Western Winter

2007

T h e Mag a z i n e o f We s t e r n C a ro l i n a U n i v e r s i t y

Big Cat on Campus

Newest Distinguished Professor

Brings Broadway to Cullowhee

Cover Story

Features

4 Top Honors

High- Achieving Students

Guide Western’s Renaissance

14 Lights, Camera, Action

Motion Picture Degree Prepares

Graduates for Movie Industry

18 Jet Set

Biotech Trailblazer Gives

Students a Whirlwind Tour

30 Any Given Sunday

WCU Alums Lead Cheers,

Make Tough Calls in NFL

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 Mike Cawood

Bessie Dietrich ’ 06

Randall Holcombe

Daniel Hooker ’ 01

John Kenyon

Joni Kenyon

Class Notes Editor Dianne Yount ’ 79

Designer John Balentine

Contributing Photographer Ashley T. Evans

Distinguishing Marks

Endowed Distinguished Professors

Provide Benefits to Students, Region

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

Winter 2007

Volume 11, No. 1

14

8

30

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8 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.

Junior guard Ashley Pellom of Wilmington drives

toward the basket in the Lady Catamounts’ season

opener against visiting Auburn. Coach Kellie Harper’s

Lady Cats, who upset ACC opponent Wake Forest,

and Coach Larry Hunter’s Catamounts, who

opened the season with a road win over rival

UNC- Asheville, are preparing for the heart

of the Southern Conference schedule.

For game and ticket information,

visit catamountsports. com. Cover photo by Martha Swope of musical theatre

professor Terrence Mann during his Broadway

performance of “ Cats”

Fast Break

The Magazine of Western Carolina University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University

Reynolds

Somehow, in schedules packed with papers and

club meetings, students in the Honors College make

time for “ chocolate and checkers” and readings from

regional authors. They transform a service project to

clean debris from a mountain lake into a social event

where the dean himself— an outgoing, casual, bow-tie-

wearing intellectual— jumps in the water, too.

The students do more than enjoy, devour and dissect

Ernest Hemingway’s writing. They go to France and

Spain through an Honors field course to walk in

his footsteps.

Such is the tightly knit, rapidly developing

Honors College— an academic community drawing

more and more high- achieving students. In 1996,

the university’s honors program served 77 students.

The number more than doubled a year later with the

opening of the residential Honors College— the first

in the University of North Carolina system. Today,

the college has grown to nearly 1,300 students, and

the average freshman SAT jumped 40 points in two

years— from 1227 in 2004 to 1267 in 2006.

The goal behind the college was to help top

students get more out of their undergraduate

education through social and academic initiatives,

and university leaders hoped its development would

inspire more of the brightest and best students

from Western North Carolina to stay in the region

for college. It made a difference to Michael O’Shea,

a sophomore from Hendersonville. “ If not for the

Honors College, I might not be at Western,” said

O’Shea, who at first thought Cullowhee was too close

to home. “ The reputation of Western is slowly catch-ing

up to the actual academics here. It’s a good time

to be here.”

In the past four years, the Honors College has

launched new programs and significantly expanded

others. The director of the Pre- Professional Program

moved to the college to offer specialized advising to

help students prepare for medical, pharmacy, physical

therapy, dental, optometry, physician assistant,

engineering or veterinary careers.

The Humanities Program, started in 2004,

helps students marry their interests to efficiently

double major in four years in subjects from Spanish

to professional writing. “ Why be just an art curator

when you could learn French and be an art curator

at the Louvre?” Steve Carlisle ’ 73, associate dean of

the Honors College, challenges students.

The Undergraduate Research Program refocused

on helping students go to the National Conference

for Undergraduate Research with research grants

and money for travel expenses for students invited

to present at the national conference. Last year,

Western was second in the nation in the number

of participants ( more on page 6).

An Honors College Scholars Program recently

began offering optional intensive courses for fresh-men.

“ We felt that students who are in the top

1 percent of the incoming class— students who

could go anywhere— needed some additional

academic challenges to become fully engaged at

Western,” Railsback said. One scholars group cre-ated

a magazine they named “ Imagine,” in which

they chronicled undergraduate research and achieve-ments.

A scholars class in philosophy hooked O’Shea.

It wasn’t a deadline that kept him up until 6 a. m. It

was his research topic— advertising and capitalism,

or, more specifically exploring “ if advertising was the

most necessary industry in capitalism since the post-industrial

revolution as production reached levels

higher than ever before,” said O’Shea. “ I enjoyed that

paper.” He went on to present it at the 2006 National

Conference on Undergraduate Research.

This year, the college formed the Distinguished

Scholarships Council to help prepare students who

want to compete for prestigious scholarships such as

the Truman or Fulbright award. Students also may

be able to seek advice and practice interviewing with

members of a new Highlands Advisory Board

( more on page 7).

Railsback directs a lot of credit for the college’s

growth to students, whom he invites to be leaders.

Junior Max Long coordinates a student- designed

mentoring program. The college’s Web site designer is

sophomore Caden Painter, who said he developed the

pages at honors. wcu. edu to be attractive and easy to

navigate, taking users where they want to be in three

or fewer mouse- clicks or less. The dean himself has an

all- student advisory board ( see page 6) that not only

delves into such issues as the college’s student service

requirements but also plans social programs and

lectures for enrichment. Students were instrumental

in such decisions as whether to move the Honors

College from Reynolds Residence Hall to a new

residence hall to be built near the current Dodson

Cafeteria location. “ The board advised me that the

campus’ future construction and development was

moving to the other side of campus— away from

us— with the new Millennial Initiative, and it would

be a disadvantage to stay where we are,” Railsback

said. The result? Half of a $ 44 million, 800- bed

residence hall designed in part by students will house

the Honors College. The first phase is scheduled to

open in fall 2008.

“ We will arguably be in a position in the near

future to say we are among the best honors colleges

in the Southeast. What we aspire to do is to provide

an excellent private liberal arts college experience on

a very modern, comprehensive university campus,”

Railsback said. “ Our Honors students and the faculty

who teach them will get us there.”

Growing Honors College Programs Attract High- Achieving Students

By TERESA KILIAN

Honors College students helped

design the $ 44 million, 800- bed

residence hall scheduled to open in

the fall semester 2008. The design

features a Louvre- like arch and such

amenities as garage band space, an

idea from sophomore Michael O’Shea.

“ It is impossible to store drums in your

room,” said O’Shea. “ They built a lot

of my ideas into the design, actually.”

The Reynolds Renaissance

Residence Hall

Renaissance The reputation of Western

is slowly catching up to the

actual academics here. It’s

a good time to be here.

“

”

— Michael O’Shea, student

Students such as Max Long fill many

leadership roles at the Honors College.

Long not only coordinates the college’s

student- designed mentoring program but

also participated in the scholars program

that offers an additional academic challenge

to Honors students, presented research at

a national symposium, and was a finalist

for the Truman Award.

The Magazine of Western Carolina University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University

Academic

Western was a hotbed for undergraduate research last

year... and the year before that... and the year before that.

In fact, for the past few years, WCU has ranked in the top 20

in the number of papers accepted at the National Conference

for Undergraduate Research, and 2006 was no exception.

With more than 49 projects by 70 student presenters on top-ics

from “ China and Japan: Defense Policies Following Politi-cal

Reform” to an “ Investigation of High Voltage Generation,”

Western arrived at the conference with the second highest

number of participants from any school in the country.

Fueling the Bunsen burners of research on campus is the

Honors College Undergraduate Research Program open to all

Western students. The program not only sponsors an annual

four- day Undergraduate Expo on campus but also offers

grants for research supplies or software, and pays registra-tion,

lodging and travel for Western students accepted to

present at regional conferences or the national conference.

“ This kind of work allows students to apply theory from

the classroom to real- world experience— to test drive what

they are learning at the university and accelerate their move

from students to professionals,” said Brian Railsback, dean

of the Honors College. “ We emphasize participation in the

National Conference on Undergraduate Research because it

is the premier conference of its kind and allows students to

meet and learn from other students in all disciplines from

around the nation.”

After an evening exploring the life and work of Edna

St. Vincent Millay, the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize

in poetry, Highlands resident Dr. Mark Whitehead and

WCU guest lecturer Brian Railsback explored another idea

— strengthening the link between two bastions of lifelong

education, the Highlands community and the nearby

university. Railsback, dean of the Honors College, knew

the growing college needed an external advisory board and

realized Highlands is a unique community of world travelers

with successful careers from whom Western students could

learn a lot. “ People in Highlands have achieved careers that

our students aspire to,” said Railsback. “ Our Honors students

need advice from lifelong high- achievers and people who are

proven lifelong learners.”

Now a year later, the Highlands Advisory Board to the

Honors College has drawn diverse members from the former

president of an insurance company to a founder of the

Chattanooga Conservancy. Their recommendations have

recognized the need for students to have global experiences

and fluency in another language, Railsback said. “ That gives

us an important goal and a challenge, and that’s what you

hope an advisory board will do,” he said.

In addition, the board is developing internship and

mentorship opportunities in Highlands and Cashiers.

Students who are finalists for prestigious scholarships,

such as a Fulbright or a Truman award, will be offered mock

interviews with people whose backgrounds are similar to

scholarship selection committee members or who won such

awards themselves.

Whitehead said the board also would like to see a bigger

WCU presence in Highlands, such as more courses offered

in the community that swells from an estimated 2,000 to

3,000 population to 30,000 in summer. “ We are going to see

what both communities need and facilitate a relationship

back and forth,” Whitehead said. “ If we work together, we

both benefit.”

Kaye Gorecki developed a career in

visual arts education and is director

of the Fine Art Center/ Bascom- Louise

Gallery in Highlands.

Carole Light is a clinical psychologist prac-ticing

independently and helping Hospice.

William Martin built a career in

manufacturing and served as business

manager for Trinity Church on Wall Street

in New York. He co- founded the Center

for Life Enrichment and serves on the

Highlands Community Foundation.

Jack Miller, an Asheville native, practiced

law in Miami for more than four decades

and serves as a board member of the

Center for Life Enrichment.

Hugh Normile, a Charles A. Dana Scholar,

holds a law degree from the University of

Florida at Gainesville and served on the

Brevard County Housing Authority.

Everett J. Tarbox Jr. is an emeritus

professor of humanities at Indiana

State University, where he won the

school’s President’s Medal for

Distinguished Service.

Sally Wallace, a Carleton College alumna,

owned a bookstore, served on St.

Petersburg, Fla., City Council, and is now

a member of the Mahaffey Foundation.

William Wallace, a Princeton University

alumnus, retired as president of

Wallace, Welch & Willingham, Inc.

He served as president of Florida

Orchestra and a member of the board

of directors of Florida West Coast

Public Broadcasting.

Kathy Whitehead, a music major at

Northwestern University, became a

registered nurse and owns Carlson-

Whitehead Orchids and The Gingham

Goose Needlepoint and Knitting Shop.

Dr. Mark Whitehead, a retired urologist,

graduated from Washington and Lee

University and Tulane Medical School.

Glenda Zahner earned a master’s in biology

from University of Michigan and helped

found the Chattooga Conservancy.

The dean of the Honors College admits there is one

nationally accepted guideline the college has not adopted.

Instead of a faculty advisory board, Brian Railsback said he

looks to an all- student group for advice on administrative

decisions. “ As much as possible, we try to make the Honors

College their college— the students’ college,” Railsback said.

The weekly meetings are casual. Railsback joins students

in sweatshirts ( and some in socks but no shoes) around a

table with notebook paper, binders, day planners, a laptop

and lots of ideas. Jessica Myers, the board’s president and

a junior from Peletier, reviews recent and upcoming social

events. The tailgating turnout at Homecoming was good,

and even though a banner wouldn’t hang, it seemed to work

fine on the ground. “ It was sort of a barricade around the

pizza,” Railsback said. Jennie V. Dowdle, a junior serving as

a board member and resident assistant in Reynolds Hall,

reports that students will clear out the freezer to make room

for ice cream for the next board game night, and the decora-tions

from last year’s Halloween party had been found.

Sacagawea dollars would be the prize for this year’s costume

contest— an event that, in the past, inspired such creative

attire as Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Edward D. Wood,

and a Freudian note, uhm, “ slip.”

In academic business at a recent meeting, the board

celebrated acceptance of the official college seal it proposed,

scheduled a retreat to review the Honors curriculum and

brainstormed how to raise money for an annual bicycle

pledge ride for scholarships. “ The fact that we have a group

strictly made up of students that meets with the dean and

makes important decisions, knows what’s going on and

brings representatives from the student body is unique,”

said Myers. “ Having that voice is awesome.”

Dean Takes Cues from Student Board

By TERESA KILIAN

Highlands Advisory Board

Academic Advising Highlands Group Fosters Opportunities for Students

As much as possible, we

try to make the Honors

College their college—

the students’ college.

“

”

— Brian Railsback, dean

Advising

Research

Undergraduates Put Theory into Practice

Rebecca Frank, an Honors College student

majoring in education, wrote a story for Imagine

magazine about an exploratory mini- submarine

that undergraduate students at Western helped

prepare for underwater exploration.

The Magazine of Western Carolina University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University

For the world, John LeBaron, the Jay M. Robinson

Distinguished Professor of Educational Technologies, won

a Fulbright— his second— to share his talents assisting the

University of Helsinki in Finland in establishing a teacher

education program utilizing distance education and tech-nology.

In October, he participated in an international ef-fort

supported by the Euro-pean

Union to advance the

use of information com-munications

technology in

schools in Europe. Mean-while,

Jerry Miller, Blanton

J. Whitmire Distinguished

Professor of Environmental

Sciences, joined an effort

to study the ecology of

the Great Barrier Reef in

Australia and the transport

of heavy metals in a river basin in Bolivia.

Future professorships at Western will be in fields in-cluding

construction management, where Asheville philan-thropist

Joe Kimmel has committed to fund five endowed

distinguished professorships. Donations from members of

the WNC Health Organizations collaborative of hospitals

and health care facilities in Western North Carolina created

professorships to bring top instructors to the university in

physical therapy and nurse anesthesia, fields with short-ages

of employees in the region. “ We felt there was a huge

advantage to having a program situated in our region,

so that students who go to Western and study will hope-fully

stay in Western North Carolina for their professional

careers,” said Gary Bowers,

executive director of WNC

Health Organizations.

The Council for

Advancement and Support

of Education cites benefits

of endowed professorships

that include a better ability

to compete with private

institutions and to ensure

continuity in academic pro-grams.

Faculty positions

held by endowed professors would not be cut as a result of

budget reductions.

“ The bulb burns brighter with endowed professor-ships,

as if you are putting more electricity into the

system,” said Ed Broadwell, who serves on the University

of North Carolina Board of Governors. “ Western has a

bright future.”

Ron Rash eases into a chair and peruses a newspaper

as he waits for lunch- to- go at The Mad Batter. His

plaid shirt and salt- and- pepper beard blend into the

background of the café in Cullowhee, but the casual

presence on campus of the local, regional and national

award- winning writer is big, especially for students such

as Craig Buchner MA ’ 06. “ I’m a great fan of his poetry

and use of language. To be in the company of someone

so dedicated to his art was wonderful,” said Buchner,

who took a fiction writing class from Rash and often

stopped in his office for advice about the publishing

world and writing. “ Meeting him made writing seem

more real for me as a possible career. Then, when he won

the O’Henry Prize in 2005, I started to think I’d like to

win.” And earlier this year, with support from Rash and

other Western faculty, Buchner did win— an Association

of Writers & Writing Program national award for his

short story “ Good Night.”

What brought Rash to Western was an endowed

distinguished professorship— the John A. Parris Jr. and

Dorothy Luxton Parris Distinguished Professorship in

Appalachian Culture. Such faculty positions offer

competitive salaries, benefits and research support as

a way to draw nationally renowned experts to campus.

The jobs are supplemented with money generated from

endowments in the amount of $ 500,000, $ 1 million or

$ 2 million. The funds are created through private con-tributions

and matching grants from the North Carolina

General Assembly.

Ten years ago, Western had no distinguished profes-sorships.

Today, the university has 15 that are fully fund-ed—

the fourth highest number among the 16 universities

in the University of North Carolina system. “ Endowed

professorships allow us to recruit nationally and interna-tionally

known faculty members in a variety of fields to

help us assure that our curricula and the students’ educa-tion

are at the highest national or international levels,”

Chancellor John W. Bardo said. “ We’re trying to give

students the best instruction, and that means we have

to have star faculty. It is exciting to see how donors have

responded to the call to improve our academic stature

and rankings.”

At WCU, distinguished professors have helped

students craft commercials, investigate the region’s

water quality, and welcome the U. S. poet laureate to

campus. Bruce Frazier, Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished

Professor of Commercial and Electronic Music, composed

a fanfare for the Pride of the Mountains marching band

this year and helped guide the first professional recording

of the Cherokee national anthem. Betsy Walker ’ 05,

who now works for the Nashville- based Country Music

Association, says Frazier’s classes in recording arts and

musical instrument digital interface or MIDI helped her

find her niche. “ I took many classes with Dr. Frazier, and

he was also my adviser,” Walker said. “ He led me through

college and inspired me.”

For the region, David Westling, the Adelaide Worth

Daniels Distinguished Professor of Special Education, has

led efforts to win more than $ 2.5 million in grants for

training and support for special education teachers. Tom

Hatley, Sequoyah Distinguished Professor of Cherokee

Studies, is working to strengthen the relationship between

the Cherokee community and the university while build-ing

Cherokee and Native American programs at WCU.

Meanwhile, David Strahan, Taft B. Botner Distinguished

Professor of Elementary and Middle Grades Education, is

collaborating with public schools in the region on initia-tives

to improve reading instruction in secondary schools

and mathematics instruction in rural areas as well as help-ing

revise curricula for WCU’s middle grades program.

Distinguishing Marks Students, Region Benefit From Distinguished Professor Program

By TERESA KILLIAN

Ten years ago, Western had no

distinguished professorships. Today,

the university has 15 that are fully

funded— the fourth highest number

among the 16 universities in the

University of North Carolina system.

Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Professorship in

Commercial and Electronic Music

Benefactor: North Carolina

philanthropist Irwin “ Ike” Belk in honor

of his wife, Carol Grotnes Belk

Professor: Bruce Frazier

Impact: Frazier, twice recognized with Emmy

Awards for contributions to dramatic underscore

and sound mixing, guides students on projects

such as adapting music for commercials for the

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad.

Jay M. Robinson Distinguished Professorship

in Educational Technologies

Benefactor: C. D. Spangler Jr., former

president of the University of North Carolina

system, in honor of public education legend

Jay Robinson

Professor: John F. LeBaron

Impact: LeBaron works with a course-development

group that helps faculty transition

from classroom to online teaching. He shares

his expertise internationally, and The Sloan

Consortium has cited his work as a best practice

in online teaching.

Blanton J. Whitmire Distinguished Professorship

in Environmental Sciences

Benefactors: Blanton J. Whitmire, president

and chief executive officer of Whitmire Research

Laboratories, and his wife, Margaret S. Whitmire

Professor: Jerry P. Miller

Impact: Miller involves students in studies

of water quality problems in Western North

Carolina and stream restoration projects. He also

recently explored mercury contamination in the

Amazon River basin and the ecology of

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Ron Rash, an award- winning writer and the John A. Parris Jr. and Dorothy Luxton Parris Distinguished Professor of Appalachian Culture,

works with students in a class at Western.

Adelaide Worth Daniels Distinguished Professorship

in Special Education

Benefactor: Businesswoman and philan-thropist

Adelaide Key, former member of the

WCU Board of Trustees

Professor: David Westling

Impact: Westling helped secure more than

$ 2.5 million for a teacher support program serv-ing

public school teachers who work with special

needs students. The program has been embraced

throughout the region and named a “ program of

national distinction.”

The Magazine of Western Carolina University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University

When retired Greensboro businessman Wesley R. Eling-burg

’ 78 arrived at Western in 1974 after a stand- out career as

a high school baseball and basketball player, he came equipped

with dreams of joining the Catamount baseball team. Elingburg

earned a spot on the junior varsity squad his freshman year, but

decided to concentrate on his studies, opting to hit the books

instead of trying to hit home runs.

It’s a decision Elingburg has never regretted, as he would

go on to graduate summa cum laude ( with highest honors) with

a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting.

He says his time at Western provided him with the education,

skills and confidence necessary to embark upon a successful ca-reer

in the world of corporate accounting. He has now stepped

up to the plate in a totally different fashion— through financial

contributions that have enabled his alma mater to create an

endowed professorship in the field of business education.

“ I will forever be grateful for the foundation of education

that Western provided me. To give back to the institution is my

way of saying thanks. The pro-fessorship

will benefit many

students in the future and will

help provide them with a simi-larly

solid foundation,” said

Elingburg, who recently made

the final contribution in a se-ries

of gifts totaling $ 250,000.

Combined with a dollar-for-

dollar match through a

program initiated by the General Assembly to encourage private

support of public institutions of higher education, Western

has created the $ 500,000 Wesley R. Elingburg Distinguished

Professorship in Business Innovation.

It is the 15th endowed professorship announced at

Western since 1996. The professorship will enable WCU to

recruit a nationally recognized expert in a business discipline

to join the faculty of the College of Business. The professor

will work closely with WCU’s undergraduate and graduate

programs in entrepreneurship, including a master’s degree

program that was named best in the nation in 2005— just

two years after its inception.

“ These generous gifts will have a significant and lasting

impact on academic quality and will substantially strengthen

Western’s future,” Chancellor John W. Bardo said. “ It is only

through the contributions of alumni, supporters and friends that

the university will be able to continue to move forward. Thanks

to gifts such as those from Wes Elingburg, we can build upon

our tradition of academic excellence by attracting some of the

nation’s top scholars to our faculty to share their knowledge and

expertise with our students.”

Elingburg recently retired after 25 years with Laboratory

Corporation of America, including the last eight as chief financial

officer. Also known as LabCorp, it is a Standard & Poor’s 500

company and the second- largest medical testing firm in the na-tion,

with revenues in excess of $ 3 billion and employing 25,000

people nationwide. He said he made the contribution to Western

out of a desire to give something back to a university he credits

for much of his success in his career and life.

“ Although my playing days came to end, my love for baseball

and for Western Carolina has never ended,” said Elingburg. In

fact, today he finds himself combining his passion for the game

with his educational and career path— as the co- owner of Greens-boro

Grasshoppers, a minor league baseball team affiliated with

the Florida Marlins organization.

aJnodh n D Aor. oPthayr Lrisu Jxtro. n Parris Distinguished Professorship

in Apalachian Culture

Benefactors: Estate of John and Dorothy Parris

Professor: Ron Rash

Impact: Rash has shared his award- winning writing

talents and worked with Western’s Mountain Heritage

Center on a performance series that highlights Appalachian

culture. Presenters have included a Cherokee storyteller,

gospel singers and an archaeologist.

Taft B. Botner Distinguished Professorship in

Elementary and Middle Grades Education

Benefactors: Estate of Taft B. Botner, former dean of

WCU’s College of Education and Allied Professions, and his

wife, Malvery Botner, who taught in the public schools

Professor: David Strahan

Impact: Strahan helped develop a grant proposal and

program for improving literacy instruction funded for more

than $ 280,000 that created a two- way partnership between

teachers from Asheville public schools and WCU faculty.

Stepping up to the Plate Minor League Owner Helps Provide Business Students a Field of Dreams

By BILL STUDENC OPtrhoefre sFsournshdiepds :

aCnadr oBlynen P Rle. m Pmhoinllsip Ps hillips Distinguished Professorship

in Musical Theatre

Benefactors: Estate of Carolyn P. Phillips of Waynesville

and matching money from the C. D. Spangler Foundation

Professor: Terrence Mann

Impact: Mann, a Broadway star who joined the faculty in

November, is teaching master classes in theatre and music.

Catherine Brewer Smith Distinguished Professorship

in Communication Disorders

Benefactor: Estate of Franklin resident

Catherine Brewer Smith, whose father attended WCU

Ambassador Jeanette W. Hyde Distinguished Professorship

in Gerontological Social Work

Benefactor: Wallace Hyde ’ 49 MA ’ 53 longtime

benefactor and former trustee of Western Carolina

University, in honor of his wife, current WCU trustee

Jeanette Hyde

Mountaintop Distinguished Professorship in

Advanced Optics Manufacturing

Benefactors: Developers of a lakeside golf club

in southern Jackson County

WNC Health Organizations Distinguished Professorship

in Physical Therapy

Benefactors: Regional health care providers

WNC Health Organizations Distinguished Professorship

in Nurse Anesthesia

Benefactors: Regional health care providers

Gimelstob- Landry Distinguished Professorship in

Regional Economic Development

Benefactors: Florida real estate businessmen

Herbert Gimelstob and Laurence D. Landry

Wesley R. Elingburg Distinguished Professorship

in Business Innovation

Benefactor Western alumnus Wesley Elingburg ’ 78,

retired chief financial officer from Burlington- based

Laboratory Corporation of America

Wesley R. Elingburg ’ 78 is co- owner of the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball team.

“ Although my playing days came

to end, my love for baseball and for

Western Carolina has never ended,”

– Wesley R. Elingburg

Sequoyah Distinguished Professorship

in Cherokee Studies

Benefactors: The Friends of Sequoyah; Cherokee

businessman Jimmy Cooper; Eastern Band of Cherokee

Indians; Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.; and a National

Endowment for the Humanities challenge grant

Professor: Tom Hatley

Impact: Hatley has led a process of joint planning with

the Eastern Band that resulted in a new memorandum of

understanding with the tribe and new courses and programs,

including the Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee

Artisan Resources project.

10 The Magazine of Western Carolina University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 11

The career path for the newest Western faculty member to hold

an appointment as an endowed distinguished professor has taken

him from the cast of “ Cats” to the land of the Catamounts. Terrence

Mann, who originated the role of Rum Tum Tugger in the Broadway

production of “ Cats,” is WCU’s Carolyn Plemmons Phillips and Ben

R. Phillips Distinguished Professor of Musical Theatre.

Mann’s appointment means students in WCU’s musical theatre

program are learning tricks of the trade from a bona fide Broadway

star. He originated the role of the Beast in Broadway’s “ Beauty

and the Beast,” earning Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle

nominations. His stage credits include two additional roles he origi-nated

on Broadway— his Tony Award- nominated performance as

Inspector Javert in “ Les Miserables” and his portrayal of Chauvelin

in “ The Scarlett Pimpernel.” He also has taken the Broadway stage

in “ Lennon,” “ The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “ Getting Away

With Murder,” “ A Christmas Carol,” “ Rags,” “ Barnum” and “ Jekyll

and Hyde.”

Tony Brown ’ 78, theatre critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer,

gives rave reviews to Western’s new hire. “ Terry Mann is one of

Broadway’s and North Carolina’s true theatrical treasures. His

resonant voice, the intensity of his stare and those big, strong teeth

have allowed him to impose his outsized personality onto iconic

roles, which is especially notable because he injected that personal-ity

despite makeup painted on an inch thick or mechanical stage

pyrotechnics that tend to steal the spotlight from the actors,” said

Brown, son of a WCU English professor, who got his theatrical start

in a Cullowhee production of “ South Pacific” at age 9. “ Those roles

are notable because they are all ‘ heavies,’ yet Mann made them not

black- and- white bad guys, but shows us their humanity. The theatre

is full of great singers, but few artists can sing as gorgeously as

Terry does and, at the same time, capture the essence of a character

with his acting skills and heart.”

Mann is founding artistic director of the Carolina Arts Festival

and served as artistic director of the North Carolina Theatre for

14 years, directing more than 25 musical productions during his

tenure. He also was artistic director of “ The Lost Colony,” North

Carolina’s long- running outdoor drama.

At Western, Mann is leading a program designed to provide

students with practical work- related experience, build skills needed

in both music and theatre, and work on developing on- and off-campus

opportunities for undergraduate students. Working with

music director and coach accompanist Bradley Martin, he has

guided master classes for actors and singers, and will direct the

February production of “ The Music Man.” Mann also

plans to take students to New York to observe the

behind- the- scenes activities that go into mounting

a major Broadway production.

“ Terry has the talents and personality to

take an honored place in the pantheon of theatre

graduates and faculty at Western,” said Brown, the

theatre critic. “ I’ve always looked back at the many

hours I spent on the Niggli Theatre and Hoey

Auditorium stages as some of the most fun and

valuable of my life, and I think WCU’s theatre

department has long been one of the best small

programs in the region. The addition of Terry

to the faculty will certainly further WCU’s

expansion into musical theatre and will

attract a host of top- notch prospects to

that valley known as Cullowhee.”

The Music Mann

Tony- Nominated Broadway Star

Leads Musical Theatre Program

By BILL STUDENC

Western’s status as a university on the move— a

reputation due in part to dramatic growth in the number

of endowed distinguished professors— is beginning to en-tice

high- profile faculty members to come to campus even

in areas not supported by private endowments…. at least,

not yet. That rising academic stature helped convince two

internationally known academic figures to relocate to Cullowhee

from major North Carolina research institutions this fall.

One of the nation’s foremost economists, James F. Smith,

director of the Center for Business Forecasting in the Kenan-

Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina–

Chapel Hill, joined the faculty at Western earlier this fall. Orrin

Pilkey, founder of the Program for the Study of Developed

Shorelines, is moving his internationally prominent program

known for the integration of coastal science and management

from Duke University to WCU.

“ When we are able to attract professionals with the creden-tials

of James Smith and Orrin Pilkey to join us at Western, we

know we are not just doing something right, we are doing a lot of

things right,” said Provost Kyle Carter. “ Dr. Smith and Dr. Pilkey

are widely regarded as being at the top of their respective fields.

With enrollment increases, the development of new academic

programs, the dramatic growth of the Honors College and the

future possibilities to be found in our Millennial Initiative,

Western is in a very different position than it was just a few short

years ago. That’s why we are able to lure people of this caliber

away from institutions like UNC- CH and Duke.”

Smith, recognized in January by Bloomberg News for having

the most accurate forecast for long- term interest rates among

a national forecasting panel, holds a joint appointment in the

College of Business and in WCU’s Institute for the Economy and

the Future. In the IEF, which is WCU’s regional think tank and

economic development arm, Smith has special responsibility for

developing thought leadership and organizing, implementing and

leading policy studies, research and policy forums.

During a career spanning 30 years, Smith has been an

economist and analyst at the Federal Reserve Board; the National

Association of REALTORS;

Sears, Roebuck and Co.;

Union Carbide Corporation;

the University of Texas

at Austin; and Wharton

Econometric Forecast-ing

Associates, now Global Insights. He served as a consultant

to the President’s Council of Economic Advisers in 1981, and

formalized the process of economic forecasting for the Reagan

administration. The Wall Street Journal named him the “ most

accurate forecaster” three times in the past six years. He serves

on the forecasting panels of USA Today, Bloomberg News, Forbes

magazine, MMS International and the National Association for

Business Economics.

For Pilkey, relocation of the Program for the Study of

Developed Shorelines from Durham to Cullowhee represents

a passing of the gavel from a pioneer in the study of American

shoreline development policy to one of his top protégés. After

deciding to focus on writing books and articles, Pilkey says

he found just the right person to take over the program in his

former student Rob Young, associate professor of geosciences

at WCU, who has become known as one of the nation’s leading

experts on the science of hurricane impacts and coastal

management issues.

Set to open at WCU in January, the PSDS will continue its

emphasis on research focusing on beach replenishment and other

forms of shoreline stabilization, hazard risk mapping on barrier

islands, sedimentary processes on shorefaces, and mitigation

of hurricane property damage on barrier islands. “ I believe the

collaboration with WCU puts this program in a powerful position

to have an even greater impact on coastal management programs

nationwide,” said Pilkey. “ This is coming at a time when global

warming– induced sea- level rise is increasingly a threat to coastal

dwellers. I think the collaborative program will provide interna-tional

leadership in the search for economically viable and envi-ronmentally

sound solutions to our disappearing beaches and

our increasingly threatened beachfront development.”

Western Union Rise in Reputation Attracts

High- Profile Faculty

By BIL STUDENC

James Smith ( above) meets with

staff from the Institute for the

Economy and the Future.

Professor Rob Young ( left) looks over

coastal maps with Orrin Pilkey.

Terrence Mann on stage at WCU, and in cast of “ Cats”

Joe Tabacca

THE UNIVERSITY

of NORTH CAROLINA

at CHAPEL HILL

Duke U N I V E R S I T Y

The Magazine of Western Carolina 12 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 13

experience in New York; Bruce Frazier,

Western’s Belk Distinguished Professor

of Commercial and Electronic Music, who

has won Emmy Awards for contributions

to TV programs; Arledge Armenaki, a

cinematographer with 19 motion picture

credits; Donald Connelly, director of

WCU’s broadcasting program who has 20

years experience with Clear Channel Com-munications;

and Elizabeth Heffelfinger, a

specialist in documentary and nonfiction

films. Terrence Mann, a Broadway star

who just joined WCU’s faculty to lead the

musical theatre program ( see related story

on page 13), will help students perfect their

craft as performers on the stage.

The New York Times recently called

degrees in media- related fields “ the new

MBA” because they teach skills such

as teamwork and team- building, time

management, writing, critical thinking

and technical competence with complex

equipment. Western’s program exposes

students to the history, craft and art of

motion pictures and television while pro-viding

hands- on experience with some of

the most up- to- date equipment in the

industry. Students are working in audio

and video studios located in Western’s

Center for Applied Technology. The

studios feature $ 4.5 million worth of

leading- edge video camera, recording

console, video switcher and video editing

equipment. The equipment includes a

high- definition digital video camera simi-lar

to the one used to produce the latest

“ Star Wars” movie and the same type of

video switcher used to broadcast “ Monday

Night Football” and “ The Tonight Show.”

While students are learning in a stu-dio

with all the latest bells and whistles,

Sholder said he also stresses the artistic

side of the business. “ We teach students

how to tell a story on the scree­n—

be it a

cinema screen, a television or a computer

— in an entertaining and original way.

We give them the technical skills to do so.

And we provide them with the breadth of

knowledge and the creative strategies to

adapt to whatever new technologies may

emerge,” he said.

Students already are working on

several projects, including a production

based on the short story “ Chemistry” by

Ron Rash, who holds WCU’s Parris Dis-tinguished

Professorship in Appalachian

Culture, and the making of a documentary

about the creative process. Alex Dillard of

Wilkesboro worked as a camera assistant

on the project. “ This program is the whole

reason I came to Western. I think the

potential is incredible for this program

and the students in it,” said Dillard, a 2003

graduate of Wilkes Central High School.

“ I am astounded that we have all this

expertise from the industry to share their

insights, that we have all this technology

on our campus and that we are actually

able to use the equipment as students.

The sky is the limit.” And that’s a wrap.

It’s “ lights, camera, action” and “ quiet

on the set” at Western these days, as the

university is offering a bachelor of fine

arts degree in digital motion picture and

television production, a program of study

led by a veteran Hollywood director and

screenwriter. The new degree— along

with existing programs in commercial

and electronic music, music performance,

broadcasting, theatre, dance and musical

theatre— means Western is preparing an

increasing number of students for careers

in the performing arts, be those jobs on

the stage or on the screen, behind the

scenes or behind the camera.

“ Western’s motion picture and TV

program is a very important piece in build-ing

the base of skills for this generation

necessary to work in an ever- increasing

visual world,” said Mary Trimarco of the

Western North Carolina Film Commis-sion.

“ It is critical for students to learn

how to express themselves visually, both

creatively and in business. We are looking

forward to working with the students and

graduates on their future projects.”

Western is no starry- eyed ingénue

when it comes to the film and television

industry. The new degree and the re-cent

relocation of several entertainment

professionals from the hills of Hollywood

to the Cullowhee mountains is just the

latest chapter in the university’s long- last-ing

love affair with the motion picture

industry. Before the late Josefina Niggli,

whose name graces Niggli Theatre on the

WCU campus, joined the faculty in 1956,

she enjoyed a successful career as a script-writer

for 20th Century Fox and Metro-

Goldwyn Mayer. And WCU professors in

theatre and related areas have for decades

been honing their skills on movie and TV

sets ( see page 16).

Following in Niggli’s footsteps is Jack

Sholder, director of “ A Nightmare on Elm

Street 2” and “ The Hidden,” who came to

Western in 2004. Sholder, who won an

Emmy Award for his editing work on the

TV production “ 3- 2- 1 Contact,” is pre-paring

students to take part in a rapidly

evolving entertainment industry. “ The

motion picture and television industries

have changed more in the last 10 years

than they have in the previous 50. With

the advent of the digital age and broad-band,

technology will continue to change

the face of these arts and industries at

a rapid pace,” said Sholder, who has

directed some 20 films and TV programs.

“ Students need to understand the whole

process, even though they may only work

in one segment of it. They need to know

how the real world of motion pictures and

television operates— the unspoken rules,

shortcuts and etiquette.”

Students at Western also are getting

the inside scoop from Terry Curtis Fox,

a Hollywood screenwriter whose credits

include “ Hill Street Blues,” “ Diagnosis

Murder” and “ Stargate SG- 1”; Padraig

Acheson, who heads WCU’s television pro-duction

program after 28 years of network

Screen Gems

Western student Corey Utke prepares the

cast and crew for action on the set of an on-campus

motion picture production ( clockwise

from top left), while Michael Montanez gets

camera pointers from faculty member Arledge

Armenaki. Jack Sholder, director of the new

motion picture degree program, reviews set

notes with student script supervisor

Christopher Hamilton.

New Motion Picture Production Degree

Helps Prepare Students for Careers in Growing Industry

By BIL STUDENC

The Magazine of Western Carolina 14 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 15

Character Studies Professors Pick up Classroom Pointers from Movie, TV Roles

By BIL STUDENC

Courtesy of " Home of the Giants"

Courtesy of " Hallmark Hall of Fame"

Courtesy of HBO

Western alumni and faculty are making their mark in Hollywood.

Counterclockwise from top left, Sean Bridgers ’ 92 had a major

supporting role in HBO’s “ Deadwood.” Terry Nienhuis,

professor of English, co- starred in the television production

of “ The Water is Wide” earlier this year. Stephen Michael

Ayers, associate professor of theatre arts, plays a coach

in the upcoming basketball film “ Home of the Giants.”

And above, Nonalee Davis ’ 95, a professional stunt

coordinator and performer, gives new meaning to the

phrase “ hands- on learning” during an on- campus

workshop on fight choreography.

co- starring role on the critically acclaimed “ Deadwood” on HBO. Bridg-ers

attributes his success to the multitude of acting opportunities he

received as a student at Western. “ At other universities, students don’t

act in front of audiences much,” he said. “ At WCU, I got a lot of practice.”

A Sylva native, Bridgers sometimes finds his way back to his alma

mater to work with students. So does Nonalee Davis ’ 95, who has

worked as stunt coordinator and performer in film and television.

Davis returned to campus last year to give a series of workshops on basic

stage combat, hand- to- hand combat, fight choreography and weapons

choreography for theatre arts students and members of the University

Players and Black Theatre Ensemble.

For Nienhuis, who teaches drama and film classes in Western’s

English department, earning a role as a significant character on the

Hallmark Hall of Fame production of “ The Water is Wide” is the latest

in a string of appearances on the series. “ This was the third time I had

worked with director John Kent Harrison, and it’s my biggest screen role

so far. It’s certainly the most lucrative with the most screen time. My

character doesn’t have a whole lot to say, but he is certainly around all of

the time, and he is constantly being referred to by other characters,” said

Nienhuis, who also has appeared in past Hallmark Hall of Fame pro-ductions

“ What the Deaf Man Heard,” “ Having Our Say” and “ The Old

Man;” in films including “ Days of Thunder” and “ Paradise Falls;” and in

TV commercials for Shoney’s and First Union.

But Ayers and Nienhuis both say they get more out of their

extracurricular acting gigs than extra spending loot; their work on TV

and in motion pictures is helpful in the theatre and film classes they

teach at Western. “ It’s extremely useful to have the kind of practical

experience you gain from being on set. It’s really been invaluable to see

what happens in the process of making a film. I don’t think that I truly

understood film and how it works

until I started getting

some jobs and began

to set foot on film

sets,” Nienhuis said.

Students studying drama and film at Western Carolina University

are learning acting techniques from faculty members who sometimes

find themselves in front of the camera almost as much as they are in

front of the classroom these days. Stephen Michael Ayers, associate

professor of theatre arts, recently wrapped production on two major

motion pictures­—“

The List,” a thriller starring Malcolm McDowell, and

“ Mr. Brooks,” a crime- mystery starring Kevin Costner and Demi Moore.

Meanwhile, Terry Nienhuis, professor of English and an experienced

stage and screen performer, nabbed his largest television appearance to

date in a supporting role in the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of

“ The Water is Wide” earlier this year. It marked the fourth time Nienhuis

has worked on a Hallmark Hall of Fame production, widely acknowl-edged

as one of the highest quality series on television.

Ayers, head of WCU’s professional acting and directing program,

also enjoyed a four- episode guest- starring role on the NBC science- fic-tion

thriller “ Surface” and landed roles on three other motion pictures

during the past year, including an upcoming basketball film starring

Haley Joel Osment of “ The Sixth Sense.” A member of the Western

theatre arts faculty since 1985, Ayers portrays a high school basketball

coach in “ Home of the Giants,” a coming- of- age story filmed in Greens-boro.

He also spent about six weeks last summer working on two films

—“ The Work and the Glory: American Zion” and “ The Work and the

Glory: A House Divided”— directed by Sterling Vanwagenen, co- founder

of the Sundance Film Festival.

“ It has been sort of crazy all of a sudden,” said Ayers, an accom-plished

television and movie actor whose credits include recurring roles

on TV shows “ Matlock” and “ I’ll Fly Away” and parts in several motion

pictures, “ Days of Thunder” and “ That Darn Kat” among them. “ After

working on the two ‘ The Work and the Glory’ films last summer,

I was really ready for golf and my yard. Then I got a call

about a new feature being done with Haley Joel Osment.

They sent me the script, and I loved it. I went to read for

the director, and that was that,” he said.

During his work on the now- canceled NBC series

“ Surface,” which was filmed in Wilmington, Ayers shared

screen time with a former student, R. Keith Harris ’ 92.

The two also worked together on the film “ The List,” slated

to hit theaters sometime in 2007. “ How cool is that—

professor and former student working side by side

in the industry,” Ayers said.

Another alum, Sean Bridgers ’ 92, also has

found steady work in the movies and on TV,

including roles in the major motion

pictures “ Nell” and “ The

Chamber” and a

The Magazine of Western Carolina 16 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 17

Tony L. White ’ 69 made his mark on the world by involving

himself in scientific explorations of the human genome, the compli-cated

DNA recipe that is the foundation of all human life. But it was

the underpinnings of his own life that were on his mind during

WCU’s summer commencement ceremony.

White, president and chief executive officer of Applera Corpora-tion,

attended the August ceremony to accept an honorary doctorate

of science. In his position at the Connecticut- based company, White

has helped open the way for a revolution in medicine based on the

genome. His company accelerated the race to decode the genome in

1998 when it announced plans to finish that project in three years,

and two years later, completion of that mission was announced at a

White House ceremony. Just a few months before, White found his

face on the cover of Forbes magazine with the headline: “ The making

of a $ 24 billion gene machine.” He has been widely recognized for the

key businessman’s role he is playing in the biotechnology revolution

and in development of the new field of pharmacogenomics.

But grand Washington ceremonies and magazine covers weren’t

mentioned in White’s acceptance speech. Instead, his speech focused

on a few words spoken in a long- gone Cullowhee landmark more than

three decades ago.

“ A couple of days before I left for the military, I was having lunch

at the Townhouse with my two favorite teachers, ( business professors)

Bill and Patsy Scott,” he said. “ As we parted, Patsy said to me that she

thought my only limitation in life might be my own imagination. For

the rest of my life, I have worked hard to keep that from coming true.”

Born in Havana, Cuba, White was raised in his father’s hometown

of Asheville and arrived in Cullowhee as a freshman in 1965. “ This

is where I gained the confidence to go ahead and grow up,” he said. “ I

had not been success- oriented in high school, but here I got a second

chance in an environment that was perfectly suited to my needs. I was

embraced by friends and faculty in very positive ways and allowed to

be transformed into a young man intent on success.”

After earning his undergraduate degree in social sciences and

economics, and following a stint in the Army, White began a 26- year

career at health care services company Baxter International Inc., ris-ing

in rank from sales representative to executive vice president. In

1995, he left Baxter to head Applera, the company formerly known

as Perkin- Elmer Corporation. He now heads an organization of 6,000

people. “ I have been lucky enough to make some pretty good moves

during my journey,” White said. “ But the best one, hands down, was

made while I was still here at Western. It was here that I convinced

Susan Bradley ’ 70 to be my wife.” White credited his mother,

Brevard resident Aida T. White, for providing the foundation

for his success. “ There is probably only one person who might

have predicted this,” he said. “ My mom always made us believe

that we had great potential.

“ I’m sure Chancellor Bardo has grown tired of me

always making the point that one of the great gifts this school

provides young people of our community is that second chance,”

White said. “ I’m grateful I got mine here, and I hope I have

made the best of it.”

GENE MACHINE

Business Grad Leads Biotech Revolution

By RANDAL HOLCOMBE

Former Forbes magazine cover model Tony L. White ’ 69 helped a group of WCU students and faculty take the term “ field trip” to a higher level recently

when he arranged to have them flown by private jet to tour the California headquarters of Applera Corp., the international life sciences company he heads.

The Catamount contingent enjoyed a guided tour of company laboratories with White ( lower left) to see how science works in the corporate world.

Students Carmen Batchelor and Chris Tennant ( lower right) even got some hands- on experience using microfluidics products.

The Magazine of Western Carolina 18 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 19

By the time Scott Philyaw ’ 83 made his way to the stage

after hearing his name called for the third time in a single

afternoon, some audience members had come up with a new

label for Western Carolina University’s General Faculty Meeting

and Awards Convocation— the Scott Philyaw Invitational.

An associate professor of history and newly named direc-tor

of the university’s Mountain Heritage Center, Philyaw

chalked up the WCU faculty version of the soccer world’s

hat trick when he collected three major awards presented at

Western’s annual campus gathering. He received the Paul A.

Reid Distinguished Service Award for Faculty, was part of a

team that won the Integration of Learning Award, and was

acknowledged as WCU’s recipient of the University of North

Carolina Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching.

“ It is quite an accomplishment for a faculty member to win

any one of these significant university honors, but to receive

three of these awards in a single year is unheard of,” said

Clifton Metcalf, vice chancellor for advancement and external

affairs. “ We’re pleased that Dr. Philyaw’s peers have chosen to

recognize him for his teaching and scholarly achievements, and

for his service to the university and surrounding community.

We’re doubly proud that he is a Western alumnus, because

these awards are proof positive of the caliber of education the

university offers to students— a tradition of high- quality

teaching and research that Dr. Philyaw experienced studying

here as an undergraduate history major, and a tradition he is

now continuing as a faculty member.”

In announcing Philyaw as the winner of the Reid faculty

award, Chancellor John Bardo praised him as a professor “ who

emphasizes critical thinking and its constant companion, clear

communication, in his courses; who makes his classes relevant

by stressing the advantages of collaborative learning in the

workplace; and who strives to give his students real- world

experience.” A faculty member at WCU since 1996, Philyaw

received the Integration of Learning Award along with

Kathleen Brennan, assistant professor of sociology; Michael

Despeaux, career services coordinator; Jubal Tiner, assistant

professor of English; and Josh Whitmore, assistant director

for outdoor programs. Their winning proposal, “ Adventure

Sports in the Mountains,” will bring together WCU’s outdoor

sports programming organization; the Mountain Heritage

Center; and faculty in English, sociology and history to

enable students to explore adventure sports as a part of

Western’s community and culture.

The Board of Governors Award for Teaching Excellence,

established in 1994 to underscore the importance of teaching

and to reward good teaching, is among the university system’s

top faculty awards. Brandon Alexander Robinson ’ 05, who

first met his future professor and adviser as a high- school par-ticipant

in a summer academic enrichment program hosted by

WCU, called Philyaw “ eminently qualified” to receive recogni-tion

from the Board of Governors. “ I have long believed that

the best teachers are also mentors. Dr. Philyaw has not only

broadened my mind, but has helped shape my character,” said

Robinson. “ Looking back on the seven years I have known Dr.

Philyaw, I am truly amazed at the extent to which he seeks

to unify all the drives of his life, and to enlist like- minded

persons. He has truly been what I hoped I would find in the

university faculty— the scholarly expert, the gifted teacher,

the insightful adviser, and the inspiring role model.”

Professor Scores Faculty Award “ Three- Peat”

By BIL STUDENC

T h eW CWU Expaondrsl Trdav el IAbsr oaOd Prougrarm Classroom

By JONI KENYON

China

Academic

Accolades

Scott Philyaw ’ 83 shares a laugh with Brandon Robinson ’ 05.

It’s an early November morning in

Cullowhee, but Elyse Jardine is already

dreaming about life on the other side

of the world. “ I picture China as a place

that is different from anything that

I have ever known,” Jardine said. “ I

want to go because it is a place that has

always been a curiosity to me.”

Jardine, a junior majoring in com-munications,

will finally get a chance

to visit the country June 2- 23 as WCU

for the first time offers its “ China

Abroad” program. It’s just one of many

countries on the itinerary this summer

through the university’s annual Sum-mer

Abroad Program, with a growing

number of students taking advantage

of a growing number of opportunities.

Students who participate in the

China trip will stay at Fudan University

in Shanghai as a part of three courses:

“ Basic Survival Skills in China,”

“ Principles of Marketing” and “ Modern

Asian History.”

Trip leaders Steve Henson,

assistant professor of marketing and

business law, and Gael Graham, associ-ate

professor of history, have made a

special effort to open the program to

all students in the University of North

Carolina system. “ My personal goal

for the trip is to establish a framework

that will allow dozens, and eventually

hundreds, of North Carolina students

to visit China,” Henson said.

Sarah Wong, a sophomore biol-ogy

major at North Carolina State

University, is happy to take advantage

of the course. “ I think it’s wonderful

that college can open so many doors

to opportunities like this,” Wong said.

“ I only wish that more students knew

about these programs.”

continued on page 22

20 The Magazine of Western Carolina University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 21

Munich

Japan

Ecuador

Top right: Nursing student Rebecca Miller

Above: Nursing professor Judy Mallory

A. J. Rowell ’ 05 visited New Zealand ( above) and Fiji ( left) as part

of his WCU travel- abroad experience. Images from Rowell’s travels

grace a calendar he is selling to raise money for several charities.

For information, visit www. whyiride. com

before, and will encourage students

who have been to Japan to further

their understanding of the Japanese

language and culture.”

Other international programs

offered during summer 2007 are well-established

parts of WCU’s summer

sessions. For the third year, the univer-sity

will offer a trip to Quito, Ecuador,

where students work with the local

population as a part of “ Special Topics:

International Missionary and Volun-teer

Nursing,” led by Judy Mallory,

assistant professor of nursing. Dates

for the trip are May 27– June 5.

“ Students can study about other

cultures and disparities in health care,

but to experience it first hand is

life- changing,” Mallory said. “ It is an

awesome experience to work with a

student as he or she assesses a child

who has never received ‘ formal’

health care before.”

Lee Rule, a senior RN- to- BSN Cap-stone

nursing major who participated

in the course last year, agreed. “ The

enrichment gained from these experi-ences

is immeasurable and definitely

far exceeds the credit hours earned for

the class,” Rule said.

“ Many of the Ecuadorians educated

us on their customs and beliefs and,

in this way, we were able to enter into

a dynamic relationship that promoted

collaboration and mutual respect with

the people we met,” he said. “ This, I

feel, is the purpose of international

learning experiences.” The course is

open to WCU students, with nursing

students having first priority.

continued on page 24

Several courses next summer,

including “ German Civilization” and

“ Special Topics: German Language and

Cultural Immersion,” also are open to

students outside of WCU. Students

in these courses will explore Munich,

have a picnic at Englischer Garten,

learn about the history of Dachau

( the notorious German concentration

camp), and visit the BMW museum

and the Bavarian Department of Edu-cation.

Students wishing to sign up for

the German courses must have some

prerequisite courses in German, said

instructor Donnie Stepp Jr., who him-self

did undergraduate study abroad

in Munich and completed a doctorate

program in Bamberg, Germany.

Instructors Erin Tapley, associate

professor of art education, and Masa-fumi

Takeda, Asian studies coordina-tor,

will lead a trip to Japan from May

7- 21. Tapley will discuss traditional

and modern art of Japan while Takeda

will cover Japanese language, daily

life, customs and education as a part

of “ Topics in Art” and “ Special Topics:

Japan Past and Present.”

Students will explore the Ueno

area to visit museums and national

parks; take a bullet train to Osaka to

visit classes at Osaka Kyoiku Universi-ty;

and visit temples, shrines, muse-ums

and workshops to study Japanese

art. Students also will experience the

Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima.

The main objective of the class is

“ to cultivate students’ sensitivity to

differing values and viewpoints that

exist in other cultures,” Tapley said.

“ This course will be an eye- opener for

students who have never been to Japan

continued from page 21

The Magazine of Western Carolina 22 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 23

Horse Sense

Equestrian Club Unites Equine Enthusiasts

London

Bahamas

Western’s Equestrian Club may be small, but the tight-knit

group of a dozen or so horse lovers say the experience

— horse showing, equine- related service, fundraising and

just plain everyday horse care— is very rewarding. Intercol-legiate

horse show judges agree: Last year, Lauren Allen

’ 06 won her class and placed fourth over fences at this year’s

show sponsored by Wake Forest University. Elizabeth Mun-day

’ 06 left a St. Andrews Presbyterian College horse show

with back- to- back high point rider awards, having placed

first or second in both horsemanship and reining classes.

Brooke Mercier placed first and second in her novice classes

at a double- header at Virginia Tech. Maria Aponte earned

enough points to qualify for a year- end regional finals show.

Katie Evans won an advanced walk- trot- canter class at

Virginia Intermont. The list goes on.

The club began when a student and a prospective

student started exploring the idea with club adviser Nory

Prochaska, a lifelong rider who also directs the Mathematics

Tutoring Center and coordinates the University Experience

course for first- year students. They recruited through

word- of- mouth and a sign- up table at Valley Ballyhoo,

WCU’s annual back- to- school celebration. “ It grew from

there,” said Prochaska.

Unlike schools that have large, established

equestrian programs, the WCU team

depends on riders who bring horses

to the area while in school, or

local horse lovers willing

to allow their horses to be used by the team for practice.

The hunt seat team worked with a professional coach,

Cathy Schwartz of Smokey Hollow Farm in Candler.

The team also participated in IHSA- recognized western

horsemanship events, something new for the IHSA region.

“ With limited riding opportunities, our competitive efforts

are pretty low- key,” said Prochaska. “ But, the beauty of the

Intercollegiate Horse Show Association program is that it

has a place for riders of all levels to compete, and the large

programs provide all of the horses, so it’s remarkably acces-sible,

financially, for college students.”

Members of Western’s Equestrian Club find the extra-curricular

activity indispensable. Munday, who is from

Kernersville, said she realized when she got to Western that

she had to be around horses. “ I was too far away from our

farm or my horse trainer to be able to ride every day like I

was used to,” she said. And riding was so important to Allen

that she met with Prochaska to learn more about the Eques-trian

Club before deciding to transfer from Salem College.

The Sylva native went on to compete for three years, served

as captain for two and club president for one. “ My team-mates

quickly became some of my best friends,” said Allen.

Team member Becky Howard, who grew up riding

and showing horses in Hayesville, has high hopes for the

future of Western’s Equestrian Club. “ I hope to see the team

one day grow and have a barn of its own for a large, diverse

team,” said Howard. “ It has a lot of potential.”

A “ British Design Experience”

course is open to interior design ma-jors

at WCU who have completed their

sophomore- level design courses. Marc

Yops, associate professor of hospitality,

tourism and interior design, has of-fered

the course several years running.

Students travel to London in July for a

multi- faceted experience with a focus

on historical perspective, including

exploration of the furniture industry,

tours of design centers, visitations to

design showrooms, studio and factory

tours, and a visit to an English interior

design education program.

“ Environments of the Bahamas”

will be offered May 7- 21, led by

Blair Tormey, visiting instructor of

geosciences and natural resources

management, and Patricia Hembree,

assistant professor of science

education, geosciences and natural

resources management.

A geology course offers a

hands- on approach to investigate

the geologic and biologic aspects of

carbonate environments, while a

related science education course is

operated as part of the College of the

Bahamas Gerace Research Center on

the island of San Salvador. Students

will examine methods in field- based

learning and science education. Both

are open to students from all majors

and non- WCU students. Both courses

require well- fitted snorkeling gear.

Most trips cost between $ 1,600

and $ 3,000, in addition to tuition and

personal expenses such as food and

admission fees to temples and muse-ums.

Participants must be admitted to

the university before registering for a

course. For more information, contact

the Division of Educational Outreach

at ( 828) 227- 7397 or ( 866) 928- 4723.

continued from page 23

Students experience the

Bahamas both by land and by sea.

Members of Western’s Equestrian Club share their love of

horses through riding in shows, caring for horses and service

projects. Pictured at left with a horse named “ Chance” are

club members, left to right, Maria Aponte, April Greene,

adviser Nory Prochaska, Nicki Heim, Lauren Allen ’ 06,

Ashley Bordner, Brooke Mercier, Becky Howard and Eliza-beth

Munday ’ 06.

The Magazine of Western Carolina 24 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 25

Western’s softball team was scram-bling

for someone to fill Cinderella’s

coaching shoes when first- year head

coach Megan Smith unexpectedly took

a position at Louisiana State after a sto-rybook

season that saw the squad claim

the Southern Conference championship

in its first year of existence.

Well, the clock did not strike mid-night

for Catamount softball fans. After

helping Virginia Tech to its first two

NCAA regional tournament berths over

the last two seasons as the top assistant

coach for the Atlantic Coast Conference

program, former collegiate pitching

standout Christine Hornak is now on

the job in Cullowhee as the second head

softball coach of the fast- pitch era for

Western Carolina.

“ I am very excited to be the next

head softball coach at Western Carolina

University,” Hornak said. “ I feel privi-leged

to continue developing tradition

and a history for this young program. I

look forward to being part of the Cata-mount

athletic family and working with

such talented athletes.”

Hornak takes over the reins of a

program that posted a 41- 20 overall

record, including a 16- 4 league record,

and featured six All- Southern Confer-ence

picks while setting a SoCon season

record for home runs by a team ( 81).

Among the returning starters are the

SoCon Pitcher of the Year ( Mendy

McKenzie) and the SoCon Freshman of

the Year ( Jenny Jackson). Also back on

the diamond in 2007 are two Louisville

Slugger/ NFCA All- Region selections

( McKenzie and Ashley Adams, who

belted a SoCon season conference

record 21 homers) and six All- Southern

Conference picks.

“ Christine is a great fit for Cata-mount

softball,” said Chip Smith,

director of athletics. “ This is a team that

has quickly earned the reputation of a

quality program. We are pleased that we

now have a coach with her experience

and background who is committed to

helping us take the next step.”

While at Virginia Tech, Hornak was

responsible for the Hokie pitching staff,

as well as conditioning, recruiting and

coordinating all travel plans. Under

her tutelage, pitcher Angela Tincher

became the first softball All- American

at Virginia Tech, being named Louisville

Slugger/ NFCA second team All-

American. Tincher, who was named

to the United States World University

Team, was also tabbed 2006 Atlantic

Coast Conference Pitcher and Player of

the Year as well as second team ESPN

The Magazine Academic All- America.

During her own playing days, Hornak

was a star pitcher at Campbell and UNC

Greensboro, earning all- conference

honors at both schools.

Three young men, all with a passion for athletics,

created a lasting bond this past summer. Josh Dees and Kyle

Greathouse of the Catamount men’s basketball squad spent

time during the off- season as volunteer coaches for Jason

Hedrick, a Special Olympics athlete. With their help, Hedrick

won a gold medal in track and field at the Special Olympics

USA National Games.

“ Jason and his mom came to our basketball games, and

we got to know them,” said Dees. Hedrick would wait after

each game to shake the hands of the players. After basketball

season, Dees and Greathouse decided to stay on campus for

summer school and to hone their basketball skills. Meanwhile,

Hedrick had placed high enough in the state Special Olympics

competition to qualify for the national event in Ames, Iowa.

“ Jason needed to continue his training for running,” said

Hedrick’s mother, Pat Beasley, coordinator for the Special

Olympics program in Jackson County. Remembering the

connection her son had made with the basketball players, she

asked Dees and Greathouse to train her son, and they accepted.

Each practice session incorporated exercising, running and

timing Hedrick. “ We asked WCU track athletes about training,”

said Dees. “ Then we started training Jason with different tech-niques,

like helping him start faster and run through the finish

line.” The three trained almost every day for approximately six

weeks, and they developed a plan. “ We worked out at different

times during the day,” said Greathouse. “ We wanted to vary his

runs from the afternoon heat to the cool of the evening.”

The WCU athletes were always positive with Hedrick, urg-ing

him to do his best at the competition, said Beasley. “ They

respected him and took his training seriously,” she said. On the

last day that the trio worked together, Dees and Greathouse

presented Hedrick with a stopwatch on which they had clocked

his final practice run. They told Hedrick to keep the timepiece

with him for good luck during the races because it held his best

time from all summer.

That is, it represented his best time until he took to the

track for the national Special Olympics meet, where Hedrick

won the gold medal in the 4x100 race. “ Jason shaved off three

more seconds at the competition,” said Beasley. He also ran

in the 100- and 200- meter races, placing fifth and earning

the silver medal in those events, respectively. “ We brought

competitiveness to it for Jason,” said Greathouse. “ It was

definitely his time to shine.”

The WCU athletes said they gained great insight from the

experience, and both found it extremely rewarding. “ I realized

how big of a deal it was. It was one of the best experiences of

my life,” said Greathouse. Dees agreed. “ It was rewarding

because Jason was a lot of fun. As athletes, Kyle and I like

to see improvement, and Jason worked really hard. It was a

good situation all around.”

During an era when many athletes seem to care only

about game stats or the highlight reel, it was refreshing to

watch Dees and Greathouse work with Hedrick, his mom said.

“ They helped Jason because they cared for him, not to get

recognition for doing it. It was just so special,” said Beasley.

“ Both young men were faithful to Jason. They showed up,

and they had a plan. They were organized, kind and truly

good sportsmen.”

GOING FOR THE GOLD

Basketball Players Make Special Olympics Even More Special for Local Athlete

By BESIE DIETRICH ’ 06

PITCH PERFECT

New Skipper at the Helm for Softball Cats in ’ 07

By DANIEL HOOKER ’ 01

Christine Hornak is Western’s new softball coach.

Jason Hedrick shows his Special Olympics medals to Josh Dees ( left) and Kyle Greathouse ( right).

WCUAthletics

The Magazine of Western Carolina 26 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 27

The recently renovated football locker room in Western’s

Ramsey Regional Activity Center now bears the name of a

husband- and- wife team who helped lead the fundraising

effort that made the $ 225,000 upgrade possible.

Dale Hollifield ’ 65, who played guard for the Catamounts

from 1962 to 1964, and wife Dianne Hollifield ’ 66, have

contributed $ 85,000 toward the renovation. The longtime

members of Western’s Catamount Club are retired and live

in Kings Mountain.

In recognition of the Hollifields’ gifts, the executive com-mittee

of Western’s board of trustees bestowed on the expanded

facility the name the Dale and Dianne Hollifield Locker Room.

The action came during a specially called meeting in September.

“ This project is both a significant enhancement of the

football facilities and a visible demonstration of the Hollifields’

loyalty to the university,” said Chip Smith, director of athletics

at WCU. “ We are deeply gratified by their support of Catamount

athletics in such a generous manner.”

A ceremony officially dedicating the Dale and Dianne Hol-lifield

Locker Room came as part of Western’s Athletics Hall of

Fame weekend, when the Catamounts knocked off nationally

ranked Eastern Kentucky University.

Swing Shift

Catamount Golfer Atop

the Collegiate Leader Board

Western Carolina junior Matt Cook was rated as the

top male golfer in NCAA Division I, while teammate Andres

Cuenca is rated 35th in the nation, according to rankings

released in October by Golfstat. com. A native of Murphy,

Cook also was featured on the Golf Channel’s “ College

Central” for moving up from 10th in the previous ranking

to his current spot at the top.

“ To have the top- ranked collegiate golfer, as well as

the 35th ranked collegiate golfer, in the NCAA Division I

rankings speaks very highly of the direction that our program

is heading,” said head coach Gorham Bradley ’ 04. “ Cook’s

development in our program has been very exciting for all

of those involved with WCU golf. Personally, I feel that we

are just beginning to see the ability that Cook has to play the

game of golf and, as he continues to mature mentally, expect

him to continue to be successful.”

Already the most honored player in Catamount football

history, place- kicker Kirk Roach racked up yet another

accolade earlier this year when he watched as his No. 14

jersey was officially retired.

A member of the Southern Conference’s 75th Anniver-sary

Football Team and a 1996 WCU Athletics Hall of Fame

inductee who owns numerous WCU, Southern Conference

and NCAA records, Roach holds the distinction of being the

Catamount taken highest in the NFL draft, going in the fifth

round to the Buffalo Bills in 1987.

“ Having my jersey retired is an amazing honor that I will

forever cherish, and I am overwhelmingly flattered to have

this accolade bestowed upon me. I truly believe that this

honor is an absolute reflection of the support and encour-agement

given to me by my teammates, coaches and family,”

said Roach, Western’s and the Southern Conference’s first

three- time All- America selection ( 1984, 1986 and 1987). “ I

am grateful that WCU took a chance on me— when no other

school would— and gave me the opportunity to play college

football. The lessons and values that Coach ( Bob) Waters

instilled into me have undoubtedly helped me on a day- to-day

basis, in both my professional and personal life.”

Roach was the first player in league history to be a

four- time, first team All- SoCon selection ( 1984- 87), an

accomplishment that has since been duplicated just three

other times. The Doraville, Ga., native and current Cum-ming,

Ga., resident is WCU’s all- time scoring leader with 302

points. Roach still owns NCAA records for most field goals

attempted in a career ( 101), most field goals of 50 yards or

more made in a season ( seven) and career ( 11), most games

kicking two or more field goals ( 25), longest average distance

of field goals attempted ( 40.5), and highest percentage of

field goals made in a season from inside 40 yards, as he con-nected

on all 17 attempts in 1986.

“ Kirk’s football career is an important part of the

heritage of Western Carolina football, and he has continued

to be involved with the athletic program since that time,”

said Chip Smith, WCU director of athletics. “ He is a true

Catamount. I am delighted that we are able to honor him by

retiring his jersey.”

A marker honoring Roach’s retired jersey now stands

adjacent to the current marker honoring the retired numbers

of Art Byrd ( No. 54) and Jerry Gaines ( No. 23). Roach now

works for a computer software company near Atlanta.

Record- breaking Booter Kirk Roach Sees Jersey Retired

By MIKE CAWOOD

Football Locker Room Named in Honor of Dale, Dianne Hollifield

Just For Kicks

Former bare- footed kicker Kirk Roach and his family enjoy his jersey retirement ceremony with Chip Smith.

Matt Cook sinks the putt.

Dianne ’ 66 and Dale Hollifield ’ 65 and their grandson visit the renovated football locker room.

The Magazine of Western Carolina 28 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 29

WHISTLE BLOWER ACTS

Retired Educator’s Favorite Football Team

Wears Stripes

When Tara Mull ’ 05 walks into a room, the energy

level of everyone around her increases by about 1,000 per-cent.

So it only makes sense that you would find her on the

sidelines of Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, helping

to increase the energy level of more than 70,000 screaming

Carolina Panthers fans by about 1,000 percent.

A Waynesville native now living in Charlotte, Mull was

chosen from a field of about 200 candidates to be one of

the 35 “ TopCats” for the 2006 season. The social work

major and dance teacher now finds herself on the field

along with Brad Hoover ’ 00, the bruising fullback in his

seventh year as a Panther.

Mull has been dancing and performing most of her life.

She competed in dance in middle school, was a cheer-leader

at Tuscola High School, and was a member of the

dance team at Western. “ When I finished dancing at WCU,

it was like someone pulled the carpet out from under me,

when I thought of all that had come to an end,” she said.

“ But I knew I wasn’t finished performing. The closer TopCat

try- outs got, the more it became apparent that it was my

golden opportunity to continue doing what I love.”

Mull says the commitment of being a TopCat is pretty

demanding. On non- practice days, many of the Charlotte-resident

TopCats will meet up to do ab and cardio exercises

before working on their cheer routines. “ We motivate

each other, which is what keeps us all going,” said Mull. On

practice days, the team meets at the stadium and works

with the team choreographer.

In addition to practices, outside rehearsals and game

day, the TopCats volunteer to make appearances around

town. “ They ask that we do at least 15 appearances

throughout the season so that we do our part to help

out and represent the team throughout the community,”

Mull said.

Mull says that her experiences with Western’s

dance team began to prepare her for life as a TopCat.

“ We were very close knit, much like the TopCats, and we

were expected to be professional in and outside of dance

time, as are the TopCats,” she said. “ WCU had a great

group of fans, too.”

While Mull, an admitted “ small- town girl,” continues

to adjust to Charlotte life, she hopes she can achieve some

longevity with the team. “ We have 10- year veterans on our

team, so the sky is the limit. I love it,” she said. “ It’s not

work for me because this is my dream, so of course I think

it is fabulous. It is an honor to see little girls look up to you

because they want to be just like you when they grow up.

That is a feeling that warms your heart and never gets old.”

ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

Former WCU Dance Squad Member Makes NFL Cheerleading Squad

by LOYD VAN HORN ’ 02

A veteran of 25 years in the National Football League, Gerald D. Austin ’ 64

MAEd ’ 69 has officiated three Super Bowls and numerous playoff games, and is

coordinator for football officials for Conference USA. A retired public school

administrator with more than 30 years experience in leadership, Austin has

been an associate superintendent, high school principal, and program associate

at an international leadership training center. Head of a leadership development

group specializing in strategic planning, leadership training and team building,

he recently agreed to a question- and- answer session with the North Carolina

Career Network Magazine at www. careernetworkmag. com.

How did you get into officiating?

AUSTIN: The process started when I was in the 10th

grade. My basketball coach asked for volunteers to

officiate the seventh- and eighth- grade teams, and I

volunteered. I guess I’ve never really stopped since then.

In 1981 I applied for the NFL. I was selected to officiate

in 1982. I have been officiating for the NFL 25 years and

am currently ranked as the official with the most experi-ence.

Not the oldest, just the most experienced.

What motivates you to excel as an official?

AUSTIN: Like anything you do, you want to do it the best you

can. I want to be the best at whatever I do. I keep officiating

because, when I walk on that field on Sunday afternoon, there is

no other place I want to be. I have a sense of comfort that my

crew and I will be able to handle any situation. I love being there.

In some ways it’s like I am still a kid and still competing.

W e see what you do on the football field, but what is involved in being an official?

AUSTIN: You have to prepare yourself for three hours a day on Sunday and be ready to concentrate 165 times for seven

seconds. That is how long each play is. Some people think we are responsible for concentrating the entire game, but there

are different degrees of concentration. We have to execute any play properly. In a good ball game for officials, we have the

same euphoric feeling and adrenaline going as players when they win. When you screw up, it is a bad feeling and you can’t

wait to the next game to get rid of it.

Being the head official, how do you differ

from the other officials on the field?

AUSTIN: I have the responsibility for the preparation of the six guys

on my crew. My job is to set the tone. I am responsible for previous

games that may not have played well. I am also responsible for making

the call on replays, looking under the hood. I will officiate 20 NFL games.

Outside of the NFL, I assign Conference USA officials and will attend

12 to 15 college football games.

What advice would you offer anyone going

into this field?

AUSTIN: Anyone that feels like they want to officiate needs to know

three things… the rules, the mechanics ( where you are supposed to be and

when you’re supposed to be there), and don’t insert yourself into the game.

Let the players play and you make the calls. In reality, our job is to manage the

ballgame. When one team or player gets unfair advantage, then it is our job to step

up and the make the call. The rest of the time we simply manage the flow of the game.

You are probably the first person I have ever met that loves

the game of football, but doesn’t have a favorite team.

AUSTIN: You’re right. I love the game, but my favorite team wears stripes.

Tara Mull ’ 05 is now a TopCat.

The interview is reprinted in edited form with photos by Bo Calilung.

Gerald Austin ’ 64 MAEd ’ 69 makes the call.

Printed in edited form with permission of The ( Waynesville) Mountaineer with photo by Dwayne Woodard

30 The Magazine of Western Carolina University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 31

The arrival of Levern Hamlin Allen

at Western Carolina College on June 11,

1957, did not generate a lot of buzz on

campus, despite the fact that the 21- year-old

was bringing integration to Cullowhee

as the institution’s first African- American

student. Allen’s trek from her hometown

of Roanoke, Va., to enroll in a nine- week

graduate school summer session was

low- key, at most.

“ I left home very early and arrived at

Western about 3 o’clock in the afternoon,”

she said. “ I was hot, tired, and had

cramps in my feet and legs from the long

drive, and lots of anxiety. I persevered.

I went directly to the office of the director

of summer session, registered for

three classes, paid my fees and was

assigned a room.”

And thus Western entered a new era.

Allen had already earned a

bachelor’s degree in speech correction

and English in Virginia and was working

as a speech therapist in Charlotte- Meck-lenburg

schools when she enrolled at

Western with the goal of earning nine

hours of credit in special education to

obtain an advanced North Carolina

teaching certificate.

Allen’s arrival in Cullowhee came

three years after the landmark Brown v.

Board of Education Supreme Court

decision, which ordered an end to

racial segregation in the public schools.

All- white Southern colleges were just

beginning to receive applications from

African- American students. Some

schools, including Western, granted

admission, but many students won

admission only with a court order.

Allen says she found out much

later that her first days in Cullowhee were

carefully planned to avoid complications.

She arrived the day following regular

registration, avoiding reporters, and

the institution’s director of public

relations interviewed her and released

the story to the press.

“ My instructors had been chosen,”

she said. “ They appeared eager to have

me as a student. A black family with a

daughter about my age called to offer as-sistance

if I needed it. We became friends.

They were my lifeline to understanding

this new and different culture and a

source of comfort.”

Overall, the situation remained quiet

in Cullowhee. “ There might have been

some residents who feared change, but

it appeared to me that most resigned

themselves to the fact that change was

coming,” she said. “ While they did not

welcome it with open arms, there was no

violence, no fight, no mass resistance.

“ When I reflect on that summer, I

wonder why,” Allen said. “ There had been

a tremendous amount of violence in sev-eral

states, and more was to come. How-ever,

it never happened in Cullowhee.”

Allen went on to earn master’s

degrees at the University of Maryland

and George Washington University. She

retired in 1992 after working as a speech

pathologist in Washington, D. C.– area

schools for 25 years. Currently a resident

of Silver Spring, Md., she served Western

as a trustee from 1987 through 1995.

Although Allen’s 1957 arrival in

Cullowhee was quiet, her August 2006

visit to Cullowhee came with a lot of

fanfare as the university honored her

with an honorary doctorate in humane

letters in recognition of her contributions

to society as a pioneer of integration

and social change, and for her service

to the university.

“ I always knew that the summer

of 1957 was special,” Allen said as she

accepted the honorary degree at the

summer commencement ceremony.

“ I accept this honor with the love and

dignity in which it was presented.”

A Pioneer of Integration Recalls the Summer of 1957 By RANDAL HOLCOMBE

alumniAchievements

BreakingBarriers

In a recent return to campus, Lavern Hamlin Allen

re- creates her 1957 visit to Hunter Library.

Joel Queen ’ 05 shows one

of his traditional Cherokee pots.

Cherokee potter Joel Queen ’ 05 dug 6 feet

into muddy, soggy earth near a pond to mine for

scarce blue clay. The mica- rich material gets harder

and harder to find on undeveloped land, but Queen

refuses to give up the search. He seeks permis-sion

to retrieve bucketfuls from private property

and then dries, grinds, rewets, strains and works

with the temperamental material to help him feel

a connection with the past. Nine generations of

his family worked with blue clay. “ Before that, the

records are fuzzy,” he said. “ My grandmother was

Ethel Bigmeat. I did not get to work with her, but

she was an excellent potter. She was using blue clay

when she died.”

His story is one of many in the community

of Cherokee artists faced with depleted supplies

of once- common materials their ancestors used.

Helping them is the Revitalization of Traditional

Cherokee Artisan Resources initiative, funded by

the Cherokee Preservation Foundation and oper-ated

by Western Carolina University’s Cherokee

Studies Program. RTCAR has awarded about half a

million dollars in grants to entities

from businesses to universities

that agree to step forward

with plans to search for,

grow or study ways to

revitalize needed natural

resources. David Cozzo,

RTCAR project director,

said many projects have

focused on mapping and

planting rivercane.

“ It’s probably the signature material of Cherokee

basket makers,” said Cozzo. “ Rivercane is not

an endangered species, but it is considered an

endangered habitat.”

Vicki Ledford, manager of Qualla Arts and

Crafts Mutual in Cherokee, said artists are having

to go farther to find what they need, whether it’s

across state lines to acquire rivercane or deep into

the mountains to find the plants used for dyes.

Honeysuckle is fairly available, but hickory is get-ting

scarce, she said. “ Basket weavers are buying a

lot of white oak from a local gentleman who works

with construction and goes to different states,”

Ledford said. “ You can’t go out on your property

anymore and find your white oak tree. Nowadays,

you can run down to the hobby shop and get stuff

and assemble it, but that’s what we try to stay away

from. We have a tag on our pieces that tells the craft

worker, the date, the materials and the dyes.”

Supporting Queen’s quest for blue clay is a

prestigious $ 15,000 Wingate Fellowship. The fund-ing

helps him locate traditional blue clay sources

in the region and experiment with ways to use the

bluish gray tint to produce high- fired functional

art, such as pots that could be used for baking. “ It’s

hard work, though fortunately, the rain has made

everything muddy and soggy,” said Queen. “ The

fellowship will allow me to bring a functional piece

out that people will be able to use— pots to serve

and bake in. Luckily, there are still a few places

where you can mine this clay.”

Wary Potter

Cherokee Artist Strives to Keep Traditions Alive

By Teresa Killian

The Magazine of Western Carolina 32 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 33

Involved and energetic, that’s how Kristian and Morgan

Buckner describe their grandmother, Katherine Abbott

Boydston ’ 67 MAEd ’ 79 EdS ’ 83. Boydston spends time

with them, and takes them places such as the WCU campus

to take photos for a county fair competition.

“ Miss Everything,” that’s how Chancellor John Bardo

describes her. Boydston’s resume of Western involvement

is long: current chair of the Council for the Advancement

of the College of Education and Allied Profesions, chair of

the WCU Foundation Board, president of the WCU Alumni

Association, leader of the Bird Alumni House restoration,

key fundraiser for the Alumni Tower, founder and chair of an

alumni association presidents group, founder of the Univer-sity

of North Carolina system alumni association presidents

council, and the list goes on and on. “ If it’s for Western, her

answer is ‘ yes,’” Bardo said. “ She gave and gave and gave to

this university, and still does.”

Western recently honored Boydston for her decades

of service with the Distinguished Service Award for the

initiatives she has led and aided to unify WCU alumni and

enhance the quality of education.

She traces her ties to the university to her family and

growing up in Cullowhee in the house next door to Bird

Alumni House. Despite earning a full scholarship to another

university, she had no question about where she would

attend college— not that she simply “ attended.” As a fresh-man

at Western, she was presented the Most School Spirited

Award. Boydston edited the Catamount yearbook, was a

member of Delta Zeta sorority and wrote a column for the

Western Carolinian. She graduated— the first time— in 1967

with a bachelor’s degree in business, marketing and

retailing. The second time, she earned a master’s degree in

middle grades education and the third time an education

specialist degree.

During her 35 years teaching in North Carolina— 33

of those in Haywood County— she has amassed numerous

teaching awards, including North Carolina DARE Educator

of the Year, Outstanding Elementary Science Teacher of the

Year and Outstanding Elementary Mathematics Teacher of

the Year. She has twice been named both Teacher of the Year

and Conservation Teacher of the Year. Today, she is the water

curriculum coordinator for Haywood County Schools. “ Kathy

became the consummate educator,” Bardo said.

In addition to building her career and raising her family,

she continued to volunteer countless hours to efforts to

improve Western and help students achieve their academic

goals, including helping raise money for a Haywood County

scholarship fund that still gives scholarships today. “ It was

just a natural thing to give back, and I have just begun,”

Boydston said. “ There is much to be done.”

WCU Wonder Woman

Boydston Shares Energy, Enthusiasm

By Teresa Killian

Vocalist Soars from

Cullowhee to Carnegie

By TERESA KILIAN

Jeanne Jolly ’ 01 sat on a stool at

Carnegie Hall in June for sound check

before a sea of red velvet chairs— empty

except for her biggest fans in the third

row. ( Her parents said they had to keep

pinching themselves.) “ I never would have

thought that I would have been able to

perform in Carnegie Hall this soon— if

ever,” said Jolly, featured vocalist with the

band of Chris Botti, a multiple Grammy

Award– winning jazz trumpet player.

For 10 panic- stricken minutes the day

of the concert, though, the Raleigh native

feared she still might not get to perform

in Carnegie Hall: A search for warm water

for tea left her locked in a stairwell, bang-ing

on every door. “ As I began to imagine

scenarios of Chris calling me to the stage

and not being there, someone finally

heard me,” Jolly said.

Not long after, she was giving life to

music from Botti’s album “ To Love Again”

and enjoying a standing ovation from a

sold- out auditorium. “ What a dream come

true,” said Jolly, 2006 winner of Western’s

Young Alumna Award.

The dream was born before Jolly

could talk, mimicking Beethoven’s Fifth

while riding in a car seat. “ You’d have to

ask my mom if I was in tune or not,” Jolly

said. At age 11, Jolly auditioned and was

selected to perform the national anthem

at a Carolina Mudcats baseball game. In

the summers, she would sing with youth

musical theatre programs. A 14- year- old

Jolly landed the role of the 60- something

mother abbess in “ The Sound of Music”

because she could pull off “ Climb Every

Mountain,” said her mother, Jeanne S.

Jolly. At Saint Mary’s School in Raleigh,

she developed her classical voice.

Jolly was recruited to the music pro-gram

at Western, where she was a Fletcher

Music Scholar. “ Jeanne has a very pure

quality in her voice,” said Robert Holquist,

WCU professor of music and director of

choral activities, “ She also has a warm,

down- home personality and a stage pres-ence

so engaging that when you watch her,

you will be drawn to her and her beauti-fully

clear voice.”

Holquist encouraged Jolly to sing it

all, she said. “ I tried out opera workshop,

concert choir, early music, technology

ensemble, jazz and big band. I really just

had a wonderful time performing with my

classmates, being creative, and buckling

down and really getting inside the music,”

said Jolly. “ Western was the perfect place

for me.”

Jolly then earned her master’s in

music from the extremely competitive

New England Conservatory and had

the chance to perform with the Boston

Philharmonic and at Opera in the Ozarks.

In Los Angeles, she worked as a sales and

marketing coordinator at a music produc-tion

company, where she did voiceover

work for movies, commercials and televi-sion

shows including NBC’s “ West Wing”

and Showtime’s “ Sleeper Cell.”

Botti heard Jolly’s voice on a demo

recording and invited her on the day of a

show to sing with the group. The next day,

Botti invited her on a 10- day bus tour that

grew into an invite to a Canada tour and

performances in more than 30 states. In

Honolulu, the orchestral musicians wore

Hawaiian shirts. In Florida, a crowded

rained- out show moved into a Rotary

clubhouse. A performance with the Pacific

Symphony inspired a man in the audi-ence

to tell her he cried thinking about

his daughter when she sang “ What’ll I

Do,” Jolly said. “ That is what it is all about

— creating music to reflect on memories,

to bring joy, to heal and to communicate

in ways you can’t otherwise.”

Songbird

Takes

Flight

Kathy Boydston ’ 67 MAEd ’ 79 EdS ’ 83 stands

outside the Bird Alumni House she helped restore.

Jeanne Jolly ’ 01 is hitting all the right notes in her singing career.

The Magazine of Western Carolina 34 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 35

classNOTES

1939

The memoir Vera Jones Stinson

( left) wrote about her life,

“ Stumbling Blocks Were Stepping

Stones in Appalachia,” is in its third

printing. Stinson, who is 97, shared

memories of survival skills such as

smoking hams, canning, dispensing

herbal medicine, operating a still,

making footballs from hog bladders,

curing snakebites, and making

clothes and quilts. Her intention

was to show that no matter how

poor a person is, one can have a

loving, fulfilling life and be extremely

proud of this area in North

Carolina. Completing her degree at

Western Carolina Teacher’s College

took a decade, and among her

jobs was teaching 40 students in a

one- room schoolhouse in Cedar

Mountain.

1974

Joseph Crocker was appointed

to the board of directors of Bank

of Granite Corp. Crocker, a native

of Kings Mountain, spent nearly

32 years in the banking industry.

He is the director of operations at

the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

in Winston- Salem, a private,

philanthropic, grant- making

organization.

Jenna Mills ’ 05 boarded the now- retired KC- 135 plane

three years ago wondering what weightlessness would feel like.

The plane soared, and Mills suddenly began to float and turn in

the air. “ It’s hard to describe. Some people say it’s like riding a

roller coaster, but, to me, it’s completely different. It’s the coolest

feeling in the world,” she said.

The fledgling journalist returned to Charlotte after complet-ing

her mission of taking video and documenting North Carolina

students’ participation in the Reduced Gravity Student Flight

Program. Then, she launched a mission of her own— to work

for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “ I just

completely fell in love with Johnson Space Center,” said Mills.

“ Everyone who worked there was so nice and willing to help in

any way, and I thought ‘ I’d love to work for NASA,’ which was a

surprise for somebody who wasn’t strong in science and math.”

The Waynesville native gave two weeks notice at the

independent TV station where she worked, moved home and

returned to Western to finish her degree in communication. She

shifted her concentration from broadcast journalism to public

relations, where she learned such skills as putting together public

relations plans. “ Jenna has what it takes to be successful— good

organizational and analytical skills, attention to details,” said

Debra Connelly, assistant professor of public relations. “ She is

hard- working and self- motivating.”

Mills contacted the NASA Cooperative Education Program,

applied for one of 150 competitive positions and wrote the co-ordinator

weekly until she got the job. “ When people say persis-tence

pays off, persistence pays off,” she said.

At NASA, she helped market a series of short videos,

“ NASA Brain Bites,” which answer frequently asked questions

such as how an astronaut goes to the bathroom in space. She

conducted a hometown publicity campaign that promoted

stories about the people who work with the International Space

Station to publications in their hometowns. The internship and

co- op experiences at NASA developed into a full- time position

as a public affairs specialist.

“ She’s a jack- of- all- trades,” said Debbie Nguyen, public

affairs specialist who works with Mills. “ She brought a lot

of experience from different areas to the team, has a great

attitude and works hard.”

Mills now writes for NASA publications, fields media

calls during shuttle missions, develops publicity campaigns and

arranges events, such as a hurricane preparation briefing. She has

produced press kits, interviewed NASA officials and written press

releases. The Western student who took time off to figure out her

future has landed a job she loves.

Houston, we have lift- off.

classNOTES

3… 2… 1…

Alum Takes off at NASA

Wing Man

Growing WCU Community

Brings Alum Home

Western football alumnus Jim Rodgers ’ 96

began his search for the right place to open a

Zaxby’s restaurant in South Carolina but ended it

to the north, close to his college home. “ I couldn’t

have a better place to have a business,” said Rodg-ers,

a lifelong chicken finger fan who lives in Geor-gia.

“ Western North Carolina is a great part of the

country. Sylva’s Main Street has a lot of traffic. The

university and the community are growing, and it

means a lot to me to return to the WCU commu-nity.

It was just a perfect fit.”

His search for property and agreement to

occupy a former Hardee’s site in Sylva took six

months, and the restaurant opened earlier this

year. Zaxby’s created 38 jobs and boosted the

community through the remodeling and landscap-ing

completed in concert with the investment of

Kole Clapsaddle ’ 80, who constructed new shops

nearby, said Julie Spiro ’ 98, executive director

with the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

and Travel and Tourism Authority. “ The building

itself went from an old, outdated structure to an

attractive new restaurant,” Spiro said.

In addition, Zaxby’s has supported community

events from a battle of the bands to the chamber’s

annual fundraiser. “ Jim and his father saw the

potential for a business like Zaxby’s to thrive in

Jackson County,” said Spiro, who noted state labor

statistics show the population grew 17 percent

to 35,369 and the workforce nearly 40 percent to

20,593 in the last decade. “ We appreciate their

enthusiasm and their investment. Welcome home

Jim Rodgers!”

classNOTES

1976

Two alums were selected to

be featured in the new book

“ Firestarters: 100 Job Profiles to

Inspire Young Women.” Beverly

Davis Setzer MS ’ 77 and

Michelle Triggs Owen ’ 95 are

two of 100 women whose career

achievements can offer inspiration

to girls and young women exploring

career options. Setzer, principal of

Rugby Middle School in Henderson

County, emphasizes the importance

of each person finding her niche.

“ Women need to decide what’s

important to them and follow

that, but they need to have passion

for what they’re doing. If you

don’t have a passion for it, don’t

do it.” Owen, a graphic designer

whose company is temporarily

inactive while she pursues other

interests and obligations, enjoys

not being tied down to a desk.

Design projects require research,

giving her a certain amount of

freedom. Her advice includes

the importance of education for

designers: “ Learn everything about

everything because it all comes

into play in design.”

1979

In June, Brenda Kay Ledford

MAEd returned for the second

summer to the Keith House at

John C. Campbell Folk School in

Brasstown for a reading of original

stories and poems. She won the

2005 Paul Green Multimedia Award

for her chapbook “ Patchwork

Memories.” A member of the

North Carolina Poetry Society, the

Tennessee Mountain Writers and

the Georgia Mountain Writers’ Club,

Ledford has had work published

in Our State, Carolina Country,

Asheville Poetry Review, Pembroke

Magazine, Main Street Rag and

other publications.

1980

Chief of police in Grand Rapids,

Mich., and internationally

known leader in the field of law

enforcement management, Harry

P. Dolan served in March as

instructor in the management and

leadership seminar at Southwestern

Community College in Sylva. He

has trained thousands of police

officers, supervisors and managers

throughout the country in the field

of community policing and police

leadership. In 2005, Dolan was

invited to Budapest, Hungary, to

provide training to law enforcement

practitioners from five eastern

European countries on the topic

of traffic stop data collection in

America. Last fall, he was in Russia

to provide similar training. Dolan

began his law enforcement career

as a deputy for the Buncombe

County Sheriff ’ s Department in

Asheville and also has worked in

law enforcement in Raleigh and

Lumberton.

1982

Owner of the Mountaineer

Publishing Co. of Waynesville,

Jonathan Key recently completed

a term on the North Carolina Press

Association Board of Directors.

Key also is president of the United

Way of Haywood County, president

of the Haywood County Schools

Foundation, and a member of the

Haywood Community Connection

Board and Haywood County

Chamber of Commerce education

committee. He and wife Barbara

have two sons – Jonathan, 13, and

Thomas, 10.

1983

Among the new Lenoir- Rhyne

College Alumni Board members

elected for 2006- 2007 is Becky

Roof Gladden MAEd. A media

specialist at Banoak Elementary

School in Catawba County, she is a

member of Sardis Lutheran Church.

Gladden and husband Jonathan live

in Vale with their children: Sarah, 17;

Caroline, 15; and Meredith, 12.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee

Indians has selected Robert

Jumper ( above) to manage its

Cherokee Bottled Water enterprise.

Jumper, an enrolled member of

the Eastern Band of Cherokee

Indians, had previously been the

marketing and public relations

coordinator for the tribe since

2002. As part of the Cherokee

travel and tourism promotion team,

he helped organize and promote

events including the Cherokee

Indian Fairs, the inaugural Festival of

Native Peoples and the Cherokee

Rod Runs. Jumper has 20 years of

product management experience

with Georgia- Carolina Radiocasting,

the Childress Broadcast Group,

Altria/ Philip Morris USA and the

The Class Notes section features news about

personal or professional accomplishments

of Western graduates. Alumni are

listed in the year in which they

earned their first degree at

Western. City and county

names not otherwise

identified are in

North Carolina.

Jenna Mills ’ 05

Jim Rodgers ’ 96

The Magazine of Western Carolina 36 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 37

Berry Mauney ’ 68 admits attendance was pretty slim

when he and Betty Allen ’ 68 were trying to get the Western

Club of Gaston/ Lincoln Counties off the ground. “ There were

times we had meetings that turned out to be just the two of us,

but we still wrote up the meetings in the local paper to report

what we discussed,” Mauney said. “ It grew from there.”

They drew new members with social activities and meet-ings

at area restaurants, but Allen says what really brought

them together was a decision to raise money for scholarships

– a common goal that they all cared about. To date, the club

has raised more than $ 30,000 for scholarships for WCU stu-dents,

including $ 14,000 for an endowed scholarship that will

generate money every year for students.

The fundraising efforts began the same year WCU adopted

a requirement that all students have a computer. Chris Packer

’ 84 suggested hosting a golf tournament to help Western

students from their community with the cost, and Allen said

club members rallied to the cause. “ Working on an annual golf

tournament turned out to be a lot of fun,” Allen said. “ Without

that, I’m not sure we would have lasted the past 11 years.”

The club found corporate sponsors and golfers to enjoy

some friendly competition as well as barbecue and all the trim-mings,

cash prizes for winners ( including $ 4 for the last place

team), beverages, hot dogs, snacks and door prizes. “ Everybody

walks away with something— a ball cap, a stadium seat, an

umbrella, a Western shirt or other item,” Allen said. There are

even some non- purple and gold prizes for participating golfers

from rival ASU. “ We have discovered their money is green just

like Western’s,” Allen said.

The club also has hosted raffles. One year, it sold tick-ets

for a chance at four tickets to the Western/ Appalachian

football game with four meals at a local restaurant, two rooms

at a local motel, a voucher for the school store and spending

money. “ I actually sold the winning ticket in that raffle,” Allen

said. “ The winner was a young grad from the early ‘ 90s and

now, whenever I’m in Cullowhee at a football game, we’ll talk

for a bit. It’s been so great to meet alumni from across the spec-trum

and all the years through the Western Club.”

And though the Gaston/ Lincoln Western Club has met

the goal of creating an endowed scholarship that will generate

revenue to help students every year for years to come, mem-bers

are not through yet. They’re ready to issue a challenge to

other Western clubs who might be interested in a little friendly

fundraising competition. “ For us, to be able to contribute to

a student from Lincoln County and Gaston County, where

we know there is a need and where we know there are good

students, is phenomenal in the way it makes you feel,” Mauney

said. “ It feels great to be able to do that because we all have a

love for Western, and because of that, we love to give back.”

To find out more about a Western Club near you, call

Marty Ramsey ’ 85 at ( 828) 227- 7335 or check out alumni.

wcu. edu/ WesternClub. htm.

Gaston/ Lincoln Club Issues Challenge

Group Raises $ 30,000- Plus for Student Scholarships

Jack Eckerd Corporation. Cherokee

Bottled Water has been in business

since 1998 and was the 2001 Gold

Medal Winner of the prestigious

Berkeley Springs International

Festival of Waters tasting contest.

Jumper and his wife, Vickie, are

celebrating their 20th anniversary

this year. They reside in Clyde.

1988

A regional sales representative for

PhyTest, Dianne Cartwright is

married to Tracy Jackson, who

works as assistant county manager

with Iredell County. She also has a

current connection to Western—

her niece, Ashley Adams, was

a starter last spring with the

Catamount softball team.

1990

Atlanta resident Toni Jackson

Hannah and husband, Marc,

welcomed son Christian Marcellus,

their first child, in April. Hannah is a

senior human resources consultant

for Georgia Power and Light.

1991

After serving as head baseball

coach at Lander University in

Greenwood, S. C., for a year, in June

Bill Jarman MAEd was named

pitching coach at East Carolina

University. “ Our baseball program

is excited about Coach Jarman

joining the Pirate family,” said

ECU’s head coach, Billy Godwin.

“ With his recruiting experience,

knowledge of the game and ability

to develop players, we believe this

addition is going to give us the best

opportunity to compete at the

highest level in college baseball.”

Much of that recruiting experience

and knowledge of the game he

gained at Western, where Jarman

assisted with former East Carolina

coach Keith LeClair ’ 89, who

died in July. When LeClair became

Western’s head coach, Jarman

remained on staff as pitching coach

and recruiting coordinator until

1995, when he went to Coastal

Carolina University to work with

pitching and recruiting.

1996

Patrick Neil Mecimore

and wife Kimberley ’ 93 live

in Statesville, where he is plant

engineer and also is in charge of

environmental health and safety

at the local Armstrong World

Industries plant. His job keeps him

busy traveling to other Armstrong

facilities in the United States, and

he is working on his MBA through

the Gardner- Webb University

campus in Statesville. Kimberley is

an environmental health specialist

with the Iredell County Health

Department.

A faculty member at Cedarville

University in Cedarville, Ohio, since

1997, Beth Porter MA has been

promoted to associate professor

of vocal music. Cedarville is an

accredited Baptist university of arts,

classNOTES

Becky Abernethy ’ 69

Betty A llen ’ 68

Lesley Andrew ’ 88

& David A ndrew ’ 83

Carla H. Bailey

Shirley Bateman

& Floyd Bateman MAEd ’ 77

Bonnie W. Bell ’ 76 MA ’ 78

Mark A . Benge ’ 86

Bill Boydston ’ 68

Kathy Boydston ’ 67 MAEd ’ 79

EdS ’ 83

Lila Buchanan ’ 87

Bobby Byrd ’ 74

Jack A . Calloway Sr. ’ 69

June Causby ’ 69

& Jim Causby ’ 67 MAEd ’ 70

Sarah Chadwick ’ 04

Christine S . Cook ’ 79

& Phillip R. Cook ’ 79

Billy Cooper ’ 89

Country Classic Real Estate

Cullowhee Cafe

The Design Center

Dillsboro Smokehouse

Nicholas W. Dockery Jr. ’ 67

Brian S . E dlin ’ 97

Gerald E . E dlin ’ 67

Pat E . Daniels ’ 81

Vicky Faris ’ 66

& Paul Faris ’ 66

Kay Folsom

& Bob Folsom ’ 66 MAEd ’ 68

Susanne C. Goethals MS ’ 04

Leslie Greer ’ 90

Robert J. Griffin ’ 69

Brent D. Hall ’ 82

Marsha Harris ’ 83

& Charles F. Harris

Richard L . Harrison ’ 74

Tammy Haskett ’ 84

& Mark Haskett ’ 87

BB& T

Nationwide Foundation

Northwestern Mutual Foundation

SAKS Incorporated

Widener- Burrows and Associates Inc.

sciences, professional and

graduate programs.

1998

A detective from the West Palm

Beach, Fla., Police Department

assigned to the Violent Crime

Unit, A. J. Myers was named

Investigator of the Quarter in

April. The honor resulted from a

seven- month- long sexual battery

investigation in which a 24- year-old

man accused of abusing

a 13- year- old fled to London.

Through work with authorities

from U. S. Immigration and Customs

Enforcement, the U. S. Marshall

Service and the Dutchess County

( N. Y.), Sheriff ’ s Office, the man

was arrested in the Newark,

N. J., International Airport as he

attempted to re- enter the United

States and extradited to Florida to

face charges.

1999

Assistant baseball coach at

Lander University in Greenwood,

S. C., Chris Moore was named

head coach at the university last

Memorial Day. Drafted by the

Colorado Rockies after receiving

numerous honors during his career

at Western, Moore played for the

Asheville Tourists in the South

Atlantic League for four years and

made the all- star team in 2000.

Prior to going to Lander, Moore

served as assistant coach/ recruiting

coordinator at NCAA Division I

Davidson College. “ I am very

excited about being head coach. I

am thankful for the opportunity,”

Moore told the Index- Journal. He

and wife Aimee have a son, Carter,

and a daughter, Lillee.

2001

She didn’t study in the health care

field while at WCU, but Jerilyn

Hammond Martin ( right) is

drawing comparisons to one of

the best- known names in the

nursing game for resuscitating an

ailing Arizona publication. Martin,

who majored in print media with

a minor in photography, is editor

of Pinal Ways in Pinal County, Ariz.

“ After detailing the passing days

in longer, more descriptive essays

for decades, the magazine was on

life support, despite the yeoman

Matching Gift Companies & Foundations

AlumniAssociation

Scholarship Contributors

Mike Hill ’ 72

Tucker Hopper ’ 68

& Max Hopper ’ 69

Jack Hudson ’ 82

Howard B. Hyatt ’ 56

Laura L eatherwood ’ 93 MS ’ 96

William A . L inn ’ 88 MBA ’ 90

Cindi Magill

Mail Management Services

Berry Mauney ’ 68

Julia McManus ’ 90

& Phillip McManus ’ 88 MBA ’ 91

Teri G. Meeks ’ 81

Jayne O . Miller

N. A ndrew Miller ’ 48

Herman W. Mizzell MA ’ 68

Alice R . Morton ’ 42

William H. M. N elson II

Billy O vercash ’ 84

Thomas G. Parker

John C. Peden

Eric Powell ’ 91

Juanita Proffitt ’ 39

& Brank Proffitt ’ 42

Marty R amsey ’ 85

Joanne Reid ’ 68

& John Reid ’ 66 MA ’ 68

Robin Schaeffer ’ 71

& Dan Schaeffer ’ 79

Kirstin Schlenker ’ 97

& Christopher Schlenker ’ 96

Gwyn Smith ’ 70

Darnell P. S pann ’ 39

State Farm Insurance

Van Stayton ’ 65

Mr. Don B. S till EdS ’ 74

Elysia B. Versen MAEd ’ 04

Edna Waldrop ’ 84

& David Waldrop ’ 70 MAEd ’ 71

Western Club of Lincoln/

Gaston County

Mike Wilmoth ’ 90

B. N eil Wilson ’ 57

Jim Woodard ’ 68 MPA ’ 89

Brett Woods

Bryan D. Woosley ’ 92

June F. Wynne ’ 62

Zaxby’s of Sylva

Members of the Gaston/ Lincoln club include, left to right, Marshall Gunter ’ 78,

Chris Packer ’ 84, Paul Faris ’ 66, Vicky Faris ’ 65, Jack Spady ’ 65

and Betty Allen ’ 68.

The Western Carolina University Alumni Scholarship Fund provides

financial assistance to WCU students with close family ties to Catamount

alumni or whose parents work for the university. For information on how

to contribute, contact Brett L. Woods, director of annual and special gifts,

at ( 828) 227- 7124 or bwoods@ wcu. edu.

The Magazine of Western Carolina 38 University WINTER 2007 WINTER 2007 The Magazine of Western Carolina University 39

efforts of the previous editor,

who had a growing second job

of her own,” said Temple A. Stark,

editor of the sister publication Eloy

Enterprise. “ Like the legendary