Spring - JSU

of the

GemHills

The Alumni Magazine of Jacksonville State University

JSU President

Vol. XIII, No. 2

William A. Meehan, Ed.D., '72/'76

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Joseph A. Serviss, '69/'75

Alumni Association President Sarah Ballard,'69/'75/'82

Director of Alumni Affairs and Editor Kaci Ogle, '95/'04

Art Director Mary Smith, '93

Staff Artists

Erin Hill, '01/'05 Rusty Hill Graham Lewis

Copyeditor/Proofreader

Erin Chupp, '05 Gloria Horton

Staff Writers

Al Harris, '81/'91 Anne Muriithi

Photographer Steve Latham

Sarrell Regional Dental Center

12

Dr. William A. Meehan, President

Dear Alumni,

In this issue, JSU alumni in healthcare professions and the College of Nursing and Health Sciences are highlighted as one of the outstanding sectors of Jacksonville State University. This group represents a strong force in the university's service mission to communities throughout Northeast Alabama.

Our alumni and students work at Sarrell Regional Dental Centers in Anniston, Heflin and Talladega. Jeffrey A. Parker, a marketing professor at JSU says the center only hires "the best and the brightest, which normally means they are from JSU." Our alumni work in positions ranging from dental assistant to

insurance administrator to human resources manager, all providing free services to deserving children with Medicaid or ALLKIDS insurance. Additional details about the dreams the center has and the ones they fulfill are located on page 12.

Many patients at Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn. are also benefiting from a JSU alumnus thanks to the skills of Dr. Stephen Brackett. The feature story on page 15 tracks Brackett's life from his decision to attend JSU to his current life as a hospital resident.

With a "STEP" in the right direction, JSU's College of Nursing and Health Sciences Strategic Teaching for Enhanced Professional Preparation Program (page 18) is succeeding in helping licensed RNs obtain higher education goals while still fulfilling personal and occupational duties. Sybil Roark tells Gem how she returned to JSU for her master's in nursing while working and raising children. In this article she explains how she searched for "a quality education" and why JSU had "the best program for [her] needs and desires."

These inspiring stories, as well as many more, can be found throughout this issue of Gem of the Hills and every day throughout the world. Thank you for the positive impact you, as JSU alumni, have on countless people and organizations.

Sincerely,

Thriving in the Midst of Trauma

15

18 A Step Ahead

Gem of the Hills is published by the Division of Institutional Advancement, 700 Pelham Road North, Jacksonville, Alabama 36265-1602.

? 2006 Jacksonville State University

Phone: 256-782-5404

Fax:

256-782-5502

Email: alumni@jsu.edu

Website: jsu.edu/alumni

William A. Meehan, President

Departments

2 Gamecock Talk 8 News 10 Pioneer Spirit 12 Sarrell Regional 15 Cover Story 20 Sports 22 With Alumni 24 AlumNotes 41 Capital Campaign News 49 Honor Roll

On the cover: Dr. Stephen Brackett

The life of a JSU grad working to save the lives of others.

Alumni Association Executive Officers: Sarah Ballard, '69/'75/'82, president; Pam Young, '77, past president; Don Killingsworth, '99/'01, vice president; Chris Reynolds,'85, treasurer; Nancy Turner, recording secretary; Kaci Ogle, '95/'04, executive director; Alan Renfroe, '88, assistant director.

GAMECOCKtalk

CCBA

Named

Top 10%

of all

Business

Schools

Jacksonville State University's College of Commerce and Business Administration was named in the top ten percent of all business schools in the United States for the second consecutive year by the Princeton Review's Best 237 Business Schools (Random House/Princeton Review), now available for business school applicants nationwide for 2007.

The Princeton Review, known for its annual college rankings based on surveys of students attending the schools it profiles, praises JSU's business program for its convenience, affordability and personalized attention. JSU's two-page profile includes information about academic, student life, admissions, and career and placement programs.

The online version of JSU's profile can be viewed at .

com/mba/research/rankings/rankings. asp; simply search the site using the name Jacksonville State University.

The book features eleven ranking lists of the top ten schools in categories ranging from best academics to best career prospects.

The rankings are based on The Princeton Review's surveys of students attending the schools profiled in the book and on institutional data obtained from the schools. The Princeton Review surveyed 16,000 business school students, asking them to rate their schools on several topics and to report on their experiences at the institutions.

According to editors, "The College of Commerce and Business Administration at Jacksonville State University offers a small, predominantly part-time AACSB-accredited MBA program that students praise for its convenience, affordability, and "personalized attention."

According to Dr. William T. Fielding, dean of JSU's College of Commerce and Business Administration, the ranking adds further weight to the college's accreditation through the prestigious AACSB (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business). Fielding said, "Among 7,000 business schools worldwide, AACSB has

accredited only 500, and we are in the top half of that 500."

According to the surveys, students expressed satisfaction with JSU's program and praised the school's administration. One student wrote, "It has a good vision and is focused." Another said JSU's professors are "well-read, detail oriented, and dedicated." And another said the faculty has "good experience in the fields in which they teach."

Says Fielding: "I am very happy about the recognition of our program as a high quality business program. This makes our students' degrees more valuable, and as a result, they have a better chance of getting the job they want."

The Princeton Review is a New York City-based company known for its test-prep courses, education services, college and grad school admission services, and books published by Random House. Among them are Best 162 Medical Schools and Complete Book of Graduate Programs in the Arts and Sciences, also just published in updated 2006 editions. The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University or ETS.

Each year, the JSU 60's Group (those graduating or attending between the years 1960-69) host a Spring Fling. This year, they have decided to open up the event to any member of the JSU family, regardless of the years you spent at JSU! Come out and enjoy the fun, sun and surf with other JSU alumni at the Phoenix V amenities such as tennis courts, hot tubs, indoor and outdoor pools, sauna, exercise room, and BBQ grills, to name a few! The Phoenix V is centrally located approximately 5 miles east of Highway 59. Contact the office of alumni affairs at 800-2315291 ext. 5404 for more information.

Gemof theHills

Retired

Employee

Loses Her

Battle with

Cancer

(Information taken from Margaret Anderson's article in the Jacksonville News)

Carol Smith, who worked as support services coordinator in the College of Commerce and Business Administration at Jacksonville State University for 14 years, passed away January 11, 2007.

Ms. Smith was a well-loved resident of Jacksonville. Carol's friend Kenneith Calvert remembers working in charitable organizations with her. "Carol did so much volunteer work that we could give her the title of `Miss Volunteer of Jacksonville,'" said Calvert. "So many groups will miss the extra hands and feet she provided."

Born in Bluffton, Ohio, Carol received a bachelor's in education from Bluffton College. She worked as a home economist for Ohio Power Company and later served as district director for Camp Fire Girls in Albuquerque, N.M. She was a reservationist for Braniff Airlines in Dallas and Kansas City, Kan., and worked for the U.S. Government at Sandia Base and White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Later she was a service representative with AT&T in Washington, D. C.

Ms. Smith retired from JSU August 31,1998 and immediately became involved in the JSU retired faculty/staff club, serving as its president in 2006.

Carol donated her body to the Gift of Body program offered by the Alabama Organ Center, the International Institute for the Advancement of Medicine and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Carol was an advocate for donating one's body to help others. This can be done by registering at the Alabama Organ Center, 1-800-252-3677.

JSU Mourns Loss of

Dr. Effie W. Sawyer

Dr. Effie W. Sawyer, author of The First Hundred Years: The History of Jacksonville State University, 1883-1983, died December 18, 2006 in Meridian, Mississippi.

A native of Kemp County, Mississippi, Dr. Sawyer was employed by Jacksonville State University as the executive secretary to Presidents Dr. Houston Cole and Dr. Ernest Stone. Dr. Sawyer attended evening classes and completed a Bachelor of Science degree in general business with two minors, English and economics. In 1984, she received the honorary doctorate presented by JSU President Dr. Theron E. Montgomery.

Dr. Sawyer spent over two years researching university records, exploring through photo archives, and interviewing faculty members to chronicle the history of the university in The First Hundred Years: The History of Jacksonville State University, 1883-1983. Her experience as a faculty member and student provided a personal glimpse into the growth and changes of the university from its beginning as the State Normal School to a teaching college to the current university. She included biographical portraits of each of the university's presidents, countless photos, personal letters, and financial records of the institution.

The First Hundred Years: The History of Jacksonville State University, 1883-1983 is available online at depart/library/chanticleer/First_Hundred_ Years/.

Services for Dr. Sawyer were held December 20, 2006, at DeKalb United Methodist Church. Dr. Sawyer was 86 years old.

FACT:

JSU reached a milestone

recently...51,802 alumni!

INTERESTED IN BEING AN ADVISOR FOR YOUR FRATERNITY

OR SORORITY?

If so, please contact

Eddie Banks-Crosson at

A 800-231-5291, ext. 5491

256-782-5491 or ecrosson@jsu.edu

T O Z Your assistance will be greatly appreciated!

The student alumni committee at JSU, College of Nursing and Health Sciences greatly values the Nursing Alumni and would like to request assistance from former students in the development of the Alumni Newsletter. If you are interested in participating with the newsletter, please send a 150 word summary containing highlights of accomplishments, promotions, outstanding achievements, speaking engagements, advances in education, or involvement in community activities in which you have engaged as a practicing nurse. Submission and contact information is below:

Please mail Information to: Jacksonville State University The College of Nursing & Health Sciences Attention: Tammy Morrow 700 Pelham Road Jacksonville, AL 36265-1602

E-mail Christie Shelton cshelton@jsu.edu

Fax 256 782-5430

Deadline for submission is JULY 1, 2007

Spring 2007

Dr. David L. Walters Awarded the National Band Association's "Mentor Award"

Gene Inglis presents scrapbook to Dr. Walters

Dr. David L. Walters, Director Emeritus, Jacksonville State University, was awarded the National Band Association's "Mentor Award" January 18, 2007, at the Alabama Music Educators Association's In-service Conference at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa for his accomplishments and contributions throughout his professional life.

The event marked Dr. Walters as the first recipient of the prestigious NBA Mentor Award. Presenting the honors,

Dr. David Gregory, past president of the National Band Association, spoke on Walters' career highlights and noted the gentle unassuming nature he carries through life.

During the conference, the Saks High School Band, under the direction of Gene Inglis, performed in concert with Dr. Walters and Dr. Gregory. As a former student of Dr. Walters, Inglis said he was particularly honored to have played a part in the nomination process for the award, as did other former students in the NBA impacted by Walters' direction.

Present at the concert were two of Dr. Walters' children, Marda and Joe, his wife Jeannie and many others to support and enjoy the event.

The plaque given to Dr. Walters reads as follows:

National Band Association Mentor Award in recognition of your years of distinguished service to the art of making

music. Presented by the many grateful students for whom you have been an inspiration. The National Band Association honors Dr. David L. Walters.

NBA Past Pres. David Gregory presents award to Dr. Walters

Jim Bennett Received National Fraternity Award

Jim Bennett ('62), chairman of the JSU Board of Trustees, was named one of seven recipients of the national Phi Mu Alpha Signature Sinfonian Award for 2006. The selection, as part of the inaugural class, recognizes alumni members who have achieved a high standard of accomplishment in their chosen profession, occupation or service work.

Also included in the list were jazz legend Maynard Ferguson and Dr. Bobby Adams, president of the National Band Association.

Bennett, who joined the EN chapter of the national music fraternity as a student at Jacksonville State in 1958, was recognized for his success in government, winning election twice to the Alabama House of Representatives, three times to the State Senate, and two times as secretary of state. He currently serves in Gov. Bob Riley's cabinet as commissioner of labor.

At JSU, Bennett played trumpet in the Southerners from 1958-1960 and was editor of The Collegian, the campus newspaper and predecessor of The Chanticleer.

Jim Bennett (right), chairman of the JSU Board of Trustees, receives the Signature Sinfonian Award from Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at the Province 34 Workshop in Tuscaloosa January 13. Shown presenting the national award is Frank Miles, Province 34 alumni coordinator.

Gemof theHills

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