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 Nursing Student’s Capstone Project Improves Patient Care

Office of University Communications

Colman Tom (’16) of Roxboro, N.C., left a 15-year career in banking and finance on Wall Street to become a nurse. Instead of managing financial concerns, he aspired to care for people going through a physical crisis. “I wanted to do something more meaningful with my life,” Tom reflected.
Gardner-Webb University Invites High School Students to Summer Business Program

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s Godbold School of Business will welcome local high school students to campus in July to study entrepreneurship and other topics alongside local business professionals during the 11th annual B.E.S.T. (Bringing Entrepreneurs and Students Together) Program. The July 19-22 event will offer opportunities to learn professional skills for rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders. Activities will include business topic workshops, guest speakers, campus tours, outdoor programs and times to network with business leaders and other students.
GWU Grad Strengthens Faith, Pursues Master of Divinity

Office of University Communications

Cedric Starr (’17) of Shelby, N.C., came to Gardner-Webb University ready to experience academic and spiritual growth. “I wanted to more fully understand the sacred scriptures in order to better myself as a Christian and as a member of the community of faith,” Starr elaborated. A student in the GWU School of Divinity, Starr is preparing to be a pastor.
Superintendent Grateful for Ongoing Support of GWU School of Education

Office of University Communications

Dr. Lory D. Morrow’s relationship with Gardner-Webb University didn’t end after she earned her Doctor of Education in School Leadership in 2006. As superintendent of Davidson County (N.C.) Schools, she values the continued support she receives from professors in the School of Education. “Dr. Doug Eury, Dr. David Shellman and Dr. Ron Nanney (retired) guided, challenged and helped me grow personally and professionally throughout my educational journey at Gardner-Webb,” shared Morrow, who lives in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Gardner-Webb School of Divinity Equips Grad to Serve People in his Hometown

Office of University Communications

In 2007, basketball standout Chris Gash (’16) graduated from Gardner-Webb University with a degree in psychology. A leader on the court and a role model for his teammates, he headed to Orange, Calif., for a coaching job. A year later, however, his convictions brought him home to Kingstown, N.C.
Collaborative Community Partnership Helps Prepare Disabled Students for the Workplace

Office of University Communications

– Several Cleveland County residents who took part in a unique collaborative partnership based at Gardner-Webb University were honored during a graduation ceremony on June 1 in Tucker Student Center. Seven 2015-2016 Project SEARCH participants earned certificates of completion for their involvement in the high school to workplace transition program. Established as a partnership between business, education, and vocational rehabilitation, Project SEARCH provides on-site internship experiences for youth with disabilities.
Gardner-Webb Artist’s Sculpture Series Inspired by African-American Experiences

Office of University Communications

A Gardner-Webb University faculty member’s interest in African-American culture has inspired him to spotlight the impact of racial tensions across the country through pieces of sculpture. Doug Knotts, who serves as a professor and the chair of the Department of Visual Arts at Gardner-Webb, created 26 sculptures, titled “Unarmed African American Altered Portrait Heads,” to symbolize those whose deaths inspire dialogue about race relations. “This series is about the loss of life,” he shares, “and the loss of potential contributions to society.”
Gardner-Webb University Hosts “Jump Start” for Incoming Students on June 17 and July 22

Office of University Communications

The preparations have been made. The must-have items have been checked off lists. The months have turned to weeks and the weeks have turned to days.
GWU Degree Completion Program Helps Student Explore Criminal Justice Field

Office of University Communications

Courtney McClure (’16) of Cramerton, N.C., doesn’t remember the name of the person who first introduced her to Gardner-Webb University. She was only in elementary school, but she never forgot the name of the college and the school colors. “We were sitting on a classroom floor and people from different colleges came in and introduced their college,” she recalled.
High School Students Prepare for Upcoming Learning Opportunities at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

For dozens of high school students in Cleveland and Rutherford counties, this summer will offer unique opportunities for developing new insight into the practical application of principles they have learned throughout the school year. Through grants from the Stonecutter Foundation (Spindale, N.C.) and the Duke Energy Foundation (Charlotte, N.C.), Gardner-Webb University is planning three week-long academies, which will offer local students enrichment in the subjects of math, science, and computer science. The Stonecutter Foundation will sponsor academies for participants from Rutherford County high schools.
Transferring to Gardner-Webb was Right Decision for Softball Player

Office of University Communications

Searching for a college that felt more like a family, softball player Christa Fullwood (’10) contacted Coach Tom Cole at Gardner-Webb University. Her best friend and former teammate was there, and college was the first time they hadn’t played together in over 10 years. “I called Coach Cole and discussed the possibility of coming to Gardner-Webb, and he was open to it,” recalled Fullwood, a native of Wilmington, N.C.
Gardner-Webb University Pastors’ School Planned May 30- June 1

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s 2016 Pastors’ School, an annual three-day educational retreat for pastors and students of ministry and theology, is scheduled for May 30 through June 1 at GWU. Baylor University’s Dr. Joel Gregory will serve as the keynote speaker for the event, which is sponsored by the Pittman Center for Congregational Enrichment as a means of connecting to area ministers and encouraging the work of the local church. Gregory holds the George W. Truett Endowed Chair in Preaching and Evangelism at the George W. Truett Theological Seminary of Baylor University (Waco, Texas).
Five Students to Attend Gardner-Webb University With Aid of Freeman Scholarship Fund

Office of University Communications

For almost 25 years, the Joseph B. Freeman Jr. Educational Fund has provided scholarships to help Cleveland County high school students pursue a college education. The 2016 Freeman Scholars were announced May 23, and all five students will attend Gardner-Webb University. A total of $15,000 in scholarships was awarded during a presentation in the Tucker Student Center on Gardner-Webb’s main campus.
GWU Psychology Major Ready for Rigors of Graduate School

Office of University Communications

As a student at Gardner-Webb University, Juliette Ratchford (’16) explored various topics that developed her critical-thinking skills and prepared her for the next step in her educational journey. Originally from Demorest, Ga., Ratchford is pursuing a doctorate in psychological sciences at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. “My time at Gardner-Webb prepared me for the rigors of graduate school,” Ratchford affirmed.
Gardner-Webb University School of Education Recognition Program Honors Educators

Office of University Communications

The 2nd annual induction ceremony for Gardner-Webb University’s School of Education Hall of Fame is planned for June 23 at 6 p.m. in Tucker Student Center. Three new members will be inducted during the ceremony. GWU School of Education Dean Dr. Doug Eury said nominees for the Hall of Fame are Gardner-Webb alumni and others who have distinguished themselves in the field of education as either a practitioner or benefactor locally, regionally or at the state and federal level.
GWU Studies Help Nursing Supervisor Make a Difference in her Profession

Office of University Communications and Claire Coile

Would providing a spa-like atmosphere in a peaceful room help nurses deal with the everyday stress of their jobs? While earning her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) at Gardner-Webb University, nursing supervisor Susan Cannon (’16) of Lincolnton, N.C., decided to find out the answer. She researched compassion fatigue and nurse burnout and presented the results in her Capstone project, “Rekindling the Passion for Nursing.”
Harvesting Hope

Office of University Communications and Emily DeVries

A service trip to build a fish farm in Haiti deeply impacted the hearts of the Gardner-Webb University students who traveled there and brought life-altering change to the Haitian orphanage that is now reaping its harvest. Dr. Don Olive, GWU Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, desires to instill a spirit of service in the hearts of his students. A chance conversation with the father of a first-year Gardner-Webb student introduced Olive to a unique service opportunity to do just that.
Aspiring Author Moves Closer to Goal with Help of GWU’s Online Master’s Program

Office of University Communications

Through the Master of Arts in English online program at Gardner-Webb University, Nickie Crowe of Ferndale, Wash., is taking steps to make her lifelong aspirations come true. “I always thought I’d get a degree in English and go to work reading for a publishing company, or I could write a novel, perhaps an action adventure with a romantic undercurrent,” Crowe shared. “Life has a way of taking us in different directions, and somehow I ended up in Nome, Alaska, working with numbers for more than 10 years.”
Gardner-Webb Announces Spring 2016 Dean’s List, Honor Roll

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University is pleased to announce its Dean’s List and Honor Roll in recognition of undergraduate students’ exemplary academic achievements during the Spring 2016 semester. The Dean’s List is composed of college students with a grade point average of 4.0 if enrolled for 12-14 hours and 3.7 if enrolled for 15 or more hours with no grade lower than a “C.” The National Dean’s List was established in 1978, as a way to recognize excellent academic achievement by college students.
GWU Dual Degree Program Prepares Grad for Counseling Ministry

Office of University Communications

As a mental health counselor, Andrew M. Woods (’14) is prepared for the unpredictable, because each person’s situation is unique and different. While he may not know what each day brings, he is confident in the education he received through the School of Psychology and Counseling at Gardner-Webb University. “In counseling and ministry you can encounter more struggles through the people you work with than can be imagined, not to mention the personal struggles in your own life,” observed Woods, owner of Woods Family Counseling and Healing Care in Black Mountain, N.C.
Graduate Student Likes Flexibility of Online Master of Arts Program

Office of University Communications

When she was looking for master’s programs, Ilari Pass (’18) of Greensboro, N.C., stumbled across the Master of Arts in English online program at Gardner-Webb University. “I’m so glad that I did. A challenging new chapter in my life began when I decided to attend Gardner-Webb,” she assessed.
GWU Music Student Experiences Academic Growth, Finds Supportive Community

Office of University Communications

While receiving an education at Gardner-Webb University, Colt Cooper (’16) of Gaffney, S.C., discovered something far more valuable: the support of friends and mentors. On the day he auditioned for the Department of Music, his mother passed away. “Gardner-Webb was very understanding during that time in my life, because it was one thing to go from high school to college, but it was a whole other thing to go from having the support of my wonderful mother to basically taking care of myself,” Cooper reflected.
GWU Adjunct Professor Sharpens Teaching Skills Through Online MA program

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University adjunct professor Karen Taylor (’16) of Rutherfordton, N.C., aspired to take her teaching ability to the next level. She accomplished her goals through the GWU Master of Arts in English online program. Not only did she improve her own writing and lecturing skills, but she learned new ideas for helping students.
Gardner-Webb Recognizes Trustee with Honorary Doctorate at Commencement on May 7

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University bestowed its highest recognition of merit, the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree, to Franklin “Frank” Beam (Shelby, N.C.) during its Spring Commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 7. GWU President Dr. Frank Bonner explained that the awarding of an honorary doctorate degree affirms the University values, honors individual achievements, and recognizes the recipient’s embodiment of Gardner-Webb ideals of caring and Christian service. “These guidelines are exemplified to the fullest degree by Frank Beam in his personal, professional, church, and civic life, and in innumerable leadership roles,” Bonner shared.
Gardner-Webb University Awards Degrees During Commencement Exercises May 6-7

Office of University Communications

Gardner–Webb University hosted Spring Commencement on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center. More than 650 graduates were honored during three separate ceremonies. The University’s College of Health Sciences conferred degrees on the first graduating class of the Physician Assistant (PA) Studies program.