Author: Tim Jordan

William L. Robbins Elected as Berea College Trustee

Last modified: February 21, 2021

William L. RobbinsWilliam L. Robbins was elected to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees for a six-year term beginning immediately through June 30, 2027.

For 26 years Robbins has been with Capital Group, an American financial services company, where he serves as a partner and equity portfolio manager. He is the principal investment officer of Capital Group Private Client Services, the American Mutual Fund and the Global Insights Fund. He also serves on the portfolio coordinating group for Capital International Investors and the Capital Solutions Group. He is a director of the American Mutual Fund, Investment Company of America, AMCAP Fund and Global Balanced Fund and previously served on the Board of the Capital Group Companies. Earlier in his career at Capital, Robbins was an equity investment analyst. Before joining Capital, Robbins was a part of the investment team at Tiger Management Corp. in New York and a financial analyst with Morgan Stanley.

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Registration Now Open for Woodworking Classes at Berea’s Pine Croft

Last modified: December 8, 2020
Aspen Golann carving wood

Aspen Golann, artist and 17th & 18th century-style furniture maker, will lead an introductory class on carving from April 16-18.

Berea College invites woodworkers to register for four classes with prominent instructors at the Woodworking School at Pine Croft.

The Woodworking School at Pine Croft is offering the following classes

  • April 10 & 11 – Wooden Carrier ($375) with instructor Andy Glenn
  • April 16, 17, 18 – Introduction to Carving – Traditional Techniques & Contemporary Applications ($625) with instructor Aspen Golann
  • April 30, May 1, 2 – Greenwood Stool ($550) with instructor Andy Glenn
  • May 14, 15, 16 – Dutch Tool Chest ($875) with instructor Megan Fitzpatrick

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Berea College and Lehigh University Break Boundaries with Win-Win Educational Pact

Last modified: December 4, 2020
Berea College sign on campus

(Photo: Crystal Wylie ’05)

New Berea-Lehigh Partnership Agreement Enhances Student Access to Graduate Management Education

Berea College, a federally recognized Work College, and Lehigh University’s College of Business jointly announced this week a new 4+1 partnership agreement.  This unique “4+1” joint partnership calls for a five-year program (four years of undergraduate studies at Berea College plus one year of graduate management education at Lehigh University). Students from Berea College in Liberal Arts or STEM field majors can enter Lehigh University’s MS in Management (M2) program to earn the Master’s level degree in just 10 months. The combination of Liberal Arts or STEM as well as skills learned in Berea’s Labor Program, coupled with business training further positions Berea graduates to be workforce ready as they pursue careers in a variety of industries ranging from consulting to banking to finance to brand marketing to pharma, just to name a few.

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PBS Features Berea College in Craft in America: DEMOCRACY Episode

Last modified: November 10, 2020

Student in Broomcraft Shop

A new episode of Craft in America: DEMOCRACY is available to stream now on the PBS Video App, PBS.org/craftinamerica, and craftinamerica.org in advance of the PBS broadcast premiere on Dec. 11, 2020.

Craft in America: DEMOCRACYexplores how craft intertwines with our nation’s defining principles, providing inspiring examples of artists and organizations working together to embody democratic ideals. The program highlights the historic and contemporary crafts Berea College students produce through the College’s distinctive Labor program. It features interviews with students and staff in Berea’s crafts program—which includes weaving, broom making, ceramics and woodworking—and Stephen Burks, an industrial designer and educator who headed Berea’s Crafting Diversity project. Burks worked with students to design products for the Student Craft program, ensuring the inclusive diversity of Berea’s student body was represented in the craft they created.

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Smithsonian Features 100 Years of Berea College Brooms

Last modified: October 29, 2020

Student braiding a broom

The Berea College Broomcraft Program—which marks its centennial anniversary this year—is highlighted in an online feature article in the Smithsonian Magazine. 

While Berea is a liberal arts college—not a craft or art school—it is home to the country’s longest continuously operating broomcraft workshop and carries on an American craft tradition that’s rarely practiced today. In the article, Chris Robbins, director of Berea College’s broomcraft program, estimates there likely are less than 200 people worldwide who make brooms by hand for a living. Yet brooms seem to be having a renaissance, he said, perhaps due to a market trend for handmade items or to the popularity of the Harry Potter book series (Berea has a “rocket broom” in its product line). More than 60 brooms were ordered on the morning the article appeared.

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Berea College Featured in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges 2021 Edition

Last modified: October 23, 2020

 

Berea College sign on campus

(Photo: Crystal Wylie ’05)

Berea College is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to The Princeton Review’s 11th annual Guide to Green Colleges. The guide, which profiles 416 colleges, is a resource college applicants can use to identify schools with exemplary commitments to the environment and sustainability.

The Princeton Review chose schools based on a survey of administrators at 695 colleges in 2019-20 about their institutions’ commitments to the environment and sustainability. The company’s editors analyzed more than 25 survey data points in the process of choosing schools for the guide.

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Berea College Faculty and Staff Recognized for Preservation by Madison County Historical Society

Last modified: October 21, 2020
Sharon Graves with award recipient Dr. Jacqueline Burnside

(Photo: Brittany Lakes)

The Madison County Historical Society recently awarded certificates of recognition to Dr. Jacqueline Grigsby Burnside and staff members of the Berea College Special Collections and Archives.

Sharon Graves, president of the historical society, presented preservation awards at a brief outside ceremony on the steps of the Hutchins Library on the Berea College campus.

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Berea College’s Nursing Program Ranked No. 8 in the Southeast

Last modified: October 5, 2020

NursingProcess.org best nursing schools in the nation badge 2020Berea College’s nursing program has been ranked No. 8 out of 731 schools offering nursing programs in the Southeast U.S. for 2020. Nursing Process, a national organization that provides nursing students with education and career information to help them make better choices, conducted the ranking of programs that offer Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees.

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Berea College Ranked No. 1 “Best Value College” by The Wall Street Journal/THE

Last modified: September 18, 2020

A Berea College student reading the Wall Street Journal's article ranking Berea College Number 1Berea College once again tops the list of “Best Value Colleges” in the nation in The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education (THE) 2021 College Rankings. Berea’s no-tuition model contributed to its No. 1 best-value ranking.

To determine the best value among the top 250 schools WSJ/THE divided each institution’s overall score by its net price, which includes the total cost of attending a school, such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, minus federal or institutional financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid. Students who don’t receive any aid aren’t included in the calculation. The College ranked No. 144 overall, climbing from l55 last year.

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Jennifer Bentz Awarded $8,500 Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship

Last modified: September 11, 2020

Jennifer Bentz in front of University of St. Louis School of Medicine building

Jennifer Bentz, a Berea College alumna of Maryville, Tennessee, received a Fellowship worth $8,500 by The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi (PKP)—the nation’s oldest collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Bentz is one of 58 recipients nationwide to receive a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship.

Bentz received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Berea College earlier this year. As a Phi Kappa Phi Fellow, Bentz will pursue a Doctor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

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Berea Ranked No. 1 as Best Bang for the Buck and No. 3 Best Liberal Arts College

Last modified: August 31, 2020

Washington Monthly 2020 College Rankings CoverWashington Monthly ranked Berea College No. 1 as the Best Bang for the Buck Colleges in the South. Berea also was named the nation’s No. 3 top liberal arts college in the 2020 Washington Monthly College Rankings guide. No other college in Kentucky was in the top 50. Such recognition for Berea comes from its success in educating and graduating academically talented, low-income students who become service-oriented leaders in their professions and communities. Last year, Berea held the No. 1 and No. 4 spots respectively.

Berea College was recognized by Washington Monthly author Robert Kelchen for maintaining “consistently high rankings thanks to their economic diversity, relatively strong graduation rates and commitment to meeting students’ financial need.”

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Berea College Seeks 1,600 Donors on Sept. 3

Last modified: August 28, 2020
Giving Day Banner August 2019

Photo: Crystal Wylie ’05

Berea College is looking for 1,600 people to participate in its annual Giving Day on Thursday, Sept. 3. This event generates significant excitement and support for Berea’s students with contributions coming from donors locally, regionally and nationally.

Donors can support Berea’s Giving Day easily by making a gift online; by texting “BEREA” to 56512; by calling 800-457-9846; or by mailing a check to CPO 2216, Berea, KY 40404.

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Berea Named One of the Best 386 Colleges in the Princeton Review’s 2021 Guide

Last modified: September 21, 2020
The Best 386 Colleges Princeton Review CoverThe Princeton Review has once again cited Berea College as “one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduates to earn their college degree.” This citation was made in their just-released publication of The Best 386 Colleges: 2021 edition of the annual college guide.

Berea is nationally recognized for its high-quality education and its distinctive labor program, which hires every admitted student to help operate the school. Berea is also known for its Tuition Promise Scholarship that covers more than $44,000 in annual tuition costs for every student. Berea’s students mostly come from families making an average of $29,000 and are the first in their families to attend college.

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Berea College Named No. 1 Top Producer of Gilman Scholars 

Last modified: August 6, 2020

2018-2019 Gilman Top ProducerContinuing a long tradition of students winning Gilman scholarships, Berea College was named the top U.S. college for having the most 2018-2019 Gilman International Scholarship undergraduates, 21, among colleges with enrollments under 5,000. Berea also was recognized in other categories, including top producers for first-generation students and top producer for most diverse destinations for studying abroad.

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Bill Daugherty Begins Term as Berea College Trustee

Last modified: July 1, 2020

Bill Daugherty profileWilliam S. (Bill) Daugherty was elected in April to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees for a term beginning July 1.

A 1976 Berea College alumnus and recipient of Berea’s 2017 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Daugherty is a co-founder and serves as a Managing Partner of BlackRidge Resource Partners LLC, an independent exploration and production company with oil and gas production in Kentucky, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

“As an alumnus, I have always been grateful for the opportunities Berea College afforded me and the solid foundation I received for my future,” said Daugherty.  “I look forward to giving back by serving as a contributing member of the Board of Trustees.”

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Berea College Announces Plan for Fall Semester; All Students Invited to Return to Campus

Last modified: June 22, 2020

The Administrative Committee of Berea College has decided to invite all Berea students to return for the upcoming semester. The fall 2020 semester will begin on Aug. 12 and conclude Nov. 24, prior to Thanksgiving.

The Administrative Committee carefully reviewed input from various College groups, including the Division Council, logistics groups and the Fall Re-opening Task Force, as well as information from various agencies regarding the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic nationally, statewide and locally to inform its decision.

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Jessica Napier, Berea College Alumna, Nationally Recognized As Health Education Teacher of the Year

Last modified: May 20, 2020
Jessica Napier ’00

Jessica Napier ’00 (Photo: LEX 18)

Jessica Napier, a 2000 graduate of Berea College, has been named National Health Education Teacher of the Year by SHAPE America, an organization that champions health and physical educators at every level, from preschool to university graduate programs.

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Dr. Dwayne Mack appointed vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Berea College

Last modified: May 5, 2020
Dr. Dwayne Mack

Dr. Dwayne Mack

Dr. Dwayne Mack was appointed vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion at Berea College effective July 1. Dr. Mack has been with the College since 2003 and has taught American history, African American history and general studies. He currently serves as professor of history and the Carter G. Woodson Chair in African American history. He brings to the position a wealth of knowledge from research and scholarship on diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education, the civil rights movement, interracial education and the gendered past of Berea College. In this position, Mack also will be a member of the Administrative Committee.

“My approach to the vice president role is rooted in my longstanding commitment to collaborative leadership that cultivates diversity, equity and inclusion,” Mack said. “Ultimately, my work is driven by a commitment to social equality, with the aim of generating practices that have a practical impact. Creating a campus climate that is inclusive and diverse, and supports our Great Commitments and Climate Assessment Report will continue to be the most meaningful and rewarding work of my professional career. It is at the core of my research and praxis.”

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Berea College Announces Fulbright Awards for 2020-21

Last modified: May 5, 2020

Two Berea College students received national recognition from the  Fulbright U.S. Student Program through the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

Meredith Black ’19 received her Fulbright award to be an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Germany and Shelby Wheeler ’16 to be an ETA in Spain.

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Three Berea College Students Named Thomas J. Watson Fellows

Last modified: April 3, 2020

Berea College students Stephen Nwaloziri, Aloyce (Hans) Riziki and Sophia Winkowitsch have won the prestigious distinction of being members of the 52nd Class of Thomas J. Watson Fellows.

Sophia Winkowitsch

Sophia Winkowitsch

Watson Fellows are selected from just 40 private colleges and university partners across the United States making the Watson pool extremely competitive. This year there were 153 finalists who were nominated to compete on the national level, from which 47 Fellows were selected.

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Weatherford Award Winners Named

Last modified: March 6, 2020

The winners of this year’s Weatherford Awards for the best books about Appalachia are Appalachian Reckoning (non-fiction) edited by Anthony Harkins and Meredith McCarroll, Forage by Rose McLarney (poetry), and Any Other Place (fiction) by Michael Croley. The Weatherford Awards honor books deemed as best illuminating the challenges, personalities and unique qualities of the Appalachian South. Granted by Berea College and the Appalachian Studies Association for 50 years, the awards commemorate the life and achievements of W.D. Weatherford, Sr., a pioneer and leading figure in Appalachian development, youth work and race relations, and his son, Willis D. Weatherford, Jr., Berea College’s sixth President. These winning authors will be recognized at the 2020 Appalachian Studies Conference in Lexington, Kentucky on Friday, March 13. 

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Dr. Nicholas D. Hartlep Recognized By DIVERSE as a 2020 Emerging Scholar

Last modified: January 29, 2020
Nicholas Hartlep Portrait

Dr. Nicholas D. Hartlep
(Photo: Jennifer Lance ’20)

Dr. Nicholas D. Hartlep of Berea College’s education department has been named as a 2020 Emerging Scholar by DIVERSE, a national magazine focused on diverse issues in higher education. Hartlep, who is the Robert Charles Billings Chair in Education and chair of Berea College’s education studies department, is one of 15 minority scholars doing remarkable interdisciplinary work in the academic sphere. DIVERSE says the 2020 Emerging Scholars are recognized as academic leaders who represent the future of education. Read the full article in DIVERSE.

Samantha Shawn Earp Elected to Berea College Board of Trustees

Last modified: January 29, 2020
Samantha Earp

Samantha Shawn Earp

Samantha Shawn Earp was elected to serve on the Berea College Board of Trustees for a six-year term.

Earp is vice president of information technology and chief information officer at Smith College, where her responsibilities include oversight of the college’s IT environment and management of the central IT organization. She also serves as a member of the president’s cabinet.

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Berea’s Westervelt Program Opens Spring Registration for Photography Course

Last modified: January 17, 2020
Sarah Heggen

Sarah Heggen, owner of Light My Fire Photography, will instruct the Westervelt Program class focused on photography this spring.

The Berea College Technology and Applied Design department is accepting course registration for spring 2020 Westervelt Program classes, which will focus on photography. The class will begin Feb. 4, 2020, and will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in room B10 of the Danforth Technology building.  The instructor will be Sarah Heggen.

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Artist Kiana Honarmand Exhibits Work Giving Insight to the Injustices Faced by Iranian Women

Last modified: January 15, 2020

“Growing up in Iran, I felt stuck between tradition and modernity, as did many other people in my generation.”- Kiana Honarmand, 2019

The Doris Ulmann Galleries has opened an exhibition featuring works by artist Kiana Honarmand on view now until Feb. 27, 2020. The exhibit, Across the Space Separating, consists of a selection of Honarmand’s works that discuss the juxtaposition of her Middle Eastern identity and her education in Western art. Honarmand uses this duality in her identity to discuss sociopolitical issues of modern Iran, like the violation of women’s rights, as well as the Western perception of the Middle East as a whole.

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