Western : the magazine of Western Carolina University. |
Previous | 29 of 35 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
|
This page
All
|
Summer 2007 T h e Mag a z i n e o f We st e r n C a ro l i n a U n i v e r s i t y Western Innovation Making Ideas Work Cover Story Features 6 Big Dam Grant National Science Foundation Awards $ 1.5 Million to WCU Coastal Program 8 Aesthetic Value Growing MFA Program Turns Campus into Artists’ Colony 14 Curtain Call Cherokee Drama Welcomes Theatre Faculty, Alumni 23 Homecoming 2007 Prepare for Music, Food, Football and Fun Western Carolina University Chancellor John W. Bardo Vice Chancellor Clifton B. Metcalf Advancement and External Affairs Associate Vice Chancellor Leila Tvedt Public Relations Managing Editor Bill Studenc Associate Editor Teresa Killian Art Director Rubae Sander Chief Photographer Mark Haskett ’ 87 Contributing Writers Jessica Cregger ’ 07 Randall Holcombe Daniel Hooker ’ 01 Jill Ingram John Kenyon Jim Rowell ’ 72 Leila Tvedt Class Notes Editor Dianne Yount ’ 79 Designer John Balentine Contributing Photographers Ashley T. Evans John Ashcraft Production Manager Loretta R. Adams ’ 80 Product Placement Western Helps Take Ideas From Concept to Reality T h e M a g a z i n e o f W e s t e r n C a r o l i n a U n i v e r s i t y Western Summer 2007 Volume 11, No. 3 23 6 8 14 16 The Magazine of Western Carolina University is produced by the Office of Public Relations in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs for alumni, faculty, staff, friends and students of Western Carolina University. Pedal Pusher During the 40 years that Otto Spilker has been commuting to Western on his bicycle, the price of gas has risen from about 33 cents per gallon to more than $ 3 per gallon, but for the professor emeritus of health and human performance the unconventional ride to work isn’t about saving gas; it’s about preserving health. The 80- year- old campus fitness legend still pedals the four round- trip miles from his home to campus every chance he gets, providing there’s no snow or ice on the roads, and he does so on a heavy tandem bike that was given to him 25 years ago. And, in addition to the obvious fitness benefits, the ride gives Spilker, who still teaches part time, a chance to promote Western’s Loyalty Fund to those he passes on the road. On the cover: Ed Bonjokian ’ 07 and faculty member Aaron Ball check dimensions for aircraft parts, and Cindy Atterholt, head of Western’s chemistry department, applies a nontoxic pest control substance she developed to the bark of an apple tree. SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University University Print Shop Manager Tom Frazier ’ 79 is keeping busy these days turning out new business cards and letterhead as a major reorganiza-tion of Western’s academic structure creating two new colleges takes effect this summer, a restructuring that also means significant changes in leader-ship positions. The reorganization, which results in new colleges focusing on the arts and on health professions, is designed to improve service to students and make better use of university resources. With the new structure in place, fall semester will find three new deans among the administrative ranks. Ronald A. Johnson, who formerly held the JP Morgan Chase Chair in Finance in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University, is dean of the College of Business. Wendy S. Zabava Ford, former executive associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University, is dean of the newly reconfigured College of Arts and Sciences. And Linda Seestedt- Stanford, former assistant dean of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions at Central Michigan University, is founding dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. Restructured Colleges Welcome New Leaders By BIL STUDENC THE Deans’ List UConn Administrator to Lead Student Affairs By BIL STUDENC THE MILLER’S TALE New leaders include, from left, Wendy S. Zabava Ford, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Linda Seestedt- Stanford, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences; and Ronald A. Johnson, dean of the College of Business. Pictured at right is H. Samuel Miller, vice chancellor for the Division of Student Affairs. “ This is the best series of searches that Western has had in the 12 years that I have been here,” Chancellor John W. Bardo said. “ For all of these positions, there were multiple people that we could have appointed. All of these individuals are nationally recognized in their respective fields. In addition to being extremely qualified, this is a very diverse group of people who are joining our university. I am very excited about the fact that we have significantly increased the diversity of our senior leadership.” Johnson, the new business dean, was president and chief investment officer at Smith Graham & Co. in Houston before joining the faculty at Texas Southern. He has served as chief strategist and head of research for Americas Trust Bank in Miami, division chief of domestic financial markets for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and director of global fixed income research and senior portfolio manager for Templeton Worldwide Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He taught at Florida A& M University, Northeastern University in Boston and Howard University in Washington, D. C., and was an econo-mist for the International Monetary Fund and the Federal Reserve System board of governors. Johnson is taking over the reins from Leroy Kauffman, WCU business dean since 2003, who is returning to the faculty. Ford, new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has been an administrator and faculty member at Western Michigan since 1993. The college is WCU’s largest, with more than 180 full- time faculty members who serve more than 1,600 under-graduate and graduate students in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. Executive associate dean of the WMU College of Arts and Sciences since August 2004, Ford previously served as associate dean of the college. Seestedt- Stanford, first dean of a new College of Health and Human Sciences, has been assistant dean for the College of Health Professions at Central Michigan since 1998, serving as acting dean of the college during the summer of 2002. She also was director of audiology clinical instruc-tionand services in the department of communication disorders at CMU from 1977 until 1998. Western is seeking construction funding for a $ 46 million, 145,000- square- foot School of Health and Gerontological Sciences to be built on Millennial Initiative property adjacent to the main campus. The facility, which received planning money from the General Assembly during a previous state funding cycle, would be the anchor for a planned neighborhood of facilities and programs focusing on retirement, aging and health. H. Samuel Miller Jr., associate vice president for student affairs at the University of Connecticut, has been selected as the next vice chancellor for student affairs at Western. Miller is fill-ing a vacancy created by the retirement this summer of Robert Caruso, vice chancellor for student affairs at WCU since 1998, and a nationally known figure in higher education administra-tion with 37 years of experience in leading innovative programs to serve students and promote their growth and development. The appointment is one of several major leadership changes at Western taking effect this summer— and university officials say the credentials of candidates who applied for the positions bode well for the direction of the institution. “ Good people are coming to work at Western,” said Jeanette Hyde, member of the university’s Board of Trustees. “ Western is attracting the very best, and this speaks highly of the quality of the university. This is putting WCU in a very strong position among regional universities across the nation. When you add this kind of high- caliber people to the fine faculty and staff we already have, we are going to be attractingmore and more of the best students in America.” As associate vice president for student affairs at UConn, Miller supervised the Department of Residential Life, which provides on- campus housing to about 12,000 students; the Department of Dining Services, which has an annual operating budget of $ 35.7 million; and The Center for Students with Disabilities, which works with some 1,200 students annually. He was co- director of the university’s master’s degree program in higher education and student affairs, and he previously served as assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and interim director of campus activities. During his career, Miller has held student affairs positions at the University of Virginia and the University of Alabama. “ I’m very excited to be joining the Western Carolina University family,” Miller said. “ Given the strength of the staff in the Student Affairs Division and the successful partnerships with academic colleagues, I believe Western has tremendous potential to continue developing the kinds of transformative learning experiences that positively impact every aspect of student life. I’m looking forward to working with local community members, and faculty and staff colleagues, and I’m especially looking forward to meeting Western’s students and their families. This is a dynamic period in Western’s history and I’m proud to be a member of this campus community.” The new deans will join a couple familiar faces in new roles. Robert Kehrberg, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since 2005, was appointed in the spring as founding dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts. The new college houses academic programs in the arts that were formerly part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Kehrberg served as head of Western’s music depart-ment almost continuously from 1987 to 2005. Scott Higgins, director of the master’s degree program in health sciences and a member of Western's faculty since 1981, was named dean of the Graduate School and Research in November after serving in an interim capacity for a year and half. Michael Dougherty, dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions since 1998, is now senior dean at WCU. Brian Railsback is dean of the Honors College, and Pat Brown is dean of the Division of Educational Outreach. A national search is under way for a dean for the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology. The Magazine of Western Carolina University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University Students from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe analyze grain sizes on beaches. Pictured below is Lake Mills, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Elwha River. Above, environmental geologist Michael Turchy ’ 01 leans over to review a chart with biology graduate student Adam Griffith near the mouth of the Elwha River. At right, young people from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe conduct an experiment related to river erosion. century and dramatically changed what was once a sandy coastal environment. The flooding of the Elwha River Valley altered many sites considered sacred by tribal members. Young has been involved in the Elwha Dam removal project since 2004, helping design a long- term plan to monitor the impact of the removal of the dams on the coastal environ-ments at the river’s mouth. Dam removal will release several million cubic yards of sediment into the Elwha, all of which will find its way to the estuary on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Scientists believe the sediment influx will have a positive impact on the coast, bolstering salt marshes and growing beaches. Young is using the precedent- setting coastal restoration project as a research, service and learning opportunity for his geosciences students at WCU, in addition to his work with the tribe. “ We believe that emphasizing the importance of the geosciences for environmental restoration and cultural revitalization, and that enabling Native American kids to carry out restoration- based geoscience research projects in an area of immense cultural importance to those kids will ultimately increase the overall representation of Native Americans in geoscience careers and will raise the profile of the geosciences within Native American communities,” said Young. “ It is my belief that our initial project has successfully raised the awareness of the importance of the geosciences among an entire community. We need to continue the momentum and partnerships that we have established by expanding our activities. Now that we have their attention, let’s see if we can turn some of them into geoscientists.” Students will be involved with hands- on geoscience education activities that are integrated into traditional, culturally based summer activities already sponsored by the tribe. To help ensure the participation of the tribe’s young people in the project, donating their time to the effort are many tribal leaders, including tribal elders, educators and employees, members of the tribal council and concerned citizens. Frances Charles, chairperson of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, said the tribe is highly supportive of Young’s work. “ The project is a perfect fit for the tribal efforts to encourage our high school students to consider a college education after high school,” Charles said. “ The tribe has worked very hard to accomplish the restoration of the Elwha River, but we have very few members with college degrees. The program uses the restoration of the Elwha River, which is important to all tribal members, to emphasize the impor-tance of the geosciences to the restoration effort. We cannot overstate our support of continuing this successful program and sharing with the Jamestown and Port Gamble Klallam tribes over the next five years.” Partners in the project with the tribes and PSDS are Olympic National Park, Olympic Park Institute, National Park Service, and the Port Angeles and Crescent school districts in Washington. The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, the internationally known center integrating coastal science and management that relocated from Duke University to Western last fall, has been awarded a $ 1.5 million grant designed to research the coastal impact of dam removal in Washington state while increasing the number of Native American youths interested in careers in geosciences and environmental restoration. The five- year award to PSDS is the largest National Science Foundation grant ever received by Western, said Michelle Hargis, associate dean of the Graduate School and Research. The grant will enable the continuation of a pilot project initiated in 2005 by Rob Young, director of PSDS and professor of geosciences, in which 25 young people from Washington’s Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe had the chance to see firsthand how the nation’s largest dam removal project will affect a river system with deep spiritual and cultural significance to the tribe. The new Elwha Science Education Project will attempt to increase the number of tribal high school– age students involved in the project, expand the program to reach students in grades six through eight, and determine if the teaching methods developed through the project will work with other tribes. “ The project is unique in that the kids will be taught science and culture side- by- side. We hope this makes the science more interesting and more relevant,” said Young, a coastal geology specialist. “ We are combining stories that are important to the tribe with scientific activities at many sites along the river. We hope to convince tribal young people that they can be scientists, and that science has something relevant to offer them and their community.” Many tribes across the United States, including the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, are using environmental resto-ration projects to help reclaim their altered cultural heritage. The construction of the 108- foot- tall Elwha Dam and the 210- foot Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River more than 70 years ago choked off salmon runs for most of the past National Science Foundation Awards $ 1.5 Million To Expose Native American Youth to Geosciences By BIL STUDENC ABIGDAMGRANT The Magazine of Western Carolina University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University For the past four summers, the Western campus has been transformed into a veritable artists’ colony as internationally acclaimed artists, scholars and critics descend upon Cullowhee to serve as visiting lecturers in the university’s graduate degree program in fine arts. Launched in 2004, the program leading to the master of fine arts degree— the terminal degree in the visual arts— is once again luring an array of expertise to Western, from an India- born contemporary visual artist to a New York City gallery curator, and from a figurative sculptor who has taught at the acclaimed Penland School of Crafts to a small business consultant sharing the hard truths about the business side of a career in the arts. Richard Tichich, director of Western’s recently reorganized School of Art and Design, called exposure to a wide variety of diverse viewpoints “ absolutely vital” to the success of the MFA program. “ If we were located in downtown New York, we would want to bring in visiting artists from all over the world to give our students the opportunity to interact with as many different perspectives as possible. It’s no different for a program located in Western North Carolina,” said Tichich. “ We think that when our students graduate from here, they should be equally expected to meet with national and international artists. In order to do that, it behooves us to bring in people of that caliber. And that is precisely what we do.” After this summer, however, it won’t be just during the months of June, July and August when art students will find themselves interacting with visiting artists from across the nation, acclaimed scholars and critics, and successful gallery owners and curators— in addition to WCU faculty members from the School of Art and Design. Due to popular demand, the MFA program is evolving into a year- round activity. University officials originally envisioned the program as consisting of three intensive summer residencies of 10 weeks combined with out- of- residence independent studio work, research and writing, a structure designed to fit the needs of graduate students already working in the profession, many with established careers and families. “ When the program first started, we had about 20 students come to campus for the first summer residency,” Tichich said. “ When the summer was over, we found that about 10 of them wanted to stay for the whole year. It turned out that many of the students attracted to program wanted a more traditional approach, and they wanted to go ahead and complete their degrees as quickly as possible.” To meet the needs of those students, the School of Art and Design is now accepting MFA students into year long residencies, while maintaining the summer residency option to those students currently in the program. Expansion of the visiting artist schedule into the fall and spring semesters will have an additional benefit, Tichich said. “ By shifting our guest faculty and artists- in-residence throughout the entire year, our undergraduate students also will be able to take advantage of their experience, their expertise and their insights,” he said. “ That will enliven the program for all involved, as undergraduates, graduate students, permanent faculty and visiting artists come together to share ideas and engage in the processes of creativity and artistic expression.” Growing MFA Degree Program Transforms Campus into Colony for Artists By BIL STUDENC AESTHETICvalue Susan Lucier MFA ’ 07 prepares her artwork “‘ DO NOT’ Sign” for the Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition in the Fine Art Museum at the Fine and Performing Arts Center. In a studio at the Fine and Performing Arts Center, Tai Lipan MFA ’ 06, explores painting that depicts new realities. 1 Jennifer Lipsey MFA ’ 06, “ See? I told you it was fun,” mixed media on canvas 2 Heidi Leitzke MFA ’ 06, “ Proserpina’s Flight,” oil on canvas 3 Kathryn Temple MFA ’ 07, “ Claire Still 2,” oil on wood 4 Susan Lucier MFA ’ 07, “ This Future is Now" ( detail), oil on paper 5 Heidi Leitzke MFA ’ 06, “ The Garden Cranes,” oil on canvas 1 2 3 4 5 Continuedon page 10 The Magazine of Western Carolina University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 1 2 3 4 Art surrounds Brandon Guthrie, a student in the MFA degree program, in a studio on campus. Phyllis Jarvinen MA ’ 80 paints in a studio at WCU. AESTHETICvalue continued 1 Bill Clements MFA ’ 06, “ Figment & Fetish,” mixed media 2 Jasmine Sadki MFA ’ 07, “ Decay,” watercolor and India ink 3 Sally Jacobs MFA ’ 07, “ No Child Left Behind,” glazed ceramics 4 Jasmine Sadki MFA ’ 07, “ Are You There?” oil on canvas STREAMof consciousness 2 Phyllis Jarvinen MA ’ 80 “ Kephart VIII – River Bed,” acrylic on canvas, 2007 1 Phyllis Jarvinen MA ’ 80 “ Kephart IV – Interpretation of Dreams,” acrylic on canvas, 2006 As a river guide and canoe instructor, Phyllis Jarvinen MA ’ 80 studied how water moved— so much that at times she ran rapids at night in her dreams. The more she stared at water, the more she thought about how she would paint it, and, now, a child therapist returning to WCU as a student in the master of fine arts degree program, she does. Jarvinen layers transparent colors on canvas to capture the movement and personality of rivers and creeks. She then journals about what the images suggest to her. In her painting “ Kephart IV – Interpretation of Dreams,” smooth rocks border a pool on Kephart Prong, where water pours over a rock into a new, unseen part of the creek. An excerpt from Jarvinen’s accompanying journal entry is about possibilities and dreams: “ What someone else sees as my folly or failure I hope is my best lesson and the stepping stone to seeing my vision through to success.” For Jarvinen, that’s what her paint-ing is about— seeing a new possibility in her life and making it reality. Though her degree prepared her for a career in psychology, she also loved— and loves — drawing and painting. “ As a child, I remember looking at pictures of water in books and wondering how they made it look transparent,” said Jarvinen. She wove art classes into her class schedule in high school, in college, in Bryson City while she worked for Nantahala Outdoor Center, and at Western when she worked on campus. “ While taking my first art class at WCU, I had a strong feeling that I had ‘ come home’ to something I needed to do more of, and with WCU Professor Patricia Bailey’s encouragement, decided to pursue that interest by taking more art and art history classes,” said Jarvinen, who describes painting as the closest she has ever come to meditating. Jarvinen also uses painting to support causes she believes in. Notecards made from her depictions of pets have been donated to nonprofit organizations that reach out to animals who are rescued or need homes. She also supports land and river conserva-tion efforts, as well as KIDS Place, the children’s advocacy center in Franklin where she works as a therapist. To further her art, Jarvinen recently spent a year taking undergraduate art classes at the University of Minnesota before her acceptance to WCU’s master’s degree program. “ It is so much fun to be a student again and study art,” said Jarvinen. Her primary subjects now are rivers and creeks. “ Moving water seems chaotic but there is order and predictability in it. I have actually developed a reading water course for artists that I have presented to an artists’ organization,” said Jarvinen. “ People always say the paintings look different close up than from far away. Up close, there is color, shape and transparency. Farther away, the forms come into focus,” she said. “ I hope they will see in the paintings how wonderful it is to look at clean water. The transparency of the water and what lies beneath it is key to what I want to show— how it is both revealed and hidden or changed at the same time.” Her artwork has appeared in her solo shows “ Stream” and in shows such as “ Stream of Consciousness,” which was on display at Relia’s Garden restaurant at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Western North Carolina. Notecards featuring her paintings also are for sale at Western North Carolina art and craft galleries. For more information, check out her Web site at www. phyllisjarvinen. com. Therapist’s Paintings Explore Water as Metaphor for Life By Teresa Killian The university’s studios and classrooms in two- dimen-sional art ( including painting, drawing and printmaking), three- dimensional art ( sculpture and ceramics) and integrated multimedia ( video, design, film, photography, book arts and experimental media) are located in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, the $ 30 million, 122,000- square- foot showplace for the arts that opened in 2005. In addition to a 1,000- seat performance hall capable of hosting Broadway- quality shows, the center features a wing dedicated to the visual arts, with 10,000 square- feet of exhibit space— including the Fine Art Museum. “ I truly think we have among the finest facilities in the country,” said Tichich, who came to Western in 2006 from the University of Texas at San Antonio. “ We want to integrate our undergraduate and graduate programs to be more in line with the quality of facilities where they are housed.” Heidi Leitzke MFA ’ 06, who studied painting before embarking on a career as gallery director at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Science, is among the program graduates putting their educations to use with careers in the artistic world. “ Many of my exhibition experiences while at WCU laid the groundwork for exhib-iting my own work, and planning, hanging and hosting exhibitions at PCA& D,” Leitzke said. She also finds herself working with a familiar figure from her graduate school days, as she will be hosting a solo exhibition this autumn with acclaimed painter Judy Glantzman, who was among the artists visiting Cullowhee during a previous summer intensive session. “ Glantzman challenged me to delve deeper and become fully engaged in my studio,” Leitzke said. “ The summer program was an intense experience with a great range of visiting artists, each with a unique creative vision. Working with practicing artists who drew from and taught from their wide range of experience was more beneficial than any textbook course ever could have been.” The Magazine of Western Carolina 10 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 11 Thanks to the generosity of the founder of a Greensboro-based communication and rehabilitative therapy clinic who got her start at Western, graduate students studying communication sciences and disorders can apply for a new $ 1,500 scholarship to help with the costs of grad school. Margie Gibbs Motsinger ’ 75, a Western alumna and founder of the Cheshire Center Inc., recently presented the inaugural Cheshire Center Scholarship to Candler resident Susan Foringer- Burk, who is working toward a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. Motsinger, who graduated from WCU with a degree in speech and hearing, founded the Cheshire Center in 1980. It is now the largest private clinic in the Greensboro area, with a staff of more than 90 professionals providing speech therapy and community-based rehabilitative services, primarily to children. “ I have always told everyone about what a great start I got at Western, where I experienced a lot of one- on- one interaction with my professors and where I served in many different internship- type experiences,” she said. “ I remember being assigned a clinic caseload as a junior, which was frightening at the time but of tremendous value in the long-run. It certainly taught me to ‘ think on my feet’ and gave me an edge when I attended graduate school.” Motsinger said it was personally important to be able to give back to the university where she got her start in her career. “ I have certainly been mentored and helped along the way by leaders in the profession and in business. It is critical that we reach out to young clinicians and foster their training and development,” she said. “ I felt that setting up the scholarship program would be a way both to say ‘ thank you’ to WCU and to mentor therapists early in their careers.” Clinical Approach Communication Disorders Students Benefit from New Scholarship Fund By BIL STUDENC When Susan Parrott Ward ’ 75 and her husband returned to Western recently for the dedication of a ceramics studio in their name, it was only the latest development in a long and rewarding association with Joan Byrd, professor in what is now the School of Art and Design. Byrd, who teaches ceramics, not only hired Ward as a work study student during her freshman year, she also inspired the talented younger artist from Kinston to “ do her own thing.” “ Here was Joan, as independent as she could be,” Ward said. “ When students showed an interest, she ate ’ em up. She gave them all the attention they needed. She offered them wonderful opportunities, brought friends to class who were potters we had read about, took us to a national pottery conference. She really made a difference in my life.” During her second year when times were tough at home, Ward struggled to support herself. She said she was thrilled to receive a scholarship that allowed her to stay in school and earn her bachelor’s degree in art in 1975. After graduation, she went to work in stained glass design and production; taught as an artist- in- residence in Kinston, teaching students who were physically and developmentally disabled; and helped with the restoration of a beloved old carousel in Raleigh’s Pullen Park. None of that would have been possible without Byrd’s early encouragement and her own positive experiences at Western, she said. Now married to successful retired businessman Randall Ward, she is saying “ thank you” in a big way. The Wards have given $ 150,000 for an endowment to support Western’s art program and another $ 35,000 for a kiln big enough to fire large pieces. In response, the university named a ceramics studio in the Fine and Performing Arts Center in honor of Randall and Susan Parrott Ward. During a campus celebration of the gift, Chancellor John Bardo reminded the crowd that when archeologists discover remnants of an ancient society, the thing that people get most excited about are the artifacts related to art. “ Art is a clear reflection of the core values of a society,” Bardo said. “ But to create art requires some people in the community not to have to scrape in the dirt, or to fish or hunt. Art requires time for some members of that society to think and to reflect. It is through the artist that we see a community’s values. Through this generous gift from the Wards, we know that future societies will view Western and our community’s values.” Steve Warren ’ 80, chairman of WCU’s board of trustees, who called ceramics “ a work of silent poetry,” said the contribution from the Wards is one of the latest examples of “ an uncommon alchemy” that exists at WCU. “ It’s an alchemy of talent and generosity,” Warren said. “ The faculty, staff and students of Western supply the talent. People like Randall and Susan Ward supply the generosity.” Susan Ward said she encourages other donors to support The Campaign for Western, the university’s ambitious effort to raise $ 40 million for scholarships, endowments and program support. “ When I think of all the things I’ve gained from my education at Western, it’s more than a diploma. I cannot imagine not helping,” she said. “ And gifts of all sizes are important. I’m really big on the ‘ drop- in- the- bucket theory.’ Everyone can do something, and it all adds up.” Art of Giving Campus Ceramics Studio Named in Honor of Benefactors By LEILA TVEDT and BIL STUDENC The check wasn’t in the mail. This time, the check was in the handshake, when Catamount Club president Tobe Childers ’ 61 recently accepted a gift of $ 25,000 from E. Jerry Coleman III, executive vice president for private wealth management with SunTrust North Carolina in Charlotte. The contribution represents the first installment on a pledge of continuing support for the next five years from SunTrust. The check also mark SunTrust’s first such gift to the Catamount Club, and it is the first time a financial institution has contributed to the club, Childers said. “ SunTrust is interested in developing a relationship with Western Carolina University and helping it grow,” he said. With the commitment, SunTrust will become the official sponsor of Western’s Annual Student- Athlete Awards Banquet. The gifts also will be used for general athletic scholarship support, professional development for staff and other programmatic support to benefit student- athletes, said Chip Smith, director of athletics. “ Through the contributions of individuals and corporations such as the major commitment made by our friends at SunTrust North Carolina, we can continue to make improvements in our athletics program, and provide the support and facilities that our student- athletes deserve,” Smith said. The pledge comes as the university is in the midst of The Campaign for Western, a three- year effort to raise $ 40 million in private support for scholarships, professorships and programmatic resources. The first comprehensive fundraising campaign in university history was officially launched in February after an initial “ silent phase.” SunTrust Gift Marks A “ Art is a clear reflection of First For Catamount Club the core values of a society.” — Chancellor John W. Bardo Western Carolina University Cherokee potter Joel Queen ’ 05 presented one of his own works to Randall Ward ( left) and his wife, artist Susan Parrott Ward ’ 75, at the dedication of a WCU ceramics studio in the Wards’ honor. Margie Gibbs Motsinger ’ 75 For information on The Campaign for Western, visit the Web site at campaign. wcu. edu or call ( 828) 227- 7124. 12 The Magazine of Western Carolina University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 13 Stag e Coac h Working behind the scenes at “ Unto These Hills… A Retelling” are the show’s director Stephen Ayers, associate professor of theatre arts, and, from left, Melody Huddleston, WCU’s costume shop supervisor, and Ayers' daughter, Maribeth Ayers, who is the show’s choreographer. Theatre Professor Directing Cherokee Outdoor Drama By JIL INGRAM including “ Matlock,” “ In the Heat of the Night,” “ I’ll Fly Away” and “ Dawson’s Creek.” He holds a doctorate in theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder. “ I’m thrilled to have this opportunity,” Ayers said. “ My goal is to have audi-ence members say, ‘ That was incredible!’ There should be a buzz in the parking lot when people walk out of there.” Ayers is not the only Western connection to the Cherokee outdoor drama. His daughter Maribeth, who had a part in “ Unto These Hills” as a teenager, is the show’s choreographer. In addition, Melody Huddleston, costume shop supervisor at WCU, is costume designer; Jim Irvin ’ 93, technical director at WCU’s Ramsey Center, is the show’s master carpenter, and Brian Ahman ’ 91 is production manager. Current student Emily Bond is working on sound, while classmate Anna Latanyshyn is designing props and Samantha Younce is working on costumes. Cast members performing on stage include alumni Jennifer Walsh ’ 07 and Clark Howerton ’ 07, and current students Alexandra LaBelle, Anthony Giordano, Kate Gardner, Greg Kennedy, Daniel Rohrig, Christy Waymouth and Sarah Lipham. “ Unto These Hills” has shown at the open- air Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee each summer since its debut in 1950. A new version that opened last year adopted a Cherokee perspective of the Eastern Band’s history and included re- creations of traditional dress, performances of traditional dance and music, and— for the first time ever— a majority of the actors were Cherokee. This year’s production includes additional changes, as Hollywood writers further tweaked the script and brought back some characters left out of last year’s version, including the Cherokee named Tsali, whom some consider a martyr who helped preserve the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Will Thomas, a white man who in the 1800s helped some Cherokee people avoid removal and secure a land base. “ What we’re trying to achieve is to make this a show by, for and about the Cherokee people. That’s exactly what it should be, and I am honored to be a part of that transition,” Ayers said. “ We are working to identify a reservoir of Stephen Michael Ayers, associate professor of theatre arts at WCU, is directing the current season of “ Unto These Hills … a Retelling,” the story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. A member of the WCU faculty since 1985, Ayers has extensive acting and directing experience in film, television and theatre. He has worked with notables such as George C. Scott, Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman and Kevin Costner, and has acted in films and television productions talent in Cherokee so that Cherokee people can assume responsibility for as many aspects of the production as possible. My ultimate goal is to work myself out of a job.” John Tissue, executive director of the Cherokee Historical Association, which produces the show, said he’s glad that Ayers agreed to take over the directorial duties for this year. “ We are extremely excited to work with such a talented individual who has a close connection with the area,” said Tissue. The 2007 season continues through August 18. For information, call the Cherokee Historical Association at ( 828) 497- 2111 or toll- free at ( 866) 554- 4557. The Magazine of Western Carolina 14 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 15 COMMERCIAL BREAK Continued on page 18 Inspecting prototypes of connectors that link small fibers are, at left, Monty Graham, electronics applications engineer for the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, and Joe Graham, product manager of Hickory-based US Conec. Energized by a resurgent spirit of innovation and entrepre-neurship, faculty members in a variety of academic disciplines at Western are sharing their expertise with businesses and industries across the region— and beyond— to help create new economic opportunities while providing students with valuable, real- world learning experiences. Since 2000, when North Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved a $ 3.1 billion higher education bond issue that injected $ 98.4 million in construction and renovation money into Cullowhee, WCU leaders have pledged to use the university’s intellectual resources— its faculty, students and facilities— to help solve the region’s economic problems by keeping existing jobs from leaving Western North Carolina and developing new high- paying jobs. Serving as an economic engine for the region and state is now a fundamental mission of the university. A primary piston in the engine is the Center for Rapid Product Realization, formerly known as the Center for Integrated Technologies. Housed in the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, the Rapid Center is focused on education and applied research in core areas of product development, optoelectronics, rapid prototyping, laser machining and parametric modeling. During the past three years, the center has provided technical assistance to more than 100 companies, organizations and entrepreneurs, Working on projects that have helped keep companies in business or prevented WNC jobs from going overseas. “ What our electrical engineering, technology and construc-tion management faculty bring to the table is a tremendous amount of industry experience, which is something rare in the world of academia,” said Duane Dunlap, interim dean of the Kimmel School. “ We couple that experience and knowl-edge with an investment in an array of state- of- the- industry equipment and facilities that can take a product from initial concept to a manufactured, finished product.” That new equipment includes a $ 580,000 Oxford laser system so precise it could divide a strand of human hair lengthwise into 100 sections and slice a single red blood cell into three sections; precise measuring systems that utilize active scanning technology; 3- D modeling systems that enable the swift production of non- functioning prototypes; and fusion deposition modeling machinery that can be used to create working prototypes. Much of it is housed in the $ 8 million, 28,000- square- foot Center for Applied Technology, which opened in November 2003. “ We use the intellectual resources of our faculty and students, and the technology resources now available on our campus to reach out to businesses and industries,” Dunlap said. “ We work with people, both on and off campus, to help them bring their ideas to the marketplace. Many people have good ideas, but don’t know where to go from there. That’s what we do. We help incubate ideas. We know polymers. We know plastics. We know intellectual property issues, grants and patents. And many of us come from an industry back-ground, so we know how to help people make a dollar.” One of the center’s early success stories came during the 2004 holiday season, when graduate students and engineering professors used Western’s rapid prototyping equipment to create a model of a thin plastic tray to hold glass ornaments for Watauga Opportunities Inc. of Boone. A nonprofit orga-nization involved in plastic manufacturing that employs people with disabilities, WOI called upon Western for help in prototyping trays for Christmas ornaments. “ Western’s engineering and technology department showed us we can quickly respond to changes in our clients’ needs, and that makes WOI more competitive in the marketplace,” said Michael Maybee, WOI president. “ The more business we can bring in, the more work we can give our employees, and the more services we can provide for people with disabilities in Boone and five neighboring counties.” Scott Williams, a WCU student and employee at Caterpillar Precision Seals in Franklin, and Joe Markun, at right, facilities manager at Caterpillar Precision Seals, examine a gauge Williams developed. Through its partnership with Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Carolinas MicroOptics Triangle, a research alliance designed to develop fiber- optic communication capacity, Western's Rapid Center helped a Hickory- based company design prototypes for tiny connectors needed to link fibers less than the width of a hair. “ With the university’s help, we can develop products faster. By getting the prototypes in our hands, we can discover errors, and we can show them to our customers and get immediate feedback,” said Bill Blubaugh, president of US Conec. The center helped Elk Products of Morganton, which manufactures about 80 percent of the home security systems sold in the United States, by providing a prototype of a complex part that enabled the firm to test and fine- tune its design without the upfront costs and risks of the traditional tooling process. Western’s engineering faculty also teamed up with Caterpillar construction equipment company in Franklin to create an inexpensive gauge with a short operating life to replace an expensive electronic part that needed frequent replacement due to dirty job- site conditions. A prototype of an energy-efficient water heater/ dehumidifier combination developed by faculty member Aaron Ball, in collaboration with colleagues at Asheville- Buncombe Technical Community College, through a grant from Oak Ridge National Laboratories is now being manufactured by Sci- Cool Inc. of Weaverville. During its formative phases, the device caught the ttention of President George W. Bush, who called the project an example of the “ creative technologies” the nation must utilize to decrease its dependence on foreign energy sources. WCU’s Rapid Center Takes Ideas From Drawing Board to Reality By BIL STUDENC PRODUCTPlacement Creative ideas and great projects often are the offspring of faculty working on a college campus, and these ideas frequent-ly can result in intellectual property that is marketable. But it takes special resources to commercialize these ideas through the process of technology transfer. That’s where Western’s Office of Tech-nology Transfer comes into the picture. Formed in 2004 as part of the Office of Legal Counsel, the “ tech transfer” office can help faculty members turn their ideas into an income stream, both for the uni-versity and for the faculty inventors. The office can do this by helping protect the in-tellectual property ( also called IP) through the complicated processes of obtaining patents, copyrights or trademarks, and by helping license the IP to a commercial entity. “ The technology transfer office is probably one of the few offices on campus that has as a major goal the generation of supplemental income for faculty,” said Rich Kucharski, Western’s general coun-sel and director of technology transfer. Kucharski’s office, both before and after the technology transfer designation, has worked with several faculty members on a variety of projects. For example, Jack Summers, assistant professor of chemistry, has developed a unique testing protocol that may be of interest to large pharmaceutical companies and that has already attracted the attention of venture capital firms. Peter Bates, associate professor of natural resources manage-ment, has provided forest management services to private landowners by super-vised students, a concept that may spin off into a company. Jack Sholder, director of WCU’s motion picture and television production program, is teaching students who are working with a motion picture production company this summer, giving the WCU students hands- on experience in the movie industry. While assisting WCU’s branch office of the Small Business and Technology Development Center, the tech transfer office helped create the Inception Micro Angel Fund– West, an investment fund providing early capital to entrepreneurs— including WCU faculty in need of initial start- up money to turn their ideas into businesses. The office also helped put together a partnership between WestCare Health System, the university’s athletics department and the athletic training academic department that provides improved services to Western’s athletes, clinical placements for its students and additional service opportunities for West- Care, a nonprofit health- care provider including two hospitals in Western North Carolina. “ Students learn, teachers teach and businesses benefit from what we can do,” said Kucharski. “ The office is one more tool that can support economic development in the region.” New Technology Transfer Office Helps Faculty Market Their Ideas The Magazine of Western Carolina 16 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 17 Continued from page 17 PRODUCTPlacement Chemist Directs New Degree Program To Cross- Train Scientists for Business World By Teresa Killian Jonathan Snover ( above) teaches chemistry and directs the master’s degree program in science and entrepreneurship. A major focus area for the center is adaptive technology designed to help improve the quality of life for residents of the region while simultaneously spurring economic growth. Kimmel School faculty are developing devices to help prolong independent living for persons with disabilities and for WNC’s growing population of senior citizens, bringing together faculty and students from engineering, technology, physical therapy, health sciences, geron-tology and interior design to examine lifestyle issues faced by impaired and aging populations, and then create solutions to those problems. Past efforts include creation of an arm- sling that helped a woman with disabilities continue to create works of art, a foot- powered pneumatic device that allowed a Haywood County potter to work despite a career- threatening shoulder injury, and a navigational system for a wheelchair for a Buncombe County teenager who is deaf and blind. The center recently helped OptiVia Medical of Raleigh identify weak points in thin, complex endoscopic medical devices used for minimally invasive surgical procedures. Working with legal counsel Rich Kucharski, who heads the university’s Office of Technology Transfer ( see related story page 17), the center is assisting Jackson County orthopedic surgeon Dr. Cliff Faull develop an in- home rehabilitation device for patients who have had total knee replacement surgery. Faull conceptualized a device featuring a set of rope handles that control a “ foot glove,” moving the foot back and forth via a series of pulleys based upon individual physical therapy needs. WCU faculty and students helped fine- tune the concept by replacing the ropes with easier- to- manipulate bicycle- type handles. They are building three machines for field trials, and Kucharski has filed a provisional patent application with the U. S. Patent Office. Eventually, Faull and the university hope to partner with a company to mass produce the devices. “ The university took my basic idea and just ran with it, totally redesigning the device and still keeping the same basic parameters to improve it significantly,” Faull said. “ It is surprising to see how, by bringing in a lot of different minds, you wind up with so many different usable ideas. Western has helped a lot, especially in the areas where I have no expertise— the patent process, the legal issues, developing a marketing strategy. I doubt I would have been able to get this concept to this point without the university’s assistance.” Although the impact of Western’s economic engagement and innovation outreach activities is felt primarily in WNC, one project reaches to the eastern part of the state and all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan. Western is part of a $ 9.3 million effort funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation to help N. C. companies ramp up production of replacement parts for aging military aircraft through the recently formed N. C. Aerospace Alliance Initiative. The program is designed to help create new jobs and spawn business investment centered on facilities that overhaul military aircraft at Cherry Point’s naval air de-pot and the U. S. Coast Guard air center in Elizabeth City in Eastern North Carolina. “ The foundation invited us to participate in this initiative because of our ability to make initial replacement parts through the reverse engineering and rapid prototyping capabilities of the Center for Rapid Product Realization,” said Phil Sanger, center director. “ Some of the military aircraft at Cherry Point and Elizabeth City are 30 or 40 years old, and many of the companies that originally built the planes and helicopters are out of business or no longer make those parts. That’s where we come in— bridging the gap between the military’s needs and the N. C. industries that can meet those needs.” Through reverse engineering, Western professors and students are helping develop wing fuselage parts for large helicopters stationed at Cherry Point, including a complex device that controls a ramp door. Ed Bonjokian ’ 07, a Bryson City resident who earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering technology, is part of the effort. “ This has been an incredible experience full of challenges,” Bonjokian said. “ Books and lecture classes are great for learning the basics and theories, but there is no substitute for hands- on applied work. I also have gained a more thorough understanding of the process, the patience and the attention to detail needed to develop a quality product.” Clockwise from far right, orthopedic surgeon Cliff Faull helps registered nurse and knee replacement patient Yvonne Cogdill adjust a rehabilitation device under the watchful eyes of WCU graduate student Brant Price and Phil Sanger, Rapid Center director. A high school teacher showed New Jersey native Jonathan Snover how to look at the world through the lens of chemistry, and the lens put what he saw into sharper focus. “ Chemistry explained the world in the most practical way to me,” said Snover, now a chemist with patents to his name and a teacher himself. What lured him to academia from cutting- edge research in private industry was the opportunity to direct Western’s new master’s degree program in science and entrepre-neurship. The program, which launches this fall, prepares scientists for advanced research and for the business side of the science and technology industry. “ I believe scientists should have more ownership of their inventions and ideas. If you look at the impact of scientific inventions and the resulting financial benefits, scientists often do not share in the wealth realized by their discoveries,” said Snover, an assistant professor of chemistry at WCU. The science and entrepreneurship program’s curriculum includes graduate- level classes in biology, chemistry and other areas of science; courses from the university’s national- award- winning entrepreneurship program; and new classes that incorporate specialized skills such as researching new ideas, patents and competing technologies. “ The difference between this master’s degree program and an MBA or graduate entrepreneurship program is the ‘ technical’ component that requires a strong understanding of science,” said Snover. “ Students will analyze the technical as well as the business environment, and learn to communi-cate that information effectively to a variety of people, from scientists to investors to journalists.” Snover knows how competitive— and exhilarating— the industry is. He jointly holds patents for innovations that range from a method of making chemical coating for paper used in ink jet printing to new substances that improve the efficiency of solar energy use. After earning his doctorate in chemistry at Princeton University and post- doctoral research at North Carolina State University, Snover took jobs as a research chemist with companies such as Westvaco Corp. and Millennium Cell, a start- up fuel cell company. “ Working for a start- up company like Millennium Cell was wonderful because of the energy, the excitement of a new company and the feeling of being part of a technical family trying to accomplish great things,” said Snover. Students in the master’s degree program will get hands- on, real- world experience as they work to further their own innovation in science, or partner with faculty or a business in the region. Some could work with Snover as he studies new opportunities in the biofuel area. Others could help regional inventors who have patentable ideas. Already, under Snover’s guidance, a business student has begun conducting market research for Dr. Tom Mulford. The Asheville anesthesiologist by trade and inventor by nature tinkered for years with an idea for how to improve medical aspirators, devices used to suction fluids during surgery. Through Jon Lawrie, BioBusiness Center Manager at Asheville- Buncombe Technical Community College, Mulford met Snover and was excited about the possibilities of a partnership with WCU that could help him take the idea from sketchpad to production. “ Bringing together all of our different backgrounds— mine in medical expertise and others in business and technical research— is like grouping computers into a supercomputer,” said Mulford. “ The chances of a better outcome are improved if we use everybody’s talents.” Meanwhile, the WCU student working with him will get experience evaluating the advantages of the invention, analyzing the market, reviewing competitive products and identifying manufacturing issues. “ There is no better way for students to learn than by doing,” said Snover. “ And there is nothing more motivating than seeing your work become something real— something that has the potential to positively impact lives.” PATENTLY PROFITABLE The Magazine of Western Carolina 18 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 19 NO INSECTS INSIDE Environmentally Friendly Pest Control Developed by Chemistry Professor By BIL STUDENC Mention the words “ splat” and “ insect” in the same sentence, and most people will think of the noise a bug makes when you smack it with a fly- swatter. But for Cindy Atterholt, head of Western’s department of chemistry, “ splat” has an entirely different meaning— one that could eventually lead to new jobs in Western North Carolina. Working with ISCA Technologies of Riverside, Calif., Atterholt has developed an environmentally friendly system of insect control. Called SPLAT— an acronym for Specialized Pheromone & Lure Applica-tion Technology— the product uses insects’ own body chemistry to interrupt their mating patterns. Pheromones are an externally released hormone that many living creatures use to trigger an innate behavioral response from another member of the same species, Atterholt said. “ What we have developed is an alternative to traditional pesticides. Instead of spraying chemicals to kill insects, we use insect pheromones in a process known as mating disruption or the confusion technique,” she said. “ By releasing miniscule amounts of their own pheromones, it mixes up their chemical signals. They can’t find each other, so they can’t mate. If they don’t reproduce, you don’t have a pest problem.” Entomologists— the scientists who study insects— have known for decades that insects use pheromones to attract the opposite sex, trigger aggressive or escaping behavior, mark territory or designate food trails. “ The trick has been to come up with a controlled release mechanism formulation that will discharge small quantities of pheromone over an extended period of time,” Atterholt said. That’s what the WCU chemistry professor has devised with SPLAT. Atterholt began developing the concept 15 years ago while working on her doctorate at the University of California- Davis. “ It’s like a hand cream. The farmers apply it to tree bark. When it dries, it releases the pheromones over a period of months,” she said. “ This is an alternative to traditional pesticides. It’s environmentally friendly, nontoxic and meets the standards for labeling products ‘ organic.’” When Atterholt came to WCU in 1996, she brought her pheromone research project with her, fine- tuning her product at apple orchards in Hendersonville and Waynesville. She applied for and obtained a patent in 1999, and licensed the technology to ISCA Technologies, which is in the process of commercializing it and is considering North Carolina as a possible location for a new manufacturing operation. Reg Coler, vice president of ISCA Technologies, said his company has formulated products for a variety of international pests— including the Oriental fruit moth, light brown apple moth, Mediterranean fruit fly, carambola fruit fly in Brazil, pine processionary moth in France, rhinoceros beetle in Indonesia and Thailand, and peach fruit moth in southeastern Asia. Three products are currently registered with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, with several others in various stages of the approval process, Coler said. As those approvals are ongoing, additional field- testing is taking place this summer at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in Fletcher in an effort to prove the concept to future investors, Atterholt said. In addition, Frank Lockwood, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at WCU, is working with the WNC BioBusiness Center on a possible plan to use incubator space on the Enka campus of Asheville- Buncombe Technical Community College to develop a small start- up company to assist in production of pheromone- based pest control. Atterholt and Coler believe the market for their product and others like it is unlimited. “ It is one of the most preferred methods of control by the EPA because, when used properly, it is as effective as or better than conventional pesticides without any of the detrimental effects. This strategy also prevents any damage to beneficial insects that are respon-sible for biologically stabilizing erratic fluctuations in pest populations,” Coler said. And the agricultural community loves the product, Atterholt said. “ Most farmers are interested in doing what they can with products like this because they know traditional pesticides aren’t good for them, their workers or the environment,” she said. Just ask Benny Arrington, the Waynesville apple farmer who owns the orchard where Atterholt and her WCU students conduct research. “ The potential for this new type of pest control is growing greater and greater,” said Ar-rington. “ In a few years, the EPA will be phasing out an entire class of organic phosphate insecticides, including the primary insecticide used in apple orchards against the coddling moth since the early 1960s. Those of us in agriculture are looking for new ways to control these pests. Pheromone products such as the one Dr. Atterholt has been testing in my orchard, while not a cure- all, are going to be an important part of keeping us in business.” At left and right, Cindy Atterholt, head of Western’s chemistry department, and Paul Davis, a chemistry graduate student, apply a nontoxic pest control substance that Atterholt developed to the bark of an apple tree. The Magazine of Western Carolina 20 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 21 At the Country Music Association awards in New York City, a high- heeled Betsy Walker ’ 05 chased country star Keith Urban backstage calling “ Keith! Mr. Urban! Come back!” Walker wasn’t after his autograph— just his award. Walker works for the CMA, and she needed to get the award back so Urban’s name could be etched on it. “ He said, ‘ I’m so sorry,’” said Walker. “ That was my first awards ceremony, and I was so nervous and so excited. Part of my job was to hand out actual awards backstage.” Nearly two years later, the Winston- Salem native has worked as assistant to the chief operating officer and now as coordinator of member and community relations. “ I still handle some executive support, such as coordinating meetings and conference calls, but I handle more industry events, like parties when a songwriter has a No. 1 hit, artist visits and membership recruitment,” said Walker. Rewarding Carer While a student at Western, her career interest shifted from music education to the music industry. Walker took classes such as musical instrument digital interface, also known as MIDI, and introduction to recording arts. And the more she talked with faculty members such as her adviser, Bruce Frazier, the Carol Grotnes Belk Endowed Distin-guished Professor of Commercial and Electronic Music, the more attracted she was to working in the industry. “ Betsy earned a bachelor of arts degree with a concentra-tion in music industry, a degree patterned as a music major with a minor in business,” said Frazier. “ Competition for top positions in the music business is as challenging as for jobs in the music performing, producing and composition arena. Personal contacts are important in getting your foot in the door of the music business, but it is preparation and personal-ity that help keep the door open, and Betsy has the experience and the charisma that it takes.” A connection— her mother’s coworker’s son— helped her get her foot in the door at Capitol Records to get a shot at an internship. She landed the job and worked in publicity. “ I had three months to really get out there and learn everything I could,” said Walker. Later, when she moved to Nashville, Tenn., she began working with a temp agency and took a job at a restaurant. On the first day of training, though, she got a call about an interview starting in one hour to be a receptionist at a booking agency. She made it in time and was hired. A month later, she began working full- time at the Country Music Association on Music Row in Nashville. “ We work hard, and we play hard,” said Walker, describing the fun but also the exhaustion and sunburn after events such as the organization’s four- day outdoor music festival. “ This really is ‘ Music City,’ and it’s not just country music. There’s a lot of blues and a metal scene and rock. When you walk down Broadway on a Sunday morning, there are live bands in every restaurant, and musicians— guitarists— on the corner.” Western C ar o lina University Alumna Gets Start in Music Business At Country Music Association By Teresa Killian At left, Betsy Walker ’ 05, coordinator of member and community relations for the Country Music Association, has fun at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville with, clockwise from Walker, Ed Benson, chief strategic officer of CMA; Big Kenny of the country duo Big & Rich; Brandi Simms, manager of executive programs at CMA; Hank Adam Locklin, senior manager of membership and industry relations at CMA; and Blair Garner, host of “ After Midnight with Blair Garner.” 2007 Photo courtesy of Country Music Association October 19- 21 The Magazine of Western Carolina 22 University SUMMER 2007 1 p. m. Football. The Catamounts do battle against The Citadel Bulldogs in the cozy confines of Whitmire Stadium and Bob Waters Field. 8 p. m. Stompfest 2007, a step- show competition featuring African- American fraternities and sororities. Ramsey Regional Activity Center. For tickets or information, call the Office of Multicultural Affairs at ( 828) 227- 2276. 10 p. m.– 1 a. m. Stompfest After Party. University Center Grandroom SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 3: 30 p. m. The crowd- pleasing Inspirational Choir Concert will bring Homecoming Weekend to a close. University Center Grandroom. Event Calendar FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 Noon Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament, a Homecoming tradition, tees off at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Shotgun start. Cost: $ 80 per person, includes fees and cart. Four- person “ captain's choice” format. Refreshments available during play. Social following the tournament. RSVP is required by Friday, October 12. Call the Office of Alumni Affairs at ( 877) 440- 9990 or ( 828) 227- 7335, or email magill@ email. wcu. edu. 6: 15 p. m. Homecoming 2007 Main Street Parade in Sylva. Cheer as community and student floats, Western cheerleaders, football team, Homecoming Court, and Catamount Marching Band parade through downtown Sylva. Prizes awarded for best floats; winners announced during Saturday’s football game. 8 p. m. Spirit Night. Join students, faculty, staff and alumni for a pep rally, music and food. Location and additional details to be announced. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 8– 10 a. m. WCU Alumni Breakfast. The University Center Multipurpose Room becomes Alumni Central! Come join fellow WCU alumni and friends for a continental breakfast. It’s a great time to make weekend plans with your old classmates, or simply reminisce about those good ol' days in Cullowhee! 10 a. m.– 12: 30 p. m. Pre- game tailgating before the WCU vs the Citadel football game. Come Home to Cullowhee Homecoming 2007 For more information , contact Marty Ramsey ’ 85, Director of Alumni Affairs, at ( 828) 227- 7335, ( 877) 440- 9990 or mramsey@ wcu. edu. EXTRA! EXTRA! 10: 30 a. m.– Noon Saturday, October 20 Class Reunion Brunch Reunions for the classes of 1997, 1987, 1977, 1967 and 1957. Come visit with your class-mates from years gone by. You and your class will be provided a complimentary brunch in Illusions on the third floor of the University Center ( adjacent to the Grandroom). 2007 Homecoming celebrates the anniversary of these classes Photo by Cindi Herr of the Cherokee Scout Photo by John Byrum of the Spartanburg ( S. C.) Herald- Journal George Clooney ( above) checks out the set of " Leatherheads" in South Carolina. Caesar Campana ’ 01 ( right) prepares to throw a pass at Murphy High School, where he is an English teacher and assistant head football coach. 10 year reunion! Class of 1997 2 0 y eCarl assreuni oonf! 1987 3 0 y eCarl assreuni oonf! 1977 4 0 y eCarl assreuni oonf! 1967 5 0 y eCarl assreuni oonf! 1957 While Caesar Campana ’ 01, Cherokee County’s “ Teacher of the Year,” is used to being in front of crowds, he never dreamed he would appear on the silver screen. The Murphy High School English teacher and Bulldogs’ assistant head football coach has been cast as an extra in “ Leatherheads,” a romantic comedy set in the 1920s profes-sional football league. The film is scheduled for release Dec. 7. George Clooney directs and stars as “ Dodge” Connolly, an aging football hero determined to guide his team from bar brawls to packed stadiums. Clooney wrote much of the screenplay for the movie, which includes co- stars Renée Zellweger and John Krasinski. As one of the movie’s 50- plus young men serving as football extras, Campana got to know Clooney up close and personal, even taking orders from the actor/ director/ screenplay writer during the movie shoot. In addition, Campana’s movie coach asked him to throw two passes for the end of the movie. Terms of his contract prevent him from disclosing the filming location. Campana, who played quarterback and running back for the Catamounts, heard about the casting for the movie from a friend who saw an advertisement in a regional newspaper. The ad asked for men ages 20 to 35 with football experience to audition. When no one would go with him, Campana made the drive to Greenville, S. C., by himself, mainly out of curiosity. He filled out paperwork and posed for a head shot, then waited in line with 1,000 others for more than an hour and a half. Several weeks later, he was surprised to receive a call asking him to return for a physical tryout. He nervously participated in a full- contact drill against 200 other young men and was one of the 50 selected as extras. “ I was excited Former WCU Quarterback Throws Passes In George Clooney’s Movie “ Leatherheads” By Cindi Herr about it. You’ll probably have to push the pause button to see me. It’s not a speaking role, nothing major, but it’s just fun being part of it,” he said. Campana said it took about 45 rehearsals to walk through each play and get everyone where they need to be for the right shot. While rehearsing on a snowy day, Clooney suddenly stuck his head on the field and said, “ Guys, let’s go. Let’s shoot.” Clooney liked the effect of the snow on the field, and realizing he might not have the opportunity again, he had all of the extras dress out in their full 1920s- era uniforms: awkward tight wool jerseys, pants pulled up to the chest, leather helmets and shoes that Cam-pana describes as “ running on plywood with 2- inch spikes.” When Clooney didn’t think the shot looked right, he said, “ Hey boys, you know what’s wrong with this? We need to be dirty,” Campana said. “ He was the first one to dive in. That’s George Clooney in a nutshell. He’s a guy’s guy; really down to earth. He’s just a regular guy. He loves jokes and plays pranks all the time. He throws footballs at people when they’re not watching.” Campana said that the sets were incredible. About 30 carpenters and welders worked around the clock construct-ing time- period scenes, including a full- size wooden train. “ The fascinating part is seeing how a film works,” he said. “ I’ve always wondered what happens to make a movie au-thentic, and I can tell you, it’s a lot of elbow grease.” Reprinted in edited form with permission of the Cherokee Scout. For more information contact Marty Ramsey ’ 85, Director of Alumni Affairs, at ( 828) 227- 7335, ( 877) 440- 9990 or mramsey@ wcu. edu SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 27 NEW MEDIA RISING Western student Brad Semma ( left) uses Rukus to download and listen to music, and it is free and legal. Adrian Jelley ’ 04, WCU technology support analyst, works with the gaming club’s computer server ( right), which is nicknamed “ TRON” after the classic video game and science- fiction movie. Pictured below are, from left, WCU senior Joe Mullins, junior Sam McCarson and Katherine Duff Smith, assistant director of student media and marketing, unpacking new audio mixing boards to be housed in WCAT, a new student- run radio station. Major advancements in audio and video technologies in recent years mean that media choices for Western students are more abundant than ever before. From satellite and Internet radio and free music downloads ( no, not the illegal kind) to Local Access Network video gaming events, options for students go well beyond traditional cable television viewing or surfing the Internet. The popularity of satellite radio has skyrocketed, finding its way into WCU’s residence halls during the spring semester. “ We have worked with XM radio to insert 16 channels that were determined in a survey as the most desirable for students,” said Tim Chapman ’ 02, assistant director for facilities and residential living. The channels of XM radio are currently offered on the local cable TV system. This enables students to enjoy satel-lite radio in their residence halls and, because it’s broadcast via cable TV, no additional equipment is necessary. “ We were looking for a way to improve the entertainment package that we were sending to the students’ rooms,” said Chapman. “ Our objective is to enhance the quality of life in the residence halls.” Western’s Student Media Center also is working on a new student- run radio station that will be offered through the campus television system. “ We are developing WCAT, which will be a radio station broadcast through our closed-circuit cable network,” said Katherine Duff Smith, assistant director of student media and marketing. “ We are in the process of our studio installation, and we are looking forward to having that up and running so we can provide this great experience for our students. The programming will be focused on new music, and we also hope to be able Rapidly Changing Technologies Offer More Entertainment Choices for Students By JOHN KENYON to provide online streaming so our programming will be useable off campus.” Also on campus, the ever- growing popularity of video games has led to the formation of WCU’s first Gaming Club, which hosts a gaming computer server offering downloads, gaming news and discussion forums. The club regularly hosts Local Access Network gaming events, which have taken place in various campus locations such as computer labs in Forsyth Building or the Grandroom of the A. K. Hinds University Center. Of course, any individual with a computer or gaming console can play an online multiplayer video game anytime he or she wants. What makes a LAN gaming event unique, students say, is it allows gamers to sit side- by- side when playing multiplayer online video games. “ A LAN game is essentially an online game you play against other people and you are in the same room with the people you’re playing with or against,” said Adrian Jelley ’ 04, WCU technology support analyst. “ There is more of an interaction going on than when you are sitting at home by yourself playing a game online.” If gamers are playing a war game, for example, they can all be members of the same tactical unit and play together at the same time on different computers in the same room, enabling them to communicate and discuss strategy. Gamers playing against each other online also can engage in banter with each other, similar to competitors in athletic events, Jelley said. “ All implications are that the gaming server is a positive influence for the students, and its impact on network bandwidth and staff time is still minimal,” said Scott Swartzentruber, WCU director of networking, operations and communications. Participants say the WCU Gaming Club is more than just a bunch of people playing video games on the same servers. “ We are a family and a community of more than 400 members worldwide,” said Shane Baker, president of WCU’s Gaming Club. In fact, the availability of online gaming is even having an impact on student recruitment. “ A high school student mentioned to me that he was a gamer, and I told him about our gaming club and that ended up being a deciding factor for his choosing Western,” said Jelley. Downloading music from the Internet has been a very popular— and controversial— activity for college students nationwide. In the early days of music downloading, there were only illegal file- sharing sites that offered music via the Internet. After that came the online music stores and subscription services. Now there is a way for WCU students to download and listen to music, and it is free and legal. “ Students wanted an alternative to illegally downloading copyrighted material, and that’s what we are trying to do with Rukus,” said Jason LaVigne ’ 99, consultant for WCU’s information technology services. Rukus Network distributes music and movies online using an advertising-supported business model. Although it is open to all universities nationwide, there are additional advantages offered to universities, such as WCU, that have a service agreement with Rukus. “ WCU students can access Rukus on the N. C. Research Education Network, which provides faster downloads and reduced bandwidth usage,” said Ed Cheely, senior account manager for Rukus Inc. “ Later this year, we will be coming out with a free video offering that will be available only to member schools.” Rukus allows students to listen to music free of charge on their computers; however, there is a charge if they want to transfer music off the computer. “ The service provides tethered downloads, which means that students can download the music and listen to it on their computers for free. There is a charge if they want to burn it to compact disc,” said LaVigne. “ In the first three weeks, we had 1,400 people sign up for it and download 300,000 songs.” The Magazine of Western Carolina 28 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 29 After earning a share of the ’ 07 regular season basketball crown, the Lady Catamounts went on to host— and win— an opening- round game in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament, the first- ever NCAA post- season game played in Cullowhee. The Lady Cats then fell on the road at Virginia Tech, coached by former Lady Cats skipper Beth Dunkenberger. The women’s golf team claimed the ’ 07 conference tournament title, returning to the NCAA regional tournament for the second time in five years. Also on the links, junior Matt Cook was an NCAA men’s golf regional tournament qualifier for the second consecutive year. The Bat Cats captured a share of the 2007 SoCon regular season championship and earned an at- large bid to the NCAA baseball tournament, losing in the regional final to eventual national runner- up, the University of North Carolina. The baseball team’s success proved bittersweet, however, as the Cats’ winning ways led the University of Tennessee to hire away Todd Raleigh ’ 91 MAEd ’ 94, the SoCon Coach of the Year, to be the Volunteers’ next head coach. The men’s track and field squad earned the ’ 07 SoCon outdoor title, and the 4x100- meter relay team and sophomore speedster Manteo Mitchell advanced to compete in the 400- meter dash in the NCAA National Championships in Sacramento, Calif. On the women’s side, junior sprinter Racquel Ramseur qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 400- meter dash. They were guided by coach Danny Williamson ’ 84 MAEd ’ 86, who was tabbed as conference co- Coach of the Year in men’s outdoor track and field, and was the 2007 men’s indoor track and field Coach of the Year. The Magazine of Western Carolina 30 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 31 Tara Mull ’ 05 ( left), a member of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers TopCats cheerleading squad, and Monique Douglas ’ 02, a member of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats LadyCats dance team, share a laugh with fans at a special autograph signing event in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center during the spring semester. Mull and Douglas, who were on hand to participate in “ Go Girls” Day as part of the National Girls and Women in Sports celebration, also posed for photographs and talked with young women about the hard work and dedication required for professional sports franchise dance and cheerleading squads. Eight Western student- athletes, the most in school history, are recognized as 2007 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars chosen by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Western’s eight selections are the most for any Southern Conference school, with Elon earning two selections, and Davidson, Georgia Southern and Wofford each tallying one. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, formerly Black Issues in Higher Education, established the Sports Scholars Award in 1992 to honor undergraduate students of color or minority background who have made achieving both academically and athletically a winning combination. The award was inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe’s commitment to education, as well as his love for the game of tennis. To be eligible, stu-dent- athletes must compete in an intercollegiate sport, main-tain a cumulative grade- point average of a least 3.20, and be active on their campuses and in their communities. Headlining the selections this year are two- time recipi-ents Sharhonda Bell ’ 07 from women’s track and field, Ogden Hansford from men’s track and field, and Raquel Ramseur from women’s track and field. Garnering honors for the first time are Buki Baruwa from soccer, John Cooper ’ 07 from football, Kendra Eaton from women’s basketball, Kevin Johnson from men’s track and field, and Aneesha Lane from women’s track and field. “ While we are proud of the performances of these fine Catamount student- athletes on the field, on the court and on the track, we are even more proud of their accomplish-ments in the classrooms and as citizens of our community,” said Chip Smith, director of athletics. “ Winning an award named for Arthur Ashe, a man who was an athlete, a scholar and a true civil rights pioneer, is a testament to the quality and character of the young men and women we are recruiting.” At the annual Catamount Club Athletics Scholarship Auction, Carolina Panther Brad Hoover ’ 00 auctioned off autographed helmets he wore as a Catamount and a Panther ( above); Matthew Lambreth, 4- year- old son of Clifton Lambreth ’ 82 MBA ’ 84 of Brentwood, Tenn., drew the winning ticket in a cash raffle ( left); and Tobe Childers ’ 61, president of the Catamount Club, made a point ( below). “ We had a lot of fun at the auction, and moving the event from Charlotte to Hickory helped us raise a record profit of $ 61,000 for scholarships. The Catamount Auction may have found a home in Hickory,” said Bill Richter, director of athletic development and executive director of the Catamount Club. Make plans now to join the fun next year on Saturday, July 26, at the Hickory Metro Convention Center. Call ( 828) 227- 3047 for information about attending or donating an item. Arthur Ashe Award winners include soccer player Buki Baruwa and basketball player Kendra Eaton ( right). The Magazine of Western Carolina 32 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 33 “ You have your own donor, your brother. We’re blessed. Be happy.” — Father of kidney recipient Josh D’Innocenzi ’ 04 wasn’t an option. So, after making the best of the 2006 Christmas holidays, family members began to be tested for the best tissue match. “ I was feeling more tired every day, and there was mental anguish with each test. Aaron was the last. A really big part of me wanted not to do the transplant, even if he was the match. I didn’t want him to go through that,” Josh said. “ I think they all knew it would be me, because brothers are usually a great match for transplants, and we both have the same blood type,” Aar-on said. “ And I thought if it wasn’t me, where would the new kidney come from?” The test revealed Aaron’s tissue to be the best choice. “ I was happy that I would be helping him,” he said. “ My brother has always been one of my best friends, and I was scared we’d lose him.” The four- to five- hour surgery at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte this spring was a great success, despite some initial pain and disorientation and a couple early mishaps. What got the brothers through the rough times? “ Family was number one. And faith,” Josh said. “ I did not ever go to a doctor’s appointment or lab test by myself, and there were a lot of those. When I got tired of being poked and prodded, my dad always brought me back with encour-agement. ‘ You have your own donor— your brother. We’re blessed. Be happy,’ he’d say. And I had friends and churches praying for us.” Their prayers were answered. “ The doctors say the kidney was a perfect match. The only way it could have been better is if we were identical twins. And Josh is on the lowest possible level of anti- rejection drugs,” Aaron said. In April, Josh returned to work, full time, at his broad-casting job with Star 104.3. Aaron is back at Western following his brother as a communication major. He recently was hired to help with productions at WCU’s Power 90.5, and works with Josh on weekends at the station in Asheville. Looking back on the experience, Aaron said, “ It’s a great opportunity to be able to help save someone, but I’m glad it’s over. I’m grateful that Josh can start living the life that he’s supposed to.” He has been quoted by the Black Moun-tain News as joking, “ I already told Josh ‘ You’re not getting any more organs from me. I’ll do anything for you, just don’t ask me to go through surgery like that again. This was it.’” WCU Brothers Bond Deepened by Transplant By LEILA TVEDT ROAD TO RECOVERY When Josh D’Innocenzi ’ 04 went for his physical exam before coming to Western in 2000, he had no idea that doctors would find problems that might kill him— or that younger brother Aaron, 19, would be critical for the cure. It turned out the older D’Innocenzi was born with only one kidney, and it wasn’t working too well. He completed his education at Western, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication, and took a job with a Clear Channel radio station in Asheville. Two years later, tests showed that his kidney was failing fast. Instead of facing a transplant at age 30 or 40, as originally predicted, he needed one right away. “ My first reaction was to wonder if we could do it during ‘ down time’ at the station, because I really love my job,” Josh said. But that Photo by Andy Grabel of the Black Mountain News Josh D’Innocenzi ’ 04 ( left) and his brother, Western student Aaron D’Innocenzi, work together sometimes at radio station Star 104.3 in Asheville. Kenneth Todd ’ 98 finished the 19th Annual KeyBank Vermont City Marathon ( left) with help from friends and coworkers who ran by his side ( above). They are, back row from left, Gene Faller, Rob England and Steve Moody, and front row, Mike Ham, Todd and David Preslar. Western Alum Defies the Odds: Runs Marathon with One Lung By Teresa Killian A surgeon preparing Kenneth Todd ’ 98 for the removal of his left lung because of cancer assured him that with one lung he could do just about anything except run a marathon. A year later, Todd, who had not been a runner before the surgery, beat by 25 seconds his goal of 4 hours and 25 minutes to finish the 19th Annual KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, Vt., in May. Running by his side were coworkers and friends from Food Lion, where he works as fresh logistics manager in corporate offices in Salisbury. “ It was awesome. We were telling his story to people all over the course, and they were blown away,” said David Preslar, who ran the marathon with Todd. An experienced marathon runner, Preslar knew how difficult it was to do with two lungs, let alone one. Todd had been treated for two years for flu- like symptoms before he was diagnosed with carcinoid cancer of the lung. Carcinoid and related neuroendocrine tumors are usually slow- growing rare types of cancers originating from the intestine, lungs, pancreas and occasionally from other areas. Their rarity means more than 90 percent of patients are incorrectly diagnosed and treated for the wrong disease, according to information from The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation. After the surgery, Todd made completing a marathon his goal. “ At first, it was difficult to run, but now I really enjoy it,” Todd said. His first attempt at a one- mile jog around the block found him walking. He progressed to a 5K in December 2006, a half- marathon in March and then steadily trained up to 20 miles— six shy of a full marathon. At the marathon in Vermont, his wife, who was seven months pregnant, cheered him on, and his coworkers talked constantly along the way to have fun and help him stay motivated. “ The miles just ticked by,” Todd said. At a hill halfway in and about a half- mile long, spectators stood about five people deep cheering the runners to keep going. “ I get goosebumps thinking about it,” Todd said. The last four miles were particularly difficult. He started to get dizzy but had a lot of motivation to keep going. “ You’re doggone right I finished,” said Todd. “ Those guys running with me weren’t going to let me not finish.’” After the race, Preslar said Todd thanked them for helping him make it to the finish line. “ I said, ‘ No, thank you for letting us do it with you.’” Todd’s future runs include a 24- hour relay on the Blue Ridge Parkway and a marathon in November. He runs to raise money for The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation. Donations in honor of Kenneth Todd can be directed to The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation. For information, call ( 888) 722- 3132 or check out www. carcinoid. org. The Magazine of Western Carolina 34 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 35 Almost six decades have passed since a young biology professor from Western, J. Gerald Eller ’ 43, and his standout student, Robert M. Failing ’ 51, fought their way through dense undergrowth to the summit of Waterrock Knob, 6,292- foot sentinel of the Plott Balsam range in Jackson County. These days, the Blue Ridge Parkway and a half- mile tourist- friendly trail provide easy access, but ascending the mountain was a different matter back then— before there was either a parkway or a trail. And while this climb in the spring of 1948 did not enter the annals of mountaineering history as a notable event, the ascent of Waterrock Knob by Eller and Failing did turn out to be a harbinger of the considerable accomplishments that lay ahead in the lives of each. Eller, now retired and living in Arden, first met Failing when the Michigan native enrolled at Western in 1948. He was “ one of the brightest students I ever had,” Eller said. A Robbinsville native, Eller received his bachelor’s degree in science and mathematics at Western and, after serving in the military in World War II, returned to Cullowhee to teach in 1947. He was conducting research into mayfly distribution when he, Failing and another student headed to the north fork of Scotts Creek, at the base of Waterrock Knob, to have a campout. Eller and Failing decided to climb the mountain the next day. Honorary Doctorate Recipient Credits Professor for Helping Him Reach Pinnacle of Success By RANDAL HOLCOMBE The teacher and student followed the north fork into the mountains, and then one of its tributaries, Narrow Cove Branch, before they started bushwhacking their way toward Waterrock Knob. The slight trail they had been following quickly petered out, and the two were faced with a final steep pitch up the southern slope of the mountain, which rises about 1,200 feet in the last half- mile. Failing led the way. “ We just beat our way through the brush. I followed him all the way to the top of the mountain,” Eller said. Three years later, Failing received his bachelor’s degree at Western and, after earning a medical degree at Duke University Medical School, began a 40- year career as a pathologist in Southern California. During the mid- 1970s, he embarked on a serious mountaineering career that took him to the top of the highest peaks on six of the world’s seven continents, and to the highest points in all 50 U. S. states. Eller went on to earn his doctoral degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and was named the first dean of Western’s School of Arts and Sciences in 1967. He taught continuously at the university from 1947 until his retirement in 1983, establishing his place among Peak Performer the legends in Western’s long and storied tradition of outstanding teaching. In fact, it was Eller’s impact as a teacher that dominated Failing’s comments as he returned to Cullowhee in May to accept an honorary doctorate of science degree from the university, given in recognition of his accomplishments of mind and body, and his and wife Nancyann’s long-standing support for Western in the areas of academics, athletics, student recreation and the arts. After receiving the honor at spring commence-ment, Failing told the audience that his first college experience, in California, did not go well. He was a young man lacking direction when he arrived at Western, but he met a “ truly inspirational” teacher who would have a profound effect on his life— Gerald Eller. “ Over the 56 years since I graduated from Western, I have reflected many times on the impact this institution has had upon my life— what has made the difference between who I was, and who I became. It was, and is, the faculty— the dedicated teachers like Dr. Eller,” he said. “ To Dr. Eller and Western Carolina, I thank you very much.” alumniAchi evements At left, Robert M. Failing ’ 51 climbs in Antarctica. Below, Failing returns to Waterrock Knob, a once- dense climb he achieved as a student at Western that is now easily accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway. At right, J. Gerald Eller ’ 43 rests at a waterfall. The Magazine of Western Carolina 36 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 37 alumni Achievements TEXTBOOK CASE Nationally Known Educator Got His Start in Sylva Classroom By RANDAL HOLCOMBE Up& Atom Alum Makes Significant Contributions to Nuclear Power Industry By Jessica Cregger ’ 07 Photo courtesy of The Citadel Tony W. Johnson ’ 70 is dean of the School of Education at The Citadel in Charleston, S. C. Peter Freer ’ 86 MAEd ’ 93 presented to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Austria the Play Attention system he designed to help increase attention spans and filter distractions. During his first few years of teaching, Asheville resident Peter Freer ’ 86 MAEd ’ 93 met a young boy named John who became the inspiration behind a technology that would eventually lead Freer to speak to a United Nations agency. John had attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder, then called “ minimal brain dysfunction,” and was highly disruptive in class. Freer wasn’t sure how to handle John in the classroom because he had never before encountered a student with the disorder. After seeking the advice of his former college professors, Freer made several changes in the classroom for John, including moving him closer to the front and creating a behavioral plan. Although these adjustments helped somewhat, nothing truly improved John’s behavior. John’s parents even tried medication, Freer said. “ His parents couldn’t cope with him and had medicated him, but they couldn’t get it quite right,” he said. When John came into the classroom in a semi- unconscious state and put his head down on his desk, Freer could take no more. “ Once I encountered John, I knew there were many other students like him,” he said. “ I knew I had to do something educationally with students like this.” Over the course of the next 10 years, Freer dedicated his time and energy to developing the Play Attention system, an educational enhancement of NASA- based technology called neurofeedback that monitors brain waves and alerts students of their concentration levels. Students put on a sensor- filled helmet, similar in appearance to a bike helmet, and use their concentration to control characters and situations on a screen. The system helps to increase students’ attention spans and short- term memory sequencing, as well as to develop their ability to filter distractions. In 2005, executives from Ontario Power Generation in Toronto discovered Freer’s Play Attention system as they were searching for ways to improve attention and reduce anxiety levels of their nuclear power plant trainees. Although the industry spends more than $ 1 million per person in preparation for certification, trainees often fail because of uncontrollable stress and anxiety. Through his company Freer Logic, Freer modified the software specifically for the nuclear power industry by creating a three- dimensional nuclear simulator, which in turn attracted the interest of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria. Freer was asked to share his knowledge at the IAEA’s headquarters at the United Nations this spring. He explained the fundamental basis and mechanics of the software and also gave a demonstration of the system. Since then, he has been asked to work with other groups, including the U. S. Marine Corps and the U. S. women’s bobsled team. “ It’s amazing how far we can stretch the applications for this into virtually any field at this point,” he said. Freer said that his education at Western has been a valuable resource to him. “ I don’t think I could have done any of this without my background in education, and Western is responsible for that,” he said. “ Coupling that with 10 years of extensive research in the field allowed me to create the software that is used internationally and will now become a heavy player in the field of nuclear power.” A self- described “ life- defining moment” that occurred 35 years ago in a Sylva- Webster High School classroom propelled Tony W. Johnson ’ 70 to success as a respected leader of university teacher education programs. After earning his bachelor’s degree in history and graduating with honors at Western, Johnson says he spent a year trying to find himself before returning to Cullowhee to take courses leading to teacher certification. One of those courses included a clinical component, and, after he had made several visits to a ninth- grade classroom at Sylva- Webster ( now Smoky Mountain) High, the teacher there asked him if he wanted to prepare a lesson and teach a class. The Wilkes County native worked hard preparing that lesson, seeking the assistance of his roommate, fraternity brother and friend, Scott Griffin ’ 72 MA ’ 82, who would later become North Carolina’s 1996- 97 Teacher of the Year. Teaching the roomful of ninth- graders proved to be a revelation, and Johnson said he rushed back to campus afterward and told Griffin, “ I now know what I want to do with my life.” Johnson started his career in education as a teacher and coach at schools in Bryson City and Charlotte, and then began graduate studies at George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He was named Peabody’s outstanding graduate as he received his doctoral degree in educational policy in 1978. After a year of teaching at Peabody College, Johnson joined the faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he emerged as the leader of UTSA’s innovative teacher education program. After 13 years in Texas, Johnson went on to direct the Teacher Academy at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and then became dean of the College of Education at West Chester University ( the other WCU), Pennsylvania’s largest teacher education program. Johnson returned to the Carolinas in 2005 when he became dean of the School of Education at The Citadel in Charleston, S. C. Widely recognized for his ability to guide teacher educa-tion programs toward improvement, and for his scholarly books concerning the history and philosophy of education, Johnson returned to Western in May to accept the university Alumni Association’s Award for Academic and Professional Achievement. After receiving the honor during spring commencement, Johnson told the Ramsey Center audience that it was under the guidance of three Western faculty members— retired history professors Cliff Lovin and Max Williams, and his cousin, fellow Wilkes County native and former education professor and dean Gurney Chambers ’ 61 — that his “ academic potential began to emerge.” “ Beginning in Dr. Chambers’ class in the fall of 1969, and continuing to this day, I became a serious student of education, and of what it means to be educated,” he said. “ In Professor Chambers, I encountered a real scholar whose love of learning was contagious and whose teaching ability was second to none. I found the mentor who would significantly change my life.” Johnson told Western’s graduating students that the successes he has enjoyed “ are largely due to the intellectual and nurturing community that characterized Cullowhee in the late 1960s, and that continues to characterize Western Carolina University in 2007. WCU was, and remains, a special place that attracts and nurtures faculty who are both outstanding scholars and truly gifted teachers.” The Magazine of Western Carolina 38 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 39 alumni Achievements The director of WCU’s Programs in Asheville received Western’s highest honor for administrative staff as the university recently handed out its top faculty and staff awards for teaching, research and service for the 2006- 07 academic year. During the annual end- of- year General Faculty Meeting and Awards Convocation, Patsy Miller MAEd ’ 82 received the Paul A. Reid Distinguished Service Award for administrative staff. Miller coordinates and provides instructional support and services to faculty and students involved in WCU undergraduate and graduate programs taught in Asheville. She also serves as the university’s chief liaison with the Asheville community, including the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville- Buncombe Technical Community College and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, said WCU Chancellor John Bardo in presenting the award. “ Patsy is a loyal alumna and dedicated employee of WCU,” he said. “ She was responsible for the planning and coordination of moving WCU’s nursing department from UNCA to A- B Tech’s Enka campus, and she serves the Asheville students in a timely, efficient and caring manner while avoiding the normal organizational bureaucracy. While she is seldom in the limelight, she works diligently and selflessly behind the scenes to make Western a better institution.” Miller joined Western’s Asheville office in 1984 as programs coordinator, working with Harry E. Ramsey ’ 59, who served as assistant to the chancellor for WCU Programs in Asheville from 1974 through 1997. Upon Ramsey’s retirement, Miller assumed responsibility for directing the office, which oversees WCU classes offered at UNCA, the main campus of A- B Tech and A- B Tech’s campus in Enka. Scott Higgins, dean of Western’s Graduate School and Research, called Miller the university’s “ goodwill ambassador in Asheville,” with a pleasant demeanor and cheerful enthusiasm that make her one of the biggest selling points for Western’s classes in Asheville. “ Patsy Miller is the most positive person I have ever met. She genuinely cares about people,” Higgins said. “ She is thrilled if she can help make someone’s day a little better, and she seems to thrive on doing good for others. For the more than 25 years that I have known Patsy, she has been the ‘ face of Western’ in Asheville— and that face has always been smiling.” More than 800 students enroll in classes every year in Asheville, where Western offers a broad range of instruction at the advanced undergraduate and graduate levels, particularly in the areas of business, counseling, education, health sciences, human resources, nursing, public affairs and technology. These programs of instruction, intended primarily for the adult professional student, are taught late afternoons, evenings and weekends. ASHEVILLE AMBASADOR Alumna Earns University’s Top Honor for Administrative Staff By BIL STUDENC Eighty of the nation’s most outstanding high school football players are selected every year to compete against each other on East and West teams during the annual, nationally televised U. S. Army All- American Bowl game in San Antonio, Texas, in January. Now, under the direction of Western’s Bob Buckner ’ 67, the spotlight will shine on some of the nation’s most accomplished high school musicians, too. Buckner, director of athletic bands for Western, has been invited by MENC: The National Association for Music Educa-tion to help launch the first- ever, high- school All- American Marching Band and serve as show coordinator and director of the ensemble. Buckner, who was named to the Bands of America Hall of Fame in 2005 and won MENC’s highest award for music education in 2004, said he is both pleased and daunted by the challenge. MENC, which has received thousands of applications, will narrow the long list of All- American wannabes to 350 possibilities. Buckner, who has asked Matt Henley ’ 93 MA ’ 95, assistant director of bands at WCU, to join him, said the staff will have only three days to screen audition tapes and pick the final 90 students, based on their musical talent and marching style. He also has to create a story board for the band’s six- minute performance, oversee the arrangement and refine the music, supervise the choreography, and write the drill so that every one of about 1,100 counts, or moves, forms a picture. That means putting every one of the 90 performers and their instruments in place to look good and sound good together on the field for each note they play. Finally, the staff and students will have just two-and- a- half days to rehearse before the big show, which is scheduled for January 2008. Buckner, who’s been doing this kind of thing for many years, is not letting the pressure get to him. “ Every time I worry about the work, I start thinking about what it means for these kids to perform in an All- American Marching Band,” Buckner said. “ This will be a tremendous opportunity for students who tend to like the physical activity, the pageantry, the joy of performing in big arenas before huge crowds. They’ll receive national attention; they’ll get an all- expense- paid trip to the game and some extra incentives; and they’ll take home the satisfaction of having worked with the best. I don’t think there’s ever been anything quite like this.” FORWARD MARCH Bob Buckner Picked to Direct Nation’s Top High School Marching Band Musicians By LEILA TVEDT Patsy Miller MAEd ’ 82 ( right) shares information about WCU’s Programs in Asheville at an Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Western Carolina University event. Every fall, John Anderson ’ 67 dusts off his trumpet and his wife puts together her clarinet to join the WCU Alumni Band for a day at a football game. Every year, they move to and get moved by the music. Seeing the growth of WCU bands and increasing interest from bandsmen led Anderson and others to establish a new “ Partners for Pride” alumni band organization. “ There is just a strong bond that develops when you join the band, and Partners for Pride will help band alumni stay connected while working to support the bands at Western,” said Anderson. One goal of Partners for Pride will be to begin building a network of band alumni and supporters who could help discover young musicians, mentor current bandsmen, and enjoy or help publicize performances such as the university’s annual jazz festival. In addition, the organization will support scholarships for student musicians and WCU bands, including the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band and the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band. Partners for Pride is led by Anderson, an alumnus of the jazz, concert and marching bands, and guided by committee members Marty Ramsey ’ 85, director of alumni affairs; John West, director of bands; and Bob Buckner ’ 67, director of athletic bands. “ Our initial goal is to find 300 partners to ‘ match’ the 300 members of the Pride of the Mountains,” said Buckner. “ If we can achieve this goal along with fundraising already in place, we could make $ 30,000 available annually to our student musicians.” Membership is open to anyone, and alumni are especially encouraged to participate. No minimum contribution is required. Gifts such as decals, golf shirts, hats, jackets, CDs and framed flags will be offered to donors who give between $ 50 and $ 5,000. Call ( 828) 227- 2259 to join Partners for Pride or get information about Alumni Band Day on Nov. 17. Join “ Part ners for Pride” To Suport WCU Bands The Magazine of Western Carolina 40 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 41 1964 Asheville native Gerald Austin MAEd ’ 69 in May was inducted into the N. C. Sports Hall of Fame in Raleigh. A retired public school administrator, he has been a National Football League official for 25 years and has received a post- season assignment every year, including three Super Bowls. Austin also serves as coordinator of officials for Conference USA. 1968 In February, John Queen was elected president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Queen is owner of John Queen Farms, a third- generation cattle farm founded in 1917 near Waynesville. His background in the beef industry includes cow/ calf producer, stocker/ backgrounder, feeder and grazer. He also has been an auction barn owner and operator and is currently owner of Southeast Livestock Exchange, a video-telemarketing company. A member and director of the Haywood County Cattlemen’s Association, he has served as president of the N. C. Cattlemen’s Association and president of the N. C. Cattlemen’s Foundation. 1972 Formerly president of CP Mortgage, Linley R. Miller Jr. recently joined Community Resource Mortgage, a division of Community Resource Bank. He heads up CRM’s North Carolina region as senior vice president and regional manager. 1975 Bob Cox MA retired last March from the Florida legislative staff in the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, but is taking advantage of DRO P, an alternative program allowing individuals who have worked 30 years for the state to work an additional five years without earning any more regular retirement benefits, instead being compensated with cash in an IRA. In addition, Cox has started a new career as a recording artist ( guitar) and is booking concerts and workshops with wife Mary Z. Cox ( pictured at left). With their sound engineer son in New York City, Cox also has done much of the mixing of their newest CD, “ Banjo Dreamin’ Suwannee Nights.” A second- generation alum, Cox says his mom, Annie Bernita Farrior Cox ’ 41, divides her time between Tallahassee, Fla., where she spends most of the year, and Cashiers in Western North Carolina. 1985 Jeffrey Poplin, formerly department manager and geographic information systems consultant with Dewberry of Fairfax, Va., recently was promoted to senior associate. Dewberry is a professional services firm specializing in engineering, architectural, program management, planning, geographic information and environmental services. With more than 20 years of management experience, Poplin currently provides professional consulting and management services to Baltimore County and Charlotte- Mecklenburg utilities. 1986 Vivian Barnette recently was named director of counseling services at North Carolina A& T State University. She holds a master’s degree from NC A& T and a doctorate from Western Michigan University. classNOTES It’s true. At one point in its history, Western required all freshmen students to wear beanies, little round caps guaranteed to make even the coolest student look like a nerd. Suzanne Hill McDowell ’ 72 MA ’ 91 says she hated wearing her beanie when she was a freshman at Western in the fall of 1968, but in an ironic twist of fate, now she’s wants to put her hands on more of them. McDowell, curator at Western’s Mountain Heritage Center, said the museum staff is hoping to add more beanies and other items to its collection of WCU- related artifacts. “ We’re always looking for more artifacts to represent the complete history of the institution,” she said. “ We have some good representative artifacts from the 1890s to the 1920s, but fewer from the 1930s through the 1980s. Items such as pennants, sports and school uniforms, commemorative cups, license plates and photographs all help to piece together the university’s story.” According to “ A Mountain Heritage,” the illustrated history of Western written by history professors Curtis W. Wood and H. Tyler Blethen, freshman beanies were introduced in 1957 as a way to strengthen school spirit. Students were required to wear the beanies until Homecoming, if the Catamounts won the Homecoming football game, or until the end of the fall quarter, if the team lost the game. The beanies were green until the early 1960s, when the color was changed to purple and gold. The beanie tradition officially ended with a vote of the student senate in fall of 1970. The Mountain Heritage Center has three beanies in its collection— all purple and gold. “ We’d like to have a green one, too,” McDowell said. Mountain Heritage Center Seeks Beanies, Other Western- Related Artifacts By RANDAL HOLCOMBE Coming soon to a computer screen near you, it’s a brand new online community just for Western Carolina University alumni. The Office of Alumni Affairs is purchasing a new software program that will allow alumni to become members of an electronic social network featuring an online directory, an events management system and an Internet-based vehicle for communication among alumni and the university. In addition to building their own individual alumni profile pages through a password-protected Web site, members also will be able to search for old friends, look for employment opportunities and develop special interest communities, said Debbie Higdon ’ 82, WCU’s director of advancement research. “ Through the online community, members can create a personalized experience based on class year, areas of study, regional club membership, participation in athletics or marching band, or other common interests,” Higdon said. “ In addition, each alumni group and organization may have its own Web presence within the larger community.” The Western Carolina Online Community site is being developed over the summer, and is expected to be operational by September. Details will be announced later this year. MUSTANGS SALLY Online Community for Alumni Under Way Coach Cindi Saltz Simmons ’ 82 MAEd’ 83 ( foreground) and assistant Shaketia Barnes ’ 06 ( left) guided the Smoky Mountain High School Lady Mustangs to the state 2- A girls’ basketball championship earlier this year in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Smoky Mountain defeated Graham 85- 62 in the title game, led by All- American point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid, daughter of Alphonso “ Mutt” DeGraffenreid ’ 77 MAEd ’ 80, former WCU assistant football coach who is now athletics director at Smoky Mountain, and Pamela DeGraffenreid ’ 80, manager of the WCU Bookstore. Before beginning their coaching careers, Simmons and Barnes both played for the Lady Cats— Simmons from 1979 to 1982, and Barnes from 2002 to 2005. Anyone interested in donating an artifact to the museum should call the Mountain Heritage Center at ( 828) 227- 7129, or e- mail mcdowell@ wcu. edu. The Magazine of Western Carolina 42 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 43 1996 Looking for something new and exciting in her well- organized life, Tristan Roberts Perry used her love for her poodles as the basis for her first book, “ Furry Tails: The Adventures of Cinnamon Persimmon,” which came out in December. The book details Cinnamon’s many adventures— ranging from backyard encounters with other animals to befriending a sick and elderly patient to lift her spirits. The death of Perry’s grandmother five days before Christmas 2001 led to thoughts about the legacy Perry wanted to leave. After earning her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Kentucky and her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Tech, she was still searching for the change she needed. “ Writing a fictional, children’s chapter- book would be a creative, fun way to leave behind my values and beliefs for future generations,” said Perry, who lives in Christiansburg, Va., with her husband and two toy poodles. 1997 Since October 1999, Justin Lyons has worked at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Va., first as media relations coordinator and now as director of marketing and public relations. In this position, he oversees all advertising for the museum; manages the use of the logo and the look of the museum; and oversees the Web site, which gets more than a million visitors a year. The highlight of his career so far is the opening in March of the USS Monitor Center, the $ 30 million, 63,500- square- foot facility featuring an 18,000- square- foot exhibit that tells the story of the USS Monitor and her opponent, the CSS Virginia ( formerly the USS Merrimack). Included in the exhibit are original artifacts, archival materials, immersive multimedia experiences, and recreated ship interiors that transport visitors back in time to 1862. The facility offers a close- up look at the conservation and reconditioning of actual pieces of the USS Monitor: the turret, the steam engine and much more. For five summers, Lyons, lead public relations person for the Mariners’ Museum, worked with teams from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U. S. Navy to recover artifacts, the most exciting of which was the Monitor’s turret, recovered in August 2002. In December, Robert ( Bobby) Schneider, chief operating officer at Knoxville ( Tenn.) Area Transit, completed his doctoral degree at the University of Tennessee. His dissertation examined executive-board relationships in public authorities. Schneider and wife Amy, who teaches mathematics at Fulton High School in Knoxville, welcomed their second daughter, Eliza Danielle, last October. First daughter, Allison Nicole, was born in January 2004. 2000 The fusion of hip hop, nu jazz, broken beat and downtempo music Jed Zane Tate ( above) recorded in the early morning hours at the studio of his Waynesville home pervades his first album, “ Boom Bap Sunrise: Rural Sounds Volume 1.” “ Sometimes I just woke up, got my coffee and went straight into the studio. Sometimes I just didn’t go to sleep the night before. Either way, that was like the magic time for me. I’d write music while it was still dark out, and the arrangement would start to come together as the sun came up,” said Tate, Web developer at WCU. The album was produced on Leisure Lab, a label Tate launched after seeing the record business behind- the- scenes while working with British label Working Beats. “ I’d learned business and technology in 1990 After 11 years working within the Fontana Regional Library System, Dottie Brunette ( above) recently became Jackson County librarian. A Sylva native, she comes to the county’s main library from the Albert Carlton/ Cashiers Community Library. 1993 In September, Cecelia Crawford became director of the Small Business Center at Tri- County Community College in Western North Carolina. Employed at the center since its opening in 1994, Crawford is excited about its future. “ I’m looking forward to continuing the great work we’ve been doing and expanding it to the next level,” she said. Effective March 1, Laura Leatherwood MS ’ 96 EdD ’ 07 ( at right) became director of community and economic development at Haywood Community College. “ Laura has demonstrated strong leadership for college advancement,” said Rose Johnson, HCC president. “ The college is lucky that she has agreed to apply her tremendous talents and energy to this important new leadership role.” On the staff at HCC since 2000, Leatherwood formerly served as executive director of Institutional Advancement, Foundation & Alumni Relations. Before going to the community college, Leatherwood was membership coordinator at Haywood Regional Medical Center. Gurney Chambers ’ 61, dean emeritus of the College of Education and Allied
Object Description
Description
Title | Western : the magazine of Western Carolina University. |
Other Title | Magazine of Western Carolina University |
Date | 2007-08 |
Description | Summer 2007 (Volume 11, no. 3) |
Digital Characteristics-A | 11 MB; 25 p. |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_borndigital\images_master\ |
Full Text | Summer 2007 T h e Mag a z i n e o f We st e r n C a ro l i n a U n i v e r s i t y Western Innovation Making Ideas Work Cover Story Features 6 Big Dam Grant National Science Foundation Awards $ 1.5 Million to WCU Coastal Program 8 Aesthetic Value Growing MFA Program Turns Campus into Artists’ Colony 14 Curtain Call Cherokee Drama Welcomes Theatre Faculty, Alumni 23 Homecoming 2007 Prepare for Music, Food, Football and Fun Western Carolina University Chancellor John W. Bardo Vice Chancellor Clifton B. Metcalf Advancement and External Affairs Associate Vice Chancellor Leila Tvedt Public Relations Managing Editor Bill Studenc Associate Editor Teresa Killian Art Director Rubae Sander Chief Photographer Mark Haskett ’ 87 Contributing Writers Jessica Cregger ’ 07 Randall Holcombe Daniel Hooker ’ 01 Jill Ingram John Kenyon Jim Rowell ’ 72 Leila Tvedt Class Notes Editor Dianne Yount ’ 79 Designer John Balentine Contributing Photographers Ashley T. Evans John Ashcraft Production Manager Loretta R. Adams ’ 80 Product Placement Western Helps Take Ideas From Concept to Reality T h e M a g a z i n e o f W e s t e r n C a r o l i n a U n i v e r s i t y Western Summer 2007 Volume 11, No. 3 23 6 8 14 16 The Magazine of Western Carolina University is produced by the Office of Public Relations in the Division of Advancement and External Affairs for alumni, faculty, staff, friends and students of Western Carolina University. Pedal Pusher During the 40 years that Otto Spilker has been commuting to Western on his bicycle, the price of gas has risen from about 33 cents per gallon to more than $ 3 per gallon, but for the professor emeritus of health and human performance the unconventional ride to work isn’t about saving gas; it’s about preserving health. The 80- year- old campus fitness legend still pedals the four round- trip miles from his home to campus every chance he gets, providing there’s no snow or ice on the roads, and he does so on a heavy tandem bike that was given to him 25 years ago. And, in addition to the obvious fitness benefits, the ride gives Spilker, who still teaches part time, a chance to promote Western’s Loyalty Fund to those he passes on the road. On the cover: Ed Bonjokian ’ 07 and faculty member Aaron Ball check dimensions for aircraft parts, and Cindy Atterholt, head of Western’s chemistry department, applies a nontoxic pest control substance she developed to the bark of an apple tree. SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University University Print Shop Manager Tom Frazier ’ 79 is keeping busy these days turning out new business cards and letterhead as a major reorganiza-tion of Western’s academic structure creating two new colleges takes effect this summer, a restructuring that also means significant changes in leader-ship positions. The reorganization, which results in new colleges focusing on the arts and on health professions, is designed to improve service to students and make better use of university resources. With the new structure in place, fall semester will find three new deans among the administrative ranks. Ronald A. Johnson, who formerly held the JP Morgan Chase Chair in Finance in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University, is dean of the College of Business. Wendy S. Zabava Ford, former executive associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University, is dean of the newly reconfigured College of Arts and Sciences. And Linda Seestedt- Stanford, former assistant dean of the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow College of Health Professions at Central Michigan University, is founding dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. Restructured Colleges Welcome New Leaders By BIL STUDENC THE Deans’ List UConn Administrator to Lead Student Affairs By BIL STUDENC THE MILLER’S TALE New leaders include, from left, Wendy S. Zabava Ford, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; Linda Seestedt- Stanford, dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences; and Ronald A. Johnson, dean of the College of Business. Pictured at right is H. Samuel Miller, vice chancellor for the Division of Student Affairs. “ This is the best series of searches that Western has had in the 12 years that I have been here,” Chancellor John W. Bardo said. “ For all of these positions, there were multiple people that we could have appointed. All of these individuals are nationally recognized in their respective fields. In addition to being extremely qualified, this is a very diverse group of people who are joining our university. I am very excited about the fact that we have significantly increased the diversity of our senior leadership.” Johnson, the new business dean, was president and chief investment officer at Smith Graham & Co. in Houston before joining the faculty at Texas Southern. He has served as chief strategist and head of research for Americas Trust Bank in Miami, division chief of domestic financial markets for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and director of global fixed income research and senior portfolio manager for Templeton Worldwide Inc. in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He taught at Florida A& M University, Northeastern University in Boston and Howard University in Washington, D. C., and was an econo-mist for the International Monetary Fund and the Federal Reserve System board of governors. Johnson is taking over the reins from Leroy Kauffman, WCU business dean since 2003, who is returning to the faculty. Ford, new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has been an administrator and faculty member at Western Michigan since 1993. The college is WCU’s largest, with more than 180 full- time faculty members who serve more than 1,600 under-graduate and graduate students in the humanities, sciences and social sciences. Executive associate dean of the WMU College of Arts and Sciences since August 2004, Ford previously served as associate dean of the college. Seestedt- Stanford, first dean of a new College of Health and Human Sciences, has been assistant dean for the College of Health Professions at Central Michigan since 1998, serving as acting dean of the college during the summer of 2002. She also was director of audiology clinical instruc-tionand services in the department of communication disorders at CMU from 1977 until 1998. Western is seeking construction funding for a $ 46 million, 145,000- square- foot School of Health and Gerontological Sciences to be built on Millennial Initiative property adjacent to the main campus. The facility, which received planning money from the General Assembly during a previous state funding cycle, would be the anchor for a planned neighborhood of facilities and programs focusing on retirement, aging and health. H. Samuel Miller Jr., associate vice president for student affairs at the University of Connecticut, has been selected as the next vice chancellor for student affairs at Western. Miller is fill-ing a vacancy created by the retirement this summer of Robert Caruso, vice chancellor for student affairs at WCU since 1998, and a nationally known figure in higher education administra-tion with 37 years of experience in leading innovative programs to serve students and promote their growth and development. The appointment is one of several major leadership changes at Western taking effect this summer— and university officials say the credentials of candidates who applied for the positions bode well for the direction of the institution. “ Good people are coming to work at Western,” said Jeanette Hyde, member of the university’s Board of Trustees. “ Western is attracting the very best, and this speaks highly of the quality of the university. This is putting WCU in a very strong position among regional universities across the nation. When you add this kind of high- caliber people to the fine faculty and staff we already have, we are going to be attractingmore and more of the best students in America.” As associate vice president for student affairs at UConn, Miller supervised the Department of Residential Life, which provides on- campus housing to about 12,000 students; the Department of Dining Services, which has an annual operating budget of $ 35.7 million; and The Center for Students with Disabilities, which works with some 1,200 students annually. He was co- director of the university’s master’s degree program in higher education and student affairs, and he previously served as assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and interim director of campus activities. During his career, Miller has held student affairs positions at the University of Virginia and the University of Alabama. “ I’m very excited to be joining the Western Carolina University family,” Miller said. “ Given the strength of the staff in the Student Affairs Division and the successful partnerships with academic colleagues, I believe Western has tremendous potential to continue developing the kinds of transformative learning experiences that positively impact every aspect of student life. I’m looking forward to working with local community members, and faculty and staff colleagues, and I’m especially looking forward to meeting Western’s students and their families. This is a dynamic period in Western’s history and I’m proud to be a member of this campus community.” The new deans will join a couple familiar faces in new roles. Robert Kehrberg, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences since 2005, was appointed in the spring as founding dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts. The new college houses academic programs in the arts that were formerly part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Kehrberg served as head of Western’s music depart-ment almost continuously from 1987 to 2005. Scott Higgins, director of the master’s degree program in health sciences and a member of Western's faculty since 1981, was named dean of the Graduate School and Research in November after serving in an interim capacity for a year and half. Michael Dougherty, dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions since 1998, is now senior dean at WCU. Brian Railsback is dean of the Honors College, and Pat Brown is dean of the Division of Educational Outreach. A national search is under way for a dean for the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology. The Magazine of Western Carolina University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University Students from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe analyze grain sizes on beaches. Pictured below is Lake Mills, a reservoir formed by a dam on the Elwha River. Above, environmental geologist Michael Turchy ’ 01 leans over to review a chart with biology graduate student Adam Griffith near the mouth of the Elwha River. At right, young people from the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe conduct an experiment related to river erosion. century and dramatically changed what was once a sandy coastal environment. The flooding of the Elwha River Valley altered many sites considered sacred by tribal members. Young has been involved in the Elwha Dam removal project since 2004, helping design a long- term plan to monitor the impact of the removal of the dams on the coastal environ-ments at the river’s mouth. Dam removal will release several million cubic yards of sediment into the Elwha, all of which will find its way to the estuary on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Scientists believe the sediment influx will have a positive impact on the coast, bolstering salt marshes and growing beaches. Young is using the precedent- setting coastal restoration project as a research, service and learning opportunity for his geosciences students at WCU, in addition to his work with the tribe. “ We believe that emphasizing the importance of the geosciences for environmental restoration and cultural revitalization, and that enabling Native American kids to carry out restoration- based geoscience research projects in an area of immense cultural importance to those kids will ultimately increase the overall representation of Native Americans in geoscience careers and will raise the profile of the geosciences within Native American communities,” said Young. “ It is my belief that our initial project has successfully raised the awareness of the importance of the geosciences among an entire community. We need to continue the momentum and partnerships that we have established by expanding our activities. Now that we have their attention, let’s see if we can turn some of them into geoscientists.” Students will be involved with hands- on geoscience education activities that are integrated into traditional, culturally based summer activities already sponsored by the tribe. To help ensure the participation of the tribe’s young people in the project, donating their time to the effort are many tribal leaders, including tribal elders, educators and employees, members of the tribal council and concerned citizens. Frances Charles, chairperson of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, said the tribe is highly supportive of Young’s work. “ The project is a perfect fit for the tribal efforts to encourage our high school students to consider a college education after high school,” Charles said. “ The tribe has worked very hard to accomplish the restoration of the Elwha River, but we have very few members with college degrees. The program uses the restoration of the Elwha River, which is important to all tribal members, to emphasize the impor-tance of the geosciences to the restoration effort. We cannot overstate our support of continuing this successful program and sharing with the Jamestown and Port Gamble Klallam tribes over the next five years.” Partners in the project with the tribes and PSDS are Olympic National Park, Olympic Park Institute, National Park Service, and the Port Angeles and Crescent school districts in Washington. The Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, the internationally known center integrating coastal science and management that relocated from Duke University to Western last fall, has been awarded a $ 1.5 million grant designed to research the coastal impact of dam removal in Washington state while increasing the number of Native American youths interested in careers in geosciences and environmental restoration. The five- year award to PSDS is the largest National Science Foundation grant ever received by Western, said Michelle Hargis, associate dean of the Graduate School and Research. The grant will enable the continuation of a pilot project initiated in 2005 by Rob Young, director of PSDS and professor of geosciences, in which 25 young people from Washington’s Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe had the chance to see firsthand how the nation’s largest dam removal project will affect a river system with deep spiritual and cultural significance to the tribe. The new Elwha Science Education Project will attempt to increase the number of tribal high school– age students involved in the project, expand the program to reach students in grades six through eight, and determine if the teaching methods developed through the project will work with other tribes. “ The project is unique in that the kids will be taught science and culture side- by- side. We hope this makes the science more interesting and more relevant,” said Young, a coastal geology specialist. “ We are combining stories that are important to the tribe with scientific activities at many sites along the river. We hope to convince tribal young people that they can be scientists, and that science has something relevant to offer them and their community.” Many tribes across the United States, including the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, are using environmental resto-ration projects to help reclaim their altered cultural heritage. The construction of the 108- foot- tall Elwha Dam and the 210- foot Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River more than 70 years ago choked off salmon runs for most of the past National Science Foundation Awards $ 1.5 Million To Expose Native American Youth to Geosciences By BIL STUDENC ABIGDAMGRANT The Magazine of Western Carolina University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University For the past four summers, the Western campus has been transformed into a veritable artists’ colony as internationally acclaimed artists, scholars and critics descend upon Cullowhee to serve as visiting lecturers in the university’s graduate degree program in fine arts. Launched in 2004, the program leading to the master of fine arts degree— the terminal degree in the visual arts— is once again luring an array of expertise to Western, from an India- born contemporary visual artist to a New York City gallery curator, and from a figurative sculptor who has taught at the acclaimed Penland School of Crafts to a small business consultant sharing the hard truths about the business side of a career in the arts. Richard Tichich, director of Western’s recently reorganized School of Art and Design, called exposure to a wide variety of diverse viewpoints “ absolutely vital” to the success of the MFA program. “ If we were located in downtown New York, we would want to bring in visiting artists from all over the world to give our students the opportunity to interact with as many different perspectives as possible. It’s no different for a program located in Western North Carolina,” said Tichich. “ We think that when our students graduate from here, they should be equally expected to meet with national and international artists. In order to do that, it behooves us to bring in people of that caliber. And that is precisely what we do.” After this summer, however, it won’t be just during the months of June, July and August when art students will find themselves interacting with visiting artists from across the nation, acclaimed scholars and critics, and successful gallery owners and curators— in addition to WCU faculty members from the School of Art and Design. Due to popular demand, the MFA program is evolving into a year- round activity. University officials originally envisioned the program as consisting of three intensive summer residencies of 10 weeks combined with out- of- residence independent studio work, research and writing, a structure designed to fit the needs of graduate students already working in the profession, many with established careers and families. “ When the program first started, we had about 20 students come to campus for the first summer residency,” Tichich said. “ When the summer was over, we found that about 10 of them wanted to stay for the whole year. It turned out that many of the students attracted to program wanted a more traditional approach, and they wanted to go ahead and complete their degrees as quickly as possible.” To meet the needs of those students, the School of Art and Design is now accepting MFA students into year long residencies, while maintaining the summer residency option to those students currently in the program. Expansion of the visiting artist schedule into the fall and spring semesters will have an additional benefit, Tichich said. “ By shifting our guest faculty and artists- in-residence throughout the entire year, our undergraduate students also will be able to take advantage of their experience, their expertise and their insights,” he said. “ That will enliven the program for all involved, as undergraduates, graduate students, permanent faculty and visiting artists come together to share ideas and engage in the processes of creativity and artistic expression.” Growing MFA Degree Program Transforms Campus into Colony for Artists By BIL STUDENC AESTHETICvalue Susan Lucier MFA ’ 07 prepares her artwork “‘ DO NOT’ Sign” for the Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition in the Fine Art Museum at the Fine and Performing Arts Center. In a studio at the Fine and Performing Arts Center, Tai Lipan MFA ’ 06, explores painting that depicts new realities. 1 Jennifer Lipsey MFA ’ 06, “ See? I told you it was fun,” mixed media on canvas 2 Heidi Leitzke MFA ’ 06, “ Proserpina’s Flight,” oil on canvas 3 Kathryn Temple MFA ’ 07, “ Claire Still 2,” oil on wood 4 Susan Lucier MFA ’ 07, “ This Future is Now" ( detail), oil on paper 5 Heidi Leitzke MFA ’ 06, “ The Garden Cranes,” oil on canvas 1 2 3 4 5 Continuedon page 10 The Magazine of Western Carolina University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 1 2 3 4 Art surrounds Brandon Guthrie, a student in the MFA degree program, in a studio on campus. Phyllis Jarvinen MA ’ 80 paints in a studio at WCU. AESTHETICvalue continued 1 Bill Clements MFA ’ 06, “ Figment & Fetish,” mixed media 2 Jasmine Sadki MFA ’ 07, “ Decay,” watercolor and India ink 3 Sally Jacobs MFA ’ 07, “ No Child Left Behind,” glazed ceramics 4 Jasmine Sadki MFA ’ 07, “ Are You There?” oil on canvas STREAMof consciousness 2 Phyllis Jarvinen MA ’ 80 “ Kephart VIII – River Bed,” acrylic on canvas, 2007 1 Phyllis Jarvinen MA ’ 80 “ Kephart IV – Interpretation of Dreams,” acrylic on canvas, 2006 As a river guide and canoe instructor, Phyllis Jarvinen MA ’ 80 studied how water moved— so much that at times she ran rapids at night in her dreams. The more she stared at water, the more she thought about how she would paint it, and, now, a child therapist returning to WCU as a student in the master of fine arts degree program, she does. Jarvinen layers transparent colors on canvas to capture the movement and personality of rivers and creeks. She then journals about what the images suggest to her. In her painting “ Kephart IV – Interpretation of Dreams,” smooth rocks border a pool on Kephart Prong, where water pours over a rock into a new, unseen part of the creek. An excerpt from Jarvinen’s accompanying journal entry is about possibilities and dreams: “ What someone else sees as my folly or failure I hope is my best lesson and the stepping stone to seeing my vision through to success.” For Jarvinen, that’s what her paint-ing is about— seeing a new possibility in her life and making it reality. Though her degree prepared her for a career in psychology, she also loved— and loves — drawing and painting. “ As a child, I remember looking at pictures of water in books and wondering how they made it look transparent,” said Jarvinen. She wove art classes into her class schedule in high school, in college, in Bryson City while she worked for Nantahala Outdoor Center, and at Western when she worked on campus. “ While taking my first art class at WCU, I had a strong feeling that I had ‘ come home’ to something I needed to do more of, and with WCU Professor Patricia Bailey’s encouragement, decided to pursue that interest by taking more art and art history classes,” said Jarvinen, who describes painting as the closest she has ever come to meditating. Jarvinen also uses painting to support causes she believes in. Notecards made from her depictions of pets have been donated to nonprofit organizations that reach out to animals who are rescued or need homes. She also supports land and river conserva-tion efforts, as well as KIDS Place, the children’s advocacy center in Franklin where she works as a therapist. To further her art, Jarvinen recently spent a year taking undergraduate art classes at the University of Minnesota before her acceptance to WCU’s master’s degree program. “ It is so much fun to be a student again and study art,” said Jarvinen. Her primary subjects now are rivers and creeks. “ Moving water seems chaotic but there is order and predictability in it. I have actually developed a reading water course for artists that I have presented to an artists’ organization,” said Jarvinen. “ People always say the paintings look different close up than from far away. Up close, there is color, shape and transparency. Farther away, the forms come into focus,” she said. “ I hope they will see in the paintings how wonderful it is to look at clean water. The transparency of the water and what lies beneath it is key to what I want to show— how it is both revealed and hidden or changed at the same time.” Her artwork has appeared in her solo shows “ Stream” and in shows such as “ Stream of Consciousness,” which was on display at Relia’s Garden restaurant at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Western North Carolina. Notecards featuring her paintings also are for sale at Western North Carolina art and craft galleries. For more information, check out her Web site at www. phyllisjarvinen. com. Therapist’s Paintings Explore Water as Metaphor for Life By Teresa Killian The university’s studios and classrooms in two- dimen-sional art ( including painting, drawing and printmaking), three- dimensional art ( sculpture and ceramics) and integrated multimedia ( video, design, film, photography, book arts and experimental media) are located in the Fine and Performing Arts Center, the $ 30 million, 122,000- square- foot showplace for the arts that opened in 2005. In addition to a 1,000- seat performance hall capable of hosting Broadway- quality shows, the center features a wing dedicated to the visual arts, with 10,000 square- feet of exhibit space— including the Fine Art Museum. “ I truly think we have among the finest facilities in the country,” said Tichich, who came to Western in 2006 from the University of Texas at San Antonio. “ We want to integrate our undergraduate and graduate programs to be more in line with the quality of facilities where they are housed.” Heidi Leitzke MFA ’ 06, who studied painting before embarking on a career as gallery director at the Pennsylvania College of Art & Science, is among the program graduates putting their educations to use with careers in the artistic world. “ Many of my exhibition experiences while at WCU laid the groundwork for exhib-iting my own work, and planning, hanging and hosting exhibitions at PCA& D,” Leitzke said. She also finds herself working with a familiar figure from her graduate school days, as she will be hosting a solo exhibition this autumn with acclaimed painter Judy Glantzman, who was among the artists visiting Cullowhee during a previous summer intensive session. “ Glantzman challenged me to delve deeper and become fully engaged in my studio,” Leitzke said. “ The summer program was an intense experience with a great range of visiting artists, each with a unique creative vision. Working with practicing artists who drew from and taught from their wide range of experience was more beneficial than any textbook course ever could have been.” The Magazine of Western Carolina 10 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 11 Thanks to the generosity of the founder of a Greensboro-based communication and rehabilitative therapy clinic who got her start at Western, graduate students studying communication sciences and disorders can apply for a new $ 1,500 scholarship to help with the costs of grad school. Margie Gibbs Motsinger ’ 75, a Western alumna and founder of the Cheshire Center Inc., recently presented the inaugural Cheshire Center Scholarship to Candler resident Susan Foringer- Burk, who is working toward a master’s degree in communication sciences and disorders. Motsinger, who graduated from WCU with a degree in speech and hearing, founded the Cheshire Center in 1980. It is now the largest private clinic in the Greensboro area, with a staff of more than 90 professionals providing speech therapy and community-based rehabilitative services, primarily to children. “ I have always told everyone about what a great start I got at Western, where I experienced a lot of one- on- one interaction with my professors and where I served in many different internship- type experiences,” she said. “ I remember being assigned a clinic caseload as a junior, which was frightening at the time but of tremendous value in the long-run. It certainly taught me to ‘ think on my feet’ and gave me an edge when I attended graduate school.” Motsinger said it was personally important to be able to give back to the university where she got her start in her career. “ I have certainly been mentored and helped along the way by leaders in the profession and in business. It is critical that we reach out to young clinicians and foster their training and development,” she said. “ I felt that setting up the scholarship program would be a way both to say ‘ thank you’ to WCU and to mentor therapists early in their careers.” Clinical Approach Communication Disorders Students Benefit from New Scholarship Fund By BIL STUDENC When Susan Parrott Ward ’ 75 and her husband returned to Western recently for the dedication of a ceramics studio in their name, it was only the latest development in a long and rewarding association with Joan Byrd, professor in what is now the School of Art and Design. Byrd, who teaches ceramics, not only hired Ward as a work study student during her freshman year, she also inspired the talented younger artist from Kinston to “ do her own thing.” “ Here was Joan, as independent as she could be,” Ward said. “ When students showed an interest, she ate ’ em up. She gave them all the attention they needed. She offered them wonderful opportunities, brought friends to class who were potters we had read about, took us to a national pottery conference. She really made a difference in my life.” During her second year when times were tough at home, Ward struggled to support herself. She said she was thrilled to receive a scholarship that allowed her to stay in school and earn her bachelor’s degree in art in 1975. After graduation, she went to work in stained glass design and production; taught as an artist- in- residence in Kinston, teaching students who were physically and developmentally disabled; and helped with the restoration of a beloved old carousel in Raleigh’s Pullen Park. None of that would have been possible without Byrd’s early encouragement and her own positive experiences at Western, she said. Now married to successful retired businessman Randall Ward, she is saying “ thank you” in a big way. The Wards have given $ 150,000 for an endowment to support Western’s art program and another $ 35,000 for a kiln big enough to fire large pieces. In response, the university named a ceramics studio in the Fine and Performing Arts Center in honor of Randall and Susan Parrott Ward. During a campus celebration of the gift, Chancellor John Bardo reminded the crowd that when archeologists discover remnants of an ancient society, the thing that people get most excited about are the artifacts related to art. “ Art is a clear reflection of the core values of a society,” Bardo said. “ But to create art requires some people in the community not to have to scrape in the dirt, or to fish or hunt. Art requires time for some members of that society to think and to reflect. It is through the artist that we see a community’s values. Through this generous gift from the Wards, we know that future societies will view Western and our community’s values.” Steve Warren ’ 80, chairman of WCU’s board of trustees, who called ceramics “ a work of silent poetry,” said the contribution from the Wards is one of the latest examples of “ an uncommon alchemy” that exists at WCU. “ It’s an alchemy of talent and generosity,” Warren said. “ The faculty, staff and students of Western supply the talent. People like Randall and Susan Ward supply the generosity.” Susan Ward said she encourages other donors to support The Campaign for Western, the university’s ambitious effort to raise $ 40 million for scholarships, endowments and program support. “ When I think of all the things I’ve gained from my education at Western, it’s more than a diploma. I cannot imagine not helping,” she said. “ And gifts of all sizes are important. I’m really big on the ‘ drop- in- the- bucket theory.’ Everyone can do something, and it all adds up.” Art of Giving Campus Ceramics Studio Named in Honor of Benefactors By LEILA TVEDT and BIL STUDENC The check wasn’t in the mail. This time, the check was in the handshake, when Catamount Club president Tobe Childers ’ 61 recently accepted a gift of $ 25,000 from E. Jerry Coleman III, executive vice president for private wealth management with SunTrust North Carolina in Charlotte. The contribution represents the first installment on a pledge of continuing support for the next five years from SunTrust. The check also mark SunTrust’s first such gift to the Catamount Club, and it is the first time a financial institution has contributed to the club, Childers said. “ SunTrust is interested in developing a relationship with Western Carolina University and helping it grow,” he said. With the commitment, SunTrust will become the official sponsor of Western’s Annual Student- Athlete Awards Banquet. The gifts also will be used for general athletic scholarship support, professional development for staff and other programmatic support to benefit student- athletes, said Chip Smith, director of athletics. “ Through the contributions of individuals and corporations such as the major commitment made by our friends at SunTrust North Carolina, we can continue to make improvements in our athletics program, and provide the support and facilities that our student- athletes deserve,” Smith said. The pledge comes as the university is in the midst of The Campaign for Western, a three- year effort to raise $ 40 million in private support for scholarships, professorships and programmatic resources. The first comprehensive fundraising campaign in university history was officially launched in February after an initial “ silent phase.” SunTrust Gift Marks A “ Art is a clear reflection of First For Catamount Club the core values of a society.” — Chancellor John W. Bardo Western Carolina University Cherokee potter Joel Queen ’ 05 presented one of his own works to Randall Ward ( left) and his wife, artist Susan Parrott Ward ’ 75, at the dedication of a WCU ceramics studio in the Wards’ honor. Margie Gibbs Motsinger ’ 75 For information on The Campaign for Western, visit the Web site at campaign. wcu. edu or call ( 828) 227- 7124. 12 The Magazine of Western Carolina University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 13 Stag e Coac h Working behind the scenes at “ Unto These Hills… A Retelling” are the show’s director Stephen Ayers, associate professor of theatre arts, and, from left, Melody Huddleston, WCU’s costume shop supervisor, and Ayers' daughter, Maribeth Ayers, who is the show’s choreographer. Theatre Professor Directing Cherokee Outdoor Drama By JIL INGRAM including “ Matlock,” “ In the Heat of the Night,” “ I’ll Fly Away” and “ Dawson’s Creek.” He holds a doctorate in theatre from the University of Colorado at Boulder. “ I’m thrilled to have this opportunity,” Ayers said. “ My goal is to have audi-ence members say, ‘ That was incredible!’ There should be a buzz in the parking lot when people walk out of there.” Ayers is not the only Western connection to the Cherokee outdoor drama. His daughter Maribeth, who had a part in “ Unto These Hills” as a teenager, is the show’s choreographer. In addition, Melody Huddleston, costume shop supervisor at WCU, is costume designer; Jim Irvin ’ 93, technical director at WCU’s Ramsey Center, is the show’s master carpenter, and Brian Ahman ’ 91 is production manager. Current student Emily Bond is working on sound, while classmate Anna Latanyshyn is designing props and Samantha Younce is working on costumes. Cast members performing on stage include alumni Jennifer Walsh ’ 07 and Clark Howerton ’ 07, and current students Alexandra LaBelle, Anthony Giordano, Kate Gardner, Greg Kennedy, Daniel Rohrig, Christy Waymouth and Sarah Lipham. “ Unto These Hills” has shown at the open- air Mountainside Theatre in Cherokee each summer since its debut in 1950. A new version that opened last year adopted a Cherokee perspective of the Eastern Band’s history and included re- creations of traditional dress, performances of traditional dance and music, and— for the first time ever— a majority of the actors were Cherokee. This year’s production includes additional changes, as Hollywood writers further tweaked the script and brought back some characters left out of last year’s version, including the Cherokee named Tsali, whom some consider a martyr who helped preserve the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Will Thomas, a white man who in the 1800s helped some Cherokee people avoid removal and secure a land base. “ What we’re trying to achieve is to make this a show by, for and about the Cherokee people. That’s exactly what it should be, and I am honored to be a part of that transition,” Ayers said. “ We are working to identify a reservoir of Stephen Michael Ayers, associate professor of theatre arts at WCU, is directing the current season of “ Unto These Hills … a Retelling,” the story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. A member of the WCU faculty since 1985, Ayers has extensive acting and directing experience in film, television and theatre. He has worked with notables such as George C. Scott, Tom Cruise, Robert Duvall, Nicole Kidman and Kevin Costner, and has acted in films and television productions talent in Cherokee so that Cherokee people can assume responsibility for as many aspects of the production as possible. My ultimate goal is to work myself out of a job.” John Tissue, executive director of the Cherokee Historical Association, which produces the show, said he’s glad that Ayers agreed to take over the directorial duties for this year. “ We are extremely excited to work with such a talented individual who has a close connection with the area,” said Tissue. The 2007 season continues through August 18. For information, call the Cherokee Historical Association at ( 828) 497- 2111 or toll- free at ( 866) 554- 4557. The Magazine of Western Carolina 14 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 15 COMMERCIAL BREAK Continued on page 18 Inspecting prototypes of connectors that link small fibers are, at left, Monty Graham, electronics applications engineer for the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, and Joe Graham, product manager of Hickory-based US Conec. Energized by a resurgent spirit of innovation and entrepre-neurship, faculty members in a variety of academic disciplines at Western are sharing their expertise with businesses and industries across the region— and beyond— to help create new economic opportunities while providing students with valuable, real- world learning experiences. Since 2000, when North Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved a $ 3.1 billion higher education bond issue that injected $ 98.4 million in construction and renovation money into Cullowhee, WCU leaders have pledged to use the university’s intellectual resources— its faculty, students and facilities— to help solve the region’s economic problems by keeping existing jobs from leaving Western North Carolina and developing new high- paying jobs. Serving as an economic engine for the region and state is now a fundamental mission of the university. A primary piston in the engine is the Center for Rapid Product Realization, formerly known as the Center for Integrated Technologies. Housed in the Kimmel School of Construction Management and Technology, the Rapid Center is focused on education and applied research in core areas of product development, optoelectronics, rapid prototyping, laser machining and parametric modeling. During the past three years, the center has provided technical assistance to more than 100 companies, organizations and entrepreneurs, Working on projects that have helped keep companies in business or prevented WNC jobs from going overseas. “ What our electrical engineering, technology and construc-tion management faculty bring to the table is a tremendous amount of industry experience, which is something rare in the world of academia,” said Duane Dunlap, interim dean of the Kimmel School. “ We couple that experience and knowl-edge with an investment in an array of state- of- the- industry equipment and facilities that can take a product from initial concept to a manufactured, finished product.” That new equipment includes a $ 580,000 Oxford laser system so precise it could divide a strand of human hair lengthwise into 100 sections and slice a single red blood cell into three sections; precise measuring systems that utilize active scanning technology; 3- D modeling systems that enable the swift production of non- functioning prototypes; and fusion deposition modeling machinery that can be used to create working prototypes. Much of it is housed in the $ 8 million, 28,000- square- foot Center for Applied Technology, which opened in November 2003. “ We use the intellectual resources of our faculty and students, and the technology resources now available on our campus to reach out to businesses and industries,” Dunlap said. “ We work with people, both on and off campus, to help them bring their ideas to the marketplace. Many people have good ideas, but don’t know where to go from there. That’s what we do. We help incubate ideas. We know polymers. We know plastics. We know intellectual property issues, grants and patents. And many of us come from an industry back-ground, so we know how to help people make a dollar.” One of the center’s early success stories came during the 2004 holiday season, when graduate students and engineering professors used Western’s rapid prototyping equipment to create a model of a thin plastic tray to hold glass ornaments for Watauga Opportunities Inc. of Boone. A nonprofit orga-nization involved in plastic manufacturing that employs people with disabilities, WOI called upon Western for help in prototyping trays for Christmas ornaments. “ Western’s engineering and technology department showed us we can quickly respond to changes in our clients’ needs, and that makes WOI more competitive in the marketplace,” said Michael Maybee, WOI president. “ The more business we can bring in, the more work we can give our employees, and the more services we can provide for people with disabilities in Boone and five neighboring counties.” Scott Williams, a WCU student and employee at Caterpillar Precision Seals in Franklin, and Joe Markun, at right, facilities manager at Caterpillar Precision Seals, examine a gauge Williams developed. Through its partnership with Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Carolinas MicroOptics Triangle, a research alliance designed to develop fiber- optic communication capacity, Western's Rapid Center helped a Hickory- based company design prototypes for tiny connectors needed to link fibers less than the width of a hair. “ With the university’s help, we can develop products faster. By getting the prototypes in our hands, we can discover errors, and we can show them to our customers and get immediate feedback,” said Bill Blubaugh, president of US Conec. The center helped Elk Products of Morganton, which manufactures about 80 percent of the home security systems sold in the United States, by providing a prototype of a complex part that enabled the firm to test and fine- tune its design without the upfront costs and risks of the traditional tooling process. Western’s engineering faculty also teamed up with Caterpillar construction equipment company in Franklin to create an inexpensive gauge with a short operating life to replace an expensive electronic part that needed frequent replacement due to dirty job- site conditions. A prototype of an energy-efficient water heater/ dehumidifier combination developed by faculty member Aaron Ball, in collaboration with colleagues at Asheville- Buncombe Technical Community College, through a grant from Oak Ridge National Laboratories is now being manufactured by Sci- Cool Inc. of Weaverville. During its formative phases, the device caught the ttention of President George W. Bush, who called the project an example of the “ creative technologies” the nation must utilize to decrease its dependence on foreign energy sources. WCU’s Rapid Center Takes Ideas From Drawing Board to Reality By BIL STUDENC PRODUCTPlacement Creative ideas and great projects often are the offspring of faculty working on a college campus, and these ideas frequent-ly can result in intellectual property that is marketable. But it takes special resources to commercialize these ideas through the process of technology transfer. That’s where Western’s Office of Tech-nology Transfer comes into the picture. Formed in 2004 as part of the Office of Legal Counsel, the “ tech transfer” office can help faculty members turn their ideas into an income stream, both for the uni-versity and for the faculty inventors. The office can do this by helping protect the in-tellectual property ( also called IP) through the complicated processes of obtaining patents, copyrights or trademarks, and by helping license the IP to a commercial entity. “ The technology transfer office is probably one of the few offices on campus that has as a major goal the generation of supplemental income for faculty,” said Rich Kucharski, Western’s general coun-sel and director of technology transfer. Kucharski’s office, both before and after the technology transfer designation, has worked with several faculty members on a variety of projects. For example, Jack Summers, assistant professor of chemistry, has developed a unique testing protocol that may be of interest to large pharmaceutical companies and that has already attracted the attention of venture capital firms. Peter Bates, associate professor of natural resources manage-ment, has provided forest management services to private landowners by super-vised students, a concept that may spin off into a company. Jack Sholder, director of WCU’s motion picture and television production program, is teaching students who are working with a motion picture production company this summer, giving the WCU students hands- on experience in the movie industry. While assisting WCU’s branch office of the Small Business and Technology Development Center, the tech transfer office helped create the Inception Micro Angel Fund– West, an investment fund providing early capital to entrepreneurs— including WCU faculty in need of initial start- up money to turn their ideas into businesses. The office also helped put together a partnership between WestCare Health System, the university’s athletics department and the athletic training academic department that provides improved services to Western’s athletes, clinical placements for its students and additional service opportunities for West- Care, a nonprofit health- care provider including two hospitals in Western North Carolina. “ Students learn, teachers teach and businesses benefit from what we can do,” said Kucharski. “ The office is one more tool that can support economic development in the region.” New Technology Transfer Office Helps Faculty Market Their Ideas The Magazine of Western Carolina 16 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 17 Continued from page 17 PRODUCTPlacement Chemist Directs New Degree Program To Cross- Train Scientists for Business World By Teresa Killian Jonathan Snover ( above) teaches chemistry and directs the master’s degree program in science and entrepreneurship. A major focus area for the center is adaptive technology designed to help improve the quality of life for residents of the region while simultaneously spurring economic growth. Kimmel School faculty are developing devices to help prolong independent living for persons with disabilities and for WNC’s growing population of senior citizens, bringing together faculty and students from engineering, technology, physical therapy, health sciences, geron-tology and interior design to examine lifestyle issues faced by impaired and aging populations, and then create solutions to those problems. Past efforts include creation of an arm- sling that helped a woman with disabilities continue to create works of art, a foot- powered pneumatic device that allowed a Haywood County potter to work despite a career- threatening shoulder injury, and a navigational system for a wheelchair for a Buncombe County teenager who is deaf and blind. The center recently helped OptiVia Medical of Raleigh identify weak points in thin, complex endoscopic medical devices used for minimally invasive surgical procedures. Working with legal counsel Rich Kucharski, who heads the university’s Office of Technology Transfer ( see related story page 17), the center is assisting Jackson County orthopedic surgeon Dr. Cliff Faull develop an in- home rehabilitation device for patients who have had total knee replacement surgery. Faull conceptualized a device featuring a set of rope handles that control a “ foot glove,” moving the foot back and forth via a series of pulleys based upon individual physical therapy needs. WCU faculty and students helped fine- tune the concept by replacing the ropes with easier- to- manipulate bicycle- type handles. They are building three machines for field trials, and Kucharski has filed a provisional patent application with the U. S. Patent Office. Eventually, Faull and the university hope to partner with a company to mass produce the devices. “ The university took my basic idea and just ran with it, totally redesigning the device and still keeping the same basic parameters to improve it significantly,” Faull said. “ It is surprising to see how, by bringing in a lot of different minds, you wind up with so many different usable ideas. Western has helped a lot, especially in the areas where I have no expertise— the patent process, the legal issues, developing a marketing strategy. I doubt I would have been able to get this concept to this point without the university’s assistance.” Although the impact of Western’s economic engagement and innovation outreach activities is felt primarily in WNC, one project reaches to the eastern part of the state and all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan. Western is part of a $ 9.3 million effort funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation to help N. C. companies ramp up production of replacement parts for aging military aircraft through the recently formed N. C. Aerospace Alliance Initiative. The program is designed to help create new jobs and spawn business investment centered on facilities that overhaul military aircraft at Cherry Point’s naval air de-pot and the U. S. Coast Guard air center in Elizabeth City in Eastern North Carolina. “ The foundation invited us to participate in this initiative because of our ability to make initial replacement parts through the reverse engineering and rapid prototyping capabilities of the Center for Rapid Product Realization,” said Phil Sanger, center director. “ Some of the military aircraft at Cherry Point and Elizabeth City are 30 or 40 years old, and many of the companies that originally built the planes and helicopters are out of business or no longer make those parts. That’s where we come in— bridging the gap between the military’s needs and the N. C. industries that can meet those needs.” Through reverse engineering, Western professors and students are helping develop wing fuselage parts for large helicopters stationed at Cherry Point, including a complex device that controls a ramp door. Ed Bonjokian ’ 07, a Bryson City resident who earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering technology, is part of the effort. “ This has been an incredible experience full of challenges,” Bonjokian said. “ Books and lecture classes are great for learning the basics and theories, but there is no substitute for hands- on applied work. I also have gained a more thorough understanding of the process, the patience and the attention to detail needed to develop a quality product.” Clockwise from far right, orthopedic surgeon Cliff Faull helps registered nurse and knee replacement patient Yvonne Cogdill adjust a rehabilitation device under the watchful eyes of WCU graduate student Brant Price and Phil Sanger, Rapid Center director. A high school teacher showed New Jersey native Jonathan Snover how to look at the world through the lens of chemistry, and the lens put what he saw into sharper focus. “ Chemistry explained the world in the most practical way to me,” said Snover, now a chemist with patents to his name and a teacher himself. What lured him to academia from cutting- edge research in private industry was the opportunity to direct Western’s new master’s degree program in science and entrepre-neurship. The program, which launches this fall, prepares scientists for advanced research and for the business side of the science and technology industry. “ I believe scientists should have more ownership of their inventions and ideas. If you look at the impact of scientific inventions and the resulting financial benefits, scientists often do not share in the wealth realized by their discoveries,” said Snover, an assistant professor of chemistry at WCU. The science and entrepreneurship program’s curriculum includes graduate- level classes in biology, chemistry and other areas of science; courses from the university’s national- award- winning entrepreneurship program; and new classes that incorporate specialized skills such as researching new ideas, patents and competing technologies. “ The difference between this master’s degree program and an MBA or graduate entrepreneurship program is the ‘ technical’ component that requires a strong understanding of science,” said Snover. “ Students will analyze the technical as well as the business environment, and learn to communi-cate that information effectively to a variety of people, from scientists to investors to journalists.” Snover knows how competitive— and exhilarating— the industry is. He jointly holds patents for innovations that range from a method of making chemical coating for paper used in ink jet printing to new substances that improve the efficiency of solar energy use. After earning his doctorate in chemistry at Princeton University and post- doctoral research at North Carolina State University, Snover took jobs as a research chemist with companies such as Westvaco Corp. and Millennium Cell, a start- up fuel cell company. “ Working for a start- up company like Millennium Cell was wonderful because of the energy, the excitement of a new company and the feeling of being part of a technical family trying to accomplish great things,” said Snover. Students in the master’s degree program will get hands- on, real- world experience as they work to further their own innovation in science, or partner with faculty or a business in the region. Some could work with Snover as he studies new opportunities in the biofuel area. Others could help regional inventors who have patentable ideas. Already, under Snover’s guidance, a business student has begun conducting market research for Dr. Tom Mulford. The Asheville anesthesiologist by trade and inventor by nature tinkered for years with an idea for how to improve medical aspirators, devices used to suction fluids during surgery. Through Jon Lawrie, BioBusiness Center Manager at Asheville- Buncombe Technical Community College, Mulford met Snover and was excited about the possibilities of a partnership with WCU that could help him take the idea from sketchpad to production. “ Bringing together all of our different backgrounds— mine in medical expertise and others in business and technical research— is like grouping computers into a supercomputer,” said Mulford. “ The chances of a better outcome are improved if we use everybody’s talents.” Meanwhile, the WCU student working with him will get experience evaluating the advantages of the invention, analyzing the market, reviewing competitive products and identifying manufacturing issues. “ There is no better way for students to learn than by doing,” said Snover. “ And there is nothing more motivating than seeing your work become something real— something that has the potential to positively impact lives.” PATENTLY PROFITABLE The Magazine of Western Carolina 18 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 19 NO INSECTS INSIDE Environmentally Friendly Pest Control Developed by Chemistry Professor By BIL STUDENC Mention the words “ splat” and “ insect” in the same sentence, and most people will think of the noise a bug makes when you smack it with a fly- swatter. But for Cindy Atterholt, head of Western’s department of chemistry, “ splat” has an entirely different meaning— one that could eventually lead to new jobs in Western North Carolina. Working with ISCA Technologies of Riverside, Calif., Atterholt has developed an environmentally friendly system of insect control. Called SPLAT— an acronym for Specialized Pheromone & Lure Applica-tion Technology— the product uses insects’ own body chemistry to interrupt their mating patterns. Pheromones are an externally released hormone that many living creatures use to trigger an innate behavioral response from another member of the same species, Atterholt said. “ What we have developed is an alternative to traditional pesticides. Instead of spraying chemicals to kill insects, we use insect pheromones in a process known as mating disruption or the confusion technique,” she said. “ By releasing miniscule amounts of their own pheromones, it mixes up their chemical signals. They can’t find each other, so they can’t mate. If they don’t reproduce, you don’t have a pest problem.” Entomologists— the scientists who study insects— have known for decades that insects use pheromones to attract the opposite sex, trigger aggressive or escaping behavior, mark territory or designate food trails. “ The trick has been to come up with a controlled release mechanism formulation that will discharge small quantities of pheromone over an extended period of time,” Atterholt said. That’s what the WCU chemistry professor has devised with SPLAT. Atterholt began developing the concept 15 years ago while working on her doctorate at the University of California- Davis. “ It’s like a hand cream. The farmers apply it to tree bark. When it dries, it releases the pheromones over a period of months,” she said. “ This is an alternative to traditional pesticides. It’s environmentally friendly, nontoxic and meets the standards for labeling products ‘ organic.’” When Atterholt came to WCU in 1996, she brought her pheromone research project with her, fine- tuning her product at apple orchards in Hendersonville and Waynesville. She applied for and obtained a patent in 1999, and licensed the technology to ISCA Technologies, which is in the process of commercializing it and is considering North Carolina as a possible location for a new manufacturing operation. Reg Coler, vice president of ISCA Technologies, said his company has formulated products for a variety of international pests— including the Oriental fruit moth, light brown apple moth, Mediterranean fruit fly, carambola fruit fly in Brazil, pine processionary moth in France, rhinoceros beetle in Indonesia and Thailand, and peach fruit moth in southeastern Asia. Three products are currently registered with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, with several others in various stages of the approval process, Coler said. As those approvals are ongoing, additional field- testing is taking place this summer at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in Fletcher in an effort to prove the concept to future investors, Atterholt said. In addition, Frank Lockwood, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at WCU, is working with the WNC BioBusiness Center on a possible plan to use incubator space on the Enka campus of Asheville- Buncombe Technical Community College to develop a small start- up company to assist in production of pheromone- based pest control. Atterholt and Coler believe the market for their product and others like it is unlimited. “ It is one of the most preferred methods of control by the EPA because, when used properly, it is as effective as or better than conventional pesticides without any of the detrimental effects. This strategy also prevents any damage to beneficial insects that are respon-sible for biologically stabilizing erratic fluctuations in pest populations,” Coler said. And the agricultural community loves the product, Atterholt said. “ Most farmers are interested in doing what they can with products like this because they know traditional pesticides aren’t good for them, their workers or the environment,” she said. Just ask Benny Arrington, the Waynesville apple farmer who owns the orchard where Atterholt and her WCU students conduct research. “ The potential for this new type of pest control is growing greater and greater,” said Ar-rington. “ In a few years, the EPA will be phasing out an entire class of organic phosphate insecticides, including the primary insecticide used in apple orchards against the coddling moth since the early 1960s. Those of us in agriculture are looking for new ways to control these pests. Pheromone products such as the one Dr. Atterholt has been testing in my orchard, while not a cure- all, are going to be an important part of keeping us in business.” At left and right, Cindy Atterholt, head of Western’s chemistry department, and Paul Davis, a chemistry graduate student, apply a nontoxic pest control substance that Atterholt developed to the bark of an apple tree. The Magazine of Western Carolina 20 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 21 At the Country Music Association awards in New York City, a high- heeled Betsy Walker ’ 05 chased country star Keith Urban backstage calling “ Keith! Mr. Urban! Come back!” Walker wasn’t after his autograph— just his award. Walker works for the CMA, and she needed to get the award back so Urban’s name could be etched on it. “ He said, ‘ I’m so sorry,’” said Walker. “ That was my first awards ceremony, and I was so nervous and so excited. Part of my job was to hand out actual awards backstage.” Nearly two years later, the Winston- Salem native has worked as assistant to the chief operating officer and now as coordinator of member and community relations. “ I still handle some executive support, such as coordinating meetings and conference calls, but I handle more industry events, like parties when a songwriter has a No. 1 hit, artist visits and membership recruitment,” said Walker. Rewarding Carer While a student at Western, her career interest shifted from music education to the music industry. Walker took classes such as musical instrument digital interface, also known as MIDI, and introduction to recording arts. And the more she talked with faculty members such as her adviser, Bruce Frazier, the Carol Grotnes Belk Endowed Distin-guished Professor of Commercial and Electronic Music, the more attracted she was to working in the industry. “ Betsy earned a bachelor of arts degree with a concentra-tion in music industry, a degree patterned as a music major with a minor in business,” said Frazier. “ Competition for top positions in the music business is as challenging as for jobs in the music performing, producing and composition arena. Personal contacts are important in getting your foot in the door of the music business, but it is preparation and personal-ity that help keep the door open, and Betsy has the experience and the charisma that it takes.” A connection— her mother’s coworker’s son— helped her get her foot in the door at Capitol Records to get a shot at an internship. She landed the job and worked in publicity. “ I had three months to really get out there and learn everything I could,” said Walker. Later, when she moved to Nashville, Tenn., she began working with a temp agency and took a job at a restaurant. On the first day of training, though, she got a call about an interview starting in one hour to be a receptionist at a booking agency. She made it in time and was hired. A month later, she began working full- time at the Country Music Association on Music Row in Nashville. “ We work hard, and we play hard,” said Walker, describing the fun but also the exhaustion and sunburn after events such as the organization’s four- day outdoor music festival. “ This really is ‘ Music City,’ and it’s not just country music. There’s a lot of blues and a metal scene and rock. When you walk down Broadway on a Sunday morning, there are live bands in every restaurant, and musicians— guitarists— on the corner.” Western C ar o lina University Alumna Gets Start in Music Business At Country Music Association By Teresa Killian At left, Betsy Walker ’ 05, coordinator of member and community relations for the Country Music Association, has fun at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville with, clockwise from Walker, Ed Benson, chief strategic officer of CMA; Big Kenny of the country duo Big & Rich; Brandi Simms, manager of executive programs at CMA; Hank Adam Locklin, senior manager of membership and industry relations at CMA; and Blair Garner, host of “ After Midnight with Blair Garner.” 2007 Photo courtesy of Country Music Association October 19- 21 The Magazine of Western Carolina 22 University SUMMER 2007 1 p. m. Football. The Catamounts do battle against The Citadel Bulldogs in the cozy confines of Whitmire Stadium and Bob Waters Field. 8 p. m. Stompfest 2007, a step- show competition featuring African- American fraternities and sororities. Ramsey Regional Activity Center. For tickets or information, call the Office of Multicultural Affairs at ( 828) 227- 2276. 10 p. m.– 1 a. m. Stompfest After Party. University Center Grandroom SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21 3: 30 p. m. The crowd- pleasing Inspirational Choir Concert will bring Homecoming Weekend to a close. University Center Grandroom. Event Calendar FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19 Noon Alumni Scholarship Golf Tournament, a Homecoming tradition, tees off at Laurel Ridge Country Club in Waynesville. Shotgun start. Cost: $ 80 per person, includes fees and cart. Four- person “ captain's choice” format. Refreshments available during play. Social following the tournament. RSVP is required by Friday, October 12. Call the Office of Alumni Affairs at ( 877) 440- 9990 or ( 828) 227- 7335, or email magill@ email. wcu. edu. 6: 15 p. m. Homecoming 2007 Main Street Parade in Sylva. Cheer as community and student floats, Western cheerleaders, football team, Homecoming Court, and Catamount Marching Band parade through downtown Sylva. Prizes awarded for best floats; winners announced during Saturday’s football game. 8 p. m. Spirit Night. Join students, faculty, staff and alumni for a pep rally, music and food. Location and additional details to be announced. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20 8– 10 a. m. WCU Alumni Breakfast. The University Center Multipurpose Room becomes Alumni Central! Come join fellow WCU alumni and friends for a continental breakfast. It’s a great time to make weekend plans with your old classmates, or simply reminisce about those good ol' days in Cullowhee! 10 a. m.– 12: 30 p. m. Pre- game tailgating before the WCU vs the Citadel football game. Come Home to Cullowhee Homecoming 2007 For more information , contact Marty Ramsey ’ 85, Director of Alumni Affairs, at ( 828) 227- 7335, ( 877) 440- 9990 or mramsey@ wcu. edu. EXTRA! EXTRA! 10: 30 a. m.– Noon Saturday, October 20 Class Reunion Brunch Reunions for the classes of 1997, 1987, 1977, 1967 and 1957. Come visit with your class-mates from years gone by. You and your class will be provided a complimentary brunch in Illusions on the third floor of the University Center ( adjacent to the Grandroom). 2007 Homecoming celebrates the anniversary of these classes Photo by Cindi Herr of the Cherokee Scout Photo by John Byrum of the Spartanburg ( S. C.) Herald- Journal George Clooney ( above) checks out the set of " Leatherheads" in South Carolina. Caesar Campana ’ 01 ( right) prepares to throw a pass at Murphy High School, where he is an English teacher and assistant head football coach. 10 year reunion! Class of 1997 2 0 y eCarl assreuni oonf! 1987 3 0 y eCarl assreuni oonf! 1977 4 0 y eCarl assreuni oonf! 1967 5 0 y eCarl assreuni oonf! 1957 While Caesar Campana ’ 01, Cherokee County’s “ Teacher of the Year,” is used to being in front of crowds, he never dreamed he would appear on the silver screen. The Murphy High School English teacher and Bulldogs’ assistant head football coach has been cast as an extra in “ Leatherheads,” a romantic comedy set in the 1920s profes-sional football league. The film is scheduled for release Dec. 7. George Clooney directs and stars as “ Dodge” Connolly, an aging football hero determined to guide his team from bar brawls to packed stadiums. Clooney wrote much of the screenplay for the movie, which includes co- stars Renée Zellweger and John Krasinski. As one of the movie’s 50- plus young men serving as football extras, Campana got to know Clooney up close and personal, even taking orders from the actor/ director/ screenplay writer during the movie shoot. In addition, Campana’s movie coach asked him to throw two passes for the end of the movie. Terms of his contract prevent him from disclosing the filming location. Campana, who played quarterback and running back for the Catamounts, heard about the casting for the movie from a friend who saw an advertisement in a regional newspaper. The ad asked for men ages 20 to 35 with football experience to audition. When no one would go with him, Campana made the drive to Greenville, S. C., by himself, mainly out of curiosity. He filled out paperwork and posed for a head shot, then waited in line with 1,000 others for more than an hour and a half. Several weeks later, he was surprised to receive a call asking him to return for a physical tryout. He nervously participated in a full- contact drill against 200 other young men and was one of the 50 selected as extras. “ I was excited Former WCU Quarterback Throws Passes In George Clooney’s Movie “ Leatherheads” By Cindi Herr about it. You’ll probably have to push the pause button to see me. It’s not a speaking role, nothing major, but it’s just fun being part of it,” he said. Campana said it took about 45 rehearsals to walk through each play and get everyone where they need to be for the right shot. While rehearsing on a snowy day, Clooney suddenly stuck his head on the field and said, “ Guys, let’s go. Let’s shoot.” Clooney liked the effect of the snow on the field, and realizing he might not have the opportunity again, he had all of the extras dress out in their full 1920s- era uniforms: awkward tight wool jerseys, pants pulled up to the chest, leather helmets and shoes that Cam-pana describes as “ running on plywood with 2- inch spikes.” When Clooney didn’t think the shot looked right, he said, “ Hey boys, you know what’s wrong with this? We need to be dirty,” Campana said. “ He was the first one to dive in. That’s George Clooney in a nutshell. He’s a guy’s guy; really down to earth. He’s just a regular guy. He loves jokes and plays pranks all the time. He throws footballs at people when they’re not watching.” Campana said that the sets were incredible. About 30 carpenters and welders worked around the clock construct-ing time- period scenes, including a full- size wooden train. “ The fascinating part is seeing how a film works,” he said. “ I’ve always wondered what happens to make a movie au-thentic, and I can tell you, it’s a lot of elbow grease.” Reprinted in edited form with permission of the Cherokee Scout. For more information contact Marty Ramsey ’ 85, Director of Alumni Affairs, at ( 828) 227- 7335, ( 877) 440- 9990 or mramsey@ wcu. edu SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 27 NEW MEDIA RISING Western student Brad Semma ( left) uses Rukus to download and listen to music, and it is free and legal. Adrian Jelley ’ 04, WCU technology support analyst, works with the gaming club’s computer server ( right), which is nicknamed “ TRON” after the classic video game and science- fiction movie. Pictured below are, from left, WCU senior Joe Mullins, junior Sam McCarson and Katherine Duff Smith, assistant director of student media and marketing, unpacking new audio mixing boards to be housed in WCAT, a new student- run radio station. Major advancements in audio and video technologies in recent years mean that media choices for Western students are more abundant than ever before. From satellite and Internet radio and free music downloads ( no, not the illegal kind) to Local Access Network video gaming events, options for students go well beyond traditional cable television viewing or surfing the Internet. The popularity of satellite radio has skyrocketed, finding its way into WCU’s residence halls during the spring semester. “ We have worked with XM radio to insert 16 channels that were determined in a survey as the most desirable for students,” said Tim Chapman ’ 02, assistant director for facilities and residential living. The channels of XM radio are currently offered on the local cable TV system. This enables students to enjoy satel-lite radio in their residence halls and, because it’s broadcast via cable TV, no additional equipment is necessary. “ We were looking for a way to improve the entertainment package that we were sending to the students’ rooms,” said Chapman. “ Our objective is to enhance the quality of life in the residence halls.” Western’s Student Media Center also is working on a new student- run radio station that will be offered through the campus television system. “ We are developing WCAT, which will be a radio station broadcast through our closed-circuit cable network,” said Katherine Duff Smith, assistant director of student media and marketing. “ We are in the process of our studio installation, and we are looking forward to having that up and running so we can provide this great experience for our students. The programming will be focused on new music, and we also hope to be able Rapidly Changing Technologies Offer More Entertainment Choices for Students By JOHN KENYON to provide online streaming so our programming will be useable off campus.” Also on campus, the ever- growing popularity of video games has led to the formation of WCU’s first Gaming Club, which hosts a gaming computer server offering downloads, gaming news and discussion forums. The club regularly hosts Local Access Network gaming events, which have taken place in various campus locations such as computer labs in Forsyth Building or the Grandroom of the A. K. Hinds University Center. Of course, any individual with a computer or gaming console can play an online multiplayer video game anytime he or she wants. What makes a LAN gaming event unique, students say, is it allows gamers to sit side- by- side when playing multiplayer online video games. “ A LAN game is essentially an online game you play against other people and you are in the same room with the people you’re playing with or against,” said Adrian Jelley ’ 04, WCU technology support analyst. “ There is more of an interaction going on than when you are sitting at home by yourself playing a game online.” If gamers are playing a war game, for example, they can all be members of the same tactical unit and play together at the same time on different computers in the same room, enabling them to communicate and discuss strategy. Gamers playing against each other online also can engage in banter with each other, similar to competitors in athletic events, Jelley said. “ All implications are that the gaming server is a positive influence for the students, and its impact on network bandwidth and staff time is still minimal,” said Scott Swartzentruber, WCU director of networking, operations and communications. Participants say the WCU Gaming Club is more than just a bunch of people playing video games on the same servers. “ We are a family and a community of more than 400 members worldwide,” said Shane Baker, president of WCU’s Gaming Club. In fact, the availability of online gaming is even having an impact on student recruitment. “ A high school student mentioned to me that he was a gamer, and I told him about our gaming club and that ended up being a deciding factor for his choosing Western,” said Jelley. Downloading music from the Internet has been a very popular— and controversial— activity for college students nationwide. In the early days of music downloading, there were only illegal file- sharing sites that offered music via the Internet. After that came the online music stores and subscription services. Now there is a way for WCU students to download and listen to music, and it is free and legal. “ Students wanted an alternative to illegally downloading copyrighted material, and that’s what we are trying to do with Rukus,” said Jason LaVigne ’ 99, consultant for WCU’s information technology services. Rukus Network distributes music and movies online using an advertising-supported business model. Although it is open to all universities nationwide, there are additional advantages offered to universities, such as WCU, that have a service agreement with Rukus. “ WCU students can access Rukus on the N. C. Research Education Network, which provides faster downloads and reduced bandwidth usage,” said Ed Cheely, senior account manager for Rukus Inc. “ Later this year, we will be coming out with a free video offering that will be available only to member schools.” Rukus allows students to listen to music free of charge on their computers; however, there is a charge if they want to transfer music off the computer. “ The service provides tethered downloads, which means that students can download the music and listen to it on their computers for free. There is a charge if they want to burn it to compact disc,” said LaVigne. “ In the first three weeks, we had 1,400 people sign up for it and download 300,000 songs.” The Magazine of Western Carolina 28 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 29 After earning a share of the ’ 07 regular season basketball crown, the Lady Catamounts went on to host— and win— an opening- round game in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament, the first- ever NCAA post- season game played in Cullowhee. The Lady Cats then fell on the road at Virginia Tech, coached by former Lady Cats skipper Beth Dunkenberger. The women’s golf team claimed the ’ 07 conference tournament title, returning to the NCAA regional tournament for the second time in five years. Also on the links, junior Matt Cook was an NCAA men’s golf regional tournament qualifier for the second consecutive year. The Bat Cats captured a share of the 2007 SoCon regular season championship and earned an at- large bid to the NCAA baseball tournament, losing in the regional final to eventual national runner- up, the University of North Carolina. The baseball team’s success proved bittersweet, however, as the Cats’ winning ways led the University of Tennessee to hire away Todd Raleigh ’ 91 MAEd ’ 94, the SoCon Coach of the Year, to be the Volunteers’ next head coach. The men’s track and field squad earned the ’ 07 SoCon outdoor title, and the 4x100- meter relay team and sophomore speedster Manteo Mitchell advanced to compete in the 400- meter dash in the NCAA National Championships in Sacramento, Calif. On the women’s side, junior sprinter Racquel Ramseur qualified for the NCAA East Regional in the 400- meter dash. They were guided by coach Danny Williamson ’ 84 MAEd ’ 86, who was tabbed as conference co- Coach of the Year in men’s outdoor track and field, and was the 2007 men’s indoor track and field Coach of the Year. The Magazine of Western Carolina 30 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 31 Tara Mull ’ 05 ( left), a member of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers TopCats cheerleading squad, and Monique Douglas ’ 02, a member of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats LadyCats dance team, share a laugh with fans at a special autograph signing event in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center during the spring semester. Mull and Douglas, who were on hand to participate in “ Go Girls” Day as part of the National Girls and Women in Sports celebration, also posed for photographs and talked with young women about the hard work and dedication required for professional sports franchise dance and cheerleading squads. Eight Western student- athletes, the most in school history, are recognized as 2007 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars chosen by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Western’s eight selections are the most for any Southern Conference school, with Elon earning two selections, and Davidson, Georgia Southern and Wofford each tallying one. Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, formerly Black Issues in Higher Education, established the Sports Scholars Award in 1992 to honor undergraduate students of color or minority background who have made achieving both academically and athletically a winning combination. The award was inspired by tennis legend Arthur Ashe’s commitment to education, as well as his love for the game of tennis. To be eligible, stu-dent- athletes must compete in an intercollegiate sport, main-tain a cumulative grade- point average of a least 3.20, and be active on their campuses and in their communities. Headlining the selections this year are two- time recipi-ents Sharhonda Bell ’ 07 from women’s track and field, Ogden Hansford from men’s track and field, and Raquel Ramseur from women’s track and field. Garnering honors for the first time are Buki Baruwa from soccer, John Cooper ’ 07 from football, Kendra Eaton from women’s basketball, Kevin Johnson from men’s track and field, and Aneesha Lane from women’s track and field. “ While we are proud of the performances of these fine Catamount student- athletes on the field, on the court and on the track, we are even more proud of their accomplish-ments in the classrooms and as citizens of our community,” said Chip Smith, director of athletics. “ Winning an award named for Arthur Ashe, a man who was an athlete, a scholar and a true civil rights pioneer, is a testament to the quality and character of the young men and women we are recruiting.” At the annual Catamount Club Athletics Scholarship Auction, Carolina Panther Brad Hoover ’ 00 auctioned off autographed helmets he wore as a Catamount and a Panther ( above); Matthew Lambreth, 4- year- old son of Clifton Lambreth ’ 82 MBA ’ 84 of Brentwood, Tenn., drew the winning ticket in a cash raffle ( left); and Tobe Childers ’ 61, president of the Catamount Club, made a point ( below). “ We had a lot of fun at the auction, and moving the event from Charlotte to Hickory helped us raise a record profit of $ 61,000 for scholarships. The Catamount Auction may have found a home in Hickory,” said Bill Richter, director of athletic development and executive director of the Catamount Club. Make plans now to join the fun next year on Saturday, July 26, at the Hickory Metro Convention Center. Call ( 828) 227- 3047 for information about attending or donating an item. Arthur Ashe Award winners include soccer player Buki Baruwa and basketball player Kendra Eaton ( right). The Magazine of Western Carolina 32 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 33 “ You have your own donor, your brother. We’re blessed. Be happy.” — Father of kidney recipient Josh D’Innocenzi ’ 04 wasn’t an option. So, after making the best of the 2006 Christmas holidays, family members began to be tested for the best tissue match. “ I was feeling more tired every day, and there was mental anguish with each test. Aaron was the last. A really big part of me wanted not to do the transplant, even if he was the match. I didn’t want him to go through that,” Josh said. “ I think they all knew it would be me, because brothers are usually a great match for transplants, and we both have the same blood type,” Aar-on said. “ And I thought if it wasn’t me, where would the new kidney come from?” The test revealed Aaron’s tissue to be the best choice. “ I was happy that I would be helping him,” he said. “ My brother has always been one of my best friends, and I was scared we’d lose him.” The four- to five- hour surgery at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte this spring was a great success, despite some initial pain and disorientation and a couple early mishaps. What got the brothers through the rough times? “ Family was number one. And faith,” Josh said. “ I did not ever go to a doctor’s appointment or lab test by myself, and there were a lot of those. When I got tired of being poked and prodded, my dad always brought me back with encour-agement. ‘ You have your own donor— your brother. We’re blessed. Be happy,’ he’d say. And I had friends and churches praying for us.” Their prayers were answered. “ The doctors say the kidney was a perfect match. The only way it could have been better is if we were identical twins. And Josh is on the lowest possible level of anti- rejection drugs,” Aaron said. In April, Josh returned to work, full time, at his broad-casting job with Star 104.3. Aaron is back at Western following his brother as a communication major. He recently was hired to help with productions at WCU’s Power 90.5, and works with Josh on weekends at the station in Asheville. Looking back on the experience, Aaron said, “ It’s a great opportunity to be able to help save someone, but I’m glad it’s over. I’m grateful that Josh can start living the life that he’s supposed to.” He has been quoted by the Black Moun-tain News as joking, “ I already told Josh ‘ You’re not getting any more organs from me. I’ll do anything for you, just don’t ask me to go through surgery like that again. This was it.’” WCU Brothers Bond Deepened by Transplant By LEILA TVEDT ROAD TO RECOVERY When Josh D’Innocenzi ’ 04 went for his physical exam before coming to Western in 2000, he had no idea that doctors would find problems that might kill him— or that younger brother Aaron, 19, would be critical for the cure. It turned out the older D’Innocenzi was born with only one kidney, and it wasn’t working too well. He completed his education at Western, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in communication, and took a job with a Clear Channel radio station in Asheville. Two years later, tests showed that his kidney was failing fast. Instead of facing a transplant at age 30 or 40, as originally predicted, he needed one right away. “ My first reaction was to wonder if we could do it during ‘ down time’ at the station, because I really love my job,” Josh said. But that Photo by Andy Grabel of the Black Mountain News Josh D’Innocenzi ’ 04 ( left) and his brother, Western student Aaron D’Innocenzi, work together sometimes at radio station Star 104.3 in Asheville. Kenneth Todd ’ 98 finished the 19th Annual KeyBank Vermont City Marathon ( left) with help from friends and coworkers who ran by his side ( above). They are, back row from left, Gene Faller, Rob England and Steve Moody, and front row, Mike Ham, Todd and David Preslar. Western Alum Defies the Odds: Runs Marathon with One Lung By Teresa Killian A surgeon preparing Kenneth Todd ’ 98 for the removal of his left lung because of cancer assured him that with one lung he could do just about anything except run a marathon. A year later, Todd, who had not been a runner before the surgery, beat by 25 seconds his goal of 4 hours and 25 minutes to finish the 19th Annual KeyBank Vermont City Marathon in Burlington, Vt., in May. Running by his side were coworkers and friends from Food Lion, where he works as fresh logistics manager in corporate offices in Salisbury. “ It was awesome. We were telling his story to people all over the course, and they were blown away,” said David Preslar, who ran the marathon with Todd. An experienced marathon runner, Preslar knew how difficult it was to do with two lungs, let alone one. Todd had been treated for two years for flu- like symptoms before he was diagnosed with carcinoid cancer of the lung. Carcinoid and related neuroendocrine tumors are usually slow- growing rare types of cancers originating from the intestine, lungs, pancreas and occasionally from other areas. Their rarity means more than 90 percent of patients are incorrectly diagnosed and treated for the wrong disease, according to information from The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation. After the surgery, Todd made completing a marathon his goal. “ At first, it was difficult to run, but now I really enjoy it,” Todd said. His first attempt at a one- mile jog around the block found him walking. He progressed to a 5K in December 2006, a half- marathon in March and then steadily trained up to 20 miles— six shy of a full marathon. At the marathon in Vermont, his wife, who was seven months pregnant, cheered him on, and his coworkers talked constantly along the way to have fun and help him stay motivated. “ The miles just ticked by,” Todd said. At a hill halfway in and about a half- mile long, spectators stood about five people deep cheering the runners to keep going. “ I get goosebumps thinking about it,” Todd said. The last four miles were particularly difficult. He started to get dizzy but had a lot of motivation to keep going. “ You’re doggone right I finished,” said Todd. “ Those guys running with me weren’t going to let me not finish.’” After the race, Preslar said Todd thanked them for helping him make it to the finish line. “ I said, ‘ No, thank you for letting us do it with you.’” Todd’s future runs include a 24- hour relay on the Blue Ridge Parkway and a marathon in November. He runs to raise money for The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation. Donations in honor of Kenneth Todd can be directed to The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation. For information, call ( 888) 722- 3132 or check out www. carcinoid. org. The Magazine of Western Carolina 34 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 35 Almost six decades have passed since a young biology professor from Western, J. Gerald Eller ’ 43, and his standout student, Robert M. Failing ’ 51, fought their way through dense undergrowth to the summit of Waterrock Knob, 6,292- foot sentinel of the Plott Balsam range in Jackson County. These days, the Blue Ridge Parkway and a half- mile tourist- friendly trail provide easy access, but ascending the mountain was a different matter back then— before there was either a parkway or a trail. And while this climb in the spring of 1948 did not enter the annals of mountaineering history as a notable event, the ascent of Waterrock Knob by Eller and Failing did turn out to be a harbinger of the considerable accomplishments that lay ahead in the lives of each. Eller, now retired and living in Arden, first met Failing when the Michigan native enrolled at Western in 1948. He was “ one of the brightest students I ever had,” Eller said. A Robbinsville native, Eller received his bachelor’s degree in science and mathematics at Western and, after serving in the military in World War II, returned to Cullowhee to teach in 1947. He was conducting research into mayfly distribution when he, Failing and another student headed to the north fork of Scotts Creek, at the base of Waterrock Knob, to have a campout. Eller and Failing decided to climb the mountain the next day. Honorary Doctorate Recipient Credits Professor for Helping Him Reach Pinnacle of Success By RANDAL HOLCOMBE The teacher and student followed the north fork into the mountains, and then one of its tributaries, Narrow Cove Branch, before they started bushwhacking their way toward Waterrock Knob. The slight trail they had been following quickly petered out, and the two were faced with a final steep pitch up the southern slope of the mountain, which rises about 1,200 feet in the last half- mile. Failing led the way. “ We just beat our way through the brush. I followed him all the way to the top of the mountain,” Eller said. Three years later, Failing received his bachelor’s degree at Western and, after earning a medical degree at Duke University Medical School, began a 40- year career as a pathologist in Southern California. During the mid- 1970s, he embarked on a serious mountaineering career that took him to the top of the highest peaks on six of the world’s seven continents, and to the highest points in all 50 U. S. states. Eller went on to earn his doctoral degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and was named the first dean of Western’s School of Arts and Sciences in 1967. He taught continuously at the university from 1947 until his retirement in 1983, establishing his place among Peak Performer the legends in Western’s long and storied tradition of outstanding teaching. In fact, it was Eller’s impact as a teacher that dominated Failing’s comments as he returned to Cullowhee in May to accept an honorary doctorate of science degree from the university, given in recognition of his accomplishments of mind and body, and his and wife Nancyann’s long-standing support for Western in the areas of academics, athletics, student recreation and the arts. After receiving the honor at spring commence-ment, Failing told the audience that his first college experience, in California, did not go well. He was a young man lacking direction when he arrived at Western, but he met a “ truly inspirational” teacher who would have a profound effect on his life— Gerald Eller. “ Over the 56 years since I graduated from Western, I have reflected many times on the impact this institution has had upon my life— what has made the difference between who I was, and who I became. It was, and is, the faculty— the dedicated teachers like Dr. Eller,” he said. “ To Dr. Eller and Western Carolina, I thank you very much.” alumniAchi evements At left, Robert M. Failing ’ 51 climbs in Antarctica. Below, Failing returns to Waterrock Knob, a once- dense climb he achieved as a student at Western that is now easily accessible from the Blue Ridge Parkway. At right, J. Gerald Eller ’ 43 rests at a waterfall. The Magazine of Western Carolina 36 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 37 alumni Achievements TEXTBOOK CASE Nationally Known Educator Got His Start in Sylva Classroom By RANDAL HOLCOMBE Up& Atom Alum Makes Significant Contributions to Nuclear Power Industry By Jessica Cregger ’ 07 Photo courtesy of The Citadel Tony W. Johnson ’ 70 is dean of the School of Education at The Citadel in Charleston, S. C. Peter Freer ’ 86 MAEd ’ 93 presented to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Austria the Play Attention system he designed to help increase attention spans and filter distractions. During his first few years of teaching, Asheville resident Peter Freer ’ 86 MAEd ’ 93 met a young boy named John who became the inspiration behind a technology that would eventually lead Freer to speak to a United Nations agency. John had attention- deficit hyperactivity disorder, then called “ minimal brain dysfunction,” and was highly disruptive in class. Freer wasn’t sure how to handle John in the classroom because he had never before encountered a student with the disorder. After seeking the advice of his former college professors, Freer made several changes in the classroom for John, including moving him closer to the front and creating a behavioral plan. Although these adjustments helped somewhat, nothing truly improved John’s behavior. John’s parents even tried medication, Freer said. “ His parents couldn’t cope with him and had medicated him, but they couldn’t get it quite right,” he said. When John came into the classroom in a semi- unconscious state and put his head down on his desk, Freer could take no more. “ Once I encountered John, I knew there were many other students like him,” he said. “ I knew I had to do something educationally with students like this.” Over the course of the next 10 years, Freer dedicated his time and energy to developing the Play Attention system, an educational enhancement of NASA- based technology called neurofeedback that monitors brain waves and alerts students of their concentration levels. Students put on a sensor- filled helmet, similar in appearance to a bike helmet, and use their concentration to control characters and situations on a screen. The system helps to increase students’ attention spans and short- term memory sequencing, as well as to develop their ability to filter distractions. In 2005, executives from Ontario Power Generation in Toronto discovered Freer’s Play Attention system as they were searching for ways to improve attention and reduce anxiety levels of their nuclear power plant trainees. Although the industry spends more than $ 1 million per person in preparation for certification, trainees often fail because of uncontrollable stress and anxiety. Through his company Freer Logic, Freer modified the software specifically for the nuclear power industry by creating a three- dimensional nuclear simulator, which in turn attracted the interest of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria. Freer was asked to share his knowledge at the IAEA’s headquarters at the United Nations this spring. He explained the fundamental basis and mechanics of the software and also gave a demonstration of the system. Since then, he has been asked to work with other groups, including the U. S. Marine Corps and the U. S. women’s bobsled team. “ It’s amazing how far we can stretch the applications for this into virtually any field at this point,” he said. Freer said that his education at Western has been a valuable resource to him. “ I don’t think I could have done any of this without my background in education, and Western is responsible for that,” he said. “ Coupling that with 10 years of extensive research in the field allowed me to create the software that is used internationally and will now become a heavy player in the field of nuclear power.” A self- described “ life- defining moment” that occurred 35 years ago in a Sylva- Webster High School classroom propelled Tony W. Johnson ’ 70 to success as a respected leader of university teacher education programs. After earning his bachelor’s degree in history and graduating with honors at Western, Johnson says he spent a year trying to find himself before returning to Cullowhee to take courses leading to teacher certification. One of those courses included a clinical component, and, after he had made several visits to a ninth- grade classroom at Sylva- Webster ( now Smoky Mountain) High, the teacher there asked him if he wanted to prepare a lesson and teach a class. The Wilkes County native worked hard preparing that lesson, seeking the assistance of his roommate, fraternity brother and friend, Scott Griffin ’ 72 MA ’ 82, who would later become North Carolina’s 1996- 97 Teacher of the Year. Teaching the roomful of ninth- graders proved to be a revelation, and Johnson said he rushed back to campus afterward and told Griffin, “ I now know what I want to do with my life.” Johnson started his career in education as a teacher and coach at schools in Bryson City and Charlotte, and then began graduate studies at George Peabody College for Teachers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He was named Peabody’s outstanding graduate as he received his doctoral degree in educational policy in 1978. After a year of teaching at Peabody College, Johnson joined the faculty at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where he emerged as the leader of UTSA’s innovative teacher education program. After 13 years in Texas, Johnson went on to direct the Teacher Academy at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and then became dean of the College of Education at West Chester University ( the other WCU), Pennsylvania’s largest teacher education program. Johnson returned to the Carolinas in 2005 when he became dean of the School of Education at The Citadel in Charleston, S. C. Widely recognized for his ability to guide teacher educa-tion programs toward improvement, and for his scholarly books concerning the history and philosophy of education, Johnson returned to Western in May to accept the university Alumni Association’s Award for Academic and Professional Achievement. After receiving the honor during spring commencement, Johnson told the Ramsey Center audience that it was under the guidance of three Western faculty members— retired history professors Cliff Lovin and Max Williams, and his cousin, fellow Wilkes County native and former education professor and dean Gurney Chambers ’ 61 — that his “ academic potential began to emerge.” “ Beginning in Dr. Chambers’ class in the fall of 1969, and continuing to this day, I became a serious student of education, and of what it means to be educated,” he said. “ In Professor Chambers, I encountered a real scholar whose love of learning was contagious and whose teaching ability was second to none. I found the mentor who would significantly change my life.” Johnson told Western’s graduating students that the successes he has enjoyed “ are largely due to the intellectual and nurturing community that characterized Cullowhee in the late 1960s, and that continues to characterize Western Carolina University in 2007. WCU was, and remains, a special place that attracts and nurtures faculty who are both outstanding scholars and truly gifted teachers.” The Magazine of Western Carolina 38 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 39 alumni Achievements The director of WCU’s Programs in Asheville received Western’s highest honor for administrative staff as the university recently handed out its top faculty and staff awards for teaching, research and service for the 2006- 07 academic year. During the annual end- of- year General Faculty Meeting and Awards Convocation, Patsy Miller MAEd ’ 82 received the Paul A. Reid Distinguished Service Award for administrative staff. Miller coordinates and provides instructional support and services to faculty and students involved in WCU undergraduate and graduate programs taught in Asheville. She also serves as the university’s chief liaison with the Asheville community, including the University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville- Buncombe Technical Community College and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, said WCU Chancellor John Bardo in presenting the award. “ Patsy is a loyal alumna and dedicated employee of WCU,” he said. “ She was responsible for the planning and coordination of moving WCU’s nursing department from UNCA to A- B Tech’s Enka campus, and she serves the Asheville students in a timely, efficient and caring manner while avoiding the normal organizational bureaucracy. While she is seldom in the limelight, she works diligently and selflessly behind the scenes to make Western a better institution.” Miller joined Western’s Asheville office in 1984 as programs coordinator, working with Harry E. Ramsey ’ 59, who served as assistant to the chancellor for WCU Programs in Asheville from 1974 through 1997. Upon Ramsey’s retirement, Miller assumed responsibility for directing the office, which oversees WCU classes offered at UNCA, the main campus of A- B Tech and A- B Tech’s campus in Enka. Scott Higgins, dean of Western’s Graduate School and Research, called Miller the university’s “ goodwill ambassador in Asheville,” with a pleasant demeanor and cheerful enthusiasm that make her one of the biggest selling points for Western’s classes in Asheville. “ Patsy Miller is the most positive person I have ever met. She genuinely cares about people,” Higgins said. “ She is thrilled if she can help make someone’s day a little better, and she seems to thrive on doing good for others. For the more than 25 years that I have known Patsy, she has been the ‘ face of Western’ in Asheville— and that face has always been smiling.” More than 800 students enroll in classes every year in Asheville, where Western offers a broad range of instruction at the advanced undergraduate and graduate levels, particularly in the areas of business, counseling, education, health sciences, human resources, nursing, public affairs and technology. These programs of instruction, intended primarily for the adult professional student, are taught late afternoons, evenings and weekends. ASHEVILLE AMBASADOR Alumna Earns University’s Top Honor for Administrative Staff By BIL STUDENC Eighty of the nation’s most outstanding high school football players are selected every year to compete against each other on East and West teams during the annual, nationally televised U. S. Army All- American Bowl game in San Antonio, Texas, in January. Now, under the direction of Western’s Bob Buckner ’ 67, the spotlight will shine on some of the nation’s most accomplished high school musicians, too. Buckner, director of athletic bands for Western, has been invited by MENC: The National Association for Music Educa-tion to help launch the first- ever, high- school All- American Marching Band and serve as show coordinator and director of the ensemble. Buckner, who was named to the Bands of America Hall of Fame in 2005 and won MENC’s highest award for music education in 2004, said he is both pleased and daunted by the challenge. MENC, which has received thousands of applications, will narrow the long list of All- American wannabes to 350 possibilities. Buckner, who has asked Matt Henley ’ 93 MA ’ 95, assistant director of bands at WCU, to join him, said the staff will have only three days to screen audition tapes and pick the final 90 students, based on their musical talent and marching style. He also has to create a story board for the band’s six- minute performance, oversee the arrangement and refine the music, supervise the choreography, and write the drill so that every one of about 1,100 counts, or moves, forms a picture. That means putting every one of the 90 performers and their instruments in place to look good and sound good together on the field for each note they play. Finally, the staff and students will have just two-and- a- half days to rehearse before the big show, which is scheduled for January 2008. Buckner, who’s been doing this kind of thing for many years, is not letting the pressure get to him. “ Every time I worry about the work, I start thinking about what it means for these kids to perform in an All- American Marching Band,” Buckner said. “ This will be a tremendous opportunity for students who tend to like the physical activity, the pageantry, the joy of performing in big arenas before huge crowds. They’ll receive national attention; they’ll get an all- expense- paid trip to the game and some extra incentives; and they’ll take home the satisfaction of having worked with the best. I don’t think there’s ever been anything quite like this.” FORWARD MARCH Bob Buckner Picked to Direct Nation’s Top High School Marching Band Musicians By LEILA TVEDT Patsy Miller MAEd ’ 82 ( right) shares information about WCU’s Programs in Asheville at an Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Western Carolina University event. Every fall, John Anderson ’ 67 dusts off his trumpet and his wife puts together her clarinet to join the WCU Alumni Band for a day at a football game. Every year, they move to and get moved by the music. Seeing the growth of WCU bands and increasing interest from bandsmen led Anderson and others to establish a new “ Partners for Pride” alumni band organization. “ There is just a strong bond that develops when you join the band, and Partners for Pride will help band alumni stay connected while working to support the bands at Western,” said Anderson. One goal of Partners for Pride will be to begin building a network of band alumni and supporters who could help discover young musicians, mentor current bandsmen, and enjoy or help publicize performances such as the university’s annual jazz festival. In addition, the organization will support scholarships for student musicians and WCU bands, including the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band and the Pride of the Mountains Marching Band. Partners for Pride is led by Anderson, an alumnus of the jazz, concert and marching bands, and guided by committee members Marty Ramsey ’ 85, director of alumni affairs; John West, director of bands; and Bob Buckner ’ 67, director of athletic bands. “ Our initial goal is to find 300 partners to ‘ match’ the 300 members of the Pride of the Mountains,” said Buckner. “ If we can achieve this goal along with fundraising already in place, we could make $ 30,000 available annually to our student musicians.” Membership is open to anyone, and alumni are especially encouraged to participate. No minimum contribution is required. Gifts such as decals, golf shirts, hats, jackets, CDs and framed flags will be offered to donors who give between $ 50 and $ 5,000. Call ( 828) 227- 2259 to join Partners for Pride or get information about Alumni Band Day on Nov. 17. Join “ Part ners for Pride” To Suport WCU Bands The Magazine of Western Carolina 40 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 41 1964 Asheville native Gerald Austin MAEd ’ 69 in May was inducted into the N. C. Sports Hall of Fame in Raleigh. A retired public school administrator, he has been a National Football League official for 25 years and has received a post- season assignment every year, including three Super Bowls. Austin also serves as coordinator of officials for Conference USA. 1968 In February, John Queen was elected president of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Queen is owner of John Queen Farms, a third- generation cattle farm founded in 1917 near Waynesville. His background in the beef industry includes cow/ calf producer, stocker/ backgrounder, feeder and grazer. He also has been an auction barn owner and operator and is currently owner of Southeast Livestock Exchange, a video-telemarketing company. A member and director of the Haywood County Cattlemen’s Association, he has served as president of the N. C. Cattlemen’s Association and president of the N. C. Cattlemen’s Foundation. 1972 Formerly president of CP Mortgage, Linley R. Miller Jr. recently joined Community Resource Mortgage, a division of Community Resource Bank. He heads up CRM’s North Carolina region as senior vice president and regional manager. 1975 Bob Cox MA retired last March from the Florida legislative staff in the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability, but is taking advantage of DRO P, an alternative program allowing individuals who have worked 30 years for the state to work an additional five years without earning any more regular retirement benefits, instead being compensated with cash in an IRA. In addition, Cox has started a new career as a recording artist ( guitar) and is booking concerts and workshops with wife Mary Z. Cox ( pictured at left). With their sound engineer son in New York City, Cox also has done much of the mixing of their newest CD, “ Banjo Dreamin’ Suwannee Nights.” A second- generation alum, Cox says his mom, Annie Bernita Farrior Cox ’ 41, divides her time between Tallahassee, Fla., where she spends most of the year, and Cashiers in Western North Carolina. 1985 Jeffrey Poplin, formerly department manager and geographic information systems consultant with Dewberry of Fairfax, Va., recently was promoted to senior associate. Dewberry is a professional services firm specializing in engineering, architectural, program management, planning, geographic information and environmental services. With more than 20 years of management experience, Poplin currently provides professional consulting and management services to Baltimore County and Charlotte- Mecklenburg utilities. 1986 Vivian Barnette recently was named director of counseling services at North Carolina A& T State University. She holds a master’s degree from NC A& T and a doctorate from Western Michigan University. classNOTES It’s true. At one point in its history, Western required all freshmen students to wear beanies, little round caps guaranteed to make even the coolest student look like a nerd. Suzanne Hill McDowell ’ 72 MA ’ 91 says she hated wearing her beanie when she was a freshman at Western in the fall of 1968, but in an ironic twist of fate, now she’s wants to put her hands on more of them. McDowell, curator at Western’s Mountain Heritage Center, said the museum staff is hoping to add more beanies and other items to its collection of WCU- related artifacts. “ We’re always looking for more artifacts to represent the complete history of the institution,” she said. “ We have some good representative artifacts from the 1890s to the 1920s, but fewer from the 1930s through the 1980s. Items such as pennants, sports and school uniforms, commemorative cups, license plates and photographs all help to piece together the university’s story.” According to “ A Mountain Heritage,” the illustrated history of Western written by history professors Curtis W. Wood and H. Tyler Blethen, freshman beanies were introduced in 1957 as a way to strengthen school spirit. Students were required to wear the beanies until Homecoming, if the Catamounts won the Homecoming football game, or until the end of the fall quarter, if the team lost the game. The beanies were green until the early 1960s, when the color was changed to purple and gold. The beanie tradition officially ended with a vote of the student senate in fall of 1970. The Mountain Heritage Center has three beanies in its collection— all purple and gold. “ We’d like to have a green one, too,” McDowell said. Mountain Heritage Center Seeks Beanies, Other Western- Related Artifacts By RANDAL HOLCOMBE Coming soon to a computer screen near you, it’s a brand new online community just for Western Carolina University alumni. The Office of Alumni Affairs is purchasing a new software program that will allow alumni to become members of an electronic social network featuring an online directory, an events management system and an Internet-based vehicle for communication among alumni and the university. In addition to building their own individual alumni profile pages through a password-protected Web site, members also will be able to search for old friends, look for employment opportunities and develop special interest communities, said Debbie Higdon ’ 82, WCU’s director of advancement research. “ Through the online community, members can create a personalized experience based on class year, areas of study, regional club membership, participation in athletics or marching band, or other common interests,” Higdon said. “ In addition, each alumni group and organization may have its own Web presence within the larger community.” The Western Carolina Online Community site is being developed over the summer, and is expected to be operational by September. Details will be announced later this year. MUSTANGS SALLY Online Community for Alumni Under Way Coach Cindi Saltz Simmons ’ 82 MAEd’ 83 ( foreground) and assistant Shaketia Barnes ’ 06 ( left) guided the Smoky Mountain High School Lady Mustangs to the state 2- A girls’ basketball championship earlier this year in the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill. Smoky Mountain defeated Graham 85- 62 in the title game, led by All- American point guard Cetera DeGraffenreid, daughter of Alphonso “ Mutt” DeGraffenreid ’ 77 MAEd ’ 80, former WCU assistant football coach who is now athletics director at Smoky Mountain, and Pamela DeGraffenreid ’ 80, manager of the WCU Bookstore. Before beginning their coaching careers, Simmons and Barnes both played for the Lady Cats— Simmons from 1979 to 1982, and Barnes from 2002 to 2005. Anyone interested in donating an artifact to the museum should call the Mountain Heritage Center at ( 828) 227- 7129, or e- mail mcdowell@ wcu. edu. The Magazine of Western Carolina 42 University SUMMER 2007 SUMMER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 43 1996 Looking for something new and exciting in her well- organized life, Tristan Roberts Perry used her love for her poodles as the basis for her first book, “ Furry Tails: The Adventures of Cinnamon Persimmon,” which came out in December. The book details Cinnamon’s many adventures— ranging from backyard encounters with other animals to befriending a sick and elderly patient to lift her spirits. The death of Perry’s grandmother five days before Christmas 2001 led to thoughts about the legacy Perry wanted to leave. After earning her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Kentucky and her doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Tech, she was still searching for the change she needed. “ Writing a fictional, children’s chapter- book would be a creative, fun way to leave behind my values and beliefs for future generations,” said Perry, who lives in Christiansburg, Va., with her husband and two toy poodles. 1997 Since October 1999, Justin Lyons has worked at the Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Va., first as media relations coordinator and now as director of marketing and public relations. In this position, he oversees all advertising for the museum; manages the use of the logo and the look of the museum; and oversees the Web site, which gets more than a million visitors a year. The highlight of his career so far is the opening in March of the USS Monitor Center, the $ 30 million, 63,500- square- foot facility featuring an 18,000- square- foot exhibit that tells the story of the USS Monitor and her opponent, the CSS Virginia ( formerly the USS Merrimack). Included in the exhibit are original artifacts, archival materials, immersive multimedia experiences, and recreated ship interiors that transport visitors back in time to 1862. The facility offers a close- up look at the conservation and reconditioning of actual pieces of the USS Monitor: the turret, the steam engine and much more. For five summers, Lyons, lead public relations person for the Mariners’ Museum, worked with teams from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U. S. Navy to recover artifacts, the most exciting of which was the Monitor’s turret, recovered in August 2002. In December, Robert ( Bobby) Schneider, chief operating officer at Knoxville ( Tenn.) Area Transit, completed his doctoral degree at the University of Tennessee. His dissertation examined executive-board relationships in public authorities. Schneider and wife Amy, who teaches mathematics at Fulton High School in Knoxville, welcomed their second daughter, Eliza Danielle, last October. First daughter, Allison Nicole, was born in January 2004. 2000 The fusion of hip hop, nu jazz, broken beat and downtempo music Jed Zane Tate ( above) recorded in the early morning hours at the studio of his Waynesville home pervades his first album, “ Boom Bap Sunrise: Rural Sounds Volume 1.” “ Sometimes I just woke up, got my coffee and went straight into the studio. Sometimes I just didn’t go to sleep the night before. Either way, that was like the magic time for me. I’d write music while it was still dark out, and the arrangement would start to come together as the sun came up,” said Tate, Web developer at WCU. The album was produced on Leisure Lab, a label Tate launched after seeing the record business behind- the- scenes while working with British label Working Beats. “ I’d learned business and technology in 1990 After 11 years working within the Fontana Regional Library System, Dottie Brunette ( above) recently became Jackson County librarian. A Sylva native, she comes to the county’s main library from the Albert Carlton/ Cashiers Community Library. 1993 In September, Cecelia Crawford became director of the Small Business Center at Tri- County Community College in Western North Carolina. Employed at the center since its opening in 1994, Crawford is excited about its future. “ I’m looking forward to continuing the great work we’ve been doing and expanding it to the next level,” she said. Effective March 1, Laura Leatherwood MS ’ 96 EdD ’ 07 ( at right) became director of community and economic development at Haywood Community College. “ Laura has demonstrated strong leadership for college advancement,” said Rose Johnson, HCC president. “ The college is lucky that she has agreed to apply her tremendous talents and energy to this important new leadership role.” On the staff at HCC since 2000, Leatherwood formerly served as executive director of Institutional Advancement, Foundation & Alumni Relations. Before going to the community college, Leatherwood was membership coordinator at Haywood Regional Medical Center. Gurney Chambers ’ 61, dean emeritus of the College of Education and Allied |
OCLC number | 137281166 |