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Univerity of Montevallo alumni magazine

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Page 1: Montevallo Today Fall 2013
Page 2: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

MONTEVALLO TODAY Vol. CII, No. 3 Fall 2013 Montevallo Today (USPS 005432; ISSN 1052-3634) is published three times a year by the University of Montevallo, Alumni Affairs/University Relations, Reynolds Hall, Highland St., Montevallo, AL 35115. Periodicals postage paid at Montevallo, AL, and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER, send address changes to Montevallo Today, Station 6215, P.O. Box 6000, Montevallo, AL 35115. To contact the Alumni Affairs offi ce, please call 205-665-6215. Text, photographs and graphic images included in this publication may not be reproduced without written permission from the editor. The University of Montevallo does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or in the provision of services.

Dear Montevallo family,I am excited to relay that, last May,

the trustees approved our recommenda-tion to launch a comprehensive fundrais-ing campaign with a goal of $20,000,000 over seven years. Following vetting ses-sions with faculty, students, staff, coaches, alumni, Foundation and alumni boards, community members and other friends, we have established campaign priori-ties which will, at once, honor our rich traditions and also position us solidly for the future. These priorities touch many aspects of our mission, and, most impor-tantly, will help us preserve and enhance

the unique learning experience we have offered our students for more than a century. The focus will be to increase funding for:

Scholarships and Student Support –The cost of a college education is climbing. We want to maintain our tradition of providing a transformative educational experience for an investment that is valuable and accessible to hardworking students and families. This year, U.S. News and World Report ranked Montevallo #4 in our category in the Southeast for graduating students with the least amount of student loan debt. Scholarships and internships pro-vide our students with life changing opportunities.

Faculty and Staff Development – Endowed academic chairs, distin-guished professorships, coaching and staff positions will support excellence in teaching and scholarship and will keep us competitive as we recruit and maintain the fi nest professionals to serve our students.

Facilities for Living and Learning – Funding new construction, renova-tion and restoration projects, both in academic and athletic facilities, will keep our historic campus functional, beautiful and current with technology.

Building the Annual Fund – Robust annual giving helps us offset rising costs and diminished state support and provides budget relief to areas of great-est current needs.

The Traditions Fund – Gifts to this fund will help us to protect and preserve those traditions most dear to us. Whether you’re a Purple, a Gold or Green, it is critical that we endow support for the traditions that have distin-guished us: College Night, brick streets and sidewalks, The Alabamian, the Crook, Main Hall fi re escapes, Greek life, the University Lake (anyone seen the cafeteria trays?), the Life Raft Debate, a proud Falcons athletics heritage, preservation of our iconic buildings and many others.

The University Advancement team is working diligently with campus constituents to engineer the campaign, draft the Case for Support, adopt and establish reporting guidelines, promote naming opportunities and identify prospective donors. During the planning phase, we will ask for lead gifts, both pledged and deferred, which will provide us the strong foundation for a wider public launch within the next 18-24 months. With your help, we will deepen Montevallo’s resources, extend her many strengths and continue to transform lives – as we have for 117 years.

President’s Message

ll d bl h d

many strengths and continue to transform

Montevallo TodayUniversity of Montevallo alumni magazine

EDITORTiffany Roskamp-Bunt ’[email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITOR & CLASS NOTES EDITORMarsha [email protected]

COPY EDITORSDiane Kennedy-Jackson [email protected]

Heather Buckner ’[email protected]

ALUMNI EDITORTracy Payne-Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’[email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHERSMatt Orton, Brittany Headley ’14, Kiera Hood ’15, Ashlynn Postell ’13, Tracy Payne-Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98

DESIGNERSJustin Barron ’12, Tiffany Roskamp-Bunt ’00, Hannah Stein ’14

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTBrenda Aldridge

CONTRIBUTORSHeather Buckner ’14, Rachel Daniel ’09, Wesley Hallman, Tonya Fleming ’13, Tim Lupinacci ’88, Cathlena Martin, Cynthia Tidwell ’94, Jah’zmin Young ’09

ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONUMNAA President—Jim Methvin ’73

President-Elect—Michael Malone ’69

Past President/ParliamentarianKit Waters ’78

Alumni Council RepresentativeMary Lou Williams ’69

Admissions RepresentativeGreg Embry ’96

Faculty RepresentativeCarolyn Miller-Kirby

SGA PresidentRachael Swokowski ’14

UMNAA Vice PresidentsBarbara Bonfi eld ’58, Sandi Falkenhagen ’68, Wadia B. Josof ’79, Jalete Nelms ’90, Laurl Self ’94, Keith Shoemaker ’98

Members at LargeJeffery J. Adams ’85, Matthew Arnold ’93, Glenda L. Bland ’89, Barbara J. Bradford ’56, Lewis Brooks ’88, Vera S. Cox ’56, Claudia Sue Harrell ’73, Toni Leo ’80, Andy Meginniss ’68, Megan E. Randolph ’06, J. Corey Stewart ’03, David W. Thomas ’97, Chris Willis ’07, Warwick M. Woodall ’82

Ex-Offi cioJohn W. Stewart IIITracy Payne-Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98Patrick McDonald ’01

Page 3: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

In this issue 8 Undergraduate Research

UM student Katherine Savell pursued a research project over the summer at the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates at the University of South Alabama. Savell is shown here at left with Dr. Sinéad M. Ni Chadhain of the biol-ogy department at USA.

12 SportsUM’s baseball team advanced to the Peach Belt Conference tour-nament championship game in the spring and fi nished the season with an overall 34–20 record. The inaugural season for the track and fi eld team yielded good results as did the other spring sports teams. Montevallo will add a softball team to its athletics offerings in February 2015.

22 Alumni clubs enjoy fellowship Alumni from coast to coast enjoyed spring and summer gatherings to catch up on news from UM, celebrate special occasions, raise funds for scholarships and simply have a good time. At left (from left), Toni Leo ’80, Sandy Falkenhagen ’68, Kit Waters ’78 and Laurl Self ’94 set up refreshments for the Jefferson County Art Auction.

Departments 4 Campus News

11 Guest Essay

12 Athletics

14 Montevallo Profile

16 Class Notes

22 Alumni Activities

On the cover

The new Barnes & Noble university bookstore is a beacon calling UM students, faculty and

staff, as well as townsfolk to come in and shop for all things Montevallo. From t-shirts to hood-ies, from cups to umbrellas, from textbooks to

best sellers, it’s all there in a bright new loca-tion, welcoming browsers and shoppers.

See page 4 for more details.PHOTOS: MATT ORTON

page 8

page 12

page 22

Page 4: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

Montevallo Today4

|Expanding UM’s footprint|

3

5

When students arrived on campus this fall, they were met with several improvements and additions that have expanded UM’s footprint into down-town Montevallo and beyond. From extra classroom and offi ce space to cyberspace, Montevallo is growing and updating services.

Renovations were completed at the University of Montevallo on Main building over the summer, and with a ribbon cutting and reception on Aug. 23, also “Move-in Day” for freshmen, the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences offi cially “moved in” to their new offi ces and classrooms. For-merly housed in Jeter Hall, the faculty, staff and students in BSS will enjoy a state-of-the-art facility that brings the University to Main Street. The build-ing housed the offi ces of Alabama Power Co. in years past, and it was constructed with many energy-saving features at the time. It is now consid-ered the ultimate recycling project.

In another move to unite the Uni-versity with the City of Montevallo, the Barnes & Noble university bookstore held its grand opening and ribbon cut-ting on Sept. 4 at the new location on Main Street.

In addition to student textbooks and school supplies, the bookstore also stocks casual clothing, cups and mugs, miscellaneous decorative items, (most decorated in purple and gold), as well as … books. Bestsellers oc-cupy the racks alongside coffee table books and paperbacks.

Anna Irvin Hall also underwent major upgrades with the arrival of a new food service vendor. The Univer-sity has engaged Chartwells to provide not only cafeteria service, but also to establish Moe’s Southwestern Grill

and Olo Sushi in Farmer Hall. Under the title, Falcon Foods, Chartwells will serve made-to-order entrees of regional and traditional cuisines as well as salads, sandwiches and wraps, bakery items, baked entrees and pas-tries, all focusing on fresh ingredients and healthy offerings.

In addition, Chartwells assures diners that they serve “environmentally friendly and socially conscious foods.” At Montevallo, a university that places a high value on sustainability and en-vironmental awareness, this is expected to be a factor in their popularity with students, faculty and staff.

Main Hall, the oldest residence hall on campus, received a major facelift over the summer. In student residence areas, all the windows, ceilings, carpets and bathroom fl oors were replaced, all the rooms were painted, and the HVAC system was upgraded with an indi-vidual thermostat in each room. The HVAC improvements are connected to the energy management system in order to save energy and provide an im-proved comfort level for residents. New furnishings rounded out the improve-ments, making Main a popular choice for on-campus housing.

The change that will be seen by more constituents than the physical improve-ments to the campus is the new Univer-sity of Montevallo website. Launched on Sept. 6, www.montevallo.edu has an entirely new appearance. UM partnered with Big Communications, an award-winning creative communications fi rm located in Birmingham, to produce a visually lighter and more open “window on the world.” It is designed to engage the viewer and be more “conversational.” Navigation has also been simplifi ed to make information more readily available.

Page 5: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

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1. Barnes & Noble College opens on Main Street. 2. Welcome to Moe’s! in Farmer Hall. 3. A new classroom wel-comes students to Montevallo on Main. 4. A wide selection of UM apparel at the new Barnes & Noble bookstore. 5. New furnishings and other improve-ments in a room in Main Hall. 6. The homepage on UM’s new website: www.montevallo.edu 7. Ribbon cut-ting to celebrate the official opening of Montevallo on Main. 8. Murals in the side dining room in the cafeteria. 9. The main dining area in Anna Irvin Hall.

Page 6: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

The University of Montevallo’s MBA, offered through the Stephens College of Business (SCOB), just concluded its third year, graduating the largest class to date.

Fifteen graduates from as near as Birmingham and as far away as Puebla, Mexico, were awarded the MBA at the summer commencement ceremony, held Aug. 2 in Palmer Auditorium. The SCOB MBA is a student-focused pro-gram that has developed into the most rapidly growing of its kind in Alabama. For those who have seen this program develop and expand, it is a time to not only look back on its beginnings and current standing, but also to look ahead to its future.

UM launched the MBA in the fall of 2010 after receiving approval from the state and gathering public input on the design and format of the program so that it would best fi t the needs of the citizens in the area. As a result, the MBA, even from its onset, offered convenient evening classes at a north Shelby County campus and allowed students to pursue either full-time or part-time study to accommodate their schedules. Not long after its beginning, the SCOB began to offer all of the prerequisite courses for the MBA in one summer of study so that new students from diverse undergraduate majors could get a quick start on the program.

The program has made remarkable strides since its inception. Three years and many graduates later, the faculty and staff of the SCOB are still carefully attending to the needs of the students to ensure that they are provided an envi-ronment with the latest technologies as well as the professional support that is essential to growing a career of distinc-tion. The SCOB has listened, and the students, both current and former, have spoken out with praise for the program.

Brandon Dainas, an MBA gradu-ate of August 2011 who serves as a consumer loan underwriter for Wells

Fargo & Company in Birmingham, was among the fi rst small group of students to complete the program and reap its rewards. In refl ecting on the then-new program that was “a good fi t” for him and how it promoted his professional growth, Dainas stressed the value of his liberal arts MBA. “Having completed my MBA at Montevallo has helped me to stand out in the job market. My MBA set me apart from other candidates and allowed me to get my foot in the door with a great company,” Dainas stated.

As one of the most recent gradu-ates to emerge from the MBA, Genessa Lang spoke highly of her time in the program that she described as “refresh-ing” after transitioning from a larger university to a smaller university envi-ronment for her graduate studies. Al-though Lang appreciated the accessibili-ty that allowed her to continue working while she attended graduate school, she

especially valued the unique exchanges that the MBA fostered: “I loved the personal attention that I received from my professors and the relationships that I developed with my fellow colleagues. The varied student backgrounds initi-ated diverse class discussions, which kept us all on our toes.”

Kelly Benton, a student who is currently enrolled in the MBA program, commented on her experiences so far and explained that the effectiveness of the program rested in its construction of “a hands-on environment” that allowed “students to learn by doing.” Benton also noted that the classroom collaborations have aided in her preparation for real world scenarios that she will encounter throughout her professional career: “The teamwork exercises focus on approaches to business problems and helps (sic) pre-pare students for interactions in corpo-rate environments.”

|MBA program rapidly developing||Campus News|

Montevallo Today6

Genessa Lang, a recent graduate of UM’s MBA program, says, “I loved the personal attention that I received from my professors and the relationships that I developed with my fellow colleagues. The varied student backgrounds initiated diverse class discussions, which kept us all on our toes.”

Page 7: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

While students and fac-ulty are enthusiastic about the experiences and successes that they have already had with the program over its three-year history, they are equally enthused about the direction they see it going in the future. Having served as the head of the SCOB since January 2010, Dean Stephen Craft has personally spearheaded much of the strategic planning of the MBA to attract new students, implement resources such as the Center for Professional Practice and ensure that the curriculum excels nationally in accreditation and bench-marking.

Craft recently provided observations on the direction of UM’s MBA in The Stephens Business Review and hinted that great things are on the horizon, including the poten-tial for an MBA cohort at an alternate location and a con-

tinued emphasis on strength-ening of the academic quality of the program.

“We’re focused on growth, focused on enroll-ment, updating curriculum, updating courses. It’s a very exciting place to be right now. There’s a lot of energy. With an outstanding faculty and students, a supportive board of advisers, a new focus on growth and a lot of energy, it is no longer business as usual for Stephens,” Craft said.

Like all the SCOB programs, the MBA is fully accredited by AACSB Inter-national, the highest possible accreditation standard for programs in business.

For more information on UM’s MBA program, please visit the SCOB MBA website at www.montevallo.edu/scob/mbaprogram or the Graduate Admissions & Records website at www.montevallo.edu/grad.

Carlos Barahona, a native of Puebla, Mexico, recently received his MBA at Montevallo after completing a bachelor’s degree in mass communication, also at UM.

UM has recently been named to The Chronicle of Higher Education’s 2013 Great Colleges to Work For® program. The program recognizes small groups of colleges (based on enrollment size) for specifi c best practices and policies.

Montevallo received recognition in both the Teaching Environment and Tenure Clarity and Process categories. The former is based on faculty members stating that the institution recognizes in-novative and high-quality teaching. The

latter is based on faculty indicating that requirements for tenure are clear.

The Chronicle partnered with ModernThink, a strategic human-capital consulting fi rm, to administer the survey and analyze the results. The Great Col-leges® survey included a two-part assess-ment process: a survey administered to faculty, administrators and professional support staff, as well as an institutional audit that captured demographics and workplace policies and practices from each institution. The primary factor in deciding whether an institution received a Great College to Work For® recogni-tion was employee feedback.

Results analysis by ModernThink placed the University of Montevallo as one of 76 four-year institutions to be rec-ognized from among 227 participants.

“We are extremely pleased with the

University of Montevallo’s results in the recent Chronicle of Higher Education survey,” stated Dr. John W. Stewart III, president of UM. “Montevallo is not only a great place for our students, but for our dedicated faculty and staff, as well. This important recognition stands as an affi rmation of the stalwart efforts of the entire Montevallo family.”

Published since 1966, The Chronicle of Higher Education provides the academic community with an independent, global hub for news, sophisticated analysis, opin-ion and engagement, and is read by more college and university faculty members and administrators than any other source in higher education. Now in its sixth year, the Great Colleges to Work For® pro-gram has become one of the largest and most-respected workplace-recognition programs in the country.

|Montevallo recognized as “Great College to Work For”|

www.montevallo.edu/alumni7

Page 8: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Undergrad Research|While many undergraduate students take the summer off to enjoy some downtime or work at a summer job, others pursue research projects in their fi elds, not only extending their learning, but also their resumés.

Senior Katherine Savell participated in the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergradu-ates at the University of South Alabama. Her project, guided by Dr. Sinéad M. Ni Chadhain in the biology department, focused on isolating and screening soil bacteria in pursuit of a model biofuel.

Emily MacCrae, also a senior, spent her summer working in the laboratory of the Department of Biochemistry at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, chaired by Richard Cummings ’74. MacCrae’s project involved the development of a more mobile and less costly test for infl uenza.

Students in the Game Studies and Design (GSD) program have also been busy, attending conferences and conven-tions, demonstrating their newly designed games and presenting their fi ndings.

Thanks to Undergraduate Research travel grants, two faculty members, one alumnus and eight students attended the Dice Tower Gaming Con, a fi ve-day gaming convention in Orlando, Fla. While the academic study of games is the focus at scholarly conferences, the industry side of gaming happens at con-ventions like this one.

During this convention, which had more than 650 attendees, six GSD students presented their original games during a prototype event. Students were able to have published designers play their games and provide feedback. A market-ing director for one company specifi cally asked two students to send him copies or revised copies of their games for further consideration.

Matt Cox conducted undergraduate research over the summer with advising by Cathlena Martin, assistant professor of game studies and design. Cox and Martin presented their fi ndings at the

Popular Culture Association South Con-ference in Savannah, Ga. Cox has been accepted to present his essay titled Do You Feel Like a Hero Yet?: An Analysis of Spec Ops: The Line and the Power of Interactive Narrative.

Martin will present her essay, Level-ing Up the Classroom: Using Tabletop Role-playing Games to Help Craft Col-lege Curricula and Assessment, which was the topic of another undergraduate research project with students Gabrielle Railey and Peter Sugg.

Undergraduate research provides in-depth learning opportunities, ide-ally leading to a career opportunity or an advantage when applying to gradu-ate school. The latter was the case with Charles Tyler Smith, who conducted re-search with Martin last summer and was awarded multiple scholarships to attend Savannah College of Art and Design’s (SCAD’s) MFA program in Interactive Design and Game Development starting Winter 2013.

Montevallo Today8

Katherine Savell conducts an experi-ment in the biology department at the National Science Foundation’s Re-search Experience for Undergraduates at the University of South Alabama.

Page 9: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Green Fund, the first of its kind|The state’s first Green Fund is celebrat-ing its third year at UM.

The fund exists to decrease UM’s eco-logical footprint and educate the Univer-sity and local communities about sustain-able practices and environmental issues.

In the past two years, students, faculty and staff have used more than $60,000 for 20 projects, including shades for the Carmichael Library win-dows to reduce energy costs and a water filtration station in Farmer Hall to serve as an alternative to bottled water.

The project was initiated by mem-bers of the Environmental Club and supported by more than 45 percent of students—receiving 1,351 petition signa-tures. Faculty adviser Jill Wicknick, who holds her doctorate in biology, said such student participation and leadership has been a priority from the beginning.

The Green Fund document is online, and a portion of it is quoted directly from the original student pro-posal. The money comes from a Green Fund fee tacked on to every student’s tuition—$5 a semester. Altogether, the fund receive about $30,000 a year.

After applicants present their proj-ect ideas, the Sustainability Committee determines who will receive support. The committee has 11 voting members, and of those 11, six are students.

“It’s students’ money, it should be students’ say,” said Wicknick. “They are our priority. Anyone can propose a project, but student projects come first. We fund almost all student projects.”

Projects can range anywhere from guest workshops and lectures to sculptur-al bike racks—one student simply made a map of local walking and biking trails.

The Montevallo Green Fund’s impact doesn’t stop at Main Street, though; earlier this year, students from the Environmental Club began collabo-rating with students at the University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of Alabama at Huntsville and Auburn University to help them start their own Green Funds.

As members of the Coalition of Alabama Students for the Environment, the students pledged to create four new funds that would generate $1 million for their campuses by January 2014.

In May, they achieved their goal at the University of Alabama. Pledging $1 million over the course of the next five years, UA is believed to now have the second largest Green Fund in the South-east—and it's modeled directly from what’s going on in Montevallo.

Is a degree from the University of Mon-tevallo a tradition in your family? Have you (or will you) encourage your chil-dren, grandchildren or other members of your family to come to UM? If so, then that tradition may pay dividends to them as well as to the following genera-tion of prospective Falcons.

When students enroll at the Uni-versity of Montevallo following in the footsteps of one or more generations of their family, those students may be eligible to apply for UM’s Legacy Schol-arship. While there are several scholar-ships awarded by the National Alumni Association, this scholarship was created to recognize the diligence of active alumni and to encourage their children and grandchildren to attend their alma mater. It provides funding for students to purchase textbooks and other materi-als needed for academic success.

Beginning in 2014, the Legacy Scholarship will be available to any sec-ond or third generation student (previ-ously only available to entering students)

whose parent or grandparent is an active alumnus (defined by donor status in at least three of the last five years).

One of this year’s recipients of the Legacy Scholarship is Faith Christine Vines, a graduate of Hoover High School majoring in music education. Her parents and grandparents attended UM, as did a host of aunts, uncles and other family members. Faith says she is

“so grateful to have been chosen to re-ceive the Legacy Scholarship. My family really appreciates the financial help from an institution they’ve been so loyal to.”

The deadline for the Legacy Schol-arship is July 1. For more information about UMNAA scholarships, please visit: www.montevallo.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/scholarships/alumni-scholarships

|Legacy Scholarship assists children of alumni|

www.montevallo.edu/alumni9

Legacy scholarship awardee, Faith Christine Vines (third from left) with her family: Ned A. Lowery ’62, M.Ed. ’67 (grandfather); Carol Brasher Lowery ’77 (grandmother); Lisa Lowery Vines ’89, M.Ed. ’96 (mother).

www.montevallo.edu/alumni9

Page 10: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Commencement Speakers| Bestselling author Cassandra King ’67 delivered the addre ss at spring com-mencement May 4. She spoke to more than 300 graduates, their families and friends, as well as others gathered for the occasion in the Robert M. McChesney Student Activity Center. Commencement exercises were moved from Flowerhill lawn due to inclement weather. King was awarded a doctor of letters degree, honoris causa from UM in recognition of her loyalty to her alma mater.

King’s fi rst novel, Making Waves in Zion, began as a graduate thesis, receiv-ing the outstanding graduate thesis award at UM in 1988. It was published by Hyperion of New York in 2001 as Making Waves, beginning a career-long

relationship between King and the publishing company.

Three more of King’s novels, The Sunday Wife, The Same Sweet Girls and Queen of Broken Hearts, all published by Hyperion, have received numerous awards including Literary Guild and Book-of-the-Month Club selections. The Sunday Wife and The Same Sweet Girls were also named to The New York Times bestseller list. The Same Sweet Girls was inspired by a real-life group of women who attended Alabama College together in the 1960s. King’s fi fth nov-el, Moonrise, was released recently and is available in bookstores and online.

King and her husband, writer Pat Conroy, live in the Low Country of South Carolina.

Michael J. Grainger ’73, a Birming-ham native, was the speaker at summer commencement, held Aug. 2 in Palmer Auditorium.

Grainger has guided a number of companies to fi nancial success. After working with Price Waterhouse & Co. from graduation until 1980, he joined Coble Systems Inc., a privately held truck transportation group, as chief fi nancial offi cer. After assisting in the sale of most of the group in 1986, he remained involved in mergers and ac-quisitions as a consultant until 1990.

In 1990, Grainger joined Ingram Industries Inc., one of the largest pri-vately held companies in the nation, as vice president and controller. In 1996, the company spun off its largest sub-sidiary, Ingram Micro Inc., a wholesale computer distributor located in Orange County, Calif. Grainger transferred to California as the chief fi nancial offi cer, being part of the management group that completed what was at that time

the largest technology company initial public offering (IPO). In 2000, he was promoted to president and chief operat-ing offi cer.

After retiring in 2004, Grainger and his wife, Donna, moved to Frank-lin, Tenn., near Nashville. He remains involved in business, serving on the boards of directors of Ingram Indus-tries Inc., ScanSource Inc. and Belkin International.

Grainger also has been able to become the student of history he always wanted to be. He is the chairman of The Civil War Trust, a national non-profi t organization and the leader in the preservation of America's Civil War battlefi elds. In addition, he is a member of Tennessee's Civil War Sesquicenten-nial Commission and sits on the board of the Tennessee Historical Society. He is a member of the board of directors of the University of Montevallo Founda-tion and the advisory board of the Mi-chael E. Stephens College of Business.

Cassandra King

Michael J. Grainger

|Campus News|

Montevallo Today10

Author Cassandra King ’67 addresses graduates at spring commencement May 4 in the Robert M. McChesney Student Activity Center.

Businessman Michael J. Grainger ’73 speaks to graduates at summer commencement Aug. 2 in Palmer Auditorium.

Page 11: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Change your world|BY TIM LUPINACCI ’88

|Guest Essay|

I have long been challenged by the often-quoted Gandhi statement, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Lofty goals of having a lasting impact in the world have driven me since my years at UM. Occasionally I would get discour-aged at the enormity of such thinking. My conscience would argue, “What can one corporate bankruptcy attorney do that would matter to the global society?” Then I would read an inspiring story of one ordinary person’s vision and work—a person who, over time, actually did extraordinary things to change the world in a profound way: people like a passion-ate Montgomery pastor who fueled a movement in the 1960s; a quiet, humble woman who worked among the poorest of the poor in India; a simple man who remained faithful while locked in a cell on Robben Island, South Africa; or a businessman who saw the limitless poten-tial of small loans in impoverished places to transform communities. As a result, I persevered to help others by serving on local charity boards, teaching leadership classes to non-profi t workers in Northern Thailand and teaching the next genera-tion in Sunday School. A few years ago, I came across a book titled Radical Leap Re-energized by Steve Farber. The book provides a lot of interesting principles on leadership and mentoring. One idea that really struck me was the charge to “change your world”—with lowercase “w.” Some of us might

actually change the (capital “W”) World in our life’s endeavors; others may not get that chance. However, we can change the world that we are in—the world of our family, our work, our community, our church and our university—those with whom we live and work on a daily basis. While the task of contemplating global change may seem impossible, when we break it down to our areas of personal in-fl uence, we can have a real positive impact. Through the education and life preparation that I received at Montevallo, I believe I have been given much. The ed-ucation, real-life experiences, friendships, mentoring and intellectual challenges helped propel me to success. But to whom much is given, much is required. That is why I have been passionate not only about helping better the world around me (and the capital “W” World in the best ways that I can), but also about helping this generation and future generations of Montevallo students. I benefi tted from receiving a scholar-ship to the University, and several years ago, my wife, Ellen Lupinacci (’89, M. Ed.’89), and I began funding scholarships for UM students. It started slowly over a decade ago with contributions as we had opportunities, but it has been reward-ing to see it grow. This growth led us to the point last year of making a fi ve-year commitment to fund a more substantive scholarship to assist minority applicants who plan to attend UM. We view this concept of “paying it forward” as helping change our world, since some of the students who are able to attend Montevallo because of our small scholarship help may well be one of the people who discovers the cure for cancer, facilitates peace in some corner of the world or helps end child traffi cking across the globe. It could also be a person who ends up working in rural Alabama, teach-ing children and challenging them to dream big dreams. Providing scholarships to worthy UM students is our small step

to change the world that we live in. This investment in the University con-tinued earlier this year as I joined the UM Foundation Board. It is encouraging to see the great work that alumni and friends of the University contribute toward building a legacy for generations to follow. I am also excited about the University’s upcoming comprehensive campaign. When I think about the broad impact that UM has had over the past century, and the specifi c impact that it had on Ellen and me in the mid-’80s, I can’t help but look forward to seeing the greater impact—and change in the world—that can come from successfully implementing this campaign. The im-proved and expanded facilities and faculty and multiple other opportunities that will arise by the year 2020 will greatly enhance Montevallo’s impact around the globe. This summer, I attended JH Ranch in Northern California with my teenage daughter. One of their creeds is, “I heard and I forgot. I saw and I remembered. I did, and I understood.” I fi rmly believe that each one of us has the opportunity, the responsibility and the ability to change our world (whether in a lowercase “w” or capital “W” sense). However, we need to take the leap and start doing it! I encour-age you to survey your own sphere of infl uence, including your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues and UM connec-tions. Identify how you can better their lives and your community as a whole. Then commit with all you have to do it. Ellen and I are excited to consider our next phase of pouring resources and time into future generations of students who will follow our footsteps on the brick-lined streets, who will proudly pro-claim GV or PV and who will walk across the graduation stage at Flowerhill into a world waiting for their impact. Some of our work to change the world involves impacting the next and future genera-tions passing through the iron gates of the University of Montevallo —join us!

www.montevallo.edu/alumni11

Page 12: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

UM’s baseball team continued its rise to the top in the Peach Belt Conference under third-year coach Chandler Rose during the 2013 season.

The Falcons have experienced an impressive turnaround in Rose’s three years at the helm. After taking over a team that won only 13 games in 2010, Rose had the program to the cusp of a conference championship in just his third season.

The Falcons advanced to the conference tournament championship game, defeating the No. 1 ranked team in the country for the fi rst time in their NCAA Division II era. Montevallo also clinched a conference series against a pair of nationally-ranked teams during the regular season with a 34-20 overall record—including a 16-14 mark in Peach Belt Conference play.

The Falcons secured the 34 wins with the No. 1 strength-of-schedule ranking in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region. Montevallo spent sev-eral weeks ranked in multiple national polls during the season.

Sophomores Vinny Rodriguez and Zack Willoughby were each named second team All-Peach Belt Conference following the season. Rodriguez was also selected third team NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Junior Will Fulmer was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association NCAA Division II South-east Region Hitter of the Week and the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week once, while fresh man Cody Hughes was named the conference’s Freshman of the Week.

University of Montevallo sophomore Madison Brown became the Falcons’ fi rst ever individual title winner in the inau-gural Peach Belt Conference women’s track and fi eld championship meet April 20 in the inaugural season for the Monte-vallo women’s track and fi eld program.

The Falcons, led by Brown’s title win in the javelin throw competition, fi nished seventh overall in team standings in their fi rst conference championship meet.

“We are very proud of the way the team competed,” said Montevallo women’s track and fi eld coach Tommy Barksdale. “The effort they showed is what we were looking for as the program continues to grow.”

Brown posted the longest throw with a 122’ 9” toss during the regular season and claimed the javelin throw title after her toss of 116’ 10” in the championship meet.

Brown was named to the Peach Belt Conference All-Sportsmanship team at the conclusion of the championship meet. Senior Kaley Glover also earned All-Peach Belt Conference status after fi nishing second in individual standings in the 10,000-meter run.

The men’s and women’s golf teams completed their seasons at the Peach Belt Conference tournament in April, with junior Connor Godsey earning the men’s golf program’s fi rst ever bid to the NCAA Division II Southeast Region tournament.

Godsey earned a berth in the region tournament after fi nishing in a tie for fi fth at

the conference tournament and earn-ing a spot on the All-PBC Tournament team. Godsey was also named to both fi rst team All-Peach Belt Conference and to the PING NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region and received an All-America honorable mention selec-tion following the season.

The women’s tennis team recorded its fi rst ever win over a nationally-ranked opponent this spring with a 5-4 vic-tory over Georgia College on March 2. Sophomore Niki Polcerova fi nished the season ranked No. 16 in the Intercol-legiate Tennis Association’s NCAA Divi-sion II women’s tennis singles rankings.

Polcerova also became the fi rst Montevallo women’s tennis student-athlete to earn Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week honors.

|Athletics|

|Falcons recap|

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UM’s women’s track team com-petes in its inaugural season.

A Falcon baserunner dives for the base.

Page 13: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

The University has announced that it will add an intercollegiate softball team to its athletics offerings for the fi rst time in the school’s history. A vote by the University of Montevallo Board of Trustees to approve UM’s share of facil-ity funding cleared the way for softball to become the eighth women’s sport and the 13th intercollegiate athletic team at the University.

The team will practice and compete at the softball fi elds in the City of Mon-tevallo’s Orr Park, which will be reno-vated to meet NCAA standards. The improvements will be made using funds from the University, Shelby County, and the Montevallo Development Coopera-tive District (MDCD), a three-member entity comprised of directors from the City of Montevallo, Shelby County and the University of Montevallo.

UM President John W. Stewart III stated, “Student-athletes at Montevallo enjoy a meaningful collegiate athletic experience highlighted by academic suc-cess, and softball will be an important addition to our athletics program.”

The team will begin its inaugural season in February 2015 and will be im-mediately eligible to participate in Peach Belt Conference and NCAA Division II Championship competition.

|University to add softball|

UM’s athletic department featured a record number of student-athletes to be named to the 2012-2013 Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll.

The student-athletes edged Mon-tevallo’s previous mark of 100 named the year before.

The honor roll recognizes all student-athletes at the 14 PBC member institu-tions who earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher for the academic year.

GOLD SCHOLARS (3.75–4.00): Taylor Burr (baseball), Ryan York (baseball), Katie Colson (women’s bas-ketball), Alex Strickland (women’s bas-ketball), Justin Arsement (men’s cross country), In-Mi Matsunaga (women’s cross country), Katie Vanover (women’s cross country), Andres Morales (men’s golf), Stephen Beatty (men’s soccer), Steven Didik (men’s soccer), Jack-son Tolleson (men’s soccer), Camilla Alderin (women’s soccer), Katy Hutto (women’s soccer), Tiffany Polson (wom-en’s soccer), Nicola Stolworthy (wom-en’s soccer), Kaitlin Thomas (women’s soccer), Lauren Blair (women’s tennis), Haley Highfi eld (women’s tennis), Juanita Ossa (women’s tennis), Nikola Polcerova (women’s tennis), Connor Dixon (women’s track and fi eld), Jessica Falletta (women’s volleyball), Kaleigh Harvey (women’s volleyball), Rebekah Phelps (women’s volleyball), Anna Quinn (women’s volleyball) and Betsy Stevenson (women’s volleyball).

SILVER SCHOLARS (3.50–3.74): Austin Dubberly (baseball), Pablo Martell (baseball), Scotty Smith (baseball), Zack Willoughby (base-ball), Carolyn Taite (women’s bas-ketball), Jake Davidson (men’s cross country), Matt Hobbs (men’s cross country), Kaley Glover (women’s cross country), Jill Kleist (women’s cross country), Lauren Recchia (women’s cross country), Hilary Shaner (wom-en’s golf ), Giuliano Frano (men’s soccer), Alex Morton (men’s soccer), Taylor Kerr (women’s soccer), Paige Scott (women’s soccer), Maury Tacon (women’s soccer), Yulia Shvetsova (women’s tennis), Manyi Ati (women’s volleyball), Michelle Carle (women’s volleyball), Kady Curl (women’s vol-leyball) and Brianna Guzinski (wom-en’s volleyball).

BRONZE SCHOLARS (3.25–3.49): Will Fulmer (baseball), Matthew Graben (baseball), D.J. Hess (baseball), Cody Hughes (baseball), Nash Osborne (baseball), Michael Simmons (baseball), Todd Thompson (baseball), Aaron Bush (men’s cross country), Philip Dublin (men’s cross country), Zack Walsh (men’s cross country), Mason Webber (men’s cross country), Jessi Clark (women’s cross country), Pedro Carneiro (men’s soccer), Ricky Davey (men’s soccer), Patrick Dougall (men’s soccer), Shane Howard (men’s soccer), Ryuhei Nose (men’s soccer), Nick Saboe

(men’s soccer), Melissa Bode (women’s soccer), Abby Carfantan (women’s soc-cer), Shyanne Erickson (women’s track and fi eld) and Jordan Spinks (women’s volleyball).

PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS (3.00–3.24): Thomas Bradey (base-ball), Dustin Cowart (baseball), John Maxwell (baseball), Mason Morris (baseball), Vinny Rodriguez (base-ball), David Stasiak (baseball), Cody White (baseball), Danny Cummins (men’s basketball), Jeff Hefner (men’s basketball), Ryan May (men’s basket-ball), Cam Wiehe (men’s basketball), Jasmine Thomas (women’s basket-ball), Jacquelyn Thompson (women’s basketball), Nicholas Fasanello (men’s cross country), Connor Marullo (men’s cross country), Mark McDonald (men’s cross country), Brandi Hatter (women’s track and fi eld), Andrew Lowry (men’s golf ), Thomas Davis (men’s soccer), Jonathan Oprandy (men’s soccer), Tyler Schnuelle (men’s soccer), Stefan Vaziri (men’s soccer), Andre Williams (men’s soccer), Brit-tany Gable (women’s soccer), Emma Greenwood (women’s soccer), Julie Heltne (women’s soccer), Octavia Saunders (women’s soccer), Allison Howell (women’s tennis), Meagan Stevens (women’s tennis), Katie Best (women’s volleyball), Birta Bjorsndot-tir (women’s volleyball) and Michelle Walker (women’s volleyball).

Record number of Falcons named to conference honor roll

www.montevallo.edu/alumni13

Page 14: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

Harriette Hawkins Work

Class of 1951 Montevallo Today14

Page 15: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Montevallo Profile|Your home: Carmichael, California (suburb of Sacramento) Your hometown: Sulligent, Alabama

Tell us about your family: My mother was a schoolteacher and my father a civil engineer for the Alabama State Highway Dept. I had a sister who also attended Montevallo and a brother who graduated from Auburn University and worked for IBM. He became a success-ful playwright after retirement! We have two daughters, one who lives in London with her three children: one beginning graduate school at Oxford, another son teaching at Lansing College and a daughter a ju-nior at Aberdeen University in Scotland. Both my daughter Lucie and her husband teach. Our daughter Emily lives in Piedmont, CA, (near San Francisco) and has one daughter who is now a graduate student at Princeton University. Emily’s husband is an ophthalmologist, and she is communications director for the California Board of Equalization. We also have a cat, Percy, whom we adore.

My profession: I worked for the Area 4 Agency on Aging for 20 years as a community information director. Following my retirement, I worked a year as associate state director for AARP California. I also taught English part-time for a number of years at American River Col-lege. When my husband was drafted in the Army, he was sent to Hono-lulu, Hawaii. I followed and was director of the student YWCA on the university campus.

The last book I read and really enjoyed was: My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor.

Awards/honors: I received a Declaration of Appreciation and Con-gratulations from the California Senate Rules Committee upon my retirement as well as a Certificate of Appreciation from the California Dept. of Aging.

Secret for success: I doubt I have a secret for success, but I value completion of a task well-done.

What’s new: I participate in a Learning in Retirement program (The Renaissance Society) on the California State University Campus. Mem-bership now is over 1,700 members. I was the president of the program.

Education foundation: I attended Montevallo for 4 years and gradu-ated in 1951. I went to work for the YWCA in New Orleans following graduation. Following my husband’s graduation from Tulane Universi-ty, we came to Sacramento where I earned a master’s degree in English at California State University Sacramento.

How did Montevallo affect my career path? Since Montevallo was a girls’ school when I attended, there was an emphasis on achieving leadership positions. Faculty were helpful and supportive. Students were encouraged to take responsibilities and to be creative and inventive.

Memories of Montevallo: College Nights are a real memory, sending our laundry down the chute outside Main Hall, Sunday ice cream in the Main dining room, rocking in the rocking chairs on the porch at Main, the long walks on the campus, wonderful concerts and enjoying a multitude of friends. I continue to correspond with my roommate, Anna Lukes Hartz, from Mobile and Raj Chowdhry Sarup from New Delhi, India.

The picture of the Model T is significant because when my husband and I were both teenagers, he purchased the 1926 Model T Touring Car with his summer earn-ings, and along with my cousin, they drove from Chicago south, on a fun excursion trip. They came to Sulligent to see my cousin’s grandmother, (and my grandmoth-er), and we met at that time. We were married in 1953 and just celebrated our 60th anniversary. The Model T, now much restored, is a prized possession.

www.montevallo.edu/alumni15

Page 16: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Class Notes|

Montevallo Today16

1964

Faye Dockery Smith of Tallahas-see, Fla., is retired from a 34-year career as a teacher and has written a book, Tommy: The Civil War Childhood of a President, based on the childhood years of Woodrow Wilson. Her writing career began with a family history as well as the special books she wrote for each of her grandchildren.

1968Shirley Harrison and her husband, Wallis A. Harrison ’69, have relo-cated to Montevallo after residing in Helena for 37 years. Wallis retired from Southern Company Services after 29 years of service and now owns PCT Inc., an environmental testing company, and Mercury Research Center, based in Pensacola, Fla. Shirley, retired from teaching and other work, volunteers at Shelby Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster.

Peggy Scruggs Palmiter has retired after teaching for more than 33 years in Tennessee public schools. She resides in Hampton Cove near Huntsville and writes that she is “so glad to be back home again.”

1974

The new library at Wilsonville El-emetary School was named in honor of Rosemary Cosper Liveoak M.Ed. ’76, a 39-year veteran in the

field of education. She retired as principal of W.E.S.

1977

William “Tim” Averett of Monro-eville placed first in his division in the American Historic Racing Motor-cycle Association cross country event at Barber Motor Sports Park near Birmingham in October 2012. He raced on an XR200R Honda that he had restored over the previous year. His wife, Kathy, and daughters Jes-sica Averett ’04 and Melissa Averett Kim ’06, M.S. ’08 were present to cheer him on. Retired from the State of Alabama as a property appraiser, he owns his own appraisal business.

Ronnie Brewer M.Ed. ’94 has stepped down as coordinator of the Alabama Cooperative Baptist Fellowship to accept the position of pastor at the First Baptist Church of Bristol, Va.

Jerry Burden has joined United Bank in Atmore as a vice president and business banker. His duties will include growing and maintaining the bank’s small business relation-ships in the Florida panhandle area.

1978Donald Boatright of Pelham has re-tired from McGriff, Seibels & Wil-liams Inc. as a senior vice president after 25 years in the commercial insurance brokerage industry. He writes that he and wife Sharon are planning to travel and spend time with their grandchildren.

Tim Haas has been appointed senior pastor at Memorial United Method-ist Church in Lake Placid, Fla. He and his wife, Phyllis Lockhart Haas ’75, had previously served Keystone United Methodist Church in Odessa, Fla.

1979Rebecca Adams has accepted the position of senior manager in the National Consulting and Advisory Services Group of Keane Unclaimed Property in King of Prussia, Pa.

1981

Margaret Morelock Arnold of Milton, Fla., teaches music in the Santa Rosa district schools. She gave a traditional Christmas concert in 2012 at the Christmas Gala for the Bagdad Village Preservation Assn. in Bagdad, Fla. She also published a CD titled Inspirations for the Journey in the fall of 2012.

1984

Beth Killough Chapman has stepped down from her position as Alabama’s Secretary of State to join Alabama Farmers Federation as a political consultant. A resident of Shelby County, Beth also serves on the Board of Trustees at UM.

1985

Pamela Davis has relocated to Birmingham to work with Regions Bank as a data mapping specialist in the business intelligence department. She had previously worked with the Royal Bank of Canada as a technical systems analyst.

1986

Randy Kennedy has been named community news director for Ala-bama Media Group’s Mobile hub. A member of the Mobile Press-Register staff since 2002, he had previously served as managing producer for business, sports and entertainment.

Andrea Baldwin Ridgely recently received her certified public accoun-tant’s license in North Carolina.

The Career Development Center services are available and FREE for alumni to assist you with an ever-changing career landscape! Alumni can view full-time and part-time job postings as well as downloadable resources and helpful links at www.montevallo.edu/career. If further assistance is needed, call 205.665.6262 to schedule an appointment; these can be in-person, via email or over the phone. A counselor will work with you to defi ne your career goals and assist with resumé creation, cover letter writing and interviewing techniques to showcase your professional skills and abilities. If your company has internships or jobs that you would like to advertise, please visit our website to post available opportunities. Find your purpose, pursue your passion and plan your future with the Career Development Center!

The Career Development Center

Margaret Morelock Arnold

Page 17: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

www.montevallo.edu/alumni17

1989

Michael Shane Mills has been elect-ed rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Dallas. Prior to his election, he was an attorney with the law firm of Fletcher, Farley, Shipman & Salinas. Michael and his wife, Susan Lee Mills ’87, have two children, Clare, 17, and John, 14.

1991

Michelle Head M.Ed. ’92, Ed.S. ’01 has been named principal of Winterboro High School in Talladega County. A 23-year vet-eran of public education, she had previously served as principal of Sycamore Elementary School.

1992

Rachea Gould Simms M.Ed. ’94, Ed.S. ’02 has accepted the position of principal at Meadow View Elementary School in the newly-formed Alabaster city school system. A 20-year veteran of education, Rachea had previ-ously served as assistant principal at Meadow View.

1993

Jim Smothers M.Ed. has been named commentary editor of The Daily Home newspaper in Talladega. A 34-year veteran of The Daily Home, Jim started as a photographer and worked his way up to his current position. He has won more than 50 awards from the Alabama Press Association and the Associated Press Managing Editors Association of Alabama.

Rob West has been appointed senior pastor at Clanton First United

Methodist Church in Clanton. He had previously served as senior pas-tor at Enterprise United Methodist Church in Enterprise.

1994

William Sellers M.Ed., assistant principal at Oak Mountain Middle School in north Shelby County, was named Alabama’s Assistant Principal of the Year by the National Assoccia-tion of Secondary School Principals.

1995

Andy Brindley M.Ed. and Kim Brindley M.Ed. ’95 have estab-lished the Brindley Group LLC, a counseling and consulting company in Vestavia. Both are supervising licensed professional counselors with extensive experience.

1996

Eric White has accepted the position of director of basketball operations at the University of Mis-sissippi. He previously had served as associaate head coach of women’s basketball at Morehead State Uni-versity in Kentucky for three years.

1998

April Evans Stone has been appointed executive director of the South Shelby County Chamber of Commerce. She had previously worked with the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce as its director of community and work-force development.

1999

Rebekah Bynum has grown a small art class into a thriving franchise con-cept. Spirited Art®, a studio offering acrylic painting classes to a variety of groups, is now franchised in several cities in the Southeast. Adult guests can bring their own wine and food to enjoy while they paint.

Paul Dompierre is a social worker in the health center at Westminster Oaks, a continuing care community in Tallahassee, Fla.

2002

Katie Zielinski M.Ed., Ed.S. ’06 has been appointed principal at Thompson Middle School in

Alabaster. She had previously served as assistant principal.

2003

Robert “Robbie” Brown recently re-ceived a master’s degree in education from Auburn University at Mont-gomery and will be teaching physical education at Zion Chapel School in Coffee Co. He will also serve as head boys’ basketball coach and assistant football and baseball coach.

Amanda Hood M.Ed., Ed.S. ’10 has been appointed principal at Mountain Brook High School where she had previously served as assistant principal. She replaces Paul “Vic” Wilson Ed.S. ’04 (see below). Amanda also had served as principal of Mountain Brook Junior High.

2004

Paul “Vic” Wilson Ed.S. has accepted the position of superinten-dent of the Hartselle school system. He had previously served as princi-pal of Mountain Brook High School near Birmingham.

2005

Jeff Atkins M.Ed., Ed.S. ’09 has been named coordinator of operations for the Alabaster city schools, a newly-formed system in Shelby County. He will over-see issues ranging from building maintenance and construction to transportation operations.

John Lowry M.Ed. has been named principal of Shades Cahaba Elemen-tary School near Birmingham after serving as assistant principal for three years. He replaces Sue Grogan Ed.S. ’02, who is retiring.

Kevin Thornthwaite M.Ed. has ac-cepted the position of Director of

Tracey Morant Adams ’88 (shown above) and Suzanne Durham ’68 were recently named to the inaugural list of Women Who Make A Difference in the Birmingham area. Sponsored by The Birmingham News and AL.com, in conjunction with Red Mountain Theatre Company, the list recognized 21 infl uential women in and around Birmingham.

Adams currently serves as executive director of economic development with the City of Birmingham. In that position, she works toward cultivating a stronger and more diverse economic platform for the city. She continually seeks to develop job opportunities for the citizens of Birmingham, and so far, projects she has helped to advance have brought more than 5,500 new jobs to the area.

Adams earned the MBA from Samford University, graduated from Leadership Birmingham in 2008, and from the MOMENTUM program for female executives in 2011. She is an active member of her church and in the Birmingham community, serving on several boards for various businesses, charities and institutions of higher learning.

Suzanne Durham is CEO of the YWCA of Central Alabama and is a past chair of the national board of YWCA USA. See Durham’s alumni profi le in the Fall 2011 issue of Montevallo Today.

Page 18: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Class Notes|

Montevallo Today18

Graduate Admissions and Records at UM. He comes to Montevallo from New College at the University of Alabama. Kevin and his wife, Daphne Duren Thornthwaite ’03, reside in Montevallo.

2008

Jeff Walker recently earned the Ph.D. in communication and infor-mation sciences from the University of Alabama. He was the 2012-2013 recipient of UA’s Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Doctoral Student. He has accepted the posi-tion of visiting instructor of commu-nication studies at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Jeff came back to Montevallo in July to direct the second annual Spirit of the Arts fundraiser for St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

2009

Kimberly Kirby Baker and her husband, Vic Baker ’09, of Pell City operate a small business, Baker Pageants, that promotes poise, self-esteem and stage pres-ence in young women in Alabama. A portion of their profits has been applied to a scholarship to a gradu-ating senior at the Alabama School for the Deaf where Kim teaches mathematics. Vic is pursuing the juris doctorate at the Birmingham School of Law.

Laura Mason is the new compli-ance coordinator in the athletics department at Stetson University

in DeLand, Fla. She will moni-tor all facets of recruiting, awards, amateurism, as well as playing and practice sessions.

2011

Brittany Bivins is the weekend an-chor on the Alabama News Network on WAKA, the CBS TV affiliate in Montgomery. Drew Granthum has accepted the position of sports writer at the Shelby County Reporter. He also is pursuing his master’s degree in English at UM.

2012

Todd Crenshaw M.Ed. has been named assistant principal of the Linda Nolen Learning Center in Alabaster. Todd is a 15-year veteran of special education and has served the Linda Nolen Learning Center for 12 years.

Jeff Norris M.Ed., Ed.S. ’12 is the new assistant principal at Inverness Elementary School in Shelby County. An educator in Shelby County for eight years, he was previously the administrative assistant at Montevallo Elementary School. A National Board Certified middle childhood general-ist, he was named Shelby County’s Elementary Teacher of the Year for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Joshua Skelton of Jemison, a staff sergeant in the Army Reserve, recently was chosen to compete in the 2013 Army Reserve Best War-

rior Competition. Joshua was one of only 39 soldiers nationwide to be selected for the competition, testing physical fitness, general military topics, first aid and hand-to-hand combat, among other courses. Joshua has served two deployments in Iraq and has been an Army Reservist for nine years.

2013

Kyle Jones is a staff writer and copy editor for the Ashland Daily Press in Ashland, Wisc.

Weddings2005

Ingrid Johnson and Eugene Abner were married May 25. The couple resides in Birmingham where Ingrid is an instructional coach with Tar-rant city schools and Eugene is a civil engineer.

Christen Cassady (photo by Lori Dill Cummings ’04) and Matthew Carmen were married April 13 in an outdoor ceremony at the Alabama Wildlife Federation in Millbrook. After a honeymoon cruise in the Caribbean, the couple resides in Merritt Island, Fla., where Chris-ten is a photographer and Matt is a catastrophe field adjuster with Liberty Mutual Insurance.

2006

Misty Bailey and James Edwards were married Aug. 24, 2012. The couple resides in Calera. Misty is a registered nurse at Baptist Medi-cal Center Princeton, and James is a financial adviser for Edward Jones Financial.

2012

Jacklyn Hobson and Brandon Greenhill ’11 were married May 5 at the American Village in Monte-vallo. The couple resides in Calera. Jacklyn is a graphic designer with H & F Media in Hoover.

Births1994

Bryan Comer and his wife, Sarah, celebrated the birth of their third son, Jonathan Vincent Comer, June 7. “Vinnie” was wel-comed to the Comers’ Huntsville home by big brothers Jack, 13, and Tony, 5.

1999

Keri Turpin Howard and hus-band David Howard M.Ed. ’01 welcomed daughter Amelia Mae to their home in Columbiana on Dec. 25. Amelia was born June 22, 2011, in Chongqing, China. David is director of administra-tive services for the Vestavia city schools, and Keri is on extended maternity leave from her job as a special education teacher at Liberty Park Middle School.

Three Kappa Alpha Psi brothers attended an event honoring U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) in Washington, D.C., in the fall of 2012. From left: Fred Miller ’04, Willie Phillips ’00 and Leroy Nix ’03.

Page 19: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

www.montevallo.edu/alumni19

Mary Hicks Hughes and husband Bryan, of Madison, announce the birth of their second child, Henry Forest Hughes, Jan. 11. Henry was welcomed home by big sister Eleanor.

2000

Jason Allen and his wife, Carrie, celebrated the birth of their son, Joshua Paul, Jan. 21. The Allens reside in Kingwood, Texas. Jason works in business development with Agility Project Logistics in Hous-ton. Joshua’s godfather is Joseph Towey ’01 of Denver.

2001

Trista Phillips Brom and husband Max announce the birth of their son, Samuel Allen Brom, Dec. 26, 2012. The family resides in Alabaster. Trista is employed with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama, and Max is a firefighter with the City of Tuscaloosa.

Ashley Mantooth Chance M.Ed. ’05 and husband Jason welcomed the birth of their daughter, Kayson Jolie Chance, March 3. The Chance family resides in Woodstock. Ashley teaches 5th grade at Hall-Kent Elemetary School in Homewood.

Amanda Causey Killough and hus-band Brian of Wetumpka welcomed the birth of their daughter, Lucy Lynn, June 12, 2012. Amanda, a teacher with the Montgomery Coun-ty Board of Education, received the Ed.S. in 2012 from the University of West Alabama.

2002

Heather Huot Saninocencio and husband Eric Saninocencio ’03 celebrated the birth of their daughter, Isla Annette, Feb. 25. Isla was welcomed to the family home by big brother Deric, 2. Eric was named an “Outstanding Young Professional” in the February issue of Birmingham magazine for his work as the SEC’s digital media director. He recently accepted

the position of digital media manager for the NFL’s Houston Texans. He will work with the Texans’ website and social media platforms.

2003

Laura Beth Harris Twilley and husband Gene Twilley ’03 celebrated the birth of their second child, Vir-ginia Iris Twilley, March 21. Virginia joins big brother Jude Shannon Twil-ley, 2, in the family home in Philadel-phia. Gene recently received a master of divinity degree from Westminster Theological Seminary and began employment with the Coalition for Christian Outreach. He also serves as the young adult ministry director at Springton Lake Presbyterian Church in Newtown Square, Pa.

2006

Rachel McCaleb Hartsell M.Ed. ’10 and her husband, Chuck, wel-comed the birth of their daughter, Carrie Catherine Hartsell, June 25. Carrie Catherine was welcomed to the Hartsells’ home in Hoover by big sister Samantha.

2007

Mindy Miller Hermecz and husband Ryan, of Calera, announce the birth of their daughter, Rylan Katherine, April 11.

2008

Britney Young Dickson and her husband, John, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Cecilia Faye, March 28. The Dicksons reside in Montevallo where Britney is the coordinator of grants and scholarships at UM.

Deaths1927Dorothy W. Barnes, 109, of Mobile, recently of Panama City, Fla., died May 24. She was a retired teacher.

1932Betty Eatman Cobb Willingham, 102, of Talladega, died May 30. She had served UM as assistant to the dean of women in the 1960s.

1934Bernice May Garrett, 99, of Grove Hill, died July 30.

1935Lena Oleta Jeter, 98, of Monte-vallo, died May 2. She served as a secretary at Alabama College for 35 years. Survivors who are UM alumni include son Ashley C. Jeter ’58; daughters Sara Jeter Pankaskie ’62 and Elizabeth Jeter Bishop ’70, M.A. ’72; and son-in-law Larry Bruce Bishop ’66.

Bernice Davis Sellers, 100, of Ramer, died Dec. 27.

1937Elizabeth Griswold Black, 96, of Montgomery, recently of Winter Park, Fla., died July 2. She was a retired teacher, school administrator and education consultant.

Jane Fowler Carter, 95, of Colum-biana, died July 7.

Susie L. DeMent, 96, of Monte-vallo, died Aug. 7. She was a retired teacher, student publications adviser and legendary athletics booster at Montevallo High School for more than 40 years.

Cecilia Faye Dickson

Page 20: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Class Notes|

Montevallo Today20

1939

Eleanor K. Whichard, 96, of Davie, Fla., formerly of Home-stead, Fla., died June 12. She was a teacher for a number of years and retired as registrar at South Dade High School.

1940

Frances Williams Rutherford Crawley, 94, of Picayune, Miss., died March 25. She was a retired teacher with more than 35 years of service.

Faye Sawyer Landrum, 92, of Clinton, Miss., died July 22. She had worked at a number of businesses including Landrum Construction and Building Supply in Clinton.

1941

Minnie Priester Dorman of Richland Hills, Texas, died May 5. She was an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Dis-ciples of Christ), and she and her husband served churches in f ive states over the course of their careers. The Minnie Agnes Priester Dorman Music Scholar-ship has been established at UM in her honor. To donate, contact the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, Station 6220, Montevallo, Ala. 35115.

Ann Canon Price, 92, of Ope-lika, died July 7. She was a retired teacher and the first director of Opelika Parks and Recreation.

1942

Louise Ryder Bush, 92, of New Orleans, died April 26. She was a retired contract administrator for the Defense Supply Agency.

Virginia Pitts Rembert Liles, of Birmingham, died July 5. She was a teacher and administrator at several colleges and universities including Birmingham-South-ern College, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama where she retired in 1990 as professor emeri-tus. She also authored two books.

1943

Florence Holland Graybill, 90, of San Rafael, Calif., died May 12.

1945

Eugenia Kilgoar Corina, 89, of Birmingham, died May 12. She was a retired teacher and school administrator.

Martha Jackson Ross, 89, of Fre-mont, Ohio, died April 5. She was a retired teacher of oral history.

Lerah Sterling Tyson, 89, of Cum-ming, Ga., died June 10.

1947

Wanda R. Roy, 86, of Tucson, Ariz., died April 7. She was a retired teacher with more than 30 years of service in the classroom.

1950

Mary Elizabeth Mattill, 88, of Gordo, died Aug. 31. She was a retired librarian.

Betty Jean Gore McClure, 84, of Wilsonville, died May 4. She had served as a teacher and retired as supervisor of Shelby County’s school lunch program.

Billie Joyce Furr Rigsby of Pen-sacola, Fla., died June 19. She was a retired teacher.

Sara Nell Lightsey Sharbutt, 85, of Bibb County, died July 11. She was an associate professor of home economics emerita at UM, serving the university for 25 years.

Macie May Simpson M.Ed. ’75, Ed.S. ’86, of Montevallo, died Aug. 30. She was a retired teacher.

1951

Martha Helen Kennedy Echols, 83, of Homewood, died May 31.

1952

Vera C. Auerbach, 88, of Merritt Island, Fla., died Feb. 3.

Molly Whitehead Commander, 84, of Henry County near Abbeville,

died July 5. She was a retired teacher with 34 years of service.

Mary Blackshear Montgomery, 82, of Blacksburg, Va., died July 16. She was a retired teacher and school administrator.

1954

Dorothy Mason Nix, 80, of Co-lumbus, Ga., died Aug. 7. She was a retired teacher with more than 30 years of experience in the classroom.

1955

Barbara Ann Harris, 79, of Moundville, died Jan. 10. She had worked for Moundville Motor Co. and the First National Bank of Tuscaloosa.

Mary Kirk Kelly, 94, of Axis, died May 6. She was a ceramicist.

1956

Mary Green Bradford, of Huey-town, died May 7.

Roberta Dobbs, 78, of Fort Payne, died June 28. She was a highly decorated, retired lieuten-ant colonel in the U.S. Army, serving as a physical therapist at a number of stations in the United States. Through her estate, Ro-berta has funded and/or endowed several scholarships and programs at UM.

1957

Nancy Capell Cates, 78, of Fort Deposit, died May 30.

Ramsey Trawick M.A. ’62, of Marion, died Dec. 27, 2012. He was a retired science teacher.

1958

Mary Ann “Martie” Norman, 75, of Jonesborough, Tenn., died May 2. She retired as director of the DeKalb County Workshop in metro Atlanta in 1997 after 34 years of service with the State of Georgia. Survivors include her daughter, Mary Ann Norman ’58, of Norcross, Ga.

1960

James L. King, 78, of Pelham, died July 23. He served as an IRS agent for 20 years then opened a private accounting practice.

1963

Marvorene Henley Tucker, 86, of Montgomery, died May 28. She was a retired teacher and school administrator.

1964

John W. McCurdy M.A., 74, of Des Moines, Iowa, died June 19. He was a retired science teacher.

Carolyn “Lovey” Smoot, 71, of Fairhope, died June 19. She had served as director of guest services during race week at Talladega Speed-way for 30 years.

1966

Jane Crutcher Fort Dever, 91, of Talladega, died March 10. She taught in the Talladega city schools for four years and at the Alabama School for the Deaf for 28 years.

1969

Nellie Marie Nannini, 67, of Mon-tevallo, died May 15. She was an educator and a sales manager.

1970

Gayle Filip Flowers Akins, 65, of Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., died June 5.

Charlotte Fowler Lusco M.Ed., 72, of Birmingham, died July 8. She was a retired educator and school administrator.

1971

Issac J. “Ike” Abrams Jr., 65, of Montgomery, died Aug. 28. He

Page 21: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Honoring the legacy of Sarah Palmer through adult-returning student scholarship|

It was 30 years ago, in 1983, when the Outstanding Commitment to Teaching Award was fi rst given at UM’s Founders’ Day. One of two recipients was associate professor of English Sarah Palmer. That same year, she was awarded the Outstanding Female Faculty Award by Lambda Sigma Pi, the senior women’s honorary. College Night and Elite Night dedications, as well as other awards, came her way in other years.

Palmer touched the lives of countless students during her 32 years of service to the University with her love of art, classical music and good writing – to say nothing of her mischievous sense of humor. Today she touches a new generation of students through a scholarship established in her honor.

The Sarah G. Palmer Adult Returning Student Scholarship is awarded annually to an older student who has returned to

school or entered college for the fi rst time. In addition to providing much-appreciated fi nancial aid, the scholarship promotes Palmer’s vision of the transformative power of education, especially in the lives of “nontraditional” or “returning” adult students. She delighted in bright young people, but she deeply admired older students who came to college to pursue a long-deferred dream or turn their lives in a new direction. “They are so brave,” she would say. She hoped that the scholarship would encourage adults who, for one reason or another, had been unable to take advantage of a college education earlier in their lives.

The endowment established when she retired in 2000 has grown steadily, thanks to people throughout the state of Alabama (and beyond) who share Palmer’s vision of the transformative power of education. It stands today at

about $50,000. The goal now is to double that amount in order to award two scholarships annually of $2,000 each.

Palmer died at her home in Catawba, N.C., in 2011, but her legacy as a teacher lives on in the students she inspired. Those who wish to honor her legacy can send a contribution to the Offi ce of University Advancement, Station 6220, University of Montevallo, Montevallo, AL, 35115, with a note indicating that it is to go to the Sarah Palmer endowment fund.

worked with the Alabama Depart-ment of Mental Health and Mental Retardation.

Barbara Anne Self Summers M.Ed., 78, of Prattville, died Aug. 3. She was an educator and school administrator in Talladega and Autauga county schools as well as at Troy State University in Montgomery.

1972

Mary Anne Boyer, 63, of Birming-ham, died Aug. 16. She had worked as a teacher, salesperson and office manager.

John Marshall Murray III M.Ed. ’75, 62, of Birmingham, died May 14. He was an educator.

1973

John Franklin Ammons, 69, of Birmingham, died March 9. He was a retired banker. Survivors who are UM alumni include John’s wife of 46 years, Jacqueline Little Am-mons ’66, M.A. ’75, and daughter Julia Elizabeth Ammons ’91, M.Ed. ’94, M.Ed. ’99.

1976

Nancy Treadwell Baggett, 58, of Birmingham, died June 13. She was a speech pathologist in the Blount County school system and also worked for Cook Publications in Birmingham until 1998.

1977

Stephen A. Porter, 58, of Birming-ham, died July 5. He was a CPA and served as controller at Warren Manufacturing Co. for 28 years.

1979

Evelyn Margaret “Margo” Gibson M.Ed. ’92, 67, of Thorsby, died May

4. She was a retired educator and school

administrator in Chilton County.

1986

John C. Johnson, 50, of Birming-ham, died May 9. He was president of JSS Inc. and also worked at several local restaurants.

1991Barbara Suzanne Stanley, 43, of

Anniston, died July 18. She had been employed at Westinghouse.

1995

Mary Kathleen Maddox Ander-son, 40, of Kimberly, died April 17. She was a teacher of children with special needs as well as an adjunct professor at Virginia College in Birmingham.

2007

Gordon Frank Taylor, 28, of Bessemer, died Aug. 23 as the result of a motorcycle accident. He was employed with PepBoys in McCalla.

Condolences1955

To Geri Dunning McQueen of Redlands, Calif., on the death of her husband, Col. James. E. McQueen, USAF Ret. McQueen, a career Air Force officer, died May 2. He is also survived by his daughter, Robyn McQueen ’81.

1992

To Catherine Vogle Cannady M.Ed. ’00 of Hoover on the death of her husband, Michael D. Can-nady, July 11. He was an engineer. Michael is also survived by daugh-ters Lauren Cannady ’04 and Allison Cannady ’08, M.S. ’11.

To the family of Joseph F. DiOrio Jr., 81, of York, Pa., who died July 5. He was an associate professor of foreign languages emeritus at UM, teaching from 1964 to 1993 .

To the family of Raymond V. Dunmire of Maylene, who died May 24. Ray was an associate pro-fessor and technical services librar-ian emeritus who was on staff at UM from 1983 to 1995.

To the family of Zachary Colin Gallaway, 20, of Vestavia Hills, a sophomore art major at UM, who died in a motorcycle accident Aug. 1.

To the family of George Franklin Inzer Jr., of Birmingham, who died July 12. He was an instructor of mass communication at UM from 1980 to 1993.

www.montevallo.edu/alumni21

Page 22: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Alumni Activities|

Montevallo Today22

MONTGOMERY/RIVER REGIONUM Alumni enjoyed a great view of the Montgom-ery Biscuits game from the City Suite and Owner’s Suite and also joined Board of Trustees Chair Todd Strange ’66 in celebrating his birthday. Special thanks to Alana Hataway Barranco ’06 for assisting with the coordination of the evening's festivities.

>>>>>>>

WASHINGTON, D.C. President John W. Stewart III and Trustee David Wheeler ’72 met with young alumni from the Wash-ington, D.C., area. Those in attendance, were from left: (front row) Nick Holt ’08, Marina Stonewall ’03, Mary Morgan Wilson ’10, Amos Snead ’02, Stewart, Wheeler, Terra Moody ’06, and Eddie Baker III ’04; (back row) Fred Miller ’04, Willie Phillips ’00.

>>>>>>>

BENEFIT BASHAngela Thomas ’05 was one of the many winners at this annual event where guests enjoyed Nathews family BBQ. Alumnus Fred-die Ford ’74 nearly single-handedly secured over $4,000 worth of prizes awarded throughout the evening with the proceeds benefi ting the Emma Dean Na-thews Shelby County Scholarship Fund.

>>>>>>>>

SAN FRANCISCO Alums gathered at the Cliff House Restaurant by the Bay to hear updates from President Stewart about all of the progress taking place “back home” on campus. While in San Francisco, Dr. Stewart was also able to meet with other alumni who were not able to attend the event. Appreciation is extended to Andrew Heaton ’04, who did the lion's share of work on coordinating this event.

Page 23: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

www.montevallo.edu/alumni23

YOUNG ALUMNI Junior Board members Lindsey Sherrill ’07 and Kelly Curry ’08 purchase their coveted items as others wait to check out at the Junior Board’s Annual Spring Soireé and Silent Auction, held this year at Aloft in Homewood’s Soho Square, to raise funds for the Young Alumni Scholarship Fund.

JEFF CO ART AUCTIONToni Leo ’80 (left) is the proud owner of an Andrea Bliss ’11 (right) original that she purchased at the annual Jeff erson County Art Auction. Proceeds from the evening’s event benefi t the Jeff erson County Scholarship Fund.

<<<<<<<<<<<

HOUSTON The Houston Zoo Aquarium was the scene of a large turnout of UM alumni and friends who enjoyed fellowship and received updates on UM’s progress from Dr. Stewart. Special thanks to Donna Smith Landers ’82 for assisting with the on-site coordination of this event.

> > > > > > >

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

VIZZINI FARMS WINERYMark and Anne Falkenhagen join Brent and Sandi (’68) Falkenhagen at the fi rst-ever wine tasting social held at Vizzini Farms in Calera. Despite the heavy rain, the winery was the site of a packed house of alumni and friends who enjoyed wine tasting, winery tours, as well as the soulful music of Clay States featuring artists Stephen Collins ’06 and Lauren Little.

<<<<<<<<<<<

Page 24: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Alumni Activities|

Montevallo Today24

Who would you like to thank for your success?Dr. Sally Smith, who is still at Montevallo, had a lot to do with my career. Her guidance and experience in the fi eld of Deaf Education provided me with a top-notch education and teacher preparation that equipped me to individualize education for deaf and hard of hearing students in the way it should be. The on-site lab school program for deaf and hard of hearing elementary students established on the Montevallo campus at that time gave me priceless experience with students that shaped my career as an educator.

KAANN SHANNON VARNER ’90Superintendent, Oklahoma School for the Deaf

Recent Accolades: Last year, I was selected to be one of six teachers in Jefferson County to be trained in a specialized multisensory reading program.

What was your favorite aspect of Montevallo?My favorite part of Montevallo was the size of the campus and classes. It allowed you to be an individual while providing an atmosphere to develop long lasting relationships.

TIFFANI HUMPHRIES ’98Special Education Teacher/Lead Teacher, Pinson Elementary School

Words of wisdom to offer students? To students who are going into the fi eld of Deaf Education, it is a challenging road, but you learn more about service toward both your fellow peers as well as your students. What you get out of it is the satisfaction of enriching the lives of students, removing the “dis” in disability and encouraging “ability.”

ARTHUR L. WALDRIP ’10Teacher at the Oklahoma School for the Deaf

Page 25: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

www.montevallo.edu/alumni25

|Professional Spotlight: Special EducationAlumni in special education share a few words

What was your favorite aspect of Montevallo?I enjoyed the class size and strong sense of community at Montevallo. I also appreciated the relationships that were formed with my professors. They were all easily accessible and committed to developing my leadership potential.

How did Montevallo affect your career choice?My experiences at the University of Montevallo prepared me for my current career in administration. The coursework at UM helped to develop my problem-solving skills, which are critical in my fi eld.

MICHAEL JONES ’10 Administrative Assistant/Special Education Resource Shelby County College and Career Center

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If you would like to nominate someone for the Alumni Profile (located on page 14) or for the new Professional Spotlight, please email us at [email protected] next profession to be featured will be acting.

How did Montevallo affect your career choice? Montevallo allowed me to stay within the community where I was raised. In addition, the professors at Montevallo helped me realize the passion I had for teaching, especially students with special needs.

Words of wisdom to offer students: I always try to encourage and bring out the best in my students. So that being said, I always remind my students that they are the only ones who can decide what they can and cannot do, not anyone else. I believe Dr. Seuss said it best when he said, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ ll decide where to go...”

BRIDGET P. SMITH ’08Teacher of 3rd Grade, Jemison Elementary School

MICHAEL JONES ’10 Administrative Assistan Shelby County College

How did Montevallo affect your career choice? I had some wonderful professors at Montevallo who showed me how great the fi eld of Special Education is and how you can touch the lives of children and their families every day.

What was your favorite aspect of Montevallo?I loved the atmosphere and relationships that I formed. I am still good friends with dorm and roommates today. I will always be grateful for the experiences we shared at Montevallo.

KATHERINE WRIGHT WILLIAMS ’09Early Intervention Vision Mentor,Lighthouse Central Florida, Inc.

Page 26: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

|Alumni Activities|

The annual giving program continues to grow with the support of our alumni, fac-ulty, staff and students, whose generosity has a signifi cant impact on the lives of our students and on the needs of our campus and those who work here.

The Annual Fund supports a variety of campus initiatives such as scholarships, fac-ulty development and student experiences, but it also serves as an important repository of unrestricted gifts that meet a variety of campus needs during the year.

The staff of the Offi ce of University Advancement is grateful for the hard work and support of our Annual Fund leadership, especially our chair, Jeffrey Purvis ’02, and our faculty and staff chairs, Cynthia Tidwell ’94 and Tonja Battle ’05, respectively. Their leadership and hard work has resulted in a successful campaign and increased engagement with our donors.

This year, our chairpersons hosted a new stewardship event, which featured our campaign and campus leaders touring cam-pus in a special ice cream truck and passing out ice cream as a “thank you” to members of the faculty and staff who donated to this year’s Annual Fund campaign. “It is a great pleasure being the staff Annual Fund chair. I enjoy being a helping hand to Annual Fund events with UM faculty, staff and students,” says Tonja Battle.

The Annual Fund leadership also rec-ognized the dedication of those who work in our physical plant for their consistent support of the Annual Fund, as they once again have the highest percentage of employees participating in the campaign. Our dedicated class representatives also are working hard to solicit Annual Fund gifts from their fellow class members to support scholarships, building projects or unrestricted giving to the University.

For a second year, our Phonathon has continued year-round calling, allowing us to reach more alumni and other donors – and not always for a gift. Many calls are made to update alumni and donors on campus activities, invite them to special events, update our records, or just to say, “Thank you.” Jana Taunton ’14, one of those hardworking student callers, said, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as a student caller for the University. I have the chance to speak to those who have come before me and who share my love for Montevallo and all it has to offer our students.”

Every gift counts! Every gift mat-ters! If you support the Annual Fund, thank you! If you would like to support our Annual Fund campaign, please contact Kimberly Hunter, Director of Annual Giving, at 205-665-6213 or at [email protected].

Montevallo Today26

|Annual Fund strives for high goals|

Emily Pentecost ’63, Tracy Payne Rockco ’94, M.Ed. ’98 and Mary Jane Taylor ’63 enjoy cold treats as a thank you for their participation in the Annual Fund.Jeff rey Purvis ’02

Annual Fund Chair

Cynthia Tidwell ’94Annual Fund Faculty Chair

Tonja Battle ’05Annual Fund Staff Chair

Page 27: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

What was your favorite aspect of Montevallo as a student, and what is your favorite aspect now?I loved playing intramurals and just do-ing random things with my Montevallo friends. Whether it was just hanging out in old Fuller Hall or eating in the Cafe, we always had a good time. As an alum, my favorite thing is getting back on campus for special events or athletics. I didn't truly realize how special Mon-tevallo was to me until after I graduated and lived elsewhere.

Why did you get involved with the Junior Board?I wanted to stay connected to other alumni and my University. The Ju-nior Board has defi nitely helped and encouraged me to stay active in the University community.

What are your goals for the Junior Board? To grow the number of young alumni events, attendees to these events,

and donors. Our mission is not only to keep young alums connected, but to get them in the habit of giving back. It doesn't matter if it is $5 or $100. Every last bit helps.

What would you like the alumni to know about the Junior Board?Our events are open to all alumni. They are always a good time and a great chance to network for personal and professional growth.

Meet the finance chair: Jeffrey Purvis ’02|Junior Board of Directors| UPCOMING

EVENTS“Civil Rights Leaders - Then and Now: Photographs by Spider Martin and Jonathan Purvis” The Gallery in Bloch HallOct. 3-24

Founders’ Day Palmer HallOct. 10 11 a.m.

University Chorus LeBaron Recital HallOct. 15 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Wind Ensemble Palmer HallOct. 17 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Olympics Day & Coming Home weekendOct. 17, 18 & 19

Concert ChoirLeBaron Recital HallOct. 24 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Montevallo ArtwalkMain Street, MontevalloOct. 26 3-7 p.m.

“Into the Woods”Reynolds TheatreNov. 7-9, Nov. 14-17

Jazz Ensemble Palmer HallNov. 14 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Opera ScenesLeBaron Recital HallNov. 22 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Choral Christmas ConcertAmerican Village ChapelDec. 3 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Fall CommencementDec. 13 5-7 p.m.

OfficersPresident

Patrick McDonald ’01 Vice PresidentJulie Harbin ’00

TreasurerJeffrey Purvis ’02

SecretaryLindsey Sherrill ’07

Social/Special Events ChairDan McBrayer ’08

Wes Anania ’06Eddie Baker ’04Zach Banks ’08Jason Booi ’04

David Clemons ’03 Kelly Curry ’08

Andrea Echols ’12Jordan Hutchison ’10

Sky Johnson ’10, M.Ed. ’12Brandt Montgomery ’07

Terra Moody ’06Cedric Norman ’09

Tiffany Roskamp-Bunt ’00Kaci Slaughter ’09Lauren Smith ’06

Aimee Sumrall ’08Angela Thomas ’05

Christopher Willis ’07www.facebook.com/UMyoungalumniJuni

or B

oard

Page 28: Montevallo Today Fall 2013

COMING HOME:Friends of Athletics and Alumni Olympics Day Weekend 2013

Registration FormFRI, OCT 18 • FRIENDS OF ATHLETICS & ALUMNI GOLF RATE STUDENT RATE QTY TOTAL

Friends of Athletics & Alumni Golf Tournament registration $75.00 N/A _____ $ _____ Includes golf shirt, lunch, and dinner at UM Lake Specify golf shirt size ____________________Golf Awards Dinner at UM Lake (non-golfers) $25.00 N/A _____ $ _____Montevallo golf shirt (non-golfers, specify size ________) $45.00 N/A _____ $ _____

Golf partner name ___________________________________ Golfer handicap ________ Partner handicap ________Golf pairing request ___________________________________________________________________________________________

SAT, OCT 19 • ALUMNI OLYMPICS DAY EVENT/ACTIVITY RATE STUDENT RATE QTY TOTAL

*Hope Byrant Smith Memorial 5K Run registration $25.00 $15.00 _____ $ _____*Fun Run/Walk/Stroll registration $15.00 $5.00 (12 & under) _____ $ _____*Tennis Tournament registration $25.00 $15.00 _____ $ _____*Racquetball Tournament registration $25.00 $15.00 _____ $ _____*Disc Golf Tournament registration $25.00 $15.00 _____ $ _____*Corn Hole Toss Tournament registration $25.00 $15.00 _____ $ _____ *All Olympics Day Event registration includes T-shirt and lunchT-shirt (Circle – YS YM YL YXL S M L XL 2XL 3XL)Additional Olympics Day picnic lunch (non-registrants) $10.00 N/A _____ $ _____Additional T-shirt (Circle – YS YM YL YXL S M L XL 2XL 3XL) $12.00 N/A _____ $ _____

Additional Donation q Hope Bryant Smith Memorial Scholarship q Student Athlete Advisory Committee $ _____ GRAND TOTAL $ _____

Make check payable to “UM Foundation” and return to Advancement & Alumni Affairs • Reynolds Hall • Station 6215 • Montevallo, AL 35115

I, the undersigned, give permission for the staff and facility to obtain emergency medical treatment, including emergency transportation, should I be deemed incapable of such decisions myself. I further understand and agree that any cost associated with such medical care shall be my financial responsibility. This signed statement certifies that I am medically cleared and physically fit to attend the University of Montevallo Friends of Athletics & Alumni Golf Tournament and Alumni Olympics Day and participate in all event activities.

Full name: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact number: ___________________________________ Email: _________________________________________________________

q Alumni (Class Year _______) q Alumni Athlete (Sport________________________) q Friend of Athletics q Other

For more information, contact Tracy Payne-Rockco, Alumni, at 205-665-6215 or [email protected] orPatricia Hughes, Athletics, at 205-665-6609 or [email protected]