| Campus News |  |
Union Faculty Receive Templeton Award Union's Jimmy Davis and Harry Poe have been named recipients of the 1998 John Templeton Foundation Science and Religion Award. Davis, Professor of Chemistry, and Poe, Associate Professor of Christian Studies, won the $10,000 award for creating the class "Science and Faith: A Dialogue."
The class is interdisciplinary in nature and will be offered for credit in the Chemistry and Christian Studies departments and Union's Honors Program.
The John Templeton Foundation was established in 1987 by John Marks Templeton, a Winchester. Tenn, native who was first successful as an international investment manager and who founded the Templeton Growth Fund. Templeton established the foundation to explore spiritual and moral progress through the use of scientific methods and to recognize frontier thinking in religion that contributes to humanity's understanding of God, spirituality and the universe. Christian College Coalition Honors Union as Oldest Member Union was honored as the oldest school in the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities at the group's 1998 National Forum on Christian Higher Education, held April 2-5 in Indianapolis. Ind. "To have Union nationally recognized at this convocation of Christian colleges and universities was a distinct honor." said Union President David S. Dockery. "We are privileged to be a part of the Coalition and delighted to be recognized as the oldest institution in this outstanding group of institutions." The forum was the largest gathering of educators and administrators working in Christian higher education since the organization's inception in 1976 and was attended by representatives from the group's 91 members and 19 affiliate members. Members attended lectures designed to further expand the role and capacity of Christian colleges and universities. Union was represented by President Dockery. Executive Vice President Michael Duduit, Provost Carla Sanderson, Dean of the School of Education and Human Studies Tom Rosebrough, and Jimmy Davis, Associate Provost and Director of Institutional Research.
Mrs. Lanese Dockery was selected President of the Southern Baptist Minister's Wives Conference at the annual meeting of the convention in Salt Lake City. This conference hosts an annual luncheon at the Southern Baptist Convention and seeks to encourage ministers' wives in their crucial role of ministry. Communicators Join Union Staff Douglas Baker and Nedra J. Kanavel joined the university's public relations office this spring. Kanavel was named Director of News and Information in March; Baker was named Director of Communications in May.
In her new position, Kanavel coordinates the university's relationship with media, provides support for Union publications and programs, and serves as the university's chief information officer.
Baker is a graduate of Louisiana State University and received his Master of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where he was honored as one of the five out-standing students in the graduating class. In his new position,Baker serves as the chief communications and marketing strategist
for the university, overseeing all university publications, institutional marketing and
special "The addition of these two outstanding communicators to the university's
advancement staff will strengthen our efforts to tell Union's story to an ever-growing
audience," says Union Plans Passion Play Tour for 2000 Union University will sponsor a special European study tour - including attendance at the once-in-a-decade Oberammergau Passion Play - in July 2000. The 11-day tour, which will be hosted by President David S. Dockery and Executive Vice
President Michael Duduit, will feature travel to Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, The Passion Play is presented every 10 years by the citizens of the small German town. The day-long experience attracts thousands of visitors from around the world. The tour will begin in Vienna, and will spend time in Salzburg and the mountain city The Passion Play is known to Christians around the globe, in part because of its
remarkable history. In the year 1633, when Oberammergau was in the grip of the black
plague, the inhabitants vowed they would stage a performance of the bitter suffering of
Jesus Christ every 10 years. For the first time in 1634 the inhabitants of Oberammergau
fulfilled their oath, and in 2000 the village in the Ammer-valley will fulfill that pledge
once For centuries, in spite of dangers and threats, Oberammergau has kept the tradition The projected cost is $3,250 per person (based on double occupancy), which includes
round-trip air fare from selected departure cities (such as Memphis or Nashville), first- Interested Unionites are encouraged to call (800) 338-6644 (or 661-5214 in the Jack- Ten New Faculty Appointed for Fall Semester Union will have 10 new faculty members when the fall semester begins in September. The recent appointments were made in the departments of Christian Studies, Music, Mathematics and Computer Science, Chemistry, English and Biology, and the McAfee School of Business Administration. Betty Bedsole joins the Music department as Professor of Music.
Bedsole comes from Gavin Richardson will join the English department. Richardson will serve as Assistant Professor of English. Richardson began his college career at Vanderbilt University, where he graduated from with a Bachelor of Arts. Richardson has since earned his Master of Arts and Doctorate from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Biology department will add Carol Weaver to its faculty. Weaver will serve as Assistant Professor of Biology. Upon graduation from Union in 1970, Weaver taught at the former Old Hickory Academy in Jackson and worked as a reporter for The Jackson Sun. After earning her Master's from the University of Missouri, St. Louis and Doctorate at St. Louis University, Weaver taught as Adjunct Professor for Missouri Baptist College. Union's McAfee School of Business Administration will add Joe Harrison
to its faculty Harrison has taught at the State Technical Institute at Memphis, the University of Memphis and Crichton College, and was President of Harrison Equipment Sales, Inc. for 11 years. Roger Glidewell and Brad Green will join the
Christian Studies department. Glidewell will serve as Assistant Professor of Youth
Ministry. Green will be Instructor of Glidewell is a graduate of Southwest Baptist University and received his Master's from Green has studied at several institutions of higher learning. He received his
Bachelor's The department of Mathematics and Computer Science will add Stephen Brinton
and Brinton comes to Union after serving as Senior Pastor at South Georgia Methodist Conference. Brinton taught computer science at Gordon College and worked as Senior Systems Analyst from Unisys Corp. A graduate of Gardner-Webb University, Brinton received his Master of Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary. Dawson received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Pittsburgh State
University and his Doctorate from the University of North Texas. Before joining Union, Sally Henrie will begin teaching at Union as Assistant Professor of
Chemistry. After Pam Sutton will join the English department as Associate Professor of English. Sutton received her Bachelor of Arts from Southern Arkansas University and a Master of Arts and Ed.S, from Arkansas State University. She expects to complete her doctoral studies at Texas A&M University, Commerce this December, graduating with a Doctor of Education. Sutton has taught at Southern Arkansas University Tech since 1979. In other faculty news, Jeannie Byrd, formerly a part-time instructor for the English department, will teach as a Visiting Instructor of English. Huggins and Simpson Honored as Faculty and Staff Member of Year James Huggins, Chair of Union's Biology department, and Robert Simpson, Associate Vice President for Business Services, were honored May 18 as Union University's 1998 Faculty Member of the Year and Staff Member of the Year. Huggins joined Union faculty in 1987. Before coming to Union, Huggins taught at Shelby State Community College, Memphis State University and Mississippi Industrial College in Holly Springs, Miss. A graduate of Arkansas State University with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and a Master of Science, Huggins received his Ph.D. from Memphis State University. He currently is conducting vertebrate research involving shrews and bluebirds. Huggins, his wife Cathy and son Kyle are members of West Jackson Baptist Church, Jackson,Tenn. Simpson has served Union for 15 years. He first came to the University in 1983 as Assistant Vice President of Business Affairs. A 1980 graduate of Union, Simpson received a Master of Business Administration from Memphis State University. Simpson is an active member of the Tennessee Society of CPAs and Treasurer of the Carl Perkins Bicentennial Exchange Club. Simpson, his wife Paula, and their three sons, Rob, Wilson and John, are members of Englewood Baptist Church of Jackson, where he is a deacon, an adult Sunday school teacher and a church trustee. |
Davis and Poe will teach their award-winning class this
fall at Union. The course will explore major scientific concepts and major faith
commitments of Christianity. The goal of the class is to produce constructive
discussion about the relationship between science and faith. 
Davis is associate provost, director of institutional research, and
acting dean of the college of arts and sciences at Union. Poe serves as Union's vice
president of academic resources and information services. 
First Lady Named President of 
Kanavel, a 1996 Union graduate, served as Editorial Page Assistant
and Columnist for The Jackson Sun. In addition to her studies at Union, Kanavel studied at
the University of Michigan and at St. John's College of Oxford University.
Baker comes to Union from Baton Rouge, La., where he served as
Director of Communications for NorthStar Leadership, Inc., a public and higher education
policy firm. Prior to his service at NorthStar, he served two Louisiana governors in the
field of communications. He is a two-time recipient of the Governor's Award for
outstanding leadership.