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 Criminal Justice Degree Was First Step in Alum’s Successful Career

Office of University Communications

Tom Anderson ’04 of Statesville, N.C., believes that personal success doesn’t happen by accident. An alumnus and adjunct professor for Gardner-Webb University, Anderson tells students that academic and career success is a combination of intentional steps, goal setting, and a high level of commitment. To reach his goals, the first intentional step he took was to pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.
Internship Leads to Full-Time Job for GWU Exercise Science Alumnus

Office of University Communications

Haden Baker finished his exercise science internship the summer before his senior year at Gardner-Webb University. Working at a fitness center in Morganton, N.C., he applied the principles and skills he had learned from his professors. “The internship experience was probably the most rewarding class that I completed at GWU,” observed the 2017 graduate.
GWU Undergraduate Research Project Earns Accolades and Opportunities for Music Student

Office of University Communications

As a rising junior, Christian Jessup ’17 took on the ambitious project of developing a completely original score for the 1977 blockbuster, Star Wars. His work was made possible by a grant from the GWU Undergraduate Research Scholars program. During the five-week research experience, students are mentored by a faculty member and receive on campus room and board as well as tuition remission, if applicable.
GWU Exercise Science Alum Accepts Position with Navy in Aerospace Division

Office of University Communications

Seaver Wait ’17 stepped out of his comfort zone several times while working on his exercise science degree at Gardner-Webb University. Each situation was a chance for Wait to strengthen his critical-thinking skills. “My professors, Dr. Jeff Hartman and Dr. David Granniss, taught me how to think at a high level,” observed Wait of Candler, N.C.
Gardner-Webb Hosts Annual LifeWay Kids Camps June 12 – July 28

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb will welcome more than 2,500 children and adults to the University during the next seven weeks as the campus hosts a LifeWay Kids Christian camp series for the third consecutive year. CentriKid, a children’s ministry of the international Christian resources organization LifeWay, offers youth in grades three through six opportunities for Bible study, worship and recreational experiences. Camps are organized and led by teams of young adults, including college and seminary students, who help serve as directors, pastors and worship leaders.
GWU Alumna Adjusts Education and Career Goals to Follow God’s Calling

Office of University Communications

Called into ministry at 16, Megan G. Brown of Fridley, Minn., came to Gardner-Webb University with clear goals in mind. She would be the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree and then serve in youth ministry. Her plans started to unravel as she approached graduation in 2005.
GWU Criminal Justice Alumnus Gains Knowledge to Effectively Solve Problems

Office of University Communications

Every spring, the population of the town of Wilkesboro, N.C., grows by around 75,000 for Merlefest, a musical tribute to the late folk and bluegrass guitarist Merle Watson. Ensuring the safety of visitors and residents during the four-day event requires a team effort of hundreds of people. Chief of Police Craig Garris, a 2000 graduate of Gardner-Webb University, coordinates his department’s role in the effort.
GWU Exercise Science Professors Prepare Student for Competitive Graduate School

Office of University Communications

More than 600 students applied to the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at Mercer University in Atlanta, Ga. Jordan Davis, a 2017 graduate of Gardner-Webb University, was one of 38 who were accepted. “I credit my very quick admission (same day as my interview) to the unique and thorough preparation the GWU Exercise Science program provided,” Davis related. “I feel as though I stood out among the others who were selected to interview due to two major aspects: 1) the rigorous coursework on my transcript and 2) the heavy emphasis my major professors placed on developing ‘soft skills’ for professional success.”
GWU’s Center for Innovative Leadership Development to Present Annual Event

Office of University Communications

A free event held at Gardner-Webb University each year will once again bring together educators from around the region and state. The eighth annual Summer Leadership Conference is scheduled for June 25-27 in the Tucker Student Center at Gardner-Webb University, and hundreds of individuals are registered to attend. Sponsored by Gardner-Webb University’s Center for Innovative Leadership Development and the K-12 Teacher Alliance, the conference will offer three learning tracks including “Developing Capacity in Learning Organizations,” “Becoming a Leader of Teachers,” and “Collaborating, Communicating, and Building Learning Cultures.”
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 weeklong 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.
World Champion Drum and Bugle Corps to Perform Latest Show at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

Carolina Crown, a world champion drum and bugle corps based in Rock Hill, S.C., will perform its 2017 show on Saturday, June 17, at Gardner-Webb University. The event is free and open to the public. More than 150 musicians with the South Carolina-based corps have called Boiling Springs home for the past month to rehearse the 2017 show.
Over 30 Pastors and Students Attend the Annual Pastors’ School Hosted by GWU

Office of University Communications and Emily Eidson

Even pastors require a day of Sabbath. Self-care may seem like an obvious human need, but when you work at an around-the-clock job such as ministry, finding time to take care of yourself can become lost between the many tasks of leading a church. Recently, pastors gathered at Gardner-Webb University for the annual Pastors’ School, an educational retreat for pastors and students of ministry and theology. This year, the event focused on the topic, “The Minister and Self-Care.”
GWU Alumna Enjoys Working with Every Student in her School

Office of University Communications

Nearly 700 students attend the elementary school in Chapel Hill, N.C., where Kyndal Davis ’15 teaches physical education. The Gardner-Webb University alumna sees them all twice a week. “I love that I get to see and work with all of the kids in the school,” Davis asserted.
Freeman Fund Provides Scholarship Assistance to Eight Area High School Students

Office of University Communications

Since 1991, the Joseph B. Freeman, Jr. Education Fund has assisted Cleveland County students annually in their pursuit of higher education. On Wednesday, May 31, eight students were named the recipients of this year’s Freeman Fund. This year, $16,000 in scholarship funds will be provided to these students, and four of them are planning to attend Gardner-Webb University this fall.
GWU Mourns Loss of Community Volunteer and Longtime Supporter

Office of University Communications

The Gardner-Webb University community is mourning the loss of one of its longtime supporters. Ruby Crowder Hunt, wife of GWU Trustee Dr. Jack Hunt, passed away May 27 at her home in Lattimore, N.C. In 2014, the Hunts gave a generous gift to establish the Hunt School of Nursing.
Gardner-Webb University Awards Degrees During Commencement Exercises May 12-13

Office of University Communications

Gardner–Webb University hosted Spring Commencement on Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13 in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center. Six hundred graduates were honored during three separate ceremonies. The exercises also marked the 75th anniversary of the naming of Gardner-Webb in 1942.
Classes in GWU Master of Wealth and Trust Management Help Grad Student on the Job

Office of University Communications

Numbers have always fascinated Jordan Bilodeau ‘17 of Charlotte, N.C. As a youngster, his favorite pastime was to memorize statistics of players and teams. His interest in math led him to work toward a career in the financial services industry.
Music Alumna: ‘Gardner-Webb is One of the Best Decisions I Ever Made’

Office of University Communications

Marissa Parsons placed a decal from Gardner-Webb University on her car window after her first visit to the campus. She was called into ministry and felt the Lord was showing her GWU was the next step. “I saw how many opportunities I would have beyond the classroom,” Parsons reflected.
GWU Honors Faculty and Staff for Excellence and Community Service

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University recognized outstanding faculty and staff members recently during the annual “Apples and Accolades” ceremony held in Tucker Student Center on the GWU main campus. The 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award was presented to Robert N. Moore, Instructor in American Sign Language. Moore engages students in his class by utilizing hands-on techniques and animated communication skills.
GWU Hosts National Counterterrorism Center Analytical Simulation

Office of University Communications

At the beginning of May, the U.S. Department of State issued a Europe Travel Alert to warn Americans about the probability of a terror attack in France, Russia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Analyzing intelligence information to keep Americans safe is the job of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) in Washington, D.C. Students from Gardner-Webb and six other colleges recently met with NCTC analysts in GWU’s Tucker Center to participate in an exercise where they learned firsthand how possible terrorist threats are discovered.
Gardner-Webb University Shares Upcoming Plans of Several Spring 2017 Graduates

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University is pleased to announce over 600 students recently received degrees during spring commencement exercises held May 12-13. Students earned associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral degrees from a variety of university programs.
GWU Honors Students Participate in Regional Council

Office of University Communications

A delegation of students from the Gardner-Webb University Honors Program recently attended the Southern Regional Honors Council in Asheville, N.C. The theme for the conference was “Diving Into Diversity: Opportunities and Obligations in Honors Education.” They were accompanied by biology professor Dr. Tom Jones, Associate Dean of the Honors Program.
Gardner-Webb Graduate Student to Participate in National Memorial Day Veterans Ride

Office of University Communications

A Gardner-Webb graduate student will be participating in a unique Memorial Day event in honor of area veterans. MBA-Plus student David Lee, center leader for the Army Recruiting Center in Shelby, N.C., will join the coast-to-coast motorcycle ride, “Run for the Wall,” which will conclude in Washington D.C. on Memorial Day Weekend. The annual Run for the Wall ride for veterans was established in 1989 by two Vietnam veterans who hoped to raise awareness about the thousands of men and women still unaccounted for from all wars.

WGWG: Run for the Wall: interview with graduate student David Lee
Gardner-Webb University’s Pastors’ School Planned May 29 – 31

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s 2017 Pastors’ School, an annual three-day educational retreat for pastors and students of ministry and theology, is scheduled for May 29 – 31 at GWU. Several speakers will share on the topic, “The Minister and Self-Care.” The 2017 School will feature guest speaker Dr. Al Cadenhead, who retired in 2015 after more than 46 years in ministry—including the last 17 years as Senior Pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, N.C.
GWU Students Take Top Awards at National Alpha Chi Convention

Office of University Communications

Members of Alpha Chi, a national collegiate honor society at Gardner-Webb University, earned top honors at the society’s national convention held recently in Louisville, Ky. Christian Jessup of Boiling Springs, N.C., won a Gaston Scholarship, and Hannah Ray of High Point, N.C., won a Nolle Scholarship. The Gaston Scholarships, worth $3,000 each, are presented to the two highest-rated submissions at the convention.