The annual livestock show and plant sale event occurs this year on Saturday, April 13. Spring plants will be for sale at the Titmus Agricultural Center, 
370 Ferrum School Road, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The plants have been grown in the College’s own greenhouse by horticulture students and include annual plants and seed annuals, hanging baskets, vegetables, and herbs. Proceeds from this cash-only sale support Ferrum College’s horticulture program. The showing of goats and lambs will also take place at the Agricultural Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Weaned goats and lambs will be available for sale after the showing. There will be additional activities and the opportunity to purchase lunch and Ferrum College agriculture merchandise on-site. Read more about the College’s agricultural science’s program here.
UpCycled Fashion
Stop by Stanley Library and view the UpCycled Fashion Exhibit of clothing made from repurposed and recycled materials. Sponsored by the English Program
When: April 23-28
Where: Stanley Library
Recycling Raffle
Stop by the table in the Franklin Atrium to enter the raffle. Must bring a piece of recyclable material to enter. Sponsored by REC 450 Special Events class
When: April 23-25
Where: Franklin Hall Atrium
Stanley Library Earth Week Displays
Stanley Library is celebrating Earth Week with an interdisciplinary display of books and DVDs related to conservation and sustainability. Also, check out the display created to highlight the library’s recycling initiatives. Sponsored by the Stanley Library
When: April 23-28
Where: Stanley Library
Waking up With God’s World
Each morning as we move from sleep to our daily activities we re-engage with the created world. This opportunity invites you to begin your day with a reflective sensory experience focused on our earthly home. You can participate as individuals or as groups in this self-guided hands-on reflection, thanksgiving and intercession for the created order. This offering is sponsored by Ferrum College Spiritual Life.
When: Wednesday, April 24; Thursday, April 25; Friday April 26, from 9-11 am
Where: Vaughn Chapel patio (inside if inclement weather)Earth Solutions Poster Exhibit
These posters offer empowering solutions to the major environmental challenges of our time. Sponsored by ECT 357 Applied Interpretation class
When: Tuesday, April 23, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Panther’s Den.
Outdoor Recreation Game Day
Join the students of REC 260 Foundations of Recreation for a fun filled time playing games and celebrating spring.
When: Tuesday, April 23, 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Where: Quad in front of Franklin Hall
Green Careers Information Table
Stop by the information table to explore career options within the fields of sustainability, alternative energy technologies, and ecotourism along with variety of other green careers. Sponsored by the Office of Career Services
When: Tuesday, April 23, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Franklin Hall Atrium
e-Waste: What do you do with all your old electronics? Learn ways to deal with all the e-waste that is generated by individuals, the campus community, and our society. Bring your e-waste for recycling and proper disposal.
When: Tuesday, April 23, 1 – 2 p.m.
Where: Panther’s Den
Henry David Thoreau’s Conservation Legacy
Join Dr. John Kitterman at the Thoreau cabin as he leads a hands-on learning experience about environmental writer Henry David Thoreau.
When: Tuesday, April 23, 2 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.
Where: Thoreau Cabin. Follow the signs from the Burrows-Skeens Tennis Complex picnic shelter trailhead.
Beach Volleyball Tournament
Beach volleyball is back! Ferrum College students have rebuilt the sand volleyball court next to Susannah Wesley Hall. Bring your own ball or check one out at the Y. Sponsored by Ferrum College Intramural progam.
When: Tuesday, April 23, 5:30 p.m.
Where: Sand volleyball court next to Susannah Wesley HallCycling Event and Bike Demo
Mountain Biking is a great way to exercise, have fun and get out with friends. Stop by the quad next to Franklin Hall and try out some of Roanoke Mountain Adventure’s sweet rides. Sponsored by Ferrum Outdoors.
Bike Demo: Wednesday, April 24, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Quad in front of Franklin Hall
Group rides: Wednesday, April 24, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. (two rides)
Where: Meet at GoodWheel Cycling Center next to YMCA
Earth Flow Yoga
Have fun and connect with Mother Earth through this grounding and exhilarating yoga sequence. Appropriate for all levels. A limited number of mats will be provided (bring your own mat or towel). Sponsored by the Health and Human Performance program.
When: Wednesday, April 24, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
**Backup date is Friday, April 26, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Quad in front of Franklin Hall
Before the Flood
Come watch the 2016 documentary on climate change. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, this compelling movie traces the effects of climate change on marginalized populations.
When: Part I: Wednesday, April 24, 1:25 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
Part II: Friday, April 26, 1:25 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
Where: Swartz 120
Inquiring Minds-Rants and Raves on Earth Day
Dr. Chris Mayer and a panel of reluctant optimists will deliver five minute talks about Earth Solutions: The Power of One. Healthy refreshments will be served.
When: Wednesday, April 24, 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Where: LEAP Studio, Stanley Library
Community Bonfire
Gather with friends and family around the campfire for an evening of s’mores, lemonade and music. This family-friendly event will take place at the fire ring located in the Ferrum forest on campus. Bring a flashlight or use the one on your phone. Start at the tennis court trailhead and follow the signs to the fun. Sponsored by Delta Chi
When: Wednesday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Meet at the fire ring just beyond the Thoreau cabin or at the Burrows-Skeens Tennis Complex picnic shelter and follow the signs.
Night with the Stars
Our blue planet is part of an unfathomable and endless Universe. Using augmented reality software, we will explore the night sky, the constellations and the myths and stories we have created to explain them. Join us to play intergalactic games and enjoy out of this world snacks. Sponsored by the REC 450 Special Events
When: Wednesday, April 24, 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Quad in front of Franklin HallMorning Bird Watching Walk
Join master birder Dr. Todd Frederickson on a bird watching tour of campus. Find out who more about our flying neighbors. Binoculars provided. Sponsored by School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
When: Thursday, April 25, 7:30 am to 8:30 a.m.
Where: Hart International Plaza
Live and Learn – “Earthing” – Get Grounded!
We will discuss the health benefits of Earthing also known as Grounding. Scientific evidence supports the miracles that this simple activity can provide. Come find out what it is and what it can do for you! Be prepared to be barefoot! Sponsored by Student Affairs & Campus Wellness
When: Thursday, April 25, 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Panther’s Den, Franklin Hall
Earth Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation grounds you in the present moment. Join Dr. Kevin Reilly in a series of exercises designed to help you focus and reinvigorate yourself.
When: Thursday, April 25, 2:00 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.
Location: Hart International Plaza
Panther Fun Run
Come out for a fun run around campus. Cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers. Sponsored by students of REC 450 Special Events Planning class.
When: Thursday, April 25, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Hank Norton Center
Hammock Relaxation
Sponsored by Ferrum Outdoors
When: Thursday, April 25, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Meet at Burrows-Skeens Tennis Complex picnic shelter
Outdoor Education Workshops
Join the students of REC 361 Outdoor Education class for hands on learning about nature and our local ecosystem.
When: Thursday, April 25, 2:00 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.
Where: Chapman Pond trailhead
RecycleMania
Test your knowledge of waste and recycling issues while playing cornhole, can jam, and other fun games. Sponsored by REC 450 Special Events Planning.
When: Wednesday, April 24, 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Quad in front of Franklin HallTree Climbing
Come and climb trees like researchers in the Amazon Rainforest. Using safe professional arborist equipment you will scale to new heights.
When: Friday, April 26, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Large oak trees in front of Bassett Hall
Butterfly Bonanza
Come fly with us! Celebrate and learn about butterflies and their critical role as pollinators. Fly butterfly kites and plant seeds for flowers they need to live. Each participant will receive a pollinator seed package so that he/she can plant a butterfly garden at home. Sponsored by Environmental Science and Ecotourism Programs
When: Friday, April 26, 4:00 p.m to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Meet at the Quad in front of Franklin HallYoga in the Forest
Spend a relaxing hour of yoga in Ferrum’s forest. Mats will be provided. Bring your own water. Sponsored by Ferrum Outdoors
When: Sunday, April 28, 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Where: Meet at the tennis court picnic shelter
The fourth annual Moonshine Heritage Car Show will take place at Ferrum College on Saturday, April 27, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. This unique car show will showcase vehicles that were actual transporters of moonshine or the type of vehicle that was used for the hauling of illegal spirits. Admission is free so bring the family for a day of fun!
There will be plenty of storytelling and bragging about the exploits and history of these special cars and trucks from the actual drivers. After the show, participants will cruise down to Twin Creeks Distillery in Rocky Mount for a moonshine tasting. Also visit the special moonshine souvenir tent with models of stills, mash sticks, and Virginia is for Moonshine Lovers hats, t-shirts, and bumper stickers.
Food will be available onsite from the legendary Bowling’s Hotdogs of Waidsboro.
This event is sponsored by the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum of Ferrum College with the assistance of the Outlaw Cruisers Car Club of Franklin County, VA.
For more information, call the Blue Ridge Institute at 540-365-4416 or email bri@ferrum.edu. To register a car for the car show, please complete a registration form here: https://ferrumcollege.wufoo.com/forms/m17zr5tu1d37fh6/.
To learn more about the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, visit: https://dev.ferrum.edu/blueridgeinstitute/.
Ferrum College Theatre Arts will present Beth Henley’s Crimes of the Heart April 24 – 26, at 7 p.m., in the Black Box Theatre in Schoolfield Hall on campus. Entrance is free for Ferrum College students and faculty; $5 for non-Ferrum College students; and $10 for adults. Reserve tickets here. This production contains adult language and situations.
Set in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, three sisters, each with unique life circumstances including spinsterhood, a failed career, and the possibility of jail time, await their grandfather’s death in the local hospital. Through hilarious yet touching twists and turns, the sisters escape their pasts and make strides toward their futures. A New York Times review remarked: “While this play overflows with infectious high spirits, it is also, unmistakably, the tale of a very troubled family. Such is Miss Henley’s prodigious talent that she can serve us pain as though it were a piece of cake.”
The play, which won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, has been described by the New York Post as having “heart, wit, and a surprisingly zany passion that must carry all before it…it would certainly be a crime for anyone interested in the theatre not to see this play.”
Learn more about Ferrum College Theatre Arts here.
More about Beth Henley: Henley’s plays have been translated into over ten languages. Broadway productions include Crimes of the Heart and The Wake of Jamey Foster. Off-Broadway productions include: The Miss Firecracker Contest; Am I Blue; The Lucky Spot; The Debutante Ball; Abundance; Impossible Marriage; and Family Week. Her additional works have premiered at the McCarter Theatre and South Coast Repertory Theatre (Ridiculous Fraud); the Geffen Theatre (The Jacksonian, 2012); and Studio Theatre (Laugh, 2015). Awards include: the Pulitzer Prize in Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best American Play (Crimes of the Heart); American Theatre Wing 1998 Award for Distinguished Achievement in Playwriting and Susan Smith Blackburn Finalist (Crimes of the Heart and Ridiculous Fraud); Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award (2000); New York Stage and Film Honoree (2007); and ATHE Career Achievement Award (2010). Henley hails from Jackson, Mississippi; serves as a theatre arts presidential professor at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles; and is a member of The Fellowship of Southern Writers, the Dramatist Guild and the Academy of Arts and Science.
Blue Ridge Institute and Museum Director Roddy Moore, circa 1983.
Arriving just one year after the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum was founded at Ferrum College in 1973, Roddy Moore has been the driving force of the institute, creating events, choosing direction, and collecting relicts. Today, he retires as director, although he plans to stick around to help with current endeavors such as fundraising and the famous Blue Ridge Folklife Festival in October.
“It is impossible to calculate the magnitude of Roddy’s impact on this region,” said President David Johns. “He has helped to preserve the beauty and genius of the folk arts and folk ways of the Blue Ridge and he has introduced us to forgotten treasures that still influence our lives. All of us at Ferrum College are grateful for Roddy’s many contributions throughout his long career here.”
Read more about Moore’s career in this Roanoke Times article.
Mary Carter Bishop, author of “Don’t You Ever: My Mother and Her Secret Son.”
Mary Carter Bishop believed she was an only child all her life. Well into adulthood, while applying for a passport that required a copy of her birth certificate, she discovered her mother’s secret: she was not her mother’s only child. Bishop had a half-brother named Ronnie, the product of her mother’s affair with a married man.
Eventually, Bishop was able to track down her half-brother and was shocked to discover Ronnie’s childhood was vastly different from her own, the effects from which he still suffered. Born out of Bishop’s experience came Don’t You Ever: My Mother and Her Secret Son.
On Monday, April 1, Ferrum College will host Mary Carter Bishop in a panel discussion regarding her experience, her resulting book, and how women’s options have changed since her mother’s unexpected pregnancy in 1935. This free event is open to the public and will take place in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room in Franklin Hall on campus, beginning with book sales at 6:30 p.m. and discussion following at 7 p.m. Additional panelists include Dr. Sharon Stein, professor of psychology; Dr. Allison Harl, associate professor of English; and Leya Deickman, a Ferrum College senior.
Don’t You Ever has received glowing reviews, called “brave and terrific,” by an Atlantic Journal-Constitution reviewer, and described as “lay[ing] bare the cancer of shame and its often devastating results,” by Publisher’s Weekly. Beth Macy, author of Factory Man, Truevine, and Dopesick, stated Bishop’s book is an “open-hearted and unflinching look at a family history that is equal parts love story and requiem for a brother she barely knew. [Bishop] turns her formidable investigative journalism skills inward to unearth long-simmering class and culture divides in bucolic rural Virginia.”
Bishop is a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist and graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She was a long-time reporter for The Roanoke Times and won a George Polk Award for her series on pesticide poisonings and fraud by exterminators. Additionally, Bishop was part of the Pulitzer-Prize winning Philadelphia Inquirer team that covered the 1979 nuclear leaks at Three Mile Island, Pa. She lives in Roanoke.
Ferrum, VA, March 27, 2019 — Assistant Professor of Social Work Dr. Martha Haley-Bowling has been selected by the Council of Social Work Education (CSWE) as part of a national taskforce to develop the Curricular Guide for Substance Use in Social Work Practice, which will become part of the 2015 EPAS Curricular GuideResource Series. The guide will serve as a national resource for social work programs and seeks to describe the knowledge, values, skills, cognitive, and affective processes that comprise each of the nine social work competencies for specialized practice.
Dr. Martha Haley-Bowling
The taskforce, comprised of approximately 100 members, will meet in Alexandria, Virginia in April, and will release the substance use guide prior to the annual CSWE program meeting in October 2019 in Denver, Colorado.
“Working with substance users has been a passion of mine since college,” remarked Haley-Bowling. “In the field of social work, we are seeing families affected by this more and more. This guide will help social work students develop skills needed to provide assistance.”
CSWE is a national association comprised of over 750 accredited bachelor’s and master’s degree social work programs with a mission to ensure the quality of social work education. According to the CSWE website, “CSWE pursues this mission in higher education by setting and maintaining national accreditation standards…by promoting faculty development, by engaging in interprofessional and international collaborations, and by advocating for social work education and research.”
“I am honored and excited to be chosen to be part of this committee,” said Haley-Bowling. “I hope to make Ferrum College proud in this endeavor.”
Read about Ferrum College’s social work program here.
Read more about CSWE here.
On Sunday, March 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Ferrum College invites members of the community to enjoy homemade soup and bread served in
handcrafted ceramic bowls during the Empty Bowls event in the Blue Ridge Mountain Room in the College’s Franklin Hall, 215 Ferrum Mountain Road, Ferrum. For $15 (or $10 with a valid student ID), attendees are invited to choose a bowl to fill with soup, enjoy fellowship with others, and take their special “empty bowl” home. Proceeds from this event support the Panther Packs program at Ferrum Elementary School, which sends qualifying children home for the weekend with backpacks stocked with nutritious, non-perishable food.
Students, faculty, professional potters, and other area volunteers made hundreds of unique bowls for this year’s event. In addition, there will be a silent auction featuring original works of art, including paintings, jewelry, quilts and pottery, generously donated by Blue Ridge Potters Guild members and other talented local artists.
“This year marks the tenth anniversary of the Empty Bowls event,” said Nell Fredericksen, local potter and jeweler and co-coordinator of the event. “It is a true partnership between the College and the community, working to provide much needed food to children right here in our own neighborhood. I, along with Josh Manning, Ferrum College ceramics professor and Jake Smith, Ferrum College art professor, would like to express our gratitude to the students that helped make bowls, the group of professional potters that came and helped throw close to 200 bowls, all the artists that have so generously donated to the silent auction, and the sponsorship of the Blue Ridge Potters Guild. This event would not be the success it is each year without so many in our community coming together to make a difference.”
The Empty Bowls event raises over $6,000 each year and is the sole fundraiser for the Panther Packs program. It is designed to educate Ferrum College students about how they can make a positive difference in their communities through service.
To learn more about the Empty Bowls event, please visit here and here.
Senior Oliver Flood, a financial management major, assists a VITA client.
Twenty-seven Ferrum College accounting students have received training to assist with STEP’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which will be available on campus through April 11. Tax Day is April 15.
VITA, an IRS-sponsored program, provides free tax preparation assistance to those whose annual income is $55,000 or less. Sessions will be available on the Ferrum College campus in Beckham Hall, rooms 201 and 204, on Wednesdays from 4 to 9 p.m. and Thursdays from 4 to 6 p.m., with the exception of March 6 and 7 when the students are away for spring break. To schedule an appointment, call STEP at 540-483-5142.
“Our students have put in a tremendous amount of effort to learn the new tax laws and regulations to properly prepare tax returns for our clients,” explained Sadie Wallace, assistant professor of accounting and VITA program director at Ferrum College. “As a whole, the group has prepared around 200 tax returns this tax season so far, with that number to increase substantially by the time April 15th arrives. This program would not be successful without the countless hours of commitment and dedication the students put in to help serve the Ferrum College community and the surrounding areas.”
Those taking advantage of this volunteer program should bring all tax-related documents, including W-2’s, photo identification, last year’s tax return, and social security cards for themselves and dependents.
Check out this Franklin News-Post article to learn more about the VITA program offered in Franklin County. Read more about STEP here.
Ferrum, VA, February 25, 2019 — Former Broadway star Brad Bass spent a month working with Ferrum College’s theatre arts students to choreograph upcoming performances of Pippin, the story of a young prince in search of true happiness and fulfillment. Performances will be in Schoolfield Hall’s Sale Theatre on campus, 305 State Route 602, Ferrum, on March 13, 14, and 15 at 7 p.m. and on March 16 at 2 p.m.
Bass is now a musical theatre artist in residence at Averett University and is on faculty at Orbit Arts Academy. Ferrum College theatre arts students and Bass worked every weekend for the past month to choreograph Pippin.
“We are overjoyed to have Brad Bass share his experience with our students,” said Giuseppe Ritorto, assistant professor of dramatic and theatre arts and musical theatre at Ferrum College. “He brings a warmth and joy to this process of directing that can only be found in someone who shares a love of teaching the theatrical skills to the next generation of performers.”
Theatre arts students have gained a new perspective through Bass’s presence on campus. “Outside of rehearsal, students have loved picking his brain about his time on Broadway in Wicked and Memphis,” Ritorto remarked. “Brad has been more than happy to indulge them.”
Brought to life by Roger O. Hirson’s book and set to music with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, Pippin is the winner of four 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, and has captivated audiences throughout the world.
Ticket cost for Pippin is $5 for non-Ferrum College students and senior citizens, and $15 for adults. To reserve tickets, visit here.
Please note: this production occasionally contains strong language and adult situations that may be unsuitable for children.
Click here for a list of upcoming theatre arts performances, and here to read more about the theatre arts program at Ferrum College.
About the photograph: Brad Bass worked with theatre arts students to choreograph Pippin.
More about Bass: Brad Bass was born and raised on a tobacco farm in Ringgold, Virginia. After high school he moved to New York City, where he trained at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He joined the Chicago production of Wicked and not long after, made his Broadway debut in the production. His other Broadway credits include the original casts of Memphis and Jersey Boys. He was in the feature film Memphis, and sang on the original cast albums of Memphis and Andrew Lippa’s A Little Princess. Bass has performed on Good Morning America, CBS Morning Show, The View, and the Tony Awards. After performing for 14 years, he realized that teaching and writing were his new creative passions. He obtained faculty positions at Averett University and Orbit Arts Academy and received a master’s in creative writing with a focus in libretto from Goddard College. He is co-writing three musicals: The Collins Boy, The Gathering of Waters, and Learning to Fly. Bass was also commissioned to write the music and lyrics for a new film adaptation of Hansel and Gretel, entitled Gretel + Hansel.
Ferrum College Associate Professor of Spanish Patty Suppes is the recipient of a 2019 NAFSA Region VIII Advocacy Day scholarship. Suppes will participate in NAFSA Advocacy Day activities on March 18 and 19 in Washington, D.C. She plans to lobby for support for international education: “That includes study abroad and international students coming here,” Suppes explained. “We, as in colleges and universities, need more support for student visas and more funding for programming and scholarships.”
Suppes has also been selected to be the NAFSA region VIII conference planning apprentice. In this role, she will support the current conference planner for the organization’s fall conference in Baltimore. Next year, she will lead the planning efforts when the NAFSA conference moves to Roanoke.
In addition, Suppes has been accepted to NAFSA’s Trainer Corps and will train conference attendees in areas such as: collaborative approaches to developing faculty-led programs; internships, research, and service learning abroad; student health and safety abroad; developing basic research skills to strengthen international education practices; and others.
Suppes immigrated to the U.S. from Peru as a child. At 16, she volunteered to teach English as a second language through the Northern Virginia Literacy Council. After earning her bachelor’s from Sweet Briar College, she served with the Peace Corps in Morocco and then earned a master’s and Ph.D. in Latin American literature through the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Suppes’s current focus is improving immigration policies in the U.S.; she has received a Jessie Ball duPont grant to participate in “Immigration and Citizenship in the United States,” a National Humanities Center seminar.
“It is essential to who we are as a nation and to the ideal of a free and fair society to actively promote diversity and inclusion in our institutions of higher education,” Suppes said in a statement. “Students need a global perspective that can only come from living and learning in a culture different from their own, and from interacting here in the U.S. with students who have a different cultural background. It is essential that we impress upon our legislators that they need to support us in our efforts to broaden education to not only include, but to embrace the diversity of our world.”
Read more about Advocacy Day and Dr. Suppes’s scholarship here.
On April 1, alumnus Wilson Paine ’07 will take on his new role as vice president of Institutional Advancement at Ferrum College. Paine is no stranger to the campus; since 2009, he has served on Ferrum College’s Board of Trustees and its Alumni Board of Directors in various roles, including president and vice president.
“I’m honored to be joining President Johns and his leadership team during this exciting time at Ferrum College,” Paine remarked. “As a proud alumnus, I look forward to ‘returning home’ and working with a dedicated and talented team of alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to advance Ferrum’s mission and instill a renewed spirit of collaboration and support throughout the Ferrum community.”
“I am pleased Wilson Paine will be joining our administrative team this spring,” President David Johns said in a statement. “All of us are working to position the College for a new and exciting future; Wilson’s strategic thinking, personal integrity, gracious personality, and above all, his love for Ferrum College will make him an excellent partner as we build the relationships and resources necessary to support our students.”
Paine arrives at the institution after substantial public affairs work, most recently as a social investment officer of workforce development and director of strategic partnerships at Stand Together, a community revitalization non-profit based in Arlington, Va. He was a 2016 participant in the Sorensen Institute Political Leaders program and served as a research assistant for the General Board of Church and Society for the United Nations. Paine founded the “Service for Heroes Charity Open,” a United States Tennis Association-sponsored tennis tournament, that raised funds for veterans and their families and won the 2013 USTA Military Tennis Award.
Paine graduated summa cum laude from Ferrum College with a degree in history and holds a masters in theological studies from Harvard University. While at Ferrum College, he studied abroad at Imperial College in London, England; at Beijing Normal University in Beijing, China; and at Southern African Wildlife College in Kruger National Park, South Africa. As a student, Paine was also named First Team Academic All-American by ESPN, The Magazine and a National Scholar Athlete by Intercollegiate Tennis Association. He has received the Arthur S. Owen’s Leadership Award; the Don Scalf Award for USA South Conference Student Athlete; and the President’s Cup Award for Best Scholar-Athlete.
“Ferrum College played a transformative role in shaping my own personal, professional, spiritual, and intellectual growth, and paved the road that guided me well beyond my four years as a student,” said Paine, who looks forward to furthering the mission of the institution that gave him so much.
Read more about Paine in The Roanoke Times article here.
