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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GWU’s Annual Festival of Lights Returns Dec. 1

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s annual Festival of Lights marks the beginning of the Christmas season for many families, shares Dr. Paul Etter, professor and chair of the music department. “It has become one of our most well-attended concerts,” Etter adds. “We enjoy doing this event, and people enjoy coming.”
Gardner-Webb Students Join Alpha Chi Honor Society

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University inducted 33 members into Alpha Chi, a national collegiate honor society, in a ceremony held Nov. 13 in Blanton Auditorium on the GWU campus. Alpha Chi promotes academic excellence and exemplary character among college and university students and honors those who achieve such distinction. Membership is open to students with junior and senior classification who demonstrate strong character and whose GPA ranks them in the top 10 percent of their academic classes.
Gardner-Webb University Joined by Crest High School for Orchestra Concert

Office of University Communications and Bryton Mitchell

The Gardner-Webb University and Shelby (N.C.) Community orchestra will be joined by the Crest High School Chamber Orchestra for a concert on Monday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. in Dover Theatre, located adjacent to the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center (LYCC) on GWU’s Main campus. The concert is free and open to the public. Conducted by Dr. Patricia Sparti, professor of music and director of orchestral activities, the concert will feature classical works by Shostakovich, Elgar and Rimsky-Korsakov, followed by “Assault on the Death Star” from “Star Wars,” written by Christian Jessup, a music composition and communication studies double major at GWU.
Gardner-Webb University Symphonic Band Set For Unique Concert

Office of University Communications and Bryton Mitchell

The Gardner-Webb Symphonic Band, an ensemble featuring music and non-music majors, will present a concert Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 8 p.m. The free event is open to the public and will be held in Dover Theatre, located inside the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center on the GWU campus. Dr. Mark Cole, assistant professor of music education and director of marching band, directs the symphonic band.
Art Sale set for Beginning of December

Office of University Communications and Bryton Mitchell

Unique works by art students and GWU professors will be available at the annual Gardner-Webb Christmas Art Sale. Common items consist of mainly pottery, such as cups and bowls, but crafts, prints, and paintings are also available. The sale will be Dec. 1–3 in Faith Hall inside Tucker Student Center, located on Gardner-Webb’s main campus.
GWU Team Joins Mission to ‘Reach, Rescue and Restore’

Office of University Communications and Bryton Mitchell

Instead of taking time off to relax and rest, a team of 17 eager students and faculty from Gardner-Webb University spent their fall break in Atlanta, Ga., to pursue mission work. They partnered with various ministries of the Atlanta Dream Center, an organization whose mission is to “reach, rescue and restore men, women, and children so that the glory of God may be known.” Emily Hamilton (’18) of Everson, Wash., a psychology and Spanish major who participated in the trip, enjoyed her time in Atlanta and learned a lot from this experience.
Gardner-Webb University Community Delivers Food to Hungry Children

Office of University Communications and Bryton Mitchell

For Lou Ann Scates, taking care of hungry children in the surrounding area is extremely important and always has been. “When my son was growing up and going to school, I saw kids in his class that I knew were going to bed hungry,” recalled Scates, Gardner-Webb registrar. “I could not imagine a little kid not having enough to eat.”
GWU Hunt School of Nursing Celebrates Contributions of Nurse Practitioners

Office of University Communications

In recognition of the 51st anniversary of the inaugural Nurse Practitioner (NP) program, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) is honoring these health care providers during National Nurse Practitioners Week, Nov. 13-19. The first nurse practitioner program was established at the University of Colorado (Boulder, Colo.), and now there are over 222,000 NPs licensed to practice in the U.S., with an additional 20,000 graduating each year. In 2013, Gardner-Webb University established the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program track as part of the Hunt School of Nursing’s Master of Science in Nursing.

WGWG: National Nurse Practitioners Week, Nov. 13-19
Gardner-Webb Speaker will Focus on Cultivating Healthy Relationships

Office of University Communications and Bryton Mitchell

An expert on recognizing detrimental relationships and nurturing healthy ones will be speaking to students at Gardner-Webb University on Nov. 29 for the Dimensions program. 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. Kristin Rollins has spent the last few years traveling the southeastern United States speaking to teenagers and young adults.
Alum Offered Job Before Graduating from Family Nurse Practitioner Program

Office of University Communications

Anna Burgess (’16) of Ellenboro, N.C., went into the nursing field because of her interest in studying science, anatomy and the disease process. As she started her college search, the Hunt School of Nursing at Gardner-Webb University appealed to her for a couple of reasons. “I knew I wanted a bachelor’s degree,” she shared.
Debbie Brendley (’18) Proud to Carry on Family’s Legacy of Naval Service

Office of University Communications

Debbie Brendley (’18) of Greensboro, N.C., comes from a family of proud and patriotic naval veterans. “Learning the words to the Star-Spangled Banner was required,” she asserted. “My father, grandfather and great-grandfather served in the U.S. Navy.”
Gardner-Webb University Named 2017 Military Friendly School

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s strong support of military members has been evidenced in the past few years by multiple honors that recognize the institution’s exceptional educational services for troops and their families. Yet another accolade further affirms GWU’s commitment to providing post-military education while also spotlighting the University’s role in connecting veterans with career opportunities. Gardner-Webb has been designated a 2017 Military Friendly School by Victory Media, an organization owned by military veterans that provides service members and their families with information about the educational and professional programs that best meet their needs.
GWU School of Divinity Welcomes Chinese Christian Leaders for Intensive Training

Office of University Communications

Two leaders from government-registered Christian churches in China visited Gardner-Webb University recently through a collaboration with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) in Charlotte, N.C. Paul Yu, a licensed pastor, and Christina Zheng, a preacher and curator of the Ruth Bell Graham Museum in Huai’an city in the central Jiangsu province of Eastern China, participated in the Global Leadership Seminar. Dr. Terry Casiño, Professor of Missiology and Intercultural Studies at the GWU School of Divinity, developed the curriculum for the intensive five-day seminar after being contacted by the project manager of BGEA Chinese Ministries.
GWU Student Relates Crafting Pottery to Discipleship Truths

Office of University Communications and Bryton Mitchell

Alex Stewart (’17) of Gastonia, N.C., decided to attend Gardner-Webb University to pursue an education in discipleship. Then, his sophomore year he met a student who introduced him to the art of pottery. “I made a friend named Devan Vandenbark. He made some of the most beautiful mugs—perfectly poised and unique in character,” he explained
Gardner-Webb University Business, Law Expert to Discuss Fair Labor Standards on Nov. 17

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s Charlotte Center will host a discussion of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) during a Business Horizons Workshop Series session, presented by the GWU Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship and Godbold School of Business, on Thursday, Nov. 17. The 7:30-9 a.m. program will feature Dr. Van Graham, associate dean of GWU’s Godbold School of Business and an expert in business and employment law. Graham will offer an overview of the Fair Labor Standards Act’s application to businesses, with particular emphasis on new rules taking effect Dec. 1, 2016.
GWU Nursing Student Will Continue Studies While Deployed With National Guard

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University graduate nursing student Hollis Guenther (’19) remembers listening to war stories told by his father and his neighbors in the small Michigan farming community where he grew up. On Veteran’s Day as he prepares for deployment to the Persian Gulf, he thinks about their service in World War II and the Korean War and is filled with appreciation for these men. Joining the Army Reserves helped him pay for college, but it also allowed him to honor their sacrifices.
Alumna Discovered Passion to Study and Teach as GWU Undergrad

Office of University Communications

When April Hoelke Simpson (’14) studied Greek and Hebrew, she was fascinated with how the languages enhanced her understanding of the biblical text. Her professors at Gardner-Webb University recognized her scholarly potential even before she did. “I originally planned to become a career missionary and chose mission studies as my concentration,” Simpson shared.
FBI Special Agent Tracks Down Criminals Using Analytical Accounting Skills

Office of University Communications

In training to be an accountant, Jacqueline D. Lyon (’93) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., learned how to keep track of every penny. Those same analytical skills help her uncover clues and track down criminals as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). “My brain is wired differently. I question things,” Lyon explained. “If you can’t find it here, you have to go look somewhere else.”
Society of Composers Inc. Recognizes GWU Senior Music Composition Major

Office of University Communications

A Gardner-Webb senior music composition major has received national recognition from the Society of Composers Inc. (SCI). Nathaniel Parks of Greensboro, N.C., will have his choral work performed at the SCI National Conference April 2, 2017, at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich. His composition, Kyrie, was chosen from 700 submissions and will be performed by the Collegiate Singers.
Senior Nursing Major Establishes Mentorship Program as Part of Undergrad Research

Office of University Communications

When she graduated from high school and embarked on her college journey, Starr Tate of Gastonia, N.C., didn’t anticipate some of the challenges she would face. Yet, her first year at Gardner-Webb was marked by individuals who were willing to help her navigate unexpected hurdles and invest in her success. “My freshman year, I had a few nursing students who were ahead of me who were really great at giving advice and helping me along,” the senior nursing major shared.

WGWG: GWU Undergraduate Research Scholar Starr Tate
GWU Biology Students Educate Children at Annual “Enchanted Forest” Event

Office of University Communications

A program held each year at the Broad River Greenway that helps educate children about nocturnal animals that live in North Carolina continues next month. “The Enchanted Forest,” a Gardner-Webb community service project that is designed to entertain and educate kids from ages 2-12, will be held Nov. 4-5 at the Greenway. A focus of the program is to teach children the importance of sustaining the woodland environment of a variety of animals.
Gardner-Webb to Host Clayton King Ministries Co-Founder

Office of University Communications and Bryton Mitchell

Sharie King has a passion for teaching and reaching out to people with the love of Christ, and on Nov. 1, she will share her message at Gardner-Webb University’s Dimensions program. The event starts at 9:25 a.m. in Stewart Hall of the Tucker Student Center, located on GWU’s main campus. This program is free and open to the public.
GWU Academic Foundation Prepared Alum for Success in Graduate School

Office of University Communications

As he contemplates the future, Chandler Durham (’13) of Shelby, N.C., can see himself returning to Gardner-Webb. This time, as a professor of history. “In five years, maybe I will be sitting in my office in the history department preparing lectures or standing before a class presenting those lectures,” he surmised.
GWU Professors Helped Steer Alumna in the Right Career Path

Office of University Communications

Kristy Young Johnson (’92) took a course in her first semester at Gardner-Webb that prevented her from making the wrong decision about her future. “I hadn’t really considered a career in science before I got to GWU,” Johnson shared. “I was enrolled in biology with Dr. Tom Jones. His class was a wonderful introduction, touching on so many different aspects of biology that I finished the semester wanting to know more. Every science class I took just added to my curiosity.”
Student Enters Nursing Field to Help and Serve Others

Office of University Communications

When Tara Roberts Hayes (’16) of Forest City, N.C., was a teenager, her best friend was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune condition. She earned the nickname of “Mother Hen,” because of the hours she spent taking care of her friend. “My curiosity of the medical field and desire to help and serve others pointed me in the direction of nursing, but this situation solidified the call I had felt for so long,” Hayes reflected.