Anderson University

Greetings to all Anderson alumni!

Spring 2010

Another year has passed at Anderson University, and now the Centennial Year is upon us. Beginning this month you will begin to hear more about all the wonderful activities that have been planned for this year-long celebration.

Of course, for alumni the biggest event of the year will be the Centennial Homecoming Weekend (October 22-23, 2010). Events will kick off with an Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament on Friday. Then on Saturday there will be the usual traditions -- welcome session, reunions, Faculty Meet and Greet, Homecoming Court, soccer games -- with some new traditions added in time for the Centennial. This year AU will host the 1st Annual Trojan BBQ Cook-Off, an Arts and Craft Show, and a Classic Car Show. (Read news blurb below for information on how you can participate in these events.) Many of these activities will take place at the Athletic Campus. It will be an exciting day for everyone so I hope you are making plans now to attend.

If you will need lodging for that weekend, you need to go ahead and be checking with local hotels. There are other events in the area that weekend so don't wait to reserve your room. (Some hotels are requiring a two-night minimum so be sure to check early.)

Our office is finalizing the registration materials so be watching your mail or the website for that information. And of course, we will "tweet" when that is ready using our new Twitter account - GOAnderson. Be sure to become one of our followers.

Looking forward to seeing you during our Centennial!

Chad Nelms
Director of Alumni Relations  

News Briefs...

May Graduation 2010

A record number of 255 students received degrees from Anderson University on May 8, 2010, including the first graduates of the MBA program. The invited speaker for the event was Senator Lindsay Graham.

Senator Graham addresses the graduates

Special recognitions were made during the outdoor ceremony held under the oaks on front campus. Graduating senior Anthony DiCarlo was named the recipient of the President's Award for 2010. Professor Diana Ivankovic was honored with the 2010 Michael Boles Excellence in Teaching Award. Mr. Johnny Mann was awarded a honorary Doctor of Humanities degree. He is a multiple Grammy award-winning composer, arranger, and bandleader; and he has written the new alma mater for Anderson's second century of service, "The Sounds of Anderson."

Dr. Johnny Mann smiles at President Whitaker's remarks during the awarding of his honorary degree

If you were not at commencement but would like to view the event, you can do so by purchasing a copy of a video made by Doug Davison, a member of the Information Technology staff at Anderson. Doug has made a recording of the day and has it available for purchase for only $5.00. Please email him to find out how to order your copy. Click here for a sampler of the recording (please note that the quality is better on the actual copy you will receive.) Next year the hope is that the occasion will be streamed live.

Our best wishes to our new alumni, the Class of 2010!

New traditions for Homecoming and Family Day 2010

To add to the festivities normally held during Homecoming/Family Day, this year the Alumni Office has added a few extras to make it a fun-filled day for the entire family.

While there has traditionally been a barbeque luncheon, this year the barbeque will be cooked by participants in the 1st Annual Trojan Cook-Off. The event will be judged by the South Carolina Barbeque Association with prizes being awarded on that Saturday. Alumni, parents and students will be able to sample food from as many sites as they'd like with their paid registration for the day.

However, if you yourself like to barbeque, you can enter the contest as well. Details about the event and rules for the competition can be found at the official cook-off website.

Another new activity is the Arts and Craft Show. Guests will be able to visit the show and purchase items from various vendors. If you'd like to be one of those vendors, there is an application process. You can find out more under the Arts and Craft tab of the official cook-off website.

And one last new activity: there will be a Classic Car Show to add to the festive atmosphere of the day. If you have one you'd like to show, you will need to register to be insured a spot on the grounds. To participate, contact Chad Nelms in the Alumni Office at 864-231-2025 or by email.

Whether as a guest or a participant, we hope you will enjoy these new additions to the Homecoming/Family Day schedule. It's going to be a celebration you don't want to miss!

President's Gala 2010

And a good time was had by all at the annual President's Donor Dinner and Gala event on April 23.

It was a beautiful evening under the tent for Anderson University's presidential donors. The event is an annual appreciation dinner for those donors who support Anderson University at the level of $1,000 and above.

Following the dinner was the evening's entertainment. The President's Gala is a now-annual spring event which highlights the best of AU's performing arts ensembles. Click on the link below for images of the evening.

President's Gala photo gallery

Mount Pleasant chapter event

Alumni in the Mount Pleasant area and classes from the 1970s were invited to gather for a weekend of fun and fellowship on May 15-16. Peggy McNab Gale, class of 1974, planned a full slate of activities for fellow classmates including a buffet dinner at Zeus Friday evening and a walking tour of the Mazyck-Wraggsborough neighborhood in downtown Charleston on Saturday which she led. (She works for the Historic Charleston Foundation and is well acquainted with the area.) Mount Pleasant's mayor Billy Swails was on hand to greet the group at dinner.

VP Dean Woods is greeted by Mayor Swails and Peggy Gale

The group is hoping to plan future events as the newest alumni chapter. If you're in the Mount Pleasant area and would like to be involved with the group, please contact Peggy Gale by email.

Have you updated your information recently?

New job?  New spouse?  New baby?  You can keep your classmates up-to-date on your life events by updating your information with the Alumni Office.

Athletics

New Soccer Field

As Anderson University prepares to begin competition in the South Atlantic Conference, the soccer team will have a new playing field. The groundwork is currently being laid for the field down at the Athletic Campus, with phase one including grading, irrigation and sprigging to enhance what was previously a stadium area at the former fairgrounds property. The field is expected to be completed and ready for use by the season's start this fall.

Phase one will cost around $50,000, and alumni and friends are being asked to consider supporting this effort. There will be more work to be done to complete the stadium and complex in its entirety. However, this first step will be a big help to the soccer program and the softball program, which have shared field space for many years. We are excited about these improvements and what they will mean to our student-athletes.

If you would like to assist with this project, please contact Nancy Simpson, the athletic director, for more information.

Spring standouts

In Spring 2010 several Trojans made history for outstanding performances on the mat and in the classroom.

In March Trojan wrestler JJ Jackson won the NCAA Division II national championship in the 157 pound class. He is only the second Trojan wrestler to win a national championship; the first was Careef Roberson in 2005.

Also in March volleyball standout Jamie Lancaster received yet another honor as she was named the recipient of the Murphy Osborne Award, given to only one student-athlete in Conference Carolinas each year. The award is given to the student-athlete determined to have the most outstanding academic achievements.

Jamie currently carries a 4.0 GPA and is majoring in Kinesiology. She was named to the All-Southeast Region first team and earned all-conference honors after leading the conference and ranking eighth nationally in kills per set. She was named conference Player of the Week three times during the season and was also named to the league’s all-tournament team. Lancaster was also named to ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team and was named one of the top two college students in the state of South Carolina among 21 independent colleges and universities.

We are proud of our student-athletes for a great year of competition, sportsmanship, and academic excellence.

Annual VIP Golf Tournament

The 15th Annual VIP Golf Tournament was held on May 26 after being rescheduled from earlier in the month due to inclement weather. The tournament is held each year to raise funds for scholarships for Anderson's student-athletes. This year the tournament was moved to The Cliffs at Keowee Springs in Six Mile.

VIP Tournament participants

Please keep checking the athletic section of the website www.autrojans.com for up-to-the-minute news.

Support Anderson University Athletics

www.autrojans.com  

Faculty/Staff

2010 Retirees

Anderson University bid farewell to two members of the campus family this spring.

Danny Rhodes, professor of management and former director of the MBA program, announced his retirement following the spring semester. Dr. Rhodes served Anderson University for ten years in the College of Business and laid the foundations for the MBA program, which just graduated its first class this May. He had the opportunity to hood these graduates who had spent much time with him during the first year of the program.

Danny Rhodes adjusts the hood for Brittany Burdette, 2010 MBA graduate

Danny will be greatly missed on campus, but fortunately he is not completely severing his ties with the university. He will be available as an adjunct professor and will also be the faculty coordinator for AU's study abroad program in Sydney, Australia this fall (in cooperation with the Consortium for Global Education). The effects of his service will be felt at Anderson for many years to come.

From the College of Visual and Performing Arts: A familiar face will be missing from the Rainey Fine Arts Center. Administrative assistant Carolyn Gabbard retired in May after 32 1/2 years of service to Anderson University. She had previously served as the secretary for the counseling center and for Special Programs before assuming her role in the fine arts center.

Carolyn is looking forward to some relaxation during her retirement: gardening, traveling, visiting friends and family, and volunteering with some local agencies.

Carolyn Gabbard

We wish these two our best in their retirement.

Celebrating 25 years

Congratulations to Dr. Michael Duduit, dean of the College of Christian Studies and founding dean of the Clamp Graduate School of Christian Ministry at Anderson University. Dr. Duduit is founding editor of Preaching magazine, which recently celebrated 25 years. A special anniversary edition was printed in May.

Dr. Duduit

Student Spotlight

Award-winning spring

There were many award-winning performances by Anderson University students during the spring semester.

Graphic design students swept the Upstate 2010 ADDY competition, winning top honors in all eight categories for excellent design and advertising. Several students went on to win gold and silver at the regional competition: Jivan Dave and Chris Waldrop both won Gold ADDYs and Kat Carter and Leigh Hill won Silver ADDYs.

And the winning did not stop there! Several students also won gold at the national competition in May, including Best of Show.

Dr. Tim Speaker, assistant art professor at AU, stated that, “AU is becoming a truly renowned art program on the national stage, a reputation built on the accomplishments of our students.”

Building on their success in 2009, the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team competed for a second time in the Sam’s Club Environmental Sustainability Challenge, the only school to compete for a second year straight. The team not only competed - they won again! The team was also named the SIFE League 1 Champion in March and was also a finalist in the Campbell's/Sealed Air Business Ethics Topic Competition.

Celebrating their win: AU SIFE team members, sponsoring professors and a BIG fan!

“This is by far the most successful year for the Anderson University SIFE team. I am very proud of the student’s accomplishments and the national recognitions they earned are well deserved,” stated Bill Laing, professor of management.

It's also been another banner year for AU music students. At the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, AU students Octavia Hall and Maggie Hill won top honors in their respective areas and several others qualified to compete at the regional level. At the Mid-Atlantic Regionals, Maggie Hill won first place in musical theatre and third place in the classical category while Octavia Hall and Christopher Hulsey earned Superior ratings.

Congratulations to all these students and so many others at Anderson who do so much to make us proud!

Recent Notes from Alumni

NCIDQ certification achieved

Congratulations to Emily LaMee, 2004, who has recently passed the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) examination and earned their prestigious certificate. To even qualify to take the exam, a minimum of six years of combined education and experience is required. The rigorous, three-part test requires demonstrated competence in a wide variety of aspects that affect the safety of the interior environment. It also covers programming, schematic design, design development, contract documents, contract administration and professional practice, codes, sustainability and universal design.

Emily LaMee

According to Emily, "NCIDQ certification is the credential that separates professional interior designers from those who focus solely on decorating. With a growing level of experience, this will potentially open up doors for senior interior design positions all across the United States."

Emily is currently employed with the Greenville office of McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture. Before that, she was with Miller's of Greenville for over three years. She has also served as an adjunct professor at her alma mater.

According to Anne Martin, associate dean of the School of Interior Design at Anderson, "Emily successfully completing the rigorous NCIDQ exam does not surprise me. She has always set very high standards for herself as evidenced by not only completing the NCIDQ exam, but also becoming a LEED AP( Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional. In fact, she was a key design team member in our state having the first Silver LEED building. She represents Anderson University well in her chosen field."

Typically Emily works with elementary, high school and higher education projects as well as churches and YMCAs. Some of her recent clients include New Spring Church in Anderson and Greenville, Anderson County School District Five, and Pine Street YMCA in Spartanburg, to name a few.

In our backyard...

Less than a mile from campus lives a former national tennis standout.

When Chad Nelms, director of Alumni Relations, began researching candidates for the 2010 Hall of Fame, he discovered John Burden just down the Boulevard.

John had a successful career playing tennis at Anderson in the early 1960s. In 1963 he won third place for singles at the National Junior College Athletic Association competition. With fellow classmate Terry Poore, 1964, John brought home the second place doubles trophy that same year.

John Burden hands off a piece of AU sports history

In light of the Centennial celebration, John donated his championship medals. These will be displayed in the Abney Athletic Center with the second place trophy.

(As a side note: The Hall of Fame event will held on September 24, 2010, as a part of the Centennial Year celebration.)

Also in the news...

David Slone, 2007, was awarded first place for his oil painting "A Violent Display" in the 31st Annual Juried South Carolina Artist's Exhibition at the Pickens County Museum. 398 pieces were submitted with 141 making it to the show, which is on display through June 10th.

David is a graphic designer and member of Artbomb Studios, a non-profit art group in Greenville. Some of his recent work can be viewed on his website.

Lastly, congratulations to Kerry Howard, 1999, for his award-winning design work. Kerry's firm KMH Interiors won the 2010 Design Excellence Bronze Award in the Model Home category from the Georgia chapter of the American Society of Interior Design (ASID) in April.

As always, if you have alumni news to share, please contact the Alumni Office.

This newsletter provided courtesy of Alumni & Development *2010

www.andersonuniversity.edu 

For questions or more information, contact Beth Friend