UNCP today : for alumni and friends of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke |
Previous | 11 of 29 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
Large
Extra Large
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
|
This page
All
|
-
505716.pdf
[42.66 MB]
Link will provide options to open or save document.
File Format:
Adobe Reader
UNCPToday For alumni and friends of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Fall 2009 www.uncp.edu/alumni/magazine Meadors bids farewell p. 5 p. 3 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Editor Amber Rach News Writer Scott Bigelow Art Director R. Jerrod Hatfield ‘06 Web Publisher Lawrence Locklear ‘05 Photographers Bobby Ayers Raul Rubiera Class Notes James Bass ‘94, ‘03 Vice Chancellor, University and Community Relations Glen G. Burnette Jr., Ed.D. ‘80, ‘87 UNCP Today magazine is published three times a year for alumni and friends of the University by the Division for University and Community Relations. UNCP is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina. Editorial Offices UNCP Today University and Community Relations P.O. Box 1510 Pembroke, NC 28372-1510 tel: (910) 521-6249 email: relations@uncp.edu web: www.uncp.edu/relations Class Notes Office of Alumni Relations P.O. Box 1510 Pembroke, NC 28372-1510 tel: (910) 521-6533 email: alumni@uncp.edu web: www.uncp.edu/alumni UNCP Web Site www.uncp.edu Chancellor Charles R. Jenkins Board of Trustees Freda Porter ‘78 Chairwoman Breeden Blackwell ‘68 Robin Cummings Arlinda Locklear Donna Lowry Thomas Nance ‘69 Raymond Pennington Lorna Ricotta ‘01, ‘08 Newy Scruggs ‘94 Dick Taylor Alan Thompson ‘85 Paul Willoughby ‘74 Rigoberto “Arjay” Quizon On The Cover Homecoming 2009 page 3 Allen C. Meadors bids farewell to UNCP. page 5 3 University News 12 Faculty/Staff News 17 Athletics 18 Advancement 22 Alumni News 24 Class Notes Inside Chancellor’s Welcome Dear Alumni and Friends, Before giving you an update about your University, I want to say thank you to the many people who have welcomed me as I took on the role of Chancellor on an interim basis. The warmth and the fellowship I have felt are truly heartwarming as we look to the future of our fine University. UNC Pembroke has been my home and office since 1971. I have seen many changes, and I have never been more excited about the future of this great institution and about the opportunities we are able to bring to the education of our students. By the numbers alone – our growing enrollment and employment opportunities – we have made a substantial impact on our surrounding communities. With this greater role comes greater responsibility to be good stewards of our resources, especially the people of our region and the financial resources provided by you and the citizens of North Carolina. I don’t have to tell you that this is a challenging time for our nation, state and University. Everyone has felt and shared in the effects of the economic downturn. I have vowed to remain positive about our lot in this story and encourage you to also remain positive. Much of our time at UNCP has been spent bringing our budget in line with the state’s shifting financial needs. It has been a daunting task to make budget reductions without sacrificing our core mission of teaching and learning. In every decision, we have tried to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of our classroom experience. Jobs have been lost, but thankfully some of them were vacant positions. One fortunate development is that our enrollment made strong gains this fall. Overall enrollment is up 5.7 percent. A record number of freshmen (1,277) and transfer students (587) contributed to the gains. Growth in enrollment and tuition that comes with it helps our financial position. Even in difficult times, we are able to strengthen our academic programs. We have added two distinguished professors to endowed chairs. Dr. Ben Bahr, a distinguished research scientist, and Dr. Jerry Jones, a distinguished educator, will boost our programs, the training of our students and our outreach into the community. As part of the 10-year reaccreditation process with the Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, we have developed a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan that will further infuse writing into the curriculum for all of our students. This plan will touch every student and every member of the faculty. Enhancing the writing skills of our graduates is a sound plan. I want to thank Dr. Elizabeth Normandy, our reaccreditation committees and the faculty who worked on this important program. I hope our alumni and friends were able to join us for the exciting Two Rivers Classic game with FSU and for Homecoming. Spirits are high and Coach Shinnick has done a great job putting an exciting and competitive football team on the field. It is my privilege and honor to serve the University in this role, and I look forward to seeing each of you on campus. Sincerely, Charles R. Jenkins Chancellor 2 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Homecoming 2009 drew a record crowd of 4,843 to Grace P. Johnson Stadium to watch the Braves defeat Webber International 30-3. On Friday night, alumni gathered to celebrate the reunion of the Class of 1959. Later Friday, nearly 1,000 attended The Stylistics’ performance at the Givens Perform-ing Arts Center. On Saturday, a huge crowd of nearly 2,000 alumni and students gathered to tailgate before the game. It was a weekend of memories, but for the institution, Homecoming was an intersection of the past and future as it reveled in many years of growth and searches for a new leader. In interviews during Homecoming weekend, alumni and community leaders reflected on the past and future. Mary Alice Teets ‘58: “The University needs to continue to achieve excellence. It needs to continue to appreciate its past as we move forward together. I am confident in this search committee, and I look forward with optimism.” Randall Jones ‘72: “Continued growth should be in our fu-ture. We will need funding for the Foundation and endow-ment. That will be a key to making our programs excep-tional. The last 10 years have been good ones, and we are poised for a successful future.” Ron Sutton, state representative: “My hope is that the next chancellor has the same vision for growth (as former Chan-cellor Allen Meadors). Those are tough shoes to fill, but I have confidence in the search committee and in UNC that they will find a good individual to lead this University.” Bill Mason Jr. ‘80: “This is a wonderful weekend. They should do the right thing and find a chancellor to keep this University moving forward. Chancellor Meadors got things going, especially football.” Johnny Hunt ‘77: “The sky is the limit for UNCP. With everybody working together like they are now, we can do anything.” Bob Caton, former trustee and football supporter: “If you told me 20 years ago I’d be here on a Saturday, I’d have said you were dreaming. Now is the time to get our football team into a first class conference.” Pete Ivey ‘61: “I would like to see more alumni involve-ment. I have friends who have never returned to their alma mater after graduation. They would like what they see.” Homecoming ‘09 Fall 2009 UNCP Today 3 continued on page 4 A time to reflect on the past and future Chancellor Charles Jenkins in an ad-dress to the Class of 1959: “I recall a conversation I had with the late Chancellor English Jones. He said this is a ‘university of opportunity.’ I agree with him.” GAME TIME The stands around Lumbee Guar-anty Field seemed sparsely populated as kick-off neared. Then, tailgaters flooded in to pack the house. UNCP rolled up 499 yards of total offense, and held visiting Webber In-ternational virtually motionless in the second half to extend its home win-ning streak to 10 games. The win capped a perfect home season – the second straight at John-son Stadium. UNCP’s last loss in Pembroke came in the form of a 10-7 setback to West Virginia Wesleyan on October 13, 2007. Jamal Williams booked 138 yards of total offense, hauling in seven catches for 65 yards, rushing three times for 27 more and throwing a 26- yard touchdown pass to Jamelle Banks in the third quarter. Cory Smith completed 22-of-30 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown, while Rashon Kennedy ran for 72 yards. “We came out defensively and al-lowed them on the field way too long in the first half,” said head coach Pete Shinnick. “I really challenged them at halftime and (Webber International) only got 53 yards in the second half. “That was really my expectation,” he continued. “I thought that, if our guys played with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm, they could get that done.” ELDERS The dinner honoring the Class of 1959 included a wide-ranging group of alumni with a special group of Lumbee Elders who were honored for participating in a University research project. Lillian Teen Harris ’48 was one of them. Her son, James Harris ’74, was there too. “My mother was the first in our family to go to college, and she pushed education for all three of her sons who also graduated,” Harris said. “This University makes a huge differ-ence in the lives of families.” Dr. Louise Cummings Maynor ’65 said she would never have gone to college if not for Mary Livermore, the library’s namesake. “I was one of 12 children grow-ing up in the St. Annah community, and we could not afford college,” Dr. Maynor said. “I lived with Ms. Liver-more. She had a tremendous sense of mission.” Dr. Maynor went on to get a doc-torate in English and retired last year from a career teaching college English. Chancellor Jenkins took the group on a trip down memory lane, recalling 1959 as the year Buddy Holly record-ed his last song, Hawaii and Alaska became states and Elizabeth Taylor was married again. “At the University, Walter Gale was president, Herbert Oxendine was dean of education, Adolph Dial was teach-ing history and Jim Ebert (who was in attendance) had recently joined the faculty,” Chancellor Jenkins said. Chancellor Jenkins said the Uni-versity has made a difference to the community. “Only 14 cities in North Carolina have a UNC university,” Chancellor Jenkins said. “This institution has made a positive impact here.” 4 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued from page 3 bids farewell Meadors Chancellor Allen C. Meadors left his mark on UNCP The Meadors era in Pembroke ended on June 30, 2009. Like all other days at the University, Chancellor Allen C. Meadors could be found in his office, working. On July 1, he was sitting at the president’s desk of his alma mater, the University of Central Arkansas. It was an offer to go home that Dr. Meadors could not refuse. “In the beginning, I thought we would be here 3-5 years, but this has been such a wonderful place,” Chancel-lor Meadors told an audience gathered to say goodbye. The Meadors had purchased a home nearby, and Chan-cellor Meadors moved his parents to the area. It appeared to everyone, including the Chancellor, that he would be in Pembroke until retirement. Two scholarships were established in his honor, one athletic and one academic. An endowed professorship in mathematics was named for him and funded through the C.D. Spangler Foundation. Dr. Meadors was awarded Chancellor Emeritus status on July 1 by the Board of Trustees, undoubtedly the fastest such designation in the history of the institution. With wife, Barbara, at his side, Dr. Meadors bid a tearful goodbye during a dinner in his honor. He thanked Barbara for helping make Pembroke a home for the family. Mrs. Meadors did much more than that - welcoming the entire UNCP family to the Chancellor’s Residence for many events that became traditions, including the Alumni Holiday Drop-in, International Students Night, the Ambas-sadors Christmas tree decorating, and much more. Barbara Meadors orchestrated the decorations at the Chancellor’s Residence and was instrumental in beautify-ing the entire campus, which has drawn rave reviews far and wide. She will be remembered for setting a high stan-dard for entertainment at the University. Chancellor Meadors’ 10-year tenure was highlighted by growth in enrollment and programs, construction, the return of football and an ever more beautiful campus. He touched virtually everything and left every corner better than he found it. Chancellor Meadors knew that UNCP was a diamond in the rough and proved it to the rest of us. As new traditions evolved, old traditions were preserved. “Lots of opportunities here,” Chancellor Meadors said early in his tenure. He made the most of them. The facts of the Meadors era are well documented. But what is the Meadors’ legacy? Here are some thoughts from alumni, faculty and friends: Roger Oxendine, former trustee: “I was chair of the search committee that brought Allen Meadors here. There was a lot of pressure to hire a local person. One of the most tell-ing things he did right away was send his boys to Purnell Swett High School. I thought we picked the right guy, and it turned out well. He’s been a friend, and he will always be a friend.” Mac Campbell ’68, donor and former trustee at Meadors’ hiring: “He was the right man at the right time with the right vision. I recall a comment he made early on about Pembroke being an hour and a half from the largest city in North Carolina but had only a handful of its students. He said he would take this University forward and make it known in this state. When we voted to approve football, I don’t think any of us knew how positive an impact it would have. It’s affected everything from alumni to giving to our wider reputation. And athletics was only a small part of what he did here.” Chancellor Meadors at a Board of Trustees meeting. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 5 continued on page 6 Dick Taylor, Trustee and namesake of the Richard and Lenore Taylor Track at UNCP: “At halftime of the football game (September 26 vs. Lane), I was thinking about Allen. He started the marching band even before the football team. Chancellor Meadors and Barbara were wonderful people and great friends of mine and Lenore’s. He was the right man for this time at the University. I was interested in doing something for UNCP, and he helped make it possible. I enjoyed knowing him, and I was sorry to see him go. But he got the right opportunity at the right university, his alma mater. It’s hard to argue with that.” Floyd Locklear ‘86, Alumni Board President: “He was very personable and fit into the community well. He seemed to enjoy being a part of the community. I remember his first year when he rode in the Lumbee Homecoming Parade and then walked around the campus and met with the community. To me, that showed that he wanted to be a part of what was going on with the University and the community. He would also be at the post office uptown and would always take the extra time to speak to people.” Pete Shinnick, Football Coach: “Chancellor Meadors is a good leader, and I enjoyed working for him. He gives a tremendous amount of his time to students. As for football, he was there to talk to the team or to recruits. When you’re a new program, people want to know if you have support. He was there at recruiting fairs which speaks volumes.” Dan Kenney, Athletic Director: “When he came, we fielded 12 teams with 195 student-athletes, and today we have 16 teams and 400 student-athletes. It is appropriate that he gave us a ‘fight song’ too.” Adam Hardin ’96, Alumni Board, Office of Admissions: “Chancellor Meadors will truly be missed throughout the entire campus community. He set the bar very high for our institution and that is reflective in the breadth and depth of what we are accomplishing now. His leadership has provided a steadfast vision for our University and new opportunities for Pembroke.” Dr. Breeden Blackwell ‘69, Trustee: “He has never been one to take credit, but credit should be heaped upon his shoulders.” Sylvia Pate ’99, Alumni Board, Regional Center director: “While I am so very happy for Dr. Meadors to get the opportunity to lead his alma mater, their gain is certainly our loss. He was such a sincere, genuine and caring individual who really put the interests of the University first. Under his leadership, UNCP excelled in so many areas.” James Bass ’94, ’03, Alumni Director: “I remember sending Chancellor Meadors an email at 11:59 p.m. one Thursday night and getting a response at 12:01 a.m. Chancellor Meadors was thought highly of by our alumni. He helped establish traditions and events that brought them back to campus, football chief among them. These traditions are a lasting legacy.” Willie D. Christian ’96, Alumni Board: “Chancellor Meadors was a ray of sunshine at UNC Pembroke and in the surrounding communities. Even though he has departed, he left a blueprint of success for staff, students, faculty, alumni and community leaders.” Dr. Jose D’Arruda, 35-year faculty member: “When Dr. Meadors first came to UNCP and announced that his goal was to increase the enrollment by a couple thousand, several of us old guys who have been here for quite a while already had heard those remarks by others and saw no countable results. So, we were amazed and pleasantly surprised when he began to make good on his enrollment projection. I never thought that I would ever see our enrollment surpass 3,000 students; when I first came to the University the enrollment was 1,800 and declining. “I will always be grateful to the Chancellor for listening to and supporting our plans for building an observatory as part of the addition to the science building. Originally, the observatory was not going to be part of the budget, but by saving money on the initial bid, he was able to fund both the observatory and the greenhouse, both valuable additions to our great University.” N.C. Sen. David Weinstein, former trustee: “For a complete stranger to come here and, after a couple of months, become part of the community is remarkable. This man knew how to market this University. His baby, though, was football.” Chancellor Meadors tours campus with UNC President Erskine Bowles. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 6 continued from page 5University News Advisory Board - (Front Row - from left): Dr. Charles Harrington, Greg Cummings, Jim Thomas, Donna Lowry, Dr. Cammie Oxendine, Dr. Carmen Calabrese, Robert Locklear, and Richard Rink (Back Row - from left) Dr. Joe Oxendine, Dr. Eric Dent, Larry Chavis, Samuel Locklear, and Dr. Mike Menefee The Thomas Family Center for Entrepreneurship wel-comed three new members to its advisory board in August. Dr. Joseph Oxendine, Donna Lowry and Greg Cum-mings were added to its 13-member board at its quarterly meeting on August 21. The Thomas Center’s mission is entrepreneurial educa-tion and training for the development of small businesses in the region. It was established through a gift from Jim Thomas, a Pembroke native and Los Angeles commercial real estate developer. Lowry is chief executive officer of Caring Touch Home Health Care, a Pembroke, N.C., home health agency. She is a member of UNCP’s Board of Trustees and winner of the University’s Distinguished Service Award in 2009. Greg Cummings is director of Robeson County’s Eco-nomic Development Commission and a Pembroke town commissioner. Cummings said the center will have a “positive effect on the future of the economic development of the entire region.” “The center is already creating jobs,” Cummings said. “I am excited about its impact on small business develop-ment.” Dr. Oxendine is chancellor emeritus of UNCP and founder of UNCP’s Regional Center for Economic, Com-munity and Professional Development. He said “the en-ergy, ideas and spirit of the Thomas Center are inspiring.” Other advisory board members include: Jim Thomas, Dr. Charles Harrington, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs; Dr. Cammie Oxendine, acting dean of the School of Business; Dr. Carmen Calabrese, center di-rector; Robert Locklear, CEO of TWL Trucking Co.; Richard Rink, a Phoenix, Ariz., entrepreneur; Dr. Eric Dent, busi-ness faculty; Larry Chavis, CEO of Lumbee Guaranty Bank; Samuel Locklear, Pembroke businessman; and Dr. Mike Menefee, the Thomas Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship. The University ranked first in the South for the diversity of its student body in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges and Universities 2010.” UNCP also ranked first among North Carolina public master’s granting universities for the number of interna-tional students and third for the economic diversity of its students. The University ranked 20th in the South in eco-nomic diversity. The publication, which is popular for comparing col-leges and universities, was released on August 20. U.S. News ranks colleges and universities on a wide range of data concerning faculty qualifications, peer assessment, selectivity of admissions, retention and graduation rates, alumni support and quality of student body. Overall, UNCP falls into a large unranked tier of mas-ter’s granting colleges and universities in the South. The University compares favorably with these institutions in key areas including: • percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students - 43 percent; • percentage of full-time faculty - 87 percent; • peer assessment or how other universities rate your academic strength - 2.6 in a range of 2.3 – 3.0 for other institutions; Earlier in August, UNCP was named a “best Southeast-ern university” by the Princeton Review, a popular rating service that relies heavily on surveys of students. Chancellor Charles Jenkins stated that the University is pleased that the rankings support the efforts of the Univer-sity. “UNC Pembroke works diligently to offer the best pos-sible education experience to each of its students,” Dr. Jenkins said. “It is an honor to be included in so many categories of U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Best Colleges and Universities 2010’ because it affirms that our efforts are successful.” UNCP ranked high for diversity in U.S. News ratings UNCP’s Thomas Center adds three to advisory board Fall 2009 UNCP Today 7 University News The University was rated one of the best colleges and universities in the Southeast for 2010, the Princeton Review announced on July 27. The education services company selected the school as one of 141 institutions it recommends in its “Best in the Southeast” section of its Web site feature 2010 Best Col-leges: Region by Region. Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s vice president for publishing, said the “best colleges” are selected based on data, visits and surveys of school counselors and students. “We chose UNCP and the other terrific schools we recommend as our regional best colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs,” Franek said. “We also work to have our roster of best colleges feature a range of institu-tions by size, selectivity, character and locale. “We choose the schools based on institutional data we collect from several hundred schools in each region, our visits to schools over the years and the opinions of inde-pendent and high school-based college advisors whose recommendations we invite,” he continued. “We also take into account what each school’s customers – their students – report to us about their campus experiences on our 80-question student survey.” UNCP Chancellor Charles Jenkins said the national recognition is an honor. “The student-focused faculty and staff of UNC Pem-broke are honored to be included in the Princeton Review’s prestigious list of best colleges,” Chancellor Jenkins said. “This recognition is very gratifying because it includes the feedback of our students, who indicate that our focus on the student experience and high quality academic offerings helps them succeed.” The 141 colleges Princeton Review selected in the Southeast are located in 12 states. The Princeton Review also designated 218 colleges in the Northeast, 123 in the West, and 158 in the Midwest as best in their locales on the company’s 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region sec-tion of its site. The 640 colleges named “regional best(s)” represent only about 25 percent (one out of four) of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges. The Princeton Review survey for this project asks stu-dents to rate their own schools on several issues - from the accessibility of professors to quality of campus dining - and answer questions about themselves, fellow students and campus life. Actual comments from surveyed students pep-per each Princeton Review college profile on its site. Some UNCP student comments quoted in the profile: • “UNC Pembroke offered me the opportunity to rein-vent myself, to become the person I always wanted to be. I got the feeling that I could blossom here. From a terrified freshman, I am a confident upperclassman.” • “I considered several schools and UNCP was one of them. I talked to friends who go to big schools, and when they tell me they sometimes feel alone and just a number I know I made the right decision for me by coming to UNC Pembroke.” The Princeton Review is known for its tutoring and classroom test preparation courses, books and college and graduate school admission services. UNCP rated a ‘Best in the Southeast’ With the expansion of Pembroke Pointe, an off-campus apartment development, the UNCP community has more housing choices. On July 22, University, community and company officials dedicated phase II of Pembroke Pointe, which includes 116 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Kenney Companies, the owner, expects the units to be attractive to faculty, staff and single and married graduate students. With the addition, Pembroke Pointe may house as many as 426 students. The addition was constructed in just 10 months to be ready for the 2009-10 school year. Brandon Hammond, community manager for Pembroke Pointe, said that the company will stay in front of demand for off-campus housing. “We were one of the first private student-housing com-munities in Pembroke,” he said. “Now we are the first to offer one-bedroom apartments, and we are the first com-munity to provide housing for University faculty and staff, as well.” Steve Kenney, president and CEO of Kenney Compa-nies, presented a donation of $2,500 to UNCP’s Support our Students Campaign. “We are pleased to have a close working collaboration with the University,” Kenney said. “We operate in many college towns, but I have to say Pembroke is our favorite.” Town and University officials praised the company for its support of the University and community. “You’ve had an impact on this town,” said Pembroke Mayor Milton Hunt. “This kind of growth is always wel-come, and, on behalf of the town, thank you for having faith in Pembroke.” Pembroke Pointe opens new housing options for UNCP 8 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued on page 9 The University was named a “Military Friendly School for 2010!” by G.I. Jobs magazine. The honor ranks UNCP in the top 15 percent of all col-leges, universities and trade schools nationwide. UNCP serves Ft. Bragg through an office on base at the EArmyU Building. As a “Military Friendly School,” UNCP will be included with a basic listing in G.I. Jobs’ annual “Guide to Military Friendly Schools,” which was published in September 2009. “Clearly, UNCP has an interest in recruiting military students, and I urge you to continue your already stellar efforts by improving your military-friendliness every year,” said Rich McCormack, publisher of G.I. Jobs. “You can do so by improving the policies, efforts and results used to recruit and retain military and veteran stu-dents,” McCormack said. “These policies, efforts and results were carefully gleaned through our survey and weighted into our rankings. “On behalf of the eight million military members and veterans seeking a school, I thank you for your commitment to educating our nation’s most deserving heroes,” he said. Chancellor Jenkins said the listing is indicative of an excellent level of support to all students at UNCP. “UNCP is proud to offer a high quality education to all of its students,” Chancellor Jenkins said. “Military members and veterans face unique challenges when earning a col-lege degree due to the sacrifices they make for this country. UNCP recognizes these challenges and works diligently to ensure that students in the military are offered the same educational opportunities as any other student on our campus.” UNCP offers undergraduate programs at Ft. Bragg, in-cluding the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and Bachelor of Science in busi-ness administration (management concentration). Graduate programs include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration (MPA) and the Master of Arts in teaching, physical educa-tion (sports administration and exercise and fitness), middle grades (6-9) (mathematics and social studies), mathemat-ics education (grades 9-12) and social studies education (grades 9 – 12). Dr. Charles Tita is director of Distance Learning at UNCP and supervises satellite campuses, including Ft. Bragg. “At UNCP, we are fully engaged in our efforts to ensure that military families have access to a hassle-free, high quality education,” Dr. Tita said. “UNCP understands the challenges soldiers face, as they are frequently deployed and may not stay long enough in one place to complete their college degrees.” As a member of the Servicemembers’ Opportunity Col-lege (SOC), UNCP is part of a consortium of colleges and universities that collaborate in accepting transfer credits from each other in an effort to assist soldiers and their families toward degree completion. The University is also a member of the SOC Degree Network System (SOC DNS), a subset of SOC that is selected by the military. Magazine names UNCP a top ‘Military Friendly’ college Since opening the doors to phase I almost five years ago, Kenney Companies contributed to the construction of a town park adjacent to UNCP, scholarships and to the new football program. “This is an impressive company that, when they came here, said they would be good corporate and community citizens, and they certainly have done that,” said R.D. Locklear, representing the Pembroke Area Chamber of Commerce. “They are the largest donor to our park project, which speaks to their interest in improving our commu-nity.” Chancellor Jenkins thanked Kenney. “This is an opportunity to say thank you for your great support of our University,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Pembroke Pointe is a leader in student housing for the University, and now they are the leader in faculty housing.” Pembroke Pointe has joined in the life of the University in a variety of ways, sponsoring an intramural beach vol-leyball tournament and a barbecue cook-off during Home-coming. They also participated in UNCP’s Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. UNCP students are served by four private apartment complexes. Until the new Pembroke Pointe development, the apartments were designed to house four students. The completion of phase II at Pembroke Pointe is the culmination of a year of improvements, Hammond said. “We have made several upgrades to our clubhouse and have installed controlled-access gates for our parking area,” he noted. “We constantly look at ways to improve the resi-dent experience at Pembroke Pointe.” continued from page 8 Fall 2009 UNCP Today 9 University News Dr. Charles Jenkins, former provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, was named interim chancellor of the University effective July 1. UNC President Erskine Bowles made the announcement on June 22. Dr. Jenkins succeeds Dr. Allen C. Meadors who stepped down after 10 years to take the top job at the University of Central Arkansas, his alma mater. In announcing Jenkins’ appointment, President Bowles said: “During his 38 years of service to UNC Pembroke, Charles Jenkins has distinguished himself as a top-notch academic administrator and teacher. “Dr. Jenkins has unmatched knowledge of UNCP and the surrounding region, and he has earned the trust and respect of his faculty colleagues, the students, the local community, and other key campus constituencies,” Bowles continued. “UNCP will be in very capable hands during the search for a permanent chancellor.” Dr. Jenkins has served in many capacities since 1971 with 26 years in senior administrative posts. “I see this as another opportunity to serve UNC Pembroke, which greatly affects this region and the state,” Dr. Jenkins said. “There is much work to do, and I hope that I can be of service in a smooth transition to a permanent chancellor. “I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff and all UNCP’s constituencies,” he said. Dr. Breeden Blackwell, then-chair of UNCP’s Board of Trustees, said Dr. Jenkins’ experience will be invaluable at this time. “I am pleased with President Bowles’ selection of Dr. Charles R. Jenkins as interim chancellor for the University, effective July 1, 2009,” Dr. Blackwell said. “Dr. Jenkins’ loyalty to the University is evident through his years of service to our campus. The Board of Trustees will soon begin its important task to replace Allen C. Meadors and Dr. Jenkins’ proven leadership will be important during this transitional time.” From faculty member to provost and vice chancellor, Dr. Jenkins also worked in the positions of academic dean, director of admissions and director of student teaching. He was named Professor Emeritus in 2007 and continues to teach in the School of Education’s graduate program in school administration. The University achieved many milestones during Dr. Jenkins’ tenure, including Comprehensive I status after launching a broad range of successful master’s degree programs. The designation allowed for significant increases in faculty salaries. The Teaching Fellows Program, Chancellor’s Scholars (now the Esther Maynor Honors College), the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and 15 master’s degree programs were launched during Dr. Jenkins’ tenure. “The things we did were accomplished with the help of many good people, and that is the approach we will take this year,” Dr. Jenkins said. He was the first person at UNCP to hold the title of provost. Dr. Jenkins has worked in support of the University, higher education and the surrounding communities. He served as a commissioner for the Commission on Colleges for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and was former president of the N.C. Association of Academic Officers. A resident of Laurinburg, N.C., Dr. Jenkins served on the Board of Directors of Scotland County Memorial Hospital and served two years as chair. He was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the governor. Dr. Jenkins was named Volunteer of the Year by the Laurinburg-Scotland Area Chamber of Commerce for his work last summer on its national accreditation. He is a past president of the Pembroke Area Chamber of Commerce. A Rockingham, N.C., native, Dr. Jenkins earned Bachelor and Master of Arts in Education degrees from East Carolina University and a doctorate in educational administration from Duke University. He is married to Karen Gibson Jenkins. Dr. Charles Jenkins named interim chancellor at UNCP Fall 2009 UNCP Today 10 “Dr. Jenkins has unmatched knowledge of UNCP and the surrounding region.” -UNC President Bo wles University NewsA 16-member Chancellor Search Committee was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees of the University. The committee is tasked with the responsibility of submitting candidates for the next UNCP chancellor. UNC President Erskine Bowles will receive the nominations on behalf of the Board of Governors, who may vote as early as April. Board Chairwoman Dr. Freda Porter, who made the recommendations to the trustees, will chair the Search Committee. An alumna and former faculty member of the University, Dr. Porter said the committee will do an out-standing job. “I was concerned that we needed to be as transparent as possible and I think we succeeded,” she said. “We were adamant that the committee be diverse on all counts. “I believe this is a stellar group of outstanding indi-viduals who are committed to this University,” Dr. Porter continued. The Search Committee is comprised of four trustees, three faculty members, five community members, and one member each drawn from staff, students, alumni and the UNCP Foundation, Inc. In all, there are seven current and former faculty members and nine alumni on the commit-tee. • Trustees on the Search Committee include: Dr. Porter; Dr. Raymond Pennington, a former UNCP ad-ministrator and faculty member; Lorna Ricotta, an alumna and former UNCP administrator; and Dr. Breeden Blackwell, a retired educator and an alum-nus; • Faculty members include: Dr. Sherry Edwards, chairwoman of the Social Work Department; Dr. Mario Paparozzi, chairman of the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department; and Dr. Mary Ann Jacobs, chairwoman of the American Indian Studies Department; • Community members include: Dr. Dwight Pearson, director and superintendent of N.C. schools and alumnus; Grady Hunt, an attorney and alumnus; Carolyn Robinson, owner of a health care company and an alumna; Mac Campbell, an oil distributor and alumnus; and Dr. Robin Cummings, a physician; • The student representative is Arjay Quizon Jr., Student Government Association (SGA) president and member of the Board of Trustees; • The staff representative is W. Steve Martin, assistant vice chancellor for Business Affairs-Facilities Maintenance; • The alumni representative is Dr. Olivia Oxendine, former UNCP Alumni Association president and board member and current UNCP faculty member; and • The Foundation representative is Kellie Blue, an alumna and finance director for Robeson County. Letters went out in July to the Faculty Senate, Staff Council and SGA requesting nominations, and all trustees were invited to submit their names, Dr. Porter explained. Ann Lemmon, associate vice president for Human Resources at UNC General Administration, is advising UNCP’s chancellor search. The selected executive search firm will assist the Search Committee in the selection process at every step including gathering of information from major stakeholders includ-ing faculty, staff and community. For information about UNCP’s search, go online to www.uncp.edu/chancellorsearch. UNCP continues as a national leader in American Indian graduates The University remains a national leader for American Indian graduates, according to a recent study by Diverse magazine. UNCP ranked ninth overall among all U.S. colleges and universities with 132 American Indian graduates for 2007-08. UNCP led all Eastern U.S. higher education institutions. The University is number one in the nation for the sec-ond year in a row for turning out physical science majors and number four in biology/biomedical sciences. Diverse magazine gives an annual report titled “Top 100 Minority Undergraduate Degree Producers.” UNCP showed the biggest gain in undergraduate de-grees in education: 7th place from 13th place in 2006-07. In a new survey area, UNCP ranked 5th nationally in social services graduates, including social workers. The University also ranked high for American Indian graduates in: • Health professions – ranked 6th nationally with 18 graduates, including nurses • Social sciences – ranked 6th • History – ranked 10th • Business – ranked 40th UNCP trustees approve Chancellor Search Committee Fall 2009 UNCP Today 11 University News Dr. Jerry Jones, a veteran educator from West Virginia, joined the faculty this fall as the first Joseph B. Oxendine Distinguished Professor of Education. The endowed chair in the School of Education was cre-ated in late 2007 by a gift from the C.D. Spangler Founda-tion and named for Chancellor Emeritus Oxendine. Dr. Jones, who comes from Marshall University, teaches in the graduate School Leadership program. With more than 20 years in higher education, Dr. Jones began his career as an elementary school teacher, and he worked as a guidance counselor, principal and superinten-dent of two school districts. “We are excited about this new addition to our faculty,” said Dr. Leah Fiorentino, dean of the School of Education. “Our search com-mittee was incredibly impressed with his credentials. “He brings an understanding of rural education to this position,” she said. Dr. Jones has published seven text-books on a wide range of topics from “Insuring That No Child is Left Behind” and “101 Tips for School Leadership” to “A Handbook for the Teaching of Science and Math” and “Curriculum for Teachers of Early Childhood Educa-tion.” He described his current scholarly interests. “I have an interest in creativity in school management and the renewal of organizations,” Dr. Jones said. “I am also interested in working with schools who are struggling to lower dropout rates.” Dr. Joseph Oxendine, who was a member of the search committee, said UNCP has added an outstanding scholar who has distinguished himself in public and higher educa-tion. “Dr. Jones has all the qualities that one would expect of a distinguished professor,” Dr. Oxendine said. “I am very pleased with the selection. He will be outstanding. “The faculty will gain from his experience, and students will learn a lot from someone with his background in education,” he continued. “He is a prolific writer who has UNCP adds distinguished professor in School Leadership program published outstanding materials in recent years.” Dr. David Oxendine, director of the School Administra-tion program, welcomed Dr. Jones to the department. “It is a great honor to have such an experienced indi-vidual as Dr. Jones in this position,” Dr. Oxendine said. “His wealth of experience can only enhance the Depart-ment of Professional Leadership in the School of Educa-tion. “I am sure he will provide our graduate students with excellent guidance that helps them to be better educators and administrators in our public schools,” he said. A St. Albans, W.Va., native, Dr. Jones earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education at West Virginia State Col-lege, a Master of Arts in education from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies (now Marshall University) and a doctorate in edu-cational supervision from Virginia Tech. Dr. Jones has spent most of his professional career in West Virginia, but he said two experi-ences outside his home state were influential. “My experience teaching in Guatemala gave me an under-standing of diverse cultures,” he said. “And, I got to see the world while in the Navy.” He described the region and the Oxendine Distinguished Professor-ship as a “good fit.” “I am a rural educator, and this is a place I believe I can make a difference,” Dr. Jones said. “I have a pretty good understanding of rural school systems.” In his last post, Dr. Jones was a tenured professor in the doctoral educational leadership program at Marshall. Before that he served as a professor and department chair at the University of Charleston, associate professor at West Virginia State University and as a member of the fac-ulty at Trevecca College and the University of Rio Grande and Community College, where he was also an associate academic dean. 12 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Faculty & Staff A scientist with an international reputation in Alzheim-er’s disease research joined the faculty this fall. Dr. Ben A. Bahr accepted the William C. Friday Distin-guished Professorship in Molecular Biology and Biochem-istry. He is a tenured member of the Biology Department with laboratories and offices in UNCP’s Biotechnology Research and Training Center at COMtech. In addition to other sources, a $200,000 grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) helps fund his lab and purchase materials and supplies for research on neurodegenerative disorders. The NCBC’s Oliver Smithies Faculty Recruitment Grant Program aids in the recruitment of top science talent to North Carolina. Besides research into Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders, Dr. Bahr has a history of attracting grants, collaborating with the international scientific community, training student-researchers and entrepreneurship. Dr. Bahr discovered a new class of drug that reduces Alzheimer-type pro-tein accumulation. He has worked with several pharmaceutical companies and co-founded Synaptic Dynamics, Inc., a company that is developing novel drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and other protein accumulation disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Dr. Bahr described the discovery, which came early in his career. “I was playing with brain tissue to determine how it was com-promised by aging events and discovered that a small ma-nipulation can trigger clearance mechanisms to work harder,” Dr. Bahr said. “The brain is vast, just like the universe, and there are probably infinite possibilities regarding how it encodes memory, which we are merely scratching the surface in our understanding, but there are also countless ways the memory systems can be disrupted by disease. “Alzheimer’s is a tragic disease, but once early diagnosis is made, new strategies should be able to slow it down and make it more manageable,” he said. His research on other neurodegenerative diseases has led to projects to develop protection avenues against a wide range of brain damage from trauma to stroke. UNCP attracts a top international neurobiology research scientist A Southern California native who comes to UNCP from the University of Connecticut, Dr. Bahr is the first person to serve as the Friday Distinguished Professor, named in honor of the retired UNC president, and to occupy the new Friday Chair Research Laboratory. UNCP is fortunate to attract an outstanding scientist of Dr. Bahr’s caliber, said Dr. Martin Slann, dean of the Col-lege of Arts and Sciences. “He arrived at UNCP with important and potentially life-saving research projects already funded and well un-derway,” Dean Slann said. “The search committee members did their work well and selected an individual who is at the first tier of scientific scholarship. “We all have every confidence that Ben Bahr will continue to build and augment an internation-al reputation that can only bring great benefit to this institution,” he said. Dr. Bahr’s resume is distin-guished and well-rounded. He earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in molecular biology and biochemistry and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was most recently on the faculty of the University of Connecticut’s Phar-maceutical Sciences and Physiology and Neurobiology departments. Dr. Bahr has several patents pending, and he has licensed dif-ferent inventions from his work to pharmaceutical companies. Besides founding his own company, Dr. Bahr served as consultant and/or collaborator for several pharmaceutical com-panies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merz Pharmaceuti-cals, Cortex, and MAK Scientific. An editorial board member for five academic journals since 2004, he has won several awards including the Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Neurochemistry and from the University of California at Irvine, where he taught for seven years in the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 13 continued on page 14 Faculty & Staff With almost $2 million in grants received from federal, non-profit and corporate sources, Dr. Bahr has more than $2 million in pending grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Dr. Deborah Lundin, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote the NCBC grant. “The University’s capacity for securing extramural research support will receive a significant boost with Dr. Bahr on campus,” Dr. Lundin said. “His expertise for acquiring resources from a variety of federal, national and international entities is invaluable as a catalyzing force for UNCP faculty as they increase their efforts to engage in funded research.” Dr. Bahr agreed, saying research attracts both funding sources and human resources. “I hope that our work in the lab will open funding doors and push others in the field to see there are new ways to treat and study Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders,” Dr. Bahr said. With 130 publications to his credit and numerous con-ference presentations, Dr. Bahr has taught and mentored many undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students. On this subject, he is enthusiastic. “Much of my research has been conducted by excep-tional undergraduate students, and I like the focus at UNCP on undergraduates and their involvement in research,” Dr. Bahr said. “Undergraduate research is what got me started in my career. “Throughout my career, I’ve met very enthusiastic stu-dents who want to work with me to understand Alzheimer’s disease,” he continued. “Because Alzheimer’s is always in the news, students share my interest in the field. “The complexity of the brain offers students the incred-ible opportunity to realize that everything they do in the lab makes an impact in the field,” he said. Dr. David Zeigler, chair of the Biology Department, said Dr. Bahr’s research brings prestige to the University and its students. “Dr. Bahr has a strong record of student involvement in lab-based research, and he has already made contacts with our students for research experiences in his lab,” Dr. Zeigler said. “His classroom teaching provides excellent opportunities for our students in biology and chemistry. “Dr. Bahr has a large number of important contacts at other universities and in industry that will likely prove important to both our students and faculty in the future,” he said. Dr. Robert Poage, a member of the Biology Department, chaired the search committee. “Bringing Dr. Bahr to UNCP is unprecedented for our scientific community,” Dr. Poage said. “As a neurobiologist myself, I could not be more pleased. “Besides seeking someone with extensive funding for research, we were looking for someone with experience working with undergraduate students and that is relatively rare for a top researcher,” Dr. Poage continued. Dr. Poage attributed the success of the search to the University’s willingness to vigorously market the posi-tion and its commitment to support the Friday Chair with financial resources. The grant from the North Carolina Bio-technology Center, which Drs. Poage and Deborah Lundin wrote, was also a critical factor. “Having a dedicated laboratory space available at the new biotechnology facility was also helpful,” he said. “Dr. Bahr wanted to get into his own lab and, with under-graduates, produce publishable research, and that is what we were looking for.” Dr. Bahr is pleased with his new laboratory and has enjoyed meeting the faculty at UNCP. Among his arsenal of resources, he brought to the new lab his research assistant. “It’s worth noting that my lab manager Jeannie Hwang, who started as an undergrad in my lab a few years ago, accompanied me to North Carolina,” Dr. Bahr said. “It seems like things are working out for a nice Pembroke Al-zheimer’s disease kick-off to jumpstart the role of the Uni-versity and local communities, together enhancing aware-ness for the importance in finding effective treatments. “With other COMtech labs, including that of Dr. Len Holmes, we hope to further promote UNCP’s strength in biotechnology research in North Carolina,” he said. “At UNCP, I will be able to put more focus on research and drug discovery.” This article drew material from an interview of Dr. Bahr by Lauren Silber of the University of Connecticut as well as telephone interviews. 14 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued from page 13 Faculty & Staff Faculty Mentions “Crisis Management in the New Strategy Landscape,” authored by Drs. William “Rick” Crandall, John A. Parnell and John E. Spillan of UNCP’s School of Business, was published in May. The book outlines the importance of planning for crises as part of every organization’s strategic management plan. It is intended for upper-level undergradu-ate or graduate courses and as a supplement for strategic management courses. The book is published by SAGE, headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Crandall Parnell Spillan UNCP biology professor Dr. Wm. Bruce Ezell Jr. is the recipient of the 2009 Daniel W. Mar-tin Science as Christian Vocation Award from the Presbyterian Association on Science, Tech-nology and the Christian Faith (PASTCF). It is a national award from PASTCF whose mission is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and informa-tion and to develop programs for members and the needs of the church. Dr. Ezell is a 10-year member of UNCP’s faculty and a lifelong Pres-byterian. A native of Ninety Six, S.C., Dr. Ezell graduated from Lander University and received the Master of Science in 1965 and Ph.D. degrees in 1970 from Clemson University. His research endeavors have been conducted in medical entomology. Dr. Cammie Hunt-Oxendine, acting dean of UNCP’s School of Business, completed work on her Ph.D. in organization and management with a specialization in entrepreneurship from Capella University in August 2009. A member of the faculty for 10 years and now on tenure track, Dr. Oxendine previously served as a senior lecturer and assistant dean. A faculty advisor to the popular and successful Students in Free Enterprise program, Dr. Oxendine led the team to eight regional competitions. A 1990 UNCP graduate, she earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 1996. Dr. Martin W. Slann, dean of UNCP’s College of Arts and Sciences and one of the nation’s foremost experts on terrorism, co-authored with Dr. Cindy C. Combs the second edition of their book “Encyclopedia of Terrorism” (2007; Facts on File Library of World History; $95). The “Encyclopedia of Terrorism” provides students, researchers, journalists and policy makers with a history of terrorism. The ency-clopedia offers an examination of the events, people, organizations and sites of international terrorism. Master Sergeant John Torre, who was the face of the University’s ROTC program for 15 years, stepped down effective August 20. MSG Torre leaves behind a strong program with 70 students enrolled for 2009-10. A Guam native, MSG Torre retired from active duty in 1996 after 20 years of service and tours in Desert Storm and Panama during armed conflicts. He worked on contract since then and will con-tinue training soldiers in Kenya. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 15 Join UNCP on Facebook! Our page provides University information to the Facebook community as well as links to additional UNCP Facebook pages. Visit: www.facebook.com/uncpembroke/ Faculty & Staff Tommy Swett: Teacher, coach, administrator Tommy Swett, a long-time University administrator, died on May 18. Swett retired in 1997 with 28 years of service to the University, working for three chancellors. He was director of Upward Bound and Student Support Services when he retired. Swett was dedicated to the youth of Robeson County. He served a term on the Board of Education of the Public Schools of Robeson County and became chair. Swett was a former member of the Board of Directors of Odum Home and member of the Gideons. He was a driving force behind the local Children’s Bible Ministries, which built Camp Grace, a local summer Christian day camp for youth. A 1961 UNCP graduate, Swett worked as a school teacher and coach at Les Maxwell School in Cumberland County. He was recruited to the University in 1971 to be President English Jones’ administrative assistant with a variety of duties includ-ing the University’s first alumni affairs coordinator. Swett served as president of the state and regional Councils of Educational Op-portunity Programs and served on its national board. He is survived by his wife, Shirley; one daughter, Kim Locklear, three sons, Brent, Aubrey and Dwight; a sister, Dorothy; and four brothers, Furman, Bruce, Vardell and Purnell. He was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. Tommy and Bertha Swett, and a brother, James. Kenneth P. Johnson: Coach and professor Kenneth P. Johnson, 94, a retired coach and physical education professor, passed away on October 1 at the Lutheran Retirement Home. He was born in Jamestown, N.Y., on January 8, 1915, son of the late Charles A. and Cora Petrie Johnson. Dr. Johnson was a 1935 graduate of Jamestown High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from the State University of New York at Cortland and a master’s degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. He furthered his education by earning his doctorate in health and physical education from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. Dr. Johnson was also a World War II veteran in the U. S. Navy, working in physical therapy at the naval hospital. He began his teaching career as a physical education teacher with the Dexter Central School System in Dexter, N.Y. He moved on to teach at Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn., for 10 years before moving on to Oristic College in Presque Isle, Maine. Dr. Johnson settled in North Carolina working for 25 years at UNCP, retiring in 1980. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he spent his summer months in Jamestown, where he ran the tennis program for the Jamestown Parks and Recre-ation Department. He attended the First Lutheran Church in Jamestown, and while living in N.C. was a member of the Pine Crest Country Club in Lumberton and was president of the Pembroke Kiwanis Club. Dr. Johnson was passionate about sports, and his nickname was “Doc” or “Coach.” He was an avid golfer with five hole in ones to his credit. In his swimming pool, he taught more than 100 low income children from the Lumbee Tribe how to swim, and in his later years, he could be found teaching someone the game of chess or the piano. 16 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Kenneth Johnson with wife, Doris. Faculty & Staff: In Memoriam Caylon Hann is a junior safety with the Braves football program. He was named a third-team all-American by Don Han-sen’s Football Gazette. A Homestead, Fla., native, Hann ranked second nation-ally for interceptions in NCAA Division II with seven. He had 51 tackles for UNCP’s nationally top-ranked defense against the score. Kevin Dietrich, a power-hitting, center-fielder from Charlotte, N.C., was named a third-team all-American. He set UNCP season records for hits (92) and homeruns (16) while batting .418. The 2009 grad-uate was perfect in the field, not making an error in 107 chances. In 2009, he had 66 RBIs with 59 runs scored. Matt McGovern, a pitcher from Ottawa, Canada, was named to the second team all-American squad. For the season, he was 9-0 and 7-0 against Peach Belt Confer-ence competition. McGovern had a 2.63 ERA over 75 innings and had two com-plete games with 59 strikeouts. He played for the Fayetteville SwampDogs last sum-mer and was named their top pitcher. Jamal Allison, a freshman from Moores-ville, N.C., was named to the 2009 Track & Field Coaches Association All-American Team. He placed fourth in the nation in the NCAA Division II Track & Field Na-tional Championships with a long jump of 24-feet 8 inches. He is the first Brave track & field all-American since 1985. His goal is to win it all in 2010. Jordan Walor, Peach Belt Freshman of the Year, was awarded an honorable mention on the 2009 Division II PING All-Ameri-can team. From Wake Forest, N.C., Walor competed in 11 tournaments with a 72.7 stroke average, ranking 5th in the confer-ence. Twelve student-athletes were named to all-American teams in 2008-09, four academic and eight athletic including the first-ever football player. UNCP produces bumper crop of all-Americans Whitney Beverly, a senior goalkeeper from Richlands, N.C., was named to the Nation-al Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American Team. She also earned Daktronic All-American honors. Beverly played every minute of every game in 2009 allowing just 13 goals in 23 games. She had 14 shut-outs during the season and 24 for her career. The team set records for wins and went to the NCAA tourna-ment for the first time in history. Melanie Cobb, a senior, broke the UNCP career record for points (105), goals (44) and the single-season record for points (48) and goals (19). She also led the team in assists. For this, Cobb was named a National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American. She is a three-time all-region pick, two-time all-conference, two-time all-Peach Belt Tournament and was ranked 23rd in the nation in scoring in 2009. Katja Damman was named to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholars Team for NCAA Division II. A junior business major from Pinehurst, N.C., she had seven top-15 finishes in the 2008-09 season. Damman started off the 2009-10 season by winning the Battle at Bayonet Tournament on September 8. A 3.5 or better GPA is required for selection. Four wrestlers, Dennis Fix, a sophomore from North Hun-tington, Pa., Trey Kirkland, a freshman from Front Royal, Va., Mike Nash, a freshman from Fayetteville, N.C. , and Aaron Hollifield, a junior from Mocksville, N.C., were named to the academic all-American team. A minimum 3.2 GPA is required. Fix Kirkland Nash Hollifield Fall 2009 UNCP Today 17 Braves Athletics Just before school started, a lifesaver was thrown to students at the University. The August 7th SOS Beach Party, the University’s first fundraising event of its kind, was a smashing success. More than 300 people shagged to beach music and sam-pled seafood while raising a total of $65,000 for UNCP’s distressed scholarships. Eleven sponsors contributed $3,000 each and 25 corporate tables were reserved at $1,000 each. The con-tributions helped fill a hole in the University scholarship endowments, which went “underwater” during the recent turmoil in the financial markets, said Sandy Waterkotte, vice chancellor of the Office for Advancement, which staged the event. “When you’re in need, your friends come to the res-cue,” Waterkotte said. “Our students have a lot of friends, and we exceeded our most optimistic goal. “We don’t know yet how many students will benefit, but it could be as many as 100,” she said. “Just as im-portant, we had a great time meeting old friends and making new ones.” With little experience in events of this kind, University officials wondered about the turnout. Chancellor Charles Jenkins, a UNCP veteran of 38 years, was pleased by the sold-out event. “I am sincerely thankful to everyone who turned out to support our students during this time,” Dr. Jenkins said. “This event will stand out as one of the most pleasant and productive that I have ever attended at the University.” A local committee did much of the legwork. The com-mittee included: Grady Hunt ‘86, Mickey Gregory ‘88, Carolyn Floyd-Robinson ‘05, Kellie Blue ‘93, Kent Chavis ‘91, Mickey Meekins, Aaron Thomas ‘99, Bruce Mullis, James Granger and Larry Chavis ‘72. Gregory, who is a director of UNCP’s Alumni Asso-ciation and the Lumberton Visitors Bureau, said it was a “lovely evening.” “As a UNCP graduate, I was happy to help out,” Greg-ory said. “I was pleased with the turnout because it shows that people will come out to support a good cause. “I’m proud that we have the University because it is a tremendous asset to this community,” she said. Kellie Blue, a member of UNCP’s Foundation Board of Directors, said a diverse group of graduates and non-grad-uates attended the Beach Party. “I believed from the start it would be a successful event,” said Blue, who is finance director for Robeson County. “It was not the typical fundraiser because of the beach theme and the relaxed atmosphere.” The committee worked hard to fill tables and get spon-sorships, said Teresa Oxendine, assistant vice chancellor for donor relations. “The idea for a beach party began as a one-time event, but because it was so successful, we may reconsider that strategy,” Oxendine said. The success of the event has raised the question of turn-ing it into an annual event. “I’ve heard nothing but good comments,” Blue said. “I believe people will be excited to come next year.” “Every person on the committee was committed to the success of this event,” said Alisia Oxendine, director for major gifts. “It was a great time, and everyone there under-stood that they were making a difference in the lives of our students.” Sponsors were critical to cost saving. UNCP graduates Paul and Pat Willoughby (Paul is also a trustee) sponsored the Holiday Band, which contrib-uted $500 back to scholarships. Debbie’s Destinations of St. Pauls contributed the grand prize, a cruise for two to the Bahamas. Cyna’s Jewelers provided three, two-day resort hotel stays. The Inn at Ellis Square contributed a week-end getaway to Savannah, Ga. Other prizes came from Givens Performing Arts Center, UNCP Bookstore and Outback Steakhouse. Pembroke True Value Hardware helped decorate the beach. Event sponsors included: Booz/Allen/Hamilton, The Commons of Pembroke, Debbie’s Destinations, First Bank, Lumberton Radiological Associates, Metcon Construction, New Life Services, Inc., Pates Supply Co., Inc., R.A. Jef-freys Distributing, Scotland Memorial Hospital and Paul and Pat Willoughby. Corporate table sponsors included: BB&T, Caring Touch Home Health Care, Claybourn Walters Company, Inc., Cyna’s Jewelers, Dr. Robin Cummings, Fuller’s Barbeque, Golden Corral, Locklear, Hunt, Jacobs and Brooks, Jeff and Robin Jones, Lewis and Lewis, CPAs, Lloyd, Meekins and Sons Auction Company, LREMC, Lumbee Guaranty Bank, Lumberton Visitors Bureau, Lumberton Children’s Clinic, Lumberton Drug Company, Pembroke Hardware, Pem-broke Pointe Apartments, Pembroke Wal-Mart, Porter Sci-entific, Robeson County Commissioners, Robeson County Department of Social Services, Southeastern Regional Medical Center, TARA Group and Lennis Watts. Students win as a result of UNCP’s SOS Beach Party 18 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Advancement Retired Superior Court Judge Jim Oxendine had an extraordinarily distinguished career in law. A Fairmont, N.C., native, and Vanderbilt University graduate, Judge Oxendine was a successful attorney in Atlanta and a district and superior court judge in Gwinnett County. He heard death penalty cases and mega-million dollar civil cases. Judge Oxendine spoke October 5 to a “Law, Politics and Justice” class at UNC Pembroke. His advice was drawn from seasoning that only a full career in the law can furnish. He advocated for a career in public service. “When I was appointed a district court judge, I had been making a lot of money working for a large law firm,” Judge Oxendine said. “I almost quit because of the pay. I realized that I would not be much of a person if I left that job because of money,” he said. “It was a tough choice, but thank God we have good people willing to work for the public.” Judge Oxendine advised students to worry less about money and more about hap-piness. “When you get there and you’re happy with it, hang in there,” he said. “When you go to bed at night, you’ll sleep better.” Judge Oxendine said he is becoming fond of his new job – retirement. But from the sound of it he still has his hand in Georgia politics. “When my son (John) was elected Insurance Commis-sioner, he was the youngest person ever elected to a state-wide office at age 27,” he said. “He is one of five people running for governor, and the polls show he is leading the pack.” But Judge Oxendine spoke mainly of inspiration, of “climbing the mountain,” an expression used by his favor-ite elementary school teacher Opel Hunt. “As a student, you need to say, ‘I’m not on top of that mountain yet, but I’m climbing,’” he said. “My teachers helped me move to the next step from where I was.” There were other teachers, including one with UNCP connections. “Clifton Oxendine, the man they named this building after, was my math and science teacher,” Judge Oxendine said. “He taught me that the color of my skin did not mat-ter, but the content of my character was the key to getting where I wanted to go.” Judge Oxendine was the first American Indian to be admitted to the Georgia Bar and the first to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. He believes that talent should be the deciding factor not race or other factors in the selection of Supreme Court justices and everything else. “We need more women on the Supreme Court,” he quipped. “We need to get away from looking at race; Con-gress has not quite crossed that river yet.” Judge Oxendine’s career crossed a river of a different kind during one of three death penalty cases he heard from the bench. “I tried three death penalty cases, and a man who killed a policeman got death,” he said. “When it was time to deliver the sen-tence, I didn’t know what to say. “I took a month off after that trial,” he said. “It made me appreciate life more.” Judge Oxendine deliv-ered a history lesson. He said the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was a turning point in American law. “1965 was not all that long ago; I had already become a successful attorney, but to many others the door was closed,” he said. “In that decision, lawmakers realized that America could not become a great nation unless it was totally free.” Judge Jim Oxendine’s life makes a strong case for that point. Retired Georgia judge with local roots speaks at UNCP Fall 2009 UNCP Today 19 Advancement The Legacy Bench Campaign is an affordable naming opportunity at UNCP. For $1,500 you can leave a legacy for your-self, a family member or a special friend on the campus. Your name or the name of a loved one will be inscribed on a beautifully crafted bench to be located at strategic sites throughout campus. Purchase a bench (or benches) through this offer and receive a one-year membership in the UNCP Chancellor’s Club! (910) 521-6515 alison.decinti@uncp.edu Road Win Against Fayetteville State The true test of an athletic program and its fans is simple – win on the road! UNCP has not lost at home since October 2007. But to go into the house of a winning football program like Fayetteville State University and come away with a win is a major milestone for the three-year-old program! On the field, the inau-gural Two Rivers Classic was an instant classic. It took two overtimes for the Braves to defeat the powerhouse Broncos, who, at this writing, were in a dog fight on top of the CIAA Conference. UNCP racked up more than 530 yards of total offense, including 353 on the ground. It was a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cory Smith to Jamal Williams in the second overtime period that fi-nally got the best of FSU, 41-34. In the stands, more than 2,000 Brave fans proved they can travel to support their team, another litmus test of a quality program. In an unusual show of respect, Bronco coach Kenny Phillips gave kudos to the throngs of Pembroke supporters. Athletic Director Dan Kenney said I-95 was a stream of Brave fans and flags flying. “It made me proud to see that kind of support,” Kenney said. “Both institutions benefitted from the positive public-ity generated by the Two Rivers Classic. “FSU was a gracious host,” he said. “There were no negatives – just tremendous sportsmanship on both sides.” When UNCP decided to play football, the institution could not imagine that it could be this good, he said. Kenney also noted the large number of elected officials in attendance. “It will be difficult to top the first edition of this rivalry,” he concluded. Supporting the travel team was the Office for Advance-ment, which hosted nearly 250 at its pre-game cook-out in the parking lot of the Felton Capel Arena. The guest list included state Sen. David Weinstein, Larry Chavis ’72, Lumbee Bank CEO and UNCP endowment board member, and wife, Loleta, donors and former Trustee Bob and Faye Caton, Robeson School Superintendent Johnny Hunt ’85 and wife, Demetrius, Board of Trustees Chairwoman Dr. Freda Porter ‘78 and her guest Greg Bryant, Dr. and Mrs. Curt Locklear Jr., Kellie ‘93 and Jonathan ‘90 Blue, Superior Court Judge (ret.) Gary Locklear ‘70 and wife, Mollie ‘74, UNC Board of Governor Dr. Cheryl Locklear ‘75, former Trustee and donor Mac Campbell ‘68 and Trustee Lorna McNeill Ricotta ’01 and husband, Dr. Patrick Ricotta. They tossed bean bags (hand-crafted by Allen Glenn ’81), won door priz-es and were entertained by cheerleaders, the dance team and the Spirit of the Carolinas Marching Band. Aaron Thomas ’99 came to the game in style, said Alisia Oxendine, director of major gifts. “The tailgating party was a blast, and Aaron set the tone with his RV and grill,” Oxendine said. “The RV helped make it a central, visible location for our alumni and friends.” Coach Pete Shinnick, who understandably downplays landmarks, offered these thoughts on the game. “We preached to our guys all through the preseason that we were going to be in great shape and that we were going to wear on people, and I am proud of them because they had one more play in them than Fayetteville State did tonight,” Shinnick said. The Braves never trailed and led by three points with 42 seconds remaining. But the home-standing Broncos came back one more time. The first overtime ended in a tie, with both teams getting field goals. Smith’s strike to Williams on third down on the first possession of the final period proved to be the winning margin. Fayetteville State was not finished, getting 12 yards from the goal line before being turned back. Landmarks have been coming with regularity for Coach Pete Shinnick’s team. 20 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued on page 21 Advancement Circles Newsletter UNCP’s Advancement Office proudly announces the release of Circles, a bi-annual Heritage Society newsletter whose name is meant to evoke the symbolism of the circle of life. UNCP’s Heritage Society recognizes donors who have included the University in their will or estate plan. Circles focuses on the many ways you can benefit the people and causes you love through charitable giving. It also introduces planning strategies that fit your financial goals at any stage of life. The first issue includes a Heritage Mem-bers Spotlight on Faye Nye Ostrom of Cary, N.C., in addition to information about: • IRAs • Ensuring Your Estate Plan is Up-to-Date • Supporting Your Favorite Cause When Money Is Tight Teresa Oxendine, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advancement, will assist you with questions regarding Circles, Pembroke Heritage Society or Planned Giving. Call the Advancement Office at 910-521-6252 or visit the planned giving Web site at www.uncp.edu/plannedgiving. • This year, the team broke into the national rankings at number 25 on October 4. • Two hours later, the team was ranked 4th in the NCAA Division II Super Regional. • On October 3, the Braves won their third straight homecoming contest in front of a record 4,830 fans. (Tailgating set some unofficial records too.) • For the first time, the Braves defeated Wingate, 24- 13 in front of a sold-out crowd. • Junior defensive back Caylon Hann was named a pre-season all-American. • And, the Braves won their first overtime game against FSU. Coach Pete Shinnick with the Two Rivers Cup. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 21 continued from page 20 Advancement Alumni Association Board of Directors 2009-11 President Floyd Locklear ‘86 2nd Vice President Sylvia Pate ‘99 Immediate Past President Jason Bentzler ‘96 Executive Director James Bass ‘94, ‘03 Board Members Willie D. Christian ‘96 Carlton Cole ‘99, ‘07 Mickey Gregory ‘88 Adam Hardin ‘06 Wendy Hedgpeth ‘91 Henry “Hank” Lewis Jr. ‘00 Patricia Locklear ‘98 Renee Steele ‘93 Sheila Swift ‘03 Aaron Thomas ‘99 Greetings Alumni, I hope you all had as good a time at Homecoming as I did! It’s always great to see alumni come back to UNCP and reconnect with their alma mater. It was especially nice visiting with all the people who stopped by the Alumni Association’s tent in the tailgating lot. Our Braves have done really well this season, and I’m sure all of our alumni are proud of them. I’m looking forward to another commencement and the opportunity to wel-come hundreds more new alumni into the Association in December. For those alumni who graduated in May, I hope you are doing well, and I hope you’ll remember to update your contact information on the Alumni Relations Web site: www.uncp.edu/alumni. Nominations are open for the 2010 Alumni Awards. Please stop by http://www. uncp.edu/alumni/awards/ and download a nomination form. You may also contact the Alumni Relations Office and have one mailed to you. The Alumni Awards Banquet will be held in February, and we hope you’ll make plans to attend, and help us celebrate our most deserving award winners. Finally, I would like to say thank you to all of the alumni who are supporting the University during this year’s Annual Fund Campaign. Your support is so im-portant to our students and the success of their college experience at UNCP. If you have not given to the Annual Fund and would like to do so, please contact our Alumni Director, Mr. James Bass, at 910-521-6533 or send your check to: The UNCP Alumni Relations Office P.O. Box 1510 Pembroke, NC 28372 In keeping the tradition, Floyd H. Locklear Floyd H. Locklear ‘86 Class Notes Alumni may submit new information about retirements, births, marriages, and job changes by submitting information via: Office of Alumni Relations P.O. Box 1510 Pembroke, N.C. 28372-1510 tel: 1-800-949-UNCP or (910) 521-6533 email: alumni@uncp.edu web: www.uncp.edu/alumni Alumni 22 UNCP Today Fall 2009 UNCP’s board chair wins SBA award Dr. Freda Porter, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the University, was named SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year for North Carolina. Dr. Porter, a former member of UNCP’s Mathematics and Computer Science Department, is president and CEO of Porter Scientific in Pembroke. She received the award on August 27 at the Minority Enterprise Development Week celebration, sponsored by the Cumberland Regional Im-provement Corp. A 1978 UNCP graduate, Dr. Porter earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Duke University and joined UNCP’s faculty in 1991. She left the University to take over the family business, which her father founded. Dr. Porter expanded the scope of the Pembroke-based business and renamed it Porter Scientific Incorporated (PSI). PSI provides a broad range of services that focus on environmental information technology and environmental protection and improvement to commercial and government clients. Ronette Gerber joins UNCP’s legal staff UNCP’s new assistant university counsel is pleased to return to her alma mater. After 12 years in a fast-paced world as a litigation attorney, Ronette S. Gerber has come home to the town and school that have always been so close to her family’s heart. A 1989 graduate, Gerber has maintained close ties with the University and her classmates. “I met my best friends here at the University and we still get together regularly,” Gerber said. “I look forward to homecoming every year and always come to the game with a group of fellow UNCP grads.” She has also served as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at UNCP, Gerber earned a Master of Public Administration degree and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a licensed member of the North Carolina State Bar and has thus far practiced exclusively in civil law. She is the mother of three children: Greyson, 8, Garrett, 7, and Lauren, 5. Gerber is the daughter of Ron Sutton, an at-torney and state legislator, and Geneva Chavis Sutton, a retired nurse and a 1995 UNCP graduate. D’Arcee Neal’s Degree is a Passport As the economy declines, opportunities for recent college graduates become a challenge, but D’Arcee Neal ’08 turned that challenge into an adventure. Only one week after graduating, Neal said goodbye to North Carolina and took a job at a private international ad agency in Georgetown D.C. The job provided him with the opportunity to travel across the country while working. During his travels, Neal realized that he enjoyed his job, but wanted to do more with his de-gree. On a whim he applied for graduate school in London. Two weeks later he was accepted. “I was so thrilled; I didn’t know what to do,” said Neal. “My heart is in writing and learning new things. I want to be like one of the professors that taught me at Pembroke.” Some of Neal’s friends and family couldn’t grasp the idea of him leaving the country for graduate school. “Going to another country for an English degree seemed silly to some people when I told them,” said Neal. Neal saw it as an opportunity for new and exciting experiences. This past summer he and 12 students traveled to Costa Rica with Mobility International USA, an organization that helps students travel the world. “It was an amazing experience,” he said. “The bottom line is that just because you have an English degree it doesn’t mean you’re going to be stuck behind a desk or end up as someone’s secretary. Life’s an adventure.” Neal encourages all alumni to use their degree as a passport to travel the world and see their own adventures. Alumni News Fall 2009 UNCP Today 23 Class Notes 2009 Regina Denise Bellamy-Mason began graduate school at Webster University in Myrtle Beach, S.C. She is employed as a correctional case manager with the N.C. Department of Corrections. She resides in Whiteville, N.C. Debra O. Chavis participated in Advance Standing, a one-year program at UNCP for a Master’s degree in Social Work. She was one of 10 students chosen for the program. She expects to complete her degree in 2010. Debra resides in Red Springs, N.C. Sara Kerns married Ron Six of Jacksonville, Ill., on June 6. She works for FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, and Ron works for PetSmart. The couple resides in Carthage, N.C. Kimberly Rose Locklear married Samuel Zane Hilburn of Cerro Gordo, N.C., on May 23. Kimberly is employed with Southeastern Regional Medical Center and Samuel is employed with Peacock Funeral Home in Whiteville, N.C. The couple resides in Whiteville. Rhonda McClure won first place this summer in the National Institute of Health student poster contest. As a summer intern at NIH’s National Institute for the Aging, she competed with 50 other student projects. Her research was titled “Effect of Multiple B-Cell Stimulators on Class Switch Recombination and AIDS Expression.” For her work, she won a yearlong NIH Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship Internship Award for 2009-10. She resides in Pembroke. Kayla McMillian is an associate professional with Premier Behavioral. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. 2008 Heather Marie Bell is a math teacher at Leak Street High School. She resides in Hoffman, N.C. Marquita Brazier is an English language arts teacher at Carter Community College. She resides in Raleigh, N.C. Angie Fearrington and Isaac Hannah were married in June. The couple resides in Lumberton, N.C. Matthew Heckel is a news reporter at WDTV. He resides in Clarksburg, W.Va. Sarah Gabell is a quality control analyst at Genetic Testing Laboratory, where she conducts DNA analysis for the local sheriff’s department. She resides in Las Cruces, N.M. Terrell Jones is an officer in the U.S. Army. D’Arcee Neal spent two weeks over the summer in Costa Rica learning about disability rights. He received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of Education and Mobility International USA. He will pursue his master’s and doctoral degrees in London, England, in creative and professional writing at Roehampton University. Sabrina Spaulding-Chavis is a teacher with the Public Schools of Robeson County. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. Aaron Thompson is the assistant track and cross country coach at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Pensacola, Fla. The St. Andrews team won the 2008 conference championships. Thompson spent the 2007-08 track season at Neosho Community College in Chanute, Kan. The community college finished in the top 10 in the country as a team for both indoor and outdoor track at the national championships. He also helped coach 15 all-Americans and two NJCAA National Champions. Clarisse Wilson is a telecommunicator with the UNC School of the Arts Campus Police Department. She resides in High Point, N.C. 2007 Danielle Chavis married Gary Jonathan Chavis on October 17. She is a teacher and varsity cheerleading coach with Scotland High School in Laurinburg, N.C. The couple resides in Laurinburg. 24 UNCP Today Fall 2009 ‘07 continued on page 25 Adam Fenwick works for National Speed Sport News, an auto racing publication in Concord, N.C., where he resides. Shaun Rian Fetzer is a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and is deployed in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C. Chandra Glotzback and Rodney Collins were married on June 27. They have two children, Kaylee Collins, 6, and Joshua Collins, 2. The couple resides in Asheboro, N.C. Connie M. Harris is an adult programs representative with the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services. She resides in Mars Hill, N.C. Whitney Craig Lovette married Samantha Anne Sarvis on August 15. Whitney is employed by State Employees’ Credit Union, and Samantha is employed by Shoreland Healthcare. Jessica Lynn Scott welcomed a second son, Wyatt Alan Bullard, in September. She has another son, Nakoma Obryan Scott, 3. She is a deputy clerk with the State of North Carolina and resides in Lumberton, N.C. Krystal Sease welcomed her second child, Karmen Sphira, on May 23. She weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20-inches long. Christia Ward Shuler and her husband welcomed their first child, Kiel Lamar Shuler Jr., in October 2008. The family resides in Roseboro, N.C. James C. Sibbett is a medical student at Michigan State University. His wife, Siiri Sibbett ‘07, is an assistant manager at Walgreens in Grand Ledge, Mich., where the couple resides. Donna Stees was promoted to deputy assistant chief of staff G6 at the J.F.K. Special Warfare Center and School on Ft. Bragg, N.C. She is working to attain the Chief Information Officer Certificate from the National Defense University. She resides in Sanford, N.C. Matthew Swift and Kristina Homesly were married on June 20. He is a community recreation specialist with the City of Lexington. The couple resides in Thomasville, N.C. 2006 Julianne Wright Arndt completed her third year as an eighth grade language arts teacher at Lumberton Junior High School. She has been married for six years to Robert Arndt, a reference and instructional services librarian at UNCP. The couple resides in Pembroke. Tommy Baker was named Golf Coach of the Year in the Carolinas Conference. He has been the coach at Coker College in Hartsville, S.C., since 2007. He resides in Hartsville. Keita Turner Coates is a student at International Academy of Design and Technology, where she is working on a second degree in graphic design. She is married to George Coats, and the couple resides in Lumberton, N.C. Carmen Deese is a claims representative with the Social Security Administration. She resides in Rowland, N.C. Candace Deese Dial and Derrick L. Dial were married in January 2008. She is employed with Child Protective Services through the Robeson County Department of Social Services. She and her husband reside in Maxton, N.C. Jason Harris has been selected by the Kenan Fellows Program for curriculum and leadership development at NC State University as a 2011 Kenan Fellow. He is engaged in a two-year fellowship supported by the Moore County consortium to develop innovative curricula for use in North Carolina classrooms. He will also work on a project utilizing i3D technology for use in the classroom. He is a second-grade teacher at Southern Pines Primary School. Stephanie Johnson is a graduate assistant at South Carolina State University. Benjamin Lee and his wife, Jessica Gillis Lee ‘07, welcomed their first child, Noah Alexander, on March 28, 2008. Benjamin is in his fourth year of teaching at Evergreen Elementary School. The family resides in Bladenboro, N.C. Adrienne Reaves is a teacher with Cumberland County Schools. She resides in Fayetteville, N.C. Barbara Richardson is a school social worker with the Public Schools of Robeson County. She resides in Fairmont, N.C. Tracie Williams is an associate professional with Stephens Outreach. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 25 continued on page 26 ‘07 continued from page 24 Class Notes 2005 Cotina Ames is a loss mitigation specialist II with Citi Mortgage. She resides in Silver Springs, Md. Janna Susanne Barnes and John Erik Edwards ’03 were married on January 24. She is employed by the Public Schools of Robeson County, and he is employed by Crop Production Services. The couple resides in Orrum, N.C. Sascha Gorres won his second league championship with the Richmond Kickers professional soccer team. A native of Flensburg, Germany, he is in his fifth season with the Kickers, and he also coaches three Richmond Kickers youth teams (two boys teams and one girls team). He resides in Richmond, Va. Thomas Lindal and his wife, Natalia, welcomed a son, Matheo Leander, in April. He weighed 8 lbs. and was 19 inches long. The family resides in Norway. Krystle Melvin graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law with a Juris Doctorate degree on May 17. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. Leslie Oxendine was certified as a family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners on June 10. She and husband, Jessie, have been married for 18 years. The couple has four children and resides in Pembroke. Adria Pontious is employed with the U.S. Forest Service. She resides in Seattle, Wash. Torrey Warriax married Maj. Davance Locklear on August 15. Torrey works for Fayetteville Manor Assisted Living and Maj. Davance is in the U.S. Air Force. 2004 Carey McNeill Collins earned the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree on May 16 from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, Tenn. She is attending the Pediatric Dental Residency Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She is married to Chris Collins, and they have two children, Tevin and Nathan. Ashley M. Grier and her husband, Tray Martin, welcomed their first child, a boy, Rylee Mitchell Martin, on May 16. The family resides in Fairmont, N.C. Curtis Henderson was accepted into a Ph.D. program in mass communications at Howard University. He resides in Morrisville, N.C. Teresa Langley is an administrative support specialist with New Hanover County. She resides in Wilmington, N.C. Carl L. McLaurin is pursuing a fashion and textile degree at North Carolina Central University. He completed an internship at New York’s Fashion Week in Bryant Park. He resides in Durham, N.C. Nakecia Locklear Radford is a teacher at Lumberton Junior High School. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. Quiana Shaw Robinson and her husband, Stuart, welcomed a baby girl, Kendall Payton Shaw, on June 25. She weighed 7 lbs. and was 20.25 inches long. John Riley Secrist is a U.S. Navy supply officer. He was decommissioned from the USS Augusta SSN-710 and is serving in Afghanistan for one year. Kelly White is a teacher at Ripon Children’s Learning Center in Ripon, Wis. She resides in Fon Du Lac, Wis. 26 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued on page 27 continued from page 25 continued from page 26 2003 Betsy Kristin Bridgers married Robert Orrie Coonrod of Charleston, S.C. on October 3. Kylie Cirioli McKinney and Jermey McKinney were married in May. They reside in Charlotte, N.C., where they both work. Candice E. Horner-Fuhrer graduated from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine on June 14 with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. She works as an associate veterinarian in Phoenix, Ariz., where she resides with her husband, Christian. Genea S. Pittman was accepted into the Ph.D. program in the English Department at the Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg in Germany and will work as an Akademische Mitarbeiterin in the English and Kunst (Art) Departments until August 2011. She resides in Ludwigsburg, Germany. 2002 Ryan Freeman was named men’s basketball coach at Northern Guilford High School. He was previously the head basketball coach at New Bern High School. He resides in Greensboro, N.C. Rebecca Jones LaClaire welcomed her second child, a daughter, Molly Nicole LaClaire, in June 2008. She weighed 6 lbs., 11oz. The family resides in Asheboro, N.C. Susan M. Locklear is a teacher for exceptional children with the Public Schools of Robeson County. She resides in Maxton, N.C. Debra Nelson is a narcotics investigator with the Bladen County Sheriff’s Department. She resides in Bladenboro, N.C. 2001 Jason Brady won a silver medal in June in the 26th Annual Healthcare Advertising competition for a logo design and for his work on billboards, radio and print ads. Jason works for Cape Fear Valley Health System as a marketing coordinator. He is married to Erica Jones Brady ’01 and resides in Fayetteville, N.C. Rikki Cockrell Rich is the assistant athletic director at N.C. Wesleyan College. She was previously sports information director and Title IX coordinator at N.C. Wesleyan. Rikki was sports information director, senior woman’s administrator and assistant athletic director for media relations at UNCP from 2003-05. She and her husband, Marcus, live in Rocky Mount, N.C., and they have one daughter, Addison, 2. 2000 Kelvin Hunt and LaTisha Whitaker Hunt ‘03 are the proud parents of Madilyn Alyse, born on June 6, 2008. The family resides in Fuquay-Varina, N.C. Randall Channing Jones is the assistant town manager for Pembroke, N.C. He previously served as operations manager for Southtech Plastics in New Bern, N.C. He is also completing a doctoral degree at UNC-Chapel Hill. Meredith Huffman Terry and John Christopher Huffman ’93 welcomed a new addition to their family, Kamden Riggs Huffman, in May. He joins Keely (2001) and Kaleb (2004). Meredith is a teacher with Hoke County Schools and John is employed by the Public Schools of Robeson County. The family resides in Laurinburg, N.C. Tamara Thorn received her Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies in August from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. She works as a psychiatric physician’s assistant with Satilla Community Services in Waycross, Ga. Tamara holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s of Social Work degrees, her LCSW credential in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 1999 Kelly D. Avant married Robert Hickerson Crabill on June 13. She is a registered nurse with Rex Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. The couple resides in Raleigh. Eric Edmondson was named mortgage loan officer at CommunityOne Bank, serving Richmond and Scotland counties. He previously worked as a financial specialist for Wachovia Bank in Southern Pines, N.C. He and his wife, Kary ‘99, have two children, Ethan, 5, and Ava, 2. The family resides in Rockingham, N.C. Dawn Holt is a teacher with North Carolina Virtual Public School. She resides in Hope Mills, N.C. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 27 ‘99 continued on page 28 Class Notes Don Ingle is an 8th grade algebra teacher at Hawley Middle School in Creedmoor, N.C. He has been teaching since January 2007. Before that, he worked for almost eight years in the television business, including nearly six years at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C., as a news photographer. He and his wife, Deb, have two sons, Avery, 4, and Greyson, 2. William Pence is a district sales manager with Monsanto. He resides in Wernersville, Pa. Aaron K. Thomas was named Business Person of the Year at the 2009 Business Visions Awards Banquet. He is the president and CEO of Metcon Construction, Inc. He is enrolled in the master of construction management program at East Carolina University and expects to graduate this year. Aaron and his wife, Azalea, have three daughters, Ayanna, Alena and Ashtyn. The family resides in Pembroke. 1998 Chad Griffin and his wife, Sherry Severs Griffin ’99, welcomed their second child, Addison Grace Griffin, on Nov. 21, 2008. The couple also has a two-year-old son, Hayes Walker. Chad stepped down as head coach of the boys and girls soccer programs last spring to take over as full-time athletic director at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Ga. Sherry is moving into her seventh year as head softball coach at Calvary. The couple resides in Savannah. Jennifer Whittington is a teacher-recruiter for UNCP’s School of Education. She is also a 2009 graduate of UNCP’s Master’s of School Administration program and resides in Lumberton, N.C. Johnnie Winchester is an appliance advantage agent at Lowe’s corporate headquarters. He resides in Winston-Salem, N.C. 1997 Iris Bethea was selected as a Biltmore Who’s Who 2009-10 member. She was also selected as a member of the National Association of Professional Women 2009. She is a recreation specialist with the Federal Correctional Institution in Bennettsville, S.C. She resides in Laurinburg, N.C. Vincent Castano received his doctorate in education in October 2008. He had an entry published about the western expansion of North Carolina railroads during the 19th century for the “Encyclopedia of North Carolina” (2008), edited by Dr. William Powell. He is the director of Student Support Services at Central Carolina Community College and resides in Sanford, N.C. Robert D. Locklear is principal at Magnolia Elementary School in Lumberton, N.C., and is a doctoral candidate in the educational leadership program at South Carolina State University. He resides in Fairmont, N.C. Daniel Rogers is a driver for United Parcel Service. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C. 1996 Timothy Jacobs and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed a baby boy, Brayden Seth Jacobs, on May 29. The couple also has a daughter, Bethany Rae, 3. The family resides in Lumberton, N.C. Geraldine Thompson is an adult home care specialist with Columbus County Department of Social Services. She resides in Chadbourn, N.C. 1995 Clara Lassiter is an early childhood instructor in the Education Department at Fayetteville Technical Community College. She resides in Columbia, S.C. Dana Lowery Ramseur completed her Master’s of Library Science from East Carolina University in August and is employed as the media coordinator/librarian at Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord, N.C., where she resides. Jennifer Pala and Patrick “Rick” Ellen ’88 were married on April 11. She is an associate scientist III with Beckman Coulter Genomics. The couple resides in Holly Springs, N.C. 28 UNCP Today Fall 2009 ‘99 continued from page 27 continued on page 29 1994 Jerry V. Beck is pastor of Sandy Grove Baptist Church. He and his wife, Ruby Beck ’95, reside in Tar Heel, N.C. Their grandson, Noah Beck, is a freshman at UNCP. Amelia Hammond Tanon, her husband, Edgar, and daughter, Grace, welcomed a new addition to their family. Joshua Edgardo was born March 3, weighing 7 lbs., 1 oz. Amelia is a therapy support coordinator with Biogen Idec. The family resides in Raleigh, N.C. Darline G. Tripp retired from the Harnett County School System on July 1 with 25 years of service. She resides in Dunn, N.C. 1992 Chris Armfield is employed with Xerox Corporation. He resides in Manakin Sabot, Va. Donnie Byers won a gold medal in June in the 26th Annual Healthcare Advertising competition for an interactive Web banner series he created. He also won a bronze medal for his work on a brochure. Donnie works for Cape Fear Valley Health System as a marketing coordinator. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C. Richard Glancy is deployed to Iraq with the N.C. National Guard. He is employed as a sergeant with the Town of Cary Police Department. He resides in Fuquay-Varina, N.C. Susan Robbins is a teacher with Bladen County Schools. She resides in Elizabethtown, N.C. Kristy Woods is a teacher with the Public Schools of Robeson County. She resides in Maxton, N.C. 1991 Marsha Bunce Brenes is a fifth grade teacher with Charlotte- Mecklenburg Schools. She is married to Robert Brenes, and the couple has three boys: Spencer, 17, Mason, 11, and Luke, 6. She has been teaching for 18 years, and Robert is a tennis director at a country club in Charlotte, N.C., where the couple resides. Terry A. Hunt is a real estate appraiser with Thompson Appraisal Services in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He also owns and operates two tanning salons called ARUBA Tan, as well as Hunt Enterprises, a real estate investment company that buys and rents condos. He has been married for 10 ½ years to Carol Bourne, an accountant. The couple serves on the board for Junior Achievement in Horry and Georgetown counties, and they reside in Myrtle Beach. Chiffon Strickland Jenkins won the Mrs. Georgia United States Pageant on February 22. She competed in the Mrs. United States Pageant on July 23 in Las Vegas, Nev. She is a patient accounts manager with Piedmont Health. She resides in Atlanta, Ga. Skip Lovette was appointed to the North Carolina Association of CPA’s Taxation Committee. He is a Certified Public Accountant in private practice in Greensboro, N.C., where he resides. 1990 Candace Forrester is an executive assistant and assistant accounting manager with Anderson Creek Club, an exclusive gated golf and residential community in Spring Lake, N.C. She resides in Bladenboro, N.C. Connie Patterson Hewke is a secretary with Fields Plumbing and Heating Co., Inc. She resides in Pinehurst, N.C. Myra Maness is a social worker with the Columbus County Department of Social Services. She resides in Tabor City, N.C. 1988 Ed Drew and wife, Brenda, have two children and three grandchildren. Ed was appointed in June to the Milwaukee Charge of the United Methodist Church. He continues to teach introduction to the Old and New Testaments, as well as world religion studies at Pitt Community College in Winterville, N.C. He and his wife reside in Conway, N.C. 1987 Jackie Jacobs is founder and principal of JTalentgroup, a Seattle-based Native American-owned full service entertainment agency. She has been retained as tribal publicist by the Quileute Tribe of LaPush, Wash., in response to the increasing popularity of the “Twilight” book series by Stephanie Meyer and subsequent movies. She is also a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 29 continued on page 30 continued from page 28 Class Notes 1985 Keith Hight had his book “Professional Theatre in the Academic Setting” published. He is a technical director and adjunct faculty member in the Theatre Arts Department at Campbell University. Harriette Floyd Lovin started her 25th year of teaching music in public schools, currently at South View Middle School in Hope Mills, N.C. Her husband, Mack, works for Mueller Steam Specialty in St. Pauls, N.C., and their son, Kyle, lives in Chapel Hill. Harriette also serves as music director for Chestnut Street United Methodist Church in Lumberton, N.C., where she resides. Terry Townsend is the editor of the Red Springs Citizen newspaper in Red Springs, N.C. She is employed by Heartland Publications and resides in Red Springs. Lisa Huggins Oxendine was accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Executive Doctoral Program in health leadership. Veronica Ward is a child mental health and behavioral case manager and supervisor at New Life Services, Inc, in Lumberton N.C. She resides in Laurinburg, N.C. 1982 Mark Madden is vice president of Waccamaw Bank. Mark resides in Lumberton, N.C., with his spouse, Lynne, and daughters, Jessica and Morgan. 1981 John B. Bridgers is a tax assessor for Polk County. He resides in Columbus, N.C. Howard Hughes, a captain at the Richland Sheriff’s Department in Columbia, S.C., was transferred from the Special Operations Unit of the Uniform Division to the Professional Standards Division. Hughes oversees the Internal Affairs Unit. He joined the department after earning a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in 1982. Hughes and his wife, Sandra, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They reside in West Columbia. Ronald Gene Locklear is the operator responsible in charge of the wastewater and filter plants for WestPoint Home in Wagram, N.C. He resides in Pembroke, N.C. Lori Varallo is the manager of Port City Java in Wilmington, N.C. She resides in Wilmington. 1980 Jeff Jernigan was named 2008-09 Cumberland County Principal of the Year. He was also the 2009 Wachovia Sandhills/South Central Principal of the Year. Jeff serves as principal of Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville, N.C. During his tenure as principal, Cape Fear High School has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a “Bronze Medal” recipient in “America’s Best High School Search” (2008-09). Jeff is married to Joyce Lewis Jernigan ’80, and the couple resides in Fayetteville. Joy Atkinson McGugan was accepted at the Chicago Art Institute as part of its Teachers in Contemporary Art Fellowship during the 2009 summer. Joy teaches art at St. Pauls High School and continues her studies at UNCP. Gregory L. Price is a partner at Nelson Price & Associates, P.A., in Lumberton, N.C., where he resides. 1976 June Montgomery Gillis retired on June 15 with 31 years of teaching kindergarten and first grade with Cumberland County Schools. She resides in Fayetteville, N.C., with her husband, Robert, and two children, Jenna and William. 30 UNCP Today Fall 2009 ‘76 continued on page 31 continued from page 29 William H. Schmidt is the worldwide account manager of corporate accounts for FedEx Services. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C. 1975 Dr. Kenneth Locklear and the Burnt Swamp Baptist Association, through a mission project, recently assisted a young girl in the Philippines to have a tumor removed from her face. Dr. Locklear’s story was published in the Fayetteville Observer newspaper. The Burnt Swamp Baptist Association has provided medical care for more than 450 people in the Philippines. Dr. Locklear is a physician at Robeson Family Practice Association in Red Springs, N.C. He resides in Pembroke. 1974 Max George retired from the Gastonia Police Department in August 2007 after 30 years of service. He retired at the rank of captain and was a district commander at retirement. He was a founding member of the sniper team and won the departmental medal of honor for apprehending two armed robbery suspects after a shootout. He was featured on “America’s Most Wanted” for his part in apprehending William Glen Barefoot, who escaped from the Hoke County Jail. He is married to Caron, a technical systems educator with the Gastonia Police Department. He resides in Gastonia, N.C. Clyde Jackson is a teacher with the Public Schools of Robeson County. He resides in St. Pauls, N.C. 1972 Wayne T. Bone celebrated six years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Linden, N.C., where he resides. Ronnie Chavis was named National Athletic Director of the Year on April 3 by the National Association for Sports and Physical Education. Chavis has been the Athletic Director for the Public Schools of Robeson County since 1992. He resides in Pembroke. Betty McArthur Clark is the information services director for Cumberland County. She resides in Laurinburg, N.C. 1971 Donna Chavis was one of 35 North Carolina leaders chosen to be interviewed for the recently released coffee table book “Secrets of Success: North Carolina Values-Based Leadership.” In her essay, Donna tells the story of how her father inspired her to lead through giving. Donna is the executive director of N.C. Gives, a statewide non-profit organization celebrating and strengthening the giving of “The 3 Ts” (time, talent and treasure) in North Carolina — particularly among women, young people and communities of color. She resides in Pembroke. 1970 Dale Strickland retired on June 10 as superintendent of Florence County School District Five, a position he held for 11 years. He began his career as a teacher in Aynor, S.C., in 1970, and since that time, held the positions of teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Johnsonville, S.C. 1969 Fred Gordon is a retired physical education and health teacher. He resides in Erdenheim, Pa. William Gehrman is an associate technical fellow with the Boeing Company. 1968 Gwen Simmons, a former director of UNCP’s Counseling and Testing Center, now maintains a small counseling and coaching practice in Vass, N.C., and presents workshops on selected topics. She is co-author of a book published in April 2009 titled “See Jane Not Run…Teachers are Leaders.” She resides in Vass. 1967 Matt Gwynne retired in 2009 as vice president and director of security for the McDonald’s Corporation after 28 years. Before his employment with McDonald’s, he was a special agent for seven years with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice. He was also a high school social studies teacher and a coach for four years. He resides in Angier, N.C. 1966 Sue Faircloth Gordon is a retired elementary school teacher. She resides in Erdenheim, Pa. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 31 ‘76 continued from page 30
Object Description
Description
Title | UNCP today : for alumni and friends of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke |
Date | 2009 |
Description | Fall 2009 |
Digital Characteristics-A | 43 MB; 36 p. |
Digital Format | application/pdf |
Full Text | UNCPToday For alumni and friends of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke Fall 2009 www.uncp.edu/alumni/magazine Meadors bids farewell p. 5 p. 3 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Editor Amber Rach News Writer Scott Bigelow Art Director R. Jerrod Hatfield ‘06 Web Publisher Lawrence Locklear ‘05 Photographers Bobby Ayers Raul Rubiera Class Notes James Bass ‘94, ‘03 Vice Chancellor, University and Community Relations Glen G. Burnette Jr., Ed.D. ‘80, ‘87 UNCP Today magazine is published three times a year for alumni and friends of the University by the Division for University and Community Relations. UNCP is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina. Editorial Offices UNCP Today University and Community Relations P.O. Box 1510 Pembroke, NC 28372-1510 tel: (910) 521-6249 email: relations@uncp.edu web: www.uncp.edu/relations Class Notes Office of Alumni Relations P.O. Box 1510 Pembroke, NC 28372-1510 tel: (910) 521-6533 email: alumni@uncp.edu web: www.uncp.edu/alumni UNCP Web Site www.uncp.edu Chancellor Charles R. Jenkins Board of Trustees Freda Porter ‘78 Chairwoman Breeden Blackwell ‘68 Robin Cummings Arlinda Locklear Donna Lowry Thomas Nance ‘69 Raymond Pennington Lorna Ricotta ‘01, ‘08 Newy Scruggs ‘94 Dick Taylor Alan Thompson ‘85 Paul Willoughby ‘74 Rigoberto “Arjay” Quizon On The Cover Homecoming 2009 page 3 Allen C. Meadors bids farewell to UNCP. page 5 3 University News 12 Faculty/Staff News 17 Athletics 18 Advancement 22 Alumni News 24 Class Notes Inside Chancellor’s Welcome Dear Alumni and Friends, Before giving you an update about your University, I want to say thank you to the many people who have welcomed me as I took on the role of Chancellor on an interim basis. The warmth and the fellowship I have felt are truly heartwarming as we look to the future of our fine University. UNC Pembroke has been my home and office since 1971. I have seen many changes, and I have never been more excited about the future of this great institution and about the opportunities we are able to bring to the education of our students. By the numbers alone – our growing enrollment and employment opportunities – we have made a substantial impact on our surrounding communities. With this greater role comes greater responsibility to be good stewards of our resources, especially the people of our region and the financial resources provided by you and the citizens of North Carolina. I don’t have to tell you that this is a challenging time for our nation, state and University. Everyone has felt and shared in the effects of the economic downturn. I have vowed to remain positive about our lot in this story and encourage you to also remain positive. Much of our time at UNCP has been spent bringing our budget in line with the state’s shifting financial needs. It has been a daunting task to make budget reductions without sacrificing our core mission of teaching and learning. In every decision, we have tried to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of our classroom experience. Jobs have been lost, but thankfully some of them were vacant positions. One fortunate development is that our enrollment made strong gains this fall. Overall enrollment is up 5.7 percent. A record number of freshmen (1,277) and transfer students (587) contributed to the gains. Growth in enrollment and tuition that comes with it helps our financial position. Even in difficult times, we are able to strengthen our academic programs. We have added two distinguished professors to endowed chairs. Dr. Ben Bahr, a distinguished research scientist, and Dr. Jerry Jones, a distinguished educator, will boost our programs, the training of our students and our outreach into the community. As part of the 10-year reaccreditation process with the Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, we have developed a five-year Quality Enhancement Plan that will further infuse writing into the curriculum for all of our students. This plan will touch every student and every member of the faculty. Enhancing the writing skills of our graduates is a sound plan. I want to thank Dr. Elizabeth Normandy, our reaccreditation committees and the faculty who worked on this important program. I hope our alumni and friends were able to join us for the exciting Two Rivers Classic game with FSU and for Homecoming. Spirits are high and Coach Shinnick has done a great job putting an exciting and competitive football team on the field. It is my privilege and honor to serve the University in this role, and I look forward to seeing each of you on campus. Sincerely, Charles R. Jenkins Chancellor 2 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Homecoming 2009 drew a record crowd of 4,843 to Grace P. Johnson Stadium to watch the Braves defeat Webber International 30-3. On Friday night, alumni gathered to celebrate the reunion of the Class of 1959. Later Friday, nearly 1,000 attended The Stylistics’ performance at the Givens Perform-ing Arts Center. On Saturday, a huge crowd of nearly 2,000 alumni and students gathered to tailgate before the game. It was a weekend of memories, but for the institution, Homecoming was an intersection of the past and future as it reveled in many years of growth and searches for a new leader. In interviews during Homecoming weekend, alumni and community leaders reflected on the past and future. Mary Alice Teets ‘58: “The University needs to continue to achieve excellence. It needs to continue to appreciate its past as we move forward together. I am confident in this search committee, and I look forward with optimism.” Randall Jones ‘72: “Continued growth should be in our fu-ture. We will need funding for the Foundation and endow-ment. That will be a key to making our programs excep-tional. The last 10 years have been good ones, and we are poised for a successful future.” Ron Sutton, state representative: “My hope is that the next chancellor has the same vision for growth (as former Chan-cellor Allen Meadors). Those are tough shoes to fill, but I have confidence in the search committee and in UNC that they will find a good individual to lead this University.” Bill Mason Jr. ‘80: “This is a wonderful weekend. They should do the right thing and find a chancellor to keep this University moving forward. Chancellor Meadors got things going, especially football.” Johnny Hunt ‘77: “The sky is the limit for UNCP. With everybody working together like they are now, we can do anything.” Bob Caton, former trustee and football supporter: “If you told me 20 years ago I’d be here on a Saturday, I’d have said you were dreaming. Now is the time to get our football team into a first class conference.” Pete Ivey ‘61: “I would like to see more alumni involve-ment. I have friends who have never returned to their alma mater after graduation. They would like what they see.” Homecoming ‘09 Fall 2009 UNCP Today 3 continued on page 4 A time to reflect on the past and future Chancellor Charles Jenkins in an ad-dress to the Class of 1959: “I recall a conversation I had with the late Chancellor English Jones. He said this is a ‘university of opportunity.’ I agree with him.” GAME TIME The stands around Lumbee Guar-anty Field seemed sparsely populated as kick-off neared. Then, tailgaters flooded in to pack the house. UNCP rolled up 499 yards of total offense, and held visiting Webber In-ternational virtually motionless in the second half to extend its home win-ning streak to 10 games. The win capped a perfect home season – the second straight at John-son Stadium. UNCP’s last loss in Pembroke came in the form of a 10-7 setback to West Virginia Wesleyan on October 13, 2007. Jamal Williams booked 138 yards of total offense, hauling in seven catches for 65 yards, rushing three times for 27 more and throwing a 26- yard touchdown pass to Jamelle Banks in the third quarter. Cory Smith completed 22-of-30 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown, while Rashon Kennedy ran for 72 yards. “We came out defensively and al-lowed them on the field way too long in the first half,” said head coach Pete Shinnick. “I really challenged them at halftime and (Webber International) only got 53 yards in the second half. “That was really my expectation,” he continued. “I thought that, if our guys played with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm, they could get that done.” ELDERS The dinner honoring the Class of 1959 included a wide-ranging group of alumni with a special group of Lumbee Elders who were honored for participating in a University research project. Lillian Teen Harris ’48 was one of them. Her son, James Harris ’74, was there too. “My mother was the first in our family to go to college, and she pushed education for all three of her sons who also graduated,” Harris said. “This University makes a huge differ-ence in the lives of families.” Dr. Louise Cummings Maynor ’65 said she would never have gone to college if not for Mary Livermore, the library’s namesake. “I was one of 12 children grow-ing up in the St. Annah community, and we could not afford college,” Dr. Maynor said. “I lived with Ms. Liver-more. She had a tremendous sense of mission.” Dr. Maynor went on to get a doc-torate in English and retired last year from a career teaching college English. Chancellor Jenkins took the group on a trip down memory lane, recalling 1959 as the year Buddy Holly record-ed his last song, Hawaii and Alaska became states and Elizabeth Taylor was married again. “At the University, Walter Gale was president, Herbert Oxendine was dean of education, Adolph Dial was teach-ing history and Jim Ebert (who was in attendance) had recently joined the faculty,” Chancellor Jenkins said. Chancellor Jenkins said the Uni-versity has made a difference to the community. “Only 14 cities in North Carolina have a UNC university,” Chancellor Jenkins said. “This institution has made a positive impact here.” 4 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued from page 3 bids farewell Meadors Chancellor Allen C. Meadors left his mark on UNCP The Meadors era in Pembroke ended on June 30, 2009. Like all other days at the University, Chancellor Allen C. Meadors could be found in his office, working. On July 1, he was sitting at the president’s desk of his alma mater, the University of Central Arkansas. It was an offer to go home that Dr. Meadors could not refuse. “In the beginning, I thought we would be here 3-5 years, but this has been such a wonderful place,” Chancel-lor Meadors told an audience gathered to say goodbye. The Meadors had purchased a home nearby, and Chan-cellor Meadors moved his parents to the area. It appeared to everyone, including the Chancellor, that he would be in Pembroke until retirement. Two scholarships were established in his honor, one athletic and one academic. An endowed professorship in mathematics was named for him and funded through the C.D. Spangler Foundation. Dr. Meadors was awarded Chancellor Emeritus status on July 1 by the Board of Trustees, undoubtedly the fastest such designation in the history of the institution. With wife, Barbara, at his side, Dr. Meadors bid a tearful goodbye during a dinner in his honor. He thanked Barbara for helping make Pembroke a home for the family. Mrs. Meadors did much more than that - welcoming the entire UNCP family to the Chancellor’s Residence for many events that became traditions, including the Alumni Holiday Drop-in, International Students Night, the Ambas-sadors Christmas tree decorating, and much more. Barbara Meadors orchestrated the decorations at the Chancellor’s Residence and was instrumental in beautify-ing the entire campus, which has drawn rave reviews far and wide. She will be remembered for setting a high stan-dard for entertainment at the University. Chancellor Meadors’ 10-year tenure was highlighted by growth in enrollment and programs, construction, the return of football and an ever more beautiful campus. He touched virtually everything and left every corner better than he found it. Chancellor Meadors knew that UNCP was a diamond in the rough and proved it to the rest of us. As new traditions evolved, old traditions were preserved. “Lots of opportunities here,” Chancellor Meadors said early in his tenure. He made the most of them. The facts of the Meadors era are well documented. But what is the Meadors’ legacy? Here are some thoughts from alumni, faculty and friends: Roger Oxendine, former trustee: “I was chair of the search committee that brought Allen Meadors here. There was a lot of pressure to hire a local person. One of the most tell-ing things he did right away was send his boys to Purnell Swett High School. I thought we picked the right guy, and it turned out well. He’s been a friend, and he will always be a friend.” Mac Campbell ’68, donor and former trustee at Meadors’ hiring: “He was the right man at the right time with the right vision. I recall a comment he made early on about Pembroke being an hour and a half from the largest city in North Carolina but had only a handful of its students. He said he would take this University forward and make it known in this state. When we voted to approve football, I don’t think any of us knew how positive an impact it would have. It’s affected everything from alumni to giving to our wider reputation. And athletics was only a small part of what he did here.” Chancellor Meadors at a Board of Trustees meeting. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 5 continued on page 6 Dick Taylor, Trustee and namesake of the Richard and Lenore Taylor Track at UNCP: “At halftime of the football game (September 26 vs. Lane), I was thinking about Allen. He started the marching band even before the football team. Chancellor Meadors and Barbara were wonderful people and great friends of mine and Lenore’s. He was the right man for this time at the University. I was interested in doing something for UNCP, and he helped make it possible. I enjoyed knowing him, and I was sorry to see him go. But he got the right opportunity at the right university, his alma mater. It’s hard to argue with that.” Floyd Locklear ‘86, Alumni Board President: “He was very personable and fit into the community well. He seemed to enjoy being a part of the community. I remember his first year when he rode in the Lumbee Homecoming Parade and then walked around the campus and met with the community. To me, that showed that he wanted to be a part of what was going on with the University and the community. He would also be at the post office uptown and would always take the extra time to speak to people.” Pete Shinnick, Football Coach: “Chancellor Meadors is a good leader, and I enjoyed working for him. He gives a tremendous amount of his time to students. As for football, he was there to talk to the team or to recruits. When you’re a new program, people want to know if you have support. He was there at recruiting fairs which speaks volumes.” Dan Kenney, Athletic Director: “When he came, we fielded 12 teams with 195 student-athletes, and today we have 16 teams and 400 student-athletes. It is appropriate that he gave us a ‘fight song’ too.” Adam Hardin ’96, Alumni Board, Office of Admissions: “Chancellor Meadors will truly be missed throughout the entire campus community. He set the bar very high for our institution and that is reflective in the breadth and depth of what we are accomplishing now. His leadership has provided a steadfast vision for our University and new opportunities for Pembroke.” Dr. Breeden Blackwell ‘69, Trustee: “He has never been one to take credit, but credit should be heaped upon his shoulders.” Sylvia Pate ’99, Alumni Board, Regional Center director: “While I am so very happy for Dr. Meadors to get the opportunity to lead his alma mater, their gain is certainly our loss. He was such a sincere, genuine and caring individual who really put the interests of the University first. Under his leadership, UNCP excelled in so many areas.” James Bass ’94, ’03, Alumni Director: “I remember sending Chancellor Meadors an email at 11:59 p.m. one Thursday night and getting a response at 12:01 a.m. Chancellor Meadors was thought highly of by our alumni. He helped establish traditions and events that brought them back to campus, football chief among them. These traditions are a lasting legacy.” Willie D. Christian ’96, Alumni Board: “Chancellor Meadors was a ray of sunshine at UNC Pembroke and in the surrounding communities. Even though he has departed, he left a blueprint of success for staff, students, faculty, alumni and community leaders.” Dr. Jose D’Arruda, 35-year faculty member: “When Dr. Meadors first came to UNCP and announced that his goal was to increase the enrollment by a couple thousand, several of us old guys who have been here for quite a while already had heard those remarks by others and saw no countable results. So, we were amazed and pleasantly surprised when he began to make good on his enrollment projection. I never thought that I would ever see our enrollment surpass 3,000 students; when I first came to the University the enrollment was 1,800 and declining. “I will always be grateful to the Chancellor for listening to and supporting our plans for building an observatory as part of the addition to the science building. Originally, the observatory was not going to be part of the budget, but by saving money on the initial bid, he was able to fund both the observatory and the greenhouse, both valuable additions to our great University.” N.C. Sen. David Weinstein, former trustee: “For a complete stranger to come here and, after a couple of months, become part of the community is remarkable. This man knew how to market this University. His baby, though, was football.” Chancellor Meadors tours campus with UNC President Erskine Bowles. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 6 continued from page 5University News Advisory Board - (Front Row - from left): Dr. Charles Harrington, Greg Cummings, Jim Thomas, Donna Lowry, Dr. Cammie Oxendine, Dr. Carmen Calabrese, Robert Locklear, and Richard Rink (Back Row - from left) Dr. Joe Oxendine, Dr. Eric Dent, Larry Chavis, Samuel Locklear, and Dr. Mike Menefee The Thomas Family Center for Entrepreneurship wel-comed three new members to its advisory board in August. Dr. Joseph Oxendine, Donna Lowry and Greg Cum-mings were added to its 13-member board at its quarterly meeting on August 21. The Thomas Center’s mission is entrepreneurial educa-tion and training for the development of small businesses in the region. It was established through a gift from Jim Thomas, a Pembroke native and Los Angeles commercial real estate developer. Lowry is chief executive officer of Caring Touch Home Health Care, a Pembroke, N.C., home health agency. She is a member of UNCP’s Board of Trustees and winner of the University’s Distinguished Service Award in 2009. Greg Cummings is director of Robeson County’s Eco-nomic Development Commission and a Pembroke town commissioner. Cummings said the center will have a “positive effect on the future of the economic development of the entire region.” “The center is already creating jobs,” Cummings said. “I am excited about its impact on small business develop-ment.” Dr. Oxendine is chancellor emeritus of UNCP and founder of UNCP’s Regional Center for Economic, Com-munity and Professional Development. He said “the en-ergy, ideas and spirit of the Thomas Center are inspiring.” Other advisory board members include: Jim Thomas, Dr. Charles Harrington, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs; Dr. Cammie Oxendine, acting dean of the School of Business; Dr. Carmen Calabrese, center di-rector; Robert Locklear, CEO of TWL Trucking Co.; Richard Rink, a Phoenix, Ariz., entrepreneur; Dr. Eric Dent, busi-ness faculty; Larry Chavis, CEO of Lumbee Guaranty Bank; Samuel Locklear, Pembroke businessman; and Dr. Mike Menefee, the Thomas Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship. The University ranked first in the South for the diversity of its student body in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges and Universities 2010.” UNCP also ranked first among North Carolina public master’s granting universities for the number of interna-tional students and third for the economic diversity of its students. The University ranked 20th in the South in eco-nomic diversity. The publication, which is popular for comparing col-leges and universities, was released on August 20. U.S. News ranks colleges and universities on a wide range of data concerning faculty qualifications, peer assessment, selectivity of admissions, retention and graduation rates, alumni support and quality of student body. Overall, UNCP falls into a large unranked tier of mas-ter’s granting colleges and universities in the South. The University compares favorably with these institutions in key areas including: • percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students - 43 percent; • percentage of full-time faculty - 87 percent; • peer assessment or how other universities rate your academic strength - 2.6 in a range of 2.3 – 3.0 for other institutions; Earlier in August, UNCP was named a “best Southeast-ern university” by the Princeton Review, a popular rating service that relies heavily on surveys of students. Chancellor Charles Jenkins stated that the University is pleased that the rankings support the efforts of the Univer-sity. “UNC Pembroke works diligently to offer the best pos-sible education experience to each of its students,” Dr. Jenkins said. “It is an honor to be included in so many categories of U.S. News & World Report’s ‘Best Colleges and Universities 2010’ because it affirms that our efforts are successful.” UNCP ranked high for diversity in U.S. News ratings UNCP’s Thomas Center adds three to advisory board Fall 2009 UNCP Today 7 University News The University was rated one of the best colleges and universities in the Southeast for 2010, the Princeton Review announced on July 27. The education services company selected the school as one of 141 institutions it recommends in its “Best in the Southeast” section of its Web site feature 2010 Best Col-leges: Region by Region. Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s vice president for publishing, said the “best colleges” are selected based on data, visits and surveys of school counselors and students. “We chose UNCP and the other terrific schools we recommend as our regional best colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs,” Franek said. “We also work to have our roster of best colleges feature a range of institu-tions by size, selectivity, character and locale. “We choose the schools based on institutional data we collect from several hundred schools in each region, our visits to schools over the years and the opinions of inde-pendent and high school-based college advisors whose recommendations we invite,” he continued. “We also take into account what each school’s customers – their students – report to us about their campus experiences on our 80-question student survey.” UNCP Chancellor Charles Jenkins said the national recognition is an honor. “The student-focused faculty and staff of UNC Pem-broke are honored to be included in the Princeton Review’s prestigious list of best colleges,” Chancellor Jenkins said. “This recognition is very gratifying because it includes the feedback of our students, who indicate that our focus on the student experience and high quality academic offerings helps them succeed.” The 141 colleges Princeton Review selected in the Southeast are located in 12 states. The Princeton Review also designated 218 colleges in the Northeast, 123 in the West, and 158 in the Midwest as best in their locales on the company’s 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region sec-tion of its site. The 640 colleges named “regional best(s)” represent only about 25 percent (one out of four) of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges. The Princeton Review survey for this project asks stu-dents to rate their own schools on several issues - from the accessibility of professors to quality of campus dining - and answer questions about themselves, fellow students and campus life. Actual comments from surveyed students pep-per each Princeton Review college profile on its site. Some UNCP student comments quoted in the profile: • “UNC Pembroke offered me the opportunity to rein-vent myself, to become the person I always wanted to be. I got the feeling that I could blossom here. From a terrified freshman, I am a confident upperclassman.” • “I considered several schools and UNCP was one of them. I talked to friends who go to big schools, and when they tell me they sometimes feel alone and just a number I know I made the right decision for me by coming to UNC Pembroke.” The Princeton Review is known for its tutoring and classroom test preparation courses, books and college and graduate school admission services. UNCP rated a ‘Best in the Southeast’ With the expansion of Pembroke Pointe, an off-campus apartment development, the UNCP community has more housing choices. On July 22, University, community and company officials dedicated phase II of Pembroke Pointe, which includes 116 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Kenney Companies, the owner, expects the units to be attractive to faculty, staff and single and married graduate students. With the addition, Pembroke Pointe may house as many as 426 students. The addition was constructed in just 10 months to be ready for the 2009-10 school year. Brandon Hammond, community manager for Pembroke Pointe, said that the company will stay in front of demand for off-campus housing. “We were one of the first private student-housing com-munities in Pembroke,” he said. “Now we are the first to offer one-bedroom apartments, and we are the first com-munity to provide housing for University faculty and staff, as well.” Steve Kenney, president and CEO of Kenney Compa-nies, presented a donation of $2,500 to UNCP’s Support our Students Campaign. “We are pleased to have a close working collaboration with the University,” Kenney said. “We operate in many college towns, but I have to say Pembroke is our favorite.” Town and University officials praised the company for its support of the University and community. “You’ve had an impact on this town,” said Pembroke Mayor Milton Hunt. “This kind of growth is always wel-come, and, on behalf of the town, thank you for having faith in Pembroke.” Pembroke Pointe opens new housing options for UNCP 8 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued on page 9 The University was named a “Military Friendly School for 2010!” by G.I. Jobs magazine. The honor ranks UNCP in the top 15 percent of all col-leges, universities and trade schools nationwide. UNCP serves Ft. Bragg through an office on base at the EArmyU Building. As a “Military Friendly School,” UNCP will be included with a basic listing in G.I. Jobs’ annual “Guide to Military Friendly Schools,” which was published in September 2009. “Clearly, UNCP has an interest in recruiting military students, and I urge you to continue your already stellar efforts by improving your military-friendliness every year,” said Rich McCormack, publisher of G.I. Jobs. “You can do so by improving the policies, efforts and results used to recruit and retain military and veteran stu-dents,” McCormack said. “These policies, efforts and results were carefully gleaned through our survey and weighted into our rankings. “On behalf of the eight million military members and veterans seeking a school, I thank you for your commitment to educating our nation’s most deserving heroes,” he said. Chancellor Jenkins said the listing is indicative of an excellent level of support to all students at UNCP. “UNCP is proud to offer a high quality education to all of its students,” Chancellor Jenkins said. “Military members and veterans face unique challenges when earning a col-lege degree due to the sacrifices they make for this country. UNCP recognizes these challenges and works diligently to ensure that students in the military are offered the same educational opportunities as any other student on our campus.” UNCP offers undergraduate programs at Ft. Bragg, in-cluding the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice and Bachelor of Science in busi-ness administration (management concentration). Graduate programs include the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Public Administration (MPA) and the Master of Arts in teaching, physical educa-tion (sports administration and exercise and fitness), middle grades (6-9) (mathematics and social studies), mathemat-ics education (grades 9-12) and social studies education (grades 9 – 12). Dr. Charles Tita is director of Distance Learning at UNCP and supervises satellite campuses, including Ft. Bragg. “At UNCP, we are fully engaged in our efforts to ensure that military families have access to a hassle-free, high quality education,” Dr. Tita said. “UNCP understands the challenges soldiers face, as they are frequently deployed and may not stay long enough in one place to complete their college degrees.” As a member of the Servicemembers’ Opportunity Col-lege (SOC), UNCP is part of a consortium of colleges and universities that collaborate in accepting transfer credits from each other in an effort to assist soldiers and their families toward degree completion. The University is also a member of the SOC Degree Network System (SOC DNS), a subset of SOC that is selected by the military. Magazine names UNCP a top ‘Military Friendly’ college Since opening the doors to phase I almost five years ago, Kenney Companies contributed to the construction of a town park adjacent to UNCP, scholarships and to the new football program. “This is an impressive company that, when they came here, said they would be good corporate and community citizens, and they certainly have done that,” said R.D. Locklear, representing the Pembroke Area Chamber of Commerce. “They are the largest donor to our park project, which speaks to their interest in improving our commu-nity.” Chancellor Jenkins thanked Kenney. “This is an opportunity to say thank you for your great support of our University,” Dr. Jenkins said. “Pembroke Pointe is a leader in student housing for the University, and now they are the leader in faculty housing.” Pembroke Pointe has joined in the life of the University in a variety of ways, sponsoring an intramural beach vol-leyball tournament and a barbecue cook-off during Home-coming. They also participated in UNCP’s Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. UNCP students are served by four private apartment complexes. Until the new Pembroke Pointe development, the apartments were designed to house four students. The completion of phase II at Pembroke Pointe is the culmination of a year of improvements, Hammond said. “We have made several upgrades to our clubhouse and have installed controlled-access gates for our parking area,” he noted. “We constantly look at ways to improve the resi-dent experience at Pembroke Pointe.” continued from page 8 Fall 2009 UNCP Today 9 University News Dr. Charles Jenkins, former provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, was named interim chancellor of the University effective July 1. UNC President Erskine Bowles made the announcement on June 22. Dr. Jenkins succeeds Dr. Allen C. Meadors who stepped down after 10 years to take the top job at the University of Central Arkansas, his alma mater. In announcing Jenkins’ appointment, President Bowles said: “During his 38 years of service to UNC Pembroke, Charles Jenkins has distinguished himself as a top-notch academic administrator and teacher. “Dr. Jenkins has unmatched knowledge of UNCP and the surrounding region, and he has earned the trust and respect of his faculty colleagues, the students, the local community, and other key campus constituencies,” Bowles continued. “UNCP will be in very capable hands during the search for a permanent chancellor.” Dr. Jenkins has served in many capacities since 1971 with 26 years in senior administrative posts. “I see this as another opportunity to serve UNC Pembroke, which greatly affects this region and the state,” Dr. Jenkins said. “There is much work to do, and I hope that I can be of service in a smooth transition to a permanent chancellor. “I look forward to working with the students, faculty, staff and all UNCP’s constituencies,” he said. Dr. Breeden Blackwell, then-chair of UNCP’s Board of Trustees, said Dr. Jenkins’ experience will be invaluable at this time. “I am pleased with President Bowles’ selection of Dr. Charles R. Jenkins as interim chancellor for the University, effective July 1, 2009,” Dr. Blackwell said. “Dr. Jenkins’ loyalty to the University is evident through his years of service to our campus. The Board of Trustees will soon begin its important task to replace Allen C. Meadors and Dr. Jenkins’ proven leadership will be important during this transitional time.” From faculty member to provost and vice chancellor, Dr. Jenkins also worked in the positions of academic dean, director of admissions and director of student teaching. He was named Professor Emeritus in 2007 and continues to teach in the School of Education’s graduate program in school administration. The University achieved many milestones during Dr. Jenkins’ tenure, including Comprehensive I status after launching a broad range of successful master’s degree programs. The designation allowed for significant increases in faculty salaries. The Teaching Fellows Program, Chancellor’s Scholars (now the Esther Maynor Honors College), the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and 15 master’s degree programs were launched during Dr. Jenkins’ tenure. “The things we did were accomplished with the help of many good people, and that is the approach we will take this year,” Dr. Jenkins said. He was the first person at UNCP to hold the title of provost. Dr. Jenkins has worked in support of the University, higher education and the surrounding communities. He served as a commissioner for the Commission on Colleges for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and was former president of the N.C. Association of Academic Officers. A resident of Laurinburg, N.C., Dr. Jenkins served on the Board of Directors of Scotland County Memorial Hospital and served two years as chair. He was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the governor. Dr. Jenkins was named Volunteer of the Year by the Laurinburg-Scotland Area Chamber of Commerce for his work last summer on its national accreditation. He is a past president of the Pembroke Area Chamber of Commerce. A Rockingham, N.C., native, Dr. Jenkins earned Bachelor and Master of Arts in Education degrees from East Carolina University and a doctorate in educational administration from Duke University. He is married to Karen Gibson Jenkins. Dr. Charles Jenkins named interim chancellor at UNCP Fall 2009 UNCP Today 10 “Dr. Jenkins has unmatched knowledge of UNCP and the surrounding region.” -UNC President Bo wles University NewsA 16-member Chancellor Search Committee was unanimously approved by the Board of Trustees of the University. The committee is tasked with the responsibility of submitting candidates for the next UNCP chancellor. UNC President Erskine Bowles will receive the nominations on behalf of the Board of Governors, who may vote as early as April. Board Chairwoman Dr. Freda Porter, who made the recommendations to the trustees, will chair the Search Committee. An alumna and former faculty member of the University, Dr. Porter said the committee will do an out-standing job. “I was concerned that we needed to be as transparent as possible and I think we succeeded,” she said. “We were adamant that the committee be diverse on all counts. “I believe this is a stellar group of outstanding indi-viduals who are committed to this University,” Dr. Porter continued. The Search Committee is comprised of four trustees, three faculty members, five community members, and one member each drawn from staff, students, alumni and the UNCP Foundation, Inc. In all, there are seven current and former faculty members and nine alumni on the commit-tee. • Trustees on the Search Committee include: Dr. Porter; Dr. Raymond Pennington, a former UNCP ad-ministrator and faculty member; Lorna Ricotta, an alumna and former UNCP administrator; and Dr. Breeden Blackwell, a retired educator and an alum-nus; • Faculty members include: Dr. Sherry Edwards, chairwoman of the Social Work Department; Dr. Mario Paparozzi, chairman of the Sociology and Criminal Justice Department; and Dr. Mary Ann Jacobs, chairwoman of the American Indian Studies Department; • Community members include: Dr. Dwight Pearson, director and superintendent of N.C. schools and alumnus; Grady Hunt, an attorney and alumnus; Carolyn Robinson, owner of a health care company and an alumna; Mac Campbell, an oil distributor and alumnus; and Dr. Robin Cummings, a physician; • The student representative is Arjay Quizon Jr., Student Government Association (SGA) president and member of the Board of Trustees; • The staff representative is W. Steve Martin, assistant vice chancellor for Business Affairs-Facilities Maintenance; • The alumni representative is Dr. Olivia Oxendine, former UNCP Alumni Association president and board member and current UNCP faculty member; and • The Foundation representative is Kellie Blue, an alumna and finance director for Robeson County. Letters went out in July to the Faculty Senate, Staff Council and SGA requesting nominations, and all trustees were invited to submit their names, Dr. Porter explained. Ann Lemmon, associate vice president for Human Resources at UNC General Administration, is advising UNCP’s chancellor search. The selected executive search firm will assist the Search Committee in the selection process at every step including gathering of information from major stakeholders includ-ing faculty, staff and community. For information about UNCP’s search, go online to www.uncp.edu/chancellorsearch. UNCP continues as a national leader in American Indian graduates The University remains a national leader for American Indian graduates, according to a recent study by Diverse magazine. UNCP ranked ninth overall among all U.S. colleges and universities with 132 American Indian graduates for 2007-08. UNCP led all Eastern U.S. higher education institutions. The University is number one in the nation for the sec-ond year in a row for turning out physical science majors and number four in biology/biomedical sciences. Diverse magazine gives an annual report titled “Top 100 Minority Undergraduate Degree Producers.” UNCP showed the biggest gain in undergraduate de-grees in education: 7th place from 13th place in 2006-07. In a new survey area, UNCP ranked 5th nationally in social services graduates, including social workers. The University also ranked high for American Indian graduates in: • Health professions – ranked 6th nationally with 18 graduates, including nurses • Social sciences – ranked 6th • History – ranked 10th • Business – ranked 40th UNCP trustees approve Chancellor Search Committee Fall 2009 UNCP Today 11 University News Dr. Jerry Jones, a veteran educator from West Virginia, joined the faculty this fall as the first Joseph B. Oxendine Distinguished Professor of Education. The endowed chair in the School of Education was cre-ated in late 2007 by a gift from the C.D. Spangler Founda-tion and named for Chancellor Emeritus Oxendine. Dr. Jones, who comes from Marshall University, teaches in the graduate School Leadership program. With more than 20 years in higher education, Dr. Jones began his career as an elementary school teacher, and he worked as a guidance counselor, principal and superinten-dent of two school districts. “We are excited about this new addition to our faculty,” said Dr. Leah Fiorentino, dean of the School of Education. “Our search com-mittee was incredibly impressed with his credentials. “He brings an understanding of rural education to this position,” she said. Dr. Jones has published seven text-books on a wide range of topics from “Insuring That No Child is Left Behind” and “101 Tips for School Leadership” to “A Handbook for the Teaching of Science and Math” and “Curriculum for Teachers of Early Childhood Educa-tion.” He described his current scholarly interests. “I have an interest in creativity in school management and the renewal of organizations,” Dr. Jones said. “I am also interested in working with schools who are struggling to lower dropout rates.” Dr. Joseph Oxendine, who was a member of the search committee, said UNCP has added an outstanding scholar who has distinguished himself in public and higher educa-tion. “Dr. Jones has all the qualities that one would expect of a distinguished professor,” Dr. Oxendine said. “I am very pleased with the selection. He will be outstanding. “The faculty will gain from his experience, and students will learn a lot from someone with his background in education,” he continued. “He is a prolific writer who has UNCP adds distinguished professor in School Leadership program published outstanding materials in recent years.” Dr. David Oxendine, director of the School Administra-tion program, welcomed Dr. Jones to the department. “It is a great honor to have such an experienced indi-vidual as Dr. Jones in this position,” Dr. Oxendine said. “His wealth of experience can only enhance the Depart-ment of Professional Leadership in the School of Educa-tion. “I am sure he will provide our graduate students with excellent guidance that helps them to be better educators and administrators in our public schools,” he said. A St. Albans, W.Va., native, Dr. Jones earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education at West Virginia State Col-lege, a Master of Arts in education from the West Virginia College of Graduate Studies (now Marshall University) and a doctorate in edu-cational supervision from Virginia Tech. Dr. Jones has spent most of his professional career in West Virginia, but he said two experi-ences outside his home state were influential. “My experience teaching in Guatemala gave me an under-standing of diverse cultures,” he said. “And, I got to see the world while in the Navy.” He described the region and the Oxendine Distinguished Professor-ship as a “good fit.” “I am a rural educator, and this is a place I believe I can make a difference,” Dr. Jones said. “I have a pretty good understanding of rural school systems.” In his last post, Dr. Jones was a tenured professor in the doctoral educational leadership program at Marshall. Before that he served as a professor and department chair at the University of Charleston, associate professor at West Virginia State University and as a member of the fac-ulty at Trevecca College and the University of Rio Grande and Community College, where he was also an associate academic dean. 12 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Faculty & Staff A scientist with an international reputation in Alzheim-er’s disease research joined the faculty this fall. Dr. Ben A. Bahr accepted the William C. Friday Distin-guished Professorship in Molecular Biology and Biochem-istry. He is a tenured member of the Biology Department with laboratories and offices in UNCP’s Biotechnology Research and Training Center at COMtech. In addition to other sources, a $200,000 grant from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) helps fund his lab and purchase materials and supplies for research on neurodegenerative disorders. The NCBC’s Oliver Smithies Faculty Recruitment Grant Program aids in the recruitment of top science talent to North Carolina. Besides research into Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders, Dr. Bahr has a history of attracting grants, collaborating with the international scientific community, training student-researchers and entrepreneurship. Dr. Bahr discovered a new class of drug that reduces Alzheimer-type pro-tein accumulation. He has worked with several pharmaceutical companies and co-founded Synaptic Dynamics, Inc., a company that is developing novel drugs for Alzheimer’s disease and other protein accumulation disorders, such as Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases. Dr. Bahr described the discovery, which came early in his career. “I was playing with brain tissue to determine how it was com-promised by aging events and discovered that a small ma-nipulation can trigger clearance mechanisms to work harder,” Dr. Bahr said. “The brain is vast, just like the universe, and there are probably infinite possibilities regarding how it encodes memory, which we are merely scratching the surface in our understanding, but there are also countless ways the memory systems can be disrupted by disease. “Alzheimer’s is a tragic disease, but once early diagnosis is made, new strategies should be able to slow it down and make it more manageable,” he said. His research on other neurodegenerative diseases has led to projects to develop protection avenues against a wide range of brain damage from trauma to stroke. UNCP attracts a top international neurobiology research scientist A Southern California native who comes to UNCP from the University of Connecticut, Dr. Bahr is the first person to serve as the Friday Distinguished Professor, named in honor of the retired UNC president, and to occupy the new Friday Chair Research Laboratory. UNCP is fortunate to attract an outstanding scientist of Dr. Bahr’s caliber, said Dr. Martin Slann, dean of the Col-lege of Arts and Sciences. “He arrived at UNCP with important and potentially life-saving research projects already funded and well un-derway,” Dean Slann said. “The search committee members did their work well and selected an individual who is at the first tier of scientific scholarship. “We all have every confidence that Ben Bahr will continue to build and augment an internation-al reputation that can only bring great benefit to this institution,” he said. Dr. Bahr’s resume is distin-guished and well-rounded. He earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in molecular biology and biochemistry and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He was most recently on the faculty of the University of Connecticut’s Phar-maceutical Sciences and Physiology and Neurobiology departments. Dr. Bahr has several patents pending, and he has licensed dif-ferent inventions from his work to pharmaceutical companies. Besides founding his own company, Dr. Bahr served as consultant and/or collaborator for several pharmaceutical com-panies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb, Merz Pharmaceuti-cals, Cortex, and MAK Scientific. An editorial board member for five academic journals since 2004, he has won several awards including the Young Investigator Award from the International Society for Neurochemistry and from the University of California at Irvine, where he taught for seven years in the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 13 continued on page 14 Faculty & Staff With almost $2 million in grants received from federal, non-profit and corporate sources, Dr. Bahr has more than $2 million in pending grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. Dr. Deborah Lundin, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote the NCBC grant. “The University’s capacity for securing extramural research support will receive a significant boost with Dr. Bahr on campus,” Dr. Lundin said. “His expertise for acquiring resources from a variety of federal, national and international entities is invaluable as a catalyzing force for UNCP faculty as they increase their efforts to engage in funded research.” Dr. Bahr agreed, saying research attracts both funding sources and human resources. “I hope that our work in the lab will open funding doors and push others in the field to see there are new ways to treat and study Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders,” Dr. Bahr said. With 130 publications to his credit and numerous con-ference presentations, Dr. Bahr has taught and mentored many undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral students. On this subject, he is enthusiastic. “Much of my research has been conducted by excep-tional undergraduate students, and I like the focus at UNCP on undergraduates and their involvement in research,” Dr. Bahr said. “Undergraduate research is what got me started in my career. “Throughout my career, I’ve met very enthusiastic stu-dents who want to work with me to understand Alzheimer’s disease,” he continued. “Because Alzheimer’s is always in the news, students share my interest in the field. “The complexity of the brain offers students the incred-ible opportunity to realize that everything they do in the lab makes an impact in the field,” he said. Dr. David Zeigler, chair of the Biology Department, said Dr. Bahr’s research brings prestige to the University and its students. “Dr. Bahr has a strong record of student involvement in lab-based research, and he has already made contacts with our students for research experiences in his lab,” Dr. Zeigler said. “His classroom teaching provides excellent opportunities for our students in biology and chemistry. “Dr. Bahr has a large number of important contacts at other universities and in industry that will likely prove important to both our students and faculty in the future,” he said. Dr. Robert Poage, a member of the Biology Department, chaired the search committee. “Bringing Dr. Bahr to UNCP is unprecedented for our scientific community,” Dr. Poage said. “As a neurobiologist myself, I could not be more pleased. “Besides seeking someone with extensive funding for research, we were looking for someone with experience working with undergraduate students and that is relatively rare for a top researcher,” Dr. Poage continued. Dr. Poage attributed the success of the search to the University’s willingness to vigorously market the posi-tion and its commitment to support the Friday Chair with financial resources. The grant from the North Carolina Bio-technology Center, which Drs. Poage and Deborah Lundin wrote, was also a critical factor. “Having a dedicated laboratory space available at the new biotechnology facility was also helpful,” he said. “Dr. Bahr wanted to get into his own lab and, with under-graduates, produce publishable research, and that is what we were looking for.” Dr. Bahr is pleased with his new laboratory and has enjoyed meeting the faculty at UNCP. Among his arsenal of resources, he brought to the new lab his research assistant. “It’s worth noting that my lab manager Jeannie Hwang, who started as an undergrad in my lab a few years ago, accompanied me to North Carolina,” Dr. Bahr said. “It seems like things are working out for a nice Pembroke Al-zheimer’s disease kick-off to jumpstart the role of the Uni-versity and local communities, together enhancing aware-ness for the importance in finding effective treatments. “With other COMtech labs, including that of Dr. Len Holmes, we hope to further promote UNCP’s strength in biotechnology research in North Carolina,” he said. “At UNCP, I will be able to put more focus on research and drug discovery.” This article drew material from an interview of Dr. Bahr by Lauren Silber of the University of Connecticut as well as telephone interviews. 14 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued from page 13 Faculty & Staff Faculty Mentions “Crisis Management in the New Strategy Landscape,” authored by Drs. William “Rick” Crandall, John A. Parnell and John E. Spillan of UNCP’s School of Business, was published in May. The book outlines the importance of planning for crises as part of every organization’s strategic management plan. It is intended for upper-level undergradu-ate or graduate courses and as a supplement for strategic management courses. The book is published by SAGE, headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. Crandall Parnell Spillan UNCP biology professor Dr. Wm. Bruce Ezell Jr. is the recipient of the 2009 Daniel W. Mar-tin Science as Christian Vocation Award from the Presbyterian Association on Science, Tech-nology and the Christian Faith (PASTCF). It is a national award from PASTCF whose mission is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and informa-tion and to develop programs for members and the needs of the church. Dr. Ezell is a 10-year member of UNCP’s faculty and a lifelong Pres-byterian. A native of Ninety Six, S.C., Dr. Ezell graduated from Lander University and received the Master of Science in 1965 and Ph.D. degrees in 1970 from Clemson University. His research endeavors have been conducted in medical entomology. Dr. Cammie Hunt-Oxendine, acting dean of UNCP’s School of Business, completed work on her Ph.D. in organization and management with a specialization in entrepreneurship from Capella University in August 2009. A member of the faculty for 10 years and now on tenure track, Dr. Oxendine previously served as a senior lecturer and assistant dean. A faculty advisor to the popular and successful Students in Free Enterprise program, Dr. Oxendine led the team to eight regional competitions. A 1990 UNCP graduate, she earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 1996. Dr. Martin W. Slann, dean of UNCP’s College of Arts and Sciences and one of the nation’s foremost experts on terrorism, co-authored with Dr. Cindy C. Combs the second edition of their book “Encyclopedia of Terrorism” (2007; Facts on File Library of World History; $95). The “Encyclopedia of Terrorism” provides students, researchers, journalists and policy makers with a history of terrorism. The ency-clopedia offers an examination of the events, people, organizations and sites of international terrorism. Master Sergeant John Torre, who was the face of the University’s ROTC program for 15 years, stepped down effective August 20. MSG Torre leaves behind a strong program with 70 students enrolled for 2009-10. A Guam native, MSG Torre retired from active duty in 1996 after 20 years of service and tours in Desert Storm and Panama during armed conflicts. He worked on contract since then and will con-tinue training soldiers in Kenya. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 15 Join UNCP on Facebook! Our page provides University information to the Facebook community as well as links to additional UNCP Facebook pages. Visit: www.facebook.com/uncpembroke/ Faculty & Staff Tommy Swett: Teacher, coach, administrator Tommy Swett, a long-time University administrator, died on May 18. Swett retired in 1997 with 28 years of service to the University, working for three chancellors. He was director of Upward Bound and Student Support Services when he retired. Swett was dedicated to the youth of Robeson County. He served a term on the Board of Education of the Public Schools of Robeson County and became chair. Swett was a former member of the Board of Directors of Odum Home and member of the Gideons. He was a driving force behind the local Children’s Bible Ministries, which built Camp Grace, a local summer Christian day camp for youth. A 1961 UNCP graduate, Swett worked as a school teacher and coach at Les Maxwell School in Cumberland County. He was recruited to the University in 1971 to be President English Jones’ administrative assistant with a variety of duties includ-ing the University’s first alumni affairs coordinator. Swett served as president of the state and regional Councils of Educational Op-portunity Programs and served on its national board. He is survived by his wife, Shirley; one daughter, Kim Locklear, three sons, Brent, Aubrey and Dwight; a sister, Dorothy; and four brothers, Furman, Bruce, Vardell and Purnell. He was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. Tommy and Bertha Swett, and a brother, James. Kenneth P. Johnson: Coach and professor Kenneth P. Johnson, 94, a retired coach and physical education professor, passed away on October 1 at the Lutheran Retirement Home. He was born in Jamestown, N.Y., on January 8, 1915, son of the late Charles A. and Cora Petrie Johnson. Dr. Johnson was a 1935 graduate of Jamestown High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in education from the State University of New York at Cortland and a master’s degree from St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. He furthered his education by earning his doctorate in health and physical education from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. Dr. Johnson was also a World War II veteran in the U. S. Navy, working in physical therapy at the naval hospital. He began his teaching career as a physical education teacher with the Dexter Central School System in Dexter, N.Y. He moved on to teach at Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn., for 10 years before moving on to Oristic College in Presque Isle, Maine. Dr. Johnson settled in North Carolina working for 25 years at UNCP, retiring in 1980. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he spent his summer months in Jamestown, where he ran the tennis program for the Jamestown Parks and Recre-ation Department. He attended the First Lutheran Church in Jamestown, and while living in N.C. was a member of the Pine Crest Country Club in Lumberton and was president of the Pembroke Kiwanis Club. Dr. Johnson was passionate about sports, and his nickname was “Doc” or “Coach.” He was an avid golfer with five hole in ones to his credit. In his swimming pool, he taught more than 100 low income children from the Lumbee Tribe how to swim, and in his later years, he could be found teaching someone the game of chess or the piano. 16 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Kenneth Johnson with wife, Doris. Faculty & Staff: In Memoriam Caylon Hann is a junior safety with the Braves football program. He was named a third-team all-American by Don Han-sen’s Football Gazette. A Homestead, Fla., native, Hann ranked second nation-ally for interceptions in NCAA Division II with seven. He had 51 tackles for UNCP’s nationally top-ranked defense against the score. Kevin Dietrich, a power-hitting, center-fielder from Charlotte, N.C., was named a third-team all-American. He set UNCP season records for hits (92) and homeruns (16) while batting .418. The 2009 grad-uate was perfect in the field, not making an error in 107 chances. In 2009, he had 66 RBIs with 59 runs scored. Matt McGovern, a pitcher from Ottawa, Canada, was named to the second team all-American squad. For the season, he was 9-0 and 7-0 against Peach Belt Confer-ence competition. McGovern had a 2.63 ERA over 75 innings and had two com-plete games with 59 strikeouts. He played for the Fayetteville SwampDogs last sum-mer and was named their top pitcher. Jamal Allison, a freshman from Moores-ville, N.C., was named to the 2009 Track & Field Coaches Association All-American Team. He placed fourth in the nation in the NCAA Division II Track & Field Na-tional Championships with a long jump of 24-feet 8 inches. He is the first Brave track & field all-American since 1985. His goal is to win it all in 2010. Jordan Walor, Peach Belt Freshman of the Year, was awarded an honorable mention on the 2009 Division II PING All-Ameri-can team. From Wake Forest, N.C., Walor competed in 11 tournaments with a 72.7 stroke average, ranking 5th in the confer-ence. Twelve student-athletes were named to all-American teams in 2008-09, four academic and eight athletic including the first-ever football player. UNCP produces bumper crop of all-Americans Whitney Beverly, a senior goalkeeper from Richlands, N.C., was named to the Nation-al Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American Team. She also earned Daktronic All-American honors. Beverly played every minute of every game in 2009 allowing just 13 goals in 23 games. She had 14 shut-outs during the season and 24 for her career. The team set records for wins and went to the NCAA tourna-ment for the first time in history. Melanie Cobb, a senior, broke the UNCP career record for points (105), goals (44) and the single-season record for points (48) and goals (19). She also led the team in assists. For this, Cobb was named a National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American. She is a three-time all-region pick, two-time all-conference, two-time all-Peach Belt Tournament and was ranked 23rd in the nation in scoring in 2009. Katja Damman was named to the National Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholars Team for NCAA Division II. A junior business major from Pinehurst, N.C., she had seven top-15 finishes in the 2008-09 season. Damman started off the 2009-10 season by winning the Battle at Bayonet Tournament on September 8. A 3.5 or better GPA is required for selection. Four wrestlers, Dennis Fix, a sophomore from North Hun-tington, Pa., Trey Kirkland, a freshman from Front Royal, Va., Mike Nash, a freshman from Fayetteville, N.C. , and Aaron Hollifield, a junior from Mocksville, N.C., were named to the academic all-American team. A minimum 3.2 GPA is required. Fix Kirkland Nash Hollifield Fall 2009 UNCP Today 17 Braves Athletics Just before school started, a lifesaver was thrown to students at the University. The August 7th SOS Beach Party, the University’s first fundraising event of its kind, was a smashing success. More than 300 people shagged to beach music and sam-pled seafood while raising a total of $65,000 for UNCP’s distressed scholarships. Eleven sponsors contributed $3,000 each and 25 corporate tables were reserved at $1,000 each. The con-tributions helped fill a hole in the University scholarship endowments, which went “underwater” during the recent turmoil in the financial markets, said Sandy Waterkotte, vice chancellor of the Office for Advancement, which staged the event. “When you’re in need, your friends come to the res-cue,” Waterkotte said. “Our students have a lot of friends, and we exceeded our most optimistic goal. “We don’t know yet how many students will benefit, but it could be as many as 100,” she said. “Just as im-portant, we had a great time meeting old friends and making new ones.” With little experience in events of this kind, University officials wondered about the turnout. Chancellor Charles Jenkins, a UNCP veteran of 38 years, was pleased by the sold-out event. “I am sincerely thankful to everyone who turned out to support our students during this time,” Dr. Jenkins said. “This event will stand out as one of the most pleasant and productive that I have ever attended at the University.” A local committee did much of the legwork. The com-mittee included: Grady Hunt ‘86, Mickey Gregory ‘88, Carolyn Floyd-Robinson ‘05, Kellie Blue ‘93, Kent Chavis ‘91, Mickey Meekins, Aaron Thomas ‘99, Bruce Mullis, James Granger and Larry Chavis ‘72. Gregory, who is a director of UNCP’s Alumni Asso-ciation and the Lumberton Visitors Bureau, said it was a “lovely evening.” “As a UNCP graduate, I was happy to help out,” Greg-ory said. “I was pleased with the turnout because it shows that people will come out to support a good cause. “I’m proud that we have the University because it is a tremendous asset to this community,” she said. Kellie Blue, a member of UNCP’s Foundation Board of Directors, said a diverse group of graduates and non-grad-uates attended the Beach Party. “I believed from the start it would be a successful event,” said Blue, who is finance director for Robeson County. “It was not the typical fundraiser because of the beach theme and the relaxed atmosphere.” The committee worked hard to fill tables and get spon-sorships, said Teresa Oxendine, assistant vice chancellor for donor relations. “The idea for a beach party began as a one-time event, but because it was so successful, we may reconsider that strategy,” Oxendine said. The success of the event has raised the question of turn-ing it into an annual event. “I’ve heard nothing but good comments,” Blue said. “I believe people will be excited to come next year.” “Every person on the committee was committed to the success of this event,” said Alisia Oxendine, director for major gifts. “It was a great time, and everyone there under-stood that they were making a difference in the lives of our students.” Sponsors were critical to cost saving. UNCP graduates Paul and Pat Willoughby (Paul is also a trustee) sponsored the Holiday Band, which contrib-uted $500 back to scholarships. Debbie’s Destinations of St. Pauls contributed the grand prize, a cruise for two to the Bahamas. Cyna’s Jewelers provided three, two-day resort hotel stays. The Inn at Ellis Square contributed a week-end getaway to Savannah, Ga. Other prizes came from Givens Performing Arts Center, UNCP Bookstore and Outback Steakhouse. Pembroke True Value Hardware helped decorate the beach. Event sponsors included: Booz/Allen/Hamilton, The Commons of Pembroke, Debbie’s Destinations, First Bank, Lumberton Radiological Associates, Metcon Construction, New Life Services, Inc., Pates Supply Co., Inc., R.A. Jef-freys Distributing, Scotland Memorial Hospital and Paul and Pat Willoughby. Corporate table sponsors included: BB&T, Caring Touch Home Health Care, Claybourn Walters Company, Inc., Cyna’s Jewelers, Dr. Robin Cummings, Fuller’s Barbeque, Golden Corral, Locklear, Hunt, Jacobs and Brooks, Jeff and Robin Jones, Lewis and Lewis, CPAs, Lloyd, Meekins and Sons Auction Company, LREMC, Lumbee Guaranty Bank, Lumberton Visitors Bureau, Lumberton Children’s Clinic, Lumberton Drug Company, Pembroke Hardware, Pem-broke Pointe Apartments, Pembroke Wal-Mart, Porter Sci-entific, Robeson County Commissioners, Robeson County Department of Social Services, Southeastern Regional Medical Center, TARA Group and Lennis Watts. Students win as a result of UNCP’s SOS Beach Party 18 UNCP Today Fall 2009 Advancement Retired Superior Court Judge Jim Oxendine had an extraordinarily distinguished career in law. A Fairmont, N.C., native, and Vanderbilt University graduate, Judge Oxendine was a successful attorney in Atlanta and a district and superior court judge in Gwinnett County. He heard death penalty cases and mega-million dollar civil cases. Judge Oxendine spoke October 5 to a “Law, Politics and Justice” class at UNC Pembroke. His advice was drawn from seasoning that only a full career in the law can furnish. He advocated for a career in public service. “When I was appointed a district court judge, I had been making a lot of money working for a large law firm,” Judge Oxendine said. “I almost quit because of the pay. I realized that I would not be much of a person if I left that job because of money,” he said. “It was a tough choice, but thank God we have good people willing to work for the public.” Judge Oxendine advised students to worry less about money and more about hap-piness. “When you get there and you’re happy with it, hang in there,” he said. “When you go to bed at night, you’ll sleep better.” Judge Oxendine said he is becoming fond of his new job – retirement. But from the sound of it he still has his hand in Georgia politics. “When my son (John) was elected Insurance Commis-sioner, he was the youngest person ever elected to a state-wide office at age 27,” he said. “He is one of five people running for governor, and the polls show he is leading the pack.” But Judge Oxendine spoke mainly of inspiration, of “climbing the mountain,” an expression used by his favor-ite elementary school teacher Opel Hunt. “As a student, you need to say, ‘I’m not on top of that mountain yet, but I’m climbing,’” he said. “My teachers helped me move to the next step from where I was.” There were other teachers, including one with UNCP connections. “Clifton Oxendine, the man they named this building after, was my math and science teacher,” Judge Oxendine said. “He taught me that the color of my skin did not mat-ter, but the content of my character was the key to getting where I wanted to go.” Judge Oxendine was the first American Indian to be admitted to the Georgia Bar and the first to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. He believes that talent should be the deciding factor not race or other factors in the selection of Supreme Court justices and everything else. “We need more women on the Supreme Court,” he quipped. “We need to get away from looking at race; Con-gress has not quite crossed that river yet.” Judge Oxendine’s career crossed a river of a different kind during one of three death penalty cases he heard from the bench. “I tried three death penalty cases, and a man who killed a policeman got death,” he said. “When it was time to deliver the sen-tence, I didn’t know what to say. “I took a month off after that trial,” he said. “It made me appreciate life more.” Judge Oxendine deliv-ered a history lesson. He said the Civil Rights Act of 1965 was a turning point in American law. “1965 was not all that long ago; I had already become a successful attorney, but to many others the door was closed,” he said. “In that decision, lawmakers realized that America could not become a great nation unless it was totally free.” Judge Jim Oxendine’s life makes a strong case for that point. Retired Georgia judge with local roots speaks at UNCP Fall 2009 UNCP Today 19 Advancement The Legacy Bench Campaign is an affordable naming opportunity at UNCP. For $1,500 you can leave a legacy for your-self, a family member or a special friend on the campus. Your name or the name of a loved one will be inscribed on a beautifully crafted bench to be located at strategic sites throughout campus. Purchase a bench (or benches) through this offer and receive a one-year membership in the UNCP Chancellor’s Club! (910) 521-6515 alison.decinti@uncp.edu Road Win Against Fayetteville State The true test of an athletic program and its fans is simple – win on the road! UNCP has not lost at home since October 2007. But to go into the house of a winning football program like Fayetteville State University and come away with a win is a major milestone for the three-year-old program! On the field, the inau-gural Two Rivers Classic was an instant classic. It took two overtimes for the Braves to defeat the powerhouse Broncos, who, at this writing, were in a dog fight on top of the CIAA Conference. UNCP racked up more than 530 yards of total offense, including 353 on the ground. It was a 21-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Cory Smith to Jamal Williams in the second overtime period that fi-nally got the best of FSU, 41-34. In the stands, more than 2,000 Brave fans proved they can travel to support their team, another litmus test of a quality program. In an unusual show of respect, Bronco coach Kenny Phillips gave kudos to the throngs of Pembroke supporters. Athletic Director Dan Kenney said I-95 was a stream of Brave fans and flags flying. “It made me proud to see that kind of support,” Kenney said. “Both institutions benefitted from the positive public-ity generated by the Two Rivers Classic. “FSU was a gracious host,” he said. “There were no negatives – just tremendous sportsmanship on both sides.” When UNCP decided to play football, the institution could not imagine that it could be this good, he said. Kenney also noted the large number of elected officials in attendance. “It will be difficult to top the first edition of this rivalry,” he concluded. Supporting the travel team was the Office for Advance-ment, which hosted nearly 250 at its pre-game cook-out in the parking lot of the Felton Capel Arena. The guest list included state Sen. David Weinstein, Larry Chavis ’72, Lumbee Bank CEO and UNCP endowment board member, and wife, Loleta, donors and former Trustee Bob and Faye Caton, Robeson School Superintendent Johnny Hunt ’85 and wife, Demetrius, Board of Trustees Chairwoman Dr. Freda Porter ‘78 and her guest Greg Bryant, Dr. and Mrs. Curt Locklear Jr., Kellie ‘93 and Jonathan ‘90 Blue, Superior Court Judge (ret.) Gary Locklear ‘70 and wife, Mollie ‘74, UNC Board of Governor Dr. Cheryl Locklear ‘75, former Trustee and donor Mac Campbell ‘68 and Trustee Lorna McNeill Ricotta ’01 and husband, Dr. Patrick Ricotta. They tossed bean bags (hand-crafted by Allen Glenn ’81), won door priz-es and were entertained by cheerleaders, the dance team and the Spirit of the Carolinas Marching Band. Aaron Thomas ’99 came to the game in style, said Alisia Oxendine, director of major gifts. “The tailgating party was a blast, and Aaron set the tone with his RV and grill,” Oxendine said. “The RV helped make it a central, visible location for our alumni and friends.” Coach Pete Shinnick, who understandably downplays landmarks, offered these thoughts on the game. “We preached to our guys all through the preseason that we were going to be in great shape and that we were going to wear on people, and I am proud of them because they had one more play in them than Fayetteville State did tonight,” Shinnick said. The Braves never trailed and led by three points with 42 seconds remaining. But the home-standing Broncos came back one more time. The first overtime ended in a tie, with both teams getting field goals. Smith’s strike to Williams on third down on the first possession of the final period proved to be the winning margin. Fayetteville State was not finished, getting 12 yards from the goal line before being turned back. Landmarks have been coming with regularity for Coach Pete Shinnick’s team. 20 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued on page 21 Advancement Circles Newsletter UNCP’s Advancement Office proudly announces the release of Circles, a bi-annual Heritage Society newsletter whose name is meant to evoke the symbolism of the circle of life. UNCP’s Heritage Society recognizes donors who have included the University in their will or estate plan. Circles focuses on the many ways you can benefit the people and causes you love through charitable giving. It also introduces planning strategies that fit your financial goals at any stage of life. The first issue includes a Heritage Mem-bers Spotlight on Faye Nye Ostrom of Cary, N.C., in addition to information about: • IRAs • Ensuring Your Estate Plan is Up-to-Date • Supporting Your Favorite Cause When Money Is Tight Teresa Oxendine, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advancement, will assist you with questions regarding Circles, Pembroke Heritage Society or Planned Giving. Call the Advancement Office at 910-521-6252 or visit the planned giving Web site at www.uncp.edu/plannedgiving. • This year, the team broke into the national rankings at number 25 on October 4. • Two hours later, the team was ranked 4th in the NCAA Division II Super Regional. • On October 3, the Braves won their third straight homecoming contest in front of a record 4,830 fans. (Tailgating set some unofficial records too.) • For the first time, the Braves defeated Wingate, 24- 13 in front of a sold-out crowd. • Junior defensive back Caylon Hann was named a pre-season all-American. • And, the Braves won their first overtime game against FSU. Coach Pete Shinnick with the Two Rivers Cup. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 21 continued from page 20 Advancement Alumni Association Board of Directors 2009-11 President Floyd Locklear ‘86 2nd Vice President Sylvia Pate ‘99 Immediate Past President Jason Bentzler ‘96 Executive Director James Bass ‘94, ‘03 Board Members Willie D. Christian ‘96 Carlton Cole ‘99, ‘07 Mickey Gregory ‘88 Adam Hardin ‘06 Wendy Hedgpeth ‘91 Henry “Hank” Lewis Jr. ‘00 Patricia Locklear ‘98 Renee Steele ‘93 Sheila Swift ‘03 Aaron Thomas ‘99 Greetings Alumni, I hope you all had as good a time at Homecoming as I did! It’s always great to see alumni come back to UNCP and reconnect with their alma mater. It was especially nice visiting with all the people who stopped by the Alumni Association’s tent in the tailgating lot. Our Braves have done really well this season, and I’m sure all of our alumni are proud of them. I’m looking forward to another commencement and the opportunity to wel-come hundreds more new alumni into the Association in December. For those alumni who graduated in May, I hope you are doing well, and I hope you’ll remember to update your contact information on the Alumni Relations Web site: www.uncp.edu/alumni. Nominations are open for the 2010 Alumni Awards. Please stop by http://www. uncp.edu/alumni/awards/ and download a nomination form. You may also contact the Alumni Relations Office and have one mailed to you. The Alumni Awards Banquet will be held in February, and we hope you’ll make plans to attend, and help us celebrate our most deserving award winners. Finally, I would like to say thank you to all of the alumni who are supporting the University during this year’s Annual Fund Campaign. Your support is so im-portant to our students and the success of their college experience at UNCP. If you have not given to the Annual Fund and would like to do so, please contact our Alumni Director, Mr. James Bass, at 910-521-6533 or send your check to: The UNCP Alumni Relations Office P.O. Box 1510 Pembroke, NC 28372 In keeping the tradition, Floyd H. Locklear Floyd H. Locklear ‘86 Class Notes Alumni may submit new information about retirements, births, marriages, and job changes by submitting information via: Office of Alumni Relations P.O. Box 1510 Pembroke, N.C. 28372-1510 tel: 1-800-949-UNCP or (910) 521-6533 email: alumni@uncp.edu web: www.uncp.edu/alumni Alumni 22 UNCP Today Fall 2009 UNCP’s board chair wins SBA award Dr. Freda Porter, chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the University, was named SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year for North Carolina. Dr. Porter, a former member of UNCP’s Mathematics and Computer Science Department, is president and CEO of Porter Scientific in Pembroke. She received the award on August 27 at the Minority Enterprise Development Week celebration, sponsored by the Cumberland Regional Im-provement Corp. A 1978 UNCP graduate, Dr. Porter earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Duke University and joined UNCP’s faculty in 1991. She left the University to take over the family business, which her father founded. Dr. Porter expanded the scope of the Pembroke-based business and renamed it Porter Scientific Incorporated (PSI). PSI provides a broad range of services that focus on environmental information technology and environmental protection and improvement to commercial and government clients. Ronette Gerber joins UNCP’s legal staff UNCP’s new assistant university counsel is pleased to return to her alma mater. After 12 years in a fast-paced world as a litigation attorney, Ronette S. Gerber has come home to the town and school that have always been so close to her family’s heart. A 1989 graduate, Gerber has maintained close ties with the University and her classmates. “I met my best friends here at the University and we still get together regularly,” Gerber said. “I look forward to homecoming every year and always come to the game with a group of fellow UNCP grads.” She has also served as a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in history at UNCP, Gerber earned a Master of Public Administration degree and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a licensed member of the North Carolina State Bar and has thus far practiced exclusively in civil law. She is the mother of three children: Greyson, 8, Garrett, 7, and Lauren, 5. Gerber is the daughter of Ron Sutton, an at-torney and state legislator, and Geneva Chavis Sutton, a retired nurse and a 1995 UNCP graduate. D’Arcee Neal’s Degree is a Passport As the economy declines, opportunities for recent college graduates become a challenge, but D’Arcee Neal ’08 turned that challenge into an adventure. Only one week after graduating, Neal said goodbye to North Carolina and took a job at a private international ad agency in Georgetown D.C. The job provided him with the opportunity to travel across the country while working. During his travels, Neal realized that he enjoyed his job, but wanted to do more with his de-gree. On a whim he applied for graduate school in London. Two weeks later he was accepted. “I was so thrilled; I didn’t know what to do,” said Neal. “My heart is in writing and learning new things. I want to be like one of the professors that taught me at Pembroke.” Some of Neal’s friends and family couldn’t grasp the idea of him leaving the country for graduate school. “Going to another country for an English degree seemed silly to some people when I told them,” said Neal. Neal saw it as an opportunity for new and exciting experiences. This past summer he and 12 students traveled to Costa Rica with Mobility International USA, an organization that helps students travel the world. “It was an amazing experience,” he said. “The bottom line is that just because you have an English degree it doesn’t mean you’re going to be stuck behind a desk or end up as someone’s secretary. Life’s an adventure.” Neal encourages all alumni to use their degree as a passport to travel the world and see their own adventures. Alumni News Fall 2009 UNCP Today 23 Class Notes 2009 Regina Denise Bellamy-Mason began graduate school at Webster University in Myrtle Beach, S.C. She is employed as a correctional case manager with the N.C. Department of Corrections. She resides in Whiteville, N.C. Debra O. Chavis participated in Advance Standing, a one-year program at UNCP for a Master’s degree in Social Work. She was one of 10 students chosen for the program. She expects to complete her degree in 2010. Debra resides in Red Springs, N.C. Sara Kerns married Ron Six of Jacksonville, Ill., on June 6. She works for FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital, and Ron works for PetSmart. The couple resides in Carthage, N.C. Kimberly Rose Locklear married Samuel Zane Hilburn of Cerro Gordo, N.C., on May 23. Kimberly is employed with Southeastern Regional Medical Center and Samuel is employed with Peacock Funeral Home in Whiteville, N.C. The couple resides in Whiteville. Rhonda McClure won first place this summer in the National Institute of Health student poster contest. As a summer intern at NIH’s National Institute for the Aging, she competed with 50 other student projects. Her research was titled “Effect of Multiple B-Cell Stimulators on Class Switch Recombination and AIDS Expression.” For her work, she won a yearlong NIH Intramural AIDS Research Fellowship Internship Award for 2009-10. She resides in Pembroke. Kayla McMillian is an associate professional with Premier Behavioral. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. 2008 Heather Marie Bell is a math teacher at Leak Street High School. She resides in Hoffman, N.C. Marquita Brazier is an English language arts teacher at Carter Community College. She resides in Raleigh, N.C. Angie Fearrington and Isaac Hannah were married in June. The couple resides in Lumberton, N.C. Matthew Heckel is a news reporter at WDTV. He resides in Clarksburg, W.Va. Sarah Gabell is a quality control analyst at Genetic Testing Laboratory, where she conducts DNA analysis for the local sheriff’s department. She resides in Las Cruces, N.M. Terrell Jones is an officer in the U.S. Army. D’Arcee Neal spent two weeks over the summer in Costa Rica learning about disability rights. He received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of Education and Mobility International USA. He will pursue his master’s and doctoral degrees in London, England, in creative and professional writing at Roehampton University. Sabrina Spaulding-Chavis is a teacher with the Public Schools of Robeson County. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. Aaron Thompson is the assistant track and cross country coach at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Pensacola, Fla. The St. Andrews team won the 2008 conference championships. Thompson spent the 2007-08 track season at Neosho Community College in Chanute, Kan. The community college finished in the top 10 in the country as a team for both indoor and outdoor track at the national championships. He also helped coach 15 all-Americans and two NJCAA National Champions. Clarisse Wilson is a telecommunicator with the UNC School of the Arts Campus Police Department. She resides in High Point, N.C. 2007 Danielle Chavis married Gary Jonathan Chavis on October 17. She is a teacher and varsity cheerleading coach with Scotland High School in Laurinburg, N.C. The couple resides in Laurinburg. 24 UNCP Today Fall 2009 ‘07 continued on page 25 Adam Fenwick works for National Speed Sport News, an auto racing publication in Concord, N.C., where he resides. Shaun Rian Fetzer is a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and is deployed in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C. Chandra Glotzback and Rodney Collins were married on June 27. They have two children, Kaylee Collins, 6, and Joshua Collins, 2. The couple resides in Asheboro, N.C. Connie M. Harris is an adult programs representative with the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services. She resides in Mars Hill, N.C. Whitney Craig Lovette married Samantha Anne Sarvis on August 15. Whitney is employed by State Employees’ Credit Union, and Samantha is employed by Shoreland Healthcare. Jessica Lynn Scott welcomed a second son, Wyatt Alan Bullard, in September. She has another son, Nakoma Obryan Scott, 3. She is a deputy clerk with the State of North Carolina and resides in Lumberton, N.C. Krystal Sease welcomed her second child, Karmen Sphira, on May 23. She weighed 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 20-inches long. Christia Ward Shuler and her husband welcomed their first child, Kiel Lamar Shuler Jr., in October 2008. The family resides in Roseboro, N.C. James C. Sibbett is a medical student at Michigan State University. His wife, Siiri Sibbett ‘07, is an assistant manager at Walgreens in Grand Ledge, Mich., where the couple resides. Donna Stees was promoted to deputy assistant chief of staff G6 at the J.F.K. Special Warfare Center and School on Ft. Bragg, N.C. She is working to attain the Chief Information Officer Certificate from the National Defense University. She resides in Sanford, N.C. Matthew Swift and Kristina Homesly were married on June 20. He is a community recreation specialist with the City of Lexington. The couple resides in Thomasville, N.C. 2006 Julianne Wright Arndt completed her third year as an eighth grade language arts teacher at Lumberton Junior High School. She has been married for six years to Robert Arndt, a reference and instructional services librarian at UNCP. The couple resides in Pembroke. Tommy Baker was named Golf Coach of the Year in the Carolinas Conference. He has been the coach at Coker College in Hartsville, S.C., since 2007. He resides in Hartsville. Keita Turner Coates is a student at International Academy of Design and Technology, where she is working on a second degree in graphic design. She is married to George Coats, and the couple resides in Lumberton, N.C. Carmen Deese is a claims representative with the Social Security Administration. She resides in Rowland, N.C. Candace Deese Dial and Derrick L. Dial were married in January 2008. She is employed with Child Protective Services through the Robeson County Department of Social Services. She and her husband reside in Maxton, N.C. Jason Harris has been selected by the Kenan Fellows Program for curriculum and leadership development at NC State University as a 2011 Kenan Fellow. He is engaged in a two-year fellowship supported by the Moore County consortium to develop innovative curricula for use in North Carolina classrooms. He will also work on a project utilizing i3D technology for use in the classroom. He is a second-grade teacher at Southern Pines Primary School. Stephanie Johnson is a graduate assistant at South Carolina State University. Benjamin Lee and his wife, Jessica Gillis Lee ‘07, welcomed their first child, Noah Alexander, on March 28, 2008. Benjamin is in his fourth year of teaching at Evergreen Elementary School. The family resides in Bladenboro, N.C. Adrienne Reaves is a teacher with Cumberland County Schools. She resides in Fayetteville, N.C. Barbara Richardson is a school social worker with the Public Schools of Robeson County. She resides in Fairmont, N.C. Tracie Williams is an associate professional with Stephens Outreach. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 25 continued on page 26 ‘07 continued from page 24 Class Notes 2005 Cotina Ames is a loss mitigation specialist II with Citi Mortgage. She resides in Silver Springs, Md. Janna Susanne Barnes and John Erik Edwards ’03 were married on January 24. She is employed by the Public Schools of Robeson County, and he is employed by Crop Production Services. The couple resides in Orrum, N.C. Sascha Gorres won his second league championship with the Richmond Kickers professional soccer team. A native of Flensburg, Germany, he is in his fifth season with the Kickers, and he also coaches three Richmond Kickers youth teams (two boys teams and one girls team). He resides in Richmond, Va. Thomas Lindal and his wife, Natalia, welcomed a son, Matheo Leander, in April. He weighed 8 lbs. and was 19 inches long. The family resides in Norway. Krystle Melvin graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law with a Juris Doctorate degree on May 17. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. Leslie Oxendine was certified as a family nurse practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners on June 10. She and husband, Jessie, have been married for 18 years. The couple has four children and resides in Pembroke. Adria Pontious is employed with the U.S. Forest Service. She resides in Seattle, Wash. Torrey Warriax married Maj. Davance Locklear on August 15. Torrey works for Fayetteville Manor Assisted Living and Maj. Davance is in the U.S. Air Force. 2004 Carey McNeill Collins earned the Doctor of Dental Surgery degree on May 16 from Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, Tenn. She is attending the Pediatric Dental Residency Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. She is married to Chris Collins, and they have two children, Tevin and Nathan. Ashley M. Grier and her husband, Tray Martin, welcomed their first child, a boy, Rylee Mitchell Martin, on May 16. The family resides in Fairmont, N.C. Curtis Henderson was accepted into a Ph.D. program in mass communications at Howard University. He resides in Morrisville, N.C. Teresa Langley is an administrative support specialist with New Hanover County. She resides in Wilmington, N.C. Carl L. McLaurin is pursuing a fashion and textile degree at North Carolina Central University. He completed an internship at New York’s Fashion Week in Bryant Park. He resides in Durham, N.C. Nakecia Locklear Radford is a teacher at Lumberton Junior High School. She resides in Lumberton, N.C. Quiana Shaw Robinson and her husband, Stuart, welcomed a baby girl, Kendall Payton Shaw, on June 25. She weighed 7 lbs. and was 20.25 inches long. John Riley Secrist is a U.S. Navy supply officer. He was decommissioned from the USS Augusta SSN-710 and is serving in Afghanistan for one year. Kelly White is a teacher at Ripon Children’s Learning Center in Ripon, Wis. She resides in Fon Du Lac, Wis. 26 UNCP Today Fall 2009 continued on page 27 continued from page 25 continued from page 26 2003 Betsy Kristin Bridgers married Robert Orrie Coonrod of Charleston, S.C. on October 3. Kylie Cirioli McKinney and Jermey McKinney were married in May. They reside in Charlotte, N.C., where they both work. Candice E. Horner-Fuhrer graduated from St. George’s University School of Veterinary Medicine on June 14 with a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine. She works as an associate veterinarian in Phoenix, Ariz., where she resides with her husband, Christian. Genea S. Pittman was accepted into the Ph.D. program in the English Department at the Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg in Germany and will work as an Akademische Mitarbeiterin in the English and Kunst (Art) Departments until August 2011. She resides in Ludwigsburg, Germany. 2002 Ryan Freeman was named men’s basketball coach at Northern Guilford High School. He was previously the head basketball coach at New Bern High School. He resides in Greensboro, N.C. Rebecca Jones LaClaire welcomed her second child, a daughter, Molly Nicole LaClaire, in June 2008. She weighed 6 lbs., 11oz. The family resides in Asheboro, N.C. Susan M. Locklear is a teacher for exceptional children with the Public Schools of Robeson County. She resides in Maxton, N.C. Debra Nelson is a narcotics investigator with the Bladen County Sheriff’s Department. She resides in Bladenboro, N.C. 2001 Jason Brady won a silver medal in June in the 26th Annual Healthcare Advertising competition for a logo design and for his work on billboards, radio and print ads. Jason works for Cape Fear Valley Health System as a marketing coordinator. He is married to Erica Jones Brady ’01 and resides in Fayetteville, N.C. Rikki Cockrell Rich is the assistant athletic director at N.C. Wesleyan College. She was previously sports information director and Title IX coordinator at N.C. Wesleyan. Rikki was sports information director, senior woman’s administrator and assistant athletic director for media relations at UNCP from 2003-05. She and her husband, Marcus, live in Rocky Mount, N.C., and they have one daughter, Addison, 2. 2000 Kelvin Hunt and LaTisha Whitaker Hunt ‘03 are the proud parents of Madilyn Alyse, born on June 6, 2008. The family resides in Fuquay-Varina, N.C. Randall Channing Jones is the assistant town manager for Pembroke, N.C. He previously served as operations manager for Southtech Plastics in New Bern, N.C. He is also completing a doctoral degree at UNC-Chapel Hill. Meredith Huffman Terry and John Christopher Huffman ’93 welcomed a new addition to their family, Kamden Riggs Huffman, in May. He joins Keely (2001) and Kaleb (2004). Meredith is a teacher with Hoke County Schools and John is employed by the Public Schools of Robeson County. The family resides in Laurinburg, N.C. Tamara Thorn received her Master of Science degree in physician assistant studies in August from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. She works as a psychiatric physician’s assistant with Satilla Community Services in Waycross, Ga. Tamara holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s of Social Work degrees, her LCSW credential in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, and is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. 1999 Kelly D. Avant married Robert Hickerson Crabill on June 13. She is a registered nurse with Rex Hospital in Raleigh, N.C. The couple resides in Raleigh. Eric Edmondson was named mortgage loan officer at CommunityOne Bank, serving Richmond and Scotland counties. He previously worked as a financial specialist for Wachovia Bank in Southern Pines, N.C. He and his wife, Kary ‘99, have two children, Ethan, 5, and Ava, 2. The family resides in Rockingham, N.C. Dawn Holt is a teacher with North Carolina Virtual Public School. She resides in Hope Mills, N.C. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 27 ‘99 continued on page 28 Class Notes Don Ingle is an 8th grade algebra teacher at Hawley Middle School in Creedmoor, N.C. He has been teaching since January 2007. Before that, he worked for almost eight years in the television business, including nearly six years at WRAL-TV in Raleigh, N.C., as a news photographer. He and his wife, Deb, have two sons, Avery, 4, and Greyson, 2. William Pence is a district sales manager with Monsanto. He resides in Wernersville, Pa. Aaron K. Thomas was named Business Person of the Year at the 2009 Business Visions Awards Banquet. He is the president and CEO of Metcon Construction, Inc. He is enrolled in the master of construction management program at East Carolina University and expects to graduate this year. Aaron and his wife, Azalea, have three daughters, Ayanna, Alena and Ashtyn. The family resides in Pembroke. 1998 Chad Griffin and his wife, Sherry Severs Griffin ’99, welcomed their second child, Addison Grace Griffin, on Nov. 21, 2008. The couple also has a two-year-old son, Hayes Walker. Chad stepped down as head coach of the boys and girls soccer programs last spring to take over as full-time athletic director at Calvary Day School in Savannah, Ga. Sherry is moving into her seventh year as head softball coach at Calvary. The couple resides in Savannah. Jennifer Whittington is a teacher-recruiter for UNCP’s School of Education. She is also a 2009 graduate of UNCP’s Master’s of School Administration program and resides in Lumberton, N.C. Johnnie Winchester is an appliance advantage agent at Lowe’s corporate headquarters. He resides in Winston-Salem, N.C. 1997 Iris Bethea was selected as a Biltmore Who’s Who 2009-10 member. She was also selected as a member of the National Association of Professional Women 2009. She is a recreation specialist with the Federal Correctional Institution in Bennettsville, S.C. She resides in Laurinburg, N.C. Vincent Castano received his doctorate in education in October 2008. He had an entry published about the western expansion of North Carolina railroads during the 19th century for the “Encyclopedia of North Carolina” (2008), edited by Dr. William Powell. He is the director of Student Support Services at Central Carolina Community College and resides in Sanford, N.C. Robert D. Locklear is principal at Magnolia Elementary School in Lumberton, N.C., and is a doctoral candidate in the educational leadership program at South Carolina State University. He resides in Fairmont, N.C. Daniel Rogers is a driver for United Parcel Service. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C. 1996 Timothy Jacobs and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed a baby boy, Brayden Seth Jacobs, on May 29. The couple also has a daughter, Bethany Rae, 3. The family resides in Lumberton, N.C. Geraldine Thompson is an adult home care specialist with Columbus County Department of Social Services. She resides in Chadbourn, N.C. 1995 Clara Lassiter is an early childhood instructor in the Education Department at Fayetteville Technical Community College. She resides in Columbia, S.C. Dana Lowery Ramseur completed her Master’s of Library Science from East Carolina University in August and is employed as the media coordinator/librarian at Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord, N.C., where she resides. Jennifer Pala and Patrick “Rick” Ellen ’88 were married on April 11. She is an associate scientist III with Beckman Coulter Genomics. The couple resides in Holly Springs, N.C. 28 UNCP Today Fall 2009 ‘99 continued from page 27 continued on page 29 1994 Jerry V. Beck is pastor of Sandy Grove Baptist Church. He and his wife, Ruby Beck ’95, reside in Tar Heel, N.C. Their grandson, Noah Beck, is a freshman at UNCP. Amelia Hammond Tanon, her husband, Edgar, and daughter, Grace, welcomed a new addition to their family. Joshua Edgardo was born March 3, weighing 7 lbs., 1 oz. Amelia is a therapy support coordinator with Biogen Idec. The family resides in Raleigh, N.C. Darline G. Tripp retired from the Harnett County School System on July 1 with 25 years of service. She resides in Dunn, N.C. 1992 Chris Armfield is employed with Xerox Corporation. He resides in Manakin Sabot, Va. Donnie Byers won a gold medal in June in the 26th Annual Healthcare Advertising competition for an interactive Web banner series he created. He also won a bronze medal for his work on a brochure. Donnie works for Cape Fear Valley Health System as a marketing coordinator. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C. Richard Glancy is deployed to Iraq with the N.C. National Guard. He is employed as a sergeant with the Town of Cary Police Department. He resides in Fuquay-Varina, N.C. Susan Robbins is a teacher with Bladen County Schools. She resides in Elizabethtown, N.C. Kristy Woods is a teacher with the Public Schools of Robeson County. She resides in Maxton, N.C. 1991 Marsha Bunce Brenes is a fifth grade teacher with Charlotte- Mecklenburg Schools. She is married to Robert Brenes, and the couple has three boys: Spencer, 17, Mason, 11, and Luke, 6. She has been teaching for 18 years, and Robert is a tennis director at a country club in Charlotte, N.C., where the couple resides. Terry A. Hunt is a real estate appraiser with Thompson Appraisal Services in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He also owns and operates two tanning salons called ARUBA Tan, as well as Hunt Enterprises, a real estate investment company that buys and rents condos. He has been married for 10 ½ years to Carol Bourne, an accountant. The couple serves on the board for Junior Achievement in Horry and Georgetown counties, and they reside in Myrtle Beach. Chiffon Strickland Jenkins won the Mrs. Georgia United States Pageant on February 22. She competed in the Mrs. United States Pageant on July 23 in Las Vegas, Nev. She is a patient accounts manager with Piedmont Health. She resides in Atlanta, Ga. Skip Lovette was appointed to the North Carolina Association of CPA’s Taxation Committee. He is a Certified Public Accountant in private practice in Greensboro, N.C., where he resides. 1990 Candace Forrester is an executive assistant and assistant accounting manager with Anderson Creek Club, an exclusive gated golf and residential community in Spring Lake, N.C. She resides in Bladenboro, N.C. Connie Patterson Hewke is a secretary with Fields Plumbing and Heating Co., Inc. She resides in Pinehurst, N.C. Myra Maness is a social worker with the Columbus County Department of Social Services. She resides in Tabor City, N.C. 1988 Ed Drew and wife, Brenda, have two children and three grandchildren. Ed was appointed in June to the Milwaukee Charge of the United Methodist Church. He continues to teach introduction to the Old and New Testaments, as well as world religion studies at Pitt Community College in Winterville, N.C. He and his wife reside in Conway, N.C. 1987 Jackie Jacobs is founder and principal of JTalentgroup, a Seattle-based Native American-owned full service entertainment agency. She has been retained as tribal publicist by the Quileute Tribe of LaPush, Wash., in response to the increasing popularity of the “Twilight” book series by Stephanie Meyer and subsequent movies. She is also a member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 29 continued on page 30 continued from page 28 Class Notes 1985 Keith Hight had his book “Professional Theatre in the Academic Setting” published. He is a technical director and adjunct faculty member in the Theatre Arts Department at Campbell University. Harriette Floyd Lovin started her 25th year of teaching music in public schools, currently at South View Middle School in Hope Mills, N.C. Her husband, Mack, works for Mueller Steam Specialty in St. Pauls, N.C., and their son, Kyle, lives in Chapel Hill. Harriette also serves as music director for Chestnut Street United Methodist Church in Lumberton, N.C., where she resides. Terry Townsend is the editor of the Red Springs Citizen newspaper in Red Springs, N.C. She is employed by Heartland Publications and resides in Red Springs. Lisa Huggins Oxendine was accepted into UNC-Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health’s Executive Doctoral Program in health leadership. Veronica Ward is a child mental health and behavioral case manager and supervisor at New Life Services, Inc, in Lumberton N.C. She resides in Laurinburg, N.C. 1982 Mark Madden is vice president of Waccamaw Bank. Mark resides in Lumberton, N.C., with his spouse, Lynne, and daughters, Jessica and Morgan. 1981 John B. Bridgers is a tax assessor for Polk County. He resides in Columbus, N.C. Howard Hughes, a captain at the Richland Sheriff’s Department in Columbia, S.C., was transferred from the Special Operations Unit of the Uniform Division to the Professional Standards Division. Hughes oversees the Internal Affairs Unit. He joined the department after earning a master’s degree from the University of South Carolina in 1982. Hughes and his wife, Sandra, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. They reside in West Columbia. Ronald Gene Locklear is the operator responsible in charge of the wastewater and filter plants for WestPoint Home in Wagram, N.C. He resides in Pembroke, N.C. Lori Varallo is the manager of Port City Java in Wilmington, N.C. She resides in Wilmington. 1980 Jeff Jernigan was named 2008-09 Cumberland County Principal of the Year. He was also the 2009 Wachovia Sandhills/South Central Principal of the Year. Jeff serves as principal of Cape Fear High School in Fayetteville, N.C. During his tenure as principal, Cape Fear High School has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a “Bronze Medal” recipient in “America’s Best High School Search” (2008-09). Jeff is married to Joyce Lewis Jernigan ’80, and the couple resides in Fayetteville. Joy Atkinson McGugan was accepted at the Chicago Art Institute as part of its Teachers in Contemporary Art Fellowship during the 2009 summer. Joy teaches art at St. Pauls High School and continues her studies at UNCP. Gregory L. Price is a partner at Nelson Price & Associates, P.A., in Lumberton, N.C., where he resides. 1976 June Montgomery Gillis retired on June 15 with 31 years of teaching kindergarten and first grade with Cumberland County Schools. She resides in Fayetteville, N.C., with her husband, Robert, and two children, Jenna and William. 30 UNCP Today Fall 2009 ‘76 continued on page 31 continued from page 29 William H. Schmidt is the worldwide account manager of corporate accounts for FedEx Services. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C. 1975 Dr. Kenneth Locklear and the Burnt Swamp Baptist Association, through a mission project, recently assisted a young girl in the Philippines to have a tumor removed from her face. Dr. Locklear’s story was published in the Fayetteville Observer newspaper. The Burnt Swamp Baptist Association has provided medical care for more than 450 people in the Philippines. Dr. Locklear is a physician at Robeson Family Practice Association in Red Springs, N.C. He resides in Pembroke. 1974 Max George retired from the Gastonia Police Department in August 2007 after 30 years of service. He retired at the rank of captain and was a district commander at retirement. He was a founding member of the sniper team and won the departmental medal of honor for apprehending two armed robbery suspects after a shootout. He was featured on “America’s Most Wanted” for his part in apprehending William Glen Barefoot, who escaped from the Hoke County Jail. He is married to Caron, a technical systems educator with the Gastonia Police Department. He resides in Gastonia, N.C. Clyde Jackson is a teacher with the Public Schools of Robeson County. He resides in St. Pauls, N.C. 1972 Wayne T. Bone celebrated six years as senior pastor of First Baptist Church in Linden, N.C., where he resides. Ronnie Chavis was named National Athletic Director of the Year on April 3 by the National Association for Sports and Physical Education. Chavis has been the Athletic Director for the Public Schools of Robeson County since 1992. He resides in Pembroke. Betty McArthur Clark is the information services director for Cumberland County. She resides in Laurinburg, N.C. 1971 Donna Chavis was one of 35 North Carolina leaders chosen to be interviewed for the recently released coffee table book “Secrets of Success: North Carolina Values-Based Leadership.” In her essay, Donna tells the story of how her father inspired her to lead through giving. Donna is the executive director of N.C. Gives, a statewide non-profit organization celebrating and strengthening the giving of “The 3 Ts” (time, talent and treasure) in North Carolina — particularly among women, young people and communities of color. She resides in Pembroke. 1970 Dale Strickland retired on June 10 as superintendent of Florence County School District Five, a position he held for 11 years. He began his career as a teacher in Aynor, S.C., in 1970, and since that time, held the positions of teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. He and his wife, Cheryl, reside in Johnsonville, S.C. 1969 Fred Gordon is a retired physical education and health teacher. He resides in Erdenheim, Pa. William Gehrman is an associate technical fellow with the Boeing Company. 1968 Gwen Simmons, a former director of UNCP’s Counseling and Testing Center, now maintains a small counseling and coaching practice in Vass, N.C., and presents workshops on selected topics. She is co-author of a book published in April 2009 titled “See Jane Not Run…Teachers are Leaders.” She resides in Vass. 1967 Matt Gwynne retired in 2009 as vice president and director of security for the McDonald’s Corporation after 28 years. Before his employment with McDonald’s, he was a special agent for seven years with the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice. He was also a high school social studies teacher and a coach for four years. He resides in Angier, N.C. 1966 Sue Faircloth Gordon is a retired elementary school teacher. She resides in Erdenheim, Pa. Fall 2009 UNCP Today 31 ‘76 continued from page 30 |
OCLC number | 769647603 |