Awards presented to honor grads at Lyon commencement

Students at Lyon College are known for their academic achievements, and on Saturday during the College’s commencement, eight of them took home awards for their outstanding performance.

The winners were:

The Charles H. Coffin Medal (the highest academic award) – Robert Bailey. He is a double major in French and music with a Spanish minor and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Brent C. Bailey of Ward, Ark. Bailey was recently awarded a prestigious J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship. (Mr. Bailey is pictured at right with Dr. John Peek, Dean of the Faculty.)

Established as a memorial to Dr. Coffin by a former classmate of his at Lyon, the Coffin Scholarship Medal is the highest academic honor bestowed on a graduating senior, and is awarded each year to an honor graduate who has taken his or her last three years of work at the College as a regular student.

The Dr. and Mrs. John D. Spragins Memorial Award – Laura McWilliams,. She’s a chemistry major and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John McWilliams of Benton.

The Spragins Award was established by the Board of Trustees in honor of a former president of Lyon and his wife. It is given annually to a member of the graduating class who best represents the ideals of the college.

The Mosley Fellowship – John Boling. He’s a biology major and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Boling of Jonesboro.

The Mosley Fellowship is named in memory of Dr. Ellis G. Mosley, a former professor of religion at Lyon, and Mrs. Mary Newton Mosley. It is intended for use in graduate school and is awarded annually to a member of the graduating class whose academic record and promise of future service are deemed outstanding by the faculty.

The Dr. Samuel W. Williams Fellowship – Rachel Miesner. She’s a biology major and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Miesner of Booneville.

The Williams Fellowship was established by the Board of Trustees in honor of Dr. Williams’ service to Lyon as a dean and professor. It is intended for use in graduate school and is awarded annually to a member of the graduating class whose academic record and promise of future service are deemed outstanding by the faculty.

The John T. Dahlquist Scholar-Athlete Award – Alison Sablick an English major and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Sablick of McKinney, Texas.

The Dahlquist Award is given each year to the graduating senior student-athlete with the highest grade point average. The award is given in honor of John Dahlquist, a former dean of faculty at the college, and his wife, Diana. A general stipend is received upon the recipient entering graduate school.

The Seibert Fellowship – Julie Sandy. She is a history major from Batesville.

The Seibert Fellowship was established by the Board of Trustees in honor of Daniel Seibert, a former professor of education and psychology at Lyon. It is intended for use in graduate school and is awarded annually to a member of the graduating class whose academic record and promise of future service are deemed outstanding by the faculty, and whose major field is one in which Professor Seibert taught.

The Lester Fellowship – Keith Harmon. He’s an English major and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Harmon of Searcy.

The Lester Fellowship was established by the Board of Trustees in honor of Dr. Margaret Pruden Lester, a former professor of history at Lyon. It is intended for use in graduate school and is awarded annually to a member of the graduating class whose academic record and promise of future service are deemed outstanding by the faculty.

The Class of 1994 Award – Danielle Bell. She’s a biology major and the daughter of Ms. Kimberly K. Mitchell of Cabot.

The Class of 1994 created the award to recognize a graduating senior whose achievements warrant distinction.

Photos of the honorees are posted on What's Hot.

Dr. David Thomas, associate professor of biology, is the 28^th winner of the Lamar Williamson Prize for Excellence in Teaching. (At right, Dr. Thomas receives the Williamson Prize cup from President Walter Roettger and Ray LaCroix, chair of the Board of Trustees.)

The award was announced Saturday during Lyon’s 135^th Commencement ceremony.

Dr. Thomas joined the Lyon faculty in 1999. He earned a doctorate degree from the University of Idaho, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Central Washington University.

Co-adviser to Catholic Campus Ministries, Thomas also serves as chair of the athletic committee. He’s a volunteer at the Batesville Help and Hope, a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Cub master for the White River District Boy Scouts of America, and an avid photographer.

Originally from Yakima, Wash., Thomas enjoys caving, hiking, camping and photography. He works to instill in his students a "respect and awe for the universe around them, the ability to think rationally and critically and the courage to ask questions."

Though his degrees call him a plant physiologist, Thomas considers himself to be an astrobiologist. He’s fascinated by the whole of nature and he enjoys teaching because it allows him to share his fascination with others.

The Williamson Prize is given annually by Lyon College to the faculty member deemed to be the most outstanding in four categories: professional competence, scholarly ability, exemplary humane and Christian values, and contributions to the community.

The Williamson Prize confers upon the recipient a silver cup and a stipend from a memorial fund, both of which were given by J. Gaston Williamson of Little Rock in honor of his father. The award is announced at commencement each May.

The winner of the prize presents a public lecture at a convocation the following academic year. Nominations for the Williamson Prize are solicited from faculty and students in March, and the final selection is made in the spring by a selection committee composed of various campus leaders as well as two students selected by the Student Government Association.

The Lyon Board of Trustees approved the committee’s recommendation at its April meeting.

Lyon College’s new director of Career Development may have grown up a Yankee, but after marrying an Atlanta native and learning to eat grits and say "ya’ll," she’s a full blown "honorary Southerner" now.

Vicki Webb brings a deep reservoir of knowledge and experience to her role in "providing students with guidance and opportunities tailored to meet their individual career development needs," according the Career Development mission statement.

Webb grew up in Minnesota, but went to Massachusetts to do her undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. After earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology, she moved to Atlanta to begin her career. She lived there for over 20 years.

"My husband says I’ve achieved honorary ‘Southern’ status since I now enjoy grits and can use the term y’all fluently in a sentence," she joked.

While in Atlanta, Webb earned a master’s degree in education, human resource and organization development from the University of Georgia.

For the past 12 years, Webb has worked for Emory University’s healthcare system.

"In my role at Emory, I worked both sides of the career development fence," she explained.

As an administrator for the Emory behavioral interviewing system, Webb taught classes to HR recruiters and hiring managers on how to interview effectively and make good hiring decisions. As a career coach for Emory staff members, she worked one on one and in small groups to help people evaluate their career paths and develop the skills needed for success.

"I also developed and delivered a variety of workshops and classes on various life and career skills, including communication skills, leadership development, stress management, facilitation and presentation skills, resume writing and interview skills," she added.

Webb and her husband bought property near Melbourne last year, excited about the possibility of leaving the smog and congestion of Atlanta behind.

"As I researched employers in the area, Lyon College was my clear choice," Webb said. "I was delighted when the Career Development directorship became available, as it offers me the chance to contribute my skills and talents to a wonderful organization in a terrific community."

Her first task in her new job will be to study and evaluate existing programs and offerings.

"Ultimately, the goal is to find ways to build on past successes and develop even more effective ways to help students find the next right steps on their life and career journey," she said.

Webb said she is grateful to the Lyon community, especially the Student Life staff, for extending such a warm welcome.

"I’m really looking forward to getting to know the area better and meeting all the folks who make it such a special place," she said.

Sonic team wins the Corporate Olympics at Scottish Festival

The team from Sonic Restaurants won the Corporate Olympics at the Arkansas Scottish Festival recently.As a result, the team gets to keep the traveling bagpipe trophy for a year. They also receive the honor of being "piped in" at their place of business last Wednesday. Left to right: Piper Kenton Adler, Shaun Campbell, managing partner; David Scarbrough, partner; Scott Davis, managing partner; and Pipe Major Jimmy Bell.

Gary Harris, Lyon’s associate professor of theatre, has accepted an appointment as vice chair for the Arkansas edition of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

The office is customarily a two-year preparation for the post of state chair.

Program officials offered Harris the post in March, and he accepted in April. In addition to attending the Arkansas festival, Harris is required to attend two out-of-state festivals in Region VI annually. In that region along with Arkansas are Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

The past state festival was held in November 2006 at the University of Central Arkansas at Conway. There, Lyon students Jance Floyd, Emily Fleming and J.T. Tarpley all received Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship nominations.

Best known as Granny on the classic sitcom, "The Beverly Hillbillies," which ran from 1962 – 1971, Irene Ryan was a Emmy and Tony award-nominated actress, and one of the few entertainers to achieve success in vaudeville, radio, film, television and Broadway.

The main focus of the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions is to celebrate the nation's finest student actors and the craft that enables them to create compelling and truthful characterizations.

The Lyon College theatre program has participated in every state festival for the past 13 years.

Harris has earned commendations for excellence in overall design, set design and lobby display at two of the past three state festivals. His spring production of The Good Doctor was entered as an associate member of the KCACTF and earned John Earney and Jance Floyd nominations for Irene Ryan Scholarship auditions for next year’s regional festival.

Associate entries receive the benefit of on-site adjudication by an in-state educational theatre professional. This is the first time Lyon College has participated in the associates’ program.

This year’s Region VI festival was held February 28 - March 4 at Tulsa Community College.

Started in 1969, the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival is a national theater program involving 18,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide.

The program has grown into a network of more than 600 academic institutions throughout the country, where theater departments and student artists showcase their work and receive outside assessment by center respondents.

Through state, regional, and national festivals, program participants celebrate the creative process, see one another's work, and share experiences and insights within the community of theater artists.

The program honors excellence of overall production and offers student artists individual recognition through awards and scholarships in playwriting, acting, criticism, directing, and design.

Lyon College is one of only four colleges in the state to offer Japanese studies, and this summer a new program for teachers will further enrich those cultural offerings.

On June 8 and 9, Mieko Uchida Peek, instructor of Japanese language and literature for Lyon, will host a two-day workshop for K-12 teachers on "Teaching Japan." So far eight teachers have applied to participate.

The workshop is specifically designed to meet the needs of local K-12 educators. The participants will develop a deeper understanding of the history, religion, popular culture, language, and social, economic and political structures of Japan.

Workshop instructors will include Dr. Kinko Ito, University of Arkansas in Little Rock, sociology and popular culture; Dr. John Peek from Lyon College, history, religion, economics and politics; and, Mrs. Peek from Lyon College, Japanese language and Web-based resources.

A $100 stipend will be awarded to participants when they complete the program and submit summary teaching plans.

Up to 10 participants will be selected for the workshop on the basis of their application materials. Applications are also available at: www.lyon.edu/webdata/users/mpeek/japanwebpages/

For more information, contact Mieko Peek at (870) 793-1790 or mpeek@lyon.edu.

The program is funded by a grant from the Freeman Foundation

The U.S. Achievement Academy has named a Lyon College psychology major a Collegiate All-American Scholar.

Pam Shultz, daughter of Jack and Janette Shultz Jr., of Melbourne, is a psychology major who graduated Saturday and plans to attend graduate school to study clinical psychology or criminology.

"To me, this honor means that I will be recognized nationally for accomplishments I have worked long and hard to obtain," Shultz said. "For Lyon College, I believe that it means they produce honorable students, who attend a nationally honored college, and those students are then recognized nationally for their achievements."

She said she owes a debt of gratitude to several people in her life, and they deserve share of the credit for the Collegiate All-American Scholar honor.

"I would like to thank Dean (John) Peek for the nomination, and all the faculty of Lyon College," Shultz said. "I’d also like to thank Ozarka College, Izard County Sheriff Tate Lawrence and my family, who inspired, taught, and led me to where I am today."

The United States Achievement Academy was founded to recognize outstanding students in America's colleges and secondary schools.

A competition sponsored by a British newspaper has shined the spotlight on a Lyon College art student and his work.

The Independent recently gave its readers the chance to put together a virtual art collection of works from Your Gallery, an online exhibition hosted by the Saatchi Gallery in London – widely considered to be the best contemporary art gallery in the world.

One of the winners chose "The Mirror’s Full," a piece of artwork created by Lyon student Jeffrey Earl Rose of Cave City.

Rose’s work was chosen out of 6,000 student artists on the site.

Contest entrants were asked to choose five different works by five different artists, which were then judged by Independent art critic Sue Hubbard, who was looking for "a visual and intellectual coherence, thoughtfulness and emotional integrity and an intuitive eye; work that said something meaningful, considered and authentic."

Saatchi set up Your Gallery in May as a exhibition space following the closure of its County Hall gallery in 2005. Since then, it has seen explosive growth, averaging six million hits a day, attracting both artists and buyers who wish to avoid the commissions of traditional galleries by exhibiting and purchasing online.

Many artists showing at The Saatchi Gallery are unknown when first exhibited, not only to the general public but also to the commercial art world. Many of these artists are subsequently offered shows by galleries and museums internationally.

A national honor society for students from all academic disciplines has honored a Lyon College professor and his more than three decades of service with one of its most prestigious awards.

The society also awarded a Lyon student’s academic presentation in a program that recognizes the top 10 percent of juniors and seniors from all majors.

Alpha Chi awarded Dr. Terrell Tebbetts, Lyon’s Martha Heasley Cox Chair in American Literature, with its Distinguished Service Award for dedicating more than 30 years to the society and to the success of his students. He received his 30-year service pin in 2003.

And Ashley Dorsey, an English major from Searcy, won the Michael Flachmann Prize in Shakespeare for her paper, "The Tragedy of Selfishness: Criticism of Capitalism in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice."

Dennis Organ, Alpha Chi’s executive director, said the only other 30-year pin that has been given to a sponsor who is still active in Alpha Chi went to Paul Michelson in 2005.

"I believe you are probably the ‘dean of sponsors’," Organ said in a correspondence with Tebbetts.

Alpha Chi began giving the Distinguished Service Award in 2001 to honor the individuals whose service to the society has been the most influential. The majority of recipients have been current, or recently retired, faculty sponsors recommended by their respective regional councils.

Tebbetts has been a sponsor of Lyon’s chapter since 1973.

"In that time, I have served as president of Alpha Chi's Region II and as a member-at-large of Alpha Chi's National Council," he said. "More important, I have accompanied dozens of students to regional and national conventions, where they present their creative and scholarly work and compete for scholarships."

Lyon's students have won thousands of dollars of those scholarships and have repeatedly seen their work published in Alpha Chi's journal, The Recorder, he added.

There are over 300 chapters of Alpha Chi nationally, each with one to five faculty sponsors.

Lyon College's Alpha Chi chapter recently received the National College Honor Scholarship Society’s highest honor – the President's Cup, marking it as the outstanding chapter in the nation for 2005-2007.

Six members of Lyon's Alpha Chi chapter attended the national convention in San Antonio, Texas, March 15 – 17, and they brought home that distinction and another prestigious honor.

At the convention, Dorsey, along with fellow Lyon students Haley Skinner and Laura McWilliams, learned that Alpha Chi has for the seventh consecutive year named Lyon’s chapter one of its 2006 Star Chapters, a distinction achieved by only about 10 percent of the more than 300 chapters across the country.

But the President's Cup was the biggest prize. President’s Cup winners retain the trophy and title for two years. The large traveling cup is on display in Lyon’s Derby Center for Science and Mathematics. At the next national convention in 2009, Lyon will pass the cup to the next recipient and replace it with a smaller cup that will remain on campus permanently.

Selection of the outstanding chapter is based upon convention attendance, sponsorship of local scholarly presentations, scholarship and award recipients, and service. During the past two years, 11 students have attended Alpha Chi conventions giving nine scholarly presentations. Also during this time, three students have been awarded scholarships and fellowships, with another selected as first alternate in a scholarship competition.

Locally, Lyon’s Alpha Chi chapter has sponsored 35 scholarly presentations during the last two years.

Sports

Baseball

Crichton edges Scots in third-place game

JACKSON, Tenn. - The Crichton Comets scored three runs in the top of the sixth and an insurance run in the top of the ninth, then held off a ninth-inning rally from the Lyon College Scots to win 6-4 in the third-place consolation game Friday at the TranSouth Tournament. The loss ended the season for the Scots at 40-19. The third-place winner received an automatic bid to the Region XI Tournament. Lyon's only chance of going to the regional was if it were chosen as the at-large bid based on regional rankings. However, Georgetown College was ranked higher and received the at-large bid for the tournament.

The Scots scored a run in the ninth on a two-out single by designated hitter Sam Neal to close the gap to 6-4, but left runners on the corners when the game ended on a fly out to center field by Jeffery Matlock. Neal finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Teammate Justin Brown drove in two runs during the contest.

Tony Gonzalez (1-2) notched the win for Crichton in 4 1/3 innings of five-hit work. Derek Bond (9-3) suffered the loss.

Wilson's walk-off homer sends CU past Lyon

JACKSON, Tenn. - Cumberland University's Jeremy Wilson hit a walk-off, 2-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Bulldogs to a 9-7 victory over the Lyon College Scots Friday in the championship round of the TranSouth Conference Tournament. Lyon tied the score at seven in the top of the ninth when Andy Wahl hit a one-out, two-run homer over the wall in left field.

Matt Creamer (1-2) suffered the loss, throwing 4 2/3 innings in relief of starter Brian Carr. Adam Tomlinson (6-2) pitched one inning and picked up the win for the Bulldogs. Cumberland starter Karl Mejlholm pitched eight innings, struck out six and allowed five hits and five earned runs. Andy Bettis was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for the Scots. Drew Kellums and Justin Frost each drove in a run for Lyon. Lyon was eliminated from TranSouth Conference Tournament championship round play.

Three Lyon College players named All-TranSouth Conference

JACKSON, Tenn. -- The Lyon College Scots earned one first-team selection and two second-team selections when the 2007 All-TranSouth Conference team was announced by the league.

Scots' senior first baseman Andy Bettis was named to the All-TranSouth first team. Bettis, a product of Jonesboro High School, hit .397, had a single-season school-record 18 home runs and collected 59 RBIs in 2007. Bettis is Lyon's all-time leader in home runs (53) and hits (254). The first-team selection was Bettis' third of his career, following selections in 2005 and 2006.

Scots' center fielder Mike Sanchez and starting pitcher Jerry Farina rounded out the Lyon players earning all-conference nods by making the All-TranSouth second team.

Sanchez, a senior from Prescott, Ariz., is hitting .354 with seven home runs and 54 runs scored.

Farina, a senior right-hander from Deltona, Fla., has recorded a record of 8-2 with an ERA of 4.57 and 30 strikeouts. The second-team all-conference nods were first-time selections for both players.

Sanchez named to TranSouth Gold Glove squad

Mike Sanchez, a senior center fielder from Prescott, Ariz., was the only Lyon College player named to the TranSouth Conference's inaugural Gold Glove squad, honoring the league's best fielders.

Sanchez, known for his outstanding range and his spectacular plays in the outfield, committed only three errors in 152 chances. The Prescott, Ariz.. product also had eight outfield assists.

Basketball

North Pulaski's Cooper signs with Lyon College

Anthony Cooper, a 6-0 point guard from North Pulaski High School, has signed a letter of intent to play basketball with Lyon College.

Cooper was an All-State selection as a senior, averaging 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The Little Rock native was also a two-time all-conference selection and an All-Metro team member.