CWAeRsOteLrnINA Fall
2017
DDiiavleorgsuiteys
UNIVERSITY SELECTS ‘CHEROKEE’
FOR YEARLONG LEARNING THEME
CATAMOUNTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
AS PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS
NEW PROGRAM OFFERS SUPPORT
FOR PARENTLESS STUDENTS
Sidewalk chalkings
lead to campus
conversations
2 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
FALL 2017 | VOLUME 21, NO. 2
CHANCELLOR
David O. Belcher
CHIEF OF STAFF
Melissa Canady Wargo
MANAGING EDITOR
Bill Studenc MPA ’10
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
Mark Haskett ’87
LEAD DESIGNER
Will Huddleston
STAFF WRITERS
Geoff Cantrell
Sean Forrester
Denise Gideon
Randall Holcombe
Daniel Hooker ’01
Christy Martin ’71 MA ’78
Marlon W. Morgan
Teresa Killian Tate
Steve White ’67
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Ashley T. Evans
STAFF DESIGNERS
John Balentine
Todd Charles
INTERN DESIGNER
William Studenc III
VIDEO EDITOR
Samuel Wallace ’16
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Robin Oliver
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Ashley Beavers
CIRCULATION MANAGER
Stephanie Gibson
BUSINESS MANAGER
Linda Mallonee
Search for this icon throughout the
magazine for stories that feature
online extras – videos, photographs
and more, available ONLY online.
magazine.wcu.edu
Western
CAROLINA
The Magazine of Western Carolina University
is produced by the Office of Communications
and Public Relations for alumni, faculty, staff,
friends and students of Western Carolina
University. The views and opinions that
appear in this publication are not necessarily
those of the editorial staff or the official
policies of the university.
WCU Sticker Contest Winners Announced
As part of an online contest announced in the winter 2017 edition of The Magazine
of Western Carolina University, alumni and friends from all over the country and
even Jamaica shared their #CatamountPride by posting to WCU’s Facebook, Twitter
or Instagram accounts photos of WCU stickers on their vehicles. Stickers were
included in every copy of the magazine, and readers tell us they have spotted an
increasing number of WCU decals on vehicles traveling the highways and byways
across the state and the nation.
The grand prize of season passes to all of the Catamounts’ home games
for the 2017-18 season, with the winner selected at random, went to
Lesli Williams Moss ’07 of Gastonia (1). Three contestants won insulated WCU
coffee tumblers for their winning entries in various categories: Danny Hirt ’73 of
Fredericksburg, Texas, for submitting a photograph of the vehicle surrounded by the
most purple (2); Donna Howell ’87 of Young Harris, Georgia, for her photograph
of the most unusual vehicle to sport the #CatamountPride sticker, a 1931 Pontiac
coupe (3); and Chris Watras ’08 MSW ’11 from Mount Vernon, Washington, for
his entry from the farthest away from campus, at 2,742 miles from Cullowhee (4).
1
2
3
4
Fall 2017| 3
CONTENTS
SECTIONS
4 Opening Notes
5 The Inbox
6 News from the Western Hemisphere
14 Catamount Athletics
40 Alumni Spotlight
44 Class Notes
52 Obituaries
58 The View from Here
FEATURES
20 NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Old Baptist Student Union houses
support program for parentless students
24 DIVERSITY DIALOGUES
Campus takes steps to improve
climate on issues of race, inclusion
32 COMMUNITY. CULTURE. CONNECTIONS
WCU looks to Cherokee for topic
of new yearlong learning theme
36 VOLUNTEER VENTURE
Alumni, students, faculty are making
a difference through the Peace Corps
BACK COVER
A Cherokee artisan molds a piece of pottery using clay from the mountains and fire to create vessels
for utilitarian, ceremonial and decorative uses. That craftsmanship and heritage will be on display
Saturday, Sept. 30, at Mountain Heritage Day and will be included in this academic year’s campus
learning theme of “Cherokee: Community. Culture. Connections.”
20 24 32 36
4 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
OPENING
Notes
One of my first priorities after becoming chancellor in 2011
was to initiate the development of a robust and focused strategic
plan for Western Carolina University. That ambitious roadmap,
our “2020 Vision,” was designed to steer our university’s
direction and development over the ensuing decade while
strengthening relationships with the communities and region
we serve. It’s hard to believe that more than five years have
passed since the Board of Trustees endorsed the plan and
even harder to believe that less than three remain before we
hit the year 2020.
The “2020 Vision” plan has guided our university in dynamic
fashion, strengthening the institution in many ways. Since the
plan’s onset, WCU certainly has grown at a record-breaking
pace, but we have done more than simply become larger. We
also have matured, and our metrics of success have improved.
Our students, faculty and staff have done amazing things,
many of which you will read about in the pages that follow.
But this is no time to rest on our laurels. Instead, this is a time
to recalibrate, to review and to update our plan. Academic
year 2017-18 will be a time of reflection and renewal and a
time to recommit to our strategic vision and priorities as we
move forward. Three primary factors necessitate this activity
at this juncture.
First, we have accomplished and, in a number of areas,
exceeded many of the goals and initiatives articulated in
the plan. There is much of which all university stakeholders
should be rightfully proud. Conversely, however, we should
consider whether initiatives that we have not yet addressed
are as important as they were when the plan was endorsed
in 2012. In addition, new priorities have emerged in the last
few years that should be incorporated into our strategic plan.
The legislative actions that resulted in the NC Promise tuition
plan and the launching of a new laboratory school effort this
fall are but two examples of priorities unimagined when the
“2020 Vision” plan was formulated.
Second, the process of undergoing reaffirmation of the
university’s accreditation by the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges has revealed
some opportunities for improvement that we should consider
in our revised strategic plan. For instance, our team of external
reviewers has recommended that we focus on more consistent
assessment processes across the university, a recommendation
that we must integrate into the plan.
Finally, the recently approved University of North Carolina
strategic plan, “Higher Expectations,” has clear implications
for the work of individual UNC institutions, including WCU.
Our strategic plan update must align with system goals, which
are centered on the areas of access, affordability and efficiency,
student success, economic impact and community engagement,
and excellent and diverse institutions. The good news is that,
in many ways, the essence of the UNC system plan is right in
WCU’s wheelhouse.
We have assembled a 16-member committee, under the
leadership of Carol Burton ’87 MAEd ’89, associate provost for
undergraduate studies, which is in the midst of an eight-month
process of reviewing and revising the “2020 Vision” plan. This
truly is an updating, not a from-the-ground-up comprehensive
planning process. When the committee’s work is done by the
year’s end, we should have a refreshed strategic plan that is
grounded in our university’s mission and budgetary realities,
albeit with an eye toward enhancing our fiscal resources; that
reaffirms our commitment to excellence, student success,
and external focus and engagement; that represents a shared,
comprehensive vision; and that aligns with regional and state
priorities, state and federal regulations, best practices and an
intensifying demand for accountability.
The revised “2020 Vision” plan will be truly strategic,
beginning with the end goal in mind – our vision of where
WCU will be several years hence – rather than starting
where we are today. While the latter approach can result in
incremental progress, the former – the future perspective – is
where transformative change begins.
There will be ample opportunity for input from all university
stakeholders – students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, friends
and residents of the region the university serves. Among those
opportunities to help shape our university is through an online
survey at the website strategicplan.wcu.edu. I encourage you
to participate. We want to hear from you!
This is an exciting time for Western Carolina University,
a place that is changing lives. I welcome your continuing
involvement with your university by contributing to the process
of revising our strategic plan. Together, we can chart the path to
a bright future, one that capitalizes on our present momentum
and that is grounded in our tradition of serving the people of
Western North Carolina and meeting the needs of our region,
state, nation and world.
Go Cats!
David O. Belcher
Chancellor
Fall 2017| 5
THE
INBOX
COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
Email us at magazinestories@wcu.edu
or send us a letter to 420 H.F. Robinson,
Cullowhee, N.C., 28723. We’ll select a
few to share with your fellow readers.
Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
Have a comment about this
issue? Let us hear from you!
As a freshman in 1985, I did not
realize Brown Cafeteria existed
until I moved to Reynolds Hall
for my sophomore year. I recall
walking “down the hill” to class
and noticing a building I had never
seen. When I investigated, I was
so surprised to find a cafeteria on
“the Hill!” Dodson Cafeteria was
full of activity and where you went
to see and be seen. But I came to
love Brown because it seemed so
relaxed. I started eating in Brown
often once I found it, as it felt like a
hidden gem, only known to those
who lived on “the Hill.” I have
fond memories of Brown, and look
forward to seeing the renovations
when I visit Western.
Christian Cook ’90 MPA ’93
My favorite memory of Brown
Cafeteria has to be spring
semester 1993. I was eating lunch
with friends from my dorm when in
walked a very tall guy wearing a
fraternity jacket. My heart stopped
and I knew he would be “the one.”
Turns out we had the same last
name! Two years later, we eloped
a day after graduation. He still
makes my heart stop, 21 years and
two kids later!
Lori Frazier Frasure ’95
Brown Cafeteria memories…the
pretty color of orange of the doors
at the front entrance and the many
different desserts.
Lyndon Smith ’61
In an effort to find out why
there was a WCU sticker in my
magazine, I read that to enter your
contest I had to reply by one of
two types of social media. Well,
right there I was left out. I do not
subscribe to either one of your
methods of entry. Since my back
window already has seven stickers
on it, I will just keep this sticker
someplace where I hope I can find
it when needed. I think it is a cheap
promotion when there are people
who went to WCC before even
email was invented. ‘Nuff said.
Charles S. Boswell ’66
Thanks for my new sticker! This is
a great marketing idea, and I hope
it continues in every issue because
I’ve got a couple more vehicles that
need them! I, too, am tired of those
dang evil ‘A’ stickers and love
that WCU is taking a new vision
on promoting a positive image
and marketing. I just wish it had
happened when I attended. Thanks
again. Go Cats!
Andrew Burton ’05 MAT ’10
I just received my Western
Carolina Magazine. I absolutely
love the fact a WCU sticker was
included! An awesome idea!
Todd Herms ’05 MPA ’07
After reading the winter 2017 WCU
magazine from cover to cover, I
just had to read again the article
“Professor Provides Peruvian
Perspective” and view that
awesome photo of the professor
and her students! Many decades
ago, I stood where Professor Beth
Wall-Bassett ’00 and her students
stand in the picture! Details of her
adventure brought back to me
the wonderful memories I hold
for taking 10 teenagers on an
American Field Service Exchange
to Peru. My students were from
the coal-mining region of East
Tennessee and apparently very
healthy kids! I was the only person
who succumbed to the dreadful
revenge bestowed upon the
Spaniards because of the Spanish
invasion many centuries ago!
Eva Nell Mull Wike
Kudos to Bill Studenc MPA ’10
and staff on another wonderful
magazine. I love Chancellor
Belcher’s openness and honesty
about his illness. He is an
inspiration. The story on Noble Hall
is exciting with all its possibilities.
I also commend the high quality of
the photography.
Anna T. McFadden
After reading “Noble Culture,” my
mind was flooded with memories
of the commercial strip referenced
in the article and other memories
of WCU: Maw, Coonie and Jimmy
always being around; Cullowhee
Five-O on patrol; Tripod the three-legged
dog that hung around
Dodson Cafeteria; throwing
Frisbees one spring Saturday
barefoot on the lawn between
Helder and Leatherwood and the
very next Saturday 4 inches of
snow were on the same lawn; the
Lambda Ki Alpha raft race where
first place did not matter, but
having the best “party raft” did;
calling WCU “UCLA” (University
of Cullowhee, left of Asheville);
and, finally, driving up to the
Jackson County Airport, looking
down on the WCU campus and
realizing what a truly beautiful
place WCU is.
Kevin Johnson ’81
I usually scan the magazine
and find it to be interesting and
informative. However, this time
I find that, on page 33, there is
an extremely offensive picture.
To me, it does not matter how
“artistic” this is supposed to be, it
does not fit with my concept of my
alma mater. If WCU has, indeed,
succumbed to the liberal garbage
that most colleges are embracing
these days, then I am really
ashamed to claim it as my school
of record. It may be that only the
“older, more conservative fuddy-duddy”
graduates would feel this
way, but I am sure there are others
besides me, whether they express
it to you or not.
Joyce Roberts ’60
The photo in question, 2
Spectators Climbing a Tree,
a sculpture by Gerit Grimm
6 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Sgt. Jacob Deal ’09 ’15 of the
Western Carolina University Police
Department is the inaugural recipient
of the University of North Carolina
system’s Officer of the Year Award for
Outstanding and Exceptional Service
in recognition of his work in campus
outreach activities, including those
focusing on sexual assault prevention.
Deal, a member of the WCU Police
Department since February 2011,
received the award from UNC President
Margaret Spellings during an annual
meeting of the system’s police chiefs
in April in Chapel Hill. “Ensuring
the safety and security of our campus
communities will always be a top
priority,” Spellings said. “I applaud Sgt.
Jacob Deal for his leadership in ensuring
that Western Carolina University
is a safe environment in which our
students, faculty and staff can live, learn
and grow.”
Deal assumed responsibility for the
WCU Police Department’s Support
Services Section in May 2015, taking
on responsibility for leading its
efforts in investigations, community
programming, victim services, evidence
room management and record-keeping.
In that role, Deal began to actively
promote the department’s community
programming activities to students,
faculty and staff. In just one year, his
efforts resulted in an increase of nearly
100 percent in the number of people
who have attended police-delivered
programs on campus safety, sexual
assault awareness, crime prevention
and active shooter training, said WCU
Police Chief Ernie Hudson.
“It is important to note that much of
our programming occurs after ‘normal’
business hours,” Hudson said. “Sgt. Deal
has personally attended and participated
in most of these programs, as he
recognizes the importance of the safety
of our community, crime prevention
and community/police partnerships.”
Deal also has been instrumental in
the development of materials designed
to assist and support the victims of
crime, especially during vulnerable
times early in an investigation, Hudson
said. “As our experience tells us, victims
can be overwhelmed by too much
information presented at the outset of an
investigation. Criminal investigations,
university investigations, mental health
and medical services, and community
services can all seem too much to ask
a victim to remember,” he said. “Sgt.
Deal also does a follow-up contact with
victims to ensure that their questions or
concerns are addressed and that they are
fully aware of the various services and
support groups available to them.”
-By Bill Studenc MPA ’10
POLICE OFFICER RECEIVES UNC SYSTEM’S ‘TOP COP’ AWARD
Jacob Deal ’09 ’15
discusses campus
safety issues with
students at Valley
Ballyhoo, WCU’s
annual welcome
back celebration.
Fall 2017| 7
Poet and novelist Ron Rash
(above), the John and Dorothy Parris
Distinguished Professor of Appalachian
Cultural Studies at Western Carolina
University, is recipient of a prestigious
Guggenheim Fellowship for 2017.
Announcement of Rash’s inclusion in
the diverse group of 173 scholars, artists
and scientists from the U.S. and Canada
selected for the fellowships was made in
April by the John Simon Guggenheim
Memorial Foundation.
The fellowships are awarded “on
the basis of prior achievement and
exceptional promise,” the foundation
RASH RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS GUGGENHEIM FELLOWSHIP
said in announcing the recipients.
Honorees were chosen from a group
of almost 3,000 applicants in the
organization’s 93rd competition. Each of
the 2017 recipients will receive a $50,000
award to support his or her work.
“It truly is an honor for me to be
chosen for this award, especially
because many writers whom I admire
have received this award in the past,”
said Rash, a resident of Cullowhee.
“I am humbled to find myself
mentioned alongside the likes of
Cormac McCarthy, Margaret Atwood
and Raymond Carver.”
Rash came to WCU in 2003 to join
the Department of English as the
university’s first Parris Distinguished
Professor. His latest novel, “The Risen,”
hit bookstores last September. He is
author of six other novels, including The
New York Times bestseller “Serena,” and
numerous collections of short stories
and poetry.
Richard Starnes ’92 MA ’94, dean
of WCU’s College of Arts and Sciences,
said the fellowship provides another
piece of evidence of the author’s stature
on the national and international
literary scene. “Ron Rash is the defining
voice in Appalachian literature today,
but he is so much more,” Starnes said.
“In the tradition of Eudora Welty and
William Faulkner, Ron uses his native
region to ask profound questions about
the complexities of the human heart,
man’s relationship with nature, and
sense of place. In this way, his work
speaks to people everywhere with power
and grace.”
The fellowship is the latest in an
ever-expanding roster of honors for the
native of Boiling Springs. A teacher of
poetry, literature and creative writing at
WCU, Rash has received the Sherwood
Anderson Prize, the Novella Festival
Novel Award and the Frank O’Connor
International Short Story Award and
is twice winner of O. Henry awards.
His 2015 “Above the Waterfall” was the
Prince of Tides Literary Prize Winner in
the Southern Independent Booksellers
Alliance’s 2016 Pat Conroy Southern
Book Prize competition.
-By Bill Studenc MPA ’10
Brian Kloeppel (above), who had
been serving as interim dean of Western
Carolina University’s Graduate School
and Research since July 2015, now is
in the position on a permanent basis
after approval of his appointment last
summer by the Board of Trustees.
Named associate dean of the Graduate
School in January 2013, he filled a
vacancy created in June 2015 when
Mimi Fenton, dean of Graduate School
and Research for three years, stepped
down to return to a faculty role in the
Department of English. Appointment
of Kloeppel to the permanent position
followed a national search.
“Brian distinguished himself as an
exceptionally strong candidate through
his outstanding service as interim dean
and as associate dean before that,” said
Provost Alison Morrison-Shetlar.
“Working in close collaboration with
the deans and program directors,
he made significant progress in the
marketing and support of graduate
education at WCU. This has resulted
in increased enrollment in a number
of our graduate programs.”
Prior to coming to WCU in 2008,
Kloeppel was a research faculty member
with the University of Georgia for 14
years and was the site director for the
National Science Foundation-funded
Long-Term Ecological Research
Program at Coweeta Hydrologic
Laboratory near Otto in Macon County.
In addition to his role as an advocate for
graduate education at WCU, Kloeppel
serves as chief research officer for the
university’s Sponsored Research Office,
which supports the faculty, staff and
students who conduct research funded
by external and internal sources.
-By Bill Studenc MPA ’10
KLOEPPEL TAPPED TO LEAD GRADUATE SCHOOL, RESEARCH
8 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Western Carolina University has
been recognized as one of America’s
“Colleges of Distinction” for 2017 by a
national guidebook and online resource,
citing WCU as where students go “to
learn, to grow and to succeed” in an
environment that prioritizes faculty-student
mentoring and outstanding
teaching as well as diverse academic
and co-curricular programs.
Since 1999, the Colleges of Distinction
website and guidebook have recognized
and honored schools throughout the
U.S. for excellence in undergraduate-focused
higher education. The listings
are designed for prospective college
students, their parents and high
school counselors.
High school counselors and
educators make the nominations. Each
nominated college is then evaluated
on key indicators including student
engagement, student empowerment
and curricular innovation. The selection
process also includes a review of each
institution’s freshman experience, as
well as its general education program,
strategic plan, alumni success and
satisfaction measures. WCU is one of
10 North Carolina institutions included
in the current edition.
“High student engagement in
college is one of the keys to a successful
undergraduate education,” said Tyson
Schritter, Colleges of Distinction
executive editor. “With an increasing
emphasis on hands-on learning
techniques, (we) applaud Western
Carolina University for practicing
methodologies that prepare students
for their futures.”
-By Geoff Cantrell
WCU NAMED TO ‘COLLEGES OF DISTINCTION’ LIST FOR 2017
Recreational therapy
student Gretchen
Reece and Nettie
Green, a resident
of the Hermitage
assisted living facility
in Sylva, enjoy an
adaptive device
bicycle ride.
Fall 2017| 9
Three Western Carolina University
faculty members have been named
recipients of prestigious Fulbright
Scholar awards and will be engaged in
individual scholarly projects in Hungary,
New Zealand and Mexico. They are Mimi
Fenton, professor of English; Turner
Goins, the university’s Ambassador
Jeanette Hyde Distinguished Professor
of Gerontological Social Work;
and Paul Worley, assistant professor of
English and director of the graduate
program in English.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship
international exchange initiative
sponsored by the U.S. government
and is administered through the
U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs. The
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program in
which Fenton, Goins and Worley will
participate sends approximately 800
American scholars and professionals
to about 130 countries annually to
lecture or conduct research in a variety
of academic and professional fields.
While WCU has had faculty
participation in the program in the past,
it is rare for a regional comprehensive
university of its size to have three
recipients in the same year, and it is
an indicator of the overall quality of
the faculty, said Alison Morrison-
Shetlar, WCU provost. “These faculty
members continue to be an inspiration
to our community, and especially to
our students who, through faculty
mentorship and engagement in scholarly
endeavors, also may aspire to excellence
in a variety of ways, including by seeking
Fulbright awards. I am proud of the
recognition these awards have brought
to WCU,” Morrison-Shetlar said.
Fenton’s teaching and research
will take her to Budapest, Hungary,
from January through June in 2018 to
continue her internationally recognized
scholarship into the works of English
literary giant John Milton. Goins’
research project will lead her to New
Zealand from February through
November in 2018, where she will take
a qualitative approach in examining
the meanings, beliefs and practices
of healthy aging among a group of
older Māori, the indigenous people of
that country. Worley will be teaching
English at a university in Mexico and
collaborating with faculty members
there to create English language
pedagogical materials designed to assist
speakers of the indigenous language
Tsotsil Maya as they seek to become
teachers and speakers of English.
-By Randall Holcombe
THREE WCU FACULTY MEMBERS NAMED FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS
From left,
Mimi Fenton, Paul
Worley and Turner
Goins are WCU’s
Fulbright Scholars.
10 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Julie Johnson-Busbin, professor of sales and marketing in
Western Carolina University’s College of Business, has been
named one of the top teachers in the University of North Carolina
system in recognition of her ability to present information that
is applicable to students’ professional and personal lives and
to help them succeed in the business world. The 2017 UNC
Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching also
recognizes Johnson-Busbin’s knack for helping students develop
an improved outlook about themselves and their potential
for success.
“My goal is to afford students the chance to try new skills,
receive feedback, critique themselves and try again. I like
to push students when they haven’t reached as far as they
JOHNSON-BUSBIN NAMED ONE OF UNC SYSTEM’S TOP TEACHERS
The unit formerly known as the
Division of Development and Alumni
Engagement is gearing up for the public
phase of Western Carolina University’s
comprehensive fundraising campaign
by making some internal changes aimed
at better positioning the campaign
for success. In addition to the recent
appointment of an assistant vice
chancellor and wrapping up searches
that are currently underway to fill vacant
development director positions, the
division has changed the sign on the
front door of its suite. Effective July 1, the
unit is known simply as Advancement.
The new name for the unit was
approved recently by the university’s
Executive Council and is based on a
recommendation after a comprehensive
administrative program review
completed by Washburn and
McGoldrick, a national consulting
firm that has worked with educational
institutions across the country.
The more succinct name
“Advancement” is designed to recognize
the change in leadership last year
from an associate vice chancellor to a
permanent vice chancellor and to more
accurately represent the comprehensive
nature of the role of the unit, said Lori
Lewis, the division’s vice chancellor.
“We are not only responsible for alumni
engagement and fundraising but also
outreach and communication to all
constituents about the impact of gifts
as well as the importance of financially
supporting and being involved with
WCU,” Lewis said.
Although the university once had a
Division of Advancement and External
Affairs, the change of name for the unit
does not reflect a return to that old
organizational structure, Lewis said.
WCU’s external affairs functions –
including marketing, communications,
public relations, government relations
and special events – which were part
of the previous division that was
dissolved in 2013, remain under
the executive leadership of Chief of
Staff Melissa Canady Wargo in the
Chancellor’s Division.
-By Bill Studenc MPA ’10
DEVELOPMENT, ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT DIVISION IS NOW ‘ADVANCEMENT’
are capable, yet provide
support when they’ve
stretched as far as they
can,” she said. “What I
would argue is that often
the actual content of the
class is not what students
remember several years
down the road. I believe
that it is helping students
bet ter understand
themselves and giving
them insight into the
potential that makes each
one unique.”
WCU alumni now
employed by companies
such as E*TRADE,
Financial Corp, United
Parcel Service, Sherwin-
Williams and IBM raved
about Johnson-Busbin’s
performance as a teacher
and her impact on their
success as students and
professionals. A former student said Johnson-Busbin “has
an innate ability to state the facts of the ‘real world’ to her
students and prepare them for those realities better than any
other educator I’ve been around.”
Johnson-Busbin and the 16 other recipients of the UNC
honor, representing an array of academic disciplines, were
nominated by special committees on their home campuses and
selected by the Board of Governors Committee on Personnel
and Tenure. Winners receive a commemorative bronze
medallion and $12,500 cash prize. The board established the
awards in April 1994 to underscore the importance of teaching
and to reward good teaching across the university system.
-By Randall Holcombe
Julie Johnson-
Busbin interacts
with students in the
College of Business.
Fall 2017| 11
Western Carolina University and Jackson County Public
Schools are collaborating on the formation of a lab school
designed to help students in grades six through eight successfully
transition into high school through implementation of a “whole
school, whole community, whole child” approach. Christened
“the Catamount School” and located on the campus of Smoky
Mountain High School, the school will have the capacity
to serve 25 students in each of the eligible grade levels (six
through eight). It is scheduled to be in operation when the
2017-18 school year begins.
WCU is one of eight University of North Carolina system
institutions identified as candidates to establish and operate
laboratory schools serving students in kindergarten through
eighth grade, as required by a provision in the 2016-17 state
WCU LAUNCHES THE CATAMOUNT SCHOOL THIS FALL
Kim Winter (right), former associate
dean for academic affairs in the College
of Education and Allied Professions,
now has a much shorter job title. That’s
because Winter was approved in April
by the executive committee of the WCU
Board of Trustees to take on the role of
dean, succeeding Dale Carpenter, who
returned to a faculty position July 1.
Winter had been serving as associate
dean since 2012.
As associate dean, director of WCU’s
teacher and professional education
programs and professor in the School
of Teaching and Learning, Winter had
proven herself up to the task of leading
the academic unit that is tied most
closely to WCU’s founding as a teacher
preparatory institution, Provost Alison
Morrison-Shetlar said.
“This is an especially critical time
for the College of Education and Allied
Professions as we prepare to launch the
Catamount School this fall and as we
continue to work to help solve a growing
teacher shortage facing our state,”
Morrison-Shetlar said. “Dr. Winter’s
familiarity with these issues, as well as
her experiences in the allied fields of
human services and psychology, will
allow her to hit the ground running on
day one in the dean’s office.”
Winter said her varied roles as a
public school teacher, university faculty
member, program coordinator, associate
chair, intern, fellow, administrator and
parent make her “uniquely suited” to
serve as dean. “I have learned so much
in the nearly five years I have been here.
It is my belief that you learn to become
a leader and continue to learn in your
role. It is not an easy task to quantify all
that I have learned during this time, but
know this – the learning never stops,”
she said.
-By Bill Studenc MPA ’10
WINTER LEADING COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, ALLIED PROFESSIONS
budget enacted last July. Under the
legislation, the lab schools must be
located in public school districts where
at least 25 percent of schools have been
classified as low-performing, based on
student achievement data. They will
operate as public schools of choice, with a
mission to improve student performance
in eligible school districts and provide
exposure and training for teachers
and principals to successfully address
challenges existing in high-needs school
settings.
Jackson County school officials have
worked side-by-side with university
personnel in solidifying the details
for the Catamount School, said former
superintendent Michael Murray MAEd
’88 EdS ’05 EdD ’08, now leading
Cherokee Central Schools. “Jackson
County Public Schools are excited for
this unique opportunity to build on our
collaborative educational partnership
with Western Carolina University and form an innovative
new choice for our middle-level students,” Murray said.
“This program will be an excellent example of combining
the strengths of both organizations proactively to focus on
the whole child during the developmental stage when our
children need it the most.”
Under the legislation mandating the formation of lab
schools, the school’s principal and teachers will be employees of
WCU. The university’s Board of Trustees will be the governing
body for the school, with responsibility for its operation and
outcomes. The board approved Robert Dinsdale MSA ’08,
former Smoky Mountain assistant principal, as Catamount
School director.
-By Bill Studenc MPA ’10
Robert Dinsdale
MSA ’08 checks
out the site of the
Catamount School.
12 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
The bad news is that Western
Carolina University has lost two
members of its Board of Trustees. The
good news is that WCU now is very
well-represented on the University of
North Carolina Board of Governors,
with four former trustees serving on
the UNC system’s policy-making body.
Earlier this year, the N.C. House
of Representatives elected Asheville
attorney Carolyn Coward, who had
been serving as WCU board secretary,
to the Board of Governors, while the
N.C. Senate elected former Raleigh
mayor Thomas H. Fetzer, a trustee at
WCU since 2015, to the UNC board.
They joined fellow former
WCU trustees W. Louis Bissette
Jr., an Asheville attorney who is
serving as chairman of the UNC
board, and C. Philip Byers MPA ’99,
a Rutherford County educational
foundation executive.
UNC BOARD INCLUDES FOUR FORMER WCU TRUSTEES
From left,
Tom Fetzer and
Carolyn Coward
share a moment
during their final
meeting as members
of the WCU Board
of Trustees.
Filling the remaining two years of
the terms of Coward and Fetzer on the
WCU board are Timothy W. Haskett
’82 MBA ’84 of Kings Mountain
and Rebecca H. Schlosser ’73 of
Greensboro. Haskett, a native of Sylva,
has held a variety of finance-related
positions during his 32-year career
with Duke Energy. A Greensboro
resident, Schlosser is a former
high school teacher and a current
community volunteer.
In addition, Haden Boliek MS
’94 of Fayetteville and Robert C.
Roberts of Asheville were appointed
to full four-year terms on the WCU
board that began July 1. They fill
vacancies created as trustees F. Edward
Broadwell Jr. of Asheville and Phil
Drake of Franklin completed their
terms in June.
Boliek is founder of Pediatric
Developmental Therapy Inc., a
multidisciplinary practice offering
speech, physical and occupational
therapy. She also hosts the twice-a
month “Working Therapist Podcast.”
Roberts is regional executive vice
president for First Citizens Bank &
Trust Co. and serves as chairman
of the Greater Asheville Regional
Airport Authority.
Appointments to the WCU board
were approved by the Board of
Governors, which also endorsed the
reappointments of trustees Gaither
Keener ’72 of Mooresville and
Kenny D. Messer ’86 of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, to four-year terms.
In addition, the General Assembly
reappointed Joyce Conseen Dugan
’75 MAEd ’81 of Cherokee and
John R. Lupoli of Highlands to four-year
terms.
Fall 2017| 13
Western Carolina University once
again has been named a 2017 “Best
College Value” in an annual review of
colleges and universities released by
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.
WCU is ranked 98th among public
higher education institutions across
the nation in terms of value for in-state
students and 83rd for out-of-state
students. The rankings are based on
admission and retention rates, student-faculty
ratios, four-year graduation
rates, costs of attending, financial
aid and average debt of students at
graduation.
“We are pleased that Western
Carolina University once again has been
recognized as one of the top 100 values
among public colleges and universities
in the nation,” said Chancellor David
O. Belcher. “We believe this to be an
especially important ranking because
it incorporates measurements of both
academic quality and affordability, with
more weight given to academic quality.
Affordability and academic quality are
precisely what prospective students and
their parents say are among their top
issues when deciding where to go for a
college education.”
WCU is one of seven schools in North
Carolina ranked among its top 100
public college values. The magazine’s
review begins with a list of 1,200
public and private schools, with a final
300 evaluated as a best value, said
Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s
Personal Finance.
WCU NAMED A ‘BEST COLLEGE VALUE’ BY KIPLINGER’S MAGAZINE
Friends and alumni of Western Carolina University continue
to respond to Chancellor David O. Belcher’s plea for additional
financial assistance to help deserving students be able to attend
the university, with 23 new endowed scholarship funds created
in recent months.
During his 2012 installation address, Belcher identified
increased funding for student support as the institution’s
top philanthropic priority. Through endowments of at least
$25,000, scholarship assistance can be awarded on an annual
and ongoing basis. New endowed scholarship funds established
since Oct. 31, 2016, are:
Dr. William R. Higgins Endowed English Scholarship, for
students majoring in English; donors Gerald Matheny ’70
and Judy Matheny.
Bradshaw Family College of Business Endowed Scholarship,
for College of Business students with demonstrated financial
need, with preference to marketing majors; donors Brad
Bradshaw ’76 and Eileen Bradshaw.
Randall and Sybil Duckett Endowed Scholarship, to support
one undergraduate student and one graduate student in the
College of Education and Allied Professions; donors represented
by Thomas Duckett and Laura Duckett.
Joan and Chris Meister Endowed Scholarship, to be
awarded in alternate years to students pursuing degrees in
the College of Education and Allied Professions and the
College of Engineering and Technology, with preference to
first-generation students; donors Joan Meister and Pam Meister.
Coach Johnny Wike Athletic Scholarship, awarded to
student-athletes competing on either the football team or men’s
or women’s golf teams, with preference to teacher education
majors; donors represented by Matt Wike ’91.
Sherwin-Williams Company Endowed Scholarship, for
students pursuing degrees in the College of Business, with
preference to sales or marketing majors; donor Sherwin-
Williams Company.
Honors College Endowed Scholarship, for students admitted
to the Honors College; donors represented by Jill Granger.
Karen Styles ’94 Endowed Scholarship, for students majoring
in recreational therapy; donors represented by Jennifer Hinton
and Brenda Holcombe ’94.
Bruce and Mary Clayton Family Endowed Scholarship,
for students pursuing a major in the College of Business,
with preference to Jackson County residents; donor Bruce
Clayton ’71.
Mark A. Tedder Family Endowed Athletic Scholarship,
for student-athletes, with preference to N.C. students in the
College of Business; donor Mark A. Tedder ’75.
Ted and Avis Phillips Scholarship, for members of the
football team from Western North Carolina, with preference
to student-athletes from Graham County; donors represented
by Teddy Phillips Jr.
Michael Paysour Parks and Recreation Management
Endowed Scholarship, for students majoring in parks and
recreation management; donor Michael Paysour ’74.
KKSB (Kappa Kappa Soccer Babes) Legacy Endowed
Scholarship; for sophomores, juniors or seniors on the women’s
soccer team; donors represented by Tina Weaver ’04.
Ed and Donna Broadwell Scholarship, for undergraduate
students who graduated from public high schools in Western
North Carolina; donors Ed and Donna Broadwell.
Daniel B. Yoe Family Endowed Scholarship, for students
in the College of Business with demonstrated financial need;
donor Daniel Yoe ’74.
Dr. Daryl L. Hale Endowed Scholarship, for juniors or
seniors majoring in philosophy or in special or interdisciplinary
studies; donor Brandon A. Robinson ’05 MA ’10.
Harold E. and Henrietta (Saltz) Anderson Endowed
Scholarship, for students majoring in teacher education
or in birth-kindergarten education; donor Estate of
Harold E. Anderson.
Florence Bannon Endowed Nursing Scholarship, for students
enrolled in the RN to BSN program; donor Florence Bannon.
Gaither M. Keener Political Science Scholarship in Honor
of Dr. Gerald Schwartz, for students majoring in political
science; donor Gaither M. Keener ’72.
Myra Grant Endowed Scholarship, for students with
demonstrated financial need; donor Myra Grant ’70.
Susan Brummell Belcher College of Fine and Performing
Arts Endowed Scholarship, for students majoring in any
program in the College of Fine and Performing Arts; donors
David O. Belcher and Susan Brummell Belcher.
Drew Lewis White Memorial Scholarship, for first-generation
college students with demonstrated financial
need, with preference to students from Ohio and Western
North Carolina; donors Lori A. Lewis and Jeffry K. White.
Dorothy P. Bell College of Fine and Performing Arts
Endowed Scholarship, for students with demonstrated
financial need majoring in any program in the College of Fine
and Performing Arts; donor John L. Bell.
For information on how to establish an endowed scholarship,
visit the website give.wcu.edu.
23 NEW ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS CREATED
14 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
The website WalletHub.com
crunched the numbers earlier this
year to determine a list of the “Best
& Worst Cities for College Basketball
Fans in 2017.” North Carolina has three
cities in the top 10. Chapel Hill at No. 1
and Durham at No. 3 probably wouldn’t
raise any eyebrows. The No. 10 pick may
– Cullowhee.
The unincorporated Jackson County
community is home to Western
Carolina University – and men’s and
women’s basketball teams that combined
last season to win only 17 of their 62
games. So how did Cullowhee score a
Top 10 ranking?
WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzales
said that factors beyond wins and
losses are taken into account when
identifying the top cities for college
basketball fans. “Western Carolina has
about a 50 percent win percentage over
the last three seasons. Not the best, but
certainly better than almost 150 teams
analyzed in the 30th or 40th percentile,”
Gonzales said.
“The team has a large social media
following relative to the size of the
school/town, which certainly helps.
It also has the ability to fit a large
chunk of its student population into
its arena, something that Cameron
Indoor certainly can’t boast,” she said.
“As Cullowhee exemplifies, teams with
decent play and followings can certainly
climb to the top, as well.”
Chad Gerrety, WCU associate
athletics director for external affairs,
conceded the school was surprised
by the ranking, but said the athletics
department strives to make each game
in Cullowhee as fan-friendly as possible.
“We appreciate it, and the ranking
did surprise us, especially when you
see the size schools and cities we are
ranked with. We would be glad to have
a team like Kentucky or Duke come
experience our atmosphere,” Gerrety
said. “Seriously, several people in our
athletics department in various jobs
worked hard to make sure basketball is
fun for students and families. It doesn’t
cost an arm and leg, and things like
parking are free. We’ve worked hard to
put an emphasis on the atmosphere and
making it the best it can be.”
Along with the atmosphere at games,
WCU athletics has more than 13,000
followers on Twitter (@Catamounts) and
more than 31,000 followers on Facebook.
Gerrety said WCU’s marketing and
ticket operations offices target group
sales and halftime acts to provide
entertainment at games at the 7,826-
seat Ramsey Center.
He also credited a committee of
students, administrators and others that
was formed after the 2015-16 season
to explore ways to enhance the fan
experience. “It really helped us take some
steps in the right direction,” Gerrety
said. “Among the things we heard was
people would like a few Saturday night
games. Their kids had activities in the
day on Saturday and they wanted the
chance to come at night. We worked that
in, and it was successful. We’ve got more
to do from the committee’s suggestions,
but it was good to hear those ideas and
listen to what was being said.”
The effort has helped with the fan
experience, said Jackson County
resident Michael Forbis ’02. “My mom
and dad go to almost every game, and
WHEE RANK
CULLOWHEE IS NAMED A TOP 10 SPOT FOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL FANS
By TODD VINYARD
CATAMOUNT
ATHLETICS
Clockwise from
above, WCU’s
Ramsey Center
made a national
list of top spots
for college hoops,
thanks in part
to the game-day
atmosphere
contributed to
by the cheer and
dance teams,
Purple Thunder
drum line and the
Cathouse Band.
they take our boys a lot. The ushers are
always friendly, and they greet us by
name they see us so often. It is great
to have something like this in a rural
community to help expose your kids to
a bigger picture and not just be at home
playing video games,” Forbis said.
“If you were going to do this in a
larger city the cost could be 10 times
higher, especially with things like
the Catamount Kids Club that offer
discounts on tickets to kids for joining,”
he said. “Western in general is a great
place to take in events that are not
tremendously expensive, especially for
young families.”
Students enjoy the basketball
opportunities, too. “It is definitely nice
to have these type of events on campus,”
said WCU student Kendra Graham.
“The friends I’ve made here at WCU and
I try to experience new things like the
basketball games and sporting events,
so it is fun to experience those together
as part of being in college.”
Reprinted in edited format with permission
of the Asheville Citizen-Times
HOW CULLOWHEE BECAME A 10
WalletHub analysts looked at 291 U.S. cities that have at least one NCAA
Division I basketball team and used seven metrics on which to base its rankings:
* number of Division I basketball teams
* performance level of team(s) during the past three seasons
* number of Division I championship wins
* number of regular-season championships
* minimum season ticket price
* fan engagement (number of Twitter followers, Facebook likes, per capita)
* stadium capacity
WALLETHUB’S TOP 10
1. Chapel Hill
2. Los Angeles
3. Durham
4. Bloomington, Indiana
5. Philadelphia
6. East Lansing, Michigan
7. Lawrence, Kansas
8. Lexington, Kentucky
9. Storrs, Connecticut
10. Cullowhee
Fall 2017| 15
16 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
CATAMOUNT
ATHLETICS
John Wiley, a former longtime
assistant coach at Appalachian State
University, has traded in the black
and gold for the purple and gold after
being named defensive coordinator
by Western Carolina head football
coach Mark Speir MAEd ’95. Wiley
brings more than 30 years of coaching
experience at a variety of levels to the
Catamount football program.
Wiley returns to the familiar
mountains of Western North Carolina
after spending six seasons in the eastern
part of the state at East Carolina.
“John is an experienced coach and a
proven winner. We coached together
at Appalachian State where John led
our defense and was a part of that staff
that won three national championships
and six Southern Conference titles. He
also brings over 20 years of experience
in recruiting North Carolina to the
position,” Speir said.
“It is always comforting to hire a guy
you have worked with and trust. John will
move in from day one and understand
our vision and the expectations for this
Catamount football program. He will
be a great representative for Western
Carolina University,” he said.
During his six seasons as the associate
head coach and linebackers coach at
East Carolina, Wiley helped guide the
Pirates to four bowl game appearances
and helped transform ECU’s defense
into one of the nation’s top 40 units
in two of his final three years. He was
instrumental in producing six all-conference
players including three
first-team selections, a Freshman All-
American and a conference freshman
of the year.
SPEIR BRINGS IN A FAMILIAR FACE
AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
By DANIEL HOOKER ’01
A story in the winter 2017 edition of this magazine characterized J.T. Poston ’15 as the first Catamount to make the PGA
tour. Retired sports information director Steve White ’67, the walking encyclopedia of WCU athletics, points out that former
WCU men’s golf team member Stan Shaw ’64 played briefly on the tour in the 1970s while working as a golf pro in Florida.
REQUEST FOR A SHAW SHANK REDEMPTION
John Wiley
is calling
the defensive
shots for
Catamount
football.
Fall 2017| 17
WOMEN’S SOCCER EARNS NATIONAL
ACADEMIC HONORS FOR 11TH TIME
By DENISE GIDEON
The Western Carolina University
women’s soccer team received the
National Soccer Coaches Association
of America College Team Academic
Award again last year, marking the 11th
consecutive time the Catamounts earned
the academic accolade. The honor was
in recognition of the accomplishments
of the team during the 2015-16 season.
From 2005 to present, the Catamount
women’s soccer program has been a
staple on the NSCAA Academic Award
list. During the 2015-16 season, the
Catamounts, coached by Chad Miller,
notched a team 3.50 grade point average
to earn its latest appearance on the list.
A total of 893 soccer teams (315 men’s
squads and 578 women’s) from across
the United States earned the NSCAA
Team Academic Award for exemplary
performance in the classroom as a
team during the 2015-16 academic year.
To qualify for the award, a team must
have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher
for the entire academic year. The team
score is determined by adding every
player’s GPA, then dividing by the
number of players.
TAKE YOUR
NEXT STEP
EARN YOUR GRADUATE DEGREE
More than 40 graduate programs in Cullowhee, Asheville, and Online
F GRAD.WCU.EDU
The soccer Cats’ frequent appearance
on the list of top academic-achieving
teams in the nation provides
another piece of evidence of WCU’s
commitment to the “student” half of
the term “student-athlete,” said Randy
Eaton, director of athletics.
“Our top priority is to offer each
and every student-athlete a great
undergraduate experience in the
community, in the classroom and on
the fields and courts of competition, and
to ensure their WCU experience always
culminates with a degree from Western
Carolina University,” Eaton said. “I’m
proud of what the accomplishments
of the members of our women’s soccer
program in the classroom say about our
commitment to student success.”
18 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
It’s another season, another pair of
championships for the Western Carolina
University men’s track and field team.
The squad captured its fourth-straight
Southern Conference Indoor title in
February in Johnson City, Tennessee,
by downing second-place Samford by
15 points. A couple of months later,
the team won its second consecutive
conference outdoor track and field
crown in Birmingham, Alabama, edging
second-place Samford by just six points
and clinching the title in the final event
MEN’S TRACK TEAM CLAIMS
TWO MORE CONFERENCE TITLES
By SEAN FORRESTER
of the day, the 4x400 relay.
The WCU women came up just short
of winning their third indoor title in the
last four years as they fell to Samford
by 56.5 points in February, also taking
second place in May’s outdoor meet
when they were outpaced by 51 points
by Samford. The championships are the
first under first-year head coach Cale
McDaniel ’10 MAEd ’13, who served
as an assistant coach for many WCU
championships in the past.
WCU crowned four individual
champions and one relay champion
on the final day of the indoor
championships including two women’s
individual titles and two men’s
individual titles. Sophomore Miles
Greer won the competition’s Pinnacle
Award, which goes to the student-athlete
with the highest cumulative GPA on the
championship-winning team in each
SoCon sport.
In the outdoor events, the Catamount
women took home two individual wins
and swept the relays while the men had
three individual titles and won the 4x400
relay. WCU sophomore Dakota Wright
received the men’s Pinnacle Award for
the outdoor championships.
CATAMOUNT
ATHLETICS
The men’s outdoor track
and field team (above)
celebrates its second
consecutive conference
championship, thanks in
part to the performances
of Keion Crossen (far
right) and Dakota
Lamont (near right).
Fall 2017| 19
20 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
On virtually any college campus, they’re there — students
who have recently exited foster care or who are homeless,
wards of the state or orphaned. And most of the time, they’re
invisible, blending in with the student body at large and keeping
their struggles wrapped in a tight armor of privacy. A new
initiative at Western Carolina University, however, will reach
out and serve those students in a way that no other college in
the state is doing.
“It really just fell right into place,” said Keith Henry ’85
MBA ’92, chief operating officer of the Baptist Children’s
Homes of North Carolina. “It was like a puzzle ready to be put
together.” Called HOMEBASE College Ministry, the program
is headquartered in what was once the Baptist Student Union
building, on Central Drive next to the Cullowhee Baptist
Church, and funded mainly by the Baptist Children’s Homes.
Staffed by a full-time director and equipped with a kitchen,
stocked pantry, laundry room and big-screen-TV-equipped
living room, among other amenities, it’s meant to serve as a
home base for students who don’t have a home base. It’s a place
to recharge in the company of people who understand and a
place to get help with the things that parents would ordinarily
supply — anything from a few extra groceries during a week
when money is tight to help figuring out what to wear to a
job interview.
THERE’S NO
PLACE LIKE
HOM E
The former Baptist Student Union houses a new program
offering a support system to parentless students
By HOLLY KAYS
Fall 2017| 21
“Next year, I want to see the outreach and advocacy really
come to life,” said Sophia Calhoun ’17, who was a student
leader in the effort. “I think this building is the best way to do
it. I want to have speakers. I want to give a student panel where
high school students come and ask questions. I want people
to start knowing this building is on campus. If that happens,
we’ll see more students from our population that we didn’t
even know were here.”
HELPING THE FORGOTTEN
When Lowell Davis, assistant vice chancellor for student
success, came to WCU four years ago, it was with the desire to
serve the students on his new campus who didn’t have family
support. He’d seen the need during his previous job at the
University of Alabama and quickly found himself wrapped
up in the problem of addressing it.
Davis’ involvement at Alabama started when a student from
the Presbyterian Home for Children in Talladega showed up at
the administration building one summer. He wasn’t supposed
to enroll until the fall, and he had absolutely no resources to
start life on his own. “He needs housing, he needs classes, he
needs a meal plan, he needs all these things and he has no one
to guide him on what to do,” Davis recalled.
Davis worked with him to find housing and enroll in summer
classes. He gathered donations from his local church. And then
he started thinking. “I began to ask how many other students
are on our campus who are very similar to him,” Davis said.
“They’ve aged out of foster care, they show up on our campus
and they have to figure out what to do.”
That led to what became a full-blown community program
that drew support from other senior-level university faculty.
They partnered with a foundation that offered to support
the students, and families in the community volunteered
to be paired with students who needed a shoulder to lean
on — whether that be someone to call with questions about
professional dress or how to fix a car, a place to stay over
Christmas break when the dorms are closed, or someone to
provide a home-cooked meal when the grocery money runs out.
Davis saw the results. That first student, the one who
showed up out of the blue from Talladega, is now working
for a Fortune 500 company. His sister, who followed him to
Alabama, completed a term with Teach for America and is now
working full time. “I came to WCU realizing I had a passion
for helping the forgotten students,” Davis said.
There were plenty of them to be helped. During the fall
2016 semester, Davis counted 103 students who fit the criteria.
Initially, he followed the same blueprint he’d developed at
Alabama — generating a list of financially independent
students, sending out invitations and holding a meeting.
“The needs were a little different than Alabama,” Davis
said. One of the first requests was always for more counseling
support, and students also wanted an adult confidante they
could trust, like a parent. Then, of course, financial support
and help with necessities like food and books and medication.
Calhoun became a member of the group early on. The
students dubbed themselves RISA — Resilient Independent
Student Association — and began to meet regularly, hanging
out for bowling and movie and pizza nights. “For a long time,
Wednesday game
nights are one of
the HOMEBASE
activities
organized by Jim
Dean (standing).
22 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
we stumbled over that ‘what do we want to do’ aspect of it
because we didn’t know,” Calhoun said. “Is this going to be
a group that someone asks you when we need 20 bucks, or is
this going to be a group that does something?”
Eventually, the students decided they wanted to be an
advocacy group and began to plan what is now a yearly event
— “Telling Our Stories.” The students get up on stage, in front
of university officials, Board of Trustees members and loved
ones they’ve personally invited, and they tell the long versions
of what has happened in their lives. It’s a somber event that
doesn’t seek to shield audience members from the full force
of the stories. It seeks to make them understand.
For Calhoun, who became an orphan at the age of 13, the
experience was emotional and cathartic in a way she hadn’t
expected it to be. At one point in her story, she cried. Usually,
when sharing her past with someone, she peppers the tale
with jokes and lighthearted comments to make it easier on the
listener. “In that case, I had to see what the weight of a story
would do without relieving the pressure,” she said.
CREATING THE FOUNDATION
With RISA thriving, and Davis’ job responsibilities
increasing, Davis reached out to Henry to see if Baptist
Children’s Homes might be able to help. “Really, it was a no-brainer,”
Henry said. “These are the children who grew up
in the system, they were part of the foster care system, and now
they’re on their own and they need a family. That’s what we do.”
And, he had an idea. A WCU alum, Henry knew that the
Baptist State Convention had an underutilized building
on campus. So he called John Butler, executive director of
the convention’s business services group, and asked for the
building. “It’s rare that you call somebody and ask them for a
building, but he said, ‘Probably.’ So we met the next day at that
building,” Henry said. “He drove up from Cary and basically
handed me the keys and said, ‘Have at it.’”
The Baptist Convention also put in $25,000 to start
renovations, and the Baptist Children’s Homes put in another
$75,000, with ongoing expenses to total $100,000 per year. Gifts
from Phil Drake, a WCU trustee from Macon County, and
the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina also
contributed, and WCU placed a couple of student workers in
the building. With the help of student volunteers and interior
design expertise from WCU associate professor Erin Adams,
work started last September to haul trash, paint walls, redo
flooring, install Wi-Fi and replace furniture.
Opening day was getting close. Henry realized the program
would need a full-time director, and he knew who his first
pick would be — Jim Dean, a pastor, WCU adjunct professor
and foster parent. Dean took the job. “This program is really
geared to helping students that have no family or parental
support,” Dean said, “but Baptist Children’s Home has also
said to me, ‘We’re not checking IDs at the door. If a student
needs help, help a student.”
He’s excited about the possibilities. With the renovated
building unveiled last February, the program isn’t expected
to fully take off until this fall. However, a nightly schedule of
activities already is in place — classes teaching life skills are on
Mondays, TED talk discussions are on Tuesdays, game nights
are Wednesdays, the Baptist Student Fellowship holds a meal
and worship service on Thursdays and movie nights are Fridays.
Coming up, HOMEBASE likely will offer weekend trips and
outings. Dean is working with WCU to provide services like
addiction support groups at the location, because there might be
less stigma associated with walking into HOMEBASE than with
walking into a counseling office. Calhoun and Dean both hope
to do more outreach to find students who need HOMEBASE
and draw them in. Davis’ data indicates that more than 100
such students are enrolled at WCU, but Calhoun is in regular
contact with only about 30 of them.
If the model succeeds, it could spread to other schools as well.
Henry’s been getting a lot of interest from other universities
in the state, but money is always the issue. “Financially, we’re
Annie Soonah
shares a light
moment with
other students
at a “Telling Our
Stories” program.
Fall 2017| 23
not in a place where we can do that right now, but it’s not out
of the question for the future,” he said.
A GROWING POPULATION
The number of parentless students at WCU seems poised
to grow. The existence of the program will serve as its own
recruiting tool, steering students who fit the population to
consider WCU above other schools. And the number of kids
in foster care is growing in the state overall, thanks to the
opioid drug epidemic.
“We’re just seeing families torn apart by this crisis right
now, so these kids are in the system and who knows how long
they’ll be in the system,” Henry said. “Sometimes they’re in
and out pretty quickly. Sometimes when we get them they’re
with us or in a foster home until they age out. With more kids
coming in, there’s going to be more coming out the other end.”
According to the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina,
the number of youth aging out of foster care jumped 10.4
percent between 2015 and 2016, the highest jump since data
compilation began 16 years ago. In January, 10,722 children
were in state custody, according to data from the University
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That’s up from 8,721 four
years ago.
Of former foster kids who attend college, fewer than 10
percent nationwide graduate; more than 90 percent do not.
And the resulting low lifetime earnings coupled with the
emotional — and sometimes physical — baggage of a troubled
past can keep these young adults from realizing their potential,
and can even cause them to perpetuate the cycle into which
they were born.
With HOMEBASE, the hope is that the students will
graduate, life will get better and they’ll pass on a legacy of
positivity rather than pain. “We hope that the love and care
we give them while they’re here will propel them on to a better
life,” Henry said, “and break this cycle they were a part of.”
Community support is needed to make HOMEBASE work.
For more information, contact Jim Dean, jdean@bchfamily.
org or 828.508.0035. Mail checks to HOMEBASE at P.O. Box
2133, Cullowhee N.C. 28723.
Reprinted in edited format with permission of the
Smoky Mountain News
Sophia Calhoun ’17
is among the student
leaders in the effort
to assist students
without parents.
Taking part in the
HOMEBASE ribbon-cutting
ceremony are
(from left) Baptist
Children’s Homes CEO
Keith Henry ’85 MBA
’92; Michael Blackwell,
president of Baptist
Children’s Homes; WCU
Provost Alison Morrison-
Shetlar; Lowell Davis,
assistant vice chancellor
for student success;
Jim Dean, HOMEBASE
director; and Susan
Belcher, WCU first lady.
24 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Fall 2017| 25
Perhaps it was inevitable that simmering racial tensions
sparked by a spate of police shootings of black men across
the U.S. and fueled by a contentious presidential campaign
emerged at Western Carolina University during the 2016 spring
semester. The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and
the pro-police counterpart Blue Lives Matter, angry rhetoric
directed at Hispanic and Muslim immigrants, the growth
of the alt-right faction and a resurgence of student activism
on campuses nationwide were a perfect storm, combining to
spawn a racially charged atmosphere.
In Cullowhee, the catalyst for heightened tension was
a display of student-created posters in the Department of
Intercultural Affairs designed to draw attention to the issue
of police brutality toward African-Americans. Some students
took offense, expressing support for law enforcement via social
media posts. Those posts inspired other students to write
sidewalk chalk messages showing pride in their various cultures
and ethnicities, which in turn led to strong – sometimes
racist – posts on a social media platform that allows users
to remain anonymous.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve the campus climate on
issues of race, diversity and inclusion, the university scheduled
several open discussions throughout the 2016 spring semester.
Among the suggestions arising from those discussions was the
need for training for faculty and staff on how to talk about
tough issues with other members of the campus community,
which led to summer and fall workshops.
In addition, after studying the campus climate for much of
the 2016-17 academic year, a joint task force on racism, chaired
by faculty member Kathleen Brennan, made recommendations
to WCU’s administration focused on the need to prioritize
diversity and inclusion on campus, and the desire for additional
educational opportunities related to diversity and inclusion.
During a task force forum this past April, Chancellor David
O. Belcher reminded the campus community that WCU “…is
not alone in grappling with the issue of racism.”
As evidence of what Belcher has characterized as a
commitment to “WCU as a vibrant, inclusive and diverse
institution,” the university hired its first chief diversity officer,
Ricardo Nazario-Colon, last spring. That position, however,
had been in the works long before the tensions of 2016; Belcher
announced in August 2014 an “an enhanced, in-it-for-the-long-haul
commitment to diversity” that would include the budget-neutral
creation of a position to lead campus diversity efforts.
For predominantly white WCU, such efforts are becoming
critical in the face of dramatic demographic shifts among high
school graduates. Nationally, demographers predict that the
number of Asian high school graduates will increase by 41.28
percent between 2013 and 2027, while Hispanic graduates will
increase by 36.29 percent, American Indian/Alaska native
by 12.33 percent and African-American by 4.49 percent.
Conversely, the white/non-Hispanic segment will decrease
by 11.11 percent.
As the diversity of the campus inevitably increases, the
university has an opportunity to expose students to cultural
differences that will make them more effective employees and
leaders in the global job market, Nazario-Colon said. “It is
important to assist all of our community members in navigating
not only this institution but also the communities that we are
preparing our students to join. In the end, regardless of our
differences, we are all part of the same community, both locally
and globally,” he said.
“Yes, our campus is not immune from racial, political or
ideological discord. But, with an emphasis on ensuring an
inclusive living and learning environment, WCU is a welcoming
place for all, a place that is leveraging the power of diversity
to enhance the productivity and intellectual personality of all
members of our campus community,” he said.
In the pages that follow, members of the WCU campus
community share their perspectives on race, diversity
and inclusion, in vignettes compiled by Marlon W. Morgan.
WCU takes steps to improve the campus climate
on issues of race and inclusion
magazine.wcu.edu
26 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Clifton Price '09
Graduate school: School counseling
Hometown: Hickory
While attending WCU as an undergraduate, Clifton Price
’09 said he never personally encountered any mistreatment as
an African-American. He views his experience in Cullowhee
as inspiring.
“At WCU, I learned so much valuable information. I gained
a sense of hope for humanity,” Price said, recalling a day one
of his white friends joined him in Brown Cafeteria. “We were
casually eating lunch and my friend looked at me and said,
‘Thank you, Clif.’ I was confused, and asked my friend to
explain. He said, ‘Clif, I thank you for changing my views of
black people.’” Price was still perplexed.
“He went on to explain that, before meeting me, he was
extremely prejudiced toward people of color. He also explained
that, for his entire life, he was taught it was perfectly fine
to judge a person of color before getting to know them. So,
he thanked me for changing his views,” Price said. “I felt
empowered and saddened at the same time – empowered
because I broke through a barrier, but sad because I knew there
were millions of other people like my buddy who wouldn’t
have that breakthrough.”
While his campus experiences were mostly positive, Price
did witness disturbing events, including a dead bear that was
found near the Catamount statue with two Barack Obama
campaign posters on its head. He also remembers a noose
being discovered in Brown Cafeteria. Off campus, Price said
he was treated differently by mechanics and at restaurants,
grocery stores and elsewhere.
“My experience has been one of difference, injustice
and pain,” Price said. “But, it’s also been one of resilience,
endearment, triumph and success. My experiences have led me
to be courageous, to be empathetic and to be loving, because
I’ve seen the alternative. I’ve been down that road. And in order
for us to grow as a society, we have to open up our hearts and
love a lot more than we already are. We need to look at each
other and accept the differences that we see. It’s perfectly fine
to be different, but it’s not OK to be treated differently.
“My story has been one of many obstacles I’ve had to
overcome, and I’ve overcome them. I want people to know
that it doesn’t matter what your circumstance may be. You
have the power to overcome. You have to find what makes you
go. WCU taught me so much and I’m extremely thankful for
having had the experience to be a Catamount. There’s a reason
I went back to WCU for graduate school.”
Antonio Corza '16
Graduate school: Finance and accounting
Hometown: Statesville
As a Latino graduate student in the finance and accounting
program at WCU’s Biltmore Park instructional site, Antonio
Corza ’16 views himself as a role model to current and future
Latino students.
Corza is a first-generation college student. Both of his parents
are from Mexico, where they completed only elementary school
“because they didn’t have the money to pay for school,” Corza
said. After coming to the U.S., Corza’s parents worked hard
to ensure that their children would have the opportunity to
go to college.
“They always told us that school is important,” he said.
“They wouldn’t let us work at all because they wanted us to
focus on school and not get distracted by anything else. When
I graduated from high school, it was not only my moment, but
also theirs because they worked hard for me to stay in line.”
Although diversity is increasing at WCU, Corza said he
often is the only one in his classes. Still, he wants to help pave
the way for others. “I feel privileged and blessed to be in a
classroom. Even though I’m often the only Latino student,
I’m going along with the trend, leaving stepping stones for
the next students to come,” he said.
“I can talk to Latino students in the undergrad program
and be like a role model to them,” he said. “I can be like that
point person to talk to and answer any questions they might
have. Latinos can relate to each other.”
Corza said he has been treated fairly both by his classmates
and his professors throughout his time at WCU. “My professors
are motivating me to do bigger and better things,” he said. “I
don’t feel like I’m treated any less as a Latino student.”
Fall 2017| 27
Erica McCurdy
Year: Sophomore
Major: Undecided
Hometown: Raleigh
Erica McCurdy is technically in the majority as a white
student at WCU. But because she prides herself on having
friends from various ethnicities, McCurdy often finds herself
in the minority.
For instance, when she joined WCU’s Inspirational Gospel
Choir last year as a freshman, McCurdy was one of just three
white members in the mostly African-American choir. Growing
up Catholic in Raleigh, McCurdy was definitely out of her
comfort zone.
“At first, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to sing gospel
music,” she said. “I had been singing in school choirs my whole
life. I didn’t know if I was going to fit in. But I loved it. It’s just
been so interesting to learn. They’re like, ‘You don’t know this
song? I learned this song in church when we were like 4 years
old,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m brand new to this.’”
Growing up in schools where white people were in the
minority, McCurdy took advantage of opportunities to learn
about other cultures. “I feel like I’ve gained the respect of a lot
of people through that,” she said. “I’m trusted for that and it’s
always been a part of who I am as a leader. I was the student
body president at my high school. I feel like I got that role
because people trusted me, because I knew where everyone
was coming from.”
McCurdy also feels like her relationships with minorities
have helped influence other white people. “I don’t hang around
that many white people. When I do, they ask me, ‘How do you
know those things? Do you just ask them, because I don’t know
what to say?’ I say, ‘You just have to keep yourself open and
not make it sound accusatory or like you’re just too ignorant
to actually understand.’ I think I definitely have opened a lot
of eyes,” she said.
McCurdy encourages other white people to get out of their
comfort zones, like she has done by joining WCU’s choir. “One
of the biggest things my mom asked me was, ‘Are there any
other white kids in there, Erica?’ I said, ‘Actually, there’s a few.
I thought I was going to be the only one.’ There’s more people
coming in. I think we have a pretty diverse group. It’s interesting
that we all come together for this one thing,” she said.
Jacob French
Year: Senior
Major: Business law
Hometown: Reidsville
After attending a marching band symposium for high school
students in 2012, Jacob French knew he wanted to attend WCU.
Today, as a member of the Pride of the Mountains Marching
Band, French is in charge of running that summer symposium.
Prior to enrolling, French told his mom he was going to
WCU strictly for an education. But it didn’t take him long to
realize he was going to learn far more outside of the classroom
than inside.
Growing up in rural Reidsville, French discovered in
eighth grade that he was gay, but he kept it to himself. Shortly
after arriving at WCU, members of the band made him feel
comfortable enough to share who he really was. The first
person he told was former drum major Brandon Truitt ’16,
who also is gay.
“He kind of knew, and he just made me feel comfortable,”
French said. “We hung out, and one day I trusted him enough
to actually tell him I’m gay. He helped me come out to other
people. It made me feel more comfortable coming out to my
brothers in my fraternity. My brothers have been so accepting.
That’s why I haven’t been really scared to tell other people.”
French said that Cullowhee is a place where he feels safe and
at home. “(Reidsville) is where the more negative reactions
come in, which is why I don’t really go home,” French said. “I
always stay at Western, even over the summer when I’m not
in school. I just love being at Western and the positive vibes
this campus puts out.”
French now finds himself in the supportive role Truitt
once held. French has been instrumental in helping other gay
students at WCU navigate their way. “I’ve helped plenty of
people accept who they are,” he said. “That’s why I feel like I
was meant to be at Western. I found my help, and I feel like it
was my turn to help others. It’s something I definitely enjoy
doing, just advocating for equality everywhere.
“I’m not ignorant to the fact that not everybody on campus
is going to be accepting. That’s kind of what college is. College
is a smaller version of the rest of the world. Everybody has
different ideas and opinions. That’s just something you live
with and don’t let that bring you down,” French said.
28 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Jenifer Montoya Velasquez
Year: Junior
Major: Criminal justice and biology
Hometown: Hickory
Among the first things Jenifer Montoya Velasquez noticed
when she arrived on campus is the lack of fellow Latino students.
That’s why Velasquez joined the Latino Appreciation Student
Organization, giving her a support group. Joining LASO is
just what the first-generation student needed to blossom.
Velasquez, a junior, joined other organizations and is now
president of LASO.
“As a freshman, I was not the person I am now,” she said.
“I’ve grown tremendously with my leadership skills. Being
involved in organizations has allowed my leadership skills to
flourish. It has really brought me a lot of awareness about the
problems we have on campus and around the world.”
Velasquez and her family moved to Hickory when she was
4. Her mother owns a cleaning business while her stepfather
owns a lawn-mowing company. A criminal justice and biology
major, Velasquez realizes the opportunity she has.
“I have to do this to have a better life, because I’ve seen the
struggles,” Velasquez said. “I’ve seen what it looks like in Latin
countries where there’s poverty, school is not even an option
and you have to go to work. I’m really appreciative I had the
opportunity to come here to have an education.”
Velasquez said she has found WCU to be a place where
students can express different ideas and beliefs. But her
encounters with white students haven’t allowed her to affect
awareness of Latinos the way she has seen happen with other
minorities.
“With other minorities, we learn that we are much more
similar than we are different. At the end of the day, we’re all
struggling and we’re all in the same pool. Just because you’re
Hispanic and just because you’re black doesn’t mean we’re
different. We’re all fighting the same struggles and oppressions
that we have today in society,” she said.
“What I can take away from being at Western is to stand up
for who I am and for my culture, to not be afraid to speak up
for who you are and what you believe in. Honestly, coming here
has allowed me to step out of that comfort zone and develop
those skills,” Velasquez said.
Keiara Isom
Year: Junior
Major: Biology
Hometown: Charlotte
Growing up in Michigan and Charlotte, Keiara Isom was
accustomed to being in diverse environments. When she
graduated from high school, it would have been easy to follow
her friends to colleges with diverse populations. But Isom
wanted a different experience. So, she left the city for the
mountains of WCU.
Isom has found predominantly white WCU to be very
accepting of minorities overall. She has noticed the curiosity
of some white counterparts, particularly when it comes to
her different hairstyles. “It seems weird, but it’s also funny
that they’re interested in why my hair is straight one day and
super curly the next day,” Isom said. “It’s something I think
is normal, but others think it’s fascinating.”
While she has enjoyed many positive experiences as a
minority at WCU, there have been negative occurrences,
such as racially charged chalk writings during the 2015-16
academic year.
Discussing that situation with white peers often left her
feeling uncomfortable. “It was kind of awkward,” Isom said.
“I’m a biology major so, in most of my classes, I may be the
only African-American student, or the only African-American
female, so everybody was kind of asking me my opinion and
how I felt. I had no problem expressing it, but I just kind of
felt like the odd person sometimes.”
Isom said those incidents brought African-Americans at
WCU closer together. It also was a learning experience for
her. “It wasn’t like we were trying to be violent, or anything
like that. We were just supporting each other. A lot of the
chalkings were harsh, and they did hurt some people’s feelings.
For me and some of my African-American friends, it was
more about being there for each other more than we were in
the beginning,” Isom said.
“For the people who were asking how I felt about it, they
wanted information. They wanted to be educated. I guess it
made me feel important. If they didn’t care, they would have
never asked.”
Fall 2017| 29
Kiara Hines
Year: Senior
Major: Social work
Hometown: Rutherfordton
For Kiara Hines, coming to WCU was no different than
attending a predominantly white high school in Rutherfordton.
It wasn’t until the campus discord surrounding the 2016
presidential election that Hines felt discomfort.
“Last year, there were a lot of chalkings around the middle of
campus,” Hines said. “I worked as a tour guide, so I had to try
to explain that everyone has a right to freedom of expression,
but obviously there was a lot of concern about the things they
saw. It made me question the character of some of the students.”
Hines said a lot of the opportunities she’s had at WCU have
come while being one of a few minorities. Last spring, she
went to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research
in Memphis. Hines said she was one of about three African-
American students selected to attend from WCU.
“We’re not always well-represented on campus,” Hines said.
“But I feel like the (minority students) who are here do a lot. If
we weren’t here, I feel like the campus would be a lot different.”
There is one thing Hines would like to see change on campus.
“I would like white people to be more understanding and not
be so quick to judge people,” she said. “We adapt because
we’re used to adapting, but it would be nice if white people
would try to change instead of always wanting things to be
modified for them.”
As president of the Inspirational Gospel Choir, it’s one of
the few times on campus when Hines gets to be in the majority.
The choir has three white members, but Hines said she would
like to see it become more diverse.
“I think it’s saying we’re trying,” Hines said of the white
members. “I think we’re trying to be more cognizant. It’s
going to take some time. I think because of where we are
geographically, not everybody is accepting right away. But I
think we’re addressing it and we’re taking some steps in the
right direction.”
Aaron Alexander
Year: Senior
Major: Marketing and entrepreneurship
Hometown: Shelby
Whether he agrees with them or not, Aaron Alexander
doesn’t have a problem with people speaking their minds,
as long as they abide by one simple rule. “I feel like everyone
should be able to express their views, whether it’s the College
Republicans or the Black Student Union, as long as they stay
respectful of everyone,” Alexander said.
There were several incidents on the WCU campus during
the 2015-16 academic year when that didn’t happen. One that
stands out most to Alexander occurred during a Black Lives
Matter silent protest that he attended.
“There was a student, I think he was a freshman, and you
could tell he was totally against it the whole time,” Alexander
said. “He said, ‘Gorilla Lives Matter,’ instead of ‘Black Lives
Matter.’ I just really couldn’t believe he said that. I felt like it
was important to let everyone know that it did happen and
stuff like that continues to happen every day. As white people
on a predominantly white campus, we shouldn’t pretend that
doesn’t happen.”
It was a rude awakening for Alexander, who attended a
predominantly white high school in Shelby, but had never
witnessed racial tensions like he did that year at WCU. “I grew
up around African-Americans playing sports,” Alexander said.
“For the most part, we got along and treated each other the
same. I feel like with the political race, it just kept building
and building and building.”
Fortunately, Alexander said, the campus has returned to
normalcy since the election. But the racial tensions definitely
served as a learning experience for everyone, he said.
30 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Channa De Silva
Associate professor, bioinorganic chemistry
After completing postdoctoral research at Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, Channa De Silva was looking for a
position where he could teach and conduct research at the
undergraduate and graduate levels. De Silva found the balance
he was seeking at WCU, joining the faculty in 2010.
A native of Sri Lanka, he had concerns about the small
number of international faculty members at WCU and low
percentage of Asians in the area. “At that time, there were
probably 10 to 20 (international faculty members) out of 200,”
he said. “My daughter started going to kindergarten. She was
the only Asian student in the whole class. Even nowadays,
even though it’s growing a little bit, I went to her sixth-grade
honors reception and I was the only one with this (skin) color.”
But overriding factors led De Silva to WCU – the weather,
mountains and friendliness of the faculty. Not only was his
interview process smooth, but he was touched that people
remembered him when he returned to start working.
“I also like that I have support from the faculty members,” he
said. “If I have to use an instrument, if I don’t know anything
about it, everybody will jump in and show me how to use it.
And when they find research opportunities, they will forward
them to me. They helped me to get students in the beginning.”
He attended college in Sri Lanka before heading to the
University of Arizona to earn his doctorate. Although the
landscape at Arizona is more diverse than at WCU, De Silva
said being a minority faculty member at WCU has its positives.
“Students are curious about my culture,” he said. “I can start
a conversation with a student. If I don’t have a topic, we can
talk about food or things like that. I have played music at the
International Festival. Every year, they invite me to play Sri
Lankan or Indian music. I really enjoy that. I consider that a
service to the university.”
De Silva also answers questions and gives advice to
international students. “Even though I’m not an international
specialist, I can advise and talk to them like a faculty member
and give them options on what to do and what not to do,”
he said.
Enrique Gomez
Associate professor, astronomy and physics
One of the appealing things about teaching at WCU for
Enrique Gomez was the ability to reach a large population of
first-generation students. Gomez was looking for a university
where he could teach introductory physics and astronomy
while utilizing some of his innovative techniques.
Although WCU is a predominantly white campus, Gomez,
who is biracial (white mother, Mexican father), looked
forward to teaching African-Americans and a growing Latino
population. “I grew up navigating between two cultures,”
Gomez said. “At times in my life, I felt I thrived more when I
helped people from another culture. I lived at the intersection
of many identities.”
Although conversations about diversity don’t naturally
occur in physics and astronomy, Gomez tries to integrate
elements from non-Western and non-European teachers
into his classes. “I believe minorities have something to say
about physics, mainly because of particular concerns with the
environment, as well as making science accessible to a large
audience,” Gomez said.
Gomez said when he earned his doctorate, he was the only
Latino with an astrophysics degree graduating that year in the
U.S. Those numbers are increasing, and Gomez would like to
see more Latino faculty members at WCU. “It is isolating,”
he said. “Sometimes I wish I had another person that I could
speak Spanish with more often.”
In addition to his activities at WCU, Gomez works with
K-12 students in local communities where Latino and Asian
populations are growing. “I had a Latino student that I
encourage at Fairview Middle School in preparing her for
the astronomy event in the Science Olympiad. She did very
well. I was very proud of that. Little things like that can have
quite an impact,” Gomez said.
As president of the Jackson County NAACP, Gomez is
believed to be the first Latino to lead a North Carolina branch.
In that role, he looks to support a broad movement. “I believe
we are still trying to integrate into our notion of ‘country’ the
sons and daughters of slaves and native people, and recent
immigrants,” Gomez said. “We have a lot of unfinished
business, which I thought by this time and my age would
have been superseded.”
Fall 2017| 31
Jane Adams-Dunford
Assistant vice chancellor, student affairs
It didn’t take Jane Adams-Dunford long to be sold on moving
from Oklahoma to WCU. Her husband also was open to the
idea. It was her oldest son, a football and basketball player,
who needed convincing.
At family meetings as they discussed pros and cons of
moving to the mountains, Adams-Dunford showed her son
Cullowhee’s location on the map. “When I pulled it up on the
map, he said, `The pro scouts aren’t going to be able to find
me. It’s not on the map, mom,’” she said. “I said, ‘It’s that dot
right there.’ We laugh about that to this day.”
That was in 1998. Her children are now adults and Adams-
Dunford loves the area. But that doesn’t mean there weren’t
issues and concerns along the way. “There were the regular
concerns – where do we get our hair cut, will the kids have
teachers that look like them,” she said. “There were the rebel
flags. My boys hadn’t been exposed to that. But they had a really
firm and grounded knowledge of who they were as far as their
black history and what it meant to be a black male. They were
confident and knowledgeable from that perspective, and being
a part of a campus community with amazing students was so
helpful in their transition to the Whee.”
One of the things Adams-Dunford appreciated during her
interview process was the time set aside for her to speak with
other African-American faculty and staff so they could address
her concerns. In time, she assimilated into the community
through serving on the Cullowhee Valley PTA, Smoky
Mountain High School athletics booster clubs and youth
sports organizations.
During her time at WCU, Adams-Dunford, a native of
Shelby, has seen WCU’s number of African-American faculty
members shrink, something she believes could negatively affect
the student experience. “It is my hope that we continue to be
more intentional in our efforts to recruit and retain faculty
and staff of color,” she said.
“Students of color have shared that they miss not having
an African-American faculty member. I truly believe that
it promotes your self-esteem, your ability to engage and be
comfortable in your learning environment when you see
someone who looks like you,” she said. “There are commonalities
for sure, but our experiences make us different. After all, it is
the people that make Western such a special place.”
Kofi Lomotey
Bardo Distinguished Professor
Kofi Lomotey arrived at WCU in 2013 as the John and
Deborah Bardo Distinguished Professor of Educational
Leadership. During the interview process, he was impressed by
the people he met and excited about WCU’s doctoral program
in educational leadership. But Lomotey, an African-American,
couldn’t help but notice the limited diversity of WCU’s faculty
and student body.
“There was one other African-American faculty member
who was full-time, and she had been denied tenure, so that
was her last year,” Lomotey said. “There was a similar concern
with regard to the student population. I know it’s difficult in
that part of the country, that part of the state, to attract both
a diverse faculty and a diverse student body.”
WCU does face challenges in attracting faculty of color,
said Lomotey, who commutes to campus from Atlanta because
he prefers to live in a major metropolitan area. Last fall, the
university had seven black faculty members, 10 Hispanic
faculty and 23 Asian.
“A prospective faculty member of color does research
on Western Carolina, or comes in and interviews at
Western Carolina, and they don’t see very many people
that look like them. That’s a red flag. Just a simple thing
like an African-American woman being concerned about
where she can get her hair done, or being concerned about
African-American churches.”
Lomotey is proud that his program has one of the most
diverse faculty groups on campus, with two African-Americans
and one Asian, as well as gender orientation diversity. “The
program has three African-American students in its most
recent cohort in the doctoral program. That’s the most we’ve
ever had,” he said.
Nevertheless, Lomotey said a more diverse faculty is
beneficial, not just for African-American students, but all
students. “For many of our students, this is their first experience
on a college campus. For African-American students, if they
don’t see anybody that looks like them, they might not envision
the possibility of becoming a professor,” he said. “When you
have a diverse faculty, you have diversities of opinions and views
and perspectives on the curriculum, and on life in general.
That’s important for all students.”
32 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
An interdisciplinary learning theme fosters campus
conversations and connects students with collaborative
opportunities for an integrated campuswide experience. For
the past seven years, WCU has selected a learning theme
for such reasons. This marks the first time that faculty, staff
and students were able to vote on a topic. Of the six choices,
“Cherokee” received nearly a third of the votes. The 2015-
17 theme of “Africa! More than a Continent” ended at the
conclusion of the spring semester.
In announcing the selection, Carol Burton ’87 MAEd ’89,
associate provost for undergraduate studies, said the learning
theme “will afford us an opportunity to really dig in and not
just articulate better our relationship with the Cherokee, but
build on it, enhance it and, more importantly, educate our
students and faculty and staff about the Cherokee and this
beautiful place where we are and its importance.”
The tribal and demographic context for the theme of
“Cherokee” will be largely in keeping with WCU’s neighbors,
the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the portion of their
ancestral home that they still retain, the Qualla Boundary.
During the Indian Removal of 1838, the Cherokee who owned
lands largely in present-day Swain and Jackson counties as a
collective – with the deeds held by a white “chief” – were not
forced to leave their homes, while others evaded capture by
hiding deep in the Great Smoky Mountains. Today, the Eastern
Band is a federally recognized tribe, and the 57,000-acre Qualla
Boundary and numerous land parcels in Cherokee and Graham
counties is a sovereign nation, with its own government, judicial
and law enforcement system, schools and more than 15,000
enrolled members.
“The Cherokee people have a very rich history in Western
North Carolina, some of it right here on our very own
campus, something that many folks are not aware of,” said Lisa
Bloom, chair of the learning theme steering committee and
the Jay M. Robinson Distinguished Professor of Educational
Technologies. “Even more importantly, they have a thriving
culture that contributes in so many ways to our lives in the
region. My hope is that, through the campus theme, our
students, faculty and staff will explore the rich culture and
heritage of the Cherokee people, understand and appreciate
their contributions both past and present, and make
connections with the Cherokee community.”
BY GEOFF CANTRELL
When it came time to select a new interdisciplinary learning theme, Western Carolina
University didn’t need to look far. The heritage and tradition of a proud people permeate
the very ground upon which the university is built. Thus the selection of the 2017-18 theme
of “Cherokee: Community. Culture. Connections.”
The title photo above
shows a detailed portion
of Judaculla Rock, a
large boulder near the
WCU campus covered in
elaborate petroglyphs and
revered by the Eastern
Band of Cherokee Indians.
COMMUNITY. CULTURE. CONNECTIONS.
Fall 2017| 33
The ties between WCU and the Eastern Band are indeed
deep and historic. WCU’s Cherokee Studies Program, with
both undergraduate and graduate degrees, is renowned for
its curriculum in the culture, language, history, health and
environment of Cherokee and indigenous issues. The Sequoyah
Distinguished Professorship in Cherokee Studies, fully funded
in 1998, is currently held by Brett Riggs, a research archeologist
who has worked with the Eastern Band on projects since
the 1990s. In 2016, the university signed a memorandum
of agreement with the Eastern Band and two Oklahoma-based
Cherokee tribes to continue its commitment to the
academic study and promotion of Cherokee language, history
and culture.
WCU also is a lead partner in the ongoing Cherokee Language
Revitalization Project, an initiative to provide broader, more
comprehensive training and learning opportunities. For
example, Project Songbird, a collaboration with the Eastern
Band’s Kituwah Preservation and Education Program, recorded
original songs in the Cherokee language. Another example is the
work with the New Kituwah Academy, a Cherokee immersion
school, where Bo Lossiah ’05, curriculum, instruction and
community supervisor, has been a leader in those efforts. Last
year, the preservation and education program and WCU’s
Cherokee Language Program worked with the WCU Print
Shop to create card games for learning Cherokee pronouns,
as well as a Cherokee language board game created by WCU
graphic design students. The games were given to Hunter
Library’s Special Collections and the New Kituwah Academy.
“New Kituwah Academy is a multifaceted school, so our
first goal is a quality education for the children,” Lossiah said.
“Preservation of our language is important, too, though, and
must be considered a part of that quality education. As our
instruction has evolved, we’ve found conversational Cherokee is
a good beginning for learning. Our challenge has been finding
volunteers to come in and speak with the students and share
life experiences. There are maybe 230 Cherokee speakers now,
with 80 percent older than 60, I’d estimate. That really shows
the importance of this instruction and Western’s support.
Younger students get immersion lessons in Cherokee, older
students get dual language.”
The WCU Cherokee Center, established in 1975, serves
tribal and nontribal residents of the Qualla Boundary and
the surrounding communities by improving educational
opportunities. “We want to bring as much of Cherokee
to WCU as we want Western to come to Cherokee,” said
Sky Sampson ’10, recently appointed center director and an
enrolled tribal member. “I think we can make connections
back and forth with so much we have planned and things
under consideration, and there are so many WCU alumni in
Cherokee and the Qualla Boundary.”
One of the many events in which the Cherokee Center will
be involved during the learning theme is a two-day solar eclipse
celebration in August. In partnership with the Eastern Band,
the Cherokee Historical Association and the Museum of the
Cherokee Indians, the center will host events based around the
nearly two minutes of total darkness beginning at 2:35 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 21, making the town of Cherokee a probable
prime viewing location. The astronomic phenomenon was
described by the ancient Cherokee as when a giant frog that
lived in the sky had swallowed the sun, causing darkness to
occur during the daytime. The Cherokee would gather and
beat drums and make noise so as to frighten the great frog
away, allowing the sun to shine brightly again.
Also during the year, WCU’s Central Hall, a residence
for some 300 students, will be rededicated as Judaculla Hall
to commemorate the university’s historic connection to the
Eastern Band and to acknowledge the unique heritage and
From top to bottom: Board
games created by created
by WCU graphic design
students and produced by
the university’s Print Shop
help teach the Cherokee
language to students at the
New Kituwah Academy, a
Cherokee immersion school.
An archaeological field school
explores Cherokee heritage on
campus in a dig supported by
the Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians’ Tribal Historic Preservation
Office and the N.C. Office of State
Archaeology.
Exhibits at the Fine Art Museum will support
and enhance the campus learning theme, such as
Bernadine George’s ceramic two-handled pot that is featured in “Ancient Forms,
Modern Minds: Contemporary Cherokee Ceramics,” on display through Friday, Nov. 10.
34 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
history of the Cherokee people. According to Cherokee folklore,
all of campus and the surrounding Cullowhee Valley was once
the earthly home of a giant, Judaculla (Tsu la ka la), a powerful
hunter with slanted pupils in his eyes who could traverse the
mountains and the spiritual realm with ease. Judaculla Rock,
a large boulder linked to the legend that contains some of the
best preserved and most significant petroglyphs east of the
Mississippi River, is located south of campus.
Indian artistry, crafts and dance will be a significant focus
of “Cherokee: Community. Culture. Connections.” The WCU
Fine Art Museum is hosting “Ancient Forms, Modern Minds:
Contemporary Cherokee Ceramics,” which features the work of
11 Cherokee artists such as Joel Queen ’05 MFA ’08 and Davey
Arch and brings together historic and contemporary pottery
techniques, through Friday, Nov. 10. The museum also will host
a national traveling exhibit, “Return from Exile: Contemporary
Southeastern Indian Art,” from Aug. 21 to Friday, Dec. 15, with
more than 30 contemporary Southeastern Native American
artists working in a variety of media including painting,
drawing, printmaking, basketry, sculpture and pottery. A
symposium on the exhibit will be held Nov. 10.
Signature campus events throughout the academic year
will highlight Cherokee connections to the region and the
university. Mountain Heritage Day, scheduled for Saturday,
Sept. 30, always has carried Cherokee elements, such as stickball
games, as part of the cultural festival. Organizers are planning
for expanded and highlighted roles this year. The 16th annual
Spring Literary Festival will include a Cherokee theme day.
The eighth annual Rooted in the Mountains symposium, a
collaborative gathering that seeks to integrate indigenous
and local knowledge with health and environmental issues,
will continue narratives of Native American culture. Other
events to be scheduled are a Cherokee language symposium,
a cultural immersion trip and a tentative campus “pow wow.”
“We’re super excited about this opportunity, especially
since the overall population at WCU selected Cherokee as the
next theme,” said Sampson, WCU’s Cherokee Center director.
“Those results give me a personal sense of pride in knowing
that others are reaching out to learn more about our people
and our culture. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for the
coming year within this fantastic collaboration.”
We want to
bring as much
of Cherokee
to WCU as we
want Western
to come to
Cherokee.
–Sky Sampson ’10
“
”
Winter 2017| 35
To kick off Western Carolina
University’s yearlong campus learning
theme focused on “Cherokee,”
perhaps nothing could have been
more appropriate than an honorary
doctorate bestowed upon tribal elder
Jeremiah “Jerry” Wolfe during May’s
commencement exercises.
The 92-year-old Wolfe, a D-Day
veteran, teacher, community leader,
storyteller and artist, accepted the
honorary degree by inviting audience
members to sing along to a hymn of
deliverance, his voice in Cherokee and
theirs in English.
U ne hla nv i u we tsi
Amazing grace
I ga go yv he i
How sweet the sound
na quo tso sv wi yu lo se
That saved a wretch
I ga gu yv ho nv
Like me
Chancellor David O. Belcher called
Wolfe “a cherished living repository
of his tribe’s wisdom,” whose efforts
have enriched the cultural landscape
of Western North Carolina, the state
and nation.
“You have served with exemplary
distinction and dedication throughout
your life as a member of your
community and as a conservator and
icon of Cherokee language and culture,”
Belcher said. “You have been a tradition-bearer
for the Eastern Band of Cherokee
Indians, preserving and teaching the
Cherokee language, stickball traditions,
knowledge of plants and traditional
medicine, myths and legends, and
oral history.”
Wolfe is an integral and valuable asset
for WCU, with a decades-long list of
activities and involvement ranging
from interviews for the award-winning
documentary “First Language – The
Race to Save Cherokee” to serving as a
panelist at a Native American Heritage
Expo event on campus, participating in
chancellor installation ceremonies and
taking part in Mountain Heritage Day.
When WCU calls, he answers.
Wolfe grew up in Big Cove, one
of the six townships on the Qualla
Boundary, in a household that spoke
Cherokee. At the age of 7, he went away
BELOVED BEGINNING
Cherokee elder Jerry Wolfe receives an honorary doctorate
BY GEOFF CANTRELL
to boarding school where speaking his
native language was strictly forbidden.
He left after completing the 10th grade
to join the U.S. Navy during World War
II, where he survived the Normandy
invasion as a landing craft operator,
taking infantry ashore at heavily
contested Omaha Beach. After the war,
he returned home, started a family and
was an instructor at the Oconaluftee Job
Corps for more than 20 years.
Since 1997, Wolfe has worked at
the Museum of the Cherokee Indian,
where he has shared his extensive
knowledge of tribal history and culture
with thousands of visitors. Over the
years, he also has presented programs
on those topics across the state and
Southeast and has been interviewed
and featured in many publications and
video productions.
The honorary doctorate goes along
with many other awards, including a
2010 Brown-Hudson Folklore Award
and the tribal title of “Beloved Man,”
an honor so rare it had been more than
200 years since the last male designee.
36 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
By TERESA KILLIAN TATE
Sydney Blair ’16 captured mosquitoes in Great Smoky
Mountains National Park as part of her field work for a Western
Carolina University course in which environmental health
students help track mosquito species and the diseases they
can carry.
Now, Blair serves as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda
working to prevent the spread of malaria, a disease transmitted
by mosquitoes that is responsible for hundreds of thousands
of deaths worldwide each year. When Blair visits Ugandan
schools, she talks about the benefits of testing for the disease
and early treatment. She takes an insecticide-treated bed net
to show what she urges everyone in Uganda to sleep under,
even in thatched-roof huts. She helps members of the Bed Net
Brigade youth club learn how to go into villages, educate others
about malaria prevention and demonstrate how to hang and
care for bed nets.
“I hope that families will see the children taking initiative
with the nets and follow suit,” she said.
Blair is one of 94 WCU alumni who have served in the Peace
Corps since its founding in 1961, according to 2016 Peace Corps
data. Launched by the U.S. government to promote world
peace and friendship, the Peace Corps receives thousands of
applications from people who want to volunteer, and selection
can be competitive. In September 2016, the Peace Corps had
7,213 volunteers and trainees but received more than 23,000
applications over the course of the year. “We want to match
the most highly qualified candidates with the positions that
are right for them,” said Emily Webb, public affairs specialist
for the Peace Corps East Region Office.
Peace Corps deploys volunteers to help community
members abroad develop sustainable solutions to challenges
in agriculture, community economic development, education,
environment, health and youth development. Volunteers
train for three months and commit to serve for two years. In
exchange, they receive medical and dental care, transportation
to and from their country and enough money to live on in the
communities they serve.
Today, the Peace Corps volunteers serve in 65 countries,
with nearly half of volunteers in Africa and the next largest
contingents in Latin America, Eastern Europe and Asia. Last
fall, WCU alumni serving in the Peace Corps were based in
Uganda, Ethiopia and Guatemala.
The work can be fulfilling, with opportunities to help,
meet new people, learn a new language and culture, and
find adventure. The experience also can be emotionally and
physically challenging, said Blair and other Peace Corps
volunteers connected to WCU.
In addition to working in school-based malaria prevention
educational outreach, Blair chairs a malaria prevention think
tank that offers educational programs, training and resources
Alumni, Students and Faculty Are Making a
Difference – and Making Friends – Through
Their Work with the Peace Corps
Fall 2017| 37
Ada Sloop ’15
(facing page) displays
the dreamcatcher she
made for her Peace
Corps host family.
Sydney Blair ’16 (above)
visits a Ugandan school
to share information
about malaria
prevention.
to Peace Corps volunteers and their counterparts who want
to implement activities at their sites. She also is working on
programs such as sack gardening, a method in which tall
grain sacks are filled with dirt and seeds to form a vertical
garden that produces vegetables even during the three- to
four-month dry season.
A significant part of her work is serving as one of five staff
members at a health clinic. On Tuesdays, when mothers bring
their babies for vaccinations, Blair helps weigh the children and
complete their immunization cards. Among the most difficult
moments for her was seeing an HIV-positive orphan whose life
depended on urgent treatment for a knee infection but whose
caretakers could not afford to go to a hospital. Another was
witnessing a 15-year-old give birth in the health clinic without
family or friends there for support. “I have seen that happen
several times,” said Blair. “There is no way to prepare yourself
for those kinds of things.”
A native of Wilkesboro, Blair said her experience has helped
her to be more patient with herself and more thoughtful about
what is important in life. The people
she has met are so appreciative and
welcoming that even when meeting
for the first time they will invite her
in for tea. “Time in Uganda is not like
time in the United States,” said Blair.
“People walk everywhere. Everything is
at a slower pace, and people appreciate
everything so much more. It is just a
different world that’s been really hard
to explain to friends and family back
home.”
For Teawan Gausi ’11, navigating
cultural differences and perceptions to
make connections with people in her
community has been critical to carrying
out her work as a Peace Corps volunteer
in Guatemala. Gausi, who earned degrees
in psychology and sociology at WCU, is
charged with helping young people learn
life skills to lead healthier lives, teaching
them about substance abuse prevention
and reproductive and sexual health,
and expanding their leadership skills.
Sometimes, community members do
not understand what the role of a Peace
Corps volunteer is, or exactly what she
is there to do. “The challenge is bridging
the gap,” said Gausi.
Gausi seized the opportunity to be
a volunteer when she saw a program
at Indiana University, where she is
pursuing a master’s degree in public
administration, that linked coursework
with Peace Corps service. She became
particularly interested in development
work after a two-week WCU summer
travel course to Kenya in 2010 led
by Anthony Hickey, professor of
sociology, and Nyaga Mwaniki, retired
anthropology faculty member. The class
stayed in the Taita Hills and studied
development issues while working
with Kosmos Solutions International,
a nongovernmental community
development and humanitarian
organization. Three alumni of the Kenya
service learning trips have gone on to
serve in the Peace Corps, said Hickey.
Service-learning experience at WCU also was meaningful
for Ada Sloop ’15, an environmental health graduate who left
in June to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda. Sloop
was in a course taught by Lane Perry, WCU director of service
learning, centered on service and leadership. The students
traveled to New York and helped repair homes damaged by
Hurricane Sandy. Afterward, she continued to be involved as
the service-learning officer for WCU’s chapter of the American
Society of Safety Engineers. She encouraged participation in
activities such as roadside and river clean-ups. After graduation,
while completing an air quality internship in Cherokee, she
saw photos of a classmate serving as a Peace Corps volunteer
that rekindled her interest in the possibility.
“I thought, ‘Wow, that really is something I would like to
do,’” said Sloop. Further fueling her interest was what she
remembered hearing about the experiences of Phil Kneller,
a retired WCU environmental health professor who worked
to help eradicate smallpox while serving as a Peace Corps
38 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
Sydney Blair ’16
works with mothers
and infants at a clinic
in Uganda (above).
Teawan Gausi ’11
(third from left) is a
Peace Corp volunteer
in Guatemala.
Fall 2017| 39
volunteer in Ethiopia, and conducting research in a class taught
by Brian Byrd, WCU associate professor of environmental
health. She applied for Peace Corps community health
educator positions and was selected for a position centered
on preventative health measures related to malaria, HIV/AIDS,
maternal child health and hygiene.
Perry said he was not surprised Sloop went on to serve in
the Peace Corps. Service is in WCU’s DNA, and students who
come to the university with a passion to serve graduate as
informed, highly active and committed servant leaders, he said.
“It is when these two elements align that WCU helps produce
the balance between heart, culture, service, knowledge and
leadership that produces a Peace Corps volunteer,” said Perry.
What Sloop, who grew up on a dairy farm near Statesville,
was most looking forward to is immersing herself in a new
culture. She was excited to live with a host family and made
them a dreamcatcher as a gift before she left. “It’s important
to find spiritual connection with my host family, and dreams
are a good way to do that,” said Sloop.
Sloop said she looks forward to her experience serving and
to returning with Peace Corps on her resume. “Everybody in
the United States is going to know what Peace Corps is,” said
Sloop. “They have a history. They have success stories. They
have a foundation.”
Jim Lewis, WCU professor emeritus of history, was among
the second group of Peace Corps volunteers to work in
Venezuela in 1964. Lewis lived in a two-room cement block
house in a village of about 300 people. Electricity was available
several hours a day, and the roads were mud. He volunteered at
a school and helped establish credit union services in a rural
coffee-growing region.
“The thought was this would mainly benefit people who had
no access to banks or for whom banks were not interested in
opening accounts with $5 or $3,” said Lewis. “We started with
$200 in the credit union, and when we left two years later we
had $50,000.”
The experience led him to shift his research focus from
European to Latin American history, which he taught at WCU
while on the faculty for more than three decades.
Another former Peace Corps volunteer on WCU’s faculty,
Barbara Jo White, professor of computer information systems,
initiated the World Map Project for the Peace Corps. While
a volunteer in the Dominican Republic in 1988, she realized
paper maps would not last in that country’s rainy, humid
climate, so she and two students painted a world map on a
school wall. She developed a grid method to create the map to
scale that is now part of a manual to help volunteers worldwide
replicate the project.
What faculty and staff members share with students about
their personal experiences abroad and in the Peace Corps offers
students insight into being citizens of the world. Byrd said
seeing former students such as Blair and Sloop go on to tackle
global health issues, especially as Peace Corps volunteers, is
inspiring. “It is often said that ‘environmental health affects
everyone, everywhere and every day,’” said Byrd. “We expect
our graduates will make a difference wherever they are in
the world. Ada and Sydney are shining examples of what our
alumni are trained to do. They were not the first, and they will
not be the last.”
Faculty member
Barbara Jo White
(above) and students
work on the World
Map Project. Ada
Sloop ’15 (below)
enjoys a Western
North Carolina hike
before her departure
to Uganda as a Peace
Corps volunteer.
40 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
alumni
SPOTLIGHT
Odysseus, the central character in Homer’s eighth-century
classic the “Odyssey,” survived 10 years of arduous travel to
reach his destination. The circuitous journey of football coach
Geoff Collins ’94 has been less dangerous but more than twice
as long, with 11 stops between Cullowhee and his current
home in Philadelphia.
Collins, a starting linebacker for Western Carolina University
(1991-92) and the Catamounts’ defensive coordinator for four
seasons (2002-05), was introduced as the head football coach at
Temple University this past December. Ironically, he replaced
Matt Ruhle, who now directs Baylor University’s football
program and served under Collins at WCU as a defensive
assistant coach. Temple is coming off a landmark 10-4 season
in which the Owls won the American Athletic Conference
championship, was ranked 23rd nationally and played in a
bowl game.
Collins was a member of WCU legend Bob Waters’ last
recruiting class in 1989 out of Rockdale County High in
Conyers, Georgia. A walk-on, he was awarded a scholarship
after his freshman season. He recorded 191 tackles in his last
three seasons as a Catamount and was a key defensive player
on the 1992 team that was five points short of going undefeated
in the Southern Conference, was nationally ranked the last
three weeks of the season and defeated Marshall, the NCAA
I-AA national champion.
According to his teammates, coaches and those he worked
with in his chosen profession, the coaching trait was detected
early in Collins’ DNA. Steve Hodgin MAEd ’83, WCU’s head
coach during Collins’ final three seasons, said “…he was like a
coach on the field, always prepared as he constantly watched
film, had a high football IQ, made adjustments on the fly and
helped his teammates do the same.”
GRIDIRON ODYSSEY
GEOFF COLLINS’ CIRCUITOUS CAREER JOURNEY LEADS FROM
CULLOWHEE TO PHILADELPHIA AS HEAD COACH AT TEMPLE
By STEVE WHITE ’67
CLIMBING WCU’S FOOTBALL COACHING TREE
Western Carolina University has an impressive list of alumni and former
football players who are currently coaching at the collegiate and professional
levels. Listed alphabetically are the Catamounts, in addition to Temple head
coach Geoff Collins ’94, who are in active NCAA and NFL coaching positions,
including the years they competed at WCU and current position.
Fran Brown ’05 (2003-05), assistant head coach, Baylor
Chris Collins ’11 (2006-09), safeties coach, Georgia State
Joe D’Alessandris ’77 MAEd ’79 (1973-76), offensive line coach,
Baltimore Ravens
Lonnie Galloway ’94 (1990-93) co-offensive coordinator, Louisville
Mitch Hall ’03 (1999-02), running backs coach, Presbyterian
Blake Harrell ’02 (1999-02), defensive coordinator, The Citadel
Paul Johnson ’79 (1975-79), head coach, Georgia Tech
Brian Rucker ’04 (2000-03), wide receivers coach, The Citadel
John Scott ’00 (1995-98), defensive line coach, Arkansas
Lamont Seward (2000-03), associate head coach, West Alabama
Clyde Simmons ’96 (1982-85), defensive line coach, Cleveland Browns
Tom Bodine ’95, a WCU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee
and the Catamounts’ all-time leading tackler, and Collins
were teammates for two seasons. “The younger players would
follow his work ethic, and we learned a lot about how to play the
game,” Bodine said. “As a graduate assistant coach, Geoff had
a unique talent for understanding what the opposing offense
was doing. We knew he would be a great coach.”
Mark Speir MAEd ’95, WCU’s current head football coach,
was a young assistant coach during Collins’ junior and senior
seasons, and coached with him in the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
“Geoff was a very focused, intelligent player who played hard
and physical and was a leader on and off the field,” Speir said.
“There are natural football players and there are those like
Geoff, who loved the game and worked hard to be great. That’s
why he is where he is today.”
Hodgin launched Collins’ career in 1993 by awarding him
a postgraduate scholarship to serve as an assistant on WCU’s
defensive staff. Collins’ first full-time position was at Fordham
in 1996. That was followed by stints at Albright (Pennsylvania)
and Georgia Tech (1999-2001) before he returned to Cullowhee
as defensive coordinator for four seasons alongside then-head
coach Kent Briggs ’79 MAEd ’81. Collins made a second stop
at Georgia Tech in 2006, followed by positions at Alabama
(2007), Central Florida (2008-09) and Florida International
(2010) before becoming defensive coordinator at Mississippi
State for three seasons, where his 2014 unit was the nation’s
best “red-zone” defense.
Collins spent the past two seasons at Florida as defensive
coordinator, and last year’s squad was ranked in the nation’s top
10 in total defense and scoring defense. He became known as the
“Minister of Mayhem” around the Southeastern Conference for
his aggressive defenses. Sixteen Collins-coached players have
been drafted by NFL teams.
Jim McElwain, his boss
at Florida, said Collins is
“a relentless recruiter that
can motivate players and
understands the game on
both sides of the ball.” Nick
Saban, Alabama’s legendary
head coach, calls Collins “a
very intelligent football coach
who brings an extraordinary
amount of positive energy and
enthusiasm to his job.”
Collins credits his time
at WCU for preparing him
for his coaching career. “I
knew in high school I wanted
to be a college football
coach, and Western Carolina put me on that path,” he
said. “WCU will always be special to me and my family, as
that is where I was given my first opportunity to go after
my dream and is where I met my wife.” Collins and his wife,
the former Jennifer Haynes ’96, are the parents of an infant
daughter, Astrid.
When asked if Philadelphia might be the final stop on his
odyssey, Collins laughed and said, “I’m having a blast being a
head coach with all that comes with it – recruiting, developing
a game plan for winning games and championships, and
graduating young men.”
Who knows the answer to that question, but keep in mind
that Odysseus was thought to have made a stop in the ancient
Turkish city of Philadelphia on his way home.
Fall 2017| 41
Geoff Collins ’94
leads his Temple
team in preseason
practice (left) and
enjoys a moment
with his wife, the
former Jennifer
Hayne ’96, and
daughter Astrid.
42 | The Magazine of Western Carolina University
alumni
SPOTLIGHT
When Poinsett State Park rangers are working outdoors,
the office answering machine tells callers “It’s a great day in
South Carolina!” The cheerful message adds to the warm,
welcoming atmosphere inspired by Thomas “Zabo” McCants
’99, park manager for the past 10 years.
For his leadership and exemplary service, McCants
earned the 2016 Park Ranger of the Year Award in a
national competition. Sixty rangers from across the U.S.
were nominated for the award, sponsored by Servicewear
Apparel, a Nashville, Tennessee, company that provides work
uniforms worn by rangers, law enforcement officers and o