Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Follow

• 

  Miss Gardner-Webb Pageant Set for March 2, Showcasing Talent and Confidence

  Office of University Communications

  The stage is set for an exciting evening as seven contestants compete in the annual Miss Gardner-Webb Pageant on Sunday, March 2, at 3 p.m.The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in Dover Theatre and promises a dazzling display of talent, confidence, and camaraderie.

• 

  Gardner-Webb Invites Families to Campus for Family Weekend Feb. 21-23

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University is gearing up for an exciting Family Weekend, happening Feb. 21-23. This special event offers a chance to experience the heart of campus life, reconnect with the University, and cheer on Runnin’ Bulldog athletics.

• 

  Gardner-Webb University Hosts Selah Week, a Time for Reflection and Renewal

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University invites students, faculty, staff, and the surrounding community to participate in Selah Week, happening Feb. 24-28, a time dedicated to spiritual renewal and reflection. Themed “Encountering God,” this event will feature engaging worship services, student and faculty testimonies, and messages designed to inspire personal faith journeys.

• 

  Dean Clark Appointed Acting Interim President

  Office of University Communications

  It was announced today that Dean Clark, Gardner-Webb Vice President for Enrollment Management, will serve as acting interim president until the Board of Trustees appoints an interim president.

• 

  President Downs to Resign

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University’s President, Dr. William M. Downs, has announced he will resign from the office e!ective Feb. 18, 2025. Dr. Downs, GWU’s president since 2019, has accepted a new position as president at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C., and will begin there in July. He wishes to devote his full energies to preparing to take on his new role.

• 

  Gardner-Webb Black Student Association and Office of Diversity and Inclusion Sponsor Black History Month Activities

  Office of University Communications

  The Black Student Association (BSA) at Gardner-Webb University, along with the GWU Office of Diversity and Inclusion, is hosting several events and activities to celebrate Black History Month. The BSA empowers Black students to voice concerns, discuss issues, and foster meaningful community conversations. This organization is open to all undergraduate students.

• 

  Gardner-Webb Online Bachelor’s Programs in Preschool and Elementary Education Start in March

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University Online offers bachelor’s programs in birth to kindergarten, elementary, and elementary education for teacher assistants. Courses are taught by educators who have practical experience teaching children in pre-K through sixth-grade classrooms. All three fully-online programs will start on March 7, and applications are being accepted now.

• 

  Gardner-Webb Director of Bands Sarah Fabian Named 2025 Yamaha ‘40 UNDER 40’

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music Dr. Sarah Fabian has received national recognition as one of the 2025 Yamaha “40 Under 40.” She was chosen from hundreds of nominations as an outstanding young music educator who is making a difference by growing and strengthening the band programs at Gardner-Webb University.

• 

  Gardner-Webb Faculty Member Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon Receives Prestigious Grant from Broadcast Education Association

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University faculty member, Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon, has received the Broadcast Education Association (BEA) 2025 Leibner Cooper Grant for Creative Productions on the History of Media. Lemon is chair of the Department of Communication, Art and Design and an associate professor of journalism and communication. She will use the grant to produce “Rosalynn Carter’s Caring Call: How Former United States First Lady’s Historic Compassionate Legacy Has Transformed Mental Health Journalism and Continues to Transform Newsrooms.”

• 

  Gardner-Webb’s American Sign Language Program First in North Carolina

  Office of University Communications

  As the first college in North Carolina to offer a Bachelor of Arts program in American Sign Language (ASL), Gardner-Webb University is an established leader in the field. For more than four decades, the ASL faculty have helped students pursue their goals to serve as interpreters and educators or use their skills in various other ways, such as interpreting for concerts and plays or serving as missionaries.

• 

  Gardner-Webb University and the Town of Boiling Springs Host Webbstock ’25 for Fourth Year

  Office of University Communications

  Performers at Webbstock ’25 will take attendees on a tour through music genres that begins with Bluegrass/Americana, winds through pop and classic rock, and ends with a tribute to the ’90s. Hosted by Gardner-Webb University and the Town of Boiling Springs, the fourth annual event will be Saturday, April 12. Free performances are scheduled in the Brinkley Amphitheater and the Main Street stage. The festival opens at 11 a.m., and the first band performs at 1 p.m.

• 

  Gardner-Webb University, Cleveland Community College and Cleveland County Schools Receive Over $1.2 Million from the Golden LEAF Foundation

  Office of University Communications

  The Golden LEAF Foundation announced Feb. 6 that Gardner-Webb University and community partners, Cleveland Community College (CCC) and Cleveland County Schools, have been awarded funding through the Community-Based Grants Initiative totaling over $1.2 million to create a Healthcare Educational Pathway. Leaders from all three entities collaborated to present separate proposals to form a program that addresses regional health workforce shortages, particularly in nursing and allied health professions.

• 

  Local Baptist Leader, Jason Ballard, Featured Speaker for Gardner-Webb Greene Lectureship

  Office of University Communications

  Jason Ballard, associational mission strategist for the Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association (GCCBA) in Shelby, N.C., is the speaker for the C.O. and Eliza Greene Endowed Lectureship on Tuesday, March 4, at Gardner-Webb University. His topic is “Leading Change in the Local Church.”

• 

  A Seat at the Table: Gardner-Webb Alumnus Keon Williams Jr. Opens Restaurant with a Mission

  Office of University Communications

  After a decade of helping his bank customers invest their money, Keon Williams Jr. decided it was time to pursue his entrepreneurial dream. The 2014 alumnus of Gardner-Webb University recently hosted the grand opening of his new restaurant, Tacos4Life, in Charlotte, N.C.

• 

  Families Invited to Experience Gardner-Webb Campus on Spring Family Weekend Feb. 21-23

  Office of University Communications

  Family weekend is an opportunity for families to experience their students’ home at Gardner-Webb. This semester’s event is full of activities happening on campus at 110 S. Main St. In addition to special programs, a full slate of athletic events is also scheduled, including lacrosse, tennis, baseball, and men’s basketball.

• 

  Gardner-Webb Hosts Free Health and Wellness Fair on Feb. 19 for Campus and Community

  Office of University Communications

  Gardner-Webb University is partnering with businesses, groups and organizations to host a Health and Wellness Fair. The event, which is open to students, staff, faculty, and the surrounding community, will be Feb. 19 from noon to 2 p.m. in Tucker Student Center.

• 

  Gardner-Webb Baseball Prepares for Season Home- Opener Against St. Bonaventure on Feb. 14

  Office of University Communications

  The Gardner-Webb University baseball team has announced its schedule for the upcoming 2025 season. In total, the Runnin’ Bulldogs will play 56 games, including a 24- game slate within the Big South Conference. Gardner-Webb opens its season on Friday, Feb. 14 as it hosts St. Bonaventure in a four-game set at John Henry Moss Stadium.

• 

  Online Programs in Gardner-Webb College of Business Start in March

  Office of University Communications

  The Godbold College of Business at Gardner-Webb University offers several online options to earn your bachelor’s or master’s degree from a top-tier private Christian university. Classes for master’s programs in three fields will begin on March 3, while online undergraduate programs in five areas are set to start on March 7.

• 

  Securing His Future: Ignite Scholar Issa Cogdell Pursues Dream of Entrepreneurship

  Office of University Communications and Makella Knowles

  Issa Cogdell, a student at Gardner-Webb University, is majoring in computer science and minoring in cybersecurity to fulfill his dreams of financial freedom and entrepreneurship. Originally an accounting major, Cogdell switched to the tech field after a friend shared his successful experience in cybersecurity. His friend knew about Cogdell’s love for computers since his seventh-grade coding and entrepreneurship class, and encouraged him to further develop that interest in college.

• 

  ‘Freadom Reads’ at Gardner-Webb’s Dover Library Explores Film Censorship

  Office of University Communications

  At the next “Freadom Reads,” program, film critics and Gardner-Webb alumni, Noel T. Manning II and his son, Thomas Manning, invite the audience to “Dive into the Captivating World of Film: Boycotts, Bans, & Barricades.” Their discussion will be presented on Feb. 4 from 3 to 4 p.m. The event will be held on the third floor of the University’s Dover Library, 110 Huggins St., on the GWU campus.

• 

  From Silent Disco to Guided Painting, Spring Events Offer Something for all Runnin’ Bulldogs

  Office of University Communications and Chloe Cloutier

  Ever hear a friend say, “There’s nothing to do!” Take one look at the vast number of events offered by Gardner-Webb Student Engagement and you’ll find around 40 different activities. From Silent Disco to Stuff-A-Plush, students can try something new while taking a break from studying. Along with these programs, there’s also athletic events and activities planned by GWU student-led clubs and organizations as well as Campus Ministries United.

• 

  Alive and Thriving: After Cancer Scare, Alumna Cherishes Every Day with Family

  Office of University Communications

  A month after graduating from Gardner-Webb University in 2014 with her Master of Arts in school counseling, Gaby Laurent, 26, received both joyous and heartbreaking news. She and her husband, Joseph, were expecting their first child. However, through routine bloodwork, doctors discovered she had acute myeloid leukemia, a type of cancer normally found in 70-year-olds.

• 

  ‘Mission in Action’: Gardner-Webb Human Services Students use Skills to Propose Nonprofit Ideas

  Office of University Communications

  The final project in Dr. Erin Cook’s upper-level human services course, “Understanding Nonprofit Organizations,” requires her students to apply everything they learned during the semester. “They present to me a nonprofit they would like to start as if I were an investor in their organization,” explained Cook, assistant professor and program coordinator for human services. “This year’s group was absolutely outstanding.”

• 

  Chris Scruggs Invited to Speak at Gardner-Webb Dover Library for ‘Freadom Reads’

  Office of University Communications and Chloe Cloutier

  Chris Scruggs, a doctoral student in the Gardner-Webb University College of Education, is the featured speaker for “Freadom Reads.” The program will be on Jan. 28 from 3 to 4 p.m. at Dover Library, 110 Huggins St., on the GWU campus.

• 

  Chasing Goals: Peyton Bryant Finds Success in Soccer, Studies, and Career Planning

  Office of University Communications and Makella Knowles

  Peyton Bryant, a business management major, is eager to launch her career after graduation. Her experiences completing two internships—one in Human Resources (HR) and another in data analytics—have sharpened her interests and allowed her to apply them effectively to her academic studies.