Student Success

Meet Our Alumni

• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1745-becky-edmondson-pretzel" title="Becky Pretzel" aria-label="Becky Pretzel"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/198,324,1490,1615/3152_edmondsonpretzel-1122.rev.1518207187.jpg" alt="Becky Edmondson Pretzel" title="Becky Edmondson Pretzel" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/198,324,1490,1615/3152_edmondsonpretzel-1122.rev.1518207187.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/198,324,1490,1615/3152_edmondsonpretzel-1122.rev.1518207187.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1500" data-max-h="2250"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1745-becky-edmondson-pretzel"><p> Rebecca Edmondson Pretzel (E&H ’82) is the Associate Director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) at UNC Chapel Hill. </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Rebecca Edmondson Pretzel (E&H ’82) is the Associate Director of the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD) at UNC Chapel Hill. </p><p> The CIDD is a comprehensive program for services, research, and training relevant to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The CIDD provides for clinical services that range from complex interdisciplinary evaluations on-site to more limited and selected clinical services. They also provide training in all 100 counties in North Carolina. (<a href="http://www.cidd.unc.edu/">CIDD website</a>)</p><p> According to a press release, Becky is a “psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UNC. At the CIDD, she serves as the Associate Director of our federally-funded University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) program, Director of Clinical Services, and Psychology Section Head. In addition, she is an investigator on a variety of research and training grants and supervises numerous graduate students and junior faculty.</p><p> Through her longstanding experience working with many N.C. service agencies (e.g., the Department of Public Instruction, Early Intervention Branch and Division of MH/DD/SAS), Dr. Pretzel has played an important role in raising the level of care for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families in the state. Dr. Pretzel is currently serving as Act Early Ambassador in North Carolina, a program directed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designed to improve early identification of young children with or at risk for developmental delays.”</p><div id="social-sharing-links" class="right clearfix"><div class="muted"/></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/1745-becky-edmondson-pretzel" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2707-meg-hathaway-retinger" title="Meg Retinger" aria-label="Meg Retinger"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,320,320/6405_meg_retinger.rev.1558721713.jpg" alt="Meg Hathaway Retinger" title="Meg Hathaway Retinger" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="320" data-max-h="320"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2707-meg-hathaway-retinger"><p> She’s number 1 in the number 2 business: Meg Retinger is COO of Bio Pet Laboratories in Knoxville.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Meg Hathaway Retinger graduated from Emory & Henry in 1976 with a plan to teach elementary school. But when she was faced with a crowded field of educators, and too few job openings, she headed in a different direction.</p><p> She began by doing computer work in an industry that created “bug zappers” and electric cattle fencing. Eventually she segued into a company that did testing to see if cattle had been properly inseminated for breeding. And now….well…now she finds herself elbow deep in dog poop.</p><p> Meg is the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for <a href="http://www.biopetlabs.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bio Pet Laboratories</a> in Knoxville. The main component of their business is a program called PooPrints®; evaluating DNA in dog poop so that apartment complexes know which tenants are not picking up after their pets. Dog owners swab the cheeks of their dogs, and the apartment landlords send the swabs to Bio Pet to be registered in a database –DNA World Pet Registry. If a pile of poop is found where it shouldn’t be, it can be collected and sent to Bio Pet to be matched up with the dog owner – or, as Meg calls that person, “The Poopetrator.”</p><p> Bio Pet is now serving clients all over the U.S., Canada, and Europe. They receive as many as 2000 swabs a day, and receive 200 poop samples a day.</p><p> Meg says the two biggest issues apartment complexes deal with are parking and dog waste. And in addition to being unsightly, it is also a huge environmental issue as it affects the water runoff and eventually the regional watersheds. “People think that dog poop is just fertilizer, but because of what dogs eat, their poop has more bacteria than human waste.”</p><p> She says her E&H education taught her how to learn – and instilled a desire to learn. So when her initial career plans got sidetracked, she was flexible and found a new way to apply her degree.</p><p> In short, Meg knows her poop.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2707-meg-hathaway-retinger" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3005-natalia-sutherland" title="Natalia Sutherland" aria-label="Natalia Sutherland"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,714,728/5663_Natalia_Sutherland.rev.1542303444.jpg" alt="Natalia Sutherland" title="Natalia Sutherland" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,14,714,728/5663_Natalia_Sutherland.rev.1542303444.jpg 2x" data-max-w="714" data-max-h="1000"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3005-natalia-sutherland"><p> Natalia Sutherland is a medical student at <a href="https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Virginia Tech Carilion Medical School</a>.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Life is not multiple choice</p><p> Natalia Sutherland is starting her second year at <a href="https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Virginia Tech Carilion Medical School</a>. She smiles widely when she talks about the other students in her cohort. “They’re from Duke and Johns Hopkins and Clemson and Vanderbilt…there are only 3 of us from liberal arts colleges.”</p><p> But this is what seems to give her an edge. Natalia is among the top tier of students in her class and she says, “You can tell Dr. Fleet I give her all the credit for that!”</p><p> She says her E&H Biology professor, Dr. Christine Fleet, insisted on project-based classwork that forced students  to truly understand and apply what they were learning in class. Granted, there are tests in medical school that are multiple choice, but Natalia says she feels like she has an advantage over many of her classmates because Emory & Henry gave her a framework for truly understanding the science.  She says it’s one thing to memorize the answers…but it’s another thing altogether to truly understand causes and effects and how systems in your body interact. She says Emory & Henry prepared her to be that well-rounded learner.</p><p> She beams when talking about how much she’s enjoying medical school, and about the work she did at E&H to prepare her for what she’s doing now. “I’ll come back to campus and talk to prospective students and families any time! Emory & Henry was a great place to get ready for medical school!”</p><p> Natalia is also the recipient of the <a href="https://medicine.vtc.vt.edu/giving/morgan-harrington.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Morgan Dana Harrington Scholarship</a>, and she expresses great honor in representing that award.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3005-natalia-sutherland" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3028-dr-adam-pugh" title="Dr. Adam Pugh" aria-label="Dr. Adam Pugh"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,32,1947,1977/7197_Head_Shot.rev.1575315387.jpg" alt="Dr. Adam Pugh" title="Dr. Adam Pugh" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,32,1947,1977/7197_Head_Shot.rev.1575315387.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,32,1947,1977/7197_Head_Shot.rev.1575315387.jpg 3x" data-max-w="2133" data-max-h="3200"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3028-dr-adam-pugh"><p> Dr. Adam Pugh is a Physical Therapist at BenchMark Physical Therapy.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Dr. Adam Pugh is a 2014 graduate of Emory & Henry College. In May of 2018 he graduated from the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Emory & Henry School of Health Sciences. He was part of the inaugural class.  <br/><br/> He and his wife, Amber, welcomed their first baby (a son) into their family in March of 2019.<br/><br/> Adam is currently the clinic director and physical therapist at BenchMark Physical Therapy in Marion, Virginia, and he says the part of the job he most enjoys is “getting to work with a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds to help them achieve their best in life.”<br/><br/> Because Adam completed his Physical Therapy degree as part of the E&H School of Health Sciences’ inaugural class, he had to enter the program with a lot of faith because the program’s accreditation didn’t officially occur until the first cohort completed their course work and they were just about to graduate from the program. When asked if that ever concerned him, Adam says, “I never once doubted that Emory & Henry wouldn’t become accredited. This school excels in everything that it does academically and I knew this wouldn’t be any different. It’s no wonder why E&H has been known to be one of the top 100 colleges that changes lives.”<br/><br/> These days Adam is busy seeing 10-18 clients a day. He says the best part of his job is “getting to interact with the people of the community, build lasting relationships, and become a part of their healing story.”    </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3028-dr-adam-pugh" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2963-homecoming-contest"/></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p><a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/4903_IMG-1479.JPG" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="500" height="376" alt="Friends reconnecting on Homecoming Day, 2018." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.rev.1540254881.JPG" class="lw_image lw_image4903 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/500/height/376/4903_IMG-1479.JPG 3x" data-max-w="3088" data-max-h="2320"/></a>Homecoming is about alumni coming back to visit friends and see their old college. They want to hear what’s going on at Emory & Henry! They want to see what’s new on campus! They want to know about current students and what they’re doing!</p><p><strong>But how much do you know about alumni?</strong></p><p><strong><a href="/live/blurbs/1269-more-emory-henry-alumni-stories" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CLICK HERE</a> to find a bunch of stories about former students.</strong></p><p> If you will share your favorite E&H alumni story on social media, you’ll be in the running for great prizes: an E&H blanket and more!!</p><p> So read a cool story…share that story with your friends…and screen shot it to share with the alumni office: 276-944-3516 or <a href="mailto:alumni@ehc.edu">alumni@ehc.edu</a>.</p><p> And let’s get to know our E&H alumni this Homecoming!</p><p>  </p><p> Please note: This contest is only for current students…not alumni. Sorry! :)<br/> Please include your name and current class year when you submit your entry. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2963-homecoming-contest" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1432-josh-myers" title="Josh Myers" aria-label="Josh Myers"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,427,427/1596_Josh_Myers.rev.1513028145.jpg" alt="Josh Myers" title="Josh Myers" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="427" data-max-h="427"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1432-josh-myers"><p> Myers is president of EMM Financial Services.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Josh Myers, is president of EMM Financial Services, Inc. in Greensboro, North Carolina.<br/></p><p> His post-college experience has varied widely.  He spent a bit of time in the nation’s capitol working for a large national lobby based in Northern Virginia. He attended the University of South Carolina for graduate studies in public administration. And he ran a statewide political campaign in South Carolina. He says that all his experiences and especially his education at Emory & Henry have given him the confidence, as well as the financial and analytical tools that prepared him for his leadership position with EMM.<br/></p><p> A management major at Emory & Henry, Josh says working collaboratively within groups and having real-world experiences through internships were the most helpful tools he acquired as an undergrad. He credits the compassionate community-based mantra of E&H as being an underlying guide to how he lives his life and serves his clients. He is reminded daily to always put people first and the rest will follow.<br/></p><p> He also says he has one very simple and helpful word of advice to anyone planning for the future: Save early and save often. No one ever got to the end of the road and said they wish they’d saved less.<br/></p><p> Josh is married to Catherine “Katie” Reynolds Myers (E&H ’08) who is a speech pathologist in the Guilford County, North Carolina, school system and the couple have two children, Carter and Emily. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1432-josh-myers" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1446-cathy-lowe" title="Cathy Lowe" aria-label="Cathy Lowe"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1251/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg" alt="Cathy Lowe" title="Cathy Lowe" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1251/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1248,1251/2404_IMG_0480.rev.1516308322.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1248" data-max-h="1419"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1446-cathy-lowe"><p> Cathy Lowe (E&H ’11) is serving as the mayor of Abingdon, Virginia.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Cathy fell into the category of “non-traditional” student while getting her E&H degree. She was already a grandmother when she walked across the stage and received her diploma. Cathy is also proof that it’s never too late to start a new project.</p><p> She is Executive Director of Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, and oversees all of the daily operations of the 40,000 square foot Economic Development Facility. She has served on the Abingdon Town Council since 2006, and in 2015 she was honored with a YWCA Tribute to Women Award.</p><p> In 2016 she was elected Mayor of Abingdon, Virginia. She was appointed in 2015 as a citizen member of the Virginia Tobacco Commission, and serves as the Governor’s Representative for the Commonwealth of Virginia to the Cultural Heritage Foudation.</p><p> She is a member of the Abingdon Rotary Club and has been named a Paul Harris Fellow multiple times. She also serves on numerous community boards including Barter Theatre, William King Museum, and Virginia Highlands Community College.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1446-cathy-lowe" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/704-" title="Rachel Dunne" aria-label="Rachel Dunne"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,690,390/354_25f3d785419f0eb611f94ba17fd1703d_f1833.rev.1500386495.jpg" alt="Rachel Dunne" title="Rachel Dunne" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="690" data-max-h="390"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/704-"><p> Rachel Dunne Finds Unlikely Path in Alaska </p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> When Rachel Dunne (’04) was a student at E&H, she pretty much set the woods on fire. Lately, she’s been busy putting out fires. This is truly a young woman who knows how to fire up a Liberal Arts degree. </p><p> This is all a corny way of saying that Rachel has been fighting wildland fires in Alaska.</p><p> A double major in Public Policy & Community Service and Psychology, Rachel was a top notch student with a heart intent on making a difference. And it comes as no surprise that she is finding such a creative means of making her way in the world.  She wanted to pursue work in the area of disaster relief response after graduate school, but needed job experience.  She spent 10 months in the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps doing a lot of work in the Gulf region of the U.S. working on Katrina recovery efforts.  She also got sent to a very small town in Arizona where her team was assigned to assistance with brush clearing to prevent wildfires.  Her superiors suggested she come back after AmeriCorps for a job.</p><p> While she only intended to do the job for a year, she stayed for two and a half years honing her skills not only in firefighting and prevention but also in coordinating fire response, GIS, HAZMAT, EMT, and learned how to drive a water tender (please Google this to see how impressive this feat is).</p><p> After Arizona she found an opportunity to continue this good work and to see some of the country’s most beautiful land. She considered Big Sky country, but ended up in Alaska because of their unique challenges in fire logistics. She served as a fire logistics dispatcher for the Alaska Fire Service, which is part of the Bureau of Land Management. In this role, she helped get the people, supplies, and aircraft out to remote areas of Alaska for wildland fires.</p><p> As is wont to happen, while in Alaska, Rachel ran smack into another Emory & Henry person! Daniel Griggs (’07) was there doing similar work and putting his geography background to good use. Giving Dr. John Morgan all the credit for getting him the right start, Daniel says he finds working for the fire service very “real” in the sense that there is “immediate need for accurate geospatial information.”  He ended up in Alaska because he had always wanted to visit the state, so when he got a job offer in Anchorage he jumped at the chance.</p><p> Rachel says folks in her position work seasonally—putting in 6 months of work and then filling the other half of the year with school, other work, travel, or personal projects and hobbies.  While the job sounds pretty cushy, it turns out those six months are pretty demanding.  On a fire assignment, dispatchers and firefighters alike usually work 14 straight days of up to 16 hour shifts.  In many ways, it’s more of a lifestyle than a job.</p><p> So what happens during those long days? This season, Daniel got sent out to the field as a GIS specialist, providing custom real-time maps of fires for the incident decision-makers.  Rachel moved to another dispatch center as an aircraft dispatcher, where she finds the helicopters and planes that support both fires and scientists in interior Alaska and the lower 48.  “It’s not every day you get to say, ‘Yeah, I ordered a jumbo jet at work today’,” says Rachel.  “The best part of the job is the constant challenge—you never know who is going to call or what they are going to need, and it’s great to be able to say, ‘Sure, I can make that happen,’ even when it means getting people or supplies into parts of Alaska your average tourist will never even think about visiting.”</p><p> With these new job demands, Rachel is less “fire fighter” and more “travel agent” – booking flights into all corners of the state.  Whether they are VIPs touring Alaska before making recommendations on energy or land management policy, scientists researching animal habitats and archeological sites, or firefighters protecting Alaska’s assets, everybody knows they’ll have to fly to get to their Alaskan destination.  “I may miss the smell of smoke and getting to do things with my own hands, but what I can do with a phone and a radio allows those professionals to make the difference, and I’m proud to be part of their support network.”</p><p> While Daniel will stay on with Alaska Fire Service in Fairbanks for the near future, Rachel plans to move on after this season ends.  “What’s next? I don’t know, but if you’d told me I was going to be a firefighter or live in Alaska while I was at Emory, I’d have laughed.  I just keep believing in the hope that people can do amazing things when we are willing to take on a challenge, even if it means leaving our comfort zones behind.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/704-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3035-noah-hayden" title="Noah Hayden" aria-label="Noah Hayden"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.jpg" alt="Noah Hayden" title="Noah Hayden" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,118,1372,1490/7202_Noah__Stephanie_1.rev.1575494231.jpg 3x" data-max-w="1372" data-max-h="2048"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3035-noah-hayden"><p> Noah is serving in the U.S. Army.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Noah Hayden’s accomplishments since graduation make it seem like he’s been out of school for a very long time. But, he only graduated in 2011.<br/><br/> He quickly earned an MS in communication from North Carolina State University and then joined the Army. “I joined the Army because I wanted to make a tangible difference in the world in a complex and demanding environment.”<br/><br/> He describes himself as “an adrenaline junkie” who enjoyed the grueling workouts required by the E&H basketball program. In addition to playing sports, he also completed multiple internships while a student. “Dr. Teresa Keller set me up with awesome internships at Johnston Memorial Hospital and The Corporate Image while at Emory & Henry. I got to experience working in the public relations world. I loved it but wanted something more physically demanding. Before the Army I had traveled across the world, spending a summer in Italy, rebuilding houses in Haiti, teaching English in China, and playing semi-professional basketball in the Middle East.”<br/><br/> Noah commissioned as an Infantry Officer in 2013, and had his choice of jobs to pursue in the Army. “I chose the infantry because it was the most difficult.”<br/><br/> As a rifle platoon leader, he was directly responsible for the training, development and combat readiness of a 42-man infantry platoon. He was responsible for the accountability of $5.5 million of military equipment, and was ultimately responsible to prepare his team to deploy anywhere in the world.<br/><br/> As a heavy weapons platoon leader, he was responsible for the training, development and combat readiness of a 19-man specialty platoon with 5 vehicles (HMMWVs) and $8 million of military equipment. Again, he was ultimately responsible to prepare them to deploy anywhere in the world.<br/><br/> After his third platoon, he became a rifle company executive officer and worked directly for a Captain (Company Commander) and reported to the battalion executive officer (major). He resourced, planned and facilitated operational readiness while managing the logistics and supply chain of a 130 Soldier rifle company, and was accountable for $15 million of military equipment.<br/><br/> “My mass communication experience has been incredibly useful. As a rifle platoon leader, we walked everywhere, relying on hand-held radios. As a heavy weapons platoon leader, we operated out of vehicles, utilizing additional communication platforms. Public speaking is a dying skill and I easily out-performed many of my peers. Hosting a radio show and television show at Emory directly translated to my everyday job. The hands-on experience and ability to troubleshoot any communication platform prepared me for the Army’s equipment. It is imperative that I am able to speak clearly and concisely. Emory & Henry helped prepare me for that.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3035-noah-hayden" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/770-ashley-anderson" title="Ashley Anderson" aria-label="Ashley Anderson"><img src="/live/image/gid/16/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,51,640,691/541_14429489_10104176658464845_379036427_n.rev.1505248978.jpg" alt="Ashley Anderson" title="Ashley Anderson" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="640" data-max-h="960"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/770-ashley-anderson"><p> Ashley Anderson, ’05: Higher Education Professional and Diversity Advocate</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><h4><strong>Ashley Anderson - Regional Admissions Representative, University of Alabama</strong></h4><h4><strong>Graduate Degree:  Master of Arts in Teaching, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis; Graduate Certificate in Higher Education and Student Affairs, Indiana University</strong></h4><p>  </p><p> “I learned how to make a difference in the world because of my time spent at Emory & Henry College…I carry the teachings of E&H with me everyday, especially in the workplace where I pride myself on being a change-maker. In my current position, I work with entering college students, and I have a strong passion for working with undocumented and LGBTQ+ students and helping them find the right college fit. I was able to cultivate this passion during my time E&H where I learned to be an advocate for justice and equality.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/770-ashley-anderson" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2044-dr-beverly-clark-iii" title="Dr. Beverly Clark III" aria-label="Dr. Beverly Clark III"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2273/4094_Clark-ShawLab.rev.1524861196.jpg" alt="Dr. Beverly Clark III" title="Dr. Beverly Clark III" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2273/4094_Clark-ShawLab.rev.1524861196.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2273/4094_Clark-ShawLab.rev.1524861196.jpg 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2273"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2044-dr-beverly-clark-iii"><p> Dr. Beverly Clark is studying the effects of microplastics on the environment.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p><strong>Dr. Beverly Clark, III </strong>is an Associate Professor of Physics at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. He has focused his research on combining nanoscience and microscopy.  His work has focused mostly on using microscopy techniques to design methods for measuring electronic properties of nanostructures like capacitance, surface charge and resistance. </p><p> Beverly is currently doing research on the environmental impacts of microplastics.  His work focuses on characterizing microplastics using microscopy and spectroscopy and the environmental impacts of microplastics on low income and minority populations.   </p><p> Beverly is a native of Java, Virginia, but has lived in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area for over fifteen years.  At Emory & Henry, he was a student athlete lettering in football and earned a B.S. degree in Physics.   He also earned a Master’s and Doctorate in Physics from North Carolina State University. In July 2018, he left Raleigh to take the position of Dean of Instruction, Academic Education at Central Community College in Grand Island, Nebraska. In his spare time, he enjoys playing music, cooking, and gardening.  </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/2044-dr-beverly-clark-iii" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/2546-bailey-williams" title="Bailey Williams" aria-label="Bailey Williams"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,718,721/6008_bailey.rev.1551226795.jpg" alt="Bailey Williams" title="Bailey Williams" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,718,721/6008_bailey.rev.1551226795.jpg 2x" data-max-w="720" data-max-h="960"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/2546-bailey-williams"><p> Bailey Williams: Class of ’18, and already landed her dream job.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div> Bailey Williams is a staff assistant for Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. She started the work in 2019 after a short-term stint as an intern for Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey.</div><div><br/> Her responsibilities in the Washington D.C. office will include answering calls from Virginians across the state, running the front office, and training new interns. Bailey says she’s especially looking forward to “working for a state she loves, a public servant she admires, and an institution that she has dreamed of being a part of for years.”<br/><br/> A Political and International Studies major at Emory & Henry, Bailey’s role in research for a class project in her Women and Gender Studies Class led to a sea of change on the E&H campus. She and classmates identify an alarming lack of attention to women and women’s stories on campus, and their studies and interviews led to a report that led to a new building on campus being named for Gov. Patrick Henry’s famous sister, Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell (she was a champion for Methodism in this region).<br/><br/> Now she’s ready to take her lessons learned on campus to a bigger stage. “This job is a dream come true. Emory & Henry College is where I discovered my passion for public service and learned the skills I needed to make it a reality. I can’t wait to be answering your calls and I hope to represent the Political Science Department and the College well.”</div></div><a href="/live/profiles/2546-bailey-williams" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/812-beth-hudak" title="Beth Hudak" aria-label="Beth Hudak"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,824,662/575_Beth_Hudak_EH_10.rev.1505495071.jpg" alt="Beth Hudak" title="Beth Hudak" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,824,662/575_Beth_Hudak_EH_10.rev.1505495071.jpg 2x" data-max-w="824" data-max-h="662"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/812-beth-hudak"><p> Beth Hudak’s work caught the attention of the National Science Foundation.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> A press release from the University of Kentucky tries to explain the science in terms we can all understand: haven’t we all held a cell phone in our hands and noticed it getting a bit too hot? The research and discovery done by Beth Hudak just might make that sensation obsolete.</p><p> Beth earned a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Emory & Henry in 2010, and finished her Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky in 2017. While working with a team of researchers she has just made an exciting breakthrough in polymorphs of the inorganic compound hafnium dioxide – used commonly in optical coatings.</p><p> The results have implications for more efficient microchip technology.</p><p> The paper on the work was recently published by Nature Communications, and the work was supported by the National Science Foundation, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the U.S. Department of Energy, and NASA Kentucky. The research is getting national attention, and is currently featured as a banner headline on the website for the National Science Foundation.</p><p><a href="https://uknow.uky.edu/research/hafnia-dons-new-face">Read the press release</a> from UK explaining the work here.</p><p> Beth is now working at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.</p><p><img width="1000" height="563" alt="This screen shot shows Beth's work featured on the NSF webpage." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/1000/height/563/576_Screen_Shot_of_NSF_webpage.rev.1505495071.png" class="lw_image lw_image576 lw_align_left lw_column_width_full" data-max-w="1920" data-max-h="1080"/></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/812-beth-hudak" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1931-bill-shanks" title="Bill Shanks" aria-label="Bill Shanks"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,10,255,265/3462_10-16_Myanmar.rev.1520433164.jpg" alt="Bill Shanks" title="Bill Shanks" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="255" data-max-h="306"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1931-bill-shanks"><p> Bill Shanks is a retired educator, but he will never retire from community leadership.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p>  </p><p>           “Emory & Henry College has always been a significant dimension of my life. Growing up in the Methodist community in the Holston Conference in Greeneville, Tennessee, I was aware of the College from an early age.  My sister, Anne, graduated from there in 1960, and I was excited to follow her in 1963”.   </p><p>           Bill is a 1967 graduate of Emory & Henry College and is now retired after more than 40 years of service to the city of Bristol Virginia. He served for 33 years in the Bristol Virginia Public Schools, beginning as a junior high mathematics instructor, then elementary and junior high school principal, Director of Instruction, Assistant Superintendent, and Acting Superintendent.  After retirement from the school division, he became Assistant City Manager for Special Projects for the City of Bristol Virginia, retiring for good in 2007.   He holds a Master of Arts in Educational Administration and Supervision from East Tennessee State University.</p><p>           Bill has served on numerous boards and committees during his career, some of which are: Bristol Virginia-Tennessee Library Board (Chair) and Library Foundation Board (Chair), Board of Directors of Boys and Girls Club of Bristol, and Club Honors Board, Board of Directors of Bristol Virginia Department of Social  Services, Board of Directors of River’s Way Outdoor Adventure Camp (Chair) Treasurer of Boy Scouts of America Troop 8, State Street United Methodist Church, Administrative Board of Trinity United Methodist Church,  Board of Directors of Bristol Virginia School System Credit Union (Chair).  He presently serves on the Board of Directors for the Emory & Henry College Alumni Association.</p><p>           Bill and his wife, Mary Jo have two children and two grandchildren.</p><p>           “I value and appreciate my experiences at Emory, both social and academic. The lifelong friends I have made are a gift, the academic program provided me with the necessary foundation for my career, and the college memories are priceless. I am fortunate to live in close proximity to the College so I can continue to be involved. “</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1931-bill-shanks" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/853-tess-teasley-and-zach-triplett" title="Tess Teasley Zach Triplett" aria-label="Tess Teasley Zach Triplett"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,500,500/859_teasley_triplett.rev.1507737965.jpg" alt="Tess Teasley and Zach Triplett" title="Tess Teasley and Zach Triplett" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,500,500/859_teasley_triplett.rev.1507737965.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="500"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/853-tess-teasley-and-zach-triplett"><p> Tess and Zach are keeping the skies friendly!</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> If you talk with Tess Teasley or Zach Triplett, you’ll hear the same thing about their jobs: it is difficult, the hours are crazy, you have to be patient about working your way up the ladder – and neither would trade a minute of their hard work.</p><p>  </p><p> Tess is a pilot for GoJet, and Zach is a flight attendant for Delta. While the two haven’t met yet, they answer questions about their job with a very similar level of enthusiasm.</p><p>  Zach is now a Flight Attendant and Instructor in the In-Flight Service Learning Department at Delta Air Lines, and his primary job is teaching in the flight attendant training center in Atlanta. But he also works as a flight attendant approximately 6-8 days per month. In the training center he teaches a requalification course that all 20,000 Delta flight attendants are required to attend once per year, and he teaches the 7.5 week long initial class for new flight attendants.</p><p> Zach remembers the moment when he knew he loved his job.  He had been waiting on standby in case he needed to fill in for someone at the last minute. He got a call, and instead of sitting in an airport for 4 hours, he was suddenly whisking his way to Rome. “I spent the entire next day exploring the city. That evening, I sat by myself having a glass of wine and watching the sunset over the Tiber River. It was at this point I realized I’m extremely fortunate to have the job I have, and to love what I do!”</p><p> But getting to this point isn’t easy, and Zach emphasizes the need for commitment. “As a junior airline crew member (flight attendant or pilot), you are at the bottom of the seniority list. You have to be willing to work long, irregular hours, and be prepared to work weekends and holidays for the first few years you are doing the job. In my opinion, the benefits FAR outweigh the cons! We may have to work holidays, but on our off days we spend time exploring the world!”</p><p> Tess says much the same of her work, as well. Tess is a First Officer at GoJet airlines, and is second in command on a CRJ700 Jet for Delta Connection.  She hasn’t gotten to this status without a lot of hours in the air and on the ground, but her enthusiasm for the work is palpable. If you ask her about what she would say to anyone considering this career path, she says, “Do it! Go to the nearest airport and take an introductory flight lesson right now!”</p><p> She goes on to explain that she was hooked on flying at the end of her very first flight, but that was just the beginning of a long road that included hard work, study, hours of practice, lessons, and networking. “Networking is key. Meet anyone you can. Join pilot groups and organizations.”</p><p> Tess says she can’t point to one particular moment when she knew she loved her job, but her description of her of her work explains why she has been so willing to put in the long difficult hours to get where she is today. “I am reminded everyday how much I love my job. Every time I take the runway, advance the thrust levers and feel the powerful engines spool up, barrel down the runway hitting about 140 mph, pull back on the yoke and launch into the air, I am reminded how amazing my job is. Being able to see New York City all lit up on a clear crisp night is simply breathtaking. I never tire of looking out the window seeing amazing sunrises and sunsets. It is always an amazing view. Playing among the ever-changing clouds, seeing the snow-covered mountains in Yellowstone, coming into LaGuardia on a windy, bumpy night, having to work the plane all the way down and making a smooth landing, seeing loved ones reunited at airports, traveling and exploring many cities- I truly have a very amazing job that I love.”</p><p> Tess and Zach both say it’s a great time to consider a career in their respective fields. Zach says Delta is looking to hire around 2,000 new flight attendants next year, and Tess says there is going to be a big need for pilots in the coming year. And honestly, when have you recently heard this much enthusiasm about work?</p><p>  </p><p><em>Tess gets to meet a lot of interesting people in her work. Here she is meeting the music icon Meatloaf!<a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/890_IMG-1189.jpg" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="500" height="375" alt="Tess Teasley recently was the pilot when rocker Meatloaf was on the jet!" src="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/375/890_IMG-1189.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image890 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" data-max-w="960" data-max-h="720"/></a></em></p><p>  </p><p><a href="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/874_IMG-2727.JPG" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="400" height="400" alt="Zach Triplett poses with 747" src="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/400/height/400/874_IMG-2727.JPG" class="lw_image lw_image874 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" srcset="https://www.ehc.edu/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/400/height/400/874_IMG-2727.JPG 2x" data-max-w="1080" data-max-h="1080"/></a></p><p>  </p><p> Zach recently got to work on a 747 and he had a little fun with the experience!</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/853-tess-teasley-and-zach-triplett" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>