Ferrum College’s annual President’s and Dean’s List Dinner was held in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room on January 31, 2020. During the dinner, College officials recognized 258 Dean’s List recipients and 97 President’s List recipients for spring 2019. For fall 2019, 290 students were named to Dean’s List and 103 to President’s List.
To qualify for Dean’s List, a student must be full-time with a grade point average of at least 3.4 out of a possible 4.0. Students named to President’s List are full-time with a grade point average of 4.0 at the end of the spring and fall semesters.
See photos from the evening here.
Find students named to the President’s List here.
Dean’s List students are named here.
Rising Ferrum College junior Jared Worley, of Chesterfield, VA, has been accepted into an eight-week Arabic language immersion program at Vermont’s prestigious Middlebury Language Schools. Worley plans to attend the program that runs this summer, from June through August 2020; however, if he doesn’t get the amount of government funding he needs, he will postpone until summer 2021. “Either way, I’m going,” he said.
The application process for Middlebury’s language immersion programs was competitive. “I wrote a letter saying why I would like to take part in this program,” said Worley. “It’s pretty uncommon for an underclassman to get an opportunity like this.”
Worley is a history major at Ferrum College and chose to study Arabic, in part, because of the material he learned from his academic advisor, Assistant Professor of History Michael Hancock-Parmer. “Dr. Hancock-Parmer helped clear my mind of all the misconceptions between our two cultures. Our cultures are actually pretty similar,” explained Worley. “As a future historian, I feel if I can speak it and read it, then it will one day help me break down this divide.”
Worley is also autistic but doesn’t view the autism as a barrier. “I think it’s actually helped me,” he said. “Around age four I started experiencing communication deficits that continued until I was eight or nine. That time helped me learn to take a backseat and listen sometimes. I know when to observe and listen, and when to speak.”
Middlebury’s language immersion programs, which count for twelve semester hours, instruct students to commit to the Language Pledge, which requires them to use only their target language. Worley will pledge to read, write, speak and consume only Arabic-language media for the full eight-week program period; speaking in English is a violation of this commitment. But Worley says he is okay with taking the Language Pledge. He said the hardest part for him will be the separation from his family.
Worley is also a member of the Ferrum College wrestling team. Finding extra time to train for the upcoming season may be difficult, but he has the full support of his wrestling coaches. “I’m so excited and proud for Jared,” said head wrestling coach Nathan Yetzer. “We always encourage our guys to get outside of their comfort zones in order to grow as people. I believe Jared will definitely grow as a result of this program. He is going to do great things and is a testament to hard work and being an ‘all-in’ type guy.”
Hancock-Parmer and the rest of the history department are proud of Worley’s acceptance into the program. “Jared’s attendance at Middlebury for Arabic this summer is a wonderful achievement for himself, and also for Ferrum College and the history program,” said Hancock-Parmer. “He’s special to me because he was on fire from the first day of class we had together. He did the work, of course, but more importantly, he had his eyes open and asked great questions, the kind for which I did not always have an immediate, easy answer. I only hope we can continue to challenge and push him toward his full potential.”
Learn more about Middlebury Language Schools and the Arabic Immersion Program here.
Students enjoyed the first F.L.I.P. session in October 2019.
Three Ferrum College staff members are trying a different approach to a topic considered foreign to many college students: financial literacy.
Armed with a grant funded by Bank of America, Controller Vicky Robertson, along with Director of Financial Aid and Ferrum College alumnae Heather Hollandsworth ’01 and Grants and Prospect Research Coordinator Laurie Adams ’12, have created a pilot program to foster informed and responsible financial choices.
The program, called Financial Literacy Information Project, or F.L.I.P, is aimed at incoming freshman but is open to all ages and campus constituencies. The goal is to empower attendees, particularly students, to make informed and responsible choices as they begin to build their credit history.
“Financial literacy is very important because it equips individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to manage money effectively,” explained Robertson. “Our Financial Literacy Program team is very excited to be able to provide our students with the tools needed to make informed financial decisions.”
The program consists of two general F.L.I.P. sessions, followed by one-on-one coaching sessions, spread throughout the 2019-2020 academic year. The program culminates in a third and final F.L.I.P. session in April 2020. Those who attended all sessions and at least one coaching session are eligible to win one of two $1,000 scholarships at the final session in April. Those who were unable to attend all sessions are still eligible to win additional prizes and enjoy giveaways and snacks.
The first F.L.I.P. session was held in October 2019 and included presentations from Skyline National Bank representatives, a question and answer session, giveaways and prizes, snacks, and games. Following the session, a one-on-one coaching session was held in November 2019, allowing students to meet with a banking representative to personalize their financial plans.
The next F.L.I.P. session is set for Tuesday, February 4, 2020 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in the Founders Room in upper Stanley Library, with a one-on-one coaching session on March 10, 2020. Those interested in attending a one-on-one coaching session should complete this form.
On Thursday, January 16, 2020, Ferrum College announced a new option to order spirit gear and other merchandise online through the virtual Campus Store. This announcement came after the Campus Store overhauled the existing spirit wear to fresher styles and choices.
“We hope to continue the expansion and variety of products offered to better serve both the on campus and online communities,” said Conferences, Events, and Campus Store manager Michael Vaughn. “New products are arriving weekly.”
The updated Campus Store boasts a variety of gear, including hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts, bowties, infant clothing, pet accessories, decals, garden flags, and umbrellas. Customers may also purchase school supplies in the store, along with health and beauty products and of course, Starbucks coffee creations, smoothies, and snacks. The online Campus Store offers in-store pick-up or shipping options.
The physical location for the store remains in the Panther Grounds coffee shop on campus. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Check out new merchandise here.
Follow the official Ferrum College campus store on Instagram @fccampusstore.
Ferrum, VA, January 15, 2020 — On Tuesday, January 14, 2020, after a 20-month battle with ovarian cancer, Ferrum College’s beloved retired Professor of Environmental Science Carolyn Lee Thomas passed away. She was four days shy of her seventy-second birthday, and had just enjoyed a long weekend with her family.
“We are heartbroken over the death of Carolyn Thomas, who was for so many of us a model of fierce intellect, creative imagination, and personal courage. She had a way of exciting curiosity in her students and of inviting us all to be better people. Her fingerprints are on all of our lives—thousands of us—and we will miss her dearly,” said President David L. Johns.
Born on January 18, 1948 in Orlando, Florida, Thomas knew from an early age that she was happiest in nature. She received her Bachelor of Science in biology from Florida Southern College and went on to earn a Master of Science in zoology from the University of Georgia. After moving to Virginia, Thomas earned her Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Virginia Tech.
In 1974, she met her soulmate Bob Pohlad when she enrolled at the University of Central Florida to begin work on her master’s degree. Pohlad was working as the teaching assistant in Thomas’s cytogenetics class while completing graduate work at the University. He helped Thomas with her microscope projects and labs. “We just hit it off,” Pohlad explained. “She was someone who loved to travel as I did, was a little bit hippie in her sandals and long hair, and was a free spirit that I loved talking to. We spent hours talking about everything including our common upbringing.” The pair found many similarities in their lives, including losing their fathers as young teenagers, loving sports, and filling leadership roles–Thomas as president of her ZTA sorority and Pohlad as president of his youth group and biology club.
Thomas and Pohlad were forced to begin a long-distance relationship after Pohlad was accepted into the University of Georgia’s doctorate program. The couple wrote to each other daily and traveled back and forth from Florida to Georgia as often as possible. They couldn’t stand being apart any longer and held a surprise wedding in March 1975 at Thomas’s homeplace on Lake Howell in Maitland, Florida (in photo at their wedding). Many of the guests were unaware they were coming to a wedding ceremony until the minister arrived. “We were married outside under the trees on the lake,” recalled Pohlad. “After the wedding ceremony, we played flag football and they threw us in the lake. I remember we left town that evening to head to the beach for our honeymoon one-night stay and couldn’t find a place, and ended up at a motel back in town.”
In 1978, the Pohlad-Thomas couple found themselves at Ferrum College when Pohlad was hired as a professor of biology and horticulture. Thomas taught middle school science for a year but quickly accepted a position teaching environmental science at Ferrum College in 1979, where she and Pohlad remained as professors for the next 41 years. They both retired in May 2019 (after the 2019 commencement shown in the photo). Once asked in a 2018 interview how she and Pohlad were able to work for so long at not only the same college but in the same department with offices next door to each other, she answered, “It works because we communicate. We have to understand each other staying up late, working with students. We have to keep talking, although we don’t always agree. The advantage is that we both have these responsibilities together, so we understand them.”
In addition to their budding careers at Ferrum College and Thomas’s continued pursuit of graduate work, the couple became parents when their son Chris was born in November 1979. In December 1984, their second son Tim was born. Thomas’s legacy now lives on in her two sons, their wives, and her four grandchildren.
At Ferrum College, Thomas served as Science Camp director for many years. She was also a founding member of the Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Project, which she directed for 32 years, leading a team of Ferrum College faculty and students in conjunction with the Smith Mountain Lake Association to analyze the lake’s water quality during the summer months.
“She was as passionate about water quality, environmental science, the natural world, and women in science on the day she retired as her first day 41 years ago when she began teaching,” wrote Ferrum College’s Associate Professor of Environmental Science Delia Heck. Heck taught alongside Thomas and worked with her on the Water Quality Project.
Thomas was diagnosed with ovarian cancer stage IV in May 2018. During treatment, she remained positive and active, continuing as often as possible with her 50-year habit of walking multiple miles a day. “I just pushed through the pain,” Thomas said in the same 2018 interview. “I derive my spirit from friends and family. I heal better through them. But I’m also a scientist, so I believe in medication and treatment.”
Thomas’s work will not be soon forgotten. In addition to the thousands of lives she touched, Thomas and Pohlad jointly received the Ecological Society of America’s Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecological Education in 2016. Thomas also received the Melvin Johnston Award from the Smith Mountain Lake Association for her work on the Water Quality Project.
Thomas and Pohlad were married for nearly 45 years. They spent their lives teaching and traveling, visiting all 50 states and touring the Galapagos Islands in 2017. In 2003, the professors traveled with three Ferrum College students to Malawi, Africa to set up water quality equipment and teach Malawian scientists how to use it. Recent adventures led Thomas, Pohlad, and Ferrum College E-Term (Experiential Term) students to distant locations such as the Virgin Islands and Ireland. This past summer, the couple road-tripped out west in an RV and dubbed the trip “Bob and Carolyn’s Excellent Adventure.”
“She was most happy in the lab, in the field or forest, or in the water, helping students discover and learn about the amazing planet Earth,” wrote Heck. “It was an honor and privilege to work with her, be mentored and taught by her, and to serve by her side in pursuit of truth, knowledge, and inspiration.”
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The celebration of life for Dr. Carolyn Thomas, a member of St. Peters In the Mountains Episcopal Church, Callaway, VA, was held on Sunday, January 26, 2020, in Ferrum College’s Vaughn Chapel, and drew hundreds in attendance. Please see this Spotify slide show, set to some of her favorite songs, honoring her memory.
In lieu of flowers, the Thomas and Pohlad families request that individuals make a gift to the Carolyn Thomas Memorial Fund at Ferrum College, at https://dev.ferrum.edu/ferrum-giving. Donations will support students in the College’s Division of Natural Sciences.
Gospel Fest 2020: “The 20/20 Vision” will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 5 p.m. in Ferrum College’s Vaughn Chapel, 40 Wiley Drive, Ferrum. This event is free and open to the public.
Sponsored by Ferrum College’s Office of Spiritual Life, the concert will feature the Ferrum College Fresh Wind Gospel Choir and Band; Bishop M.L. Hardy and the Sons of Thunder; United Voices of God; and Longwood University’s Brothers and Sisters in Christ (B.A.S.I.C.) Gospel Choir.
Read more about Ferrum College’s Office of Spiritual Life here.
Ferrum College junior Davon “D” Robinson ’21 will be the keynote speaker at the College’s MLK Day program.
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the Ferrum College Black Student Union (BSU) has prepared a program which will be held in Vaughn Chapel on campus from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Ferrum College junior Davon “D” Robinson ’21 who will talk about “Learning to Live.” The program is free and open to the public.
The program will also feature short civil rights films, a video of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech, and poetry from the College’s BSU.
Ferrum College’s BSU is open to all students and seeks to serve the community by promoting unity and cultural awareness among students, faculty, and staff. Read more about Ferrum College’s clubs and activities here.
Mark White will serve as Ferrum College’s track and field coach.
Ferrum College has announced the addition of men’s and women’s track and field programs, slated to being in the fall 2020 semester.
Mark White, who is in his second year as head coach of the Ferrum men’s and women’s cross country teams, has been appointed to serve as head coach for all four track and field teams. White previously served as assistant track and field coach for nine years at Radford University, from 2007-2015.
“Track and field is such a great fit for Ferrum College for a number of reasons,” said President David Johns. “We appreciate the leadership and innovation of Coach Mark White for helping make this happen, and are excited to see how the program grows over the coming years.”
“It is extremely exciting that we announce the addition of men’s and women’s track and field as a varsity sport at Ferrum,” said Director of Athletics John Sutyak. “Track and field consistently has been one of the largest growing high school sports in the country, so adding the sport will allow us to not only complement our cross country program, but also take advantage of the large pool of prospective college students that already participate in the sport.”
“To say I’m excited for Ferrum to begin a track and field program is an understatement,” said White. “It is a great day for Panther Nation, and I am honored to begin this new chapter. I look forward to building this program brick by brick, and we will no doubt add quality student-athletes to Ferrum and our athletics community.”
Read more on the Ferrum College athletics webpage, here.
The cover design of fall 2019’s “Chrysalis” is by Ferrum College senior Anthony Wilson, Jr. ’20.
On Tuesday, December 10, 2019, Ferrum College Chrysalis Literary and Arts Magazine staff revealed the fall 2019 edition of the magazine in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room on campus. Submissions to the magazine were canvassed from across campus with winners in four categories: visual art, prose, photography, and poetry.
Senior Heather Ellis from Hardy, VA, received first place in poetry for “Signed, A Silent Onlooker” and in prose for “A Never-Ending Cycle.” First place for photography was awarded to senior Amber Scott of Stuart, VA for “Blue Skies.” First place award for visual arts went to junior Ashlynn Willoughby of Wilmington, NC for “Growth.” The Chrysalis cover photo is by senior Anthony Wilson, Jr., from Woodbridge, VA.
Judges included Ferrum College alumnus Mike Dunavant ’93, who evaluated the photography category; Ferrum College alumna Amanda Cholko ’14, who reviewed the poetry category; local artist Jane Lillian Vance, who evaluated the visual art category; and journalist and author Janine Latus, who evaluated the prose category.
The Chrysalis staff is comprised of Ferrum College students: editor-in-chief Heather Ellis; photography and visual art committee members sophomore Chloe Fisher (chair) and freshman Kristina Cossa; poetry committee members senior Kathryn Bonner, junior Abigail McGovern, and junior Jacques Moore-Roberts; and prose committee members senior AnnGardner Eubank (chair) and sophomore Shela Muriel. Chrysalis advisor is Ferrum College Professor of English Katherine Grimes.
Read this semester’s edition of Chrysalis Literary and Arts Magazine here.
To join us for the open house, please register here.
After more than a century of educating students as a training school, junior college, and four-year institution, Ferrum College will now offer graduate degree programs, which will begin in fall 2020 and will be administered as online courses.
The Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges has approved Ferrum College as a level four school, allowing the addition of two graduate programs: a Specialist in Education (EdS) in teacher leadership and coaching, and a Master of Science in psychology.
“This is an important and historic moment for Ferrum College,” said President David Johns. “We have been listening to our students and to our region, and as we have in the past, we grow and change when there is need. We are part of this community, and we are committed to helping the community thrive.”
“Ferrum College is excited about offering graduate-level programs which will provide access to advanced education in the areas of psychology and teacher education. In the coming weeks and months, the faculty will be creating additional programs and certificates to meet the needs within our community,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Aimé Sposato.
Alumna Sandra Via has been named director of the School of Graduate and Online Studies. Via is a 2004 graduate of Ferrum College and has served the College for ten years as an adjunct professor, an associate professor of political science, and as the program coordinator of international studies. She will direct the implementation and logistical coordination of the graduate programs.
Via earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from Ferrum College. She holds a Master of Arts in political science from Virginia Tech and a doctorate in planning, governance, and globalization, also from Virginia Tech.
“I am honored and excited to be able to implement Ferrum College’s first graduate programs,” said Via. “Our new graduate degree programs embody our mission by promoting the intellectual, ethical, and civic growth of students into leaders that serve their community and the world. Like our undergraduate programs, these graduate programs incorporate a personalized learning experience, specialized and caring attention from faculty, and an experiential learning experience for which Ferrum College is known.”
The Master of Science in psychology will attract graduate students who wish to prepare for research and teaching careers that require an advanced degree, such as working at non-profit organizations, for-profit companies, governmental agencies, social services agencies, educational institutions, and community outreach organizations.
The Education Specialist degree is geared toward students who already hold a master’s degree and wish to advance their professional knowledge in either teacher leadership or coaching.
Both programs could also serve as a stepping stone to a doctoral program in either discipline.
Ferrum College will begin accepting applications for enrollment in its graduate programs in January. The College plans to launch additional graduate degree programs within the next two years.
Learn more about the graduate programs here.
Read the article that appeared in The Roanoke Times here.
More about Ferrum College’s history:
Ferrum Training School was founded in 1913 as many young people in the Blue Ridge area had no access to public education. The training school’s first classes began in September 1914 under the leadership of its first principal, Dr. Benjamin Beckham. In 1939, the Virginia Department of Education accredited Ferrum Junior College and its name officially reflected this level change in 1948. Ferrum Junior College was then accredited by the Southern Association of College and Secondary Schools in 1960 and instituted a two-plus-two four-year academic structure in 1974. The first four-year degree was awarded in 1976.
John Sutyak has been named Ferrum College’s new director of athletics.
Ferrum College announces John Sutyak will be its new director of athletics. Sutyak is the former director of athletics and recreation at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts.
“I am pleased that John Sutyak will be joining our leadership team at Ferrum College. Athletics has played an important role at the College for years, and we are all looking forward to the next chapter under John’s leadership,” said Ferrum College President David Johns.
“As a former Ferrum College athlete, I am thrilled to have someone with John’s broad experience and background as Ferrum’s next athletic director,” said Vice President of Institutional Advancement and External Relations Wilson Paine. “John’s passion for college athletics and his commitment to supporting our student-athletes and coaches makes him the perfect fit to lead our athletics department and build on Ferrum’s rich history in athletics.”
After a national search, Sutyak arrives at Ferrum College with experience steeped in collegiate athletics. His career began in a dual role as the assistant sports information director and area coordinator in residential life at Wheaton College from July 2002 to August 2003. He then spent three years working in athletic facilities and varsity sports operations at Yale University before returning to Wheaton in July 2006 as the assistant director of athletics. He eventually became the associate director of athletics and assumed the role of director of athletics and recreation in April 2012.
During his eight-year stint as Wheaton College’s director of athletics, the college saw significant growth of donors and contributions to Wheaton’s Lyons Athletic Club. Sutyak was also involved in the development and construction of the first artificial surface athletic field, a $3.8 million project. Under his tenure, Wheaton’s athletic teams qualified for 33 NCAA championship events and won 16 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) regular season and conference titles, highlighted by baseball’s run to the national championship game in 2012, four top-10 finishes by the women’s track and field program, and regional championships by softball in 2015 and baseball in 2017. Sutyak also served six years on the NEWMAC Executive Committee, including a two-year term as president, and was the New England Chair of the NCAA Division III Softball Committee from 2008 to 2012. Outside of collegiate athletics, he has worked at Gillette Stadium during New England Patriots home games since 2002, working both with the Patriots media relations team and the National Football League on its Player Participation crew.
“I am extremely excited and humbled to be named director of athletics at Ferrum College. The moment I stepped foot on campus, I immediately felt at home and sensed that Ferrum is a very special place,” said Sutyak. “I am looking forward to working with student-athletes, coaches, faculty, and staff to continue the proud tradition of Ferrum College athletes. Our goal as a Division III institution will be to work toward providing all our student-athletes with a first-class experience, on and off the playing surface, while simultaneously striving to compete for conference championships.”
A native of Scarborough, Maine, Sutyak received his Bachelor of Arts in history from Wheaton College in May 2000. In 2002, he earned a Master of Education in athletic administration from Springfield College. During graduate school, he served as an assistant baseball coach at Western New England University during the 2001 and 2002 seasons, where he played a part in the team’s first Great Northwest Atlantic Conference (GNAC) championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2001. At Scarborough High School, he was a two-sport athlete (baseball and basketball) and a finalist for the Maine Mr. Baseball Award in 1996. A former four-year baseball player for the Wheaton Lyons, he was a member of the college’s first varsity baseball team in 1997, the program’s first two NEWMAC championship teams in 1999 and 2000, and a part of its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2000. He also tied the NCAA record for home runs in one inning with two against the University of Southern Maine in 1998.
Sutyak will assume his role at Ferrum College on January 1, 2020.
Learn more about Ferrum College athletics here.
Students show their appreciation to Ferrum College donors.
Ferrum College celebrated #GivingTuesday on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, by inviting donors to show their #FerrumHeartofGold with a gift to the Ferrum Fund which supports current and future students. The day was an immense success with gifts totaling over $50,000 from nearly 150 donors.
“We are grateful to our alumni and friends who made this year’s #GivingTuesday the College’s best ever,” said President David Johns. “I am proud of our Ferrum College family for its generosity, its commitment to our students, and for its willingness to pitch in and make a difference. Every dollar we raised will help students realize their dreams and build a future of hope and promise.”
The Ferrum Fund provides current and future students with:
To support students with a gift to the Ferrum Fund, please visit here.
#GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide.
