Mercerian_Fall03 LYT.qxd

MERCERIAN

THE

A Publication for Alumni and Friends of Mercer University Winter • Volume 14, Number 1

Mercer University has continued to

advance the vision of its founder by

attracting some of the most talented

college freshmen in the country,

adding new programs that build on its

already solid academic foundation,

and building state-of-the-art facilities

that provide the optimum learning

environment for its students.

The freshman class of 2003 has the

highest average SAT score of any

Mercer class to date with an average

of 1210. The 620 students that make

up this year’s freshman class also

have a record-high grade-point-aver-

age of 3.6.

“Our freshman SAT average has

increased 98 points since fall 2000,”

said Allen London, vice president of

University Admissions. “These students

come from strong high school aca-

demic programs and have taken many

advanced placement and honors

courses. They are students we want to

have at Mercer.”

Mercer’s Health Sciences Center,

which includes the Southern School of

Pharmacy, School of Medicine and

Georgia Baptist College of Nursing,

began the fall with three strong new

classes as well.

The School of Pharmacy received a

record 1,347 applicants for its 130

openings. Dr. Jim Bartling, associate

dean of Student Affairs and

Admissions, anticipates another excel-

lent new class.

“Our applicant pool is the largest

in the nation with roughly 10 students

applying for each position,” said

Bartling. “With so much competition

for acceptance to the School, we were

able to be highly selective and have

brought in the most academically

qualified class we’ve ever had.”

Sixty students began their medical

education with Mercer this year. In

line with the School of Medicine’s

mission to create healthcare profes-

sionals that meet the needs of

Georgia’s medically underserved com-

munities, enrollment in the doctor of

medicine program was increased by

four students.

The College of Nursing has also

reached its highest enrollment num-

bers since the beginning of its bac-

calaureate program, with a growing

waiting list of well-qualified applicants.

In addition, the University is

expanding its academic programming

to meet the needs of today’s students.

In the Tift College of Education, an

innovative new graduate program, The

Holistic Educator, premiered on the

Macon campus as well as the Eastman

Regional Academic Center during fall

semester. The new master’s degree

offers professionals the opportunity

to enhance their teaching methods

and prepares graduates to better

communicate with today’s diverse

student population.

Mercer increased its international

recognition when the Walter F. George

School of Law became home to the

Legal Writing Institute (LWI), the

world’s largest organization devoted to

improving legal writing. The Institute’s

membership includes lawyers and

legal writing teachers from across the

United States and from Europe, Asia,

Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

“No other school could match

Mercer’s clear commitment to Legal

Writing, as reflected both

in the strength of the

program you offer your

students and your facul-

ty’s extensive contribu-

tions to the national

Legal Writing communi-

ty,” wrote LWI President

Steven J. Johnson.

In August, the University opened

the doors to its newest regional aca-

demic center, a 30,000-square-foot

facility in Henry County. The Center,

which is designed

to accommodate

an enrollment of

1,000 students,

allowed the

University to

consolidate the

students from its

two smaller

centers in Griffin

and Covington. It will

provide many opportuni-

ties for individuals in the

area to continue their

education with evening

classes scheduled around

their workdays. The

University also continues

to hold classes at

regional academic

centers in Douglas

County and Eastman.

On Mercer’s Macon

campus, University spirit

is escalating as the

much-anticipated

University Center is

nearing completion. This

230,000-square-foot will be completed

spring semester. The impressive struc-

ture will become the hub of student

activity with amenities including a

food court, coffee shop, fitness and

recreation rooms and an arena that

seats up to 3,500 for athletic events

and 4,500 for special events.

Mercer’s advances aren’t going

unnoticed. The University’s reputation

as a premier university is no longer

known only in the Southeast, but also

across the nation. For the 14th

consecutive year, U.S. News & World

Report ranked Mercer among the

leading institutions in the South,

and for the 10th year, Barron’s

named Mercer as a “Best Buy.” In

addition, the popular college guide,

Peterson’s, has listed Mercer in its

Competitive Colleges Guide for the

past two years.

This year the University garnered

two new prestigious rankings. The

Higher Education Research Institute

at UCLA recognized Mercer as a

“highly selective” university. And, in

July, The Princeton Review included

Mercer in its popular publication, the

Best 351 Colleges in North America.

With 3,500 four-year colleges in the

United States, that puts Mercer among

the top 10 percent.

After processing factual

information and polling students

online for a year, The Princeton

Review assessed Mercer in 10

categories: academics, administration,

demographics,

parties, school type,

politics, quality of

life, extracurriculars,

selectivity, and

social. The survey

resulted in The

Princeton Review

writing, “If you’re

looking for a small

school with ‘tough’

academics that is equally

devoted to scholastic

development and spiritual

growth, then read on.”

With praises like that,

it’s no wonder why some of

the brightest young people

in the country are choosing

to call Mercer home.

But perhaps the biggest

honor bestowed on the

University this year is the

number of Mercer

graduates and students

whose relatives are coming

to Mercer. More than 90

students in the fall

freshman class are members of the

University’s Chip Off the Old Block

program, meaning they have a family

member who attended or currently

attends Mercer.

Mercer’s Legacy Expands Worldwide By Wes Griffith, Sonal Patel, Jenny Butkus

life-sized bronze of Jesse Mercer sits on a bench on the quad of the

Macon campus, where students, faculty, staff and alumni seldom

pass by without giving a slight nod of acknowledgement — some

out of respect, most out of affection. When he founded Mercer

Institute in 1833, Jesse Mercer did so with a deep-rooted commitment to

education and “intellectual preparation” and 39 students.

‘Mercer increased

its international

recognition when

the Walter F.

George School of

Law became home

to the Legal

Writing Institute,

the worlds’ largest

organization

devoted to

improving legal

writing.’

‘The freshman class of 2003 has the

highest average SAT score of any Mercer

class to date with an average of 1210.

_____

More than 90 students in the fall freshman

class are members of the University’s Chip Off

the Old Block program.’

university

r. Richard V. Swindle, who

spent 17 years of his

administrative career at

Mercer, returned to the University on

June 1 to serve as senior vice president

— Atlanta. Before his appointment,

Swindle was serving as senior vice

president for Institutional

Advancement for Franklin College in

Franklin, Ind., where he was responsi-

ble for development, public affairs, cor-

porate and foundation rela-

tions, alumni services and

church relations.

Prior to joining

Franklin College in 1996,

he was at Mercer, serving

his last three years as senior

associate vice president for

University Advancement.

“We are extremely

pleased that Dr. Swindle has

returned to the University,”

said President R. Kirby

Godsey. “He is an outstanding leader

and administrator, who has a talent for

building community and collabora-

tion. The University will greatly benefit

from his understanding of Mercer, par-

ticularly the Atlanta campus, as well as

the considerable experience he brings

from Franklin College.”

Swindle is responsible for the coor-

dination of all campus activity of the

University’s Cecil B. Day Graduate and

Professional Campus in Atlanta. The

2,200-student campus includes the

Southern School of Pharmacy, Georgia

Baptist College of Nursing and McAfee

School of Theology, and programs of

Tift College of Education, Stetson

School of Business and Economics, the

School of Engineering, and the College

of Continuing and Professional Studies.

Swindle also has an active role in

expanding Mercer’s involvement in the

Atlanta community and increasing the

University’s presence and visibility

through relationship

building with Atlanta’s

corporate and communi-

ty leaders.

While at Franklin

College, Swindle planned

and directed the

successful completion of

a $48.5 million capital

campaign, which

exceeded its goal by more

than 21 percent. He also

directed the college’s

multi-year marketing initiative, which

significantly increased the awareness of

the college.

Swindle began his career in higher

education in 1971 as director of

Admissions at Samford University and,

in 1973, became associate dean of

Admissions.

In 1979, he joined Mercer

University as director of Admissions for

the University’s Atlanta campus. He

designed and implemented a student

recruitment program that resulted in a

40 percent increase in enrollment over

a 10-year period.

He became associate provost in

1987, and was responsible for all

administrative services on the Atlanta

campus. Two years later, he was

named special assistant to the presi-

dent, serving as the chief administra-

tor for the Atlanta campus. In 1990, he

joined the University Advancement

staff as assistant vice president for

development and later served two

years as associate vice president for

University Relations, Alumni

Services and Development. From

1992 to 1994, he was a member of

the University’s self-study team for

Southern Association of

Colleges and

Schools re-

accreditation.

With a bachelor’s degree from Sam-

ford University, Swindle earned the mas-

ter of education degree at the University

of Montevallo and a Ph.D. at Emory

University. He was an officer in the U.S.

Marine Corps Reserve from 1969-78,

attaining the rank of captain.

He and his wife, Dorothy, have two

daughters, Susan and Anna.

2 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

MERCERIAN

THE

Winter 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 1

President and CEO

R. Kirby Godsey

Executive Vice President

Horace W. Fleming

Senior Vice President for University

Advancement and University Admissions

Emily P. Myers

Senior Vice President

Thomas G. Estes, Jr.

Senior Vice President for Finance

Lynwood G. Donald

Senior Vice President for Administration

Maj. Gen. Richard N. Goddard

Senior Vice President – Atlanta

Richard V. Swindle

Provost

Peggy DuBose

Editor

Judith T. Lunsford

Managing Editor

Richard L. Cameron

Designer

Rachel H. Garza

Writers

Jenny Butkus, Elizabeth Flader,

Wes Griffith, Sonal Patel

Photographers

Tiffany Brown, Billy Howard, Rod Reilly,

Leah Yetter

Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Richard C. Fallis

Dean, School of Engineering

M. Dayne Aldridge

Dean, Eugene W. Stetson School

of Business and Economics

W. Carl Joiner

Dean, Tift College of Education

Carl R. Martray

Dean, College of Continuing and

Professional Studies

Thomas Kail

Executive Associate Vice President for

University Advancement

Kenny Daugherty, CLA ’80, EDU ’82

Senior Associate Vice President for

University Advancement

Gloria O. Marshall, CLA ’86

Associate Vice President for University

Advancement and University Admissions

Jay T. Stroman, SSBE ’91

Director of Development/

College of Liberal Arts

Richard Spivey, CLA ’94

Senior Associate Vice President for Alumni

Services/University Special Events

T. Raleigh Mann, CLA ’65

Alumni Services Staff

Kristi Dobbins, CLA ’03

Jennifer Chapman Joyner, CLA ’95

Sharon Lim, SSBE ’86, ’90

Erin Lones, CLA ’00

Mercer University Alumni

Association President

F. Rhett Paul, BSPHM ’65

ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS

College of Liberal Arts

Stella J. Patterson, BA ’83, Macon, President

Eli Morgan, BA ’83, Duluth, President-Elect

Mike Crook, BA ’69, Stuart, Fla., Secretary

O. Harris Doss, Jr., AB ’66 & JD ’69, Blue

Ridge, Immediate Past President

College of Arts and Sciences

Debbie Baldwin Stanhouse, BS ’87,

Lilburn, President

Bill Myers, BA ’85, Grayson,

President-Elect

Cheryl Ann Kasper, BA ’87,

Norcross, Secretary

Steven M. Pace, BM ’81, Jesup, Immediate

Past President

Eugene W. Stetson School of

Business and Economics

G. Faye Dumke, MBA ’92, Duluth, President

Allison Webb, BS ’99, Tucker, President-Elect

Carrie Sagel Borns, BBA ’96, MBA ’97,

Atlanta, Vice President–Macon

D. Kevin Wyckoff, MBA ’88, Atlanta,

Vice President–Atlanta

Thomas McAfee, MBA ’00, Atlanta, Secretary

Danielle Carey, BBA ’98,

Atlanta, Immediate Past President

School of Engineering

Socrates (Sam) Martinez, BSE ’97,

Macon, President

Tyler Simmons, BSE ’96,

Lawrenceville, President-Elect

Kamlesh (Kenny) Desai, BSE ’91,

Macon, Secretary

Jody R. Massey, BSE ’95,

Macon, Immediate Past President

Tift College of Education

Richard B. Thomas, BA ’89, Macon, President

April Aldridge, BA ’96,

Alabaster, Ala., Vice-President

Ashley Copelan, CLA ’91, Macon, Secretary

Clayton Jolley, BME ’94,

Hampton, Immediate Past President

The Mercerian is published twice a

year for alumni and friends of Mercer

University. Comments or questions

should be addressed to:

Mercer University, Office of University

Advancement, 1400 Coleman Avenue,

Macon, Georgia 31207

(478)301-2715 or (800)837-2911

www.mercer.edu

Mercer University is an equal

opportunity/affirmative action institution.

CAMPUS TALK

ercer opened the doors to

its newest regional aca-

demic center in mid-

August, providing opportunities for

adult learners in Henry County and

surrounding areas to advance their

education close to home.

Conveniently located off exit 218 of

I-75 in Henry County, the 30,000-

square-foot facility is the result of a

public/private partnership of the

Henry County Development Authority,

Henry County Board of Commission-

ers and Mercer University.

“This facility represents a unique

partnership between Mercer University

and Henry County,” said Mercer

President R. Kirby Godsey. “We are

looking forward to providing men and

women throughout this area with an

educational program of quality and

breadth that competently prepares

them both personally and

professionally.”

Located at 160 Henry Parkway,

adjacent to the Henry County

Administration Building, the new

regional academic center is designed

specifically for adult learners. The

one-story building borders the Cotton

Fields Golf Course and has numerous

windows to bring the wooded outdoors

into the classrooms. The building’s

entrance opens into a spacious lounge

adjacent to offices of full-time faculty

members and student support profes-

sionals.

“Our students are valued members

of Mercer’s learning community, and

the building’s open design is intended

to encourage them to see education as

their gateway to limitless possibilities,”

said Dr. Thomas Kail, associate provost

and dean of the College of Continuing

and Professional Studies.

Other features of the Center include

a computer lab, a learning lab for

tutorial assistance and a digital and

traditional library. One of the high-

lights of the facility is a model teacher

education classroom, which is set up

like that of an elementary school for

use by teacher education students.

Designed to serve an enrollment of

1,000 students, the new state-of-the-

art academic center in Henry County

consolidated the students from the

University’s two smaller centers located

in Griffin and Covington, which closed

after their summer sessions. The

Center draws adult learners from

Henry, Newton, Spalding, Rockdale,

Clayton, Fayette, Lamar and Butts

counties.

Two of the University’s 10 schools

and colleges offer evening and week-

end programs at the Center: the

College of Continuing and Professional

Studies and Tift College of Education.

Undergraduate degree programs

include human services, criminal jus-

tice, information systems and early

childhood and middle grades educa-

tion, as well as the organization lead-

ership degree-completion program.

The University plans to later offer

graduate programs in education and

community counseling.

In addition to degree programs, the

Center offers certificate and continuing

education programs, including the

College of Continuing and Professional

Studies’ Public Safety Leadership

Institute. During the summer, the

Center will offer its College for Kids,

with popular programs such as

Budding Authors and Math Wizards.

The University also has Regional

Academic Centers in Douglas County

and Eastman.

Henry County officials joined Mercer University in a ribbon cutting ceremony for

Mercer’s newest regional academic center in McDonough in August.

Swindle Named Atlanta Senior V.P.

‘Dr. Swindle ... is

an outstanding

leader and

administrator,

who has a talent

for building

community and

collaboration.’

Dr. Richard V. Swindle

Mercer Opens Regional Academic Center in Henry County

From creating Web pages to

designing a simulated

archaeological dig, Mercer

students are helping faculty

members utilize technology

to its fullest.

Mercer students can now teach pro-

fessors through the new Student

Technology AdvisoRS (STARS) pro-

gram. By assisting faculty members in

bringing technology into their classes,

the STARS program allows students to

learn the latest media applications and

use their expertise in creating valuable

resources for the Mercer community.

Through the pilot program, which

began in fall 2002, five students

received two months of

extensive training in new

media, instructional

technology and

professional communica-

tion. After completing

workshops, which included training on

numerous software programs, such as

Digital Storytelling, Flash,

Dreamweaver, Web Development,

HTML and WebCT, the STARS students

teamed up with Mercer faculty to com-

plete the technology projects.

“In the Center for Teaching and

Learning, we develop programs to help

students learn better and become more

engaged in the [learning] process,”

said Dr. Priscilla Danheiser, director of

Mercer’s Center for Teaching and

Learning. “For those members of the

faculty who have not had a chance to

experiment with interactive technology

in the classroom, STARS students are

able to offer them one-on-one time to

learn how.”

Each STAR participates in the pro-

gram as a work-study student and is

paired with a faculty member interest-

ed in using new media. As the students

work on the projects, they also teach

professors how to use computer pro-

grams and media tools.

“These students have found sup-

port, advisers, mentors and friends,”

said STARS program coordinator Kelly

Jones. “They have gained confidence in

their technical abilities and have been

part of a creative team while gaining

invaluable experience in time and

project management.”

Some of the projects STARS

tackled included redesigning Web sites,

developing interactive quizzes through

WebCT and building educational

resources for digital video and digital

storytelling.

“The program gives students and

teachers a bridge for relating to each

other. It’s a good way to gain work

experience and experience in the

technology field,” said sophomore

Jason Lo.

Last semester, the engineering

major from Warner Robins, Ga., helped

Tift College of Education professors

Dr. Calandra Lockhart and Dr. Randy

Spaid show teacher education students

how to use digital video to assess their

teaching skills.

“When we have prospective teach-

ers viewing themselves in a [class-

room] session, they see what they are

doing that may or may not be effec-

tive,” said Spaid. “Student teachers can

also tape themselves teaching, then sit

down with us and create a CD that they

can hand to principals during an

interview, documenting their

experience.”

STAR Clayton Kirk

helped Medical School pro-

fessor Dr. Ananda

Weerasuriya create an

online study site for first-

year medical students. Students are

able to “diagnose” fictional patients

and receive feedback and corrections

on their work.

Students studying German are ben-

efiting from Tim Palmer’s STAR work

with Dr. Edward Weintraut in the

Foreign Language Department of the

College of Liberal Arts.

“We have set up a virtual German

community, [as well as] a template for

anyone teaching a language,” said

Weintraut. “There is an archive of

exercises available to anybody, and it

allows us to teach newer material

instead of always revising in class. And

I can refer a student to WebCT for any

problem or review area.”

Palmer faced a challenge of creat-

ing new programs in a foreign lan-

guage. “It was challenging to test the

new Web pages without speaking any

German,” said the sophomore

engineering major from Stone

Mountain, Ga. “But I learned a little

bit and got to know the faculty better

in the process.”

The STARS program has been so

successful that plans have begun for

implementation on the University’s

Atlanta campus. And Jones is sure the

program will continue to grow. “Our

students this year learned so much and

built great relationships with the

faculty in a new way,” she said. “I look

forward to the growth and success of

this program.”

community news

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 3

Students Teach Professors in New Program

ercer faculty, staff, and

students soon will be able

to enjoy the atmosphere

of a restaurant and retail center only

footsteps away from campus.

Mercer Village, which includes

renovation of an existing building and

the creation of a new two-story

building, will be situated on Coleman

Avenue and Montpelier Avenue near

the Greek Village. This curved retail

building will be centered behind the

new park and fountain plaza and will

directly face Coleman Avenue,

Tattnall Park and the Mercer

campus. The first phase is

scheduled to open in Fall

2004.

The development is the

result of a partnership

between Endeavor Real Estate

and Mercer University.

Michael W. Dahmer, who is

the managing partner, is a ’91

Mercer MBA graduate. He

chose this location because of

its proximity to the campus,

the impressive local neighbor-

hoods and the demand of

nearly 10,000 employees who work

within one mile of the site.

“Mercer Village will become a

wonderful public space where both the

Mercer and the Macon community can

interact,” he said.

Phase I consists of 11,000 square

feet of retail space and 5,000 square

feet of second-floor office space. This

includes the upgrading of the historic

brick building, which will be carefully

designed to complement the two new

buildings behind the park plaza.

Mercer Village has received

commitments from several tenants.

They include Johnny’s Pizza & Subs,

Mocha Delites Coffee House, and the

southern-styled Whistle Stop Cafe.

Johnny’s Pizza was voted the #1 pizza

restaurant in Atlanta Magazine last

year. Whistle Stop Cafe, an actual

restaurant, was featured prominently

in the movie “Fried Green Tomatoes,”

and continues to be a popular draw for

statewide visitors.

“For those members of the faculty who have not had

a chance to experiment with interactive technology

in the classroom, STARS students are able to offer

them one-on-one time to learn how.”

Mercer MBA Grad Develops Mercer Village

Mercer University has purchased

the Baptist Center located at 2930

Flowers Road South, previously owned

by the Georgia Baptist Convention

and adjacent to the University’s

Atlanta campus.

Officials from the University and

the Convention signed papers on Aug.

21, transferring the ownership of the

25 acres and five-

story facility at a

purchase price of

$12 million.

As part of the

agreement, the

Convention will

remain in the

building for up to

three years while the Convention’s

new facility is completed in Gwinnett

County. The University will conduct a

study on the best future usage of

the facility.

“The University’s Board of Trustees

determined the property was an

important purchase to maintain the

integrity of Mercer’s Cecil B. Day

Graduate and Professional Campus,”

said Mercer University President R.

Kirby Godsey.

Mercer’s 300-acre Cecil B. Day

Campus in Atlanta houses six of the

University’s 10 schools and colleges:

Southern School of Pharmacy, Stetson

School of Business and Economics, Tift

College of Education, McAfee School of

Theology, Georgia Baptist College of

Nursing and the

College of

Continuing and

Professional

Studies. Some 2,200

of Mercer’s 7,300

student enrollment

attend classes on

the campus, where

the primary academic focus is

graduate and professional studies.

“We are happy that Mercer

acquired the property for its future use

and expansion. The sale also provides

revenues to assist the Convention in

securing the property and facilities for

our site at Sugarloaf Parkway and

Satellite Boulevard,” said J. Robert

Pat Conroy Receives Honorary Degree

One of the South’s most beloved writers is now one of the University’s

honorary alumni. Best-selling author Pat Conroy, below center, was pre-

sented with an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree at the 14th annu-

al Authors Luncheon.

From left, Robert Steed, Pat Conroy, and Mercer President R. Kirby Godsey

Students are already enjoying the

fountain fronts the new Mercer Village.

Mercer Purchases Baptist Center

from Georgia Baptist Convention

‘This strategic undertaking

is critically important

to the future of our

great university, most

especially to the continued

vitality and prominence of

our highly successful

Atlanta campus.’

— Continued on page 8

“Dr. Silver represents the finest

Mercer has to offer. He demonstrates

the University’s commitment to being a

teaching institution of the highest cal-

iber,” said Mercer University President

R. Kirby Godsey. “All of us within the

University applaud his accomplish-

ments and his dedication to his

students.”

Silver has taught at Mercer since

1998. He earned his undergraduate

degree in religion at George

Washington University and his doctor-

ate in English literature at Emory

University. Prior to coming to Mercer,

he served as a visiting assistant profes-

sor at Emory University and a dean’s

teaching fellow at Oxford College of

Emory University.

Dr. Richard Fallis, dean of the

College of Liberal Arts, and Dr. Priscilla

Danheiser, associate provost and

interim vice president for Student Life,

nominated Silver for the award.

Fallis said he couldn’t be happier

that Silver was selected for this honor.

“Dr. Silver is an engaged, sympathetic

and demanding teacher and mentor,”

Fallis said. “He knows — and lives out

— the belief that the teacher’s respon-

sibilities do not stop at the classroom

door or the campus fence.”

One example of Silver’s commit-

ment to engaging students in mean-

ingful learning experiences outside the

classroom was his creation of the doc-

umentary play Combustible/Burn,

performed at Mercer’s Backdoor

Theatre in fall of 2001. This play was

the result of an intensive project,

funded by a grant from University

Commons, in which four Mercer stu-

dents helped him interview a total of

120 people active in the early civil

rights movement in Macon. Nearly

every word of the play comes directly

from 50 of the interviews and research

Silver and the students conducted in

Mercer’s Jack Tarver Library.

“We weaved what we learned in the

interviews together to make a quilted

narrative,” he said. “It was a great

learning experience for the students.

They were able to apply the abstract

concepts we discussed in class to the

concrete form of theatre. They realized

the power of art upon people’s lives.”

The New Jersey native said he

enjoys teaching because it enables him

to be creative and also influence the

way people look at the world.

“I see students come in as fresh-

men and watch them transform from a

relatively unthinking person to a

largely involved, thinking person. To

serve as a guide as students consider

the great questions is a great privi-

lege,” he said.

Students say Silver has impacted

them tremendously.

One Mercer student said, “Andrew

Silver has forever changed my life. I

came to Mercer simply looking for a

degree, and now I am leaving with a

burning passion for activism, a love of

constant learning and a better sense

that the world needs me as much as I

need the world.”

Silver said he thinks being named

Georgia Professor of the Year is a credit

to all of the faculty at Mercer.

“My colleagues here inspire me

and encourage me all the time,”

he said. “The faculty are totally

devoted to the students, and

when I came here and

witnessed the vitality of the

professors and the incredible

amount of student-directed

energy, it called out my best

as a teacher. I could do

projects like

Combustible/Burn

because I was at

Mercer.”

Silver lives in Macon with his wife,

Dr. Anya Silver, an assistant professor

of English at Mercer.

rammy-nominated

violinist Robert McDuffie

returned to his home-

town of Macon to perform a special

concert benefiting violin students at

Mercer University on April 5 at the

Neva Langley Fickling Hall in the

McCorkle Music Building.

“Mercer is committed to giving

its students a solid foundation to

reach their highest aspirations —

just as Robert McDuffie has ful-

filled,” said Mercer University

President R. Kirby Godsey. “This

performance is an opportunity for

us to support future violinists here

at Mercer.”

The concert which included

works by Beethoven, Copland and

Dvorák, formally recognized the

Robert McDuffie Endowed

Scholarship in Violin established by

Mercer Board of Trustees member

and chairman of the Executive

Committee, Benjy Griffith, CLA ’77,

and his wife, Teresa McEachern

Griffith, CLA ’77. Proceeds from the

concert were also placed in the

scholarship fund that was set up to

attract gifted violin students to study

at Mercer.

McDuffie has appeared as a

soloist with many of the major

orchestras of the world, including

the New York and Los Angeles

philharmonics; the Chicago, San

Francisco, Montreal and Toronto

symphonies; the Philadelphia,

Cleveland and Minnesota

orchestras; the Leipzig Gewandhaus

Orchestra, the North German Radio

Orchestra, the Frankfurt Radio

Orchestra, the Deutsche Kammer-

philharmonie Bremen, Orchestra

del Teatro alla Scala, Santa Cecilia

Orchestra of Rome and all of the

major orchestras of Australia.

McDuffie’s recital and symphony

performances have garnered

tremendous praise throughout the

world. A commentator for NPR’s

Performance Today, he has been

profiled on NBC’s Today, CBS

Sunday Morning, PBS’s Charlie

Rose, A&E’s Breakfast with the

Arts, and in the New York Times

and The Wall Street Journal.

Playing the world-famous 1735

Guarneri del Gesù violin, the

Ladenburg, McDuffie performed

with pianist Albert Tiu, who has

performed as soloist with the St.

Petersburg, Calgary, Louisiana,

Johannesburg and Philippine

philharmonics, and the Hamburg,

Finnish Radio, Guangzhou,

Singapore and Juilliard symphonies.

4 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

Silver Named Georgia Professor of the Year By Jenny Butkus

college of

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

he Council for Advancement and Support of

Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation

for the Advancement of Teaching announced in

November that Dr. Andrew Silver, assistant

professor of English at Mercer's College of Liberal Arts, has been

named the 2003 Georgia Professor of the Year. The announcement

was made at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

PPrrooffeessssoorr SShheepphheerrdd RReecceeiivveess

PPrreessttiiggiioouuss FFuullbbrriigghhtt AAwwaarrdd

By Sonal Patel

ercer University biology

professor John Shepherd

has been named a

Fulbright Scholar, which will take

him to Argentina this summer to

teach and conduct research through

the support of the prestigious

Argentine

Fulbright Award.

Shepherd will

work with

Argentine scien-

tists in Lanin

National Park on

a project titled

“Non-Native

Mammals in

Araucaria

Forests: Impacts

and Implications

for Conservation

Management.”

Their goal is to

evaluate the

impact of exotic species on conserva-

tion areas and help develop manage-

ment strategies. Shepherd will also

teach ecology to graduate students at

the National University of Comahue

in northwestern Patagonia. His wife

and fellow biologist, Rebecca Ditgen,

will join him on the trip.

“I am delighted to have been

selected for the Fulbright Award,” said

Shepherd. “We’ll work amidst the

natural beauty of Patagonia with

Argentine students and scientists who

share our passion for conservation.”

Shepherd received his doctorate

from the

University of

Wisconsin-

Madison and

joined the Mercer

University faculty

in 1980. He

teaches botany,

evolution and

scientific inquiry,

as well as intro-

ductory, conser-

vation and

population

biology classes

at Mercer.

The innova-

tion of former U.S. Sen. J. William

Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright

program was launched in 1946. It

has since expanded into seven

distinct programs, allowing visiting

scholars to come to America as well

as sending U.S. faculty and profes-

sionals abroad.

McDuffie Concert Benefits Students By Elizabeth Flader

Dr. John Shepherd will travel to Argentina

this summer to conduct research made

possible by the Fulbright Award.

Robert McDuffie, center, with Benjy and Teresa Griffith at a special concert to

recognize and raise money for the Robert McDuffie Endowed Scholarship in

Violin, established by the Griffiths.

Dr. Andrew Silver

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 5

Pharmacy is one of today’s hottest

professions, and Mercer University has

one of the best pharmacy schools in

the nation. This year, a record 1,347

applicants — the largest number of

applicants to any pharmacy school in

the United States — vied for the 130

seats in Mercer’s Southern School of

Pharmacy’s first-year class.

Pre-pharmacy students in Mercer’s

College of Liberal Arts have a definite

advantage of getting one of those cov-

eted seats through Southern School of

Pharmacy’s Early Acceptance Program

(EAP) and, more importantly, suc-

ceeding in the professional program.

The EAP allows Mercer undergrad-

uate students to ensure a spot in the

School of Pharmacy after completing

two years, or 60 hours, of pre-

pharmacy courses on the Macon cam-

pus. Applicants must maintain a 3.0

grade-point-average in all undergrad-

uate courses and attend special College

of Liberal Arts and pre-pharmacy

student events twice a year.

The College of Liberal Arts’ Science

Department also provides guidance to

help students prepare for their phar-

macy education. Dr. Jeffrey Hugdahl,

associate professor of chemistry, serves

as a pre-pharmacy adviser.

“My role is primarily to advise the

students as to the coursework needed

to fulfill the Pharmacy School require-

ments,” said Hugdahl. “In addition, I

work with the Southern School of

Pharmacy to schedule a visit from

their admissions office to talk to our

students about the School and

pharmacy career options.”

Hugdahl also takes the pre-

pharmacy students to Mercer’s campus

in Atlanta to tour the Pharmacy

School and learn more about the pro-

grams. In addition to the doctor of

pharmacy degree program, the

Pharmacy School offers the

University’s only doctor of philosophy

degree and the doctor of pharmacy

/doctor of philosophy degree. The

School is also a center for research,

especially in the area of drug delivery.

“With the national shortage of

pharmacists, applicant pools at all

pharmacy schools are growing,” said

Dr. Jim Bartling, associate dean of

student affairs and admissions for the

Southern School of Pharmacy.

“Competition for admission is

getting stiffer everywhere, so this

makes Mercer’s EAP more attractive

than ever.”

Once in the pharmacy program,

Mercer College of Liberal Arts students

also have a better rate of success. The

grade point

average of

current

students and

graduates that

entered the

School of

Pharmacy from

the Macon

campus is

higher than

that of all other students.

More than 100 students have gone

to Atlanta from Macon to pursue the

doctor of pharmacy degree.

“Since the inception of the EAP

program, every EAP student entering

the Southern School of Pharmacy has

either graduated or is still enrolled,”

said Hugdahl.

According to Hugdahl, students

also have an easier time adjusting to

the rigorous curriculum at the School

of Pharmacy. Mercer’s strong founda-

tion of science courses in Macon also

give College of Liberal Arts students a

definite edge on success.

“I think [the students’ success] is

a testament to the preparation that the

students receive here on the Macon

campus,” Hugdahl said. “It’s

something I attribute to both our

teaching and the students’ academic

maturation.”

Currently, 10 percent of

Pharmacy School students are Mercer

graduates or former College of Liberal

Arts students. The success of College of

Liberal Arts students in the School of

Pharmacy only continues to grow

through the partnership between both

Mercer schools.

“The College of Liberal Arts

continues to be Southern School of

Pharmacy’s strongest feeder school,

in terms of both numbers and quality

of students,” said Bartling. “My

expectation is that one day soon, the

Southern School of Pharmacy’s

percentage of students from the

College of Liberal Arts will double.”

Pharmacy School Admissions Getting Tough By Sonal Patel

liberal arts news

LA’s pre-pharmacy students can bypass the

anguish of waiting to learn if they have been

accepted into Southern School of Pharmacy

through the Early Acceptance Program.

fter an evening of music

from the “Piano Mania”

concert, featuring Neva

Langley Fickling, Edward Eikner, Jean

Roberts, John Roberts and Joan

Godsey, Mercer University dedicated

the McCorkle Music Building recital

hall in Fickling’s honor, naming it

the Neva Langley Fickling Hall on

March 29.

“It is most appropriate that the

hall where Mercer’s music students

practice and perform be named for

someone who has dedicated her life to

the passion, practice and performance

of music and to the performing arts in

Central Georgia,” said Mercer

University President R. Kirby Godsey.

Fickling began playing the piano

when she was 7 years old. Her talent

as a pianist helped her win the

coveted title of Miss America in 1953.

The only Miss Georgia to wear the

Miss America crown, she is also the

only contestant to win all three

preliminary contests in the national

pageant.

A graduate of Wesleyan College,

Fickling holds an honorary doctoral

degree in Fine Arts from her alma

mater. She is the recipient of the

prestigious Lady Bird Johnson Award

and the Woman of the Year Award

from the Keep America Beautiful

Commission.

A longtime friend of the perform-

ing arts in Georgia, Fickling has

shared both her musical talent and

her leadership with organizations and

events. Among her numerous

activities, she has served on the boards

of The Gina Bachauer Piano

Competition, the Macon Symphony

Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony

Orchestra, The Georgia Council of the

Arts and the Park City Chamber Music

Society, and has been president of the

Morning Music Club. She is also the

founder of the Georgia Women of

Achievement, an annual award given

to women of outstanding achievement

in Georgia.

A wife and a mother of four grown

children, Fickling resumed her public

performances in 1989, with a series of

recitals in Georgia, North Carolina,

Utah, Florida and Italy. She has

performed as a guest soloist with the

Macon, Utah, and Benevento, Italy,

symphony orchestras.

The exquisitely appointed 200-seat

Neva Langley Fickling Hall is the

crown jewel of the new Allan and

Rosemary McCorkle Music Building

and the University’s music program.

Considered one of the best concert

halls in the state, the intimate

auditorium offers state-of-the-art

acoustics and a superb performance

space designed to support the highest

caliber of musical events, including

recitals, operas, choral and vocal

presentations, instrumental works and

jazz ensembles. Among its outstanding

features are a Richards, Fowkes & Co.

pipe organ and professional recording

and multimedia equipment.

Joan S. Godsey, left, joined Neva Langley Fickling for "Piano Mania," featuring Neva

Langley Fickling & Friends, on March 29.

Hall Named for Neva Langley Fickling By Elizabeth Flader

Awards Presented during Mercer Luncheon

at the 2003 Georgia Baptist Convention

At the annual GBC Mercer Luncheon, held at the Iron Works in Columbus,

four distinguished supporters of the University were honored.

The Rev. Jimmy Elder

was presented the

Louis D. Newton

Award by the

Honorable Doug

Pullen for service to

Mercer University.

The Rev. Ron Bradley

was presented the

James P. Wesberry

Award by Jim Bruner

for service to the

denomination.

L. Leneal Fortner was

presented the Monroe

F. Swilley Award for

Christian Statemanship

by Tom Black and his

wife,Tamlin B. Fortner,

was presented the

Walter L. Moore

Humanitarian Award.

6 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

s.s.

STETSON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

Mercer ROTC Cadet Climbing Military Ranks By Jenny Butkus

A Mercer ROTC cadet was recently

sought out to participate in one of the

U.S. Army’s highly selective programs.

And he says it’s the combination of

the specialized attention he’s garnered

by being a part of Mercer’s small, but

elite ROTC program, coupled with the

diversified education he’s received at

Mercer that led him to this opportunity.

Isaiah Davis, who was commis-

sioned as a second lieutenant when he

graduated from Mercer this past May,

was one of only a handful of ROTC

students in the nation selected to go

directly into the U.S. Army Finance

Corps out of college.

The Army Finance Corps is an

extremely selective military branch.

Only 11 ROTC graduates in the

country were selected last year to

go directly into this branch field

after college.

The Finance Corps performs all

Army finance and accounting func-

tions. And the Corps boasts the highest

GPA of all of the branches.

For Davis, a 22-year-old finance

major from Macon, the Finance Corps

seemed like the perfect fit. “I’m not

completely sure I want to serve in the

military for my entire career. So I

wanted to get some skills that would

be transferable in the civilian world.”

As a part of his ROTC scholarship,

Davis is required to serve eight years

in the military — four years of active

duty and four years in the Army

Reserve or the Army National Guard.

The summer before his senior year

Davis was asked to fill out paperwork

listing his top three choices of

branches he’d like to enter after

college. He made sure the Finance

Corps was at the top of the list. With a

3.56 GPA, Isaiah knew he was

qualified to enter the branch. But he

didn’t set his hopes too high. “I knew

it was a really selective field.”

The Mercer senior was elated to

learn he got his #1 pick. And not only

did he get his top choice, he also was

selected to enter the Finance Corps

right away. Often, ROTC cadets are

accepted to the Finance Corps, but

they then are required to do two years

of work in a separate field before they

actually serve in the Finance Corps.

“For a brand new second

lieutenant to be picked up right out of

college is really a testament to the

quality of his education and leader-

ship ability,” said Allan Pitchford,

assistant director of admissions,

Army ROTC liaison at Mercer and

a 24-year veteran of the United

States Army.

Davis credits Mercer for his

success. He said the education

he received at Eugene W.

Stetson School of Business

and Economics

taught him

to “think outside of the box” and

“read between the lines,” and that will

equip him to serve as a quality

military leader.

allying 50 cadets, Mercer University’s Army ROTC

Program is small compared with other university

ROTC units, which often have as many as 200

cadets. But size isn’t everything. Mercer ROTC

students are making big entrances into the military world.

Executive Forum Features Grace By Jenny Butkus

he Executive Forum 2003 fall

lecture series was a tremen-

dous success, featuring some

of the most renowned speakers yet. The

spring speakers promise to be just as

intriguing with one of Mercer’s most

respected alumni presenting.

Jean Chatzky, financial editor for

NBC’s Today, editor-at-large for Money

magazine, a regular columnist for

Time magazine and USA Weekend,

kicked off the season in September

with a presentation on smart financial

habits. Ari Fleischer, former White

House press secretary, provided an

insiders’ look into the White House

with a presentation in October. And,

William Freund, chief economist emer-

itus for the New York Stock Exchange,

gave members insight on the economy

in November.

President and CEO of the Georgia

Chamber of Commerce George Israel

will be the first speaker of the spring,

with presentations on the Macon and

Atlanta campuses on Feb. 24. BellSouth

President of Georgia Operations Phil

Jacobs will give a presentation on both

campuses on March 23. And Court TV

Anchor and Larry King Live guest host

Nancy Grace, a graduate of Mercer’s

Walter F. George School of Law, will

close the season with a presentation on

both campuses on April 26.

Israel and Grace will give breakfast

presentations on the Macon campus at

7:30 a.m. and lunch presentations on

the Atlanta campus at noon. Jacobs will

give a breakfast presentation on the

Atlanta campus at 7:30 a.m. and a

lunch presentation on the Macon cam-

pus at noon.

The Executive Forum is a business

outreach program of the Eugene W.

Stetson School of Business and

Economics and the Office of University

Advancement. This elite, members-only

program provides business profession-

als an opportunity to receive cutting-

edge information on current business

trends and network at the same time.

Anyone interested in becoming a

member of The Executive Forum can

call the Office of University

Advancement at (478) 301-2724 or

(800) 837-2911, ext. 2724.

oarded windows,

graffiti and

demonstrators

gave Mercer University

students an unexpected

first-hand look at the

antiglobalization move-

ment. Though not

intentionally planned, a

group of business

students from the University arrived in

Geneva, Switzerland, at the same time

as thousands of protestors, in the days

leading up to the G8 summit.

“Slogans like ‘Feu aux banques’

[‘Set fire to the banks’], ‘Bush se tete

sur un plateau’ [‘Bush’s head on a

platter’] and ‘Sma$h G8’

are not a conventional

part of a business

school’s international

curriculum,” explained

Dr. F. Frank Ghannadian,

associate dean of

Mercer’s Stetson School

of Business & Economics

in Atlanta, who accom-

panied the students on

the trip. “But seeing the passion and

tactics of antiglobalization forces

brought to life the controversy sur-

rounding international trade to

students who had only encountered it

in media reports and classroom

discussions before the trip.”

The Geneva experience was part of

a studies-abroad experience for 23

Mercer University business students in

Paris and Geneva. The encounter with

antiglobalization protesters was not

the first unexpected encounter with

the unpredictable dynamics of the

international environment for 13

members of the group who are

students in Mercer’s Executive Master

of Business Administration program.

Their annual studies-abroad experi-

ence had originally been scheduled for

Hong Kong and China, and reserva-

tions were to have been finalized

within days of the announcement of

the outbreak of SARS in

that region.

The students met

with executives from

France’s Coca-Cola

headquarters and Saint-

Gobain (the world’s

largest glass manufac-

turer) in France. In

Switzerland, they visited

the International Red

Cross Committee, the World

Intellectual Property Rights

Organization and the Swiss Bankers

Association.

The student group undertaking the

trip included managers from Bell

South, Foote, Center for Disease

Control, Cone & Belding, GSB Inc.,

Home Depot, Hunkeler Corporation,

Level 3 Communications, SAFECO

Insurance Company and Trucking

Nation. Mercer’s Executive MBA

program has an international focus,

and the studies-abroad trip is a culmi-

nation of months of training in inter-

national management.

Mercer Business Students

Encounter Antiglobal Protests By Judith Lunsford

Twenty-three Mercer students travelled to Paris and

Geneva to learn about International trade.

‘... seeing the passion

and tactics of

antiglobalization

forces brought

to life the

controversy

surrounding

international trade ...’

Mercer ROTC graduate,

Isaiah Davis

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 7

b.e. news

Students in the innovative

Managed Academic Path to Success

(MAPS) undergraduate curriculum at

Eugene W. Stetson School of Business

and Economics are required to fulfill

an experiential component. The

most popular way

students meet this

requirement is through

an internship.

Beginning in their

sophomore year,

students work closely

with Mary Roberts, assistant director of

Career Services at Mercer, to create

a résumé and pinpoint internship

opportunities in their fields of choice.

Most students complete the 90-hour

internships their junior or senior

year of study. Roberts said the

internships are a crucial part of the

students’ education.

“Employers are looking more and

more for internships on résumés

because they go much deeper than

part-time jobs,” she said. “By interning

with these companies, students get to

participate in meetings and get a real

feel for the business.”

Mercer senior Eileen Pascual of

Clarkston worked as a production

intern at Cox Media in Macon fall

semester. She assisted producers and

videographers in the Cox studio and

learned about the day-to-day opera-

tions of a television business. The

highlight of her internship was writing

and producing her own commercial

for Mercer’s Baptist Student Union

Dinner Theater.

“It was a very hands-on learning

experience,” Pascual said of her work

with Cox. “I believe the experience I

have gained from this internship will

give me a better chance of landing a

job after I graduate.”

Not only are internships great ways

for students to gain experience in their

chosen career field, but they are also

great opportunities for students to

evaluate whether the career they’re

working toward is really the best fit

for them.

“Internships help students see what

they can and cannot do, what they do

and do not enjoy,” Roberts said. “Some

students realize after their internships

that they want to change their focus.

It’s great they’re learning this while

they’re still in school, rather than

when they’re 35 or 40.”

Senior Kristin Fields of Carrollton

thought she wanted to become a

personal finance

planner prior to her

internship. But two

weeks into her intern-

ship, she was certain it

was not the right fit for

her. She worked with

her supervisor and adviser to switch to

another department within Merrill

Lynch, and she happily completed her

internship. She’s now working with her

adviser to find a new focus and plans

to do a second internship at a bank in

the spring.

“I’m grateful I learned personal

finance planning wasn’t for me when I

did. Now I have time to work toward a

new goal before I graduate,” she said.

In conjunction with the internship,

students take a course called MAPS

305. The course is designed to allow

students to reflect on their internship

experience while developing their

understanding of the industry.

Dr. Andrew Deile, associate

professor of management, taught the

fall MAPS 305 course. In this course,

he assigned various Wall Street Journal

readings to the students, and he pro-

vided time for the students to discuss

what was happening in the workplace.

Students received a grade based on

two evaluations given by their employ-

er. He said he’s seen great results from

the internship program.

“In addition to providing students

with work experience, these internships

allow them to begin networking before

they graduate,” Deille said.

He recently learned that one of his

former students who had interned with

American Cancer Society is now work-

ing for them full time.

Tom Abbott, a senior MAPS student

from London, interned in the fall with

WGCL-TV, the Atlanta CBS affiliate. He

said he knows he’s a step ahead of

most seniors with this internship

under his belt.

“An internship is invaluable in the

field of broadcasting. I have met some

influential people who have been very

willing to offer guidance and advice,”

he said. “This internship will without a

doubt aid my chances of finding work

post-Mercer.”

Companies interested in developing

an internship opportunity with Mercer

should contact Mary Roberts at

(478) 301-2157.

rom devising a marketing plan for a jazz series at

their hometown amphitheater to reporting on

national sports stories to working hand-in-hand

with corporate lawyers, Mercer business students

are getting great work experience before they graduate.

Students Benefit from Internship Program By Jenny Butkus

“Give More, Get More” – Mercer’s Gift Annuity Program By John P. Cole

ive more, get more.” Give

more to Mercer, get more

income in return. By

creating a gift annuity with Mercer

University, you can increase the rate of

return on your cash, stock, bond or

other investments while making an

unrestricted or designated gift.

For example, if you are 65 years old,

your gift annuity can boost your rate of

return to 6%, fixed, guar-

anteed for life. If you are

75, the rate goes up to

7.1%. If you are only 50

years old, the guaranteed,

fixed rate is still

relatively high at 5.3%.*

Beyond the increase in rate of

return, your gift annuity can cut your

taxes. A portion of the gift annuity’s

pay-out is treated as tax-free, giving you

an increase in net income.**

How can a Mercer gift annuity

provide more income than your other

investments? A gift annuity is a simple

agreement between you and the

University by which you make a gift

and Mercer in turn pays you guaran-

teed income for life. You give the princi-

pal to Mercer and keep the guaranteed

income for yourself.

The gift you make takes advantage

of Mercer’s long-term prospects to boost

your income now. The tax laws assume

that charities will “outlive” their donors

and can afford to take a longer look at

return on principal. Your return is

backed by the full measure of Mercer

University’s assets while your gift

ultimately adds to those assets.

What do you receive for establishing

a Mercer gift annuity? You get:

! A fixed rate of return

! Guaranteed income for life

! A tax deduction for a portion of

the principal gift

! Tax-free return on a portion of the

annual income

! Capital-gains tax reduction on

gifts of appreciated securities

! Competitive interest rates

! The satisfaction of making a gift

that will benefit Mercer for

generations to come

If you are younger, you can choose

a deferred gift annuity to lock in a

much higher rate of return for retire-

ment. For example, if you are 45 and

defer the annuity to age 65, your rate of

return would be 15.7%. Thus a $10,000

gift now would provide you with $1,570

in annual income for life, starting at

age 65 (and you would still

receive a tax deduction

now of $3,672).*

In addition, unlike

traditional retirement

accounts, there is no limit

on how much you can contribute to a

gift annuity.

If you have certificates of deposit

(“CD’s”) that are about to mature; if

you have appreciated stock generating

little return; if you want to increase

your retirement income; if you want to

make a difference at Mercer University,

then consider a Mercer gift annuity.

Give more, get more. Let us help

you establish a gift annuity right away.

It is a simple way to plan for the future

— yours and Mercer’s.

*Calculations based on December 2003 rates set by

the Internal Revenue Service and the American

Council on Gift Annuities. Rates vary based on the

age of the gift annuitant(s). The donor can designate

one or two annuitants, including him- or

herself.

**Tax-free treatment of income is based on Internal

Revenue Service life-expectancy tables and discount

rates and varies based on the age of the gift

annuitant(s).

Note: These calculations are for illustration only and

should not be considered legal, accounting or other

professional advice. Benefits may vary depending on

the timing of the gift.

By creating a gift annuity with Mercer University,

you can increase the rate of return on your cash,

stock, bond or other investments while making an

unrestricted or designated gift.

Mercer is pleased to announce that

John P. Cole has joined our planned-

giving team. He and Claude Smith are

working together to serve our alumni and

friends. Please contact John at

(478) 301-2570 or cole_jp@mercer.edu.

“Employers are looking more and more for internships

on résumés because they go much deeper than

part-time jobs. By interning with these

companies, students get to participate in meetings and

get a real feel for the business.”

Senior business student Eileen Pascual (left) works on a graphic for a commercial with

Heather McCroan, production manager at Cox Media in Macon.

The Mercer Alumni Association has

announced the launching of Mercer Alumni

Online. It is free and accessible only by

Mercer alumni from the University’s home

page via a secure personal password and

user ID. Users do not have to be computer

experts — it is easy to use and will provide

fast communication of a variety of features.

NLINE DIRECTORY

A password-protected directory that one

can update and use to search for alumni.

ESSAGE BOARDS

Read and post notes to classmates.

PERMANENT E-MAIL FORWARDING ADDRESS

A “lifetime” e-mail address that will auto-

matically forward e-mail messages to any

existing e-mail account.

LASS NOTES

Post instant updates about one’s family,

career and interests.

BROADCAST E-MAIL

This feature informs about alumni events in

communities and on campus.

OLLS AND SURVEYS

Polls and surveys give the Alumni Office a

process for asking the opinion of alumni.

Mercer has contracted with Harris Internet

Services to begin work with a completion

date of summer 2004. Mercer will also

make available for purchase a revised hard-

back alumni directory as in the past. Harris

will begin to contact alumni soon to update

personal information and offer an opt-out

for those who do not want to participate.

Mercer Alumni Online

to Launch Soon

8 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

tift colleg

Last spring in Dr. Mary

Willingham’s Children’s Literature

class, graduate education students

explored the various ways to teach an

appreciation for the written word to

young students.

Willingham imparted

to her students the

urgency of making

literature an impor-

tant part of a child’s

life so reading can

become a tool for

lifelong learning.

“My basic objectives for this class

were to expose our teachers to the vast

body of children’s literature,” said

Willingham, a Mercer professor for 22

years. “I strived to help them create

exciting questions and activities that

will engender a love of reading in their

students and to increase their own

love of reading and knowledge of

literature.”

The course culminated in a

Children’s Book and Storytelling

Festival, with each student directed to

bring at least one child to the program.

The Festival was one of Willingham’s

ideas for generating interest in reading

among children, while allowing her

students to showcase what they had

learned over the semester.

Wynetta Scott-Simmons of

Fayetteville found that children who

enjoy the stories or poetry they

performed are more likely to pick up a

book and try to find more. “The Festival

presented different types of literature in

order to broaden the children’s expo-

sure to books and increase their desire

to read,” said the Fayetteville educator,

who recently completed her specialist in

education degree at Mercer.

The third grade

teacher at Peeples

Elementary School in

Atlanta has used

many of Willingham’s

ideas with her own

students. “In my

classroom, reading

aloud has been very

effective as my students have become

interested in different types of books or

in books they thought they wouldn’t

like. Now, they are more open to all

kinds of stories and read the more chal-

lenging books that they wouldn’t have

picked up before,” said Scott-Simmons,

who also earned her master’s degree in

education at Mercer’s Tift College of

Education in Atlanta.

One of Willingham’s tips for getting

kids to read is to create a connection

between the child and a book. Semia

Hutchings of Decatur, who is pursuing

her certificate in teacher education,

uses this technique in her classroom.

“A good idea is to see what kind of

child you are trying to get excited about

reading,” said Hutchings, a 3rd grade

teacher at Fountain Elementary School.

“If the child is interested in sports, I

find a book about sports to get things

started. The key is to find out what the

kids like and keep a big, diverse class

library in which every student can find

a book that relates to him or her.”

Teachers can also help students

by continuously researching new

books to share with their students.

Graduate education student Tish

Brownlee of Powder Springs reads

different types of children’s

literature on her own so she can

choose the best material for

her students.

“We’ve learned in class to read

an extra book each week,” said

Brownlee, who teaches in the Cobb

County School System. “Since I work

in kindergarten, reading all types of

children’s books has helped me get

into books I wouldn’t have always

read. Teachers doing this can share

what they’ve read or used in their

classrooms to help [teachers and

parents] pick the right material for

their kids.”

While reading continues to be a

child’s foundation for education,

finding unique and active ways to

engage a classroom remains

important. Through ideas like acting

out poems and stories, building a

diverse classroom library, finding con-

nections between students and books,

and reading regularly to be able to

recommend material to students,

teachers in Willingham’s class have

experienced success.

“I have taken these ideas

immediately from this class to my

third-graders,” said Scott-Simmons.

“Anyone can do these things to encour-

age kids to read, and though some of it

may be hard work, it’s work that you

don’t mind doing.”

TIFT COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Teaching Methods Inspire Children to Read By Sonal Patel

ith literacy being the cornerstone of a

child’s education, students and teachers

in Mercer University’s Tift College of

Education are learning how to creatively

bring the excitement of reading to the kids in their classrooms.

Graduate Program Focuses on Diversity By Sonal Patel

ducators can now learn how

to diversify their teaching

methods and better com-

municate with today’s various types

of students.

Through the innovative Holistic

Educator graduate program in Mercer

University’s Tift College of Education,

teachers, health educators and family

specialists all have the opportunity to

maximize their skills by developing

themselves on both personal and

professional levels.

Classes are currently being offered

on Mercer’s main campus in Macon

and regional acadmic center in

Eastman.

“The Holistic Educator provides a

pathway for professionals seeking

advanced knowledge and growth,” said

Associate Professor Margaret Morris.

“Teachers today, whether they be

certified public school teachers or

health educators, need the skills to

differentiate instruction, effectively

manage diversity among students

and understand best practices in

teaching pedagogy.”

The new program allows

professionals to earn a master’s degree

in education specialized to equip

educators with the tools they need for

working with students of all back-

grounds and abilities. By offering a

unique development program geared

toward those working with children or

families, candidates may come from a

wide range of careers and will learn to

address the needs within their own

professions.

The cornerstone of the program is

an emphasis on teachers learning

skills of empowerment and the ability

to build partnerships. By creating

educators that understand themselves,

and also understand their students,

Mercer’s program aims to produce

professionals who can teach in the

most effective method to reach every

type of student.

With the Holistic Educator

program having completed its first

semester on Mercer’s main campus in

Macon and its regional academic

center in Eastman, interest continues

to grow. New candidates may begin the

program this fall and students in the

program will take two courses for each

of four, 16-week semesters.

“The Holistic Educator recognizes

the importance of schools or related

agencies meeting the educational,

psychological and social needs of

students and families in a well-

planned holistic manner,” said

Morris. “It’s not just teachers that

benefit from this advanced degree,

it’s individuals in various professional

settings.”

Interest continues to grow surrounding Mercer’s newest education program, the Holistic Educator.

Classes are being offered at Mercer’s main campus and Eastman’s regional academic center.

Mercer offers new program in

Macon and Eastman.

While reading continues

to be a child’s foundation

for education, finding

unique and active ways

to engage a classroom

remains important.

Students (from left) Tish Brownlee and Wynetta Scott-Simmons, Professor Mary

Willingham, and student Semia Hutchings prepare for the annual Children’s Book and

Storytelling Festival held at the Tift College of Education on Mercer’s Atlanta Campus.

White, executive director, Georgia

Baptist Convention.

The Gwinnett

County Board of

Commissioners

recently approved a

rezoning of the

Sugarloaf Parkway

property, clearing the

way for the

Convention’s

project to begin in early 2004. “This

will allow the Convention to more

effectively serve the needs of our

churches in a state-of-the-art facility

well into the 21st Century,” said White.

The 25 acres on which the Baptist

Center stands were originally part of

the Atlanta Baptist College campus,

and were sold to the Convention prior

to the college’s merger with Mercer in

the 1970s. The new purchase gives the

University ownership of all of the prop-

erty inside the circle

formed by Mercer

University Drive and

Flowers Road South.

“This strategic

undertaking is

critically important

to the future of our

great University,

most especially to the continued vitality

and prominence of our highly success-

ful Atlanta campus,” said James A.

Bishop, chairman, Mercer University

Board of Trustees.

‘This will allow the

Convention to more

effectively serve the needs

of our churches in a

state-of-the-art facility well

into the 21st Century.’

Mercer Purchases

Baptist Center

— Continued from page 3

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 9

e of education news

arl R. Martray, Ph.D., began

serving as dean of Tift

College of Education in July.

“Mercer is deeply committed to

educating men and women who can

meet the challenges of the highly-

complex, vitally-important role of

providing instruction and leadership to

young people,” said Mercer President

R. Kirby Godsey. “Dr. Martray brings

outstanding academic leadership and

credentials to this position. Our

students and our programs will greatly

benefit from having him here at Tift

College of Education.”

With more than 1,400 students in

undergraduate and graduate studies,

Mercer University’s Tift College of

Education prepares more teachers than

any other private institution in

Georgia. The College offers programs

on Mercer’s Macon and Atlanta

campuses as well as at the University’s

three regional academic centers in

Douglas County, Henry County and

Eastman.

Martray previously

served as dean of the

College of Education

and Psychology at the

University of Southern

Mississippi (USM), a

position he held since

1998. Prior to joining

USM, he spent 27 years at Western

Kentucky University, where he served

his last eight years as dean of the

College of Education and Behavioral

Sciences. Both institutions are the

largest preparer of professional

educators in their respective states.

With a bachelor of arts degree in

elementary education from Fairmont

State College, West Virginia, Martray

holds a master’s degree and a doctorate

in educational psychology from the

University of Alabama.

He began his career as principal

and teacher at Colfax Elementary

School in Marion County Schools,

Fairmont, W.Va. During his studies at

the University of Alabama from 1969 to

1971, he served as instructor of

Educational Psychology and Research

Design at the University as well as

program evaluator for the Title IV

programs in Central and Northwest

Alabama. He was also an instructor in

the Psychology Department at Stillman

College in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

As a charter member of the

Kentucky Educational Professional

Standards Board, Martray was involved

in setting policy and determining

direction for the education profession

in Kentucky. He also served two terms

on the American Association for

Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)

Joint Governmental Relations

Committee, where he helped influence

national policy pertaining to teacher

education.

A member of the editorial board of

Psychology, A Journal of Human

Behavior for more than 10 years, he

served seven years on the editorial

board of Journal of Human Behavior

and Learning and three years as

consulting editor for People and

Education: The Human Side of

Schools.

He is a frequent

presenter and panelist

at educational

conferences and the

author of numerous

publications and

professional journals.

Additionally, he has been a staff

development consultant to teachers

and administrators in more than 20

public and private school systems.

He and his wife, Donna, who is a

board certified operating room

nurse, have two daughters: Lauri

Turner of Bowling Green, Ky., and

Nicole Talley of Birmingham, Ala. They

also have a three-year-old grandson,

Cole Turner.

Martray Appointed Education Dean at Mercer

By Judith Lunsford

Graduates of Mercer’s Tift College

of Education are now more prepared

than ever to meet the needs of

tomorrow’s classrooms.

All Mercer education students have

the opportunity to receive intensive

training on the best practices for

integrating technology into the

classroom. After completing this

technology-infused teacher-

preparation program, students receive

InTech certification, a state-approved

certification that very few

universities offer.

Mercer first offered the

InTech program to students

two years ago using a grant

received from the U.S.

Department of Education.

The grant was a part of government’s

“Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to

Use Technology” (PT3) program.

The program was a tremendous

success. While participating in InTech

training was optional, only three

students didn’t take advantage of the

technology training last year, said Dr.

Penny Elkins, co-director of the

University’s PT3 project and an

associate professor in Mercer’s Tift

College of Education.

Obtaining InTech certification

makes Mercer graduates more

marketable, said Dr. Bruce Sliger, an

associate professor of education in the

College and co-director of the project.

Elkins agreed. Federal law requires

all teachers to have technology

certification by 2006, so many school

systems are scrambling to find money

in their budgets to train their

teachers.

“Principals have been told they

have to spend money to train their

teachers. So, not only does Mercer

have phenomenal graduates, but also

fully trained graduates. Our students

have first-hand experience on how to

integrate technology into the

classroom, how to teach with

technology and how to improve test

scores,” Elkins said.

The program also benefits Mercer

faculty. Ninety percent of Tift College

of Education faculty have received

InTech training. And graduate

education students are given the

option of receiving InTech training at

Mercer as well.

The initial grant funding for the

InTech program ended at the end of

last academic year. But, Mercer is able

to continue this innovative technology

training program this year because

Tift College of Education received

another PT3 grant in June. This

$260,000 grant is allowing the

University to continue to train

professors and students on the latest

in educational software programs.

The College of Education is also

rewriting its curriculum to

require all undergraduate

education students to

receive this important

training.

Yvonne Hudgins, who

graduated from Mercer

with a bachelor’s degree in early

childhood education in May, said she’s

grateful she was able to receive InTech

certification while at Mercer.

“Technology is growing by leaps

and bounds and will play a big part in

the future of my students. InTech

made me more aware of the many

possibilities of integrating technology

in the classroom,” she said. “I have

found that technology is a great

motivator for students. Using

technology is an enjoyable way for

students to learn.”

PT3 Grant Provides Cutting-Edge Technology Training By Jenny Butkus

‘Dr. Martray brings outstanding academic leadership

and credentials to this position. Our students and our

programs will greatly benefit from having him here at

Tift College of Education.’

‘Technology is growing by leaps and bounds and

will play a big part in the future of my students.

InTech made me more aware of the many possibilities

of integrating technology in the classroom.’

Dean of Education

Dr. Carl R. Martray

Alumni Student Recruitment

Referral Form

If you know an outstanding prospective student,

please complete and mail this form to Mercer’s Office

of University Admissions, 1400 Coleman Ave.,

Macon, GA 31207. You may also call in your

submission at (800) 840-8577 or e-mail us at

admissions@mercer.edu.

Your Name __________________________________

Student Name ________________________________

Hometown __________________________________

High School _________________________________

Year of graduation ___________ SAT/ACT __________

GPA _________

Activities ___________________________________

Home telephone number _________________________

Address ____________________________________

__________________________________________

E-mail address _______________________________

10 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

MERCER SPECIAL EVENTS

MERCER SPECIAL E VENTS

Century Club

Reception and Reunion Dinner

October 3, 2003

Presidents of Half Century Club (Above):

Gladys Holder Giddens, CLA ’37

(1992 & 1997);

Orbin D. Howell, CLA ’42

(1994 &1995);

George B. Culpepper, III, LAW ’43

(1998);

C. Cloud Morgan, Sr., CLA ’41, LAW ’48

(2000);

Dan D. Dunwody, Jr., CLA ’49

(2001);

Preston C. Williams, Jr., CLA ’47

(2002);

Sarah Anne Black, CLA ’51

(2003);

Bob G. Dollar, CLA ’53

(2004)

The Gabbling Godseys (pictured left) team

against the Jabbering Jesses in a fun trivia

quiz. L-R: Annie Mays Larmore, CLA ’31; C.

Cloud Morgan, Preston C. Williams, Bobby

Wilder, EDU ’52, Gladys Giddens.

(Right) Dr. Bill Shirley, CLA ’43, and wife,

Bess, with Mercer’s “old” car.

Mercer Madness

Mercer Madness, held in October coinciding with the first

day of practice for the men's and women's basketball

teams, featured a variety of activities for the last time in

Porter Gym. Among the favorites were: introductions

of the men's and women's teams, routines by the

Mercer cheerleaders, faculty and staff basketball

game and slam dunk contest (where the judges

could not always agree on scores).

Half

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 11

COMMENCEMENT

MERCER SPECIAL E VENTS

Mercer University

Commencement

Wayne E. Ward, retired senior professor of Christian

Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary,

was featured speaker at the McAfee School of Theology

commencement.

U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, A.B. ’64, J.D. ’66, gave the

commencement address at the Walter F. George

School of Law graduation ceremony.

Wyche Fowler Jr., chairman of the board of the

Middle East Institute, was featured speaker at the

Macon commencement. Fowler, right, is pictured

with Mercer University President R. Kirby Godsey.

(Above) Dr. Nancy W. Dickey, president

and vice chancellor for health affairs at The

Texas A&M System Health Science Center

and past president of the American Medical

Association, gave the commencement

address for the School of Medicine.

(Right) Dr. Karen Jean Minyard, executive

director for the Georgia Health Policy

Center, delivered the commencement

address for the Georgia Baptist College of

Nursing.

Michael L. Starr, executive vice president of

Wachovia Bank, gave the commencement address at

the Eugene W. Stetson School of Business and

Economics Atlanta graduation ceremony.

Dr. Larry McSwain, senior fellow of Mercer

University Commons, was featured speaker at the

Tift College of Education, Division of Extended

Education and College of Continuing and

Professional Studies Atlanta Commencement.

2003

12 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

school of

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

MU Engineering Student Earns Triple Honors By Jenny Butkus

“I was really excited and surprised

by that,” said Drury, who was nominat-

ed for the honor by Engineering Dean

Dayne Aldridge.

But, for the 22-year-old, this was

just the beginning of a long list of

recognitions she would receive her last

semester at Mercer.

While knee-deep in her senior

design project, Drury learned she was

one of some 30 students in the country

to receive a biomedical engineering

graduate fellowship from the Whitaker

Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to

improving human health through the

support of biomedical engineering.

With an estimated value of $111,000,

the fellowship pays for Drury’s tuition

in the biomedical engineering gradu-

ate program of her choice as well as an

annual stipend for living expenses.

Drury was the first Mercer graduate

to receive a Whitaker Fellowship.

Dr. Edward O’Brien, chair of the

Biomedical Engineering Department,

said he wasn’t surprised that Drury

received the Fellowship. “In terms of

scholastic achievement, she has a per-

fect 4.0 GPA. In my classes she didn’t

just get an A, but the highest A,”

O’Brien said.

She maintained this perfect aca-

demic record while remaining active in

a laundry list of groups outside the

classroom.

Drury played in Mercer’s Flute

Choir, was a member of the Karate

Club, volunteered for Habitat for

Humanity, served as a supplemental

instruction leader and was on the

University Special Events Team. And in

clubs, she was not only a member, but

also a leader. Drury served as the treas-

urer of the Biomedical Engineering

Club, the vice president of Tau Beta Pi

engineering honor society, the treasur-

er of the Society of Women Engineers

and the student vice president of Phi

Kappa Phi honor society.

Drury enjoyed being active in activ-

ities outside of the classroom, particu-

larly with the Flute Choir.

She also served as a supplemental

instructor for chemistry and calculus

students, meeting with the students

three times a week to review what they

were working on in their classes.

“It’s great when you know you’ve

helped someone out,” she said.

Helping people out is why she has

decided to become a biomedical

engineer. Drury wants to go into tissue

engineering to learn how to grow a

tissue that will replicate a specific

tissue of the human body.

She took this career direction as a

result of what a close friend endured

when he had an artificial heart valve

implanted as a child. Because the valve

was made of artificial material, he

outgrew it every few years. This has

meant a lot of expensive and dan-

gerous surgery.

If biomedical engineers were able

to engineer tissues that could be

shaped into a heart

valve, then the

tissue would just

grow with the rest

of the organs, she

said, meaning no

more surgery.

Drury got a

taste of this fasci-

nating field during

her internship at

Georgia Tech/

Emory Center for

the Engineering of

Living Tissues in

summer 2002. She

is currently using

the Whitaker

Fellow-ship to

attend Georgia

Tech, where she is

working toward earning a doctorate in

biomedical engineering.

She was also awarded a fellowship

from the engineering honor society,

Tau Beta Pi. While she did not use the

funds because Whitaker does not allow

its Fellowship recipients to accept

money from another source, she does

get to keep the title.

Her commitment to excellence was

also recognized by the University. Drury

received the Dean’s Choice Award. At

commencement, she received one of

the highest honors given by Mercer

University — the Louie D. Newton

General Excellence Medal, which is

based on a combination of academic

scholarship and outstanding personal

qualities.

Drury said this makes those “all-

nighters” all worthwhile, adding that

she couldn’t have gotten this far with-

out the support of the biomedical engi-

neering faculty. She chose Mercer

because she liked the small class sizes,

but the professors’ helpfulness has

surpassed her expectations.

“The professors were incredibly

supportive,” said Drury, who has made

trips back to Macon since graduation

to visit her favorite professors. “They

always had time to talk with me. And

every time I got an award, I would go

into the BME [biomedical engineering]

suite and tell everybody. They always

seemed just as excited as I was.”

ercer University and

Robins Air Force Base

recently celebrated a 20-

year partnership — a pact that has

spawned more than 1,000 engineering

graduates and provided a large number

of qualified engineers for the local

military installation.

The partnership began before

Mercer even had a School of

Engineering. In fact, the Engineering

School was born from the need of

qualified engineers for the Warner

Robins base.

In 1983, Maj. Gen. Cornelius

Nugteren, the commander of the

Warner Robins Air Logistic Center at the

time, realized that the base needed

more qualified engineers in order to

fulfill its mission. The local labor pool

was unable to keep pace with the

base’s demand for engineers, and he

knew a solid, well-rounded engin-

eering program was needed to keep

Robins viable.

Nugteren approached various

educational institutions, asking for help

in establishing an engineering school

in central Georgia. But he was rejected

time and time again. Mercer University

President R. Kirby Godsey was the only

individual willing to step forward and

help Nugteren in this pinch.

Nugteren praised Godsey for his

courage despite the potential for strong

opposition. “Godsey said, ‘If you want

an engineering school, Mercer will give

you one.’ And that’s where it all

started,” Nugteren said.

Godsey said it was just the right

thing to do for the community. “One of

Mercer’s strengths has been our

connection with the community,” he

said. “That’s been one of our defining

touchstones. The Engineering School is

just one more example.”

As a result of Godsey and Nugteren’s

conversation, Mercer School of

Engineering was founded in 1985.

And two years later, the Mercer

Engineering Research Center (MERC)

opened in Warner Robins. The Center

has become the University’s formal

research and development arm, and

contracts with both government and

commercial customers.

Today, both Mercer and Robins Air

Force Base continue to benefit from the

partnership formed two decades years

ago. Mercer provides the largest

number of engineering graduates to

the Robins Air Force Base, and nearly

300 Mercer engineering graduates live

in central Georgia. The Engineering

School is widely recognized as a top

institution throughout the nation. And

MERC provides hands-on experience

to Mercer students by employing

students as engineering assistants.

Many MERC engineers also volunteer

their own time to consult and assist

Mercer students with their senior

design projects.

Godsey said the benefits of the

partnership don’t stop there.

“This is an important partnership

for this entire region,” he said. “It has

made a very positive impact on the

community and enabled us to make a

greater difference in the region.”

Mercer & RAFB Celebrate Partnership By Jenny Butkus

Mercer University’s Society for Technical Communication Chapter

recently was honored with two awards at the STC international conference

in Dallas.

The 23-member student chapter received the Student Chapter of

Distinction Award, the highest honor given to a student chapter in this

professional society. The award is only given to one student chapter in

each of the STC’s two chapter size categories.

The Mercer STC chapter also was honored with the Chapter of

Excellence Award for the second straight year. In order to achieve this

honor, the students had to complete and document a series of activities

and projects.

Denise Cook, who graduated from Mercer with a bachelor of science

degree in technical communication in May, served as president of the STC

chapter during the 2002-2003 academic year. She said the awards were

the culmination of many months of hard work.

Members of Mercer’s STC chapter initiated a new technical document

competition for senior engineering students at Mercer, published articles

in both of the STC’s official publications, participated in several commu-

nity service projects, published a monthly newsletter, co-sponsored a

workshop with Mercer’s Technical Communication Department, held a

welcome breakfast for new Technical Communication Department staff

members and spearheaded several other activities throughout the year.

“This award reflects the hard work put into the chapter by our mem-

bers as well as our goals to excel in our career field,” said Cook.

Mercer STC Chapter

Wins National Awards

By Jenny Butkus

Pictured, from left, are Major General Richard Goddard, Major General Donald J.

Wetekam, Mercer President R. Kirby Godsey and Major General Cornelius Nugteren.

t began in January 2003.

Mercer biomedical engineering student Danielle Drury

of Richmond Hill, Ga., was named Georgia Engineering

Student of the Year by the Georgia Engineering Foundation.

Danielle Drury, BSE 03, works on a project in

one of the Mercer engineering labs.

Like most students, Hilderbrand,

who graduated from Mercer School of

Engineering in May 2003, didn’t

choose a career until his senior year

at Harris County High School.

Growing up in rural Hamilton, Ga.,

he worked with his father in the fami-

ly’s machine shop. When the time

came for him to choose a career path,

he fell back on what he knew: work-

ing with his hands.

“I just put two and two together,”

said Hilderbrand. “I loved building

and making, and math and science.

So, I decided that engineering would

be a good match for me.”

Hilderbrand was then faced with

the difficult decision of choosing

a college.

The oldest of four children,

Hilderbrand was the first one in his

family to pursue a college degree.

When time came to choose the right

college, he turned to his high school

counselor for guidance. She helped

him enter a competition for a scholar-

ship to Mercer University, and he won.

“That was pretty much the

deciding factor on where to go,” said

Hilderbrand, who also received the

HOPE Scholarship.

During his four-year stay at

Mercer, Hilderbrand had the

opportunity to explore different

avenues of engineering, and including

working on a research project for

NASA. In summer 2002, he worked for

the Glenn Research Center in

Cleveland, Ohio, where he was tasked

with researching heat transfer in a

reduced gravity setting, a mission

that could affect life at future space

stations.

Jeff Allen, a staff scientist with the

National Center for Microgravity

Research, and one of the leaders of

Hilderbrand’s project, explained the

student’s work this way: when a

person sweats, it cools him down.

Engineers apply that principle of heat

transfer to efficiently cool many

things. In order for the object to cool,

the water must evaporate from the

surface of the object. On earth, that’s

no problem, but in space, the

condensation collects and doesn’t

evaporate.

Hilderbrand, along with a team of

five other senior engineering students

at Mercer, studied a way to stop

condensation from pooling up in a

reduced gravity setting, so that heat

transfer will work as effectively in

space as it does on earth. For their

design project, Dennis Adams, Stormie

Chenoweth, Cynthia Dickman, Josh

Hilderbrand, Scott Silence, and

Chelsea Smith built an apparatus that

will help researchers do preliminary

testing on the heat transfer project.

“I’m very impressed with the scope

of this senior design project,” said

Allen. “It’s reflective of the work

students will find in the real world.”

Hilderbrand says he made the

right decision in choosing Mercer

University. “A nice aspect of the school

is that because of its size, you can talk

to the faculty one-on-one and find

that they’re all down to earth,” said

the student. “I’m more comfortable

here than I would be at a

larger school, and I feel like I’ve

learned more.”

Allen also commented on the

caliber of Mercer’s School of

Engineering. “I get the opportunity to

work with many students, and the

level of program that Mercer has is

not that common,” he said. “The edu-

cation [students] get will be a fantas-

tic resource for them in the future.”

During high school, Hilderbrand

took classes in advanced math and

sciences, which he said has helped

him with his studies at Mercer. He said

that trigonometry, calculus and

physics were classes he enjoyed.

“When you put them together, you

get engineering. But I’ve also always

been good at solving word problems,”

he said. “And that’s really what

engineering is, solving problems that

have real meaning.”

Allen agreed. “The best part of

being an engineer is really the

creativity and problem solving. Even

though there is a lot of math and

science, little of it is ‘cookbook.’ You

get to use your own creative process

and, in many ways, be artistic.”

Hilderbrand is now continuing his

studies in graduate school at

Rensselaer University in Troy, N.Y. He

is pursuing a master’s degree to help

him focus on specific areas of

engineering, but says that a master’s

degree is not necessary to find a good

job after college.

For Hilderbrand, the next step

after a master’s degree

may be to pursue his doc-

toral degree.

“I haven’t decided

about that yet,” he said.

“Getting a Ph.D. opens

doors, but it closes others.

That degree really nar-

rows down your field, and

you may find that only

two or three places in the

country are looking for

engineers with that spe-

cialty. Whatever I do, I

hope to serve a real

purpose by just doing

what I enjoy.”

Editor’s Note: Since this

article ran in Edge

magazine, Hilderbrand and the

rest of his design team were

honored with a second place award

in the American Society of Mechanical

Engineers Fluids Engineering

Division Senior Design Report

Contest.

This article was adapted from Edge

magazine with permission from Imedia Inc.

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 13

engineering news

Mercer Students Help in Research for NASA

By Renee Martinez

ercer University School of

Engineering is receiving

national attention for its

female-friendly atmosphere.

The School of Engineering is

ranked eighth in the nation in percent-

age of female students earning bache-

lor degrees and second in the nation in

percentage of women faculty tenured or

on tenure-track in the latest edition of

Profiles of Engineering and

Engineering Technology Schools. This

is an annual publication of the

American Society for Engineering

Education.

The rankings represent data

between July 1, 2001, and June 30,

2002, for degrees awarded and from

fall 2002 for the number of faculty

members. During that time frame, 37.9

percent of the degrees awarded from

the School of Engineering were to

women and 27.6 percent of the engi-

neering faculty tenured or on tenure-

track were women. Mercer was sur-

passed only by Santa Clara University

in the percentage of women faculty

tenured/tenure track.

At Georgia Institute of Technology,

28.4 percent of the bachelor in engi-

neering degrees awarded were to

women and 11.4 percent of the engi-

neering faculty tenured or on tenure-

track were women.

Alumnae and faculty say Mercer

School of Engineering is an attractive

learning and working environment to

women for a variety of reasons.

“I think Mercer allows more oppor-

tunities for women than other

institutions,” said Jackie Smith, a 1998

Mercer environmental engineering

graduate.

Smith said larger, predominately

male institutions can be intimidating to

women interested in pursuing a degree

in engineering, but Mercer’s small size,

coupled with the high number of

female engineering faculty, provide a

nurturing environment that make

women students feel comfortable.

Dr. Phillip Olivier, a professor at the

School of Engineering, feels having a

diverse classroom environment is a

good thing. Mercer provides a quality

engineering education, he said, and the

fact that male and female students

alike are attracted to Mercer’s engineer-

ing program is a testament to the qual-

ity education Mercer provides.

Dr. Joan Burtner, an assistant pro-

fessor at School of Engineering, earned

her undergraduate degree at Mercer

School of Engineering and has been

teaching at the University for 12 years.

Burtner said she thinks the School’s

emphasis on fieldwork and collabora-

tion over competition are attractive to

both male and female students.

“And research shows many women

are interested in service-oriented

careers. Mercer provides various

avenues for female students who are

interested in engineering and who also

want to give back to the community,”

Burtner added.

Dr. Renee Rogge, an assistant pro-

fessor at Mercer and the adviser to the

Society of Women Engineers, is excited

about the School of Engineering’s

recent rankings. “I think these rankings

reflect well on Mercer University,” she

said. “We are providing an environment

capable of encouraging women to

achieve their full potential in careers as

engineers and leaders.”

Mercer Attracts Women in Engineering

By Jenny Butkus

The School of Engineering is ranked eighth

in the nation in percentage of female stu-

dents earning bachelor degrees and sec-

ond in the nation in percentage of women

faculty tenured or on tenure-track in the

latest edition of Profiles of Engineering and

Engineering Technology Schools.

osh Hilderbrand’s senior research project wasn’t rocket

science, but it was pretty close. As an engineering

student at Mercer University, Hilderbrand turned his

love of science into a career that could have

far-reaching effects.

TIGER TRAP!

Mercer alumnus Bill Stapleton, ENG ‘95, played golf with Tiger Woods in the “Tiger

Trap” shootout in October. He was one of four amateurs to play in the closest-to-the-pin

competition and walked away victorious with a new $39,000 Buick Rainer.

Mercer Engineering Student,

Josh Hilderbrand

The gym’s 500-person capacity was

definitely put to the test as

students, alumni, faculty and staff

squeezed into the stands becoming a

sea of orange and black. The

Mercerians demonstrated

relentless spirit.

Mercer led by a mere three points

at half-time, but the Bears had come

too far to let victory pass them by.

From last season’s 6-23 record, Coach

Mark Slonaker had led the team to an

impressive 22-5 record marking the

biggest turnaround in NCAA history.

As the final buzzer sounded, the

scoreboard read 101-84, tying Mercer

for the number one seed in the Atlantic

Sun Conference Tournament. This

22nd victory tied the 1985 team record,

while setting a new record for 11

straight wins and clinching the first

regular-season conference champi-

onship in the University’s history.

Mercer’s former coaches, players

and cheerleaders were invited to attend

a celebration dinner before going to

the game where they

were each honored at

half-time. In his

welcoming speech,

Bobby Wilder, a

former player and

coach from 1956-

1970, recalled that

Porter Gym used to

be the biggest court in the area, widely

regarded as the premier place to play

basketball in the state of Georgia at

the time.

“If we could have played every

game in Porter Gym, we would have set

world records,” he exclaimed.

Jim Cowan, who coached from

1946-1951, likewise showed that he

had not lost any of his Mercer spirit as

he approached the podium, blew his

whistle and announced that the first

drill of the evening would be wind

sprints. He enumerated some of his

fondest memories from his coaching

days. “Looking up in the stands and

seeing my wife and daughters

supporting me — with a white towel

over my shoulder and a bunch of

sweaty players lined up at my side —

that’s about as close to heaven as you

can get on this earth,” he concluded.

Among the attending alumni were

some of the best players to step foot on

Porter’s court. Tommy Mixon, whose

#7 jersey was retired upon his 1955

graduation, still holds the title of the

second highest scorer in the history of

Mercer basketball with 1,801 points. He

remarked that despite its disadvan-

tages, Porter Gym still has one of the

better playing floors in the state of

Georgia.

Jud Roberts, class of 1969, is hailed

as Mercer’s fourth highest scorer with

1,699 points. He traveled from

California to reunite with old friends

and teammates and say goodbye to a

piece of their past.

“I’ve got a lot of great memories in

this gym, but it’s time for them to go,”

he said. “This team has packed this

place tonight; they need the new gym

on-campus so all their fans can come

to the games.”

After spending so many years on

that court learning not just about the

mechanics of basketball, but about

comradery, sportsmanship, teamwork

and loyalty, it is no wonder the alumni

feel such affection for Mercer’s home

court. The reunion of former athletes

sparked an energy Porter Gym has not

likely seen in some time. They brought

with them so many memories and

stories, fleshing out Mercer’s traditions

and spirit.

Algy Carbonell Edwards, a cheer-

leader from the class of 1958, recalled

how much things had changed since

she left. “When I was a cheerleader, my

skirt came down to my knees and the

boys’ shorts were very, very short. Now

it is just the opposite!”

John Hughes, class of 1955, and his

twin brother, James, grew up together

playing basketball in Porter Gym, from

childhood all the way through college.

“This is a very nostalgic time for me.

My twin brother and I used to come

in here and play on this floor, since

the time we were eight years old

playing in the grammar school play-

offs.” Hughes rooted for his home

team, encouraging each player by

name and affectionately heckling the

referee when the calls became too

trivial, like any true orange-and-

black Mercerian would. “Make those

boys tuck in their shirts one more

time, Ref! I’m counting on you, Big

Guy!” There was much to be learned

about pride and school spirit from

the passion that exuded from the

alumni section of the stands.

Most are thrilled about the

pending expansion, but saying good-

bye to a place housing so many fond

memories is never easy. Dan

Nyimicz, coach from 1951-1953,

commented, “This is the best home

floor in the world because the fans

are so close to the players and they

can make so much noise! We will

lose a little of that feel in the new

facility, but so many more people

will be able to come, which is great.”

Kali Bogden, a women’s player

from the class of 1990, was very

optimistic about the move. “Nobody

likes to see anything with so much

tradition go away, but I think Mercer

has done a great job of bowing this

gym out, and I know the tradition will

carry on.”

As the chaotic elation began to melt

into order, the heads of each player,

followed by Coach

Slonaker, wet and

freezing from his

celebratory “icing,”

emerged above the

crowd to cut down the

nets. The symbolic

gesture showed respect

for the past and excitement for the

future of the Mercer Bears. The alumni

began to shake hands and once again

say their goodbyes, to each other and

to Porter Gym.

“We may be the best of Mercer’s

past, but this is Mercer’s future, and

they need their own place to grow,”

said Woody Richardson, a player from

the class of 1958. “Our memories are

here, but there are new ones to be

made in the new gym. We wouldn’t

have it any other way.”

After a night of nail-biting

basketball and a blast from the past,

the student body remembered what it

means to “bleed orange.” School spirit

has been rejuvenated and vows have

been made to carry on Mercer’s sacred

traditions. With new school records

and a clearer understanding of what it

is to be a Mercerian, the students and

alumni are ready to head across the street

to the new University Center with hope

and pride, ready to leave their own mark.

14 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

MERCER ATHLETICS UPDATE

Bears Win Championship in Gym’s Last Season By Meghan Draughon

n light of the construction of the $40-million, 230,000-

square-foot University Center, which includes a state-of-

the-art basketball arena, the 70-year tradition of Mercer

athletics in Porter Gym had to come to a close. The

promoted farewell event was a bittersweet one as the Bears took

on the Stetson Hatters on March 1. (While awaiting construction

completion of the University Center, the Bears played a few

games in Porter Gym to begin the 2003-04 season.) Perhaps it

was the nostalgia of the place, or maybe Mercer’s record-break-

ing season that drew the hundreds of alumni and student spec-

tators to pay their respects.

Academic year 2002-2003 was not

only an excellent one for the University

in the areas of academics, fund raising,

facility improvements and alumni sup-

port, but also in the world of athletics.

Three Mercer coaches were named

Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year after

their squads successfully completed

banner years in competition.

In July, softball coach Toni Foti

became the third Mercer coach to win

the distinguished honor for the year

after his Bears recorded the most wins

in school history and finished at 35-23.

The Bears also qualified for the A-Sun

Tournament for the first time since

1997 and finished third overall. Also,

six of Foti’s players earned All-

Academic honors with a 3.0 or higher

grade point average during the season.

Soccer coach Tom Melville

launched Mercer Athletics off to a good

year in the fall by claiming his second

A-Sun Coach of the Year honor.

Melville’s squad finished with its third

straight A-Sun regular season title.

Sandwiched between those honors

was the remarkable feat of men’s bas-

ketball coach Mark Slonaker who,

in addition to being named A-Sun

Coach of the Year, was also named

National Coach of the Year by

CollegeInsider.com and the Naismith

Georgia Coach of the Year. Slonaker led

the Bears to the biggest turnaround in

NCAA history with a 23-6 record in

2002-2003 after a 6-23 record the pre-

vious season. The Bears were the

A-Sun regular season conference

champions.

After spending so many years on that court

learning not just about the mechanics of basketball, but

about comradery, sportsmanship, teamwork and loyalty,

it is no wonder the alumni feel such affection for

Mercer’s home court.

Three Mercer Coaches Named

Best in the A-Sun for 2002-03

(L-R) Sun-A Coaches of the Year, Mark Slonaker (Men’s Basketball), Tony Foti

(Softball), and Tom Melville (Soccer)

Senior Aleem Muhammed cuts the last string of the basketball net

after Mercer’s last championship victory in Porter Gym.

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 15

Since 1977, Mercer has ensured its

trust in Coach Barry Myers to uphold

that excellence. Over those 26 years

(five as an assistant to Coach Claude

Smith), he became the winningest

coach (649) in Mercer history.

Myers’ success on the field has been

more than matched by the perform-

ance of his players in the classroom.

One season, 24 of his 30 student-

athletes were named to the conference’s

All-Academic team.

“We always took it one game at a

time and one win at a time, and we

made sure our players were getting it

done in the classroom as well,” he said.

Craig Gibson, Myers’ successor as

head coach and longtime assistant,

played for Myers in

1982. He, like many

others, speaks of

Myers as a great

man before

discussing his

excellence as a base-

ball coach. “Once

you played for him,”

said Gibson, “he

treated you like family. He’d go out on a

limb for you; he’d do anything to help

you, whatever it took to make sure you

were successful.”

Myers was also a professor at

Mercer. He taught a full load of physi-

cal education classes, as he did at all

his coaching stops, until the P.E. pro-

gram was dropped at Mercer in the late

’80s. In his early years at the University,

he also functioned as the baseball

team’s first assistant, second assistant,

trainer and groundskeeper. Such was

the norm during the years Myers was

advancing through the ranks.

He talks of his coach at Marshall

University, Bill Chambers, along with

Florida State University’s Danny

Litwhiler and Miami-Dade Community

College’s Demie Maneiri, who are both

in the College Baseball Coaches Hall of

Fame, as some of the great baseball

minds to which he’s most indebted.

Litwhiler, coach at Florida State

when Myers signed on as a graduate

assistant, gave Myers his first glimpse at

“how a practice was supposed to be

organized — guys in batting cages,

three or four guys hitting ground balls

to the infielders, three or four hitting

stations, various drills going on.”

Litwhiler had 16 years of major

league experience, created hitting drills

in which curve balls were simulated by

a ball tied to piece of rope, pitching

drills in which unbreakable mirrors

were employed for pitchers to scrutinize

their own mechanics, and he was the

first to use a radar gun to calibrate the

speed of pitches.

He and Demie Maneiri, who Myers

coached under at Miami-Dade Com-

munity College, were among a group of

coaches who played an integral role in

the evolution of college baseball. “They

were dedicated baseball men 365 days a

year,” said Myers, “the first to create a

great baseball atmosphere with great

facilities, batting cages and weight-

training programs.”

When asked about coaching under

Claude Smith, Myers

said, “he was

another one of those

guys that I was

fortunate enough to

be around back

then. When baseball

got going again after

World War II, they

were the true

pioneers of the game during the ’40s,

’50s and into the ’60s.”

According to Myers’ contemporaries,

he became quite the respected mentor

and admired baseball figure during his

own era. Georgia State University’s

head baseball coach, Mike Hurst, talks

of watching Myers with great admira-

tion from afar.

Myers had just become a head

coach during Hurst’s college years.

Hurst would later coach against Myers,

which, “was the ultimate privilege for

me,” he said, “but it was rough,

because Coach Myers was always tough

to beat.”

“College baseball is truly going to

miss Barry Myers,” Hurst added. “He is

a dying breed in terms of commitment

level. You can’t find many like him

these days. And the thing that most

people don’t know about Coach Myers

is the incredible number of unbeliev-

able things he has done for young men

through baseball. He’s done so many

things behind the scenes for his players

that people just don’t know about.”

Myers’ selfless dedication to Mercer,

his students and his players is also

reflected in the warmth in which Coach

Gibson speaks of him. “It has been a

priceless opportunity that doesn’t come

along very often, working with Coach

Myers. To be around a guy that gives

so much of himself to others is an

experience that can’t be measured.”

“He has an unbelievable know-

ledge of the game,” added Gibson,

“and an incredible ability to commu-

nicate with players of all ages, to get

his point across in a positive way.”

Mike Martin, head baseball coach

at Florida State, first met Coach

Myers when he was a graduate assis-

tant at FSU. As a player, Martin saw

something special in Myers’ coaching

and followed him to Jacksonville and

Mercer. “Coach was a guy who always

put the player first,” he said. “In

everything he did, he made the play-

er the focal point ... we will miss his

approach to the game; he made it fun

for everyone, and he never tried to win

the game through intimidation, but by

outthinking you.”

Coach Jay Bergman, head baseball

coach at University of Central Florida,

has known Coach Myers since 1967 and

has competed against him as a confer-

ence rival for the last 10 years. He was

quick to note how well the Bears play at

home. “Barry’s players always played

very well at home. When you went to

Mercer, it always seemed like you were

in a dogfight.”

Myers’ coaching accolades at

Mercer include three conference cham-

pionships and three divisional titles. He

was named Conference Coach of the

Year in 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1994.

“It’s been a tremendous challenge,”

said Myers, “to compete in Division I

with a small private university that has

such strong academics. It’s not easy

finding great baseball players, and it’s a

little harder to find them when they

must be outstanding students as well.

But I think we’ve managed to do that,

and I think we’ve competed well, which

is really a testament to the parents’ and

players’ sacrifices. Mercer was founded

as a degree-granting institution, not a

baseball school. I’d always tell the

players, ‘don’t forget your priorities.

Number one, get your degree; two, be

the best player you can be; three, have

a good college life.’”

During Myers’ years at Florida State

University and Miami-Dade

Community College, three fields were

needed to accommodate all of the play-

ers that tried out for the team. Myers,

who feels players improve more by

playing than practicing, misses the days

when he could watch six teams play

throughout the fall, evaluate them and

then choose the players that would

comprise the one team competing in

spring. “We played a whole season in

the fall,” he said, “before the regular

season even began.” For several years

now, the NCAA has forbidden any base-

ball season, including practice, to last

more than 22 weeks. During a 20-21

week season, there is no time for Fall

League. This has been a disadvantage

to Mercer teams that have, in past years

under Myers, often outworked their

opponents to achieve success.

Coach Joe Pettini, another of

Coach’s former players, played several

years in the majors and is currently an

assistant coach for the St. Louis

Cardinals. He was the first player to

sign with Coach Myers at Mercer. Myers

originally signed him while coaching at

Jacksonville but was able to bring the

promising talent with him to Mercer.

Pettini said, “I am very grateful to

Coach Myers. He brought me down

from West Virginia and gave me the

opportunity to play a 55-game schedule

against the best schools in the South.

He really prepared me for my profes-

sional career, and he turned Mercer

into a force in the Southeast.”

After graduating from Marshall

University, where he played football and

baseball, Myers coached three years at

Magnolia High School in New

Martinsville, W.Va. He got his college-

coaching start in 1962 when Florida

State hired him as a graduate assistant

and promptly asked him to handle the

pitching staff. FSU went on to compete

in the College World Series that year

and finish the season ranked 4th in

the country.

The next season, after being hired

as an assistant coach at Miami-Dade

Community College, Myers handled

recruiting and a pitching staff that beat

Hall of Fame pitcher and Atlanta Braves

announcer Don Sutton 2-1 to win the

Florida Junior College State Champion-

Myers’ Retirement: A Celebration of Excellence By Wes Griffith

ince becoming the first intercollegiate sport to be played

at Mercer, baseball has remained a very

special part of the University. Starting in 1890, the

Mercer baseball team lost only one game over its first

seven seasons. So began a commitment to excellence that has

always been required of Mercer’s baseball players both on and

off the field.

Coach Barry Myers, pictured with his son and former Mercer baseball player, Robb, at the

retirement dinner held in his honor.

‘College baseball is truly

gonna miss Barry Myers.

He is a dying breed in

terms of commitment level.

You can't find many like

him these days.’

— Continued on Page 19

athletics news

Mercer’s new Sweatshirt

Fleece Blankets are a great

way to show your school

spirit. Whether enjoying a

Mercer baseball game or

an evening at home in

front of the TV, these

blankets are sure to

keep you warm

during cool nights!

Priced at only $30,

these blankets are sure

to sell fast!

Pick up your Mercer

blanket today by visiting

www.mercer.edu/

athletics/onlinestore.htm.

This Season’s Must Have!

Mercer Alumnae, Denise Cook,

ENG ’03, Jennifer Chapman

Joyner, CLA ’95, and Katie

Baldree, CLA ’03, show their

Mercer spirit at Mercer’s Claude

Smith baseball field.

16 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

1975

Scott F. Kilgore, BA, and his wife,

Lanna, announce the birth of their

son, William Clayton, on Nov. 22,

2002. He joins two sisters, Cate and

Meredith. The family resides in

Bowling Green, Ky.

1982

J. Bryan Fobbus, BA, married

Patrice Outler, BA ’83, on July 27,

2002. The couple resides in Warner

Robins.

1983

Patrice Outler, BA. See J. Bryan

Fobbus, BA ’82.

Jo Minor Phelps, BA, married

Richard W. Brokenshire on Nov. 30,

2002. The couple resides in

Asheville, N.C.

1986

Laura Player Bonner, BA, and

her husband, Jim, announce the

birth of their daughter, Anna Marie,

on Oct. 3, 2002. She joins two broth-

ers, Jordan and Jonathan. The family

resides in Albany.

Kimberly Layne McWilliams,

BBA, and her husband, Craig,

announce the birth of their first

child, Carter Layne, on March 17,

2002. The family resides in Acworth.

1988

Douglas Matheson, BS, and his

wife, Astrid H. Khayat, JD ’92,

announce the birth of their son in

February. Matheson is the branch

manager of First American Title in

Houston, Texas, where Khayat has

been named director of contract con-

trols at Enron North America.

1989

Peter T. Mullady, BA, and his

wife, Mary Ann, announce the birth

of their son, Peter T. Mullady Jr., on

Jan. 25, 2001. The family resides in

Grayson.

Elizabeth Way, BBA, married

Don Edward Chandler on Oct. 26,

2002. The couple resides in Atlanta

where Way is the director of govern-

ment relations for the Georgia

Bankers Association.

1992

Shea Scobey Thompson, BA,

and her husband, Ricardo

Thompson, BA, announce the birth

of their son, Tanner Chase, on Sept.

28, 2002. He joins a sister, Scobey,

and a brother, Trinity. The family

resides in Miami Springs, Fla.

1993

Kelly Black Berger, BA, and her

husband, Ray Berger, BBA, BA,

announce the birth of their son,

Joshua Frank, on Sept. 5, 2002. He

joins a brother, Zachary. The family

resides in Dunwoody.

James Bond, BSE, and his wife,

Nichole, announce the birth of their

daughter, Mallory Hope, on Nov. 15,

2001. She joins a sister, Marah, and

the family resides in Lizella.

Jennifer Sherwood Bragg, BS,

married Steve Bragg on Aug. 24,

2002. Bragg works as a self-employed

dentist in Cumming.

Dawn Foster, BA, and her

husband, Ric, announce the birth of

their daughter, Kennedy Moore, on

June 14, 2002. She joins a sister, Baylee.

The family resides in Tampa, Fla.

Jennifer Richardson Golwyn,

BBA, MBA ’00, married Daniel

Golwyn Jr. in Maui, Hawaii on Sept.

25, 2002. The couple resides in

Clemmons, N.C.

Robert Guest, BSE, announces

the birth of his son, Davis Carlton, on

Nov. 18, 2002.

Michael Lake, BS, and his wife,

Susan, announce the birth of their

son, Robert Samuel, on Nov. 7, 2002.

The family resides in Atlanta.

Tolliver (Tobby) Rivers, BBA,

and his wife, Kathryn Preston

Rivers, BA ’94, announce the birth of

their daughter, Quinn Marie, on Nov.

16, 2002. The family resides in

Mooresville, N.C., where Rivers is a

training manager with Wachovia Bank.

Jack Seal, BBA, BA, and his wife,

Christa, announce the birth of their

son, James Alexander (Alex), on Sept.

16, 2002. The family resides in

Denver, Colo.

Mary Kay McPherson Smith,

BA, and her husband, Todd Smith,

BBA, MBA, announce the birth of

triplets, Benjamin Todd, Matthew

Jackson and Mary Margaret, on May

31, 2002. The family resides in Lizella.

Morgan Templeton, BA, and his

wife, Catherine, announce the birth of

their first child, Julia, on Aug. 23,

2002. Templeton has formed the law

firm, Elmore and Wall, P.A., with 10

other attorneys in South Carolina and

North Carolina. The family resides in

Mount Pleasant, S.C.

1994

Chad Boggan, BSME, and his

wife, Deandre, announce the birth of

their son, Cade Labelle Boggan, on

Sept. 15, 2002. He joins a sister, Nina,

and the family resides in Bartlett,

Tenn.

1995

Cherie Blizzard Bennett, BA,

and her husband, Glen, announce

the birth of their daughter, Elizabeth

Gresham Bennett, on Oct. 9, 2002.

The family resides in Atlanta.

Christopher Donnelly, BA, and

his wife, Robyn, announce the birth

of their son, Ryan Patrick, on Sept.

16, 2002. The family resides in

Newtown, Conn.

Laura Parrott Hightower, BA,

and her husband, Nathan, announce

M ARRIAGES

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B IRTHS

CLASS NOTES

MERCER ALUMNI N EWS

ationally acclaimed

historical and political writer

Buckner F. Melton Jr. has

returned home to serve as Mercer

University’s writer-in-residence for the

next five years. He is also serving as a

Mercer University Press fellow.

A 1984 Mercer

graduate, Melton has

published three major

books as well as

numerous scholarly

publications. His first

book, The First

Impeachment: The

Constitution’s

Framers and the

Case of Senator

William Blount

(Mercer, 1998), won

him national

recognition, as its

publication in 1998

coincided with the

impeachment hearings of President Bill

Clinton. During the Clinton impeach-

ment, Melton was called upon to advise

various members of Congress and to

give expert commentary on MSNBC,

NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, National

Public Radio’s Morning Edition and All

Things Considered, and many other

national and regional news agencies.

More recently, Melton, who has also

written Aaron Burr: Conspiracy to

Treason (Wiley, 2002), has occasionally

been called upon by Minnesota Public

Radio and Wisconsin Public Radio to

discuss treason and national security

law in the wake of September 11 and in

relation to the John Walker Lindh

episode. Melton also writes guest

columns in Raleigh,

North Carolina’s The

News & Observer

and in The Macon

Telegraph.

His most recent

book, A Hanging

Offense: The Strange

Affair of the Warship

Somers (Free Press,

2003), hit book-

shelves last April.

Melton describes this

historical account of

mutiny aboard a U.S.

Navy training ship in

the mid 1800s as

“Mutiny on the Bounty meets Lord

of the Flies.”

The book was met with much

praise. Publishers Weekly called it

“coherent and absorbing,” while the

Wall Street Journal described it as

“swashbuckling” and praised Melton’s

analysis of the court-martial that

followed the mutiny.

As a Mercer University Press fellow,

Melton, assists faculty members in their

writing endeavors. Melton also teaches

some history and law courses at Mercer.

But his primary job is to write.

“Mercer is a fine university,” Melton

said. “I’m excited about returning

home.”

After graduating magna cum laude

from Mercer with a degree in history

and political science in 1984, Melton

attended Duke University, where he

received his master’s degree in history

in 1986 and Ph.D. in history in 1990. He

earned his law degree from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel

Hill in 1996.

Melton served as a history instructor

at Duke University in 1989, a visiting

assistant professor of history at Georgia

Southern University in 1990 and 1991,

and an assistant professor of history at

Elon College between 1991 and 1996.

He also served as a clinical associate

professor of law at the University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Buckner F. Melton Jr. is Mercer Writer-in-Residence, University Press Fellow

After contributing 35 years of

service to the South Carolina Tennis

Association as a player, volunteer,

coach and administrator, Mercer

University graduate Jerry “Snuffy”

Smith, CLA ‘60, was inducted into the

South Carolina Tennis Hall of

Fame last December.

The Irmo, S.C., resident is

among the top tennis players in

his state, having ranked in

singles, doubles and mixed

doubles for more than 15 years.

He has served as a captain and

player in three state

championship league teams and

played on the 1993 South Carolina

Senior Cup team.

“Participating in a sport such as

tennis only reinforces the recollec-

tions of my days at Mercer, where a

student was offered not only chal-

lenging academic standards, but also

a healthy program of intramural

and varsity athletics,” Smith said. “I

am pleased to be the recipient of

this honor.”

The Mercer alumnus also shares

his passion for tennis with others. In

1974, he was one of three founders of

the Junior Tennis League in Richland

and Lexington counties. He has been

instrumental in the program’s growth

from 100 players to more than 700

players today, with an aggregate of

10,000 players since its inception.

He has held numerous offices and

committee positions with the South

Carolina Tennis Association. As

founder and president of Transcon

Trading Company — an export

management company — Smith

brought a business mindset to

the SCTA. Thanks to his leader-

ship, the Adult Southern

Sectional Championships, which

was the largest tennis

tournament in the world at the

time, were held in Columbia,

S.C., in 1989.

Smith served as Chairman of

the South Carolina Tennis

Foundation in 1989 and 1990, and he

initiated the state senior and mixed

doubles leagues in South Carolina.

The Mercer graduate also set up the

first Sectional Mixed Doubles cham-

pionships between South Carolina

and Georgia.

Mercer Grad Named to S.C. Tennis Hall of Fame By Jenny Butkus

A 1984 Mercer graduate,

Melton has published three

major books as well as

numerous scholarly

publications.

Jerry “Snuffy” Smith

Buckner F. Melton, Jr.

1937

Louise W. Marsh, AB, was

crowned queen of the Peanut Festival

of Roper, N.C., on Sept. 14, 2002.

1951

Jim Murray Walker, AB, and his

wife, Joann, celebrated their 55th wed-

ding anniversary on December 21,

2002, with a renewal of their vows.

Walker is a Professor Emeritus of

Anthropology at Eastern Kentucky

University. The couple resides in

Lexington, Ky.

1955

Claude (Mick) Kicklighter, AB,

has been named the director of opera-

tions, security and preparedness of

homeland security for the U.S.

Department of Veteran Affairs. He and

his wife, Betty, reside in McLean, Va.

1958

Frank Byington, AB, has retired

as president of Wakefield Pharma-

ceuticals, which he founded in 1991

and divested to IVAX Corporation in

2000. He resides in Alpharetta.

1960

Charlotte Marlow Anderson, AB,

MEd ’87, retired on Jan.1 as a media

specialist from Dry Branch Elementary

School in Twiggs County.

Shirley Randall, AB, and her hus-

band, Maurice Randall, AB ’61, have

retired from international missions

after 30 years of overseas service. The

couple resides in Cedartown.

1961

Maurice Randall, AB. See Shirley

Randall, AB ’60.

Janet Sherling, AB, retired from

the Clayton County Board of

Education on July 1, 2002. She had

been the principal of Edmonds

Elementary School. She and her hus-

band, James, reside in Jonesboro.

1969

Gary Abbott, BA, was ordained as

a deacon to the transitional diaconate

of the Episcopal Church of Georgia on

Aug. 3, 2002, serving St. Stephen in

Milledgeville and St. Luke in

Hawkinsville.

Hollis Lewis, BA, retired as district

attorney for Milam County, Texas in

2001, after 11 years of practice. Lewis

is now a sole practitioner in private

practice in Cameron, Texas.

1970

Timothy A. Pape, BA, has been re-

elected to his fifth term as the Floyd

County Juvenile Court Judge, a

position he has served in for 20 years.

He and his wife, Jane, reside in Rome.

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 17

CLASS NOTES

MERCER ALUMNI N EWS

Mercer University Miniatures Through Alumni Services

Name ___________________________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ______________________________________________________________________________

Daytime phone ( ______ )__________________ E-mail _____________________________________________

Please indicate your selections (costs include all sales tax and insured shipping and handling):

" A. Mercer Administration Building — $55 No. of items ______ @ $55 = ____________________________

" B. Jesse Mercer Plaza — $28 No. of items ______ @ $28 = ____________________________

" C. Mercer Christmas Ornament — $12 No. of items ______ @ $12 = ____________________________

" D. Tift College Arch — $28 No. of items ______ @ $28 = ____________________________

" E. Mercer School of Law — $55 No. of items ______ @ $55 = ____________________________

TOTAL ___________________________

Please make checks payable to Mercer University and send to Mercer University, Office of Alumni Services, 1400 Coleman

Avenue, Macon, GA 31207. If paying using credit card, please complete and mail to us the following information:

" Visa " Mastercard " American Express Card #_________________________________________

Expiration date ___________ Signature ____________________________________________

Mercer University Miniatures Through Alumni Services

Mercer University Miniatures are reproductions

from original sculptures created by Ridgewood

Collectables for Mercer University. Each piece is

cast using marble and porcelain powder mixed

with resin and is hand painted under careful

quality and artistic standards. These limited

edition productions are available only while

supplies last.

Sizes: A. Mercer Administration Building: 7 1/4” x

5 1/2” x 8”; B. Jesse Mercer Plaza: 6” diameter x 3

1/2”; C. Mercer Christmas Ornament: 4” diameter;

D. Tift College Arch: 7 3/4” x 3 1/4” x 4”; E.

Mercer Law School: 11” x 7 1/2” x 6”.

the birth of their daughter, Ansley

Caroline, on Sept. 26, 2002. High-

tower is pursuing a master’s degree

in early childhood education at the

State University of West Georgia.

Graison Aldridge Hoard, BA,

married Keith L. Hoard on Aug. 3,

2002. In 2001, Aldridge underwent

two organ transplant operations,

receiving a kidney and a pancreas.

She and her new husband reside in

Cordova, Tenn.

Melissa Moore Posey, BA, and

her husband, Timothy, announce the

birth of their second son, Brock

David, on Nov. 15, 2002. He joins a

brother, Jacob. The family resides in

Jacksonville, Fla.

Jae Feather Runsick, BBA, and

her husband, David, announce the

birth of their first child, Andrew

Joseph, on Nov. 9, 2002. The family

resides in Atlanta.

Kendra DeLoatche Stephenson,

BBA, and her husband, Jeff, announce

the birth of their son, Thomas Gray

(Gray), on Aug. 6, 2002. The family

resides in Lawrenceville.

Katherine Kerns Vesely, BA,

married William S. Vesely, BSE ’96,

on Oct. 26, 2002. The couple resides

in Louisville, Ky.

1996

Millicent Burnett Croom, BA,

married Jon-Paul Croom, BA, on

July 27, 2002. The couple resides in

Birmingham, Ala.

Langdon C. Harp, BA, BS, mar-

ried Christina Marie Davis on July 29,

2002. The couple resides in Reynolds.

Christopher Lyons, BS, married

Debra Dion on Dec. 21, 2002. Lyons is

Chief of Police in the Alstead Police

Department in Alstead, N.H. The cou-

ple resides in Marlow, N.H.

William S. Vesely, BSE. See

Katherine Kerns Vesely, BA ’95.

1997

Penny Berry Cliff, BA, and her

husband, Bill, announce the birth of

their daughter, Nikki, on Oct. 2, 2002.

Cliff was voted County Employee of

the Year for 2002 at Thomaston-

Upson Archives.

Susan Shuster Hamilton, BA,

married Chris Hamilton on Sept. 15,

2001. Hamilton completed a master

of education degree in French in

December 1998 at the University of

Georgia and is now attending Brenau

University to add a third teaching

certificate. The couple resides in

Lawrenceville.

Heather Luiggi, BA, and her hus-

band, Efrain, announce the birth of

their daughter, Isabel Karalyn, on

May 21, 2002.

Todd Smith, MBA. See Mary Kay

McPherson Smith, BA ’93.

1998

Olawunmi Hassan Bello, BBA,

married Saula Adewale Bello on

June 16, 2001. The couple has a

daughter, Faith Oluwaseyitan Bello,

and resides in Dallas, Texas, where

Bello is a funds accountant for JP

Morgan Chase.

1999

Louis Abbott, BA, and his wife,

Jana, announce the birth of their

son, Ethan Abercrombie, on Aug. 12,

2002. The family resides in Macon

where Abbott is an assistant director

of admissions for Mercer University.

Alia Franklin, BS, and her hus-

band, Jason, announce the birth of

their son, Dylan Ray, on Aug. 12,

2002. The family resides in

Ellenwood where Franklin is an assis-

tant operations manager for TRC

Staffing Services.

2000

Derrell W. Anglyn III, BA, mar-

ried Heather Rose on Sept. 21, 2002.

The couple resides in McDonough.

Joy Williams Brotherton, BA,

married Mike Brotherton, BA ’01,

on Aug. 16, 2002. They are both pur-

suing master’s degrees and will grad-

uate from the University of Denver in

June 2003.

Courtney Jones Dalton, BBA,

announces the birth of her son,

Walker Cole, on Oct. 19, 2002. He

joins a sister, Caroline Elizabeth. The

family resides in Newnan.

Rachel Hopkins Garza, BA,

married Jesse Garza on September

15, 2001. She is the Director of

University Relations and Marketing

for Mercer University. The couple

resides in Warner Robins.

2001

Kristina Livingston Blanks, BS,

married Steven Blanks on April 20,

2002. The couple resides in

McDonough, where Blanks is a sec-

ond grade teacher.

Mike Brotherton, BA. See Joy

Williams Brotherton, BA ’00.

Melissa Zubia McNinch, BA, was

married on July 2, 2002, and is cur-

rently pursuing a master’s degree in

human resources management at

Troy State University. The couple

resides in Covington.

Cindy Stinnette, BS, announces

the birth of her son, Harrison Davis,

on Sept. 16, 2001. Stinnette is a

kindergarten teacher in Harris

County, and the family resides

in Shiloh.

2002

Casey Leverett McMath, BA,

married John Rowland McMath Jr. on

June 22, 2002. She is currently pursu-

ing her master’s degree in English lit-

erature at Georgia College and State

University in Milledgeville. The cou-

ple resides in Macon.

M ARRIAGES

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B IRTHS

ALUMNI NEWS

18 THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004

CLASS NOTES

MERCER ALUMNI N EWS

1972

Ninna Irby Burkill, BA, has just

completed 25 years of employment at

Duke University Medical Center as a

child life specialist. She and her hus-

band, Michael, and their two children,

Peter, 20, and Caitlin, 14, reside in

Durham, N.C.

1974

Jeffery E. Merry, BA, is the

founder and owner of The Business

House Inc., offering services in busi-

ness brokerage and consulting. He is

the president of the Georgia

Association of Business Brokers, as

well as camp director for the Rainey

Mountain Boy Scout Camp. His wife,

Rebecca Speir Merry, BA ’75, is a

local attorney in Gainesville.

Mary Ellen Wilson, BA, is the vice

president for Academic Affairs at

Middle Georgia College in Cochran.

1975

Rebecca Speir Merry, BA. See

Jeffery E. Merry, BA ’74.

1981

Charles Beard, BS, earned a

doctor of philosophy degree in plant

physiology from Clemson University in

May 2002.

William Gabbard, BA, co-wrote

The Joy of Singing, a vocal instruc-

tional video used to teach the basics of

musical performance to young musi-

cians nationwide. The video was co-

produced by The United States Army

Field Band, the Washington, D.C.-

based ensemble of which Gabbard has

been a member for 15 years. He was

featured in “Celebrate the Stars and

Stripes” in July 2002 on the TNN tele-

vision network.

1982

Merv Rudner, BS, is a financial

Friends

Michael E. Cauley of Macon,

died Sept. 13, 2002.

William E. Clarke of Dublin, died

Feb. 18.

Ralph H. Cooper of Thomasville,

died Dec. 27, 2002.

Margaret Harris Englehart of

Macon, died Feb. 13. She retired

as a Mercer English professor.

Albert A. Favoino of Newburgh,

N.Y., died Jan. 23.

Charles L. Guthrie of Lithonia,

died Oct. 4, 2002. He began work-

ing on Mercer’s custodial staff

when the Atlanta campus opened

as Atlanta Baptist College in 1968.

James Y. Holloway of Lexington,

Ky., died Oct. 21, 2002.

Wiley H. Holsenbeck of Jack-

sonville, Fla., died Jan. 5, 2002.

Vernon C. Jackson of Delaware,

died Feb. 15. She had been the

manager of the Mercer University

Bookstore for many years.

Miriam M. Johnson of Gretna,

La., died Aug. 30, 2002.

David C. Leonard of Alpharetta,

died March 4, 2002. He had been

associate dean and an associate

professor of technical communi-

cation in Mercer’s School of

Engineering.

Erin N. Peavy of Warner Robins,

died Oct. 14, 2002.

Gladys W. Pritchett of Macon,

died Jan. 16. She had retired

from the Mercer University

Library after 30 years of service.

Frankie R. Trice of Macon, died

Dec. 9, 2002.

Lynda R. Walker of Fort Worth,

Texas, died March 4.

Amanda R. Werner of Pensacola,

Fla., died Jan. 4.

Michael J. White of Atlanta, died

Jan. 17.

1920

Elbert L. Coleman of Macon,

died Nov. 9, 2002.

1924

Claude Joiner Jr. of Bolingbroke,

died Oct. 5, 2002.

1929

Alvah E. Joiner Jr., AB, of

Dawson, died Nov. 10, 2002.

Troy D. Woodbury of Nashville,

Tenn., died Nov. 30, 2002.

1931

Wellborn C. Carlton Jr., AB, of

Charlotte, N.C., died Feb. 3, 2002.

1932

Dorothy C. Wood, AB, of Atlanta,

died Oct. 2, 2002.

1933

Robert P. Ruff, AB, of Decatur,

died Jan. 30.

1934

Reginald Trice of Macon, died

Dec. 4, 2002.

1935

W. Devereaux Jarratt of

Townsend, died Oct. 9, 2002.

1936

John B. Clark Jr., AB, MA ’39, of

Cookeville, Tenn., died Nov. 10,

2001.

1938

James C. Balkcom Jr., AB, of

James, died Dec. 9, 2002.

1940

Robert L. Stevens of Thomson,

died May 12, 2002.

1942

Leanita B. Dorsey, AB, of Atlanta,

died Sept. 25, 2002.

William H. Gray, AB, of Lake City,

Fla., died Sept. 9, 2002.

1943

Thaddeus H. Roddenbery, AB,

of Holden, Mass., died Dec. 17,

2002.

1944

Mildred A. Mallory of LaGrange,

died Feb. 19.

1945

E. Anne Horton, AB, of Rock

Falls, Ill., died May 17, 2002.

1946

Sam L. Whitmire, AB, of

Barnesville, died Nov. 10, 2002.

1947

J. Virgil Colson, AB, of Columbia,

S.C., died July 22, 2002.

Rev. G. Guy Walton, AB, of Stone

Mountain, died Dec. 17, 2002.

1948

Emmie T. Beverly, AB, of Jesup,

died Sept. 14, 2002.

1949

Wallace Cole Hogan Sr., AB, of

Macon, died Dec. 18, 2002.

1950

Oliver L. Addison Jr., AB, of

Macon, died Dec. 3, 2002.

Victoria Mell Newton, M.Ed., of

Macon, died Nov. 9, 2002.

1951

Robert L. Hargrett Jr., AB, of

Tifton, died June 22, 2002.

H.P. Henderson Jr. of Macon,

died Feb. 3.

1952

James H. Burnett Jr., AB, of

Newport, Tenn., died Nov. 7, 2002.

1953

Roy M. Turk, AB, of Jones

County, died Feb. 24.

1955

Mary L. Dozier, M.Ed., of Macon,

died Feb. 13.

1956

Charles J. Fowler Jr., AB, of

Macon, died Oct. 20, 2002.

1957

Ted M. Adkins, AB, of Morrow,

died Sept. 15, 2002.

Barbara Dodd Duckworth of

Macon, died Nov. 9, 2002.

Mildred R. Stone, BED, of Tampa,

Fla., died Oct. 13, 2001.

Martha G. Wood, M.Ed., of

Milledgeville, died Feb. 22.

1959

Rev. Elmer L. Whiten Jr., AB, of

Gresham, Ore., died April 9,

2001.

1961

Gordon T. Lackey, AB, of

Greensboro, died Dec. 5, 2002.

Jerry L. Myers, AB, of Panama

City, Fla., died Dec. 29, 2001.

1962

James W. Rachels Jr., AB, of

Birmingham, Ala., died Sept. 5.

1968

E. Tom Shaffer, BA, of Macon,

died Feb. 12.

1969

John D. Kidd Jr., BA, of Powder

Springs, died Sept. 18, 2002.

Lynda R. Walker, BA, of Fort

Worth, Texas, died March 4.

1970

Kathleen F. Deutsch, BA, of

Macon, died Dec. 21, 2002.

Thelbert Gordon, M.Ed., of

Rochelle, died Aug. 2, 2001.

1973

Thelma S. Jordan, M.Ed., of

Jacksonville, Fla., died Nov. 2,

2001.

1974

Jan Curlee Cowles, M.Ed., of

Barnwell, S.C. died March 1,

2002.

1978

Lamar Baldwin, BA, of Macon,

died Dec. 3, 2002.

1980

John F. Hodges, BA, of Savannah,

died March 18, 2002.

1981

Eugene T. Gravitt, BBA, MBA ’83,

of Dawsonville, died Oct. 21,

2002.

I N S YMPATHY

Mercer Graduate’s Opera Career Reaches Higher Octaves

By Elizabeth Flader

Leah Partridge Hunt, CLA ’97, remembers fondly her Mercer portrayal of Laetitia

in Menotti’s The Old Maid and the Thief, where her character elopes with Bob, the

tramp, and the two end up stealing most of Miss Todd’s belongings. Theses days,

however, the only “stealing” in Leah’s career is that of hearts of patrons who see

her perform.

Having graduated with a bachelor of music in voice performance from Mercer

and her master of music in voice performance from Indiana University, Hunt

believes that all of her hard work is finally paying off dividends.

After winning the Palm Beach International Voice competition in April 2002, she

was cast in the title role of Lucia in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor performed by

the Palm Beach Opera in January 2003. The reviewer for South Florida’s Sun-

Sentinel said her performance “showed why there is such a buzz about this gifted

young singer.” He also indicated that Hunt “clearly has a great future ahead of her.”

Hunt is more humble about the praise. “I am not really at the level yet where there is a lot of attention,” said Hunt.

“If I make it to the Met [The Metropolitan Opera in New York], then there will be attention.”

Husband Jeremy Hunt, CLA ’97, who also graduated with a bachelor of music in voice performance is currently work-

ing on his doctorate in voice performance, pedagogy and song literature with a minor in stage directing at Indiana

University. He plans to sing professionally and have a teaching career.

adviser for Baer-Dressler, LLC, and was

recognized as the top producer in 2002

for adding 32 new clients. He and his

wife, Donna, reside in Woodstock.

1983

Ernestine C. Doscher, MBA, is the

director of business development for

Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union.

She and her husband, Richard, reside

in Charleston, S.C.

Suzanne White Witt, BA, M.Ed.

’91, has been named the 2002-2003

Teacher of the Year for the Social

Circle City School System after 19

years of teaching.

1986

Dirk Hilyard, BA, was named High

School Soccer Coach of the Year for

leading Hollywood Hills High School to

the state championships. Hilyard con-

tinues to teach high school English

and resides in Pembroke Pines, Fla.

1987

Candace Hamilton, BA, complet-

ed a master’s degree and is now a

Licensed Mental Health Counselor,

working with students at Florida

Memorial College.

Marcia Hicklin, MBA, was named

senior program manager of integrated

products at Sprint in August 2002.

Hicklin was certified as a project man-

ager professional through the

Program Management Institute, in

December 2002. She resides in Prairie

Village, Kan.

Nancy Maddox Pharr, BA, pub-

lished her first children’s book, When

Should I Pray?, an inspirational book

for young readers just beginning to

pray. Pharr and her husband, Cecil,

reside in Lawrenceville.

1990

Dawn Jackson, BS, and her band,

Hatfield Rain, released their debut CD,

Matter of Time, on Sept. 23, 2002, on

her record label, Sho-Bud Music Inc.

Jackson is the lead singer and one of

the song writers. She resides in San

Diego, Calif.

1991

Vickie Cox Edmondson, MBA, was

named an associate professor of man-

agement in the School of Business at

the University of Alabama at

Birmingham in 2002.

1992

Laurie Byington, BA, received an

Award for Academic Excellence in the

Associate in Commercial Underwriting

program in November 2002 from the

Insurance Institute of America (IIA)

for earning one of the highest grade

averages on the national examination

for the IIA program. Byington is an

account executive for the Excess and

Special Risk Department of Fireman’s

Fund Insurance Company in

Alpharetta.

1995

Robert Twilley, BA, works for

Jupiter Entertainment as the producer

of the A&E network show City

Confidential. He returned to Macon in

November 2002 to film an episode on

the 1958 case of Anjette Donovan Lyles,

the first white woman in Georgia sen-

tenced to the electric chair. Twilley

resides in Knoxville, Tenn.

1996

Karen Romaine Thomas, EMBA,

has been named vice president and

chief financial officer of Ms. Smith’s

Bakeries.

1997

Curtis Bellamy, BS, has been rec-

ognized as a senior southeast sales rep-

resentative as well as a joint compound

sales manager for the Southeast. He

and his wife, Lisa, and their four chil-

dren reside in Easley, S.C.

Timothy Mann, MBA, is the presi-

dent of the Norfolk Southern

Corporation Federal Credit Union. He

and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, reside in

Chesapeake, Va.

Chrissy Dixon Pearson, BA, has

been named director of public informa-

tion with the North Carolina

Department of Insurance. She and her

husband, Marcus, reside in Holly

Springs, N.C.

Kisha Morris Wesley, BA, has been

elected to the board of directors for the

ALS Association of Georgia, founded to

respond to the needs of people with ALS,

or “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” and to sup-

port those who care for ALS patients.

She and her husband, Keith Wesley,

BBA ’01, reside in Jonesboro.

1998

Melissa Golden, BA, celebrated the

grand opening of her deli and gift shop,

Hampton Park Eatery, in Hampton, on

Nov. 1, 2002.

Vickie L. Shaw, BA, is the coordi-

nator for residential education with

University Housing at Georgia Southern

University. She resides in Statesboro.

2000

Beth Lee Rogers, BA, is the mis-

sions internship coordinator and a trip

leader for Adventures in Student

Missions. She is a full-time missionary

and served in the Navajo Reservation

during the summer of 2002. Rogers

resides in Wheaton, Ill.

Jennifer Ryan Turner, BBA, was

named a project manager II in the

good answer department of The Coca-

Cola Company in December 2002,

where she handles consumer affairs for

various restaurant clients. She resides

in Atlanta.

2001

Natasha Usher, BBA, published

Fairy Tale Wedding, a contemporary

romance novel, in October 2002. She

resides in Norcross.

THE M ERCERIAN / WINTER 2004 19

CLASS NOTES

MERCER ALUMNI N EWS

Alumni...

Commemorate your time at Mercer

Mercer University is in the process of

designing and building a brick-lined plaza

that will serve as the campus entryway to

the new University Center. Alumni,

students, parents and friends of

Mercer now have the unique

opportunity to capture and preserve

their memories by purchasing a brick

that will help line this pathway.

Your $100, tax deductible gift

secures a personalized brick that can

include your name, year of graduation,

and even your primary student

organization, such as a fraternity, sorority,

BSU or SGA — up to three lines on the

face of the brick. As part of this offer, Mercer

University will send a written acknowledgment of

your gift, including the wording as it will appear

on the brick.

YES, I want to participate in this unique opportunity!

Your Name __________________________________________________________________________ Class Year ____________

Address _________________________________________________________ Phone __________________________________

City/State/Zip _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Please print your name as you would like it to appear on the brick. One character (including letters, spaces, punctuation marks, etc.

— Greek letters may be used) per block and a maximum of 14 characters per line.

Line 1 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Line 2 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Line 3 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Abbreviations for Colleges & Schools

CLA College of Liberal Arts MD School of Medicine

BUS Stetson School of Business and Economics PHA Southern School of Pharmacy

EDU Tift College of Education THEO McAfee School of Theology

ENG School of Engineering TIFT Tift College

LAW Walter F. George School of Law

Please return this form with your check, payable to Mercer University, to The Office of Alumni Services, 1400 Coleman Ave., Macon, GA 31207.

Questions? Please call (800) 837-2911 for more information.

ship game. That year his team went on

to win the Junior College World Series

crown, and he was named Assistant

Coach of the Year in Florida.

In 1966, Roland Rourke gave Myers

the head coaching position at

Jacksonville University and asked him

to turn the Division II program into a

Division I program. He became the

youngest Division I head coach in the

country at the age of 27. In 1967

Jacksonville finished 11th in the coun-

try among its Division II peers (9th in

1968). In 1970, Myers’ team, in its sec-

ond year of Division I baseball, finished

18th in the country. Two years later, the

Dolphins became the 11th ranked

Division I baseball team in the country

— a feat that is yet to be reproduced by

a university of that size. The next year,

before leaving to turn Mercer into a

Division I program, Myers’ team fin-

ished 21st in the country. He still has

the highest winning percentage among

all Jacksonville University baseball

coaches and was named District Coach

of the Year in 1968 and 1972.

Myers’ early years coaching in

Florida provided him with a wealth of

baseball talent and, during Major

League spring training, a wealth of

great baseball minds to pick. The

Baltimore Orioles held spring training

in Miami Stadium, and Myers hung

around as much as he could. “ I was

able to meet a lot of professionals

during those years. It seemed as though

every day I’d learn a new drill or short-

cut,” he said. “A lot of former major

leaguers were scouting back then.

There were always some good baseball

men to talk to.”

His early success made him a great

choice to serve as understudy and even-

tually successor to Mercer’s legendary

Coach Smith. Coach Myers’ own success

and commitment to the sport, as well

as his players, has made him a legend

in his own right. Beginning in 1975,

the Bears recorded nine consecutive 30-

win seasons under Myers. They were in

the Conference championship game

five years in a row from 1979-1983

and went from 1961-1985 without a

losing season.

Thinking back over the 50 years

since he’s been in college baseball and

even further back to the days when,

only 10 or 11, he’d ride the train to

Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, he said,

“Sometimes I had to pinch myself to

make sure I was still just a kid from

New Martinsville, W.Va.”

In summing up his career, Coach

Myers thanked many of the people in

his life for their support over the years.

“To list everyone who has helped along

the way would look like a phone book.

Any successes I’ve had along the way I

share with all of them. From a

Magnolia High School player in 1952 to

Mercer University in 2003 — six

decades and two centuries — what a

ride it has been.”

“I thank all of the colleges and

universities that have given me the

opportunity to live a life long dream for

50 years, particularly Mercer to coach

and teach for 30 years; all of the players

and parents; my graduate assistants

from 1988 on, particularly Craig

Gibson, who has been my right and left

arm since 1995; my parents, Rose and

Ingrim Myers, who knew more about

sports than I ever will; my son Robb,

who played at Mercer from 1988 to

1992; and my brother Mike for his sup-

port. I wish Craig and his staff much

success. They will do a great job in a

very tough league.”

— Continued from page 15

Myers’ Retirement

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MERCERIAN

THE

ShareYour Latest News!

Alumni Services would like to keep your classmates up to date on your

latest news. If you’ve recently moved or are planning to relocate, please send

in this form so we can keep our records current. We also want to know if

you have recently married, had a baby, received a promotion, retired or

accomplished something else noteworthy.

Name ____________________________________________________

Maiden Name _______________________________________________

Class Year __________________________________________________

School or College _____________________________________________

Degree ____________________________________________________

Street or Box Number __________________________________________

City/State/Zip ________________________________________________

Home Phone ( _____ ) ________________________________________

E-mail ____________________________________________________

Business Name ______________________________________________

Title ______________________________________________________

Business Address _____________________________________________

City/State/Zip ________________________________________________

Business Phone ( _____ ) ______________________________________

E-mail ____________________________________________________

“Chip Off the Old Block” —

Please list any family members who are Mercer alumni.

_________________________________________________________

News to Share _______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

PLEASE RETURN TO: Office of Alumni Services, Mercer University,

1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, GA 31207 • Fax: (478)301-4124

Or visit our Web site at www.mercer.edu

Winter 2004 • Volume 14, Number 1

www.mercer.edu

1 Mercer’s Legacy Expands Worldwide

2 Swindle Named Atlanta Senior V.P.

Mercer Opens Regional Academic Center in Henry County

3 Students Teach Professors in New Program

Pat Conroy Receives Honorary Degree

Mercer MBA Grad Develops Mercer Village

Mercer Purchases Baptist Center from Georgia Baptist Convention

4 Silver Named Georgia Professor of the Year

Professor Shepherd Receives Prestigious Fulbright Award

McDuffie Concert Benefits Students

5 Pharmacy School Admissions Getting Tough

Hall Named for Neva Langley Fickling

Awards Presented at Mercer Luncheon at the 2003 Georgia Baptist

Convention

6 Mercer ROTC Cadet Climbing Military Ranks

Mercer Business Students Encounter Antiglobal Protests

Executive Forum Features Grace

7 Students Benefit from Internship Program

“Give More, Get More” — Mercer’s Gift Annuity Program

Mercer Alumni Online to Launch Soon

8 Teaching Methods Inspire Children to Read

Graduate Program Focuses on Diversity

9 Martray Appointed Education Dean at Mercer

PT3 Grant Provides Cutting-Edge Technology Training

10 Half Century Club

Mercer Madness

11 Mercer Commencement Ceremony Speakers

12 MU Engineering Student Earns Triple Honors

Mercer and RAFB Celebrate Partnership

Mercer STC Chapter Wins National Awards

13 Mercer Students Help in Research for NASA

Mercer Attracts Women in Engineering

Tiger Trap!

14 Bears Win Championship in Gym’s Last Season

Three Mercer Coaches Named Best in the A-Sun

15 Myers’ Retirement: A Celebration of Excellence

16 Class Notes