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Posted May 9, 2008 4:16:04 PM
Dr. Jeffrey A. Fager, dean of arts and sciences and chief academic officer at Averett University in Danville, Va., has been selected as the next vice president and dean of Maryville College.
Maryville College President Dr. Gerald W. Gibson announced the news Thursday in a memorandum to faculty, staff, students and members of the College's Board of Directors and National Advisory Council.
Pending formal approval by the Board, Fager will report for service on July 1. He will replace Dr. Robert Naylor, who last fall announced his retirement at the end of the 2007-2008 academic year.
"I am delighted that Jeff Fager will be joining the excellent faculty and staff that make this an exceptional college community," Gibson said. "At Maryville, we place an extra measure of attention to institutional fit when considering new community members, and Dr. Fager is clearly resonant with the values and traditions of Maryville College.
"He wasn't out looking for a new job, but was drawn to this specific academic leadership position at Maryville by recognition of those values and traditions, and by appreciation for the academic strength of the College," the president continued. "In particular, he expresses high regard for the core curriculum here, and a high level of interest in working with the faculty to develop further programs to serve our students and bring further distinction to our College."
A search committee, chaired by Dr. John Gallagher, associate professor of management, and composed of representatives from faculty, staff, student body, and the Board of Directors led the process.
Fager is a seasoned academic leader and administrator. Prior to his work at Averett, he served as assistant academic dean at Kentucky Wesleyan College, where he also served as chairperson for the department of religion and philosophy, and assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. He received the Presidential Award for Teaching at Kentucky Wesleyan College. He was one of 12 chief academic officers to attend The Educational Leadership Program at Yale in 2004.
His educational endeavors include a bachelor's degree (summa cum laude), with a double major in religion and psychology from the University of Evansville in 1975. In 1979, he received his master's of theology degree (magna cum laude), from Southern Methodist University's Perkins School of Theology, focusing on the studies of biblical literature. He received his doctorate in religion from Vanderbilt University in 1987.
Fager's areas of professional expertise and research interests include Hebrew Bible, the sociology of Ancient Israel and ethics. His work has been published in numerous publications, and he has authored a book, Land Tenure and the Biblical Jubilee: Discovering a Moral World View through the Sociology of Knowledge. Fager is also involved in several professional and civic organizations.
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Located in Maryville, Tenn., Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With a focus on the liberal arts, College faculty and staff are dedicated to teaching the skills and providing the opportunities for students to be successful and make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 1,176 students. More information can be found at www.maryvillecollege.edu.
»Full Story
Posted May 8, 2008 7:49:11 AM
Scholarship and the ideals of the liberal arts were celebrated April 12, when 58 different awards were presented to 73 students at Maryville College's annual Academic Awards Ceremony.
The ceremony, held in the sanctuary of Maryville's First Baptist Church and attended by numerous students, parents and family members, began with a procession of faculty members and administrators led by macebearer Dr. Terry Simpson, chair of the College's Division of Education.
"All of us at the College take great personal satisfaction in the accomplishments of these students as we recognize them for their special commitment to learning, their passion for understanding, their sensitivity to nuance, their appreciation for social and cultural diversity, and their willingness to use their growing wisdom for the common good," said Dr. Robert Naylor, vice president and dean of the College, who served as the evening's emcee.
Below is a list of awards given and students recognized in all seven academic
divisions, core curriculum and other departments.
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Patricia Weaver of Jackson, Tenn., received the David H. Briggs Award, which recognizes the senior psychology major with the best academic performance in psychology as judged by classroom performance, overall scholarship and grade point average.
Senior Sheri Lovegrove of Maryville, Tenn., was honored with the Child Development Award, which is annually awarded to a rising senior who has demonstrated competence with children and achieved outstanding performance in the major, as well as in overall scholarship as reflected in grade point average.
The Irma Young Outstanding Senior Award in Interpreting was presented to Priscilla Richardson of Knoxville, Tenn., and Megan Wylie of Oak Ridge, Tenn. The award recognizes students who show exemplary potential for the interpreting profession as indicated by interpreting performance and scholarship.
CORE CURRICULUM
The Glenn Hewitt Award in Ethics was presented to history for teacher licensure major Amy Hoover of Limerick, Pa., for outstanding work in Ethics 490: Philosophical and Theological Foundations of Ethical Thought.
For earning the highest grade point average in all core courses taken at Maryville College, four seniors were recognized with the Liberal Arts Award: Rachel Morris, a mathematics major from Knoxville, Tenn.; Matthew Murrill, a chemistry major from Knoxville; Lauren Sipe, a mathematics major from Maryville; and Emily Winsauer, a religion major from Maryville.
EDUCATION
Catherine Beckham, a junior physical education/health for K-12 teacher licensure major from Birmingham, Ala., was awarded the Phi Epsilon Rho Award, which goes to a rising senior in physical education or recreation who has at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA, has exhibited leadership in campus and departmental activities and professional organizations.
Lauren Fleming of Sevierville, Tenn., also a physical education/health for K-12 teacher licensure major, took home the Physical Education, Health & Outdoor Recreation Outstanding Senior Award. This award recognizes a graduating senior in the major who has at least a cumulative 3.5 GPA, serves as a role model in the classroom and community and is involved in professional organizations.
Outstanding Student Teaching awards are presented annually to seniors who have completed student teaching, have exhibited superior competency in academic content knowledge and pedagogy and have demonstrated the management skills necessary for the classroom.
This year, the award for Outstanding Student Teacher in the Elementary Grades was presented to Stephanie Gibson, a senior child development and learning for teacher licensure major from Maryville.
Kevin Fowler of Maryville was named winner of the award for Outstanding Student Teacher in the Secondary Grades. He is a senior political science/history for teacher licensure major.
FINE ARTS
The Barraclough Choir Award, which recognizes seniors and successful students who have been outstanding in service to the Maryville College Choir, was presented to two music education majors: Joa Aaby from Louisville, Tenn.; and April Marin from Burlington, N.C.
For demonstrated achievement and leadership in professional activities and organizations, music theory and composition major Emily Emadian from Normandy, Tenn., was awarded the Dorothy Barber Bushing Award. Emadian also took home the Davies Fine Arts Award, which is annually presented to a rising senior majoring in music, art or theatre who has demonstrated outstanding work in the major field, good academic achievement, has contributed to the life and work of the department and shown artistic promise.
The Clark Family Prize was awarded to four art students who have demonstrated outstanding academic and artistic achievement: sophomore Samuel Howell of Alcoa, Tenn.; sophomore Brett Jacobsen of Richmond, Texas; junior Alicia Ray from Maryville; and sophomore Stephani Richardson of Corryton, Tenn.
Sharon Lankford, a sophomore vocal performance major from Maryville, was awarded the Robert Bonham Music Faculty Award for Superior Performance.
Nicci Williamson, a theatre major from Walland, Tenn., was presented the Outstanding Senior Theatre Student Award.
The Evelyn Seedorf Prize in Dramatic Arts, presented to the most deserving student majoring in theatre, went to Katie Stangarone, a junior from Maryville.
Andi Morrow, a theatre major from Huntsville, Tenn., took home the Bates Forensic-Drama Award.
The Sarah Hardrath Kramer Art History Award, presented to the graduating senior who has demonstrated the most outstanding achievement in the major field, was presented to Jessica Bishop of Chatsworth, Ga.
HUMANITIES
For achieving the best four-year record in the study of English, Rachael Whaley, a senior English major from Muncie, Ind. was awarded the Alexander English Prize.
M.F. "Megan" Courtney, a senior religion major from Knoxville, was presented the T.T. Alexander Award, which goes to the student with the best paper on a subject from one of the following areas: the relationship of philosophical or theological inquiry to social issues; the application of such inquiry to social issues; the consequences of social, theological or philosophical problems of religious doctrine; the consequences of religious doctrine upon social, political or economic thinking or social science method; or the consequence of religious doctrine upon social, political or economic issues and conflicts.
Emily Winsauer, a religion major from Maryville, was named the recipient of the Bates Bible Award, which is presented each year to the graduating senior who has demonstrated the most ability in the study of religion or philosophy.
For outstanding academic achievement and significant involvement on the staff of The Highland Echo campus newspaper, four students were awarded the Charlotta Cook Hensley Memorial Award: Whitney Downing, a junior writing/communication major from Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Caitland Romer, a junior writing/communication major from Alcoa, Tenn.; Sarah Sharp, a junior writing/communication major from LaFollette, Tenn.; and Kevin Wheatley, a junior writing/communication major from Frankfort, Ky.
The Edwin R. Hunter Award for Excellence in Research in English or American Literature goes each year to the senior judged to have produced the most outstanding Senior Study in English or American Literature. This year, Joshua Hurst, an English literature major from Knoxville, took home the award.
William Newsom, a junior from Hermitage, Tenn., took home the Verton M. Queener Award for History, which recognizes outstanding study of American and English history.
Impressions, MC's campus literary magazine, presented three awards to magazine contributors. Creighton Bloyd, a sophomore from Greensburg, Ky., was honored with the award for Best Prose; freshman Erin Sapp, a Knoxville resident, earned the award for Best Poetry; and the award for Best Photography went to Emily Harrill, a senior political science major from Maryville.
The Ruth Lloyd Kramer Memorial Award, which goes to a junior English major who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, exceptional service to the College and significant involvement in extracurricular activities, went to Molly Sneary of Chattanooga.
Five students were recognized for outstanding achievement in foreign language study. First-year student Katelyn Deininger of Roswell, Ga., was honored for her work in Chinese. The award for outstanding achievement in Japanese went to first-year student Rebecca Durbin of Maryville. M. M. "Peggy" Gibson of Maryville was recognized for her work in German. Recognition for achievements in Spanish went to sophomore Whitney Pruitt of Louisville, Tenn., and Caroline Redmond, a first-year student from Kingsport, Tenn. First-year student Ashley Vandevender of Bartlett, Tenn., was recognized for her work in French.
MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE
Recognized as the most outstanding junior in the department of mathematics and computer science, Chelsey Johnson of Knoxville was named the recipient of the Troy Bell Lane Waggoner and Russell N. and Frances Lane Edwards Award.
The George A. Knapp Mathematics Award, which goes to the most outstanding and most promising junior or senior student studying mathematics, was presented to Brandon Aaby, a resident of Louisville, Tenn.
The West Chevrolet Academic Award is given to students who score in the top 10 percent on the mathematics competition conducted by the College's division of mathematics and computer science. Four first-year students were named winners: Christopher A. "Drew" Houser of Maryville; Laura Maestas of Rockford, Tenn.; Nicole Sievers of Maryville; and W. Joseph Williams of Greenback, Tenn.
Judged the student with the most outstanding performance in calculus, sophomore Xiang Liu, a mathematics and computer science/mathematics double major from China, was presented the William H. Dent Calculus Award.
The Jerry L. Pietenpol Computer Science Award, which recognizes the most outstanding and most promising junior or senior student majoring in computer science, went to Jesse Smith of Knoxville.
The Outstanding Achievement in Statistics Award went to Rachel Morris, a mathematics major from Knoxville.
NATURAL SCIENCES
R. Garrik "Gar" Secrist of Knoxville accepted the Susan Allen Green Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding student in the junior class who is majoring in biology.
For her outstanding four-year record in biology, Kayleigh McDaniel of Corryton, Tenn., was honored with the A. Randolph Shields Award.
The award for Outstanding Performance in Inorganic Chemistry was presented to Morgan Douglas, a first-year student from Knoxville.
Brandon Todd, a sophomore biochemistry major from Bartlett, Tenn., was selected the winner of the Outstanding Performance in Structural Chemistry Award, which recognizes outstanding ability in the study of organic chemistry and structural analysis.
Recognized as the senior who had demonstrated the most outstanding accomplishments in chemistry, Matthew Murrill of Knoxville was awarded the Distinguished Achievement in Chemistry Award. He was also presented the LeQuire Award, which recognizes the top student in the humanities or natural science divisions who has chosen medicine as a career goal.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Political science major Karen Huskey, a junior from Maryville was given the Agnes Thornton-Bird Endowed Memorial Award. The honor annually goes to a locally residing sophomore or junior woman interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession.
The John W. Burgess Award for meritorious achievement in the field of political science was presented to two students: senior Allyson Ketron of Bristol, Tenn.; and Erin Mentzer of Knoxville.
Senior Joshua Phillips from Brimley, Minn., was honored with the Judson B. Murphy Endowed Business Award, which is presented annually to a senior who demonstrates outstanding work in business and organization management with outstanding character and well-rounded achievement and career promise.
For her outstanding work in sociology, outstanding character, well-rounded achievement and career promise, Megan Gentry of Sevierville was awarded the Outstanding Senior Award in Sociology.
The Judson B. Murphy Endowed Business Award, which recognizes a senior who has demonstrated outstanding work in business and organization management, outstanding character, well-rounded achievement and career promise, went to Joshua Phillips of Brimley, Mich.
Lukas Oelfke of Germany was honored with the Outstanding Senior Award for the Student Majoring in Economics. The award recognizes outstanding work in the major, outstanding character, well-rounded achievement and career promise.
The Kyle & Roberta Myers Petree Endowed Award for high-achieving local students majoring in business went to Patricia Loe-Pope of Knoxville.
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
The Hall "Ethical Thinking" Award, which is annually presented to a member of the junior class whose essay could be published in a journal or magazine, was given to two students: Clarissa Dean, a junior history major from Nashville, Tenn., and Karen Huskey, a junior political science major from Maryville.
Lukas Oelfke of Germany was also named winner of the Outstanding International Student Award, which goes to a senior, non-native English speaker who has been a student at the College for one academic year, has a minimum GPA of 3.5 and has shown leadership inside and outside the classroom.
The Ryan Newhouse Award was presented to junior art major Ashley Hubbard of Lenoir City, Tenn. The award is given each year to the junior or senior student who, in the judgment of the business, fine arts and humanities faculty members, typifies the finest characteristics of the liberal arts by uniting the fields of business and the humanities or fine arts in his or her academic life, personal growth and values.
Chelsea Barker, a sophomore environmental studies/sociology major from Brentwood, Tenn., and Erin Kramer, a junior art history major from Morristown, Tenn., were named recipients of the College's full-tuition Presidential Scholarship.
Kramer was one of five students presented the Alpha Gamma Sigma Award, which goes to juniors with the highest scholastic average for the first two years of college. Other winners included: Samuel Ashe, a chemistry major from Greenville, Tenn.; Catherine Culbertson, a sociology major from Georgetown, Ky.; R. Garrick "Gar" Secrist, a biology major from Knoxville; and Elliot Sylvester, a computer science/mathematic major from Covina, Calif.
Rachel Morris and Mathew Murrill both received the Alpha Lambda Delta Award, which goes to the Senior Alpha Lambda Delta member with the highest GPA through the fall semester of the senior year.
OUTSTANDING SENIORS RECOGNIZED
Rachel Rushworth, an English for teacher licensure major from Chattanooga, Tenn., was named the 2008 Outstanding Senior. One of the most prestigious honors given a student, the Outstanding Senior Award recognizes a senior student who has been active in a broad range of activities, who most exemplifies the "ideal" Maryville College graduate and who has the potential to be an outstanding graduate.
Finalists for the Outstanding Senior award included Knoxville resident Silvia Saray Román González, an international studies and Spanish for teacher licensure double major; Heather Graves, a writing/communication major from Smyrna, Tenn.; Knoxville native Adam King, an English Literature major; and Mathew Murrill, a chemistry major from Knoxville.
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Located in Maryville, Tenn., Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With a focus on the liberal arts, College faculty and staff are dedicated to teaching the skills and providing the opportunities for students to be successful and make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 1,176 students. More information can be found at www.maryvillecollege.edu.
»Full Story
Posted May 8, 2008 7:48:49 AM
Scholarship and the ideals of the liberal arts were celebrated April 12, when 58 different awards were presented to 73 students at Maryville College's annual Academic Awards Ceremony.
The ceremony, held in the sanctuary of Maryville's First Baptist Church and attended by numerous students, parents and family members, began with a procession of faculty members and administrators led by macebearer Dr. Terry Simpson, chair of the College's Division of Education.
"All of us at the College take great personal satisfaction in the accomplishments of these students as we recognize them for their special commitment to learning, their passion for understanding, their sensitivity to nuance, their appreciation for social and cultural diversity, and their willingness to use their growing wisdom for the common good," said Dr. Robert Naylor, vice president and dean of the College, who served as the evening's emcee.
Below is a list of awards given and students recognized in all seven academic
divisions, core curriculum and other departments.
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Patricia Weaver of Jackson, Tenn., received the David H. Briggs Award, which recognizes the senior psychology major with the best academic performance in psychology as judged by classroom performance, overall scholarship and grade point average.
Senior Sheri Lovegrove of Maryville, Tenn., was honored with the Child Development Award, which is annually awarded to a rising senior who has demonstrated competence with children and achieved outstanding performance in the major, as well as in overall scholarship as reflected in grade point average.
The Irma Young Outstanding Senior Award in Interpreting was presented to Priscilla Richardson of Knoxville, Tenn., and Megan Wylie of Oak Ridge, Tenn. The award recognizes students who show exemplary potential for the interpreting profession as indicated by interpreting performance and scholarship.
CORE CURRICULUM
The Glenn Hewitt Award in Ethics was presented to history for teacher licensure major Amy Hoover of Limerick, Pa., for outstanding work in Ethics 490: Philosophical and Theological Foundations of Ethical Thought.
For earning the highest grade point average in all core courses taken at Maryville College, four seniors were recognized with the Liberal Arts Award: Rachel Morris, a mathematics major from Knoxville, Tenn.; Matthew Murrill, a chemistry major from Knoxville; Lauren Sipe, a mathematics major from Maryville; and Emily Winsauer, a religion major from Maryville.
EDUCATION
Catherine Beckham, a junior physical education/health for K-12 teacher licensure major from Birmingham, Ala., was awarded the Phi Epsilon Rho Award, which goes to a rising senior in physical education or recreation who has at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA, has exhibited leadership in campus and departmental activities and professional organizations.
Lauren Fleming of Sevierville, Tenn., also a physical education/health for K-12 teacher licensure major, took home the Physical Education, Health & Outdoor Recreation Outstanding Senior Award. This award recognizes a graduating senior in the major who has at least a cumulative 3.5 GPA, serves as a role model in the classroom and community and is involved in professional organizations.
Outstanding Student Teaching awards are presented annually to seniors who have completed student teaching, have exhibited superior competency in academic content knowledge and pedagogy and have demonstrated the management skills necessary for the classroom.
This year, the award for Outstanding Student Teacher in the Elementary Grades was presented to Stephanie Gibson, a senior child development and learning for teacher licensure major from Maryville.
Kevin Fowler of Maryville was named winner of the award for Outstanding Student Teacher in the Secondary Grades. He is a senior political science/history for teacher licensure major.
FINE ARTS
The Barraclough Choir Award, which recognizes seniors and successful students who have been outstanding in service to the Maryville College Choir, was presented to two music education majors: Joa Aaby from Louisville, Tenn.; and April Marin from Burlington, N.C.
For demonstrated achievement and leadership in professional activities and organizations, music theory and composition major Emily Emadian from Normandy, Tenn., was awarded the Dorothy Barber Bushing Award. Emadian also took home the Davies Fine Arts Award, which is annually presented to a rising senior majoring in music, art or theatre who has demonstrated outstanding work in the major field, good academic achievement, has contributed to the life and work of the department and shown artistic promise.
The Clark Family Prize was awarded to four art students who have demonstrated outstanding academic and artistic achievement: sophomore Samuel Howell of Alcoa, Tenn.; sophomore Brett Jacobsen of Richmond, Texas; junior Alicia Ray from Maryville; and sophomore Stephani Richardson of Corryton, Tenn.
Sharon Lankford, a sophomore vocal performance major from Maryville, was awarded the Robert Bonham Music Faculty Award for Superior Performance.
Nicci Williamson, a theatre major from Walland, Tenn., was presented the Outstanding Senior Theatre Student Award.
The Evelyn Seedorf Prize in Dramatic Arts, presented to the most deserving student majoring in theatre, went to Katie Stangarone, a junior from Maryville.
Andi Morrow, a theatre major from Huntsville, Tenn., took home the Bates Forensic-Drama Award.
The Sarah Hardrath Kramer Art History Award, presented to the graduating senior who has demonstrated the most outstanding achievement in the major field, was presented to Jessica Bishop of Chatsworth, Ga.
HUMANITIES
For achieving the best four-year record in the study of English, Rachael Whaley, a senior English major from Muncie, Ind. was awarded the Alexander English Prize.
M.F. "Megan" Courtney, a senior religion major from Knoxville, was presented the T.T. Alexander Award, which goes to the student with the best paper on a subject from one of the following areas: the relationship of philosophical or theological inquiry to social issues; the application of such inquiry to social issues; the consequences of social, theological or philosophical problems of religious doctrine; the consequences of religious doctrine upon social, political or economic thinking or social science method; or the consequence of religious doctrine upon social, political or economic issues and conflicts.
Emily Winsauer, a religion major from Maryville, was named the recipient of the Bates Bible Award, which is presented each year to the graduating senior who has demonstrated the most ability in the study of religion or philosophy.
For outstanding academic achievement and significant involvement on the staff of The Highland Echo campus newspaper, four students were awarded the Charlotta Cook Hensley Memorial Award: Whitney Downing, a junior writing/communication major from Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Caitland Romer, a junior writing/communication major from Alcoa, Tenn.; Sarah Sharp, a junior writing/communication major from LaFollette, Tenn.; and Kevin Wheatley, a junior writing/communication major from Frankfort, Ky.
The Edwin R. Hunter Award for Excellence in Research in English or American Literature goes each year to the senior judged to have produced the most outstanding Senior Study in English or American Literature. This year, Joshua Hurst, an English literature major from Knoxville, took home the award.
William Newsom, a junior from Hermitage, Tenn., took home the Verton M. Queener Award for History, which recognizes outstanding study of American and English history.
Impressions, MC's campus literary magazine, presented three awards to magazine contributors. Creighton Bloyd, a sophomore from Greensburg, Ky., was honored with the award for Best Prose; freshman Erin Sapp, a Knoxville resident, earned the award for Best Poetry; and the award for Best Photography went to Emily Harrill, a senior political science major from Maryville.
The Ruth Lloyd Kramer Memorial Award, which goes to a junior English major who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, exceptional service to the College and significant involvement in extracurricular activities, went to Molly Sneary of Chattanooga.
Five students were recognized for outstanding achievement in foreign language study. First-year student Katelyn Deininger of Roswell, Ga., was honored for her work in Chinese. The award for outstanding achievement in Japanese went to first-year student Rebecca Durbin of Maryville. M. M. "Peggy" Gibson of Maryville was recognized for her work in German. Recognition for achievements in Spanish went to sophomore Whitney Pruitt of Louisville, Tenn., and Caroline Redmond, a first-year student from Kingsport, Tenn. First-year student Ashley Vandevender of Bartlett, Tenn., was recognized for her work in French.
MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE
Recognized as the most outstanding junior in the department of mathematics and computer science, Chelsey Johnson of Knoxville was named the recipient of the Troy Bell Lane Waggoner and Russell N. and Frances Lane Edwards Award.
The George A. Knapp Mathematics Award, which goes to the most outstanding and most promising junior or senior student studying mathematics, was presented to Brandon Aaby, a resident of Louisville, Tenn.
The West Chevrolet Academic Award is given to students who score in the top 10 percent on the mathematics competition conducted by the College's division of mathematics and computer science. Four first-year students were named winners: Christopher A. "Drew" Houser of Maryville; Laura Maestas of Rockford, Tenn.; Nicole Sievers of Maryville; and W. Joseph Williams of Greenback, Tenn.
Judged the student with the most outstanding performance in calculus, sophomore Xiang Liu, a mathematics and computer science/mathematics double major from China, was presented the William H. Dent Calculus Award.
The Jerry L. Pietenpol Computer Science Award, which recognizes the most outstanding and most promising junior or senior student majoring in computer science, went to Jesse Smith of Knoxville.
The Outstanding Achievement in Statistics Award went to Rachel Morris, a mathematics major from Knoxville.
NATURAL SCIENCES
R. Garrik "Gar" Secrist of Knoxville accepted the Susan Allen Green Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding student in the junior class who is majoring in biology.
For her outstanding four-year record in biology, Kayleigh McDaniel of Corryton, Tenn., was honored with the A. Randolph Shields Award.
The award for Outstanding Performance in Inorganic Chemistry was presented to Morgan Douglas, a first-year student from Knoxville.
Brandon Todd, a sophomore biochemistry major from Bartlett, Tenn., was selected the winner of the Outstanding Performance in Structural Chemistry Award, which recognizes outstanding ability in the study of organic chemistry and structural analysis.
Recognized as the senior who had demonstrated the most outstanding accomplishments in chemistry, Matthew Murrill of Knoxville was awarded the Distinguished Achievement in Chemistry Award. He was also presented the LeQuire Award, which recognizes the top student in the humanities or natural science divisions who has chosen medicine as a career goal.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Political science major Karen Huskey, a junior from Maryville was given the Agnes Thornton-Bird Endowed Memorial Award. The honor annually goes to a locally residing sophomore or junior woman interested in pursuing a career in the legal profession.
The John W. Burgess Award for meritorious achievement in the field of political science was presented to two students: senior Allyson Ketron of Bristol, Tenn.; and Erin Mentzer of Knoxville.
Senior Joshua Phillips from Brimley, Minn., was honored with the Judson B. Murphy Endowed Business Award, which is presented annually to a senior who demonstrates outstanding work in business and organization management with outstanding character and well-rounded achievement and career promise.
For her outstanding work in sociology, outstanding character, well-rounded achievement and career promise, Megan Gentry of Sevierville was awarded the Outstanding Senior Award in Sociology.
The Judson B. Murphy Endowed Business Award, which recognizes a senior who has demonstrated outstanding work in business and organization management, outstanding character, well-rounded achievement and career promise, went to Joshua Phillips of Brimley, Mich.
Lukas Oelfke of Germany was honored with the Outstanding Senior Award for the Student Majoring in Economics. The award recognizes outstanding work in the major, outstanding character, well-rounded achievement and career promise.
The Kyle & Roberta Myers Petree Endowed Award for high-achieving local students majoring in business went to Patricia Loe-Pope of Knoxville.
ADDITIONAL AWARDS
The Hall "Ethical Thinking" Award, which is annually presented to a member of the junior class whose essay could be published in a journal or magazine, was given to two students: Clarissa Dean, a junior history major from Nashville, Tenn., and Karen Huskey, a junior political science major from Maryville.
Lukas Oelfke of Germany was also named winner of the Outstanding International Student Award, which goes to a senior, non-native English speaker who has been a student at the College for one academic year, has a minimum GPA of 3.5 and has shown leadership inside and outside the classroom.
The Ryan Newhouse Award was presented to junior art major Ashley Hubbard of Lenoir City, Tenn. The award is given each year to the junior or senior student who, in the judgment of the business, fine arts and humanities faculty members, typifies the finest characteristics of the liberal arts by uniting the fields of business and the humanities or fine arts in his or her academic life, personal growth and values.
Chelsea Barker, a sophomore environmental studies/sociology major from Brentwood, Tenn., and Erin Kramer, a junior art history major from Morristown, Tenn., were named recipients of the College's full-tuition Presidential Scholarship.
Kramer was one of five students presented the Alpha Gamma Sigma Award, which goes to juniors with the highest scholastic average for the first two years of college. Other winners included: Samuel Ashe, a chemistry major from Greenville, Tenn.; Catherine Culbertson, a sociology major from Georgetown, Ky.; R. Garrick "Gar" Secrist, a biology major from Knoxville; and Elliot Sylvester, a computer science/mathematic major from Covina, Calif.
Rachel Morris and Mathew Murrill both received the Alpha Lambda Delta Award, which goes to the Senior Alpha Lambda Delta member with the highest GPA through the fall semester of the senior year.
OUTSTANDING SENIORS RECOGNIZED
Rachel Rushworth, an English for teacher licensure major from Chattanooga, Tenn., was named the 2008 Outstanding Senior. One of the most prestigious honors given a student, the Outstanding Senior Award recognizes a senior student who has been active in a broad range of activities, who most exemplifies the "ideal" Maryville College graduate and who has the potential to be an outstanding graduate.
Finalists for the Outstanding Senior award included Knoxville resident Silvia Saray Román González, an international studies and Spanish for teacher licensure double major; Heather Graves, a writing/communication major from Smyrna, Tenn.; Knoxville native Adam King, an English Literature major; and Mathew Murrill, a chemistry major from Knoxville.
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Located in Maryville, Tenn., Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With a focus on the liberal arts, College faculty and staff are dedicated to teaching the skills and providing the opportunities for students to be successful and make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 1,176 students. More information can be found at www.maryvillecollege.edu.
»Full Story
Posted May 8, 2008 7:46:20 AM
Matthew Murrill, a senior chemistry major with minors in biology and mathematics at Maryville College, was presented the distinguished LeQuire Award during the College's Academic Awards Ceremony held April 12 at Maryville First Baptist Church.
For his outstanding undergraduate career at Maryville, Murrill was given a standing ovation by ceremony attendees.
According to Maryville College President Dr. Gerald Gibson, it was Murrill's combination of outstanding work in the classroom, natural curiosity and experiences off the MC campus that set him apart from his peers and made him an excellent choice for the 2008 LeQuire Award.
"He is the top student in the chemistry department, carrying a 4.0 GPA in both his major courses and those in the general education curriculum," the president said during the award presentation. "I've even heard that he loves talking about organic chemistry.
"-but least you think that this year's LeQuire Award winner is a 'lab rat' who never gets out of Sutton Science Center, let me assure you that none of his professors, in their letters of recommendation, describe him in such terms. Instead they use phrases like 'servant-leader,' 'a helping hand,' 'resoundingly respected by his peers' and 'an embodiment of the Maryville College spirit,'" Gibson continued.
While at MC, Murrill has served both the campus and the community, tutoring peers in chemistry, genetics and calculus; serving as a resident assistant in one of the first-year halls; and volunteering frequently with outreach programs sponsored by the college's affiliate chapter of the American Chemical Society. He organized the College's new Science Literary Seminar, which seeks to make culturally relevant science topics understandable to the general community.
He spent the summer of 2007 as a Strong Children's Research Center Summer Scholar in Rochester, N.Y., where he conducted research alongside pulmonary biologists.
Off campus, Murrill has made three separate trips to hurricane-ravaged Pearlington, Miss., to help rebuild communities. He spent Spring Break 2008 in rural Belize, helping to construct a rainwater collection system for the community center and also to administer medical physicals and supplies to the people there.
With a passion to lessen health disparities throughout the world, Murrill plans to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. degree, potentially in environmental toxicology following graduation from MC in May.
Established in 1987 by descendants and friends of Maryville physician Granville Dexter LeQuire and his wife Ellen Brickey LeQuire, the LeQuire Award includes a cash gift to help defray the expenses of applying to medical school and an engraved pewter julep cup.
Winners of the award are nominated by faculty members in the College's humanities and natural sciences divisions.
Murrill, the son of Janet Murrill of Knoxville and a 2004 graduate of the Christian Academy of Knoxville, was later recognized as a candidate for the Outstanding Senior Award during the ceremony. The student was also called to the stage to accept other honors: the Liberal Arts Award, which is presented to the graduating senior who has earned the highest grade point average in all core courses taken at MC; the Distinguished Achievement in Chemistry Award; and the Alpha Lambda Delta Award, which recognizes the Alpha Lambda Delta member who holds the highest GPA through the fall semester of the senior year.
He is a recipient of the Fred A. Griffitts Chemistry Scholarship and Dean's Scholarship at the College. At previous awards ceremonies, he has taken home the Outstanding Achievement in Structural Chemistry Award and the Outstanding Achievement in Introductory Chemistry Award.
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Located in Maryville, Tenn., Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With a focus on the liberal arts, College faculty and staff are dedicated to teaching the skills and providing the opportunities for students to be successful and make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 1,176 students. More information can be found at www.maryvillecollege.edu.
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Posted May 8, 2008 7:38:57 AM
Maryville College students C. Andrew Houser, Laura Maestas, Nicole Sievers and W. Joseph Williams were named the recipients of the 2008 West Chevrolet Academic Award during the annual Academic Awards Ceremony held April 12 at Maryville's First Baptist Church.
The award, which is valued at $500 for each student, was established by Steve West in 1998 and is funded by West Chevrolet in Alcoa.
Offered to students enrolled at Maryville College, the award has connections to the Tennessee Mathematics Teachers Association's statewide high school mathematics contest held annually during the spring. Maryville College faculty members administer the tests for students from Blount, Sevier and Loudon counties. Top scorers in the contest from these three counties who choose to enroll at Maryville College are considered first for the West Chevrolet Academic Award.
Guidelines for the award outline that it "honors Maryville College students and the pursuit of the study of mathematics. Participants of the local competition are eligible to receive this award. The award, presented annually at the [College's] academic awards ceremony, will be part of a student's financial aid package for the following year."
Dr. John Nichols, professor of mathematics and chairperson of the College's Division of Mathematics and Computer Science, said that the West Chevrolet Academic Award helps attract top mathematics and science students to Maryville College.
"The award honors excellence in mathematics in addition to making a Maryville education more accessible to students from the local area," Nichols said. "I am very grateful to Steve and Charles West and West Chevrolet for making this award possible."
Houser, a first-year student at the College and the son of Chris and Donna Houser of Maryville, is a 2007 graduate of William Blount High School.
Maestas, also a first-year student at MC, is the daughter of Martin and Lynn Maestas of Rockford and a 2007 graduate of Heritage High School.
Sievers is a 2007 graduate of William Blount High School and the daughter of John and Michelle Sievers of Maryville.
Williams graduated from William Blount High School in 2005. He is the son of Connie Williams of Greenback.
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Located in Maryville, Tenn., Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With a focus on the liberal arts, College faculty and staff are dedicated to teaching the skills and providing the opportunities for students to be successful and make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 1,176 students. More information can be found at www.maryvillecollege.edu.
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Posted May 7, 2008 4:56:11 PM
Dr. Kala M. Stroup, president of American Humanics, Inc., will give the commencement address during Maryville College's graduation exercises set for 6 p.m., May 18, on the campus grounds.
Stroup will also be presented with the honorary doctor of letters degree from the 189-year-old institution.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, American Humanics is the only national organization that prepares undergraduate college students for professional careers in the nonprofit sector. The organization partners with more than 73 colleges and universities nationwide and 60 national nonprofit organizations, academic centers and foundations.
Maryville College began an affiliation with American Humanics in 2002. This year, the College has 45 active participants.
"It is an honor for Maryville College to have Dr. Stroup address the 2008 graduating class," said Dr. Gerald W. Gibson, president. "Maryville College is, of course, a proud and active member of the American Humanics family. As the national leader of this organization, Dr. Stroup is living the kind of life that we can enthusiastically hold up as an example for current graduates."
The title of Stroup's address to approximately 240 graduates who are expected to participate in the ceremony is "Ethical Leadership: Grounded in Philanthropy."
Stroup has had a distinguished career as a leader in higher education for more than four decades. Before accepting the position with American Humanics, she was the Missouri commissioner of higher education and a member of the Governor's Cabinet, president of Southeast Missouri State University and president of Murray State University in Kentucky. She also served as a fellow with the American Council on Education (ACE), vice president of academic affairs and professor at Emporia State University in Kansas, and a member of the faculty/staff at the University of Kansas.
Active in several national organizations, Stroup has held memberships in the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE) Board of Directors, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Presidents Commission and the national executive board of the Boy Scouts of America.
Baccalaureate held at 2 p.m.
The Rev. Dr. Genie Varker Martin, associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Burlington, N.C., will be the baccalaureate speaker for Maryville College's Commencement Weekend. Her sermon is entitled "You Can Make a Difference."
In addition to service on the College's Board of Church Visitors, Martin has very close ties to the College. She is an alumna from the class of 1979 and the mother of current senior April Martin. The pastor's father, the Rev. William Varker of Greensboro, N.C., graduated from the College in 1951.
Martin holds a master of divinity degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary and a doctor of ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary.
Baccalaureate services begin at 2 p.m., May 18, in the College's Cooper Athletic Center and are open to the public.
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Located in Maryville, Tenn., Maryville College is ideally situated between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Knoxville, the state's third largest city. Founded in 1819, it is the 12th oldest institution of higher learning in the South and maintains an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church (USA). With a focus on the liberal arts, College faculty and staff are dedicated to teaching the skills and providing the opportunities for students to be successful and make a difference in the world. Total enrollment for the fall 2007 semester was 1,176 students. More information can be found at www.maryvillecollege.edu.
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Posted April 24, 2008 9:24:59 AM
To honor a woman who loved the arts, loved Maryville College and loved her community, members of the West and Ramsey families have made a $1-million gift to the Civic Arts Center, which will soon be constructed on the Maryville College campus.
For the donation, the stage in the large performance hall will be named for Nita Eckles West, who taught drama and speech at the College for 42 years and is credited for starting the theatre department in 1899.
Donors include Steve West of Maryville, a member of the Maryville College Board of Directors and a great-grandson of Mrs. West; Lynn Ramsey Cole of Knoxville, a 1968 alumnus of the College and granddaughter of the former MC faculty member; great-grandson Dave Ramsey of Nashville, Tenn.; great-granddaughter Lucy West Lee of Lebanon, Tenn.; and great-great grandson Charles West of Maryville.
"Generous gifts like this have special meaning when they come from families of legendary Maryville College figures, and when they come from directors of the College," said Maryville College President Dr. Gerald W. Gibson. "We accept this donation with gratitude and a promise of responsible stewardship to honor the life and work of someone so instrumental in building the reputation of the fine arts at Maryville College."
Referring to the fundraising campaign for the $47-million facility (which now stands at nearly $40 million), the president said that the West and Ramsey family gift is one of several leadership gifts made toward the facility.
"Steve West is also extending his participation in the campaign by encouraging others in the community to get involved, and we appreciate this greatly," Gibson added.
Steve said the families' motivation for the gift was what the Civic Arts Center would mean for the College and what it would mean for the community.
"It was also a natural thing to do because it ties in to Granny," he added.
Lynn Cole, a granddaughter of Mrs. West, added: "For Granny to have her name associated with the Civic Arts Center would thrill her to death. She never craved the spotlight, but in a quiet way, she would be thrilled."
Both said they are looking forward to the CAC's opening.
"As a teen in 1965, I attended a Chamber of Commerce meeting held at the Capital Theatre, and the topic then was a civic arts center and how we needed one," Steve remembered. "It came up again, years later, when I was president of the Chamber. In 2005 - 40 years after that first meeting at the Capital Theatre - I was on the Maryville City Council. The College was talking to the cities and county about partnering to build a facility.
"To spend 40 years talking about something - I just thought now it's time for a civic arts center to be a reality in our community," the board member continued.
The cousins agreed that Mrs. West would be amazed by the scale and design of the Civic Arts Center.
"To have all of those things - theatres, art galleries, a recital hall, an outdoor arts plaza - in one location and for all the community to be able to enjoy - she would be blown away," Steve said.
Lynn said the larger Blount County population was always a consideration in her grandmother's productions, even though her crew and cast members were mostly MC students.
"So many of her drama productions were for the community," she pointed out. "They were big events that the public looked forward to."
From Mississippi to MC
Nita Eckles was born in Carrell, Iowa, in 1877, the second daughter of J.C. Eckles, a Civil War veteran who had fought for the Union forces in the Battle of Vicksburg. In 1883, he returned to Mississippi with his family to live and work. Much of Nita's childhood was spent in Holly Springs, Miss.
J.C. Eckles was a doctor, a Methodist minister, a school superintendent and later, a postmaster. One of the founding fathers of Wood College, a small Methodist Church-supported school in Mathiston, Miss., Eckles was a strong proponent of education. Leaving Mississippi for Tennessee in the early 1890s, he was, in 1894, named president of Murphy College in Sevierville, Tenn. During his three years at the helm of the college that specialized in teacher preparation, Nita earned a bachelor of arts degree. She continued her education at Grant University in Athens, Tenn., earning a bachelor's degree in oratory.
While at Grant, Nita met Clyde West, another child of a Methodist minister. Clyde's family was from Grainger County, Tenn., but following college, he moved to Blount County, where his brother was farming. Accompanying Clyde in that move was Nita, his new bride.
While Clyde began farming land off of Sevierville Road in 1899, Nita became a member of the Maryville College faculty, hired to head the "Expression Department." After the introduction of theatre (by a senior class play), she began directing theatrical productions held in Voorhees Chapel or outside. She chose plays such as Cyrano de Bergerac and Hamlet that challenged both her students and herself. May Day, one outdoor springtime production, became a favorite of the community, especially school children who, in later years, walked to the amphitheatre in the College Woods to watch.
"Granny had the creek in the amphitheatre rerouted to create the flat, grassy stage," Lynn explained.
The couple had three children, and Mrs. West's 48-year association with the College was only interrupted twice to accommodate pregnancy and her children's first years. She was gone from the College between 1901 and 1904 and again from 1912 to 1914.
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