Connection Magazine Spring 2011

CONNECTIONsPrinG 2011, Vol. XX, no. 2

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Published by University Communications A Division of University Advancement

231 West hancock streetMilledgeville, GA 31061

PresidentDorothy Leland

Vice President for ExternalRelations and UniversityAdvancement Amy Amason

Associate Vice Presidentfor StrategicCommunicationsharry Battson

Associate Vice Presidentfor Development and AlumniRelationsBill Doerr

Director of Alumni Relationsherbert Agnew, (’04)

Editor Kyle Brogdon, (’96)

WritersJudy Bailey Candace Morrow Al Weston

DesignJon scott, (’83)

Photographytim Vacula, (’86)

Cover Dr. Kenneth saladin

Georgia’s current economy haschallenged our university. Challengedus to find new ways to limit our costs;to continue improving the teaching

and learning process while balancing strainedbudgets; to help students find ways to pay fortheir college education; to embark on theuniversity’s first-ever comprehensive fundraisingcampaign.

Georgia College has always responded withingenuity and dedication to the challenges weface.

Nowhere is that more evident than in this editionof Connection. Our cover story is about Dr. KenSaladin, a professor whose generosity will benefitstudents, faculty and future generations atGeorgia College. His gifts, made possible by hisworld-renowned textbooks, support studentscholarships, improvements to sciencelaboratories, the Natural History Museum andnow will create an endowed professorship for pre-medical advising. I am humbled by Dr. Saladin’sgenerosity.

His generosity, he hopes, will inspire others. Justas he was inspired a year ago when Connectionran the story about alumna Martha Newell and

her pledge to donate $1 million for a visitingscholar, Professor Saladin hopes that his gift toGeorgia College will inspire others to give as well.

That is the basis for our comprehensivefundraising campaign—that our faculty and staff,alumni, parents of students and friends willsupport our efforts in whatever manner they can.Georgia College always fares well when US News& World Report issues its rankings of colleges anduniversities. But did you know that one of themeasurements for our ranking is the percentageof alumni who make a donation to the college? It’snot the size of the gift, but the fact that ouralumni are willing to support us monetarily in anyamount. Your donation not only helps theuniversity and its students, it also helps to raisethe prestige and visibility of your alma mater andyour degree.

We are committed to providing an excellenteducation for our students at an affordable price.Your support can help us meet that pledge. Thisspring, you may receive literature or calls askingyou to contribute to the campaign. We arecounting on you to be our “Pillars for the Future”in our Campaign to Sustain Excellence atGeorgia’s Public Liberal Arts University.

Letter froM the PresiDent

Please send change of addressand class notes to:

University AdvancementCampus Box 113

Milledgeville, GA [email protected]

gcsu.edu

President Dorothy Leland

Inspired by others to make a difference

Dorothy LelandPresident

Contents

4 Up front

8 homecoming

10 Cover story

13 heritage and history

14 People

16 Campaign

18 faculty

24 sports

28 Alumni Awards

30 Class notes

C O N N E C T I O N M A G A Z I N E | S P R I N G 2 0 1 1

20

23

Georgia College’s liberal artsmission piqued Dr. MelanieDeVore’s interest in 1999 whenshe was looking for a teachingcareer home.

6 Bobcat statues are on the prowl in Milledgeville.

science to serve strengthens community outreach atGeorgia College.

4 Georgia College Connection • spring 2011

UPfront

Georgia College ranks in

‘100 Best Valuesin Public Colleges’

Georgia College once again has been cited as one of thenation's "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" by Kiplinger'sPersonal Finance magazine.

"We're pleased that Georgia College continues to berecognized for both its outstanding public liberal arts educationand its affordable cost," said President Dorothy Leland. "Thisonce again affirms our goal of providing an educationalexperience that rivals the best private schools, but at a publicuniversity price."

Schools listed in Kiplinger's “100 Best Values in PublicColleges” are recognized for their combination of top-tieracademics and affordable costs. Georgia College is one of threeGeorgia schools included in Kiplinger's rankings, alongside theUniversity of Georgia and Georgia Tech.

“Despite rising tuition costs, there are still many first-rateinstitutions providing outstanding academics at an affordableprice,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s. “Schools like theseon the Kiplinger 100 list prove graduates can enter the workforcewith a great education—and without a huge cloud of debt.”

Georgia College launches three-year science degree programGeorgia College is launching a program to enable chemistry and physics majors to graduate within

three years by joining a residential learning community on campus.By attending year-round classes, students can save at least $15,000 in tuition and housing costs in

pursuit of their bachelor’s degrees, according to Dr. Ken McGill, chair of the Department of Chemistry,Physics and Astronomy at Georgia College.

“This program should have strong appeal for students who plan to obtain a bachelor’s degree inchemistry or physics before entering graduate school in engineering, medicine, pharmacology or relatedfields,” McGill said.

Enrollment in the program has begun. The initiative will accept about 150 students who all will resideat The Village apartments on the university’s West Campus.

“Entering freshmen will be strongly encouraged to enroll in this program,” McGill said. “It’s notmandatory, but it’s overwhelmingly to the student’s benefit to join the residential learning community. Thesense of community will be a huge factor for them.”

Prospective students will complete the normal Georgia College application process. The university willcontact students expressing interest in chemistry or physics about the three-year residential learningcommunity program.

WRGC: Georgia College public radio

Classical music, in-depth news and local programmingnow fills the sound waves across middle Georgia.

Georgia College President Dorothy Leland flipped theswitch Thursday, March 31 to put the university’s new publicradio station, WRGC-FM, 88.3 on the FM dial, on the air.

“WRGC provides another link between the university andthe middle Georgia community, as the station will offer publicaffairs programming as well as information about GeorgiaCollege, its mission and activities,” Leland said. “Weencourage our neighbors to tune in and become loyal listenersto all we have to offer.”

Through an agreement with Georgia Public Broadcasting(GPB), the station will air public radio programs to 62,000listeners in Baldwin, Putnam, Morgan, Jones, Wilkinson andparts of Jasper County.

Broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week, WRGCinitially will carry the complete GPB programming package.Gradually, it will add up to 15 hours of local programming,including news items, calendar information, musicalentertainment and public affairs shows.

“WRGC will fill a void in middle Georgia,” saidOperations Manager Mike Wooten, a broadcast journalist with13 years of radio experience. “This is the first time that manyarea listeners will have a great signal for GPB and NationalPublic Radio (NPR).”

“We’ve got the best-of-the-best equipment to produce andbroadcast quality sound for the listeners,” said Bill Wendt,Georgia College manager of television services, whospearheaded the effort to make the station a reality.

65Georgia College Connection • spring 2011

WRGC Operations Manager Mike Wooten.

Georgia College’s student newspaper, The Colonnade, earnedsixth best college newspaper at this year’s southeast JournalismConference in troy, Ala.

The Colonnade competed with 32 other schools, includingAuburn University, Mississippi state University, the University oftennessee and samford University.

“the staff, writers and photographers have put in 110 percent tomake this year's paper the best it can be, and i think it shows,” saideditor in Chief Matt Chambers, who guides the weekly newspaper’sstaff of around 30 students.

The Colonnade is the official student newspaper of GeorgiaCollege. this weekly newspaper informs and entertains students,faculty, staff and alumni about events concerning the campuscommunity. the official Colonnade website is at gcsunade.com.

Colonnadesixth best collegenewspaper

View the launch of WrGC at gcsu.edu/connection

UPfront

Georgia College Connection • spring 20116

Artistic bobcat statues now prowling Georgia College campus

The Georgia College campus is now home to three new bobcat statues,donated by community members to build school spirit on campus.

This project is the brainchild of local businessman Frank Chambers,who has worked on the idea for more than two years. Chambers and hiswife, Joann (’80), and Wilkinson County Bank made the first donation for astatue, which now stands in front of Atkinson Hall.

Two other bobcat statues have taken their place on campus: one outsideMagnolia Ballroom, made possible by the Georgia College StudentGovernment Association; and another in front of the Centennial Center andtennis courts, donated by local business owners Mitch and Debbie Melder.

“We felt the statues are just one way the community can show itsappreciation for the university and its cultural and economic impact on thesurrounding middle Georgia community,” Chambers said.

Georgia College students Cara Powell and Hannah Sadowski designedthe bobcat statues. Art Department students, under the direction of ChairBill Fisher, helped sketch, tile, paint and seal the surfaces.

“The Bobcats are a great way to inspire Georgia College pride across thecampus and our community,” said President Dorothy Leland.

Three more Bobcat statues are currently in development.

Joann and frank Chambers with their Atkinson hall Bobcat statue.

The Society for Research in Child Development chose GeorgiaCollege sophomore Raisa Martinez to participate in its Marchconference and its program that pairs minority undergraduatestudents with both a graduate student and senior scholar mentor forsix years.

The psychology major researches child development in GeorgiaCollege’s infant development lab, alongside psychology professorDr. Karen Bendersky.

“She has the characteristics of a student who will be successfulin graduate school and in the field,” Bendersky said. “She's anexceptional student who embodies the concept of learning outsidethe classroom.”

That focused interest took Martinez to a psychology conferencein Canada as an undergraduate scholar among an elite worldwidefraternity of psychologists specializing in child development.

“I am overwhelmed in a good way," Martinez said. “This isfantastic to meet and learn from others about childhooddevelopment. It's my passion.”

Psychology major tapped for prestigious scholarship

sophomore psychology major raisa Martinez with Dr. Karen Bendersky.

For the latest news from Georgia College, visit info.gcsu.edu

see the unveilings of all three Bobcat

statues at gcsu.edu/connection

Georgia College Connection • spring 2011 7

‘The Cartoons of FlanneryO’Connor’ published byGeorgia College

The Cartoons of Flannery O’Connor at GeorgiaCollege, a 112-page, soft-cover coffee table book,provides the never before assembled and publishedcollection of the author’s cartoons that appeared infour Georgia College publications during herundergraduate years, 1942-45.

“the humor is silly, even outrageous,” wrote Dr.sarah Gordon, Georgia College professor emerita ofenglish, in her introduction to the book. “the sameimpulse that would later lead flannery o’Connor tocreate the sharp-edged and often wickedly funnycharacters in her fiction drove her popular cartoons(mostly lino-cuts) in her years at GsCW…”

the book cover features a graphic signature thato’Connor used, combining her initials, M, o’C and f(Mary flannery o’Connor) to create a caricature of abird. While some of the cartoons were digitallyenhanced for the publication, care was taken not toalter the art.

the cartoons originally appeared in TheColonnade student newspaper, The Spectrumyearbook, The Corinthian literary magazine and theAlumnae Journal. Also included are cartoons thato’Connor drew earlier for The Peabody Palladium,the student newspaper of Peabody high school inMilledgeville.

The Cartoons of FlanneryO’Connor at Georgia Collegeis on sale for $16.99 plusshipping and handling.orders may be placed by [email protected] orat gcsu.edu/flannerycartoons.

Eight Georgia College marketing seniors developed astrategic marketing campaign for neighboring Sandersville andWashington County as their senior capstone project during fallsemester 2010.

The students worked with Kim Jackson of WashingtonCounty’s Archway Partnership and alongside city and countyelected officials and senior staff members to develop acomprehensive marketing campaign to bring more tourists intoSandersville and Washington County.

Their campaigns included the annual 50-plus-year-oldKaolin festival but also highlighted area hunting opportunities,the area’s rich history and the community’s proximity to Athensand Augusta for sports fans traveling through the county.

Washington County tourism impacted by Georgia College students

Georgia College nursinggraduates top national exam

Georgia College nursing graduates who took the national licensingexam for the first time in 2010 earned the highest overall pass rateamong public colleges and universities across the United states.

“our scores represent a great benchmark for our university and thenursing program,” said Georgia College Director of the school ofnursing Dr. Judith Malachowski. “i attribute our success to acombination of a dedicated pre-nursing adviser, an awesome faculty andstudents who really care about obtaining the knowledge and skills theyneed to excel in the nursing profession.”

the licensing exam scores and the high percentage of nursinggraduates obtaining desired positions are two good measures of aquality nursing program, Malachowski said.

“When parents are investigating a nursing program for theirstudents, they ask two questions: ‘What are your state exam pass rates?’and ‘Do your graduates get jobs?’” Malachowski said. “We haveexcellent answers to both those questions.”

(L-r) Allison stewart, Brittoni Davis, Dustin hawkins, Gracie Jackson, Andrew harris, Alex spivey, Martin Dewald and Joe Jackson.

gcsu.edu/flannerycartoons


hoMeCoMinG the 2011 homecoming and Alumni

Weekend were a tremendous success –

with the most alumni registrations ever

recorded and the largest turnouts on

record for many homecoming events.

thanks for making Bobcat nation

stronger than ever!

Alumni homecoming 2011

� �

�

save the date for homecoming 2012 in february. exact dates to come soon. Contact the Alumni relations office to make sure you are connected to your alma mater!

email [email protected] or call (478) 445-5771.


1. Jeff Brittain and erin Gant were crowned Mr. and Ms.Georgia College at the homecoming basketball game.2. the homecoming concert was a huge success, withmore than 4,000 in attendance at the CentennialCenter. 3. President Dorothy Leland spends timegetting to know alumnae from the class of 1961 at thehonor roll Luncheon. 4. Alumnae from the Peabodyschool enjoy getting back together each year at Alumnihomecoming. 5. the 7th Annual Bobcat ramble 5Kand fun run had its most successful year ever,registering more than 350 runners. 6. the class of1961 hit the 50th anniversary mark as Georgia Collegealumnae. 7. the winning team from the residence halldoor decoration contest, Parkhurst hall, makes its waydown hancock street during the homecoming parade. 8. thunder gets into the spirit of the homecomingbasketball games, where both the women’s and men’steams beat Columbus state University in front of atremendous crowd of Bobcat fans and alumni.

� �

�

see the homecoming and Alumni Weekend

recap at gcsu.edu/connection�

10 Georgia College Connection • spring 2011

“WHEN YOU INVEST IN STUDENTS,” said Dr. KenSaladin, professor of biological and environmental science atGeorgia College, “especially our top-notch students, you’rehelping someone who will give back in a similar fashion in theirown careers. So, I think the investment becomes magnified inthat way.”

And invest he has. Saladin, the author of award-winningand best-selling textbooks on human anatomy and physiology,has donated or pledged more than $1.5 million to GeorgiaCollege, much of it for scholarships or programs to enhance thestudent learning experience. His combined contributions arethe largest from any single individual to the university.

“Georgia College has been the centerpiece of my adult life,and I’ve gotten so much from this place that I find moresatisfaction in giving back to it than in owning a boat orvacation home or anything like that.”

His most recent donation, a $1 million pledge to endow achair for mentoring pre-medical students, was prompted in partby a similar donation last year from alumna Martha DanielNewell (’42). The Newell gift will create an endowed visiting

Dr. Ken Saladin has turned personal success into

a generous spirit

CoVerstory

TEXTBOOK

By Harry Battson

see the rest of our interview with Dr. saladin

at gcsu.edu/connection

Example


COVER STO

RY

professorship in the arts and sciences. The story in the Spring2010 edition of Connection magazine about her donation“inspired me to match it,” Saladin said, “so you could say itamplified the value of her gift.”

A three-time recipient of the Phi Kappa Phi“outstanding mentor” award, he is held in high regard bystudents. One wrote on the Rate My Professors website: “Byfar the best teacher I’ve had at (Georgia College)! He’sadorable and really funny! He makes anatomy so interestingand makes you want to learn about it! His tests are pretty

rough and you really have to work, but it's completely worthit to take his class!”

That reaction gratifies Saladin, who appreciates beingable to invest in such students.

“I feel like, to use that cliché, I’m kind of paying itforward to the next generation,” Saladin said. “I hope otherfaculty will donate what they can to help the institution andour students.”

Saladin is a classic example of achievement. Developinga passion for “nature studies” as a child, he was encouragedby his teachers to go to college to pursue his interest inzoology, particularly freshwater animals. The first in hisfamily to attend college, Saladin graduated from MichiganState University and went on to graduate school with ateaching assistantship at Florida State University.

“The thought of getting in front of an audience andtalking like I was an expert in something just tied mystomach in knots,” Saladin said. “I desperately needed themoney so I thought, ‘Well, I’m going to have to teach, I guess– teach, or starve.”

“But from the very first five minutes in the classroom, Ijust knew that this was really my calling,” he said. “I knewthis was what I’d really like to do the rest of my life.”

Just as he was finishing his doctoral degree, he learnedthat Georgia College had an opening that would match hisspecialties. He was appointed a temporary assistant professor,but that “temporary” appointment has now spanned 33 years.

“I guess they liked me enough to keep me,” he said. Georgia College has been the perfect fit. At the end of

his second year teaching here, a graduating student who hadjust finished one of his classes asked him to have dinner withher. “So I did, and three months later we were married,” he said.

Saladin’s wife, Diane, is a nurse and they have two grownchildren: son Emory, with a degree in interior design whospecializes in repurposing buildings for new uses; anddaughter Nicole, with degrees in marine science and

“Had it not been for

Georgia College, I never would

have had the opportunity to

write the textbooks that have

proven so surprisingly successful,”

–Ken Saladin

“(teaching is) what gets me out of bed in themorning and makes my blood flow,” saladin said.


COVER STO

RY environmental management, working for NorthCarolina State University.

“She picked up on my zoological interests,”Saladin said.

As a biologist, Saladin also has developed aspecial interest in the Galápagos Islands, a sitecrucial to Charles Darwin’s theory of naturalselection. “I had become somewhat enchantedwith the Galápagos as a teenager. Then, decadeslater, getting the opportunity to go, I just hadto jump on that.”

On that initial trip with his family, Saladinwas impressed with “the animals there being sodocile and almost indifferent to any humanpresence—you can observe so much atpractically arm’s reach.” He felt the experience“was something I really needed to share withmy students, so I’ve been taking students downthere ever since.”

From his earliest days at Georgia College,Saladin taught courses in human physiology,later adding human anatomy. In the early1990s, a publisher invited him to write his own

textbook in the field, an opportunity that hassince become a major focus of his career.

He now has two textbooks in print withMcGraw-Hill Higher Education, and a third inprogress. He not only writes the texts but plansthe illustrations and concepts for the artwork.His conversational, storytelling writing stylehave made the texts into best-sellers throughoutthe world, and Saladin often receives emailsfrom students, not just in North America, butfrom regions such as Africa, India and Australia.A group of Australian medical students createda Facebook interest group on Saladin’s book.

“I derive great fulfillment from mystudents and colleagues every day I teach atGeorgia College, and my contributions are buta small token of gratitude for the career that Ihave had here.”

In fact, teaching remains his greatest joy.“It’s what gets me out of bed in the morningand makes my blood flow,” Saladin said. “I feelusually at my happiest when I’m in theclassroom.” �

• AN ENDOWED CHAIR FOR PRE-MEDICALMENTORING. As a highly regarded mentor himself,Saladin has played an influential role in helping manyGeorgia College students advance to medical school.“It’s hard to imagine any better investment thanexceptional students who will undoubtedly contributeso much to society.”

• AN ENDOWMENT FOR THE DORIS C. MOODYHONORS SCHOLARSHIP FOR LIFE SCIENCESfor biology majors in the Honors Program. Dr. Moody,a former biology professor and director of the HonorsProgram, was “an exemplary colleague.” Saladin wishedto honor her contributions to the university. “I alwaysconsidered her a role model – the way she reached outto students and the graciousness of her character.”

• TO REMODEL AND MODERNIZE THEHUMAN ANATOMY LABORATORY in Herty Hall“to bring it up to contemporary standards for thisdiscipline.” The upgrades will include an instructor’sdemonstration bench and enhanced computer andprojection equipment, and will make it easier forinstructors to circulate among the student workbenches.

• AN ENDOWMENT TO SUPPORT THEPERPETUAL MAINTENANCE OF THENATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM in Herty Hall andto curate its display and research collections. Theendowment is in honor of Dr. Bill Wall, who plans toretire as biology department chair this year, and “whosedream was to bring the natural history museum atGeorgia College to fruition. He worked very hard tocreate the museum and Saladin’s gift will ensure itscontinuing operation.”

• THE WILLIAM HARVEY MEDICALSCHOLARSHIP for a Georgia College graduateattending medical college.

• ADDITIONALLY, Dr. Saladin has made smallerdonations to many other programs, including theHonors and Scholars Endowment, the Pre-MedicalProgram, the Department of Biological andEnvironmental Sciences, study abroad for students tothe Galapagos Islands, the 1200 Club, the College ofArts and Sciences, the Heritage Fund, Georgia CollegeBands and the Dance Minor Program.

Key Projects supported by Saladin donations


history and heritage

Herty Hall: Now and thenBy Judy Bailey

IT LOOKS LIKE THE TOP OF A GRAIN SILO andweighs as much as a pickup. It rotates 360 degrees andopens to the heavens. And it offers identity.

It’s a 15-foot-high, corrugated aluminum dome liftedby crane to the top of a new observatory, three stories upas part of the $3.4 million, 17,000-square-foot expansionof Herty Hall, the science facility at Georgia College.

“There’s no mistaking now where the science buildingis located,” said Dr. Ken McGill, chair of the chemistry,physics and astronomy department. “This building andobservatory should help get people excited about science.”

The expansion to Herty Hall includes new labs,classrooms, office space and a studio lab to accommodatethe growing science degree programs at Georgia College.The roof is home to a greenhouse, a space for smalltelescope stargazing and the observatory.

“The studio lab on the third floor gives students ahands-on approach to learning,” said McGill said. “Toooften students forget important parts of the lecture whenthey move from laboratory to classroom.”

The new space, set to open in June 2011, will connectto the existing 57-year-old structure. That three-story,redbrick building is undergoing a renovation to upgradelabs and classrooms.

Built in 1954 as The Science Hall, the building’sname changed to Charles H. Herty Science Hall in 1956,memorializing the inventor best known for his method ofcollecting tree resin with a metal cap to spare the tree’s life.

Herty was born in 1867 in a house that was locatedon what is now Georgia College front campus. Herty alsoheaded a Savannah laboratory that focused on theconversion of pine pulp to newsprint. In March 1933, thefirst newspaper was printed using paper created with theHerty process.

Herty Hall underwent a renovation in the 1970s andwas rededicated after a $5 million renovation in April2002 to enhance the science programs. �

View the installation of the observatory dome

at gcsu.edu/connection

for more information about the history of GeorgiaCollege, search “archives” at gcsu.edu

A HUSBAND AND WIFE FACULTY TEAM fromGeorgia College received the highest honor awarded by theAssociation for Experiential Education (AEE) Board ofDirectors this past fall.

Dr. Lee Gillis, chair of the Department ofPsychological Science, and Dr. Jude Hirsch, chair of theDepartment of Outdoor Education, were invited to co-present the Kurt Hahn Address at the national AEE meetingin Las Vegas, Nev. Their keynote address, the first-ever co-presentation, focused on sharing their history withexperiential education to highlight how their collaborationwith one another and with other entities was useful for theassociation to examine how it could collaborate moreeffectively among its members and with the outside world.

Experiential education is based on intentional use ofdirect experience supported by reflection, critical analysisand synthesis. Hahn was considered the founder ofOutward Bound and, by proxy, experiential education.

Gillis, a Georgia College faculty member since 1986and a licensed psychologist, focuses on the practice andstudy of adventure in therapeutic settings. He hasconducted psychological assessments and individual andgroup psychotherapy with adjudicated and social service

youths. He has been a member of the AEE Board ofDirectors and previously won the AEE Michael StrattonPractitioner Award and the Distinguished Professor Awardfrom Georgia College.

Hirsch was instrumental in launching Georgia College’sBachelor of Science in outdoor education degree program in1996 and establishing national recognition of the Master ofEducation in kinesiology: outdoor educationadministration. In 2010, Georgia College elevated theoutdoor education program and the Outdoor Center atGeorgia College to the Department of Outdoor Education,thought to be the only such department at a publicuniversity in the United States.

The program has gained national distinction. In 2006,AEE recognized the program with its OrganizationalMember of the Year award for a five-year record of excellentprogramming, contributions to the field and exemplaryethical standards. The next year it was awarded a GCProgram of Excellence Award and later was named aProgram of Distinction at Georgia College. The OutdoorEducation Program and the Outdoor Center at GeorgiaCollege continue to be one of only two jointly accreditedprograms of their kind in the nation. �


PeoPLe

Faculty duo receives national recognition

P E O P L E


THROUGH THE GEORGIA POWER NEW TEACHER ASSISTANCEGRANT PROGRAM, Georgia College alumnae Susan Wells (’10), andNicole DelBosque (’10), received $1,000 each to purchase materials andsupplies for their classrooms.

So far Wells has expanded her classroom library and is looking into afew programs to enhance her students’ speaking and reading skills.

“I’m honored and thankful,” said Wells, a third-grade teacher atGreensboro Elementary in Greensboro, Ga. “I had a vision of a classroomthat students could thrive in; I knew this grant would help me get there.”

DelBosque used her grant to purchase more children’s books, plusorganizational and fun center tools.

“I wanted to buy educational items that will last a long time andbenefit students no matter what grade I teach,” said DelBosque, whoteaches fifth-grade reading, English and writing at Agnes BardenElementary School in Macon, Ga.

“We are extremely pleased that Georgia Power is so involved in helpingnew teachers set up their classrooms and get off to a good professionalstart,” said Dr. Carol Bader, assistant dean and professor in the College of Education.

“Both of these outstanding teachers were in the early childhood cohortled by mentor leader Dr. Holley Roberts. It’s with great joy we congratulatethese fine new teachers and wish them the very best.” �

A GEM meets a PresidentGEORGIA COLLEGE, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE Georgia Chamber ofCommerce, developed the Georgia Education Mentorship (GEM) program—ayearlong mentorship for Georgia College students to hone their leadership andprofessional skills by shadowing selected leaders in business, politics, education, law,health care and industry.

Currently, Georgia College senior Meredith Carpenter is mentee to AlexGregory (‘78, ‘79), Georgia College alumnus, foundation trustee and president andCEO of YKK Corp. of America. Carpenter is a Spanish major who plans to travel toa Spanish-speaking country for humanitarian and mission work.

Since Gregory serves on The Carter Center’s Board of Councilors, Carpenter hadthe opportunity to attend the board’s quarterly meeting, where she met formerPresident Jimmy Carter, Consul General of Japan in Atlanta Takuji Hanatani andother dignitaries.

“To be introduced to a president and have him shake my hand is one of thebiggest honors I can think of,” she said. “I was so inspired to find out that at age 86he is still traveling the world to help improve world peace. Each business professionalI met showed me that successful leaders truly care about every person in and outsidetheir organization.”

The GEM Program is one of Georgia College’s most powerful leadershipprograms, said Gregory.

“The meeting was a great way for Meredith to meet many business leaders,” saidGregory. “The program allows bright students like Meredith to connect with today’sbusiness world through rare, meaningful experiences.” �

Wells and DelBosque earned bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education from GC’s John h. Lounsbury College of education.

Meredith Carpenter with former President Jimmy Carter.

Powerful Educators

Faculty duo receives national recognition

For more information, visit www.gcsu.edu/gem

foUnDAtion


THE PUBLIC PHASE IS OFF TO A STRONG START with $7.68million raised to date.

During the past two years, Georgia College has been quietlybuilding the foundation of philanthropic support in anticipation of thiscampaign, which will affect lives across the campus, capitalize on ourexisting strengths, expand upon our mission and lead us toextraordinary accomplishments.

“Pillars for the Future: Campaign to Sustain Excellence” is led byStan Wilson (’77), and a committee of friends and alumni who aretrustees of the Georgia College Foundation. Their leadership andsupport through rough economic times has led Georgia College to thisannouncement, much further along than they originally would haveimagined.

“As Georgia College’s most ardent supporters,” said Tad Brown,chair of the Foundation Board of Trustees, “we want to help grow andsustain the university’s academic excellence and the quality of thestudent experience. Through this campaign, we are focusing our effortson those areas of highest priority to do just that for the university.”

The campaign is focused on six funding priorities:• endowed scholarships• endowed professorships and chairs• endowed undergraduate research• endowed lecture series• program support and facilities• facilities

“The reductions in state support that we have endured during thepast few years make it all the more important that we developadditional revenue sources to maintain our excellence as Georgia’sdesignated public liberal arts university,” Leland said.

A recent report prepared by a panel of business, labor,philanthropy and policy leaders issued by the Association of AmericanColleges and Universities concluded: “In an economy fueled byinnovation, the capabilities developed through a liberal arts educationhave become America’s most valuable economic asset.”

As Georgia’s designated public liberal arts university, GeorgiaCollege demonstrates repeatedly that it prepares students well for thechallenges of the future and the responsibilities of leadership.

Pillars for the FutureInaugural fundraising campaign announced by Georgia College

President Dorothy Leland has announced the firstfundraising campaign in the university’s history,

with a goal of $10.35 millionby the end of 2012.


Georgia College ranks third among the state universities,behind only Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia, in theaverage SAT scores of entering freshmen.

“To continue to attract Georgia’s best students, we need toincrease our ability to offer scholarships that assist these students inpursuing their degrees,” Leland said.

Funds also are needed to support undergraduate researchprojects under faculty guidance, a key element in providing strongundergraduate teaching and learning experiences. Georgia College isknown for providing real-world, outside-the-classroom learningenvironments where students can apply theory to reality. The Pillarsfor the Future campaign will help to ensure those opportunitiesexist for Georgia College students well into the future.

Endowed chairs and professorships enhances significantlyGeorgia College’s ability to compete with other universities forattention of the world’s brightest minds. Attracting top scholarsthrough chairs and professorships adds prestige to the university,opens avenues for collaboration across the campus and community,and helps in attracting exceptional students.

Guest lecturers (scholars, writers and artists) will enrich theintellectual and cultural lives of the students and the community.Each lecture series will engage the university community in deepand sustained reflection. To enhance opportunities formeaningful engagement, the university will sponsor appropriateevents throughout the year in the academic area of the guest lecturer.

Donors contributing $10,000 or more will be acknowledgedas Georgia College “Pillars for the Future” donors on a campaignmarker, according to Wilson. Gifts and pledges to the campaignmay be paid over a five-year period.

“Georgia College has established a tremendous record as atop public liberal arts university,” said Wilson. “We are knownfor providing the educational experiences expected at the bestprivate colleges while offering the affordability and resources of apublic university.

“To sustain that level of excellence, we have embarked onthis fundraising campaign, and we are confident that our alumniand friends will help us to achieve that goal in the very near future.”

“You have the opportunity to be a pillar of support forGeorgia College’s future,” said Brown. “Your gift will make aqualitative difference in Georgia College’s ability to sustainexcellence in achieving its mission.” �

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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN,contact Amy Amason, vice president for external relations anduniversity advancement, at (478) 445-1945 or through emailat [email protected]. Or, visit the Georgia CollegeFoundation website at www.gcsu.edu/foundation.

“We are confident that our alumni and friends will help us to achieve that goal in the very near future.”

–Stan Wilson (‘77)

in addition to the $10.35 million campaign,Georgia College also hopes to raise fundsfor three capital projects:

• Completing the Graduate and ProfessionalLearning Center in downtown Macon: Thecenter has grown to nearly 700 current students.People from across middle Georgia are takingclasses in more than 20 master’s degree programs.The university’s goal is to raise $2.4 million tocomplete the Macon Center and meet futureexpansion needs.

• Restoring the Old County Courthouse:Georgia College seeks $1.5 million to renovatethe interior of this historic 1887 building on frontcampus. This gift is needed to match funds fromthe State of Georgia.

• Renovating the Sallie Ellis Davis House: The1890 structure on South Clarke Street willbecome an African-American Cultural Center. Itwas the home of Sallie Ellis Davis, a localeducator who touched the lives of hundreds ofchildren. One of 10 sites on the 2009 “Places inPeril” list of the Georgia Trust for HistoricPreservation, the house served as the residence ofthe Davis family from 1912 until Mrs. Davis’death in 1950. The effort is in partnership withthe Sallie Ellis Davis Foundation.

“Pillars for the Future” campaign committee:

Mr. Stanford G. Wilson, chair (’77)Mr. Tad BrownMs. Melba Cooper (’73, ’75)Mr. E. Max CrookMr. E. Alex Gregory, Jr. (’78, ’79) Dr. Paul JonesPresident Dorothy LelandMr. Hugh PetersonDr. Susan Stewart (’70)Ms. Jo Slade Wilbanks (’69)


Painting theNationGC art professor’s work is shown across the United States

By Candace Morrow

fACULty

Michael Murphy


GEORGIA COLLEGE ART PROFESSORMichael Murphy started a recent piece ofart in a most unusual way — by fillingmustard squirt bottles with house paint.

With bottle in hand, he approached his 8-foot-tall-by-6-foot-wide test canvas leaning against the wallinside his studio garage. He delicately stroked hissubject’s long locks with a reddish-brown hue. Next, headded pinks, greens and blacks, bringing her tattoos to life.

“This painting is of Norah, a friend of mine wholives in New York,” said Murphy, assistant professor ofart and technology at Georgia College. “My goal withthis work is to depict a contemporary urban woman.”

Murphy recently traveled to Washington, D.C., toshow off Norah’s inner-city beauty at the street art show“Wall Snatcher’s Ghost Market.” The exhibitionchallenged artists to create artwork using vintage doorsand wood, giving new meaning to home improvement.

“I had a 20-foot-tall-by-30-foot-wide wall of doorsassembled to create Norah,” Murphy said. “It wasbasically a giant paint-by-numbers project, which I hadto complete in two days. It was a long but fun night.”

Not your normal subway stationThe experimentalist, sculptor and multimedia

artist often works throughout the night to createunusual artwork. Nowadays, he spends late nightstackling his next challenge, which he will install inCleveland, Ohio.

“I’m creating three-dimensional animations thatwill serve as handrail fences for the East 55th StreetRTA station,” said Murphy. “One fence will reside infront of the station, one will cascade down a 50-footstaircase and one will be positioned on the train platform.”

Later this year he will collaborate with violinistand multi-instrumentalist Emily Wells in a New Yorkstreet-art performance.

“I’m embarking on a period of mass production,”said Murphy. “This Manhattan show will consist of anentirely new body of work. I’m anticipating 18 newpieces by August 2011—sculptures, paintings, drawingsand three-dimensional animations.”

Getting students in the pictureMurphy often takes his students on his out-of-

town, pop-up shows.He took a group of Georgia College art students to

New York City in October for RE:FORM SCHOOL,a high-profile group art exhibition that addressed the

shortcomings of the U.S. education system.Murphy and his students drilled approximately

20,000 holes in the shape of the U.S. map. Then theystrategically plugged in 10,000 No. 2 pencils and10,000 neon erasers to represent the percentile averageof high school graduation rates in each state.

“My students helped me all day and night to create‘High School Graduates,’” he said. “It was an amazingexperience for us all. The students got to network witha number of top-shelf, professional artists; some evenreceived job offers.”

Presidential appointmentsMurphy’s work has been exhibited across the

nation and featured in New York Magazine; TIMEMagazine; Washington Life; Uptown Magazine; the blogsite, Art for Obama; artist Shepard Fairey’s book, TheArt of Obama; Obama Campaign design director ScottThomas’ book, Designing Obama; and The WashingtonPost.

Before President Barack Obama took office in2009, Murphy produced Barack-inspired artwork andillusionary pieces displayed at the Obama Inaugural artexhibit, Manifest Hope: DC Gallery.

Murphy used 1,000 feet of high-tension steel wireto create a silhouette of the president-elect. TIMEMagazine featured the sculpture in its Barack Obamastory, “Person of the Year 2008.”

“During the election, anything Obama was goingviral,” said Murphy. “At that time I was researchingwhat was popular on the web. I wanted to try to createthe most interesting image that would come up in asearch for Obama. My work is based on the creation ofan experience, and in order for that to occur, peopleneed to see the work.”

From the Midwest to MilledgevilleMurphy earned his bachelor’s degree from Kent

State University and his master’s from The School ofthe Art Institute of Chicago.

As a full-time professor at Georgia College, heattributes Milledgeville’s small-town feel for his abilityto produce unforgettable work that frequently opensdoors for his students.

“Living in an area like Milledgeville provides veryfew distractions and really helps me concentrate andinvolve my students on these projects,” he said. “Mostof my projects deal with sociopolitical topics, andfortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to involve mystudents with issues and artwork of national or globalimportance.” �

for more information about Michael Murphy, visit mmike.com

FACULTY


DR. MELANIE DEVORE USES HER FIELD experienceand environmental research to baptize students into theworld of science.

“What I do at Georgia College is take the hands of ourfuture scientists, guide them through the learning phaseand expose them to hands-on field research,” said Dr.Melanie DeVore, a scientist, plant biologist and teacher.

“And when they are ready, I pass them off to the nextlevel — into the fraternity of science.”

She uses her knowledge and hands-on experience toteach students how people and cultures impact theenvironment and how the environment affects people.

“Teaching environmental science instills in studentshow humans interface with the environment,” she said.“Everything every human does is impacted by theenvironment.”

DeVore holds the Georgia Power EndowedProfessorship for Environmental Science. Funding fromthe endowment enables Georgia College to attract aneminent scholar and teacher to the university.

“The endowed professorship is a great privilege,” shesaid. “It allows me creative freedom to engage my studentsin research and provide them more field-based studyopportunities.”

DeVore leads students into field research just up thehighway to Flannery O’Connor’s Andalusia Farm, wherestudents study land use and how crops affect the soil.

“Visiting Flannery O’Connor’s home place and talkingwith students about the author’s use of descriptions andanalogies about her land combines experimental sciencewith literature,” DeVore said. “That’s a liberal artseducation.”

Her students get their hands dirty in the badlands ofNorth Dakota, digging through the dirt for 57-million-year-old fossil plants.

Endowed Professorships Georgia College has several endowed professorships.Connection plans to feature a faculty member holding one ofthese professorships and the donor that created each one inthe next several issues. With support from an endowment, theuniversity can attract top scholars and teachers in their fields toteach at Georgia’s public liberal arts university.

Dr. Melanie DeVoreGeorgia Power Endowed Professorship for Environmental Science

By Judy Bailey

fACULty

Melanie DeVore holds the Georgia Power endowed Professorship for environmental science.

Dr. Melanie DeVore talks about her endowed

professorship at gcsu.edu/connection


During one trip, student Witt Taylor became interested inan odd plant belonging to the pecan family that produceswinged fruits resembling flying saucers. He chose that plantfor his dissertation topic and recently completed his advanceddegree at Arizona State University.

DeVore also teaches study abroad programs through theEuropean Council of the University System of Georgia, takingstudents to England for their lessons.

Students learn about England’s Thames River byexploring the centuries-old waterway and visiting museumexhibits chronologically displaying river artifacts from theNew Stone Age to the present.

“It’s a great experience to teach Darwin’s origin of specieson his back porch at Down House just outside London,” she said.

DeVore’s environmental science program in the Bahamasallows students to learn first-hand about the intersection ofenvironment, people and cultures.

San Salvador Island provides students an opportunity toinvestigate ecology and environmental science using theisland’s unique history and environments.

“All that we talk about with science is worthless unlessyou put it into a cultural context,” she said. “What is alwaysinteresting to me is the intersection of the two.”

DeVore became inquisitive about the world around herwhile growing up in the Great Lakes area.

“As a small child in the early 1970s, environmental issueswere being brought to the forefront of our nation,” she said. “Iwanted to know how we were going to deal with them.”

As an undergraduate student in Wisconsin, DeVore didgeology fieldwork in the Yukon Territory of Canada and in Mexico.

“That experience really shaped how I think abouteducation,” she said. “The best way to teach is to exposestudents to field research.”

While working on her doctorate at The Ohio StateUniversity, DeVore spent three terms researching in SouthAmerica, primarily in the Andes.

Georgia College’s liberal arts mission piqued DeVore’sinterest in 1999 when she was looking for a teaching career home.

“One of the best joys of serving on the faculty here is theclose interaction and the cool things we get to do withstudents,” DeVore said. “The international studies and studyabroad opportunities complete the package.” �

FACULTY

Everything every human does

is impacted by the environment.

–Melanie DeVore

As part of the o’Connor environmental-science-themed capstone course,Allison hughes and Daniel sitaras are learning to collect data from trees onflannery o'Connor's Andalusia farm.

DeVore and student Andrew Davis examine the bedrock surrounding Lakesinclair and chat about microearthquakes that occur in the vicinity of sinclairDam every two to four years, often associated with sudden changes in waterlevel.


fACULty“With science you can explain and do almost anything,” says Dr. rosalie richards


Science to Serve Initiativeshere’s how science to serve is making animpact in Milledgeville, Baldwin County and beyond.

From Fossils to Space educates public schoolteachers about Georgia College naturalhistory Museum and Planetarium resources.

SMART provides middle grades scienceteachers opportunities to increase teachingskills and knowledge in mathematics and science.

STEM Initiative promotes science, technology,engineering and mathematics to high schoolstudents, parents and educators.

PRELIMS Academy explores math, science and teaching as a career option with highschool students during a two-week residential experience.

Innovative Course-Building Group uses asocial network to help faculty and staff acrossvarious disciplines develop engaging coursesfor students.

Building a Community of STEM Educators is anational science foundation project thatprovides mentoring, training and communityevents for master-level teacher candidates andpracticing middle grades steM teachers.

Active-Learning in STEM provides steM andeducation faculty at Georgia College andnortheast high school in Bibb County withworkshops, teaching circles and collaborativecourse-building activities to broaden theimplementation of more active-learningstrategies into courses.

Institutionalizing Undergraduate Research insteM at Georgia College is a Council onPublic Liberal Arts Colleges-sponsored projectto engage Georgia College faculty, staff andstudents in building a sustainable frameworkfor supporting undergraduate research in steM.

Developing Sustainable STEM Programs:one innovative Course At A time is a nationalworkshop where Georgia College steM faculty explore and share strategies fordesigning sustainable, innovative steMprograms during the network of Academicrenewal Conference.

P R O G R A M S O F D I S T I N C T I O N :

YOU ARE JUST AS LIKELY TO FIND DR. ROSALIE RICHARDSdesigning anti-cancer drugs in a chemistry research lab as you are todiscover her making slime with youngsters at a local elementary school.

Her love for science is contagious.“With science you can explain and do almost anything,” said

Richards, Kaolin-Endowed Chair in Science and director of The ScienceEducation Center. “It is this idea that we want to share with others.Science to Serve connects our campus to our community, engagingstudents, parents and educators in interesting, relevant, real-world waysthat deal with science.”

During 2008 Science to Serve officially became one of six GeorgiaCollege Programs of Distinction—providing a distinctive niche in anacademic area of state, national and international significance.

Three years later, the program has strengthened its infrastructure toaccommodate diverse needs in science.

“Since inception our biggest challenge has been infrastructure,” saidRichards. “How do we build capacity in science and mathematics in ourregion? Fortunately we have a rich history, an excellent foundation interms of resources and the best combination of faculty and staff.”

Science to Serve is supported by the Department of Chemistry,Physics and Astronomy; Department of Biological and EnvironmentalSciences; Office of Academic Outreach; Science Education Center; andfaculty from Middle Grades Education.

Partnering with state and national organizations also strengthens thelocal program.

“Whether faculty are interested in designing courses that link scienceto social issues or undergraduates are helping teachers in K12 classrooms,Science to Serve provides a framework to make these interests possible,”she said.

Moving forward, the program plans to develop new talent andinterdisciplinary approaches to science.

“Our current initiatives have impacted the community,” saidRichards. “Right now Science to Serve is in a unique position to assess ourstatus so that we can look toward new, exciting directions.” �

FACULTY

for more information visit www.gcsu.edu/sciencetoserve.

ScienceUsing science to strengthen community outreach at Georgia College

By Candace Morrow

“With science you can explain and do almost anything,” says Dr. rosalie richards

see the science to serve video at

gcsu.edu/connection

toServe

Georgia College Connection • Spring 201124

GeorGiA CoLLeGe inDUCts fiVe

On Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011, the Georgia CollegeDepartment of Athletics was pleased to induct the 2011class into the Georgia College Athletics Hall of Fame.

Bobcat and Colonial tennis player

nancy Groesch (‘96, ‘99)

A three-time NCAA All-American in 1995,1996 and 1997, Groesch was also twice namedto the NCAA/ITA Scholar-Athlete list. She wasa three-time All-Peach Belt Conference (PBC)choice, selected to the PBC Presidential HonorRoll and named the GC Senior Female Athleteof the Year in 1997.

Groesch is the fourth honoree from the GCwomen’s tennis program.

Colonial tennis player

Lars Lindblom (‘96)

An All-American in 1991, Lindblom was the1993 Peach Belt Conference OutstandingStudent Athlete. He was a two-time NAIA/ITAScholar Athlete and the Regional Arthur AsheSportsmanship Award recipient in 1992.

Lindblom swept both the Rolex NCAA DivisionII Southern Singles and Doubles Championshipsin 1992, was NAIA All-District and a two-timemember of the PBC Presidential Honor Roll.

Lindblom is the second Hall of Fame selectionfrom the GC men’s tennis program.

sPorts

Hall of Fame

These five new members are joined in the Hall of Fame by previous inductees

softball• Jennifer Joiner (‘04)

Baseball• Phil Arp (‘86)• John Kurtz• rusty Kea (‘93)• Greg Winters (‘96)• tom Gorman

tennis• Duward Whelchel (‘84)• Julia roudkovskaya Dimitrov (‘02, ‘04)• Anna (haggkvist) sundstrom (‘01)• Jay torrence• Lilia Biktyakova (‘02)

Men's basketball• robert Williams (‘77)• Leonard scott (‘79)• Julius Joseph (‘00)

Women's basketball• sherita Ballard (‘91)

Golf• David robinson (‘04)• Alex McMichael (‘00)

Gymnastics• Missy (thomas) swicord (‘92) and

former athletic director and golf coach Michael Peeler.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2011 25

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Colonial gymnast

yeini (Gutierrez) thompson (‘86)

A four-time NAIA All-American from 1983-86, Thompson also brought home NAIA AcademicAll-American honors each of those four seasons. She also picked up the NCAA NationalGymnastics Coaches Association All-America Award all four seasons and was named the NAIA’sOutstanding National Gymnast of the Year in 1986. The award was given to the top student-athlete nationally for highest athletic, academic and leadership qualities in gymnastics as votedon by the NAIA Executive Committee.

Thompson represented Georgia College internationally as well, competing as a member of theMexican National Olympic Team, Pan-American World Championship Team, World UniversityTeam and the Central American Team.

A National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches (NACGC) All-American, Thompsonwas a Summa Cum Laude Graduate in pre-medicine. She is the second gymnast to be named tothe GC Athletics Hall of Fame.

the voice of the Bobcats and Colonials

scott MacLeodMacLeod, a Michigan native, made his GC debut in 1978 broadcasting Georgia Collegebaseball, and he has since earned the title of “Voice of the Bobcats.”

Highlights of his more than 30 years behind the GC microphone include trips to theNAIA baseball World Series in 1985, the NAIA basketball national championshiptournament in 1990, trips to the NCAA Division II College World Series in 1995 and2010; and to the NCAA Division II Basketball Tournament in 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000,2002, 2004, 2006, 2009 and 2010.

He’s a three-time winner of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Award and is anactive board member of the Bobcat Club. MacLeod and his wife, Susi, have twodaughters, Heather and Leigh. Scott is the first inductee for the GC Hall of Fame fromoutside the Georgia College athletic department.

Colonial baseball player

Keith slocumb (‘86)

A First Team All-American in 1985, Slocumb owns top-10 marks in multipleoffensive categories for GC, ranks that have stood for more than 25 years. Heis the sixth inductee from the baseball program at Georgia College.

He ranks third in RBI with 253, third in hits with 313 and fourth in runswith 221. The 1985 All-District 25 selection ranks fourth in career homeruns (41), second in doubles (63) and third in total bases (527). His battingaverage of .364 places him ninth, while his .613 slugging percentage is sixth.

Slocumb is also the father of current Bobcat basketball player Abby Slocumb.


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Hurst, Huffin named to Peach Belt All-Academic team

The Peach Belt Conference (PBC) released the PBCAll-Academic basketball teams recently, with GeorgiaCollege’s Josh Hurst and Dominique Huffin eachearning a spot on the five-member teams.

A senior forward, Hurst has put together a 3.32 GPAin marketing in four seasons at Georgia College. He isa three-time honoree to this list, making it as both asophomore and junior. The senior averaged 6.7points and 7.0 rebounds per game and finishedsecond on the team in blocks (17).

Huffin garnered a 3.40 GPA in her four years at GCin health education. She was also the second leadingscorer on the Bobcats, averaging 12.3 points per gameand finishing with 358 on the season. Huffin shot124-of-353 (.351) from the field and 65-of-186(.349) from three-point range.

THE GEORGIA COLLEGE BASEBALL TEAM (21-7, 6-3PBC) kept spots in the top 10 of all three national polls as ofearly April. The highest spot GC owns is the No. 3 position inthe College Baseball Lineup top 30.

The Bobcats maintained the third slot in the College BaseballLineup poll. In the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division IIRankings, the Bobcats stay at No. 5. In the National CollegiateBaseball Writers Association Top 25, GC slipped from seventhto ninth.

The Bobcats are led at the plate by senior rightfielder ShawnWard, hitting .432 with four home runs and a team-best 46RBI. Senior righty Eric Pettepher is an impressive 4-0 with a3.77 ERA and 34 strikeouts over six starts.

Bobcat baseball teamranked in nation’s top 10

for the latest on Bobcat sports news, visit GCBobcats.com and follow us at facebook.com/GCBobcats or twitter.com/BobcatSports.

Joe Young wins individual title,Bobcat golf ranked no. 7 in nation

Georgia College senior Joe Young shot a final-round 68to take the individual title at the Bearcat Golf Classic inMarch. Young's first title of the season powered GC toa third-place finish in the tournament.

Young’s recent performance on the links earned him thehonor of Peach Belt Conference golfer of the week fortwo consecutive weeks in March 2011.

As of early April, the golf team is currently ranked theNo. 7 team in the nation in NCAA Division II play.


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Women make NCAA tournament;Jordan named All-American

The women’s basketball team finished the 2010-11 season with a 22-7overall record, while going 11-6 in the PBC. The Bobcats went on towin the PBC Tournament Championship and participate in theNCAA Division II National Tournament, bowing out in the firstround to Barton College.

Senior guard Chimere Jordan of the Georgia College women’sbasketball team was named to the Daktronics Women’s Basketball All-American Third Team as recently announced by the organization. The only two-year player in Bobcat women’s basketball history toeclipse 1,000 points in her career, Jordan becomes just the second All-American in program history. The Daktronics All-America program ismaintained by and voted on by the nation’s sports informationdirectors.

The 5-foot-8 guard ranked second in all of Division II with 21.8points per game. The senior pulled down 8.3 rebounds per contest aswell as ranking 17th in the nation in steals with 3.1 per game. Jordan posted double-digit scoring in all 29 games this season,including 16 games with 20-plus scoring. She had double-doublesover her final three games, the Peach Belt Conference (PBC)semifinals, finals and the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Shealso had three 30-point games.

Wiedeman selected to PBC Second Team

It’s been quite a career for Georgia College men’s basketball seniorforward Reece Wiedeman, from redshirt walk-on to an All-Peach BeltConference (PBC) Second Team selection. Wiedeman was named to thesecond team at a recent conference awards banquet.

Wiedeman’s 12.0 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per contest overallare boosted slightly to 12.9 and 5.6 in PBC contests. Where Wiedemanmade his mark this season was playing in some of the more importantgames of the year for Bobcat men’s basketball.

On the biggest stage, when GC took on the then-No. 7 and eventualPBC Champion Augusta State University squad, Wiedeman dominatedthe front line of the Jaguars, posting 25 points and eight rebounds to leadthe Bobcats to a stunning 73-69 upset.

In the midst of the Bobcats’ six-game win streak that solidified GC in thePBC playoff picture, Wiedeman had double-digit scoring in five of thesix, including the ASU gem and a 23-point, 10-rebound double-doubleagainst Columbus State University for Homecoming.

The Bobcat men finished the 2010-2011 season 16-10 overall and 10-7in the Peach Belt Conference.

Chimere Jordan

reece Wiedeman


Alumni Awards 2011The 2011 Georgia College Alumni Awards were presentedon April 22 in Magnolia Ballroom. This year’s recipients are:

Alumni Heritage Award

Dr. Lucretia Coleman (’69, ’71) Coleman was among the first African-Americans to attend Georgia College.

she earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education. she went on to teach forthe richmond County Board of education and fort Valley state University beforeearning her doctorate in education at the University of tennessee.

she returned to her alma mater in 1977 to serve as a faculty member in the J.Whitney Bunting College of Business. While serving on the faculty at GeorgiaCollege, she earned the 1997 Distinguished Professor Award.

Currently, she serves as the director of the Management resources Center inMacon, offering consulting and mediation services. her work in the field ofmanagement and mediation has earned her numerous awards and accolades,including the Greater Macon Women Business owners’ 2008 Business Woman ofthe year Award.

Alumni Achievement Award

Bobby Pope (’70) Pope earned a Bachelor of science degree in physical and health education in 1970 and

has been involved in middle Georgia athletics for more than four decades. he worked 20years as a sports reporter and sports anchor at WMAZ-tV. During the late 1960s and early1970s he worked at Mercer University as the “Voice of the Bears” before serving as athleticsdirector at Mercer. he was inducted into the Macon sports hall of fame in 2006.

Pope has served as a member of the Macon touchdown Club, the Mayor’s recreationMaster Plan Committee and Georgia sports hall of fame Authority.

since his retirement, Pope continues to serve as executive director of the Mercer Athleticfoundation, the fund raising organization for Mercer athletics.

Outstanding Recent Alumni Award

Lenzy “Kyle” Hood (’06, ’08)in 2006 he completed his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in

history. he continued at Georgia College to earn his master’s degree in publicadministration in 2008.

he currently serves as county manager of Upson County, where hiscontributions are praised as innovative and have helped in the growth andexpansion of the local economy. After graduating, he served as the assistant to thechairman of the Wilkinson County Board of Commissioners.

While attending Georgia College, hood was a cheerleader. he also worked asthe student coordinator for orientation programs.

Bobby Pope

Dr. Lucretia Coleman

Lenzy Hood


Honorary Alumni Award

Hugh Cheek Cheek moved to Milledgeville after serving in World War ii and

graduating from Mercer University, joining the public relations staff ofGeorgia state College for Women (now Georgia College).

Cheek was charged with bolstering the public’s view of the collegeafter its post-war drop in enrollment.

Cheek’s passion was in the classroom, teaching psychology courses. heaccepted a teaching position at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton,but returned to Georgia College to see the school through its transition to aco-educational college in 1967. he served Georgia College 30 years beforeretiring during the 1980s.

Ethel Rae Mozo-Stewart Alumni Community Award

Johnny Hurt (’77, ’81)hurt earned Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and a Master of

Business Administration at Georgia College. realizing the potential of owning his ownMcDonald’s franchise, hurt went on to learn the business by earning a degree in“hamburgerology” from McDonald’s hamburger University.

today, hurt owns and operates 19 McDonald’s restaurants in metro Atlanta and servesas chief executive officer of hurt & hurt restaurants in Conyers.

hurt has served as president of the Wheels of Dreams youth foundation, anorganization he helped found in 2001. hurt also volunteers as a board member of theGreater Atlanta inner City foundation.

Alumni Service Award

Betty Pettigrew Smith (’75, ’76, ’78)smith earned an associate degree in business administration in 1975 and went on to

obtain both a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting and a Master of BusinessAdministration from Georgia College. she attributes her successful career in business andaccounting to her degrees and has been a longtime supporter of her alma mater as anexpression of her gratitude.

smith continues to give much of her time and energy to Georgia College. she servesas an accounting faculty member in the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business. she alsoserves on the Georgia College foundation audit committee and Georgia College Alumnifinance committee.

During the past five years smith has served as the Peabody school representative tothe Georgia College alumni board. she was instrumental in the endowment of thePeabody scholarship and helps plan two Peabody reunions each year.

smith continues to represent her fellow Peabody alumni and alumni board memberswhile serving on the Peabody garden rededication committee.

Betty Pettigrew Smith

Johnny Hurt

Hugh Cheek


CLAssnotes

1970sMary Jean Ellington Stafford (’76)retired on March 1, 2010, after 34years of service as a caseworksupervisor with the GeorgiaDepartment of human resources.

1990sDr. Frances Carter (’91) earned hermaster’s of psychology from GeorgiaCollege before continuing on toMercer University, where she receiveda Doctorate in educational Leadershipin higher education. she has recentlybeen named the president and Ceoof Union Mission in savannah, Ga.Union Mission aims to reduce andeliminate homelessness in and aroundsavannah via residential, educationaland counseling programs focused onthe individual. the board of directorsat Union Mission selected Carterbased on her exceptional leadershipskills and her commitment tocommunity service. Carter haspreviously worked at MercerUniversity as the associate director foracademic program development atthe school of Medicine, as theassistant director of the Master ofPublic health Program in theDepartment of Community Medicineand as an adjunct assistant professorin the Department of CommunityMedicine. she has also worked for theCentral Georgia Cancer Coalition asthe program coordinator and she hasserved on the boards of directors forthe Central Georgia Affiliates of susanG. Komen for the Cure, the GeorgiaPublic health Association and theMartin research institute.

Christopher Watkins (’91, ’94) is theprincipal at treutlen elementaryschool in soperton, Ga. he earnedhis Bachelor of science and MPA fromGeorgia College before continuing onto earn his Doctorate of education ineducational Administration fromGeorgia southern University in Dec.2010. his dissertation topic was“effective school District recruitmentstrategies of African-Americanteachers.”

Thomas Thomas (’92) earned hisMPA from Georgia College andpresently works as the chiefadministrative officer of the city ofMacon, Ga. Previously, thomasworked as the assistant countyadministrator of Dougherty County,Ga. he is an active member of theGeorgia City/County ManagersAssociation (GCCMA) andinternational City/County ManagersAssociation (iCMA). he currently livesin Macon with his wife and threechildren.

Charlie Ross (’93) was appointed oneof three new board members ofCentral Georgia technical College.ross is the employee developmentcoordinator for Georgia Power and aboard member for the oconeeregional Medical Center.

Richard Blevins (’97) became apartner in the law firm of rickman &Blevins, P.C. on Jan. 1, 2011. the lawfirm is located in Marietta, Ga.

2000sJohn Steensland (’00) and his wifeKelsey celebrated the birth of theirdaughter Avery Claire on sept. 8,2010.

L. Jill Adams, CPA, (’01) andhusband Phillip Adams of Gordon,

Ga. welcomed daughter AubreyGrace on Jan. 10, 2011.

Drew Jahr (’02) is engaged to bemarried on oct. 13, 2012.

Windy Marie Caviness (’02) marriedChristopher Andrew reeves in Atlantaon June 19, 2010. they were marriedat the Catholic shrine of theimmaculate Conception and theirreception was held in Piedmont Park.Caviness graduated from GeorgiaCollege with a bachelor’s in masscommunication; she then continuedon to complete her Master of Artsfrom ellis University. she currentlyworks for feld entertainment as adirector for event marketing andsales, promoting events throughoutthe southeast such as the ringlingBros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus,Disney on ice, Disney Live andMonster Jam.

Jamie Whitehead Bennett (’07)married Michael Bennett on June 5,2010, in ocho rios, Jamaica. Bennettworks as the assistant director atPrimrose school at sugarloaf Parkwayin Lawrenceville, Ga. the couple livesin Jefferson, Ga.

Tammi Sheppard (’07) became anationally certified athletic trainershortly after graduating from GeorgiaCollege with a Bachelor of science in

Matt Davis (’02, ’04) andhis wife Lisa Ann PeppleDavis (’03) would like toannounce the birth of theirson Aiden Matthew Davis.Aiden was born on sept. 27,2010. he is their secondchild, joining the couple’sdaughter Addison who wasborn in 2007.

submit your class note on our website at gcsu.edu/alumnireach us by email at [email protected]


health education. in 2009, shecompleted her doctorate in physicaltherapy and graduated with high honorsfrom the University of st. Augustine.Currently, sheppard works as a travelingphysical therapist, traveling the countryto work with individuals whohave animmediate need for physical therapy. shehas worked in Georgia, California andhopes to get her next assignment inhawaii.

Devie Wilder Archebelle (’09) earnedher specialist degree in curriculum andinstruction from Georgia College.Presently, she is working as theinstructional math coach at anelementary school in Macon, Ga.

Tyler Bennett (’09) is beginning hiscareer with the United states secretservice. he has completed a 12-weektraining program at the federal Lawenforcement training Center in Glynco,Ga., and is currently undergoing trainingat the secret service training Center inBeltsville, Md. Bennett received aBachelor of Arts in criminal justice fromGeorgia College.

Mandy Chandler (’09) works as theassistant coach of the Georgia Collegesoftball team. Chandler is an alumna ofthe Georgia College softball team.

Jared Tolton Williams (’10) is a first-yearlaw student at stetson Law school inGulfport, fla. he graduated fromGeorgia College with a Bachelor of Artsin political science.

Lindsay Kate Webb (’10), whograduated with a Bachelor of science innursing, is engaged to scott orionteague, a law student at MercerUniversity. Webb is working as aregistered nurse in the pediatric intensivecare unit at the Medical Center of CentralGeorgia in Macon, Ga. the couple plansto wed in May.

Jennifer Trotter Smith (’06)has been named the 2010-2011 Baldwin County teacherof the year. After graduatingfrom Georgia College with aBachelor of science in specialeducation, smith earned aMaster in education fromWalden University whileworking at Blandy hillselementary. she credits herhusband for his love andsupport throughout herendeavors.

Tiffany Timmerman Tanner(’10) and Corey Tanner (’09)were married on March 27,2010, in Martinez, Ga. tiffanyis currently employed as themusic teacher at turner Woodelementary in Gray, Ga. Coreyis the band director for JonesCounty high school in Gray,Ga. the couple currentlyresides in Milledgeville.

CLASS

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In Memoriam

1930sEvelyn Oglesby Childs (’31) died Jan. 10,2011Verzilia Boatright Turner (’34) died Dec. 4,2010Virginia Phelps Fulford (’34) died feb. 4, 2011Audrey White Collins (’39) died Dec. 7, 2010

1940sEula Heard Windham (’40) died feb. 1, 2011Grace Hoover Prather (’40) died March 9,2011Lillian Lawson O’Bryant (’41) died Dec 13,2010Anne Rawlings McCarty (’43) died Jan. 3,2011Arlia Tomlinson Bailey (’43) died feb. 15,2011Jewell Inez Griffin Wilkerson (’47) died Dec.12, 2009. After graduating from GCsW, shetaught continuously from 1947-1982.Tommy Jean Dowda Griffith (’48) died Jan. 4,2011Lois Cooper Spillers (’49) diedfeb. 1, 2011Lydia Kirkland Mosely (’49) died Jan. 20, 2011

1950sMary “Fay” Hoyle Bennett (’52) died feb. 12,2011Mary Yarbrough Daniel (’53) died Jan. 1, 2011Lydia Bray Pool (’55) died Dec. 5, 2010Sophie Clark Oxley Thompson (’57) diedfeb. 12, 2011

1960sPennelle “Penny” Jones Scheffler (’61) diedJan. 9, 2011Edmund Franklin Dukes (’64) died feb. 28,2011Audrey Graham Newsome (’65) died feb. 13,2011Jane Seal Cotton (’68) died feb. 17, 2011

1970sStephen Edwin Jones (’74) died May 9, 2009.he received his MBA from Georgia College.his wife says he attributed his career successat Georgia Power—where he worked for 33years before retirement—with the strongeducation he received at GC. William Ralph Craig (’76) died feb. 2, 2011Wendell Guy Fulford (’78) died Jan. 25, 2011

1990sKenneth Howard Kelley (’94) died Jan. 13,2011

FriendsBrian Patrick Lauer died feb. 5, 2011Charles B. Hodges died March 21, 2011

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Georgia College is Georgia's designated public liberal artsuniversity,combining the educational experience expected atesteemed private liberal arts colleges with the affordability ofpublic higher education.

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Georgia College is headed your way!

A L U M N I A S S O C I A T I O N

headed your way!

regional events in the following cities:

Georgia College is

The alumni relations office is exploring hosting

headed your way!


Georgia College is


headed your way!


Georgia College is



SavannahMaconColumbusBrunswickAlbanyAtlanta



sporting events or networking socials.Possible event ideas include: museum tours,


CharlotteampaTTampa

Jacksonvilleashington, D.C./Northern VWWashington, D.C./Northern V

ork CityNew YNew York City


irginiaashington, D.C./Northern Vashington, D.C./Northern Virginia

A L U M N I A S S O C I A

T I O NA L U M N I A S S O C I A

T I O N [email protected] Alumni Relations at event in your area, please contact the OfficeIf you have an interest in helping plan an

[email protected].(478) 445-5771of Alumni Relations at

event in your area, please contact the OfficeIf you have an interest in helping plan an

or(478) 445-5771event in your area, please contact the OfficeIf you have an interest in helping plan an

event in your area, please contact the Office

Documents

Connection Magazine Spring 2011