wave magazine - spring 2010
DESCRIPTION
Fine Arts Students Reaching New Levels, Davis College of Business Joins Elite Company, Q&A with Ken Oelrich, Men's BasketballTRANSCRIPT
REPEAT TITLES IN TRACK & MEN’S HOOPS
FIN
E A
RTS
AMBITION & EXPANSION
DCOB EARNS AACSB ACCREDITATION
SPRING 2010
Greetings JU Alumni & Friends,Excitement is the best word to describe the feeling on campus today. So many wonderful things are in progress that it was hard to fit them all into one magazine.
The most visible change has been the construction of the Marine Science Research Institute, which is set to open at the end of summer (page 18). The resources that will be available to students in this facility will be another reason why this University is like none other.
Also adding to JU’s uniqueness is the recent accreditation of our Davis College of Business (page 8). I am proud to say that we now offer the only private, AACSB-accredited business program in North Florida.
Another college taking on ambitious projects is the College of Fine Arts, who for the first time took its students downtown to the Florida Theatre to showcase the musical “Chess” (page 4). The show is set to rival the Broadway touring version.
There was also a new series developed: The Dolphin Alumni Speaker Series (page 24). So far, we have featured three outstanding alumni who have shared stories of their lives after JU.
Let me again congratulate the Track and Field team, who won their fifth consecutive Atlantic Sun title (page 23). This is a result of our dedicated athletes, coaches and instructors who are determined to be the best.
Many more great things are in store for our University. I want to again encourage each of you to get in contact with us and plan your next visit to see what all the buzz is about!
Sincerely,
Kerry D. Romesburg
President
VOLUME 13 • NUMBER 2www.ju.edu
PUBLishER Kerry D. Romesburg
EditOR Traci Mysliwiec-Johnson
CREAtiVE diRECtOR Derek Hall
ARt diRECtOR Taryn Hannah
AssistANt EditOR Kristi Mace
PUBLiCAtiONs MANAgER Robin Bangert-Lenard
CONtRiBUtiNg WRitER Joel Lamp
CLAss NOtEs Patricia Reeves
MAiN NUMBER 904.256.8000
AdMissiONs 904.256.7000 [email protected]
ALUMNi 904.256.7201 [email protected]
UNiVERsity MARkEtiNg 904.256.7042 & COMMUNiCAtiONs [email protected]
REgistRAR 904.256.7091 [email protected]
iNstitUtiONAL 904.256.7021 AdVANCEMENt [email protected]
PUBLishEd University Marketing & sEMi-ANNUALLy By Communications Office
ChANgE Of AddREss tO Institutional Advancement Jacksonville University 2800 University Blvd. N. Jacksonville, FL 32211-3394
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
All contents © COPyRight 2010 Jacksonville University. All rights reserved.
Ron A. Autrey ’01
Margaret Black-scott ‘85 Walter P. Bussells Michael Cascone Jr. ‘65
Adrienne Conradtimothy P. Cost ‘81
kevin f. delaney Brian dudley ‘96, ‘05 Wayne A. gallowayJ. Phillip garcia ’90
John g. harrison ’67
Michael howland ’76
Cyrus M. JollivetteMatthew kane ’01
Jack keigwinBruce kernLawrence E. kurziusRaymond k. Mason, Jr. ’78
Michael J. Mckenny f. Andrew Moran ’78
Victoria M. Mussallem ’98 Elizabeth Anne P. Nimnichtfrank Pace ’73
timothy d. Payne Carole J. Poindexter ’77
gilbert J. Pomar, Jr. fred g. Pruitt ’69, ’85
kerry d. Romesburg h.W. shad (Mike) ’85
Linda Berry stein ’69
Chris A. Verlandergordon keith Watson ’71
terry L. Wilcox Carolyn Munro Wilson ’69, ’77, ’89
Charles J.O. Wodehouse
COVER
4 AMBITION & EXPANSION
fine Arts students Are Reaching New Levels
By kRisti MACE
dEPARtMENts
14 NEWs
20 sPORts
24 ALUMNi NEWs
28 ALUMNi EVENts
32 CLAss NOtEs
fEAtUREs
8 DAvIS COllEgE Of BuSINESS JOINS ElITE COMPANy
Earns AACsB Accreditation By tRACi MysLiWiEC-JOhNsON
12 Q&A: KEN OElRICH A soldier & A student
20 MEN’S BASKETBAll Repeats A-sun Championship
With an elaborate new production and upgraded facilities and equipment, Fine Arts students are achieving higher levels of performance experience. The latest production of “Chess” at the Florida Theatre downtown is the most challenging by JU yet. The improvements in the recording studio are already being used to produce new music and students are enjoying many of the newly donated pianos, too.
FINE ARTS STUDENTS ARE REACHING NEW LEVELSBY KRISTI MACE
AMBITION& EXPANSION
4 The Wave
WITH an elaborate new production and upgraded facilities and
equipment, Fine Arts students are achieving higher levels of performance
experience to further broaden their marketability after graduation. The latest
production, “Chess” at the Florida Theatre downtown, is the College’s most
challenging yet for its scope, style and use of multiple performance venues.
The improvements that have been made in the recording studio are already
being used to produce new music and students are busy practicing on
many of the newly donated pianos, including a one-of a-kind grand master
piano only a few colleges have the privilege to own.
CHESS A MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA
FOR THE SENSES By the time they graduate, most
musical theatre students will have performed in a variety of shows featuring
a range of music such as opera, pop, orchestral, disco and rock, among
others. However, try and fit all of those styles into one and you’ve got the
musical “Chess.”
Taking on the task this spring of producing a show of such grandeur are 18
JU students, many of whom are being pushed beyond their comfort zone.
“Out of all my performances, this one has challenged me the most,” said
Senior Greg Bosworth, who has been preparing for his lead role in what has
been coined as JU’s most ambitious musical theatre venture. “It was written
in the 80s and has some touches of pop belting, which is hard to do for two
hours in a show, let alone three months of rehearsal. I’ve got to belt some
really high notes and hold them for a really long time.”
Piece by piece, “Chess” the musical with lyrics by Tim Rice (“The Lion
King”) and music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (ABBA, “Mamma
Mia!”) is taking shape.
Not only is the show a vocal challenge, students have also been adjusting
to some unfamiliar territory, as the musical premieres in downtown
Jacksonville at the Florida Theatre on April 9.
“We’re approaching taking this show to the Florida Theatre like a touring
production,” said the director, Dr. Rob Tudor, assistant professor of music.
“This means, our students will experience moving in the set, costumes,
and props; setting the lights and band; walking through the show on a
cue-to-cue shortened rehearsal; and opening all in the same day. It’s
new for all of us, but we are excited about the challenge, and have
been preparing for it since its inception.”
EXPANSION
“It was important for us to take our musical theatre team to
a bigger venue as a way to help them grow,” said Bill Hill,
dean of The College of Fine Arts. “They have to be able to
adapt to a different stage and become aware of the angles
of the audience and how to properly fit in the set design. The
experience will be as real-world as it gets for them.”
The show was such a challenge that many of the lead roles
had to be double-casted.
“The lead roles are very challenging for young voices to
sing,” said Tudor. “Rock-style musical theatre is very taxing on
the voice, and all of our students are learning and practicing
healthy singing habits. They were a bit suspicious of being
double cast at first, but are understanding why I did it now
that we’re running acts back to back.”
Bosworth along with Sophomore Stephen Johns play
Anatoly Sergievsky, a Russian who is the current World Chess
Champion about to challenge American Freddie Trumper
(played by Sophomores Erick Crow and Dean Winter); all in the
context of a Cold War struggle between the United States and
the Soviet Union, during which both countries wanted to win
international chess tournaments for propaganda purposes.
The show also includes Senior Nina
Waters and Sophomore Taylor
Anderson who play Florence Vassy,
Freddie’s manager who falls in love with Anatoly. Senior Lukas
Cyr plays Ivan Molokov, Anatoly’s manager; and Senior Vincent
Teschel appears as Walter Anderson, a secret CIA agent.
“The show is a melodic, daring, witty and ambitious musical.
I have loved seeing what was once believed as too chal-
lenging of a show for JU to produce now come to fruition,”
said Tudor, who has directed musically some of JU’s largest
productions like “Ragtime,” “Oklahoma!” and “Company.”
“Dr. Tudor is a phenomenal director,” said Winter. “He has
definitely challenged me to connect with my character in an area
of my life that I have been skeptical to tap. His constant push
in finding the best objective for every scene has been a key
component to the passion that is coming through in this show.”
The show is set to not only dazzle the ears but the eyes as
it will include chess pieces that double as usable furniture
pieces. There will also be two-dimensional artwork shown in
the background.
“This is truly going to be a spectacular collaborative and
comprehensive production,” said Hill.
The show will also be held at JU’s Swisher
Theatre on April 16 and 17. To order tickets
for the Swisher Theatre showing, call
904.256.7370.
TESCHEL
WATERS BOSWORTH CYR
It began last spring, a project to replace more than two dozen
pianos that sparked excitement and renewed a sense of pride
in the JU music department.
It was during a concert as Assistant Professor of Piano Scott
Watkins led his music students through their first class recital
that he got the surprise of a lifetime.
“Carolyn Munro Wilson ’69, ’77, ’89, was so impressed with
the students that she came up to me immediately following
the concert and offered to purchase a new concert piano,”
said Watkins. “That was followed with a matching donation
by former Board of Trustee member Mary Virginia Terry, as
well as a few other donations.”
As a result, the Steinway Concert Grand Piano was replaced with
a Shigeru-Kawai EX Concert Grand Piano that now sits proudly
in Terry Concert Hall. According to Watkins, this is the only piano
of its kind in Florida, and one of only a very few in the country.
For purchasing the piano, the Kawai Company is installing a
completely new suite of electronic keyboard instruments as
A lot of hard work goes into producing a record, and the
renovations made to the P-19 studio theatre in the Fine Arts
Hall have been making it easier for students this spring.
Equipped with a new booth, the studio now serves as a
professional recording studio.
According to Assistant Professor of Music Business and
Dolphinium Records Adviser Dr. Thomas Harrison, the quality
of the sound in the room has increased significantly, giving
their “thank you” gift to the University. In addition, two new
grand pianos and two vertical (upright) pianos have been
installed in practice rooms. The Sam Marks Chapel, where
the choir rehearses, also has a new medium-sized grand
piano. Professors Marguerite Richardson and John Ricci also
have new studio verticals.
“This has been one of the most targeted quality improvements
for our facilities,” said Ricci. “I’m already enjoying having
an excellent piano for illustrating harmonies/concepts and
accompanying my students, who are already playing better
because of it.”
As more donations are made, more pianos (about 28 in all)
will be replaced.
The new pianos feature carbon-fiber technology in much
of the operating mechanism (action) of the instruments.
According to Watkins, that will help to reduce the amount of
maintenance and repair on the pianos which will be heavily
used and fight the negative effects humidity and temperature
fluctuation have on wooden parts.
students the ability to create more accurate mixes
and translate them to a lot of different environments such
as Ipods.
With the goal of introducing a new CD and a new artist each
year, Dolphinium Records, the student-run, campus based
record label for JU, is already using the upgraded studio to
produce three CDs from the bands “Inside the Target Car,”
“Dancell” and “Newborn Thriller.”
RECORDING STUDIO RENOVATED
NEW ADDITIONS STIR UP ENTHUSIASM
Davis College of Business Joins E lite Company
Accreditation is Good for Students, Good for JU and Good for Jacksonville
BY
TRA
CI M
YSLI
WIE
C-JO
HN
SON
In January, Jacksonville
University’s Davis College of Business (DCOB)
joined the elite company of the five percent
of institutions worldwide that have earned
accreditation from the Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business International
(AACSB). After a long arduous process, the
DCOB now offers the only private, AACSB-
accredited business program in North Florida.
This impressive accomplishment resonated
even more when the November evaluation
yielded a clean report. Most schools expect
there to be stipulations about areas that need
to be improved to earn the official accreditation
and the DCOB had none.
Officially announced by AACSB Jan. 7, the
University celebrated the achievement with
a reception on Feb. 4 in the DCOB. Alumni,
faculty and trustees gathered to mark the
occasion and reminisce in a crowd that
included Dan Davis and Chairman of the Board
of Trustees, Ron Autrey, along with former
presidents Dr. James Brady and Dr. Frances
Bartlett Kinne.
“With much thanks to donors, trustees, faculty
and our students, we met all 20 standards
of evaluation,” said McCann. “This is good
for our students, good for us and good for
Jacksonville. It’s not just a transitional event,
but a transformative event.”
Current students and alumni alike will reap
the benefits of the value the accreditation
WE WERE All A BIT SHOCKED WHEN WE REAlIZED THAT WE HAD A ClEAN REvIEW WITH fOuR Of OuR CuRRENT
PRACTICES AlSO RECOgNIZED AS ‘BEST PRACTICES’ By AACSB,” SAID DR. JOSEPH MCCANN, DEAN Of THE DCOB.
“WE’vE lEARNED THAT ABOuT ONE IN 10 SCHOOlS HAvE THAT OCCuR WHIlE EARNINg INITIAl ACCREDITATION. THAT
SAyS A lOT ABOuT THE lEvEl Of fACulTy, STAff, STuDENT AND ADMINISTRATIvE SuPPORT PROvIDED IN THE EffORT.
adds to their degrees. Accreditation assures
students, parents and the public that a school
adheres to the highest-quality standards
based on the latest research and professional
practices. An accredited school must continue
to demonstrate that it is growing, not just
maintaining existing standards during regular
review cycles.
Exemplifying that growth, accreditation isn’t
the only new development in DCOB. They’ve
also reconfigured the Accelerated and Flex
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
programs, added the Mayo Clinic Executive
Health Program to the Executive MBA (EMBA),
brought in three new Executives-in-Residence
(see sidebar on page 11), started a blog (http://
judaviscollegeofbusinessblog.ju.edu/),
hosted the Political Leadership Institute (PLI)
and joined the Partnership for Responsible
Management Education (PRME), which is
sponsored by the UN Global Compact.
“All business schools today have to continu-
ously change as much and as fast — preferably
faster — than world conditions change. This
means staying in touch with those conditions
and their implications for businesses and our
graduates so that they are best prepared,” said
McCann. “We systematically benchmark our
programs against those of the top business
schools in the world, not just locally, to be sure
that we are responsive. To our pleasant surprise,
we’ve also innovated in terms of content and
program design beyond many of those.”
Spring 2010 9
The MBA programs have adapted to
today’s student needs, offering the Davis
Accelerated and Flex MBA options along
with the EMBA. The full-time, Accelerated
day program includes 12 months of
continuous study designed to help launch
a professional career as many undergrads
move right into this program. Tailored for
experienced, working professionals, the
Flex program is paced in conveniently-
scheduled evening courses.
As part of the Mayo initiative, EMBA
students will receive a preventative medi-
cal examination by specialists in the Mayo
Clinic Executive Health Program designed
for top-level executives, including a
complete checkup and comprehensive
lifestyle assessment. Mayo Clinic and the
DCOB will jointly design a series of short
seminars, briefings and workshops to be
delivered by Mayo Clinic staff focusing on
the connections between mind, body and
human performance and will be woven
into the Davis EMBA curriculum.
Started at the beginning of the last
academic term with contributions by
faculty and administrators providing
content for readers interested in business
and leadership issues, the blog highlights
discussions of newly-released studies,
presentations, articles and teasers into
recent developments in the field.
“‘Relevance’ and ‘academic-business
linkages’ are the key themes. We blog
about topics that are relevant to our
business community and to our students,”
said McCann, the initial force behind the
project. “Similarly, part of our mission is to
link business academic developments to
our scholarship.”
The relationships that the DCOB has been
cultivating have already grown and started
to reap the benefits for students.
“Our hosting of the PLI through the Davis
Leadership Center is also helping identify
and prepare North Florida’s next genera-
tion of public leaders, some of whom are
our alumni. And, of course, there is our
early joining of the PRME,” explained
McCann. “PRME has connected us with the
leading business schools and companies
in the world, all of whom are dedicated to
creating sustainable economies and ethical
professional practices. PRME makes us
smarter and engages students in the larger
world in which they must function.”
Everyone involved is feeling a renewed
enthusiasm with the new developments
and are all energized by the new begin-
ning and the chance to build on it. Now,
with accreditation already earned, the
DCOB looks forward to future innovation
and growth.
The Aviation Program, for example, is
nationally recognized and has tremendous
opportunities ahead of it. The Davis
Leadership Center will also respond
to very significant opportunities in
developing talent management programs
for companies, as well as capitalizing
on growing competence in developing
leaders who understand the power of
public-private partnerships.
THE DCOB IS fAR fROM fINISHED IN ITS EvOluTION, AND WHIlE CHANgE IS SOME-
TIMES uNCOMfORTABlE THERE IS NO AlTERNATIvE. WE HAvE TO MAKE OuR CuRRENT
PROgRAMS WORK EvEN BETTER AND gROW THEM SuBSTANTIAlly MORE,” SAID
MCCANN. “WE PROMISE TO DO OuR BEST TO MAKE CuRRENT AND fuTuRE CHANgE
AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBlE, BuT THE WORlD IS MOvINg fAST AND SO MuST All Of uS.
DAN DAvIS WITH DEAN MCCANN IN fRONT Of THE NEW AACSB PlAQuE IN THE DCOB lOBBy
Alvin Brown, an expert in
public policy and public-private partner-
ships, R. John Kaegi, former chief strategy
officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Florida (BCBSF), and Glenn Hansen, a
former senior vice president of the Federal
Reserve Bank of Chicago, have joined JU’s
Davis College of Business as Executives-
in-Residence.
Brown, president and CEO of the Willie Gary
Classic Foundation, served as the executive
director of the Bush/Clinton Katrina Fund’s
Interfaith Fund. As former Vice President Al
Gore’s Senior Advisor for Urban Policy and
Vice Chair of the White House Community
Empowerment Board, Brown advised
both Gore and President Clinton. He held a
number of other key positions, including as a
senior advisor in the Commerce and Housing
and Urban Development departments.
Brown graduated from JU with a Bachelor
of Science and a Master of Business
Administration. He has also completed
post graduate work at the Kennedy School
of Government at Harvard University. He
has served on the JU Board of Trustees
and Board of Directors of the Jacksonville
Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Kaegi applies 40 years of corporate
business experience to a new focus
on teaching. His recent role at BCBSF
included facilitation of the processes
and meetings of the corporate strategy
committee and he was deeply involved in
shaping health care reform. He also pro-
vided corporate leadership over solutions
innovation to identify new opportunities in
the marketplace.
Kaegi holds a Bachelor of Science from
the University of Oregon and a Master
of Business Administration from the
University of Memphis.
Hansen was responsible for the Detroit
branch of the Federal Reserve Bank
and served on the Bank’s Management
Committee as well as System committees.
He has more than 35 years of managerial
experience. Currently, Hansen is the
president and founder of STRATEGIC
INTEGRATION, INC., which specializes in
executive consulting, business acumen
training and financial literacy efforts.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree
and a Master of Business Administration
degree from Loyola University of Chicago.
Hansen also attended the Advanced
Management Program at the Harvard
Business School.
lEfT TO RIgHT: KAEgI, BROWN & HANSEN AT THE ACCREDITATION RECEPTION
DAN DAvIS WITH DEAN MCCANN IN fRONT Of THE NEW AACSB PlAQuE IN THE DCOB lOBBy
D COB Welcomes T hree Ne w Ex ec ut iv es-in-Reside nce
Spring 2010 11
AFTER BEING INSPIRED BY THE Marine Corps, Ken Oelrich decided to join the
many brave soldiers who are traveling across
the globe to fight in the “war on terror.” The
Wave had the opportunity to learn more about
his unique journeys abroad, as well as having a
father who serves in the state senate, and how he
now helps lead the JU football team to victory.
WHAT DID YOUR DAD (FLORIDA STATE SENATOR STEVE OELRICH) THINK ABOUT YOU GOING INTO THE MILITARY DURING A TIME OF WAR?
My dad has always been supportive of my
decisions and this one was no different. I had
impeccable timing and shipped off for boot camp
in July of 2001. The terrorist attacks occurred about
a month before I graduated boot camp and I didn’t
learn of the extent of the damage until I left Parris
Island. When I decided to re-enlist, for the sole
purpose of doing a combat deployment, neither
KEN OELRICHA SOLDIER & A STUDENT
he nor my mother ever told me to reconsider. I
appreciate that and love and respect them very
much for the support they have given me.
YOU SERVED TWO TOURS. WHAT WERE THE EXPERIENCES LIKE?
I did two deployments during my second enlist-
ment while I was serving with the 2nd Batallion, 5th
Marine Regiment, or 2/5 as we call it. The first was a
deployment to South East Asia where we trained in
Okinawa, South Korea and Thailand. We conducted
landslide relief for a village in the Philippines that
had been hit hard by the natural disaster. We also
visited Iwo Jima, which is the site of the famous
flag raising photo and the Marine Corps’ most
famous battle.
The second deployment was to the Al Anbar
Providence in Iraq. Our first three months, we
were in Ramadi conducting counter-insurgency
operations. Iraq is an eye-opening experience. The
extreme poverty and living conditions make you
understand just how blessed we all are to live in
America. Getting to know and talk to the people
and hearing their stories firsthand was remarkable.
The majority of Americans get their information
from a very politically-biased media and to be able
to see the changes and improvements unfiltered,
for myself, made it all worth it. Did bad things
happen in Iraq? Absolutely. But much worse things
were happening before America ever showed up
and now, Iraq and its people are more free than
they have ever been before and I’m proud of that.
DO YOU THINK YOUR EXPERIENCES HAVE INFLUENCED YOUR DAD’S POLITICAL DECISIONS?
Well, my dad doesn’t have much say on U.S.
foreign policy but I doubt the fact that his son
was serving overseas would sway him to make
a decision other than what is best for the people
12 The Wave
he represents. He’s a strong leader with strong
principles so I have faith in the decisions he makes.
WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING EXPERIENCE YOU HAD IN IRAQ?
Probably the boredom. Even in the infantry, it’s
not like you walk outside everyday and step into
a “Rambo” movie. A vast majority of the time on
patrol or on post, you are just bored out of your
mind. So you just had to do your best to stay
focused on your mission and on your down time,
keep yourself entertained.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO ATTEND JU?
After being away for eight years, I wanted to move
back somewhere close to my family in Gainesville and
I wanted to play football. JU offered that combina-
tion of a small-school environment with a quality
football program. The fact that Coach Bell was here
also let me know this was the right place for me.
TEAMMATES CALL YOU SARGE (SHORT FOR SERGEANT) ON THE JU FOOTBALL TEAM. DO YOU THINK OTHER STUDENTS LOOK UP TO YOU KNOWING HOW MUCH YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED?
I just try to carry myself with confidence and
conduct my business like a professional and if that
rubs off on my teammates then that’s great. Good
leadership is not to tell people you’re a leader, it’s
to show them. While in the Marine Corps, I tried to
give my Marines a good example to follow and if
they ever made a mistake or needed a correction
then I was there to make sure that mistake didn’t
happen again, and that’s no different than on a
football team. I have been the “new guy” enough to
know that you don’t just barge your way onto a new
team and start demanding respect. In order to be
a great leader you have to be a good follower and
right now, as a new member of this team, my job is
to follow our senior leaders and to help the team in
any way I can to achieve another championship.
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS?
I’d like to work in the NFL one day. I love business
and I love football, so I can think of no better
combination. It is a hard business to get into but I
have no doubt that I can succeed.
WOULD YOU EVER GO BACK TO IRAQ?
WITHOUT A DOUBT.
Spring 2010 13
HASKELL ENCOURAGES GRADUATES TO IMPROVE JACKSONVILLE COMMUNITY
WAVE | NEWS
THE RAIN DIDN’T DAMPEN THE enthusiasm and cheer of the friends and
family of the more than 300 students who
received their degrees at the annual fall com-
mencement ceremony in December. Keynote
speaker Preston H. Haskell, III, founder and
chairman of The Haskell Company, spoke
about how the world has changed since they
entered the University.
“You’re entering a world which is quite dif-
ferent from when you matriculated,” Haskell
said. “All of you will have opportunities and
challenges on the global, national and local
levels to respond to the complexities these
changes represent.”
He talked to graduates and their families
about the changes that need to be made
to fix the current state of the economy
and the environment on both the global
and local stages.
“I hope many of you will stay in this com-
munity and think of ways to improve the
city and commit your resources,” Haskell
said. “JU has a history of bringing more
of you into Jacksonville than sending
from it.”
He closed with a directive for students
to push themselves to create change to
enhance their world.
“I HOPE I’VE GIVEN YOU A SMALL
GLIMPSE OF THE COMPLICATED
WORLD YOU ARE ENTERING THAT
HAS CHANGED SO MUCH,” HASKELL
SAID. “I CHALLENGE YOU TO USE YOUR
TALENTS, INSIGHT AND INTELLECT TO
MAKE A BETTER WORLD, A BETTER
NATION AND A BETTER CITY.”
An honorary doctor of humane letters was
conferred on Haskell. “When I arrived in
Jacksonville, I was told there were four or
five people I had to meet,” said President
Kerry D. Romesburg. “Preston Haskell was
one of them. He is such a leader — for art, for
education, for business — it is an honor to
have him with us today.”
Haskell graduated with honors from Princeton
University with a Bachelor of Science in civil
engineering in 1960. He earned a Master
of Business Administration with distinction
from Harvard Business School in 1962. He
also attended Massachusetts Institute of
Technology for graduate study in building
engineering and construction. In Jacksonville
and nationally, Haskell has been involved in
community, civic and industry leadership.
The graduates included 272 undergraduates
receiving bachelor’s degrees. Of those, 139
were nursing students. Master’s degrees
were bestowed on 35 graduate students,
including 25 in business administration, six in
nursing and two in education.
Fanya Sabrina DeJesus received a standing
ovation when Romesburg brought her back
up to the stage to acknowledge that she had
not only earned her Master’s of Nursing degree,
but also her Master of Business Administration.
The University’s Navy ROTC Program
commissioned one officer, Patrick Gibbons.
JU’s NROTC program also serves students
at the University of North Florida and Florida
Community College at Jacksonville.
DEJESUS GIBBONS
14 The Wave
Industries of Florida (AIF). Verlander joined
AIF from American Heritage Life Insurance
Company and American Heritage Life
Investment Corporation in Jacksonville.
Verlander retired after 29 years with
American Heritage to join the AIF staff.
He is a past president of both the Florida
Insurance Council and the Gator Bowl
Association. Verlander serves on the board
of directors of SunTrust Bank of North Florida
and Baptist South Hospital. He is a member
of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville and a
board member of Baptist Towers Retirement
Home. He also participates on the Florida
Insurance Council Board, the Management
School Advisory Board at Georgia Tech and
the Executive Committee of Boy Scouts of
America, North Florida Chapter.
Verlander graduated from the Georgia
Institute of Technology in 1970 with a
Bachelor of Science in industrial manage-
ment. In 1971, he received a Master of
Business Administration from the University
of Florida. He spent a year as Second
Lieutenant in the U. S. Army.
POINDEXTER, VERLANDER AND KURZIUS JOIN BOARD OF TRUSTEES
in 2008 and JU’s Distinguished Alumna
award in 2009.
After JU, Poindexter went on to become a
Florida CPA in 1980 and earn a Master of
Business Administration from the University
of North Florida in 1981.
Kurzius is president — International Business
for McCormick & Company, Inc. He is
responsible for McCormick’s consumer and
industrial businesses in Europe, the Middle
East and Africa, Canada, Asia, Australia and
emerging markets. Previously, he served as
the company’s president for Europe, Middle
East and Africa starting in 2007 and president
of U.S. Consumer Foods in 2005 and 2006.
Kurzius joined McCormick’s in 2005 as vice
president and general manager of sales
and marketing following the acquisition of
Zatarain’s in 2003. He joined Zatarain’s in
1991 and became president and CEO in 1997.
Kurzius graduated from Princeton Univer-sity,
Magna Cum Laude in economics.
Verlander is senior vice president of
Corporate Development for Associated
JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY
welcomes Carole J. Poindexter ’77, Chris A.
Verlander and Lawrence E. Kurzius to the
University’s Board of Trustees.
“NEW BOARD MEMBERS BRING
FRESH PERSPECTIVES AND
ENTHUSIASM,” SAID PRESIDENT
KERRY D. ROMESBURG. “WE’RE
THRILLED THAT CAROL, LAWRENCE
AND CHRIS ARE JOINING THE BOARD
BECAUSE EACH INDIVIDUAL BRINGS
WITH THEM A UNIQUE BACKGROUND
AND INNOVATIVE IDEAS THAT WILL
HELP US GROW THE UNIVERSITY.”
Poindexter is the president and CEO of Baker
Distributing Company. She started as a staff
accountant at Baker Distribution and rose to
treasurer, CFO and CEO. She is a Chamber
of Commerce Trustee, a governing body
member of the Athena Power Link, as well as
a member of the Davis College of Business’
advisory board.
Poindexter was honored with the Jacksonville
Business Journal Woman of Influence award
POINDEXTER VERLANDER KURZIUS
WAVE | NEWS
HUCKABEE TALKS ABOUT PROBLEMS IN U.S. POLITICAL SYSTEM
AS HE WAS FACING A MEDIA frenzy due to a decision he made in 2000
while he was the governor of Arkansas,
Mike Huckabee spoke to JU students and
the community on Dec. 2 in a packed
Swisher Theatre.
A prospective 2012 GOP presidential candi-
date, Huckabee came under fire because of
the clemency order he signed for Maurice
Clemmons. At the time, he thought 108 years
was excessive for a burglary and robbery
committed when Clemmons was a 16-year-
old. The week before his visit, nine years
later, Clemmons is thought to have shot and
killed four Seattle-area police officers.
After a reception with student leadership in
the Terry Concert Hall, local media questioned
him along with CNN before his speech.
He said his order cut Clemmons’ sentence
down to 47 years. Nobody involved with the
case — the law enforcement, prosecutors or
judges — protested the action, he said. And
it was up to the parole board to authorize
Clemmons’ release.
“I’D GIVE ANYTHING IF I COULD
ROLL THE CLOCK BACK AND MAKE A
DECISION ON WHAT WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN,” HUCKABEE SAID. “I DON’T
KNOW HOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO
KNOW THE FUTURE. THERE WAS NO
FUTURE. NOBODY AT THAT POINT WAS
SAYING HE’S A COP KILLER.”
Huckabee finished second to John McCain in
his 2008 run for the Republican nomination.
When asked about the possibility of running
for president in 2012, Huckabee said he
thought it was too early to decide.
“That political race is three years from now.
Barack Obama hasn’t even been president for
a year yet. We haven’t had the 2010 elections,
let’s get those behind us,” he said. “Right
now, it’s a bit offensive to the families of those
police officers to talk about it at this point.”
JU students asked him about the tax system,
student loans and whether young people
should go into politics. They laughed at
his jokes like the one about how “being a
Republican in Arkansas is like being a fire
hydrant in a neighborhood full of big dogs.”
He mentioned faculty should give any
student attended a full letter grade bonus for
showing up, bringing cheers from the crowd.
Then he joked, “That’ll make the faculty mad,
but on most campuses, the faculty doesn’t
like me anyway.”
He spoke of the problems with the current
political system, not particularly praising his
own party or criticizing the other. Talking
about the problems facing the economy, he
said, “I’m not blaming Barack Obama, I’m
blaming it on the system.”
Referring to what is being called the health
care crisis, he said, “We don’t have a health
care crisis as much as we have a health crisis.”
FORMER GOVERNOR & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE VISITED JU DURING MEDIA FIRESTORM
HUCKABEE SPEAKS TO THE PRESS
16 The Wave
DUNN ENTERTAINS STUDENTS WITH AWARD-WINNING POETRY
NURSING STUDENTS LEARN WITH ELECTRONIC MEDICAL FILES
PULITZER PRIZE AND ACADEMY
Award-winning poet Stephen Dunn was both
personable and mysterious as he sat quietly
signing books and glancing from face to face
on Jan. 29 in Usen Auditorium. His winter
visit brought both laughter and intrigue to the
students, staff and faculty in attendance.
“STEPHEN’S POETRY READING
SKILLS ARE STILL SUPERIOR AND
MASTERFUL,” SAID DR. PETE
MOBERG, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF
COMMUNICATIONS.
“His poems are concerned with anxieties,
fears, joys and problems common to the
average person attempting to make sense of
21st-century American life. What he called his
grumpy complaint poems were about how
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE spring semester, School of Nursing students
began using a new program known as the
Cerner Academic Education Solution.
The program, developed by Cerner Corp.,
simulates the kinds of electronic medical
records that are being adopted by hospitals
and physicians’ offices across the country.
Each nursing student received a log-in
identification and a password to use the
system, which runs on the Internet and can
be accessed from any computer.
“It will speed up their training and hopefully
make our JU grads more attractive for hiring,”
said Carla Fry, an assistant nursing professor.
As the education manager for Baptist Health,
Fry trained nurses, doctors and others on the
people abuse the English language but were
never given over to pessimism or excess.”
Dunn began by stating that he usually tries
to read a poem that is “pertinent to where
he finds himself.” Therefore, being in Florida
he started with “The Girl in the Neon Tank
Top.” The poem followed a young girl and her
encounter with a young man. This meeting
marked a new day in the girl’s life. She saw
that she no longer required the bright colors
and flamboyant styles to find her place in
the world, but could instead embrace simply
growing and being.
Dunn followed with poems that addressed
social, emotional and intellectual issues.
He referred to these poems as “complaint
poems.” He delivered them with a calmness
Cerner system used at Baptist South. When
the Jacksonville hospital opened in 2005, it
was the hospital operator’s first to become
all-electronic. Today, three of Baptist’s five
hospitals use electronic records.
The JU student program does virtually
everything that the professional version
does, Fry said. Among other things, it keeps
patients’ medical histories, allows nurses
to create a care plan and warns caretakers
whenever a patient is prescribed a drug that
interacts with another.
The educational software is part of an
overhaul of the nursing school’s practice facil-
ity. Congress included $250,000 under the
JU-Baptist Health of Northeast Florida Health
Information Technology Initiative, which was a
part of a 2010 appropriations bill.
that made any underlying turmoil seem
nonexistent. His poems “Criminal,” “Scape-
goat” and “Language of Love” had a much
more serious tone but still maintained a
demure reflection.
He ended with “On the Airplane” which
seemed to express his previous statement
that “because language is indiscriminate, it is
very hard to be brave enough to make sense.”
Showing support for the initiative was
House of Representatives member Ander
Crenshaw who represents Florida’s Fourth
Congressional District.
“WE ARE EXTREMELY
APPRECIATIVE OF THE EFFORT
THAT ANDER HAS PUT FORTH
IN SECURING THIS IDEA,”
SAID PRESIDENT KERRY D.
ROMESBURG. “THIS WILL BE
ENORMOUSLY BENEFICIAL TO NOT
ONLY OUR UNIVERSITY BUT THE
ENTIRE COMMUNITY.”
Supporters say that electronic records
improve efficiency and reduce the risk of
medical errors, leading to hopes that they will
help reduce America’s $2.2 trillion in annual
health care spending.
Spring 2010 17
WAVE | NEWS
MARINE SCIENCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE SET TO OPEN THIS SUMMER
THE MARINE SCIENCE RESEARCH
Institute (MSRI) is scheduled to open “on
time and on budget,” according to Dr.
Quinton White, executive director of the
MSRI. Faculty and staff will move in as the
facility will open its doors in July and classes
will begin in the fall.
The Institute will serve as an on-campus
learning community providing research
opportunities for JU students, visiting high
school and college students, scholars,
scientists and engineers engaged in research
involving local, state and national ecosys-
tems. The building will be LEED certified with
rain water harvesting capabilities, a solar
hot water heater and have natural lighting in
regular occupied space. The marine science
department is developing a master’s degree
program as well.
“THIS IS GOING TO BE AN AWE-
INSPIRING NEW VENUE FOR MARINE
SCIENCE CLASSES, OFFERING
A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF A
PRIVATE UNIVERSITY SETTING, STATE
RESEARCH AND CHEMISTRY LABS
WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS,” SAID
WHITE. “THE MSRI AND ITS EXPANDED
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CAPACITY
IS AN EXCITING STEP FOR JU, THE CITY
AND THE ST. JOHNS RIVER.”
To see the current progress of the construc-
tion of the MSRI, visit www.ju.edu/msri.
CARLSON TO RETIRE AFTER MORE THAN THREE DECADES
THE JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY
community would like to thank Dr. Jon O.
Carlson for his many years of dedicated service
to the University’s Division of Music and wish
him success in his future endeavors. Carlson will
officially retire after the spring 2010 semester.
As the director of choral activities and profes-
sor of music, Carlson has led more than 300
performances by the Concert Choir, Chamber
Singers and Men’s and Women’s Choruses
of JU. Carlson joined the music faculty in
1978 and from 1991 to 2001 served as chair
of the Division.
During his tenure as chair, he increased
enrollment for music majors from 64
to 97 from 1991 to 1995; initiated JU’s
annual Music Day; created the first recital
handbook for music students; initiated the
music division’s web site and converted the
acoustic piano lab in the Philips Fine Arts
Hall to a digital lab/music technology lab,
among other achievements.
Also retiring this year are Julia Ann Andrae,
assistant professor of nursing, Carole Cayer,
associate professor of nursing and CAPT.
Jerry Terrell, professor of Aeronautics.
WHITE AT THE MSRI CONSTRUCTION SITE
18 The Wave
PORDELI PRESENTS NATIONAL STUDY OF WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES
• If women-owned businesses were their own
country, they would have the fifth largest
Gross Domestic Product in the world, ahead
of France, the United Kingdom and Italy.
• Industries where women-owned
businesses have the highest revenues
include Professional and technical
services, Retail and wholesale, Business
services and Communications and
Administrative support.
The study was commissioned by Walmart,
the National Women’s Business Council and
the Center for Women’s Business Research in
Washington D.C.
Pordeli. “The rate of women entrepreneurs
starting a new business has grown rapidly in
recent years, and most of these firms do not
yet have employees — just 20% of women-
owned businesses have employees. Our
research indicated that once a firm has grown
enough to hire employees, what has followed
has been substantial growth. This indicates
a vast, untapped potential for greater growth
and makes a compelling case for increased
funding, training and procurement dollars for
women-owned businesses.”
OTHER MAJOR FINDINGS INCLUDE:
• Approximately 8% of the total labor force
work directly for a woman-owned firm.
PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS and
Finance Dr. Hassan Pordeli, co-authored a study
last fall entitled “The Economic Impact of Women-
Owned Businesses in the United States.”
Pordeli presented the results at the 2009
National Economic Summit for Women
Business Owners in October, which revealed
that women-owned firms are responsible for
more than $2 trillion in total economic output
and create some 11 million jobs.
“We believe the findings from this research
will provide critical knowledge that will help
to propel women-owned businesses toward
further growth and greater profitability,” said
EMPLOYEE GIVING CONTINUES TO IMPROVE IN TOUGH TIMES
EDUCATION THAT IS PROVIDED BY JU,”
SAID GRADY JONES, VICE PRESIDENT
OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT.
Nine departments were recognized for 100
percent participation. To make a donation, visit
www.ju.edu/giving
DURING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY
celebrations, our employees, like our alumni
and friends, were proud to celebrate and
honor Jacksonville University’s past and rich
history. Numbers continued to rise, bringing
in 65 percent participation, beating last year’s
high of 62 percent.
Many used the anniversary as an opportunity
to make their gift in honor of a coworker or
beloved faculty member. This year, there were
incentives provided for all levels of contribu-
tions to The JU Fund. In a difficult economy, the
University was pleased to see how important
supporting the school was to employees.
“OUR EMPLOYEES REALIZE THAT
DURING THESE TOUGH ECONOMIC
TIMES, IT IS AS IMPORTANT AS EVER
TO GIVE BACK TO JU TO ENSURE THAT
STUDENTS CONTINUE TO BE ABLE
TO ACHIEVE THE QUALITY, PRIVATE
INCREASED EMPLOYEE GIVING THROUGH PAYROLL DEDUCTION
Spring 2010 19
WAVE | SPORTS
BACK-TO-BACK: JU REPEATS AS A-SUN CHAMPIONS
Over the next five weeks, JU focused on
getting better — a mantra that fifth-year head
coach Cliff Warren preached every day. Once
they set their sights on improving, the team
took off, winning 10 straight games to retake
its spot atop the league standings.
Entering its final two home games of the
season, JU controlled its own destiny — and
won its share of the league title by dispatch-
ing Campbell, 65-52, becoming the first
back-to-back league champion in almost a
decade. While JU came up short of its goal
of a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the
Dolphins made the most of their postseason
trip. The NIT sent the Dolphins out to Arizona
State for a first-round matchup on ESPN2
that saw Ben Smith bank home a 3-pointer
with 1.6 seconds left to give JU its first
postseason win in 36 years with a 67-66
victory over the Sun Devils.
For Smith and Lehmon Colbert, it was
a senior moment — becoming the first
four-year seniors in program history to never
endure a losing season and will walk away
with two championship rings and most
important, a degree.
When they came to JU, the Dolphins
were coming off the worst season in
program history — having won just one
game. They knew playing time was available
and that this new coach had a vision of
winning titles.
Little did they know then what they would
be able to do together for four years. The
duo became the all-time leading scoring
1,000-point duo in JU history, scoring more
than 3,400 points during their careers. Smith
WINNING YOUR FIRST championship is easy. Repeating as
champions is harder.
Nothing came easy for the 2009-10 JU men’s basketball team, but
in the end, they battled through the ups and down to come away
with their second straight Atlantic Sun Conference title and a
berth in the NIT.
Picked in the preseason to repeat as conference champi-
ons, hopes were high at the start of the year. But what
happened at the start was nothing short of a nightmare.
Jacksonville opened its season by winning one of its first
eight games, with a close loss at South Carolina, 97-93, and
dropping a home game to #13 Florida, 85-67. Topping it off
were two blowout losses on the road to start conference
play. Going into the Christmas break, JU sported
a 1-7 record and was 0-2 in the conference.
Then, something happened over the
break — and when the Dolphins
returned, it was a whole new team
with a different attitude. That
attitude was on full display at
the UCF Holiday Classic as JU
won the event by beating
in-state rival UCF on its home
floor in the championship
game — the Dolphins’ first win
over UCF since 2001.
And just when it looked like
the Dolphins were going to
roll, the rug got pulled out from
under them. A controversial loss
to Mercer on a 3-pointer that came
after the buzzer was the last wake up
call the Dolphins needed. They were
sitting in 11th place three games into
conference play — the preseason pick
looking up at the entire league.
SMITH
COLBERT
is third on the all-time scoring list at JU with
more than 1,900 points while Colbert is 14th
with more than 1,400 points.
While he put up a ton of points, Smith’s
name is already littered throughout the JU
record books.
He leaves
JU as
the
all-time
leader
in steals,
assists,
games played
and minutes
played along with
being second on the
all-time 3-pointers made list.
Colbert meanwhile has grabbed more
than 700 rebounds in his career and ranks
11th on the JU all-time list.
“YOU LOOK AT THE BODY OF WORK
THAT THESE TWO YOUNG MEN HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED DURING THEIR
CAREERS AND YOU HAVE TO BE
AMAZED,” SAID WARREN. “I’M
FOREVER INDEBTED TO THESE
YOUNG MEN FOR TAKING A
CHANCE ON OUR PROGRAM
FOUR YEARS AGO.”
While the ultimate goal was a trip
to the NCAA Tournament, this year’s
team broke through in the postseason
and accomplished a great deal to rebuild
the foundation of JU basketball, creating
excitement and anticipation of bigger and
better things in the future.
ON FEBRUARY 12, the JU basketball family was
reunited with a celebration of JU Basketball at the
Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. More than 500
people were in attendance as JU recognized all of
the former players, coaches and staff that made JU
basketball a staple in the city of Jacksonville.
The highlight of the evening was the reunion of the
1970 team on the 40th anniversary of its epic run to the
national title game. Each member of the team was given
a championship ring in honor of this achievement, with
former director of athletics Dr. Judson Harris handing
them out to the players and coaches.
Former head coach Joe Williams talked about the run
the Dolphins made in 1970, with highlights from their
wins over Kentucky and St. Bonaventure in the NCAA
Tournament being shown.
A host of JU basketball legends attended the event, includ-
ing Roger Strickland, Rex Morgan and Artis Gilmore.
“To have so many former Dolphins back together
brought back a lot of good memories for everyone who
came,” said JU Director of Athletics Alan Verlander. “To
honor a group as accomplished as the 1970 team was
long overdue and that was a special moment for me.”
JU BASKETBALL CELEBRATED WITH REUNION OF 1970 TEAM
WILLIAMSWARREN
WAVE | SPORTS
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S LACROSSE EACH EARN FIRST VICTORYSIX DAYS AFTER MEN POST FIRST WIN, WOMEN FOLLOW WITH THEIR OWN
WHEN THE JU DIRECTOR OF lacrosse, Mindy McCord, began putting
the wheels in motion to bring lacrosse to
Jacksonville, she never imagined that it
would be successful so quickly.
A program two years in the making
grabbed the attention of the first coast on
a sunny saturday when the dolphins took
the field for the first time for a men’s and
women’s double-header.
More than 4,500 fans came to D.B. Milne
Field to witness the action of the first
university in Florida to offer both men’s and
women’s Division I lacrosse.
For the men’s team, a scrappy loss to No.
4 North Carolina showed signs of good
things to come and two weeks later, all
the hard work paid off.
Facing No. 18 Denver and legendary
coach Bill Tierney, the Dolphins
completed a six-goal comeback to win in a
triple overtime thriller, 13-12.
The Dolphins dominated faceoffs all game,
while the home side assisted eight of its
13 goals in front of more than 700 fans.
JU was led by freshman attackman Ryan
Serville, who entered the game leading the
country in goals and points. Serville netted
three goals and three assists, while four
Dolphins also tallied two goals each.
“I’M SO PROUD OF THEIR EFFORT
AFTER GOING DOWN SIX GOALS
TO A STRONG, WELL-COACHED
TEAM,” SAID JU HEAD COACH
MATT KERWICK.
In the third overtime, the Dolphins gained
possession and pushed for a winner when
sophomore Jeremy Tissenbaum fired a
shot from five yards out with 34 seconds
remaining but the ball
was saved. Freshman midfielder Cameron
Mann was in the right place at the right
time, however, to scoop up the ground ball
and complete a quick pass to freshman
attackman Nick Scalzo who pushed the ball
past goalie Butex Zander for the program’s
first win.
The Dolphin bench cleared and dog piled
near midfield as the celebrations began.
The new team has a challenging schedule
with games still to be played at Duke,
Bucknell and Hofstra but the sky is the limit.
Six days later, the women’s team clinched
their first victory as well. Campasano led
the Dolphins in points for the second time,
scoring the program’s first hat trick and
adding an assist for four points while eight
Dolphins scored goals with six scoring more
than one. Freshman goalie Karli Tobin also
turned in an inspired performance, making
12 saves, turning away several point-blank
shots in the dying minutes of the game.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BLUEPRINT LACROSSE
22 The Wave
THE JU TRACK AND FIELD team again saved its best performances
for the final day as the Dolphins won
the first six events on Feb. 27 to secure
their fifth consecutive Atlantic Sun
Indoor Championship. JU posted 23 all-
conference performances, 10 individual
titles, two conference records and one
new school record.
“THE A-SUN CONFERENCE
CONTINUES TO IMPROVE EACH
YEAR SO WINNING AGAINST
STRONG COMPETITION IS
REWARDING,” SAID HEAD COACH
RON GRIGG. “TO WIN AS MANY
EVENTS AS WE DID AND TO HAVE
AS MANY ALL CONFERENCE
PERFORMERS AS WE DID WAS
PRETTY STAGGERING.”
After taking second on the first day, the
Dolphins took the top four spots in the
mile and 200-meter and the top three
spots in the 60-meter hurdles, while
getting the top two spots in 60-meter
and 400-meter on the final day to finish
with a personal-best 211 points for
the title. Kennesaw State, the day one
leader, finished second with 154 points,
while cross-town rival UNF took third
with 98 points.
Freshmen Charlene Charles and Joane
Pierre each had a solid meet to sweep
individual honors for JU. Charles was
named the “Most Valuable Performer,”
“Most Outstanding Field Performer”
and “Most Outstanding Freshman
Performer.” Pierre was the “Most
Outstanding Track Performer,” while
Grigg was named “Coach of the Year”
for the fifth consecutive time.
Pierre earned her honors after winning
the 800-meter with a conference record
time of 2:14.66 and took first in the mile
with a time of 5:03.63. She also ran a
leg of the distance medley relay that
finished first with a time of 12:14.57.
Charles finished second in the
60-meter (7.66) and fourth in
the 200-meter (25.00) on
the final day of the meet.
She also took third in
the pentathlon (3,431
points) and first
in the long jump
(19’8”) on the first
day of the meet
to help secure
her accolades.
Junior sprinter Louise
Kiernan won the
200-meter with a school
record time of 24.16
and ran a time of 7.55 to
win the 60-meter, while
junior Hillary Crook
tossed a life-time best
46’10.25” to win the
shot put title.
DOLPHINS WIN FIRST SIX EVENTS OF THE DAY TO SECURE LATEST TITLE
TRACK & FIELD LOCKS UP FIFTH CONSECUTIVE A-SUN CHAMPIONSHIP
PIERRE KIERNAN
Other championship performances
included junior Danielle Davenport
winning the 400-meter title with a time
of 55.73 and sophomore Stacey Young’s
conference record
3,431 points to win
the pentathlon.
SIMENDINGER TELLS STUDENTS ‘BEING POSITIVE IS A CHOICE’
WAVE | ALUMNI NEWS
Circle.” Three of his 10 books have been
optioned for movie development.
Among other life lessons, he told the crowd to
realize that time is short and we can all choose
to live the life we want. “Manage your time
with urgency,” he said. “A full life is not lived
on the sofa. The couch will make you older.”
Advising the students to travel alone
somewhere they do not speak the language
to learn more about themselves, he said a
“battered suitcase can be your best friend.”
OF THEIR POTENTIAL, INNER
STRENGTH AND IMMEASURABLE
WORTH,” SAID MULLARKEY.
Since she left JU, Mullarkey became a health
and physical education teacher and created The
Foundation of Infant Awareness, Inc., Tumbling
for Tots, Inc. and SOS. She also served on the
St. Johns County School Board from 1984
to 1994 and was an International Abstinence
Speaker and Trainer from 1999 until 2008.
Mullarkey has also authored the book “All
Teens Destined for Greatness” and was
the 2009 Kiwanian of the Year given by the
Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville.
HE CAUTIONED THE AUDIENCE THAT
WE SHOULD ALL CHOOSE TO BE
GOOD TO OTHER PEOPLE, BECAUSE
“WE ALL TAKE TURNS IN THE BARREL
AND THE NUMBER OF HANDS PULLING
YOU OUT WILL EQUAL THE ONES
YOU’VE HELPED ALONG THE WAY.”
After graduating with a major in business
and triple minors in marketing, economics
and psychology, he went to work for a
daily newspaper. He decided to pursue a
corporate career instead and returned to
Florida to join Xerox Corporation. Since he
left Xerox in 2000, Simendinger has coached,
taught and lectured on four continents.
Dr. Pam Mullarkey’69 ’72, founder and
director of Project SOS, Inc. (Strengthening
Our Students) kicked off the new series
in January (see below). Channel 4’s
Meteorologist Rebecca Barry ’05, appeared
on Tuesday, March 2 (see top right).
For more information on the Dolphin Alumni
Speaker Series, contact Alumni Relations at
904.256.7201.
THEODORE SIMENDINGER III ’76,
author and international sales leadership
coach, entertained students, alumni and staff
as part of the Dolphin Alumni Speaker Series
on Feb. 10 in the Ross Theater. Much of his
presentation focused on what he learned
during and after his time at JU.
Also published under the name Ocean
Palmer, Simendinger has written novels,
such as “The Rise and Fall of Piggy Church”
and “Jurassic Trout,” as well as business
books, including “Managing the Worry
MULLARKEY SPOKE ABOUT creating SOS and said that young people
today live in an incredibly challenging environ-
ment. “We can get so unfocused with the
stresses of technology these days,” she said.
She also spoke about the voices of hope
and character that are being drowned out
today by the alluring cries of negative cultural
forces like drugs, alcohol, peer pressure and
sexual activity among our youth.
“WE AT PROJECT SOS HAVE MADE
IT OUR MISSION TO REMIND TEENS
SIMENDINGER IN ROSS THEATHER
NEW ALUMNI SPEAKER SERIES GIVES STUDENTS A GLIMPSE INTO LIFE AFTER GRADUATION
MULLARKEY24 The Wave
While at Mississippi State, Barry got a
call from WJXT’s Chief Meteorologist John
Gaughan, who asked her to come in for an
interview the next day. Barry drove 10 hours
to interview and got to be on air for the first
time that weekend.
“They never actually offered me an official
position,” said Barry. “That weekend, I was
just filling in for someone else. However, that
weekend turned into two then three and the
rest is history.”
Barry was able to finish her master’s
degree online and is now working 35-hour
weekends at Ch. 4. Barry says that the only
reason she has survived in the business
is that she has had to learn to deal with
criticism gracefully.
BARRY, ONE OF ONLY TWO
current Jacksonville female meteorologists,
spoke about the challenges and rewards of
her career on TV. “You’re going to face some
challenges that could be derailing,” said
Barry. One of the challenges Barry faced was
hearing that she had to take Calculus I and
II before being accepted into the master’s
program for meteorology at Mississippi
State University.
She decided to move to Tampa for the
summer to take accelerated classes before
the fall term began. After hours each day with
a tutor, she completed the classes in time.
“The things that you think you can’t do, a lot
of the time you can,” said Barry.
EXPLORE YOUR NEW ALUMNI HOUSE IN PERSON OR ONLINE
MOVING INTO THE OLD PRESIDENTS’ HOUSE ON THE
NORTH END OF CAMPUS, ALUMNI
RELATIONS HAS CREATED A
WELCOMING AND IMPRESSIVE NEW
SPACE FOR ALUMNI EVENTS WITH
GOOD TIMING AND GENEROUS HELP
FROM A GOOD FRIEND.
“We do plan to have events here going
forward including Alumni Board and other
group meetings, barbecues, low-country
boils, welcome receptions and Presidential
dinners among other types,” said Kimberly
Mariani-Hernandez, assistant vice president
of Institutional Advancement. “Carolyn
Munro Wilson once again stepped in as a
friend to the University and furnished the
entire space! We’re lucky to work in such a
warm, welcoming environment.”
To see more of the new space and learn
more about upcoming events, visit www.
ju.edu/alumnihouse or call 904.256.7201.
BARRY
Spring 2010 25
WAVE | ALUMNI NEWS
NELLIE’S DECK REDEDICATED TO CLASS OF ’59
IN HONOR OF THE CLASS OF ’59’s
50-year reunion, Jacksonville University
rededicated Nellie’s deck at the Davis Student
Commons on Oct. 17 as the Senior Plaza.
“The rededication of the Senior Plaza
during our historic 75th anniversary has
helped to bring a renewed sense of history
GREEN GLASS ‘RIVER OF DOLPHINS’ GIFTED BY CLASS OF 2009
“We looked at buying statues and foun-
tains — way too costly,” said Jackson. “So we
went back to the art department who created
the fountain the year before and Mark Hursty
was more than willing to develop our ‘River
of Dolphins.’ He created an artistic rendering
we could use to advertise and promote the
idea and now they are finally real.”
“THE UNIFYING THEME FROM the
discussion at the Green Key meeting was
that the campus needed more dolphins,” said
Dr. Karen Jackson ’89, the faculty adviser.
ACCORDING TO JACKSON, THE 2009
CLASS RAISED MORE MONEY THAN
ANY PREVIOUS CLASS AT $2,500
AND HAD THE MOST GRADUATE
PARTICIPATION AT 102 STUDENTS.
Each year the Green Key organization
sponsors the Graduating Class Gift, a way for
graduates to say thank you and to help make
the University a better place for current and
future students by supporting a gift of their
class’ choice.
This year, that choice was a ‘River of Dolphins’
featuring six green dolphins made out of glass
placed behind the Gooding Building.
and tradition to campus like never
before,” said Matthew Kampfe, director of
Alumni Relations.
The Senior Plaza was first created by the
class who started the tradition of the senior
glass gift. The plaza stood in front of the
Wolfson Student Center back then.
MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF ’59 AT THE GREEN AND GOLD GUARD INDUCTION CEREMONY
2009 CLASS GIFT - A RIVER OF DOLPHINS
NEW SENIOR PLAZA IN FRONT OF NELLIE’S
26 The Wave
PEP BAND INVITES ALUMNI TO PLAYJU boasts having a Pep Band for a fourth
consecutive year. If you have an instrument
and feel like playing, just sit down and
join the fun. Pep Band includes 20 paid
university students and is student-run.
To request a song for the band to play
or contribute via old or new instrument
donations, e-mail the current student
director, Thomas Urbanek at turbane@
jacksonville.edu.
DISCOVER THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDSMembers of the JU community are
taking a trip to the Galapagos Islands at
the end of July (approximately July 28 -
Aug. 8) and there is room for more! The
estimated cost is $4200 - 4500, inclusive
depending on airfare. JU faculty have lead
numerous study trips to these enchanted
isles and each one has been an interest-
ing and exciting opportunity to see this
unique set of islands. If you’re interested,
please contact Dr. Quinton White at the
Marine Science Research Institute at
904.256.7766.
GARCIA TAPS AND TEACHES IN THE BIG APPLE
Not only is Garcia busy teaching, she also found
the time to complete a master’s in dance education
at New York University and is dancing professionally
as a company member of Les Femmes, Sasberg’s
tap dance company, and Folktap, Carlos Donan’s
tap dance company.
“I BELIEVE THAT ARTISTIC DANCE ENGAGES
EXPRESSIVE CAPABILITIES OF THE SELF
THROUGH THE INSTRUMENT OF THE BODY,”
SAYS GARCIA.
“Dancing expressively plays creatively dynamic
chords with one’s individualistic tune of expression.
As an advocate for academic achievement and
creative inquiry, I would like to one day assist college
students in reaching their full potential as professional
dancers, profound thinkers and imaginative artists.”
Garcia says her biggest challenge for now is the
time commitment, explaining that in dance you are
always pushing yourself to be better and you always
want to put your best foot forward no matter where
you find yourself.
“You never want to burn any bridges,” said Garcia.
“Every day in New York is like an audition because
it is such a small community here even though it
seems so large.”
THEY SAY NEW YORK CITY IS the
place to be for any aspiring artist looking for
an abundance of opportunity to grow in their
field. And, taking full advantage of those
opportunities is Julie Garcia ’06.
Garcia received her Bachelor of Arts in
communications with minors in dance and
Spanish. After graduation, she decided
to pursue her love of teaching dance and
became the assistant director of dance at
Episcopal High School in Jacksonville. She
is now a teaching assistant for one of the
most influential tap dance teachers in New
York City, Germaine Salsberg at the famous
Broadway Dance Center.
INAUGURAL GROUP OF 75 “DISTINGUISHED DOLPHINS” HONORED
To be recognized at future commence-
ment ceremonies, nominees must have
added significant value to the brand
statewide, nationally or internationally
and demonstrated a high level of
professional success and personal
integrity. To nominate a Distinguished
Dolphin, send an e-mail to media@
ju.edu. For more information, please
visit www.ju.edu.
TO CELEBRATE OUR 75TH Anniversary, Jacksonville University announced
the inaugural group of 75 “Distinguished
Dolphins” at a press conference in February
at the new Alumni House. The honorees
must have at one time either matriculated at
JU or be a former or current faculty or staff
member. Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton
issued a proclamation to honor them and the
University’s contribution to Jacksonville. PRESIDENT ROMESBURG AND MAYOR PEYTON
Spring 2010 27
WAVE | ALUMNI EVENTS
NYC ORDER OF THE DOLPHIN1 Bill Ash ‘69 & Judy Romesburg 2 Alan Verlander, Cindy Barquist Chomiak ‘83 &
President kerry Romesburg
SAN DIEGO HAPPY HOUR3 Betsey Patton Johnson ‘73 & Mark Johnson ‘73, tom Whitehouse ‘64 &
Carol & John garger ‘74
4 Omar sanchez ‘01, Charles Armstrong ‘00, Matthew Ward ‘03, Lauren Asp ‘04 & Janet Wolf Eisler ‘69
JU VS. SAN DIEGO PRE-GAME GATHERING5 tanya & steven Modregon ’98 & family
RECENT DOLPHIN NETWORK HAPPY HOUR AT THE BRICK6 Josh gordon ‘09, Ben Bowerman ‘05 & Andrew Murphy ‘06
7 kevin Vucinich ‘05, Matthew kampfe ’06 ‘08 & Adeyemi Mason ’09
COLLEGE NIGHT AT THE JACKSONVILLE FAIR8 Alumni team on scholarship Night
NEW YORK CITY ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR14 Paulina Battaglia ‘08, shana grossman ‘08, Julie garcia ‘06 & Emily townes ‘05
JU AT THE JACKSONVILLE SUNS15 Robert ‘86 & Julie Leverock & family 16 kimberly grigsby Matthews ’83 & family
RECENT DOLPHIN NETWORK & BEACHES ALUMNI EVENT AT RAGTIME 17 Richard Billings ‘73 & Rich gerrity ‘73
ORLANDO ALUMNI LUNCHEON AT THE RAVENOUS PIG18 Lisa Boger sheppard ’84, susan gordon Lindsay ‘83 & Judith Bashian Chiusano ’83
19 frank Casey ‘71 & Artis gilmore ‘71 20 Marshall Reeves ‘51
STUDENT GOVERNMENT PRESIDENTS’ REUNION21 former sgA Presidents at their Reunion
2009 ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY 9 Constance doss hutton ‘73, Joseph foy ‘71 & Colleen foy
10 Robert Price ‘67, Matt tuohy ‘75 ‘03 11 stephanie Potts Wholey ‘02, david Wholey ‘08
12 Pamela shelley ‘05 (far left), Matt Eckler ‘96 (far right) and guests
ATLANTA OUTING TO THE BRAVES GAME13 Nancy Whitman duncan ‘77 & Royce duncan ‘75, Vernon ‘00 & Mary Catron
L to R
1
5
9
18 19
2
6
10
14
IMPORTANT NOTICE
20 21
11
15
12
16 17
13
7
3 4
8
AluMNI RElATIONS IS gOINg gREEN! NO MORE PRINTED INvITATIONSIn an effort to promote sustainability, the Alumni Relations department is no longer going to use printed invitations for most events. There are many ways you can keep up-to-date about upcoming events: Friend Dunk’n Dolphin on Facebook and follow JU on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dolphinnetwork to stay connected and learn about events and speakers.
WAVE | ALUMNI EVENTS
PRES
IDEN
T’S
RECE
PTIO
NG
REEN
KEY
BRE
AKF
AST
HOMECOMING 2009
30 The Wave
GRE
EN &
GO
LD G
UA
RD IN
DU
CTIO
N
DIS
TIN
GU
ISH
ED A
LUM
NI A
WA
RDS
PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION
GREEN KEY BREAKFASTFOOTBALL PREGAME TAILGATE
GREEN & GOLD GUARD INDUCTION CEREMONY – CLASS OF 1959DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS – FOOTBALL HALFTIME
FOO
TBA
LL P
REG
AM
E TA
ILG
ATE
HOMECOMING 2009
Spring 2010 31
ARTIS
GILMORE
’71, paid a
visit to DR.
TOM LONG,
retired
professor
of psychology, at his diner “Toots” in
Baldwin this past fall.
ALAN DEICHLER ’73,
is the new president of
CPAmerica International,
one of the world’s largest
associations of indepen-
dent CPA firms. Deichler
took over leadership of
the association Jan. 1.
JOHN R. “JAY” SLOSAR, PH.D. ‘74,
is the author of “The Culture of Excess:
How Americans Lost Self-Control and
Why We Need to Redefine Success.”
Published in Nov., 2009, the book dis-
cusses that the country’s fast-and-loose
approach to money was symptomatic of
a more widespread pattern of excessive
behavior. To learn more, visit www.
thecultureofexcess.com.
RAYMOND “SMOKE” LAVAL ’77, will
take over as the new head baseball coach
for the UNF Ospreys at the end of the
2010 season.
CAPT. JOHN M. LANDON II, ’78 ’86, was
awarded the Defense Superior Service
Medal for his role as the Director of
Readiness, Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Reserve
Affairs, upon his retirement in Sept.
2009 after 30 years of active duty with
the Navy.
ANNETTE FUDGE JACOBS ’80, was
recognized as an honored recipient of
the Puget Sound Business Journal’s
prestigious Women of Influence Award
this past October. Jacobs is president
and CEO of Door to Door Storage, Inc.
in Kent, Wash.
DEBBIE JO
ROBERTS
GRELL ’82
and ANDY
HART ’91
coordinated the first alumni event, “JU
Night at the Tides,” for Dolphins in the
Hampton Roads, Va. area.
The Honorable GARY FLOWER ’82, was
elected to serve as president of the Con-
ference of County Court Judges of Florida.
RONALD V. WALTERS
’86, was recently
accepted into the Master
of Divinity Program at the
Samuel DeWitt Proctor
School of Theology at
Virginia Union University in Richmond,
Va. He also recently celebrated his fifth
year as senior pastor of Olivet Missionary
Baptist Church in Lake City, Fla.
STEVE
WISNIEWSKI
’91, KEVIN
HAGA ’92,
BROOKS
TOMLIN ’91 and DENNIS TURCOTTE
’93, reunited at The Greenbrier Resort, in
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. this past fall.
CINDY WALTRIP HAGAT
’97, earned a nursing
degree in 2009 from
Akron Institute of Herzing
University. A former
JU employee as well,
she is an oncology nurse with Robinson
Memorial Hospital in Ravenna, Ohio.
The sisters of ALPHA DELTA PI celebrated
the 40th anniversary of their sorority
at JU during Homecoming this past
October. Sisters with 10, 25 and 50 years
of membership to the organization were
recognized.
RACHEL
THOMPSON
’04, ELIZ-
ABETH
HEALY
SWEENEY ‘05, NICOLE KEISER ’05,
KASSANDRA GOVE ’05 and AMANDA
MCGRANAHAN ’06 met in Boston this
past fall to discuss creating a Boston
Alumni Chapter.
KELLY FULLER
’89, married DAVID
BRANNON ’86, on
June 13, 2009. They
reside in Virginia.
WAVE | CLASS NOTES
1970s 1980s
1990s
2000s
| WEDDINGS
32 The Wave
PATTI JENKINS ’05,
married Jeremy
Reams on March 28,
2009 in Orlando, Fla.
where they reside.
KATE BURKE ’06 ’07,
and BRYAN BROWN
’05 ’06, were married
on Aug. 7, 2009 in
Atlantic City, N.J.
They now live in Cincinnati, Ohio.
JEFF COGGINS ’09,
married JESSICA
MCKINSEY ’09,
on Dec. 27, 2009
in Mississippi. Neil
Armingeon of the St. Johns Riverkeeper
was the officiant. The couple lives in Dallas.
ELLEN ROWE BROWN
’93, and BRIAN BROWN
’92, welcomed their
second child, Bolton Robert
Brown, this past March.
CHRISTY HENDRY
ALEXANDER ’95, and her
husband Jon, are the proud
parents of Pierce Eliott,
born Sept. 26, 2007 and Aubrey Hale,
born May 1, 2009.
JESSICA WINDELL RYALS
’01, and JASON RYALS ’02,
are pleased to announce
the addition of Kailyn Paige
Ryals to their family. Kailyn was born on
June 17, 2009.
Class Notes is compiled by your friends in the Alumni Relations Office. If you’ve got news to share, let us know! We want to stay connected with you so e-mail your information and photos to [email protected]. Please do not send hard copy photos.
| NEW ARRIVALS
JOHN SESSIONS ’59, BASEBALL’S TOP FAN AND SUPPORTERJohn Sessions ’59, passed away on Nov. 14, 2009, after a long courageous fight against a brain tumor.
Sessions was a constant presence at JU sporting events through the years. On May 4, 2007, JU honored Sessions by naming the baseball stadium after him — forever linking him together with one of his great passions, JU baseball.
“Mr. Sessions was a true gentleman and friend,” said JU Director of Athletics Alan Verlander. “He had a great passion for JU and everyone here knew Mr. Sessions and had a great love and respect for him. We have lost a true champion for JU and an ambassador for life.”
A member of JU’s first graduating class with a degree in business administration, he served his country honorably in the U.S. Army for two years. Sessions taught math at both Terry Parker and Ribault High Schools before joining Arlington Fuel Oil Co., later becoming its vice-president. He then bought a small pest control division of Arlington Fuel (Bug Out Service) which he successfully operated until 1998 when he retired.
His accomplishments and accolades include: Small Businessman of the Year, Colonel Harry L. Kinne Free Enterprise Award and the Pest Control Technology Leadership Award. He was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce and Optimist Club, as well as a past president of the JU Alumni Association, among others.
He is survived by his wife of more than 52 years, Elizabeth Carson, two children and three grandchildren.
LONG-TIME ADMINISTRATOR AND PROFESSOR DAN THOMASDan Anderson Thomas, a physicist who became JU’s vice president and dean of faculties, died Sept. 19, 2009. He was 86 and had been in declining health for several years.
His tenure at JU spanned a quarter-century. Thomas was named dean of faculties at JU in 1963 and became a vice president in 1967. After 17 years as an administrator, he returned to the classroom as a trustee professor of physics at JU.
Thomas was active in the community, serving as president of the Jacksonville Museum of Arts and Science in 1979. He was president of the Meninak Club in 1973. After retiring from JU in 1987, he traveled to 29 countries,
hiked the Swiss Alps and explored the Florida and Georgia wilderness by boat.
He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Elizabeth Glaze; a daughter, a son, two grandchildren and his sister. His son, Roger, also taught at JU.
Spring 2010 33
&Take care of your family
create a legacy at JU.A Planned Gift can do BOTH!
To start the conversation, please contact:Donna Morrow, Director of Planned GivingPh: 904.256.7928 • E-mail: [email protected]
Make yours today support JU tomorrow. &Every gift matters.
www.ju.edu/plannedgiving
&Take care of your family
create a legacy at JU.A Planned Gift can do BOTH!
To start the conversation, please contact:Donna Morrow, Director of Planned GivingPh: 904.256.7928 • E-mail: [email protected]
Make yours today support JU tomorrow. &Every gift matters.
www.ju.edu/plannedgiving
Discover Marine Science at JU!
Explore the natural laboratory provided by the St. Johns River and conduct extensive fieldwork as
a Ju marine biology student in the new 30,000 square-foot Marine Science Research Institute. you’ll be
wading through diverse marine environments with your professors and classmates. Our faculty have
active, grant-funded research projects that provide ample opportunities for students to get involved.
To learn more about earning your degree in marine science, call 904.256.7000 or visit www.ju.edu
Nonprofit Org.U.S. POSTAGE
PAIDPermit No. 3160Jacksonville, FL
2800 University Boulevard NorthJacksonville, FL 32211-3394
www.ju.edu
CELEBRATE JU’S 75TH ANNIVERSARY by making
your gift to The JU Fund. Commemorate your years at
JU and honor your favorite member of the JU family.
• Gifts of $75+ to The JU Fund receive a commemorative gift
• $1,000+ qualifies for Order of the Dolphin membership
• $7,500+ (or pledges of $2,500 over 3 years) qualifies for an exclusive private reception
HONORING OUR history... LOOKING TO OUR future...
VISIT www.ju.edu/giving OR CALL 904.256.7612 TO MAKE YOUR GIFT TODAY!