Ferrum College will host a Summer Open House for prospective students beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 28, 2022, as part of its Virginia Private College Week activities. The day will include:
For more information about the Ferrum College Summer Open House, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@ferrum.edu or call 800-868-9797 or 540-365-4290.
To register for the Ferrum College Summer Open House, click here.
During Virginia Private Colleges Week, students who visit in-person or virtually three or more participating colleges, including Ferrum College, between July 25–30 will receive three application fee waivers to use at any college participating in Virginia Private Colleges Week. Learn more here.
Inside Rockefeller Center, David Garten looks outside his office window at the bustling city streets of Manhattan. Despite working in one of the most iconic areas of New York City, Garten reminisces of the beauty seen in the night sky above Ferrum College. “At night you see more stars than you ever could possibly believe,” recalls Garten.
Born and raised in Orlando, FL with strong family roots in West Virginia, Garten ’98, was recruited by Coach Dave Davis to play football at the College. He describes his first visit to campus as arriving in an oasis within a beautiful landscape of mountains. It was different than anything he had seen in Florida, but he immediately felt at home with the coaches and his teammates.
Garten credits the College for instilling in him a certain amount of resiliency and grit. Having played football the entire four years he attended, Garten says, “We practiced on a field covered with rocks everywhere, and we did that every single day, all through the fall.” He adds that, “You grow really close to one another. You’re doing it day-in and day-out, in the mud on the rocky field.”
The resiliency and discipline he learned on the football field spilled over to his other pursuits as well. After graduating from Ferrum College with a B.S. in Social Work, Garten worked in the juvenile justice and specialized foster care system before attending graduate school at Columbia University. At Columbia, he earned dual master’s degrees in social policy and public administration and quickly found himself working on Capitol Hill for former U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and former U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.
Garten’s time in D.C. and New York politics prepared him for his current gig: New York real estate. He is currently employed by RXR, a real estate and infrastructure development company in New York City, as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs.
Garten draws a straight line from his time at Ferrum to his professional success, stating, “It has been instrumental in helping me navigate from the worlds of bareknuckle D.C. and New York politics to [the world of] New York real estate.” At RXR, David works with a dynamic team advancing one of the largest and greenest office buildings in New York City history, a new terminal at JFK International Airport, the redevelopment of a city’s downtown, and much more. “I’ve been really fortunate to work with some amazing and dedicated people throughout my career. And it has been incredibly rewarding to work alongside so many individuals on the RXR team who embody what Ferrum is all about.”
Now with his own family, Garten looks forward to visiting the College with his wife, Melanie, and their son, Rohan. From nights spent beneath starry skies, to his time on the football field, to hanging out with friends on the ground floor of Bassett Hall, Garten wants them to see what makes Ferrum so special.
“You are not only getting a unique college experience, but you also get an education that is as applicable to the classroom as it is to life,” he adds. “You’re in close proximity at a small school [and must] figure out how to get along with others who might be different than you. That’s what life is about, and that experience is something that is unique to Ferrum.”
Article written and submitted by freelance writer Amy Shelor Dye with contributions by David Garten ’98.
The topics and projects in the class are primarily driven by what the current class is interested in studying, which makes it difficult for Hally to plan this course in advance. Early in the semester, students research a cause near and dear to their hearts and devise a presentation for their classmates. The class votes on the projects they feel will be the most impactful, accessible, and fun.
This year, the PSC 399 students voted to raise money on behalf of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the Miracle League, and SARA Roanoke (Sexual Assault Response and Awareness). Although Hally would often coordinate the behind-the-scenes logistics of contacting these organizations, purchasing supplies, and room reservations, the students did all the heavy lifting by planning and running the events themselves.
A cup pong fundraiser and a three-point tournament were organized to benefit the Miracle League, an association that helps children with disabilities play baseball. A color run was organized to benefit the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. A Krispy Kreme donut sale on campus benefitted SARA Roanoke, and speaker Dina Hackley-Hunt spoke with students about sexual violence. The PSC 399 students raised over $800 total for the three organizations.
Hally noted the key to a successful service-learning project is that it has to be student-driven. He reflected that he has never had a class keep him busier, but he also has never been as proud of what they were able to accomplish. “People often view politics negatively because all they see is the partisan bickering taking place in Washington and on cable news outlets. But the main lesson I’ve tried to get across to my students this semester is that politics isn’t JUST about what happens within government – it’s also a political act to serve your community with love and grace. Individual acts of service, whether required for a class or not, are a more valuable political currency than what plays out in the halls of power. And I can’t think of a better example of “Not Self,But Others.”
To see additional pictures of the PSC 399 events, please click here.
Ferrum College recognized 261 full-time students for their academic excellence during spring semester 2022. The 111 full-time students named to the President’s List earned a semester GPA of 4.0 and the 150 full-time students named to the Dean’s List earned a semester GPA of at least 3.4.
Find students named to Spring 2022 President’s List here.
Find students named to the Spring 2022 Dean’s List here.
BRIM Director Bethany Worley was excited to receive the gift of Cundiff’s collection, as well as an endowment to support the preservation of the collection. Worley noted BRIM is honored to be entrusted with Cundiff’s lifelong work. “We will honor her wishes and make sure her legacy lives on so that others can use and benefit from all her labor. Clearly, she loved history. She found history in everything and everyone.”
According to Worley, it will take many hours to research, catalog, identify, and digitize the collection for widespread public use. In addition, the BRIM will share a sample of the collection at The Depot in Rocky Mount.
To view additional photos of the collection, click here.
Read Leigh Prom’s article about Dorothy Cundiff’s collection that appeared in The Franklin News-Post here.
The project’s funding comes through the Collaborative Equitable-Attainment Grant offered by SCHEV. With the funding, Ferrum College will partner with P&HCC to implement a pilot intervention strategy to help African American males stay in college. Both institutions will hire dedicated personnel to connect at-risk students with resources like tutoring, an on-campus food pantry, scholarships for emergency or school-related expenses, mental health counseling, and more.
“Right now, both of our institutions have many students who are struggling to reach the finish line. With the help of this grant, we will soon see these students walk across that graduation stage,” said Ferrum College Dean of Academic Success David Wiggins. “Yes, we want to see the statistics change –African American males are statically underrepresented in college attainment and over-represented in college dropout rates. We’re poised to turn that on its head. But, ultimately, it’s about each individual student and each life that will be radically changed with the degree they will earn.”
Ferrum College saw increases in retention after implementing early alert systems that identified at-risk students. At P&HCC, earlier work with similar intervention strategies produced a 30% increase in completion rates for students in two-year programs. However, from this prior work, both institutions discovered the need to bridge the gap between identifying at-risk students and ensuring that these students obtain and utilize the available resources. That is where dedicated personnel will come in. If this pilot program proves effective, both campuses will expand the program to other at-risk student groups in order to continue to address attainment gaps among the two student bodies.
“We are excited to be collaborating with Ferrum College in such critical work. Our students have made that big first step—they’ve enrolled in college. Oftentimes, life happens in ways that make it hard to stay the course—especially for populations considered ‘at-risk,’ said P&HCC Interim Vice President of Academic and Student Success Services Terry Young. “This funding will help further equip us to come alongside these students and provide them with the assistance and the resources they need when life happens.”
Ferrum College announces the addition of three new members to the Board of Trustees: alumna Amanda Cox ’04, F. Abe Dymond, and Jeffrey C. Pugh. Their terms will begin July 1, 2022.
Cox is an external affairs manager for Appalachian Power responsible for oversight and implementation of local and county governmental affairs, community relations, and providing assistance with local/regional economic development. She also serves as a registered lobbyist in Virginia and participates in the General Assembly sessions in Richmond. Additionally, Cox has taken Appalachian Power’s Rural Broadband Initiative from a study concept through to the first connection of customers, and continues to serve as a resource to a variety of stakeholders on the issue.
Prior to joining Appalachian Power, Cox served as the President/CEO of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce and its Partnership for Economic Growth where she positioned the Chamber to become the lead entity for small business development, leveraged workforce partnerships to increase the Chamber’s capacity to deliver business services, and secured a 5-Star rating with the US Chamber of Commerce for the first time in the organization’s history.
She currently serves on multiple state, regional and local boards and has a bachelor of science in Business Administration from Ferrum College and a master of business administration from Radford University.
Cox lives with her husband, Jonathan, and two children in Franklin County, VA.
Dymond received a bachelor of arts in English from Ripon College, a Juris Doctor from Hamline University School of Law, a master of business administration with a concentration in finance from Carlson School of Management, and a master of laws in military law from The Judge Advocate General’s School.
Pugh’s most recent book, “The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to the End Times: Theology After You’ve Been Left Behind,” was published by Fortress Press in 2016 as part of a series sponsored by the popular Homebrewed Christianity podcast that takes a unique approach to helping delve into key Christian concepts, figures and ideas. He has also made numerous presentations at professional meetings and conferences, written articles, book chapters and book reviews for various publications, and served eight years as a member of the board of directors of the International Bonhoeffer Society.
Pugh earned his master of divinity degree from Wesley Theological Seminary, and a master’s degree and doctorate in theological and religious studies from Drew University Graduate School. His graduate research focused on systematic and historical theology and he continued that work during his career at Elon. He received Elon’s Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2000 and the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2010.
The project to build the “Thoreau House” on Ferrum College’s campus began in 2007 as part of a three-week English experiential “e-term” course entitled “American Nature Writing” led by Professor of English John Kitterman. During the course, students studied Thoreau while building the cabin and hiking in the woods. Former Ferrum College student David Hancock ’11, who helped build the cabin, attended the cabin’s 2010 dedication. “It helped connect the dots. It was easier to understand what Thoreau was talking about once we got out of the classroom and started spending time out here.”
Like Thoreau’s, the College’s cabin included a fireplace, a bed, a table and three chairs. After the May 20 fire, only the remains of the fireplace and chimney are left standing. Ferrum College President David Johns noted it was a terrible loss for Ferrum College. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of this innovative space for our students, as well as the community. Teaching and engaging our students doesn’t only occur inside the four walls of the classroom; the “Thoreau House” provided opportunities for our students to be inspired by the nature and beauty surrounding them on the Ferrum College campus.”
The fire is currently under investigation by authorities with Franklin County Public Safety. Anyone with information pertaining to the total loss of the “Thoreau House” on Friday, May 20, 2022, is asked to contact the Franklin County Fire Marshall at (540) 483-3091.
To attend a PAWS session, accepted students must have paid their $250 confirmation deposit, registered for PAWS, and completed their online Road2Ferrum checklist. Parents or guardians are encouraged to attend and other family members are welcome.
To learn more about PAWS, please visit https://www.ferrum.edu/admission/panther-paws/.
An integral part of the PAWS experience is the student leadership team. To learn more about this year’s team, including fun facts and why they selected Ferrum College, please see the student profiles below.
Since 1934, the Sullivan Foundation has been inspiring others to lead lives of integrity through a commitment to placing community service above self-interest. “These Ferrum College community members demonstrate these qualities through selfless service, showing compassion for others, and bringing comfort in time of need,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs Kevin Reilly. “These exceptional individuals truly live the Ferrum College “Not Self, But Others” motto on a daily basis [and] were selected by the faculty and staff in recognition of their spiritual and noble qualities, and their remarkable character and integrity.”
Student award recipient Harris, from North Chesterfield, Virginia, was described by one of his nominators as, “one of the most caring young men with whom I have had the pleasure of working with at Ferrum College”. Harris, the “go-to-guy” for many students who have personal challenges, has an empathetic demeanor and servant’s mindset, which draws others to him. He offers his time and care to everyone who contacts him in need. Harris has also served as a mentor to elementary students at Lee M. Waid School in the College’s Brother4Brother’s “Breakfast Buddies” program.
Staff award recipient Hacker, from Ferrum, Virginia, is a 2005 Ferrum alumnus who began working at the College in 2006. As described by one of his nominators, “Eugene demonstrates what it means to be a model employee. He is always willing to help and he goes over and above to make sure his colleagues and our students have the tools necessary to be successful. Even during stressful times, Eugene is always calm, positive and upbeat. Eugene exemplifies his spiritual beliefs as he adds his significant musical skills to the College’s Praise and Worship Band”.
Community award recipient Martha Puckett, from Ferrum,Virginia, has overseen Panther Packs, the backpack program that provides non-perishable food to Ferrum Elementary students whose families are food-insecure, since 2007. A nominator noted that Puckett’s work involves the coordination of fundraising, the purchasing and packing of food, and the delivery of backpacks to the school each week. “Martha has worked tirelessly to make sure the most vulnerable members of our community have food in their stomachs over the weekend when they are not served meals during school. She is the hallmark of the Algernon-Sydney Sullivan award, practicing ‘fine spiritual qualities practically applied to daily living.’”
Each award recipient received a framed certificate, trophy, and a book titled “The Sullivan Heritage”.
For more pictures of the 2022 baccalaureate service, click here.
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund is a charitable foundation based in Jacksonville, Florida that strives to lift up members of society who have historically been prevented from accessing basic opportunities, and operates within communities with which Jessie Ball duPont had a personal connection. The duPont Fund is committed to eliminating structural and systemic barriers that stand in the way of their vision of “a world in which every member of those communities feels they belong.”
For educational institutions, the Jessie Ball duPont Fund focuses on increasing retention and/or graduation rates of first-generation, low-income, and underserved students at private and public universities. The $143,000 grant award will support Ferrum College’s academic support services to increase the academic performance, persistence, and graduation of first-generation students, low income students, and students with disabilities who demonstrate an academic need for support.
Ferrum College has a long history of serving students from underserved backgrounds, including those who have academic, financial, or personal challenges. The vast majority of Ferrum College students come from low income families and many are the first in their families to attend college. Sixty-three percent of students are Pell Grant-eligible and ninety-nine percent receive some form of financial aid. Approximately forty-three percent of Ferrum College students come from high schools in rural areas and the transition to academic coursework comes with additional hurdles in navigating unfamiliar academic processes, loss of social support networks, difficulty connecting with professors and classmates, and the realization of knowledge gaps in foundational areas like math and writing.
To remedy this, the staff of the CCAS has formulated ten initiatives for success which include Foundations, First Generation Student Program, Gateway First-Year Seminar, Financial Literacy/Scholarship Program, First@Ferrum Scholarship Program, Opportunity Fund, First-Year Academic Advising Program, Early Assessment Program, Weekly Academic Coaching/Counseling Program, Onboarding Program, and the Student Life/Carter Center Student In Need Committee.
Ferrum College President David Johns, who worked collaboratively with campus partners in preparing the grant request, was honored to learn Ferrum College received the grant award. “Our goal is to provide the support necessary for students to succeed, and we are grateful to the Jessie Ball duPont Fund for their commitment to help us do just that,” stated Johns.
Dean of Academic Success Dave Wiggins is excited about the opportunities this grant will afford to Ferrum College students and believes it would not have been possible without a collaborative effort college-wide to write and execute the grant application. “This grant will provide resources and personnel to help our most needy students. We will not just be focusing on academics and careers, but also helping our students to be more healthy and well-rounded people,” said Wiggins.
Wilson Paine, vice president of Institutional Advancement & External Relations, noted that receiving the Jessie Ball duPont Fund grant is a significant benefit to both Ferrum College and the College’s students. “This grant is instrumental in funding a variety of initiatives for first-generation and low-income students. Through hands-on support from members of the Carter Center for Academic Success staff, Ferrum College is committed to increasing both retention and graduation rates for students who have historically faced serious challenges in attaining higher education.”
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund grant will be funded for two years. Upon completion of the second year, progress and outcomes will be reviewed to potentially fund a third year.
