SCIENCE of LIFE Discovering Our World to Impact Lives PRESIDENT 8 12 Cathy Cox, J.D
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ECHOESTHE MAGAZINE OF YOUNG HARRIS COLLEGE | FALL/WINTER 2015 THE SCIENCE OF LIFE Discovering our world to impact lives PRESIDENT 8 12 Cathy Cox, J.D. VICE PRESIDENT FOR CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY Ken Faneuff CONTENTS INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT 8 25 44 Kelley Gibson VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMENCEMENT 2015 THE WORLD OF CHARTING THE COSMOS ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT The festivities featured YHC students and faculty AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS RESEARCH humorous words of inspiration study the sky to discover Clinton Hobbs, ’88 from speaker James Carville, YHC senior Jaquelin Solis spent asteroids and other near-Earth VICE PRESIDENT FOR symbolic spiritual services, and her summer as an intern at objects through a national ACADEMIC AFFAIRS special awards for students and the prestigious Yale University collaboration. AND DEAN OF THE FACULTY School of Medicine, performing Dr. Gary Myers friends of the College. research and learning skills that VICE PRESIDENT FOR will benefit her future. 47 PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT AND 12 CHIEF OF STAFF HOW THINGS WORK Rosemary Royston, ’89 THE SCIENCE OF LIFE 28 The College recently launched Eight alumni have sought out a new minor in physics, VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE REACHING FOR AND OPERATIONS vocations that center on their adding more depth to existing AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER love of science, bringing into NEW HEIGHTS mathematics and science Dr. C. Brooks Seay practice daily lessons learned programs. Leah Cheshier, a senior at as students at YHC. VICE PRESIDENT FOR YHC, is shooting for the stars— STUDENT DEVELOPMENT literally—as a communications Angi Smith, J.D. 48 22 intern for NASA. CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES FROM PAINT BRUSHES Brantley Barrow, ‘74 A PRESCRIPTION 38 TO PETRI DISHES FOR POLITICS THE HEMLOCK PROJECT The annual Undergraduate Echoes is published by the Office of Through his roles as U.S. Research Day is an opportunity Communications and Marketing at Young Harris The College’s Predatory Beetle College. The views and opinions presented in Congressman and pharmacist, for students and faculty to this publication are not necessarily those of the alumnus and trustee Rep. Lab serves as an essential present original research on a editors or the official policies of the College. Buddy Carter, ’77, serves as a component in an effort to save range of dynamic topics to the © 2015 Young Harris College healthcare advocate on the Hill. hemlock trees from a tiny, yet campus community. vicious predator. 44 48 38 25 ECHOES VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2 FALL/WINTER 2015 22 28 EDITOR LeAnn Waldroup ART DIRECTOR Melissa Mitchell DEPARTMENTS STAFF WRITERS 52 Kelly Crawford Kyle Huneycutt, ‘13 THE SCIENCE OF 4 FROM THE PRESIDENT SAFEGUARDING THE PLANET CONTRIBUTORS Krystin Dean From the local streams, rivers, and lakes 5 IN THE KNOW Jordan Harris to the classroom and research labs, YHC’s Dr. Linda G. Jones environmental science major opens doors Michael MacEachern for those looking to protect planet Earth. 32 FACULTY VIEWPOINT Alison Missler, ‘15 Steve Morgan 60 34 INQUIRING MINDS Beth Savoy MAXWELL’S METAMORPHOSIS 37 MOUNTAIN LION LUMINARY ARTWORK & PHOTOGRAPHY Lifetime Trustee Dr. Harry Hill and his wife, Nathan Baerreis Harriet, recently gave $1 million to benefit Jacob Bennett, ‘16 upgrades to YHC’s Maxwell Center for 58 GIVING Scott Dean Mathematics and Sciences. Mike Elrod 61 ATHLETICS Kyle Huneycutt, ‘13 64 Brittany McConnell April McDaniel REMEMBER WHEN... 68 CLASS NOTES Philip Sampson, ‘84 During Alumni Weekend, hundreds of alumni, LeAnn Waldroup their families and friends traveled to campus 71 THE LAST WORD to reminisce while making new memories. CONTACT US ON THE COVER Email [email protected] Senior biology major and chemistry and psychology minor Jordana Freitas, of Web yhc.edu/echoes Kennesaw, joined us in one of the Maxwell Center’s classrooms—a location she Mail Office of Advancement frequents daily. Freitas, who plans to attend dental school following graduation, P.O. Box 275 is considered a standout in the classroom by her professors and on the lacrosse Young Harris, GA 30582 field by her coaches. Phone (706) 379-5173 64 Fax (706) 379-4572 facebook.com/YoungHarrisCollege twitter.com/YH_College instagram.com/youngharriscollege youtube.com/youngharriscollege pinterest.com/youngharris flickr.com/youngharriscollege 58 FROM THE PRESIDENT experiences, but this research work helps A Scientific Method our students’ applications stand out against Science is a critical component of a liberal arts education—and the YHC thousands of competing applicants, all of whom have good grades and test scores. community has fully embraced that fact. Here, YHC President Cathy Cox tells us more about the impact the sciences are making on students and Q: Dr. and Mrs. Harry Hill made their futures. a wonderful gift to enhance the Maxwell Center for Mathematics Q: How does science fit into the offering bachelor’s degrees again in 2007. Those graduates over the last five years and Sciences recently. How will context of YHC’s well-rounded have been accepted on their first try into this gift will benefit our students liberal arts education? the Dental College of Georgia at Georgia and faculty? A: While the study of astronomy dates Regents University (three of our grads back to the times of ancient Greece, in the first three years), UGA’s College of A: The generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Hill— all liberal arts programs in the modern Veterinary Medicine (four of our grads in who have always taken a keen interest in our era have a strong focus on the natural just five years), and very strong doctorate science students—is never-ending, and Dr. sciences. YHC’s core curriculum requires of physical therapy programs, medical Hill really wanted to see us upgrade our labs that students take more credits under schools, physician assistant programs, for better teaching. So, the biggest change the heading of “Investigate Nature,” than and many other graduate programs. you’ll see is the build-out of a dedicated almost any other academic area because undergraduate research lab where students of the importance we place on a student’s Q: How important is YHC’s can work uninterrupted, year-round on their understanding of science and the natural research projects. Our faculty will also be world. No matter what major a student undergraduate research program? able to purchase a long wish list of needed selects, they need a firm grounding in the A: A big part of the success our instrumentation for their existing labs, sciences to understand and adjust to the students are having in their graduate greatly enhancing a wide array of our current fast-changing world around them. and professional school admissions classes. You’ll see a much-needed facelift— almost surely has to do with the strength and behind-the-scenes—improvements Q: How successful have our of undergraduate research they are throughout the building for better movement, seating, comfort and utilization graduates in science-related conducting while here at YHC. Our faculty work closely with students to develop of this important academic building. It was a majors been? sophisticated research projects, many of tremendous gift. A: Unbelievably successful! Of course, which have been accepted for presentation biology has catapulted into one of our at the Georgia Academy of Science. Q: What can YHC alumni and most popular majors since we started Not only are these world-class learning friends do to help our science students? A: There is no limit to the ways YHC friends and alumni can help our science students! We are contemplating a major addition to the Maxwell Center, because even with improvements from the Hills’ gift, we are still sorely short of space and need to expand. We need to endow our undergraduate research program so we can provide more funding for the students’ research work and help them travel to conferences where they can both present their work and learn from other scholars. Scholarships, endowed faculty chairs, President Cox presented six graduates—including four biology majors—with the Dr. Charles R. Clegg internship stipends…you name it, and Outstanding Scholar Award during the 2015 Commencement ceremony. Recipients included Sydnee we need it. With the high demand and Weaver, of Sylvania, Mary Calderon, of Buford, Seth Hulsey, of Cornelia, Jordan Moss, of Hiawassee, Grace Patterson, of Blairsville, and Lisset Olavarria, of Blue Ridge, all of whom earned a perfect 4.0 interest from students, these are good grade point average during their collegiate career. problems to have! 4 THE TOP STORIES IN THE KNOW: FROM AROUND CAMPUS YHC Introduces New Institute YHC Sees Uptick in Retention Numbers FOR LEADERSHIP, BUSINESS YHC’s academic year kicked off on Aug. 18 when the College welcomed more AND PUBLIC POLICY than 1,200 students to campus, including more than 400 first-year students. The College also noted a student retention increase—the number of freshmen YHC’s Board of Trustees returning for their sophomore year—of more than 14% since 2013. recently approved the Institute “This kind of growth is unprecedented and indicates our students’ first-year for Leadership, Business and experience is a positive and transformative period that prepares them for their Public Policy. next three years of exemplary education at YHC,” said President Cathy Cox. The Institute, under the “I’m pleased that enrollment has topped 1,200 for the second straight year,” direction of Assistant Professor said Vice President for Enrollment Management and External Relations Clint of Business and Public Policy Hobbs, ’88.