WINTER 2015 ECU charts bold course Old-school values Coaching home Ancient answers Discovering treasures in Jordan B More than 1,000 students had the chance to meet with 126 employers ranging from the Biltmore Company to Wells Fargo at the fall career fair, held at Minges Coliseum on Oct. 16. Photo by Cliff Hollis East Ancient answers 24 An ECU team unearths priceless treasures in Petra, Jordan. ‘Bold, distinctive and authentic’ 30 ECU’s new strategic plan sets a confident path. Old-school values 34 Quietly but consistently, Max Ray Joyner has nurtured East Carolina in much the same way the university nurtured the region. Coaching home 40 Cliff Godwin is the latest alumnus who’s come back to ECU to coach. On the cover: From left, ECU students Mansi Trivedi, Tara Stanko and Kathryn Parker, faculty member Megan Perry and student Laurel Appleton examine artifacts brought back from an archaeological dig in Petra, Jordan. Read more beginning on page 24. Photo by Jay Clark Nina Davuluri, Miss America America title. The Syracuse, not about agreeing with one spoke about being harassed as 2014, challenged ECU students New York, native and daughter another, or all believing the a child because of her race and to celebrate their diversity— of Indian immigrants devoted same thing. It’s about finding religion and the stereotypes whatever that may be—and to her year of service to a platform an understanding between she still faces today. “Your be accepting of others during of “Celebrating Diversity all cultures and being able to words have power,” she said. her visit to campus Oct. 22. through Cultural Competency.” communicate in an open and “Any time you speak, you are honest manner.” influencing someone.” Davuluri is the first Indian- “Everyone has a story, —Grace Haskin Amercian and second Asian- regardless of where the come Growing up as the only Indian- Photo by Cliff Hollis American to hold the Miss from,” said Devuluri. “It’s American in her school, Davuluri 1 Max Ray Joyner Tropical Storm Ernesto was drenching Greenville in September 2006 and threatening to wash out the year’s first performance of the Four WINTER 2015 Seasons Chamber Music Festival. VOLUME 13, NUMBER 2 East is produced four times a year by Five distinguished musicians who were to star in the festival had arrived East Carolina University. in Greenville just before the deluge began and were hunkered down in the homes of several Greenville families. EDITOR East Carolina announced that the campus was closing. That seemed to Steve Tuttle ’09 ’12 252-328-2068 / [email protected] seal the festival’s fate because the musicians would not have a place to practice together before performing. MANAGING EDITOR Doug Boyd ’99 Festival artistic director Ara Gregorian racked his brain trying to come ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER up with a plan. He called Max Ray Joyner ’55 to ask a favor. Brent Burch Would the Joyners open their home to all five musicians for the next PHOTOGRAPHERS couple of days? Also, would Max Ray and his wife, Kitty, mind if the Jay Clark, Cliff Hollis musicians also used their home as a practice facility? CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Mike Litwin ’01, Nigel Parry, Marvin R. Preston Come on, Joyner said. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS “That night they all came in around 9 o’clock, two ladies and three Crystal Baity, Jamitress Bowden ’14, men,” Joyner recalls. “We had to move some furniture around and get Jennifer Brezina ’02, Harley Dartt, Amy Adams Ellis, Lacey Gray, Grace Haskin, Jeannine Manning Hutson, out the trundle bed, but we got them all settled in.” Kathryn Kennedy, Kelly Setzer, Spaine Stephens, Margaret Turner, Steve Tuttle “It was like a sleepover at summer camp,” Gregorian says. CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER “We had a great time,” Joyner says. “They practiced all the next day in Jay Clark the playroom, which Kitty loved because she was a musician herself.” COPY EDITORS The storm had blown out of town by Friday evening, and the campus Jimmy Rostar ’94, Spaine Stephens reopened. The show went on. ECU REPORT EDITOR Jeannine Manning Hutson “And then we did the concert, and to everyone’s surprise we did great because we had been able to practice together,” Gregorian says. CLASS NOTES EDITOR Joanne Kollar Joyner, who is the subject of our alumni profile in this issue, has [email protected] nurtured his alma mater in many ways over the decades. He has funded EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION, several scholarships, served on the Board of Trustees and led many PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND MARKETING Mary Schulken ’79 campus organizations. He’s an iconic figure to many people at East Carolina. Opening his home to five soggy strangers is just one example why. Please turn to East Carolina University is a constituent institution of The University of North Carolina. It is a public doctoral/ page 34 to read many more. research intensive university offering baccalaureate, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees in the liberal arts, sciences and professional fields, including medicine. Dedicated to the achievement of excellence, responsible stewardship of the public trust and academic freedom, ECU values the contributions of a diverse community, supports shared governance and guarantees equality of opportunity. ©2015 by East Carolina University Printed by RR Donnelley C.S. 15-655 29,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $14,040 or $.48 each. 2 FALL 2014 our lives. I am confident a American Heart Association Bedsides and bronze statue of Leo Jenkins for Central Florida, and we boardrooms How do I subscribe? The pencil man would be an inspiration to are on track to achieve our makes his mark A season of fi rsts those who went to ECU, third year in a row where ECU sends East magazine to those who are there now we donate $1.5 million in friends and donors. To begin and those who will be there school supplies. Your article receiving the magazine, mail All eyes in the future. really inspired me to keep your check using the postage- on safety T. Jerry Williams, Raleigh up the effort, and I wanted paid reply envelope inside. Keeping you to know my sincere How much is up to you but campus secure appreciation. we suggest a $25 minimum —Tim Gomez ’92 ’95, contribution. Edgewater, Florida The ECU Foundation supports many scholarships. Learn how ANOTHER ECU CONNECTION to help a student struggling In the fall 2014 edition of with finances at the foundation’s on page 49, the picture East, website, www.ecu.edu/ecuf. of Lt. Col. John Shirley ’92 (below) also has another Where is your money most ECU connection. The officer needed? The colleges, schools on the left is Maj. Gen. Jack and programs within ECU Shanahan. Jack is married have defined their funding CAMPUS SAFETY to our daughter, the former priorities and posted them STORY REASSURING Laura Ann Green ’97. Laura here: www.ecu.edu/ecuf/ I was glad to see the cover received her BS degree in funding-priorities.cfm. story regarding campus nutrition and she is a native Another way to support ECU security and the sidebar of Franklin County. I thought is to join the East Carolina on sexual violence in this event was an interesting Alumni Association and the latest issue of East coincidence. There are receive the magazine as magazine. I am sure it is many things that I am proud well as other benefits and very reassuring to parents, of ECU for, and among services. Minimum dues are students and alumni. Keep them is the quality of the $35. Visit www.piratealumni. up the good work. publications that it presents com to learn how to remain —Martha Logemann, to the public, and East is at connected. Winston-Salem the top of the list. Thanks for ‘YOUR ARTICLE INSPIRED ME’ your efforts. Thank you very much for Contact Us A STATUE OF JENKINS NEEDED —John ’60 and Patricia writing such a wonderful n 252-328-2068 I fully agree with the “We Green ’59, Louisburg article about the work we n [email protected] Need Another Leo” item do in my company. We n www.ecu.edu/east in the fall 2014 edition of really enjoy our community We welcome your letters. the magazine but I want Customer Service service activities and already Send them by email to to take that concept one To start or stop a we are working with Junior [email protected] or step further. I believe that subscription, or to let us Achievement to raise money. by mail to East magazine, East Carolina University, know about a change of Next weekend I am running a Howard House, Mail Stop Greenville, eastern North address, please contact 5K with 20 of my employees 107, East Carolina University, Carolina and the state of Lisa Gurkin, [email protected] to raise money for the Greenville, N.C. 27858-4353. North Carolina should honor or 252-328-9561. Dr. Leo Jenkins with a life- Send letters to the editor to size bronze statue on the [email protected] or campus. Those of us who Howard House attended East Carolina Mail Stop 107 College before it even East Carolina University became a major university Greenville, N.C. 27858-4353 know what Leo Jenkins Send class notes to did for eastern Carolina. [email protected] He saved it. And yes, we or use the form on page 48. need to think about how desperate the region would be today had he not worked so tirelessly for that part of North Carolina. Having a statue of this great man on campus is way overdue.