Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

This is the archive for Gardner-Webb's Newscenter, which is your source for updates and events happening on campus, as well as interesting stories about GWU students, faculty/staff and alumni. You'll also find stories about academic accomplishments and community service projects.

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Love for Literature and Theology Leads Alumnus to Pursue Doctorate in Religion

Office of University Communications

When he graduated from Gardner-Webb University in 2011, Keith A. Menhinick left with more than a diploma. He also took a GWU support network with him to his job as a high school English teacher. “By far, what I valued most about my experience at Gardner-Webb was the community and close relationships I built with faculty and staff,” Menhinick assessed.
Gardner-Webb President Announces Plans to Retire in January 2019

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s 12th President, Dr. Frank Bonner, has announced his plans to retire in January 2019. At that time, he will have served Gardner-Webb for more than three decades in total and as president for nearly 14 years. “One year from now, it will be very difficult for me to cease doing what I love,” Bonner shared. “However, my wife, Flossie, and I look forward to more time together, more travel, and more time with six wonderful grandchildren who are growing up before our eyes.”
GWU Alumnus Discovered God Had Different Plan for His Life

Office of University Communications

Rev. Wesley Smith thought he was following God’s will for his life in 2001 when he received his bachelor’s in criminal justice from Gardner-Webb University. However, he became discouraged when he didn’t find a job in juvenile probation and parole and wasn’t sure what to do. Direction came during a church revival service.
GWU Alumnus Volunteers His Time to Demonstrate God’s Love to Disaster Victims

Office of University Communications

Disaster relief volunteers work side-by-side to help people recover from their losses. While cleaning up debris and restoring homes, their focus is on building relationships. Steve Sellers, a 2014 alumnus of Gardner-Webb University, witnesses this truth every time he volunteers with the North Carolina Baptists on Mission.
Research by GWU Alumnus, Jeremy Griffin, Published in Top Chemistry Journals

Office of University Communications

Laboratory work that is tedious to some students fascinates Jeremy Griffin, a 2013 graduate of Gardner-Webb University. Griffin is a doctoral student in chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He will be speaking about his research and graduate school experiences at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 16, in Room 117, GWU Laboratory Center.
Exercise Science Degree is Foundation for GWU Alumna’s Career and Hobby

Office of University Communications

Taylar Pridgen of Thomasville, N.C., ended her college search after one visit to Gardner-Webb University. The school had everything she wanted: a quality education, the chance to play softball and a close-knit community. “Once I visited the small campus and met the individuals there, I knew that it was home,” Pridgen affirmed. “I made some amazing friends and mentors and some even better memories.”
Experiences at GWU Helped Alumna Gain Admission to Physician Assistant (PA) Program

Office of University Communications

Two factors affected Catherine White’s decision to attend Gardner-Webb University. She wanted to play tennis for a Division I school in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and she liked the atmosphere on campus. “The size of the school really allows you to get to know the people around you, and truly create a community,” she reflected.
GWU Alumna Praised for Directing Talents on Stage and in Film

Office of University Communications

Theater critics in Washington, D.C., are taking notice of Amber McGinnis, 2004 alumna of Gardner-Webb University. Recent articles in the Washington Post and Broadway World describe McGinnis as “rising through the directing ranks in DC Theater.” The Bessemer City, N.C., native came to GWU to major in religious studies with a missions focus, but adjusted her plans after discovering her interest in theater arts.
GWU Dimensions Celebrates Life and Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. observance will be held during Dimensions on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 9:25 a.m. Captain Marion Platt of The Salvation Army will discuss King’s legacy. The free event is open to the public and will be held in Stewart Hall, located inside the Tucker Student Center.
Dr. June Hobbs to Serve as Endowed Chair of New Student Success Program

Office of University Communications

A longtime Gardner-Webb University English professor will soon assume a new role, after being named the inaugural Fay Webb Gardner Chair of Student Success. Dr. June Hobbs, a 24-year veteran of the GWU Department of English Language and Literature with a proven track record of extraordinary investment in students, will begin her new role in the Fall 2018 semester. Recently, the Gardner Foundation committed a generous, three-year gift to the University to launch the “Fay Webb Gardner Master Mentorship Program.”
GWU Appoints New Associate Provost for Adult and Distance Education

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University President Dr. Frank Bonner has appointed a new associate provost for Adult and Distance Education. Dr. Catherine Burr, an educator with more than 25 years of experience in organizational leadership, will direct the academic office of the GWU Degree Completion Program (DCP).She reports directly to Dr. Ben Leslie, GWU provost and executive vice president.
Gardner-Webb Awards Over 240 Degrees During Commencement Exercises Dec. 16

Office of University Communications

Gardner–Webb University hosted Fall Commencement on Saturday, Dec. 16, in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center. More than 240 graduates were honored during the ceremony, and the University conferred its 4,500th Master of Business Administration degree. The ceremony featured graduates of Gardner-Webb’s traditional undergraduate program, Degree Completion Program (DCP), and graduate programs.
Gardner-Webb Alumna Promotes Unity Among Diverse Cultures

Office of University Communications

Dr. Maha Gingrich came to Gardner-Webb University in the 1990s to obtain her bachelor’s degree in business administration. An excellent student with an associate’s degree from Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C., she could have transferred anywhere. But GWU’s admissions and career counselors treated her as an individual.
Gardner-Webb Alumnus Recognized for Undergraduate Research

Office of University Communications

The summer before Christopher Lile graduated from Gardner-Webb University, he spent five weeks studying small mammals on the Broad River Greenway and the surrounding area. The research experience helped him secure internships in Indiana and Madagascar. Recently, the Waynesville, N.C., native received another honor for his work.
Gardner-Webb ASL Alumni Prepare Students for Interpreting Careers

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the American Sign Language (ASL) program at Gardner-Webb University gives students the opportunity to learn and practice this language, develop useful communication and cultural skills, and prepare for careers as interpreters. The University began a program for Deaf students and offered the first sign language classes in the fall of 1977. Many alumni work in education, including three graduates who serve as teachers at Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, N.C., in the two-year interpreter training program.
Gardner-Webb Offers Class for Film Lovers

Office of University Communications

With the recent release of numerous year-end entertainment honors and recognitions, excitement is brewing in the Film and Television world. Awards season is here, and audiences pay close attention to nominations and critic reviews to decide which movies to catch in theatres. With so much weight resting on their reviews, critics must watch movies a little differently than general audience members, looking for elements of the film to both praise and critique.
Gardner-Webb Senior Plans Future Military Career

Office of University Communications

A Gardner-Webb senior is preparing for active duty in the U.S. Army, and believes the University experience has provided him with all the tools he needs for future success. Dean Cantrell (’18), an ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) cadet at GWU who will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation in May, is majoring in Computer Science and plans to use his skills as an officer in the military. The Williamston, N.C., native has taken full advantage of opportunities at Gardner-Webb, and encourages fellow students to do the same.
Dr. Allison Abernathy Follows Caring Example Set by Faculty in GWU School of Nursing

Office of University Communications

As a young nursing student, Dr. Allison Abernathy was unsuccessful at a local community college and started looking for another school. Her mother-in-law had heard positive comments about the School of Nursing at Gardner-Webb University, so Abernathy contacted Dr. Shirley Toney, the dean in 1995. “Dr. Toney reviewed my coursework and admitted me into the ASN (Associate of Science in Nursing) program immediately,” she recalled. “She believed in me, and I knew I was where God wanted me to be in order to finish my nursing degree in such a nurturing environment.”
Gardner-Webb Alumna Honored by N.C. Governor for Volunteer Efforts After 2016 Hurricane

Office of University Communications

Dr. Michelle Taylor Skipper, an alumna of Gardner-Webb University, is a recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service, the highest honor a state employee may receive. She was recognized for helping with relief efforts in St. Pauls, N.C., after flooding caused by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. Her efforts extended to her neighbors and others who were stranded in town when major roads became impassable.
Students at Gardner-Webb Take on Month-Long Writing Challenge

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

November is one of the busiest months for Gardner-Webb University students, filled with papers, projects, and deadlines. Some students added to their full schedule this year by participating in National Novel Writing Month. “NaNoWriMo,” as it is called, is an annual event that challenges people to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days.
GWU School of Divinity Prepared Alumna for Vocational Ministry

Office of University Communications

Sensing that God was writing a new chapter in her life and ministry, Rebecca Horner Shenton, a 2000 alumna, enrolled in the School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University. She visited GWU once and knew it was the place she was supposed to be. “I felt that God was calling me to prepare for ongoing vocational ministry, even though I wasn’t exactly certain what it would look like,” revealed Shenton, now an adjunct professor at GWU. “My return to teach in the School of Divinity is a strong endorsement of how much I believe in the program, its faculty, and its students.”
Gardner-Webb Professor Gave Alumna Confidence to Pursue Doctoral Studies in English

Office of University Communications

Katie Garahan ’09 of Rock Hill, S.C., came to Gardner-Webb University to play Division I golf. She was impressed with Coach Tee Burton and also liked the school’s location and size. As she began her studies, she appreciated the professors’ genuine concern for students.
Research Experience at GWU Helps Alumna Gain Position in Grad School Program

Office of University Communications

As an undergraduate student at Gardner-Webb University, Amy Schmitt Boyer ’15 studied six-lined racerunner lizards at the Broad River. Although the research tested her patience, the experience helped her secure a position in the graduate program at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in Fargo. “I learned that experimental design and methods are crucial in performing a surveying experiment,” reflected Boyer, a native of Waxhaw, N.C. “It also taught me the best way to present my research to the public.”
Dimensions Program Focuses on Advent

Office of University Communications and Katie Furr

Leo Sayles, head women’s volleyball coach at Gardner-Webb University, will be speaking at Dimensions on Tuesday, Dec. 5. This event will be held at 9:25 a.m. in Stewart Hall of Tucker Student Center on GWU’s main campus. The free program is open to the public.
Gardner-Webb Alumna Helps Students Reach Their Goals

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

Haley Spurlin (‘17), a Gardner-Webb University alumna from Ennice, N.C., has taken the professional skills she developed as an undergraduate student all the way to Troy, Montana. Haley is five months into her National Service Year with AmeriCorps VISTA, working through Montana Campus Compact (MTCC) at Troy High School. Her job includes a variety of important responsibilities including counseling students on their post-secondary plans, strengthening community outreach efforts, and helping to create more internship opportunities for students.