Alumni & Friends

Meet Our Alumni

• <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/842-ken-noe" title="Ken Noe" aria-label="Ken Noe"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/203,60,416,273/744_noe.rev.1507061099.jpg" alt="Ken Noe" title="Ken Noe" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="450" data-max-h="490"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/842-ken-noe"><p> Weather can influence more than your picnic: it also affects entire military campaigns.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> When Dr. Ken Noe (’79) was growing up in Elliston he remembers that weather played a huge role in the work done on his grandfather’s farm. “If rain was coming, we dropped everything else to put up hay.” He thinks this experience planted a seed in the back of his mind about the impactful influence of weather. Later, his interest in weather grew when he took a geography course at Emory & Henry with Dr. Ed Bingham.</p><p> But even he could never have predicted that he would now be writing a two-volume book on weather’s impact on the American Civil War.</p><p> Ken is the Draughon Professor of Southern History at Auburn University. He is the author or editor of seven books, and he has published scads of articles, essays and chapters about the Civil War. He is a decorated history professor serving at West Georgia College before heading to Auburn. He was a Pulitzer Prize entrant and won the 2003 Kentucky Governor’s award, the 2002 Peter Seaborg Book Award for Civil War Non-fiction, and the 1997 Tennessee History Book Award. He has won several teaching awards, has served as president of the Alabama Historical Association, and is serving on the Advisory Board of the Society of Civil War Historians. He has even been a consultant for the NBC series <em>Who Do You Think You Are? </em></p><p> But in all his prolific writing and research and publishing even he is surprised that his biggest and most industrious work to-date will be about weather.  “Meteorologists are still trying to work out why the weather during the Civil War was so unusual. They dealt with incredibly snowy and rainy winters and droughts in the summer that affected Southern food supplies. There were dust storms, flooded rivers, and only two hurricanes. It had a profound effect on many campaigns.”</p><p> His research on weather has already taken several years, and he still has a few years left before he publishes. And even he was amazed to realize just how much information he had accumulated. “Very little has been written about Civil War environmental history. It is only now becoming part of the conversation about Civil War history.”  </p><p> Ken says that even in a field of study like Civil War history where so many things have been written, there is still new area for research and a lot of topics that haven’t been covered.  He has grad students asking new questions about the role of religion, the prison industries during the war, the role of friendship, and one young man, who is an E&H grad, is looking into camp life.</p><p> Even though we have just passed the 150^th anniversary of the American Civil War, Ken points out that this conflict still has implications for current events; and he marvels that most conversations over the past 18 months have quickly moved from history to current topics like the Confederate flag, U.S. prisons, and race relations. He says his field has gotten so tangled with politics that there is a declining interest in Civil War history among the public. “But this event still has much to teach us. It was a great turning point in American History and opened up questions that are still being answered about equality of humankind, the status of women, states’ rights. I don’t know how we can answer all these questions unless we go back to the beginning.” He consistently stresses to his students the importance of going back to primary source information rather than depending on how the stories have been told and passed down.</p><p><a href="/live/image/gid/68/height/500/744_noe.jpg" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="450" height="490" alt="Photo: Dr. Ken Noe poses with one of his Auburn grad students, Peter Thomas (E&H, ’08). In ..." src="/live/image/gid/68/width/450/height/490/744_noe.rev.1507061099.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image744 lw_align_left" data-max-w="450" data-max-h="490"/><span class="lw_image_caption lw_align_left" style="width: 450px">Photo: Dr. Ken Noe poses with one of his Auburn grad students, Peter Thomas (E&H, ’08). In addition to the flag of his home state in the background, if you look closely, you can just make out the end of his lacrosse stick from college days.</span></a>Ken actually majored in education at Emory & Henry and still remembers panicking when he realized he didn’t want to be a junior high school teacher. “I had a lot of electives leftover and started taking history classes late in my college experience. I realized what I wanted to be was a historian and teach at a higher level.” A conversation with Patsi Trollinger (’72) reassured him that most alumni do not stick to work within their major. And a conversation with Dr. Gene Rasor in the history department led to a phone call which ended with Dr. Rasor telling Ken he had an interview with the history department at Virginia Tech.</p><p> The rest, as they say, is history.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/842-ken-noe" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1746-cathy-cuskey-large" title="Cathy Large" aria-label="Cathy Large"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/201,93,535,426/3153_cuskey_large.rev.1518207527.jpg" alt="Cathy Cuskey Large" title="Cathy Cuskey Large" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="604" data-max-h="453"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1746-cathy-cuskey-large"/></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Cathy Cuskey Large (’93) used to avoid physics like the plague: so, of course, she is now flourishing as a Medical Physicist.</p><p> “I took physics in high school and just hated it. But I had a teacher at Virginia Highlands Community College who made me love it.”</p><p> So she transferred to Emory & Henry, graduated with a major in physics and a minor in math, and then headed to UT for a master’s in physics. While there she ventured into the engineering department to explore a more applications-based area of physics (less theoretic), and that’s where she first heard about medical physics. She’s never looked back.</p><p> She has worked at the clinic level where she had to implement logistics necessary to make it safe for cancer patients and health workers to be around radiation treatment. “We even have to take into consideration someone who might be working on the roof on a given day.”</p><p> Her work there involved everything from selecting proper building materials to measuring wall widths. These days she’s working for Phillips Medical as a consultant, and is writing algorithms for the administration of radiation. “It’s a great career, and there aren’t a lot of people doing this – so there are great opportunities for new grads.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1746-cathy-cuskey-large" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/16-" title="Hannah Taylor" aria-label="Hannah Taylor"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/25_3352ba2f2869555aca164cdd562e5444_f47341.rev.1490710878.jpg" alt="Hannah Taylor" title="Hannah Taylor" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/25_3352ba2f2869555aca164cdd562e5444_f47341.rev.1490710878.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="666"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/16-"><p> Hannah Taylor (’15) Exploring Gender Stereotypes</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Hannah Taylor, a member of the E&H Class of 2015 from Atkins, Va. majors in psychology. Using her pet rabbit in an animal therapy program she seeks to help mentally challenged individuals and residents of nursing homes.</p><p> “They love getting to see him (the rabbit), and it warms my heart to see their reactions and how much they enjoy visiting with him. This is one of my passions, because it amazes me how people can connect with animals, and he is always able to put a smile on their face, even if they are having a bad day.”</p><p> Hannah Taylor, a member of the E&H Class of 2015 from Atkins, Va. majors in psychology. Using her pet rabbit in an animal therapy program she seeks to help mentally challenged individuals and residents of nursing homes. “They love getting to see him (the rabbit), and it warms my heart to see their reactions and how much they enjoy visiting with him. This is one of my passions, because it amazes me how people can connect with animals, and he is always able to put a smile on their face, even if they are having a bad day.”</p><p> Taylor says about Emory & Henry: “Emory & Henry is known for its quality education, which is ranked nationally, and when you attend Emory, you know you are getting a great education that you will always take with you. The professors at Emory are also ranked nationally; they do not hand you anything, you really have to earn it. With that being said, even though the professors are tough, they are always there for you and to help you in anyway they can. When you graduate from Emory and Henry College, it is something you can be proud of because you know you have worked very hard for your degree and your achievements. “</p><p> As a student at Emory & Henry, Taylor is currently completing her second internship through Abingdon Health and Rehabilitation in occupational therapy. Her first internship was completed last fall with Highlands Community Services at the Stepping Stones location where she worked primarily with bipolar and schizophrenic individuals. Last spring, Taylor and fellow classmate, Amy Wilson, completed a research project involving gender stereotypes and careers. Although the research did not bear significant findings, Taylor plans to expand her sample group and explore a wider range of demographics.</p><blockquote> Emory & Henry inspired me to become a psychology major, and I am very thankful for that. I love it, and couldn’t imagine majoring in anything else. Emory & Henry also has helped me gain professional contacts through internships. Being able to go out and intern at a future place of work is amazing; you are able to gain valuable experience while getting class credit. It has been an amazing experience for me, and I will always be thankful for it.</blockquote></div><a href="/live/profiles/16-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/3-" title="Taequan Kates" aria-label="Taequan Kates"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/8_alumni-kates-taekuan.rev.1490105709.jpg" alt="Taequan Kates" title="Taequan Kates" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,1000,666/8_alumni-kates-taekuan.rev.1490105709.jpg 2x" data-max-w="1000" data-max-h="666"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/3-"><p> Taequan Kates (’16) Learns Legal Lessons While Interning With Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Summer breaks are meant to be exactly that: a break from the stress and hard work of the academic year. However, rising Emory & Henry College senior Taequan Kates has a tough time slowing down.</p><p> Kates who grew up in Dewitt, Va. spent much of the summer in Richmond completing an internship at the Office of Attorney General Mark Herring.</p><p> Kates was tasked with editing <em>Virginia Rules</em>, a book containing state laws to ensure it lined up with the current code statutes. His daily responsibilities found him working closely with attorneys in the office reviewing laws relevant to current cases.</p><h2> Work on Campus</h2><p> When not in the courtroom, Kates was making plans for his next big job – student body president. Kates along with fellow rising senior and student body vice-president Katie Beth Bordwine (who was also in Richmond, Va. for an internship) has been focused on a list of goals for the academic year.</p><p> Their first consideration: the feasibility of building an outdoor basketball court on campus.</p><p> “I’ve spoken with several colleges asking them about their program and trying to figure out a way to incorporate an outdoor court into our campus, and I hope this is something we can bring to Emory & Henry,” Kates said.</p><p> In his remaining free time, Kates spent time working as a counselor for at-risk children in his community. It’s a cause close to his heart, and he said he wants these children to become better citizens so they can grow up with the opportunities to chase their dreams.</p><p> “I’ve done a lot this summer, but I know all the hard work was worth it.”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/3-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1434-gary-reedy" title="Gary Reedy" aria-label="Gary Reedy"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,280,279/2269_Gary_Reedy.rev.1516131489.jpg" alt="Gary Reedy" title="Gary Reedy" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="280" data-max-h="414"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1434-gary-reedy"><p> Gary Reedy is CEO for American Cancer Society.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Gary M. Reedy is the Chief Executive Officer for the American Cancer Society. He took the position in April 2015, but he served as a volunteer for many years before that.</p><p>  </p><p> As a volunteer leader, Reedy is credited with transforming the organization into one able to better deliver on its lifesaving mission. He is a past chair of the Society’s volunteer Board of Directors and past chair of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network^SM (ACS CAN) Board. He also led the ACS Board’s advisory committee on transformation, a pivotal role for the organization’s recent restructuring work. He first joined the Society in 2000 as a member of the Board of Trustees of the former American Cancer Society Foundation. In recognition of his service, Reedy was elected as an Honorary Life Member of the Society in 2014.</p><p> Prior to taking the helm of the Society, Reedy had a distinguished 37-year career as a health care business and advocacy leader, most recently as the worldwide vice president of government affairs and policy, at Johnson & Johnson, where he spearheaded initiatives to influence global health policy. He previously devoted more than 25 years of his career to the business side of the industry, including senior leadership positions with SmithKline Beecham, Centocor, and Johnson & Johnson. During his tenure at Johnson & Johnson, Reedy served as president of Ortho Biotech, a Johnson & Johnson company with annual revenues of more than $3 billion.</p><p> Reedy’s nonprofit experience includes current board appointments for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, the National Health Council, Research America, and Emory & Henry College. He is an active member of the Atlanta Rotary Club, previously served on the C-Change board of directors, and was a charter member of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.</p><p> As the Society’s top staff executive, Reedy leads the strategic direction and overall management of the organization, with 2  million volunteers, 6,000 staff, and 5 geographic regions. He works with the Society’s Board of Directors to establish the organization’s vision and drive revenue and impact to achieve its lifesaving mission.</p><p> Reedy also holds an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Arcadia University. He and his wife, Cindy (E&H ’80), live in Atlanta, Georgia, and are the proud parents of two adult daughters, Katie and Stephanie. </p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1434-gary-reedy" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/790-richard-groover" title="Richard Groover" aria-label="Richard Groover"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/564_2887April2917_005.rev.1505402809.JPG" alt="Richard Groover" title="Richard Groover" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/564_2887April2917_005.rev.1505402809.JPG 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,3200,2133/564_2887April2917_005.rev.1505402809.JPG 3x" data-max-w="3200" data-max-h="2133"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/790-richard-groover"><p> Catching dragonflies for the National Park Service is only the latest of Richard Groover’s cool projects.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> It’s probably easier to ask Richard Groover what he HASN’T done. After being a scientist, a teacher, a field researcher, a government employee, a reserve deputy sheriff, hostage negotiator for 9 years, a documentary filmmaker, a National Park docent, a former member of the Governor’s Climate Change Commission for Virginia, a current member of the Board of Trustees for the Virginia Science Museum and now an author – you’d think there wouldn’t be much new territory left to explore.</p><p><a href="http://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/650/569_groover.jpg" class="lw_preview_image"><img width="500" height="414" alt="Richard Groover poses with his wife, Patti Jackson." src="http://www.ehc.edu/live/image/gid/68/width/500/height/414/569_groover.jpg" class="lw_image lw_image569 lw_align_left lw_column_width_half" data-max-w="629" data-max-h="521"/></a>But he has plans.</p><p> “I figure I’ve got about 10 years left in me before my brain goes, so I’ve got a lot to do.”</p><p> Richard graduated from E&H in 1971, and at the age of 68 he just this year completed his Ph.D. in Environmental  Science and Public Policy at George Mason University. “Well, you know, the dog died, the children grew up, the skies parted – I realized I had time to do my Ph.D.”</p><p> He speaks excitedly about his graduate work: he focused on Ecology and Policy. He says he studied with the best and brightest in public policy (including Lee Talbott who authored the Endangered Species Act), but his real passion is education and research in the field. He is a Biology and Environmental Studies teacher at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, and he is currently doing a project for the National Park Service studying dragonflies on National Battlefields. (For the record, he has nothing against damselflies he just thinks they’re “wimpy.” We couldn’t reach a damselfly for comment.)</p><p> He is just about to publish an ambitious reference book: <em>Second Edition of the Environmental Almanac of Virginia</em>. Richard approached the author of first edition to encourage him to write a second part – but the author, Frits van der Leeden (real name) said Richard ought to write it. The book will be out in October of 2017.</p><p> Richard says he doesn’t mind staying busy. “I’m worried about being bored. If I die tomorrow, I’ve had a really fun life!”</p><p> You can reach Richard speak of many things, including his upcoming book: <a href="mailto:rgroover@reynolds.edu"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">rgroover@reynolds.edu</span></a></p></div><a href="/live/profiles/790-richard-groover" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/690-" title="Chris Whitt" aria-label="Chris Whitt"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,450,299/340_195154692a4a9ca21aec2fe00c319ccd_f7172.rev.1500309442.jpg" alt="Chris Whitt" title="Chris Whitt" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="450" data-max-h="299"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/690-"><p> It’s all Emory & Henry’s Fault</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> “While I was a student, I participated in a teaching abroad program in Brazil that was offered by the college, and I fell in love with the Brazilian culture and people. So I decided to make it my home.” So for 7 years he ran a school that taught English as a second language, and in 2008 he opened his very own such business in Londrina, Brazil, called High School Language Center.  Solving more than one need for the community, his school gives families a chance for constructive child care. “My school offers an alternative to a babysitter for families who think learning another language is important. The kids from ages 2 1/2 and up study 3 hours per day at my school. They have a lot of fun learning.” Look for his school online and you’ll find projects like mystery movies his students produce to practice their English.</p><p> Chris is just one of many alumni who are using their E&H degrees to solve problems. If you know a student who might like to use education to make the world a better place, check out the <a href="https://www.ehc.edu/ampersand/">Ampersand</a> project at Emory & Henry!</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/690-" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1924-major-warner" title="Major Warner" aria-label="Major Warner"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/43,48,449,456/3461_mwarner.rev.1520382856.JPG" alt="Major Warner" title="Major Warner" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="480" data-max-h="640"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1924-major-warner"/></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Major Warner, a 1991 Emory & Henry graduate, is Associate Superintendent for Instruction with Fauquier County Schools.<br/><br/> He  is a 1987 graduate of Fauquier High School. He was a standout basketball player at Emory & Henry, and is a member of the E&H Sports Hall of Fame. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management.<br/><br/> His work with students began when he worked as an admissions counselor for two years after graduation.  His post graduate work in counseling began with a  two-year program at  Tennessee Tech University, where  he finished ahead of schedule in 1.5 years.   <br/><br/> In 1996, Warner returned to Fauquier County where he worked at Liberty High School as a guidance counselor for four years.   During this time Major began his postgraduate work in Educational Leadership with the University of Virginia,  that would eventually allow him to serve as assistant principal at both Parkview High School in Loudoun County and Battlefield High School in Prince William County.   <br/><br/> He was selected as principal of Kettle Run High School in 2007 serving for 10 years in this capacity.  He currently serves as the Associate Superintendent for Instruction with Fauquier County Schools. <br/><br/> In 2015, Warner won the The Washington’s Post Distinguished Educational Leader from Fauquier County.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1924-major-warner" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1747-art-scott" title="Art Scott" aria-label="Art Scott"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,492,492/3154_Art_Scott.rev.1518207659.jpg" alt="Art Scott" title="Art Scott" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="492" data-max-h="492"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1747-art-scott"><p> Art Scott is with the National Association of Counties.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Arthur Scott serves as Associate Legislative Director for National Association of County’s (NACo’s) Agriculture and Rural Affairs portfolio, lobbying on a broad range of issues facing rural counties. Arthur also serves as Political Outreach Manager for NACo developing and leveraging strategic partnerships to help address key county priorities in Congress and the Administration. Additionally, Arthur designed and managed NACo’s 2016 U.S. Presidential Election initiative “Counties Connect America.” Other responsibilities include staffing NACo’s Northeast Region Caucus and the National Association of County Intergovernmental Relations Officials (NACIRO).</p><p> Prior to NACo, Arthur served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate. During his time in the Senate, Arthur managed all federal appointment processes including judicial nominations and coordinated political and civic outreach initiatives across the Commonwealth. Arthur also managed the grassroots outreach programs for congressional campaigns during the 2008, 2010 and 2012 election cycles. Taking a leave of absence from his position in the Senate, Arthur helped design and execute field programs to address the diverse geographic and demographic landscapes of Virginia. A native of rural Southwestern Virginia, he graduated from Emory and Henry College in 2007 with a B.A. in Geography and minor in Business Management. Before moving to Washington, D.C. in 2008, Arthur operated in several capacities within the economic development community in Southwest Virginia including an internship with Lenowisco, the regional planning district commission.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1747-art-scott" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/675-" title="Anne Driscoll" aria-label="Anne Driscoll"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/269_1912405_682582264006_8756799307793601402_n.rev.1496850332.jpg" alt="Anne Ryan Driscoll" title="Anne Ryan Driscoll" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,960,960/269_1912405_682582264006_8756799307793601402_n.rev.1496850332.jpg 2x" data-max-w="960" data-max-h="960"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/675-"><p> Anne Ryan Driscoll ’06 Honored for her Teaching and Research at Virginia Tech</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> A press release from Virginia Tech has announced the 2016 Dr. Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Awards presented to faculty members in the College of Science and the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.</p><p> Emory & Henry’s Anne Ryan Driscoll (’06) was among the honorees for her work in the Department of Statistics.</p><p> Anne majored in Mathematics and Physics at Emory & Henry and played basketball and tennis as a student athlete, and did all this while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA. Anne was a 3-time ODAC All-Academic selection and a 2-time ITA Scholar Athlete. She and her tennis teammates finished 2nd in both the ODAC regular season and in the ODAC Championship tournament in her junior year, where she played #5 singles and #3 doubles. Anne was also a member of Kappa Phi Alpha sorority and Sigma Mu Honor Society.</p><p> After graduation, Anne went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Statistics and a Ph.D. in Statistics from Virginia Tech. She currently works as an Assistant Professor of Practice at Virginia Tech teaching both undergraduate and graduate level courses in research and statistics. Anne has received other professional awards at Tech that honor her Outstanding Departmental Citizenship and twice was selected for an Excellence in Teaching award. She has published numerous scholarly articles related to research methodology and statistics. Additionally, Anne has collaborated on projects for the Department of Defense and with NASA.</p><p> An excerpt from the press release is listed below, and you may read the entire press release at the Virginia Tech webpage <a href="http://vtnews.vt.edu/content/vtnews_vt_edu/en/articles/2016/08/science-shannonteachingaward.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.</p><p> August 3, 2016 – Four Virginia Tech faculty with the <a href="http://liberalarts.vt.edu/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">College of Science and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences</a> have received the 2016 Dr. Carroll B. Shannon Excellence in Teaching Award.</p><p> The awards were presented to: Anne Ryan Driscoll, an assistant professor of practice in the Department of Statistics; Michel Pleimling, a professor with the Department of Physics and director of the Academy of Integrated Science; and Gordon Yee, an associate professor with the Department of Chemistry, all in the College of Science; and Marian Mollin, an associate professor in the Department of History, part of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.</p><p><br/> The award is made possible by an endowment established by Peter and Carroll Shannon, of Wilmington, Delaware, and is given annually to College of Science and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences faculty members who demonstrate outstanding teaching skills, innovative methods, and dedication to learning. The colleges once formed the College of Arts and Sciences, which split in 2002.</p><p><br/> “Virginia Tech gave me the opportunity to become someone who I would never have become if it had not been for the university,” said Peter Shannon, who graduated from Virginia Tech in 1969 with a general science degree and who named the award in honor of his wife, Carroll, an educator for her entire career.</p><p><br/> “Outstanding teachers have the opportunity to be change agents in the lives of students. They inspire a love of learning, encourage students to reach their potential and discover their career path,” said Carroll Shannon, who worked in education for the state of Delaware. “Most importantly, they guide students in becoming contributing members of society who will impact positively the lives of others.”</p><p><strong>Anne Driscoll</strong><br/> Since joining Virginia Tech’s faculty in 2011, Driscoll has taught eight courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in the <a href="http://www.stat.vt.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Department of Statistics</a>. She also has collaborated on projects for the U.S. Department of Defense and with NASA, and she chairs the department’s corporate partners program, which is a cooperative outreach venture that links the department with 11 different companies.</p><p> Of Driscoll’s nomination, the college committee said, “The committee was particularly impressed with the strength of your teaching’s impact on your students and their careers.” Her research focuses on statistical process control, health care surveillance, and industrial statistics.</p><p> She earned dual bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physics from Emory & Henry College in 2006, followed by master’s and doctoral degrees in statistics from Virginia Tech in, respectively, 2007 and 2011. Her awards won at Virginia Tech include the Jesse C. Arnold Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2010-2011, and the Rose Costain Award for Outstanding Departmental Citizenship, 2010.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/675-" 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>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1743-myron-wingfield" title="Myron Wingfield" aria-label="Myron Wingfield"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,320,404/3150_Myron_Wingfield.rev.1518206236.jpg" alt="Myron Wingfield" title="Myron Wingfield" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="320" data-max-h="404"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/1743-myron-wingfield"><p> Myron Wingfield (E&H ’83) is the Executive Director of Connectional Ministries for the California-Pacific Conference of The United Methodist Church.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Myron Wingfield (E&H ’83) has returned to California to be the Executive Director of Connectional Ministries for the California-Pacific Conference of The United Methodist Church.</p><p> Resident Bishop Grant J. Hagiya of the Los Angeles Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church recently shared the following letter as a means of announcing the news:</p><p> “I am pleased to announce that Rev. Myron D. Wingfield will become our next California-Pacific Conference’s Executive Director of Connectional Ministries.</p><p> Rev. Wingfield currently serves as the Associate General Secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry’s Division of Ordained Ministry where he supervises and coordinates the work of the program and administrative staff of the Division of Ordained Ministry. His work includes providing training, consultation, and resources for district superintendents across the Connection and for administering the Effective Ministry Assessment (EMA) on effective clergy-congregational leadership collaboration as well as the Ministerial Education Fund and the Central Conference Theological Education Fund.</p><p> Prior to this, in the California-Pacific Conference, he served as District Superintendent in the San Diego District for seven years and on the Board of Ordained Ministry for nine years. He has also served as Co-Pastor of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church (San Diego, CA), among other local churches, and as a delegate to the 2012 Western Jurisdictional Conference.</p><p> Rev. Wingfield earned a Master of Divinity with Honors from Candler School of Theology, Emory University (Atlanta, GA), and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Emory & Henry College (Emory, VA).</p><p> Myron both understands our Cal-Pac Conference culture and brings the perspective of the General Church, both nationally and internationally. He supervises the entire staff of the Division of Ordained Ministry, and as such brings a wealth of administration as well as program ministry gifts. I am confident that God will lead us into greater ministry vitality in and through his leadership. Let us keep him in prayer and welcome him as he comes to lead in this capacity, starting January 15, 2017.</p><p><strong>Bishop Grant J. Hagiya</strong><br/> Los Angeles Area Resident Bishop<br/> The United Methodist Church”</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/1743-myron-wingfield" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/1841-linda-coutant" title="Linda Coutant" aria-label="Linda Coutant"><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg" alt="Linda Coutant" title="Linda Coutant" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.jpg 2x, /live/image/scale/3x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,96,2133,2227/3317_LindaCoutant2018.rev.1519076778.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/1841-linda-coutant"><p> Linda Coutant is senior editor and writer in the communications office at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><div class="gmail_extra"><div class="gmail_quote"><div id="m_-4766316923025457948m_6126689255754143167pseudoBody"> Dr. Linda Coutant completed her Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) in educational leadership in May 2017 at Appalachian State University, with a research focus on the use of mindfulness and other contemplative practices in higher education.  </div><div/><div> In December 2017, her research was published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Contemplative Inquiry with the title “The Mindful Campus: Organizational Structure and Culture.”  </div><div/><div> She is senior editor/writer in University Communications at Appalachian State University and teaches journalism as an adjunct instructor in the University’s Department of Communication. </div><div/></div></div></div><a href="/live/profiles/1841-linda-coutant" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>
• <span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/profiles/677-doug-dalton" title="Doug Dalton" aria-label="Doug Dalton"><img src="/live/image/gid/2/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,640,640/272_11140356_10154000682162786_5533273719072550783_n.rev.1497276685.jpg" alt="Doug Dalton" title="Doug Dalton" class="lw_image" width="345" height="225" data-max-w="640" data-max-h="640"/></a></span><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_profiles_headline"><a href="/live/profiles/677-doug-dalton"><p> Doug Dalton (’94) is More Than Meets The Eye</p></a></h4><div class="lw_profiles_description"><p> Ask anyone who follows Doug Dalton on social media and they’ll tell you that this guy knows how to have a good time. The Fairfax, Va., native is now a dyed-in-the-wool Californian, and photos of him wearing a cheetah suit and going to Burning Man, cocktail parties, and rock concerts might lead you to think he is just a playboy.</p><p> Think again!</p><p> He is also the owner of 9 very successful, very popular, very trendy bars in San Francisco, as well as 3 stores.</p><p> How — and why – does a former “dot com guy” end up as a bar entrepreneur? “I was working at Estee Lauder as the Chief Technology Officer living in San Francisco and New York City. New Yorkers would often speak poorly about San Francisco saying there was nothing interesting to do there. I wanted to contribute to San Francisco because I felt it was a wonderful town. San Francisco at the time was full of incredible restaurants and dive bars but nothing in between, so I ventured to make an elusive but not exclusive high-end bar experience on par with the New York nightlife scene.”</p><p> Doug and his partners venture into areas that some businesses are reluctant to consider (like the Tenderloin District) and his successes are reinvigorating long-ignored areas. “Our bars are bringing new life and other businesses to the area, helping to better them and make them more inviting.”</p><p> If you know a student who is interested in identifying a problem…and working for a solution…encourage him or her to look at Emory & Henry’s Ampersand project. Maybe they’ll grow up and be like Doug Dalton: an answer to community challenge.</p></div><a href="/live/profiles/677-doug-dalton" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div>