Official Newsletter of the Marshall University Alumni Association | August 2021 |
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Diversity – Integrity – Loyalty – Pride – Respect |
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Future Herd Alums Ready to Shine
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Do you remember your first day on campus?
The sights. The smells. The sounds.
Maybe it was a perfect day. Maybe the sun was out, you made a new friend, and your classes were exactly as you imagined them. Maybe it wasn't a perfect day. Perhaps it rained, your books weren't ready, you were overwhelmed and you felt lost in a sea of newness.
Hey, we've all been there. We've all experienced both scenarios in this crazy ride known as the college experience. That is what is so exciting about the month of August. Looking out the windows here at the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall, we see so many new faces wandering campus. Some are already right at home. Some aren't there yet. But they will all eventually settle in and the majority of them will walk away from this wonderful institution with a degree (or two, or three).
So if you are on campus for a visit this fall, be sure to take the time to say a friendly hello to a student. Maybe share a story or two with those willing to listen. And above all, remember we are all part of one #MarshallUFamily!
Enjoy reading this edition of Sons & Daughters. GO HERD!
Office of Alumni Relations
Matt Hayes
Larry Crum
Kasey Stevens
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Students return to campus this month
After a year away due to the pandemic, students will return to campus later this month in anticipation for the start of the semester on Monday, August 23.
Ahead of that date, freshmen will be on campus the week of August 17-20 for the annual Week of Welcome (WOW) helping them acclimate to campus life, followed by the residence halls opening for upperclassmen that weekend.
WOW week has become a wonderful tradition on campus as students have an opportunity to visit residence halls and classrooms, talk with professors and university leadership, and take part in activities that help ease the transition into college.
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Homecoming schedule announced for Oct. 4-9
We look forward to you joining us on Saturday, October 9 for the Homecoming game as the Thundering Herd takes on ODU at 2:30 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
This year we are "Back and Better Than Ever!" so don't miss the biggest Marshall bash of the year! The full schedule and registration links will be available in coming weeks.
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Presidential search committee schedules second series of listening sessions to solicit input |
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Marshall University’s presidential search committee is planning a second series of on-campus listening sessions for students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and community members.
The purpose of the sessions is to solicit input about challenges the university’s next president will face in the next 5-10 years and to identify skills and experiences a successful candidate will need to overcome those challenges.
Marshall’s presidential search began in April, when President Jerome A. Gilbert announced he would not seek an extension of his contract that ends July 15, 2022.
The schedule of listening sessions is available on the university’s presidential search website and is being updated as sessions are scheduled.
In addition to attending a listening session, anyone wishing to provide input can contact the Search Committee by e-mail, or provide feedback or nominate a candidate through the website. The search committee will consider input throughout all stages of the search process.
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Archambault to serve as interim dean of Lewis College of Business |
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Dr. Jeffrey Archambault, associate dean for academic programs at the Lewis College of Business at Marshall University, has been appointed interim dean of the Lewis College of Business, beginning Aug. 2.
Archambault will succeed Dr. Avi Mukherjee, dean of the Lewis College of Business since 2017, who is starting his new role as interim provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs July 12.
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Marshall Football Fan Day set for August 7
Meet the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team on Saturday, August 7 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
Fans can get player autographs, pick up Fan Day posters and meet the team during this annual event.
Gates open at 5:00 p.m. and fans are encouraged to enter the stadium through Gate A.
We look forward to seeing you at Fan Day as we get ready for another season of Thundering Herd football at The Joan!
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Herd picked atop East Division by C-USA Media
Marshall, the reigning Conference USA East Division champions, was selected to duplicate that feat in 2021 by a panel of the league's media members.
The Thundering Herd picked up 17 first-place votes, six more than Florida Atlantic in second and Western Kentucky, who had one, in third. Charlotte, Middle Tennessee, FIU and Old Dominion rounded out the East, in that order.
UAB was tabbed to repeat as West Division champions and garnered 15 first-place votes. UTSA was second with nine, followed by Louisiana Tech, Southern Miss, Rice, North Texas and UTEP.
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Alumni Spotlight:
Allen Meadows
A Young Thundering Herd Tale
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The year was 1970. November 14, 1970, to be exact.
A scrawny young man by the name of Allen Meadows – scrawny in football terms mind you, especially among hulking defensive linemen of which he counted himself a member – was visiting Morgantown, West Virginia, on a recruiting trip, hoping to land a spot on the team of his beloved Mountaineers playing football for West Virginia University.
Meadows was a high school senior that year, wrapping up a bountiful athletic career playing football and basketball for the black and gold Skyhawks of Scott High School, the pride of Boone County.
A few months prior to that recruiting visit, amongst the chaos of recruitment season with schools bombarding the energetic young man from southern West Virginia with information about their programs, the dean of boys at his high school approached Meadows and asked him about Marshall University. He didn’t think too much about the conversation.
“He approached me and asked if I had given any thought to playing at Marshall. I was from southern West Virginia and a huge WVU fan at the time,” Meadows said. “But he asked if he could send my films to Rick Tolley, the coach at Marshall. A week before the crash, Rick Tolley contacted me about playing for the Herd.”
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Alumni News, Chapters
and Member Benefits
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Herd Soccer @ Cincinnati
The Marshall University men's soccer team was honored during halftime of an FC Cincinnati vs. D.C. United Major League Soccer match on Saturday, July 31 in Cincinnati.
The event was organized by the Big Green Scholarship Foundation and Corner Kick Club as members of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Alumni Chapter and other alumni and fans from the Tri-State area joined in the celebration. Thank you to the organizers of this event and to FC Cincinnati for recognizing our national champions!
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Marshall Family & Alumni Tailgate set for Saturday, October 9
Don't miss the highlight of Homecoming week!
All are invited to join the Marshall University Alumni Association as they host the Marshall Family & Alumni Tailgate on Saturday, October 9 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
This year the tailgate will take place in a brand new location in the Joan C. Edwards Stadium East Lot, beside the Chris Cline Indoor Athletic Facility.
Tickets are $10 and includes food, drinks, entertainment, tailgating games, plus appearances by the Marching Thunder, cheerleaders, coaches and other special guests! Ticket links will be available at HerdAlum.com.
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Presenting MU PerksConnect!
The Marshall University Alumni Association is excited to offer a brand new perks program available to all alumni of Marshall University called MU PerksConnect!
The MU PerksConnect portal opens alumni up to a bounty of savings on a variety of offerings, both locally and nationally. Simply register your free account at http://marshall.perksconnection.com and immediately start saving on everything from food to travel. MU PerksConnect will use your location to bring you specific savings at stores, restaurants, and more where you live, or visit the national deals to find savings on travel, theme park and event tickets, and much more!
The MU PerksConnect portal also offers handy access to insurance benefits for auto, home and pet and long term care resources.
If you want to save even more, you can sign up for a free cash back program called Koiyn! Koiyn provides cash back offers at places you already love. Cash back offers are tied directly to your card from participating popular national brands, plus your favorite regional and local retailers too!
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Submit a Class Note today! |
What have you been up to lately? We want to know!
You can submit a class note anytime with updates about your career, your family, your personal life, or just to share an amusing story! Promotions, marriages, children, career changes, award recognition - we want to hear about it!
Class Notes are published multiple times a year in the Marshall Magazine and are often times featured on social media. Sometimes Class Notes even turn into full feature stories!
So what are you waiting for? Submit a Class Note today!
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MU vanity license plate program
Marshall University alumni are eligibile for a vanity license plate in one of the following states:
Don't see your state listed? Contact us and we will try to make it happen!
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Did you know that there is an alumni chapter in nearly half of the states in this country with even more in development?
Being part of an alumni chapter is an exciting way to stay connected to your alma mater no matter where life has taken you. Alumni chapters offer you an opportunity to connect with other members of the #MarshallUFamily while also representing Marshall University locally in your community, city and state.
Alumni chapters also offer an opportunity to help future Thundering Herd students, as well as provide a fun forum to watch Marshall sporting events and take part in academic discussion.
If you are interested in joining an already existing alumni chapter - or interested in starting one in an area without one - contact us at alumni@marshall.edu to get started today! |
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He is considered one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. His numbers at Marshall still stand out. And during Homecoming week, Hal Greer is going to be honored with a statue on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 18th Street near the Cam Henderson Center.
Greer is one of the university's all-time greats. He finished with career totals of 1,377 points, 765 rebounds and 54.5% shooting. He was part of the 1956 Mid-American Conference championship team that was MU's first NCAA Tournament participant. He was also the first black scholarship student-athlete. Greer went on to an incredible NBA career from 1958 through 1973, playing for the Syracuse Nationals and Philadelphia 76ers where he was a 10-time All-Star and NBA champion.
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Marshall Foundation
News and Updates
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Orientation Week Wraps Up
Every year during new student orientation and at special events on the university calendar, the Marshall University Foundation makes an appearance with the "class banner" for each graduating class at Marshall University.
Students have a unique opportunity to sign their class banner during their first few years on campus and then see the banner proudly displayed during their graduating year at functions recognizing the class.
In June and July, students once again had an opportunity to sign the banner during the first round of new student orientation and will have additional opportunities during Marshall's Week of Welcome.
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Marshall Rises is the university’s largest fundraising effort to date. The comprehensive campaign includes five pillars where support is most needed:
1. Enhancing the Student Experience
2. Expanding Academics and Growing our Reputation
3. Creating an Environment of Innovative Learning
4. Forming a Foundation of Research and Creative Discovery
5. Deepening Community Partnerships
In July 2021, 733 donors made 1,028 gifts towards the five pillars as we continue to exceed our goal of $150 million!
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Planned Giving Spotlight:
Marti Knisley
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"My time as a Marshall undergraduate student was such a pivotal moment in my life. I never stop thinking about what I learned about life at Marshall and want to make sure to do what I can do each year to give students the same opportunities I have had," said Marshall alumna and loyal donor Marti Knisley.
The Ohio native completed her Bachelor of Arts in rehabilitation counseling in 1970. Upon graduation, Martin enrolled at the Ohio State University and obtained her master's in rehabilitation counseling.
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Artifacts of Appreciation:
Maddy Branham
"Scholarships mean everything to me. They are the reason I can attend Marshall University. Without scholarships, I would not have been able to attend college. My scholarships are truly a gift to help me pursue my dreams," said Maddy Branham, recipient of the John Marshall, Honors College, Promise, and the Vecellio Family Foundation Scholarships.
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Artifacts of Appreciation:
Sofia Garcia-Arias
"Marshall University has always held a dear place in my heart and in the hearts of my family members. It was thanks to Marshall's graduate program that my family had the opportunity of coming to the United States 12 years ago with a student Visa, which ultimately led to our citizenship and me coming to the United States about five and a half years ago. That endearment, along with my own desire to grow and spread my wings, led to my decision to choose Marshall," said Sofia Garcia-Arias, who was born and raised in Bogota, Columbia.
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Mid-Ohio Valley Chapter surpasses
$250,000 in donations since 2009
On behalf of the Marshall Alumni of the Mid-Ohio Valley (MOV), Ed Hofmann, Chapter Treasurer, presented a check to Will Smith of the The Marshall University Foundation, Inc. This brings the chapter's total donations since 2009 to over $250,000.
The chapter's donations provide scholarships to freshmen entering Marshall in the fall, a scholarship to a first year medical student from the MOV, additions to an endowment that provides a scholarship to an MOV upperclassman, donations to the Marshall University Alumni Association, and a donation to the Marshall Higher Education Learning Problems program (H.E.L.P).
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Agreement with Glenville State will offer bachelor's degree in nursing on their campus
Marshall University and Glenville State College have reached an agreement that will help the future of nurses in the state.
The partnership establishes a nursing program co-op between the two institutions. A memorandum of agreement (MOA) brings the two schools together for an association aimed at providing access to a bachelor’s degree in nursing (B.S.N.) at Glenville State College through Marshall’s nursing program.
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Psychologists, students present as part of online Comic-Con International
Psychologists from Marshall University’s Psy.D. program were again invited to be part of Comic-Con International this summer. Comic-Con@Home featured hundreds of panel discussions that included actors, writers and other famous names from television, movies, gaming and comics.
The Marshall panelists’ discussion, titled “Psychology and Pop Culture: An Empirical Adventure,” is based on the academic book the presenters wrote and had published in March.
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Campus bone marrow drive saves lives
A bone marrow drive on Marshall University’s campus made all the difference in the life of a young girl and changed the life of a Marshall University student.
Cody Fuller was an exercise science student at the time, on a casual stroll through the Memorial Student Center in the Spring of 2019, when he saw friends at the DKMS Bone Marrow Donor Drive table and decided to participate.
Little did Cody know that he would be a match for a one-year-old girl named Ella Siders. Ella had acute myeloid leukemia and Cody Fuller was a bone marrow match. Fuller underwent a procedure on February 17, 2020, just 3 days before his 21st birthday, to provide the bone marrow. And a day later, on February 18, Ella Siders received his donation and her life was saved.
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School of Medicine to host Standing Out in Our Field 7 on August 28
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine will host its seventh Standing Out in Our Field event Saturday, Aug. 28. This outdoor dining experience draws hundreds to a picturesque setting on a farm in rural Proctorville, Ohio, to raise funds for medical student scholarships.
The event transitioned to an online auction in 2020, due to COVID-19, but returns this August with “A Night In Havana.” This year’s event, presented by title sponsor Mountain Health Network, will feature a Cuban theme and serve up authentic cuisine like Churrasco estilo Cubano (Cuban skirt steak), pollo asado (a flavorful marinated chicken), adobo criollo (roasted pork shoulder) and fried plantains.
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Submit Your
Content Today!
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Have something you would like included in an upcoming issue of the Sons & Daughters alumni newsletter or an upcoming Marshall Magazine?
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519 John Marshall Drive,
Huntington, WV 25703
(304)-696-3134
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