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                                                                 Scholar Works at Harding

Harding Magazines                                                     Archives and Special Collections

Spring 2021

Harding Magazine Spring 2021 (vol. 29, no. 1)
Harding University

Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.harding.edu/humagazines

Recommended Citation
Harding University. (2021). Harding Magazine Spring 2021 (vol. 29, no. 1). Retrieved from
https://scholarworks.harding.edu/humagazines/86

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Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
HARDING          S P R I N G 2021

THE   CHANGING
PRACTICE OF
PHARMACY
Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
What’s Inside                    S P R I N G 2021 | V O LU M E 29 | N U M B E R 1

Features

16
BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN
Dr. David Burks responds to a Q&A on his
experiences becoming president the
second time around.

18
PURSUING A SHORTENED
PATHWAY TO PHARMACY
The College of Pharmacy continues to
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         14                                                                                                                         22
innovate as it prepares to graduate its                                                                                                                                                                                                  Departments
10th class in May.

22
A MAN OF MISSION
In his and your words, the magazine pays                                                                                                                                                                                                 2    VIEWPOINT                                 14   SPORTS

                                                                                                     O P P O S I T E PA G E A N D FA R R I G H T P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y, TO P P H OTO AT H L E T I C S A R C H I V E S
tribute to our fifth president who retired                                                                                                                                                                                               		   A time of transition                      		   Former athletes working at the University
at the end of November 2020.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         3 HU VIEW
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         			Masking up calls for creativity.
28                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       4 ONE MOMENT
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         			Students enjoy the abundance of snow
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         ON THE COVER
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Pharmacy student Kent
RHODES FINALIST                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         30 CONNECTIONS                                   Nguyen participates in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              during February.
Social services policy provides the career                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              			31 | PROFILE                                  a Community Advanced
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         		                                                                                              Pharmacy Experience at
trajectory for 2019 alumnus and Rhodes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Jessica Pell Tate, 1995
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Walmart Pharmacy.
scholar finalist Taylor Brown.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          			32 | PROFILE
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        			Ryan Walters, 2010                            P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         6    AROUND CAMPUS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         		   Administration building to be named for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Elijah Anthony and Dr. Howard Wright,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              the passing of Dr. Jerome Barnes, and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        36 END NOTE

                                                                                                18
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              other happenings around the University
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        		   Shannon Overcash shares her life
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             managing the COVID-19 residence hall.
Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
Viewpoint                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  HU View

A time of transition                                                                                HARDING
                                                                                                    S P R I N G 2021 | V O LU M E 29 | N U M B E R 1
                                                                                                                                                                                                   All masked up                                                       P H OTO G R A P H E R J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y C ATC H E S A W I D E VA R I E T Y O F M A S K S A R O U N D C A M P U S

By DAVID B. BURKS, president

S
            INCE BEING ASKED by the board of                                                                     E D I TO R / D E S I G N E R

            trustees to assume the responsibil-                                                                Tom Buterbaugh, ’78
            ity of president in November, I have                                                              CO P Y E D I TO R / W R I T E R
            been overwhelmed by your emails,                                                                     Jantzen Haley, ’17
phone calls and texts. Thank you for your sup-
port, your prayers and your love for Harding.                                                                           WRITERS
                                                                                                                 Katie Clement, ’16
    I would like to express thanks to Dr. Bruce                                                                   Josie Parker, ’18
McLarty for his many years of service to the                                                                     Megan Stroud, ’19
Harding family. He has a great love and pas-
sion for this work, and I am confident he will                                                                     SPORTS WRITER
                                                                                                                  Scott Goode, ’97
continue to be a blessing to many in the fu-
ture. I wish him well in the years to come.                                                                       P H OTO G R A P H E R
    For the first time in almost a year, because                                                               Jeff Montgomery, ’91
of COVID-19, in-person chapel was initiated
                                                                                                                   CO N T R I B U TO R S
on a two-day a week basis in both Benson                                                                         Emma Aly, ’20
Auditorium and Rhodes-Reaves Field House.                                                                      Joanna Crisco, ’97
As you might expect, I used “camaraderie”                                                                     Michael Justus, ’74
as the opening line for all of these chapel                                                                       Jeff Mercer
                                                                                                             Shannon Overcash, ’12
experiences. Harding is about high-spirited
fellowship, which requires meaningful con-         forward to their leadership and to the estab-                      PRESIDENT
nections, meaningful relationships — the           lishment of new initiatives in their respec-                 David B. Burks, ’65
cornerstone of the Harding experience —            tive areas.                                         A S S I S TA N T V I C E P R E S I D E N T F O R
that go beyond the time it takes a student to         As we speak to the future, I am very             U N I V E R S I T Y CO M M U N I C AT I O N S
                                                                                                                   AND MARKETING
earn a degree.                                     pleased that the board of trustees has an-                   Candice Moore, ’01
    It was my pleasure to announce recently        nounced a presidential search committee.
our plans to honor seven African American          They have selected an executive search firm,        Harding is published three times
                                                                                                       a year by the Office of University
individuals who played a distinctive role in       CarterBaldwin of Atlanta, to advise them            Communications and Marketing
Harding’s history — Elijah Anthony, Howard         through this process.                               for alumni, faculty, staff, parents
Wright, Lewis Brown, Walter Cunningham,               This is indeed a time of transition for             and friends of the University.
                                                                                                      Editorial offices are located on the
David Johnson, Thelma Smith and Curtis             Harding, but I am confident we have a very         second floor of the David B. Burks
Sykes. These individuals will be honored at        bright future. I have never been more excited        American Heritage Building at
                                                                                                     915 E. Market Ave., Searcy, Arkansas;
Homecoming this October (page 6).                  about the opportunities for us to attract new
                                                                                                                  501-279-4316.
    We also will pay tribute to Botham Jean,       students, maintain the mission of Harding,
whose tragic death on Sept. 6, 2018, shook         and share the good news of Jesus Christ with                      POSTMASTER
                                                                                                            Send address changes to
the entire campus and world. We really miss        an even wider audience. Please continue to                 Harding University
Botham, and his life and story are going to        pray for us during this time of transition for        915 E. Market Ave., Box 12234
be remembered and honored on our campus            God’s continued guidance.                                Searcy, AR 72149-5615.
in September, on the occasion of his 30th                                                                                 EMAIL
birthday (page 6).
                                                                                                                                                          P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y

                                                                                                            hardingmag@harding.edu
    I am also pleased to announce several
                                                                                                                        WEBSITE
new leadership appointments you can read                                                                          harding.edu/mag
about on pages 8 and 9. I am really looking
                                                                                                           © 2021 Harding University
                                                                                                                                                                                                   TOP ROW: Kylie Coffey, Milyn Ross, Michael Keene MIDDLE ROW: Peydon Harlow, Matthew Fortkamp, Andrea Martinez BOTTOM ROW: Victoria Lowery, Mallory Prior,
                                                                                                                                                                                                   Dalton Koch

2   H A R D I N G | S PRING 2021                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      S PRI NG 2021 | H A R D I N G          3
Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
ONE MOMENT

                                   During a lull in the abundant snowfall on campus
                                   Feb. 15, Jillian Jarvis and Morgan Marcum make
                                   snow angels. Extreme cold and two snowstorms the
                                   week of Feb. 14 caused classes to transition online
                                   all week.
                                   P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y

4   H A R D I N G | S PRING 2021                                      S PRI NG 2021 | H A R D I N G   5
Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
Around Campus                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  For the very latest campus news, visit harding.edu/news.

Administration building to be                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               JEROME BARNES | 1934-2020

named for Anthony, Wright                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Humble servant
PRESIDENT DAVID BURKS ANNOUNCED Feb. 1                 in 1946 and enrolled at Harding in 1966. Wright
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   By MICHAEL JUSTUS, Student Association president 1973-74
that the University will honor and celebrate Bro.      was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1945 and
Elijah Anthony and Dr. Howard Wright, the first        enrolled at Harding in 1965. In May of 1968 both
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   N A WORLD THAT LIVES FOR A STANDING OVATION,                In 1984, the year before our family returned to Searcy, a book

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I
African American undergraduate students to             graduated from Harding with a Bachelor of Arts
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   humble servants are a rare breed.                       arrived in our mailbox. I remember little of what was written on the
earn bachelor’s degrees from Harding, by nam-          in English. Anthony and Wright have both been
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       They do their finest work in the shadows, making    pages, but I will never forget the title: Tough Times Never Last, But
ing the Administration building in their honor.        named distinguished alumni recipients.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   sure others remain in the spotlight. Their concern      Tough People Do. The return address on the package belonged to
    During the years Anthony and Wright at-                “When we stepped onto the Harding campus,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   is for the greater good, deflecting appreciation that   Jerome Barnes. It was his subtle vote of confidence, an unsolicited
tended Harding, the Administration building            we stepped into history,” said Wright. “When we
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 rightfully belongs to them.                                               affirmation, which came at a moment when I needed it most.
was the center of campus activity, holding vari-       graduated from Harding, we stepped into his-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Dr. Jerome Barnes belongs in that elite company. Had he been an           It is impossible to think of Dr. Barnes without his wife, Barbara.
ous school events, presentations and chapel.           tory. We didn’t come to Har­ding to make history.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 artist, his paintings would have no signature. Had he been a writer,      They have been known affectionately as Pa and Ma Barnes, and to-
Today, the building remains a prominent fix-           Claudine and I had more faith in God than fear
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 his publications would have no byline.                                                                gether they have demonstrated the heart and
ture on the campus quad housing several ad-            of uncertainty, hatred or racism. Since walking
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     He was a quiet man, yet his life spoke                                                            hands of hospitality. Our children will tell
ministrative offices and a 973-seat auditorium.        across that administration auditorium stage, God
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 volumes about his concern for the well-                                                               you the Barnes’ house was their favorite stop
    “Elijah Anthony and Howard Wright are              has blessed me for 5 1/2 decades to walk in the          ABOVE: Standing in front of the Administration
                                                                                                                building at their commencement ceremony, Howard                                                                                                                  being of others.                                                                                      after school for soft drinks in miniature bot-
deserving of this honor,” said President Burks. “I     footsteps of Jesus. It’s all about a life of service.”
                                                                                                                Wright and Elijah Anthony become the University’s                                                                                                                    He delighted in helping children experi-                                                          tles, and we remain grateful for the year they
know both men and am grateful for their faithful           On Feb. 8 President Burks announced that             first African American undergraduates in 1968.                                                                                                                   ence the thrill of Independence Day. As if                                                            shared their Christmas Eve dinner with us
leadership. I’m so glad future students will al-       the University also will remember and honor              BELOW: Botham Jean leads singing in chapel in 2014.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 by magic, he could transform 50 cents in a                                                            when we were displaced in temporary hous-
ways be able to refer to this iconic building as the   the life of Botham Jean by placing a bronze
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 child’s hand into $5 of bottle rockets from                                                           ing. Their front door has always been open,
Anthony and Wright Administration Building.”           monument bearing his image in front of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 his fireworks stand.                                                                                  and the sofa in front of Ma Barnes’ fireplace
    In front of the Administration building, a         American Heritage Building. Jean, a 2016 alum-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     He understood emotion hidden in                                                                   remains a welcome seat for conversation.
bronze three-dimensional plaque will bear the          nus from St. Lucia, was murdered Sept. 6, 2018,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 photographs set to music. During the final                                                                Jerome Barnes was convinced that the
images of Anthony and Wright and tell their            at his home in Dallas. Further, the Botham Jean
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 chapel assembly each spring semester, his                                                             most effective teachers are perpetual stu-
inspiring story. Nearby, additional plaques will       Inspiration Award has been created to be given
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 audiovisual genius was on display. It took                                                            dents themselves. My guess is that in his
stand — one honoring the first three African           each year at Homecoming to a member of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 days for him to sift and sort hundreds of                                                             personal Bible study, he and the apostle
American students who enrolled as undergradu-          Harding community for demonstrating excep-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 slides, ensuring that as many faces as pos-                                                           Paul talked often about how best to “do
ates at the University: Lewis Brown, Walter            tional faith and perseverance and serving as a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 sible were included in his visual montage.                                                            nothing out of selfish ambition or vain con-
Cunningham and David Johnson. The other will           role model for all.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 For 20 minutes we watched ourselves                                                                   ceit, but in humility consider others better
honor the first two African American students to           “Botham was a unique and influential leader
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 relive the year and left chapel humming                                                               than yourselves.”
be awarded graduate degrees from the Univer-           on our campus,” said President Burks. “I loved
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 “friends are friends forever.”                                                                            Pa Barnes was a mentor, counselor and
sity: Thelma Smith (’65) and Curtis Sykes (’65).       his smile, the way he led singing in chapel and          Force on Recognizing African American
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Dr. Barnes was a dedicated teacher in                                                             trusted advisor. Surely, he will hear the
    A dedication ceremony that honors these            at church, and his enthusiasm for life. We are           Achievement at the University and approved
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 the classroom. He expected from us no less                                                            words that best describe the lifeblood of
esteemed alumni and celebrates all African             looking forward to a dedication ceremony hon-            by the board of trustees. The task force, chaired
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 than what he demanded from himself, and we learned from him the           his character: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
American members of the Harding family will            oring his life that will be held on or around his        by women’s soccer coach Dr. Greg Harris, was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 value of an exemplary work ethic.
take place during Homecoming weekend in Oc-            30th birthday in September 2021.”                        formed in June 2020 and is made up of Black

                                                                                                                                                                      TO P P H OTO S U B M I T T E D, B OT TO M P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     He was convinced that we needed an education beyond our               Jerome Medwick Barnes (’56), 86, of Searcy died Oct. 3, 2020. He
tober. Brown, Johnson and Cunningham, who                  In addition to the Inspiration Award, two            and white members of the board of trustees,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 textbooks, and in Student Association meetings, he gave us permis-        received a master’s in education from Harding and a doctorate in edu-
did not graduate from the University, will be          scholarships were established in 2019 and are            faculty, administration, students and alumni.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 sion to ask questions and to debate decisions. He was quick to hoist      cation from University of North Texas. He was principal at Truman,
awarded honorary degrees during the ceremo-            given annually in memory of Jean. The Botham             The goal of the task force was to identify the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 us up onto his shoulders for a better view of all our options before      Arkansas. He worked 48 years at Harding, first serving as elementary
ny, Johnson’s and Cunningham’s posthumously.           Jean Memorial, created by Jean’s parents Ber-            most meaningful and appropriate ways in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 we made a hasty decision. But once our choice was made, he did not        principal at Harding Academy of Memphis, Tennessee, and then as
    “The fact that my time spent at Harding            trum and Allison Jean, is given to students who          which the University can memorialize and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 shield us from the consequences.                                          vice president of student services, professor of education, and director
gave no indication that I would ever be hon-           have lived in the Caribbean. A second scholar-           celebrate the history and presence of African
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     When we mismanaged our responsibilities, he walked us through         of the educational media center at the University. He was sponsor of
ored in this way is a testimony to the growth          ship established by the Paul R. Carter College           American students and alumni at Harding.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 the moment. He was the one who nudged me to apologize in per-             the Student Association and the student activities committee. After
and progress of Harding University,” said An-          of Business Administration, in cooperation                   “This announcement is a result of many hours
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 son to the faculty for the language and behavior of a musical group       retirement from the University, he worked at Health Talents Inter-
thony. “I am humbled beyond expression that            with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Jean’s employ-              of conversation, collaboration and hard work by
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 whose performance fell short of Harding’s expectations. The apol-         national for 15 years. He was a member of College Church of Christ.
God has chosen my experiences at Har­ding and          er, is given to historically underrepresented            our task force members as well as other Harding
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 ogy was necessary, but more importantly, he taught me that when           He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Barbara Green (’64); three chil-
beyond to influence the lives of untold numbers        populations as they pursue degrees within the            stakeholders,” said Harris. “It is also the outcome
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         U C M F I L E P H OTO

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 outcomes are disappointing, true leaders accept blame, and when           dren, Roy (’82), Jerome (’89), and Jennifer Moffett (’95); sister, Clara
of young people for generations to come. To            Harding College of Business.                             of the University’s willingness and intentional vi-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 projects are successful, servants are quick to share the credit.          Haskill; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
God be the glory!”                                         These announcements were made follow­ing             sion to move forward along this path of celebrat-
    Anthony was born in Birmingham, Alabama,           a proposal in October by the University Task             ing the entire heritage of our Harding family.”

6   H A R D I N G | S PRING 2021                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          S PRI NG 2021 | H A R D I N G   7
Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
Around Campus                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Around Campus

                                                                                                Ganus memoir tells of                                                                                                                                                                                                           BY THE
                                                                                                an extraordinary life                                                                                          SEEN on SO CIAL MEDIA                                                                                       NUMBERS
                                                                                                THE FAMILY OF CLIFTON L. GANUS JR. has re-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                Benjamin Watson                                            made it look so easy although I know it         SIZING UP
                                                                                                leased I’d Do It All Again, a memoir written by the
                                                                                                former president and chancellor of Harding re-                                                                  Great to visit the state of Arkansas and                   wasn’t. You trusted God’s process and now       CHARTWELLS
                                                                                                counting adventures and experiences from his life.                                                              Harding University. When it comes to con-                  you’re a graduate of Harding University.          FOR THE FALL
                                                                                                                                                                                                                fronting the legacy of racism in our society,              Thank you HU family, thank you so much.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    715
                                                                                                    Ganus was known by many as a leader, support-
                                                                                                er and representative of the University. His life also                                                          we must address the sacred and the secu-                   NOVEMBER 22, 2020

                                                                                                involved travels to 117 countries, four 700-mile Mis-                                                           lar; the spiritual depravity of man as well as
                                                                                                sissippi River trips in a small boat, conversations                                                             the systems he erects. I’m hopeful because                 HU Black Student Association hardingbsa          Transactions on the Boost
                                                                                                with world leaders, annual fishing trips to Alaska,                                                             of how far we have come and the openness                   Thank you to all of you who came and sup-           mobile ordering app
                                                                                                lecturing in universities internationally, represent-                                                           of the many to challenge themselves, their                 ported us yesterday, at our Martin Luther
                                                                                                ing the church of Christ to foreign governments,
                                                                                                climbing the Great Pyramid, establishing a Chris-
                                                                                                                              tian school in Uganda,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                colleagues and their communities.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                NOVEMBER 10, 2020
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           King Jr. celebration and ‘Worship Walk.’
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           J A N UA R Y 1 9                                  6,000+
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Meals delivered to students
                                                              Steve Lake and Candice Moore                                    and much more.                                                                    T Derrick Beckom @DVDMIAMSOCCER                            Caper Media caper_media
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           in quarantine and isolation
                                                                                                                                  “He was devoted to                                                             A 4 ½ hour drive to sit outside and watch                 Harding University has had a huge im-

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            10,000+
                                                                                                                              his faith, to his wife and                                                        you graduate from my iPad, you have no                     pact in my life. While I never attended

Lake, Moore named to new positions                                                                                            family, and to Harding
                                                                                                                             University, the school
                                                                                                                                                                                                                idea the emotions going through me. You                    myself, both my parents went to Harding
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           and a large number of my friends did. I’m
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           so thankful for this wonderful school and        Meal swipes used per week
STEVE LAKE WAS APPOINTED vice presi-            port­folio of donors.                                                        that helped to shape
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           the work they’re doing to make the world              in the dining hall
dent of enrollment services over admis-             Candice Moore (’01) came to the Uni-                                     him and that he in turn

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   400
sions and financial aid, and Candice Moore      versity in 2016 as the events and project                                    helped to shape as its                                                                                                                        a better place!
was named assistant vice president of           specialist in the office of alumni and parent                                president,” said Cliff                                                                                                                        J A N UA R Y 2 6

University communications and marketing,        relations. In 2017 she moved to the office of                                Ganus III. “His life was
both effective Dec. 2, 2020.                    University communications and marketing                                     transformed when he                                                                                                                            Frank McCown @fmccown                           Number of students allowed
    Lake (’86) came to the University in        as the director of marketing, and in 2020                                   came to Harding as a                                                                                                                           All joking aside… I really appreciate @         in the dining hall at a time to
2008 as a gift officer in the office of ad-     she was appointed as campaign and project                                   student in 1939 and then                                                                                                                       pfizer, @moderna_tx and others for all            maintain social distancing
vancement where he was appointed assis-         director in advancement. Moore brings 15        again when he came in 1946 as a teacher. He dis-                                                                                                                           their hard work in getting this #COVID19
tant vice president in 2012. In addition to     years of experience in sales and marketing      covered a passion that he didn’t know he was going                                                                                                                         vaccine out so quickly. And I appreciate
fundraising, he has been heavily involved       prior to her time at Harding.                   to have and was influenced by many who convicted                                                                                                                           @HardingU for making it available to
in recruiting efforts. He previously served         President Burks noted, “She and the         him of what it meant to be a Christian.”                                                                                                                                   the faculty!
as vice president of sales for an industrial    team helped build branding and marketing            In 2016, at the age of 94 and at the request of his                                                                                                                    J A N UA R Y 2 8

manufacturing company in Dallas.                campaigns with many programs and events         family and friends, Ganus began drafting his book,
    “His love for Harding and his focus on
the significance of personal relationships
                                                across the University. Her familiarity with
                                                our team and efforts will serve her well in
                                                                                                using notes he had collected throughout his life.
                                                                                                He continued to compile, write, travel and main-
                                                                                                                                                                                                    HU Online                                   In April 2020 a task force was      visions across the University while
will be extremely valuable in this new
role,” said President David Burks.
                                                this new leadership role of UCM.”
                                                    UCM now reports to Dr. Bryan Burks,
                                                                                                tain a full schedule until May of 2019, when he                                                     established                             created to explore possibilities of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            online education. Members of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    simultaneously working to grow
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    the University’s online presence
                                                                                                developed a serious illness. He died Sept. 9, 2019.
    Lake also will continue to manage a         vice president of University advancement.           “For those who knew him the book is a remind-                                                   PRESIDENT DAVID BURKS an-               task force included Burks, Cronk,       worldwide. Currently, it offers one
                                                                                                er of the joy and commitment that characterized                                                     nounced the expansion of the            Kehl, Dr. Marty Spears, Dr. Reet        undergraduate distance program,

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 600+
                                                                                                him,” said Ganus III. “For those who did not know                                                   University’s educational offerings      Cronk, Dr. Tim Westbrook and            nursing, while a second graduate
                                                                                                him, this is an introduction to a man who was com-                                                  with the creation of Harding Uni-       Becky Tubb (board representative).      distance program, organizational
    Have you HEARD?                                                                             mitted to God, family and service, told with a dash                                                 versity Online, led by Senior Vice          “The task force concluded that
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            we have reached a point where
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    leadership, is under development.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    New programs and offerings will
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Meal exchanges used per day
                                                                                                of adventure and humor in his own words — an                                                        President of IS&T and CIO Keith
    HU16 IS NOW AVAILABLE AS AN APP on Roku                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   in the student center
                                                                                                ordinary accounting of an extraordinary life.”                                                      Cronk. Dr. Susan Kehl, dean and         there is little doubt that online       be launched later this year through
    devices. The app allows users on any Roku system to                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         food court options
                                                                                                    I’d Do It All Again can be purchased for the                                                    associate professor of nursing, was     learning will be a major part of        2022. HU Online also will work

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    130
    watch live programming or a wide variety of past                                                                                                                                                appointed to serve as dean.             higher education in the future,”        with the University’s existing on-
                                                                                                discounted price of $24.95 in the Harding Univer-
    productions available through HU16’s Video on                                                                                                                                                      “The mission of online educa-        said Burks. “They also concluded        line programs, but they will remain
                                                                                                                                                           P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y

                                                                                                sity Bookstore and online at hubookstore.harding.
    Demand service, including chapel presentations, Spring                                                                                                                                          tion will be to provide a Christ-       that online learning can broaden        housed in their respective colleges.
                                                                                                edu. All proceeds from the sale of the book, after
    Sing performances, commencement ceremonies, campus                                                                                                                                              centered, transformative Harding        the reach of Harding and enable us         “The distance/online degree            Students served in the
                                                                                                expenses, will go to the Clifton L. and Louise
    speakers and more. To add the app to your list of Roku channels,                                                                                                                                education through a framework           to take our mission and programs        program format allows students         dining hall after on-campus
                                                                                                Ganus Endowed Scholarship fund. For more
    search ‘Harding’ or ‘HU16’ and look for the logo, download the app, and begin watch-                                                                                                            encapsulating online and a variety      to all the world.”                      the flexibility to work and care          classes ended Nov. 20
                                                                                                information or to purchase, visit library.har­ding.
    ing your favorite Harding programs.                                                                                                                                                             of other nontraditional method-             HU Online will collaborate          for their families while furthering
                                                                                                edu/ganusbook.
                                                                                                                                                                                                    ologies,” said President Burks.         with colleges, departments and di-      their education,” Kehl said.

8   H A R D I N G | S PRING 2021                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            S PRI NG 2021 | H A R D I N G    9
Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
Around Campus                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Around Campus

 SPOTLIGHT
                                    TIM HAMILTON is an assistant professor of communication and multimedia producer for
                                    the University. After graduating with a B.A. in mass communication in 1980, Hamilton be-                                                                                               MY VIEW                  J U L I E H I X S O N - WA L L AC E                                                           N E WS M AKE R S
                                    gan working with KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he spent 32 years as a videographer
                                    for news and sports, before returning to the University.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Vaccinating for COVID-19                                                                                        ADMISSIONS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            David Hall, manager of the Bookstore, also was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            named executive director of enrollment services
                                    WHY DID YOU RETURN TO HARDING?                                                                                                                                                          Because of her extensive background in pharmacy, Harding magazine asked Dr. Julie Hixson-Wallace,               Dec. 2, 2020.
                                    What I realized was that as much as I enjoyed my job at KATV, what I really loved was                                                                                                   the founding dean of the College of Pharmacy who now serves as vice president for accreditation and
                                    working with Paul Eels, the sports director at the time and the “Voice of the Arkansas                                                                                                                                                                                                                  ADVANCEMENT
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            institutional effectiveness and associate provost,to provide her perspective on COVID-19 vaccines.
                                    Razorbacks.” He was the kindest man I ever knew. In 26 years of working with him, I                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Ronnie Huckeba was appointed director of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            AS SOLOMON TELLS US through inspiration                           While being vaccinated for COVID-19 and       senior advancement officers in January.
                                    never saw him lose his temper, get rattled or raise his voice at anyone. We were in some
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “That which has been is that             the viruses that cause influenza can never
                                    really tight moments and windows in the commercial breaks before he was about to be                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ATHLETICS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            which will be, and that which has been done                   achieve nearly complete disease eradication
                                    live, and he just kept me calm in a very chaotic environment. After 26 years of working                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Michael Gragg was named head strength and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            is that which will be done. So there is nothing               like that experienced for infections such as
                                    together, he was killed in a car wreck and from that moment on, it was not the same.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    conditioning coach in December 2020. He previ-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            new under the sun.” (NASB 1995)                               polio, smallpox and measles, I believe taking
                                    I started thinking about what else I could do. I still enjoyed the job, just not like I did                                                                                                                                                                                                             ously served as the assistant strength and condi-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                The year 2021 marks 30 years since I gradu-               care of the bodily temple God gives each of us    tioning coach at Northern Arizona University.
                                    before. I loved my time at Harding as a student, and I’d get back to campus occasionally
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ated from Mercer University Southern School                   through preventative healthcare is prudent.
                                    to cover a story. I guess I always thought in the back of my mind it might be fun to come                                                                                                                                                                                                               COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            of Pharmacy with my Doctor of Pharmacy                        His provision to humankind, the brains and
                                    back and try to pass on a little bit of something that I learned in this profession.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Lisa Bryant, assistant professor of education,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            degree. Thus, it comes as no surprise that                    natural resources to develop vaccines, gives      successfully completed her doctoral work in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            while many things have changed in medicine,                   us the responsibility of being good stewards      special education at the University of Memphis
                                    WHAT DOES YOUR JOB ENTAIL?
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            many things have stayed the same. In 1991                     of that creation. Like the old story of the       in October 2020. The title of her dissertation is
                                    When I started it was as the multimedia producer for sports, but they asked me if I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            there were 9,643 measles cases reported in                    man stranded on his roof during a flood who       “Collegiate Experiences of Individuals with
                                    would be willing to teach a class as an adjunct, if needed. During my second semester I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            the United States, a 65.3% decrease from the                  passed up the boat and helicopter that came       Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities: Our
                                    taught the TV production project class, and since then I have had at least one class every                                                                                                                                                                                                              Success Stories.”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            27,786 cases reported in 1990. The large de-                  to save him and then asked God when he ar-
                                    semester. After we started a major for students interested in multimedia journalism, I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            crease in measles cases was due to a renewed                  rived in heaven why He didn’t save him, I hope    COLLEGE OF PHARMACY
                                    began teaching sports broadcasting, sports writing and reporting, and also an advanced
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            effort to provide routine vaccination against                 we will not turn up our noses to COVID-19         Sarah Steely and Natalie Stirrup represented
                                    video production class in the spring. Outside of teaching, most of my time is at games
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            measles following seven large outbreaks in                    vaccines. They are our helicopter to safety and   HUCOP in the ASHP National Clinical Skills Com-
                                    supervising students who work the cameras, direct, produce, and report on camera
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            1989-90 due to unvaccinated preschool-age                     normalcy – don’t miss out!                        petition in December during the 2020 Midyear
                                    interviewing players and coaches after the games.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Clinical virtual meeting. Steely and Stirrup made
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            children. The CDC’s Morbidity
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            the top 10 finalists out of 126 colleges of phar-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            and Mortality Weekly Report
                                    WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WORKING WITH STUDENTS?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 macy across the nation.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            declared, “… only a sustained
                                    My favorite part is when you have a student in class, and then they graduate and get that
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            effort to provide age-appro-                                                                                    COLLEGE OF SCIENCES
                                    first job, and you get a call that said you were exactly right about something you said in
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            priate vaccination will prevent                                                                                 Dr. Frank McCown, associate professor of com-
                                    class. That might be number one because I do try to be extremely honest about the pro-                                                                                                                                                                                                                  puter science, recently co-authored an interac-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            another resurgence of measles.”
                                    fession. I try to really tell it like it is as far as what it’s like out there, and I want them to                                                                                                                                                                                                      tive, online textbook Database Systems with SQL.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                We now are in the midst of a
                                    understand the pressure, stress, deadlines and tempers and all that stuff that can go on.                                                                                                                                                                                                               Dr. Mike Plummer, professor emeritus, recently
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            viral pandemic due to a mem-
                                    It’s also a lot of fun to be at the games and watch students get better each and every time                                                                                                                                                                                                             had research published on Researchoutreach.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            ber of a family of viruses that
                                    they are out there. When they are directing their first game they may struggle a bit, but                                                                                                                                                                                                               org involving the hibernating behavior of small
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            have caused endemic common
                                    then they get to their second game and you can tell they are already better. After two or                                                                                                                                                                                                               softshell turtles.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            colds and flu-like symptoms for
                                    three games, they are really doing a good job at that point, and it’s fun to see the progress                                                                                                                                                                                                           PUBLIC SAFETY
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            decades. Twice before, in 2002-
                                    in whatever position they are working.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Craig Russell, director of public safety, was
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            03 and 2012-13, coronavirus
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            awarded senior regional vice president of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            epidemics occurred. This led to
                                    WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MOMENTS ON THE JOB?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      year by ASIS International at a virtual Leadership
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            research in the areas of both
                                    If I was picking a favorite moment while working at KATV it would have to be the Ra-                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Exchange event in January 2021.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            prevention and treatment of
                                    zorbacks winning the national championship in 1994. My favorite memory since I have                                                                                                                                                                                                                     STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            coronaviruses, but the interest
                                    been back at Harding would be when the Lady Bisons made it to the Final Four a few                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Mary Darden was appointed director of student
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            has waxed and waned in con-
                                    years ago. The game that they won at Rhodes that put them into the Final Four was                                                                                                                                                                                                                       health services in August 2020.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            junction with how serious each
                                    probably the most exciting game since I have been here. That was a great evening, the
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            epidemic has been. Knowing                                                                                      UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
                                    best I have seen at Rhodes during my time here.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            that the current COVID vaccines                                                                                 AND MARKETING
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            were expedited by research                                                                                      Lane Gammel joined the team in February as
                                    WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO STUDENTS GOING INTO THIS PROFESSION?
                                                                                                                                         P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y

                                                                                                                                                                                  P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y    performed over many years can                                                                                   the director of communications and media
                                    There is real value in showing up. What I mean by that is be on time, work hard and                                                                                                                                                                                                                     relations. He previously served as director of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            help ease the minds of those
                                    always have a great attitude. I think you can have less talent, but if you show up on time,                                                                                                                                                                                                             communications for the Seattle Seahawks.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            who have raised concerns that
                                    work hard and have a great attitude, that makes up for the difference in talent level. It’s                                                                                                                                                                                                             Amanda Rice was named marketing manager
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            the vaccines have been brought
                                    not always the person with the most talent that advances. I have seen people with tre-                                                                                                                                                                                                                  in January. She previously served the office as
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            too fast to clinical use.
                                    mendous talent be late, not work hard and have a lousy attitude, and it hurts them in the                                                                                                                                                                                                               marketing assistant, a position being filled by
                                    long run. If you show up, then you have an opportunity to stand out.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Luke Humphrey who began in February.

10   H A R D I N G | S PRING 2021                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         S PRI NG 2021 | H A R D I N G       11
Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
Around Campus                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Around Campus

                                                                                                                 New system                                                                                                         Q U O TA B L E                                                                                                     Holiday housing
     Be The Match program on                                                                                     improves library
                                                                                                                 efficiency
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       AS THE ON-CAMPUS PORTION of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       the semester ended Nov. 20, a num-

     campus results in donation
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       ber of students remained on campus
                                                                                                                 IN DECEMBER BRACKETT LIBRARY offi-                                                                                                                                                                                                    through the week of Thanksgiving,
                                                                                                                 cially made the transition to a new system,                                                                                                                                                                                           and some through Christmas as well.
                         LUMNUS JULIAN TRUJILLO (’19) from Coppell, Texas, recently made a trip to               a process that had been in the works since                                                                                                                                                                                            Ten students stayed the entire break,

        A
                         Washington, D.C., to donate bone marrow after discovering he was a match to a           July 2020. As part of the upgrade, the                                                                                                                                                                                                while around 80 were on campus
                         16-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.                                     system has a new searching interface that                                                                                                                                                                                             for different time frames. Addition-
                            Trujillo said he became involved with Be The Match, an organization that con-        allows users to search across all library                                                                                                                                                                                             ally, more than 125 student-athletes
                         nects donors with those in need of a transplant, after they came to the University      resources at one time providing users the                                                                                                                                                                                             remained for different time periods
     his sophomore year. Since then, he has received a couple of calls about potential matches, but it           ability to renew books and place holds, all                                                                                                                                                                                           related to practice schedules and
     wasn’t until this past summer that he received THE call. In August he was informed he was indeed            within one area.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      games for their sports.
     a match and would be flown to the District of Columbia to continue the donation process. In                     The library had been on the previous                                                                                                                                                                                                  Aside from athletics, reasons for
     preparation for his donation, Trujillo completed a health checkup to confirm he was able to carry           system since 2001.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    remaining on campus included in-
                                                                        out the donation.                            “Our old system was really built for                                                                                                                                                                                              ternational students unable to return
                                                                            “I was pretty excited just be-       print collections, but the new system is                                                                                                                                                                                              home, students in quarantine or
                                                                        cause you sign up hoping you get         designed to work with both print and                                                                                                                                                                                                  isolation, those completing student

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    “
                                                                        an opportunity to help out, but          electronic resources,” said Jean Waldrop,                                                                                                                                                                                             teaching requirements or other work
                                                                        you don’t really understand the          library director.                                                                                                                   Ultimately the issue is not a skin                                                                commitments, as well as some who
                                                                        process of how people become                 Users’ library accounts will now work                                                                                                                                                                                             required internet access to complete
                                                                        matches,” Trujillo said. “Just to have   with their interlibrary loan account, al-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   problem, it’s a sin problem. God has                                                                the semester remotely.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           “I stayed because of work, so it
                                                                        the opportunity to help someone
                                                                        was pretty cool.”
                                                                                                                 lowing them to view their requests and                                                                                          provided a solution for sin through his                                                               was just me in my apartment for the
                                                                                                                 renew books online. Additionally, if a user
                                                                            Trujillo was originally sched-       is unable to find a resource in the Brack-                                                                                      son Jesus. I’m encouraged because the                                                                 break,” Alexis Smith, a senior social

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               ”
                                                                        uled to go in August but was             ett Library collection, they can broaden                                                                                                                                                                                              work major, said. “It can get pretty
                                                                        delayed until September due to           the search to include availability at other                                                                                         Gospel gives mankind hope.                                                                        lonely being on campus by yourself,
                                                                        the pandemic.                            library locations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    but honestly the Christmas lights
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            — Benjamin Watson, ASI Distinguished Lecture Series speaker Nov. 9, 2020
                                                                            “The morning of I had to show            In addition to the new features the                                                                                                                                                                                               on campus kept it feeling a lot more
                                                                        up around 6 a.m. I was introduced        system provides, managing day-to-day                                                                                                                                                                                                  homey. You can see the lights from off
                                                                        to the doctor who proceeded to           processes has drastically improved.                                                                                                                                                                                                   campus, and it just reminded me of
                                                                        tell me they do this procedure               “The landscape has changed dra-                                                                                                                                                                                                   lighting ceremonies and hanging out
                                                                        upwards of 200 times a year, and         matically in the library world since we                                                                                                                                                                                               with friends.”
                                                                        the facility is number one in the        implemented our last library manage-                                                                                                                                                                                                      The dining hall was open between
                                                                        country, so that was comforting.”
                                                                            The procedure took an hour
                                                                                                                 ment system 20 years ago,” said Brenda                                                                             Nursing master’s first of its kind in Arkansas                                                                     Thanksgiving break and Christmas
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       break. The numbers during each
                                                                                                                 Breezeel, library systems administrator.
                                                                        and a half, during which the doc-        “We are no longer just managing books,                                                                             CARR COLLEGE OF NURSING launched a Master’s                students with a bachelor’s degree or at least 90        break were low enough that each
                                                                        tor retrieved bone marrow from           we are managing electronic resources                                                                               Entry into Professional Nursing program in fall 2020.      undergraduate credit hours and undergraduate            student received individual commu-
                                                                        Trujillo’s lower back. Other than        such as e-books, online journals and                                                                               This is the first prelicensure Master of Science in        nursing prerequisites to become advanced entry-         nication to ensure they had access
                                                                        a bandage covering the retrieval         databases. The new system allows us to                                                                             Nursing program in Arkansas and permits graduates          level professional nurses. The MEPN program is ideal    to food. These students also stayed
                                                                        site and a sore throat from the          manage all of these resources more ef-                                                                             to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensing exam as well as          for individuals seeking an exciting career change       in touch daily with a residence life
                                                                        intubation tube, Trujillo said he        ficiently, which in turn allows us to get                                                                          achieve higher levels of nursing.                          to professional nursing and healthcare. The degree      coordinator over the holiday breaks.
                                                                        felt great and was allowed to go         those resources ready for students and                                                                                 The MEPN program equips registered nurses to           allows faster attainment of the advanced practice       According to Dean of Students Zach
                                                                        home a couple of hours later the         faculty quicker.”                                                                                                  provide excellent patient care while understanding         roles in nursing and completion of the Doctor of        Neal, a special meal was offered to
                                                                        same day.                                    Breezeel says the transition and migra-                                                                        the complexities of the healthcare system. Gradu-          Nursing Practice following graduation.                  those interested at Thanksgiving and
         Trujillo is allowed to communicate with the recipient through Be The Match, however, no                 tion to a new system have been a success.                                                                          ates will be prepared for direct patient care roles as         “This is an exciting opportunity for Carr College   at Christmas, and most, if not all,
     information can be disclosed until a year after the donation date. Following his trip, Trujillo says it         “Overall it has gone smoothly. We spent                                                                        well as indirect roles in diverse settings. Special top-   of Nursing to offer a master’s entry for those who      students made other plans.
     is definitely something he would consider doing again.                                                      a lot of time in the spring and summer pre-                                                                        ics in the MEPN program include, but are not limited       already have a bachelor’s degree but also for               “I am very thankful that the
                                                                                                                                                                                           P H OTO B Y J E F F M O N TG O M E R Y
         “At most, it is a minor inconvenience for me, but it can be life changing for someone else. It’s        paring for the migration, brainstorming                                                                            to, leadership, management, quality improvement            incoming freshmen to move straight through              University was able to offer this op-
     not really up for debate and completely selfish to think otherwise. You could be providing so               project planning and doing data clean up                                                                           and care coordination. MEPN graduates will be              undergraduate classes right into master’s level         portunity,” Neal said. “We are in
                                                                                                                                                               S U B M I T T E D P H OTO

     many more future memories for thousands of people involved in the other person’s life. God sent             to help make the transition easier.”                                                                               prepared to lead and serve in administrative roles as      courses,” said Debby Nutt, program director. “The       conversations now to create a way
     his son to die on a cross to save my eternal life — the least I could do is give some bone marrow               Harding School of Theology shares a                                                                            their careers progress.                                    program will be a benefit to healthcare organiza-       for students to have this option when
     to try and help save her earthly life.”                                                                     library system with the University and par-                                                                            The year-round, five-semester program includes         tions across the state of Arkansas, the United States   gaining their housing assignments in
                                                                                                                 ticipated in the migration process as well.                                                                        72 credit hours, 1,032 clinical hours and prepares         and other countries.”                                   the future.”

12    H A R D I N G | S PRING 2021                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             S PRI NG 2021 | H A R D I N G   13
Scholar Works at Harding - Harding University
Sports                                                                                                                                                                                                                        For the latest sports information, visit hardingsports.com.

Bisons back in the herd                                                                                                                                                                                     “The influence that coach Dick Johnson and coach Steve Smith had
                                                                                                                                                                                                           on me and my teammates is the biggest factor from my experience in
                                                                                                                                                                                                          Harding athletics that made me want to come back to work at Harding.”
By SCOTT GOODE, assistant athletic director for sports information
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       MARTY SPEARS, PROVOST

                 VERY YEAR, more than 100                         ding (tennis) and Meredith Fear (volleyball).                   and losing, being early and not just on time,          hu:apocalypse (Harding’s ultimate Frisbee club                  know a single student. They said goodbye and                     Jason Darden says. “Through my experiences

     E
                 new students come to Searcy                      That number is by far the most of any universi-                 always working to be better, encouraging your          team) were of such high caliber, actively pur-                  drove 18 hours back home. Over the next few                      as a student-athlete, I began to realize that
                 because they have been given                     ty in the Great American Conference. Arkansas                   teammates, realizing your role on the team             suing loving the Lord in their daily lives,” Dr.                weeks and months, my teammates became my                         college students are in a very formative phase
                 a chance to participate in in-                   Tech, by comparison, is next with five.                         and so much more.”                                     Justin Bland says. “I wanted them to remain in-                 family. We practiced together in the morn-                       of their lives. Teaching scriptures and shar-
                 tercollegiate athletics for one                      But possibly the most remarkable figure is                      For many of these student-athletes, work-          fluential in my life. At the time, I thought if God             ings and afternoons. We traveled together on                     ing faith with college students can change the
or more of Harding’s 18 teams. Many of those                      the number of former student-athletes who                       ing at Harding became a goal while they were           were to provide me with a family and children,                  the weekends. We ate together and at times                       trajectory of their lives. I learned this while
student-athletes graduate and move away,                          now work at the University outside of athletics.                still in school or soon thereafter.                    I want my children to look up to these men. So                  worshipped together. This spirit of family and                   witnessing a few of my teammates come to
but a surprising number stay or come back to                      There are more than 30 current employees at                         “I loved everything about my experience at         we established a plan and wrote out a contract                  belonging has made me feel a part of Harding                     faith in Christ.”
Harding to work.                                                  Harding who participated in athletics.                          Harding as a student-athlete,” Dr. Clay Beason         agreement that we would all come back to                        ever since, and making the decision to work                          For Ross Cochran, the example set by his coach
   In the athletic department, the University                         Karie Fouts Fager says that her time as a stu-              says. “I loved my professors, my coaches, dorm         Searcy and teach at Harding. Life has thrown us                 here was an easy one.”                                           influenced the way he deals with his students.
has 14 former student-athletes now on its                         dent-athlete at Harding prepared her for many                   life, hanging out in the student center, eat-          some curves, but 14 years later, three of the four                 Former student-athletes also saw how Har­                         “Coach David Elliott used to come into Arm-
coaching staffs, including head coaches Dr.                       other aspects of post-college life.                             ing with friends in the cafeteria, home Bible          of us have succeeded in living in Searcy and the                ding improved their lives and wanted to pro-                     strong Hall and check on another freshman and
Patrick McGaha (baseball), Paul Simmons                               “Athletics prepares you for so many things —                studies, spring break mission trips and more. I        fourth is still committed if the Lord wills.”                   vide that for others.                                            me just to see if we were studying and were not
(football), Dustin Howell (men’s and women’s                      working as a team, trusting a coach or boss, be-                wanted to continue to be associated with that.”           Tia Tarole Stone remembers: “When my                            “I thought everyone who came to Harding                       homesick. I see the importance of that personal
golf ), Jon Ireland (men’s soccer), David Red-                    ing able to talk to your coach or boss, winning                     “The men I was around during my time on            parents dropped me off at Harding, I did not                    grew up in a faithful Christian household,” Dr.                  touch in my present interactions with students.”

         F O R M E R AT H L E T E S W O R K I N G O U T S I D E O F AT H L E T I C S                                                                                                     B U TC H G A R D N E R                        N AT H A N M I L L S                         J A N I S CO P E L A N D R AG S D A L E            Best memory: “My husband (John) pro-
                                                                                                                                                                                         Job: Director, career services                Job: Professor, department of biology        Job: Administrator,                                posed to me immediately following the
JIM BAIRD                                    JUSTIN BLAND                                   LU K E C U L L I N S                              L E E E D WA R D S                         Sports: Basketball, 1973-77; track and        Sport: Men’s cross-country and track and     International programs                             national cross-country meet in Pomona,
Job: Manager, client support                 Job: Associate professor, department of        Job: Assistant professor,                         Job: Associate professor,                  field, 1974-75; baseball, 1975                field, 1989-93                               Sport: Softball, 1982                              California, my senior year.”
and consulting                               exercise and sport sciences                    College of Sciences                               College of Bible and Ministry              Stats: Bison basketball’s career leader       Awards: Two-time All-AIC (1991 and           Memories: “My best memories include
Sport: Men’s track, 1984-85                  Sport: Club ultimate frisbee, 2003-07          Sport: Football, 1996-99                          Sport: Football, 1991-94                   with 2,255 points and 983 rebounds            1992), placing fourth both seasons           practices at Berryhill Park, workouts at           PHILIP THOMPSON
Stat: Ranks eighth on Harding’s all-time     Best memory: Harding’s upset victory           Stats: Fifth at Harding with 5,027                Stats: 120 tackles and 4.0 sacks in 35                                                                                                the small red-carpeted weight room in              Job: Professor,
outdoor 2-mile list at 9:54.22               over No. 2-ranked Texas State in the           passing yards and third with 44                   career games                               RONNIE HUCKEBA                                JESSICA MOORE                                the GAC, friendships, and experiencing             College of Bible and Ministry
                                             regional tournament                            passing touchdowns                                                                           Job: Director of senior advancement           Job: Associate professor,                    positive mentoring by coaches Ted Alt-             Sport: Baseball, 1972-74
D AV I D B A N G S                                                                                                                            K A R I E F O U T S FAG E R                officers, Advancement                         department of kinesiology                    man and Robbie Shackelford.”                       Memory: “In one of the first games I
Job: Professor, College of Education/        R YA N C A R T E R                             JASON DARDEN                                      Job: Residence life coordinator for        Sport: Football, 1973-76                      Sport: Softball, 1980-81                                                                        pitched, a batter on the opposing team
chair of graduate studies                    Job: Construction manager,                     Job: Instructor,                                  Allen Hall                                 Coached for 30 seasons at Harding, includ-    Comment: “I graduated from Harding in        S COT T R AG S D A L E                             hit a monstrous home run. The ball was
Sport: Football, 1977-79                     Physical Resources                             College of Bible and Ministry                     Sports: Basketball, 1995-99; track and     ing 10 as head coach • started at guard on    1980 but entered the graduate educa-         Job: Associate professor,                          still rising when it cleared the fence of the
Stats: Compiled 1,122 career all-purpose     Sport: Men’s track and field, 1995             Sport: Football, 1999-2003                        field, 1999                                the Bisons’ 1976 Arkansas Intercollegiate     tion program in order to play on the first   department of computer science                     ballfield at Berryhill Park. It finally landed
yards and scored five touchdowns             Stat: Cleared 6 feet, 6 inches in the          Best memory: Slip-n-slide on the third            Memories: “I have great memories of        Conference co-championship squad              softball team. This certainly helped me      Sport: Football, 1977-80                           in the adjacent Little League field.”
                                             high jump                                      floor of Harbin Hall with freshmen                going to nationals in 1996 and 1997,                                                     attain my first coaching position.”          Harding’s starting quarterback in 1980
K L AY B A R T E E                                                                          football players                                  of road trips in the minibus, of being a   D AV I D K E E                                                                                                                                L AU R I E WA L K E R
Job: Assistant professor,                    R O S S CO C H R A N                                                                             Lady Bison with my sister for two years,   Job: Professor,                               ERIC MYERS                                   MARTY SPEARS                                       Job: Assistant professor,
HU Counseling Center                         Job: Professor,                                T E S S A TA R O L E D AV I D S O N               of playing in the Rhodes, and playing      College of Business Administration            Job: Coordinator of sports medicine          Job: Provost                                       department of math
Sport: Football, 1977-82 • coached Bison     College of Bible and Ministry                  Job: Associate professor,                         with such great teammates. I am proud      Sport: Club men’s soccer                      Sport: Football, 1988-90                     Sport: Baseball, 1984-88                           Sport: Women’s track and field, 1985
football for 24 seasons                      Sport: Men’s Tennis, 1975-76                   department of art and design                      to have been a Lady Bison!”                Memories: “We competed against a va-          A member of Harding’s 1989 team that         Memories: “I was part of a very special            Comment: “I was very excited to be part of
Stats: Played 32 games as a Bison • had a    Stats: Won 21 singles matches in 1976,         Sport: Women’s cross-country and track                                                       riety of schools across Arkansas and the      upset University of Central Arkansas to      team my freshman year, and we came                 the first women’s track team at Harding!”
10-yard interception return for a touch-     seventh in an HU single season • AIC           and field, 2003-07                                M A R C FAG E R                            region. Our team was a rag-tag group          earn the AIC co-championship                 within six outs of going to the NAIA
down in 1980                                 No. 5 singles and No. 3 doubles (with          Stats: Had career-best times of 2:24.66           Job: Associate professor, department of    of talented players representing more                                                      World Series. My senior year was special           CARL WILLIAMSON
                                             Charles Ganus) champion in 1976 • 33-8         in the 800 meters and 5:08.84 in the              mental health and wellness                 than a half-dozen countries. We had no        FA R A H M AC K E Y P R I C E                because I was the only senior, and it              Job: Professor,
C L AY B E A S O N                           career singles record                          1,500 meters                                      Sport: Football, 1995-99                   scholarships and no money, except from        Job: Administrative assistant,               was Coach (Dick) Johnson’s last year. We           College of Bible and Ministry
Job: Professor, College of Education                                                                                                          Honors: 2000 Berryhill Award winner as     our sponsor Searcy Steel Co.                  physical therapy                             went out together and really enjoyed               Sport: Men’s cross-country and track and
Sports: Football, 1992-96; Track and field   D AV I D CO L L I N S                          J.R. DUKE                                         Harding’s top male senior athlete                                                        Sport: Women’s tennis, 1990-94               that final season. I was sort of like an           field, 1998-2002
Stats: The only Bison football player with   Job: Executive vice president                  Job: Associate professor,                                                                    K E N D A L L LO W E                          Comment: “I really loved getting to          assistant coach that year and even drove           Awards: 2000 Academic All-Lone Star
more than 2,000 career passing yards         Sport: Men’s basketball, 1988-92               department of history                             B R I T N E Y CO P E L A N D F I N L E Y   Job: Preventative maintenance service         spend time with the Hispanic players         the bus to some of the games.”                     Conference
and 1,000 career receiving yards • 1994      Stats: Played in 89 games • scored             Sport: Men’s basketball, 1994-98                  Job: Assistant professor,                  specialist, Physical Resources                that Coach (David) Elliott always recruit-
AIC 110-meter hurdles champion and           573 points with 278 rebounds and 75            Stats: Ranks second at Harding in career          department of kinesiology                  Sport: Club ultimate frisbee, 2012-16         ed. We are still friends to this day.”       T I A TA R O L E S TO N E                          JAMIE GARNER WILSON
1995 AIC high jump champion                  3-pointers made                                3-point field goal percentage (45.3%)             Sport: Women’s cross-country and track     Best memory: “The best memories I have                                                     Job: Preprofessional health sciences               Job: Assistant director, postal services
                                                                                            • 1996-97 NAIA All-Region • 1997-98               and field, 1998-2002                       of playing for Harding were our numerous                                                   administration                                     Sport: Women’s basketball, 1997-98
                                                                                            CoSIDA Academic All-America                       Honors: 1998 Lone Star Conference wom-     road trips to tournaments, particularly our                                                Sport: Women’s cross-country and track             Played on Harding’s first NCAA Division
                                                                                                                                              en’s cross-country Freshman of the Year    trip to nationals in Minnesota in 2013.”                                                   and field, 1998-2001                               II team

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Back in the
saddle again
                                          r. David B. Burks               WHAT ARE YOUR MOST SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS                            IS THERE A PRESIDENTIAL SECRET TO SUCCESS?
                                                                          FROM YOUR TIME AS CHANCELLOR?                                             I really don’t know of any secret to success other than being com-
                                          returned to the role of         I spent a considerable amount of my time as chancellor designing          mitted to God and trying to do the best you can to follow his prin-
                                          president Dec. 1, 2020,         and developing Legacy Park residential, which includes some 38            ciples. I do believe in strategic planning although it is tough to do in
                                                                          homes, three townhouses and 12 condominiums. I also worked on             an interim period of time. However, we can still set goals and try to
                                      after serving as chancel­           economic development projects for Harding and the city of Searcy.         achieve those that fit into our existing plan.
                                      lor since 2013. His Har­            In addition, I worked on special projects for Harding, for example,
                                                                          chairing the Task Force on Online Education.                              WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON HARDING’S CAMPUS, AND WHY?
                                      ding career spans more                                                                                        That is hard to say because I love the entire campus, but my favorite
                                      than five decades since             WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO ACCEPT THIS INTERIM ROLE?                           place would be Cone Chapel with its view of the quad.
                                                                          I love Harding and I love her mission, and I simply felt that I should
                                      joining the faculty in 1967.
                                                                          answer yes when I was asked to fill this role again by the board of       WHAT PERSONALITY TRAIT HAS GOTTEN YOU IN THE MOST
                                      In addition to teaching             trustees. I do believe we have a bright future, and I want to do all      TROUBLE? HOW SO?
                                      accounting in the Paul R.           that I can in this interim period of time to help advance our mission     I am always in a hurry and want to get things done as quickly as pos-
                                                                          and ministry at Harding.                                                  sible and as efficiently as possible. This is not always the best way to
                                      Carter College of Busi­                                                                                       go, and sometimes it gets me in trouble. Sometimes I have not been
                                      ness Administration, he             WHAT ARE YOUR TOP GOALS TO FULFILL AS PRESIDENT?                          able to enjoy the journey as much as I would like.
                                                                          The top goal is simply to make sure we continue with the implemen-
                                      served as dean of the               tation, in the most successful way possible, our mission of integrat-     WHAT ONE ITEM COULD YOU NOT LIVE WITHOUT IN YOUR OFFICE?
                                      college for 13 years and            ing faith, learning and living. I would like to see as many students as   Hard to say, but I would not want to be without the family book of
                                                                          possible receive what we refer to as “the Harding experience.” It is a    pictures, which is given to Leah and me every year by our children,
                                      as director of American             transformational, life-changing experience.                               including all the major events of the preceding year. I have 20 of
                                      Studies for five years.                                                                                       these books in my office, and these books are precious to me.
                                      Focused on the integration of       DEALING WITH THE PANDEMIC AND UNREST IN OUR COUNTRY
                                                                          HAS CHALLENGED THE UNIVERSITY. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ARE                     WHAT’S THE FIRST THING YOU DO WHEN YOU GET TO YOUR
                                      faith, learning and living, Burks
                                                                          THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING THE UNIVERSITY TODAY, AND                   OFFICE EACH MORNING? WHAT’S THE LAST THING YOU DO
                                      led the University to record        HOW DO THEY AFFECT YOUR ROLE?                                             BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR OFFICE EACH EVENING?
         Interview by JANTZEN HALEY
                                      growth in enrollment and giv­       Our country is facing unprecedented times as we deal with the             The first thing I do when I get to the office each morning is not very
     Photography by JEFF MONTGOMERY   ing during his first administra­    pandemic and unrest in our nation. This will challenge Harding and        original. I turn on the computer and check emails if I did not do it
                                      tion. He has held leadership        other institutions of higher education in ways we have never seen         at home. The last thing I do as I leave the office is the same, turn off
                                                                          before. We will continue to be challenged in terms of enrollment          the computer.
                                      positions on the Higher Learn­
                                                                          and the cost of attending a private Christian university. However, I
                                      ing Commission, on the North        believe that this is a wonderful investment for people to continue to     WHAT’S THE MOST UNIQUE THING YOU’VE BEEN ASKED TO DO
                                      Central Association of Colleges     make, and I believe our students will continue to make a meaningful       BY A STUDENT OR GROUP OF STUDENTS?
                                      and Universities, First Security    difference in our world.                                                  I remember being asked by the SA president at the time, James Huff,
                                      Bank, the Founding Council of                                                                                 who is now on our faculty, to sing a song with him in an SA Talent
                                                                          THE TERM ‘CAMARADERIE’ IS ATTACHED TO YOU AND YOUR                        Show. I am not a singer but fortunately, James carried the day. We
                                      Presidents of the Great Ameri­      PRESIDENCY. IN WHAT WAYS DOES IT ENCAPSULATE THE                          were both dressed in dark clothing and wore sunglasses and the
                                      can Conference, and the             HARDING EXPERIENCE?                                                       lights were dim in the auditorium. This was before the time when
                                      Searcy Regional Economic            Camaraderie is just my favorite way of talking about fellowship and       everyone had a camera with them so I don’t think it was recorded.
                                      Development Corporation.            the closeness that students feel to one another, to their faculty mem-    It was funny! There were a lot of these incidents over the years.
                                                                          bers and to God, as a result of their experience at Harding.
                                      An elder at College Church
                                                                                                                                                    WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR HARDING IN 2021 AND BEYOND?
                                      of Christ, Burks and his wife,      STEPPING BACK INTO THE ROLE OF PRESIDENT, WHAT HAS CHANGED                I just want Harding to be true to her mission statement in every-
                                      Leah, have two sons, Bryan and      THE MOST IN YOUR LIFE? AT HARDING? IN THE SEARCY COMMUNITY?               thing that we do. I am hopeful that we can continue to attract won-
                                      Stephen, and six grandchil­         The change that is most obvious is the role of social media in every      derful young people who want to be a part of what we have to offer
                                      dren. Here’s what he had to say     aspect of life, but other than this transparency, much of what is         at Harding. I am hopeful that this can be done, not only in Searcy
                                                                          involved in being president of the University is very much the same       but in other locations and even on the internet by way of online
                                      about his time as chancellor,       as it was when I was in this position eight years ago. We are still all   education. This would allow students to benefit from the Harding
                                      his plans for the future, and his   about working with students and trying to teach and demonstrate           experience worldwide.
                                      secret to success.                  how to integrate faith, learning and living.

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