremony in 2000. Additional support for the program is received from a number of higher education associations, including Phi Beta Kappa, which sponsors an evening congressional reception. This year, there are 38 state winners, chosen from more than 300 nominees. CASE assembled two preliminary panels of judges to select finalists. The Carnegie Foundation then convened the third and final
panel, which selected four national winners. CASE and Carnegie select state winners from top entries resulting from the judging process. They were selected from faculty members nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching was founded in 1905 by Andrew Carnegie “to do all things necessary to encourage, uphold and dignify the profession of teaching.” The foundation is the only advanced-study center for teachers in the world and the third-oldest foundation in the nation. Its nonprofit research activities are conducted by a small group of distinguished scholars. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the largest international association of education institutions, serving nearly 3,400 universities, colleges, schools, and related organizations in 59 countries. CASE is the leading resource for professional development, information, and standards in the fields of educational fund raising, communications, marketing and alumni relations.
by Laura H. Corbin
Faculty Updates
offord head football coach Mike Ayers was featured in a two-page article in the November 2009 issue of U.S. News & World Report, which focused on “America’s Best Leaders.” In an article titled “Graduations First, Trophies Second,” Alex Kingsbury, associate editor for national security, interviewed Ayers. He writes: “(Coach Mike) Ayers was the first in his family to go to college and at one time paid the rent by slinging bags of garbage onto a truck. It taught him the value of hard work and what he calls the ‘generational impact’ that earning a college degree can have, not on just a person but on an entire family. He knows, too, that few if any of his players will go on to make a living in the game. ‘You learn a lot about yourself when you compete on the field, and that will make you a better doctor or teacher or engineer,’ Ayers says. ‘Great doctors and great football players have one thing in common besides their God-given talent – they work hard.’” To see the full story, visit www. wofford.edu/newsroom. Kingsbury was on campus in early September conducting interviews with Ayers, President Benjamin B. Dunlap, Athletics Director Richard Johnson and others, and observing football practice. The magazine photographer was on campus a few weeks later.
he Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education have named Dr. Angela Shiflet the 2009 South Carolina Professor of the Year. Shiflet is the Larry Hearn McCalla Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Wofford. She has been chair of the department of computer science since 1998. She also has been director of computational science since 2001. “Dr. Shiflet’s devotion to Wofford students is legendary, and she is the epitome of all things excellent and good about the concept of ‘teacher,’” says Dr. David S. Wood, dean of the college. “Across our nation, and now the world, she is sharing what she has learned with others through the publication of her most recent textbook and through a myriad of papers, presentations, panels and conferences. Her enthusiasm and capacity for work is impressive. As a result, our students are afforded remarkable opportunities for learning experiences beyond the classroom, both here and around the world.” Supporting Shiflet’s nomination for the award, Dr. Robert M. Panoff, president and executive director of Shodor, a Durham, N.C.-based nonprofit organization serving students and educators by providing materials and instruction relating to computational science, wrote: “Dr. Shiflet is one of the great Renaissance women of our time. She is as expert in the fields of mathematics and computer science as she is in the interdisciplinary world of computation science and its applications across the curriculum. … Her recent book, ‘An Introduction to Computational Science,’ has quickly become the standard that is being used to measure this still-young field.” The book, coauthored by Shiflet’s husband, Dr. George Shiflet, also a Wofford professor, was published by Princeton University Press in 2006. Shiflet has held 11 summer research positions at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. She received the Krell Institute Computational Engineering and Science Award in 2007 and was the Mathematics Association of America Southeastern Section Lecturer in 2007-08. She has received six funded grants involving
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 11
Measuring student engagem The return on an investment Q: A:
What is meant by “student engagement?”
Q: A:
How do colleges measure their performance in engaged learning?
In the late 1990s, the National Survey of Student EnThe concept of student engagement is based on a simple gagement (sometimes referred to by the acronym NSSE conviction: What today’s students do in college matters or “Nessie”) emerged from discussions among educators who were most. One recent study explained it this way, “The time and energy interested in improving undergraduate education. To mention three students devote to educationally purposeful activities is the single best of their concerns: predictor of their learning and personal development.” • The need to discover and share across campus lines the “best A conscious commitment to student engagement has been valued practices” in undergraduate education. and practiced at Wofford for generations, but it is more evident than • About 80 percent of entering Wofford students complete bachever today. For example, in some science classes, students begin their elor’s degrees at the college. However, six-year graduation rates study of new material by working and observing as teams in the laboof 50 percent or below on some campuses reflect the growing ratory, and the classroom discussion that follows explains the prinineffectiveness of a “cafeteria curriculum” as well as the teachciple behind the experiment. Advanced Spanish classes often spend ing and quizzing of first-year students in cavernous lecture time doing multilingual tutoring in local elementary schools. Simply halls. having gathering places where faculty and students routinely sit down • Finding a better way to compare or “rate” institutions than together over coffee can be an important factor in engaged learning. the methods employed by U.S. News and the commercial college guides, which compare statistics on entering students and reputation scores. These guides do not attempt to measure what happens once a student enrolls. More than 1,300 U.S. colleges and universities have participated in at least one administration of NSSE, and the survey has been in use since 2000. NSSE has begun to attract much interest in national media, particularly USA Today (Nov. 9, 2009), The Atlantic (JulyAugust 2009), and the Chronicle of Higher Education.
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Active & Collaborative Learning (Seniors) 12 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
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ment— t in a Wofford education Q: A:
How does the survey of student engagement work at Wofford and other participating colleges?
Questions are very carefully crafted to produce data related to five “Indicators of Effective Educational Practice:” • Level of Academic Challenge • Active and Collaborative Learning • Student-Faculty Interaction • Enriching Educational Experiences • Supportive Campus Environment Much of the questionnaire consists of a series of statements, asking students if the described activity happens very often, often, sometimes or never. For example, “Did you work with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments?” “Have you frequently memorized facts, ideas or methods from your courses and readings so you could repeat them in pretty much the same form?” “How much time do you spend on homework each week?” “How much writing is required?” “How often do students discuss ideas in class?” “Are faculty members accessible and supportive?” “How often do students make classroom presentations?” “Did you attend an art exhibit, play, dance, music, theater or other performance?” The annual NSSE survey is transmitted from Indiana University to a random sample of seniors and first-year students on a participating campus. Several methods are used to ensure a high level of participation. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending a particular college.
What is Wofford’s experience with the survey of student engagement?
Q: A:
What does performance in student engagement mean in telling the Wofford story?
The responses provided by Wofford students on NSSE show a remarkably high level of engagement that has been maintained since students first took the survey in 2001. As the accompanying graphics show, Wofford not only has scored well above the national average in all five of the principal indicators of student engagement, but also at or very near the top 10 percent of the NSSE campuses. Based on its scores on NSSE, Wofford was chosen as one of 20 campuses to participate in a survey called “Project DEEP” (Documenting Effective Educational Practice.) The team did a thorough examination of each of the selected colleges that included a two-day campus visit. In 2005, the case studies and conclusions of this study were published in a book titled “Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter,” edited by George D. Kuh, Jillian Kenzie, and their associates. Wofford also will be included in a revised edition of this book in 2010.
A consistently high performance on NSSE is a powerful affirmation of Wofford’s claim to offer a “quintessential” undergraduate educational experience. A high level of student engagement and student learning also is a prime factor in the superior return on an investment in a Wofford education.
Wofford Top 10 percent of NSSE NSSE national average
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Student-Faculty Interaction (Seniors) Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 13
Keeping inTouch
About
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For Alumni
1943
The Rev. George W. Whitaker lives in Lexington, S.C. He is a retired Methodist minister.
1958
Class Chair, John R. Brown Cliff Crosland is owner/operator of Crosland Driver Training School, which has been in operation for 38 years. Crosland and his wife, Julia, live in Bennettsville, S.C.
Wofford Today / Wofford College / Volume 42, Number 2 / Spartanburg, South Carolina / Winter 2009
Class of 1979 continues to build Endowed Scholarship Fund
1959
Class Chair, William Bradford Jr. Dr. Charles Brockwell, a retired United Methodist minister, lives in Louisville, Ky., with his wife, Mary. Brockwell currently teaches Wesleyan doctrine and Methodist history at the Appalachian Local Pastors School.
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Reunion, Homecoming 2012 Class Chair, Boyce M. Berry Living in Land O Lakes, Fla., Lee Seaman is president of J&L Environmental Services Inc.
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14 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
“Adding endowed scholarships and increasing participation in the Annual Fund are two L FF long-range goals of the college,” says Thompson. “The Class of 1960’s project is a perfect fit.” DeBerry says the reunion and class project will allow his classmates to reconnect with each other and the college, but it also will give them the opportunity to show their 85 1 appreciation of Wofford. 0 4 • “I’d like to make history and 1960 • 2 get every single soul in the class to make a gift to the college next and increase the class’s annual giv- year,” he says. “I can assure you, ing percentage to 65 percent dur- if it wasn’t for the scholarship ing their reunion year. According money I got years and years ago, to Wofford Alumni Director I wouldn’t be doing this interDebbi Thompson ’88, Austin view now for Wofford Today. I Peele ’60, attorney and partner in wouldn’t have been able to get an the Darby, Peele, Bowdoin, Payne education, and many of us feel & Kennon law firm in Lake City, the same way.” by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89 Fla., has issued a challenge to his classmates to help jumpstart the drive.
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40th Reunion, Homecoming 2009 Class Chair, Richard L. Myers Dr. J. Gilbert Foster and his wife, Joan, live in Smyrna, Ga. Foster is chief of urology at the Malizia Clinic located in Atlanta, Ga. Ronnie Watson was profiled in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal in October. Watson is owner of Watson Insurance Agency in Chesnee, S.C., with an additional office in Boiling Springs, S.C. Watson and his wife, Nancy, live in Chesnee.
he Class of 1960 boasts plenty of graduates who made their mark after graduating from Wofford: physicians, attorneys, judges, educators, ministers, entrepreneurs, and even a few coaches. “I think our class has really distinguished itself in so many ways,” says Retired Air Force Head Football Coach Fisher DeBerry ’60. “For example, we have guys who have done amazing things in the medical field like Dr. Hunter Stokes, who was one of the world’s most renowned ophthalmologists.” Now the class wants to distinguish itself in another way, by being known for its support and generosity to future generations of Wofford students. As the class prepares to celebrate its 50th reunion during Commencement 2010, a group of classmates has organized a drive to endow their class scholarship
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1969
Class of 1960 plans to distinguish itself again with gift to the college T D COL OR E EG
Reunion, Homecoming 2017 Class Chair, Hubbard McDonald Naturalist Rudy Mancke III was the guest speaker for the Trinity United Methodist Church senior adult ministry group in August. Mancke is noted for work as co-host of the long-running SCETV series “NatureScene” and for the workshops and nature walks he leads. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of South Carolina School of the Environment. Mancke and his wife, Ellen, live in Cayce, S.C.
WO
1967
The Class of 1959 presented a check during Homecoming Weekend for $44,683 to their class endowed scholarship fund. Above are: Bill Bradford ’59, Tom Gasque ’59, Coty Fishburne ’59, and Tom Tiller ‘59.
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Reunion, Homecoming 2014 Class Chair, Charles Saunders Jr. A retired Methodist minister, the Rev. Jerry L. Phillips lives with his wife, Hazel, in Lancaster, S.C. Phillips presently serves as the grand chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Ancient Free Masons of South Carolina.
embers of the Class of 1979 celebrated their 30th reunion during Homecoming this year. They also recognized classmates who have given above and beyond their Annual Fund gifts to make contributions to the Class of 1979 Endowed Scholarship Fund. At Wofford Today press time, the following individuals had contributed to the class endowed scholarship fund: Nancy Twing Bryant, John Culclasure, John Cuttino, David Gilbert Jr., Bob Graham, Marie High, Charles Hodge, Kim Kirby, Eddie Lathan, John McLeod, Chip McMillian, Keith Powell, Mark Satterwhite, John Strickland, and Chick Vincent. “Because of these efforts, the Class of 1979 is making it possible for at least one Wofford student per year to realize their graduation dreams,” says John McLeod ’79. “Tuition, fees, room and board total $39,000 per year, and the students receive a quality, nationally recognized education. Every gift to this scholarship helps — large or small.” McLeod encourages alumni who have not yet contributed to keep the Class of 1979 ESF on their giving radar. “If you can, make a pledge today. It is making a difference,” says McLeod. To make a pledge or find out more, contact Marion Peavey ’65, senior vice president for development at Wofford, at 864-597-4209 or Kim Kirby ’79 at 803-6061474.
1970 Reunion, Homecoming 2010 Class Chair, Arthur W. Rich Congratulations to Herb Lanford on being awarded The Order of the Palmetto, the state of South Carolina’s highest honor. Lanford retired from the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission in December 2008. He continues to serve on the boards of directors of the National Rifle Association and the South Carolina State Credit Union.
1976
Reunion, Homecoming 2016 Class Chair, John W. Gandy Living in Doylestown, Pa., Warren Hayslip is chief operating officer of Peerless Manufacturing Co. The firm, based in Dallas, Texas, manufactures separation/filtration equipment and environmental systems for reduction in air pollution. Dr. Phil Render and his wife, Catherine, live in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Render is associate vice president and dean of academic affairs at Horry Georgetown Technical College. He also is a City of Myrtle Beach council member and a partner in South Strand Dental Association. Render is serving a three-year term on the board of trustees of the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.
1971 Reunion, Homecoming 2011 Class Chair, Kenneth E. Smith Ronald M. Fowler and his wife, Barbara, live in Loris, S.C. Fowler recently was elected vice chair of the Loris Community Hospital District Board of Commissioners. He also is a funeral director at Hardwick Funeral 1977 Home and serves on the Horry County Reunion, Homecoming 2017 State Bank Advisory Board. Class Chair, C. Stan Sewell Jr. Dr. Winford “Windy” Gordon is an 1972 assistant professor of psychology at Western Reunion, Homecoming 2012 Carolina University. He was the featured Class Chair, Allen S. Guignard Hunter Marshall and his wife, Sarah, speaker at the university on Oct. 16. For live in Monroe, N.C. Marshall is a the annual lecture series, students select a national certified counselor in private speaker from the university faculty to answer practice. the question, “If this were your last time to address a group of students, what would 1973 you say to them?” In response, Gordon Reunion, Homecoming 2013 presented the lecture, “Listen Carefully in Class Chair, E. George McCoin Jr. Case Life Happen.” Living in Moncks Corner, S.C., the Rev. Lee Bryant is pastor of Moncks 1978 Corner United Methodist Church. Bryant and his wife, Cathy, have been Reunion, Homecoming 2018 married for 30 years. Class Chair, Richard W. Krapfel Dr. Louis Blanding Fowler lives in Jerry Vevon was promoted to vice presiPensacola, Fla., where he is a family dent for the strategy and technology consultpractice physician. ing firm of Booz Allen Hamilton. Vevon has Eighth Judicial Circuit Solicitor worked for the company for 10 years since Jerry Peace was elected president of retiring from the U.S. Army. He and his the South Carolina Solicitors Association in October. Peace has been the wife, Susan, live in Charleston, S.C. Eight Judicial Circuit solicitor since 2005. He and his wife, Deloris, live in 1979 Greenwood, S.C. Class Chair, Wade E. Ballard It was nice to hear from Nancy Twing 1974 Bryant, who lives in Asheboro, N.C. Reunion, Homecoming 2014 Bryant states that she is “very active with Class Chair, Jerry L. Calvert my friends doing senior line dancing and Ansel Bunch is a financial consultant senior games.” with Ameriprise Financial. Bunch lives in Columbia, S.C., with his wife, Jean. 1980 Living in Anderson, S.C., Greg Toney Reunion, Homecoming 2010 is a technology segment leader for Sukano Class Chair, Paul D. Kountz Jr. Polymers in its Duncan, S.C., location. BEM Interactive, an industry leader Tom McLeod recently was promoted in interactive design, development and to vice president of national sales for QS/1 marketing, announced in September the Governmental Solutions. McLeod has been addition of Kim Williams as client services associated with QS/1 since 1979. He and his manager. Williams and his wife, Gail, live wife, Rosemary, live in Spartanburg. in Winston-Salem, N.C.
1975
Reunion, Homecoming 2015 Class Chair, John O. Moore Dr. W. Byron Barber II serves as chief of plastic surgery for the Moses Cone Hospital System and was recently selected as one of America’s top surgeons. He has been practicing plastic surgery in Greensboro, N.C., for 18 years. Barber and his wife, Henrietta, live in Greensboro. Their son, William Barber III, is a 2007 Wofford graduate. Living in Lyman, S.C., J. William Lancaster is human resource manager for Stankiewicz International. Lancaster’s wife, Susan Mahaffey Lancaster ’07, is budget director for Wofford. The couple has two children.
1981
Reunion, Homecoming 2011 Class Chair, G. Patrick Watson Robbie D. Littlejohn retired from the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and the South Carolina Department of Corrections with more than 27 years of service. He now serves as the executive director of the Housing Authority of Union, S.C. He lives with his wife, Wanda, in Jonesville, S.C. The couple has two sons, Jeff and Rob. Littlejohn recently toured the Wofford campus with Rob, and says that he “cherished the Wofford memories as I walked the paths of my earlier days at Wofford.” Steven Mungo has been elected to serve as president of the Home Builders Association of South Carolina, and officially will assume the role in February. He is chief executive officer of The Mungo Companies, the Carolina’s largest family-owned home builder. Mungo and his wife, Maria, live in
Irmo, S.C., with their daughter, Emily. Their son, Edward “Ward” Mungo ’12, is a sophomore at Wofford.
1982
Reunion, Homecoming 2012 Class Chair, J. Madison Dye Jr. J. Barry Mason and his wife, Cathy, live in Spartanburg. Mason was appointed president and CEO of First National Bank of the South in Spartanburg in August.
1983
Reunion, Homecoming 2013 Class Chair, W. Scott Gantt Maj. Warren Hoy was ordained a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church in May 2009. He has enjoyed performing baptisms, weddings and funerals. He also leads a Spanish-speaking congregation at St. Francis of the Redwoods Church in Big Sur, Calif., while still working fulltime at the Naval Postgraduate School. Dr. Pete Maurides is busy as managing partner of a 25-person physicians group, Internal Medicine Associates of Greenville. He and his wife, Lisa, live in Greenville, S.C. Their son, Steven Maurides ’13, is a first-year student at Wofford. Lt. Col. Pratya (Lek) Siriwat and his wife, Wilai, live in Edgewood, Md. Siriwat works in the executive office of the U.S. Army Environmental Command.
1984
Reunion, Homecoming 2014 Class Chair, Kenneth Kirkpatrick Living in Greenville, S.C., Jay Gibson is associated with the accounting, tax and consulting firm of Elliott Davis LLC. Gibson and his wife, Clair, have two children.
1985
Reunion, Homecoming 2015 Class Chair, Timothy E. Madden Mark S. Hoffman and his wife, Catherine, live in Columbia, S.C. Hoffman is president of Hoffman McClain Consulting.
1986
Reunion, Homecoming 2016 Class Chair, Brand R. Stille Demitra Athanasiadis Watson and her husband, John Watson ’88, live in Spartanburg with their two children. She is associated with Ward Law Firm.
1989
20th Reunion, Homecoming 2009 Class Chair, Michael R. Sullivan Springs Creative Products Group LLC announced the addition of Brian Mathis as director of sales and finished products in October. Mathis has more than 20 years of textile experience. Mathis and his family live in Fort Mill, S.C. Sanjay V. Patel, working for the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism, is manager of the I-85 Blacksburg Welcome Center. He and his wife, Devi, live in Inman, S.C.
1990
Reunion, Homecoming 2010 Class Chair, Scott W. Cashion Living in Elkton, Md., Brian Starks is pursuing his Ph.D. in criminology at the University of Delaware. He recently was awarded the Outstanding Student of the Year Award for the American Society of Criminology Division of People of Color on Crime.
Foster enjoys serving as interim dean at LSU
A
s is often the case in academia, the latest chapter of Dr. Gaines Foster’s career at Louisiana State University began with a call from the provost. The university needed to make an interim appointment as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, effective July 1, 2009. Would Foster step up and take on the challenge? No wonder the 1971 Wofford graduate spent some time mulling over the job before accepting. The sheer size and scope of the enterprise are awesome. Classes and offices and academic support functions are spread out all over the sprawling campus at Baton Rouge. With more than 3,800 candidates for bachelor’s degrees every year, the college has 11 Gaines Foster ’71 academic departments offering 21 majors, 15 special programs of study, and 40 concentrations. Various units of the college produce 26 scholarly journals. In the end, Foster decided to accept the appointment out of a sense of obligation to the university where he has taught since 1982. “The rhythm of the dean’s job is different from that of a faculty member or even a department chair,” Foster says. “It takes a conscious effort to maintain real contact with faculty and students. There are lots of meetings and tough performance appraisals for hiring, promotion, tenure and sabbaticals. For the first time in my career, I’ve been involved with foundations and fund raising. On the whole, I have enjoyed the work more than I anticipated.” One of a series of outstanding history majors who graduated from Wofford when the late Dr. Lewis P. Jones chaired the department from 1962 through 1987, Foster earned his Ph.D. in history at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill before joining the LSU faculty. His books include two highly acclaimed volumes on U.S. history, “Ghosts of the Confederacy: Defeat, the Lost Cause and the Emergence of the New South, 1865-1912” and “Moral Reconstruction: Christian Lobbyists and the Federal Legislation of Morality, 18651920.” He also served (in his words) as a “utility infielder,” rendering various services to the LSU Press and working on several universitywide committees. In 2004, Foster was appointed as the T. Harry Williams Professor of History. The late Dr. Williams was widely respected for his writings on the Civil War and the New South, and for theatrical classroom lectures that entertained and inspired LSU students of several generations. Foster also completed a four-year term as chair of the LSU Department of History, leading more than 25 faculty members, almost 500 declared majors, and 60 graduate students. “I told my wife the job was a bit like being a concierge. I was expected to help a large number of people do what they were interested in doing, and get where they needed to go. The disadvantages were not having a cool uniform to wear and not getting tips. For Christmas, she gave me a shirt with ‘Concierge’ embroidered over the pocket.” On a more serious note, Foster says, “I lived a charmed life for four years. The LSU history department is characterized by civility, cooperation and productivity. The scholarly pressures on faculty advancing through the ranks are real and growing, but if students seek personal attention and mentoring, they generally receive it. My vision for the department was for it to be a community where everyone’s primary identification was ‘student of history.’ This is the kind of setting I knew and enjoyed at Wofford. “Teaching history is as much fun as I thought it would be all those years ago as an undergrad,” says Foster. “The subject is a vast puzzle with important implications for society, and it is rewarding to try to define connections and contradictions through research and writing. It is equally exciting to help students grow in understanding and wisdom, inside and outside of class. I’m amazed and thankful every day that I can make a living doing something I would enjoy doing for free.” by Doyle W. Boggs ’70
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 15
1991
Reunion, Homecoming 2011 Class Chair, Leslee Houck Page Mark James is owner/partner of the recently formed commercial real estate firm Cypress Real Estate Partners LLC. James lives in Columbia, S.C., with his wife, Mills, and their three children.
1992
Reunion, Homecoming 2012 Class Chair, Nicholle P. Chunn Zachary Maddox and his wife, Dr. Samantha Kind Maddox ’93, live in Spartanburg. Samantha was named Spartanburg School District 7 Teacher of the Year in September. She is a language arts teacher at Spartanburg High School. Zachary works at Spartanburg Methodist College. Christopher Staubes III, a member of Clawson & Staubes LLC, recently was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the area of corporate law. Staubes has been with the firm since 1996. He and his wife, Tanya, live in Daniel Island, S.C. Amy Wood Kelly is a senior project manager for CaridianBCT, a medical devices company. She is assigned to the forecasting, planning and analysis area of the finance group. Kelly and her husband, Bryan, live in Englewood, Colo., with their daughter, Morgan. Living in Spartanburg, Margaret Green Young is a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. Young and her husband, Mike, the head men’s basketball coach at Wofford, have two children.
1993
Reunion, Homecoming 2013 Class Chair, Sarah C. Sawicki Jo Ellen Anthony Clubb was one of 60 new missionaries appointed by the International Mission Board in September 2009. Clubb and her husband, Scott, will be involved in field support with the European Peoples. The couple lives in Landrum, S.C.
recently opened his own law firm, Ryan Beasley Law, in Greenville. He previously had been associated with Price, Ashmore & Beasley. Ben Ratterree, owner of Blue Ridge Cabinetworks, was profiled in the Greenville Journal in October. The company participated in the LEED-certified restoration of the Wofford Environmental Studies Center at Glendale Shoals. Ratterree and his wife, Angie, live in Pauline, S. C. The couple has one child. Heath Sellers is owner and president of Innovative Recycling Solutions LLC. He lives in Greenville, S.C. Living in Lexington, S.C., Paul White is a sales representative for Pfizer. He and his wife, Dee Dee, have two children.
Alumni in the News
1997
Reunion, Homecoming 2017 Class Chair, Beth M. Guerrero Anthony Salley and his wife, Erin, live in Durham, N.C. Salley is a product and technology consultant with Amtrust Bank.
1998
Reunion, Homecoming 2018 Class Chair, Casey B. Moore Terence Bolton Crouch is university relations coordinator for Middlebury College. He lives in Washington, D.C. Dr. Christina Pitts Lynn is a psychiatrist at the Medical College of Georgia. She lives in North Augusta, Ga. Living in Washington, D.C., Dr. G. Michael Mikota is an analyst with the United States Government Accountability Office. David Ramseur is assistant vice president of commercial lending for Palmetto Bank. Ramseur had the distinction of being chosen as one of Greenville’s First Best & Brightest 35 and under. He was honored at an awards event in September at the BMW Performance Center. Ramseur lives in Greenville, S.C.
Templeton shares two days in Charleston with Sandra Day O’Connor Catherine Brawley Templeton ’93 (above right) recently entertained U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor (above left) for two days in Charleston, S.C., as they introduced O’Connor’s national Our Courts project. OurCourts.org is a free, highly beneficial, web-based resource for middle school social studies and government teachers to supplement their curriculum. The children learn about the judicial branch of government by playing interactive computer games, while the teachers have user friendly access to lesson plans and quizzes. Templeton is of counsel for the Ogletree Deakins law firm in Charleston. An article written by Templeton describing her days with O'Connor ran in S.C. Defense Trial Attorneys magazine. South Carolina was the jump off point for this project nationwide. (Travis Dew photo)
1999
10th Reunion, Homecoming 2009 Class Chair, Zack O. Atkinson Dr. Aaron Bliley and his wife, Melissa Langehans Bliley, live in Beaufort, S.C. Aaron is a practicing dentist in Beaufort. The couple has two sons, Jack (5) and Luke (1). Wes Hickman lives in Rock Hill, S.C., where he is Piedmont Regional Outreach director for U. S. Senator Lindsey Graham R-S. C. Hickman had served as press secretary for Senator Graham for eight years in Washington, D.C. Dr. Mark Roberts and his wife, Erika Hardee Roberts, live in Marion, S.C. Mark is a physician with Marion Regional Healthcare System. Erika enjoys being mom to their two children, Sophia and George. Dr. Kevin Walker and his wife, Shanna Alexander Walker, live in Greenville, S.C. Shanna is a stay-at-home mom for the couple’s daughter, Corine, and Kevin has a fellowship in pain management 1995 from Vanderbilt University. Reunion, Homecoming 2015 The law firm of Isenberg & Hewitt Class Chair, Brandie Yancey Lorenz announced in August the expansion of John Gage Breakfield lives in Flowery its law firm with the addition of associBranch, Ga., with his wife, Astrid, and their ate Hilary A. Wayne. Her primary focus two children. Breakfield is founding partner involves complex litigation in the firm’s of the law office Breakfield & Dean LLC. personal injury and premises liability group. Wayne lives in Atlanta, Ga.
1994
Reunion, Homecoming 2014 Class Chair, Alicia N. Truesdail Living in Hanover, Ind., Dr. Krista Hughes is assistant professor of theological studies at Hanover College. S. Elizabeth Likis-Werle and her husband, David, live in Greensboro, N.C. Likis-Werle was awarded a Greensboro Graduate Scholarship and is enrolled in the doctoral program in counseling and counselor education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is also a graduate assistant and research assistant in the department of counseling and educational development. Rodrick Stover and his wife, Chantel, live in Spartanburg. Stover is regional vice president for Waffle House serving the South Carolina and North Carolina territory. The couple has two children, Calyx and Nylah.
1996
Reunion, Homecoming 2016 Class Chair, Curt L. Nichols Jr. Attorney Ryan Beasley and his wife, Sarah, live in Greenville, S.C. Beasley
16 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
Stroup honored with Order of the Palmetto
Bill Kinney ’54 (left) and Dr. A.V. Huff ’59 (right), vice-chairman and chairman of the South Carolina Archives and History Commission, offer their congratulations to Dr. Rodger Stroup ’69 during his retirement reception on Oct. 11. Stroup stepped down this fall after a very successful tenure as director of the Department of Archives and History, which preserves and promotes the documentary and cultural heritage of the state through records management, archival care and preservation, public access, historic preservation, and education programs. During the reception, the SCDAH named a conference room at its headquarters in Stroup’s honor, and State Senator John Courson conferred the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s high decoration.
2000
Reunion, Homecoming 2010 Class Chair, Anthony D. Hoefer Jr. After spending two years of study at the Shepard Broad Law Center, Justin Alford changed careers and graduated in 2007 with highest honors from Gupton-Jones College of Funeral Service in Decatur, Ga. He apprenticed with SCI Corp. before receiving his license as embalmer and funeral director in the state of Georgia. Alford currently is primary arranger and funeral director at Sandy Springs Chapel Funeral Directors in Sandy Springs, Ga. Sam Harrelson has joined the faculty at Spartanburg Day School. He is teaching eighth grade physical science, robotics and design technology in the school’s science department. Harrelson is married to Dr. Anna Quinn-Harrelson. Dr. J. Aaron Hipp received his doctorate degree from the University of California at Irvine in June and is now an assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. 1st Lt. Kevin J. Sill and his wife, Hilary Ward Sill ’01, live in Killeen, Texas.
2001
Reunion, Homecoming 2011 Class Chair, Jenna S. Bridgers Living in Arlington, Va., Brooke Michelle Huntley is a district sales representative for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.
2002
Reunion, Homecoming 2012 Class Chair, L. Yorke Gerrald Matt Flynn is a sales consultant for Blue Ridge Log Cabins in Campobello, S.C. Flynn and his wife, Amber, live in Spartanburg with their son, Holden. Dr. Allyson Gibson lives in St. Louis, Mo., where she is a biomedical research engineer for Stereotaxis Inc. Living in Avon, Colo., Miller Harper is project manager for the real estate development firm East West Partners. Harper and his wife, Shipley, have a daughter, Elizabeth. Milton Johnson is a project manager for Johnson Development. He and his wife, Katherine, live in Birmingham, Ala. The couple has two children. Kris Neely, executive director of Success Initiative at Wofford, opened the Wet Paint Syndrome art gallery in Spartanburg in November. The gallery plays host to a “Pop-Up Gallery” once a month when local artists are encouraged to show their work. Neely and is wife, Patrice, live in Spartanburg.
2003
Reunion, Homecoming 2013 Class Chair, Tracy A. Howard F. J. Daniel Felder III joined The Palmetto Bank as vice president and credit administrator in September. Felder is a graduate of the South Carolina Bankers School, the South Carolina Bankers Association Commercial Lending School and Leadership Columbia. Living in Greenville, S.C., Amanda Osborne Odom is an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
2004
Reunion, Homecoming 2014 Class Chair, Fred A. Byers II Holly Smith Abbott and her husband, Matthew, live in Indianapolis, Ind. Abbott is an academic certification assistant at the NCAA Eligibility Center. She also completed her second full marathon in June and her third half-marathon in October. Dr. Virginia Clyburn graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina
in May. She will complete her residency in radiation oncology at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio following an intern year at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center. Clyburn lives in Union, S.C. Living in Washington, D.C., Matthew Howsare is legal counsel to the chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Inez Tenenbaum. John Kilgo lives in Greer, S.C., with his wife, Maury. Kilgo is a relationship banker with BB&T. Dr. Margaret E. Shreve-Angle and her husband, Lee, live in Knoxville, Tenn. Shreve-Angle is owner and a practicing doctor at Cervical Health Centers of America. Living in Seattle, Wash., Dr. Hitesh Gulab Tolani is a resident pediatric dentist at the University of Washington. Charlie Williams is associated with the law firm of Williams & Williams in its Orangeburg, S.C. location. Williams and his wife, Lauren, live in Summerton, S.C.
2006
Reunion, Homecoming 2016 Class Chair, Hadley E. Green Living in Columbia, S.C., Meg Beacham is assistant principal of the Capstone Scholars program at the University of South Carolina. Jayne Wilmot Koehler is a physician’s assistant for Palmetto Family Medicine. Koehler and her husband, Jonathan, live in Chapin, S.C. Congratulations to Derek Newberry, who received his law degree from the Charleston School of Law this year. Newberry lives in Spartanburg, where he is an attorney for Wilkes Bowers law firm. Jeffrey Rollison and his wife, Corey Wilson Rollison, live in Smyrna, Ga. Jeffrey is a revenue analyst for Delta Air Lines.
2007
Reunion, Homecoming 2017 Class Chair, Hunter L. Miller Living in Spartanburg, Erin Bailey is an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Alex Fridzon is chief operating officer for AD1 Wholesale LLC. In this capacity he is in charge of the financial areas of various real estate investment companies including: ADI Wholesale, SCA Commercial Real Estate, SCA Wholesale, The B Center, and ADI Management. Fridzon lives in Miami, Fla. Blake Miller is a pharmacy intern with CVS/Pharmacy. Miller and his wife, Dr. Jaime Pace Miller, live in Mint Hill, N.C. Catherine Jones Miller lives in Charlotte, N.C., with her husband, Hunter. Miller is a development associate for The Arts & Science Council. Jonathan Puryear received his juris doctor degree from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law and his master of business administration degree from Campbell’s LundyFetterman School of Business in May 2009. Puryear has joined the Tarboro, N.C., law firm Rountree and Boyette LLP as an associate attorney. Living in Greenville, S.C., Taite Quinn is territory manager for the pharmaceutical company Victory Pharma. Austin D. Somers is a settlement clerk for Pepsi Bottling Group Inc. He lives in Charlotte, N.C.
Dr. Chris Evans ’92
West Nile Virus... H1N1... EEE... Evans monitors infectious diseases for DHEC Consider the mosquito. The name is derived from the Spanish for “little fly.” During the fourth stage of their brief life cycle, female mosquitoes lay their eggs. They cannot breed in the open water of lakes or ponds because of depth, wave action, and predators, so they choose the shallow waters where there is no wave action and protection from minnows or other predators. They bite animals such as horses, birds and humans, drawing blood for food and then serve as a vector for a range of unpleasant diseases. This is where Dr. Chris Evans ’92 enters the picture. He is the head of the Medical Entomology section of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, or DHEC. “There are 61 species of mosquitoes in South Carolina, sometimes with very minute differences in what they look like, where they are found, and the kinds of viruses they can spread,” he says. “About 90 percent of my job is to conduct mosquito-borne disease surveillance in order to provide an early warning of epidemic activity and to prevent disease through control measures. “South Carolina has a network of 20 to 25 agencies in place to collect mosquito samples and it’s my job to coordinate testing for viruses in those samples, as well as integrating disease information from humans, birds, and animals,” Evans says. “We also respond to requests from physicians to examine a patient’s blood or spinal fluid for mosquito-borne diseases. We sometimes encounter cases of malaria or dengue fever imported from other countries. The exotic
chikungunya virus, which could potentially be transmitted to humans and livestock by the domestic Asian tiger mosquito, is feared to be the next emerging infectious disease in the United States. “We share information with the general public, the medical community and local mosquito control agencies,” Evans says. “Appropriate and timely response to surveillance data is the key to preventing human and animal disease. That response must include public education and mosquito control, especially during times of intense virus activity. Vaccines for people do not exist, so the best way to avoid getting sick is to be wary of mosquitoes and other vectors by using personal protection and preventing breeding sites in containers and other sites that hold water.” Evans arrived at his specialized vocation in an atypical way. He knew at Wofford that he was interested in a career in zoology, particularly in a field related to public health and genetics. After graduation, he was working with an agricultural engineer who suggested graduate studies in entomology at Clemson University and was helpful in identifying an assistantship. Evans first earned a master’s degree, and then in 2001 he completed his studies for a doctorate. Evans joined DHEC after finishing his dissertation, about the time West Nile virus began spreading in North America. WNV has been an interesting challenge that remains a priority for the medical entomology and public health communities, particularly since a major 2003 outbreak in South Carolina. Birds provide the main
reservoir for WNV. The virus may spread to humans when the season favors the mosquito vectors. Most people who become infected do not experience serious illness, but across the country this year, more than 300 people developed brain inflammations that can cause permanent disability or death. As of Nov. 3, there had been 26 fatalities this year, but none in South Carolina. Another daily concern for the DHEC staff is “the Triple-E” virus, eastern equine encephalitis. Significant outbreaks seem to come in nine-year cycles. EEE not only can take a deadly toll on valuable horses, but it also can move into the human population. Since 1964, there have been 66 human cases in Florida and 13 in South Carolina. However, the mortality rate in a major epidemic might approach one-third of the patients and approximately one-third of survivors would be left moderately or severely disabled. Evans and the limited number of laboratory professionals at DHEC also are proficient in other duties. Evans says that there was a period earlier this year when everyone worked almost around the clock to deal with the public health threat of the H1N1 flu virus. He also says that the public health lab continually exercises contingency plans for a bioterrorist event. “The first requirement for this kind of work is to be genuinely interested in the relevant scientific field,” Evans says. “We have to remain vigilant for newly emerging infectious diseases that have the potential to reach epidemic status in a short time.”
by Doyle Boggs ‘70
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 17
Pace named chaplain of Oxford College L
yn Pace ’99 knew exactly what he was getting into when he joined the staff of Oxford College as chaplain in July. Oxford’s small size (750 undergraduates who will join the larger Emory University campus in two years) and commitment to the liberal arts fit right into Pace’s vitae.
“I very much enjoy learning and working in the small campus environment,” says Pace. “I chose Wofford as my undergraduate college, Candler (which is a smaller seminary within a large university), then I came to Wofford again with the opportunity to cultivate a vocation in college chaplaincy. I like knowing
Lyn Pace ’99 (Emory University photo by Kay Hinton)
most of the people and having the sense of community… the idea that people are responsible for and accountable to each other.” Pace served as associate chaplain, director of service learning and director of the Bonner Scholars Program at Wofford before joining the Emory staff. “Lyn brings a passion for working with students and a commitment to service,” says Oxford Dean Stephen Bowen. “We are pleased to welcome him to Oxford, where service, leadership and interfaith community are so much a part of the experience. He will be instrumental in our strengthening that tradition and exploring new ways to make their time at Oxford even more spiritually meaningful for students.” At Oxford College, located on Emory University’s original 1836 campus in Oxford, Ga., Pace does a bit of everything. He advises different religious groups and the interfaith council, offers pastoral care and counseling to students, faculty and staff, serves as a liaison between the college and the United Methodist Church, participates in service-learning
and social justice initiatives, leads campus worship services and prays at a variety of college events. “This is definitely the kind of job that always changes. It’s never static,” says Pace. “I never know who’s going to walk through the door or what they’re going to share.” After graduating from Candler School of Theology in 2002, Pace served as a minister in the British Methodist Church to five small churches on the Isle of Wight. While he enjoyed serving the congregations, Pace knew he eventually wanted to work in campus ministry. “I met Talmage Skinner ’56, who was then the chaplain at Wofford, during my freshman year. I helped him during worship and with Wesley Fellowship. I watched him and felt like it was special work, and he was good at it,” says Pace. “Later at Candler, I met Susan Henry-Crowe, dean of the chapel and religious life at Emory. She became another mentor and role model.” From Skinner and HenryCrowe, Pace learned how to help students, and even faculty and staff, discover their callings. He’s
quick to point out that calling doesn’t necessarily mean career. “It could be gardening,” says Pace “I love helping people discern their gifts and make meaning from them.” Pace says that Skinner, HenryCrowe, and his stepfather, also a United Methodist minister, helped prepare him for ministry in general, but that Wofford’s Perkins Prothro Chaplain and Professor of Religion Ron Robinson ’77 helped him prepare for his new work as chaplain of a college. “Working with Ron for six years was a formative experience for me,” says Pace. “His leadership gave me the safety to explore some of my gifts and learn from my weaknesses without the risk of being in charge.”
by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
‘Mr. Mad Dog’ Madigan teaches for America J
ust a few months after graduation from Wofford, Nathan Madigan ’08 arrived in Newark, N.J. He had two bags of clothing, $50 in his pocket, and high hopes that his appointment to the Teach for America corps could help him make a difference. His assignment at Central High School involved ninth-grade environmental science and tenth-grade biology. Nearing the end of his two-year commitment to TFA, Madigan says he has learned a lot about life in a tough, inner city locale and about himself. “Little Bricks,” the school’s adjacent neighborhood, was the setting for a rash of violence a year ago and some of the public housing there is being phased out because of many issues with violence, gangs, drugs and derelict structures. Madigan gets up every morning at 5:30 a.m. and rides public transit to the school. As a white male with a Southern accent, he doubly stands out in a city where persons of color make up 92 percent of the population and the median household income barely exceeds $25,000. Yet, at the same time, all kinds of people from bus drivers to parents and teachers
18 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
have come to recognize him and understand why he is there. “Newark isn’t a place for the faint-hearted and there were difficult moments last year — no question about that.” Madigan says. “But there is a lot of hopefulness here, too. The new $110 million Central High School opened the same fall I arrived, and they have built in all of the latest learning technology. Test scores are still below the state average, but they are on the rise. The principal is a nationally known social activist, Ras Baraka. His father, Amiri Baraka, has been the poet laureate of New Jersey and is often listed as the founder of the Black Arts movement.” While educational techniques come and go, Madigan says he is convinced that the key factor in teaching is still “to make connections with the individual child.” In the afternoon and on weekends, he often stays at the school to do individual tutoring and attends sports events. He and his ninth grade environmental scientists have implemented a successful recycling program based on what Campus Union
did at Wofford during Madigan’s student days. Madigan says that the students in his single-gender classes were wary of him at first, but he found that they related more quickly to young teachers and soon there was a unique kind of relationship. “Some of them had a little trouble with my name, and it sounded like they were saying Mr. Mad Dog. The nickname stuck,” he smiles. Madigan learned about TFA during a conversation with Walter Issacson, CEO of the Aspen Institute, when he was in Colorado on an internship arranged by Wofford President Benjamin B. Dunlap. Just 20 years ago, TFA was only an idea, described by founder Wendy Kopp in her undergraduate thesis at Princeton University. Kopp raised $2.5 million in seed money and soon was able to send her corps of teachers into a number of eastern cities, including Newark. Over the past six years, Teach for America has expanded into a total of 35 urban centers, including Atlanta and Charlotte, and in 2009-2010 new TFA centers are being established
in Dallas, Boston, Milwaukee, Nashville, the Twin Cities and Tulsa. Business Week has rated TFA one of the 10 best ways for a college graduate to start into a career. The successful applicants for the corps, including two members of the Wofford Class of ’09, are among America’s best and brightest undergrads and future leaders. Nathan Madigan ’08 They receive good support and training based on the exact situation they will be entering. TFA teachers usually stay active in the organization as alumni, and they support their successors with mentoring and financial contributions. To find out more about this program, go to the Web site at www.teachforamerica.org. by Doyle Boggs ‘70
2008 Reunion, Homecoming 2018 Class Chair, Nathan Madigan
Shane Kirkley is an accountant with the firm of Cantey, Tiller, Pierce, and Green LLC. He lives in Lugoff, S.C.
2009
Katie Campbell has joined Clemson University as administrative assistant for the university’s donor services department. The National Association for Continence (NFAC) announced in October the addition of Leah Hyatt as health educator and member services associate. NFAC is a national nonprofit organization whose focus is public health and patient advocacy. Hyatt lives in Charleston, S.C. Living in Charleston, S.C., Mary Loyal Laffitte is associated with PURE Insurance. Elizabeth LaMance is enrolled in law school at Charleston School of Law. She lives in Mount Pleasant, S.C. Living in Atlanta, Ga., Abigail Linton is a part-time associate for Southern Proper, a men’s haberdashery. Amanda Lyons lives in Greenville, S.C., where she is an account executive with Ikon Office Solutions. Living in Spartanburg, Colleen Rice is executive assistant to Todd Picou, cofounder of Hospice Care of South Carolina and an entrepreneur who owns several other companies in Spartanburg. Anna Ruth Richardson is a service representative for the Social Security Administration. She lives in Columbia, S.C. Living in Charleston, S.C., Jacqueline Savage is enrolled in graduate school at the Medical University of South Carolina. Living in Chapel Hill, N.C., Douglas Thie is enrolled in graduate school at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Josh Shumaker is an admission representative for Virginia Intermont College. He lives in Bristol, Tenn. Michael Vaughn lives in St. Paul, Minn., where he is attending graduate school at Hamline University. Catherine Wetzig lives in Chicago, Ill., and is an associate for the market intelligence and strategic consulting firm Peacock Nine.
Sevic helps children discover their wings through Gem the Caterpillar
W
hen Andy Sevic ’98 visits elementary schools to read and talk with children about his book, “Gem the Caterpillar,” the most common questions he’s asked are: did you draw the pictures and did you make the stuffed caterpillar. Sevic shakes his head sorry to disappoint the children. “No,” he says, “I just wrote the book.” “Gem the Caterpillar” shares the story of a caterpillar that thinks he’s ordinary. He tries unsuccessfully to find his talent by copying others. Gem eventually discovers when he turns into a butterfly that “his one special something was waiting inside of him” all along. It’s a story that Sevic grew up hearing from his dad, Jim (yes, a homophone of Gem). “My dad always used the story of an ugly caterpillar to show us that we all have talents. We’re all unique, and if we listen to the right people Sevic and Gem and do the right things, we can become butterflies,” says Sevic. “This book is a way of telling my dad thank you for being such a great dad and putting up with me.” The book also carries a Methodist spin. In the dedication, Sevic writes, “To my dad who taught me that some things are unrevealed until its season.” The phrase comes from the Hymn of Promise from the United Methodist hymnal. Sevic, now a CPA with Elliott Davis, LLC, in Greenville, S.C., relates to Gem’s story and struggle to find his niche. After graduating from Wofford, he worked at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Seneca, S.C., as a youth director. Sevic explored several career options before enrolling in Clemson University’s MBA program. He graduated in 2002 and has been in public accounting ever since. Although he loves accounting, Sevic says he enjoyed the experience of writing a children’s book and working with a publisher. Sevic snuck names and physical features of friends into the words
and illustrations, and even let his niece, Brittany, and nephew, Bennett, children of Bunky ’90 and Lyn Sevic Joyce ’90, each name a bug. Writing a children’s book is something Sevic would do again, even though he’s already crossed it off of his “bucket list.” “When I was at Wofford, someone came and spoke to us about creating a life to-do list,” says Sevic. “I wrote down about 150 things. Becoming a published author was one of them, but I always thought it would be the next great American novel instead of a children’s book.” Four months ago, Sevic crossed another items off his list. He and his wife had their first child, a son named Bowman. Of course, Bo’s first book was the story of Gem the Caterpillar.
by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89
Gem the Caterpillar, printed by Tate Publishing, is for sale online through Amazon, Target, Books-a-Million and Barnes & Noble. Sevic sells signed copies as well. Contact him directly at andy@netmds.com.
New releases The Wofford bookshelf
Dr. Phyllis Horne Crain ’79 and Norman Jameson, “Mountains of Hope for Children in Need: A Tribute to the Crossnore School,” (www.crossnoreschool.org), 2008. Founded in 1913 and located in Avery County, N.C., Crossnore is a home for children from families in crisis, often suffering from abuse. “Mountains of Hope” is a series of sketches and profiles about 21 Crossnore alumni. Each child overcame difficult circumstances to forge a faithful, productive life and grow into a citizen who has enriched North Carolina. The recipient of Wofford’s Mary Mildred Sullivan Award in 2008, Crain has been the executive director Crossnore School since 1999. She is a stage-four cancer survivor who has not let her illness slow down her work in leading a complete renovation of campus, which now serves more than 200 children.
by Doyle Boggs ’70 Batt Humphreys ’77, “Dead Weight,” Charleston: Joggling Board Press, 2009. In his novel “Dead Weight,” Batt Humphreys ’77 carries the reader back to the Charleston of 1910 to tell two parallel stories. One is based on an actual murder of a Jewish merchant, the trial and hanging of a innocent black man, and the actions of the white community, including the Ku Klux Klan. The other is a first-person reaction from an outsider, a New York Tribune reporter named Hal Hinson, and his poignant and unusual love story. Humphreys spent 15 years in New York City as a senior producer at CBS News before moving with his wife, Laura, to a farm near Charleston. His career in journalism has involved many of the 21st century’s important stories, including the first hours of the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 19
SAVE THE DATE for 2010 Homecoming — Oct. 29-31
Susan and William Wimberly ’65 sent in this photo of their grandchildren decked out in Wofford attire. Left to right are: Sally Clarke (age 2), Fritz (age 2), William (age 4), Harris (age 10 months), and Mark (age 2). William and Sally Clarke belong to Chris ’95 Wimberly and Mark, Fritz and Harris belong to Mark ’99 and Ashley Grubbs Wimberly ’99.
Family Weekend — Oct. 15-17 Check alumni.wofford.edu for the most current alumni dates and registration information.
(Above L to R) Christie Turner Lucas '90, her husband Charles, and Franklin Daniels '91 enjoy the Myrtle Beach Gathering at the home of Katy Close '83 on November 12. (Right) Tolli Tatum Rosol, daughter of Dr. Vicki Tatum ’86 and her husband, Rob Rosol, played at the victory party after The Citadel game in Charleston. (Below) Richard ’69 and Mary Hope Rhodes tailgating with friends at Homecoming.
Some of 54 participations in Wofford’s “Seminar in Orbit XI” pose in front of St. Philip’s Church in downtown Charleston. The group to explored the work of the Historic Charleston Foundation. Special thanks go to Kitty Robinson, executive director, and to Leigh Handel for their work in opening doors not only south of Broad Street but in the Ansonborough and MayzckWraggsborough neighborhoods along the Cooper River.
20 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
Changing Lives Wofford changes lives every day; watch this video to see how. http://www.wofford.edu/sightsAndSounds/
Wofford Weddings
(Top) Chairman of the Board Hugh Lane welcomes Jim Crawford ’10 and his parents Jim ’78 and Marianne Crawford to his reception during Family Weekend. (Below) Several families enjoy the porch of McGehee 130 during the Puttin’ on the Dog Party.
1994
2004
2007
Everett Keith Chandler married Shannon Denise Matthews, Oct. 10, 2009. The couple resides in Graniteville, S.C. He is the sole practitioner in The Chandler Law Firm in Aiken, and she is the sole practitioner with the Law Office of Shannon D. Matthews in Columbia.
Susan Elliott Bates married Paul Anderson Cooper, Oct. 3, 2009. They live in Charleston, S.C. She is a development associate for Darkness to Light. He received a juris doctorate from the Charleston School of Law and is a project leader for the Conservation Land Company.
1998
2005
David Dillard Ramseur marriedTracy Ann Duffy, Oct. 17, 2009.They reside in Greenville, S.C. He is the assistant vice president of commercial lending at The Palmetto Bank. She is the development coordinator for the City of Greenville. Robert J. Stein married Paige Allen, Feb. 21, 2009.The couple lives in Apex, N.C. He is associated with Crothall Services Group where he is the regional manager for the environmental services departments at Duke University Medical Center.
Lillian Marshall Coleman married John Clarke Newton, Oct. 17, 2009.The couple resides in Columbia, S.C. She is a third-year student at the University of South Carolina School of Law. He earned his juris doctorate from the University of South Carolina School of Law and is a Richland County public defender. Catherine Carmichael Powell married Jason Whetstone Regan, Oct. 3, 2009.They reside in Mount Pleasant, S.C. He is a project manager with Hill Construction in Charleston. Erin Colleen Welch married Christopher Lane Hill, Sept. 5, 2009. The couple resides in Spartanburg. She is an administrative assistant with Enternet Homes.com. He is the controller at The Carolina Country Club.
Andrew Fayette Barnes married Holly Elizabeth Marsh, July 4, 2009.The couple lives in Columbia, S.C. He is a student at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. Catherine Lewell Jones married Hunter Leslie Miller, Sept. 19, 2009.The couple resides in Charlotte, N.C. She is a development specialist at the Arts and Science Council and he is an associate with Wells Fargo in Charlotte. Morgan Victoria Reynolds married Jeffrey Gray Turner, Sept. 26, 2009. They live in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He is a commercial appraiser for Georgetown County. Eric Alan Sturkie married Emily Kay Dengler ’09, July 19, 2009. The couple resides in Lexington, S.C. She attends the University of South Carolina Medical School and he is a teacher in Lexington One School District.
1999 Joshua Doyle Roberts married Katherine Ann Ogletree, Oct. 3, 2009. They reside in Myrtle Beach, SC. He is a manager with Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority and she is a fourth grade teacher at Seaside Elementary School in Garden City.
2002 Keating Simons Coleman married Patrick Haynes Lowery, July 18, 2009. The couple resides in Memphis, Tenn. She received her juris doctorate from the Mississippi College School of Law. He is a certified public accountant with Frazee Ivy Davis, P.L.C. in Memphis.
2006 Sophie Whitener Lane married Romeo Jarrett Martin, Oct. 24, 2009. The couple lives in Columbia, S.C. She is associated with the Office of Senator Lindsey Graham in Columbia. He is employed by Mar Mac Wire Inc. Ellen Rogers married Devin KirkWilson, Jan. 24, 2009. They reside in Cullowhee, N.C. She is a secretary forWebster Baptist Church in Webster, N.C.
2009 Joshua William Harris married Cassandra Lynn Morrow, July 25, 2009. The couple lives in Moore, S.C. He is a counselor at Glenn Springs Academy. She is associated with Spartanburg School District Seven. Jamie Leigh Nichols married Thomas Clark Powell. The couple resides in Birmingham, Ala. They are both graduate students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She is working on her master’s in public health and he on his M.D. and M.P.H. degrees Christine Louise Reynolds married William Weldon Cunningham IV, Oct. 10, 2009. The couple lives in Birmingham, Ala.
Births 1990 Alecia Waddell Gilmore and her husband, Jay Gilmore, of Boiling Springs, S.C., announce the birth of Madison Annette Gilmore, April 23, 2009.
1996 Janelle Harris Thomas and her husband, Robert, of Greer, S.C., announce the birth of Lilian James Thomas, June 25, 2009.
1997
About 30 Wofford people attended the Charleston Law School dinner on Oct. 29 hosted by John and Carol Benfield. Above are (left to right) Kelly Turek ’09, Elizabeth LeMance ’09, S.C. Supreme Court Associate Justice Johnny Waller ’59, and Wofford pre-law advisor Dr. John Fort ’74.
Alumni Travel and Continuing Education Events Jan. 25......................................................Civil War Roundtable Feb. 22.......................................Revolutionary War Roundtable June 23 - July 2.............................. Italian Riviera & Chianti Trip Aug. 12-21.................................................... British Landscapes For more information, contact Charlie Gray at graych@wofford.edu or visit alumni.wofford.edu.
Beth Mangham Guerrero and her husband, Tim, of Alta Loma, Calif., announce the birth of Rush Maverick Guerrero, April 20, 2009. Anthony Salley and his wife, Erin, of Durham, N.C., announce the birth of Griffin Daniel Gutebier-Salley, Aug. 25, 2009. Stephen W. Whitaker and his wife, Avery, of Charleston, S.C., announce the birth of Avery Symone Whitaker, Feb. 9, 2009. Jeanette Cahill Williams and her husband, Edward, of Mullica Hill, N.J., announce the birth of Peyton Elizabeth Williams, Aug. 18, 2009.
1998 Adrianne Porter Ochoa and her husband, Fernando, of Acworth, Ga., announce the birth of Mateo Nathaniel Ochoa, Aug. 1, 2009. Krista Martin Parrish and her husband, Shane, of Boiling Springs, S.C., announce the birth of twin boys, Gabriel Ethan Parrish and Hunter Mason Parrish, May 21, 2009.
1999 Laurie Spivey Edmondson and her husband, Scott, of Los Angeles, Calif., announce the birth of Charles“Charlie” Lowell Edmondson, Aug. 7, 2009.
Amanda Davis Edwards and her husband, Gil, of Canton, Ga., announce the birth of Gilmer Allen Edwards IV “Ivey”, July 22, 2009. Dr. Mark Wimberly and his wife, Ashley Grubbs Wimberly, of Summerville, S.C., announce the birth of Harris Wimberly, Nov. 21, 2008.
2000 Stefanie Weisman Plexico and her husband, Lowry Darby Plexico III ’01, of Columbia, S.C., announce the birth of Mary Grace Plexico, July 9, 2009.
2002
2004 Kenny Camacho and his wife, Meredith Dobish Camacho ’06, of Columbia, S.C., announce the birth of Evangeline Wren Camacho, Aug. 10, 2009. Robert E. Tibbets and his wife, Mary Cromley Tibbets, of Rockville, Md., announce the birth of Henry Duncan Tibbets, July 17, 2009.
2009 Brandon Grigg and his wife, Megan, of Boiling Springs, S.C., announce the birth of Cameron Wilson Grigg, Oct. 22, 2009.
Amber Bagby Glidewell and her husband, Ross, of Greenville, S.C., announce the birth of Ramsey Elizabeth Glidewell, June 18, 2009. Miller Harper and his wife, Shipley, of Avon, Colo., announce the birth of Elizabeth “Croft’ Harper, Sept. 25, 2009. Ryan Langley and his wife, Leigh Anne, of Spartanburg, announce the birth of Lilla Mills Langley, Sept. 23, 2009.
2003 Regina Lynch Eudy and her husband, Matt, of Greer, S.C., announce the birth of Jason Reid Eudy, Sept. 4, 2009. Elizabeth Rockafellow Helmbodt and her husband, Niles, of Columbia, S.C., announce the birth of Ned Helmboldt, June 29, 2009. Matthew Blake Kendrick and his wife, Anna, of Greenwood, S.C., announce the birth of Winston Miles Kendrick, Sept. 19, 2009. Michael Montgomery and his wife, Beth, of Columbia, S.C., announce the birth of Mary Hall Montgomery, July 10, 2009.
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 21
Christmas Gift Ideas Hoodies • Polos • Wine Glasses • Hats Under Armour • Gloves • Prints Blankets • Ties • Running Gear Jackets • Child & Infant Wear AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!
Tent Special! On Sale...$200 (regularly $250)
3 Ways to Shop: 1. Visit: 501 North Church Street on the Wofford Campus • 2. Call: 864.582.6514 • 3. Log onto: www.wofford.bkstr.com
Just in time for the holidays! The Wofford College National Alumni Association is offering this special edition print of historic Main Building.
Make this extraordinary rendering of “Old Main” a part of your home or office this holiday season. Order the print alone or framed in an elegant black frame with a black and gold mat. See all the details by visiting: www.wofford. edu/alumni/woffordMerch.aspx
Order Yours Today!
22 • Wofford Today • Winter 2009
Information: contact Charlie Gray at (864) 597-4207 or graych@wofford.edu
DEATHS 1933
Jordan Arthur Dean, Aug. 31, 2009, Clemson, S.C. Mr. Dean served as assistant headmaster at Castle Heights Military Academy before accepting an offer as a foreign language faculty member at Clemson College (now University). He was called to active duty in 1941 as a second lieutenant in the Army and was discharged with the rank of major and eventually retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of lieutenant colonel. After the war, he returned to Clemson where he taught mostly French and retired from the university in 1977. A scholarship was established in his honor in 2007 to assist language students with studyabroad expenses. A member of Clemson United Methodist Church, he served 50 years as the Sunday School treasurer. An avid gardener, he hybridized daylilies of which “Clemson” is registered with the American Hemerocallis Society.
1940
Robert Beasley Gamble, Oct. 18, 2009, Lake City, S.C. A retired U.S. Army colonel who served in World War II and the Korean War, Mr. Gamble was the owner of Gamble Oil Company and later worked in real estate. A member of Lake City United Methodist Church, he was a former Sunday School teacher and served on the finance and building committees. Mr. Gamble was a Rotarian, a trustee for Garden City Chapel, president of the South Carolina Reserve Officers Association and the board of Pee Dee Production Credit.
1941
James Cotesworth Ritter, Oct. 14, 2009, Midland, Mich. Mr. Ritter was a semi-retired treasurer for A.M.P.M. Inc. Memorials may be made to the Peele-Ritter Scholarship Fund at Wofford.
1942
Cary Talmage Isley Jr., Sept. 28, 2009, Fountain Valley, Calif. Mr. Isley was a retired engineer.
1943
Tyrus “Ty” Raymond Wood, Oct. 5, 2009, Spartanburg, Mr. Wood was retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He was a talented basketball and baseball player, serving as the batboy for the American Legion World Championship team in 1936 and captain of the 1938 team. Later, he was an outstanding player in the textile leagues and semi-professional baseball. He was a member of the Morningside Baptist Church where he was a member of the Friendship Sunday School class. He was also a member of the American Legion, St. John’s Masonic Lodge #333, a 32nd degree Mason, and the Hejaz Shrine.
1950
Donald Benjamin Greene, Oct. 28, 2009, Spartanburg. A U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, Mr. Greene was retired from GMAC with 35 years of service. He was working in guest services at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center at the time of his death. Mr. Greene won a series of honors for his volunteer work. He was a hospice volunteer for 21 years with 5,000 volunteer hours. He was a past president of the Hospice Board, was named the 1992 Spartanburg Health Person of the Year, and received The William Rhodes Cantrell
Award of Hospice Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in 2000. He was a member of Morningside Baptist Church, where he was a former deacon. Dr. Rufus Gray Hoover, Aug. 31, 2009, Charlotte, N.C. Dr. Hoover served in the U.S. Army from 1942 until 1946, and practiced dentistry in Charlotte for almost 40 years.
1951
Billy Sparks Genoble, Aug. 31, 2009, Union, S.C. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he served during the Korean War and was a recipient of the Bronze Star. He was also a former member of the South Carolina National Guard. Mr. Genoble retired from J.P. Stevens and the South Carolina Department of Corrections. He was a member of Mon Aetna Baptist Church where he was a member of the Tom Alexander Sunday School Class. Mr. Genoble was the past master of the Rutledge Masonic Lodge #351, a member of the American Legion Post #22. He served on the Salvation Army Board.
1953
Henry Radcliffe Sims, Sept. 19, 2009, Orangeburg, S.C. Mr. Sims was a U.S. Army veteran. He was president of Henry Sims Securities Inc. from 1967 to 1977 and retired as the securities advisor for the Lowman Home of S.C. Mr. Sims received the “The Order of the Palmetto” from Gov. Riley in 1987, and the “Special Appreciation Certificate” from Gov. Campbell in 1990. A former member of the South Carolina State Development Board. He chaired the South Carolina Jobs-Economics Development Authority. He also formerly served as director of Southern National Bank; Bankers Trust of S.C.; NCNB South Carolina; NationsBank of S.C.; a member of the Orangeburg Airport Commission, and a trustee of Limestone College.
1957
Lindsay Cody Robinson, Sept. 2, 2009, Brevard, N.C. Mr. Robinson was a teacher, principal, and a superintendent of schools before becoming director of data systems for DHEC. Before retiring to the mountains of North Carolina where he founded and operated a home inspection business with his son, Robinson lived in Columbia, S.C. He had a lifelong passion for music and sang with The Palmetto Masters. He was active in the Brevard Little Theatre and CATS, where he also participated on stage. An elder in the Presbyterian Church for 35 years, he was an active member of the Seven Oaks Presbyterian Church in Columbia and more recently attended Carson Creek Baptist Church in Brevard. His hobbies included being a Silver Life Master bridge player, travel, and fixing things.
1961
Dr. Harold Edward Fleming, Nov. 7, 2009, Spartanburg. A cardiologist and internist, Dr. Fleming was a leader in Spartanburg’s medical community for more than 35 years. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care and served as its first chief of staff. An advocate for economic development in Spartanburg, Dr. Fleming was the founding and managing partner of Carolina Medical Associates and was instrumental in the development of North Grove Medical Park. A lifelong
civic leader and volunteer, Fleming was honored in 2005 with the Harold E. Fleming Chair of Philosophy at Converse College. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church.
1962
Barnwell “Barnie” Rhett Baker Jr., Nov. 10, 2009, Augusta, Ga. A U.S. Navy veteran, Mr. Baker served aboard the U.S.S. Fiske in the Mediterranean during the 1950s. In 1951, he was the chief chemist at Gerber Baby Foods in Asheville, N.C. He moved to Augusta, Ga. in 1972, to become the director of quality assurance at Castleberry’s Food Co. He was a senior quality assurance engineer at Westinghouse Savannah River Co. in 1990 and retired from there in 2005. He was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Augusta for more than 37 years.
1970
Phillip Charles Katrosh, Aug. 19, 2009, Woodruff, S.C. Mr. Katrosh was a retired sales representative with the Tryon Daily Bulletin. He was the owner of Ka-Go Convenience Store in Woodruff from 1972 to 1996 and formerly owned the Woodruff Coin Shop. Having served from 1961 to 1965, he was a U.S. Air Force Veteran, and was member of the American Legion in Woodruff.
1971
Charles Richard “Dick” Kelly, Nov. 15, 2009, Columbia, S.C. Mr. Kelly was an attorney in the attorney general’s consumer fraud and anti-trust office during the 80s. He then spent more than 20 years in private practice in Columbia.
How to Keep i
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1974
1975
Steven W. Linder, Sept. 23, 2009, Spartanburg. Mr. Linder was a former assistant coach and taught at Spartanburg High School for 31 years. He was a teacher at Camp White Pines. He was a member of Clifton First Baptist Church and attended Bunton Institutional Church.
Wofford Coll ege Office of De velopment 429 North C hurch Street Spartanburg , SC, 29303-3 663 Named endow
1979
Cecil Clifton Corbett III, Sept. 24, 2009, St. Petersburg, Fla. Mr. Corbett died after fighting a courageous battle with cancer.
ed opportun For further in ities are also formation, ca available. ll or write Sm pattersonds@ it h P atterson ’67, wofford.edu at 864-597-4 200.
1982
2008
Jonathan A. McCollough, Oct. 16, 2009, Sumter, SC.
rial gifts
amily memb ers, classmates , fellow alum may wish to ni and friend make a mem s orial by mean Wofford Coll s of a gift to ege. Alumni class endowed m em o rials are place scholarship fu d in the nd placed in the Wofford Mem . Gifts for non-alumni ar e o rial Endowed The name of the memorial Scholarship F iz und ed Honor Roll o f Donors. Nex person is printed yearly in s. tthe of-kin receiv memorial gift e notification s. o f Checks payab le to Wofford person mem indicating th orialized sho e name of th uld be sent to e :
Ronald “Ron” David Jones, Sept. 18, 2009, Wellford, S.C. Mr. Jones was a mathematics teacher at Dorman High School.
Timothy M. Wheatley, Oct. 5, 2009, Monkton, Md. Killed in a traffic accident, Mr. Wheatley was the business editor for the Baltimore Sun. He started his journalism career at the Spartanburg Herald-Journal and held positions at the Florida Times Union, Columbus LedgerEnquirer, Minneapolis Star Tribune and Indianapolis Star. He was a past vice president of the Associated Press Sports Editors Association and a member of Grace Fellowship Church.
n Touch
e are interested in section of Woff your news for the “For an d About Alum or d Today. Her more common ni” e are answers ly asked proce to some of the d ural question Touch” colum s about our “K n. eeping in Members of th e W off or d st aff in Alumni, Communicat ions and Mar Development keting welcom and alumni conta e phone calls ct informatio to n u p an d at d make every promptly to yo effort to respon e ur requests. In d m updates in “K ost cases, how eeping in Tou ever, we cann ch” unless the ot include writing. information is su b mitted in Many people use the envelo of Wofford T pes included oday as a con in almost ever venient way to y issue checks for the send their allAnnual Fund important , and we enjo information w y finding perso hen we open nal notes and them. Address chan ges and other news for Woff posted online ord Today can at the college Web site, but be information vi you also may a e-mail to al send such umni@woffor news releases, d.edu. While clippings and we draw from other public so alumni, we w urc ill not publish unverified info es of good news about is submitted by rmation abou a classmate or t you that some other th electronic mes ird party. Ther sages for “Kee efore, all ping in Touch e-mail address ” must includ and are subje e a ct return to a request for Because our sp verification. ace is limited quarterly pub an d timeliness is lication, we u a challenge in sually can’t pu anticipated ev a blish news co ents, such as ncerning wedding enga births of child gements or ex ren. Of cours pected e, we do appre to share news ciate the oppor of such events tunity after they occu announcemen r. We like to p ts of alumni ca ublish ndidacies for is scheduled at public office least 30 days if the election after our anti cipated date of publication.
Friends
Elizabeth Wertz Beacham, Sept. 20, 2009, Greenville S.C. Mrs. Beacham was a homemaker and member of Fourth Presbyterian Church. She was the widow of Marion W. Beacham Sr. ’37, the mother of Marion W. Beacham Jr. ’66, and David Beacham ’77, as well as the grandmother of Margaret D. Beacham ’06. Arthur Lee Miller, Sept. 15, 2009, Spartanburg, S.C. Mr. Miller was employed by Wofford College in the maintenance department. He was a member of the Church of Christ in Sigsbee, S.C. Mildred Conner Read Patton, Nov. 10, 2009, Tryon, N.C. Mrs. Patton taught science and worked in the computer center at Wofford. She was the spouse of Dr. E. Gibbes Patton, professor of biology, emeritus at Wofford and the mother of Charlotte Patton Tinsley ’75, Ernest “Buzz” G. Patton, Jr. ’77, C. Read Patton ’79, and Stephen L. Patton.
Winter 2009 • Wofford Today • 23
Postmaster: Send PS 3579 to Wofford College 429 N. Church Street Spartanburg, SC 29303-3663
Wofford Today
We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee. Marian Wright Edelman first recipient of the Sandor Teszler Award, 2006
Unless you can see every community around the world where a Wofford graduate lives, works or raises a family, you may never witness the full impact of your yearly gift to the Wofford Annual Fund. Regardless, the difference is there, and your gift made it.
Make your gift to the Wofford College Annual Fund before Dec. 31 to be counted as a 2009 contributor. To make a gift, visit the college’s Web site at www.wofford.edu, call 864-597-4191 or return the enclosed envelope with your check.