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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Gardner-Webb Graduate Working to Refine Treatments for Cancer Patients

Office of University Communications

A unique combination of degrees allows Gardner-Webb University alum William Payne (‘14) to work extensively in designing targeted therapy for cancer patients. With support from the Gardner-Webb faculty, Payne, who is from Pendleton, Ind., completed majors in chemistry and computer science with minors in mathematics and biology. His doctoral research in biomedical engineering at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., gives doctors more tools to treat breast and pancreatic cancers.
Gardner-Webb Training Prepared Graduate for First Job

Office of University Communications

As athletic trainer for Shelby (N.C.) High School, Brandon Smith (’15) aims to be a source of encouragement for the student-athletes under his care. “I enjoy having the opportunity to work with high school students and hopefully make a positive impact on their lives, whether it is by helping them realize what they want to do with their lives, being someone they can to talk to and counsel with, or just by being a role model,” Smith shared.
Couple Who Met at GWU Have Ministry to Soldiers and Their Families

Office of University Communications

Corie Weathers met her husband, Matthew, at Gardner-Webb University, where they graduated in 1999 and answered a call to ministry. She was working on a degree in counseling, and he was a religious education major. When their friendship turned into a dating relationship, they discovered a common goal.

WGWG: Corie and Matthew Weathers speak at GWU
Gardner-Webb University Partners with Scholarship Program Funded by Gates Foundation

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University will offer numerous opportunities for students to earn money to help pay for college, thanks to a new partnership with a program supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. GWU has joined Raise.me, an organization that seeks to empower prospective college students by providing individual scholarships for a variety of academic, extracurricular, service and work achievements during high school. “Gardner-Webb University and Raise.me agree that students should be recognized for accomplishments beyond just a grade-point average and test scores,” explained David Hawsey, GWU Vice President for Enrollment Management.
Degree Completion Program First Step to Lifetime of Achievements

Office of University Communications

Neal Alexander, a member of the Gardner-Webb Board of Trustees, held a top position with Duke Energy before being tapped by North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory for a position in state government. He’s also received Gardner-Webb’s highest recognition of merit, the Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. And recently, he was named as the interim dean for the Godbold School of Business.
Alumna will Study Infectious Diseases in Postdoctoral Fellowship

Office of University Communications

Workers often encounter a host of chemicals while exploring mining, hydraulic fracturing and other occupational sites across the country. In the historically mining-rich state of West Virginia, Gardner-Webb alumna Carrie Long (’11) is studying the impacts of some of those substances on the human immune system, in hopes of discovering information that will lead to health improvements for workers in a variety of professional fields. A Ph.D. candidate at West Virginia University (Morgantown, W.Va.), Long performs research in labs connected to both WVU and the neighboring Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health facility.
GWU Physician Assistant (PA) Student Values Program’s Christ-Centered Focus

Office of University Communications

Wendy Riley drives three hours each day to attend the Physician Assistant Studies program at Gardner-Webb University, because she knows she’s receiving a quality education from caring professionals. “The Christ-centered focus has a welcoming feeling and my sense is that the faculty wants us to learn, and grow, and succeed — not because they want to check the box that says X percent of positions filled, X percent graduation rate, or X percent pass rate on the boards (although I know that is the goal),” she stated. “You don’t feel like a number here. You feel like a person who wants to go out into the world and make a difference in the lives of others. This program fosters that desire. I think that sets this program apart from others.”
Gardner-Webb MBA Student Starts Career Before Graduation

Office of University Communications

Before completing his Master of Business Administration (MBA) in 2012 at Gardner-Webb University, Benjamin “Evan” Rhodes was offered a job with Fastenal Company in Shelby, N.C. By the time he finished his degree, he was a top-ranking sales representative, which led to another job opportunity. “I was recruited to fill a territory sales manager position for a family-owned flooring manufacturer called J&J Invision,” Rhodes shared.
GWU School of Education Helps Student Connect with Local School System

Office of University Communications

After one visit to the Gardner-Webb University campus, Sarah C. Scoggins of Kings Mountain, N.C., knew where she would spend her college years. My older brother, Allen Scoggins, also attended Gardner-Webb. The first time I visited him was the time I determined this place would become home,” she explained.
Gardner-Webb Exhibit Features Photos from Professor’s Cross-Country Railroad Trip

Office of University Communications

Photos from a Gardner-Webb University professor’s three-week railroad adventure across the United States are featured in an exhibit on display now through Feb. 8 on campus. “Great American Rail Adventure” shares images of American life, captured by Dr. Bob Carey, professor and chair of the GWU Department of Communication & New Media. Carey traveled by train from Charlotte, N.C., to the West Coast and back home during February and March of last year.
Gardner-Webb University to Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.’s Humanitarian Legacy on Jan. 18

Office of University Communications

On the day America pauses for a holiday named for Martin Luther King Jr., Gardner-Webb University will celebrate and follow his humanitarian example with education and outreach. GWU will host an MLK Day of Celebration and Service on Monday, Jan. 18, joining many organizations across the country in honoring King’s legacy. “It has become a national movement to serve on King’s day,” explained Dr. Tom LeGrand, director of GWU’s Center for Christian Ethics and Social Responsibility and an assistant professor.

WGWG: Gardner-Webb to Celebrate MLK Day with Education Programs, Community Service
Gardner-Webb helps business owner obtain the degree she always wanted

Office of University Communications

In 1989, when Katherine “Kitty” Hamrick Hoyle (’15) took over her father’s concrete business in Boiling Springs, N.C., she had to prove herself in an industry dominated by men. Through the years, she has gained the respect of national industry leaders and received awards from the Chamber of Commerce in Cleveland County, N.C. She made wise decisions and led her father’s company through tough economic times.
Accomplished Trumpeter to Perform at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

World-class trumpet player Charles Schlueter returns to Gardner-Webb University for a free performance Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. in Blanton Auditorium. Schlueter served as principal trumpet for the Boston Symphony Orchestra for more than 25 years and has previously visited GWU to offer both a concert and masterclass for the public. In a half century of orchestra experience, Schlueter performed with the Kansas City Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and Cleveland Orchestra.
Former NFL Player, Current Ministry Team Member to Speak at Gardner-Webb University

Office of University Communications

A former National Football League (NFL) player who joined a men’s outreach ministry team after retirement will speak to the Gardner-Webb University community on Jan. 12 during GWU’s Dimensions program. The event, which begins at 9:25 a.m. in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center on campus, is free and open to the public. Renaldo Wynn played on the defensive line for 13 seasons in the NFL following an all-American career at the University of Notre Dame.
Gardner-Webb Announces 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 Fall 2015 semester. The Dean’s List is composed of students with a grade point average of 3.7 and above. The National Dean’s List was established in 1978, as a way to recognize excellent academic achievement by college students.
Gardner-Webb Athletic Training Program Introduces Students to Career Possibilities

Office of University Communications

Clyde Donald “Tripp” Hastings III (’17) of Boiling Springs, N.C., grew up coming to sporting events at Gardner-Webb University with his grandmother Teresa Huggins. She’s a lifetime Bulldog Club member and is related to J.D. Huggins, the first principal of Boiling Springs High School, the forerunner of Gardner-Webb University. Because the University is close to home, and he already knew about the campus, Hastings considered going to college elsewhere.
Online Classes Prepare Student for Career in Education

Office of University Communications

Nathan Swaim (’16) of Traphill, N.C., attends classes at Gardner-Webb University without having to leave home. A member of the first fully online elementary education Degree Completion Program (DCP) class, Swaim is confident he is ready to begin student teaching. Not only has he learned teaching methods through the online program, he has also acquired self-discipline and a better appreciation of history.
Theatre and TV Actor to Perform Free Show at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

Experienced stage performer and budding screen actor Jose Antonio Garcia will take the stage at Gardner-Webb University on Jan. 15. His free show is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Millennium Playhouse behind GWU’s Communication Studies Hall. Based in Chicago, Garcia has built a successful career on the stage, working with groups including The Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Chicago Children’s Theatre and the Illinois Shakespeare Festival.
Two Rhodes Diverged

Office of University Communications

Keith Rhodes decided in middle school that instead of being influenced by a troublemaker, he would make good grades and set an example for others. “I could have been that statistic that everyone talks about—a child in a single-parent household, living in poverty, getting in trouble, and becoming just a number,” he observed. “A lot of my friends took a different path than me, but I’m not a number, I did make it out, and I can make a difference.”
Gardner-Webb Student Appreciates Caring and Approachable Faculty

Office of University Communications

When she graduates from Gardner-Webb University in May, Kristina Nork will have more than a certificate to hang on the wall. She will carry with her all the life lessons she’s gained as a student, an athlete and a follower of Christ. “Being at Gardner-Webb has helped shaped me into the person I am today through my experiences in the pool, the classroom and the strong Christian atmosphere,” she shared.
Gardner-Webb University Students Share Joy with Homeless During Holidays

Office of University Communications

In the rush of preparing for final exams and anticipating the coming holiday break from college classes, students in Gardner-Webb University’s Athletic Training Club spent a day focused on brightening the Christmas season for the men and women at a local homeless shelter. The students recently visited Miracle Hill Ministries in Gaffney, S.C., to decorate for Christmas, and to prepare and enjoy lunch with the homeless. The ministry operates several shelters for children and adults, while also providing resources for families in need across the upstate region of South Carolina.
GWU Student Receives Duke Energy Scholarship from North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities

Office of University Communications

Kyle Cooper, a Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, N.C.) junior majoring in Biology, was selected to receive a Duke Energy Foundation Scholarship in the amount of $3,500 for the 2015-2016 academic year. Kyle is the son of Sherri Cooper of Gastonia, N.C., and Michael Ratliff of Hamlet, N.C. The Duke Energy Foundation contributed $80,500 in scholarship aid this year through the Independent College Fund of N.C., a division of North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU).
Former Brazilian Banker Finds Growth, Opportunities in America, Gardner-Webb University

Office of University Communications

For 30 years, Antonio Duarte worked as a successful banker in Brazil. He was thriving in his career, furthering his education and teaching business on the side. Still, something was missing.
Gardner-Webb University Awards Over 250 Degrees

Office of University Communications

Gardner–Webb University hosted Fall Commencement on Monday, Dec. 14 in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center at 10 a.m. More than 250 graduates were honored for their achievements during the ceremony. Many graduates participated in the ceremony through prayer, scripture reading, and commencement speeches.
Gardner-Webb Grad Awarded Fulbright Fellowship for Dung Beetle Research in New Zealand

Office of University Communications

Most people don’t stop to ponder the lowly dung beetle, but Gardner-Webb University graduate Matt Jones (’09) has spent the last five years collecting and observing these little creatures. It’s a dirty job that only a serious scientist could enjoy, but his research on nature’s “cleanup crew” has earned him a prestigious Fulbright Award to study the introduction of dung beetles in New Zealand. “Receiving a Fulbright Fellowship means so much to me, because it’s such a competitive fellowship program,” Jones reflected.