FERRUM, VA, November 20, 2025 – Professor of Recreation Leadership Dan Caston has been appointed Director of Ferrum College’s Boone Honors Program (BHP). Caston also coordinates the programs in Recreation Leadership and Sports Management. The new BHP assistant director is Associate Professor of Animal Science Nancy Brubaker.
With a Ph.D. from Prescott College, Caston brings a wealth of experience to the BHP, including nearly twenty years of teaching and service to Ferrum College. A specialist in experiential teaching and learning, he encourages the best from students through active engagement, critical thinking, and creative problem solving. “I’m excited to be part of the Boone Honors tradition of the pursuit of excellence, and look forward to supporting these young scholars in their growth,” said Caston.
Caston’s past leadership roles have also included serving as Chair of Ferrum’s Business and Social Sciences Division and Coordinator of the Ferrum Outdoors recreational program, for which he developed innovative outdoor activities and sustainability initiatives. He has presented at conferences and published his work exploring the intersections of nature, education, and transformation, inspiring individuals to embrace the power of the outdoors.
Dr. Nancy Brubaker ’94, program coordinator for the One Health minor, earned a D.M.V. degree in 1999 from Virginia Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. A full-time faculty member since 2013, she is also a licensed veterinarian who advises and assists a wide variety of college and community student clubs and civic organizations, including the Franklin County Humane Society. “I look forward to working with the honors scholars,” said Brubaker.
At the College’s 2025 Academic Awards Ceremony in April, Brubaker received the Exemplary Faculty Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to student success and academic innovation. Dean of Faculty Eric Vanden Eykel described Brubaker as “outgoing, deeply involved in campus life, and a major part of our local community.”
Caston becomes the fourth BHP director since the program was developed in 2002 by Dr. David Howell, who served as the first program director until 2007. The program is named for Mrs. Shirley Boone and Dr. Jerry Boone, Ferrum College president from 1987 to 2002.
Professor of English Lana Whited, who directed the BHP from 2007 to 2024, also served as interim director this semester. “The success of the Boone Honors Program has been my top priority at Ferrum for nearly 20 years,” said Whited. “I’m completely confident that Dan Caston and Nancy Brubaker are the right leaders for the program’s next era.”
Recent growth in the BHP has resulted in a record enrollment of 71 student members, who benefit from special opportunities for scholarships, travel abroad, advising, research, and participation at conferences. Students take a number of interdisciplinary honors seminars, such as Reason and the Individual, Surrealism, Media and Violence, Political Satire, and Science and Art. They also complete enrichment projects in some of their other courses and enjoy off-campus excursions. Many members of the program live in a Roberts Hall honors community in the center of campus.
Click here for more information about the Boone Honors Program.
Photo of Roberts Hall and Beckham Hall courtesy of Dr. Bob Pohlad.
