He came and went like the wind. Determined. Driven. Focused. Quiet. Unassuming. “When he was here, he was in the zone,” said Rachel Walton, Interlibrary Loan Coordinator/Technical Services Assistant at Stanley Library. “He was dedicated to his project.”

The person is Micah Allen, a 2022 Ferrum College graduate who majored in history and political science, from Goochland County—just outside Richmond. The project was tracing the history of the Black Student Union (BSU) at Ferrum College and the inclusion of Black students in general. He mined old, bound volumes of the campus newspaper the Iron Blade from the late 60s to early 80s, identifying anything related to the BSU, scanning and transcribing the articles as he moved through them.

The work was similar to a project he undertook with the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum. The BRIM project focused on digitizing all of the Appalachian folktales and stories collected by the folklorist James Taylor Adams in the 1940s, saving them all in the digital archives, and posting them all on Professor of English Tina Hanlon’s AppLit website.  Hanlon’s website site, AppLit: Resources for Readers and Teachers of Literature for Children and Young Adults, has been up and running for 20 years and has won the Appalachian Studies Association’s e-Appalachia award in the past.

“I scanned and transcribed the folk stories,” Allen said. “I first got one of the stories and then scanned it using a printer to get it onto the computer. After the scanning process, I then transcribed what I just scanned onto a word document, word-for-word, to the best of my abilities.”

Bethany Worley, BRIM Director, sang Allen’s praises on the project. “Micah was such a pleasure to work with,” she said. “He was detail oriented, which is a must when working with archival materials. I appreciated his enthusiasm for the special collection of folktales, history, and folksongs of the James Taylor Adams collection.”

For his part, Allen relished the undertaking. “I enjoyed my time working at the BRIM and doing this project because I saw it as preserving the history of the region,” Allen said. “Doing this allows future generations to be able to learn about their home and culture.”

Allen’s main interest, however, seemed to be his Stanley Library internship and the BSU/Iron Blade research he conducted. “I found some interesting editorials written in the Iron Blades in the early 80s dealing with the Black Student Union getting more funding than other groups on campus,” he said. “I found them interesting just to see the individual arguments being made for why they are getting more money than other school organizations.”

At some point, he said, the BSU apparently disbanded on campus. “I have not found if or when the BSU dissolved,” Allen said. “I was told that there was a point where they kind of just disappeared, but now I have seen that they are back. I hoped the further I went into my research, I would be able to find the answer.”

As is the case with many students, Allen underwent a time of growth here at Ferrum. “He was definitely one of our Class of 2022 star graduating seniors in the history major, and I have had the luck to watch him grow,” said Assistant Professor of History Michael Hancock-Parmer. “Micah arrived as a shy, typically insecure freshman student—maybe convinced that he was just going to see things through, not sure of what he was going to be capable of. Somewhere along the road, he came into his own.”

Fellow Assistant Professor of History Nicole Greer Golda echoed the sentiments. “Micah really blossomed in his years at Ferrum and developed a deep knowledge of our recent past, especially African American history,” Greer Golda said. “His senior seminar research into the meanings of democracy in the United States for African Americans during World War I demonstrated his commitment to preserving a wide array of sources.”

Allen plans to continue his education at J. Sargeant Reynolds in Richmond and study as a paralegal.

Article written and contributed by Assistant Professor of English & Journalism David B. Campbell.

During Ferrum College’s 106th commencement ceremony held on April 23, 2022, numerous nontraditional students celebrated the receipt of their diploma including two long-time College employees: Joyce Creel ’22 and Margaret Drakeford ’22, both of Franklin County, received bachelor of science degrees in Business Administration and Liberal Studies, respectively. 

Many people assume the typical college student is a young adult living on campus with financial assistance from their family or other support system and are surprised to learn how many graduates are “nontraditional.” Among the characteristics the National Center for Education Statistics uses to define nontraditional students are those who delay enrollment in post-secondary education and who work 35 hours or more per week while enrolled, qualities that apply to both Creel and Drakeford.

Creel, who has worked at Ferrum College for 16 years, pursued her degree for many of those years. Initially, she took a few “fun” courses like guitar and piano, but did not concentrate on a path geared toward a degree. Several years into her classes, she decided to make them count by choosing courses that would apply to any Business Administration concentration area, but she waited for years before she declared a major/degree.  About her achievement, Creel stated, “This has been a lifelong dream of mine and I can’t believe it has happened!”’

Drakeford has worked at the College for 43 years. She started classes in 1981, took a long break, and then decided to complete the requirements for her degree. She noted graduation was an emotional moment for her because, “I accomplished something that I started [that] I feel anybody can do if they decide to go back and finish their college education. Education is everything and no one can take it away from you, ” Drakeford said.

Congratulations to alumnus and former Boone Honors Program member Joshua Wright ’19 on his recent Best Model award in the first International Cherry Blossom Prediction Competition hosted by George Mason University. More than 80 contestants across four continents formed forty-one teams to build statistical models predicting the peak bloom date of cherry trees at four locations around the world: Washington D.C., USA; Kyoto, Japan; Vancouver, Canada; and Liestal-Weideli, Switzerland.

Wright and his teammate, Taehoon Song, created their award winning model by combining a popular statistical model (the logistic-growth model) with a popular biological predictor (growing degree days or GDD). The judges appreciated the simplicity and interpretability of this approach, with one remarking that the team provided “a wonderful demonstration of the power of using the simplest possible model that captures the key biological aspects of the question.”

Ferrum College Professor of English and Director of the Boone Honors Program Lana Whited stated, “Josh’s success in this competition obviously required the application of critical thinking skills drawn from multiple academic disciplines and really illustrates the benefits of liberal arts education.”

A group of Ferrum College alumni and friends will travel to Rome, Italy this July 24 – 31, 2020.

The group, consisting of about eight to twelve people led by Ferrum College’s Assistant Professor of Religion Eric Vanden Eykel, will arrive in Rome on July 23. Their exploration of the Eternal City will begin on July 24, with authentic cuisine and visits to museums, archaeological sites, and churches.

Vanden Eykel has visited Rome before and will serve as the group’s tour guide. At Ferrum College, he teaches courses in biblical studies, archaeology, the historical Jesus, and world religions. He received his Ph.D. in Judaism and Christianity from Antiquity from Marquette University in Milwaukee in 2014. He also holds a Master of Art in biblical studies from Marquette and a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta.

Priority registration for alumni began on January 31, 2020. Registration to all interested parties will open on March 1, 2020.

To register, visit here.

Learn more about the trip here.

See photos from Vanden Eykel’s May 2019 trip to Rome here.

Ferrum College sweethearts Bradley Lael ’16 and Virginia Pannill ’17 met at the College in 2014. As freshmen, both enrolled in the agricultural studies program and slowly got to know each other over the course of about a year. “We met in Garber, room 123,” said Lael. “We really hit it off during the summer of 2015. When we returned to Ferrum in the fall of 2015, we decided to make it official. We started dating in September that year.”

The couple experienced their first trial during the spring semester of 2016. Over Christmas break, while Pannill was visiting Germany, Lael severely broke his foot while cleaning his grandfather’s gutters. He was forced to use a wheelchair for about fourteen weeks. Once Pannill returned home from Germany, she dutifully took care of Lael, getting him to and from class and helping him walk again just before his graduation in May. “She only forgot me once at the top of the auditorium in Garber,” laughed Lael.

During that semester, Pannill’s loyalty and caring nature shone through. “I believe she would’ve played that role for anybody,” Lael said. “All semester long, she was right there by my side.”

The similarities between the couple are obvious. Both are agriculture teachers for Spotsylvania County Public Schools, both love classic country music and singer George Jones, and both plan to be lifelong educators. They are independent, professional, and their love for each other grows stronger each day.

It didn’t take long for Lael to realize he wanted to marry Pannill. “I probably asked her mother at the wrong time,” he said. “She was taking something hot out of the oven.” But the blessing was given and Lael proposed to Pannill at Kings Dominion’s Halloween Haunt.

The couple will tie the knot this Saturday, December 7, 2019, in Ferrum College’s Vaughn Chapel. “Coming back to where we first met, shared laughs and tears, and the continued love and concern from everyone at Ferrum made it an easy choice for a venue,” explained Lael. After the wedding, they will honeymoon in the Caribbean and return home in time to celebrate their first married Christmas with family.

Lael is thankful for the role Ferrum College played in his romance with Pannill. “We never would’ve met if we didn’t choose Ferrum,” he said. “I wouldn’t change a Ferrum experience for anything.”

Ferrum College alumnus and former professional baseball pitcher Billy Wagner was inducted to the National College Baseball Hall of Fame in a weekend celebration over November 1-2, 2019. The ceremony was held in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Wagner credits much of his success to Ferrum College: “Going to Ferrum was the greatest thing that ever happened in my life,” Wagner said in an article that appeared in the October 30 edition of The Roanoke Times.

Wagner spent three years at Ferrum College until he was recruited by Houston in the 1993 Major League Baseball draft. His professional career includes stints with the Houston Astros (1995-2003); Philadelphia Phillies (2004-2005); New York Mets (2006-2009); Boston Red Sox (2009); and Atlanta Braves (2010). Wagner now coaches high school baseball at The Miller School in Albemarle County.

“There is absolutely no way somebody that hasn’t been to Ferrum could understand the beauty of Ferrum and what it entails,” Wagner concluded during the interview.

Learn more about Wagner’s athletic achievements here.

Read more about Wagner in this Roanoke Times article.

Dr. Bernice Cobbs ’98

Ferrum College alumna Bernice Cobbs ’98 has been named the 2019 Outstanding Middle School Principal of Virginia. She receives this recognition through the Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals for her work at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Rocky Mount, VA, where she served as campus principal from July 2015 to July 2019.

“VASSP is honored to recognize the outstanding work of Dr. Cobbs,” said Randy Barrack, VASSP executive director. “Effective schools are vital to the success of students, and the high expectations demanded by principals and their belief in the capacity of all students to perform is critical in school leadership. The stories of such leadership that we capture in the annual award program continues to impress and inspire all of us.”

“The leadership abilities Dr. Cobbs has demonstrated in Franklin County and throughout the state account for the numerous awards and recognitions she has received all while remaining very humble,” said Franklin County School Division superintendent Mark Church.

Cobbs graduated from Ferrum College in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts and a teaching endorsement. She went on to receive a Master of Curriculum and Instruction from University of Virginia (2002), a Master of Education in educational leadership from Radford University (2007), and a Doctor of Education in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech (2014).

Cobbs’ career with Franklin County Public Schools is extensive and includes roles in teaching, curriculum and instruction direction, and administration. In 2003 and 2004, she was named Boones Mill Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, an award she was given again the next year for the entire Franklin County Public School System. In 2004, she was also named Virginia’s Region VI Teacher of the Year. Cobbs received the 2005 Virginia Lottery Excellence in Education Award and was named a Ferrum College Distinguished Alumna in 2008.

In July 2019, Cobbs accepted a position as assistant principal at Franklin County High School, where she is responsible for supporting the daily operations, management, and instructional leadership for high school students. “First and foremost,” said Cobbs, “I am here for the students and staff, and to work closely with the high school administrators for the overall success of the school.”

True to her humble nature, Cobbs placed the recognition for her most recent award on those she has worked with over the years: “I was really honored to be named 2019 Virginia Middle School Principal of the Year. We all know that anything that is noteworthy is not something that is done in isolation. I experienced how empowered a school can be when everyone works together for the good of the students and the extended community. Even though I was a recipient of the award, honestly the award belongs to all the teachers, staff, students, and families who support the everyday work of Benjamin Franklin Middle School and the Gereau Center.”

Cobbs will be honored at a VASSP dinner ceremony in December 2019, where she will receive the state principal’s ring from Herff Jones.

Cobbs is married to Hildred, who retired from Norfolk Southern Railway. Together they have two grown children: Kimberly of Richmond, VA; and Bradley and his wife Jennifer, of Atlanta, GA.

Read more in this WDBJ7 news article.

Billy Wagner

Former Ferrum College and Major League Baseball standout Billy Wagner has been selected for induction into the National College Baseball Hall of Fame. The seven-time MLB All-Star had a record-setting baseball career at Ferrum from 1991-93 before being drafted into the pros.

Wagner is one of eight individuals that comprise the 2019 National College Baseball Hall of Fame induction class, including the winningest coach in college baseball history and the player of the decade in the 1990s.

Wagner closed his three-year Ferrum College career with a 17-3 record and 1.63 earned run average, and still to this day holds the NCAA Division III single-season record for strikeouts per nine innings at 19.1 with 109 strikeouts in 51.1 innings in 1992. He was a 1993 first-team NCAA Division III All-American for the Panthers. Wagner was selected in the first round of the Major League Baseball 1993 June Draft by the Houston Astros, as the #12 pick overall.

Wagner’s 18-year professional baseball career, 16 in the majors, includes: Auburn Astros (A) 1993, Quad City River Bandits (A) 1994, Jackson Generals (AA) 1995, Tucson Toros (AAA) 1995, Houston Astros 1995-2003, Philadelphia Phillies 2003-05, New York Mets 2005-2009, Boston Red Sox 2009, Atlanta Braves 2010. Wagner made his Major League Baseball debut September 13, 1995 with the Astros. He is a seven-time MLB All-Star (1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010), and was the 1999 MLB National League Rolaids Relief Award Winner.

The 2019 National College Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held in conjunction with the College Baseball Night of Champions celebration, November 1-2 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Read the full press release on Ferrum College’s athletics website.

Tickets for the 2019 induction will be available on the Night of Champions website at www.cbfnightofchampions.org. For more information, contact Mike Gustafson, National College Baseball Hall of Fame president and CEO, at gus@collegebaseballfoundation.org.

Ferrum College alumna Brianne Scott is living her dream career as a forensic autopsy technician in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Roanoke, VA.

A May 2018 graduate and native of Ferrum, VA, Scott majored in biology and minored in chemistry and forensic science at the College, and began working in the Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in November 2018. “From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to do something in science, specifically forensics,” explained Scott. “When I started at Ferrum, I decided I wanted to be a forensic DNA analyst and my ultimate goal was to work at the forensics lab in Roanoke.”

Then, Scott took the class the changed her career course. “I took human anatomy and physiology with Dr. [Katie] Goff. I loved the cadaver experience and I knew then that I wanted the hands-on experience of doing autopsies, especially on the forensics side.” Scott was eager to do her own independent research, which she completed during her time at Ferrum College.

Now, between leading a youth group at her church, reading forensic and mystery books, and working as an assistant site director for YMCA youth, Scott often returns to her old stomping grounds to speak with Goff’s human anatomy classes, as well as the Minds-N-Medicine students, a club dedicated to supporting each other’s experiences as early career students of health professions. “I am so thankful for the chance to come back to my Alma Mater to speak about something I am so passionate about,” noted Scott. “I enjoyed these experiences very much!”

Katie Goff, associate professor of biology at the College, fondly remembers her time with Scott. “I’ve had the pleasure of instructing Brianne during her college days, and now working with her as a partner in teaching my current human anatomy and Minds-N-Medicine students,” remarked Goff. “She has proven to be a dedicated and capable instructor, offering expert insight into her everyday work. Current students find her stories fascinating and want her to come back again as soon as possible!”

On Friday, May 3, Scott returned to Ferrum College’s cadaver lab to talk with students about her work.
Pictured from left to right: Amy Chattin, Brianne Scott ’18, Tina Young, and Katie Goff.

Read more about Ferrum College’s biology program here.

Per their website, “the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is responsible for determining the cause and manner of deaths that occur under certain circumstances in Virginia.” Read more about their work here.

Alumna Alexis Hatcher ’18.

Ferrum College alumna Alexis Hatcher ’18 has received a full tuition scholarship to the competitive Master of Divinity program at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. Originally hailing from Richmond, VA, she was Ferrum College’s 2018 homecoming queen and earned her Bachelor of Arts and Humanities as a religion major and psychology minor from the College this past December. As a current student at Wesley Theological Seminary, she plans to pursue pastoral ministry by earning her Master in Divinity with a focus in the missional ministry program, which helps to advance those serving in leadership positions in entrepreneurship and mission ministry.

“I plan to continue to honor God with my life and spread his legacy wherever I go,” said Hatcher. “My prayers and well wishes will always be with Ferrum. I’m a proud alumna.”

Visit here to learn more about Ferrum College’s religious studies program.

Paul L. Harris, Jr. ’65, was awarded the Benjamin M. Beckham Medallion, the College’s highest alumni honor, during commencement on Saturday, May 5. Named after the College’s first president, Dr. Benjamin M. Beckham, the Medallion is awarded to an alumnus or alumna who exemplify in an exceptional manner the Ferrum motto, “Not Self, But Others.” Harris was introduced to Ferrum College in 1963 by a pastor at his church in Richmond, Virginia. Classes for his first semester that fall were delayed as workers rushed to complete Chapman Hall and then, while making up for this lost time during Thanksgiving break, the campus, the nation, and the world were stunned by the assassination of President John Kennedy.

Despite this adverse beginning, Harris, who described himself at that time as “an indifferent student”, was inspired to become active in campus life, play for Colonel Bud Skeens’ first Panther tennis team, and achieve his Associates of Arts degree in 1965. He believes that his Ferrum experience helped him learn how to assume a role of leadership, gain self-confidence, and prove to himself that he could achieve higher goals than he had ever thought possible.

Harris went on to receive his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from the University of Richmond, serve as a staff sergeant in the US Air Force -Virginia Air National Guard, and work for Price Waterhouse in Washington, D.C. where he began an illustrious international career in business and financial management. He was vice president of finance at Universal Restoration from 1973 to 1976 and completed the European Institute of Business Administration (INSEAD) Advanced Business Management Program in Fontainebleau, France in 1986. Recruited by British Aerospace North America, he and his family spent several years in London, England with their Commercial Aircraft Division. He returned to the states in 1992 to take on the role of Senior Vice President and General Manager responsible for the company’s investments in North America. He retired from British Aerospace in 2000 after 25 years of service.

As a former member of the United Christian Parish in Reston, Virginia, Harris served as chair of the Finance Committee. He is currently a member of Bethany United Methodist Church in Reedville, Virginia. His community involvement includes a position as commodore at the Virginia Yacht Club and board service for British Aerospace North America, Inc., Indian Creek Yacht and Country Club, Cheshire Homes of Arlington, Reflectone, Inc., the National Aviation Club, and the Washington Dulles Task Force. He has been a member of the Financial Executives Institute and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Harris joined the Ferrum College Board of Trustees in 2000 and in 2005 became the first alumnus to be named Chair. During his tenure he spoke of witnessing the same dedication from faculty and staff that he had experienced as a student and continuously expressed in pride in the College and its growth. His words are as relevant today as they were then, “To the current students at Ferrum I would hope that you will take advantage of all the opportunities that student life offers. Ferrum will always be a part of you and you will always remember your experiences, your friendships, and lessons learned. I still remember mine.”

In 2001, Harris and his wife established the Ferrum College Paul L. Harris ’65 and Susan Lee Harris Endowed Scholarship. The financial aid generated from this fund benefits Ferrum College students from Washington, D.C. and Fairfax or Northumberland Counties in Virginia. As endowment donors, the Harrises are members of the Ferrum College Beckham Society as well as the Arthur Society for their generous annual support of College programs and the Ruth Society for their consistent financial assistance.

Despite his impressive achievements, Harris remains humble and a man of character, generosity, and integrity – a worthy recipient of the 2018 Ferrum College Beckham Medallion.