Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

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  Gardner-Webb VP for Finance and Administration Retires After Nearly 30 years of Service

  Office of University Communications

  Mike Hardin, who has nearly 30 years of service to Gardner-Webb University, is retiring on Nov. 30, 2020, as vice president for Finance and Administration. A two-time graduate of GWU, Hardin earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1986 and then his Master of Business Administration in 2000.

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  Gardner-Webb Faculty and Staff Plan Spring Events to Promote Diversity and Inclusion

  Office of University Communications

  As Gardner-Webb University students and the campus community continue to process national events related to racial injustice and inequality, GWU faculty and staff will offer more avenues next semester for communication and understanding. Assistant Professor of English Dr. Kemeshia Randle Swanson will be teaching an African American literature course in the spring entitled “Still I Rise.” JeNai Davis, director of Diversity and Intercultural Initiatives, is planning several opportunities for students, faculty and staff to ask questions and discuss complex issues in a safe space.

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  GWU’s Annual Festival of Lights will Premiere in Virtual Format on Dec. 3

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University’s Festival of Lights, a beloved Christmas tradition since 1984, will continue this year in a virtual format. This annual start to the holiday season for the GWU community will premiere on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. on the GWU Facebook page and YouTube channel. After the first showing, the event may be viewed on those social media platforms as well as the Gardner-Webb website.

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  GWU Faculty Approves Reduction in Undergraduate Hours Required for Graduation

  Office of University Communications

  The Gardner-Webb University faculty has taken another bold step to make a Gardner-Webb education more affordable and accessible to students. They recently approved a reduction in the number of undergraduate credit hours required for graduation from 128 to 120. This change encompasses the restructuring of the University’s general education requirements, which was announced earlier this year. The result benefits traditional undergraduate students and provides a more transfer-friendly pathway for students transitioning to Gardner- Webb from other universities. The revisions will go into effect in the 2021- 2022 academic year. Students already enrolled at Gardner-Webb may elect to apply the new requirements to their academic program.

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  Gardner-Webb University and Gaston College formalize the Bulldog Way Grant

  Office of University Communications

  Officials at Gardner-Webb University recently announced a partnership that will benefit Gaston College (Dallas, N.C.) students. The Bulldog Way program will offer a $3,000 grant to any Gaston College student who gains admission to GWU’s traditional, residential programs.

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  GWU Assistant Professor Offers Tips for Coping with Election Anxiety

  Office of University Communications

  "After several months of campaign rhetoric and many weeks of dueling commercials, the election season ca cause stress and anxiety. In a normal year—one witho a global pandemic—victors would be declared on election day after all returns are in. But, with COVID-1 concerns, and North Carolina and Pennsylvania allowing mail-in votes to be counted after Nov. 3, it’s probable that a presidential winner won’t be declared for weeks. The late ballots may also mean that winner can’t be determined in the states’ other races as well."

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  Marine Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, Appreciates Supportive GWU Staff, Faculty

  Office of University Communications

  On a mission in Afghanistan in 2013, Marine Staff Sgt. Samantha Christopher, of Grover, N.C., and her platoon became the target of a large scale attack. “In a matter of seconds, there were 73 casualties, and I felt helpless in that situation,” recalled the Gardner-Webb University student. “I knew I wanted to help more but did not have the medical knowledge or background to provide advanced care. A few other Marines and I helped carry the casualties onto the helicopters landing and taking off every 1 to 5 minutes. It was in that moment that I felt called to serve as a nurse.”

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  Gardner-Webb Campus Finds Ways to Serve Community While Observing COVID-19 Protocols

  Office of University Communications

  An integral part of life on the Gardner-Webb University campus is serving the community. Although projects look different with everyone wearing face coverings and staying 6 feet apart, faculty, staff, students and athletic teams have participated in several events this semester.

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  GWU’s Elizabeth Amato will Participate on Election Night Panel for WSOC-TV

  Office of University Communications

  The outcome of the 2020 presidential election, according to many news analysts, might not be known on election night. After the polls close on Nov. 3, and Americans wait for results, Dr. Elizabeth Amato, Gardner-Webb University assistant professor of political science, will provide analysis for WSOC-TV in Charlotte, N.C. She is part of a panel of experts assembled by the station for coverage beginning at 7 p.m.

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  Alumnus Uses Social Media Platform to Educate and Advocate for Deafblind Community

  Office of University Communications

  When Jon Urquhart, a 2016 alumnus of Gardner-Webb University, meets people for the first time, and he tells them about his Deafblind father, they are naturally intrigued. The question he’s usually asked is, “What was it like growing up with a father who is Deafblind?” His response stems from equal curiosity, “What is it like growing up with a dad who isn’t Deafblind?”

  Urquhart shared, “Having a Deafblind father was my typical. Growing up, I never understood my dad had a dual sensory disability, that was just the way he was. One misconception is that all CODAs (Child of Deaf Adults) know that they are a CODA and have accepted their identity within the Deaf and hearing communities. However, I didn’t realize I was a CODA myself until I entered Gardner- Webb and met other CODAs.”

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  GWU President Names Robin Hamrick Interim VP for Finance and Administration

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University President Dr. William M. Downs has named Robin Hamrick as interim vice president for Finance and Administration, effective Dec. 1, 2020. Hamrick, a two-time GWU alumna, came to work at the University in 1998. Mike Hardin, who has nearly 30 years of service to Gardner-Webb, is retiring as vice president for Finance and Administration on Nov. 30, 2020.

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  GWU Honors Students Clean Up Trails at Broad River Greenway

  Office of University Communications

  Unable to take their annual trip to clean up the New River in West Jefferson, N.C., Honors students from Gardner-Webb University worked on the trails at the Broad River Greenway near Boiling Springs. A group of 29 students and Dr. Tom Jones, associate dean of the Honors Program, removed kudzu, honeysuckle, and large poison ivy vines and cleared overhangs on trails. The students also spruced up the Greenway’s Phifer Cabin.

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  Godbold College of Business Offers Master of Sport Management Degree BY OFFICE

  Office of University Communications

  The Gardner-Webb University Godbold College of Business has added a Master of Sport Management (MSM) degree program. Designed for students who want to advance their careers in this growing field, this fully-online program addresses a need identified in a survey of GWU business students.

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  GWU Alumna Named Teacher of the Year at Charter School in Rutherford County, N.C.

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University alumna Chasity McCraw, ’17, approaches math problems like giant puzzles. Her goals as a teacher at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA) in Rutherford County, N.C., are to share the excitement of finding a solution and to help her students overcome their fear of math. For her innovative classroom strategies, contagious spirit and other qualities, McCraw was recently honored as TJCA’s Upper Campus Teacher of the Year for 2020-’21.

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  Fall 2020 Top Dawg Winners Surprised with Award Presentation

  Office of University Communications

  The first two winners of the Top Dawg Award were recognized on Oct. 22, 2020. They are Ashley Chapman, administrative assistant to the School of Psychology and Counseling, and Mavia Lee, assistant vice president for Digital Learning. Sponsored by the Gardner-Webb Staff Council, the Top Dawg Award promotes excellence and provides visible recognition of exceptionally consistent and superior performance of GWU staff.

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  GWU Distinguished Artist Series Presents Chamber Ensemble

  Office of University Communications

  The Gardner-Webb University Distinguished Artist Series presents “Chamber Music 4 All” on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. in Dover Chapel. The ensemble features three GWU professors—violinists Calin Lupanu and Monica Boboc, and violist Alaina Rea—along with cellist Marlene Ballena. In addition, all are prominent members of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra (CSO).

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  Artist and GWU Swimmer Combines Passions in Undergraduate Research Project

  Office of University Communications

  Jessi Snover, ’21, is an art major and a member of the Gardner-Webb University swim team. Her Undergraduate Research Project combined her two passions. “I wanted to study the unique physiology and development of a swimmer’s body and interpret that from a photographic reference onto canvas,” related Snover, of Greer, S.C.

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  ‘Foothills Commitment’ Expands to Provide Grants to Lincoln County Residents

  Office of University Communications

  Officials at Gardner-Webb University recently announced that the “Foothills Commitment” program is expanding to Lincoln County, N.C. For any new freshmen from Lincoln County, who will be living on campus, GWU pledges a minimum of 50 percent off tuition.

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  Gardner-Webb Dover Library Displays Artwork, Poems by Children in Concentration Camp

  Office of University Communications

  An exhibit on display through Nov. 5 in Dover Memorial Library features the art and poetry of the children of Terezin, a World War II concentration camp located in the Czech Republic. There were 15,000 children under the age of 15 who passed through the camp from June 14, 1940, to May 9, 1945. Fewer than 100 survived.

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  Gardner-Webb Junior Conducts Literature Review to Prepare for Hands-on Research in Lab

  Office of University Communications

  Microbiomes are tiny organisms that live on the skin, keeping it healthy and protected. Chloe Loth, Class of 2022 at Gardner-Webb University, chose to study these microbes for her Undergraduate Research Scholar Project. “Once you get past the idea that you have a bunch of living organisms on your body, you discover how much we need these little guys,” Loth asserted. “I mean these creatures help protect our skin from developing nasty harmful infections, alter our T-Cells (immune function cell), and help us adapt to our environment. Their capabilities are astounding for a single cell organism.”

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  GWU Senior’s Research Examines How Fast Fashion Violates Human Rights Laws BY OFFICE

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University senior Carlee Winstead, of Wilmington, N.C., plans a career in the field of social justice. “Ideally, I want to work for an organization that advocates for policy reform that would better the lives of those who are disproportionately at risk in their communities,” she affirmed. “All people are deserving of justice, and nothing should stand in the way of them not being equal to the person next to them, especially policies that exist in those communities.”

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  Musicians and Actors Adjust to COVID-19 Safety Protocols

  Office of University Communications

  Adjusting to COVID-19 safety protocols has created several challenges for Gardner-Webb University’s music and theatre arts students. Masks hide facial expressions and limit sound. Social distancing makes it harder to hear, and performances are in a larger room or on an outdoor stage. Audiences have been scaled back to comply with crowd-size limits.

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  Gardner-Webb Junior Develops Research Skills to Succeed in Medical School

  Office of University Communications

  Grace Burgin, ’22, enrolled in Gardner-Webb University as a nursing student, but after studying fetal development and receiving encouragement from her professors and friends, she changed her major. The junior from Iron Station, N.C., decided to pursue a degree in biology with a concentration in biomedical sciences. Her goal is to become an obstetrician/gynecologist.

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  GWU Alumni- and Student-Produced Documentary, led by Christian Jessup, Captures Men’s Basketball Journey to the 2019 NCAA Tournament

  Office of University Communications

  A new documentary, directed by Christian Jessup, celebrates the Gardner-Webb University Men’s Basketball team’s magical 2018-’19 season, which ended with an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, a first in men’s Division I basketball history. “The Dancin’ Bulldogs: A 16 Seed’s Journey to the NCAA Tournament” debuts Oct. 16, 2020, on YouTube. The film follows the team’s and coaching staff’s entire journey, from the early wins against NCAA powerhouses to heartbreaking losses, the tournament appearance and coming home after the loss to No. 1 seed Virginia. Also featured are several interviews with players, coaches and NCAA officials, and never-before-released footage of the team’s championship run.

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  GWU Scholar Investigates Bonhoeffer’s Reasons for Conspiring to Assassinate Hitler

  Office of University Communications

  While reading Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s “The Cost of Discipleship,” Hannah O’Brien, ’20, became intrigued. How could theologian and pastor Bonhoeffer, who many considered a pacifist, participate in a plan to assassinate Hitler? She received an Undergraduate Research Scholars grant from Gardner-Webb University to conduct a theological investigation of the ethics of Bonhoeffer’s plot.