Official Newsletter of the Marshall University Alumni Association | January 2022 |
|
Diversity – Integrity – Loyalty – Pride – Respect |
|
New Year, Same Great Herd
|
Every January, like clockwork, we all hear it said: new year, new me.
While there is certainly nothing wrong with a resolution or two centered on self-improvement and personal well-being, there is also nothing wrong with entering a new year remaining your usual, fabulous self.
Marshall University had a great 2022, and you can read more about the stories that made this past year so remarkable below. Last year was a season of big changes in Huntington, and we can't wait to see what 2023 has in store for our university and for our wonderful Marshall family around the world.
So, in 2023 join a chapter. Attend an alumni event. Tell a friend, a family member or a neighbor your Marshall story. And always be sure to keep us updated and share your news with us. And as for the new year, we say you keep doing you, Marshall!
Enjoy reading this edition of the Marshall University alumni newsletter. GO HERD!
MU Office of Alumni Relations
|
|
Marshall University Foundation debuts brand new alumni magazine beginning in January |
|
The Marshall University Foundation is excited to announce the creation of Marshall Rising, a brand-new publication focused on telling the incredible stories of alumni, supporters and friends of Marshall University and their impact on the lives of past, present and future students.
Marshall Rising is a reimagined and expanded version of previous publications created by the Marshall Foundation. And the new venture will be used to tell the stories of individuals and their private support that helps the university be able to dream big and reach new heights.
The publication’s title showcases the upward trajectory of Marshall, while at the same time honoring the university’s very first comprehensive campaign Marshall Rises, which concluded in 2022 with more than $176 million raised for the university.
Included within its pages, Marshall Rising will put a spotlight on many different areas of impact at Marshall University, focusing on telling the story of why individuals give back to the university, either through their time, talent or treasure.
If you would like to share you story for consideration in this and other Marshall University publications, please click on the link below.
To view the digital version of the very first Marshall Rising click on the magazine image or link below.
|
|
Marshall hires Beals as baseball head coach |
|
Following Board of Governors approval, Marshall University President Brad D. Smith announced that the university has hired Gregory Beals as the head baseball coach of the Thundering Herd.
Beals is the 29th head coach in program history.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Coach Beals to Marshall University,” Smith said. “He brings a wealth of experience and a stellar skill set to our university’s baseball program. Marshall is committed to building our baseball program, from the bricks and mortar of our new stadium to a dedicated, championship coach who is uniquely qualified and committed to moving our program forward. We are passionate and poised for the next chapter in our storied baseball history.”
Before coming to Huntington, Beals was hired as head coach at the University of Akron this past July after spending 12 seasons at the helm of the Ohio State University Buckeyes.
During his time in Columbus, Beals took Ohio State to the NCAA Tournament three times (2016, 2018 and 2019) and won two Big Ten Championships in 2016 and 2019.
|
|
Marshall earns 28-14 win over UConn in Myrtle Beach Bowl amid huge Herd turnout |
|
Prior to December's Myrtle Beach Bowl, Marshall coach Charles Huff asked his team what their legacy would be when the game came to an end.
As the sun set on Brooks Stadium that Monday evening, Huff knew what his team's legacy was.
Marshall's defense forced four turnovers, including a late Micah Abraham interception to seal things, and the Thundering Herd got 92 and 90 rushing yards respectively from running backs Rasheen Ali and Khalan Laborn to earn a 28-14 win over UConn in the Myrtle Beach Bowl in front of 12,023 fans at Brooks Stadium in Conway, South Carolina.
|
|
Marshall University President Brad D. Smith was officially welcomed as the 38th president of Marshall University during his investiture on Sep. 16. The event was included as one of the 12 biggest news stories of 2022 by the Marshall University Alumni Association. |
Campus Spotlight:
Looking back at the 12 biggest stories from '22
|
Throughout the month of December, the Marshall University Alumni Association looked back on the most significant Marshall moments of the past 12 months in its 12 Days of Marshall series.
We celebrated a win against Notre Dame, began to see our baseball stadium dreams come true, and ushered in a new era as we joined the Sun Belt Conference.
We celebrated the conclusion of Marshall Rises, which raised $176 million for the university, and will allow Marshall to reach new heights. Speaking of heights, we also officially opened our Aviation Maintenance Technology program, creating new opportunities in a fast-growing industry.
We welcomed new faces to campus and saw familiar faces in new roles, including Christian Spears as athletic director, Dr. Avi Mukherjee as provost, and Matt James as executive director of alumni relations. Of course, one familiar face stood above the rest as Brad D. Smith became the 38th president of our great university.
To read more Marshall highlights, check out the link below.
|
|
Alumni News, Chapters
and Member Benefits
|
|
Join your fellow #MarshallUFamily on social media |
In today’s ever-expanding digital world, it is easier than ever to stay informed, interact and join in the conversation of your favorite artists, brands and teams.
What was once an analog process, reaching out and touching the things you are passionate about is now a click away. And that includes your alma mater.
The Marshall University Alumni Association continues to research new and exciting ways to interact with alumni, friends and supporters and expand its digital footprint on social media and online. Currently, the online Marshall Alumni community has over 13,000 followers on Facebook and a growing presence on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and more.
Tuning in to the MUAA on social media will bring you the latest alumni news, as well as fun weekly snapshots of campus – both in the present and the past – through weekly features such as #HerdHistory and #MarshallUMonday. We also have extensive coverage of alumni and campus events, as well as stories of fascinating alums and individuals that truly make a difference at Marshall.
Like, comment and join in the conversation today on your platform of choice @MarshallUAlumni. We can’t wait to see you there!
|
|
Woodlands Retirement Community |
A premier Continuing Care Retirement Community in Huntington |
The Marshall University Alumni Association is proud to partner with Woodlands Retirement Community located in Huntington, West Virginia.
Woodlands Retirement Community is a premier Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) for people 55 and over that sits atop 171 acres of spectacular property overlooking hilltops and valleys in the area. Woodlands is a community that offers peace of mind by catering to three defining areas of living. First, encouraging wellness through an active, independent lifestyle and the companionship of close friends. Second, spacious cottages and apartments and providing services, events and special amenities to provide an unparalleled independent living experience. Finally, providing every resident access to onsite assisted living and memory support, should health care services ever be required.
Woodlands has the distinction of being the region’s only LifeCare community. Residents who choose LifeCare have the security of knowing they will always be able to stay in their Woodlands home – near friends, old and new – even if their health care needs change and they outlive their financial resources.
|
|
Did you know that the Thundering Herd currently has the best all-time bowl win percentage (minimum 10 games) in the entire country?!
After its 28-14 win over UConn in the 2022 Myrtle Beach Bowl, Marshall has an impressive 13-5 (.722) record in bowl games dating back to 1997, including an unheard of 12-1 bowl record between 1998-2018.
See more throwback photos and #HerdHistory every week on the Marshall University Alumni Association social media channels.
@MarshallUAlumni
|
|
|
|
Marshall Foundation
News and Updates
|
|
Maxine Hurst: A legacy of education |
|
Maxine Hurst and her husband Wilburn gave to worthy causes all their lives. With no children of their own, they were able to support their own and other churches, charities and civic projects, as well as supporting their family and friends.
“They never sought credit or recognition,” said Maxine Hurst’s cousin Keith Wellman. “For all of their generosity over the years, Maxine’s final request was to leave the bulk of her estate to her beloved alma mater Marshall University.”
Funded by their estate, the Wilburn and Maxine Hurst Academic Scholarship supports Cabell and Wayne county students in the College of Education and Professional Development. Before her passing in 2018, Maxine Hurst also established the Mona Wellman Samson Scholarship Fund in honor of her mother who was a longtime teacher in Cabell and Wayne counties. That scholarship also supports Wayne County graduates.
Sophomore nursing major Kami Chapman, from Wayne, West Virginia, is one of the recipients of the Mona Wellman Samson Scholarship. Chapman said she wants to be a nurse because it impacts people’s lives in a hands-on environment with person-to-person contact.
“My scholarships have pushed me to spend more time on campus studying to keep the scholarships,” Chapman said. “I would love to tell Mrs. Hurst thank you for leaving your estate to the university in order to help students pursuing their careers.”
|
|
|
|
Enjoy this video of Marshall University students sharing their story and saying thank you to all those who helped make a difference in 2022!
|
|
|
|
Crowdfunding now available on campus |
|
What gift is more valuable for a university: A mega-million-dollar gift from an individual, business or organization or thousands of smaller gifts from across the university’s alumni and friends? The answer of course, is they are both extremely significant.
“It takes each gift, no matter the size, to continue to support and grow the university and its initiatives, and we rely on the large transformative gifts to tackle big projects and make big plans,” said Dr. Ron Area, chief executive officer of the Marshall University Foundation. “But what are equally important are the grassroots efforts. These gifts send messages to the administration of our Marshall University family’s priorities and passions.”
We’ve all seen the requests in our social media feeds, asking for support from the local kids’ ball club, primary or secondary school and even for a family or specific individual who has been met with challenging circumstances and someone, sometimes on their behalf, reaches out in the hopes of fundraising monies to cover the expenses.
For the Marshall Foundation, introducing its own crowdfunding tool this past August 2022, was not only requested by departments, but it was also a necessary instrument to own the solicitation and stewardship process. Gifts being solicited by internal Marshall programs through outside crowdfunding sources, were challenging to track, receipt and acknowledge.
|
|
Marshall to celebrate its Birke Fine Arts Symposium throughout 2023 spring semester
Marshall University’s College of Arts and Media kicked off the Birke Fine Arts Symposium Monday, Jan. 9, with activities continuing throughout the 2023 spring semester.
Artists from a variety of disciplines will present work as part of the symposium, which this year celebrates the theme “Making the Unseen Visible.” The symposium will feature theatre, dance and musical performances, as well as lectures, literary readings, gallery exhibitions and a variety of other presentations.
|
|
Marshall, WVSU receive funds to establish Cyber Security Center for Critical Infrastructure
Marshall University, in partnership with West Virginia State University, has received $1.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to help establish a Cyber Security Center for Critical Infrastructure at each university.
The funds are granted to help build capacity at Marshall and West Virginia State University to address needed research into the cyber security issues associated with critical infrastructure in the state. They also will help the universities to pilot training programs for critical infrastructure operators in cybersecurity for their particular industries.
|
|
BOG gives approval to move forward with purchase of athletic scoreboards
The Marshall University Board of Governors approved requests from the Athletic Department allowing high-tech video scoreboards to be purchased with private funds for several sports including football.
Spears says the new videoboard will enhance the fan experience tremendously at the Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
|
|
Marshall adds eight players to class of 2023
Marshall's football program welcomed several new members of its family to the Class of 2023 during National Signing Day festivities last month.
Fresh off a 9-4 season and victory in the Myrtle Beach Bowl that ended the year with a five-game winning streak, Marshall head coach Charles Huff said the additions of the eight players announced fills several needs due to graduation losses while building a baseline for the rest of the class as well.
|
|
Submit Your
Content Today!
|
Have something you would like included in an upcoming issue of the Sons & Daughters alumni newsletter or an upcoming Marshall Magazine?
|
|
|
519 John Marshall Drive,
Huntington, WV 25703
(304)-696-3134
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
