2014
AEOLIAN
The Magazine of Georgia Southwestern State University l Fall
A Word Before You Go
President Kendall Blanchard reflects on his tenure at GSW Page 10 Also inside: Georgia’s top teacher Page 4 Patterson tabbed interim Page 6 president
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Aeolian Fall 2014
The Aeolian is published by the Division of University Relations at Georgia Southwestern State University. The name Aeolian is derived from Aeolus, who was appointed by the mythological god Zeus to be the keeper of the winds — both to calm and to arouse them. He was the King of the Aeolian Islands. Continuing its mission begun in 1906, Georgia Southwestern State University serves traditional and non-traditional students across the state, the nation and the world. Aeolian
800 Georgia Southwestern State University Drive Americus, Georgia 31709 (229) 931-2037 aeolian@gsw.edu www.gsw.edu/News
Editor
Stephen Snyder
Contributing Authors Stephen Snyder Alison Cantrell
Layout
Robert Smith Alison Cantrell
President
Printer
Kendall Blanchard, Ph.D.
UGA Printing
University Relations Director
Alumni Affairs Coordinator
Stephen Snyder ’04, ’10
Kim Comer ’90, ’09
GSW Foundation Executive Director
Web Developer & Graphic Designer
Reda Rowell
Robert Smith
Alumni Affairs Director
Public Relations Assistant
Karen Holloway ’78
Alison Cantrell ‘14
01 02 03
From the President’s Desk
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Alumni News
06
Campus News
08 10
Cover Story
14 16
GSW Alumni President Letter
Alumni Events
Upcoming Alumni Events Upcoming Alumni Trips Miliner Named Top Teacher in Georgia Alumnae Make 40 Under 40 List Patterson Named Interim President Room Named for Retired Professor New Family Nurse Practitioner Degree 2014-15 Featured Scholar
A Word Before You Go
Hurricane News
Leeder Named Athletic Director Spring Sports Home Schedule President Carter Celebrates Birthday at GSW McDonald Wins Excellence and Committment to Teaching Award GSW Alumni Cumulative Giving Program
Class Notes Life’s Transitions In Memoriam
Cover Retiring president, Kendall Blanchard
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK
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FALL 2014
Looking to the Future Over the past few months, as I have been making plans for retirement, I have found myself thinking about the future of Georgia Southwestern, an institution that has become near and dear to my heart. As I reflect on the University and consider what challenges it might face after I leave, I do so in the larger context of what is going to happen to American public higher education in general. It is obvious that colleges and universities in this country are driven from the outside not from within. Institutions respond to external economic, technological, and political forces that ultimately shape their destinies. For example, it is no accident that colleges and universities today are focusing so much more attention on job creation and economic development than they did ten years ago, before the Great Recession. Now they must. Their funding and continued viability depends on it. And, it is likely that as long as there is an effort to rebuild America’s middle class that trend will continue. This trend will be accompanied by increased pressures to reduce cost, improve retention and graduation rates, and demonstrate the value of degrees awarded. However, a larger and more frightening trend is the evolution of artificial intelligence. If, as some AI experts are predicting, within thirty to forty years we will have created machines that are smarter than humans, then what? I think it is inevitable that humans will at some point create thinking machines; that is if we do not destroy ourselves first. We are already well on our way. We continue to increase the memory capacity of machines exponentially. It is interesting to realize that today’s cell phones have over 1,000,000 times the memory capacity than the computers that were used to put the first men on the moon in 1969. We already have machines that can program themselves, in some ways think for themselves, and even lie. So the question in my mind is not whether artificial intelligence superior to that of humans is going to happen; it is rather when. The other question is what will become of humans in this brave new world of super-brained machines. Will they remain the masters or become the slaves, or cyborgs, as some have put it? One possible scenario is that through biotechnology we find a way to program the human brain much as we do a computer. Humans would be equipped with superior knowledge and provided occasional upgrades as new software emerged. In such a case, what would be the value of education as we know it? I cannot answer that. However, one thing is for sure, higher education is going to change and do so dramatically. Can Georgia Southwestern do anything at this point to prepare for this frightening yet exciting future? Probably not, but I would argue that given the rapid pace of change in today’s world, the best strategic plans are the most flexible and those best prepared to cope with and adjust to the challenges of the brave new world. Whatever happens, though, I am confident Georgia Southwestern will survive and remain one of the finest public universities in the south. Thus, I am leaving here feeling good not only about the past eight years but also optimistic about the University’s future. I am grateful to all of you, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, who have made this institution what it is and now play a critical role in shaping that future. Farewell and best wishes to all of you.
Kendall Blanchard President
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GSW ALUMNI PRESIDENT’S LETTER
Cherish the Moments
How did it get so late so soon? . . . My goodness how the time has flewn. - Dr. Seuss
Have you ever looked in the mirror and asked yourself, “where has the time gone?” One thing that we can count on is that time waits for no one. As President of the Alumni Association, this year has been very exciting for me. The highlight has been the honor of bestowing alumni status on over 600 graduates. As I sat on the stage looking out over the students, I remembered the roles being reversed and what was going through my mind. “How much longer before it is my time and they call my name? Will anyone in the balcony call me out? What am I going to do after the ceremony?” When you look out at a graduating class, you see expressions of joy, relief, anxiousness, excitement, grins and smiles, and you can just feel the energy that is waiting to explode. It reminded me of horses, thoroughbreds of course, that are at the starting gate, waiting for the signal. As each of them stood and came up the line, you could feel it, “it is almost here, it is my time.” Then they walked across, were handed their diplomas, shook hands, and returned to their seats ... and waited. Each of them must have been thinking, “I am ready. It is my time. Let me go.” Then I came back to the reality of the ceremony, and I hope they did too. If they only understood the importance of savoring the moment and cherishing this day, for tomorrow was waiting on each of them with new challenges, new goals and opportunities. Our lives are like that. In our hustle and bustle society, we don’t take time to cherish our moments, hold our family and friends close, or reflect on what got us where we are. Your Alumni Association Board of Directors strives to make sure each alumnus and alumna has moments to cherish, to rekindle friendships, and to reconnect with OUR university. Please visit the web site, update your profile, and see all of the great events that are planned for you. GSW is your home and as they say in the South, “Ya’ll come back now, ya hear.”
Len Hicks GSW Alumni Association President
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ervin Anderson ’93, Americus
Karen Holloway ’78, Americus, Staff
William Peterson, IV ’00, Americus
Richard Arnold ’76, Americus, Treasurer
Len Hicks ’75, Americus, President
Lamar Radford ’00, Bonaire
Eva Joiner ’00, Ashburn
Liz Ruf, ’76, Hiawassee
Russ Barnes ’87, Americus
W. Cody King ’90, Leesburg
Jimmy Peel, ’80, Stone Mountain
Daphne Ann Chambless ’50, Marietta, Lifetime Member
Billy King ’81, Dunwoody
Kathleen Tucker ’00, Americus
Arthur Clark ’00, Leesburg
Glynn Mathis ’51, Americus, Lifetime Member
Mary Wysochansky ’89, Americus
Kim Comer ’90, Americus, Staff
Doug Moses ’97, Locust Grove
Cheryl Fletcher ’82, Americus
Dwayne Myles ’02, Mobile
Lemond Hall ’98, Cordele, Vice President
Rudolph Patterson ’59, Macon, Lifetime Member
ALUMNI NEWS AND EVENTS
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UPCOMING ALUMNI EVENTS FEB. 7, 2015
Annual GSW Homecoming Cookout and Tailgate 11:00 a.m. Gas card raffle 1:30 p.m. Basketball game 3:30 p.m. Basketball game *Featured Alumni Events include the O’Team Reunion and Class of ‘65 Basketball Reunion
FEB. 7, 2015 2:00 PM
Homecoming 50th Reunion Pre-Game Reception Newman Alumni House Honoring Class of ‘65 alumni
APRIL 12, 2015 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Golden Isles of GA Alumni Mingle Hosted by Liz Ruf (‘76) The Casino at Neptune Park 550 Beachview Drive St. Simons Island, Ga.
APRIL 25, 2015 10:00 AM
APRIL 25, 2014 6:30 PM
GSW Spring Beach Bash Low Country Boil Feat. Second Chance Band Griffin Bell Golf & Conference Center Sponsored by GSW Alumni Association Proceeds benefit scholarships -$50 per person -$90 per couple
MAY 2, 2015 10:00 AM
Atlanta Area Alumni & Friends of Georgia Southwestern Golf Scramble Stone Mountain Park, Lakemont Course -4 person scramble, $100 per person
Poker Run Bike Ride to benefit GSW Scholarships -$25 per rider -$20 for additional hands
p Students playing corn hole at the most recent tailgate event that took place before the men’s and women’s basketball games on Dec. 3, 2014.
For additional information or to register for any of these events, call 1-866-673-0436 (toll free) or email alumni@gsw.edu.
UPCOMING ALUMNI TRIPS MARCH 9 – MARCH 16, 2015
AUGUST 28 – SEPTEMBER 4, 2015
APRIL 20 – MAY 2, 2015
NOVEMBER 6 – 15, 2015
APRIL 26 – MAY 4, 2015
Trip includes u tour of Rome, Florence, and an optional tour of Vatican City
London and Paris
A Taste of the South Pacific
Rhine River Cruise
MAY 18 – 28, 2015
Maritime Coastal Wonders
Islands of New England
Discover Tuscany
For more information, contact Karen Holloway at 229-931-2149 or karen.holloway@gsw.edu.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Miliner Named Top Teacher in Georgia GSW alumna selected as the 2015 Georgia Teacher of the Year While education itself is important, the educators that show dedication to their work are what really make learning possible. Each year since 1971, Georgia recognizes a single teacher from the entire state that shows a devotion to and excellence in teaching, and this year a GSW alumna received that honor. Amanda Miliner was named Georgia’s 2015 Teacher of the Year on May 16, 2014. She was both honored and happy to be recognized with the award. “I was humbled by the recognition and excited about the opportunity to represent the wonderful teachers we have in Georgia,” Miliner said. Even Miliner’s degrees show her dedication to education. She received both her Master of Education (2011) in curriculum and instruction and her Specialist in Education (2012) in leading and learning from GSW. Miliner currently teaches fourth grade at Miller Elementary in Warner Robins, Ga. She was previously selected as Teacher of the Year for both Miller Elementary and Houston County Schools. While mentoring with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization during her college years, Miliner felt drawn to the teaching profession and decided to change her major from psychology to education. “Each week I visited my ‘little sister’ at her school, and we would eat lunch together, read in the library, or interact in her classroom,” said Miliner. “I especially enjoyed when we would hang out in her classroom, because her teacher was exceptional. I found myself engaged in the lessons, wanting to participate. The environment was welcoming and learning was constantly taking place. I
started to think that perhaps I would enjoy teaching.” During her time as an undergraduate at Valdosta State University, Miliner also competed in pageants to finance her education. In 2006, she was named Miss Georgia. She then went on to be a part of the Miss America pageant, where she won second runner up and became a community service award finalist for her work as a national spokesperson for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. After spending a year as Miss Georgia, Miliner worked with the Georgia Association of Educators. She later returned to the classroom because of her love for teaching and her desire to have a positive impact upon her students. Miliner has taught pre-K, fourth, and fifth grade, and she has educational endorsements in science and in teaching both gifted education and English language learners.
p Miliner with state superintendent, Dr. John Barge standards. This same group of students also improved their writing scores by 20 percent. My students see that I strive for the best, and so do they!”
Miliner began her duties as Georgia’s Teacher of the Year on July 1, 2014, after the announcement in May. As Teacher of In her classroom at Miller Elementary, the Year, Miliner is an advocate for public Miliner also served for a year as a education in Georgia. She travels the state host teacher for an Early Intervention as a voice and representative for educators. Program (EIP). She worked with fifth grade students that had failed “I hope to continue the legacy of the either the state reading or math previous Georgia Teachers of the Year by standardized tests. Her entire class being an advocate for teachers and helping posted a 100 percent pass rate to strengthen the profession as a whole,” in math and reading on the state she said. assessment that year. Miliner is now married to her high school “Since many of these students had sweetheart, Kellen, and they have two failed the test several times before, children, Jordan and Avery. She will my challenge was first getting these compete for the 2015 National Teacher of students to see themselves as the Year, which will be announced in April achievers, not failures,” said Miliner. 2015 and honored in a ceremony at the “Many of them significantly improved White House. their performance and exceeded state
ALUMNI NEWS
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FALL 2014
Alumnae Make 40 Under 40 List Jones and Peavy-Owen chosen for Georgia Trend magazine’s “2014 40 Under 40”
This past October, Georgia Trend magazine named its “2014 40 Under 40,” a list of 40 Georgians under the age of 40 that represent “the state’s best and brightest,” according to the magazine. Two GSW alumnae, Keri Jones and Tami Peavy-Owen, made the list.
Keri Jones
that make up the strength of my community with a more informed approach.” In addition to her hard work in these two programs, Jones is also very involved in leadership in her community. She has served as the Tifton-Tift County Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders program chairman and facilitator, a program from which she also graduated. As well, she has been chairman for the Business and Education Committee and the Community Planning and Assessment Committee. Jones was deeply appreciative of her recognition by the magazine. “Being recognized by Georgia Trend magazine as a 40 Under 40 was a nice honor,” she said. “I am proud to be from Georgia and we have strong leadership in our state. To be recognized as part of that leadership was a true honor.”
Keri Jones is a certified public accountant with Allen Pritchett & Basset, LLP in Tifton, Ga., where she has been since 2007.
Tami Peavy-Owen
“As a participant, I had the opportunity to learn about the nuts and bolts of what makes a strong and competitive community,” she said. “As a result, I can contribute to the puzzle pieces
Formerly an attorney in a private practice, Peavy-Owen began working with the council in 2013 during a time when more help was required for the protection of abused and neglected children in the region. Through her work with the nonprofit, Peavy-Jones provides legal and non-legal services to victims of domestic violence. Additionally, she is appointed by the juvenile court to represent children in cases where the state has taken custody. “Basically, my professional goal is to provide legal services to under-served people in our community,” she said. Peavy-Owen is also working to improve the community in the area of public education. She is currently the vice-chairperson of the Governing Board of Furlow Charter School. The school will be a new public school option for children in Sumter County starting in August 2015. “I believe that all children deserve an opportunity for a quality education and am excited that we will be able to offer a different approach to education for Sumter County students.”
Jones first attended GSW from 1995 to 1997 immediately after she graduated from high school. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in marketing from Valdosta State University. After several years of working in marketing, Jones decided to change her career path and returned to GSW to do so, earning her BBA in accounting from GSW in 2011. Leadership is a big part of Jones’s life, as she recently participated in the Leadership Georgia program. She is also a 2012 graduate of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.
a graduate of the University of Tennessee College of Law
Peavy-Owen felt honored to be recognized by the magazine along with such a talented group of people. Tami Peavy-Owen, currently of Americus, Ga., is the director and legal advocate for the Southwestern Judicial Circuit Family Violence Council. The council is a non-profit organization that serves Lee, Macon, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, and Webster counties. Peavy-Owen graduated from GSW in May 2007 with a major in history and minor in sociology. She is also
“I am very honored to receive this recognition,” she said. “I was also humbled by the amount of talent and dedication represented by the other recipients.” Jones, Peavy-Owen, and the others on the list were honored at a reception at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta on Oct. 21, 2014.
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CAMPUS NEWS
Patterson Named Interim President University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby named Dr. Charles Patterson as interim president of Georgia Southwestern State University beginning Jan. 1, 2015, following the retirement of Dr. Kendall Blanchard. “I am grateful to Chancellor Hank Huckaby and the Board of Regents for entrusting me to serve as the Interim President of Georgia Southwestern State University,” said Patterson. “I am a strong advocate for the role that public universities serve in advancing regional and societal well-being among its citizenry. Our public universities should elevate and transform the lives of our students, while also enhancing the spirit and economic vitality of the communities they serve.” Prior to his new role at GSW, Patterson served as Georgia Southern University’s vice president for research and economic development and dean of the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies. He also served as chair of the Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation. Patterson has served in the role as vice president of research and economic development since 2011. He was appointed dean of graduate studies in 2009 and chair of the research foundation in 2011. Prior to these appointments, he served as associate vice president for research from 2008-2010 and executive director of the Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation from 2008-2011. Patterson received a bachelor of science in biochemistry from Mississippi State University in Starkville and a doctorate in biomedical sciences from the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. “I look forward to working closely with all of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members,” added Patterson, “as we look to forge a bright future for Georgia Southwestern State University, the region and the State of Georgia.”
Room Named for Retired Professor Conference room named after Dr. Harold Isaacs Professor Emeritus Harold Isaacs, irrefutably Georgia Southwestern State University’s longest serving faculty member, received very special recognition on Monday, Dec. 8, 2014. The conference room of the History and Political Science Department was named in his honor. Organized by President Kendall Blanchard and Gary Kline, a longtime colleague of Isaacs from the History and Political Science Department, the ceremony included special remarks from friends and colleagues, and a state proclamation written in honor of Isaacs by Rep. Mike Cheokas. “I’d like to thank everybody today who showed up to the ceremony,” Isaacs said. I’d like to express my appreciation to Dr. Blanchard and Gary for the idea of naming this conference room after me. From now on, this room will not have a number in a building; it will say ‘Isaacs Conference Room.’ I’m proud of that.” Isaacs joined the History and Political Science faculty at Georgia Southwestern in 1965. In 1983, he established the Association of Third World Studies, a global organization that examines issues, problems and concerns related to developing countries. After 40 years of dedication to teaching history to college students in Southwest Georgia, Isaacs retired in 2005. Until recently, Isaacs continued to teach part-time at GSW, bringing his service to the University to just under 50 years.
CAMPUS NEWS
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FALL 2014
New Family Nurse Practitioner Degree GSW partners with Columbus State to offer new degree At their October meeting, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved the state’s newest master’s degree in nursing through a partnership between Georgia Southwestern State University and Columbus State University. A Master of Science in Nursing with a major in Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) will be delivered completely online beginning in January 2015. Georgia Southwestern will collaborate with Columbus State on the use of faculty resources to support the program, and both institutions have developed a memorandum of understanding concerning the operation of the program. However, students who take classes through the Georgia Southwestern School of Nursing will receive a degree from GSW. The FNP program consists of a total of 44 semester hours, all online. It also requires 765 clinical hours, which will be completed in facilities and with preceptors that have been approved by the FNP Program Coordinators from Georgia Southwestern State University and Columbus State University. The clinical sites will be located as close to the student’s geographic residence or local community as possible.
2014-15 Featured Scholar Laurel Robinson named GSW featured scholar Laurel Robinson, professor of art and Department of Visual Arts chair, has been named Georgia Southwestern State University’s 2014-15 Featured Scholar. President Kendall Blanchard made the announcement this past November. Robinson’s work away from Georgia Southwestern – range and volume – has been extensive. She has held dozens of exhibitions featuring her work in places like Los Angeles, New York City, Pittsburgh, Australia, China, Israel, and many locales in between; she has been featured in or has authored 15 published works; and Robinson has permanent collections housed at the Cincinnati Museum of Art, the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Jewish Museum in New York City and in the List College Collection at Columbia University in New York City. Additionally, Robinson is the founding art director (1997-present) at Camp Ramah Darom, a Jewish children’s camp in Clayton, Ga., and she was President Jimmy Carter’s private art instructor for two years. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting/drawing/art history and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Cincinnati. With an interest in science, math and sociology, she has done post-graduate work in physics, paleoecology, math, sculpture, psychology, sociology, semiotics, advanced Hebrew, Spanish and the Romanian language at the University of California Los Angeles, the University of Tasmania in Australia, the University of Tel-Aviv in Israel (where she also served as a professor for one year), and Georgia Southwestern. President Blanchard initiated the Featured Scholar Award in 2008 to recognize, once a year, a GSW faculty member who has made significant contributions to his or her discipline in the form of artistic accomplishment, basic research, writing, publishing, editing, presenting and grant awards. The award recipient is chosen by a committee of faculty members that represent each school and are selected by the Faculty Senate chaired by the past recipient of the award. The award carries a stipend of $500.
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HURRICANE NEWS: LEEDER NAMED ATHLETIC DIRECTOR
Leeder Named Athletic Director Golf Tournament to support the GSW Hurricane Booster Club. “I would like to thank President Blanchard for the opportunity to continue leading our athletic department with this full time appointment,” Leeder said. “Moving forward, I will continue to work with our current student-athletes, coaches, faculty and staff to improve upon the positive strides that we have already made in the athletic department over the past five months. In addition, enhancing community partnerships will continue to be a priority as we look to solidify our role as positive ambassadors for the Americus community.” Mike Leeder has been named permanent athletic director (AD) at Georgia Southwestern State University effective Monday, Nov. 15, 2014. President Kendall Blanchard made the announcement following a national search. Serving as the interim AD since June replacing Jaclyn Donovan, Leeder will remain the head men’s basketball coach. “During his short stint as interim athletic director, Coach Leeder proved he had the talents, energy, and leadership skills that are needed in the regular position,” said Blanchard. “Also, this interim appointment gave him an opportunity to see if this is the direction he wanted his career to take. I am grateful that this experience has led him to accept the permanent position. I am confident he will do an outstanding job.” Having served in this dual role for the last five months, Leeder has hit the ground running in leading GSW Athletics by strengthening partnerships in the community and recently helping lead a successful President’s Classic
Leeder officially begins his ninth season as head basketball coach on Nov. 19, 2014 at Fort Valley State University. Under his leadership, GSW has placed 10 players on the Peach Belt All-Conference men’s basketball team. He has coached two PBC Freshmen of the Year, nine PBC Players of the Week, and GSW’s first All-American in any sport during the department’s NCAA era. Leeder was named the 2010-11 PBC Coach of the Year. GSW has spent 13 weeks in the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll, including five weeks last season when they climbed to No. 18 on two occasions. Leeder has led the Hurricanes to a pair of NCAA National Tournament
appearances. Previously, Leeder served as head men’s basketball coach at Longwood University (1999-2003); associate men’s basketball coach at Kentucky Wesleyan College (1998-99); head men’s basketball coach and athletic director at Thomas University (1994-98); and assistant basketball coach and recruiting coordinator at Tallahassee Community College (1990-94). Leeder served at Kentucky Wesleyan the season that they won the NCAA Division II national championship. His first team at Longwood posted a 4-22 record before rebounding with a 23-8 mark the following year for the biggest turnaround in NCAA Division II history. His Longwood team won the only conference championship in the school’s history, and his first recruiting class included the NCAA Division II national player of the year. Leeder holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Florida State University and a Master of Science degree in education from Nova Southeastern University. He and his wife, Jodie, have two children, Michael and Alyssa.
HURRICANE NEWS: SPRING SPORTS HOME SCHEDULE
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2015 Spring Sports Home Schedule www.gswcanes.com /GSWHurricanes @GSWAthletics /GSWAthletics
Basketball
1/3 W Montevallo 1:30 1/3 M Montevallo 3:30 1/5 W Georgia College 5:30 1/5 M Georgia College 7:30 1/7 W Columbus State 5:30 1/7 M Columbus State 7:30 1/14 W Flagler 5:30 1/14 M Flagler 7:30 1/19 W Armstrong 5:30
2/12 Fort Valley St 2 2/18 West Georgia 2 2/21 Emmanuel 1 2/22 Thomas 2 3/5 Georgia College 3 3/10 Palm Beach Atl 1 3/13 Montevallo 4
& & & & & & &
1/19 M 1/24 W 1/24 M 2/7 W 2/7 M 2/11 W 2/11 M 2/18 W 2/18 M
Softball
4 4 3 4 5 3 6
Armstrong UNC Pembroke UNC Pembroke Clayton State Clayton State North Georgia North Georgia Young Harris Young Harris
4/4 Armstrong 1 4/15 Columbus State 5 4/18 Georgia Regents 1 4/19 Flagler 1 4/20 Albany State 4
7:30 1:30 3:30 1:30 3:30 5:30 7:30 5:30 7:30
& & & & &
3 7 3 3 6
Baseball
2/3 Trinity Baptist 5:00 2/11 Shorter 5:00 2/14 (DH) Young Harris 1:00 2/15 Young Harris 1:00 2/26 Chestnut Hill 4:00 2/28 Armstrong 3:00 3/1 (DH) Armstrong 1:00 3/6 USC Aiken 6:00 3/7 USC Aiken 3:00 3/8 USC Aiken 1:00
3/17 Albany State 5:00 3/18 West Georgia 5:00 3/21 (DH) UNC Pembroke 1:00 3/22 UNC Pembroke 1:00 3/25 Valdosta State 5:00 4/11 (DH) Wingate 1:00 4/12 Wingate 1:00 4/14 Thomas 5:00 4/25 (DH) Francis Marion 1:00 4/26 Francis Marion 1:00
Tennis
2/6 W Shorter 1:00 2/7 M Shorter 1:00 2/11 W/M Middle Georgia 2:00 2/14 W/M USC Aiken TBA 2/15 W/M Lander TBA
2/28 3/1 3/7 3/8 3/11
W/M W/M W W/M M
Young Harris North Georgia UNC Pembroke Francis Marion South. Indiana
TBA 11:00 AM TBA TBA TBA
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COVER STORY: A WORD BEFORE YOU GO
A Word Before You Go Dr. Kendall Blanchard reflects on his eight years as GSW President
By Stephen Snyder
“No one tells you how much work it is to retire,” said Georgia Southwestern State University’s outgoing President Kendall Blanchard in jest when discussing the amount of paperwork involved in the retirement process. “If I had known it would be this difficult, I would have never made this decision!” The truth is that Blanchard did feel it was the right time to wrap up his tenure at Georgia Southwestern and pass the baton to someone new. “Connie and I have decided it is time to move on,” he said in a campus-wide note earlier this semester announcing his retirement. “I have enjoyed immensely my tenure here and will miss the University and my many friends and colleagues who have made this job so pleasant, but it is time for new leadership at Georgia Southwestern; someone younger, more energetic, and with a new vision.” As it relates to vision, Blanchard has always felt the calling to be on a college campus.
Majoring
in
College
“I got into higher education because I wanted to teach at the college level,” he said. “Initially, I thought I was going to be a theologian, and I was going to teach at a small private college like the one I went to, Olivet Nazarene College. But, gradually I shifted from theology to anthropology, obviously quite a different perspective on the human condition. Throughout all of that, I knew whatever the field, I would end up teaching somewhere at a college or a university.” From Dallas, Texas to Americus, Georgia, and many places in between, Blanchard has been teaching or serving as an administrator on a college campus every year since 1971. “I enjoyed the classroom; I enjoyed research; I enjoyed writing,” he said. “So, there was a great appeal to that scholarly life, and there is something about working on a college campus, particularly as a faculty member. You are working with a group of people who are perpetually young. As a result, it kind of keeps you young. It keeps you in tune
COVER STORY: A WORD BEFORE YOU GO
to the younger world. There is something nice about that.” Discussing his own abilities as a teacher, he added, “Was I a good teacher? Probably not. I was perhaps a little above average but not really the great teacher that I wanted to be. Not the great teacher, for example, that Connie was.” Dr. Connie Blanchard, Kendall’s wife, retired with more than 40 years in higher education prior to their journey to Americus in December 2006. “The fact is that Connie gave up her teaching position at the University of Kansas to come to Americus,” said Blanchard. “Even earlier, she put her personal ambitions aside to follow me. She was in a position to become a dean when I took the job as president at Fort Lewis College. There is no doubt in my mind that had she wanted to be a university president, she would have been. But, she chose to support me, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for that.”
An ‘Unpresidented’ Hire “We came down in December of 2006 basically having agreed to come to do the interim position,” Blanchard said, describing the decision to accept the interim presidency at Georgia Southwestern. “Connie and I talked and decided, ‘okay, we could do this for six months. It would be kind of fun.’” Blanchard’s good friend, Beheruz Sethna, was serving as interim vice chancellor for academics at the University System of Georgia, and he recommended Blanchard for the position. “Beheruz told me several times to make sure I understood that if I accepted the interim position, I could not be a candidate for the permanent position – which was a Regents’ policy. I certainly understood that, and I really had no interest initially in staying more than six months.” Before long, though, Blanchard could sense the atmosphere was right for something more permanent. “I think the overriding factor was just this realization that there were challenges here that needed to be met and things that needed to happen that I had done before,” he said. “I could sort of smell the opportunity for success. Not so much because of me, but because of what I saw happening here at Georgia Southwestern. It was as though
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the institution had been put on hold for a while. It was just waiting for the opportunity to let go and take off again.” The rest is history. The Board of Regents amended their policy and named Blanchard the permanent president in June 2007 after a national, months-long search. While Blanchard was the right person at the right time for Southwestern, his new position was not without challenges. “The big challenge was enrollment,” he said. “We, at one point, had increased by about 30 percent over what the numbers were when I first got here (from 2,405 in Fall 2007 to 3,046 in Fall 2011). We’ve fallen back since then, but we’re still significantly ahead of where we were, and things look good for next fall.” Other accomplishments under Blanchard’s tenure include successful SACS reaffirmation, forming two new master’s degrees and AACSB accreditation for the School of Business Administration. International partnerships were also expanded to colleges in China, India and South Korea, with the formation of a Korean branch of GSW’s Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI). Blanchard was adamant that his accomplishments were
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COVER STORY: A WORD BEFORE YOU GO
the result of diligent work by many talented faculty and staff members throughout the campus. “When I talk about my accomplishments during the last eight years, I have to couch that into this realization that my accomplishments are just a way of talking about our accomplishments,” Blanchard said. “I happened to be the wheel, but there were a lot of other folks right along beside me doing a lot of the basic work to make things happen.” And he is quick to give credit for success to his biggest supporter. “If there is one person to whom I am most grateful for my being named to this position and for any success that I might have had during my tenure here, it is my wife,” Blanchard stated. “Connie has stood by me from the beginning. Her efforts have gone a long way to building a strong, positive relationship between the University and the greater Americus community. She has served on boards, has raised money for various causes, including the University, and has made many friends for GSW.”
Famous Friendships
One of the unexpected benefits of Blanchard’s presidency was establishing close friendships with people like President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, both GSW alums. “Before I came, Beheruz Sethna told me that I probably would have the opportunity to meet Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter,” Blanchard said. “I thought that would be great, you know, but never in my wildest imagination did I envision that we would be friends, and that at this point, Rosalynn would be getting emotional about our leaving. She and Connie have become such close friends.” The Blanchards’ trip to Korea with the Carters to establish RCI Korea is one Kendall won’t soon forget. “One of the highlights of my career was the time we went to Korea with them for the official opening of the Rosalynn Carter Institute in Korea,” said Blanchard. “My friend Choong Soon Kim, president of what is now Cyber University of Korea, and I had worked together on developing this concept, and he had put the program together there and had arranged for a special ceremony to officially dedicate it. He also arranged for President Carter to deliver what they call the “Incheon Lecture,” which is the most distinguished lecture in all of Korea at Korea
pThe Blanchards (left) and the Carters pictured with Choong Soon Kim (right), president of Cyber University of Korea, and wife Sang
COVER STORY: A WORD BEFORE YOU GO
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schools. Thanks largely to a recommendation from Randolph Barksdale, by 2008 Blanchard helped organize articulation agreements and innovative programs with nearly every state two-year college and many state technical colleges, including South Georgia Technical College in Americus.
pBlanchard with GSW alumna Kelly Bird, ‘10 and ‘13 University.” In addition to the Carters, Blanchard said he was privileged to meet and work with a long list of interesting and accomplished people: George Hooks, Mike Cheokas, Barry Blount, Sparky Reeves, Roy Lee Smith. “I could go on and on ... getting to know and work with these people has been an important part of my time here,” he said. “Another hero of mine,” he added, “was Griffin Bell. I hadn’t been here very long; Randolph Barksdale and Hulme Kinnebrew took me out to meet Griffin at his home.” The late Griffin B. Bell, former U.S. Attorney General under President Carter, graduated from Georgia Southwestern in 1936. Like many other local natives who made a name for themselves, Bell made Americus his home following retirement. “I was immediately impressed by him,” Blanchard said. “He was sharper than a tack and could tell some great stories about things he had done and famous people he’d known. I had the good fortune of spending a lot of time with him the last few months of his life after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. I would take my digital recorder out and get him to talk about his life and a lot of issues. This was one of those unexpected benefits that came with the job. I never really anticipated being able to develop a friendship like that. What an amazing man!”
Leaving
a
Legacy
Very early in Blanchard’s presidency, he placed a great amount of his time and effort on fostering collaboration within the community and building partnerships with other * President Blanchard’s last official day was Dec. 31, 2014.
“I’d like to be remembered as one who tried to make all this fun and helped to create a greater sense of community across the campus and across the larger Americus community,” he said, “bringing different groups together working towards the best interests not just of Georgia Southwestern but the community, of South Georgia Technical College. That’s why the ‘Two Great Choices – One Great Community’ campaign created with South Georgia Tech is a symbol of what I’d like to be remembered for. I have always been a believer that cooperation and collaboration are much more effective than competition because life can be a winwin situation. It doesn’t have to be a winner-take-all, and it’s been my experience that working together pays off. Pretty simple.”
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President Jimmy Carter Celebrates 90th Birthday at Georgia Southwestern Georgia Southwestern State University was proud to host a 90th birthday celebration concert for President Jimmy Carter Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 in a filled-to-capacity Jackson Performance Hall.
qPresident Carter with his birthday cake, qOsborne and DeMorales on stage perdecorated by Jennifer Payne
forming the president’s birthday celebration
The event featured internationally known Steinway artist David Osborne, bassist Danny DeMorales and Paul Stubblefield, who played the drums and sang. Osborne has performed nearly every year for President Carter’s birthday during the last three decades. The concert showcased the American song book that Osborne presents nightly at his performance venue, The Bellagio Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas. Following the event, the University hosted an old-fashioned birthday party for Carter with a beautifully decorated cake by Jennifer Payne of Parrott, Ga. and ice cream – peanut, of course.
p President Carter and wife Rosalynn listening to the trio’s performance
Did You Know? On February 13, 1942, former President and GSW alumnus Jimmy Carter, signed his name in the wet cement of the newly constructed driveway of what was then Georgia Southwestern College. The block of cement with Carter’s signature was removed from the driveway in the fall of 2014 in an effort to prevent further wear on this small piece of history. It is now housed in the Wheatley Administration Building.
Submit any information or photographs that you would like to see in the next issue of Aeolian to aeolian@gsw.edu.
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McDonald Wins Excellence and Commitment to Teaching Award Dr. Courtney McDonald, assistant professor of sociology, received the Excellence and Commitment to Teaching Award at Georgia Southwestern this fall and was presented with the award by Dr. Brian Adler, vice president for Academic Affairs, at the Graduation and Honors Convocation. “Dr. McDonald is extremely hardworking, dedicated, and committed to seeing her students succeed,” Adler said. “She is a wonderful colleague, and highly deserving of this award.” A sample of student comments regarding McDonald’s instruction in the classroom indicates why she was selected for this award. “I found this class very interesting,” one student wrote. “Dr. McDonald did an excellent job teaching. I loved the papers we wrote.”
“Best teacher I ever had,” said another student. “I learned so much from you.” Initiated in 1998, the award is sponsored by the GSW National Alumni Association. It is presented during the fall commencement activities to a faculty member and is based on service during the previous academic year. The recipient is nominated and selected by peers, and criteria for selection include excellence in teaching and other categories used for consideration in granting promotion and tenure. Since joining the faculty at Georgia Southwestern, McDonald has published three peer-reviewed articles and one encyclopedia article. And in addition to serving on numerous campus committees, she will be leading the new criminal justice
program which begins in Fall 2015. McDonald earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in sociology and a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She also completed a Master of Science in criminal justice from the University of North Georgia in December.
Alumni Association Begins Cumulative Giving Program - 1906 Society Throughout GSW’s history, gifts from generous alumni have been vital to our success. Named for the year in which Georgia Southwestern State University was founded, this cumulative giving program is an excellent opportunity for alumni to show their ongoing pride in their alma mater. The GSW Alumni Association is proud to recognize our alumni who give back to GSW. Members of the 1906 Society will receive special recognition annually and will be listed in the Aeolian and on our alumni website, unless we are instructed otherwise.
Within the 1906 Society, the Alumni Association Board of Directors has established four tiers based on monetary gifts over time. Founding Members - Cumulative Gifts of $1,000 to $4,999 Consider joining Lifetime Membership* of the Alumni Association. You will receive recognition for both Lifetime Membership and the 1906 Society! Enhanced Members - Cumulative Gifts of $5,000 to $9,999
Eminent Members - Cumulative Gifts of $10,000 to $14,999 Esteemed Members - Cumulative Gifts of $15,000 and above *Lifetime Members make at least $1000 donation to the Alumni Association. As always, donors may designate which GSW department, organization or fund they wish for each donation. Becoming a Lifetime Member of the GSW Alumni Association is a good place to begin, since you will be recognized in that program as well as the 1906 Society.
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CLASS NOTES
Class Notes 1950 Margaret (Johnson) Barron enjoys traveling in the U.S., Europe, Hawaii and the Middle East. She retired over 20 years ago after working for 41 years.
1955 Cameron Carey Marbut worked as a news reporter from 1957 until 1982. He was an attorney in Lithonia, Ga. from 1982 until retirement in 2010.
1970 Caroline Coleman of Fort Gaines, Ga. is a retired educator.
1977 Betty L. (Smith) Vanzant retired from Cherokee County Schools in May after 40 years of teaching.
1984 Patricia Lynn (Peeler) Walker recently retired from 30 years of teaching. Brian Keith Perdue is the founder and owner of a cosmetology school and several salons in metro-Atlanta, including Genesis Salon in Suwanee.
1985 Dr. Mary Thornton Jacobs is a retired principal. She is now a professor at Mercer University as well as the coordinator of the Educational Specialist degree program at Mercer University.
1992 Sheila Averett Jones became director of Marketing and Communications at Georgia Highlands College in April 2014 and was appointed interim chief advancement officer in September. She is married to Stephen Jones, a professional commercial photographer. They reside in Rome, Ga. with their two children, Kendall, age 6 and Ryker, age 4.
Joel Reid Greene is a senior security officer with Georgia Power Company. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 2010 and is in the Georgia Senior Squadron in Brunswick. In 2011, he was promoted to second lieutenant.
1996 Vann F. Jones is president of Jones Entertainment Company, which is a promotion, entertainment, booking management and full production company that represents local, regional or national acts for your personal events or corporate functions in the southeast United States.
1999 Sonja D. Russell is an educator and teaches religion.
2000 Eric Lenard Holland is an assistant principal in Tifton, Ga. and head boys basketball coach. William Scott Curry is executive vice president & vice chair of the Board of First State Bank of Randolph County. He is also chair of the Curry Foundation. William is an active member and past-president of Cuthbert Rotary Club. He is also a city councilman and mayor pro tem for the city of Shellman.
2004 Rebecca Clark was recently chosen as Moultrie Tech’s finalist for Instructor of the Year. She teaches in and chairs the Marketing Management Program and is also division chair of Business and Computer Technology at Moultrie Technical College. April Melissa (Shivers) Williams lives in Fort Gaines, Ga., where she works as a medical technologist. She and her husband John have two children, Paxton and Jackson.
2006
Fabrice A. Ozele is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer. Crystal Renee Perry of Americus, Ga. was recently hired as the Sumter County Extension Agent for 4H and Youth. She is currently working toward her doctoral degree in human services with a focus on family services.
2009 Christian Blair Dane is the boys director of coaching at Roanoke Star Soccer Club which is a youth soccer program for boys aged 4-18. Ciera Michelle (Moreno) Womack is the assistant marketing manager in the Consumer Brands Division at Rich Products Corporation.
2010 Kari L. Holloway is enjoying a love of framing art work and raising her family. Alex Montgomery Smith recently took the bar exam. He has served as an intern and acted as a student attorney on several cases. He has also been involved with securing government contracts in Georgia and performing an audit on the Department of Transportation in Washington D.C.
2011 Amelia “Mollie” R. (Suskay) Hanshaw and her husband, Drew, are now living in Woodstock, Ga. after several years living in Colorado Springs.
2012 Jason Robert Griffeth is enjoying being an elementary school physical education teacher and coach. David Andrew Bradshaw recently accepted a position with IBM and has moved to California to further his career.
2013 Jennifer Lacey Wills is a lead special education teacher.
LIFE’S TRANSITIONS
Life’s Transitions Weddings
FALL 2014
In Memoriam Peggy Pressley Williams, ‘43 Lakemont, Ga. Oct. 9, 2014 Claire (Sherrer) phillips, ‘44 Cuthbert, Ga. Sept. 8, 2014
Jisun, ’11, and, Ryan Iafigliola , u were married on Aug. 30, 2014. Jisun graduated with a degree in music with teaching certification, and Ryan works for The Fuller Center for Housing. They currently reside in Americus, Ga.
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Bevley (Strickland) Deptula, ‘50 Jackson, Ga. Oct. 10, 2014
Mary Elizabeth (Swain) Butts, ‘59 Gray, Ga. Feb. 15, 2014
t Alison, ’14, and, Joseph Cantrell, were married on Nov. 22, 2014 in Plains, Ga. Alison is from Box Springs, Ga., and Joseph is from Cordele, Ga. Alison graduated with a degree in English. Joseph will graduate in May 2015 with a degree in sociology. They currently live in Ellaville, Ga.
Marion (Davis) Silver, ‘59 Americus, Ga. Sept. 19, 2014 Horace Joseph Saturday, ‘69 Savannah, Ga. Nov. 26, 2014 Asa Wright Howard, ‘73 Lithonia, Ga. June 8, 2014
Births t
Anabel Rose Davis Aug. 9, 2014 Daughter of Anthony (‘07) and Alaina Davis Granddaughter of Brenda (‘85 and ‘96) and Reese Horton Davis (‘71) Now living in Gainesville, Ga.
William D. Allen, ‘73 Meansville, Ga. Sept. 17, 2014 Frances (Green) Latimore, ‘74 Fort Valley, Ga. Jan. 14, 2014 Royce Thomas Winborne, ‘74 Auburn, Ala. Sept. 22, 2014
Jackson Cody Timmerman u Sept. 25, 2014 Son of Radney Timmerman (‘12) Now living in New Orleans, La.
Betty (Scott) Frazer, ‘80 Albany, Ga. June 3, 2014 Howard Delane Fowler, ‘84 Albany, Ga. Sept. 3, 2014
t
Annabell Grace Pierson Nov. 11, 2014 Daughter of Ian (‘11) and Felicity Pierson (‘11)
* Send us your wedding and baby announcements to aeolian@gsw.edu
Samuel Brown, ‘90 Rochelle, Ga. Oct. 9, 2014 Ashton Leigh (Gibbs) Dougherty, ‘10 Fort Valley, Ga.
Sept. 26, 2014
Georgia Southwestern State University 800 Georgia Southwestern State University Drive Americus, Georgia 31709 GSW.edu
Research Is Happening At Southwestern! During the fall 2014 semester, Dr. Tom Lorenz, assistant professor of biology, and four senior seminar biology students at GSW had the opportunity to participate firsthand in research on an invasive crayfish species in the Flint River and local creeks. The research was made possible by a faculty instruction grant.
pStudents build holding
tanks to study habitats of the crayfish.
pThe Creole painted
crayfish (left) is invading the habitat of the Muckalee crayfish (right).
pStudents pour water and crayfish into a holding tank.