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.

Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Please first navigate to a specific Image before printing.

Switch View to Grid View Slideshow

GWU Chemistry Classes Prepared Alumna for Rigors of Dental School

Office of University Communications

Kristin Allison ’15, a native of Old Fort, N.C., applied to Gardner-Webb University on a whim. She was invited to interview for a scholarship and was impressed with the campus and the people. “As soon as I stepped foot on campus, I fell in love,” she recalled. “It truly felt like home, and the staff, students, and interviewers were incredibly kind and welcoming. A few weeks later, I received word that I had been offered a full scholarship to attend Gardner-Webb.”
GWU Digital Learning Studio Offers Technology Assistance

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University recently opened a learning center designed to help students, faculty and staff develop their digital knowledge and skills. The Digital Learning Studio (DLS) provides assistance and access to digital and multimedia software and hardware. “This is a place to brainstorm, collaborate with colleagues, and try out new ideas,” shared Emily Robertson, GWU Director of Digital Learning. “I want this studio to represent a community of learners who bring different expertise, perspectives, and experiences to work with—and learn from—one another.”
GWU Student Receives Grant from N.C. Academy of Physician Assistants

Office of University Communications

A senior in the Gardner-Webb University Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program recently received a grant from the North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants (NCAPA). Elizabeth “Liz” Hawes of Valdese, N.C., was awarded the NCAPA Endowment Student Grant by H. Truett Smith, NCAPA President. The grants are given to one student from each PA program in North Carolina.
GWU Music Major Spends Semester in Washington, D.C.

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

Many Gardner-Webb University students choose to spend a semester strengthening their professional skills with an off-campus internship. Chris Coffey, a senior from Morganton, N.C., is spending his last semester working with one of the top music businesses in the country. As an intern at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., Coffey works directly with professional musicians, making vital connections for his future career.
Professors in GWU School of Divinity Prepare Alumna for Calling into Ministry

Office of University Communications

Martha Dixon Kearse has felt God’s presence on every step of her journey—as a high school English teacher, stay-at-home mom, and an associate minister at St. John’s Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C. When she accepted God’s call into pastoral ministry, Kearse chose to attend the School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University. She earned her Master of Divinity in Pastoral Studies in 2007 and her Doctor of Ministry in Christian Ministries in 2017.
Cleveland County, N.C., Recognized Nationwide for Efforts to Support Entrepreneurs

Office of University Communications

Officials in Cleveland County, N.C., recently received national recognition for achieving Certified Entrepreneurial Community (CEC) status. The CEC Core Leadership Team, which includes business owners, government leaders and educators, was asked by the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE) to create a webinar about the strategic planning activities and methods used to achieve certification. Serving on the CEC Core Leadership Team are two business professors from Gardner-Webb University— Dr. Anthony Negbenebor, professor of economics and international business, and Dr. Christine Sutton, assistant professor of business administration.
Gardner-Webb Offered Alumna Sherika Montgomery a Place to Grow in her Faith and Determine Career Goals

Office of University Communications

As a student-athlete at Gardner-Webb University, Sherika Montgomery appreciated everything the University administration, faculty, staff and coaches did to help her succeed in the classroom and on the basketball court. After GWU, she worked seven years in the Big South Conference Office, where she was most recently Assistant Commissioner and Senior Woman Administrator. In those roles, she helped set policies, but she’s been waiting for a chance to work directly with student-athletes on a college campus.
Gardner-Webb Professor to Speak on Dr. Martin Luther at Oct. 31 Dimensions

Office of University Communications and Katie Furr

Dr. Danny West, professor of preaching and pastoral studies in the School of Divinity, will be speaking about Dr. Martin Luther at Gardner-Webb University’s Dimensions program on Tuesday, Oct. 31. This event will be held at 9:25 a.m. in Stewart Hall of Tucker Student Center on GWU’s main campus and is free and open to the public. “I am honored to speak on the legacy of Dr. Luther,” shared Dr. West.
Prestigious Fellowship Helps Gardner-Webb Alumna with her Doctoral Studies

Office of University Communications

Elisabeth Moore, a 2016 graduate of Gardner-Webb University, has been awarded the Robbins Fellowship at West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown. The honor provides a deserving graduate assistant with a year off from teaching. “This is a huge benefit, and I am incredibly grateful to the WVU history department,” stated Moore, a native of Brevard, N.C.
Gardner-Webb Graduate Takes Research Interests to Exciting Places

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

Christopher Lile, who graduated in 2017 with a biology degree, is taking the research skills he developed at Gardner-Webb University to new and exciting places. Since leaving Gardner-Webb, Lile completed an internship at Wolf Park in Battle Ground, Ind., where he trained grey wolves and worked in husbandry and public education. His love for animals, research, and conservation have now led him to the island of Madagascar, where he is spending three months studying lemurs as a volunteer for the Omaha Zoo’s Department of Conservation Genetics.
Gardner-Webb University Honors Distinguished Alumni

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb honored outstanding members of the University family with induction into the GWU Gallery of Distinguished Alumni during 2017 Homecoming activities Oct. 6-7. Eight alumni were recognized as new members of the prestigious gallery, including Paul Christopher Gash of Kingstown, N.C., Julian “Doc” Crocker Davis of Spartanburg, S.C., the late Justin Scot Alston, the Rev. Dr. Melissa Browning of Atlanta, Ga., Tayuanee L. Dewberry of Charlotte, N.C., Todd Anthony Picou of Inman, S.C., Ali Pouryousefi of Atlanta; and the late Daniel Calhoun Johnson Jr.
Children’s Concerts Bring Music to Fifth-graders in Cleveland County, N.C.

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

Every fall semester, the Gardner-Webb University Orchestra travels to local schools to perform a special concert for fifth-grade students in Cleveland County, N.C. An annual service project for the music department, the program began several years ago with just a few of the GWU music faculty, who performed for students at local elementary schools to get them excited about joining band and orchestra. In the fall of 2014, the GWU Music Department partnered with the Cleveland County Arts Council in Shelby, N.C., to expand these concerts and include the entire orchestra.
Gardner-Webb Distinguished Artist/Faculty Series Presents Trumpet Summit

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

The Gardner-Webb University School of Performing and Visual Arts invites the community to the GWU Trumpet Summit on Sunday, Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. As part of the Distinguished Artist/ Faculty Series, this concert will feature three revered trumpet players: Charles Schlueter, Tim Hudson, and James Ackley, with piano accompaniment by GWU Collaborative Pianist/Distinguished Artist Dr. Cynthia Clyburn Swicegood. The concert will take place in Blanton Auditorium, located in Hamrick Hall on the main campus. It is free and open to the public.
Gardner-Webb Student Pursues Passion for Justice

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

It started with a passion for justice. Gardner-Webb senior Lauren Mahoney from Rosman, N.C., always knew that she wanted to help people. “If someone has been victimized, I want to be able to do something about it,” she shared. Recently, Mahoney had the opportunity to pursue her interests through an internship with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) at its Western District Office.
Former NBA Professional to Speak at GWU Dimensions Program

Office of University Communications and Katie Furr

A former collegiate All-American, Olympian, and NBA professional, Al Wood, will be speaking at Gardner-Webb University’s Dimensions program on Tuesday, Oct. 17. This event will be held at 9:25 a.m. in Stewart Hall of Tucker Student Center on GWU’s main campus and is free and open to the public. Wood entered into ministry after he retired from professional sports and served for 10 years as a youth leader, men’s ministry leader, evangelist, and public speaker.
GWU Presents Faculty From West Virginia in Collaborative Recital

Office of University Communications

Faculty from West Virginia University in Morgantown will present a collaborative recital at 8 p.m. Oct. 17 in Blanton Auditorium, located in Hamrick Hall on the main campus. Presented by the Gardner-Webb School of Performing and Visual Arts Department of Music, the concert is part of the Distinguished Artists Series and is free and open to the public. The featured performers are Hope Koehler, soprano, Rob Chafin, tenor, James Douglass, piano, and Cynthia Babin Anderson, oboe.
Gardner-Webb Invites Families to Join Octoberfest Celebration

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University invites families to campus Oct. 26 for its annual Octoberfest event that will offer children a variety of candy, games and other fun activities. The free evening of entertainment is set for 6-8 p.m. at Paul Porter Arena, inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center on campus. Children and their parents can wear costumes to the festival, which will include candy, pizza, popcorn and a variety of games and crafts.
Gardner-Webb University Online Business Degree Program Earns National Ranking

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s Godbold School of Business recently earned national recognition for having one of the “25 Best Bachelor’s in Healthcare Administration Online” degrees in the country. The list is compiled each year by TheBestColleges.org, a Seattle-based company that provides information on quality educational programs around the nation. Gardner-Webb ranked No. 16 out of 25 programs across the U.S.
Defenders of Wildlife Representative Presents Information on Endangered Red Wolves

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

Dr. Joseph Oyugi, Gardner-Webb University Associate Professor of Biology, invites the University community and the public to his ecology class on Oct. 25 at 11 a.m. for a special presentation by Christian Hunt, a representative from Defenders of Wildlife, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. The presentation will take place in Withrow 205, located on GWU’s main campus. Hunt will discuss the complex issues surrounding the red wolf, the world’s most endangered mammal of the dog family.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Hosts Fields of Faith Event at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications and Katie Furr

Student-Athletes at Gardner-Webb University will share a night of encouragement and testimonies at Fields of Faith hosted by Gardner-Webb’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). This event will take place on Oct. 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Stewart Hall in Tucker Student Center on the main campus. It is free and open to all GWU students and the community.
Gardner-Webb University Choirs to Present Concert

Office of University Communications and Katie Furr

Gardner-Webb University’s Concert Choir and Chorale will present a concert on Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. in Dover Theatre inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center. The concert is free and open to the public. The Concert Choir is directed by Dr. Paul Etter, professor of music and chair of the Department of Music. Dr. Morgan Soja, assistant professor of music, is the director of the Chorale.
Gardner-Webb Continues to Remember a Beloved Teammate and Friend

Office of University Communications and Mallory Moore

A GWU track athlete pursuing a criminal justice degree, known as strong friend with an uplifting personality, passed away in an automobile accident in May just after completing his sophomore year. Jalin Lawson’s life was honored both at his funeral in his hometown of Fort Gaines, Ga., and at a Celebration of Life service held at Gardner-Webb University at the start of the fall semester. Sophomore Amber Freeney stated, “celebrating Jalin’s life means remembering who he was and living the way he would want you to live.”
Alumnus Goes Back to GWU for Degree in Physical Education

Office of University Communications

Jody Brent Raduly of Boiling Springs, N.C., has three degrees from Gardner-Webb University. While his focus changed from studying business to physical education, he discovered that all of the professors at GWU cared about helping him achieve his goals. “I was not just taking a class that these individuals were teaching,” Raduly reflected. “They were placed in my path to guide me to meet my greatest potential as a future teacher in health and physical education as well as an industrious person in society. This guidance was not always just based on knowledge of content but also adoption of character.”
Gardner-Webb Celebrates National Physician Assistant (PA) Week

Office of University Communications

The Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program at Gardner-Webb University celebrates National PA Week Oct. 6-12, recognizing the important contributions that PAs make to North Carolina’s healthcare system. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the profession, which was started by Dr. Eugene A. Stead Jr. at Duke University in Durham, N.C. In 2014, GWU established the PA Studies Program in the College of Health Sciences.
Former GWU Trustee Remembered for Contributions to the Community

Office of University Communications

A former member of the Gardner-Webb University Board of Trustees is being remembered for her contributions to the University, community and region. Nina Eloise Young Spangler of Shelby, N.C., passed away Sept. 24, 2017. Spangler and her husband, the late Royce Patrick “Pat” Spangler Sr., were avid supporters of Gardner-Webb.