by Erin Turner | Jan 1, 2015 | News Slider, Sports
Happy New Year, Lumination readers! Now that the new year’s resolutions have been made and the first day of 2015 is here, we want to take a hop back in time to look at some of Lipscomb’s biggest moments of 2014. Before we get to the top 10 stories, we want to take a moment to honor those we lost in 2014. Alumni Andrew Nash, Anastasia Sloan, Meghan Day and Jacob Akers, and associate professor of pharmacy practice Kim Barker and longtime faculty member Earl Dennis all passed away. As we begin a new year, we would like to keep those listed and their families in our thoughts and prayers. Quite a few stories made it close to the top 10. They include a few annual events, special guests and people in new positions of leadership. In December, Amy Grant hosted the tenth annual Lighting of the Green in Allen Arena. This year, a scholarship was created in Grant’s honor. During the spring, the fifth annual Charlie Daniels’ Scholarship for Heroes concert brought country music stars and fundraising to Allen Arena once again. Also in 2014, the Dove Awards returned to Lipscomb for its 46th ceremony. In November, the Lipscomb community came together at one of Nashville’s premier venues: The Ryman. Nashville’s Charles Esten joined the program “Lipscomb: On a New Stage,” and even performed a few tunes, too. Also in 2014, Lipscomb welcomed Darrin Bellows as the new director of security and safety and Josh Roberts as the new dean of student development. In April, Drew Watson was elected as the new SGA president. 10. Dana Carpenter wins national award In October, Dana Carpenter took home...
by Erin Turner | Dec 24, 2014 | News Slider
Faces from the Big Apple inspired Lipscomb to get the shutter snapping on campus. Humans of New York, a growing blog showcasing New York City’s inhabitants, began when photographer Brandon Stanton started walking the streets, capturing people in their everyday lives. The same idea took off this semester when Campus Minister Caroline Morris decided that Lipscomb needed something that would allow people to get to know each other more deeply on campus. This is when the Humans of Lipscomb Instagram account was created. “I’ve been following them [Humans of New York] on Instagram for a year now and I love it, because it just shows that everyone has a story and everyone has something to share and something that’s really meaningful to them in life,” Morris said. Morris knew a photographer who could put the idea in to action, and soon after, many people were introduced to their campus peers by a simple square photo and caption. The goal of the account is to make each person feel valuable. The photographer does this by simply starting a conversation with random people on campus, eventually leading to specific questions, and the picture is saved for last. Each photograph is accompanied by a caption that includes a quote from the person in the picture. “It’s not all serious, sometimes it’s silly, sometimes it’s more meaningful,” Morris said. “First, when you’re scrolling through [Instagram], you see a picture of the person, but then you read the story and it just creates a whole new layer to them.” Morris hopes that creating a greater awareness of people on campus will create a more intentional...
by Erin Turner | Dec 19, 2014 | News Slider
Two interim deans have been appointed for the College of Education and the College of Professional Studies. Deborah Boyd, associate dean and director of graduate studies for the College of Education, will be filling the vacancy of Candice McQueen, who was appointed as Tennessee’s new commissioner of education on Wednesday. As a national search is underway for McQueen’s successor, Boyd will lead the College of Education and Lipscomb’s Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning and Innovation. Nina Morel, associate dean of the College of Professional Studies, will be serving as interim dean for that college, after Charla Long’s departure. Morel also leads the College of Professional Studies’ integrated studies and adult degree programs. In an email sent to faculty and staff, Lipscomb Provost Craig Bledsoe said that both Long and McQueen have led their respective colleges well. “They have established strong leadership teams that have helped put feet to their vision and will continue the impactful work of these colleges,” Bledsoe wrote. Although Long and McQueen have left, Bledsoe is certain the new interim deans will lead the colleges in the right direction. “When considering individuals to fill the role of interim dean we did not have to look far to find administrators to provide outstanding leadership during this period of transition while national searches are underway for permanent leadership for these colleges. “We look forward to working with Dr. Morel and Dr. Boyd as they share their expertise, vision and leadership with these colleges and with our university.” Photos courtesy...
by Erin Turner | Dec 17, 2014 | News Slider
When Gov. Bill Haslam began his search for a new education commissioner, he turned to Lipscomb University Senior Vice President Candice McQueen. Haslam announced Wednesday that McQueen will join his cabinet as commissioner of the Department of Education. “She has taught in a classroom, so she brings both the experience of being a teacher and of preparing teachers to teach,” Haslam said in making his announcement. “I am grateful for her willingness to serve in this role, and I know she’ll do a great job as we continue our efforts to provide a quality education for all Tennessee students.” McQueen has served as dean of the College of Education at Lipscomb since 2008, while also serving on the excutive leadership team as senior vice president. Since she has served as the dean, Lipscomb’s College of Education has grown by 54 percent, and 15 new graduate programs have been created. Her work as a leader in the College of Education has been recognized at state and national levels for teacher-preparation design and teacher-candidate outcomes. Even before McQueen joined Lipscomb in 2001, she taught in elementary and middle schools. “I have spent most of my career focused on developing and supporting educators to help our students succeed, and I look forward to bringing that experience and perspective to the important work of leading the Department of Education,” McQueen said according to Haslam’s press release. Now that McQueen will join Haslam’s cabinet, Lipscomb will announce the appointment of an interim dean in the next few days. But McQueen has already assembled a team of leadership within the College of Education who will be able to continue...
by Erin Turner | Dec 8, 2014 | News Slider
Lipscomb University Department of Theatre and Foundation Dance Theatre presented a night of colorful movement and expressive theatrics this evening in Shamblin Theatre. The show, Reflections, is a combination of choreography and scenes, directed by Justin Boccitto, adjunct theatre professor and award-winning choreographer. Reflections will have two more showings on Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., each night showcasing new original and traditional styles of choreography including tap, ballet, theatre, jazz, hip-hop and modern dance. Created with Admarket’s...
