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Table of Contents

  • 4: He's Got it All: Kenny Chesney
  • 7: Unique Alumni
  • 10: Campus Notes and Briefs
  • 15: Alumni Events
  • 16: Advancement
  • 18: Special Features
  • 24: Sports Spectrum
  • 26: Class Notes
  • 36: PRIDE & Homecoming
  • 38: Calendar

ETSU President

Paul E. Stanton, Jr.

Managing Editors

Richard A. Manahan; Robert M. Plummer

Contributing Writers

Jeff Anderson; Carol Fox; Kristn Fry; Simon Gray; Jennifer Hill; Patricia Holland; Donna Howard; Vicky Lee; Richard A. Manahan; Robert Plummer; Pamela D. Ripley; Fred Sauceman; Edie Shealy; Joe Smith; Craig Whitaker; Lee Ann Willis; Pam Wilson

Photography/Art

Donna Howard; Robert Plummer; Edie Shealy; Jim Sledge; Larry Smith; Craig Whitaker; Lee Ann Willis

Publication Date

Spring 2001

President's Message

With each issue of ETSU TODAY, it is my pleasure to share with you thoughts about this university, a place we hold with such great pride. The university has served generations of students well, with faculty who have prepared them for bright futures and many opportunities that life brings. ETSU has launched many great personal triumphs and revels in the successes of all our university family. Just a few years ago, I asked leaders of our ETSU Foundation to consider undertaking a fund-raising campaign. This campaign, our first ever, would be necessary to reach beyond our usual support, to encourage the exceptional, extraordinary gifts and acts of giving that a state-assisted university in this era needs so desperately. We sought the best counsel among our most involved supporters and alumni, resolving to undertake a campaign for $40 million. Through success and encouragement, we have raised this goal twice. Today, together, we seek to surpass the $75 million mark. With this goal in mind, we set forth to build a campaign that would extend the margin of excellence that reaches beyond the basic funding of the university. We want to make this place better for all who come here to learn and more financially accessible through scholarships for deserving students. You have read in this magazine about the progress of the campaign, the exceptional results, and the ways the university benefits from the generosity of many people. We owe our success to so many. We thank the person who writes a check once a year to support one of our many programs or special interest groups, as well as the person who is setting forth his or her future plans and is including the university in estate planning. Many individuals have stepped forward to show their devotion and support. We have also seen incredible gestures such as “Together, we will bring ETSU closer to TOMORROW.” the Scott Niswonger gift that helped propel the creation of the new Digital Media Center and the insightful work of Louis Gump to cast a mold for leadership that will start with a select group to be groomed on our campus to shape this regions future. The greatest stories are yet to be written. The imagination and creativity of our faculty and staff fuel the changes at ETSU. From the leadership of faculty who responded to the new technologies in the computer industry and the emergence of the visualization revolution, our faculty sought corporate partners to bolster their program. The latest success is an additional gift of nearly $20 million of special design software from Parametric Technology Corporation that will complement the Alias wavefront software graphics programs. In our ranks is the first generation of faculty and administrators who came here to build a medical school. It is their same tenacity that has brought the Quillen College of Medicine recognition as number four in the nation in rural medicine as reported by U.S. News and World Report. And those ETSU faculty and staff are cheerfully givers, supporting the university to the amount of nearly $2.8 million during the campaign to date in personal giving. I am also reminded of the custodian in the ETSU Physical Plant who has responsibility for keeping two of our women's residence halls clean and taking care of “her girls.” Last spring, and again this year, she voluntarily made a contribution to the ETSU Foundation, as she said, “to help us out during the budget crisis.” Unfortunately, custodians don't make a lot of money. They should, for their work is vitally important to the efficient functioning of the university. This lady looked beyond her own circumstances and pledged a significant portion of her pay for the greater good. And you'll notice that I'm not using her name. The reason is, she wanted absolutely no recognition or publicity for her generosity. With over a year remaining in this effort, the stage is set for a marvelous encore. There have been wonderful achievements, but there is so very much yet to be done. For example, from the recent reaccreditation of our College of Business, we know of the exceptional quality of the program, but we also know of the need for expanded facilities that reflect the real world environment of business today. In the arts and sciences - the backbone of our undergraduate program - we know there are many opportunities to upgrade our teaching facilities from science labs to the performance facilities for music and theatre. The next generation of ETSU students is laden with talented and bright individuals. Within these students can be found the potential for the next Kenny Chesney, the well-known singer; the next Gary Harrell, our newest general; or the next Ric Keller, our first U.S. Congressman. The list goes on of outstanding people with an ETSU education who are making lives better and leading in their respective careers. We have to be ready to help them achieve the best in their fields. Together we each touch so many lives. We seek to make those lives better through our work and service. Among the ranks of our alumni and friends are legions of teachers, doctors, business leaders, health care professionals, scientists, technologists, builders and more - great people with heart, talent and compassion. The Campaign for ETSU Tomorrow is our legacy. Together, we will bring ETSU closer to TOMORROW. Thank you! - Paul E. Stanton, Jr

ETSU Today - Spring 2001

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