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  Dr. William M. Downs Officially Inaugurated as Gardner-Webb University’s 13th President

  Office of University Communications

  The inauguration of Gardner-Webb University’s 13th president, originally scheduled as a week-long celebration in March 2020, was one of the many events cancelled because of the Covid-19 global pandemic. Instead of the traditional ceremony with a large gathering, Dr. William M. Downs was sworn in as Gardner-Webb’s president on Aug. 6, 2020, in a small service attended by family, friends and GWU officials.

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  Gardner-Webb Marching Bulldogs Receive Lead Gift from David and Marie Brinkley

  Office of University Communications

  In March, Gardner-Webb University announced plans to reestablish the University’s marching band under the direction of Dr. Mark R. Cole. Today, GWU comes one step closer to that day with a $10,000 gift from long-time university supporters David and Marie Brinkley.

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  Gardner-Webb Offers Two Enrollment Options for Master’s in Strength and Conditioning

  Office of University Communications

  Beginning with the fall semester 2020, Gardner-Webb University is offering a Master of Science degree in strength and conditioning. The new program offers two enrollment options: one allows for completion of the Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science along with the master’s degree in five years or less, while the other option allows for fall, spring or summer enrollment into a two-year program to complete the master’s degree.

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  New River Conservancy Recognizes Dr. Tom Jones and GWU Honors Students

  Office of University Communications

  For the last 18 years, Dr. Tom Jones, Gardner-Webb University professor of biology, has given Honors Students the opportunity to join the annual cleanup event at New River in West Jefferson, N.C. The weekend event is aptly name “Mud, Sweat and Volunteers.” Participants sleep in tents and spend a day paddling down the river in canoes picking up trash as they go. Last year, 27 GWU students and eight guests made the trip and were among a group of over 100 volunteers who covered approximately 23 river miles.

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  Gardner-Webb Alumna is Clinical Pharmacist Caring for Patients with Chronic Diseases

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University alumna, Laura Wilcox Demilio, ’12, is a clinical pharmacist at an inner city healthcare clinic in Baltimore, Md. Many of her patients have uncontrolled chronic diseases and multiple health problems. Additionally, they are transient and experience financial and food insecurities.

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  Gardner-Webb Music Major Helps Lead Worship in Online and Traditional Settings

  Office of University Communications and Claire Coile

  Church services have changed dramatically since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements. While many church doors are closed, staff and volunteers work behind the scenes to keep services going by transitioning to an online format. Josh Hendley, ’21, a worship leadership major in the Gardner-Webb University Department of Music, has been helping at his church, Salem Baptist in Winston-Salem, N.C., by co-leading the music.

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  Chemistry Alumnus Earns Research Honor

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb alumnus, Jacob Walley, was recently named the 2020 Adam Ritchie Outstanding Graduate Student in chemistry at the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville. Given in memory of Ritchie (UVA Ph.D., 1968), this award provides financial assistance to an outstanding graduate student. Walley received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from GWU in 2017 and is working on his Doctor of Philosophy in inorganic chemistry from UVA.

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  Summer Leadership Experience Introduces Incoming Freshmen to Campus

  Office of University Communications

  The 18 incoming freshmen who recently participated in the Summer Leadership Experience received a glimpse into what the fall semester will be like at Gardner-Webb. Exercising social distancing and wearing face coverings in adherence to coronavirus safety protocols, the students learned various aspects of leadership, and were also introduced to campus life and the surrounding community. The three-day event is coordinated by Micah T. Martin, director of the Center for Personal and Professional Development.

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  High Schoolers From Six States Attend Gardner-Webb Honors Experience

  Office of University Communications

  A group of 26 high school students, from 26 different schools in six states, recently spent a week on the campus of Gardner-Webb University previewing college life. As participants in The Honors Experience, the teenagers were introduced to dorm living and eating in the cafeteria, attended credit-bearing college courses, and completed service projects. This year’s group is the largest one to attend since the program began three years ago.

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  Gardner-Webb and Atrium Health Host Ribbon Cutting for New GWU Student Health Clinic

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University and its partner, Atrium Health, celebrated a historic day for the campus on Thursday, July 16, 2020, with a ribbon cutting for the new GWU Student Health Clinic at 148 Memorial Drive. Leaders of the two entities also praised the experience and leadership of the clinic’s new provider—a familiar face on campus and in the community—Dr. Jill Houser, previously an assistant professor in the Hunt School of Nursing. Dr. Sarah Currie, vice president of Student Development and dean of students, welcomed guests and led in prayer.

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  2020 Campus Upgrades

  Office of University Communications

  While you’ve been away from campus this spring and summer, the Gardner-Webb Operations team has been busy making upgrades to several areas on campus. David S. Wacaster, Director of Operations for Facilities & Maintenance, gives a brief description of the improvements you’ll see in August.

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  GWU Master of Divinity Student Recognized by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

  Office of University Communications

  While COVID-19 has prevented congregations from meeting in person, Lauren Evans Hamilton, a student in the Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity, recognizes the positive outcomes of streaming church services and Bible studies online. Not only does it provide regular attendees a chance to connect, but it also gives people who sometimes can’t attend in person another opportunity to engage.

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  Gardner-Webb, CCC&TI Announce Bulldog Bound Program, New Co-Admission Agreements

  Office of University Communications

  Leadership from Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute (CCC&TI) and Gardner-Webb University have announced four new agreements that will create seamless pathways for students who want to start at CCC&TI and continue their education at Gardner-Webb. Providing a pathway for students who plan to earn a bachelor’s degree, the Bulldog Bound Co-Admission Program will provide students—who complete certain two-year associate degrees at CCC&TI with a 2.25 GPA or higher— with guaranteed admission to Gardner-Webb to finish their undergraduate degree. The Bulldog Bound program is designed to provide students with affordable access to higher education and additional support services during their time at CCC&TI for a successful transition to Gardner-Webb.

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  Summer Undergraduate Research Gives Hannah Smith, ’21, Direction for her Future

  Office of University Communications

  While exploring the works of artists like Käthe Kollwitz, Edgar Degas and Bo Bartlett, Gardner-Webb University art major Hannah Smith discovered her own artistic strengths. Smith was one of 11 GWU students who received a grant from the GWU Undergraduate Research Scholars Program for the summer term. Students worked 40 hours a week for five weeks on their projects, which they are required to present in a professional forum.

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  GWU President Names Interim Vice President for Advancement

  Office of University Communications

  On Wednesday, July 1, Gardner-Webb President Dr. William M. Downs named Aaron Hinton as interim vice president for Advancement. Hinton, a member of the Advancement team since 2011, will serve in that capacity during Gardner-Webb’s national search for a new vice president.

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  Earning MBA in 10 Months Helps Student Reach His Goals Faster

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University graduate student Vladimir W. Jankov, ’20, and his wife, Iveta, left Slovakia in 1995 for New York to pursue the American Dream. He was 27 years old and although he could speak Russian, Czeck/Slovakian, Polish and a little Spanish, he didn’t know English. He got a dictionary and began studying the language.

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  GWU School of Education Doctoral Candidates Publish Learning Module on Creating Conditions for Equity

  Office of University Communications

  At a time when many people in America and around the world are calling for justice and equality, three Gardner-Webb University graduate students have published a virtual professional learning module on a related subject. The students are doctoral candidates in the School of Education’s Curriculum and Instruction program. The module, “How Leaders Create the Conditions for Equity,” is available free from the GWU Digital Commons in the online journal, IMPROVE (Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators).

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  GWU Student Teacher Utilizes Online Tools During Covid-19 Pandemic

  Office of University Communications

  Sydney Christopher, a Gardner-Webb 2020 graduate with a degree in elementary education, was in the midst of completing her student teaching when public schools closed to students in March. Her mentor was Rhonda Greene, a fourth-grade teacher at Springmore Elementary School in Boiling Springs. Christopher didn’t panic, because she said her professors in the School of Education had prepared her by emphasizing the importance of flexibility.

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  Gardner-Webb Remembers Friend and Faithful Supporter, Rod Clouse

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University is remembering a friend and faithful supporter, Rod Clouse, who passed away Saturday, June 27. He was current chair of the Godbold School of Business Board of Advisors, and also a member of the GWU Board of Trustees. A native of Indiana, Clouse and his wife, a Boiling Springs native, retired to Cleveland County, N.C., in 2010.

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  Gardner-Webb University and Atrium Health Announce Plans for Student Health Clinic

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb and Atrium Health are announcing a new partnership that will enhance the University’s commitment to students. Beginning in July, Atrium will operate a Student Health Clinic on campus. Gardner-Webb President Dr. William Downs noted the campus is long overdue for this service.

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  GWU Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends Join Race to End Racism

  Office of University Communications

  One Gardner-Webb University women’s soccer player saw what happened to George Floyd and the protests in response, calling for an end to racism and racial inequalities, and she was moved to take action. Gabby Berkes gave her teammates an idea that ignited a fire. From the soccer team to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), the momentum for a virtual 5K Race to End Racism grew quickly.

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  GWU 10-Month Master of Business Administration Program Has Record Growth

  Office of University Communications

  Launched in 2019, the 10-month Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has become Gardner-Webb University’s fastest-growing graduate major. In one year, the fully-online, accredited program realized a 250 percent increase in enrollment. This growth helped push Gardner-Webb to seventh place on the Triangle Business Journal ranking of North Carolina MBA programs by enrollment.

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  Macie Latham, ‘21, Participates in Internship After Easing of COVID-19 Restrictions

  Office of University Communications and Claire Coile

  Like many college students, Macie Latham, a rising senior at Gardner-Webb University, has learned to be flexible this summer. At first, her summer internship was cancelled due to the coronavirus and its repercussions. Then, as stay-at-home restrictions began to be lifted across the state, she was invited to fulfill her internship.

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  Gardner-Webb Hires Director of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives

  Office of University Communications

  JeNai Davis, of Greensboro, N.C., has been hired as director of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives at Gardner-Webb University. This office was created in 2018 by GWU to serve the needs of the various ethnic groups within the student body through programs designed to promote intercultural understanding, awareness, and collaboration. Davis begins on July 13 to prepare for the fall semester.

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  GWU Student-Athlete Group Sponsors Virtual 5K Race to End Racism

  Office of University Communications

  The Gardner-Webb Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is sponsoring a virtual 5K to end racism and raise awareness of racial inequality. The GWU Race to End Racism will be held on June 19, which is the celebration of Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.