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 Prepares Student Mentors for First-Year Students

Office of University Communications

Each academic year brings a fresh wave of first-year students unfamiliar with the college lifestyle and the nuances of Gardner-Webb University. This transitional moment is precisely when upperclass mentorships can be the most impactful to a new students’ success. During the week prior to this year’s orientation, a combined volunteer group of 26 Peer Leaders and 43 Big Brothers/Big Sisters gathered on the Gardner-Webb campus for a variety of team-building, leadership training and social exercises.
Gardner-Webb Compliance Officer Discusses Student-Athlete Pay

Office of University Communications

Should college student-athletes receive a paycheck in addition to a scholarship? It has been a highly debated topic in recent years, and a court ruling this month could lead to a major paycheck for some graduating athletes in the near future. Former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon filed a suit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on behalf of Division I football and men’s basketball players, claiming that student-athletes should be entitled to money for the NCAA’s use of their names, images, and likenesses.

WGWG: Director for NCAA Compliance discusses pay for athletes
GWU Business School Dean Named President of Accrediting Group

Office of University Communications

A longtime Gardner-Webb University professor and dean of the Godbold School of Business has been named president of a business school accreditation group’s board of directors. Dr. Anthony Negbenebor will lead the 2014-15 directing board of the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), which promotes continuous improvement and recognizes excellence among business education programs around the world. He has been an active member of ACBSP for more than 14 years, serving on the board of directors, as chair of the personnel committee, board liaison to the strategic planning committee, and co-chair of the annual conference committee.
Dozens Volunteer to Help New Gardner-Webb Students Move Onto Campus

Office of University Communications

For decades, a volunteer group has helped ease the transition for new Gardner-Webb students who move onto the University’s main campus. The Bulldog Movers are among the first to greet students and their families during orientation weekend each August. This year, more than 60 faculty, staff and student volunteers carried boxes, suitcases and bags from cars to campus residences, providing helping hands and a friendly welcome to the newest members of the Gardner-Webb community.
Ignite Your Calling: Jacob Kirby Discovers Ministry, Purpose at GWU

Office of University Communications

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” As children and teens, we’ve all heard that question a million times. Some students just know.
Recent Grad Found Hope & Healing at GWU in the Midst of Tremendous Loss

Office of University Communications

As a high school senior, Talea Sturdivant never imagined that while touring college campuses with her mom and sharing dreams about the future, she would soon face a tragic loss. She had no idea her college choice would help sustain her through a time of crisis and significant sorrow. “I thought I wanted the big state-school experience,” the recent healthcare management graduate says now.
Counseling Symposium Offers Professional Development Opportunities at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

The Gardner-Webb University School of Psychology and Counseling recently hosted an annual conference designed to offer professional experience to graduate students and earned-credit opportunities for mental health practitioners. The Gamma Alpha Omega Summer Counseling Symposium was held at Gardner-Webb’s Tucker Student Center over the summer, and organizers say the event has grown tremendously since its inaugural session more than eight years ago. Coordinating the conference was Dr. Linda Greene, a professor of counseling at Gardner-Webb.
Gardner-Webb to Collect School Supplies for Local Students in Need

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University is partnering with local schools and the community to collect supplies for students in need as they return to classrooms this month. The University will collect school supply donations in the Tucker Student Center entrance lobby from Thursday, Aug. 14 through Monday, Aug. 18, during move-in and orientation activities. All basic school supplies — such as paper, notebooks, and pencils — are needed, and donors can drop off items any time on those days in the student center.
Former GWU Trustee and Longtime Donor Passes Away

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University mourns the loss of former trustee and longtime donor Frank R. Nanney, who passed away Wednesday, Aug. 6 at Rutherford Regional Medical Center at the age of 93. Nanney was known for his generosity to the University in both service and notable gifts, including lead funding to his namesake building, Frank Nanney Hall. A Rutherford County native, Nanney served Gardner-Webb as a two-term trustee after nearly 50 years with Stonecutter Mills Corporation in Spindale, N.C.
GWU Exhibiting Late Artist’s Works on Campus

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University will display the works of longtime local artist, the late Bonnie Hartford Price, through Aug. 29 in the Tucker Student Center. The exhibit, “Creative Journey: Bonnie Hartford Price,” is on display now in the Tucker Art Gallery. Price, who passed away in 2013, was a prominent artist in Cleveland and surrounding counties for many years.
GWU Set to Welcome 600 Students for Orientation

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University will welcome approximately 600 new students (freshmen and transfers) to its campus this month for a variety of orientation activities. First-year GWU students are set to move in and begin their college journeys Friday, Aug. 15. Scheduled welcome events that day include a greeting from University President Dr. A. Frank Bonner and complimentary refreshments in the Tucker Student Center.
GWU Mourns Loss of Alumnus, Army Special Forces Serviceman

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University is mourning the loss of U.S. Army Green Beret Staff Sgt. Jerry Gass, a 2003 GWU alumnus and former football offensive lineman who passed away Aug. 3 in Afghanistan. Gass, 33, served his country as a member of Company C, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group and was stationed at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C. He passed away following a non-combat incident while on patrol, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Gardner-Webb University Awards Over 200 Degrees

Office of University Communications

Gardner–Webb University hosted Summer Commencement on Monday, Aug. 4 in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center at 10 a.m. More than 200 graduates were honored for their achievements during the ceremony. Many graduates participated in the ceremony through prayer, scripture reading, and commencement speeches. T. Faith Lambeth (Statesville, N.C.) offered the invocation, while Jasmine Dale (La Vergne, Tenn.) shared passages from the Old and New Testaments.
James Brown’s Son Remembers Legendary Father with WGWG.org

Office of University Communications

Legendary musician James Brown grew up in a home with a dirt floor and clothes fashioned from sacks. After his father gave him a keyboard organ and he taught himself to play it, Brown evolved into one of the most imitated stage performers in modern American history. His son, Daryl, a songwriter and musician himself, recently reflected on Brown’s life and career in an interview with WGWG.org.

WGWG: Inside the Godfather a conversation with Daryl Brown
High School Students Participate in Inaugural Science Academy at Gardner-Webb

Office of University Communications

For over a dozen high school students from Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA) in Mooresboro, N.C., one of the first weeks of their summer vacation has given them new insight into the practical application of scientific principles they have learned in the classroom. Through a grant from the Stonecutter Foundation (Spindale, N.C.), 14 teens participated in the first annual Science Academy, a brand new program designed to offer them enrichment in the subject of science. “I think this academy caused the students to think about science beyond the classroom and opened their eyes to the many different careers in the science field,” said Nick Longerbeam, biology teacher at TJCA.
Gardner-Webb University Co-Sponsors Annual Hickory Crawdads Christian Concert

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University’s Office of Church Relations and Office of Community Relations are joining forces for the third time to co-sponsor an annual event as part of the Hickory Crawdads (Hickory, N.C.) regular season game against the Delmarva Shorebirds. The ‘Dads Annual Christian Concert is planned for Saturday, Aug. 16, following the 6 p.m. game. “This is our third year of sponsoring this event and through it, we are building relationships with churches and communities in our region,” said Aaron Hinton, director of the Office of Church Relations and the Christian Service Organization (CSO).
B.E.S.T. Program Participants Visit Gardner-Webb Campus This Week

Office of University Communications

Local high school students are learning professional skills from business leaders this week during an annual free program at Gardner-Webb University. The GWU Godbold School of Business presents the 9th annual B.E.S.T. (Bringing Executives and Students Together) Program beginning July 23 through July 25. The program gives rising 10th, 11th and 12th graders an opportunity to learn from entrepreneurs and other community leaders.
Boiling Springs Breaking Ground on New Town Hall, Police Station

Office of University Communications

The Town of Boiling Springs invites the community to attend a ceremony to celebrate the groundbreaking for a new town hall and police station. The event is set for July 25 at 3 p.m. at the site of the new structure at 114 E. College Ave. Town officials have worked with Talley and Smith Architecture of Shelby, N.C., for more than a year to design the new $2.8 million, 11,000-square-foot building.
Gardner-Webb Summer Commencement Ceremony Set for Aug. 4

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University will award over 200 degrees during 2014 summer commencement exercises on Monday, Aug. 4. The ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. in Paul Porter Arena in the Lutz-Yelton Convocation Center, located on Gardner-Webb’s main campus. The University will confer degrees on 205 total graduates across traditional undergraduate, graduate and degree completion programs of study.

Youtube: GWU Graduation Experience
GWU School of Psychology and Counseling to Cohost Trauma Recovery Training

Office of University Communications

Preferred Choice Healthcare, in collaboration with the Gardner-Webb University School of Psychology and Counseling, is planning a unique three-day training from Aug. 15 through Aug. 17, in room 103 of Lindsey Hall on the GWU main campus. Facilitators will train individuals on the use of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy to effectively aid victims of trauma. According to training officials, EMDR is a cost-effective, non-invasive method of psychotherapy that is used to treat individuals with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other traumatic psychological experiences that have overwhelmed the brain’s natural resilience or coping capacity.
GWU, Cleveland Community College Partner to Aid Transfer Students

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University and Cleveland Community College announced a partnership this week that will further ease the transfer process for students who complete certain degrees with coursework at both institutions. Officials for both schools signed agreements to create a seamless degree track for accounting, business administration, entrepreneurship, industrial management, and nursing students who begin their studies at Cleveland Community College and finish them in the University’s Degree Completion Program. The agreements, called Pathways to reference the structured paths of study between the two schools, formalize a degree partnership that already exists between GWU and CCC, according to officials.
GWU Alumni Experience Marathon Missions

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University students and alumni regularly travel to foreign countries for short-term mission trips to share messages of God and humanity. A growing number of University family members are reaching deeper into missions by participating in a journey that takes them to 11 countries in 11 months. The World Race—organized by interdenominational agency Adventures in Missions—transports adults ages 21 to 35 on an international tour of different cultures, religious beliefs and global challenges.
GWU Alum, Campus Police Officer Showcases Woodwork

Office of University Communications

By day, Larry Thomas patrols Gardner-Webb University as a campus police officer, a job he has held for 36 years. After work, Thomas crafts wood into furniture and art, a hobby he has also enjoyed for nearly four decades. A 1974 GWU alumnus, Thomas’s first-ever woodworking exhibit is on display now through July 31 in the Tucker Student Center art gallery.
Gardner-Webb University Announces Establishment of “Hunt School of Nursing”

Office of University Communications

Officials are thrilled to announce a significant, undisclosed donation to the top-rated Gardner-Webb University School of Nursing. Dr. Jack and Mrs. Ruby Hunt, noted public servants and staunch supporters of a wide range of community projects, have committed a generous gift to the University to establish the Hunt School of Nursing. Gardner-Webb University President Dr. Frank Bonner believes the Hunt family represents community service at its finest, and the partnership with the University will benefit both current and future nursing students.
GWU Alum to Lead State Organization for Interpreters for Deaf

Office of University Communications

Gardner-Webb University alumnus Antwan Campbell ’03 was recently elected president of the North Carolina Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (NCRID). His term began July 1, and his first official duty was representing the state of North Carolina July 1-6 at the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf Regional Conference in Atlanta, Ga. “I am truly excited and humbled to have been elected president,” Campbell said.