State appropriations for EKU decreased 6.4 percent ($4.6 million) in the Commonwealth’s 2012-13 biennial budget. (All public institutions are faced with the same percentage of budget reductions to their state appropriations.)

The budget does not include an across-the-board salary increase for faculty and staff. It incorporates a 5 percent tuition increase for undergraduate tuition for Kentucky residents. EKU’s tuition rate continues to rank in the middle of the pack among four-year public universities in Kentucky.

In other business, the Board:

• Heard a report from Tom Coffey, representing the EKU Foundation, about the status of Arlington. Coffey said closing the fine dining segment of Arlington earlier this year has allowed the facility to concentrate on other areas and once again turn a profit. Although 62 members (mostly fine dining only) were lost with the closure, 31 new, full-pay members have joined, “so revenue has actually increased,” Coffey said. “We’re in a good position now, and we’re pretty darned excited about it.” The Arlington house is still open for private and catered events. Arlington is wholly owned by the Foundation.
• Heard a report from Dr. Libby Wachtel, acting vice president for enrollment management, marketing and university relations, who said preliminary fall enrollment numbers are encouraging. Undergraduate enrollment is up approximately 1 percent over the same time last year. Wachtel noted that, in order to meet demand among incoming freshmen, an additional summer orientation session was added this year for the first time in three years.
• Approved the naming of three facilities: the Dr. William Berge Oral History Center in John Grant Crabbe Library; Vickers Green, the area adjacent to the former Vickers Village housing area, for John Vickers; and the Harold (Hal) Z. Holmes Exercise Physiology Laboratory in the Department of Exercise and Sport Science.

Earlier, at its April 26 board meeting:

• The Board approved a merger of the non-resident and targeted rates into one rate for out-of-state students. Non-resident undergraduates will now pay $8,232, still more than double the resident tuition rate of $3,660.
• Approved a 5 percent increase in residence hall rates and a 3.5 percent increase in meal plan rates. Tuition for Model Laboratory School students will increase 5 percent for nursery through eighth-grade and 6 percent for grades 9-12.
• Gave their approval to a new doctoral degree program (the university’s third) in occupational therapy. Designed for students currently employed as occupational therapists, the program is intended to create occupation-based practitioners who will serve in leadership roles, enhance the regional effectiveness of occupational therapy services, affect educational and health care policy, and act as catalysts for excellence in intervention settings. It is expected that the doctoral program, which will go before the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education for final approval in June, will begin offering classes in Spring 2013.

“Town and Gown Partnerships for the Present and Future,” the theme for the International Town and Gown Association’s seventh annual University-City Relations Conference, held June 4-8 at EKU, was the subject of numerous presentations and breakout sessions.

Keynote speakers for the week-long event included Muriel Howard, president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities; Ted Abernathy, executive director of the Southern Growth Policies Board; and Mary Pat Regan, president of AT&T Kentucky. AT&T is the presenting sponsor of the event. (Other sponsors are Kentucky League of Cities, FMB Advertising, Media Networks, Robert Charles Lesser & Co., Pepsi, City of Richmond, Madison County, Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q, Blue Grass Airport, Meijer, EKU Student Government Association, and the EKU Center for the Arts.)

Attendees came from 65 universities, 25 city governments, and 15 businesses from as far away as California, as well as Canada, Great Britain and Italy. Municipal representatives included mayors, city managers, public safety officials, city council members, tourism officials, and others. University representatives included presidents, vice presidents, deans, community relations officers, campus safety officials, and others.

Many of the breakout sessions featured city and/or university officials discussing collaborative initiatives that have advanced the town-gown relationship and benefited residents and campus communities alike, such as the EKU Center for the Arts. The week also included evening entertainment, including comedian Carl Hurley, a former EKU Professor; a June 5 concert at the Center by The Coasters, Drifters and Platters; and “Pops at the Ravine,” featuring the Madison Community Band.

“This conference is significant in the fact that so many city and university officials are coming to the university at the same time,” said Marc Whitt, associate vice president for public relations at EKU and conference chair. “The economic downturn has caused cities and universities to look more closely at how they might better work together and use resources in a more effective and efficient manner.”

Whitt added that more mayors and college and university presidents attended than in previous years of the conference.

“As we face some of the toughest challenges within every layer of our economy, how we engage collectively will determine if the challenges bring us together or pull our economies apart,” ITGA Executive Director Kim Griffo said.

The International Town and Gown Association strives to become the primary information resource point for common issues between institutions of higher learning and the communities in which they reside, bringing together practitioners from varying fields to address immediate issues and future opportunities. The ITGA provides a network of resources to assist civic leaders, university officials, faculty, neighborhood residents and students to collaborate on common services, programs, academic research and citizen issues, creating an improved quality of life for all residents, students, visitors, faculty and staff.

Since 2006, ITGA annual conferences have been held at the University of Florida, Texas A & M, Murray State University, Iowa State University and the University of Colorado.

Members of the 2012 Conference Planning Committee included President Doug Whitlock, Marc Whitt, Charles Hickox, Debbie Hoskins, Lori Beth Miller, Jill Price, Caelin Scott, Mark Jozefowicz, April Barnes, James Street, Mark Welker, Rich Middleton and Erica Childress, all of EKU; Mayor Jim Barnes, Jimmy Howard, Lori Murphy-Tatum and Donna Baird, all of the City of Richmond; Mendi Goble, of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce; Louise Bowden and Amy Caudill, Blue Grass Airport; Belle Jackson, City of Berea; Gary McCormick, Berea College; and Melissa Gross, Kentucky River Foothills.

A long-time chair of EKU’s Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing, she had served as interim dean of the college since October, 2011.

“Throughout her 28-year tenure at Eastern, Dean Whitehouse has demonstrated great leadership ability and has achieved an exemplary record of scholarship and service,” said Dr. Janna Vice, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Dean Whitehouse is committed to growing enrollment, enhancing retention, and diligently addressing assurance of learning in the College of Health Sciences. She has been instrumental in developing two doctoral programs at EKU. She served on the Kentucky Board of Nursing’s committee to draft the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) nursing regulation (and) worked with EKU colleagues to develop and gain approval for EKU’s DNP.

“Most recently, she has supported our Occupational Therapy program in its preparation and planning for the Occupational Therapy doctorate,” which was approved April 26 by EKU’s Board of Regents and will go before the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education for final approval this summer.

Prior to becoming interim dean, Whitehouse had served as associate dean of the college since 2001, at first part time and then full time 2006-11. From 1985 to 2006, she chaired the EKU Department of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing.

Whitehouse received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Kentucky, her master’s degree at the University of North Carolina, and her doctoral degree at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

At the 2012 KABHE state conference, Cleveland was presented with the Dr. Joseph H. McMillan Faculty Award, given to a current tenure-track faculty member in Kentucky who is a member of the association and has a demonstrated record of scholarly research, service and teaching.

The award is a tribute to the late Dr. Joseph McMillan, honoring his legacy as co-founder of KAHBE and his outstanding leadership, service, research and teaching. The award is presented annually to salute and highlight the state’s top minority talents in academia.

“Trumpetissimo: A Salute to Vince DiMartino” celebrated and saluted one of America's most renowned performers and co-founder of the GABBF, on the occasion of his retirement at Centre College.Byrd’s composition has been published by Eighth Note Publications and is available for purchase at www.enpmusic.com.

Byrd also performed lead trumpet with the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra during the festival, which featured internationally recognized guest artists Doc Severinsen and Allen Vizzutti. An article on the event, written by Byrd, will be featured in the International Trumpet Guild journal, the official publication of the International Trumpet Guild.

Gardner, who joined EKU Libraries in 1995, has served in a variety of capacities, including interim dean since July 2011.

“(Gardner) has been a constant advocate for improving library services, and has demonstrated impressive leadership ability, an eagerness to embrace change, and a clear vision for the future of EKU Libraries,” said Dr. Janna Vice, provost and vice president for academic affairs. “Her goal has been to make the library a destination for students. She was part of the creative team that developed the vision for the nationally renowned Noel Studio for Academic Creativity. From 2008 to 2011, she served as public services coordinator, supporting and guiding many initiatives that improved services to faculty, students and staff.”

She also has served on numerous university committees, including the Strategic Planning Committee in 2002 and again 2009-11.

A native of West Liberty, Gardner earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Berea College and a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Kentucky.

Holmes, former director of Institutional Relations at CAPA International Education in Boston, joined the EKU staff on May 21.

The co-author of “Faculty-Led 360,” a manual to assist faculty in creating successful programs abroad, he has worked with faculty and administrators at more than 30 institutions to develop their own study abroad programs and protocols. He personally has developed, directed and taught in multiple service-learning programs in Ukraine and has developed “English as a Second Language” programs in China and Hungary.

He is active in numerous professional associations, including the Forum on Education Abroad, the International Studies Association, and NAFSA: Association of International Educators, where he serves as a state, regional and national presenter/trainer.

Holmes, who served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ukraine, chairs NAFSA’s Returned Peace Corps Volunteer member interest group.

“University Programs is glad to welcome such an accomplished individual to the EKU community,” said EKU Dean of University Programs Dr. Sara Zeigler. “We look forward to the growth of International Education under his leadership, as it is central to our goals of recruiting more international students, diversifying our student population in a way that enhances the experiences of all students, and increasing participation in study abroad.”

Holmes earned a bachelor’s degree in history at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a master’s degree in international affairs from the University of Wyoming. He completed graduate research toward his master’s degree in Hungary and Romania.

In the magazine’s “Last Word” column, Watts, who is enrolled in Eastern’s student personnel services in higher education master’s degree program and grew up in Richmond, wrote about the challenges facing African-Americans attending college in a small town.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education provides in-depth and up-to-date coverage of the diverse education community with information that is of particular interest to African Americans, Native Americans, Asian and Hispanic Americans, Americans with disabilities, and women.

Read Watts’ commentary at diverseeducation.com/article/17071/ .

Stationed in Norway, Sultana spent four weeks teaching modules on intercultural and interracial relations and educational challenges in the United States to intercultural, interracial and international education graduate students.

Sultana was chosen by a Slovenian university faculty and consortium member. “After several email exchanges, I was asked to submit a copy of my resume, a biographical sketch, copies of my research papers and more,” Sultana said.

She taught two sessions of 13 and 30 students at the research-oriented universities. “Every faculty member is engaged in some research activity. All students are engaged, mannerly and respectful. I never saw a student on a cell phone, on Facebook, texting, talking, eating or drinking while in class.

“Both the students and the faculty are well informed about what is going on in the world,” Sultana added. “They know the global issues and love to engage in analytical, thoughtful and reflective discussions. Europe is serious about global education, multiculturalism and pluralism; about integrating immigrants and refugees into the society. The variety of programs, services and facilities is impressive.”

In 2008, Sultana went to Bangladesh for a semester as a Fulbright Scholar. She has served as a consultant to the World Health Organization and the United Nations Development Program. She is a consultant to the Higher Education Commission for the government of Pakistan. In 2010, she provided professional development to 60 special educators at the National Institute of Special Education in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, for four weeks.

Sultana earned her bachelor’s degree in world history and international affairs, master’s degree in political science and international law in her native Pakistan. She received another master’s degree in education from American University of Beirut, Lebanon and a doctoral degree in special education from the University of Georgia.

Sultana joined EKU in 1980. She retired in 2006 but has remained professionally active, teaching part time in her department at Eastern and traveling overseas consulting, delivering keynote addresses at international conferences, conducting professional development of educators, assisting with curriculum development, designing evaluation systems, and writing public policy in education, among other responsibilities.

Kristel Smith, who has held a variety of positions with the EKU Center for Economic Development, Entrepreneurship and Technology (CEDET) since 2003, will work closely with entrepreneurs and business owners to foster job growth in the 14-county ICC service area and other counties in the university’s service area. She succeeds Gary Marshall, who recently retired from the university. Smith also will serve as director of EKU’s Business & Technology Accelerator.

The ICC at Eastern, part of the Kentucky Office for Commercialization and Innovation, works in partnership with the state Cabinet for Economic Development and the Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation to serve 14 counties: Madison, Clark, Estill, Garrard, Boyle, Mercer, Casey, Lincoln, Rockcastle, Jackson, Powell, Lee, Owsley, and Nicholas. Also served are other counties in EKU’s service region: Pulaski, Laurel, Wayne, McCreary, Whitley, Knox, Clay, Leslie, Perry, Harlan and Bell.

While with CEDET, Smith has served as director of entrepreneur services for the Innovation and Commercialization Center Network, director of the Berea Entrepreneur Assistance Center and interim director of CEDET. She played a leading role with EKU in the establishment of innovation centers in Ashland, Morehead, Paintsville and Pikeville.

“Kristel has a deep and extensive knowledge of the process involved with starting and growing companies in Kentucky,” said CEDET Executive Director Ian Mooers. “Kristel’s expertise in business development is garnered from her work in the private sector and, specifically, her work with Procter & Gamble, where she led day-to-day management of business and product lines. Kristel’s established network of individuals and resources will serve both the program and the clients well in to the future. I am looking forward to where she will take the program as we go in to the future.”

Over the past nine years, Smith said she has “learned, and we have established, that this region does have potential in entrepreneurship and economic development. We have proven that there is an opportunity for job creation in rural America. It’s easier than ever to work from anywhere and have customers globally.

“And I’ve learned that communities that are associated with or linked to universities tend to be more economically strong than those that aren’t,” she added. “The technical assistance we’re able to provide helps businesses and communities to be more sustainable.”

Smith said the ICC is looking for entrepreneurs and growth-minded companies that are developing a technology, product or service that fits into one of its five focus areas: agriculture and bioscience, human health and personalized medicine, materials science and advanced manufacturing, information technology and new media, and environmental and energy technologies.

The ICC provides one-on-one consulting, mentoring, advising and coaching and hosts many training sessions and seminars.

“Most of all,” Smith said, “we connect clients to various resources to help them grow their business, including lending and equity investment opportunities, and grants.”

The Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation offers three such opportunities: • Kentucky Enterprise Fund, which provides capital to early-stage technology companies in Kentucky. Companies may apply for a $30,000 grant, an initial investment of up to $250,000, or follow-on funding up to $750,000. • Rural Innovation Fund, which provides capital to early-stage technology companies in rural Kentucky. Companies may apply for a $30,000 grant or an investment up to $100,000. • Kentucky New Energy Ventures, a fund that provides capital for companies exploring alternative and renewable energy technologies. Companies may apply for a $30,000 grant, an initial investment up to $250,000, or follow-on funding up to $750,000.

Because the ICC, the Small Business Development Center and CEDET are physically housed in EKU’s Business and Technology Center on the Richmond campus, other CEDET staff, as well as faculty members and graduate students, constitute a convenient and valuable resource to both the ICC and incubator clients. EKU School of Business alumni are also serving as mentors.

In addition to the ICC clients in the region, seven clients are now utilizing the business and technology accelerator, more commonly known as an incubator.

Smith earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern University and a master’s of business administration degree from the University of Kentucky. She has more than 20 years of experience in the business field.

For more information about the ICC or the accelerator, visit www.easternicc.eku.edu or contact Smith at kristel.smith@eku.edu or at 622-8571.

Three ceremonies were held, each honoring degree candidates in one or two academic colleges. The honorees included 1,643 bachelor’s degree candidates, 443 master’s degree candidates, 107 associate degree candidates, eight specialist degree candidates and six doctoral degree candidates.

The keynote speakers, respectively, were Dr. Brenda Miller, senior safety advisor to the director of Army safety, U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center at Fort Rucker, Ala., and functional chief representative for Career Program-12 (safety and occupational health); Gen. David Rodriguez, commander of the U.S. Army Forces Command; and Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, president of the University of Michigan.

Miller urged degree candidates in the College of Arts and Sciences to believe in and stay true to themselves, and never give up.

“You are leaving this morning with some basic knowledge and skills, but you are just beginning,” Miller said. “Build on the skills that you have acquired here at EKU. Our expectation is that you will continue to learn and grow and that you will become the next generation of great organizational leaders.

“When you enter the workforce, learn your organization,” Miller added. “Understand your role and how you can contribute. Communication skills are critical. You may only get one shot at delivering your message. Your success depends on your ability to communicate with others.”

In concluding, Miller urged the graduates to “be part of the solution and not the problem. Look for ways to give back.”

Rodriguez also urged degree candidates in the Colleges of Business and Technology and Education to find a way to serve. “Service to your nation is an individual choice, to be a part of something greater than yourself. Service to the nation is not limited to a position you hold, an office you occupy, or an organization in which you are a member. Service to the nation is a sense of belonging, an aspiration to help, a desire you make your community, town, state or country better.

“I can see the spark you have in your eyes,” Rodriguez continued. “If you let it, it will ignite a passion to go forth and do great things. To make the very most of your life and take advantage of the opportunities you have been given, you must rise to your responsibility, to give something back to America. As the years pass, your generation will be judged and you will begin to judge yourself on what you contribute to others, to your country, your communities, and your children.”

Coleman, a Richmond native who attended Model Laboratory School for a time, titled her remarks “The Power of One,” in honor of her grandfather, Albert Wilson, a 1928 Eastern graduate. She addressed degree candidates in the Colleges of Health Sciences and Justice & Safety.

“Your decision to attend EKU, and your determination to graduate, will resonate long after today’s hugs and applause,” she said. “A college education sets in motion ideas and careers that few can imagine on commencement day. It prepares you to be flexible, to think creatively and to contribute to the needs of our communities. And one day, your grandchildren will thank you.”

Coleman, whose father also graduated from Eastern, said: “I loved school and learning, and it was because my parents believed in education. Like my father and grandfather, all of us – as college graduates – are obligated to improve the world around us, encourage the discovery of new knowledge, and celebrate the achievements of the next generation. As of today, you are not only a graduate but also a role model.”

The University presented Miller and Rodriguez with honorary doctor of laws degrees and Coleman a honorary doctor of science degree.

Speaking as representatives of their graduating class were Sandra Carpenter, Chillicothe, Ohio; Amy Janowiecki, Florence; and Elizabeth Hagan, Midway.

Speaking at a kickoff event May 10 for the Stars over Appalachia program, co-sponsored by Eastern Kentucky University and the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame, the Kentucky native said, “You’ve got to stay in the game if you’re ever even going to try to win.”

He was discussing his determination to keep his recording and songwriting career alive after the breakup of Halfway to Hazard, but he could have been talking about the seniors’ life after high school.

In fact, that was the purpose of Warrix’s visit. The Stars Over Appalachia program seeks to enlist entertainment celebrities in an effort to reduce the high school dropout rate in the university’s 22-county service region and inspire all students to strive for success. The program calls for celebrities from all entertainment genres – many, like Warrix, with ties to the region – to “adopt” schools and then work with administrators and teachers to reach students.

Also speaking at the kickoff ceremony were EKU President Doug Whitlock; Kentucky Music Hall of Fame Executive Director Robert Lawson; EKU Educational Extension Agent Paula Wilder; and Josh Bleidt, an EKU graduate who is now a manager/agent for several entertainment acts, including Warrix.

Warrix, who was born in Hazard but grew up in Jackson, credited his musical family and his band teacher at Breathitt County High School for his successful career in the music business.

“It all starts right now,” he said, “and you guys are on the brink of some really cool things.”

For Warrix, stardom didn’t come overnight.

“I worked hard at it,” he said, “and the harder you work at it, it starts coming naturally.”

He fulfilled a dream of his parents when he completed a bachelor’s degree in Belmont University’s music business program, where he networked with Brad Paisley and countless other notables to launch and sustain his career.

“A lot of you guys will help each other all through life,” he told the students.

Warrix, who frequently does charity work in Kentucky and elsewhere, said his participation in Stars Over Appalachia stems from his strong desire “to give back to the community, wherever you came from.”

In addition to talking with the students and signing autographs afterward, Warrix performed four songs.

As the first star to adopt a school in the new program, Warrix will serve as a “role model” for the Rockcastle students, said Paula Wilder, one of seven EKU educational extension agents in the university’s service area. “We want them to see that someone from their area has achieved massive success. He will serve as a motivator for them to stay in school and possibly go on to pursue higher educational attainment. If they can begin to see things outside their world, then their perspectives on life will change (and) they may begin to think differently about things and life in general.”

Several other school adoptions are “in the works,” according to Wilder.

Whitlock said the participation of Warrix and other stars sends “an incredibly important message.”

He went on to say that EKU is “all about making stars out of folks,” citing several graduates from Appalachian Kentucky and elsewhere who went on to earn national acclaim.

“That causes us to say, ‘You can get there from here.’ And I’m here to tell you that you can get there from Rockcastle County as well.”

The Kentucky Music Hall of Fame is located at Renfro Valley, approximately three miles from Rockcastle County High School.

Halfway to Hazard will reunite on July 27 when the duo and Keith Anderson perform at Renfro Valley.

For more information about “Stars Over Appalachia,” contact Wilder at paula.wilder@eku.edu or Robert Lawson with the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame at rlawson1@mikrotec.com.

Even when the 25,000-plus Madison County patrons are excepted, all the extra tourists constitute a significant financial gain for Richmond and Madison County, particularly for local motels, restaurants and gas stations.

During the 2011-12 season, which concludes in June, Center guests have come from all states contiguous to Kentucky, and from as far away as California, Washington and Oregon.

“Based on this information, we know the EKU Center for the Arts is enhancing the economic development and quality of life for Madison County and its citizens,” said Dr. Bob Rogow, dean of the university’s College of Business & Technology and chair of the Arts Center Board. “It is an excellent example of regional stewardship by Eastern Kentucky University. Further, the Center is having a very positive impact on eastern Kentucky’s reputation and visibility throughout the region, Commonwealth and beyond. We look forward to another successful year during the Center’s second season of performances.”

Leading in out-of-state ticket sales were Ohio, 237; Tennessee, 79; Virginia, 68; and Indiana, 65.

In addition, an estimated 18,000-20,000 visited the Vietnam Wall traveling exhibit when it came to the Center in April.

“We are very pleased with the impact the Center has had on tourism,” said Lori Murphy-Tatum, tourism director for the City of Richmond. “We have seen increased transient tax revenue directly related to performances at the Center. Any chance we have to bring in out-of-town visitors to Richmond is an economic win. Every tourism dollar turns around about seven times before it leaves here, so those ticket sales are not just affecting the Center.

“The Center also brings a cultural tourism aspect to Richmond that we were missing,” she added. “It is wonderful to have quality New York-style entertainment five minutes from our hotels.”

A consultant on the business plan developed for the Center in 2009, Webb Management Services Inc., cited an average 1.3448 multiplier for output dollars expended for food services, retail trade, transportation, overnight lodging and other expenditures. A second multiplier, an average of 0.3788 for earnings, provides the average increase in earnings made by local workers.

Based on the most recent financial data prepared by the University’s Division of Financial Affairs, new sales and new earnings increased by approximately $3.2 million and $900,000, respectively, as a result of the Center’s operations. According to the Webb report, that would lead to approximately 26 new jobs in the region.

“These amounts are further increased by the direct impact of audience attendees, Madison County residents and patrons from other locations, and their expenditures in Madison County,” Rogow said.

Most of the performers in the Center’s inaugural season played to packed houses. The stylistically diverse lineup featured Wynonna Judd, B.B. King, Chris Botti, the Munich Symphony, Garrison Keillor, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Peter Frampton, Mannheim Steamroller, Wynton Marsalis and Jerry Seinfeld, along with productions of “Spamalot” and “Beauty and the Beast,” among others.

The complete 2012-13 season, which will include a performance by renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, will be announced this summer.

For more information about the EKU Center for the Arts, visit ekucenter.com.

Each academic college, the Office of Student Affairs and the International Alumni Association nominate students based on scholarship, leadership and service to both campus and community. Each recipient receives a plaque and $1,000 stipend.

“We were richly blessed this year with some outstanding candidates for this prestigious award, but none more richly deserving than Avery Scherer,” said President Whitlock.

Scherer graduated Summa Cum Laude and as an Honors Scholar with a baccalaureate degree in aquatic biology. She has received numerous academic awards and honors and has been very active, volunteering on campus and in the community. Scherer has worked with the local Humane Society, the Bead for Life jewelry program to assist Ugandans living in extreme poverty, along with many other causes.

Scherer came to EKU to be a part of the university’s nationally recognized Honors Program and credits director Dr. Linda Frost for her decision to enter a doctoral program. After spending the summer of 2010 in Dr. Lee Smee’s laboratory at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Scherer was invited to return there for her graduate work, which she will begin in the fall.

“The Honors Program at Eastern is, in my opinion, without equal,” Scherer said. “Against all odds, Dr. Frost has proven to be one of the most supportive and influential people to have ever burst into my life, and I honestly cannot imagine what my life would look like right now had she not been a part of this process. She was, after all, the first and most determined to insist I earn my Ph.D., and I largely credit the Honors Program’s magnificent faculty for my ability to communicate both orally and through writing.”

Scherer has also studied abroad in both Australia and Belize and presented works at 11 conferences and on-campus events. She was one of only 50 students nationwide to receive a Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad grant. Scherer also earned honorable mention distinction from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

“At this point in my life, I can feel myself standing on the edge of something big,” Scherer said, “and though I have no idea what the future will bring, I know the next chapter of my life holds exciting new experiences. But standing on the early edge of that adventure means standing on the final edge of this one. Eastern has become a home to me in a way I never could have imagined it would four years ago, and I am loath to leave it. I have watched myself grow in the nurturing and exploratory academic environment that is Eastern Kentucky University. The next several years of my education will be difficult and rewarding, but, because of the excellent education and experience I gained at Eastern, I will never doubt I can handle whatever life challenges lie ahead.”

A member of Eastern’s nationally recognized Honors Program while a student, Mazzotta earned numerous academic awards, including top chemistry awards for his class as a freshman and sophomore. An undergraduate research assistant for several chemistry and mathematics projects, he will begin research at Purdue University in June and pursue a doctoral degree in inorganic chemistry beginning in the fall.

“Mike started attending conferences with us in EKU Honors when he was a freshman,” EKU Honors Program Director Linda Frost said. “By the time he graduated, he had presented at almost 20 conferences in honors and in his discipline proper. He has been a diligent researcher, tirelessly seeking out, and at times even creating, undergraduate research opportunities for himself. He was EKU's first Goldwater Scholarship nominee in more than a decade, and we were thrilled when he won an Honorable Mention for that.”

In 2009, Mazzotta was one of 60 students in the nation to receive the Phi Kappa Phi Emerging Scholar Award, which recognizes rising sophomores.

At EKU, Mazzotta served Phi Kappa Phi as executive student vice president and was a member of the Student Government Association, holding the position of director of Green Initiatives. He was a founding member and treasurer for the Biology Club before being promoted to president.

He recently took first place at the 2012 Regional Undergraduate Chemistry Poster Session hosted by the University of Kentucky’s Department of Chemistry and sponsored by the Lexington Chapter of the American Chemical Society.

Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship applications are evaluated based on numerous factors, including academic recognition and awards, campus and community involvement, leadership experiences, and quality and scope of proposed program.

Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Baton Rouge, La., Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest and most selective all-discipline honor society. Phi Kappa Phi inducts annually more than 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni. The Society has chapters at more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.

Wyler, a pre-optometry major from Lancaster, received $1,500 after presenting his concept, “Ethanol of Appalachia.” His venture would make the plentiful source of switchgrass, which thrives on marginal land and is resistant to disease and insect invasion, more readily available to the cellulosic biorefineries of the region.

The Berea College Entrepreneurship for the Public Good program (EPG), in collaboration with the Sullivan Foundation, hosted the two-day competition in April. EKU competed against Asbury University, Berea College, Brenau University, Hampden-Sydney College and Morehead State University. The showcase is a regional entrepreneurship education initiative designed to enable Appalachian undergraduate college students to develop entrepreneurial social ventures that address local community issues. Teams of students partner with local organizations and develop an innovative, viable business concept.

“This concept interests me because the environmental movement is a pressing feature of our society,” Wyler said. “My concept would work with local farmers in order to not only provide resources and education, but help implement the crop throughout the state. Once the switchgrass is harvested it would then be our job to play ‘middle man’ between the farmer and the cellulosic biorefineries.”

Wyler’s biodiesel research dates to his high school days when he began producing biodiesel in a backyard facility. The 2009 graduate of Garrard County High School was Future Farmers of America Agribusinessman of the Year for Kentucky in 2009, and his work has received widespread media coverage.

Dr. Stephanie McSpirit, professor in EKU’s Department of Anthropology, Sociology and Social Work, said she had originally encouraged Wyler to submit a proposal for this competition based on his work in biodiesel, “but Christian was committed to going in a different direction that would directly help local farmers from the region. He had done some prior background research on switchgrass, as part of his requirements for our environmental sociology class, and was committed to the idea that now was the time to start talking with local growers and farmers about dedicating some of their more marginal lands over to switchgrass.

“For Christian, with an ensured supply of switchgrass as a feedstock, biodiesel facilities would soon follow, creating jobs and income for local farm economies that have been depressed since the tobacco buy-out of over ten years ago. Christian’s commitment to this idea came through loud and clear at the Appalachian Idea competition … and now he has $1,500 to further explore farmer readiness and willingness to make conversion over to switchgrass. His research and his funded project will be key in initiating the transition from pure research to actual implementation, application and economic development within the area of biofuels. It’s exciting to watch him continue to take a lead role in the sector of renewable and alternative energy because the commonwealth and our nation need young people, university students, like Christian Wyler, to take the lead in finding solutions for our energy future.”

EKU’s Center for Renewable and Alternative Fuel Technologies (CRAFT) is also a part of that future. The Center, established in 2008, is dedicated to fostering interdisciplinary research to develop a regional biofuels industry through the development and demonstration of technologies to break down biomass materials such as switchgrass into sugars useable by microorganisms that produce oil for biodiesel and JP8 jet fuel.

Dr. Alice Jones, director of the Eastern Kentucky Environmental Research Institute at EKU, said Wyler’s proposal “could help Kentucky diversify its energy production and its economy in a more sustainable way.

“A really important part of Christian’s project is the focus on the individual landowner or farmer’s point of view,” Jones said. “While switchgrass production for biofuels holds a certain promise, economically, there’s a chicken-and-egg thing going on at the moment: with no steady supply of switchgrass, possible biofuel producers won’t build production facilities; but with no production facilities, farmers can’t risk converting valuable crop or pastureland over to switchgrass production when there’s no stable market for the crop.

“At present, the economists working on switchgrass markets are focusing on regional, national and even international models,” Jones continued. “But the reality is that the Kentucky land most suited to switchgrass production is currently in the hands of small-scale cattle producers in the marginal lands of the outer Bluegrass and Appalachia. For a cattle farmer to take a large area of pasture out of production for the two to three years it will take to establish a switchgrass crop with no guarantees about what the value of that crop might be could literally mean losing the farm. Christian’s project will help answer some very important questions about what it will take for an individual farmer to commit to what is now a very risky choice – and that’s a very important question. If enough farmers are not willing to take that risk, then a switchgrass-based biofuels market simply will not emerge in Kentucky.”

To follow the progress of Wyler’s project, visit its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/EthanolOfAppalachia.

Napier, who served six years in the Army National Guard after graduating from Madison Central High School in 2006, will use the $9,000 scholarship to finish his studies at EKU this fall and prepare for medical school.

EKU is one of only 14 higher education institutions nationwide selected as a Tillman Military Scholar University for the 2012-13 academic year. College and university partners are chosen on the basis of their innovative services for military veterans and proven culture of community for military families.

The last two years, among the nation’s four-year colleges and universities, EKU has earned No. 1 and No. 2 national rankings, respectively, from Military Times EDGE magazine for its commitment to helping military veterans further their education. It was also recognized by G.I. Jobs magazine as a Military Friendly School in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2010, Eastern launched Operation Veteran Success, a series of initiatives designed to make the university even more veteran-helpful.

Napier, who grew up in Somerset before moving to Richmond before his junior year of high school, served as a combat medic in eastern Afghanistan 2008-09, providing primary medical care for a platoon of combat engineers who cleared routes of IEDs. After combat missions were completed, he worked with a forward surgical team in a small trauma hospital. Napier achieved the rank of sergeant (E-5).

After high school, Napier attended EKU one semester prior to deployment. Upon his return, he enrolled at the University of Kentucky, but eventually returned to Eastern.

“(EKU has) greatly lowered my stress, which accelerated my civilian transition,” Napier said. “I also enjoy the large veteran presence on campus. This provides me with plenty of classmates that I can relate to.”

Earlier this year, EKU passed a milestone, with now more than 1,000 military veterans and their dependents enrolled at the university. Many of the veterans are taking advantage of EKU’s expanded online offerings, especially in the university’s Safety, Security and Emergency Management program.

Eastern was recently named a VetSuccess University by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and now has a full-time VA employee on staff to help veterans with their benefits issues.

“EKU is very friendly with veterans,” Napier said, “and all my instructors have had no issue working with me around military training dates. There have been many kind people here at EKU who have really gone out of their way for me. Brett Morris (interim director of admissions and associate director for veterans affairs) has helped me countless times with various issues, and he has also pointed out the many programs and scholarships to me, including the Tillman Military Scholarship. This help has been tremendous, and I owe much of my success to his guidance.”

The Tillman Military Scholars Program honors Pat Tillman, who left a successful professional football career to join the U.S. Army and who later died in combat in Afghanistan. Providing scholarships that cover tuition as well as other needs, such as housing and child care, the program supports the nation’s active and veteran service members and their spouses by removing financial barriers to completing an academic degree.

“Any sort of financial burden that I have experienced due to school will be completely eliminated by this scholarship,” said Napier, who plans to become a surgeon. “Just applying to medical school is a very expensive process, and travel for interviews must be covered as well.”

Each university partner in the Tillman program conducts outreach to its veteran and military spouse student population and actively participates in the Tillman Military Scholar selection process. Upon selection of Tillman Military Scholars on campus, each then supports the building of community among the recipients, strengthening their academic and personal experience.

In 2008, the Pat Tillman Foundation established the Tillman Military Scholars program to support educational opportunities for service members and military families by bridging the financial gaps left by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

Over the past four years, the Pat Tillman Foundation has awarded more than $3.2 million in scholarship funds to 231 Tillman Military Scholars pursuing education at every level from freshmen undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates. Overall, Tillman Military Scholars represent 71 different institutions across 34 states.

“We received 1,280 applicants this year and, with support from our selection committee, narrowed these applicants down to 59 outstanding candidates to join the fourth class of Tillman Military Scholars,” said Hunter I. Riley, director of programs at the Pat Tillman Foundation. “These Scholars represent leadership in the military, classroom and community and we’re proud to invest in their education and support them in making a positive impact into the future.”

“Katie was selected based on her academic achievements, her representation of the program and EKU and her service to our program,” said PGA/PGM program coordinator Tyler Caviness. This summer and fall, Wiedmar will intern at Winged Foot Golf Club, a private club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Kim Kincer, program director, said: “Katie Weidmar will represent EKU and our PGA Golf Management Program well as she begins her career in the golf industry. She was an excellent student and an outstanding role model for her peers in PGA Golf Management.”

The award was established in Garner’s name to honor her contributions to the program. Beginning with the 2010-11 academic year, an outstanding student, traditionally a junior or senior, in the PGA Golf Management program will be selected based on academic achievement, community service, participation in events and representation of EKU. The recipient is awarded a crystal trophy, and a plaque inscribed with the honoree’s name is permanently housed in the PGA Golf Management suite.

After 25 years of service to her students, colleagues and the university, Dr. Garner, an avid golfer, retired as EKU marketing faculty in 2009.

Advised by EKU accounting faculty members Dr. MaryBeth Holbrook and Dr. Leslee Higgins, Eastern’s PEAK team members included team captain Nikolai Horohoy, Lexington; Ashley Morris, Louisville; Anthony Kul, Alexandria; Kaci Knack, Campton; and alternate Trung Ngo, Hanoi, Vietnam.

The Jeopardy-style competition for undergraduate and certificate students involved teams from many Kentucky schools. After defeating four other state teams, including Murray State, Western Kentucky and Morehead State in the first round, EKU advanced to the second round with Lindsay Wilson College and Berea College. For its efforts, the team was awarded second-place medallions and one section of the Becker review materials for the school.

“Finishing second in the state is a clear indicator of the quality education students receive in the accounting program at EKU,” Holbrook said.

The PEAK competition was held in conjunction with the KYCPA spring banquet, at which the Kentucky Society Educational Foundation awards scholarships in amounts from $1,000 to $2,500 to outstanding accounting students across the state.

EKU accounting students Brittany Neaves, of Mt. Sterling, received the Gordon Ford Memorial Scholarship, and Ashley Morris, of Louisville, received the National Insurance Agency Scholarship. These scholarships recognize students planning to become CPAs for their scholastic achievement and leadership qualities.

Also at the Spring Awards Banquet, three graduates from the EKU business program were recognized. Kelly Jowski, of El Dorado Hills, Calif., a 2010 accounting certificate graduate, successfully completed the uniform CPA exam and will receive her certificate upon completion of the experience requirement.

In addition, two graduates of the EKU Master’s of Business Administration program received their CPA certificates. Jordan Allen Carter, of Harris & Associates PSC in Somerset, and Spencer Rogers, of Danville, were sworn in by Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway at the ceremony. Carter is a fall graduate of the MBA program with the accounting option, and Rogers completed the MBA in 2004.

“EKU accounting graduates are highly sought after by employers and graduate schools,” said Dr. Oliver Feltus, chair of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Information Systems. “It is rewarding to see our students compete successfully with the best students from Kentucky and frequently surpass those from other institutions.”

Business seniors representing the top 10 percent of their graduating class, master’s students representing the top 20 percent of their graduating class and juniors representing the top 7 percent of their class were invited into membership in formal tapping ceremonies.

Tyler Roark, junior management major from Richmond, received a $1,000 scholarship at the ceremony for being the junior Beta Gamma Sigma member with the highest GPA.

Inductees include: senior management major Desireee M. Collins, Richmond; senior insurance major Tyler Hammond, Newark, Ohio; junior international business major Daniel Jones, Whakatane, New Zealand; junior marketing major Jessica Mueller, Solon, Ohio; junior management major Tyler Roark, Richmond; junior computer information systems major Matthew Robertson, Irvine; and junior accounting majors Elizabeth McWhorter, of London, and Brittany D. Neaves, of Mt. Sterling.

Founded as a national organization in 1913, Beta Gamma Sigma, the first national honor society in business, is an international honor society with more than 500,000 members that provides the highest recognition a business student can receive in an undergraduate or master's program at a school accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International.

The mission and objectives of Beta Gamma Sigma are to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business and personal and professional excellence in the practice of business; to foster an enduring commitment to the founding principles and values of honor and integrity; to encourage the pursuit of wisdom and earnestness; to support the advancement of business through and to encourage lifelong learning; and to enhance the value of Beta Gamma Sigma for student and alumni members in their professional lives.

Also, Marla Workman, a managerial finance major from Berea, and Hawkins both placed in state-level competitive testing events. Workman won first place in macroeconomics and second place in international business. Hawkins took third in international business. Their wins qualify them for testing at the National Leadership Conference.

“I’m just so proud of them,” EKU chapter adviser Dr. Allyn White said.

“Upon our arrival, we did not know a single person,” Brandt said. “However, after two days of golf and participating in a common passion, I felt as though I knew everyone for years.”

Each of the nation’s 20 accredited PGA Golf Management universities send two student representatives who possess leadership qualities at their respective schools to the conference.

Over the course of two days, students participated in various seminars covering leadership skills and the new Golf 2.0 initiative, and played two rounds of golf at the PGA Golf Club.

Duderstandt said that “the best part of the conference was getting to meet and create relationships with fellow PGA Golf Management students from across the nation as well as some PGA members holding prominent positions in our association. We played two rounds of golf on championships courses and had a fun time.”

Player Development and Recruiting Coordinator Ross Lingenfelder said: “The PGA Leadership Conference is a great opportunity for PGA Golf Management students to network with leaders of the PGA of America as well as fellow PGA Golf Management students from other PGA accredited universities. EKU PGA Golf Management student leaders are able to bring back new ideas to EKU through discussion in the classrooms as well as on the golf course. I still have fond memories of attending the PGA Leadership Conference as a student many years ago.”

EKU’s PGA Golf Management program is an option within the College of Business and Technology’s Department of Management, Marketing and International Business. Graduates of the program earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Marketing and the PGM option. Students receive a comprehensive business education that prepares them for responsible positions in the golf industry. Upon graduation, a PGA Golf Management student will be eligible to apply for PGA membership.

The graduation is for all recipients who earned a General Educational Development (GED®) diploma in Madison County during 2011-12. Nearly 80 will graduate this year, and June test takers may participate in the ceremony as well. Families and friends are invited to attend.

Graduates will hear from Anthony Smith, who is employed with the Network Center for Community Change, an organization that connects residents and agencies in Louisville neighborhoods to job training, and early childhood and other resources. Smith grew up in a single-parent home and dropped out of high school. He earned a GED® and was the first in his family to earn a bachelor’s degree.

According to the GED® Testing Service, the GED® Tests provide adults who did not complete a high school diploma an opportunity to “prove their academic skills and knowledge” through a series of five assessments in reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. More than 18 million people have earned a GED® credential since 1942.

Adult education is a federal and state-funded program administered by Kentucky Adult Education. For more information about the recognition ceremony or classes, contact the Madison County adult education office at 622-8065.