Village III named for Joan and Macon Brock
The Village III residential complex at Virginia Wesleyan College was recently named Brock Village in honor of a $3.3 million gift that Joan P. and Macon F. Brock, Jr. have made to the College. A naming ceremony was held on May 17 in Brock Village on the Virginia Wesleyan campus.
The commitment from the Brocks includes a current and planned gift that will support the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom, residence hall renovations, baseballsoftball complex improvements, an endowed scholarship, the Annual Fund for Academic Excellence and the Marlin Athletic Club.
Joan and Macon Brock have been friends of Virginia Wesleyan for many years. Mrs. Brock’s uncle, Douglas McIntyre, served as the College’s first registrar and was a member of the faculty for 25 years. Mrs. Brock’s father, Kenneth R. Perry, served on the Board of Trustees from 1991 until his death in 2004. Mrs. Brock served on the President’s Advisory Council from 1996 to 1999, on the Board of Trustees from 1999 to present, was Chair of the Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2004, and is an active supporter of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom at Virginia Wesleyan.
Brock Village is comprised of six buildings, three of which opened in the spring of 2005. The newest addition includes a three-story apartment building and eight townhouses that provide space for 124 students. Both apartments and townhouses contain the latest in amenities including semiprivate bathrooms, microwaves, flat-top stoves, dishwashers, refrigerators and individual thermostats in each unit as well as high-speed Internet, cable television and local telephone service.
Congratulations on your planned gift!
If you haven’t made a planned gift to a cause or institution you care about, then you have planned to make a gift of tax dollars to the government. So whether you intended to or not, you are making a planned gift.
We ask that you consider making your planned gift to Virginia Wesleyan with a Charitable Gift Annuity. Why?
- Enjoy an immediate federal income tax deduction for a portion of your gift;
- Be guaranteed life-income at a very good rate - a portion of which may be tax-free;
- And support Virginia Wesleyan College.
For more information about making a planned gift to Virginia Wesleyan College, please contact Phillip Perdue, associate vice president for college advancement, at 757.455.5709 or pperdue@vwc.edu.
Globetrotting
Alumna gives a whole new meaning to “Going Greek”
From Virginia Wesleyan to Thessaloniki, Greece, Amber Randolph is giving back. After graduating from Virginia Wesleyan in 2005, Randolph, of Virginia Beach, Va., took a position as an International Teaching Fellow at the American Farm School in Greece.
The American Farm School is a boarding school established in the early 1900s to help rural children ages 15-18 bring modern technology back to their communities. Randolph’s responsibilities included interacting with students as much as possible as an English immersion component, teaching an English course, monitoring study halls and becoming involved with student life.
Virginia Wesleyan intern goes to Guam
Chris Wheeler ’06, a recreation and leisure studies major from Fairfax, Va., opted to go abroad to complete an internship in Guam with Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR). He worked in the Sports and Recreation Office organizing and running all the sports and events on base.
Wheeler was the assistant recreation and sports coordinator and took the lead on tournaments, leagues, fun runs and any other events by creating schedules, brackets and bylaws, as well as implementing new events. He also acted as mediator between coaches, commissioners, players and the recreation sports coordinator.
Virginia Wesleyan meets Oxford
Last summer Leslie Clements ’07 studied abroad at Oxford University in England at The Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. Clements, of Portsmouth, Va., was one of eight American students accepted to The Centre, a program in Oxford that is specifically for American students and affiliated with St. Peter’s College of Oxford University.
A double major in English and Religious Studies, Clements studied the English Reformation in daily morning lectures. When she wasn’t studying, Clements and friends would go on trips around the country and view relics from the past, which is a major part of England’s history.
Just one year after Clements’s trip, another Virginia Wesleyan student made the trek to Oxford. Jacob White ’07 received a $5,000 scholarship from the Richmond Branch of the English-Speaking Union (ESU) to attend Oxford University.
The University of Oxford is offering a program of study that provides access to a variety of significant literary figures and movements. White, a social science major from Richmond, Va., will be taking two courses at Exeter College under the program “History, Politics, and Society of Britain.”
Other schools with applicants included William & Mary, University of Richmond and Virginia Military Institute.
Alumni return to Virginia Wesleyan
Beth H. (Hodges) Clarke ’98 was hired in May as the new director of alumni relations.
Clarke graduated magna cum laude from Virginia Wesleyan in 1998 with a degree in communications.
She worked in the Virginia Wesleyan admissions office from 1998 to 2003, first as an admissions counselor and later as an assistant director. Following her time at Virginia Wesleyan, Clarke worked as Coordinator of Recruitment and Alumni for Regent University’s School of Communication & the Arts and as Marketing Coordinator for Chartway Federal Credit Union.
In December 2005, Clarke received her M.Ed. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership (Higher Education Administration concentration) from The College of William & Mary. She returned to Virginia Wesleyan as assistant director of annual giving in January 2006 until assuming her current position.
The College also recently appointed Patrick L. Gainer ’05 as the new director of church relations and stewardship.
Gainer fills the vacancy left by Ann Shappell ’70, who joined the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom at Virginia Wesleyan as assistant to the director in November 2005.
Gainer graduated magna cum laude from Virginia Wesleyan in 2005 with a degree in music. He serves as director of music at Phoebus United Methodist Church in Hampton, Va., and has been a member of the church since 1996. Within the church he has served on administrative council, the board of trustees, the pastor/staff relations committee and the building committee. He also directs and accompanies the adult choir and youth choir. In addition, since 1976, he has run Pat’s Piano Tuning Service. He has been a Certified Advanced Lay- Speaker since 2001.
Student elected to International Board of Directors
Senior Jennifer White was elected to the International Board of Directors as Collegiate Vice President at the Society for Advancement of Management (SAM) International Business Conference in April in Orlando, Fla.
White, a liberal arts management program major from Norfolk, Va., was one of three students elected to this position by SAM campus members at the conference. White joined SAM in the fall of 2005 and is the current president of the Virginia Wesleyan chapter.
SAM was established in 1912 to provide an opportunity for the members to increase management skills and expertise. There are more than 80 chapters around the world. Virginia Wesleyan’s chapter was established in 2004.
Beazley Foundation continues longtime support of the College
Beazley Foundation, Inc. of Portsmouth, Va., has established a remarkable record of generosity to Virginia Wesleyan College. Since its first gift in 1972, the Foundation has given $1,017,000 to numerous projects at the College.
Beazley Foundation, Inc. was established in 1948 to promote a better quality of life for our neighbors and greater opportunity for our children.
Virginia Wesleyan first benefited from Beazley’s vision in 1972 when the Foundation made a grant of $52,500 to complete the necessary funding to build Monumental Chapel on the College’s campus. Other gifts established the Fred W. Beazley Endowed Scholarship; helped fund the creation of Boyd Dining Hall; assisted with construction of Clarke Hall; supported the construction of Godwin Hall, named in honor of Governor and Mrs. Godwin; and renovated the science facilities in Blocker Hall. Most recently, the Beazley Foundation made a gift of $100,000 to the proposed platinum green laboratory science building.
The Foundation’s president, the Honorable Richard S. Bray, said, “The Foundation is grateful to have shared in the extraordinary success of Virginia Wesleyan College and our partnership remains secure into the future.”
Virginia Wesleyan continues to enjoy a strong partnership with the Beazley Foundation thanks to the Bray’s leadership. This year, he helped Beazley Scholar Kristen Jehl ’06 secure an internship with the Chesapeake Police Department.
Singing loud at the UMC Annual Conference
Over 3,000 United Methodists gathered at the Hampton Coliseum on June 11 for the opening of the 224th session of the Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Choral music was presented by a 107-member Virginia Conference massed choir conducted by Sandra Billy, director of Virginia Wesleyan’s Center for Sacred Music. Choir members represented 68 Virginia churches and several Virginia Wesleyan students and alumni had featured roles. Students Terry Heinze ’07 and George Scott ’07 had solo parts within the choral anthem, Ben Hoskyn ’08 presented a solo selection during the Service of Remembrance and Owen Davis ’10 played the cello as communion elements were distributed. Alumni Ann Shappell ’70, John Shappell ’70 and Patrick Gainer ’05 sang in the massed choir and Jason Evans ’02 served as organist and pianist for the worship service.
Keeping it green at Virginia Wesleyan
With an active program in earth and environmental sciences, growing interest in student research and the creation of the President’s Environmental Issues Council, Virginia Wesleyan is making strides on the green front.
Virginia Wesleyan receives grant from Environmental Protection Agency
Virginia Wesleyan received a $10,000 grant to develop a green roof project for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s P3 (People, Prosperity and the Planet) competition. EPA awarded P3 grants to student teams representing 41 universities in 21 states. Virginia Wesleyan is one of two private colleges to receive the grant. Other recipients include Duke University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University and the University of Virginia.
The P3 Awards challenge students to respond to the scientific and technical needs of the developed and developing world in moving toward sustainability through research and development.
The Virginia Wesleyan team is focusing on “Moving toward a sustainable campus: design of a green roof monitoring experiment.” With the College currently in the design phase for construction of a Platinum Level LEED®- certified green laboratory-based science building, the faculty has identified the new building as an opportunity for students to learn about sustainable design and to contribute to the building plans. The group’s aim is to reduce the impact on storm water runoff, water pollution, energy use, global climate change and urban heat island effects. Additionally, students are challenged to maintain and upgrade the older buildings on campus with comparable goals. There are plans to put a green roof on Smithdeal Hall in Village II.
During the semester, students monitored a green-roof experiment located in front of Hofheimer Library in which students conducted a preliminary micro scale study of drainage treatments, plant species and storm water runoff.
In May, the team presented its project at an EPA Expo in Washington, D.C.
Alumnus assists in green roof research
As part of the green roof research project undertaken by the College’s faculty and students, Virginia Wesleyan alumnus Dr. Paul V. Zimba ’79 will provide expertise and collaborate on assessing the biomass and health of plants used on the green roof. Pending funding, the research team has proposed using a hand-held spectroradiometry method developed by Zimba to measure the plants’ pigments, such as chlorophyll and carotenoids. These pigments serve as a useful measure of plant health and plant stress.
Zimba is a research microbiologist at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the Catfish Genetics Research Unit in Stoneville, Miss. He received a Ph.D. from Mississippi State University in Biological Sciences in 1990, an M.S. at Old Dominion University in 1985 and a B.A. from Virginia Wesleyan College in 1979. He has authored 76 scientific publications.
Virginia Wesleyan also has other environmental initiatives in the works, including a revived campus recycling program and the establishment of the President’s Environmental Issues Council, whose purpose is to guide the College toward becoming more sustainable.
Virginia Wesleyan establishes C. S. Lewis Endowed Chair in Communication and Christian Thought
Terrence R. Lindvall, Ph.D. was named the C. S. Lewis Endowed Chair in Communication and Christian Thought at Virginia Wesleyan.
The C. S. Lewis Endowed Chair in Communication and Christian Thought was established as the result of a generous gift from an anonymous donor and recognizes both the significant relationship between faith and culture and the need for faith to be translated in ever-relevant ways.
As an ordained minister with an advanced degree in theology and a doctoral dissertation on “A Theory of Communication in the Writings of C. S. Lewis” from the University of Southern California, Lindvall seeks to integrate faith with the media culture. Active in both the academic world and the film industry, he is known both as an author and as a film producer. He served as president of Regent University from 1993 to 1997 and as a visiting lecturer at the Duke University School of Divinity.
He has also taught at Virginia Wesleyan and at the College of William and Mary.
Lindvall received his Ph.D. in Communication Arts and Sciences from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Calif., his Master of Divinity in Theology from the Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., and his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Literature from Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Congratulations to the Class of 2006
Virginia Wesleyan held its thirty-seventh annual commencement ceremony Saturday, May 13 with about 270 members of the graduating class of 2006.
Former Virginia Governor Gerald L. Baliles gave the commencement address. Baliles, director of the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, served as the Commonwealth’s 65th governor from 1986 to 1990. Baliles holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Connecticut.
Baliles encouraged graduates to make the most of their education by becoming engaged in the community and in the world. “…[i]n so doing, you will help ensure that the quality of life and the brightness of the future, in the fast currents of change, will be expanded and enhanced here in our Commonwealth, our nation and the broader world.”
Baliles and Jane P. Batten, community leader and former member of the Virginia Wesleyan Board of Trustees, each received honorary degrees.
Dr. Karen Bosch, Batten professor of education, was awarded the 2006 Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Teaching Award.
Dr. Vic Townsend, assistant professor of biology, was awarded the 2006 Frank and Jane P. Batten Distinguished Scholar Award.
Employee Appreciation Dinner
Employees were honored for their benchmark anniversaries and commitment to Virginia Wesleyan at the annual Employee Appreciation Dinner. Celebrating 10 years were M. E. Bridgers, Anthony Daniels, Mary Holland, Cari Labbe, Kate Loring and Thelma Muhlenbruch. Celebrating 20 years were Theresa Barker, Nick Boothe, Ginger Ferris and Lee Jordan-Anders. Celebrating 25 years were Catherine Hartman, Eugenia Hickman, Stan Pearson and Anita Soderberg. Celebrating 30 years were Evelyn Blachman and Robert Cass. Celebrating 40 years was Bill Joseph.
National Board Certification Support Program
The Adult Studies Program at Virginia Wesleyan College, in partnership with the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and The Southeast Virginia National Board Certified Teacher Regional Network, has developed the National Board Certification Support Program. Virginia Wesleyan will provide regional support for teachers and administrators who desire National Board Certification through professional development courses and a variety of workshops.
National Board Certification is one of the most respected educational achievements in America. Certification is voluntary and open to anyone with a baccalaureate degree and three years of classroom experience in either a public or private school. It is valid for 10 years, after which a teacher must seek renewal.
Society for Collegiate Journalists moves headquarters to Virginia Wesleyan
Virginia Wesleyan is the new national headquarters for the Society for Collegiate Journalists, the nation’s oldest student honor society for collegiate mass communications, journalism and other media.
The Society of Collegiate Journalists (SCJ), previously headquartered at Clarion University of Pennsylvania, decided to change locations in October 2005 following the announcement of the retirement of the executive director.
Dr. Bill Ruehlmann, professor of journalism/ communications, most recently served as president of the organization and is now the Society’s new executive director.
Founded in 1919, SCJ has approximately 100 active chapters nationwide and 1,200 members. Virginia Wesleyan’s SCJ chapter was recently awarded the 2005 McDonald Award for outstanding chapter.
Student journalists awarded for excellence
Staff members of The Marlin Chronicle, Virginia Wesleyan’s student newspaper, were recognized in March at the Biennial Convention of the Society for Collegiate Journalists (SCJ) in Valdosta, Ga.
Among the awards distributed was the Louis J. Inglehart Award for courage in journalism, which was awarded to Kelli Davis ’05 for her dedication to the staff, which she exhibited when she returned to the newsroom after fighting a life-threatening illness.
In the 2006 national journalism competition, The Marlin Chronicle won 11 awards, including: Laura Dudley, first place, news story; Tracey Pisciotta, honorable mention, news story; Megan Zirkle, second place, editorial; Kelli Davis, first place, feature writing; Marybeth Highton, second place, feature writing; Ben Ruehlmann, third place, feature photography; Megan Zirkle, honorable mention, front page design; Colleen Peterson, honorable mention, photo essay; Mike Canino, honorable mention, sports news; staff, honorable mention, editorial page; and staff, second place, inside page design.
For the fifth time, The Marlin Chronicle staff also received a Region 2 Mark of Excellence Award for Best All- Around Non-Daily Newspaper from the Society of Professional Journalists.
Alumni Association’s 6th Annual Auction & Party most successful yet!
The 6th Annual Alumni Auction & Party (formerly known as the Garden Party) raised $17,872 to support the Alumni Legacy Endowed Scholarship Fund. This year’s event, “An Evening on the Boardwalk,” was held in April at the new Virginia Beach Convention Center.
Guests enjoyed heavy hors d’oeuvres, live music and a cash bar while bidding on more than 150 items during the silent and live auctions. Popular auction items included a weekend at the Homestead with a convertible Mercedes rental, a wine and cheese party at the home of Dr. Linda Ferguson, six VIP passes to the American Music Festival, NASCAR Charlotte tickets and more. Alumni awards were also presented at the event.
If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities and/or donating an item for next year’s auction, please contact the alumni office at 757.455.3298 or alumni@vwc.edu.
Student Ambassadors call for the Annual Fund for Academic Excellence
An integral part of the Annual Fund for Academic Excellence each year is the dedicated student phonathon ambassadors. These energetic and enthusiastic students reach out to thousands of alumni, friends and parents over the phone every Sunday through Wednesday evening during the academic semester. Their efforts keep alumni and friends connected to student life on campus while generating support for the Annual Fund.
The Annual Fund is vital to the lifeblood of the College. In 2005-2006, 2,166 alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, churches and members of the business community supported the Annual Fund. These gifts support student scholarships, faculty recruitment and development, technology upgrades and additions, library resources and critical needs as they arise on campus.
Frank E. Brown Challenge Update
Last year, the College received a challenge gift of $2,025,000 through the estate of Frank E. Brown. The Challenge matches all new and increased gifts from alumni, parents, faculty, staff and students to the Annual Fund for Academic Excellence and Campaign Endowment Priorities dollar-for-dollar. So far, 1,406 supporters have contributed $798,197 that has been matched by the Challenge.
Students learn about disaster preparation, recovery and relief
Virginia Wesleyan students learned about disaster preparation, relief and recovery in the winter session course “Engaged in the Community: Disaster Preparation, Relief and Recovery.” As part of the course, students traveled to the Gulf Coast to assist in rebuilding the area that was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
The course was designed to introduce and raise the civic consciousness of students about issues that impact the Hampton Roads community and beyond and how they can impact these issues. After a week of research, lecture and presentation by local experts on an issue-based project, students were divided into two teams and began the service experience part of the course.
The travel team participated in hands-on service during their one-week trip to Pascagoula, Miss. to help in rebuilding efforts. The local team was on call in the evenings to volunteer in local disasters with the Red Cross and served in the local office preparing disaster kits and assisting disaster victims.
Journal entries from students who traveled to the Gulf can be found online at www.vwc.edu/news_events/feature/.
Book Watch
Dr. Kathy Merlock Jackson, Batten professor of communications, has published two books: Walt Disney: Conversations and Rituals and Patterns in Children’s Lives.Walt Disney: Conversations is Jackson’s second book about Walt Disney and the first edited collection on Walt Disney. The collection, featuring interviews and profiles of Disney, traces his career from the early classic “Steamboat Willie” to the construction of Disneyland and the live-action ventures “The Mickey Mouse Club” and “Mary Poppins.” The book details how Disney saw his productions as shapers of popular culture and reveals how firmly he understood the issues of his time.
Rituals and Patterns in Children’s Lives suggests the manifold ways in which America’s children come to know their society and themselves.
Jackson’s other works include Walt Disney: A Bio-Bibliography and Images of Children in American Film: A Socio-Cultural Analysis. She has also been published in the Journal of Popular Culture, the Journal of American Culture and the Journal of Popular Film and Television.
Paul Rasor, director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom, received some attention this spring for his book, Faith Without Certainty: Liberal Theology in the 21st Century. The book was a semi-finalist and received honorable mention recognition at the Independent Publishers annual book awards in the religion category and was also honored at Old Dominion University’s Friends of the Library Annual Author Dinner. Rasor was the featured speaker at this event.